AN: For this chapter I used the lyrics from the song Movies by Alien Ant Farm. To make your reading experience fuller and more emotional, please find this song on youtube and play it while you read. That is the way I intended it to be read.
So get the tissues ready because here it is.
In our short years, we've come a long way.
Caspian had been afraid of the dark since that time two years ago, when the men had chased him in to the forest. He knew it was a silly fear, but a trauma like that didn't just leave a person because it was silly.
He had gotten into the habit of keeping a torch in his room all night. It was something to keep the nightmares away. It bothered him that even as king he was afraid of a lot of things. He was afraid of the dark. He was afraid of failing. He was afraid that he would some how mess this up.
But tonight he didn't light a torch. He was going to bare with his stupid fear. Tonight he needed to be strong.
He sat, alone, silently in the black hall of Cair Paravel.
And now...the deadline.
In exactly one hour the height of night would occur and a new day would begin.
Today they die. Today she comes back to me.
Caspian sat in one of the reconstructed thrones, Peter's to be exact. It was stiff, but then most thrones were. It was almost surreal to sit in the throne that had once belonged to the High King.
He looked to his left at the two empty thrones on that side, on his right sat one.
He hadn't had the heart to rebuild Cair Paravel short two thrones; it was always meant to have four. To his right was Edmund's throne. To his left was Susan's and Lucy's thrones.
Caspian just stared out into the nothingness. What does one do when they wait for something like this?
I can't seriously wait all day here. Caspian thought looking at the empty hall. He had cancelled everything for the next month. There would be no events. No balls. No meetings, only silence.
I have a month to do my best to make Susan happy again before life will start again. Caspian rubbed his face, feeling lost. I don't think I can do this.
Caspian sighed.
Paws scraped the floor in front of Caspian.
"You are here early my king," Aslan said softly.
"I wanted to be here," Caspian had yet to look up. He glanced at the throne to his left through his fingers, a pang forming in his chest.
Caspian finally looked up at Aslan. He had not seen the lion since that day two years ago. It had been in the very same spot, only now the castle really did exist in all its glory. He looked older, and sad. Caspian knew that he must look just as distraught and ragged.
"It will not happen until the afternoon. You should rest Caspian," Aslan said. Caspian just shook his head.
"I want to wait, I need to," He said looking forlorn.
And just like the movies, we played out our last scene.
"How many tickets will you be needing?" The woman behind the counter asked Peter.
"Four please," Peter replied pulling out his wallet.
"I cannot believe we are seriously doing this," Susan said with a roll of her eyes. "You have been saving that money for so long; you are going to spend it on train tickets?"
They were standing in the train station. It had started yesterday. A man had appeared to them in the living room. And now all of them were going to take the train to the professors. They needed to dig up the rings he had once used. They were called to help Narnia again.
"Su, lay off," Edmund said starching his head. "This is important and you know it. Stop being difficult."
"I am not being difficult. I'm being reasonable," Susan said letting out a sigh of defeat. She was not going to win this one, which was clear. She gave Peter a squinty eyed glare.
"Did you at least leave mom and dad a note or something?"
This time it was Peter's turn to roll his eyes. Susan had been freaking out all morning. Ever since a man claiming to be the King of Narnia had appeared to them in their living room. In the past Susan wouldn't have been this annoying, but recently she had taken to the roll of mother with a passion. Right now she was just worrying.
"Yes Su. Everything is fine here. It's Narnia we need to worry about," Peter said giving his sister a smile. After a second she relaxed.
"This is going to be fun!" Lucy said with a clap after Peter and Susan relaxed.
"What time does the train leave?" Edmund asked looking up at the clock. Peter glanced at the tickets.
"We have an hour before it arrives," Peter replied.
"Right, well I am going to go get some snacks," Edmund said and then wandered off.
I want you to be free.
Lucy was practically bursting at the seams. She was so excited it actually hurt.
Narnia needed them again. The only draw back was that she would not be able to help personally. Eustace and Jill would make the trip.
But that didn't really matter. What mattered was that Narnia was still a part of them, they had not lost it. Lucy could not wait to ask Eustace about Aslan.
"Feels good to be needed again," came Susan's voice from Lucy's left. She knew her sister had been feeling a little useless in the past year.
"Yeah it does," Lucy said with a smile.
"I just wish we could go as well," Susan said staring off into the station. Lucy smiled sadly.
"Yeah, me too." They held hands and gave each other sad watery smiles.
Don't worry about me.
"Eustace is late," Peter said pacing in front of the benches.
"Calm down," Edmund said picking at his nails. "Why is every one so tense?"
Edmund knew he should be worried, but since Caspian's letter, he simply didn't want to be worried. He wanted to enjoy things. So he had bought snacks. So he was scribbling in his note book about theories.
He thought he should say something about what was going on. About how it seemed odd what was happening in Narnia. That maybe this was the event he had predicted, but he didn't feel like worrying.
You won't cry…
The sun was rising over the glass ceiling in Cair Paravel. Caspian had over the last few hours moved from the throne to the stairs in front of the thrones.
He lay sprawled over the steps, feeling the sharp edges poke him in the back.
"You need to eat something," Trumpkin said with a huff standing over Caspian. "You need sleep and food."
"I can do those later," Caspian said not moving. He had lost all semblance of emotion about three hours ago. Now he was just numb, and he didn't know if he could feel anything ever again.
"When? When she gets here? Will you eat while she cries?" Trumpkin said angrily. "What about when she slips into depression? You need to eat now!"
Caspian turned to look at the dwarf and saw that he was crying in his anger. He felt bad suddenly; he had almost forgotten he was not the only one in pain.
"Just bring me whatever there is," Caspian said, his throat dry.
….I won't scream.
Peter heard the announcer call for their train. The loud voice booming over the intercom and at that moment something inside him sunk. It felt like his body wanted him to stay rooted while he desperately wanted on that train.
"That's us," Peter said turning to his siblings. Edmund looked up and nodded. He started stuffing his notebook in his side bag he always carried. Lucy sprang from her seat with a smile. Susan stood up slowly.
She smiled at Peter. "I can't believe this is really happening," she said sounding dazed.
"Me too. But everything is going to be just fine. We are going to help Narnia, together," Peter said squeezing Susan in a side hug.
"Oh look, Eustace is here," Ed said point off to the distance. They could see Eustace and Jill running down the hall waving at them.
In our short film, a love disgrace…
Susan felt sad and happy at the same time. It was an odd sensation. Thinking of Narnia without Caspian broke her heart little by little. It had been for a month now. His last words hung in her mind constantly. They promised so much hope, and yet there was little hope that she would see him again.
She was happy to be a part of Narnia again, to be needed and wanted for that matter. It had killed Susan to watch Ed and Lucy return to Narnia. And it had nearly put her into a depression when she found out Eustace had returned as well.
When the man had appeared to them Susan had been distraught. She had begged with Peter that they return. But he had been stubborn as a mule, unwilling to disobey Aslan's words. So instead of sending Peter, the best swordsman; or Susan, the best archer; or Edmund the best fight; or Lucy with her healing cordial; instead they were sending Eustace and Jill. Because Aslan had not told them they could not return.
Susan had wanted to hate Aslan over the years. She had wanted to hate him for not letting her come back. She had wanted to hate him for taking her away from the one man she had ever truly been interested in.
In the end she couldn't even seem to dislike the lion. He died to save my brother, to save all of us.
Dream a scene to brighten face.
He was pacing now. Unable to hold back the agony of what was going to happen. It was like being ripped apart from the inside. Feeling completely helpless was not something Caspian experienced often. He was king; he had more power than he knew what to do with.
But in this moment he was completely helpless. He could do nothing. Nothing.
The sun had reached its peak.
"When?" was all Caspian could say. He looked up at the lion standing at the end of the hall. He knew he was crying but he wasn't ashamed.
"Soon," Came Aslan's voice. The tears began a new.
In our short years we come long way.
Peter stood on the platform with the others, the train was running late.
"Where is it?" Peter asked pacing. "We need to get there!" Peter simply didn't like the way this day was turning out.
"I'm sure everything is fine," Susan said, always the voice of reason. "They probably had a long stop at the last station."
Peter relaxed a little. He needed to stop worrying. Sure, there was a problem in Narnia. But hadn't Caspian told him to stop trying to be the protector and just be himself.
He looked over at Susan to see that she was talking with Lucy and smiling. She was getting better. It had taken a few years, but it seemed like maybe she might be ready to move on with her life.
Peter sighed tapping his foot waiting. He really had no patience what so ever.
Then he heard it.
A screech of metal.
In that moment horror filled him.
To treat it bad…..
Susan had stepped forward on the plat form, noticing the arriving train. She was ready to go, ready to get on the train and get to the professors.
Then came the noise. It was blood chilling.
In that moment she was rooted to the ground, unable to make herself move, even as the train veered off course and straight towards her.
…just to throw it away.
Edmund was speaking with Lucy.
"I wonder how Susan will take this," She said gazing off at their sister as she walked towards the front of the platform.
Then came the screech.
In that moment he knew, it had come. The end had arrived.
I want you to be free
Lucy heard it. A sound, a screech. But she didn't look, couldn't look.
Her gaze was riveted on Susan. The world slowed, and in horror Lucy watched the train rocket at her sister.
Don't worry about me.
He saw it. Saw the train coming for her. Saw it as if in slow motion. Every breath was slowed.
In that slow motion, in that heart beat Peter did the only thing he had done all his life, protect his sister.
He had already been moving. He hadn't even realized.
In a breath, a heart beat, he was beside her. Pushing her, forcing her out of the way.
In his next breath he sighed, she was safe.
In the breath after that it hit him.
And just like the movies….
The end. It was here. Save them. He sprung. Grabbed Lucy, pulling her away from the mass of train. Out of the danger.
He watched in slow steady horror, Peter flung into the air by force. Susan thrown to the side.
Drag Lucy, get out. Save them.
There was a crunch, a rumble. Edmund wrapped his body around Lucy.
A heart beat later the rubble fell.
….We play out our last scene.
It hit. He flew. Susan slid.
Aslan.
She was pulled. Edmund grabbed her. The crunch. The rumble. The stones fell.
Aslan.
You wont cry….
He felt the wind leave him. Felt the crunch of his bones. Saw his blood spill from his mouth.
The pain never came.
He watched till the last breath. Needed to know she was safe, that it was not in vain.
Before his eyes she vanished, fading into the magic.
The pain never came.
In that last moment he knew. Knew she was going back. Everything will be fine now.
…I wont scream.
Susan watched in horror.
The train. Peter.
She was sliding, away from him. Away from the train.
He flew through the air.
A tug pulled her.
No…
Edmund was running.
The tug pulled harder.
No…
They were trapped, the stones were falling.
The tug gripped her.
NO!
In that moment the world disappeared. She was consumed in nothingness. The tug pulled her backwards, through space, through time.
Her only thought. NO!
And just like the movies….
Edmund felt the crush. Air left his body. His bones snapped.
The pain never came.
His body crumbled.
The pain never came.
He last thought. It will be nice to go home again.
…We play out our last scene.
Lucy saw them falling. Felt Edmund brace above her.
Saw his body slowly crumble under the force.
Aslan…
He couldn't hold it off her, he collapsed. Then the force hit her. Constricted her air, took it away from her.
Aslan…
The pressure increased. Her bones shattered.
The pain never came.
Her last thought. Aslan.
I want you to be free, don't worry about me.
Caspian was ready. He stood, waiting. He had hopped there would be a warning, but there was none.
One moment the room was empty save for him and Aslan. The next Susan was on the floor in front of her throne.
"NNNOO!" She screamed.
He rushed forward. Pulled her into his arms, grasped her with all his might.
She continued screaming.
"PETER! NO! EDMUND! NO! LUCY!" She screamed.
Her tears stained him. Her cries brought Trumpkin running. He cried when he saw her.
"NO! NO! NO! NOOO!"
She pounded his chest in anguish. Caspian gripped her tighter, unwilling to let her go. Her fists branded him.
"NOOOOOOO!"
Still she screamed. For hours, for days. Still he held her. Still she cried, and he held her even tighter.
Finally, an eternity later, her screams stopped. Her tears stopped. She lay unconscious in his arms.
Caspian pulled her closer to him, her head in his neck. And then for the first time since she appeared he cried in honest.
"I'm sorry," his voice cracked.
You wont cry, I wont scream.
Hi readers. Hope you didn't have to use the whole box of tissues.
This chapter is one I have been planning in my head since the beginning. I am really happy about how it came out.
For those of you interested some very lovely people have made lots of fanart in relation to this story. If you would like to view it please go to www . Caspian and Susan . com (take out the spaces. It wont let me put the link directly on this page.) Then go to the forum. Go to the area that says Fan Art, in that area there should be a thread called Being Reasonable Needs art. There you can find avatars, banners and wallpapers all relating to scenes from this story.
For this chapter I would like to thank my perfect boyfriend Chris. When my dad had life threatening surgery and almost didn't make it, he was the one thing that got me through the day. His actions and love are the inspiration for the second half of this story.
I also want to thank my beta Sami, and the two lovely girls making all the art for me; bluebabby and cephisso.
Don't forget to review and rate!
Love -E