Yes I'm back on Fanfiction and it feels soooo good! I'm sorry and I really hope this chapter lived up to the wait. It's a little different, I'll give it that. Around 16 pages on word and over 9,000 words. I'm pretty sure that's a new record for me.

It's My Life
It's now or never
And I ain't gonna live forever
I just wanna live while I'm alive
(It's My Life)
My heart is like an open highway
Like Frankie said I did it my way
I just wanna live while I'm alive
It's My Life

-Chorus of "It's My Life" by Bon Jovi

Although every single detail was planned from the minute of arrival to the thirteen second window of opportunity in which the guards turned in their pace and were not looking in the direction of which the Narnians would be entering, Susan couldn't help but feel the small pain in her head caused by her decision to agree to this raid in the first place. It could be because of the small fact that if any detail went wrong, if they were not at a specific location at a certain point in time then the entire operation would fail completely or maybe it was just skepticism.

Susan had pushed these thoughts from her head as she watched Edmund flying towards the castle securing in the clutches of a griffin. She knew her brother well enough to know that his side of the job would go well. Susan counted the seconds until she saw his torch flicker with the signal…several seconds passed and she started to worry. Of course it was only logical that would take longer than a minute to send the signal after disarming the guard but she still couldn't help but worry.

After almost two minutes, the signal was flashing as bright as one of the evening stars. She let out a sigh of relief and looked to her left at Peter and Caspian who were about to be lifted up by their griffins. She felt a hand on her shoulder and turned to see Glenstorm and the others. He looked at her and nodded his head. It was now or never. She nodded back to him and to the Griffin to allow him to take her up. She kept an arrow propped on her bow just in case. As she got into the air, she saw the boys taking the lead almost as if they were competing with each other over who would kill the soldier first, who would land first, etc. Was everything a competition with these boys?

Eventually Caspian was able to slay one of the soldiers until he was taken up by his griffin again. Susan shot at another soldier who was about to kill the flickering light which happened to be Edmund and Peter killed the final soldier as he landed. So far everything was going according to plan. Susan didn't need to worry about her troops below who were dealing with the guards in front of the gate. Nikabrik and Asterius took down the guards near the bridge area while Reepicheep and his team took down the inner guard…or rather the guard cat.

At the same time in another tower, Peter and Caspian had draped a rope in front of one of the windows. Caspian was determined to free his professor from this castle just as the professor helped him several nights ago. Caspian climbed down the rope first and tried calling for the professor to open the window but there was no movement. After a while, Caspian instead picked the lock of the window with ease using his dagger. Peter climbed down next entered the room as well. Susan and Trumpkin were the only ones left to climb down. Susan made it down with ease and held the rope for Trumpkin to climb down. Unfortunately, one lost step caused him to tip back and drop the hat he was wearing and reflexes made him lean back even more to grab it. Susan could see him about to fall but was able to grab him before he either fell to his death or his fallen hat gave away their cover. After the initial shock wore off from Trumpkin's face, he looked at the Gentle Queen and back down at a soldier who would've spotted them. The soldier suspected nothing. Trumpkin looked back at Susan's face to see fear etched all over it. Susan took a breath before she pulled him back up. Shock was still visable on Trumpkin's face but he didn't break eye contact with Susan. She had saved his life for a second time but he couldn't manage a simple thank you. She gave a gentle smile signaling that nothing needed to be said and that she understood. Trumpkin walked in while shaking the shock off. Although Trumpkin didn't know the queen well, the only thought that passed through his head was Maybe it's alright to trust them after all.

Susan and Trumpkin walked into the room to see Peter and Caspian examining everything. Peter was walking around the room noticing everything from the solar system display to the books on the shelves. Peter read a few of the spines. Those in full view were books about the beginnings of Telmarine society, the line of Kings in Telmarine history, and, Peter gulped before reading the next series of books on the shelf, the Fall of the Narnians and the Rise of the Telmarines – A Ten Part Book Series. Caspian was examining the paperwork on the Professor's desk. His desk was usually organized and there would be nothing on ancient Narnia on it to protect their secret but when Caspian examined it there were papers ruffled surrounding the entire desk as well as the floor – as if someone was searching for something in particular. The fact that every piece of paper had something about the Pevensies on it also brought suspicions. There was even a picture of the four together during the Golden Age riding on their horses protecting the land but it had a hole on a horse's heart. There was one more thing that Caspian found that worried him. The professor's spectacles were left on his desk when normally it would be taken with him wherever he went. Caspian now knew what happened. The secret was found out and Professor Cornelius was taken.

He held onto the spectacles and looked at the other three. "I have to find him."

Peter couldn't believe what he was hearing. One step out of place could mean their downfall. "You don't have time. You need to get the gate open."

There was no time to reassign the jobs listed but Caspian was persistent. He gave Peter a stern look. "You wouldn't even be here without him…and neither would I."

Peter thought hard at what Caspian had just said. True, Caspian did receive Susan's horn through Cornelius and that was what brought him and Lucy back as well as Caspian would've been dead by now had he not been warned but Peter did not like change and his mind was made up.

Susan didn't see the harm in it and she too wanted to rescue the poor professor. She put a hand on her brother's shoulder. "You and I can deal with Miraz." Peter's glare was hard but he soon had no choice but to agree.

"And I can still get to the gate in time." Caspian was confident that even with the minor setback, he'd still be able to get everything done right.

Peter was clearly outnumbered. "Fine, Trumpkin you will have to take one of the griffins and help Ed get rid of the sentries on the towers then go back and help Reepicheep get the drawbridge down." Trumpkin sheathed his sword and told Peter he knew what to do. Peter looked at Caspian after Trumpkin had left the room. "You better get that gate open before the drawbridge goes down." Caspian nodded and with that, all three of them left the room to continue with the infiltration.

Unfortunately, they were not able to get far. Trumpkin walked back in the room to face the other three. He warned them that there was only one exit which was down the corridor but Caspian had made Susan and Peter wait before going through. Caspian listened carefully and could hear soldiers talking on the other side.

Peter, though never admitting it, did not know what to do for once. "Drat! How are we going to get passed without raising the alarm?"

Very quickly, Caspian remembered something important. "Hold on. Cornelius once told me of a secret passage to his room somewhere in the astronomy area." The three of them quickly went back to figure out how to leave without climbing back through the window since there was no other way without the griffins who had already left for their designated waiting/hiding area.

The four of them looked around the room for anything that could be used to open some kind of secret passage. Peter pulled at the books to see if any would trigger a door or something, Caspian ruffled more papers for answers, Trumpkin looked in places too small for the others, and Susan cross examined the room. She noticed the astronomy display. A giant sphere was in the center of a pedestal which represented the sun. Under the giant sphere but above the pedestal of which it sat on, were nine points protruding from it. Each point was a different length away from the sun. On each point sat another sphere. The small spheres would circle the larger one – a diagram of the orbit.

She smiled. The display had the planets all circling the giant sun in the center. Her mind immediately went to the day of their coronation. She was given the Radiant Southern Sun. For a while she wondered as to why but she never questioned Aslan. She circled the display and slowly her smile would fade. Three of the spheres were missing from their respectable places as well as their spots were slightly higher in elevation as opposed to the other spheres which were the same elevation. Susan looked around for three more of the exact same spheres.

Although Peter, Trumpkin, and Caspian were getting antsy because they had found nothing while Susan was able to find all three of the spheres within ten minutes. The three boys gave her weird looks as to why she smiled when she found them but said nothing besides, stranger things have happened. She figured out that once you put the sphere in its place, the elevation would sink to the same elevation as the ones that were already there. When Susan finally found the third sphere, Peter needed to know what was so important in finishing an astronomy diagram.

"Really Su? The entire room is messed up. Do you really have some sort of need to clean the place up starting with this diagram? We're on a tight schedule as it is." He glared at Caspian when saying his last sentence only because he still felt that it was Caspian's fault that they were stuck in that room anyway.

"Relax Pete…I'm pretty sure this is our way out. And I do not have an obsessive need to keep things tidy!" Peter gave her a skeptical look before she turned around and put the final sphere in its rightful place. Peter, in a rare moment, looked at Caspian and Trumpkin in a tender face and whispered "Yeah she does." Caspian quietly chuckled but was silenced when they saw what Susan's "excessive cleaning" had lead to. A secret door behind one of the bookshelves had opened leading to a way out. Susan looked at the three boys with a triumphant smile.

The four of them walked down the dark tunnel but soon made it to the hallways. The hallway had lead to two more areas. One was a foyer with only one door being guarded by two soldiers and a bell. Caspian looked. "If those guards ring the bell the whole castle will know we are here."

"We'll just have to go the other way." Peter then began leading them in the other direction. The door they went through was completely clear. It was able to lead them to a smaller courtyard then the ones they hoped the Narnians would enter. The courtyard had two doors – one that leads to the towers and another that leads to the dungeons. This courtyard was wear the Griffins had been told to wait. They had already silently taken out the guards. Edmund was waiting with them.

Peter explained to them what was about to happen and the new changes. "Ed, take down the tower sentries, Trumpkin will go with you. Caspian will find his professor and after he'll go to the gate. Susan and I will take Miraz."

Edmund looked grave. "It's not that simple. Tower Sentries is a two person job and the drawbridge needs to go down immediately."

Peter sighed. "Fine. Trumpkin, you go find Reepicheep so you can get started with drawbridge. I'm going with Ed and the Griffins to get rid of all the sentries on the towers. We have to make sure that we do it before any sound the alarm. Caspian will get Cornelius and then go back for the gate."

Edmund again looked at Peter. "I think Susan should go with Caspian. I looked inside the dungeon by accident to see if you guys were there and you won't believe what I saw."

The group opened the door that lead to the dungeon to find out that they were standing on a balcony in the giant room. Large cages were hanging from the ceiling and one guard was on the ground. There was one lever that pulled one rope for each cage. Peter thought it'd be easy because there was only one guard but Caspian warned him. "That is not a normal soldier." Everyone else noticed as well. He may have been one man but he was tall, muscular, and was barely covered by protective armor signaling that he was tougher and stronger than the normal soldier clad in armor. He was practically a monster – an inhumane monster, even more so than the other Telmarine soldiers.

There was only one cage on the ground. The guard tried pulling at the lever but it wouldn't budge. Instead he yelled loud enough to wake the whole castle (plus the echo of the room made it loud enough for all of Narnia to hear) and kicked the lever causing the cage to fly up and hit the ceiling hard that the sound of the metal hitting the ceiling left a clanging in their ears. Susan made her decision. She looked at Caspian. "I'm going with you. You can't do it on your own." Caspian agreed even though Peter had a hard expression. The group split up to do each of their jobs knowing that time was limited. Peter told them to meet up on the tallest tower when everyone finished with their current job.

Trumpkin quickly but quietly ran down to the other hallway to make it back into the foyer area. This was the only way to make it to control room for the drawbridge. Before he continued and made himself seen, he quickly shot at the soldier closest to the bell. With his skills in archery, he was able to shoot down the soldier before he even saw anything coming as well as take the second soldier down before he even had a chance to make it to the bell and sound the alarm. He quickly ran through the door. Now all was left was taking the hallway routes Caspian tried to explain to him to get to the control room. After dodging and hiding from passing soldiers, he was able to make it to the control room door which was locked. Now it was up to Reepicheep to unlock the door and let him in.

Reepicheep and his group of swashbuckling mice entered the castle in a way only mice could. They climbed up the side of the castle and crawled on the ropes allowing for easy access into the control room. Before Reepicheep unlocked the door for Trumpkin, they decided to have some fun and in a way "disarmed" an innocent sleeping cat and tied him up in a way that was ironically identical to that of Aslan's binds several centuries ago.

Of course seeing a poor, defenseless little cat tied up in rope is an odd sight which is why when a guard had walked into the room doing his nightly run, he immediately knew something was wrong when he saw the cat. Unfortunately, or possibly fortunately, the guard could not inquire this thought any further because the second he turned, he was face to face with an odd looking…mouse?

And as if the mouse heard what he was thinking, the mouse responded. "Yes, I'm a mouse." And before the guard could think any more of this talking mouse, the mouse quickly killed him, thus allowing the other mice to open the locked door for Trumpkin right after the killing of a few more guards who were also doing their nightly run. The second the door was opened for Trumpkin, Trumpkin immediately shot another arrow to kill the guard that had just recently entered from the opposite side. And now the only thing the mice and dwarf had to do was to wait for the signal and to open the drawbridge.

Reepicheep looked at who he opened the locked door for. "Oh, we were expecting someone…you know…taller."

Trumpkin just looked at the mouse with an expressionless face. "You're one to talk…"

Reepicheep was slowly walking away at this point. "What's that supposed to be…irony?" Trumpkin just rolled his eyes and continued with his mission.

With Peter and Edmund…

The two brothers had each taken a griffin and started on killing the sentries on the towers. They would fly high and land swiftly and quietly on the tower and take on the guards as quietly as they could. After which they would hide the body so that there would be no suspicions and move on to the next tower.

After taking down three of the towers, Edmund looked at Peter and realized something was wrong. While they were hiding the bodies, Edmund finally decided to ask. "Alright, out with it. Usually I can't get you to shut up about what I could possibly do wrong. Have you really changed so much without me?"

Peter just looked at him. "Maybe if you haven't noticed, we're in the middle of an infiltration plan."

Edmund just scoffed at him. "So? That usually doesn't stop you. No matter how little of a thing I'm doing wrong, you're going to tell me anyway. So why are you so quiet now? I even deliberately left a guy's body visible so that you would complain I was being sloppy when it came to hiding it but all you did was move the body yourself."

"Well maybe I have changed within the year."

"Yeah right. So I'm guessing that constipated look on your face is permanent change as well or maybe it's because of all the dead bodies we've had to dispose of?"

At this Peter blushed. He hadn't realized that he'd been making a face. Edmund wanted to laugh out loud but refrained from doing so. But Edmund did realize something. He'd seen that look before. Peter usually had it when…a new suitor of Susan's visited the castle. Edmund smiled. "Oh I get it now. You're worried about Susan being with Prince Caspian." This time Edmund actually did laugh and Peter glared at him.

"Alright fine, I'm worried for her. Is it my fault for wanting to protect her since I couldn't do it for the past few hundred years. Not that you haven't and all but you know what I mean."

Edmund smiled. "Relax Pete. Susan's a grown woman. She wouldn't compromise a situation because she was making eyes with a potential suitor. You can trust her."

Peter grumbled. "It's not her I don't trust." Edmund pretended not to hear. He just hoped that this wasn't the calm before the storm in his and Caspian's relationship. The two avoided the conversation for the rest of the time.

Meanwhile…

Susan and Caspian carefully walked down the stairs from the balcony entrance to the ground. They made sure to hide behind the railing when walking down. While on the balcony, they realized that Cornelius was not in any of the cages. He was probably in one of the cages in the other room. The Telmarines technically had two dungeons, one entrance, and no escape. The only way to get to the second dungeon was to pass through the first which, in their case, was guarded by a giant brute.

Caspian and Susan looked around and tried to figure out how to take down the monster. They realized that only one of the cages were broken…the door to open it was locked and broken as well as the bottom of the cage was completely missing. Susan and Caspian smiled at each other. It almost seemed too perfect. After a minute of planning what to do and waiting to do it, Susan had to wonder if it would've been easier and quicker to just take a slingshot and a rock and just let Aslan guide its movements. She pushed the thought to the back of her head.

Caspian had lunged at the guard and the two had begun to fight. While Caspian was distracting the guard, she was supposed to pull the lever of the broken cage and trap him. The guard was throwing monstrous hits (no surprise there) and Caspian was getting tired shielding himself from the attack. When he noticed Susan at the lever he used all the force he could muster to push the guard back so that he was completely under the cage. Susan pulled the lever but instead of the cage they were hoping for, the cage across the room (a perfectly fine one) fell instead. The cage fell down with a loud bang. Of course the Telmarines mixed the levers – escape from the dungeon was never an option even if they had an accomplice to help. There were only two other levers. Caspian yelled at her "Find the right one! Hurry!" Susan knew she had to hurry because Caspian looked like he was ready to give and the monster still hadn't broken a sweat.

Susan pulled each of the two levers but when the cage fell, she immediately pulled the lever back to stop it from making any more noise. She had tried both levers and neither of them worked. There were no other levers. There had to be something she could do. She looked next to her to find that the room was lit by a larger version of a torch. The fire burnt brightly and it gave her an idea. She looked back up at the cage. It was held by a rope. She smiled. She lit one of her arrows on fire. She looked at Caspian. He and the monster were directly below. "Caspian!" Caspian looked at her and immediately when he saw the burning arrow, he knew what she was thinking. Caspian gave the guard one more hard push as Susan shot her arrow at the rope holding the cage. The arrow stuck to the thick rope but the flames burned through it quickly. Caspian lunged out of the way and the guard was trapped behind the metal bars when the cage fell.

Susan let out a breath of relief. "Are you alright?" She looked at Caspian who was breathing heavily with his hands on his knees.

He just smiled at her, glad that the hard part was over. "Yes, thank you." He took several more breaths before standing up straight again.

Susan looked at the trapped guard. "Shouldn't we do something about him? What if he tries to yell for help or makes too much noise?" The two of them looked back at the guard. He was grunting and pulling against the bars as if he thought he could break them down. After a few more seconds, he reached into his pocket and pulled out what looked to be a bitten chicken leg. He smiled and took another bite out of it.

Susan and Caspian looked at him disgusted. "No I think he'll be fine." The two finally walked through the double doors leading to the second dungeon area. The room was just as large as the previous one with more cages hanging from the ceiling. All of them were empty except for the one in the center which had a sleeping professor in it.

Caspian looked at it closely. "That's the one." He pointed. "He is in there." Susan, along with Caspian this time, pulled at levers again to find the correct one. Both of them realized that the faster you pulled at the lever the faster it would either fall or lift. When they found the right cage, Susan and Caspian had to work together to gently and slowly pulled the lever to lower the cage being that they didn't want to hurt the professor.

When the cage gently hit the floor, Caspian immediately ran to it. The door was locked. He had completely forgotten about a key. He looked at Susan. "That guard most likely has the key. How are we supposed to get it from him without another fight?"

Susan thought hard. Maybe they didn't need a key. She looked at Caspian. "I think I can it." He looked at her confused. "Just trust me." He nodded and allowed her to continue.

She pulled a pin from her hair and started picking at the lock. Within a few seconds the door opened. Caspian was shocked. "Where did you learn to do that?"

She simply looked at him and said "My brother…Peter…a long time ago." Caspian smiled. She just kept surprising him, and now it seems that there were things about King Peter he didn't know about either. He pushed the thought aside and entered the cage. He shook Cornelius awake.

Cornelius stirred and turned to his backside to see he was face to face with Caspian again, except in reverse situations. Caspian spoke the exact same words he did when Cornelius woke him up the night he escaped. "Five more minutes…"

Cornelius was shocked but when he realized that Caspian was real and not a dream, he was angry. "What are you doing here. I didn't help you escape just so you could break back in." Caspian looked at the shackles around his feet and hands. He motioned for Susan to come over and she picked at the locks until they came off. She smiled at the professor and he bowed his head as a show of respect. He didn't expect to meet the legendary queen under these circumstances.

Caspian spoke again before the professor could. "There's no time to talk, we must get to the tower immediately. The professor thought that they were finally leaving the castle together so he decided not to speak anymore and followed them. Making it through the hallways was easier since the others had taken down the guards already. There were only two guards blocking the door they needed but Cornelius put them to sleep using magic. Other than that, their trip to the high tower was simple and silent. No words needed to be exchanged.

Susan and Caspian actually began to wonder why there were no guards in the hallways but once they made it to the top of the tower, they received their answer. Peter and Edmund were already at the tower but they were surrounded by a group of Telmarines with no escape besides jumping off. The griffins had already flown to their waiting area. Peter and Edmund were fighting a group the two of them versus the other ten. There was a reason this tower was chosen as the meeting area. It was not only the largest but it held a giant bell in the center of it as well…the largest in the Telmarine castle and ironically enough, the only bell not used as an alarm. In order to get to Peter and Edmund on the other side of the tower was to walk around the giant bell.

Susan was about to run to them to help them but she was met by a giant Chieftain Telmarine. A chieftain was practically the monster they met in the dungeon only that every piece of skin was clad in armor. Defeating one would be just as difficult. The chieftain was coming for Susan but Caspian quickly pulled the bell's rope causing the bell to swing and hit the chieftain. The chieftain was hit hard enough that he fell off the tower. Caspian looked at where the chieftain just fell. "Saved by the bell." He smiled back at Susan who smiled her thanks to him.

The two of them ran to Peter and Edmund and helped them fight off the group of Telmarines although most were already either dead or were pushed off the tower. Once Peter killed the last one, everyone waited to catch their breath.

Peter looked at Edmund and smiled. "It looks like we're out of Telmarines." He said it as though it was just a game they were playing.

Edmund was kneeling on the ground taking deep breaths. He spoke in a sarcastic tone. "Oh what a shame."

Susan helped her brother up and chuckled. "It's been 1300 years, I think you're getting too old for this stuff, Ed."

Edmund glared at her. "Oh ha ha very funny, Su."

Peter spoke now. "Alright we're done here already. Susan, you and I are dealing with Miraz. Caspian, get the gate open for the other Narnians."

Edmund finally caught his breath. "You guys should go already. I still have a job to do here."

Everyone nodded their agreement. Caspian gave Susan and Peter the directions to Miraz's chambers. Everyone ran out the entrance where Caspian, Susan, and the professor entered from. Peter left first with Susan behind him. Cornelius was told to wait in the courtyard for the other Narnians but before Caspian left the tower, Cornelius tried to warn him. "You can't do this Caspian. You have to get out before Miraz learns you're here."

Caspian looked at him. "He's going to learn soon enough." Caspian tried running out but the professor stopped him and pulled his arm hard, forcing Caspian to face him.

Cornelius spoke in a hushed but grave tone. "Don't underestimate Miraz as your father did."

Caspian was just shocked at the news he had just heard, not quite truly believing it. "What are you talking about?"

The professor couldn't believe what he had just revealed to Caspian. All he could say was "I'm sorry." Caspian had already pushed the professor off him and ran out of the Tower.

Meanwhile…

Susan and Peter were running through the halls following the directions Caspian gave them. Both could feel the tension in the air. Peter couldn't stop giving Susan disappointed looks. Finally, Susan had enough of it. "Peter, if you have something to say then just say it for Aslan's sake!"

Peter gave her a hard glare. "I don't know maybe I shouldn't speak because no matter what I do, you're always turning against me. You're letting that pretty boy mess up your judgment!"

Susan was shocked. "What? First of all, he has a name." Peter just rolled his eyes. "And second, my judgment is perfectly fine. Did it ever occur to you that not all of your ideas are brilliant? Did you ever think that maybe staying at the How would have been better? Before you came, we were always safe at the How."

Peter didn't look at her, they just kept moving through hallways. "Well maybe that's why it's been 1300 years with no progress." Peter still didn't look at Susan, though it didn't matter. What Peter said had stung Susan but she knew that what he had just said was the truth which only made it hurt more. No matter how much his statement had hurt her, she didn't show it in her face…or at least tried not to show it in her face. The rest of their journey to Miraz's chambers was in silence.

They finally made it to the hallway of which Miraz's chambers were supposed to be. They stood in front of the door. Susan got her bow and arrow ready and Peter had his sword out. He pushed the door open but what he saw was not what he was expecting. Miraz wasn't there. The only things that were, were dressers, toys, and…a crib?

Peter looked inside and scoffed. "Where did that come from?"

Susan then looked inside the crib to see a baby awake and rubbing his face. She rolled her eyes at her brother. "Mum never had that talk with you." She stated it rather than asked. She laughed to herself. What had she missed in that year in England?

The two ran back out of the room and tried to find Miraz's real chambers. After running through a few more hallways, they finally made it to the room. It was the largest door in the whole hallway so it had to be the one. Peter and Susan were about to barge in until they heard noise from the inside.

It sounded like a man. "Thank goodness. You're safe." Susan knew that voice all too well. It was Miraz. But who was he talking to?

Peter and Susan kept listening. There was another voice. "Get up." It sounded like…Caspian! The only thing that went through Peter's head was I'm going to kill him if he messes this up.

A third voice was heard through the door. It sounded female. It must've been Miraz's wife. "Caspian?"

Caspian spoke again but to the third voice this time. "Stay where you are."

The woman spoke again. "What are you doing here?"

Miraz spoke after her. "I should think it's obvious, dear." Caspian must have had a sword pointed at Miraz and that was the scene his wife probably had woken up to. Miraz was still talking. "You know some families might consider this inappropriate behavior."

Caspian was angry because of the information he recently learned. "That doesn't seem to have stopped you."

But Miraz knew Caspian. "But you are not like me, are you?" He knew his nephew. He was weak and prided himself on the differences between uncle and nephew. "It's sad. The first time you show any backbone, and it's such a waste."

Behind the door, Susan and Peter could hear a clicking noise. Susan recognized it as an arrow being notched into a crossbow. They heard the woman speak. "Put the sword down Caspian. I don't want to do this."

Peter and Susan knew she was the one with the crossbow and knew she was threatening Caspian. They immediately barged into the room to stop her from killing him. "We don't want you to either." Susan held her bow aimed at Caspian's aunt.

Miraz put his hands on his hips and faced Peter and Susan. "This used to be a private room." The siblings ignored him.

Peter looked at Caspian. "What are you doing? You're supposed to be in the gatehouse."

Caspian just yelled, clearly infuriated. "NO! Tonight for once, I want the truth." He pushed the sword closer to Miraz's throat causing him to back into the wall. Caspian's eyes held intense anger. He emphasized every word. "Did you kill my father?"

Miraz knew this would be coming. "Now we can do it."

Caspian understood and apparently so did his aunt. She didn't lower her weapon but she looked at her husband. "You said that your brother died in his sleep."

Miraz didn't look at her. "That was more or less true." She knew her husband had done some wrong things but nothing to this extent.

Susan knew exactly what Caspian wanted at this point…revenge. But she also knew it wasn't the time. Without lowering her weapon she spoke to Caspian. "Caspian this won't make things any better."

He quickly looked in the direction of her voice but went back to staring at Miraz as though he thought Miraz would escape in the time he turned to face her. As though no one heard Susan, Miraz spoke to Caspian still. "We Telmarines would have nothing had we not taken it. Your father knew that as well as anyone."

Miraz's wife finally began to lower her weapon as she stared at her husband in disbelief and shock. "How could you?"

Miraz finally looked at her. "For the same reason you will pull the trigger…for our son." Miraz finally started to move closer to Caspian although the sword was still at his throat. Caspian backed away a little and his aunt told him to stop but Susan stopped her as well.

Blood was dripping from Miraz's neck but he eyed Caspian as he spoke to his wife. "You need to make a choice, dear. Do you want our child to be king? Or do you want him to be like Caspian here….fatherless!"

She screamed as she shot her arrow at Caspian's arm. "NO!" Caspian dropped the sword and grabbed the arm she just shot. In reaction, Susan shot his aunt in the arm as well causing her to scream even louder. During all of this, Miraz was able to escape.

In one of the towers next to the courtyard, Edmund had been casually twirling the torch of his that Lucy had brought back from England. When he heard a woman's loud scream, he was so shocked that he had dropped it a level below him where a guard had picked it up. The guard started to examine it and accidentally turned it on, nearly blinding him for a few seconds. When the alarms started ringing, he twirled the torch around in the direction of the alarms. The Narnians outside waiting were confused. "What's that supposed to mean?" Nonetheless, they waited for their correct signal. Edmund jumped on top of the guard to get his torch back.

Susan, Peter, and Caspian (who was clutching his wounded arm) were running through the halls again. They could hear the troops being signaled as well as hear them get ready. Peter was running in a different direction than Susan and Caspian. Susan tried to get his attention. She knew he still wanted this plan to work. "Peter!"

Peter turned to look at her. "Our troops are just outside come on." Susan and Caspian looked at each other but followed him anyway.

When Peter finally made it to the courtyard, he yelled loud for Edmund to hear. "Now Ed now! Signal the troops!"

Unfortunately, Edmund was in the middle of a fight with the guard who had taken his torch. "I'm a bit busy, Pete."

While Edmund was fighting the guard, two more came in front of Peter to stop him from opening the gate. In under a minute, Peter had killed both guards and still ran for the gate. Edmund was still fighting his guard. The Telmarine had knocked his torch and his sword out of his hands and swung at him but Edmund was quick. He ducked and picked up the first thing he could reach which was his torch and killed the Telmarine with several hits to the head with his torch. When Edmund tried to turn it on though, it refused to. "Oh no." He hit it several times to try and turn it on but it still wouldn't.

Peter was already turning the wheel of the mechanism to open the gate. At the same time, Trumpkin and Reepicheep were just now lowering the drawbridge. They had encountered several technical difficulties when lowering the bridge such as missing pieces and several more guards trying to sabotage them. They were able to get the bridge down before Peter opened the gate.

Susan and Caspian finally reached him. Susan was trying to reason with him again. "Peter it's too late. We have to call it off while we still can."

Peter was adamant and too stubborn to agree. "No I can still do this." He looked at Caspian and Susan. "Help me!" Soldiers were already heading their way. Caspian and Susan looked at each other. Caspian sheathed his sword and both ran to help Peter.

Outside the Narnians were getting restless. Susan looked at her brother while still pulling on the wheel counterclockwise. "Exactly who are you doing this for, Peter?" He didn't respond so they just kept working.

Edmund was still hitting his torch. "Come on." He too was getting anxious until finally it lit up. It took him a second to realize it but immediately gave out the signal.

Glenstorm saw it and yelled with his sword and front hooves in the air "Charge!" Asterius and Glenstorm lead the charge to the front. Asterius used his horns to push a Telmarine off the bridge and move on. When Peter, Susan, and Caspian saw Asterius and the other Narnians, they stopped opening the gate. Peter and Caspian took out their swords and Susan took out her bow and arrow. Peter yelled "For Narnia!" The battle had begun.

The Narnians killed anyone in their path. The centaurs and minotaurs took the lower levels while the fauns climbed up higher to kill the guards in the upper levels. Each of them had their own fighting style. Peter and Caspian sliced anyone in their way and Susan shot her arrows at soldiers from afar or stabbed them if they were too close as well as threw a few of her arrows when there was no time to put it in the bow. Several soldiers were dead in minutes and not a single Narnian casualty.

Susan stopped for a second and looked around. Telmarines with crossbows were on one of the upper levels completely surrounded the courtyard and were threatening to shoot. Edmund saw one of them was aiming directly at Peter. No matter where Peter would go, he was sure to get hit. Edmund slid down the roof and kicked the Telmarine off.

Peter looked up at where Edmund was and realized something. "Ed!"

Edmund looked next to him to see that the other soldiers had realized what just happened and were already aiming at him. Edmund jumped through the door he was next too and while they were shooting at him, he quickly kicked the door shut. Edmund couldn't be right there now, he need to find another area.

Miraz finally went to the balcony to see what was happening. He saw that his troops were badly losing and the only thing that separated them from victory and defeat were the Telmarine archers. Peter looked up and saw Miraz. He looked at one of the satyrs, Tyrus, and motioned for him to follow.

Peter climbed up the stairs to Miraz, killing soldiers in his way while Tyrus jumped from banister to banister. When Tyrus finally made it to Miraz's balcony, he had his sword ready. Miraz backed away in fear but before Tyrus could stab him in his cold heart, he was shot in the arm by General Glozelle with a crossbow. Tyrus couldn't move much so Miraz took the opportunity to push him off the balcony.

Peter watched Tyrus' body hit one banister hard before hitting the ground. He was the first to die.

Peter heard Miraz say something to one of his soldiers. "Get that gate closed."

Things started to go wrong. Edmund who had locked and trapped himself in one of the high towers realized there was no way out now that soldiers tried to barge their way in. Trumpkin who was still in the drawbridge control room was looking out the window at the fight but noticed that soldiers had broken the door down and were after him. He killed one with his bow and arrow but the other hit him hard across the face and caused him to fall out of the room and land on his head where the fighting was occurring. Peter also noticed that guards were cutting the balances off of the gate which would make the gate close trapping them all inside.

Asterius also noticed what was happening and quickly grabbed and lifted the gate with all the strength he had before it closed down on them. Peter knew now it was time to end it. They didn't have much time left before the minotaur gave in. The time was now. "Fall back!" When Caspian heard that, he immediately ran in the other direction. Peter ran down the stairs and called every Narnian. "We need to retreat now." He killed more people in his way. He saw Susan still fighting in the middle of the courtyard and he saw Glenstorm running in her direction. He screamed loud enough for both of them to hear. "Go. Get her out of here." He pointed towards Susan. "Run for the gate."

Glenstorm quickly ran towards Susan and grabbed her hand. She pulled on his arm and jumped onto him. Susan turned her head to face her brother. She knew where Edmund. Before Glenstorm had taken her, he she looked to the sky in hopes of finding her younger brother. She saw that he was cornered by a couple Telmarines but after looking down and then back at the soldiers, he let himself fall only to be caught by a Griffin. Edmund was safe now but where was Caspian? She yelled to Peter "Caspian!"

Peter knew what she meant. They needed him hence he needed to find him. But where was he? "I'll find him." Before Peter moved on, he waited to make sure that Glenstorm and his sister were safely passed the gate. Glenstorm had to kill a few soldiers in his way but otherwise made it out quickly and smoothly. While Peter was running around looking for Caspian he went to a few other Narnians and told them to leave and retreat. Peter looked back at Asterius. It wouldn't be long until he gave in. Where was Caspian?

When Peter had first called for a retreat, Caspian had run in the other direction. Although it seemed odd, he needed to find his professor who was currently in the stable area. The professor had told Caspian that he would wait in the comfort and safety of the stables and Caspian hadn't remembered that conversation until last minute, in which case he ran for the direction of the stable.

He ran through the stables and quickly found the professor saddling up three horses. "Professor, we must go now. We will all die if we stay here any longer."

Cornelius nodded his head in disapproval but spoke to Caspian anyway. "I had feared this the second you went to pursue your uncle." He sighed heavily. "Miraz may have won this battle but we can still win this war. Get on the horse, Caspian and take this other one for King Peter. I doubt his griffin will be able to fly low enough without getting shot at."

Caspian helped his professor get on one of the horses and then jumped on Destier whom he hadn't seen since their separation in the woods. He held the other horse for Peter in his left hand. The professor rode behind him and they quickly made their way out of the stables.

When they finally made it back into the courtyard, Caspian noticed that many of the Narnian soldiers had already made it out while some still kept on fighting, including Peter. He then noticed that Peter was looking at something. He followed Peter's gaze and it landed on Miraz's figure at the top of a balcony. Miraz was standing next to Glozelle who had his hand raised. Caspian knew what was going to happen. Once Glozelle gave the signal, the Telmarine archers would fire at will on the Narnians. Caspian and Peter both looked at each other. They all needed to leave now.

Miraz saw Caspian and saw that he was about to escape. He couldn't let that happen again. "Give the order."

Death was nearing for the Narnians. Both Peter and Caspian could feel it. Peter was still yelling to fall back as he ran for the horse Caspian had brought out for him. Peter finally made it to the horse but the horse was still galloping. He remembered a move Susan had done when she and Edmund were under cover terrorizing the Telmarine builders. They were hiding from the builders in Beruna and they didn't know that it was Susan and Edmund leading the attack as well as their heads were covered…but now he knew. He told himself he would try it and he was going to do it right now. Peter took a deep breath, grabbed the horse tighter, kicked a Telmarine that was in his way, jumped on to the horse and galloped on. He let go of the breath he didn't realize he'd been holding but he was on now and it was time to escape.

Miraz could see that they were close to freedom and he wouldn't allow it. He grabbed Glozelle's crossbow, aimed for Asterius, and gave the others the signal. "Now!"

At slightly different times, the soldiers shot at the Narnians. Some were hit and fell. Asterius was hit in the leg but still held the gate up. When Asterius saw the last remaining royals heading for him, he used the last of what was left with his strength and lifted the gate as high as he could. Caspian and Cornelius got out before Peter. Peter and some others were the last ones to make it out before Asterius finally collapsed, the heavy gate crushing his body until he made his final breath. Only Reepicheep and his fellow mice soldiers were able to crawl in the gap left.

Although there were several warnings and little time, many Narnians were still trapped behind the gate, getting shot at and being killed. Before Peter continued across the drawbridge, he looked back at the Narnians being left behind. They all yelled different things so some didn't register with him. He looked back at his sister who had protected them for so long. Her face was grave but she put a comforting hand on Glenstorm's shoulder. He finally noticed Glenstorm's face. He held a sad expression and had his head down. Peter looked back at the group of trapped Narnians. One was a young centaur…Glenstorm's son. He would die among them.

Peter was just stunned into silence. What broke him out of his trance was hearing Caspian call his name. "Peter, the bridge!" Peter looked back at the group that did make it out. He realized what separated them was the drawbridge of which was already being brought back up by the Telmarines. Peter pulled himself together and galloped across the bridge. He and his horse were able to jump the gap created from the bridge being lifted and moved on. Everyone just wanted to leave the area as soon as possible without looking back. If anyone did look back, they would only see the last few glimpses of faces that would be dead soon.

Edmund, who was still riding the griffin, had flown around the perimeter to make sure that there were no stray Narnians anywhere but once he made it over the courtyard area, what he saw stunned him. There were several dead Narnian bodies lying next to the dead Telmarine bodies. Edmund actually saw the final breath of a satyr before his head lolled over dead with the rest of them. The soldiers he and his sister had looked after and cared for, half of them were dead. He flew over the group of escaped Narnians, the last of his soldiers, and looked to where Susan was. As though she could feel eyes staring at her, she looked to the sky where Edmund was flying. They looked at each other as though they were having their own private conversation. If there was one thing that they both had agreed on that night it was simple…this battle was over before it began.

And you can't fight the tears that ain't coming
Or the moment of truth in your lies
When everything feels like the movies
Yeah you bleed just to know you're alive

And I don't want the world to see me
'Cause I don't think that they'd understand
When everything's made to be broken
I just want you to know who I am

-Second verse and chorus of "Iris" by Goo Goo Dolls

So again, I hope this chapter was worth the wait. It was a little difficult since I tried to make it different from the movie. So I added clips from the videogame and it wasn't as easy to arrange as I thought it would be as well as some things were not easy to describe. I also referenced chapter 7 in case you thought I was lying 'bout something. I even added a small bible story reference which I'm actually very proud of since I thought of it on the spot as well as a line from the movie "The Patriot."

Read and Review please!

-tin2lo