AUTHOR'S NOTE: [importante!]
Thank-you SO much for voting! IF YOU HAVE NOT voted yet, please do. I am currently in second place and voting ends TOMORROW. I'm in like, little author-panic-mode. :-O
Thanks again! PS. Sorry This Chapter is Short.
I was re-watching Prince Caspian today, and you can totally see Shade during the Night Raid. The scene where Nikabrik and the Minotaur and standing at the edge of the field, waiting for signal, Shade is standing just on the other side, in case any of you wanted something visual. Go check it out!
If ya'll want some "Strange Things" action during the wait for Dawn Treader, check out my FIFF series. There is one posted about my best friend (Holly) and I getting dropped into Pirates of the Caribbean. I am in the process of writing another where Holly and I travel into the Harry Potter world (I will post that within the next month and a half, I think!) After Pirates and HP, I'll need some suggestions as to what world Holly and I should go to next! Any votes for Twilight?
The italisized paragraph is a PARAPHRASE of C. S. Lewis description, with modern references and more adjectives on my side. I felt I could not describe it without using some of his words, as he used the most simple and beautiful. You can read the passage in Chapter 15 of Prince Caspian so you may see his own immortal words. And Edmund eating the dirt is PURE Lewis! :-)
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Chapter 21, The Night and the Morning After
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Lucy was right when she told me indignantly that going to bed was not, and never would be, an option. So I gulped more cider and hoped that there was caffeine in it and prepared to expend my energy on frivolous, light-hearted fun. Soon the Telmarine style ball was drawing to a close, couples were going outside, and interspecies conversation turned toward Narnian tradition and the careful switch of hostess'.
Aslan was now in the lead for activity, everyone began looking to him near the front of the ballroom for some kind of signal. Or, at least, this is what the body language appeared to be. The conversations were dying down, and some people were yawning.
Aslan rose on his hind legs for a moment, clapped his front paws together in a most human fashion, and got everyone's attention immediately. "Never before has there been, or ever will be, such a celebration honoring the dead and intermingling cultures." He said, his eyes gleaming with something I could only imagine as intense love for his people. "But now it is time for us to do something for our hostess. We shall proceed outdoors into the great field just beyond the village and make a great fire, and dance until the stars are in slumber. Come one, come all. The night is young yet, and we may rest easy that this time is well-deserved and is continually brining us together as a family."
People clapped and gave surprised exclamations of excitement, and people began crowding up at the doors. I joined Caspian's side, not really wanting to be Miss Tiny Fish in the Ocean of People.
"Sorry Pippin, I should go over there," Caspian said apologetically, gesturing towards Aslan and the four Sovereign Cranky-Pants waiting for everyone else to exit. "But go on ahead."
"I don't want to go by myself," I said, purely whining. Not because I wanted to stay with the royals-who-had-duties so much, but because I didn't see anyone I recognized in the crowd.
"Well, here," Caspian drew my arm over to the left of the bedazzled mosh pit. "Antonio!"
"My Prince," the handsome boy, no older than nineteen, bowed.
"Take care of our little friend for us. See she is looked after and has company."
"Yes my Prince, with pleasure," said Antonio, bowing a second time, his voice purely formal and eager to do his bidding because he was the awesome Caspian.
"I am not a Mary Sue, I am not a Mary Sue, I am not a Mary Sue," I began repeating quietly under my breath.
"I am Antonio," said the poised teenager, sounding very much like a tour guide. "Who may I have the pleasure of escorting?"
"Pippin Baggins," I said, cringing at my stupid penname. (Hm, would anyone object to some kind of modification if this ever happens to me again? What if I introduced myself as Anne with an E? Or Cordelia? Or Lady Catrinamagoobahstein?
"Miss Baggins," nodded Antonio curtly. "I am Antonio of the House of Rillsteen. Are you of need anything at the moment? A cloak, perhaps?"
"Oh. Well." I said, feeling the stiffness of this conversation. "Um, is it cold outside?"
"The temperature is fairly mild, we are in the throes of summer evenings," Antonio replied calmly. "Perhaps we can better judge when we reach the outdoors, and I can fetch you something if you are in discomfort."
"You're very nice," I said, trying to break the iron-ice wall. It felt awkward, like servitude. "Have you had practice like…being the host kind of person?"
"Thank-you for your compliment," said Antonio. "I have been under the wise guidance of my tutor in all things gentlemanly."
"Erm, okay," I shrugged. "That's…cool?" There was a silence then, and we went under the archway into the courtyard. Dim embers burned in a grate on three legs—like a Barbie cake! (Or was it Bubba's Cupid?) and the stones reflected a periwinkle sky. The temperature felt fine, but one could just tell it would chill up later.
"Perhaps I'd better go get that cloak," I suggested, turning back.
"Allow me," Antonio said gracefully, trouncing away with the all the clumsiness of a ballet dancer in Swan Lake.
"Ugh," I said as he left. "Can we get any more business like? We needs to do something. He seems like he's never had any fun in his LIFE!" I began to contemplate various ways I could get him to let the guard down, and if that was of no avail, what kind of tortures I could conjure to make him lose his temper and feel normal, not like those "Good morning Dave" computers.
Antonio returned gave me a black cloak, and it triggered a few memories and thoughts that I decided to use against his formality. I shall skip over the ten-minute walk from the castle, across the bridge, into the village, and down a steep path to the open field. Everyone spread out, and some screamed in surprise when great trees walked openly away from the forest borderline and began snapping off their own fingers for firewood. Some pulled bothersome branches as large as two feet thick from their piney scalp and muttered, "Been wanting to get rid o' that for ages," and dumped it in a symmetrical pile. A tree woman, nearly seven feet tall and skinny as a pencil, stood wavering at my side, small bits of willow shimmering on her head and trailing off onto the ground. "Hello," she said loudly down to me. "Enjoy your party?"
"I did!" I replied, grinning. "You, Antonio?"
"It was to my liking," Antonio said without emotion. Antonio is just like the Mr. Roboto! Domo Domo! Domo Domo!
"Now it is time for the TREES to feast," the willow tree chuckled, not unpleasantly. She scooded up a handful of dirt from the ground, very clayish and red, and took a big bite.
"How is it?" I asked, faking an appetizing voice.
"Like cheese to a human," she explained. "Care for a taste?"
"It gives humans sickness unfortunately, otherwise I would," I said truthfully.
"See that over there?" the willow pointed a long, bony, knotting finger over to a few oak-men tearing up the ground with their roots. "That is like chocolate. It is a thick mud. And this," she pointed near our feet. "This dusty top soil is comparable to every spice known to man. And THIS…" she put a long, seven-fingered hand on my shoulder and turned me the opposite way and gestured to a rise in the ground. "That fresh loam over there is like whipped drink. Very soothing on a throat if the bark is feeling rougher than usual."
"This has been very educational!" I smiled stupidly, feeling eight years old and loving ever second of it. "It looks so good, too!"
"Oh it is!" Willow bobbed and weaved her head in agreement. "I must go over and see my husband. You see, he has a nasty case of grapevine all over his poor head, and I am afraid he likes the fruit enough to make him a bit tipsy. Do you see him?" she whipped me around again and pointed towards a gnarly old maple throwing twigs into the bonfire—steadily growing taller and taller. "That old codger," the willow said, very affectionately. "That's him. Is he not the sweetest thing you have ever seen in your young lifetime?"
"He certainly is something," I agreed. "Handsome, too."
"You certainly know your trees," Willow smiled—the bark around her mouth and nose crinkled into green wrinkles and strands of leaves fell away from her face. "Farewell for now. It was lovely talking at you." I snickered with her choice of words as she floated away.
"Narnia is the most incredible place," I breathed, fleetingly wondered if I was just drugged and in a hospital somewhere and I would awake to find it all a dream.
"It is everything I was told as a boy during story tellings," Antonio mused out loud. "So wondrous to see it come to life as if it had always belong amongst us humans while we knew naught of its existence."
"It speaks!" I exclaimed. "Hi. I'm Pippin. Call me Pip or Pippin. No Miss Baggins."
"But, Miss Bagg…"
"Baggins Gaggins," I snorted. "Can I call you Tony? Or is Antonio what you prefer?"
"I, um," said Antonio, breaking his robot character. "I don't know. Whatever you like, I suppose?"
"Tony," I smiled at him. "Now! Let's go cause mischief. First on the list—a prank. Then we'll scare someone."
"I don't really participate in childs' play," Antonio said, very uncomfortably.
"We all get to be kids tonight. Lighten up!" I began walked over to where I spotted Edmund's dark hair over the light-colored fauns in a large group.
"Yo, Edsy boy," I said loudly. "I don't suppose you've heard that the trees eat this dirt over yonder for chocolate, do you?"
"Show me!" Edmund declared, and the three of us proceeded to a mound of dark, frothy dirt that looked so impeccably tasty that Edmund grabbed a handful of it.
"I SO dare you," I said darkly.
"You wouldn't," said Antonio, abashed.
"I do!" I snapped.
"You're on," Edmund took a bite.
"You actually listened to me?" I asked quickly, laughing fanatically, a little too villain-like for the situation. It caused a few glances, but I knew it was inevitable, as I grow drunk with sleepiness if kept up past bedtime. Like a friend of mine calls it—Happy hour!
Edmund spit out the dirt and started coughing.
"Haha," I said, looking to Antonio to see if he was enjoying this as much as I was. His face was growing red with indignation, and after a moment, a sharp laugh came tumbling out. He slapped a hand over his mouth and turned away so he wouldn't look impolite. But he continued to shake his shoulders…ah well, hilarity will be hilarity!
"Laugh it up, champ," I said. "How are you feeling, Edmund?"
Edmund was salivating, spitting, then spitting again. "DISGUSTING. You are an evil, evil girl."
"I know," I said flirtatiously. I'm sorry…I can't help it. I get so flirty when I'm tired. You all should have seen me last night, er, this morning at two thirty while hanging out in the lobby here in college. I was like London from the Disney Channel on fruit punch. But that is another story for another time.
"I think I have ADD," I said out loud. No one paid any attention, as the bonfire was lit and great flames roared into the sprinkled night sky. Antonio grinned at it, looking slightly boyish and carefree. Then he smiled at me and said, "Now…what about scaring someone? I don't suppose this once would be to harmful."
To summarize the rest of the night, we used the black cloak to sneak up on moles and then scream "NAZGUL" at them just as they popped out of their holes. They started fighting back and several of us got into a dirtclod fight. Then we joined some dancing fauns, which involved a lot of bouncing and falling. Then after that, some of us got to try and catch the drunk Hollies who were running around and asking everyone if they were hiding pairs of pruners. Giant fireworks, bigger than Gandalf's pride and joy itself, erupted from the tallest turrets of the castle, causing 'ooh's' and 'aah's' all over the place. All in all, the night was spent in pure joy, and Antonio grew to be a lot more fun to hang out with than he first implied. He still didn't speak unless prompted, but his answers grew more honest than rehearsed.
It was not until the crowds seemed to speak in lower tones, that I was able to stop committing devilries and take a moment to step back and look over the view. For a second, I felt as if I were glimpsing the purity and everlasting peace that I would one day see in Heaven. Almost as if a voice, sounding suspiciously like Anthony Hopkins, began narrating the scene, I recalled words from a distant memory that seemed to wrap the whole day into a warm blanket and settle things down with a sleepy smile and grateful sense of closure.
It was as if the bonfire were a giant beacon in the night, lighting the way to peace and harmony in Narnia once more. The talk, laughter, and dance continued on unceasing—the sound of celebration, I guessed, could be heard by the Telmarines unaware of the victories and I am sure they wondered as to what it might mean. The most beautiful thing about the feast (for more food, though I did not partake, appeared in great bowls and paper wrappings on the far side of the fire) was that there was no end. The type of end I mean, of course, is when the guests slowly dwindle away and you're left with a lonely silence and you move about the house turning out the lights. This was the kind of party where the talk and music only grew quieter and quieter, and people begun laying down in rows, till everyone was star-gazing in a circle around the fire.
My culture of course frowns upon co-ed sleepovers, but I felt completely fine laying down, leaning my back against a brazen pine who was snoring softly (it was just as if a breeze were fluttering his leaves) with Antonio on my left side sitting with his back against the trunk as well. The fire never grew cold or smaller, but lent warm waves to our toes all night. And even as the moon rose, and I couldn't seem to find a comfortable way to lay down my head, I found it was just as comfortable to shift and watch the Great Lion, standing alone. The moon and He were in their own world, looking longingly at each other, with keen shining eyes. With that image of upmost serenity shutting my eyelids slowly, I was able to finally sleep in the quiet of Narnia's happy creatures.
And waking up was just as odd and sleepy as going to sleep was. The ground was cold, a white sun was burning away the morning mist, and large bags decorated eyelids.
Weary, the creatures dragged themselves back to the castle, bursting into random fits of giggles at memories of the night before—which felt like nothing but a dream—and went into their snug beds. I don't really remember journeying back to the castle, except that I gave something a piggy-back ride, and I in turn was given a piggy-back ride by someone else, possibly Antonio, but he still seemed a little too modest for that sort of thing.
Back at the castle, after collapsing on my shared room, I heard birds cawing and flocks of them went flying off into the distance. They went past our windows several times during the next few hours. I heard Lolidai say that they were sending a proclamation all over the kingdom about the new leadership.
"We are to come together in the Oak Court tonight," she mused aloud, "I wonder why."
"I think its if people don't like the new arrangements…" I guessed, but I could have sworn I heard one of the Pevensie's saying something about it earlier. "Did the dates change? I thought it was to be tomorrow…"
Before Lolidai could answer, Gregiana came running in, her blond hair flying. "WASN'T LAST NIGHT FUN?" she gushed. "Er, this morning, actually??"
"Did you have wine?" I asked.
"Loads of it," Gregiana jumped onto my bed and started bouncing it.
"Erg," I said, burying my head in my pillow.
"Come off it!" Gregiana said joyfully. "The day is just beginning!"
I sat up and looked at her squarely, saying nothing, hoping the death glare would be enough.
Gregiana chattered on. "So there was this one naiad who nearly melted because he got too close to the fire, so I pulled him away and hugged him for hours. It was a long time before he was normal again. After that we did that funny faun jig and tripped a lot. Then we went off a bit by ourselves and watch the sunrise. He held my hand, too! These celebrations sure are glorious, aren't they?"
She threw her arms out like an airplane. "I think its definitely going to get SERIOUS--" at serious, she leaned back too far, screeched, and fell off my bad with a thump on the ground. I burst out into raucous laughter and leaned over to look, but she was snoring heavily right where she landed. I started laughing again, clambering down to see if she'd hurt herself.
"She does that a lot," Lolidai said, waving her hand. "Don't worry about her. She has something that makes her fall asleep when she's jittery."
"Narcolepsy!" I gasped with laughter. "She's got narcolepsy!"
"By jove," Lolidai looked at me in awe. "You know of this problem? What IS narcolepsy?"
"I don't know!" I guffawed. "I have no idea what it is or why it makes people fall asleep all the time."
"How do you spell it?" Lolidai asked me.
"I don't know." I said. "Oh, wait, hold on." I pulled my book bag out from under the bed—and briefly wondered how it got there. Either Lucy dropped it off for me or me taking it up to their room had been moot because of unhappenings—which they'd been, curiously, almost absent. I pulled out the Prince Caspian book and opened it to the last page, scanning Gregiana's ginormous paragraph until the end.
"Narcolepsy," I said, "N-A-R-C-O-L-E-P-S-Y." The swirly writing appeared as I read it allowed. There was nearly fourteen pages worth of the night celebration—but I decided, subtly, that I would most likely edit it down if the opportunity arose.
"Thank-you," said Lolidai, "I will report this to her parents…they've been away in Marshwiggle land, you know, asking the other water species advice. They thought it had something to do with the quality of their well."
I shoved the book back inside the back and felt a hard clunk. I pulled out the shiny camera and gasped. "I forgot about YOU," I hissed, examining it. It had several large scratched and one of the corners was nearly bashed in, but nothing catastrophic. I pressed the on button, and it whirred to life.
I looked at the screen on the back, but instead of the seeing what was behind the viewfinder, I saw the words, "Battery too low for live view."
"Crap," I said, "I've gotta get pics before it dies!" I leapt to my feet and ran for the door—then suddenly my camera shut off.
"No," I whispered, "No, no, no no nonononono…"
"How many times are you going to SAY that?" Gregiana was sitting up, looking at me quizzically.
"Shia Labeouf," I replied hurriedly, "I don't know why but for some reason I tend to react like him when something goes wrong." I turned my camera around and pressed the on button again. It whirred again, the shutter moved—and then it showed a flashing yellow battery with a slash through it. "No no nononono!" The camera whizzed again and the screen went black. It was dead.
"I don't believe it," I whispered.
"It's okay, sometimes word repitiveness is a mark of your culture," Gregiana offered, "It's nothing to be ashamed of."
I turned and gave her a long look, but she only smiled on, completely unfazed. I stiffly walked back to the bag on the floor, shoved it inside, and crawled onto the bed. I fumed in frustration for a few minutes before dozing off.
After was seemed like seconds, Lolidai was shaking me awake. "Dearie," she said, "The coronation is going to be a private affair. Apparantly there is not enough room in the throne room for all, and there are still Telmarine's who question this activity. We fear for Caspian's safety and cannot take any chances until the meeting at Oak Courts."
I mumbled something akin to, "Thanks be to the Lion. Now I can sleep. I didn't want to get all dolled up again anyhow. Thanks Lolly."
And it had to have been some hours when I awoke again…it was nearly four o'clock in the afternoon. The meeting at the oaks was at five. My stomach gave a lurch, and something gave me the uneasy feeling that something bad was going to happen at the oaks. Call it intuition or paranoia, I had it, and I didn't like it.
"I…" I started to speak, and Gregiana looked at me expectantly. "Um… you ever get the feeling something is about to change in a not-so-good
way?"
"Every time I get dehydrated," Gregiana said cheerfully.
I shrugged, and squeezing my eyes shut, buried myself back in bed.
"You should probably get up," urged Lolidai apologetically. "We should get ready. For the Court, meeting, you know…"
"Right, sure," I came back up and looked out the window. Big gray clouds were moving across a serene blue sky and their immense shadows played tag on the hills below. It was picturesque, but my feeling concerning it were marred. I could not, for the life of me, remember what happened after the victory in the book. What if we were sent home? What if I had to LEAVE Narnia? What if the whole thing, rather than being a return, would be an erasing? What if the Pevensies forgot all about me and I woke up in the library as if it were all a dream? If I wasn't careful, my worrisome mind was going to drive me mad. Ah... but woops. Too late for that, eh?
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Please review! Love to all! Last day of voting is today, so please vote!
Shout Outs to those of you who had specific questions or statements that needed a reply.
Skywalker: Golly, I don't know what I'd do without you. It helps to have some critique to help overcome habits and mistakes so I don't make 'em in the future. And don't worry, the ending will go quickly…maybe too quickly. :-(
I Am Me: Tell me ALL about your dream. I want to hear all the goofy details. Even if you walk up a staircase upside down. And yes, I totally take it as a compliment. In fact I am the definition of flattered. *chants* tellmetellmetellmetellme!
Stripysockz: lol, yup, it really happened. There were plenty of other worse things that happened along with it…like trying to hold hands and telling me he had a girlfriend. But that's another story for another time. Oh! And one other difference! He wasn't a hawt Telmarine… :-(
Nightstarz: You and me. Separated at birth.
Friar Jerome: Yours is one of the greatest compliments, as I thought no one dude would ever enjoy this story—other than my brother. But have no fear, I am planning the sequel for Dawn Treader. It's not over yet!
JediMasterTabster: Reading is like food. I will eat your stories in the near future!
[If you have not read this yet…]
BIG…HUGE…NEWS. (if you've read this already just scroll on past it and review instead)
Hello my dear fan fiction reviewers! I have a fantabulous favorto ask of you.
I have been NOMINATED for the 2008 Narnia Fan Fiction Revolution Award!
In the category "Best New Story of 2008"!!!!
Please, please, please, please, please vote for me! :-D
All you have to do it go to this website:
www . narniafanfiction .com
or you can click on the link in the profile of NFFR Rox:
www . fanfiction .net/~NFFR Rox
or
www. fanfiction .net/u/1132398
And vote for the categories, (you don't have to vote for all. There's was a few I had never heard of) and vote
STRANGE THINGS HAPPEN IN LIBRARIES WITH DR. PEPPER
FOR BEST STORY OF 2008!
Thanks you guys, it means the world to me. I've never been so excited and surprised! I never thought a self-insert would be nominated!