Disclaimer: I do not own anyone from Narnia, but I do own this fanfic.

Ok, I know this may be completely off topic, but I just saw the Dark Knight this morning at 1 am and it was amazing! I advise you all go out and see it. Heath Ledger was so funny as the Joker :( But don't worry I'm not gonna spoil the movie for any of you.

But anyways, I'm keeping to the schedule as promised. And I know I've said this before, but I'm sorry if the story seems to be going slow. I know it is…these chapters are building up to the climax…and the after events after the climax. I assure you, this story will start getting much better in the next few chapters...I've got it all planned out. Just have faith in me!

And I haven't gotten my schedule for work this week yet, so I don't know which days I have off. So I don't know if the next chapter may come out early, but I do know that it will be out on Tuesday at the latest.

Oh, and one more thing. Sorry if the story seems a bit weird with both of Jade's and Caspian's POV's. It's kind of hard to write about both of them while they're in different places and all and getting the timing right is a challenge. I'm doing my best to not make it as confusing, but if you have any questions or words of advice just let me know! I'm open to everything.

And since I have nothing left to ramble about, I guess its time to say "Now on with the story…"

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Chapter 25: The Calm Before the Storm

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Your POV (Dream)

You were laying on a bed somewhere, in some room that now seemed so foreign to you. But you didn't mind…the bed was rather comfortable. The open windows brought in a cool breeze, a shield of netting fighting off all the nasty bugs that were trying to get in. You realized that you quite enjoyed this feeling of being able to feel the breeze of the night air while you lay on your bed. You could do no such thing in Narnia. No…even back at the castle while you were staying under Caspian's care, you would have had to walk all the way out to the balcony to get this refreshing night gust.

As you lay on your back, you looked up to the ceiling to see posters and pictures of boys and girls. Again, maybe if you were from this world of cute boys and girls hanging all over the walls and windows that could slide open, you might know what was going on.

"Where the hell am I?" you asked to no one.

You racked your brains to try and remember this place that you were in, this small room that seemed so familiar yet distant at the same time. Giving up your hopeless attempts to remember where you were, you closed your eyes, still relishing in the nice breeze that the open window gave you.

Everything was in peaceful silence until a shrill laugh echoed from downstairs. You jumped, a bit startled by the outbreak.

And then your body moved on impulse. It was like you were being controlled by somebody else, like you were a guest in this mysterious host body and they were dragging you through some sort of other reality.

As you approached the door that led to the exit of this strange room, you saw something that completely shocked you. Hanging from the doorframe was a long, full length mirror, and the person looking back at you was what scared you the most.

It was you…only much younger.

It wasn't as if anything had drastically changed. You only looked about five or six years younger. Then again…how were you to know what was happening? Your hair was at the same length it has always been- long and down past your shoulder. It was still sleek and black, with your bangs nearly covering your brilliant green eyes. Your body, on the other hand, was slightly different. You guessed by now that you were about thirteen, seeing as your twig-like body that you were looking at in the mirror still had not developed their curves. However, there was still nothing wrong with the way you were.

You panicking had only increased now that you had realized what exactly it was you were observing. It was your younger self…

It was your younger self?!

"But…how did this happen?" you thought to yourself, not even considering the fact that this all may be an illusion or dream. "What happened to me?!"

And there it was again, that shrill laughter that made you jump for a second time. However, this time the voice sounded as if it were coming from down the hall.

Your eyes snapped in the direction of the doorknob mere inches from your form, this being within you still controlling the way you moved (but not the way you thought.) Your hand reached out to said doorknob, grasping and turning the golden sphere in your tiny, thirteen-year old hands.

Your petite, purple-polished toenail toes tip-toed down the hall, no matter how much you fought the figure to stay on her comfortable spot on the bed. This bad premonition lingered in your subconscious, and someone was telling you not to take another step forward. But alas, your host was stubborn, and did not heed to your pleas to stay on the bed where you could feel the wind brushing against your face.

You listened to the soft padding of your feet against the hard-wood floor of the hallway, that is, until another laugh rang through the hallway. It wasn't as shrill and loud as the first you, and your eardrums thanked the heavens for that. But now that the voice was calmer and lower, you couldn't help but feel as if it was oddly familiar to someone you once knew…

"I know! I only met him a few months ago but it was like love at first sight!" the happy and familiar voice said.

It was the voice of an older woman, and the sound of her commotion was coming from the room at the end of the hall. There were only three other doors and a stairwell in the hallway, and one of the doors had the words "Do Not Disturb" written very messily and hurriedly on them. Your curiosity begged you to open the door and see what force was not supposed to be disturbed, but your younger self kept moving on to the double doors at the end of that hallway; the only door where light shone through the crack at the bottom.

"Marriage? Are you kidding, Claire?! It's only been a year since Dan passed away…" you felt a jolt of surprise inside you. You had this odd sensation and feeling that your younger self's emotions were mingling with yours…it was a quite strange and unpleasant feeling.

But you couldn't do anything but listen to the conversation this person was having with someone else…who you couldn't hear for some reason. That was rather strange…

You were now pressed up against the door, in perfect hearing range to catch ever single word this lady spilled.

"I know, I know. But it's just too soon. I don't want this relationship to end up like a train wreck. Or should I say car wreck…cause we all know how that one ended…"

And there is was again. A tingling sensation of emotion from your younger self ran through your body unpleasantly. However, this time it was a mixture of emotions; sadness…regret…love…

"What could you have been so sad about…" you desperately thought, "…and where am I again?!"

"Yeah I know…selfish bastard…I mean now I've got this whole mess to clean up myself. I wish he had stayed alive a bit longer so he could have taken care of the kids after the divorce…that would make things a lot easier for me and Tyler…"

Now you felt anger. Hot, raging anger. You also felt tears begin to well up in your eyes. Feelings of self-consciousness, loneliness, and uselessness drifted through you. It was kind of like the feeling you got when you were the last one to be picked in gym class. You were unwanted…unneeded…in the way…

"No, no. It's not that…I love them. I just…wish I could love them at a distance…you know?"

Now, feelings of rage built up within you in addition to your younger self. No matter that you had no idea what the hell was going on, what that lady said was complete bullshit. You were still your 18 year old self at heart, even if you were trapped as five years younger, and you knew that this lady obviously didn't give a damn about her children or anyone but herself. Who was she to call someone else selfish? And who the hell was she even talking to?

"I mean, the baby's horrible. She keeps me up all fucking night some days. I just can't take it anymore. Thank God for Tyler, though. He's the only one that keeps me sane these says."

"Baby?"

Your thirteen year old figure turned to the direction of the door with the "Do Not Disturb" note on it, and then immediately turned back around and pressed her ears back to the double doors.

"Yeah…he has been a really big help. Him and his three sons…they're such angels! I can't wait to see how things turn out! …I know I said I wasn't thinking about marriage, but that doesn't mean I'm not excited for things to get more serious with us!"

This time around, after the woman stopped speaking, your figure pressed her ear against the door extra hard. You would have objected, but maybe this time you would hear who she was talking to. But all you heard was a silent, squeaky voice that sounded like the buzzing of a bee. What was going on in there?

"Yes, of course. I know what I'm doing, Claire. Besides, I don't have to worry about that anymore. Once Alex gets a bit older and Jade is about to leave for college…that'll be the right time to do anything…that is, if we're still together. I already told you…I'm not going to rush into things this time…"

And you couldn't explain what happened next.

It was like there was a minor explosion inside of yourself. You felt like you had been pushed over the edge…like you had had enough…like you were ready to break something valuable and expensive…

Like you wanted to break down these double doors and yell and scream at the woman behind them. And that's exactly what your younger self did…

But at the instant your younger self wrenched opened the door to the room, you felt as if you were opening the door to another world…the real world…

The world where you were still under the heavy surveillance of the Telmarine Army…the world where you were a prisoner separated from your family of Narnian soldiers, friends, and Caspian…

Completely unaware that the dream you just had was of the very first fight you had with your mother…

Dream Over

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Your POV

You woke up with a start in the middle of the night. Your breathing was heavy and ragged, and you wish your hands were free so that you could wipe away the few, but annoying, strands of hair that were tickling your face.

You tried calming yourself down from the dream…or nightmare…that you must have just had, but you had no idea what happened. Your memory of the dream was whipped clean, and you did not know how to console yourself seeing as you couldn't even remember what happened. The only remnant of the dream was this boiling angry desire to rip the forest to shreds.

You put all your weight back against the tree, shifting uncomfortably against the ragged bark as you did so. You grumbled into the night. This was no way to sleep…or live for that matter. How long would you be stuck in these binds…and what could you possibly do to free yourself?

You reassured yourself by remembering that tomorrow was the day of the duel with Miraz and Peter…the day which held the fate of Narnia.

And even though you doubted you would have to join in on the sword fighting, you still couldn't help but feel nervous for some reason. Peter would be fighting Miraz to the death…

And also, what would happen if things didn't go according to plan? What if a battle erupted or the Telmarines were planning a secret sneak attack? That would surely mean the end for Narnia and all your beloved friends in it. So what would happen then?

You really wished you had something…or someone to comfort you. You felt especially alone, and you desperately wished that Caspian was here to play with your hair until you fell asleep and tell you that this war would be over soon.

But that would never happen.

But…if Caspian were here, he would also tend to your still throbbing head. No matter how you rested it against the bark, it was still in excruciating pain. You really needed a doctor of some sort.

If you could only find that damn horse that threw you off the saddle, you would be sure that he would never see the light of day again. And that General Glozelle too…this was their entire fault. This injury on your head only made you more exhausted and worn out for every minute that it was not tended to. You momentarily worried about what would happen if it got worse. Would it damage your memory even further? Was it infected? You thought that it was only a concussion…but how would you know? You didn't even have the chance to touch your head to see how big of a bump it left behind. And what would happen if you got hit in that same spot twice? Surely that would be detrimental to your health. But there was nothing you could possibly do except sit and wait, and that irked you so much.

"Oh well…I guess I'll just have to wait for morning…" you helplessly thought.

After all, you were very tired, in pain, and angry for some strange reason. Right now…all you wanted was for the sunrise to come so that you could just have the slightest idea of what was going on.

And with the final day dream of Caspian soothing your damaged head, you eventually drifted off to a dreamless sleep.

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Caspian's POV

This was it…today was the big day.

That day that would set the fate of Narnia for his reign as King. This battle would either make Caspian, or break him. He would either both be throned and hailed as King, victorious from the war, or he would be a rotting corpse among the other Narnians who fought in the battle.

The pressure was almost too much to bear…and Caspian felt his arms shaking as he put on the remaining bits of armor.

Even though the only battle was supposed to be between Miraz and Peter, Caspian knew his Uncle all too well to play by the rules. Of course they had a backup plan, and that plan was war. However, it was much more thought out and planned then that of the night of the raid on the castle. This plan was sure to work…or so Caspian dearly hoped it would.

If Aslan was really as mighty and magnificent as Lucy and Susan had told him about, then they had nothing to worry about.

But still, with a probable and deadly war on the brink of erupting, Caspian was naturally anxious; because this time…he had absolutely no control over or knowledge of Jade's whereabouts or safety. Technically…he did not last time at the raid on the castle. But still…this time around it felt different.

Back then, he had left Jade in the safety of the How. He had been able to look upon her safe and sound figure before leaving for battle. But this time, he had no idea if she would even show up for the duel…or if she would be put out of harms way.

As much as Caspian wanted to see her at the duel that was about to take place in a few hours, he still wanted her out of harms way. And just the thought of he still being held captive by his Uncle made him worry all the more. Miraz didn't care about her…he was not taking the necessary safety percussions to keep her unharmed during the upcoming string of events.

He probably didn't care if she lived or died…

But even though Caspian wished for her not to be there tomorrow, his heart longed to see her. It must have taken him all of his self-control to keep himself from strangling Edmund the other day with jealous after the young King had told them about how he saw Jade. Caspian wished that he had been in Edmund's shoes…only so he could lay his eyes on her. They wouldn't need to say anything…Caspian wouldn't even mind if he couldn't touch or kiss her. He just wanted to see her for himself up close so he could be reassured that she was safe.

Trying to dismiss the swirling thoughts about the girl he so longed to see, Caspian sheathed his sword and walked into the other room of the How were he was supposed to see off Susan and Lucy. Edmund and Peter were busy with Glenstorm and the other head Narnians who were running through the plans once more. Caspian, on the other hand, knew the part he played and would much rather see off the two girls seeing as they were probably shaking with fear and anxiety for their task.

At least…that's how he expected them to be.

But walking into the other room, he saw Susan and Lucy chatting quite animatedly amongst one another, each of them letting out a girlish squeal every once in awhile. Caspian was glad that Jade never squealed like that…

But anyways, Caspian was very surprised to see that they looked upon him with smiling faces when he walked into the room. They didn't seem nervous in the least. On the contrary, they seemed rather…excited.

"Hello, Caspian!" they both said simultaneously. Caspian couldn't help it, their smiles were so contagious that he felt himself breaking out into a wide smile as he greeted them back

"Good morning, ladies." He said walking over to them. "I hope you had a good night's sleep."

"The best!" beamed Lucy. "I dreamt of Aslan! Everything is going to-"

"That's enough, Lucy." Susan said, her tone becoming a bit harsh. But that was expected from Susan, she was like the mother of the Pevensies. And if it was one thing that she did not want, it was for everyone to get false hopes and be crushed if everything doesn't go as planned. "But we really need to get going." She said, looking up to Caspian for support.

Caspian straightened up, becoming a bit more serious himself. "Right." He said before letting out a whistle throughout the How.

In just a few moments, his horse trotted through the doorway and up to him and the two sisters. Susan and Lucy happily petting the dear horse as Caspian strapped on the saddles and necessary equipment.

After everything was in place, Caspian helped the two girls atop his horse and placed them on his saddle gently. He then began to brush his horse lovingly, hoping that this would not be the last time he saw his dear companion.

"I've had this horse for many years…and never has she wronged me." He said looking back up to the two girls. "You are in good hands."

"Or hoofs!" Lucy giggled, which caused Caspian to let out a low chuckle as he continued to pet his horse. Susan smiled a bit, as if only realizing what danger she was putting her younger sister in. She was not worried for herself; she was very confident and had gotten much stronger the past few weeks back in Narnia. But little Lucy had never been in battle before, not even in the Golden Ages of Narnia when they were Queens. She could ride a horse very well, but Susan doubted she could hold her own against a pack of Telmarine soldiers.

Then, as if just remembering something, Caspian's hands went to his pocket where he retrieved something wrapped up in white cloth. Unraveling the heirloom, Susan and Lucy realized that he was holding Susan's Horn. Susan let out a surprised gasp; she had not seen her horn for 1300 years.

Caspian looked up to her and handed her the horn. "Maybe it's time you had this back." He said.

But even though Susan was shocked and looked upon the Horn with nostalgia, she did not make a move for it. She looked back to Lucy and gave her younger sister a wry smile before turning back to Caspian.

"Why don't you hold on to it…" she said, causing Caspian to look up at her with confusion, "you might need to call me again." And with that, she and Lucy broke out into laughter while Caspian turned red from embarrassment.

"No, take it…I insist." He said, holding up the horn even higher. But Susan still did not make a move for it.

"Caspian, it's alright. We'll be fine. You keep it and call us if anything happens." Susan said.

Caspian looked a bit irritated and kept insisting. "The entire army is stationed here…I doubt that it would be us who would need you." He said, instantly regretting his words for it looked like he had deeply insulted Susan. Lucy looked uneasy, hoping that the same thing that happened between Peter and Caspian would not happen again with Susan and Caspian.

"I can handle everything." Susan gritted through her teeth, trying not to start an argument.

"Not if that…thing that we talked about with the Professor shows up." Caspian said sternly, reminding Susan of her encounter with The Serpent. Susan immediately straightened up, realizing what Caspian was talking about. She was about to reach for the Horn when…

"What did you talk about with Professor Cornelius?" Lucy asked shrilly, not liking the fact that she was being left out because of her age.

"Nothing!" Susan said quickly, sharply pulling her hand away from the Horn. "Nothing…everything's alright. Good Luck, Caspian. See you soon." She finished just as quickly before riding off at once, leaving Caspian behind, bewildered and uneasy.

He could distinctly hear Lucy's voice echoing through the How as she said "But I want to know what he said!"

Caspian still stood there shocked and worried, watching the place where the two girls left until he heard a familiar voice.

"Give them a ten minute's head start before going after them." Said Peter from behind. Caspian didn't even turn around at his voice.

"Not with my horse." Caspian said. "I'll give them five."

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Uh-oh! Jade has already completely forgotten about her life back in America. Even her dreams aren't familiar anymore! As for Peter…let's hope he survives in the next few chapters! I hope you all liked this one, because the next chapter is when things start to pick up again!

And like I said before, next chapter will be up Tuesday at the latest. So until then, I would really really appreciate it if you all REVIEWED! That would be awesome :)

And go out and see the Dark Knight!