A/N: Ooooh, second to last chapter! Is anyone else excited? Because I'm excited! I really want to know what you guys will think of the ending, so please let me know!

Chapter 12:

Afterwards, they hurried along to Aslan's table and grabbed something to eat. The food looked exquisite, but Susan could hardly taste it. Together, she'd told Lucy… She glanced down the table, to the sailors whose spirits had been lifted a bit due to the good food, and to Edmund and Caspian, whispering tactics. She looked at Lucy, exchanging small talk with one of the fauns.

A sense of dread filled her. What if something went wrong on this mission? It was hardly the safest thing they'd ever done. Even charging into battle with the White Witch hadn't felt quite like this. At least they'd been able to strategize, now… they didn't even know what it was they would face. And Susan hated that uncertainty.

A hand curled around her wrist under the table, and she looked over at Caspian, who shot her a reassuring look. She smiled back gratefully and repositioned her hand so she could entwine their fingers. Much still needed to be said, but for now, Susan was content to just sit with her family and enjoy their presence, even if she didn't say much.

Later that night, after everyone had eaten their fill, they all returned to the ship for a good night's rest. They'd need it in the morning. For once, Susan and Caspian did not exchange stories. Susan was sure there were still a million left she could tell, but she couldn't think of any, nor find her voice to tell them. After laying awake for near an hour, she lifted her head, only to see Caspian staring at the ceiling. And still, she couldn't seem to find the words to say. Instead, she extended her hand towards him.

His eyes immediately founds hers, even in the dark, and a moment later, his hand curled around hers.

/*/

Gael had to remain behind on Ramandu's island, and Lilliandil promised to look after the child, and send her back to the Lone Islands should the battle go ill.

On the way towards the shadowy island, everyone speculated in hushed voices on what might be found there. Nothing anyone came up with was in any way comforting.

Edmund had borrowed some armour from Caspian, and as they stood side by side, they each looked every bit a king. They, along with Susan, Lucy and Drinian were stood at the helm of the ship, while Eustace and Reep flew overhead.

"In case we don't get through," Caspian murmured quietly, "I want you to know that I think of you as my brother." The words were obviously only meant for Edmund's ears, but Susan had heard, and was moved. This was a far cry from the argument the two Kings had had in that cavern on Dragon Island, as Lucy had dubbed it.

Edmund nodded at him. "Me too."

Lucy, who had been standing next to Susan, grabbed her older sister's hand, pulling her attention from the conversation between the two men. "Gael told me she wanted to be just like me when she grew up."

That drew a smile from the elder Queen. "And what did you say?"

The Valiant Queen looked straight ahead at the shadows they were heading towards. "I told her she should be like herself," she replied quietly. Then, she turned to look at her sister. "I'm sorry I thought differently."

It seemed that not only Edmund and Caspian had grown in their time aboard. "As am I. I know I'm not always the best sister, but I love you. You know that, don't you?"

Lucy smiled softly at her. "Of course. And I love you too. No matter what happens… or which choices we make."

Confused, Susan was about to ask what Lucy had meant by that, but before she could, Caspian stepped forward to address the men.

"No matter what happens here," he said, his voice clear and commanding, as befitting a king. "Every soul standing before me has earned their place on the crew of the Dawn Treader. Together we have travelled far Together, we have faced adversity. And together, we can do it again. I don't know what we will face in there, but I know this place will play on our fears and temptations. But I also know that each and every one of you is strong, courageous and steadfast. I know that you will resist whatever will be thrown at you, for you are Narnians. And together… we will be victorious," he finished, looking just the slightest bit unsure.

But just as Caspian stepped back, one of the men shouted. "For Narnia!" The cheer was quickly adopted by everyone else on the ship, until they all shouted as one. "For Narnia!" Susan added her voice to the chorus.

Caspian glanced back at her, his face in awe at the trust his men were putting in him. She grinned at him, hoping that he could see just how much she loved him and believed in him. After a moment, his surprised melted into an equally broad grin as he, too, took up the cheer. Even Eustace roared from his position soaring over the ship.

It served to hearten the crew, so that when the shadows lurked ahead, they faced it head on, together and unafraid.

/*/

Once inside the shadows, the world grew eerily quiet. It was as if all sound was somehow muffled by the smoke. It made the hairs on Susan's neck stand on end. Everything about this place screamed 'unnatural'.

Soon enough, green wisps of mist curled around the ship and the crew. Whispers floated on the muffled air, incomprehensible yet invasive. Every once in a while, the mist would take on a shape, but Susan was at a loss for what to do.

"Susan."

Suddenly, one of the whispers became the tiniest bit clearer than the others. Susan whipped around, trying to determine where it came from. Eyes stared back at her from the fog.

"You have failed me, Susan."

The voice was male, and achingly familiar, but Susan dared not put a name to it.

"You've destroyed it all, Susan. Narnia and England alike. You paid no heed to what your actions would wreak, and now it is all lost," the voice said, sounding surprisingly calm.

Susan knew what the voice meant. She'd been having nightmares about it for days; no matter what she chose - either to stay with Caspian, or go back with her family - she would mess it up and everything would be lost. Narnia in ruins, her family split apart… her worst nightmare.

"Go away," she whispered. She was vaguely aware that others on the ship were having similar… visions, or whatever they were, but she could focus on nothing else but the voice.

"It's all your fault, Susan," the voice said, and finally, it took shape. A great lion padded calmly across the deck, unseen by any but her. It's hackles were raised and it looked poised to attack, something that Aslan - no matter the wildness about him - never possessed. "No matter where you go, ruin will follow. Your love is what will kill them."

"Shut up," she said, more forcefully. "You're nothing but a manifestation of my fears, you can't harm me."

"Does that make me any less real?" It asked. "Does that make it any less true?"

Before she could come up with a response, the figure vanished, and Susan was left to collect herself. Her heart was racing and her breath came in shallow gasps. All around her, people were going through the same things. Edmund was staring intently as a wisp of smoke, looking as unsettled as Susan felt. Caspian, likewise seemed shaken when the green fog nearest to him dissipated.

"No!" Edmund shouted, prompting Lucy to ask him if he was alright.

"This place is messing with our minds," Susan said to them under her breath. "It's not real." Then, more quietly; "It can't be real."

A howl broke through the incoherent whispers, and everyone turned to the starboard side, peering into the darkness. This, at least, was no mere hallucination.

"Keep away!" the voice howled, echoing through the fog. "Keep away!"

"Who's there?" Edmund shouted back.

"We do not fear you!" Someone else added.

"Nor I, you!" the voice replied, sounding quite the opposite.

Luckily, Edmund had his torch handy, and used it to break through the shadows. Eventually, the light landed on a figure hunched on a small sand bank. "Keep away!" the figure repeated.

"We will not leave!" Caspian said resolutely. Susan nocked an arrow to her bow, just in case.

"You will not defeat me!" the figure shouted, raising a blade over his head.

"Caspian, his sword!" Edmund hissed. The figure was indeed handling one of the 7 Narnian blades, and so, must have been Lord Rhoop.

"You do not own me!" the lord yelled, backing away to the far end of his little island.

"Stand down!" Caspian commanded his archers. Susan kept her arrow on her bow, but lowered it so as not to scare the lord. "Get him on board, quickly!" the king ordered.

Before Susan could even begin to wonder how they would get the unresponsive lord onto the ship, Eustace appeared out of nowhere and swooped down, grabbing the Lord in his large claws. Lord Rhoop screamed, but was summarily deposited onto the deck. He swung his sword madly.

"Be calm, my lord!" one of the men shouted.

"Off me demons!"

"No, my lord," Caspian interrupted. "We are not here to hurt you. I am your King."

"Caspian," the lord muttered under his breath, his eyes wide. Slowly, he turned around, facing the young monarch. He sank to his knees before him. "My lord," he whispered. But then the lord stood again. "You should not have come. There is no way out of this! Quickly, turn this ship around before it is too late!"

"We have the sword," Edmund reasoned. "Let's go."

"Turn her about, Drinian!" Caspian ordered without delay.

As Drinian went to execute those orders with a quick "Aye aye, your majesty!" Then, Lord Rhoop stepped forwards again, his hand extended as if to physically stop Caspian.

"Do not think!" Rhoop exclaimed. "Do not let it know your fears, or it will become them!"

Susan desperately turned her thoughts to her mother and father, to Peter and the jokes they used to make.

"Oh no."

But it seemed her efforts were all for naught.

"Edmund?" Lucy asked, looking at her brother with wary concern. "What did you just think of?"

"I'm sorry," Edmund said, before dashing off to the side of the ship and looking overboard. What on earth could he have thought of that would appear there?

Something was moving in the water. Susan had barely a second before whatever it was rammed the ship and send everyone flying to the deck. Susan lost her arrow in the process, but she hardly had time to grumble over it, seeing as they now had bigger issues. "Edmund, what did you think of?" Susan shouted, her voice a little hysterical.

"It's too late!" she heard Lord Rhoop shout. Everyone was peering over the edge of the ship, trying to catch a glimpse of whatever was out there.

Susan cast her eyes over the deck, which was why she was the first to notice the… creature bursting out of the water on the opposite side. "Look out!" she screamed, pulling another arrow from her quiver.

Instantly, everyone was on edge, turning to see where she was looking. The creature loomed over the deck, hissing with its serpentine mouth open. It moved to strike, but Eustace cut it off with a powerful blast of fire.

Susan was about to cheer as Eustace dove at the creature, hooking his claws into its hide, when the serpent bashed her cousin into the ship. It was all she could do to stay on her feet.

The two beasts fought and thrashed around the ship, spraying water everywhere and biting, clawing pushing angrily into one another. Susan could hardly see where Eustace began and the serpent ended, but she kept her bow at the ready. "Archers, get ready!" she shouted as she helped a man to his feet. A battle with a foe like this would be decided with ranged weapons, not swords.

The battle came to a head when the serpent slammed Eustace into a rock, and the latter blew a column of flame into its eyes. The creature wailed and dove under the water, extinguishing the fire and vanishing under the surface. For a moment, everyone was still, waiting to see what happened.

"Out, creature!" Lord Rhoop shouted, and, before anyone could stop him, he lobbed his sword over the railing of the ship.

"No, the sword!" Edmund shouted.

Eustace looked up at the commotion, just in time for the sword to sink into his shoulder. He roared and flew off, his instincts forcing him to flee. "Eustace!" Lucy shouted after him, but to no avail. The dragon could not hear them.

The water around them began churning again as the serpent circled them.

"We're all doomed!" Rhoop shouted, too crazed to listen to anyone as he shoved his way to the steering wheel and pulled the helmsman away.

"Someone stop him!" Edmund ordered, just as the ship shuddered from another hit by the sea creature.

Drinian deftly knocked the Lord unconscious and took the helm. "Now, crew! To your rowing positions! Oars at double speed!"

The men scrambled to do as they were told, while a number of archers stayed on deck, along with the Pevensies and Caspian. The creature wasn't going to give up without a fight, however, and before they got more than a few yards, it caught up to them. It reared from the water, screeching horribly, before diving over the other side of the ship, effectively encircling it in a deathhold.

Susan pulled a man back before he could be crushed and swung her bow over her back. As long as the creature was this close, she'd take advantage of it. She grabbed the sailor's dagger and stabbed the serpent with it. That didn't do much, but it did encourage the other men to take up their swords and knives and hack away.

The creature shrieked again as it broke through the surface of the water, hovering menacingly over the prow.

Susan realized that if she were going to be of any use, she'd have to get to a better vantage point, so she began to climb.

"Edmund!" Lucy's scream distracted the elder Queen, who couldn't see what was going on.

The serpent had just taken a bite out of the bough, and Susan couldn't see her brother. "Ed?" she shouted. But then he emerged from the splintered ruins to stand on top. "I'm still here!" he shouted.

Susan wasted no time in securing her position in the shrouds and nocking an arrow. If that creature lunged one more time, Edmund would be dead, and that would only happen over her dead body. She released the arrow, avoiding the serpent's swinging tail and hitting it straight into its eye. It reared back and bellowed its displeasure to the sky.

"Brace yourselves!" Caspian shouted. He'd taken over the helm from Drinian, and apparently had a plan. Susan looked back towards the prow. Her eyes widened as she saw what they were about to hit and she swiftly wrapped her arm into the ropes. Everyone was slung about, and Susan could only hold on for dear life as her feet slipped from the shroud. The rope burned her wrist, but at least she hadn't fallen. She painfully pulled herself back up, unwound her arm, and climbed down.

But instead of killing the creature, all the ramming had done was anger it. It's belly slid open to reveal thousands of insect-like legs, capable of spearing a man if he came too close.

Once again, the serpent dove for the deck, intent on killing as many of the crew as possible, no doubt. Susan, still a little dazed from her tumble in the shroud, was a slit second too late. Luckily for her, Caspian wasn't. He tackled her out of the way, rolled over and sliced one of the insect legs off. It evaporated into smoke. His eyes met her. "We can beat this."

She nodded and climbed to her feet, picking up an arrow from where it had fallen from her quiver. "Ready the harpoons!" Caspian ordered, while Susan released another arrow into an eye. It had more than 2, so she hadn't blinded it, but it seemed to hurt it. Good, she thought.

"Ready?" Caspian's voice rang out clearly, despite the noise from the creature and the loud creaking of the ship. Susan shot off another arrow, slicing off one of the tentacles on its head.

"Now!" Caspian shouted. "Pull its head down!"

As the men pulled the creature down, Edmund climbed the shroud all the way up to the main top. But then, he hesitated. Green smoke floated around him, and no amount of shouting did anything.

Susan readied her last arrow. Even with the swaying ship and the thrashing sea serpent, she trusted the bow Father Christmas had given her to find its target. She released the bowstring.

The arrow thudded into the wood of the main mast just as Edmund's sword started glowing blue. Whatever it was that had distracted him, lost its sway, and, as the creature lunged once more, Ed rammed his blade into its mouth. Green lightning flashed and the creature went down.

The sound it made as it hit the water was oddly muted, and the darkness that had covered them lightened, until beams of sunlight burst through.

They'd won.

A/N: Such great final words... unfortunately, the story can hardly end here. You all know what's coming, and I really hope you'll like it, because I hate writing endings and this one was soooo hard to write!

Lemme know what you thought of this chapter! Or any other random topic!