Hey all! This story's winding down, only this chapter and then one more. I hope you've enjoyed it so far and that you'll finish the journey with us. :)

Chapter 19

As the party winds down, the weirdest feeling crawls up my spine: almost like a... a calling to take a step outside. Seeing as I seem to have some sort of crazy psychic powers, I think it's probably best to trust my instincts, so I tell Ed and the others I'll be back in a moment, then duck out the door.

On the shore of the ocean, Aslan waits. "You called me out here, didn't you?"

He nods. "Indeed, Dear One."

I grin and run over, but just before I get to Him, I feel an intense stab of grief. Aw, naw. I've felt this before. "Oh, no. You don't have to die for someone again, do you?"

He chuckles. "No, the time of death is over. Peace and prosperity shall reign in Narnia for a few years yet."

"Oh, phew. You had me worried for a second there." Still... I squint up at Him. "Unless I'm crazy–which is totally possible–you still seem kind of... sad. About something."

He stares at me for a moment, but instead of actually answering, He says, "You've wondered much about your purpose here."

I shrug. "Well, yeah. But you said I'm their psychic advisor, right?"

"Right." Aslan nods. "But have you never wondered why I would not be advising them?"

Beards and bedsteads, I'm an idiot. "No, I... I guess I haven't. But wait. You're not... leaving us? You can't be leaving us! Are you leaving us?"

"Dear one," He murmurs, stepping closer. "I am always with you—in your heart. But in the realm of physical appearances, yes, I am leaving. I must return to my Father, the Emperor Beyond the Sea."

"But He could come here too!" I say, even though I know it's stupid. "You could both come and, you know. Hang out."

He chuckles. "Oh Zaylie. I'm afraid Narnia isn't quite ready for that."

I'm crying again. Dang it, where's Tarry with his lifetime supply of handkerchiefs when I need him? "But... but we need you." Man, I'm more than crying; I'm baby-blubbering and if I don't stop soon, my makeup's gonna run, snot'll be all over my new lilac dress, Ed'll probably see me like this, and I don't even care.

"And so you will have me," Aslan says, still so calm. How can He be so calm? Things were just coming together and now He's taking them apart with His own paws! "My memory and My presence forever in your hearts, particularly yours."

"Wait, what?"

He smiles. "Why do you think I brought you here, Zaylie? Opened your eyes? Made you advisor? In the coming days, the Kings and Queens may be sad, even despondent, or simply lost and confused. They will need someone to remind them of Me and My power. Because, believe it or not," He adds with a small, sad chuckle, "it is very easy for humans to forget."

"Then why do you trust me?" Crazy as this may sound, maybe I can convince Him that I'm not worthy, that I can't do it. Then He'll have to stay—

"I'm trusting the Pevensies with the kingdom; I'm trusting you to remind them of who gave them the kingdom. The truth is, I trust you all. You may have different tasks, but all five of you are equally important." He winks. "That's another thing you may want to remember."

Even with the tears spilling down and the snot dripping, I start to giggle. "I think I should be writing this down."

He laughs. "I'm sure you'll manage it all."

Somehow deep within, I know that this is the moment. It's all over now. This is goodbye.

So I do the only thing any non-sensible person would do in such a situation: I bury my head in His mane, clench my fingers in His fur, and hold on for dear life. I hiccup a couple of unintelligible sounds and probably get snot all over Him.

"Shh, little one. Remember what I said."

I sniff, inhaling a remarkable amount of lion hairs, then sneeze. "You're..." Sniff again. "You're with me always."

"Exactly." He steps away, forcing me to pull back, and smiles down at me. "I will always be with you, Zaylie Hepburn, and with the Pevensies, and with all of Narnia.

"Always."

As He turns and starts down the long stretch of beach, I think of the Kings and Queens, the Pevensies. They have a right to say goodbye—way more than I do—so I sprint inside and call them out, but by the time we get back, He's too far away.

"But... but why would He leave us?" Lucy's crying even harder than me; I think between the two of us, Tarry and Tumnus are going to run out of handkerchiefs.

"He..." I sniff, struggling to stop sobbing long enough to reply, "He said he had to go back to His dad. And that He didn't leave us, not really. Because, you know, He's always in our hearts."

As we watch Him fade into the glow of the setting sun, I suddenly stop crying, feeling the truth of it all in my heart.

Always.

"Besides, Lu," I wipe the last of my tears, grin, and wink. "He left me to keep you lot out of trouble."

Peter forces a smile, gathering us all together in the biggest, least-awkwardest group hug I've ever had the pleasure of being in. "Well," he says, "I'd say He chose well."

We laugh, and I sense His special feeling holding us all: peace. As we exchange glances, I know none of us are sure what'll happen in the future—or even tomorrow—or how we'll be able to handle it when it comes.

But one thing we do know: Aslan believes in us and that will have to be enough.

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