Many, many years later.
Peter Pevensie shoved his hands in his pockets, trying to keep his hands warm as snow swirled around him. The beginning of November, and it was already snowing. He watched his siblings play in the snow, Lucy shrieking with laughter , Edmund actually smiling, and Susan going along with them. They looked so happy.
"Peter! Come and play with us!" Lucy cried in delight.
Usually, Peter would be the one playing, and Susan would be the one standing there. But he lost the joy in everything, even his favorite little sister. Peter had no idea what caused this change, since he had been studying for his exams and then returned to his family for the holidays.
"I'm ok here, Lu!" He said back, trying ignore the hurt on her face as she turned around.
After Peter watched his siblings' faces become red with frostbite, he called to them.
"Alright, it's time to go in. I'll make some hot chocolate."
"But Peter, I'm not cold!" Lucy complained.
"Me either!" Edmund said, though he was older now and not a child.
"Peter's right. Everybody inside," Susan herded the younger ones toward the door. Peter followed behind a little ways, but stopped when something caught his eye. The tree by the edge of their yard had a hole into it, but instead it was filled with blue.
Blue?
Peter ran over to check it out. He expected to see the inside of the tree, but he saw a blue sky dotted with some clouds, a grand castle overlooking a green field.
Peter blinked and rubbed his eyes, then looked at the hole again. Still blue sky.
Peter didn't even have to think about what it was. He knew what he saw, and he never forgot it.
All other thoughts abandoned, Peter sprinted back to his house and burst through the door.
"Peter, where were you?" Susan asked and she blew on he mug.
"You were supposed to make us hot chocolate!" Lucy said.
"Susan did it instead," Edmund grumbled.
Susan retorted, "Are you saying my hot chocolate is bad?"
Peter's words came out in breathy gasps, "Tree….hole…blue…sky….castle….NARNIA!"
All three siblings froze, inert in their chairs.
"N-Narnia?" Lucy broke the silence first.
"Peter, you must be imagining things. Aslan told us specially that we could not go back to Narnia," Susan shook her head.
"I know Narnia when I see it," Peter shot back.
"Well, what did you see?" Edmund asked
Without a word, Peter walked out of the house, not checking to make sure if they were following.
They were.
They came to the tree, and the hole was still filled with that blue sky and green field.
"It is Narnia!" Lucy breathed in awe.
"Impossible," Susan shook her head again.
"I have to agree with Lucy on this one," Edmund told her, "what else would you find within a tree hole?"
"The inside of the tree." Susan stated.
'It is Narnia," Peter told them, "I don't know why we see this Susan, when we're not supposed to go back to Narnia. But ask yourself, we wouldn't be able to see this if we couldn't go back."
"Let's try it!" Lucy started jumping up and down.
"No!" Susan shouted, and Lucy stopped.
"Why not?" Lucy asked her sister.
Susan foundered with her words, "It just can't….not possible…..We couldn't….."
"You have no reason! Your faith in Narnia is fading!" Lucy shouted, shocking everyone.
"Lucy…"
"No," Lucy looked at Susan with tears in her eyes, "My own sister…..Queen Susan the Gentle….DOESN'T BELIVE IN NARNIA!" Without warning, she climbed through the hole, and the others were left to look at her at the other side.
"Lucy!" Peter yelled.
"We have to go after her!" Edmund cried, then climbed through the hole also.
"Edmund! Get back here!" Susan yelled, then gave up her efforts as she saw her brother sprinting toward Lucy, a figure now in the distance.
"Susan, we have to go after them," Peter told his sister, now a standing stiffly.
"No, I can't," She whispered.
Peter put a hand on her shoulder, "Do it for Lucy, if nothing else." Then he climbed through the hole, leaving Susan alone.
"Oh for the love of…" Susan climbed through the hole also, and was back into the place she never thought she would be in again.
It was a long trek, but the Pevensies finally got to the castle. They passed the gardener, who stared at them with wide eyes, then disappeared into the castle. A moment later Caspian took his place, staring at them with his mouth agape.
"W-What are you doing here?" He said hesitantly.
"Didn't you call us?" Lucy asked.
"Not me, I had nothing to do with it," Caspian threw up his hands and glanced at Susan. She shifted uncomfortably in his gaze.
Caspian grinned, "Well, whatever it is, I'm glad to have you back." He led them inside the castle into a giant dining room.
A woman was sitting at one of the chairs, writing something on a piece of paper.
"Caspian, is that you?"
"Annie, we have guests," Caspian cleared his throat, and the woman looked up.
"Oh!" She exclaimed, then hurriedly stood up.
"The Kings and Queens of old! W-Welcome to Narnia!"
"It's good to be back," Peter smiled, and it seemed to relax her.
"Pevensies, this is my wife, Annie." Caspian introduced them one by one.
"Hello," Susan said coolly, crossing her arms and staring at her shoes.
"How long are you staying?" Asked Annie.
"We don't know," Edmund rubbed the back of his neck.
"That's quite alright. We set up rooms for you four, "The Queen clapped her hands, and a few servants appeared in an instant.
"Prepare rooms for The Kings and Queens, then shown them when they are finished."
The servants nodded, then hurried away.
It seemed no time had passed when the servants returned.
"This way," One girl said, and they all followed her.
"Peter," Caspian gripped Peter's arm and pulled him aside, "Do you know why you're here?"
Peter shook his head, "No, this time we found Narnia in a tree hole."
"I don't know either, but I do know this, whenever you all show up, Narnia is in serious trouble."
Caspian walked away like they had said nothing, leaving Peter to find his room alone. But after a few steps, Peter cast a glance over his shoulder, worried for the fate of his beloved country.