Here it is…the final chapter. I'm kind of sad but it can't go on forever! Yeesh.
I'm gonna try and get this done before Microbiology!
OH MY GOSH! MY BROTHER JUST GOT ENGAGED! This I noticed after writing the first paragraph!
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It was only about a week till the wedding and I was busy with all the last minute details, but Susan and Lucy and many happy fauns and a dryad or two were excitedly running around and organizing and decorating and making my dress and all that weddingy stuff. I was glad they were doing it, because I wasn't a big planner, I just wanted Edmund, fancy wedding or a simple vow exchange, it didn't matter to me.
But when Edmund came to me and announced the White Stag had been seen in the Lantern Waste, I felt like something was wrong. I reminded him that our wedding was not far off anf he returned with the logic that what could be better than catching the White Stag just before your wedding…I had no argument to work with so I told him to go ahead and go with his siblings.
And so it was that I was standing in the gateway to the courtyard and watching them canter off toward the West. The sun was setting and I kept my eyes on their silhouettes until they were impossible to see anymore. Sighing, I went back to the castle and wandered into the library to read. I picked up the Calormene story book that Edmund had been reading the night he first taught me to read. I settled in and determined to myself that I would have it finished by the time he came home.
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EDMUND'S POV
We rode steadily to the Lantern Waste, trying to find any trace of the white stag. I wondered why we had never been over this way since our rule began; I WAS the Duke of this place after all!
Peter announced that we had reached the outskirts of the Waste and we found ourselves entering a thick forest with lots of birch-like trees and a thick canopy of leaves overhead. As we passed between the first few lines of the trees, my heart began to do funny things, like it was skipping beats or something. I glanced behind me at the opening to the forest where we had entered, figuring maybe I was just being slightly claustrophobic, and saw something out of the corner of my eye. It was golden and large and I almost turned Philip off course to give chase in case it was Aslan, but then realized if Aslan wanted me, he would make himself known.
We camped in the forest that night and Lucy noticed how I kept looking over my shoulder.
"Edmund, are you alright?" she asked, looking at me in concern.
"I'm fine, Lu," I replied with a smile, "I just thought maybe we would see Aslan. This whole hunt just feels…different."
Lucy nodded and Susan and Peter murmured in agreement.
"It does," Susan said softly, "I attribute it to the possibility that we may be destined to catch the White Stag!"
"Or maybe we will see Aslan!" Lucy clasped her hands excitedly, a gesture she never outgrew, it seemed.
"Whatever adventure may befall us on the morrow, I suggest we be ready to meet it," Peter said with a yawn, "Come, let us put out the fire and prepare for our hunt in the morning."
So we did. But I fell asleep thinking about Natani and wondered what she was doing right now. The White Stag wasn't even a glimmer in my thoughts tonight.
PETER'S POV
We arose bright an early the next day and we saddled up quickly so we could continue the hunt. I was so eager that I'm afraid I rushed them all more than they thought necessary, but they didn't complain because they were all just as excited as I was.
When we found the trail of the Stag we took off at a trot in the direction he was going. We went on for quite a while until Susan gave a squeal.
"Look! There it is!" she cried, pointing ahead. Sure enough, the majestic Stag was looking right at us through the trees and he seemed to be laughing as he turned tail and bounded away into the forest.
"Forward!" I cried and we all took off, gung ho, after the Stag. We galloped through the brush and clearings, following the flag of his tail.
We had been giving chase for some time now and as we rounded a corner, Edmund and Philip slowed down and finally stopped. I was a little worried because Philips was not a young horse so the rest of us turned back to offer encouragement.
"Cmon, Ed," Susan chided him happily, she was eager to get after that Stag, I could tell.
"Just catching my breath," Edmund said quietly, patting Philip's neck.
"Well that's ALL we'll catch at this rate," Susan said, steadying her eager horse .
"What's that he said again, Susan?" Lucy asked sweetly.
"You girls stay at the castle, I'll catch the Stag myself," Susan imitated Edmund's voice and we all burst into laughter because it was a pretty good likeness. Edmund however was not looking at any of us anymore, his eyes were focused at something above our heads. So we all followed his gaze.
"What's this?" I asked, dismounting to get a better look and the others did as well. "It seems familiar."
"As if from a dream or a dream of a dream," Lucy sounded awed, then I saw comprehension dawn on her face, "Spare Oom!"
She took off towards the thick brush to our left and I followed her in concern.
Edmund said he was going to get his sword from Philips saddle in case anything happened, but Susan and I followed Lucy into the brush.
EDMUND'S POV
I went back to Philip and told him Lucy had wandered off and someone had to be smart and bring a sword.
As I turned to go back to them, I came face to face with the majesting being I had been longing see again. Aslan.
"Edmund you must go no further," he said softly, "You and Philip must return to Cair Paravel immediately."
"Is Natani alright?" I was scared by the urgency in Aslan's voice.
"She is," he nodded his great head.
"Just let me fetch the others and we'll go straight back…" I started to call out to them.
"No, Edmund," Aslan stopped me with a look, "This time, only you will be returning."
I looked at Aslan in horror, what could he mean?
"Aslan, what are you talking about?"
"Your brother and sister's time here in this world is up for now, but you have things to do still," Aslan explained, "Through that brush there is a door that I have opened. It leads back to your world you call England."
I gasped. England…I remembered it now. Spare Oom…spare room…the wardrobe.
"Aslan…will I ever see them again?" tears were pushing at my eyes at the realization that my siblings were leaving Narnia.
"Of course, my son," Aslan assured me, "It will be a long time, but you will see them again."
I blinked away the tears as I looked past Aslan to where my siblings had disappeared. I could hear their voices calling my name, probably wondering where I was .
"Are you ready, Son of Adam?" Aslan's eyes searched me.
"Yes." was all I could whisper. I mounted back up onto Philip and gave one last glance back before we left the clearing, heading east toward Cair Paravel.
PETER'S POV
Edmund was clearly ignoring our calls but I wasn't really worried, he could take care of himself. Susan, Lucy and I pushed our way through the suddenly thick fir branches that blocked our path. After we were inside the thick mass of needles I suddenly felt something soft to the touch.
"These aren't branches," I said, finding this sensation odd and yet…something was sparking in my memory.
"They're coats," I heard Susan whisper, almost as if to herself. And I suddenly remembered…England.
Could it possibly be that we could climb back out that very wardrobe we had entered by and see what had happened in our old world since we had left. I was excited to see so I kept going and soon there were no more branches at all, only thick, warm fur coats.
Suddenly, I tripped and stumbled out of the wardrobe onto the hard wooden floor of the spare room we had left behind so long ago. I shook my head to clear my sense and raised a hand to run over my face. But I stopped short. My hand…it was…smaller, softer. I turned my palm up and not a single callous or scar was to be seen. They were…young hands.
I glanced over at Susan and Lucy and was shocked to find them exactly the way I remembered them the day we had stepped inside Narnia. We were young again…like not a second had passed.
Suddenly, I heard a sharp yelp and Edmund plopped down onto the floor next to me. He raised his head and looked at first shocked at our faces and he looked down at himself and sighed at his apparent small stature. But then he looked around at us with tear filled eyes and he threw his arms around Lucy, then Susan and even me.
"Ed, what are you doing?" I asked, he was usually NOT a huggy person.
"I've missed you all so much!" he whispered, tears streaming from his eyes.
"Edmund…how long have we been gone? You just fell out a second behind us." Susan asked.
"50 years," Edmund said softly. I glanced down and noticed a silver band on his left hand. A wedding ring?
"What happened, Ed?" I asked in awe.
Edmund smiled a huge smile, but I saw wisdom, loss, love, and pride in his dark eyes. I saw years of maturity that I had not been there to witness.
"I can't really remember, "he whispered softly, "The last thing I remember was Lucy running off into the brush when we found that lamp post. All I can remember is you weren't there with me."
"You can't remember anything after that?" Lucy sounded shocked. "Nothing?"
"No…but I'm sure I will someday, in Aslan's time."
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THE END
So there it is. You can imagine your own 50 years in Narnia, but I figured it was better that way.
Well, I want to thank all of you who read this story, especially those of you who have been following since I put up the very first chapter! I have another fic sitting in my computer files so that one will be going up soon!
Hope you guys enjoyed it! Let me know what you think. Review :D
