Chapter Thirty-Six: Smooth Seas & Sorrowful Farewells
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~ Narnia ~
Edmund stared from his viewpoint at the light; he thought it would blind him at first, but he found momentarily that he could stare at it and see better than ever. Looking into it, he felt Aslan, somehow. If it was possible, the light seemed to grow ever brighter, enveloping everything around it. That was when Edmund realized things were changing around them. The shadows began slipping from the island; the darkness faded and let the sunlight through. Edmund smiled; somehow, he knew this was Lucy.
~|:Xo0oX:|~
Susan flung open the cabin door when she noticed the light streaming in through the windows. Gael peeked around her side, and she held Rilian in her arms as she watched the light fill the darkness and the blue sky begin to shine through the grey clouds. Caspian noticed her standing there, amidst the splintered wood with a look of complete awe on her face, and turned from staring at the island to join her.
When he reached her side, she looked up at him with a smile. "I don't know how I know, but something tells me this is because of Lucy." Caspian smiled and drew Susan close, relieved that they were alive and that they had done what they'd set out to do, even when the odds seemed impossible.
Gael ran past the couple and started shouting for her father. Rhince ran out from among the sailors, arms opened wide. The little girl threw herself into his arms energetically while the man laughed, smiled, and cried, stroking a shaking hand down her dark head over and over.
"Look, there, in the mist!" A sailor shouted, pointing into a soft grey mist that seemed to rise up on their right, blocking any view of the island or what might be left of it.
"Narnians!
"It's the Narnians!"
Slowly, the mist faded, and a beautiful island became visible, crystal blue water reflecting in the sunlight, foliage emerald green. And there, in several dozen boats, were the missing Narnians. When they saw the ship, they cheered and shouted, waving their hands in the air and laughing.
"Mummy!" Gael jumped from her father's embrace when she saw one woman staring carefully at the ship, a smile across her face.
"Helaine!" Rhince dashed after his daughter to the rail, and they jumped into the sapphire blue water without second thought to join the woman in the boat.
"Drinian, let's clear these decks and get them aboard!" Caspian said with a smile, watching Rhince and Gael as they began swimming to the side of the boat. But as they did, something popped up from the water. And then the boats were gliding gently toward the Dawn Treader. Susan recognized the actions before anyone else, and smiled when several mermaids jumped into the air, spinning and twirling before diving back into the water, long hair streaming behind them and reflecting the sun.
One swam up to Gael and draped a necklace of shells around her shoulders before lifting her with strength only natural to immortal beings into the boat beside her mother. Rhince kindly declined their offer and pulled himself into the boat while the mermaids watched; they were smiling at all the happy Narnians before they dove back toward the shore.
"Where are Lucy and the Stars?" Edmund asked, coming up to Caspian and Susan after climbing down from the lookout.
"I don't know, but that light –?" Caspian met Edmund's concerned gaze.
"Edmund, Susan, Caspian!" Excited shouts interrupted their thoughts. When they turned to stare at Dark Island – though they supposed it should be called Divandandia once again – they saw a sight that made them smile.
Lucy ran up to the edge of the water, waving her hand and smiling. Behind her, they could see the Stars. "Come on, let's get to shore after we help these people aboard," Edmund encouraged, moving forward to aid the sailors in helping people up over the side of the ship.
~|:Xo0oX:|~
Lucy blinked as the light slowly withdrew from around her. She looked down and noticed that Nithalazaar's face seemed different, peaceful, but besides that, the light that emanated from him was pure; there was no longer that ill-looking green color swirling around him. It was pure, silver, and bright now. Lucy turned her head to look at Arran. She was again struck by how different – changed – he appeared.
He wore a long robe of silver that brushed the ground, and he no longer seemed so mortal; there was an otherworldly quality about him that she had felt when looking upon Ramandu and Liliandil. His blonde hair was long and smooth now; not a single dreadlock or braid could be seen, and she wondered, would it feel like silk if she touched it? He smiled at her when he noticed she was staring.
"I'm still Arran, Lucy." His eyes twinkled with amusement before he stood and then offered his hand to help her up. She accepted it blithely.
Before she could ask him any questions, however, Nithalazaar groaned on the ground behind them. Arran subconsciously pushed Lucy a little to his right and stood slightly in front of her, unsure if they had truly healed the sickness in the once-broken Star. Nithalazaar shook his head, as if trying to clear it, before looking up. As he stared into Arran's blue eyes with his own, a look of horror entered them, and he rose slowly, nearly stumbling because he refused to take his eyes from Arran.
"How does it feel to be healed, Aliaani?" Arran asked softly, stretching out his hand and resting it gently on the other Star's shoulder.
"Thank you, Elunar; I could not expect such kindness after what I have done," Nithalazaar whispered as he fell back to the ground, lightly clutching the hem of Arran's robes.
"Don't call me that. I did nothing; it was the Queen Lucy who healed you; I naught but supplied the words for her," Arran declined the praise and pulled away, instead motioning to Lucy by his side to be the object of Nithalazaar's gratefulness. "For she also saved my light." Arran turned to stare into Lucy's eyes, the breeze blowing some of his long hair away from his face as he smiled at her and nodded his head slightly.
"But I did nothing; I only acted on Aslan's power!" Lucy tried to refute their claims, suddenly feeling awkward with receiving so much praise from beings supposedly greater than her.
"No, Lucy. That light, that power, it was yours. Faith and belief in something stronger than yourself is the most powerful magic of all worlds. This power of faith you carry, Lucy, it is more than I can fathom. No evil can stand against it; no darkness can blot it out. I wish you never lose it, Daughter of Eve." And suddenly, Arran didn't seem like Arran any longer. Lucy realized the price he had paid to die for Aslan's side, and suddenly she felt anguish for him.
"My magic changed you, didn't it?" she asked softly, finally looking up at him.
"I don't believe it was completely your magic that changed me, but Aslan. Lucy, you brought me back from the edge of Night, but Aslan gave me new life. I would still have slowly died if it had been just your power alone. Now that I am a Star, fully and completely, I see that this is something only Aslan could do. Do not feel pain, Lucy. It is my path to tread, not yours." Arran did something that no full Star would do; he hugged her close as her tears fell. He had understood human pain, human loss, which made him different from any full-blooded Star in the heavens.
"T-the enchantress, I did not kill her, did I?" Nithalazaar hesitantly asked once the two had parted from the embrace. Lucy turned to look at Arran, worried that she had saved these two but not Serene.
"No, for she does not truly live in this world!" Gavan's voice called out, the wind echoing it down to meet them.
They group of three turned to behold another small group standing on a rise some distance away. Lucy finally took in the fact that the island had changed around them; gone were the ugly boulders and gravelly shore. Now they were replaced with reefs that glistened as the waves crashed cheerfully against them and sandy beaches that swept down to the ocean in a golden path.
Slowly Zephyr and Gavan, with Serene between them, walked down the slope, when they finally stood together, there was silence for a moment. But as quickly as it had fallen over them, it vanished, and Gavan was hugging Arran, Zephyr's eyes shone with unshed tears as he talked with his brother, and Nithalazaar was apologizing to Serene, earning a smile and words of forgiveness from her.
Gavan turned to Lucy, and, before giving her much time to consider the matter, pulled her close and kissed her. At first she was surprised he would do that but let all those apprehensive thoughts fade as she returned the kiss. "I was so worried I might lose you as well as Arran for a moment. I see I should keep such matters to myself, for Aslan will be watching over you always," he said once they parted, smiling.
"I'm so glad you're all right, too! I didn't know what would happen, and I was concerned that Nithalazaar had done something before the light, and..." Lucy left off struggling to explain, because she knew that Gavan understood.
"Oh, Edmund and Caspian and the others! What happened; did they defeat the serpent?" Lucy asked, looking to Serene and Zephyr.
"We, we don't know," Zephyr began before they heard the cheers and shouts coming from the shore. Everyone looked at each other and then turned and sprinted down the beach. Though, Arran and Nithalazaar walked at a much slower pace, talking in hushed Davanrata to one another. As the Dawn Treader came into view, so did the boats full of Narnians, and all the magic of Divandandia could be seen.
Lucy gasped in wonder, staring at the beautiful mermaids and the water, the foliage, the animals, even the strange mists rising in a multitude of colors from the island. Turning to look back at the ship, she began waving excitedly when she saw her brother, sister, and Caspian.
"Edmund, Susan, Caspian, we're over here!" she shouted eagerly, smiling happily at seeing them all safe.
They watched as the Narnians were taken from the boats and brought aboard. As soon as the final white boat had been emptied of its last passenger, the mermaids suddenly revealed themselves again and pushed the boats away through the water. Then the Dawn Treader turned towards the shore. The water was deep nearly right up to the island, so the ship was hauled-to and anchored almost six feet from the golden sand.
As Caspian, Edmund, Susan and Drinian, among the many Narnians leaving the ship to go to shore, began walking through the water, Serene whispered something to Nithalazaar. The Star nodded, bowed his head slightly, and whispered something under his breath. Caspian and Edmund, who had been walking through the knee-deep water after climbing down the Treader's side, turned around when they heard the creaking of timbers.
Those on shore gasped before falling silent and watching as the Star repaired the damage he had caused the vessel. Edmund glanced at Caspian with a smile as they stared up at the ship, watching the repairs being done in almost a fraction of the time it would have taken. Magic was dangerous, there was no denying it, but it was also a blessing, one Edmund felt certain he would miss. Shaking his head, Caspian turned back to the shore. Once there, they began talking of the battle, wondering with concern what had happened to Eustace.
~|:Xo0oX:|~
"We must go back and find him; I'd never forgive myself if he died trying to save us," Edmund said after a time, looking out to sea impatiently as they talked over the possibilities of Eustace's survival.
What they did not know was that Eustace had decided to swim all the way back to Divandandia, eager to find his friends once he noticed the darkness had faded. It had taken him the better part of two hours, but he reached the shore as Caspian was debating what to do about the Narnians they'd found. His clothes soaked, torn in a few places from his fight with the mist, Eustace began stumbling up the beach through the water, falling every so often.
"Stop worrying; it's all right; here I am!" he shouted excitedly, trying to run but only falling back into the waist-high surf as it pounded against his back lightly, a gentle swell rolling towards the shore.
Reepicheep shouted excitedly from the ship, having been helping the sailors put the smaller things back in order that Nithalazaar hadn't been able to do. "Oh, Eustace, I see your wings have at last been clipped!" With an energetic spring belying his years, the Mouse jumped from the ship and into the blue water.
He swam up to the boy as he flopped backward into the water. Caspian, Lucy, Edmund, the Stars, and Susan began splashing through the waves to get to the boy as well, smiling and laughing, saying how glad they were that he was alive.
"Where sky and water meet; where the waves grow ever-sweet!" Reep sang before diving a bit under the water. "What, it is sweet!" The Mouse nearly forgot to keep himself afloat in shock, taking another sip of the water.
Caspian glanced at Susan, cupping his hands together and drinking some of the liquid himself. His arms dropped to his side as he swallowed, staring at the ocean spreading before him. He simply could not believe it. Edmund laughed after drinking a handful as well, abruptly pushing Eustace down into the water.
"Wh-what was that for?" the boy sputtered with mild annoyance, smiling at his cousin.
"You need a bath!" Edmund laughed, taking a step backward, only to lose his balance and fall into the water.
"Apparently you do too, Edmund!" Arran grinned, blonde hair falling over his shoulders in the breeze. Gavan and Zephyr did not hide their laughter, doubling over while the wind ruffled their hair and echoed the joyful sounds of happiness on and on.
Susan, standing in a shallower section of water, bent down and let Rilian splash his hands in the refreshing liquid, smiling as he laughed. When she noticed Caspian watching her, she straightened slightly and smiled at him meaningfully. He had done what he thought he could not. He had brought friends and family to the World's End, and they were safe, whole, and happy. The king shook his head, turning to watch Narnians and family alike cavort about in the water.
He allowed his gaze to wander over everyone, from Arran standing not far away, appearing more like one of his people than ever before, to Gavan and Zephyr, who were chasing one another through the water, using their magic for some game unknown to him, to Edmund and Lucy, who were splashing one another, and Eustace. Slowly, his eyes drifted towards the sun, and what he saw caused him to walk out farther into the water, past Edmund and Lucy, to stare into the east.
"Caspian, what –" Edmund glanced up at the king before following his gaze. He, too, did not speak.
"The Beginning of the End of the World," Lucy whispered in awe, staring at the ocean that spread away in a dazzling glare of silver. Eustace came up beside her, hazel eyes wide in amazement.
"Aslan's Country," Serene murmured as she came to stand beside Edmund, who encircled her waist with his arm and pulled her gently to his side.
Susan lightly rested her hand on Caspian's arm, knowing how long he had wanted to see this. Now though, she thought he was finally at peace; he did not need answers at this place. But still he would go; for as long as he had the ability to, he would seek the last adventure. It was in his blood, and she loved him all the more because of it.
Edmund turned to look at Caspian, as did everyone else. "Caspian, one final adventure, then?" Edmund asked, a grin slowly spreading across his face.
"Of course," he replied, nodding.
~|:Xo0oX:|~
Time seemed to stand still as they sailed to the end of the world. The sea, which they had thought silver, had actually been lilies so white, they reflected the sun in a silver reflection, like mirrors. Edmund and Caspian, along with the Stars, Drinian, and Eustace, tried several names for the sea, but the only one that seemed to fit was 'Silver Sea,' and that is the one that appeared on the maps Coriakin had given them. They sailed until the wave loomed up in the distance, and when they saw it, they felt they should not take the Dawn Treader any further.
"Drinian, won't you come with us?" Caspian approached the man who had become a friend to him on this voyage, asking him to join them. Drinian's hands rested lightly on the helm, and his dark brown hair swept across his forehead in the light wind that was coming out of the east.
"No, my friend, I will not. I have accompanied you long enough. This is something that you should do alone. I will wait here for your return. The wind blows to the west; it is almost time for us to sail home. I can feel it," Drinian replied, turning his head to glance at Caspian with earnest brown-gold eyes. He would always be a man of the sea and would long to smell the salt air and hear the surf pound in his ears until the day he died, but even he knew when it was time to return to land.
"And I can guess that none of the crew shall accompany us either?" Caspian asked, his tone light, since he already knew the answer.
"We are simple men, mythical and mortal alike; we do not need to go where you are about to. Sometimes, sometimes a man must be with family and only close friends to discover the answers he seeks," Drinian said, and Caspian knew he was right. Nodding slightly, Caspian left his friend to the wind and his place at the helm.
It was silent as Drinian watched the crew lower a boat into the water. "I would bid you farewell, but I can recall how much mortals hate such final words."
Drinian turned slightly to his right to see Arran standing near the rail, staring out into the Silver Sea, hair drifting on the breeze. Drinian still thought the length of Arran's hair had to be unbearable, but he kept his thoughts to himself. "I wish I had taken the time to become better friends with you, Arran," Drinian admitted.
"Sometimes we believe we have all the time in the world, that we are invincible. But always, nearly always, something is soon to remind us we are not." Arran turned to look at Drinian. "You hated me once, and I did not like you that well either. It's good to know we can part on friendlier terms. Would you be so kind as to grant me a favor?" Arran asked, approaching Drinian almost uncertainly.
"Of course, anything within my power for a friend," he answered.
"If– should you ever come across Neerva, or The Sea Serpent, please tell him to serve under Narnia's flag. He is a good man and a strong leader. He would consider it an honor to be a part of Narnia's young navy," Arran replied slowly, staring at the deck beneath his boots thoughtfully.
"Certainly, my friend," Drinian answered, realizing that he would never see his friend again, would never be able to swap stories of their adventures at sea. Suddenly reality hit him and he felt empty, caught between sadness and excitement for this adventure to have been achieved at long last. He would miss the pirate he had almost wanted to hang.
"Frinerin, Drinian; may the wind always fill your sails and the paths of the ocean be welcoming. I shall never forget you, not in a hundred centuries." And Arran walked down the stairs, leaving Drinian alone. The captain stood at the helm for some time after, watching as they rowed further away into the Silver Sea. A sob escaped him, and he bent his head over his hands and wept. This was an adventure that would not pass from memory.
No, it would never be forgotten.
~|:Xo0oX:|~
"And there was Aslan, standing before me. I couldn't truly believe it; he was there, again, after all I'd done and all that had happened. It hurt when he changed me back into a boy, but it was a good pain, like pulling a thorn from your foot." Eustace told them of how he had become human again. As Edmund, Gavan, Zephyr, Caspian and Eustace took turns rowing, stories were shared for the others who had not been there to witness them.
"I truly believe Nithalazaar will be better for what has happened to him. Soon, I think he should be able to return to the sky, unless Aslan wishes to punish him as Coriakin has been punished," Arran remarked after silence had fallen for a time.
"I honestly believe he has changed," Lucy agreed, nodding.
"You know, I must say something," Eustace paused, lacing his fingers together and slowly unlacing them, trying to find the courage to speak what was weighing heavily on his mind. "Thank you all for treating me fairly even after all I did. I really think, looking at everything now, that I was a much better dragon than I was a boy. I'm sorry for being such a sop," he muttered, staring at the floor.
Everyone was quiet, but they all smiled a bit, sharing looks with one another. "It's okay, Eustace. But you were a pretty good dragon." Edmund, in silent agreement, was chosen to utter the acceptance for Eustace's apology, while the others laughed or nudged him a bit on the shoulder, making him smile again.
"I rather like you better as a boy," Arran spoke up, slinging his arm around Eustace's shoulders in a very much undignified manner that did not fit his appearance at all. Eustace smiled, glad there was some small part of the Star that was the old Arran.
After the laughter over Eustace-as-a-dragon, they became quiet, each lost in thought. Susan held Rilian on her lap, letting the little boy occupy himself by playing with the end of her braid. Not even the child thought to squeal or cry out, almost as if he understood the need for silence.
It was Reepicheep, who had been standing in the bow, eagerly looking towards the east that gently broke the news to them in a slightly breathless tone of voice.
"My friends, we have arrived."
Everyone turned to look at the water that stretched up to meet the sky, awed at the majesty and beauty. Edmund and Caspian rowed until the boat struck a sand bar, and then Reepicheep jumped from the bow and into the water, swimming quickly to the clean stretch of sand before the wave. The others followed, Lucy leaning over and trailing her hands through the water before allowing Gavan to help her from the boat.
Arran walked to the shore not far behind his brothers, Caspian, and Susan. Eustace trailed along behind, suddenly feeling a bit scared. This was the end of the adventure, wasn't it? This meant he was about to lose people who had become very dear to him. He dreaded the sorrowful farewells he knew would not be long in coming.
The strong wind blew against them, spraying them with a fine mist. Lucy had let her hair fall freely around her shoulders, and now it whipped back in the wind, the sunlight catching on some lighter strands every now and then and making them look like burnished gold in Eustace's opinion. When he looked over at Arran, he saw for the first time the Star he had imagined Arran to look like.
His eyes were closed, and he had tilted his face upwards slightly to catch the warmth of the sun, long blonde hair pulling away from his clothes in the breeze. Eustace smiled when he noticed a thin silver scar that ran under Arran's collar and a small braid that was only visible in wind like this. Arran wouldn't change much, he thought, shaking his head slightly. He'd always have some of his memories of mortality with him, and they would set him apart.
Something about that pleased Eustace, though he did not know why.
~|:Xo0oX:|~
As they stood there, taking in the sight before them, it was Lucy who noticed the change first. She turned back, pulling away from Gavan, to face Aslan as the lion walked up from the endless stretch of sand. But it was Eustace who spoke his name aloud.
"Aslan."
"Welcome, you have come far. But now your journey is at its end," Aslan declared, looking at them each in turn. Arran stepped away from the group and walked toward him. Eustace thought he almost began lifting his hand to touch the lion but couldn't be certain.
"I cannot stay on Lumea any longer, can I?" he asked, his voice full of longing and dread.
"No, son of Light, you cannot. You gave up everything for the lives of a few. Does that change your choice?" Aslan stared into Arran's eyes with his own golden ones that seemed to hold more understanding than if all the world was to be filled with the emotion.
"It does not," Arran answered, his voice falling to almost a whisper. As he turned away, he glanced back at the lion. "I shall never see her again, shall I?" And this time, his voice sounded broken, pained.
"No, you shall not. You will rise and set and rise again, while she will pass into my Country."
Lucy looked up, wiping her tears of pity away; she asked softly, "Is this your Country?"
"No, dear one, my Country lies beyond." And as he spoke, Aslan looked towards the wave, which seemed to dip slightly, allowing them to peer at mountains that stretched to the heavens and past, before it rose again, and all they could see was blue sky.
"Thank you, Great One, for giving me my light," Arran murmured, wrapping his arms around Aslan's neck and resting his face in his mane before stepping away. Aslan bowed his head, an unspoken understanding passing between them.
"Is my father in your Country?" Caspian's voice held a longing Susan had not heard in many a day. She looked up at him as he met Aslan's eyes with a gaze that begged to know.
"You can only discover this for yourself; I cannot tell you," Aslan replied, his voice comforting, though holding a hint of regret. "But you should know that if you continue, there is no return."
Caspian stared from the lion to the wave. A look passed through his eyes, and he took a step towards the wall of water. Susan wanted to keep him for going, she wanted to grab him and tell him that he mustn't go, but she did not hold him back. A part of her felt she understood longing to meet and talk to a person she had never met. She knew this was something he must decide on his own. As everyone watched him, wondering what he would do, Susan did not worry.
How he longed to know his father, to ask him questions about things he did not understand! How desperately he wished to cross into Aslan's Country. Caspian reached out, how close he was to all the answers he sought! The water was cool against his fingers, and he let it push against his hand for a moment before turning away. He already had a responsibility, a kingdom Aslan had entrusted to him and him alone. He did not think he could live with the knowledge that he left Susan alone to care for a kingdom of uneasy Telmarines and wary Narnians.
"You're not going?" Edmund watched his friend, knowing that Caspian had finally found his answers.
"I do not think it would be honorable of me if I gave up what I have fought so hard and long for. That would not make my father proud. I have been given a people, a kingdom. I cannot abandon them to suit my own pleasures. I have not been the king I ought," he paused and turned to look into Aslan's golden eyes. "I promise to be a better king."
"You already are," Aslan answered comfortingly.
Susan reached up and wrapped her arm around his neck, hugging him lightly when he returned to her side, wiping her tears from her eyes as she smiled in relief and joy that he'd come back of his own will.
"Children." Aslan turned to look at Edmund, Lucy and Eustace. Serene stared up at Edmund, tears in her eyes as she smiled. Slowly, she nodded before sliding from his embrace to walk toward the wave.
Lucy looked to Aslan, but Edmund spoke first. "I think we should return home, Lucy." She whirled to face him, surprise on her face. His eyes held regret, and he wished he could explain.
"But I thought you loved it here." She looked at him searchingly, trying to understand but failing.
Edmund knew it was her love for Narnia, Aslan, and Gavan that made her want to stay, and those realizations did not make what he was about to say any easier. "I do, and it will always be my true home. But back in England there are people who still need us: Mum, Dad, Aunt Alberta, Uncle Harold, Peter. Narnia doesn't need us. I felt the change months ago; I realized that Caspian is a good king, and Susan is a good queen. Narnia will always love us, but she doesn't need us any longer." Edmund held out his hand, and slowly, she slipped hers into it.
"You're right, I suppose, but I don't want to go!" She tried to hold back her tears, but they could not be restrained. Sometimes, tears are needed.
"I understand, Lucy, more than you might think." Edmund smiled sadly before letting her hand slip from his.
"Mhmm," Reep cleared his throat, walking between Edmund and Lucy to Aslan's paws. "Your Eminence," he bowed, removing the golden circlet with the red feather attached from around his ear. "Ever since I can remember, I have dreamt of seeing your Country. I've had many great adventures in this world, but nothing has dampened that yearning."
Aslan smiled at the Mouse while he fidgeted nervously. "I know I am hardly worthy, but, with your permission, I would lay down my sword for the joy of seeing your Country with my own eyes." He grasped the belt around his shoulder that was attached to his sword, staring up into the lion's face in earnest.
"My Country was made for noble hearts such as yours," Aslan answered. "No matter how small their bearers be."
"Oh, Your Majesty." Reep gasped and bowed once more.
"No one could be more deserving." Caspian smiled from where he stood next to Susan.
"Oh, I could tell you, well –" Reep stuttered, trying to refute the words.
"No, it's true," Edmund insisted, bowing toward the Mouse. The Stars nodded as well, smiles coming to their faces, Arran meeting Reep's eyes knowingly for but a moment. Reep nodded gratefully and bowed back. Then he smiled, looking up at Lucy, remembering something she had remarked upon the last time he had seen her. Brushing a few tears from her cheeks, she came and knelt before him.
"May I?" she asked, shrugging slightly, a small smile coming to her face.
Reep knew he couldn't look too weak, so he tried to stall. "Well, I suppose, but just thi –" He never finished his sentence, for she picked him up and hugged him warmly. Reepicheep smiled into the young woman's hair and hugged back with all the strength in his small body. He was going to miss her; of that, he was certain. "Goodbye, Lucy," he whispered before she set him down again and slowly rose to her feet.
Eustace, watching them, plucked up the courage to kneel as well. He realized he had never been grateful to the Mouse, never told him thank you for the impromptu sword-lessons and had always thought Reep a nuisance. He was glad he had been wrong about all those things but now wished he could fix them and spend more time with the Mouse.
"Don't cry," Reep whispered, noticing the tears that were glistening on Eustace's lashes as he thought about all the opportunities he had missed.
"But I don't understand; will I not see you again, ever?" he asked, roughly brushing the back of his hand across his face, trying to rid himself of the tears.
"What a magnificent puzzle you are and a true hero. It has been an honour to fight beside such a great warrior and a true friend, Eustace. Goodbye." As he whispered the word, he bowed for the last time. Then, he pulled his sword from its little sheath at his side and flung it away into the water. "I won't need that, I should think," he murmured to himself, coming to stand beside Serene.
The enchantress had already bid Edmund goodbye, and now she smiled, raised her hand in the air, and disappeared, reminding Susan and Caspian of the battle against the Calormenes and Edmund of the last time he had lost her, when he'd fallen through the wardrobe. Eustace looked towards the wave and noticed a small boat, a coracle, in which Reepicheep was paddling up over the crest of the wave. Silently, those remaining on the sand watched him reach the top and then disappear. They would see the brave Mouse no more.
"This is our last time here, isn't it?" Lucy murmured, her voice soft from crying.
"Yes. You have grown up, my Dear One," Aslan said, his voice warm and calming. "Just like Peter and Susan."
"We shall never be with you again!" Lucy cried, wrapping her arms around his neck, weaving her fingers tightly into his silky mane. "Won't you visit us in our world?" she pleaded, knowing it was impossible but speaking the words just the same.
"I shall be watching you, always," the lion answered.
"But how?" she asked, trying to contain her sobs as tears fell down her cheeks.
"In your world, I have another name; you must learn to know me by it. That's the very reason you were brought to Narnia, that by knowing me here for a little, you would know me better there," Aslan replied gently.
"Will we meet again?" Lucy had to know; she did not think she could bear it if she was never to see her beloved Aslan again.
"Yes, Dear One, one day." That answer gave her hope. She nodded before moving away from him.
"Oh, Lucy!" Susan cried, coming and wrapping her arms about her sister. "I will never see you again," she whispered, her voice trembling in fear of the unknown.
"It will be all right; someday we shall, you heard Aslan," Lucy whispered into her sister's ear, remembering their last parting and how Susan had comforted her. Now it was her turn to comfort her sister.
"I know, but not knowing when will be so hard," Susan whispered, pulling back and looking into Lucy's eyes. Lucy nodded before leaving her to bid goodbye to Gavan, Zephyr, and Arran. But mostly to Gavan.
"I cannot tell you farewell; it will make this too real," he whispered, resting his head atop hers, holding her close. She watched her tears slowly soak his shirt, wondering why this had to be so painful.
"I know. I only hope we see one another again, someday," she whispered, looking up into his blue eyes which were full of more pain than she thought a person could bear.
"I pray time passes quickly," he whispered in return, his voice slightly ragged with emotion. After he spoke, he kissed her, caring little that they stood surrounded by her friends and family. He only knew that this pain he felt was unbearable and did not know how his brother could stand to be separated from the woman he loved.
"Goodbye, Gavan Greenwood, I will not forget you," she murmured as they parted, turning to bid goodbye to his brothers and then to Caspian.
"And I shall never forget you," he replied, though his voice was too low to be heard over the wind and wave.
Caspian looked around at them, disbelief in his eyes that this was all about to end, that soon he would be returning home to Cair Paravel, nevermore to see these people who he had come to love. "I want you to know that, that I think of you as family, a family I did not have." He swallowed, trying to be light-hearted about this. "Yes, that includes you, Eustace." He smiled, clasping Eustace on the shoulder. The boy looked up at him, his face tearstained with knowing that there was very little chance he would ever see these people again.
"Come, it is time."
Aslan's roar rent their air, and the small company of friends turned when they heard the wave behind them shift. There, like a tunnel of light, was a cave leading through the water, back to England, back to an ordinary life without those they had come to love. But it must be done, and they knew it. Slowly, Edmund began walking toward the opening in the water. Lucy followed slowly after, casting a longing glance over her shoulder at Aslan, Gavan, Susan, everyone she loved dearly in this world before turning her face forward, where she was going, not where she was coming from.
They stopped when they heard the words Eustace had uttered behind them.
"Will I not come back– not ever?"
Aslan's reply sent a thrill through them, because it meant something they had never thought would come again. Another Friend of Narnia.
"Perhaps, my son; this world may yet have need of you."
As they entered the tunnel, Lucy whirled to look back. Everyone had clustered together, the Stars, Caspian, Susan, Aslan, and they stood there as the water and light hid them from her eyes, watching them go, bidding them farewell.
~|:Xo0oX:|~
And then there was water and a great blueness all around. Like a dream, the words came to them as they swam upwards.
"All the way from Cair Paravel to the Eastern Ocean, every stick and stone you see – every icicle – is Narnia."
"Once a King or Queen of Narnia, always a King or Queen."
"Prince Caspian…?"
"You have grown up…"
"To the glistening Eastern Ocean,"
"To the Western Woods,"
"King and Queen of Narnia."
"Bye, bye, Dear!"
"Well, it will probably happen when you're not looking for it. Always best to keep your eyes open."
"We're not really needed here anymore."
"Cair Paravel…"
I shall be watching you always…"
"Always."
{XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX}
~ Cambridge, England ~
And they were back in her bedroom in Cambridge. Lucy stared at the canvas that held an ocean she had sailed on, a ship she had stood on. Edmund glanced down at her, looking for an instant like Edmund the Just of Narnia before becoming Edmund Pevensie of Finchley again. But for an instant, King Edmund smiled at her, and for a second more, Queen Lucy the Valiant smiled back.
They would not forget.
Eustace glanced at them, realizing he was back in his English clothes. Suddenly, he wanted more than anything to get out of them and to change who he had been in England. As they sat there, feeling sad and happy – empty – Alberta began calling up the stairs.
"What are you three doing up there? Dinner's ready, and I have been calling and calling; please come eat before it gets cold!"
Eustace smiled mirthlessly before slowly standing, picking up the canvas as his cousins walked toward the door. They waited as he placed it back atop the mantle, watched the ship turn back and sink into the western horizon, and then left the room, silently closing the door behind them. As they meandered down the hallway, Edmund put his arm over Eustace's shoulders, grinning at him.
"Well, I believe we have had a time, to quote Peter!" He smiled, though Eustace could see his smile was devoid of happiness. Lucy said nothing; she simply walked down the hall and slowly descended the stairs, thinking of Gavan. Edmund frowned as he watched her go. "We shall have to help her, you know," he remarked to Eustace before following after his sister.
~|:Xo0oX:|~
"And your friend, that Pole girl, Julie- no- Jill, I believe it was, called and asked if she might come over tomorrow to talk about school or something. Do you know what she's talking about, Eustace?" Alberta waited expectantly for her son to reply, but all he did was slowly stir his soup with his spoon, lost in thought.
"Mhmm." He nodded, wondering what was happening in Narnia right this moment.
"Why are you so quiet, hmm?" Alberta asked, uneasy about the heavy silence that pressed down upon the supper table. They only shrugged, glancing at one another before eating another forkful or another spoonful. They were eating but not really conscious of doing so. They were still in another world, and Edmund was privately mourning the loss of his Narnian meals. Even the fare aboard the Dawn Treader had been better than this!
Edmund mused over Narnia, remembering things he had done there during his time as king and during his most recent adventure. Suddenly, his eyes lit up when he hit upon the reason for his journals. "Please, excuse me! I- I must go look into something!" He stood hurriedly, knocking his chair to the floor and upsetting his spoon, spilling soup onto the tablecloth.
"What in heaven's name – ?" Alberta watched him dash from the room and listened to him sprint up the stairs in bewilderment.
"Oh, please, I must go too, Mother, er, Alberta," Eustace suddenly shouted, causing his father to jump from behind his newspaper. Edmund's outbursts of insanity he could ignore, but his son's? Not as easily.
"Well then, get on; don't go interrupting dinner!" Harold declared sharply. Lucy shared a look with Eustace before following him, not uttering a word as she rose from her place and followed after the boys.
"I never! Harold, what has gotten into Eustace?" Alberta asked her husband, staring at the doorway they'd left through before dropping her gaze to the chairs that had been pushed haphazardly from the table and the mess Edmund had made.
"I couldn't tell you, my dear, only don't lets allow Eustace to spend too much alone time with those two; they're a strange lot, Edmund and Lucy," Harold declared dismissively, crinkling his newspapers so he could read the print better. Alberta stared blankly at the table, bringing an empty fork to her mouth and biting down hard before realizing there was nothing on it.
What unusual children.
In later years, it would be Eustace who suggested they formally call themselves "The Friends of Narnia" when they got together every fall. And it would be Eustace who would lead the coming expeditions into Narnia. He had learned more from his cousins and his Narnian friends then he had thought he could, and he would never forget that.
Author's Note:
Well, this is the final A/N I'll ever write on here. I really don't know what to say. So, as I don't rightly know how to start, I'll go through the acknowledgements first. How about that?
~Acknowledgments~
ILoveFanfiction: Because she has really been a great reader and support through this entire thing. Honestly, she has be one of the ones to keep me going. Thanks a million for always taking the time to help me with problems and read this story. I don't know how good this stuff is that I've written, but she's made me think I stand a chance. She's the one who taught me that "alright" wasn't an official word. Thank you very much!
Jesus girl 4ever: Though she was dragged into this late (by yours truly) she really jumped into it all the way. She showed enthusiasm in trying to fix my errors as best she could. I don't know what I would do without her, she's the one who taught me things about punctuation I never got and made it understandable. (Though her efforts have been valiant, I will always be punctuation-illiterate, I'm afraid.)
Bekah (Writer for God): She was the first reviewer of this story that read every single chapter of Star~Crossed. And she's reviewed quite a few of these. She has really been a great friend, I don't know how she puts up with my wild PMing and crazy story ideas, but she has; I can't tell her thank you enough!
My family: They are the people who have always encouraged me to write; they have never stopped me nor prevented me from following this dream. If not for them and their encouragement (as much as it has turned to longing that I write something myself) I can, with a great deal of certainty, say that I would not be writing this acknowledgement today. In fact, it was a late-night internet surf with my sis that made me end up with this account. Though a fellow writer encouraged me to get one, my sister was the force behind my actions. I've never been that bold about doing something new and entering new worlds. I'm glad she pushed me into this one. Thanks, sis!
To God: He gave me this gift of writing, this ability to use words to create something from my imagination or write something at all. He is marvelous! I don't quite know where I would be without Him in my life. He gave me this idea, He led me to find Narnia and the greater world inside of it; a much bigger, vaster world than I could ever have imagined. Because of Him, I shall always make certain to find the larger things inside the small. I shall strive to find the world with in the world, as long as I live. I have no words, really, for what He has done for me. But you must know at least as much as I can explain, that it is greater than I could ever have imagined!
And, to those no longer living, but still very much important: Jack Lewis, thank you for giving us this series, these books. Thank you for placing God in a more wonderful light. You made something no one could replicate, because only you could think of it. Thank you for finding Narnia. We couldn't have found the way without you.
My brother, I pray I will at last meet you in Aslan's Country. The land I earnestly long for, though will not know how great I long for it until I am there. These are for you, because I know you would have loved them as much as I do.
~ Long live Aslan! ~
Now, I think I can begin about this chapter, don't you?
I felt it fitting, in a way, to have that parting with Drinian. I think that is some of the very best writing I've ever done. It fits, because he knows in his heart that he shall never see some of them again, and that is something worthy of tears. There is nothing wrong with tears that come from the heart. And I think it goes back in a way to C.S. Lewis's writing style. He was never adverse to writing such lines, and neither shall I be.
The idea that Edmund comes upon at the dinner table shall be explained shortly, so, ask questions if you must, but know it will all come clear in the epilogue.
I like that Edmund asks Caspian about going to the end of the world, I think that it's showing their friendship toward one another. Edmund knows what Caspian will do, and he supports it entirely. I always loved how well the relationship between Edmund and Peter was written and scripted, and even though I've never been a fan of the VOTDT film, I think that the writers did a good job showing Edmund and Caspian's relationship like Edmund and Peter's had been.
I really don't have anything more to say. Except that "Frinerin" [pronounced frin-ere-rin] means "farewell" in Davanrata, that Eustace shall see Arran again, and that the third installment will be titled "Starless Sky" and be out in a week (until then watch out for chapters of 'Seven Swords, Seven Lords' and 'Before The Mast') and I'll be posting some one-shots.
ILoveFanfiction:
I hope this chapter pleases you and meets your expectations. I know that it has made me wistful for a better version of the film (excluding my OCs of course). I don't truly know for certain if I will finish 7s7l and BTM, but I will try.
The segment where I wrote quotes is something I wished had happened in the movie. It would have made the entire thing more dramatic to have lines from all the previous films echoing as they swam through the water. I think its more effective and it really hits home that VotDT was Lucy and Edmund's final Narnian adventure.
I hope you're as excited for book 3 as I am! Though, I'm telling you now, there are things I have changed (which will mainly come into effect in book 4) because I like detail, histories, and genealogies. I also feel a need to take some creative license because this is Fanfiction. But don't worry! It won't be something too dramatic or un-C.S. Lewis at all.
I can't wait to hear your thoughts on this chapter and chapter 35! I wish I could wait to post this (I probably should) but I just want to. I just have this feeling to finish this story and begin the next, I suppose.
I'm sorry this is another extremely looooong chapter, but the last chapters seem to be styling themselves in this manner; nothing I think of could change it. This chapter had to be written this way! So, I can't wait to hear back from you,
WH