Prince Caspian

Chapter 1

Lucy runs out into the road, not noticing a motorcar coming right toward her. The driver stops and honks with and shouts, "Watch it, love!"

Lucy continues running, calling back over her shoulder, "Sorry!"

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Susan waits for Lucy at a magazine stand, perusing the section idly. A boy comes up and stares at her for a moment. She glances at him and he takes that as an invitation to start talking to her.

"You go to Saint Finbar's." She looks at him, setting her magazine down to better pay attention him.

"That's right."

"I go to Hendon House, across the road." Susan smiles politely in acknowledgement. "I've seen you. Sitting by yourself."

"Yes, I prefer to hold my own company."

"Oh, um, me too." He fumbles, but Susan holds her smile. "What's your name?" Susan prepares to respond when she hears her name shouted out behind her. Turning sharply, she sees Lucy running up to her.

"You'd better come quickly!" Giving the boy an apologetic smile, she collects her bags and hurries across the street and into the underground after Lucy.

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They push through a small crowd of kids shouting 'fight' repeatedly and see Peter as he mostly holds his own against four other boys. He glances up and sees them, giving a slight shake of his head at Susan's questioning expression. Both she and Lucy look at each other and sigh slightly. At least he didn't start it. Someone pushes past them with a small smirk as he drops his stuff next to them.

"Edmund!" Lucy cries happily as Susan picks up his stuff. He continues toward Peter and they quickly outmatch the other four boys. Just as they get the last boy down on the ground, they hear the whistles of some soldiers, quickly grab Peter's things and blend into the crowd, catching up to Lucy and Susan as they flee with the other kids. After they sort out their things and straighten their clothing they head back toward the tunnel, finding a bench and sitting down.

"You're welcome," Edmund grins at Peter, who gives a weak grin back.

"I had it sorted." Edmund chuckles at the joke. Lucy rubs Peters arm as Susan asks him what happened. Peter gets up and paces in slight aggravation.

"One of them bumped me, and then they tried to make me apologize. I refused and tried to continue on my way when one hit me. I did respond in kind." He bowed his head in apology to Susan, who accepted it with a small smile.

"As long as you didn't start it; we are no strangers to fighting."

"I'm tired of pretending to be a child." Peter sighed.

"We are children," Edmund gently reminds him.

"We weren't always." Peter slumps slightly before retaking his seat. "It's been a year; I'm beginning to lose hope of ever going back."

"Maybe it's time we start accepting that we had our time in Narnia." At their dismayed looks, Susan continues. "It was magical and amazing, but this is our world, we need to learn how to live in it and be happy with it." They all look away, and Susan glances around as she hears a train coming. With a grimace of dismay, she sees the boy from the magazine stand coming their way. "Quick, pretend you're talking with me."

"We are talking to you," Edmund grins weakly, trying to lift everyone's mood. Susan sighs but can't hide her smile.

"Ow!" Lucy jumps up, turning to look at the bench.

"What happened, are you okay?" Susan frowns, looking around to see if anyone was looking at them.

"Something pinched me." Lucy points at where she was sitting.

"Hey, stop pulling!" Peter stands as well and looks at Edmund who leans away frowning.

"I'm not touching you!"

Susan rolls her eyes. "Will all of you just-," Susan and Edmund leap to their feet as well. "What is that?"

"It feels like magic!" Lucy grins at them all.

Susan looks at the boys, "Quick, everyone hold hands." Edmund grimaces but allows Peter to grab his hand. They stare in amazement as the train speeds by; tiles, lights, and signs cracking and falling away as wind from the train whips past. Glancing at the other people, they're shocked to see no one showing any signs of noticing the tunnel being ripped apart, but then the other people start to fade before their eyes. The tunnel was getting rougher, more natural and they see the rock wall across from them moving further away. As the train horn sounds and fades away, a white light flashes where the train disappeared and as the light dims to more manageable levels the Pevensies can make out a beach. Turning and walking toward the now cave opening, they all gaze around. Lucy steps forward, grinning at Susan, and with a giggle they both rush toward the water with the boys quickly following.

Layers and shoes are shed as they run through the sand, and Peter calls to Edmund, "Shame you're not as quick as me, Ed!"

"Last one in's a rotten egg," Susan laughs.

"Watch out! Here it comes!" Peter yells as they all run into the surf and start splashing each other.

"Wait a minute!" Lucy cries happily as she quickly sheds her sweater.

"Come on, Susan. Hurry up!" Edmund taunts.

"Come on, it's lovely." Susan calls to Lucy as she rejoins then in the water. They continue splashing and jumping as they laugh and shout at being back in Narnia. Susan calls to Edmund for backup as Lucy and Peter gang up and both start slashing her. When he doesn't come, she calls out again.

"Ed! Ed?" They all look at him when he still doesn't respond.

"What is it?" Peter asks when they see him staring upwards.

"Where do you suppose we are?" Edmund frowns at them.

"Where do you think?" Peter chuckles incredulously.

Looking back up, Edmund says, "Well, I don't remember any ruins in Narnia." They all look up then to see what Edmund is talking about, and they all frown as well when they see that there are indeed ruins high above them.

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After finding a way up the cliff and to the ruins, they all spread out trying to figure out where they are. Peter climbs up high, seeing if he could see anything familiar while Lucy walks toward a portion overlooking some water and several small islands, eating an apple from one of the trees scattered about the ruin. She turns toward Susan, who was walking up behind her.

"I wonder who lived here." Lucy asks. Susan stops when her bare foot hits something small and metal. Bending down to pick it up, she discovers it is a golden chess piece that she recognizes from one of Edmund's chess sets. She holds it out for Lucy to see.

"I think we did." She says as Lucy comes closer to get a better look. Walking over, Edmund stares in surprise at the piece.

"Hey, that's mine," he recognizes. "From my chess set."

"Which chess set?" Peter asks, also coming over.

"Hm, I don't remember where the gold one was kept." Edmund furrows his brow as he takes the golden centaur from Susan and examines it. Lucy stiffens and looks more closely at the ruined stone around them.

"Can't be." She whispers and runs off toward a raised portion of stonework. They run after her and as Peter catches up, she grabs his hand. "Don't you see?" She cries, pulling Peter to a stop.

"What?" He looks around again. She grabs his arms and positions him in front of a pile of rubble.

"Imagine walls." She grabs Susan and positions her in front of another pile. "And columns, there." Lucy points as she and Edmund stand in front of the other two piles of rubble. "And a glass roof," she continues.

They all stare for a second before Peter mumbles, "Cair Paravel," in shocked dismay.