Lost In The Dark

11. The End Of The Beginning

It had been almost 20 years, since the battle for Narnia. The four rulers, Peter, Susan, Edmund, and Lucy, were praised and loved all over Narnia.

Every problem they may have faced has been properly dealt with. But later today, King Edmund would face a new kind of challenge. Not one that could be solved with weapons, but one that any man in love would have to face eventually. Proposals.

His thoughts were interrupted when his horse, Phillip was slowing down, breathing heavily.

"Are you alright, Phillip?", the king asked with concern.

"I'm not as young as I once was...", the horse replied with exhaustion clear in his voice.

Another horse's whine was heard, and the king was soon accompanied by his 3 siblings.

"Come on, Ed", his older sister, Susan, spoke impatiently.

"Just catching my breath"

"That's all we'll be catching at this rate", Susan scolded playfully. "Don't you wanna hurry back to your long-awaited proposal?"

Edmund looked down nervously but shot a playful glare at his giggling sisters.

"What's that?"

The three stopped their playfight and turned their attention to Peter.

They followed his gaze, which landed on a lamppost. Something about it seemed familiar to the four, but they couldn't quite put their finger on it.

"Spare-oom?", Lucy said, mostly to herself.

Her older siblings looked at her in confusion.

As faint memories started to flood back, the young queen felt the need to run in a certain direction.

Though it wasn't really her. It was like a stronger force was pulling her.

"Lucy!"

"Not again"

The kings and queen followed their sister. They kept calling out for her, but she kept going.

"Come on!", she called out eagerly.

The four siblings kept walking, and somehow, the path seemed to get narrow as they went.

"These aren't branches..."

"They're coats"

"Stop shoving!"

"You're shoving me!"

"Get off my toe"

"I'm not on your toe!"

The siblings kept bickering until they fell forward and landed in a pile on hard, wooden floor. They looked around, then at each other. They were kids again. They were home.

Back in Narnia, Linnea was heading for the throne room. The kings and queens should have returned from the hunt by now.

However, when she opened the doors, she was surprised to find it was empty.

"That's weird.", she spoke to no one in particular.

She then decided to head for the stables. But their horses weren't there.

"Lady Linnea?"

The young woman turned around to see Mr. Tumnus.

"Tumnus. Where do you suppose they are? They've been gone for hours..."

"It has been a while", the faun agreed. "Tell you what. Why don't you go look for them? I'll look after things here while you're gone"

Linnea smiled at the faun. She appreciated his understanding. She would've gone out to look for them either way.

"Thank you, Mr. Tumnus. I promise I won't be long"

The wind was blowing. Leaves were crunching as a horse ran through them. Linnea looked to her right and left. But the kings and queens were nowhere to be found.

After riding for another few minutes, she stumbled upon a strange sight. There, right before her eyes, stood all four of their horses. But no signs of Peter, Susan, Edmund, or Lucy.

"Lady Linnea", Edmund's horse, Phillip greeted.

"Phillip. What happened. Where's Edmund?" 

The horse nodded in the direction the kings and queens had gone hours ago.

"They haven't been back for hours"

Linnea grew worried. What if something awful had happened to them. Her friends. Her beloved.

She was about to steer her horse in the direction that Phillip had pointed out when a familiar wind stopped her. She turned around in her saddle.

"Aslan?"

The hall was pitch black, except for the faint light from a candle that was carried by a young Edmund as he turned the doorknob. It was unlocked. The door squeaked, as the majestic wardrobe where their adventure had begun slowly came into view.

The young boy quietly made his way towards it. He put his hand on its wooden surface but turned around when a voice startled him.

"I don't think you'll get back in that way"

The figure that had been sitting on the windowsill got up and walked towards him.

"You see, I've already tried"

Edmund relaxed a bit when he saw it was only the professor.

His eyes saddened while he kept his hand resting on the cupboard.

"Will I ever see her again?"

The professor smiled at the boy. "Well, I expect so. Probably when you least expect it"

The elderly man took the boy's hand and led him a few steps away before stopping.

"What's to say, best to keep your eyes open"