Narnia: The Fallen Angel

Epilogue || Part Two

Lucy stood on the balcony, overlooking the ocean as it glistened against the setting sun. Salty air tickled her nose, lovely Narnian music sang in her ears, and the view painted a wonderful piece of art for her eyes to see. The royal highnesses' coronation was extravagant. Each Pevensie dressed in regal Narnian clothing, all made out of the finest fabric in all the land. The girls, Susan and Lucy, glowed with a beautiful flush on their pale features, and brilliant smiles. The boys, Peter and Edmund, shone with great nobility, their faces beaming with excitement. They all had the Narnian crowns on top of their heads, a wonderfully lavish party, and great company; but they didn't have Crystalline.

Lucy was scarred, remembering Crystalline's death from a week ago as if it was yesterday. She remembered the angel's sickly pale body held so close to her elder brother's chest. She remembered his endless begging for his love to come back to him, for her to open those beautiful blue-green eyes once more. She remembered looking back at Aslan, pleading for him to bring her back when she realized that the Great Lion was crying too. Her death was playing over and over again in her eight year-old mind, a mental torture she could never get away from. It seemed her siblings couldn't get away from it either.

Despite the joy plastered on their faces and laced in their laughs, it never quite reached their eyes. The eyes of the Pevensies were clouded with grief, the soul buried inside of them still mourning over the loss of their beloved friend. They knew how to hide it better, yes, but Lucy felt she had the right to mourn. Crystalline was her savior, her inspiration to be a warrior as great as she was. In every way, Lucy wished to be like Crystalline, to carry such a reverent and virtuous spirit as she once did. Most of all, she wished Crystalline was here, enjoying the coronation with her siblings.

Turning around to face the Grand Hall where fauns and dwarves danced gleefully around the floor and her siblings watched from their thrones, she imagined Crystalline dancing there as she once did that one night in camp. Lucy could picture Crystalline from her graceful twirls to her jovial smile plastered on her face, and for a moment, she swore she saw her dancing along with the Narnians. That was enough for Lucy to turn around and avert her attention back to the ocean quickly.

When she looked down at the beach, her curiosity peaked at the sight of Aslan walking along the shoreline with a hooded figure by his side, the figure having a horse alongside as well. The horse was stocked with equipment, which made Lucy wonder if the hooded figure was anyone she knew. Little did she know, that she knew the unknown being all too well. Crystalline kept her hood on securely, her hand wrapped tightly around the reins of the horse as she walked on the beach with Aslan. He was discussing important terms: where she would go, how she would be able to stay in hiding, and how to keep in the loop if anything wrong happens in Narnia.

"I ordered Mr. Tumnus to keep you informed as you stay in Calormen. He only knows your new identity, so if he comes to see you, don't greet him as you usually would," Aslan explained as Crystalline nodded in understanding. "Don't let him get too familiar with you, since you both will be exchanging letters and seeing each other now and then. Your ability to shape shift won't be able to completely disguise everything about you. Make sure he stays unknowing of your existence, do you understand?" He continued, and Crystalline nodded once again. That was all she did now: nod to avoid speaking.

Her desire to speak disappeared once she opened her own casket in her grave memorial, which was packed with gorgeous Narnian flowers all around. She wept at the sight of it, immediately thinking of Peter ordering his servants to find the best flowers from the royal gardens and display it on her gravesite. Of course, she couldn't stay in her casket or in her funeral dress, and with the help of Aslan, she managed to smuggle her left over clothes and weapons that were tucked under the casket in a massive compartment containing all of her belongings out of the castle along with a horse. For her, it was a bittersweet moment; leaving the castle she ached to stay in ever since she was a child, but she was leaving the castle alive.

"Crystalline, are you listening?"

"Yes, yes of course Aslan," she babbled, her blue-green eyes meeting his with sincerity. "It's just that," Crystalline sighed, shaking her head before stopping. "How come I can't see the Pevensies? I understand that they can't know who I am, but it doesn't mean I can't disguise myself and live amongst them," she pressed, turning to face Aslan completely.

"You know why you can't," Aslan retorted. "Bringing you back to life sacrificed your love for Peter, falling in love with him again might result with you ending up back in the Angel's Graveyard alone...forever."

Aslan watched as Crystalline lowered her head down in sadness, the knowledge of the bitter truth driving a knife back through her heart. "I just wish there was another way," she whispered morbidly, looking down at the sand and her feet. She had a difficulty wrapping her head around the matter, to try and accept the irreversible situation she was in. Crystalline had to go to Calormen; her new life was waiting for her there, way across the Narnian desert that divided the two countries. Either way, Aslan did tell her all of the conditions, and she agreed. Crystalline was simply holding up her end of the bargain: come to Narnia when help is needed.

"You will be fine, Crystalline. This new life will be more peaceful than the last, and far more fruitful. The children will always love you dearly, and have you in their hearts," Aslan reassured her, his words seeping with tenderness that soothed her rigid nature. Crystalline managed a smile, looking at the glowing lion with love before giving him a hug. She nestled her face into his mane, finding some comfort in his giant yet gentle nature. Once she broke away from the hug, she swung herself onto the black steed she managed to snatch from the Narnian stables. "We will meet again, Aslan."

"Yes we will, Raven."

The Fallen Angel stared at the Great Lion with wonder as he turned to look at the sunset. She averted her gaze to look as well, feeling his presence leave her alone on the beach, but she didn't stop staring at the sun. Surprisingly the brilliant sun wasn't blinding, it's vibrant mustard tones and orange fringe brought a sense of comfort to Raven as she finally relaxed. This was it, Crystalline was left in the Angel's Graveyard, and now Raven was there, ready to start the journey to a new adventure beyond the Southern Peaks of Narnia and through it's blistering desert.

Lucy kept eyeing the stranger, albeit her distress at watching Aslan disappear without a trace. For some reason, she wanted to call out to the hooded figure, even though Mr. Tumnus told her not to. Her eyes zoned in on the person, and she gasped when she saw the person glance back at the castle and stare. Lucy didn't know who it was, nor if it was a man or woman, but when she caught sight of a very distinct stray chunk of red hair that peaked out of the hood, she thought her eyes were deceiving her for a moment. Lucy blinked twice, and an unsettling curiosity erupted inside her when the red hair didn't disappear.

No, it continued to whip in the wind as the stranger rode off, leaving a trail of bread crumbs that Lucy ached to follow even as the years went by, only leading her and her siblings back to the land of which they came from.

*************************
AND THAT IS IT FOR NARNIA AND THE FALLEN ANGEL!

EPILOGUE PART TWO IS DONE AND OVER WITH.
Omg omg my feels are kicking in and idek how to process it.
I hope you guys enjoyed the book, and like and comment your reviews so I can see what you guys thought of it all.

STAY TUNED FOR AN ANNOUNCEMENT!!!! I WILL BE POSTING AN ANNOUNCEMENT SOON SO DON'T ARCHIVE THIS BOOK JUST YET!

Xx.