After the End (Narnia)

Chapter X - Helpless

The morning greeted the True Narnians all too soon for their liking, the sun smiling at the groaning citizens who had forgotten to close their curtains the previous night. The trees looked even greener in the fresh morning light, their branches cold and wet from the slight rain that had occurred while they slept. It was a beautiful sight for a less-than-beautiful group of waking Narnians.

Caspian woke up with the sun, cursing his eastern room and the minuscule gap in the curtains. It was truly a beautiful day, something that his sleepy eyes could barely register. The memories from last night flooded back through his mind. A sleepy smile graced his lips. Susan. What a wonderful night it had been. Although he was surviving on most likely less than four hours of sleep, Caspian felt as if he had as much energy as a child. He was renewed, restored, genuinely excited for the first time in years. He was probably also going mad, but that seemed to be no issue at that moment in time. He felt alive.

Clicking his heels, Caspian danced around his sizeable bedchamber, shouting his joy until it reverberated around the room. He was loudly humming a joyful Telmarine folk tune when Eustace burst in the door. "What on earth are you doing?" his tone was brash and insensitive, probably a result of his evidently tired state. "I was trying to sleep, you know. You do remember that I live next door now, don't you?" Caspian stared at the ground sheepishly.

"If you understood the joy I'm feeling, Eustace, I'm sure you would have joined me," Caspian explained.

"I'm almost positive I wouldn't. I'm not the hollering sort, you know that," Eustace replied grumpily. "What is this joy coming from anyway? There seems to have been rather too much of it in the last few days. I am afraid it is making me quite ill."

Caspian laughed at Eustace's statements, chuckling at the man's frowning face. "The joy's coming from Susan, of course. I think I realised something last night, and I feel like a new man! I tell you, it's a remarkable feeling. You should try it sometime," Caspian joked, filled with newfound energy.

A smile crept up Eustace's face. "I think I have already tried it, my friend. Something happened between Jill and I last night, and although I am not quite as ecstatic as you, I do feel different. In a good way, not an about-to-turn-into-a-dragon way." Caspian smiled back at Eustace. So then, he wasn't the only one feeling this way. Maybe he wasn't crazy, after all.

Wandering over to the small living area in his room, Caspian offered Eustace a seat. "Here, I'll call for coffee. I think it's time we had a man-to-man talk." Eustace nodded and waited for Caspian to ring the magical bell that hung by the door, before giving the man his coffee order. The coffee arrived and the men began to talk, settling back into the plush seats as they swapped advice. "So, Caspian," Eustace enquired. "How exactly do you kiss a girl?"

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Lucy woke up to the sight of the sun rising over the Eastern Ocean, the water sparkling in the early light. The balcony had stayed relatively warm overnight, a blessing she was thankful for. Her party dress was fairly thin, and the ocean breeze had been known to deliver terrible chills at night. Standing up, she removed her head from Tumnus' shoulder and looked out to the sea. Everything seemed ethereal in the quiet of the morning. The magic she had always felt in Narnia felt even stronger in this exquisite moment.

Tumnus rubbed his eyes, his muscles protesting as he stood up. He was really too old for that amount of dancing. He gazed at Lucy as she watched the morning sky, her hair floating in the slight breeze as she laughed. Last night had been amazing, almost a dream sequence in his monotonous life. Lucy had truly been the belle of the ball, outshining her sister in her natural beauty. Tumnus walked up to her with a resolute smile. "Lucy, I think I have something to tell you..."

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Edmund woke up with a scowl on his face. Last night had been successful, but the citizen's attention had largely been taken away from the reason for the event. A ridiculous amount of romance had been taking place around the castle, and here he was, with no good memories to hold of last night, combined with a throbbing and insistent headache.

Rolling himself out of bed, Edmund stomped over to the washbasin, examining the dark circles under his eyes. A melody of laughter floated down the hall, a severe comparison to Edmund's current state. Whatever the people were laughing about seemed to bring them an impractical amount of joy. Blasted Narnians! Why couldn't they keep some of the joy for me? It would be nice not to be ignored for once.

Why was it so hard to meet people in True Narnia? Edmund was still down on his luck. Everybody else seemed to have someone that was 'theirs'. Even Peter was sure to find someone soon. But Edmund? He felt resigned to start looking for a dryad. Still cross, Edmund stormed downstairs to find some food to stress-eat. A good, unhealthy meal and a jog around the grounds would hopefully burn off some of the angry energy.

Eating a good portion of the biscuits that he found in the kitchen, Edmund tied up his running shoes and sped off into the forest. The cold air entered his lungs with a burning sensation, the trees whipping past him as his feet pounded the forest trails. He had no idea where he was going, but he needed to keep his mind off of the madness. Furrowing his brow with determination, Edmund sprinted ahead.

Soon the second-youngest Pevensie reached the forest clearing the Narnians had celebrated in only days before, his lungs heaving. The grass was fresher here. Edmund sat down underneath a tree to catch his breath. A strange shape lying in the grass alerted his attention. His eyes widened as he sprinted back towards the castle.

"Peter, Caspian! Come quickly!"