✿ ( 𝐈𝐃𝐘𝐋𝐋𝐈𝐂 ) ✿

❝ ✧ *  𝖜𝖗𝖎𝖙𝖙𝖊𝖓 𝖇𝖞: 𝗲𝗹𝗮𝘆𝗻𝗮  * ✧ ❞

   WAS THIS A dream?

   Snapping Astoria out of her trance, Lucy splashed the salty, cold sea water on Astoria's jaw-dropped face as a joke, asking for her to get in and join them, but Astoria came to a halt, even more shocked than before, touching the water droplets still on her face. She'd never been able to feel anything like this in her dreams before, especially not the cold water on her face when Lucy splashed her. 

   She heaved a breath, glancing to the four siblings, wanting to ask where the hell they were, but Edmund spoke up before she got the chance. "Where do you suppose we are?"

   "Well, where do you think?" said Peter.

   "In the South Pole," Astoria laughed, "Okay but really, this is just a dream right?"

   "Well, I don't remember any ruins in Narnia," he said. 

   "Narnia who now?"

   "Narnia." Edmund repeated.

   "Are we on drugs?"

***

   The story of the Pevensie siblings' travels were brilliant. Terrifying in the sense that they could all be stone statues if they hadn't done what they did, but still, absolutely brilliant.

   Magic? Strange creatures? What a tall tale!

   It was terribly unbelievable, sure. But then again, it wasn't like Astoria couldn't not believe it. After all, she was in a train station not even a hour ago and now on a sandy beach, searching through ruins of a foreign place.

   Finding an apple and taking a bite, Lucy stared at the water as Peter walked up a few steps, looking around.

"Oh, I want one!" Astoria said, eyeing Lucy's apple.

"I wonder who lived here," Lucy pondered.

Susan noticed a golden chess knight piece on the ground, picking it up. "I think we did."

"Hey, that's mine... from my chess set," Edmund recognized.

"Which chess set?" asked Peter.

"Well, I didn't exactly have a solid gold chess set in Finchley, did I?" Edmund rolled his eyes.

   Lucy looked over at the ruined dais, and that is when it hit her. "It can't be."

   "Lucy!" Peter called out as his youngest sister ran over to the dais, all following her.

   "Don't you see?" said Lucy. "Imagine walls... And columns there... and a glass roof.

   The other three siblings continued to look, trying to envision everything in their heads.

   "Cair Paravel," Peter said.

   They continued to explore some more. Bending down to pick up something, Edmund peered at it, "Catapults..."

   "What?" asked Peter.

   "This didn't just happen," Edmund informed. "Cair Paravel was attacked."

   "But you guys are the high and mighty kings and queens. Who would want to risk getting you all angry?" Astoria asked.

   "They probably thought we were never to return," Susan hypothesized.

   Peter and Edmund then rushed over to wall, starting to move it to reveal a door.

   "Hidden chambers now? What an adventure! This is like something straight out of a book!" Astoria laughed.

   "You get used to it," Susan chuckled.

   The two boys broke the door down, and Peter ripped a bit of cloth from his shirt, wrapping it around a stick.

   "I don't suppose you have any matches in there, do you?" asked Peter, looking at Edmund's satchel.

   "No... but would this help?" Edmund grinned playfully as he pulled out an electric torch from his bag.

   Peter smiled as the three girls laughed heartily. "You might've mentioned that a bit sooner!"

   The five stepped inside into the chamber with Edmund leading the way. It was dark and eerie, with only the torch being a prominent source of light. Astoria got chills as she walked down the cold stone steps the winded down into goodness knows where.

   As they walked farther and farther down, Astoria began to see more light. She and Lucy paused, letting Susan, Peter, and Edmund go on as they gazed upon a large treasure chamber with five chests below. Astoria and Lucy shared a grin before rushing down the steps to meet with the other three.

   "I can't believe it," Peter mused as he opened the metal doors into the treasure chamber. "It's all still here."

   Astoria watched as they all dashed over to their respective chests.

   "I was so tall," Lucy said as she held up a dress in front of her, looking back to her last trip to Narnia.

   "Well, you were older then." Susan pointed out.

   "As opposed to hundreds of years later... when you're younger." said Edmund with a knight helmet on his head that clearly was way too big for him.

   "You look stupid Edmund," Astoria laughed.

   "Oh shut it, Tori," Edmund scoffed.

   Blowing the dust away from the large gold plate in his hands, Peter gazed upon the image of a lion. He looked up to see the statue standing behind his chest, and slowly made his way towards it.

   "What is it?" Lucy asked Susan.

"My horn." said Susan, "I must've left it on my saddle the day we went back."

Astoria picked up a dagger from the floor. "Imagine all the people that I can stab with this."

Susan shook her head. "You are ridiculous."

Peter gazed upon the statue behind his chest some more before opening up the chest and pulling out a sword, removing it from its sleeve. "When Aslan bares his teeth, winter meets its death."

"When he shakes his mane, we shall have spring again." Lucy then paused. "Everyone we knew... Mr. Tumnus, and the beavers. They're all gone."

Peter shifted and confidently spoke, "I think it's time we found out what's going on."