They were stood in the mouth of a cave on the edge of a beach surrounded by cliffs and green trees. Otto could smell the sea breeze and feel the texture of sand beneath his shoes. He could hear the crashing of waves and see the golden sun. He stared, eyes wide in shock.

Lucy let out a loud whoop of delight which startled everyone from their surprise. She began running across the sand, tugging off her shoes and dropping her bag behind her. This seemed to wake up her siblings and they too began removing their shoes and running after her, leaving Otto behind in the cave. He blinked, still trying to absorb his surroundings.

"What the fuck?" He whispered to himself. He could feel panicked tears build up in his eyes and he glanced around. The beach stood on the edge of a lush green forest, which covered the hills and cliffs as far as the eye could see. On top of some cliffs stood an out cropping of ruins. What looked to be the remains of some old castle. He spun around in a hundred and eighty degree turn. More sand and glittering blue sea like something out of a postcard.

Stumbling slightly, Otto walked over the sand to where the Pevensie siblings were paddling in the sea. "Peter", he called. The blonde boy turned, eyes widening in surprise as he realised that Otto was here with them. He froze as everyone turned. "Peter, where are we?" Otto was crying. Tears rolled silently down his cheeks in a bodily reaction to his chaotic emotions. "We were in the underground waiting for the train and now we're here. How are we here? It's simply not possible".

"How did you come with us?" Edmund asked a bit harshly. Otto took a stumbling step back. He rubbed a sleeve over his cheeks, leaving damp patches on his uniform jumper.

"Where are we?" He repeated, seemingly unheard as the siblings shared looks and began whispering furiously. He hugged his sack to his chest.

"I was holding his hand", Lucy stated, crossing her arms. She fixed her siblings with a stubborn look.

"Why Luce? He doesn't know a thing about Narnia, he's just gonna hold us back". Otto winced at Peter's words. They stung slightly even though he had no idea what they were talking about. "It's dangerous", Peter sounded angry.

"What the hell is Narnia?" He shouted, interrupting them. The Pevensie siblings turned to him guiltily. They exchanged expressions, all glancing at each other to see who would speak first. Eventually Peter walked out of the sea towards him. Otto stepped back and Peter held out his palms, steps slowing.

"Hey, Otto, it's okay. Let's just sit down and we'll explain everything. There's no reason to be scared". Otto let his best friend put an arm around his shoulders and lead him further up the beach. They sat down facing towards the sea but out of the reach off the waves as Peter began talking. The more he talked, the less scared Otto felt. His confusion fading into weary acceptance, despite the wildness of their story. Occasionally Susan, Edmund, and Lucy took turns to add their versions or argue over details. They told Otto about the lion, the witch and the wardrobe, of battles and magic the likes of which Otto had only ever read in books. He listened with round eyes and eager ears.

A while later Otto was left blinking around at the four children. He had long ago removed the horrible navy uniform jumper and stuffed his tie in his bag. His shoes and socks were placed on a nearby rock as Otto stretched his toes out in the sand. The sun beat warmly on his face and he could feel himself relaxing further under its gaze, tears now completely dry on his face.

"So you're kings and queens? You got transported to a magical land where you defeated a witch, grew up and became royalty?"

"That jut about sums it up", Edmund muttered as he shook sand from his shoes.

"Don't forget about Aslan", Lucy chimed in.

"Of course, lets not forget that you made friends with a giant talking lion". Otto snorted at the image. He stood up, brushing sand from his clothes. They had all given up with keeping their uniform smart. Everyone had untucked their shirts and removed their ties. Susan and Lucy  had removed their tights. Only Otto and Edmund still held onto their bags, the others having left theirs back on the platform.

Otto stretched his now stiff joints and surveyed the beach with new eye not blinded by fear. It really was beautiful. Warm, warmer than back in London, sunny, and green. He hadn't seen anything like this before. Britain was never this nice. "What are the ruins off?" He asked, pointing up towards the cliff where ancient stone stood out against the trees. Everyone turned to see what he meant.

"What ruins?" Susan seemed confused.

"I didn't know that Narnia had ruins", Edmund frowned.

"Let's go look". Peter stood up, brushing himself down and held out a hand to Lucy. He pulled her to her feet as the group got up and began heading towards the forest. It did not take long for them to find a narrow winding track paved between the rocks which led up the steep hill. Lucy and Otto elected to remain bare foot as the five of them followed the dirt path to the top of the cliff. The twigs and leaves tickled their toes, making Lucy giggle.

After several minutes of careful wandering, the group made it to the top of the cliff. The Pevensie children immediately spread out towards the edge of a crumbling raise stone platform which stood on the upmost edge of the cliff. They wandered round, taking the ivy covered stones. The remains of pillars and staircases rose out of the earth like long forgotten toys. They hinted at a magnificent castle long corroded by time. Beyond the edge of the stones came the sheer drop of the cliff edge where way down below the sea glittered. Otto elected to remain near the beginning of the ruins. He felt uneasy there, like he was trespassing. It made him anxious. He had been to ruins before, old castles in England. But these ruins felt different. There was a energy to this place, to this land. He couldn't place it.

"I wonder who lived here", Edmund spoke aloud.

Lucy, who had been looking back towards where Otto was standing, seemed sad. "I think we did". This made the Pevensie children stop. Susan, who was standing in the grass, spotted something and bent down to pick it up. It was a golden figure of a knight riding a horse. Lucy and her stared at it.

"Hey", Edmund walked over to get a closer look at the figure. "That's from my chess set". They exchanged looks.

"From where?" Peter asked as they all gathered. Otto also reluctantly shuffled closer into their group.

Edmund rolled his eyes. "Well I didn't exactly have a solid gold chess set in London".

Lucy glanced around and an idea sparked. She grabbed each of them by the shoulders. Pulling her siblings round onto a raised stone floor. Otto watched wordlessly. "If you stand there", she directed, pushing Susan next to her. Peter and Edmund shuffled along, obviously linking in onto what she was thinking. "And you there. Now imagine a huge glass roof and a long hallway". Everyone gaze around with wide eyes as they took in what Lucy was describing. Otto was just confused. He watched as their faces filled with sad nostalgia.

"If this was your castle", he said, finally moving closer to the stone platform. "How long have you been gone from Narnia? Because I don't think that this happened recently". He watched as their faces fell, their situation dawning on them. Feeling braver now, the shock of their arrival fully fading away now, Otto glanced around. He pointed to a lump of moss covered stone near a broken pillar.

"Catapults?" He asked. "Are they around here?"

Edmund jogged over, frowning. "This didn't just happen. Cair Paverel was attacked".

"How did you recognise catapult damage?" Peter asked Otto suspiciously.

Otto shrugged and smiled sheepishly. "My mother and grandfather were nuts about archeology and history". Peter nodded, accepting his explanation wordlessly. Otto didn't talk about his family or past often, so it wasn't strand for him to suddenly reveal random knowledge.

Peter sighed, shoulders deflating. He placed a hand on his hip and ran a palm over his face. Edmund looked worn and tired, obviously disheartened by the fact that their old home had been destroyed. He walked away from the group, heading towards the ruins of an old tower. Susan looked around blankly whilst Lucy looked almost near tears. Otto stared at the surrounding ruins and greenery, unsure what to do or say.

"Hey guys", Edmund called, having disappeared around the side of some crumbling rock. "Come check this out".

Otto and the others obediently followed him round to find part of a stone wall. Peter's eyes lit up in recognition. Together, he and Edmund pushed the wall, the structure moving on old hinges, to reveal a old wooden door. It was still sturdy and holding strong despite its visible age. Edmund has prised it open and he let it swing back to reveal a set of stone stairs leading round into the dark. The Pevensie children's faces lit up in hope.

"Torch?" Peter asked. Otto watched in confusion as Susan handed him a long stick from the floor. Peter began tearing at his shirt, wrapping the material around the end of the stick. Otto blinked, finally getting at what Peter was doing. "You could use this you know", he suggested. Peter looked up as Otto produced a big electric torch from his bag.

He huffed a laugh. "You could have mentioned that earlier".

"Well excuse me for being resourceful", Otto retorted, handing it over. Peter rolled his eyes and turned the torch on, shining it down the stairs. It illuminated the cold white stone and the curved walls but nothing more.

"Are we going down?" Otto asked. He didn't like small dark spaces. Edmund and Susan both gave him a look. Peter and Lucy just chose to ignore him, already walking down the steps. Otto paused, hesitating as the Pevensie children slowly began to disappear underground. He glanced around at the sunny forest and the desolate ruins. "Oh for gods sake", he muttered before quickly skipping down the dark stairs after them. "This is worse than my books".

The stairs ended in a set of old iron gates. The squealed as Peter pushed them apart, opening to reveal a huge stone chamber. It was lit with the sunlight from holes in the ceiling, revealing the elegantly carved walls of the same white stone as the ruins above ground. There were four outcoves set in to the walls. Each held a stone statue poised over a locked golden chest. Glancing at the statues, Otto could recognise the faces of the Pevensie children. Older, adults but still them. He blinked as the reality set in. Everything Peter had said was true.

"I can't believe it", Lucy whispered in wonder. "It's all still here". She ran forward, approaching the chest on the far right side where the statue of a woman in her mid twenties stood guard over it. She opened it with a bang and squealed in glee. Susan and Edmund followed her lead, each approaching their own chests and rummaging through the contents.

Otto, who was still trying to absorb everything, spotted something on the floor. Reaching down to pick it up, he found a dusty shield. Peter watched as he blew the dust away to reveal the cast face of a lion in the golden surface. As Otto held it up, Peter nodded at his silent question before finally walking towards his own chest.

"What do you think?" Lucy asked Susan. She was holding up a beautiful golden dress fit for a queen. It was also way too big for her.

"From when you were older", Susan remarked with a smile.

"From when we were younger and older. Apposed to hundred of years later where we are older and younger", Edmund grinned at them from under a too big helmet. He laughed and put it back in the chest. Otto watched as his face lit as he held up a beautiful polished sword with a blue leather wrapped handle. Susan laughed but fell silent as Peter pushed back the lid of his own chest. He reached inside and withdrew a beautifully ornate blade with a lions head on the handle. He unsheathed it, holding it up so that it caught the light.

"When Aslan unsheathes his claws, winter falls", He recited, tone deep and emotional.

"When he shakes his mane, spring will come again", Lucy finished. She looked like she was about to cry. "Everyone, Mr Tumus, the beavers. They're all gone".

A somber mood fell over the group and Otto shuffled. He felt the need to break it somehow, bring them back to the present. "Alright, I believe you", he said, breaking the silence. His face split into a teasing grin. "You're all victorious royalty. God save the high king, king, queen, and queen". He swept himself into a ridiculous bow that made them all chuckle softly.

Peter grinned as he sheathed his sword. "Come on Otto", he stride forward and patted him on the back, dragging him towards the chests. "Let's get some more appropriate gear on and go and find out what's going on", he instructed.

Susan and Lucy immediately began rummaging through their chests for something their size. "Oh my horn", Susan moaned to herself, seemingly unable to find it. "I must have left it on my saddle when we returned". Otto just raised his eyebrows, still woefully confused.

"Nevermind", Peter replied jauntily. He seemed so cheerful at the fact that they were back in narnia. Like he had finally found his place and calling. Otto has never seen him so comfortable. "Come on Birch, you might fit something of mine or Edmunds". He produced a dark brown pair of trousers and a white shirt which he bustled into Otto's arms.

"Hey Edmund!" He called over to where his brother was practically submerged in clothing. "Got a tunic that would fit Birch here?"

"Hang on", came the muffled reply. Edmund was practically buried in his chest. Susan and Lucy has retreated to a different part of the cavern to change. As Peter began pulling his shirt off to begin changing into his new clothes, a deep green tunic cane flying through the air and hit him in the face. Edmund laughed as Peter flailed and spluttered. Otto snorted and Peter hit him with a boot.

"Do I have to wear this?" Otto asked, still giggling. "How would it fit me anyway, I'm taller than both of you".

"Do you want to stay in your uniform?" Edmund responded sarcastically as he held up a dark blue tunic.

"Here you go Birch", Peter muttered as he stuffed the green tunic into Otto's arms. He almost dropped it for a second before balancing the bundle it under his chin. In front of him, Edmund and Peter were busy pulling off their uniform and pulling on the tunics with practised ease. With a sigh, Otto set down his bag and began unbuttoning his shirt. The shirt was a smooth linen, slightly itchy but better than the horrible war rationed cloth he had been wearing before. The trousers were also softer than the starchy uniform cotton.

Once everyone was changed, Peter and Edmund delved back into their chests to find Otto a pair of boots. Susan took pity on him and began fixing the laces of his tunic as Lucy buttoned his sleeves. Otto squirmed, an embarrassed blush rising on his cheeks, unused to so many fastenings. The clothes didn't fit him too badly. Peter's garments were obviously too big around the shoulders but Edmund's tunic fit pretty well. He had to borrow a belt to keep the trousers up. He had obviously worn that wrong too as Susan also fixed it well.

"Why does Peter call you by your last name?" Lucy asked as she finished with his sleeves.

Otto shrugged. "It's just easier I guess. Everyone calls each other by their last name in school. I've always been called Birch, like the tree, because I was a country boy. Eventually I just didn't care anymore".

Susan sighed as she finished with his laces. "How are you Peter's friend exactly? He not the best to get along with". She smiled at him gently.

"Him and Edmund are probably the closest things I have to friends", Otto muttered. "We just talk at lunch sometimes. Complain really. But Peter got into a fight and I helped him out. Got detention but apparently I'm his best friend now".

"Sounds like him", Susan snorted. "Always jumping in head first".

"Well now you're our friend too", Lucy beamed up at him.

"Really?" Otto asked in surprise. "Even though I basically stowed away on your return to Narnia?"

"You didn't stow away", Lucy huffed. "I held your hand for a reason".

"Yeah," Edmund interrupted. He approached, holding up a pair of light brown leather boots. "What I have learnt is that if Narnia wants you here. Then you are supposed to be here. Need some help getting these on Birch?" He smirked good naturedly as he waved the shoes.

Otto grinned at him as he took the boots. These laces looked like something he could do. "Hopefully not. I should be able to do something by myself today".

It took a fair amount of struggling, his hands unused to such a different type of leather, before he had finally gotten the boots on. As he laced them up, the Pevensie children had been busy loading themselves up with weapons. Peter and Edmund both held their swords. Whilst Susan had a regal bow along with a quiver of arrows on her back. Lucy was the least armed, with only a small dagger on her belt along with a glass flask in a pouch. The steel and sharp edges of each weapons was amazingly unaffected by the passing of time. They all glinted as if freshly polished.

"We should find something for Otto", Lucy said as Otto got to his feet.

"Ever used a weapon Birch?" Edmund smirked. He unsheathes his sword and swing it expertly around his wrist.

"I'm a pretty damn good shot with a rifle but I don't think you have those here", Otto joked with a grin. Peter laughed and turned back to his gold chest.

"No, we don't have those here. But I think there might be something around here somewhere. Anyone else got anything?"

Both Edmund and Susan returned to their chests once more. They rummaged deeply through the contents, surprising Otto with the sheer amount of stuff they contained. After a while the three of them returned with shaking heads.

"Nothing", Susan sighed. She gave Otto a small smile. "We can't just leave you unarmed though. It's dangerous here. There must be something around here".

Everyone split to explore the ruined room, each person going to a different corner. Edmund and Susan began looking in the alcoves around where the Chests stood, whilst Peter began exploring the entrance near the iron gates. Otto and Lucy split to look amongst the rubble where the ceiling had crumbled over time. After a few minutes of silent searching, Otto discovered a fifth, smaller alcove that had partially fallen in. It was smaller that then others and shrouded in dust and cobwebs. This one held no statue or chest. It didn't appear to hold anything at all. He kicked a piece of rubble across the floor with his foot when he spotted something gleaming in the far corner of the alcove. After knocking away several other pieces he was able to grab the gleaming object and pull it out into the light.

"Hey", Edmund chuckled as he spotted what Otto was holding. "You found Peter's hunting spear".

It was long, the blade standing taller than Otto's frame. The handle was made out of a sturdy oak and wrapped in leather and metal. The blade itself was about a foot long, curved into a smooth tear drop shape. Just below the blade was two points sticking out of the handle, like the wrist guard of a sword. The metal gleamed with polished silver, untarnished by cobwebs or time.

As Otto ran his hands across it, he found the image of a lions head etched into part of the metal of the handle. He ran him thumbs along it, enjoying the balanced and surprisingly light weight in his hands.

"You don't mind if I borrow this do you?" He asked Peter as he balanced it on his palms. His hands moved up and down the wood as he swung it experimentally. The blade cut in a golden arc around his torso in a way that felt completely natural and smooth. It reminded Otto of when he still lived in the countryside and would fight with learn to fight with spears with the local children. They had been taught how to hunt and fight by a old farmer who had fought in the First World War. He believed that every child should know how to make and use a spear just like their ancestors had done. Otto has loved those lessons. Hours of summer hours spent spinning the staff in his hands until it was a extension of his body.

"Have fun", Peter grinned. "Later, Edmund and I will teach you how to use it". The grin dropped into a O of surprise as the spear flew around in a complicated twist to point at his unprotected neck.

"I think Otto's got it covered actually", Susan remarked. "He's even better than you were Peter".

"So spears weren't my strong suit", Peter muttered. "I'm still better with a sword". Otto laughed at the blond boy's sour expression. Feeling more relaxed than he'd been in weeks, he leant on his spear and gave the group a wide lazy grin.

"So", he beamed. "Show me what it's like to be kings and queens of narnia".

"Oh", Edmund returned his grin. "It's amazing".

"Narnia is wonderful", Lucy giggled.

"It's certainly an experience", Susan smiled.

"Think you're ready for it Birch?" Peter asked cockily.

Otto gripped his spear harder, his grin answering Peter's question. "It sounds like fun".

Unedited