─────⊰ ✧.*✦*.✧ ⊱─────

　　 𝐏𝐋𝐔𝐌𝐌𝐄𝐓𝐈𝐍𝐆 𝐅𝐑𝐎𝐌 𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐄𝐓𝐇𝐄𝐑, breaking the branches that were lushly filled with verdant leaves as they tried to hold on to anything they could to break their fall, the group of witches, wizards and Muggles had arrived through Florence's portal. However, like before, Florence hadn't quite figured out yet how to create a passage between the two worlds that wouldn't be floating in the air.

She gulped when the gravity began to pull her down and the first branches had smacked against her hands. In her desperation to not hit the ground, she reached out forwards and didn't dare to not think about a means to land safely. Panic ensued when nothing happened and she tried to remember all the times she'd seen Victoria use Narnian magic. The vivid image of Victoria's eyes glistening like ice bathing in sunlight instead of its usual light brown colour flickered before her, but it was all she could remember besides the extended arms. She hissed to her hands, telling them to work and waving them in front of her like she'd done before, but her light wouldn't appear.

Erin saw her window of opportunity when a thicker branch came into sight near the end of the tree. She wrapped her arms around it once she was able to and with a swinging motion, she curled around the branch. The crackling of the wood startled her and she glared to the base of the branch in fear of it breaking, but besides a few insignificant tears in the bark, there was nothing. 'That's going to cause another bruise,' she grunted with a chuckle and hoisted herself up on the branch.

Alexis was seeking for every chance she could find to not plummet to the ground and injure herself even more. However, nothing around her was of any use and trying to do what Erin had just done would've only worsened her fall. A curious feeling was surging through her veins, though it was more than just the rush of adrenaline that she immensely enjoyed. There was still that hint of familiarity as she swiftly retrieved her wand, after realising what the feeling meant. She'd barely pronounced the incantation and shakily written the letter M with her wand when everyone stopped in the midst of their fall.

Chrys gasped when she hit the ground. Though the hit was lesser than it could've been, it still hurt her bones as she collided with the rock hard ground, not even the grass being able to soften her blow much. She and Alexis exchanged a glance as she brushed the dried dirt off her dress. She rolled her eyes skywards, tilting her head until she could see the portal slowly close and dissolve. It happened the same way when they'd entered the first time.

With the closing of the portal, the familiar hint that rushed through Alexis disappeared with it and even Chrys could feel the tingle in her fingertips slip away. It didn't take long for the witches to piece two and two together. As long as Narnia and Earth were connected, the magic of either world could transfer into the other. Now that the portal was gone and the connection severed, so was their ability to conjure earthly magic.

Eustace was being helped by Lucy to get back onto his feet, since his vision was still spinning from the fall. He laid his hand against his head and rubbed his forehead with his fingers, his thumb resting on the top of his head. 'Florence? When exactly did you plan on telling us you have magical powers?' he screeched in the way he would do when he was younger.

Narnia had changed the few individuals from earth that had been allowed to enter in various ways. Eustace was one of those individuals. Before Narnia, he thought he knew everything there was to know and his cousins, the Pevensies, were beneath him in every conceivable way. He'd tease them about their belief in Narnia and the manner in which he'd demand to get his way, resembled the manner in which he spoke now. He always used to tell himself that he felt joy whenever he'd bully his cousins, but once he'd been brought to Narnia, it was hard for him to face the truth; he felt alone.

Raised differently than most other children, he'd always been considered an outsider and as an only child, he was envious of the bond the Pevensies got to share together. It was only in Narnia that he realised his cousins accepted him for who he truly was and squashed the bitterness that had been insufferable to deal with.

'I only figured it out because of Victoria. I didn't know before,' Florence admitted. Her soft smile faded when she remembered the guilt that made her stomach uneasy. Victoria was nowhere to be seen and she feared the same trick she'd used to find Eustace and the Pevensies had not worked to find Victoria after all.

'Speaking of Victoria, she's not here,' Edmund muttered, which was greeted with a solemn silence.

His heart had been racing since he'd seen Florence run through the passage towards him. He was certain she could lead them back to Victoria. He had to know if she was alright and from what Florence had told him, she was not. The look in her eyes when he saw her last made him even more worrisome than before. She knew the consequences of their escape and her capture and he let her behind. He already couldn't stop thinking about her before and now, he didn't even try anymore.

Alexis' head perked up when something caught her eye. She ran over to a nearby tree and bowed down to pick up the familiar item. She spun on her heels and glanced up at Erin, who was still sitting on the branch she'd landed on. 'Do you recognise this?' she said excitedly and looked further ahead in the forest. Left and right, the yellow light of the Wandering Stars was hidden within the grass near the tree trunks, creating a path that wasn't there before.

Chrys frowned at the fruit and took it from Alexis to examine. 'I thought only Lunnlia was blessed with an overabundance of Wandering Stars,' she said curiously. 'Does that mean we're in Lunnlia?'

'Definitely not,' Erin said and pushed herself off the branch. Even from the height she was at, her feet made no sound when she touched the ground. She manoeuvred through the group with ease until she'd reached Alexis and Chrys, a smile crawling onto her lips. 'But I do know someone who taught the town to use the Wandering Stars as a means of a hidden path to find their way back in time of need, since animals will mistake it for rocks.'

As the three of them were busy with the fruit, Lucy's attention averted from them when soft-pink rose petals caressed her cheek as they flew past her. They flew along in the wind in which the trees were dancing. Her feet began to walk without her noticing it, the pull of the magic drawing her in. 'We're in Narnia,' she beamed and fastened her walk as she ran after the rose petals.

'Lucy,' Kiano huffed as he started to run after her, underestimating how quickly she could actually run.

The grass leaves tickled Lucy's ankles, the wind brushing through her loose hair. Nothing could compare to the feeling of the land of Narnia within the Narnian world. There was no place where the magic was purer or the nature was more ethereal. The spirits of trees and flowers would dance in the breeze and Lucy had often joined them.

She'd finally stopped running when she saw them; the Narnians. The centaurs and minotaurs that hadn't turned their back on their land and king. The dwarves, satyrs, nymphs and talking animals had all gathered and were camped in the forest that Lucy believed was the Western Woods that was located right next to the uninhabited Western Wild. The beings she'd longed to see ever since arriving were busy with crafting and sharpening weapons and the daunting feeling of another war weathered her joyful mood.

The smell of sharpened steel and the deep, resonant sound created by the hammers hitting the metal axes reminded her of a battle she'd found long ago and less of the beauty of Narnia she always wished to keep in her mind.

Kiano caught up with her, taking her arm in his hand and pulling her behind him. 'Who are these people?' he asked her, his eyes scanning over the camp as he made sure she would be safe here. So far, he'd not trusted many people he'd met in Narnia, with Raiden and Erin being the sheer exceptions.

'They're Narnians,' Lucy snickered and stepped next to him. Her eyes lit up before she darted off again, but Kiano let her this time since she seemed to know the beings in the camp. 'Trumpkin!' she screamed of excitement. When she'd reached the familiar dwarf, she almost tackled him to the ground as she'd forgotten she'd grown quite a lot since they saw each other last.

'Thimbles and thunderstorms,' Trumpkin mumbled at the sudden attack of affection, but his posture relaxed as soon as he realised who was hugging him. Queen Lucy was the only being ever to be allowed to hug him, to great delight of Caspian who'd tried to do the same, knowing that he'd be turned down.

He pulled away to take a look at Lucy, all grown up, and needed a minute to let the new picture dawn on him. 'You're here. The call has worked.' When Edmund, Peter and Caspian also arrived at the camp, Trumpkin turned to the Narnians close to him and announced resoundingly the return of King Caspian X, Queen Lucy the Valiant, King Edmund the Just and High King Peter the Magnificent. Though he couldn't help but chuckle at Peter's title. As was custom with Narnian royalty, everyone at the camp bowed and curtsied for the returned Kings and Queen.

The Narnians let whispers slip between their lips, whispers about the High King having returned to Narnia while he never would. Alexis looked over at Peter, who was looking down upon the Narnians kneeling and bowing for him. She'd forgotten that he was a king indeed. He did have a regal handsomeness to him and the title of king fit him well when he'd stepped into that role, but she didn't know him as "the high king". To her, he was Peter. Overly protective, foolishly stubborn, admirably courageous and lovingly flawed.

Though she could see the change in him when they'd recognised him as their king, their leader. It was a change he shared with Edmund, be it one of the very few things they had in common. Yet, he always carried himself with great leadership skills unlike Edmund. Peter was truly a born leader.

Her people bowing for Lucy was never something that was needed in her opinion. She felt equal to them, even though she was their queen. Royalty wasn't in her nature, which is why her role within the kingdom was to connect with the people and she'd taken up that duty with most sincerity and eagerness. 'Did you call us, Trumpkin?' she asked the dwarf, who had also dropped on his knees to welcome the kings.

The dwarf arose, a curious glint shining in his eye. 'Weeks ago, some of the nymphs had found another Daughter of Eve within the Thicket of Nightmares. She had called for help,' he replied and shifted his weight from one foot to the other, feeling as though it was not his tale to tell.

'Weeks ago?' Alexis blurted out in shock.

'Yes, weeks ago. She's been out of bed since a few days. If the nymphs hadn't found her when they did, Suncloud could've never healed her dying body.' Trumpkin gestured the group to follow him along as he went deeper into the encampment.

The grass had been stomped into the ground to create dirt paths, connecting the tents to a main path that cut right across the camp. The rain of the previous day could still be smelled in the damp moss that grew on the trees. The colours of the tents ranged from forest green to dirt brown to sunflower yellow to tangerine orange to strawberry red. The fabric was worn from the battles against the weather, the vivid colours they once were during the Pevensie's first visit had dulled. The tents were shaped like small circus tents and all had a yellow flag hoisted on the tip. The flags showed their allegiance, their undying loyalty to Aslan and as a result, the Kings and Queens of Narnia.

Even throughout the camp did the whispers follow the group. Though Peter was used to it, these whispers were different. Before he was praised by his people, but now they were questioning his return. Aslan himself had said Peter was never to come back to Narnia, but the great lion had seemingly changed his mind.

Even the witches and wizards felt the difference between these beings and the Archenlanders. Not only in appearance—since there were no human Narnians—but in the way they treated the Pevensies. They could finally truly see them as the Kings and Queen of Old.

'I've never heard of the Thicket of Nightmares before,' Eustace said as they were walking through the camp.

Raiden readjusted his holster on his back and inched closer to him to avoid a satyr crossing his path. 'The Thicket of Nightmares is a dark forest that has grown in the ashes of one of the worst battlefields Narnia has ever seen. The old tales tell that the screams of the fallen are buried within the soil and feed the Paraísthisi flowers which causes even the most strong-willed individuals to break down to insanity. It can corrupt the most innocent of souls to a hopeless wreck. Humans who enter never live to tell the tale.' He grabbed onto Eustace's arm and pulled him away from a group of dwarves making their way to the front of the camp.

Eustace stumbled and bumped against Raiden, his cheek almost touching Raiden's lips. His eyes widened at Raiden's body to close to his and he marched further forewards to hide his beat-red blush from everyone.

'Which is why we sent the nymphs to collect the shadow stones. Nymphs' souls are tied to their roots and not the being itself. The Paraísthisi have no control over them,' Trumpkin explained and turned around when they'd reached the last tent. 'Wait here.' He shortly held up his hand before vanishing into the tent

'I remember hearing about the Thicket of Nightmares when I was younger. It grew where the Battle of Rhodes was, right?' Caspian asked Raiden, who nodded in response. He could recollect the many secret lectures he'd had of Dr Cornelius about the Battle of Rhodes, fought so many centuries ago. Cornelius had repeated the prophecy so often, just like with the Pevensie's prophecy, he could still hear him tell it. He would always use a deeper voice and make sure the room was covered in darkness except for a few candles that would enlighten Cornelius' serious expression.

The Daughter of Eve with a light like fire,
Along with two Sons of Adam, their souls filled with desire.
Find themselves in a land covered with a layer of ethereal snow,
trapped in an eternal winter, after the witch's magic blow.

He snapped out of his thoughts when Edmund loudly repeated the name of the battle and he quickly understood why.

'Florence Gwendolyn Rhodes, is there anything you'd like to tell us?' Edmund asked Florence, who shrunk underneath Edmund's gaze. 'The worst battlefield Narnia has ever seen? The screams, the nightmares. It has followed you all these years.'

'You're the Daughter of Eve from the Battle of Rhodes?' Caspian questioned. 'But the prophecy said—'

'—I know what the prophecy said,' Florence interrupted him and wrapped her arms around her stomach to squash the stinging feeling. She looked away from them, not wanting to talk about the terrible things she'd lived through, and the extreme guilt she felt for surviving it all.

The Pevensies and Hogwarts graduates had seen battlefields of their own and had witnessed the brutal aggression for themselves. All had lost loved ones, their hearts shattered and never healing quite the same again. The pressing guilt for the fallen and knowing they'd never see them anymore. Florence hadn't lost anyone she deeply cared about during her time in Narnia, and yet, the Battle of Rhodes was a ruthless slaughtering on magical grounds. The soil had retaliated by swallowing beings whole and releasing their agonising screams for hours before it would finally show mercy and end their torture. Florence had watched through the heavy rainfall as one of the centaurs disappeared into the mud. She recoiled in horror when his screams deafened her ears and his dismembered arm flew out of the soil and landed in front of her feet. That was the first few minutes of the hours the battle lasted.

She'd repressed those memories as well as she could, though she'd found herself frowning often when she thought of Narnia as her home. The place that had shaped her fears was the same place that she felt like she belonged. The Narnians had welcomed her with open arms in ways that besides the Pevensies, no one ever had. It was a society that praised her for who she was and accepted everything she wished to be.

'Erin, Caspian, it is good to see you.'

The attention shifted from Florence to a man most of them had never seen before. Besides the group, he'd been the only human they'd seen on the camp. He was clothed in similar clothes as Erin, his stark features softening once he saw her.

'Everett,' Erin breathed out. Her usual triumphant demeanour returned to her and she excitedly jumped into his arms. 'I can't believe it's you!'

Erin could talk from sunrise to sunset about her old mentor, who'd taught her everything she knew. She hadn't seen him in months as he'd set out on a personal mission for Caspian and Erin had decided to go home to see her parents and three siblings. However, it felt like no time had passed once the two locked eyes. She was surprised at first until she remembered the strong alliance Telmar and Narnia had after Narnia won the war against Telmar. It helped that the King of Narnia was a Telmarine and the rightful descendant of the Telmarine throne.

Glenstorm emerged from the tent and like all the other Narnians, he too bowed before his Kings and Queen. 'My Kings and Queen,' he said in his deep voice. 'My visions have shown me the first blood spilled at the rise of dawn after the return of the Kings and Queen of Old. The time has come. . .'

─────⊰ ✧.*✦*.✧ ⊱─────

I want to give a huge thank you and of course the deserved credits to Cynarr (Rianne) and liana98769 (liana) for helping me create the incredible prophecy for Florence. We came up with this together, if I still remember it correctly, the credits are as followed (per 2 lines); line 1 was written by Liana, line 2 and 4 by Rianne, and line and 5 by me. Again, a huge thank you to you both and yes, it made the rewrite haha

─────⊰ ✧.*✦*.✧ ⊱─────