The Return to Narnia, and defending Edmund

[Originally posted at Ana Mardoll's Ramblings.]
[Composed when I was not in a position to check the text, thus has only fairly loose connection to the actual.]

Susan: Is this... home?

Peter: No, it couldn't be, because if it were home it wouldn't have *pause* *puts head in hand* How long have we been gone?

Lucy, on surveying the site: I count seven separate additions built in extremely divergent styles. It wouldn't surprise me if they were built hundreds of years apart.

Susan: That means that everyone we ever knew... everyone we ever loved...

Edmund: We don't know that. If life could survive a hundred years of winter then maybe...

*Edmund trails off when he sees it isn't helping Susan a long sad silence follows*

Lucy: We turned back into children, maybe our friends had their youth restored as well.

*This has no effect*

Peter: Susan-

Susan: I told you! I told you all not to go. We should never have gone passed that lamp post. Why the hell were we even on the hunt in the first place?

All of the children, as one: We had to hunt the Stag. In all our days we never hunted a nobler subject.

Peter: Ok...

Susan: That was disturbing.

Edmund: Something must have manipulated us into leaving.

Susan: I hate that wardrobe.

Peter: But we didn't come through the wardrobe, that's why I thought this wasn't Narnia.

Edmund: And that's not all.

Lucy: We landed amoung the trees.

Edmund: No tree spirits.

Lucy: We went down to the ocean.

Peter: No ocean spirits.

Lucy: We searched amoung the shallows.

Susan: And we found no Animals.

Lucy: We've been all alone, but someone should have greeted us by now. That's why I stopped hoping it might be Narnia.

*a time for quiet contemplation*

Susan: I'd like to think that there's a not-bad reason for everyone to have gone, but when you consider the way we were, as Edmund says, manipulated into leaving that seems unlikely. I don't think we were shoved out of the picture so that peace and light and happiness could reign supreme and that somehow depopulated the area. *Susan Sighs* But I can't take getting pingponged around any more. If I'm staying then I'm staying. No more lamp posts. If I'm not staying then I plan to leave right now.

Peter: How?

Susan: I still remember where that accursed lamp post is.

Edmund: What makes you think the wardrobe will be open?

Susan: The way in has frequently been blocked, but has anyone ever had trouble getting out?

Peter: How would we explain being back at the wardrobe when we're supposed to be at the train station?

Susan: I don't know. I don't care. If I'm going to have to leave again I want to do it before I get too attached this time.

*pause*

Susan: I'm not saying you have to come with me. I'll go alone if that would be better for you.

Lucy: Don't you at least want to know what's going on before you make up your mind?

Susan: *Thinks a moment* I suppose, but I'm serious. If I decide to stay, I'm staying. I'm not going passed the lamp post no matter what you might say about being shamed if we turn back.

Lucy: Sorry.

Peter: I'm sorry too.

Edmund: Sorry.

*Pause*

Peter: What now?

Susan: Now, we sleep. I can't deal with any more memories tonight, and we're going to want to raid the ruins before we go anywhere. So we'll do that first thing tomorrow.

-

Elsewhere in the narrative:

Edmund had had no gift because he was not with them at the time. (This was his own fault
Susan: Lucy, can I have one of those apples?
Lucy: Sure. *Hands one over*
and you can read about it in- OUCH!
*Narrator realizes he's just been hit by a thrown apple*
What the Hell was that for?
Susan: For insulting my brother.