#Aslan's country

[merthwyn]

"There was no need to row, for the current drifted them steadily to the east. None of them slept nor ate. All that night and all next day they glided eastward, and when the third day dawned — with a brightness you or I could not bear even if we had dark glasses on — they saw a wonder ahead. It was as if a wall stood up between them and the sky, a greenish-grey, trembling, shimmering wall. Then up came the sun, and at its first rising they saw it through the wall and it turned into wonderful rainbow colours. Then they knew that the wall was really a long, tall wave — a wave endlessly fixed in one place as you may often see at the edge of a waterfall. It seemed to be about thirty feet high, and the current was gliding them swiftly towards it. You might have supposed they would have thought of their danger. They didn't. I don't think anyone could have in their position. For now they saw something not only behind the wave but behind the sun. They could not have seen even the sun if their eyes had not been strengthened by the water of the Last Sea. But now they could look at the rising sun and see it clearly and see things beyond it. What they saw — east-ward, beyond the sun — was a range of mountains. It was so high that either they never saw the top of it or they forgot it. None of them remembers seeing any sky in that direction. And the mountains must really have been outside the world. For any mountains even a quarter or a twentieth of that height ought to have had ice and snow on them. But these were warm and green and full of forests and waterfalls however high you looked. And suddenly there came a breeze from the east, tossing the top of the wave into foamy shapes and ruffling the smooth water all round them. It lasted only a second or so but what it brought them in that second none of those three children will ever forget. It brought both a smell and a sound, a musical sound. Edmund and Eustace would never talk about it afterwards. Lucy could only say, "It would break your heart." "Why," said I, "was it so sad?" "Sad!! No," said Lucy. No one in that boat doubted that they were seeing beyond the End of the World into Aslan's country." The Chronicles of Narnia: "The voyage of the Dawn Treader"

The pictures above are today's view from my window. And the above abstract describes what I see. Yes, they are mere red clouds for the majority and most would probably say that the view doesn't even fit the description above. But for me it's different. I don't see what most people see... And it feels sad, like Lucy said, because I'm not there yet. Therefore, like Reepicheep, I long for the day when it will be my turn to travel to the end of the world where Aslan's Country is. Or become like Bilbo when he sailed West and never returned. Or like Lewis himself when he finally found the Island in the West...

I long for the day when I'll be able to fly towards the Holy City, and its castles and cathedrals and all those wonders I see from down here... It may sound pessimistic, even suicidal. But no... I'm longing to "sail" to a better world, to His world... Is there anything more joyful than that?

I was fallen from Paradise and there I long to return........

[fatherofnarnia]

Once a queen of Narnia, always a queen of Narnia

Aslan sat on the edge facing the sun that was floating at the horizon in the very distance, bigger and more real as it was, its light lightening the lion's golden fur and mane that glowed like the starry sky. The dream was ended, this was the morning for the Pevensie children after the train wreck, except for one sibling.

Susan Pevensie.

Aslan knew she had lost her faith in him and - as Peter said - she was no longer a friend of Narnia as she had rejected the very idea of it as anything more than a children's game. She no longer wanted to talk or think about the years she spent there. In a very real, practical sense, Susan had ceased to be a friend to The Great Lion and His people.

But he didn't want to let go of her hand.

Once a queen of Narnia, always a queen of Narnia. This was an eternal Law set by Aslan, and even if Susan was going another path, the Lion did not revoke these words. He was going to work for her soul, he already had the plan -- and he hoped she would return to him one day.

@starsallalight

[rainintheevening]

I was born in a wood just south of where the Archen meets the Great River.

I was born in what should have been the spring of the year, yet my dam’s blood mingled with snow, and frigid air was the first in my lungs.

I was born as white as the ground around us, like most unicorns, yet as silent as the frozen river. I was born mute—cursed, I believed for many years, until the Lion taught me to see otherwise.

My dam named me Erah, or at least that is the closest approximation pronounceable by humans and other Talking Beasts.

Erah, suggestive of good pasture and sweet water, in the language of horses. Suggestive of clear sight and safe herd. Suggestive of hope.

She could not have foreseen that one day I would carry hope on my back. That I would bear the noblest, strongest, kindest Son of Adam Narnia ever saw, into battles both small and great. That I would serve under the glorious rule of the Four Rulers themselves. That I would call the High King Peter my truest and dearest friend.

High King Peter & the faithful unicorn Sir Erah

[thedevotedtm]

STATUS: Closed except for @thegracioustm LOCATION: aslan's country-saltwood court palace-ice festival DATE & TIME: winter 0001 ac-mid morning

Percy sat on the side of the fountain, contemplating the snow. It didn't feel like the snow had felt...before. He didn't know how else to describe being in Aslan's Country. It didn't feel right to say 'when he was alive' because he seemed alive right now. So then was the before and this was the after.

He shook his head. His mind was wandering. The snow. He had been examining the snow. It wasn't as cold and miserable as it could be in the before. It felt like how you imagined snow as a child. Magical. He could hear the sound of children laughing somewhere nearby, probably ice-skating on the pond. That was another question he had about this place. Were the only children here ones who had left the before as children? Or did some people get to go back to childhood? Could he get a do-over as it were? Something was obviously different since he appeared like he was 25 again, not the 60 something year old he had been when he passed through. Every time he thought too hard about this place, he got a headache. Tamzin kept telling him to just accept that he wouldn't understand it and to stop trying.

His head shot up at he heard someone step into the courtyard. He turned and saw a woman about his age, not that it meant anything hear. She had dark hair similar to his, though her's was straight to his curly. He gave a small smile. Tamzin was also repeatedly telling him to be friendly with people. They would all be together for eternity, after all. "Hello." He said simply.

[ladyofthenorthstar]

STATUS: Closed except for @theenchantingtm LOCATION: aslan's country-saltwood court palace-ice festival DATE & TIME: winter 0001 ac-early afternoon

Emilie couldn't help but laugh as she looked around at all the colorful banners set up in the snow. It was her first time being a human again in centuries, just in time for the first Ice Festival in Aslan's Country. She had been to the ice festivals when she was a girl, at her sister-in-law's court, but (with no offense to Tamzin) it had been nothing like this. The feel of the crisp winter air, the scent of cinnamon and nutmeg, the warmth of the fires in the hearths, the sound of children laughing, and the rainbow of colors; it was enough to overwhelm the senses. Emilie loved it.

She heard the sound of musicians striking up, and was just turning around to look when she bumped into another young woman. Emilie reached out and grabbed her arm, both to steady the other woman and herself. "Pardon me!" She exclaimed. "I haven't quite gotten my sea legs yet."

[thegentletm]

𝐒𝐓𝐀𝐓𝐔𝐒. closed to @theenchantingtm, @thegracioustm, & @archenlandbound 𝐋𝐎𝐂𝐀𝐓𝐈𝐎𝐍. aslan's country - saltwood court palace - the frost fair 𝐃𝐀𝐓𝐄 & 𝐓𝐈𝐌𝐄. winter 0001 ac; afternoon

time worked in strange and mysterious ways in narnia - even in aslan's country - which explained how, when susan died five years after her siblings tragic demise on earth, not quite a year had passed in aslan's country. susan's arrival fell just in time for the winter yuletide holiday, and to say her entrance into saltwood court palace, very unannounced, on the first morning of the holiday shocked many. but now four days have passed by, and susan agreed to take the children to the frost fair with rayne, arlise, lucy, aniza, and jacquetta - except lucy and aniza quickly excused themselves from the group to have their own discussion.

there wasn't much for the adults to do at the frost fair besides browse the stalls and watch the children play - which is clearly what sparked the group's inspiration, for all at the same time, the four women seemed to have the same thought. in one fell swoop, all ladies bent down and scooped up their own snowballs, and quickly started pelting them at one another, harmonious laughs echoed throughout the fair. it had been so long since the family had been able to spend time like this, and susan for one was in much need of a good laugh, let alone a good time. "come on, then. where's your aim? i'm sure you can do better than that, arlise!" susan childishly giggled - something she hadn't been able to do for years now. for the first time since she left narnia during the golden age, susan had been filled with love and light and happiness, and she wasn't able to wipe the smiles off of her face. "come on, arli! rayne! jacquetta!"

[splinnters]

so what you’re saying is Jesus lives in Westeros?

One of my favorite hobbies is thinking about the fucked up implications of this fantasy world map my parents got me for christmas

[Image ID: photo of a map. On the left side of the map is Middle Earth, with the Shire and Mordor labeled. To the direct right of Mordor is Whoville.]

[abs0luteb4stard]

W A ✝ C H I N G

A Documentary about White Christian Nationalism. And about how it's revived itself and been newly empowered through Trump's rhetoric and other politicians perverting Christianity.

Wrongly professing that this is a Christian nation founded on Christian principals. So they can remove other people's right to freedom of religion, to take away everyone's rights across the board.

FIRST AMENDMENT ESTABLISHMENT CLAUSE:

"Congress cannot make laws that establish a religion or prohibit the free exercise of religion."

__________________________________________

The First Amendment provides that Congress make no law respecting an establishment of religion or prohibiting its free exercise. It protects freedom of speech, the press, assembly, and the right to petition the Government for a redress of grievances.

Trump idolatry. He's a golden calf at Sinai. A cult image.

[always-a-king-or-queen]

C 👏 S 👏 LEWIS 👏 WAS 👏 NOT 👏 MISOGYNISTIC

IM SO SICK OF THIS TAKE

“But he said girls shouldn’t fight in battles—" No, actually. What he said was “Battles are ugly when women fight.” Which literally translates to “in a war where women are required to fight to help win it, it means the war itself is really bad.” And this literally just means that the war has gotten so bad that women have to fight, not that women shouldn’t fight. Just that they shouldn’t be forced to. Anyway, remember Lucy?? Lucy who rode to battle in The Horse and His Boy?? Lucy who fought as an archer?? “But Susan didn’t—" Yeah. Because she didn’t want to. No one was forcing her not to fight. She had free will to fight or to not fight, and she chose not to because she didn’t want to, not because a man made her stay home.

“He punished Susan for growing up—" S i g h. This is the one I see the most often. “He did Susan dirty” “he made her suffer because she liked lipstick” “etc etc blah blah blah” First of all Narnia is a children’s book series. For CS Lewis to delve into why Susan forgot Narnia, talk about her dealing with the death of her entire family, discuss her grief, and write about her eventual return to Narnia (more on that in a second), it would’ve made for a pretty dark and heavy children’s book, and Lewis said that he didn’t think that was something he wanted to write. But he also encouraged people to finish Susan’s story themselves, and said she might eventually make her own way back to Narnia. Not only this, but Susan’s name means lily, and the waters around Aslan’s country are covered in lilies. Coincidence? I think not. I think it symbolizes she was going to go back. (Especially considering I think Lewis was very careful in choosing each of the Pevensie’s names, since they all relate to their character).

Also, Lewis did not condemn Susan simply for growing up and liking makeup and clothing and boys. If so why would he have written about Aravis and Shasta/Cor, or Caspian and Liliandil? Why would he have written about Susan and Lucy being beautiful and having many suitors? So no, he wasn’t condemning her for that, and in fact he wasn’t condemning her at all. It’s extremely probable that her family’s death would have brought Susan back to her senses. Because here’s the thing: she forgot. She threw herself so much into the world and approval and convinced herself that her life as a queen and her acquaintance with Aslan was all a silly game they played as children, that it wasn’t real. But, she very well could remember again, and I 1000% believe she did.

“All his female characters were weak and did nothing—" My friend. Lucy Pevensie was a female. She discovered Narnia. It was because of her. Her siblings would never have found it without her. Lucy is one of THE most important characters in the entire series. And her title? The Valiant. Lucy’s very title as queen denoted her bravery and fortitude without one even knowing her. As for Susan, she was not any weaker for being “The Gentle.” I would say gentleness is honestly one of the strongest traits a person can have, because it takes a lot to live and be gentle. Also remember Aravis? A major character in The Horse and His Boy and future wife of Shasta, Aravis literally nearly killed herself to escape an arranged marriage. She was not someone to be dictated to; she made her own choices and escaped rather than submitting. And in the end, she’s still fiery, just a little more humble and with less of a chip on her shoulder. Then there’s Polly, who is the more logical person in The Magician’s Nephew and tries to stop Digory from ringing the bell that wakes the White Witch. A boy causes her to awaken, not a girl. It was Digory’s fault she woke up, not Polly’s!!

Also, Peter and Edmund do not ignore their sisters because they’re girls. They listen to what they have to say and speak to them as equals. They don’t forbid them from fighting; Susan chooses not to, but Lucy goes straight into the heart of the battle with them! So don’t even say Lewis made his female characters weak. They were the backbone of much of the series and without them much of the plot would never have happened!!

So don’t you ever say to me that CS Lewis was misogynistic because it’s the furthest thing from the truth

[queenlucythevaliant]

clean your sword

i. Peter had thought many times about dying for his brother, killing for his sisters, as all oldest children do.

ii. He'd imagined it a hundred times: how if his mother and father were ever killed, he'd get some low-skill job and make sure Lucy's clothes still fit her as she grew. How he'd make fists and fight dirty if Susan was ever threatened. What he'd do if Edmund ever had to flee the country on a dark, windswept night.

iii. Yet when he heard Susan's horn that day, he still froze. Only for an instant, he thought, "this can't be my job, right?"

iv. The blood on his sword shone red when it was all over. When he wiped it on the grass, the stain it left was almost black.

v. They'd put Susan in his arms when he was two years old. Peter didn't remember it, but he knew he'd been waiting for her till then. He wasn't a real person until he was a brother.

vi. And when they walked back to the pavilion, Rhindon bumping Peter's hip, all he could say to his sisters was, "I'm sorry I didn't come faster."

vii. The High King was almost obsessive in the way he cared for Rhindon. When he grew older and required weapons larger than those made for a child, he obsessed over them too.

viii. He told the others, in no uncertain terms, that if it ever came to it in battle, they were to leave him and live. As their brother and high king, he commanded it.

ix. The first time Edmund risked himself for Peter's sake, Peter didn't speak to him for a week.

x. He was oiling his sword when Edmund found him. "See, the thing is, Peter, being brothers goes both ways. If you can love me enough to die for me, than I get to love you just the same."

xi. Peter agreed with him then, to avoid the argument. He was sick of not talking to his brother. Yet privately, he knew that Edmund was wrong. That sacrifice was Peter's special prerogative, as the first-born.

xii. Back in England, his mother noticed that Peter had become more fastidious. She didn't notice that his protective streak has grown - and maybe it hadn't, really.

xiii. It was uncanny, how Peter would always show up just when his siblings needed him. He'd round a corner, and there was Lucy stamping her feet and scowling at a bully. There was Susan, crying, and now his knuckles were bloody.

xiv. He cleaned the blood off in the sink so carefully. The water ran red for a second, and it almost seemed black.

xv. When Caspian asked for the High King's advice, looking so very young, Peter jerked his chin towards the sword a Caspian's hip. "Be ready to use that," he said. "Keep it clean, and close."

xvi. Susan forgot Narnia and she forgot Aslan. Yet selfishly, Peter still hoped that she would never forget how quickly he came when she called.

[justjudethoughts]

Say it with me, slowly: Susan was not in Aslan's country at the end of the Last Battle because 👏🏻SHE 👏🏻 WASN'T👏🏻 FREAKING👏🏻 DEAD👏🏻.

She wasn't on the train, because she wasn't with her siblings, because she no longer believed in Narnia and thus didn't go to visit the friends of Narnia. Therefore, she was not in the crash.

"Susan went to hell because she liked girly things" — bestie, SUSAN ISN'T DEAD. SUSAN ISN'T IN HELL. SHE'S IN ENGLAND, OKAY? IN ENGLAND. ALIVE.

This isn't a question of interpretation. It's a question of reading comprehension.

Yes, Susan is on the wrong path at the end of LB. She has chosen materialism over Truth. But she isn't damned. She still has time. Because she is STILL ALIVE.

[tending-the-hearth]

thinking about how canonically the pevensie siblings are 13, 12, 10, and 8 in "the lion, the witch, and the wardrobe"

thinking about how lucy needed a stool to be able to get up onto her throne, how peter's sword is a little too large for him, how susan's bow is a little too difficult for her to pull back, how edmund's shield nearly covers his entire body.

thinking about the pevensie siblings and their first few months in narnia, getting to know their new people, and half the narnians sitting there horrified because WHAT have these literal babies been through to give them such traumatized, old eyes, and the other half of the narnians are preparing to adopt them, no it doesn't matter that they're the rules, they're children who are being put in charge of too many things, and if peter looks at the old man council long enough he's going to cry, so someone needs to give him paternal support while aslan is off doing Lion Jesus Stuff™️ and whoops oreius is being nice and encouraging and now he's adopted his kings and queens they're his kids now he doesn't make the rules.

just the narnians and the pevensies being thrown into it together, and just as the pevensies will do anything to protect their new kingdom, the narnians will do anything to protect their rules, because let's be honest, these children have no sense of self-preservation, and are far too overprotective of each other and their people to take into account their own safety, so a lot of battles it's just one of the pevensie siblings running headfirst into danger with oreius running after them because his kids are feral and don't know proper royalty manners and won't threatening old kings from different countries because they're being assholes and the last time one of them tried undermining the queens susan called him a self-righteous asshole and lucy tried to stab him SOMEONE help him corral his children please

[supreme-leader-stoat]

The "deathmatch between your current and childhood favorite characters" post has got me thinking about the inherent comedy that you could wring out of dropping Reepicheep into. basically any other fantasy setting as a detour on his way to Aslan's country. Here's what I've got so far for dropping him into Middle-earth:

Ideally he gets dropped somewhere random, wanders around for a while, and then winds up at Rivendell at the same time at the rest of the Fellowship

Reep might be vulnerable to the One Ring a la Boromir, but there's a chance his faith in Aslan would have some sort of mitigating effect on that

He would absolutely try to fight the Balrog though

Gandalf, trying to hold back a helldemon: "Fly, you fools!" / Reepicheep: Seen 2:41 pm ✔️

He would also try to fight Saruman, or at the bare minimum call him a coward from the foot of Orthanc

And possibly would challenge the Ents before realizing they were friendly

Wormtongue is definitely going to lose a foot or something

“Hinder me? Thou fool. No living man may hinder me!" "It is, then, my good fortune not to be a man!"

[fallingskiesandrisingseas]

Today, Peter Pevensie after Narnia.

---------------------------------------------------

Peter has severe body dysmorphia when he comes back.

He used to be strong, reliable. Able to pick up his sister with one hand and fence with the other one. He prided himself on it, had arm wrestling contests with minotaurs and centaurs.

The first time he walks down the stairs he falls flat on his face. He's not used to his legs being half a foot shorter than they used to be.

His teachers don't understand how he turned into such a mess. He was normal, right? He was normal before he was sent away?

They talk of the way war hurts young children. They don't know just how true that is.

Peter cannot find his scars anymore. His body is soft, the skin unbroken. It fosters a rage in him so loud that teachers have to scold him every week. He fights with class bullies all the time. They gang up on him. They usually lose. They eventually stop trying.

Peter fights with honour, though. Closed fists, never below the belt, no permanent damage. If he gets the chance he will even take off his lion rings.

Long nights crying are replaced by sessions in the gym. Peter has pride like a wounded lion, will not let himself be pushed around. He gets used to his new body, makes it strong. Others worry over this obsession with strenght.

His siblings know it is because he has to regain an identity all by himself. Sure, they were royalty too, but he was the High King, Commander of the Armies, Emperor of the Lone Islands. He was the face of their court, the man behind the flag.

Others brought more back from Narnia then he did. Lucy has dancing, Edmund has chess, Susan has diplomacy and her silver tongue.

Peter had his crown, his country, his duties and his sword. Peter, even when stranded on a lone island, always had his wit and his strenght.

All that is lost in England, where he is not allowed to speak before his father, where he no longer has authority. He has to respect teachers talking about war while he knows they never fought.

He sits in the front of class still. He learns to hide the snarl, the comeback, the lazy sarcasm that fits a High King but not a 14 year old kid. Stops challenging his teachers verbally. He adjusts. His curiosity never leaves him, and his manners, he reminds himself, shouldn't neither.

He's cunning and clever and articulates himself well. Teachers often feel the need to call him arrogant, but he isn't that.

He's confident and secure, doesn't seem to suffer from teenage angst. He has endured loss, that they know. But they haven't a clue what he lost.

Peter is insufferable for the first 2 months he comes back from Caspian's Narnia. A kingdom, gone. Even with Aslan's words this is a hard lesson.

Then he becomes a man no one knew he could be.

Peter doesn't back down from bullies or harsh teachers. Peter doesn't ask for justice, he demands it.

Peter is brave. Two weeks after he's back, he sees a vet begging in the streets, harassed by a group of young men. He jumps in, comes home with a tooth missing and his knuckles bloodied.

When the vet is admitted to the hospital, no one believes the stories he tells. He says he saw a 15-year old veteran. The look in his eyes gave it away, he assures his physicians. That's a war look.

Peter is much more aware than he seems, can burn right through you with his glares. He takes critique seriously, but doesn't do well with disrespect, no matter who it's from.

Teachers hate that.

Despite this, kids like Peter, eventually. He's popular. Adults listen to him, which is strange. Not many 14 year old kids can command a room the way he can. They gravitate towards him, somehow.

It helps he grows tall faster than seems possible and walks so straight that it adds inches to his height. It helps he tells stories so vividly they almost come alive before their eyes. It helps he is cool under pressure, self-assured, broadshouldered. He's pious, goes to church every Sunday.

Peter settles eventually, a little slower than Susan and Edmund but before Lucy. He discovers the fencing club and immediately becomes the most talented member by a distance. Three weeks after he joins he beats the instructor. It makes him easier to manage, takes the edge of him.

He likes to quip while fencing. It's sometimes quite dark.

He's helpful though. His classmates don't take offence; Peter tells often and gladly of his instructor, a man named Oreius. He makes it sound like he was the greatest fencer in the country, always calls him "swordmaster".

He's often archaic with his speech like that.

His teachers are glad that the anger has faded. He's become better at many things, they discuss among themselves. An excellent writer, a brilliant fencer. A very strong debater. Peter, they conclude, makes sure things get done. The makings of a leader.

Peter likes languages. He's the one that remembers Narnian the best, uses it to learn a few other tongues. He likes sailing, and riding horses. His academic performances always improve after physical exercise, he can feel his brain speed up when the blood is flowing. Stories about who taught him that, who taught ALL the Pevensies that, circulate widly. Peter smiles when he hears he must've been recruited by MI6. He doesn't fight the allegations.

Women take a liking to him as he ages. He has "old-time charm", they say, even though they don't understand exactly what that means.

Chivalrous. That's the word they look for often. When they find out he can dance too, all of them fall head over heels. Peter is never smug about it, always remains polite. He doesn't kiss and tell.

He talks to his sisters and brother often.

Edmund seems like his shadow, but Peter never treats him like a little brother. He respects his input, often asks him for advice. Many are astonished when they find out Edmund is only 11 years old. They don't bicker. He dances with Lucy, talks deeply and seriously with Susan.

The Pevensies are close, and Peter is the oldest brother. He behaves like that, too.

He is the first to sign up for the war effort, eager to defend his nation and his family. But despite doing very well in selection, he doesn't get a frontline position. His skills, his supervisors decide, are better put to use elsewhere. He's too good to be cannon fodder.

Lucy and Edmund are secretely somewhat glad when he leaves to work with Susan in the States after he turns 19. Getting a date is very hard when Peter Pevensie is your older brother. And the States are safe.

Potential partners tend to be a little ... intimidated around him. Golden child, blond hair, 6"3, built like a brick, VERY protective of them, and fencing champion; Peter is a lot. He's disarming when you get to know him, but still.

They never liked Peter in the front lines, anyway.

Narnia never leaves his mind. Back from America with a BA in History and work experience from a secret service, he has dinner with the Friends of Narnia, sees the spectre, goes to find the rings.

He dies happy.

[miceenscene]

985 pages is too fucking long for a book. There I said it.

I have like 80 pages left and I still feel like a small child on a road trip. exhausted. whiny. desperate for this to be finally over. and the author just keeps going,

it's TOO LONG, sarah. some of this could have been cut. for fucks' sake.

Dangerous male characters yelling in fruitless desperation, “where’s my wife?!” mmmmmmmmMMMMMM. inject that shit straight into my veins. it just don’t get any better than that.

[rainintheevening]

The Voyage of the Dawn Treader movie is so much better when I put it in the context of Peter being just about to turn 18, and Edmund is wrestling with that, trying to prepare himself to let Peter go (even though he's already done one term at school without him), and trying to stand on his own without Peter, figure out just who he is without his brother.

I think the implication in the movie is that Peter went to America too, but forget that. Peter's visiting Professor Kirke for the summer, at his little cottage in the country, and working on a farm as well as getting tutoring for university entrance exams, even though he knows he's not going to be going in for a few years, or however long the war lasts.

Ed hates the idea of Peter going off to war without him. Lucy is feeling left behind by everyone (parents and Su in America, Peter on the verge of becoming a soldier, and Ed wanting to join him).

Ed by turns latching onto and getting annoyed at Caspian, because he's not Peter, but it's like having Peter there, and Caspian doesn't understand what he and Peter have, but Ed can see how much Caspian wishes for a brother, and they do become that for each other in the end.

Ed wielding Rhindon at the end, Peter's sword in his hand, like Peter hasn't left him after all, and Peter's love and Aslan’s promise are louder and brighter than any ghost or sea serpent ever could be.

Lucy shooting with Susan's bow, because she doesn't have to be Susan (or Peter or Ed) to be like her in protecting the people she loves, she just has to use what Aslan has given her.

Ed knowing he's gonna go back to England and Peter's going to come celebrate his birthday with them before he signs up, so he hugs Caspian extra hard, because Caspian's going to have to go on alone too.

(But not alone, no. They have the Lion's promise. They all do.)