'another shore (people they never loved).' various narnia crossovers.

[whynot]

I did the "things I'll never write" meme a few weeks ago, though it was just an excuse to request the strangest prompts people can think of, because as history shows, I'll write anything. So, I wrote Peter&Jadis near the end of the Golden Age for bedlamsbard (Bed, I may still actually owe you fic, since this isn't technically Peter/Jadis), and Ororo between X2 and X3 for dirty_diana.

Then everyone else gave Narnia crossover prompts, so I've compiled those all here in a section subtitled 'people they never loved'.


Another Shore

- for marycontraire, who said Edmund/Effy (Narnia/Skins)

Neither Edmund nor Effy are surprised that their older brothers don't get along. Tony is bored and Peter is irritable, and when Effy bums Edmund his third cigarette, Peter says, "Stop that, it'll destroy your lungs."

"Really," says Effy. "I never knew."

Tony takes off early, ruffling Effy's hair before he goes. She ducks and swats his hand away, and Edmund takes note of the dullness in Peter's eyes as he watches Tony and Effy casually slag each other off.

"I'll walk Effy home, Pete," Edmund says.

"Why didn't you just go home with your brother?" Peter asks her.

"My brother isn't going home," says Effy, smoke trailing out of her mouth.

"Where's he going?"

"To cheat on his girlfriend."

Peter rolls his eyes and shakes his head, and shortly thereafter he leaves. Effy looks at Edmund and says, "Let's get out of here."

"All right," he says, and takes her hand.

- for animus_wyrmis, who said Edmund/Hermione (Narnia/Harry Potter)

1. "I think she's rather pompous," Susan says, scrunching up her nose. "And she ought to do something with her hair."

"Who are you to talk of being pompous?" Edmund asks airily, and Susan rolls her eyes.


2. "Oy."

Edmund turns around and sees a tall gangly fellow with a face almost as red as his hair.

He says, "You're that Edward kid, aren't you?"

"Edmund."

"Whatever. So. You're... seeing Hermione."

Edmund frowns. "Who are you?"

"Er. Ron."

"Ah! Ron Weasley?"

Ron brightens. "She told you about me?"

"Of course. You're one of her best mates, isn't that right?"

"Best mates." His smile falters a bit. "Right. That's me."

"Can I help you?"

"Look." Ron's frown takes on a more forced quality. "You better not be an utter donkey to her."

"Excuse me?"

"I'm serious, Edward. If you break her heart, I'll--"

"--break my legs?" Edmund guesses.

"And more besides!" Ron adds.

"Right," says Edmund. "Is that all?"

"What?"

"I said, is that all?"

"Um. You better not try anything."

Edmund looks at his watch. "Look, Beesley--"

"Weasley!"

"I'm in a bit of a hurry," Edmund continues. "If we really must continue this conversation, you can just ring me tonight. Hermione has my number."

"Oh no, you aren't--"

Edmund grins. "Splendid! Goodbye, Rob."

"Ron!"

"I'll tell Hermione you said hi."

- still for animus_wyrmis, who also said Edmund/Luna (Narnia/Harry Potter)

He finds himself telling Luna about Narnia and not really knowing why. She's safe, that much is sure, but he isn't sure how she's safe: whether it's because she would believe him, or because no one would believe her.

The unspoken rule is that you can only talk about Narnia to people who have been to Narnia, but there are some days when he thinks that it's kind of like at the fancy antiques or jewelry store where, if you have to ask how much it is, then you can't afford it. Sometimes Edmund finds himself looking into strangers' faces wondering if they too have known the Lion. Was there some giveaway sign, or some secret code? Surely they can't be the only ones in the whole world. Narnia is too true to be kept among just a few.

Then Edmund meets Luna, who talks about heffalumps and woozles, and wears large brightly-colored glasses that supposedly help her see the wuffleplerts in the daytime ("They're much more visible at night. The sun makes them shy."), and his questions catch on her optimistic faith. He feels protective of her in a pre-emptive sort of way, like maybe how everyone treats her is how everyone would treat Edmund if he started talking left and right about Narnia.

Luna doesn't need protection. The jeers and name-calling come at her from all directions, and she just smiles and talks about the nargles.

+

"Did you have a betrothed?" asks Luna. "Kings have betrotheds, right?"

"A few. So did my siblings, but nothing ever came of it. There was a duchess in Terebinthia that... Well, I think if we had stayed longer, we..." Edmund shrugs. "But we didn't, so that's that."

"Tell me about the fauns," says Luna. "Were they very lusty?"

"What? Well, some. Not all." He smiles. "Don't believe everything you hear about fauns."

She nods solemnly. "It's just like with the Belgravian Snorkacks, you know. Everyone thinks they're the rabbits of the animal kingdom, but really they mate for life. They just fornicate a lot."

Edmund declines to tell her that rabbits are probably the rabbits of the animal kingdom, and he tells her instead about the late-night revels that the forest creatures used to have: how Tumnus had danced with Lucy until her braids came undone, how the laughter of dryads sound like leaves rustling, and how faun music has a magical quality that can heat the blood and hone the senses.

"Do you remember a faunish dance?" asks Luna. "Would you teach me?"

He does.

- for be_themoon, who said Nimueh/Jadis (Narnia/Merlin). With visual aid!

Nimueh whispers an incantation and the cut on her palm closes itself.

Jadis opens her eyes.

+



The last thing Nimueh remembered before she died was a roll of thunder and a flash of light, a young boy's revenge echoing in her ear.

+

He is a powerful boy, Nimueh explains. He has a great destiny. She had sought to make him his, make him theirs, but she failed. His will is strong, and his heart too bound to the mortal world.

Jadis laughs. "These boys and their destinies. They'll be the death of us, my lady. Trust them not, nor their hearts."

+

Nimueh was betrayed by a sorcerer, one of their own; Jadis was betrayed by a king. "And oh, to be betrayed by a king," she crows. "There are worse betrayals. I do not regret my death. Everything happens in its own time, after all."



"Sister, what shall we do first?" the White Witch asks.



"First we drink," says Nimueh, "to us. To the ones they thought they could cast aside."

After all, they are both here, now. They had both been returned to the earth, but now the earth returns them to the world.

ETA: FUCK IT. Here are two codes to start a Dreamwidth account: DRQKSWTQPJHVZAAACZU9 and QFTXMA3ZGR9NJAAACZVA. I cast them to the wind and wash my hands of them!