GG/Chronicles of Narnia crossover - PG
Title: No one to tell us no, or where to go, or say we’re only dreamin’
Fandom: “Gilmore Girls”/Chronicles of Narnia
Disclaimer: only Rodney is mine; just for fun. Title from Aladdin.
Warnings: takes place just after the Witch is defeated and pre-pilot
Pairings: none
Rating: PG
Wordcount: 1350
Point of view: third
Notes: Written for thewhattheficathon way back in August and forgotten.
When Lorelai was eleven, she went exploring in the attic, trying to hide from her mother. Emily Gilmore would never stoop to searching such a dusty, cluttered space, and the maids were much too busy to be bothered.
Lorelai spent hours up there, captivated by so many things she’d never seen before, old things that held secrets and memories of the Gilmore family going back generations.
Finally, it was time for supper; Lorelai didn’t want to go down, but her stomach grumbled at her-she hadn’t eaten since breakfast, and while her mind could keep running for days, her belly demanded sustenance.
She resolved to come back after the meal, but Mom locked her in her room, punishment for missing her dancing lesson with Monsieur Ducard.
-
It was another week till Lorelai could escape again, sneak up to the attic. She hid out in the far corner, wedged between a large wardrobe and the wall, head buried in her arms. Mom had taken away the riding lessons and Persnickety, her pony. Mom said the reason was because Lorelai kept disobeying her.
“I hate her, I hate her, I hate her!” Lorelai whispered. “I wish I could go away, far away, and never ever come back.”
“Lorelai Gilmore!” Mom’s voice rang through the attic. “Come down here, right this minute, young lady!”
She didn’t move, didn’t breathe, and Mom stormed away, yelling over her shoulder, “Your father will deal with you when he gets home.”
Lorelai crept from her hiding spot and stared at the door of the attic. She couldn’t spend another second in this house, with Mom and the frightened servants, with the portraits that stared disapprovingly and the never-ending lessons about becoming of lady of society.
She was so tired, but couldn’t leave the sanctuary of the attic. On her earlier exploration, she’d seen that coats were piled on the floor of the wardrobe, so she opened it and climbed in, going further and further, feeling for the back to rest against.
Finally, after what felt like hours of crawling, she fell onto dirt and pine needles, rolled over and stared at the sky.
-
Lorelai didn’t mean to fall asleep, but she was exhausted.
When she woke, night had fallen. She got her feet, looking around. Really tall trees, squat little bushes, the clearest sky through the branches she’d ever seen.
After a moment, the shock turned to overwhelming excitement-she’d wanted away from Mom. Mom would never be able to find her here.
Lorelai picked a direction and started walking.
-
She found a bush full of berries and wolfed them down, barely stopping to taste. A stream slaked her thirst and she came to the edge of the woods, watching the sun rise over the distant mountains.
Lorelai chose to continue on towards the mountains; it looked like some settlements were nestled at the foot. She pocketed more berries on her way, hoping they wouldn’t get smushed, but knowing she was nowhere near that lucky.
A field separated the mountains from the forest and she looked around carefully before leaving the shelter of the trees. There were some deer at the far end, a few birds in the sky, but she couldn’t see any predators. With a deep breath, she stepped into the tall grass.
She took her time moseying across the field, studying the landscape around her. It was beautiful, like something out of a movie. A cool breeze complemented the warmth of the sunlight on her nicely, and she twirled in place, hair flying. It was just too cool-away from Mom and her voice and her demands and her Now, Lorelai! Act like a young lady.
Lorelai laughed and shouted, “I’m never going home again!”, startling some birds into flight.
-
By the end of the day, her tune had slightly changed. The mountains and settlement were no closer, but the forest was quickly receding. Her berries were gone, nothing around to replace them, and she’d lost sight of the river.
Lorelai bit her lip; for one panicked moment, she considered returning to the forest, looking for a way back home. She turned, staring at the way she’s come, then looked forward at the mountains, at the buildings.
If this wasn’t a dream-which she was leaning towards, now, that the shiny wonder had worn off-then the future could be very bleak. Maybe it would be better to go home, deal with Mom. Better Mom’s shrill haranguing than starvation or dehydration or being picked off by a predator.
Plus, at the least the forest had those berries. The field was empty, all the way until the buildings. She hadn’t even seen a rabbit or deer in hours, not that she’d be capable of hunting or killing one if she did.
By dusk, she had never been hungrier or thirstier. The forest was still far away, the mountains further, and she really wanted to be home.
And then it started to rain. Lorelai stopped, letting the water course down her face, along her neck, soaking her hair. It was perfect, just perfect-on top of everything else, now she’d be wet.
Lorelai sank to her knees, covering her face with her hands. “I want to go home,” she whispered. “Time to wake up, now.”
Nothing happened, of course. She wasn’t dreaming.
-
Dawn came, sunlight shining down on Lorelai huddled in the middle of the field. She’d cried herself into exhausted sleep and dreamt desperate dreams. The ground was hard, except where the rain had turned it into mud-that part was sticky and cold. Lorelai had never been so miserable.
She rolled to her feet and looked to the left, towards the forest. Nothing had ever seemed so far away. To the right lay the mountains, with the little town at the foothills, even further away.
It had been a dream, a fervent hope granted, and now it was a nightmare. Except worse than a nightmare, because she couldn’t wake up.
“Wake up,” she whispered, pinching her arm and biting her lip. “Wake up.”
Nothing. Again, nothing. She sobbed, doubling over and clutching her belly, which grumbled. She was hungry, so hungry.
“Hello?”
Lorelai whirled around at the voice, a young-sounding male. No one was there except a black horse.
“Are you lost, Daughter of Eve?” the same voice asked, and the horse’s lips moved.
“Wh-what?” Lorelai backed up a step. “Did-did you just talk?”
The horse raised his head and snorted. “Of course I did.”
She stared, mouth open. The horse flicked his ears and moseyed forward. “Well? Are you lost?”
Lorelai blinked, reassessing her decision that everything was a dream. “Yes,” she said faintly. “I think I am.”
“I am Rodney,” the horse said. “If you do not serve the White Witch, I will take you wherever you intended to go.”
“I’ve never heard of the White Witch,” Lorelai told him, stretching out a hand to touch his neck. “I’m Lorelai Gilmore.”
“Very well, Lorelai,” Rodney said. “Hop on, then.”
It must be a dream. The strangest, most vivid dream she’d ever had, but just a dream.
With talking horses.
Rodney knelt down on his front legs and Lorelai grabbed his mane, swinging herself onto his back.
“Where were you headed, Lorelai, before you got lost?” Rodney waited patiently as Lorelai settled herself, hands still tangled in his mane.
“I don’t know,” she answered. “I don’t even know where I am.”
Rodney twisted his head around to stare at her with one large, dark eye. “You’re in Narnia!” he exclaimed, the last syllable vanishing into a neigh.
Lorelai shrugged. “Sorry,” she said helplessly.
Rodney closed his eyes and took a deep breath. “I’ll take you to Aslan,” he decided, turning his head back around. “He’ll know what to do.”
“Okay,” she said softly. “But on the way to Aslan, can we find some food?”
Rodney snorted, setting off towards the sun at a fairly pleasant trot. “I suppose we can stop by a family of Badgers I know. They should have food a Daughter of Eve might like.”
“Badgers?” she asked, looking around with new eyes. “I think I’ll like this dream.”