[fic] What You Leave Behind

[thistlerose]

What You Leave Behind

Fandom: The Chronicles of Narnia
Rating: if you're old enough to read the books and watch the movies, you're old enough to read this story
Characters/Ships: Peter and Susan, shipless
Summary: Peter tries, one last time.
A/N: This one is for many-miles-away, with gratitude and appreciation of her talent and generosity. Approx. 1,350 words

Comments

[muridae_x]

By a stunning coincidence I was eating strawberries when I stumbled upon this. There are a couple of tiny bits I'd probably Britpick for accuracy, but it's a nice mood piece: a lovely, lyrical, haunting moment that slips away

[thistlerose]

Mmmm, strawberries. I had a craving, and they somehow found their way into the fic. *g*

I'm so glad that you liked this! Susan's fate is something I've thought about a lot, and written about a little, from a couple of different angles. The Last Battle troubles me. As much as I love Narnia, I feel for Susan - maybe more than any other character. In this story, I wanted to give her the means to follow her family, at least as far as the Wood Between the Worlds, since I think it's probably too late to use the rings to get to Narnia. But I kind of hope it will be a long time before she pursues them. I want her to grow up a little and become altogether fabulous in her own world.

[muridae_x]

I want her to grow up a little and become altogether fabulous in her own world.

Oh yes. Because she's the one of them all who most accepts their home world as having value too, there's no reason whatsoever why she shouldn't. She'll mourn her family, grow up one day at a time and find something worthwhile to do with her life, maybe marry and have kids, maybe not, and live on to experience all the ways that the world changes after the war.

And then, after she's lived to a ripe old age, it would be time to come back to her other home, ready for it at last and richer for the experiences she's had in the meantime.

That's my happy ending for Susan, anyway.

[thistlerose]

That's what I see happening too. I very much want her to fall in love with her own world and have a long, fulfilling life before going to join the rest of her family.

[ceilidh]

Waaah. I love Peter and Susan and this is just perfect.

[thistlerose]

Thank you so much! :)

[many_miles_away]

Heee!!! You didn't warn me that you'd finished it, so I only stumbled upon it now! There's such a thing as too much modesty, y'know. *grins*

What can I say? Thank you so much!!! I love that it's about Peter and Susan, and about the most bittersweet moment of them all!! ...Even though, I'm ashamed to admit it, I have yet to read The Last Battle...Yes, I know, I know. I only knew how it ended, because curiosity got the best of me one day. I can't wait to actually read it, so I can re-read this and get all the little things I'm probably missing right now

[thistlerose]

*g* I was going to send you the link if you hadn't discovered the story by this evening. I know you're a few hours ahead.

I'm SO glad that you liked this, even though you haven't read The Last Battle! I enjoyed revisiting these characters. Hmm, I'd hoped to write a somewhat happier story, but Susan's fate fascinates me and I wanted to play with it. Her rejection of Narnia makes me sad, but she also gets to live - a great deal longer than her siblings, I hope. She's so young; I see her growing up a little and honoring her family by becoming just an awesome human being.

Melancholy themes aside, it was a pleasure to write this for you. Thank you so much for your lovely words, and this lovely layout.

[tree_and_leaf]

This is lovely - sad, but lovely. Both Peter and Susan are just right.

I liked the strawberries, too. It really seems to work.

[thistlerose]

Thank you so much! *g*

I got a strawberry craving just before sitting down to write this. That's how they found their way here.

[tree_and_leaf]

I think I've seen two many mediaeval religious paintings - I see strawberries and go "ah, symbolic". Either that or Bergman...

... I read too much into things.

[thistlerose]

Hmm. I may also have been thinking about a story my cousin told me once. I think it's Taoist. There's a guy who's being chased by a tiger and he knows he can't escape, but he comes across this patch of strawberries and he stops to eat them, and they're delicious. I think the moral - if there is one - is "enjoy what you can before life fucks you over." That doesn't sound very Taoist, so I might be wrong. But I wonder if Peter, Edmund, and Lucy are ever really able to enjoy their own world fully. I imagine Susan gets to.

[magic_at_mungos]

I've just got around to reading this and this is so cute. I really like this snapshot between Peter and Susan and like you, I think Susan got completely shafted in the Last Battle.

[thistlerose]

Thank you so much!

Susan's fate always intrigued me.

[magic_at_mungos]

There has been some awesome fic out there especially at yuletide regarding Susan.

[thistlerose]

Oh, I know! Have you read the one that's a crossover with His Dark Materials? That one knocked me flat.