“And this King can find the ‘Hag?’ “ Twilight asked.
“I, well…” The creature scratched the base of his horns. “He’ll definitely want to help you! Besides, it’s not like your fairy friend is the first she’s taken. It’s becoming a bit of a problem… but you seem different from the others. You were saying strange words…”
Data nodded. “Not surprising.”
“I don’t even know what you are!” The creature’s excitement suddenly increased as he began bouncing around Data. “You have pale skin like a statue, but you move.”
“I am an android,” Data offered.
“And you…” He bounded over to Twilight. “A unicorn and a pegasus? I’ve never heard of such a thing!”
“I’m what’s called an alicorn,” Twilight offered. “I’m more surprised that you have unicorns and pegasi. I haven’t seen any in my travels so far.”
“Well, I’ve seen unicorns, but a pegasus…” Shaking his head, he trotted to Cosmo. “And you! What kind of forest spirit are you?”
“Seedrian. I…” Cosmo furrowed her brow and tilted her head to the side. “I don’t think I’m a spirit?”
“Amazing…”
“What about me?” Toph asked, smirking.
“You… appear to be a Daughter of Eve, but I saw you, you have earth spirit blood within you.”
“Daughter of… who?”
“Eve,” Data said. “Mother of all humans in a religious tradition.”
Toph furrowed her brow. “I thought we were created by the spirits on Lion Turtles?”
“And until you arrived, it was thought humans evolved on our Earth through the Precursors,” Data pointed out. “Though it appears we were influenced by images of another universe.”
Toph kicked a rock. “Weird.”
“I… don’t know what you are talking about,” the creature said, rubbing the back of his head. “But I’m Turmeric, a faun.”
“Pleased to meet you, Turmeric,” Cosmo said, curtsying. “Can you take us to the King?”
“Yes! If he were all the way at Cair Paravel I’m afraid I would be of no assistance, but he’s in these Lantern Wastes right now, responding to reports of the Hag. It’s no more than a day’s journey to his camp. I’m sure he’d love to meet you all!”
Twilight looked to everyone in her group for a moment, checking their responses. Finding only agreement, she said, “All right, Turmeric, lead the way.”
Turmeric took off in a trot, prompting the rest of the group to hustle after him. Noticing Cosmo falling behind, Twilight levitated her onto her back so she wouldn’t struggle quite so much. “Thanks, Twilight.”
Twilight shook her head. “Don’t mention it.”
They left the lamp post far behind and entered the wood itself, and what a wood it was. As they ran through it, all but Data felt as though they were children frolicking in a field. Every root sparkled with an unknown magic and whenever the sunlight reached their faces smiles broke out. It was a warm, welcoming place that buzzed with more life than any of them were used to. It was a natural paradise.
Twilight jumped over a large rock and skidded down a dirt path, laughing. Toph jumped past her with a burst of earth, sliding downhill like she was snowboarding. Data, while not laughing, had put on a slight smile; though this was to make his face match the mood and not because he was actually feeling anything. Even in a place as saturated as this, he could not be moved.
However, even he could see that this place was different. More alive.
Twilight kept laughing as she jumped through the wilderness, all smiles and happiness until she came across a single dead tree. It stood much taller than all the others, but its bark was old and knotted and most of its branches had been torn off. In the midst of that beautiful forest, the stark reminder of death served as a warning. This world isn’t spotless. “Tippi…” Twilight said, grimace returning. Here we are, enjoying ourselves while Tippi is gone.
“Hey!” a harsh voice called. “What’re you lot in such a hurry for?”
“We’re going to the King!” Turmeric said, turning his head to the trees. The only living thing in sight was a large white bird sitting on a green tree branch.
“Who said that?” Cosmo asked, looking around.
“The bird,” Toph offered. “Honestly, I’m not surprised at this point.”
“What, never seen a talking bird before?” the bird asked.
“I mean…” Twilight furrowed her brow, trying to figure out how to word it without being insulting. “I’ve seen birds like you before, but they never spoke. The talking birds always looked different.”
The bird blinked. “You got yourself a pack of loons, Turmeric.”
Turmeric folded his arms and huffed. “I say, that’s no way to treat visitors to Narnia. They’re foreigners, you know.”
“Obviously.”
“Now, we do intend to go to the King. He is still at his camp, correct?”
“Last I knew. You might want to pick up the pace a bit, there’s a troop of dwarfs up ahead going the same way. You could join with them, protect yourselves from the Hag.”
“Safety in numbers.” Data nodded. “An adequate proposition.”
“I’m not even going to ask what you are,” the bird said.
“I am an android.”
“I didn’t ask!”
“But you expressed a lack of underst—”
The bird let out a disgruntled sigh and took off into the air, leaving them alone once more.
“Do many animals talk in your world?” Cosmo asked Turmeric.
“Most of them,” Turmeric said.
“Wait, even things like wolves?” Toph blinked. “How do they eat?”
“I did say most, didn’t I? A talking animal eating another talking animal…” He shivered. “Perish the thought!” He waved them forward. “Come, let’s catch up with those dwarfs.”
It did not take long for them to find the troop of creatures, though they heard them long before they saw them. Loud chattering mixed with occasional laughter and disgruntled shouts let them know what to expect when they finally caught up. All in all, the scene was not all that unexpected: a bunch of short, mostly bearded humanoids talking loudly and ignoring most everything that was happening around them, trampling any plant shorter than them underfoot. They were so absorbed in their rowdy communal interaction that they didn’t notice Twilight’s group until they had started walking alongside them.
“Hey, who’s this then?” a red-bearded dwarf asked, narrowing his eyes. “Never seen a horse this colorful.”
“I’m Twilight Sparkle,” Twilight said, bowing.
“It talks!” A black-bearded one said. “And it’s got a name to match the color! Hah!”
Another dwarf nudged him. “Lots of things talk, Bimph.”
“Yeah, and it’s always funny!”
“Forgive them, they’re dense blockheads,” a taller red-bearded dwarf in cleaner clothing said. “I’m Nikrin, chief of this troop. You goin’ to see the King about the Hag too?”
“Yes,” Twilight said. “She stole our friend.”
“She stole my nephew,” Nikrin muttered. “And then she runs away, never shows her face again.”
“Cowardice!” a chorus of dwarfs behind him called.
“The King better have something to offer,” Nikrin said, turning back to the march. “But I have my doubts he’s the legendary hero everyone says he is.”
Turmeric gasped. “How can you say that? The King has done many great things for the land!”
“Was it really him, or was it Aslan?”
“Well… both?” Turmeric cocked his head. “How does that…?”
“Bah,” Nikrin waved a hand, “You stay in this forest too much to understand. You’ll never get it.”
“Oh, my…” Turmeric scratched his chin. “I’m afraid I’m going to have to bother you to try.”
Nikrin sighed. “You see that black swirl in the sky?”
Twilight froze. The Void. She hadn’t even noticed it. Looking around, she still couldn’t see it.
“Ah, yes…” Turmeric frowned. “That… thing.”
“You can’t see it from here, missy,” a dwarf told Twilight, noticing her glancing around in a near-panic. “It’s toward the eastern horizon, hidden by all these trees.”
Twilight flew into the air, breaking through the dense evergreen foliage. Her heart sank when she looked to the horizon. There, sitting just above a distant mountain, was the Void, swirling much larger than the sun, ominously looming over the world. She dropped back down. “Yes, the Void is here…”
“The Void?” Nikrin scratched his beard. “Interestin’ name, works well. But the point is, ever since that thing’s showed up, the King’s done nothing about it. He just lets it sit and says nothing about it. Tells Narnia to ‘remain calm’ and all that nonsense.”
“I do not believe he knows anything,” Turmeric said.
“And that’s my point—he doesn’t know squat squash.”
“Here here!” the other dwarfs cheered.
“But, animals are starting to see Aslan again, and you all know he will do something. He always does. I just hope he doesn’t let the King take the glory again.”
“Excuse me,” Data said. “But who is this Alsan figure you keep referring to?”
The dwarfs and Turmeric stared at Data like he had grown a second head.
“...Did I say something wrong?”
“You…” Turmeric glanced at Toph, eyes widening. “I found you at the lamp post… You talk of other worlds...”
Nikrin turned to Turmeric in disbelief. “You aren’t saying…”
“They are from another world, they would have no clue who Aslan is, like the legendary Kings and Queens of old.”
“Aslan really is moving.” Nikrin chuckled. “Aight, children, gather round. Aslan… is a lion. But that doesn’t even begin to do him justice. He is the savior of this land, the protector of Narnia, and the bringer of justice.”
“Don’t forget his kindness!” Turmeric offered.
“Bah, we don’t need kindness right now, we need him to come over here and tear out that Hag’s throat. Then deal with that Void thing by roaring it into nothingness or something.”
“...His gentle mercy is still…”
“He’s not a tame lion, Turmeric.”
Turmeric folded his arms, huffing.
“He sounds like a hero,” Cosmo said, clasping her hands together.
“And a formidable beast,” Data admitted. “Albeit one whose acts have been exaggerated with time.”
“Shouldn’t you hear some of those stories before making that assessment?” Twilight suggested.
“Oh boy, here we go…” Toph crossed her arms.
“There are not enough words in the world to tell all the stories of Aslan,” Nikrin said with a smirk. “But I can tell you the one about how he called four human children from another world to end the reign of the White Witch over Narnia…”
~~~
Night had fallen. As it was a moonless night, the ominous purple glow of the Void could be seen even through the trees. The dwarfs had set up camp around numerous campfires and were telling jolly stories with loud laughter and warm meals that tasted amazing but nobody really knew what they were composed of. “Meat, probably,” a few had said when asked.
Data had taken a moment to break away from the camp to make some calls. “Data to Enterprise.”
“Go ahead,” Picard said.
“We are en-route to the King of Narnia, where hopefully he can assist us in finding the... ‘Hag’ that took Tippi. We should arrive sometime tomorrow on foot.”
“You’re likely going to reach him before we get there. Captain Tails is still wiring the Master Emerald into the Enterprise’s systems.”
“Have you found a way to track Tippi?”
“We have. But we sent a probe through the door scanning for her signature and found nothing. This… ‘Hag’ is probably hiding her somehow.”
“A reasonable assumption. She did appear to possess advanced stealth capabilities.”
There was a pause. “Data, how is your team holding up?”
“Admirably, sir. They lack the discipline of a Starfleet away team, but they make up for that in the bonds they are developing—that we are developing.”
“Glad to hear it. Continue as you see fit. Picard out.”
Without missing a beat, Data walked back to the encampment, finding Twilight sitting on a log a fair distance from the fire. Data sat down next to her, following her gaze to where Cosmo was sitting, staring at Nikrin and the other storytelling dwarfs with rapt attention, a serene smile on her face.
One of the older dwarfs was currently talking to her. “Why, I was there when he liberated the schools! Was the funniest thing ever! He poked his head in one of the schoolhouses and roared! That was all it took to send the headmistress running and the children into a cheer! Hah!”
“He really is your hero, isn’t he?” Cosmo asked.
“He’s more than that, lass,” Nikrin said, smirking. “He’s everyone’s hero. The kings and queens were from another world, remember.”
“I do…” Cosmo sat back. “Do… do you think we’ll get to see him?”
“I’m sure of it!” Nikrin slapped his thigh and laughed. “A mysterious black Void in the sky and some explorers from another world? That all smells of his work.”
“I can’t wait!”
“Then he might lecture you on patience when you do meet him,” Nikrin said.
Turmeric huffed. “He doesn’t lecture. At least… well, not usually…”
“I think I’ll just be happy to meet him regardless,” Cosmo said.
Twilight sighed, keeping her gaze on Cosmo but speaking to Data. “I envy her.”
Data raised his eyebrows. “Envy her how?”
“She’s not worrying about Tippi. She’s able to enjoy herself, confident that everything will just… turn out all right.” Twilight sagged. “I’m worried about Tippi. Who knows what that Hag’s doing to her?”
“Nobody.”
“Yeah…” Twilight looked back up to Cosmo, laughing with the dwarfs. “How does she do it?”
Data tilted his head to the side. “I am not certain it is entirely her. The mood of the dwarfs and Turmeric appears to be having an effect. They know people who have been stolen by the Hag, but they are not letting it prevent them from smiling and enjoying their journey.”
“I wonder what the secret is…”
“The stupid lion,” Toph said from behind them, starting Twilight.
“Toph! How did…”
“I’ve been listening,” Toph interrupted. “It’s all ‘Aslan this’ and ‘lion that’ and blah blah blah.”
Data raised an eyebrow. “Why is that a problem?”
“It’s ridiculous. Nobody’s that perfect.”
“I don’t believe they ever said he was perfect,” Twilight pointed out.
“They’re assuming it. Have you actually been listening to their stories? That lion is oh-so-precious, oh-so-perfect, and never does anything wrong. It’s ridiculous.”
“I’m sure you had similar heroes and legends in your world,” Twilight said.
“Yeah. And then I met the Avatar. He was a bumbling idiot. He didn’t deserve all those legends. ...He didn’t even want them.”
“That sounds like something to ask Aslan about when we meet him,” Data suggested.
Toph snorted. “If we meet him.”
“But they sai—”
“They’re a bunch of half-drunk old men telling stories. They exaggerate. A lot.”
Data paused, processing this. “Certainly true, many of the things they speak of are contradictory and clearly embellished. However, I do not think tha—”
“Imagine that, genius emotionless robot not thinking.” Toph let out a bitter snort. “I’m going to sleep.”
“Toph…” Twilight reached out, but the girl had already earthbended herself up into the bows of a tree where she pretended to fall asleep immediately.
Twilight shook her head with a sigh. “I’m concerned about her.”
“How so?” Data asked.
“Ever since I met her, I think she’s been running away from something. I’ve never pushed it, since we really do need her with us. But… I don’t know.”
“She is still young. A child, by most cultures’ metrics. Some immaturity and personal uncertainty are to be expected.”
Twilight nodded slowly. “None of us are really able to deal with what we’re doing, are we? I don’t think about the impending destruction; instead, I focus on worrying about us, as a group. Cosmo seems at peace but I know she’s deeply sorrowful. Toph’s just running away. And you…” Twilight let out a soft chuckle. “Well, you’ve got it together.”
“On the contrary,” Data said. “I may not fall into emotional traps, but I seek to understand them better. I doubt my ability to operate in this group effectively at regular intervals. It does not affect me as it does you—but it is there.”
Twilight put a wing around Data. “You’re doing just fine.”
“Thank you, Twilight.”
“Don’t mention it.” She yawned. “I think I’m going to get some sleep. You’ll keep watch?”
“And continue to observe the stellar cartography of this world’s sky. There are a few anomalous properties I have yet to explain.”
“...Can I join you?”
“No, you must sleep.”
“Pleeeeeease?” Twilight put on the big, slightly watery puppy dog eyes for him.
They had no effect. “I will tell you what I find come morning.”
“Fine, fine…” Twilight yawned again. “See you in the morning, Data.”