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[fjadwrites]

Original Power Rangers Samurai Proposal

Today from the archives comes my unused early rough plan for how to adapt the Samurai Sentai Shinkenger season of the Japanese Sentai series for US television as Power Rangers Samurai.  Created independently and prior to the official production of the show its fate until now has been just to gather virtual dust in a virtual file.  It is presented here for educational purposes and a glimpse into a world of “what if?”

While Shinkenger had many elements that appeal universally it was also a distinctly Japanese story involving elements from Japanese history and culture which might limit its appeal to western audiences without some skillful adaptation and smoothing over.  In the summer of 2010, the original producers were back in control of the Power Rangers franchise and looking to adapt Shinkenger for American and international audiences.  Luckily for them they knew a writer they could call who spoke Japanese, had a degree in East Asian Languages & Cultures, grew up watching the show as a fan, and had even worked on the show as its head writer.  So after getting the call, I shaved my beard and left my mountain refuge for civilization again to find a computer or TV to binge through the 50 or so episodes of Shinkenger in a couple days and come up with a rough plan on how this could be adapted for the US before meeting with the producers.

Keep reading

[fjadwrites]

Our Memory Of The Dawn 11 - Just Like This

I’m still and I’m here, let me take you in like this… — Here I Am Again, Baek Ye Rin

xxxxxx

One thing led to another and the next time Amy finally realized what had just happened, both Narnians and Telmarines were in harmony. That day, the Narnians were celebrating the victory of the war. Not long after, Caspian was crowned as the king.

All the way, Amy decided to just watch everything unfold in front of her as she continued to remain in the background. Then again, not many people liked what she was doing. And to think she had contributed to a lot of things that led to the victory of the Narnians. Especially in terms of medical assistance.

At least, Caspian had told her that when the celebration finally died down.

“You don’t have to worry about me at this point, Your Majesty,” she said as soon as her mind finally registered the words he said to her.

“Then why didn’t you join the celebration earlier?”

Amy couldn’t help sighing before looking around, only to see what remained of the big celebration that had happened a while back. At the sight, she smiled sadly.

“I don’t know…” she admitted. “But I’ve been thinking about… a lot of things lately. Especially when reality finally hit me that the war had ended and things would return to the way it was. Or at least… that's what I’d like to think.”

“Whatever do you mean?”

Caspian looked truly confused. It looked like he still didn’t understand why she was feeling distant and even restless. But she retained the sad smile on her face. This time, she faced the setting sun.

“There are things — good things — that will eventually come to an end even though a part of our hearts do wish them to last forever. Now I realize that it’s been a ridiculous thought all this time,” Amy said without looking at the newly-crowned king.

She just remained facing the sun. At that moment, a face appeared in her mind that only made her words hit her hard like a brick had fallen and smashed her heart. Okay, those words turned out to be a little… strange, for the lack of a better word. Since when did she start describing her feelings like this?

Something was definitely off about her at the moment. But she chose not to mention it to Caspian at all. She couldn’t possibly ruin anything more about a supposedly festive occasion any more than she did.

After assuring Caspian that she would be alright on her own, Amy left the hall to go outside and breathe some fresh air. Then again, that was just an excuse. She knew very well that she had no real purpose going outside other than to get away from the truth that was about to hit them in the next coming days.

Just some short days before reality would hit her hard.

The reality of her finally leaving Narnia to go home.

It was an inevitable truth and she knew that. But it looked like a big part of her didn’t want to accept it. It was a strange notion, to be honest. And yet she thought that if she would want to be able to make it easy for her on the day of her departure, then…

Another heavy sigh escaped her lips as she looked up to the then already dark sky. But this time, it was not a foreboding night to look at. At least in the meantime, there would be no wars to threaten the peace that they had just achieved together.

“I thought you would be here.”

Those words snapped her out of her musings and rashly turned to the source of it. Amy’s eyes widened at the sight of Edmund standing a few feet away from her, staring at her intently. She had seen that look in his eyes before, when he knew he had to talk seriously to her about something.

At the moment, Amy knew she wouldn’t be able to escape whatever “interrogation” that she would have to go through with this guy.

“Just doing some thinking,” she said and turned away before looking at the sky once again. “A lot had come up and had been bombarding my mind ever since the war ended.”

It didn’t surprise her that she could blurt things out easily like that whenever Edmund was the one asking or inquiring. But that fact was also what had tortured her since the ordeal ended. She knew that it would never happen again.

If she were to be honest, she didn’t want that at all.

Then again, reality wasn’t always that merciful.

Amy didn’t hear Edmund say anything, but she did hear him sigh. Even with that, she didn’t turn around to face him. Or to put it in a better word… she couldn’t. She didn’t know how she would even react if she laid eyes on him again. Not when her emotions were starting to get the better of her.

“Amy…” Edmund called.

She shut her eyes tight. ‘Please… don’t fall now…’ she pleaded, as if her tears would actually listen to that. She remained silent, though.

“You’re not really going to face me?” he asked.

This time, her heart ached at the sadness she could hear in his voice as he asked that question. Her tears then fell as she lowered her head. It didn’t matter if he could see her in his state or not. She just wanted to let it out. It was too much already.

Amy took a deep breath just so she could calm herself. A few more moments had passed, and she raised her head. This time, with the intention to face Edmund fully.

She had to be truthful at this point. At least, she had to be like that to him. He needed that.

But to her surprise, she saw him already standing just a few steps away from her. And she was right, he had that worried look in his eyes. Once again, she had the urge to cry. regardless if he could see it or not.

“Amy…” he called once again.

“I’m sorry. I didn’t know what came over me to cry like this,” she said, not looking away from him this time.

Edmund didn’t say anything. Instead, he stepped closer to her. But she could even stop him, he held her hands before intently looking at her.

xxxxxx

“You’re shaking,” was what Edmund could say as he continued holding Amy’s hand.

Her tears continued falling drop by drop. If he was going to be honest, he didn’t like seeing her like this at all. But it wasn’t as if he had any right to stop her emotions. All he could do was to know the reason why she was feeling this way and if there was something he could do to calm her down.

At the moment, however, the words just won’t come out. His hold on her hands tightened.

“Don’t worry. I guess my emotion is just getting the best of me.”

But Edmund knew better. Amy was holding something back. It might be too much to assume. And yet he couldn’t help but silently wish that… they were thinking the same thing.

That they were worried about the same issue.

“Do you really have to remain secretive from me until now? Even with all that had happened between us?” he continued. And this time, he was the one who sighed.

“I’m not being secretive. I just… don’t know how to bring it up to you. It’s not like I have any right to demand or complain, anyway. Especially towards a former Narnian king who ruled here before me.”

Edmund frowned at her words. He knew she wasn’t joking when Amy said those words, even with the smile she’d shown as she spoke. And yet why…? Why did her words hurt him so much?

“Are you scared?” he asked instead. He became at a loss of what to say as a response to her rather cold statement.

It didn’t take long for her to respond with a nod. A few more moments later, she finally looked him in the eyes. He saw it right there and then.

He finally had a glimpse of the answer to that last question.

“I don’t really know what to think of once… all of these are over. Once we all return to where we came from, to the way it was before. I don’t want to feel hurt or disappointed or —”

“Amy…” Once again, he gently called out to stop her from rambling.

Even though she didn’t get to finish what she was trying to say, he fully understood what she meant.

Once again, she faced him. This time, with that look of desperation and fear on her face. But seriously, he didn’t think she had anything to feel scared about. The truth that hit them was something that was inevitable, after all.

He, too, had to make sure he would come in terms with that.

Edmund took a deep breath and faced the distraught Amy. He smiled the best he could, this time. She looked up as soon as she finally managed to calm herself down. As soon as he saw that, he took a few more steps closer to her. She was just looking at him the entire time, never looking away.

His heart couldn't stop beating fast in each step that he did just to get close to her. And when he was finally standing in front of her, he found himself reaching for her clasped hand and held them tight.

It startled Amy, no doubt about that. But she just remained there as she looked at him intently.

"We both knew that this would happen eventually. But I knew for sure that it didn't stop me from getting to know you. I wanted to know you, more than you'll ever know," Edmund declared without letting go of her hands.

He held them tighter when he felt her shiver. But he was aware that it wasn't the night cold that kept blowing. Perhaps she just didn't expect his words at all. Then again, he didn't expect anything like that to come out of his mouth, either.

Something inside him had driven him to blurt that out. Not that he could say that straight to her face, of course. To be honest, this had turned a little embarrassing for him. But he knew he didn't regret that.

There was no way he would. Regretting it would mean discarding the moments that he and Amy had shared together in this world, no matter how short they might have been.

"Edmund…" It appeared that Amy could only call his name after he said those words.

He would definitely miss this once he got back to his real world.

"I really wish I've met you before, met you sooner. Either here in Narnia or in our world. I know that this would sound crazy, but let me say it. I wish I did meet you in a different situation, in a more peaceful time. That way, I wouldn't yearn to be with you longer than this so much. Especially now that this reality is about to hit us."

Before he knew it, everything became too much for him. He soon found himself pulling Amy's hand just to close the distance between them. The next thing that happened, he hugged her — tight.

"Edmund?"

She was confused, he could tell that from her tone. But he didn't let her go. He remained embracing her tight. He could only do this to convey his feelings — one that he couldn't even utter.

"Just let me hold you like this… Please…" he said, almost in a whisper.

Amy didn't say anything, but she didn't struggle or push him away. She soon let out an agreeing sound before slowly wrapping her arms around him. The action startled him, without a doubt. But his heart reacted in a way that he didn't expect. He still liked it, nonetheless.

He smiled and hugged her tighter. Even with his heart beating like crazy, he stayed and relished it.

The world around them went on to continue celebrating. Even so, he was also celebrating. This moment — this possibly last moment he'd ever had — with Amy was more than enough to make him feel that.

[fjadwrites]

Our Memory Of The Dawn 10 - Live And Return

I have never asked for anything from you since then. But please do this one request from me. Do what you can to live and return here, just as I want your memories to remain in my heart…  — Florence Joyce

xxxxxx

“You sure know how to hide well, little lady.”

Amy could only stare wide-eyed at the Telmarine soldier pointing a sword to her face. What in the world? How did they manage to find her there?

But she knew she didn't have to show to the soldier in front of her and also to the other two who were restraining her horse that she was starting to panic. There was no reason for them to know that.

“Good for you for finding me. Not many idiots can do that.”

Okay. It might have been a bad idea to rile the soldiers up like that. But she really wanted to get out of there and head to where Edmund and the rest of the Narnians were. She didn’t have any time to deal with even more nonsense than this battle.

The soldiers looked at each other, evidently pissed off. But soon after, the soldier in front of her looked like he was ready to tear her apart. Then again, she was the last person to easily get intimidated by raging soldiers. She had proven it time and time again when she was here in Narnia before.

As much as she wanted to smile at the scenario playing in front of her, this was no time to play games. She had to get back to the How and help Prince Caspian and the others. She had no idea how things were turning out because of the duel. But if these soldiers were here and had managed to follow her, then something possibly worse must have happened.

'Please be careful, Edmund.' Even in her current situation, she couldn't help but to worry for that young king.

Her lack of reaction to the soldiers' glares must have ticked them off. The next thing she knew, the soldier in front of her raised the sword he was pointing at her face. She immediately pulled the short sword on her right side and stabbed the man on his right thigh. It was the nearest spot she could reach to distract him.

The soldier dropped the sword, just at the same time he keeled and dropped to the ground. Before the dropped sword could be grabbed, she took it and stabbed the screaming soldier before slashing his throat. As soon as the screaming ended, the two soldiers guarding her horse charged towards her as they pulled out their swords.

And yet, the horse started whining and neighing loudly that caught the soldiers' attention. The shorter male stopped and looked behind. Before he could do anything, the horse reared and struck the soldier on the face.

Of course, it caught Amy off-guard. But she also couldn't help smiling at the spectacle. Apparently, the remaining conscious soldier didn't like that and charged towards her again. This time, she was ready. She threw the long sword she used to kill the first soldier to her attacker’s chest. He soon fell with a thud after groaning.

The horse had stopped whining after that. But when Amy looked around, she realized that it wasn’t over yet. There were still soldiers around the area where she was at the moment. If it was more than three, then she knew she would have a hard time dealing with them.

“I have to do something,” she muttered in worry.

Without realizing it, she gripped the item that she had been holding this whole time since she went out of the cave. Her eyes widened as she looked down and lifted her hand where the item was.

“Of course! This is the whole reason why I went here in the first place.”

With that thought, Amy took a deep breath and tried her best to tune in to her surroundings. It was one thing she learned upon receiving the flute from Grandfire a long time ago. It was only then that she’d be able to truly use the power of the flute.

And then, she opened her eyes. Determination could be seen in them.

Before any of the soldiers could stop the young queen from doing something, they were all hit with a force within their chests as soon as a melody resonated from the flute. One by one, the soldiers attempting to attack her fell to the ground while clutching their throats or their chests. It was as if the melody was either choking them or gripping their hearts hard.

Amy continued playing the melody that she recalled playing before. All the while, she tried to sense her surroundings to realize any changes around her. There was one more soldier that tried to charge towards her even as the effect of her playing the flute was eating him. She could see that.

But a growling noise abruptly stopped her from playing, along with a rumbling coming directly from the ground.

“What in the world?” were the only words that Amy could utter as she struggled to keep herself standing despite the rumbling from the ground.

Before she could comprehend what was going on, a large tree root crawled through the ground and fully emerged. It struck the remaining soldier attempting to attack her from behind while she was crouched down!

Of course, the whole scenario surprised her. But only for a short while. The next thing she knew, a loud roar echoed around her that made her feel as if the whole forest rumbled. It was then that she finally made a sense of what had truly transpired for that tree root to move like that.

Feeling relieved and amazed at the realization, Amy stood up and looked up and around.

“Could it be…?” she ventured, almost in a whisper.

She then saw one of the trees nod, as if it heard her whispered question. She smiled and was about to cry. Before she knew it, petals around her started floating and flying around until it formed into what looked like a long-haired lady.

It was a dryad — and she hadn’t seen one in such a long time.

“He has returned, my queen,” the dryad started after bowing once. Amy acknowledged it and smiled.

“That’s what we’ve been aiming for, you know. But I’m glad he did.”

“And the magic coming from the sound of your flute had also allowed the rest of us to hear you and know your predicament,” the dryad continued.

It was only then that Amy was able to heave a sigh of relief — only this one was sure would last long. It truly meant one thing.

Aslan had finally come back. Lucy did it!

But her happiness didn’t last long. She knew she had to go back to the battlefield and assure the Narnians’ victory for herself.

With that thought, she faced the dryad and looked up to the tree that she knew was looking at her. It must have been the tree that had saved her from that last soldier earlier.

“I should be going back now,” she declared and headed towards the horse that she rode on earlier.

Both the dryad and the tree nodded once at her before she rode off. She had to return there, to where her friends and subjects were.

To where Edmund was.

xxxxxx

A lot had happened since the Narnians followed the retreating Telmarine soldiers to the riverbank. With Lord Sospepian’s orders, the enemy soldiers were about to cross using the bridge built there. Then they all saw Lucy step forward together with Aslan on the other side.

Of course, it came as a surprise. But most of all, the Narnians were relieved… But it didn’t last long. The Telmarines still charged towards the other end of the bridge.

That is, until Aslan roared to the approaching soldiers, forcing them to halt to a stop. Soon after, a rumbling noise slowly started to resonate around until they noticed that the water began receding. It was as if… a force was “pulling” the water away from them.

But such a phenomenon could only happen if—

“Look there!” someone pointed out with an excited scream.

Before the two groups of soldiers and warriors was a figure of an old man formed by the water. And with a roar, the said entity slowly hurled towards the soldiers on the bridge. Everything went by so fast from the moment that Aslan’s roar had, in fact, summoned a river god up until the entity itself had wiped out the Telmarines on the bridge.

Nothing was left between the two sides of the river. Just flowing water carrying what remained of the bridge that was supposed to connect the two sides.

When all the chaos from that event had slowly subsided, Edmund looked around the area after acknowledging both Lucy and Aslan. But just as it was earlier, he still couldn’t find the one he was looking for. Once again, worry started filling him up.

“Where is she?”

That question remained unanswered even after reaching the other side of the bridge where the youngest Pevensie and Aslan were. The other Narnians assisted in securing the weapons that the surviving Telmarines had surrendered. Even after the rest of the Pevensie siblings, along with Caspian, had greeted Aslan, Edmund couldn’t see any sign of Amy anywhere.

Did something happen to her? Where could she be?

“There’s no need to worry anymore. She’ll be alright,” Aslan said all of a sudden.

The Just King faced the lion who was only looking at him with calm eyes before nodding. But for him, it still wasn’t enough. He had to see it for himself that Amy was okay. That she wasn’t hurt.

That she was alive, most of all.

Not long after that, he heard footsteps of a horse approaching. He tried listening to where it could possibly come from, until his head turned to the direction of the forest where Lucy and Aslan arrived earlier. Moments later, a person wearing a cloak and riding a black horse emerged from the forest.

His heart skipped a beat at the sight of the approaching figure. Of course, he knew who it was. He would never mistake that form for anything else.

‘She’s here!’ he thought over and over as the cloaked figure finally stopped the horse and dismounted it.

Slowly, the new arrival removed the hood of the cloak that covered the face. Amy finally revealed herself to the others and bowed to Aslan as soon as she saw him.

“You’ve made it here, young lady,” Aslan said, which only made Amy smile before nodding.

It was the signal that Edmund took to finally approach Amy who had just turned to his direction. She smiled as she placed a hand on the horse that she rode on — possibly to calm it down. And for some reason, his heart won’t stop beating fast. Especially now that he stopped in front of Amy whose smile widened the moment she was within her reach.

“I made it back. Sorry it took so long,” she started before she took something out of the pocket of her dress.

His eyes widened at the sight of a rectangular wooden box that she pulled out from there. He knew what it was. And it also meant that, at one point, she had also used it to fight.

“I was able to use it around the same time that the trees had come to life again,” she continued before looking at Edmund. “At least, the result wasn’t as brutal as the last time I used this flute.”

“You’re not hurt, are you?” Edmund finally managed to ask even as his heart won’t stop beating fast.

Amy smiled and shook her head. It was enough as a confirmation before he took some more steps closer towards her. Before he could even stop himself, he pulled her to a tight embrace.

Of course, it would be a shock not just to Amy, but also to the others who were watching the entire interaction. But Edmund could care less. For him, he wanted to assure himself that she was there. That she made it back unharmed. She made it back and smiled again for him.

He didn’t know why it mattered so much to him before. But at the moment, as he continued to embrace her tight even with such an audience, he was doing this to fully convince himself that he had finally found the real answer that he was looking for.

“I’m glad you’re back…” Edmund could only whisper those words as he relished this moment that Amy was in his arms like this.

[fjadwrites]

Our Memory Of The Dawn 9 - Will Be Alright

Even if an endless darkness comes, after this night passes, everything will be alright… — It’s Alright, Dvwn

xxxxxx

Even when Amy knew she left the How earlier than planned, she still wasn’t sure if she was safe and no one was following her. This could be a good thing, but it didn’t mean that she should be complacent about the whole thing.

Because of that thought, she urged the horse to gallop faster for her to reach her destination. It would still be a challenge for her to look for the exact location since the land must have changed dramatically over the thousand years that the Kings and Queens had disappeared. Then again, she had to trust her instinct.

The very same instinct that Grandfire had seen in her when she became the Dawn Queen.

“I just have to reach the Western Woods safely. Then maybe I’ll be alright,” she said to herself as her horse continued to gallop faster than how it was a while back.

Several minutes later, she finally reached the part of the Western Woods that she had intended to go to. Upon looking around, perhaps the major change that she saw around her was the density of the area. It had gotten thicker, and probably even more dangerous for those wandering alone out there.

But if Amy was going to base it on her intuition, then she was sure that no one other than her was there. With a heavy sigh, she looked around once more to make sure no one had followed her. She dismounted her horse after a while of scanning her surroundings. She then found a tree in which she could place her horse and tie the rope.

“I guess this is the place…” she concluded after analyzing the area even with all the thick bushes and boulders that she considered to be out of place from the one she could remember.

“That’s strange… Has something happened that made this boulder appear here or fallen here?”

Of course, it was just a speculation. But a lot of time had passed in this world already since the last time she appeared here. If a lot of things could happen in one year, what more could have happened in the past thousand years or more? An entire civilization has changed dramatically in this world.

Now she must do what she could to make sure that the Narnians won’t truly fall in the depths of extinction forever.

One look at a strangely shaped boulder soon caught the young queen’s attention. With a frown, she approached the boulder while carefully traversing the ragged path. Tall grasses and thick bushes did hinder her from approaching the boulder faster than intended. But it didn’t deter here as she knew she had to look at it and investigate it — if she had to.

Not long after, with a careful look at the boulder enabled her to see something that made her eyes open wide and smile.

“This is it!” she exclaimed as soon as she saw a hole behind the mysterious boulder that had a familiar etchings on the edge of the entrance.

She knew what it was. The dwarves that accompanied her when she placed the flute in a secure and secluded place that day were the ones who placed the etchings there. It would be the sign that told her story as the queen that once ruled Narnia, they said. And they also said that it would be the sign that one could look into if they were determined to find her flute.

In this case, those words had helped her.

“Those guys… really did it…” she couldn’t help commenting with a smile as tears fell from her eyes.

But she could do the reminiscing again later, once she managed to do the task that she set to herself.

Amy then took a deep breath and managed to find herself entering the small cave even with the mysterious boulder blocking it originally. The place was dark, no doubt about that. But she wasn’t worried.

She recalled the duct created around the same time where she could use the stock of gas in that small area to activate a simple mechanism that would provide the light she needed for that cave. But in this case, she had to rely on her sense of touch to locate where it was. Memories at this point could also help her, as long as it won’t fail her.

She had no other choice but to do it or else, she would be stuck in the dark cave if she didn’t do anything to locate what she came to find there. It didn’t take long for her to activate the mechanism as soon as she found a box of matches in her bag and also the duct where the gas was.

Amy lit it up and the small cave was filled with light in front of her eyes. It was then that she finally found the spot where she knew she had placed the mystic flute a long time ago before she left Narnia. With careful steps, she managed to reach it and pull out a small rectangular box a little longer than the flute that she remembered.

“I can’t believe I’d be seeing this again after such a long time…” she couldn’t help commenting when she opened the wooden box where her flute was.

It didn’t change at all. It looked exactly the same as the time she received it from Grandfire a long time ago. Now she had it again on her hand.

“This should do it.”

With that, she stood up from her crouching position and prepared herself to get out of the small cave. But as soon as she stepped out of it, she saw a sword pointed to her face around the same time the horse roared as she could hear it stomped.

When she raised her head, she soon knew who it was.

“You sure know how to hide well, little lady.”

xxxxxx

Things hadn’t been going well like they all intended to. At least, it was what Edmund was thinking when Peter soon gave the order to fight when King Miraz got murdered in front of them. Now the Telmarines were ordered to attack the Narnians after the crime.

Edmund could only shake his head, though it wasn’t that obvious as he was more worried about the battle that they were all about to face. Of course, they still prepared for this since they figured that something might happen that would force them to fight to death.

Before any of the Narnians were given the order to charge and fight, he decided to look around inconspicuously as he could. To his disappointment, there was still no sign of Amy around the How at all.

‘What’s taking her so long?’  he couldn’t help asking as he continued looking around.

It didn’t take long for him to decide to focus on the battle in front of him that was about to ensue in the meantime. He couldn’t afford to fail, especially if it meant regaining the freedom that the Narnians had wanted for so long. It also meant that he was doing this for Amy, as well.

Then again, it was a strange thought running in his mind. Why was he including Amy in every decision that he could think of with regards to this battle?

“Are you alright, Ed?”

Edmund slightly looked up beside him to where Peter was standing. The older Pevensie wasn’t looking at him, but to the charging Telmarines towards them. But he knew that his older brother was the one who asked that question.

“I don’t know,” he admitted. “But I don’t think I even have the time to worry about anything else at the moment now that it came to this.”

It was the right answer, but his heart couldn’t help twisting with worry for the young Dawn Queen out there somewhere. At the moment, he had a battle to deal with using everything they’ve got at the moment.

This was going to be massive and they knew it. But the siblings could only have faith in Lucy trying to find Aslan and also in Amy (at least, in Edmund’s case) in finding the flute that would help them in a way to win the war.

To be honest, it felt like the battle lasted for such a long time and each of them could tell that casualties would pile up if this would keep up. But they had to hold out and continued to fight.

The battle soon turned to the Narnians’ favor when they all heard the roar resonating around them, giving them the indication that Lucy had succeeded in her task. The next thing they knew, there were trees from the forest that started moving towards the battle and attacking any Telmarines trying to have their way in defeating the Narnians while the others were distracted.

Edmund couldn’t help smiling in relief at the sight as he looked around. But that relief was short-lived upon noticing something. Once again, worry crept up to him.

“She’s still not here. I wonder what happened…” the young Just King could only wonder.

Not long after, they all saw the Telmarines retreating and were all heading to the river banks. The Narnians, including Prince Caspian and the three Pevensie siblings, followed the escaping soldiers to deal with them and whatever plans they had that might destroy everything about the battle.

They soon reached the river where a bridge was placed. They then saw Lord Sopespian — the one who killed King Miraz — gave the order to the remaining Telmarines to retreat and started traversing the large wooden bridge connecting the two sides.

“Wait… is that…?” Edmund murmured as soon as he noticed something approaching on the other end of the bridge.

They saw both Lucy and Aslan on that part of the bridge, making them feel anxious in anticipation and relief that something could still be done. But that wasn’t the case for Edmund.

If Aslan and Lucy had already arrived here, then it must mean that Amy should be here, as well. But… there was no sign of Amy around there at all.

‘What happened to her?’

[fjadwrites]

Our Memory Of The Dawn 8 - Make It Work Out

Despite not knowing how far we'll go with regards to the battle we're fighting, I'll make sure we'll make it work out in the end for the both of us... ~ Florence Joyce

xxxxxx

It has been a while since the rest of the Narnians saw what Amy and Edmund had seen while they were at the top of the How. Edmund even had to go back inside to call on his brother and inform him of the Telmarines' arrival near the How. Numbers alone, they were clearly outnumbered. Not to mention, the weapons they brought to the site that would surely put the rest of them to a disadvantage.

But this was clearly not the time for them to falter. They've made it this far. This was a war that they clearly had to win to finally free the Narnians once and for all.

After watching that display of arrival, the Narnians -- with Peter's permission -- decided to send out an envoy to deliver a message to King Miraz with regards to a proposed duel with the High King Peter himself. The whole time, Amy had only listened to the discussion and didn't voice out any of her thoughts about the proposal. But she knew that this was the only way they could acquire what they wanted personally. If worse comes to worst, of course, they had to prepare themselves for an all-out war.

And now, Amy could only watch with a sigh from the top of the How as Edmund, a dwarf, and a giant were chosen to deliver the message that Peter had declared. She didn't want to show it to anyone her worried for Edmund heading out on enemy's camp. But even with that, she tried to be positive about it.

Though she wasn't really sure how it would help her, she did her best to stay calm.

"I don't think they'd be foolish enough to attack Edmund without any reason, though. You don't have to look so worried for him."

That made her turn around, only to see both Susan and Lucy approaching her. She couldn't help showing a wry smile and turned back to watch over the field where Edmund was.

"Am I that obvious?" Amy asked instead.

"You are. I've seen your disposition changed since Edmund himself said that he'd be the one to deliver Peter's message to the Telmarines," Susan said as an answer before facing Lucy.

"It's not that I'm worried that they're going to hurt him," Amy admitted. "But we all know that the enemies had truly prepared to wipe the Narnians once and for all upon declaring this war. I'm worried about... something else, but still related to what we're facing right now."

"I don't understand," Lucy said.

"It's a discussion that Edmund and I had talked about before. About my way of helping out the Narnians with regards to the war. I... just want to make sure he's the first to know it."

To her confusion, she saw Susan and Lucy smile at each other before looking at her. But as much as she wanted to ask the sisters about her observation, her mind would still go back to the one person she'd been thinking all the while she was there.

"He'll come back soon. And when it happens, I know we have to be prepared. We'll head out on our respective tasks after the king agrees to Peter's proposal."

Amy nodded to Susan's words and once again, looked over the field. She knew she needed to stay strong and positive if she wanted her plan to work in their favor. If she believed in Lucy that the young Valiant Queen would be able to find Aslan, then Peter and the rest would be able to end the war for Caspian's sake, as well.

As for her, she could only think of one way to help the Narnians. And that is for her to retrieve her trump card and use it once again. This time, without the grief and hatred that once conquered her heart.

She could only hope that Edmund would be successful in making King Miraz accept the proposal.

xxxxxx

Once the proposal was made and accepted, the rest of the Narnians were in a frenzy to prepare for the duel. Of course, behind the scenes, Susan and Lucy were also doing their own preparations for their departure. But it wasn't that Edmund had wanted to pay attention to.

At the moment, he was starting to become a little frantic looking for one particular person. It took him a while before he finally found her in the stables. She was setting up the saddle on the black horse that he once picked when she asked what horse he would let her ride with one day.

Edmund didn't know why his heart skipped a beat at the sight of Amy doing that. Then again, this was the first time he had seen her do anything like this.

With a sigh, he finally took a step, then another, to approach the young Dawn Queen. It was then that he noticed that she was already wearing her signature leather bracer and chest guard. She was also wearing a belt which holstered her daggers. Which means she would only need to be hoisting her bow and the quiver of arrows and she'd be ready to go.

However, Edmund noticed one other thing about Amy, as well. She looked... uncertain. He frowned at the sight, though. Was she worried?

When the saddle was set, that was when Amy turned to his direction. The action almost made him halt to a stop, but he steeled himself to continue approaching the young woman. If there was something he was certain about Amy, he could bring out that smile from her.

A smile could be enough to ease both of their worries.

"Edmund," Amy called. "Have you finished preparing?"

He shook his head and stopped just a few feet in front of her. Despite the confusion that he could see in her face, it also looked like she was ready to listen. "I've been looking for you. You headed somewhere else right after I returned. And I didn't get to talk to you while we were having a meeting about the duel."

"I'm sorry. But it's not like I'm avoiding you."

Amy did look like she was sorry, and it made him smile, for some reason. It didn't last long, though. Before he could stop himself, he helped her prepare for her supposed journey.

"Are you about to head out?" he asked her as he checked her ration of food and water. Though it wasn't a long ride as she stated, he knew he had to prepare them for her, at least.

"Hmm. I have to do it early before the enemies could even have a heads up on the plan. Though I'm sure they had no idea about my flute and what it could do, it's better that I head there first and retrieve it. We will have a great advantage in our battle if I get to use it," Amy explained, only watching Edmund help her.

He didn't say anything after that, only because he couldn't voice out the words that he wanted to say to her. Damn it! He shouldn't be like this. And yet --

"Are you worried? About me?"

That question prompted Edmund to stop what he was doing and took a deep breath before facing Amy. He only looked at her for a short while before approaching her closer. "If I tell you I am, what will you do about it?"

Without a doubt, the way he asked another question -- in addition to the confession -- made Amy's eyes open wide. But if one would ask him, even he didn't expect himself to blurt it out like that. And yet, he still chose to hold his ground, wanting to know how Amy would answer that.

She was just looking at him, though. Her eyes were still opened wide. Not long after, she averted her gaze and took a deep breath before facing him once again. "Edmund... You know that... even if you're worried for my safety, I have to do this. I have to retrieve that flute that would help us win this war. But... maybe this would dissipate your worries a little."

Before Edmund could even ask Amy what she meant, he soon found himself being closer than ever to the Dawn Queen. Her arms circled his waist and her head on his chest. This time, it was his turn to have his eyes opened wide because of shock. And yet, it didn't last long.

The warmth that enveloped him because of her innocent embrace seemed to be doing its own magic to calm him down and reassure him. Before he knew it, he was smiling as his nose caught the sweet scent of Amy's hair. He soon found himself returning her embrace and he did so tightly.

None of them knew how long they held each other like that. But they both knew that the hug they shared did its magic for the two of them. When they released each other, they were smiling, and Amy soon held out her hand to touch his face. Obviously, the action startled Edmund a little but he just let her do what she wanted. That touch was meant to convey something to him. And her eyes as she looked at him had told him what it was.

Before he could hear anything from her, Amy smiled. "I'll be alright. Don't worry. Focus on making sure that Peter doesn't go overboard again. And I promise to you. I'll come back safe and sound."

Edmund could only look at her even after she said those words. But even from there, he knew she was telling the truth. That she'd be okay, she'd be safe.

Even when it was obvious that they didn't want to let each other go, Edmund released his hold on Amy's hands and assisted her in mounting the horse that he helped prepare. With understanding smiles on their faces, she soon urged the horse to move.

Of course, all the while, he could only look at her figure riding farther and farther away in such a short time before heaving a heavy sigh. He could only hope that Amy would be successful in her mission of retrieving the flute. This was for the war that they had to face, after all. A war that could help them achieve the peace for their beloved Narnia.

"Are you alright, Ed?"

That question coming from Peter appearing behind him only made him turn to look at his older brother. Then he turned his head back to look at the direction that Amy headed to.

"There's no reason I shouldn't be. I have to believe that Amy can do this to help us win the war." After that, he faced Peter, his eyes full of determination. "Let's go. You should prepare, as well."

"She really did a lot to change you, huh?"

Edmund turned to his brother as soon as he heard that comment. He looked at him with a frown. "Is it that obvious?"

Peter nodded and tapped Edmund's shoulder. "It looked like you noticed it, as well, huh?"

"I know myself, that's why. It was confusing, at first. But I could tell how much her presence had impacted me ever since I met her here." He soon faced Peter. "Right now, I'll just have to worry about you and your duel with King Miraz. And I know that's what Amy would want to happen, as well."

And so, the fated duel began, regardless of the worry that filled Edmund's heart for the young woman now out on a different mission for the sake of stopping the war.

xxxxxx

It took me a while before I got to finish writing this chapter. That's why I only got to post this now. Real life took over that I could only write a few paragraphs in days that I know I should be writing. But here's a new update for you, guys. Enjoy reading!

[fjadwrites]

Our Memory Of The Dawn 7 - You Opened My Eyes

You showed me something that I couldn't see. You opened my eyes and you made me believe... ~ Crazier, Taylor Swift

xxxxxx

Though she didn't create an argument over Peter's decision to proceed with the raid, Amy stood by her decision to remain in Aslan's How. Her reason? No one knew what the enemy was planning, so it was for the best that she stayed and protect the Narnians that would be left there.

Edmund was just looking at her, though. But she knew he could tell that she had already made her point across. And she was thankful that the Just King didn't force her to do anything at all. Then again, perhaps she knew he couldn't convince her to do otherwise. She didn't attend the meeting. Instead, she continued sorting out the medicinal herbs and helped the other Narnians prepare to head out.

As much as possible, Amy didn't want to cross paths with Peter while she was almost fuming in anger. And fate seemed to be in her favor. She was done setting up the saddles and armors on both the centaur and the griffin beside her when someone tapped her on the shoulder. She turned rashly, only to be surprised to see Edmund standing behind her.

"Edmund! I thought you were preparing for the raid," she started and patted the griffin to signal that she was done setting it up.

"Yes, I was. But... I knew I have to talk to you before I leave."

Those words were surely enough to make Amy's heart pound fast once again. But she knew she had to control herself or the conversation could lead nowhere. Especially when she was still angry over Peter's rash decision.

"Is there anything else that we need to talk about?" she asked instead and proceeded to walk towards the weapons aisle.

"Amy... please don't be like this."

Before she could even take anything from there, Amy faced Edmund who now had a worried expression on his face. By the way, it wasn't what she expected.

"I'm not mad at you, Edmund. So please, don't look at me like you've done something wrong, and you badly want to apologize."

"But -- "

She cut him off upon placing a sword on his hand. Edmund frowned at the sight before facing her once more. She sighed before speaking.

"Use this sword. At least... this is my way of being with you on this mission. I can't keep you safe myself. So I want my sword to do that for me," Amy said, without looking away from Edmund.

It took a while before he took the sword from her hand, not removing his gaze from her. Without a doubt, the gesture accelerated her heartbeat. But so did this mission that Edmund was about to head out to. And she couldn't deny that she was worried. Not just for his safety, but also for the others.

"Be careful out there," she whispered as she held his hand that was holding the sword that she gave to him.

One more long look at her and then he nodded. "I will. Thank you."

xxxxxx

It was a long night and Amy, for the first time, couldn't wait for it to end. That night raid was making her more anxious than ever. Then again, it wasn't like she could easily admit it. Well, she was able to do that -- in her adventure journal. They were still thoughts related to her adventures in Narnia, after all.

The other thing she was able to admit in her journal was her worry for one particular person in the group. She had been sighing nonstop since she finished writing and decided to head to the top of the How to wait for the group to finally return from the raid. Being outside could possibly help her calm down, as well.

"Please come back safe..." Amy pleaded in a whisper as she looked up to the still dark sky, even though dawn was already starting. It had been the only thing she'd ever think of ever since Edmund and the others headed out. Perhaps she won't stop uttering that until they return.

The sun was about to rise up to the sky when she saw figures approaching the How that she immediately stood up as soon as she realized who they were.

"Thank goodness, they're here!" she breathed out in relief.

But the smile that formed on Amy's face along with the relief she felt soon disappeared upon noticing something strange.

What happened? They weren't this little before they left. They were more. Her heartbeat accelerated as a thought struck her. She was shaking her head, almost in denial. She tried to find Edmund among the crowd that had arrived in the How from her spot. She managed to do so almost immediately.

Amy was about to approach the said young king when she heard Lucy shouted and swords pulled out from its scabbards. Her eyes widened at the sight of Caspian and Peter pointing swords at each other.

"What happened?" she could only ask in confusion as she watched how would the situation unfold from her position.

It took a while before the intensity of the situation died down and she saw Lucy approaching the dwarf Trumpkin who appeared to be injured. It looked like she used the Polyjuice potion to heal the dwarf.

While it was all happening, Amy could only look at Edmund who appeared to be calm while all of this was going on. But she knew, he was only trying to stay calm. And when he looked up to where she was standing, her heart broke at the sight of hopelessness in his eyes.

At that moment, Amy knew she had to do something to help him.

xxxxxx

Though rested enough after the ordeal they went through following the raid at Miraz's castle, Edmund wasn't feeling good at the moment. He couldn't help feeling down and restless. Because of that, he didn't even go out and face Amy, even though he knew very well he needed her presence to help him somehow at the moment.

Unexpectedly getting summoned back to the place that he and his siblings once ruled as kings and queens, meeting Amy and befriending her was the last thing he ha expected. And now, needing her presence to calm himself down and stop himself from feeling bad about what happened was an unexpected thing for him to feel, as well. How did it come to this point, anyway?

He sighed as he looked around while sitting at Amy's favorite spot at the top of the How. He decided to go there when he knew he had rested enough. Also, he went there when he knew that Amy wouldn't be there.

"It's unusual for you to be here."

Edmund froze at that voice he heard that he didn't even turn around. He remained in his position and sighed not long after.

"You're really not going to face me, huh?" she asked.

The next thing he knew, Amy sat beside him that made him face her. To his confusion, however, she was looking at him with a smile. It was as if she was reassuring him.

"You don't have to hide what you're really feeling from me, you know. I can tell you're not feeling good because of what happened. Susan told me all about it."

"We could've done something more to save them. And yet..." He couldn't continue what he wanted to say. Instead, he looked away from Amy and faced the surroundings. To be honest, he didn't want to show to Amy how badly he felt for what happened to the other Narnians at the raid.

On the other hand, that was all he could do. His heart felt heavy just remembering that once again.

"Maybe this is the reason why you thought that Peter's plan was such a bad idea, to begin with," he said, before facing Amy.

Her understanding smile was still on her face, and he couldn't help starting to feel good at the sight of that.

"I'm not a seer for me to know what could possibly happen. But Peter's mind hadn't been in its clear state since I met all of you here. And you know that making a decision with such a mind can lead to dire consequences. We can't do anything now to change what had happened. But we still have a chance to change Narnia's future once and for all. We just have to keep believing that there is a way for us to do that now that we're here."

Edmund could only look at Amy even after she said those words. It was unbelievable for him to realize the effect that this young woman had on him even at such a dreary time. He wanted to believe that she was just saying this to calm him down and she'd forget about it soon.

But this was Amy. They've only gotten close over the past days, but he could feel her sincerity in her words. Now he could see why Grandfire and those wolves had chosen her to be a queen back then.

After sighing, Edmund smiled at Amy and held her hand. Though the act had obviously startled her, she didn't do anything to remove it from his hold. He took it as a signal.

"Thank you, Amy. Thank you for understanding."

The girl just smiled and nodded not long after. "You're welcome. So how do you feel now?"

"A little better. But unsure on what to do next. The Telmarines are surely going to strike at us any time soon because of that," Edmund admitted.

Silence surrounded them after that. He couldn't help frowning because it only meant that Amy was doing some thinking again. He patiently waited until she was ready to talk before he spoke.

"I guess retrieving that flute is my only way to help, then." Amy faced Edmund with a determined expression. "If we're sure to be heading out on a sure war, it's best to be prepared."

But before he could even say anything about it, he soon noticed something approaching that made his blood run cold. Amy then followed his gaze as soon as she noticed his expression.

"What the --?"

It took a while for them to comprehend the situation. But they knew it was real this time.

"They're here."

xxxxxx

This was supposed to be my update last night (Philippine time), but I didn't get to do so. That's why I'm doing it now. I know it's been a long while since I last updated this story. Though I have an outline for this story, I didn't have enough time for me to proceed with the story, for some reason. But now I have some. And now here is the update. This will be 12 chapters all in all, so I still have 5 chapters left before I can say that this story is finished. By the way, as decided by lottery, this story would be updated every Sunday. Maybe I should put that on my profile just so people would know. In any case, enjoy reading!

[fjadwrites]

My gosh! Did I actually decide to study 4 languages next year? And I mean, for real this time. No BS. Then again, it's better that I have this goal, right?⁡ ⁡⁡.⁡ ⁡I mean, I did made it a goal back in July 30, 2020 that I'd write in my journal EVERY DAY for 1,000 days (thanks to @carrie.walker for giving me the inspiration to do this). And I'm about to reach that goal next year on April 26, 2023.⁡ ⁡.⁡ ⁡So now... I created another goal. And this time, it's about language learning. The one that I've been aiming to do for so long now. By the way, thanks to @lindiebotes' video that I watched last night, I was able to come up with the inspiration to do this quarterly language focus plan (wait, is that how you call it?) for next year. Now I just have to come up with a study plan so that they won't get mixed up somehow.⁡ ⁡.⁡ ⁡.⁡ ⁡#2023goals #2023plans #languagelearning #biggoals #languagefocus #languagegoals https://www.instagram.com/p/CmHQEHUyrsX/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=

[fjadwrites]

This is what I've been doing since the start of November. As for the other months, well... Let's just say it got chaotic that I didn't get to post more here. Or at all. 😫😫

[fjadwrites]

One of the very few times I've ever posted something like this on social media. Well, I don't even complain this way often, even in real life⁡. Not sure if it's a good thing or a bad thing. But I guess I can handle it as long as it doesn't cross the line. 🤔🤔 I'll let you know when you did. 😒😒 ⁡.⁡ ⁡.⁡ ⁡#randomthoughts #twitter #complaining https://www.instagram.com/p/CjyZ48kB6jB/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=

[fjadwrites]

Back to dealing with my other journal. Why is it that the day was still on Monday when it's Thursday already here in 🇵🇭? That's because I wrote my supposed entry on my brain dump notebook as I was outside most of the time these past days.⁡ ⁡.⁡ ⁡So yes, I'm about to transfer those entries on my journal while waiting for my late night task to finish. ٩(๑•̀∞•́๑)و ｶﾞﾝﾊﾞｯﾃ!! ✊✊⁡ ⁡.⁡ ⁡.⁡ ⁡#journal #journallifeupdate #journalnotebook #my6yearjournal #writerslifeupdate https://www.instagram.com/p/CixpgCjPkyH/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=

[fjadwrites]

Something that I've been preparing for my NaNoWriMo project this year. 😄✌️💕 As for who is who, maybe I'll mention when the event actually starts.⁡ ⁡.⁡ ⁡.⁡ ⁡#visualinspiration #liveportraitmaker #nanowrimo #nanowrimo2022 #writingpreparation https://www.instagram.com/p/CivzP1NvZ8M/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=

[fjadwrites]

⚜️REPOSTED⚜️ . #WIPSongChallenge Day 5: A song for your favorite scene. . Another late person joining the challenge featuring my ongoing Wattpad series #ReiyoukiSentaiSeitenger. The song I chose is actually Korean titled "Comfort Song" by Jung Yong Hwa. As for the scene where this song goes, this would actually apply on Episode 11 of the series in which Helen will finally come in terms with her tragic past with the help of her friends in order for her to fight together with the other Vessels. . . . . #writing #writingchallenge #novemberwritingchallenge #instachallenge #hashtagchallenge #wattpad #blogger #writerph #writerslife #writerofinstagram #aesthetic #writingaesthetic #hundredheavensknightschronicles https://www.instagram.com/p/CIJ9yODjpb2/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=

[fjadwrites]

⚜️REPOSTED⚜️ . #WIPSongChallenge Day 6: A song for your MC. . The title of the song I chose for Tennouji Helen is Lee Soo Young's "Will It Reach You?", which was one of the songs featured in the soundtrack of the Korean drama "Jang Ok-jung: Live For Love". I chose this for her because of her past in which it eventually made her unable to communicate with anyone with regards to her feelings. And when she met the chosen Vessels, it became a struggle for her to express her feelings, especially to the person who could truly see her and wormed his way to her heart. . . #writing #writingchallenge #novemberwritingchallenge #instachallenge #hashtagchallenge #wattpad #blogger #writerph #writerslife #writerofinstagram #aesthetic #writingaesthetic #hundredheavensknightschronicles #ReiyoukiSentaiSeitenger https://www.instagram.com/p/CIM9URgji3X/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=

[fjadwrites]

⚜️REPOSTED⚜️ . #FantasyWIPNov20 Day 2: #MoodboardMonday - Aesthetic for your NaNoWriMo project. . This is quite late, I know. But I still want to post this here. This is the aesthetic I made for the story #SpiritPowerVessels. This story was originally a Super Sentai/Power Ranger themed. But I changed my mind at the start of this year. Now, I made it a part of the series that features chosen knights from various magical worlds. . . #writing #writingchallenge #novemberwritingchallenge #instachallenge #hashtagchallenge #wattpad #blogger #writerph #writerslife #writerofinstagram #aesthetic #writingaesthetic #hundredheavensknightschronicles https://www.instagram.com/p/CIM9soSD2qF/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=

[fjadwrites]

Just something I created for the story #SpiritPowerVessels since I haven't made an update on that. By the way, I'm only posting this story exclusively on my Blogger account specially for the English stories that I wrote and will write. . . #wattpad #blogger #writerph #writerslife #writerofinstagram #aesthetic #writingaesthetic #hundredheavensknightschronicles https://www.instagram.com/p/CISJlAujrt7/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=

[fjadwrites]

🔅REPOSTED🔅 . The Ilgrath Guardians from the second HHKC story that I'm going to write were dinosaurs that the Ilgrath Tribe had modified in the ancient times in order to fight the Drurginar clan. But these modified beasts were actually created out of regrets of the Tribe for being unable to stop the enemies from wiping out the entire Wesharian royal family in the past. That regret remained and was even passed on to their true descendants. . Even so, these Guardians remained loyal to the tribe that made them create the Ilgrath Swords as their way of determining their respective Knights to become a Phantom Berserker. They were only awoken from their long slumber after the five knights-in-training stumbled in the Faerseton Stronghold with Kieran Griffiths' "help", allowing the chosen knights to activate the Guardians' powers to combat the returning Drurginar Clan. . . #writingplan #wattpad #english #fanfiction #hundredheavensknightschronicles #writerph #writerslife #writerofinstagram #phantomberserkers https://www.instagram.com/p/CIj75gjDqYX/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=

[fjadwrites]

🔅REPOSTED🔅 . I remembered that I haven't been able to update the profiles and arsenals of the Phantom Berserkers. For now, here are the arsenals that the rangers will use in the series. . ARSENALS: ⚜️Guardian Soulpieces - The crystallized parts of the Ilgrath Guardians imbued with the mystical powers of the Ilgrath Tribe members responsible for creating them. These came in handy for the Phantom Berserkers to use in order to combat the Drurginar Clan and activate their Phantom Guardian Armors. ⚜️Ilgrath Sword - The primary weapon of the Phantom Berserkers which can be said as sentient for the reason that the swords choose their masters. Weird thing, though, they chose the new Phantom Berserkers after they stumbled into the ruins of the Faerseton Stronghold and those that haven't formally started their training at the Ruarden Fortress yet. . . #writingplan #wattpad #english #fanfiction #hundredheavensknightschronicles #writerph #writerslife #writerofinstagram #phantomberserkers https://www.instagram.com/p/CIj7K_Aj3xJ/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=