Epilogue

Shift coughed and spluttered as he surfaced in a pool that was very different from the one he'd dived into. The water wasn't as glassy clear as it had been in the pool in the Woods Between the Worlds. It wasn't really murky but it was churned by the current and kept in constant motion.

He pulled himself onto the bank and looked around. The world he was in looked like a nice enough world, but looks could be quite deceiving, as he well knew.

A rustle of plants caught Shift's attention. He tensed, preparing himself for a fight, but the strange, four-legged creature that emerged from the underbrush was too small and skittish to be much of a threat. Wide, fearful eyes locked on Shift's and Shift found himself wondering how hard this creature would be to catch, and whether or not it would taste better raw or cooked.

Then the creature spoke. "Are . . . are you an Ape?"

"An Ape?" The word was vaguely familiar. Edmund and Scrubb had used it several times in reference to Shift and his appearance. "Yes," he told the creature. "That is exactly what I am. An Ape. And what, might I ask, are you?"

"I'm a Donkey," the creature told him. "My name's Puzzle. Do you want to be my friend?"

The End.

Thanks again, all of you guys, for reading this far, checking back every week, reviewing, and above all, reminding me why I love writing. I've had a lot of fun writing this story and I hope you all enjoyed it! I'll be writing a third story in this AU, centered around Edmund, Eustace, and Jill, and the developing dynamics between these three characters, which many of you mentioned that you found interesting. I don't know for certain how long it will be before I finish planning and get a chance to write that story, but I have another Narnia project in mind that I hope to start in the next month or two. If you're looking for something to read in the meantime, please check out the original stories that I have on my website – or put my books on your Christmas list, lol.

Once again, thank you all for your support, and I hope that you had fun reading!

-Meteor