Selfless Acts
Disclaimer: I own nothing. CS Lewis owns Narnia and her people.
Summary: No matter what, they will protect each other. After all, isn't that what families do?
1)
Edmund is six years old when he first witnesses an act of selfless behaviour. As he plays in the corner of the livingroom, refusing to share his toys with a much younger Lucy, he watches in disgust as she crumples her face up, and begins to cry. Never mind that the girl is only a few years younger than he is, he is disgusted by the action, and – just to make a point – snatches away the toy that she is playing with (hers, and not his). Watching them from the sofa, where he is about to bite into the first chocolate bar he has had since the war broke out, Peter sighs and moves over, comforting his littlest sister by giving her a huge chunk of the brown goodness, smiling as Lucy's face lights up, and she giggles, her face a mess of chocolate in mere seconds. Edmund watches, and feels guilt and jealousy stir in his gut.
2)
Susan is ten when she first witnesses selfless behaviour. As far as she can see, there is nothing selfish in signing up for war, there is nothing logical, either. But father puts on his suit bravely, smiles at the children, and kisses their mother gently in a way that makes the girls smile and the boys squirm with embarrassment. He tells them that he will be back by Christmas, a fact that, as young as they are, they are not sure they can believe. Susan watches her mother's face crumple as Thomas moves off, into the waiting cab that will take them far away from them, watches as her mother turns back to them, and tries to comfort each of them despite her own grief, and vows to be more like her mother, with perhaps a smidgen more of practicality.
3)
Lucy is nine when they first enter the wardrobe, when they first enter Narnia. She feels quietly pleased with herself, has a wonderful time with Tumnus, and feels decidedly smug when she proves to Peter and Susan she is not quite as mad as they think she is (even if they do not say it outright). She dances her way to Tumnus' home, eager to prove her siblings wrong about yet another thing, eager to show them the world she thinks is so wonderful. Of course, things are not quite as they seem once they enter Tumnus' ransacked home. And as Peter reads out the note from the 'Secret Police', Lucy's stomach clenches icily with guilt.
4)
Peter is only thirteen when he is crowned King of Narnia. No. High King of Narnia. He watches in numbed fear as creatures he has never met, and a Centaur who was keen to condemn his brother without even knowing the full facts, swear allegiance to him, to his siblings. He cannot help but feel as though this is some twisted joke; a sick tale of corruption. The night of the coronation, he escapes to the balcony of his bedroom, the cheery hall with all those unfamiliar faces too biting, too uncertain. Part of him even hates Aslan for doing this to them, for forcing this upon them. If it were up to him, his siblings wouldn't even be here. Peter doesn't want to be King, doesn't want his siblings to deal with whatever lies ahead. But then, somewhere in the distance, he spies Aslan walking at the edge of the shoreline, and thinks of the sacrifice that the Lion has made for Edmund, for them all. Guilt twists in his stomach, and he vows to be more selfless.
5)
Susan and Lucy drop their weapons as a cheer rises up, staring at each other in weary happiness, if not a little resignation. Twelve years in battle hasn't been easy, and it's not an exaggeration to say that their childhood has been ripped from them. Their brothers have tried to keep the worst of the war from them, but in the end, it wasn't possible. Neither wanted to be left behind, but neither realised quite the danger they would be in. Susan is quite sure that they will both have nightmares for the rest of their lives. Automatically, Lucy pulls her cordial from its pouch, in the meantime absently sheathing her knife, looking around for the wounded. There isn't much left of the fire-flower juice these days; but she cannot just do nothing when there are wounded Animals about.
As usual, Susan begins to look for Peter and Edmund, wanting to know that they are both safe, both relatively unharmed. Lucy watches her sister fade from sight, and focuses on the task at hand. What could be hours later, and a cry rises from the ashes. Golden head jerking up, Lucy ignores the spluttering thanks of the Raccoon she has just saved, and gathers her skirts, sprinting toward the sound. What she sees has her stopping in horror, in fear.
Peter is bent over, a gaping slash in his tunic, which Edmund is desperately trying to undo, the other brother swearing in colourful language that would make a Beaver blush. Lucy gasps and runs over, trying to bat her brother's hands away from their King, but Edmund will have none of it. Eventually, she gives up, uncapping the cordial and tipping a drop into her older brother's mouth, ignoring Peter's delirious protests. Edmund stops, watching with a pale face as his brother slowly comes back to life – too literally for his liking – colour coming back into the older King's face, as he manages a soft smile at Lucy before reassuring them that he's well.
A cuff around the back of the head shocks a cry out of him, and the elder glares at his brother. "Ed, what-"
"If you ever, ever, do something so bloody idiotic, so bloody selfless…" Edmund trails off, breathing so hard he could almost be breathing fire, and Lucy grins a little, seeing Susan watching them from nearby, a smile on her face.
"Pot, kettle, brother mine." Replies Peter simply, still wincing a bit from the blow Edmund has just dealt. "Besides, you'd do the same."
And that, Lucy thinks with a slight sigh, is precisely the trouble.
6)
Coming home to England isn't at all what they thought it would be. In fact, if they are honest, the children barely even thought about returning home to England. Returning to London was even further from their thoughts… until they were thrown back through the wardrobe, and made children again.
As the train pulls into Euston Station, and Edmund catches sight of their mother, waving with a smile, he smiles back; remembering with guilt the way he had acted when she had sent them away. The Pevensies exit the train, each helping another, with Edmund carrying Lucy's suitcase, Susan stubbornly arguing with Peter who ignores her anyway and carries both hers and his own, the four obviously more comfortable with each other than they have been for a very long time. Even Helen, who has not seen them for over a year, can see the change, and it makes her tearful. She hugs them each, and is pleasantly surprised when Edmund hugs her back, just as hard, before producing a bouquet of flowers that he and Peter had picked before they left. The flowers are a little limp now, but the gesture is much appreciated, anyway.
That night, Helen watches from the sofa as her children talk quietly, making up stories about a world they have apparently come to love quite a bit, and smiles contently, thanking the higher powers for such a selfless family. As she does, the fire flickers just for a second, and a Lion's eyes flash in the flames, before dying once more.
Finis
Author's N: Thoughts are always welcome!