You gotta help me, I'm losin' my mind
Keep gettin' the feeling you wanna leave this all behind
Thought we were goin' strong, I thought we were holdin' on
Aren't we?
No, they don't teach you this in school
Now my heart's breakin' and I don't know what to do
Thought we were goin' strong, thought we were holdin' on
Aren't we?
- History • One Direction
In James' first Narnian life, he was the leader of the people. He may not have been apart of the army, not until it came to fighting, but he was in charge of those who mattered.
Since arriving back home, the Pevensie's had never seen James that way again. When his magic disappeared and scars faded, the blonde boy lost apart of himself. They never thought it would come back. The Gallaghers hadn't even witnessed James be so strong, but upon arriving in Narnia, they'd seen so many things they never thought they would.
This was when James took charge. This was when he thrived.
Standing in the centre of the tomb, James knew all eyes were on him. However, that didn't matter. With his scythe, he banged the ground, and silence followed.
"One of our lookouts spotted something today," the rumble of chatter began, but again he hit the floor. "Before there is any speculation- i feel obliged to tell you, it was a Telmarine spy."
Whispers of surprise laced the air, layering into one great mass of noise. "Telmarines?"
"Quiet!" Commanded the King. "There is a reason you are all being told. You wouldn't be if it wasn't necessary-"
"It's only a matter of time!" Peter interrupted: James scowled fiercely. Okay his wasn't Peter's time to speak. This was his. "Miraz's men and war machine will be on their way. That means those same men aren't protecting his castle."
The elder blonde warned, lowly. "Peter- be quiet."
Unknowingly, Reepicheep spoke out. "What do you propose we do, your Majesty?"
Peter have a side-eye to his brother, seeming to think it over. Then, he spoke. "We need to get ready for it."
However, he wasn't the only one to speak. Caspian also said. "To start planning for..."
The Prince shied away as Peter retaliated. "Our only hope is to strike them before they strike us!"
"Is it?" Scoffed James, folding his arms.
"That's crazy, no one has ever taken that Castle." Proclaimed Caspian, softly. It seemed he was sort of afraid to stand up now- but knew he had to.
"Well," he snarled. "There's always a first time."
Trumpkin tried to contribute, but did so, discretely. "We'll have the element of surprise."
"But we have the advantage here!" Exclaimed Caspian, exasperated.
Susan joined the battle against Peter. "If we dig in, we could probably hold them off indefinitely." A hurt expression crossed the second brother, and he frowned with melancholy eyes.
"I don't pretend to know the logistics of battles or wars..." James trailed, spitefully. "but attacking first never got us anywhere. Remember Peter?"
"Well-"
"Or, maybe, you don't remember as I was always the one to be struck first." The blonde gestures broadly to the thick scars that had bonded his skin. They were hideous, though apart of him. They were all caused by Peter's stupid, boyish decisions. "Some brother you claim to be."
The memory was a painful one, especially the most brutal of James' scars. He'd one over his face, one that was defining, that had been forced to him by Peter's lack of awareness. A Minotaur had struck him. Blindness was supposed to be inevitable, but somehow, James had probables- but he remembered the blood. The echo of his own screams ached, and swiftly, they were gone.
"I, for one, feel safer underground." A badger snapped James from his morbid thoughts.
"Look," Peter took no notice of the creature, and instead, focused upon their Telmarine friend. "I appreciate what you've done here, but this isn't a fortress. It's a tomb!"
"And you're not a King!" James blurted, words dotted with a sort of pain that only came from truth. "You're a child!"
"I'm not a child!" Peter lunged forwards, meeting his brother with a cold expression.
"Aren't you?" Scoffed James. "Always looking to Mum for advice... always getting involved in business that isn't yours because you can't handle the things that are wrong with you?" The blonde's voice then cracked under the pressure. "Some of us aren't able to hide what we hate about ourselves."
Edmund strides from behind Peter, over to James, and rubbed his eldest brother's shoulder comfortably. "Look, if the Telmarine's are smart, they'll just wait and starve us out."
A squirrel said, excitedly. "We could collect nuts!"
"Yes!" Agreed Reepicheep, sarcastically. "And throw them at the Telmarines! Shut up."
"Thank you." Sighed James, not caring much for the conversation anymore. It had been a bad idea. "For helping."
"I think you know where I stand, sire." Reepicheep offered his services.
At that, Peter faced the head of the centaurs, Glenstorm, and spoke. "If I can get your troops in, can you handle the guards?"
With a trepidatious look towards James, the centaur replied. "Or die trying, my liege."
"That's what I'm worried about." A small voice interrupted the conversation. Lucy. This was the sort of thing she always cared for.
Peter turned, almost in disgust. "Sorry?"
"You're all acting like there's only two options: dying here, or dying there."
"I'm not sure you've been listening, Lou." The boy stated to the entire group.
That was it.
"Let our sister speak!" James growled, completely out of character. His personalities seemed to be mixing, and there was nothing that could stop it. "For once in your life, Peter," he softened, wilfully. "listen to someone who cares about you."
Lucy breathed, heavily, clearing the air. "Have you forgotten who really defeated the White Witch, Peter?"
"I think we've waited for Aslan long enough."
"Brilliant!" James laughed in disbelief, speaking through frighten teeth. "Absolutely brilliant! Best brother of the year award, obviously, goes to Peter!"
"What was that?" Peter's eyes narrowed as if James had said something otherworldly.
"Aslan didn't kill Jadis. I did. Remember? That's when I got these-" there was a brief glance to the bite marks in the side of the eldest Pevensie's neck. "Just after the wolves. Remember?"
"James-" Susan tried to cut in, but Edmund stopped her.
"Let him."
"And then we got crowned, for the thing I did. Remember?" James smiled, bitterly.
"That's not fair." Peter interrupted, boldly.
"Isn't it? Isn't it fair? Because you've forgotten everything I've done for you! I've risked my life, time after time, because you wanted me to! You made me a monster!"
The tears welled in James' dark eyes, and slowly began to fall. It had been so long since he last cried. Why did it have to be now?
"You made yourself a monster!" Peter jabbed a finger at James' chest.
"If I'm a monster..." a weak smile crossed the High Kings face as his eyebrows furrowed. "God, if I'm a monster, what are you?"
"That's enough!" Peter barked.
"Don't you dare speak to me like that!" James' eyes flickered to ice, and Peter stumbled back. "Don't you dare!"
At that, the younger drew his sword, the metal scraping like nails on a blackboard. James' face began to tingle, his scars aching at the sight of the blade. First, his neck cracked. Then it was his back. Soon, he was no longer human, but panther.
There was no way that anyone would step in now. James was ready to go on a rampage, anyone who stepped in, would be in more trouble than Peter.
"Come on, then." Taunted the younger brother. "Or are you what they say you are?"
"Peter..." hissed Edmund, warningly.
"What am I?" James' panther voice was threatening- but not enough to discourage his younger brother.
"A fa-"
Before the words could be finished, James pounced forwards. Peter's sword clattered to the fall, and so did Peter. His back hit the stone floor as he groaned. One of James' large paws held down Peter's chest with ease.
It was nice to see him squirm.
"Are you really going to side with a Telmarine over your brothers?" Peter scoffed, even when his life was in his own brothers hand.
"Not my brothers." James growled, pushing his paw harder when his younger sibling tried to sit up. "Just over you."
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Disclaimer!!!!
I don't own anything to do with the Narnia book series or film trilogy. These predominantly belong to C.S. Lewis. However, I do own James Pevensie, Alfie and Harvey Gallagher, and their respective alterations to the storyline.