[A] By the Call of the Lion [Pevensie Plot Part One] [Finished]

It was like a daze. A fluffy little slip in consciousness where Peter let his mind drift to contemplate everything and anything all at once, zoning out the rest of the magical world around him. Why was is so hard to accept it. Every moment he stood here, the more he knew he could be nowhere other than Narnia. Sure, after the first time they wandered through the wardrobe, how could he be all so certain there just wasn't another magical realm waiting in the train station. Alas, the problem there was he'd been to the train station the previous year for school. There'd never been a tale told before in the dormitories about the feel of pulling or pinching before winding up in a cave. Peter could of gone on and on though, about how even then he couldn't be certain. He'd already been told you couldn't return to Narnia the same way twice, so the cave would mean little. Peter had already figured it out on his own he wouldn't return in a convenient way-- first by the voice of the Professor then the hard way, when he tried crawling back, by himself, into the wardrobe the night after their return to Kirke's house. His heart trembled in remembrance of just how disowned he felt when there was no summer or scent of pine trees to be found... just mothballs and coats. He cried that night. He hadn't cried for fifteen years before then-- or however long it'd technically been since he nearly lost his flesh and blood to the White Witch. That place-- England. It wasn't home. He had gotten a bit taller there and he'd had a mother and a father there, but did he grow up there? Did he become a man there? Did he learn half as much about becoming a good, decent, and noble person there? No. It had all been Narnia. Narnia had his heart and it was that very same beating and ethreal part of him that was crying to him now that he was home. It didn't matter that it looked different, how could he deny what he felt in his soul. It had never led him astray before.

It was at that revelation he blinked and found himself back on the beach, just noticing how hot it was while wearing his uniform. He supposed boarding school had never accounted for summery beach weather for it's pupils' comfort. His head snapped up to meet his smiling raven-haired sister as she inquired of him what he was holding out for. Peter honestly couldn't think of a retort, nor was he ever much the retorting kind, other than that he was waiting to wake up. Afterall, it wasn't like it would of been the first time he'd dreamed of reutrning... but he wasn't about to jinx it. He simply let a smile slide across his features in a real, true display of happiness that had never shown as bright in a year until now. Or was it just him that felt like he was finally devoid of all sorrow and disappointment? Whatever it was, he quickly tugged off the encumbering blazer while he dually toed off shoes and socks. His siblings were already enjoying themselves, he wasn't about to be the spoilsport.

Setting off in a trot, Peter quickly brought a hand up to loosen and tug off his tie, tossing it to the shore. The young man didn't even test the water before wading in. He didn't care if Narnia suddenly had icy waters imperfect waters, it would be worth the chill just to touch it once again and know it was real. Feeling his ankles were soon embraced by warm sea, Peter gave little notice as he kicked up spray with his movements to close the distance to his siblings. Quickly, he breathed out a laugh as he ducked down, scooping his arms down then flinging them up to quite belatedly reply to Susan's question with a splash of water. Peter quickly turned, seeking out Edmund and Lucy as he debated which to splash or quite possibly tackle into a spirited and wet hug, to which he quickly attacked Edmund with a healthy slosh of water. It just made his heart soar with each moment he mucked about in the water. They were really here. They were really... playing. Gosh, he couldn't remember the last time he'd truly played in the last year. There were times with Lucy he would find the heart to always give her the games she desired, but his spirit was tainted with doubt each passing day so he was never truly as invested as he'd of liked. He had no idea why it came so hard, for when he was well past twenty in Narnia it would of always been him and Lucy bugging their siblings to join activities that were perhaps a bit corny or juvenile for those of royal stature to still find fun in. It had taken the robbery of his maturity to knock Peter the Magnificent off his game, but he could feel himself slowly finding what he'd lost again.

Stilling himself, now soaked from Ed's assault and his own play in the water, as he looked up toward Lucy. He watched as Edmund found his way to her, leaving Peter to observe her beckoning to them for a moment without acting. Letting his head turn slightly toward elsewhere on the the shore, he felt a gurgle in the pit of his torso that was soon stave off by another breath of Narnian air. He was too sated with being home to worry about meeting other needs of his being. It felt like an impedment making up for lost time to fret over a sandwich tucked in his blazer, there would be time for that later. Giving a grin to Susan, he waded himself over toward their two younger siblings, grabbing his shoes and socks on the way, on the beach as he was wondering what could be setting Lu off already. They'd only just gotten here... and-- for some reason he felt a twinge at not being the one to suggest such a thing, but he shrugged it off for the moment. Laughing lightly, he eyed the smaller girl warmly as he moved to quickly keep pace, " If we just follow the beach, we'll eventually find one of the streams." He announced, whether or not anyone really recalled that bit of knowledge. He imagined not, since it was really only he and Ed that ever studied maps of the land they ruled. " I do wish I had my bearings set right..." Peter let out in a very quiet utter a few moments into following Lu. There was an outcropping of Ruins in the near distance and he truly couldn't place having ever seen them before in any part of Narnia.