Fairytale?

Chapter 12- Stubborn and Eternal

All Nature awakes
To glorious day.
In my breast alone
Dark shadows remain;
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(warning: sexual content)
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"Why can't we do Guy Fawkes' Day here?" Lucy asked, quite upset by what the head of the Occasions Club was saying. "It's such a marvy festival- and fireworks are always wonderful!"
It reminded her of all the Balls she had attended in Narnia- from the very first one, after her and her siblings' coronation, to the very last, with her brother's beloved Caspian's. Anything that reminded her of Narnia- anything that made her heart glow, glow like the sunrays streaked across the Eastern Ocean- anything that made her feel loved- it was good, and she fought to have it in her life.
But, sadly, she didn't have much of it, no matter how hard she fought.

"The Animal Rights Club won't let us." The head, Marcella Pritchett, shrugged. "Frankly, that club does absolutely nothing but cry when they see pictures of puppies- but they told Graybow that the fireworks disturb the local fauna."

There was a collective blink, before one of them spoke out loud, "What local fauna!?"

"There are supposed to be some wolves and wildcats in the woods behind the school-" Another said, looking thoughtful, "but that's it! No one even goes into the forest, we can't be sure if they're still there. They're wild animals, though, they're built to overcome."

"Not really. You'd be surprised at what even animals cannot win against." Lucy said, her lips downturned. "But our fireworks are never too loud- we take care that it doesn't hurt anyone, by way of noise or air pollution."

"Exactly!" Marcella said, banging her hand on the table she sat at. "But stupid Gertie-" head of the Animal Rights Club, "and Graybow-" Headmistress of St. Finbar's, "refuse to see that."

"So, what are we supposed to do on the day?" Lucy asked, genuinely asking. "Sit inside, and read? I mean, I enjoy that- but we should do something for the occasion, shouldn't we? Perhaps a play on the Gunpowder Plot-"

"We don't have to do something on every occasion, you know." Anne Feathertone, one of Lucy's classmates, who'd joined only to get out of joining the lacrosse team, spoke up. "I mean- who even bloody cares? There's a war happening- people are dying-"

"And people need distractions." Marcella snapped. "I didn't start this club for fun, Anne. I did it because we all need breaks from the doom-and-gloom we read in the papers and hear on the radio."

There was uncomfortable silence. The few first and second-formers stayed quiet because the others stayed so- they were children still, and weren't as aware of the horrors happening in the world as the others in the room.

"I'm not saying they don't." Anne replied, her voice measured. She shouldn't back-chat a sixth-former- but she definitely wasn't going to be quiet. "But it feels- it feels tone-deaf. Putting up a play about a failed assassination attempt, while Germany attempts to murder so much of the population-"

"It's not about the assassination." Lucy spoke up- her voice was quiet, and she was one of the smallest individuals in the room, but everyone looked at her. "It's- it's about what it symbolised. Isn't it? It's about patriotism- and democracy- and- and the lengths people go to for what is right. It's about what is right."
She licked her lip, and looked around the room. She never really spoke up here- she was certain no one would listen to her. Because why should she? She was just a small child here, not a Queen or a warrior. She'd minded sometimes, because she liked being heard- but, generally, she'd gone with it, because what was the point?
But she was talking now- and they were listening.
"That's what the war is about, too. It's not about defeating the N-N-Nazis-" she disliked saying the word- they were so awful, "it's about standing up for what's right. What's good. And if, in putting up a play representing that also makes people chuffed and they grin- that's not a bad thing."