The town I loved so well
Disclaimer: This little fic is based on St. Catherine's RP and the whole boarding school idea goes to the moderator of that RP. Second, many characters mentioned belong to the various players of the RP (as well as their creators, of course...). I am not going to list all of them here. Just accept it that they are not my own. Third, I am going to contradict myself and claim ownership on Laurian Trellan and Liz Riley. They are mine, so ask my permission if you want to use them. ^^ And fourth, the song I used here is... originally written by Phil I-don't-know-who. I know the song from the Dubliners. Just let's say it's not mine either. That's all.
Author's Note: I blame Haruka for this! Because of her question/suggestion to offer music lessons as well, next to the normal lessons. XD; As you'll soon find out as well. I just picked random people for it (although I frankly admit River, Michiru, Haruka and my own two characters weren't that random... and neither were Luna and Sara, actually), so if you want your character's name out of the story, drop a little comment and she'll be gone. I hope I can keep at least one of the two 'Brits', though, because I don't think Hermione would be there and I don't know any other people from England being played at the RP.
So... anyway... if you are interested in the complete lyrics, click here. If you want to hear the song, contact me on MSN/AIM. ^^
For the rest... just to give you all a little insight on Laurian and her past. For those who are interested anyway. I am working on the real story as well, but I couldn't let this one go. *shrugs* That's just how I am.
Now I hope you enjoy it. ^^
Warnings: Small hint of Haruka/Laurian? Very small then. The next fic will have a bigger hint. =P And... I don't know. Nothing, I guess.
Rating: G (I don't see people kissing each other, I don't even think Laurian curses, but correct me if I'm wrong and... no violence, nothing)
Beta: No one, but feel free to beta-read it. I know I need it my stories need it. XD
The town I loved so well
How she had managed to end up at the music class was a miracle. In her four years on this school, Laurian had never gotten lost and she had always made sure she stayed away from the music classes as well. This time, however, it seemed to draw her inexorably towards the gathering of musicians and singers in this school. It had hypnotised her and didn’t break the spell until she had reached the door to the class.
She stared at it for a moment and shrugged. ‘Oh well. I might as well go in. First time for everything, right? Maybe I got here with a reason.’
Laurian pushed the door slightly open and slipped inside, praying no one would notice her. She scanned quickly the room to see who else was here until her eyes met the emerald ones of Haruka. The older woman lifted questioningly an eyebrow and Laurian looked quickly away before her face would be covered with a blush. A fighter did not blush, after all.
‘So alright, one person has detected me. Let’s hope the rest doesn’t.’
She looked at the rest of the room. Hino Rei entertained the group with her beautiful voice while Professor Kaiou guided her on the violin. It didn’t sound too bad. …Alright, it sounded even good. The two of them worked very well together.
Her eyes drifted away from the couple and fell on Luna and Sara. ‘Brits,’ she thought automatically. Although both girls were actually very nice, she couldn’t help but to feel some hatred towards them. It was a racial hatred, though, nothing personal, and it was a side of her not many people were aware of. Racial prejudice was, after all, a rather dumb and unlovable trait.
The temptation became almost too much when her eyes fell on an old, dusty guitar. She had had several guitar lessons and she knew a couple of songs as well. Songs with an easy melody. Songs with lyrics that told the world what exactly the Brits had done to their neighbours. She might have become a bit rusty - like the old guitar - but Laurian was convinced that she could still do it.
So when Haruka asked with her usual flair and grin who would be next, Laurian picked up the guitar and stepped forward. “I will,” she said in a voice that left little room for discussion. Most people seemed to be too stunned to argue anyway. Even Haruka seemed surprised and she raised her eyebrow sceptically at the girl. Laurian decided to ignore that.
She sat down on a chair and tested the guitar first. A few strings produced false tones, but Laurian managed to fix that in no time. “Feel free to join as soon as you have picked up the melody,” the girl said calmly while she tried to find the right set of notes. “It shouldn’t be that hard.”
River joined her almost immediately. Either the girl knew the song or she had had a vision of it. You never knew with those Seers… But whatever it was, Laurian was grateful for the company. ‘Maybe I won’t even screw it up entirely,’ she thought.
She finally found the right tone - thanks to River - and after a joined introduction of the song, she started to sing.
In my memory I will always see
the town that I have loved so well
Where our school played ball by the gasyard wall
and we laughed through the smoke and smell
Her voice was soft, but clear and her face reflective while she sang. Memories of her youth - of Moira and the other children - flashed through her mind. How they laughed, ran and played games such as hide-and-seek or tag. Her face softened a little when she smiled at those memories.
Those were happy days in so many, many ways
in the town I loved so well
With those two sentences, Laurian concluded the first verse and gave her voice a moment of rest before she continued. Her singing may not be perfect, but it wasn’t all that bad.
Haruka joined the couple at the second verse, something Laurian had somehow not expected. She had thought her professor would either watch or play something mockingly, but it seemed she had it wrong. It forced her to adjust her view on the often mischievous professor.
It made the song sound even better, though, and Laurian thanked her silently for that. ‘She’s quite good at playing piano…’
The Scottish girl continued with the second verse and she could almost see the little smithy, where the smith and his apprentices started early in the morning to forge swords, bows, daggers and other necessary equipment.
Or the bakery, which opened often before sunrise to start baking bread and pastries and filled the air with delicious scents. The healers in the hospital department, who took care of the sick and injured. And the fighters themselves, who rose early to train before breakfast and other daily activities.
And when times got tough there was just about enough
But they saw it through without complaining
For deep inside was a burning pride
in the town I loved so well
Her face shone with pride at the last few sentences. Yes, she was proud of her Order. She was proud of the place where she belonged. She proud to be a Scot. And she would show those Brits that no matter what they did, they could never, ever take that pride away.
The young girl called Liz joined them at the third verse after some hesitation. With her simple flute, she could reach tones others would not be able to reach and it made together with the rest the song complete.
There I spent my youth and to tell you the truth
I was sad to leave it all behind me
For I learned about life and I'd found a wife
in the town I loved so well
Laurian’s voice drifted off at the last sentence of the third part, lost in thought while her fingers continued to play. Yes, she missed the castle, the open grass fields and forests as well as the hills and rivers. She had lived there her life, after all, and although she knew she would return to it in the summer, she could not help herself but to feel a small pang of homesickness.
She cleared her throat and with that the girl pushed away all the memories as well. “Sorry,” she apologized to her audience. “It’s been a while since I’ve done this for the last time.”
‘It’s been some five years, to be exact. Moira and I often sang together. That, too, was taken away from me after that incident…’
Laurian returned back to the song, her voice harsher than before and her dark eyes flickered with annoyance. She lifted her chin proudly as she sang, almost daring those Brits to repeat the tragedy that had happened to the unnamed town in Northern Ireland as well as in many places in Scotland and Wales.
But when I returned how my eyes have burned
to see how a town could be brought to its knees
By the armoured cars and the bombed out bars
and the gas that hangs on to every tree
Now the army's installed by that old gasyard wall
and the damned barbed wire gets higher and higher
With their tanks and their guns, oh my God, what have they done
to the town I loved so well
With a certain grim satisfaction, she noted she had surprised most of her audience with her sudden vehemence. Too bad just about no one - including Sara and Luna, it appeared - recognised the song.
Her voice became softer again, but still proud when Laurian reached the fifth and last verse.
Now the music's gone but they carry on
For their spirit's been bruised, never broken
‘Has my spirit been bruised as well?’ she suddenly wondered. ‘Has it really not been broken when Moira died? Maybe it has been broken… and perhaps it’s healing now, here, at school, with the people I know.’ She risked a glance at Haruka. ‘With the people I feel comfortable with.’
With some quiet acceptance that maybe things were not as bad as she might have thought, she sang the last couple of sentences.
For what's done is done and what's won is won
and what's lost is lost and gone forever
I can only pray for a bright, brand new day
in the town I loved so well
The four of them concluded the song. For a moment, it was completely silent in the room. Then, hesitantly, some of them started to applaud. Other joined the applause soon as well. Liz blushed, Haruka grinned, River simply ignored it. And as for Laurian… She shrugged, stood up and put the guitar back in the dusty, old corner.
“So what was that all about?” she heard from behind her. Laurian turned her head a little to look over her shoulder at Haruka.
“What do you mean?”
“Come on, you know what I mean.” Two pairs of green eyes met each other, one pair conveying annoyance, the other showing indifference. “Why did you play that song?”
Laurian shrugged. “Because I felt like it.” She turned back to the door again. “And because hardly anyone remembers nowadays how absolutely wonderful England has treated its neighbouring countries. That song was written for a town in North-Ireland, but it could’ve been any town in Ireland, Scotland or Wales.”
She started to walk away, but Haruka was not someone who was satisfied with half answers. “There is more, though, isn’t there?”
“Who knows? But you’ll never get to know that, will you?”
* * * * *
And that's it, folks. ;) Because I'm evil enough to stop there.