Remember, Remember... · 3:23pm Nov 1st, 2011
Now finished and available to read. It's a one-shot re-telling/ponification of the Gunpowder Plot of Nov. 5th 1605, when a number of Catholic conspirators sought to kill King James I and his Parliament and install his niece, Princess Elizabeth of Bohemia, as a new, Catholic monarch. They laid gunpowder barrels in the cellars under the Houses of Parliament in London, and aimed to blow them up, killing everyone inside, during the Opening of Parliament on November 5th of that year (it's generally earlier in the year, but was pushed back for various reasons).
The barrels were left in the care of a man named Guy Fawkes, a devout Catholic who had fought as a mercenary in the Spanish army, and a veteran of the wars of that time. An anonymous letter (supposedly sent by one of the conspirators to his cousin, warning him not to attend Parliament that morning) gave the plan away, and Fawkes was arrested before he was able to enact the plan.
He and his co-conspirators were rounded up when their secondary plan, to incite rebellion in the Midlands, failed, and they were all hanged, drawn and quartered for their attempted regicide. An act of Parliament was later passed making November 5th a national holiday in Britain, celebrating our continued religious independence (perhaps somewhat ironically given Fawkes' aims, but it must be remembered that, at the time, having a Catholic monarch would've brought the whole country under the control of the Vatican and lead to terrible persecution of all other religions. Although the Protestants of the time did their own fair share of persecuting, they were fair more lenient and tolerant, on the whole), and our national identity.
We celebrate, traditionally, with a bonfire and fireworks display, to remember the Gunpowder Plot, while (optionally) burning an effigy of Guy Fawkes, usually a ragdoll made from old clothes, and having a communal meal. Toffee Apples are often associated with the day in British minds, as well as hot food like leftover pumpkin soup from Halloween, jacket potatoes and the like.
The character of Guy Fawkes was later adapted into Alan Moore's V for Vendetta, in which he was portrayed almost heroically as an anarchist trying to bring down an oppressive government (although it should be pointed out that characters in the comic were aware of his reality, just that V used him as a symbol to rally behind), leading many to the mistaken assumption that he was nothing more than an anarchist.
I wrote this story for a few reasons. Firstly because Bonfire Night's one of my favourite nights of the year, and as a Brit myself, I felt I ought to throw at least one fic into the collective pool based around it. Secondly, it was an excuse to use THE ROYAL VOICE (correctly) since it's set before Nightmare Moon's banishment. Thirdly, however, I also wanted to, in a way, educate people in a manner they might find a bit more entertaining about the real event. Whilst dramatised, the story is based off the real events of that day, and while it's certainly not my intention to offend anyone, I apologize deeply if they are.
Enjoy!
Next on the list: Binky Pie Chapter VI, estimated arrival date of two weeks.
EDUCATION.
This should be good. Been waiting for some Guy Fawkes