City of Colors

Eleven

Year 146

"You wouldn't happen to be Kira then, would you?" Drake asked, stepping forward toward the young girl. He, Jax, and Raymond had been waiting outside of the orphanage for about half an hour, and he was beginning to lose patience. He only had so much time. Where was that Armitage?

"Hey kid," He heard Jax say behind him. "What're you doing here?"

"I live here." Another voice replied. Young sounding, a little confused. "I was on my way home."

This caught Drake's attention. "You wouldn't happen to be Kira then, would you?" he asked, eyes flicking over to her. The child looked to be the part. Brown eyes, blond hair, freckles.

The child's eyes widened. "I-"

"That's a yes or no question." Jax barked.

When the girl hesitated again, both Raymond and Jax moved to grab her. He signals for them to stop. "Kira," Drake said evenly, looking the girl in the eye. "That's your name isn't it?"

"Um, my name is-" The girl leaned back, eyes darting towards Jax and Raymond. The girl swallowed, seemingly pulling herself together. "Why in the Council's name would such an important person be looking for Kira?"

Drake's eyes narrowed. "So you know who I am?" He grunted.

A pause.

The girl nodded, not meeting his gaze. "Not by name, but by title."

"Well then, Kira, " Drake said evenly, leaning in closer till the girl was forced to look him in the eye. "If you know who I am, then I suggest you come with me."

-

"What-what are you saying?" Kira choked out, bile rising in her throat. The tea in her cup sloshed unevenly, and she put it down before she could burn anything. Her hands twitched, but this time they didn't shake. Think. Just think.

"I'm saying," Serenity said carefully, her face cool and expressionless. "That the colourless and your-" She paused, taking a slow breath before continuing. "your parents and the colourless seem to be somehow connected. I know they had a rather important important role for the Magicians, so perhaps they could have-"

"Stop." Kira cut in. "Just stop." She's clutching her head, not willing to comprehend. 

"Kira listen-" Serenity started.

"Why would you go through those records?" She asked quietly. Everything seemed to stop for a moment. So silent you could hear a pin drop. "Do you even know, what those records mean?" She said, "How much they mean to me? Why would you do something like that Serenity?" Kira didn't yell. She didn't even raise her voice. The twisted feeling inside her quieted her. "Tell me, Serenity, why?"

Serenity swallowed. "...you don't understand, Kira, there's something-"

"No you don't understand." Kira said finally, looking Serenity in the eye."You don't understand a thing. Those were my parents. My parents! They've been dead for four years and you had to just go dig them up. Why would you do that? You had no right!" The two girls stood eye to eye now, Kira glaring up at Serenity. 

The elements in their eyes clashed. Ice on fire. Blue on brown.

Their gazes held, Kira barely managing. She's clearly emotional, but she's channeling it into her stare, making it harder to look at her. Serenity can feel them boring into her, forcefully but contained.

Serenity looked away first. "...You're right." she said finally. "I had no right to look through those records." Serenity realised, guilt rising in her throat. She'd just been so curious- so inconsiderate.