004: We're Breaking Instead
Title: Secrets in the Clock
Prompt: Sinking
Word Count: 622
Disclaimer: Jeez, totally forgot about this. Ahem, I do not own Kingdom hearts or any of the Final Fantasy/Disney characters/movies therein.
Chapter Summary: Strange happenings at school belie a suitable unrest. The group learns of the Morai burning down.
Warnings this chapter: Dark themes, implied homicide.
They were at Selphie's house today. The group was sprawled around her living room, all with some state of thought running amuck in their minds, but no one felt the need to voice them. Sora was absent at the moment, currently dealing with a family emergency that he'd been called out early from school for, and Selphie was in the other room, taking a phone call. If Kairi had to be truthful, it had been a trying day.
She'd shown up at school with the normal 'tude; "Watch where you're going!" ... "Can I help you, loser?" ... "What. The. Hell. Is you're brain so small that it didn't process me yelling for you to move the hell away?!" Freshman cowered in the force that was Kairi on any given day. Honestly though, she didn't know why people always looked at her like that- she had given fair warning that she was passing through. They should've known to move out of her way.
It was during first period that she suspected something was wrong. Their teacher was late in arriving, which wouldn't have been notable if it had been any other teacher. Mrs. Leonowens prided herself on being punctual; tardiness was "unbecoming," and always dealt with accordingly. When Kida was called out during second period, and left in a rush with stricken eyes and pain-filled movements, she passed it off as nothing big. It was only when Sora had been called out of Government that she began to wonder what was happening.
The halls were unusually quiet the rest of the day. At an early dismissal of school, it was unanimously decided that something was going on, and the group would meet at the closest home to figure out just what that was. Now they waited for Selphie to finish talking to whoever she was on the phone with, and see what they could gather. Right now though, Kairi was determinedly texting her foster father. If anyone knew what was going on, it had to be the mayor. She was impatiently waiting for a reply when Selphie came back from the other room. She cleared her throat awkwardly, before settling down on the sofa arm next to Tidus.
"Well?" Riku impatiently voiced the general curiosity.
"Put on the news," she muttered, scratching her arm tiredly. Riku furrowed his brow but did so nonetheless. What greeted them was the sight of firemen dousing the charred remains of some building. It did not look pretty.
"-story running repeatedly today. Authorities are still looking into this crime, but one thing is abundantly clear: This was no accident. Back to you, Mark."
The anchor man stated his view on what a despicable crime it was that had been committed, but did not elaborate further. Instead, he turned it over to the weatherman. It was four o'clock; time for the hourly report.
Wakka flicked the television off, and soon everyone was staring at Selphie again. She took a resigned breath, before saying, "The Moirai Center burned down last night." For a moment, everything stopped, and Selphie's body coiled into itself as she saw her words being processed. She swallowed, saliva thick in her throat. "P-people were still inside. I heard that forty, maybe fifty-something people died..." Mumbled and weak. Then, a bit stronger, "They said it was arson."
Kairi's eyes grew hard as it sunk in.
Arson.
Someone did that on purpose.
A shrill cry broke the stunned silence, and Tidus left the room to answer a call. He came back a minute later, eyes shifting to the wall. "That was Sora.." he began. "Said his parents were at the Center last night..." He trailed off, but they knew where he was going.
For some strange reason, Kairi felt that this was only the beginning.
End Drabble
A/N: I don't own Mrs. Leonowens; she is in fact Mrs. Anna, the King of Siam's governess from The King and I. My mother was quite like her while I was growing up, and her favorite line was "Young ladies should not conduct themselves like that; it is unbecoming." Needless to say, I grew very tired of the phrase. I've reseurrected it here for the sake of my prompt. Kida is from Atlantis: The Lost Empire. I know that in the movie her mother sacrificed herself to save her people, but I've used her death here in a different context. On another note, I'm finding myself addicted to Tumblr these days.. I just can't stay away, for some reason. I blame my friends for getting me hooked, 100%. Also, I put up a poll on my profile; if anyone is interested in pairings (for an alternate story) vote or, even better, tell me in a comment.