The first thing

I remember after

The fire and the pain

...Is darkness

Eternal darkness.

I still feel cold.

But there

Was... Something

...

A light.

Like fire

... 

It was warm

It warmed

me from 

the inside out.

Thinking back now,

it felt like being

surrounded by

my mother's

tender arms.

I felt...

...Loved.

 12th July, 2015 a.t.b

The evening of July 12th was bright but chilly. The glistening white streets of the Tokyo Settlement were  scrubbed clean with barley any dirt on them, despite being well walked public paths. This street in particular was lined with well trimmed trees and dark purple flowers which glower radiantly under the setting sun. Throughout these small garden children of all ages were running around and enjoying their last few days of the summer holidays before they would dragged back into the monotonous and competitive hellhole that was, 'school'.

A girl, ignoring the other children, was walking down this street. There was nothing unusual about this, she has been doing the same thing every third day for the past four years. For this girl, life was like clockwork. Everything went by a planned schedule and if something were to break up this schedule she felt obligated to talk about it because those kind of things just didn't happen. 

This girls name was Sienna Asplund. She was a short girl, around 4' 9", with long sandy blonde hair tinted with gold and a pale complexion. Despite being 15 in age she had a face that resembled a child's and as such was often mistaken for one, though this was also due to her small stature. Underneath her left eye was a small mole and on her left waist a slash scar. The only thing Sienna really prized about her appearance were her eyes. Their outer rim was a greyish blue colour like a darkening rain cloud. The centre was a pale baby blue, and the area around her pupil was darkened into a royal blue. 

She wore a plain dark purple coloured hoodie and light blue denim shorts. Her feet and area above the ankles were covered by a pair of dark brown lace up combat boots and the only accessories on her were her dark blue earrings.

Homeschooled her whole life, she was unable to join in the clammer of suppressed anxiety that most of the other children of the Settlement were eagerly participating in. 

So, today seemed no different. Sienna was doing what she did every third day. She would go down to Tokyo mall with a long list of items to buy written in scrawny handwriting that was not her own and purse filled with £20 notes. She continued down the city pavement absentmindedly dodging between the other pedestrians, her arms weighed down by the two large shopping bags she was carrying. 

But she wasn't going home, breaking off from her schedule she turned a corner and went down a quieter street, lined with large houses with even bigger gardens. This residential street was much quieter than one she had come from yet is seemed far more alive. 

The birds sung from low hanging branches which rustled their leaves in the chilly evening breeze. Children played and laughed in their front yard tossing a bright red ball to each other, calling each other's names and cheering when they caught it. 

She smiled to herself and continued on her way, further down the pavement until the trees that lined the road opened out into a large grassy field. Out here away from the hustle and bustle of the noisy city centre she finally felt at ease. Laying down her bags she leant against a tree near the back gate and looked around the park. Even though it was getting dark there were a few people here and there. Some teens from the inner city were kicking a ball around the grass and yelping with excitement. 

"Hey! Shopping girl! Are you going to stand there all day?" A voice called from behind her, but a smile spread across Siennas face. 

"Oh I'm sorry Swimming girl. Was my leaning against the tree bothering you?" She teased back but with only humour in her eyes. 

At the back gate of the park stood another girl, but of similar age. She had long ginger hair, green eyes and was taller than Sienna at around 5' 5"She wore a green shirt and denim jacket, with a blue skirt. This girls name was Shirley Fenete.

Shirley hurried over to her friend and before Sienna could protest she grabbed one of the bags. 

"Here, I'll take this one, you take the other. This way it's fair!" She smiled, seemingly unfazed by the bags weight. 

"Are you sure? That bag's awfully heavy and besides, it's not your job to carry my bags." Sienna tried to pry the bag of Shirley but she easily lifted up out of reach.

"Nope! I'm taking this bag and nothing you say will change that!" She lowered it back down and began to walk to the park gate. "Besiiides, this is great practice for gymnastics class!"

Sienna rolled her eyes. Shirley sure loved her sport. But she could say the same for herself. Not only did she organise little sporting tournaments for her fellow orphans she also spent a lot of time playing tennis with Shirley. Her friend had a membership to a fancy sports club in the settlement and was always dragging Sienna along for swimming races, martial arts classes and the likes. She said she was making up for all the things Sienna wouldn't get to enjoy because of her situation. 

"Ah, you and your gymnastics. Let me guess, you signed up for a tournament at the sports club and didn't think it over properly."

"Heh heh.. yeah you got me.." Shirley laughed nervously and clasped her hand to her head. "The couch told us she needed a junior volunteer for an in-club competition and I just yelled out 'I'LL DO IT!!' without realising what I was meant to do. So now I'm pinned up against the senior champ in a pull up competition." 

The pair slipped out the gate and began to walk down the crisscrossing paths of the outer city. The sky was beginning to darken and the streets were quieter. The people of Tokyo disappearing back to their houses. Only a few people remained on the streets. The elevens.

"Ooh.." Shirley tugged on Sienna's jacket sleeve. "Hurry up! Those elevens are staring us down!" She moaned, and Sienna followed her friend's eye line. 

Crouched in a corner were a group of teenage elevens, their eyes followed the two young Britanian girls as they hurried past. Sienna shivered under their icy glares.

"I though you didn't discriminate between Britanians and the numbers." She muttered to Shirley, and her friend suddenly looked quite awkward. 

"I don't usually but when they glower at me like that..." Her voice trailed off, knowing Sienna was thinking what she was thinking. She sighed. 

"Well we can't blame them. If the elevens have one thing that's pride, and us Britannias stole that from them in the second Pacific war." 

Shirley said something like agreement but Sienna's mind was a wandering. 

The Second Pacific War. The conflict when The Holy Britannian Empire took control of Japan in a single month.

Five years earlier, The Holy Britannian Empire declared war on the once neutral islands of Japan. The Britannian attack was swift and efficient. Unveiling a new type of weapon, the Autonomous Knightmare Frame -a humanoid robot with speed and manoeuvrability to match it state-of-the-art weapons and other such features, and piloted from inside a cockpit- and the Knightmares obliterated the Japanese lines of defence on the mainland. Britannia also held military superiority in both the air and sea. Within a month the Japanese surrendered and their Prime Minister Genbu Kururugi committed suicide. 

The once proud nation of Japan lay crumbling and defeated.

As this was the 11th area Britannian had captured it was renamed Area 11, and its people elevens. Their cities were destroyed and in their place 'Sokkai' (modern cities that only the Britannians could live in) like the Tokyo Settlement where Sienna lived were build in their place. The elevens live in Ghettos -ruins of their former cities, a mess of toppled skyscrapers and burned down houses- outside the Sokkai, and those who dared to venture in where often beaten by adolescent Britannians of noble birth. 

Sienna's parents were also killed in the war. 

"...are you still there?" 

Sienna was snapped out of her thoughts when Shirley flicked her sharply on the forehead.

"You walked right past your stop." 

Shirley pointed up at a large building across from her and Sienna felt a strange tug at her heartstrings. 

It was the orphanage where she lived: 'Miss Crowley's home for all children'. After her parents died in the war she had been taken in by Miss Crowley, along with many of the young elevens. This is why is was called a home for all children. There was no discrimination there. As long as an eleven under the age of 14 was willing to become an Honorary Britannian they would be welcomed into the care of the orphanage. (Although, Miss Crowley was never kind to the elevens. But when Sienna thought about it, Miss Crowley seemed to hate all the orphans.)

However, many elevens stuck fast to their pride and refused to even acknowledge the offer of a better life. Most of the elevens at the orphanage were young children who had been left there by parents who couldn't bare to force their children to grow up in the cold, harsh Ghettos. These children who had been raised in Britannian culture were given a small amount of curtesy in the Tokyo settlement, and were able to walk around freely without fear of being attacked. The whole settlement knew about the orphanage and its inhabitants, and all the orphans were showed kindness out of a mark of respect. 

"Oh sorry. I blanked out." She hurried back to Shirley's side and took the bag off her. "You didn't have to carry that really." Shirley smiled back. 

"I'm your friend Sienna, and it's what friends do for friends! You need to stop throwing yourself in front of others." 

Sienna smiled sheepishly. 

"I'm just trying to repay the debt from three years ago." 

Shirley laughed but didn't say anything, and began to walk Sienna through the gate and to the front door. 

"Here." She drew a small envelope from her breast pocket and handed to Sienna then reached up and rung the doorbell. "It's a copy of my algebra study notes. You can't stay on similarities forever." 

Sienna's distracted face split into a wide smile. 

"Thanks Shirley! Are you sure your aloud to give me this? Since I don't go to school I'm not paying the fees." 

Shirley waved her hand in a dismissive fashion. 

"That doesn't matter, after all Ashford's a school. They should be happy they're giving someone extra education." 

Somehow, I don't think that's right.

"Say, Sienna.." Shirley's playful attitude had vanished. "You really want to go to school right?" 

"Of course!" 

"Then.. how about this? I'll meet you in the park tomorrow at 2 o'clock sharp, and I'll bring a friend!" Shirley turned and ran back down the path.

"Wait! Don't you want to come inside?"

"No. My dad's off duty right now so my mother'll be furious if I'm home late. So you up for Sunday?" 

"Yes, but-!" 

"Great! I'll see you tomor..." Shirley's voice trailed off as she ran round the corner and out of sight. Behind her, the door opened with a click and a young eleven boy stood in the doorframe. 

"Oh, welcome back Sienna." He stood back from the threshold to let her in and she entered gladly. 

"Thanks Noriko. Where's Miss Crowley?" 

The boy smirked as he shut the door behind her. 

"She waiting for your return in the kitchen. And looking quite impatient from what I saw." 

Oh cooooome oonnnn... Did I really take that long?

"Great. How mad is she?" Sienna groaned but Noriko sped of at the sound the thundering footsteps and a few seconds later two more rowdy boys burst into the entrance room and disappeared after him. 

"No running on the first floor!!" She called after them and the feet promptly stormed loudly up the wooden stairs. Sighing, Sienna kicked off her boots, hung up her jumper and headed into the kitchen where a woman stood tapping her foot impatiently. She had a very sharp look about her, pointed face, dark brown eyes and black hair tied up in a bun.

"What took you so long? Was the queue stretching into the countryside?" She opened the bags and began dumping different products into the fridge or various cupboards. 

"I'm sorry Miss Crowley. I bumped into Shirley and we ended up taking the long way back." She said tipping the change onto the kitchen counter. The woman sighed. 

"I guess I can't blame you for wanting to spend more time with your friends. As you're the eldest you spend your whole time here managing the other children. You've always been like that, working yourself silly for your friends. But in future tell me when you're going to be back late."

"Yes Miss Crowley." Sienna crumbled up the empty plastic bags and shoved them into another larger bag hanging on the cupboard door. "Do you need any help with the cooking?" 

Miss Crowley, who was in the middle of skinning potatoes, shook her head and flicked her hand in a motion that clearly said 'leave me alone' and Sienna obediently left the room.

She's always been proud. And harsh. I wonder why she wanted to take care of children since she seems to hate us so much... 

...and why do I feel like there's something she's not telling me?