Iron Phoenix

That Day

A/N: We've finally reached Kana's backstory - who's excited! More information at the end of the chapter.

Memories flashed before Kana's eyes like a reel of film, the soft melody taking her back to hot summer days spent playing by the river and nights atop the roof of their school, staring up at the flickering stars. She remembered the giggles, the fun, how they had found a tape recorder in a storage cupboard at school and sang their hearts out to a song Joanna had written.

How she had held her hand on her seventh birthday, when she found out her dad would go blind. How she hugged her on her eighth when he'd married Sally. The one good birthday, they'd said. It wasn't. How she had always been there, with a giggle and a joke that somehow made everything seem fine.

And how she had repaid none of it.

The melody changed, a darker minor key creeping in and clawing at her mind. She shook herself, trying to stay with the happy memories for just a little longer, but it was no use. The song had shifted, and once again, she found herself standing before that day; the day she forced herself to remember every year, her ninth birthday.

***

It was a warm, still day when the announcement came over loudspeakers placed throughout the city, the air thick with promised rain. They had all scurried from their homes like fleeing mice, bags over shoulders, a hum of anxious noise all around. Kana practically dragged her father behind her in her haste to get to the shelter, his cane hanging uselessly at his side. Above them, dark clouds loomed threateningly. It was finally coming.

The air in the shelter was thick with palpable tension. The power had been out for days so flickering candles and oil lamps littered the dusty floor, illuminating the anxious faces of neighbours and strangers alike. Kana sat on a mat in the corner beside her father, who seemed oddly calm, and Sally, who was shaking like a leaf. She sat there, fidgeting restlessly until she heard the echoing boom of the heavy metal doors closing, shutting out what little daylight remained.

Kana stood up, throwing her bag over her shoulder. "I'm just going to find Joanna.", she announced. Spotting Sally eyeing her bag, she hastily added "I brought snacks."

"Just be careful.", her father replied. "You know what those kids are like."

Kana rolled her eyes and left without another word, quickly making her way down rows upon rows of people. Mothers shushing their babies, kids running around and playing on the floor, people huddled together, consoling each other or praying. Kana's eyes scanned over all of them, looking for the large group of kids from the Home. As she approached, a girl with long, black hair and glasses ran up to her, looking around nervously, a candle held shakily in one hand.

They wordlessly headed towards the back hallway, where the bathrooms were, only stopping when they were up the stairs and around a corner, safely out of sight. Overhead, a painted sign glowed green in the darkness. Emergency exit.

"Did you bring it?", Joanna asked, shifting from one foot to the other. In answer, Kana grabbed the camera from her backpack and tossed it to her, watching as she fumbled around before grabbing it with her free hand.

"Careful there.", Kana laughed. "You don't want to go dropping our ticket to fame."

She headed towards the door, before Joanna grabbed her arm. "Wait, what if it's alarmed?", she said anxiously.

Kana smiled. "The power's been out for days, dummy." She took the camera back, stuffing it in her bag. "Besides, none of the tech here works.", she said reassuringly.

But Joanna looked down, the flickering candlelight dancing over her blue eyes which were clouded with worry. "A-are you sure about this. I mean, we could get in so much trouble if we're caught."