Color Blind

War

They parted at the lake and Arcoiries walked to his house, yet the home with never ending noise was silent. "Weird? I wonder where everyone is," he talked to himself as he walked into each room. "Arco?" He heard a voice coming from the hall closet. "Hi?" He said as he opened the door and the twins came tumbling out. "What are you guys doing!?" He said surprised as he helped the boys up. "We were in the safe room, but we thought we heard you. Sorry we came out," said Amarillo clutching Arcoiries's leg. "Where were you!?," Verde asked on the verge of tears. "The better question is why were you two in the safe room? Where's mom, grandma, grandpa, and Narañja!?" asked Arcoiries changing the subject as he knelt down to hug his siblings. "Grammy and Papa are asleep in the safe room," said Verde. "Mommy said something really bad happened," mumbled Amarillo into his chest. "Ya she and big brother went to see Dad," said Verde. "Dad! This must be bad," thought Arcoiries before saying, "I'm sure everything will be alright. I'm going to go see Dad too. I promise everything will be ok," he smiled holding them close and they nodded.

(Meanwhile)

Kuroh headed back home as well. "Maybe I should come to the lake more often. I thought he'd forget about me," she thought putting her hands in her pockets. She looked at the setting sun and wondered. Would they really stay friends? She walked past the street lights and the people walking home from work. For the first time she noticed her steps not match the others. Her tempo was off. She got home to see a note on her table.

Coming home late, do chores, make dinner, and study.
~Love, Mom

"Father needs to stop doing this," she sighed as she crumpled the note. She looked around the dimly lit apartment and sighed depressingly. She walked to her room and noticed everything had been reorganized again. "I guess they thought I was hiding something again," she mumbled as she looked up at the newly installed ceiling camera in the corner of the room. "I did get a question wrong on my test, they must think I'm slipping," she thought as she grabbed a book off her desk and began to study. After about three hours she got up and went to prepare dinner. During, she let her mind wonder. "I wonder how Arcoiries is doing....wait I need to stop. It's not like he sees me more than that sad friend, that everyone has an urge to make smile. Sadness isn't always a bad thing, sometimes it's relaxing and peaceful. He's so use to being happy, how could he love someone who's only use to being numb. To someone who honestly just stopped caring."

She finished making dinner and walked to do laundry. She looked out to window to see their kingdom's flag hung high and she stopped. "What the hell," she said as she walked closer. She looked down towards the street to see them bare. "Where are the people. The routine is broken. Fucken hell," she mumbled and ran to the television and turned it on.

"Attention Attention! Code Black! CODE BLACK! Identity of Ms. Shiro's Kidnapper found. Pallets confessed! War initiated by Pallets! Attention Attention! Code Black! CODE BLACK! ...."

The message on the screen kept scrolling across. "War?" She blurted out. She sat down and held her head. "This must be a joke. A cruel sick joke. Pallets would never initiate a war. They know we would crush them, and as for Ms. Shiro.... I don't know what to believe," she thought as she tried to calm down.

"So I give you a list and you're just sitting on your ass." Kuroh looked up to see her mother. "We were sent home early. Is dinner prepared," she scoffed. "Yes Ma'am," she replied standing up. She walked up to Kuroh and gave her a quick strike on the cheek. Kuroh didn't even wince. He mother turned before saying, "if I catch you slacking off again, you'll get worse." Her mother was like all mothers on the Noir side, intelligent, cold, and proper. More of a trainer than a mother. Yet that's how it always was. Her mother was 5'5 white blond hair pulled tightly into a bun. White rimed glasses that gave dimension to her bland oval face, she would only wear extremely modest dark gray full length dresses to cover her slim figure. Kuroh went back to finish the laundry and do the rest of her chores.