Time Keeper

Chapter 4 First Step

I awoke in a room I did not recognize. That didn't mean much considering this was my first day here. I sat up but my head felt heavy. I held my head for a moment before looking around. I seemed to be in the nurse's office, or sick bay? Whatever it's called.

There were many windows and the walls and floor were so white, I felt like I was in a snow storm, The only thing that made me think otherwise was the large brown doors to the right of me. I laid back down and closed my eyes. What was going on? Nii-chan, where are you?

I heard voices outside the room. One I recognized as Komui's. I had no idea who owned the other one. Wait, that's wrong. It did seem familiar, when have I heard this voice. The doors opened with a bang as a white hair boy ran across the room to my side. "Allen!" I yelled. Tears spilled from my eyes, "I missed you much!"

I sat up and Allen cam over to my side. I gave him a hug, he returned with a bear hug, that made it impossible to breathe. I tapped him on the back until he let you, "sorry." He looked me straight in the eyes. "How are you doing? What happened? Komui won't tell me," He said with such seriousness in his eyes that it was impossible to look away.

I lifted up my right hand. I looked for the bracelet that was there before I passed out, but it wasn't there anymore. In its place was a weird tattoo. Allen looked at my hand and then back at me, "you got a tattoo?" His words were a normal question, but his tone was angry.

I looked at him and shook my head vigorously. "No, I didn't." I saw his face change from angry to irritation, he thought I was lying. "This was not here when I blacked out. I swear. But there was a bracelet. The innocence made a bracelet, and an anklet. It dawned on me that I should check my foot too. I ripped the covers off my lap and pulled out my foot. On my right ankle there was a tattoo that looked exactly like the tattoo on my wrist. I turned to him, "I swear they weren't tattoos before!"

"It's true. They weren't, they changed to that after she passed out," Komui said entering the room. Allen looked at him, then back at me.

"Okay," Allen finally said, "I believe you." I got out of bed and onto my feet. I almost fell back, but Allen caught me. "Careful. Are you sure you should be out of bed?" I nodded. I love it when Nii-chan worried about me.

When I found my balance, I walked out of the room. Allen followed closely. Komui was farther behind. "Allen!" A voice called in front of us. A boy with red hair and a hair band ran up to us. I didn't know boys wore head bands. A short man with a little bit of hair on his head followed behind the red haired boy. He had two spots around his eyes that made him look like a panda.

Allen greeted the two fellows. "Lavi, Bookman, this is my sister Kura," Allen said gesturing to me. I bowed and the old man bowed to me.

"Strike!" The red hair boy said. What did he mean by that? "My name's Lavi! You're Kura? That's a nice name. How old are you Kura?"

"Thank you, Lavi. I'm 15." I looked at him funny. He made me really want to punch him. "Why do you want my age?" He paused. Considering probably.

"To know if you're legal," He said with a childish smirk. I paled, I think. I certainly felt that I had. Allen wrapped his arms around me from my back. He glared at Lavi. Lavi backed away giving the gesture of "okay, sorry." Lavi said ro Nii-chan, "I give, I give. Calm your horses."

"Are you ready for your first mission?" Allen asked me. Lavi turned his attention to me.

"Allen," I paused, but not for effect. "I don't think that I will be able to go on a mission yet." Allen looked at me, The question "why?" was on his tongue. "I can't activate my innocence, I have no idea how."

Lavi and Allen both looked at me. I felt like I was going to cry, and I have no idea why! Lavi lowered his gaze, did he not know what to say? Allen looked me straight in the eyes, "but now you have more innocence." Lavi looked up and nodded. I didn't know what I was going to say to that. It was true, but I still didn't know how to activated it. It was equipment type right? I heard that was harder to activate.

I looked at the floor. I don't know what I was going to do. I couldn't look Allen or Lavi in the eyes right now. Well, I don't really know about Lavi, He's pretty weird, But I can't face Allen. I turned around and started heading back to where I thought my room was. I saw feet in front of me, I glanced to see Komui. I had forgotten about him. Komui patted my shoulder, "It's going to be alright," He said. "It will activate. It will." I nodded and stepped around him. I kept walking with my face down.

Where was my room again? I swear this place is too big. I bumped into Johnny. "Where are you going?" He asked.

"I have no idea anymore." Was all I could think of for a response. I wonder if I look terrible. Probably. I must look like I just heard I have cancer, and it's too late to stop it, or something like, I'm going to die in one week.

Johnny grinned at me, "Walk with you head held high, and I'm sure you'll see the answer to your problem." And with that he walked away. My mouth hung open, that must have been the best advice I've gotten in all my life.

I turned and kept heading the way I was going. I knew what I had to do. I know how I'm going to activate my innocence. I think I might actually be happy for my innocence, well other than being able to be here with Allen. But that was a different matter all together. I ran down some stairs and down some hallways, until I ran into a huge door. Yup, I was in the right place.

A chill ran down my spine. I stopped to look around. Nobody from what I could see. I sighed. "You're being paranoid," I told myself.

I turned my attention back to the door. It was way taller than me, and I wasn't short. Okay, I was pretty short. I gave the door a pull, it didn't budge. I tried again and again. It was not even looking like it could move. A small voice filled the room, "push," it said. I felt that same chill down my spine. I looked around again. I still saw nobody. That voice couldn't have been my inner voice, I know what that voice sounds like. This voice was a voice I did not recognize.

I pushed instead of pushing this time. Sure enough, it took lots of effort but it opened. I stepped into the large room I had been in once before. The door shut. I started to walk, but something was pulling me back. I glanced back, it was hard to turn my head. My aburn hair was stuck in the door. I got closer to pull my hair out. It was really stuck. I tried pulling the doors open but my head was at a weird angle and it didn't seem possible.

I was told by Cross that long hair looks good on me, which is why I've never cut it. Now I really wish I had short hair. I looked around the large room, it was really dark. Well, I had to get out of this. I pulled the knife I kept on me, Cross called it a 'dagger.' I raised it up to my hair, and with a quick movement, my hair fell and I was free from the door. My hair still stuck in the door, and the strands scattered on the floor, looked lonely. But this was a sign of my resolve, right? Well, I'm getting hungry again too.

I turned around and walked to the center of the large room. The floor made a metal sound as I approached. I stopped in the beam of the only light on in the room. I looked up. "Hello." I said, "Please, tell me how I can activate my innocence."

"Okay Child. I will." Hevlaska told me.