' powerless and powerful '

━━━━━

Recovery Girl is the first person she sees. Sunlight flows through the windows and pools on the table next to her, highlighting the peonies next to it with golden accents. It's probably sunset, the sun dipping on the horizon and bathing the world with reds and oranges reminiscent of the palace where the gods resided.

"Good afternoon, Kaede," the person next to Recovery Girl says, a curvaceous woman with a third eye on her forehead. There is a stethoscope hanging on her shoulders and the typical doctor's coat with the first three buttons undone revealing grey cashmere clothes.

"Good... afternoon..." she whispers, her voice hoarse and it's still hard to speak and she feels a little tingly. Light like a beautiful white feather that floats on the air in a slow, spiraling dance. Only that Kaede would probably be a raven.

"Must be the excess effects of the drug," the three-eyed woman says to Recovery Girl and her voice is a dulcet that reminds Kaede of stars in operas singing melifluous arias that sway the crowd into emotions of unceasing halcyon. Then she catches Kaede's inquisitive gaze, sends her a sweet smile that reveals pearly white teeth that contrasts nicely with her midnight skin. "Hello Kaede," she says. "My name is Dr. Romilda Konno, I am a surgeon and a quirk specialist."

Kaede doesn't respond. But when she perceives the unnerving look Recovery Girl is giving her from the sidelines, Kaede replies with a curt nod. She's not in the business of being polite, but she supposes she must start doing so, since it's proving to be offensive toward benign personages.

"I was the one who did your operation," Dr. Konno says, indicating the part of her body where the spike laced with poison hit. "It was successful, but we encountered certain pressing matters."

The ravenette's eyebrows furrow at pressing matters, a combination of vex at yet another problem and confusion as to what it is. Dr. Romilda Konno's face remains that of an undisturbed geisha, the epitome of grace and beauty. Her head turns to Recovery Girl and she speaks. "It will be a lengthy conversation so I suppose we should take our seats."

"Yes, yes we should," the elderly woman says with her usual crooning assuage as they both take the sterile monoblock chairs next to Kaede.

There is an eerie discomfort stemming from the aura that surrounds the elder women as they pick and prod at her wounded stature. It's a cliche saying, but it really feels like the calm before a storm, grey clouds churning before the impeding strike of jagged lightning and thunder.

"Now Kaede," she says and more and more Kaede notices how artificial the perfect pearly peachy smile Dr. Konno is giving her. There is nothing that would cause her delectation in this state unless she's a total sadist, a prospect Kaede dismisses almost immediately as it is formed, because the woman is a doctor and doctors are meant to ward away pain, so why the smile? "I suppose you are aware of how quirks work."

"Vaguely," she says, her eyes narrowed in distrust. She is an intransigent entity when it comes to people with charming smiles meant to fool.

"Quirks are either from parents or ancestors passed onto their children, a combination of both or the rare instances where one ends up quirkless," Recovery Girl says, her voice grave. "This present situation has to do with that. Quirks are usually equipped with certain weaknesses and repercussions. Akihisa Yuko's for example, is the meager amount of air she can control and the progressive version of emphysema."

Kaede manages a nod. There is a foreboding sense of danger lurking within the atmosphere as Recovery Girl continues to speak. "Kaede, your quirk that allows you to manipulate certain aspects of time. It's name is Tempus."

"Tempus," she repeats and Kaede's crimson eyes shift to a peculiar anodyne. "That means time in Latin, doesn't it?"

"Yes," replies Dr. Konno who is still a patron of a perpetual smiling face. Kaede harbors no surprise, Latin is a language thought by All For One. Tomoe could speak five languages. Kaede knows the curse words and common phrases. "It means time and among the registered owners of it are members of the prestigious Moriyama clan."

Her mother's family. The high and mighty Moriyamas. Kaede feels a faint disgust on her senses as she remembers all that family has done and how they quickly turn their backs on failures leading to predicaments unimaginable to children. Her sharing the same power with those people. Unconsciously, Kaede balls her fists.

"Akiko Mizuki nee Moriyama is your mother, isn't she?" Dr. Konno asks, still bearing that same sweet smile and after seeing it for four times, Kaede commends her.

"Yes," she simply answers.

"Tempus is a marvelous quirk. It originated from the beginning of quirks. Passed down from generation to generation by the distinguished Moriyama family." Kaede nodded. Her mother used to kiss the feet of the Moriyamas, anything to go back to their good graces, but behind their backs, the murmurs of viper words were hurled at them. Stuck-up pains in the arse, pieces of shit, stupid high and mighty cows. The first insults she had ever heard roll from the tongue of her precious mother. "They're a wealthy family that reside in Kyoto, perfectionists may I say. They raise their daughters to receive the quirk, but beceause of repercussions, they do some adjustments."

"What repercussion?" Kaede's head lift up to ask the woman, her eyes a curious sifting red. "The headache?"

An audible gasp escapes Recovery Girl's lips as if Kaede said something foolish. She turns to see and Recovery Girl looks as if her daughter had been murdered in front of her.

But Dr. Konno smiles graciously through it all, a living beacon of positivity. "Kaede, it wouldn't bother you if we did a quick recap of biology lessons, would it?"

"It would," she says, still the spitfire, but Kaede is trying, so she adds, "but if it's necessary, I guess I can't do anything but lend my ears."

Another artificial smile is emanated by the woman. Kaede has to admit she's beautiful. Midnight skin, pearly white teeth and amber eyes that remind her of a cat's and the additional third eye with a black ring on the iris. She wonders what her quirk is.

"You are aware that the average human lifespan is 79 years, right?"

Kaede nods. Stages leading up to that point denoted the particular strength a human being would have. Lessons ingrained unto her brain by sensei.

"The repercussion of Tempus, to put it bluntly Kaede, is it shortens lifespans."

Kaede's eyes dart to Recovery Girl and when she sees the solemn look on the woman's face, it is enough confirmation. What? What in the everloving hell. Bloodred eyes widen palpably and the world seems to be in cahoots with this ominous, unacceptable ( nonononono! ) news. The world darkens, signifying the sun's complete descent unto the horizon. This couldn't— shouldn't be happening.

The second Dr. Konno opens her mouth, the hypothesis regarding the woman's sadism enters Kaede's mind again. The girl is still obviously anguished at the prospects of her impending complication, for the lack of a better word, so how the hell is that woman still managing to smile and add more problems to her already convoluted fiasco?

"At first," she begins as if she's a lecturer and oh my, please shut your mouth, "it begins slowing the processes that help a human being survive. Breathing, regeneration. The Moriyama daughters, in order to prevent the end of their clan are not allowed to wield it, although in some cases they make exceptions. They are tasked to marry quirkless men with the hopes of the genes being passed on to their sons. The sons are trained since the tender age of three to manage the quirk. And the daughters are raised to be wed and breed more sons. Moriyama men only live until their forties, do you know that?"

The last sentence is laced with fascination as if it's another research paper that needs a conclusion complete with acknowledgments and an APA style bibliography.

Kaede is out of words.

"Romilda," Recovery Girl says, her voice doing nothing to mollify the fear that is tingling every morself of Kaede's body. "Kaede is a stranger to that family. Please."

"Why are we talking about this?" Kaede whispers, a meek little cat. Once upon a time, death meant nothing, it was just an intangible thing destined to be delivered upon accursed mortals who dared slight the golden gods. It was something she had faced eye to eye at every single encounter, the weapon aware of its foreboding cessation. No more, no less. But Kaede has a reason now. A myriad of things to fight for, live for.

"Kaede..." Recovery Girl whispers. "I know it's upsetting you, but in order to understand all of these matters, you need to listen."

Dr. Konno nods as if she's helping the situation improve. "It was the curious case of Moriyama Akihiko, the man who became a professional hero at age ten. He solved so many crimes, saved so many lives that if given more time, could reach All Might himself. He was a distant boy, detached just like the other Moriyamas. And his death came. As simple as that. He married Agase Tsuchiko, a civilian and they were blessed with four children, three girls and one boy.

"The boy became a hero at twelve, Moriyama Akito: Chronos XXXII, and died at 38. Akito had three children, two sons and one daughter. The daughter, who is the current head, is your grandmother— Moriyama Akira, a respectable lady who had two children, both girls. The other one passed away seven years ago, at the age of 34 with six children, all of them girls. And the other is quirkless, that is your mother."

Kaede smiles wryly. "All girls... huh?"

Recovery Girl nods.

"The woman who gave birth to me, she was sort of ecstatic at the fact that she had a son, if the current Clan Head is a woman, why is a son so important?"

"Normally, it is the Moriyama males who are Clan Head, but your grandfathers have passed and since your grandmother does not have any sons, there is no heir. And from what I've heard, there is no current heir since your cousins are not interested in the workings of the clan."

Recovery Girl puts a hand on hers, her voice soft as she continues the story. A tale always leading to the inevitable deaths of those who held the power of time in their grasps. "Your aunt died because of the quirk. She was a fierce woman who wanted to conquer, but the quirk did not let her escape her fate. She became a hero at 18, died at 34. She was trained since age 3. Perhaps the strongest Moriyama I know."

"Kaede, we had a few complications regarding your operation. Because of the repercussions, it proved to be more difficult to treat your wounds," Dr. Konno states, the smile on her face now a straight line as her eyes fix on the flowers laid carefully on the vase nestled next to her bed. "Slower regeneration is a hard thing to battle and even with an array of healing quirks it proved to be impossible. The poison was too strong, the wounds too deep to heal without the body fixing itself."

Dr. Konno plucks a single peony from the vase and without the sun shining in the sky, it's a dark dreary thing. The stem bends as she clutches it and she presents the flower to Kaede. "Touch it," she says and smiles soon after Kaede sits upright and receives the flower. There's nothing strange with it. It's bottom parts are a little damp probably because of it being submerged on water, the petals are weak probably as an indication that it had been here for a long time— wait. Kaede freezes like a statue as the realization sinks unto her mind.

The time is gone. Nothing. It's hollow.

Kaede touches the flower again, discomfort visible on her visage as she feels its petals and stem. She wills her quirk, count count count count. Onetwothreefourfivesixseveneightnineteneleventwelvethirteenfourteenfifteensixteenseventeeneighteennineteentwentytwenty—

"My quirk..." her voice comes out as a strangled, desperate cry. "My power..." Tears land on her lap in miniscule drops as the flower's petals gently sway as they too end in the same way. "What—?"

"We had to do it," Recovery Girl says, shaking her head as tears spill from her face. "The methods in which we managed to do it is classified since it's something that may prove to be detrimental to society in the wrong hands."

"So, I'm—"

The words never come out. They choke on her tongue, but the word remains etched on her brain. Every single cell acquainting itself with the word that sends shivers trailing on her spine.

Quirkless.

Quirkless. Quirkless.

Powerless. Powerless.

Just like her parents and those mere mortals that were beneath her. Past, present and future all but gone, and the remainders are nothing but ugly scars and open wounds. No. It can't be. The seconds, minutes, hours, days, months, years, decades and centuries are nowhere to be found. Once she was adjoined with the river of time that sloshes back and forth, back and forth, but now, she's nothing but a pathetic, useless creature.

"No, please." Her voice breaks and tears well up at the edges of her eyes. There's a dam of tears and the concrete walls that hold it together are slowly shattering with each quirkless moment that passes. No!

Fingers strewn together. Laughter and trust. Pastel blue envelopes with letters written in crooked Cambrias. Little girls that sew flowers into hairs and daily trips to azure beaches. Boys made for power and saving who guided her toward the light. Bubbly stargirls whose laughter is reminiscent of butterflies.

No. Kaede is done with broken crowns and bloody thrones. She's proved to herself over and over again that she will not succumb to measuring her worth with the dead bodies that littered the path she walked on.

"Kaede, dear, I know this is hard for you..."

Powerless— no.

P o w e r f u l .

She takes a deep breath, exhales and then forges a smile.

"I'll be okay."

Kaede's quirk does not measure her worth.

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E N D  O F  C H A P T E R
— s t a r t  o v e r