Chapter 9: The Rewinding Town
In Supervisor Komui's office
Allen, Alice, and Lenalee see the exhausted Komui lying down on pile of books.
"Well… I think it's there. Innocence, that is." He drowsily says. "But it's maybe there, just maybe, so don't count on it. It's just maybe. It's not absolute. It's just maybe. But you know, it's probably there but just maybe."
"We got the 'maybe' part already." Allen points out.
"How can I say this? There seems to be a town that rewinds."
"Rewinding?" Alice asks.
"Yes, probably. Time and space are stopped on one day, and the people experience that day forever." Komui explains. "Squad Leader Reever!" He calls.
"Yes." Reever replies. "The start of the research is from the townspeople and the liquor store. It's the testimony of a nearby wholesaler. Last month, on October 9th, the liquor store got an order of 'please send ten barrels of Rose wine before the 10th', and he delivered it the next day. But no matter how many times he went through the gate, he was still outside. He got a bad feeling about it and had returned. He tried to contact the liquor store in a hurry, but couldn't reach them. And every day since, at the same time they get a call saying, 'please send over ten barrels of Rose wine before the 10th'." Reever explains. "By the way, the wholesaler is hospitalize for neurosis."
"I want to research it, but just like the wholesaler, the Finders can't get into the town." Komui says. "And so, here's my theory:" Komui clasped his hand together and rests on his chin on them. "1. If this is the work of an Innocence's mystery, then an Exorcist who also carries Innocence might be able to get inside. 2. But is the town is repeating October 9th over and over, then it might not be possible to exit once inside."
"Because its time and space are closed off?" Lenalee asks.
"Yes." Komui answers.
"Well then, let's get going, Allen, Alice." Lenalee says.
"Ah, yes!" Allen replies.
"Okay." Alice says.
Underground water path
Allen, Alice, and Lenalee get on the gondola and Allen starts rowing it. Once the gondola rides on the water the three of them starts to read the paper in their hands.
"The rewinding city, eh?" Allen says.
"Have you two gotten used to things, Allen, Alice?" Lenalee asks.
"You mean the work, or the Order?" Alice asks.
"It's both."
"I'm still a little uncomfortable with regards to the work, but I've begin to think of the Order as 'HOME', at least a little. I think…" Allen says.
"For me, there are some things I still don't know, but I have a lot of time to think about it later." Alice replies.
"That's good to hear." Lenalee says.
Afterwards, Allen, Alice, and Lenalee reach to the rewinding town.
"I wonder if we can get in…" Allen wonders.
"Well, nothing for it but to try." Lenalee suggests.
"Right." Alice agrees.
The three of them walk through the gate, into the town and see that the town's citizens are normal.
"And we're in…" Allen points out.
"Well then, where could the Innocence be?" Lenalee wonders.
In a woman's room
The woman goes pale after she reads the newspaper.
"Again… the newspaper from October 9th. The same articles, the same horoscope. The same sky." She says. She then glances at the grandfather's clock. "Five to eight… Three, two, one…"
"YOU–! YOU WERE WITH THAT WOMAN AGAIN, WEREN'T YOU!?" Her neighbor shouts angrily.
"PLEASE FORGIVE ME~~"
The woman collapses to the floor. "Again… It's October 9th again." She begins to cry. "This makes 30 times." The clock starts to chime. The woman wipes her tears and starts to polish the clock. "Thank you. Are you going to make me feel better? Okay, let's clean you off." The woman heads out after polishing her clock.
Outside
Allen, Alice, and Lenalee look around the town to find the Innocence.
"For now should we split up?" Lenalee suggests. "Let's meet up at that pub at noon."
"Right!" Allen replies and Alice nods.
After splitting up Allen sees children are in front of the woman.
"Hey~, it's the unlucky lady." Kid A says. "TAKE THIS!" He throws a pile of poop at the woman, but she dodges it. "WHAT!? SHE DODGED IT!"
"Hmph! If you throw the poo 30 times at the same place each time, of course I'll know!" The woman tells the kid.
"WHAT? Today's the first day I've thrown poo!"
"PETER, IF YOU TALK TO MIRANDA, HER MISFORTUNE WILL–!" Kid B says to Peter (Kid A) causing him to stop.
"Miranda, Miranda. Poor, poor Miranda. Ugly, unlucky, just plain useless! Out again to look for a job? They'll just fire you, you lazy slob!" The kids chant causing the woman, Miranda glares of the kids. "AH―! IT'S A BAD LUCK BEAM!" They shout and runs away.
"Why don't they notice this?" Miranda asks and looks up at the sky. "The sun's so bright…" She mutters and starts to walk through an alley. "After this, I'll be splashed with muddy water, then go home…" Miranda then feels something hovering over her, so she turns around and sees a Level Two Akuma.
'Something different today.' Miranda slowly backs up to the wall. 'But what's this monster!?' She thought as the Akuma traps Miranda by its hand. 'Am I going to be killed!? Is this not the same day?'
"Where is the Innocence?" It asks. "Where?"
"Please let go of her." Allen says appearing behind it. "Good afternoon, Akuma." He activates Cross and attacks the Akuma as if it is a sword.
"Something new again!" Miranda says. "That boy in that black coat shouldn't be here!" Miranda suddenly smiles as she cries. "I've finally out!"
She then runs away to her room as Allen watches her running away.
"Oh, wait!" Allen shouts but she didn't listens.
Miranda is skipping down the street while holding her dress. 'It isn't today anymore!' She thought happily. 'I've finally gotten out!' But it got short lived by a carriage splashing muddy water at Miranda. 'No… is it still the same?' She then turns around and sees Allen walking through the street. 'But I still have him, the one who will change my day!' Once he reaches to the pub where he will meet up with Leenalee and Alice, he opens the door and goes in. 'Wait!'
Allen enters the pub and goes to where Lenalee and Alice are. He sits on the same side as Alice and takes his hood off before he hands his poorly drawn picture to Lenalee, he sneezes.
"What is this?" Lenalee asks as she looks at the picture. "Allen!"
Timcanpy rests on Allen's head. Lenalee hands the picture to Alice.
"…Sorry." Allen apologizes.
Miranda pulls her shawl over her and sits at a nearby seat close to where Allen, Lenalee, and Alice are sitting.
"Sorry won't cut it. Why did you lose track of her?" Lenalee scolds.
"Well she was a faster runner… but look at this drawing of her! She looked like this!" Allen says proudly.
"A drawing of her…?"
"Allen, we both know that your horrible at drawing." Alice points out.
"Huh?" Allen voices.
'It's a young boy. Wh-white hair. How weird, I wonder where he's from.' Miranda thought.
"If I had known this was going to happen, we could've split up and done some research." Lenalee says.
"Allen," Alice speaks. "Are you sure that the Akuma you killed said 'Innocence'?"
"Yes." Allen answers. "I think that she's the one we'll have to watch over this time." Allen eats while he speaks. "What about you, Lenalee? Alice?"
"Well… Brother Komui's theory seems to be correct. After we entered this town, we tried to go out through the front gate, but for some reason, we ended up back inside town." Lenalee explains as she drinks her drink. "Also, we tried breaking the wall, but we still couldn't get out. When we thought we were finally out, we were back where we started."
"Oh, so we really…"
"We're trapped inside and can't get out."
"What about you Alice? What did you find out?" Allen asks Alice.
"…I tried to jump over the wall, but I landed where I jumped from…" Alice says. "Unless we figure out the mystery of Innocence…" She trails off when she sees Miranda behind Lenalee as Allen drops his fork from seeing her also.
"Allen, you dropped you fork." Lenalee says still not knowing what's behind her.
"AH―!" Allen shouts as he points at Miranda.
"HUH?!" Miranda says and Lenalee looks behind her.
"THIS IS THE PERSON, LENALEE! ALICE!"
Miranda runs towards the windows and tries to jump out of the window. But Allen stops her as he tells her who that are.
"Exor… cist…?" Miranda asks.
"Yes… but why did you run away?" Allen asks as he tries to stay in the pub while grabbing Miranda's clothing.
"Sorry, it was a subtle reaction."
Miranda then goes back inside and sits next to Lenalee when pub's phone rings and the clerk pick it up.
"Hello?" He says. "This is the liquor in Bellini. Can you send 10 barrels of Rose wine before tomorrow?"
"I… I'm Miranda Lotto." Miranda greets. "I'm happy that someone other than me has notice this town's abnormality. I tried telling other people, but I was made a fool of. I really wanted to commit suicide, it was so horrid. Oh, but I'm manage to dodge poo now."
'This person… it seems like it's coming.' The Exorcists thought.
"Ms. Miranda, do you have any memory from when this abnormality began?" Lenalee asks.
"Yes. Everyone in town seemed to forget what happened on the previous October 9th though. It's only me…" Miranda suddenly grabs Allen's hands. "HELP ME! HELP ME! IF I STAY LIKE THIS I'M GOING TO GET NEUROSIS! YOU SAVED ME FROM THOSE WEIRD THINGS, RIGHT? HELP ME AGAIN!"
"AHH, I'M SCARED!" Allen shouts.
"MS. MIRANDA, PLEASE CALM DOWN! WE'RE GOING TO HELP YOU FIND THE REASON TO ALL OF THIS!" Alice assures her.
"REASON? WHEN I REALIZED IT, IT WAS ALREADY OCTOBER 9TH!"
"Something should've happened on the real October 9th. Do you remember anything?" Lenalee asks when Allen looks around the pub and notices Akumas' as Alice also senses them and stands up with him.
"Lenalee, please take Miranda far away right now." Allen tells her and Lenalee looks at him. "With your Dark Boots you can avoid the Akuma and take her home, right?"
"It seems they've different than the townspeople, they've started to observe Miranda." Alice states and activates Silver (twin swords form) when four men stand up.
"Why is Miranda different from the others? Why isn't she affected by the mystery of the Innocence?" Allen questions, activating Cross. "Miranda is probably the one who came in contact with the Innocence."
"Eh?" Miranda says and she screams when Lenalee activates Dark Boots while Allen and Alice start attacking the Akumas'. Lenalee takes Miranda away from the pub and there is an explosion in the pub.
