God, this was a long chapter. I spent like three whole hours on this. I apologize, I spent too much time poking fun at Lavi. No, I'm not sorry with the longness, but for me tormenting Lavi again. Don't kill me Lavi fangirls!!

We finally get into the Rewinding Town arc. Yes, I'm doing this arc. I have to do Krory's too, since he's currently not an exorcist. Guess what that means! Yup, you guessed it, more chapters!! Hooray, this story will be uber long!

Lenalee's actually not in this chapter! She's been getting the spotlight for too long lately, so I decided to hide her backstage for a while. So who replaces her for this arc? Uhm…I dunno…

By the way, I'd like to tell you people that new chapters won't be coming up as frequently as before, since my mom is finally coming back from vacation! And yes, I've been stuck with my elder sibling for the past 3-4 weeks. So since she's coming back, I might get less computer time than I'm getting now, which means less time to work on this story. I get less computer time since the computer is in her bedroom so…yeah. I just wanted to put this out there in advance in case you start wondering where the hell the next chapter is. Don't worry, I still love you guys. To the 100 review point we goooo!!

Disclaimer: Yes, this author's note is still going on. Thanks for bothering to read it if you did. Zone belongs to Hoshino Katsura. And now (and it's about time) on with the story!!

The 13th Memory: Fast Forward

The dishes she was carrying fell to the floor and broke. The waitress sunk down to the floor and apologized profusely to the customers in front of her. That was the eighteenth thing she did wrong today, and she's only been awake for six hours. However, if you counted the things you did wrong in her sleep…

"Can't you do anything right!?" The waitress's boss shouted. "I thought that maybe this time you could do something right!"

"I-I'm so sorry!" The waitress sobbed. "I didn't mean to! My feet just sort of got caught on my dress and caused me to trip!" She started sweeping up the pieces of broken glass. "I swear I won't do anything else wrong today!" She stood up and walked across the room to discard the broken glass.

The waitress slipped on a small puddle of water, causing the shards of broken glass to scatter across the floor. The waitress looked up frightfully at her boss. "I-I'm sorry…"

A vein pulsed in the boss's forehead. "What everyone says about you is true. You really are nothing but bad luck!" He pointed his finger out the door. "That's it, get out!"

The waitress held back a sob. "W-what do you mean?" She stuttered.

"I mean…YOU'RE FIRED!!"

The waitress flinched at the tone of his voice. "P-please don't fire me!" She pleaded. "I promise that I'll never mess up again! I promise!" She picked herself up, only to bump into another waitress, causing that waitress to drop her dishes.

The boss sighed. "Listen, it's not that I have anything personal against you." He explained. "It's just that my business can't afford to pay for everything you might or might not break." He pushed her out the door. "Why don't you try working somewhere else?"

"B-but I…" The boss shut the door in her face.

The ex-waitress wiped the tears out of her eyes, and shuffled her feet away from the restaurant. Why do I always have to be so hopeless? The woman thought. Why do I always have to be cursed with this bad luck? A carriage drove past her through a puddle of mud. The mud splashed all over the woman, staining her dress. She wiped the mud off her face and continued walking. I hate this.

Miranda Lotto was just fired from her 100th job.

--

Road narrowly dodged the katana that slashed at her. She back-flipped away from the swordsman and stuck her tongue out at him. "Is that all Yuu can do?" She taunted.

Kanda raised his katana. "Don't you dare use my first name, newbie!" He slashed at Road.

She giggled as she danced through Kanda's attacks. "Aw, is Ikle-Kandakins mad that I used his first name in a pun? Maybe you should take some anger management classes or something."

"Che, this coming from the girl who can't even form her weapon." He raised his katana. "Maybe you should wait until you have the power to back up those insults of yours." Kanda swiftly leapt into the air and brought down the katana.

Road barely avoided the attack. "Nice aim, you long haired-" Kanda kicked her in the gut, and then tried to stab his sword at her face. Road ducked just in time to avoid getting skewered, when she heard a loud snap come from above her. The katana struck a pillar and broke into two. "H-hey!" Road protested. "Are you crazy!? You almost killed me there!"

Kanda clicked his tongue. "Stupid katana, does this place have any weapons I can use until my Mugen is fixed?" He turned away from Road. "We're done for today, newbie. Consider yourself lucky that you don't have to sleep in the infirmary tonight."

"Well consider yourself lucky that I didn't- Hey! Are you even listening to me!?"

Kanda held his hand up in the air. "Go see Hevlaska to check if you've made any progress. Lavi will bring you there."

"Hey, you can't just leave me like that!" Road yelled after him. "Kanda you freaking jerk!"

"Ha ha, it looks like you two are getting along well." Lavi walked up next to Road. "Normally Yuu isn't so friendly with the new exorcists." He grinned.

"What are you grinning about, you pervert?"

A huge rock fell on top of Lavi's head. "P-pervert!? You've been here for almost four weeks and you still call me that?" He sighed. "I guess I haven't exactly left the best first impression when we first met…but we've know each other for weeks and you still call me that!"

She stuck her tongue out at him. "That's because you're a pervert, pervert." She started walking off. "Come on, let go see that Hevlaska chick already. I'm getting bored talking with you."

Lavi sighed again. "Still as rude as ever." He followed after her.

--

Road held her arms up. "I'm ready." Hevlaska used her tentacles to pick Road up from the ground. She stuck her tentacles within Road's body, probing her insides. She brought her forehead's to Road's and touched it. "1…7…8…17…27…45…61…" A large breath of mist came out of Hevlaska's mouth as she deposited Road back onto the floor. "It appears that your synchronization rate is still 67 percent. It hasn't changed at all since you first got here."

"Aww, looks like Road has to play with Kanda for a few more days!" Lavi teased.

Road raised her fist at him. "Do you want to die!?"

"Miss Kamelot…are you still unable to invocate your Innocence?" Hevlaska asked. "Theoretically, it is possible for Innocence to be invocated at 67 percent."

Road shrugged. "I try, but I'm not able to fully activate it."

"But you have invocated your Innocence before…right?"

"Yeah, a couple of times. But that was only when there was an Akuma around, and also before…" She bit her lip. "Never mind, it's not important."

"Maybe…" Hevlaska said, "You're having trouble invocating it because…maybe you don't want to? After all…the only thing that invocated your Innocence was your extreme disgust at what the soul of the Akuma looks like, right?"

"Well yeah. Like I said before, I'm a Noah, a child of the Millennium Earl. Therefore, I'm obviously repulsed at the idea of having to use Innocence. Oh wait." She let out a bitter laugh. "You guys don't believe my story at all, right?"

"We'd believe it if it wasn't so hard to believe." Lavi commented. "There is no way some guy named Allen could…how did you put it? Screw with time and space? I'm pretty sure no one can have enough power to mess with time and space or somehow inject Innocence into a Noah. I won't believe that unless there's absolute proof that it could be done."

"I'm right here, aren't I?" Road said bitterly. "I'm standing here with Innocence inside my body, aren't I? Isn't the fact that I'm here proof enough?"

Lavi shook his head. "Show me a picture of the Noah you. Then maybe I'll consider your story."

"If I may interrupt…" Hevlaska spoke. "Miss Kamelot, you remember that prophecy I spoke when I first inspected you?"

"Not really." Road said. "I was too freaked out by the whole 'tentacles in my body like some dumb movie' thing. Why, does it have something to do with me and red head over here?"

"Well…somewhat. It involves time. I…predicted that you'd be the…Restorer of Time… It's possible that…my prophecy is related to your story."

Road stuck her tongue out at Lavi. "See? I told you I was telling the truth!"

Lavi shrugged. "That's not really truth at all. For all I know, it could be related to whatever the hell you're hiding from us."

"I'm not hiding anything from you, you stupid book-head!"

"Oh, book-head, like I haven't heard that one before. Wait." He scratched his head. "Maybe I really haven't heard that one before…"

"I think I'll go back to sleep now…" Hevlaska's voice echoed.

"Listen, do you want me to freaking kill you or something?" Road shouted." Because you're really starting to get on my nerves!"

"I just want the true story from you…shortie."

"That's it," She pushed up her nonexistent sleeves. "I am so gonna beat you up…ah!" She tripped on a wire and stumbled onto Lavi.

"What're you-mmmph!"

A loud knock echoed through the room. "Hello? Lavi, Road? It's me Johnny!" Johnny walked into the room. "I just want you guys to know that-" He spotted Lavi and Road on the floor and blushed a deep red. "Oh snap! Lavi…I had no idea…"

Lavi quickly pushed Road, who had a shocked look on her face, off of him. "Don't get the wrong idea, Johnny!" Lavi yelled. "It was a complete and total accident!"

"Um, yeah, right." Johnny avoided looking at Lavi. "I mean, it's not like I have any problems if you have a loli complex…"

Lavi blushed a deep red. "It. Was. An. ACCIDENT!!" Lavi shouted. "Like hell I'd like girls like Road! You know I only chase after older women!"

"But what about when she woke up?" Johnny asked nervously. "And right now it looked like you were pretty into-"

"Shut up already!" Lavi wiped his lips. "…It was my first kiss…" He muttered.

"Pfft!" Johnny laughed. "Are you serious!? You're eighteen and you're first kiss was with Road!? Not to mention that you said it was an accident, so technically, you've never been kissed by a girl!"

"Shaddap! Bookman says that I shouldn't be tempted by things like alcohol or women." Lavi protested. "He says that interferes with my duty as the successor to Bookman."

"So then, why do you still chase after women?" Johnny pointed out.

Lavi opened his mouth to explain, when a loud groaning sound came from behind him. It was Road. "Urrrgh…" She groaned. "Must…burn…lips…off…"

"Aw, come on!" Lavi said, "Surely it wasn't so bad that you'd want to burn your lips off!"

Road considered his words for a second. "You're right…acid works much better!"

"Do I really taste that bad…?" Lavi wondered.

"Um, Lavi?" Johnny snickered. "Whatever happened to you not secretly having a loli complex?"

Lavi glared evilly at Johnny. "Exactly why are you here again?"

"Why? Did you want to spend more time…" He started laughing hysterically. "Did you want to spend more time making out with Road!?"

Lavi pulled out his hammer. "Just hurry up and tell us what you came here for." He said menacingly.

"Well…alright." Johnny wiped his eyes. "It's just that Komui wanted to see you two. Apparently you guys have a mission."

"Why didn't you say so?" Lavi said. He started walking off. "Oh, and Johnny?"

"Yes?"

"If you ever tell anyone about what just happened in here," He threatened. "I'll kill you."

"Uhm…" He laughed nervously. "There's a communication that's been flapping around here for a while already. I'm pretty sure that by now, everyone knows about your loli, I mean, 'accident'."

"Great…" Lavi muttered as he left the room. "That old panda's gonna kill me…"

Johnny looked at Road, who was picking herself up slowly. "Um, Road?" Johnny asked. "Are you okay? Do you need any help getting to Komui's office?"

Road waved her hand in the air. "No, that's fine. I know how to get there. Of course…" An evil smile crept up on Road's face. "You can help me by giving me a knife and that pervert's head."

"Eh heh heh…no."

"Oh, okay then." She shuffled her way out of the room. "Later then."

--

When Lavi and Road entered Komui's office, they were greeted by a huge bout of laughter. "Lavi! I can't believe you had such a loli complex!" Komui said in-between laughter. "I mean, it looked like you were enjoying that 'accident' of yours!"

Lavi and Road tried punching Komui, who shielded himself with his clipboard. "Komui…" They said simultaneously. "Shut up."

"Are you sure you don't want to see the recording?" Komui offered.

"NO!!"

Komui winced at the loudness of their voices. "Fine then, you don't have to be so loud…" He gestured towards the seats in front of his desk. "Sit please, I have a mission to assign to you."

Road and Lavi obeyed. "So, Komui." Lavi said. "What's this mission you're giving me?"

"You?" Komui asked. "Actually, this mission is for the both of you."

"WHAT!?" Road and Lavi both yelled. "You can't seriously expect me to work with him/her!?"

"Geez…again with the loudness…" Komui sighed. "Hear me out before you start yelling your heads off."

"I just want to know why you're sending someone who can't even activate her Innocence yet on a mission." Lavi said.

"Well, I know that we shouldn't send an untrained exorcist onto the field."

"Not an exorcist." Road interrupted. "I've already said that before."

"Well, okay. I shouldn't send someone who's untrained on a mission." Komui continued. "But me and Hevlaska have this theory that if Road can experience those feelings she had when fighting Akuma again, then maybe it would become easier for her to invocate whenever she wanted. Besides," Komui took a sip of coffee. "We're kinda shorthanded at the moment on exorcists. Everyone else is out on missions, and I'd send Kanda instead, but his Mugen's broken. So that leaves me with you two."

"Has Kanda even told you who broke his Mugen yet?" Lavi asked.

Komui shook his head. "No. He just says a moyashi broke it. I think Lenalee doesn't want to give us the actual name of the person who broke Kanda's Mugen…"

"Would you just tell us the mission already so I can get away from this pervert already?" Road complained. "I'm bored to death here!"

Komui sighed. "Well, if you insist." He looked the two of them in the eye. "There have been rumors of Innocence that's probably in a small town in Germany. But though I say that, probably, it probably might not be there, so don't get your hopes up, because it's probably. It's definitely not definitely, it's probably. Well we think it's probably there, probably."

"Okay, we get it with the probably." Lavi interrupted.

"Well, how should I say this? The Innocence is in a Rewinding Town. By that, I mean the time and space there stops at a certain day, and that day is repeated over and over again. The investigation began based on the evidence of a merchant in the neighboring town who delivers to this town's liquor store. On October 9th, about the time Lenalee brought Road here, the merchant received a call asking for ten barrels of rose wine for the 10th to be delivered there. The next day, the merchant went to drop off his goods. But no matter how many times the merchant tried to get into the town through the front gate, he always somehow ended up back on the outside. Getting sick of it, the merchant went home and tried to call the liquor store, but his calls wouldn't go through.

"Since then, he has gotten phone calls asking for ten barrels of rose wine to be delivered on the 10th every day at the same time. By the way, the merchant has been hospitalized for neurosis. We'd like to check it out, but our Finders can't get into the town. Based on that information, we believe that there may be Innocence in that town, and if it is Innocence, then possibly an Innocence host can enter the town. That is your mission, investigate the town and retrieve the Innocence. That is all."

"Whew, that was long!" Road stretched out her arms. "Let's go, pervert boy!"

"Wait a minute." Lavi grabbed her arm. "Why are you so into this mission?"

"Because." She grinned. "This mission forces you to accept my story." She took her arm away from Lavi. "Let's go already, the more time we spend here, the more time we waste!"

Lavi watched her run out of the office. "Hey, Komui." Lavi said once he couldn't see Road anymore. "There's another reason you want Road out of Headquarters, isn't there?"

"Of course you can see there's another reason, successor to Bookman." Komui said quietly. "The truth is, in a couple of days, Inspector Rouvelier will be sent by the Vatican to check up on us. And I don't want Road near this place when he comes."

"You want to keep her safe, don't you?" Lavi asked.

"I want to keep her from being tried for heresy." Komui answered. "If anyone from the Vatican, especially Rouvelier, hears Road's story, she'll instantly be branded a heretic until she admits the truth. I prefer to get her to tell the truth my way."

"Your way?" Lavi questioned. "You don't have a way. You're just pretty much letting Road do whatever she wants."

Komui smiled. "That is my way. My main priority is to keep the exorcists safe. And even if Miss Kamelot refuses to say she is one, in my eyes, she is still an exorcist, a comrade, in my eyes. If she wants to tell the truth or keep it to herself, then let her." He put his hand on Lavi's shoulder. "Lavi, keep her safe."

Lavi nodded. "I will, don't worry about it Komui."

"Come ooooonnn Bookman Jr.!" Road's voice said through a golem. "What's taking you so long!?"

"Well I better not keep our princess waiting." Lavi said sarcastically. "See you, supervisor." He ran out of the room.

Komui waved. "See you, Lavi."