Chapter 3: Heroine of Time
Finishing the tests on the girl's quirk, Doctor Haruko Sayato approached a special device for blood analysis. Carefully removing the test results, he began noting them down in his notebook. His face was focused, yet inside him, excitement was bubbling. Little Kimika, sitting next to her mother, felt her heart pounding in her chest, barely holding back her impatience. She was almost bouncing in her chair, trying to imagine what incredible abilities would be revealed to her.
"Hmmm, well, you have an amazing quirk, little hero," the doctor finally said, gently emphasizing the importance of the moment. "I want you to know that your quirk is so special that, unfortunately, we won't be able to tell you all its features right away. This will become part of your heroic journey, which you are just beginning."
The doctor's words puzzled Kimika. She didn't know how to react: on one hand, she was told they wouldn't be able to share everything about her quirk as she had hoped, which disappointed her a bit. But on the other hand, the doctor emphasized how unique and powerful her quirk was, filling her heart with pride and joy for being on the path to heroism.
Kimika lowered her gaze, trying to understand her feelings — whether to be happy or not, since she wouldn't be able to show off her entire quirk to her mom. But the doctor, noticing her confusion, immediately continued:
"Don't worry, with the help of tests and your blood, we can understand the main aspects of your quirk," he said, trying to support the little girl. "Your ability, like your mother's, is related to time. Of course, your mom can only change the speed of people or objects, and even then only a little, but your quirk has developed and become even stronger! This is just fantastic! And although we already know the basics, the real discovery awaits you in the future. You will be able to improve your abilities and learn more about your quirk!"
At these words, Kimika began to nod vigorously, filled with eagerness to learn more about her long-awaited quirk. She understood that every hero goes through difficulties, especially the greatest ones, like All Might. Therefore, she was also ready to face these little challenges on her heroic journey, as it was part of her personal heroic story.
"So, your quirk is related to time, as I already mentioned. Your left eye is connected to the past, and your right one is linked to the future. Isn't that incredible? But that's not all! You are also endowed with enhanced regeneration, strength, and endurance! Your quirk is a true marvel, worthy of every heroine!"
"Wow! Am I going to be a real time heroine?" Kimika exclaimed excitedly, her eyes shining with joy.
"Aren't you already a heroine?" the doctor said with a sly smile, trying to encourage her even more.
"Well, for now, I'm a secret heroine! But that's a secret, so don't tell anyone!" she added proudly, whispering as if her words could only be heard by those closest to her.
The doctor, smiling, addressed the girl:
"Little heroine, I have one more task for you. Could you wait a bit in the hallway while your mom and I fill out these boring documents that aren't really suitable for real heroes? It'll be a great opportunity for you to think of a name for your new ability."
"Yes! I'll come up with the perfect name!" she exclaimed eagerly, running out into the hallway. Her heart raced with anticipation of new discoveries. 'What name would best suit my ability?' she wondered, dreaming of all the possible adventures that awaited her ahead.
~~~ In the doctor's office ~~~
After Kimika left, only two people remained in the office: Kimika's mother and the doctor. The doctor's face instantly shifted from friendly to more serious, as if the mask he usually wore for children had been removed.
"So, Ms. Yukiko Tanaki, let's not beat around the bush, and I'll tell you everything as it is. There are certain drawbacks to her quirk. I wouldn't want to upset your daughter, so I'll only discuss them with you. Afterward, you can decide how to convey this information to her, considering that she's still young and may find it difficult to understand. It's important to explain to her that every ability has its peculiarities, and even drawbacks can become a part of her life."
I-Is there something scary? the mother asked anxiously.
"No, no, don't worry, nothing extraordinarily dangerous," the doctor reassured, noticing the tension on the mother's face. "Let's begin. As you already know, your daughter has horns. When she used her power, they darkened, and blood flowed from her eye, right?"
"Y-yes…" the mother clasped her hands on her knees, her anxiety growing with each word.
"So, as I understand it, you have a similar quirk, although your eyes appear normal on the outside. Your quirk is quite weak as it drains a lot of energy. However, your daughter's has evolved. She has divided the responsibilities between her eyes: one is connected to the past, and the other to the future."
The doctor took a brief pause, giving the mother time to process this information. Unable to withstand the silence, she immediately asked:
"And the horns? How is that related?"
The mother leaned slightly forward, her tension becoming more apparent.
"Each eye is connected to the corresponding horn. In their normal state, the horns have a translucent blue tint, as you already know. But when she uses her quirk, energy is drained from the horns, and they darken. This compensates for your drawback — exhaustion."
The doctor spoke calmly, trying to convey confidence in his words to reassure the mother.
"But why did her eye start bleeding, and why did she temporarily go blind in that eye?"
"That happened because she exceeded her limit, and when the energy in her horns ran out, it affected her eye. And, most likely, if she had continued using her power, it would have affected her body as well. But don't worry — over time, she will become more resilient," Haruko said calmly, trying to soothe Yukiko.
She let out a quiet sigh, although her eyes still shone with worry.
"Is it dangerous if she overestimates her abilities? I know my child — if she wants to do something, she will do it regardless of the consequences..."
"Don't worry. On the outside, it may seem like the situation is serious, but after such overloads, she will simply feel tired. To prevent excessive use of her power, her eye will start to cloud and temporarily go blind. It's like a natural defense against overexertion."
The mother eased a bit, but the expression on her face remained troubled. She was twisting a ring on her finger, as if trying to find comfort in the familiar gesture, but her anxiety still lingered.
"That… still isn't very reassuring," she admitted, taking a deep breath, feeling the weight of the new information pressing down on her shoulders.
"I understand," the doctor replied, trying to appear sympathetic. "But there's one more important detail. Your husband has a lie detection quirk that manifests through his horns when those around him are lying, correct?"
"Yes," the mother nodded nervously, feeling a wave of anxiety wash over her again as she realized where this was all leading.
"Then, as you probably noticed during her examination, your daughter lied for the first time all day, and her horns darkened. This may indicate that she inherited not just the external trait — your husband's horns — but also other features of his quirk, only in a different form."
The mother felt embarrassed, realizing that her daughter would now be unable to lie without obvious consequences. She imagined Kimika trying to hide the truth, and that could lead to misunderstandings.
The doctor continued:
"It's likely that she won't be able to lie without a visual display anymore. I'm not sure if she will be able to control it in the future, but you'll need to talk to her about it to prepare her for possible situations."
Yukiko, hearing these words from the doctor, sighed heavily, her heart tightening. She remembered how Kimika's horns had darkened slightly when she assured her that everything was fine. But she also recalled that she had promised herself to support her daughter through this difficult situation. So she gathered her DETERMINATION to tell her daughter about it as delicately as possible, hoping to find the right words for such a conversation.
The doctor, noticing that the mother had gathered her DETERMINATION, couldn't help but smile for a moment, but then seriousness returned to his face — there was still one important piece of news he had to share.
"And now, finally," he said, glancing at the documents, "as I noticed, your daughter has another eye on her forehead, and she hasn't opened it even after awakening her quirk. I want to assure you that there's nothing scary about it. It will likely open in the future, but unfortunately, I can't say what exactly it will do. Neither the test results nor the visual exams can provide accurate information. All I can tell you is that it is also related to time."
His change in tone was almost instantaneous, providing Yukiko with a brief respite after the serious conversation. She took a deep breath, trying to focus, and with a light smile, leaned slightly forward, glancing at the door.
"Kimika, are you ready? Have you come up with a name for your quirk?" she called softly but clearly.
Almost immediately after this, hurried footsteps echoed from the corridor, and within a moment, a panting little girl burst into the office, clearly excited and a bit flustered by her haste.
"So, what name did you come up with for your quirk?" the doctor asked, smiling slightly and once again putting on his usual friendly mask for children.
"My quirk will be called Time Control! And I even came up with a real hero name for myself!" Kimika proudly lifted her head, her eyes shining with excitement.
An awkward silence hung in the office for a moment. The doctor realized that the name chosen by the girl was quite simple, yet he did not show any surprise. She was a child, and even in this moment, her excitement was palpable. So, without prolonging the pause, the doctor continued:
"Wow, what a wonderful name! It fits perfectly!" he praised, writing it down in the documents. Then, leaning in a little closer, he whispered as if it were a secret just for the three of them, "And what is your hero name?" he asked with even more curiosity.
"My hero name is Toki no Tenshi!" Kimika replied, a bit nervous but proud that her voice sounded confident.
"Hmm… Angel of Time? That's a beautiful name! Well done!" the doctor nodded approvingly. "Now, I'll finish filling out the documents, and you can head home after this important mission with absolute victory, heroine Toki no Tenshi! And I think your mom will even buy you something tasty as a reward," he added, glancing at Yukiko with the hint that this could be an opportunity for her to talk to her daughter in a more relaxed setting during their walk.
Yukiko smiled slightly, understanding the doctor's subtle hint, and nodded, planning how to best bring up the new details of her daughter's quirk.
As Kimika and her mother left the hospital, the silence between them was only broken by the sounds of the city. Normally lively and smiling, Yukiko walked alongside her daughter, but her expression was not as joyful as usual. Noticing this change, Kimika leaned towards her, furrowing her brows in thought.
"Is something wrong?" the girl asked, gazing intently into her mother's eyes, trying to understand why Mom looked so quiet and contemplative.
"Oh… no, no, everything's fine," Yukiko flinched, as if she had just woken from deep thoughts, and hurriedly averted her gaze, attempting to smile. "I was just thinking… what kind of ice cream to buy you — chocolate or strawberry?"
Kimika frowned for a moment and lowered her gaze, as if pondering a serious question. But in an instant, her eyes sparkled with bright enthusiasm.
"What kind of question is that? Of course, both chocolate and strawberry!" she exclaimed with a look of bewilderment, as if that option was the only possible one and all others made no sense.
"Hmm, you're right, what was I thinking?" her mother theatrically raised a hand to her forehead, trying to make the girl laugh. "How could I not have thought of that?"
"Well…" Yukiko added after a moment, though her smile didn't reach her eyes, which remained a bit sad and heavy with thoughts, but not as much as just a moment ago. "You were a true hero today! You deserve a real reward."
"Hee-hee! Do you think Dad will be happy about my quirk?" Kimika's eyes sparkled with eager anticipation.
Yukiko paused for a second, sighed, then nodded resolutely, taking her daughter's hand.
"Of course, he'll be thrilled!" her voice sounded firm, but her eyes betrayed an involuntary anxiety. "And if not…" Here Mom shifted to a playful tone and raised a finger, as if warning. "He'll get it! We'll pull him by his ears and not buy him any ice cream!"
"Hooray! Now, let's go get some ice cream!" Kimika shouted joyfully, her mood instantly lifting.
They reached the shop, where Kimika seemed to face a new challenge — to limit her choice to just two flavors of ice cream. Yukiko was confident that after her loud proclamation of chocolate and strawberry, everything was already decided, but standing before the display, Kimika couldn't take her eyes off the other flavors. She examined each option as if she were seriously considering how wonderful it would be to just buy the entire shop.
"Maybe just a little vanilla? And mango?" the girl mumbled, clearly captivated by a new idea.
"Kimika, you've already chosen…" Yukiko reminded her with a smile, seeing her daughter's inability to stop.
"Well, yes, but… just think, Mom! So many flavors, and only one tummy, that's so unfair!" Kimika theatrically sighed, wrapping her arms around her stomach.
Yukiko couldn't help but laugh. She watched as her daughter, having almost forgotten her previous choice, continued to gaze at the display, dreaming of each flavor.
"It seems like you want to buy the whole store," Yukiko joked, observing Kimika with wide-open eyes as she explored all the options, as if trying to find the best deal.
Kimika rolled her eyes playfully, realizing that her desires might indeed seem excessive, but she was genuinely considering the idea of buying the whole store to get all those flavors for free!
After buying the ice cream, they headed home. Yukiko felt it was time to talk to her daughter about serious matters, but she decided the best way to do it would be in the cozy atmosphere of their home. She knew that discussing the drawbacks of Kimika's quirk wouldn't be easy for her, but now, watching her daughter happily savoring the ice cream, Yukiko decided to let her enjoy a carefree evening.
Each smiling glance from Kimika and the joyful exclamations escaping her lips with every new flavor reminded Yukiko that, despite all the challenges, their life was still filled with joy. Let at least this evening remain carefree.
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I'm sorry for the drawn-out moment of awakening the quirk over two chapters, but I chose a slow-paced style so that, aside from battles and similar events, we could see the characters' lives. After all, I love good and heartfelt moments.
I also need you to connect a bit with Kimika's parents so they don't come across as characters mentioned in just 2-3 sentences. I want you to understand them and feel their importance.