Welcome to the second part of the Season Two trilogy. I hope you enjoy this story. Remember to read and review.
It was never very quiet at the UN Building. People were always walking very fast to meetings, offices, or even just down to the cafeteria to eat. When working to bring the world together in harmony you had to be able to move quickly on your feet.
As usual, there were a lot of different crises having to be dealt with. Key events included, an attempt to end the escalation of military action in southern Syria, which was displacing thousands of people, who were heading to the Jordanian Border. With the escalating violence over the Golan Heights, this was increasing the likelihood of massive loss of life.
Another crises was the USA withdrawing from the Human Rights Council after Ambassador Nikki Haley stated it was a, "protector of human rights abusers and a cesspool of political bias." That was a reference to other countries, which belonged to the council who had violated human rights before. However, the withdraw of the USA meant that there wasn't enough united power to make these countries enact change of what they believed was their government's policies and not international ones.
Also, there were serious talks about holding the Trump administration accountable for torture over the zero tolerance immigration policy. The separation of children from their parents was seen by many as inhumane and could cause psychological trauma. There was also remarks about how even legal immigrants seeking asylum were being sent immediately back to their dangerous countries. If the UN did go ahead on this issue, it was sure to drive the reigning USA government from the United Nations.
In other countries, such as South Sudan, there was hope a new female chief, who was working with the UN to help stop the violence against women, and hopefully, lead to the end of the civil war there. In multiple Asian countries, there were problems of stopping ethnic cleansings, and dealing with unbalanced issues of government power.
The UN was used to having to deal with multiple crises at once. Even when one area was having trouble, another would be doing much better. The only real problem for the UN Security Council, was where they should send their "secret weapon" aka Peace Keeper. It was difficult for the Council to agree on what assignment had the most priority. In order to help the Security Council she needed to be deployed where her skills would be most useful.
Since her return a few weeks ago from Paris the young woman had been sent out on multiple missions, sometimes even going to two different countries in one day. Tension and tempers were rising and she was putting out several fires before they became raging infernos. It was putting a real strain on her health.
At the moment, Peace Keeper, was being checked out by her doctor in her private infirmary. Dr. Calzone, an older gentlemen with salt and pepper hair, brown eyes, and medium toned skin, had been sworn to secrecy thirty one years ago, to never reveal his patient's existence. He had been the primary doctor during Peace Keeper's development and subsequent life afterwards. He was one of the kinder handlers/adult supervisor, the young woman had growing up.
Dr. Calzone listened to Peace Keeper's heart and lungs listening for sounds of trouble. He checked her reflexes, muscle strength, and had her do some balance tests. After running a few more tests, he looked over the results as his patient sat in a chair waiting for the results.
"You're muscles are starting to show signs of being strained and your reflexes have slow down slightly. It would seem your lungs and heart are okay, but they also sounded slightly strained. The rest of the tests have the same results," Dr. Calzone told her in a patient gravely tone.
"You're exhausted my dear. Your body is overworked by doing too much in a short period of time. You need to rest and take it easy for a few weeks." The man locked eyes with Peace Keeper, giving her a stern glare. "If you don't, your body will continue to get worse and you might end up passing out."
Peace Keeper ran her fingers through her hair before giving her doctor a patient look."Dr. Calzone, you and I both know, the Security Council will give me three days at the most to relax before I'm sent on another mission. Not even you could persuade them to change their minds."
Dr. Calzone nodded slightly. He was a stubborn man and would advocate for his patient medical needs. The UN Security Council would take his recommendation, but usually they put the world before Peace Keeper's health. She was created to serve the world after all.
Peace Keeper saw how sad her doctor was. He was genuinely concerned for her health. "Perhaps, I can ask for missions that don't require a lot of physical activity. Even if I'm working, I can still take it easy," she suggested.
"I'll let them know. You should be hearing from someone later this afternoon about what the Council decided. Try to get some rest before then." Patting her on the head, her doctor left the underground bunkers and took the secret elevator back up to the main building.
After changing into her civilian wear, Ning tried to rest. She knew she needed to sleep, but her mind wouldn't shut down. Pulling out the magic box she had received from Master Fu, she ran her fingers over the designs again, memorizing the pattern of the temple in her mind.
Master Fu had entrusted her with this box in order to complete her quest. Find all the missing Miraculouses and bringing them to his home. It would be a huge undertaking. Even her globetrotting might not be enough, considering she didn't know where the Miraculous were or what they looked like. She wasn't sure how many existed.
Looking at her left palm, she felt the hidden mark stirring, but it didn't burn or show itself. The mark was supposed to guide her when she got close to the Miraculouses, but so far nothing.
Around five o clock someone came down to her bunker. It was the United Kingdom representative of the Security Council. Ning stood straight and tall ready to fulfill any mission given to her. "What are my orders sir?"
"We would like you go to UN liaison office in Japan. They are increasing pressure to be allowed as a permanent member of the Security Council. Due to recent events in both Koreas, the country is doing its best to implement this change while one of the opposing countries is preoccupied."
The UK representative noticed Peace Keeper clenched her left fist for a few seconds, but decided it wasn't important. "The Security Council agreed with Dr. Calzone recommendation, for your health sake, you need to do a few low priority missions. You are to stay in Japan until we decide where to send you next. Understand?"
Ning nodded and resisted the urge to clench her fist again. The mark was starting to get hotter. After a few more details and deciding what alias to use, the UK representative left. She had only two hours to prepare for her mission.
Looking down at her palm the mark was visible. Above the mark in English were the letters HMC. "Humanities Miraculous Circle. The rest of Honorra's kin must be in somewhere in Japan. Looks like my quest has just begun."
Over in Paris; it was eleven pm. Marinette was in her bedroom, trying to sleep, but she was feeling too restless to slumber. She punched her kitty cat pillow and flopped back down on her bed.
The teen girl changed positions several times, but still sleep eluded her. Throwing her blanket off, she walked down her stairs to her room below. Tikki, who had be sleeping in her little bed, opened her eyes to see what was making the noise.
"Mari…nettte, why are you up? I thought you wanted to go to sleep early so you would be on time for school tomorrow remember?"
"I can't fall asleep Tikki. I'm just feeling restless I guess. I just don't know why," the teenager moaned as she flopped onto her chaise. Again, she closed her eyes to sleep, but her body refused to let her.
Tikki yawned and told Marinette to go drink some warm milk. The kwami was tired. Hawkmoth had been busy the last few weeks making Akumas, not doubt to test how strong the Miraculous duos defensive powers happened to be. They had fought an Akuma earlier in the day, a guy called Road Rage, and it had taken a great deal of time to stop him.
Tikki rolled over in her bed and went back to sleep. Marinette did as Tikki suggested, but the milk didn't help. It was actually an urban myth that milk contained amino acids to help you sleep, it was actually the psychological effect of remembering simpler times, which helped the person sleep after drinking it.
With sleep alluding her, Marinette turned on her computer to see if she could find other remedies to sleep. Clicking through the webpages, she felt her eyelids closing. Finally, she was going to fall to sleep. She dragged herself to her bed and waited for her body to drift off.
Unfortunately, her body suddenly felt wide awake. She groaned as she felt her eyelids stop feeling heavy. "Why can't I fall asleep? I'm going to be late to class again!" She tried several positions in her bed or on her chaise only to add to her frustration. Grabbing her pillow, she marched downstairs and finally fell asleep on the couch at one a.m.
She wasn't the only one who was having a difficult time sleeping. Adrien kept waking up almost every hour of the night. He would be dreaming and the wake up for no reason. He would then go back to sleep and the same thing would happen in about an hour.
By one a.m. he was exhausted and tired of waking up. He glanced at his Kwamii and envied Plagg's ability to sleep like the dead. If only he had inherited a cat's napping abilities, he wouldn't be struggling like this.
He got out of his bed and walked over to his windows, gazing at the world below. Paris was beautiful at nighttime. The street lamps dotted the city making it appear as if the stars were taking a break from the sky and enjoying the sites of the city.
Pressing a hand to the glass, Adrien thought about the last few months. Since his father had allowed him to go to school he felt for the first time he was part of city. No longer was the world outside beyond his reach. He had seen and done so much as Chat Noir. He still wanted to see and do more.
Maybe that's why he couldn't stay asleep. There was a whole other world out there and anytime he left the mansion, he learned more about it. Looking at his Miraculous his mind drifted to Peace Keeper and her quest. Traveling all over the world to find lost Miraculouses without any knowledge of where they could be or how many there were. It was an adventure of the lifetime.
Sighing, Adrien went back to his bed and fell asleep. He smiled in his sleep. Dreaming about traveling the world and finding treasure.
When morning arrived, Adrien could barely drag himself out of bed, and get ready for his busy schedule. He walked like a zombie down the stairs and into the dining room for breakfast. Nathalie took one look at Adrien and asked, "Did you get any sleep last night?"
"Some. Yawn. I was restless last night for some reason and I yawn, didn't get much."
Nathalie pushed her glasses back up as the teenager slid into his seat and slowly started eating his breakfast. "Did you have something on your mind last night?"
The blond shook his head. He didn't know why he was restless last night. All he knew it was going to be a long day and would need to force himself to stay awake. The teenager was actually very surprised when Nathalie went into the kitchen and came back with a Coke can.
"You're father prefers coffee for when he's had a late night, but I bought a few sodas with caffeine in them, for these occasions. This is not a regular thing Adrien. You know how your father feels about these drinks," the assistant told him sternly.
Adrien nodded, knowing his father might actually pass out, if he found out that his son drank a soda. Still, it was better than falling asleep in the middle of class. He savored the drink and thanked Nathalie before he headed off to school.
After Adrien left, Nathalie went to Mr. Agreste's office. The man was already up and working on his newest designs. He had just started to sketch when Nathalie walked into the room. "Is everything alright with Adrien?" the man asked without looking up from his sketchpad.
"Adrien didn't sleep well last night. He was restless and he looked as if he could fall asleep on his feet in the middle of the day. I gave him one can of soda to help him get through the day. I stressed this wouldn't be a common thing."
Mr. Agreste mouth thinned in displeasure, but didn't say anything. He hoped Adrien wouldn't be so restless again. He needed to be perfect. "I see. I'll let it slide this one time, but if it happens again tomorrow, no caffeine."
Nathalie nodded and went over the schedule for the day. She reminded him of a few meetings he had and that he needed to approve of a few designs from his senior staff. "Sir, I have a small suggestion. I believe that Adrien's restlessness might have been influenced by your Akuma yesterday. It was a rather long fight and most of the citizens were in heightened state of fear for several hours. Perhaps you shouldn't make an Akuma today?"
Again, Mr. Agreste's mouth thinned. His assistant was stepping over the line today. She should know better than to tell him what to do. Still, if she had resorted to giving his son caffeine to keep him functioning, he supposed one day wouldn't be a problem. "I'll take your advice today Nathalie. However, don't overstep your position again understand?" His assistant nodded and he dismissed her.
At school, Nino was talking with Adrien, who seemed very peppy today. "Okay, what's up dude? I don't think I've ever seen you this jittery." He took his hat off and scratched an itch he had on his head before putting his hat back on. He couldn't believe that Adrien had actually skipped over to him for their daily talk.
Adrien grinned at him. "I guess I'm a little jittery. I didn't get much sleep last night and I was a zombie. Nathalie gave me a soda to help perk me up so I could make it through the day. I've never had soda before."
Nino's eyes widened in disbelief. "Are you kidding me? You haven't had a soda before? No wonder you're so jittery. You're on a caffeine high. Just try to keep it together okay? I doubt you want any trouble from your old man."
Adrien shivered at the thought of his father getting mad at him for drinking one soda. No, that wasn't something he wanted to encounter. "Let's get to class and hope I don't get overly jittery."
In the classroom, Chloe was waiting by his desk and conspicuous at Marinette, who also seemed to be a bit jittery today. She must have had a lot of caffeine if she didn't even notice Chloe.
"Hey Chloe, what's up?"
"Adrikins! I'm so glad to see you. I have the best news! My daddy got me a new TV. Its larger then my old one with clearest pictures ever seen. The sound is perfect and best of all its gold encrusted. Why don't you come over tomorrow and watch the style channel with me?" Chloe battered her eyelashes and gave him a demure smile.
She inched a bit closer to him. He leaned back a little, not liking her in his personal space. "Your new TV sounds wonderful Chloe, but I have Chinese lessons tomorrow and then piano practice later. If I have a free day, I'll let you know."
Chloe frowned, but took her seat. At least Adrien wasn't ditching her for his "girlfriend" Marinette. Honestly, she didn't know what he saw in her. The little commoner must have bewitched him because why else would Adrien date her? All she had to keep doing was getting in between them and Adrien would dump Marinette like the trash she was.
Ms. Bustier entered the classroom smiling at her students. "Good morning class. I have an exciting treat for all of you today. Instead of studying classical literature, we will be reading and discussing modern day books and how they use classic themes to interest modern readers for the whole month.
I had a lot of books to choose from, many of them book series because that is one way to carry a classical theme to ensure more readers. I finally decided on a book by a famous American writer, Rick Riordan. He's been reviewed as highly skilled writer who mixes myths of different cultures with modern times. We'll be reading his first book, "Percy Jackson and the Lightning Thief," for next two weeks."
Nathanial raised his hand and Ms. Bustier called on him. "Will we be just reading one book or the five books in the series?" His classmates looked at him in surprise. They knew Nathanial loved art, but didn't know he liked to read.
"I'm afraid we'll only be able to read the first two books in the series Nathanial. Everyone though, is allowed to read the other books by the author, during their free time. They can be found in both the schools and public libraries. Alix, will you come down and distribute the books please?"
Marinette looked at the book she had been given. On the cover was a teenager standing in the middle of a bay holding a lightning bolt and aiming it at the Empire State Building in the background. Turning the book over, she read the synopsis.
It was a very exiting synopsis. It was about the title character discovering his godly heritage and a quest to save his mom and find the missing lightning bolt. With a three hundred and seventy five pages, it was sure to be an exciting book.
Adrien couldn't believe it. A modern book with quests and dangers with cool details and mythological characters? This is the kind of book he would want to read if his father let him choose his own books for his library. He couldn't wait get started on this book.
"Please read the first two chapters and we'll begin a discussion for the last part of the class. Remember to be quiet and write down examples you find of classical quest content."
The students opened their books and started reading. By the third page nearly the whole class was entranced by the first person narrative of Percy as he used a ballpoint pen turned sword to slay his pre-algebra teacher and later in chapter two seeing three woman making socks with yarn and cutting the string symbolizing the loss of a life.
While Marinette and Adrien were enjoying their assigned reading at Master Fu's, the old man was attending to his clients. In his apartment, Wayzz was looking over the Miraculous Book again while Honorra ate some rice pudding. The little magpie energy levels had begun to stabilize, but she still needed to eat constantly to keep them stable.
"Have you found anything useful yet?" she asked curiously, carefully cleaning her face.
Wayzz sighed, "If I had, don't you think I would mention it out loud?"
Honorra shrugged her shoulders and took another bite of her pudding. "I don't know cousin. We've only known each other for a few weeks. I haven't exactly figured you out yet." She giggled a bit before her expression turned serious.
"I understand we need to find ways to keep Hawkmoth from unlocking Nooroo's full power until he can be rescued. At the same time, I need to know what happened to my "siblings". If my Circle was complete once more, who knows what extra fire power we have."
Wayzz pointed out that even if they retrieved her Circle, there was no guarantee they would be in any condition to fight. Besides, it was dangerous to have so many Miraculouses active in one place.
"Fine, you're right and I'm wrong," Honorra tweeted and looked down at the floor. She was quiet for a few minutes before she spoke up again interrupting Wayzz research. "Do you recall how many Miraculouses there are?"
"For the last time no! Until we figure out the riddles to view information on other Circles, we're left in the dark." He huffed in exasperation before phasing into the fridge to eat his breakfast in peace.
Honorra started to preen her feathers to help her calm down her stress levels. Why did Wayzz have to be so difficult? So what if he was the Great Guardian's kwami? That didn't mean he couldn't be pleasant. So she asked a lot of questions, big deal.
"I was stuck between life and death for over a century. I just want someone to talk with," she groused to herself. Floating up, the little kwami wondered what she could do to entertain herself. Master Fu would be extremely upset if she went into his workspace while he was with a client. Wayzz obviously didn't want to talk to her and the kids were at school.
"If I turn on the TV, the client might hear it and then I would be in trouble. I could study the Miraculous Book. No, Wayzz will get upset with me." The little kwami was about to give up and take a long nap, when she noticed Master Fu's computer was still on.
Honorra's feathers shined brightly as she excitedly sat next the keyboard. This new technology was fascinating. The Guardian had been using the computer to help him in his research and keeping in touch with his Apprentice.
He had also used it a few times to show her the wonders of the centuries she missed and modern day items. Now was the perfect time to learn more about this world on her own. She quickly connected to the Internet before going to Google. She typed in what she wanted to learn and then sat on the desk reading and looking at pictures of the world.
At noon, Master Fu finished with his last client and closed up after him. He had been taking the afternoon hours off so he had more time to figure out the Miraculous Book. He had been looking into new things to help them in the fight against Hawkmoth. So far, he had deciphered a few spells and was working on the transformation recipes.
Entering his apartment, he saw Honorra on the computer and she was giggling. A glance at the screen displayed a funny cat video. The old man smiled gladly. "I see you are enjoying the wonders of the modern world."
Honorra nodded as she disconnected from the Internet and shut down the computer. "I've learned so much today. I learned about the history of Korea and then I learned about modern entertainment. There are so many funny videos on YouTube."
The old man chuckled. He also loved watching funny videos online. An old soul like his needed to feel joy occasionally. He looked around for Wayzz, who had phased out of the fridge and was studying the Book once more. The turtle kwami kept flipping the pages before coming back to one page in particular.
Master Fu asked if Wayzz had found something interesting. "Perhaps. It appears there was a contingency plan in place if a Guardian died before being able to collect all their Miraculouses or didn't get back to the temple."
Both Master Fu and Honorra eyebrows rose upon hearing this. Master Fu sat down and started reading the page. His decoding abilities had gotten a lot better recently so Wayzz didn't have to help him so much. It was a good thing too, considering there were pages in the Book that Kwamiis shouldn't read at all.
According to the page if a Guardian died or failed to reach the temple, the Miraculouses would chose a Keeper. A Keeper was someone who took care of the Miraculouses until another Guardian or Apprentice came to claim them. Each Keeper would have a test of some kind to prove the person seeking them was a Guardian or Apprentice.
The Keepers couldn't use the Miraculouses at all and the job would pass through generations depending on how long it would take a person to retrieve them. Each test had a rating. There were tests showing a person was trustworthy, or, had to face some kind of challenge, or defeat a bad person.
"This information will be valuable to Ning during her quest. Hopefully we can contact her and tell her about the Keepers and their tests. Honorra, please go order us some lunch from a delivery service. Wayzz, I'll need some extra pillows and my back brace. I have a feeling this is going to take some time."
A day and half later, Ning had finally awakened in her hotel room. There was a thirteen hour time difference between New York City and Tokyo. She had managed to sleep for a few hours on the plane ride and then a lot more in hotel room, but she was still exhausted. Dr. Calzone was right about her needing to rest.
For this trip, Ning had transformed herself into a UN attaché, named Milina Brantiti, a Serbian American, who represented the United Kingdom's UN representative. She had altered her appearance to have the right facial structure, hair, and height, but wore professional clothes in an American style, making sure they were the appropriate color for doing business in Japan. She practiced her accent making sure she had the right blend of Serbian with a touch of American.
Today, she would be meeting Mr. Koro Bessho, the Japanese Permanent Representative to UN. Mr. Bessho had returned to Tokyo, to give a lecture at his alma mater, The University of Tokyo. The school had a great reputation for having graduates getting involved with the UN after they completed their education. Many of Japans most powerful men and women studied here.
Making sure her hair was tied back and she didn't have any jewelry on, she squared her shoulders ready for this mission. Ms. Brantiti left her hotel and headed to The University of Tokyo. It was an impressive building. She loved the Giant Red Gate in the front and it was very serene as she walked through the botanical gardens to the main building for Law and Political students.
Following the signs, she reached the lecture hall and sat down in the back. She studied Mr. Bessho as he spoke to the students about his success as an ambassador to Korea until his current posting. His spoke with passion and projected a friendly disposition. He was encouraging to the students, reminding them it took a lot of dedication to succeed in a competitive field. He also mentioned having a passion for what you do is the real drive to success.
Intelligent, passionate, and engaging, all the right traits to be a top notch member of UN. No wonder the Korean government found him easy to work with she thought to herself.
He also seemed respectful towards working women. Working in the UN has opened his mind slightly to woman working in high level positions. I can use that to my advantage because he'll listen carefully to what I have to say. This will help with my mission to discuss the topic at hand.
When the lecture was over, she carefully approached Mr. Bessho, reminding herself she had called an hour earlier and he asked her to meet him here. When she was in his line of sight, she spoke up while bowing. "Mr. Bessho, I am the UN attaché Ms. Milina Brantitii. I serve the UK representative in the Security Council."
There a tiny bit of an eyebrow raised by Mr. Bessho. He had known Ms. Braniti could speak Japanese. He didn't expect her to speak it flawlessly with only a slight accent.
"It is an honor to meet you Ms. Brantiti. I have another appointment to attend at two."
"I'm aware of that sir. I promise this meeting will end before then. Shall, I join you in the car for a ride to your office?" The man agreed and the two of them rode to his home office.
It pleased him how aware Ms. Brantiti was of business etiquette. She waited to be told where to sit and greeted his staff in descending order. From her briefcase, she took out printed material in both Japanese and English.
"Mr. Bessho, the Security Council is aware of your actions to increase pressure for reformation of said council. Let me assure you; the permanent members are taking the matter seriously," she assured him with a serious expression on her face. The young woman was doing her best to remain perfectly still. How she conducted herself during this meeting would effect the outcome.
"I believe what you are saying Ms. Brantiti. I am aware of the Security Council's current activities about the reform. It would be an honor if Japan becomes a permanent member. An Asian culture on a permanent basis would help with understanding international crises on the continent. If both Koreans are willing to work towards a reunification goal, then Japan will be there to help support the change."
The discussion continued as the two of them worked out details about what Japan should be doing and how much influence an attaché could use to help further their goal. The issue of reforming the Security Council could be brought up again in two months, once the UN was certain all parties involved would be level headed.
Mr. Bessho continued to press for an earlier time. He pointed out with the many crises increasing globally, it would make sense to add new permanent members to the Security Council. A consensus of what action should be taken during crises would take less time to reach. Another advantage was if they let Japan join full time, their fellow reformers could also gain full time representation.
"Mr. Bessho, I assure you the United Nations is taking your ideas for reformation very seriously. Two of the five permanent Security Council members already support this motion. I will bring up the urgency of your request once I'm back in the United States."
"Thank you Ms. Brantiti. I am honored we could come to an agreement. I hope to hear news on your progress very soon." After saying respectful goodbyes, the UK attaché followed her escorts out towards the parking lot where a private car would take her back to her hotel.
They were heading to the elevator, when the mark on her left hand started to burn. Glancing around, she tried to figure out what was causing it. She couldn't see anything that might be a clue for her to follow. The mark kept burning more the closer she got towards the elevator.
"Please stop for a moment. I'm suddenly very parched. Can I have some water please?" One of the escorts nodded ducking into a break room and coming back with some water. Drinking the water slowly, the disguised agent glanced around until her eyes spotted a small painting on the wall near the elevator.
It was a picture of Aokigahara Forest Park, the Sea of Trees, on the northwest area of Mount Fuji. The park was a welcomed escape from the city. From what she read; there were miles of walking trails, abundance of wild life, and the dense forest and pools of lava absorbed sound making it a very quiet place to visit.
The forest also had another name that was highly renowned outside the country. It was also known as the Suicide Forest. According to folklore the forest was home to yūrei, spirits of the dead. Over the years many people had attempted or committed suicide there. It was why the park had signs all over it advertising for guests to contact suicide prevention hotlines.
By now the mark had increased in heat and intensity. "Forgive me, but this is my first time in Japan. I have heard wonderful stories about the Aokigahara Forest Park. Is it close by?"
"Aokigahara is two hours from here. There are many tour buses which go there or we can give you directions to use, if you would like to visit during your stay in our country," one of the escorts informed her. She responded she would be delighted to have directions.
The next morning, Ms. Brantiti rented a car, gather supplies and drove to the forest. The closer she got to the park, the more her palm burned. "Enough, I know I have to go to the forest. I really wish this pain would go away."
After two hours she finally reached the parking lot. She undid her seatbelt and looked at her left palm. The mark was now pulsating and shined red. Strangely, the mark was overlapped with compass points. "They must be for helping me find my way to where the rest of Honorra's siblings are."
As she was hefting her backpack on, Wayzz's Kwami Charm startled to sparkle. Clutching the charm, she focused her mind, reaching out to connect with Wayzz. She felt his calm and kind mind answering her back. Soon they were connected.
"Wayzz, is everything okay? Is Master Fu hurt?"
"I assure you Master Fu is in good health other than his back. What about you?"
"I'm exhausted, but otherwise I'm fine. Is there a reason you contacted me? I'm in Japan right now and I have a lead to find the rest of Honorra's siblings."
"That's the reason we're contacting you. We've discovered the lost Miraculouses are protected by Keepers, people chosen by the Miraculouses to protect them, until a Guardian or Apprentice comes to reclaim them.
You must be careful when you meet these Keepers. They will test you to determine if you are who you claim to be. There tests have three ratings. Trustworthy, Challenge, or Bad."
"Do you know exactly what the tests are or who the Keepers are?"
"No. We'll help you as much as we can, unfortunately you are on your own for the actual tests. Good luck."
"Thanks, see if you can get Tikki to send me some."
"Mirna" let go of the Kwami Charm and steadied herself. Wayzz's information was helpful. It also changed the parameters for the quest. Somehow she had to find this Keeper and pass a test with knowing anything. If there was one thing that irritated her, it had to be going on a mission without any facts.
After, checking the compass points on her palm, the young woman started walking through the park, heading for one of the longest hiking paths. When she reached the entrance, there was a ton of trash littering the ground. Pulling out some work gloves and a two bags, the disguised agent started to clean the place up.
As she cleaned the grounds, she felt like someone was watching her. She ignored it, there were a lot of visitors and many would stare at someone cleaning up the park lands. Once she finished, she placed one bag in the trash, the other in the recycle bin. Again, she got the feeling she was being watched. Like before there were a lot of visitors around her. No one's body language indicated they had hostile intentions towards her.
Pulling out some colored rope, she knotted it around a branch, before starting her trek. It was easy to get lost in Aokigahara even with trail guides. It was common practice for hikers to bring colored tape or rope, and hang it somewhere on the trail to show them the way back.
The path was very steep and it curved in several places making it difficult to remember which direction was the way back. Other trails intersected with this one. Whenever "Mirna" came to a crossroad she checked her compass mark to see the way she needed to go.
A few hours later, the path disappeared completely. The compass/mark burned hotter, indicating the quest was not over yet. Taking a deep breath, the Apprentice continued on trusting the mark to lead her to the Keeper. It was leading her further into the forest and away from any paths.
It was late afternoon when she reached a small clearing with a simple Shinto shrine for spirits, standing in the middle. It was in good condition despite being way out in the wilderness. It was very quiet, even more than she expected as she couldn't even hear the insects buzzing anymore.
The spiritual energy here is high. I can almost taste the spirits encompassing me. Only a few positive most of them seem negative. Could they be yūrei? The hair on back of her neck stood up. Twisting around, she came face to face with a young Shinto Priestess.
She was short and there was a scar on her arm. Her amber colored eyes pierced into a person's soul and her short brown hair flared in the wind. Her expression was stern with only a tiny hint of curiosity.
Her hand shot out and grabbed "Mirna" left hand, twisting the wrist to look at the mark on her palm. The mark burned with such intensity the UN agent wondered if she would end up with a scar.
The priestess spoke with a voice which sounded older than her years. "You are the one the Kwamiis chose for this quest? The little spirits have been known to be wrong before. Who do you claim to be?"
"I'm the Apprentice of the Great Guardian of the Universal Miraculous Circle." Removing the magic box from her backpack, she showed it to the priestess. The priestess ignored the magic box in favor of studying her.
"If you are an Apprentice as you claim, my task as Keeper, is to protect the Miraculous Circle, from anyone who tries to claim them without passing my test."
"I accept. What do I need to do to pass your test?"
This time there was an eerie smile on the priestess's face. "This place is haunted by yūrei of everyone who has committed suicide in this park. The shrine was built to offer peace for them. The shrine holds them back in the day, but at night, they are free to do as they wish.
My test is a challenge. You must stay here all night, without any supplies, save for your magic box. If you can resist the spirits words, you will have shown your humanity to myself and them. Only then will I give you what you seek."
Spend a night in a deadly forest as ghost whispered taunts to kill herself without giving in? It certainly would be a challenge, one she was ready to take on. Without hesitation, she gave the priestess her backpack. The woman promised to return in the morning to see if she had passed the test.
With only a few hours before nightfall Peace Keeper built herself a lean to from fallen branches. She walked a little ways and found a stream. Dipping her hands into the water, she drank her fill. She couldn't make a fire and she only found a handful of edible berries.
Night fell quickly and this deep into the forest, there was nothing to light up the area so Peace Keeper was in pitch black darkness. There would be no way to know if a hungry animal was out here hunting.
Worse, she could now see the ghostly spirits, a mix of blue and white. They clustered around the edges of the clearing. Their ghostly wailing becoming understandable.
The ghosts finally realized someone was near their shrine, a living person. The spirits rushed over to the lean to and started circling it. Peace Keeper clutched Wayzz's charm, praying it would lend her spiritual strength. The air was chocked with maliciousness and despondency.
The first spirit attacked diving near her face. "You are tired, so very tired of the world. Why not end it?"
Another spirit came from behind whipping through her fake hair nearly dislodging the wig. "Honor, honor, honor, do you really believe you can live up to expectations of honor set by others?"
Two spirits came at her from the sides. "Blood, you have so much to give, why keep it inside?"
"Hang yourself, let your brain go numb, it's the right thing to do."
"No, I won't give in. I have a good life. Why would I want to end it?"
More ghosts descended upon her. Images of their deaths bombarded her. Hangings, stab wounds to the heart, some had assistance. Their despair and anger at the world flooded into her, her own emotions beginning to twist and turn.
"Join us. You're soul wants to be free. No more pain or problems."
"You're going to die someday, why not tonight by your own hand? Isn't that preferable to die from some accident?"
"Suicide is honored here. It is not seen as a crime. We have thousands of rituals of why suicide is a better option to living."
"Who wants to go on a ridiculous quest? You are not meant for this world. Come enter the next one."
Peace Keeper was shivering. The cold air was making her lose heat. The ghosts words started to penetrate her soul. Perhaps it would be better to leave this world behind. Nothing she did mattered anyways. The world would never know peace only destruction.
NO! That is not true! I will achieve my dream one day. I will complete this quest. More significantly I will become the Great Guardian of all the Miraculous and follow in Master Fu Wang's footsteps!
Her positive energy pushed back against the negative energy. The images of death stopped playing in her mind. She regained control of her emotions. She started to pray, to any god or spirit, to protect her from harm.
When morning came, the priestess entered the clearing, carrying a large glass case filled with seven accessories. The elephant watch and panda chain looked exactly like the ones from Peace Keepers dream. A brass belt buckle with a sable deer rested next to a calico colored glasses shaped like a painted dog's head. A chartreuse parasol with a gold camel top took up the most space. There was a blue wallet with a pink salmon stitched on it, which looked even smaller compared to the grey and black satchel with a genet on the flap.
Peace Keeper was already up and waiting for the priestess. Her mark was flashing as the Miraculouses came closer to her. "I have survived the night honorable priestess. I did not give in to the spirits of the dead."
"I can see that, just as I saw you yesterday demonstrating other qualities of the Humanities Circle when cleaning up the garbage. These belong to you Apprentice." The woman carefully opened the glass case.
Gently, Peace Keeper took them out, one by one, and placed them inside the box. It was indeed magical, changing size and creating slots for the Miraculous. "Were there any charms attached to these items?"
The priestess reached into her sleeve, taking out a small bag. She rattled it to prove the Kwami Charms were in there. The agent took the bag, checked inside, before putting it in the box. The shelf sank back into the box as a new one took its place.
"There are many more Miraculouses out there. There will be other Keepers you will need to face. Your journey has just begun Apprentice. Stay strong and believe in yourself. I believe the next part of your quest has revealed itself," the lady said as she pointed at Peace Keepers left palm.
Indeed the mark had changed. The compass points were gone and there was a new set of letters over the mark. This one read FMC. "I wonder what these F stands for? I'll find out soon enough."
Taking her supplies back, Peace Keeper started the long hike back to her rental car, wondering where she would be going next.