I know that Trixx in the show is male and has a different transformation phrase. However, when I originally added Trixx to my stories, he was identified, as a she, and no phrase was known at the time. I will not be changing what I have already written. Also, I will explain my reasons for why I believe Alya shouldn't have a miraculous at this point.
Ning was sitting in her hotel room, technically Mirna Brantiti, was on the, with her secure computer. The young lady was waiting for a video conference from her bosses to find out if they had another mission for her or was she to return home. Hopefully any further missions would be to hard.
While she waited, she opened the magical box and looked at the Humanities Miraculous Circle. Each of them was intact and she could feel their Kwamiis inside, sleeping contently. She wondered how long they had been inactive. She had so many questions about this Circle.
"I should talk with Master Fu, I hope he's online." After securing a connection and masking her IP address, she contacted Master Fu. Within a few minutes she was looking at Master Fu who was in his pajamas. He looked very tired and it was night outside.
Ning slapped herself. "I forgot about the time difference! Oh eight a.m. here is one a.m. in Paris. I never would have made this mistake if I wasn't so exhausted."
"We all, yawn, make mistakes Ning. We, yawn, just have to learn, yawn, from them. Forgive my tiredness. I was sleeping when I heard the computer beeping. You had something you wanted to talk to me about?"
"I wanted to tell you I passed the test yesterday. I would have called you then, but after spending a night in the forest with spirits, I had a lot of business to take care for my regular job."
She showed each Miraculous, one by one, and told him what she sensed. She told him she had no idea how seven of these Miraculouses ended up in Japan while one was in Korea. Only that Japan and Korea had an interesting history together.
Master Fu stroked his goatee in thought. "It's very possible that Honorra's last wielder hid her Miraculous to prevent it being taken if the last Guardian of the Humanities Circle had been compromised in some way. It was known to happen in the past."
"We don't really know what happened to the Guardians of the other Circles," Ning pointed out. It was obvious that any other Miraculous Circles out there had been in service when the Order of the Guardians temple was attacked. Yet, it was strange how none of those Guardians had ever gone back to check for clues of where Master Fu went.
Tapping her finger to her chin she asked if it was possible that the person Master Fu shouldn't have trusted had also attacked the other Guardians. Did this person wield enough power to find Guardians hiding in plain sight? Perhaps even harm them seriously?
Master Fu frowned and his brow wrinkled even more. "The person I trusted, had a long reach in many different places. While I didn't know much about the other Circles or where they were, it's possible the person used a magic tracking spell to find them."
"You searched for the other Guardians after the attack I presume?" Getting conformation, she asked where had traveled to hoping there might be a clue in his stories.
Clues to help her find out where the lost Miraculous were, or possibly, how to avoid someone who had destroyed the temple. It had been over a hundred years, but the person could have a legacy carrying out the plans of their predecessor.
"I went all over to many different countries on all the continents. Yes, I even ended up in the Antarctica for a few weeks. Wayzz guided me to each place, trying to remember how many Guardians there were. A few times we sensed the spiritual energy similar to a kwami's, only to find nothing. Eventually I accepted I was the only remaining Guardian alive."
He looked very depressed as he recalled his own quest to find other like him. It was another similarity between him and Ning. He was the last of his occupation and she was the only one of hers. Both of them had been alone for a very long time before they found each other.
Looking down at her palm she saw the letters FMC still burned on her skin. She had come up with multiple abstract ideas that started with f. If only she could narrow it down. If she did, then she might have some idea where the next circle possibly could be.
Clearing her throat and adjusting the computer, she asked her mentor a question. "Master Fu, the next circle I have to look for starts with an F. Could you check the hidden pages to see what Circles start with F?" she asked. She recalled the list of the other Circles had been pretty faded except for the riddles to discover which pages held their information. Which why is was so hard to find how many other Circles existed or what they were.
Master Fu brought the Book over to the computer and opened the hidden pages. He scrolled his finger down the page until he came to a circle that had an F at the beginning. He squinted making out a few other letters.
"There are the letters f, n, s, and p. Can you think of a word which has those letters in that particular order?"
Ning thought about it for a few minutes before replying. "I believe the word is friendship. It is owwwwwwwww!" The mark flashed on her palm and burned red hot as it glowed gold.
The government agent went into the bathroom and shoved her left hand under the cold water pouring into the sink. It soothed her skin as the mark started to fade away before disappearing completely. Once the pain was gone, she went back into the main room.
"I really wish this mark would stop trying to burn me from the inside out," Ning muttered to her mentor as she laid out on the bed. The old man chuckled a bit as she gave him a glaring look. "It's not funny Master Fu. The pain is hard to deal with."
Wiping some tears from his face he nodded. "I know it is causing you pain. It's just when you complain you sound like a little child. It is amusing." He became serious once more. "Friendship is a very abstract idea. What makes two people friends? No one knows for sure my dear. It will take some time to figure out how many belong to this Circle as well as find out what they are."
Seeing that her pseudo grandfather was struggling to keep his eyes open Ning told him to go back to sleep. She promised to contact him around noon his time to see if he had learned anything new.
Stretching out on her bed, she looked at the Miraculouses she had one more time. How she craved to find a way to activate them. Meet the Kwamiis and learn all about them. Their genders, personalities, powers and food! To have someone to talk to instead of being alone on this quest.
Picking up the parasol, Ning wondered how anyone disguised this item. It was a very obvious and large object. Parasols had been popular in use for a long time so it wasn't an unusual accessory. It wasn't until the early twentieth century that someone had figured out how to invent one that collapsed and become smaller when not in use. So how had a holder hid this one when not in use?
Her fingers pushed a button on the handle and she watched in astonishment as the parasol in her hands shrank until it was the size of one the umbrellas you found in drinks. Pushing the button again, it returned to normal size. "This is an interesting trick. The wizard who created this was ahead of his time."
The other Miraculous didn't need an elaborate trick to disguise or ability to shrink. In the inactive state, they just looked like plain accessories. You would have never known that little gods inhabited these items or the magic they possessed. "I guess I could clean them up a bit. It's going to be a while before anyone contacts me again."
A few hours later, it was morning in Paris. It was a rare day off school. The Board of Education was meeting with all the city colleges' staff to discuss future changes and a lot of other boring school related stuff. Which meant, the students had a free day to do whatever they wanted to.
Well most of them did. Adrien's father had lined up back to back photo shoots for the whole day. Gabriel didn't believe in taking a day off and felt his son should follow the same work ethic. Adrien was less enthusiastic about his father's work ethic.
While he was waiting for hair and make-up Marinette arrived. She was biting her lip and checking her surroundings, making sure no one was in listening range. "I thought you said, you had today free," she whispered to him.
Adrien rolled his eyes. "So did I, but at the last minute Nathalie announced the change to my schedule. I was really looking forward to having some fun today. Nino invited me over to his house to listen to his new demo."
"What about the meeting with Master Fu later on today? Do you think you can make it?"
The blond shook his head. He pointed to the Gorilla and Nathalie, both were keeping their eyes locked on the couple, making sure they didn't do anything. "There's also a lot of security today because of how many shoots are happening. I can't get a break today."
There as a soft growl from Plagg, who was anything, but happy, he had to spend the entire day, in either Adrien's pocket or bag. "I'm never going to get to have any cheese with all these people around. How do you expect me to sleep with all those cameras going off? I would rather spend my time at the meeting, then endure photo shoots all day."
Tikki peeked out of the purse, careful to not be seen. "You know you shouldn't be away from your wielder. What if Hawkmoth releases an Akuma today? Besides, you're lazy, it's not as if you never lounge around doing nothing. Don't worry, you'll be fine."
Plagg huffed unhappily and didn't say another word. Spying the stylist and make-up artist heading their way, Adrien told Marinette it was time for her to leave. As much as he liked having her at these photo shoots, with so many today, it wasn't ideal for his girlfriend to be here all day and distract him.
She whispered she would tell him what happened at the meeting later and left the area. The meeting with Fu was at 12:30 so she had some time until then. "Alya's babysitting her sisters today. I'm going to go over and give her a hand," she told Tikki.
She arrived at Alya's apartment to find her best friend trying to wrangle her little sisters in. "Etta! Ella! That's enough mischief making for today." Alya scooped up her sisters and set them down at the table. "I promise to take you two to the pool later if you behave."
"Yeah the pool!" Etta shouted.
"Fun, fun, fun!" Ella exclaimed.
Both girls giggled and started asking when they could go to the pool. Alya promised after lunch, reminding them, they needed to behave.
"Can we paint our nails before we go, please!" the twins begged in unison.
"As long as you do them in front of me and are careful not to drip any of the polish on the table." The twins giggled and headed into their room to get the polish.
Alya let out a sigh. "I love my sisters, but they can a bit much at times."
A small smile graced Marinette's lips. She always wanted to know what it was like to have a sibling. Watching Alya with her sisters was the closest she would get. "They're just little kids. Surely, they are that much trouble."
"Trust me Marinette. Even Ladybug would have trouble watching them." Brushing her hair out of her face Alya told her best friend, she wouldn't have anytime to hang out today. "I know you babysit Manon, but my sisters are twice the trouble then her. You should go work on a commission at home."
Marinette conceded defeat and left the apartment. So much for spending her free day with her friends. At the moment, she had nothing to design and her parents, didn't need her help at the bakery today. For a change, she was on top of all her homework. She literally had no responsibilities today.
Without anything to do, the bluenette decided to go to Master Fu's home and help him out until they could talk. She wanted to understand the aspect of PT Marinette's soul with running a business and managing Guardian duties at the same time.
When she arrived at Master Fu's, Marinette was surprised to find the place closed to business for today. Knocking, she entered the place and saw Master Fu, studying the Miraculous Book. Wayzz was drinking some tea and Honorra was reading an e-book on Master Fu's tablet.
"Marinette, you're early. I would have thought you would be spending your free day with your friends or designing," Master Fu kindly told her. His eyebrows raised in puzzlement at her early arrival.
"My friends couldn't hang out with me. They have other responsibilities today. Oh, Adrien can't join us for the meeting. He's got back to back photo shoots all day."
The Great Guardian hummed in disappointment."I see. You'll have to tell him what happened during our meeting. Right now, I have some good news." Before he could speak Honorra zipped over and started to dance in midair in front of Marinette's face.
"She found them! Ning found my Circle! My siblings are okay, just dormant!" The little magpie kwami was very exultant and cheering in glee. True to her personality, she became very serious. "While Master Fu's Apprentice has retrieved my Circle, we still don't understand why my old Miraculous was buried in Korea and the rest ended up in Japan."
"Indeed, it is a mystery, one which we may never have answers too. Too many years have passed with very little leads," Wayzz admitted. He wanted to know more about what happened to the other Guardians and Circles. He hoped when they found the other Circles he would get some answers.
Master Fu asked Marinette to sit. She scooted her cushion closer and accepted the tea offered to her. It was very sweet today. Putting her cup down she listened as Master Fu as he talked about Ning's quest and the new information he had gathered. The bluenette was stunned by how many different roles there were when it came to keeping the Miraculouses safe.
"Guardians, apprentices, wielders and keepers? That's a lot of responsibility for so many different groups. I guess, I'm lucky all I have to do, is use Tikki's powers to stop Hawkmoth once and for all."
Marinette took another sip of her tea and heard Tikki giggling as she munched down a giant cookie. The little kwami had a look of slight mischief making, while at the same time being proud about something. Wayzz had a grin on his face and Honorra looked at Marinette in puzzlement.
Tikki finished off her cookies before speaking to her wielder. "Marinette, you don't just have the responsibility of using my Miraculous to reclaim Nooroo, and fight Hawkmoth. Miraculous wielders do a whole lot more than being heroes and heroines."
"They do?" the bluenette asked in bewilderment. Her Ladybug responsibilities were taking up a lot of her time. She didn't think she could handle something new added to her list.
Noticing Marinette unsteady hands, Master Fu gently took the tea cup from her, so she wouldn't break it. He understood she felt overwhelm by the idea of taking on more responsibility. Anyone who ever encounter a Miraculous would be overwhelmed sooner or later.
"Miss Marinette, I have been where you are before. I can assure you the added responsibilities you take on, will not interfere with your current life very much."
The old man had a faraway look in his eyes. Memories of being a young boy at the temple, with his friends, assisting the Guardians and the few wielders, with their responsibilities. Master Zhu had first noticed him when he was helping a wielder with one of his responsibilities. The memory faded as his mind returned to the here and now.
"Ning follows a very different path then you or Adrien do. As my Apprentice, she must learn every aspect of the Miraculouses and duties, as a Guardian. As a wielder, your responsibilities are not any less important, but don't need the same commitment."
Honorra and Wayzz sat on little cushions on the table, joined by Tikki. Marinette got comfortable in her seat waiting for Master Fu to finish his tea. The old man put his tea down and plopped the Miraculous Book into his lap.
"When this Book was lost, all that the Order of the Guardians had were small tomes and a few loose pages. The Order had to relearn much, so much, every person involved needed to contribute to recovering lost knowledge.
Wielders were asked to keep journals chronicling all their heroics, new information about the Miraculous, or details on caring for their Kwamiis. The journal would be passed to next wielder, to help them during their time as the new wielder."
He paused for a moment. Marinette eyes had widen a bit. She already had a diary with some information about her days as Ladybug. A second journal devoted exclusively to that wouldn't be too hard to handle.
With a patient look, he continued with his speech. "While it is the Guardian's responsibility to choose a wielder and allot the Miraculouses, a wielder is responsible for bringing information about possible future wielders for the Guardian to select from. Many times an agreement must be reached by wielder, kwami, and Guardian before a Miraculous is allotted.
When wielders know about their Kwamiis Guardian, those chosen become bodyguards, protecting the Guardian at all cost from enemies, unless the Guardian has an Apprentice. You and Chat Noir, are the first line of defense should Hawkmoth come after me, but it will be Ning who would fight him and give her life if she had to, so I may escape.
Also, since you know about me, both of you are responsible for helping me with certain tasks. At times, I will have to teach you a few Guardian related duties when Ning isn't in Paris. Since you are already training with me, then we don't have to go through that."
Marinette was thinking about what he had said. Finding future wielders would be difficult. She also feared, Adrien would rush to a decision, and give someone not trustworthy a Miraculous. The other tasks made her apprehensive, especially where she might have to sacrifice her life in order to protect the Miraculouses. Leaving her loved ones behind if that happened, made her want to cry. Hopefully, it never would transpire.
Peace Keeper was in Tokyo International, waiting for a plane to take her to Noi Bai International in Hanoi, the capital city of Vietnam. Recently, the government and the UN had worked together to create cultural activity centers for children. Many of the local villages had contributed to the large scale project to give their children access to many opportunities they wouldn't have had.
Peace Keeper thought it was one of the greatest projects the UN had worked on. The next generation would not only be able to immerse themselves in their cultural identity, but also realize how cooperation with others was better than starting wars or constantly changing the government.
Since the dedication ceremony was a few days ago, the current UN Security Council President, wanted her to visit the capital, to ensure everything was running smoothly. These cultural centers were one part of a planned agreement to help Vietnam reach their goals of modernizing both rural and urban areas in the next few years.
"I haven't been to Vietnam since I was seven. I wonder how much of Hanoi has been changed over the years?" she muttered to herself. She was still in her disguise of Mirna Braniti, which she would maintain for her next few missions. According to the Security Council President, it would be a long time until she would return to New York City.
She reviewed her photographic memories of what she knew about Hanoi. The capital had a rich history of being the center of many takeovers, both by foreign and national parties. There were two French Quarters, several buildings in Chinese architecture style, and visitors would also be able to sample a few Japanese cuisine dishes.
It's really sad that so many different countries wanted to take over. Only because of the government reforms has Vietnam has made friends with 177 different countries she thought. Peace Keeper paused, mulling over what she had just thought of. From her studies she knew how difficult it was for many Asian countries, especially in the Southeast region of the continent had trouble being friendly enough with one another.
There were many legends across the continent of people who accomplished heroic feats. Some were even cautionary tales, which helped shape generations. Stories of dragons, manticores, and kappas causing troubles before they were defeated. So many different creatures, many who resembled a mix of different creatures.
"Those legends had to come from somewhere. While I know there is a dragon in the Chinese Zodiac, that kwami couldn't have possibly be the source of all legends in Asia."
Bringing up her left hand she stared at the faint letters. "Is the Friendship Miraculous Circle in mainland Asia?" The mark reappeared glowing softly. She asked another question. "Would I find them in Vietnam?"
Again the mark flashed and burnt a bit more. No doubt about it. The Friendship Miraculous Circle was somewhere in Vietnam. It was imperative for her to find other clues to help identify key facts to help narrow her search.
Her plane wouldn't arrive for another hour, so she once again opened her special computer and contacted Master Fu once more. It was about one p.m. in Paris. Hopefully, he had discovered something that would help.
The screen flickered and she saw both Fu and Marinette to her surprise. "Shouldn't you be in school Marinette? I hope you're not skipping today."
Marinette made a face. "No school today. The School Board is meeting with all the colleges' staff for some kind of meeting. I was hoping to spend some time with Alya or Adrien, but they're busy all day."
"I was informing her about additional duties for wielders a few minutes ago. We were going to attempt to figure out the riddle to learn more about the Friendship Miraculous Circle."
The riddle went like this. "The invisible night illuminates a world unseen. To show truth when it is hidden, use the colors of twilight to expose it."
All three them were puzzled by the riddle. A type of light that you couldn't see and it was the colors of twilight. What did that mean exactly? Even with Peace Keeper's extensive knowledge, the answer wasn't coming to her.
Marinette was tapping the table, her tongue stuck of her mouth. There was tickling sensation in the back of her mind. A light unseen and the colors of twilight. She snapped her fingers, "UV light! The answer is ultraviolet light. You can't see it, but when you use special black lights, the illumination comes out dark purple."
Peace Keeper frowned. While her answer appeared logical, the invention of black lighting to expose ultraviolet hadn't been invented until 1935. How could anyone make use of that in ancient times?
Master Fu spoke up to answer her unspoken question. "In my time at the temple, we didn't have any electricity, so we used fire or bioluminescent animals. The elders discovered by accident how to create, black light, as you call it, from using different materials. I've forgotten what they used, but it is possible, though rare, to find items in nature to see UV light."
Marinette reached into her purse searching for something. A few seconds later she pulled out a small black light hand light, designers used to determine, what colors fabrics would be, under this alternative light. They weren't cheap, so for Marinette to have one was very unusual.
Honorra quickly closed all the blinds and Wayzz turned off the lights. Marinette's light revealed the page numbers to find information on the Friendship Miraculous Circle. Still in the dark, they flipped to the pages.
Tikki, whose eyes could naturally see into the UV range, like real ladybugs did, checked the information listed. "According to this, there are eight Miraculouses in this Circle. It seems they represent the following abstract ideas: honesty, trust, fun, sharing, confidence, sensitivity, forgiveness, and respect."
"Those do sound like aspects used when it comes to friendship. Does the information have anything on what the Miraculous are or what the Kwamiis look like?" Peace Keeper inquired. She was unable to see anything as the computer had been dimmed down to prevent natural light.
Tikki scanned the pages. It was frustrating how large sections of the book were intact, but smaller sections had become faded or illegible. "The types of Miraculouses are visible, but the rest has faded away completely over the last few centuries.
You should be looking for a button, armlet, anklet and a patch. There is also a key chain, gloves, scarf, and cuff links. All I can tell from the pictures, is the patch you're looking for, is the kind boys and girl put on sashes after completing an activity of some sort."
At least I won't have to clean one used to protect an eye Peace Keeper thought to herself. "Do you think you might be able to figure out what the Kwamiis look like? I need to know that if I'm going to verify their Kwami Charms."
Marinette replied she would make a copy of the page under black light and use her skills to trace the outlines. Hopefully, within a day or two, she could fill in the blanks for Peace Keeper.
It was a good plan for now. She thanked them and promised to contact them again, once she arrived in Vietnam and settled in. Both parties said goodbye with both of them wondering what would happen next.
School resumed and the students were discussing the latest chapters they had read for Ms. Bustier's class. The chapters were six, seven, and eight. The story kept getting better and better the further they went in the book.
"In chapter six, Percy is shown around Camp Half-Blood. His reactions to the camp are disbelief and confusion. He is still trying to grasp the fact that Greek gods are still in existence and that he is a demigod. What part of the camp surprised you?"
Most of the class raised their hands eager to share their point of view. To everyone's surprise, Sabrina had raised her hand, while Chloe hadn't. She normally didn't do anything that Chloe didn't want to do.
Ms. Bustier smiled, very pleased with Sabrina participating in class. It was nice to see Sabrina doing something for herself for a change. "Sabrina, what surprised you the most about the camp?"
"The strawberry fields. I thought a camp made for demigods would be self-sufficient. To find out they had to sell crops to keep the camp running was very surprising to me," Sabrina replied excitedly.
"It certainly is a surprise. Who else would like to share what was surprising? Ivan?"
"The normal activities you would find at a camp. Volleyball, archery, canoeing on a lake. Camp Half-Blood has so many unique places and people, it was a total shock to read about ordinary activities," the big guy said leaning forward on his desk.
Ms. Bustier nodded and called on one more student to speak. Juleka brushed her hair out of her eye and spoke in a clear and loud voice. "The cabins and which campers stay in them. Each one was very unique to their godly parent. The real shocker to me was reading how many campers had to live in Cabin 11, because no one claimed them."
Very pleased by their answers, the teacher started writing on the white board. She made a list of the students' answers. Across from that she wrote literary devices. The class tensed a bit. Literary terms and grammar could be very hard to remember.
"Who can tell me what literary terms are used in Sabrina's example of the strawberry field?" She pointed to Kim.
The jock was a little out of his depth when it came to literature, but he tried to come up with an answer. "Um, imagery? The author was using words to help the reader picture a strawberry field with satyr playing reeds. He was really descriptive about how the music made the bugs leave the strawberries alone."
He was relieved when the teacher gave him a compliment for his answer. She called on Nino for another example who replied that tone used by Percy as the narrative conveyed his feelings at the moment.
The rest of the class took turns giving more literary terms for the other two answers. They used the terms; mood, didactic, and analogy. It was surprising how many terms they could come up with.
The class went on to chapter seven, where Ms. Bustier called on students to tell her who they thought was the god or goddess most like them. She also added it didn't have to be one of the Twelve Olympians. She wrote down a list of well-known minor gods and goddess to help the students with their decision.
First, she called on Alix. The pink hair girl thought about it for a few minutes before replying. "I think I'm most like Nike, the fleet footed goddess of victory. I like rollerblading really fast and I enjoy any victories I get." Alix pictured in her mind her rollerblading against a swift goddess and smirked. "I think I would give her a good challenge."
Her classmates agreed with her. Even Ms. Bustier laughed a little. They knew how competitive Alix could get. Rose was chosen next to speak. To no one's surprise, she chose Harmonia, the goddess of happiness and peaceful accords. Despite Harmonia's tragic life, Rose firmly believed in what she stood for.
Chloe was called on next. The blond hadn't really been paying attention. but knew her answer to the question. "I would be the daughter of Hera of course. She's the Queen of the Heavens, ruling all over the other lesser gods and goddess. Everyone has to do what she says and she's beautiful, powerful, and the patroness of marriage. Who wouldn't want to be her daughter?"
Alya whispered to Marinette it was more likely that Chloe would be the daughter of Eris, the goddess of discord and strife, almost sent her giggling. She managed to hold in her laughter. She didn't want to draw attention to herself. Chloe would make the rest of her day miserable if she was caught laughing.
Ms. Bustier once more turned to the white board, erasing the previous writing, before jotting down major events. She wanted to know which parts of chapter eight had the most significance on the overall story.
Max, who had patiently waiting to be called on, was the first person selected to give an answer. Adjusting his tie and glasses, he replied that he believed the information about the Big Three was a key moment.
"When Grover helped explain about the empty cabins and how the Big Three's children helped WWII, it helped illustrate the connection between fantasy and reality. The context helps readers understand how powerful a child can be and why it was important to discover the identity of Percy's father."
Ms. Bustier nodded her head, a smile on her face. Max's explanation was a perfect example of foreshadowing the rest of the events in the chapter. Looking at Adrien, who was practically begging with his eyes, to be called on, she pointed to him.
"The capture the flag part of the chapter was awesome! It was more like a battle then a game. When I read that part my mind was blown away. It really highlighted the rivalry of the cabins based on their godly parent. It was also amazing how at the same time they could make alliances."
"Indeed. This moment showed how the demigods are different then their godly parent. Their attitudes and actions clearly point to who their parents are, but we also see their human parents also having an effect, because they worked together." Ms. Bustier inclined her head towards Marinette to explain the last major event in the story.
"Annabeth put the pieces together first. Her shock grew once Poseidon claimed Percy. While it was an amazing moment, I felt that Annabeth might have been angry for some reason. Percy's reaction to the whole event was disbelief. It connected to the foreshadowing from the earlier part of the chapter."
"Excellent response Marinette. Today's discussion has shown us different elements used by writers using an old theme, but modernizing it in a new way to make readers believe the events are happening in real time. For your homework tonight, I would like you to read chapters nine to twelve."
A few days passed and it was Friday night. Marinette was hanging out with Alya, who was once more babysitting Etta and Ella, while their parents went out on a well-deserved date night.
Before coming over, Marinette had managed to trace the faint images of the Kwamiis for the Friendship Miraculous Circle. The Kwamiis resembled; a hawk, porcupine, otter, and a dhole. The others were a cow, frog, lemur, and moose.
It would have been nice if she could make the trace more realistic with colors, but no one knew what they were supposed to be. Master Fu had promised to send the image to Ning ASAP, when she dropped it off before she headed to Alya's.
"Alright, my little sapotis, its time for you to go to bed. You don't want to be sleepy tomorrow when we go to the amusement park right?"
"No, but can't we stay up a little later?" Ella asked.
"Yeah, we want to spend time with the big kids!" Etta added.
Alya firmly told them no and that if they continued with their mischievous they wouldn't be going to the amusement park at all. The little twin girls headed to their room and snuggled into bed, their propeller caps resting on their heads.
Marinette complimented Alya on how well she handled her sisters and asked what a sapotis was. Her BFF explained they were mischief imps in creole legend who caused trouble all the time. Since her sisters were so mischievous, she had nicknamed them after the story.
They then heard loud chuckling and looked around the apartment. The twins had left their room and had made a break for the freezer. Alya grabbed the back of their pajama collars. "What are you two doing out of your room? I told you it was time for bed."
"We wanted to eat some ice cream! The sapotis told us we could." the little girls said in unison.
Alya scolded them and dragged to their beds, telling them to behave or they wouldn't be going to the amusement park tomorrow. She shut the door satisfied that her sisters would go to sleep now.
While Marinette searched for a movie to watch, Alya unlocked her phone and showed her some new information she had gathered about Ladybug. "So we know that Ladybug was around in Ancient Egypt. I did some more research and I believe that some of the legends and myths about powerful females, could be about other women with the exact same pair of earrings! Isn't that amazing?"
Marinette bit the inside of her cheek, startled by Alya's information. Her best friend started showing her images of different legendary woman and had used Photoshop to make them appear to be wearing a red and black spotted articles of clothing.
"Are you sure about this Alya? I've never, read or seen an illustration, showing any of these woman wearing ladybug colors. I'm also pretty sure they didn't have a yo-yo either."
Alya mad a dismiss sound. "How can we be sure? There's no proof they didn't. Besides, how else do you think they got their legendary…?"
There were more giggles and the drinks Alya had made for watching the movie were missing. Behind the couch, Ella and Etta were drinking them. "Don't blame us. The sapotis gave us these drinks," they said in unison.
Marinette could see her best friend's temper was getting worse. Once again Alya dragged her sisters back to bed and gave them one final warning. If they didn't stay in their room and go to sleep they wouldn't be going to the amusement park tomorrow.
Alya smacked her hands together, this time for sure her sisters would stay in bed. "Now back to the conversation, I'm certain that if the legendary women were Ladybugs, then ours must be a new girl. If I can just figure out her identity, then…"
"Why are you so determined to find out Ladybug's identity?" Marinette intervallic her. She started counting on her fingers the reasons why someone would want their identity to remain a secret.
"You love superhero comics, so you know why Ladybug and Chat Noir, wouldn't want others to know. Without a secret identity, they wouldn't be able to live a normal life. Hawkmoth could use their loved ones against them in order to get their Miraculous. Lastly, if they told someone, how can they be absolutely sure, they won't leak their secret?"
Alya rolled her eyes. "Come on, I can keep a secret. I didn't tell Adrien you had a crush on him did I?"
Marinette frowned slightly. "No, you didn't. You just pushed me into situations I was not comfortable in and then kept coming up with ways for him to spend time with me. As for keeping secrets, Alya, when you got akumatized, it was because you thought Chloe was Ladybug and you wanted to expose her."
Alya was about to retort, when the TV came on and an animated movie started to play. Furious, she glared at her little sisters so hard, it was a wonder they weren't incinerated. She was enraged more by them once again blaming the sapotis.
"Enough! You had three chances to listen to me and you refused!" She snatched their caps off their heads before resuming. "Since you didn't listen to me, I'm not taking you the amusement park tomorrow. In fact, I'll talk to Mom and Dad, about not letting you go for a whole year!"
Her little sisters began crying and pleading with their older sister, but it didn't do any good. Alya marched them to their rooms, placed their caps on top of the toy chest and told them to go to sleep. She slammed the door behind her, leaving her sisters crying in the dark.
Marinette blinked her eyes at what she just witnessed. She never thought having a sibling would cause someone to lose their temper like that. Sure, Manon frustrated her to no end, but Marinette had never lost her temper at the little girl.
"Your actions seem a little…harsh. Maybe because I don't have a sibling, I'm not sure if what you did was right."
Alya took a few deep breaths and looked a tiny bit guilty. She knew the punishment for not behaving was appropriate. Perhaps, threatening to tell their parents that the twins couldn't go to the amusement park for a whole year was a bit over the top. "I apologize tomorrow when I feel a lot calmer. For now, let's just watch a movie." So the two sat down and started to watch the movie Marinette had picked.
At the Agreste Mansion, Adrien was engrossed in his literature homework. The class would be having a quiz on Monday over the chapters they had read already. For sure, there would be an essay section, and he wanted to be accurate as possible.
He had reached the part in chapter eleven when the characters realized that the woman running the burger and gnome emporium was actually Medusa, who was trying to turn Percy, Annabeth, and Grover, into stone statues to sell. Putting the book down, he turned to face Plagg.
"Hey Plagg, you've been around a long time right?"
"Kid, I've been around for a few millenniums. You got a question and will I get cheese if I answer correctly?" Plagg licked his teeth in anticipation.
Adrien rolled his eyes and asked if the characters in mythology were real or make believe.
"Depends. In the really old days, there were powerful magic users, who were revered as gods and goddess. A couple of them happened to be Miraculous wielders or Guardians. As for monsters, some were real, and others were just animals, the locals weren't familiar with."
The cat kwami made gestures to be fed and Adrien obliged by tossing a hunk of Brie to him. Plagg caught it in his mouth and swallowed it whole. He was taking a bow for his incredible feat, when he let out a yelp.
Two small red imps wearing skirts and a propeller cap had landed on the window. Both of them kept saying, "Fun, fun, fun!" They slipped off the glass and landed in a horde of Sapotis, who laughed and started to make a mess everywhere.
"Come on Plagg, we need to get out there!" Plagg quickly locked up the mini fridge for his precious cheese before he transformed Adrien into Chat Noir.
The hero started running and deflecting the Sapotis attacks. This Akuma was persistent and all the copies together made it difficult to attack, without being overpowered, by sheer numbers.
Chat Noir, luckily discovered, if he destroyed their caps, the Sapotis would vanish. Around this time he caught up with Ladybug, who was doing the same thing he was. "My Lady, how many of these imps are there?"
"Watch out!" she replied as she used her yo-yo to nail a Sapotis, who was trying to attack her partner from behind. More were coming so they got back to back, protecting each other. "I should have listened when Alya said they were more than I could handle."
Chat Noir split his baton in two and sent them flying, taking out several Sapotis until they returned to his hands. "What does Alya have to do with this?"
Ladybug kicked two more imps in the head, breaking their caps, and causing them to vanish. "These Sapotis are Alya's little sisters! Apparently, Hawkmoth can akumatized two people, if they're holding onto the same object."
Chat Noir flipped over three Sapotis, clawing their caps making them disappear. "That is not good. So, I guess Alya made them upset and that's why they were akumatized. Anything else I should know?"
"Every time they eat, more copies appear. I don't think the two of us can handle this. We need more help!" Both heroes jumped up on to the rooftops, escaping the Sapotis for now.
Chat Noir agreed with her. He looked at her and stated, "I don't know if Master Fu, would be much help. No offence, but Turtles are about protection and spirituality. Those won't help us here." He gestured to the street below where even more Sapotis popped into existence.
Ladybug agreed and mused what they could do. Suddenly, she remember her conversation with Master Fu a few days ago. "I think I know someone who could help us, but I have to talk to Master Fu first. Do you think you can reduce their numbers, while I'm gone?"
"I'll do my best, but hurry!"
She didn't need to be told twice. Running across the rooftops she spotted the Sapotis forming a tower to get to her. She swung her yo-yo around in a large loop, dispelling the top half of the towers.
The Sapotis wouldn't give up. She needed to shake them if she was going to get to Master Fu's! "Tikki, any ideas?"
"There little girls right? Give them something they want and they'll stop chasing you for now."
Ladybug scanned the area, looking for something the girls would want. She spied an ice cream shop. Apologizing in her mind, she tossed the yo-yo and wrapped it around the door knob. A single tug and the door flew off the hinges. All the little imps chasing her screamed, "ICE CREAM!" and off they went.
Master Fu was waiting patiently for Ladybug to arrive. Wayzz was on his little pillow on the table taking a sip of his tea. He was doing the best to ignore an anxious Honorra, who was plucking her feathers.
The door opened and in walked Marinette and Tikki. "Master Fu, I'm sure you know what's going on outside. The Akuma, it's actually two little twin girls. My best friend Alya's younger sisters."
Master Fu nodded listening as Marinette told him with the Sapotis ability to make endless copies, they needed help. She had a particular Miraculous in mind and a possible wielder for it.
Removing the Miraculous Chest from its hiding place, Master Fu opened the compartments. "I'm happy that you are taking intuitive on your new responsibilities, but I warn you. It is very dangerous to release another Miraculous right now. Hawkmoth is aware of my existence and he knows of Peace Keeper and the Charms. If you are taking one, it must be brought back the minute the temporary wielder has returned to normal."
The teen nodded and picked up the Fox Miraculous. Hawkmoth already knew about it so it wouldn't be a surprise to see a Fox wielder. She noted Trixx's Kwami Charm was gone. Master Fu had probably given it to Peace Keeper the last time she was in Paris. After all, they had bonded, in a rather unusual manner.
Honorra pushed the smaller box to Marinette grumbling. "I wish I could help, but even if I could enter my Miraculous, I doubt honor would help in this case."
"You'll get there eventually Honorra." Marinette patted the kwami on her head. Thanking Master Fu she hurried to get back to the fight. Master Fu and the two Kwamiis had grim expressions on their faces, hoping this wasn't a mistake.
Alya was in the park trying to get her sisters to come home. Four Sapotis were riding the merry-go round. "I promise I won't tell Mom and Dad about you misbehaving. We can go to the amusement park next month."
"FUN! FUN! FUN!" The Sapotis jumped off the merry-go round, intending to pile on top of Alya only for them to go poof as their caps were destroyed. Ladybug landed next to merry-go round.
"Oh my gosh! Ladybug, I need your help! My younger sisters got akumatized! I need to get them home before for my parents come back."
"I know about your sisters. Chat Noir and I have been dealing with their copies all over of the city. Even with the two of us, it would take too long to locate the originals." Ladybug stood tall and locked eyes with Alya. Taking a deep breath she continued. "We need some help. I believe you can help us tonight."
Alya's eyes widened and she almost screeched in girly delight, when she saw the small box in Ladybug's hand. "You want me to become a heroine? Oh, this is dream come true!" She reached for the box, only for Ladybug to pull it back.
The spotted heroine gave her stern look. Her best friend needed to understand the situation clearly. "Focus Alya. We need your help, but this is only a one time heroine duty. I need you to promise me, you will use the Miraculous to help Chat Noir and me, defeat Sapotis. On completion of this mission, you will return the Miraculous to me, and never speak of this to anyone ever."
Once Alya promised and Ladybug handed her the box. Eagerly the girl opened it. There was a bright orange flash and a little orange fox with purple eyes appeared. In a slight seductive female voice, Trixx said, "So you're my temporary cub. Yes, I think we'll work splendidly together."
"Who and what?"
"My name is Trixx, the Kwami of Illusions. All you need to know is that cleverness and survival are your allies. Remember, your offensive power is Spirit Guides and use the flute to create an illusion. Now, say Tail Up!"
In seconds Alya was turned into a fox heroine. She loved the costume, even if it reminded her a bit of Lila's Volpena costume. "This is very exciting. I need to take a picture for my blog! Where's my phone?"
Ladybug snapped her fingers, reminding the girl to stay focused. "Follow my lead."
The fox girl followed Ladybug, surprised how strong and fast she was. Instead of a steady pace, she kept running ahead and jumping to see how far she should go and then testing her strength.
Alya jumped off a rooftop, mistaking the distance. She started to fall, only for Ladybug to catch her mid-fall, and land on the safety of a roof top. "I told you to follow my lead. I know this is exciting and you think you're invulnerable, but let me tell you're not. Our suits protect us, against most threats, and the Kwamiis, can heal us slightly after a fight, but we still need to be careful about not getting hurt fatally or dying."
Alya nodded and took a deep breath. She needed to focus and save her sisters now. She could ask the heroes questions after the fight. The two heroines caught up with Chat Noir, who had managed to dispel a street worth of Sapotis, but there were still more coming.
"Welcome to the purrty My Lady. Nice to meet a foxy lady as our backup. What's your name?"
"Rena Rouge. So can you tell me more about how your powers work and I can I get an interview…" Chat Noir dove on top of her and rolled her out of the way and Ladybug jumped over a car being driven by the little imps that nearly crashed into the trio.
Chat Noir pulled Rena Rouge to her feet. "Be aware of your surroundings at all times. Stick with either me or Ladybug. Don't use your power unless we tell you too."
With that the trio started to work together. Rena Rouge was surprised how well her body moved and she performed fighting techniques that she knew nothing about. She was careful not to play her flute, just use it to defend herself.
After a few minutes, they had cleared away a hundred copies, but the Sapotis kept coming. Rena Rouge felt her adrenaline spiking. Being in a fight was different then video recording it. She felt mildly tired, but otherwise fine. Next time, I'll do better and maybe I can set up some cameras to record myself fighting she thought herself.
"Prioritize Rena Rouge! Forget about filming and help save your sisters," a sharp female voice hissed in her mind. The girl's hands flew to her head, as she nearly dropped her flute, turning her head all over.
Chat Noir asked her what was wrong and she mentioned the voice. He looked at his partner for a few seconds before he replied, telling her it was probably Trixx talking to her.
Comforted, the fox girl watched as Ladybug called out for her Lucky Charm. A unicycle fell into the spotted teen's hands. A quick glance around and she knew what to do. "Chat Noir, help me get the stuff I need. Rena Rouge, your job is to use your power to lure the Sapotis to this location," Ladybug showed her where to go on her yo-yo. "Once there, create an illusion of an amusement park."
Rena Rouge memorized the coordinates and promised to be there in a few minutes. "Come on Sapotis, let's see if you can catch this tricky fox!"
Chasing the fox girl sounded like fun as the Sapotis followed her. They jumped over stuff, threw themselves further. The commandeered anything with wheels as they pursued the teenager.
I got them to fall me. If I create an illusion now, I can use my power and stop the Sapotis myself Rena Rouge reasoned. This would prove to Ladybug and Chat Noir, they needed her on the team.
"Don't let your pride misguide you! Prove yourself by following the plan!" The female voice was getting angry at her. Maybe it was time to obey Trixx.
Bringing the flute to her lips, she played a short tune before shouting, "Spirit Guides!" Two balls of orangish white light came out of the flute and turned into two spirit foxes.
The Sapotis shrieked in joy as they followed the spirit foxes, all of them wanting to pet them. Rena Rouge stopped in her tracks and looked down at her necklace as it beeped. A small part of the necklace turned black.
"Your timer has started, but don't think about it! Imagine what you want and play your flute. You're partners need you." She did as the voice said and cast the illusion of the amusement park.
With the added illusion, it was easy for the unicycle wheel and a few broken broom handles, to sweep up the caps and deposited them in a trash bin. Once they were all collected Chat Noir used Cataclysm to destroy them all. One quick catch and purification and the city was back to normal.
Since he had the longest time left, Chat Noir agreed to take the girls home. Ladybug agreed and had Rena Rouge follow her. They landed near an apartment building with a wide entrance and alcove for Ladybug to change back.
Alya changed back first, due to Trixx not eating anything before she transformed, which sped up the timer. "That was amazing! I can't believe I actually just did that! Thank you for giving me a chance to help save my sisters. You can count on me to…"
Ladybug held out her hand, expecting the Miraculous. When she saw Alya wrap her hands around it, she knew there was a problem. "I'm grateful for your help tonight. You promised, you would give the Miraculous back."
Alya launched into a whole speech about why she should keep the Miraculous and that this was her dream come true. Surely the Heroine of Paris wouldn't take that away from her.
Ladybug's earrings were beeping loudly. She saw Trixx motioning for her to go and her sly smile assured her that this vixen would handle it. Ladybug ran off to hide her identity.
"Can you believe this Trixx? I'm going to be a heroine! We'll help Ladybug and Chat Noir defeat Hawkmoth. Then I can interview myself for my blog. Oh, I can't wait to tell Marinette about this!"
Trixx wrapped her tail around herself, she blinked her purple eyes a few times. "I saw that. My dear cub, you are certainly clever and know how to survive. I've never had a Fox who managed to fool a Ladybug."
Alya stepped back confused. "I didn't fool Ladybug!" She glared at the little kwami who laughed.
"Really? Well, I thought all you're fooling around and breaking your promise, was part of your plan to keep me. I know Foxes have a mixed reputation, my fault perhaps. I led them choose their own way, all though I didn't do that the last time I was active. I guess that's why my previous wielder was yelling at you. She didn't want a repeat of what happened to her."
Noting her confusion, Trixx simply told her that she had kept a promise to someone, which broke the rules, forcing her to possess someone, causing a lot of harm. Hearing this Alya started to take the Miraculous off, then stopped. Surely this wouldn't happen to her. After all, she wanted Trixx and the Miraculous. Knowing the teen blogger needed a little push, Trixx spoke again.
"Alya, you have the makings of a heroine. You have passion, a sense of justice, and most importantly, you have desire to be more than you are," the little fox told Alya, who beamed at the praise.
"But, you are still caught in your own illusion." Noticing the girl frowning, Trixx continued. "You made mistakes tonight, which happens to rookies. However, several of your mistakes could have been avoided, if you had listened to your partners.
Foxes survive by listening to the world around them. With our clever nature, it is easy for us to determine, if we possess enough strength to nab our prey. Our focus doesn't wander, no do we stray from the skulk's dominate."
Trixx let this sink into Alya's head, watching as the girl reviewed the events of the night in her mind. The little fox patted the girl's head."You have the makings of a heroine, but right now you don't have the maturity, to be one. Work on your flaws and grow. Perhaps next time we meet, you'll be ready."
Marinette had watched the whole conversation. She let out a silent cheer when Alya put the Miraculous back in the box and leave it for her to pick up. She picked up the box thinking that Trixx was right. With a bit more time, Alya could become a great heroine.
In the capital of Vietnam, Mirna Brantiti having finished her UN duties, was making her way to Tran Quoc Pagoda, the oldest Buddhist monument in Hanoi, dating all the way back to the sixth century.
According to legend, a Buddhist monk from Vietnam had done a great deed for China and was rewarded with enough bronze to create a giant bell. When it rang, the Golden Buffalo Calf of China, believed it was his mother calling him. The Lake of Mist, where the pagoda was located, was made by the Calf stomping on the ground.
Due to erosion and flooding, Tran Quoc Pagoda had been moved from its original place to a small island, (Gold Fish Island), near the southeast shore and connected by short causeway to the mainland.
Due to the age of the pagoda, and how monks lived there taking care of the place, the UN agent hadn't needed a clue to know where to go. Just her instincts, which were correct if the heated mark on her palm, was anything to go by.
The Friendship Miraculous Circle is somewhere inside Tran Quoc Pagoda, I just know it Peace Keeper thought to herself. Arriving at the pagoda, she walked across the causeway, her mark getting hotter and hotter.
Entering the courtyard, she paused and took in the historical site. Tran Quoc Pagoda was 3,000 square meter and the complex based on the Buddhist trinity, containing 10 shrines in all. The pagoda's red lacquered statue trimmed with gold representing the Buddha's nirvana. Created in 1639, the sculpture is considered a masterpiece of a distinctly Vietnamese style of sacred sculpture.
There was also a 15 meter high stupa on the precinct of the pagoda, erected in 1998 and comprising 11 floors with vaulted windows and gemstone statues of Amitabha. On the top of the stupa sits a giant lotus flower, which was made of gemstones. The monks ensured that none of the gems ever left the pagoda.
The stupa has been carefully placed to coincide symmetrically with a 50 year old Bodhi tree in the complex. The tree was given to the pagoda by a former Indian president when he visited Hanoi in 1959. According to legend it was grown from a cutting of the very tree under which Buddha found enlightenment.
"It's very beautiful," she whispered to herself. Glancing at her palm it had once again changed to a compass. Ignoring the pain she followed it until she arrived at the Bodhi tree. "The aura of this tree, it's very powerful. I can feel it trying to make me reach an enlightened state of mind."
"Indeed, it is no wonder the great Buddha became so wise," an aged male voice said. Turning around, she saw a very old monk, wearing glasses, standing behind her. He smiled at her and looked up at the tree in wonder. "Yes, this tree was a gift to humans."
He sat under the tree and gestured for Peace Keeper to do the same. Both of them took a deep breath and quietly meditated together under the sacred tree. The world around them faded, as a sense of tranquility filled their bodies.
The pain in Peace Keepers palm abated and her fretfulness about her quest, faded away. The Kwami Charms around her neck chinked together creating a gorgeous harmony. The harmony restored her hope for a better world in her life time.
She opened her eyes and went to thank the monk, only to pause. The old man was staring directly at her charm necklace. Something he shouldn't have been able to see.
"The monks here have been waiting a long time for a Guardian or an Apprentice to come here to reclaim what was lost. In fact, previous Guardian's ashes are held within this pagoda," he explained to her. He adjusted his glasses waiting for a response.
Peace Keeper stuttered, "You, you, you are the Kee Kee Keeper? I mean it makes sense, I just wasn't expecting someone to come, come up and tell me." Her face flushed as her fake hair fell over her eyes. Why didn't she figure this out sooner?
"As you can see, enlightenment takes many different forms. The order of the monks have guarded the Miraculous for generations. Your task is a challenge. Hidden, all over the pagoda, are eight spokes that make up the Dharma Circle for each of the Noble Eightfold Path.
To find each spoke, you must demonstrate the eight practices in the right place for the spoke to appear. You need to bring me the eight spokes by sundown in order to pass this challenge. Do you understand?"
Peace Keeper nodded as the monk wrapped a red and gold ribbon around her left wrist. This was a sign to the other monks who she was, so they would let her into the more sacred areas of the pagoda to find the spokes.
Peace Keeper had hours until sundown to search. Her instincts told her that the challenge would be more difficult than she imagined. Going in order of the spokes, she headed to the shrine where the monk's ashes would be.
The monk in the shrine saw her ribbon and asked everyone to leave for now. She waited in the shadows until the last person was gone. The monk spread his arms wide. "If you believe a spoke is here to claim, then search the shrine, but remember you only have some time to find what you seek, if it is here at all."
The first Noble Path was the Right View, to see your actions have consequences that kept you trapped in the cycle of samsara. To reach liberation, you needed to balance out all your karma.
Peace Keeper studied the shrine, looking at all the decorations and statues. Running her fingers over the containers of ashes, her enlightened mind considered all the possibilities of where a spoke could be hidden.
"Right View, right view, I need to have the right view. Actions have consequences which have an impact on our karma for the next life." She studied the shrine once more, glancing at her palm, noting the compass had disappeared.
Biting her lip in concentration, she walked over to the containers of ashes once more. Reading the labels, she took the one which was simply labeled Guardian. Respectively, she gave the monk the container and asked if the spoke was inside it.
The monk nodded and opened the container. Reaching in, he pulled out a medium size spoke and handed it to her. "You have demonstrated the Right View. You may continue your quest."
Peace Keeper continued her search. The Second and Third paths were Right Resolve and Right Speech. Right Resolve was renouncing earthly ties and devoting your life to spirituality. Right Speech, was to speak no falsehoods, curses, and only talking when necessary.
The spoke of Right Resolve was found in the praying shrine, which she did alongside the monks. The Right Speech spoke was found inside the famed statue of Buddha's Nirvana, after having a conversation with some visitors. Looking at the sun, Peace Keeper couldn't believe it took her two hours to find three spokes.
She headed to the monk's dormitory for the spoke of Right Action. This Path was about not killing sentient beings, never stealing, and no sexual misconduct. Sexual misconduct in Buddhism consisted of never having sex with an unmarried or married person. Nor should you ever have sex with a person who is promised to another.
She found the spoke under the head monk's mat. He congratulated her on finding the Noble Path of Right Action. She was halfway done with her challenge. Recalling the Fifth Noble Path was Right Livelihood; Peace Keeper knew where she had to go. This one would be a challenge for her. Fifteen minutes later, she burned incenses after giving half her lunch as an offering. Her secret wish was for Buddha to forgive her for causing harm to others and have him show her the right path. The spoke fell out of the hanging pot and into her hands.
Noble Path of Right Effort was next. Going into the stupa she climbed up to the top floor gazing at the huge gemstone lotus. "My emotions are not pure, while my intent here is honorable. I take in your splendor and vow to use my senses to free myself from ill intentions. "The gems of the lotus sparkled and spread apart. The spoke rolled down the roof and she caught it before it fell over. The sun was getting lower in the sky. She needed to find the spokes for Right Mindfulness and Right Concentration.
The Keeper was sitting under the tree meditating. The sun was nearly down and the young woman had not returned yet. Perhaps she hadn't been worthy enough.
There was shuffling on the grass and the energy around him was very positive and full of life. Opening his eyes, he found all eight spokes deposited in front of him, and the young woman, kneeling before him. "I have completed your challenge sir. I humbly ask for the Miraculouses."
In response the monk reached into the tree and pulled out a wheel. He attached the spokes creating the Dharma circle. The sacred symbol started rotating and gaining speed until it stop. Secret compartments opened up and revealed the Friendship Miraculous Circle. The center of the Dharma Wheel opened up and scattered the Kwami Charms on the ground. Peace Keeper picked them up and then examined the Miraculous.
Thanks to Marinette's trace she, knew the animals displayed on the Miraculous matched up to what she was supposed to find. The button was very small, only a little bigger than a shirt button. On it was a red tailed hawk resting on a tree branch.
The armlet colors were based on the African Crested Porcupine. Even the little detailed porcupine was designed to look the same.
The anklet was a soft light brown with otters all around it. It made the animal appear to be swimming in a playful circle.
The patch was an oval in shape. A dhole was stitched on. The reddish orange wild dog had its mouth open, as if it was ready to take on a tiger.
The key chain turned out to be a brown, black, and white tasseled iron ring with a cow charm used to attach the tassels and the ring together.
The gloves were elbow length and were a shimmery silver. Adorning the gloves was a pattern showing the life cycle of a bullfrog.
The scarf was a decorative one, the kind you would find as an accessory to make your outfit stylish. It was much too thin to be used for cold weather. The threads in the scarf created a ring tailed lemur side leaping in a jungle.
The last Miraculous, you had to squint to see the animal. The agate gems had been cut to resemble a moose.
All the Miraculous were here and in good condition. Pulling out her magic again, she filled a new level with the new Miraculous Circle. Thanking the monk she headed out of the pagoda, glancing at her palm where the letters EMC had appeared.
"Another Circle, another quest."