Chapter 25: Manon, the Keeper of the Secret
Still baffled and shocked by what her kwami had done, Marinette kept watching as Tikki talked to Manon, explaining her who she was, and what Marinette's mission as Ladybug was, while also praising the little girl on her intelligence and deductive abilities. The whole scene was as surreal as one could imagine, and it was happening right there in Marinette's kitchen. The only thing left there was for her parents to also show up and join the conversation. And while this happened, the food was getting cold and the ice cream was melting.
"Oh, I see…" -Manon said.
"You understand now what I'm telling you, sweetie?" -Tikki asked her. –"You can't tell anyone about us."
"Yes." -Manon waved her head in compliance.
"See, Marinette?" -Tikki said, as she turned her attention to the blue-haired girl. –"Everything just turned out okay."
"Tikki…" -Marinette said, still without words.
"Believe me, telling her the truth was the best thing to do." -the kwami told her. –"There was nothing you could do to convince her of the opposite. Plus, I did this for your own good. If she started to tell everyone you were Ladybug, most people would not believe her, because she's just a little kid, but…"
"But there was always the chance of someone might actually believe her." -Marinette said. There was no way to argue against logic, and Tikki was right. All it would take was one person to find out if what little Manon was talking about was true or not.
"Exactly. Now that she knows the truth, we can ask her to keep it a secret." -Tikki stated. –"And you'll keep it a secret, won't you, Manon?"
"Yes!" -Manon smiled. But the smile she made was not her usual smile. It was her devious smile; the one she would use whenever she wanted something, and Marinette knew she was going to ask for something in return. –"But…"
"But you want something in return, don't you?" -Marinette asked her. –"How can a sweet little girl like her be such a little weasel at times?" -she asked herself. –"What is it that you want?"
"I want three things!" -Manon exclaimed, as her devious smile broadened and broadened by the minute. –"First, I want to meet the rest of the team. Second, I want you to make me plushies of all the heroes in the team, including you. And third, I want to go on patrol with you, as Ladybug… just like they do on superhero movies." -she stated.
Having in account some of the things Manon would usually ask when she threw a tantrum, the things she asked to keep her silence were pretty acceptable. The part about Marinette having to make her plushies of the whole team was a little too much, but still acceptable. Sighing, Marinette waved her head.
"Okay, deal. I'll make you the plushies and take you on a ride. Just don't know when yet. As for meeting the rest of the team, you can meet them when we go to your school, one of these days." -Marinette said.
"No, no, no! I want to meet them as they are when they're not wearing the outfits!" -Manon told her.
When Marinette and Tikki realized what she was asking them for, they both gulped. One thing was for her to know Marinette's secret. Another was knowing the secret of the remaining team. They of course could not say yes to that, because it was not their right to promise something like that. They tried to convince her to ask for something else, but Manon was inflexible. She wanted to meet the rest of the team in their civilian identities, and there was no way she was going to trade that for anything else. Tikki even tried to change her mind, by proposing to show her some cool magic tricks, but it was pointless. If there was one thing about Manon right then, was that she had them in the palm of her hands.
"Manon, isn't there any other thing we can get you or do for you?" -Tikki asked her.
"No, I want to meet them." -Manon giggled evilly.
"Can we give you an answer a little later?" -Marinette asked her.
"Okay. But I want an answer until the end of the day." -Manon told her with an innocent voice.
Both Marinette and Tikki were in a pickle, and did not know how they were going to get out of it. What Manon had asked them was something they could not promise her would happen. But they had to come up with a solution to it, because for better or for worse, they were at the mercy of Manon in a way.
Having no other choice, Marinette contacted Master Fu for help. She remembered he had managed to hypnotize Adrien's bodyguard a couple of times before, so, he could do the same thing with Manon. If so, he could make her forget. Over the phone, he said that this should be talked in person and asked her to meet him at his place after lunch, if possible.
After lunch, Marinette asked her mom to keep an eye on Manon, telling her that Alya had called asking her for help with something she was going that afternoon, and she was going to help her. Exiting her place, she ran as fast as she could to Master Fu's home. Usually they would meet at the Garden of the Ancients, but this time he insisted on meeting at his place.
Though it was a cloudy day, it was quite stuffy. Not the kind of day one would predict, after the previous night that was both cold and windy. And for Marinette, who was sweating like a sinner in church because of her nerves, it felt like it was the middle of the Summer. As she walked, she kept asking herself what they were going to do regarding Manon. She had given them an ultimatum, and though both her and Tikki believed she was not going to do anything with what she knew, they both knew they had to solve that mess.
"I hope Master Fu knows what to do, because I sure don't." -Marinette thought to herself, as she crossed a treadmill. –"Maybe I should have called Alya first and ask her what I should do… no… I know I can always count on Alya for everything, but this is something only Master Fu can help me with." -she kept thinking to herself.
Arriving at Master Fu's, she rang the bell, and almost instantly the old man answered. He greeted her with a smile, which she felt was strange given their current predicament. She was expecting him to scold her and Tikki for what happened, while telling Tikki that what she did was utterly irresponsible and inadmissible. But he did no such thing. Instead, he smiled and invited them both for tea. Like always, he said that a cup of tea was the best remedy for most problems, because as a person drank it, it gave it the time to think about the problem itself and the possible solutions for it. Given her nervousness, the old master served Marinette some Lemon balm tea, while he decided to drink some chamomile tea.
"Thanks, master." -Marinette said, as she sipped the tea.
"My pleasure, my dear." -Master Fu smiled. –"It's always a pleasure to see you and Tikki. By the way, are the cookies to your liking?" -he asked the
"Yes, very much, master." -Tikki smiled, as she nibbled one.
"I'm sorry for saying this master, and don't think that I'm not happy you're not yelling and screaming at both me and Tikki because of what happened, but, we're in a pickle here." -Marinette told him.
"Marinette… you know what I've learned over the years? I've learned that yelling, shouting and screaming don't solve anything. If they did, then every last politician in the world would solve any kind of problem by shouting at people." -Master Fu told Marinette with a kind voice. –"Shouting and screaming are a good way to relieve yourself from stress, but it's a lousy way to solve problems." -he said. –"Besides, from what you told me, you had no other option."
"Tikki did what she did to protect me, and Manon too. But now…"
"Now, she knows about her." -Tikki sighed.
"And you think she'll say anything?" -Master Fu asked her.
"No." -Marinette said. –"I mean, I don't think so. Manon is many things, but she would never start to say that I'm Ladybug just for the sake of it."
"If that's so, then, I don't see why you are so worried, my dear." -the old man told her.
"I'm worried because she demanded that I arrange for her to know the rest of the team, but in their civilian forms… and I can't do that, without revealing my friends' identities, master." -Marinette said. –"Can't you… you know, hypnotize her and make her forget that she found out that I'm Ladybug?" -she asked the old man.
"I'm afraid I can't, Marinette." –Master Fu answered her.
"You can't because you think it's wrong, or because you really can't?"
"Because I really can't. My hypnotizing powers allow me to convince a person of something for a short period of time, but they aren't strong enough to make someone believe something else to be entirely true permanently." -Master Fu explained. –"Believe me, if my powers allowed me to do what you are asking me, then I would gladly use them to help you." -he said, as he sipped from his cup.
"In other words, he can't make Manon forget that you are Ladybug." -Tikki said. -"It's my fault this is happening." -the little kwami sighed. –"I shouldn't have showed myself and let you deal with it."
"Don't blame yourself, Tikki. I should have been more assertive… heck, if I had come up with a believable excuse or a plan to prove to Manon that Ladybug and I were two different people, instead of just staying there and watching Manon throw all those proofs she had on me…" -Marinette said, as she imagined a what-if scenario, where she would have called Alya to show up as Rena Rogue and use her illusionary powers to create a fake Ladybug to pose right next to her.
"Maybe… but I'm not absent from blame here." -Tikki sighed. –"I thought that if we told her the truth, it would be enough for her, but in the end… I just ended up making matters worse."
Hearing them talk like that, one would think they were blaming themselves for a natural catastrophe or something similar. Still, Master Fu did not utter a single word, letting them talk among themselves. It was not until he felt that they had
"Well, now that you both have let that out of your system, maybe we can work together to find a solution to this predicament." -Master Fu said. –"I mean, it's not like Hawk Moth had taken over the world." -he tried to make them laugh, but without much result. –"What we have here is something quite simple… we have a little girl who knows the real identity of one of Paris' superheroes, and wishes to know the real identities of the rest of them as well."
When he said, Tikki understood where the old master was going, but remained silent. She felt it was best not to interrupt him before he said what he had to say.
"If that is her wish, then, I suggest that we give her just what she's asking for." -Master Fu said.
"Wait, you don't mean?" -Tikki said.
"Oh, yes, I do." -Master declared.
"But, master, isn't she too… young?" -Tikki pointed out.
"Maybe, but like you two said, when you described her, she's a very smart little girl." -Master Fu said. –"And if she found out about Marinette's identity, who's to say she won't find out about the others in time."
Not understanding what the two of them were talking about, the blue-haired girl decided to interrupt them, hoping to find out just what they were talking about.
"Uh, excuse me, but what exactly are you talking about? What is it that Manon's too young for?" -Marinette asked them.
"Master Fu wants her to be a keeper of the secret; Marinette." -Tikki answered her.
"Keeper of the secret? Okay, now I'm a little lost." -Marinette declared.
"Allow me to explain, Marinette." -Master Fu declared. –"Over the millenniums, there were individuals who through their intelligence or just plain old luck, managed to discover the identities of certain miraculous holders. Manon just happens to be the latest one." -he went on. –"When that happened, these individuals were invited to be part of, let's call it, a selected group of people who knew the holders' secret identities, their hideouts, in sum, they became guardians of the holders and the power they possessed. And these guardians, they could frequently help them by providing shelter, information, a distraction in case they needed to infiltrate a place, among other things."
"So, in other words, they were like people who were there for the heroes if they needed them, and who followed them… like groupies."
"If you want to put it that way, then yes, they were." -Master Fu asserted with his head.
"But most of them were adults, Master Fu. Manon is just a little girl." -Tikki stated the obvious.
"True, but as you said, a very smart little girl." -Master Fu said. –"Plus, it was never specified that the keepers of the secret had to be of a certain age, Tikki." -he declared.
"Then, by making her a keeper of the secret… I could keep my promise of letting her meet the others." -Marinette said. -"But, don't the others have a say in this? I mean, I know I'm the leader and all, and it was me who Manon found out about, but… I can't decide for them. It wouldn't be right."
"Spoken like a true leader." -Tikki chuckled.
"And you're right. They should have a word about this, though I think I know what their answer will be." -Master Fu said.
"And what will be that answer, master?"
"It will be yes, obviously." -Master Fu chuckled. –"But, then again, that might be just wishful thinking from my part." -he said. –"Why don't you call them and ask them to meet us in the Garden of the Ancients in a couple of minutes, so they can speak for themselves about this matter?"
Doing what Master Fu suggested her, Marinette quickly dialled up everyone's number and called them, telling them they needed to come to the Garden of the Ancients immediately. She did not tell them why they needed to come, but she said it was urgent and what they had to talk about was too important to wait. Being the first ones to arrive, Marinette and Tikki helped Master Fu settle things for that emergency reunion, as she called it. After they had everything ready, it did not take more than a couple of minutes for the others to start arriving. The first to arrive were Nathaniel and Alya, accompanied by their kwamis, Mulan and Trixx.
"We came as fast as we could." -Nathaniel said.
"What's the big emergency, girl?!" -Alya asked her best-friend.
"I'll tell you all about it. Let's just wait for the others to arrive." -Marinette said.
"It's that big of a deal, huh?" -Alya asked her.
"I would be lying if I said it wasn't." -Marinette asserted.
When the last member arrived, who was Nino, Marinette and Master Fu quickly explained to them what had happened regarding Manon finding out about her secret identity and how Tikki showed up in front of her, and what happened next. They also told them about what Master Fu proposed them to do. The kwamis, who were familiar with that kind of problem, all saw the idea of making Manon a keeper of their secret as a good idea. But the heroes themselves were divided. Half of them felt that having a little girl knowing about their identities was a little risky, and asked themselves if there was no other way to deal with what happened, while the other half saw no problem in that and agreed to make Manon a keeper of the secret.
It was only through the combined efforts of Marinette and Master Fu, along with the half that was in favour, that the half that was against it, was convinced to change their mind regarding the subject. Plus, the kwamis also helped, by telling them about how other keepers had helped them over the centuries, and how some of them had been fundamental in their battle against Hawk Moth.
"So, it's settled." -Marinette sighed in relief.
"Yeah, I don't have any problems with her knowing about my secret identity." -Alya told Marinette.
"And are you sure she won't spill the beans?" -Chloé asked her.
"I'm with her. The last thing we need is for her to tell out real identities to someone." -Nino added.
"Pretty sure. Manon might have a lot of defects, but she also has a lot of qualities, and one of those qualities is that she can keep a secret, if you ask her." -Marinette declared.
"Now that that is settled, how does this go?" -Mylene asked them.
"Well, first you might want to reveal yourselves to her, and then, there will be a small ceremony, on which I will bestow her the symbol of her allegiance to you." -Master Fu said. –"And then, if you're in a mood, you can have a small party here with her. I'm sure she would like it." -he chuckled.
"Alright. If everyone's in favour, I'll go get Manon right now and we can get this done." –Marinette said. –"And of course, if you're up for it right now, master." -she looked at the old man, who smiled back at her.
"Of course." -Master Fu smiled, clapping his hands in anticipation. –"The ceremony is quite simple, and with the help of you all, we can have everything ready in about half an hour." -he told them.
"Then, go and get her, Marinette." -Tikki said. –"I'll stay here and help out."
The whole thing was surreal for Marinette. When she woke up that Saturday, she never thought that it would end up being like that. And, it was far from being over. She and the others had decided it was best for Manon to meet them all and become a keeper on that very same day, so while the others helped master Fu getting things ready for the ceremony, Marinette went to get Manon.
Teleporting herself to a safe location she knew about a couple of blocks from her house, she practically ran to it. Entering the bakery, Tom and Sabine were surprised to see her back so soon.
"I… I came to get Manon." -Marinette told he parents. –"Adrien is doing a photoshoot and they need a little girl to pose alongside him, so I told him that Manon could be that little girl" -she explained.
"But, weren't you helping Alya with something she was doing, honey?" -Sabine asked her.
"A-And I was… or better, I still am. She's helping Adrien in the photoshoot, so technically I'm helping both her and him." -Marinette smiled nervously, as she went up the stairs.
Not finding Manon in the living room playing or watching television, Marinette had a pretty good idea where she was… her room. Opening the trapdoor, she immediately heard Manon's giggles. She was playing with some dollies Marinette had taken from the trunk where she had most of them. Seeing
"Hey, there!" -Manon waved at Marinette.
"Hey!" -Marinette smiled. –"I see you decided to go
"Yes." -the little girl smiled. –"So, when can I meet your friends?" -she asked, referring to the Miraculous Team.
"Well, that's what I wanted to talk to you about." -Marinette said, as she kneeled right beside Manon. –"You see, I went to talk to them, and they all decided that they wanted to meet you… today." -she smiled.
"Really?!" -Manon exclaimed, as her eyes filled with joy.
"But… they told me that you must be on your best behaviour, and you need to promise that you won't tell their secret to anyone, just like you promised not to tell mine." -Marinette declared. –"If you do that, we'll give you something really special. Something we only give to those we trust ad like the most, okay?"
"Okay." -Manon said. –"Oh, and where's Tikki?" -she asked for the little kwami.
"She stayed with the rest of the team." -Marinette said. –"Alright, let's get you ready so we can go meet them." -she said. –"Put on your shoes and one more thing, if my mom asks you, we're going to help Adrien with a photoshoot."
"Okay." -Manon giggled. –"I'll tell her were going to help your boyfriend." -she giggled.
"He's not my boyfriend, Manon." -Marinette told her. –"Though I hope he will be, one of these days." -she thought to herself.
Just like Marinette had anticipated, Manon's mind was blown away when she found out that her school friends were also her superhero friends. Of course, she demanded proof, so they all transformed in front of her. On top of it all, she was also admired by the Garden of the Ancients, because she never thought a place like this could exist. Being a kid, it took her a little to assimilate all that she found out about. Luckily, all of them had an almost infinite amount of patience… well, all, except Chloé, who being an only child was not used to having little kids around her, or babysitting them. But, with a little help from her kwami, Pollen, she tried her best to be nice to Manon, who kept asking all kinds of questions, regarding their powers, their abilities, among other things.
"We can all lift pretty much things that weight 2 tons, but me? I can pretty much lift 5 tons when I'm really angry." -Ivan told Manon.
"I can draw anything. All I need to do is think about it and my pencil/harpoon does the rest." -Nathaniel commented.
"How many copies of myself I can do? I don't really know… I never tried to find out how many I can do before I exhaust myself." -Rose blushed a little.
But, Manon did not just stick to asking questions to the heroes. She also bombarded the kwamis with all sorts of questions. She was on cloud nine, as she asked them everything she could think of.
"My favourite food is cheese, but I personally prefer Camembert cheese to all the others." -Plagg told her, after which she asked him how could he like something that smelled so bad. –"It doesn't smell bad. It's merely the sweet aroma of cheese, you know?" -he said, which earned him a couple of laughs from her.
"We all get tired, just like you." -Mulan said. –"That's why we also need to eat and sleep."
"How old are we?" -Pollen said. –"Well, we're really old. Older than the pyramids in Egypt, you know?" -the bee kwami smiled.
The Q&A session went on for more than half an hour, as Master Fu prepared himself for the ceremony that was going to take place. The temple's room where they would sometimes gather to rest a bit after practice was fully transformed, and now looked like the inside of a Shinto temple. There was the aroma of incense and vanilla in the air, which combined with the lighting, gave the place a distinctive atmosphere. When it was time for the ceremony, Master Fu went to Manon and told her what was going to happen and what she was supposed to do. He also explained the teenagers what they were supposed to do, as they took their places.
The ceremony was something that reminded some of them of things they had seen in movies about cults and brotherhoods, with them taking their place along a small pathway that would lead to a low altar, where Master Fu and the kwamis awaited them. Walking down the pathway, Manon made her way to the altar, stopping a couple of times along the way to look the teenagers in the eyes. She was told that what was happening was very serious, and so, did her best to behave herself. Reaching the altar, Master Fu smiled and told her to kneel.
"Manon Chamack… you are here, because you have discovered the identity of one of the miraculous holders. As such, we have all decided to grant you the highest honour one can receive from us... becoming the keeper of the secret of the Miraculous order. Tell me, is it your wish to become a keeper of the secret?" -Master Fu spoke in a gentle yet serious tone. –"Just say yes, dear." -he whispered at her, while winking his eye.
"Y-Yes." -Manon said
"Then, repeat" after me. I, Manon Chamack, solely swear…" -Master Fu said.
"I, Manon Chamack, solely swear…" -Manon said.
"… to protect the secret of this order…"
"… to protect the secret of this order…"
"…by not revealing what I know to anyone outside of it…"
"…by not revealing what I know to anyone outside of it…"
"… And to always be ready to help the Miraculous heroes, in their time of need."
"… And to always be ready to help the Miraculous heroes, in their time of need."
"With that, I pronounce you a keeper of the secret, Manon." -Master Fu said. –"And, so you might be recognized by others who might also become keepers, we now bestow this upon you."
It was then that all the kwamis gave hands, forming a circle. Focusing, they started to glow. This glow lasted only a few seconds, after which something appeared in the middle of them, a small piece of golden metal, shaped like one of the boxes where the miraculouses were kept, with a small tiny golden chain attached to it. Grabbing it, he placed it around the little girl's neck, smiling.
"Always wear this around your neck, my dear Manon. Not only it will signal you as a guardian, but it will also protect you." -Master Fu said.
"Okay. Thank you." -Manon smiled.
"And with this, I declare this ceremony concluded." -Master Fu announced, after which a wave of applauses was heard.
"We're really proud of you, Manon." -Alya said.
"Yes, you did very well." -Adrien declared.
"Now, remember, keep this around your neck at all times, and don't tell anyone about anything of this. You can only talk about this when you're around us, and when we're alone, okay, you little rascal, you?" -Marinette said, as she tickled her.
"O-Okay… (laughs)… I won't tell anyone." -Manon giggled.
"Alright, I believe you. And now, let's party a little. Nino there really wants to see you dance." -Marinette chuckled.
While the small party they had put on for Manon took place, Master Fu temporarily retired himself to a small room inside the temple. Though small, this room was where the old master kept one of the most sacred and important objects in his possession, the Book of Prophecies. This one was on display on a small wooden table. Opening it, he smiled as he looked at the latest page where a prophecy had appeared. In it, you could see little Manon, along with him and all the Miraculous holders, as he performed the ceremony that made her a keeper of their secret. The page itself had appeared the previous night, and although the book itself would not usually reveal things before they happened, this time, it did. When Marinette showed up to tell him what had happened, he could have told her about that particular page, but instead, he decided to let fate run its course.
"As you have predicted, Manon is now a keeper of the secret, and I do believe that she will play a part in the kids' fight against Hawk Moth, though I ignore what that part will be." -Master Fu thought to himself. –"Time will tell, if I'm right or not" -he went on with his thoughts –"I should tell them about this. But for now, let them be kids and enjoy this."
Well, there's only one more chapter to go... the epilogue. It will be shorter than this one, and then, I'll get started on the Halloween special. I shall reveal its name on the epilogue.