Hello Miraculers ! Here's the Chapter 8. This chapter is one of my favorites, I put all my heart into it, and I sincerely hope to take you on a journey through the landscape of Tibet with this one. Prepare to travel, I hope I have succeeded in my challenge to take you elsewhere.
good reading,
Calerose : I hope you'll like what I'm gonna do with the Gardians. You seems to impatiently wait for this. Also Thanks for you review !
Ironchef13 : You'll soon know you is the "unexpected help". Maybe, you can consider that there will have more than one "unexpected help" but one would be a bigger help than the others. but Shhht. I can't speak more ! you'll need to read. Thanks to you.
The meeting at the temple was set for 3 days later, on Friday. Chat Noir and Ladybug decided that they would meet at 11pm at the top of the Tour Montparnasse.
Su-Han called his transformation before greeting the two Parisian heroes and opening a new portal by saying the following words; - Chuánsòng (Teleportation)
-I will be there to welcome you on Friday.
-Thanks Su-Han, breathed Ladybug as the latter crossed the portal to disappear a few moments later.
When the portal had disappeared, the heroine Coccinelle seated herself on a step, sighing.
-Are you okay, my Lady? Asked Chat Noir.
- I am relieved and at the same time worried.
Chat Noir gave her a puzzled and questioning look; if she was relieved she couldn't be worried. And if she was worried she couldn't be relieved at all. His partner was probably aware of the confusion that took hold of him because at that point she spoke again.
-I'm relieved that it wasn't Bunnyx who came tonight.
-I told you. You haven't ruined anything, there was no reason for her to come and there never will be.
He gently put his hand on her back and moved it along her spine in a soft, comforting caress. - Now can you tell me what worries you?
-I'm afraid that they will not deem me suitable to be a guardian, I'm afraid that they will force me to return the Miracle Box… she paused and hesitated a moment - I'm afraid of losing my memory , I'm afraid I won't remember you. Remember us.
Chat Noir withdrew the hand that was stroking her back and moved behind her; framing her body with his legs and wrapping his arms around her waist. He rested his chin on her shoulder and gently turned his head to place a light, airy kiss on her neck, just below her ear. She shivered at the touch of her companion's lips against her skin and tilted her head back against his shoulder, closing her eyes; savoring his presence and the comforting embrace he offered her.
-Imagine you lose your memory one day: which will not happen. Know that I will never let you forget me: I will make stupid puns all day long, I will inexorably flirt with you and I will remind you how much I love you endlessly. You wouldn't have a minute without me being by your side, he whispered in her ear before moving his head to the other side of hers and quietly whispering in her other ear: - Master Fu could not have named a better guardian than you. You are the bravest, strongest, and most selfless woman I know. You would have to be fooler than Fu, not to realize it, he added, hoping that his pun would make her roll her eyes in this way he found so irresistible.
He leaned over slightly to see her face and he saw her eyes roll. A smirk of satisfaction stretched his lips as he hugged his girlfriend a little tighter.
-Everything will be fine Bugaboo, I have blind and unwavering trust in you. He added calmly.
-Thank you for always being there for me, my Kitty. She told him, turning around in his arms to find herself facing him.
She cupped his cheek and placed a tender kiss on his lips.
That evening, despite the late hour and the tiredness of the fight, the two heroes struggled to separate.
The three days between today and their meeting at the temple passed very quickly.
The two heroes had not had any villains to fight Since Furious Fû; which had given them time to meet up every night to share a moment of calm just for them.
The first evening: they had spent more than two hours kissing and hugging like the two young teenagers in love that they were; taking full advantage of the new sensations aroused in them by their relationship and their love.
The second evening: they had seriously talked about the pictures that had been posted on the Ladyblog and against all odds, by mutual agreement, they had both decided that it was best to deny any romantic relationship between them. Ladybug would have thought her kitty wouldn't agree to that; he whom did not like to hide his feelings for his partner and who had never done so until now, was nevertheless the more partisan of the two to keep this relationship a secret, at least, as long as Hawkmoth could use it against them.
The third night: they had arranged to have an exclusive live interview with Nadja Chamack.
Chat Noir, very convincing and sticking to what they had agreed to the day before, had gone so far as to apologize publicly in order to offer a valid "reason" for the kiss.
-I was disoriented from a prolonged unconsciousness, and I apologize to my Lady for stealing a kiss without her permission while she herself was still reeling from a grueling fight in which I wasn't able to help her. He said seriously, before adding a Chat Noirish touch to be totally convincing. - Now, if my Lady wishes to repeat the experience, with her consent, I will gladly devote myself. He leaned over and she pushed him away with a finger pushing on his nose.
-Sorry, kitty, but no thanks. However, I accept your apologies and I don't blame you.
They left the television set, totally satisfied with their performance. Their story seemed to fit perfectly.
Which didn't prevent the twinge of the heart they both felt.
They were finally reunited, they wanted to give themselves a chance, a chance to be happy and to be able to shout it from the rooftops.
But because of Hawkmoth, they had to be very careful. Best of all, he had no idea the heroes were together, in love, and much stronger than ever now.
Their relationship gave them one more reason to kick Hawkmoth's ass, as soon as possible.
They hoped that maybe their visit to the temple could help them, teach them more about the missing Miraculous of the Butterfly and the Peacock, or perhaps their own powers.
10:45 p.m. Chat Noir was already at the top of the Tour Montparnasse
Barely two minutes later, Ladybug also arrived.
-Good evening, lady of my heart, whispered Chat Noir in a voice full of love, a voice that instantly warms your heart.
-Good evening, Minou, she replied, hastening to snuggle up in his arms.
He put his arms around her and hugged her tightly.
He knew very well without her having to tell him that she was stressed.
He knew the best he had to do was be there for her, and support her.
In that embrace, he gave her comfort, but also strength and energy. A strength and an energy that she drew without complaining.
She finally pulled back, stealing a soft, tender kiss from him in the process.
- Are you ready, kitty?
-Always when it comes to being there for you, my Lady.
With a satisfied and grateful nod, she brought her two hands together.
-Tikki, Kaalki, Unify.
- Do you know exactly where we are going? asked Chat Noir.
-In Lhassa, at the foot of Mount Gephel. I have the city's GPS coordinates. An escort will be waiting for us there.
-It's perfect, let's go, my beautiful equestrienne, Chat Noir purred with an admiring smile.
-Voyage! She exclaimed (cheeks slightly reddened by the words of her partner) to use her power and open a luminous portal, in which the two heroes entered.
As expected, Su-Han was waiting for them at the exact spot where the portal had just opened and from which Ladyhorse and Chat Noir were now emerging. The old guardian was accompanied by what seemed to them to be, in his attire, another guardian, much younger. After a brief moment, they were confirmed that this young man, his first name Sonam, was also a guardian, a young guardian who had been trained at the same time as Master Fu.
Ladyhorse parted Tikki and Kaalki, in order to become Ladybug again, much to Chat Noir's regret for whom the contemplation of her partner's new appearance was abruptly cut short. What a pity, that long bluish black ponytail suited her perfectly!
The two heroes silently followed their guides, admiring in passing the sumptuous landscape that presented itself to them: indeed, if it was almost midnight in Paris, here in Lhassa, the sun was rising discreetly behind the mountains, and this gradient of Warm and luminous colors which crossed right through the rocky peaks of the Himalayas was a breathtaking spectacle which the two partners revealed in wonder.
In front of them now stretched out the vision of the dizzying ascent they would undertake to reach the temple of the Order of Guardians. Initially, Chat Noir was reluctant to travel 2 hours in the steep mountains, he even opposed it and suggested using the Horse's Miraculous to reach the summit, but for reasons of discretion and security, the two guardians had categorically refused.
The path they were following now was actually nonexistent: All they could make out was rocks and greenery as far as the eye could see. It was a wild place where Mother Nature seemed to have fully preserved her rights.
Ladybug and Chat Noir were totally amazed at the purity of this raw nature that they had the chance to walk through in the light of the first rays of the sun.
The crossing was meant to be silent, it was certainly not voluntary, but the two guardians were not blind in the face of the dazzle and admiration of the two young Parisian heroes, so they had decided to let them enjoy their contemplation without saying a word.
Chat Noir was delicately holding Ladybug's hand as if she were the most precious thing in the world - and to him, she really was - when he felt her shiver. Indeed, the more they climbed Mount Gephel, the more the temperature, initially cold but mild, became cold and unpleasant. Quickly, he let go of his grip on his partner's hand to place his arm around her waist and pull her closer to him to give her some warmth.
She responded to his approach by passing her arm in turn on his lower back and thus snuggled up against each other, they traveled for the last 30 minutes separating them from the top where the monument stood proudly. .
The temple was built according to the standards of Tibetan art, respecting traditional rules in terms of architecture and ornamentation.
The monument consisted of several buildings including two large pagodas which harmoniously dominated the whole. One was further behind the other buildings and also taller than its almost twin, which was lower and which was, in turn, located in the center of the monument and which appeared to be the central building of the temple.
When they entered the interior of the walls which surrounded the temple, they felt like being projected in an old film "wu xia pian", a cinematographic genre of Chinese cinema, in which we can see sword fights in Chinese cities. or temples run by monks, like this one. This surrealist landscape really plunged them into the setting of a movie from another culture, and from a whole different era.
In front of one of the pagodas which turned out, as they had earlier assumed, to be the central building, a bald, short, slender old man with a little brown creature on his shoulder greeted the young guardian and his partner.
-Welcome to the temple of the Order of Guardians, I am Lama Zōngshī, the Grand Gardien and master of this place, the man in front of them said calmly.
To their surprise, the Grand Gardien spoke their language perfectly.
-Hello Master, I am Ladybug, the holder of the Miraculous which grants the power of luck and creation, I am also the Guardian of the Miracle Box from which my Miraculous came. She turned to her companion and continued the introductions:
-And here is Chat Noir, my partner and holder of the Miraculous who grants the power of destruction and bad luck.
-Not so unlucky, Chat Noir whispered so that only his girlfriend could hear.
Which she responded silently with a tender gaze and a gentle pressure on his hand, which she held intertwined with hers.
-We are delighted to welcome you to our temple. Please follow me inside to warm up and rest from the ascension. We can get to know each other better at the same time.
Ladybug and Chat Noir followed Lama Zōngshī into a large room with a floor made entirely of wood on which rested about twenty round straw mattresses.
The mattresses were arranged in a circle around an imposing red wooden chest which seemed to serve as a bench for the Grand Gardien, since he had just settled down on it with confidence, designating, at the same time, two mattresses which were opposite. from him where the two heroes immediately sat cross-legged.
The sweet smell of a wood fire tickled the noses of the two young guests and diffused a pleasant warmth in the room.
Chat Noir's feline senses were fully awake and on the lookout for everything around him.
Indeed, in addition to a physical transformation and his power of destruction as well as his speed, his strength and his incredible reflexes, his transformation also allowed him to benefit from particularly intensified and sharpened senses.
He felt the smell of wood fire, but also the smell of incense which seemed to come from a room adjacent to the one where he was now with Ladybug and the old master, his keen hearing perceived in the distance the faint ringing of several bells. Or perhaps Tibetan bowls.
Beyond these olfactory and auditory stimuli, he felt his body vibrate strangely, an intense sensation seizing him: He was convinced that the walls, the ceiling, the ornaments, and everything that surrounded him had a story to tell him, to share with him. He was disturbed by the powerful energy that the place gave off and that he felt.
They were given an infusion made from Rooibos, goji and sea buckthorn berries, pomegranate and ginseng roots. A herbal tea which again awakened the feline's sense of smell and which this time also provided him with a pleasant and warm taste stimulation.
It was Master Lama who spoke first. He first apologized for Su-Han's outburst that had led to his akumatization.
The three of them then spoke at length about Master Fu, his mistake when he was a child in training, his flight and the loss of the Miraculous oh the Butterfly and the Peacock, but also the choices he had to face afterwards to protect the Miracle Box, abandon Marianne, the love of her life, put into circulation two Miraculous, the most powerful there is, to defeat Hawkmoth, train a future guardian and pass the guard to her ... it was not without shedding a few tears for Ladybug when she recounted the memory loss of her former mentor and her new role as guardian.
Much to the relief of the two heroes, they unanimously agreed that Wang Fu, even though he had made a mistake, had done his best to then make good decisions, carefully considered decisions that had been successful. repairing the damage he had done, well almost all of them, but Ladybug and Chat Noir were on the spot to find the lost Butterfly and Peacock brooches.
-There is one thing you should know.
Wang Fu's memory loss could be reversible, provided that the members of the Council of the Order of Guardians all give a favorable opinion to proceed with the ritual of restitution. It would be good if you were present during the deliberation, so I can arrange a council this morning while you are still in Lhasa.
Ladybug's reaction was not long in coming, a broad smile immediately plastered her face.
-We will stay until the council delivers its verdict then, Chat Noir asserted confidently.
- Are you sure, Minou ? It is 3am in Paris, I can entrust you with Kaalki if you want to come back to rest. You can always come get me later, she offered.
-You and I against the world, m'Lady. Whatever the outcome of the council, together we will welcome the result, her boyfriend replied calmly.
-Thank you Kitty, she whispered tenderly, gently kissing his cheek.
Three men and a woman Su-Han had just brought back from their homelands after 4 teleportation trips stood alongside the Grand Gardien.
-Ladybug, Chat Noir, these are the Wěiyuán, which means "delegate", of the Council of the Temple Order, of which I am the Zhǔxí, the "president".
The two heroes of Paris bowed respectfully to the guards who were in front of them.
-Each of these people is Guardian of a Miracle Box, and holder of a miraculous, added calmly, pointing to the 5 kwamis which were floating above their respective holders, then he indicated his own Kwami who had remained until now silent on his shoulder.
The little brown Kwami suddenly lifted off the man's shoulder and hovered up to the faces of the two young heroes.
-I am Xíongg, the Kwami Brown Bear. I grant my wearer the power of Telepathy.
-You can read minds ?! Chat Noir questioned embarrassedly looking at the Master.
-No, my power allows me to communicate through words or emotions from one mind to another. The person with whom I wish to communicate is aware of my presence and must consent to it.
For only answer, Chat Noir nodded in understanding
-Xíongg is one of the kwamis from the Tibetan Miracle Box which is under my protection. He added to finish his presentation. Before answering the floor: - In front of me, the young woman, with dark skin as dirt, is the Guardian of the South African Miracle Box.
-My name is Awa, and this is my Kwami, Kragg. Kragg is the Kwami of the Lion, she grants me the virtue of force or strength if you prefer.
Chat Noir exchanged an amused and mischievous look with Ladybug. A look she knew all too well, one that meant he was going to say a pun. Surreptitiously, she leaned towards her partner and whispered seriously in his ear: If you dare to say "May the force be with you" I will sincerely think of breaking up with you, Chat.
Chat Noir swallowed loudly and quietly nodded in understanding.
At that moment, it was one of the three men they did not yet know who spoke in turn.
-I am Juan and I present to you Bosqq, he is the Kwami Deer of the Amerindian Miracle Box of which I am the tutor. He grants me the virtue of Temperance.
- Enchanted Juan, exclaimed the two young French heroes in unison.
-And I'm Andrew, I am the guardian of the Anglo-Saxon Miracle Box and this is Tuuna my Kwami. I think it is useless to specify you in view of its scales and its tail that it's a Kwami fish. He grants me the virtue of Prudence.
Again Ladybug and Chat Noir greet the guard who had just introduced himself.
-And I am Axel, the guardian of the Nordic Miracle Box, and here is Sköll my Kwami wolf.
He grants me the virtue of Justice.
-I wouldn't want to appear indiscreet, but you all talk about virtues, you haven't power?
It's Awa who spoke to answer Ladybug: - We form together the four cardinal virtues, force, temperance, prudence and justice. We don't have powers like your Lucky Charm or the Cataclysm of Chat Noir. But we have the capacity to act positively on the energies that people give off. We can influence and reinforce them positively.
-Wisdom, will, courage… We can infuse or strengthen these elements by creating energetic vibrations, on rare occasions we can also be brought to unite our four virtues, to protect and guide a person, Andrew completed.
-It's incredible, whispered the feline hero, almost embarrassed by his destructive power alongside the perfectly philanthropic gifts of the guards who were in front of him.
The seven people in the room made themselves comfortable on the bench, a cup of steaming Tibetan herbal tea in their hands.
-If Su-han came today, you are urgently looking for you, my Wěiyuán, it's to participate in a meeting of the Council of the Order of Guardians of the highest importance.
All nodded respectfully and listened attentively to Lama Zōngshī.
-We need to deliberate on Wang Fu's situation and a possible possibility of performing a memorial restitution ritual.
The four guards starred in turn with surprise at the Master of the place, then at the two young Parisian heroes.
Ladybug didn't know if those looks meant something positive or something fundamentally negative.
To be continued...
I hope I've made you travel and you've enjoyed the chapter.
Don't forget to leave a comment if you liked the story so far.
See you on Thursday.