Ch 10
Alix watched the Heroine of luck swing away, leaving her alone in the dark comfort of her room. Her short meeting at midnight had left her startled. She wasn't sure if she wanted to believe the events that had happened or think of them as a dream. She pinched herself a few times, yep she was definitely awake.
"We'll be needing you Alix Kubdel.", Ladybug said determinedly.
"Why. What is so important you need to use the power of time?", Alix had asked. She wondered if Ladybug thought that her words sounded too revised, like she'd practiced them. She had and it wouldn't do for the heroine of luck to know.
Ladybug didn't notice, maybe because she hadn't expected questions like such. Maybe a 'finally' or a 'why now?' but something that questioned the root of her reasoning? Maybe she hadn't expected Alix to think so much. Jocks had a certain stereotype about them that made others think they didn't question things, when the opposite was true. They questioned too many things, and that limited their wonder for the worls, so they just learned to live on adrenaline. Adrenaline, which enhanced instincts over logics; adrenaline, that made anything seems possible.
Ladybug's response left her even more stunned, but Alix had nothing if not one of the best poker faces in her college when she wanted to use it. The only competition was the three girls in their final year and Luka Couffaine but that was beside the point.
When the heroine left her words her words repeated themselves inside Alix's mind. The context of her words didn't surprise her much. No, not much, it didn't surprise her at all. In comparison to what it meant that she actually said them. That this series of events was actually happening.
For a second there was a flash of light that flooded her room then ebbed away and disappeared, like someone had opened and closed a door at super speed. It alerted Alix of the new presence in her room.
"So?", the newcomer said. There was a sense of smugness in it that the red haired woman was all too familiar with.
"So, fuck.", was Alix's only response as she sat down on her bed and tried to process what she had to do.
Bunnyx, aged 20, sucked in a tired breath as she stepped out the portal for the first time in her life. At least, it should be the first for her timeline's Alix. Uh-oh, time travel was already making things complicated. She shook her head in an attempt to clear the idea from her head, it worked because she instead noticed something that made her worried.
She was next to a huge building that looked like it had been built of stone and wood. It was grey, green, red and grown. She glanced around and noticed that she was in a parking lot of sorts, with snow bikes parked around her. A look towards the sky told her the bulb that brightened billions of lives was slowly dimming. Were they late?
The entire Ritual worked on a schedule that revolved around the eclipse. If they couldn't see the sun it would most likely mean that they'd missed the right time and mess up the whole plan.
She worriedly glanced at the sky and quickly led five other Heroes through the time portal. It glowed a beautiful blue, just like it did in her dreams. It didn't stop her from feeling guilty that she'd messed up the time.
First she brought through Viperion, the Snake Miraculous wielder. He was 6 feet of lean maleness and composure. Mint green eyes that kind of looked glassy if you gazed into them too long, black hair that was very familiar interspersed with minty and teal streaks and a full suit that looked like teal, white and mint scales.
The next to come through the portal was the wielder of the Horse Miraculous, Alicorn. A woman with witty comebacks that suddenly morphed into humbleness the next second. She was a contradiction of sorts. She had flowing silver hair and a suit of black and silver. She excused herself the moment she came through and quickly went into the nearby toilet before her timer gave way to her identity.
After her came Chat Noir, who winked as soon as he came through. He was taller but seemed thinner in comparison to the snake hero. HiiHis golden locks glittered as snow fell to kiss him and he looked oddly out of place in the snow with his black suit. He started talking to both present heroes about the weather immediately.
Shinryu, a stoic woman with a rare but beautiful smile walked through with more confidence than the rest of them. Her suit of red, black and gold was only so different from Ladybug's. Her golden, eyes were definitely lizard like and made her eyes look as though they were constantly smiling.
Ladybug was last to come. The Hero of luck walked into the future with enough confidence for the rest of the unsure ones. She stretched when she made it through and Viperion, Shinryu and Chat gathered around her.
"Ladybug.", Bunnyx said noticing how the hero looked first at the sky and then whipped out her yoyo and opened its screen. She paused to look at the taller woman. Bunnyx's gaze met her sky blue eyes, "I'm sorry. I think we're too late."
The Rabbit hero's timer beeped in her ears frantically, signalling that she only had a minute left.
"Wait a sec.", Ladybug said and typed furiously on her yoyo. Bunnyx was well aware that she could just time travel again to a few hours earlier, but she couldn't help but feel ashamed.
"Aa-ha!", Ladybug said in triumph. All heroes turned to look at her. "We're not late. We're early. A day early."
The red-haired hero felt relief slowly warm her body, fighting against the cold monsoon of Tibet.
"You should go and retransform.", Chat suggested nodded towards a public toilet in the parking lot.
Bunnyx shivered and walked into the external bathroom stall. It was snowing in Tibet and their suits weren't strong enough for one of the coldest places in the world. The inside of the bathroom stall didn't stop the infernal cold from seeping into her bones when she de-transformed.
"Is it dinner time? Or lunch time? Was it yesterday yesterday or the day before?", Fluff spoke animatedly as she floated around. She didn't look as though she'd lost any energy at all.
'Lunatics never follow the laws of common sense.', Alix thought to herself before giving the white mini-god a mini carrot.
Fluff didn't thank her or acknowledge her before swallowing it whole. Alix wondered how the creature's tiny body could hold a carrot her size. It definitely didn't make sense. She was also bamboozled by the fact that she would come to like Fluff's company. The Mini-god didn't make any sense half of the time.
"Would like to take more time? We have that a plenty.", Fluff said in a sing song voice.
Alix looked into the Demi-god's eyes and felt a sense of craziness in those energetic blue face balls. For a moment she was lost in her thoughts. Then she blinked and she was back in the bathroom stall, cold freezing her muscles, her chest heavy. "No. Let's not waste any more time.", she said before transforming again.
The rest of the team was waiting for her when she opened the door and walked over to them. A second later, the Horse Miraculous's new holder came out from the opposing bathroom.
Bunnyx stood in a circle with the five others of the team. Around them the world slowly succumbed to the cold and went to sleep. The sun let go of the sky and the moon took her rightful place in the night sky. Orange morphed to purple with started to blend into inky blue.
"Alright, everyone's here now?", Ladybug said lifting her eyes away from the screen of her yoyo. "Marianne will be letting us in any minute now. We can't walk in from the front because we're dressed up as heroes and shouldn't try to get more attention than possible."
"We have ground rules kids.", Chat Noir said, "First of all is to never be out of Mommy's line of sight." He motioned towards Ladybug who huffed in annoyance while everyone laughed.
"And you can have all the fun you want with Daddy.", He winked and motioned to himself.
"Yeah right.", Ladybug said but didn't hide her smile but it slipped from her face for a second as though she'd remembered something.
Bunnyx felt confused as Ladybug, a second later, sent a quick glance at Viperion that went unnoticed by everyone else.
"But in all seriousness we do have a few rules.", Ladybug said when she got her composure back.
"Yes. First off all, do not go to places where others would be. As in, normal citizens. Secondly, always be with another member of Team Miraculous- that is us.", Chat gestured to all those gathered.
"Thirdly. No trying to read news or any events. The future is to remain a mystery to us. Fourthly, try to stay transformed as much as you can to decrease chances of finding out each other's identities.", Ladybug said.
"That is the most important one.", Chat said and continued with the third rule. "Only de-transform in the safety of your rooms or when you will be guaranteed solitude."
Ladybug and Chat Noir looked behind the rest of them with a smile. Bunnyx felt Viperion shift next to her. She got ready to follow his gaze only to be interrupted.
"And that's it, other than that you can enjoy the amenities of the Resort. Complement of Marianne. ", a voice called out to them from behind them.
Bunnyx turned around to see a short woman with hair as white as snow leaning against an open door.
"Marianne.", Ladybug said happily and slowly made her way to the woman.
She stumbled only to have Chat help her, "Sorry bugs don't do well in the cold.", she said before hurrying over to the woman.
She bent to hug her.
"It's been long."
"Of course it is, child. You never come to visit.", Marianne said in mock scolding before turning to hug the tall Chat Noir. "I received your message. It was nice to hear you'd finally come over."
Bunnyx walked over to the woman with the rest of the heroes.
"Come in.", she said kindly, gesturing to the huge open threshold.
Bunnyx was surprised by how ancient and beautiful the interiors looked. The floor felt warm and had so many rugs she could hardly see it. The walls were curtained by tapestries almost everywhere. There were tables and thick mats and many more furniture of Eastern Asian culture. Everything looked like it had been pulled out of the ancient times.
"Dad would kill to research this.", The woman with red hair muttered under her breath.
Bunnyx looked at the pillars with symbols on them. She leaned forward to touch them, feeling the grooves that had been made when they'd been carved in.
"They're enchanted so that only people of the Order of Miraculous can see them. Anyone else would not notice them.", a soft old voice said. "It's centuries old magic."
Then she noticed the old man in the corner. He was even shorter than Marianne, but looked more in theme with the décor in clothing that looked Chinese.
"Master Fu.", Chat Noir smiled at the short man.
Master Fu smiled and turned his attention away from Bunnyx and to the Cat hero, "Chat Noir, I can't say I remember you."
The both of them chuckled.
Bunnyx sent a questioning look at Shinryu and Alicorn. The Horse Miraculous wielder shrugged. None except for Ladybug, Chat Noir and the two elders seemed to understand the joke. But Ladybug didn't look particularly pleased and Marianne had a sad smile on her face.
"Mas- Mister Fu.", Ladybug's voice was softer.
The man turned towards the woman in Red and Black. There was something in his eyes that Bunnyx couldn't quite understand. Was it sadness? Guilt? Pity?
"Ladybug… Marianne has said that I owe you an apology.", he said.
"I'm fine.", Ladybug said with a slow shake of her head.
The air seemed solemn in that second. Bunnyx wracked her head for anything she could find out, but came up blank.
"Well,", Marianne clapped her hands, "I suppose I should take you all to your rooms."
"Yes please.", Ladybug sent a smile to the woman.
The elderly lady led them through the hallways with Master Fu beside her. They both were definitely a couple. Bunnyx gazed in awe at the high ceilings and every room that they passed.
She whistled, "Nice place you have here."
"That's a gross understatement and I'm ashamed to stand next to you because of it.", Alicorn spoke up, "It's part of the top ten Oriental Resorts on the Earth. It won the Asian Resorts Federation's Best Five Star Vote twice in a row as soon as it was opened. It's won several other rewards, but the one I mentioned is considered the most prestigious and only really given every three and a half years. This is the highest class you can get when it comes to resorts in the category of Cultural appreciation and other things."
Everyone stopped and stared at the woman with silver hair.
"What?", Alicorn asked Shinryu, who gave the most weighted stare of them all.
"You just reminded of someone I know.", the Dragon Miraculous wielder said.
"Then she must have good taste.", Alicorn said with a nod.
"She does.", Ryukko allowed the smallest of smiles to grace her lips.
Marianne laughed, "You make it sound like I did everything. I'm no genius. All of this is genuine. Made by Monks centuries ago to guard the Miraculous and nurture future wielders."
"It isn't hard to believe that this was once a temple of Order of Miraculouses.", Ladybug agreed.
Bunnyx wrinkled her nose while trying to shift through her brain for information, but she came short. A look at the rest of new Miraculous holders told her they were as lost as she was.
"The Order of Miraculous is a group of temples that guards and protects the Miraculous and its wielders. The High Temple is at the apex of this organisation, but it uses the most ruthless method to bring peace and balance. They use the most evil method to get a good ending.", Chat Noir supplied to the rest of the wielders when he noticed her face.
"Why haven't they interfered in Paris yet then?", Shinryu asked.
"We don't know, maybe they can't be bothered to interfere. The scale of chaos is only limited to a city so they likely do not care. Plus, we haven't gone to them for help and we won't. The last time they interfered they wiped the memory of dozens of people. It was horrible.", Ladybug said defensively.
It was obvious that Ladybug and Chat Noir had thought of this a lot and both held disgust towards the High Temple.
"It was the closest competitor to the High Temple. There are scrolls that tell it was once equal.", Master Fu said continued talking about the Tibetan Temple.
Chat Noir sighed, "How much we need it be a competitor now."
"Indeed the High Temple has grown corrupt with power.", Master Fu agreed.
"Isn't there a diplomat from the High Temple here?", Ladybug asked as they started to walk again.
"Yes. A sourly man. He went to some place away just this morning. With the chances of a storm tonight it's unlikely he'll back till the day after. A good thing really, we won't miss him much."
"Ann dear, even the staff hates him. I wouldn't be surprised if they arranged a transport that would break down in the middle for him.", Master Fu said with a chuckle.
Bunnyx chuckled as well.
"Anyways. We will be walking using the secret passages since the basement is technically VIP suits for people here on Order of the Miraculous business and we don't need any guests to see you here.", Marianna said with a smile as they piled into a room.
The two elders walked to the painted wall and pressed down on certain points.
All the heroes gasped as the wall swung backwards like a door and showed a dark tunnel.
"An actual secret passageway!", Chat Noir said excitedly.
"Is being a hero not interesting enough for you that you get excited at the thought of a passage?", Alicorn asked with a wrinkled nose, gazing warily at the dark tunnel.
"Eh, being a hero became normal at some point.", Chat said as they went into the passage.
Master Fu took out a torch with a bright light that lit up the entire tunnel.
Shinryu laughed, "Heroism is mundane to you?"
"It's a pain, really.", Ladybug said.
"It's tiring finding excuses to give to friends and family as to why you suddenly go missing every-time there's and akuma attack.", Chat supplied, the word 'attack' slightly echoed in the tunnel.
"And making excuses about why you're late for class.", Ladybug continued.
"And then Hawkmoth would sometimes make Akumas at night, those were as awful as morning ones. I need my beauty sleep or become catty.", Chat Noir said.
"Don't get me started on the all-nighters I pulled because he messed up my day schedule."
"But you persevered and he disappeared.", Marianne said.
"Could you tell us about that?", Viperion asked softly from the background.
He was the most silent of them all.
"A-about what?", Ladybug asked back.
"How he disappeared.", Viperion clarified.
"He just did.", Ladybug said after a beat of silence. "One day we were battling against a normal akuma. Not as powerful as the rest, but not weak either. It was the last time we were up against him or Mayura."
"For the longest time we were weary. I was scared he would tur- I was scared he would come back.", Chat said quickly.
Bunnyx looked at him with scrutiny, obviously he had been planning to say something else.
"But there was silence for weeks, then months. When it had been over a year we were still afraid he was just planning something big. That's when Chat started to convince me he was gone forever."
"There was silence for more than four years and then the new villains came.", Chat finished.
"Nyx?", Shinryu asked.
"We aren't sure about her. She helped us once but warned that she wouldn't do it again.", Ladybug said.
"There are four others.", Bunnyx said. She'd only thought of it but it somehow made it out of her mouth. Ladybug nodded.
"A new Hawkmoth, a new Peacock user called Vrishin Raja, a Scorpion Miraculous user called Serket and another one most likely called 'Sol'. We know nothing about the last one.", Chat Noir said.
His green eyes glinted eerily in Master Fu's torch's light. Bunnyx walked onwards, she was already aware of everything the two veteran heroes were telling, her informant had already told her about it all.
She was right behind Fu and Marianne and thus watched as they came across a dead end. The rest were listening to Ladybug and Chat Noir and weren't paying attention. Fu motioned her to back up a little. She obliged.
Marianne started to feel the wall and stood on her tip toes to reach certain places before walking backwards to stand with her and Fu.
The time travel hero watched as the wall once again swung inwards and warm yellow light poured in.
All heroes made sounds of delight when they saw the room. It was a living room and looked like it had brought from history itself.
"Woah.", Ladybug said as she gazed at the room.
Bunnyx agreed.
"This is your antechamber, all the rooms that are connected to it are yours. There's one extra room because these come in pairs of seven.", Master Fu said.
"It's good that you're here early. You all look like you need rest. Especially you.", Marianne turned towards Ladybug.
"What? But I'm fine. Just peachy!", Ladybug said.
"I know you haven't had enough sleep.", the ex Bee Miraculous wielder said. "I can see exhaustion when it's so clear."
"She has been very exhausted recently.", Chat encouraged.
"I'm fine.", Ladybug said weakly. "We need to be ready for the Upgrade Ritual."
"I'll handle it.", Marianne said, "And Fu will help. We've read up more than you could imagine."
"That'll be nice.", Chat said then turned to the Hero of luck, "You should get some rest M'Lady. I know you've not been doing so good ever since the new threats arrived."
Everyone looked at the veteran Hero expectantly, but she didn't budge.
"I'm alright. I just-"
"It's okay Ladybug, we can learn somethings while you're asleep.", Alicorn said.
Bunnyx felt that the woman was very familiar but she couldn't remember from where this familiarity stemmed. She knew how to deal with this behaviour. It was reminiscent of someone she knew.
"Yes. Rest is necessary. You will not be able to work at your full capacity if you aren't well rested.", Shinryu added gazing at the clock.
"You look like you need the chance to recover energy.", Viperion quietly noted, leaning against a table.
"Yeah. We can't have you crashing on us have way through the ritual.", Bunnyx said with a smile.
"It'll be a Cat-astrophy.", Chat Noir said with a wink.
Ladybug sighed and Alicorn groaned at Chat's pun. "I guess a full night's sleep for once would be nice."
Chat Nodded eagerly as Ladybug handed over a fat leather-bound book to him.
"Wake me up as soon as the sun rises and in case anything goes wrong or if you need any help."
"Will do.", Chat said as the same time as Alicron said, "Roger."
Marianne gave Ladybug her key and the Hero went into her room to sleep.
"I shall prepare everything you need for tomorrow. You just need to ring the Service bell and leave the ingredients you have brought outside the suit. The ancillary will come and take it.", Marianne said.
"But-", Chat started.
"No buts. Relax a little, you have a journey and a long fight ahead of you. This is the least we can do.", Marianne said.
"SAlright.", Chat conceded with a smile, "Thanks."
"It's apleasure.", Master fu said and then the both of them left.
"I don't think I shall be able to go to sleep so soon.", Shinryu said after a few minutes of silence, "I can't rest easy in an unfamiliar environment."
"Me neither, It's not even seven.", Alicron said looking at the simple wooden clock in the room.
"It's best if we prepare for tomorrow.", Viperion said. "I can show you how to meditate to increase focus if you want."
"No way!", Chat Noir said much to everyone's surprise. "I have monopoly and we're playing it."
There was a beat of silence.
"Game on!", Alicorn said, "I'm five time champion of game night when it comes to Monopoly."
"I'd like to see you try to defeat me.", Shinryu said with a challenging smile.
"Heh, let's see who's best shall we?", Bunnyx said and all of them sat down to play the game.
She had a lot of work to do, might as well enjoy the little moments, right?
A/N: Sorry for mysteriously vanishing. But I'm back! Leave a review if you like this story! (Please...?)
Tan Legend
over and out~