A/N Before we begin, I'd just like to say... yes it's been three years. No I don't really have an excuse and yes, this final chapter is going to be rushed and unpolished. I don't know what to tell you, it's not a masterpiece but I hope you like it anyway. Also, when I started this we barely had any lore in the show but now we do so a LOT of stuff is going to be different from canon. Like it wasn't already lol, I made up so much stuff. Enjoy!
Today was the day. They'd walk the path into enemy territory and get back Nooroo's friend.
"Rise and shine!" Pollen called to everyone, already up and dressed. She was always a morning person, ready to get to work at a moment's notice. The rest of them however, were not quite on the same page.
"Do we have to?" Plagg whined, "It's not like a few more minutes is going to make much difference. Hmmm… this pillow is so soft."
Tikki was awoken not by Plagg or Pollen but by her friends' chuckles. As she opened her eyes, she felt a weight resting on her. Plagg was using her as a pillow. She blushed as red as her coat and gently nudged him off. That got him up.
"Et tu, sugarcube?" He rubbed his eyes properly awake.
One day, she thought, he'll stop calling me that. Although she didn't really mind, if she was being completely honest with herself.
They all gathered their possessions, rolled up their makeshift beds and set off for the day. They were about to step out of the castle and into the Sunshine when they heard the clanking of heavy metal on the floor, thudding closely behind them. They slowly turned around and to their horror, a knight was waiting for them.
The children made for the exit but found four more of the strange knights blocking their path. There was something not quite human about them, their faces seemed to shimmer in and out of existence and their eyes were black voids that contained evil and villainy. Everything that was wrong with the world could be found in those eyes. They raised their swords and without moving their mouths spoke in a haunting, raspy voice.
"We are the Fallen. Join us or die."
Plagg pretended to deliberate.
"Hmm gee, thanks for the offer but unless you're offering a lifetime of Camembert to sweeten the deal, we better bounce."
"Everyone scatter!" Yelled Trixx.
They lurched in opposite directions, narrowly avoiding the sharp swords.
"What do we do now?" Whispered Pollen who was hiding close to Trixx behind a massive stone throne in the hallway.
"I have an idea but I'm gonna need your help." Trixx replied, looking at both their magic jewels.
"Of course, what do I have to do?"
Nooroo and Tikki were still running down the labyrinthine corridors of the castle when they turned a corner and found a room with a lockable door.
"Quick, get inside Tikki." Said Nooroo.
Tikki obliged and they locked themselves in.
"This is all my fault, I should have never asked you all to help me." Nooroo sobbed into his hands, and Tikki wiped the tears from his cheeks.
"Don't be ridiculous Nooroo, we're always gonna help a friend in need. You couldn't have helped Dusuu alone. Now, that lock isn't going to hold forever, help me barricade the door."
They pushed a bed against the door then piled heaps of chairs or wooden panels, anything they could find. Just in time too, for when they'd finished there came a banging on the door.
"What are we going to do?"
"Follow me." Tikki led him to the window where a tree had grown just within reach. "We're going to have to reach for that branch and climb down."
Nooroo stood paralysed for a second, certain he'd never survive an attempt to get to the nearest branch, but Tikki took his arm in hers and the action was enough to get him inching closer to their chosen exit.
"You go first." Said Tikki, wanting to make sure he was safely on the ground before she went herself.
Nooroo reached a hesitant hand out, barely brushing the closest leaf.
"It's too far away, I won't make it."
"Nooroo. We don't have many options, I believe you can do this, now you really have to jump."
As if to prove her point, a loud knocking came from the door, the Fallen were trying to get in.
He took a deep breath, looked down at the ground once, and instantly regretted it. His head began swimming with vertigo, but Tikki's sugar-sweet voice kept him grounded, and he braced his legs for the leap.
There was a second he thought he might miss the branch, but sure enough his instincts took over, and before he knew it he was climbing down the tree trunk.
Tikki followed suit, just in time too, for no sooner had her feet touched the ground, a couple of the Fallen bust into the room.
She saw them come to the windowsill, but they didn't dare jump.
"Phew." Sighed Tikki, "Now we just need to find a way to help the others."
"Maybe you can use the brooch again. It saved Wayzz last time we were in danger."
She gazed down at it, but it showed no sign of coming to life anytime soon
"I don't think it can handle being used much more, we need to save it for Dusuu."
She began to wonder if the powers that the jewels granted were too good to be true.
"But we've got to save our friends! Maybe we could disguise ourselves?"
"That's a great idea!" Tikki looked up to where a single Fallen stared at her from the windowsill of the castle.
"Two on one should be a lot easier to handle. I'm going to get it to fall down, and I need you to have that branch pulled back, ready to whack it when it does. Got it?"
Nooroo nodded and set to work pulling back a low-hanging branch.
"Hey! Over here!" Tikki climbed the tree until she was face to face with the Fallen, "Yeah you, come and get me!"
It reached for her, stumbling forward until its momentum brought it tumbling out of the windowsill. It fell to the ground with a splat, but got back up fairly quickly.
"Now Nooroo!"
He let the branch fly, and it sent the Fallen flying against a wall, knocking it clean out.
"Do you think it's… dead?" Asked Nooroo.
Tikki hopped down from the tree.
"I don't think it was ever alive." She replied sadly, then started taking off its armour.
It stunk.
"Here put this on."
Nooroo made a face but agreed.
"You look like a real warrior now." Said Tikki. While Nooroo wore the armour, she carried the sword it came with.
They found the main entrance to the castle, and decided to storm it.
As soon as they burst in, they were greeted by flames engulfing the castle. The Fallen were running around scared of the fire while Trixx sat in the corner under a table, looking deep in thought. As soon as she saw the others, she beckoned them over.
"I created an illusion with my necklace, and Pollen's using the power from her comb to paralyse them."
"That's a great idea Trixx! That fire looks so realistic. Where are the others?"
"I don't know."
"I'm sure they'll show up."
Pollen paralysed the last Fallen, looking very proud with herself. She walked through the fake fire and it dissolved in a puff of smoke.
"Good going Trixx." The two high-fived as Plagg and Wayzz reappeared from behind a treasure chest.
"So cool! What do you think my power is?" Asked Plagg.
Just then, the whole castle began to shake.
"What's happening?" Asked Nooroo.
The walls turned to a jelly-like consistency that sent everyone bouncing around the place.
"The castle's gone crazy!"
"It's the jewels!" Cried Tikki, "Every time you use your powers there's a price to pay, I'm sure of it. We need to get out of here."
But that was impossible when they couldn't stay going in one direction for longer than a second.
An ornamental sword slipped from the wall, heading straight for Tikki's head.
"Tikki!" Plagg shouted, and pushed her out of the way. The sword barely touched him before dissolving into black dust.
"I guess that's my power." He giggled, and hugged Tikki close. "Thank goodness you're ok."
Then everything froze, almost back to normal, which would have been a relief if cracks hadn't started showing on the walls.
"Plagg, remember how I said there's a price for our powers?"
"Yeah why?"
"I think the price of yours is creating cataclysmic events!"
They dove for the door as the castle crumbled behind them, and when they looked back, a huge gash in the ground swallowed the castle whole, leaving nothing but that same black dust.
"I- I did that?" Plagg stared in shock.
"It seems you have the most destructive power of all, be careful with it Plagg."
He felt sick to his stomach, witnessing what having the power of destruction truly meant.
"Don't worry, I will."
They started their trek again, feeling relieved to have survived yet uneasy about the consequences their powers had brought. All that was forgotten though, as soon as Plagg's tummy started to rumble. He was hungry, for a change.
"I'm going to hunt for my breakfast like the cats at my mansion. Stealthy, quick and unseen. The last thing my prey will see will be my dagger slitting its throat."
"Yeah right, you couldn't catch a leaf." Trixx snarkily commented.
"Watch me."
He pounced on a nearby butterfly but missed. It was a funny display but they were wasting time.
"Guys, can we not? We really shouldn't waste time." Nooroo said.
"But I'm hungry!" Plagg whined.
"You should have thought about that before eating through all your rations." Pollen said as kindly as she could without losing her temper.
He stayed silent after that. They walked, and walked, and walked. It was midday when the Sun almost became too hot to bear.
"We're almost there, we just have to keep going." Said Tikki and Plagg shook his head.
"Sirens, Fallen ghost knights, what next? An evil dragon?"
But they were interrupted by voices in the distance. People were laughing and shoving each other among a barrage of tents.
"The Faithful." Said Wayzz.
"Ok guys. This is it. Somewhere in that camp is Dusuu. We need to split up." Said Pollen.
"Wait!" Squealed Tikki as the peacock brooch glowed faintly, "Nooroo, you take the brooch. It senses Dusuu's presence and your destiny is more entwined with hers than the rest of us. It'll work for her."
"How do you know?"
"Call it a hunch."
"It can go to whoever you want as long as I get my Camembert at the end. Let's do this."
And they did. They spread out around the camp and came in from different angles. Nooroo found Dusuu in a cage in a tent.
"Dusuu, are you hurt?"
"Nooroo? What are you doing here?"
"Shhh, I've brought some friends, we've come to rescue you."
"Thankyouthankyouthankyou. They haven't hurt me yet but it's only a matter of time. They said they wanted to sacrifice me to the Fates!"
"Urgh. Them again. Well don't worry. I just need to work out how to… Wait. Take this brooch, it gives you special powers. You just need to say 'transform me.'"
"Special powers?"
"I know, it's hard to believe but you have to trust me. We don't have much time."
"Of course I trust you Nooroo. Ok, peacock brooch, transform me."
It was the most extraordinary thing. A buzzing sensation came all around her and she felt magic reverberate in her very core. When she opened her eyes, Nooroo was slack-jawed and staring as her outfit changed to a flowing blue dress decorated with feathers, complete with a fan for an accessory.
"It worked! Tikki was right, it was destined for you."
"And we're destined for each other."
Nooroo blushed. "You're beautiful."
"Thanks. Now how does this work?" They both paused. The man hadn't explained what to do after this stage. "Oh look there's a manual."
Of course it came with a manual. Because everyone knows magic jewels come with instructions, right?
"I can create 'sentimonsters'. Ooh that's cool. Get me a rock please Nooroo."
He shook his head and was suddenly back in the human world.
"Of course." He scoured the ground and found one. "Here."
"Great. Now I just need to create an amok. So do I just take a feather from my dress or… You know what, I'm sure it'll be fine."
She infused the feather into the rock and created her very first sentimonster. It was a primitive thing. The rock seemed to soften and change shape like clay until it formed a flexible mini human-like figure. It changed itself into a key and unlocked Dusuu's cage. It was barely open when she flung out and hugged Nooroo, which made him blush again, just ever so slightly.
"Oh Nooroo, thank you for saving me." Then she pulled away as she remembered. "We must find your friends!"
"Yes, then we can get out of here. You don't deserve to spend another single moment in this place."
"I'm so glad you came when you did, I don't know what I would have done if… and…"
"It's ok, I'm not going to let them take you again. You're going to return home to your family and it'll be like this never happened. It'll seem like just a bad dream."
"I hope so, but we'd better hurry."
They raced to find the others, keeping out of the way of as many of the Faithful as they could. Unfortunately their luck ran out when they collided into a big beefy man holding a knife.
"Now where might you two be going off to?" He asked.
"Nowhere interesting. I'm… the boss' kid. Yeah, I was just taking the sacrifice to him."
"Sure and I'm a fairy princess. You better start telling the truth." He threatened, with his knife right up against Nooroo's throat.
"Of course, and the truth is…" Dusuu looked around desperately. "Um… the truth is…Sentimonster! Attack!"
The clay figurine popped out from behind her and launched at the man. It changed shape into a large spike which stuck into the man's arm. It wasn't enough to permanently injure him (except maybe a scar) but it distracted him enough to give the children time to run away. They ran and ran, skipping around tents delighted that no one seemed to be about.
"Phew that was close. Let's hope we…"
Her voice trailed off as she entered a clearing and saw the five other children tied up, surrounded by the Faithful.
"Well well well. Looks like our little gift to the Fates has gotten loose. No matter. Grab 'em."
Dusuu may have cried as she was grabbed and tied up once more. Nooroo felt for her, he promised this wouldn't happen. Why did he promise? Everything was going wrong. He was placed by one of the members with his friends who were all gagged and looked at him with sympathetic yet determined faces. They weren't going to let this happen. They weren't going to lose.
"Now the ceremony shall begin. The Fates will be revived and absolute power shall be ours. Bring forth the girl."
Dusuu was thrust forward. The man began chanting an ancient incantation that was not dissimilar to the one the magic man had used for the peacock brooch. Dusuu's eyes were glowing and her skin began to luminesce. She howled in pain, a blood curdling scream that would haunt anyone for the rest of their lives. Nooroo struggled against the ropes and shouted, pleaded with them to stop but they kept going. When the man was finished, she dropped to the floor, unable to move.
"It is done. Now we can transfer power to the jewels."
"No you won't." Nooroo cried.
"And why not?"
"It's a secret. Come here and I'll tell you." Trixx intervened.
"Alright then."
He came forward and Trixx began to speak.
"The reason this is never going to work is…." She finished her sentence with a bunch of mumbling words no one could make out.
"What? Speak louder."
"I can't, because then everyone would learn the secret, you need to come closer."
"Urgh fine." And he did.
"The secret is…" and she head butted him. "That you're going to lose. Why didn't you tie up our feet? Run guys!"
Trixx had a point. Bad people always tended to underestimate children but that was exactly what they needed in order for the children to escape.
Nooroo and Wayzz both picked up Dusuu who was mumbling incoherently, it definitely wasn't their language.
"She needs help."
"And we'll get her some. Now help me carry her."
They ran for days. They passed the tear in the Earth that swallowed the castle. They passed the ravine. The rock figurine managed to stretch into a bridge so they could all cross. And they banged on the door of the magician's house when they finally came across it. Exhausted and starving but alive.
"Come inside children, quickly. Lay her on the table."
"Can you do anything to help her?"
"There is one thing but I'm not sure…"
"Whatever it is, we'll do it."
"Her life-force has been taken, her consciousness is battling with the Fate trapped in the brooch. In order for her to win, you must all give a bit of your life-force for her. The only way you would survive this process is living in a piece of jewellery and fusing your soul with the Fate becoming an animal creature called a kwami. Forever. I'm sorry, it's all I can do."
"I'll do it." Nooroo's face was set. "I don't expect you guys to, but if there's even a chance she'll survive, I'm willing to do whatever it takes."
"Me too. It's not like I have anything better to do. I hate my family and all my friends are here so count me in." Said Plagg.
"I'd also like to do it. I consider her one of us and I'd gladly give my life to protect any of you. That includes Dusuu too." Chimed in Wayzz. Trixx stepped forward.
"You guys are going to need someone to keep you from doing something stupid. I'm in."
"And me. If we're doing this, we're doing it as a team. It'd be an honour to be of service." Pollen bowed solemnly.
"That only leaves you sugarcube."
"Do you really want to live forever? What about your families? We won't even get to say goodbye."
"It's not a fair thing to place on your shoulders. I'm sure nobody will blame you if you don't." Said the magic man.
Dusuu sat up straight, her eyes glowing, two full moons on a Summer's night. If Tikki didn't do something, she'd surely die. If she had to give up everything, it would have to be for something, and this seemed like a good something. She hoped wherever her mother was she'd understand and who knew? Maybe she'd end up seeing her again someday. Just not as a human. As Plagg stared at her, she imagined eternity, trapped as a creature living in a magic jewel with her friends. The price she'd pay for saving an innocent girl's life.
"Ok. I'll do it." She said with an earnest nod.
"Very well."
With that, he began to chant a special incantation. Tikki felt something inside her being pulled out and her essence being squished smaller and smaller until she was no bigger than four inches.
She opened her eyes, all her friends had changed into little creatures. She was one of them. And there on the bed, where Dusuu lay, there she lay still but she also was a lot smaller, a blue creature that almost looked like a peacock. They all looked tentatively as she opened her eyes.
"Where am I? What happened?" They could only look on as she screamed upon discovering she was no longer human.
"Dusuu, look at me, everything's going to be fine. This was the only way you could live." Nooroo went to comfort her.
"Is it permanent?"
"Yes. I'm so sorry. I needed to save you, you were dying."
"It wasn't your choice to make! And now you've all sacrificed your livelihoods just so I could live a half life. Excuse me, I need to leave." She flew off crying.
"Dusuu wait!" Nooroo flew after her. All of the children were so caught up in the moment that none of them had realised they could now fly.
"I'm sorry children. This was your destiny from the beginning. You seven are the key to defeating a dark evil that is prophesied to spread across the land. I know it's hard to understand now, but this is a gift."
"You mean you knew this was going to happen before we even met? We should never have come here. We should never have trusted you!" Tikki yelled.
"Wait, you don't understand!"
They all flew off in different directions, looking for Dusuu and Nooroo, when they realised they'd just flown through a wall. Tikki froze in midair as well as Plagg.
"Did we just do what I think we did?" He asked in shock.
"Umm. I think so."
They both looked back at the wall they'd just come through. Then down where their tiny feet were not touching the ground.
"And we're flying?"
"Yup."
"So let me get this straight. As well as being immortal, we get to fly and go through walls? This is awesome!"
"That's not the word I'd use."
"I know it doesn't seem great now sugarcube but look on the bright side! We have special powers and we have each other. What more could you ask for?"
"Maybe my mum, maybe to not see everyone I love die?"
"Sugar- Tikki, I'm sorry. I know this isn't going to be easy. But don't forget you did it to save Dusuu's life."
"She didn't even want to be saved!"
"Maybe not now, but when she's accepted that this is her future, this is her life now, she'll realise this is a good thing. Like the dude said, it's a gift. Look at this!" He proceeded to pirouette in the air which, despite her best efforts, did lift Tikki's spirits.
"Children, I forgot to tell you something."
"Why should we listen to anything you have to say?"
"Yeah! Go away old man."
"I know I'm the last person you want to talk to right now but please don't blame me. You were chosen by destiny. You seven are going to save the world. I need to explain how before it's too late."
"What if we don't want to?"
"It's not something you can choose. You're bound to it. Make a decision afterwards if you want, once I'm finished, never talk to me again if that's what will make your heart content but know that it will not change the course that has been set for you."
"Ok. Talk. Then I think I- I mean we- deserve some Camembert as compensation."
"Very well. It's the least I can do. Now listen closely. You and Tikki are the most powerful Fate fusions. Modelled after the cat and the ladybug. You two will form a bond so strong that if you were to be combined, the person who used you could wish for anything they wanted but at a terrible price. The power used up in the wish will destroy the Fates you are bound to, causing an explosion that could kill millions. This brings me onto my second point. You can bind to people's souls and give them powers. Tikki, for example, grants the power of creation and Plagg, you grant the power of destruction. Pollen, Trixx, Wayzz, Nooroo and Dusuu will also grant powers to whoever wears their jewels, but yours are more important."
"So… people are going to wear us? Ew."
"It's more complicated than that. Your soul will fuse with theirs and… the point is, this is how you're going to save the world. You need a host, as you've lost a bit of your essence, the hole left has been filled by the Fate with which you are fused. If you try to exercise your powers yourselves, it overthrows the balance and could have disastrous effects. It's also perhaps more important to mention that Dusuu is very unstable. As she contains some of all your essences, the balance between Fate and human is more easily thrown and could cause her wearer a good deal of harm. She should never be used unless in an emergency and even then, only once. That is all I have to say. You can leave and never return if you wish but remember what I have told you."
Plagg thought back to his experience with the castle and shuddered. Perhaps someone having better control of his power was a good thing. Tikki flew forward.
"Thank you…"
"Su-Han. My name is Su-Han."
"Thank you Su-Han. But I think we need to find our friends. I'm sure we'll be back, it's not like we have anywhere else now, but I want to say goodbye to my family first."
"Of course, however as you're a magic being, exposing yourself may lead to people harnessing your powers for evil if word got around of your existence."
"Oh. I'll leave a note then. Just to say I'm ok. They deserve that at least. I won't tell them the whole truth but I do need to say goodbye somehow."
"That would be wise, and Tikki?"
"Yes?"
"I know it doesn't feel this way now but you are going to do remarkable things. You're going to give rise to some of the greatest superheroes the world has ever seen. That's no small feat."
"I'm not feeling very much like a superhero-maker. How is an ordinary girl like me going to do all the things you said I will? What if I make the wrong choices?"
"I've found that it's the smallest acts of kindness by the most ordinary people that cause the greatest change. Everything will be ok. You must learn to trust yourself."
"I trust you sugarcube! It's high time you did too."
Well, when destiny's thrust upon you…
And so, in time, the seven of them made a base in the man's home, fuelled by the magic there. They chose their hosts with the greatest care and created superheroes from ordinary people and defeated the Faithful so no more people had to be sacrificed. Eventually the old man passed away and his apprentice, who also took the name Su-Han, was left with the creatures. They moved to the Tibetan mountains where the Order of the Guardians was born. Safely hidden away, this would train the new generation in the ways of magic and how to protect the kwamis. As the population of the world grew, so did the number of kwamis. They continued being used to fight evil when it arose and time caused them to fade into legend. Until one day, a young boy named Fu was tasked with guarding the miracle box (created by the apprentice for the kwamis to reside in). I'm sure you've heard the story. Bored and hungry, he accidentally created an evil sentimonster and was forced to flee with the miracle box leaving two miraculous (I'll let you guess which ones) in the snow where they were not found until a certain Mr and Mrs Agreste were on a trip and happened to pick them up. The rest, as they say, is history.