Authors Note: Shout Out to my friend Rose for beta reading!

CH 12

The moment the doors shut behind her, her transformation dropped. She felt the power of the miraculous leave her body and disappear. By habit, her fingers went to her ears, to caress her earrings, a way she comforted herself. When she didn't feel them she panicked.

"Tikki?", Marinette called out for her kwami.

There were no reassuring words in return to her frantic voice. The heroine swivelled to go back out the door she had come through, except there wasn't one. Instead, behind her was a bookcase. It was divided into cubby holes and rather than books, it held an assortment of scrolls. Marinette gasped and thumped the book case, hoping it would divide itself and move apart to show a door hidden behind it.

But nothing happened, and the woman walked backwards in despair.

'Will I have to do the test without Tikki? Without the miraculous?', she thought.

The thick fog from before curled around her ankles. Marinette turned out and noticed that the fog was starting to thin and she could vaguely see [AP3] shaped objects around. She shuffled and her hip hit something, she hissed in pain before moving backwards and feeling the object she had hit. It was a rack of sorts. She raised her hand to wave away the fog close to her face only to be surprised by the plain cream sleeves adorning her arms. She looked down at herself and noticed the simple hanfu she was wearing, a dress she had not been wearing earlier that day.

"You have come at last.", a voice spoke softly next to her. Marinette panicked and jumped away. She looked to her right and noticed a beautiful woman. Her eyes were the brightest brown she'd ever seen, and her hair were straight and long. Her face was soft and with the youthful glow of only a woman in her thirties.

The fog thinned even more and Marinette noticed the outline of objects around her.

"Who are you?", she asked the mysterious woman.

The mysterious woman smiled, her eyes twinkling, the fog making her porcelain white face glow ethereally. "I am Piáo chóng, the 23rd wielder of the Miraculous of Creation, the Ladybug Earrings. Though almost everyone I know calls me Jiĕ Jie, and I'd like it if you could call me that too, Marinette Dupain Cheng."

'23rd Wielder?! That's sooo old! Wait her name literally means Ladybug. Like mine! Ah, this.. is so surreal..[AP4] .',Marinette thought. 'She wants me to call her big sister?'

"You mean you're the wielder illustrated in the Tibetan [AP5] Guardian book? How are you here? Are you immortal? The book itself is almost 10 centuries old! Wait, how do you know my name?", the hero asked.

"Yes that was me. Though the book you use is much newer than the one I had in my time, back then we used scrolls. I was alive back in the 12th century and no, I am not immortal.", Jiĕ Jie responded. "And I know your name because you are a wielder of the Ladybug Miraculous."

The fog had cleared fully by now and Marinette could see her surrounding clearly. The three book cases filled with scrolls, the windowless room with three lanterns and the low desk placed on an orange rug.

"Where are we? Wh-where's Tikki?", Marinette asked as she looked towards the door on the other side of the room, blocked by the study table and the rack and Jiĕ Jie.

"This is the world of the predecessors of the Ladybug Miraculous wielders. Though, world wouldn't be accurate considering that this place has no physical existence. Realm would be a better term, since we are stuck between life and death, the lands of souls and the void of rebirth. You aren't physically here either, yet the part of you that is here can feel everything. It's dangerous to stay here too long and anything that should happen to you here will definitely happen to your body in the earthly realm."

"I don't understand."

"You're in an alternate realm.", Jiĕ Jie said patiently, beckoning the Half Parisian young adult to walk with her. Marinette squares her shoulders and follows the older woman. "This place is where the consciousness of past wielders of the Ladybug Miraculous gather."

"And it's dangerous for me to be here? Why? Would my soul get trapped here or something?"

"Your soul is not present here, it's in your body, in the Chamber of Answers at the Tibetan Temple. It's your consciousness that is here; An imitation of your soul. Currently your body is whole but should you get hurt, your soul shall bleed into this realm like blood. And you'll be bound to this world if you lose yourself too much", Jiĕ Jie raised her hand and the dark corridor in front of them came alight. The walls fell over, leaving only wooden railings that reached till her waist. Beyond were gardens of green and gold grass and structures of many kinds.

Marinette spotted two more people in the vast garden next to the railed path. They seems so lonely in the hugely empty lawn. The two of them looked at her with curiosity and she brazenly stared back. Not because the urge to soak in this new realm had overtaken her, but because the two of them were so strange. One wore red armour, her hair cropped so close to her neck that it looked more like a military cut than a pixie cut. The other wore a flowy dress that only reached till her knees, a duller shade of red than her companion.

"Jean and Hippolyta.", Jiĕ Jie said as they walked. She politely waved at them and Marinette followed.

She was surprised to hear a boisterous laugh from Hippolyta and a cool response to maintain calm from Jean. Marinette didn't have time to process anything because as soon as they stepped out of the corridor and into the open path, the structures around her changed.

"Not many but quite a few ex-wielders are unhappy to see you and your friends here. They do not acknowledge you as you have not been chosen by the High Temple. Thus, you will only meet two of us."

This made the Marinette angry. How could they judge her for this? She'd been a child when she's gotten her responsibility, and she wasn't one to shirk it by alloying her memory to get wiped. Her younger self had longed to live a normal life again, but she had always known, that if not her then someone else would get her duty. Someone with less experience.

Jiĕ Jie's next words calmed her down, "The majority though, supports you and your teammates. But the Black Cat faction is a little disappointed with their newest Cat."

"But Chat Noir is-"

"A slacker: who sees the Miraculous as a way to express freedom. His home life used to be a bit dreary so I understood his free spirited nature, but he shirked his duty too much back then and even now. We have not seen his growth outside his miraculous. Even though we see it through his memories, we see it [AP6] as wrong."

"You-You're going through his memories?!"

"We go through everyone's. The memories do not last long though, so do not worry. "

"So did you read my mind?"

"That's how we know everything about you. It helps lay judgement."

"I-", Marinette fell silent, too emotional to say anything.

"You're angry.", Jiĕ Jie observed.

"Of course I am! My privacy was just invaded! Ignored! Disrespected!", Marinette fumed. Stopping and trying to control her anger and mortification he stewed in in her feelings.

Everything? They'd seen everything? Her most memorable of memories? Her most precious moments? The times she'd floundered alone? Her heart aching? Those were private. No one was allowed to see those memories.

"We live within the flow of time, therefore we cannot foresee anything nor can we stop it by reversing time. We can only watch over you and your comrades on certain times. When the stars align and allow us to.", The older woman said as she walked into the huge traditional Chinese house.

"Forgive us, for we know not how else to help you or test you. Many a times, Miraculous holders of the blackest of hearts have entered the Chamber of Answers seeking upgrades. We couldn't judge their hearts well, thus they passed and wreaked havoc in the world. We could do nothing but watch as our mistakes caused those still alive harm. We couldn't allow the same disasters to happen again and again, so rifling through the memories of candidates became our safest qualifier."

Marinette was silent for a while, standing in front of the open door. She wished Tikki was here so she could ask her for help and guidance.

"I'm still angry about it, but I understand why you did it.", she finally conceded.

The smile Jiĕ Jie sent her in response was beautiful enough to make Marinette's heart flutter.

"Um…", Marinette said as she followed her predecessor who opened another door and lead her into a brightly lit room with a low table surrounded by mats. "About Tikki."

"Kwamis cannot come into this world. It is forbidden.", Jiĕ Jie said and gestured for Marinette to sit on a mat close to the low table in the middle of the room they were in. She walked into the adjoining room and returned with a tea set.

"Why?", Marinette asked as she sat down on her knees. She watched as Jiĕ Jie performed the tea ceremony with the grace of a swan. Centuries of experience guided her delicate but sure hands and arms. Marinette watched as the older woman poured her a cup before gently picking up her own.

"Kwamis cannot interfere with the tests.", Jiĕ Jie took a sip of her tea. "We do not know why they cannot enter this realm, most likely because their souls are not the same as ours and thus neither is their consciousness."

"Oh."

"Usually, we hold tests for all those that wish to reach the next level of their power but.." Jiĕ Jie looked Marinette in the eyes, "We feel you've proven yourself enough."

Marinette felt relieved yet that didn't take away her troubles. Life had never been easy for her, especially when it was related to the miraculous. "B-but isn't the test a means to..to.."

Marinette almost felt a panic attack seize her and she willed herself to not think about how maybe the lack of test was a test. To see if she deserved to actually be Ladybug. A part of her was relieved, maybe she could finally be free. And another part of her was unwilling to let go of her duties, to allow this burden to fall on anyone else. Her gaze stayed locked on the mat below her, tracing the pattern on it in her mind. The empty thoughts brought her peace and allowed her to breathe again.

"Marinette.", Jiĕ Jie said.

The blue eyed girl looked up to see her predecessor smile at her. She raised her arm and gently caressed Marinette's check. The younger woman felt a softest of callouses the elder woman's fingertips. "You have always been amazing at whatever you put your mind to. You're kind and compassionate, talented, hardworking. But we know the responsibilities have been weighing heavily on your heart head and shoulders."

"I just- I've just done my duty."

"You could have left this duty whenever you wished. Everything was stacked against you. You were a child while your enemy an adult; your partner, though sweet, couldn't understand that he wasn't the one in your heart. His love, almost obsessive need, made him blind to your own heart and caused you much pain."

Marinette knew that Chat loved her and supported her, but that didn't change the fact that he had always jumped into danger for no reason, and it had always caused her pain. Her tea was cooling, but Marinette couldn't drink it. She was paying too much attention to her heart and mind.

"The only safety and support you had could bare anything except for your well-meant lies.", Jiĕ Jie said.

She was talking about Luka, Marinette realised. Sweet Luka who was always there, kind Luka that tried his best to love her even when her heart was torn. Ultimately, even he couldn't bear the pain she brought, and neither could she.

"And yet, you held on steadfastly to your duty, even when your master failed you. Even when it wrung you dry and laid your tired soul in the sweltering heat of the unforgiving sun. And you continue to do your best even now.", she finished, "If you aren't worthy of the Miraculous and the next level then neither are many of those present within this realm."

Marinette felt tears gather in her eyes.

"Thank you.", she croaked out as her eyes burned. Jiĕ Jie pat her shoulder gently and sat with her in silence, a kind smile adorning her beatific face.

Marinette took the first sip from her tea and almost gasped. It tasted so wonderful, and she could feel it bring strength to her body. She sensed the tiredness in her eyes fade away and the fatigue in her torso muscles slowly vanish. When she breathed in to smell the tea, a freshness awakened in her face.

"It's a tea that helps provide energy to the soul. Your consciousness acts as a connection to your soul, which, in turn, affects your body. You feel lighter already, do you not? It was the first drink I was given when I came to this realm."

"Yes, it feels amazing!", Marinette said took another sip. She felt warm and calm. Safe.

When she finished her tea, Jiĕ Jie got up and asked her to follow her. She led her outside again and the scenery changed once again. Marinette noticed the olden Parisian architecture, the simple park and the smell of fresh bread. Jean of Arc, the previous wielder of the Ladybug Miraculous sat on a bench in the garden, no longer in her red armor. Instead she wore clothes that seemed both ancient and modern.
When the pixie cut haired woman noticed them she waved.

Jiĕ Jie stopped at the edge of the garden and so did Marinette.

"I have taken up enough time, Jean wished to talk with you as well. She plans to tell you off the upgrades and the new powers you shall get. I would like to stay too except I must check up with the successors of the other candidates."

"You mean, you can meet the wielders of the other miraculous?", Marinette looked at her with astonished eyes. She hadn't expected that. In her mind, they were all stuck in their own little pocket realms.

"Yes, my lover is there."

Eyes wide as saucers, Marinette asked, "Who?"

"Tomoe Gozen, the 18th wielder of the Dragon Miraculous.", she smiled.

"Oh…I hadn't expected that.", Marinetet blushed right after she said that. Jiĕ Jie would definitely find it rude and weird, but all the older woman did was laugh.

"I should give you my blessings, as a sign of you passing the test."

"Ah..I see.", Marinetet turned to look at her again.

Jiĕ Jie, being a bit taller than her leaned down and softly kissed Marinette on the forehead. The younger woman felt the skin there tingle even when the older one backed away.

"This blessing shows my favour to you along with a sign of you being given the upgrade you require. I hope it helps you, Marinette.", Jiĕ Jie said and walked away.

Slightly dazed, Marinette walked over to Jean who smiled politely and asked her to sit down next to her.

"I'd rather not waste your time so if you have any questions tell me now so that I may pace myself correctly.", Jean said.

"Oh no, take as much time as you need!", Marinette mentally shaking herself for her highly pitched voice.

'Do you know how much time has passed in the Earthly realm?"
"Uh…an hour..?"

Jean smiles, eyes twinkling, "Four and a half hours."

"Wait- Really?!", the younger woman said. Eyes looking around by instinct to catch a glimpse of a clock. There weren't any.

"Yes, really.", Jean said.

"S-So what now?"

"Now I shall tell you all you need to know about your new powers.", Jean said. When Marinette displayed her readiness by nodding, Jean started. "Firstly, your suit shall change to accommodate more armour. Your suits have never been indestructible, but they are immune to many elements. Your suits have rarely torn. That is because your opponents rarely used weaponry granted by Miraculous. But the newer suit will be more durable and can stand more attacks against weapons of Miraculous energy."

"I'm glad. I was worried. The last two battles Chat and I had fought were difficult to handle. And we got hurt a lot. Additional armour and stronger suits will be a welcome change."

Marinette raised her fingers to her touch her ear-rings. She wished to be reunited with Tikki, and assure her that she would be safer from now on.

"You will develop a new power. A passive talent of sorts. Similar to the clues you get about how use the lucky charm in the best way. It's different for every wielder. For me it was battle tactics. I didn't get to use them much, but they helped out a lot. I had knowledge of battle tactics without reading them. Jiĕ Jie had the ability to identify poisons and could make some by herself, even medicinal ones. But she rarely used the bad ones, her moral compass has always been too straight. Hippolyta on the other hand, had the power to heal injuries."

"So will I get a power tailored to me?", Marinette was surprised to learn that she'd get a new power. She already had, better senses, agility /flexibility. The Miraculouses felt like more of a blessing the more she learnt about them.

"Yes and no. It will fit you, yes. But like how a Snake user also had Jiĕ Jie's knowledge of poisons, you too could get a power that someone already has had."

"What else?", Marinette excitedly asked.

Jean smiled at Marinette and ruffled her hair. "Your weapon will change from the yoyo to a Shinriki, an East Asian long distance weapon: A long chain or thread with a heavy metal ball at its end. By all means, its purpose is the same as the yoyos. Except it hits harder. When you need to capture an amok or akuma, a sphere shall form around it. This sphere will also appear for when you store other things in it. Your storage space will remain the same as before."

Marinette made a quick note of the information she had gotten. "I see. And will my passive talent take up my own aura-energy?"

"It depends on the kind of Aura energy you have.", Jean said. "For skills like mine and Jiĕ Jie's you won't. But like Hippolyta's, healing someone will definitely use your energy. The amount will depend on the wound and your control."

"Is that all?"

"Yes."

Marinette sat in silence with Jean.

"Will my consciousness also come here when I die?", she asked. Looking at the golden-green garden.

"Indeed. All worthy wielders come here.", Jean confirmed.

Forgetting the word 'worthy', Marinette stood up, "Then- Then is Hawkmoth here?"

"He's not. He isn't worthy. And neither can we tell you about him."

"Why not?! This is important, he's hurt so many people and-"

"He's trying to lead a better life, get over his own pain and help people. Not only that, but his role is not yet over. The Rabbit Wielders have sent word that we cannot interfere in this match of yours. This battle must be fought by you and you alone. By interfering; even giving information that we shouldn't, we will be ruining the perfect balance we have. Balance must be maintained or the world will collapse upon itself."

"But-"

Jean jerked and looked towards the edge of the garden. A man and woman with hair as white as moonlight stood there. One was dressed in a glimmering faint green kimono, an umbrella of porcelain white above her head. The other wore mostly white with blue and red accents.

"It is almost time for you to go.", Jean said. She looked at Marinette and gave her a tired smile. "Follow them. They'll take you back home. Maybe Kaomei will answer some questions, she is of the Rabbit faction."

"I- thank you.", Marinette said to the woman who'd told her about her new powers.

She walked towards the two Japanese people.

"Ah~ how cute.", the man said as she neared.

"Huh?", the blue haired girl was confused.

"She's so cute, Kaomei, can we keep her?", he said flashing the woman next to him a vulpine smile.

"No…she must return home, Akio.", the woman said in a soft voice. It was so gentle it startled Marinette. She turned to look at the woman. The first thing she noticed was how bright Kaomei's eyes were. They practically glowed white. The elder woman was blind.

'Oh.', she thought.

"I am blind to the present, so that I may see the future.", Kaomei said as she walked down the path. And Marinette slushed, she'd accidently said her 'oh' out loud. Akio followed behind Marinette, who trailed after the woman in white.

"Ah-Um…huh..", Marinette didn't know what to say. How did one react in such moments?

"I heard you talk to Jean…the reason we cannot tell you about Hawkmoth is because if we do, then that will change the flow of time we, the Snake and Rabbits, think is best.", Kaomie helped her, noticing her struggle to form words.

"Will even a little information affect the flow that much?", Marinette asked. She was grateful for the escape.

"The smallest thing can change the series of events. It's a pain really, to try and understand it.", Akio piped up from behind her. "So it's best to leave these things to them. Illusions are much simpler and cooler. And the price paid for them is less."

"So you're an ex-Fox wielder?"

"Yes. And I'm quite close to your timeline. I'm from 1818. one of the youngest."

Marinette wanted to say that a few 200 years wasn't very young. But considering that some had lived in the realm for a more than 2000 years, she changed her mind.

"I see.", Marinette said and turned around as Kaomei came to a stop. What she saw had her flabbergasted.

Before the three of them was a vast expanse. Like a blue sea and sky had met. In the distance, the horizon was distinctly dark. Marinette looked back and was shocked to see that the path behind her had disappeared and the same expanse carried on forever.

"There is only one step required to go back to your realm. To walk to the horizon and jump of its edge. To fall back into your body.", the woman in green said.

'WAIT WHAT?', Marinette thought as she tried to squash the beginning sings of vertigo.

"Don't worry. It will be painless. I know from experience!", Akio said to reassure her. "You can finally talk to your Kwami again, once you leave."

'Well that's a relief!', Marinette sarcastically thought to herself.

"I'd suggest you transform the moment you awaken.", Kaomei said. "You'll need it for the coming battle."

"Which coming battle?", Marinette felt the blood in her veins sing with tension.

"The one with the High Temple.", Kaomei said with a gentle smile. Like she was telling a bird a sweet story.

"You have got to be kidding me."[AP7] , she groaned in annoyance.

"No we're not.", Akio said. He patted her back and pushed her ahead, "Don't be afraid, Marinette, you'll be fine."

Marinette whirled around "How did you know my-"

There was no one behind her.

'Great. Just Great.', She looked at the horizon. After a few minutes of deliberation, she set off to reach the edge. The horizon looked so far away, wasn't it technically impossible to reach it? She turned around, maybe she should just go back and wait for more guidance, but the world behind her looked the same as the world in front of her. She bit back a scream of frustration and continued on.
Ah well, now there was nowhere to go but forwards.

She stood still, closed her eyes, took in a deep breath and then exhaled. Opening her eyes with renewed determination, she set for the edge. To her surprise, within seconds she'd made it and soon enough, she was peering down the black abyss. Shocked, she turned around to look at the direction in which she'd come from.

"This is….so weird.", she said.

Looking down the edge again, she gulped and walked a few steps back.

'Oh, don't chicken out now Marinette.', she channelled her inner Alya, 'You're Ladybug. A Guardian of a Miracle box. Aspiring fashion designer and the best baker in Paris. Okay fine, the best backer in Paris part is a stretch, but you got this!'

She walked back to the edge and peered down again. All it would take was two steps, or a jump. Which would take less time for her to second guess herself? A jump, right?

Fighting back her fear she took in a deep breath, and jumped.

Authors note:

Tan Legend

Over and out~