It was far too hot as they travelled through the desert. Despite the fact they had been travelling through the bright red sands for weeks now, compared to the mountainous region where Jie had grown up, or even the Kingdom of Iberia, where she had spent the last few months, the dry heat was exhausting. She could not sleep though. She and her group had fought too hard to recover their precious cargo for her to get sloppy with it.

That and while the others guided the horses and led the covered cart, she had her own duty to attend to.

The quiet wheezing from her closest friend made her swallow hard and she pushed her black hair back over her shoulder, picked up a bowl and used a little of her waterskin to damp a cloth which she used to dampen the bald head of the man led on the reed bed, trying to cool him down and lower the fever that was plaguing him.

"I think he's getting worse, Nooroo." Frightened brown eyes rested on a small purple humanoid figure, no bigger than the palm of her hand, who had a darker purple swirl on his head and whose moth-like wings were unnecessary to keep him floating. "We're going to have to stop at the next city. I'm out of medicine."

"I know." The Kwami of Transmission admitted, floating down and putting its paw on the man's head. His purple eyes closed for a moment and his mouth twisted into a grimace. "I'm sorry…"

"I know." Jie breathed, her hand going to the purple gemstone broach that sat on her collar. After the final battle, when they had finally managed to recover the Mother Box and all the Miracle Jewels within, she had created an Akuma, a hero, with the powers of healing, but the damage done by the enemy's Cataclysm had been too great. The only thing that could undo it was the powers of the Ladybird Miraculous and it had been far, far too late to use it. After all, the enemy who had done the damage was dead and gone. The magic had nothing to focus on.

"J…Jie…" The man's green painfilled green eyes half-opened and his hand rose to rest on hers. "If I… I don't make it back…"

"Don't talk like that!" Jie's voice was louder than she intended and she looked away, "S...Sorry but…"

Her gaze turned determined as she looked back at him, "We're getting home. You, me and all the Kwami. I promise Bai."

"D…Don't make promises… you can't keep…" Bai scolded her lightly, making her flinch. "I'm not… not important. The Mother Box…"

The cart jolted on the uneven ground and he trailed off with a pained groan. His good, left, arm clutched the broken right one. Jie's face paled and she dug through her medicine bag, trying to find something, anything, she could use to take the edge off. She came up empty however, having used the last this morning.

"Jie… Jie… Hudie!" The woman snapped out of her panicked searching at the sound of her codename, and she stared at Bai, trembling. "Make me a promise…"

"Bai…"

"Please." She trailed off at the word. He shakily took her hand in his and gave the most forced smile she had ever seen.

"What do you need me to do?"

"If I don't…don't make it and you… you can't get the Mother Box back home safely…" He let out another whine as the cart jolted again, "Please… at least get yourself… somewhere safe."

"But…"

"The Miraculous have…have been around for thousands of years." He gasped out, his eyes boring into hers, "They'll last another few… few years away from home. I know you can… can protect them."

"I promise I'll try." Jie nodded, her voice shaking, "I promise I will do everything I can to protect them and to protect myself."

"Good… good." Bai's eyes closed again and his breathing evened out as he slipped back into the painless black of unconsciousness.

"I'll help." Nooroo promised settling on Jie's shoulder and resting his cheek on hers. "If the worst happens, I'll help."

"Thank you Nooroo." The Bearer of the Butterfly Miraculous breathed, relieved that her Kwami was willing to assist her but wishing that it was not necessary.

To both Jie's relief and her concern, the next city on their route was only actually a small village. One that did not seem too happy to have a caravan of foreigners until they realised that they were willing to trade for supplies at a much better rate than any other merchants that passed through. Jie left the food and water supplies to the experts and headed straight for the village healer. She wrapped the Mother Box in cloth and tied it to her waist before she dared to leave the covered cart.

"I'll be back as soon as possible." She promised Bai, not that he heard her. He had not woken in days and she was worried. She tried to hold on to the hope that the healer in this small town would have what she needed, and she would be able to wake him, but it was hard. The last small village they had come across had not had much in the way of medical supplies. They had only been willing to part with what she had needed in exchange for the jewelled hair comb that had been given to her by her mother. She did not have another, so she prayed that the price here would be lower.

Closing the cloth shade behind her, she looked around. The village was made up of one large building, a few smaller ones and a large building that lined a farmland that ran along the Nile River. She grimaced slightly as she beheld a labourer being harassed by his overseer but she did not step in. This was not her land and it was not her place. Not to mention that she could not bring attention to herself and risk the Mother Box.

It was the differences, however, that made her wish that she could simply use the Horse Miraculous to teleport them back home. She had made the suggestion many miles back, but Bai had been insistent that they needed to be closer. Kaalkie, the Kwami of Teleportation, who was bound to the Horse, could easily get them where they needed to go but her power worked better over short distance than long ones. If they used the Horse this far away from home, there was a chance they could miss by miles and end up stranded in the words or lost in the mountains with no idea where they were or how to get home. Bai had been insistent that until they re-entered China's borders, they travelled by horse and cart or on foot.

She missed the temple. As strict as the Guardians were and as hard as her training had been, she had always been safe and protected there. She had always been warned that the outside world was a dangerous and difficult place, but until the attack had happened, it had always seemed so far away. She had never had to use the power of Akumatisation against any human before the night the temple had been invaded and once she was home, she hoped to never have to do so again.

Until then, however, she had to hope that she was doing the right thing and could keep everyone safe.

Recognising the symbol on one of the doors as this country's icon for a healer, she headed over and knocked on it. It opened to reveal an older man with the typical looks for this country, dark skin, black hair, dark kohl around his eyes, protecting them from the glare of the harsh desert sun and a pale cotton shendyt, a kilt-like garment, covering his lower half down to his knees.

He did a double take as he took in the clearly foreign woman at his door, then frowned. "Can I help you?"

"I'm part of the caravan that's passing through." Jie explained, thankful that Kwami could understand any language and, by wearing a Miraculous, that power transferred to her. "But one of our number is badly injured and the fever it's causing…"

"Let me see him." The healer did not let her finish, giving her hope. In the last village, the town's healer had not wanted to even listen to her until she had offered payment. When she nodded, knowing that her ability to heal was not much compared to a professionally trained medic, he snatched up a bag and followed her back to the covered cart.

She entered first but Bai did not even stir, making her heart waver for just a moment. Then the healer followed her in and started his examination, his eyes narrowing and his lips pursing the more he took in.

"I don't have the right tools or medicine." The man admitted, "The arm is healing wrong, the bone needs to be rebroken. I can do that, but I am out of what I need to bind it afterwards so this doesn't happen again."

"Can I get it for you?" Hope and fear surged in her chest as Jie questioned.

"The route between here and the city is riddled with bandits." The healer shook his head, "I would not ask a woman to travel it alone."

She nearly snapped that she could handle it, but as she shifted to glower at the man, the Mother Box adjusted itself too. The feeling of it bouncing against her hip reminded her that she should not and could not take any undue risk. "When will you get more? And what about the fever? Do you have what's needed to break it?"

"I can dampen it, yes." The healer's grimace deepened, "But until the arm is fixed, it won't go away. There's a group travelling from the farm to the capital tomorrow, I can get them to pick up supplies on their way back, but they won't return for a couple of weeks at least."

Jie's hands balled into fists. It was better news than she had expected but still not great.

"Let me talk to the local Lord." The healer put his hand on her shoulder, trying to be reassuring. "He may let you stay until they return in exchange for a little work in the village from your companions."

"I…" She hesitated, "I would need to talk to the men before I agree to…"

Shouting from outside caught both of their attention. Jie was first out, followed by the healer. The sight that reached their eyes was of a group of six men on horseback attacking the workers who were loading crops onto a cart.

"Those are for the capital." The healer squeaked, "If we lose those…"

Jie hesitated for just a moment. She should not interfere but if the men did not travel to the capital, they could not bring back what Bai needed.

"Nooroo!" At her call the Kwami came out from his hiding place in her hair. "Dark Wings Rise!"

At her call, Nooroo was pulled into the purple gem on her collar, from which four pale, opaline wings extended. The power of the Miraculous surged through Jie and purple light swirled around her feet. Her light cotton shift, which she had traded her heavy kimono for so she could survive the heat, disappeared in a swirl of that light, replaced by dark purple and black silk ceremonial kimonos, the obi of which was a silver fabric on which butterflies of black and purple fluttered. A silver headband settled on her brow as she picked out one of her people from the nearby crowd.

"Li! I need you!" She called, her powers allowing her to sense his pride at being called upon and his desire to protect her, before she breathed into her clasped hands.

The man in question straightened and nodded as she opened them, revealing a white butterfly that fluttered towards him.

The transformed woman reached out and from the air formed a silver cane with a purple gem on its top, just in time for the white butterfly to land on Li's bracer and dive within it.

"Baohu zhe…"

"I am yours, Hudie." She did not even have to explain to get the permission of the one she was naming 'Protector' and with his permission, she could transform him.

"Those bandits cannot be allowed to destroy those crops." She spoke quickly, already smiling as she felt in control of a situation for the first time in weeks, "I am granting you the powers of strength and invulnerability to stop them."

"As you wish, Hudie." White bubbles briefly rose around the brown haired, green eyed young man and when they dropped to the ground and faded away, someone almost entirely different stood in his place. His flesh was the texture and colour of the highest quality bronze, his tunic was a deep emerald green fabric which matched the solid colour of his eyes, which narrowed at the bandits.

"Make sure everyone stays back." At Hudie's words, the healer nodded, scared out of his mind by this demonstration of magic in their midst, and started towards the people beginning to gather.

Baohu zhe went from street to field in a single leap, landing within feet of one of the bandits. The horse the man was riding reared up, throwing his rider to the ground. The man landed with a crack as something broke but the bronze titan did not wait to see if he was alive or not. Instead he turned to the nearest blade wielding adversary. The men who had been trying to hold the bandits off were unsure whether to act, but the attackers had no such hesitance.

One took a swipe at Hudie's protector with his blade, which bounced off of the arm the man raised in his defence. The bandit's eyes widened as he took in the huge dent in his blade. The distraction of it was enough to enable Baohu zhe to yank him off of his horse and punch him in the face, knocking him out of the fight.

Three of the remaining men did the smart thing on having seen what had happened and turned tail and ran, deciding that they could easily get food elsewhere. The last did not have the common sense of his companions and let out a furious roar as he launched himself off of the horse and at the bronze skinned man who neatly dodged out of the way and grabbed the man's belt. He used it to swing him around and slam him into the ground, pinning him there long enough for the local guards to grab the bandit.

Once the thief was secure, Baohu zhe backed off.

He was halfway back to Hudie when one of guards grabbed his arm. He paused to consider the slightly shaking but brave souled man who was babbling something at him but he could not entirely translate it because the words were coming too quickly. Luckily for him, Hudie reached his side and patted him on the arm before turning to the guard.

"It's okay. We were just helping." Hudie explained as she put her hand on her Akuma's bracer and drew the white butterfly out of it. As it faded away in the bright Egyptian sky, bubbles rose up again and once they were gone, Baohu zhe was once again Li. "We just wanted to protect your crops. No one should go hungry."

The guard stared at her for a moment and Hudie's hand tightened on her cane. She could not help but wonder if she was going to have to use her sword as the guard looked her up and down, clearly considering something. Then the man left out a sigh and released Li's arm. "Next time you want to use magic within the village? Please warn us first."

"Of course." Hudie promised, "I'm going to change back now, okay?"

At his nod, Hudie took a relieved breath and smiled, "Dark Wings Fall."

In a second swirl of purple light, the kimonos faded away to be replaced with her much more practical shift dress. The guard held his ground until she was completely changed back, then spoke again, "The local lord will want to thank you for protecting his crops."

"I don't need thanks. I just need some help from the next group that go into the city." Jie shook her head.

"What kind of help?"

"Well." She gestured for the healer, who, trembling, came forward, "You see, here's the problem…"

Acheri was relieved as he headed back to the cart. He had not only managed to get the crops from his village to the right place in plenty of time for them to be in good condition, but the price of the medicine that the healer had requested they bring back for the odd magical foreign woman and her caravan had been much lower than he had anticipated, meaning that he would be able to afford that drink that he had been greatly desiring since the bandits had been driven out of the village.

The other two men that had accompanied him were nowhere in sight when he reached their cart but it was fine. The area was heavily guarded so the chances of their vehicle vanishing into the ether was incredibly low. He tucked the bundle of herbs and cloth into a hidden compartment so it stayed safe but he did not have to carry it with him. Then he headed for the nearest inn. He knew from previous trips into the city, that it stocked some of the best wine this side of the Ionian Sea and he was looking forward to drinking a little more than his fair share.

By the time he got there, his companions were already three or four jugs in and Acheri's face paled as he realised they were regaling the entire place with a rather loud, rather raucous, retelling of the bandit attack and the magic that had been used to drive the brutes away.

Part of the agreement with the woman who had been the driving force behind the defence of their farm, had been that they would not tell anyone about her or her power to grant strength to others. These fools had broken that oath in the middle of the busiest bar in Memphis.

The single sober member of the group hurried to the side of the others, planning to pull them away and get them to shut up, but as he approached one of the other patrons of the bar made the foolish mistake of yelling, "You're talking out of your ass!"

"Your face is an ass!" The intoxicated and less than mature response earned the speaker a laugh from some, but a drunken punch from the one who had been calling him out on the story. Acheri could not reach the table before the brawl spilled onto the next table, slamming one of the men sitting there into someone whose back had been turned at the next table and the pub devolved into a rather large fight.

That did not stop him wading into the midst of it, knowing that the guards would soon descend on the place and that not just the instigator would be taken in. They needed to get back to the village with the money and their load. They could not afford to get arrested.

He managed to drag one of his companions away from his opponent, blocking the drunken lout's punch to do so and as he sent him back to the cart, he looked around for the other man. He did not find him in time, however, as the city guard piled into the building and started arresting everyone involved. Acheri himself was slammed into the ground with a painful grunt and his hands were bound together, before he was yanked from the building and dragged, with the others who the guards could grab, to the nearest jail to await processing.

His eye twitched as he leaned against the mudbrick wall. All he had wanted was a drink. Not to get involved in a brawl started because his idiot companion could not keep his mouth shut. Not that he could spot the fool amongst the crowd of people who were shoved into the same holding area.

The man in question was in the next jail over, as the city guards tried to spilt up the culprits so a brawl would not break out in the cells too. The man who had thrown the first punch loudly protested, as they were thrown into the room, that he had only been trying to get the guy to shut up cause tales of magic only led to trouble.

At the word 'magic', the guards paused and looked at each other. They had strict guidelines from the palace that sat at the centre of Memphis. If they caught wind of magic amongst the populous, they were to take the one who displayed it, or spoke of it to the High Priest in charge of the guards in both the palace and the city so he could investigate.

The drunken fool who had not been able to keep his mouth shut was soon dragged out of the holding area and led to the palace, to speak with the Pharaoh's brother, Akhenaden…

For all that she was grateful for the protection of the local lord and for soft beds as they waited for the return of the men who had headed to the capital city, Jie was uncomfortably aware of the passage of time. The cart, and the men who had been driving it, were overdue. They should have been back almost a week ago and the fact they were not, was making her nervous.

She had a strong feeling that something had gone wrong, though the Lord who was hosting her, and the men of her caravan, who had taken to working the fields during the day in exchange for their bed and board, were certain that she was overly nervous.

Still she had taken to wearing the Mother Box on her hip at all times, just in case. The Miracle Scrolls still rested in their case, which lay on the side in the room that Bai was resting in, still feverish but at least waking long enough to eat and drink, unlike a couple of weeks ago. The intricately carved wooden box that held the Miracle Jewels was never far from her reach though. She did not dare let it be, just in case she was correct.

"Lady Jie." Her host, Lord Kames, called her with a smile, gesturing to his home. She let out a sigh and followed, aware that she needed to keep him happy. Once the door was shut behind her, he rubbed his hands together. "I have good news."

"Oh?" Her heart rose as she dared to hope.

"The guards tell me that the men that went to the capital are on their way here. They should be back within hours." The man's smile was a little watery but Jie did not notice in her relief. This was the best news she had heard in weeks. Once the men got back to the village, Bai could be healed properly and he would be able to recover and help her get them home safely.

"Thank you." She grinned brightly at him, "I need to…"

"No." Kames's loud protest and hand on the door made her pause, confusion and irritation rising, "No, I just need you to stay here until they get here, where it's safe."

Jie could feel Nooroo shifting from his place hidden in her hair as she realised she was being contained. In the politest way possible, but this was him trying to keep her in one place without her knowledge for some reason.

"Let me out." She tone turned sharp and her posture shifted to a defensive pose.

"I can't." The Lord breathed, his voice apologetic and his hands shaking, "You don't understand. There's…"

Screams from outside made up Jie's mind for her. She grabbed Kames' arm and flipped him, sending him crashing to the ground, before she ripped open the door and bolted for the guest house where Bai was resting. Even as she bolted across the open ground, she could see that the door was open and men dressed in uniforms she had never seen before were waiting outside with swords.

A pained cry from the window of the bedroom of her dearest friend made her let out an angry snarl as she cried, "Nooroo, Dark Wings Rise."

As the kimonos swirled into place and her staff appeared in her hand, she could sense the malicious intent and righteous anger of the men attacking. Smoke was rising from the direction of the fields, where she could sense terror and fury from the people whose home was under attack. An attack that Lord Kames had known was coming and done nothing to stop.

As the men at the door approached her, certain that she was no threat in her robes, she drew the sword from her cane and glanced around, needing someone, anyone who she could work with. There was no one nearby who she could trust though and she did not have enough time to transform one of the attackers and sway them to her side before they were on her.

Her sword was sharper than theirs and more than one of the men was surprised by her speed as she swept under one man, taking out his legs and knocking him down, before blocking the blade of another before it could strike her neck. The magical blade cut through the bronze blade like it was made of animal fat, destroying the sword.

She got past them and made it into the house, bolting for the room where Bai rested. Inside a hooded figure was stood, holding the scroll box, while another, huge golden armoured man that felt like darkness and the screams of those in pain stood over the bed, where Bai no longer breathed.

Hudie's cry of grief and pain as she lunged forward drowned out the order of the hooded man. The golden armoured creature moved to protect him, drawing its sword out of Bai's chest and using it to block hers. Her eyes widened as the two blades crashed together, something that had never happened to her before. The vibration of the impact shook up her arm and she pulled back, hesitating for just a moment before she bolted, needing to protect the Mother Box and the Butterfly Miraculous.

A howl came from behind her and the sound of heavily pounding feet and paws made her dive into the nearest room to try and defend herself. The golden armoured humanoid, who she could sense was not human and wanted nothing more than to kill her, and the wolf headed creature who stalked towards her on its hind legs, teeth and claws beared, snarling, followed her in.

Her hand slipped into the bundle at her waist as she realised that she was not going to win this fight by herself. The Butterfly was powerful but it worked better with allies and she had none. She needed to get out of here and her best option was the Horse Miraculous.

Before her hand could fully open the Mother Box the two unnatural creatures were on her. She tried to block the armoured man's blade with her free hand, but it left her defenceless against the claws of the lycanthrope and they raked across her face.

Agony seared through her as blood poured down her features and she swayed as the claws ripped through her kimono, cutting the Butterfly Miraculous from her clothing. It bounced away as Hudie reverted to Jie, not that the woman could see anything. The pain was blinding and terror coursed through her.

She needed to get somewhere safe, somewhere away from here. Somewhere with someone she could trust.

And there was only one person in this entire country she knew would help her.

As her hand wrapped around the Horse Miraculous, the only thing she could think of was who she needed to get to.

"Kaalki, Full Gallop!"

She could not see what was going on around her but the swirling brown light made the creatures back off long enough for her to open a Voyage portal at her feet. She dropped into it, praying that she was going where she needed to go.

"What the…"

She knew the voice that cut off when she crashed into someone, the sound of a howl and the feel of claws on her ankle made her scream as she closed the portal behind her.

"Exodus!" The man's voice snapped out and suddenly there was a clanking of armour and the pained whimpering of a wolf in pain before silence fell. "Who are you?"

"Shi…Shimun…" Jie breathed as, finally safe, the pain carried her into unconsciousness in the arms of High Priest Shimun, Head of the Worship of Set and uncle of Pharaoh Akhenemkhanon.

Hudie - Butterfly

Baohu Zhe - Protector