MIRACULOUS

Chapter 16

Weak and Powerless

Marinette made her way to the gates of "Tiger's Lair." She was all covered up with winter gear and covered with snow in some areas. She was accompanied by a taller and bulky man who had blonde hair and a black beanie. He was the one guiding Marinette to the temple since she arrived at the airport; he had introduced himself as Snow…

The temple was practically hanging on a cliff which she couldn't see the bottom due to mist. She had made a mental note to herself to never get near the edge. There were two waiting in the front gate, as well as doing what appear to be their daily errands. The two women who had oddly pink hair, most likely sisters, shoving the snow away from the entrance path. The man had shouted at them from afar. When the younger woman caught sight of them, she came running with a smile on her face and greeted Snow with a crushing hug and he spun her around. The older woman simply watched like she was some sort of watchdog. Marinette couldn't tell who she was staring at, either at her or the couple. Marinette's mind was so far off that she didn't take note of the easy yet long hike they just took.

"Hey Serah, missed you," Snow greeted.

"How was your trip honey?" Serah asked.

"Nah, same old, except of course…" Snow said, pointing at Marinette, who shook her head out of her trance, which brought her back to earth.

"Hello, you must be Marinette," Serah greeted. "Don't worry, we know who you are. So no secrets necessary," She added. Marinette gave a light gasp but quickly nodded and smiled. Ever since she got here, she didn't feel like herself right now.

"Oh ok," she said. "Name's Marinette… But- But you knew that already," she corrected herself.

"Now where was that chipper when I saw you at the airport?" Snow asked, ruffling her hair.

"I'm sorry, but that was the first time I left Paris by myself," Marinette replied.

"Don't sweat it," Snow reassured, patting her on the back. "You can take it easy for as long as you're here, right Lightning?" he asked the older woman, who just scoffed. "Ummm…" he wondered, placing his hand on her shoulder. "How about you get in? We got our morning chores out here," Snow suggested with a grin. Serah then hugged Marinette again.

"Come on in. We'll get to know each other later," she reassured.

"Um… Sure…" Marinette said, thankful to have friendly faces in the strange land. But that was greeted with an asterisk when the older woman, apparently named Lightning, gave a look or rather a frown of contempt.

"Go on in, they're expecting you," Snow said as he left Marinette off on her own. Then the gates opened.

She removed her hat once the gates sealed behind her. It was a large dark hall, only lit by candles, leading towards the central altar. She gulped and made her way to the center.

"We were expecting you," a friendly voice said behind her. She quickly turned around but saw nothing.

"Uhhh…" Marinette began.

"I'm over here," the voice chided. It sounded quite a bit like Tikki but a bit deeper and somehow, more mature.

"Huh?" Marinette turned to see a small floating creature. It seemed to take the form of a black and white red-crowned crane.

"Greetings, my name is Pinyin," The Kwami greeted.

"Wha… Wait you… You're…" Marinette stammered, still trying to gather her bearings.

"Yes, I'm what you call a kwami," Pinyin confirmed.

"So, are there more miraculous here?" she asked, looking around with a hint of excitement.

"No, while many kwami and miraculous have been created here. However, I am currently the only kwami in this temple," Pinyin confirmed.

"Wait, so are you in charge here?" Marinette asked. Pinyin giggled.

"Nope, that would be my mistress," Pinyin confirmed.

"And I'm here now," an elderly voice greeted them. They turned to an elderly woman, wearing a Tibetan garb. "We've been expecting you Marinette, I am Akane Tenmioji and I am the abbess of this monastery. I assume you must be exhausted from your journey."

"Yeah, not just the trip but this whole thing about me having to come here…" Marinette said, scratching the back of her head, "it's so surreal…"

"Of course, poor child, being forced out of your 'comfort zone' tends to add a level of apprehension to anyone," Akane agreed.

"I…" Marinette hesitated, "I suppose you know why I'm here…"

"Of course, I have been looking forward to see you again."

"You met me?"

"Of course, though you were none but a mere infant when your mother hid here with you," Akane revealed.

"You know she's not really my mother…" Marinette said, starting to lower her head.

"I am aware you're from another world, a world that we both hope to discover. Nevertheless, she raised you as her own, did she not?"

"…she did, but…," Marinette hesitated.

"Then she was your mother, blood-related or otherwise."

"But…" Marinette began. "Where… Where do I really come from and why did you need to see me again?"

"As I said before, you're from another world. A world that even I know little about," Akane admitted. "I'm aware of the circumstances of how you became aware of what you are and you have my deepest condolences of your loss. I was really forward to see your mother again."

"I suppose she grew up here didn't she?" Marinette asked.

"Yes, and your father was a runaway who sought shelter here," Akane confirmed.

"My grandmother told me that," Marinette giggled amidst of her anguish. "And I still find that hard to believe."

"Reality is indeed stranger than fiction," Akane said with a smile. Marinette smiled back and remembered the good times. Everything went by so fast that their deaths were still fresh in her eyes.

"We can discuss this later, why not allow Pinyin to show you to your quarters?"

"I am honored to mistress Akane," Pinyin chided. She then made her way towards Marinette. "Would you kindly follow me, young Marinette?"

"Umm… Sure," Marinette said while biting her lip, still not feeling like herself right now. The way she said it was really quiet, still trying to figure out how to react in this situation. Akane took note of that, she approached her and caressed her cheek.

"Don't be afraid, dear. Know this, whatever we discover, I will fight with all my might for you not to lose who you are now. I will advise you to do your part and not to lose sight of what you hold most dear…" Akane said with a little more seriousness. Marinette just nodded and head off to follow Pinyin. She then stopped and then turned back to Akane yet again.

"Could I ask you something quick?"

"Yes?"

"If everything is true and Mom brought me here… Why did she take me to Paris?"

"You needed to live your life… Establish your identity…"

"Huh?"

"We wanted to prove whether you were really human. There was never any doubt in her mind as well as some of us. However, there're still those who are skeptical of you, even now," Akane clarified. "But we can discuss this later. Oh, I almost forgot," she realized as she whooped out an envelope. "I had hoped I did not have to give this to you…" she gave it to Marinette. 'For Marinette' it said. Marinette then let out a light gasp and looked back at her, who then nodded. She nodded back and headed off to follow Pinyin to her room.

Once she walked into her room, she quickly took off her backpack and was about to hastily open the envelope, but Pinyin quickly emerged from behind.

"Wait, now hold your horses, young Marinette!" she warned. "I believe you should think about your emotional state before doing this so quickly," she concluded. Marinette raised an eyebrow at her.

"What do you mean, this is the last time I'll hear from my mom, how could I not want to read it?" Marinette asked, confused by the kwami's objection.

"Exactly, do you really want to read it now?" Pinyin asked. "Marinette, I sense the emotional stress that's still troubling you. Do you really want to witness your mother's final message in such a state? We still don't know what we'll find and we still don't know how it'll affect you."

Marinette then froze and looked at the unopened envelope again. She turned back to the kwami. She took a deep breath and relented. She put the letter in the nearby table next to the bed.

"You're right, I shouldn't rush this…" Marinette admitted and sat on her bed. She then took a look at the kwami and spoke up. "By the way, what are you? I mean what is your miraculous and your power?"

"I from the crane bracelet and I represent the power of sight," Pinyin revealed.

"Sight?" Marinette repeated. "You mean foresight? Or, *pfff* hindsight?" she said, rolling her eyes, showing some humor for the first time in a while.

"Both," Pinyin replied.

"Huh?" Marinette was intrigued.

"I am from one of the later generations from the miraculous you know from Paris," she said. "I know of the miraculous of cold that were taken by one master Wang Fu, I believe.

"So I guess you're younger than Tikki and Plagg, huh?" Marinette observed.

"Plagg?" Pinyin said with a burst of excitement. "You knew Plagg?"

"Wait, so you know them, personally?" Marinette asked.

"I have but Plagg, in particular, is the one who taught me everything and guided me through life and the purpose of being a kwami…"

"Wait, Plagg? THE Plagg?" Marinette questioned, raising her hand in a 'stop' gesture and raising an eyebrow.

"You know him? I had assumed you had the Ladybug miraculous," Pinyin said.

"I did, but I have met Plagg more than once," Marinette revealed. "I had even used his miraculous a couple of times."

"Isn't he wonderful?" Pinyin asked with excitement closing in on Marinette. "Plagg taught me so much! He's the oldest and wisest of all the living kwamis!"

"Ummm… Are we talking about the same kwami?" Marinette asked, tilting her head while raising an eyebrow. "Plagg isn't exactly the kind who would settle down for long," Marinette stated. "Let alone listen to learn all those secrets you claim to know."

"What do you mean?" Pinyin asked.

"Well, Plagg can be a bit…" Marinette bit her lip and rolled up her eyes. "Mischievous. He gets into trouble a lot and his only thought is camembert cheese," she concluded.

"Oh, that. That's all just a façade. He's aware that he may become a target if anyone knew he's aware of such secrets…" Pinyin said, knowingly. Marinette's eyes widened.

"Wait… You mean the troublemaker Plagg… It's all just an act?"

"He's actually level headed and wise," Pinyin boasted. "Though despite my encouragement, he's very hesitant to share his wisdom with his fellow kwami. The other kwami in Paris might still be unaware of that."

"Wait, so not even Tikki knows what Plagg knows?"

"It's possible, he is quite secretive…" Pinyin observed. Marinette rolled her eyes with a grin.

"That's true," she agreed. "I mean, I met master Fu and helping out of jams was because Tikki had told me about him and Plagg kept poor Cat Noir in the dark," she observed. Pinyin, however, seemed more serious and looked away.

"Hmmm… I wonder…" Pinyin muttered.

"Huh?" Marinette looked concerned. Pinyin simply shook her head as if to snap out of a trance.

"Errr… Pay no heed," Pinyin insisted. "I believe it must have been a difficult hike," she changed the subject. Marinette noticed the abrupt change but chose not to pursue the issue further.

"Y-yes of course," she conceded.

"Then I will leave you to be settled, those winter clothes must be suffocating at this point," Pinyin suggested. It was true, it was so cold outside it was astonishing how warm and borderline hot it was inside here.

"It's true, I feel like I'm about to start sweating in here," she agreed.

"Why don't you settle here? I will return to you shortly," Pinyin said and left the room.

Meanwhile… Back in Paris…

Gabriel stood out the door of a humble little apartment complex. He was wearing a darker suit, sunglasses and a wool fedora hat. He looked around and took a look outside the window. There was not his usual limo outside. He actually made his way to a bus stop and made the rest of his way on foot. He took a deep breath and knocked. The door opened but there was no immediate person to greet him. Gabriel doubted a second before he made a fist before walking in. He took a step and took a look inside the apartment.

"Hello?" he called.

"Hello Gabriel," Master Fu greeted from the distance, he was already kneeling and the same courteous smile as he had greeted any other guest. "I've been expecting you, Mr. Agreste or should I say; Hawk Moth?"

Gabriel had expected his son to rat him out to the guardian. Nevertheless, he was still taken aback by the greeting.

"Wang Fu, we finally meet… It's really not that long ago we would have been enemies…" Gabriel admitted.

"If you were aware of my identity, I am surprised things happened the way they did," Master Fu said. "And I am aware of your motives as well your current situation with your wife…" he concluded. Gabriel stiffened for a second and sighed.

"I assume Adrien revealed everything to you," Gabriel assumed.

"Yes and had I known you two were married and you were Hawk Moth, I would have done what it took to resolve this issue."

"So it's true… You two have met…"

"Yes, apparently the Graham de Vanily family also had prior connections to the miraculous that had her become obsessed with seeking them. Despite my warning of the possibility that her search may lead her to a greater heartache, she persisted in seeking the power of the miraculous…"

"She could not let go of such an unrealistic desire…" Gabriel agreed. "She knew that once I had lost her I would follow the same path to get her back… I was used…" Gabriel made a fist and took off his sunglasses, revealing the bruise on his cheek. "My wife used me and my own son gave me the most savage beating in my life… Do you know what it feels like being trumped over when you thought you were the one in control?" he asked. Master Fu lowered his eyes and thought for a moment.

"Actually, yes," he confirmed. "My exile has been a constant reminder of my arrogance and my ignorance of the grand picture… All those apprentices… they were all children… sheltered, unaware of what was out there…" he pondered.

"Is that why they had Cheng to rescue young Marinette? To rescue her from the same fate?"

"There were many poor infants who came to be by such forbidden art… and she only had one pair of arms…" the guardian lamented.

"I see… she was just fortunate enough to be the lucky chosen one to become Ladybug," Gabriel assumed.

"That is… One way to describe it, yes," Master Fu confirmed. "Due to your motives neither your son nor I bear and actual blame on you for becoming Hawk Moth," he said but then his expression became more serious… "However, you have committed a more severe crime you must atone for…" he concluded. Gabriel was taken aback as he didn't know what he could do about it.

"The Ladybug sentimonster…" Gabriel concluded, remembering his last conversation with Adrien.

"However, I believe that is not the motive of your visit…"

"Correct," Gabriel affirmed before reaching for his coat pocket. He took out a folded piece of paper and gave it to the guardian. He unfolded revealing an old photo of himself along with the other civil war survivors.

"So this is how she got a hold of me… And considering her motives, I reckon she will stop at nothing to acquire the miraculous," the guardian said after observing the photo Gabriel had printed out.

"She refused to share any details, even to me. But I know she somehow knew you were situated here in Paris and began to seek the power of the miracle box…"

"If what you believe it's true, what more could her family know?" the guardian asked. "If she discovered about the miraculous as well as my location, what more can they know that may compromise these secrets?"Gabriel pondered for a moment. He turned his head back over his shoulder and growled.

"Amelie…"

Sometime later…Tiger's Lair… In the Himalayas…

Marinette had settled here in the temple. It was actually pretty warm to the point that she could have sworn it was summer outside. She was now sporting a Tibetan nun garb with a single bare shoulder and barefoot. It was so hot she actually sweated even in these garbs. She sat on her bed looking intently on her tablet. She was given the time to settle down in her room, so she decided to check to see if something had happened in Paris.

TVi

This is Nadja Chamack here with this report that no less than a week after The defeat of Hawk Moth, there's now apparently a new threat looming over Paris who according to Cat Noir, he refers to himself to "The Coon." What's worse is that Cat Noir has reasons to believe that he's just the tip of the iceberg of this new threat that is now looming over Paris. Here's an artist take on this new perpetrator based on Cat Noir's description.

"EEEH," Marinette reacted to the drawing but quickly rolled her eyes after she realized that it was a sketch Cat Noir would approve. It was a rather cartoonish sketch of an overweight man with his suit having features of a raccoon. Definitively clear where the 'Coon' name came from.

But there is more, our beloved hero, Ladybug, is once again missing in action. Cat Noir refused to give details but he promised that Ladybug's absence is nothing to worry about. But concerned citizens have become increasingly wary of Cat Noir's exploits due to his inability to repair any collateral damage they may lead to… At this point, he only just explained that we must make due at this time…

With a sigh, Marinette tuned out and put her tablet on hibernation. She got up and tried to grab the charger from her backpack but knocked it out of the bed by mistake, causing some things to fall off on impact.

"Oh, man…" she complained. She leaned on one knee and began to pick up when a small box slipped out of her old pink backpack. "Oh, I forgot I had that in there," she picked up the pink backpack and was about to pick up the small box but came to a screeching halt when she realized what it was.

With a light gasp, tears threatened to fall once again but managed to hold them off this time. It was the small gift her parents gave her on the day of their deaths. She held the gift close to her chest for what she felt had been hours. She sniffed and looked at the time at her cell phone and was surprised that only a few minutes had gone by. She put her gift to where the letter had been placed.

"Someday…" she promised herself and turned in for the night.

Author's Note: Originally, I was gonna have Tikki to join Marinette on her journey to Tibet. Though, with Mayura still a threat, it was clear that it wasn't wise for her to leave Paris yet.

It's been a while since Season 3 wrapped up with some admittedly lackluster episodes. It may be obvious but a lot of these episodes won't be accounted for in this fanfics. The finale was pretty much a rehash of the finale of the previous season. I don't know, it seems that the show is scared of breaking away from the initial status quo. Anyway, I'm still waiting on season 4 for inspiration even though the Marinette problem persists with her given pretty much everything without earning it.

Anyway, I'm gonna stop right here. Please comment and review. Any constructive criticism is appreciated.