Brings Joy...

'This isn't going well...' Lila surmised as she sat in Anarka Couffaine's home. Having watched the militia carry the body out of the alleyway, she reasoned that going home was the last thing to do. 'I'm sure they've already talked with the Dupain-Chengs, and are already beating on my mother's door.' The young woman watched as the much older woman made tea for them both. 'I need to get out of the country, and the only way I may have is through her.'

Walking over with two mugs and a steaming pot of tea, Anarka sat down across from Lila to set the tray on the table between them. "Now, dear, tell me why you're here." Pouring tea into each cup, she set about listening to the young woman in front of her.

"I-I need to leave Paris... maybe even France." Lila's lip quivered as her crocodile tears started. "Please, you have to help me. I can't stay here anymore."

Anarka set the teapot down. "Why, dear?" Standing up, she walked over and sat next to Lila. The young woman didn't know what to do as the older woman pulled her into a hug, rubbing at the back of her head. "It's okay, you can talk to me. Anything said here will stay in supreme confidence."

Lila couldn't remember the last time she was hugged willingly by her mother, the warmth of the embrace caused real tears to spring to her eyes. "I-I..." clutching onto Anarka, she broke down crying, her body convulsing with wracking sobs. The older woman never interrupted, but instead rubbed the back of her head, and rocked the young woman, humming a soft tune.

"You don't have to worry, Lila." Anarka whispered. "You're safe here."

That just caused Lila to break down even more, until she was hiccuping and coughing. "I'm sorry..." she apologized, "I... I don't know what happened..."

"Do you feel better?" Anarka asked.

Giving the much older woman a nod, she sighed "I... Lady Couffaine, I... I can't return home."

"Why?" the concern in Anarka's voice was highly evident.

"My mother..." she shook her head, "she's under a lot of strain and pressure, and has taken to..." she gulped as she said the next part, "to drinking."

Looking at the teenager, she nodded. "I know about that quite a bit." Turning to look at her tea, she sighed. "Luka and Juleka's father was a kind, passive man until he had a couple of drinks in him." A shake of her head later, she looked back at Lila. "When he drank, he became a completely different person, emotionally and physically harmful to anyone around him, and uninhibited in all things."

Nodding at the comments, Lila sighed. "My mother is much the same way. Normally, she's attentive and well-meaning, maybe a little distant, but after a few drinks she..." reaching up, she touched the side of her face that her mother had slapped.

"You need not say anymore." Anarka soothed. "Luka remembered how his father was, and saw some of what he did while under the effects of the drink... it's one of the reasons why he was so over-protective of his sister. He found his father trying to..." she shook her head, refusing to complete the statement, "and pulled her away. Took a beating from his father, but refused to let him anywhere around her after that." Her teeth gritted as she remembered returning home to find her son bloody and bruised, and her ten year old daughter tending to his wounds. "I was on ship at the time, but after hearing from both of them what happened, I swore I could've killed the bastard!" Looking down at Lila, she shook her head. "I nearly did, but the militia pulled me off of him. Took four men to do it too. After that, I taught my son the sword, just in case the militia ever let his father out of prison."

"Whatever happened to him?" Lila asked, curious in spite of herself.

Anarka closed her eyes, turning away for a few seconds as she said "He died in prison."

"I'm glad." Lila commented. "Men like that don't deserve to live."

"Even though I want to agree with that sentiment, I can't. Richard was a loving man, romantic at heart, attentive, kind, and compassionate. It was only because of the drink that he changed so much." she sighed. "Would you say the same thing about your mother? Surely you still love her and she loves you."

"My mother has always been cold, distant. For her, I'm a means to an end rather than an actual daughter." Lila looked at her cooling tea. "Now that her plans have fallen through, I'm not even that."

oOo

At the same time Lila was enjoying tea with Anarka Couffaine, a half-dozen militiamen were indeed pounding on her mother's door. When the door was opened by the maid, the guard captain, a tall and strong looking male with a handlebar mustache, and short brown hair glared at her with his hazel eyes. "We're here to speak with Lady Rossi, and take her daughter, Lila into custody. Could you summon them both?" he requested in a deep baritone voice causing the maid to nod.

The maid took them to a sitting room, and left to summon Zoe Rossi. Having only gotten four hours of uninterrupted sleep, the woman grumbled when her maid opened the door. "Lady Rossi, there are a collection of militiamen here to see you. Something about wanting to take your daughter into custody." her voice was tremulous. She knew about the woman's penchant for drink, and had seen her rages first-hand.

Zoe sat up at that, her eyes boggling. "I-I'll be there soon." she looked at the maid, who started to retreat before adding, "Check on my daughter, see if she's here, but do not bring her down to the sitting room. I want to talk with her before the militia get a hold of her."

"Of course, madame." the maid bowed, and left the room.

Dressing in appropriate attire, Lady Rossi washed her face of sleep, and headed to the sitting room. Entering the room, she sat down across from the guard captain, her legs going to the side in the seat. Her light green eyes remained half-lidded while peering into his sharp storm cloud gray ones. "Lady Rossi, we apologize for waking you at this hour..." he began, only for her to interrupt.

"Dispense with the pleasantries," she waved her hand in the air as if trying to shoo away a very bothersome gnat, "and get to the point so that I might go back to bed."

"Very well." he suddenly glowered at her. "Where is your daughter?"

Lady Rossi shrugged, "I have no idea." It was then that her maid entered the sitting room. "Is my daughter in her room?"

"No, madame. I went to her room after yours to ask her to come down, but she's not there." the young woman answered in a slightly Swiss accent. Her blond hair and blue eyes showed that she could easily be from said country.

"Thank you." Lady Rossi then turned back to the guardsmen. "I have no idea where Lila has run off to, but if you do find her, please send her back home."

"Lady Rossi, if we find her, she's going to be spending time in jail until she's tried in a formal court."

The noble's eyes opened wider. "Under what charge?"

"Unfortunately, the term "charges" would be more appropriate." he stated before reading off the ones from memory, "Fourteen accounts of murder, attempted murder, assault, battery, assault with a deadly weapon, and sedition are just the few I can name outright."

"You must be mistaken!" Lady Rossi's voice rose, cracking, "My daughter would never have done such things! I am a council-woman, aiding Gabriel Agreste in rebuilding and returning Paris to something akin to normal!" Shaking her head, she glared at the men across from her. "Who levied these baseless charges against her?!"

"I am told it was Adrien Agreste and the Dupain-Cheng family."

Sitting back, she looked at the men, her anger spent at the names. "Th-They must be mistaken."

"From what the baker and his wife said, those were just the charges they knew about." the guard captain stated. "We're planning on speaking with each of them in turn to discover exactly what charges we're levying against your daughter, but as of right now if even half of these charges are true..." he just looked at her.

Glaring at him, she nodded. "She's. Not. Here. Now leave my residence."

Nodding, the guard captain stood. "If you see her, or if she contacts you, inform us immediately, Lady Rossi." He watched her scowl, "Until these charges are resolved, we will ensure that your manor is under constant guard." He then gave a gracious bow. "Something tells me that we will be seeing each other again." Turning, he motioned to his men to follow, as they were escorted out by the maid.

Zoe watched them go, her eyes burning with hatred as the doors closed behind them. "Eliza," in a few seconds the maid stepped forward, "if you see my daughter, inform her of the militia's search for her and have a message sent to me immediately. Do not allow the militia in the house while I'm away."

"I understand, Lady Rossi." Eliza bowed her head.

"We must ascertain the truth, find out what my daughter has been up to, and make sure all of the proper steps are made."

"Of course, Lady Rossi." When she stood straight again, she asked. "Is there anything more you need from me this evening?"

"No. You may retire to your room." Zoe reached up and rubbed at her forehead. When the maid was gone, she growled. 'Shit! They're getting too close! If the militia manages to capture Lila, they may find out who all was part of the coup. Then a good deal of the council will be removed, if not executed on the spot!' Fear clutched at her heart. 'If she talks, she may reveal our relationship to Darkblade, and then...' Reaching up, she rubbed at her neck. "I need a drink."

oOo

It was early the following morning when guards called upon Marinette and Adrien separately. In the bakery, a trio of guards joined the young woman in the back while her parents dispensed with baked goods in the front. She informed them of everything Lila attempted and said the night of the attack, her initial desire to see the murderer brought to justice tempering her resolve.

Behind her, Kagami stood as a silent sentinel, watching the proceedings with her dragon Kwami hidden away back in Marinette's room. Neither of them knew that while they stood with the guards, a pair of Kwami were getting reacquainted with each other. "It really has been too long." Plagg remarked with a smirk, noting the pun on his name.

Longg narrowed his eyes at Plagg, his mouth a straight line. "Yes, it has, Plagg. When was the last time we were together?"

"China, year 435, I believe you were assisting Hua Mulan, and I was with Shang, while Tikki took Piao Chong as her chosen."

"Have you seen Tikki recently?" Longg asked.

Plagg nodded while his tail twitched side-to-side. "She's with my chosen here in Paris." He then looked at the group talking in the other room. "If your new chosen is willing to leave you alone for a while, I can take you to Tikki. I'm sure she would enjoy seeing you again."

"What about you?" Longg commented. "Aren't you happy to see me?"

Wrapping his arms under his chin, Plagg sighed. "Of course I'm happy to see you, Longg, but the circumstances aren't the best. My chosen is being targeted by Trixx's new wielder, and she doesn't seem to have the concept that "No" means "No"."

"Do you think your chosen knows that he freed me from that unworthy wielder?" Longg asked

Giving him a smile, Plagg nodded. "I know he does, and I think he's happy you've found your newest chosen." Longg blinked at that, his mouth dropping open a little. "Let's just say that your jewel isn't that inconspicuous, and he's seen Kagami's choker before and after his fight in the castle." The black cat then smirked, "That's probably why he urged Marinette to take your chosen as a bodyguard."

"Yes, well I do owe... wait, you mean to tell me that your chosen is..." Plagg nodded as the two girls returned to Marinette's room.

"Thank you again for staying with me Kagami." Marinette commented, smiling at the Japanese woman as the pair went to sit on her bed. "These past months have been way too exciting for me."

"I don't doubt that." Kagami intoned. "Everything has gotten crazy lately. First the murders by the judge, and his son, then the coup propagated by so many people, and now this hunt for Lila Rossi."

"Yeah, everything has been on an endless loop of both terrifying and insane." Marinette agreed.

Kagami's brown eyes looked down at her knees. "Part of me wonders if all of this is related?"

Marinette looked away. "I've wondered the same thing." she muttered. "Adrien and I talk about it from time to time, but we don't know why anyone would do such a thing." They were silent for a few seconds, while the information sank in to both women.

"Divide and conquer..." Kagami breathed. Marinette turned to look at her, those bluebell eyes going wide. Looking back, she saw the questioning gaze, and decided to enlighten her friend. "It's a tactic that we have used for centuries in warfare. A proxy war starts in a town, sowing discord against a daimyo, before the real attack happens. It's how some fiefdoms have fallen without a single declaration of war, or open conflict on the fields of battle."

"What would've been the second part?" Marinette asked.

"Propaganda." Kagami stated clinically. "Use the people's own fear against them. Make it so that anything the nobility or aristocracy does is always wrong, will always be wrong, and prop up some other as the great hope that everyone has been seeking." Looking at her, she shook her head. "Next, use an assassin to remove the noble or aristocrat if they refuse to step aside for your new pick. A smooth transition means limited bloodshed, the removal of anyone wholly loyal to the previous administration. At the very least the seeds of doubt are already in the minds of the public."

Staring at Kagami, Marinette's mouth dropped open. "They were almost there." she breathed. "I know that the town criers were calling out for King Bourgeois to do something about all of the murders and disappearances, but everything he tried to do was ineffectual... or at least that's what we were told."

"Do you think the criers, or at least their own administration could have been in league with the people who went through with the coup?" Kagami asked.

"If so then... Nadja, she could've been in league with..." Marinette shook her head, "No! I refuse to believe that she was working with them to bring down the royal family!"

"Don't be too sure to write people off." Kagami stated. "The young man I faced off against who was defending their boats wasn't much older than us."

"Y-Young man?" Marinette blinked twice. "Describe him." That took Kagami aback a little. Her eyes narrowed as she recalled the look of her opponent. She watched as the other teenage girl slumped back, her hands going to her mouth. "Luka..."

Kagami glared at her. "You knew this man, how?"

Shaking her head, Marinette sat up again, looking at her lap. "He... used to live down the street, by the Seine. I only met him a couple of times, and... the last time I said some horrible things to him." Tears threatened to spill from her eyes. "I always meant to go back and apologize for my harsh words, but he's probably in jail now."

"They were probably justified," Kagami stated, non-plussed, "and he's not in jail."

"He's not?" Marinette looked at her, prompting the Japanese teenager to look away.

"No." she answered. "He didn't survive our encounter."

Dropping her head, Marinette clutched at her bed frame, her body shivering slightly. "He was part of the coup? Why?"

Reaching up, Kagami rubbed at Marinette's back. "That I cannot tell you. When we fought, he seemed to enjoy the conflict only as long as he kept winning, when he found himself facing me, this Luka appeared almost sad at the prospects of losing rather than angry."

"How do you know that he's dead?" Marinette asked.

Looking down at the floor, Kagami spoke softly. "He fell into the Seine next to a burning ship." She then looked at the young woman beside her. "When the ship sank, I didn't see him surface. If he did manage to survive, and escaped Paris, I don't know if anyone in the town would be sympathetic to his cause."

"One person might, but I doubt she would accept his choices." Marinette muttered.

"Who would that be?" Kagami asked.

Marinette looked at the Japanese woman next to her. "His mother. I met her once. She's a very kind woman."

Bowing her head, Kagami thought seriously about her interaction with Luka, and wondered what the protocol about killing someone's family member was in Paris. "Are you alright?" she heard Marinette ask beside her.

"Yes, but I'm not sure what to do." Looking at her friend, she saw the pain in Marinette's eyes. "Were we in Japan, I would have gone to the family of the one I had dueled, explained what had happened, and offered to take care of the family for a year or more, but we're in Paris and I'm not sure whether you do that here."

"I wouldn't recommend it, Kagami. Offering condolences, and explaining what happened might have been a good thing, but..." Marinette chewed on her lower lip a little, "considering that Luka was Anarka's only son, I don't know how she would react to seeing you."

Kagami leaned back so that her shoulders pressed against the wall, her arms crossing over her abdomen. "Politics here in Paris is so confusing. In the capitol of Edo, I know the proper way of talking to others, the proper political requirements, and how best to deal with those trying to kill me." Shaking her head, she stared straight at Marinette. "Here, I'm just lost."

"Don't worry about it, Kagami." Marinette encouraged with a smile on her face. "There is very little that you can do about the situation, but if you want I can go with you to talk with Anarka."

"Perhaps later." the Japanese teenager agreed, her lips spread into a small smile. For the rest of the day the two girls helped out at the bakery, with the Dupain-Cheng family teaching her what to do while she kept an eye on the customers. The way that Tom and Sabine talked with the young woman, and how they reacted to her more reserved nature was to be more accepting of Kagami. In many ways it confused the teen, making her feel slightly uncomfortable, but after her initial misgivings, she found herself relaxing a lot more around the family. "Is this what you do all day?" she asked as the two young women sat on Marinette's bed after dinner.

Stretching her arms up with her fingers interlaced, Marinette yawned as she felt several of her vertebrae pop. "Yup. Every day."

The soreness of her muscles caused Kagami to rub her forearms. 'I haven't felt this sore since my first training session with mother.' Turning to look at the friend next to her, she marveled at how the young woman seemed to be relaxed after such a strenuous day. "You carried those massive bags of flour, and the huge bags of sugar, like they weighed nothing."

"Comes from doing it every day for the past five years." Marinette giggled. "At first, mom and dad had to help me out, but I was determined to do it on my own. After the first year, I was finally carrying the twenty-five pound bags without any help. The next year, I worked on the fifty pound ones, and I'll tell you right now, my legs almost gave out the first time."

"Remind me to never anger you." Kagami breathed.

Shaking her head at the statement, Marinette smiled. "I'm too much of a pacifist, and would only fight in self-defense or in defense of others."

"Even so, a single punch from someone that strong can do some real damage." Kagami added. "Thankfully, I have no intention of hurting you or anyone you care about, so I figure I'm safe." she then blinked as a thought occurred. "You said you fought Lila..."

"I didn't know she was Lila at the time since she wore a necklace that had her transformed into Vixen." Marinette looked at her. "I'm not sure if you know about this, but there are jewels called..."

"Miraculous. Yes." Kagami smiled at her after the interruption. "I'm quite aware of them."

"Y-You are?" Marinette's eyes widened as Kagami reached up to her choker.

Kagami looked at Marinette with a look that practically screamed "secret" before she spoke softly. "During the coup I found a jewel, and the small creature that came out of it told me about all of it over the past couple of weeks." Lightly caressing the jewel, she breathed out, "Longg..."

Within a matter of seconds, the little dragon floated up from between her bosom, and in front of Marinette. "Greetings, dear lady. I am Longg, the dragon Kwami of Perfection." the little being turned to Kagami. "I thought I told you that your identity should remain secret to all except those whom you trust implicitly."

"I do trust Marinette implicitly." Kagami intoned. At the shocked look on Marinette's face, she spoke softly. "Tell me about Lila's Kwami."

Longg nodded. "Trixx is the fox Kwami of Illusion, and can change their holder into any form they have seen, or create illusions around that person of anything they can imagine."

Marinette blinked. "If she were to imagine a giant, or a dragon, attacking Paris..." she breathed.

"You would see it, but there would be no physical damage, and anything touching the illusion will cause it to dissipate." Longg informed the two young women. "Unlike the Kwamis of Creation and Destruction, I have been around Trixx the longest, and know their capabilities."

"Do you know where Trixx might be?" Marinette asked.

"All Kwami can locate each other when in close proximity," Longg answered, "but cannot find each other when beyond that distance."

"How far are we talking?" Kagami asked.

"Ten meters." Marinette and Kagami turned to see Plagg float up to join Longg. "Any further and we require a collection of Kwami to sing in order to locate our missing brethren." The black cat looked at his chosen's betrothed.

"Plagg!" Marinette hissed. "You weren't supposed to come out!"

"Oh, please. There's no way you're going to be able to hide me while they're in the room." the black cat Kwami crossed his arms under his chin. "Besides, I hate all this secrecy crap, and if I have to stay here so that Tikki can train my chosen in meditation, then I'm going to at least be able to talk to Longg without having to worry about hiding now that he's out in the open."

"You're Ladybird Beetle." Kagami breathed, her mouth dropping open slightly.

Giving a shy smile, and a shrug of her shoulders, Marinette nodded. "Surprised?"

"Wait, does Adrien know you're..." she then looked at the young woman chewing on her lower lip, "he's Black Cat, isn't he?" She watched as Marinette nodded. "I should've guessed." Wrapping her arm around Marinette's shoulders, she smiled. "Consider me ready to help whenever you need."

"Thank you, Kagami. With the three of us, I know we'll be able to stop Lila, and figure out just what's going on here in Paris." Marinette remarked with a smile.

Kagami nodded. "I do too."