Chat Noir was already off with Ember in the garden, making arrangements for the day when Ladybug woke up. The night before they had finally returned to the glass gallery. They had found a couple yoga mats, and a couple extra large hoodies in the gift shop to create a makeshift bed in the glass house.
She stretched up, and again was struck by the span of glass fans molded together suspended above her, and once again marveled at the designer's ability to transform the space.
…Speaking of transform….she took the opportunity to recharge Tiki, not sure when next she would be able to confer with her kwami. Loading Tiki with a bag of cookies, she rolled up the mats and folded the clothes. Tiki trailed behind her through the dark room of exhibits chatting. One of the hallways they passed through had a ceiling of transparent glass that had been filled with multicolored glass pieces, that reflected its rainbow light down toward them. Marinette returned the pile of merch to the front desk with some money to cover them. Then with a nod from Tiki that she was charged up and ready, Ladybug called "Tiki, Spots On," and wondered out to the garden. She was caught staring at a huge bright yellow colored sunburst of glass pieces fused together, when Chat Noir came up beside her.
"Morning, Sleeping Beauty!" Chat Noir said nudging her affectionately.
"You let me sleep in?" Ladybug asked, "I didn't mean to hold us up!"
"Not to worry. You were so peaceful, I couldn't bring myself to wake you," Chat Noir said self-consciously, scratching the back of his neck. "Plus he continued quickly, there is no rush. Our ride won't be ready for a couple hours anyway."
"Our ride?" she asked, "What…."
"Not to worry Mi'lady. I kindda wanted to surprise you."
"What are you up to Kitty?" she poked him.
He just gave her a smile.
"Where is Ember?" Ladybug asked. "I'm sure I can get it out of him."
Chat Noir mischievously twirled Ember's miraculous quill in front of her. "I guess you'll just have to wait for your surprise," he teased.
"Have it your way," she flicked his bell, "but I get to decide where we go for breakfast!" She said swinging her yoyo, and propelling herself over the Seattle skyline.
Chat Noir paused only a millisecond to slip the quill safely into his zippered pocket and then extended his baton to follow her.
They ended up back at Pike Place market. The venders had just set up for the day, and the doors had just barely been opened. Other then a few locals, the market was not too busy yet.
"We might not get away unseen here Mi'lady," Chat Noir observed.
"True," Ladybug admitted, "But I promised Tiki that since Plagg got his homemade cheese yesterday, I'd pick her up some of her favorite treat too. I guess we could transform separately, but since those civilians in the park already got a picture of us here in Seattle, it will soon be out, if it isn't already," she shrugged.
"Well lets enjoy the experience together than," he said offering his hand, which she granted him. He put his baton down, and the two of them made their grand entrance to the market near a vender selling a sea of flowers.
A ripple of excitement ran through the market, and soon they had a group of fans asking for a photo with them or autographs. They quickly obliged, and then walked through the clusters of stalls. The flower merchant gave Chat Noir a rose for Ladybug, but refused when the hero tried d to pay him. "I'm a LadyNoir shipper," the vender admitted, going red.
"Clearly, so am I," Chat had winked to him, passing the rose dramatically to Ladybug.
Ladybug blushed, nodding her thanks to the florist, before moving on.
Passing a couple of the loud and bustling fish stalls, Ladybug was surprised by a fish sailing overhead, only to be caught by one of the fish mongers, and thrown back. "Watch yourself, this is Pike Place," a friendly local laughed, leaning against a giant bronze pig.
On the lower level of the market, Chat Noir insisted they stop by a shop that sold random paper items. Magazine ads, cutout newspaper articles, antique letters, old ticket stubs, classic posters…anything you could imagine that was made of paper. Shelves and shelves of an odd assortment of items haphazardly piled. Chat Noir came back with a frail newspaper clipping under a sheet of plastic.
"So what did you find?" Ladybug asked.
"A clue to our next challenge," Chat Noir smirked, showing Ladybug the headline of the 1958 newspaper article by Andrew Genzoli of the Humboldt Times: "California Logger Discovers Mysterious Large Footprint."
Scanning the article, Ladybug cocked an eyebrow at Chat, and said "Seriously?! Bigfoot!"
"People around here prefer the term 'Sasquatch," Chat Noir corrected with mere.
"Are you messing with me or is that what Ember said," Ladybug asked skeptically.
"As Plagg as my witness, that is who Ember wants us to find," Chat Noir said solemnly lifting up a paw, and putting the other over his heart.
"Well," she paused, "Who am I to judge. I get my powers from a floating Ladybug creature and am following a cat boy and phoenix around the world," Ladybug sighed.
"Cat-man," Chat corrected, "…and we better grab some stuff to pack a lunch…chasing down an evasive bush monster that has evaded capture for generations could take a while."
Finally they made it to a cute little bakery stall run by an elderly lady with her frazzled white hair pulled back in a knot behind her head. Ladybug bought a variety of cookies and bread to add to some of their other purchases form the market. This would make up not only their lunch, but also help her keep her promise to Tiki. The sweet smell of freshly baked bread and vanilla made Ladybug a bit homesick. She decided to quickly slip away to the bathroom for a chance to check in with her parents before leaving for their next adventure.
When she returned, she found that Chat Noir had already polished off most of the baking he had bought. "Chat," she sighed, "I thought you were going to save some of those for lunch!"
"I couldn't help myself," he said, popping another cookie into his mouth. "I can't resist fresh baking!"
"I'll keep that in mind next time I need to bribe you to cover patrol," she smiled (If baking was one of Chat's weakness' she was lucky she just so happened to be the daughter of the best baker in all of Paris!)
"Well, I found breakfast," she replaced his empty hand with a wrapped up crepe, filled with strawberries and whip cream.
"Bugaboo, what are you doing to me," he said, his eyes rolling back in bliss as he took his first bite. "Now you've gone and made me fall in love with you all over again!"
"I was thinking we might need a bit of Paris to get us started for the morning," she said, taking a bite of her own.
"Right!" Chat's eyes widened, "We'd better get started or we'll be late!" He grabbed Ladybug by the hand and abruptly directed her up out of the market. Oblivious to their destination, Ladybug stayed close on Chat Noir's heels as they made their way across buildings and at one point jumped onto one of the trains heading further to the edge of the city. A few leaps and bounds from there led them to the Seattle airfield.
"You've got us tickets for a plane?" she gaspt.
"Close!" Chat Noir said, as the deafening sound of a motor powered up, and the air around them was swept up with the motion of helicopter blades. "Surprise!" shouted Chat Noir. "I booked a private tour of Mount Saint Helens for the morning," he winked at her.
A pilot got out of the cockpit and came to shake their hands, motioning for them to follow. "Everything has been arranged Mr. Noir," the pilot assured him. "We have already been cleared for takeoff."
"Let's fly!" Chat Noir jumped in, pulling Ladybug along.
Seattle had been a striking city at night, but it was even better from the air. They leaned over each other to see out the windows as they flew by. The urban city and its surrounding communities were soon replaced by the green of Washington fields and hills. A series of mountain ranges and lakes trailed beneath them. Their pilot was very knowledgeable, as his family had been in the area for generations. He himself had hiked and given tours on many of the mountain trails below.
"Mr. Noir here told me over the phone that you're a huge Sasquatch enthusiast," the pilot glanced back at Ladybug.
"Did he?!" Ladybug responded, shooting a glare at Chat Noir, "even thought most people think it's just some kind of urban myth or hoax."
"Oh he is real!" the pilot insisted.
"My Canadian buddy up in Chilliwak, British Columbia told me his cousin even found a legit footprint by Harrison hot springs."
Ladybug and Chat Noir exchanged a glance.
"But I always thought Sasquatch would probably be more migratory, you know," the pilot continued to ramble.
"Why is that?" Chat Noir asked.
"Well mostly on account of those brutal Canadian winters…but also to avoid people from pinning him down to just one area. I figure he is just a private type creature, wanting to keep to himself. My buddy though, says his family believes he is some kind of spiritual entity that watches over the land. They say he can vanish into the spirit realm at will. I guess a magical disappearing act would make him pretty tricky to track down," the pilot chuckled to himself. "Who knows," he said shooting ladybug a glance in his mirror, "maybe you'll see some big foot prints where we're headed!"
"Sasquatch is around Mount Saint Helens too?" Ladybug asked.
"Oh absolutely! There are people in other areas that claim there are paintings of him dating back thousands of years…but I know for sure there have been multiple recorded sightings around this area that even go back to the 1800's."
The pilot turned the helicopter, and gestured to the mouth of St Helens.
"She hasn't been making a fuss since 2008, but ever since the 1980 disaster, when she blew her top right off, killing about 57 people, authorities don't want us getting to close," he informed them.
"So, it is still an active volcano?" Ladybug asked.
"Yep, one of the more volatile ones..on this range at least…but they keep a pretty close watch on schesmic activity these days. I will just do a quick fly by, go over what's left of Spirit Lake, and then we'll set down near the Ghost Forest."
Flying over St. Helen's magma fused top, then they passed a bluish grey lake, that still had remnants of tree skeletons washed up along its shore. "When the eruption happened this lake used to be a vacation destination with lots of camps, but it was one of the first to get hit. The lake turned toxic, and was filled with stripped trees that had been peeled off the mountain. Gradually it has started to heal," the pilot told them.
"You mentioned a 'Ghost Forest," Ladybug said, "Why does it have that name?"
"It is a forest which was split by the eruption. Some trees are living, and others were literally liquefied to the core, leaving mounded impressions or lava flow casts where the trees had once stood…their ghost, reminding visitors of the power of the volcano," he explained dramatically.
The pilot then expertly maneuvered the helicopter into a clearing, and helped them out. "You kids sure you'll be fine out here without any other gear?" He asked eyeing their small bags from the market.
They nodded in unison, and he said, "Okay than, you've got my contact if you need anything. Have fun trying to track down the big guy!" He laughed taking off, making all the grass lay flat from the air created by the whirring propellers. They stood and waved till he was over the trees and out of sight.
"Ember light," Chat Noir said releasing the Phoenix from the quill.
"And now to face the Ghost Forest," Ember said flying before them.
They walked over a boardwalk trail that wove its way through a forest. Despite its name, in the light of the day, it was really rather pleasant…not a dank haunted place at all. The forest had been busy at work regenerating life from the moment the eruption had ended. Birds called to each other in the treetops. "This place isn't 'Ghostly' at all," Chat Noir commented breathing in the fresh air, and stretching in the sunlight.
"Oh there are ghosts," Ember commented ominously. "Haven't you heard the story?"
"What story?" Chat Noir asked intrigued.
"They used to tell it every year at the temple. Maybe Fu had forgotten it or thought it was just a story to scare young wielders into behaving."
"I hate scary stories," Ladybug shuttered.
"Don't worry Bugaboo," Chat Noir put an arm around her shoulder, "I'll protect you from the ghost trees…although I might not go so far as to be your lumberjack in shinning flannel!"
"Alright," Ladybug said to Ember, pushing Chat Noir, "just tell us the story then."
"In the early days of the miraculous, guardians were chosen to select weilders in different corners of the world. One such guardian was a respected chief of a large tribe in this area. His kwami was the rock badger, kwami of mountains. He was able to use stone to create mountain ranges that rose up from the earth."
"The chief had two beloved sons; Pahto and Wy'east. When they came of age their father presented each with a miraculous. To the eldest he gave the cougar miraculous, which allowed him to assist his father, building mountains by moving together tectonic plates along fault lines. To the younger brother, who was more of a free spirit, he gave the elk miraculous, which allowed him to create strong forests."
"Each of these were creative entities, were exceptionally powerful. But sadly the chief was too blinded by his love for his sons, that he was rash in his choice of them as weilders. Both young men used the power they had been given for their own means, and they fought each other constantly."
"Finally, trying to create a solution, the chief used his power to create a divide between them, so that they were each have their own area to govern. He left them a path though, so that once a year they could come together as a family to work together on matters of the miraculous."
"For a while this solution worked and they could collaborate on projects; raising mountains and hills, and growing forests together. That is until one year their father introduced them to a young woman, named Loowit, from the distant islands of Hawaii, who he had chosen to weild the volcano miraculous."
"Loowit was exceptionally beautiful, and was a powerful weilder. Both of the brothers fell madly in love with her. They both tried to win her over with feats of strength. The country was thrown into disarray as they abused the power they had been given. Their father pleaded with them, threatened, and begged them to stop, but they ignored him. It finally came down to each of them confronting Loowit together, asking her to choose."
"The girl was conflicted, and drawn to each of them for different reasons. Frozen in indecision, she could not make up her mind."
"This led to the brothers fighting each other, destroying villages, making the creatures of the land flee, and raising giant mounds of rubble. The Lootwit tried desperately to intervene, blasting them apart from each other with the molten rock she controlled, but she could only hold them at bay so long."
"It was then that the chief, the guardian, made the greatest of sacrifices. He called on the wild ape kwami, and together they used their power to crush the miraculous' of his sons and Lootwit. In the process the Chief's miraculous was also destroyed. Thus releasing all four kwamis from ever having a weilder again; once again they took their wild form."
"Tragically this action also resulted in the loss of the three young weilders; Pahto, Wy'east, and Lootwit. They were transformed into a fusion of the very elements they had wielded against each other. The eldest brother fell and was shrouded in stone with is face raised defiantly, becoming Mt. Hood, the younger brother, leaning toward the Lady he loved, became Mt. Adams…and you've already been introduced to Lootwit…or as she is now known, Helen. The turmoil in her emotions were emulated in the explosive and unpredictable volcano."
"Her kwami grieved the loss of her mistress deeply, and returned to the girl's tribe in Maui."
"The chief's life had been spared, but he was so heartbroken, that he relinquished his miraculous box and his role as guardian. But in his stead the wild ape kwami was left to watch other the land, and keep people away from the dangers that remained from his son's feud."
"He is also the gatekeeper of the next creative miraculous trial of 'introspection.' As a wild kwami he abhors the acceptance of a human-bestowed name, but even so, humans have called him by many names around the world. Have you guessed yet the name people have come to call him here?" Ember prompted.
"Sasquatch," Ladybug and Chat Noir breathed together, which granted them a nod from the Phoenix.
"So how does a person catch the Sasquatch anyway?" Chat Noir inquired leaning in.
"Oh you don't," Ember said startled.
When both of them gave him confused stares he continued.
"You could never catch him by seeking him out. You've got to get him to come to you."
"And how do we do that?" Ladybug asked.
"Follow me," Ember said, leading the way.
They sped through half a forest of leafy trees, feathered ferns, and soft most, but the hollow trunk-shaped holes within the forest were a stern reminder of the volcano's threat. As they past a few more tree 'moulds,' Ember explained how the extreme heat of the lava surrounding each of these trees had ignited the tree, consuming it whole where it stood. All that was left was the 'negative space'; it's ghost.
They arrived at a particularly large lava tube, which had been fitted with a staircase to descend into
"We're going down there aren't we?" Ladybug asked, already knowing the answer. Sure enough, they crawled through the narrow fifty foot lava tube.
Once within Ember let out a short call (like the sound wave that he had created underwater in Austrailia). The tunnel amplified it, and seemed to have a strange effect on the sound waves.
"I must warn you that this kwami is different from the others. There is some risk to engage him," Ember whispered in a hushed tone.
"But we have super powers…super suits. He wouldn't really hurt us right?!" Ladybug whispered back.
"He is the one kwami that has the power to permanently separate your kwami from its miraculous, and thereby forcibly rip your being apart from your kwami as well," Ember answered gravely.
"And you waited till after you signaled him to tell us that!" Chat Noir screeched.
"Shhh," Ember hushed him with a fiery wing. "You don't want to startle him…anyway that is not going to happen unless he deems you unworthy to weild your miraculous," Ember whispered. "He is usually quite gentle…usually."
They sat waiting in the tight press of the sealed lava coated cylinder. The weight of Ember's warning hung over them. It made the wait that much more unnerving.
Ember's flame flickered like a shiver, at the low huffing sound, like a bear outside. But other than that, there had been no sound. The large creature moved swiftly and stealthily through his familiar territory. Judging by the amount of time he had reached them, he had not been far off the whole time they had been walking on the trail. He might have actually been trailing them the whole time!
"I will go first," Ember said quietly, "then come up behind me. Keep your eyes lowered though. A direct stare could come off as disrespectful or as a challenge." They nodded in the growing darkness as Ember flew to the entrance.
"It has been a long time brother," Ember bowed to the hulking creature that was hunkered down near the entrance with his elongated forearms and knuckles resting on the rocky earth in front of him. His dark brown coat was shaggy, blending into the shadows, but there was a reddish glint when it caught the sun. He nodded back to Ember.
Chat Noir emerged first, diligent to follow Ember's instructions, keeping his eyes low, and helping Ladybug out of the tunnel. It was obvious where his nickname 'Big Foot' came from. With their eyes looking down, his wide elongated feet was the first of his features they noticed.
"I present Ladybug and Chat Noir, miraculous weilders of creation and destruction," Ember announced, still in a hushed tone.
"A powerful combination, but most effective when united," the creature spoke in a surprisingly soft voice. Then he turned to Ember, "They understand the cost if they are deemed unworthy?"
"Please," Ladybug spoke up, "if I am not the right weilder for TIki, don't separate her from her miraculous. Allow her to find someone worthy, so she is not taken from the world."
"And you," the ape kwami turned to Chat Noir, "Would you too relinquish your power?"
"If wither Ladybug or I are not the right weilder I will not keep the ring for myself. I cannot be Chat Noir without either Plagg or Ladybug," Chat Noir responded boldly.
The large creature vanished, and took his smaller kwami form.
"It is reassuring for this cycle that Tiki and Plagg have such selfless weilders as their chosen," he said. He extended his index finger first to Ladybug and then his other to Chat Noir. They both met his extended finger with their own. In a flash of white light, that left them feeling lightheaded, they stood in a white room, alone with both the wild ape kwami, two canvas', and …themselves.
Chat Noir stared at a mirror image of himself, but instead of wearing his Chat Noir costume it was Adrien who stared back. "What is this?" both copies asked in unison.
"It is an introspection into your connection to who you are as both Chat Noir and Adrien," the ape kwami responded hovering toward the easels holding the blank canvas'. "It allows me a chance to get a better picture of who you truly are as a weilder."
It was only then that Chat Noir noticed the jar holding brushes, and the pallet of different colors of paint.
"I'm not much of an artist," he admitted, grasping a brush (as he did, his copy did the same).
"You will find that unlike the physical world, within your mind you are not as limited…but I am more interested in your interpretation of the subject, than just the esthetic result," the creature assured him.
"What is my subject?" Chat Noir asked hesitantly.
"Paint me a picture of what destruction means to you."
Chat Noir and Adrien considered the topic, and then began to dip their brushes into the paint and apply it to the canvas in unison. But their paintings were far from identical. Adrien painted a vivid image of a forest fire, raging through a forest. The Chat Noir version of himself painted the whole canvas black.
"Tell me about destruction," the ape kwami said hovering between the two painters.
"A forest fire can be fierce, devastating, and intense," Adrien described, motioning to the flames. "It can take away everything that took years to grow in a moment."
"And yours?" the kwami turned to Chat Noir.
"Well, after a forest fire, everything is cleared, like a fresh slate I guess. I painted the soil. After the destruction of a fire the soil is ready for the potential of life to start again."
At the same time Ladybug found herself fin a similar situation facing the ape kwami, along with her Marinette self standing next to her. "How can this be happening?" She asked.
"People have multiple sides of themselves that they reveal in different situations. As a weilder, yours are just more pronounced," he explained patiently.
Marinette and Ladybug both put a hand up to the canvas before them, and then reach back for a brush.
"What do I paint for your?" They asked together.
"Although I am assessing your qualities, you paint only for yourself. Paint a picture of what creation means to you," he instructed.
The Ladybug version of herself confidently got started. She splashed multiple colors onto the canvas, using bold brush strokes, and covering the canvas with beautiful depictions of all forms of plant life. They grew together at the edge of a sunny stream. Flowers burst forth, and added more splashes of color to the pieces.
Marrinette toyed self consciously with the brush in her hand, watching her other self work. Then Marinette took her paint brush, dipped it in the black paint, and made a small dark oval at the bottom of her canvas. It looked like a fleck of dust. Not very impressive for the budding designer she was.
"Tell me about creation," the kwami urged her.
"Creation brings life. It is colorful, beautiful, and exciting. It is a force that can restore and rejuvenate," the Ladybug portion of herself jumped in.
"And this…have you finished?" the ape kwami looked perplexed at the rounded 'dot.'
"It is a seed," Marinette explained shrugging self consciously.
"Go on," the ape said smiling.
"A seed might not look like much on the outside, but it holds the potential of life; creation itself. There are so many possibilities within it. It just needs an opportunity to grow."
At this point in their presentations of their pieces, both parts of themselves once more were fused together into one. They stood facing the ape kwami in the woods together once more.
"It has been centuries since I have encountered a matched pair so in sync," the kwami said, his eyes shining with emotion. "You are the wilders I have hoped for, and a worthy match for your kwami."
He placed a pebble into each of their hands.
"None of us are perfect," he said to them. "Kwamis are flawed beings in their own way. But when you did down inside yourself, you have the innate desire to do what is right."
"I've tried for generations to keep people safe after the selfishness of weilders nearly tore this country apart. Even today decisions made have had repercussions. I am afraid I have not always been able to keep destruction at bay. Rather than keeping people away by scaring them from the mountain, people became fascinated by tracking me. They were drawn to the very danger I tried to protect them from," he said shaking his head.
"Where will you go now?" Chat Nor asked.
"Anywhere to keep them guessing," he said with a wink.
"Keep them safe Firebird," he addressed Ember.
Transforming back into the nine foot Sasquatch, he lumbered back into the woods.
"Well that was bizarre," Chat Noir laughed in relief.
"It is not over yet," Ember said. "Get Kalaki ready. You're about to meet Lootwit's banished kwami."
You are the best ever! I appreciate you readers so much, and hope that you are enjoying this fan fic! Thanks again to KoalaWho for the idea to have Chat Noir and Ladybug visit Washington, USA (and also include Mr. Saint Helens and the Sasquatch)! There are still more USA sites to come.
NintendoNate suggested Canada for a location down the road, which is in the works, but will be a collection of chapters a bit later-as well as other later chapters set in Mexico. Also a shout out to one of my guest readers, who shared they would like Chat Noir and Ladybug visit India in the story...absolutely! They will be headed to India in some of the future chapters!
Please follow/like so you don't miss the updates:) Now, I'm off to read up on Hawaii! Aloha;)