"What do you think the next challenge will be?" Ladybug asked Chat Noir, who was still strangely silent.

"Well..." Chat Noir hummed to himself, checking himself out of his tangle of thoughts. "If they are all tests in courage, maybe the next one will be like Mexico...jumping from some crazy height. Some of these cliffs are pretty intense," he glanced around the mountains that rose up around them. "South Africa does have the world's tallest bungee jumping bridge! That would be pretty cool! I heard some tourists at Table Mountain say it is a full 216 meter drop off Bloukrans Bridge!"

Ladybug shuddered. "I know we've got our miraculous' and all, but I'd rather stay on solid ground if possible," she sighed.

"There are lots of dangerous animals we might have to face. Like crocodiles..." Chat Noir continued.

"I'm pretty good with Jagged Stone's crocodile, Fang, but the one in Australia through me off," Ladybug interrupted.

"How about snakes?" Chat Noir suggested.

"I get along pretty good with snakes too," Ladybug blushed a bit at the thought of Adrien, Luka, and Chat Noir wielding Sass.

"How about large cats?" Chat Noir leaned in over her shoulder, taking a playful nip at her neck.

"I'm an expert at handling mischievous cats," Ladybug smirked, snatching up Chat Noir's bell in her grasp, and drawing his face down towards her, making him gulp. Then just as her sweet breath tickled his mouth, she flicked the bell with her index finger, and skipped away.

"Bugaboo! You've got to be kitten me! You can't tease me like that!" Chat Noir wined after her in protest.

"Aww sourpuss!" she sang over her shoulder. "You're hissterical when you get your whiskers in a twist!"

"Now that!" Chat Noir gasped, "is too far! Using cat puns against me! Mi'Lady! That is absolutely apawling!" Chat Noir ran up behind her and scooped her up into his arms tickling her mercilessly. Ladybug giggled, trying to squirm her way out of his grasp, but Chat Noir held her firmly against his chest.

"Okay, okay! I give!" she gasped for breath between laughter.

"What! Ladybug throwing in the towel so easily?!" Chat Noir narrowed his eyes at her.

"Who says, I don't have you exactly where I want you?!" She grinned up at him mischievously, and then tilted her chin to peak him on the lips.

Chat Noir didn't think he would ever get over the way her lips against his made his heart leap and his head feel light. His teasing Lady led the way, further up the path, pulling her lovesick Kitty along behind her. Ember rolled his eyes at them from a distance, while he searched for the African Elephant kwami.

They passed by a cliff face with a gush of water coming off the side. It had a rugged profile that looked distinctly like a giant with tears running profusely down his stoney face.

"The Kadishi Tufa waterfall!" Ember called down to the distracted weilders. "The dolomite rock of empathy is the weeping face of nature! It isn't far now!"

Ladybug and Chat Noir set their feet against the path, and lengthened their stride. Whatever was ahead, they would be ready!

At a greenish pond, tracked with mud, they finally met the African Elephant. He was a fair bit bigger than the Indian elephant had been. He stepped toward them and raised his great trunk above his head.

"Jislaaik! Well weilders! Gogga and her Kiff Laaitie! I suspect you're on your miraculous quest!" He bellowed jovially. "We will comense the trial in a moment, but first I need to collect something very special for you beneath the pond's surface. Sometimes it gets away from me, but not to worry, I am sure it will turn up!"

The elephant leaned his grey head over the water, and plunged his trunk into the water with a splash, that sprayed up at Ladybug and Chat Noir (not that they minded at all. In the heat it was welcomed!)

The Elephant moved his head this way and that. Searching for the unknown treasure that he apparently had lost track of. Ember perched himself in a nearby tree, and appeared to drowse in the hot sun, while the elephant continued to swish his trunk through the water. The two weilders stood on the edge of the pond next to him craning their necks to see what would emerge.

"Squeak squeak!" A shrill voice called.

They looked down and it appeared that the elephant had stepped on the tail of the smallest mammal in the world; a pygmy shrew!

Its beady black eyes looked fearfully up at them. It couldn't have weighed more than a teaspoon of sugar! It tried to scamper off, but it's tailed was without a doubt pinned beneath the massive wrinkled toe of the pakaderm.

"Excuse me," Chat Noir spoke up. "Could you move your foot a touch? You've stepped on someone."

"Have I? I hadn't noticed. It doesn't bother me any. She should have seen me coming," the elephant continued his task.

"Just lift your foot," Ladybug insisted, putting a hand on her hip, and getting to her feet. "

"I don't care to right now," the elephant said simply without looking up. "Leave me be, so I can finish what I'm doing. I don't stick my trunk into your business, so don't stick your nose into mine."

"Squeak squeak," the shrew pleaded.

"Why be cruel, when it is so simple to show kindness and mercy," Chat Noir got to his feet.

"I'm gatvol that you Insist on meddling! What is this pipsqueak to you? I'm the one doing YOU a favour. If you continue to bother me with it all, maybe you can just forget it or maybe I'll stomp you for your pestering! Voetsek!" the elephant trumpeted.

Ladybug brought out her yoyo and Chat Noir his baton.

"So this is the way it is than!" the elephant tilted his huge head to one side. "You can't just be neutral and leave things be?!"

"I doubt the shrew would appreciate our neutrality," Chat Noir narrowed his eyes at the sizeable bully.

"Haha!" the elephant laughed, "quite so!" Then he lifted his foot, and brought down his trunk which the shrew scurried on to. Then with a flash the elephant AND the pygmy shrew took their kwami form.

"Wait!" Ladybug said in surprise. "You're both kwami! But I thought..."

"There is nothing at the bottom of the pond is there?" Chat Noir guessed, "you were testing us?"

The shrew spoke up in a high pitched voice, "it is good to know there are weilders who will speak up for even the smallest of creatures. I for one appreciate such qualities!" Then she turned back to the elephant. "You did stomp my tail harder than last time!"

"I am sorry!" The elephant apologized sincerely." Then after fussing a bit over his little kwami buddy (which the shrew made the most of), he turned to the weilders and added, "There really is something for you here though."

The elephant kwami dipped down and rose up holding a small white diamond. He dropped it into Chat Noirs paw, and it sparkled brilliantly, casting glittering light from the sun. Chat Noir let out a whistle, and Ladybug looked closer.

"Thank you," said Ladybug. "But we didn't really do much! Is this really the whole challenge?"

"You showed true Ubuntu...your compassion!" the elephant nodded towards the Shew.

"Although it does not always take a lot to speak up for someone, (who perhaps cannot defend themselves), it certainly is a big thing for the individual being trampled upon," the shrew smiled. "You will find that the courage to stand up for injustice is unfortunately nearly as rare as that diamond."

"There are still plenty of humans out there who want to do what is right," the elephant said to his partner.

"Maybe," the shrew allowed, "but there is a difference in thinking it, and actually taking action to change things."

And now the very long awaited chapter 70!!!! Please follow/favourite so you don't miss it!!!

Inspirational Quote:

"If you are neutral in situations of injustice, you have chosen the side of the oppressor. If an elephant has its foot on the tail of a mouse, and you say that you are neutral, the mouse will not appreciate your neutrality."

Desmond Tutu

"A Nation should not be judged by how it treats its highest citizens, but it's lowest."

Nelson Mandela

Oooo

Jislaaik-Expression of surprise

Gogga-bug

Kiff Laaitie-cool young man

Gatvol – fed up / had enough

Voetsek! – Go away!

Ubuntu – compassion, kindness, humanity