Rena Rouge, Carapace, and Queen Bee watched in awe as Ladybug and Chat Noir laid the stones they can been given at each stage of their journey through Wales out across the river. Their goal was to make it across. Lady Justice had led them to Carmarthenshire's rural woodland...an ancient forest. The River Teifi, was known as the 'Queen of Rivers." Its beauty was matched by its ferocity. The swirling water splashed angrily up against them. It foamed and tossed in a frenzy. The smooth surface of the stones just barely rose above the surface.
Ladybug stepped out tentatively onto the slippery stone, and tettered precariously. Chat Noir followed behind and caught up her hand with a reassuring smile. The two got midway across the river when the waves kept frothing against their feet with raw power. The current threatened to send them down into the rushing water. Suddenly Chat Noir's arm wheeled back, and it looked as if he might drag Ladybug backwards into the water with him. It was Queen Bee that came to the rescue!
"I've got you!" she smiled proudly, "you're lucky I've got such great intuition and superior reflexes Cat!" She held his hand, and the three steadied each other. "Well, come on Turtle! You don't have to move as slow as a tortoise, even if your kwami is one!" Queen Bee rolled her eyes at Carapace.
Carapace's expression was unimpressed, but he took Queen Bee's hand anyway, and Rena Rouge took his hand, completing the chain of heroes spanning the river.
Making it across to dry land they were greeted by a Kingfisher kwami who flew up before them with a regal air. He looked them up and down with a nod of approval and took his place at the centre of the assembly of other wild Kwami. There was a salmon, the martin, white pony, bat, red Kite, and even an orange tabby cat kwami (which must have been the sleepy creature they had barely noticed in the bookshop).
"Stand beside one another no matter what," the Kingfisher commanded authoritatively. "Times are troubled. The balance of Maat is off kilter. The doom on one side can only be overcome with the supportive network to act as a counterweight."
"There is a season for all things. They are not ready yet, but they will when the time is right," the Salmon commented in a reserved tone.
The Martian looked from one weilder to the next, "They will not fail! They have bonds of love that tie them together! There is trust supporting them!"
"Trust is easily broken," the tabby finally spoke for the first time, and his unblinking amber eyes bore down at Queen Bee, making her uncomfortably look away.
"...and trust can be rebuilt," the pony stomped its hoof decidedly. "It has happened in the past!"
The striped orange cat shrugged aloofly, but still surveyed Queen Bee cryptically.
"All the power that we can bestow on you weilders to equip you for the battle ahead is yours," the King Fisher spread his wings and as he did each of the bland stones leading back across the river where that had come from cracked open revealing tiny red proustite crystals hidden within each stone.
"What kind of gem is that?" Alya inquired.
"Is it worth much?" Chloe looked over her shoulder sceptically.
"The proustite? You may have never heard of red silver! Oh it is rare indeed, and highly sought after...much like a true friend," the King Fisher seemed to smile. With another wave of his wing the stones started to glow luminously, until their light reflected of the weilder's suits, and they felt a undeniable energy strengthen them from within.
Chat Noir and Ladybug had of course been expecting the disappearance of the Wild Kwami after the council at the end of a trial, but for the other three weilders, they let out a gasp when the creatures before them had vanished.
"Come now," Lady Justice came up beside them once more. "My old 'friend' Merlin has already got a head start on us. We can't tarry long. We don't want to keep the old wizard waiting...he has waited long enough," she smiled.