There was the roaring sound of howler monkeys, and the coarse song of keel billed toucans disturbed from sleep up on the canopy in the Brazilian rainforest. Ladybug swotted at the relentless mosquitos. She weaved away from them, and felt the firm hands of Chat Noir grab her waist.
She looked back at him in surprise, and his face wasn't teasing or flirty as usual. Instead he looked alarmed.
"What is it...?" Ladybug mouthed, but Chat Noir's stare did not leave the pond she had nearly stumbled into, trying the flee the bloodthirsty pests.
All at once Ladybug finally realized what Chat Noir's keen night vision had picked up on, and prevented her from stepping on; A Black Caiman. Only the ridge over his red eyes and flared nostrils poked out of the shadowy water. Ever since Australia Chat Noir was cautious about those in the crocodile family. This particular reptile seemed to watch them as closely as they watched him.
"Do you think he's getting ready to strike?" Ladybug whispered after they had stood motionless for a couple minutes.
"Purrhaps he is trying to decide if we're worth the effort," Chat Noir tried to lighten the mood, but his whisper was tense.
"It is one of the largest reptiles on earth, and holds its prey underwater to drown it, before ripping it apart with its powerful jaws," Ember informed them over their shoulders.
"Really Ember! You're all doom and gloom tonight!" Chat Noir hissed at their guide, "How is that helpful!"
"Well, I was about to say that they don't usually attack humans unless threatened...or particularly hungry," Ember ruffled his feathers in a huff.
Chat Noir and Ladybug didn't wait for more fun facts from the Phoenix. They slowly moved along the trail, making their way cautiously further down from the edge of the pond. Their moment must have triggered something within the gigantic armoured creature, and it made a halfhearted lunge in their direction. The creature's aggression sent them swiftly on their way.
For quite a while they were keeping up a pretty good pace along the trail...at least until clouds started to strangle the light of the moon. Even brief streams of light were now shrouded in darkness. This didn't slow them down too much though. Chat Noir took the lead. With his night vision, he led Ladybug by the hand through the night, avoiding sharp branches and unruly roots, crisscrossing their path. It wasn't until the sky broke open overhead, and thick pellets of rain beat down on them that they finally paused.
"I'm sorry! I just can't make out anything in this downpour," Chat Noir said with his drenched blonde strips of hair laying plastered down his face. "I think we better wait out the worst of it!" he yelled as the sheets of rain beat down on them even harder. "This rainforest is really living up to it's name!"
"What if it is dangerous to stop?" Ladybug said, wondering what else was taking shelter in the storm.
"I think it will be more dangerous to keep going and loose the trail," Chat Noir replied.
Ladybug bit her bottom lip because she knew he was right. Loosing the path now, there would be no way of finding it again, and they could end up in even more danger.
"It looks like there are some rocks over there, maybe we can just duck in there till the worst is over," Chat Noir pointed to a cave-like entrance near the edge of the trail.
They both dashed for the opening, and perched just inside. Although drips still seeped in through the cracks between the boulders, it provided some shelter from the onslaught. Ember sat behind them, warming their chilled backs with his fire, as they cuddled up next to each other, watching the rain. Gradually Ladybug's head nodded down, and she fell asleep against Chat Noir's shoulder. Chat Noir looked tenderly down at her peacefully sleeping face, and nuzzled against her. His eyes felt heavy, but he willed himself to stay alert. There was no telling what what our there, and he had to protect Marrinette.
"I'll watch, if you want to get some sleep," Ember offered, but Chat Noir shook his head. "Maybe if you could just talk with me and help me stay awake," Chat Noir asked Ember. "That way she can get just a bit of sleep before we have to be on the move again."
"Of course," Ember bowed, and began to tell Chat Noir vivid stories of legends from the Amazon. He was just finishing a particularly animated story about Curupira, a mythical defender of the forest, who led hunters and lumberjacks asstray with his backwards feet, and who guarded each creature who men were trying to wipe out with their greed. It was then that the storm seemed to pass, and only a soft drizzle of rain followed. Ladybug stirred against Chat Noir, and looked up startled.
"I...I...didn't fall asleep did I?!" she asked.
Chat Noir chuckled, "you must have been totally exhausted from the week to sleep in a place like this!"
"I'm sorry!" she rushed, but he cut her off.
"Don't be!" this way at least one of us is a bit more alert!" he smiled at how cute she was when she was just waking up.
"But you haven't slept at all!" Ladybug protested. "What if you get a bit of sleep yourself!"
...but then they heard a thud out in the forest, and they all stopped like statures. They couldn't see what had made the nose, but it sounded big! I'll go check it out!" Ember offered, flying out before them.
Ladybug and Chat Noir watched him go, calling out whispers to "be careful."
There was silence. Ember had weaved through the trees, and had disappeared. The two weilders sat on the edge of their seat, wondering what the sound out in the woods could have been. They had no idea that the real danger lurked deeper inside the cave behind them. The fire of the Phoenix that had kept the resident of the cave at bay from approaching the humans ...but now the deterrent was gone. The scent of blood was too tempting for the creature to resist.
Just as the fanged creature was above to fly down to bite down on Ladybug's neck, it screeched in surprise. The sound had Ladybug and Chat Noir jumping backwards out of the cave, and spinning their weapons in front of them. They were horrified at the scene where they had just been sitting. A vampire bat (who had been after Ladybug) had been nabbed mid-attack by a massive 30 inch long yellowish centipede. The horrifying deadly insect had apparently climbed up to the roof of the cave, and hung down by its many legs. Suspended above the bat, it had waited for its moment to strike.
Ladybug and Chat Noir turned back to the path, putting the natural battle for survival behind them. In relief they greeted Ember, who had reported only a group of capybaras further up along their route. The intermittent drops of rain stopped altogether leaving only a peaceful patter of water droplets finding their way from leave to leaf.
The two weilders breathed a sigh of relief, but when Chat Noir turned around to continue on the trail Ladybug couldn't contain the high pitched screech that she tried to muffle with both hands.
"What?! What is it?!" Chat Noir asked turning around, with his baton ready.
"A...a...big...hairy...spider on your back!" Ladybug shuttered, quickly grabbing up a branch, and frantically trying to brush it off him. Ember swooped down with a burst of flame, and the eight legged arachnid jumped down to the jungle floor. Chat Noir jumped back from it, loosing his balance over a big mound of dirt, and fell backward on top of it.
"Oh...that was only a tarantula! Sure, they'll use toxic venom on insects, but they're pretty harmless to humans," Ember assured them, brushing his feathers to one side.
"Aaagrh!!!!" Chat Noir screamed out in blinding pain startling them all, and alerting the entire vicinity to their presence.
"I thought you said they were harmless to humans!" Ladybug jumped to Chat Noir's side in panic. Chat Noir was gripping his left hand in agony, biting his lip to keep from screaming again. Tears streamed down his face, but he was buckled over in so much pain that he couldn't wipe them away.
"But they are...even if he was bit, it would only be a little sting...it's not like it was a Brazilian wandering spider...just a little...ohh...ohhh no...Chat Noir! Ladybug! Get off there! Get out of there now!" Ember called urgently.
They didn't waste time asking questions. The uncommon panic in the phoenix's voice was enough. Ladybug pulled Chat Noir up behind her and they retreated to the path. Ember was a flurry of fire around them, brushing off what looked like dozens of huge black ants from their suits. Once Ember was satisfied that he had removed them all, he shook his head, and looked sympathetically at Chat Noir.
"What? What was it that got me?" Chat Noir panted through the pulsing pain.
Ember shook his head, "I'm sorry, the pain you're feeling isn't going to heal quickly. It was not a spider, but a bullet ant that got you...I've heard others compare it to being shot with a gun...it's...well...it's considered the most painful sting in the world."
"...but...but...he's going to be alright isn't he!" Ladybug put her arms around Chat Noir worriedly, helping him stay upright.
"Although the pain is like sticking your finger in a 240 volt electrical socket, it will not be lethal. His suit absorbed a large fraction of the venom, but you might want to give your charm a try!" Ember advised.
"Lucky Charm!" Ladybug called out, and a can of bug spray fell into her hands. She immediately tossed it back in the air calling, "Miraculous Ladybug!"
Chat Noir slumped against her, and she grabbed his shoulders in a panic! "what happened?! Are you okay? Didn't it work?!" she took his face in her hands, and looked frantically at him.
Chat Noir patted her arm, and shook his head. "Don't worry Mi'Lady, I'm so much better. It was just such a relief from the overwhelming pain...I don't know how I would have made it the rest of the way without you," he smiled weakly.
Ladybug wrapped her arms around him, and kissed him. "I never what to see you in that much pain again!" she said through tears welling up in her eyes.
"Yeah...let's not do that again!" Chat Noir agreed, wiping away her tears with a relieved smile.
"You won't have to worry much longer! We've made it to the Amazon River!" Ember announced from above, where he was surveying the path ahead.
"Let's not going camping for a while after this!" Chat Noir smiled tiredly at Ladybug. "I just want to be a house cat again!"
Ladybug playfully scratched him under his chin, "Aww...Kitty, you know I'll spoil you when we get home!"
"Let's not waste any more time then!" Chat Noir took up her hand. The sun was breaking over the horizon, and the water looked pale red under the sunrise.
"Mi'Lady?!" Chat Noir extended his baton, and reached out his hand for Ladybug. She grabbed on to his hand, and he grabbed her up against him making her blush gleefully.
Like an expert pole vaulter he struck the long baton against the ground and cast them over the surging water. They dropped down just at the edge of the other bank. Ladybug stepped back just at the edge of the water, and all of a sudden the water churned as dozens of bulbous-headed fish with severe underbite thrashed forward trying to nip her heel. Chat Noir pulled her out of harms way just in time, catching a glimpse of the razor sharp teeth of the school of piranhas angrily turning back to the River.
Ladybug and Chat Noir held on to each other panting. They left the dangers of the River behind, and leaned against one another exhausted. They were starting to get lightheaded, but stumbled on anyway.
Ember noticed, and flew up in front of them concerned. "Part of survival is supplying for your physical needs as well as avoiding dangerous adversaries," he cautioned. "You've been drenched by rain, but are getting dehydrated! Drink the rain water, not from the river," he confirmed, when they looked hesitantly back at the shore.
Picking out a tree under Ember's guidance, they took leaves, and poured the fresh water into their mouths. In the new rays of the morning sun the tropical beauty of the mysterious forest overwhelmed them. More and more colourful birds and butterflies took to the air around them. Bold flowers cascaded down from the trees, and vines crisscrossed overhead.
"Chat! Look at this little cutie!" Ladybug said pointing to a brightly coloured little frog that had settled herself on a broad leaf near the tree that they had drank from.
"It looks like something out of a cartoon! I can't believe how vivid it's colour is!" Chat Noir leaned over her shoulder.
The little frog tilted her head unconcerned, and looked back at them curiously. "Aww, I wish I could take you home," Ladybug leaned closer to the adorable amphibian.
A hearty chuckle, made the weilders snap back to attention, and grasp for their weapons. Behind them sat the amused Jaguar with Ember.
"You helped them survive all this way, and they want to take the most dangerous creature of the whole jungle back home with them," the Jaguar laughed to Ember.
"The most dangerous?!" Ladybug asked in surprise, glancing back toward the frog who had hopped along on its own way.
"Your new little friend is a golden poison dart frog," the Jaguar smiled. "It secretes enough toxin to kill ten grown adults!"
The weilders heads started to swim, "ten grown adults?!" Chat Noir's repeated in shock. "That little frog?!"
"Sometimes the most dangerous creatures are the ones you least suspect," the Jaguar lost his laughter, and turned serious. "I am impressed weilders. You encountered some deadly risks, but you stayed united and focused. You channeled your instincts and resourcefulness. I am pleased to see you made it through such a difficult night."
"You were watching over us the whole time!" Chat Noir realized out loud.
The Jaguar nodded, and pulled out a pristine dark blue beryl aquamarine gem. It almost looked like a water droplet in his paw. Ladybug held out her hand, and it dropped smoothly into her palm. "Just as life is dependant on life-giving water, so the survival of all those on Earth with depend on you. You are still learning young ones, but I see in you the will to survive. Your next teachers will show you how to adapt to the changes ahead. I wish you all the best on this difficult journey!"
They bowed in thanks, and looked up to find him gone once more. They were not surprised, but drew close together in a silent embrace. The jaguar's prediction weighed heavily on their hearts. Their overwhelmed spirits couldn't put the immensity of pressure they felt into words. How could they manage save all those depending on them for what was coming?