05/19/24
6 Reviews, 7 Favs, 7 Follows
The children were playing ball to one day become champions in the Mesoamérican ball game like the grownups. Blu Tembo and Ladybug were natural with kids and they always knew how to handle them. Blu Tembo has always been great with handling his younger sister for 8 years by being the big brother. Ladybug always is great at babysitting, despite when there's an Akuma attack, she would always have Alya to help.
Panthera and Cat Noir just watched them play. Panthera hasn't gotten much around younger kids since she's the youngest sibling in the family but she did somehow have a little family get-together with younger cousins. Cat Noir was always friendly around kids when it came to doing cat puns and saving kids from Akuma attacks, especially how natural he is with babies like handling Gigantuan.
"Heh, it's like cubs and kittens always like to play around" Panthera chuckled.
"It's natural when they grow up so fast. Milady is always the best with kids. Even your elephant guy seems to know so well with handling them too, like an older brother" Cat Noir said.
"Heh, sometimes being the youngest or oldest sibling in the family is hard. If you're the oldest, you have to keep an eye on your siblings. If you're the youngest, it's tough when you have to listen to the oldest sibling bossing you around. I never knew what being an only child felt like. I suppose the luckiest" Panthera shrugged.
"Sometimes but very lonely too. Having cousins near your age, it almost feels like having a sibling" Cat Noir said.
"Heh, that reminds me. A month ago I was in London doing…vacation stuff for Europe photography…..and came across a boy in a chess game competition, I thought he looked a bit like the model guy from Paris, Adrien Agreste. But then his name was known as Felix Fathom. I thought those two were like twin brothers or something. I heard that he said he's Adrien's cousin" Panthera said, lying about photography when it was actually college work but also a world tour in Europe.
"They are and Ladybug saved him from akumatized girls" Cat Noir explained.
"That explains it. Those two are like famous young stars from rich families. Felix the best master in chess games in London while Adrien is the best model in Paris. It's like two people from different worlds" Panthera said.
Cat Noir was always the shy boy behind the mask, feeling as though it made him feel like he was not being true to himself every time his father makes orders to him to look his best in modeling ads.
"Estas bien, gatito?" Panthera asked.
"Yeah, just having second thoughts. Milady always has more responsibilities, especially having new teammates, I just feel like one day she won't need me around" Cat Noir sighs.
"Don't say that, gatito. She would always need you. A superhero can't always do everything alone. Superheroes stick together as teamwork. I know she's the leader but you are second in command, and every team needs a second in command. It's the same as leading" Panthera puts her hand on his shoulder, "Yin can't exist without the Yang, gatito"
"Yeah, you're right," Cat Noir said.
Panthera looked up at the sky, seeing the crescent moon a few inches close to the sun for a total solar eclipse to unleash the evil god from his prison.
"What's wrong?" Cat Noir noticed.
"Nothing. Just keeping an eye out on the solar eclipse since we all know what's to come. Reminds me how the Mayan calendar thought 2012 was the end of the world but they were wrong" Panthera said.
"Instead, it reset," Cat Noir said.
"Maybe" Panthera shrugs.
"Or perhaps fate changes to something else," Cat Noir said before grabbing a mango from the food market, "Want some?"
"Uhhh…..no thanks. I am allergic to mangos. It gives me skin irritation if I eat them" Panthera explained her allergy and simply grabbed grapes.
"I see" Cat Noir ate the mango.
Blu Tembo then passed the ball to another kid. The kid caught it and passed it to Ladybug.
"Heh, catch with your lucky trunk, Tembo" She passes it to him.
"Got it!" He caught it.
The kids being strong tackled him down playfully, "Whoa! I'm down! I surrender!" Blu Tembo doing his act.
"Hehehe…. You really are a natural with kids like my Kitty" Ladybug laughed.
"Yeah. Okay, let me up, wild cubs" Blu Tembo groaned from how strong they tackled him. And he got up dusting himself off.
"You see, kids? We may look all grown up but deep down we are still kids. Growing up strong and mighty like a jaguar is like finding your roar within" Ladybug said.
"Nice. Thanks, Ladybug" One kid said.
"Don't forget the mighty claws they'll gain, milady. Rawr" Cat Noir playfully roared.
"That too, kitty" Ladybug smirked.
"Cubs are cute and adorable but they gain beauty like a warrior, niños. Just like you as the cubs too, ready to hunt like their mothers and fathers" Panthera said.
"Oh yes," Cat Noir said.
"Well in my case I grew up with my herd," Blu Tembo said.
"Funny because female members of the herd shoo away the adult males," Cat Noir said.
"Hence why they are led by a matriarch," Blu Tembo said.
"If you had tusks, you would totally be more majestic like the males to one day show the females who's a badass" Cat Noir snickered
"Heh, yeah" Blu Tembo chuckled.
Suddenly, they heard a distant shooting in the jungle, causing the macaws to fly out of the trees.
"Intruders!" Ladybug realized.
"It must be them again!" Cat Noir guessed.
"Whatever it is, don't call on your lucky charm or cataclysm! We cannot risk your secret identities in the open!" Panthera suggested.
"Okay. Then it's up to you two" Cat Noir said.
"YOU MANIPULATIVE COWARD!" Loxodon shouting in the distance.
"LADYBUG AND CAT NOIR ARE NOT OUR PROBLEM! YOU JUST GET LAZY TO DEFEAT THOSE KIDS BECAUSE YOU'RE JUST SCARED!" Oscura shouted in rage.
"Definitely them. It sounds like they are fighting someone that pissed them off" Ladybug said.
"YOU DARE COME HERE AND TRY TO STEAL OUR MIRACULOUS?! WE ARE NOT THAT STUPID YOU OLD MAN! THIS IS WHY WE NEVER FALL FOR IDIOTIC MANIPULATORS LIKE YOU!" Loxodon causes more birds to fly out of the rustling trees.
"You will bring their miraculous or you will face the consequences!" Shadowmoth threatened.
"Consequence this!" Loxodon then pulls his sword out.
"I am a huntress and I think I should taste blood from an ugly peacock!" Oscura cackled.
"ShadowMoth! Let's go! As much as I want him defeated but they are gonna kill him!" Ladybug ran with the group.
"Our counterparts have gone too far!" Blu Tembo felt determined to teach Loxodon a lesson the hard way.
"Oscura has gone loca crazy!" Panthera let out a snarl.
Oscura and Loxodon are well aware of not falling for Shadowmoth's manipulation. Even if he tries to send out his Akuma, it would be much more dangerous for their rage to destroy anyone that gets in their way, starting with him.
"Now, now! I just came to make a deal!" Shadow moth jumped on the trees.
"We dealt with it before and deals are always broken when they betray us in the end! You're exactly like the rest of them!" Oscura tried to claw him with her claws, "Stand still!"
"You know I erase memories! You only want to use me to erase those brats' memories for you! So you can win and take all the glory for yourself!" Loxodon tries to blast him with oblivion orbs at him to erase his memories.
But each time he missed. Then he drew his sword back and threw it towards the branch Shadow Moth was standing on, slicing it off. Missed again when the villain jumps to the next branch.
"You ungrateful animals! You are only letting yourself lose more!" ShadowMoth knew that they were more dangerous than himself.
"So are you, ugly bird! You never fight with honor! You run away like a coward! I never lose sight of my prey until they beg for mercy!" Oscura cackled evilly, "What's wrong?! Scared to get your eyes gauged out?!"
"I can't wait to mount you over my mantle!" Loxodon caught his sword.
"Look at him quivering in fear. Just the way I like it when you mess with the jaguar!" Oscura smirked menacingly while holding her spiked spear to kill him. But she was tackled by Panthera and crashed down in the river.
"Oscura! Agh!" Loxodon was tackled by Blu Tembo and fell down like a meteor.
Once they were up, Loxodon stared hatefully at his counterpart, "You insolent bastard!"
"You have no idea what that madman is capable of to influence your rage like mind control!" Blu Tembo said but got kicked off.
"Nobody controls me!" Loxodon then drew his sword to fight him.
"Can you do THIS!" Blu Tembo sprayed a stream of water at him using his horn.
"Agh!" He got water jetted and hit against the tree.
ShadowMoth watched them fight and thought of akumatizing both of them but was stopped by Ladybug and Cat Noir.
"Well, well, well. The bird easily as prey but butterflies get eaten alive in the jungle by the big bad panther" Cat Noir sounding spooky.
"And you're about to get your butt kicked again" Ladybug joined.
"You insolent brats will never take both of my miraculous!" ShadowMoth escaped through the jungle.
"He's one to talk when he tried to claim ours. Indirectly!" Cat Noir chased him.
"Countless times!" Ladybug ran with him.
Oscura and Panthera were fighting in the river stream, struggling to resurface before running out of air. Panthera strikes across Oscura's face, leaving four cuts on her cheek.
Swimming to the surface for air and jumping out before Oscura tries to grab her.
"So lucky we jaguars love water!" Panthera mocked.
"GRRR! I hate water and swimming pools! Especially the polluted beaches!" Oscura jumped out and held her spiked spear.
"Always look on the bright side!" Panthera said before dodging her weapon and blocking it with her own.
"I look on the dark side! I hate silliness and annoying people with disgusting sweetness!" Oscura snarled.
"Then try the sour!" Panthera strikes her to the ground, "Give up!"
Oscura cackled at her threat, "I never give up until I taste the blood of justice!" She kicked the spear and did a backflip, "Wherever I go, I never stop hunting!"
"Then let's get dangerous!" Panthera readies herself.
"I'm more dangerous like a legend!" Oscura smirked and bared her claws to scratch her.
"Your evil god will never rise!" Panthera bares her own.
"You can't stop the moon aligning the sun!" Oscura clawed her arms and chest, "My destiny is to destroy him so pendejos can see that I'm not some useless villain in their damn eyes!"
Panthera screamed from the scratches and jumped out of the way, "So you plan on taking a suicidal mission to kill a god?!" She moved out of the way of the strike.
"EXACTLY! You have no idea what it's like to feel alone or grief!" She tries to strike another but constantly misses each time.
"Whoa! I do know what that's like! Agh!" She got hurt and slammed against the tree.
"LIAR! I was grieving for years with pain! No father to bring joy! No dog to be there for me! All I get is no comfort but suffering that my dumb mother and brother can't see! Like they think I'm okay or think I'll get over it but I never was! No one understood how I felt! Do you think that's okay to have your feelings bottled up?! Guess what?! I'm not gonna let anyone judge me again!" Oscura let out all the pain she held onto before wanting to kill Panthera.
Panthera jumps up the tree to avoid the strike, taking in all what Oscura just said, reminding herself that was exactly how she went through but it was the opposite.
"You're Luna Cantillo? Are you?" She said her name.
Oscura gasped at that name but glared intensely, "How do you know my name?!" Oscura threw her spiked spear to kill her but Panthera caught it.
She jumps down calmly but Oscura tackles her down, "NO ONE KNOWS MY NAME! WHO TOLD YOU MY NAME?!" Oscura was about to strike her claws, "AAAGGGHHHH!" She roared in rage.
"Claws, let's rest!" Panthera quickly detransformed to prevent her doppelgänger from killing her.
Just inches before Oscura's claws nearly touched Luna's chest, she gasped at the sight of another identical counterpart.
x
Blu Tembo fought Loxodon at the abandoned temple, causing more destruction with rubble and debris going around each time Loxodon gets more aggravated that Blu Tembo is not dead yet.
"You know elephants symbolize luck, right?!" Blu Tembo whacks him against the jaguar statue.
"Yes! I know they do and I'll be lucky to have your dead ass!" Loxodon chased after him before smashing the statue.
"Oh yeah? What will you accomplish?!" Blu Tembo asked.
"Once you are dead, I will get my family back in this world!" Loxodon said but that triggered the rage in Blu Tembo.
"NEVER!" He jumps out of his hiding spot and strikes Loxodon, not giving him a chance to strike back. Taken back by this rage, Loxodon lost grip of his sword and Blu Tembo took it and pointed it at his throat while pinning him to the ground.
"What are you waiting for? Finish me!" Loxodon awaited his fate.
But Blu Tembo looks at the sword and at him, realizing he has become just as violent as him. In disgust, he breaks the sword instead, "No, I can't, for my family. Trunkk fold my ears" He turns back to Pelle.
Loxodon gasped at who the man was behind the mask and judging by how he looked, it was as if he was the old him until he himself changed his looks. Loxodon realized he nearly made his counterpart a monster like him.
Refusing to believe he's him, "No, you can't be me! You're the opposite of me! If you were me, you would've killed those poachers from killing who you care so much!"
"I am you. We have the same exact name but totally different paths. We both feel the same about elephants, we both feel angry when no one takes it seriously. If that's not enough, I do have a little sister named Elsa and she always looks up to me. The only one who understands how I feel about elephants" Pelle explained his life to his doppelgänger.
Loxodon processing everything from his counterpart made him see the path he went to was not the same path the good counterpart went to. Instead of doing something right, he decided to take away their memories to forget they ever had a firstborn child but he accomplished nothing but himself to become ruthless until learning to become more of a monster than thinking he's doing the right thing to protect.
"I sacrificed my family's memories for nothing! I'm a horrible brother and son! I don't think they'll forgive me if I did restore their memories!" Loxodon broke down.
"They won't. They'll never disown you and I've been using my powers to keep both humans with hearts safe along with those majestic creatures" Pelle tries to cheer him up, "I made a lot of friends who supported me than giving into my rage and use it for selfish goals"
"Don't call me selfish!" Loxodon cried more, "How can you be so positive when others treated your elephants like beasts? Do you ever feel like hurting them the same way they hurt you?"
"I would but it would make me no different than them. I rather bring them to justice than claim their lives like the poachers do" Pelle said.
Loxodon knew he was right and stood up, a blue light changed his attire and appearance too with saturated colors, his beard vanished and his eyes and hair matched Blu Tembo's own.
"What is this I'm feeling?!" Loxodon doesn't understand why he can't feel much evil in him, "What just happened?"
"It's your love and empathy," Pelle said.
"And yet….you're making me feel like kissing myself" Loxodon has no idea what he's thinking like that.
x
Oscura refused to believe she was her, wanting to kill her now but her mind made her not to, "Grrr! There's no way you're me! We are opposites!"
"That's true. We are opposites but we do have the same name and totally different paths. I do feel angry like you but I don't kill enemies. I just continue living, for myself and my family. I do miss my father and my Bella, but deep down I knew they would want me to continue living and trying to be happy. I do feel grief and pain, feeling like I don't want to get close to anyone when they are not them. Sometimes I do feel like taking my anger out on anyone but I couldn't do that. So instead, I just travel to Paris to find myself what I need in my life and that's how I was given a miraculous by an elder woman because she saw me worthy as something" Luna explained her life to her counterpart.
"Worthy as I am too?" Oscura's voice cracked.
"It's up to you to decide whether you want to continue destroying lives or make peace with your life as I have" Luna held her hands.
Oscura sighs that she has claimed lives for nothing from her grief. Like her anger fuels more but it never satisfies her enough to find peace but destruction and suffering. Only love can heal her mentally if she can decide to find love in her heart.
"You have to find the love within you, Oscura. Let go of your hatred and rage. Bella would've loved that you do that" Luna told her some encouraging words.
"And people around me? How will I know they won't manipulate me or take advantage of my sensitivity?" Oscura sobs.
"You just have to get to know them before you trust them. Know that they have good intentions" Luna said.