Yugioh/ML Chapter 29

The Lies of Nooroo

Later on, Ladybug and Rena Rouge went to their newly constructed homes, so exhausted from their training that even Rena Rouge too tired to continue complaining about their captivity. Once the light in the sky faded and the other kwami had gone asleep, Tikki snuck out from her own home. She flew out to the island where she was now certain she had seen Plagg, but didn't see anything now.

A million questions ran through her head. Was Plagg sneaking into the Kwami world? And if he was, why all the secrecy? If he was actually well enough to travel, why not tell everyone and assuage them of their worries?

"Tikki?"

Tikki had to suppress the urge to scream her lungs out, for fear of causing a panic. Her body settled for jumping a good foot upwards. She turned around, and saw Trixx behind her.

"Oh, good. It's just you, Trixx."

"What are you doing up so late?"

Tikki looked around to make sure they weren't being watched. "Remember when Ladybug was talking about Adrien looking for Plagg?"

"Yeah. It's crazy that there are humans that would want to abuse kwami like that."

"Well, I think I saw Plagg here earlier."

"Wait, I'm confused. I thought he was at your human's house, resting after that whole weapon nonsense."

"That's what I thought, too. Hopefully, I was just seeing things and Adrien is cuckoo. But if I'm right, Plagg has been lying to us about his actual health and I'd like to know why."

Satisfied, Trixx quieted down, and the two began their stakeout.

…

"How long until the squadron is ready?"

"A few more hours, Mister Couffaine. We still need to get the experimental soldiers ready."

Luka left the secretary to get everything ready, and went to see how Juleka was doing. She was leaning against a wall in a random hallway, in an oddly introspective mood.

"Juleka, you okay."

She looked up to him with an odd expression on her face. "Is what we're doing right? I mean, about the kwami? Is it okay to treat them like animals to be captured?"

Luka sighed. "Listening to the protesters again, huh?"

Juleka turned away from him.

"Look, Juleka. You have to understand. We're just doing what's best for the most people, and sometimes that means that some people get the short end of the stick. Trust me, it'll all make sense in the end."
Luka hugged her, then left to continue his work. As he turned the corner, Juleka felt something in her pocket that wasn't there before. Moving into a bathroom stall for privacy, she inspected her pocket, finding a paper with a set of numbers on it and one word.

"Home."

…

As the hours stretched on, Tikki wondered how Ladybug ever did these stakeouts. Or how any human waited this long, for that matter. Perhaps the intense speeds of the digital world had spoiled her.

"Tikki, look!" Trixx whispered, pointing to something in the distance. It was hard to make out, as it blended into the night sky, but it certainly flew like a kwami. "You don't think it could be…"

"I don't know what to believe. But something tells me we need to be careful."

They followed the shadowy figure into an island on the outer stretch, one they'd never visited before. The two were careful enough not to follow too close, lest they be discovered. Once they got there, the figure pressed down on a particular rock, causing an invisible wall to open up. The two warily followed inside.

Within was a large warehouse, and to Tikki's shock, at the bottom was the disassembled cannon that Adrien had used to destroy the barrier. The two hid behind a crate as they observed the weapon being constructed by robots. Within the light, they could see that not only was Plagg the figure they were following, but he was carrying more parts for the cannon. Once he dropped them, he flew up to a railing where Nooroo and Duusu were overseeing its construction, Mayura carrying the latter.

"Is that the last part we need?" Nooroo asked.

"Yes, Master." Plagg answered. "With this, construction can progress unimpeded. But there is something else to report."

"Oh?"

"Back in the digital world, I have learned that the human faction known as Sol Technologies has begun assembling an army of human-kwami hybrids. They plan to march on our world immediately."

"Good, good. Everything is proceeding exactly as I have intended. Now, what about Tikki and Trixx?"

"They suspect nothing. They still think I am home, healing from the 'weapon'." Plagg seemed to chuckle at the last word, which baffled Tikki and Trixx. Wasn't it a weapon?

"Oh, I believe they do suspect something. In fact, I believe they have a great many questions. Tikki, Trixx, why don't you come out so that I can answer those questions?"

Panicking, the two kwami fled out the door as fast as they could, not waiting to hear what Nooroo had to say. The two flew to the island where Ladybug and Rena Rouge were sleeping, then made a beeline for their house. Their terrified screams woke up the humans very easily.

"Tikki, what's wrong?" Ladybug rubbed her eyes as she got up from her bed, Rena doing the same.

"Adrien wasn't crazy! Plagg is here, and he's rebuilding that weapon Adrien used to destroy the barrier, but for Nooroo instead!"

"What? Why would they do that?" Rena asked. "Why all the secrecy?"

"We're not sure," Trixx admitted. "But we also heard that Sol Technologies is sending an army here any minute!"

"An army?" Ladybug repeated. "We have to warn everyone!"

"There's no time!" Tikki said. "Our only chance is to go to the portal. I should be able to create a temporary barrier, not as strong as the last one, but it should buy us some time!"

The four of them exited the house and got on their duel boards, flying to the portal. When they got there, Stompp was waiting for them. Wayzz, a turtle kwami, was alongside him.

"Stop right there! No humans allowed through the portal!"

Tikki spoke up. "Stompp, there's a group of humans coming this way from the other side. They plan to invade the Kwami world and capture us!"

"Is that true?" The four of them looked behind and saw Duusu and Mayura on a duel board. "Perhaps you should tell Nooroo about that."