#alpheus

Su Han paced around the butterfly garden as Gabriel and Natalie stood there, waiting for him to speak. One of his cult members was giving them an update. 

"All of the kwamis are suddenly able to fly around freely," He stated. "Even when their guardians order them back into their boxes,"

"It's Him," He growled. "He's growing more powerful the closer the ghost festival gets,"

"We have also felt a surge of new magic, centered around Paris,"

"That's because he's here! That boy who wields the ladybug is the damn mage reborn!" Su Han declared angrily. The cult member flinched at his raised voice. "I need to destroy him before he tips the balance back in his favor and reclaims his title!"

Gabriel looked over at Natalie, who was looking at Su Han with deep concern. Nooroo and Dusuu were hiding behind her as well. Currently, he wasn't even wearing the peacock miraculous but apparently, the mage's order even affected them. Surprisingly, he didn't mind. The two kwamis were too afraid of him to actually do anything anyway. Su Han turned to the cult member.

"What do the other guardians think of the sudden order?" He asks, crossing his arms.

"The loyal guardians think it was you who gave the Order but they are confused about the miracle boxes," He answered, making Su Han look at him with confusion too. He glanced to the side uncomfortably. "They've all become some sort of music box and none of the guardians can open them. It's got some of the less loyal guardians talking,"

Su Han tutted.

"And why haven't you completed your order?" He asked, making the assassin frown. "On the day of Assassin Bee's defeat, I gave you an order! Kill the child of the Beetle!"

Gabriel frowned deeply, hearing that but ultimately wasn't surprised. He knew Su Han would double-cross him and he would do the same. The Assassin looked to the side.

"Well?!" He snapped as a dark shadow filled the room and a cold, evil laugh echoed. It slid down the side of the walls, gathering into a corner as a young man not much older than Anatis himself, stepped out of the shadows. He was dressed in monk garb but it was stained with a black, ink-like substance that appeared like veins on the colors. His copper red hair seemed to glow in the darkness as did his red and black eyes. His skin was a light grey and his lips a dark grey. The Assassin instantly looked terrified and the kwamis hid in Natalie's hair, shaking a little. She stepped back from the boy.

"That's because I have been stopping them," The twisted monk declared, walking over and grabbing the Assassin by the throat. "Fear. How delicious,"

He let go of him and smirked as Su Han looked angry.

"How dare you interfere!" He snapped. "I want that boy-"

The monk suddenly turned into a huge snake and lurched at Su Han, causing him to stumble and fall as it slivered over to him. He crawled away from it in pure terror.

"Don't you dare talk to me like that!" It snarled, its voice powerful and deep. It even made Gabriel shiver but it was more in interest then fear. "I made you who you are! I helped you get power! Without me, you're nothing!"

"B-but, Simme, if we kill the mage-"

"I don't want to kill the mage! I want to destroy him from the inside! I want him to fall so badly into despair that he destroys himself and that goodie two shoes Finni!" He growled, turning back into his 'human' form. "And when he does, I will finally devour his ancient soul and plunge the world he loves so much into complete darkness and despair!"

"So you're actively stopping him from being killed?" Gabriel asked, stepping forward. Simme's head snaps towards him. "So you can corrupt him?"

"See? He gets it," Simme smirked at Su Han before walking over to Gabriel. "Naturally. Got something to say about it?"

"I'm just wondering how that's going," He replies, making Simme smirk.

"Well, the Mage isn't my current target actually. He's far too... stubborn to actually fall into despair himself by my usual tricks... but I've been very fortunate regardless," He explained, smirking. "See I found a light soul in Paris and driving that soul to despair and consuming his soul will be the key to the mage destroying himself. See, he'll blame himself for not being able to save the boy and for the balance being tipped which will then allow me to infect him with even more despair and he'll spiral even more, destroying himself in the process and thus i shall then consume his soul and the world will be trapped in pure darkness and despair for the rest of time!"

"And this boy... this light soul? You've infected him with despair?" Gabriel asked.

"Oh I was indeed," He smirked. "Thanks to you in fact,"

"Me?"

"Your little party," He answered, making Gabriel think back to the Diamond Dance. "I slipped into that dance, found that sweet soul and infected him with despair and then your plan to make him the black swan made it bloom like poison in his veins. He's being infected ever since,"

"Luka Couffaine... he's the pure soul you speak off," Gabriel stated. It made a lot of sense. He was a gentle and sweet boy and he recalled Adrien discussing with Felix and Kagami how to cheer him up plus that's why the Gang of Secrets and Lies got akumatized. All because Simme had infected Luka with despair. Gabriel would have felt bad about everything he had done to him and that was happening to him if he had a heart... but he saw it as a necessary evil. Another sacrifice to get his wife back. "Is that why he reacts so strangely to the akumas?"

Simme gave him a confused look.

"When I have tried to akumatize him, he is able to resist them and once they're rejected... they trigger fits... like he has epilepsy or something," He explains. "The only other person who the same reaction was my nephew Felix but he didn't reject the akuma,"

"Oh, that's even more interesting!" Simme grinned. He already knew that Luka was the mage but he didn't need them to know. "Seems like my pure boy is also a mage,"

"What?!" Both Su Han and Gabriel gasped.

"As is that other boy... Felix was it?" He asked, making Gabriel nod before he glanced towards Su Han. "Why are you surprised? Mr Agreste, I can understand but you shouldn't be,"

"What do you mean?" Gabriel asked. Could Luka truly be a mage and Felix too? Simme rolled his eyes.

"One of the effects of the Celestial Mage being in the world is mages," He answered, making the fashion designer frown. "Basically, his presence awakens the innate ability to use magic in some individuals and to be able to use it, they just need a spark to activate that latent ability,"

"So you're saying by trying to akumatize Luka, I awakened his own magic,"

"And that Felix child too," He answered, drawing attention away from Luka. "But an akuma isn't always going to awaken someone's magic. It's different for everyone or so that old coot Feng explains it that way,"

"Great! More mages!" Su Han gasped, clearly not putting two and two together. "Just what I need! This Luka... he must have been close to Anatis to cause the trigger of magic?"

"Luka is one of Anatis' allies," Gabriel confirmed. "So much that Anatis once trusted him with a miraculous when he had come close to defeat. If it wasn't for that boy, I would have captured Anatis, Lady Noir and all of the kwamis but nope! That boy is even more crafty and clever than Anatis! Not to mention, the resistance to akumas!"

Gabriel gritted his teeth annoyed.

"If I could just akumatize him then he would be the one to bring down Anatis! I know it!"

"Hm! Seems like you just have a grudge against the child because he bested you when you were so close to victory," Su Han stated. "I thought you'd be use to that by now,"

Gabriel glared at him as Natalie cleared her throat.

"Perhaps you should redirect your energy to the guardians of the miraculous for now, Guardian Su Han. You will need to do damage control to ensure the others don't catch on to the fact that you're not the true celestial guardian right?" She pointed out, making Su Han grit his teeth. As much as it pained him, he agreed with her plus it may be time to start looking into his back up plan, especially with the fact that Anatis has locked the boxes. When he and Cobra went back to their main temple, Cobra had began to glow like the other assassins had when Anatis had become guardian and his miraculous was forcefully called back to the box. It turned out the only reason why it hadn't happened in Paris was because he hadn't been close enough to the box the Cobra was from for the spell to activate. It had also happened to a number of other holders and now they were all locked out of the miracle boxes and he didn't have the true authority to undo it. He would have to activate the Calamitous completely if they couldn't get into the boxes. He had already test ran one of them but Anatis had claimed it. He would just have to reclaim it at some point but for now, he needed to continue to deal with the fallout of Anatis' becoming guardian. He'd have to worry about the Wasp Miraculous later. He took a deep breath and turned to Natalie.

"Yes, you are right," He answered. "For now, I will take my leave,"

He nods and leaves with the assassin. Simme, however, hung about.

"So you've being trying to akuma the child of light hm?" He asked, making Gabriel look at him with annoyance but he turned it with a grin full of sharp teeth. "You should try again,"

"You would encourage it but you did mention you had infected him with despair," He mumbled, the clogs in his head turning. "This time it could finally work,"

"Sir, is that a good idea?" Natalie asked, making him turn to her. She had heard about how demented Luka had looked when Scarlet Moth had managed to break through his defenses with the scarlet akumas. Adrien had told her. He had been one of the few students who had resisted the akuma and he had told her how scary the situation was, especially when he saw Luka fitting the way he did. 

"Of course," He answered, making Simme smirk wickedly as he took out his phone. "And to make sure it works, we'll push him to the edge,"

He dialed a number and put it to his ear.

"Hello, Mr Rossi. My name is Gabriel Agreste... Yes, your daughter's boss... that's right," He smirked as Simme grinned even more and Natalie frowned. What was his plan? "I heard about your daughter's plight at school regarding the restraining order that young Luka Couffaine has against her,"

He paused for a second as Mr Rossi began to talk about how unfair it was that this 'nasty punk' had blamed his 'precious angel' for the things he had and how he had convinced even a court of law that he was the victim. Gabriel made a face of disgust as Mr Rossi briefly ranted about how boys can't be victims and how Luka should 'man up'. He rolled his eyes in annoyance and was tempted to call Mr Rossi an old fashioned idiot who viewed toxic masculinity as a good thing before hanging up and blacklisting him and his bratty daughter. However, Lila was too much of a useful tool to actually do so. He might disagree with how the Rossi family acted but not enough to actually cut them off.

"Ah how terrible and Lila is suffering I imagine?" He asked, knowing full well she wasn't but he would bet that the moment she was in her parents' sight, she would put on that mask, pull out the crocodile tears and make out that her day was so terrible at school. Especially to her father and that gullible man would buy it instantly. That's probably why he has repeatedly tried to get the restraining order removed. "Of course, you have my sympathies. In fact, I couldn't help but notice that it seems to be affecting her at work as well and we, at Gabriel, view all of our employees as family so I wanted to reach out and offer help. I would be more than happy to lend you my legal team,"

Mr Rossi began to thank Gabriel straight away.

"Of course,"

~The Liberty~

Luka sat on his bed with his eyes closed as he focused on his thoughts. Since making the choice to face the Truth head on, he's tried to remain calm so he had taken up meditation again. He knew it was going to happen but he needed time to tie up loose ends and create his plan. Luckily, the meditation was helping a little and Hawkmoth hadn't made any akumas recently so he hadn't needed to use Tikki. Currently, she still had hold of the earrings. He had instructed her to hide them but she said she shouldn't hide them yet in case Hawkmoth akumatized someone else first. Since she had a point, he agreed but on the condition that the moment he is possessed by an akuma, she hides them. She would know since she's been staying as close to him as she can. He took a deep breath as the smell of white sage surrounded him. He had chosen to light some incense for this particular session. He had already written the letter to Lady Noir and had given Sass the instruction to deliver it. He had also contacted Marianne about magic. Since she had Master Fu living with her, she had to take back her offer to teach him magic. Luckily, he had his past lives to teach but it wasn't really for him. He wanted to learn it from someone else so he would be able to guide Felix plus it would be nice to be able to get a different perspective other than his past lives. Regarding the lessons though, they both agreed that it was too risky plus she was based in London but she had given him the address of Paris' Acting Grand Mage aka The Swan Holder Atrarus. He was very surprised to find it was Felix' home address but he now had an idea of who Atrarus was. However, he would address that once he got past Truth. He wouldn't deny it though. Having a mentor again would be nice and Atrarus was a mage too. He had helped with the battle against Black Swan and Assassin Bee as well as Brumus and Lady Ombre. That had made him think about that battle too. Meeting Brumus had taught him some truths. Firstly, he wasn't alone and that hope was powerful. He had forgotten both of those when facing the Gang of Secrets and Lies but now that he had made the choice to face the Truth head on, he remembered them. He let out another breath. Now was the time to address some things. Sure, he had to deal with meeting the Acting Grand Mage after Truth but there were some things he needed to address. After all, he had been neglecting a lot of his work. Jessica, the holder of the Falcon Miraculous, had contacted him about a couple of things, including the return of a guardian and her miraculous being revoked by the box when he was named Guardian but he hadn't really messaged her back at all. He had briefly replied saying he would look into it when the guardian appeared but he hadn't. The combination of the Scarlet Moth attack, Lady Blanche, Simme, Issac, Bob and the trial as well as Black Swan, Assassin Bee, the loss of Dr Mila and Master Fu and his own depression, he had been too overwhelmed and distracted to do anything. He needed to address it and apologise to her. He opened his eyes and got off his bed, glancing at the Kwamis. They were all sat in the same position he was, breathing in softly and meditating. Though he was sure a few of them had fallen asleep. He gently cleared his voice, causing most of them to open their eyes and look at him. Though a few snoozed away.

"Kaalki, I'm going to need to borrow your power," He declared, making Kaalki fly up and nod. "I want to sort out some things before I get... you know. Is that ok?"

"Of course, Luka," Kaalki replied, making Luka nod before he took the musical miracle box off itself and turned the key, causing it to pop open with its compartments. He took out the horse miraculous and put them on before turning the key again, making the box lock. He put it back on the shelf.

"Ok, Sass, Tikki and Vernn. You're in charge until I return," Luka declared before he opened his drawers and took out a bag of apple flavored candies. They lasted longer than apple slices and Kaalki seemed to like them too. He put them in his pocket and tapped the glasses. "Kaalki, Full Gallop,"

He turned into Appalo before he held out his hand and summoned a circle of light, declaring voyage before he threw it. It opened up to a portal and he stepped through it into New York City. The portal closed and he called off the transformation before giving Kaalki one of the candies. He walked over to the edge of the skyscraper they were on and glanced down. He kind of wished he had Tikki with him so he could swing through the city. Despite that it had only been a couple of days, he missed the feeling of being Anatis. 

"I'm ready," Kaalki declared, flying over to him. He smiled and nodded.

"Ok. Kaalki, Full Gallop," He declared, turning back into Appalo. He took out his horse shoe and took out the built-in phone. He put the horseshoe back on his back and texted Jessica before he moved over to the centre of the building and sat down. A few minutes later, she turned up as Sparrow and landed on the building as he stood up. 

"Who are you?" She asked, crossing her arms. "I was expecting my friend Anatis but-"

"I am Anatis," He answered. "I'm just using the horse miraculous today,"

"Oh..." She answered but he frowned. He could hear she was annoyed through her song. He didn't blame her for one second. He hadn't been a very good friend to her or anyone in fact. "Well... it's nice for you to finally get in contact,"

"I'm sorry," He stared, making her feel surprised. She was expecting excuses, not an apology. "I'm so sorry I haven't been here, Falcon. I should have been a better friend and ally. I should have made an effort and I failed. I'm sorry,"

He felt tears pricking his eyes before they began to fall as she seemed to notice.

"Whoa, hey it's ok, Anatis.. uh..." She gasped, moving over. "Please don't cry. You're a great friend,"

"I'm n-not," He whispered, wiping his eyes. "I should have come here sooner and helped you work out what to do with this new guardian and the miraculous but I got too consumed by my own life and I couldn't..."

"Hey, it's ok," She reassured, gently putting her hand on his shoulder. "You're here now so that's all that matters to me,"

"It's my fault, Falcon," He whispered, making her frown. "I'm the reason why you can't get your miraculous right now,"

"What do you mean?" She asked, not in a judgmental way but out of genuine curiosity and concern. She had viewed Anatis as powerful and untouchable. Nothing seemed to bother him when they met and he was brave enough to challenge her mother's view and even changed it but the boy before her is a shadow of the hero she had met. He was broken. "Anatis, what happened to you?"

He slowly looked up at her and even though she couldn't really see his eyes, she could see the tears rolling down his face.

"Look, whatever happened, you can tell me ok? We're friends and friends help each other," She declared, rubbing his arm. He nodded and wiped away his tears before he sat down. She sat next to him and slowly he began to speak. He told her about everything as once he began to speak about it, he couldn't stop. He told her about Feast and how he unintentionally unleashed an ancient evil into the world and that he had restored the miraculous temple. That explained why the guardian had turned up then he explained everything else and the more she listened, the more her heart ached and she understood why he hadn't been in contact. It was one thing after another. Both in his personal life and his hero life. Firstly, he witnessed the almost end of the world and had to fight Lady Noire akumatized and couldn't really tell anyone about it. He told her that he had told Lady Noir a little bit about it but had held so much back out of fear of driving her into becoming Lady Blanche again. Then he had been repeatedly targeted by hawkmoth in his civilian life, resulting in hospitalization and trauma then he had to deal with a court case that involved his abusive step father. She had no idea he had been through such a thing but that wasn't even the worst. He described how the ancient evil was influencing people and turning them into akumas and how one of his friends took an akuma and an amok in his place, only to be hospitalized as well. He then told her how he lost his mentors. One was murdered and the other gave up his memories so Hawkmoth wouldn't get the miraculous. She put her hand over his mouth as he explained that. It was obvious that he blamed himself. "Jeez, Anatis... I'm so sorry,"

"I-its not your fault..." He muttered, looking down. She could tell there was more. "That ancient evil I said about... it's an evil spirit born from the cruelty of humans... and it wants to eat my soul,"

"Oh god," She gasped. "Why?"

"I'm a pure soul," He answered before explaining what it was. She frowned as she listened. "And if he consumes a pure soul, the balance will be tipped and our world will be consumed by full darkness and wickedness. So it infected me with despair and has been trying to drive me into willingly giving it my soul.. and just to really make things worse, Hawkmoth just won't leave me or my family alone! Most of my friends were akumatized minus two and then as if that wasn't bad enough, he akumatized my mother and I made her feel like she is a terrible mother but that's not true! I'm the terrible one! Not her!"

He hid his face in his knees as he shook, crying. Sparrow gently placed her hand on his back. All her anger was gone. How could she be angry at him? He had gone through more than anyone should have gone through. He slowly lifted his head and wiped his face again.

"I can't even cry like this at home because Hawkmoth just won't leave me alone!" He cried out, making her pull him in her arms. He wrapped his arms around her but she could feel the hesitation in his movements. She suspected that he didn't intend to speak about any of this but it was clear he needed it. Slowly, he finally calmed down and pulled away. "Sorry..."

"It's fine," She answered. "But have you not talked to Lady Noire about this?"

"I-I've only told her so much but i can't tell her everything, especially with my civilian life," He explained as he hugged his knees. "Besides, I don't want to be a burden to her or to you... or anyone,"

"You're not a burden," She reassured but he sighed.

"I came here to try and help you but all I've done is cried on you and made excuses,"

"Anatis... I don't think those are excuses but legit reasons. You've gone through so much recently," She answered, making him frown. He knew she had a point. They sat there in silence for a few minutes before Sparrow looked up at the sky. "So the miracle box... it locked because you became guardian?"

"Yeah," He nodded, wondering how to explain it. "When Master Fu passed on his role as guardian to me, it didn't just make me the guardian of his box but restored a good amount of my authority as celestial guardian,"

"Celestial guardian?" She asked, making him nod.

"It's a long story but to sum it up... I'm the recent life of the man who made the miraculous," He answered, making her blink. Anatis was the recent life of the person who had created the miraculous? Damn, that's crazy. "Anyway, I assume your miraculous went back into its box about a week or so ago,"

"Yeah, the Guardian Mau Tau is locked out of the box," She explained, making him frown. "If you want, I can call him here so you can meet him?"

"Yes. I think that's a good idea," He nodded, wiping away his tears. She nodded and took out her phone and dialed a number. It rang for a few minutes.

"Hello?" A male voice answered. "Falcon? Are you ok?"

"Yes, Guardian. I actually am calling on behalf of a friend who wishes to meet you," She explained, making him ask who. "He can help us with the box,"

"... I'll be there in a few minutes," He answered before he hung up. Not even ten minutes later, an older man dressed in the same monk garb as Su Han jumped up on the building. He had long gray hair and bushy eyebrows. He had a mole on his face as well. His jaw was defined and his nose was large but while he looked stern, there was also a sense of kindness. In his arm was a simple wooden box with a silver key in a lock. Appalo got up and bowed towards him, causing the guardian to respond in kind. "I am Guardian Mau Tau and you are?"

"Anatis, the holder of the ladybug miraculous and..." He pauses as he sees the kwamis of the native box peeking out. "The kwamis can leave the box?"

"Yes. It happened three nights ago. The same thing has occurred to all boxes in the order's care," He answered, making Appalo rub the back of his neck. "You know something about this?"

"Yes," He answered. "I... I gave them permission to do so,"

"You gave them permission?" He questioned before he narrowed his eyes. "Just who are you really? And I don't mean your hero name,"

Appalo nodded before he turned to Sparrow.

"Sparrow... could you give us some privacy for a few minutes?" He asked, making her nod before she walked over to the other side of the building and turned her back to them. "Kaalki, Dismount,"

He turned back into Luka before he took off the glasses and took a deep breath. He didn't know if this would work.

"Feng... Khnurn... Alpheus... Rene... Toutai... lend me your energy," He whispered, causing the guardian to gasp in shock. He felt their energies engulf him before he opened his eyes, showing them as silver. Instantly, Mau Tau knelt before him.

"Celestial Guardian... you have returned," He declared, bowing his head before he lifted his head. "I knew that pretender Su Han wasn't the true guardian. I knew Toutai would not have named him that,"

"You knew Toutai?" He asked, making him nod.

"I was the same generation of trainee guardians as Toutai, Su Han and Hua Mulan," He answered. "I was never truly close with them in the sense of friendship but Toutai had hand-picked me as guardian of the native box and I also tried to keep his teachings alive, even when Su Han tried to erase them. I tried to defend the children under his so-called care. He intended to banish me and strip me of my title but before he could, that sentimonster attacked and ate us all. I managed to get his apprentice out of the temple before it could consume him but it consumed me. However, after the temple was restored, I grabbed my box and left before Su Han could do anything. I intended to take back the Falcon miraculous and hide at the Antarctic temple but the young hero made me change my mind and stay here. Su Han did briefly try to reclaim my box but Majestia and Knightowl scared him off,"

"The Antarctic temple?" Luka asked. Mau Tau's song spoke of honesty and regret and Luka found his gut told him he could be trusted and was telling the truth.

"Yes, it's an ancient site and said to be built by Hao Feng himself. Not as a base of operations but as a safe haven," He answered, making Luka think. A safe haven? Why would Feng need a safe haven? "But apparently, he never used it himself. In fact, none of the celestial guardians have used it,"

"Even Su Han?"

"Su Han declared it as a pointless site and refused to send anyone to it," He answered, making Luka frown. "It's probably in disarray,"

"I see," Luka muttered as he thought about it. "A safe haven..." 

"Kāimíng yī?" Mau Tau asked, making Luka blink and look at him. He didn't expect him to use the same title Fu had. He sighed and ran his fingers through his hair. "Forgive me if this is not my place but you look stressed,"

"Mau Tau, what do you know about Simme?" Luka asked, making the guardian go pale as his eyes widened in fear. He had obviously heard of the spirit at the least. Maybe had even met him. "Have you seen him?"

"I have," He answered, frowning. "Within the belly of that hungry sentimonster, I came to realize a terrible truth. Simme was active within the order and Su Han is working with him,"

"And how does that make you feel?" Luka asked. He needed to know if he could trust Mau Tau. Currently, his music was calm and it reminded Luka of the Bear Renling Xiong Xiong but as Mau Tau thought about how he felt about Simme, his music changed. Fear began to be the most played note. However, Luka needed to know if he would be honest about it.

"I... I felt afraid," He admitted as Luka listened even more. "That is part of the reason why I grabbed my box and left but I can promise you this, Kāimíng yī. I am not on Su Han's side,"

Luka looked at him, searching for any signs of deceit in his expression and heart song but let out a sigh of relief before he held out his hand, making Mau Tau look confused.

"Your miracle box please," He states, making Mau Tau slowly hand it to him. Luka examined the now musical box with interest before he gently taps it. "Mind coming out? I want to ask you some questions,"

One of the Kwamis poked their heads out before all of them flew out. They looked at each other with fear and uncertainty before they all nodded and Liiri flew forward.

"Uh since I've had the most contact with humans in recent years, I will act as the voice of the Native Kwamis," He declared, making Luka chuckle a little. "So... Do we need to be concerned?"

"No," Luka smiled reassuringly. "I just want to know your thoughts on Mau Tau as your guardian,"

Liiri looked surprised before he turned back to the others and they whispered to each other in hushed voices before Liiri turned back.

"All of us agree that he is the best guardian. He's fair to us, gives us treats and isn't cruel," He explained. "He also protected the kwamis that got caught up in the Sentimonster's belly,"

"So you all would be happy to continue with him as your guardian?" Luka asked, making all the kwamis nod. "Thank you. You can go back in your box if you want,"

He didn't wait for them to go into the box as he looked at Mau Tau.

"The kwamis speak highly of you and your heartsong has been honest from the beginning," He replied, walking over to him. "And I know Jessica trusts you as well... which is why I have decided to allow you to remain the guardian of the Native box,"

He gently places the box back into his hand.

"Mau Tau, I trust the role of guardian for the Native box to you," He declared, causing the box to glow gold before Mau Tau also glowed gold. "From now on, you can access the miraculous within and look after the Kwamis. You will be kind to them and look after them. You will also guide any current or future heroes and will only give miraculous to those who are worthy and for the greater good. If you ever fall to corruption, turn against myself and your heroes or harm the kwamis, the box will lock you out of it and return itself to me. You will lose your role as guardian. Is that understood?"

"Yes," He replied, bowing as Luka turned back to Appalo, causing Sparrow to come back over. "You have my word, Kāimíng yī and if you need anything, I will do my best to help you,"

Appalo paused for a moment before he turned to both of them.

"There is something I need your help with," 

~Later That Evening in Shanghai~

A portal opened up in the Dragon's cave before Appalo stepped out. His glasses beeped before he turned back into Luka and caught Kaalki. He reached into his pocket and took out an apple candy before he gave it to Kaalki and took off his glasses. The little kwami took it and began to eat it as Luka gently placed her on his shoulder as he walked farther into the cave.

"Meishi?" He called out before a deep growl echoed and a full size lion spirit stepped out.

"Who dares enter my cave?" He growled before his eyes landed on Luka before his expression became more friendly. "Móshù zhīzǐ, you have returned,"

"You recognize me even though I'm not Anatis right now?" Luka asked, amazed. Meishi glowed and turned back into his small form before flying over.

"Of course," He nodded. "So what can this old spirit do for you?"

"I wanted some advice," He admits, sitting down as Meishi settled into his hands. "I have an upcoming battle and I'm... I'm scared, Meishi. There's a chance I will lose myself and I don't know how to prevent that. I was hoping you could give me some advice,"

"It sounds like to me you need to speak the spirit of Valor," Meishi stated, making Luka blink. "Valor is great courage when facing danger and this battle you speak of sounds like it is going to be very dangerous so if I were you, I'd talk to her,"

"Where can I find her?"

"In your hometown, Móshù zhīzǐ," Meishi answered. "Where the dead rest,"

The catacombs then. Luka let out a nod and stood up as Meishi flew up.

"Kaalki, are you ready?" He asked, making her nod before he put the glasses back on before he tapped them. "Kaalki, Full Gallop,"

He turned back into Appalo before he held out his hand and summoned a circle of light.

"Voyage!" He declared before throwing it, causing a portal to the catacombs to open. He turned to Meishi. "Thank you for listening to me, Meishi. I appreciate it.."

He turned back to the portal before he stopped for a moment.

"Tell Fei I say hi please," He smiled weakly, causing Meishi to nod before he stepped through. The portal closed behind him and he glanced around as his 'horse' vision lit up to allow him to see a bit better in the dark area. He walked over to an old torch and touched it, closing his eyes. "Alpheus, lend me your power,"

He felt a spark of magic flow through him before he clicked his fingers, causing the torch to set on fire. He picked it up and glanced around, noticing spirit trails before he began to follow them deeper into the catacombs. As he walked, his glasses beeped and he turned back into Luka, causing him to catch Kaalki again. He gently put her on his shoulder again and reached into his pocket for another apple candy.

"This will be our last trip," He explained, making her nod as he handed her the candy before they continued to walk as they followed the spirit trails. They came to an old looking door before Luka held out his hand. "Kcolnu,"

The lock on the door clicked and he pushed it open, walking into the circular room. Inside the room was an altar with a cross on and a statue of a woman kneeling in front of it. This place used to be a church. He looked around, noticing a baptism well that had dried up and some broken statues of saints. He walked over to the statue of the woman, which happened to be where the spirit trails converse on. He walked around it, seeing she was holding a sword and around her neck was a single golden feather. He knelt down and gently touched it, causing his head to pulse a little as he saw images of the woman and her comrades, fighting and defending Paris with several miraculous including the ladybug and black cat miraculous. In the images, he also saw Sir Rene with her.

"Jeanne D'arc," He whispered, letting go of the feather and gently placing his hand on the statue. As soon as he did, the statue began to glow golden before she suddenly stood up and stepped away from the statue.

"You called?" She answered, making him blink before she looked at him. "You are the child Rene told me about. The child who defends Paris,"

"You know me?" He asked, surprised but he recalled his distant memory telling her to watch over his future lives. She nodded as she looked at him. "I remember... it was when I was dying for the fourth time..."

"You recall your past lives?" She asked, a little amazed.

"Sometimes," He admitted. "It's like distant memories but that's not why I'm here. You're the spirit of Valour, aren't you?"

"Yes, Rene... I mean you... granted me the role as a way to guide your future lives..."

"That's not why we did it," He answered, making her frown before he placed his hand on his heart. "Guilt. Rene blamed himself for your death and he wanted to grant you a chance to 'live' but we are not necromancers nor do we have access to life magic so Rene used his magic to make an amulet that allowed you to be a spirit so you could roam freely in the world without fearing of dying,"

"Typical Rene," She smiled, gently touching the feather around her neck. "I never blamed him for it was never his fault but enough of the past. You seeked me out, child. What is it you need?"

He paused before he turned to the cross.

"Simme is after me," He stated, making her frown. "And I have to face the Truth but I'm afraid. If I don't face the Truth and keep resisting the akumas, Simme will win and devour my soul but if I let myself become an akuma, there's a chance I'll lose myself,"

He paused and looked at her, making her frown. It was hard to see him as an ancient mage or spirit when he looked so young and vulnerable.

"I know what I have to do but I'm scared," He stated. She walked over to him and wrapped her arms around his shoulders. He hugged back before she gently pulled away.

"I understand your fear," She stated, making him look at her. "I too was afraid when I had to face my fate but you must remember, young one, that you are not alone. You have people who care about you,"

"How do I face this battle?" He asked, making her kneel in front of him. "What if I fail and Simme wins?"

"Listen to me. You will not fail. No matter what Simme whispers to you. He may tell you you're weak but you are not. Being weak is being a coward and you are not that," She answered. "You are brave, kind and gentle and nothing will ever change that. Regardless, if you find you're losing yourself then trust in those who care about you to bring you back. I will be there to bring you back to the light and I know I won't be the only one,"

He could feel the sincerity in her voice and in her heartsong. She was being truthful with him and she was right. If he did begin to lose himself then he could trust her and his friends to bring him back. Lady Noir would go to hell and back to save him. Juleka, Rose and Ivan would fight Hawkmoth himself to save him. His mother would never give up on him. Felix, Adrien and Kagami would walk the earth to find him again. Nino, Kim and Max would challenge anyone to fight for him. Chloe and Sabrina would fight God to bring him back... and Finni, Rene, Alpheus, Khnurn, Toutai and Feng would traverse time itself to save and help him. He was not facing this battle alone and he was never going to be. That was one of his truths. He was not alone.

"Thank you, Jeanne," He smiled, looking at her. She smiled back. "I think I have a little bit more preparation to do but thank you... I feel a little better,"

"Well, young one, if you need my help, you just need to ask," Jeanne replied.

"Well, I may need a hand with some spiritual healing after this whole thing," He mentioned before looking at her. "Think you could help me with that?"

"I can certainly try,"  She declared, making him smile in relief. With that, he turned back into his Appalo form and headed back to his room on the Liberty. He dropped his transformation and caught Kaalki as the other kwamis looked over at him. He thanked her for her help before placing her gently on the table and going into the kitchen. No one was around so he just made a sandwich for himself and cut up a fresh apple for her before returning to his room. He sat down at his desk and began to write a letter to Lady Noire to explain his sudden disappearance. "Tikki?"

"Yes, Luka," She answered.

"Would you be ok with Juleka being your holder temporarily? I said that you should bring them to her if I'm in hospital and an akuma appears but I want to know if you're actually ok with her taking over my duty temporarily," He explained, making her look at him with a thoughtful expression before she nodded. "Ok, I'll write a letter for Juleka to explain,"

She nodded as he continued and soon the letters were done. He runs his fingers through his hair before he turns to the kwamis.

"Ok, Tikki, I'll put the letter in here and if and when it happens, you bring both the letter and your miraculous to her," He explained, making her nod before he turned to the kwamis of the Western Miracle box. "I've written three other letters. One for Lady Noir, one for Alix and one for Atratus. Sass, as I mentioned earlier, I want you to deliver the letter to Lady Noir but it will be after I've been deakumatized. It will explain what will happen to me as Luka and why Anatis won't be around for a little bit,"

"Of course, Luka, you can rely on me,"

"I know," Luka smiled before turning to Bennu. "I want you to deliver the letter for Atratus and I want you to deliver it tonight. I'm sure he's been having dreams about this and I want to reassure him that this is the best outcome. I also want you to take the other kwamis who don't have a holder right now with you. I've put in the letter that I need him to protect them from Su Han, Hawkmoth and my akumatized self. I'm not too worried about the actual boxes as only I can open them but also I'll be doing a protection and camouflage spell tonight before I go to sleep,"

"Ok. Am I allowed to bring my miraculous with me?"

"Yes. That way, Felix can transform straight away if he needs to," Luka agreed, making Bennu nod. "Vernn, since Alix is most familiar with Sir Rene from my past lives, I'll be getting you to deliver the letter for her if that's ok?"

"Of course, my liege!"

"I will also allow you to bring your miraculous with you so you can go straight to Renee afterwards," He answered. "In fact, all active kwamis can take their miraculous to their current holders so everyone is ready to deal with me,"

"You've really put a lot of thought into this," A kwami that resembled a firefly stated. Luka recalled that their name was Luzz and their concept was summer. "We're fortunate to have a kind and understanding guardian,"

"Thank you, Luzz but what I'm doing is just my job and making sure you're all ok," He explains, making Luzz buzz happily that he knows his name. "I want to make sure you're all safe and that my friends are well equipped to save me,"

"You trust them to do so?" Penni asked, making Luka nod.

"Of course," He answered. "I trust all my friends including all of you,"

"W-We're your friends?" Stingg asked shyly. Luka gave them a soft look.

"Of course," He smiled softly. "All you are my friends. I love and trust all of you,"

"Luka..." Tikki whispered, feeling her heart touched by his heartfelt words and apparently she wasn't the only one. All of the kwamis felt loved and special. Not just that but his words reminded them of Feng when he was a young boy. If there was ever any doubt that he was Feng's recent life, it was completely dispelled just from those words alone.

"Right. Let's continue with the plan,"

~The Next Morning~

When Luka woke up the next morning, he frowned to himself as his room seemed empty without the kwamis. Tikki was probably near by but he had managed to convince her to still keep her distance. He sighed but got up regardless. After all, he had sent them on their way to protect them and to ensure that the past Anatis didn't need to grab any miraculous. He also didn't know how his akumatized self was going to react. For all he knew he may try and go after the kwamis. What if he blamed them for his akumatization? Or what if he tries to use all the miraculous at once? He gripped his head at the very thought of a miraculous powered spirit-mage that was also akumatized. It had already being a struggle against Miraclonzier so he dreaded to think what it would be like against a miraculous powered supervillain with access to magic. Especially if it was him. He tried to think back to what he had experienced as the past Anatis who fought against Truth. He didn't recall Truth seeking out another miraculous. Like Yan Woshi, Truth seemed hyperfixstated on his goal of revealing the truth and punishing those he deemed wicked. It seems that even as a crazed akuma he still had some sort of sense of justice... even if it was twisted. He slipped his slippers on and quickly when the bathroom, cleaning his hands before he went into the kitchen. Anarka was sat, reading a letter and looking stressed.

"Ma?" He asked, making her look up. She quickly put a smile on but he could tell by her song she was worried. "What's wrong?"

She let out a sigh and took a moment to work out what to say.

"It's the restraining order we have against that Lila Rossi girl," She stated, making his heart fill with dread. "Her new lawyers have challenged it again, stating misconduct within the court. Their argument is that the court itself has mistreated the restraining order by treating it as a permanent one when it was only temporary and if we want to apply for permanent one, we have to make a new case,"

"But don't her lawyers have to apply for its removal and we have to do a court date to determine if it should be lifted?" He asked. That's what they did last time her lawyers tried to get it removed. It didn't work but his gut was telling him that it wasn't the case this time and judging by his ma's expression, his gut was right. "Ma?"

"A judge already signed off to be lifted," She frowned deeply before running her fingers through her hair. "It's not how it's supposed to work but given who the new lawyers actually belong to... I suspect the judge may received a nice, fat check,"

"You think that Lila and her family brought the judge?" He asked, frowning. He wouldn't put it past her or her father to do so. "Wait... you said new lawyers..."

"Yes. Mr Agreste seems to have provided his legal team to help her," She explained, making him look at her with a mix of shock and horror.

"Gabriel Agreste lent her his team?" He gasped in shock but at the same time, he wasn't surprised. He had suspected Agreste of being Hawkmoth or one of his allies for ages and this seemed to confirm it. No one in their right mind would lend a legal team to a girl like that, especially after she had been called out by the city's respected hero unless they were working with Hawkmoth. His mother nodded, making him sit down. "Why would he do that?"

"I don't know, lad," She sighed before she gently took his hand in hers. "But don't you worry. I'll call Jagged and we'll get this sorted ok?"

"I... I know," He nodded, frowning. "... Could I go to school today?"

"Are you sure? She'll probably be there," She stated, making him nod.

"I know but I really miss my friends and I think it would do me good, even if she's there," He answered, making her nod.

"Then of course, you can but if it feels too much or she tries anything, you go straight to Mr Damocles and report her. And if he doesn't do anything, you come right back here ok?" She stated, making him nod in agreement. She gives him a smile before letting go of his hand. He finished his breakfast before going to get ready for school. He looked over at the miracle boxes and sighed.

"The sooner this happens, the quicker I can get back to normal," He mumbles before he slipped on his shoes and grabbed his back. He caught up with Juleka, who looked at him with surprise. "I'm going to school today,"

"Are you ok with that?" She asked, making him nod.

"It was my idea," He answered as he walked with her. "I can't keep hiding in my room right?"

"Well, if it gets too much, no one will judge you going back home,"

"Thanks, Jules," He smiled a little. "Oh you should know. The restraining order against Lila has been dropped. Ma's trying to get it sorted out but she might not be able to,"

"Well, if she tries to come near you, I'm punching her again,"

"Ah she'll probably try to use that as "proof" that she's the victim," He pointed out, making Juleka frown. He had a point unfortunately. "I'll just do my best to avoid her and shut her down before she can start anything,"

Juleka nodded as they arrived in front of the school where some of their friends were waiting. As soon as they all saw Luka, they flocked to him. Rose hugged him and Ivan patted his arm happily. Marinette however wasn't there yet and neither were Adrien, Kagami or Felix.

"We're gonna head into the canteen. Rose wants to get a drink," Juleka mumbled, making him nod. "Want to join us?"

"I'm alright," He answered, taking out his phone and sending a text. "I'm going to wait for Marinette,"

"Ok," Juleka nodded before her, Rose and Ivan headed inside. Luka took a seat on the wall as he waited. It felt weird not having Tikki pop her head out but he only had to deal with it for a short amount of time plus he could sense her nearby, keeping to their deal of staying far enough to stay safe and hidden but close enough to give him the earrings if anyone else gets akumatized. He glanced over and saw her hiding in the flower bush. He went to smile but it turned to a frown as he saw Lila getting out of a car and waving to her father. As soon as she saw him, she smirked wickedly at him before walking towards the entrance. As soon as her father had driven off though, she made a beeline for him.

"I'm surprised you even bothered to show your face today," She answered, her smirk was clear and triumphant. Like she had won. "Anyway, your stupid little 'restraining order' has been removed, meaning I no longer have to keep my distance from you and believe me when I say you're gonna wish you stayed at home. In fact, you're gonna wish you had taken me up on the offer to be my friend because I am going to make your life a living hell!"

Before she could say anything else, she was suddenly pulled back by Kagami and knocked to the ground as Kagami's fist met her face. Lila let out a dramatic gasp as she looked up at her.

"Y-you'll regret that!" She gasped, getting up and rushing inside as Adrien and Felix came over.

"Are you ok, Luka?" Kagami asked, making him nod. "Why was she near you?"

He sighed and explained about the restraining order being lifted and that his ma is being forced to reapply for it and resubmit evidence, all thanks to Gabriel giving her access to his legal team. Kagami looked shocked, Felix rolled his eyes and Adrien looked guilty.

"I'm so sorry, Luka. I found out this morning from Lila at our photoshoot but father refused to listen to me when I tried to tell him it was a bad idea," He stated, frowning. "He said it was to improve her work effect and that Gabriel looks after its employees,"

"It's ok, Adrien," Luka replied. "You're not your father and you're my friend so don't worry ok? I'm not angry at you,"

He looked at Kagami.

"Thanks for standing up for me, Kagami,"

"Well, she'll probably try to use it as a way to make all of our lives worse but I couldn't let her talk to you like that," She replied, making him smile a little. "Anyway, me and Adrien are about to have a training match and Felix agreed to be the ref. Would you like to join us?"

"I'm waiting for Marinette," Luka replied, making the three of them nod. "Have fun though,"

"We will," Adrien grinned as Kagami nodded.

"See you in class, Luka," Felix smiled before he turned to them two. "I hope you realize I'm not easy to impress,"

The three of them walked off, leaving Luka alone again but a few moments later, he heard his name being yelled. He looked in the direction of the voice and smiled as Marinette rushed over to him. However, a bus turned and headed right towards her, making him jump up in fear.

"Tikki! Spots on!" He declared and of course nothing happened as Tikki nor her miraculous was there... even though she had been. He looked to the bush she had been in but she was gone. However, Marinette was about to get hurt so he rushed over as people yelled out in shock. Marinette's eyes went wide as the bus driver tried to pull the brakes but before it could hit her, the scene suddenly changed and he was back sitting on the wall, breathing in heavily as the shadows moved around him and Simme's laugh echoed. It wasn't real. It had been a cruel illusion from Simme. "Leave me alone,"

Simme laughed evilly as he felt the shadows wrap around him.

"Today's the day you give into me but as a parting gift, I'll let you enjoy your last moments of peace alone," He laughed, his voice stronger than ever before the shadows melted away as the real Marinette called out to him and ran over.

"Luka! You're... Luka?" She gasped, seeing his heavy breathing and the fear in his eyes. She gently sat next to him and took his hand in hers. The feeling of Simme and his evil began to disappear as she touched him, her spell reacting to her touch. "Hey, it's ok. You're ok,"

"S-sorry," He whispered, looking at her before he gave her a weak smile. "Not quite the return I imagined,"

"It's ok," She replied, moving her arms around him. He returned the hug, burying his face into her shoulder. They stayed like that for a while before he gently pulled away, noticing Tikki in the bush. He felt a little better knowing both her and Marinette were there and ok. "I brought croissants?"

He smiled as she took them out and handed him one. He bit into it and smiled even more. They were the best tasting croissants he had in a while. Freshly baked, slightly sweet and melt in the mouth.

"I helped Mama and Papa make them,"

"They're delicious," He grinned, finishing it off and wiping his mouth. "Thanks, Melody,"

"You're welcome, Lu," She giggled, slowly eating hers. He sighed though. "What's on your mind?"

"A lot," He admitted. "But mostly legal trouble,"

She frowned at that so he explained. Her jaw dropped as he told her about the restraining order and how Lila got it removed.

"Mr Ageste lent her his legal team?!" She gasped, wondering what the fashion designer was thinking as Luka nodded. "But everyone knows she's a liar! Anatis himself called her out on multiple occasions!"

"I know," He sighed. "Adrien mentioned that it's because he's trying to 'improve her work effective'. He said he tried to tell his father that it was a bad idea..."

"But Mr Agreste refused to listen?" Marinette asked, making Luka nod. "Typical Agreste... but still he knows she's a liar and surely he knows that this might affect you and make you vulnerable to Hawkmoth,"

"I don't think he cares," He answered, frowning. He couldn't tell her that he thought Gabriel might be working for Hawkmoth or even be Hawkmoth himself. She might work out he was Anatis and last time she found out, it led to Lady Noire being akumatized but he could mention it. "Maybe Anatis is right,"

"What do you mean?" She asked, looking at him.

"When he was making his list of suspects, he wanted my opinion on it," He explained. Technically it wasn't a lie. He did review it as Luka. "He suspects that Mr Agreste may be linked to Hawkmoth,"

"And what do you think?" Marinette asked. Luka frowned a little.

"I think it's possible," He answered, wondering how she would react. He looked at him and saw her making a thoughtful expression. "Melody?"

"I think you might be right," She answered, making him blink. "If I could see anyone being Hawkmoth then it would probably be Mr Agreste. He has the most motive in the city,"

"That's what Anatis thinks too. He says Mr Agreste has the most motive and resources to be able to do it," He answered before he smiled softly and gently nudged her arm with his. "Guess creative minds think a little,"

She giggled softly before she went serious.

"We don't tell Adrien that we suspect his father right?" She asked, making Luka frown before he nodded in agreement.

"For now, we keep it to ourselves but if he asks... let's be honest with him," He answered, making Marinette nod. 

"I think that's a good idea," She agreed before the bell rang. "Time to class... will you be going to class?"

"I want to," He nodded, getting up and walking up the stairs with her. "Ma would probably cry if I said this but I missed school,"

Marinette chuckled a little, making Luka smile a little. When they came to the staircase that led to Marinette's classroom, he gave her a soft kiss on the cheek and waved as she went up to her class room before he turned to head to his but as soon as he did, a horrible and heavy feeling overcame him. Simme was back. The hair on the back of his neck stood up as he felt someone move behind him. He felt multiple hands grab him but then a hiss echoed and they pulled away. The smell of burning flesh surrounded him and made him feel sick.

"Oh would you look at that? My skin has burnt," Simme answered, walking into Luka's sight in his "human" form. He was holding his hand up that showed burn marks on it. "Finni is starting to wake up again,"

He blinked for a moment before he grinned and showed far too many sharp fangs.

"Oh well! It's not like that will make a difference," He smirked as his hand healed. "By the end of the day, you'll willingly give your soul to me,"

"That's not going to happen," Luka stated, calmly. Simme laughed and panted his cheek. A small amount of smoke rose from it as his skin burnt a little.

"You know I like your moxy, kid," He stated in a sarcastic tone before he licked his fangs with an elongated, forked tone. "It makes your soul all that more appealing,"

He stepped forward and roughly grabbed his arm, ignoring that his skin was burning.

"I'm going to take my time devouring you," He growled, making Luka try to pull away but his grip tightened as he laughed. "Look at you! So afraid! You may try to put on a brave face but you're terrified. Wanna know how I know?"

Simme leaned in as his facial features became more snake like.

"I can smell your fear!" He hissed before his jaw unhinged and he went to bite but before he could, Luka pulled his arm free and jumped back.

"Thgil!" He declared, causing a blast of light to appear from his hand. Simme let out an unnatural screech before he melted away into the shadows, leaving Luka to let out a sigh of relief before he felt an ache on his arm where Simme had grabbed him. He looked at the area and saw burn marks as well. "Great..."

He sighed and made his way to the nurse's office before he gently knocked on the door. A female voice told him to come in so he opened the door and entered as the school nurse looked up.

"Oh, hello Luka. I didn't think you were back in school yet," She smiled, making him nod. "So what can I help you with?"

"I accidentally scraped my arm on my way to class," He lied, making the feeling of guilt wash over him but it wasn't like he could tell her that he got attacked by an evil spirit. She walked over and gasped as she saw his arm.

"Luka, are you sure this is a scrap? It looks more like a burn,"

"I scrapped it a lot," He lied again, making her frown and that feeling got worse. "Sorry,"

"Hey, you don't need to apologise for it. These things happen," She answered, grabbing her supplies and treating it. He didn't correct her but he wasn't saying because he was hurt. He was saying sorry because he was lying to her. She worked quietly on his arm before she let out a smile. "There we go. It should heal ok but let me know if you get any issues ok?"

"Thank you," He smiled weakly. "I'll head back to class,"

"Here," She answered, handing him a paper slip. He looked at it with a bit of confusion. "It will let Mrs Mendeleiev know where you were,"

"Right," He nodded. "Thank you,"

He took it and left the nurse's office before going towards the class room but as he got closer, he felt nervous. What if Mrs Mendeleiev started to ask why he was off? What if she didn't accept his answer? He felt a bit sick and stepped away. However, he took a breath and tried to calm himself down. He took another breath before he walked back over to the door and opened it. Mrs Mendeleiev looked up and a look of surprise appeared on her face. The students, apart from Kagami and Felix, also looked surprised. Zoe, Marc, Aurore and Mireille smiled at him though. It didn't help. It just made him feel guilty a bit more.

"Ah, Mr Couffaine, I didn't realize you were back," She stated, making him nod before he handed her the nurse's note. She read it and nodded. "Well, you can take your usual seat but if it gets too much or you feel overwhelmed, just tell me ok?"

"Right," He nodded. "Thank you,"

He turned and walked over to his seat, sitting down as Aurora leaned over.

"Welcome back," She smiled. "We all missed you,"

He couldn't help but smile at that a little. The rest of the lesson went fairly well and passed quickly. Soon it was lunch time and Luka was making his way to the locker room to pick up something from his bag. It still felt weird not having Tikki with him but he was managing. That didn't stop him from missing her though. He wondered if she had stayed in the flower bush. He paused in front of his locker and gently touched his current earrings, sighing as he did before he shook his head and unlocked his locker. He had expected a fox necklace to fall out but nothing did. However, his relief wasn't long lived as the familiar song of Lila made his stomach drop. He grabbed his phone and closed his locker, locking it before he turned around. She was leaning against the door with that horrible smirk on her face. He couldn't help but feel sick. Not only did he have to deal with Simme, he had to deal with her as well.

"You shouldn't be in here," He stated, making her chuckle.

"Your little restraining order isn't active right now," She smirked but he shook his head. She frowned. "Why are you shaking your head? It's the truth and a fact,"

"Well, I'm genuinely surprised you are able to speak the truth or facts given your track record," He retorted, making her grit her teeth. "But I wasn't shaking my head about that. I was shaking my head because you shouldn't be in here given that it's the boys locker room,"

She blinked as if she didn't expect him to point that out.

"I was getting something for Adrien!" She gasped, having been caught out.

"I know full well that isn't true," He pointed out, making her grit her teeth before she stormed out. He sighed before waiting a few more moments then he left the room himself and headed back to the canteen. As soon as he walked in, the hair on the back of his neck stood up and a shiver went down his back. He gripped his head as Alya walked over.

"Lila said you hit her," She stated, crossing her arms. He frowned to himself. Alya had stopped believing Lila a while ago. "Why would you do that?"

"I didn't," He answered but then someone bumped into him on purpose. Felix smirked at him. "Felix?"

"Why are you lying again, Couffaine?" He asked, making Luka frown.

"I'm not a liar," He answered but then everyone in the room turned their head to him and he felt his heart rate increasing as Juleka shoved his arm painfully. "Jules?"

"You're lying again!" She growled in a way that didn't suit her. "You always lie! I try to get you to open up to me but you block me out! Ma and I both got akumatized because of your lies!"

"Yeah! You always disappear!" Ivan gasped. "Whenever we have band practice, suddenly you have to go!"

"You promise to hang out with us but you're always late!" Rose gasped as Alix nodded, along with Aurora.

"Or you make up some stupid excuse as to why you have to leave!" She added in as everyone surrounds him. Marinette makes her way to the front.

"Why do you always leave me on our dates? Don't you love me?!" She gasped angrily. "You said I'm the melody in your head but you're never there for me!"

"I... I do love you," He gasped, stepping back but apparently that wasn't good enough. Marinette clicked her tongue.

"If that was true, you'd tell me where you go," She stated, annoyed. "Where do you go, Luka? Huh?! Where do you run off to?!"

She shoved him again.

"Luka, where do you go?!" She growls. "Luka? Luka?"

He blinks and Marinette is in front of him but she doesn't look angry. She looks worried.

"Sorry," He mumbled as she gently touched his arm as he placed his hand on his head. "I think I'm overwhelmed, Melody,"

"It's ok," She reassured as Felix also walked over. "It's ok,"

"You look pale, Luka," He stated, frowning before he gave him a bottle of water. Luka muttered a thanks before he took a sip. "Go home and rest. I'll tell Mrs Mendeleiev that you needed to go home. She'll understand,"

"Thank you, Felix," He nodded, deciding to do exactly that. He turned to Marinette and looked at her with a sad expression. "Sorry, Melody. I did want to try and complete the day,"

"It's ok, Luka," She reassured again, gently taking his hand in hers. "You don't have to push yourself to try and please me. I'm just happy that you're slowly recovering but you don't have to rush, ok?"

He nodded before he wrapped his arms around before.

"Thank you for understanding," He muttered, even though he hadn't really explained anything for her to understand. Guilt creeped up on him, making him feel bad but he pulled away and gave her a weak smile. "I'll go home and rest,"

With that, he turned and walked out of the school but not before catching a glare from Lila. He frowned but ultimately chose to ignore it. Instead, he left the school and walked to the Liberty. To his surprise, Jagged and Penny were both there as well as Fang. Penny was reading through the letter as he walked in. Instantly, Anarka got up and walked over.

"You're home early, Lad," She stated, glancing at him. "You ok?"

"I got overwhelmed at school and decided to come back," He mumbled, making Jagged frown as he walked over. He gently placed his hand on Luka's shoulder.

"Don't worry, son. My lawyer's rock and roll and he'll get this mess sorted plus we've got Penny on the case," He reassured, making Luka nod. "You look tired. Not sleeping well?"

He nodded in reply.

"What's keeping you up? Don't worry, you can tell your old man," He declared in a caring tone. It made Luka's heart feel both warm and achy. He was happy that Jagged cared for him and that he had his father finally in his life but he also wished that he had experienced it before now. Jagged might have been eccentric but he was a good man in his heart. Sadly, bad men like Bob Roth and Issac interfered. A stir of anger echoed in his heart. "Son?"

"It's just this whole thing with Lila," He lied. Like sure the Lila situation did contribute towards how he felt but it was such a small part that it really didn't affect him much. Guilt once again tore a scar in his heart as well and it seemed Jagged noticed.

"Hey, it's ok. Whatever's going on with you, Luka. You can tell us," He reassured again in a much more serious voice. "We'll listen I promise,"

"Thanks but really... I'm fine," He lied, adding another scar to his heart. Jagged frowned and Luka could see the disappointment in his eyes. He could hear it too but Jagged didn't try to guilt trip him or anything. He just nodded and gently gave his shoulder a reassuring squeeze and his expression turned to a more understanding look. That hurt Luka more than if he had been disappointed or angry. "I'm gonna go lie down,"

Jagged gave him another nod before letting go of his arm. Luka walked over to his room and went inside but stopped when he heard voices.

"It's more than just the Lila situation, isn't it?" Jagged asked, causing Anarka to sigh. "It is, isn't it?"

"It seems so," She answered. He could tell she was frowning. "But whatever it is, he won't say. I don't know where he got the thought but he seems to think he needs to shoulder this alone and not be a burden,"

"A burden?" Jagged echoed. "He's far from that. He's our son. I know I've not been around much and I'm trying to make up for that but..."

"I know, Jagged," Anarka stated. "If he can't come to us then we've failed as parents. I feel the same way. I'm trying not to. Not only am I trying to avoid being akumatized again but I need to be strong for him so when he finally can tell me, he does so without hesitation,"

"Neither of you have failed as parents," Penny piped in. "And I don't think it's a case of him not being able to trust you. He does trust you but Luka... he's a sensitive soul and he probably doesn't want you to worry for him,"

Luka quietly closed the door, not wanting to hear much more before he walked over to his bed. Tikki flew through the porthole, making him glance at her before he walked over and gently held her in his hands.

"I feel awful..." He admitted. "Maybe not enough for an akuma yet but even now Jagged thinks he's a bad parent and it's all because of my lies..."

"It will be ok, Luka," She reassured, making him nod but he didn't really believe it. Another lie, another scar. He gently let her go and took off his shoes before lying down in his bed. Slowly, he drifted into a difficult sleep. He slept for the rest of the afternoon until he slowly woke up to his phone vibrating. He slowly sat up and checked it, seeing it was Marinette who had texted him. She said she was coming by to check on him and was bringing some sweets. It made him smile a little before he texted back and got up, slipping his shoes on. Tikki was sitting on the shelf, watching him. "Good sleep?"

"It wasn't great but I feel a little better," He admitted. "Marinette is coming round,"

"That's good," She smiled before she glanced down. He could sense her loneliness. He walked over and gently patted her head with his finger. "Luka?"

"Don't feel sad, Tikki. This is only temporary and we'll team up again soon ok?" He smiled, making her nod. She knew that and she knew this was the best course of action but it still hurt being apart. He gave her a weak smile before he headed upstairs. Jagged and Anarka were sitting, talking in quiet voices and Penny wasn't around. He frowned as he looked around for her.

"Where's Penny?" He asked, making them look at him. 

"She's on a phone call to our lawyers," Jagged explained, getting up and walking over. He gently placed his hand on his shoulder. "Did you sleep a bit?"

"Yeah," He nodded. "Marinette's coming by as well,"

"Ah that's good," He smiled, gently giving his shoulder a squeeze. "Well, don't keep the little lady waiting,"

"Right," He nodded as his phone vibrated. She had texted to say she was there. Jagged let go of his shoulder and sat back down next to Anarka. Luka gave him a weak smile before he headed outside. Marinette was stood on the deck, looking out to the Seine. She was dressed in a cute dress that was gray and pink. "Hey,"

"Hi," She smiled, turning to face him. In her hand was a paper bag from her parents' bakery. "Feeling a bit better?"

"A little yeah," He nodded, walking over to her. "Sorry that I had to come home. It was just-"

"It's ok, Lu," She smiled, gently pecking his cheek. "You don't need to justify it. I just want you to be ok,"

He couldn't help but feel both happy and guilty at that. He glanced at her dress, deciding to change the subject.

"I like your dress," He mumbled, sheepishly. She giggled and spun around for him, making him smile. He noticed that she had embroidered a tail on the back of the skirt. "A tail?"

"Uh hmm," She nodded. "It's one of my hero inspired outfits. This one is inspired by Mousekin..."

Luka blushed. She knew he was Mousekin. Everyone did because of his plan to hide his identity. Nadja had of course shown it on her program, which is exactly what he intended. Admittedly, he had sacrificed "himself" as a potential hero in the eyes of everyone else but it had worked. He suspected that Marinette had chosen to wear that to cheer him up and to remind him that technically he was a hero, even if he didn't feel like it. He touched where the mouse miraculous would be if he was wearing it, causing Marinette to gasp.

"I'm sorry. It was insensitive of me to wear this," She gasped, feeling bad. "I just thought you'd like it since you did such a great job as Mousekin,"

"No, I was just remembering what it was like," He smiled. "And you look adorable so I can't complain at all. Why don't we take a walk? There's a place I want to show you,"

She nodded and gently took his hand when he offered it to her. He led her to his favorite spot in the Seine, next to the flood gates. She had seen this place before but only in a few passing moments. He led her under the bridge before he stopped and closed his eyes. She looked at him as he listened and smiled.

"Luka?" She asked softly.

"Shh," He hummed softly, opening his eyes and looking at her. "Listen... The Song of the Water,"

"The Song of the Water?" She asked, blinking at his words.

"If you listen carefully, at this very spot, you'll hear a melody," He explained, holding his hand to his ear. She looked around and listened before gasping as she heard it. The light movement of the water, the soft sound of the wind and the echoes of the city in the distance. She looked at him and smiled, making him smile back before he turned and looked at the water. "As you know, I never knew my father, dealing with Issac instead and I got bullied in school. When I just couldn't deal with it, I'd take refuge here and the melody of the water would console me... I still come here for comfort, especially recently,"

"Is this where you disappear to?" She asked, making him frown. Of course she noticed. Thanks to being Anatis, he would have to go whenever there was an akuma. Luckily, she was patient and understanding, having to hide herself but of course, she would notice. "It's ok if you do but it's not very safe when there's akumas running around,"

"I don't," He confessed, making her look at him. "I just come here when I'm upset or want to feel peace. Though it's being harder than normal,"

"Harder than normal?" She asked gently. He looked towards the water again.

"I feel like everything that's been happening recently is my fault," He admitted. "Even things I can't tell people,"

"Can't tell?" She asked, making him nod. She gently took his hand in hers. "You know it's ok to reach out and talk to people, Luka,"

"A lot of people have told me that. Juleka, Jagged, Ma, Penny, our friends and now you," He answered. "I'm grateful for it..."

"But... you can't," She answered, making him nod. 

"It's not that I don't want to," He replied, noticing shadows in the water. Of course, Simme is nearby. "It's that I can't,"

"You can tell me," Marinette gasped, making him look at her. "Whatever it is... I'll accept it. I'll understand. I promise,"

"I know but I can't," He admitted, looking down. "This secret that I have... it's too big for just myself yet I can't share it with anyone,"

"It's ok, Luka," Marinette reassured as the shadows swirled around. He knew the moment was coming. "Whatever it is, you can tell me. You can tell me the truth,"

"I want to," He answered, closing his eyes. "But... The Truth, Marinette, is the only thing I can't tell you,"

Her eyes widened a little and the guilt he felt made his heart hurt in a way it had never had before. He closed his eyes as the guilt flooded into his mind and heart. He could hear Simme's laughter and he could hear Marinette's heartsong. It was a little disappointed but understanding. She knew he would answer with something like that and she was accepting of it but that made it hurt so much more and made the guilt feel far worse. He hated that he couldn't tell her and that she was accepting of it. He hated it so much because all he wanted to do was be honest with her. With everyone but he had to lie. He couldn't tell them anything. He had constantly dodged the truth and made up excuse after excuse. He clenched his fist tightly.

~At Hawkmoth's Lair~

"Ah finally! The emotional turmoil young Luka is feeling has finally reached its crescendo. After all, there's no worse feeling than guilt, especially when your loved ones are so understanding yet you have to keep lying to them," Shadow Moth declared as he put his cane under his arm and held out his fan. Since merging the butterfly with the peacock after its magic had been recharged, he had grown more powerful and had changed his outfit to match. Gone was the old suit and full mask. He instead wore a purple tail coat with blue lining. Its tail was styled like a peacock tail. He wore a light purple shirt and a blue waistcoat. The butterfly miraculous was pinned to the shirt and the peacock miraculous was pinned to the waistcoat. His pants were blue and he wore black knee-high boots with purple soles. His gloves were black, his hair was showing and styled in a spiked look in a blonde shade. His eyes were pink and purple and he had a silver butterfly shaped mask that covered his eye area and part of his jaw. He wore a fashionista that was shaped like a feather with a light blue veil that covered one of his eyes. He plucked out a feather and held it in his hand, charging it up and turning it into an amok. He put his fan into his suit jacket before he held out his now free hand. A butterfly landed on it and he closed his hand over it, charging it up and turning it into an akuma. He opened his hands and let the akuma fly out before he lifted his hand with the amok and blew it into the air. "Fly away, my akuma. Fly, my amok and rewrite the song of this lost and guilt-ridden boy!"

He spun his cane and slammed it against the ground as the akuma and amok flew out of the window, heading towards the Seine...

~The Seine~

"It's ok, Luka," Marinette declared as she turned and faced the water. Luka frowned as she did. "When you're ready, I'll be there and I'll listen,"

No, she won't... Simme's voice declared, causing Luka's eyes to widen. She's lying but hey maybe that's why you like her. A couple of liars together huh?

"No," He gasped, making Marinette frown and turn around. Her eyes widened as she saw the panic and fear in his eyes. It was the same expression he had during the diamond dance. Fear filled her heart as she realized Simme must be here. She looked round as she tried to see if she could pinpoint where he was. "Marinette isn't lying,"

Of course, she is. She may say she is willing to wait but she is disappointed that you don't trust her.

"I do trust her!" He declared, making her gasp and look back at him before she rushed over. "She trusts me too!"

"That's right, Luka! I do trust you!" She declared as the amok and akuma entered the area. Luka covered his ears as Simme continued to whisper to him. "Don't listen to him, Luka!"

You think she cares about you? Ha! Don't make me laugh. She is using you but you don't have to put up with it. Give your soul to me, Luka and I'll free you from these chains you've created for yourself. No more lies or hiding. No more weight of the world on your shoulders or looking over them for akumas! No more responsibilities. You'll be free and all you have to do is give yourself to me!

"I... won't...!" Luka gasped but before Simme could stay anything else, the akuma and amok entered his necklace. Marinette jumped back as the butterfly mask opened the connection. She covered her mouth as his expression became one of pain. 

"Truth, I am Shadow Moth. I'm giving you the power to force anyone to tell you their deepest, darkest secrets!" Shadow Moth declared, causing Luka to grip his head. 

"T-The truth needs to be shared, not taken by forced, Shadow Moth," Luka declared, his expression becoming more painful.

"That's right, Luka!" Marinette gasped, noting how Hawkmoth had called himself Shadow Moth. "You don't need whatever power he's offering you!"

Well, she's right on that part but you don't need to give him. He will only rip that power he offers once he has no use for you anymore but give into me and I can truly set you free!

"Ah, the wicked spirit is trying to influence you as well," Shadow Moth declared before the connection got stronger, causing Luka to cry out in pain as blood began to pour from his nose. Marinette gasped and went to touch him but he shook his head. She instantly understood why. She may get dragged into the akumatization. "Well, I've been trying to akumatize you for ages so that spirit can wait it's turn,"

Wait, it's turn?! His soul is mine!

"No, it's not!" Luka gasped as he tried to fight both of them off. "I won't give in to either of you!"

Oh but you will and it will be me!

"No, it will be me!" Shadow Moth declared. "Why resist the power I'm offering you, Luka? No one will ask about your secrets if they are too busy telling their own,"

"Luka, please resist!" Marinette gasped as Simme laughed. "You have to resist!"

"Why should you resist?" Shadow Moth declared, making Luka grit his teeth as blood continued to pour from his nose. "You don't trust her with your own secrets but with the power I'm offering you, she'll tell you all of her secrets and not question yours!"

"I do trust Marinette!" He gasped.

"If you trusted her then you would have told her the truth," Shadow Moth declares. "Take my power and there will be no more secrets between you!"

Simme let out a growl as he realized Shadow Moth was close to getting Luka to surrender. He manifested his power a bit more, causing the area to get darker. Marinette gasped as she felt the air get heavier before she heard Simme laughing. Her eyes widened in fear as she felt claws around her neck. Luka's eyes widened as well.

"L-leave her alone!" He declared, his fear spiking. He gasped and gripped his head as it strengthened the connection between him, the akuma and the amok.

Give in to me and I'll free her! Simme declared, causing Marinette to hear him. She shook her head.

"No! Don't give in to either of them, Lu- ah!" She gasped as Simme's grip tightened.

"Ok! I will! Just let her go!" Luka declared, causing Simme to laugh wickedly. "I give in..."

Wise choice, Luka... Simme declared, letting go of Marinette. She gasped and touched her neck but Luka looked at her as the spirit kind of manifested. Now I can finally devour you...

"I give in..." He repeated, making Simme declare that he knows. "To Shadow Moth,"

The purple smog began to spread across his body as Simme hissed in annoyance, declaring something about being tricked before Luka looked up at Marinette as she looked at him with shock. It was a clever trick, making Simme think that he was going to give in to him but actually give in to Shadow Moth, who in this case was the lesser of two evils. However, it also meant that Luka was going to be an akuma and for some reason, that terrified her.

"Marinette! Run!" He declared, causing her to snap out of her fear and run. She didn't need to be told twice plus she had to transform. She didn't notice Tikki fly off as well as the purple smog consumed him before it disappeared, leaving the akuma in his place. He was the same height as Luka but had blue hair that faded into a lighter shade. His skin was also blue with his lips a slightly darker color. His suit was a dark gray with light blue details on the shoulders, side and chest area. There was an upside down white triangle in the middle of his chest that had a black slash in it, making it resemble an eye. It was also identical to the necklace around his neck. He wore black gloves and black boots with a strip of blue on them. There was a belt around his waist with a white buckle that looked like an O. He had a dark gray mask that had blue details around the eyes. His eyes were clouded over as if he was blind but then there was the third eye in the middle of his forehead. It had eyeline around it with three spikes coming from it. Its color was green and it was cat-like. A sentimonster formed behind him as he stood up. It was a giant floating eye that was the same shade as his third eye.

"In addition to your power, you will be aided by Lighteye. This sentimonster will be under your control," Shadow Moth declared. "It's time to expose the truth and find out Anatis' and Lady Noir's secrets,"

"Oh you're still talking," Truth stated coldly. It was the total opposite to Luka and it generally sent shivers down Shadow Moth's spine. Something felt off with this one. Somehow, it reminded him of the time he akumatized Felix and Meishi. "I have no use for you or your false promises... though I will use what has been presented to me,"

"Then I'll just recall my akuma and amok," Shadow Moth declared, smirking and clicking his fingers. For a moment, he felt the akuma and amok react but then there was a far more powerful surge of energy as Truth countered him and he realized his attempt to recall them failed. He tried to click his fingers again. "What did you do?!"

"I only used my own power, Shadow Moth and that's the truth. Tcennocsid," Truth declared, permanently cutting off the connection. It was slightly different to how Felix had broken the connection, since he broke it before he had become an akuma but Hawkmoth had managed to recall the akuma when he needed to. However, he couldn't this time. No matter how much he tried to snap his fingers. Not only was Truth not willing to listen to him but he had fully severed the connection in a way that Felix hadn't been able to. He turned to the Sentimonster. "Come, Lighteye. We have work to do,"

He jumped up and into the city, hunting down his first victim

~Meanwhile~

Marinette ran off and hid behind a wall as horror filled her. Luka had just tricked Simme but had been akumatized as a result and it had actually occurred this time. She wasn't sure why this time it actually happened but maybe it had something to do with Simme infecting him with despair. Regardless, Luka doesn't normally act well with akumas. Being one may make the already strange reaction worse. Plagg flew out as she took a deep breath and tried to calm herself.

"Dollface?" He asked.

"Luka's being akumatized," She answered, shocking him but also giving him answers. He had noticed he hadn't been wearing his miraculous and he was able to fly around more freely recently. He had also seen Tikki nearby. Luka must have planned for it. "I've got to save him,"

"Of course," He agreed, making Marinette give him a soft look. "You love him right so let's go save him,"

"Thank you, Plagg," She smiled weakly before she held up her hand. "Plagg! Claws out!"

She transformed into Lady Noir and took her baton, trying to call Anatis right away but he didn't answer. She frowned as she thought he would have transformed as soon as Luka got akumatized but maybe he didn't know yet. She logged onto the akuma app and saw no one had reported one yet so she quickly did that before she checked the news. No damage yet. That was good at least. She jumped up to the rooftops and glanced around. She needed to find where Luka's akuma had gone. She hopped off into the distance to try and track him...

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