20: Equivalent Exchange

Nooroo told the three that Hawkmoth has the translated copy of the Guardian book. Nooroo then explained how it was really hard for Hawkmoth to understand the original copy but somehow managed to get a very important passage decoded. It was not a shock to Mari that the translated version had been in Hawkmoth's hands. She knew she got careless that day she became the new master and forgot about the Guardian book. She got preoccupied with how things went down, especially with Master Fu and Chloe's frustration. That being said, Wayzz began to explain what he read in the book after Master Fu had it translated. He wasn't able to read everything, but because other than the power ups that Master Fu had developed, the table of contents were always open, and some pages were often read by the master himself, he had known what was in it.

"Ultimate miraculous power?" repeated Marinette.

Wayzz nodded, "I believe that was the only passage Hawkmoth had decoded on the original copy. Which explains why his primary goal was to grab your miraculous and Chat Noir's."

"And ever since master had the translated one from Master Fu's tablet, he has been studying it carefully since then." Nooroo added.

Marinette fell silent now understanding why Hawkmoth had been inactive for a month.

"Wayzz, you said the ultimate power is granted to whoever has the ladybug miraculous and black cat miraculous. Master Fu had the two miraculous to begin with and yet no ultimate power was granted unto him. Exactly what is this ultimate power?" Mari asks.

Wayzz nods, taking the lead in the explanation, "Ultimate Miraculous Power" his eyes glowed, "It is the ability obtained by whoever uses both Ladybug and Black Cat Miraculouses at the same time. The power is described as 「the one that shapes reality」or as one may say the power of granting any one wish."

Mari raises a bow, "So, when the miraculous of creation and destruction are used together, the user will be granted one ultimate wish. Isn't that dangerous? Two opposing forces. Plagg caused the extinction of the dinosaurs you know."

"Hey, that was one time!" Plagg yelled, pouting.

"I've warned master about the risks," Nooroo responded weakly, "I told him there was no assurance that his wish would be granted. We don't even know if the wish making would cause a greater destruction than the extinction of animal species."

"Again with the dinosaurs." Plagg folded his arms, rolling his eyes.

Mari then begins to worry. They've known for quite some time now of Hawkmoth's obsession towards the miraculous items. He even risked the citizens of Paris for his own goal. If Hawkmoth then obtains both Ladybug and Chat Noir's miraculous, what will he wish for?

"Nooroo.." Mari spoke softly.

"Yes?" The kwami turned to her.

"If you don't mind, what does Hawkmoth want to wish for?" she asks.

Nooroo's expression turned from shock to depressed. He looked down, hesitating, "Master....he..... he wants to revive his wife."

Plagg, Mari and Wayzz exchanged alarmed glances at each other.

Wayzz taps Nooroo, "What happened to his wife?"

"His wife is currently preserved in his laboratory."

"Preserved? As in..." Mari tries to imagine and the idea was too disturbing.

"She was the original user of the peacock miraculous," Nooroo continues, "But then the peacock miraculous was broken. Instead of helping her with her work, the miraculous absorbed her energy leading her into a deep sleep. Even in a state of inconsciousness, master worries that her life is shortened the more she sleeps and wishes to wake her up."

"Why was she using the peacock miraculous for work? What was her occupation?" Mari asks curiously.

"She was a designer." Nooroo answers.

"It makes sense," Wayzz mumbles, "That miraculous is after all the miraculous of emotion. It amplifies the user's feelings and is reflected in the output."

"Then...Mayura.." Mari stutters.

Nooroo shakes his head, "Mayura knows of the peacock miraculous' defectiveness yet still continued to use it. She works as Hawkmoth's secretary after all."

"Is Duusuu fixed now?" added Plagg.

Nooroo nodded, "Yes. Master spent the whole month fixing the peacock miraculous. But there is still no assurance that the restoration process is a hundred percent successful. After all, the miraculous existed for as long as we kwamis remebered. Repairing such a thing equivalent to a god-like spirit's home is something difficult. But because master spent days analyzing the components of a miraculous with a few data coming from the book, he was able to develop a trapping material to contain the kwamis."

"That's really cruel." Mari said in a pained expression, "But if he has the book, then we're defenseless. He must have read all about the miraculous warriors and their abilities."

"Nooroo, has Hawkmoth finished the book?" Plagg said levitating towards him.

"Apparently not. I saw him going back and forth reading about the miraculous of the peacock, the butterfly, the black cat and the ladybug."

"Then he must be really studying of how to defeat Chat Noir and I." said Mari.

"If that's the case then Hawkmoth has not completely comprehended of the conditions of the ultimate miraculous power." Wayzz said and floats to Marinette, "We might still be able to do something about even without Plagg and Tikki. We can ask the other kwamis for help."

"Trixx, Sass, Mullo and Kaalki will be a great choice for the team. Plagg added.

"What exactly is the condition of the ultimate miraculous power?" Mari interrupts.

Wayzz inhales sharply, "Due to the universe needing to maintain a state of balance, once the wish is granted, an equivalent weight of the wish must be taken from the recepient."

"Equivalent exchange." Plagg finishes Wayzz's sentence.

Mari then realizes what that meant for Hawkmoth's wife.

Her lips pursed, "Then...what's the price for a life?" her voice quaked, wanting to hear an answer but at the same time fears the answer.

The three kwamis fell silent. Mari confirmed her speculation by the look on their faces.

Her face turned dark, "Say, who will be taken in exchange then?" she said in a heavy tone.

Plagg didn't want to answer so he glanced to Wayzz for a reply.

"Probably not the person who made the wish, but someone the person holds dear." Wayzz answered.

They fell silent, feeling remorseful of how unlucky Hawkmoth will be for gaining something while losing another. The cycle of his grief might just repeat if that happens.

Nooroo then gasps realizing what Tikki meant by saving Adrien. She must have known about the conditions of the wish from the start and finding out who Hawkmoth is scared her of what might happen next.

"I understand now..." tears start to fall from Nooroo's eyes.

"What? What happened?" Plagg turned to him. Wayzz looked at him too shocked of his sudden sobbing.

"Nooroo what is it?" Mari leans closer worried of the little guy.

"Tikki..." he whimpers, "She said to tell you guys to save Chat Noir."

"Of course we will. We'll keep an eye on him since Hawkmoth is probably going to target him next." Mari tries to comfort him.

"That's not it!" he yells. Plagg and Wayzz looked at each other shocked. Nooroo never yells.

"Nooroo, what exactly did Tikki tell you?" Wayzz said firmly.

Nooroo looks to Plagg and Plagg gave him a confused look. He then glances to Marinette, eyes filled with tears, "Marinette. Stop the father from destroying his child." his voice shaking.

Plagg and Wayzz didn't quite catch the message. They exchanged glances a few times figuring out Tikki's instruction. But it was different for Marinette. She's always with Tikki. She knew how Tikki thinks and it reflected with how she always encrypted her message that only those who really know her would understand. Plagg might be one of her closest, but Marinette watched her closely.

Mari flinched, her hand trembling. Her head went blank with Nooroo's message. She wanted to ask why Tikki said that, but then Tikki had always had a knack for information. Tikki wouldn't just give her word for no reason. Which means, this message from her, is real.

"Marinette, your eyes look dead. Are you okay?" said Plagg, touching her cheek.

"Chat Noir is Hawkmoth's son." she blurted out and Plagg froze.

Nooroos sobbing got stronger as he whispered, "I'm sorry." feeling the weight of the crimes his master had done. He felt responsible for everything. But Tikki was right, it was now down to Marinette's final decision.

"What did you just say?" Plagg said, transferring in front of her.

Mari looks at Plagg straight in the eye as tears start to well up at the bottom of her lids, "Tikki found out, Plagg. Hawkmoth's son...it's Chat."

Plagg fell to the sheets. Shock was an understatement to describe how he feels. For Marinette it was a matter of saving her partner, but for Plagg it was already a matter of saving a boy's sanity and life. Plagg felt his back shudder in fear. Adrien's stories of his mother started flashing before his eyes. The look on Gabriel's face flashed before his eyes. Everything about Adrien started intruding his senses including that sad portrait Adrien and Gabriel had at the hallway. He can't help but feel mad for Adrien as he realized how ironic it was that the only time the boy has a proper interaction with his father is when they are fighting each other behind their masks.

"Then that means..." Plagg mumbles, "If Hawkmoth wishes for his wife to come back....my boy will be paying the price..."

Mari groans, "This is getting out of hand." she covers her face, "How am I supposed to save someone I don't know!?"

Then it hit him. Plagg then realizes the most important thing for this to work. Mari needs to know who Chat is to save him. She can do it. She is the current master of the miracle box. She holds all responsibility with it, including the lives of the holders. Which means...

"Wayzz," Plagg glances at him, "I believe it's time that Marinette knows who Chat Noir is."

"What? That's not allowed!" Mari exclaims.

"It is not allowed between holders." Wayzz cuts her, "However, you are not simply a user anymore Marinette."

Mari stares at the three, "Then Wayzz...I am allowed to know now?"

"As the guardian, yes. Guardians hold full responsibility of all the kwamis and holders of the miraculous. But...." he hesitates and Marinette had a hint of what he was about to say next remembering what happened to Master Fu.

"With the price of my memory." she smiled sheepishly, "That's why I'm allowed now, correct?"

Wayzz nods.

"You're our only hope now, Marinette." Plagg said.

She felt sad even when she understood what it meant. But Mari had no time to feel sad. She has to know who Chat Noir is and stop him from transforming so Hawkmoth won't find him.

"Nooroo," she picks up the crying kwami, "It's going to be alright now." she said, caressing his head lightly with her finger.

Nooroo looks up and sees Marinette smiling at him, "I'm really sorry Marinette.." he whispered.

Marinette shook her head, "No, I should be thanking you for helping Tikki. You were really brave despite how dangerous it was to leave Hawkmoth's side. I promise you I'll keep Chat Noir safe. In return, I want you to keep an eye on Tikki when you go back. Will that be okay?"

"Yes! Definitely! I'll watch over Tikki!" he said enthusiastically.

Marinette giggled, "Thank you."

She then glances at Wayzz and Plagg who was waiting for her plan. Marinette took a deep breath to clear her thoughts. After all those crime fighting moments with Chat Noir, she cannot believe she'll have to find out about his identity this way. To think she'll have to save her partner from his own father.

"I'm ready, Wayzz." her eyes full of determination.

"Alright." Wayzz nodded turning to Plagg.

Plagg then levitates closer to Mari's face, sighing, "I can't really say Chat Noir's name since there's a spell that blocks our mouth from telling our holder's identity," said Plagg, "But..I believe you'll figure it out easily once I give you a hint."

"So I know Chat already?"

Plagg and Wayzz nodded.

"So, who is he?"

Plagg glances at Wayzz and smiles bitterly at Marinette, "Wait here." he says flying down from Marinette's loft.

"Where is he going?" she glances to Wayzz.

"Maybe he'll get paper." replied Nooroo.

After a while, Plagg comes back carrying something. It was hanging from the kwami's torso, and it looked bulky and long from Plagg's shadow. When the light from outside hits Plagg, Mari's heart wanted to leap out from her chest. Her jaw dropped and her eyes wider than the blue sea. She instinctively opens her free hand letting Plagg put the item on her palm. Now that it's closer and clearer to her, it all made sense why Tikki made Nooroo risk it all to deliver the message.

Mari broke down.

"No...." she said stifling her cry. Her tears poured like waterfall, and her heart ached like it was being pounded over and over again.

"I can't believe it....you were this close to me?" her voice cracked, staring at the charm that Adrien gave her.