A.P.V.

Chloe's visit earlier, though brief, brought hope to me as it meant my father felt I was well enough for guests. Then again, it could also mean that my lessons would start up again tomorrow, and I would lose my newly acquired free time, which I had hoped to use to decipher the diary and Plagg's past.

"You sure you don't remember anything that could help speed this up?" I inquired as I skimmed through a couple more pages of the journal, my eyes begging to take another break from staring at it's stained pages.

Plagg shook his head as he floated lazily on his back beside me, as if he was relaxing in a pool.

"I've got nothing Kid." He repeated, in his normal gravelly voice. "If I did we wouldn't be wasting time on that old bundle of papers."

"You mean I wouldn't be wasting time. You're not exactly being very helpful at the moment." I grumbled as I flipped another page, wincing as the corner slit another small cut into my skin. I stuck my finger into my mouth sucking on my paper cut, and ignored the momentary pounding in my head as I tried to read through the next page.

Plagg must have noticed however, as his usual cheeky expression turned to a frown. 

"You feeling okay kid?" He questioned as he floated into an upright position. "You kinda dazed off for a second there."

"Did I? I didn't notice." I mumbled as I reread the sentence I'd been on for the last minute for the sixth time. 

Why was this so hard for me? It's not like I wasn't good at reading. I used to spend hours and hours practicing my reading skills, but since I discovered the diary, the one book I actually wanted to read and study, I'd been struggling to get through it as if I was a toddler.

"You know, there is a chance you do actually have brain damage." Plagg reported, interrupting my train of thoughts. I glanced up at him giving him a look of dismay.

"Plagg, I do not have brain damage." I replied in a dull tone. "I'm a bit offended you would even think that."

"I don't mean that your brain is damaged, just that your brain could have been hurt during the accident." Plagg interjected, as I glared at him. "Like you got whatever it is humans get when they hit their head to hard. A cushion or whatever."

"A concussion?" I asked, turning to fully face where Plagg gloated beside me. He nodded vigorously.

"There's a good chance you might have gotten a concussion from when you saved that old man from the collapsing arch." Plagg continued, floating back and forth as if he was pacing. "I wouldn't be surprised if you did. Humans are so fragile."

I gave him a look, as I tried not to find myself offended from being called fragile, when something occurred to me.

"Hang on, I don't think I ever mentioned that it was an arch that collapsed on me, or that I was saving an old man." I remembered, as a look of confusion formed on my face. "How would you know that stuff?"

"I was there Kid." Plagg huffed in retort. "I watched it happen."

"Why didn't I see you then?" I asked, as I tried to piece together the event again.

"Well you didn't have goggles on yet, and weren't wearing the ring yet either." Plagg pointed out. 

"Right. I forgot I couldn't see you at first without them." I frowned. "Still I find it a bit odd that you happened to be in the park, watching me at the exact moment I saved the old man."

"Well it's not exactly everyday that a Kwami sees a human run straight into danger." Plagg chuckled at this, painting my act of bravery and heroism as foolish and dangerous. Granted it had been dangerous, and probably a bit foolish, but worth it as I saved a life.  

"Besides," He continued, "while a miraculous is in-active its kwami can't stray too far from it without being pulled back like a yo-yo on a string."

"So you could only travel so far from the secret compartment?" I surmised.

"Yep." He nodded.

"Huh. Well I guess that solves that mystery." I sighed and turned back to facing my desk. "I was hoping you might have been there because of the old man, but it seems unlikely."

"The old man… I definitely wasn't there because of him, but I think there's a chance he was there because of me." Plagg hesitated, as if in deep thought.

"Do you have any idea why he would be there?" I marvelled, trying to bring forth even just the smallest memory from Plagg's mind. After a moment Plagg shook his head.

"No clue." He wearily answered, rubbing his head with his small paws. "I'm really starting to hate this whole memory loss situation."

"If he didn't have anything to do with you, how come he had the goggles?" I inquired, frowning deeply. "There's no way that could be a coincidence."

"Maybe because it isn't." Plagg looked up, a slightly baffled expression on his face. "I just remembered what his connection to the miraculous is and you're not going to believe me."

"Well, who is he?" I asked, impatient to get an answer from Plagg, and solve one more mystery.

"There's a reason he had the goggles, and knew to give them to you." Plagg paused momentarily for effect before looking me dead in the eyes.

"He's one of the people that helped hide them."

M.P.V.

I walked down the street towards the amphitheater, my arms full of pastries, as I tried not to trip over rubble. The walkways closer to the center of Aris were covered in chunks of older buildings which hadn't made it through the quake unscathed. I felt sad to see so many parts of the city's history in ruins, scattered across roads and parks.

"There you are Marinette!" Someone exclaimed as I approached the amphitheater area. Suddenly the box of food blocking my view was removed and Alya smiled at me.

"Alya!" I grinned, as I gave her a quick hug. "I didn't know you were helping out."

"Well I only heard about it about half an hour ago, as someone decided not to tell me when something important is happening again." Alya huffed in as she narrowed her gaze in remembrance.

"You know Nora only wants to look out for you." I reminded her, as she escorted me toward the main park area. "You can't blame her for wanting to keep you out of trouble with the chance of another quake happening."

"If there's anyone that should be kept out of trouble, it should be you Miss almost falling off the world." Alya retorted, as she gave me a friendly punch on the arm. "Seriously though, how did you survive? Lila said you fell off backwards."

"The same Lila who I've told you multiple times pushed me?"

"Look, I'm not saying I don't believe you," Alya assured me, "but I can't exactly imagine Lila ever going as far as murder, even if all the things you've told me she's lied about our true." 

Alya shivered at this, clearly unsettled by the idea. I sighed as she did have a point, though. Maybe there was some reason behind what happened, something that would benefit Lila, as that was usually the only reason why she did anything.

Could Lila have known about the platform and the secret room? And if so why did she push me and not someone else, like Rose who had already been alone with her beforehand. Was it because I was always crying 'wolf' when it came to her actions?

"Mari? Are you still here girl?" Alya waved a hand in front of my face. "Or have you drifted off in thought again?"

"Sorry, Alya." I apologized. "I'll try not to do that again."

"I don't think you could stop doing that if you wanted to." 

Alya chuckled to herself as we walked through the ring of trees that encircled the clearing where the amphitheater stood, or used to stand.

I gasped in surprise at the wreckage of the old structure, surprised at how much damage had been done. The once grand theatre's has crumbled into not much more than a stage, and a few pillars holding up nothing but sky. 

"Woah, Rose wasn't kidding when she said it was in pieces." Alya spoke as she stopped in her tracks beside me. "We've got some work cut out for us."

"You're going to help try to repair it?" I inquired, turning to look at my friend. Alya nodded in response.

"Of course. We grew up putting on shows here, and playing games." Alya smiled at the memories. "I can't imagine I'd be the same person without it, especially since it's the reason we became best friends."

I thought back to when I was little when all the world was a stage, and I put on performances in the park for my parents. Back to when Alya and I first met, when she pretended to be a superhero saving me from the clutches of the evil villian Boredom. I laughed a bit at the memory, and Alya gave me a weird look.

"What's so funny?" Alya questioned, raising an eyebrow.

"Nothing oh Majestica, protector of the innocent and bringer of justice." I grinned at Alya, as she became momentarily flustered.

"Hey Majestica is an awesome superhero name. Besides, It's not like I wasn't the only one playing superhero."

"Don't remind me." I groaned inwardly at the memory, when a chipper voice interrupted my thoughts.

"Hey Marinette! Over here!" 

I looked across the clearing to find Rose standing beside a large chunk of the amphitheater, waving eagerly at me. Beside her was Juleka, who held Rose's hand nervously, clearly uncomfortable with the amount of attention she was getting from the people helping out.

Alya waved back, as she had one hand free as we walked over, carefully not to trip on rubble.

"Hi Alya! Are you here to help out?"

"You betcha. I may also interview you later for my newspaper." Alya grinned as she set her box of sweets down on the flattest stone she could find.

"Hey Juleka do you think you could- oh hey Marinette. I see you've brought the food."

Walking into view, Luka, Juleka's brother wiped sweat from his forehead as he set down the stone slab he was carrying and took the boxes of treats from my arms, as I nodded in response.

"Thanks. I appreciate you bringing the food personally. I don't think we could have spared anymore people."

"Oh, uh no problem." I replied. "I'm glad I could help." 

Heat rose in my cheeks, at the sight of Luka, especially since he was currently working in his undershirt, his tail jacket discarded. Alya gave me a cheeky look before turning to Luka.

"Hey Luka, do you think you could show Marinette where she could help out? I'm going to stay here for a minute and interview your sister."

"Of course. I think I might just have the perfect job for her." Look smiled at me.

"You- you do?" I blinked in surprise, stumbling a bit over my words.

"I sure do. Just give me a second. I'll be right back." 

Luka walked away, and I turned to Alya as soon as he was out of ear shot.

"What was that?" I questioned her as she grinned at me.

"Oh just a little interference. You may be my best friend but you are still one of the densest people I know."

"What do you mean?" I crossed my arms.

"He clearly likes you." Alya pointed out, causing me to blush a little to Alya's satisfaction. "And you clearly like him."

"I don't like him. He's just a friend." I cried on defense. "I mean he's a good looking friend, but just a friend."

"If you say so girl." Alya shrugged.

I sighed as Luka came back a document tucked under his arm.

"What's that?" I asked, as Luka rolled it out on a chunk of stone. 

"It's the blueprints to the amphitheater, or more accurately what was the amphitheater." 

I walked over, taking a good look at the blueprints.

"I was hoping you could design the new amphitheater." Luka glanced at me as my mouth fell open in surprise.

"Me design the new amphitheater? I'm not sure if I could, I mean I've never-"

I struggled with my words, as Luka chuckled softly to himself.

"You doubt yourself too much, Marinette. I've seen what you can do with a pencil, paper and some inspiration."

I blushed a little as his compliment, before clearing my thoughts.

"Why design a new one though?" I frowned a little in confusion. "Can't we just rebuild it using the old blueprints?"

"Unfortunately not." Luka sighed. "Too much of the stone was damaged when it fell apart. If we're going to be able to keep the amphitheater, we're going to need to come up with a new plan and have the area cleaned by the end of tomorrow, otherwise the council will be turning it into a housing unit."

I stood in thought for a moment looking over the blueprints. Drawing plans to the amphitheater could be difficult, but it could be just the excuse I need to explore the amphitheater and look for clues while still helping my friends. I smiled to myself before turning to Luka.

"Count me in."

Luka smiled gratefully at me.

"Thank you Marinette. How soon do you think you can start?"

"How does now sound?"

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Sorry for disappearing for so long. 2020 was... well really crappy. But I'm back now! And with a big chapter! Hopefully I'll get back into the habit of publishing every other week.

Peace out,

Joonbug