Shape of a Miracle EP 1 - The Pied Player

Three Simple Words

Her head bolted back up at the spirit who went by Plagg. She wasn't sure what surprised her more, the fact that it had a name, the fact it could write Japanese, or the fact that it was a tiny magical flying cat, because Shoko still wasn't even used to that.

Despite the surprises, Shoko thought that introductions were in order and began writing her name. Plagg must have felt they had gotten past that as he quickly snitched the pen clean out of her hand and wrote on some more sticky notes. She wasn't going to make a fuss of it, however. She was only metres away from that flashy-looking boy making a scene out of her classroom. Time wasn't on her or Plagg's side. At least now she has a way to communicate with the one person - uh being , who may know what has happened to her school and how to put an end to it.

After what felt like a good minute, Plagg was finally done writing and promptly stuck the two yellow sticky notes onto her face.

"Use cat miraculous"

"Stop Pie Piper wannabe"

She had questions.

After unsticking the notes from her forehead, she picked up a pink highlighter and circled the words "Cat Miraculous". As well as adding a few question marks over it. Plagg flew straight to the ring she was holding and emphatically pointed to it.

Shoko nodded, that was at the very least, information. She picked up the pen, ready to ask her next question, but she didn't know where to start. What did Plagg mean she could use the cat miraculous to stop the boy, and why was the boy or the "Pie piper wannabe" as he put it, even searching for it? It looked like a regular ring to her, not some "cat miraculous". And even if she could stop this. Should she?

Shoko turned to the classroom, where all her classmates were still dancing, idolising the multicoloured boy. She had been in that class for one and a half years, yet never before had she seen them so... carefree. So unapologetically happy. And so, so in sync!

She almost envied the boy for doing such a thing. No, she did envy him. She even admired him. It was almost like he had transformed all her fantasies into reality. The same smiling faces, the same welcoming atmosphere, and the same feeling of being surrounded by nothing but cardboard cut-outs. Because that's what they had become. All the characteristics, ambitions and little quirks that made each of them unique, each of them human, had been completely emptied out of them.

The Pie Piper wannabe shifted his scarf to his right revealing a big red button on the top left of his backpack. No, it wasn't a backpack, it looked too metallic, not to mention what looked like big speakers on the sides. She froze. It was a radio. The Boy had a radio on his back. He had speakers built into the strap of it, as well as a dozen implanted into his boots and gloves - that's why they looked so clunky. And the wires, they were all plugged into the radio onto each of the multicoloured speakers.

But Shoko hadn't the time to ponder more on the boy's strange attire for he had already excitedly pressed the big red button on the radio and dashed out of the room.

The second the button was pressed, everyone froze. Shoko felt the vibrations that hummed below her feet stop. For a small moment, it was silent. Then she felt the floorboards once again throb and the entire class jolted up, frantically opening every single desk and drawer that was in the room.

It was the boy; he changed the vibrations. No - he changed the music. Music that would put anyone who had the misfortune to hear it in a trance. Music that forced them to move to the beat of the song. Music she could hardly even register without her hearing aid. Was that why she wasn't being affected? Because she couldn't hear the music?

She looked back down at the note reading: "stop Pie Piper wannabe". She sighed. She had to be the one to stop this. So, she picked up her pen and wrote: