When the Cat Met the Wolf

30. Origins Part 1: The Beginning of Loup d'Argent

Fifteen year old Arianne woke up with a yawn, as the sunlight poured down onto her bedroom through the window. It was 9 AM of the first Saturday of the summer holidays, and she couldn't be happier, though she knew that she wouldn't have all the time in the world to relax because she would still need to practice.

She got up from her bed with a yawn once more, and moved the curtains of her window to the side, to brighten up the room even more. She got dressed and walked towards the kitchen to make herself some breakfast. Her parents weren't there, because they had to go to work early, but Arianne was used to it, and she didn't really mind. She could handle herself alright alone.

She poured herself a glass of juice, and grabbed a couple of swiss brioche , before sitting down and watching a couple of episodes of her currently favourite anime, Sword Art Online. She still had some time before having to go to violin practice at 11 AM.

One hour and forty- five minutes later, she grabbed her trusty violin from the corner of her room, while holding her bag with the other hand, and went off.

As she went by the school, she saw an old man with a Hawaiian shirt and khaki pants grunting in pain at the bottom of the stairs as he tried to reach for his stick. Many people were walking by, but no one stopped to help him. That really angered her.

Arianne hurriedly rushed to the end of the stairs. She left her violin and bag on the step below her, helped Master Fu gently up, and handed him back the cane.

"Are you alright?" she asked softly, and the man nodded with a smile.

"Oui. Merci, Mademoiselle" Arianne smiled at the man politely.

"You're very welcome" she replied, before walking towards the bus stop that would leave her at Charlotte's, house, her violin teacher.

In the meanwhile, the old man watched after her, holding an octagon-shaped box, which held the wolf miraculous. He already knew who he would give it to.

Two hours later, Arianne got into her house, kind of tired, but she didn't mind, as she loved playing the violin. Today, she had practiced the cover of a song called 'Colours of the Wind' from the Disney movie, Pocahontas. It was quite beautiful, and she was very satisfied with the outcome.

That's when she noticed the strange box resting on her desk. She frowned, left the things she had been holding on her bed, and approached it.

She traced the designs with her fingers with curiosity. She didn't remember having a box there, she didn't even remember having a box at all!

What was going on?

"Dad?" she called to her father in the living room, who had decided to have lunch at home "Is this box yours?"

"What box?"

"The black one with red designs and eight sides!" 

"Aria, I don't know what you are talking about"

"Never mind" she sighed, and decided to open the box. She was curious as to what was inside.

A bright light came out of the box when she opened it, and Arianne was forced to squint her eyes.

"What the...?" she asked confused, taking some steps backwards.

When the light subsided, she saw what looked like a miniature wolf staring at her. It had grey tiny ears, fur, claws, and a very long tail.

And it talked.

"Hi!" greeted Ayu, making Arianne open her eyes wide as she crashed into her night table, making all the things on top fall to the floor "Are you okay?" questioned the miniature figure, giving his new master a concerned glance.

"What-what are you?" stuttered Arianne standing up slowly, but still keeping her distance.

"My name is Ayu, I'm a kwami!" replied Ayu casually, confusing her even more.

"A what?" she had never heard of a 'kwami' before.

"A kwami" he repeated patiently "I grant powers!" Arianne raised an eyebrow.

"You do what?" magic didn't exist! "Is this some sort of joke? Where's the camera?" she questioned, looking around her room in search of a hidden camera, as if she was in some kind of reality show.

"There is no camera, Arianne!" said Ayu, and Arianne chose to ignore the fact that this...thing, knew her name "I'm real! And everything I'm telling you is true!" he approached the box he had gotten out of, and took out a paw-shaped, violet hairpin "Here, look!" she handed it to her, and Arianne looked at it with admiration.

"Okay...this is really beautiful, I admit" said Arianne, making Ayu smile.

"Put it on, c'mon!" he urged, and Arianne did as told as she looked at herself in the mirror. She had to admit that it did look nice on her "You look lovely!"

"Thanks, I guess" replied the girl awkwardly, before turning to look at the kwami "But none of this makes sense whatsoever" 

"I know you have a lot of questions, Arianne!" said Ayu "And I will answer them all! You just need to say 'Ayu, transform me'"

"Okay..." Arianne frowned "Ayu, transform me!"

Ayu was sucked into the violet hairpin, turning it silver, as a blue light engulfed Arianne and transformed her.

"Okay, this is pretty cool" admitted Arianne, staring at her new outfit in the mirror.

"Do you believe me now?" questioned Ayu excited.

"Definitely"