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Not Part of Riordanverse
The following article/section is from the Pahua Moua continuity under Rick Riordan Presents and not the Riordanverse canon. |
| “ | It sucks to have that kind of pressure on you, but I’m not sorry for having whatever powers I got from Shee Yee if they’ll help me save my brother. Also, you might not care what I say, but even if you can’t do magic, I still think you’re really cool. | ” |
–Pahua to Zhong after the formal tells her about her pressures in Pahua and the Soul Stealer. | ||
Pahua Moua (pronounced pah-HOO-ah) is the protagonist and narrator of the Pahua Moua series. She is the reincarnation of Shee Yee, the first Hmong shaman.
History[]
Early Life[]
Pahua was born as the oldest child a Hmong couple. When she was was four her parents had a son, her brother Matt. When she was five she started to see spirits, she showed one to her mom, who thought she had an imaginary friend. Her father would draw pictures of her and Miv.
Her father would tell her stories about Hmong folklore when she would go to bed. When she was by a lake she saw a water spirit and inadvertently insulted it, causing it to nearly drown Pahua before her father saved her.
When she was seven, she went with her mother, brother, and aunt to a Hmong neighborhood in St. Paul, Minnesota.
Moving to Merdel[]
When she was seven her dad left the family, she would spend years believing he might have stayed if she did something different. After gossip and harassment from relatives about being a single parent, her mother moved the three to the rural town of Merdel, Wisconsin. Her classmates would mock her for her appearance and what her mother packed for lunch. She once went to school sick and vomited on the child in front of her, causing the other kids to tease her about it for the rest of the year.
She once has a bad reaction after eating at Burger King, developing a fever and hives. Her mother stayed home for two days to care for her.
Her mother would take her and Matt to a local amusement park every summer, but her work and shaman duties would prevent them from going.
When she was nine, she saw her aunt Kalia for the last time as she and her mother did not get along.
Pahua Moua series[]
Pahua and the Soul Stealer[]
As Pahua is getting ready for summer school, Miv, a spirit, comments how she looks like an eggplant. After she gets ready, she runs into her mom, who has to skip movie night as something come up. After breakfast, she and Matt walk to school. She greets spirits as she walks by, but two boys call her weird. When they arrive at school, she is mocked by Hailey Jones and Jocelyn for having rice on her shirt. Just then the new girl, June, arrives and tells the other girls to stop mocking Pahua. June invites her to check out a haunted bridge and, due to her wariness of human spirits, she reluctantly accepts. As they get closer to the bridge, she starts to feel uneasy. They reach the bridge and look around. She sees the spirit and a girl crying and focuses on her, however June calls her name and the other girls snicker at her for “talking to a bridge post”. Miv tells her to get away when the spirit notices her and asks her to stay. When the other girls give Pahua funny looks, but she says she has to pick up her brother, but plans to come back to talk to the spirit. However the spirit gets angry and interrupts before she can say she is coming back and attacks. Frost forms around the bridge and the others run away screaming without Pahua. After getting over the shock, she and Miv leave when the spirit seemingly vanishes. As they head back to the school, Pahua worries the other girls will pin this on her and everyone will think she is cursed, Miv congratulates her on her bravery for standing her ground. They run into Matt and head home. Pahua makes ramen for lunch and the siblings watch Voltron. As Pahua washes up, the spirits in the apartment tell her she lead in a great evil. As she is putting Matt to bed, she feels his forehead and finds that he has a fever, but she senses their is more to it. When their mother gets home, she gives him medicine and waits to see how he is in the morning. Pahua tries to tell her she things something is spiritually wrong with him, but does not elaborate for fear of how her mother would react. That night she dreams that she is by a banyan tree and a woman saying she found her, having known her for millennia. Pahua then wakes up, questioning what her dream means.
She goes to check on Matt and finds him asleep. She checks his forehead and finds that it is scolding hot. She tries waking him up to no success before telling her mother. Her mom tries to cleanse Matt as she questions if she should tell her mother about her abilities. After speaking with Miv, she realizes Matt is possessed by the bridge spirit. Pahua heads to her mom’s close to take some of her aunt's shaman equipment to the bridge, she takes a dulled short sword and a gong and hammer before getting dressed and headed to the bridge with Miv to try and send the spirit back. Once there, she hits it and the water starts to bubble. A figure jumps out of the water and lands on the bridge. As it approaches her, Miv tells her to run. However it catches up and she strikes it with a sword. In response it tosses Miv aside and hits her in the head. Before it can kill her, it is peppered with arrows and Pahua sees a Hmong girl her age. As it disintegrates, the girl berates Pahua for her poor skill in dealing with the creature she calls a Poj Ntxoog. The girl introduces herself as Zhong, a shaman warrior, who is surprised by her ability to see spirits without training. Zhong explains that she was sent to look into the Bridge Spirit who has been sent to the Spirit Realm. When she says her brother is unresponsive and has a fever, Zhong says his soul was taken to the Spirit Realm. Pahua is shocked by this, fearing Matt could become a Poj Ntxoog. Miv says they have between three and seven days before it happens as Zhong recruits her to help.
After stopping home to drop off the gong and leave a note that she would be at school getting something, she checks on Matt to find him still unresponsive and sees her mother having a hushed conversation on the phone. The girls head into town as Zhong leads her to an elephant statue. Zhong explains that the statue acts as a gateway they will use to talk to Shao, a traveling shaman, as she take out a qeej and plays a melody before saying a passcode and the statue speaks. Zhong says they are their for business and a door opens up and Pahua sees a city with in the door. Zhong enters as she reluctantly follows. Miv tells her this is a bad idea as they glide through the sky and Pahua keeps her eyes shut, only seeing darkness. Zhong says they are in The Echo, one of the realms, and tells Pahua about her school, the School for Shamanic Arts and Spiritual Mastery in Minnesota. Pahua says her aunt is a shaman as Zhong says not all shamans have the spiritual energy to become warriors. When they land, Zhong notices Miv and offers to send him away, but she refuses as Miv threatens to attack Zhong. They walk on as Zhong explains that Shao is a shaman who was given immortality, the ability to see the future, and trapped in The Echo for reaching the home of the gods. Pahua is surprised that the Hmong have gods and Zhong says many of their stories were lost or not passed on through the generations. Zhong also explains how the Echo mimics the mortal realm as it changes. Zhong leads them to the Bamboo Nursery where Shao resides, however they find a large clothing store in its place. Zhong leaves them inside to search for the garden as Pahua inspects the close and notices the laces are on the heels of the shoes. As she tries on gloves that keep the wearer warm in different realms, the girls get into a small argument over Zhong always ridiculing Pahua for her lack of Hmong knowledge as Zhong realizes the store is for demons. clothing store in its place. Zhong leaves them inside to search for the garden as she inspects the close and notices the laces are on the heels of the shoes. As she tries on gloves that keep the wearer warm in different realms, the girls get into a small argument over Zhong always ridiculing Pahua for her lack of Hmong knowledge as Zhong realizes the store is for demons. The three are soon surrounded by poj ntxoog and Zhong and Miv fight while she looks for an opportunity to retreat. However a poj ntxoog approaches her and she is forced to fight. After ripping the demon's dress, it says it is going to kill Pahua, but another says someone wants her alive. Pahua finds an exit that she thinks leads to the bamboo nursery and pulls Zhong with her. Zhong opens the door as a poj ntxoog grabs Pahua. However she spin kicks it away and goes into the door.
After landing in the nursery, Zhong hoists her up and demands to know where she learned to fight, believing she is lying. Pahua says she never fought like that before and Miv backs her up. Zhong says the store was a trap and someone is after Pahua, not believing her, Zhong says Shao will see the truth and she leads them there and warns Pahua not to fall asleep. As they walk Pahua stumbles into a statue half buried in the foliage and realizes it is a sleeping man. To keep each other awake, Zhong tells Pahua about the Hmong gods in the council. They reach Shao's house and find him asleep at the table. Zhong fiddles with a radio close to Shao to wake him up, when she finds the right station he jolts awake. Zhong addresses Shao with respect and she asks him about her brother. Shao asks for a lighter and a vial from the drawer as he tells them about Shee Yee, the first shaman. As he talks, he says the vial contains oil and traps the girls in a cage of fire. Pahua asks Zhong to put it out, but she has not learned about shamanic fire yet. They tell him to release them, but be says only Pahua can do that. Suddenly, a spiral appears on her wrist and a storm appears outside. Rain destroys the cage. As the girls berate Shao, he tells them that when Shee Yee died, his soul was bound to a tree to prevent it from being reincarnated. However it was freed somehow and Shee Yee was reborn as Pahua, shocking both girls. He says the gods will be after her and to be careful as he falls asleep. Before he does, she demands he tell her how to save her brother. Shao says that only she can save Matt and tells her to avoid the Ivory Gate. He falls asleep and the girls fail to wake him. They step outside to find Miv resting under a statue. She falls asleep and dreams she is in a garden as a man in a bathrobe approaches her. He says he and his daughters missed her and they knew each other in a previous life. He forbids her from controlling the weather again and tells her to be inconspicuous. As he leaves, he tells her not to trust anyone. She realizes it is a dream and she has been talking to Ntuj. She wakes up to Miv telling her she was asleep for half an hour and she sees Zhong still asleep. Pahua grabs Zhong's feet and drags her out of the Nursery. When they exit, Zhong awakens and complains about the dirt on her clothing. Zhong then apologizes to Pahua and reveals she is still in training, angering Pahua. Zhong says getting the Bridge Spirit to pass on is her only chance to become a shaman warrior, as she will be expelled if she fails. She begrudgingly accepts her apology as they realize the Hmong word for thread is Hox, the name of the god of destruction. They realize he set a trap to get revenge on Shee Yee for defeating him. They believe that if they find Shee Yee's thunder axe then they can take him on and Miv reveals it is in the Tree of Souls in the Spirit Realm. Zhong says she has a spirit friend who can get the Spirit Realm as Pahua suggests they use her bedroom.
They exit through the same portal as they entered, but no one takes notice of them. Her phone vibrates and she finds that her mother has been trying to contact her. She calls her mom to learn that Matt has been hospitalized. Zhong says they should head to the apartment, but she insists they head to the hospital and they walk. As they walk, Pahua notices Zhong is barley covered in frost as she is drenched. Zhong says their is a spell to counter this, or a protective charm can be used, such as a bracelet she is wearing. Zhong also describes the school she goes to and how she has been a student there for three years and will become a full fledged shaman in another four if she succeeds in this quest, being expelled if she fails. She asks Miv, who is resting on Zhong's shoulder, if he heard of the school and Zhong freaks out when she realizes this. The girls clean up in the bathroom of a gas station before reaching the hospital. Zhong waits outside as she and Miv enter Matt's room. They find her mother sitting by Matt's bed and ask her what is wrong, she says that the doctors cannot figure out exactly what is wrong with him. When asking if her aunt Kalia might perform a ritual for free, her mother says she wants something other then money as payment but does not elaborate. She leaves and Zhong says she overheard the nurses talking about five other kids coming in with mysterious comas and they question if the spirit is behind those as well before rushing the the apartment. They reach the apartment to find it trashed and she sees the spirits restraining a dragon. The dragon says he has been sent to take her with him, but she can tell he feels arresting her is beneath him. A fight breaks out and Pahua does not deliver a finishing blow and the dragon escapes. Zhong berates her for letting the dragon live as he would most likely return. A neighbor checks in on them and Pahua fears she will get her family evicted. As she tidies up, Zhong is imprised at her ability to see all spirits all the time, sometimes even the greatest shamans cannot due. When she finishes, Zhong says entering the Crossroads with be impossible with the gods after her and suggests they go physically. Zhong says she will show her how as Miv suggests she wear a disguise. She changes into a green dress and a cloak from a Halloween costume and puts on a red cloth mask she found in the shaman trunk. As Zhong demonstrates how to enter the crossroads, the world starts to slow and grow quiet. It gets cold and she puts on the gloves. Soon they enter the Crossroads.
They arrive at an interaction of rainbow flowers and various stands maned by humanoid animals. Miv explains that they are spirits who can shift between human and beast forms by use of a cloak, something she remembers the dragon wearing. As she walks around amazed, she bumps into a man who the horns and nose of a bull. A woman next to him tells them the man, Choj, usually looks angry and introduces herself as Aunt Chan and offers them sticky rice. Miv declines as Aunt Chan says she uses transmutation to get the food, a difficult feat to accomplish. She asks Aunt Chan about the Ivory Gates and Choj tells her it is Xov's prison. As they get closer to the guards, Aunt Chan finds it strange that they are unaccompanied minors and the girls say their parents let them travel on their own for the first time. When they reach the guard, they are asked for permits, something Pahua and company does it have. She lies that she lost it and says her uncle in the Spirit Realm wanted them to visit. Aunt Chan distracts the guard by offering him rice and Pahua, Miv, and Zhong sneak past him and onto a boat bound for the Spirit Realm. However as they sail away, an eagle spirit senses stowaways and the girls ready for a fight. The eagle reveals its nine tongues and shrieks three times and She realizes they are slowly turning to stone. They fight back as best they can with Zhong hitting the eagle with an arrow and Pahua slicing off two tongues as it shrieks a fourth time. The eagle demands it’s tongues as she demands it unpetrifies them. It reluctantly agrees and she returns the tongues. The eagle warns them there are far worse things them itself as they journey on.
As they set sail, Zhong complements her on her quick thinking, but feels that killing would have been preferable. Pahua says violence is not always the answer as Zhong says fighting it her best skill. They stop arguing and Zhong agrees to help her focus her spiritual energy. Miv tells the girls to put on masks as they approach a waterfall. They see a girl on a big elephant and Miv tells them to stay quiet as they enter the waterfall. As Zhong leans in close and her, she notices Zhong's bracelet is vibrating and grabs her wrist with a gloved hand to keep it intact. They emerge on the other side of the waterfall covered in frost and she wonders if the gloves saved her and Zhong's lives as they reach a field with some trees and Miv says they are in the Spirit Realm's waiting room. They get off the boat and slowly follow the line up a hill to a pond. A frog sucks up the water and reveals a tunnel on the bottom, and becomes bloated in the process. Miv says it is funny but Zhong warns them not to laugh as the frog was punished by Nhia Ngao Zhua Pa, a shapeshifting goddess, for ruining a prank show was pulled on a mortal man. Miv guides the girls, as they cannot see with their masks. However she takes off her mask and laughs as the frog releases the water right on the three and are washed into a cave and Zhong pulls her out of the the water. She starts to squeeze the water out of her clothes and thanks Zhong. Miv says they cannot exit way they entered and have to find another way. As they walk, she asks Zhong about the school again and she reveals her old sister also attends with her parents visiting her sister and says father being a part-time shaman, but is mainly a graphic designer. Pahua remembers her father drawing a lot but stays silent when Zhong asks about him. Eventually they come to a forked tunnel. Miv says to go right but the girls insist on going left because it is bigger. As they walk, they trigger a trap and the girls draw their weapons. she senses the Bridge Spirit is there, and has grown stronger. She wants to fight but the others say they need the axe first. They eventually find the exit. She holds in a scream when she sees a six horned water buffalo spirit and Miv says to get by quietly. However she sneezes, alerting the spirit and angering her companions, and they run. Zhong tries to create a barrier, but Pahua tackles her before she could do it. Miv tells them to run into a nearby forest and climb into a tree where she gets a tree spirit stuck in her hair. Soon the water buffalo spirit gives up and returns to its heard. They wait a little before climbing down and wander into the forest. As they walk away, Zhong says she wants trying to use shaman magic to protect them, but she says it is not her best skill. They walk until Zhong decides to make camp and gets materials for a fire while nature spirits attack her. After starting a fire a nature spirit comes over to them and introduces herself as Nplooj, the queen of the nature spirits, and offers assistance as thanks for dealing with the water buffalo spirit. As they eat, Zhong complements her on her bravery and says not all older siblings will do what she is doing. Eventually they fall asleep. she dreams she is standing in front of a cage with a voice saying it knows her despite a different appearance and she will free it. She realizes it is Xov as hands grab her and drag her away.
She wakes up soon after and washes up and has a breakfast of fruit and nuts from the nature spirits when the queen in forms her that her sister, ruler of the fields, can help her. Miv returns after scouting out a route and, after Zhong wakes up, he tells them they are near the main road, but they have to cross a mountain range and back in two days. As she questions their next move, Zhong reveals she has a spirit horse that can take them to the tree in no time. They head into a village where Zhong finds a place to contact her horse. The horse spirit manning the stand, Suad Nag, refuses to summon the spirit at first, but does so when Pahua bribes him. A second later Zhong's horse spirit, Spike, appears and agrees to take the three to the Tree of Souls after learning of Pahua's brother. The three mount Spike and the spirit horse zooms across the mountains. As they travel, she sees a forest on the back of a turtle and a fog covered peak where Zhong says houses lost mortal souls. After a while they stop so Spike can rest and Zhong agrees to teach her some of what she knows. Pahua manages to channel some energy into her sword, which glows bright before she drops it. Zhong then teaches Pahua some combat skills. Zhong disarms her a few times, but Shee Yee's instincts kick in and she disarms her, angering Zhong. Zhong reveals her older sister is a prodigy at shamanism and is nearly a full fledged warrior, even going on missions on her own. Zhong also reveals her father’s sister and paternal grandparents are shamans as well, leaving her with a lot to pressure and expectations to live up to. She says she gets it and reveals her feelings about her father leaving them. After a while the girls are chummy again and Spike returns to take them to the Tree of Souls and she recognizes it from the dream she had when Matt first got sick. Spike refuses to go any further and the three move in. As they do, the caretaker emerges, the woman she saw in her dream, and notices them. Believing she would not harm them, Pahua walks up to her and introduces herself as Shee Yee's reincarnation. The caretaker, Yeng, says she knows and tells Zhong and Miv to leave. Zhong says she is on a mission for her school and momentarily hesitates when asked if she wants to be a shaman warrior. She asks for the ax, but Yeng says she must find it herself. A new soul arrives as Yeng switches it out for another soul. She asks the caretaker why Shee Yee was reborn and she says a strong being came when she was away. She is given locket with the trees only leaf to find the ax and heads into the tree with Zhong and Miv.
They come to two doors, one depicting branching and another roots. As they decide which door to take, she remembers that in her younger days her parents wanted her and to be educated on Hmong customs and culture to stay in tune to their roots. Pahua chooses the door with the roots and they enter. They find different rooms, with her trading her sandals for boots, before finding a library. When they enter, the books start to attack them and spurt out various facts. They eventually find a book on Shee Yee and grab it. The books stop attacking and they read. They ask the book about Shee Yee and Xov and it shows them visions of Shee Yee saving a child from a demon and him fighting and imprisoning Xov with his list remaining child forced to guard him. As Zhong is awe at seeing her idol, she feels strange watching herself in a past life. The book says Xov's prison is guarded by a curse and recites it as the try to fugue out what it means. As the leave the room, Pahua wonders how much time they have left as the floor shifts and a crack in the wall opens up and swallows her before closing. She tumbles down the tunnel and into a room that resembles a forest. She comes to a bridge with a door on the other end and a man sitting with a bucket of plums. He introduces himself as Cag, the spirit of the tree's roots. He says Pahua can cross as long as she gives him her worst memory. She realizes that is the day her walked out and is hesitant, wondering if it would make her feel better or worse. He hands her a plum and tells her to eat it. When she does she sees her old living room and her parents after a fight. As her father stands by the front door, she says she cannot forgive him. The scene fades to reveal Pahua has crossed the bridge and Cag says to keep the plum pit. She puts it in her pocket and opens the door, running into her companions. Pahua guesses they went through a similar test as her as they find a room with a statue of Shee Yee holding the lighting ax. As her companions encourage her to take the ax, which is her height, they are subdued by a group of dragons, Miv is placed in a bubble as the girls are restrained. The dragons say they want to give the ax to Xiav, a dragon who became the deity of thunder when Xov was locked away, so that Xov can remain imprisoned. Pahua says that as Shee Yee's reincarnation, she is the niece of their king. A dragon goes to take the ax, but he is vaporized. Another dragon holds a sword to Zhong's chest and threatens to kill her if Pahua does not retrieve the ax. As she is freed, a group of Poj Ntxoog arrive to take the ax and a three way fight breaks out. Zhong frees herself and she tries to find Miv before Zhong tells her to get the ax. She grabs it and feels a surge of cold energy. She put her gloves on and tries again, succeeding. The ax shrinks so that she can use it as the rooms collapses in on itself. As the poj ntxoog and dragons flee, she searches for Miv before Zhong drags her out. The girls flee up a stairway and end up outside the tree.
Pahua tries to get back inside, but the tree seals itself. The girls find Yeng, who comments on the damage she made, and ask her where Miv is as Zhong notices Spike is missing, Yeng says the dragons scared her off and reminds them cat spirits have no place in the tree and Pahua begs Yeng to tell her where Miv is but the arborist refuses. With the grief of losing her best friend and the uncertainty of how to save her brother in time, She scolds Yeng for not helping. In response, Yeng says they can get the her brother if they pay a price and tells the girls that she was once mortal and was cursed to tend to the tree after exposing a trick Nhia Ngao Zhua Pa was pulling on her girlfriend. Pahua returns the leaf as Yeng goes back inside. As Zhong laments that she should have called her teacher, the girls see a poj ntxoog and go after it, Zhong fires an arrow into its leg to subdue it. She recognizes it from the store trap as the demon says the tree was calling to it. Zhong finds it hard to believe as poj ntxoog have no memory of their mortal lives. She asks where Miv is and it says he was taken to their camp. Wanting to save her oldest friend, Pahua agrees to give it her hair clip if it can take them to the camp. It agrees and says it’s name is Hluas and Yeng arrives as she removes the arrow to shit can trust them. Yeng offers to have wind spirits help them if it would get them off her mountain faster. The three mount Hluas's storm spirit and go to save Miv.
They make it to the outskirts of the encampment and Hluas demands to hair clip for bringing them there and threatens to alert the others. The girls give Hluas the hair clip and it leaves leaves just as the others discover them. The girls draw their weapons as Pahua demands Miv, they say he was delivered to Xov and they go in to eat her and Zhong, after failing to talk their way out, a fight breaks out. Pahua resists the urge to use the ax, but unleashes it’s power after Zhong is hurt. A flash of light erupts from the ax and vaporizes the poj ntxoog along with most of the forest. Pahua is horrified as she helped an injured and equally shocked Zhong. The nature spirits tell the girls to leave as Zhong says she only used the ax to defend her. Soon the queen, Nyom, arrives and Pahua apologizes to her. Realizing she still has the leaf Yeng gave her, Pahua gifts it to the nature spirits and they accept her apology. After planting it, Nyom reveals she knows what Pahua is and that she has a tight deadline. After Pahua questions her self, Zhong says she would be a great shaman warrior. She bandages Zhong as Nyom then turns the thunder ax into a comb for her to manage easier. Pahua decides to go after her brother as Xov would use Miv to lure her in. Nyom offers her a short cut as a door into the ground opens and wishes the girls luck. They emerge from a bush near their campsite, meaning they are close to the tunnel. As Zhong winces in pain and refuses her help, Nplooj arrives, saying Nyom told her they would arrive, and gives the girls fruit that heals their injuries and rejuvenates them. Pahua notices a one of Zhong's pins is the same as one her aunt gave her mom and Zhong thinks she may have attended. As they are about to cross the field, they see the water buffalo spirits and Zhong looks for something to get past when the remaining dragons arrive to take the girls to Xiav. After the leader says Xiav has spies among the nature spirits, she gets an idea and starts insulting the dragons, much to Zhong's shock. The dragons get angry and, as Pahua planned, the water buffalo spirits attack the dragons and the girls use the opportunity to slip into the cave. As the girls retrace their steps, Pahua questions if she could save Miv as well and if she will see Zhong again. When Zhong notices this, she says their is no one she would rather go on a quest with. As the girls get closer, Pahua turns her comb into an ax and they stumble across the bridge spirit. She sees Matt, along with a dozen other children, starting to turn into poj ntxoog and fears she is to late. Pahua yells at the bridge spirit to get away from her brother and notices Miv is caged on tusks. Pahua goes for Miv as Zhong takes care of the spirit children, placing paper talismans on them to subdue them. Pahua fights off two spirit children and starts to climb a wall of tusks to save Miv, he tries to warn her about something as Pahua frees him. However the wall of tusks explodes, sending her flying as she blacks out.
Pahua comes to in a black void and realizes the charm to keep her soul in her body was destroyed. She heard a thunderous voice and realizes it is Xov. The god tells Pahua she has broken one of the three seals imprisoning him. She remembers the curse she was told and, remembering the last line and the cage Miv was in, she realizes Miv's cage was the Ivory Gates and that he is Xov's son and that he freed Shee Yee's soul. As she is angry over the revelation, Xov demands she break the remaining seals. Pahua rejects his offer and manages to summon the ax as Xov creates a physical manifestation to fight with. He summons a weapon and strikes Pahua. The two appear near eventually match with the imprisoned god having the upper hand most of the time. As they fight, Pahua wonders if Miv truly betrayed her or not and taunts Xov by asking for his motives and claiming he only wants to enact revenge on Shee Yee for not only locking him up, but for being Ntuj's grandson. The taunting only works to an extent and Xov quickly knocks her to the ground and Pahua blocks a fatal blow. After feeling the plum pit in her pocket, she tosses it to Xov, who catches it and becomes distracted long enough for her to get away and destroy his spear, trapping him again. Xov fades away, declaring he is not done yet, as Pahua blacks out.
Pahua wakes up back in her body as Miv smothers her with joy. Still somewhat angry with him but happy to be with him, she reveals that she knows Miv is Xov's son as Miv fills her in. Pahua sees Zhong desperately trying to fend off three spirit children and, despite a sprained ankle and hurt ribs, she limps over to Zhong's back to get more paper talismans to help Zhong. The bridge spirit sics two more spirit children on Pahua, who subdues them with the talismans. She makes it to Zhong and subdues the ghosts attacking her. Zhong thanks Pahua,who reveals she subdued Matt, as Pahua turns her attention to the bridge spirit. As she goes to destroy the spirit, Pahua remembers how sad and lonely she was and thinks of how she herself was isolated from being different. When she reaches the bridge spirit, Pahua hugs her. The spirit flails in anger, but eventually starts sobbing as Pahua comforts her. The spirit says she cannot remember before name and says she is scared. Pahua tells her she knows someone who will care for her and that she will never be lonely again. The bridge spirit then turns into a cloth and heads to the Tree of Souls as the children return to their bodies. The cavern starts to crumble as Miv and the girls rush to escape. As they run, she remembers Xov saying this is not over.
They run into the nature spirits again, the girls being given fruit to heal their injuries, and return to the town to find Spike waiting for them. As they head back to the Mortal Realm, Miv explains how he released Shee Yee's soul to please his father, but decided not to turn her over to him after seeing the love her family displayed each other and expresses remorse for his actions. Zhong is shocked and appealed by this but she forgives him. As they cross realms, she notices that the gloves have holes in them, but sees this as a sign to learn to control her spiritual energy. Spike drops them off at the hospital, where they learn they were only gone for six hours, and they clean themselves off before heading to Matt. Zhong asks her if she wants to attend her school, , saying the staff could help her fix the Ivory gates, which she considers and Zhong gives her a pin her mother gave her. Zhong waits outside as Pahua enters the room to find Matt eating and hugs him as their mother exists the bathroom. She asks her mom about the pin and she reveals her aunt attended a shaman school for a year before dropping out and wanted Pahua to attend, sensing strong energy from her. She tells her daughter she wanted her to chose to attend the school on her own and Pahua says she would like to. Her mother asks Pahua to get her a change of clothes and she agrees. Meeting Zhong in the hall, Pahua asks her to help her clean the apartment. Zhong agrees as she points out a piece of jasmine on Pahua's shirt, indicating Gao Pa knows about her.
Appearance[]
Pahua is an eleven-year old Hmong girl with long black hair and dark eyes. When she uses her powers a spiral appears on her wrist. She often wears a purple P shaped hair clip her mother gave her before trading to try and save Miv.
Personality[]
Due to the fact that she sees spirits that others can't, Pahua has a reputation as a weirdo. She tends to fantasize herself in different situations, such as being an adventure or a royal, as she feels isolated.
Pahua is sensitive about what others think of her, being mocked for both her ability to see spirits and for being the one Asian student in her grade.
She is protective and dedicated to her loved ones, risking her own life and safety for their sake.
Abilities[]
- Battle Prowess: Despite not having any formal training, Pahua can hold her own in battle.
- Mediumship: Pahua has the unique ability to see spirits.
- Atmokinesis: Pahua can tap into the sky God’s domain and control the weather.
Items[]
- Ceremonial Sword: Pahua uses a blunt sword meant to hurt spirits.
- Neutralization Gloves: Pahua has a pair of gloves that protect her from drastic temperature changes when going into a new realm. They also keep her soul in her body. After using the thunder ax for the first time, the gloves start to fall apart. When she saves Matt most of the fingers have holes in them.
- Thunder Ax: After venturing into the Tree of Souls, Pahua obtains the ax used by Shee Yee to imprison Xov. She can wield it as long as she is wearing her neutralization gloves. After donating the sole leaf of the Tree of Souls, the queen of the mountain nature spirits turns it into a comb so that she can transport it easier. It can turn into an ax if a ruby is touched.
Relationships[]
Family[]
Pahua loved her father when she was young, however this changed when he walked out on his family. She would spend years thinking he might have stayed if she did something different. After seeing a vision of him leaving when at the Tree of Souls, she tells him she cannot forgive him for walking out.
Pahua loves her mother, however she hates that she has to work long hours at the factory.
Pahua is close with her younger brother, however she wishes her mother would have more time to watch him so she can have more free time. When is soul is stolen, she goes to great lengths to get it back. When he is saved, she happily hugs him.
Friends[]
Miv, her oldest friend.
Pahua has known Miv since she was four, with the spirit kitten being her sole friend for most of her life. When he was kidnapped by the Poj Ntxoog, she detoured her quest for Matt to have him.
After learning he was Xov's son and the cause of her being the reincarnation of Shee Yee, Pahua becomes appalled and angry at him, but questions why Miv never handed her over to Xov. After saving Matt, Miv reveals he freed Shee Yee's soul to please his father, but chose to not turn her over after seeing the love her family expressed. She forgives him.
Zhong Vang, a girl she befriended during her quest.
Gods[]
From her only meeting with the Sky Father, Pahua finds he is warm and helpful.
Pahua fears Xov and would do anything to prevent his release. After being tricked into breaking one of the seals imprisoning him, she swallows her fears and fights him. Pahua defeats Xov but fears he will enact revenge.
Others[]
The Bridge Spirit who stole Matt's soul.
Pahua hates Hailey Jones for bullying her for being Hmong.
Pahua hates Jocelyn for bullying her for being Hmong.
Etymology[]
- Pahua is a name of Hmong origin.
- Moua is a Hmong clan surname.
Trivia[]
- Pahua tends to speak her fears in her sleep.
- She is a fan of Sailor Moon, with her favorite character being Sailor Mercury.
- Panua watches more television and movies then she does reading books.
- She cannot swim.
- Pahua is afraid of the dark.
- She likes roller coasters.
| Pahua Moua series | |
| Books: | Pahua and the Soul Stealer | Pahua and the Dragon's Secret |
| Main Characters: | Pahua Moua | Miv | Zhong Vang |
| Secondary Characters: | Lia Moua | Yeng | Bridge Spirit | Matt Moua |
| Minor Characters: | Hailey Jones | Jocelyn | June | Shao | Shee Yee | Mr. Taylor | Mr. Moua | Spike | Suad Nag | Cag | Hluas |
| Hmong Gods: | Ntuj | Xov |
| Mythical Creatures: | Ghost | Poj Ntxoog | Dragon | Spirit Eagle |
| Related Content: | Lori M. Lee | Rick Riordan Presents |