It was never easy, leaving behind everything you know and love to start a new life someplace else, but it was just that much harder when you were leaving the city you had sworn to protect. A figure stood solemnly on the roof of a building, silhouetted by the lights of Time Square. Her long ears drooped near her face as she gazed down on the citizens below her, and forced herself to choke back her tears. It wasn't as if they ever really needed her - she had just been there the few times the authorities couldn't be, aiding the citizens when there was no one else to help. But she still loved this city, and it broke her heart to have to leave.
"Goodbye, New York City," she whispered, bowing her head as a single tear forced itself out to roll down her cheek. As swift as she had arrived, she disappeared.
"Robyn… Robyn, wake up… The plane's landing, wake up..." I opened my eyes slowly, groaning as I was met with the harsh sunlight shining in my face through the plane window. Around me, I could hear the other passengers shuffling around, waking up and grabbing their things. On the intercom above us, the co-pilot spoke:
"Nous sommes maintenant arrivés à l'aéroport Charles de Gaulle. S'il vous plaît revenir tous les sièges à leur position verticale, et se préparer à l'atterrissage. Merci pour le vol AirFrance." (We have now arrived at Charles de Gaulle airport. Please return your seats to their upright position, and prepare for landing. Thank you for flying AirFrance). I stretched my arms above my head, yawning as I turned to face my brother, Christopher. I ruffled his chestnut curls with my fingers, grinning in response to the glare he threw back at me.
"Very funny, sis," he muttered, "At least my hair's neater than yours." I knew without looking that he was probably right; I can't fall asleep with my hair down without my own waist-length curls becoming completely tangled, and I certainly didn't remember braiding it before my nap. I stuck my tongue out at him through the small gap in my front teeth, and he rolled his eyes. We settled down a little as the plane began to slow to a stop, and gathered our carry-on bags and followed our fellow passengers into Charles de Gaulle airport.
"...You think she came to get us?" I whispered, just loud enough for Christopher to hear. He shrugged.
"Doubtful," he admitted, shifting his hazel eyes to glance at me, "but there's a first time for everything." I nodded, and allowed myself to feel a little bit of hope. She might've come; after all, she was the one who insisted on us coming to live with her in the first place. Quickly, I reached for the hair band on my wrist, passing my bag to my brother as I attempted to twist my knotted curls into a half-presentable bun. Once that was done, I pulled a long, yellow cardigan out of my bag and pulled it on before replacing the bag on my shoulder.
"Bienvenue à Paris!" (Welcome to Paris!) the flight attendants chorused as we exited the gate, and my gray eyes scanned the surrounding crowd. In the distance, I saw a sign held up above the people's heads, and smiled. Christopher et Robyn James, it read.
"There she is!" I said to Christopher, taking his hand and moving quickly through the mass of tourists to reach the sign holder. My heart swelled with joy, she was here! "Mama―oh, euh…" I frowned, staring at the woman before me,"You… vous n'êtes pas ma maman..." (You're not my mom). Indeed, this woman looked nothing like my mother; she was too short, even in her high heels, and her pale blonde hair and green eyes looked nothing like my mother's own short, auburn curls and hazel eyes that I could recall even after so long apart. She looked to us, grinning brightly at us both.
"Ah, bonjour," she spoke, her voice kind, "Je m'appelle Mathilde. Je suis l'assistant de votre mère. Elle m'a envoyé vous chercher à la fois et vous ramener à la maison." (My name is Mathilde. I am your mother's assistant. She sent me to pick you up and bring you to the house). So, she isn't coming, I thought to myself. I shifted slightly to half-hide behind Christopher, my stomach twisting in a knot and my heart catching in my throat. Christopher watched me for a moment with a soft look in his eyes, before turning back to stare suspiciously at Mathilde.
"Et où est notre mère?" (And where is our mother?) he asked stiffly, tensing up as he took my hand in his. Mathilde looked away, a sheepish expression on her face.
"Elle voulait être ici, mais malheureusement, elle a eu une réunion très importante avec son publiciste. Maintenant, si vous voulez me suivre." (She ment to be here, but unfortunately, she had a very important meeting with her publicist. Now, if you will follow me). She turned on her heel and began walking away, the both of us not far behind. She continued passed baggage claim, where two large, burly men were collecting our luggage and falling into step behind us. We continued quietly, out of the airport and into the fresh, Parisienne moonlight.
Outside the main entrance a sleek, black limo was waiting for us. One of the men carrying our bags moved to pack them into the trunk while the other opened the door for us to climb inside. Mathilde climbed in first, then beckoned me to follow, with Christopher climbing in last before the man closed the door. We sat in awkward silence for a bit, waiting as we heard the men finish packing the trunk before moving and climbing into the front two seats; the silence continued until the limo began moving, driving out of the airport parking lot and into the city proper.
"Maintenant je sais que c'est un grand changement pour vous, mais je suis sûr que les deux vous viendrez à aimer vivre à Paris assez tôt..." (Now I know that this is a big change for you, but I'm sure you two will come to love living in Paris soon). Mathilde started, still smiling almost painfully at my twin and I. I shifted closer to Christopher, twirling a missed lock of my hair around my finger; I hadn't felt this out of place since our late grandmother had first given me my necklace. I felt it carefully, tapping the heart-shaped dark jewel in the center. Something in my bag shifted in my lap, and I pulled it close, stopping the movement before the others could notice.
Sorry… I heard the voice in my head, I'm just really cramped in here. Plus I'm reeeaaaalllyyyy hungry!
You'll be out once we get there, I promise, I thought back, and I'll give you all the carrots you can eat. I waited a moment before hearing a soft sigh in reply before the voice went silent again. Minutes passed. Mathilde's smile seemed more strained as the quiet continued, fidgeting with the color of her pink shirt before clearing her throat and trying again.
"Vous allez aller Collège François Dupont à demain, la même classe que le fils de Gabriel Agreste, Adrien." (You are going to François Dupont school tomorrow, the same class as Gabriel Agreste's son, Adrien). I nodded mutely, turning to look out my brother's window as we began passing some of the more famous landmarks of the city. Christopher turned to Mathilde.
"Nous ne savons pas qui est," (We don't know who that is). he droned, eyes narrowed. The woman started, shocked at finally hearing a response.
"Adrien Agreste?" she replied, "Il est le fils de Gabriel Agreste, le célèbre designer? Il fait les plus grands regards de votre mère." (He is the son of Gabriel Agreste, the famous designer? He makes your mother's best looks). The image of a stoic, cold-looking man flashed in my mind. I knew who she spoke of; I had not seen Mr. Agreste since the divorce, back when the four of us lived in New York together. Dad had not like the man very much, if the painful smiles and clenched fists of my memories were anything to go by.
That man has a son? I thought to myself, I pity the poor boy… There wasn't any more attempts at conversation after that. Mathilde continued to fidget and fiddle with her blouse and phone, while Christopher and I watched the monuments pass us by. The tall towers and bustling traffic of our old home had become ancient buildings and open round-abouts; from a busy modern city to a tourist's paradise. I couldn't deny its beauty - it truly was the City of Lights - but I wondered how I could possibly call this place home.
The city itself soon passed, and as we reached the outskirts of the inner circle of town, the car began slowing until it stopped in front of a large, cream-colored manor surrounded by winding ivy vines and yellow rose bushes. The driver opened our door again, letting us out before he went to help his associate gather our luggage. I looked back at the city, and my eyes caught a flash of red. I yanked on Christopher's hoodie sleeve, pointing fervently at what I could now see as two people in red and black spandex, hopping across rooftops in pursuit of some colorful figure.
"What is that?!" Christopher exclaimed, gaining Mathilde's attention. She turned, following our gaze to the neighboring rooftops. She smiled again.
"Ah, oui, il y en a. Ladybug et Chat Noir sont la dernière chose dans les médias - notre propre super-héros parisiens!" (Ah, yes, there is that. Ladybug and Chat Noir are the latest thing in the media - our own Parisienne superheroes!) I looked at her quickly, then again at the figures speeding across the horizon.
Superheroes? Like, real superheroes?! My heart pounded fiercely in my chest.
Well, technically, that's what you are, remember? I heard a muffled snicker from my bag, and I shifted it on my shoulder quickly, knocking the side of it against my hip slightly. Ow!
"Ah, vous voilà. Vous avez certainement décidé de prendre votre temps, n'est-ce pas." (Ah, there you are. You certainly decided to take your time, didn't you). Turning back to the door, we saw a harsh-looking woman standing there in a white blouse and purple pencil skirt. Her dark pixie cut seemed almost sharpened into points at the ends, and her thin lips were pulled into a cold frown as she looked down at her clipboard instead of at us directly.
"Ah, bonjour, Paulette," Mathilde said, leading us up the front steps to meet her at the door, "Christopher, Robyn, c'est-"
"Je suis Paulette, le publiciste de votre mère." (I'm Paulette, your mother's publicist). The woman interrupted her, finally lifting her steely blue eyes to look us over before leading us into the front foyer. I walked ahead of the others, looking around the first few rooms carefully.
"Maman?" I called out meekly, "Maman?"
"Ou est notre mère?" Christopher asked, glaring at Paulette harshly. Mathilde stood awkwardly beside her, adjusting her skirt as Paulette ignored my brother's staredown and returned to her clipboard.
"Elle s'apprête à se rendre à une séance d'enregistrement très importante. Après cela, elle a une entrevue qu'elle ne peut pas se permettre de manquer, et puis une adaptation vitale avec Gabriel Agreste - qui a tout simplement refusé de reporter - donc nous sommes sur un horaire très serré, vous voyez." (She left for a very important recording session. After that, she has an interview that she can't afford to miss, and then an absolutely vital fitting with Gabriel Agreste - who simply refused to reschedule - so we're on a very tight schedule, you see). Busy. Of course, she was busy. When wasn't she busy?
You'd think she would at least take some time off to greet her kids and help them move in… I thought dejectedly as my heart sank. I shrank inward on myself, hugging my arms as I looked up at the spiral staircase the two men were taking our luggage up.
"Elle sera probablement de retour très tard ce soir. Je suggère simplement d'utiliser aujourd'hui pour déballer et s'installer; Vous la verrez avant de partir pour l'école le matin." (She will probably be back very late tonight. I suggest you simply take today to unpack and settle in. You will likely see her before you leave for school in the morning). Christopher stiffened beside me, placing his hand on my shoulder in an effort to calm down and not explode on the woman before us. Paulette checked a few things off on her paper, then grabbed a small purse from the rack by the door and began leaving.
"Mathilde?" she paused, turning back to the blonde in question. Mathilde perked up, looking over at the harsher woman. "Assurez-vous qu'ils sont pris en charge." (Make sure they are taken care of). With that, Paulette turned and walked outside again, shutting the door firmly behind her. Christopher let out a slight growl, then began leading me up the stairs to our new rooms.
"Eh bien, y at-il quelque chose que je peux obtenir pour vous? Un verre, peut-être quelque chose à manger?" (Uh, well, is there anything I can get for you? A drink, maybe something to eat?) Mathilde asked us as we reached the top of the staircase. I felt bad for her - she seemed to be trying, at least, unlike Paulette.
"Umm…" I hesitated, looking over the railing at her, "Some carrots, please? A snack would be nice…" She nodded, and we continued away to the end of the hall. We stopped outside an open door, looking in to see a mostly blank room with my bags placed at the foot of the 4 poster bed - the only furniture in the room, aside from the (also white) bedside table. White walls, white sheets, white curtains; the sun's reflection was blinding off nearly every surface.
"Not exactly much to look at, huh?" Christopher muttered. I shrugged, moving to sit on the bed. The mattress sank beneath me slowly, feeling comfortable despite its desolate appearance.
"...I miss Nanna.." I whispered, thinking of short grey curls and lemongrass oils. Christopher sighed, taking a seat beside me and pulling me into a one-armed hug.
"I know…" he said, "I do too. But at least Dad's not too far away, right? I mean, Landstuhl is only a few hours away." I nodded, but couldn't bring myself to say anything else. Shuffling sounded out in the hall, and we looked up to see Mathilde enter holding a plate of sliced carrots and sides of hummus and salad dressing to go with.
"Vous voilá," she said, handing me the plate.
"Merci beaucoup," I whispered, picking up a small slice and eating it. She nodded, smiling more genuinely now than she had all day. She stood and looked around, staring critically at the blank walls.
"Vos chambres sont très vides en ce moment," she said, speaking over her shoulder as she left the room,"mais vous pouvez les décorer comme vous le souhaitez ce week-end. Nous pouvons acheter de nouveaux meubles pour vous après vos leçons de demain..." She paused. "Vous deux devez vous reposer, vous avez un grand jour demain. Bonne nuit." (Your rooms are very empty at the moment, but you can decorate them however you wish this weekend. We can purchase any new furnishings for you after your lessons tomorrow. You two should get some rest, you have a long day tomorrow. Good night). With that, Mathilde walked back out of the room, leaving me and my brother in silence.
"You gonna be alright, Binny?" Christopher asked. I looked up at him, bumping my forehead against his.
"Yeah, Tofu," I said, getting up and pushing him towards the door, "I'm gonna just set up what I've got and get some sleep." He chuckled.
"Alright, sis," he said, stopping to kiss my head at the door, "I'll see you tomorrow, okay?" I nodded, closing the door as he turned to head into his room.
GASP! I turned around, seeing a small, yellow-brown rabbit floating in the air above my bag, breathing heavily. I shook my head, smiling.
"Julienne, honestly," I laughed, placing the plate on nightstand, "You don't have to be so over-dramatic."
"But I was trapped in that bag for hours, Robyn!" Julienne whined, floating down to lay on the bed, "And with nothing to eat!" I picked her up gently, placing her on the plate with the carrots. Immediately, she perked up, grabbing a handful of carrot slices and shoving them into her mouth.
"Hey, don't eat all of them!" I said, quickly reaching over and grabbing a slice, "I eat these too, ya know!" Julienne moaned, swallowing the mouthful of carrots.
"But they're so good!" She ate a few more pieces, making me laugh at the elated expression on her tiny, furry face. "Anyway, you planning on going out tonight?" I started, looking at her incredulously.
"Are you crazy?" I whispered, suddenly worried someone would overhear, "What if Christopher checks in? Or Mathilde? Or Mom?!" Julienne shrugged, scarfing down the last of the carrots.
"Just make it look like you went to sleep," she said, pointing to the pillows on the bed, "Besides, you've gotta introduce yourself to those other heroes at some point, right?"
"Well, yeah," I shrugged, moving to look out the window. I couldn't see anyone running across the rooftops in the moonlight, so I didn't know if they were even still out there. "But they might not want to add another miraculous holder to the group. They might even be out right now - it's really late, after all." She sighed, floating over to me and sitting on my shoulder.
"Of course they'll add you in," she whispered, nuzzling my cheek, "You're amazing, Robyn!" I smiled, hugging her close to my face.
"Thanks, Julienne." I smiled, turning and looking at her. She smiled for a moment, then turned and looked out the window, expression hardening. "What's wrong?"
"There's some great evil in this city…" she whispered, "There's another miraculous holder here, and they're using its power for harm." She turned to me, "Ladybug and Chat Noir must be trying to stop them, and they'll need your help." I was shocked, but quickly nodded.
I'm not sure I'm up for this, I thought, But if what Julienne says is right, they're gonna need all the help they can get. And I can't abandon them.
"Julienne, ears up!"
A/N: Hey everyone! I've been meaning to post this for FAR too long, and now the first chapter is finally done! I promise, this chapter will be the only one with a bunch of French in it - none of it is terribly important in this chapter, except to show the change from their American roots moving to Paris. I got the translations off of Google Translate, so I know they aren't entirely accurate (the English translations are what I typed into the translator first). I'll likely go back and improve them as I learn more French. Anyways, I'm currently working on the newest chapters of Sunnie Days (my Descendants fic) and Trapped in Rowling (my Harry Potter fic), but since I'm in school still, it'll likely be a while until they're updated. I aim to update at least one fic every month or so, and I'm going to work on this one over Spring Break in two weeks.
I hope you enjoyed!
-H. E. Vaughn
(PS - I've got a collection on Polyvore for this fic. My username on there is now Lunarity2013, so you should be able to find it easily.)