I have this headcanon (based on no actual evidence from the show, I admit) that Juleka has an amazing voice and can sing very well. I decided to explore this idea as well as Juleka's characterization as shy, by writing this story.
Monday was, by far, the loudest day of the week in Collège Françoise Dupont. With replenished energy from the weekend, the students were eager to share the news of their two days away from school. Knowing that their excitement would be short-lived, only until the teacher's lecture began, they tried to make the most of their time by talking and listening to one another at the same time, leading to an inevitable cacophony. So far, nothing unusual for a Monday.
The students' voices slowly faded when they spotted Miss Bustier entering the classroom. That was when the odd things started. Although the teacher was smiling, as she normally did, she did not greet the class before turning to the blackboard. That small change in the natural order Mondays was enough to perk the teenagers' attention. Eyebrows knitted together, they watched as Miss Bustier picked up a chalk and wrote in a round calligraphy: Talent Show Week.
The reactions were varied, but widespread. Nino cheered, Alya grinned, Marinette squealed in excitement, Rose clapped, Kim groaned, Chloé smirked smugly, Adrien looked around mildly confused. Miss Bustier giggled; she had expected nothing different from her students.
"Well, class, good morning. I hope you all had a good, relaxing weekend and are ready to participate in the school's talent show!" A few more cheers, grins exchanged here and there. "The show will be two weeks from Wednesday at the auditorium. Each participant will be allocated five minutes to present their talent and you can bring your parents and friends to watch! You can sign up by talking to me or placing your name in the box in the cafeteria. Good luck everyone!"
Miss Bustier very patiently allowed them five minutes to discuss the news as she wrote the main topics of the day's lecture on the board. Marinette grabbed Alya's arm and started shaking it excitedly.
"Talent show seasooon!" she sing-sang, causing her friend to laugh.
"That means we're getting another Marinette exclusive fashion show, right?"
"You bet!" the girl answered with a grin.
"What is this whole talent show thing?"
Marinette froze at the sound of Adrien's voice. For a moment, lost in the thoughts of what she could present that year, she had forgotten that Adrien would also be there watching. That prospect only made the butterflies in the girl's stomach flutter more than ever. Adrien had expressed admiration for her designs before; now he would be able to see her work at its highest level.
"Oh, you're going to love it, dude!" exclaimed Nino, thankfully diverting Adrien's attention from Marinette's blushing face. "Almost everyone in the class does something every year. I create a cool beat, Marinette puts together a fashion show, Alix does some tricks in her roller blades…"
"Chloé does whatever money can buy…" Alya whispered to Marinette, earning a snicker from the latter.
"You don't present anything, Alya?" Adrien inquired, shooting the girl a quizzical look. Alya snorted.
"What would I do, investigative journalism on a stage? No, I usually just model for Marinette. Although, you know, she could use some professional hel-" Alya's suggestion was cut off by a not-so-subtle nudge on her ribs by Marinette, eyed her friend with a nervous smile. Fortunately, Nino chimed in again.
"You should do something too!"
"Like what?" Adrien sounded genuinely puzzled by the suggestion, which only made his friend roll his eyes.
"Oh, gee, I don't know. It's not like you do much besides modeling, fencing, playing the piano, and learning Chinese, right? I wonder what in the world you could do!"
The blond laughed and scratched the back of his head, clearly embarrassed. "You see… I'm not sure I'm going to have much time to prepare anything. I've been pretty busy with school and everything else these past few days."
Adrien's remark about lack of time was a grim reminder to Marinette; how would she find time to prepare a complete show in a little over two weeks? It had already taken a lot of effort the previous times, when she only had to worry about school and helping out in the bakery once in a while. Now, however, she was Ladybug. She had even more responsibilities than before and could not give up any of them to prepare for the talent show.
Paris came first, of course. She had to patrol at the very least three nights a week. Images of the two akuma attacks that had occurred the previous week flashed through Marinette's mind. Make that four nights.
Apart from patrolling and potential new attacks, she had to study for a test the following week. Failing the test in order to get the designs done was not an option – Ladybug could not risk being grounded or have her parents try to monitor her studying.
All of that considered, plus the necessary time for sleeping and fulfilling her duties as class president, Marinette calculated she had… no time at all to make three sets of clothes – the minimum for any self-respectable fashion show, thank you very much – until the event. Letting out a hopeless groan, she banged her forehead against the desk.
Explaining to Alya why she would not take part in the talent show had been the worst part.
"I told you! I'm pretty busy these weeks, I'm not going to finish it in time!" an exasperated Marinette said for what was possibly the fifth time that day.
"Ask your parents for some time off!" snapped Alya, rolling her eyes as though she were saying the most obvious statement in the universe.
"It's not just that!" the dark-haired said through gritted teeth, hoping her friend would just drop the subject already. Marinette and Tikki had had a long conversation the previous night about how to conciliate Ladybug's duties with Marinette's civilian life. This time, there had been no compromise.
"What else do you have to do? You could even use the time you oversleep and arrive late to work on it!"
Marinette's eyes twitched in annoyance. Now Alya was just pushing it.
"It's not like I don't want to do it! I really do, but I won't be able to get it all done!"
The brunette sighed. She could tell it pained Marinette to give up on her talent show tradition, but her excuses did not make any sense. Marinette had been equally busy the previous years, but always managed to pull off a great show. Although insisting on the questions would probably not change her mind, as her friend was more stubborn than she liked to admit, Alya would not accept not knowing the real reason behind this sudden change in attitude.
Crossing her arms, Alya was about to continue the inquiry when a high-pitched remark from Chloé caught her attention.
"You in the talent show?"
"I'm still thinking about it," answered Rose with a small smile, oblivious to the venom in Chloé's words. The latter scoffed.
"What are you going to do, throw pink glitter around the place?"
Despite the sarcasm in the suggestion, Rose seemed to enjoy the idea. Beside her, however, Juleka's visible eye twitched in annoyance; sometimes, Rose was much too kind for her own good.
"Stop it, Chloé," Juleka said in a low, but audible voice. That only fueled the rich girl's malice.
"Oh, why, are you taking part in that too? At least you'd get to be around a different color. Then maybe you would look less like a zombie all the time."
A smirk of satisfaction spread across the blonde's lips as Juleka flinched at her words. Marinette and Alya, in a temporary truce from their argument, shot Chloé an angry glare.
"Chloé, that's enough," warned Marinette, causing the girl to roll her eyes.
"Come on, Marinette. If you are that into fashion as you say you are, you have to agree with me here. She is hopeless, look at that dreadful hair! And holes in her pants? That is so ten years ago. What a complete freak."
"Chloé!"
Without warning, Juleka spun on her heels and darted out of the classroom. There was a reason she had always preferred to remain quiet in class, avoiding Chloé's nasty comments. Now that was no longer a possibility, she did not plan to stick around as a target. Rose cried out for her, in vain.
"Desperate for attention," said Chloé, earning a snicker from Sabrina. Marinette snarled at the girl before turning to Alya.
"Let's go look for her."
The blogger nodded tiredly. As months flew by, it had become more and more apparent that their main function as class president and vice-president was indeed CDC (Chloé Damage Control). Alya began to suspect that had been the true reason why no one else had volunteered to run for the office.
Sending one last venomous glare at Chloé, Alya followed Marinette into the hallway.
"Juleka!" called Marinette as she glanced around. They had already searched the bathroom and hallways, but the girl was nowhere to be seen. Marinette cupped her hands around her mouth so as to call again, but a touch from Alya stopped her.
"Wait a second. Do you hear this?"
With an inquisitive frown, Marinette went silent. A couple of seconds went by until she heard a faint melody.
"Mon amour, je t'ai vu au beau milieu d'un rêve."
The lyrics, she instantly recognized, were from the Sleeping Beauty movie, sung in the same style as Lana Del Rey's version. The voice was evidently a woman's, but Marinette could not tell whom.
Placing a finger over her mouth, Alya gestured for Marinette to follow her. As they walked, the voice became clearer.
"Mon amour, un aussi doux rêve est un présage d'amour. "
The voice was deep, subtly enveloping each word with emotion. Little by little, it mesmerized the listeners, causing the girls' footsteps to fall into the same pace as the song.
"Refusons tous deux que nos lendemains soient mornes et gris."
Unsurprisingly, Marinette and Alya were led to the music room. Quite as mice, they tiptoed to the door and looked stretched their necks up in order to look through the glass.
At first, it looked like the room was empty. It was only when Marinette was about to turn around and look in another room that, from the corner of her eye, she saw her. Juleka was standing in the corner next to the piano. Her head was held up high in a way Marinette had never seen in class. Her eyes were closed and, as her mouth moved, the faintest smile could be seen on her lips. She tossed her weight from one foot to the other, slowly swaying according to the rhythm of the song.
"Nous attendrons l'heure de notre bonheur, "
Toi ma destinée, je saurais t'aimer, j'en ai rêvé."
Each note was carried lightly and effortlessly, as though that was actually the girl's natural way of talking. Marinette and Alya alternated between staring at Juleka and at each other with wide eyes. Never before had they seen the timid girl so calm, so in her element.
Lost in their awe, the duo unconsciously leaned closer and closer to the door. Alya's hand touched the doorknob by accident and the door burst open, throwing the girls unceremoniously into the room. The singing immediately stopped and the spell was over; instead, there was only Alya and Marinette sprawled on the floor and a wide-eyed Juleka who looked like she there was no other place she would rather be the least.
"Uh… are you okay?" Juleka asked in a small voice, a radical change from the powerful one she had been using just a few moments ago.
"Yes!" cried Marinette, jumping to her feet and helping Alya up as well. "But more importantly, Juleka, where did you learn to sing like that?"
"It was amazing!" chimed Alya, throwing her hands up for emphasis. "You sound just like a professional!"
If Juleka looked uncomfortable before, that was nothing compared to what she looked like now.
"Uh, thank you… It's just something I like to do…"
"Do you always come here to sing?" inquired Marinette.
"Sometimes… when I'm upset, it calms me down."
Marinette nodded. Anyone in the way of Chloé's outbursts would feel the need to take some time to themselves.
"I can see why!" laughed Alya. "I bet even Chloé would pipe down if she heard that singing."
At this remark, Marinette felt a light switch being flipped on in her brain.
"You have to sing in the talent show!" she blurted out in excitement, startling both Juleka and Alya.
"Wait- what?" stuttered Juleka, widening her eyes at Marinette.
"Your voice is too amazing for it to stay hidden!" argued the girl, beaming. "Besides, it would really teach a lesson to Chloé on not going around making fun of people like that!"
Alya nodded. "The look on her face would be priceless. Not to mention everyone would be head over heels with your voice. I can even record it for people to watch later!"
The corner of Juleka's lips dropped down in an expression of worry. She took a step back.
"I don't really know… I never sing in front of people, it makes me nervous."
"All the more reason to do it!" encouraged Marinette with a grin. "It is the perfect way to face your fears while doing something you like!"
Juleka looked down, fidgeting. "That's true."
"So promise me you'll think about it!"
Both girls clasped their hands together and stared at Juleka expectantly. The black-haired girl's eye quickly surveilled the area, but found no easy way out. Repressing a sigh, Juleka finally nodded. Marinette and Alya cheered.
"Don't think I've given up on our little conversation from before, because I haven't," whispered Alya to Marinette through gritted teeth.
"Hope to see you there then, Juleka!" shouted Marinette, deliberately ignoring her friend in hopes of escaping another discussion. This time, Alya only laughed and decided she could let go. For now.
"Juleka!" The sound of Marinette's voice caused the girl to cringe. "Did you sign up for the show yet?"
Marinette was ridiculously persistent, Juleka would give her that. In the past two days since she had discovered that Juleka could sing, Marinette had already inquired about her registration in the talent show in no less than twelve different occasions. She was always careful to make sure that no other people were listening – after all, if Juleka went to an empty classroom to sing, it was probably because she wanted to keep it low. Still. Twelve times.
So far, Juleka had made it a point to keep her answers vague; not yet, maybe later, I'm going to, I'm thinking about it, hello Adrien. The last one had been a false distraction, but it had caused Marinette to lose her composure for enough time for Juleka to escape unnoticed. Thankfully, Marinette did not seem to resent her for that.
Avoiding the designer completely was not truly an option, seeing as they studied in the same class, but Juleka was doing her best. As much as Marinette's words had had an impact on her that day in the music room, Juleka did not feel ready yet to face her fears of dealing with a large public. Nor was she certain that performing at the talent show right away would be the best way to solve this. Nonetheless, she could not say that to Marinette; rather, she could not say it out loud. Once words were spoken, one could not take them back. They became true. The thought that, once she admitted she could not overcome her fear, then she would never do so, terrified Juleka more than the prospect of singing itself. Hence, avoid Marinette she did.
That did not work on the third day, though.
This time, the girl did not nod and leave after Juleka's mumbled excuse. Instead, Marinette frowned and tilted her head pensively, never diverting her eyes from Juleka. The latter shifted uncomfortably under that gaze.
"You don't look like you really want to do it. Why?" asked Marinette at last. Juleka gulped. This time it was a direct question. She could see no way out from it. Not when Marinette's eyes were so intense.
"I don't really like being in front of many people," confessed Juleka in a small voice. "All of them staring at me- I just freeze, I can't do it."
The designer's gaze softened and her tone changed from curious to kind. "It is really awful to feel like that… But you can't let these fears keep you from living your life. I can help you if you want. We'll do it together."
No walls could resist such sincere words. Not even Juleka's. Deep inside, the nudging feeling in her chest told her that Marinette was right. Being shy limited her options. It had taken her years to be comfortable enough around her classmates and present school projects in front of them; how much longer until she would be able to do so before complete strangers?
The thought of receiving help from Marinette was also quite tempting. That girl exhaled confidence wherever she was – as long as she was nowhere near Adrien Agreste, but that was another matter entirely. She always stood up to Chloé and tried to help their classmates against the blonde's tantrums. Perhaps such a fierce willpower was exactly what Juleka needed.
Her lips stretched in a forced smile. "Okay. It'll be cool."
Marinette jumped in excitement. "Let's do this!"
As lack of time had been exactly what had made her drop out of the talent show in the first place, Marinette had committed herself to helping Juleka only during the lunch intervals until the event – eight total. The music room was always empty then, granting the girls a perfect practice area.
"Alright. First things first," announced Marinette like a general sending her troops to the battlefield. She opened her backpack and pulled out a laptop, placing it on the teacher's desk. "Choosing the song. What did you bring?"
That was Juleka's cue to plug her music player into the laptop. The device took a few seconds to synchronize and the song started, making Marinette regret that she had ever left that task to Juleka.
A loud bass played, immediately followed by the sound of a man being stabbed in the liver – or so it sounded like; Marinette could imagine no other reason for so many screams. In a desperate attempt to turn the volume down – or, better yet, off – and keep her ears from exploding, Marinette completely missed the delight that had taken over Juleka's face.
"Well," breathed Marinette, "perhaps a calmer song would be better for the talent show, right?"
"Oh," Juleka's face fell. "Yeah, I guess."
"How about that one you were singing the other day? Once upon a Dream?"
Juleka fidgeted, but nodded at last. That would not have been her first choice – or even second, to be exact – but it was a song she knew. She could deal with that.
"This is confidence training," Alya spoke, eyes moving from Juleka to the small group of friends who had agreed to encourage the girl to sing. Juleka almost laughed at the irony that the announcement had been made by Alya, and not Marinette, because Adrien was part of such group. So much for confidence training.
"Just sing as if you were on stage and see how it goes!" explained the blogger. "We'll start from there and adjust as necessary."
Juleka nodded and Alya went to sit down beside Marinette. Apart from them and Adrien, Rose, Nino, Mylène, and Nathanaël were also in the audience. They had been carefully selected as those less likely to make Juleka feel uneasy, a good way to start the training. Rose, the only one who had known beforehand of Juleka's musical abilities, was elated at the opportunity to see her friend perform. The others sent the girl encouraging smiles and Nino even raised a thumb in her direction.
Once Alya was in place, Juleka opened her mouth to begin. She had intended to, truly. The first words of the song were ready to roll out of her tongue. But then she saw the anticipation on their faces. The curiosity of whether she would meet their standards. Juleka's shoulders fell along with her voice.
"I can't."
"Okay, don't worry," Alya intervened quickly, assessing the situation.
"Why don't you try with your eyes closed?" suggested Marinette.
Taking a deep breath, Juleka closed her eyes. The image of a metronome came to her mind, the countdown for the music to start. Three. Two. One.
She could still feel their stares burying into her. It was even worse this time, as now there were no smiles to ease her. Opening her eyes, Juleka bit her lower lip and shook her head.
"Then… try staring at a fixed point on the wall behind us," said Alya in the exasperated tone of who was running out of ideas.
Guilt struck Juleka's chest as she nodded one more time. They had all taken their time to see her and she could not utter a single note. She had to get it right this time; she could not waste everyone's lunch period like that. However, one look at the wall and she already knew it was not going to work. From the lower corner of her eye, she knew they were still there, watching her. It was hopeless.
With a sigh, Juleka started to bow down her head in resignation. That was when her eyes fell upon Rose. A joyful smile was plastered on the girl's face, as though she were content of simply being there, seeing her friend. Her blue eyes sparkled so brightly that it was impossible to look away.
Juleka's lips moved on their own and she was almost surprised to hear her own voice echo across the room.
"Mon amour, je t'ai vu au beau milieu d'un rêve."
Nino's jaw dropped instantly and Adrien widened his eyes. Mylène let out a small gasp, Nathanaël's eyebrows rose, Marinette and Alya grinned and quickly bumped fists. Juleka saw none of that. Rose was the only person she saw, the only one who transmitted her such peace of mind. It was to her Juleka sang.
When the song reached its end, Rose was the first to stand up and clap. The others soon followed, still staring at Juleka in awe.
"That was so amazing," said Adrien.
"You killed it," agreed Nino.
"Your voice is so beautiful!" Mylène said dreamily.
"So good!" Nathanaël whispered with a delighted expression.
Marinette and Alya grinned from ear to ear, like two proud parents staring at their child.
"I knew she could do it," stated Marinette, to which Alya simply nodded.
Taken aback by her classmates' reactions, Juleka lowered her head and mumbled a thank you. It was only when she caught Rose's thrilled look at her that the girl allowed a smile to come to her lips.
Since it had become obvious that Rose was the person Juleka felt most comfortable with, she was not allowed in the practice sessions anymore.
"You won't be able to see Rose when you are on stage, so you have to visualize her even when she is not there," reasoned Marinette, noticing Juleka's discomfort by the news. The timid girl sighed, but ended up nodding. It was logic, after all.
Visualization did not help much, though. No matter how much she practiced at home, when Juleka stood before others, she broke. Her voice came out small, or shaky, or did not come at all. Nothing like that first practice session.
Every day, Juleka felt her insecurity growing – a lump in her throat that she was unable to swallow. If she could not sing in front of her friends, how was she expected to perform before the entire school? She was not even sure she wanted to sing that much. Whenever she showed signs of resignation, however, Marinette was there to encourage her.
"We've come so far, you can't give up now! Tomorrow you will feel better, trust me."
Juleka started wondering if this "tomorrow" would ever come, as she never felt better. Eventually, the day came when "tomorrow" was the day of the talent show.
"You're going to be great!" The glee in Marinette's voice indicated that she truly believed those words, though how she did so was a mystery to Juleka. "Let me know if you need anything!"
The girl forced a smile and waved to Marinette. Singing would not calm her down that night.
It was a cardinal rule that she must not peek through the curtain. According to Marinette, doing so would only increase her anxiety before the presentation. Naturally, Juleka peeked through the curtain. It just so happened that Marinette had been right.
About two hundred people were gathered in the auditorium. Students, teachers, friends, parents. All pair of eyes directed to the center of the stage, where she was supposed to stand in a few minutes. Staring at her, full of expectations, waiting for them to be corresponded. Ready to judge her if they were not. Malicious whispers. Glares contorting their faces.
No. That was too much. Better to give up now than when she was on stage. She would apologize to Marinette and leave, but she could not be there.
"Juleka!" The girl started, slamming a hand over her chest in order to certify that her heart was still there. Once that was done, Juleka turned around.
"Hi, Rose," she said, a wave of relief washing over her at the sight of her friend. "Are you going to watch the show?"
Rose nodded, overjoyed. "Yes! But I wanted to give this to you first! Hold out your arm."
Furrowing her eyebrows inquisitively, Juleka did as she was told. Giggling at her confusion, Rose searched through her purse and took out a small woven bracelet. It was mostly black, but, at the center, there was a small pink heart. As soon as Juleka saw that, she knew the bracelet had been handmade. It was a sort of secret code between them. Black and pink. Juleka and Rose.
"This is so you remember me when you're on stage," explained Rose, quickly wrapping the gift around the girl's arm. "So you will know that you're not alone!"
The heat slowly crept up across Juleka's neck, stopping at her cheeks. Her fingers instinctively reached out to the pink heart, following its contour. She could practically see Rose on her desk making the bracelet, jubilant as she imagined Juleka's reaction. She could feel every bit of Rose's unlimited kindness pouring over the small heart. Pouring to her.
"Thank you so much, Rose. This is awesome," said Juleka, pulling Rose into a tight hug. An unprecedented serenity invaded Juleka as Rose returned the embrace, a sensation much like the one she felt when singing alone in the music room.
"Just look for me in the audience! I'll be there!" chirped Rose when they finally let go of each other. The girl in pink waved and ran off to join their friends. Juleka watched her go with a small smile; the first true smile she displayed in days.
"Oh. So you're one of those who think they need a lucky charm or something?"
All of the tranquility seeing Rose had instilled in her vanished in a blink of an eye at the sound of Chloé's voice. All of a sudden, those emotions were back: the anxiety, the nervousness, the fear.
"I can understand that. People who were born without any talent need something to hold on to," Chloé remarked carelessly, pretending to check something on her fingernails. "I, of course, never had any of these problems. What are you going to do again?"
Juleka felt her lips becoming dry. She tried to answer confidently, but her voice shook at the end of the sentence.
"I'm singing."
That piece of information caused Chloé's eyes to widen, but it was for a mere second. Recovered from the small surprise, a smug smirk spread across the blonde's lips.
"I suppose you will be a good opening number for me, then. That way, people will appreciate even more my performance. Papa hired this Italian maestro to help me practice and he stated that my voice was absolutely divine."
At each word, Juleka felt something swirling in her stomach. She did not want people to compare her to Chloé. She did not want to be compared to anyone, actually. Was it too much to ask for everyone to simply remain quiet and let her sing?
"Not everyone was made for the spotlight. The sooner you understand that, the better."
Stares piercing through her. Disappointed faces. Too much pressure.
Without so much as a second thought, Juleka spun on her heels darted towards the exit. She felt sicker each second she spent backstage.
Her feet unconsciously led her back to the music room, where it had all started. Slamming the door, Juleka let her back slide down against it until she was sitting on the floor. The girl hugged her knees tightly, feeling her eyes humid.
She had never wanted any of this. She had told them several times; she did not like singing in front of people. Why had Marinette been so insistent? Why had she forced her to do this?
She just wanted to get revenge against Chloé. It was never about you.
Juleka sobbed. She could not go through with the show. Up on the stage, she would be completely alone. Everyone would be staring at her. All waiting to see something she was not, prepared to judge her for the smallest flaw. It was not fair. How would they feel if they were shoved right in front of what they were most afraid of?
Perhaps that is what they deserve.
Yes. Perhaps that was it. Let them feel small and powerless. Let them taste some of that fear.
Excellent, Cauchemarquise. And, in exchange, you will retrieve Ladybug's and Chat Noir's miraculous.
This time, Juleka's words were said out loud.
"Yes, Hawk Moth."
"Rose, here!" Marinette called, waving her arm. Overflowing with delight, Rose ran to sit next to Marinette and Alya. They had been able to get pretty good seats, five rows from the stage. "How was Juleka?"
"Nervous," admitted Rose. "But I'm sure the bracelet is going to help her!"
With a smile, Marinette nodded in agreement. Rose had shown her and Alya the gift a few minutes before. Having a little something of Rose would definitely ease Juleka's nerves.
"Don't worry, she's going to nail it!" Alya told Rose with a wink.
"Hey, girls!" greeted Adrien, walking towards them. "Can I sit here?"
In a quick movement, Alya grabbed Marinette's shoulder with one hand to prevent her from jumping and, with the other one, gestured for Adrien to take his place. Marinette did not know whether to feel sad or relieved that Rose sat between them.
"Excited about the show?" asked Alya.
"Definitely!" answered the boy. "Nino made this really cool remix, he showed it to me yesterday. Juleka, of course, is going to be great. And I think Alix is doing something on her rollerblades."
"Yeah, they are all great! It is a shame, though, that you won't get to see Marinette's desi-"
Alya had to stop in the middle of the sentence to grit her teeth, thanks to the kick Marinette had just given her in the shin. The designer alternated between nervous smiles to Adrien and apologetic glances to her friend – it had been meant to be a nudge, but it was hard to control her strength in the heat of the moment.
The damage was already done, however.
"That's right! You usually did a fashion show, right?" Adrien turned to Marinette, sending her a quizzical look. "Why didn't you do it this year?"
"I- Time had no me- I mean! I had no time!" the girl blurted out. She hoped Adrien would not demand further explanations; if she had to form longer sentences, her brain would certainly fry.
"Still not buying the excuse, but couldn't convince her otherwise," complained Alya as revenge for the kick.
"That's a shame." Adrien shot Marinette a sympathetic look. "I was looking forward to see what you would create this time!"
Feeling the sudden heat on her face, Marinette knew she was blushing madly. The knowledge that Adrien wanted to see her on the show almost made her regret the decision of not participating. Alya nudged Marinette's arm with an obvious I-told-you-so smirk.
The lights dimmed and the audience slowly grew silent. The only light in the auditorium was that of the stage, on which Principal Damocles opened the show.
"Good evening, ladies and gentleman! Welcome to the annual talent show of the Collège Françoise Dupont. Our students worked really hard this year and prepared some fantastic presentations! Let's start by welcoming-"
A series of terrified screams pierced through the air, cutting off the Principal. Apprehensive murmurs filled the room as people looked around, trying to identify the source of the screams. After seconds of silence, more cries followed, although this time sounding annoyed. Principal Damocles turned to the curtains behind him, where they appeared to be coming from.
"Thank you for the introduction." A girl stepped from behind the curtains into the spotlight, next to the principal. Her long, purple hair waved with every step. Stitches could be stretching around her face through the corners of her mouth and a black mask covered the skin around her eyes. Tight around her neck was a black collar, matching the black dress she wore. Her eyes were closed and her lips were curved into a confident smirk. In her right hand, she held a black whip, at the end of which was a very annoyed Chloé.
"How dare you, you freak! Let me go right now and maybe I won't destroy your life!"
The calmness in the girl's expression never changed. Instead, she chuckled lightly and pulled the whip, bringing Chloé closer to her.
"It's not like you haven't tried. Why don't I repay the favor?"
Once Chloé was face to face with her, the girl opened her eyes. Chloé found herself staring into hypnotizing orange orbs. All of a sudden, the annoyed glare the blonde held disappeared. All color drained from her face and her expression contorted into one of absolute terror. A wave of mumbled words escaped Chloé's lips, but she spoke too quietly and too fast for anyone to understand.
With a flick of her wrist, the whip let go of Chloé, who fell helplessly on the floor. Instead of getting up and threatening the villain, as she was doing not even a minute before, the blonde continued to lie down, trembling. The sight only caused the villain's smirk to widen.
In the first row, an enraged André Bourgeois stood up and clenched his fists.
"What did you do to my daughter?" he yelled, pulling out his cellphone to call the police.
The akumatized girl sighed.
"Oh, yes. You created the little monster. I suppose you are to blame as well."
Having said that, her eyes turned to André. Like his daughter, one look was all it took for the mayor to drop to the floor screaming. One at a time, several people who had been around André also cried and fell, their expressions frozen in fear. The villain's eyes traveled to Principal Damocles, who fell down with the same reaction as the others. Then, she closed her eyes and turned her face to the rest of the audience.
Although the gesture appeared to have prevented new victims to the villain's powers from being made, those already affected remained on the floor, shaking and whimpering. Fear spread quickly as a virus among the remaining spectators; in a confusion of cries and pushes, the audience started to run towards the door.
"It's Juleka!" cried Rose in desperation. Marinette, Alya, and Adrien gasped and turned to the akumatized girl on the stage. Narrowing her eyes, Marinette could see that the villain's whip actually came out of a black bracelet tied around her right arm. There was no doubt about her identity.
At Rose's words, the villain suddenly frowned, though still maintaining her eyes closed.
"That was the name of someone who gave in to fear. Now I control it. My name is Cauchemarquise."
"What are you doing to these people?" shouted Marinette, infuriated. Cauchemarquise smirked.
"They are now trapped in a world where their worst fears come true. Poverty, isolation, people not obeying their every wish… petty things like that. They must conquer their fears in order to escape. Though I believe it is impossible for some," Cauchemarquise tilted her head towards the fallen Chloé with a look of disgust. "Now… why don't I show you?"
In a reflex, Marinette shut her eyes closed just in time to avoid seeing the villain's. However, the scream beside her indicated that her friend had not been so quick.
"Alya!" Marinette cried, kneeling down. Keeping her head low, Marinette opened her eyes and inspected her friend. Tears fell from Alya's eyes and she stared intently ahead as though she saw something terrifying. Even though her whimpers were very soft, Marinette could make out the words "let me talk" and "censorship".
Marinette gritted her teeth, controlling herself not to glare at the villain in rage. It was not Juleka's fault. She was too vulnerable with the idea of singing and Chloé had probably tried to make her feel distressed. Marinette should have predicted something like that could happen. Now she needed a place to transform quickly.
The girl started at the sound of something heavy falling on the seat in front of her. Her eyes started to move up in order to see what had happened, but stopped just in time; she recognized Cauchemarquise's dress.
"Just a little look, Marinette!" she sing-sang, malice dripping from her tone. "Then you'll know what it's like."
Before she had time to even think how to get away, Marinette felt a hand grabbing her wrist and pulling her to the right. She lifted her eyes only enough to see it was Rose, who, in turn, was being pulled by Adrien. The three had just reached the corridor when Marinette felt Cauchemarquise's whip wrapping itself around her ankle, causing her to trip. The villain roared with laughter.
"Marinette!" Adrien called, remembering to keep his eyes low. Unfortunately, Rose did not.
The moment Rose turned to help her friend, her eyes locked onto Cauchemarquise's. The latter did not realize what had happened until the girl's scream reached her ears.
Marinette felt the whip untangling from her leg and promptly stood up. Cauchemarquise was now crouched with her back turned to Marinette, shaking Rose lightly as though trying to wake her up from a bad dream.
"No, Rose, no, you were not supposed to get in the way, what did I do, Rose…"
The pain in Cauchemarquise's voice made Marinette wonder how much conscience of their real selves akumatized individuals retained. For the first time that evening, Cauchemarquise actually sounded like Juleka.
Shaking her head, Marinette quickly dismissed these thoughts. It was her chance to escape and she might not have another one. Sending Adrien a quick glance, the teenagers grabbed each other's hands and dashed towards the door, where some people from the audience were still trying to leave.
Marinette pulled Adrien into the crowd and, with an agility the boy had not expected from her, maneuvered both of them out of the auditorium. However, before they could move away from the crowd and work out what the next step would be, a man bumped into Adrien, causing him to lose his balance and, consequently, the grip on Marinette. The girl gasped as the warmth in her hand was suddenly snatched away and turned around. Her eyes traveled as fast as they could among the faces in the crowd, but did not find Adrien.
"Marinette! You really should transform now!" came Tikki's strangled voice from inside her purse.
The girl groaned, but knew that her kwami was right. Marinette could do nothing against Cauchemarquise, but Ladybug was a different matter.
Finally free from the crowd, Marinette ran into the first empty room she could find and shouted, "Tikki! Transform me!"
A flash of light engulfed her as Tikki flew into the miraculous. The red suit spread until the tips of her fingers and the polka dotted mask materialized over her face. Grabbing her yoyo, Ladybug stormed out of the room.
Chaos still reigned as frightened kids and adults tried to find the closest exit. Their desperation was such that it took about half a minute for the first person to take notice of Ladybug. A look of relief washed over the woman's face.
"Ladybug! The villain is in the auditorium! Please stop her!"
"I'm on it!"
As she ran down the hallway, the crowd tried to move out of her way and make room for her to reach the auditorium as fast as possible. In the middle of the way, however, people stopped doing so and continued to run in the opposite direction, even bumping against her. Ladybug understood why when she saw a man scream and fall on his back right in front of her.
Although Ladybug could not lift her eyes enough to make sure, she noticed by the way she walked that there were no traces of Cauchemarquise's previous smug confidence left. Now she was simply furious. Ladybug could not think of a more dangerous emotion for someone who was already akumatized.
Deciding not to let her opponent make the first move, Ladybug swung her yoyo in an attempt to trap Cauchemarquise. The villain flicked her whip and snapped the weapon away. Then, Cauchemarquise tried to use the whip to grab Ladybug's ankle, as she had done to Marinette. The heroine dodged with a somersault, closing her eyes as she did so, to be safe. That, however, prevented her from seeing the whip being cast once again and wrapping itself around her right arm.
The air left Ladybug's lungs all at once when Cauchemarquise pulled her down face first against the floor, but she kept her eyes closed. A tug on her arm warned her that the villain was pulling the whip a second before she was effectively hauled towards Cauchemarquise. That was more than enough time for her to raise her left fist and shove it in Cachemarquise's direction.
Her punch landed on nothing but air. Ladybug turned around instinctively and the kick aimed at her back hit her in the stomach. A burning pain immobilized her for a couple of seconds when her back hit the floor. The red-clad girl only realized how precious those seconds were when she felt Cauchemarquise's weight upon her. She tried to kick and punch Cauchemarquise away, but the villain did not budge.
"It would be much easier if you just looked at me," Cauchemarquise whispered in Ladybug's ear. The heroine thought about spitting on Cauchemarquise's face, but, as she could not see, that could backfire. "Well. I bet I can get you to look if I take your miraculous!"
Gritting her teeth, Ladybug focused all of her strength into pushing Cauchemarquise off, to no avail. She felt the akumatized girl's fingertips touching her ears when the weight over her disappeared abruptly. Hearing Cauchemarquise's snarl, the heroine had no doubt as to what had happened.
"Ladybug! Are you okay?" Chat Noir's concerned voice came.
Squinting her eyes, Ladybug allowed herself to peek only enough to be certain that Cauchemarquise was indeed out of sight. She held out her hand and Chat took it, helping her up.
"Took you long enough, chaton," she teased, blinking a few times to adjust her eyes to the light again. The hallway was nearly empty now, as a last group of students ran away.
"I had to make a big entrance!" he shrugged unapologetically. "Too bad you couldn't see it."
Ladybug punched Chat's shoulder lightly for such a joke and turned to where she had heard Cauchemarquise fall, taking care to keep her gaze lowered. The villain had just finished getting to her feet and swung her whip towards them. The duo dodged by jumping to the side and Chat Noir extended and swung his staff against Cauchemarquise. She barely avoided the blow by jumping backwards.
Once more distance was put between them, the heroes spun on their heels and darted away.
"The akuma is in her bracelet, right where the whip comes out!" said Ladybug. Chat Noir nodded.
"This is usually when you say you have a plan. So. Plan?"
"Well…" Ladybug bit her lower lip as her brain stormed with information she had on Cauchemarquise. "I think her powers only affect one person at a time. At the beginning, many people were staring in her eyes, but each person was only affected after another one fell down."
Chat Noir's eyes widened. "So you were here when it started? You go to this school?"
The girl mentally slapped herself for giving away that piece of information. She pursed her lips and answered, "It's an open event, anyone can attend. Focus on the villain."
"So you don't deny it."
"Focus!"
As though following a cue, Cauchemarquise's whip flew towards Chat Noir's arm. Ladybug saw the weapon coming from the corner of her eye and pulled her partner to her. Chat stumbled into the girl, causing both of them to lose their balance momentarily. Cauchemarquise used that opportunity to successfully catch Ladybug's leg with the whip and trip her. This time, however, the heroine was prepared.
As soon as she felt herself falling, Ladybug rolled to land on her back. Keeping her stare up and away from Cauchemarquise's eyes, Ladybug shot her yoyo upwards and wrapped it around one of the lights on the ceiling. Once she estimated the villain was in the right spot, she yanked the string.
The light, along with some small pieces of concrete from the ceiling, fell right onto Cauchemarquise before she had time to dodge. It would not be enough to stop her, Ladybug knew, but it would delay her for enough time for the heroes to think of something.
"What a bright idea, my lady!" Chat Noir complimented with a grin as Ladybug jumped to her feet. "Got any more of those?"
"Don't I always? This way!"
Ladybug turned left on the hallway and ran into the girls' bathroom. Her partner stared oddly at the door for a second before going in as well.
Swinging her yoyo, Ladybug slammed it against one of the mirrors, shattering it to pieces. Careful not to cut herself, the red-clad girl picked up one of the largest pieces and held it at the level of her eyes. Chat Noir's face lit up and he mimicked the gesture. The heroes stood close to the door so that, when Cauchemarquise came in, her own reflection would be the first thing she would see.
It did not take long for the door to be slammed open. Ladybug saw Cauchemarquise's feet come to a halt in front of the mirrors and heard her surprised gasp. Cauchemarquise let out a loud shriek and dropped to the floor, clutching her head. Ladybug turned to face her partner, who shared her victorious grin.
"We should still be careful not to look into her eyes," observed the heroine. Even if Cauchemarquise was down, it was possible that her powers were still active.
Keeping their stare fixed on the floor, the duo lowered the mirrors. Chat Noir then kneeled before the villain and held out the claw on his index finger to cut the black bracelet on her arm. Ladybug prepared her yoyo to catch the akuma when a sudden feeling of realization hit her. All of the victims had been left whimpering about their fears after the attack; Cauchemarquise was silent.
"Chat, stand back!" yelled Ladybug. Turning to his partner with wide eyes, Chat Noir reacted a moment too late to avoid the blow.
Cauchemarquise flicked her wrist and wrapped the whip around the boy's neck. Chat Noir gasped in pain, but, in that case, pain was exactly what saved him; it caused the hero to instinctively close his eyes, saving him from being trapped in his fears.
Ladybug cried out her partner's name, remembering just in time to close her eyes as well. Her fists clenched as Cauchemarquise spoke, "Oh, I'm sorry. I've already been through my worst fears. That won't work."
Those words felt like a stab in Marinette's heart. That was Juleka speaking. If she was saying she had been through her worst fears, that meant that her uneasiness being in front of an audience was much graver than Marinette had imagined. If she had not insisted that Juleka participated in the talent show, that would never have happened.
Ladybug took a deep breath and focused on pulling herself together. She could apologize to Juleka later; now, there was work to do.
Closing her eyes and following the sound of the voice, Ladybug aimed a kick at Cauchemarquise's face. She felt her foot hit something slimmer, probably her arm. From the position the attack had been blocked, it seemed that Cauchemarquise was still on the floor. Good. Ladybug had no intention of letting her back up.
Taking advantage of the fact that the whip was now busy, the heroine descended upon Cauchemarquise with a series of blows, never allowing enough time between them for the villain to compose herself. The detrimental effects of the lack of sight struck her quickly; most of her attacks either missed or were blocked. Despite that, Ladybug's reliance on her hearing and touch enabled her to have a good enough notion of where Cauchemarquise was and to keep the latter in a defensive stance.
Ladybug heard Cauchemarquise snarl, followed by the sound of heavy panting on her side. The snap of the whip against Ladybug's cheek, sending her stumbling backwards, confirmed that Chat Noir had been released. The girl tossed the yoyo in the direction the whip had come and heard a cry of pain, indicating that she had successfully hit Cauchemarquise.
Opening her eyes only slightly and keeping them on the floor, Ladybug searched for Chat. The boy was already on his feet, though his stumbling showed that he was not yet recovered from the attack. Daring to raise her eyes a little more, Ladybug took Chat's hand. Turning to the door, the girl opened and raced through it, dragging her partner along.
Once they were out of the bathroom, Ladybug and Chat Noir fully opened their eyes, gasping in relief. Cauchemarquise was stronger than they had expected. Even using the Lucky Charm in that situation was risky, as Ladybug usually needed to at least see the object in order to formulate a plan with it. They needed some time to recover and to think of a strategy.
The heroes ran until they reached the basketball court, where Chat Noir extended his staff to lift them up to the second floor. They could still hear Cauchemarquise's angry footsteps when they darted into a classroom.
The duo jumped behind a desk and Ladybug prepared her yoyo. With the desk blocking their view of the villain, Ladybug would use her powers as soon as they heard Cauchemarquise arriving, which would hopefully give her enough time to see what the Lucky Charm was and figure out what to do with it.
Beside her, Chat Noir still panted. She shot him a concerned look.
"Are you alright, Chat?"
"Yes, definitely!" he reassured her, grinning despite the weariness in his expression. "It takes more than that to bring me down, you should know by now."
The heroine nodded, feeling a small smile to come to her lips. She never ceased to be amazed at how her partner could always remain hopeful, no matter how grim the situation was.
Silence fell between them as they waited for Cauchemarquise to enter the room. Each second spent with the door still closed, their tension grew. Ladybug could already feel her hand hurting from her strong grip on her weapon. Although Chat Noir also held his staff, ready to battle, his eyes were lowered, distracted. Something else was clearly on his mind.
"Ladybug," The girl almost started at the sudden words. "What would you see if you looked into her eyes?"
His question had caught her out of guard. A shiver was sent down Marinette's spine at the mere thought of what Cauchemarquise's powers could do to her.
Exposed, unmasked. Failing to protect her family, her friends. Having to face the looks of sheer disappointment when they saw that the heroine was nothing more than worthless, ordinary Marinette. Her parents' faces finding out she had lied to them. Alya shoving her away. Adrien staring at her in disgust. Their being hurt because she had not done her job right. Tikki's saying that choosing her as Ladybug had been a mistake.
She said none of that. She could not have her mind or Chat's concerned about anything other than cleansing the akuma.
"I don't know and I have no intention of finding out," stated Ladybug firmly.
Chat Noir nodded, his gaze lowered. The girl knew he thought of his own fears. Nevertheless, she had not expected him to speak up.
"I would see everyone leaving me. Because they could not bear to stand near me."
His voice was unnaturally low, barely louder than a whisper. However, these words would be burned into Marinette's memory as though they were the first he had ever uttered to her.
They might as well have been, she realized. It was a new side of Chat, one he had never let her see, disguised by a calculated amount of puns and flirting. All of that confidence, the carefree way in which he talked, hid injuries whose depth she could not know. A painful realization suddenly hit her; that, when he said everyone, that included her as well.
Ladybug's hand reached for Chat Noir's and he forced himself to look at her. The heroine offered her partner a reassuring smile.
"Hey. You know that would never happen, right? You are stuck with me whether you like it or not. Nothing can change that."
"That touches my heart, my lady." He had meant to say it lightly, almost as a joke, but his voice came out weak. Biting her lower lip, Ladybug took her partner's hand and squeezed it in hers.
"I meant it."
He squeezed back.
"I know."
For a moment, none of them said anything. No words were needed. Only the comfort of knowing that, despite all uncertainties, all fears, they would be there for one another. With that knowledge, they could win any battle.
As gently as it was done, Chat Noir felt his chest tighten when Ladybug finally took her hand away from his. Glancing at her face, however, he could see that their problems lied somewhere else. Ladybug looked around restlessly, brow furrowed, as though she searched for something. Chat understood the message quickly enough: it was too quiet.
All civilians at the school had already left or been caught in Cauchemarquise's nightmare realm. This silence could only mean that the villain had either fled the school, putting more innocent people in danger, or that a trap awaited the heroes. Either way, they had no option but to move.
Ladybug put her head out of the door and cautiously glanced around. There was no sign of Cauchemarquise. She growled at her own foolishness; by losing sight of the villain, they had given her the advantage. One look from her and their work would be in vain.
"She probably went to the auditorium," remarked Chat Noir from behind her. Ladybug frowned and shot the boy an inquisitive look.
"How do you know?" He gave her a sly smirk.
"What a better place to have the grand finale than where it all started?"
There was some logic to his reasoning. Besides, Cauchemarquise had made a very dramatic introduction, it made sense that her ending should be like that as well.
The race back to the auditorium as quite tricky, given that their eyes had been glued to the floor the entire way, in case Cauchemarquise showed up unexpectedly. They made their way to the backstage door, guessing that was the best place for the villain to hide. As Chat Noir was about to open the door, Ladybug stopped him.
"I'm going to use the Lucky Charm now. If she is in there, it will be too risky for me to use it later. If she is not…" she shuddered. "Then we have to find her fast."
Chat nodded and the girl threw the yoyo up. A flash of light came out of the yoyo and, as it subdued, Ladybug stretched out her arms to catch whatever fell from it. In a fit of anger, she almost wished she had dropped it.
"A mirror? But we've tried that already!" whined Ladybug, moving the polka dotted object in her hands in a desperate attempt to find another use for it. Preferably a hidden switch that turned it into a bomb. That was not the case, unfortunately.
"Well, I'm sure you'll figure out what to do later, but now we have to hurry," Chat said, pointing at the blinking spot on her miraculous.
Ladybug sighed and they went in.
As their eyes remained mostly down, the first thing that called the duo's attention was the number of students trembling in fear against the wooden floor. They recognized Alix, Nino, and Kim, but saw that apparently all of the participants in the talent show had been victims. Ladybug felt her partner tensing up beside her. She did not blame him; she was clenching fists herself.
Carefully avoiding to step on the students, Ladybug and Chat Noir moved, scanning the place as best as they could, considering the limitations. There seemed to be no sight of Cauchemarquise. She was about to call Chat and tell him to check the stage when she felt something around her ankle.
"Hello, dear," Cauchemarquise whispered from behind her.
Ladybug grabbed her yoyo and tossed it just as Cauchemarquise pulled the whip. The yoyo attached itself on the rail of the staircase that led up to the spotlights and the heroine held on tightly to its string. She gritted her teeth in pain as Cauchemarquise pulled harder, but her grip did not falter.
Letting out a battle cry, Chat Noir charged against the villain, swinging his staff in her direction. Cauchemarquise let her whip go of Ladybug and smacked it against Chat Noir's head, causing the boy to lose his balance. Despite the stumble, Chat Noir held his ground and, extending his staff, aimed another blow at Cauchemarquise's knees, the highest target he dared to look at. She dodged it with ease, swinging her whip to trap his wrist.
Ladybug's mind focused on numbing the pain as she fell one more time on the floor. She could not waste the precious seconds to think of a plan Chat had given her. Nor the three dots left on her earrings.
Disentangling her yoyo from the stairs, something about them suddenly called the heroine's attention. They led to the spotlights. Her eyes flew to the mirror on her hand. Of course.
Turning her eyes to Chat Noir's fight, she saw that they were close to the curtain that led to the stage. Jumping to her feet, Ladybug shouted, "Chat, lead her to the stage and use the curtains!"
"No problem!" the hero answered, closing his eyes. He then slammed one end of his staff against the floor and extended it upwards.
Cauchemarquise let out a surprised gasp as she started being pulled towards the staff, seeing as her whip was still caught in his wrist. She yanked the whip, trying to make Chat Noir let go of the weapon. His grip continued firm as iron and the staff continued to extend, eventually lifting the akumatized girl from the floor. Chat Noir grinned. What a way to invert their positions.
When the staff reached the ceiling, Chat swung his wrist from one side to another, causing Cauchemarquise to dangle from the end of her whip. Finally, Chat thrust his arm with such force in the stage's direction that Cauchemarquise was thrown against the curtains and lost her grip on the whip. Once he was free, Chat opened his eyes in a safe direction, shrunk his staff and quickly leaped towards the curtain as well.
"Cataclysm!"
The attack tore the curtain horizontally, causing it to fall on Cauchemarquise. As the villain struggled to push the fabric away, Chat Noir caught one end of the curtain and ran around her, wrapping her tightly.
Meanwhile, Ladybug climbed up the stairs as fast as she could, until she reached the rail where the spotlights were. The heroine stepped towards the nearest spotlight and, kneeling down, held out the mirror. Her arm, however, was not long enough to reach the light.
Looking down to the stage, she could see Chat Noir holding the curtains around Cauchemarquise as tightly as he could, eyes closed. The villain struggled, kicked, and swung her head from side to side, anything to make Chat Noir open his eyes the slightest amount. He could not hold on for much longer.
Ladybug intertwined her legs firmly on the rail and hung upside down. With the extended reach, she moved the mirror closer to the spotlight. The intense light reflected on its surface and, with Ladybug's adjustments, moved to Cauchemarquise's face. The akumatized girl let out a cry, closing her eyes so the light would not hurt them.
"Chat! Now!"
Chat Noir's eyes snapped open and he tore part of the curtain with his claws, revealing Cauchemarquise's arm. Before the villain could react, his hand swung down and cut the bracelet. A small black butterfly flew out and Ladybug was ready to catch it.
"You've caused enough evil, little akuma!" shouted Ladybug, tossing her yoyo in the akuma's direction. She caught it effortlessly, smiling as the yoyo opened and released a cleansed butterfly. "Bye-bye, petit papillon."
Without wasting time, Ladybug tossed the mirror up and activated her healing powers. A bright light filled the room, spreading through the entire school. Ladybug watched with relief as the akuma's victims slowly regained conscience, though still disoriented.
Ladybug let go of the rail and, with a flip in mid-air, landed on her feet. She walked up to Chat Noir and lifted her fist for their usual celebration.
"Bien joué!" they chanted and Ladybug smiled. The smile did not last long, though. Furrowing her eyebrows in confusion, she noticed that Chat Noir's hand was shaking. Her eyes traveled to his face only to find that, despite the usual grin on his face, his eyes were widened and his breathing heavy.
"Chat Noir?" asked Ladybug with mild concern. The blond blinked and his grin widened. It seemed even more forced than before.
"We'd better go, Ladybug! Your time is almost up!" Having said that, he dashed away. No jokes, no asking for her to stay and watch the rest of the show with him, no calling her "my lady". All that was left behind was an open-mouthed Ladybug.
Her mind raced, trying to figure out what had caused her partner's strange behavior, when a beep from her earrings interrupted her thoughts. Ladybug ran to the closest room and released her transformation.
When Marinette made her way back to the auditorium, the people stood together in groups, whispering to each other with wide eyes. Even after all of the akuma's effects had been cleansed, their voices remained shaky. Marinette could only guess they had not forgotten the horrible things the villain had made them see while trapped in their fears.
Going to where she had been sitting for the show, Marinette found Alya shuddering. The brunette's face lit up slightly at the sight of Marinette, but she still looked frightened.
"Marinette! Are you okay?"
"Yeah, I'm fine! I managed to escape," she answered, taking a seat beside her friend and hugging her for comfort. "How are you feeling?"
"Been better," Alya managed to let out a small laugh. "But I'll get over it."
Marinette glanced around, looking for Adrien, but could not find him. She had not seen him during the fight either, she noted with relief. He had probably escaped in the crowd.
Up on the stage, Marinette saw a frantic Chloé and her father gesturing wildly as though reassuring each other that none of their nightmares were real – that they were still rich, still powerful, and still loved by all, according to themselves. More importantly, the girl saw a Rose pulling a very confused Juleka into a tight hug.
"What happened? Did I do something? I don't remember," Juleka asked, looking around in concern. Rose merely shook her head and said something Marinette could not quite hear. Then, standing on her tiptoes, Rose pressed her lips against Juleka's. Marinette smiled quietly at them and averted her eyes to give them privacy.
After making sure that Alya was recovering, Marinette climbed up on the stage to meet Juleka. The latter started at the designer's appearance.
"Marinette! I'm so sorry, I-I couldn't go on with the show. I know you were counting on me, but-"
"Hey, hey, Juleka! Wait a minute!" interrupted Marinette, putting her hands up. "I'm the one who has to apologize to you. I was so excited about your singing, about shoving it on Chloé's face… that I did not pay attention to you, to what made you uncomfortable. I ended up forcing this idea on you and I am really, really sorry."
As usual, Marinette's eyes reflected the honesty her words carried. As though a great weight had been lifted from her heart, Juleka smiled. Apology accepted. Marinette felt her shoulders relax and smiled as well.
Marinette bid farewell to her classmates, waving her hand. Perhaps one day Juleka would be ready to sing in public. Whenever that happened, Marinette just hoped she would be there to watch it. Until then, she knew Juleka had someone to help her through her fears.
A world full of "thank you"s to my wonderful friend Clara (napstabrook on tumblr) for the enormous support, for listening to my rambling about the fight scenes, and for designing Cauchemarquise's outfit.