Chapter 2: Reminder
"Hello class, now before we get started on today's lessons, I want to talk about the yr. 12 school ball that is coming up soon. The teachers were talking and we have decided to let the class have more control over the event activities, decorations, and a few other things. Does anyone have any ideas?" The teacher asked with a smile. Nino put his hand up. "Yes Nino?" The boy smiled. "Can I DJ at the event?" The teacher nodded.
"Of course Ni-"A laugh interrupted the teacher. Chloe looked very skeptical. "Are you sure that's a good idea? Especially after the whole Bubbler incident." Nino's face fell. "T-That is not…" Nino didn't know what to say. Alya was getting annoyed. "What does that have to do with anything Chloe? And besides that whole thing was two years ago." Chloe turned to face the reporter. "Lady Wi-Fi, have you forgotten that your boyfriend here kidnapped us and forced us into a party where he was the DJ? I'm surprised that Nino hasn't been banned from his little turntables." Nino sunk into his seat. Marinette frowned. "That wasn't his fault Chloe." The blonde shrugged.
"Now, now students. Of course Nino is allowed to DJ. Does anyone else have any ideas on how you can be more involved with the event?" Rose raised her hand. "Can I help with the decorations? I love streamers." Juleka nodded and nudged Rose. "Juleka can help too." Mylene spoke as well. "I want to help." The teacher smiled. "Of course girls. You three can be in charge of the decorations. If anyone has ideas about the decor speak to them. Anyone else?" Chloe smirked. "Princess Fragrance, Reflecta, and Horrificator in charge of decorations? Get ready for a party filled with slime, bad smells and mirrors for decorations." Rose and Mylene frowned while Juleka sunk into her seat. "Just shut up Chloe!" Ivan spoke up, trying to defend his girlfriend. The teacher ran a hand threw her short red hair. "Chloe, please refrain from bringing up the…past akumatisations in a negative way. Especially those involving fellow classmates." She asked in a slightly annoyed tone. Chloe frowned and crossed her arms. "Yeah Antibug, please shut up!" Alix said loudly. Chloe squinted her eyes at the tomboy. "Don't make it worse Alix." Marinette said.
The teacher frowned. "Ok, I have had enough of you students making fun of each other's akuma. They happened two years ago and they were not pleasant experiences so please stop." She continued speaking. "Anyway, how would the class feel if the catering was done by the Dupain-Chengs? Marinette, would your parents like to do that?" The teacher looked over at Mari and gave a small smile Everyone started talking about the baked goods from the bakery. Adrien himself was watering at the mouth a little just by thinking about the delicious food. "I-I'm sure they wouldn't mind." Mari answered. The teacher smiled. "Now that decorations, music, and catering are basically organized, I will leave any other suggestions to be directed to the class president, Marinette. I suggest a meeting at recess. I would like all the details to be settled ASAP."
During recess, most of the classmates stayed behind for a small meeting about the ball. Plagg was still uneasy about Adrien's shoes for some reason. After some more details were decided, Alya smiled as she raised her hand. "How about a theme?" Students nodded. Alya raised her hand again. "I suggest Akuma. Our ball dresses and suites need to be based off our akumatised states. Whether it is simply colour coded or something I think it will be awesome. A way to make light of our previous situations."
As expected not everyone was welcome to the idea. Others suggested simply masquerade. But there were a few that were for akuma. Mari thought for a moment. "Ok since not everyone is for the idea of an akuma based theme, how about it is not mandatory to be dressed based off your akuma. If you wish you may. It is completely up to you. It is your costume/outfit. Be who you want." Students nodded at the compromise of the two idea and after a few more details the meeting was ended.
"Hey Mari, who are you going to dress up as?" Alya asked the bluenette as students were leaving to continue their recess. Mari shrugged. "I don't know yet." Before Marinette left she went into her teacher's office to give her the page of new details. The teacher smiled at her as Mari handed over the paper.
After Marinette left, the teacher looked down at the sheet. She nodded at most of the suggestions and ideas. But she froze when she saw "Akuma Theme" for a possible idea. She felt her hands tighten around the paper. The page crinkled around the edges. She felt angry.
'Why must the students remind each other of their akumatised states?' She thought. She did not understand why they couldn't put the negative events behind them. 'It happened two years ago. Why are they still insistent of remembering it?' She frowned and tried to fix the now crumpled piece of paper. 'How would they feel if they had to look like and be reminded of their actions of being their akumas again?'
"Interesting idea." She froze at the deep voice in her head. "Reminder, I can give you the power to remind your students and others of their time as one of my akumas. Also the memories of their actions if they were under the control of another akuma. Show them that they shouldn't brush off the experiences so easily. All I ask is the Ladybug earrings and Cat Noir's ring. Deal?" The teacher looked down at the purple piece of paper. "Alright Hawkmoth, deal." Purple magic surrounded the teacher.
Once recess was over and the students went back to class, they were a little surprised to see that the teacher had not returned yet. Normally she was there long before the students. Suddenly a woman walked into the room after five minutes of no teacher. She had dark red and short hair with purple eyes. She wore a dark purple suit and a light blue shirt. Everyone looked at each other confused. Mari and Adrien had a serious look on their face, ready to run away to transform if needed. The woman turned to the class and smiled and evil smirk.
"Students, you teacher is unavailable at the moment. I am Reminder, and I want you children to remember everything that, because of Ladybug and Hawkmoth, you have tended to forget so easily." She pulled out a light purple scroll out and a pen from her suit and opened the scroll. She started to read out what was written on the scroll and tick off names that she read out. "Evillustrator, remember!" She said out loud as she pointed her pen to Nathanial. In a flash of purple Nathanial was replaced with the Evillustrator. Everyone turned to stare at him. His eyes went wide as he started to have flashbacks of his time akumatised. He looked at Marinette in horror. She looked at him worried. Nathanial blinked. "M-mari…I-I am so so-rry!" Mari tilted her head and looked back at Reminder. "What did you do?" The woman smiled a wicked grin. "He now remembers everything about his time as an akuma, also anything he did while he was affected by another akuma. Horrificator, Remember!" Mylene screamed as she turned into the pink monster. She looked down at herself and started to whimper a little. Ivan slowly reached out to her. She looked at her boyfriend and whimpered even more. Nino ran towards the door but the woman stood in his way. "Bubbler, time to see memory lane little DJ." Nino turned into the Bubbler and went wide eyes. "I am so sorry dudes!" He said as her turned to face his best friend, remembering how he forced everyone to a party. Adrien frowned. "Reflecta, Vanisher, Stone Heart, and Lady Wi-Fi, Remember!" Juleka, Sabrina, Ivan, and Alya turned into their akumas and were wide eyed with flash backs. Alya sunk into her seat. "Princess Fragrance, Anti-Bug, Dark Cupid, Gamer, and Volpina, Remember your akumas!" Rose started crying as she remembered her time as an akuma. Gamer and Chloe shook their heads and Kim looked down in defeat. Lila shrugged, but she obviously was uncomfortable. "No big deal." She said with hatred in her voice, most likely towards Ladybug. "Time Breaker, Have fun remembering." Alix started crying. She remembered how easy it was and how close she came to erasing her friends forever. Everyone was apologizing and crying. Most were in shock from their teacher pointed her pen at Marinette. Her eyes shone purple but she raised her pen down. "You have not been directly affected by an akumas powers and as a result, left with no memory yet. Lucky girl. I have no use for you." She opened the door and pulled Mari through and shut the door behind her. Mari looked around and saw that she was alone in the hallway. "Tikki, Spots on!" She transformed and forced the door open in time to see Adrien get affected by the newest akuma. Unknown to her one of the spots on her back turned a dark purple; it was dark enough to look black unless you looked really closely.
Adrien blinked a few times but then went the widest of eyes in the class. His faced showed horror as he started to hyperventilate a tiny bit because of his memory of disappearing during Time-breaker and his actions under Princess Fragrance, Puppeteer and Dark Cupids spells'. His cheeks started to blush a dark red as he saw Ladybug enter the class room due to his memories of her attempting to kiss him to save him from Dark Cupid's hate magic. His eyes widened and he tried to hide a small smile on his face as he remembered her kissing him. He shook his head and ran out of the room to transform. "Plagg, Claws Out!" Cat Noir ran back inside to see Ladybug confronting the new akuma. Unknown to him the bottom heel of his left shoe was a hidden dark purple. Cat Noir made a mental note to squeal like a fan girl when he got home because OMG LADYBUG KISSED HIM but now was not the time to focus on that.
Cat Noir was focused on the fact that Ladybug kissed him though out most of the battle but luckily this akuma was not very physical in battle. They finally defeated the akuma outside of the school after letting the dark butterfly go that was inside Reminder's scroll that listed people and their akumatised selves. The scroll was originally the list of ball idea suggestions. The teacher apologized and promised to organize a meeting with the school psychologist for her and anyone who wants to talk about their negative memories.
"I realize now that even though it was negative and it happened a while ago now, you can't forget about it. You need to learn from and make light of it. I just got so angry that my students were making fun of each other by calling them their akuma names. I am so sorry." Ladybug smiled and helped the woman up. "I understand. A person's akumatised self is a part of them that they kept deep down and was provoked. I believe Chloe is in that class right? That kind of behavior from her cannot be helped. Just make sure the name calling doesn't get too far and that name calling is the only form of bullying." After Ladybug sent the teacher back to school Cat Noir smiled a Cheshire smirk. "Mil Lady, can we please do a patrol tonight, I need to talk to you." Ladybug glanced at Cat. "Yeah sure Kitty." They went their [apparent] separate ways and the heroes detransformed back at school.
Unknown to them and their kwami, a purple butterfly left the items of the heroes and flew towards the Eiffel Tower. They sat at the very top and waited until nightfall.