A/N: So, I tried my best to include as much action as possible in this chapter. I usually focus on characterization a lot more than anything else, unfortunately, so the action is moreso towards the end. Luckily, I've already completed chapter four, and will be posting it a week from now - but, of course, I might make some necessary tweaks or changes, depending on how I view it from here to there. Honestly, I might start jam-packing chapters a bit more after this one or the next. I feel as if I could include more in a single chapter, instead of stratifying everything as I see fit. Miraculous Ladybug is a very actiony show, so I suppose I can do it a bit more justice. I might also start shifting points of view - and by this I don't mean changing from third person to first person, or even second person. I might just shift the third person POV over to different characters to see how that'll flow. This story isn't just about Giulietta, after all. Largely, it is, but I also want to focus on Marinette and Adrien - they're my OTP, so I want to give them so love too.
As per usual, please rate and review, or just follow to show your support for the story. Thanks!
Chapter Three: Radiance against Malignance
Somewhere in Paris, a certain construction worker grows infuriated at his boss's constant remarks about his poor performance. His ire reaches a certain zenith, the perfect level for the enigmatic Papillion to induct him into darkness. And thus, like always, the spiral panes unfurl, revealing the magical scape of Paris.
Lucent butterflies rise and beat their wings against the air, creating a cacophonic rhythm which was intoxicating. In their center was Papillion, cane set before him confidently, cackling lowly.
"Never appreciated for trying one's best, always criticized without allowing room for improvement. This kind of fury is perfect for my evil Akumas," And thus, a butterfly settled upon his gloved palm, and his other hand set on top of it. Grotesque sludge was harnessed in his hands, and a duo-colored black and purple butterfly flits away to its latest victim.
"Fly now, my little Akuma, and darken his heart!" Papillion called out, but he wasn't done – he was far from it.
In another area of Paris, a ballerina is crippled due to a miss-step, and her position as prima donna is taken by one of her understudies. Dejected and betrayed by her own teacher and body, she begins to fall into despair. Therefore, this kind of darkness growing in her heart is perfect for Papillion's second Akumatized victim – one who will continue to proliferate in strength as they drown in their depression.
And so, an Akuma is sent soaring her way, seeking to feast on her shattered hopes and dreams.
"The Wrecker and Prima Donna, I am Papillion. I have given you the powers you both seek to accomplish your respective revenge and dreams. However, in exchange, you will need to do something for me. Acquire Ladybug and Chat Noir's Miraculouses, and you shall certainly have your wills fulfilled,"
In unison, the two replied, "Yes, Papillion,"
Meanwhile. . .
Giulietta imperceptibly shook in her desk while she did her French assignment. She wasn't sure why, but she felt as if all eyes were on her, even though they weren't. Each of her classmates was busy making sure their assignments were finished before class ended, and some had already finished and were busy starting their home assignments. In the end, she couldn't even muster up the courage to introduce herself without stuttering – let alone handing out the pastries that her grandmother paid for. It was a mess, indeed, but it was her first day. She'll get used to this change, right?
Right?
It wasn't long before class ended, and everyone rose to head for their next class. Mrs. Bustier was reminding everyone to complete their assignments, and to make sure they did them well and studied. Despite it being their native language, there was still likely some things needed to brush on. After all, speaking it well doesn't mean one could read or write it well.
Luckily, Giulietta read and wrote it well.
Giulietta rose from her seat and promptly toppled all her assignments and books onto the floor. Squeaking at the event, she quickly squatted down and began to pick up her belongings. In that same second, someone else came to abet her – Marinette Dupain-Cheng. Deep chestnut eyes met bluebell ones, and Giulietta blinked. All Marinette could do was wave awkwardly and smile crookedly.
"Oh, thank you. . ." Giulietta replied. It was in that moment that Giulietta noted certain similarities to a certain other Dupain-Cheng she'd met earlier in the morning. Her brows bobbed and her eyes widened a smidge.
"No problem! Uhm, so. . . Your last name's Bisset, right? Are you by any chance related to Ms. Bisset?" Marinette questioned, tentatively and considerately.
"O-Oh! Uhm, yes – ah, she's my grandmother, uhm," Giulietta tried really hard not to speak Italian instead of French. The two languages shared their similarities, sometimes in more places than one.
"Awesome! She's a really nice person – she's given me so many ideas for my designs," Marinette beamed, clasping her hands together.
Designs? Giulietta gave Marinette a quick and subtle once over. The girl was certainly fashion conscious, so maybe she was an aspiring fashion designer? All Giulietta could do was nod accordingly. Conversation with people she has just met wasn't exactly her strong suit, and she hoped that Marinette didn't find this uncomfortable.
"Hey, Marinette! Chemistry's gonna start soon. You coming?" Called a duo-colored, brown and red haired girl with beautiful mocha skin, and primarily plaid vestments. Perhaps this person was one of Marinette's friends?
"Ah! Coming!" Marinette called out, before turning to Giulietta for a few seconds. "Want to come along?" She offered.
"S-Sur-" Giulietta began to respond, before she was interrupted by Alya.
"Hurry up or Adrien will be disappointed if you're laaaaate," She teased, cackling madly as she exited the classroom.
"Aaaaaagh! Alya!" Marinette complained, her rosy cheeks entirely flushed with more red than was possibly healthy. "C-Come on," She offered, before heading towards the door, and looking to Giulietta. To that, Giulietta reluctantly packed her things once more, and followed suit. It only took a minute or two to reach the Chemistry class, where the teacher had yet to present herself.
Not like there was going to be time for Chemistry, anyway.
"Pssst, Giuli!" Called out a small voice she was all too familiar with already. Groaning, she looked into a small peek of her bag, frowning at Naaru.
"It's almost time for Chemistry, Naaru. . . What's wrong?" She whined, though low enough for no one to hear her.
"There's an Akuma victim nearby! Uhm, well, two! And they're really strong. I'm sorry, Giuli, I know you're really uncomfortable with all of this and it's a lot to take in. . . But you need to transform!" Naaru explained, defined by urgency in her voice.
Giulietta flicked her gaze around the classroom. An Akuma victim nearby? And not just one, but two? Was it one of her classmates? Was it one of the teachers? Is that why her current professor had yet to show up? Had she been taken victim by an Akuma and forced to perform terrible deeds for the sake of her own greed? Giulietta wasn't sure, but she felt all too paranoid – everything about this was far too much, as Naaru had stated. She wasn't confident enough for any of this. . . She wasn't sure she could handle it.
Everyone in the classroom was immediately enthralled by the latest news broadcast, coming from the smart phone of one of her classmates – Rose, if she recalled her name. The news reporter was stating how there was a massive lugnut of a man tossing around a colossal wrecking ball and destroying Parisian property. Likewise, there was an over-the-top ballerina unleashing her fury and woes by forcing others to do her bidding – and such bidding was interpretive and complex ballet dances.
What a mess.
Catching wind of this, Marinette quickly slinked out of the classroom. Her excuse was that she really needed to use the restroom. Adrien Agreste had yet to arrive to class, however. In fact, he never came at all, for he had already received warning that two Akumatized victims were rampaging in Paris. Thus, he transformed into Chat Noir and was already on his way to handle the latest threats.
Arriving to the restroom, Marinette enclosed herself in a stall and looked at Tikki. "Alright, Tikki – we have to take care of this. I don't know why Papillion has been increasing in power, but we can't let him do this to innocent people,"
"I agree!" Tikki assented, nodding.
"Tikki, spots on!" Marinette called out, and in seconds, she was completely under the guise of the famed Ladybug. Slinging her yo-yo out, she rushed to the scene of the crime.
Her yo-yo began to vibrate, and Ladybug answered. "Hello, my lady," Came the familiar and captivating voice of her partner, Chat Noir.
"Chat Noir, I'm heading your way right now," Ladybug informed him, her voice mimicking how dire the situation was.
"No need, my lady. I'm already handling one of them – the big guy, to be precise. You can handle the Hulk, and we can work from there," He suggested.
"I don't know. . . We should really handle them together. After all, we work best when together," Ladybug informed.
"I guess. I'll lead this dancing queen to you then. Let's meet half-way!" And with that, Chat Noir clicked on Ladybug, and the two were on their way to intercepting each other. Hopefully, they will be capable of handling these two Akumatized victims quickly, before any potentially permanent damage is dealt.
Meanwhile. . .
Giulietta was in another restroom within the school, slumped down and clutching her smart phone as she watched the scene. Ladybug and Chat Noir were employing every trick and maneuver in their arsenal, but the Wrecker and Prima Donna were far too much for them. Lately, Papillion had been sending two Akumatized victims instead of one their way, and although they'd managed to fend them off, it was becoming increasingly difficult.
"If. . . If they can't handle them, then how can I. . . " Giulietta questioned, her voice quavering.
"Giuli!" Naaru called out, furrowing her tiny eyebrows. She seemed more ferocious than she tried to let on – at least to Giulietta. "You need to stop! You were chosen for a reason and that reason isn't wrong! You have what it takes to help Ladybug and Chat Noir defeat the Akumas! You just need to believe in yourself! In your own spark!"
Giulietta's eyes began to water at the lecture from her Kwami, but she knew she was right. She couldn't give in now. She couldn't allow her potential compatriots to fall. She couldn't allow herself to, likely, be the only person to protect Paris if Ladybug and Chat Noir were gone. She didn't know all the details, and she wasn't sure if she wanted to know them all, but she knew what she had to do. And so, Giulietta Bisset rose and looked to the ebony bracelet, shimmering in the fluorescent light of the restroom. Furrowing her brows, she nodded.
"Okay, so what to do I do?" She asked.
Naaru smiled brightly, and nodded. "I think you already know, Giuli,"
At first, she didn't, but then she did. It was a feeling in her core, bubbling and rising to her mouth. Inhaling and exhaling, she steeled herself. When she transforms, she will no longer be Giulietta. She will be a vigilante of Paris, comrade to the Ladybug and Chat Noir. And, in this situation, their savior.
"Naaru, metamorphosis!" She cried out, jutting her arm out. In that moment, Naaru was swept away by Giulietta's command and absorbed into the charm in her bracelet. Her bracelet subsequently melted into a silver color, the butterfly charm attached to it adopting five lavender spots.
A brilliant lilac light engulfed the restroom, and her transformation sequence took place. Her head was shrouded by a purple cowl, shaped like a butterfly. From her neck to her torso, she was engulfed in skin-tight leather with silver, parallel lines. Her feet were adorned with knee-pointed boots, two inches in heel height. Around her waist, a pink skirt made out of streamers, coiled around her and latched by two silver bars, completed her outfit. Her deep maroon hair remained in long braids, and her transformation was complete.
Giulietta Bisset was no longer Giulietta Bisset, but Farfalla!
"This is. . ." She breathed, and she felt Naaru calling to her within that she needed to head out, and quickly. Naaru advised that she use her skirt as a means of quick transportation. At first, she was confused, but after grasping the bars, she quickly caught on. And so, she fled the restroom through the window and swung around Paris, with her streamers being used as an efficient and speedy way of getting where she needed to go.
Meanwhile, Chat Noir and Ladybug were at their wits end. The Prima Donna had successfully forced Chat Noir into a hilarious ballet which confused him to no end, losing control of his fine motor skills. The Wrecker was prepped for hurling his wrecking ball at a fallen Ladybug, whom struggled to rise. And just as he was about to unleash the gigantic mold of lead, it was quickly grasped by its chain by a pink streamer.
"Not so fast!" Called out an unfamiliar voice, which prompted Ladybug to cast her exhausted glance at a certain figure. A purple-hue coordinated figure which successfully restrained the Wrecker's violent advances, and used her strength to flip him over. The other streamer was used to wrap around Prima Donna's ankle, forcing her to fall down, which effectively shattered her control over Chat Noir, freeing him from relentless dancing.
"Talk about cardio," Chat Noir exhaled, dusting himself off and rolling his shoulders back. He assisted Ladybug up, and the two were momentarily distracted by the foreign figure who had just saved their lives. However, she couldn't hold them any longer, and soon the combined strength of the Wrecker and Prima Donna promptly throw her against a nearby building wall.
Ouch.
Crumpled onto the pavement, Farfalla spectated as Ladybug and Chat Noir handled the Akumatized victims. Despite Farfalla's intervention, they were still having a difficult time managing against them. However, their knowing that another Miraculous holder had appeared to aid them against these latest threats had given them the hope and will to continue fighting. If only they weren't so exhausted, they could work far more effectively. But, even super heroes had their limitations.
"Cataclysm!" Called out Chat Noir, as his palm swirled with unlucky energy, erupting the ground beneath Prima Donna and ceasing her dancing momentarily, enough for him to scan her over.
"My lady, I think the Akuma's in her ballet shoes!" He informed her, dodging a pirouette kick sent his way, as well as her poor civilian dancing minions trying to stun him.
"And this one has it in wrecking ball – no clue how I'm going to break that, though!" She panted, dodging the Wrecker's ball by a hairline fraction. They were getting desperate, and the usage of Lucky Charm in this moment could prove to be ineffective. After all, in the past when they faced other Akumatized victims at once, her Lucky Charm almost proved to be a waste of time, and she had to retransform minutes later. However, due to the combined might of these two, there was no way she could waste another minute.
"What can I do. . .?" Farfalla worried, rising slowly. It seemed as though the pain she could've felt was heavily diluted, largely due to the amount of magic around her being employed.
Something within her seemed to speak to her – a certain word, a certain incantation that she could unleash, at the cost of great energy and time. But, would it work? Would it prove fruitful in their endeavors to stop these victims in their tracks? Or will it simply fail and distract Ladybug and Chat Noir from handling this like the professionals they were? Farfalla wasn't sure, but she had no right not to be sure. Right now, she wasn't Giulietta – she was something more, she was someone more, and she was a part of something greater.
Mustering up all her courage, she ran up to the combating Ladybug and Chat Noir, and stopped feat way from them. "This should be good," She spoke, mostly to herself. Drawing her arms inward and crossing them, she promptly unleashed them. In that same movement did a scintillating and nearly blinding incandescence radiate from her back, bathing the entirety of the area in a dome of vivid, prismatic lilac.
"Radiance!" Farfalla called out. The Akumatized victims were heavily flabbergasted by the phosphorescence of her glow, and Ladybug and Chat Noir could feel their exhaustion leaving them. The two non-plussed vigilantes shared a glance, and then looked back to Farfalle, whose glow was dwindling and becoming somewhat halographic – a pair of butterfly wings were now ethereally portending from her back, casting a shimmer.
"Go! Get them while you can! Before the light fades – and it'll fade very quickly!" A beep could be heard from her butterfly charm, and she knew she was running out of time.
And so, Ladybug and Chat Noir sprung into action. Using his extending baton as support, he quickly double-kicked Prima Donna into submission, beating her with dance moves of his own. While she was finally down and distracted, he removed one of her ballet shoes and tore them apart, releasing the Akuma. Ladybug, in the meanwhile, cast her yo-yo around the Wrecker's wrecking ball, throwing it aside.
"Lucky Charm!" Ladybug called out, as swarming red hearts spun around and gyrated, creating an item that Ladybug didn't expect to see, as per usual. A flamethrower was now in her hand, and after a few seconds of sussing out what she could do, she proceeded to melt a portion of the wrecking ball, effectively releasing the Akuma from it.
"You've done enough harm for today, evil Akuma," Ladybug intoned, drawing her finger along her yo-yo and twirling it around. "It's time to free you from evil!" She canted, hurling her yo-yo towards both Akuma in succession. Afterwards, she released them. "Bye, bye little butterflies," She waved with a smile, watching as the two antique white butterflies flitted away in their new found freedom from darkness. Meanwhile, Prima Donna and the Wrecker returned to normal civilians, unsure as to what happened.
"Pound it!" Ladybug and Chat Noir celebrated in unison, pounding their fists together. Then, Ladybug cast the flamethrower into the sky, unleashing the same red radiance which obliquely began to reset most, if not all, damage caused to Paris.
"Miraculous Ladybug!"
Afterwards, the battle had ended. The Akumatized victims had been cleansed, and all was well. Farfalla remained there, and her gossamer wings had dissipated. She only had three minutes left before she reverted back. Noting this, she grasped her streamer batons and whipped one to wrap around a building's extended gutter. Before she could flee the scene, however, she was stopped.
"Wait!" Called out Ladybug, rushing to her, with Chat Noir in tow. "Who. . . Who are you?" She questioned.
For a moment, Farfalla didn't say anything. Instead, she rested her eyes on Ladybug, and flicked her gaze to Chat Noir. Pursing her lips, she gave them a light, and genuine smile. "Farfalla, your new friend. Bye now!" With a dainty finger wave, she pulled herself back slightly and monkey barred away, back to the school. Ladybug and Chat Noir shared another glance, before they too noticed they were about to revert, and went their respective ways.
Minutes later, Giulietta was back in the bathroom stall she had transformed in, cradling an exhausted Naaru who was whining for sustenance.
"I didn't think I could do it. . . I. . ." She was interrupted by Naaru's fiendish complaints for food. Sighing, Giulietta fed the poor Kwami a few salted peanuts, and thus she was quickly elevated to full health.
"I told you you could do it!" Naaru gloated, grinning. "You did great! But, yes! Using your special abilities greatly depletes your power – but you used it wisely, so I'm sure you'll do great!"
"I noticed something, though. . ." Giulietta remarked, looking to Naaru. ". . . Why were the Akumas butterflies?"
To that, Naaru blanked, and blinked at Giulietta. No response was given.
