This story follows the original French episode line because it was the original one, just to clear up the episodes mentioned or written out in the story.
It was three weeks later and Marinette was in her room with Alya going over her idea for her inheritance. Alya still couldn't believe that her best friend had inherited a building, huge bank accounts, and whole lot of interesting items for being such a kind person. It was true kindness would be its own rewarded, but she didn't understand why her best friends barely touched any of it.
"So girl, when are you going to spend some of that money you got? You could totally show Chloe up if you came in school with designer clothes and lots of bling. I'm sure you can convince Adrien to help you. He is so into you."
"Alya, please stop teasing me. You know I don't like it," Marinette pleaded with her. She was at the desk finishing up her sketch while Alya lounged around on the chaise. She blushed at the thought of Adrien thinking about her.
Before Alya came over, she had hidden Wayzz's stuff in a bottom drawer of her vanity and the turtle Kwamii was hiding under her stuff cat pillow. While the kwami had agreed that they had no choice, but to let her parents know he existed, he had insisted that no one else know about his presence, knowing that others might see through his supposed disguise. Her parents didn't need much convincing as they believed him to be the last of his kind and didn't want collectors or illegal chiefs to cook/buy him.
"You don't like me mentioning Adrien or you don't want me telling people you got some serious cash? Is it both?" Alya leaned forward in the chaise waiting for an answer.
"It's both, I mean neither, what I mean to say is ohh! You had to go and make me tongue tied? For the last time, Adrien and I, are just friends! As for the money, I'm being responsible with it."
"How did Mr. Fu save up so much money anyways?"
"I don't know, but it's a lot of money. Technically, I'm in the same social class as Adrien or Chloe, with the money I have, I'm at the bottom of that class, but I'm not going to flaunt it. One account alone is going to cover the cost of attending university once I finish with my schooling."
"Free schooling yeah!" Alya fake cheered. Seriously, it was cool that Marinette would be able to attend the fashion school of her dreams without breaking the bank. Still, Alya couldn't believe that her friend wasn't even dipping into her new accounts to get something flashy to show off. For a girl who stood up to Chloe she really seemed to have a self esteem problem.
The bluenette sighed again. Alya was a wonderful and dependable friend. In her mind the truth was everything and if you had an enemy you showed them up to put them in their place. Marinette however decided not to stoop to Chloe's level. Instead she focused on her design wanting to finish as soon as possible so she could get some feedback on her idea. While she did that Alya decided to record for her LadyNoir blog.
When she first started out she called it Ladyblog. She had been so happy when the real Ladybeetle left a comment, she almost forgot to read it. Ladybeetle had told her that while she was flattered by blog, she didn't want it to be all about her. She was one half of a duo, her partner was an equal and deserved recognition too. So Alya had amended the blog and both heroes seemed pleased.
"Listen up fans, I have a great idea to improve the blog. My friend Marinette here is sketching a headquarters for the duo," she improvised. In the background Marinette was protesting loudly that wasn't what she was doing and tried to grab the phone.
Alya danced away laughing. "So if you could design a headquarters for our duo what would it look like? Post your art on the LadyNoir blog and we'll vote on the winner. Later!" She turned off her phone and smiled innocently. "You've inspired other artists. Now how do you feel?"
Marinette put her hands on her hips and let out a growl of frustration. Honestly, Alya took things too far sometimes. Even being grounded after chasing after Stoneheart hadn't kept her from sneaking out to film the action. "You're impossible sometimes. I swear if you ever got to be a hero, you get so into it you forget everything else."
Grabbing her finished sketchbook she headed downstairs to the living room where her parents were enjoying a nice lunch. They looked up when their daughter told them she had finally figured out what she wanted to do with the stuff she inherited. Alya was also listening closely.
"I've decided to turn the building into my own private residence/design studio/store. I sketched out each part of the project," Marinette explained as she showed them the building as it was now along with a list of costs and notes about what needed to happen at each stage.
"I'm going to keep the massage/spa for now and hire someone to run it. With this I can not only generate some income, I can invest some of the profits into my bank accounts to help them grow."
Flipping the page she showed them how she planned over the next few years to slowly renovate the property. She'd be keeping the original facade, but updating the existing interior, such as a new lighting system, stronger and environmentally safe pipes, even painting the walls.
During her university years she planned on living in the second floor residence. She was putting the more valuable furniture pieces in a special storage unit to preserve them. She'd keep a lot of the valuables, but there were a few things that she planned to sell or donate to help her cover some costs of making the residence her style.
While she was living there, she would start on creating her own fashion studio on the top floor, which would have everything she would need to make her designs. The second floor would also be slightly changed allowing for a few rooms for interns to live in while working upstairs.
The final change would happen shortly after graduation. She set up her store and move the massage/spa across the hall to continue getting extra funds. The remaining rooms would be converted to an employee lounge, a classroom for teaching young students how to sew or knit, storage and a small office.
"With careful investments, researching the best people for the job, and some help, by the time I'm twenty five I'll have everything I need to create my own label. I know it's a lot of work, but it will be worth it in the end." Looking up at her parents her eyes silently asked what they thought.
"Hmm, it will be a long project and a lot can happen over the years. You understand that things could fall through, there will be some setbacks, and you'll need to a lot of guidance when it comes to running a business and keeping your employees happy," Tom reminded her daughter. "Do you think you can stick with this project and not quit when it gets tough?"
"I've never given up on anything, once I set my mind to it. This has been my dream since I was a little girl. I can do this."
"Then we'll support you the whole way. Any problems or questions you might have, we'll be right here to make sure your dream becomes reality." Marinette hugged her parents happy to hear that. Alya took a picture promising to give them a copy once she posted a copy on the school blog.
The Dupain-Chengs laughed as they watched their daughter chase after her best friend trying to get the phone back. Who knew how far that friendship would go? One day Alya might be covering Marinette's grand opening.
When Marinette appeared in the room she slipped on the floor when she went to the check the door. Something gooey and thick was attached to her shoe. Struggling up she couldn't believe what she saw. "Honey? What is honey doing here?" Standing up she saw that the tiny cracks in the door frame and the bottom of the door had been sealed with honey.
She went over to the bench and sat down wondering how she was going to clean her shoe. She reached into her pocket and was surprised to find a damp cloth. Shrugging her shoulders she cleaned the honey off the shoe.
Slipping her shoe back on, she looked towards the yellow stain glass window. She wasn't surprise when she saw Abeille Jaune was not in there. "Where am I, no I mean where are we, no she, where is she?" Finding honey clearly meant she was somewhere in this room, but she couldn't see her anywhere.
There was a slight buzzing sound above her and she looked up. Her eyes widen and her jaw dropped. Abeille Jaune was hovering in the air, a set of bee wings attached to her back. Somehow was transforming globs of honey into paint as she decorated the ceiling. Satisfied, she backed out of the way to get a good look at her masterpiece.
For the first time you could see the ceiling to the room. It was shaped like an octagon, but the slightly raised to create a dome with a central point where the lights gathered together to illuminating the room. Each panel showed a past Miraculous user wielding their weapons at an unseen foe. Her eyes immediately latched onto the Turtle, it was Master Fu only much younger.
His costume was similar to hers. It kinda of reminded her of the armor that Mulan wore in the movie, but thicker and stronger. He also had a skull cap that connected to the mask. His face had a grim expression on it, completely different than the one she remembered.
The other Miraculous users' costumes were different than the ones her stain glassed copies wore or what Ladybeetle, Chat Noir, and Hawkmoth looked like. They all looked as if they came from a different century and the styles looked to be from different countries.
"Amazing isn't it?" Abeille Jaune whispered in Marinette's ear causing the girl to fall off the bench. "Sorry, I should remember how jumpy we get when someone surprises us. You okay?"
"Yeah, what's with all the honey anyways? You stuck it on the door and somehow you turned it into paint. Was it because Hawkmoth was here? I mean that's the he you keep refereeing to right?"
Abeille Jaune shook her head. She looked at the door frowning. From the way she moved Marinette could finally appreciate the costume. The black accents helped elongate her legs, made her waist look more natural, and help show off her arms. The black accents helped give her bust support, but not drawing attention to herself. The real gem was the comb that made her bun beautiful.
"Hawkmoth is nothing except a child throwing a tantrum because he was told he couldn't play with a toy. If he met him; Hawkmoth would run away with his coattails tucked between his legs. Did you know people associate bee's with immortality because our honey lasts forever?"
Marinette shook her head. She listened as Abeille Jaune told her how Egyptian royalty would be buried with the stuff and it was still edible thousands of years later. With its preserving properties she had used it to make sure he didn't slip inside. "Oh, I must apologize for Pollen's behavior. She takes her role very seriously, lucky you only have to deal with her a fifth of the time."
A fifth of a time interesting. Why only a fifth and is it connected to the mysterious He they keep mentioning. Is the mural connected to it? Every time I come here somethings different. Are they trying to tell me something?
"Are you going to dance around the truth with me like Huli Jing did? She wouldn't even tell me what her Miraculous's purpose was or what her special power was."
Abeille Jaune wagged a finger, "No, like a clever fox, she told you the truth through a riddle. For a Bee, we're can be intimidating, yet it our Miraculous that works on the principles of Community and Loyalty."
"Community, I get, but Loyalty? I thought your other thing would be hard work or duty, maybe even female power."
"Building a community is hard work, whether you're a male or female. Duty is important. For it to mean something, you have to be loyal to your community no matter whose part of it. My special power is based on that principle" With a flick of the wrist, the battle top came off the string cleaning up any spots of dropped honey before coming back to her.
Abeille Jaune stood up and started walking to her window again. Her time was nearly up, but she still had to pass a few words of wisdom to herself. She turned and stood straight. "I know what you're thinking and you're right. Everything is connected; this place, all of us, and him. You need a few more pieces to put it all together. Be careful Marinette." She stepped back into her window as Marinette found herself covered in honey sending her back to the real world.
Marinette woke up and fell out of her chaise on to the floor. Wayzz was hovering over her looking amused. "Do you ever get out of bed without something happening?"
Marinette glared at the kwami before laughing and the turtle joined her. She was hesitant to tell him about the dreams, especially since the other versions of herself warned her she wasn't ready for the truth. She needed a few more pieces before she could ask for the truth.
"So what did you think of my plan for your old home? You're not upset that I want to turn it into a design studio/store one day are you?"
Wayzz shook his head. "When you have lived millenniums you learn that change happens all the time." He looked sad for a minute. "Master Fu and I did spend many years together there and it would make me happy to live there again one day. Kwamiis take pride in helping their chosen make their dreams come true."
"Thanks. So I need to get ready for school. Why don't you decided on our training schedule and where we should start looking for Duusu?" Wayzz nodded as Marinette, who once again found herself slowing down, got ready for school. If it's one trait I'm glad she inherited from me, it's that she slows down and takes her time now. It helps her know when she needs to sleep and wake up to be on time for school.
He floated down to the desk, picked up a pencil, and started to set up a schedule for training. Now that Peridot Turtle wasn't needed to observe every battle, they could work on Marinette becoming a true Great Guardian. Each day of the week would be dedicated to one area of study she would have done over the course of a seven year apprenticeship.
"Let's see, Sunday would be good chance to learn to meditate and connect with her spirituality. Monday can be history lessons, oh I think Tuesday would be a great chance for understanding Kwamiis and Miraculouses," he said to himself as he jotted that down.
"Learning healing techniques would make Wednesday more tolerable. Thursday, tough call, but I think Marinette would agree learning more about her responsibilities and special abilities as a Great Guardian will be more tolerable if Friday is the day we work on her skills while transformed.
That leaves Saturday for her mission to find Duusu, but we can research during the week."
Just then the trapdoor to the room opened and it was Sabine. Instantly he dropped the pencil and got on all fours. He looked up at Sabine trying to be as turtle like as possible. Pretending to be a real turtle was hard when you didn't have a beak mouth.
"Good morning Wayzz, Marinette's taking a bit longer than usual to get down with shower. I thought I help her out today by taking care of your needs." Sabine's hands smelled like lavender soap, you always need to wash your hands before handling a turtle, to make sure you don't spread germs to them.
Sabine carefully cleaned his shell checking for signs of infection. The water in his small fountain was changed. Reaching under the desk, she pulled out the terrarium Marinette had bought last week, but hadn't yet set up. A few minutes later Wayzz was in a comfortable new home after a nice misting session. He even had bowl full of baby carrots, some lettuce, and a few dead crickets to eat.
"There all taken care off and I've adjusted your UV light so the temperature isn't too hot today. Have fun exercising Wayzz." Sabine left the room just as her daughter was coming up the stairs to grab her school things. "I've taken care of his needs for today. You really should have set up that terrarium last week."
"I know, I promise to do better. Thanks Mama." Grabbing her stuff she looked at Wayzz, who was enjoying his breakfast, except for the crickets, he was a total vegetarian. "Maybe you should stay here today instead of coming with me to school. You haven't had a day off since we bonded."
"My duty is to be with you. I don't need all these creature comforts. They are nice and it has been some time since I got to sunbathe…"
"Stay here okay? You need some time off. I can handle being on my own at school for one day." Wayzz could tell that she was being sincere and it would be nice to have a day of rest. Okay, he could rest for one day. He nodded and flopped on a tiny log to sunbathe.
When Marinette arrived at school, she started looking for Adrien and Mireille automatically. It was a habit that she had picked up seeing how she was supposed to be their mentor in secret for now.
In one corner of the courtyard she spotted Mireille laughing at a joke Aurore was telling her. After the Stormy Weather incident the two girls made up. It turned out Aurore was envious of Mireille being so popular, smart, and kind. Aurore's parents kept telling her to be more like Mireille and she couldn't take the pressure. Marinette suspected Tikki was very happy for her chosen.
Adrien was frantically trying to finish a paper due for literature class and Nino was trying run interference for him. Chloe was standing there demanding that she be allowed to speak to her Adrikens and Nino was refusing to let her near his best bud until the poor kid finished his homework.
"Listen up you fashion challenged nerd. I know for a fact that Adrien's father asked him to hand out prototypes for his upcoming accessories line and since I'm Adrien oldest friend, I want mine now."
"That's nice Chloe, but as his oldest friend, don't you think you should be considerate to his needs? Dude had to work all weekend and take a double piano lesson. He barely had time to get through his homework and needs to finish that paper before class starts."
Chloe moaned out loud. Adrien was far too important to be doing something as silly as homework. He should just force Nino to do it all. That's what best friends like Sabrina did, for the superiors. She opened her mouth to suggest that only for Adrien finally stop writing, finished at last.
"Hey Sabrina, can you check over the last two pages for grammar errors please? I had to rush them and I need to know if there's something I need to fix."
"Um sure, just give me a second." Adjusting her glasses she checked over the paper scanning for any issues. "You misspelled a few words and missed a semicolon." She handed the paper back to Adrien as the bell rung.
As everyone sat down in class, Mrs. Bustier had some announcements to make. "Alright class settle down, I have a few announcements. As you might have noticed these akuma attacks have a tendency to trash the school or threaten students, not that any of you really mean it I'm sure."
A few kids groaned hated being reminded of them being taken over by akumas. It was nearing the start of the third month of school and already some of the class had been transformed. The last one had been Nathanial a few days ago. He had attacked Chloe for her rude comments and then rescued/kidnapped Sabrina from the blond's evil clutches and taken her out on a date.
Chat Noir and Ladybeetle had a little trouble rescuing her, because Chloe kept demanding they stay and protect her. It had taken all Ladybeetle's patience to convince the blond that saving her friend was slightly more important than them doing her physics homework. After she had been rescued, Sabrina and Marinette had finished the project together. Sabrina had begged Marinette not to say anything about Chloe not helping, and she reluctantly agreed, only because she didn't want Sabrina to lose the only friend she had.
"As I was saying, Mr. Damocles and staff, have been working to create new drills should another attack happen at school. We'll be having the first one sometime next week. I want you to all pay close attention because these drills could save your lives." The students all nodded although secretly Adrien and Marinette were wondering how you could prepare for an akuma attack when their abilities seemed so random. At least the adults were trying to look out for their safety.
Ms. Bustier told them signup sheets for upcoming student and community events would posted outside the classroom after lunch. All of them were open for anyone to join up and there were no fees. There also a list for students who wanted to be tutors to sign. She reminded that each student would have to be approved by their teacher before they could become a tutor.
The last announcement was that in a few weeks they be having elections for class representatives. If anyone was interested they had to be in good standing and talk to her before she allowed them to run. "Remember, if only one pair of students run, then we won't have a vote. Now please turn in your literature papers please."
Adrien handed in his paper and whispered to Nino, "Why did Ms. Bustier mention that part of not voting. Don't you have a vote every year?"
The boy sighed, reminding himself that Adrien still was a newbie when it came to student pecking orders."There's no point, Chloe wins every year. She gets the title, the prestige, and perks, but Sabrina's the one that does all the work and goes to the meetings." Nino shrugged his shoulders. He looked so defeated when he resumed talking "Even though we've all stood up to her, Chloe has enough resources to make sure our futures after school are unachievable. It's not worth it to run against her."
While taking notes for class Adrien was trying to understand how his old friend, who had always been so nice, friendly, and fun, could be so bratty and loved bullying and getting joy from hurting others. Sure, when they were growing up, Chloe would always make a few unfriendly remarks about people who weren't as well off as them, or threw a few tantrums, when she didn't get what she wanted fast enough. But seeing her acting so possessive and mean spirited truly bothered him.
Behind him, he could hear Marinette and Alya whispering back and forth to one another. Marinette's voice was getting a little higher as the conversation continued. "Alya, please drop it for now. I can't do it."
"Yes you can girl. You stood up to her before and if you would just tell the…."
"Don't even say it!" Marinette hissed. Unfortunately she had said that a bit too loud. Ms. Bustier didn't even have to say anything. Marinette got her stuff and headed to the Headmaster's office. A loose sheet of paper fell out of her notebook as she left the classroom.
Adrien snatched it up and hid it. He would give it to her at lunch. Just holding something of hers was making his heart beat a bit faster. Anytime they were near each other or the class did activities together, just being in her presence made him feel "love sick" as Plagg called it.
It was lunch time and Adrien had to head home for lunch. His father had insisted he eat lunch at home four times a week; not that he was there to share the meal with. As he walked to his limo, he spotted Marinette heading home angrily. Impulsively he called out. "Hi Marinette, how are you doing?"
She turned towards him and smiled. She started walking over when she tripped on a crack and fell on the sidewalk. She waved off his help. "One of these days, I'm going to make it through a day without tripping. I'm doing fine."
"You sure because you look like something's bothering you. Do you want to come over for lunch? My chef makes too much for one sitting." Adrien was internally freaking out and he swore he heard Plagg snickering inside his bag. He hit the bag reminding the kwamii to be quiet.
Marinette glanced over at her family's home for a minute, then nodded. "Okay, I actually could use some advice on something. I think your personal assistant might be a huge help." Adrien rolled his eyes and remarked that Nathalie was his dad's assistant and not his. The Gorilla didn't say anything as he drove to the two teens back to the mansion. Upon arrival Marinette was shocked by huge house and the very elaborate security system. It seemed a bit over the top. If she had tried to deliver the Miraculous here, she doubted Adrien would have gotten the ring. "It's very extravagant."
Adrien nodded and led her inside. Nathalie was waiting for him and had a single eyebrow raised. "Adrien, would you mind introducing your friend and explain why she is alone with you?"
"This is Marinette Dupain-Cheng, a classmate of mine. I invited her to join me for lunch is all. She wanted to talk to you actually; thinking you could help her with something." Again Nathalie raised a single eyebrow looking at the girl. She squirmed a little under her gaze and rubbed her turtle shaped bracelet to deal with her discomfort. Why a regular teenage girl wanted to talk to a personal assistant was a mystery. Nevertheless she escorted both of them into the dining room.
Soon the two teens were eating an extremely healthy meal for lunch as they talked. Both of them would get a little tongue tied as they talked unsure why that happened. Halfway through the meal Adrien pulled out the dropped piece of paper. "Um, you dropped this earlier. You know when you were having that argument with Alya."
Marinette's quickly snatched up the picture. Her heart was pounding, but for a different reason than being near Adrien. This was the first sketch in her long term plan on turning the massage/spa into her design studio and store someday. "Um thanks, you didn't happen to read the notes on the side?"
"No, that would be rude. Does this have to do with your argument or why you wanted to talk to Nathalie?"
The bluenette ran her fingers through her hair and softly admitted it was both. Knowing he had been able to keep Plagg a secret so far she decided to trust him. "A bit of both actually. Do you remember what I said when I was trying to light that incense?" When Adrien nodded she continued with her speech. "What you don't know is about my inheritance. Mr. Fu wanted to thank me for trying to help and he had family heirlooms that he wanted me to look after. So he left me all his bank accounts, belongings and the building he owned, where he worked and lived."
Now it was Adrien's eyebrows that raised. Behind him Nathalie looked a bit more impressed. She listened closely as the young designer admitted how much her inheritance was worth and her plan was ambitious, but doable. Especially since she had planned this out in stages. "May I look at your design young lady?"
Nathalie was vaguely aware that her young charge and the girl had started talking about their class rep elections as she looked over the design and the schedule of the plans. Some of the girl's estimates were a bit on the low side and she had scribbled notes with unanswered questions about how to reopen the health spa or what did she need to know to hire the right people to run the business. Clearing her throat the two teens looked back at her.
"You're very ambitious Ms. Dupain-Cheng and at the same time practical. With a few adjustments to your budget you might be able to get the massage/spa back up and running within seven months." She wrote down a few numbers and added answers to the questions that teen had. "I hope this assists you in your endeavor. You seem very sensible and responsible enough to complete the first stage of your project." The assistant didn't miss the girl blushing or the way Adrien's eyes looked at his friend with absolute confidence.
"Thank you Ms. Secaoure. I would like to make you something to show my appreciation. I insist, here are my latest designs. Take a look and see if there's anything want."
The personal assistant would never admit this out loud, but this girl had a unique design style and was on par with several of the designers at Gabriel right now. If this was what she was capable of now, who knew what her potential would be in the future? She finally pointed to a lovely little hat which Marinette agreed to give her in two weeks.
With lunch time ending, the two kids hurried to the limo to get back to school on time. Watching them go, Nathalie wondered if she could persuade Mr. Agreste to let the Dupain-Cheng girl come over by herself more often. He might find her interesting indeed.
Arriving back at the school ten minutes before lunch was over Adrien thanked her for having lunch with him. She assured him she had a nice time. Remembering he hadn't had time to give out the prototype accessories he hurried off to find Sabrina and Juleka, the ones chosen for them this time. Alya was walking towards Marinette to apologize for getting the girl in trouble this morning, but someone beat her and they looked angry at her best friend.
"What do you think you're doing Maritrash hanging out with my best friend during lunch hour? Adrikens and I had plans for a delicious sushi meal at my hotel restaurant! What pathetic little stunt did you pull to get him to take you to his huge and high class mansion," Chloe demanded, her blue eyes narrowing and by the look of things she might use her perfect manicured nails to scratch the secret Great Guardian's face.
"Back off Chloe, if you had lunch plans he didn't mention it. He just asked me to have lunch with him that's it. He was just being nice. It's not a big deal." Marinette started to walk around Chloe only for the blond heiress to hiss and tear Marinette's jacket off.
"Give that back Chloe!" trying to snatch her jacket back, but Chloe held it just out of reach. "It's not yours, please give it back."
"No, I think I'll keep it and use it as rag for cleaning the hotel. Once the maids are done with it, you can have it back," the bully haughtily laughed. She fully intended to carry out her threat. Marinette needed to learn that no one took what was rightfully hers. That included Adrien, who would thank her in the long run for what she was doing. She held the jacket higher out of reach and use one fingernail to create a tear.
By now a few students had gathered and Sabrina had appeared and saw the problem going on. Any minute now someone would come investigate the problem. She could see some of the teachers starting to look out their windows. Without thinking, she rushed over and took the jacket, out of Chloe's hands. "Chloe why do you want to touch such a raggedy old thing like that? You'll ruin your manicure. Here, this is the new accessory that Adrien wanted you to have."
It was a beautiful white headband with some crystals in the shape of the brand name logo. The headband could be worn multiple ways, just by gently twisting the ends making it longer or shorter and it was easily reversible, the crystals could be shifted so they wouldn't get stuck in someone's hair.
Chloe snatched the headband and put it in her hair adjusting it so the crystals would shine brightly in the sunlight. A little more adjusting and the accessory now looked like a tiara. "Adrien is so considerate. I bet he'll let me keep this instead of returning it to his father. Come on Sabrina, we're done with these peasants," Chloe stated dismissively before swaggering off. Sabrina hesitated as everyone looked at her wondering what she was going to do. For a moment it looked like she wasn't going to go, but a second later she dropped the jacket and scampered off after Chloe.
Alya shook her head in disbelief. Sabrina had given over a special hairband that she was supposed to be trying out to Chloe; because she knew it would make the girl happy. "Sometimes, I wish Sabrina would open her eyes up and realize that Chloe's just using her and doesn't deserve her loyalty."
"Yes, maybe someone should talk to her about what real friends are like." She subtly looked in Mireille's direction, specifically her backpack. Tikki was peeking out and gave her a tiny nod understanding what the Great Guardian wanted her to do.
It was after school and Mireille was waiting outside the doors searching for Sabrina. Chloe had gone home early due to a "migraine" and that she expected Sabrina to bring her the homework finished. At least that what Marinette had managed to tell her when she was heading into literature and Marinette to math.
Why does Marinette thing I can help Sabrina see the truth? I'm still struggling with using my yo-yo to get around the city without crashing into anything Mireille thought to herself. "Tikki, I'm really not comfortable with doing this. Sabrina's not even one of my friends or classmates. Shouldn't Marinette try talking to her?"
Tikki poked her head out of the backpack. "Mireille, Marinette asked you to do this because Sabrina might listen to you. She obviously won't listen to what her classmates are trying to say, but as an outsider you have a unique perspective of what's going on, and can use your own experiences to help someone in your community."
Mireille adjusted her backpack and patted Tikki back down into its depth of her backpack. Her kwami often told her that she needed to start helping people whether she was Ladybeetle or Mireille. Finally she spotted Sabrina exiting the building. "Sabrina, over here!"
Sabrina paused and looked surprised that someone was talking to her directly. She didn't recognize the girl, but she did seem awfully familiar. "I'm sorry, do I know you?"
"Mireille Caquet, you might have seen me on TV. I'm the junior weather girl for KIDZ+ network. I also am in the library a lot. I sometimes tutor classmates having trouble in science."
Sabrina nodded recognition in her eyes. "I've seen you helping Marinette sometimes in exchange for cookies. You and that girl Aurore used to be friends."
"We're friends again, even after she attacked me as an akuma." Sabrina looked surprised at that. Sensing that Sabrina wanted to get going, the civilian Ladybeetle started walking slowly to the Le Grande Paris Hotel. They hadn't gone more than a few steps when Sabrina needed a rest.
"Sorry, I should be use to carrying this much weight now, but it just seems to get heavier all the time." Mireille watched as Sabrina strained to lift the two heavy book bags before taking one. It was super heavy. "What's in this thing, rocks?"
"Of course not! Its Chloe's emergency outfit pack. My best friend can't be seen looking like a mess. The media would have a field day and her dad would be very upset. So I started carrying that around since the end of the last school year." Opening the pack up, Mireille couldn't believe that five outfits and four different pairs of shoes fit in there. Then there was all the make up, accessories, and a mirror as well. She even spotted a hair straightener.
"Sabrina, why do you let Chloe treat you like dirt all the time? Clearly she doesn't respect you or care for your health."
Sabrina started to rage. "I wish everyone would stop trying to make me believe that Chloe's not my friend. She's super nice and kind to me. We always do everything together and I stand up for her when people are treating her unfairly. So she comes across a bit blunt and rude, she's the daughter of the Mayor. Being perfect all the time is hard work."
Mireille couldn't believe what she was hearing. She could sense Tikki worrying about the state of the girl's mind. If she pushed to hard Sabrina might never listen and could suffer from serious problems later on in life. "I'm sorry, I know it can't be easy for the most popular girl in school to manage everything all the time. I know I couldn't do it without help from my friends and especially if Aurore didn't have my back."
Calming down the girls started walking again, at a slower pace to make things easier for Sabrina's health. While Mireille told the redhead about why Aurore stopped being her friend and later set things right by apologizing and showing she meant it, she kept wondering why Mireille gave the jealous blond a second chance. "Why did you give her a second chance and take her back as a friend? She obviously stopped being a friend when she refused to submit to you."
"Sabrina, do you even understand how friendship works? Yes, Aurore made a mistake and left me behind. She hurt me a lot, but if I didn't give her a chance to make amends I'd be hurting myself. Friendship is many things, including loyalty to your friends and being able to put them first when the situation calls for it," Mireille explained as they stood near the entrance to the hotel.
Mireille put her hand on Sabrina shoulder and gave her a pleading look. "While you should give a person a chance to make up for their mistakes, you first need to determine if they deserve that chance. Aurore deserved that chance and since then our friendship, respect, and even the bond we share has gotten stronger."
Mireille looked at her watch and said she had to get going, but if Sabrina needed help getting the stuff upstairs she'd stay a few minutes longer. The redhead said she be fine and watched Mireille go.
It was funny, Mireille reminded of her of Ladybeetle in a way. The super heroine had apologized for them rescuing her so late due to Chloe's actions. At that time it didn't matter to Sabrina, Chloe always came first because of who she was. However, she had felt a tiny smidgen of annoyance when Chloe didn't acknowledge that she delayed the heroes in rescuing her. Nathaniel even apologized and had paid for her lunch the next day to make up for his actions.
No I can't think like that. Chloe's my best friend. She cares about me and trusts me no matter what. I know if I couldn't do something for her she understand and even help me. I'll show them all.
The next day was Tuesday afternoon. The weather outside was a bit of a drizzle and the wind had a chill in it. It seemed that bad weather was finally hitting Paris this year. Because of the weather, business was slow so the Dupain-Chengs told their daughter she could go work on her new design project.
Wayzz watched fascinated as gather the material for the hat. It would cover part of the hair and be secured with tiny hooks that wouldn't pull on the scalp The color she had chosen was a dark maroon to help the hat seamlessly blend in with the business attire that Nathalie wore every day.
She was working on the base, as Wayzz taught her, what she needed to know. He wanted to talk about Duusu, but thought Marinette needed a lesson on how difficult it could be retrieving a Miraculous that was being misused or lost. So he started with the only other missing Miraculous. "Nooroo's Miraculous is a brooch because his wielders like having something small to focus on when using their powers. It can also be easily hidden under a scarf or tie, just like a Butterfly is supposed to be."
"Where do the butterflies come from and how are they turned into akumas?" she asked as continue to stitch the brim. She stuck out her tongue as did some difficult stitches. "I doubt Hawkmoth has a butterfly garden that still thriving as the weather changes." She looked over the hat for a minute before continuing to work on it.
"The butterflies are an extension of Nooroo himself. Whenever Nooroo transforms a person, they are covered in a flitter of butterflies, the amount depends on how strong Nooroo is and how many are needed. If he's fully charged, then he can create more than a hundred, if he's not, you get about ten."
Hmm that means if Hawkmoth wants an army he'd have to feed Nooroo every day to keep up his strength. If he's abusing Nooroo that must mean he's not feeding him regularly, which might limit his powers. "What about the akumas themselves?"
Wayzz handed her some thread before continuing. The flitter would either become a little angel or an akuma depending on the type of emotional energy and purpose of the butterfly. Hawkmoth sought out people in pain, fusing their negative emotions with his own evil intent, thus creating an akuma. Because of the negative energy, a positive kind was needed for the cleansing, thus Ladybeetle was the best for the job.
"It would be highly dangerous if Chat Noir attempted to take out on akuma, should Ladybeetle be too injured to do a purification. Negative energy only adds to the power of destruction. The best case scenario would be the backlash would only injure Chat Noir for an unforeseen time. Worst case, would be an equivalent to a bomb going off." The little turtle kwami shuddered at this making Marinette believe that something similar had happened years ago.
Both stayed silent for a bit, the only sound was the soft ping of the needle going in and out. Finally Wayzz began to talk again. "The reason Hawkmoth is limited to one akuma a day and goes for a days without making one is because of the bond between Nooroo and him. They can feel the others emotions. Nooroo thrives on positive emotions, however Hawkmoth's negative emotions, plus the strain of making an akuma, leaves both of them weak."
Marinette nodded in understanding. Continuing to work on the hat she thought about the problem her two miraculous users were facing. The villain on the days he did release the akuma, probably waited until he felt the strongest negative emotions to help boost the Akuma's power. Still, even with his limits, he was not someone easily defeated.
"Does the Butterfly Miraculous have any weakness that can be used against it?"
"I can't tell you that. When we were created, the original Great Guardian used ancient magic to keep us from revealing the secrets of another Miraculous and their kwami. There are limits in place of what I can and can't tell you. Only Nooroo can reveal his secrets to you. If he was there when you awakened the others he would have."
That makes it harder to rescue him if I'm limited about what I can know. Still, there must be something more he can tell me. "As the Great Guardian am I least privileged to know what the Butterfly Miraculous looks specifically like?" Wayzz nodded as he described what the Miraculous looked like in both modes. One pat on the head and a carrot stick later, he told Marinette what Nooroo was like.
"Nooroo is gentle and kind kwami. He doesn't want to cause any trouble. While we can't actively resist our wielder, all Kwamiis to an extent can be stubborn and not reveal the whole truth about something."
"Let me guess, Nooroo isn't the best at resisting?" He nodded. "Change is always happening, so it's difficult for him to remain stubborn. The only thing I can add for now is that the longer this goes on, Nooroo will continue to suffer both mentally and physically."
So I have to start pushing Adrien and Mireille harder if they're going to save Nooroo. Still, there are a lot things I don't know. Can a bond be forcefully broken if the Miraculous is taken or is there a sever consequence for doing that? What other powers can Nooroo grant and how well does Hawkmoth fight if Chat Noir and Ladybeetle find him?
She set the hat down, having finished the brim and looked outside the window. The rain was now starting to pour and she spotted lightning going off in the distance. Somewhere out in the city Nooroo was waiting out there to be rescued. "Can you sense him out there, like an exact location? You sensed when he was awakened and was being used for evil."
Wayzz joined her at the window looking outside. "I can sense an imbalance in the energy around us and sense when a Miraculous goes active. All Kwamiis can sense one another, specifically pairs. Tikki and Plagg know that Ladybeetle and Chat Noir are Adrien and Mireille, they're just forbidden to tell their wielders. Only if their wielders agree to a reveal then they can start talking about each other, once it happens."
No doubt to protect their chosen one and their family safe. "That still doesn't answer my specification question. Do you know where Nooroo is exactly?"
"No, I can sense him in the city, but people who misuse Miraculouses always finds a way to block their Kwamiis exact position. Every akuma gets the duo one step closer to finding and saving Nooroo."
They both stared out the window looking at Notre Dame in the distance. Wayzz was thinking about Nooroo and Duusu, praying for both of them. Marinette said a silent prayer for Mireille and Adrien also. Her thoughts lingered about the boy. Why did she remember every inch of face or when had she started thinking he was funny when he did puns as Chat Noir on Alya's blog? Whatever it was she hoped he was okay.
At the Agreste Mansion, Adrien had a rare afternoon off. No lessons, no photo shoots and there was no need for Chat Noir. Plagg was eating his giant variety cheese pack as he watched amused as his kitten was trying to find two friends to hang out with. Nobody he called yet was free that afternoon or they didn't want to go out in the weather.
"Ah this is hopeless!" Adrien moaned as he tossed his phone on his table. He started pacing his room going from anxious to angry. He gnashed his teeth together as he tried to find something to entertain himself. The blond model played his video games for a total of five minutes before resuming his pacing.
He rolled a few balls around the pool table then started climbing his rock wall. It helped with his anxiety for a little bit. He then started running up and down his skate ramp, yet nothing was releasing the tension he felt. He opened his closet and started throwing out all his clothes. Once he had huge pile he jumped on top of it. He started rolling around in the pile, trying to get even deeper in the pile. He saw some loose strands and started pulling at them. Suddenly, his mind snapped back in place and he fell on top of his couch. Plagg levitated over and the boy swatted at him.
"Okay that's enough kid! I know you're still adjusting to my cat like tendencies, but swatting me will get you nothing, but bite marks."
"What is going on Plagg? You mentioned me slowly gaining cat like traits. Since we met, my hearing and smell has gotten better and I jump further, but you never mentioned anything like this! What am doing anyways?"
Plagg sighed and gulped down his last sample. Let it be said Wayzz, I'm not too lazy to help my kittens, I just like letting them figure things out on their own he thought to himself. "Hey kitten, what's the first word you can come up with when you think about pet cats?"
"Clean and why are you calling me kitten?"
"You're not a tomcat just yet seeing as your still a kid kitten and that's not what I meant. Come on, don't be so oblivious Adrien. What is it about cats that you like the most? What do you want that they have?" Adrien thought about it and admitted it was their freedom. How they were so independent and mysterious, especially when they played. Plagg nodded and explained that Miraculous users inherit many different animal traits from their kwami and not all of them are good.
"You're a healthy and active boy, who right now is feeling caged in. Your inner cat wants to go out and just be free even if it's for a little while. That sense of freedom is stronger in you than some of my other kittens, because of how tightly wound your life is."
Adrien was not impressed hearing this. Plagg was basically saying all his responsibilities were making him go cat mad. Did that mean he would be destroying his property from now on? "You better have a suggestion, because as rich as I am, I can't afford to be destroying my clothes every time I'm feeling "caged."
Plagg nodded in agreement. "Trust me, I have had a few kittens in the past that ended up in bad places when they got too cooped up or couldn't let the inner cat out. What I suggest is that when you're feeling like this, you go for a long walk and explore. I'll even turn you into Chat Noir, no cheese requests, so you can get the freedom you need."
Hearing that surprised Adrien considering how much of a glutton Plagg was. Since they met, he learned that while Plagg was lazy, annoying, and cheese obsessed, he would do anything within reason for him. The way Plagg's eyes were downcast, made the model gulp. Something must have gone really wrong with a past user to push the kwami into being more responsible.
"Do you think we should wait until the rain passes or go out now? I mean don't cats hate water?"
"People still believe in that old rumor? Lots of cats love water and we can all swim. The only reason we avoid water most of the time is how hard it is to get our coats dry after being in the water."
With no objection Plagg transformed Adrien into Chat Noir. He slipped outside his house and started running between houses and jumping roofs. His suit was waterproof so the cold water didn't touch his skin. "Plagg was right. This is what I needed."
Once again time seemed to fly by as the school year dragged on. More akumas happened and when they did Marinette was surprised that all her training was actually paying off. Since she started meditating and doing spiritual exercises she started becoming sensitive enough to know when people's energies started changing.
Examples included the time there was a Copycat of Chat Noir stealing from the city. Ladybeetle almost attacked her own Chat Noir, if it wasn't for Marinette, who had been in civilian form, jumping in between the fight, and told the duo, she had seen the copy, with a purple picture sticking out of his pocket, running towards Theo's studio. Even after Alya blogged about the akuma, no one quite understood what set that one off. All the duo had said was there was a miscommunication between them and the sculptor, but everything was worked out.
The other time she had sensed something amiss was on Anonymous Crush Day at school. Knowing that part of the problem with getting students to pay attention in class or remembering to do their homework, was because teenagers started to have crushes, distracting them from their studies. The staff decided that one day out of the school year, students could leave a gift anonymously in a labeled box for that person.
To avoid any bullying or fake gifts, the students were required to fill out a card about why they had a crush on a person for the teachers need to know. Once the gifts had been handed out, the cards were destroyed by a shredder.
What had happened was that Kim turned into Dark Cupid after Chloe, who had not received anything, which happened sometimes, had relentlessly teased Kim for his pathetic gift to his crush, Alix. Alix, who couldn't believe someone had given her gift and that was Kim off all people, had shoved the pretty pin into the garbage, before running out of the classroom embarrassed.
The entire school had become a target range as he tried to hit Chloe with an arrow to make her stop loving anyone. Ladybeetle had avoided being hit when Chat Noir had protected her. Strangely, instead of attacking Ladybeetle, he went after Alya, Nino, and Marinette declaring his hate for them. There had been a struggle and the trio almost got Cataclysm in the face, only to be saved seconds later by Ladybeetle purifying the akuma. That had been an eye opening experience for Marinette, as Wayzz had neglected to mention that sometimes wielders fell under another Kwamiis power.
By now, half the class wanted Chloe suspended or expelled from school, because she kept causing her fellow classmates to turn into Akumas. Mayor Bourgeois had donated a huge amount of money to the school to avoid that situation, stating that he had a firm talk with his daughter, about keeping her temper in check.
While Marinette sat in class listening to Ms. Bustier's lecture, Wayzz was in her purse using her phone, which he finally remembered to put on silent!, as he did a search for jewelry and antique stores in Paris. There were a lot of them.
"Curse my memory. I can remember where I was on this day two hundred years ago, but I can't recall all the details of Duusu's last wielder. I have to think harder."
"Maybe you're thinking too much Wayzz," Plagg stated as he phased into the purse. The little kwami settled down on the bottom of the purse. "Before you start lecturing me about leaving my kitten, it was your idea to keep your hatchling ignorant about the fact he's her soulmate, which we both know is worse than what I'm doing now."
"You know very well why I kept that from her! If you're going to just sit there bothering me until class ends, then go. I'm trying to find Duusu and her Miraculous."
Plagg rolled his eyes. "Do you really believe me to be too lazy to look for our friend? I may have not been active at the time, but I can still help you know. My kitten's father is the head of a fashion company with ties to local retailers remember?"
"Alright, I'm checking out jewelry and antique stores in case she was sold or that someone is making jewelry similar to her Miraculous. It's truly frustrating that I'm having difficulty to recall everything about the last time Master Fu and I searched for her."
"Just go mediate, I'm sure it will help you remember," Plagg commented off hand. "I'll do the search until you remember more." The two Kwamiis switched positions as they got down to work. Plagg was able to eliminate the antique shops pretty quickly, knowing humans who are collectors just loved to brag about their prized possessions. He marked off a lot of low to mid end jewelry stores, because even disguised, the Miraculous looked a bit high end.
Sensing that the bell was going to ring in five minutes, he woke Wayzz from his meditation by tackling him. He laughed at the bemused expression on Wayzz face.
"When are you going to stop pouncing on me to get my attention?"
"Never, it's too much fun seeing you flop around on your back for a few minutes."
"You will never change will you Plagg? So how was the search?"
"I eliminated all antique and low to mid end stores. I checked back at least twenty five years just to be thorough. It might be helpful to look for stories online about a peacock based hero. That might help you recall more details." With a flash of his teeth Plagg phased through the purse back into his wielder's bag as the bell rang. He rubbed his paws in glee. Time for his mid-morning cheese snack!
The class filed out as they headed to the library for a quiet study period. Nino stretched his tired limbs. "Ugh I can't believe how stiff I am. Our teachers are really piling up the homework. All I want to do is go and sleep in the library. That or listen to music."
"You know that's not allowed Nino, if the teachers won't even let us personalize our locker doors with magnets, what makes you think they'll ever let us listen to music in the library?" Alya asked him.
"Maybe our new class rep can talk to the headmaster about it," Adrien suggested as he spread out his morning homework out and started working on it with vigor. He needed to complete as much as he could. He had a photo shoot right after school and he couldn't miss it no matter what came up.
Alya looked at Marinette, her eyes burrowing into her. "Come on girl, you know you make a great class rep. I'd even be your deputy if that will convince you."
Marinette banged her head against the table in exasperation. "For the last time Alya, I can't! I'm already busy enough. Helping out at the bakery, babysitting, designing and doing a few orders. On top of that I have homework, along with spending time with family and friends so they don't get mad. Do I even have to mention it one more time?"
Nino raised an eyebrow wondering what Marinette was talking about. As the two girls squabbled with each other, he leaned in and whispered to his best friend,"Do you know what the secret is? Alya's been complaining to me about Marinette being too secretive about something for weeks now."
"It's a private matter that only Marinette needs to worry about. If she doesn't want to talk about it, Alya shouldn't keep pushing her to talk about it," Adrien responded. Both boys shook their heads knowing that Alya never knew when to drop it. They both turned back to their homework knowing the girls wouldn't be squabbling for long.
Marinette finally convinced Alya to drop it. "I forgot to get an encyclopedia on my history topic. I'll be right back." Adrien got up to follow her saying he could help her get the book from the shelf. Their best friends smiled at one another wondering when they were going to admit their feelings.
Three minutes later, Adrien had gotten the book Marinette wanted, using that extra spring in his step to reach it. "Here you go Marinette. I hope this stacks up your grade."
"Punning again? Well in small doses it fine, but please don't use too many on me or I might turn over." Both let out soft laughs enjoying their private joke. As they headed back to the table they heard a loud whisper, "What do you mean you can't run for class rep with me this year?" It was coming from the audio book section.
"What is Chloe upset about this time?" Marinette asked.
"I don't know, but I better go see. Maybe I can calm her down. Stay here."
Opening her purse slightly she whispered to Wayzz. "Should I go see what's going on?"
"Why are you asking me? We both know that you'll do the opposite of what I'll say because you're too curious. Go." Tiptoeing through the library she hid behind a shelving unit near the audio books. Sabrina, was sitting at a table with Chloe. The redhead was near tears and Chloe face pinched in anger. She kept running her right hand over something on her neck that she couldn't see clearly. Adrien was sitting across from them trying to make them to talk to one another.
"Come on Chloe don't be mad at Sabrina. She's your best friend, just because she can't run with you this year is no reason to get upset."
"Adrikins, you're still new at this whole friendship thing, so forgive me if I think my friend making up excuses about her health; as a reason to not be my deputy this year." Wordlessly she handed over a note to Adrien who read it carefully.
"Chloe you do realize this is an official notice from a doctor right? Sabrina would have no reason to lie or forge something like this. Stress related health issues are serious. They can really mess you up." He should know, having had to go for a long run just last night.
Chloe rolled her eyes and huffed. "I live a stressful life and I don't have health issues. Besides; how could running as my deputy and helping me out with my homework and shopping, be stressful?"
"Please don't be mad Chloe. If I could help you I would, but my dad and my doctor were firm with me. No extra stressful activities or doing things that make my physical condition worse." Back pain was only one of her problems. She was having digestion issues and losing weight rapidly. "Being a student rep is just too stressful right now. Being with you is so much fun, but my dad is insisting I stay home and rest more often." The girl was looking at her best friend pleading with her to understand.
Adrien whispered some stuff to Chloe who responded back in harsh whispers. Sabrina started to whisper only to clam up a few seconds later when the blond hissed something that made both Sabrina and Adrien gasp. Silently, Chloe got up and started walking out of the library.
Marinette tried to make a fast exit, but her clothes got stuck on the edge of shelf causing her to fall down on her back, her arms and legs flailing around. "My, what an interesting position you're in Maritrash. Are you trying to be a stupid little turtle?"
Marinette rolled to her knees and picked up her book. Chloe laughed and flicked her hair back, revealing the stunning piece of jewelry around the blond heiress's neck, a collar of some kind. It looked like a white snake with indigo scales with a brown eye eating its own tail.
"Oh thinking of trying to steal my newest jewels? Forget it, this antique beauty is worth a fortune considering how old this is and rarity of these gems coming from one place." She went on to say the snake's body consisted of pure white danburite with rare indigo colored sodalite gems acting as the scales. The eye was a rare light brown enstatite gemstone. "This piece is worth more than you'll ever be Maritrash."
Later, in the privacy of her room, Marinette ranted. "What is wrong with that girl? She's always been mean spirited and rude, but now she's become cruel, vindictive, and power hungry." She continued to pace and kick at the floor.
"You shouldn't concern yourself right now with Ms. Bourgeois behavior. While it's incredibly hurtful, you need to focus on finding Duusu," Wayzz reminded her. He was sitting on the staircase to her bed, trying to stay out of Marinette's way.
Marinette asked him sarcastically how she was supposed to do that if Chloe continued making akumas. One day she might go too far and create an akuma that Chat Noir and Ladybeetle couldn't handle.
"As the Great Guardian, you cannot let the actions of others distract you from your responsibilities, even if it causes problems for other Miraculous users. As a mentor and Great Guardian, you have to project a calm nature no matter what the situation is. As long as you are calm, others will follow."
The Miraculous glowed briefly sending a calming wave of energy through her body helping her to mellow out. Taking a few deep breaths she let the negative energy flow out of her body. Duusu needed her and she was going to help her no matter what. "So why are we looking at jewelry stores again? Why would someone sell a Miraculous?"
Wayzz sat near her computer as he watched his wielder go through the lists of possible shops, taking a look back at previous years of stocks. "Sometimes Miraculouses get sold to jewelry stores by mistake, such as if a wielder died unexpectedly or if someone finds a dormant one by accident."
The Great Guardian has a responsibility to find and make sure all the Miraculouses are safe once they are no longer needed. Even if a person went into hiding, how could they escape detection for so long? "Is it harder to detect a dormant Miraculous then an active one?"
"Yes," Wayzz nodded as he walked over to her homework tablet. He decided to help Marinette get started on her homework while she narrowed down the search of which stores they should take a look at. "Similar to a light switch, unless the current is running, you can't get light."
"I've narrowed our search to fifteen stores total. It's not going to be easy to get into some of them. The most exclusive jewelers only open their doors to known clients." It would take some creative thinking to getting into those stores to check if a peacock pin had ever been there or was available. "If this doesn't work, we'll need to meditate more right?" The little kwami nodded. He would get his memory of Duusu's last weilder back no matter what! Snuggling into his pet pocket, the duo left the bakery hoping to get a least five stores off their list before having to go home for dinner.
Getting into any high end jewelry shop was difficult, when you didn't look the part of high society. The first store actually turned her away before she even reached the door. Retreating a bit, she tried to figure out a different approach. "If I go home and change, then I won't get to visit all the stores I want to. I can't use my powers to get in there. There must be some way to enter the store." Suddenly she spotted a familiar photographer coming out of the store muttering something.
"Stupid manager. How can I capture the essences of the new male accessories if she keeps pushing us into the wrong corner," Vincent muttered to himself. He was fiddling with the camera, trying to put in a new lens.
"Hello sir, how are you today?" a female voice called out to him. He looked up from his camera and spotted the girl from the park coming over. Her radiant smile was beautiful as ever. "Sorry to bother you sir. I just thought I say hello. It obvious you're shooting a new campaign."
"I wish young miss. The manager in the store is impossible and she is degrading all the models, especially young Mr. Agreste. Every time I attempt to take a picture, she yells at someone," he complained. He snapped his fingers as an idea came to him. "You mentioned you are a designer yes?" The teen nodded as he also recalled how she acted when Stormy Weather had trapped her. "Do you mind acting like my assistant for a little bit? You can run interference with the manager so I can finally take my photos in peace."
"Well okay I guess. I would love to see the high end jewelry here." Thanks to a stroke of good luck she was going to get inside and have a chance to look at the jewelry!
Stepping inside the store, she was blown away by all the high priced pieces. There had to be at least three security guards per case section. Luxurious purses, scarves and belts were on free standing displays ready to match any of the jewelry pieces for sale. That is anyone could afford a 1008.00 euro necklace.
As they walked over towards the men's section of jewelry she looked around trying to see if any of the pieces on display looked like the Peacock Miraculous. So far nothing and her bracelet wasn't reacting to anything. Maybe she should check the back room if possible?
"Excuse me, but who allowed this riffraff into my store?" the manager, a lady that heavily resembled Lady Tremaine, (Cinderella's stepmother), complete with an oversized green brooch demanded. She didn't hide her disgust at what Marinette and Vincent were wearing.
"She's my assistant Ms. Ladre. If I'm to finish the shoot on time, I will require her assistance. Now if you will excuse me, I have to get back to work." Marinette kept her head down as they entered the area of the photo shoot with Ms. Ladre eyes drilling in her back. Clearly the woman had high standards of who was worth something and who wasn't. Why had Mr. Agreste chosen this particular shop to have the photo shoot done in?
Marinette mind snapped back into place as she watched as the male models took their poses. Besides Adrien, there were three older models, probably college age, wearing different accessories. One guy was flaunting a jeweled belt made from hand woven silk while another was wearing a platinum watch. The third older model had on a handsome tie.
In the middle of them all sat Adrien. He was wearing a stylish hat that matched his bracelet and the signet ring. He had slipped off the Miraculous which was in his jean pocket. He also had a necklace around his neck and pretending to search his amazingly crafted wallet. He was the picture of sophistication. Adrien gave Marinette a small wave before getting back to his pose. Vincent encouraged the boys to look more natural and let the products show more. The models moved as he asked. The one with the belt had a tiny amount of skin showing as he leaned back so his belt was displayed more prominently.
"STOP THIS SHOOT RIGHT NOW! I WILL NOT HAVE SUCH A DISGRACE OF MODESTY IN MY STORE!" Ms. Ladre yelled as she stormed over ready to attack the model. The poor guy was trembling in fear of the demanding woman.
"Ms. Ladre, please. We can adjust the shirt so the skin doesn't show by accident. There is no reason to be upset," Marinette pleaded with her. The teen frantically went over and adjusted the shirt so no skin would show. "See? Isn't that better?"
"Not good enough. This entire photo shoot will ruin my store! My customers would never buy a watch if they saw that slouch wearing it. That watch is one of the more expensive pieces in this accessory line and it looks so common and worthless with that particular skin tone. Don't get me started on how that other boy is destroying that tie. You smell so bad its wrinkling it!" Both models looked shocked at being talked to like this.
She sneered at Adrien stating he was the worst of them. A child, a scrawny ugly one at that, wasn't fit to be in her store. When Mr. Agreste promised her a professional photo shoot with top models she was expecting that he would give her gentlemen not ugly boys and riffraff.
"Millicent, that's enough!" The owner of the store came out of the backroom frowning at his manager. "I have kept you on as this store's manager despite complaints because you make sales happen. Right now, you are making a mess of the deal I made with the Gabriel brand and you have insulted Mr. Agreste son! You're fired Ms. Ladre. Get your things and vacate the premises immediately."
Ms. Ladre spurted upon hearing those words. She started screaming that the owner was a complete fool and she was the real owner of the store. Without her the precious items in the store would have been stolen by riffraff or go to ugly people. Both the Gorilla and Security had to escort her outside before giving her a firm shove to send her on her way.
The photo shoot finally got back on track, but deep down Marinette knew that Ms. Ladre would be returning, most likely as an Akuma. Knowing she couldn't risk talking to Wayzz, she willed through their bond for him to get Mireille over this way now.
Mireille was out for a nice walk when her phone pinged indicating a text. "Hmm, it's from Marinette. She's helping out at Adrien's big photo shoot at the high end The Jewels Are You Store! She's inviting me to watch!"
"Are you going to go? Jewelry doesn't seem your sort of thing," Tikki spoke up. The little kwami looked at her chosen with a curious look.
"I've been saving up for nearly a year, to get one of their gold and sapphire studded cloud necklaces. If I get there, I might be able to see if the price has gone down!" Giggling with glee she took off towards the store. Her good luck had struck again and she wasn't going to miss this once in a lifetime chance.
Adrien was getting ready to move. Something was wrong in the air. Ms. Ladre had been extremely angry and defiant after being fired. She would be like a smorgasbord for Hawkmoth's akumas. He was reaching for his Miraculous when the front windows of the store exploded into pieces.
"NO ONE FIRES ME ESPECIALLY A STORE OWNER WHO CAN'T AFFORD ANY OF THE JEWELS HE SELLS!" Ms. Ladre, who had been transformed into a pile of moving jewels complete with weaponized accessories. "I AM THE CRYSTAL MISER AND I WILL DESTROY ALL OF YOU RIFFRAFF!"
Out of her palms, shot diamond belt buckles destroying the protective casing and vacuuming up the pieces. Once she had enough she recalled her belts and started shoot the jewels in a fiery blaze from her chest. People were running and ducking trying to figure a way to avoid getting hit.
Adrien managed to get to the backroom and hid in a storage closet. "Plagg come out wherever you are. This is an emergency!" The black cat kwami phased in the closet with a piece of cheese dangling from his mouth. "Is the shoot over now? I was about to finish off their cheese sandwiches."
"Plagg, Claws Out!" Instantly Chat Noir appeared as he rushed out of the back and in front of the store. "Well Hawkmoth must not think a lot about you, because you look rather lackluster to me jewel freak."
"YOU UGLY CAT! HOW DARE YOU SHOW UP IN MY STORE DRESSED UP LIKE THAT! SOMEONE NEEDS TO TOSS YOUR SORRY LITTLE THING OUT OF HERE!" For a crystal being she moved awfully fast catching Chat off guard as she kicked him in the chest leaving a tiny tear in his suit. Even surprised by the fact his suit took damage, Chat Noir attacked with his claws scattering several jewels all over the store. The jewels however flew back into place. "That's new!"
"I'M AM GOING TO COLLAR YOU AND TAKE YOUR MIRACULOUS!" she shouted as anklets shot at Chat Noir. The stupidly dressed hero kept moving around, dodging all her shots. He even jumped on top of free standing display knocking things over to get away from her.
"HOW DARE YOU! THOSE ACCESSORIES ARE WORTH TEN TIMES YOUR LIFE! ONLY THE BEST OF THE BEST CAN EVEN LOOK AT THEM!"
"I guess that includes me. You want them back? You can have them!" He hooked his baton around the straps of the purse swinging it around as fast as he could. He released the purse as hit her in the face. He kept it up busting up more jewelry piles scattering them as far as he could so it would take time for her to reform.
"YOU MENACE! I'M GOING TO TURN YOU INTO A BELT AND COAT FOR ALL THE TROUBLE YOU'VE CAUSED ME!"
"You have to catch me first. He laughed as he ran towards the door, hearing Crystal Miser sucking up more jewels. He knew he couldn't get out of the store in time to avoid the onslaught. A familiar yo-yo wrapped around his waist pulling him out of the store just in time. "About time you showed up partner. I couldn't figure out what to get you for your birthday."
"That can wait, we've got a job to do." Ladybeetle leaped in front of him whirling her yo-yo like a pro shattering any pieces shot at her. The Crystal Miser reached into her pocket and hurled a razor sharp wallet at the heroine. Ladybeetle didn't move fast enough and the top of her tunic tore slightly scaring Ladybeetle. "Chat, why didn't you warn me about that?"
"No time to talk! Keep moving!" It was taking all they had to avoid being chocked by ties, decapitated by hats, and flattened by giant watches. Chat Noir lost his baton when Crystal Miser used scarves to take it away. "Ladybeetle, the akuma has to be in her brooch. Its remained firmly in place no matter what we do."
"Right, Lucky Charm!" Out of the sky dropped a motorized disco ball. "Oh dear, this is a tricky one."
"SO YOU TRULY BELIEVE THAT TACKY PIECE OF JUNK CAN SAVE YOU FROM ME! I AM AN ETERNAL CRYSTAL MISER THAT WON'T BE SHATTERED!"
Ladybeetle eyes darted around. Spots appeared on a nearby street lamp, the store sign, and Chat Noir. "Okay, Chat distract her and don't use Cataclysm until I tell you!" She threw her yo-yo hard and swung up to the top of the light post.
"Hope this works," she whispered as she undid the light bulb and put in the disco ball in its place. She turned the motor on and the spinning lights covered the street becoming brighter as the sun reflected off it.
Feeling the light on his back, Chat Noir jumped up and on the building. Crystal Miser got ready to fire when she felt heat building up in her. She let out a wail of despair as her crystal body became a focusing lens that was tearing apart her store. "NO, THIS CAN'T BE HAPPENING!"
"Now!
"Cataclysm!" The sign came falling down on top of the akumatized lady, causing her to shatter all over the ground. Chat Noir saw the brooch and stomped on it releasing the akuma. Ladybeetle snagged it yelling "Purification Time!" The akuma was returned to normal and the jewelry pieces came together in the form of Ms. Ladre. Before Ladybeetle could use her Miraculous Cleanse, part of the store front, now unanchored, came crashing down towards them.
Both heroes closed their eyes thinking it was the end, when a female voice shouted, "Shell Guard!" Something crackled to life just as they heard the sound of the store front breaking apart above them. The crackle was heard again followed by a zap.
Opening their eyes, the two heroes caught a glimpse of a girl in a turtle suit using a meteor hammer to pull her up to the top of the store before running off. Wordlessly, Ladybeetle used the Miraculous Cleanse and for once not paying attention to its magic.
"You saw her too right?"
"Yeah, but who is she and what does she want?" Neither of them had an answer for that. As they both ran to hide, the same thought was on both their minds. They needed to find that girl and talk with her.
