The crickets chirped their usual repetitive symphony over the moonlit sight of the schoolgrounds, and all seemed peaceful and calm.

[ZIP) The mysterious shape fluttered by the trees near the left hand side of the building. The figure spotted the window upon the third floor window that led to the history class.

A soft, haunting melody permeated the cool, crisp air and, almost as if by some ghostly force, the window panes were gently pushed open.

In the cluster of trees on the opposite side, like a ninja warrior, Ladybug crouched, waiting.. With this action, her hair strand and pigtails sprang to life! "AH! It's her!" she nearly said out loud

"Be careful, Ladybug!" Tikki shouted from inside her earring.

Then, with the skill of an acrobat, the shape of the mischievous Phantom Thief scurried up the tree closest her, then lept to the window ledge above the tallest branch and into the room!

"AH! I've got to hurry!" Ladybug exclaimed, before sprinting to the tree, snatching the Lucky Charm at her side, whirled it like a cowgirl's lasso above her head, and tossed it's blunt anchor around a tall branch, she tugged at it for support, before running upside the tree's trunk, up to the branch, and swan diving towards the window!

Volpina kneeled behind the teacher's desk with the steely expression of an expert safecracker. The short, squat vault containing the treasured artifact within her grasp. With meticulous and precise fingerwork, the fox-clad burglar weaved a tune so wildly paced that one might be convinced she were transferring morse code. Then, with that same ethereal motions, the vault's dial lock spun in a frantic frequency, before simply popping off, and having the door swing wide open! Even in the dull gleam of the moon, the light's reflection upon the black stone skin of the cat statue and it's golden necklace seemed to beckon attention.

And beckon Volpina's attention it did. "Ah, there you are, little gato. Come along with Mama, now.." She whispered with a maternal purr.

"Excuse me, young lady!" Came an equally youthful, yet authoritive tone.

Volpina turned with surprise to see Ladybug standing on the windowsill in a heroic pose, her arms folded across her chest, the moon behind her giving her a natural spotlight. "I believe that school hours are over and you're tresspassing on private property!" She declared.

Volpina simply adopted a sly smirk and replied casually "Well, haven't you heard of night school? Better take a DESK!" Before quickly raising the flute to her lips and gave a pattern of a few quick notes and without any sign of warning, one of the class desks sprang to live and launched right at the heroine!

"AH!" Ladybug barely had enough time to gasp, before quickly diving out of the way! The desk sailed out the window the very next minute!

"Ooh! That must have been expensive! As punishment, you MUST clean the erasers!" Volpina announced, before blowing another quick, noisy melody which brought a dusty pair of chalkboard erasers high into the air, and bringing them down with such force, that the whole classroom erupted into a thick smokescreen of chalk dust!

As Ladybug coughed under the heavy fog, Volpina snatched the statue up, placed it in her satchel and flung open the door and skittering out!

"Hey! Get back here!" Ladybug shouted, giving chase, as she rubbed the chalk residue from her eyes.

Sprinting with the expertise of a marathon runner, Volpina barreled down the hallway, looking for a quick escape exit, as she neared another nearby window, however, the sudden crack of a whip sounded, and a long black belt suddenly snapped out from the shadows, clutching at the strap of her satchel and pulling it away!

"Ah! Give that back!" Volpina growled with fury, looking in the direction of the assailant.

With a mischievous giggle, Chat Noir, his belt tail grasping the satchel in a prehensile fashion. His fangs showing in his wide grin. "This doesn't look like YOUR lucky day, Miss Volpina!" He stated in a suave manner.

"On the contrary.. YOU'RE the one out of luck.." Volpina replied, before launcing into a sped up rendition of "The Snake Charmer's Tune" and, true to form, Chat's tail began to, of its own accord, slink over to Volpina like a hypnotized Cobra, as he stared on in disbelief. She then snatched the bag away, and with a cheerful "Grazi!" she then played a very quick and violent end to the melody, and then, with a sudden jolt, the belt then whipped back and around the cat-boy's throat, beginning to strangle him and threw him to the floor!

Seemingly uncomfortable in this new position, Volpina now made a dash for a pair of double doors farther down the hall. At that exact moment, Ladybug came racing around the corner. Her face turned from determination, to surprise, then mild regret all in no time flat.. [Oh, no.. Not HIM again..] She thought in an inward groan, but upon reaching the sprawled out boy, she noticed that his own belt was strangling him! Instinctually, despite her dislike of being around him, the heroine immediately stopped dead in her tracks, knelt down, and, with superhuman strength, pried the belt loose, and unwrapped it from his neck!

Chat Noir immediately sat up, gasping for breath, before turning to look at Ladybug. His green, cylindrical pupils became wide with excitement. "M..MY ANGEL! You've SAVED my LIFE!"

Ladybug only stared back stoically, trying to remove any such concern she had felt. "Well.. of.. Of COURSE! I couldn't just let her kill you!"

"Oh, my Lady, you DO care!" Chat purred lovingly, before motioning to embrace her, only to be met by her flattened palm against his face.

"Don't overdo it!" She snapped.

[Now's my chance! My chance to be rid of this wretched curse once and FOR ALL!] The cat-boy thought fiendishly to himself, before feigning what seemed to be several overly dramatic staged coughs, and, fanning at his face, as though he were overheated. "Oh.. Oh, my.. I.. I feel faint.. I.. think I may need mouth to mouth resuscitation!"

Ladybug, her face not affected by this display, yanked Chat up by his tassuled blonde hair! "KNOCK IT OFF, Casanova! Volpina just ducked into the gym! Im sure we can catch up to her in time! Come on!" She barked, before grabbing hold of the boy's hand and pulling him along!

[My hand! She's holding my hand! That kiss can't be far away!] Chat thought with escstatic euphoria.

With a loud, echoing bang, Ladybug rammed through the double doors of the gymnasium, only to find it deathly dark and silent.

"Hmm.. She seems to have gotten away.." Chat Noir concluded silently to himself.

"I suppose.. But still, it would still have taken her a while to get through those other doors.." Ladybug replied uncertainly, looking about with an alert expression.

Suddenly, as of to confirm her suspicions, the twanging sound of a bouncing basketball approached them.. The rubber ball halted suddenly at the two heroes' feet. "Care to play, Paisanos?!"

The two suddenly tensed up, and without another word, there came a sudden, jaunty, yet sinister melody from a flute.

"AH! Ladybug, look out!" Tikki shouted from Ladybug's earring, just in time, as a dodgeball soared straight across the room towards them!

Luckily, the two dodged just in time, leaping to opposite sides of the gymnasium. But the melody continued, and with no time to breathe, the two found four additional dodgeballs, two came whipping towards each! Instictively manuvering backward until their backs had collided!

"I knew you couldn't stay away!" Chat jested with a smile.

"Quiet, you.. WATCH OUT!" Ladybug began to admonish, before she noticed a football zooming towards them. After pushing him out of the way, she leapt up and delivered an impressive inverted mid-air kick that fired the ball straight back to the darkened space from whence it had come.

Sitting high atop the bleachers, hidden in shadows, Volpina, suddenly became wide-eyed at the sight of her own checkered projectile sailing right at her! She instantly took an evasive manuever and growled vengefully "Alright, NOW you're gonna get it!"

"Bring it, you tone deaf klepto!" Ladybug countered.

With an enraged growl, Volpina once again raised her musical weapon to her lips.

At that same moment, Ladybug snatched her lucky charm from her side, looked over at Chat, this time without disgust, but an immediate and serious sense of comraderie, and asked "Got your claws out, Kitty?"

With a brash grin, Chat beared the sharp, dangerous silver claws from his leather gloves, and replied in an urbane voice "Always!"

The shrieking tones from the flute peirced the silence, echoing off the gym walls with a forboding sense of doom. [FOOM! FOOM! FWOOSH!] Tennis balls, Basketballs, Footballs, Cricket balls, and every manner of spheroid missle possible careened toward the two costumed figures at lightning speed! But, just as quickly, Ladybug twirled her Lucky Charm by it's beaded lariat, shouting from the top of her lungs "I'M.. FEELING.. LUCKY!" And with the zipping noise of a rubber band gone mad, the yoyo glowed with a magical red aura, and began effectively swatting away the storm of sporting equipment in any direction Ladybug aimed, as well as high kicking the ones that aimed lower!

Chat Noir was also at full force, swatting at the balls with his razor sharp claws, popping, snapping, and deflating them with an expert arm. Then, he raised his voice to shout "Cat o' Nine Tails!" And with that, his belt tail twirled with the velocity of a helicopter blade, appearing to possess nine tails in his belt loop! These tails then swatted the balls away, also covering them with a black aura sending them off in the direction of the assailant!

Needless to say, Volpina was quite distressed at the sight of this as the balls came whistling back at her! As cunning, and as fast as she dodged each one, [BANG! BANG! BA-BANG!] Two more would impact upon her head, stomach, backside, and legs, prompting yelps of pain from the phantom thief! Then, finally, with one well placed smack, one of Ladybug's counter strikes from a tennis ball caught her off guard and scored a direct hit right between the eyes, knocking her off the bleachers.

"AH! Got her!" Ladybug exclaimed with more surprise than excitement. "Hurry!" She prompted with a wave of the hand as she and Chat charged toward Volpina's prone body.

However, as they approached the fallen fox girl, she kicked her leg out in a surprise trip move that buckled Ladybug's ankles, which she turned into an impressive handspring, before landing upright again! As Volpina leapt back to her feet as well, delivering a backward kick attack, Ladybug countered with a kick of her own, and the girls legs connected like the swords of fencers. At that same moment, Chat executed a textbook leg sweep that once again brought the thief down hard on her back. Propelling herself up by the palms of her hands, Volpina landed two stunning kicks to the heroes' midsections!

Falling back, breathless and in pain, the two could only watch as Volpina waltzed over to their location, shook her head like a disappointed parent, and cheerfully reprimanded "You two little idiotas have really been a pain to me. I warn you that you'd better stop getting in my way, or else.." She left a vague threat with her heavily accented voice, before once again raising her flute and playing an enchanted melody. From off in the equipment part of the gym, a jumprope came slithering like an Anaconda. With no haste, it wrapped around the dazed heroes, tying them together! "Now, if you'll excuse me, I must get this back to my connection.. If it is still in one peice, that is.." She concluded, glaring disdainfully at the bag, then back at the two heroes, before turning swiftly on her heel and dashing towards the doors!

"Grr! Just GREAT! We've GOT to get untied and after her, and then maybe we'll only be about 500 meters behind her!" Ladybug grumbled as she struggled against the bindings of the rope.

"Not to fear, my Lady.. I'll.. ugh.. cut through these..ugh.. terrible ropes and.." Chat assured her through gritted teeth, only to be interrupted by a yelp from Ladybug, her hairstrand and pigtails standing on end.

"Watch where you're sticking those claws!" She grumbled, rubbing the side of her thigh.

"Ah! A thousand pardons, my La.." Chat stammered in an attempt to apologize only to be slammed face first into the polished lineolium floor.

"Just give me those claws! I'll get us out!" Ladybug growled aggresively grabbing hold of Chat's right hand and positioning the claws upwards and began using them like a razor at a rapid pace, causing the rope coils to break strand by strand and then snap.

At this moment, all that Chat could think of was [She's touching me.. She's actually grabbing my hand!] with romantic intoxication.

Within a second later, the two were up and on their feet again, free!

Almost with a reluctant sigh, Ladybug ordered "Come on! We've got a fox hunt to finish!"

"Yes, My Lady!" Chat Noir enthusiastically replied as the two dashed off.

"Grr! Stop calling me that!" She shouted in an irritated manner.

TO BE CONTINUED...