Chloe picked at the glitter still stuck to the arts classroom table. Any other time she would be far more careful of her nails, but Saturday's events had completely destroyed her manicure, that was something you didn't have to worry about with a Miraculous. Sabrina was assembling a new collage beside her. Chloe appeared prominently, but Sabrina did as well now too. Most of the pictures were older and the contrast between them was pretty stark, but it made Chloe smile a little nonetheless.

Chloe tapped her pencil against the flip pad in front of her, leaving a small line of tick marks until in frustration she tapped too hard and let the pencil spiral out of her grip across the table. She flopped after it, head-desking full force.

"Chloe?" Sabrina leaned in to peek over Chloe's arm, trying to make eye contact.

Chloe stayed where she was, turning her head only enough to look up at Chloe sideways,"I'm just exhausted Sabrina. It was so much easier to cause drama than to BE drama."

Sabrina absently toyed with one of her bangs. "Well, Saturday was a little intense. I can't believe we did that." She was keeping the braided look for now. Chloe had noticed other students stealing second glances.

Chloe turned her face back down to the table and waved a hand while mumbling into her flip pad,"It's not just that. It's everything." She stretched her arms out across the table then turned it into a slow arching stretch to bring herself upright. Her eyes landed on Alix who was dashing splashes of paint over one of her wall-sized works. Well, it mayne not paint, it didn't really do much more than tint the existing colors.

"Ogre troubles?"

Chloe stuck her tongue out at Sabrina,"Noo~ If you must know I haven't spoken to him since Saturday, nor do I intend to." She flipped back a couple pages in her book. Cryptic shorthand covered the pages, the start of her own work over the last few days. Potentially useless work, but she was going to see it through. She wanted to see SOMETHING through.

"Oh." Sabrina shifted the positions of a couple pictures against her background, shifted them again and then again back,"What happened?" Frankincense bloomed to Chloe's senses.

"No." Chloe took up her pencil again and made a cutting motion,"I do not like this conversation, let's have another." She turned her head to catch Sabrina's gaze,"You weren't self conscious at that cafe. We stood out among all those people and you didn't clam up once. Why not?"

Sabrina very nearly repeated her characteristic 'Oh.' but Chloe glared her out of it. Instead she bit her lip,"Well, it wasn't really me out there in all that you know? I'm just Sabrina. Glasses and sweater vests," Sabrina adjusted her glasses,"Out there that was Miss Raincomprix, classy lady about Paris." Sabrina extended an arm slowly gesturing and giving her head an aloof toss.

Chloe smiled at the theatrical gesture,"Well Dahhhling, I am SO glad you could spare time to have lunch with me." She took Sabrina's hand in a loose fingered shake and they both had to stifle a giggle fit.

Chloe spotted Alix giving them a look between bafflement and disgust so she stuck her tongue out at Alix too before dissolving into even more sincere giggles. Alix rolled her eyes and turned back to her giant wall-painting. Chloe was getting a handle on herself when something stopped her short. Alix was sweeping a purplish light across her art and as she did it exposed a cascade of vibrant pinks, purples, blues, and greens that disappeared again when the light passed.

Like a flash, pieces fell in place. Chloe followed the logic to the end and ran it backwards to be sure. She hooked Sabrina by the collar and drew her in close,"Sabrina. You told me you could never dance up on stage, but tell me this: Could Miracular?" Chloe turned Sabrina's head to look at Alix's work.

It probably only took seconds for Sabrina to connect the dots, but for Chloe they were agonizing seconds. When a delighted mix of trepidation, surprise, mischievousness, and joy lit up Sabrina's face Chloe let go the breath she had been holding.

"You mean, in costume? Like-" Sabrina bit off mentioning names and settled for,"Like before? I could be Miracular and you'd be Queen Bee?"

Chloe had been ready for that, but it still stung hearing it. Ready though she could put on an air as she corrected,"No. Queen Bee is a dignified hero, she will not prance around on stage." Chloe brought her hands up making a mask with the Vs of two fingers on each hand,"However, Queen WASP will help bring the city to its knees!"

Sabrina covered a gasp and said,"Really? Two villains?" Ideas seemed to be passing behind her eyes, a little war going on until she squeezed her hands into fists and nodded,"I want to do it!" she bounced in a way that was still terrible for her new hairstyle but that Chloe was beginning to find endearing.

"Right." Chloe stood,"which means, we need heroes. No one will cheer for a pair of villains, no matter how ravishing they might be." she gave her hair a toss for show, and also to give her another moment to build up her nerve. She had an idea for the next move, but it could all fall apart very easily.

Chloe her table and strode across to another. Aqua eyes looked up and regarded her with an initial hostility that faded into general distrust. That's fair I suppose. Chloe realised she had unconsciously straightened her back and raised her chin as she approached. The curse of awareness let her see herself. How to fix this bad start?

"Nathaniel." Chloe began. She stopped, the next words weren't right. She clenched her hands at her sides, opened her mouth to speak again and closed it. He was still watching her with a mixture of curiosity and suspicion now. Chloe bet Alix was watching now too. Anger rose at that but she refused to let it get her this time. She would do this, for Sabrina. Awareness of scents poured in in her distracted state. Nathaniel was a striking bundle she could not pick apart, but Marc beside him. Chloe wanted to laugh. There were things in there she couldn't tell, but he definitely did smell of blueberries. She had to focus. Chloe ran her hands through her hair to calm her thoughts.

"What is it Chloe?" Nathaniel interrupted her barely moving train.

Chloe let out a breath,"If I said I was sorry would you even believe me?"

Suspicion rose further in his aqua eyes, and an old pain. His words masked his expression,"It's fine Chloe, water under the bridge. Is that all?"

Why was he making this so hard? Chloe took another breath. Wait, was Nathaniel wearing Adrien's cologne? It was subtle, barely a dash. Thinking of Adrien helped,"No, no it's not." Chloe stepped closer and sat at one of the chairs around Nathaniel and Marc's table. Nathaniel looked openly suspicious now but didn't protest. Marc was watching, one hand covering whatever he was working on. "I was hoping I might be able to find a hero or two at this table. Mightystrator, and perhaps one other?" Chloe flicked her eyes from Nathaniel to Marc and back.

They exchanged glances. Nathaniel now seemed more confused than suspicious but it was still there,"Is this some kind of joke, or trick?"

"You mean, am I trying to embarrass you like I did before?"

Nathaniel's eyes narrowed,"Yes, That."

Chloe spread her hands and placed them flat on the table. She leaned in and gave Nathaniel a positively wolflike smile,"That is absolutely a possibility. Though if it does happen, I'll be up there with you this time. Sabrina and I need some help with a little thing we want to do at the Talent show." Chloe swept her eyes to Marc who physically reacted to her gaze the same way Sabrina often did, by shrinking back in on himself. There was a steel in his eyes though buried under the fear. "Another pair of individuals would be best. One with some chemistry."

Nathaniel spoke, the sound of curiosity overcoming suspicion,"And you need 'Mightystrator' why?"

Chloe raised a hand to point to herself,"Well, we've got Queen Wasp." She pointed to Sabrina who was looking on,"And Miracular." then clasped her hands together,"We obviously need great heroes to defeat the villains."

Marc spoke up,"you mean like Ladybug?"

Nathaniel finished,"And Mightystrator. I see now." He looked to Marc then back to Chloe,"We'll talk about it." he said firmly, then softened his tone,"and, get back to you?" confusion was still the main read Chloe could get from his expression, but it was at least an improvement.

She wanted to stay. She wanted a firm answer. She would never have settled for less before. That her wasn't this her though, at least not completely. "Right, of course." She rose quickly and stepped away from the table,"Sooner rather than later though. We'll have mountains to do if you say yes."

Nathaniel didn't offer any parting words but he and Marc were in a serious whisper-discussion before Chloe got back to her seat.

"Well, that was awful." she told Sabrina as she sat down,"Asking people for something rather than telling them is excruciating." Chloe considered a new flop, but stiffened her back instead. "Now we have four, and that's much better for dance routines, right Sabrina?" Chloe was pretty sure she knew the answer, but including was something she was learning.

Sabrina's reaction to being asked was worth the extra effort,"Well, with more people you can get into more complex sequences and it allows you to utilize more of the space or highlight negative space in new and interesting ways." Sabrina managed to fill up the rest of the class period with minutiae that impressed Chloe.

Chloe had already gotten large chunks of information digging around online when she first started this little idea. Still, she was able to mentally compare what random youtube videos told her with Sabrina's own curated knowledge and see how they lined up. Chloe's mind did start to wander near the end though, and she actually pricked her finger toying with Dev's necklace.

Did she hear a growl?

The Bell shuffled everyone onto the walkways. Sabrina scooted in front while Chloe sucked her cut thumb. She was deep in thought when suddenly she was yanked sideways into a classroom and the door shut behind her.

"Just what do you?-" She rounded on her assailant.

Adrien stood there looking ultimately guilty and apologetic. "Hi Chloe, sorry. I just wanted a moment to talk, and I couldn't come up with a better plan."

Chloe shifted gears in an instant,"Oh Adrikins don't worry." She rushed up to throw her arms around his neck and give a squeeze,"You can get me alone any time you like."

Chloe felt Adrien tensing, that too was all too familiar. Up close he smelled so… Adrien. The necklace wasn't telling her anything she didn't already know. She forced it out of her mind. She didn't want to pick apart the things that made up Adrien, that seemed wrong.

"Chloe, please." Adrien gently removed her but kept a light hold on her hands,"I wanted to talk because I've been a little worried about you. When I saw the news on Saturday and what happened at the circle I had to find you. I know we haven't hung out much lately, but even from a distance it looks like you've been going through a lot. "

Chloe didn't have to fake her reaction. She squeezed Adrien's hands and lowered her gaze,"I really have. It started with something stupid, but just kept getting bigger. Now I'm here in the middle and going forward is scary, but I don't want to go back either."

Adrien reached down to lift her chin,"You can tell me anything. You know that right?"

When her eyes met his Chloe felt all the reasons she'd fallen in love with Adrien so long ago in their depths. "No, I really can't." she smiled wanly,"you mean too much for me to risk losing while I'm like this."

"You won't lose me Chloe. You're my oldest friend. I'll always be here for you."

Chloe patted his chest,"I know that." she smiled,"But the fear in my heart doesn't listen to my head."

He smiled at her in turn,"well, if ever you can. Is it the new guy? I mean, I think everyone has noticed that." Adrien gestured to the necklace.

"Oh this? No, this was a joke." Chloe tugged the chain,"Just to get people talking. Looks like it worked." she grinned,"No, the problem isn't him. I mean, he's A problem, but really the problem is me, and it's a problem I'm working on."

"You have been nicer to people, I noticed."

"Really?" The rush of elation at this smallest of acknowledgements was embarrassing but Chloe drank it up.

"Really."

"Then it's worth it."

The second bell rang and Adrien became suddenly uncomfortable,"I should go. I disappear too much as it is, Kagami will be mad."

That put a damper on the moment,"you know, she doesn't deserve you." Chloe was stinging too much, she puffed up defensively and let slip a little bravado,"I mean really I'm the only one good enough for you."

What happened next took no time at all, and felt like an eternity. In Adrien's soft gaze Chloe saw the slightest of changes, that subtle flexing of the eyelids, a tightening at the corners. Within her something broke, but was at the same time renewed in a different form. Chloe continued,"Which means-"

"Chloe." Adrien's voice was filled with resignation even as he protested.

Chloe put a finger to his lips,"Don't." She chose the next word very carefully,"Adrien." she said it slowly, but saw immediately she hadn't needed to. He understood, how could she have doubted he would?,"I don't think I will ever be able to do this again, so please let me finish."

He went silent.

"Which means when you really find someone, whoever this miracle girl ends up being, you'd better make sure she can live up to my standards too."

Shock and relief. It was almost possible to see a cloak of tension like a second skin melting away from Adrien. Chloe didn't know if she should be happy or sad, both probably. When he spoke it was just,"Thank you." and knowing she could do this for him made the happiness win out.

"Can I just ask for one thing in return?"

No hesitation. "What can I do for you Chloe?"

"Close your eyes." Chloe realized her request sounded presumptuous, but she wanted this much.

Adrien did pause this time, but then he smiled and nodded, closing his eyes.

Chloe stepped in. She cupped Adrien's face gently in her hands, rubbing his cheek with her thumb gently then she lifted up on her tiptoes and pulled him down. Her lips touched his forehead lightly then she dropped back to her heels and ducked, curling against his chest.

She was trembling. Adrien put his arms around her. She gripped the front of his shirt and lingered as long as she dared before stepping back.

She took a deep cleansing breath and Adrien opened his eyes. There was still that rare look of ease in them and Chloe loved him for it. He broke the silence with,"Thank you again Chloe, and if you need me, find me. Any time."

"Oh you know your Chloe." Chloe wanted to encapsulate that moment, she slipped into her confident persona as a way of sealing the end. She wiggled her fingers at Adrien,"Nothing can keep her down. When you're this good of a person, life doesn't stand a chance." She stepped across to open the door just as the third bell rang. Late for Class

It was only minutes late and, small victories, Kagami wasn't in the class. Adrien waited until Chloe had gone in first, and slipped in five minutes later with one of his usual excuses, 'Call from my father.' No one seemed the wiser. Good. No one should ever be allowed to speak of that moment, it was sacred to her.

Sabrina knew something was up. Being late was actually a saving grace in a fashion. Since they sat in front Sabrina couldn't do much more than cast sidelong glances and fiddle with two braids that had come loose along the left side of her head. It wasn't a glamorous look, but it could be considered juanty Chloe supposed.

Chloe mollified her with a brief,"Everything is fine Sabrina." out of the side of her mouth. Chloe was surprised to find as she took stock that everything really was fine. It wasn't calm, or orderly, or normal but it was fine. For the first time in several days she felt she had a handle on things.

Chloe glanced back and up to where Marinette sat. Alya caught her looking and so Chloe turned the look into a light sneer. No point in being TOO nice. Dupain-Chang would require attention soon.

Class passed quickly, and thankfully Chloe was left to be lost in her own thoughts. When the final bell rang she was so far gone that It was Sabrina's touch that brought her back to the here and now. Chloe realized she was ravenously hungry. Not this again.

"Where did you go Chloe?" Sabrina asked while packing her bag.

"Adrien wanted to talk. I can fill you in later," at least to a point.

Nathaniel stopped at their desk on his way out. Marc stepped in beside him.

"We've decided to at least listen to your idea."

Chloe felt a pout coming on, but her stomach audibly rumbled killing the vibe. She stepped back and waved Sabrina forward,"You explain."

Chloe stepped back and her mind wandered again, unti Nathaniel pointed out the very reasonable,"Neither of us is a dancer though."

"Anyone can be a dancer for Three minutes and Twenty seconds." She chimed in helpfully,"You leave that bit to me. You just have to bring yourselves, and maybe help with the costumes." A lightbulb blossomed in Chloe's mind, a hook, hooks were good,"Actually, a performance needs a programme."

That got her three blank looks.

"I forget, I'm the only culture in this school." Chloe put a hand to her temple,"A programme. It explains what is going on in the story when you've got dancers or singers instead of spoken lines. And since we have a pair of villains and superheroes our programme could be…" She left it hanging and thankfully Nathaniel was in fact smart enough to pick up, maybe she had misjudged him a touch.

"A comic book." he filled in, suddenly brightening to the whole idea. He exchanged a look with Marc who gave a confirming smile.

"Exactly. We sort out the performance. You make the programme, and we all smash the show to pieces and make everyone monstrously jealous of our talents." There was some of the Chloe flare back again.

The two exchanged another look then Nathaniel clenched a fist in affirmation,"You're on." he smiled now that he was committed,"So, what do we do first?"

"That is on us." Chloe stepped up beside Sabrina and put an arm around her shoulders, trying to include her after realizing she had stolen Sabrina's thunder for the explanations,"The routine must come first, because it has to go to the music and those are the least flexible. Once that is hammered out you can do your comic magic and we'll all practice until we can do it in our sleep."

"Sounds like it might be fun."

Beside Nathaniel, Marc brushed a hand back through his hair and asked,"Why did you come to us with this?" without preamble.

That wasn't the easiest of answers. An excuse? Honesty? Chloe answered slowly,"The two of you are a pair, and I thought a pair would be good. You like superheroes and our idea needed superheroes." Chloe decided to spill the rest,"And you're quiet. If you said no you'd probably not blab about it around the school and… I didn't want it found out if I was rejected."

Marc absorbed this then smiled,"I think it'll be cool." Chloe wondered if she'd just passed some unknown test.

The two boys headed off and Sabrina turned to Chloe positively buzzing,"We can work on the dance tonight! We don't have much homework!"

Chloe hated to burst her bubble,"Actually Sabrina, I was planning on doing that part myself." She took hold of Sabrina's shoulders to forestall the coming reaction,"You've done the first part already. I wouldn't have even had this idea without your music. Now, you might have watched a lot of dances, but you don't know anything about choreographing an entire routine do you?" Chloe left out the part that she herself had only been working on it for a few days.

Sabrina shook her head, still sad but unable to shrink with Chloe's hold on her.

"Besides, one creative mind behind the whole will likely be better. Once I've hammered it out we'll go through it together and you can let me know if you feel anything is out of place. You'll be my editor, okay?"

That cheered her up. Sabrina nodded,"Sounds good Chloe." she absently brushed the fallen braids back into place but lacking the proper pins to anchor them they fell out again.

"I do need you to do one important thing for me though, we need to submit our idea to Ms. Bustier. Can you do that for me?"

"Oh of course!" Sabrina perked up fully, old habits.

"Thank you Sabrina. Now I'm going to head home, eat half a cow, and get to work."

It wasn't exactly half a cow, but Chloe did far more damage to an entire flank steak than she had ever thought possible. She'd also spent more time learning about discrete modern dance moves than she'd spent learning about… well anything that wasn't fashion related. She hadn't even gotten into designing the routine yet. She just had her flipbook full of hundreds of shorthand symbols that each meant different steps so she could write and correct quickly once she got going.

Now she was sprawled out in bed with one hand laid on her bear. Her mind kept going through the day and circling back to her moment with Adrien. Despite all her efforts Chloe couldn't bring herself to hate it. There was a little sadness mixed in, but she believed she had really made him happy. He'd held her. There was no panic, no fuss, no fidgeting. He's just held her. Chloe squee'd just a bit inside. It might've been only once, but it had happened.

Chloe was beginning to drift off, so when a yellow and black orb seemed to be hovering over her she didn't immediately react, but then it spoke,"My queen?"

"Dev?" No, the voice was entirely wrong,"Pollen!" Chloe sat bolt upright. Indeed her little Kwamii hovered demurely before her. "Pollen!" Chloe reached out and scooped the little bee into a tight hug,"You came back!"

"Oh how I wish My queen." Pollen said sadly once she was released. She hovered down to perch in Chloe's lap,"But that's not my decision. I have been sent to deliver a message, because doesn't think you'd listen if she were to come herself, and she knows I would never lie to you, even if she asked me too."

Anger boiled up inside Chloe, of course why should she be happy for a whole day? Still, Pollen's sincerity was disarming. Chloe took a cleansing breath,"Well. She's right about the first part." Chloe admitted begrudgingly,"What did she want to say?"

Pollen perked at the prompt. She buzzed up, and stopped at Chloe's chest height,"It is about this." she gestured to the necklace Chloe still had on over her nightie.

Chloe gripped the pendant on the necklace without thinking. She grumbled,"Why is everyone so interested in this? I wear haute fashion Every Day. Ladybug can't borrow it if that's what she wants."

"No my queen." Pollen buzzed back down,"She wants me to tell you it is dangerous. I'm going to do that, but I'm also going to tell you why. Some things she knows and others she doesn't yet."

Chloe wondered if Pollen was trying to deliberately manipulate her by mentioning sharing something Ladybug didn't know. If she was it worked. Chloe's anger lowered to a simmer and she reached down to pet the top of Pollen's head as the Kwamii began.

"You know that the miraculouses were made so we Kwamii could help people protect and defend people. It's what some might call a positive interaction. We do good, and make people feel safe and happy. It's through our bonds with people over the years that we Kwamii have learned to value life and the happiness of humans."

Pollen leaned into Chloe's touch and sighed a little sigh,"I do miss you my Queen," the Kwamii offered in aside, then continued. "There are other spirits though, from other places, who never forged the same kind of bond. The people there called them Eldings. They were feared and called on not to help and prevent bad things from happening, but to punish and seek retribution after the evil had already been done. Instead of the Miraculous, they were bonded with items called Maelaculous. They didn't get called on often, and that was the point. People were supposed to be scared of an Elding and it's holder. The eldings slept year after year, waiting to be called on, and in all those years they continued to grow more and more estranged from humanity. The maelaculous went strange too. The stored power of the sleeping Elding kind of leaks out, and it can do all kinds of things to someone who has one."

Pollen paused here and looked up,"Have you noticed anything strange since you put on the necklace my Queen?"

"No, I haven't." Why am I lying?

Pollen made a show of relief,"That's good. The effects are unpredictable, Eldings are scary, even to Kwamis. Well, maybe not Plagg, but he doesn't know better."

"How do you know this is one of those Ma-ael-iffic things?"

"Maelaculous." Pollen repeated,"I can tell by being up close. I can feel the energy leaking out. But also some of them have been seen before. Tikki knows this one, though she doesn't know which of the Eldings is connected to it."

"I haven't seen any little floating spirits."

"It is as I have said my queen. They sleep. You do not want whoever it is to awaken."

"But it sounds like they could be useful. With a new Miraculous I could be a hero again!" Chloe was already running through visions in her mind, rewriting entirely how the episode last saturday had gone.

"No, no my queen, you mustn't use it!" Pollen was buzzing in the air in earnest,"They aren't for helping people, they're for hurting people. They'll even hurt whoever the wearer is if it suits them. Eldings do not care for humans."

"So, what do you want me to do?"

"You must give it up. Ladybug can keep it hidden safe, and be sure it will never be used. That is the only thing to do with a Maelaculous."

Chloe reached up to touch the necklace again. She should give it away if it was really so dangerous. Pollen wouldn't lie to her. No. She had been so incredibly good today and she was not going to have something taken from her for it. She hit upon an excuse and said softly,"I am sorry Pollen, I couldn't possibly give it to you. It is not mine to give. It belongs to another student and I only have it as a loan. When I give it back," If I give it back "Ladybug can talk to him about it. Giving it away now would be stealing wouldn't it?"

Pollen wilted under the logic of it. Eventually the little Kwami nodded,"You are right my Queen. May I suggest then that you not wear it, and give it back as soon as you are able to?"

"I will talk to Dev about it as soon as I see him. I promise Pollen." That wasn't a lie. Chloe needed to know more about this thing now.

Pollen smiled up at her again, but the smile faded,"I must go now my queen. I am sorry I cannot stay."

Chloe reached out, lightly touching Pollen's little cheek,"It's not your fault Pollen. It's Ladybug's for keeping us apart. I hope one day you can be my Kwami again."

"I will always be your Kwami, my queen. I hope one day you can be my miraculous holder again."

With that Pollen flew out through the wall and into the night.

Chloe seethed as she sat. The injustice of having Queen Bee stolen from her was a wound not yet healed. Now this new opportunity had appeared and already Ladybug was trying to take that too.

Chloe screamed in frustration and slammed a fist back into the wall at the head of her bed in a pique of rage. Paint sprinkled down from the ceiling onto her, snapping her out of it in sheer confusion. Chloe looked back at the wall behind her and up. At the top of the facade hairline cracks snaked out across the ceiling to where the paint had fallen.

Chloe looked askance at her hand. That hadn't hurt. She smiled. "I can be a hero again."