Chapter summary: What was supposed to be a fun-filled day at Disneyland Paris is put to a stop when a disgruntled mascot transforms into the akuma Meany Mouse.
It was a bright, sunny day in Paris, a welcome change after the recent akuma attacks. The city was bustling with excited civilians enjoying the great weather. On this day, our heroes took the opportunity to take a well-deserved break at one of the happiest places on Earth: Disneyland Paris!
Seline, Timothée and Gérard were finally enjoying a day off from school. Their bruises weren't as noticeable anymore but the young heroes still had sore muscles from all the acrobatics and hand-to-hand combat.
"I want a churro from Fantasyland!" said Timothée.
"That's all the way at the other end of the park," protested Seline. "Why don't we just go to Frontierland and get some there instead?"
"I want what I want!" snapped Timothée, noticing he startled Seline. "Sorry. I think all the heroics we've been up to lately have messed with my temper."
"It's fine," said Seline. "I get it—oh! Excuse me!"
Seline bumped into a blond boy. She looked up to find that it was none other than Adrien Agreste.
"Sorry about that, kitty," chuckled Seline.
Timothée noticed the people accompanying Adrien: Marinette, Alya, and Nino. He continued listening to Seline's conversation with Adrien.
"O-Of course," stammered Adrien. "Don't worry about it, Seline! What are you guys doing here by the way?"
"What do you think?" asked Timothée, gesturing towards Sleeping Beauty's majestic, cotton-candy colored castle in the distance. "Same reason why you're here."
"Oh! Right!" said Adrien, turning red.
"It's been our dream ever since we came to France," giggled Seline. "But you get to come here all the time. Don't you, kitty?"
"Why do you keep calling Adrien 'kitty?'" interrupted Marinette, tilting her head in confusion.
"It's because his eyes remind me of a kitten," explained Seline, turning to Adrien. "Sorry, Adrien. I didn't mean to upset your girlfriend."
"S-She's not my girlfriend," blurted Adrien. "She's just a friend."
That last sentence kept bouncing around in Marinette's mind, her eyes widening. She turned to her best friend, Alya who gave her a sympathetic shrug.
"A great friend," chuckled Nino. "Right, Adrien?"
Adrien looked at Marinette, realizing the effect his words had on her. Marinette just coyly smiled back, trying to hide her embarrassment.
"Anyway," said Seline. "We'll see you around!"
Seline, Timothée and Gérard turned away, waving goodbye to Adrien's group.
"W-Wait!" called Adrien, not entirely sure what he was thinking. "Can we come along?"
Adrien's words made Seline pause, while Timothée huffed and rolled his eyes.
"For what?" mumbled Gérard, looking at Adrien. "We were doing just fine by ourselves."
Seline shrugged, looking at Timothée to see if he had any concerns. Gérard had already walked away, waiting in line to get the churros Seline promised.
"I guess you can tag along, Adrien," said Seline. "I just don't want your silly girlfriends getting jealous."
Seline laughed, catching up to Gérard.
"Girlfriends?!" exclaimed Adrien. Timothée pointed at Chloé who was fast approaching. "Oh, no. Not her!"
"Adrikins," whined Chloé. She ran towards Adrien and hugged him tightly, placing a small peck on his cheek. "I didn't know you were here, Adrikins!"
"I'm here with my friends," said Adrien.
Seline's group had already left to get their churros, leaving Adrien hanging with Chloé.
"Thanks a lot," sighed Adrien.
"You're welcome, Adrikins," said Chloé. "Now that I'm here, you and I are gonna have so much fun!"
Adrien pulled Chloé away and continued walking in the same direction as the other group. Seline, Timothée and Gérard were taking selfies with their churros, making funny faces into their phones.
"Smile," said Seline. Timothée took a bite of the churro while Seline and Gérard smiled for more pictures when she saw some rides in the distance. "Oh. Look there, and there! I want to go on all of them, especially Big Thunder Mountain! We're, like, right there!"
"That ride is too intense for me, Seline," said Gérard. "I'll get sick if I go on that. We can go on Peter Pan's Flight instead!"
"I wish we could go on that one," said Timothée, pointing at an attraction covered under a tarp. "If only we had waited two more months to come here, we could've gone on it."
"I swear," said Seline, irritated. "You two are such party poopers. Wait for me down here, then."
From a couple of feet away, Adrien saw a chance to be with Seline alone and took it.
"Hey there, tiger," chuckled Adrien, catching up to Seline. Seline's ears perked up when she heard the word "tiger" and she panicked internally.
"Tiger?" asked Seline. "Where'd you get that name from?"
"Oh, it's just a normal phrase, right?" responded Adrien.
"Right," said Seline with a nervous giggle. "Well, why are you here? I thought you and your friends were spending time together."
"Yeah… it's just," started Adrien just when he realized he was at a loss for words. "Um… I saw you walking here alone and… I thought..."
"Oh," interjected Seline. "You were going to come on the ride with me? How nice of you!"
"Yeah, yeah," said Adrien, giving a sigh of relief. "That's exactly what I was doing. C'mon, let's get in line."
"Okay," said Seline, holding onto Adrien's hand as they got in line together. "Um… I hate to be rude but your hands are kind of… sweaty."
"Ha, ha, ha," laughed Adrien nervously. "It's a hot day, you know? The heat is just going straight to my head."
"I know the feeling," said Seline.
Seline and Adrien waited in queue, an open air path that snaked around coal mining machinery. Before they knew it, they were already at the head of the line.
"How many?" asked the ride operator ushering people onto the ride.
"Two," said Adrien, putting up two fingers.
"All right," said the ride operator. "Watch your step."
"After you, my lady," said Adrien, catching himself as he felt his ears turn red. He only ever called Ladybug "my lady."
"What a gentleman," said Seline, taking a seat on the ride beside Adrien. "Gah! I'm so excited! I haven't been on this ride in a couple of years. How about you?"
"I actually come here every summer," said Adrien. "But it's great getting to ride with a new friend."
"I know, right?" said Seline. "It feels like the first time."
Seline placed her hand on top of Adrien's, and his eyes widened immediately.
"Adrien?" said a familiar voice from behind.
"Ch-Chloé?!" said Adrien, equal parts shock and annoyance in his voice.
Chloé and Sabrina were seated directly behind Seline and Adrien, to each other's surprise.
"Adrien," started Chloé, clearly angry but trying to keep her cool. "I was wondering where you went. I guess you went off with your little friend."
"Hi, Sabrina," said Seline, ignoring Chloé. Sabrina smiled and gave a small, friendly wave.
"Ahem," interrupted Chloé. "I'm right here!"
"Oh," said Seline, pretending to care. "Hi, Chloé. Nice day we're having, huh?"
Chloé looked like she was about to say something but stopped when she heard the ride starting up.
And off they went...
Seline's eyes took in all the beautiful rock formations as the ride continued, her hands clamped on the lap bar. As her excitement grew, her fingers wrapped tighter and tighter around the plastic of the bar. Taag held tightly onto Seline's pocket, trying to hold in small yelps because of all the unexpected drops. Seline's long black hair kept hitting Chloé in the face as the wind accelerated around them. Chloé grew even more annoyed, huffing at the hair and slapping it away.
Adrien glanced at Seline and smiled. The ride was at its peak, almost heading to the grand finale. Anxiety crept into Seline's stomach, her eyes shut as Adrien looked at her once again. He let out a small chuckle and grabbed Seline's hand.
"You'll be okay," said Adrien.
Seline's first instinct was to headbutt Adrien but she held back, letting her hand settle into his. The drop had arrived and Seline let out a roaring scream. Chloé held on to Sabrina, her screams deafening to everyone on the ride. Sabrina laughed at Chloé as the drop came to an end. Adrien loved the feeling of falling, the wind blowing in his face, the adrenaline pumping through his veins—it was an adventure.
"Please exit on your right," said the rider operator over the intercom, prompting Seline to open her eyes. "Don't forget to collect your belongings. Have a great day!"
"Is it really over?" asked Seline, hopping off the ride once the bar was lifted.
"Yes, it IS over," barked Chloé, sending a death glare in Seline's direction. "We should go to Space Mountain! Come on, Adrien."
"Uh," mumbled Adrien. "I should really get back to my friends, Chloé."
The four of them made their way out of the ride and through the exit. Seline immediately ran to Timothée and Gérard among a crowd of people, leaving Adrien and Chloé alone with Sabrina.
"It was amazing," said Seline excitedly. "You really have to go on with me next time!"
Seline stepped closer to her cousins, whispering to block any sightings of her. Taag flew out of her jacket to look at Seline.
"Seline," said Taag, swaying to and fro. "I think I got motion sickness."
"Oh, Taag," said Seline. "I'm sorry. I completely forgot you were with me. Can I get you anything, like water or something?"
"Well," replied Taag. "Now that you mention it, I'm kind of hungry."
"We'll go get food now, then," said a guilty Seline. "Anything for my little tiger."
Seline gave Taag's little head a gentle scratch.
"Come back in here and we'll be on our way," reassured Seline.
Timothée greeted Taag, finger bumping the feline.
"Food it is, then," said Timothée, loudly enough for all their kwamis to hear.
They had come across one of Disneyland Paris' most famous restaurants, Restaurant des Stars. It was a 1950s style buffet restaurant with old black-and-white pictures of celebrities on the walls. The interior was covered in silver accents that gave it a sterile, retrofuturistic look. Behind the buffet line stood chefs preparing meals for their guests.
When the smell of the food reached their noses, Seline could feel Taag jump around in her pocket.
"Almost there, buddy," giggled Seline.
"What did you say?" said Marinette from behind.
Marinette caught Seline's attention, making her turn around. Timothée and Gérard had stopped, waiting for Seline.
"I told myself, 'almost there, buddy,'" snapped Seline, looking Marinette directly in the eyes. "Is there a problem with me talking to myself? Why are you even following me?"
"Well, I, uh, um," stuttered Marinette. "I got lost, and well, I saw you and your cousins so I thought I could hang around until my friends showed up again but I can't find them."
Marinette hung her head low, expecting rejection. Seline looked back at Timothée, he nodded indicating she could come with them.
"We don't mind," said Timothée, flinging his arm around Marinette's shoulders. "We're getting something to eat."
The group continued walking to the restaurant, making it in time for lunch to start.
Gérard grabbed some fries and a slice of pizza and sat down at a table near the window. Seline followed behind, placing her tray on the table as they waited for Timothée and Marinette to join them.
"We're in a restaurant full of French delicacies and you just get fries and pizza, Gérard?" chuckled Seline, taking a bite from her croque-monsieur.
Gérard nodded and quietly ate his fries, handing a couple to his kwami, Kimba, in his jacket-vest. Marinette and Timothée arrived at the table.
"If you'll excuse me," said Seline as she got up from the table. "I have to powder my nose."
"That's code for—" started Timothée, giggling.
"We all know what that's code for!" interrupted Seline while on her way towards the restroom.
Locking herself in a stall, Taag flew out and Seline handed him a small portion of the burger she hid. Taag had chugged it all at once and nuzzled into Seline's cheek. He whispered a quick "thank you" and flew back into her pocket. A burp came out right as she flushed the toilet.
As she walked out, she once again bumped into a blond-haired person. "Oh, shoot! I'm so sorry."
"Of course," said Chloé's signature nasal voice, her hands laid on her hips with Sabrina in tow. "It's the new girl. What are you doing here?"
"Isn't it obvious?" snarked Seline, pointing at a stall. "So, if you girls will just excuse me."
"Do you think I'm stupid?" said Chloé, blocking Seline's way. "You're trying to take my Adrikins away from me, just like that Marinette. Is that what the two of you do, plot ways on how to get with Adrien?"
"Chloé," said Seline. "With all due respect… that's what you do. Maybe if you were a little nicer, you wouldn't be having trouble spending time with him."
"Hmph!" exclaimed Chloé. "I have no trouble spending time with MY boyfriend, new girl."
"Whatever you say," said Seline, brushing past Chloé. "I just wonder if he knows that."
Seline walked out of the restroom, leaving Chloé enraged.
"Who does she think she is?!" said Chloé to Sabrina, who just shrugged in return.
Seline rushed to the table, only to find Marinette's friends there with her cousins. She sat down next to Timothée before continuing to eat.
Meanwhile, Chloé and Sabrina were walking around outside of the restaurant.
"And, like, she said I was mean!" said Chloé in the middle of a rant.
"I have no idea where she got that idea from," said Sabrina. "What are you going to—oh! Look!"
A parade full of happy cast members and families was going down the path Chloé and Sabrina were walking on.
"Why are they having fun?" asked Chloé. "Don't they know my heart is hurting?!"
"Can we take pictures with them?" said Sabrina.
Just at that moment, a Mickey Mouse mascot came up to them, bobbing around playfully. He made a gesture mimicking taking a picture on a camera.
"No," snapped Chloé. "I don't want to take a picture! Why don't you go back to Minnie, your perfect girlfriend!"
Mickey's hands drooped to his side and he walked back to the parade, hanging his head in shame.
"Chloé," said Sabrina. "That was really mean!"
"Ugh!" responded Chloé. "I can't care when my Adrikins is having fun with those losers!"
At that moment, a purple butterfly landed on the mascot's head.
Elsewhere, a bright light poured into Papillon's lair, illuminating the room where hundreds of butterflies flitted into the air.
"Meany Mouse," started Papillon. "It's Papillon speaking. I know you've been hurt, insulted… and criminally underpaid. Now take that rage and enact on your thirst for vengeance!"
The newly transformed akuma Meany Mouse just nodded.
"Not the talkative type now, are we? No matter. Go, Meany Mouse! Capture their Miraculouses!"
Chloé had already vanished into the crowd while Meany Mouse was trying to track her down.
An ominous howl traveled through the air in the park, eventually reaching the ears of our heroes. Seline looked at Timothée, a worried expression on her face as she tried to finish eating her burger.
"Maybe it's a ride," suggested Seline. "Or maybe a little kid?"
More blood curdling screams came. Terrified people ran into the restaurant to hide from the akuma. Our heroes got up from their table, giving each other concerned looks—this wasn't any ordinary Disney attraction.
"Everyone," said Timothée to all of the patrons of the restaurant. "Hide! Go hide in the restrooms!"
Marinette was nowhere to be found. Seline, Timothée and Gérard looked at each other.
"What are we going to do?" said Seline. "Marinette disappeared!"
"I think you guys should go without me," said Timothée. "I'll be your alibi. Now, go. There's a closet somewhere. I'll keep an eye out for Marinette and the others if they need help."
Without even having time to think it through, Seline and Gérard rushed to the janitor's closet, making sure no one was in there.
"Ready?" said Gérard, looking at Seline.
"As ready as I can be," replied Seline, flashing a smile that she hoped would hide the fear she felt for Adrien's safety.
"Taag, transforme-moi!" shouted Seline.
"Kimba, transforme-moi!" shouted Gérard.
Alone at the scene of the action was Chat Noir.
"The mouse won't talk," said Chat Noir, leaning on his baton, looking at the akumatized villain from afar. "This is a tough one."
"Hey there, kitty," said a girl's voice. Chat Noir turned around with a grin, only to see it was Tigresse Blanche with Lion. "I see you're hunting that mouse. Where's the bug?"
"If only I knew," mumbled Chat Noir, looking around and hoping to see Ladybug swing in.
"You can wait if you like but I'm taking action," said Tigresse Blanche.
She wasted no time and ran towards the mascot while Lion got into a sneak attack formation behind him. She lunged towards Meany Mouse.
"No, wait!" said Lion.
But it was too late—Tigresse Blanche's foot already connected with Meany Mouse's chest, kicking hard enough to push him across the street right next to Lion. Meany Mouse got up and grabbed Lion by the shoulders, staring straight into his face.
"Lion!" called Tigresse Blanche, sprinting to get Lion out of Meany Mouse's grasp only to get knocked down by a newcomer to the fight. "Ladybug! What do you think you're—?"
"Hold on," warned Ladybug, lifting her hand up to Tigresse Blanche's face.
Tigresse Blanche's blood started to boil, her hands curling up into fists at her sides. Over on the other side of the street, Meany Mouse's face warped into a swirl, hypnotizing Lion so that he would do the mouse's bidding.
"Hold on?" repeated Tigresse Blanche, pushing Ladybug's hand away. "You want me to wait? We were waiting for you this whole time. You're either here or you're not, and now you're getting in my way and letting our teammate get attacked by the yokai!? You really need to improve your skills because you're making all our jobs harder than they already are!"
"Hey!" barked Ladybug. "First of all it's an akuma, not a yokai, and secondly I was stopping you from diving head first into a villain you knew nothing about! You didn't even know what his power was! I saved you from getting hypnotized like your friend over there!"
"I don't need to be saved by a little kid playing dress-up!" yelled Tigresse Blanche. "Work on your timing and know your role, LB. I know Master Fu trusts you, but I don't."
Tigresse Blanche glared at Ladybug and Chat Noir. She frantically ran to find the akumatized victim and Lion.
"Stupid child," thought Seline to herself.
Her mask felt very tight against her skin. Maybe she was just imagining it but she felt like she couldn't breathe properly. Chat Noir finally caught up with Tigresse Blanche and stood in her way.
"Excuse me," said Tigresse Blanche. "I have to clean up her mess."
"Listen," started Chat Noir. "What you said to Ladybug wasn't right. We're supposed to help each other."
"Help each other?" scoffed Tigresse Blanche. "That bug stopped me from finishing off the villain! Now Lion's in danger because of her! I'm sure you would've said the same if I had gotten her hypnotized."
Tigresse Blanche pushed past Chat Noir, only to hear screams from the other side of the park. Her tiger-like ears perked up, trying to locate where exactly the screams were coming from.
She saw Ladybug fling herself towards the castle. Tigresse Blanche followed suit and felt sick to her stomach once she saw Lion marching next to Meany Mouse, a whole army of hypnotized tourists behind them. Meany Mouse's face looked scary in a sense. His smile was no longer friendly, it was haunting.
"L-Lion…?" whispered Tigresse Blanche, standing next to Ladybug and Chat Noir.
Lion's smile was very visible, just like the one sported by the hypnotized tourists. The corners of their mouths curved up to their eyes to mimic Meany Mouse's unnerving smile—her cousin didn't look the same anymore.
"This..." started a bewildered Tigresse Blanche. "This was your fault."
"If it weren't for me, you would be there with him," rebutted Ladybug.
"We have no time for this," said Tigresse Blanche. "Let's just focus on the akuma. I'll take care of Lion and you and Chat Noir can get Meany."
"I was going to do that anyway," said Ladybug.
Tigresse Blanche ran to face off against Lion while Ladybug and Chat Noir hopped onto the spires of the iconic castle.
"You have to remember that these are innocent people on vacation," reminded Ladybug. "Try not to hurt them as you get to Meany Mouse."
"You got it, my lady," said Chat Noir.
Chat Noir and Ladybug jumped down into the fray. Meany Mouse heard them land and sicced his minions on them. Ladybug and Chat Noir immediately got swamped by the dozens of hypnotized tourists crowding them. They tried their best to deflect the poor victims but they were vastly outnumbered. Near the front of the crowd was Lion facing off against Tigresse Blanche.
"I'm so sorry, Lion," said Tigresse Blanche. "I don't want to fight you but I have no choice."
The two cousins engaged in a feral cat fight. Lion swung his brass knuckled fists at Tigresse Blanche's face. She blocked each swing but took a kick to her side, falling to the ground.
"Oof! What's the hold up?" asked Tigresse Blanche.
"There are too many of them!" said Ladybug. "We need to stop them somehow!"
Lion punched Tigresse Blanche's arm. The brass knuckle left a stinging sensation.
"Ow!" said Tigresse Blanche. "Okay, that's it. Chat Noir, Ladybug—get out of here! I'm going to do something big."
Ladybug flung a tourist grasping at her earrings to the side and grabbed Chat Noir. She yo-yoed the both of them up to a nearby tree.
"Magie noire!" shouted Tigresse Blanche.
Tigresse Blanche reached for the sky, a black orb enveloping her hand. She grabbed at the air inside and pull it down hard. A similar looking orb enveloped the crowd and the gravity inside increased multiple times. The force pulled all of them flat against the ground.
"Hurry," said Tigresse Blanche. "It won't last long."
"Chat Noir," said Ladybug. "I think the mascot's head is the akumatized object."
"Then I'll just walk on over and destroy it with my power," said Chat Noir. He dropped down from the tree and ran up towards Meany Mouse. "Cataclysme!"
Unstable energy formed in his hand. Just as he was about to press it against the mascot's head, he heard Ladybug.
"Wait!" said Ladybug. "Not in front of the kids!"
Ladybug pointed at some stores with scared children looking on from within.
"Really?" said Chat Noir.
"Don't worry," said Ladybug. "I have an idea."
She swung away toward the rides.
"She's making us wait yet again?" said Seline, struggling to keep her hold on the crowd.
Ladybug eyed the rides from the rooftops. She found a tarp covering the better part of a ride that had yet to be built. She lassoed it with her yo-yo and returned to the castle with it. She tied one end of the tarp to a tree, swung to another tree and tied that end there. The scene was successfully shielded from innocent eyes.
"Okay," said Ladybug. "Do it now!"
Chat Noir finally pressed his hand against the head of the mascot. The head cracked and withered away leaving behind the worker's own head and a purple black butterfly. Ladybug rushed to take her stance.
"I'm freeing you from evil!" Ladybug used her yoyo to purify the butterfly. "Je t'ai eu! Bye-bye, petit papillon."
The dark butterfly turned into a white and pure butterfly, flying high above her head.
"Miraculous Ladybug!" yelled Ladybug, the whole park changing back to its former magical self.
"Oh my gosh," said Tigresse Blanche, embracing Lion. "I'm so sorry. I tried saving you but someone pushed me and well…"
"It's okay," reassured Lion. "Really, it's okay."
Tigresse Blanche let go and turned to face the other two heroes.
"All of this could have been avoided if you stayed out of my way, little bug," hissed Tigresse Blanche.
"You're still blaming me for this?" said Ladybug. "You keep telling me I'm not experienced enough for this but you're the one who keeps charging into danger without a plan."
"Don't you dare criticize my technique," retorted Tigresse Blanche as her choker beeped.
"Please stop yelling," said Lion. "That hypnotism gave me a migraine."
"Tigresse Blanche," said Chat Noir. "You really need to calm down. Duking it out in front of all these people is not helping anyone."
"Well, suck it up," growled Tigresse Blanche, pointing at Ladybug. "We all could've lost our Miraculouses, Chat Noir. If she hadn't pushed me, we wouldn't have lost Lion to begin with."
"I don't know if you remember this but you were the one who kicked Meany Mouse at Lion," said Chat Noir sternly. "You are just as responsible as she is."
"She stopped me from saving my teammate," said Tigresse Blanche as she stepped up to Chat Noir. "I'm just saying our actions have consequences. Let's go, Lion."
Tigresse Blanche and Lion sprinted away out of sight.
Later that night, Marinette, Adrien, Alya, Nino, Chloé, Sabrina, Seline and her cousins were walking past the castle after an exciting day at all the attractions.
Marinette stayed quiet for most of the night, standing behind the group and thinking over what Tigresse Blanche had told her. She had never met someone who was so stubborn. She let out a sigh.
"Hey," said Timothée, feigning ignorance. "What's wrong?"
"Nothing," said Marinette, something clearly on her mind.
"C'mon," said Timothée. "You can tell me. I won't bite."
"Well," confessed Marinette. "I have to work with someone who just refuses to cooperate. It can be so… frustrating."
Timothée just nodded, understanding her dilemma. Marinette dropped the subject, catching up to the group.
"Hey, look," said Alya, pointing up at the sky. "The fireworks are starting!"
Sleeping Beauty's castle lit up in a kaleidoscopic vision of various Disney films while above in the sky were multi-hued fireworks creating a giant light show for the kids. On the castle steps, Mickey and Minnie reunited in front of everyone, making the crowd erupt in applause.
"It's so beautiful," said Marinette.
Our heroes looked on in awe as they felt the stress of the day melt away seeing Mickey and Minnie have their fairytale ending.
