Wait, what? Why did Chloé refer to Adrien's mother as her own? Author's Note: Tara's transformation outfit was inspired by loveHinaSasu on DeviantArt. She drew several pictures of Mrs. Agreste in a peacock themed costume. Go check them out!

Chapter 8: Enter Tara Agreste

"Uh, Chloé? Why did you refer to my mother as your own?" asked Adrien.

"What are you talking about, Adrien?" Chloé admonished. "This is my mother, not yours. She used to pick you up from your mansion and bring you over to Le Grand Paris for our playdates. I've never met your mother."

"That was my mother dropping me off!" Adrien protested.

"I'm positive you're Adrien's mother, Mrs. Agreste," Marinette spoke up. "He has your picture as his computer background.

"Besides, how can Adrien and Chloé both think you're their mother?" Alya asked. "One of them has to be wrong."

"First of all, please call me Tara," Tara Agreste smiled at Marinette. Then she sighed, "And in a way, they're both right.

"Adrien and Chloé are both my children. They're twins."

"WHAT?" Chloé screamed.

"How can that be?" Adrien asked. "I knew we had the same birthday, but we have different fathers!"

"Wait, you two have the same birthday?" asked Marinette. Adrien and Chloé nodded. "Chloé, I thought your birthday was in the summer."

"So does everyone else in our class," Alya added, arms folded. "Knowing you, we thought you would brag about your birthday. We figured a select few of use would get invited, and the rest would be told how awesome the parties were, if your birthday was during the school year."

"What? No, my daddy always held lavish parties for me where he was my only guest," Chloé explained. "Everybody loves me, but I only had two close friends growing up. Sabrina was usually catching up on my homework during the party, and Adrien's father kept him at the mansion on our birthday."

"Besides, I'm not proud of what I did, keeping Adrien and Chloé apart," Tara added. "It took a lot of lies and secrets to get to this point."

At the word "secrets," Marinette started rummaging through her bag. "Oh, by the way," Marinette pulled out the third jewelry box. "I think this might be yours."

Tara took the box containing her Miraculous eagerly. "You found it? Thank you!"

"How did you get separated from your barrette anyway?" Marinette asked Tara. "Adrien said you wore it everywhere."

"I forgot to put it back on after a photo shoot," Tara explained, tracing the pattern on the box's lid. Seeing Marinette's confusion, she added, "Gabriel used to make me take off the barrette if it, quote-unquote, "clashed" with the outfit."

Adrien shrugged. "I didn't think to mention that part," he said as Marinette glanced questionably at him. "Growing up around models, it just seemed obvious."

Opening the box, Tara gasped in delight as a familiar glow came out of the box. "Dusuu! It's good to see you again," Tara said to the kwami that emerged.

Dusuu looked up at Tara, and burst into tears. Tara reached out and gently hugged the sobbing kwami.

"It's. Nice. To. See. You. Too!" Dusuu hiccupped.

Tara giggled. "It's time to get back to work.

"Dusuu! Transform me!"

The transformation was instantaneous. Tara wore a pair of peacock-blue leggings. Her top looked like a peacock-blue slim-fitted jacket, with green and yellow feathers covering the swan-necked collar and waistline. Teal gloves covered her hands, and she had knee-length royal-blue boots over the leggings. She wore a mask that looks just like her Miraculous, and on her back hung a large hand fan in the same design.

Tara smiled down at her outfit. "Finally, Argus is back!"

"Argus is your superhero name?" Adrien asked. Tara nodded. "What's it mean?"

"It's a long story," Tara said sheepishly. "And I don't have time to tell it. I have two get you four to the safe house as soon as possible. Gabriel probably has spies everywhere."

"Um, why do we need to worry about Mr. Agreste?" asked Chloé.

Marinette sucked in her breath as Adrien looked down. "Chloé, Alya," she said softly. "Mr. Agreste is Hawk Moth."

"Are you kidding me?" cried Chloé.

"Adrien, I'm so sorry," Alya told the former Cat Noir.

"Anyway, we have to go quickly. Alya, your flute acts like Cat Noir's stick when it comes to transportation. Adrien can climb hold on to your back and ride with you because he's used to the motion," Tara instructed. "Chloé, your trompo acts like Ladybug's yoyo. Marinette can ride with you for the same reason. I'll lead the way."

"How will you travel?" Alya asked, nodding at Tara's fan.

Tara grinned. "Like this."

Grabbing her fan in one hand, Tara threw it in the same motion as one throws a Frisbee. But instead of letting go, Tara held on and let the fan carry her through the air until she landed on the roof of a building some yards away.

"Guess it's our turn," Alya let Adrien grab her around the waist before she extended her flute. The two pole-vaulted, landed nimbly on the same building as Tara.

"Look, Chloé," Marinette waited until the bee-themed girl looked at her before continuing. "I know neither of us wants to travel with the other, but right now, there aren't a lot of options."

Chloé rolled her eyes. "Just hold on, maybe-Ladybug."

Marinette sighed, and held on tight.

…

Swinging through Paris on a magic trompo, Marinette soon found out, wasn't the same as traveling by magic yoyo. Because a trompo is a type of top, Chloé and Marinette were forced to twirl in the air more often than Ladybug would have on her own. And it didn't help that Chloé kept doing extra flips. Whether it was to show off or shake her passenger off, Chloé seemed to be insisting on doing more stunts than necessary.

Luckily, the flight wasn't too long. Soon enough, Chloé and Marinette landed in front of a small nondescript building, next to the other four members of the group.

Looking up in surprise, Marinette said. "Hey, I know this place. It's where I met Master Fu!"

"Master who?" Chloé asked.

"Apparently, he gave Marinette Alya's and your Miraculous' to give to you," Adrien explained.

"Master Fu is the Great Guardian. He knows more about the Miraculous' than any man alive," Tara told the four teenagers as she opened the door and walked in. Marinette, Adrien, Chloé, and Alya followed.

Tara knocked on the same door that Marinette had knocked on not to long ago. "Come in," Master Fu's voice called out.

Tara opened the door to find Master Fu meditating on the floor. "Argus, Ladybug, Cat Noir, Queen Bee, and a vixen heroine with no name," he said, opening his eyes. "It's good to see you all made it here, safe and sound."

Tara walked up to the elderly Chinese man and bowed. "Master Fu, we…"

"Please, Tara," Master Fu interrupted. "You may be my assistant, but it's the end of the world. You may call me by the title you've wanted to refer to me with since the day we met."

Tears welled up in her eyes as Tara gave Master Fu an enormous hug. "Oh, thank you, Papa!"