MY FAIR-Y LADY
[Based on & Inspired by the Lady Fairy AU from BeeBeeBomBam in Tumblr]
CHAPTER 03: Seeking the Truth (Part 01)
Opening Remarks: Hello everyone! Oh wow, it's been a long (LONG) time since I decided to come back to Fanfiction story writing . . . 2+ years to be precise! Sorry for the wait, crazy stuff has happened on my end for those 2+ years.
After my last update in 2019, I got really busy with exams and thesis proposals in my Master's degree, then 2020's Pandemic hit which caused a whole lot of delays and mental health issues . . . it lasted until 2021 when I finally finished those priorities. By then I just needed to wait out until I found myself in the writing mood and interest to read and write. And it finally took until now to be in that mood mindset since admittedly I haven't been as active with the ML fandom since I felt like Season 03 was such a letdown personally, but I am hearing some good things in Season 04, so I decided to look back into trying to update this story!
And here's the update finally!
Stick around at the End Notes if you want to read some notes and references that I added. I hope you all enjoy my story, and if you want, leave a comment since I would like to reply to them when I can, and I hope I can continue writing more on this!
"Hello, viewers! This is your resident blogger Alya and welcome to the LadyBlog!" A video opens up with a welcoming voice as a girl with reddish-brown ombre hair and glasses greets those who played it. A quick transition fades in then fades out with the name of the blog as the teenager continues.
"And this is a segment I am officially calling 'Alya Talks'. It's more of just a quick vlog-like update as to what is happening for myself and the LadyBlog owned by yours truly."
As Alya gives a quick recap on what is up, one can see the simplicity of the site itself, and it was not exactly her choice. It has a very basic layout with a simple white background, and options at the top that focuses on news, photos, videos, and theories. The site itself seems to be straightforward with the bare minimum of graphic user interface, but the site is still there for all things regarding the Parisian heroes.
And what secrets are out there for people to sniff out about them.
". . . So, as you viewers know, this blog is dedicated mainly to one thing: Finding out . . ."
A slight dramatic pause lingers before she states it.
"The Truth!"
She exclaimed, rather loudly, the last part as she pointed her finger directly at the camera before pulling it back in pain in having tapped at the lens too hard. Trying to save face, she cleared her throat and looked back at the camera, reclaiming a sense of professionalism. A glaring circular icon at the website shows a black cat and a purple butterfly with a big white question in between them that clearly shows what the website is all about: A hub for snoopers to find out the secrets behind the heroes who save Paris from the Asura monsters every week or so. Some might call it investigative journalism, most will call it invasive snooping.
"As you know, the heroes of Paris Chat Noir and Lady Fairy have been relatively new to the Hero scene but have already made such a splash in keeping Paris safe from the forces of evil, mainly from the villain called Le Paon." Likeminded viewers all over could obviously agree that these two superheroes have done just that. Even the police force and mayor have agreed to this statement, seeing as the best they can do is inform civilians and set up evacuation centers and protocols which was an amicable suggestion by the heroes as to not come off as crazy vigilantes disrupting the law. There are even supposedly talks about setting up the security cameras around Paris to connect to a central hub as to figure out where the elusive blue evil is actually hiding. The main hub being allegedly planned to be at Le Grand Paris due to the insistence of the mayor and owner of the hotel, André Bourgeois.
"And while we all appreciate and are truly thankful for always helping us, why do they keep us in the dark so much? I mean . . . I know that secret identities are important but that never stopped superheroes just because? Did that stop the American heroes when it was spread out? No, so why should they? Why elude us with mystery when maybe we as citizens should be informed of such things?" Taking another deep breath, she continued with her rant in the video.
"What I do believe though is that I am getting close to figuring out who they both could be. I don't want to believe too much in superstition, but I have this journalist's feeling that I am close to figuring out who they are. Paris needs to know and I am just the journalist for the job! The truth is out there, and I am close to unveiling it!" She looks to the side, probably the time of recording, before she continued.
"Well, that's it for the meantime of my Alya Talks! Be sure to keep on viewing for more news and updates to everything on the LadyBlog! Bye!"
The video abruptly cuts off as the scene goes dark and another video is archived into a site dedicated to the Parisian duo: Chat Noir and Lady Fairy. And the secrets they keep, especially the elusive Butterfly user Alya used the site's name for.
"What a lunatic! I can't believe you're friends with her!"
"Plagg, be nice. Alya is just a little . . . enthusiastic with her journalism." Adrien rebuts his Kwami as they both finished watching the video. As much as it was against both their intentions to loom over a site dedicated to figuring out who Chat Noir and Lady Fairy were, they were more curious as to how far the blog has been in being close to the truth. Thankfully, the theories are nowhere near their track, and hopefully Lady Fairy's. But Plagg gets a good cackle every now and again with the crackpot theories. Especially about the one about Chat Noir possibly being a girl who magically transforms into a guy by swallowing a magical stone.
Close but no cigar.
Initially, while Adrien was curious about his partner's identity, that curiosity got snuffed out rather quickly when it was made abundantly clear Le Paon has other plans if he ever caught whiff of his partner and her identity. Adrien vowed that no one should know, even if it means including himself. Adrien Agreste; ergo, Paris' Chat Noir was a gentleman who understood respect. I mean what type of crazy partner would he be if he recklessly tries to know and unveil his partner's secrets and whereabouts without her consent, all because of his emotions running high and jeopardize the dynamic they already have going?! What type of person would he be?!
"That Alya chick and other crackpots like her, duh!"
Looking at his Kwami somehow reading and answering his mind, Adrien looked at the time and decided now would be a good time to get out of the house and outside to the Parisian evening. But not as Adrien Agreste, heavily sheltered model son who could easily get mobbed by fans and or paparazzi.
"Plagg, Claws Out!"
Before Plagg got sucked into the ring to let Adrien become Chat Noir, he already knew that his Chosen would patrol around seriously, as he always does. Unless he plans to make a quick detour at the bakery's balcony like he did the other night.
And the other night before that. And the other night before that other night, and so on.
Plagg just hopes the crazy theory of Chat Noir being a creepy stalker does not become true, just because Adrien's infatuations for a certain blind Eurasian girl seeps through his semi-invincible suit and gets him caught in a bad angle.
'Another night, another watching my Chosen pine away.' Plagg sighs before he speaks out one last murmur, mainly to himself.
'I'll need more Camembert after this.'
"Alya, I think that is your craziest theory yet . . . and I still remember the whole magical girl Chat Noir one!" Holding in the amount of cringe was beginning to hurt Marinette as she just heard her friend Alya spout more nonsense about her theories on who the elusive Butterfly could be. All she could do was shake her head as she could tell Alya was going to push for this ridiculous claim.
"But Marinette! It would make so much sense that Lady Fairy would be a nun! It would make sense she's so elusive yet so benevolent!" Alya tried reasoning more to her friend but all she seemed to get was a lukewarm response as they sat in Marinette's bedroom after finishing their Literature homework.
"Yeah . . . Just like how you thought the new American President-elect was a superhero."
"Hey! It would make perfect sense and you know it!" Alya's smile read out the playful manner she was sending to Marinette, who could only sigh in her friend's antics. Marinette honestly wishes this conversation or crack theories never surfaced when she's not feeling fidgety and not accidentally cause her Faes or even Nooroo to come out and give Alya the truth she wants, but for Marinette what miffed her the most was the one about her being a Sister.
'A Sister!? She thinks Lady Fairy, me, is a nun because she's all nice and . . . divine like? What is Alya on and can I ask the suppliers to stop giving her some?!'
"Alya, as much as that would be an interesting theory, do you even have any physical proof? Or are you just going with whatever hearsays you think you get and jump to the chance?"
". . ."
Marinette was only met with silence, which meant something was up. Focusing her direction on her friend as though she was actually focusing her vision on where her friend sat, she knew Alya was hiding something.
"Alya Césaire, I don't like the silence."
". . . I may have . . . skippedtherestoftheafternoonandsnoopedaroundconvents," Alya rushed and practically murmured the last part, but through the trained ears of her blind friend, Marinette had an idea what Alya said.
"You. Skipped. Class . . . Again!" Adding an extra emphasis on the last word, Marinette was at a loss over her friend's rash behavior.
". . . I am sorry."
Another sigh came out, but Marinette knew that when Alya uses that meek tone to apologize, she knows she means it. But something else was bothering Marinette.
"Wait . . . is that why we're here? Because you needed help with your Literature homework and notes because you spent the whole afternoon ambushing innocent Sisters from random convents!?"
". . . Yes."
"Alya!"
"What!? In my defense, they were lovely women who didn't mind!"
Another sigh was released as Alya knew that even her ever-loving friend had limits regarding her journalistic quest for the truth or, as Marinette bluntly calls them, journalistic shenanigans.
"Bu-but Marinette! I am this close to figuring them out! I just know I am! Can't you just support me as your friend? I know you're against it and all but just trust me, okay?" Even without her sight, Marinette knows that her friend has an expression of buttering up to her and it was annoyingly working.
"Fine. But one of these days you're going to go to jail for your shenanigans and I'd have to side with the victim on the issue. No bail money for you mademoiselle!"
"Hey! It's not stalker behavior if I am being a journalist uncovering the truth!" Alya's tone came off more jokingly than serious as she realized she might get more in trouble from her friend.
"Yeah, yeah. Love you too . . . and I'll make sure to visit you once a month to hide you a nail file in a cake," Marinette said sarcastically, which got both a good chuckle.
"Love you too, partner in crime!" Feeling the atmosphere now come to a lighter feel, the girls continued reviewing before they decided to end as Alya had to go home for dinner. As Alya and Marinette stepped out of the bakery's front door, Marinette called out to her friend to catch her attention.
"Alya . . . just . . . don't get too caught up trying to unveil this mystery, okay? Like I know how much this means to you and all, but it's just … I wouldn't want you to get hurt or even worse." Feeling the tension becoming too serious and demeaning, Marinette continued.
"You're my friend, and I wouldn't want you to be . . . disappointed."
"Disappointed?" Alya couldn't help but repeat out what her blind friend meant by that, prompting her to continue.
"Just . . ." Silence permeated a bit for Marinette before she just sighed again.
"Don't be disappointed when the magic behind the mystery is gone; when you uncover it is all I can say." Taking that as a good ending piece, she hugged Alya with all her might before waving back to her friend who she felt was content with the interaction as she walked away, yelling back a 'Thanks Marinette!' and 'See you tomorrow!'.
Quickly going back to her bedroom after a nice dinner with her parents, Marinette sat at the foot of her bed as she knew a certain someone welcomed their presence after hiding for so long.
"I am sorry you have to keep such a big secret from everyone, Marinette. Your family, your friends . . . but as long as Le Paon continues to threaten Paris in the search for the Cat and the Butterfly Miraculous, Lady Fairy must remain clandestine in her activities."
Smiling at the knowing presence of her Little Fairy friend Nooroo the Kwami, Marinette realized she had been holding in a breath of tension after her words to Alya. She knew Nooroo was right, that if she said any more than what she said, it would give too big of a hint for Alya to sniff out and compromise her heroic identity, but it was more than that.
'I guess a part of me feels like Alya— no, the entire Paris thinks Lady Fairy is this ethereal and invincible woman of mystery . . . but she's not. She's just Marinette Dupain-Cheng.'
"Who would want to know Paris' beloved Lady is just . . . a simple teenager of two bakers and needs a white walking stick due to being blind?" She couldn't help but mutter out to which Nooroo nuzzled himself onto her left cheek to help her ease out her insecurities the Kwami knew was always there for his Chosen.
"Oh Marinette. I am truly blessed to have you as my Chosen wielder of the Miraculous, you know that. I am sorry if you feel like you are subverting people's expectations of being Lady Fairy but you most certainly are not. Remember that there is magic in the mystery of it all. Let the people think what they want to think and let that magic from the mystery continue strengthening you because you are Paris' beloved Lady . . . inside or outside the cute outfit!"
"Thanks, Nooroo. You really know how to make a girl feel special." A fuller smile graced the blind girl's face as she kissed her Kwami before picking up her violin and hoisting herself up the ladder.
"I am just going to play for a little bit to clear my mind further; you want to come with, Nooroo?"
Careful as to not disturb the garden shelf at the side next to the ladder's entrance due to it also housing her butterfly homes, Marinette took in the evening air. Nooroo snuggled back into his usual hiding spot in Marinette's hair as she readied her position, violin and bow in place, as she took a deep calming breath and let the music flow out from the strings of her instrument. She began playing a piece she has confidently practiced enough times to even play well in her sleep; ergo, saving herself the embarrassment of any flubs in misplaying.
Marinette has always loved playing music, especially when it comes to her violin, though her sound pad is a close second. She always tries to find the right moment to feel and play out the music she wishes to enthrall. While she has long since learned to not be too anxious in playing her music out in public such as her rooftop balcony, Marinette does still find herself hesitant to practice her pieces outside her bedroom unless she can play them with proficiency. She wouldn't want any complaints or criticisms from onlookers, especially her neighbors who have always highly complimented her in the music she plays out. She has even had some thank her for her music brightened their mood, motivated them into productivity, or even be inspired to be a creative like the blind violinist herself. Those words of encouragement have also helped brighten her spirits and mitigate her insecurities; thus, it motivates Marinette to continue doing what she already loves to do.
If her music can be a catalyst to continue soothing and encouraging the souls within people, Marinette would happily continue being that instigator of positive emotions. Finishing her piece, she took a deep breath and let the calm wash over her. Pretending to bow as she can hear her Little Fairy clap behind her left ear, Marinette felt overwhelmingly better at how that piece helped release her own tensions away.
'Another night of serene peace.'
Her mind was too far relaxed at relieving her tensions when she went back down the ladder to try out a new piece to have ever noticed that maybe her audience of one Kwami was at least doubled. Even if she had proper vision, the blind violinist would have never noticed another listener from two or so rooftops away. Shaking his head at realizing his path went astray once again as he was caught in the girl's musical spell, the figure in black went back to his original goal of patrolling the streets of Paris, all while having one main thought as his cheeks remain flush and a smile plastered his face.
'She's as amazing as always.'
"And so, the equation to the formula . . ."
Alya could not care any less for the math equation being discussed as she continued jotting down notes in her notebook regarding her theories. She can probably find the equations on ViewTube and learn from there anyways; hence, Alya was not bothering to notice the board. She will; however, need to figure out how to get to the places she marked down as her potential leads again without getting herself into trouble.
Again.
'If what the others are saying is true, maybe the convent route was a little too obvious . . . hmmm, maybe I should look through butterfly sanctuaries again for clues?'
". . . —saire?"
'I doubt the last one will let me go in there after the last time . . . but in my defense, they should have used something more sturdy to hold those rare specimens for the exhibit than just glass cases!'
"Mademoiselle (Mlle.) Césaire, do I have your attention now?"
Alya finally looked up to see their Math teacher leering at her as she realized everyone else was looking as to why their journalist classmate was obviously not paying attention. Some were looking at her with concern for her audacity in not paying attention, such as Nino, and some were looking rather smug as Alya was being reprimanded, mainly Chloé.
"Will I need to confiscate that book of yours again?"
But before the tension could get any worse, Alya was saved by her friend. A friend who seemed to have gone through a marathon after just excusing herself to go to the bathroom that took most of the class period.
"I-I'm so sorry for taking so long! I didn't realize I took that long to be done with my uhh . . . business?" Light laughter emerged from her classmates as Marinette admitted to a rather embarrassing situation, as though she had made a dumb excuse as to why she took so conspicuously long.
"Well . . . I hope you're feeling better Mlle. Dupain-Cheng, please ensure your seatmate does not get sidetracked if possible." The teacher gave one last leer at Alya before they went back to the lecture. A few minutes passed before Adrien Agreste also came back after giving his reason of being talked to by his father's secretary for changes to his modeling schedule, which the teachers knew was the norm for the young teen.
'Such a hassle for a boy who just seems to want to be a normal teenager.'
More time passed before they were all dismissed for that class. Packing up her bags quietly while avoiding the hushed chuckles, or more haughty laughter from a certain blonde heiress, Marinette wanted to thump her head with her white cane walking stick as she remembered the lame excuse she had to give because Lady Fairy was needed.
"C'mon now Marinette, it's natural for us to go through stuff like that," Alya said with comfort as she watched her blind friend continue to sulk while Nino and Adrien looked on in concern.
"Yeah, yeah." Marinette decided to smile at her friends' reassurance and decided that sulking over a dumb excuse would ruin her day.
'Note to self: Think of better excuses when needing to excuse myself!'
"Anyways, I'll probably go to the library to catch up on what I missed during Math. Want to come with, Alya?" Marinette asked as she needs to catch up with her missed lesson.
"Love to but can't . . . promised my mother I'd clean me and my siblings' rooms and the living room as punishment after my last quest for the truth."
"Wait she knew about the Nuns one already?" Nino interjected as he thought that was the most recent, and something Alya threatened them to not tell.
"No, it's the one about racking up the phone bill regarding that fetish store inquiry a while back," Alya replied while she shoved her books away as the four of them exited the classroom.
"Ahh, the whole 'Chat Noir is into BDSM' theory . . . I still squirm over that." Adrien shudders as he remembered that interesting read that he tried to forget. Alya should put up more warning signs before someone decides to read her more risqué theories. The four of them continued chatting until they reached the library. Smirking at how Adrien offhandedly asked to accompany Marinette in picking up where they left off for Math class despite having been just as gone during that period, Alya, with Nino, left the two as they themselves continued walking. Nearing the school entrance, Alya realized something felt missing. Like she forgot to do something. Like —
"Oh shoot! I forgot my journalist book! You can go home without me!" Alya hollered at Nino as she ran back inside the campus.
"Nah, it's cool. Just hurry up before the janitors accidentally trash it!" Nino shouted back.
Grabbing her journalist notebook, Alya walked back since she was not in a total hurry for her punishment. Walking outside the locker rooms, Alya was certain she heard someone in the supposedly empty locker rooms, saying some rather intriguing things.
". . . make sure 'Madame Butterfly and her Cat' are enjoying their stay . . ."
Stopping at her tracks at the keywords she overheard, something clicked inside Alya. Her investigative journalistic senses took over as she peered her head slightly through the slight opening of the door and saw who was saying these interesting revelations: Chloé Bourgeois.
". . . I don't care how much we have to spend! This is a moment of a lifetime to have 'Madame Butterfly' stay in Daddy's Hotel! She is a goddess! A legend! Having her around there exudes great fortunes and success!" Chloé continued on her phone in the empty locker room while continuously making special intonations when she talked about this person with the codename 'Madame Butterfly', all this while Alya's thoughts were racing at one possible conclusion.
'No way! Chloé knows who Lady Fairy and Chat Noir are!? There's no other way Madame Butterfly and her Cat can't possibly mean our heroes! She practically said she's a legend, a goddess . . . just like our own elusive magic giving Butterfly heroine!'
". . . make sure no one catches on with this! We must make sure their stay at Daddy's Hotel is at the utmost secrecy . . . Ridiculous! Don't be utterly ridiculous! I know how to keep my mouth shut regarding this! Even I, Chloé Bourgeois can keep a secret . . . 'Madame Butterfly and her Cat will enjoy their stay and no one, and I mean no one, shall disturb them!" A few more words were exchanged in her heated phone call before Chloé ended the call with one last interesting message.
". . . Well of course the daughter of the mayor and future owner of Le Grand Paris would be the one to personally entertain and pamper our esteemed guests. Who do you think I am?!"
The girl in question ended the call abruptly and looked around outside the locker rooms before exiting it. Driving away in her limo, Chloé was none the wiser as Alya looked from where she hid behind the staircase and looked down at her phone as she instinctively recorded what she overheard.
'For someone trying to keep it a secret, her voice was picked up quite well on audio.' Alya mused as she paused the recording. Replaying in her head what she overheard, the puzzle pieces just started putting themselves together in her mind and realized more and more of her discovery.
'Lady Fairy and Chat Noir are staying at Le Grand Paris and Chloé knows! But why?!' Alya's thoughts continued trying to connect as she mentally took note of all the new information, walking past Nino and his concerned look as he asked what took her so long. But Alya was in her own little world as she realized she has now more pieces of the puzzle stacked for her to unravel, which would mean a lot of brainstorming, conceptualizing, and late-night coffee drinking to piece everything together. For someone like her, that sounded like a fun night.
'Wait for me, my LadyBlog! I am getting this close to uncovering the truth behind our Parisian Heroes Lady Fairy and Chat Noir!'
"Ha-hachoo!"
"Achoo!"
Both teens turned red as both realized they sneezed at the same time. Adrien, while feeling embarrassed for having done something like that, could not help but also think how adorable Marinette's sneeze was.
"Ahaha . . . the weather must be getting chilly these days huh?" He tried to lighten the mood which rewarded him an equal chuckle from her as they were making their way out of the school. Adrien decided to accompany Marinette on her short walk home, more so as an excuse to continue walking with his crush— friend that he really likes even as he could almost tell his driver and trusted bodyboard, Monsieur (M.) Gorilla, gave him a smug smile as they passed by him.
"That . . . or someone's thinking about us," Marinette joked back with a slight smile as she refocused his attention on their walk together.
'If that was the case, you'd be sneezing those cute little sneezes of yours every time I see you.'
Catching himself for having thought of something that sounded like it came from a corny rom-com anime, Adrien decided to try to hide his flush and decided to continue his walk with his blind friend, after having taken the afternoon to be with her together at the library to study on the Math lessons they missed out on coincidentally.
Alone. Together. Like on a study date.
Date.
'Oh boy, Adrien! You really have to pick a bad time to continue having those thoughts again huh?' His mind, which starts to just sound like Plagg more and more these days, continued to jest him as he cannot shake the idea of being together with his crush as something more.
'No! Bad Adrien! Marinette is my friend!'
'Yeah . . . a friend who you like to see every other night patrolling in her balcony as Chat Noir,' His mind replies back onto himself, all while not realizing the person in question was sensing tension from the blonde.
"Adrien, are you alright?"
His internal fighting with himself stopped as Adrien, still as red as a cherry which thankfully no one was around to see including his blind friend, looked at said blind friend with her face showing concern, as he also realized they were at the front of the bakery's steps.
"Oh— I uhh— I'm alright. I just got lost in thought with Mar— Math equation! Yeah, that's it."
Another chuckle from Marinette made him sigh in content as he stopped caring about the conflict. Adrien was also just happy that he can assume Paris can have a breather for today or even tomorrow after Le Paon was struck down before the end of Math Class. Either Le Paon is slipping or maybe Chat Noir's synergy with Lady Fairy has gotten better, and Adrien's hoping it's the latter. Even without even truly knowing who she is or what she's like, Adrien has been grateful for having a reliable partner like Lady Fairy around.
'I wonder if she had to struggle with math in school. Or is still struggling with math? I mean I don't even know her age, let alone if she's still a student or not, but she sounds young enough to be. . . maybe?'
"Well, what do we have here?"
A serene womanly voice brought both teenagers' attention as a petite Chinese woman opened the doors for them with a tender smile. Adrien could already tell where most of Marinette's beauty came from.
"Hello Maman, this is my friend Adrien Agreste from school. I believe you and practically people around Paris have heard of him." Marinette jested that only got a slightly embarrassed chuckle out of the blonde boy.
"Well, it's a pleasure to finally meet you, Adrien. I am Madame (Mme.) Sabine Cheng; I hope Marinette has been a good classmate and great friend to you in school." Adrien couldn't help but slightly chuckle at how Marinette half-heartedly leered or tried to leer at the direction of her mother, at her pleasantries.
"O-oh no no, Mme. Cheng! Marinette has been truly a wonderful person that I am lucky to have." Realizing he said more than he should have in a very cheesy way, Adrien was trying to hide his further embarrassment while scratching the back of his neck as to be nice in front of his friend's mother, but seeing his friend's face brighten with the same smile that love-struck him hard was worth it.
"Oh dearie, you're such a sweet boy! Would you like to come inside for some baked treats? I am sure you can enjoy some more time with Marinette and some good food."
"Yeah, Adrien. If you're not too busy how about it? You won't regret tasting what Paris' best bakery has to offer!"
"Oh— uh, I would love to Mme. Cheng and Marinette, I really would but I think Natalie is already expecting me home soon! I-I'll take a rain-check on your delicious food." Adrien had to decline such a tempting offer since he knew that if he stayed too long, Natalie and maybe eventually his father would notice his too long of absence from his plans.
Light laughter came from both mother and daughter over Adrien's choice of words, and Adrien was already becoming pinker, especially because he knows Mme. Cheng had perfectly decent eyesight, which makes his brightly pink face a major signal of his emotions. As the blonde and blushing teenager left while having a smile directed at his daughter before saying goodbye to one another, Sabine could not help but think how delightful it was to see such a handsome boy be so smitten over her blind-in-more-ways-than-one only daughter, who just entered in their home asking how the bakery's day was with none the wiser.
'Ahhh, young love. I wonder if I'd be too pushy to ask her for details . . . no I'd probably be too pushy since I don't think my sweet daughter caught on to how she caught that poor boy's heart.'
Her husband had rounded the corner and hugged his daughter, before telling her the news reminder.
"Oh, sweetie, I almost forgot! The internet company called us and said that our street may be experiencing loss of connection up until tomorrow noon. Will you be alright without internet in the meantime?"
"Oh, no problem! I managed to do a majority of my studying at the Library with Adrien today, so it's just going to be me studying for my Literature class tomorrow. I am pretty sure Alya can find someone else to handle her crazy theories for the night."
As their blind daughter made a beeline to the stairs connecting to their living room above, Tom Dupain, husband and co-owner of the bakery alongside Sabine Cheng, looked to his wife with a cheeky expression overhearing that interesting tidbit about her daughter's company in the library.
"Adrien? As in her classmate Adrien Agreste?" All he got from that deduction was a nod and a smile.
"She also forgot the part of him walking her home and even offered him our treats, all while he was just absolutely enamored over our little girl. I swear that boy was so infatuated with her, you can practically see hearts just bouncing off our unknowing daughter," Sabine sighed at the end after realizing their Marinette not seemingly knowing about her friend's oh-so-obvious crush on her.
"I take this young man is more than just besotted with our daughter just because she's beautiful?" Tom tried to sound like a disapproving father trying to gauge any potential suitors for his only daughter but could not do so. Based on the stories he heard about the teen model Adrien Agreste from Marinette herself was enough to know that he was a good kid trying to live like any normal teenager and have friends. And seeing that his wife seemed to also like him was more than enough in Tom Dupain's book.
"I take it we'll finally have time to look around for potential wedding cake designs to practice on for our lovely daughter and this Adrien fellow eventually?" Tom joked to which Sabine could not help but sigh in a joking matter.
"With the rate of our daughter somehow not noticing Adrien's feelings for her, I'd say don't push your luck." Sabine tapped her husband's chest lightly before going back to the counter, all while Tom laughed and sighed dreamily.
"Ahhh young love. So full of mysteries and magic. Makes you even at times do crazy things for them!"
"Alya, I think you've out crazied yourself this time!"
"Can it Nino! I know what my gut is telling me, and it's telling me the truth this time!"
"Do you have legitimate proof?"
"Was the recording not enough proof?!"
Sighing more out of Alya's tenacity to continue this topic than just the absurdity of her claims, Nino plopped back down onto her couch after helping clean the rooms in her home since Alya felt she had a new scoop, even though cleaning was part of her punishment. Which is why Nino was unceremoniously dragged to both help her clean and hear her rambles.
"Alya, even if you think the conversation— which was obviously a very private one that you eavesdropped— does link it to Paris' magical duo . . . is it really that worth the risk?"
"What do you mean?"
"What I mean is . . . is it worth the risk you're putting yourself and even the heroes in, just to uncover the truth of it all? Isn't there that saying about how there's magic in the mystery and once you expose the mystery, the magic disappears along with it?" Nino isn't so sure as much either as to where this conversation was going, but all he knows is that Alya owes him big time for helping clean and listen to her rambles. As much as he is a good friend and is willing to listen to Alya right about now, Nino is also secretly wishing Marinette would have picked up Alya's calls and handled her crazy since even he had limits.
"Nino . . ." Plopping down next to him, Alya realized that she needed to tone it down lest she starts grating people's nerves. Even she's self-aware enough when she can become too engrossed at something, but who can blame her when she feels she has finally struck gold in her investigations? Sensing the tension might become too much, Nino decided to step in.
"Alya, what I think you're doing is great really. Wanting to uncover the truths and mysteries of the world, I can totally respect that. I just hope you know there's a reason Paris' Chat Noir and Lady Fairy want to keep their identities a secret. Heck, even if this is not about them, I have to side with Chloé on this, since she did sound pretty determined to keep whatever thing she has under wraps. I wouldn't want you to get into trouble, even more, should this blow out of proportions."
A moment of silence passed before Alya released that breath she realized she was holding onto when she realized what Nino was trying to get through her. Even if Alya is doing all of this because she wants to be an investigative journalist and uncover the truth, she might also jeopardize and even hurt people in the process. Conflicted internally, she knew that she still felt the need to follow her gut through this. Alya Césaire was not going to give up that easily, even if a steadily building of guilt was making its presence internally known.
"Nino. I . . . I know that this looks bad right now, but I just have to follow my gut on this. I'll confirm it once and for all tomorrow this gut feeling I have, and if you're right and that this was all just a big ol' wild goose chase I will concede defeat and will lay low with the snooping, I promise," her words rang sincerity and Nino can't criticize her for at least being honest with him about this. Nino looked at her before sighing jokingly in defeat over her resolve. Being her supportive friend meant a lot for someone like Nino, and as much as he wants to continue grilling her on this subject, he knew that they reached a point where the best he can do is be there for her as her friend.
"Okay. Just, don't hurt yourself trying too hard to uncover the truth. Some mysteries deserve to stay hidden. It keeps the magic truly real." Alya couldn't help but chuckle lightly at how sagely Nino was beginning to sound. Probably because they watched that martial arts animated movie series recently and he sounded like the mentor of the main characters. Nino caught on how Alya caught onto him and decided to play it out to get some laughs.
"Patience, young one. For mysteries may unravel in time, but not always to those who ruthlessly seek it."
"Okay, dude. I get it, wax-on wax-off and all that jazz!" Laughter permeated the air for the two teens as they decided to enjoy their reward for cleaning up the place by watching the series Nino was quoting through her laptop. As Nino was enjoying the movie to where the main characters are still hot-headed over trying to learn the secrets towards winning, Alya could not help but remember the words Nino said to her.
'When the mysteries remain mysteries, it keeps the magic alive. Huh . . .'
The new school day was early for one Alya Césaire and Nino Lahiffe, the latter still trying to rub the sleepiness since he was basically hauled by Alya to back her up as she enacts her plan on finalizing her proof over her hunch. Plan 'Seeking the Truth!'
Step 1: Get some more physical proof by snooping through Chloé's locker as the target readies her school day. Alya will go in while Chloé leaves the locker open for her to see the evidence.
Step 2: Confirm with Nino who will be waiting outside as lookout (and not fall asleep on the job!)
Step 3: Blast it on her blog so the public can learn the secrets behind the superhero duo.
Step 3.5: Then tell it to Marinette who was unable to be reached for some reason the whole evening yesterday.
Step 4: Reap from the benefits from believing her journalistic sense and her determination to unveil the truth.
In Alya's mind, the Plan 'Seeking the Truth!' was perfect. As she watches her target, one blonde haughty heiress Chloé Bourgeois, enter the campus with Sabrina following her noting her schedule like a good friend / secretary, Alya pulled the still slightly sleepy Nino with her as she awaits her chance to strike.
"It's a good thing they're early, just like us. Stay outside and make sure Sabrina isn't inside the locker rooms until I am done getting my proof got it, dude?"
"Yeah, yeah . . . I still think this is a dumb plan and you forcing me to wake up early isn't going to convince me otherwise." Nino continues to rub his eyes as he gave Alya the go signal to enter the locker room, all while Sabrina had to leave abruptly because someone, AKA Alya, moved her bags so that she can look for it; thus, leaving Chloé alone.
'Okay Bourgeois, time to let me in on your big secret.' Alya steadied her breath as she hid behind one of the lockers as she can see Chloé continue on with her day even without Sabrina next to her. Alya can see her opening her locker and taking out an important-looking jewelry box.
'Interesting box you go there, blondie. Does that have anything to do with Madame Butterfly and her Cat?' Looking down at her camera, she knew that she only had a fraction of a moment now to get the scoop she needed. With a steady breath, Alya stepped out of her hiding spot with the camera to take a picture of Chloé and her big secret.
'Gotch—'
"Alya! What on Earth are you doing?!" Before Alya could whip her head in realizing she just heard Sabrina yell at her inside the locker room and thinking how Nino did not warn her about it, something else caught Alya's ears.
"AAAHHH!"
A high pitch scream of absolute terror erupted from Chloé as she clutched her half-worn jacket back into her body, as Chloé realized Alya almost took a picture taking off her favorite golden yellow designer jacket. But it wasn't just that screech that caught Alya and Sabrina's attention. Just that moment alone, Alya swore that Chloé looked so panicked that she almost wanted to comfort her; her eyes almost seemed glazing from tears threatening to fall. She clutched herself tightly and shook as she sat on the floor looking and very much feeling highly vulnerable, breathing rapidly her state looking to be far away from the experience Alya brought. Sabrina grabbed the jewelry box that Chloé held prior before it fully opened and held it next to the traumatized blonde heiress as it ameliorated her slightly by having her take deeper breaths.
"Look what you did, Alya!" Pushing Alya to the side as she snatched the perpetrator's phone, Sabrina coaxed the usually confident and arrogant heiress off her haunches and helped her walk out the door, all while whispering to her calming words. Somehow regaining a bit of her senses more and more, Alya could see the true desperation and anger in Chloé's eyes, and her words laced with venomous rage. Rage that was so uncommon for the heiress to show to anyone, so it must have taken a lot to make unveil it.
"You won't get away with this!" Regaining a sense of self, Chloé marched away with Sabrina and her jewelry box in tow. Nino went inside the locker to see Alya stunned. Her body was rigid as her face expressed a sense of great foreboding from the words that were cursed upon her. Clutching one of her shoulders to shake her out of her daze, Nino did not need to see how truly shaken now his friend was as Alya muttered words in absolute terror.
"Nino . . . I messed up. I messed up so badly . . . a-and I am scared."
It was a rather early start for the man who bears the Peacock Miraculous, but then again, the early bird gets the worm. Feeling already a sense of heightened fear and anxiety resonating at an area of Paris close to where many schools were, the man who is known as Le Paon could only smirk slightly at the idea he had in store.
But rather than just be a reckless bird trying to swoop onto the unsuspecting prey, he thought that things can only get much better for him, and worse for the target he can feel is ready for his picking. Ideas already began racing as he also saw that this may be a grand opportunity to kill two birds with one stone.
A powerful intention enough as to meld into being something that would not only terrorize Paris as to call out Chat Noir and Lady Fairy, but also help him slowly worm his way around the place and find more clues as to the whereabouts of his foes before their chance to strike, something even more than some flimsy blog hoping to uncover their secrets would ever hope to achieve. Striking the duo when they least suspect it and claim the Cat Miraculous for gain once and for all, all while claiming the Butterfly Miraculous for the sense of satisfaction as the man who wields the Peacock Miraculous to finally destroying it.
The early bird gets the worm, but the man known throughout Paris as the blue evil or Le Paon was a patient and calculating player. All he had to do now was wait, and waiting was something he can be very, very good at.
"This is ridiculous! Utterly, despicably ridiculous!"
The tensions were at an all-time high in the office as the principal tried to defuse the situation, while still not being entirely sure what had happened. All he knew was that Chloé Bourgeois, daughter of the Parisian mayor and heiress to Le Grand Paris hotel, managed to drag an anxious-looking Alya Césaire with her as Sabrina Raincomprix, Chloé's friend and secretary of sorts, accompanied them while stating that an incident had occurred and Chloé was the victim.
'Chloé Bourgeois being the actual victim and not the instigator? I guess there's always a first for everyone in this school.' Principal Damocles pondered over as he continued trying to listen to how Chloé was rambling at such a speed while Alya looked dejected and tried to put a word in but was shut down immediately as though she had no say in the manner. Before he could think more about it, his attention was brought back by how Chloé slammed her hands onto his desk as to prove her point.
"I demand that she be expelled for this invasion of privacy!"
"What!?" Alya practically yelped out as she finally got a word in during this ordeal.
"You heard me, Césaire! You almost caught me at my most vulnerable!"
"Look, I was just trying to prove that you're clearly hiding something!"
A look of shock momentarily passed before Chloé's expression shifted back to anger as she leered at Alya with a growl.
'Chloé Bourgeois growling, that's a first . . . And that it's towards me,' was all Alya could think as she flinched at how ferocious the blonde heiress was being.
"What. Do. You. Mean. Césaire!" She pronounced each word so menacingly that Sabrina walked up to her and calmed her down, which slightly mitigated the fire practically singeing Alya from Chloé's glare.
"Yes, what do you mean Mlle. Césaire? It seems that you have clearly meant to unravel something from Mlle. Bourgeois during her time with her locker, which is something private to her for that matter," Principal Damocles stated out as he got all three of the girls' attention back to the matter and finally let Alya say her side of the story.
"We-well . . ." Was all Alya could get out before she was rudely interrupted once again.
"She's clearly guilty for having tried to pry something out of me. I say we expel her already before I get my Daddy involved in this!"
"Mlle. Bourgeois, that will not be necessary—"
"Oh, you better believe it is, Principal Damocles! She had invaded my privacy with the intent of trying to get out information I apparently have in secrecy which if it is, is none of her business!"
"Hey! I know you are keeping a secret! A very vital one at that!"
"Alya Césaire, that's not som—"
"See! She was trying to pry something from me! And capture me at a vulnerable moment!"
"Enough!"
Principal Damocles, Chloé and Alya looked to the source and saw Sabrina rubbing her temples as she decided to cease their arguing and bring back the room to a sense of silence. For everyone in the room, including her best friend / boss Chloé, seeing Sabrina take a stand and control the room was mighty impressive, if not frightening to behold. I guess even she has her limits to the incessant arguing.
"It seems, Principal Damocles, that there was an incident here seeing as Alya has outright stated she has an intention of getting supposed information Chloé knows and was about to not only try to get it but also find Chloé in a rather vulnerable and compromising position," Sabrina stated with such neutral seriousness, everyone was amazed and just continued listening.
"While I do side with my best friend Chloé Bourgeois in this incident since she is clearly the victim here, I do believe that Chloé trying to use her influence and power in school would once again put her in a bad position should this get out, as her abusing that type of power would sully her family's name which I, as her friend, would never want for her to do. Right Chloé?" Sabrina reverted to the slightly subservient friend, all while Chloé herself realized the implication as to how abuse of her influence like this would get out and would reflect back to her father and her family name. Sabrina cleared her throat before resuming her neutral tone.
"As such, while I do believe that expulsion is way too much for what Alya did, the Collège Françoise Dupont student handbook does put Alya's incident in invading her privacy liable for suspension for a few days."
"Suspension!" Alya could not hold back her surprise.
"You are correct Mlle. Raincomprix; however, there is still the issue as to what Alya was trying to find out from Chloé's locker. Alya Césaire, please state it out right now unless you want your suspension to be extended."
Still shocked at how much things were now starting to pile up against her, Alya knew that she had to bite the bullet and concede unless she wants to be expelled from the school and or worse.
"Fine. First off, I just want to apologize to Chloé for having apparently caught you being uncomfor—"
"Apology denied," Chloé said it with finality as she put her hands around herself, remembering that morning experience. Realizing that even if she apologized to the blonde heiress, Alya was screwed either way.
'Well, might as well.'
"Secondly, the reason why I tried to take a picture of your locker, Chloé, was because . . . I overheard you on the phone yesterday and you were talking something about 'Madame Butterfly and her Cat', and I was convinced that it was Lady Fa—"
"You. Heard. What . . ."
Alya looked to see Chloé as her face gave off a mix of dread and frustration as she realized her secret was discovered.
"Look, I get that you're mad, but I guess I followed my investigative journalist gut and I listened in and recorded it, and I am convinced that . . . that you know the identities of our Parisian heroes!"
Alya finished her reasoning as she felt stares on her. While the principal was staring more as to listening to her side of the story, Alya knew that even blind Marinette could easily feel holes being seared into her own head as her words implicated many things Chloé and Sabrina did not want to hear.
"Delete that recording now."
"Huh?"
"I said delete that recording now and delete your brain while you're at it, you imbecile!"
"Hey!"
"I believe that Chloé is right, Alya. You have no right to have incriminating information recorded like that!" Sabrina warned in support of her best friend.
"Just tell me it's Lady Fairy and Chat Noir already!"
"Oh my god . . . I cannot believe how utterly ridiculous and stupid yet dangerous your crackpot paparazzi-ness is getting you to, Césaire!"
Before Alya could continue butting heads with Chloé, Principal Damocles had to step in. Hushing both back to a sense of peace before they finally go for each other's throats, he was thankful that Sabrina can be there to help him out even if she was biased.
"Alya Césaire, I believe Chloé Bourgeois asked you to delete that."
"But I just have to know if this is truly directing me towards Lady Fairy and Chat Noir's identities! Just tell it, Chloé! Just tell me right now it isn't and why and I will shut up about it! Heck! I'm putting my journalistic career on the line for this since my gut feeling is telling me this is important! Just tell us the truth, Chloé Bourgeois! Is this 'Madame Butterfly and her Cat' who is clearly going to be staying in your father's hotel soon not Lady Fairy and Chat Noir!?"
Feeling eyes were on her, she was thankful to receive a supportive shoulder squeeze from Sabrina as it helped Chloé. Knowing that she had to come clean, Chloé hopes to just get back home, put this day behind her and get some serious R & R (rest and relaxation).
"Fine. I'm going to tell the truth, but whatever is said here will only stay in this room. Got it!? I am talking Non-Disclosure Agreement (NDA) levels of secrecy!" Looking at the occupants of the room, mainly at Alya and also the principal, as they all agreed for a ceasefire, Chloé took a few deep breaths before she spilled.
"What this imbecile thinks is yet another ridiculous theory towards the secret identities of our heroes—" Chloé glared at the aforementioned classmate as she seemed she want to rebut that insult but kept her mouth shut. Chloé continued.
"Is in fact 100% false because . . . because . . ." Struggling to find the words to break the promise of secrecy that even someone like Chloé Bourgeois can honorably uphold, she held onto Sabrina's hand that was reaching out to help her through the struggle.
"Madame Butterfly who is coming over is not in fact Lady Fairy but in fact . . . Victoria Valentina!"
'. . . Huh?' Was all Alya could think before a high-pitched scream disrupted the momentary silence. And it came from—
"ViVa!? ViVa is coming to Paris!? At Le Grand Paris! Oh My God!" Principal Damocles squealed like a teenage fangirl overhearing the name. A name that seemed vaguely familiar to Alya but seemed to escape her.
"Wa-wait, who is Victoria Valentina again?" Alya questioned which only brought out a shock to everyone's faces, including a loud and rather dramatic gasp from the principal. Before Chloé or Sabrina could school Alya as to why she had the audacity as to not know who Victoria Valentina is, they were beaten to the punch.
"Victoria Valentina, born Evita Adoria Valencia, is a multi-award nominated and winning actress and singer known throughout Spain— no! Throughout Europe, in her works on film, music, stage musicals, and TV where she rained mainly in televised dramas!" Intrigued and already feeling like this would take long, the girls listened as their principal continued to fangirl himself in front of them hard.
"She first started out as early as 10 years old in her pivotal role as little Lola in the critically acclaimed drama 'Little Wishes'. She went on to continue her rise to success in other majorly lauded dramas while also having started her music career at age 17 when she co-wrote and sang the soundtrack music for another drama 'By Candlelight', in which she also played the scene-stealing daughter Celestina that really brought her into mainstream stardom. After more award-winning dramas and movies she managed to juggle, ViVa then went on to do musicals alongside her successes at age 25 when she played the lead in 'Modest Madame'. Her career spans over 60+ years in show business and anyone who is anyone would know the name ViVa. In the year 2000, ViVa was nominated for Best Actress in a TV Series three times: Her role as the evil stepmother Eleonora in the working-class melodrama 'Family Ties', the kindhearted nun and schoolteacher Gracia in the historical romance 'Hot In Pursuit', and the sassy and spunky 55-year-old divorcee Pilar in the hit sitcom 'Gals of Glitter & Gold'. She won obviously but instead of being awarded one award for one of the three, she was given a specialized one where they melded three awards together, because not winning for any of the other two would have been a scandal! Victoria Valentina is truly a media legend! A goddess of the arts!"
". . . and now you know why it's a bad idea that you almost ruined her stay here in Paris!" Chloé expounded as she felt that she can finally talk after that long spiel by the principal who seemed to still be remembering the actress' success, while Sabrina went to give the principal a glass of water for the remarkable synopsis in under one breath.
"Bu-but, wait a minute so why were you using 'Madame Butterfly' as a code word then!?" Alya stammers as the pieces she worked so hard to put together are starting to come undone, but Chloé was there to ensure it was destroyed completely.
"Well duh! If I slipped and say Victoria Valentina or like ViVa was going to be staying at Daddy's hotel, the paparazzi will show up and ruin her stay here! Seeing as you're clearly unknowing of the celebrity world, ViVa tends to randomly disappear from the spotlight or from anyone's radars for 3-4 weeks each year."
"When in reality, Mme. ViVa actually sneaks out and stays at random lavish hotels and suites around the world through strong networking so that she can enjoy having to not think about the limelight for at least 3 weeks. Mayor Bourgeois managed to get Mme. ViVa to stay in Le Grand Paris this year," Sabrina continued for Chloé as she proves that she was in on the secret as well.
". . . and Daddy entrusts me to make sure she not only enjoys her stay in the hotel but will let the world know at some point and use her influence to ensure other well-known celebrities around the world see how amazing the hotel is. Not to brag Césaire, but Daddy is already training me on how to handle the hotel business since as much as politics might seem fun, I'd rather enjoy the luxury of my hotel with influentially rich and powerful people relaxing in them in the future." Feeling slightly better at how much she was winning, Chloé could not help but wonder what other excuses Alya will try to throw to get a footing. But even Chloé is not going to give her that satisfaction, as she continued to further stamp down any lingering embers in her pathetic excuse of conspiracy theorizing. Sabrina helped her best friend with another need to trample Alya's supposed claims.
"Also, 'Madame Butterfly' is a reference to how she is called the Multi-Media Butterfly because of her extensive multi-faceted successes, and because her first husband, actor Enzo La Torre, used to call her butterfly (mariposa) when they first interacted and dated in 'By Candlelight'. They loved and married each other, but he sadly died young at 29, which started the more infamous part of ViVa's life, filled with messy divorces and rumors of rehabilitation and therapy."
"The term became endearingly popularized by her fans even more afterward and throughout her messy personal life. I even believe her fans cheer her on saying 'ViVa la Mariposa!' which obviously sounds like 'Viva la mariposa!' (ViVa the Butterfly / Long live the butterfly), if you don't know your Spanish by the way." Chloé ended with finality and her usual haughtiness towards the would-be investigative journalist.
Slightly miffed at the snarky comment at the end, Alya continued pestering on with her clues. She did not want to go down without a fight with how solid her theory really was.
"Bu-but what about the Cat you said! You said, 'Madame Butterfly and her Cat'!"
"You mean . . . her actual cat, Alya?" Sabrina had to question but seeing as Alya's eyes widened at the realization, she decided to answer to give Chloé some time to mitigate the squeals from the background due to a certain principal.
"ViVa's personal life was a mess, to put it nicely, but there was always one consistent thing in her life that she has been quoted from multiple interviews as to saying was her most prized possession: Her black kitten Prince IV."
"Prince IV?" Alya knew her question sounded dumb, but in her mind the name just sounded dumber, to which she saw Sabrina open her mouth in reply.
"Yes Alya, Prince the Fourth / Prince IV. It's the young black cat for whom ViVa currently has, for he is the great-grandchild from the first cat Prince the First. The first Prince black cat was the gift her first husband Enzo gave her when they became intimate as a couple." Sabrina wanted to stop there, but she saw Principal Damocles had something more to say. At this point, neither of the three girls were going to stop him so might as well let him have the floor once again.
"That cat, and its entire lineage, is literally one of the three things ViVa herself said no one can ever take from her. In one of the most scandalous divorce settlements, ViVa and her then third husband businessman Hector Valdés were trying to settle who gets who, and while it was clear that Hector was a shady man who only wanted the rich possessions that came from ViVa's fame, ViVa stepped up in front of the courtroom and in front of cameras; she proudly declared Hector a lout and said he could have it all except 3 things: her talent, her love for the audience, and Prince Jr. or Prince IV's grandfather prior. Ahhh ViVa!" Principal Damocles could only sigh in excitement knowing how close Europe's biggest idol is, but Chloé has had enough detours for one meeting.
"Enough Principal Damocles! I understand that you are truly a super-fan of Madame ViVa's work which I bet you would love to continue ranting over about, but now that everyone in this room now knows, also needs to abide that I had to break that number 1 promise I made to my father to keep the secret at all cost . . . all because an impulsive imbecile thought it would appease her little 'investigative journalistic' gut of hers to unravel a mystery that should have never been uncovered in the first place because it's none of her business!" Not even once again giving Alya even a chance to breathe out a rebuttal, she continued and had the principal back to serious matters.
"Now, I demand you as our principal to rightfully punish this girl for having not only made me break that promise with her invasion of my privacy but also nearly have me break down when she caught me in a compromising situation. I say you suspend her now or I will not stop!" Chloé continued to hold onto Sabrina's hand as she finally let out the words she has wanted to say. Principal Damocles, for all his fangirling about knowing one of his idols will be in the same city as him and that he knows it, managed to come back to a serious mode and act like the principal he needed to be.
"R-right, I am terribly sorry for having made you all waste time with that ramble when I should have made this brief for all of you. Alya Césaire, you have clearly invaded another person's privacy, and knowing the amount of trouble I have heard from your teachers about your listless behavior at times in class, or not even attending supposedly at some of them, I believe that there are limits to these troubles that you have been doing. So, I will see to it you will be punished fairly for all of this as to teach you a lesson."
"But Principal Damocles, I am sorry I—"
"I am sorry, Alya, but rules are rules. I will be contacting your parents about your suspension that will be 2 weeks. I will also inform them about how you will receive your lessons as modules every day as to ensure you are still learning. Do I make myself clear?" Making no room for arguing, Principal Damocles stated it with finality and all Alya could do was think and feel everything all at once.
"I-I . . ." Feeling the tears threatening to fall from her eyes over what just happened, she sees slight sympathy from Principal Damocles, yet nothing from Chloé nor Sabrina. Especially Chloé since she continued to hold onto Sabrina's hand while using her other free hand to continue rubbing her arm, as though she was still trying to comfort herself over what Alya did to her, like she assaulted the poor blonde when all Alya wanted was proof over what her investigative gut was telling her.
But she was wrong.
Oh, so very, very wrong.
'I . . . I truly messed it all up. Oh God, I truly messed up big time."
"You're suspended for 2 whole weeks!"
Three pairs of hands placed themselves over the astounded blonde boy's mouth overhearing what happened to Alya after coming back from the principal's office. Adrien did overhear Chloé leaving with Sabrina over something about damage control and needing to get away from it all but hearing from Nino how badly Alya's stunt went and now hearing Alya's abridged version of the situation, he wanted to be there for her as a friend.
"Y-yeah, my suspension starts tomorrow but I was called home by my parents to discuss my punishment . . . and that means no phone, only being allowed to use WiFi for homework while being restricted . . . a-and . . . I have to delete my LadyBlog for good!"
"A-Alya . . ." Was all Marinette could say as Alya was walking away from their classroom, trying to distract herself from the tears wanting to spill out. But she knew she was in a forever-losing battle today.
"I don't want to say I told you so, Alya . . . but what happened with the whole Chloé thing started because you thought you had a scoop regarding our heroes' identities and now you have to go through those consequences. I know you can get a bit crazy with your attempts at uncovering the truth about our heroes but . . . maybe this would be a good thing and for you to finally let it go." The words from Nino ring far much truth for Marinette or Adrien to fully agree in, due to their own secret identities, but they did not want to make it sound like they were ganging up on Alya all of a sudden. Nino just wanted to help get through to Alya and make her see reason without hopefully being insensitive to his friend.
All Nino got was anger.
"What?! I can't just give up like that Nino! My journalistic integrity can't just cave in because of this one mistake, and certainly, I am doing people a service by giving them the truth!" Not finished with the number of emotions running through her mind, Alya faced her friends for more whilst leaning towards her anger.
"Also, also! I know I messed up, but I thought you guys would have my back on this! Sure, I deserve a lot of these punishments, but 2 weeks and deleting my life's work!? This is injustice!" Alya stomped in anger out of the school building she won't be allowed to step foot in for the next two weeks of suspension but as she was at the main steps, she heard her first real rebuttal.
"How is it an injustice when you clearly made it a point to expose someone's secret because you thought it was something else, only for it to be a traumatizing experience for the victim in the end?" Adrien's voice rang out in contention to Alya's tempestuous mood. Both Marinette and Nino could sense the mood shift as Adrien seemed to have the resolve to question what the already angry Alya was saying.
"What you did to Chloé was still bad, Alya . . . and I am not saying it because I am one of her closest friends and I don't fully know all the details, b-but I know what it's like being in the limelight and having vicious reporters or paparazzi trying to pry in my personal affairs . . . or worse, making up false accusations for views in the end. It's never fun Alya for those people, just like for Chloé right now."
"Bu-but you don't know the whole stor-"
"I don't but I know enough that what you did severely hurt Chloé and that I personally think what Principal Damocles gave you was a sufficient punishment as it is. Maybe this can give you the time to also reflect on why the Parisian Heroes Chat Noir and especially Lady Fairy never wanted their identities revealed in the first place: for their safety and . . . and because it's honestly no one else's business if they want people to know or not!" Adrien admittedly had to internally self-limit himself for being too emotional with the last part because he was skirting the lines of relating as a model to almost outing himself in exasperation at what it feels like to also have people trying to figure his identity out as their superhero in black.
Hurt and confusion marred Alya's face over what her blonde model friend told her. Alya looked to her other two friends for support because she can clearly tell Adrien would side more with his childhood friend Chloé. Maybe Nino and Marinette can back her up a bit on this one, she thought.
But she thought wrong.
"He's right though Alya. Y-you got yourself in this situation because you trusted your impulsiveness more than realizing you might be hurting other people in the process." Nino said with a finality that clearly meant that as much as he loves Alya as his friend, he saw that she overextended her limits and that she is getting the consequences for her actions.
"Alya, I told you time and time again that at some point your journalistic shenanigans will get to you and I will have to side with the victim on this. Like what Adrien said, I don't know the whole story, but I know enough that what you did was bad and that it hurt Chloé a lot . . . an-and that as much as I am not a fan of her, I will have to side with the others on this." Even Marinette had chosen what she saw as the moral choice.
"I-I can't believe it . . ." Alya's voice trailed off as her dejectedness became more known with how she felt betrayed at that moment by her friends.
'I know I messed up badly . . . but-but it just hurts so much right now!' Tears started welling up as Alya decided to make a crying-eyes run for it to the nearest bus stop she usually took to finally get back home. Not even bothering to look back at her friends, whom she knew called out to her in worry for just running and crying like that, but Alya just needed to be alone right now as she is trying to figure all of this out.
Getting home, Alya had another intense and thorough talk of punishment and disappointment from her parents. It all culminated with her parents punishing her further and telling her that she will be banned from using her blog which she herself will need to delete at the end of the suspension, which was the cherry on the top of how bad this day was for her. She already got severely reprimanded and punished by Principal Damocles, then her parents had to remind her of her punishment and enact it then and there, and she even got no mercy from her friends.
'My friends . . .'
Alya teared up with that last thought while getting ready for bed; she argued with them in her last moments of school because she was just too shocked and angry at everything happening to her. She knows she needs to make amends with them at some point, but just maybe when she admittedly had time for herself to also cool off from what had transpired will she do so, if they even still consider her as a friend after her rant and run from them.
Laying in bed with tears still threatening to form on her eyes to lull her to sleep, Alya remembered one last thing before closing her eyes as to succumb to sleep.
'Chloé really looked frightened when I caught her taking off her jacket . . . like she was really traumatized by something. And . . . I could've sworn . . . she had something on . . . her back.'
Even as she slept and was in her dream state Alya was not at peace, for she just felt all her emotions from today exhaust her even further. Too tired to wake up, Alya resigned to her dreaming fate as her dreams recalled all the feelings of hurt she caused to the people around her, such as her family, friends, and especially Chloé. She horribly dreamt about her ideas of the supposed Madame Butterfly and her Cat staying in Chloé's hotel and all the other theories she had over the heroes' identities. She felt all the guilt build up inside her and she wouldn't be surprised if she woke up with heavy tear stains on her eyes and feeling extremely exhausted even if she had a full night of sleep. Everything was becoming too much for her in her dream, but Alya could not shake it off.
Unbeknownst to her, the now suspended and soon-to-be former LadyBlogger left her bedroom window slightly open for some air. The same window that allowed in a seemingly inconspicuous black feather-like fluff to land on her WiFi disconnected phone she typically keeps at her nightstand, right about the same time her face started marring the emotional distress she was experiencing in her dreams.
End Note (Tidbits & References)
• Regarding the many, many additional / revised scenes. Coming back to this story after so long, I wanted to keep world-building out this AU, and I wanted to do it without having other important characters solely relying on their development with their relations to the main characters Marinette and Adrien. I wanted to flesh them out in ways outside interacting with the two leads while also giving them internal scenes that I felt was necessary to further develop them. I understand that the chapters for the most part will be based off Canon episodes, chapters like this will veer in terms of compliance. Because as much as I am trying to keep them in-line with the episodes, I see these flow out differently; hence, the use of additional or revised scenes. It is an AU after all.
o I also apologize if this first part did not have the typical superhero / supervillain things that happen in the Canon episodes except with the last part. I just had more fun building up the story with the characters, but I promise the typical Miraculous Ladybug superhero things will be coming out onto the next part.
• Regarding Alya in this Chapter part. I admit that maybe I was a bit harsh on Alya with this chapter part, as compared to how the Canon episode played out. I guess I do want to really push this idea of how I feel like Alya needed this to develop past this wannabe journalist / snooper trying to uncover the heroes' identities. Partly because I have been kinda meh with how Alya has been developing in Canon (I am basing this from up to parts of Season 03, so if she did start getting better, I would not know as of yet), and also because I do enjoy some justifiably good Alya salt where she realizes this obsessive quest bit her back in the butt hard. Alya, like many of the characters, are very interesting and she will obviously get her moment to shine since this is still following the Lady WiFi episode and the AU originator did say Alya is a recurring Champion. As I am wanting to make this need for characters to get through some sort of adversity or challenge that makes them realize their true potential, I think this was needed for Alya in this chapter as a whole.
