Hey there, everyone! Here we are with a new adventure, featuring your favourite Miraculous Heroes from an alternate universe. It's hard to believe, but this one is the 13th fic (let's hope luck is on my side, xD) in this AU, as well as the 12th adventure of the Miraculous Team. This fic marks the end of this alternate universe's season 1, so, you can bet that I've got lots of good things prepared for this adventure. It will be an adventure where things will change for our heroes. But not just for the heroes. You guys have no idea just how long I've been waiting to reach this point in the adventures of the Miraculous Team, especially after the disappointment that season 5 was, when it comes to its narrative. Expect the unexpected to happen in this one. As always, we'll also be seeing some really cute moments featuring your favourite ships, mainly MarinettexAdrien, AlyaxNino, ChloexSabrina, KimxAlix, RosexJuleka, NathanielxMarc and IvanxMylene. And now, on with the show!
Chapter 1: Harbingers of Darkness
It was a beautiful day. A perfect day of early June. The Sun was shining, and not a cloud in the sky. The perfect day for a romantic picnic. A romantic picnic which Marinette had been planning for the last two days. For some time now, she wanted to have a picnic with Adrien. One that did not involve both of them being dressed as Ladybug and Chat Noir, on a rooftop, at night. And the time had finally come for that to happen. She had picked her most summery outfit for the occasion, and she had made all of hers and Adrien's favourite foods. It was a lot of work, but it would be worth it, when she and Adrien were eating those delicious treats, sitting in the Jardin des Tuileries, enjoying the Sun, and each other's company.
"There. I think I've got everything." -Marinette said, as she checked the basket. –"Sandwiches, cupcakes, macarons, sodas, lemonade, croissants, eclairs, chocolate chip cookies, cranberry cookies, … oh, and I can't forget about the Camembert. If I do, Plagg will complain that I brought cookies for Tikki, but didn't bring anything for him." -she commented. –"Tikki, can you go to the refrigerator and bring me the Camembert, while I go upstairs to put my shoes on?"
The scarlet kwami usually responded right away. But this time, there was no response. Looking around, Marinette found it strange that Tikki disappeared like that, especially when a few seconds before, she had been there in the kitchen with her.
"Tikki? Tikki?! Where are you?" -Marinette asked, after her kwami did not answer her. –"Where did she go?" -she thought. –"Guess I'll have to get the Camembert myself. Let's hope dad hasn't eaten it all."
Marinette did not understand why Tikki had disappeared like that. It was not like her to do that. Still, the blue-haired girl tried not to put too much importance on it, as she made her way to the refrigerator. Opening it, she saw that this one was nearly empty, which meant that Sabine needed to go shopping. Still, the one thing Marinette needed from it was standing right there in front of her. A piece of Camembert.
"Here's the Camembert." -Marinette said, as she grabbed the cheese and closed the refrigerator's door. –"Plagg better like this variety, because I don't plan on buying a smellier variety." -she said, as she placed it inside the picnic basket. –"But what truly matters is that this picnic will help Adrien forget about his problems. He's still struggling to forget what happened during that fight, where La Paon took control of his aunt's body and possessed it. And as a good girlfriend, it's my duty to try and cheer him up."
Taking a moment to admire the delicious food she had placed inside the basket, she was tempted to grab something and eat it, right then. It was hard to resist, thanks to the fact of just how scrumptious everything looked. From the sandwiches to the cupcakes, everything looked fit for a king, or at the very least a prince.
"Mom sure did a great job with these cupcakes… wait a moment, mom didn't bake the cupcakes. I was the one who baked them." -Marinette commented, not understanding why she had said that. –"I did, didn't I? But if I did, how come I don't remember baking them?" -she asked, as her memory seemed to be playing tricks on her.
She tried to remember baking them, but she could not remember it. Neither the croissants, nor the eclairs, and even less the macarons. In her head, Marinette thought she had been cooking all morning, but if so, why could not she remember it? Looking around, the kitchen was spotless, and it should not be. Every time Marinette cooked or baked something, she tended to leave the kitchen looking like a disaster zone. This would lead her mother to scold her and tell her to not make such a mess. But this time, there was not even a spoon out of place. Between her not remembering if she had baked all the things she had in the picnic basket, and the fact that the kitchen was spotless, the whole thing seemed bizarre to Marinette.
"Could it be that I'm imagining things, or is my brain playing tricks on me?" -Marinette thought to herself. –"I mean, if I didn't bake all these goodies, than who did it? Mom and dad were too busy." -she said, as she looked at the picnic basket and saw it was empty. –"What?! This basket was full just a second ago! Where did all the food go?!"
Not understanding what was going on, Marinette began to think that she was going insane. Food did not disappear like that. For a second, she wondered if there was anyone playing a prank on her. But she quickly put that hypothesis aside. Both her parents were down in the bakery, and she knew that other than herself and Tikki, there was no one else in the apartment. Even so, that did not explain where the food had gone to.
"The basket was full. I didn't imagine it, just like I didn't imagine that I made all that food for me and Adrien. I mean, I even went to get the Camembert for Plagg, and… where did the refrigerator go?!" -Marinette shouted, when the place where the refrigerator had been, was now empty. –"Is this some kind of sick joke, or am I going insane here?!" -she yelled, feeling more confused by the minute.
First it was Tikki who disappeared. Then, it was the food in the picnic basket that disappeared. And now the refrigerator was also gone. Nothing made sense. The next thought Marinette had was that she was going crazy. Tikki could have gone somewhere, but things like food and refrigerators do not disappear like that. Not even David Copperfield could make things disappear like that, and that was what Marinette was telling herself, trying to find an explanation in her mind, for what was happening.
"Could this be the work of an Akuma?" -Marinette asked. –"That would explain the food and the refrigerator. And even maybe why my brain is possibly playing tricks on me." -she assumed. –"But that still doesn't explain where Tikki is, and why she didn't answer me, when I called her."
Trying to figure out what was truly going on, Marinette's first impulse was to go up to her bedroom, and search for Tikki. Going up the stairs, she kept wondering what could really be happening. And as she climbed the stairs, she had the impression that it was taking her longer than usual to get to her bedroom. If the disappearance of Tikki, the food in the picnic basket and the refrigerator, along with her fuzzy memory were not enough to make her think something was wrong with that picture than her taking so long to get to her bedroom would be a definite sign. Finally, she reached the door and opened it. But what she saw was not her bedroom.
"W-What is going on?" -Marinette asked
Instead of being in her bedroom, she was in her classroom. Her outfit had also changed. On top of it, all her classmates and friends were there, seated in their respective seats. But they were not moving. They were not even blinking or breathing. They were like lifeless statues. All that was giving her the creeps.
"How can this be?" -Marinette asked, as she looked around, when it hit her. –"Wait a minute… this must be a dream." -she theorized. –"But wouldn't I know that I'm dreaming? I usually know when I'm dreaming."
Ever since she had been granted the possession of the ladybug miraculous, Marinette had developed the uncanny skill, if one could call it, to always remember the dreams and nightmares she had. But she had also developed an ability to always tell when she was dreaming, or not. So, if this was a dream she was having, she had failed to notice it.
"If this this is a dream, then I can control try and control what happens in it." -Marinette said. –"Tikki, show up!" -she called forth her kwami.
But nothing happened. The scarlet kwami did not show up, and everything remained the same as it was. Marinette tried to call her one more time, but the result was the same. Tikki was nowhere to be seen.
"Okay, I can't seem to control anything here." -Marinette sighed. –"Still, if it's a dream, it'll have to end, sooner or later." -she said. –"Guess all I can do is to go along and wait for the dream to end."
That was a reasonable choice and decision. Not that she had any other option, or so Marinette thought. Wondering what could she do to make the dream go forward, she decided to interact with the dream projections of her friends, hoping something would happen.
"Hey, Alya! Don't tell me you're working on something for the Miraculous Blog?" -Marinette asked the statuesque Alya, who remained static. –"You're not in a talking mood, huh? What do you think of this, Nino? Your girl doesn't feel like talking, and you know that she loves to talk." -she commented with the statuesque Nino, not getting an answer from him either.
Marinette kept interacting with everyone in the room, but there was no reaction from anyone. They were just statues of her friends. Not knowing what else she could do, she decided that maybe what she needed to do, to progress in the dream, was to exit the classroom. But as she was about to
"Beware, beware, beware, beware…" -a voice was heard.
"Beware? Beware of what? Where's that voice coming from?" -Marinette asked, while trying to ascertain from where the voice was coming. –"It sounds like it's coming from behind the door." -she said.
Walking to the door, she continued to hear the voice repeating the same word: Beware. Placing her hand over the handle, Marinette wondered what was on the other side, as she opened the door. To her surprise, when she opened the door, there was nothing. Complete darkness. Feeling a shiver down her spine, Marinette wondered what would happen next, if she just went back inside.
"I can always stay here, and wait to wake up." -Marinette thought, when she heard the voice again.
"Beware, beware, beware." -the voice continued to repeat the same words.
"Or I can just suck it up and go ahead, to see if I can find out where this voice is really coming. I mean, it's a dream. You can't get hurt in a dream… I think." -Marinette thought to herself, when the voice was heard once more. –"Screw it. This voice is starting to annoy me, and with some luck, if I find out who's talking, I might wake up." -she said.
Taking a deep breath, she stepped through the door, and closed it behind her. Looking around, darkness went as far as her eyes could see. There was nothing there. Only darkness and that strange voice, which kept repeating the same thing over and over. After a while, it started to annoy her, and there was no sign that it was going to stop.
"Beware, beware, beware."
"Beware of what?!" -Marinette yelled out. –"What am I suppose to beware?!" -she asked, hoping for an answer.
"Beware of the future." -the voice spoke, answering Marinette's question.
Deep down, she knew this was going to happen, but still, it still scared her, when she heard the mysterious voice answering her back. Suddenly, numerous spheres of light appeared, and began to dance in the air, describing irregular patterns. A few seconds later, they surrounded Marinette, starting to fly in a circle around her. Even knowing that it was all just a dream, Marinette was scared. She did not know what was going to happen, and it scared her. Then suddenly, the spheres of light stopped, and began to descend towards the ground, slowly, where they landed, making a noise similar to that of a drop of water falling on a wet surface.
"Calm down, Marinette. Remember, it's just a dream… you think." -Marinette thought to herself.
Then, the spheres of light, one by one, opened like a delicate flower. And when they did, they took the form of several different women.
The first one had fair white skin, long dark blueish-black hair, putting most of it back into a raised bun and black eyes. She wore a long tied red bandana with eyes holes and black spots over her upper face, a black-spotted and red tunic with short, dark grey-edged sleeves, and black-spotted and red trousers that ended a little below her knees. Additionally, she wore dark grey wristbands and shoes.
The second one had tanned skin, green eyes and a cat-like smile. Her outfit was composed by a red kalarisis with spots on the fabric, a golden and black usekh around her neck, a golden bracelet shaped like a snake around her right upper arm, black sandals, as well as an Egyptian wig. In her left hand, she was holding a papyrus.
The third one had tanned skin, brown eyes and auburn hair in a bob cut. She was quite tall, and her Olympic physique made it clear she was a woman of enormous strength. Probably an Amazon. She wore a loose red dress with black spots. Cinching the dress around her waist was a piece of golden armour that she wore like a girdle. She also wore golden armour on her head, forearms, shoulders, and shins. In her right hand she had a spear, and in her left a red circular shield with black spots.
The fourth one had white skin with scars over her right and left eyes, a cross scar on her right cheek, and the right side of her upper lip. She had dark brown hair in a pixie cut and her eyes were dark green. As for her garments, she wore a silver armour with a ladybug-print tunic over the chain mail. In her right hand, she was holding a sword.
The fifth one wore had white skin with a scar over her upper lip, blue eyes and long blonde hair. The outfit she was wearing was white and could be divided into two parts. The upper body featured a white hood with the centre shaped to resemble an eagle's beak, which was connected to the robes, with the torso bearing an open collar. The lower part of the robes was doubly layered, with the back of the robes trailing down to be longer than the front. Around the waist was a long red and black sash with pouches attached to a belt. The belt also held together an ornate silver ladybug insignia, with scabbards holding throwing knives flanking it. The robes featured a black leather spaulder where a red cape with black spots was attached, draped over and around her left arm and shoulder.
The sixth one had long dark hair and blue eyes. She wore a brown cavalier hat with red feathers, and over her upper face, she wore a red mask. Her outfit included a red tabard that ended partially down her legs with black dots and black wavy edges on the bottom edge. Underneath the tabard, she had a white long-sleeved shirt with a folded collar. She wore a black cloth corset over the tabard that had a black backside, and around her waist, she wore a belt with a black scabbard. The scabbard held a silver rapier. She also wore black leggings, white gloves, and tan boots with white edges that started above her knees.
The seventh one was a woman of medium height. She had dark brown skin with black hair wrapped in a bun and green eyes. She wore a red dress with black spots and black lace. She had two rose-shaped accessories, one in her hair, and the other in the upper centre of her dress below her neck. She also wore knee-high black boots with brown shoelaces and red arm gloves with black spots and black lace. On her face, she wore a red mask with five black spots.
And finally, the eighth one had long black hair and dark eyes. She wore a white nón lá with a frontal design of a flying ladybug and flowers, and she wore the earrings. Her áo dài included a red tunic with black dots and black edges on the sleeves, collar, and flaps. The front flap of the tunic over the chest features designs of black curls connected to the black edges and a white flower button with a black centre over it. Also, she wore black trousers and black shoes.
"W-Who are you?" -Marinette asked.
"Can't you tell? We're Ladybugs, just like you." -the Egyptian Ladybug said. –"I am Khepri." -she introduced herself.
"I'm Hippolyta. Pleased to meet you, warrior sister." -the Amazon Ladybug told her.
"My name is Yu Ching and I was the very first holder of the ladybug miraculous. I was known as Piáo Chóng." -she introduced herself.
"I'm Jeanne d'Arc. And while I was alive and in service of the Miraculous Order and the King of France, I went by the named of Scarlet Fate." -Jeanne introduced herself.
"I'm Louise de Batz de Castelmore, daughter of Charles de Batz de Castelmore, the Count of D'Artagnan. But my friends, and my enemies knew me best as La Coccinelle, holder of the ladybug miraculous and member of the king's Musketeers." -La Coccinelle introduced herself.
"My name is Carmen Isabel Juanita Espinoza Valdès Salcedo Cortez. But since that is such a long name, you better call me La Mariquita." -La Mariquita told her, in a joyful voice.
"I'm Artemisia Adragna, renaissance painter. And in my spare time, I'm also a spy known as La Coccinella Scarlatta." -Artemisia introduced herself.
"And I'm your predecessor. My name is Bọ rùa, and I also went by the name of Ladybug. It is an honour to meet you, Marinette Dupain-Cheng." -Bọ rùa told her.
All of that looked and felt strange to Marinette. She recognized one or two of them from the times Tikki's told her stories about them. To see them there, even if it was a dream, was something she had never thought would be possible. And it was then that she wondered if that was really a dream, or something else.
"You're all Ladybugs. You're all the previous holders of my miraculous." -Marinette declared, as she looked at them.
"You mean our miraculous, warrior sister." -Hippolyta said.
"And we're not all of them. Besides us, many others used that miraculous with pride and honour." –La Mariquita declared. –"Some to defend the world from Hawk Moth and other threats. Others to uphold justice and defend the people." -she stated.
"And we must say that you have been doing a fine job, Marinette. Like us, you've proven over and over that the Book of Prophecies chose you well, to be the new holder of the ladybug miraculous." -Khepri said.
Marinette felt honoured, when hearing Khepri telling her that. There were still times, when she doubted herself, even though her friends and teammates kept telling her she had no reason to doubt herself. So, to hear one of her predecessors telling her that she was doing a great job, it put a smile on her face. But that smile was soon to disappear, because of what happened next.
"We're here to warn you, Marinette." -Jeanne told her. -"That you must beware of the future. In you, rests the fate of the world." -she warned her.
"Dark days are coming."- Bọ rùa warned her.
"Dark days that will decide not only your future, but the future of Paris, and the world." -La Coccinella scarlatta stated.
Hearing those warnings, the smile that Marinette had on her face disappeared. What had started has such a beautiful dream, had turned into a warning of the apocalypse, which was to come. Needless to say, that Marinette quickly began to panic.
"Dark days are coming? H-How do you know that? How can you possibly know that?" -Marinette asked them, not understanding how they could know such a thing.
"We just know. And you would be wise to heed our warning." -La Coccinella Scarlatta warned her. -"Dark days are coming. And the first of many trials you'll have to face, is upon you." -she said.
"Only you will be able to save the world in the end." -La Mariquita declared.
"You might have your friends by your side, to help you. But in the end, if things take a turn for the worst, you must be ready to face the creeping darkness alone." – Khepri warned her.
"Then, please tell me what is going to happen. Tell me, so I know how I'll be able to stop it!" -Marinette begged them. –"Please, what is going to happen? Tell me!" -she exclaimed, fearing the answer.
"You don't understand. We don't know what's going to happen. We just know that it'll happen and you must be ready." –Jeanne told her.
"As the new Ladybug, and as the leader of your team, it's your duty to make sure that whatever disaster is coming, it will not come pass." –Piáo Chóng declared, with a serious look on her face.
"But if I don't know what will happen, how am I supposed to prepare myself for what's coming?!" -Marinette asked them. –"Why can't you tell me what's going to happen? Why are you being so cryptic about it?!" -she asked them, hoping that one of them told her something, instead of just spewing warnings.
"We're being cryptic, because we don't know what is going to happen, Marinette. We're Ladybugs, we're not omniscient or all-knowing. We merely feel the darkness that is making its way towards you." - Piáo Chóng explained.
"The best we can do is warn you to be ready for whatever may come your way, warrior sister." -Hippolyta told her.
"Then, what's the point of showing yourselves like this, while I'm sleeping, if you're not going to help me?! I could've figured out what you're telling me, by myself, by talking to master Fu, or even my friends, who are always saying that we must be ready for anything!" -Marinette yelled, angry at them.
"We understand your frustration. And we wish we could help you further. But this is all we can do. To warn you about the darkness that is making its way towards you, Marinette." -La Coccinelle told her.
"You could at least tell me how big is the danger that it's heading towards me! Tell me, is it bigger than Hawk Moth? Or La Paon? Or the Collector? Or all three of them combined?! Is it something that we've never faced before?! I mean, okay, I understand you can't tell me what it is, but you could at least tell me, how bad it will be, in a scale of 1 to 10!" -Marinette yelled at the eight women.
She implored them for answers, but they gave her none. And before she could try and somehow convince them to tell her any valuable information, they began to chant the same words that had drawn Marinette there, over and over, until their voices became one. It was then that that voice became so loud, that Marinette was forced to cover her ears, afraid that her eardrums would burst. But that was not all, the eight Ladybugs began to spin around Marinette, faster and faster, until they were visually a mass of blurred colours, making her feel like she was inside an out-of-control carrousel. Closing her eyes, Marinette just wished to wake up.
The following second, Marinette woke up, startled. She was drenched in sweat and her heart felt like it was about to burst from her chest. Panting heavily, grasping for air, she just wished her heartbeat to slow down, while also forgetting what happened in that freakish dream. Her eyes looked to the left and saw that it was only a few minutes past one in the morning. She had slept for little more than an hour and half. Tikki, who woke up a minute earlier, and had gone to the bathroom to drink water, saw Marinette sitting on the bed, panting, and quickly realized that she had had a nightmare.
"Is everything alright, Marinette?" -Tikki asked her, as she approached her.
"I… Y-Yeah, it was… just a crazy dream." -Marinette said, as she placed her hand over her chest and felt her heart beating like a crazy ticker.
"A crazy dream? You mean, a nightmare?" -Tikki asked her, worried.
"No, not a nightmare. At least, not at first. In fact, it was more like a dream where things started normally, and then, someone flipped the switch and the world got turned upside down." -Marinette explained to her. –"One minute, I was preparing a picnic for me and Adrien, then the following minute, I have a bunch of Ladybugs around me and telling me to beware the future and that bad things are coming towards us."
"A bunch of Ladybugs?!" -Tikki asked her.
"Yeah, there were lots of them. Eight of them, if I remember correctly. There was one that was wearing an Ancient Egypt-style outfit, and there was also one that looked like an Amazon, and Jeanne d'Arc was also there…"
"Jeanne d'Arc?! Jeanne was in that dream of yours?!" -Tikki exclaimed. –"What did she tell you? What have they told you?! Which Ladybugs were in that dream?! Please, Marinette tell me!" -she begged her. –"Tell me the whole dream, please!"
Marinette did not understand why Tikki was asking her to tell her what had happened in her dream. But the concerned look in Tikki's eyes, and the fact that the whole dream felt so real and a clear warning, made her see that whatever the reason she was asking her that, it had to be important. And so, Marinette told her everything that happened in her dream, without skipping on the details. Tikki listened to it, without interrupting her.
"And that's all that happened." -Marinette concluded.
"Is it really? You didn't forget anything?" -Tikki asked her.
"No, I didn't, Tikki." -Marinette assured her.
"Then, you saw Jeanne, Hippolyta, Bọ rùa, Louise, Khepri, Ching, Carmen and Artemisia." -Tikki said. –"And they were all telling youthat something bad is coming your way and that you need to be prepared."
"This was a prophetic dream, like the ones Nathaniel has sometimes, right?"
"Oh, yes. It was one." Tikki assured her. –"And as far as I remember, this only happened to two of my holders. You're the third." -she pointed out.
"Who were the others, Tikki?" –Marinette asked her.
"Jeanne and Bọ rùa." -Tikki declared.
"And were they also visited by the spirits of previous Ladybugs too, to warn them of an incoming danger?" -Marinette asked the little kwami.
"Yes. In Jeanne's case it was Hawk Moth, who was pulling the strings behind the King of France and the King of England, waging war on both kingdoms and forcing her and the holder of the black cat miraculous to fight each other." -Tikki explained. –"An in Bo rùa's case, it was the fact that Hawk Moth found the ultimate human vessel, which is the Hawk Moth that we're still fighting." -she added.
"So, the two bad things that happened, when they were warned, were really bad." -Marinette sighed, as her mind began to imagine the darkest possibilities. –"So, whatever it is they were warning me about, it has to be just as bad, or even worst than what happened before." -she declared, as she felt a shiver up her spine.
"I'm afraid so." -Tikki declared.
"I just wish they had told me something more, Tikki. Not knowing what is the danger that's coming, even though I know it's coming, is frustrating, to say the least." -Marinette sighed. –"It could be Hawk Moth, or La Paon, or something else entirely… Just thinking about it, it's making me go insane!" -she sighed once more, while clenching her fists in anger. –"Why couldn't they
"Because they can't, Marinette. Ladybugs have a lot of powers, but seeing into the future isn't one of them." -Tikki said. –"The fact that they showed up to you in a dream, is already a very good thing, though."
"A very good thing? What do you mean?" -Marinette asked, not understanding how could that be a good thing.
"It means that the bond that you have with me and my miraculous is getting a lot stronger." -Tikki told her. –"And it also means that you might be able to unlock new abilities in the near future." -she explained it to her. –"You know that miraculous grants its holder numerous abilities, but not every holder has the same abilities, and some abilities are only unlocked by certain holders. Not to mention, that even I don't know all the abilities that are to be unlocked. You could unlock an ability that I know of, or you can even unlock one that no previous holder had."
It was quite exciting to hear that. Marinette was always believing that unlike her friends, the powers she had were nothing, when compared to theirs. She had managed to unlock two, which had come in handy in combat. But she still felt like she was still falling behind. The idea of being able to unlock a new ability was something she would love to happen.
"Well, I already unlocked two abilities before. The one that allows me to access the astral plane, which I shared with the rest of the gang, granting them access to that very same ability. And then the one that allows me to temporarily borrow the abilities from the others, which is exclusive to me." -Marinette said. –"It would be nice to unlock a new one. Especially because it would help me to fight whatever is coming our way." -she stated.
"That's true." -Tikki said. -"But if you ask me, right now, you better go back to sleep. I know you don't feel like doing it, with everything that happened in that dream of yours, but you should try. In the morning, we'll talk to the others, as well master Fu and miss Bustier about what you dreamed of, and we'll decide on how we should approach this situation." -she told Marinette.
"Sleep? It's going to be hard." -Marinette told her. –"My heart still hasn't calmed down. And neither had my brain." -she stated. –"The last thing I want to do know, is to sleep. I suppose I can't convince you to go on a little patrol, just to help me get my mind out of all this business?"
"I'm afraid not. You know that this week no one is patrolling at night, and for a very good reason. Your final exams start tomorrow and you and the others need to score some really good grades." -Tikki reminded her. –"And before you say it, yes, I know that going out on patrol helps you to relax and clears your mind. But what you need now is a few good hours of sleep, Marinette." -she told her.
"I know. Still, I had to try." -Marinette smiled at the little kwami. -"Okay, I'll try to go back to sleep." -she promised her.
"You do that. I'll also go back to sleep as well." -Tikki declared.
"I just hope I don't dream about Hawk Moth or La Paon. I don't need those two giving me nightmares." -Marinette commented, as she laid her head on the pillow and closed her eyes, hoping to fall asleep soon. –"I really hope I can fall asleep fast. Tikki's right. I need to be at my best, for my finals. I need to score good grades, so I don't get into trouble with mom and dad." -she thought to herself.
Hey, everyone! This first chapter was written in almost record speed. I don't know how I did it, but if I had to take a guess, it's probably because I needed to take my mind off what happened in the season 5 finale. Now, I don't want to spoil anyone who hasn't watched it yet, but I have one or two thing I need to take off my chest and that is the fact that the level of hypocrisy in the writing of season 5 is enough to make a decent person throw up, namely me. And the finale is both controversial and hypocrite as Hell. I'm not saying there aren't good things about it, but the bad ones are really bad. Just needed to share that with you all. I don't expect you to agree with me, but I needed to share this, if not for the sake of my mental health.
Regarding this chapter, well, I admit that this was not the original first chapter. The first chapter was going to be the second one. But as I re-read my notes, I fgured that if this was going to be the fic that's going to end season 1 of this alternate universe, it needed to start with a bang, and I hope I did manage to make a big enough bang with this first chapter, to make you all realize that this won't be a walk in the park, and that things are going to get ugly.
Also, for those of you who have been accompanying this alternate universe of mine, I need to point out that I decided to rewrite one very important point in the narrative, which is addressed in this chapter, and that is the decision of making Marinette aka. Ladybug the only one who has the ability to borrow abilities from the other heroes, and I'll be rectifying that in "Miraculous Team: Connections", where it was first explored. But allow me to point out that the other heroes will also have this ability too, but they will only unlock it later on in the story (in season 2). just wanted to clear that out, so there are no kind of confusions. I decided to do this, because I felt it would be better for the narrative, as I'm planning for season 2 and 3 of this alternate universe to be even more insane than they are now, and so, I'm saving some trump cards for later. I don't want my heroes to get all the good things righ away, because it would make things too easy for them in the long run.
Those of you who paid attention to the details, you probably noticed that among the Ladybugs that visit Marinette in her dream, there's one that isn't one of the Ladybugs that is canon to the show. So, yeah, she's an OC of mine, Artemisia Adragna. She's named after the Italian renaissance painter Artemisia Gentileschi, and the Italian Miraculous comic book artist Giulia Adragna. In fact, when I described her, I even based myself on one of Giulia's photos... this is my way to pay homage to her, and to the work she's done not only for me, but also to the whole MLB fandom. Hope you enjoyed this little easter egg, Giulia. :) But that's not the only easter egg there... for those of you who are also fans of one of my favourite kids' movies franchises, Spy Kids, there's a little easter egg in there from it. Namely, La Mariquita's name is based on Alexa Vega's character, Carmen Cortez, or better yet, her full name (since La Mariquita's real name has not been disclosed in canon, I couldn't help myself to name her. :) )
And before I forget, this new adventure is dedicated to two very important people, who have been by my side in ths crazy trip... Carla García, the portuguese Ladybug, and Fernanda Sousa aka. :icomLomi-hime: who is always helping me, whenever I need the artistic and the moral support, not to mention emotional support.
Anyways, I hope you all liked this first chapter, and as always, feel free to comment, fav and leave your suggestions to improve this fic, or future ones.
P.S. I'm super hyped for the Awakening movie (It's hard to keep away from the spoilers, and I've already had the opportunity of watching it online, but I declined it, because I want to watch it on Netflix, out of respect for Jeremy and his team who I know have done a better job with the movie, than Astruc did with the series). So, remember, no spoilers about the movie here, okay?