Limelight

Chapter One

Tears streamed down her face as she slumped on the bottom of some stairs. Her hands trembled and her body was wracked with sobs.

How could he do something like that? She knew it wasn't love, but she'd never thought he would cheat on her.

She looked at her microphone as a tear splashed onto it. The only thing she could always count on.

Something dark disappeared into her microphone and she heard a deep, soothing voice in her head.

"Hello, Limelight, I am Hawkmoth. I will help you reveal everyone's true selves. I only ask for one thing in return." He paused. "Ladybug and Chat Noir's miraculous."

"Oh, Hawkmoth, what a joy," she singsonged. "To work in your employ."

Finally, someone who could understand her pain.

"I'll make everyone see how their perceptions are truly misconceptions."

She giggled lightly as power rippled through her and she morphed from someone oppressed to the protector of the harassed and revealer of secrets.

------

Adrien adjusted his pose again and people started flooding toward him, screaming. At first, he thought it was just fans, but why would there be so many at once? Although, when his bodyguard had been akumatized there had been more than he'd expected so it was possible.

But no one stopped by the model, they just rushed past like something was hot on their tails. When he tried to look past the stampede, he caught a glimpse of green fabric before his bodyguard pulled him into his changing trailer and locked him in.

Well, at least he hadn't insisted on guarding Adrien from the inside. That certainly would have made it harder to sneak away.

"Plagg, we've got work to do. CLAWS OUT!"

"Noooooooo!" the kwami cried as he disappeared into Adrien's ring.

Chat jumped out the window and ran towards where he'd seen the Akuma.

------

Marinette directed everyone out of the park and checked once more that everyone was safe. When she was satisfied, she started running for safety only to be confronted by the Akuma.

"Let us see if your heart is pure or pain you will endure," she sang.

Marinette recognized that voice but who was it? She stared harder at the Akuma. The once warm brown eyes. The long dark hair that swirled around her waist. It had to be- It could only be-

"Clara Nightingale," Marinette gasped.

"Clara is gone and so is the pawn that once shone bright. Now there is only Limelight!" She giggled sadistically and sang into her microphone. The only thing that hadn't changed. That must be where the Akuma was.

Limelight pointed her microphone at Marinette and she didn't have time to react before she heard a yell and was enveloped in light.

Even after the light died down enough to open her eyes, there was still a faint glow to her. Like an aura. And instead of white, it was pale pink.

She felt cold. Usually, her blazer kept her warm. She held up her arms and- they were bare! She looked down at the rest of her and was relieved to see that she was, in fact, wearing clothes. They just weren't hers. They looked more like something one would wear to a fancy party. A low v-neck with a swooping skirt that brushed the ground. All made of red and black damask. She reached up and touched her hair, noting that it was in a bun with little wisps curled around her ears. She heard a groan from her feet and looked down.