Miraculous: Tales of Ms. Ladybug and Tom Cat

Part 36: Illusions

"Are you ready for this?" Ladybug asked.

Alix nodded as Ladybug opened her Bug phone and pulled out a pocket watch.

"Alix Kubdel. Here is the Miraculous of the Rabbit. Which grants you the power of last chance. You will use it for the greater good."

Alix took the pocket watch from Ladybug's hand and a bright flash flew around her head before forming into a small creature that looked like a tiny flying rabbit.

"Good morning! Or is it night? If it's afternoon then will it be yesterday or tomorrow?"

Ladybug just said, "Fluff, you need to stay focused." She then looked at Alix. "We need your help as soon as we can, so we need to start moving."

The Kwami then chimed up "All you need to say is "Fluff, Clockwise!"

Alix quickly held the watch in front of her. "Fluff, Clockwise!"

In an instant, Fluff disappeared into the watch and a white and blue suit appeared on Alix, followed by a matching mask and ears. As she tucked her pocket watch in a pocket on her suit, a blue and white umbrella appeared on her back.

"So cool!" Alix said, looking over her costume.

"Let's go. We've got no time to waste." Ladybug then threw her bug phone and soared towards the Louvre. Alix followed, delighted by her newfound super agility.

As she raced from rooftop to rooftop, Alix had never felt more alive. It was more exhilarating than any roller coaster or extreme sport she'd tried before. 

"After all this time I finally have my Miraculous! So cool!".

"We need to keep going, Bunyx." Ladybug said. "We need to meet up with the others in order to form a plan to help us take down Hawk Moth."

"Yeah yeah, I got it," she said. "So where are we meeting up with them?"

"You should know it pretty well. Your father does work there after all."

After a few minutes, they arrived at the entrance of the grand Louvre pyramid, where for the first time in a very long time, the greatest sight to see was actually outside the museum instead of inside it. And truly it was a sight to behold. All of the Miraculous holders were there, currently battling a giant man with the head of a bull. However, there was a bit of an issue. Instead of just one monster, they were fighting three.

Upon seeing the ensuing battle, Ladybug and Bunyx quickly joined the fray. Ladybug swung over towards Chat Noir, who was battling one of the bull men with Pegasus and Viperion.

"It's about time, milady!" he shouted, attempting to trip the beast but failing. "We really need some backup right about now!"

As Ladybug attempted to defeat the monster, she realized she couldn't hit it. Whenever she tried, it looked like her yo-yo would just inexplicably go the opposite direction of the way she threw it. The others were having similar problems as well. Carapace's shield flew off course and yet always returned to his hands. Viperion was focusing on dodging the minotaur's axe swings. Every time he tried, he succeeded, even if it was a close call.

Something's not right, Ladybug thought. It shouldn't be this easy to dodge and this hard to hit, unless...

Ladybug suddenly got an idea. "Gimme a moment Kitty. Let me get an idea of what we're dealing with."

She jumped up to a rooftop where she had a good view of the situation. Her attention then turned to the Minotaurs. One was causing damage to the street with their axe while the another was behaving the same as the one she'd fought before, with his attacks just barely missing the Miraculous holders.

Ladybug suddenly got an idea and the beginnings of a plan. "Rena!" Ladybug called, pulling the fox heroine's attention away from the battle and to the rooftop where Ladybug was observing. She quickly jumped up to meet Ladybug.

"I think two of the monsters are illusions created by an Akuma," she said. She then explained and pointed out what she had gathered so far. 

"So, you think that we're actually hitting the illusions? But something has made it so it doesn't look like we're hitting the illusions?

"That's right," Ladybug says.

Rena nodded in agreement. "So what should we do?" she asked.

"I think it's time we fight fire with fire. And hopefully, it will draw this other villain out."

Rena nodded and held her flute to her lips. After playing a short medley, a ball of light appeared on the end of the flute, and she threw it towards the battle while saying her magic word. "Mirage!"

Suddenly, dozens of duplicates of each Miraculous holder were on the ground, distracting the minotaurs and causing confusion. Suddenly, a similar tune rang from a nearby building as two more Minotaurs miraculously appeared next to the first three.

"Of course!" Ladybug said, realizing the villain was. Ladybug then picked up her bug phone "Micromouse, and Carapace, come with me and Rena Rouge!" Ladybug shouted. "I have an idea."

The real Miraculous holders split from their duplicates and ran up to meet Ladybug on the roof. "What's happening Lady dude, duh, I mean, Ladybug?" Carapace said.

"I think we're dealing with an illusion villain. One I've fought before. Her name is Volpina."

"So that's what you think is going on?" Micromouse said. "The Minotaurs are illusions?"

"At least one of them is real, but the rest are illusions. And if we're going to stop them, we need to stop Volpina. I think she's just over on the roof of that building. If we can catch her, we can stop her. So here's the plan."