Distorted Fantasy

Prolouge

Disclaimer: I DO NOT OWN MIRACULOUS LADYBUG OR ANY OF THE CHARACTERS, WHO BELONG TO THOMAS ASTRUC! I only own Nom De Plume as of this chapter, she is an original character! :)

A/N: "Once Upon a Miraculous" is finally here! It's nothing too exciting, but I needed to set up the plot for the remainder of the story. That's why I'm posting twice this week!!!

Thank you for reading !! XOXO, Mokyubun

Warning(s): Mild Torture and Violence

"Ch-Chat? Are you okay?!" Ladybug hollered, her voice dripping with concern. The dynamic duo had been separated during their ongoing clash with Nom De Plume, an akumatized author seeking revenge. She frantically looked around for her sly partner, but nothing could be seen within the encaging darkness of the alley. "Oh, god.." The young woman raised a hand to her head; the thumping in her cranium was unbearable. "Chat! Please, respond," Ladybug wheezed, "please.."

"Marinette?" Tikki's voice echoed in her mind, just like a fragment of her conscience. "You're losing too much energy; we're about to de-transform!" Her sweet voice warned. As if on cue, the super-suit melted off of the teenager's body, leaving the girl in her normal, everyday clothes. Feeling chronically dizzy, Marinette collapsed to the ground. "Mari!" Tikki hastily glided over with a troubled expression plastered on her face. "What is happening to you? Can you breathe? Mari?"

"Everyone thinks that they are the main character of their own story; you, Ladybug, are definitely at fault for this sin." An older woman, probably around twenty years of age, emerged from the shadows of the alleyway. She was clothed in a fancy, red ball gown— that of the renaissance era— and her lengthy brown locks were done up into a high bun. The outline of a purple moth appeared on her cheeks as she bore an evil smirk. "So selfish— what gives you the right to assume the role of the heroine?"

Marinette gagged— her lungs were no longer taking in oxygen, causing her throat to burn like a wildfire.

"You're killing her! Stop it!" Tikki screamed, exasperated. "Marinette hang in there!" She whispered as various tears formed at the base of her widened eyes.

The mysterious lady then pulled out a book. It was rather aged, as the binding seemed to be loosely holding together the pages. With a pen, she scribbled within the tattered journal.

"The young girl was unable to move. Her whole body ran cold as she began to gag on the air she breathed," the akumatized woman spoke as she continued to write, "She was dying. She scratched the floor, showing her struggling body scream out for air."

Suddenly, Marinette began to desperately claw at the concrete— just as the woman wrote within the damaged book. The sensitive flesh on her fingers ran raw, almost drawing blood.

"Oh, but where was her friend— the little cat boy?" Nom De Plume giggled as she lifted a delicate hand and pressed it against her plump lips. "Will he get to say goodbye—"

"Ladybug? Where are you, my Lady?" A distant, husky voice called out. This amused Nom De Plume, as a tempting smirk slowly spread across her cheeks.

"What a tragedy this will be! What a beautiful ending to this novel— the prince will arrive to see his princess lifeless on the ground!" She snickered as she prepared to scribble more words down.

"Tikki," the blunette choked out in a low voice, "please, go get that silly kitty.." Like crystals, water gracefully slipped down the young woman's cheeks and landed on the street. The ladybug shared a weakening smile before zipping off into the foreboding darkness of the alleyway. And with that, the young teen fluttered her dulling cerulean eyes shut.

"The Miraculous Ladybug slowly faded away from existence as her body began to freeze over with the absence of a heartbeat." Nom De Plume smiled, just as HawkMoth decided to check in.

"Nom De Plume— the Miraculous! Grab her earrings, quick! Then all of Paris will be forced to play the part of the background characters in your grand tale." The masculine voice chuckled. He could almost taste the sweet flavor of success; with Ladybug's Miraculous in hand, he only needed Chat Noir's in order to control the essence of creation and destruction. It was all too easy. With the earrings pocketed, Nom De Plume gracefully turned around just in time to see the arrival of her next victim.

"M-My Lady?" A defeated voice moaned. An exhausted Tikki lay perched upon the leather on the young man's shoulder. "D-Don't touch her." He bit his lip; the taste of blood danced on his tongue. "Hey," he shouted once more, using a little more emphasis, "I said don't touch her." Chat Noir clicked his baton, which elongated the staff and in one swift motion, the superhero used the pole to vault him over to where the two were hunched over. He didn't have time to swoon over his princess' true identity— right now his only focus needed to be on her rescue.

"The prince has arrived! Your highness," Nom De Plume bowed, amusement coated her dazzling grey eyes. "It's so nice for you to join us!" She giggled while gesturing towards the lifeless Marinette on the floor. She lay like a rag doll— emotionless and fragile. Chat's once preppy emerald orbs drooped as he furrowed his brows.

"Chat Noir, you have to do something!" Tikki wailed, her vision distorted by the collection of water underneath her eyes.

"I know, Tikki," he said in a deepened tone. Without hesitation, Chat constructed and finalized a plan of action. "I'm going to need you to swipe that book from her hands, alright? If that novel is truly magical, maybe we can use it to bring Lady— I mean Mari back." The cat titled his head and whispered quietly so that Tikki could understand. With a confident nod, the red bug dashed off into the shadows once more.

"Tell me what's going on in that perfect little head of your's, Chat Noir." Nom De Plume spoke with a sinister smirk still painted across her lips. "I could definitely use whatever emotions you're having in my next novel," the woman lifted up her notebook, "would you like to star in it?"

Out of nowhere, Tikki bolted through and hit the notebook out of the older woman's grasp, earning a prominent scream. The Kwami was like a bright maroon lightning bolt— all shades of red and black zipped around the scene. Utilizing his extreme reflexes, Chat Noir reached out and swiftly took hold of the book.

"Nice work, Tikki!" The cat's lips spread into his signature, Cheshire Cat grin as he flashed her a thumbs up with his free hand.

"You want to be in my book that badly?" Nom De Plume hollered out in a hysteric voice. "You want your girlfriend back," she tilted her head and licked her lips before continuing, "fine, you guys can be the main characters— but didn't anyone ever tell you to be careful what you wish for?" A menacing laugh cracked out of the akumatized woman— this side of her had gone completely insane.

Chat cocked his head to the right in confusion. Just what the hell was this wacko saying? Wasn't getting Marinette back a good thing?

It wasn't until everything went black till he realized that they might have just made an incredibly stupid mistake.