Many centuries ago, magic jewels bestowing extraordinary powers were created. These were the Miraculous. Throughout history, heroes have used these jewels for the good of the human race. Two of these Miraculous are more powerful than the others: the earrings of the Ladybug, which provide the power of creation, and the ring of the Black Cat, which grants the power of destruction. According to legend, whoever controls both these jewels at the same time will achieve absolute power.

It has been almost a century since the Miraculous have been needed.

Until a great evil arose in the world...

~ ~ ~

Wayzz woke to the sound of chimes and humming - and terrible pain in his head. His little body trembled, the amount of fear in his heart was insurmountable. He launched himself out of his matchbox bed and flew out into the bright sunlight.

"Master! Master!" he shouted.

His little voice echoed around the wooden room. It wasn't filled with much, just a few dressers, a canvas folding screen, a bookshelf, and a comfortable mattress in the middle of the room. None of the items helped deafen his cry for help.

His master, a little man by the name of Fu, had a customer. He shot a disapproving look at the kwami just before the man started to look up over his shoulder. Wayzz dipped behind Fu's loud Hawaiian print shirt before the customer could see him, and Fu quickly improvised.

"Master, Master..." The hunched old man grasped his hands together in prayer. He gave the customer a small smile. "Chanting, it's all a part of the treatment. Master, master..."

The ending chime that signaled the end of the man's massage rang. Fu got to his feet, though slowly, and escorted the man out the door. Well, more like pushed him, since Fu was less than five feet tall.

"Thank you for coming, see you again next week!" he cheerfully said.

Before the customer could say a word, Master Fu closed the door behind him. Taking a sigh, he turned and looked at Wayzz, obviously unhappy. His all-knowing umber eyes gave Wayzz a stern this-better-be-good look.

"Master, the Moth Miraculous, I felt its aura."

The old man's eyes widened. "The Moth Miraculous? I thought it had been lost forever."

Wayzz shook his head sadly, his magical body still shaking. "But Master, it's a negative aura. I fear it may have gotten into the hands of a dark power!"

Master Fu furrowed his eyebrows.  He rubbed his chin and mustache, twirling his dark grey goatee. "We must find Nooroo and his Miraculous." He started making his way across the small room, his sandals making a small clicking as he walked across the wooden floor. "If it has gotten into the wrong hands, there's no telling what evil will come upon the world. We have to take this upon ourselves."

He lifted a clenched fist, framing a turtle-shaped jade bracelet. "Time to transform! Wayzz-"

CRACK!

Master Fu groaned and dropped to his hands and knees, one hand resting on his weakened back. Wayzz flew closer to the older gentleman, his arms out.

"Please, Master, be reasonable. You're-"

"I'm still young!" Master Fu insisted, popping his head up. "I'm only 186."

It took a moment for the old man to get back to his feet. Wayzz desperately wanted to help, but he knew he'd only be in the way.

Master Fu let out a sigh. "But you're right, Wayzz. I can no longer do it alone"

The kwami followed his master back to the gramophone where Wayzz had been sleeping earlier. Fu placed his thumbs on some of the intricate dragon decals at the base of the old antique. Their eyes illuminated and a small panel opened, revealing nine buttons . After pressing three, Master Fu stepped back to watch as the box shifted and unlocked. The record and the horn of the gramophone tipped back, revealing a hexagonal box nestled inside the old machine.

"Master, what are you planning?" Wayzz asked.

Fu smiled. "We'll need some help to find Nooroo and the Moth Miraculous. I believe now is our time of need."

~ ~ ~

"Marinette! Your alarm has been going off for fifteen minutes! You're going to be late for your first day back at school!"

A deformed lump of blankets shifted and Marinette pulled her head out from under the covers. Her groan almost drowned out the alarm itself.

"Gooooooot it, Mooooom!"

Dragging herself out of her comfortable bed, Marinette stretched. She wasn't looking forward to the new school year, but she knew it would be better to get it over with so she could nap later. She climbed down from her loft bed, almost missing one of the ladder's steps at the bottom. As she headed to her wardrobe, she caught a glimpse of herself in the mirror.

Her dark hair was a mess. It stuck out in all directions, looking more like a lion's mane than a hairdo.

She mumbled to herself a reminder to move the mirror before going to get dressed for the day. As she passed her desk, she eyed some of the designs she'd been working on the previous night. Back in the day, her friend Lila would have told her to clean up her mess before going to bed. Now, however... Marinette could have cared less.

She turned away and got dressed. After brushing her teeth and washing her face, Marinette glared at her disaster of a do in her vanity mirror. It took more time to fix her hair than she'd want to admit. She forced whatever she could into low ponytails.

"Marinette, are you up?" her mom called up.

"Yeah, I'm coming!"

She threw open the attic door that led to her bedroom and walked downstairs. Her mom was in the kitchen, washing a few dishes. She'd set out several breakfast options, including several fruits, milk, chocolate powder, and instant oatmeal. Marinette walked up behind her mom and gave her a kiss on the cheek before sitting at the bar.

"You know, mom," she started as she poured some milk into a bowl, "I bet you anything Chloe will be in my class again."

"Oh, don't say that," her mom said, turning off the water and drying a pot. "It's the start of a new year, after all. I'm sure everything will be just fine."

Her unrelenting optimism made Marinette smile. Maybe her mom was right. Maybe this year would be different. After all, Lila had moved to a different school after things had... escalated. Maybe this year Chloe wouldn't be in her class and she could make some new friends.

She started to mix in the instant oatmeal and reach for a banana, but her hand accidentally hit the glass milk bottle. Marinette yelped, trying to catch it, but her elbow hit the cocoa powder.

SPLOSH!

Milk spilled all over the counter and the floor, and powder rained down like a chocolate snow. Marinette groaned and dropped her head into her arm. She heard her mom patiently set down the clean pot and grab a towel. It wasn't the first time Marinette had made a mess. With a frown, Marinette began to help clean it up. Halfway through cleaning, her mom reached up and brushed her daughter's cheek. Marinette looked over to see her grinning.

"It wouldn't be breakfast without some sort of mess, right?"

The sentiment made Marinette's lips turn up a little bit. "Yeah, I guess you're right."

Her mom stood up and threw some of the towels away. She grabbed a banana. "Here, take this with you. I'll finish cleaning up. Your father is downstairs and wants to send you off with some macarons."

Marinette nodded, taking the banana. She gave her mom another kiss on the cheek before grabbing her backpack off the couch and heading for the door. She descended down the two flights of stairs, entering the bakery on the bottom level. Even from the hallway, she could hear her dad's singing. She cracked open the door.

"Hey, dad! I'm off to school!"

"Oh, wonderful!" she heard her dad shout.

She walked in further and saw him dusting flour off his hands. He scooped up a box, and when he saw her, he smiled.

"I finished baking these this morning." He opened the box to reveal two rows of macarons.

"Dad, these are awesome!" Marinette exclaimed.

He smiled. "Glad you like them."

Marinette took the box in her hands. "Thank you, Dad. My class will love them! You're the best!"

"We're the best, thanks to your amazing designs." He pulled out a small sketchbook out of his back pocket to show a simple logo with the letters TS surrounded by simple leaf branches.

Feeling overwhelmed with joy, Marinette threw her arms around her dad. She gave him a quick kiss on the cheek.

"Thanks, Dad. See you tonight!"

Marinette securely tucked the box of cookies under her arm and ran out the front door.

As she exited the bakery, the sun was shining brightly across Paris. Marinette had lived in Paris her whole life and she learned to love it. She loved hearing the traffic, seeing the sun shine off the windows in the street, and watching the people walk to-and-fro. She'd walked to school every day, since the school was just across the street from her parent's bakery.

She came to the crosswalk, tapping her fingers on the box of treats. She maybe had five minutes at most to get to her class before getting marked late.

As she stood waiting for the crosswalk sign to change, she noticed an older man step off the sidewalk and start walking. Marinette's eyes widened in fear. She shot her gaze from the man, to the green traffic light, and back to the man.

A honk sounded.

A car was coming.

In desperation, she leapt off the sidewalk. She grabbed the man by his elbow and pulled him across the street. The car missed the man by less than an inch.

As she tried to get back on the curb, her foot caught and she hit the sidewalk. Hard.

"Thank you, miss," the old man said. He let out a small sigh. "Oh dear, what a disaster."

Marinette looked up to see the box of macarons her dad had lovingly made had crashed to the sidewalk. Macarons had spilled out and most had shattered. As people started to walk across the street, even more of the treats were destroyed underfoot.

Marinette sighed and scooped up the box, which still had some in it.

"Don't worry, I'm no stranger to disasters. Besides, there are still a few left." She held it out for the man. The older gentleman took one, taking a large bite out of one side. A grin stretched from ear to ear.

"Mmm, these are delicious."

Marinette opened her mouth to say that her dad had made them, but she was cut off by the sound of the school bell ringing. A look of panic flashed across her face.

"Oh no! I'm going to be late for class!" She gave the old man a wave. "Have a nice day, sir!"

And with that, she took off across the street. Her tiny feet pattered up the front steps to her school. She burst through the door, running past the janitor and made her way up the flight of stairs.

201... 204... Ah-ha! 208!

She threw open the door and stumbled into class. Thankfully, her fellow classmates were too busy talking with each other and choosing seats for them to notice.

"Nino," the teacher, Miss Bustier, said, "why don't you have a seat in the front row this year?"

In the back, a boy groaned. He wore a blue graphic t-shirt, a simple pair of jeans, red cap, glasses, and a pair of orange can headphones. After picking up his side bag, he grumbled as he trudged up to the front of the class and slumped into a front row seat.

Marinette scooched past him and took a seat on the row behind him. Just as she let out a sigh of relief, there was a sudden SLAM! She jumped, startled by the noise and by the perfectly manicured hand right next to her.

"Marinette Dupain-Cheng."

It was Chloe Bourgeois, the class bully. She looked flawless, as usual. Her white pants were spotless, her yellow sweater looking practically brand new, and her jewelry on point.

Marinette groaned to herself, "Ugh, here we go again."

Chloe pointed at her chair. "That's my seat."

"But Chloe, this has always been my seat."

On the other side of Marinette, another girl popped into the conversation. It was Chloe's friend, and lakie, Sabrina. Her ginger bob bounced as she talked. "Not anymore! New school, new year, new seats."

Chloe tossed her blonde ponytail over her shoulder and adjusted her white sunglasses until they rested on her head. Her blue eyes were smug.

"You know, why don't you just go sit beside that new girl over there?"

She pointed to another girl who sat on the front row on the other side of the room, who looked up from her phone and gave her a sour glare in return. It was someone Marinette didn't recognize. The girl's thick dark hair curled at her shoulders and her glare shone right through her thick-rimmed glasses. Chloe was right; she must have transferred to Francoise Dupont High.

"Listen," Chloe interjected, pulling Marinette's attention away from the girl. "Adrien's arriving today, and since that's going to be his seat-" she pointed at the seat in front of them next to the blue-shirted boy, "-this is going to be my seat. Get it?"

Marinette blinked a couple of times. "Who's Adrien?"

Both Chloe and Sabrina broke out into obnoxious laughter.

"Can you believe she doesn't know who Adrien is?" Chloe asked her friend. Sabrina only giggled louder while Chloe turned her mocking gaze back to Marinette. "Seriously, what rock have you been living under?"

"He's only a famous model," Sabrina cut in.

"And," Chloe added, "he's my best friend. He adores me! So, go on!" She waved her hand dismissively. "Move!"

"Hey! Who elected you Queen of Seats?"

Marinette leaned forward to look around Chloe. The new girl stood on the steps behind the bully, giving Chloe the deepest glare. Her hands were folded across her chest, her fingers gripping her plaid shirt tightly.

"Oh, look Sabrina! Looks like we've got a little do-gooder in our class this year." Chloe turned to face the girl, fluttering her eyelashes innocently. "What are you gonna do, super newbie? Shoot beams at me with your glasses?"

"Wouldn't you like to know." In one swift grab, the new girl reached around Chloe and caught hold of Marinette's arm. "Come on."

Marinette yelped as she was pulled out of her seat. She was lucky enough to grab her bag, but she missed the macarons. Her bag knocked them to the floor, and once again, they spilled out of the box. She dropped to her knees and tried to pick up her mess.

"Sorry, sorry, sorry," she mumbled to herself as some of her other classmates were stepping over her, finding their seats.

From the front of the room, their teacher clapped her hands. "Alright, class. Has everyone found a seat?"

Once seated, the new girl put a hand on Marinette's shoulder. "Hey, chillax, girl. No biggie."

Marinette fiddled with the almost empty box as she spoke. "I so wish I could handle Chloe the way you did."

"You mean the way Majestia does it." The girl held up her phone to reveal a picture of a woman superhero in a tight red, blue, and yellow outfit. "She says all that is necessary for the triumph of evil is that good people do nothing."

She looped an arm around Marinette's shoulders and pointed at Chloe, who was in the middle of checking her blue eyeshadow in a handheld mirror. "That girl over there is evil, and we're the good people. We can't let her get away with it."

"Well, that's easier said than done." Marinette couldn't help but sigh. "It's like her personal mission to make my life miserable."

"That's cause you let her! You just need more confidence!" She gave a supportive punch to Marinette's shoulder.

The thought made Marinette crack a smile. She reached inside the macaron box and pulled out the last treat. In a quick motion, she broke the cookie in two and passed her newfound friend a half.

"I'm Marinette."

The girl smiled. "Alya."

She took the cookie and the two of them ate their halves.

At the front of the room, their teacher started writing on the chalkboard as everyone settled in. Her hand flicked as she underlined her name on the board before turning around to face the class.

"Good morning, students. For those of you who don't know me, I'm Miss Bustier. I'll be your teacher this year. First thing on our list today, we need to call roll. Please say present if you are here."

"Mylene Haprele?"

"Present."

"Chloe Bourgeois?"

A dramatic huff. "Present."

"Juleka Couffaine?"

There was a small peep from a few rows behind Marinette.

"Alya Cesaire?"

"Present!"

And so the roll continued, listing off each of their classmates. Rose, Max, Kim, Alix, and everyone else. Marinette knew almost all of them; they'd been in her classes in years past.

About halfway through the role, from the second row, Chloe raised her hand. Though, it was more like a limp, sassy noodle than an arm.

"Miss what-ever-your-name-is, where's Adrien? He should be here by now!"

Miss Bustier gave Chloe a patient smile as she set down the roll on her desk.

"I'm sure he'll be here soon, Chloe. I was informed he might be a little late."

~ ~ ~

Adrien skidded to a stop at the crosswalk. He was so close, he could see the school just on the other side of the road. He bounced on his tiptoes as he waited for the crosswalk light to turn white. He had been waiting for this day all summer, and to think that his future was right across the street had him in giddy fits!

Besides, it would be the first time he'd be around people his age in almost a full year. His father had insisted he be homeschooled after his mother passed away, but Adrien couldn't stomach the idea of being trapped in that giant house for much longer. Nathalie, his father's secretary, and his personal driver, who he'd nicknamed Gorilla, had been nice company, but he was ready to meet people his own age. He was sixteen after all.

And he doubted his mom would want him locked up like a trophy for forever.

He glanced over his shoulder to check the street behind him. He'd been able to lose both Nathalie and Gorilla a few blocks ago, thanks to a lucky change of the lights, but he knew they'd be on his tail any second now.

There. The sleek black car had just turned the corner. He couldn't let them stop him!

The light turned.

Adrien took off. With his eyes glued on the front steps of the school, he plowed his way across the street. He was so close, just a few more steps. Once inside, he was sure Nathalie and Gorilla wouldn't follow. He just had to make it-

His shoulder slammed into someone.

"Sorry!" he called out, though he wasn't paying attention.

"Oooouuugggghhh!"

The cry came from directly behind him. Adrien dragged himself to a halt, only to look behind him to see an old man on the ground. He looked hurt, his face twisted in agony as he reached for his cane. A sinking dread filled Adrien's heart.

He'd pushed the poor man down.

In desperation, he looked over his shoulder. The black car was pulling up to the school. He had to go now if he was going to make it. But the man...

Pushing the thoughts of the car aside, Adrien quickly dropped to his knees and helped lift the old chinese man off the ground. He didn't weigh much, thankfully. No broken bones seemed to be present. As the gentleman got his feet under him, Adrien passed him his cane.

With nothing but gratitude in his eyes, the man said, "Thank you, young man."

The look made Adrien smile. As the man started to walk away, Adrien turned back to head into school, but what he saw made his hope crumble.

Nathalie and Gorilla stood on the steps to the school, both with definite frowns on their faces.

Sadly, Adrien trudged up to them. He stopped a couple paces in front of the pair, his eyes on his shoes.

"Adrien," Nathalie started, "please reconsider this nonsense. You know what your father wants."

Adrien squeezed his eyes shut, his eyes stinging. "But this is what I want! I'm so tired of sitting around in that cold, empty house." He lifted his gaze to Nathalie's. He was met with a stone-cold determination.

"Please," he pleaded. "I just want to go to school like everyone else. What's so wrong with that?"

Gorilla let out a gruff huff and looked away from Adrien. Nathalie, however, softened her hard gaze into a more understanding one.

"I'm sorry it has to be this way, Adrien, but your father knows best. You aren't ready to be around people right now. You're still grieving."

Adrien's grip on his side bag tightened. He looked away, not wanting Nathalie to see his sudden flare of frustration.

Nathalie hadn't been in Adrien's life long - only coming into the house after his mother had passed away - but she was the closest thing he had to a mom. She seemed to understand him on a more personal level than Gorilla or his father did. Despite his best efforts, he knew he could trust her.

"Please don't tell my father about this" was all he said.

He heard Nathalie move and soon, Gorilla's hand was firmly placed on Adrien's back, guiding him back to the black car. As the three of them got in the car to leave, Adrien couldn't help but look back at the front of the school.

He'd get there one day. He would make sure of it.

~ ~ ~

"Those of you who have P.E., Mr. D'Argencourt is expecting you at the stadium." Miss Bustier said as the students gathered up their belongings. "The rest of you can head over to the library."

Marinette scooped up her bag and threw it over her shoulder. As Alya was collecting her things, Marinette caught a glimpse of Chloe still sitting in the chair she'd stolen from her, watching the empty chair in front of her sadly. Marinette would have felt bad for her if she hadn't been so rude to her earlier.

Just as she turned away, she heard Ivan yell, "KIM!"

The whole class turned to see Ivan holding Kim up by the collar of his red jacket. Despite being almost a foot shorter than Ivan, Kim had the nerve to have a smug grin on his face.

"Ivan, what is going on?!" Miss Bustier asked, her voice shocked and stern.

"It's Kim!" Ivan insisted.

"Whatcha doing to do about it, wuss," Kim taunted under his breath so Miss Bustier couldn't hear.

Ivan's scowl deepened and he reeled back a fist for a punch. "I'm going to knock your shiny teeth out, you little-"

"Ivan!" Miss Bustier interrupted. "Violence is not acceptable in the classroom. Put Kim down this instant and go to the principal's office."

As Marinette watched Ivan trudge out of the room, she couldn't help but wonder what had made him react that way.

Kim was usually full of himself and couldn't see past the end of his nose if he tried, but he was a hard worker. And Ivan was usually pretty quiet and didn't talk much with Kim. He usually listened to rock music or was focusing hard in class. He was kind, though a little intimidating - definitely the opposite of the sports-loving, social jock.

What had riled him up so much?

"Come on, girl," Alya said, elbowing Marinette out of her thoughts. "Let's head to the library."

She nodded and followed Alya out of the room, though she couldn't help but look back at Kim. His know-it-all grin was all she saw before the door closed behind her.

"I hope Ivan is going to be okay," Marinette said.

"I'm sure he will," Alya assured. "Besides, I doubt that he'll get much of a punishment. He stood up for himself, after all." She gave Marinette a smile. "See? If good people do nothing, evil will prevail."

Marinette shrugged. "I hope you're right about that."

The two girls walked into the library. About half of their class was there, as well as a few students from other grades. After searching for a bit, they found a table and got comfortable. As Marinette turned on one of the lamps on the table, Alya had pulled out her phone and was flipping through a few online comic books.

It was nice to have a friend again, Marinette decided. It felt better than sitting alone or drawing in her sketchbook by herself. Her heart swelled with hope as she thought of the things she could do again: sleepovers, double dates, and maybe even online video games, if Alya was into that sort of thing.

After a few years of being alone, Marinette had given up on those dreams altogether, especially after she had a falling out with her old best friend. She hoped she'd never have to go through that with Alya.

Just as Alya turned to show Marinette a comic on her phone, the whole floor shook.

Marinette yelped and grabbed the table. The lamp she'd turned on earlier toppled to the floor, the glass breaking into a million pieces. Books toppled from the shelves and students screamed.

Another rumble shook through the building. The sudden thump of impact threw both Alya and her off their chairs. Marinette's head smacked the floor, thankfully only missing the glass by a foot or so. She groaned, rubbing her forehead to clear the spots from her eyes.

"Girl, get up!" Alya insisted, pulling Marinette up to her feet. "Come on!"

Marinette was dragged through the library, the rest of the class rushing in the same direction Alya was pulling her. They stopped in front of the main checkout desk, the usual security footage appearing on the TV screen above the desk.

Another boom sounded.

"Did you hear that?" a student said, "It sounds like steps!"

Marinette's attention was fixed on one of the many cameras on the screen. In frame, she could see a large dark figure, appearing to be made out of giant boulders. Her mouth dropped open as she saw the being stomp a car like a pancake.

"KIIIIIMMMM!!!!" the large thing shouted.

"What is that, and why does it sound like Ivan?!" Marinette panicked.

Alya gasped. "It's as if he's been transformed into a real-life supervillain!" She pulled out her phone once more and started going through her settings.

"GPS, check. Battery, check. Perfect, I'm ready to go!"

And with that, Alya bolted toward the library entrance.

"Where are you going?!" Marinette shouted after her.

Alya turned, the biggest smile stretched across her face. "Where there's a supervillain, there's always a superhero close behind! There's no way I'm missing this!"

She threw the doors open and disappeared around the corner.

"Alya, wait! That's not safe!" Marinette called after her, but she didn't respond.

Looking back at the camera, Marinette couldn't help but feel like the world was against her today. Not only was she almost late to class, her macarons destroyed, and Chloe in her class this year, but now there was a weird creature on the loose that sounded like Ivan.

On the screen, the creature picked up the car it had squished and threw it toward the camera. In a flash of color, the camera cut out. Marinette wrapped her arms around herself.

How much worse could today get?

---

Hello, everyone! Welcome to Miraculous Ladybug: Retold!

I was inspired to do this a week or so ago when I watched a video about all of the flaws that Miraculous Ladybug has. Things like plot holes, character inconsistencies, and possible scrapped story threads were a main theme of the video, and it awakened something in me. Something that made me realize that I wanted to fix whatever had happened to Miraculous.

So, here we are!

Some of the issues I'll be tackling is Chloe's character, Lila's story importance, Nathalie's role in Adrien's life, Marinette's stalker-like tendencies, and some core story pacing issues.

I appreciate your patience as I try to rewrite the entire series. Please, keep in mind that wrote to exactly 8:45 into the episode - and I almost came out with 5,000 words. What's easily portrayed in a TV show takes time to describe in a book, so bear with me!

We're off on a long-haul adventure, one longer than I've ever tried to do in my life. Let's hope we can see the end of this one day!

And now, let's end this off with the usual send off: a favorite comment!

Favorite Comment:

by @keverbloom

"miraculous ladybug is like someone told you that if you come to a donut shop, they'll give you a free donut. So you go to get a free donut but instead of giving you one to eat, they throw one into the trash can and start it on fire. So you technically get a donut, but not in the way you expected or wanted... it's just an awesome-smelling dumpster fire."

If that isn't the truth, I don't know what is, haha.

And, as always, have a Miraculous day!