Chapter Text
Understanding of Objective
Chloé Bourgeois didn’t know why it had happened.
They knew though, or at least the beginning of their new life.
She remembered falling down the hotel, wetness feeling their eyes and sobbing reaching their ears. Words being spoke in panic, words spoken by them before reaching the ground, shattering the concrete and leaving a mess of blood and debris around them.
When their hands reached to leave the crater, feelings and emotions of rage and wrath were leaking from atop of where she was. It was obvious to know whose feelings those were, yet the were still having problems wrapping their heads around the situation at hands, something almost unbelievable, a nightmare of some sorts.
Blueish-purple eyes darted left and right, golden and unraveled hair tinted in blood, their blood. Skin pale, yet little by little it was regaining some color, even if it was so little. They had an outfit, fitting for the Butterfly, but this was no time for appraisals.
She ran across the, somehow, empty street. A guess that appeared in mind is that most people decided to avoid close contact with Le Grand, and it was fair. After all, not all of them level-Césaire of crazy to jump into danger zone or the origin zone of the Akumas.
They ran for five minutes straight before going inside of an alley that had an easy access to a building, that looked semi-abandoned. They jumped, reaching the window frame and see the broken window. Sliding a hand through a crack, she unlocked the window and went inside. She? —They had to organize their thoughts.
“Are you ok, My Queen?!” Pollen quickly appeared from one of the pockets of the Butterfly outfit.
An answer was going to escape their lips before se felt magic enveloping them wash away from her body. It felt like warm blanket being removed, leaving the body to be exposed to the coldness of the wind.
“I…” They seemed to have problems formulating a simple answer. After some seconds an answer was reached. “Everything is fine…?” they wanted it to be a statement, but it sounded more like a question.
“Are you ok, Mistress?” The Butterfly Kwami asks, worried.
“We… think.” They replied with uncertainty. “I feel exhausted and our mind is slipping.” It was also getting hazy and foggy. “Body is tired, want… to…sleep.”
“You overused magic, My Queen. More than your body should be capable of having or giving for that matter. Sleep, Nooroo and I will wake you up if something happens.” Pollen said.
The butterfly—Nooroo—nodded in agreement.
They didn’t mind it, because they were so tired that they didn’t want to argue against some sleep. Also, they made sure to take routes no one would expect Chloé Bourgeois to take. Some looking pretty nasty routes, unbefitting of a Bourgeois to take. Closing their eyes, they felt as their whole went dark.
True to their words, Nooroo and Pollen woke them up after a while. Not enough to be called proper sleep by her standards, but enough to have energy to make a run for it if necessary. One eye twitched, and she felt worry, sadness and panic in on are of the city. Somewhere. But they were also aware of her own emotions. Anger, mainly, for justice to be served.
“Can you guys explain something to me?” They asked.
““Yes.”” They both said.
“Why are we talking like these, as if my thoughts were spoken by more than one person sometimes. We knew that using so much wouldn’t be good, but what’s happening?” They tried to be calm, though it was pretty much obvious very worrying. They were Chloé, in some way, but at the same time not. It was something weird, they have the memories of Chloé, they remember experiencing everything and yet everything also felt so new, so nice.
Both Kwamis looked at each other, worried and truly concerned expression over their face. They went together and began to talk in hushed tones, it made them narrow an eye, but she guessed that they were brainstorming for possibilities. Meanwhile, she focused on her thoughts about the situation while looking through the window where entered.
It was dusk, the falling sun. Almost like Chloé did when she fell after finally knowing who Paris number one villain and terrorist was. Uncle Gabriel, their mind whispered in sorrow, sadness. Why would he do such things? Mayura – who was obviously Nathalie – said something about Aunty Emilie. Yet, her mind couldn’t wrap around the situation, they’d known Gabriel’s grief ran deeper than anyone else’s, but had he forgotten than he wasn’t the only one. There was Adrien, too, and herself. Why was he so hell bent on the miraculous? They knew that he wanted the miraculous to maybe bring Auntie Emilie back, but she knew something. Everything has a price, no matter what.
“My Queen…?” They heard Pollen’s voice. “What are you thinking about?”
“About… Uncle Gabriel,” They closed their eyes before taking a deep breath, she needed to think about her weird thought process, why can she find to be comfortable again like before about herself. “I knew that he was closed off, but to be Hawkmoth, fucking Hawkmoth. Number one villain and the bane of Paris, my people—” She stopped rambling and her face contorted into confusion. Their people? Since when they are referring to them like that? Her mind began to spin and she stumbled to the side and she caught herself with the wall. Something was happening with her mind, she didn’t know why? “Pollen, Nooroo, What’s happening to me?”
“I think you are dissociating with your humanity.” Nooroo said, uncertain.
“Our… humanity? What does my humanity have anything do to with the mess that is my head right now?” They asked, confused.
“My Queen… don’t you find weird that you haven’t been in pain, even though you had burnout enough magic to leave you out for days?” Pollen asked coming closer, hovering in front of her, Nooroo right behind.
“…” Now that they think about it, it is true. She doesn’t feel much pain anymore. The only thing was the claws-like marks on her neck for when Mayura had her grip on them. Though, it doesn’t hurt as much anymore.
Mayura… Nathalie. Why was she helping Gabriel? They knew her to be someone analytical, that wouldn’t do something so stupid without reason to do it. But what was it? Auntie Emilie was dead, or missing according to the official records, why can’t they move on without forgetting about her? They hurt so much people just for one person… That’s something that she hated, they knew they were a bitch according to people, but even she had limits. Working for a terrorist was the limit, breaking the law was it, even when the law tends to break their own laws from time to time.
“Now that you say something about it. I feel light-weighted, but fine. My mind feels weird though, I am having a sudden urge to--” Rip Gabriel and Nathalie apart, destroying everything they had worked for, for everything they had done, to them, to Adrien, to her Motherland. “—Do things…” Mainly kill Gabriel, he is no longer the one we knew him to be. Something whispered in her mind, and they shook their head.
“Sorry, My Queen…” Pollen whispered, sadly.
They were able to quickly picked it up and looked at the bee confused, what would Pollen be sorry for? She helped her— them? —when she needed it.
“What would you be sorry for—?”
“Because I allowed you to use venom two times in a row!” Pollen shouted, taking her aback. The sadness emanating from the Kwami, the guilt was picked up by her, so this is a side effect of the Butterfly? Then couldn’t Gabriel pick up when Adrien was sad because he couldn’t bond with his father? “Young bodies like teenagers aren’t meant to be able to bear with the magical burnout of using an ability two times in a row, and they really shouldn't be able to transform at all after that! Nooroo and I had to do something while you were asleep to ensure that you wouldn’t die—”
I mean, I did die in when that building fell on me like a day ago… They thought. Death is not gross news to me. Pollen would be surprised how many Akuma had actually killed me but no-one knew because no one checked on me. Actually, wasn’t there a snake Miraculous. I’ll need to recover that one first.
“—Because I can’t see another young one dying!”
She winced. How many young people with Miraculous had died? Were they of her age or less?
“Pollen, what did you do?”
“If I may, My Mistress.” Nooroo began. “We didn’t know if what we did would work, but we pumped a little bit of raw magic into your body to make up for all you gave in.” He began explaining. “I’m not sure how to explain better, since Wayzz is the most knowledge of everything since he spends most of the time outside, but human bodies are not meant to be able to take raw magic, less someone so young. It would harm them since they are full of ‘neutrality’, it would affect their psych since putting more water in a glass would make it drop the water that was before.”
“And that is what is happening to me?”
“Not exactly.” Nooroo answered. “Your body already lost some of the humanity it had for some reason, some parts were empty and our magic fill in the parts. Do you have any idea how?” It was asked at Pollen.
“The only way for a human to lose its humanity is to die--” Pollen’s eyes widened. “—and accept their death.” Her eyes landed on them.
“Makes sense.” They answered, thoughtful. “Accepting death is losing humanity and since everyone comes back due to the Miracle Cure, the humanity is restored but bits are missing. Everything has a price. Death isn’t that scary anymore.”
“My Queen… How many times have you died?” Pollen asked.
They waved their hands dismissively. “Lost count after 50. You’ll be surprised to see how many people want to see Chloé Bourgeois death as a second goal after being akumatized.” They smirked. “The last one was when a building fell on me, a silent akuma like silencer, a beam went through me pinning me on the ground, I was on the other side for a while and I met a snake.”
“A snake?!” Pollen and Nooroo asked, eyes wide and surprised. Though, it only made them more confused. She was sure that the miraculous had something to do with it.
“Yeah, you know something about it?”
“Ok, My Queen, we are going to talk about your deaths later, I would never imagine that Sass would talk to you.” Pollen said in disbelief, apparently meeting the snake is something weird. She would ask about later, there are things more important for them.
“Now, is there an explanation as to why are we having my mind like this?” They asked.
“I will answer.” Pollen raised the equivalent to a human hand. “The raw magic is not completely within your body, as it is recognizing it as a foreign substance. You should be able to feel yourself again if you manage to merge both your humanity, the magic of subjugation and transmission within your body but there is the chance that you’ll lose your mind.” Pollen said, hesitantly. “If you don’t merge it, you can expel it from your body but you’ll suffer the pain from the burnout, and you won’t be able to move for a lot of time.”
They looked outside, and saw the night appearing. She clenched her hands around the brooch as she felt the weight of the comb on her head. She only had to merge everything together? They grinned, losing her mind? She did that a long time ago. She didn’t care anymore, is not like many people would care if they did. She just wanted Gabriel to pay for everything he’d done. Losing one’s mind is a small price to protect their motherland.
“I’ll do it.” They said, and as quickly as they said it, a feeling surging throughout their body appeared. It was warmth and cold at the same time, her body went stiff and tense, yet she was relaxed. If she went crazy, then so be it, as long as she can take Gabriel down his throne, everything will be fine. She had so little to lose, and a lot to gain unlike him.
The Miraculous lit up. The comb in a yellow overflowing light and the brooch in a violet one. Sighing, she felt her mind going clearer, but she also felt e nudge in the bottom of it. It was weird, she felt something trying to break her mind, but it didn’t hurt, she had the control now. There was no Hawkmoth, no one to take advantage of the people of her city, her people, the people that so hate her, she couldn’t fault them, never. She will protect them, at the very best of her ability.
“My Queen… How are you feeling?” She heard Pollen asking, and she simply chuckle.
“I’m fine, Pollen. My mind feels more calm, serene and I am more clear on my objective from now on.”
“Which is, Mistress?” Nooroo asked.
She smiled wickedly, the smile that would make someone feel a shiver down their spines. “Destroy Gabriel Agreste, and everything he has worked for.”
“Well, at least she hasn’t gone that crazy.” Pollen whispered to Nooroo, who nodded in agreement. They saw this as an absolute win.
“Her will is stronger than my previous master, I am not surprised there.” The butterfly replied.
“Now, to decide a name. What about, Aline?” Aline said, running a hand through her hair.
“Aline?” Pollen asks. “Why that name?”
“Chloé Aline Bourgeois. Not many people know about her second name. Besides Chloé is dead, I can’t let Gabriel think he can do anything to me, because he honestly can’t.” Her words were true. Chloé didn’t have many friends to begin with, there was Sabrina and Adrien, but she doubts that Gabriel would fuck up things more badly than he already has when it comes to his son. Chloé parents didn’t care that much about her, Audrey? A bitch who doesn’t remember her name. Andre? Emotionally absent, not enough to be called a good parent by standards. “We are going to the hotel, there is something I must grab before.” Aline said. “But before that. Nooroo, is there something else I must know about Gabriel. Can you tell if there is?”
“Well,” Nooroo began, he seemed to have hesitated but his resolve in his said otherwise. “There is someone that was working for Hawkmoth.”
This was new. There was another enemy of the Motherland? She will have a talk with that person.
“Who is it?” Aline asked.
“I don’t know the name,” Nooroo admitted. “But I knew that she was Volpina, I heard Gabriel talking with someone through akuma saying something about work. I don’t know more, sorry, I don’t know more.”
Oh… Would you look at that.
Pollen went to hug Nooroo and reassure him, that he has nothing to worry about.
“Don’t worry about it. Nooroo, Dark Wings Rise!” She exclaimed, and she watched as Nooroo flew toward the Miraculous. Magic washed over her, and she felt herself getting pumped up by the same feeling when she was merging the magic within her body and when she saw her outfit for the first time, she smiled from ear to ear.
She was wearing a purple waist-length tailcoat, a silver high-necked waistcoat with gold accents, purple pants, silver-purple winkle-pickers and a pair of golden gloves. Her mask is a dark-purple butterfly-like mask with bright-yellow dots like pattern, and unlike Hawkmoth’s, her unraveled golden hair could be seen.
“Welcome to this world… Riodini.” Riodini whispered, watching how Pollen hovered in front of her. There are things that must happen first and she felt the Chloé part of herself nodding in approval, and she perched herself through the window. “Let’s go visit a little fox.”