I don't own Miraculous Ladybug.

Thanks for the comments. I am happy if my story inspires your own. Feel free to use it as inspiration. Please send me the link when you are done. As for Marinette being a bitch, it's due to a trauma that occurred when she was very young, shortly before she met Lila. I will go more into detail in this chapter. But what I want to said is that the trauma makes her hate being betrayed or used. Once a person does that to her or someone she cared about, it is near impossible to get back into Marinette's good graces. Marinette is still the sweetest girl to people as long as they don't take advantage of her kindness, but to the person who betrayed her, she is colder and harsher than the Antarctic. Even Lila and her parents know better than to tried and changed her mind about that.

Chloe's behavior is inspired by You had a friend in me by Unmasked. Also I got inspiration from "Plagg speaks out."

Ms. Bustier's class have become a laughingstock in the school and to an extent in Paris. Marinette had dragged Lila to join her group of friends at lunch shortly after the reveal in class. To make Aurore, Mirelle and the rest of her new friends accept Lila, she had showed them the footage of the reveal as well as the emails sent between the girls before Lila's first day of school detailing the lies. There were more emails detailing the continued lies and plot after the first day. Lila's grandmother's health had taken a turn for the worst after Volpina so Lila had to go back to Italy after literally one day of school. Marinette and Lila had also taped the scenes in which Lila told her stories. Marinette's friends accept Lila warily because she hadn't spread the bad rumors about Marinette. Somehow the videos had spread throughout the school (cough Chloe cough). Within a matter of days, Lila had been accepted as a good person despite the questionable things she does and Ms. Bustier's class had labeled as leeches and stupid. They were now pariahs as no one want to be friends with people who would only use you for your connections and abilities or were stupid enough to believe these lies.

Lila and Marinette started to hang out and do the things that best friends do. Marinette had been planning for years about what they would do when she and Lila were together in Paris. She literally had notebooks filled up. So, the two of them were too busy whenever their classmates invited them to outings, hoping to get back into the two friends' good graces. The two friends didn't even bother wasting their time with a response. Why should they waste their times on these insects? They have true friends and dreams that they had to achieve. There was only so much time they had to get there. Marinette had joined the designer's club, shortly after being removed as class president. Lila, after the reveal, had joined theater. Marinette had, with Lila's and her new friends' support, sent up her own website, MDC. Her friends, especially Lila, modeled the clothes. Marinette smiled as her name and her friends' name become known. They were making progress towards their dreams.

Chloe, had seeing the two friends' risen, reached out to them with an offer of truce a few weeks after the reveal. She would leave these two alone as long as they don't inference in her plots to regain control of the class. Lila and Marinette agreed as long as Nathanial was also spared. After all, he had been the only one who had never taken part in Marinette's bullying. True he had never supported Marinette against the class, but he had never harmed her. He had known about Lila's lies, but had never tried to guilted Marinette to be quiet like Adrien. Chloe had agreed as long as Nathanial don't get in her way either.

The next day, Chloe had begun her plots by spilling coffee on Rose's new pink dress. Chloe had then snarled and said, "It looks better that way." She had then walked to her seat like a queen. Before Marinette would have rushed to help Rose, promising to fix the stained dress or make Rose a new one if it can't be saved. Now Marinette merely sips her own coffee and comments about how the taste seems a bit mediocre to Lila. Lila takes the cup and takes a sip, agreeing. Nathanial had lifted his eyes from his sketchbook." Keep your head down, if you don't want that happening to you," Lila had hissed at him across the aisle. Nathanial had followed her command, going back to sketching. This set the scene for the next two months.

Chloe tripped Alix. Lila screams as Alix nearly fall on her. Marinette rushes to make sure Lila is okay, not even glancing at Alix's downed form.

Chloe ripped Alya's notes. Marinette merely keep on reviewing hers with Lila. Lila had dragged Nathanial into their review, when he had been about to said something to defend Alya.

Chloe gets Jukela exempted from yearbook photos. Marinette presents up a design for the yearbook to the committee. Lila helps the committee choose the most memorable memories to put in.

Chloe sneaked chili pepper into Kim's drink during an important race. Marinette didn't even go to the race. She and her friends were eating at a café that Lila found with the most authentic Italian cuisine outside of Italy.

Chloe steps on Nino's headphones, breaking it. Marinette talks about a Jagged Stone concert that she had gotten tickets for and invites Lila. Lila had squealed and agreed.

Chloe had deleted the computer programs Max designed. Lila had to caught Marinette and the box of cupcakes she bought when she tripped over air. Lila was too busy fussing over Marinette, who was worrying about the cupcakes, to care about Max.

Chloe make fun of Mylene's weight, causing her to burst into tears. Lila rehearsed the lines for the new play with Marinette. The two friends walked out to practice where they "can hear themselves talk."

Chloe got Ivan sent to the principal's office for spilling water on her new purse. Marinette and Lila plan a trip they wanted to take to that weekend.

Soon the message was clear to Nathanial and the class. Marinette won't defend them against Chloe. She and Lila were the only ones safe from Chloe's wrath, and as long as Nathanial keeps his head down, Chloe would never target him. Needless to say, Nathanial was only in class as long as lessons required. The minute the bell rings he was out of the room as through there was an akuma in it. Chloe's reign was absolute. Marinette and Lila couldn't care less.

Adrien tried to guilt them into helping.

"You should have helped Ivan." He said with a disappointed look at Marinette who was eating lunch with Lila and Kagami.

"Why? I had a trip to plan. Besides it wasn't my problem." Marinette shrugs.

"You know that Ivan didn't meant to spilled water on Chloe. You should have spoken up."

Marinette swallows her bite of sweet and sour chicken. "If you know that then why didn't you speak up? I was busy while you were just sitting there watching."

"You're our Everyday Ladybug. It's your job," Adrien told her.

Lila snorts "Ladybug doesn't correct every injustice. If she did, she would never have a moment's rest. Besides she corrects injustice that are caused by Hawkmoth, not something caused by someone's mistakes."

"Leave Marinette out of your class drama. She has enough to deal with already," Kagami said. She had seen how much work Marinette was doing between her website, schoolwork and founding the time to help people and hanging out with friends.

"What? Marinette is just being selfish," Adrien didn't understand. Marinette used to be so nice, always willing to help. Now she was acting as through she was better than them. She didn't bring in pastries anymore. When she does it is only for her, Lila, Nathanial, and Chloe, not that the latter eats it. Oh, Chloe took it, but more often than not she uses it to show off to her classmates or the "drooling wolves" as she called them. Marinette didn't make clothes for them anymore. She always directed them to her website. For the school dance, every girl had looked horrible in cheap dresses, everyone except Lila, Marinette and Chloe. Lila and Marinette had worn dresses that compliments them, but when seen together make them look like two halves of a whole. Apparently, Marinette made them to show off their friendship. Chloe had worn a designer gown. Lila and Marinette were swamped with requests for dances and dates.

"No, I think that's you and your class," Kagami states coldly. She had saw the videos.

"Your friends could get akumatized because of Chloe," Adrien tries to guilt Marinette again, who scowls at him.

"Then you deal with it. After all she is your childhood friend," Marinette stands. "Come on. Let's eat somewhere where a spineless fool isn't whining at us." Lila and Kagami follow her.

After Adrien had tried to talk to Marinette alone several times, Lila had confronted Adrien in the courtyard and told him in no uncertain terms to stop.

"Leave Marinette alone, you spineless coward" Lila demands in a loud voice as she stands in front of Adrien.

"What?" Adrien said startled. Lila was fuming, even worse than when he had asked her to stop lying.

"I know that you have been trying to guilt Marinette into being a slave for the class again. I am telling you right now to stop it. Marinette make it very clear that she doesn't want anything to do with you all unless you are paying her for a commission." A crowd grows.

"Marinette is just being selfish. Once she saw that she is wrong, everything could go back to the way it was," Adrien said with a soft smile.

"Why would I want to go back to the way things were?" Marinette asks as the crowd parts for her. "My best friend is with me. I have actual friends. We are all making progress towards our dreams."

"But our friends are miserable!"

"How many times do I have to tell you? They are not my friends! I hate people who take advantage of my kindness," the darkest look come over her face.

"Marinette, I am so disappointed in you. You are being a bully," Adrien said with a frown. The crowd gasps in shock and starts yelling insults at Adrien and defending Marinette. It all stops when Lila slaps Adrien hard enough to leave a red hand mark on his face.

"Don't you dare call Marinette a bully. She has never done anything to anyone who doesn't deserves it," Lila screams.

Adrien holds his cheek. "How dare you! My father…"

"will believe you walked right into Lila's hand as she was waving it around when practicing for a scene," Marinette said, looking around at the crowd, who agrees that was what happened. "Speaking of which, I still need to finish fitting all the actors for the play. Do you know where they are?"

"Oh, they should be in the drama room right now. I will go with you. I need to talk to Orion anyway about the battle scene." The two walks off. The crowd dispenses, glaring at Adrien as they do so.

The reveal had spread all over the city when Alya was akumatized a week after the reveal. Her blog's popularity sunk when Lila's interview was revealed to have been false. She can't even blame Lila, because Lila had made the lies easy to reveal. Not to mention the videos that show Lila's motive and lies had made it onto the web first, so she was being bashed for being a bad friend and a terrible journalist. Lila had also posted the videos on the website when her former classmates gather to talk about the experience with her. These people send scathing emails to Alya, calling her just as bad as their former friends. They got the email addresses of rest of the class and did the same to them. Adrien got the worst of it, with his enabling attitude, when they called him even worse than their former friends. Ladybug had fought her alone, since Chat Noir was off throwing a tantrum after Ladybug made it clear she was too busy to go on a date with him, since her best friend was in Paris. For some reason, the battle went faster than normal.

When Alya was defeated and back to normal, she had begged Ladybug to admit that Lila was her best friend. Ladybug's reply had in a way.

" Lila, Lila Rossi?" Alya nods. "Oh, she is not my best friend. I would never befriend a civilian. It's too dangerous." Alya droops. "However, she did ask me for permission to say that. Apparently, something about testing her best friend's crush." Ladybug shrugs. "I agree because it's not like people haven't tried to say that before to gain popularity. At least she had the decency to ask me first. Besides considering she got akumatized trying to test him, I thought it would be less troublesome this way. "With that, she swings off.

The media had picked up on the scoop. Within in an hour the videos of the reveal and Lila's stories were showed. The various celebrities mention was contacted to ask for their opinion. That was when Ms. Bustier's class shame was revealed to have been spread into their circles. Apparently to avoid any legal trouble Marinette and Lila had reached out to them and told them what they were doing. The only reason that the celebrities had consented was because Lila had promised to make the stories outlandish. The videos were taken to show them and as compensation. The celebrities show them the papers and emails in which Lila had admitted anything she said about them during that time period was lies.

When Marinette's parents were asked about their daughter's schemes on live TV, it was revealed that Marinette's inability to trust people and make friends stems from something that happen to them when Marinette was seven. Tom explains "A friend of ours take advantage of our kindness and left us with a debt. The bakery almost went bankrupt. We were very depressed and angry at the time. Marinette picked up on that. She overheard our conversations about why this was happening and started to withdraw from her own friends. We send her off to Italy with my mother, but the damage was done."

Sabine continues "Marinette meet Lila shortly afterwards. Lila was telling stories and Marinette called her out. The two got into a fight as Lila tries to defend herself and Marinette cries about how lies had ruined her parents. Lila's mother had intervened. The two girls had talked out their differences over a snack. Eventually the two girls learn that lies could be good or bad depending on how they are used. Marinette wanted to expose bad liars before they can do harm. Lila thought it would be fun to manipulate people to reveal themselves. That is how this scheme was born." Afterwards no one give Marinette any trouble about it. Besides with the rise of Volpe the new permanent fox heroine, they had more interesting news to cover.

Not long after Lila's return, rumors of a new fox hero arise. Volpe had started patrolling with Ladybug on the latter's sole patrol because Ladybug wanted her to be ready. Barely a week after Marinette's parents reveal about her past, Volpe was introduced officially when she joins Ladybug in a fight when Chat Noir once again didn't show up.

"Volpe is the new permanent fox heroine." Ladybug announces after the two had defeated the akuma. "She is my best friend. We have known each other since childhood. "

"What about Rena Rogue?"

Ladybug smirk. "She was just a temporary replacement for Volpe. I had planned on giving her another miraculous if she passes one of my tests, but she failed."

"Terribly," Volpe coughs.

"So, you will be seeing Volpe a lot," Ladybug concludes.

"Especially if Chat Noir doesn't stop being a spoiled brat," Volpe grumbles.

True to the two heroines' word, Volpe become Ladybug's new partner. Chat Noir stops showing up to fights, and when he does it was always to ask Ladybug for a date. When she refuses, he always throws a tantrum. Volpe rolls her eyes before grabbing Ladybug and leaving.

Things come to a head after Alya get akumatized again. By this point, Marinette and Lila were so done with her, and the rest of their former class. (The school broad investigated when it was revealed that the only reason Marinette hadn't been akumatized was because Lila had taken the butterfly for her. They found out that Ms. Bustier had her teaching license revoked because of her teaching method of lecturing the victims and cuddling the bully. The class had been divided. Lila and Marinette adjust well. The other students keep getting put in detention or having parents called in for their unruly behavior.)

"Again? What is this? The fourth time?" Volpe asks as she crosses her arms.

"Fifth," Ladybug corrects. "The last two times was when she was grounded for having Marinette babysit for her and having her phone confiscates by the teacher. This time it was for replacing me replacing her as Rena Rogue. Honestly that was why I let Lila told those lies, so I can test my temporary holders."

"Ugh, you should just accept that you were wrong. You bullied Marinette and other students for some stories that anyone with a brain cell can tell was fake. You can't see truth from lies. The fox is a creature of trickery and deceit, which you fail at."

"That was mean" Chat Noir drops in front of them.

"You don't get a say in this, you mangy cat," Volpe said with a toss of her hair. "You weren't here fighting."

"I would have help if Ladybug just gone on a date with me."

Both heroines groan.

Ladybug explodes "WE'RE HEROES! WE ARE EXPECTED TO FOCUS PROTECTING PARIS! WE DON'T LET OUR PERSONAL DESIRES GET IN OUR WAY! HOW CAN YOU BE SO SELFISH?!"

"I deserve you! AFTER ALL I HAVE DONE FOR YOU!"

Lila have had it. She wasn't always a good person, but even she knows that a person was not something to be own. She punches Chat Noir in the face. "How dare you! Ladybug is a living breathing person! She doesn't own you anything!" She grabs Marinette by the arm and pulls her protectively behind her. "Stay away from us, you entitled brat." The two girls jump off over the rooftops, leaving a fuming Chat Noir, who proceeds to throw a tantrum about how Ladybug was his and Volpe was getting in his way.

Marinette and Lila didn't find out about the tantrum until the next morning when they came down for breakfast. Sabine, who had been putting breakfast on the table for her daughter and her friends who have been sleeping over, was frozen and gaping at the TV when her daughter and friends came down. She explains to the girls what they had missed. Apparently, Nadja had managed to record Chat Noir's tantrum after the two female Holders left. A lot of concern had been raised over this. People have already started having a negative opinion about Chat Noir ever since he stops coming to fights. The rise of Volpe and the reason behind it only increase negative opinion. This video was the last straw. The group of friends walks to school discussing this entire thing. Everyone in school was talking about it. The opinion was negative much to both Marinette's and Lila's pleasure. For some reason through Adrien was trying to convince the other students that Chat Noir did nothing wrong. He got a lot of weird and disgusted looks.

That night Volpe and Ladybug were patrolling together when Chat Noir confronts them.

"What, you alley cat? Here to do your duty for once?" Volpe asks sarcastically.

"Did you see what everyone is saying about me?" Chat Noir roars at them.

Ladybug and Volpe sighs. Moron. "How can we not?" Ladybug drawls "It was all over the news. Not to mention everyone is talking about it."

"This is your fault!"

"No, it is yours for throwing a tantrum in front of citywide TV." Volpe said. Honestly how did he not notice Nadja was still filming?

"WHY CAN'T YOU JUST ACCEPT WE'RE MEANT TO BE?"

"BECAUSE WE ARE NOT. ONLY TRUE HOLDERS ARE SOULMATES! I AM THE TRUE HOLDER FOR THE LADYBUG MIRACOLOUS! YOU ARE NOT THE TRUE HOLDER OF THE CAT MIRACOLOUS! YOU ARE JUST LIKE RENA ROGUE, THE BEST CHOICE AT THE TIME! NO, WAIT, YOU ARE EVEN WORSE! YOU WEREN'T EVEN THE BEST CHOICE AT THE TIME!" Master Fu had told Marinette that when she had asked why Chat Noir was so bad at being a hero.

"WHAT? OF COURSE, I WAS THE BEST CHOICE! WHO ELSE COULD BE BETTER THAN ME?" Chat Noir was furious. He was the best! He was the one who deserves the Cat Miraculous the most!

Lila pretends to think. "How about everyone in Paris who is physically fit and old enough? I am sure any of them could do the job better than you!"

"The Guardian told me you were the third best choice. The first choice was an adult and had an important job that was too time-consuming, so he was out. He had originally planned to give the Cat Miraculous to the second choice."

"The fact that he didn't must meant that I am better!" Chat Noir said triumphantly.

"No, she moved a week before the akuma attacks started." Ladybug shakes her head.

Volpe winces "ahh." That really sucks for Ladybug. She really feels sorry for her friend, even more than she had these past few months.

"The fact that they aren't here must meant that you and I are meant to be!" He starts to move towards Ladybug, who steps back in alarm. Before he can get to close through, he let sout a yelp and hold his head. Volpe had slammed her flute onto Chat Noir's head as he tried to kiss Ladybug.

"That is enough! What part of "No" don't you get?" Volpe snaps both in her tone and control. There were no words to describe her anger and frustration. "Come on, Ladybug! Let's go!" Volpe drags Ladybug with her over the roofs.

"Not worry," Ladybug consoles Volpe, unheard by Chat Noir. "The guardian had told me he found the true holder for the Cat Miraculous. Soon we'll see the last of Chat Noir." True to her word, at the next akuma attack, Feline Knight arise.

Notes:

The current play is about a kingdom being invaded. Lila plays a major role as a general of the kingdom trying to protect her people. The hand waving actually happens when she is giving a speech to her army.

Lila know Marinette is Ladybug since Marinette had video called her to talk about Stoneheart. She opened her Miraculous right in front of the computer screen and transform right in front of her. Marinette didn't call Lila out in Volpina. Lila got akumatized when Adrien keep going on and on about Ladybug. She was furious that this dense boy can't even see her best friend right in front of him. Adrien knew Lila was lying because of a lie she told about a model he works with. Heroes' day was someone else.

Celebrities knew about gold diggers so they thought it would be interesting. It was interesting gossip for them to talk about, but it would fade from their minds soon.

In a way Marinette's parents blame themselves for her inability to trust people. That is why they were supportive of her plot. They also didn't like Ms. Bustier's class anymore. They had seen the videos of how easily Marinette's classmates turn on her. Not to mention after she stops spending time with them, her grades picked up back to what they used to be, and she had more time to spend with them. This make them realize just how bad her class was. The clothes that Marinette make for them was almost more than what she made for them all these years. So basically, they blame the class for Marinette's bad grades due to their requests taking up her study time. Not to mention, she stops disappearing for no reason (she really just has Lila and her new friends as an alibi.)

Volpe is Italian for Fox.