Two months ago…

The door slammed open, the vibrations causing dust to sprinkle off the disheveled furniture inside the room.

A middle aged woman flipped on the switch next to her. The ceiling fan started with a groan, and the lights gave a brief flicker before barely illuminating the room.

As she entered, Alice stepped in after her with an inquisitive expression. She curiously studied the twirling wood planks that spun above her, as well as wondered how the old woman was able to set the lights on without needing to use matches or candles.

"Strange house. Very strange indeed." Alice commented to herself.

"Yeah yeah, criticize it all you want but this is the best you're gonna get." The old woman grumbled bitterly.

"So… What facilities are included? Does it come with a bedroom and closet? A shower room?" Alice asked.

"You sleep on the couch." The woman said rather bluntly, pointing towards the sofa in the room. "You got a bathroom and toilet down that way, and a kitchen in the corner."

Alice looked at where she pointed, and with childlike wonder, started walking towards a strange white futuristic box on the counter. "What is this object for?"

The lady raised an eyebrow, explaining its obvious function. "That's a microwave. You heat food with it."

"Heat food? But how do you do so without using fire or wood? I don't see any slot or compartment where you can ignite that in here…" She touched the corners of the object delicately, studying the numbers on the front.

"It uses electricity. It doesn't use fire."

"El-eck-tree-city. Fascinating…" Alice whispered in awe. "And this clock with the glowing numbers? That's a timer, correct?"

The old lady shifted her eyes back and forth, wondering if this was some sort of practical joke. With an awkward shrug, she simply said, "Yeah."

Before Alice could gush over the technology, another object caught her eye and she began to sprint towards the bathroom. She sat on her knees and pointed at the toilet, "This chamber pot has a hole in below it and is filled with water. What purpose does this serve?"

The lady blinked, before crudely explaining, "You pee in it- or poop, whatever- then you press the lever on the side and the crap goes down the drain."

"A functioning sewage pipe that connects directly to the chamber pot?! That's genius!" With excitement, she pressed on the lever to see what it would do, and awed at the sight of the water rushing down the hole only for it to automatically refill.

"So, miss… Um… You touched in the head or something?"

"Hm?" Alice paused in her examination to raise an eyebrow, "Odd choice of words. My head feels fine, as far as I'm aware."

"Hm. Yeah. Alright." The middle aged woman looked at her strangely before shrugging it off with a tired, unconcerned look.

"Is there anything else that's included?" Alice bounced back up and quickly walked up to the woman with an excited and almost expectant look.

"We got a TV?" The woman said unsurely, pointing at the television in the main room.

It was an old dusty one that looked like it was made in the 90s. Nothing too new or expensive, since the old woman never bothered with such modern fangled garbage. But judging from the way the younger girl reacted, it might as well have been the newest discovery of the century.

"I've seen these things before while I was wandering around Paris! A shop that sold nothing but boxes with screens that could show moving pictures inside! It fascinated me so much that I spent at least hours attached to the window just to see what else would appear on the boxes!" Alice practically squealed. "You must show me how these work!"

Almost as if getting used to the girl's antics, the old woman didn't bat an eye when she picked up the remote from the table in front of the sofa. "You use this. It's a remote. It controls the TV."

Before she could even comprehend it, the remote disappeared from her grip and somehow reappeared in the girl's hand instead. The woman briefly looked at her hand in confusion before shaking her head and ignoring it.

Pressing the big red button on the corner of the remote that was labeled "On/Off," the TV switched on to show a broadcast of a popular detective-drama series.

"Oh my… Such a handsome young man." Alice blushed, tracing her finger over the face of famous actor Benedict Cumberbatch.

"We've got a serial killer on our hands. Love those, there's always something to look forward to."

Alice gasped, looking back at the older woman with a pleasantly surprised expression, "And he speaks English!"

"Ahuh..." The woman responded with disinterest, before telling her, "You only get three channels. The local news, sports, and the BBC channel. Cable costs a fortune, so I refuse to buy more than what I need. You want more channels? Pay for the damn thing yourself."

Alice turned off the TV and faced the older woman with a beaming smile, "All of this is so spectacular! It's almost hard to believe I get to live here while working for you as a waitress! I imagine that I wouldn't even be given such comforts working as a waitress back in London."

"Eh, probably not. I'm more of a special case, so to speak."

"In that case, I thank you for your abundant generosity my friend!" Alice did a quick curtsy, "I will do whatever I can to repay this debt to the best of my abilities, so please don't hesitate to ask me for any favors!"

"Yeah yeah, just don't be late for your job and don't slack off. You start tomorrow." She waved away the easily excited girl, before moving to leave. "Get yourself comfy here or something. I gotta get back to my restaurant."

With her gone, Alice turned back to admire her new home for the time being.

"This is absolutely wonderful, don't you agree Nooroo?" She asked the kwami hiding in her bonnet, speaking in her native language.

Nooroo popped out in front of her and gave a cringed expression. "Honestly, I feel like we've just gotten the short end of the stick here. I think she allowed us to live in one of the more… undesirable locations. There is dust and cobwebs in every corner of the room, everything is unkempt as if we were the first ones to set foot here in decades!"

"Oh hush, you're always so pessimistic." She chastised, "How would you know anyway? Perhaps this is just how houses are like in the future."

Nooroo gave her a deadpanned expression, "I sincerely doubt that."

Alice scoffed, before pointing at the TV, "Oh for heaven's sake, who cares about all the dust and cobwebs when we have a magical box that shows moving pictures and a chamberpot connected to the sewers itself? As far as I'm concerned, we're the luckiest beings alive to experience such technology first hand!"

Shaking his head in defeat, he sighed, "As you say, Miss Bellarose. So long as you're happy."

With a satisfied nod, she smiled, "Good. Now if you'll excuse me, I'm going to make like a young girl in Royal banquet, and excitedly faun over the handsome man in the picture box!"

Doing just that, she turned on the TV with the remote and drooled over the chiseled features of the well dressed man on the screen.

Nooroo hovered nearby, unamused at the scene. He sighed again, wondering what else life will throw at them next.

Hopefully, nothing too stressful.

Present day...

"I demand to know who that was, Nooroo! Tell me the identity of that woman now!"

The purple kwami shook in fear, as he stuttered, "Master, I promise you that I don't know! It's impossible for another Butterfly Miraculous to exist! The previous holder of the Butterfly Miraculous had retired long before you've acquired it, and he wasn't even a female!"

"Then how do you explain the girl and her ability to manipulate my akumas, claiming to be my predecessor?!"

"I don't know, Master! T-T-The last female holder of the Butterfly Miraculous that I can remember was a young girl from England that lived during the 19th century! And she has long since passed away…" Nooroo remarked the last part sadly, remembering fond memories of the girl back when they were still partners. Shaking his head, he continued, "So it's physically impossible for her to be your predecessor!"

The man growled in frustration before waving his kwami away, "You're worthless. Eat your croissant and regain your stamina. I need time for myself to think."

"Yes Master…" Nooroo sighed dejectedly before floating over to his meal, and reluctantly began to eat his croissants.

Le Papillon closed his eyes in deep thought, a frown etched on his face like a permanent tattoo.

This was certainly an anomaly. A woman with powers of the Butterfly Miraculous, using her akumas to create champions that fight on her behalf. Her powers were exactly like his own. Yet there was no explanation for this at all. It truly was impossible for a situation like this to ever exist, but he found himself in these specific circumstance regardless.

Who was that girl? How does she have access to powers that should be exclusive for him and for him only? Why falsely claim to be his predecessor when there was no obvious benefit for it?

Was this the result of some sort of illusion magic?

No… No, when Le Bulleur appeared in the fight, he could clearly feel the presence of another akuma. Yet it was an akuma that he couldn't control or link minds with. Like some sort of rogue akuma with mental barriers to keep his interactions out.

A duplication, perhaps?

It might be possible. He remembered quite well of the time when he granted a servant to be the exact copy of Chat Noir, appearance, powers, and all. Another servant he had raised once had powers that mirrored Ladybug, with her magical yoyo and the ability to conjure items out of thin air. While both were just imitations of the real deal, their powers functioned the exact same. If it wasn't for the fact that he needed their actual physical Miraculouses in his hands, he would have used his own replicas to gain ultimate powers long ago.

Was it possible that this La Papillon was just a cheap copy that merely mimics his own powers?

In that case, how did she get such powers, and from where if not from himself?

This was a mystery that he would soon solve. When the time was right, he would send out another akuma to strike again and lure her out, along with Ladybug and Chat Noir. Then, once he defeats them, he will rip their Miraculouses right out of their hands and see for himself if she was who she claimed to be.

He will not let her be an interference to his plans. Ultimate power will be his soon enough.

"Another day saved by the mysterious Miss Butterfly!" Alice cheered in English, pumping her fist in the air.

"I thought you said we should primarily speak French while we live here." Her kwami raised an eyebrow at her.

Laying her hand down, she embarrassingly apologized, "Sorry. Old habits."

She was back in her small room, sitting in her sofa as she patiently waited for the microwave to finish her pizza. Nooroo sat on the table in front her, sipping a cup of black tea in order to recuperate his energy.

"Today was quite exciting wasn't it? It was the first time we've transformed since the two months we've arrived here." She began the conversation, leaning on her palm as her other hand moved to pet her kwami with a finger.

"Terrifying is more like it. I still think it was risky to expose ourselves like that." He frowned, head leaning towards her as he enjoyed his partner's touch.

"But it ended on a rather high note with no complications. We helped the heroes to save Paris, like we always did in London." She rebutted.

"And now everyone in this city, and more importantly the other Papillon, knows of our existence." He argued back.

"It was bound to happen eventually, if not now then soon. I would never allow myself to sit in one place forever out of fear of the repercussions."

"Heh," Nooroo started to tease, "I remember a certain little lady who once refused to go outside, preferring to stay in her room and read books till the end of time, much to the chagrin of her parents."

"That was the old me, Nooroo. I've grown up from such single-minded behavior." She smiled at the reminder.

"Yes yes, you've grown up to be a fine young girl." He chuckled, taking another sip of his tea before donning a serious expression. "But back at the matter of hand though. We must discuss Le Papillon."

"Right." Alice furrowed her brows, sitting up straight in her seat, "It's true then. I've had some doubts about him owning the Butterfly Miraculous, but after seeing him face to face through his own akuma, there's no doubt now. He really is my successor. La Papillon's future." She sneered in disgust, "Truly a despicable thought."

"Him owning the Butterfly Miraculous means that, without question, he has a kwami with him that's forced to serve his commands."

She widened her eyes in realization, "You mean…?"

"There is another Nooroo that exists out there. A Nooroo from this time era."

"Is that even possible? For two Nooroo's to exist at one time?"

"Considering the fact that we were both shoved out of our original time era and placed in the future where technology like moving picture boxes and heating boxes exist, it isn't beyond the realm of possibility. Do not forget that us kwamis are immortal beings."

"And right now, the Nooroo from the future is currently aiding a madman abusing the Butterfly Miraculous for his own selfish gain." She continued with a pitying frown.

"That is the most likely scenario, yes. The thought doesn't comfort me, but it's something I must acknowledge." He sighed, sipping on his tea.

"Then that must be the reason why we were sent here! To come to your aid and help return the Butterfly Miraculous into the right hands!" Alice exclaimed.

"I don't think it's that simple." Nooroo shook his head, "Something tells me that we might be here for much bigger reasons than we can comprehend at the moment."

At that second, the heater box beeped to signal that the pizza was finished.

Alice stood up to grab a plate and returned with the meal in her hands.

"Whoever invented such a machine must have been a brilliant man." She commented, taking in the aroma of the pizza, "You no longer need a bakery oven to prepare meals, just shove it in a mini-box for ten minutes and you're ready to go! Even a simple child could do such a task! So convenient."

"It's both amazing and frightening how fast you humans have advanced within a few hundred years. You all adapt much faster with every century that passes. Makes me wonder what you'll accomplish in the next decade or so."

"We're truly unpredictable, aren't we?" She agreed, blowing on the pizza before taking her first bite.

"So what do you suppose we should do for the time being? We have no idea where Le Papillon is, and no plans on how we'll be able to find him." Nooroo resumed their conversation.

Swallowing in delight from the delicious pie, she said, "The first step is to introduce ourselves properly to Ladybug and Chat Noir! Surely, they've seen enough in their lives to believe in the idea of time travel. And if not, we prove our identities by having their kwamis confirm us. If they really are the successors of Lovebug and Panther, then that means Tikki and Plagg are with them as well. Even if it has been a… long time since they've last seen us, they have to at least recognize me and especially you!"

Nooroo hummed, "You have a good point. My mere existence to them should be a cold hard fact that we are telling the truth. But what then? What actions should we take after we all join together?"

"That…" She raised an unsure finger, "is something I have not thought ahead of yet. Baby steps, Nooroo. Baby steps."

"As you say then, Alice. We shall introduce ourselves and then plan ahead from there." He shrugged before finishing the last sip of his cup of tea. "Mmm. This tea tastes wonderful. So easy to make too! You just buy a box full of packets that contain the leaves already prepared, then insert in hot water!"

"It makes you wonder how we were able to live in a life where such conveniency hasn't existed yet! I don't think I could ever go back to buying and preparing leaves myself anymore."

"The future truly is wonderful."

They both finished dinner with high spirits.

"I know Nooroo, yes."

"You do?!"

Marinette's eyes bugged out of her head before she leaned in and continued her questioning. "Then that means you know who that girl was then?"

She was in her room, looking up news about the return of Le Bulleur as well as the appearance of a new mysterious masked figure that was seen running towards the location where Ladybug and Chat Noir fought Le Conduit. Tikki sat just above the edge of her keyboard, looking up at her partner with a confounded expression.

"Unfortunately, no. Like how I know Chat Noir's kwami, but not Chat Noir's real identify himself, I have absolutely no idea who this new girl is." Tikki briefly smiled from a nostalgic memory, "There was once a time when all the Miraculouses holders would meet up in a group and speak freely to one another like family… But those times have long passed."

"So Nooroo is her kwami then?" Marinette asked.

"Yes, which shouldn't be possible…" Tikki furrowed her brows.

"What? What does that mean?"

"Nooroo is the kwami of the Butterfly Miraculous, the one that allows their wielder to grant powers to anyone they choose and turn them into the wielder's champions." She explained.

"Wait… You mean like…?"

"Le Papillon, yes. The contradiction here though, is that there is only one of each of the seven Miraculouses. Le Papillon currently holds the Butterfly Miraculous. The only one of its existence. The one that Nooroo is part of."

"Which means the girl knowing about Nooroo is-"

"Extremely unlikely, unless Nooroo himself went out of his way to reveal himself to the girl." She nodded, "Now comes the confusing part. The masked girl we met today actually has the Butterfly Miraculous."

"But that's impossible since Le Papillon has the Butterfly Miraculous!"

"Exactly. This very contradiction is something I cannot seem to wrap my head around." The kwami rubbed the sides of her head before levitating to the air, "And I'm certain it's not a fake either. I could feel it with my senses, that girl definitely holds the real Butterfly Miraculous along with Nooroo in it. Not only that, but she mentioned me by name, as if she already knew me..."

"And we saw her right after Nino showed up as Le Bulleur, and she explained that she was one who brought him back."

"Proving that it actually is the real deal. Which is impossible."

"Maybe this masked girl is actually Le Papillon?" Marionette offered in uncertainty.

Her kwami shook her head at the thought, "We already know that Le Papillon is an adult man. Even if she was Le Papillon, why would she reveal herself to you out in the open, and why would she have Nino protect you instead of allowing Le Conduit to paralyze you and take your Miraculous? It would be counter-intuitive to her goals of collecting both your's and Chat Noir's Miraculouses'."

"She could be trying earn our trust in order to lull us into a false sense of security?"

"Even though he had a villain that almost beaten you and nearly paralyzed you had it not been for Le Bulleur coming in at the last second? Something tells me he would have never wasted such a chance so that he could go forth with an elaborate and complicated plan without certainty."

"That's a good point…" Marinette shrugged, "So if she's not Le Papillon, who is she? And how does she hold the Butterfly Miraculous if Le Papillon has the only one in existence?"

"The unanswered questions. Both of which, I have no idea."

Marinette sighed, slumping back in her chair, "So even after all of that, we still don't know who she is?"

"We at least learned two facts about her that we didn't before. One, she holds the Butterfly Miraculous despite the impossibility. Two, she exists."

The young girl blanched at her kwami, "T-That still doesn't tell us anything at all!"

Tikki chuckled awkwardly as she rubbed the back of her head, "Sorry that I'm not much help this time."

"It's fine Tikki…" Marinette sighed again.

Two facts, huh? She exists, and she's a holder of the Butterfly Miraculous. Hm…

"Tikki, I've been meaning to ask this… You said that Nooroo is the kwami for the Butterfly Miraculous, right? If Le Papillon has the Butterfly Miraculous, how come Nooroo is helping him and allowing him to use the Miraculous for evil? Is Nooroo like an evil kwami or something?"

"Please don't be mistaken, Marinette." The kwami shook her head, before explaining, "Despite everything Le Papillon did, Nooroo is just as much a victim in this as the rest of us. Nooroo is one of the most kind-hearted individuals I've ever known, and he grants hope to those in times when hope couldn't possibly exist. He has done many great things in his life, and I couldn't ask for a more loyal brother."

"But then why is he helping Le Papillon?"

"We kwamis are made to follow the will of our Miraculous holders unconditionally. Whether we like it or not, we can't do anything on our own, so we need to rely on our holders. Even if that means following someone with less than noble intentions…"

"That's terrible! So that means you basically have no choice in the matter?!" Marinette asked with shock.

"Generally, no. But it usually does not matter since we've always ended up being with amazing people who use their powers for good! It's not like we have a track record for how many people decide to misuse the Miraculouses for their own gain."

"Has this ever happened before then?"

"Er… once. A long long time ago. Long before you or your parents were even born." She shook her head at the unpleasant memory, "But that doesn't matter, I don't think. We've moved on and solved that problem before it could get any worse."

"I see…"

"Anyway, believe me when I say that Nooroo wouldn't condone such actions, and would actively refuse to help if he had the power to do so."

"Okay." Marinette hummed to herself, "So I guess that removes the possibility of Nooroo escaping and giving his Miraculous to someone else..."

"Unfortunately…"

So where does that leave her now? What else was she missing from the puzzle? Everything that has happened so far has still left her confused.

Could this new girl be trusted? Does she have some sort of ulterior motive in play? Does her friend Nino play a part in it? Can she trust Nino anymore, now that he turned back into Le Bulleur?

Questions questions questions, so many questions rattling inside her head and absolutely no sense of closure was available to her.

I guess… Marinette thought to herself, If I can't find the answers alone, I might as well go look for the mysterious girl myself.

She'd start her search tomorrow morning. Since it was the weekend, she'd have all the free time in the world in order to perform her search. If need be, she would ask Chat Noir for his help too.

Hopefully, this endeavor would not eat too much time out of her hands. She couldn't afford to miss any more classes in school…

Meanwhile…

Nino raggedly walked through the streets of Paris in the dark, cold and lost like an abandoned puppy.

No matter what corner or street he took, the setting was still too unfamiliar for him to know where exactly he was.

He would rather not ask a stranger for help, on the off chance that he might come across a mugger, or a serial killer, or even worse, a suspicious old man offering candy in the back of a white non-distinguishable van!

He shuddered, both at the thought and the fact that it was freezing cold out at night.

With his phone out of batteries, he couldn't call for help from any friends or family to pick him up. So he was forced to fend for his own vices.

That was when an idea lit up in his head! He could transform into Le Bulleur and just fly above the buildings to see where he was, and then fly home!

He slapped himself in the head, Was I seriously stupid enough to only realize this now? I'm hopeless!

He pulled out his bubble bottle from his pocket and held it firmly in his hand.

…

"Wait, how do I use this again?"

…

"Damn it."