"Tikki, explain." Marinette demanded as the door to the younger girl's room slammed open. Tikki glanced up from where she had been reading by the window. She looked relaxed, as if she'd been waiting for Marinette to come.

"I see." She placed a bookmark on her page and set the book on the table beside her. Marinette looked at the cover. 'Within The Walls' was written in gold cursive and a silhouette was displayed on the cover. "Come with me."

They made their way down to the gardens. Tikki nodded and smiled to a guard as they passed through the door but he just continued staring ahead of them. Marinette took in a deep breath of fresh air as the pair began walking around.

"It all began when I was born." Tikki said. "My mother had died right after birth so dad ditched me in the streets. I've never known either of my parents. My master found me a few hours later. He took me in, as well as Plagg and a few others. Plagg was eventually moved to the castle a few years back to keep an eye on Prince Adrien and distribute his Miracle stone to a guard or someone. I don't know who Chat Noir is, if you're wondering.

"We were called the Miraculous. Our goal was to protect the royal family at all costs. But we were secret, so nobody else knew. The castle was already stocked with Miraculous hideouts when I was sent in.

"The reason I was sent in was to choose a member of the Selected to give the Ladybug Miracle stone to. That girl is supposed to protect the palace - and the Prince - with her life. My master is certain that the akumas will target the Prince and the Selected specifically, and that he'll launch a full assault on the castle soon."

Marinette stared at Tikki for a few moments, letting what she had said sink in. "Wow, that's pretty amazing."

"This castle is full of secrets." Tikki said. "I guess I'm one of them."

"I can see that." The girls started heading to where the castle's pool was. Faint laughter could be heard from the pool. Marinette peeked through the bushes that surrounded it to see Chloé and Adrien sitting on the edge of the pool. Adrien's arm was wrapped around Chloè's shoulder and she had her hands all over his exposed stomach.

"- so annoying. I don't even get why she was Selected. You said your father hand-picked all of the girls so why was she chosen?"

"I said he hand-picked some of the girls, like you. But then he chucked in a few other random girls. Marly was one of them."

"Why let her in, though? Shouldn't they have brought in someone else instead?"

"Hey, Marinette's okay. She's not -"

"She's not as beautiful as me?"

"No, she's -"

"Really, really stupid?"

Marinette gritted her teeth. Beside her, Tikki gasped. "How rude!"

"No no. You don't understand, I can't say mean things about the other ladies. Lets talk about you more." Adrien said firmly.

"What is there to know about me?" Chloè fluttered her eyelashes.

"Well, what do you like doing?"

"I like figuring out why you let Marinette into the competition and not my BFF Stacey!"

Marinette had heard enough. She turned away from the Tikki and sprinted back towards the castle. Tears pricked at her eyes. Was Chloè right? Did Marinette not deserve to be in the competition?

•••

The next few weeks were a blur. Alya went on a date with Adrien. So did Tikki. By the end of the month, most of the girls had gone on dates with Adrien, but no one had gone home though. Marinette was beginning to worry that Adrien didn't like her. Well, they talked sometimes - but not a lot. He was always busy with someone else.

At the end of the week came the first attack. Marinette was surprised that it had happened so soon, but when she transformed into Ladybug, she realised why it had happened so quickly. Earlier that day, a girl had been sent home, the first one since the first day the Selected had been at the Palace, and it seemed that this girl was trying to get her revenge. Chat had explained that sometimes people were turned into akumas because of negative feelings. This had to be an example.

Ladybug swung into action. She sprinted through the castle, trying to track the akuma. The guards looked stunned to see her, but she didn't try to talk to them. Ladybug found the akuma in one of the many libraries in the castle, cornering Prince Adrien.

Before she went into the room, Ladybug glanced around. Where was Chat? Maybe he was busy somewhere else. Or perhaps he was just lazy.

Ladybug barged into the room. She swung up onto the top of a bookshelf and ran along it, spotting that the akuma had tied Adrien to a chair in the corner of the library. Ladybug swung her yo-yo around the villain and knocked her over.

"Hey!" The girl cried.

"Not so fast." Ladybug jumped down and stood in front of Adrien like a human shield. The akuma was a girl with a long gorgeous gold dress. She had curly blonde hair pinned back and startling brown eyes.

"I am Granger." She sneered. "Granger the Danger."

"Right." Ladybug said. "Well how about you leave Adrien alone and go back to your knitting."

"No way! You'll take him from me!" Granger snarled and bared her teeth.

She lunged at Ladybug and tried to hit her with a small branch-like stick. Ladybug grabbed it and snapped it in half.

"My wand!" Granger cried. Ladybug kicked her in the chest and she went toppling backwards. But Granger got back up.

The two fought - Ladybug trying to push her away from Adrien and towards the door. Granger tried to hurt Ladybug; she threw punched and elbowed her in the ribs but Ladybug wouldn't back down. It all ended when Ladybug managed to pull Granger's necklace off and snap it in half.

She was surprised when Granger fell to her knees and a purple butterfly fluttered out of the necklace. At that moment, guards flooded into the room. They grabbed Granger Danger just as Adrien shouted something to Ladybug from across the room.

"The butterfly! Don't let it get away!"

Ladybug swung out with her yo-yo and caught the butterfly. When she opened her yo-yo again, a white butterfly fluttered out.

"Miraculous Ladybug!" Ladybug cried, throwing her yo-yo up into the air and watching as it fell back down into her hand gently. Granger Danger's outfit disappeared and Megan Granger was left being held down by guards.