x i x

Paon Bleu pulled out her fan and was going to blow away at the fog to regain their sight, but was stopped by a large snake of a vine that tightened around the fan.

"What's the fun of blowing the fog away? A little challenge is always fun." The voice spoke.

Chatte tried to see where the voice was coming from, at least pinpoint where it was located, but it echoed all over. "Show yourself!" She called out.

A cackle echoed through the clearing, and it was followed by soft tuts. "But it's much more fun when I'm in the shadows, kitten." The vine went slack for a moment and Paon tried to wriggle the fan free, but the vine quickly went taut, pulling the fan right out of her grasp.

The vine slithered back into the fog, the fan disappearing with it.

"My fan!" Paon called.

"Well, that's one out of three." Volpina mumbled, stepping backwards to be back to back with the other two.

"So much for not being a hindrance." Paon sighed softly.

"No, it's okay." Chatte shushed gently, her eyes squinted, but trained on the fog. "The fan has some reflective spots on it. So, if she's standing outside of the fog, I should be able to..." Her voice trailed off as she started to turn. The other two started to turn with her as well, leaving no back exposed.

"The light of the moon or the nearby lamps should expose where she is." Paon finished.

"Correct."

They slowly turned for a while, before Chatte stopped, pointing a finger out.

"So the kitty can see in the dark." The voice mused. Seconds after that, vines came at them in a multitude of numbers, sending the three of them to scatter.

"Everyone, stay on your toes!" Chatte called, her baton in her hand and ready to strike.

Each of the girls were avoiding the snake-like vines as they whipped and snapped at them. Paon was on the brink of considering herself useless, when Volpina called out to her.

"Madame Paon Bleu, catch!"

From the other side of the clearing, something spun quickly in her direction. Paon reached a hand out and caught it, quickly using what it was to bat away a vine.

"Now, a home run!" Volpina laughed.

Paon looked at the item in her hand and she gasped lightly. "My fan! How did you get it back?"

"As much as I would to take the credit, it's an illusion. Use it wisely!" Volpina replied.

Paon nodded, and with a snap of her wrist, she extended it to it's full length. She pulled her arm back and with a quick motion, swung her fan, making the fog disperse.

The garden was now clear and from the tree that sat close to the fence, hopped down Princess Ivy. Her leaf teacup dress fluttered as she jumped down, her boots clicking on the pavement.

"That's cheating." She huffed, stomping her foot.

"Well, we never said we would play fair to begin with." Chatte replied.

"And if you want to play even more dirty..." Paon called, looking towards Volpina, who came out of the botany labyrinth with a . "Light it the up."

Volpina burst into a fit of giggles and set the vines aflame as Chatte audibly sighed.

The vines hiss and curl up as they're scorched, Princess Ivy gasping in shock as her vines are singed. "No, stop it!" She attempts to grow closer, but stops as Volpina turns to her, the flames on lite.

"Come closer, it's toasty." Volpina cooed.

"You're... you... How dare you!"

"Come on, come a little closer and your little dress will catch on fire." Volpina sang.

Through a wall of fire, Chatte jumped through, getting close to Ivy's face. "Sorry, incess, but I'll be taking this." With a swift movement, Chatte wrapped her fingers around the rose charm that hung from her neck and gave a good yank.

Chatte took several jumps back, putting the necklace into her bag of akuma. She tucks the bag away and Princess Ivy falls to her knees, whimpering softly at her charred garden.

"Okay, that's enough." Chatte comes up to Volpina and slaps the flamethrower out of her hands.

"Hey!" Volpina whined, upset at the fact that the it made the illusion of her weapon drop.

Paon went to go pick up her original fan Ivy had left in the tree, but not even she was free from Chatte's scrutiny.

"Also, 'light it the fuck up'?" Chatte questioned with a hand to her hip. "We are literally the worst influence on you. Imagine what Gabriel, no, sorry. Imagine what will say when and once we return you."

An image of Adrien cursing went through the three of their minds simultaneously.

"Honestly, I think it's a little funny." Volpina confessed.

"I don't think that my sunshine would say anything of the sort." Paon huffed lightly as she clasped her fan to her back.

Chatte snorted lightly. "He's done so much more than cuss." She mumbled.

"Excuse me?" Paon put her hands to her waist, raising an eyebrow at Chatte.

Chatte's faux leather ears perked. "Huh? Oh, nothing, we, uh, let's keep moving along!" Chatte continued towards the estate.

"Listen, as much as I want to hear you give her The Talk, I think we will have to save that for another time." Volpina tried to contain her laughter.

"We have a lot of talking to do, young lady." Paon called after Chatte as she walked off.

"You're not my real mom!" Chatte called back.

"I'm basically your mother-in-law, how dare you!"

Volpina simply giggled relentlessly as they entered the estate, the banter between Chatte Noire and Paon Bleu continuing.

That was until Chatte stopped and turned around, going to the back of the trio.

"Chatte, what's wrong?" Paon asked, looking back at her.

" Is there way to turn off the cat traits, like, ?" She questioned out loud.

Seconds after that, a ball of red yarn rolled into the room and stopped at their feet.

"You're freaking out because of a ball of yarn?" Volpina asked.

"If you could hear the way Plagg is maniacally laughing in my head." She shook her head and looked away.

"Ooh, and if you could hear the encouraged teasing in mine, kitten." Volpina cooed, moving towards the ball of yarn.

"Wait, don't touch it!" Paon tried to stop Volpina from kicking the ball of yarn, but she was too late.