(Italics: Singing)

Whilst Chat Noir and now Ladybug were making their way towards Befana, the witchy akuma was now flying above the city, flanked by her fairies in the sunset-coloured sky. As she made her way through the city, Befana had taken to gaining more minions and punishing more offenders, proudly singing as she did.

"La Befana comes at night, on her shaky broom in flight." Befana sang whilst flying in the sky above Paris, turning a young boy who accidentally littered and a little boy teasing a little girl into coal. "She gives out candy to those who are dandy." She continued as she turned a teen helping a woman and her baby and a firefighter saving a little girl's cat into more fairies, the two flying up to join her ranks.

"And only gives coal to brats with no soul." Befana belted out just after turning a man honking his car horn into coal, happy with herself for taking care of such a rude man.

But her feeling of accomplishment was short-lived when she suddenly came face to face with Chat Noir's staff, the weapon being extended in her flight path and knocking her off her bike. Fortunately, FairyRose and Fairy Sabine swooped down to catch her, carrying Befana up to the roof Chat Noir just happened to be perched on.

"Chat Noir comes in, unexpectedly," Chat Noir crooned, singing to the same melody as Befana while posing as an opera singer with his staff in hand, but stopping short when he realized he didn't have a rhyme. "Uh, how do I make that rhyme?" the feline wondered to himself, just seconds before Ladybug suddenly arrived and landed beside him.

"Fighting evil with his lady!" Ladybug sang, finishing his song as she mimicked his pose and spun her yo-yo into a shield behind her.

"Of course! Not bad, Bugaboo!" Chat Noir praised, drawing a smile from the spotted heroine just as Hawkmoth decided to step back into the action upon Ladybug's arrival.

"Ladybug has joined the party at last! Bring me the Miraculous, Befana!" Hawkmoth ordered his akuma, thrilled that he had the chance to get both magic jewels while Befana was not as eager yet.

"You didn't say the magic word!" Befana practically sang, catching Hawkmoth by surprise at the back talk before he reluctantly cleared his throat.

"Ahem. Please." Hawkmoth indignantly forced out while hunching his shoulders in annoyance, leaving Befana delighted by his manners.

"Much better, Hawkmoth!" Befana praised the terrorist, cutting off contact with him before directing her focus to Chat Noir. "You little thief! Where have you hidden Marinetta?!" the witch akuma demanded as she pointed at the hero in black, glaring at the one who helped her granddaughter escape punishment.

"I forgot." Chat Noir playfully lied, shrugging his shoulders with a look of faux forgetfulness.

"Watch out, or you'll be getting a time out of your own" Ladybug warned Befana as she stopped spinning her yo-yo and held it in her hands, pulling the string out in preparation for the ensuing fight.

​
"Take care of these little villains." Befana commanded the fairies behind her, her minions quickly starting to attack Ladybug and Chat Noir in a flurry of white feathers, forcing the two heroes to dodge them. While the heroes were fighting off the fairies, Befana was trying to figure out where Chat Noir had hidden Marinette. "Now... What does the villainous cat burglar do when he feels threatened?" the akuma mused aloud, her gaze soon wandering off to the side and spotting the Eiffel Tower.

"He climbs!" Befana exclaimed in triumph, now knowing where to look. With her destination set, Befana started running across the rooftops towards the monument, soon jumping onto her motorcycle after it automatically flew back to her side and headed for the Eiffel Tower. But after he dodged another fairy, Chat Noir looked behind him and saw Befana escaping, only to realize where she was heading.

"We can't let her get to the Eiffel Tower!" Chat Noir yelled to Ladybug, who had just dodged another fairy and landed back on the rooftop.

"And why not?" Ladybug questioned her partner, only for them both to duck from another one of the fairies. When he was in the clear from the fairies, Chat Noir extended his staff and lifted himself into the air, restless to start going after Befana.

"Because that's where I hid her granddaughter!" Chat Noir exclaimed to Ladybug, leaping to go after Befana mere seconds later and unknowingly catching Ladybug off guard.

"Wait no, she's-!" Ladybug shouted, only to clap her hand over her mouth to stop herself from giving herself away. Having no other choice, Ladybug quickly dodged another fairy and followed after Chat Noir, hoping to stop him from getting into trouble.

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Over at the Eiffel Tower, Befana had arrived and was now flying around the Tower in search of Marinette, hoping to finally punish her.

"Where are you, Marinetta? Befana has a special treat for you!" Befana called out, holding her gun at the ready before she felt someone drop onto the back of her bike.

"Can I hitch a ride?" a voice behind Befana asked, causing the akuma to turn and see Chat Noir sitting behind her. Upon seeing him, Befana tried to aim her gun at him, the feline merely avoiding her aim before reaching over to the handlebars. "Your granddaughter isn't here. Let me show you the way." Chat Noir offered before he revved the engine, soon steering the bike away from the monument.

"Pets are not allowed on board!" Befana yelled at Chat Noir, quickly taking back control and spinning the bike through the air, causing Chat Noir to plummet to the ground. Thankfully for him, Ladybug caught him and swung them both to perch themselves on the Eiffel Tower. "What a sweet Ladybug you are. You'll make a perfect fairy!" the akuma praised Ladybug just as her fairies joined back up with her, flicking her wrist to change her gun barrel to white before firing fairy shots at both heroes. Seeing the shots aimed at them, Ladybug and Chat Noir either lept or swung out of the line of fire, moving around to avoid them and accidentally splitting up.

"Thanks, but no thanks." Ladybug shouted from high up, having landed on the top of a viewing platform above Befana and her fairies.

"You can't turn down a gift, you rude little imp!" Befana scolded Ladybug, now rescinding her decision to change her into one of her minions before turning to her fairies. "You take care of the kitty, my fairies, while I punish this polka-dot brat!" the witch ordered her minions, before going to pursue Ladybug.

As she did, the fairies began to attack Chat Noir, whom they were unable to touch as he took to using the inner support beams of the monument to his advantage. But while Chat Noir was dodging the fairies and making his way up to one of the viewing platforms, Befana was hot on Ladybug's heels. The spotted heroine had decided to take the high ground and climb up the side of the Tower, using her yo-yo to pull her up while Befana kept firing coal shots at her from close behind. With each shot, Ladybug dodged them all. However, what neither hero nor akuma had counted on, was the missed shots stopping at a certain point in the air before falling back towards them. Seeing the volley coming back at her, Ladybug dived into one of the gaps in the tower to escape the shots aimed at her, leaving Befana to frantically dodge them instead.

"Hmm..." Ladybug muttered to herself as she watched Befana dodge the last of the falling shots, only to swing away when she attempted to fire at Ladybug. But upon doing so, Ladybug's luck saved her again when Befana discovered that she was out of ammo once again. With a small reprieve due to Befana needing to reload, Ladybug joined up with Chat Noir just as he jumped onto the viewing platform she landed on too.

"Chat Noir! I saw Befana dodging her candies. Even she can't touch them!" Ladybug reported to her partner, both her and Chat Noir turning to watch Befana refill her gun.

"The candy tin. The akuma must be in there." Chat Noir announced.

"Of course!" Ladybug exclaimed, followed by her calling on her... "Lucky Charm!" the spotted heroine shouted, only to catch a tuba in her arms after it appeared in the air.

"You didn't tell me you played the tuba." Chat Noir joked while Ladybug looked at the instrument in perplexion.

"I don't, but it looks like I'm gonna have to learn." Ladybug replied, only for them both to be surprised by Befana's coal shots hitting the area around them, making the metal platform under them turn into coal. With a well-placed hit from three of the fairies, the coal platform crumbled away, forcing the two heroes to fall to a lower level, now surrounded by Befana and her fairies.

"Very naughty. I'm going to have to take your toys away from you." Befana taunted the heroes as they recovered from their fall, hopping off her motorcycle in front of them. Now cornered, Ladybug looked over her shoulder in search of her Lucky Charm, soon finding it on the ground below them. In her search, she also saw the elevator doors, and the underground fire hydrant light up in her vision, giving her the plan she and Chat Noir needed to win.

"Okay. You win, Befana." Ladybug declared just as Befana towered over her and Chat Noir, quickly winking at the shocked Chat Noir gawking at her. When seeing his lady's wink, Chat Noir caught onto her message and went along with it.

"I- I did lie, I'm sorry. Your granddaughter is here." Chat Noir stammered out, worried that his partner's plan might not work since he didn't know all of the details yet. But he trusted Ladybug with his life... so he had to trust Marinette's life with her as well.

"Never too late to tell the truth, right?" Ladybug questioned Befana, who looked at them with a stoney glare.

"I don't believe you." Befana announced, prompting Chat Noir to rise to his feet.

"I'll take you to her myself." Chat Noir offered as he held his hands up in surrender, followed by him walking off to 'lead the way'.

"Keep an eye on the ladybug." Befana said to her fairies, following after Chat Noir and keeping him at her gunpoint. However, the moment Befana was out of earshot, Ladybug turned back to the fairies with a chuckle and used her yo-yo to pull a fire hose towards her.

"Sorry guys, I've gotta put you all in time out!" Ladybug exclaimed as she spun the hose and yo-yo in opposite hands, soon attacking the group of fairies with both to make sure they wouldn't interfere with her plan.

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While Ladybug was incapacitating Befana's minions, elsewhere in the Eiffel Tower, Chat Noir had led the akuma to a supply closet in an effort to keep her distracted. But seeing as he had no idea where Marinette was hiding after he left, Chat Noir was worried that he might have truly led Befana to her granddaughter. Seeing he had no choice, however, the feline apprehensively opened the closet door... thankfully seeing the real Marinette wasn't inside and sighed in relief.

"What is the meaning of this?! She isn't here!" Befana demanded the hero in black, appalled to see that Chat Noir had been wrong.

"I guess I'm a compulsive liar?" Chat Noir offered with a shrug, causing Befana to growl at him in frustration before pointing her gun at him.

"You better tell me where she is or-" Befana threatened, her gun centimeters away from a fearful Chat Noir's face before the sound of the elevator behind them caught her attention. "There you are!" the akuma exclaimed, releasing her hold on Chat Noir just in time to run to the elevator and see it going down to the ground floor.

"Nice try, Marinetta, but you won't get away that easily!" Befana declared as she ran to the glass guard wall and jumped over it, landing on her motorbike with a cackle before circling back around to head off the elevator.

Meanwhile, Chat Noir ran to the guard wall just as Ladybug joined back up with him, worriedly looking down in search of any sign of Marinette being in the elevator. Upon seeing her partner worried for her civilian self's safety, Ladybug joined his side and placed a hand on his shoulder.

"Don't worry, Chat Noir. Marinette's safe." Ladybug assured, seeming to put Chat Noir at ease for the moment. "But we've got to finish this fight before we can call it a day. Come on!" the spotted heroine urged, hooking her yo-yo onto the guard rail and leaping over it to lower herself to the ground, Chat Noir following suit.

But while they were making their way to the Eiffel Tower's base level, Befana had already arrived at the elevator door exit, hopping off her motorbike with a spin.

"I'm waiting for you, Marinetta." Befana sang as she readied her weapon for when the doors opened, waiting to shoot whoever was inside. But she was surprised to see who was actually in the elevator when the doors finally opened. "What?" the witchy akuma breathed out in shock, now face to face with her fairies tied up inside the elevator. Unknown to her, Ladybug and Chat Noir had made it to the ground floor land behind her, followed by Ladybug throwing her yo-yo to the Lucky Charm tuba.

"Chat Noir! The fire hydrant!" Ladybug yelled as her yo-yo grabbed the tuba, bringing it back to her while Chat Noir now had an inkling of what she had in mind.

"My pleasure!" Chat Noir purred, followed by him calling on his... "Cataclysm!" the hero in black proclaimed, summoning his powers of concentrated bad luck.

With his power in hand, Chat Noir used his free hand to pull the cover off the fire hydrant, pressing down on the hydrant with his Cataclysm and causing a fountain of water to appear from it. Hearing the commotion behind her, Befana turned around just in time to see Ladybug slam the tuba down on the torrent of water, sending a jet of the liquid straight for Befana. In an attempt to block the water, Befana used her gun to stop it from touching her and subsequently tried to turn it into coal in the process. However, the shot backfired on her, not only turning the water and tuba-which Ladybug quickly let go of when it started to turn-but Befana herself too.

"Noooo!" Befana cried as her body was turned into coal, her powers turned against her. When seeing Befana's coal statue, Ladybug giggled with joy that her plan had worked and walked over to grab the candy tin from CoalBefana's waist.

"No more evildoing for you, little akuma ." Ladybug exclaimed as she broke the tin in half, releasing the akuma before she opened her yo-yo to reveal the sparkling pool of cleansing energy inside of it. "Time to de-evilize!" the spotted heroine shouted before she threw her yo-yo toward the akuma, catching it within her yo-yo and pulling it back to her.

"Gotcha!" Ladybug cheered when the yo-yo was back in her hands. A second later, she released the purified akuma, setting the white butterfly free. "Bye, bye little butterfly," the heroine in red said as the butterfly flew away, right before throwing the still coalified Lucky Charm up into the air.

"Miraculous Ladybug!" Ladybug cried out, summoning the cleansing cure and the magic ladybugs.

In no time at all, the Miraculous Ladybug undoes all the damage caused by Befana, turning the fairies back into civilians and taking them back to where they were first transformed. Next were the coalified civilians, who were restored to their human selves as the cure swept by them, followed by restoring the damaged property during the fight. Finally, coal Befana was turned back into regular Befana and soon turned back into Gina, her motorcycle receiving the same treatment. Upon being turned back to normal, Gina looked around at her unfamiliar surroundings in confusion, only to spot Ladybug and Chat Noir off to the side, giving her some idea of what happened.

"Pound it!" Ladybug and Chat Noir cheered, fist-bumping each other in celebration of a job well done.

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Back inside Hawkmoth's lair, after watching the fight end and the heroes reign victorious, the resident superterrorist was less than thrilled by the result.

"Ladybug, Chat Noir... you've escaped punishment yet again!" Hawkmoth growled, clenching his cane in both hands in his anger. "I won't sugarcoat the truth, but next time I will destroy you and have your Miraculous!" he angrily proclaimed as the lair window closed, leaving him and his little butterfly buddies in the dark once more.

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A little while later after the commotion had died down, everyone joined back at the park to continue Marinette's party, the sun having set a little bit ago. Granted, Marinette had come back a little later than the others, but it was only so that she could execute an idea she had come up with earlier that day. Fortunately for her, it didn't take long and she was back at the party, watching as Nino played music and the guests were having a good time while looking for her grandmother. It didn't take long to spot Gina standing at André's ice cream cart, who had come by to offer ice cream to the partygoers, and started talking with the vendor himself.

"So, how about you, André? Do you have anyone to share your ice cream with these days?" Gina asked the ice cream man, casually leaning against the cart while Marinette walked over to her.

"Actually, I have yet to find the perfect blend of flavors." André admitted, only for Marinette to come in and hug her grandmother tightly from behind.

"Grandma!" Marinette cheered, causing Gina to smile as she turned around and faced her granddaughter.

"My sweetie!" Gina greeted Marinette, hugging her back before seeing her new purse. "What did you do with that tee shirt?" the silver-haired adventurer asked in wonder as she pointed to the new version of the purse Marinette was wearing, seeing that it was made from the shirt she had given her.

"I fixed it up, Grandma. I've been sewing ever since the last time you came to visit." Marinette happily explained, causing Gina to smile while tearing up.

"You're so grown up, Marinette. And I bet my little knight, Jim, is too." Gina said, wiping a tear from her eye at the thought of her grandchildren being so capable and mature now. "You know what? There'll be no more merry-go-rounds or zoos. For your and Jim's next birthday, I'll take you two on one of my trips!" the elderly traveler announced, mimicking a scout as she made her promise and causing Marinette to hug her again.

"Thank you, Grandma!" Marinette thanked, glad that she and Gina had reconciled. "But you know, it doesn't matter where you take us. It's always unforgettable with you," the designer stated, knowing that she and Jim would have fun with their grandmother no matter what.

However, the moment between them was put on hold when the other guests began singing 'Happy Birthday' while Marinette's parents brought the cake. Once her parents were just in front of her, Ivan and Kim lifted Marinette to the top of the cake, allowing her to blow out the candles on the large dessert. With the candles taken care of, the two boys gently set Marinette back on the ground, the guests all clapping while she blushed at all the attention. But after Marinette got used to it, she looked off to the side and saw Lila coming into the park with a gift in hand.

"Lila, you came!" Marinette exclaimed, walking over to greet the late arrival and drawing everyone's attention to the two girls.

"Well, I was planning to get here earlier. But then I saw the akuma attacking, so..." Lila trailed, a bashful smile present as she explained her lateness.

"Yeah, I don't blame you for staying away. If I were you, I would have too." Marinette replied, understanding Lila's apprehensiveness about coming to the party while an akuma was around.

"In any case, I'm glad to see things have been taken care of." Lila continued, her earlier bashfulness lessening. "Also, Happy Birthday." the olive-eyed girl said, holding out her gift to Marinette in her hands.

"Thank you, Lila!" Marinette responded, surprised by the gesture before taking it out of Lila's hands. The gift turned out to be the type of gift box that opened with a lid. But when Marinette opened it, she pulled out a beautiful red and black mask that looked like it was flowing fire, with a golden rod that allowed whoever was wearing it to hold it close to their face. "Oh my! A Carnevale mask!" the pigtailed girl squealed, in awe of the beautiful present.

"You know what it is? I'm surprised." Lila admitted, shocked that Marinette easily recognised it.

"My grandmother is Italian, so I've always been connected to that part of my heritage." Marinette explained, happy to share that little bit of information about herself.

"Molto bene! Immagino che tu non conosca l'italiano? (Very good! I don't suppose you know Italian?)" Lila asked, effortlessly transitioning to Italian to see if she could catch Marinette by surprise.

"Fluente, in realtà. Mi è stato insegnato quando avevo quattro anni. (Fluent, actually. I was taught when I was four.)" Marinette replied back, mimicking Lila's transition and leaving the Italian girl impressed.

"Impressive. Remind me to keep my eye on you." Lila remarked, a happy smirk on her face upon the discovery of someone to practice Italian with.

"Will do. And thank you so much for your gift, Lila. I love it!" Marinette exclaimed, glad that she and Lila seemed to be getting along for the most part after... the Volpina incident.

"I'm glad to hear it. Happy Birthday, Marinette." Lila parroted before she walked away, hoping to avoid admitting she gifted Marinette the mask because it reminded her of Ladybug and she wanted to get rid of it. But as she left, Adrien took the opportunity to step towards a smiling Marinette.

"While we are still on the subject of gifts..." Adrien spoke up, causing Marinette to turn around and see him holding out his earlier gift to Marinette, the small box having been restored by the Miraculous Ladybugs earlier. "You never got a chance to open it with all that was going on." the blonde model pointed out, triggering a delighted Marinette to take the box from him and open it. After she did, Marinette was surprised to find inside, raising it to her now wide eyes to get a good look at it.

"I always carry the lucky charm you gave me with me wherever I go, and I think it works pretty well." Adrien explained as he pulled out the charm bracelet Marinette had given to him earlier, smiling as he did. "So... I figured it was my turn to make one for you." the green-eyed boy elaborated, leaving Marinette literally speechless at his heartfelt words.

"You're so wonderful... Oh, uh- it's wonderful, what a charm! Uh... luck charm! I-I'll wear the charm um, with luck!" Marinette stammered, having trouble regaining her thoughts to say a complete sentence due to Adrien's gift for her. "Basically, um... thank you." the red-tipped-haired girl managed to spew out, her cheeks a fiery red as she smiled up at her crush.

Unbeknownst to her, Marinette's parents and grandmother were behind her and watching the little interaction between her and Adrien. Needless to say, they found the moment very cute.

"Aww..." Tom sighed with a smile, Sabine giggling next to him while a smiling Gina stood next to them. She didn't need to be around all the time to know that her little fairy was in love, and she was glad to have found out.

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After the last of the gifts were given to Marinette, Nino hopped up to the DJ booth and started playing music again, all of the guests now dancing along. However, Marinette was among the only ones not dancing as she sat with Tikki in the trees nearby, gazing at the bracelet Adrien gave her.

"Do you realize? He made it just for me, with his own hands." Marinette gushed to her kwami, followed by her leaning her elbow on her knee and leaning in on herself. "Adrien..." Marinette sighed dreamily with a love-sick smile, her eyes not leaving the gift in her hand.

"Yeah, well, it's kind of a weird gift if you ask me." Tikki remarked as she floated in front of her holder, clearly still miffed about that morning and pulling Marinette's attention back to her.

"Heh, no weirder than yours, Tikki." Marinette playfully retorted with a wink, leaving Tikki offended and causing her to turn away from her. But her sour mood improved when she glanced back and saw Marinette holding out the kwagatama at her, now on a necklace around her neck. "But that doesn't mean they're not both precious to me." the designer added, proudly displaying Tikki's gift and leaving the red kwami excited.

"So you really did like the gift, then!" Tikki cheered, loop-de-looping through the air in her joy.

"Of course I did." Marinette replied as she tucked the kwagatama back down her shirt, the new necklace now sitting alongside her disguise rune one. "The most important thing about a present, Tikki, is the person who's giving it." the pigtailed girl told her kwami, pulling her into a hug with a bright smile.

Unknown to her, on the other side of the park, Adrien had taken to not dancing as well and was standing under a grove of trees as well. But if anyone were to spot him, they would notice him looking at the charm Marinette gave him, smiling at it fondly as it rested in his hand.

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(Time Skip)

Not long after Marinette and Tikki's heart-to-heart, the party had dwindled to an end. Everyone helped clean up the park from the celebration and quickly went back home to get a good night's sleep before school the next day. However, when the whole Dupain-Cheng family headed back home to do the same, Marinette received a notification from her phone just as she was about to video call Jim. Without thinking, she pulled it out of her purse and opened it to find a strange text in her and her brother's group chat

Group Chat: Arcadia's Unlucky Trio

Jimbo: Hey, sis! Happy Birthday! I hope you had a good time with your party, and hope you still have some energy for one more surprise.

Upon reading the text, Marinette was left puzzled by Jim's choice of words and immediately opened up the group chat to send a text of her own.

Group Chat: Arcadia's Unlucky Trio

MariFary: Uh, I'm still hyper from the cake Mom and Dad served at the party, so I do have some energy left. Why?

Toby Pie: It's a surprise! So you'll have to come down to Stone Arc to find out!

MariFairy: Should I be worried?

Jimbo: Don't worry, it's a good surprise!

MariFairy: Alright, I'll head down now. TTYL❤️

Toby Pie: Bye 😘

Jimbo: TTYL ✌️

With her curiosity piqued, Marinette gently woke up Tikki from her sugar crash nap and headed up to her balcony, grabbing her Horngazel as she went. Transforming into her alter ego, Ladybug then threw her yo-yo towards Notre Dame. Once it was attached to a good anchor point, Ladybug tugged on the string and sent herself flying towards the famous church, soon landing next to Stone Arc's hidden entrance. Her excitement started to rise as she opened her yo-yo and pulled out her Horngazel to stab it into the hidden alcove wall, drawing the semi-circle and opening the door to the hidden city.

Climbing down the stairs to Stone Arc after the door closed behind her, Ladybug soon reached the bottom and stood at the observation area overlooking the city with a smile. Following that, the spotted heroine pulled out her yo-yo again and opened it up to her communication app to get back in contact with Jim and Toby.

Group Chat: Arcadia's Unlucky Trio

MariFary: Alright, I just arrived at Stone Arc. Where do you want me to go?

Toby Pie: Head over to the Gyre Station! Your surprise is waiting there!

MariFairy: Okay, I'm on my way.

Now knowing where to go, Ladybug began making her trek towards the Gyre station.

As she walked through the market, she was intrigued to find that a good portion of the city's market was empty of any shopkeepers, including Nox and Styx. While it left Ladybug even more curious about the unusual absences, she continued to the Grye station and soon arrived. But when she got there, she saw nothing out of the ordinary right off the bat, leaving her confused before she pulled out her yo-yo again.

Group Chat: Arcadia's Unlucky Trio

MariFary: So, I just got to the Gyre Station and I don't see anything unusual here. What is my surprise, exactly?

It didn't take more than a second to get a reply from her brothers.

Group Chat: Arcadia's Unlucky Trio

Toby Pie: Look to your left.

" 'Look to your left'? How could he know where I'm standing at this very mo-" Ladybug wondered aloud, looking at her Bugphone in perplexion before turning her gaze to the left... only to drop her yo-yo in shock when seeing who was there with her.

"SURPRISE!!" Jim and Toby cheered, standing off to the side with gifts in hand, Blinky, Aaarrrgghh!!!, and Draal smiling behind them.

"JIM! TOBY! OH MY GOSH!!!" Ladybug squealed before running towards them and tackling them.

"WHAA!!!" Jim and Toby yelped when she made contact, the three teens falling to the ground in a heap of laughter and tangled limbs.

"Could have been a little gentler there, sis." Jim playfully remarked while they managed to sit up on the ground, their arms resting on each other's shoulders while their Troll friends came towards them.

"Sorry! I just can't believe it! You guys are here!" the spotted heroine exclaimed, pulling them both in for a side hug.

"Oh, come on MariFairy! Like we wouldn't visit you on your birthday now that we have a way to travel across the world in no time at all!" Toby exclaimed, revealing how they got there so fast. "Also, that Gyre-thing is a violent way to travel!" the rounded boy added, a look of horror passing over his features.

"Now you know how I felt when using it to get to Arcadia for the duel! I couldn't breathe the entire trip." Ladybug replied, recalling how horrible her first and only trip on the Gyre had been.

"Hate Gyre, too." Aaarrrgghh!!! said, relating to their shared hatred of the mode of transportation.

"Yes, Aaarrrgghh!!! has similar reservations about the Gyre too." Blinky spoke up, further explaining his companions' aversion to the Gyre.

"Not that I blame him. This trip was brutal." Draal reflected, watching as Ladybug, Jim and Toby rose to their feet after their tumble.

"Either way, I'm glad to see you guys here too! I can't believe you're all here!" Ladybug cheered, going over to the Trolls to hug Aaarrrgghh!!!, the large Troll returning the sentiment.

"It would be rude of us to ignore a Miraculous Holder's birthday!" Blinky proclaimed, receiving a hug from Ladybug as well and finding himself unable to figure out how to respond before she finally let him go. "Not to mention such a wondrous occasion of 14! That is when young Trolls learn how to speak!" the six-eyed Troll added, watching as Ladybug went to give an awkward hug to Draal, who seemed to have been even more apprehensive than Blinky had been.

"Well, what do you know?! Definitely a step up from what they do at 16." Ladybug remarked, quickly pulling away from Draal with a smirk directed at a now-intrigued Jim.

"Wait, what happens when a Troll turns 16?" Jim questioned, wondering why his little sister had mentioned something that specific.

"Oh, they-" Blinky began, only for Ladybug to quickly cover his mouth with her hand.

"You'll find out next week." Ladybug slyly replied to her brother, causing Draal to chuckle at their interaction.

"Your sister is quite sneaky, Trollhunter. I like that." Draal snickered, raising a hand to his mouth to cover the smile appearing.

"Thank you, Draal." Ladybug thanked with a bright smile, Blinky taking her hand off his mouth now that she prevented him from answering Jim's question.

"Haha. If you're going to be like that, I guess you don't want your birthday gifts." Jim lightly threatened, causing Ladybug to roll her eyes at his 'threat'.

"Oh come on, Jimbo. You know I was only joking, right?" Ladybug playfully inquired, crossing her arms over her chest and popping her hip to the side.

"Yeah, I know. Still..." Jim trailed off, triggering the spotted heroine to sigh in relent.

"Okay, you big softy. I'm sorry." Ladybug apologized, a smile appearing alongside her now softened eyes.

"Better. Now, come here, you!" Jim exclaimed, pulling his little sister in for a hug. "I'm just glad to see you in person for once." the Trollhunter admitted, Ladybug smiling at him.

"Me too." Ladybug responded, hugging him back.

"Okay, enough of the mushy stuff! It's present time!" Toby announced, causing Ladybug and Jim to pull away before he handed her his gift. "Open mine first!" the geology nerd encouraged, watching as Ladybug took the gift from him with a chiding smirk.

"Thanks, Toby." Ladybug thanked, followed by her opening the box and seeing an array of her favorite American candies. "Oh my gosh, Tobes! Thank you! I can't tell you how long I've been craving these!" the heroine in red squealed, already unwrapping a Hershey's Kisses and popping it into her mouth.

"My pleasure, Mari! Plus, I got double the amount since I figured Tikki would like them too." Toby added, earning a wide smile from Ladybug at his words.

"You are so thoughtful, Toby-Pie. How you don't have a girlfriend yet, I have no idea." Ladybug exclaimed, which had Toby sighing in contempt at the reminder of his relationship status.

"I'm wondering the same thing, too." Toby replied, quickly pushing those feelings down the next second. "Happy Birthday, MariFairy." the rounded boy said, prompting Ladybug to pull him in for a comforting hug.

"Alright, if we keep up with the hugging, we'll be here all night. And I'm excited for you to see what I got you." Jim said, causing Ladybug and Toby to pull away and fondly yet pointedly glare at him.

"Okay, Mr. Impatient. No need to get your pants in a bunch." Ladybug teased Jim as he handed her his gift, taking it and opening it to see a few piles of different colored fabrics inside, shocked by the sight of them. "Jim... please tell me you didn't use your Vespa money to get me this." the spotted heroine breathed out in disbelief, pulling out the fabric and feeling the texture on her cheek, finding the texture softer than anything she had ever felt.

"Calm down, I didn't spend any of my money on this part of your gift." Jim assured Ladybug, hoping to prevent her from feeling guilt when she didn't need to.

"But this fabric is so soft! Not even Vicuña fabric is this soft!" Ladybug exclaimed, her eyes wide at Jim's dismissive behavior. "Where did you get it for free?" the heroine in red questioned, hoping that Jim didn't make any black market deals to get the fabrics for her.

"Believe it or not, Heartstone has a group of textile Trolls. They can create any type of fabric that is requested of them." Blinky began, taking the floor to explain where Jim got the fabrics. "When Master Jim asked for help on finding your gift, I remembered her mentioning your tailor skills on passing and thought to bring him there." the four-armed Troll elaborated, triggering Ladybug to pull him and Jim in for a tearful hug.

"Thank you! I already got the perfect project in mind for these!" Ladybug cheered, grateful for the heartfelt gift she had been given.

"Not all of it!" Aaarrrgghh!!! spoke up, drawing the group's attention to him.

"Wait, what? There's more?" Ladybug inquired as she pulled away from hugging Blinky and Jim, curious as to what was left to find in the box in her hand.

"Look at the bottom." Jim said, causing Ladybug to move the fabric out of the way and see a rose gold handle resting on the bottom of the box.

"Uh... very cool?" Ladybug uttered in skepticism, gripping the strange object tighter and accidentally activating it and revealing it to be a rope dart.

Upon closer inspection, Ladybug took note of the short yet wide dagger made of rose gold with a black iron handle and pommel decorated with delicate turquoise swirl inlays. While the dagger part rested in Ladybug's hand, it was connected to the 16ft cord made of braided rose gold, with a counterweight dropping to the floor made of black iron and shaped like a faceted teardrop. The sight of the beautiful weapon in her hands caused her eyes to widen in delight.

"Oh. My God! A retractable rope dart!" the spotted heroine squealed, a bright smile appearing on her lips.

"Like it now?" Jim slyly asked, a smirk on his face as he took in Ladybug's reaction to her final gift.

"Like it? I love it! It works just like my yo-yo!" Ladybug cheered, stepping back to try it out. Thanks to her practice with the yo-yo, her skills were being put to use with the familiar feeling weapon as she spun the counterweight around her and used it on a miscellaneous stone. The counterweight of the rope dart effortlessly shattered the stone, turning it into gravel before she pulled it back and held the weapon in her hand. "Oh, I am loving this!" the heroine in red purred, grinning at the new weapon in her grasp and leaving the rest of the group amused.

"Figured you'd like it. Blinky and I saw it in the armory and knew it was the best fit." Jim explained. "Plus you can use this as a means to protect yourself when not transformed." the blue-eyed boy added, making Ladybug's smile wider.

"It's perfect, Jim. Thank you!" Ladybug thanked them again before pulling them back into another hug. "Definitely could have used this earlier today, though" the spotted heroine admitted, causing the others to look at her in intrigue.

"Why do you say that?" Draal asked, an eyebrow raised at the ladybug heroine.

"Eh, had to deal with an akuma targeting me today." Ladybug replied, causing Jim and Toby's eyes to widen at her in shock.

"An akuma on your birthday?! Seriously?" Toby shouted in his disbelief, shocked at the new information.

"And why were they after you? Did you offend someone?" Jim questioned, wanting to know why his little sister was put in danger.

"That's the awkward part... it was Grandma." Ladybug admitted, which earned another shocked stare from her brothers.

"Grandma came by?" Jim inquired, interested in the update on their world-traveling relative.

"Yep. And she's planning on visiting you the weekend after your birthday so that school doesn't prevent you guys from hanging out." Ladybug reported, giving Jim a heads-up to Gina's future arrival in Arcadia.

"While it's nice to spend time with Grandma, how did she end up getting akumatized?" Jim asked, hoping to find out what happened to cause one of his family members to be akumatized.

"It's a bit of a long story. How long do you guys have?" Ladybug wondered, her hand going to bashfully rubbing the back of her neck as she spoke.

"It's Sunday on our end, so there's a bit of time." Toby replied, now excited to get all the details on the new akuma.

"How about I give you guys a tour of Stone Arc and explain what happened?" Ladybug questioned, hoping to spend more time with her brothers and their friends now that they were on the same side of the globe.

"I can get behind that. It would be nice to see what Stone Arc's like." Jim admitted, eager to see the Trollmarket Ladybug protected.

"As would us! While I've been here once before, I didn't get a chance to see the city properly." Blinky added, revealing a little bit more about himself and his past travels. "Not to mention it is Aaarrrgghh!!! and Draal's first time here too." the six-eyed Troll revealed, prompting Aaarrrgghh!!! and Draal to nod in confirmation.

"Okay, we need to fix that right away!" Ladybug exclaimed, now hoping to help her sort-of Troll friends see a new local. "Lucky for me, I was shown around both the well and unknown places of the city thanks to Tarnite and Maray. I can't wait to show them all to you guys!" the heroine in red explained in her excitement, eager to start the tour while winding her new rope dart into a coil and placing it on her waist, followed by her putting her candies into her retrieved yo-yo for later.

"Then what are we waiting for? Lead the way, sis!" Jim cheered, causing Ladybug to take his and Toby's hands and lead the group down the path away from the station to show them Stone Arc.

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A while later, the tour of Stone Arc was winding down to an end as Ladybug kept leading the Trollhunters around the city, regaling what happened with that day's akuma attack. When Ladybug showed the Trollhunters every place she had been shown prior, they were all impressed with the variety of places Stone Arc had to offer, taking plenty of pictures too. But as they were heading back to the Gyre Station, Jim had taken the opportunity to recount some of the points Ladybug had skimped over in her explanation of her day.

"Wait, so you mean to tell me that you turned our grandmother into coal?" Jim questioned Ladybug, walking backwards next to her as he made his inquiry.

"It was the only way to defeat her! It's not like I liked doing it!" Ladybug exclaimed as she flailed her arms out in front of her, defending her previous actions

"Yeah, but there had to have been a better way to go about it! I know there have been times where I could have done things differently, but still." Jim argued, causing Ladybug to glare at him just while Toby walked just behind them with Blinky, Aaarrrgghh!!!, and Draal alongside him.

"You try going a day in my suit, and see how easy it is! You wouldn't last five minutes." Ladybug declared, pouting at Jim while still glaring at him.

"I'd say the same, but the only way for that to happen is if I die." Jim retorted, leaving Ladybug loss for words at his response/

"Okay, fair point. Let's just say that we both have done things we aren't proud of, okay?" Ladybug offered, drawing a smirk from Jim at her surrender.

"Fine by me." Jim replied as he held out his hand to her to shake, the two siblings doing so and settling the matter between them. "But on an unrelated note... I'm guessing Adrien was there at the party?" the Trollhunter asked in an aloof tone, not really wanting to know the answer to that question.

"Yes, he was. And he gave me a lucky charm bracelet like the one I gave him." Ladybug smugly responded, pulling out her yo-yo and opening it to reach inside and grab her new charm bracelet to show it off.

"Aw, now that's sweet." Toby cooed, finding the gesture Adrien had done to be so romantic while Ladybug put the charm back into her yo-yo, only to look over at Jim with an intrigued stare.

"What, no comment about how I should move on to Chat Noir?" Ladybug teasingly questioned Jim, putting her yo-yo back onto her waist as she sent him an amused smirk.

"Not today. It's your birthday and I'm getting tired of trying to convince you otherwise." Jim replied, softly chuckling at Ladybug's skepticism of his unusually passive behavior.

"So, does this mean you approve of him dating me if and/or when he returns my feelings?" Ladybug asked in a hopeful voice, her eyes wide as she focused her attention on her older brother as they walked along the path.

"Let's not get carried away, sis. I'm already tolerating him being your friend, but I don't want to get your hopes up for something that might not happen." Jim warned his little sister, going with the realistic approach to his side of the argument.

"You are still young, Ladybug. Who knows what will happen later." Aaarrrgghh!!! advised, offering his own pearl of wisdom to the discussion.

"Either way, I'm crushing on Adrien and that's that." Ladybug declared, only to look back over at Aaarrrgghh!!! again. "But as you said, Aaarrrgghh!!!, that doesn't mean it won't change when I'm older." the spotted heroine reflected, realizing that she had no idea what would happen as time passed by.

"Eh, I'll take this as a win." Jim said with a shrug of his shoulders, relenting on the argument for now.

"Of course you would." Ladybug muttered to herself in slight annoyance just as they approached the city's tavern, loud cheering coming from the establishment.

"Hey, what's going on in there?" Toby wondered aloud as he walked up to Jim and Ladybug's sides, curious to find out what was going on.

"Don't know. But that's probably where everyone is." Ladybug replied, letting her hand drop and looking over at the tavern with her own curiosity rising.

"It seems fun! Let's check it out!" Toby exclaimed, hoping to conclude their time in Stone Arc with a bang.

"Why not? We've got the time." Jim responded, happy either way they decided to go. Looking around, Ladybug could also see Blinky, Aaarrrgghh!!!, and Draal nodding their heads in agreement with the idea, cementing her choice in the matter as well.

"Alright, let's head in!" Ladybug announced, the group erupting into cheers before they walked into the tavern, immediately greeted by the sight of the majority of Stone Arc's shopkeepers occupying the tavern.

"Whoa! This place rocks!" Toby declared, looking around the place in awe before they all saw some of the shopkeepers surrounding a table in the middle of the establishment, chanting about something.

"And the ale here smells glorious!" Draal exclaimed, quickly walking over to the bar to grab one of the fine-aged beverages the tavern had to offer.

"Didn't see that coming." Jim softly remarked, a little surprised Draal's first thought was ale when coming into the pub.

"Seeing as he had been kicked out of Heartstone, it's understandable he misses certain things." Ladybug observed, trying to see things from Draal's point of view for once before they witnessed the crystal-backed Troll down a whole tankard of ale in one go. "And Troll ale happens to be one of them.'' The heroine in red lightly jabbed, causing the others to chuckle a bit before she saw Nox and Tarnite off to the side, watching the commotion in the middle of the tavern.

"Hey, it's Nox and Tarnite!" Ladybug happily cried as she pointed to the couple, the others turning to see who she was referring to.

"Are they the two Trolls you said are dating?" Toby questioned Ladybug, recalling one of their earlier video calls when she first brought them up.

"Yep, that's them." Ladybug confirmed before cupping her hands around her mouth. "NOX! TARNITE!" the spotted heroine yelled, waving at them when they looked over and spotted her before coming towards the new arrivals.

"Ah, Mistress Ladybug! What a pleasant surprise!" Tarnite bellowed as he and Nox walked over to them, happy to see the familiar face of one of their city's protectors.

"Nice to see you again, Mistress Ladybug!" Nox said when he and his partner reached the group, sharing the sentiment alongside Tarnite.

"You too, Nox. Same to you Tarnite." Ladybug greeted back, happy to see the two of them together. "I see the two of you are going out for the evening." the heroine in red noted, a smile gracing her lips at their presence.

"Yes, we are. Ever since we expressed our mutual feelings, we've been spending as much time together as possible." Tarnite explained, smirking up at Nox while they held each other's hands and causing Ladybug to hold back her squeal of joy.

"I'm happy for you two. May you have many happy years together!" Ladybug cheered, happy for the two Trolls that had quickly become friends to her before the crowd suddenly roared, drawing all of their attention to the commotion.

"Another win! Come on, you lot! Challenge me!" a Troll in the center shouted to the masses, clearly unsatisfied by the effort put against them before someone stepped up. "Oh, now that's more like it! Set us up!" the same Troll proclaimed, the surrounding spectators clearly eager to see the outcome.

"Uh, care to explain what's going on in there?" Ladybug asked the two local Trolls, hoping to find out what was causing so much excitement.

"Oh, it's just the weekly arm wrestling contest." Nox replied nonchalantly, leaving the humans surprised by the answer.

"Weekly arm wrestling?" Jim and Toby parroted, looking up at the bigger Troll in wonder.

"Every week, the shopkeepers have a contest of strength after the long hours they work. It's a great way for them to blow off steam." Tarnite explained, revealing one of their city's usual activities after dark.

"Does Nox participate?" Ladybug questioned, wondering if that was the reason why they had a date at the pub the last time she saw him.

"At times. But Styx is playing tonight." Nox admitted, which only seemed to confuse the teens even more at his statement.

"Why does that have anything to do with it?" Toby asked, intrigued by the mention of the shopkeeper Ladybug often interacted with.

"Styx is the reigning champion. No one has beaten her." Nox regaled, the group watching as the crowd parted to show Styx about to go against; surprisingly, Vorgar.

"Vorgar is here too!?" Ladybug squawked, her eyes widening at the sight of the Leader of Stone Arc grasping Styx's hand and the referee starting the match.

"Indeed. Even great leaders know when to have some fun." Tarnite stated, leaving Ladybug to consider his words before the ambassador suddenly saw Jim, Toby, Blinky, Aaarrrgghh!!! and Draal; coming back with a tankard of ale, next to her. "Oh, I must apologize. I didn't realize you had brought guests with you." the pale-green Troll apologized, hoping that he didn't offend the visitors with Ladybug... along with Jim and Toby.

"Are they with these fleshlings, too?" Tarnite inquired, pulling Ladybug out of her thoughts and nodding in confirmation.

"I'm glad you asked, Tarnite. I'd like to introduce you to the Trollhunter and his team." Ladybug announced, presenting her entourage to the Troll couple and leaving them blown away.

"The Trollhunter!?" Nox and Tarnite exclaimed, glancing at their guests in awe.

"Yep. This is the Trollhunter himself, Jim. Our joint best friend and honorary brother, Toby. Jim's mentors, Blinky and Aaarrrgghh!!!. And our ally and friend, Draal." Ladybug continued, pointing to the respective parties as she introduced her brothers and friends to Nox and Tarnite.

"It is an honor to meet you all, and to have your presence grace our humble city." Tarnite proclaimed, bowing to the visiting group.

"Your city is far from humble. It's amazing!" Jim complimented, glad to be seeing the hidden city of Trolls that Ladybug and Chat Noir were protecting alongside Paris.

"Thank you for your kind words, Trollhunter. If I may be so bold, might I ask what brings you here to Stone Arc?" Tarnite questioned, rising from his bowing and looking at the skinny boy with a raised eyebrow.

"My friends and I came to celebrate Ladybug's birthday, and she decided to give us a tour of the places she was shown." Jim explained, shocking both Nox and Tarnite with the news.

"Wait... it's your birthing day, Mistress Ladybug?" Nox inquired, leaving Ladybug to blush at the sudden attention.

"Yes... yes, it is." Ladybug confirmed, rubbing the back of her neck bashfully while looking over at the crowd watching Vorgar attempting to win Styx's title.

"Now we have even more reason to celebrate! Not only is the newest Trollhunter visiting our city for the first time, but one of the first Miraculous Holders in 200 years is celebrating her birthing day! What an occasion!" Tarnite gushed, his excitement pouring out of him before he went over to Styx and Vorgar, who were still in the middle of their arm-wrestling match.

"I've never seen him so excited." Ladybug remarked, amused by the ambassador's elation while Nox was chuckling alongside her.

"I haven't seen him this excited since I first asked him out for drinks." Nox recalled, watching his mate make his way through the crowd surrounding his boss. "It's quite amusing." the large shopkeeper Troll fondly stated while they all smiled as Tarnite finally came up behind Vorgar, she and Styx locked in their wrestling and neither budging.

"Vorgar... I have wonderful news!" Tarnite announced, earning a groan from Vorgar as she tried to put more weight on her opponent's arm.

"Tranite, can't you see I'm busy? I'm sure it can wait." Vorgar nearly growled, her intense gaze completely focused on a smug-looking Styx as she fought against her strength.

"It really can't." Tarnite argued, prompting Styx to look behind Vorgar and see Ladybug with her brother and his team of friends.

"Well, it will have to." Vorgar strained to say, only to be surprised when Styx started laughing while her arm still didn't budge despite her wavering focus. "What's so funny, Styx." the leader of Stone Arc tensely interrogated, still trying to push Styx's arm down to the table.

"I'm laughing because you have no idea who you are ignoring." Styx cheekily replied before she glanced over Vorgar's shoulder, her arm still not budging despite her sudden movement. "Hello Ladybug! Nice to see you again!"

The white-skin Troll greeted the superheroine, causing Vorgar to immediately turn her head to the side and glance at Ladybug and the Trollhunters.

"Ladybug! You're here!?" Vorgar exclaimed in surprise, her concentration subsequently lost and allowing Styx to easily beat her.

"HA! I win again!!" Styx declared, the tavern roaring with cheers while Styx grabbed her tankard of ale. "You really are a lucky charm, Ladybug! Vor almost had me there." the green-haired Troll admitted before she took a sip of her drink, prompting Vorgar to look back at her with a challenging stare.

"If that's the case... rematch later?" Vorgar offered, causing a smirk to appear on Styx's lips as she put her tankard down and cockily leaned back in her seat.

"You're on. But you might want to find out why one of our city's protectors is here." Styx pointed out, herself also intrigued by the presence of Ladybug's company. "And accompanied by friends from out of town too." the white-skinned Troll observed, causing Vorgar to turn her attention back to Ladybug and see the unfamiliar faces with her.

"It would appear so." Vorgar agreed, standing up from her chair and walking towards Ladybug and the Trollhunters. "It is good to see you again, Ladybug. Mind introducing your friends?" the graying dark violet-haired Troll asked, hoping to find out who Ladybug had with her before Tarnite stepped in between them.

"May I, Mistress?" Tarnite inquired Ladybug, earning a nod from her and causing Tarnite to smile before turning to the whole tavern. "Allow me to present the human Trollhunter with his mentors and friends." the ambassador announced, gesturing to each party and leaving everyone except Vorgar in shock.

"So this is the famous human that has been chosen by the Amulet of Daylight." Vorgar noted, finding his presence intriguing instead of shocking like the other locals before arching one of her eyebrows at him. "Honestly, I thought you'd be taller." the leader of Stone Arc admitted, earning a wince from Jim at the critique.

"Yeah, I get that a lot." Jim stated, choosing to take the path of less resistance in the hopes of not causing any animosity between him and Vorgar. "And you must be Vorgar. You are even more impressive up close." the Trollhunter complimented, earning an amused smirk from the Troll towering over him.

"Hmm, a charmer are you? Very nice." Vorgar responded in kind, adjusting her gaze to look back at Ladybug. "You have a good choice in allies, Ladybug." the graying dark violet-haired Troll stated, impressed with Ladybug's ability to find fun, yet trustable allies.

"Thank you, Vorgar." Ladybug thanked, glad to have earned Vorgar's approval on her brother. A far cry from how Vendel thinks of him, to say the least.

"So, what brings you to Stone Arc for the first time?" Vorgar questioned Ladybug, now hoping to get the reason behind the Trollhunter's visit.

"It's Mistress Ladybug's birthing day!" a voice behind them announced, causing everyone to look over in surprise and see it was Nox who had spoken. "What? It's true, isn't it?" Nox rhetorically questioned, nonchalantly taking a tankard from a passing waitress and taking a sip of ale from it.

"A little blunter than I would have liked. But yes, it's my birthday and they came to celebrate." Ladybug confirmed, turning to face Vorgar again and seeing the excitement building in her features.

"Oh my goodness! This calls for a celebration!" Vorgar exclaimed, turning to Styx with a gleeful smile. "Care to give us a hand, Styx?" the leader of Stone Arc asked, earning a soft smirk from the local arm-wrestling champion.

"My pleasure!" Styx proclaimed as she sat up straight in her chair and waved her hand to summon her powers, the tavern suddenly full of hanging lanterns and glowing crystal centerpieces. "I say this calls for a toast, huh Vorgar?" The white-skinned Troll questioned the city leader, the occupants of the tavern looking at her decorations in awe before looking at Vorgar in suspense.

"I agree." Vorgar stated, prompting Styx to snap her finger and summon everyone a tankard of ale; Jim, Toby and Ladybug getting theirs filled with non-alcoholic apple cider. With the drink in her hand, Vorgar raised her tankard into the air, triggering the others to do the same.

"Here's to the unexpected first visit of the new Trollhunter, and the celebration of Ladybug's first birthday as a Miraculous Holder. May they both live in glory for all time!" the graying dark violet-haired Troll declared, everyone cheering in agreement and lifting their tankard before taking a swig of their drinks. After the occupants of the tavern finished their drinks, they all slammed their cups onto any surrounding counters, the cheering continuing before Styx rose from her seat.

"Now I don't know about you lot, but I think a celebration is also in order." Styx announced before snapping her fingers again, causing music to start playing and the crystal centerpieces to start glowing. "Let's party!" the green-haired Troll exclaimed, prompting a good amount of Trolls to start dancing, including Aaarrrgghh!!!, Nox, and Tarnite.

While most of the occupants of the tavern took to celebrating, Vorgar, Styx, Blinky and Jim stand off to the side while Toby and Ladybug join in. But the majority of them couldn't help the smiles appearing on their faces when watching Ladybug pull Draal with her to join the fun, the crystal-backed Troll obviously nervous. Seeing Ladybug be so inclusive to Jim's former enemy, Styx glanced down at the Trollhunter with a smirk.

"Not going to join the fun, Trollhunter?" Styx asked, intrigued by his wallflower attitude despite coming to Stone Arc to celebrate Ladybug's birthday.

"I'm not much of a dancer." Jim admitted, rubbing the back of his neck in his bashfulness before glancing back to his celebrating friends. "Plus, this is a good way for Ladybug to start getting along with Draal more. I want them to get past the earlier issues they've had." the blue-eyed boy added, earning a thoughtful nod from the weirdly somber Styx.

"You've got a strong bond with Ladybug, don't you Trollhunter?" Styx asked, prompting Jim to look up and smile at her.

"You bet." Jim declared, only to realize who he was talking to at the moment. "And you must be Styx. Ladybug's told me about you." the Trollhunter said, which had Styx smirking at him as she finger-gunned him.

"Right back at you, kid. Though she was a bit more stingy on the details when talking about you." Styx replied, which Jim was already aware of thanks to his earlier video calls with his little sister.

"Eh, not complaining. If it helps keep her identity safe, I'm fine with it." Jim replied while he looked back at the dance floor, seeing Draal starting to loosen up with help from Ladybug, Toby and Aaarrrgghh!!! and started dancing with them.

"Too bad Chat Noir couldn't have attended. I'm sure he would have loved this." Styx remarked as she gazed at the dancing visitors, her mood seeming to drop when she saw Draal trying to match Ladybug's lead.

"I'm sure he would. But while I share the sentiment, I think it's best if he doesn't find out that today's Ladybug's birthday." Jim countered, earning an intrigued look from Styx and a solemn nod from Blinky.

"Why's that?" Vorgar asked as she leaned over Styx's shoulder, stepping into the conversation now that her curiosity was piqued.

"Identity issues." Blinky and Jim simply stated, which was all the two female Trolls needed.

"That must make it difficult for them to work as well as they do, huh?" Styx questioned, interested to see if any underlying and/or concerning issues needed to be dealt with.

"At times, yes. But they seem to work with it since they are on equal footing." Jim reported. "At least that's what I'm told by Ladybug." the blue-eyed boy added, clarifying that he's only been on the outside looking in this whole time before turning to the dance area and seeing Draal finally having some fun with their friends.

"But regardless of what's going on, I'll always be there for her if and when she needs help." Jim announced, earning proud smiles from Blinky, Vorgar and Styx due to his supportive words.

"Can't argue with that. Good luck to you then." Styx replied before she took one last sip from her tankard and headed to egress from the tavern, leaving the rest of them to watch the celebration. From then on and before the Trollhunters had to go back, the rest of their time in Stone Arc was filled with partying and pictures capturing all the action. In Ladybug's opinion, despite the akumatization of her grandmother, it was the best birthday she ever had!