Discordant Sonata

Chapter 26: Prima Donna (Part 3 of 4)

"Lucky Ch-" she began to call.

"OH!!" the mystery woman interrupted, voice amplified by the floating speakers. "But what manner of magician would I be if I didn't demonstrate my power for you all? After this magnificent feat, you will all be singing my praises for eons to come! Behold, the incredible Prima Donna's magical prowess! Vixie, I'm ready for my close-up!"

With that, Prima Donna flew into the sky, higher and higher until she was almost a speck. The mechanical fox assistant, "Vixie", showed footage of Prima Donna onto a giant projection in the sky, and onto all televisions, tablets, phones, and any other screens in the city so all could witness what was about to occur.

The lady magician did a flamboyant twirl of her wand, then extended it towards the asteroid. She held the heroic pose and waited for the giant rock, and once the two collided, the heavenly body exploded into a thousand pieces. Before they could hurl towards the earth, however, Prima Donna spun her wand around in a circle shape, until the wind around it formed a funnel. All the pieces and debris collected neatly into a tornado, which she struck again with her wand, and the entire conglomerated mass was thrown out into space.

Upon seeing this, the crowds began to cheer and clap, hopping up and down in glee, giving each other relieved hugs. Some began to chant, "PRIMA DONNA! PRIMA DONNA!"

Chat Noir and Ladybug let out their own furtive sighs of relief, then looked at each other in puzzlement.

"Did that really just happen?" she asked indistinctly, noting how... enthusiastic many of the crowd members were behaving.

"Who is she? Could it be a new miraculous holder?" Chat wondered.

Ladybug crossed her arms. "None of the descriptions of the miraculouses in the Grimoire fit her abilities. At least, none of the ones we know about. And she's definitely not as... discreet as a miraculous holder is supposed to be."

"Akuma?" he asked.

Ladybug shrugged. "Maybe. She's very theatrical though; usually akumas have a very specific purpose. Plus there's that weird fox... robot-thing. Her sentimonster, maybe? We should go talk to her and see what she wants. But let's be careful."

Chat Noir nodded, then the two cautiously approached the stage.

Prima Donna noticed them as she descended, her face becoming bright and cheerful. "Ah, how wonderful! Ladybug and Chat Noir have come to thank me in person and welcome me to Paris! Isn't that right?" She looked at them expectantly.

Ladybug and Chat Noir looked at each other, unsure of how to proceed.

Before they could come up with a reply, Prima Donna filled the silence on their behalf. "I'm sure they'll have lots of confidential information to tell me too, since they've asked me to come to Paris to be their new crime-fighting partner. Now that I'm here, this so-called 'Shadowmoth' stands no chance, as you can clearly see!" she said as she extended her hand towards where the asteroid had been. "But while we're away, why don't we bring out our special guest to entertain you!"

With a wave of her wand, a colorful explosion detonated behind her. As it cleared, a familiar shock of purple and black locks and tailored expensive suit became visible as the smoke cleared, and the crowds gasped in excitement.

"Is that Jagged Stone?!"

"Oh my gosh! It's Jagged!!"

"Jagged Stone's gonna perform!"

A dramatic strum from the famed musician's electric guitar ignited the masses. They erupted into applause and cheering as an elaborate setup became visible beneath the rainbow-colored smoke. A few more well-timed explosions of confetti and fireworks from Vixie marked the start of this impromptu concert, and the crowd went feral.