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"Ladybug, use your lucky charm!" Chat Noir suggested as he battled the Printer. Pages and pages kept flying at the poor hero, causing him to drown in paper."Lucky Charm!" The heroine used her special power in hopes of rescuing her partner. She was given a simple paper shredder."This is a bit obvious," she giggled sleepily, thankful it wouldn't take much thought to use it. The girl didn't sleep much the night before, so it was to her relief that this battle wouldn't be so complicated or violent."You'll never destroy my news column! I am the Printer, and I print pages!" The akuma shouted maniacally. Chat Noir was dying at all the puns he could make for the Printer."Don't use that tone with her!" He called out, snickering from under a mountain of pages. Even in times of battle, puns always seemed like a necessary idea. He felt it lightened the mood when things got too serious with villains, and that they were just really funny. "Shut up!" The Printer groaned, as did Ladybug. This was definitely not a time for puns, and Chat Noir did not exactly get the hint. As the akuma was distracted by his puns of paper and printing, Ladybug exhaustedly pushed herself to continue shredding the paper around him.Eventually the villain noticed, and shot forward a huge stack of papers at Ladybug. She dodged them luckily by using her yoyo to pull herself up and away from the direction that papers were being launched at.Swinging down, she snatched the keys to the Printer's office printer and broke them under her foot. The akuma fluttered out, and Ladybug captured it with her yoyo. "Got you!" She smiled in relief. Chat Noir pulled himself out from the shredded paper mountain, complaining of paper cuts. "Cataclysm!" He declared, causing all the shredded papers to turn to dust. The heroine continued to purify the akuma, then she released it back out as a white butterfly. "Goodbye little butterfly," she smiled, her eyelids drooping in exhaustion.Chat Noir's ring beeped, and Ladybug's hands immediately flew up to touch her earlobes at the sound. "Oh, that was my ring. Yours hasn't lost any spots. Did you end up using your Lucky Charm?" Chat Noir asked her, examining her earrings. All five spots were still there."Yes, I did actually. How long ago was it? Like a few minutes ago? I wasn't keeping track of time," she tilted her head curiously. Chat tilted his head in confusion as to why she hasn't lost any of her spots. "Huh. It's probably a new power. I'll ask my kwami about it when I detransform to see if he knows anything. Anyways, good job today my lady!" He told her, beginning to get nervous as his ring beeped another time, losing another minute."Pound it?" She held her fist out, shaking off the weird vibe she was getting from the lack of losing spots. Besides, she thought, this should be a good thing. Maybe she wouldn't be so limited on minutes and in a hurry. Although she didn't mind being in a hurry to her warm bed. Late night school projects were always a pain."Pound it!" He returned her fist bump with a smile. Chat Noir noticed she seemed a bit distracted, so he reminded her about her Lucky Charm, "And don't forget to return that." She gasped and cheekily laughed at her error. Ladybug threw it back into the air, making the random sheets of paper littered across all of Paris disappear.Chat Noir's ring beeped a third time, meaning he'd only have two minutes before he was changed back into his civilian self. The two quickly helped the victim of the akuma, making sure he would be alright. Chat Noir had to duck out early, being that he lost a fourth minute. "So I'm sure that if you talked to your editor about your news column, he'd be more understanding," Ladybug reassured the confused man."Thank you, Ladybug. Was I- changed into a villain?" He asked, guilt evident in his eyes."Don't worry. Everything was fixed and you're back to normal! Stay safe and keep positive thoughts!" Ladybug smiled, giving him a thumbs up. The man smiled in a friendly way in return, and he left the scene."Hey Ladybug! Do you have a few minutes to answer some questions?" She heard a familiar voice ask from behind her. The girl jumped in surprise, turning to see that her best friend and reporter for the blog about her was standing behind her with her phone camera out."I- I think I might actually have... time. Hey, do you mind looking to see how many spots I have on my earrings?" Ladybug asked, trusting her best friend. Even though Alya didn't know that Ladybug was Marinette, she still trusted that she would tell the truth and wouldn't take her earrings. "You have... one, two, three, four, five spots! Five spots! So, in every akuma attack, I've noticed that you lose spots on your earrings and Chat Noir loses green dots on his ring. What's that all about?" She asked, the reporter in her coming out curiously."I- well, I can't stay after I lose all five spots. I only have five minutes to fight after I use my power to create an object that will help me in the battle. That object is called a Lucky Charm. The same goes for Chat Noir, except with his ring. He uses his power of destruction in battle to help us when we're in a sticky situation," Ladybug explained, exciting Alya with all this new information. Alya had theorized about the spots and paw print on the ring, but now she had factual evidence from the most legitimate source. Something confused her though. Alya did notice that Ladybug used her power of creation to call forward a paper shredder, but that was longer than five minutes ago. If she only had five minutes to fight, why was she still here. What happened after those five minutes were up?"Thank you, Ladybug. I was wondering, what happens after your and Chat Noir's five minutes are up?" Alya asked her.Ladybug looked at her, then at the phone camera. She knew it was okay to tell people this stuff because Hawkmoth already knew this. He saw it from the akuma's point of view in every battle. "We transform back," she spoke carefully, knowing that the public would have information about this once Alya uploaded it."You used your power today and in battle, right? It was longer than five minutes ago that you used your power. Is there something that lengthens your time to transform?" Alya asked, seeing as Ladybug seemed steady, in one place. This was a strange sight, to say the least. Most of the time, Ladybug was always on the move, never having the proper time to interview with her. Once Marinette presented Alya with the gift of interviewing Ladybug when she accidentally deleted a video on her phone, but Ladybug still seemed a bit more jumpy and ready to leave, seeing as she was always ready to go."Actually, this is... a rare time when I'm able to stick in my transformation, even after my five minutes are up!" Ladybug told her, seeming a bit at unease herself. Something in her eyes told Alya that she was a little less than confident today, but she shook it off, knowing that Ladybug was a human girl underneath that suit. At least she was pretty sure."Are you a human teenage girl?" Alya asked, causing Ladybug's nervous demeanor to lighten up in laughs. "Are you trying to uncover my identity, Miss Cesaire?" Ladybug rose an eyebrow, laughing lightly."I was just curious. And yes," Alya admitted, laughing herself, "Many people viewing the LadyBlog are dying to know your identity!""Maybe one day," Ladybug laughed, causing Alya to squeal with excitement."Thank you for answering my questions, Ladybug! I can't wait to show my best friend this new interview! I bet she'll love it," Alya smiled excitedly as she turned off her phone camera. "No problem!" She replied, giggling a bit at how enthusiastic her best friend was to show her a video of Alya asking her questions and Marinette basically answering them. Alya left the area, probably off to go upload the video first, then go show Marinette.It always crossed Ladybug's mind that maybe Alya would recognize the similarities in their voices, the chance being that she had her alter ego's voice on camera and her civilian voice on the phone at the same time. It didn't scare her too much, to see how the possibilities could result if Alya were to find out her identity.She knew Alya would go try to find her in her civilian self eventually to go show her the video, so she decided that it was time to drop her transformation.
Ladybug threw her yoyo, causing it to wrap around a nearby chimney, then she was pulled up by the force of the string. From there, she took a running start and began to jump from rooftop to rooftop to get to her own balcony. She basically knew everywhere from the top of Paris by now. She knew where to find her bedroom, no matter what rooftop she was on. From the few years of being Ladybug, she already had a map etched in her head. She could patrol Paris and find places in her sleep. Eventually she reached her balcony, so she dropped through her open trap door, trusting that no one was in her room. Once she landed on her bed, her eyes scanned the room twice to make sure the coast was clear, then she spoke her transformation phrase."Tikki, spots off," she mumbled, climbing down from her bed. She'd get back up there anyways, but she decided that she would get her kwami a cookie first.However, a few seconds passed and no pink light washed over her to take away her transformation. "Tikki, spots off," she tried again, speaking a bit more clearly and louder. "Spots off," She squeezed her eyes shut and waited to hear the magic flush over her to take the suit and mask off, to leave her in her normal clothes.Nothing.This was beginning to seem a bit weird. "Detransform me?" She tried again, hoping Tikki would hear her and help take the suit off. Once again, nothing happened. She looked in her mirror to see herself, clad in red. A red mask was still covering the eye to nose portion of the face. Leaning forward in the mirror, she reached to the back of her earlobes to feel for the sharp point that pierced through. To her horror, she felt nothing there. She could obviously see the front of her earrings on her earlobes, and she felt them. They seemed normal, but there was no backing, "What in the name of...""Maybe if I pull them," she mumbled to herself, gently tugging on the fronts of the earrings. They were attached to her skin. The front of the earrings were attached to her skin."No, no, no. There's got to be a way," she told herself, beginning to feel her breath pick up pace.A harder yank, she tried to get them out, but they only stuck to her earlobes. In the mirror, she could see her distressed expression, and her earrings that hadn't changed any spots. The edges of the earring were usually round, and they could slide off if she tried, but it seemed as if the edges didn't exist, and that it was a part of her skin now. It was like a bone sticking out, something she couldn't remove.She turned away from the mirror, looking down at her spandex suit. It was just a suit, right? Maybe there was a zipper? Something that could slide off.She felt up on her neck around for her collar, which was covered in black. She reached for the edge, which she pulled on. It pulled the neck of her skin from the top a bit, causing Ladybug to let out a small shriek. It was also a part of her now. She felt around on her spandex suit, tugging the top layer, but it was also like skin. It was like a layer of skin. She couldn't just cut it off now. Her mask. She tugged on it, but the skin of her face was tugging along with it, just as if her mask was a part of her face. Her eyelids were covered by the mask like a skin, and it was beginning to freak her out. No, it was already freaking her out. Was this happening to Chat Noir as well, she wondered. No, he already had his ring blinking in warning if detransformation. Her earrings hadn't done that, which meant she wasn't going to lose her transformation."Tikki, please. Please detransform me," she begged her kwami, her voice beginning to turn into a whine. She nervously tugged on her pigtails, knowing they were the same as her civilian form. It gave her a sense of peace, but she wanted to get out of this costume already. She had to do her homework, see Alya, help in the bakery. Marinette had school on Monday.How was she going to go to school without revealing that she was Marinette? If Hawkmoth wanted her miraculous now, he was out of luck. She couldn't even take it off. "Spots off. Spots off! Spots o-off!!" She whimpered, beginning to feel her face heat up with frustration."Tikki, get me out of this costume! Please!" She begged again, but to no avail. Was... Tikki dead? Maybe her sweet kwami was dead, Marinette immediately thought. Her eyes teared up at the thought, but she pushed it away. She couldn't afford to think like that. She had to remain calm and find a way to detransform without letting the others know.
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Ladybug was pacing around her civilian room, wondering how she would go about this. It wasn't like she could go on the internet and go to a how-to website that would instruct you what to do when your superhero suit won't come off. She froze when her trap door opened and her mother was staring directly at her. The little girl part of her wanted to run to her mother in tears, seeking advice from the one woman she felt solved all her troubles. "Ladybug?" Sabine asked, genuinely surprised to see the superhero standing in her daughter's room. What could she possibly say that wouldn't sound crazy?"Uh- hello Mrs. Cheng! Your daughter, Marinette told me to come to her room to- um, find her- give me something she made as a thank-you gift!" Ladybug told her mother, relieved when she saw her mother's face soften as a sign of belief."Aww, that's nice dear. Come eat dinner with us. I'm sure she'll be here in a few minutes. A heroine like you must be starving after a fight like that!" Sabine exclaimed, inviting her own daughter to eat dinner without even realizing it.If she was being honest, Marinette was hungry. It wasn't like she was going to detransform anytime soon, so she might as well have a bite to eat."Thank you so much, Mo-Ma'am!" She corrected herself quickly."Oh dear, you could just call me Sabine," she chuckled gently as the heroine followed her down the ladder."Thank you, Sabine," she said with a smile. It felt a bit odd to her tongue calling her mother by her name, but if this was the reality she was going to have to face, she'd have to deal with it."Oh my! What a pleasant surprise!" She heard her father's voice bellow with joy. Somehow, this nearly brought tears to her eyes. Would she ever be able to be with her family without revealing her identity or detransforming? It felt nice to hear her parents' voices and to smell their cooking. "Hello Mr. Dupain," she smiled politely, shaking his larger hand as he held it out as a greeting."Call me Tom," he chuckled, turning around to face his wife."I wonder where Marinette is. She's supposed to be here for dinner," Sabine voiced her worry a little."I'm sure she's fine, sweetie. I bet Marinette is hanging out with Alya and she's got forgotten what time it is," Tom lightened the spirit a little."I'll give her a call," Sabine picked up the phone as Tom went to finish preparing the dinner."You could go ahead and take a seat on the couch if you'd like. Watch a little television?" Tom told Ladybug, causing her to smile in return."Thank you, Tom," she remembered to say his name, resulting in the man smiling kindly. Marinette mentally panicked, very well knowing that her mother wasn't going to reach her if she called."Would it be alright to use your restroom?" Ladybug requested."Go on right ahead. It's a little down the hall," Tom replied, then left to tend to the dinner.Marinette took off to the bathroom, where she remembered she left her phone that morning. Luckily, it was under a bunch of her stuff, so her parents likely hadn't seen it.The moment it rang, she muted it, then waited a few seconds to pick it up."Hello Marinette?" Her mother's voice came out of the other end of the phone call."Hi Mama!" She replied with forced cheer."Ladybug is waiting for you. She says you made her something? Also, it's dinner time. Please come home as soon as you can," her mother told her."I-um, am doing a school group project at the moment with Alya! I won't be home for a while sadly, but can you tell Ladybug that I left it on my desk?" Marinette came up with the best excuse she had within that moment.Her mother sighed, but agreed to do so. "Mama?" Marinette stopped her mom from hanging up, because she knew this might be the last chance she has if she can't transform back."Yes, sweetie?" Sabine answered."I love you," Marinette told her, telling one last truth."I love you too! Please come home when that project is over. We'll have dinner in the fridge for you to warm up.""Thank you! I- I should get back to work," her voice nearly broke."Okay then. I'll see you later!" "Goodbye Mama," a tear trickled down her cheek as she forced a smile through the phone call. She hung up the call, then looked into the mirror to see that tears were leaking from her eyes and onto her mask. She wiped away the tears, then flushed the toilet as a sign that she'd finished using the restroom. Washing her hands, she did. It felt the same due to the fact that she had a suit that was the second skin on her hands. Taking a sigh, she dried her spandex-covered hands with a towel then left the bathroom. Seeing that her room was open, she quickly turned off her phone, then tossed it up into her bedroom. She returned to her place on the couch, then saw that her father was setting the table. Standing back up, it was a force of habit to help set the table with her parents. "Ladybug, you're our guest. You already do so much for us by saving Paris! Go ahead and take a seat. Dinner will be out in a moment," Sabine told her, causing a tiny pang of guilt to flicker in the heroine. She was their daughter. She should be helping them, but she couldn't detransform!It would be rude to disobey them, so she thanked them and did as they said. Along with this feeling, she wanted to voice her confession to her parents from the top of her lungs, but Ladybug knew this was a bad idea. Not only was it bad, but it was dangerous. If the news got out by accident somehow, her parents could be used as bait for her to hand over her miraculous. Unable to take off her miraculous, she wouldn't be able to save her parents. From the kitchen, she smelled her father's homemade spaghetti sauce. She took delight in the smell, considering her parents' spaghetti with the sauce was definitely a favorite of hers. Her mother returned to the living room, inviting the heroine to the dining table. Tom placed a big bowl of freshly baked bread rolls on the table. Ladybug was a bit surprised she missed the scent of the baked goods.Sabine left the dining table to go to the kitchen with a plate, and she returned moments later with spaghetti on it. She placed the plate in front of the girl, causing Ladybug to take delight in the generous amount of sauce that was piled over the pasta. A light dusting of Parmesan cheese was given across the red sauce. "Thank you so much!" She made sure to say to her mother."Do you have a preference of drinks? We have fruit punch, green tea, water, soda, and milk," Tom asked the heroine politely as he lifted the empty cup."Uh... fruit punch sounds great! Thank you!" She smiled considerately at her father."Anything for one of Paris's heroes!" Tom gave her a thumbs-up before taking her cup to fill with the fruit-flavored drink. He came back and allotted the cup diagonally, but in reaching distance to Ladybug's plate. The parents made sure to leave some of their dinner on the side for their daughter to which they presumed to be working on a school project, but Ladybug didn't take notice of it. Sabine sealed it off in a plastic container, also taking a bread roll for Marinette, and placing it in the refrigerator for her to eat when she returned home. Tom was sure to make enough food for he and his wife, along with Marinette and Ladybug, so he served himself and Sabine to the food. Ladybug waited for them to sit down to begin dinner out of the habit she usually carried as their daughter. As soon as they were seated with all their servings, all three of them began to eat."So Ladybug, if you don't mind us asking, how are you doing?" Sabine politely started a conversation before she took a bite out of the spaghetti twirled around her fork.Ladybug swallowed the piece of the bread roll she had begun chewing quickly before answering. "I- everything is going great! The akuma attacks are getting less challenging each time," she said. She spun the pasta thoughtfully around her fork before lifting it to take a bite. She wouldn't get panicked about this situation just yet. Ladybug was in her own home, eating her own parents' dinner, having a conversation about things. Everything was starting out more calmly, so she would push aside her worries for now, and just enjoy the time she had in the comfort of her own home."That's good to hear! I remember how scared our daughter, Marinette, was when the first akuma attack happened. I assured her that you would take care of Paris, and now look at what's happening!" Tom chuckled delightfully, then continued to eat the pasta."You're a great hero, and so is your partner! How is he doing?" Sabine asked curiously, dabbing her own lips with a napkin to assure her mouth didn't have sauce around it.Ladybug's face lit up at how her parents called Chat Noir her partner. Most of Paris called him her sidekick, but she made sure to correct them when they would say so. "He's doing good! He sure uses more puns than I'd like, but he seems to be pretty happy! He's also gotten pretty good with his powers.""He seems like a very nice boy. I believe I overheard Marinette telling Alya about how they worked together one time to defeat an akuma. How did that go?" Sabine asked the heroine. Ladybug's face heated up at the question with embarrassment, and she was partially glad that the mask would cover most of the blush. Mostly, she wanted to get out of the costume, but it was useful for now. She remembered Alya calling her to inquire and detail the Evillustrator's attack with her and Chat Noir for the blog, so she detailed it for her best friend."I wasn't there at the time because I had a secret mission, but Chat Noir told me about it a little bit. He said she was a nice person to work with," Ladybug lied, not about the part that Chat Noir said, but about not being there. Of course she was there, but as Marinette and she couldn't let her partner know the real reason she couldn't make it."Oh, that's nice to know.""So how are you guys doing?" Ladybug asked in return, then took a drink of the fruit punch she was given."Our bakery sales are doing great this year! They're picking up in business and more people seem to be ordering baked goods, especially for breakfast! Tom and I are doing our best to ensure that our customers have quality food. Marinette is getting busier and busier as the time goes by. Sometimes I just wish our baby girl could be small again," Sabine teared up a little.Ladybug took note to make sure that she'd make more time for spending with her parents when she'd hopefully get out of the costume."That's nice that your bakery sales are doing good! You guys make the best food around Paris! As for Marinette, I know that teenagers can be pretty busy with school and friends, but they always appreciate their parents and will make sure to stick around when they can," Ladybug tried to assure them."Thank you, Ladybug," Sabine smiled in a motherly way toward the heroine, almost making her forget that she was in costume. As Ladybug finished up her dinner, she replied, "Thank you two as well for your hospitality. I appreciate it a lot."Dinner was cleaned up, and Ladybug's time to spend in her home was beginning to come to an end."It was a pleasure having you for dinner! Come around whenever you have the time! Maybe Marinette will be here next time. I'm sure she'll be excited at the thought of dining with you! You could go ahead and take the gift Marinette left for you," Sabine told her, patting her shoulder. Tom smiled beside his wife, nodding his head in agreement."Thanks again! I'll leave through Marinette's window when I'm done," she told her parents. They both smiled in reply as they bid her farewell before leaving her to her business.Ladybug climbed back up to her own room, pushing her trap door open. When she pulled herself up to sit on the floor beside the ladder, she shut it gently. "Tikki, spots off," she tried again, but to no avail."Detransform me," she attempted, "Please just get this costume off of me."Once again, she reached up to her ears to feel for the backings that usually stuck out from behind her earlobes, but they were still missing. The fronts were still glossy and smooth like glass, but they didn't slip out. "Oh no. What am I going to do now?" She muttered to herself, knowing she was going to have to leave her room soon, just in case her parents would come back."Hello Mr. And Mrs. Dupain-Cheng, is Marinette here?" She heard a familiar voice from downstairs, causing her to panic."Hi Alya! Marinette is working on a group project from one of your guys' classes right now," Ladybug heard Sabine explain to Alya."There was a group project?!" Alya yelped, thinking she had forgotten. "Marinette had said that you guys were working on it together," Sabine said, beginning to sound suspicious."Uh- that um," Alya begun to recede unsurely, not wanting to get Marinette in trouble."You guys aren't working on a group project at school?" Tom asked, sounding a little disappointed.Ladybug cringed, her heart racing as she heard the conversation from downstairs. She heard the conversation growing closer, so she needed to move hastily.What should she bring? She needed to grab something from her desk to show that she had made something for herself as a hero. Quickly thinking, she grabbed a denim jumper she managed to make a few months ago from her desk, then a pair of green sneakers from middle school, as well as a hoodie she bought. She also took a pair of oversized sunglasses to cover up most of the mask.Throwing everything into an old duffel bag, she jumped out the window, throwing her yoyo string as far as it would take her. She felt it snap taut before it pulled her away to the destination. If she were going to seek a place to hide out, she'd need to wait a while longer so it wouldn't be so suspicious that Ladybug shows up and Marinette disappears at the same time. She'd need to hide out a few days, at least just showing up for patrol as usual. Hopefully her civilian disappearance wouldn't last long. She assumed that her powers were just acting up or she'd received a new power she didn't know how to handle, so she thought it would only take a few days to sort out. It felt terrible having to keep this a secret from everyone, but missing Marinette was better than revealed Marinette that would put the people she loved in danger. If she were to reveal that her powers weren't working to the point that she couldn't detransform, people could connect the dots as to why Marinette went missing and when she'd return after the heroine had everything under control.An idea popped into her head. Maybe if she used another Lucky Charm, her powers would return to normal and maybe work this time by giving her five minutes.She'd just have to give it a shot.
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"Lucky Charm!" Ladybug called out, using her power.What dropped into her hands was a plastic red bag with little black dots on it. Something was inside it, so she tore it open. What she found was a brunette wig. Marinette was in need of a disguise for walking around Paris randomly, so she supposed this could be helpful if she didn't have a huge mask on her face. A minute passed, and she heard no noise from the her earring. Tossing the little bag into her duffel, she slipped off to find a public restroom she could change in. Marinette slipped the strap over her shoulder and swung further when she realized the mall was in short distance. She swung on the roof of the mall, and tried to remember where exactly the restroom of it was and where she could enter to get there more quickly.Last time she was there, she used the bathroom when she was next to the food court, so she had to enter from there. It was growing later, and the mall would close soon, so there wouldn't be too many people hanging out there.She hopped down from the roof safely, then entered through the doorway to the food court. Seeing the bathroom in sight, she knew that she couldn't stop. Ladybug would just need to make it there, and change. There was a full restroom in there, locked doors and private sinks. She'd just need to focus and make it there.As she continued to walk, she cringed at a familiar voice. "Hey, isn't that Ladybug?! We're totally besties!" Chloe told Sabrina, running over to meet her idol."Hello Chloe. I'm doing a secret mission, and I have to get there quickly. Sorry, I have no time to talk right now, but maybe later," Ladybug straight out said, making a bolt for the bathroom after talking."Text me!" She heard the blonde yell after, to which she gave a thumbs up in reply. "What in the world is Chloe doing at the mall so late?" Ladybug grumbled grouchily to herself as she made it to the restroom, locking the door behind her.She tossed the duffel bag on the sink, and opened it. Staring at her reflection in the mirror, she sighed. It wouldn't be easy to go undercover and walk around Paris until her transformation wore off, but she'd have to come up with something.Starting with the denim jumper, she unhooked one of the straps from the front before placing her leg through one of the pant legs. She did the same with the other, then hooked both straps back in place. Ladybug slipped her arms through each sleeve of the light blue hoodie she purchased from the mall not too long ago, then zipped it up. After pushing her feet into the green sneakers from middle school, she tied them. Finally she reopened the plastic baggie she was given for her lucky charm, then carefully pulled out the brunette wig. She realized it also came with a wig cap to slip over her real hair. The first thing she did was place the new things on the sink, then take out her pigtails. Maybe if she braided it into a crown around her head, she could easily place her hair into the wig cap? She didn't know how to braid her hair into a crown, but she did place her hair in two braids with the two red ribbons her hair held. She tied them together messily with the ends of the ribbons over her head, sort of giving it a crown look. She swept her bangs back, then pulled the wig cap over her head. There was a bulge on the top from where her hair braids were tied together, but she hoped it wouldn't show too much with the wig. Ladybug tucked the pieces of her bangs that stuck out from under the cap back under, then placed the wig on. It fit quite nicely, probably thanks Tikki giving her the Lucky Charm that provided her with the correct size of the wig. The bulge only caused the wig to lump up at the top a little bit, so she attempted to press it down with her red spandex-covered hands.The bangs of the brown wig cut off at just above her eyes, barely resting on her eyelashes. She swept them aside in habit of doing that with her own bangs when they grew too long. Realizing that they helped hide her mask better, she combed them with her fingers back to the position the bangs originally fell in. The long straight wig had its length come down just above her elbows. The ends of the hair curled into rings as if they were curled with a curling iron. She brought the hair forward to lay in front of her shoulders, then pulled the hood of her jacket to cover her head. Lastly, she took the oversized sunglasses out from her duffel, then placed them over her eyes. She stared at herself in the mirror with a deadpan look. "I'm a hot mess," she muttered with a sigh.First off, the sunglasses didn't hide the red and black mask on her nose. Wearing a hood over her bulged wig just looked like a disaster. The blue hoodie was clashing terribly with the red and black suit that her spandex covered hands were shown under.Her pant legs cut off barely below the knee, revealing the red suit, to which was covered at the feet with green sneakers.She looked more suspicious than a cartoon bank robber wearing a black hat, black-and-white striped shirt, and carrying a brown bag with a dollar sign on it. It was more than obvious that she was hiding her suit.Marinette knew it was the best she could do for the time, and it wouldn't do her any better to stroll around as Ladybug in plain sight. She picked up her duffel bag with a sigh and unlocked the door to leave. As she once again tried to make a run for the exit, but she was stopped again by the same person."I know you're amazing and everything, but come on, Ladybug! Did you buy your clothes from a tool depot? Why those colors with those- ugh! Please, allow me to give you a makeover! Please, please!! I don't want my bestie to be walking around like a fashion disaster!" Chloe basically begged the annoyed superheroine.At the time, she really didn't have anything better to do and it was growing late and dark out. "Right now?" She asked, a bit unamused, but trying to change her demeanor a little."Yay! Let's go to my daddy's hotel. You're... about my size, so I'll just lend you some of my clothes!" Chloe exclaimed excitedly. The blonde estimated them to be around a similar size, which was correct. Ladybug noticed Sabrina wasn't around when she came back, so she was under the assumption that she left."Okay thanks, Chloe," Ladybug said, pushing herself to be nice. Even though Chloe had teased and mocked her in her civilian form for the last five years, she saw that Chloe genuinely idolized her as a heroine, so she needed to set a good example and be civil.The girl dragged the superhero out to her limo, where her butler awaited. "Greetings Miss Bourgeois. Sabrina was picked up by her mother?" "Yes," Chloe replied. "Hi, would it be okay for Chloe to have me over?" Ladybug asked the butler."I'm sure the mayor would approve," he replied to Ladybug's relief. They drove back to the hotel, which involved Chloe giving Ladybug an earful of fashion advice the entire way back. "Green sneakers?! Ladybug, I knew a total dork who used to wear green sneakers! Trust me, you do not want to be mistaken for her."Already knowing exactly who Chloe was referring to, Ladybug groaned quietly to herself."When I fix you up, we definitely have to take a selfie together! So I know you probably want to wear this ratty old wig, but I think we should at least style it before you wear it again," Chloe continued dishing out unwanted fashion advice, to which Ladybug basically ignored. "Thanks Chloe," Ladybug said, again pushing herself through gritted teeth to be nice to her frenemy. "Hey, do you want to stay the night? We can make popcorn, braid each other's hair, and like totally watch girly movies!" The blonde suggested, becoming excited with having an actual superhero in her car beside her. Realizing that sleeping over with Chloe would do her better than having to find another place to stay while trying to figure out her transformation issue, Ladybug confirmed. The girl was basically offering her help with no selfish strings attached, and the heroine was a little emotionally touched. Just a little."Alright. Thank you, Chloe," she spoke again, plastering an awkward Marinette smile over her cringe. "Yay! Let's do this! Let's do the makeover tomorrow morning, then," Chloe cheered, deciding that it would be best to help her when they could go out and do stuff, rather than before they'd be going to sleep. The heroine nodded, smiling once again.Once they reached the hotel, Ladybug tried to lay low after getting out of the car. "Hey Ladybug, what's your deal with all the clothes over your suit?" Chloe asked, rather loudly in Ladybug's opinion. Luckily, there weren't many people hanging around in the hotel lobby at that time, and the few people that were there were spending time on their phones instead of actually paying attention to what Ladybug considered to be an outburst of Chloe's question."Shh! I'll tell you once we get somewhere private," Ladybug whispered to the blonde. Chloe nodded in response, then took Ladybug to the elevator by the arm. Once she clicked the button, it waited a few seconds before she was able to enter. It dinged, then its heavy metal doors slid open, allowing the two to enter the small elevator room.Once the doors shut, they would have to wait at least thirteen levels before they'd reach their final floor. "So, what's the big secret?! I wanna know!" Chloe pushed, obviously excited by her idol's secrecy and sharing information.Ladybug pondered if she'd actually tell Chloe what she was dealing with. She couldn't. Chloe was in Marinette's class and she'd know that once Ladybug left and Marinette was back, there was something suspicious. She wouldn't stay with Chloe too long, she decided. Also, she'd have to make something up."I'll... um- tell you when we get to your room. It's top secret hero stuff!" Ladybug fibbed, turning away from Chloe."I wanna know so badly!" The blonde whined, but decided she'd allow the heroine to tell her when they were in a safer spot.After a little while, the two left the elevator. Chloe led Ladybug to the hotel room she claimed as her own. She recognized the pink walls and pink bed from when she fought the Evillustrator in Chloe's bedroom. Also, the lights were working perfect now, seeing as her powers fixed everything she broke with the Lucky Charm, which happened to be a small bouncy ball that day. "So what's the secret?!" Ladybug's flashback was interrupted by the very anxious, impatient girl."I can't tell anyone this, and you can't either. Promise me you won't tell the LadyBlog, or anyone. Promise me you won't post this anywhere. This has to be kept a secret between the two of us. Chat Noir can't even know," Ladybug began to say, only causing the blonde to get more excited at what secret she'd have to protect with her life."I won't tell a single person! I won't post it or even tell Sabrina! You have my word!" Chloe assured her.Ladybug's blue eyes flashed to the left, then to the right, as if to see if anyone was around. Her hand flew up to her mouth as she began to whisper what she'd call her "secret." "I have to go undercover as a civilian girl around Paris to keep an eye out for any suspicious people that could turn into akuma victims. The big villain is plotting something huge, and I have to lay low to keep watch," Ladybug whispered to Chloe."Well this costume isn't very suitable for being secret, and your mask is on your face! How are you going to mask a mask?" Chloe asked her."I-I actually have no idea. Could you... possibly help me figure something out?" Ladybug asked, realizing she was asking Chloe Bourgeois to help her. At this point, she didn't know what else to do, so if Chloe said no, she'd just have to hide away until her mask came off, or just wear a helmet at all times."Of course! Can you take off the mask and just wear sunglasses?" Chloe asked.Ladybug tugged once again at the mask, showing that it was stuck to her skin. "No, I have to stay transformed, but I don't know how to hide the mask.""Well... I think we could cover some of your mask with a huge load of make-up. Mostly concealer," Chloe began to plan what she'd do the next day aloud. "Wait, but that might expose your identity! We should-" Chloe remembered, trying to think of another idea."I'm sure with a wig and colored contacts, I wouldn't be recognized!" Ladybug said quickly, remembering how a simple mask differentiates her civilian self and her alter ego. "I'm thinking that could definitely work! Maybe you should play a different role too! Like instead of being heroic and awesome, you could be shy and introverted," Chloe suggested.Ladybug knew the main difference between her and her civilian self was their personalities. Ladybug was more brave and serious, while Marinette was known to be silly and easygoing to talk to."That could work!" She said, causing Chloe to grin excitedly. Chloe couldn't be that bad of a person, Marinette thought. Maybe she's just annoyed with her because Adrien is nicer to Marinette? She tried to think positive about the blonde, even though she knew Chloe disliked her long before Adrien stepped into the picture.A part of Ladybug feared that Chloe would figure out her identity and dislike her again, but she told herself that even if she did figure her out, it wouldn't matter. "Tomorrow, we're going shopping. Do you mind going as yourself?" Chloe asked."M-Myself?" Her eyes widened, her face paling in a ghostly fashion."As Ladybug without everything on? You know, because your strange disguise might freak everyone out!" Chloe said bluntly. Ladybug blinked a few times before she realized what she meant. "Oh... Yes, I could do that," the heroine replied. She opened the duffel bag, then slipped the wig and wig cap off to reveal her bangs were matted back to which they fluffed upward. The girl untied her braids, but there were lots of stray hairs that fluffed up on her head, frizzy. "Ladybug?! We need a hairstylist to fix th-that bird's nest on your head, quick!" Chloe panicked upon seeing her idol's hair.And that's how Marinette realized that was the Chloe she knew. "It can't be that bad," the heroine deadpanned. Chloe grabbed her shoulders, then pulled her to turn and face a mirror. Ladybug's eyes widened at the gross sight. With the awkward clothing and everything, it only made her look worse. Finally, she surrendered to the styling advice of the girly blonde. "Okay, it's pretty bad. What do you suggest I do about all this?" Ladybug admitted, sluggishly allowing her hands to fall dramatically to her sides."Water, water, lots of water! Go take a shower!" Chloe demanded, pushing the annoyed girl toward the bathroom. She opened the cabinet below her bathroom sink, then ran her hands through a large selection of expensive hair shampoo and conditioner. "Smooth, silky, tangle-free! Perfect! Use these," Chloe handed the hero the two bottles, one of them being shampoo and the other being hair conditioner."Feel free to take the suit off and use this soap," Chloe picked up a fresh unopened soap wrapped in tissue paper, then handed it to Marinette also. She left a fresh supply of towels in the bathroom as well, then left the heroine to her personal business."Okay," Ladybug sighed, placing all the supplies Chloe shoved into her arms onto the ledge in the shower."Spots off," Ladybug tried again, but was once again given absolutely nothing in reply. It did frustrate her that she was unable to transform, and she knew that she'd likely just have to shower in the suit, mask on and everything. She planned to just leave her yoyo out to stay dry while she washed up.She pinched the sides where a typical mask would usually lift, but it only resulted in a twinge of pain. "Ow!"She scratched to find the material of the suit that climbed up her neck, but just like her mask, it stayed stuck like skin. Her skin was basically spandex at this point, and she felt everything as if she didn't have the suit. She slipped out of the excess clothing she brought from her bedroom earlier that evening.The frustrated heroine turned the shower on, feeling as if her suit were blended in with her skin. When the water hit her suit, it ran down, but absorbed as if it were her skin as well. Ignoring this, she stepped completely into the shower, letting the warm water hit her hair, then fall down her suited back. When the time came to use the shampoo, she opened the bottle to pour it into her hands, but she pushed too hard on the delicate, expensive bottle, causing a large portion of it to spill over her hand. Quickly, she slapped the spilling shampoo over her head, accidentally dragging a liquid trail of it over into her eyes. "Crap!" She yelled, her eyes burning as she rubbed them desperately, then the realization that it wasn't getting any better hit her when she saw her soapy hands in her blurring pained vision. Not wanting to open her eyes as a sharp throbbing pain burned her eyes like acid, the girl faced the shower hose directly on her face with the hopes of feeling better at the rinsing of her eyes.After three minutes of holding the water to her closed eyes, her pain was tolerable. She continued to keep her eyes shut, but she scrubbed her fingers through her tangled dark hair after placing the shower hose back into the holder. Ladybug let the water run through her hair to rinse the product out.After that was complete, the conditioner was easier, as didn't end up temporarily blinding the unsuspecting girl. Eventually, her hair was less tangled and more easier to run her fingers through. She slicked her bangs back with water to keep them out of her masked eyes. After washing her "body" with the soap Chloe gave her, she rinsed everything before turning the water off. Maybe the soap loosened the suit, Ladybug hoped. "Tikki, spots off. Detransform me," she tried whispering, but to no avail. She took the towels and wrapped one around her head after drying her hair. With a groan, she slumped against the wall, holding a dry towel around her wet suited body. She tried to tug at the ends, or even feel for the backings of the earrings, but once more, nothing."Am I going to be Ladybug forever?" She mumbled to herself sadly, wishing she could hear her kwami reassure her that there's a simple solution, or at least some sort of a solution. Would everything return back to normal if she returned her newest Lucky Charm? Seeing as she dragged her duffel bag into the bathroom before Chloe shoved her in there with the expensive, eyesight-destroying hair products, she took out her wig with a glimpse of hope. "Please, please limit my time and let me detransform, Tikki," the masked girl begged, before throwing it up in the air, "Miraculous Ladybug!" What used to bother her was now something that she took for granted. She used to get annoyed with the time limit after the Lucky Charm, but it always returned her to herself after five minutes. That was what she needed so badly.The wig disappeared in the air, along with the box that came along with it in her bag. She took a peek in the mirror to see her earrings which looked the same as when she checked it for herself when she was unable to transform the first time. Feeling for the backings of the earrings was starting to become a habit. She was disappointed once more to find the smooth surface of the back of her earlobe. Now she had no wig, no hope, and no successful plan to fix whatever was happening to her. She cradled her head in her arms and let out a frustrated groan. When she finished pitying herself for the moment, Ladybug finished drying off her suit. "Do I put on clothes or... no, it's just my suit. I fight crime in my suit. I don't need anything extra," she corrected herself, just closing up her duffel bag as she put the towels out to dry. She grabbed her bag and left the bathroom. Ladybug walked out to see that Chloe had already put on her pajamas, and her hair was loose from her ponytail. "Your hair doesn't look like a rat's nest anymore!" The blonde pointed out to Ladybug's slight annoyance, and relief."It was a bird's nest," Ladybug corrected her from what she remembered, but just realized she was further insulting herself with a face-palm."Bird. Rat. What's the difference?" Chloe shrugged, handing the heroine a brush to fix her hair. Ladybug huffed a little as she took the brush to start combing through the remains of her tangles. She yanked annoyedly at her tangles, causing Chloe to shriek."No, no! Don't yank your hair like that with a brush! You'll totally damage it!" Chloe yelped, snatching some hair oil from under the sink to moisturize the heroine's hair and detangle the rest of the remaining knots."I don't care if I damage my hair," Ladybug replied childishly, causing Chloe to roll her eyes."So many split ends already," she whined, looking at the limp, wet dark hair that hung over Ladybug's shoulders, barely touching them, "But once you wear a proper wig, you'll definitely look better. We'll cover the mask with make-up, then cover your suit with clothing, although I don't understand why exactly you couldn't just detransform and keep watch as your normal self instead of going through all this trouble."Ladybug cringed, realizing Chloe was right. If she could detransform, her plan would fit perfectly with her lie of having to keep watch of newer, stronger akumatized victims, but Chloe didn't know the whole story. She wouldn't trust her with the whole story anyways, knowing that if anything were to go wrong, the blonde would try to expose her identity, then place everyone she cares about in danger. "It's really important that I stay transformed, and that you keep this secret. Please Chloe," the girl begged."Fine Lady, I guess," Chloe rolled her eyes with a short laugh, but she had good intentions. "Thank you," Ladybug smiled, relieved that she could put some trust in the blonde that expressed strong hatred toward her civilian self for several years."Anyways, let's get our sleepover on! Let's watch a movie!" Chloe slid on her bed where a large selection of movie disks were stored in a case. Her butler delivered a large blue bowl of popcorn from a late-night chef to the girls, resulting in Chloe using her manners to properly thank him after Ladybug did so. He was proud to see she was learning from a good influence already, and he hoped it would stick to her daily behavior and continue to improve. He did care for the young blonde girl as his own, and he always wished her the best, seeing as she changed her ways after tragedy occurred in the family. "So what do you want to watch? There's Forget You Never, which is a romance story between two young teenagers on their first day of school. There's also another movie in here, I think it's called Down the Drain and that one is about a girl who drops her promise ring down a drain, then does a bunch of ridiculous things to get it. I basically laugh at that with Sabrina when I'm bored. Oh, there's also My Friendship Began in Handcuffs! That one is utterly ridiculous as well because two middle school girls who are neighbors basically hate one another, and end up handcuffed together by their parents in efforts of making them friends. Do any of these sound interesting to you?" Chloe asked Ladybug as she flipped to her favorite movies in the little case that withheld all the movie disks. Ladybug thought to herself for a moment. Which one sounded most interesting to her? Romance sounded nice, but she loved comedy. Forget You Never sounded like a cliché movie idea, but she settled to watch that one. Maybe she'd learn a few tricks and hopefully become better at talking to her own crush once this mask matter was resolved."The first one sounds interesting! Is that one okay with you?" Ladybug asked the blonde who looked at her to see her reply. "Definitely!" Chloe excitedly pulled the disk out from its spot in the case to slip it into the movie player connected to her gigantic flat-screen television.If she weren't surrounded by hot pink and hadn't been staring at a huge screen, she might've forgotten that she wasn't at Alya's or at least her own bedroom. The main movie case was lying out in Chloe's bed, and Ladybug took a closer look at it. The movie began playing after Chloe skipped through the previews. "Those ridiculous previews are such a time-waster," she muttered to the heroine, using her remote to slip forward until they reached the root menu of the movie. A white screen popped up first, then faded to pink as a cartoon girl appeared on the screen. "Hi! I'm Cherry Henderson, and this is about my first day at school! Meet my friend, Will! He's a bit shy, but he's super cool! I might just wanna be more than friends," The cartoon girl explained with the girliest giggle Ladybug might've ever heard as the cartoon girl tilted her head, before a live-action clip of the two lead characters of the movie, "Press play to begin watching the adventure! Go to screen selection to skip forward and find what adventure you left off on!" Chloe rolled her eyes at the introduction before pressing play on the title screen. "Enjoy the movie!" The main character narrated.The two girls watched the live-action movie, eventually forgetting who they were with and where they were as they got into the movie. Occasionally, Chloe and Ladybug would just yell out random comments or advise a character from outside the screen, becoming frustrated when they made a mistake that could've easily been prevented.There was the angry throwing of popcorn at some points, and some moments where they'd sympathize with the characters. At the end of the movie, the girls were both satisfied with the results of the character's actions, although they still made some shaming comments about the oblivious lead characters. "I cannot believe that Cherry even thought that Will didn't actually like her! He is a horrible liar, and she knows that! Goodness, that's not very realistic," Ladybug groaned, as Chloe did the same in agreement."And the super cool guy that Cherry originally crushed on turned out to be a huge jerk!" Chloe added, causing Ladybug to nod her head in agreement.For a moment there, Ladybug didn't even realize that she was on the same page with Chloe on something for once. Even though it had been a movie, the two were actually agreeing on something, and it confused the heroine slightly but relieved her of the stress temporarily.Chloe ended up braiding Ladybug's hair to the side, and it looked like a pretty braid. Ladybug ended up trying out a new braiding style on Chloe's hair as well.Needless to say, the two grew tired as the night progressed, causing the two to make themselves comfortable. Ladybug slept horizontally on the bottom of the bed, borrowing some of Chloe's clean, white pillows while the blonde slept as if she normally would in her vertical position. It was a larger bed, so there was no kicking each other as the night passed. A peaceful sleep drowned both girls out of consciousness, leaving them both resting until the morning.* * *Once Chloe's butler knocked at the door, it was known that breakfast would be available in promptly half an hour, giving the girls enough time to adjust and adapt to being awake before they'd have to go to the buffet room to select what breakfast items they'd like for that morning. "Five more minutes, Tikki," the girl muttered from under the pillow as she would on any typical day. "Tikki?" Chloe yawned, confused by the name mentioned by the heroine."Crap, I'm not home," Ladybug realized aloud, looking down to see the same red spandex suit stretched across her skin through sleepy eyes. Instinctually, she reached to touch the back of her earlobes, still feeling the smooth surface. She replied with a groan before flopping back down on the fluffy warm pillows that surrounded her head. "Time to get beautiful, even though I am already beautiful. I just need to enhance my looks with make-up a little," Chloe said, sitting up on the bed. Ladybug hummed sleepily in response, basically ignoring whatever she thought she heard as her thoughts drifted her back to the wonderful, comforting warmth of sleeping. "Ladybug, get up!" Chloe irritated the nearly-sleeping heroine, resulting in a short growl from Ladybug."Let me sleep," she insisted, too tired to smack the blonde with a pillow.Chloe further annoyed the heroine by opening the curtains that darkened the room and allowing all the natural sunlight to pour in, blinding the poor girl who normally slept in late.Eventually, Ladybug did get up to get the annoying blonde to stop bugging her. The two began to prepare for their day, knowing what was to come: Lots of shopping. Chloe applied her makeup quickly, flawlessly winging the black eye-liner after trying out a light pink eye-shadow for the day. She would wore her usual attire, but sported a different color sweater that day to match the new makeup she got. The heroine watched curiously, seeing as she never used makeup on her own face for a usual day. Considering she'd have to take on a third identity for the time being, it was essential that she'd use makeup to alter her appearance. Ladybug didn't understand the process right away, but she knew she would later when it came time for her to take on the responsibility of applying the art to her face.It didn't take long for the girls to prepare themselves to go out that day. Ladybug didn't have to put anything over her suit for the time, but she would later. To preserve her reputation and not attract too much attention, the girl divided her dark hair into pigtails once more, tying the both of them off with the red ribbons her suit provided for her hair. Chloe requested another toothbrush from the hotel shop, and it was taken to her. She allowed Ladybug to keep it.Finally, the girls finished getting ready. Chloe showed her to the buffet room where they'd pick their breakfast foods. "So, I usually get eggs and toast, but sometimes, I'll have pancakes," Chloe blabbed on as they stood in line at the buffet."I think I'll have some coffee and toast," the heroine said blandly, knowing she'd need lots of energy for the torturous shopping and makeover trip they'd be doing later that day. The two girls found a seat after taking their food. Chloe assured the working cashier that Ladybug was her guest and wouldn't need to pay, leading to free food. After their breakfast was over, and after Ladybug went back three times to get more food, Chloe called up her limo driver for the day."Miss Bourgeois, your limo is ready as requested," her limo driver said to the blonde who sat in the lobby with Ladybug."Thank you," she said, surprising him a little at her more polite mannerism.The two girls were taken to the mall, as requested by Chloe. "Are you always at the mall?" Ladybug questioned, remembering that she had previously been there the other day."Of course! Usually Sabrina comes along to carry my bags," Chloe replied, causing Ladybug to cringe a little. She hoped that she could change the blonde for the better during the time they hung out."Clothes first! We need to cover up your neck as long as the rest of your suit," Chloe spoke, pulling Ladybug into a trendy clothing store. The blonde looked at Ladybug, then thought for a moment. It was obvious that she was trying to decide what would (hopefully to Ladybug) look normal. She grabbed a few turtle neck sweater crops in a variety of colors and two pairs of high-waisted jeans; one white, the other in a dark denim color."Try these on," Chloe suggested, thrusting the clothes into Ladybug's arms before shoving her into a dressing room stall. The heroine blinked slowly in confusion as to how everything happened so fast, but took what Chloe said to take. She pulled on the pink turtle neck sweater, then slipped some jeans over her suit. "Hmm," she smiled in satisfaction. It covered most of her body. All she had left to cover was her hands, hair, feet, and mask.Ladybug took off the clothing, then folded it neatly.She left the stall, and saw Chloe holding a pair of tight gloves which appeared to be the color of her skin."Ready to go? Anyways, I think this would cover your hands. We'll look for some shoes on the way out," she told her, pulling the gloves up to show Ladybug."Okay," she said, but deceiving to her neutral expression was her confusion and surprise to how helpful Chloe was turning out to be.The blonde took the clothes from her and set them on the desk, along with the gloves."We'll be taking these," Chloe said in her usual tone, which would've annoy Marinette before, but she was honestly really surprised with how nice this girl actually was.After paying for everything, Ladybug took the bags voluntarily. "So are you going to get your wig out or do we need to buy one?" The blonde asked."I returned it to my powers, but I'll see what else I could get," Ladybug replied before hiding behind a wall. "Lucky Charm!" She whisper-shouted, leaving her with the same exact item she had been given before. "A wig again?""Okay, so I got the wig back. How can I put this on without looking unnatural?" The heroine asked Chloe after stepping back out from behind the wall."That's where we go to the wig style store. They can suggest and advise us in ways you can style your hair to get the wig to look more flat on your head," Chloe told her as they continued to walk throughout the halls of the mall.When they got to the shop Chloe was referring to, the stylists who worked there saw that Paris's hero had stepped into their shop. "Hello Ladybug! Welcome to our store! How can we help you?" One of the employees immediately greeted."Uhm, hello. I was hoping to learn some tips for... um getting a wig to lay more flat on my head," Ladybug shyly replied."First, make two French braids on your hair, then pull the braids into a crown on the lower portion of your head before securing your hair, and clipping back your bangs, into a wig cap. You can buy a wig cap here!" She was very quickly instructed."And where are the wig caps that will fit her head?" Chloe asked in her usual snobby tone.Another unoccupied employee snatched a dressmaker's tape and wrapped it around the heroine's head. After mentally capturing the measurement, she pulled a wig cap size to match the measurement off the wall. "Would you like to purchase a wig as well?" The employee asked. "No, she has one," Chloe replied for her before pulling out her wallet again to pay."Shoes are very important. You're going to need some kinds of boots to cover your feet," Chloe suggested. The two made it to a shoe store where Ladybug picked out a pair of black boots that went slightly past the ankles. They elevated her height by at least two inches, which would help with disguising her in the long run considering she never wore heels. Black laces tied through little metal circles that went up the front of her boots. The remaining material that hung over the boots were buckled and secured to the sides.The girls made their way to a makeup store where Chloe began to get more excited. "Now here's the fun part: covering up your mask!" Chloe exclaimed. "What makeup do we need to do that?" Ladybug asked her."We need a load of heavy-duty concealer, foundation, false eyelashes, an eyebrow pencil and some color contacts," Chloe began listing off the items as they strolled through the store.The foundation and concealer were beside each other in the aisle, so Chloe began to examine and compare the colors to Marinette's face. She held a few bottles next to her face and tested some samples of concealer on Ladybug's mask. Finally, she found the perfect colors."Your wig is a light brown, right?" Chloe confirmed."Yes.""Then you need a slightly darker brown for the eyebrows," she said. The girls continued their quest through the store until they finished. "You want green contacts?" Chloe asked, standing in line."I was also pondering the possibility of brown," Marinette added. After they finished up at the store, Chloe and Ladybug left back to go back to the hotel."Do you go to school?" Chloe wondered."Uh... yes. I might just attend yours just so I could stay under the radar. I'll be a new student," Ladybug told her, making a careful choice in her words that would keep Chloe from realizing she was Marinette. "Do you already have a place to stay while your on this secret mission?" She asked."At the moment, I do not. I'll have to work on that," Ladybug said."You could just stay here and hang out with me!" Chloe exclaimed excitedly, hugging Ladybug. The heroine resisted the urge to pluck her off, knowing Chloe was the reason that she wasn't going to be living on the street while she was permanently masked."Thank you, Chloe. Are you sure your father wouldn't mind?" Ladybug wanted to confirm."Um, of course not! I give you permission," Chloe said, "Now, let's test the disguise and make sure everything looks perfect!" First, she pulled the light beige skin-tight gloves over her crimson-suited hands. Ladybug pulled on the white high-waisted jeans before slipping a pink turtleneck sweater over her suit and gloves. She slipped her feet into the black heel ankle boots Chloe purchased for her earlier. "Looks good so far," Chloe said. She pulled out the makeup she bought for her earlier and sat Ladybug on a chair. The blonde turned her away from the mirror. Suddenly Ladybug realized if they didn't cover her hair, she might be recognizable to Chloe. "Let's put on the wig first!""Hmm.. Good idea, but what if your wig gets greasy from the makeup?""Let's put on the wig cap then so we can hold my hair back!""Your bangs would be out of the way, so that could work," Chloe nodded her head. She took out her spray bottle and brush, along with a few hair clips. The blonde sprayed and styled Ladybug's hair into a French braided crown, then pinned her bangs back from her face before slipping the wig cap over her hair. With that, she began the makeup process. She started with the green contacts, which caused Ladybug to get irritated. She then slathered concealer all over the red mask that lay flat on her face, not even elevated any further as it had been previously. The red mask had seemed to sink into her skin as if it had been colored in, but was easily covered with the makeup. After the concealer covered every inch of her red mask, Chloe didn't even seem to realize she was working on Marinette's face. She blended everything out with a foundation in the color of Marinette's face, even covering up her freckles. Chloe stuck a pair of false eyelashes on her, added some eyeshadow and highlighter, then used an eyebrow pencil to draw brown eyebrows. It didn't take her long to place the wig on her head, fitting it carefully with the wig cap. She took a step back to admire the job she'd done in changing her idol's appearance. "You're different," Chloe simply said, causing Marinette to ponder the new appearance of her face. She spun her chair around to see a bright green-eyed brunette staring right back at her.
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"How... how was it th-that easy to cover my mask?" Ladybug asked, stunned by her new appearance. Her yoyo still hung at her hip, but she'd just put it in a backpack or purse when the time came."Your mask doesn't rise or anything. It looks like a tattoo or paint," Chloe replied without looking up, beginning to file her own nails.Immediately, her hands flew up to touch her earrings, which still didn't have a backing and was still attached to the skin. She didn't look anything like herself anymore, especially with the new disguise, and it really scared her. It wasn't the fact that she looked different that scared her, for it was the fear of losing the girl she was and becoming a new person."Do you want to go out in public and test your new look to see if anyone recognizes you? My work is genius obviously, so no one would recognize you anyways," Chloe asked Ladybug."Sure," she replied, wondering how she could pull this off in the slightest. When the time came and she'd have to go to school, she worried that her classmates would see right through her disguise. What if she tripped up in front of Adrien or Alya realized she was a fake?"Your name should be something fabulous. How about Lucille?" Chloe asked the heroine."It doesn't really suit my look," Ladybug answered."How about Belle?""Mm...""Ella?""Nah...""Chloe the Second?""..." Ladybug flashed a disapproving look at the blonde."It was worth a shot," she laughed, shaking her head."You're so difficult," Chloe huffed after responding to Ladybug's glare, but still continued to rack her mind to think of a name that could suit her idol's new look."I just want something that stays true to me," she answered honestly."What about Bridgette?" The blonde suggested."Bridgette... I-I think it's a good name. I could remember Bridgette," Ladybug replied, saying the last part mainly to herself."It sounds a lot like that Mari-trash's name, but if you think it works, it's probably good," Chloe responded with a little sassiness.By this point, Marinette didn't get so annoyed hearing Chloe call her Mari-trash, being that she heard it so often, that it didn't affect her as much as it used to. She had already learned to ignore it from years before. "Don't call people trash, Chloe," Ladybug scolded half-heartedly, leaving the blonde to roll her eyes."Let's get going to test your new clothes out, Bridgette," she stressed her name in a playful manner.The two left the hotel and went to meet up with Sabrina to introduce her as a new member of their little group and to their school. "Bridgette, huh?" Sabrina asked, studying her more closely and seriously than would've made her comfortable. Ladybug hoped she wasn't catching on that she was Marinette or Ladybug."Welcome to the school!" Sabrina's demeanor changed completely, from cold to excited and friendly. "Thank you, Sabrina! Sabrina, was it?" She pretended to have a little problem remembering her name as to make it believable that she was a new student."Yep! I'm Sabrina, and this is Chloe! Chloe is the mayor's daughter!" The redhead replied with a smile."She already knew that, dingbat. I told her," Chloe replied rudely, but her tone was slightly less irritated."Oh... we'll definitely show you around school tomorrow! Hope you have classes with us!" Sabrina replied enthusiastically."That would be awesome!" Marinette replied."I think you will, because someone has to fill in the spot for Marinette Dupain-Cheng if she isn't found," Sabrina said, shaking Marinette to the core."Ma-Marinette who?" Ladybug squeaked out, almost fearfully. Chloe looked up from her phone, raising a surprised eyebrow."A girl in our class apparently didn't come home, so my father was called on duty to search for her. Marinette Dupain-Cheng works at the bakery around here. You should try it one day, Bridgette!" Sabrina filled her in, leaving Bridgette to want to bite her basically non-existent nails that disappeared under the suit when she was permanently transformed. Chloe realized there were no nails where her fingers were in the gloves, so she knew she'd have to make an adjustment and add fake nails to the gloves to make it look more believable."Well, as much as we all just love Mari-trash's trash, we need to get going soon," Chloe said, wanting to fix Ladybug's disguise. "See you tomorrow, Bridgette and Chloe!" Sabrina smiled, leaving the premises with understanding to whatever Chloe's excuse was supposed to be about."Something happened to a civilian?" Ladybug pretended to be surprised, even though there wasn't much effort in trying. She actually was surprised that the news was beginning to spread after one day."She's probably just got her clumsy butt stuck in a trash can or something. I don't think she could get in much trouble anyway," Chloe said truthfully, annoying Ladybug a bit. "Anyways, I just noticed we need to add fake nails to your gloves! It would make it much more believable," Chloe changed the subject, and Ladybug swore she could almost see the smallest bit of guilt in her face. "That would be a good thing to add. Also I should get a backpack and some school supplies. Would you have any I could borrow?" Ladybug asked."Definitely. I have a bunch of ugly unused school items you could use from the back-to-school sale," Chloe said."Thanks."The next day, Chloe helped Ladybug re-apply all her makeup after she dressed in her new clothes. There was even light pink, painted fake nails added to the gloves with glue. There wasn't much she could do to make the fabric spandex of the light beige colored gloves look more like hands, so she wore a jacket with longer sleeves to cover up most of her hands. The two ate breakfast and left for school. Marinette's heart was crushed when she saw her best friend sitting alone at the empty desk, trying not to cry. "You can't talk like Ladybug either, so try to change the pitch of your voice," Chloe advised. "Bridgette!" Sabrina cheered from across the room, causing a few classmates to turn their heads toward the unfamiliar brunette in their classroom."Who's Bridgette?" Kim crossed his arms in confusion as Max stood by his side. "You're new to our class? Welcome Bridgette! I'm Rose and this is Juleka!" The petite blonde basically popped out from behind her unsuspectingly.Chloe automatically scoffed at the attention she was getting, but decided not to say anything. After all, she thought, this was Ladybug."Um... hello Rose and Juleka," she replied, using her voice in a slightly higher pitch than her usual. She made sure to speak more shyly.Miss Bustier smiled kindly and begin to speak to her class, "Students, we have a new class member today! Her name is Bridgette- What's your last name, honey?" "I'm Bridgette... uh... Luck. Bridgette Luck is my n-name. Yeah," she tripped up. Chloe face-palmed at her pathetic attempt, and Ladybug was pretty sure she'd do the same if she were watching herself. "Class, please welcome and be kind to Bridgette Luck. You can sit... um..." the teacher tapped her pen on her chin thoughtfully as she searched for an empty seat to place the student in. To her dismay, they didn't have any, but there was Marinette's seat. "You can take Marinette's old seat for now. I'll figure out something when the time comes. Bridgette, sit next to Alya. Alya, please raise your hand," Miss Bustier continued. The unhappy redhead raised her hand weakly, and Ladybug sat beside her. She felt a little self-conscious, being that she was worried the makeup might come off if she accidentally wiped it."Hello Alya," she said in her newly adjusted vocal range. "Hi.""I also have a sad announcement to make about one of your classmates. I'm sure some of you already know this, but it's been reported that Marinette has gone missing," Miss Bustier announced, causing the poor heroine to nearly pass out."Poor Marinette!" Rose cried out, causing Juleka to frown with worry."I saw the news on Alya's blog! Keep a look out for her, guys," Nino added."What?! We have to do something!" Adrien jolted up from his chair."Calm down, Adrikinz. It's probably just like the time you went missing for Christmas," Chloe tried to assure."She would do the same for any of us! We have to search for her!" Adrien insisted."He's right," Ivan shook his head. "We need to find Marinette," Mylene responded."After school, let's all meet at the Louvre to start our search. We'll work in pairs. It'll be much safer and faster that way," Adrien began to plan."Kids, make sure you have your parents' permission to do this! Looking for a missing person by yourselves is really dangerous! Especially with all the akuma attacks we've had in the past year," Miss Bustier advised. Chloe looked over at Ladybug, who was looking down at her lap blankly."If it means we could find Marinette, let's do it. I'll have my parents come look with us," Alya finally responded."I'll call my daddy and ask him to put Marinette's missing case on the news," Chloe muttered, holding back her instinct to gag at the thought of her rival."I'll try to keep an eye out for Marinette as well," Bridgette told everyone. Tough luck finding Marinette, Ladybug thought with a sigh. She couldn't even find Marinette, and she was said girl. It would seem wrong to tell everyone to give up, but at the same time, she was incredibly guilty for not telling the others that she's never gone missing in the first place. This guilt continually piled on until the end of the school day, right up to when the search party would meet up by the Louvre. "Chloe, I think I have to go to Marinette's search party as Ladybug," she whispered to the blonde as they walked out of the school."I really don't think Marinette needs a huge search party anyways. I'm pretty sure she just had some sort of rebellion thing going on where she just wacked out and left," Chloe mumbled annoyedly, crossing her arms."I don't think she needs a search party either, but everyone insisted on it. I'm just going to patrol around as Ladybug to keep an eye out," Ladybug told her."I don't know. Marinette has always seemed so..." Chloe confessed."Trashy?" Ladybug guessed with an eye roll and a smirk. "Strong, like you. She's stood up for classmates and taken charge during an akuma attack. I never thought she'd be a victim," Chloe continued, to Ladybug's ultimate surprise."And she is trashy," she added quickly to cover up the compliment. Ladybug couldn't help but smile. Of course her frenemy had no clue she was standing right beside her, but she didn't talk terribly about Marinette for a second there, and it warmed her heart. Maybe she wasn't just hateful of her civilian self, but jealous?Once the girls got back to Chloe's hotel, Ladybug took everything off, including the makeup before preparing to take her leave from the balcony."Are you coming to the search?" Ladybug asked Chloe."Why would I have to?" Chloe huffed before nodding her head to confirm she was coming along."Okay, so this undercover mission has to stay a secret. Just pretend none of this has happened, and we'll meet up again when the search is over for the day," Ladybug reminded the blonde, who suddenly changed her attitude."Got it! I'm going to be a real sidekick!" Chloe shrieked excitedly, remembering all those times her and Sabrina cosplayed as the Miraculous duo, " I got the perfect outfit for this!" Ladybug sighed as Chloe ran to her closet before pulling out her cosplay piece. She slipped into the bathroom to change, where she placed Ladybug-themed sunglasses on her face.Once she emerged from the bathroom, Ladybug sighed tiredly before using her yoyo to zip away from the balcony. Chloe however, took the elevator to meet up with everyone at the Louvre."Ladybug! Over here!" Alya called out to the heroine. Ladybug ran over to the search crowd meeting. Nearly every person she knew was there. From all her classmates to even Manon and Mrs. Chamack. "What's the problem here?" She asked, pretending she had no idea. Her lips pulled into a straight line and her eyes displayed the same determination she used during akuma attacks."My best friend, you've probably seen her on the LadyBlog a few times! She's gone missing. Her name is Marinette Dupain-Cheng," Alya began to explain.Her own mother took out a picture of Marinette, one from her birthday. "My daughter is gone. Please, can you help us find her?""Sabine, I know Ladybug will do everything she can to find our Marinette. Don't worry, honey," Tom reassured his wife. "He's right. I-I'll do something. I promise," Ladybug said without thinking. "We'll do our very best to bring her home as soon as possible," Chat Noir spoke from behind Ladybug, his emerging voice startling her."Thank you, you two. It means a lot for you busy heroes to take time out of your day to help us," Sabine replied, her eyes beginning to water. Ladybug became more and more guilty, causing her glance to fall to the floor as she was unable to continue looking at her saddened family."After you, my Lady," Chat bowed. As she cleared her throat, she saw Chloe in a Ladybug cosplay running over, almost out of breath. Sabrina looked over at her, almost betrayed. "You should've told me to bring my Chat cosplay!" She spoke accusingly."Okay girls and boys! We need to split up, but stick in pairs! Mrs. Cheng and I will drive around the town. Chloe and Sabrina, you girls can search the mall, accompanied by Lieutenant Roger. Mylene and Juleka, you girls can look around the school areas with Mr. Hapréle. Rose and Nathaniel, you can try the nearby museums with Chat Noir. Manon and Mrs. Chamack, would it be alright to put Marinette's missing case up on television?" Tom began to command, looking at his list. "Of course. I'll be reporting live as we assist in the search as well. Manon and I will look around the park and television station," Nadja informed him. "Thank you so much guys," Tom expressed his gratitude. The first few groups he assigned with one another began their search as he went to assign other places to the other people who came to help. Most of the underage people were paired with adults along with another one of their classmates for safety measures."Alya and Nino, you're with Ladybug. Maybe you three could start looking by the Eiffel Tower? Marinette spends a lot of her time there," Tom asked them."Will do, Sir!" Nino took off his hat politely, then followed Alya and Ladybug. The heroine glanced at her partner, knowing he was the only one who might even possibly understand her situation. She swallowed down a lump in her throat, pushing away her sudden rise of emotion."You two wait here. I need to talk to Chat Noir for a second," Ladybug told Alya and Nino. She grabbed Chat's shoulder from his group."Hey, do you mind if I have a word with you?" She asked her partner, a little more shyly than normal."Of course, LB! Rose and Nathaniel, I'll be back in a moment," Chat assured before taking Ladybug's hand and leading her to a more secluded area."So what's going on?" He asked, concern flashing in his green eyes."I- um... I," she struggled to say. No, she thought, she had to deal with this on her own. This situation wasn't Chat Noir's problem and she wouldn't drag him down with her in this issue."Ladybug, is everything okay?" He asked, tilting his head slightly. He obviously cared for her, but if she told him that she couldn't get her mask off, he'd figure out that she was Marinette and that she was a fraud who wasn't really as cool as Ladybug and he'd hate her forever, she thought to herself.Everything that held her together collapsed. Her overwhelming guilt, fear of never returning to her family and friends as herself, stress from taking on another identity and hiding more secrets from everyone was beginning to pour out through her sudden emotions."Ch-Chat," she choked out, holding back tears at this point. It was obvious that she was biting back her cries now as her face crumpled into a cringe and tears were brimming in the corners of her eyes. Why was she getting so emotional? Ladybug angrily wiped away her tears and tried to stabilize herself. Chat Noir was getting very worried and she wasn't making anything better by crying."No, no, no. Please don't cry, my lady. What's going on?" Chat Noir asked, gently holding her shoulders. He was getting scared, for he wasn't sure why his partner was getting emotional. Then it hit him.Marinette."Wait, you're very close with Marinette. Aren't you? I promise we'll try very hard to find her today!" Chat Noir attempted to reassure his partner.He was only making her feel worse and piling more guilt on her. She couldn't tell him the truth. Ladybug got ahold of herself and nodded in response. Chat Noir pulled her into a reassuring hug, to which she ended up hugging him back to his surprise.Snuggling her face into his suit for a moment, she felt slightly comforted. It made her realize that she wasn't alone as Ladybug, and she'd always have Chat Noir no matter what happened. "Let's get back to searching," Ladybug said, sniffling a little once he released her from the hug."Alright. We'll be at the museums. I'll call you if I find anything, and you can do the same," he pointed to his staff before heading back to his group. With a small salute, he left with Nathaniel and Rose.She took a deep breath and went back to Alya and Nino. Ladybug didn't want to have anymore breakdowns. "Ready to go?" Nino asked to heroine. "Definitely. Let's get going," she told him. It still struck her with guilt for the fact that no one would find anything."So I know she is always by the Eiffel Tower because she loves getting inspiration for her designs there. Marinette is such an awesome designer," Alya told Ladybug."Really?" Ladybug asked, genuinely surprised that Alya thought about her designs. "Agreed. I've never seen a more motivated designer," Nino added.With those words, Marinette mentally told herself to give them huge hugs once she returned to her formal self, if she was ever so lucky to be herself again.The three of them finally got to the Eiffel Tower. "Ladybug, maybe you should use your Lucky Charm! I think it would help with the investigation!" Alya suggested. "Lucky Charm!" Ladybug called out, causing a notepad to fall in her hands.Alya and Nino stared at the item blankly. "No offense Bug but how in the world is a notepad going to help us find Marinette?" Nino asked."Shut up, Nino! It could be very helpful!" Alya scolded him.Ladybug laughed nervously and wondered how a notepad would solve anything. It took a few moments after for her to realize what she was supposed to do with it. She officially had a plan and it wasn't going to be difficult."Guys, my powers are telling me that Marinette used a notepad exactly like this one! She must've left a note behind if my powers are telling me this!" Ladybug lied. "Now I see it! It looks like the pages of Marinette's diary! Maybe a diary page fell out of her diary before she went missing!" Alya concluded with her investigation skills."Bro, that could be helpful," Nino realized."Totally! Hey, so let's split up to see if we can find that page! Nino, check the Tower stairs and elevator! Alya, try checking around the visitor floor of the Tower. I'll check around the outside and in the higher places!" Ladybug told them. The two obeyed the heroine and left to check those places. Things were going according to plan, meaning she had time to write a quick page on the notepad to make it look like an diary page or note. The notepad did not come with a pencil or pen to her dismay.As she was thinking about how she would write a note and what she would write on that note, she realized something strange.She had not returned the wig after using it, and it was a Lucky Charm, as well as the notepad. Did she have two Lucky Charms? Maybe the wig disappeared after she called the next Lucky Charm out. "Lucky Charm!" She called out again, and a pen fell in her hand, as she held the notepad in the other.Did she have the power to obtain multiple Lucky Charms now? This was exciting, yet strange to her. She'd have to study it later, as she did have a job to do. Ladybug slipped into a nearby bathroom to write her note. What to write... Dear Diary,I'm feeling terrible for what I'm about to do.No, no, she thought, that sounded terrible. It would scare everyone. She ripped out that page and used the next to write something else.Dear Diary, I ran away from home.-MarinetteLadybug was just glaring at the ridiculous excuse for a leave-behind note she just wrote. No one would believe she actually wrote that or ran away from home.Again, another page ripped from the notepad. Luckily, it was a pretty thick notepad, meaning she wouldn't run out of paper too soon.Dear Diary, I am the Entry-Writer. I write entries and am I hidden akuma. Chances are that I'll never be returned back to normal and there's nothing Ladybug can do about that and it's all her fault in the first place. She bit her lip with annoyance towards herself, being that she was blaming herself. She ripped the paper out and threw it away with the other sad excuses for a diary entry.Dear Diary,I am leaving this page out of my diary with the intention of having it found.She looked over what she had just written for a second. Was it okay, she wondered. Still, she continued.There is a situation and I'm not sure how to solve it. I don't even think Ladybug would be able to figure this one out, as smart as she is. I promise anyone who reads this, I'm safe, I'm not kidnapped, and I didn't just run away. -MLadybug tore the page from the notepad after leaving the restroom. She slipped the note in a planter by the bottom of the Eiffel Tower. She made sure the paper was somewhat visible before pretending to look for the note. Once she saw Nino come back from his search, she turned toward the planter to turn his attention to it."I couldn't find anything," he replied sadly, not noticing her gesture.However, Alya was the opposite when she returned."Oh my gosh! Is that a paper? I saw a few papers up there, but most of them were flyers for the new restaurant," the brunette headed straight for the planter."I didn't think to check the plants!" Ladybug spoke.Alya unfolded the paper and read it to herself, respectful of Marinette's privacy. Once she read the part about it being intended to be found, she relaxed a little. However, once she got further in the note, she didn't stay relaxed. "There's a situation she can't solve! Ladybug, you have to do something... even though she just said you probably have no clue how to solve it!""Ouch," Ladybug joked."Well, she says she is safe," Nino pointed out, reading over Alya's shoulder. Ladybug pretended to be interested as well, looking over Alya's other shoulder."She doesn't seem to be in danger," she replied."We have to show this to Marinette's parents!" Alya said."Use the group chat I created for the thirty-something people search party," Nino suggested.She texted a picture of it to everyone."We might as well get back to the Louvre," Ladybug told her."I'll put that in the chat as well." Messaging: Search SquadAlya: Picture file sent. Click link to view: Marinette.Diary.JPEGAlya: Check the link! I found a note Marinette left for us!Chat Noir: She says she isn't kidnapped! Thank goodness, she says she's okay! Is there a date on it or anything?Tom: You didn't see her around the area at all?Sabine: I'm glad to see that she's not in trouble.Nadja: I'm live on the news for this investigation. Would you like me to present the entry on television?Ladybug: Sorry, she wasn't around the area and it's not dated. I'm unsure of her whereabouts, but she seems to be alright.Tom: That would be great, Nadja! Sabine says she's alright with it as well.Alya: I'll give the note to you guys at the Louvre. We've started heading back. Sabine: Alright, we're on our way.Sabrina: Chloe, my dad, and I will start heading back as well. We didn't find anything about Marinette at the mall. Fred Hapréle: Same here. We're on our way back to the Louvre. Soon enough, everyone met back at the Louvre. Alya had given the official note to Marinette's parents, and everyone was unsure of what to do next."Well, it seems that we've searched everywhere in Paris. Mr. and Mrs. Dupain-Cheng, we'll keep a lookout for sure and I'll have my police department's cars out to search as well," Sabrina's father told Tom and Sabine."Is there anything else we can do? There's got to be something," Chat Noir argued, remembering how Nino told him all about how Marinette was freaking out when he went missing that one time. She cared so much when he disappeared, and he was found. The same had to go for Marinette. She couldn't stay missing forever, and it was making Ladybug miserable. "We'll look again tomorrow. Meanwhile, you kids go do your homework."And it seemed like Bridgette wasn't going anywhere anytime soon.
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"I swear I checked around the mall! I didn't just check the trash cans, Daddy!" Ladybug heard Chloe arguing into the phone. Chloe hung up the call angrily, throwing her phone with force into the bed, causing it to bounce off and hit a carpet floor. Ladybug leaned down and saw that it wasn't cracked. "He thinks I bullied Marinette and made her leave! Where did he even get that idea?!" Chloe questioned, slamming her face into her bed.Ladybug hummed softly in response, but she wasn't paying attention to her words. All she knew was that people assumed she left because of someone. She looked at her duffel bag and saw her Lucky Charm's diary pages still inside. Maybe if she just wrote a note explaining that it was no one's fault but her own?It wasn't even her own fault.In fact, she wasn't even sure who or what was responsible for what happened. Unless Tikki was playing some sort of an unlikely April Fool's joke on her, there was nothing she could do that would fix whatever was happening."I honestly think Marinette left because she overheard Adrien telling Nino that she's just a friend. No competition there," Chloe shrugged snobbishly."Aren't you Adrien's friend?" Ladybug replied, her voice monotone."I'm his best friend! He loves me, but is too shy to say it," Chloe told the annoyed heroine."Hmm," Ladybug hummed in reply. She honestly couldn't tell whether or not the blonde was kindhearted or selfish. Chloe flipped her good and bad sides like Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde. She could see that Chloe was a little self-absorbed, but she had her moments of kindness. Those moments didn't last long, but they still existed.A part of the realization had suddenly dawned on her that Adrien saw her as no more than a friend. Was that just Chloe saying that or was that true?Did he even care if she came back or not?Regardless of whether he actually did care, she knew her parents, friends, and classmates did care about her. Alya was on the verge of tears, as was her mother at one point. Her father believed that Ladybug would return Marinette safely. If she could bring Marinette back, she definitely would. However, she was not in control of the situation and she assumed it would be a while.After doing some homework, which Chloe basically copied off of Ladybug without her noticing, the girls went to sleep. When Ladybug (fully disguised once more) and Chloe got to school the next day, Alya wasn't in her seat, Adrien was arguing with Nino, and the class was louder than usual."What's going on?" Ladybug asked Chloe."I'm not sure, Bridgette. I'm assuming we have a test today," Sabrina popped in."No, it's Marinette. It turns out she ran away!" Kim exclaimed."She didn't run away, dingbat. She said that in her letter," Alix told Kim, showing the girls the note that Alya took a picture of."How do we really know Marinette wrote that letter? How can we be so sure it wasn't her kidnapper?" Kim asked, causing Alya to break into tears and a bunch of her classmates to blow up in controversy."I'M PRETTY SURE IT WAS FROM MARINETTE, whoever that is!" Ladybug screamed out, trying not to break into a panic."Bridgette, I'm going to literally go deaf," Chloe scoffed. "Sorry," Ladybug replied to Chloe before running over to Alya."Hey, are you worried about that Marinette girl?" She asked her best friend, speaking with a softer tone.Alya found herself nodding her head as she continued to cry. "Look, I'm pretty sure a kidnapper wouldn't write a note from Marinette's diary. I bet it's locked shut so someone wouldn't be able to write it without the girl opening it," Bridgette tried to reassure Alya."Wh-What if she was f-forced to open it? What if th-they read her deepest secrets and threatened to h-hurt her?" Alya asked helplessly. This was surprising to Marinette to see her best friend so upset. She knew she'd worry, but she didn't think she would actually cause her to cry. "Just think positive. Maybe Ladybug will find Marinette soon," she tried to convince her."If she doesn't- ever come back... I'm never going to get another best friend!" Alya promised, sobbing. Everyone's concern warmed and broke Marinette's heart all at once. What if she could never come back? "I won't just give up! I don't think she just voluntarily left! We have to find her!" Adrien's voice thundered."Adrien, I've known Marinette longer than you have! I know it doesn't sound like her to leave, but she left a note behind to tell us not to worry. If she says not to worry, it means she does not want you to worry! You can't just keep seeking her out! She might be doing something really important to her!" Nino argued, wanting to respect Marinette with whatever she was doing."Nino, she needs our help! We are her friends and we need to help her with whatever she's going through!" Adrien was getting increasingly frustrated with Nino's seemingly lack of support. "She's an independent girl who makes smart choices! Now, I'm not saying we shouldn't help her, but she would know when it's necessary to bring our help in! She would come to us. I know her!" Nino tried to convince him, believing in Marinette's strengths. He felt she would be careful and if a problem did arise, she'd go to the heroes or authority of Paris."If she's being held hostage by a kidnapper, she wouldn't be able to get our help! We have to do something! Stop being so... selfish and not helpful!" The stubborn part of Adrien broke free."Selfish?! Adrien, how exactly-" Nino was cut off by another voice."She might've been forced to write that note to get people off her kidnapper's trail!" Kim joined Adrien's side."Nino is making a good point, and I don't normally agree with dorks. Marinette is stronger than that. She would not let anyone hurt her," Chloe sided with Nino.Ladybug was in the middle of a panic. How was everything crashing down so badly already? She had to do something. She had to get ahold of her actual diary to ensure that no one would be able to take it. If they broke the box encasing the special book, the person would be able to discover her secret identity."Everyone, take your seats!! Stop yelling at each other!" Miss Bustier yelled at everyone when she finally entered the room. This worked to little avail unfortunately, seeing as more people began taking sides and bringing controversy to different possibilities."What if she's not even alive anymore?""What if Marinette was Chat Noir?""Maybe she just had to leave the country!""I bet she was fed up with insults from a certain blonde!""You are all ridiculous! Utterly ridiculous!""OH MY GOODNESS, STOP YELLING OVER EACH OTHER!!" Miss Bustier screamed, waving her arms around wildly to get everyone's attention.Everyone immediately shut up and looked at the red-faced teacher who was huffing with anger."Thank you! Now, I know we are all worried about your fellow classmate, but we have Ladybug and Chat Noir are on the case. Even the police force are on the case."Eventually, the class settled down and began their English lesson for the day. "For the next few weeks, we will be working on analyzing poetic works of a well known author. This will be a group activity, so please choose your groups of three or less wisely."Adrien and Nino grumpily turned away from each other, annoyed because of their difference in opinion earlier."Alya, Bridgette, would you like to work with me?" Nino asked politely. "That sounds good," Alya replied and Ladybug agreed with a nod of the head."Hey, do you two want to group with me?" Lila asked Chloe and Sabrina. "Fine," Chloe replied, "Let's go, Sabrina."The rest of the class seemed to organize themselves into groups, and Adrien looked around helplessly. "Guys, Adrien doesn't have a group," Ladybug pointed out."Hmm, I wonder why," Nino replied more coldly than he intended. Obviously, he felt bad about the whole thing, but Adrien accused him of being selfish. Maybe he was being unreasonable, but it hurt him to hear it from his best friend. It hurt him more to hurt his best friend."Look, if one of you want to go team up with him, go ahead. If not, I'll go," Nino offered, softening his tone."I could go," Ladybug said with a increasing blush, volunteering almost a little too quickly. "Go ahead, Bridgette," he said politely. Nino decided he'd apologize to Adrien later. She beamed and walked over to the blonde boy."A-Adrien, is it? I'm Bridgette... Luck! Yeah! Umm.. so would you like to team up?" Her attempt was well-executed. At least her words made more sense to Adrien as Bridgette than they did as Marinette's. So far."Nice to meet you, Bridgette. That sounds great," he replied politely. His smile appeared just as it normally did in his fashion photoshoots, like it was a natural instinctively given smile. "Are you still worried about that Marinette girl?" She asked, looking down. "Am I overreacting? I know she's strong, like Nino said, but there's evil out in the world. Marinette is my friend, and I should be there to protect her," Adrien admitted, confused as to what he should be feeling."Well if it's any consolation, she left a note saying she was fine," Ladybug told him, "And you could always count that Ladybug and Chat Noir will be there to save her."Her wig was slowly slipping to one side, and luckily Adrien hadn't noticed."I need to talk to Bridgette real quick!" Chloe yelped, dragging the girl away from the boy. What surprised Ladybug was that Chloe didn't care if it was her heroine self near Adrien, but as Marinette, it would bother the blonde."Your wig!" She whisper-shouted, dragging Ladybug out to the hallway to place the wig on correctly."How did it start slipping?" Ladybug asked Chloe."I'm pretty sure we didn't secure it to the velcro," she replied before pushing her back into the classroom."Thanks, Chloe," she whispered to her before going back to Adrien.The teacher began to talk as everyone sat beside their partner, listening. "Today we will begin by writing a poem with your group. It can be any kind of poem, so get creative!""A-Adrien, do you have any ideas?" Ladybug asked once they were given their group time."What if we did a poem about Paris's favorite hero?" Adrien asked her, wanting to break the ice. He noticed she seemed a bit nervous, kind of like Marinette. "Chat Noir," Ladybug said at the same time as Adrien said, "Ladybug."The two blushed and laughed a little, not knowing they were referring to the other. Of course Ladybug's blush was covered by the load of concealer covering her entire face."I think Ladybug is a better fighter," Adrien told her."No, Chat Noir is amazing at fighting! I heard from someone that even Marinette is a huge fangirl of him," Ladybug tried to make her point, thinking of her kitty.Adrien only felt worse when he heard that. He felt he would need to make it up to Marinette once she was found for not protecting her as Chat Noir. He would definitely make some surprise visits, maybe while she was working in the bakery. "Well, Ladybug is stinking awesome as heck and she's great," Adrien laughed, wondering what he was even saying."I agree, but Chat Noir is pretty much the coolest cat," the girl argued, giggling, "I mean his puns could use some work, but..."Adrien gasped fakely, causing Ladybug to laugh. "Why do you look so offended?" She giggled."Because I happen to use his puns all the time," Adrien mockingly placed his hands on his hips."Oh no," she smiled, pressing her forehead to the palm of her hand after lowering her head."Face-palm me all you want, Bridgette. You'll see how awesome Chat's puns are one day," he spoke sarcastically, but with a joking smile on his face. His grin nearly resembled Chat Noir's cheesy Cheshire grin."That's it!" She stood up, her enthusiasm nearly too loud. This happened quite often when she was in her civilian form, and Miss Bustier was used to scolding Marinette for her outside voice."Indoor voice, Marinette," Miss Bustier said, almost as if the response were second nature. Ladybug tensed up once she heard her civilian name, and Chloe cringed at the "offensive" comparison."I mean Bridgette," she corrected herself a few moments later. "Sorry about that. Marinette tends to yell out her thoughts when she got too excited, and telling her not to do so is a reflexive action for the teacher. Don't worry too much about it," Adrien explained, smiling more gently."I don't always do that! I mean... what Marinette does," she pushed some of her wig's hair behind her ear nervously. "Anyways, when I... yelled, I meant I had an idea for our poetry. What if we did a poem comparing and contrasting Chat Noir and Ladybug's personalities?" She continued, wondering what he thought of the idea."That's a great idea, Bridgette. Good thinking," Adrien responded with a smile, nodding politely.His manners were always such a big part of why she felt so attracted to him. She would've been blushing if it weren't for the heavy-duty concealer slathered across her cheeks.The two wrote down their ideas in a Venn diagram, both contributing on both sides of each hero's personalities. It surprised both of them how much they seemed to know about their fellow partners. "Ladybug is very serious about her duties. She's a perfect person. Let's write perfect," Adrien decided, causing Marinette to bite back a huge squeal. Hearing her crush talk about her in her heroine form made her want to run to her room and scream with joy and fling across Paris with a huge smile on her face. "P-Perfect is a st-strong word," Ladybug bumbled nervously, clutching her backpack to her chest."But it's the right word!" Adrien winked exaggeratedly, completely oblivious that he was spilling his admiration to the heroine herself. It was quite sad, really. "D-do you like her?" She asked, remembering she was basically wearing a third mask and feeling slightly less exposed. Why not Marinette? Oh right, he doesn't talk to me."That would be a great understatement. She... brings out the best of me. Whenever I think there's something I can't handle when it comes to my father and I, I just think of how strong my buga-Ladybug is," Adrien spoke with a gentle smile, leaving poor Marinette stunned. "Mmmmmmmpphhhhh... BAFTHROOOM!!!" Ladybug jumped out of her seat and bursted out into the hall. Everyone turned at Bridgette in confusion for her outburst.Adrien's brows furrowed with worry. Did he upset Bridgette? Maybe she really had to use the bathroom and he spent too much time gushing over Ladybug. Or... maybe she thought he was a Ladybug-obsessed fanboy. Something about Bridgette was familiar. Although her eyes were green and her hair was brown, there seemed to be something he was missing. He recalled Marinette's father, Mr. Dupain, having brown hair and green eyes. Maybe she was really upset about Marinette's disappearance because she was her cousin?He really needed to find Marinette. If she really was safe, why would she not get help? Marinette was an independent girl, he had no doubts, but she wasn't rash. She wouldn't put herself in such a bad position on her own. Something was going on and he needed to save her. A sense of guilt sat in his stomach, weighing down his conscience and making him feel like he was at fault for her disappearance. Something had to be done soon. Time was ticking.
----- CHAPTER BREAK -----
Ladybug was getting homesick already. It had only been a couple weeks, but she wanted to be home with her family, hanging out with Alya on the weekends, and chilling on patrols with Chat Noir.Now patrols were all about finding Marinette. It was all Chat Noir cared about, not that Ladybug was complaining, but she really wanted everything to go back to normal. He even stopped calling her "my lady" and "bugaboo" for the time being, which was starting to make her feel oddly sad. It had been two weeks since their first search party, and Ladybug still couldn't figure out what to do."Chat Noir, we have to talk," Ladybug sat beside the cat boy on the roof who was scanning Paris with his eyes."What's going on, Ladybug?" He asked, giving her his attention."Look Chat, Marinette... She's probably not coming back," Ladybug told him with a sigh."She probably will," Chat replied optimistically."No, she probably won't.""Why are you being so negative?" he asked her."Because it's useless! We won't find her because she's gone now! She's gone forever and there's no use in trying to find her! We can't keep looking for a girl who's probably already gone!" Ladybug exploded with frustration, causing Chat to widen his eyes in surprise. "Ladybug, don't think like that! She's probably fine, but we have to bring her home to her parents! They miss her and her classmates miss her! We can't sit around and do nothing. We have to find her," Chat Noir tried to talk sense into her, only causing her to burst out with a groan."It's not going to happen! Just tell everyone the truth already! If she was still here, we would've found her a long time ago! Maybe she doesn't want to be found!" She yelled.Chat Noir looked at her with a disapproving frown, which was definitely new for her. "We will find her. You can't say that. Look, her family is worried. There's no way she just disappeared. We can find her, and we will. Stay positive."* * *Maybe it was time to call off the search for her by leaving an official diary entry. Since Chat Noir wasn't listening to her, she figured he might listen to Marinette herself.Ladybug grabbed the unreturned Lucky Charm, a notepad with her diary pages, and scribbled down an announcement:To everyone,It's been a while. I'm not sure that I could come back, but here's what I have to say:Ladybug tapped the pen on the paper as she was thinking. Frustrated with her lack of ideas, she ripped the paper out and threw it away.Hi!Sorry I can't come back, but know I'm safe. Don't worry anymore. I promise I'm okay. Ripping it off the pad and throwing it in the trash again, she just found that she had no idea what to write.There had to be something she could say or do to get everyone to stop worrying about her. She turned around and headed back to Chloe's hotel."Hey Chloe," she greeted when she walked in."Hi. Did you guys find anything on Mari-trash?" The blonde asked.Ladybug groaned, realizing even Chloe was thinking about her as well. It really made her hurt as she thought about how everyone missed her or worried for her, even though she had been with them the entire time."Marinette is completely gone and never coming back," she replied to her question."Okay," Chloe answered, still scrolling through her phone."I'm going to stop by the Dupain-Cheng bakery as Bridgette to see how her family is doing. Want to come?" Ladybug asked Chloe."Sure, I could come," Chloe replied, getting up and putting her phone down, "Do you want me to help you with your Bridgette costume?""I think I have the wig part down, but I don't think I've nailed the eyeliner routine yet," Ladybug said, walking towards the vanity table to start.The two finished up after about a little over a half hour. Ladybug additionally covered her neck with concealer so she wouldn't have to wear turtle-neck sweaters anymore. Finally, she slipped into her new dark blue sweater, black tights that covered her feet under a pair of converse sneakers, then a denim skirt over her tights. She covered her hands with the gloves that clung tightly as skin would. Ladybug placed a little pink bow in her wig, still wanting a piece of who she used to be. She missed being herself so much, but being Bridgette was as close as she could get to being with her friends at school. Ladybug couldn't show up at school without someone figuring out that something was wrong with her transformation and realizing that she might be the reason Marinette was gone."Ready to go?" Chloe asked her. With a nod, the two made their way to the bakery.The moment she walked in, she was smacked with the familiar smell of cookies and baked goods. Ladybug immediately took in the smell as her mouth started salivating."Hello. We'll be right with you," a teenage boy that Ladybug didn't recognize greeted them.Was he... working in her shift? He was totally taking over her work shift. She read his name tag: Jean. Wait a minute, this was an old akuma victim. Had he previously been in her class?He stood tall, had broad shoulders and sharp features, yet gentle brown eyes to accompany his dark hair. Wearing a light blue shirt and denim jeans, he managed his customers with a polite smile on his face.Once he finished up, his brown eyes locked onto Chloe's blue ones. A smirk crossed Bridgette's face as she noticed the blonde's face heat up. "How can I help you ladies today?" He asked politely. "Umm... What isn't peasant food?" She asked, looking away from him to keep her cheeks from turning pink."Well, we have lots of tasty muffins, freshly baked from the Dupain-Chengs! I would recommend the blueberry muffins," he smiled warmly."I'll just take that. Oh, and a cup of water.""Can I use your bathroom?" Bridgette asked innocently, remembering she left her phone up in her room somewhere under her laundry."Let me ask the owners really quickly, and I'll get back to you on that right away," he replied before slipping into the back room.When the door swung open, she noticed Chat Noir was there with her father."What the heck is that cat doing?" She mumbled, causing Chloe to look over at her curiously."Ignore me. I've gotta check this out," Bridgette told her before silently sneaking off to run outside behind the nearby alley to use her yoyo and get to the top of the roof. Chloe sighed and waited in the bakery.Ladybug didn't take off her disguise, but she checked to see if anyone was around before she took out her yoyo. She used it and hoisted herself to her balcony, which was surprisingly a lot more slippery without her spandex covered feet. Quickly, she quietly went down into her bedroom. Seeing as it was empty, she grabbed her cell phone and charger and prepared to take her leave. "There's no more clues left, Mr. Dupain."Ladybug stopped once she heard her partner's voice echoing from below her. "I'm not saying that we're giving up, but Marinette hasn't turned up anywhere. I promise, we will continue to keep a look out and will immediately report anything we find on her.""I'm really worried about her. Marinette has never done anything like this. Occasionally, she'd be absent from class or late because she had been in the wrong place, but she always came back," she heard her father's voice answer.Her head hung in shame as she slowly sat on her chaise. Her thumb grazed the material covering it, memorizing the feeling once more and taking it in. Marinette tucked the charger and phone into her purse and snapped it shut.She took a deep breath before walking back out to her balcony and using the yoyo to swing back into the alley she came from. The girl walked back to the bakery to see that Jean was still assisting Chloe."Oh hey, Bridgette. Did you want to order anything?" Chloe asked. "My usual. Ah- umm..." Marinette nearly let out a pterodactyl screech when she said what she would normally say as herself. "Sorry, wrong restaurant! I mean, I'd like a pack of chocolate chip cookies please.""Alrighty then. That'll be this much," he pointed to the cash register screen facing them. Chloe paid, being the only one having money. "You've already tracked her cell phone?" Chat's voice bumbled from behind the door, obviously become louder as he came closer. The door opened, revealing her father and her partner."Yes, we tried. Unfortunately, she left it in her room and didn't take it with her," Tom shook his head."Huh. That's unusual. And none of her things are gone?""Not one thing that I noticed. Her favorite outfit is up there, as well as her shoes and pajamas. I don't think she took anything with her.""She did take her diary," Chat speculated, "seeing as she did leave a page in the planter when she first went missing."The two girls took their snacks and left to eat outside."Where did you go off to?" Chloe asked her curiously."I just needed to investigate Marinette's room to check for clues," Ladybug replied, looking down at her purse."Find any?" "None whatsoever," Ladybug lied, clutching on to her purse which contained her beloved cell phone. "I need to hang out back at your hotel room for a while. Is that okay?" "Yeah, go ahead. I'll be out with Sabrina," Chloe replied.Perfect, Ladybug thought to herself. * * *Back at the hotel, Ladybug stood by herself in the hotel room, deciding what she'd do with the phone besides charge it."Should I leave a voicemail?" She asked herself, but cringed at the memory of her last voicemail incident with Adrien."I'll leave a video!" She decided, but then realized an issue. She didn't have the ability to show herself.Or... did she?She ripped off the wig, took out the green contacts, and fixed her bangs with her hands before running to the mirror. She slipped her hair back into her typical pigtails.Ladybug looked up, and held her hands over her mouth as she let out a squeal. Tears filled her eyes as she saw her reflection."Oh- my gosh... My gosh! My face!" She cried out, seeing her Marinette face in the mirror, but her tears washed away some of the makeup. Streaks of her Ladybug mask began to show up, and she grabbed the concealer again to cover it back up. She pulled a white shirt on and a pair of basic denim jeans. Laughing a little, she realized she might be able to stop by as Marinette. However, the thought crossed her mind that she might get emotional and accidentally wipe away her makeup again.Luckily, she'd just make this video and be done with it. She snatched her phone and stood against a plain white background that would not identify her location at all.With a press of a button, she began to record herself."Hi guys! This is Marinette. I'm just... well, here to tell you that I'm okay and I'll be alright. I hope you guys know that I miss you everyday," she sighed, putting up an assuring smile."Mama, Papa, I love you both so much! Thank you for everything you've done. I always think about you guys and I miss you. I will be okay, and I will do my best to come home one day.""Alya, I am so lucky to be your best friend and I- I miss you too, girl. I wish you luck with your journey and I know you'll be an amazing journalist! Don't give up!""Nino, don't break my best friend's heart!" She shook her finger as if she were angry, but then laughed a little to show she was playing, "I'm kidding. I know you're a nice guy and will continue to be amazing to Alya. Thanks for being my friend!""To all my other classmates, just know that I miss you guys. I'm so glad we went through this crazy school journey together as friends and I wouldn't trade that experience for the world!""Chat Noir and Ladybug, don't worry about me. You don't have to keep searching for me! I promise I'm okay, and I don't need saving. I appreciate your heroic efforts and I'm so lucky to have you guys to save our city. Be a good kitty, Chat Noir!" Marinette giggled a little at the last part, knowing he'd probably frown at her nickname."And there's one last thing I have to say. I don't know if I'll be able to ever do this in person, but this one is for... Adrien." Marinette took a deep breath and mentally panicked. What am I doing?! He'll know!! But he can't friend-zone me if I'm not there as Marinette... I'll do it!"Adrien, there is a- something I have to tell you. This probably won't even matter anymore since... I can't really come back for secret reasons, but I swear I'll still be alive and healthy!! I promise I'm not dead!"Marinette tried to stop rambling and get to the point. "Anyways..." she nervously pushed a piece of hair behind her ear as she brought her eye contact to meet the camera's, "I- umm... remember that day? There was a day, the second day after we met. You and I didn't exactly get along at first."Marinette laughed a little, but was nervous, seeing as her cheeks began to heat up, even showing under the makeup. Her body was almost curled inward, as if she wanted to hide away, but she pushed it to look more confident. Again, she pushed the strand of hair and tucked it behind her ear once it had fallen from its placement."I thought you were a snobby rich kid, which was unfair to you at the time. You were new and I judged you too quickly. I didn't get the time to properly know you, but I swear... when you gave me that umbrella on that rainy afternoon, I felt as if I had known you my entire life," Marinette clenched her fists, looking down with a sort of shame. However, she brought her confidence back to the video, as she continued to tell her story, "There was something about... your eyes. I don't know, this might sound cliché and lame, but I felt a connection that brought an entire avalanche of emotion upon me, and I couldn't help but to fall." "I-I... fell in love with you. Every act of kindness you performed brought a new spark of love to the flames burning in my heart. It was the way your green eyes told me an entire story; I didn't think it was humanly possible to feel a story, but I felt yours. It changed me completely, and somehow made me become a different girl from there on out: a girl I never knew was inside me until I felt your story and became a small part of it.""I became the girl who fell in love."
----- CHAPTER BREAK -----
After school, Adrien figured he'd stop by the Dupain-Cheng bakery to check on Marinette's family and order a croissant. After all, he was hungry."Hello Mrs. Cheng," he greeted Marinette's mother politely once he entered the bakery. She was the only one working in the bakery that afternoon."Adrien, what a surprise to see you! How is school going?" She asked him, pleasantly surprised by his arrival. Sabine knew how much Adrien meant to Marinette. After all, it wasn't hard to guess who her daughter had affection for when her walks were covered with pictures of his face."School is alright. We have a new student named Bridgette!" He told her, watching as she smiled when he genuinely told her something that occurred rather than just answering with the simple 'good' reply that most teenagers give adults."That's nice, dear. Is there anything you'd like us to get you?" Sabine asked with a warm smile, gesturing toward the pastries she'd just baked."May I order one croissant please?" Adrien asked politely as he pulled out his wallet."Of course you may! Also no charge to Marinette's friends! Consider it on the house," Sabine told him, causing him to light up with a smile. Her kindness reminded him of Marinette's, and he knew where she'd inherited it from. He could still see the sadness and anxiety within Sabine, even though she was doing her best to remain calm and think positive for Marinette."Thank you so much!" He smiled widely, hoping to distract her from her missing child. She smiled a simple, Marinette-like smile in return.The brunette girl with green eyes from Adrien's class showed up, nervously clutching onto her bag. When Adrien saw her, he heard her squeak out of fear."H-Hi? Miss Cheng- I um- Adrien hi- like stuff... ph-phone and bathroom please?!" Bridgette whimpered, her face completely red."Sure sweetie. It's right up this way. I'll be back in a moment, Adrien," Sabine promised before guiding the girl to her bathroom upstairs. She noticed the girl kept her face down, almost as if she were really shy about her appearance. "It's at the end of the hall to the left," she told Bridgette."Thank you," she replied in a voice pitch and tone that sounded more like Rose's to avoid her mother's suspicion. She rushed off to the bathroom before she could see her face. Ladybug laid out her plan. Obviously, not wanting everyone in the world to know about her crush on Adrien, she edited cropped the video into two different videos. She would send the one video to all her contacts, send her embarrassing confession video to just Adrien, then leave her cell phone in her room. After making sure her mother had left, she set a timer for the messages to send to the people she intended to send the messages to. It would be a short twenty-four hours before the videos were sent off, before she made it official she couldn't return home, and most importantly, official that Adrien knew that she loved him.She started the timer and tossed her cell phone back into her room, grabbed some of her allowance and went back down the bakery.* * * 24 hours* * *"Everything okay, Bridgette?" Adrien asked."Never better," she smiled weakly, pulling her thumbs up. Ladybug couldn't find the strength to look him in the eye, knowing he'd know about her crush on him soon."Can I please order a sandwich from the special?" She asked her mother."Of course, sweetie," she replied with a smile, but Ladybug could see it in her mother that she wasn't really all that happy. She looked as if she were hold by her whole act together by a single thread that could snap with any added weight. Seeing as Adrien was eating his croissant, Ladybug silently sat in the seat beside him. She paid for her sandwich and waited for it."So, how's everything going? I remember being the new kid," Adrien chuckled. "Everything is... interesting. I learned a lot of this stuff from... uh homeschool! Social environment is different," she laughed nervously, putting on her best acting skills."Hey, I was homeschooled before I came to this school too!" Adrien laughed, holding out his hand for a high-five. She high-fived him in return, mentally facepalming at her fake story. How did people even believe her story? Bridgette Luck, a shy girl who happened to be homeschooled just before she dropped into a class the day after Marinette Dupain-Cheng went missing, taking her spot and was the same age and had the same build as Ladybug/Marinette, while also being friends with Chloe before coming into the class.Marinette wasn't even sure if she'd believe it, but then again, no one even came close to realizing she was Ladybug. Even though Chloe knew Ladybug didn't detransform and Marinette went bye-bye.Did she know? Was it even possible?"Your sandwich is ready," her mother said, placing her wrapped sandwich on the table in front of her."Thanks Ma'am," she gave her mother a sweet smile. Mrs. Dupain-Cheng politely chuckled in return, walking back to her register."I should get going. I'll see you tomorrow, Bridgette. Goodbye Mrs. Dupain-Cheng! Have a good evening!" Adrien told the both of them after seeing a text on his phone."Y-Yeah, bye Adrien."Marinette sadly unwrapped her sandwich, taking a large bite out of it. A rush of familiar flavors and a sense of nostalgia crashed down on her and she felt the tears forming in her eyes. No, no. She couldn't cry. It would make her makeup run and her mask would show and her second cover would be blown.She used a napkin from the table to lightly dab at the corners of her eyes, careful not to remove any makeup. Marinette smiled at Sabine one last time before wishing her a good day.* * * 19 hours * * *"Ladybug, it's midnight and you've already done your homework. Why are you so stressed?" Chloe grumbled from beneath her pillow tiredly."Is it noticeable? How am I stressed?! I am not stressing out!!" Ladybug squeaked, stomping her foot as she looked around in distress. Of course she was stressed! She had approximately nineteen hours before her life would be changed forever and Adrien would finally know the truth about everything! She had every right to be stressed, she felt."You're pacing around the room, huffing and sighing about mistakes, groaning, laying down then getting up again, and it's literally impossible to sleep. What's going on?" Chloe finally asked, sitting up from her bed as she rubbed her eyes."Nothing is going on! I'm fine! I swear, everything is just perfect! Everything is great, yeah. So great," she pouted, flopping her face into her hands dramatically. This was the point she'd usually need Alya to reassure her and push her forward, but she couldn't do it. "If everything was fine, you would be asleep or chatting with Chat Noir. Is it about superhero stuff?" The blonde asked her."Sort of. I mean, I guess. It's something- crazy. I just did something that will have consequences and I'm not sure if they'll be good or bad. I sort of revealed something and it's huge, for me at least. I'm just freaking out and- I'm sorry. You should go back to sleep. We've got a long day of school tomorrow," she cut herself off, but Chloe sleepily waved her hands out."No, it's fine. You could continue. It's basically Friday morning anyways. We could sleep all we want after school," Chloe assured her, which definitely surprised Marinette. It really shouldn't have, because as the two spent more time with one another, Chloe seemed to have started to mature and start treating others more nicely than she used to."I'm just scared because I revealed something that could change everything. I don't know what to do," she continued, yearning to have the comfort of her old best friend. As nice as Chloe was becoming, Alya could never be replaced. Marinette believed the blonde could never be supportive of the fact that she liked Adrien, or of her true identity in general. Once she found out she was actually 'Mari-trash' the entire time, their friendship was over. And it slightly hurt to think that their friendship could be killed that quickly, meaning they weren't even true friends in the first place. "Well, in my opinion, I think you should just leave it to be. Whether or not this secret of yours affects everything, you'll still be the miraculous Ladybug and no one could hate you at the end of the day. You're a hero, and that's what counts," Chloe told her.Ladybug braided the ends of her hair, taking a breath as she continued to sulk. "The consequences are really scary to think about. I know, but it's a part of life. We all have to deal with the things that our actions leave behind and clean up the mess, or you could just leave it. Based on how different we are, just leaving it doesn't seem like your kind of style, but it's something I've grown to do. It's not the best thing, but my daddy and Sabrina always seem to have my back. They're always there to clean up after me and my actions," Chloe told her, and Ladybug could almost swear that she saw a sign of remorse.* * *11 hours* * *"Hey, rumor has it that Marinette was last seen on a plane to America," Bridgette heard one of her classmates whisper to another."That's not what I heard! According to my brother's friend, Marinette dropped out of school to run away to a remote island with her secret boyfriend...""Marinette doesn't even have a secret boyfriend. I would've known about it," Alya jumped into the conversation, remembering her best friend only ever loved Adrien."Hence the word secret," Kim told her."I heard she became Hawkmoth's slave!" Lila admitted, hearing it from the girl's bathroom earlier."Oh no!! We need to tell Ladybug and Cat!" Mylene cried out."Guys, she's probably just doing something like a top secret art project," Bridgette told them, trying to get the situation to calm down a little. Her classmates have been talking about nothing other than the mysteries of where Marinette could be. Honestly, she was glad that when the timer would send the message off, all these crazy rumors would probably die down and she'd hopefully be forgotten. "Bridgette's right. Nothing too big probably happened," Sabrina took her side."I just hope that girl is still okay. We haven't heard from her in a while," Alya rested her chin in her hands as she leaned her elbows on the table. Bridgette began to drink from her water bottle to avoid making any crazy remarks while listening to her classmates' theories."Chat Noir hasn't found anything on her. Adrien told me that Ladybug finally stopped looking. There's no clues to go off of other than the note and she's unsure of where to go next," Nino said, causing Bridgette to choke on her water and start coughing. Was Chat Noir really that upset that she didn't want to spend anymore time looking for something that was literally impossible to find?! Gosh, that cat was irritating, Bridgette thought to herself. Then again, she looked like she was giving up on a random civilian, so it was a little terrible of her. She couldn't spend another second looking for "Marinette" without feeling guilty about being unable to change back. She spent so much time the night before calling out her de-transformation phrase in hopes of getting her costume off, but it only seemed to become a bigger part of her. "That's not true! Ladybug would never give up on someone who needs her help!" Alya argued."Dude, I'm just going off of what Adrien said Chat Noir told him," Nino put his hands up in surrender, hoping to escape Alya's wrath."She's probably fine!" Chloe grumbled from the other side of the room."What would you know, Chloe?" Alya stood up, remembering how the blonde would torture her best friend with insults and dumb plans. "What I know is that Marinette used to be my best friend!" Chloe told her angrily."Oh, since when?!" Alya threw her hands up."Two years before you came here!" Chloe told her."It was true. Actually, I didn't even come to this school until last year. I was Chloe's new BFF," Sabrina explained."Then why did you hate her so much?!" "We got into a fight about something dumb, then we threw petty insults at one another. Eventually, we let our small feud grow into a large hatred, and always made fun of one another whenever we'd see each other. I don't even remember what the fight was about in the first place.""My favorite pen..." Bridgette muttered to herself."What?" Alya asked her, Chloe's attention turning to her as well. They heard her mutter something, but couldn't make it out."Be nice to each other!" Bridgette yelled, getting off subject.The teacher arrived and the class began their day with some poetic readings.* * *6 hours* * *For what seemed the hundredth time since being trapped in a disguise with another disguise, Marinette almost instinctively followed Alya to lunch, but had to mentally scold herself. She was acting too Marinetty and she needed to cut it out.The girl had nearly forgotten that she had only six hours until her messages were sent to everyone in her contacts. That was the official message to tell everyone she knew that it would be unlikely for her to return and to stop looking for her. Not only was that going to get out, but there was a personal message only sent to Adrien that she was particularly worried about. Considering the fact that she completely confessed her love and probably risked being friend-zoned by Adrien, she was pretty dang nervous."Are you still stressing out about whatever it is that you said you revealed? L, just keep it chill," Chloe mimicked Nino toward the end, causing Ladybug to giggle."L? Isn't that a little risky?" She laughed."No, it's stands for Luck. As in Bridgette Luck.""Right..." Ladybug smiled, laughing a bit."BL... LB. Goodness gracious! Couldn't you have chosen different initials?" Chloe laughed as she made the connection. "That was completely unintentional, I swear," Ladybug pointed out, chuckling."Right, of course," the blonde girl sarcastically said.When Adrien passed by them, he waved in a friendly manner. Ladybug almost fell off the bench they were sitting at as she dropped her sandwich into the grass."Whoa, are you okay there, Bridgette?" He asked her, looking at the fallen sandwich and the girl's saddened expression."I'm purr-fectly fine!" She screeched, giving a thumbs up as he chuckled at her pun. Chloe rolled her eyes at Ladybug's clumsiness and pun.The poor girl wheezed at the knowledge that Adrien would know the truth about her feelings in a matter of hours, and seeing his physical, unknowing form standing right in front of her was causing her stomach to do backflips and cartwheels. Her heart was slamming itself into her chest and the hairs on the back of her neck stood up. It really made her wonder how she even uttered a pun to Adrien before this without choking on her words. "Are you sure?" Adrien's eyebrows furrowed in worry, seeing as he just viewed her long wheeze. In response, she jumbled her shaky fingers into the formation of a thumbs up before holding it out in front of her large, Marinette-like smile. The funny thing, she thought, was that that smile hadn't existed until she met Adrien. "She's fine," Chloe replied. Bridgette nearly jumped when she noticed Alya sending her a stone-cold glare. What? All she did was be nervous and blushy around the oblivious boy... which was exactly the same thing Marinette did, she realized. Alya knew she liked him, and she probably wasn't very happy that Adrien might show interest toward anyone beside Marinette. At least if Adrien didn't like Marinette that way, she could try again as Ladybug, she thought to herself sadly.* * *2 hours* * *"Why are you staring at that clock? It doesn't move very fast if you keep staring at it," Chloe asked Ladybug as she lied across her bed, watching the anxious superhero."The little hand on the clock vibrates every time it moves an hour," she replied."You are one bored girl. Why don't you go patrol the city or look for Marinette? Maybe that'll get your mind off of whatever you're waiting for.""I doubt it, but I'm actually trying to slow time down. It's not working. The clock keeps ticking and ticking, no matter how much I want it to stop," Ladybug whined.Chloe rolled her eyes and picked up her phone. Once she touched it to see her notifications, her eyes widened. "Uh... I think it's probably a good time to patrol," she spoke in a rushed tone."Nah... I already patrolled yesterday," Ladybug whined."No, no! It's a really good time to patrol!" Chloe shoved her phone in Ladybug's face, causing her vision to blur at the object that was too close. Once she got ahold of it in her hands, she saw a notification from the LadyBlog, sent an hour ago. There's been an akuma attack at the subway station. Chat Noir is here, but Ladybug is nowhere in sight! If anyone spots the heroine, please inform her of the situation immediately!Ladybug yelped, dropping the phone in Chloe's hand. She ran to the bathroom, ripped off her wig and wig-cap, tore off her Bridgette-clothing to reveal her suit underneath, then washed the makeup off her neck and face. Without even pulling her hair into the usual pigtails held with ribbons, she used her yoyo to swing herself out of the hotel from the balcony. Launching herself across the city, she found her way into the station and ran in there with a fighting stance.There was no akuma in sight as far as she could see, so she ran across the station to find the villain. The place was obviously evacuated, seeing as some of the walls were dented and the tracks were broken.Quickly, she slipped into the ticket booth, but found only a jar. When she picked it up, she saw it was filled with water, making it heavy, but there was a paralyzed akuma butterfly. A huge wave of guilt crashed over Ladybug, realizing her poor partner must've done all the work, waiting for her to arrive. "No... no. How long... was Chat Noir waiting?" She asked herself, pulling her yoyo to her chest insecurely. "Two hours, Ladybug. It turns out that water hold akuma well," a voice thundered from behind her. "Chat... I am so- so sorry! I swear, I didn't know! Is everyone okay?" She asked, running over to him when she saw some bruises. He seemed to walk with a limp."It was a metal akuma. Luckily, I was able to save everyone on the subway. It was a really close call, but he only smashed his fist into my leg," Chat Noir told her, not directly looking her in the face. "I'll use my Lucky Charm! I could fix everything! Lucky Charm!" She called her power down to her. "A fish-catcher? Oh," she took the item. She unscrewed the jar lid and used the net to fish the wet akuma out of the water. After purifying the akuma and watching it fly away, she returned the Lucky Charm. A red wave of ladybugs flew around, fixing the damage and injuries. "I'm so sorry, Chat. I promise that will never happen again. I swear," she promised, throwing her arms around him and holding him in a hug."Everything is back to normal. No worries," he spoke, hugging her back. She heard him hum softly in confusion once he seemed to catch something."What's wrong?" She asked him, pulling away. "Wow, you changed your hair! It's a good look," he complimented, winking."Yeah, yeah. I didn't have enough time to put my hair in pigtails today. I kinda rushed out once I found out about the akuma attack," Ladybug told him. "Oh, I was talking about the red streak. It sort of reminds me of Mr. Agreste's assistant's hair, but it's nice. Was it the reason you were late?" He asked the heroine."Red streak? Did my ribbon get stuck or something?" Ladybug asked, grabbing at her hair and turning to a small mirror in the ticket booth. "No, it's your hair. Right back here," he picked up the group of hair that was pigmented to match her suit."What the heck is this?" She asked, touching the hair."Maybe you dipped it in paint when you weren't looking," Chat Noir suggested. "Uh... maybe. Here, let me wash it," she took the jar with water in it to stick the red streaked-hair in it. After soaking it, she pulled it back out and tried to wash it away. "It's totally not coming off. Oh my gosh... Chat, it's not coming off!" She began to panic, turning to her partner."Hold on, let's go to the bathroom. I'll run out and grab some shampoo, maybe see if it'll come out. It's probably just stubborn," Chat Noir tried to reassure her, taking her by the arm. He led her to the public bathroom, uncaring that it was only for women. Besides, it was closed off for the public, so it wasn't even considered wrong."Okay," her voice came out meekly as she followed him. Ladybug knew this wasn't going to come out. Her hair changed, just like her ability to transform. It was only a little bit, but it still was unchangeable. Was it because she returned the Lucky Charm? But she returned a few others while being in this state, and nothing had changed. The only difference was that she used it for an akuma instead of for her personal reasons. When Chat left her in the bathroom, she had nothing to do but look into the mirror. How long had to been since the entire ordeal begun? Two weeks? Two weeks changed her. The powers of her Miraculous were changing her physical appearance. Her earrings weren't even earrings anymore. They just sunk into the skin of her ear, just leaving behind round red patches of skin with black dots in their places.The red suit still felt like spandex, but was a layer of her skin now.Who could she even go to in order to solve this?"Tikki, please. I beg you, please get this costume off of me. Please... detransform me! I don't know what to do," the heroine fell to her knees, holding onto the sink counter.She leaned against the wall of the bathroom, letting go of the sink to wrap her arms around her own knees. Ladybug closed her eyes and laid her head forward.* * *30 minutes* * *"Bugaboo? Are you okay?" Ladybug heard as she begun to wake up. "Hmm..." she hummed quietly, burying her face into her arms to find warmth."Sorry I took so long. My civilian life held me up, but I got you the shampoo. I had to buy it, because apparently someone doesn't like it when I take her fancy shampoo," Chat Noir apologized, waving the bottle in front of her as she peeked an eye open to look at him."Were you sleeping?" He asked, helping her to her feet gently. "I think so. How long has it been?" Ladybug groggily replied."I think about an hour or two, but I could be wrong."She snapped awake and realized her video messages must've either been sent or were about to send. Quickly, she looked around to see if there was a clock. Of course there was no clock in the bathroom."Is there somewhere you have to go?" Chat asked her, putting the bottle down."No... no. I don't think so," she said."Then let's commence with the hair washing!"She walked over to the sink where Chat had her put her head into the sink. He brushed her hair out with his fingers before turning on the faucet. "I'm sorry if this water turns out to be a bit cold. There's no warm se-sett...ing," Chat Noir told her, but his eyes floated over to her earrings. "Ladybug... did you tattoo your earrings on?"Ladybug twisted out of his soft grip from helping her wash her hair, leaving water dripping from her wet hair. Her heart pounded against her chest in panic. Was he figuring it out?! Did he know she was Marinette?!"Uh... well, I kind of... I um- sort of- umm," she squirmed, grabbing at her hair as she looked away, searching for something to say.He looked at her in confusion.Then she had an idea."It's a new power! I did... umm- get a magical tattoo so now Hawkmoth can't take my earrings and I can't run out of time after a Lucky Charm!" She snapped her fingers, smiling as she realized she found what to say. He smiled in return."Now Hawkmoth is in for a big surprise if he tries to get your earrings!" Chat Noir laughed. "Yeah, no kidding," she muttered, trying not to be too serious as she forced the awkward smile to stay on her face.A part of her really wanted to tell him everything, just completely confide in her partner she trusted with her life, but she didn't. She couldn't. It was too risky for the both of them, and not only that. He's probably be really really irritated with her for sending him on this wild goose chase for the Marinette who no longer existed, and in all honesty, she didn't want to lose her best friend/partner over something like this. The two spent roughly twenty minutes trying to scrub the red out of Ladybug's hair, but it was to no avail. "Do you think that maybe it has some connection with your magical tattoo earrings? The hair streak didn't show up until you used your Lucky Charm for this akuma. Or at least that's when I noticed it," Chat Noir wondered as Ladybug sighed."Probably. I guess it's just going to stay red," the heroine groaned disappointedly."If it's conjured by powers, I don't think it would show up while you're in civilian form, right? On our next patrol, let me know if your red streak comes out when you detransform," Chat requested, concerned about her identity hopefully not being exposed to the public."Will do, Kitty Cat."* * *Message Delivered* * *
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"Chloe, tell me what this is. Can it be taken out?! Can we dye my hair to get the red out!! This is a little crazy here," Ladybug began talking the moment she walked in from the patio door."We could probably try hair dye. I have some in exactly your hair color, but it's only temporary. Would you like to try it?" Chloe asked her, pulling out a can of hair dye spray from beneath her bed."Let's try it," Ladybug jumped at the opportunity, uncaring of the fact that Chloe just randomly had a hair dye in exactly her hair color, probably from her cosplaying.Chloe pulled the cap off, yanked Ladybug into the bathroom next door to her bedroom, which was in an unoccupied hotel room, used a towel to put around Ladybug to keep her suit from getting the color absorbed or whatever, then sprayed it. A dark mist sprayed over the red portion of Ladybug's hair, covering parts of it. The blonde continued to use the spray, up until it ran out. "Looks covered!" Chloe announced, tossing the Can into the trash beside her. Ladybug turned to the mirror to see that her hair looked normal enough. When she picked up the portion to check, some of the hair dye came off on her hand, causing her to groan. "Thanks Chloe! This should do for now."The both of them left to go back to Chloe's bedroom so she could continue calling Sabrina about her crappy hotel food rant.Meanwhile, Ladybug had nothing else to do, but think. What was the one thing she could try?Her Lucky Charms only guided her with things that would hide her identity or fight in certain situations. Unless... it could provide an answer?"Lucky Charm!" She called out, totally interrupting Chloe's rant to her annoyance. A small paper floated into Marinette's hands.On the small, faded spotted paper were the words, Spread your wings! -Tikki."Spread my wings?" Ladybug repeated, causing a pink light to flash throughout Chloe's room. Blinded and confused, Chloe noticed Ladybug was lying on her back, groaning."What the heck was that supposed to be about?! Ladybug, seriously? Your powers are all over the place!" Chloe complained, crossing her arms and huffing.When the disoriented heroine sat up, two rosy transparent wings slowly began to rise into position, somewhat mimicking Ladybug's position."BUG!" Chloe screeched, scattering to get into a corner of her room. "Where?!" Marinette replied, turning around to get away, seeing as she wasn't such a big fan of roaches or creepy bugs either.The wings unfolded themselves delicately, now beginning to flap. Hearing the flapping sound from behind her, Ladybug now thought there might be a really large bug following her and that was something she did not want to see. Both girls began to scream for different reasons. Ladybug was running wildly, screaming, "GET THIS THING AWAY FROM ME!!" Chloe was cowering in a corner, screaming because her idol grew wings and started screeching like a giant bug. What was next? She'd grow antennae and eat whatever it was that ladybugs ate? It took fifteen minutes to get the situation under control, which finally happened a little while after Chloe loudly pointed out she grew wings which led to more screaming and panic. "Why the heck did I grow wings? What is happening to me? What is going on?!" Ladybug questioned, burying her face in her arms."Most importantly, how are you going to hide those wings?!" Chloe asked the heroine, leading her to the realization that she needed to get them to go away somehow."Hide my wings!" Ladybug tried to reverse the wing transformation, only to have affected nothing. Her face contorted in distress and her hand slapped over her forehead as she looked down, squeezing her eyes shut, "Unspread my wings! Put away my wings!""They're still there," Chloe mumbled."I-I don't know. I need to find someone who could help me sort this whole thing out," Ladybug realized. "Yeah... You do that," Chloe replied, still frazzled by the bug-like wings her hero had randomly sprouted out of her back. * * *Meanwhile, Adrien saw a text message notification from Marinette, causing him to fall out of his chair. Scrolling through Chloe's unopened messages quickly, he opened the messages."You're beginning to act like that clumsy cutie who went missing, tripping over your chair and all that. Where's my cheese? I haven't had any for two hours and I need my energy!!" Plagg whined after teasing him."Haha. Real funny. Your cheese is on the top level library," Adrien replied without looking at his kwami as he turned up the volume on his phone to begin the video. He noticed there were two videos for him, sent not too long ago.He clicked the most recent one, and smiled when he saw her look at the camera shyly, "Hi guys! This is Marinette. I'm just... well, here to tell you that I'm okay and I'll be alright. I hope you guys know that I miss you everyday." She began to talk about how she was unable to come back, and it seemed that she left a message for nearly everyone."To all my other classmates, just know that I miss you guys. I'm so glad we went through this crazy school journey together as friends and I wouldn't trade that experience for the world!" Marinette promised, giving an emotional smile as she probably was trying to keep her emotions at bay. Adrien couldn't help but cover his mouth with his hand, stressing out about how he couldn't find her.But then she continued."Chat Noir and Ladybug, don't worry about me. You don't have to keep searching for me! I promise I'm okay, and I don't need saving. I appreciate your heroic efforts and I'm so lucky to have you guys to save our city. Be a good kitty, Chat Noir!" Marinette giggled a little. Adrien's heart tore as she said that last part. His princess was leaving and these were her last words to him. Adrien held turned around to face his window as the video came to an end. "Why... why couldn't I save her? Ladybug seemed to know that she was planning on disappearing forever. I-I'm so sorry, Princess..." he whispered, clutching the phone in his hands. One of his best friends, Marinette, his princess, was probably gone forever. She even said goodbye to her own parents, her home. Where was she? "That was... umm, what do you humans call it? Oh, magic! I think," Plagg frowned as he flew on Adrien's shoulder."Did you mean tragic?" Adrien asked without looking up."Oh, yes! Tragic! I knew what it was in the other languages! English isn't every Chat Noir Miraculous holder's main language," Plagg said defensively."And you didn't see the other video yet. It looks like she sent you two of them. Maybe it's just a duplicate?" He added, causing Adrien to look at his phone."I don't think so... I'll check it out," he told him, sadness an evident tone in his voice. "And there's one last thing I have to say. I don't know if I'll be able to ever do this in person, but this one is for... Adrien," Marinette took a breath on the video, completely receiving Adrien's undivided attention. Was she telling him her location? Was she giving him a special message? A goodbye one?"Adrien, there is a- something I have to tell you. This probably won't even matter anymore since... I can't really come back for secret reasons, but I swear I'll still be alive and healthy!! I promise I'm not dead!" Marinette waved her arms frantically, denying any piece of thought that could remotely resemble the idea of death and crushing it.The girl laughed a little, mostly nervously and pushed a piece of hair behind her ear as she continued, "Anyways... I- umm... remember that day? There was a day, the second day after we met. You and I didn't exactly get along at first."Adrien smiled warmly at her, even though he was just smiling with a phone. He just wanted to hug her to comfort her nerves. Maybe she was really nervous about saying goodbye? Whatever it was, he wanted to assure her that she'd be okay with him by her side. She curled in on herself, really nervously with her arms crossed and her head hanging down, and she looked like a kitten that needed a hug. It was killing him inside that he couldn't be there with her. She looked so scared and nervous, but his heart skipped a beat as she seemed to regain her confidence a little more, straightening her posture and looking at the camera. It comforted him to see that she looked more confident. She was one of his friends and he just wanted the best for her."I thought you were a snobby rich kid, which was unfair to you at the time. You were new and I judged you too quickly. I associated you with someone who absolutely hates me, and thought that you might’ve been like her. I didn't get the time to properly know you, but I swear... when you gave me that umbrella on that rainy afternoon, I felt as if I had known you my entire life," Marinette clenched her fists, looking down at her lap with a change of heart. She looked... guilty, Adrien decided. Honestly, seeing as Chloe was a brat and he was friends with only her, he definitely did not blame her for assuming that. "It's okay, Marinette. I don't mind," Adrien smiled at the video, realizing that when he gave her the umbrella, that was when she found out that he wasn't like Chloe. "There was something about... your eyes. I don't know, this might sound cliché and lame, but I felt a connection that brought an entire avalanche of emotion upon me, and I couldn't help but to fall.""Wow, she's very expressive! I wonder if that was why she fell down the stairs that day when I had to defeat Princess Fragrance," Adrien told Plagg, causing the poor kwami to groan. He could not believe how oblivious this boy was! Did she need to spell it out for him?! "I-I... fell in love with you. Every act of kindness you performed brought a new spark of love to the flames burning in my heart. It was the way your green eyes told me an entire story; I didn't think it was humanly possible to feel a story, but I felt yours. It changed me completely, and somehow made me become a different girl from there on out: a girl I never knew was inside me until I felt your story and became a small part of it," Marinette confessed on camera, her confidence seeming to shine. "I became the girl who fell in love."The video ended."The video ended," Adrien stated, not knowing what to say next. He was speechless and all he could utter out was a fact that he knew was dependable and wouldn't change everything he thought he knew. "Yeah, the video ended!" Plagg said impatiently, awaiting his reaction."I- wow. I ju- uh, to- yeah," Adrien dumbly let his voice loose from his now dry throat."Weren't expecting it? How did you not see it?! She was literally telling you from beginning to end! The entire video, you thought she was being friendly?! Dude, she gave you an individual message! Pay attention!" Plagg impatiently munched off a piece of his cheese."She's gone," Adrien whispered, looking at the window."Didn't she just send that to you? Text her back, and just let me eat my cheese without getting frustrated! Humans and their oblivious brains!" Plagg popped the rest of the Camembert into his mouth, swallowing it whole. "I have to say something! I have to say something. There's something I have to say! I really wasn't expecting this, but... I-I have emotions! I mean, I always had emotions, and I had this heartbeat quickening thing when Ladybug- but I- Marinette, she- what?" Adrien slumped over onto his bed, falling forward as the soft cushiony covers of his sheet was cool, yet warm. He was pretty sure his face was on fire, based on how hot his cheeks flushed. At the moment, he had no idea what to think or say. Marinette, Ladybug? Ladybug, she... she was amazing! She was his partner, his best friend, everything was literally perfect about her! She was his dream, his imagination come to life. Sure, she was late to the last akuma attack and he had to fight by himself, but he was over it more quickly than it even began. She likely had her reasons. On the other hand, she obviously did not reciprocate his feelings, and did mention that there was someone else she had been interested in. Ladybug did care for him, but only in the way that a partner would care. Marinette, oh... How could he describe her? Based on what he'd seen in class, things he felt around her, he felt she were always so confident and spunky when it came to talking to her as Chat Noir. Yet as Adrien, she seemed really nervous, which now he knew the reasons for. He knew he would be lying to himself if he said that he didn't feel a little more flirtatious when hanging out with her, or that he didn't feel his heart speed a little faster when she came around. He had always dismissed it as a natural reaction to seeing how beautiful Nino's former crush was, but he didn't even realize what he had been feeling. All he knew now was that he needed to find her and get her back. After all, he had to finally stop denying that he might’ve wanted to be a little more than friends.
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Ladybug ran away as far as she could, unsure of where she was going. What she didn't expect was that her feet were beginning to lift from the ground when she picked up speed. She stopped to lift an shoulder, causing the wing to mimic her joint movement. When she ran, she knew her shoulders were shifting back and forth. If she wanted to work the wings properly, she'd likely need to balance her running and movements of joints and be mindful of her advancements in speed until it became as second nature as using her yoyo. "Okay, I've got this."The bottoms of her spandex-covered feet hit the tops of the roofs, gaining momentum with the rushing movements in her wings. Slowly, her feet left the ground, and she pushed both her shoulders back, causing her to shoot forward unexpectedly. She let out a loud demon-like noise that she never wanted to hear from her own voice again.In surprise, she hunched her shoulders forward, only leading her to fly backwards. Clumsily, she kicked her feet out in an attempt to catch her self. "How do I control myself?!" She cried out, mostly to herself.Forwards, backwards, upside down, right side up. The girl felt like a leaf trapped in a tornado. Her limbs were everywhere, doing whatever she could to keep herself from crashing down on some poor unlucky civilian.She finally just stopped moving around, only dropping her shoulders by her side. The loud flapping sound of her wings quieted slightly, just flapping enough to keep her in place. "So this is how I stay still, huh? Maybe if I just..." Ladybug carefully and slowly turned one of her shoulders to the left, shifting her toward the direction."Cool! Maybe it isn't so terrible being Ladybug after all," she laughed, but not for too long. It still pained her heart to think of her family. She just needed to check on them. They must've received her message by now! As well as Adrien.Maybe she should check on him too.No, no! She can't do that! What if she sees him looking completely disgusted or scared and realized that he hates Marinette forever?!Ladybug decided it would be best to check on her family first. She rolled her shoulders back, causing her to fly forward, and tilted up. She clenched her fists as she made the effort to not look down, but up so she could find the best route to her house. Once she got there, she crashed straight into the floor of the front of the bakery. Groaning at the pain she receive from the collision with the ground, she laid there. Her wings seemed to lower down, coiling themselves, acting seemingly as hurt as she felt."Ladybug! Are you alright?! That was a terrible tumble!" Her mother came rushing over to make sure Paris's superhero was not dead. "Falling ain't no thing but a chicken wing," Ladybug replied, peeling herself from the ground like a smashed, but alive bug. "Huh? Let's get you inside," Sabine suggested, inconspicuously checking to see if she got a concussion. "Ignoring my sad version of a superhero landing, I came to check if you heard any updates on Marinette."Not even struggling to call myself by my name and not "me." I haven't been myself for so long. I miss hearing my name being spoken to me..."Oh! We got a video from her! My daughter is still alive, but she told everyone to stop looking for her," Sabine told her, pulling out a chair for her to sit on."Oh? She's... maybe she'll come back by herself then. I- Chat Noir and I looked everywhere in Paris, but no sign. I think she'll come home when she can. Knowing her, she's probably tough as nails!" Ladybug reassured her, taking the seat."You're right, dear. I just... worry about my baby. You see them grow up, always independent, yet needing the love of her family and friends at times. I remember her first day of school. She was so reluctant to let me leave the classroom, but Nino was nice enough to distract her."And he did distract me from crying. He told me a really cool story about turtles. I remember missing my mom and dad so much that first day of school before he helped me. I feel so much worse than I did then... I want to stay home with my family."And I'm sure... that Marinette is thinking about y-you right now," Ladybug smiled, closing her eyes to keep any tears from spilling over. She pushed away the lump in her throat."MARINETTE!!" Adrien slid across the bakery's tile floor after flinging the door open, holding the messages open on his phone. His eyes scanned quickly across the room."Adrien sweetie, she's not here. We all wish- we wish she never- left," Sabine's eyes began to water. "A-ADRIEN?! WH-WHAT A-ARE-" Ladybug nearly lost her balance from the surprise of seeing him there. She buried her face in her arms, hoping he somehow wouldn't notice her.He knew.He knew Marinette liked him.It scared her realizing that he had the power to react either way to her confession. Did he accept it or decline it?Either way, he would never get to see her again unless here was something she could do to get back to normal."Hi my- urm- ahem, Ladybug! I apologize for my outburst, Mrs. Dupain. I assumed she was still here because the message wasn't sent too long ago. Did she take her phone?" "No, it's right here. I don't know how she sent it or got into her room to get her phone. I was in here the entire time it was sent, and I would've seen her enter. The other door was by Tom, and I'm sure he would've noticed as well," Sabine lifted Marinette's phone, which Ladybug hadn't noticed was sitting beside her."Mmmrrph," Ladybug quietly scooted her chair away, pushing her whimper back into her throat before someone heard it. Sabine left into the back room to unload the fresh pastries from her oven."We have to find her! It's final, there's no way we are leaving her to be on her own! Ladybug, let's go look!" Adrien decided, yanking the blushing heroine's arm out, causing her to fall off the chair and her wings to uncoil lifelessly, much like how she was feeling. She wanted to smack the boy in the face for not listening to her, but also wanted to kiss the life out of him for caring. "Uh... that's new," Adrien pointed out the wings on her back which just fluttered slightly in response. "I don't know," she mumbled into the floor, and Adrien helped her to her feet. Once she pulled her hand away, her big blue eyes fell into his green eyes and the two of them blushed. Adrien mentally scolded himself. Stop. Blushing. Every. Time. You. See. Her. You like Marinette, she likes you! Knock it off you dingus! Also what is going on with Ladybug getting all these cool powers?! Lots of Lucky Charms and now she has wings! I'm jealous."Uh... thanks- for helping me up!" Ladybug exclaimed, hiding most of her face in her red spandex-covered hands."Y-Yeah, no problem! So um... we need to find Marina- Marinette," Adrien stuttered a little, pulling his gaze away from her, shyly.What's this Marinette got that I don't have? Aside of being dumbly jealous of his new crush on my civilian self, I should've confessed to him as Ladybug. But then Chat Noir... He's always so sweet to me and he's always there whenever I need him. I should talk to him."Marinette told us in the video that she doesn't need our help, Adrien. She's perfectly fine," Ladybug explained without looking at him.A strange, unknown sensation came over Adrien at Ladybug's words. He recognized the frustration, but there was another feeling that was different. It tightened in his chest, causing his fists to clench together as his heart beat with a stronger, yet... warmer feeling?"Ladybug, we need to find her. Regardless of what she said, there's still a chance that she's in... in danger!" He whispered the last part, not wanting Mrs. Cheng to worry.He wanted to protect her."Trust me, I know she's completely safe! She said so herself and I'm pretty sure she does not want to be found, so just leave... her... alone. Please," she tried to convince him. "Her mother and father miss her, her best friend cries about her more often than you'd know, and I- I miss her... We can't just leave her alone! You're a superhero, Ladybug! Please, help your partner and bring Marinette back," he whispered."Adrien! There's nothing we can do! We've looked everywhere, searched in every building and house in Paris. What else do you want us to do?! If I didn't see her before, I would think she doesn't even exist anymore!" Ladybug exploded in frustration, glaring at Adrien.With widened eyes and a mouth hanging agape, he was taken aback by her sudden outburst. Adrien nervously looked back to see if Mrs. Cheng had heard her outburst, but she was still out of sight and probably out of hearing range. "Look, Adrien. I- I didn't mean to be so harsh or loud... I'm sorry. I just don't think there's anything more I can do for Marinette. Please, just move on. She's gone now and we can't change that," Ladybug softened her gaze and tone, touching his shoulder gently.If it were before he realized he loved Marinette, he'd be blushing at the contact with Ladybug, but all he could do was look at the ground. He knew it was childish to not face facts, but he just felt as if he moved on, he'd be completely throwing away Marinette's heart."I... understand, Ladybug. Thank you for.." he gulped, "-for getting that across. I'm just worried.""I'm really sorry, Adrien. I'd do something if I could, I promise with all my heart I would, but it's out of my hands now. Marinette- she's probably... not ever coming back," she swallowed a lump that formed in her throat, "But she told you and everyone else that she- she was okay. So don't worry about her... She's a tough girl."Ladybug tried to do her best to reassure him, but he only looked away guiltily. Why was he so guilty? He had nothing to do with Marinette's disappearance, and she was the one who confessed her love for him. It probably only made him feel worse that he couldn't tell her face-to-face that he only thought of her as a friend, Ladybug thought, but at least he cared. "She- Marinette told me something... I wish I would've known. I truly wish I could've been with her, but it's too late. I don't know how to let her know that I- I," Adrien bit his lip as he tried to hold his emotions at bay, unable to continue in fear that he'd break down in front of the heroine. Ladybug resisted the immediate urge to pull him into a hug and tell him that she was her, and she was right beside him. She couldn't endanger him like that. She couldn't reveal her identity. As much as she wanted to hug him, she realized it might've been weird for a random superhero to hug a civilian just because they were having a bad day. He might think she was weird."I'm sorry, Adrien... I really am. Maybe it's..." she swallowed from her dry throat, knowing how hard this was going to be to say. He actually loved her, but it wasn't best for him to love someone who probably wasn't coming back. It would only break his heart to love a girl who no longer existed, if he even loved her. Maybe he just felt guilty for not talking to her enough, or he just missed her as a friend and mistakened it for falling in love? "Maybe it's time you move on," she spoke coldly, unable to meet his eye contact. Adrien looked at her in disbelief, unknowing as to why she was being so harsh toward Marinette. "You don't even know her, Adrien. You only have memories of how she acted around you and... trust me. It'll only hurt you in the end, seeing as you probably won't even see her ever again," Ladybug added before getting up to walk away."You think I don't know her?" Adrien's words stopped her in her tracks, causing her to look at him challengingly. How could he know her when she was always so nervous around him? All he saw was the nervous, shy, clumsy side of her. "Marinette Dupain-Cheng is a bright, caring, kindhearted girl with the biggest passion for fashion-designing. She always looks out for others, and if I had a choice, I'd say that she deserves to be a superhero. When has Marinette ever put herself before someone else? Even in akuma attacks, she helps her classmates escape. According to Alya, she's too busy helping people, that she always ends up being affected by the akumatized. She's selfless, giving, and always there to be a friend to anyone who needs it. I know her more than you think, Ladybug," he looked at her, his green eyes piercing through her now-widened blue eyes, leaving her completely dumbfounded. Did he really think so highly of her? "I know she's gone now, but she's not dead. If there's even the slightest chance she return, I won't give up on her. She's worth waiting for," he softened at his last words. Ladybug gaped, unable to speak. How could she reply to such a thing? And why? How did he think those things about her? Did he ever not see her around him? "If I had the chance to see her again, I'd take it let her know what I really felt about her. I'd tell her that I think she's amazing.""Well, she's dead!" A random fan of Adrien's yelled from across the bakery. Ladybug scowled and shook her head. Before leaving the bakery, she took a moment and touched Adrien's shoulder and searched his eyes for the truth. She had seen it. He really was in love with the girl underneath.
----- CHAPTER BREAK -----
Chloe was rested over her bed, but held her head up and had her legs crossed. She watched the news out of pure boredom and was just waiting for her friend to come back.It hadn't been long before Ladybug opened the door and dragged herself in. How could she be so selfish, she wondered about herself. Even though she had no control over her costume situation, she felt as if she were responsible for it somehow. There was a small part of her that was happy to not be Marinette, but it made her feel guilty. "Ladybug!" Chloe rushed up out of her bed to talk to her, "Let's go do something fun! I'm bored. Get your Bridgette costume on and let's get going! You know it's Halloween tomorrow, right? We should get costumes!" "I'll be Ladybug for Halloween," she grumbled, going to the corner to get her disguise on fully. Or Marinette, she thought to herself wistfully. "You're already Ladybug! How about if you're Bridgette in a cat costume? Maybe you could cover your mask, but keep your hair uncovered by the wig," Chloe suggested, causing Ladybug to cringe.She wasn't going to look like Ladybug or Bridgette of she did that, but she'd have the face of who she used to be as a civilian, and people might recognize her as Marinette. She had to think of something else with a little more safety. "How about I'm Bridgette with a cat costume and the normal wig I usually wear?" Ladybug compromised, not wanting to reveal her identity to Chloe or anyone who saw her without a mask, "And besides, you know that would just reveal my identity. Me without a mask?" She started applying her makeup to get into her Bridgette disguise.Chloe slumped and sighed in defeat. "You're probably right," she admitted, "But maybe a different wig?""What's wrong with this one?" Ladybug asked, slipping it over her wig cap before pulling a red dress. She put black leggings under the dress. The spandex gloves to cover her hands, she pulled a denim jacket over her arms."It's Halloween! You should go all out," Chloe told her, "Like I'm going to be Ladybug! I bet no one will know it's not you. I'm totally wearing a wig too."Ladybug giggled a little, and thought of Chloe's face in her suit along with her dark hair."I want to look like Bridgette, not like a different person! Besides, what if someone pulls the different wig off to reveal my real hair as a joke?" The heroine brought up, slipping into a pair of black boots."Put your brown wig under the other wig," Chloe joked, receiving a deadpan glare from the girl who'd just finished recreating her third identity. "Why would I wear two wigs? I already can't stand wearing one," Ladybug grumbled, crossing her arms."I was joking! You're awfully grumpy today," Chloe remarked, rolling her eyes.Well, excuse me, Ladybug thought, it just so happens that my crush has fallen in love with the girl I could probably never be again."Ugh... How about if Bridgette wears Ladybug?" She suggested to Chloe."As awesome as that cosplay would look, I'm afraid I'm already going to be Ladybug. And the real Ladybug's costume would make mine look trashy in comparison, so no."The heroine laughed and rolled her eyes. "I'd actually rather wear anything but this dumb suit at this point.""Then why not detransform?" Chloe asked curiously, "I mean, it's not like there's been a whole lot of akuma attacks, and I wouldn't tell a soul about your identity!""This is a super dangerous thing I've got going here, and apparently I have to stay available in case of an akuma attack," Ladybug lied, shifting her coiled wings under her denim jacket. It moved the material a little, and Chloe cringed."So how do you put away the wings? Isn't it a little... um, what do I call it? Wonky!" The blonde said."That's a light way of putting it. Anyways, I'm not exactly sure how to put them away. I'll just have to control them for the time being or wear a heavier jacket," Ladybug rested the long light brown locks of her wig's hair on her back. "Whatever, let's get going. Bridgette needs a Halloween costume and so do I," Chloe grabbed her own purse and forcefully dragged the girl out of the hotel room.Surprisingly to Ladybug, Chloe had them walk there instead of bothering her limo driver to take them there. The heroine was tempted to use her yoyo that she kept in her own purse, hidden with the disguise. Something tempted her to just get off the ground. It was like an instinct, a craving. Even if it meant using her wings.Chloe continued to talk about something, but she didn't hear her words. Her craving was getting stronger and stronger.She just wanted to fly through the wind, feel her wings spread out and stretch her limbs out freely. Ladybug felt suddenly constrained by all the clothing that covered her spandex suit. She wanted to feel free.Her shoulders instinctively shot back, attempting her flight, but her dress and denim jacket imprisoned her. Her heart beat quickly and her teeth grit in frustration. She shot her shoulders forward, them back, forward and back. She released a hiss in a beetle-like manner. "And like the party was so lame. Like why would anyone even think of playing bingo at a sweet sixteenth party?" Chloe complained, and Ladybug gulped in realization of what she had been doing the whole time."Haha... I know, right?" Ladybug laughed nervously, quickly searching over the blonde's expression for any indication that let her know that she had seen or heard anything she had been doing. Like a scan, she detected nothing.What the heck was I doing?!Ladybug gripped at her hot jacket, still wanting to tear off the disguise to free herself of the burdening clothing that covered her suit. "What are you doing?" Chloe finally asked, seeing as the heroine was suddenly went from a grumpy to panicky mood. "Me? What? I totally didn't do anything! Why, what did you see?!" She asked, falling back defensively. A heat warmed a small portion of her head under the wig cap."Nothing, you just seem really jumpy," Chloe pointed out, raising an eyebrow. ‘I don't even understand what is going on. Why am I feeling so defensive and flighty? I just really feel like flying! Also I thought only cats hissed. I wonder if Chat has any cat-like tendencies,’ Ladybug thought to herself. "Sorry, I'm just really on edge about the mission. It's been a while since everything was normal," Ladybug lied through her teeth, plucking at the jacket in disgust. "Oh, hello Chloe! Hello Bridgette!" Adrien waved with a polite smile as he passed by."Adrien!" Ladybug jumped, totally not expecting to see him so soon after learning about his feelings for Marinette. Her wings budged under her jacket, wanting to break free."Hello Adrikinz!" Chloe hugged him. He laughed lightly and waved again before walking off. "I'll see you girls tomorrow!" He said, looking straight into the green contacts that Bridgette wore. "Bye..." Ladybug smiled, sighing softly. She was now unbothered by Chloe's smothering of Adrien. ‘I know his heart belongs to me truly... Or at least Marinette. Why can't he just fall in love with Ladybug and make this easier?’Still, she was overjoyed to have his affections. With her newfound calm, the muscles of her wings begun to relax. Once he completely left, Ladybug let out another sigh of content. "You seem awfully less jumpy. I swear my Adrikinz should be a therapist," Chloe remarked, unknowing of the Marinette and Adrien love situation."He's amazing..." she sighed, receiving a confused look from Chloe, "At being a therapist!"Once they got to the Halloween store, the girls walked over to the teen costume section."Is that me and Chat Noir as a couples costume?!" Ladybug squeaked, pointing at the words: ‘Ladybug and Chat Noir- Couples CostumeDress up with your special someone and save the day like Paris's heroes!’"Aren't you and Chat dating?" Chloe asked, causing a major cringe to appear on Ladybug as she felt her face pale."No!" Ladybug hissed, thinking of Adrien and how she and he would already be a couple if it weren't for the constricting mask."As lovely as this little lady is, I only reserve my feelings for my one and only purrincess," a familiar voice came from behind Ladybug, who was dressed as Bridgette.Ladybug spun around and faced Chat Noir. "Chat Noir?! How long have you been here?!" "Well Bridgette, I was hanging around town as a civilian when I decided to transform and surprise random couples who wanted to dress up as my lady and I," Chat Noir grinned, causing her to groan."And when exactly has Ladybug been your 'purrincess?'" Bridgette rolled her eyes. A blush formed on his face when he realized he had been referring to Marinette in his hero form. "I- uh was actually talking about... Marinette," he mumbled in a cough.A redness entirely entrenched Bridgette's face, even showing through the heavy concealer that coated her mask and freckles. "YOU HAVE FEELINGS FOR MARI-TRASH?! WHAT'S WRONG WITH LADYBUG?!" Chloe exclaimed very loudly, attracting a lot more attention than Ladybug would have liked."Uh... I-I don't think there's anything wrong with Ladybug! It's just- I... never mind. I should get going. Duty calls," he laughed nervously."Chat!" Bridgette called after him, reaching her arm out as he quickly walked out of the store. She turned back to Chloe with a sigh."I think you might've scared him," she told the blonde, hiding her red face under her hands. "What the heck is going on? Why is everyone so attracted to Marinette?! First Nino, then Nathaniel, then- of course it had to be Adrien, and now Chat Noir?! Sheesh," Chloe grumbled to Ladybug, looking back to the costumes. She grumpily asked, "Are you sure you're not attracted to Marinette?" "No! I swear, I have no attraction towards Marinette!" Ladybug laughed shaking off the strange idea of having a crush on herself, or at least her old self."Everyone else seems to," Chloe pointed out in a joking manner."Isn’t that considered narcissism?" Ladybug asked, but then the dawning realization of what she had just said set in on both girls."I MEAN LIKE I- NO I AM NOT-" Ladybug laughed really nervously, unable to think. Did she just tell her civilian enemy that it would be considered self-absorbed to have a crush on herself?!‘Think fast! You could say that it was completely out of context and that you don't like yourself anyways! Or that you were referring to Marinette having a crush on herself!’"What I meant... was," Ladybug tried to calmly state to the very bewildered blonde, "that not that I'm Marinette! I meant Marinette can't have a crush on herself, obviously. Or maybe she does because she's self-absorbed?"Chloe narrowed her eyes at her before looking around to see that there was no one nearby. "Then why did you freak out so much after saying that?" She asked, crossing her arms with a glare."Because I..." Ladybug tried to think quickly, "I thought it was weird that- I could even come close to that strange of a suggestion to even be... Marinette?" Chloe sighed, not of relief, but of annoyance. "I swear I'm not Marinette!" She hissed quietly.She didn't reply, but grabbed a bee costume in her own size, then a cat costume for Bridgette before walking to the register. ‘This is really really bad! What is Chloe going to do?! It wasn't Adrien who found out, or even Alya, but CHLOE BOURGEOIS?! I'm in deep! What if she tells everyone and puts them in danger?!’Ladybug bit her lip and stared down at the floor, unable to figure out what to do next. Would Chloe expose her identity? If she did, and Hawkmoth found out, he might use the people she cared about as bait to get her miraculous. She couldn't risk their lives: Adrien, Alya, her friends, or her family. It would break her heart to see them in a dangerous position because of her. She'd have to fight Hawkmoth, and if that didn't even work, she'd have to give herself up. Ladybug wasn't even able to give her earrings up, but she'd have to give her own self and will up to save her family and friends if it came down to that. "I'm not Marinette!" She insisted to the blonde who led them out of the store sternly, much like a frustrated mother who was done with their child's tantrums."Right, and I'm not the daughter of the mayor of Paris!" Chloe whispered, finally replying to the anxious superhero, "We'll talk more once we get back to my room."Chloe's maturity surprised Marinette, remembering how she compromised the safety of many others during previous akuma attacks. Especially when she and Chat Noir fought Roger-Cop, and Chloe cheered them on when they were planning to ambush the villain, ruining their plans. Once the door of Chloe's room shut, the girls burst into questions and began talking over one another, to where they couldn't even hear themselves."Okay, I have questions for you!!" Chloe finally announced loudly, causing Ladybug to shut her mouth."And what are they?" She asked."What are you doing here?! I mean, if you wanted to go undercover to watch the akumas or whatever, why couldn't you just be Marinette?! Why Bridgette? You already go to the same school, you already live in the area, you already aren't suspected as Ladybug! I don't understand!" Chloe asked angrily, waving her arms around as she explained her confusion.Ladybug yanked off her Bridgette clothing, then wiped away her makeup. "If it were that easy, I would do that. There's something I haven't told anyone," she sighed, taking off the brown wig to reveal her hair.Chloe gasped a little, staring at her hair."The truth is that I- I can't get out of this costume. I can't be myself anymore. No matter how many times I say 'spots off' or 'detransform me,' I can't take this off. The mask is stuck to me, the costume won't come off, and now the earrings aren't even earrings anymore!" Ladybug confessed."Right, that's just too bad. Now onto a bigger thing- have you seen your hair?!" Chloe asked, spinning her around to face the mirror.Ladybug gasped, looking to see that the tips of her bangs were now red. "What is that?! Why is my hair changing?!" She asked, holding her hands over it before falling onto the bed with a whimper."Everything is changing about me! I mean, I felt my head heating a little earlier after I had the weird impulse to start flying, but I didn't think it was changing my hair color. Speaking of which, I really wanted to fly earlier and that had never happened to me before!" Ladybug complained."But more importantly, you know my identity now. I need to know, can I trust you?""Marinette, I- you're Ladybug! You've saved me more times than I can count! Why in the world would I betray you?" Chloe asked, almost offended by her lack of trust."I really need you to keep this to yourself. Please don't tell a soul. This could put people in danger, including yourself.""I won't tell anyone! Just, I mean if you're Bridgette, why can't you just masquerade as Marinette? Wouldn't that be easier than having to become an entirely different person?" Chloe questioned, watching as Ladybug's wings began to move slowly."The stakes are too high. If people find out Bridgette is Ladybug, there's no risk of putting people in danger. If people find out Marinette is Ladybug, just by a slight misstep or having the makeup fade, that could put everyone I care about in danger," Ladybug told her."But, have you not seen how much everyone misses you? They're having search parties! Aren't you just leading them on if you help them in the search?" Chloe took her costume from the bag to look at."That's why I was trying to send all those messages that I was okay! I tried to convince everyone to stop the search parties. I tried to send a video of me with makeup on, to be Marinette, and tell them as seriously as possible that I was fine," the heroine explained."They're never going to give up on you. They love you, and you mean a lot to your family and friends. You saw how devastated Adrien was when he realized you went missing, especially after you conducted a search party when he went missing that one time," Chloe spoke, almost coldly."What should I do? If I could detransform, I would. I can't get these things off of me. They look like spotted tattoos on my ears now. They don't even look like earrings anymore and I don't know what to do! You've seen how the mask is a part of my face now, not even lifting in the slightest. I want to tell Chat Noir, but I-" Ladybug rambled, becoming upset. Those annoying tears pricked up at her eyes, and she wiped them away as she sniffled. She didn't want to cry. She wasn't going to get emotional over this. "Why can't you tell Chat? He cares about you, and he can help you find an answer before any of this gets worse. You should do it soon, Marinette. You don't know if this could become permanent. I don't want to scare you, but you're changing a lot. You've grown wings, more powers, and your hair is physically turning red. You even said you wanted to fly," Chloe tried to advise, watching as Ladybug wiped away at the incoming tears."I don't want him to discover my identity! I don't even think he really likes my civilian self! He doesn't even know me! He's creating an ideal, imaginary Marinette from the idea of me being missing. The cat has only spoken to me in civilian form like four times, and they weren't even conversations over five minutes!" Ladybug cried out, getting frustrated."Go talk to him!!" Chloe basically shoved her towards the balcony."But I-" Ladybug protested, pointing at her hair."Go!" Chloe motioned to the open door of her balcony.The girl huffed and grabbed her yoyo for a safety net. She used her wings to lift her from her feet into the air. Barely angling her shoulders back, she was gently flying toward the open air, above a grand height from the ground. She held her breath nervously at being so high up without the safety of a string that would usually pull her securely into the location she intended to go. She opened her yoyo and phoned her partner. After a few seconds of inactivity, his face popped up in her screen. "Greetings, my lady! What's the situation?" He asked, only being able to see her chin from the angle she held her yoyo in. He could see that her teeth were gritting slightly, so she seemed distressed."Meet me at the top of the Eiffel Tower. I need to talk to you," she told him, covering the camera with her hands as she pushed forward to fly a little faster. "Is- everything okay? Are you okay?" Chat Noir asked, growing concerned for her lack of details. She was using a tone more serious than he was used to, and it was worrisome."I'll explain everything once we get there," she said, then hung up the call. She avoided looking up at the bangs that were now red.Ladybug held the shut yoyo to her chest, biting her lip and squeezing her eyes shut tightly. She wanted to believe all this drama was just a dream, and she could wake up to her normal life, be with her parents, hang out with her friends, and escape the constant guilt she felt for worrying them. It was like a tangling knot in her stomach that would only grow and grow with every interaction.Hunching her shoulders forward unintentionally, she accidentally began to fly backwards. She let out a screech and struggled to straighten out her posture to fix her direction. Her mind was scattered, and her breathing picked up in a unsteady pace. Finally she used her yoyo to latch around a street lamp somewhere below her, then let the string yank her back to safety. She released her muscle tension, allowing her body to be dragged by the force of the string. "Ladybug, is everything okay?" One of Paris's civilians asked the heroine who was breathing unsteadily and latching on her yoyo as she was lowered to the ground."Y-Yes, I'm okay. Thank y-you for asking," she shakily admitted a response, forcing a smile onto her face to prove her reply. The civilian smiled warmly back at her as they walked past her. ‘How is it that I wanted to fly so badly, but I just can't do it?! I could fly on my yoyo, but my wings are so out of control! What am I going to tell Chat Noir? How do I explain all my things? I haven't even told him about my situation, and if I do, he might figure out that I've been Marinette all along. He would get so mad at me for lying this entire time and not trusting him. He would get so mad that I've been fooling everyone by disguising myself and watching as everyone worried about me. It would be so disappointing...’Ladybug unhooked her yoyo and walked the rest of the distance to the Eiffel Tower. She hesitantly held her yoyo, letting her wings fall behind her. Ladybug's head hung once she stood in front of her destination. She shuddered before throwing the yoyo to wrap around a bar halfway up the tower, then let its force pull her there. Ladybug grabbed the bar where the yoyo ended, then threw it up again to let it latch on the upper bar that kept civilians from falling over the distance. She followed it, then climbed over the bar, letting her feet hit the stable flooring of the tower's balcony viewing. She unhooked her yoyo for the second time, allowing it to cool back into the shell of its ladybug-patterned case. The heroine pushed her bangs back with shaky fingers, not wanting to look at the red color it had become without her consent. It wasn't that she hated her hair being red, but the fact that it was changing itself that scared her. It would've impressed her if she were able to revert her transformation, but she wasn't sure what was becoming permanent or not. She rested her elbows on the bars of the fence that encased the civilians, preventing them from falling off the tower. She hung her head and stared down at where she had just come from, letting her tears roll down her cheeks. It was peaceful to have the silence of the height from the city comfort her worries for a little. The silence couldn't judge her for crying over such silly things. Ladybug allowed her sobs to fall out from her throat quietly, letting her face crumple into a cringe. Her teeth grit together, and the hot tears spilled from her eyes, dribbling off her chin and down the Tower, like rain to the streets of Paris. She felt like a dreary gray cloud, letting the water fall from her blue eyes and on the streets. For a few moments, she let her emotions escape her. She missed her parents.She missed her best friend.She missed Tikki.She missed her classmates.She missed... herself.She wanted to feel normal again, to have the people she loved so accessible as they had been once before to her. "La-adybug?" A familiar voice came from behind her. She spun around to see Chat Noir once again that day. “Oh hey, Kitty," she whispered, wiping her tears away quickly as she turned away from him before he could notice."What's going on? I'm your partner, Ladybug. I'm always here for you. You know you can always tell me what's going on, right?" Chat Noir's heart shattered at the sight of her crying. It hurt him to see his partner, who he cared so deeply about, hurting. If this was about someone who broke her heart, they’d be sorry.Ladybug forced a smile, which at this point looked more like an upturned cringe. She wiped at her tears, and let out a noise that sounded like a short laugh, but it didn't sound light and airy as it would've been before. "I- um... I- I haven't- there's so-something I haven't.... b-been-" she tried to speak, but she cut herself off, hearing as she sounded like she was going burst into tears again if she tried to say another word."There's something you haven't told me?" Chat Noir echoed gently, sounding more like a question and nothing like an accusation. She nodded her head, squeezing her eyes shut in shame. "It can't be that bad. Can it, Bugaboo?" He asked resting his clawed hand on her shoulder, ensuring his sharp claws wouldn't pierce through her suit. His green eyes flickered to meet her eyes, but they wouldn't open. "Is this about your hair?" He asked, gently running his fingers through her red bangs, "It’s lookin’ purr-fect, if that's what you're worried about."Her watery eyes opened and her blue eyes rolled at his pun as a small smile came to her lips, sniffling quietly. A smile came to Chat Noir when he saw he got her to chuckle at the least."That's... um, part of it. I- I have to tell you-" she whimpered, her smile fading as well as his.Screams erupted from the city, and Ladybug shook off her emotions. "It's going to have to wait. We have to go!" She told Chat, rubbing at her red eyes."Alright, but right after, you can tell me everything if you're comfortable," Chat Noir promised, patting her shoulder.The two heroes jumped from the Eiffel Tower, trusting each other with their weapons to help catch the both of them. Chat Noir threw his extended staff into the Eiffel Tower, then Ladybug used her yoyo to latch onto it. She grabbed her partner, then swung the both of them into the scene.Their eyes followed the line of running civilians, trailing them to the silver, reflective girl, who had short, yet flowing hair that shone like silver. "Ladybug, Chat Noir. I see you two have joined the period of reflection," the silver girl's voice was distorted, pitch shifting between high and low. "What the heck do you do? Let people reflect on themselves and their decisions?" Chat Noir teased, laughing.He earned himself a glare from the akumatized girl, as well as Ladybug. "I am Evil Mirror! I show you and everyone else who you really are!"She shot Mylene's father with her eye contact, which shot a line of black toward him, turning him into the akumatized version of himself. He seemed bewildered and attempted to speak, but he couldn't. "Wait, is he aware that he's been turned into the akuma?" Ladybug asked."Yes, he knows that he has taken on the appearance of the villain. Now, he knows who he really is! Unless you've been akumatized, which Hawkmoth tells me you both haven't, you will be turned to your civilian selves!" Evil Mirror told them.Ladybug perked up, and she started to smile. She jumped in front of Chat Noir, waiting for her to hit her with the power. "Ladybug, what are you doing? She will reveal your identity!" Chat Noir warned her, pulling her behind him protectively."Hit me up! I dare you! Do it!" Ladybug started challenging the villain without thinking of the consequences.Alya was secretly filming from behind a tree and her mouth had dropped at what Ladybug was trying to do. Chat Noir took notice, and he couldn't let Ladybug expose her identity in front of the entire Paris. Not only would she put herself in danger, but she'd also lose her powers and not be able to cleanse the akuma to return the people Evil Mirror had already affected back to normal."Where do you think her akuma is?" Chat Noir asked her, hoping to get her to think straight."Hopefully somewhere hard to get. Hey Mirror Dork, hit me with your powers!" Ladybug tried to annoy her, which was effective in getting her to get shot at with the black line, but Chat pulled her out of the way protectively."Ladybug, seriously! Don't put yourself in danger!" he scolded gently, getting his staff ready to attack.‘This is my one chance I have at getting back to normal. I have to take it!’ Ladybug thought to herself that she could get returned to normal, but she wanted to do so privately. "Hey, follow me Evil Mirror!" Ladybug used her yoyo to yank herself away from Chat Noir and into a more secluded area. "What are you doing?!" He asked her, using his staff to try and catch up with her. It was becoming hard for him, but Evil Mirror was walking below her, looking at every civilian she passed by, only affecting those who were previously akumatized. An echo of screams warned others to stay away from the area. People cried and screamed, trying to get away from the crowds of those who had been akumatized once before. Kids would cry at their parent's evil appearances, friends would dash away from one another at the villains they faced, and strangers would scream at the monsters they thought roamed the streets. People would cry at their own monstrous appearances and powers, unable to control their evil powers.Alya gasped at the black suit that covered her from head-to-toe. "What the heck is going on? What did you do to me?" She asked the villain."Now you know who you are! You can see the evil within you!" Evil Mirror laughed."Ladybug, we have to de-evilize this akuma! She's causing chaos!" Chat Noir told Ladybug, watching as she tried to follow the akuma. "You don't understand, Chat! I have to do this. I need to do it," she told him."Wait... are you saying you want to reveal your identity? I promise I'd never tell anyone who you are, but we have to at least keep it more private than the city's knowledge of our identities.""I- I... you'll understand when I'm done!" She told him."I cannot just let you lose your powers. You're going to let the villain win and let Hawkmoth take your Miraculous?" Chat Noir asked her, causing her to stop."I don't... know.. what else to do, Chat. It won't end. It doesn't stop. I can't do it," she whispered, becoming very serious. She leaned toward the edge of the roof she stood upon, ready to jump on over to the next rooftop."What doesn't end?" He asked, almost fearful of her response. "This transformation. I can't undo it. I'm... masked permanently."
----- CHAPTER BREAK -----
Ladybug rubbed her eyes, clearing her blurring, waking vision. She sat up slowly, attempting to look around the blurry, bright and colorful world around her. "Need any help?" A seemingly pale arm was extended out to her, and the voice sounded very familiar. Ladybug couldn't quite put her finger on who's voice she was hearing. Her vision was still blurry, but she somehow felt that she trusted this person. Ladybug reached her suit-covered hands out to grab the pale one, who helped pull her to her feet. She stood face-to-face with the blurry figure in front of her. Ladybug could tell from her feminine figure and voice that this unknown figure was a girl. Her hair seemed wavy and dark."Where am I?" Ladybug's own voice echoed out into the color-bursting world around her."You are safe, Ladybug. I can assure you of that, but what I can't say is that you're close to me anymore. We're growing further apart with each new second that comes with your powers," the feminine voice replied to her, and finally her vision was beginning to clear up."M-Marinette?" Ladybug almost fell back, gasping at the sight of her own familiar face, completely unmasked but not in a reflection."Wait Ladybug, don't be afraid! I'm really Marinette," Marinette put a hand on Ladybug's shoulder comfortingly."B-But... That's impossible! I'm Marinette. How are you- who are you? What's going on?" Ladybug began to panic, seeing as she was really looking into the blue eyes of who she used to be."Hey, calm down first. I know you're looking for an explanation, and I do have one. You're really Ladybug, and I'm slowly falling away from you. Our bond is falling apart and- I actually was hoping you'd know how to solve this," her civilian form said with uncertainty."But I am Ladybug, and I am Marinette. I was Marinette before I was Ladybug. Aren't I both?!" Ladybug's voice began to raise, causing her civilian form's face to sadden.As much as she didn't want to believe that Marinette was right in front of her, she could feel it. It was a feeling she couldn't describe, but a sense as well. There was a warming presence that faded only when Marinette turned away or stepped further from herself. It was somehow... colder and more empty without her form close."You know I'm Marinette... Look, I'm still within you, but I'm falling away. I don't know why, but I'm being pulled further and further from... this place. Please, I know I can't- you can't reveal your identity to Chat Noir, but please talk to his kwami. Ask him if he could hide while his kwami comes out. He may have more answers than I could provide," Marinette told Ladybug."How- I just don't know how all this is happening! If I'm Ladybug, then how do I have all your memories and personality and-" The heroine rambled, feeling emotional.To her surprise, she was hugged by her own self. The warmth returned to her, and Ladybug buried her face in the shoulder of Marinette. "We're a soul. Souls don't always carry memories or personalities, but I think we're splitting. I can't get back to our main host," she explained after pulling away, causing Ladybug to shiver slightly at the emptiness.Marinette's eyes fell over Ladybug and observed the newer physical changes. "Oh... Do you see everything I do... or are you just trapped here?" Ladybug asked her, shifting sadly."I'm actually not completely sure, but I don't think I know what's going on with yo-our life. Most of the time, it feels like a coma-like sleep, where I'll see some parts of my old life come back to me, and I basically relive it. The rest of the time, I'm trying to resist the pulling away, but it just feels like I'm slipping away," Marinette explained, looking down with the same kind of sadness."I know one thing that will make you- or me try to hang on!" Ladybug pointed out with a smile, trying to push away the terrifying uncertain feeling that surrounded the both of them. Marinette glanced up, tilting her head curiously."I confessed to Adrien and told him how you feel," Ladybug admitted, watching her mouth drop. Marinette's face suddenly fell under a red blush and she squealed."You did what??!" Marinette shrieked, falling flat on her butt as if she would've done normally."I confessed. He knows that we- I, you like him. Guess what?" "What did he say?! Ladybug, why?!" Marinette cried out, gently shaking her shoulders before falling to her knees dramatically."I wish I could replay it to you," Ladybug laughed, thinking of how she'd tell herself, then she thought of something.What if she fixed everything? Would this Marinette have all the memories she'd experienced, or would Ladybug lose it when they became one? What if they forgot this moment?"I can hear your thinking," Marinette chuckled, but it wasn't genuine. It was more like an agreeably upset chuckle that she forced upon herself, "I'm scared too, Ladybug. I've been all alone, only being able to feel human again by reliving my own memories from before getting the Miraculous. Sadly, none of those included Adrien."The girl pouted as she thought about her green-eyed blond crush. "Well... just in case I can't bring you back," Ladybug felt her voice stiffen at the idea, watching Marinette's eyes fall downcast, "Do you want me to tell you what Adrien said about you? What Chat Noir also said about you?""Chat Noir? He said something about... me? My civilian self?" Marinette asked, and Ladybug nodded in confirmation."I mean if I have to- die or... something and my soul has to leave, I think I'd want to carry that kind of thing with me." Ladybug froze as the memory began to play around them, from her perspective. Marinette watched in amazement at this new memory. ‘You don't even know her, Adrien. You only have memories of how she acted around you and... trust me. It'll only hurt you in the end, seeing as you probably won't even see her ever again,’ the memory played of Ladybug talking to Adrien. Ladybug cringed at her own voice, but Marinette didn't do the same. Instead, she watched intently from her alter ego's point of view. ‘You think I don't know her?’ Adrien's voice came across as challenging, and slightly irked by the disbelief. Marinette felt her heart flutter slightly. “You know, Ladybug... You weren't wrong. I... I don't even think he does really know me. All he's seen me do is trip up and act like a buffoon," Marinette admitted, to her own discontent, "You're the one everyone loves.""Please, continue watching. You'd be surprised," Ladybug turned her attention back when Adrien's voice came falling through the air around them. ‘Marinette Dupain-Cheng is a bright, caring, kindhearted girl with the biggest passion for fashion-designing. She always looks out for others, and if I had a choice, I'd say that she deserves to be a superhero. When has Marinette ever put herself before someone else? Even in akuma attacks, she helps her classmates escape. According to Alya, she's too busy helping people, that she always ends up being affected by the akumatized. She's selfless, giving, and always there to be a friend to anyone who needs it. I know her more than you think, Ladybug.’ “He knows you, Marinette." Marinette's blue eyes were focused on Adrien's piercing green eyes that seemed to stare right at her. Once his gaze fell, she felt her heart fall. Her own breath hitched, and she felt an overwhelming desire to... just hug the boy.She felt so distanced from him, and he was confessing his love to her, in front of Ladybug! She watched as he lifted his gaze lifted back to meet her eye contact from the memory. ‘I know she's gone now, but she's not dead. If there's even the slightest chance she return, I won't give up on her. She's worth waiting for.’ Adrien's words came out more softly, and it was obvious that he was telling the truth. To Marinette's dismay, the memory cut off there, only leaving the bright, empty space around them. "He loves you," Ladybug faintly spoke, looking away. How was it that she was separate from Marinette? How could this be? She thought it was jealousy, but she didn't recognize the fear. Was she not even Marinette anymore? Was she not even the daughter of her parents? She wasn't Alya's best friend, but Chat Noir's partner. That's all she was, and Chloe didn't realize it.“Ladybug," Marinette spoke sympathetically, watching as the heroine wrapped her arms around herself, wanting to curl inward on herself. "I know what you're thinking, and it's not true. I mean, we are the same person... but not. It's just- we're separating now. We've always been one, but something is pulling us apart. Please, talk to Chat Noir's kwami," she begged, pulling the upset part of herself into her hug once again."I don't exist. Has everything been a part of my imagination? A false part of my memory?" Ladybug questioned, feeling vulnerably weak.She wanted to cry, she wanted nothing more than to just wake up without the mask from this dream, and to have all parts of herself together once again. Ladybug exhaustedly collapsed on the shoulder of her civilian self, unable to take the weight of anymore emotion."We were one. Look, I bet a kwami can explain this better than I can. Ask Chat Noir to speak to him. We can get some answers," Marinette promised her, "This won't be a goodbye. Good luck, Ladybug! Also, let Adrien know I- um... I'm okay in here. Let my parents know, but don't let anyone know exactly where. Kwamis are exceptions."Ladybug nodded stiffly before releasing her from the hug. Before she knew it, her own blue eyes flew open to see the concerned face of her partner.“Ladybug! Oh my God, I thought you died!" Chat Noir hugged the crabby, groggily awakening heroine."I- What happened?" Ladybug groaned at the pain that now shot through her legs, rubbing at her eyes as she sat back up.“Well, battling Evil Mirror, and when I asked you why you wanted to get hit, you told me something didn't end. After I asked you why, you said something about being permanently masked, then one of Evil Mirror's victims were abusing their powers in confusion and accidently knocked you off the roof you were standing on," he explained, a pouty expression forming.It was obvious he was really really worried, and all she left him with was the short response of being masked permanently. "Look, I- I just..." Ladybug struggled to word everything correctly, but her weird dream came to mind. I met... myself? Or at least the civilian part of myself. That was the strangest dream. Was it even a dream or was it a warning? Maybe it was a hallucination."I need to talk to your kwami." Chat Noir's worry turned to confusion. "My kwami? Why?" He asked, wondering how he would introduce his lazy kwami.“I need to chat with him," she replied without thinking. A smirk overcame her partner, and suddenly she didn't feel so bad about "dying" in front of him. He waggled his eyebrows, earning a groan from his unfortunate partner."Puns, my lady? I didn't knew they were your style." Ladybug rolled her eyes and said, "Let's beat Evil Mirror, then you could go hide somewhere, detransform, then let your kwami come out to speak to me."Chat Noir replied, "Sounds like a good plan. So, about beating Evil Mirror... We need to not get hit by her powers or else she could unmask us publicly. With that, could take our miraculouses, then Hawkmoth would get full power and we'd all be doomed for eternity.""Yeah, yeah. The usual plan: you distract, I grab the object. Just be careful, Chat," Ladybug instructed him, not wanting to risk his identity. "As always, bugaboo! What do you think is the akumatized object?" Her partner asked her."Maybe it's the... Oh, I don't know! Everything is silver! Do you have any ideas?" Ladybug searched with her eyes from the safe distance they peeked at the akuma from.She attempted to stand, but her legs pulsed in pain, "Oh my gosh! Did I fall on my legs or what?""Maybe it's her boots? And yes you did. Are you alright? Do you want me to retrieve the object for you? Is it too dangerous? Oh heck, it's too dangerous for you," Chat worried, picking her up."Don't pick me up! I'm fine!" Ladybug hissed, "My legs aren't broken! I just fell a few stories!" Chat Noir sent a deadpan glare to her, and she huffed, crossing her arms frustratedly."I don't want you getting hurt or revealed." "I'm fine! I swear!" Ladybug argued, wiggling out of her partner's grip to stand by herself. She winced at the ache, but bit her lip back to keep from making any noises to indicate she was in pain."Okay, okay. Just be really careful," Chat agreed, pulling his arms away."I will, Kitty," Ladybug giggled forcefully, ignoring the ache in her legs. Pain shot up through her legs, but she felt they weren't broken. There seemed to be no bones sticking out, but she could've crushed something in there when she hit the floor. She didn't remember hitting the floor, but she needed to figure everything out quickly so she could talk to Chat's kwami and get her transformation ordeal over with.With a quiet limp, she pulled out her yoyo and swung over to get closer to the akumatized victim. "Hey Reflekta-Wannabe, look over here! Evil Mirror? Who came up with that name? Hawkmoth is getting really lame when it comes to naming villains," Chat Noir rambled, earning the annoyed attention from Evil Mirror."Why are you heroes asking to get turned back?! You're going to make this way too easy for me!" She shot her powers toward him, and he jumped out of the way."Lucky Charm!" Ladybug quickly summoned her item, and received a red carpet with black spots. "Okay, seriously Tikki? A carpet? How can I get Evil Mirror's boot with a carpet?" She quietly whined.Obviously she knew her kwami wouldn't send her a useless object without a reason for it, so she'd have to come up with a plan quickly. Ladybug searched around with her eyes, envisioning possible scenerios in which she could grab the boot.“Have you been reflecting on your poor choices lately, Evil Mirror? Oh, have you seen any evil queens asking about the fairest in the land? It all so turns out that it's me," Chat Noir's distracting was irritating the villain.Ladybug couldn't think of anything else but to throw the carpet at her, grab the boot, then run. "Oh my goodness, do you ever shut up with your dumb puns and mirror jokes?! I don't even want to turn you into a villain because then you'd probably be cracking jokes about whatever you become!" Evil Mirror groaned.Suddenly, she was hit by the falling carpet, and in anger, she released the laser at whatever, but it hit the cat superhero. "Chat Noir!" Ladybug yelled out, but when he was shot, his suit turned white and his eyes were purple.Of course, Chat thought he turned back to normal, and he scattered away. A purple akuma mask appeared over Dark Mirror's face, and it seemed that Hawkmoth was likely reprimanding her for not taking the miraculous purely. Ladybug swung over to meet her partner quickly."Chat! It's okay!" She called out, hanging onto her yoyo string to avoid stepping on her sore legs."Wait... I didn't change back?" Chat asked her, looking down at his white suit in confusion."No! Thank goodness, I thought you were going to change back in front of everyone. You're just taking the appearance of Chat... Blanc instead of Chat Noir now!" Ladybug giggled, hugging him for a second before pulling away quickly.She was honestly thankful as well to finally have Chat uncorrupted by an akuma after getting hit.“Hey, I could grab the boot now! It's not like she could do anything else to me now. We just need you uncorrupted so we can purify the akuma. But did you seriously just throw the Lucky Charm at her?" Chat asked her, chuckling."You try doing something creative with a stinking carpet! But now, you could be my shield since her powers no longer affect you. I guess it was a good call," Ladybug smiled, earning a grin from her partner."I'd be honored to protect you, my lady. I am your knight in shining black armor. Er- I mean knight in shining white armor, which suddenly sounds way less cool," Chat's grin fell, and he pouted in disappointment."But you're my dork in shining white armor," Ladybug protested, releasing herself from the safely of the yoyo to let her feet on the ground,"Yee-owch. I mean meow.""I'm carrying you," Chat simply said."No," Ladybug rebelled, crossing her arms childishly.“Yes.""No.""Yes.""Nope."“Yep."“I'm fine!!!" She stomped her foot to make a point, but regretted it immediately as she fell over, whimpering."I can see that," Chat Blanc teased playfully, lending a hand for her.Ladybug finally surrendered and took his offer to be carried via piggyback. He leaned down, and she wrapped her arms around his shoulders, then slipped her legs carefully through Chat's arms, so the joints could rest on his elbows. He begun to walk out, and a laser was immediately shot toward Ladybug, but Chat quickly caught it before it would hit her by raising his hand. Chat put her down in a safe area, then ran over to grab her the object.“Why are you a villain? I thought you'd change back to your civilian form," Evil Mirror asked grumpily."My civilian form is not very evil, so I guess this is who I'd be as an akuma! Now, give me your boot," he demanded. To his surprise she handed it to him with no hesitation."You're just going to give it to me? Like that? No struggle? Wow, I wish all the akuma victims were like that," Chat bumbled, breaking it.However, no blackened butterfly flew out of it like it would normally. Nothing happened."Wrong object, cheese-brain," Evil Mirror replied insultingly, causing Chat to pull his fingers back sassily."At least I'm not a... a meanie!" He argued back, unable to think of insults.Ladybug growled and stood to her feet painfully. She used her yoyo to trap the victim in a coil of her string in an attempt at holding her still. She limped over and gently pushed the yoyo-trapped victim on the carpet. Ladybug rolled the carpet around the victim like a burrito, releasing her string from the duty of holding her hostage."Maybe it's the hair clip?" Ladybug looked at Chat questioningly."Yeah, go ahead and try it," he encouraged her with a smile. His partner gently unclipped the barrette from the victim's hair, broke it in half.Quickly, she purified the dark butterfly then returned her Lucky Charm carpet, helping soothe and completely eliminate the pain she felt in her legs and the damage done by the akuma. Chat's leather suit changed from white back to black, then all the people who'd taken the appearance of their their akumatized selves were changed back as well."Pound it!" The heroes fist-bumped each other to congratulate on a job well done. The victim's silver body and hair were changed back to her original state. She looked around in confusion, and Ladybug kneeled down to give her the barrette back. Tears immediately welled up in the victim's eyes."Hey, are you okay?" The heroine asked the girl."Y-Yeah... I'm so sorry. Was I turned into a villain?" She asked, looking down sadly.“It's totally fine! We're heroes. We'll always be here for you guys," Chat jumped in, seeing how upset the girl seemed.“Your hair clip is really cute by the way," Ladybug offered a smile, in which she received a small one back from the girl."Thank you," she laughed gently, rubbing her eyes quickly, "I'm sorry about being akumatized again. My twin sister just really got to me that time.""You'll be okay. Just tell her how you feel, and maybe talk to your parents if she doesn't listen," Ladybug advised, resting a hand on the teen's shoulder.After she thanked the heroes again and left, Ladybug dragged her partner to the bathroom and shoved him in there."M-My lady, what are you doing?" He asked from behind the doors."I need to talk to your kwami. Remember?" Ladybug asked, "And don't you dare come out till I'm done. We can't risk identities.""Yeah, yeah. Fine. Plagg, detransform me!" He dropped his transformation, and a green light shot out from under the door for a few seconds.“Cheese. Now," a higher-pitched voice demanded to his chosen."You need to talk to Ladybug, Plagg. I'm not sure why, but go talk to her. She's standing outside," Chat Noir's voice was muffled from behind the door.“I better get the entire wheel after this," Plagg sneered, then flew through the bathroom door to meet Ladybug.She gasped a little, seeing the little black ears of a cat on a small creature. "Aww, you're Chat's kwami! You're a cute one!" Ladybug cooed, letting the kwami land on her hand."Thank yooo-what in the name of Camembert happened to you?" Plagg's eyes shifted up to observe her new appearance."New powers, like flying and unlimited Lucky Charms. I honestly don't mind those, but I have a big problem at hand," she whispered, walking away from the door so her partner couldn't hear, "I can't detransform.""Ooh, superhero puberty! Looks like Ladybug hit it before Chat Noir," Plagg laughed, but then turned a little more serious.“How long has this been in effect?""Superhero puberty?! Is that a thing? I've been stuck like this for a few weeks now," she whisper-shouted."Ooh, that's pretty bad. You're that Bridgette and Marinette girl, aren't you?" Plagg snorted, whispering."I... am. Please don't tell anyone. Don't tell Chat," she begged, her eyes widening."I won't, but you should go see Master Fu. He might be able to help you with that whole thing," he assured her nonchalantly."Master Fu?" Ladybug repeated, unsure of who he was referring to."He's the old guy. The one who, you know, gave you the miraculous. Have you met him?" Plagg asked her.“Nuh-uh," she shook her head."Ad—Chat hasn't either," Plagg almost slipped up, but Ladybug didn't catch it."Look, I'll leave my chosen in the bathroom, then guide you to Master Fu, then come back for my chosen. Sound good?" Plagg asked, then received a nod from Ladybug in confirmation."Hey kid, I'll be back in like ten minutes. I've gotta bring your wife somewhere, then I'll be back for you," Plagg flew through the door to tell Adrien.“I told you, I like Marinette now," Adrien whispered, leaning against the wall."Sure. Toodles!" Plagg left him alone to sit in the terrible smelling public bathroom.He then led Ladybug to Master Fu's office. On the way, she had some questions."Is Tikki dead?""No.""Does your chosen go to a different school than mine?” "No.""So my school?""Yes."“My... class?" She asked meekly.Plagg looked at her exhaustedly. "Do you really want to know?""Probably not... What's a superhero puberty?""Master Fu will explain it.""Am I stuck like this forever?""Master Fu will explain it." Ladybug's wings shifted uncomfortably, as she was a little fearful.He didn't give her a straight-up answer, and that was a little scary. Maybe he didn't want to tell her that it was a permanent thing and deal with her panic. Finally, they made it to their destination."In there should be a short old man, and he will tell you everything. Good luck, Red," Plagg patted her head.She pressed her lips together for a tense second, then thanked the kwami. He flew away to meet his holder once again, leaving Ladybug to stand at the door, unsure of what answer she'd receive for the scariest situation in her life.Ladybug hesitated, then pushed the door open. She was ready to take on whatever explanation she'd get.
----- CHAPTER BREAK -----
Her hand clutched the doorknob, quickly pushing it closed in front of her. Did she really want to find the answer to whether or not her mask would come off eventually? Would it be possible to even have her old life back? According to Chat Noir's kwami, Master Fu could tell her, but her racing heart and shaky hands proved how much she feared the answer.Ladybug took a shaky breath and pulling it open once more. With each hesitating footstep, she felt more doubt. "Hello?" She peeked through the doorway of Master Fu's, to see him cleaning his station with an old wet rag."Ladybug. How are you?" The older man asked without turning around, recognizing her aura. He could sense her fear and tension with the powers bestowed upon him from the miraculous of his own. "I-I have a problem. I mean I'm fine! Not that there's anything wrong majorly, but I just have a problem. Chat Noir's kwami said you could help, but I'm-" Ladybug rambled until the short elderly man turned to face her with a gentle expression, placing down the small rag in a wooden bucket of water."Confused? Worried? I see your powers have upgraded," he continued. He carried his cane behind his back, then walked behind her, observing the pinkish-red tinted transparent wings that hung behind her. "I don't know if the kwami was joking when he said hero puberty or what, but would you know what's happening?" Ladybug asked him, watching as he walked back to his desk and opened a drawer."Leave it to Plagg to call the development 'superhero puberty.' He's quite a character," Master Fu rolled his eyes, barely chuckling."The development?" She echoed in confusion."You're developing and evolving to improve your abilities. Chances are that Hawkmoth is going to evolve soon as well as Chat Noir if he hasn’t already," the older man explained, causing Ladybug to freeze at the thought of her partner having to go through the strange process she was going through. For a moment, she realized the development was a lot like puberty."Why can't I change back?" Ladybug finally asked the question."It's sometimes part of the process. How long has this been an issue?" Master Fu asked, relieving her slightly. "I think it's been a few weeks now. Almost a month," Ladybug estimated, watching the calm expression of the master change into a frown. He pulled a binder from his drawer and dropped it on the table. Master Fu flipped through a few of the pages, allowing his green kwami to help him locate whatever section he was searching for. "Wayzz, Ladybug mentioned it's been weeks since she's been able to transform," he told his kwami quietly."Master, most of the chosen only have the development take place over a single week. This has taken multiple weeks?" Wayzz asked, sounding more concerned as his gaze went from the page to the older man. "Ladybug, you've tried the phrases 'Spots off' and 'Detransform me?'" Master Fu asked, raising his volume slightly to fit the girl's range of hearing."I keep trying, but the earrings won't even come off. They're like tattooed into my skin now or melted in," Ladybug explained to him, her heart sinking as she heard the kwami gasp in surprise at her revelation. The green kwami flew closer to evaluate her ears. "Do you mind?" Wayzz asked for permission from Ladybug to take a better look."No, go right ahead," she tucked her hair behind her ears to give a better view to the kwami. Wayzz sat on her shoulder and felt her earlobe with his small fin-like arms. She heard him let out a small hum of indecisiveness. "Master, they disappeared into her skin," Wayzz told Master Fu from her shoulder. "What does that mean?" Ladybug asked aloud. "There should be an explanation for that in this file," Fu said, "But that page is one of the missing ones.""Oh no... What should I do?" Ladybug asked, unconsciously pulling her hands to cover her mouth with a short groan following."Unfortunately, I do not have a direct answer or proper advice for you. However, your subconscious may reach out to contact you with some sort of explanation," Master Fu closed the large binder and slipped it back into the drawer. Ladybug realized what he meant by that. It had already happened to her! "Master Fu, I had a dream about meeting myself as Marinette. She told me we are separating and she's drifting from me. It's becoming harder for her to hang on," she explained, getting both the kwami and the master's attention."That's what she told you?" Wayzz asked, growing more concerned. "Yes. I think it was mentioned that our- or my soul is getting torn by something big. It's tearing that part of me away completely," Ladybug added."Oh my... The development should help combine your soul with the powers of the miraculous, not tear away your civilian self. This is all wrong," Fu paced nervously. "Do you think the development is defective in this Ladybug?" Wayzz asked, flying to his master. "There has to be something that's caused this change. I'm not positive what it is. Come in if you notice anything odd," the older man spoke. "I will. Does the process normally change your hair color?" Ladybug asked, pointing at her bangs."It happened once with a previous Ladybug, but she quickly stopped the process somehow before her hair color progressed anymore. She only had one streak of red hair, and it didn't change back after it was done. Her Chat Noir was very knowledgeable about the entire thing, but he didn't make it out of one battle. That Ladybug is still alive, but I am unable to contact her," Master Fu shook his head sadly."Oh... I- I can't imagine what it must've felt to lose her Chat Noir. I can't imagine losing mine. I wouldn't last. You see, I don't really mind the new hair, but I kind of just want to go back to normal, see my friends as myself and live my civilian life as well as my heroine life with balance. Is there anything I could possibly do to get back to normal?" Ladybug asked."For now, just do as you've been doing. Find a place to stay, continue fighting akumas, finish developing the rest of your powers, and we'll go from there. I can't... exactly promise we can change you back to the way you used to be, but I'll do my best to find you an explanation at the very least," the master advised.Ladybug swallowed the lump that had suddenly developed in her throat. "Thank you, Master Fu. I'll be sure to return if I find anything weird happening."Without another word, she walked out of the office and used the yoyo she trusted to bring her to the Eiffel Tower. It had always been her place of tranquility and inspiration. Maybe she could do something to change her outcome, something to change her back. Master Fu didn't provide the explanation she was searching for, but only added on to the anxiety and stress. However, she discovered she was dealing with something called the development. Only it was destroying the Marinette in her.
----- CHAPTER BREAK -----
Two weeks later...
Alya twirled the spaghetti around her fork, deep in thought. It had been two months since she last saw Marinette in person, and she was beginning to wonder what could've even happened to her. Of course, she left a video a few weeks ago, promising she wasn't dead or going to die, but it kept her wondering about what kind of situation Marinette was in. Was there something going on in her best friend's life that she didn't see when they hung out and went to school? Was there something Marinette kept from her that she didn't want her to know she was dealing with?Alya sighed, dropping the fork back on her plate for the eighth time that afternoon. "Why aren't you eating?" Etta, one of Alya's younger twin sisters asked her. "I am eating. It's just that... I'm thinking," Alya explained, shoving the fork-twirl of spaghetti in her mouth to prove a point. "You can think and eat, dear," Mrs. Cesaire tapped her daughter on the head from behind her, causing Alya to look up. She ran her fingers through her hair to fix whatever her mother had mussed, shaking her head. "I am," she protested, but not in a bratty way. "Are you still worried about Marinette?" Ella, the other younger twin asked Alya."Well... I mean I probably shouldn't be. She told us she was fine. I'm not going to be worried," Alya tried to convince her little sister as well as herself."It's not wrong to be worried about her, sweetie. She did disappear," Mrs. Cesaire reassured her daughter. Alya gave her a halfhearted smile.After she finished her dinner, she went back up to her room to find a very weird yet pleasant surprise. "Ladybug?!" Alya screeched, halting at the door for a moment before slamming it shut. Ladybug froze before shoving her diary notepad out the window before her best friend noticed. "Alya! Wow, you- uh aha sure came up early!" The heroine nervously smiled."What are you doing in my room? Was there an update on Marinette? Cool hair by the way! Love all the red! Tell me, did you find anything on my best friend?" Alya rambled, becoming excited with her idol in her room."Update- on Marinette? I— uh actually- sorta..." Ladybug let her eyelids flutter shut, "-don't have any new updates on her."Alya's excitement faded slowly, and the heroine's heart crumpled in pain as she saw the smile fade from Marinette's best friend's face."I just wanted... to check in on her closest friends and family to see how they're doing," Ladybug's voice nearly came out as a choked whisper. "I'm... doing alright. She's still alive, right?" Alya asked, chuckling heavy hearted, "There's no reason to be worried."Of course Ladybug could tell she didn't mean what she said. "Of course. She's alive, and just fine. Marinette misses you so much, and I promise you, she would do absolutely anything to come back and live her normal life.""How would you know? Maybe I just didn't notice that there was something she was going through, and there was a problem I should've been there to help her with! A-And I'm probably the worst friend ever!" Alya's voice grew weaker as she continued to go on."She said so in her video! Marinette didn't blame you for anything and she thinks you're the best friend she could've ever had. Everything that happened was not your fault, nor was it anyone else's. Marinette solely blames herself for it, and she... probably shouldn't because there wasn't anything she could've done to prevent it," the heroine replied, feeling increasingly worse, "If anything, it was my fault. I'm her hero, and I should've been there to protect her! She's a civilian, and I'm the heroine. I should've been there to separate her problems and fix the issue, but I can't because I still can't figure it out!"Ladybug wasn't lying when she said any of that. She was speaking from the heart, and knew she felt solely responsible for the entire problem. If it wasn't for her- Ladybug, she wouldn't have invaded Marinette's, her civilian self's, life and ruined it. Because of it, she was dividing herself into two: Ladybug and Marinette, but she was losing the sole part of herself. Without her, how would she maintain her life, her relationships, her family, all the things that made her human?What would happen if Marinette was lost completely? Would she be gone forever? Would it be reversible or would it be completely impossible to have her old life back? Would Marinette be considered truly and officially dead, her civilian self's soul being sucked into an eternal black hole forever?"She never came to any of us, Ladybug! It's not your fault, and you shouldn't feel responsible," Alya tried to assure Ladybug, and herself as well, but it was hard to see her hero fall. The heroine couldn't crumple in front of someone who depended on her for her braveness and courage. She was her role model, and she had to stay strong. She had to find her own answers."Neither should you, Alya. There's got to be a way to bring her back," Ladybug realized. If she could find the past Ladybug, maybe she'd be able to help her solve this whole fiasco. She'd have to do it before it was too late. Of course, being that it had been a few weeks since Ladybug had visited Master Fu about the whole situation, there had been additional changes. For one, her entire hair was highlighted with red now and her original hair was darkened. She'd even learned to use her flying powers more cautiously, and figured out how to make the wings disappear when they weren't in use. Her blue irises now had specks of red in them, giving her less sharp eyesight. However, her sense of smell was improving largely. What was strange was that it wasn't worrying Ladybug as much as it used to with all these changes. She felt more adapted to all these upgrades, and less worried.Even though she noticed that the specks of red that began to decrease the quality of her eyesight were increasing, she wasn't scared. It wasn't any worse than the sight of a person that awoke in the morning. She could still see well enough, but her sense of smell was incredibly helpful and was becoming preferable to her. It was like her decision in using her yoyo, or flying with her wings: using the wings was more freeing and left her with two free hands, while using the yoyo to transport left her with only one free hand most of the time, and took more thinking. Ladybug left Alya's house, not forgetting to pick up the diary notepad she tossed out the window. Her first intent was to leave a note for Alya with updates on how she was okay. She'd noticed her from the window, looking a little crestfallen, so she quickly went to leave a note. When she realized she didn't have a pen, she tried to find one in Alya's room. Unfortunately, with the amount of time that took, Alya had noticed she was there.Now, she was going back to Chloe's to hang out for a short amount of time before she'd go to her first patrol since last talking to Chat's kwami and having him take her to Master Fu's. It had been exactly two weeks since he'd seen her, and Ladybug was expecting him to be all happy and flirty as usual. She always loved patrols, because they were filled with a sense of normalcy between the heroes and their magical abilities, as well as an amazing balance to their hectic lives. This particular patrol excited her, because she now had better control over her new abilities and was nowhere near as fearful as she'd been when she first started evolving."Honestly Marinette, you've missed a lot of school as Bridgette. I keep having to come up with weird excuses because the sick card is beginning to worry people. I'm not your mom or whatever, but I wouldn't advise missing any more school. They'll probably kick you out for all the truancy or something," Chloe spoke with irritation once Ladybug flew into the room."But I can't fly in school, and I have lots of weird impulses to fly. My flight is like an addiction and restraining myself to being Bridgette is like going through withdrawal. I'm probably going to act all weird again," The heroine replied, then let out a sigh."Well then, stop being addicted to flight! You can start by switching back to your yoyo for means of transportation, then just start walking. Didn't you say that the old man you visited told you to come if your powers started changing drastically or something? Ugh, just go talk to him," the blonde girl advised to Ladybug's annoyance."It's not that simple, and none of my powers were changed too drastically. It's mainly just improvements to the powers I already had," Ladybug explained, letting her wings fall behind her then tuck away to disappear."Why aren't you freaking out as much about your hair though?! I remember when you got the first red streak, you were being all hysterical and panicked. If you even wanted to masquerade as your civilian self anymore, that would be kinda hard. Your hair used to only have a blue hue to it, and now it's just completely black with red highlights and stuff. I'd be freaking the heck out if my hair continued to change without my permission!" Chloe expressed, throwing her arms out before clutching her blonde ponytail protectively."I... actually have no idea. It's like I'm not as attached to the idea of being Marinette anymore. The appearance seems to reflect my after ego more and more, and it's not exactly worrying me as much. Don't get me wrong, I still want to change back and see Marinette's- I mean my family and friends too," Ladybug told her, grabbing a hairbrush to comb through her loose hair.Chloe looked at her, mostly surprised. "It sounds like you're separating your soul even more. That's what's happening, right?" She asked, recalling what she had been told from weeks before."Oh... That's probably why. The memories I had as a civilian seem less and less like my memories, and more like distant dreams that never really happened to me in real life. That's probably not good," Ladybug sighed, tying her hair into pigtails with the red ribbons."How far back can you remember?! Quick, tell me how many years in a row we were stuck in the same class!" Chloe threw a question at her like it was a pop quiz."Two? No, no, it was four!" Ladybug recounted, mentally checking her facts."Correct! How many years were we best friends for before Alya came crashing in?" "...Two. And she didn't come crashing in," Ladybug said defensively after taking a moment to remember the answer."Right. Why was Ivan akumatized the first time?" "He was teased for liking Mylene!" Ladybug recounted that memory like it was yesterday. It was impossible to forget her first villain she fought, especially because it wasn't much of a Marinette memory."What did you do for your ninth birthday?" Chloe asked the girl, causing her to go slightly blank."Uh... That was a long time ago!" Ladybug crossed her arms."Not really," Chloe muttered, "It was a... birthday party you planned for Juleka's older brother because you liked him and he had the same birthday you did.""Juleka has an older brother?" Ladybug asked, searching her memories."Luka, remember? He's hot. He was like the former Adrien," Chloe explained, beginning to actually worry. "I think... I remember him. Dark hair, blue eyes?" Ladybug thought long and hard."Yes! That's Luka!" Chloe responded."So I haven't forgotten anything!" The heroine smiled proudly at her achievement. Chloe knew that probably wasn't true, but she wasn't going to rain on her parade. "Hey, it's patrol time," she told Ladybug, pointing at the clock."Oh, it is! Thanks!" "Hey Chat!" Ladybug flew to the Eiffel Tower and sat on the ledge beside him."Hello Bugaboo! Wow, your hair is even more red! It's definitely pawesome on you!" Chat complimented after greeting her. "Thanks Kitty," Ladybug laughed, scratching the back of her head bashfully. It took her a moment to notice with her weirdly blurry vision, but she saw Chat had little baby fangs. ‘That's not fair. He can't be this cute!’ Ladybug had to restrain herself from saying aloud as she saw the little fangs poking out like a sweet kitten’s."Your teeth seem pretty new!" Ladybug pointed out, reaching over to flick the golden bell that hung in front of his suit. "My kwami says I've started superhero puberty," Chat Noir bragged to his already magic-developing partner."Master Fu says it's called the development. No weird green streaks in your hair? Lucky!" Ladybug laughed."Hopefully that doesn't happen, but Plagg said it varies for all of us holders," The hero explained, "Besides, my father would probably kill me if my hair started turning green." Chat laughed at the idea of his father becoming disgusted, then probably sending him to the salon multiple times to dye his hair. "Well, my development began when I had an unlimited amount of time before transforming back. Do your fangs show up as a civilian?" Ladybug asked."Sadly they don't, but it would be purrfect if they did!""So you can change back?" The girl questioned curiously."Yes. Plagg's very insistent on being sparse with transformations until the 'superhero puberty' ends. I have a feeling he's just saying that because he's lazy," Chat rolled his eyes, receiving a laugh from his partner."Your kwami sounds funny! He was nice when I met him. I miss Tikki," Ladybug ended on a sad note, allowing her gaze to fall to the long distance of the Eiffel Tower that she sat on. The dream-like memories came back to her, and she couldn't help but think about her little, cheerful, sweet kwami who stopped at nothing to keep her holder happy."So you still can't change back?" Chat asked, noticing the change in her voice."I probably will one day, but for now, it looks like Ladybug's watching over Paris nonstop."
----- CHAPTER BREAK -----
Adrien constantly worried for his partner. As he walked the streets as a civilian, he couldn't help but feel scared that she wasn't safe, or that maybe she was sleeping outside while he was in a warm bed. "Ladybug, I have a question for you," Chat Noir asked his partner, watching as her black and red pigtails shifted behind her back when her head turned towards him. Her blue eyes... they had little dots of red? What was this puberty thing doing to Ladybug? Was this going to happen to him? He couldn't be sure, due to Plagg's explanation that everyone's 'superhero puberty' was different."Yes?" Ladybug asked, narrowing her eyes as if she were trying to see more clearly."If you don't mind my asking, where do you... um- sleep now? I mean, does your family know your identity? That's understandable because you're unable to change back, but do you have a place to sleep?" Chat asked, a bit distracted by the change in her eyes."Oh, I have a place to stay. Don't fret, kitty," she told him, purposely ignoring the question about her family."How is your family coping without you?" Chat asked, getting a bit too close to the subject of identity for Ladybug's comfort. "They're... fine. My family and friends know I'm okay. I already told them about who I am, but I'm staying with someone else to keep suspicion of my identity down," she lied easily. Oh, she knew Marinette hated liars, but it didn't feel right to tell him. "That's good," Chat sighed in relief, but couldn't help but feel disappointed she still couldn't trust him with her identity. "Did your kwami say anything about me after I left?" She asked, a bit nervous."No, he refused to even tell me where you went. He's so secretive," the hero whined to his partner."Trust me, you wouldn't want to know," Ladybug laughed, turning her head back to face the city. Her sense of smell picked up on every part of the city, some more strong than others. It helped her paint a mental map of Paris in her mind, only using smell."LB, you know I'm here for you no matter what, right? I don't care how crazy things are. You're my partner, my best friend. I may not know you under the mask, but I can tell that you're a good person," Chat placed his clawed hand on her shoulder gently.Ladybug turned to him, a small smile forming on her face. "Of course I know you're here for me, kitty. You're my best friend as well, and the same goes for you. I trust you."Even though he could see the... pure Ladybug in front of him, something seemed missing or a bit off. She didn't have the same sense of fear or worry he'd noticed within her from the last few encounters he'd had with her. Of course, it was her, but she seemed different from before. It was probably just the development working it's magic, he assumed. "Can I-I... um- ask you something?" Chat Noir finally found the courage to say what he'd been thinking."What is it?" Ladybug turned to face him once again, those blue eyes struggling slightly to focus on her partner's face. His emotions seemed difficult to read, and it confused Ladybug."Who... are you under the mask?" He attempted, now that it had been over a year that he had known and worked with Ladybug. They trusted each other with their very own lives and constantly patrolled with one another. Was he like one of her friends? Did she truly trust him enough?"That's a question off limits, Sir Kit-Kat," Ladybug finally said after a moment, giggling a little."Well then, can I tell you who I am?" Chat Noir gulped, a bit hurt that she didn't trust him as much as he thought she did. They were partners after all."I don't want to risk anyone hearing it and using it against you," Ladybug whispered, gently grabbing his wrist."We're high up on the Eiffel Tower. No civilian could hear us, Ladybug," Chat pointed out, softly pulling his arm out of her grip. He didn't know why he was being so persistent, but it was getting harder to stop himself. He knew he was stepping way out of bounds, but it was burning inside him to continue pressing. "I... I know, Chat. I just don't want to have anything happen to you. What if I get controlled by an akuma and accidentally reveal your identity? Or worse, what if I lose control of-" she cut herself off, not wanting to worry her partner about the real situation at hand."You could never lose control, Ladybug. You're always so level-headed and clever. I trust you enough to know my name, and I know you're smart and strong. You've never been controlled by an akuma, and you're... so amazing. I know you enough to know you'd never do something so sinister," Chat Noir promised, and he received a smile in return. "I'm sorry, Chat. I know you trust me, and I truly trust you with all my heart, but... I just can't tell you. I can't completely trust myself. First, I need to figure out things with my transformation issue, then we can come back to that," she told him, watching as his hope diminished and his face fell. "You trust your family and friends enough to know your identity! Why can't you trust me enough?! At least let me tell you who I am!" Chat's voice raised, causing Ladybug to raise her eyebrows and widen her blue eyes in surprise as her lips formed a small O-shape. Tears fogged his eyes, and he turned away from her. He felt his shoulders hunch up around his neck as he pulled his knees up from hanging off the ledge. Chat knew crying about this was childish, but he couldn't bottle emotions anymore after having lost so much already and dealing with his civilian life."Chat... Look at me. Please," Ladybug insisted sympathetically, being able to smell the salt of his tears from the short distance they sat away from one another. Her heart fell apart, seeing how he turned away from her with hurt feelings. "Kitty, please... I'm sorry. It's just not the right time. I do trust you. It's just me I don't trust right now."Chat wanted to break, especially after she spoke his nickname so sweetly. She was probably right, and he was being sensitive. It was just hard to have any more secrets, and to be alone so often. He lost his mother and Marinette, and his own father barely trusted him to know anything. It wasn't Ladybug's fault he was being such a baby, he thought. His own tears betrayed him, rolling down his face. He couldn't face her right now with all his emotions breaking him apart. Adrien just wanted to stop the ridiculous tears from running down his face, but now that they were already loose, it was impossible to keep himself together. "Chat Noir, I didn't mean to hurt you, I promise. Please, look at me. Kitty..." Ladybug felt horrible. It wasn't Chat Noir's fault she was being all weird, she thought. She had just lied to him about revealing her identity to her family because she didn't want him to realize her story was too similar to Marinette's, and yet he trusted her so much. "I-I'm sorry, Ladybug," he croaked out, his voice revealing as much as his posture did about his emotions. He still didn't face her, but Ladybug wrapped her arms around his shoulders in a hug. It was then that she felt the trembles and knew he was crying. He realized the whole breakdown wasn't even about her refusal to revealing her identity, but just a tip and fall of the glass he'd been filling with his hidden disappointments and sadness. "Kitty, it's not you... or that I don't trust you. After this whole situation is under control, I... there won't be any reason for me not to tell you, or for you to tell me. For now, just hang on. The time will come, I promise," the heroine reassured him, tightening her hug on him slightly. "L-Ladybug, I'm so sorry!" Chat Noir sobbed, "I di-didn't mean to yell- or...blame you!" He felt he was acting like his father, and it scared him. How could he have blamed Ladybug, especially after she was comforting him? She wasn't ready for identity reveals, considering she was dealing with a lot at the moment. Not to mention, he'd seen how hard it was on her based on the past few experiences, and here he was, crying over such an insignificant thing. His emotions were built up to the rim of his composure, no thanks to his father and bottling up of emotions, and they completely bursted out with the smallest problem. Adrien didn't consider this an excuse because he knew his partner was dealing with a lot more. Maybe it was the combination of losing Marinette, dealing with his father, and always hiding everything all the time. "Aww Chat, you're okay. It's alright. I know, you're probably stressed and frustrated about something," Ladybug held him in a hug, and he didn't even realize when he began to face in her direction. Here he was, burying his face in her shoulder, and he was the one who was acting childish and throwing tantrums. Adrien could not have felt more ashamed of himself.He could've sworn it was Plagg saving him from the shame when his ring beeped to warn Adrien he was running low on energy to keep him transformed. He'd need to give the kwami loads of cheese for giving him an excuse to bow out."Looks like you should start heading back, but hey, I'll see you on our next patrol?" Ladybug told her partner, hesitantly releasing him from her hug. Chat Noir didn't back away, but pulled his arms around her for a moment to hug her back.He then pulled his arms away to wipe the tears away from his eyes quickly. "Friday patrol?" He asked weakly, his voice drained from the crying. "Of course! Take care, kitty," she touched his shoulder with gentle care. Instead of saying any more, Chat nodded and leapt away, using his staff. Ladybug watched him disappear into the distance, his blurry dark figure fading from sight. However, the scent of the salt from his tears still lingered in the air, coming from the direction he left in. She sighed hopelessly and allowed the scent to fade with distance. "Poor Chat," she thought to herself, "But I know he'd be so so mad at me for keeping such a big secret from him. If he found out I was Marinette, he would probably be so disappointed in me for hiding this, and not telling him."She stayed in that same spot for about an hour, letting her mind wander. When she heard the thud, her thoughts immediately flew to her partner. Did she get him akumatized?!She flew down to follow the sound of the thud. A sense of relief flooded her when she saw Chat Noir running to get back to her. He seemed less emotional, but there was still a visible puffiness surrounding his eyes. "Ladybug! Are you okay?" He asked, seeming concerned for his partner. "I'm fine, Chat. You're okay, too?""Yeah, I'm good. Let's go find the akuma," He spoke, extending his staff as Ladybug used her wings to get a better height. The two landed behind a peculiar-looking petite woman who had short black hair, a large pink flower over the left side of her head, and wore a pink suit. She held a pink magnifying glass with a pointy tip attached to the top of it. Her mask was pink as well, but her skin was a light blue."Where could her akuma be?" Chat Noir asked the heroine as she struggled to scan the akuma, her less than stellar eyesight making it difficult. It wasn't detectable by smell, as far as Ladybug could discover. She stopped when she recognized the scent of the bakery on the akuma. "Mom?" She whispered, pulling her own arms to her chest."What was that?" Chat Noir asked, looking over at Ladybug to see a nearly heartbroken expression covering her face. A part of her head chilled, not warming like it did when her hair would change. Chat saw a small red streak of her hair turn blue, but not the blue-black color it used to be. It was more like an light oceanic blue that matched the color of her eyes. "Look, she's making people disappear!" Ladybug pointed out, snapping Chat out of his wandering. The magnifying glass was used like a wand, striking random civilians who were unlucky enough to be within her path. Chat Noir froze when he saw the akuma's glare fall on the heroes."I am the Finder, and I will find my daughter! First of all, we're going to need to take your Miraculous!" The Finder demanded, striking a car invisible so she could walk through the pathway and make her way closer to the heroes of Paris. Ladybug snatched her yoyo from her hip and swung it around the magnifying glass. The Finder triggered the release of the disappearance magic, and Ladybug was forced to dive out of the way, pulling Chat down the the ground with her. The yoyo disappeared from her grasp and she gritted her teeth with strong emotion as she released her grip.Her own mother was akumatized because of her disappearance. "Your daughter will be found eventually! Just please give it time!" Ladybug pleaded, pulling her partner behind her protectively. She couldn't risk her powers not working to bring Chat back if there was a malfunction. She turned back to see Chat Noir's green eyes widening at her in surprise. She flashed a shy smile at him before looking back to her mother. "I trusted you two to bring back Marinette a long time ago, and she never returned! You are useless heroes and my baby will never come back! I have to find her myself!" She shot her wand at them again, and Chat yanked her out of the way, letting the power randomly hit a tree behind them. "There's nothing we can do, and you can't do anything either! It's on Marinette right now, and she'll return when she can! She wouldn't want to see you doing this!" Ladybug told her, catching the scent of brimming tears from the distance they stood. "I promise you we have tried everything to find Marinette, and she hasn't turned up anywhere. She's not in any danger," her partner tried to console Mrs. Dupain-Cheng, only angering her further. Ladybug silently called her Lucky Charm forward, and she received a black spotted coffee cup. "What in the world am I supposed to do with this?" She grumbled, receiving a worried shrug from Chat Noir."Make her some coffee?" Chat Noir suggested. Ladybug's eyes flitted from side to side in search of helpful items. However her sight only seemed to worsen, and she shut them in frustration. She realized her sense of smell could be helpful in such a situation, seeing as it was enhanced even further. Ladybug caught scents of many objects around her. She could smell the rubber of the traffic cone a few feet away, the dirt below her, and the leather of her partner's suit. The smell of Camembert was radiating off of him, and she turned to him with a confused glare. "What?" Chat asked, perplexed by her sudden irritation."You reek of Camembert," she complained."Sorry, kwami orders," her partner mumbled, but he watched as she turned her head around with her eyes squeezed shut, "You okay, LB?""Yeah, I'm okay. I'm just checking out what I could use for the Lucky Charm," Ladybug replied. Through the blurriness of the world around her, she saw a pink flash grow as if it were hurdling towards her, and the mixed smell of cookies and flowers grew. Ladybug once again pulled Chat Noir out of the way as she ran to the left of the blast. She still held the coffee mug in her hand, and felt for the pine-scented object underneath her. Ladybug snatched it up, realizing it was a twig. What could she use with a coffee mug and a twig to help her take the akumatized object from her mother?"Do you know what the object is yet, Chat?" She asked."I'm thinking it's her magnifying glass," her partner assumed. "Distract her, but be careful. I'm coming up with a plan," she whispered, grabbing his wrist. "Don't worry, LB. I'm always careful," he reassured her, and Ladybug hesitantly released him from her grip. "You're my partner. I care about you," she reminded him, receiving a smile she couldn't see very well from him. "I care about you too, Bugaboo," Chat Noir quickly hugged her before leaving.Ladybug nervously searched around with her sense of smell for usable objects, wanting to rush before her partner was hit and became invisible."Hey, I bet you can't find me and I'm easier to find than Waldo!" Chat Noir teased."Get out here, you stray!" the Finder growled. Ladybug couldn't believe those were her kind mother's words spoken in such a mean tone. "Where's Chat? Oh, I have a beautiful Miraculous you'll never have! What did Hawkmoth promise? To get Marinette back? Oh please, he's so full of cr-" Her partner continued to taunt before he was interrupted."Shut up and get out here!" Ladybug smelled the rubber of a garden hose that was on a house around the corner, so she expanded her wings and shot toward the smell, nearly hitting into a telephone pole on the way. She yanked it out of the house, promising the owner she'd return it with her powers once the battle was over.With the twig, she stabbed through the garden hose near the end. She slipped the hose through the handle of the mug, stopping at where the twig stabbed through. Ladybug tied the hose in a knot to secure the mug's position. Quickly, she pulled the twig out of the hose, then coiled the hose around her arm. She flew towards the scent of the akuma, stopping when it became strong enough to signify she was far enough. The nearly blind heroine caught the scent of a dripping metal faucet, and attached the adjusted hose to it. "Chat Noir!" She called out, catching his attention. The smell of leather and Camembert grew, letting her know he was getting nearer."I cataclysmed a few things in one go to make them fall over and trap her into an enclosed area, but she made them disappear! Right now, she's looking for me," he whispered, touching her shoulder as a silent greeting."Good job distracting her! Now I'm going to need you to throw her this hose to where she catches the mug. Yell when she's caught it," Ladybug told him."You got it," he gave her a thumbs up, which was obviously not clear to her. He ran up to the akuma and dodged the shot she made at him, then threw the cup towards her. "What is the meaning of this?" She grumbled."Ladybug!!!" He screamed, causing her to turn the faucet on. "If you think the faucet is going to do anything, it's not. You tied the end of the faucet off with a mug," the Finder glared at Ladybug, but was caught off guard by the holes that erupted with water, making her drop the magnifying glass from her hand. Chat Noir swiped the object from the ground and ran toward Ladybug. He gave it to her, and she snapped it in two. "Did the akuma come out?" She asked Chat Noir. "Yes!""I don't have my yoyo, Chat!" She yelped, realizing it had disappeared. "It disappeared, which means it's probably just not visible! Maybe it's laying on the ground!" Her partner suggested."Watch the akuma!" She demanded, running to the spot where the yoyo fell. Ladybug panicked as she realized she did not know what it had smelled like. Her sense of smell only increased more sharply once her sense of sight worsened after she lost it. Okay, it wasn't plastic. It wasn't glass either. What smells are around? I smell rubber, glass, grass, nature, distinct leather and cheese, stone, and bronze. Was it stone-like? The yoyo seems light, but it had a stone-like finish... sort of?Ladybug followed the stone smell, and realized the thread-like scent was attached as well. However, she could not pick it up. It was strongly scented in a certain area, but it wasn't vincible. "Ladybug?" She heard her mother's sweet voice return, but she didn't capture the akuma yet. "Sorry, Mrs. Dupain-Cheng. I'll be right with you! I just..." she grabbed her mug, unwrapping it from the hose and threw it in the air. She chanted her words, and everything became normal again, with her yoyo appearing back at her hip. She snatched her yoyo and de-evilized the akuma. Before Chat could speak, she ran back over to her mother to check on her."I'm so sorry I was so short with you. Now the akuma is gone. Is everything okay?" She asked, unable to see her mother's expression change from confused to a broken-hearted smile. "I'm alright, Ladybug. I'm just worried about my poor Marinette... One of her classmates told me she was dead, and I panicked. That probably led to me getting akumatized, but she's not dead... is she?" The worry in her voice nearly broke Ladybug.Considering the fact that most of the world was an indecipherable blur, it was proof she'd changed a lot, which probably hurt Marinette inside her a lot more. If Marinette was still alive in there, there was probably hope. "No, no! She told us and you all on video that she was in no danger. There's weird rumors circulating Paris right now, but I wouldn't listen to them. If she died, I would've known and I would tell you, so she's still alive," Ladybug reassured her mother. She felt her head cool a little on the opposite side, but was unaware of the light blue color that took place of the red in a hair streak. "Thank you, Ladybug. Feel free to stop by us anytime and have dinner," Sabine smiled, hugging the heroine as if to thank her. "Thank you too! Stay safe," she smiled gently, watching Sabine walk back to the bakery safely."Was everything okay?" Chat asked as he approached her, noticing the change in Ladybug's hair and eyes. "Everything was good. You didn't get hurt?" She asked him, blankly staring at the yellow sign on the street beside Chat Noir as if it were him."Everything was... fine. Ladybug, are you sure you're okay?" He asked, carefully turning her towards him. "Yeah!" She smiled shyly, and Chat Noir saw that her eyes were invaded with tiny red dots, giving them a purple appearance from afar. The lens that covered her pupils were grey, and Chat nearly gasped. "Are you wearing contacts?" He asked, trying to keep his voice neutral to keep her from freaking out."No. Did the development do something weird to my eyes again?" Ladybug asked, trying to sound more nonchalant than she actually felt."And your hair has blue in it now. Both pigtails have at least one blue streak," Chat described."Fun..." she groaned. If this were a month ago, she'd probably go bawling her eyes out, but now, all she wanted to do was curl into a ball and sleep until she’d awaken from this exhausting nightmare. "What's up with my eyes?""The irises are... well, purple? And there's grey covering your pupil," He described to her. "Figures. I guess I got cataracts early,” she joked, trying to push a smile on her face.Chat Noir grimaced, hoping his development did not leave him without one of his senses. He wanted to ask about how she was so calm about this whole situation, but he didn't want to be rude. "Are you sure you're okay about all of this?" He asked her, worried."I'm fine, I just miss being able to see things. You know, if you detransformed in front of me right now, I probably would not be able to see who you were," Ladybug laughed darkly with the realization.Chat Noir smirked, and pulled Ladybug to a more secluded area. Once he detransformed, all Ladybug noticed was the green flash, but she only was able to see a blob of colors. She didn't smell leather anymore, but the Camembert still lingered."Hey, I thought you weren't going to reveal your identity! Also where's my cheese?" Plagg grumbled to Adrien."She's almost blind, Plagg. Just don't say my name," he told his kwami, ignoring the cheese demand. "OKAY, AAADDRR—" Plagg began to say his holder's name threateningly, but Adrien stuffed his large mouth with a piece of Camembert cheese he had in his pocket. Ladybug simply frowned, not understanding what just happened. "So you're detransformed?" his partner asked, crossing her arms. "Yeah, but don't worry, I won't go against your wishes," he smiled, touching her shoulder. "Thank you, kitty," she replied, also giving him a warm smile.A part of her was really curious as to what he looked like. She squinted, but only could tell there was blonde hair and green eyes. Of course Chat Noir has blonde hair and green eyes. How did he look without the mask? Who really was under that cool leather suit?"Are you sure you don't want to know?" Adrien asked, still holding his hand there."Tikki, spots off!" She said, hoping it would work this time. Adrien's heart pounded with excitement, but no pink light washed over her. Instead, she remained transformed. "Hey, I knew it wasn’t going to work, but at least I could say I gave it another shot," Ladybug smiled sadly."Did you want to reveal your identity?" Adrien asked incredulously."If the mask came off, I would."
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"So... you'd reveal your identity to me if your mask could come off?" Adrien asked, a bright smile forming on his face."Correct, but I've been stuck like this for almost two months. The further I get with this terrible excuse for a development, the closer to permanent this mask gets. That means it's very possible that none of these effects are irreversible in civilian form, if I even get to be a civilian again. So when I show you my real identity, you might not even recognize me anymore," Ladybug explained, walking along the sidewalk with her crush unknowingly. Adrien's smile fell, and he looked to see how Ladybug was taking to her new lifestyle. She seemed to be worried, and a little bit sad about the physical changes. At least she had her family to support her, he thought, remembering how she mentioned to him that she had already told her family she was stuck transformed. "So when you come back as a civilian, you would be... practically blind?" Adrien asked, his heart hurting for his partner."Yes. My sense of smell is nothing like seeing, but it makes things slightly easier to deal with since I can't see very well. I can see blobs of color, but it's not easy to distinguish what's what. I'm not too worried about my appearance anymore. It's not like I'll see it. My eyesight worsened so much during today's battle," she said, turning her blurred gaze to the floor."I'm so sorry, Ladybug. This shouldn't be happening to you. You don't deserve this," the boy shook his head. "That's not true. I gave up on wanting to find Marinette, and now it's karma. I'll never be able to seek her out now," Ladybug gave him a sad smile."That's not true. You were just frustrated, but now maybe you could identify her location with your sense of smell if it's strong enough," Adrien tried to brighten things. "I don't think it's developed enough for that," Ladybug lied, letting her gaze fall elsewhere. No scent could lead her to Marinette, no matter how developed her sense of smell was. The heroine knew her location, but bringing her back was not something she knew she could do within her knowledge."That's okay, LB. I'll keep looking for her," Adrien assured her, but it made her feel guilty. She already sent out a video telling people to stop looking for her, and yet that's all they wanted to do. She knew it sounded selfish for the heroine to tell them to stop looking for her, but they weren’t listening to Marinette herself. Whether it be in a note or video, they didn’t want to stop, and it was breaking her heart to let them continue. They’ll never find her, Ladybug thought. The Marinette within her was going to die if she didn't save her, but what could she do? Everything was worsening, and the whereabouts of the previous Ladybug was unknown. If only she could find her name, so she could look her up."I should probably find my way back. I'll see you for patrol on Friday, kitty," she said, turning the other direction."Oh, I was going to head to the Dupain-Cheng Bakery to check on Sabine. Did you want to come?" Adrien asked, somehow secretly hoping the parents would say his own name aloud and accidentally reveal his identity to her.Ladybug really wanted to come with him and check on her mother, but maybe it was time to look for some hints on how to talk to the previous Ladybug. "My family might be getting a little worried. I should probably tell them about my further loss of vision."Adrien opened his mouth to reply, but his phone's ringtone went off. "Oh, it's just Nathalie," he mumbled, shutting it off."Huh?" Ladybug asked, not hearing the incoherent mumble correctly."Never mind. It's just a caregiver," he sighed, placing it back into his pocket, "Do you want me to walk you closer to your location? I swear I won't watch you go home.""I'm probably okay, but thank you. I appreciate your concern, Chat. Bug out!" She smiled, using her yoyo to zip to the roof. Luckily, with all the extra time being Ladybug and all the patrols she'd done over the past year, she had a mental map of Paris. If she was correct, she was close to her school. Her feet memorized the patterns and feelings of the roofs she usually ran across. Ladybug hesitated at her next movement. Maybe she didn't mind learning who Chat Noir was. Whoever was behind his mask, she would appreciate. They were best friends after all. The heroine did not act on her thought in the end, but made her way back to the hotel. Considering she fell off a couple roofs on the way, she found her lack of eyesight irritating. She felt her way to the elevator of the hotel, then counted the number of buttons. Pressing what she hoped to be the correct level, the elevator took her to Chloe's floor. Once she stepped out, confusion hit her. Which side was Chloe's room on again?"Chloe!!!" She yelled, hoping to have the blonde find her so she could bring her to the correct room.The red walls seemed to extend beyond her eyesight, and the white doors were indecipherable blurs. The lights that shone down upon her were blinding and bright.'Okay,' she thought, 'When I come back with Chloe, we always walk along the hotel hallway, but it isn't too close." Ladybug continued to walk along the hallway. Once she reached the end, she called out for Chloe once again, and this time she was met with a response. However, the voice she heard definitely did not sound like Chloe's."You keep waking up my son! Could you please ask the hotel front desk to see where your other cosplaying friends are staying? Thank you! Bye!" the lady demanded, causing a rush of shame to hit Ladybug. She felt her face heat up and she apologized quickly."I'm so sorry. What level am I-" Ladybug began to ask, but the door slammed before she could finish. The heroine's hand fell to her side, and she slunk against the wall, allowing herself to slide to the ground hopelessly.* * *"Mrs. Dupain-Cheng, is everything okay?" Adrien asked, rushing into the bakery. The petite woman was at the counter, checking her quantity of fresh pastries."Oh Adrien, so nice of you to drop in! Everything's alright, dear," Sabine smiled warmly at him, turning away from the pastry display, "Would you like a croissant?"Adrien knew he shouldn't accept, but he couldn't help himself. "Thank you! You're too kind," he accepted, thanking the mother. He returned the smile with an earnest grin."So you heard about the akuma attack?" Sabine asked, grabbing the croissant with culinary tweezers and placing it into a bakery tissue paper."Oh, yeah. I- heard it was about Marinette, so I wanted to check on you to see if you were doing okay about the whole thing," he admitted shyly, as most kids are around other adults. "I heard a rumor that she was killed, and it worried me. Ladybug assured me the rumor was false, so I won't lose hope that she's out there somewhere," Sabine told him, handing the boy his treat. As Adrien pulled out his wallet, the woman told him to put it away. Like Alya and Nino, she wouldn't charge him."I'm almost positive she's okay. I mean, she told us in her video that she was okay, but-" Adrien paused, realizing his worry was almost as strong as hers. Instead of being emotionally transparent, he would make sure she was okay. "I'm sure she'll come back soon.""I hope so."Adrien soon left, wishing the both of Marinette's parents a good day. His thoughts wandered to the missing girl. She was always so sweet to him and everyone else. Marinette was the kind of girl that would come to a person who had a terrible day, talk and joke with them like she'd known them her whole life, and leave then with smiles and warmth. At least now he knew why she was always so nervous around him. Even as she was nervous, she always went the extra mile to make him feel like a part of her group, a family.Adrien was left to wonder why it had to be Marinette who disappeared from Paris. She disappeared, just like his mother.* * *"Miss Chloe, there was a Ladybug cosplayer sulking in the hallways, calling your name," One of the hotel's guards told the blonde, at the door."Cosplayer?" Chloe repeated, raising an eyebrow, "How can you tell?""Her wig is nothing like the real Ladybug's, and I know because you have the most accurate cosplay.""Let me see this supposed cosplayer," The blonde said, closing the door behind her as she left the room. "The security video footage shows she is in the level below yours. I advise you not to go down there. She may be dangerous or armed," he told Chloe, to which she ignored. When she got out of the elevator, she saw Ladybug sitting against the wall, her face down in her arms pitifully."You were on the wrong level, genius," Chloe scoffed, extending a hand for Ladybug to grab. She didn't expect to see her friend to have a gray covering over her normally black pupils, and for her eyes to look almost completely purple from the distance when she looked up at her. "What the heck happened to you?!" She yelped, taken aback. "My eyesight isn't getting any better, Chloe. Colors are even getting more difficult to distinguish," Ladybug complained, not seeing the hand Chloe extended to help her get up. The blonde pulled her up anyway."What are you going to do? How did you even get to the hotel like this?" She asked, guiding the heroine to the elevator. "I had to use my memorization, smell, and touch to get here. I thought I was on your level... I wasn't," Ladybug's voice ran a little quiet. Chloe looked over at her, and saw she hung her head down. "Don't you dare tell me you're going to give up. You're Ladybug! You're... Marinette," she whispered the last part, closing the elevator. She gulped awkwardly, but continued to frown.She never imagined she would have to encourage the strongest girl she knew. "Look, you can't give up on trying to get back to normal. People miss you! Adrien's going nuts trying to find you! I know you're like practically blind, but there has to be something you can do to save yourself!""Everyone needs you! Marinette needs you!" Chloe argued."Marinette doesn't need me. She was better off before she became me. I somehow pushed the civilian part of myself out of her own body!" Ladybug exclaimed, growing frustrated.However, Chloe was also growing irritated with her lack of spirit. She'd never seen Ladybug pitying herself so much."That is not even your fault! You never wanted to be unable to detransform, and you have no idea how it's happening!" She told her, but only receiving a saddened silence from Ladybug in return.The elevator opened on Chloe's level, and the blonde led the heroine back to her room. "You should go back to that master guy and ask him what to do.""What's the point?! He knows less than I do on this, and I'm clueless! I'm done! What's the point in trying to bring back Marinette? She's probably already gone completely!" Ladybug exploded, receiving a stern glare from Chloe. She crossed her arms angrily."You, Ladybug, superhero of Paris, are just going to give up on finding a way to bring back Marinette?! Maybe the Master found more information! Maybe you can keep looking for information!" Chloe yelled at her."I was thinking about trying to find the past Ladybug because she nearly had the same problem, but how can I find her if I can't even find your room?! In case you haven't noticed, I'm going blind!!" Ladybug pointed at her eyes angrily, "I don't know how!! I don't even know where to start looking!! I-I can't even figure out who the old Ladybug is, and it's scary! I don't know how to do this!""I know!! That's why I'm here to help you!" Chloe screamed back.Ladybug let her hands drop to her sides, and she sighed. Chloe's expression softened, and she gave her friend a hug. "I'm sorry..." Ladybug muttered, "I'm Ladybug. I don't know why I'm so... different. I don't even feel like Marinette anymore, and I'm worried. I don't know what's happened to my kwami, but I feel closer to her.""I'll bring you to the Master guy. Maybe he could think of something, or he could tell you the name of the old Ladybug. If not, we could call your best friend, Alya. We could tell her what's going on, and she could broadcast on her LadyBlog that she needs the old Ladybug to meet you somewhere. We can fix this, and you don't have to do it alone," Chloe told her, "I'll be your eyes and guide."A newfound sense of relief and appreciation filled the heroine, and she smiled, "Thank you, Chloe. I know we didn't get along much before, but I'm glad we're becoming friends again."
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Dressed as Bridgette to avoid suspicion, Ladybug was led by Chloe to the park, where they would formulate a plan with Alya."Is it really the best idea to tell Alya about this?" The heroine asked hesitantly."Oh please, it'll be fine. I'm not telling her that Bridgette is Ladybug, or that Ladybug is Marinette," Chloe insisted, "All I'm saying is that you're blind as a bat and need help getting to the old man's store.""Why can't you take me?" Ladybug asked, deadpanning to where she estimated the blonde to be."Because we need Alya to be there in case he doesn't know anything about the old Ladybug. We need to do this broadcast as fast as we can. You're changing so quickly, and we don't want it to be too late when we find the answer! Now I'm going to talk to Alya and you're going to tell her where the old man's store is! While you go, I'll see if I can find Chat Noir just in case he has something to do with whatever's happening," Chloe told her. "If we broadcast it, Hawkmoth will find out. If he knows, he could use me to his advantage or threaten me. People might put the pieces together that Mari is missing and I'm stuck being transformed! Also the poor cat guy has nothing to do with anything," She quietly disagreed."If we can get answers more quickly, we can prevent all these things from happening!"Ladybug sighed, allowing the blonde to guide her to Alya. She kept her eyes trained on the ground, downwards so the grey pupils under her green contacts wouldn't be so visible. "Oh Bridgette! I haven't seen you in a while. How are you?" Alya remarked once she noticed her."Blind. You?" Ladybug replied, laughing politely. She didn't notice Chloe's glare of disapproval toward her sarcasm.The bespectacled girl took a moment after smiling and nodding to realize what she had said. Her eyes traced up to Bridgette's eyes, and she noticed how foggy the lens over her pupil had become. Her hand flew up to cover the gasp that threatened to exit her mouth. "Blind?! How did that happen? Are you okay? What happened? Is that why you haven't been able to come to school?" Alya asked her relatively new friend. "Mostly, I guess? I'll try to come tomorrow if I can, but it might be a little challenging," Ladybug joked, laughing lightly."Well if you want, I could help you! We usually sit beside each other anyways and I could like help read things out to you and-" Alya rambled, unsure of how to respond to one who just lost their sense of sight. "It's totally cool, Al," she smiled, accidentally turning towards Chloe instead of the blogger. The blonde spun her back to face Alya. "Anyways nerd, we had a request. Bridgette needs to talk to an old man who apparently masters in massages and meditation. I'm going to look for somebody. Could you take her for me? She can give you the location," Chloe asked Alya.Eventually, the small group split up, and Alya unknowingly walked both her idol and missing best friend down the street. Ladybug wondered what it would be like to just tell Alya the truth, the entire truth. How would she react, knowing that Ladybug had been masquerading as Bridgette and hiding Marinette away for so long? Would she be angry? Relieved?Honestly, having a life before Ladybug was seeming more and more distant from her memories. It was becoming slightly more difficult to remember things outside of her transformation. How would life be... if she completely forgot who she was as a civilian? What if Marinette slipped her mind forever? She didn't even truly feel like the civilian counterpart of herself anymore. "It's probably down three blocks to the left from here," Ladybug informed Alya, her heightened sense of smell picking up an all-too-familiar scent of a light floral incense burning outside his shop from the intended direction."What's the place called again?" Alya asked her, confused by her certainty because the girl wasn't able to see well. Her hand remained behind Bridgette's back to lead her around. "Fu's... Office? I forgot. All I know is that you will smell flower incense outside his shop," Ladybug tapped her own chin decisively. She shrugged, letting her hands fall to her sides. "Okay, I guess I'll just keep a look out for a small shop with some sort of massage meditation place, as well as for the smell," the blogger told the brunette with foggy green eyes. "Alright. Thanks again for doing this for me,” Ladybug told her appreciatively. The girls continued to make their way to Master Fu's. Once the strange floral aroma became strong enough for Alya to notice, she made a note of what distance was normal enough to smell something. "Looks like we're here! Do you need me to hang around in the waiting room or should I call Chloe?" Alya asked her. "Uh... If you don't mind, I think this might take twenty minutes at most. Could you please hang around here for now?" Bridgette requested, almost nervous to be left alone. Of course, she was also aware of the fact that Alya was one of the only people who could help her if Master Fu was unable to. The bespectacled blogger agreed, so she stayed back by the master's waiting room. Bridgette knocked on his door, squeaking out a meek greeting. Master Fu invited her in, but had to do a double take before realizing who exactly she was. "I see you've disguised yourself, Ladybug."Closing the door behind her, she slipped her wig off to reveal how the original midnight blue color of her hair had darkened to a black color, also streaked with red highlights. A streak on each side of her hair was blue from the encounter with her akumatized mother. She looked past Master Fu unknowingly. "It's all getting worse. I don't even think I can really see anymore. Just indecipherable blurs of mixed colors," she told him."I was afraid... this would happen," he looked away with shame. "What's really happening, Master?" Ladybug asked, slipping her wig back over her head. "I've looked at some of the older Miraculous holders, and I... there's one woman who went through your type of development. It wasn't long ago, but she had one of the missing Miraculous. I didn't have any connections with her, being that she didn't have a Miraculous guardian," Master Fu began to explain. "How long ago?" Ladybug asked curiously."Maybe two years ago. It wasn't too long ago, but I remembered trying to talk her into restoring the peacock Miraculous to its proper place. With her development, her skin turned blue, as well as her hair. The reason she couldn't give it back was because it was stuck to her. Back when the holder of the moth Miraculous didn't abuse his power for evil, his partner was this woman. All I know is that she never returned, and all that is left of her is the peacock brooch that stored her power.""Oh my... Are you saying- I could disappear?" Ladybug anxiously clutched the paper Chloe gave her earlier. Her gaze fell down to her hands, although they were not distinguishable from other blurs."Not necessarily. I'm not sure what happened to her. Maybe she left Paris?" Master Fu stretched the truth on the last suggestion, not wanting to worry the child in front of him.Ladybug knew that likely wasn't true. The holder of the peacock was probably killed after her civilian self was torn away from her body. Like her, she must've tried everything to stop her development, but was only bombarded with bigger and worse things. Seeing as Ladybug was slowly forgetting small things about her civilian life, making it less relevant as a memory, it was easy to assume that the other woman had forgotten her family. If she did leave her family and Paris, then the reason must've been with the amnesia she faced. There was no way she could abandon everyone and disappear like nothing. She wouldn't let Marinette, herself, become nothing but a story or a memory. "But the last Ladybug was able to stop her development, right?" She asked, her eyes widening with hope."Yes, her partner was very knowledgeable about the powers of both his and her Miraculous. He was able to stop the development. That boy loved her more than words could describe, as did she," Master Fu smiled a little to himself as he remembered the teenage couple. Doing his best not to think about the Chat Noir's death and how it crushed his Ladybug, he extended his attention back to the problem at hand."But she never fully changed back to normal, did she? You said her hair was left with a single streak of red," Ladybug questioned. "That is correct. If we can somehow reach out to her, maybe she'd know about how to change you back. If you find a woman with dark hair, blue eyes, and a small red streak of hair, that's the previous generation's Ladybug.""Do you remember her name?""She never did give up her name. Only known as Lady Luck, she was very secretive with her identity. Only the old Chat Noir knew who she was under the mask," Master Fu answered her. "Would it be okay to broadcast a request to have the previous Ladybug step up and contact me?"
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"If broadcasting your request is the only possible way to reach her, so be it. I must warn you that this strategy may bring consequences regarding your identity, but I predict much worse will come with just waiting. Your process is going swiftly, and I do not have an accurate understanding of what occurs at the end," Master Fu warned with his response, causing Ladybug to bite her lip lightly. "I'm... scared that my friends and family could get hurt if people find out my identity. I'm unable to transform, and people know that there's a missing civilian girl around my age! They might realize who their Ladybug really is," she said with a cringe."You know... you don't have to broadcast the reason behind your request. You could just inform people that you need assistance and guidance with your newer powers," Master Fu spoke mindfully, smiling."You're... right! I could just ask my best friend, Alya to help me broadcast what I need to say!" Ladybug realized, pulling her brown wig off."You should hurry, Ladybug. I think one of the blue pieces of your hair are turning red," the elderly man pointed out."Oh my goodness! Thank you for everything, Master! I'll come back when everything turns back to normal!" Ladybug bowed her head politely before running out of the room to grab Alya. "Bridg- Whoa! Your hair!" Alya interrupted herself when she noticed the girl holding a brunette wig in one hand as a blue streak in her hair continued to magically change to red, then start back on the other one."Sorry Alya, I'll explain everything later! I just have to ask you to do something for me! You have your phone, right?" Ladybug asked, feeling around to grab a tissue then wipe her makeup off to reveal the polka dot mask. Once she did so, she heard a gasp from the girl in front of her."BRIDGETTE, YOU'RE LADYB-" "Yes, I am! I'll need your help to broadcast something very very important and we have to make this as quick as possible!" The girl popped her green contacts out of her eyes. "Of course, girl!" Alya threw her own purse open, then pulled her phone out.Ladybug yanked off her gloves and took off the rest of her disguise, leaving her to stand in nothing but her spandex suit. "Okay, recording in 3, 2, 1! Go!" "Hello, this is a very, very urgent message from me, Ladybug! I'm looking for the previous heroine of Paris, Lady Luck, and I need your help! Please, if you're the old hero of Paris, meet me at the master's office. I have new powers, as you can see, and I need a mentor! There's no one better than the Lady Luck to help me understand how to use them! I'm in development, and I need help. Thank you! Please, if you decide to help me, come before the sun goes down." * * *Chloe walked around the streets of Paris, asking other people if they've seen Chat Noir out. So far, it seemed like he disappeared with Ladybug after the attack.Her eyes fell on a familiar dark-haired boy with dark brown eyes. Once she remembered seeing him at the Dupain-Cheng bakery, working Marinette's shift, the blush returned back to her cheeks. His name was Jean. Should she say something to this peasant, the blonde wondered. Of course, she thought, it wouldn't hurt to ask him if he'd seen Chat Noir out recently. But what if he thought she liked the hero? It wouldn't matter, she tried to convince herself. Her eyes landed on Adrien, who was also walking down the same street, but her cheeks didn't warm up with the same blush. The sheltered kid would probably have no idea where Chat Noir was anyways. It was probably more worth asking Jean if the cat superhero had stopped by the bakery, Chloe assumed."Hey, boy from the bakery. Shawn, was it? I need to ask you a question," the blonde let her words tumble out more quickly than she could let them process. "My name is Jean. Also I think... I've seen you before. You're the mayor's daughter, right?" The boy laughed politely. "Yes. You served me and my friend with the green hair and brown eyes- ah I mean the brown hair.. and green eyes! Your eyes are brown, not mine! I mean..." Chloe squeaked and ran behind the nearest bush.Why was she acting like clumsy Marinette? She used to make fun of her for doing that!"HAVE YOU SEEN CHAT NOIR?!" Chloe asked him from behind a bush. Her face reddened when she saw his face peek over the plant a little. He laughed gently, "Why are you hiding? I don't bite."No reason, it's just that you're strangely attractive, Chloe thought."Thanks! You're way nicer than I thought!""Don't... tell me he heard that," Chloe mumbled, her blush worsening."He did. Now he'll help you up," Jean playfully replied, extending a hand helpfully."Thanks," She muttered, taking it to help her to her feet. He helped her around the bush, and smiled at her, "What were you asking again?""My friend, Bridgette, said she needed to talk to Chat Noir. Have you seen him lately? I was looking to send him toward her," Chloe asked him, unable to tear her gaze from his sweet brown eyes even though her heart was begging her to."Sorry, Chloe. I haven't seen him at all today. I just got off from my bakery shift, but I did see my boss get akumatized after some jerk told her that Marinette was dead. I tried to reassure her to the best of my abilities, but I feel like she still doesn't believe me or even Ladybug after she told her.""...Oh. I-I'm sure Marinette is definitely okay! I mean, she's always been so strong! There's no possibility she's dead! Trust me!" Chloe admitted, guiltily unable to mention that she knew exactly where she was. At times, she felt so selfish for not telling the people who missed their daughter everyday that she was no further from them than usual."It's nice to see that people care about this girl. She always seemed so nice. I remember seeing her in school a few times. Were you two close friends?" Jean asked her."Well... we had our differences, and I shouldn't have- been so rude about them at times, but in the end... we were friends. We're still friends."Instead of judging her harshly like she'd expected, he offered her a soft smile. Of course he'd seen how rude she was at school, but he was appreciative of the gentle side he was seeing.* * *Nathalie had seen the LadyBlog. She wasn't oblivious to the cause of Adrien's screeching and fan-boy noises everytime there was an upload. What she had been oblivious to was the new update on Ladybug's current situation. Now they were seeking out the previous Ladybug holder, known as Lady Luck, and looking for advice on how to deal with heroine's development. Her evolution seemed to be going way off what a normal hero's development was, and it was taking an awful toll on the poor child. Nathalie had seen what she looked like on camera. It was definitely worse than what she'd gone through.Nathalie always tried to the best of her efforts to suppress those memories of being Paris's chatty, playful, spotted heroine, alongside a silly, yet incredibly smart and talented cat partner, but it was to no avail. She often tried to forget the silly nicknames her partner and she had created for one another back in the time. It was difficult to forget the only boy she'd ever loved. He was her soulmate, and her kitty, yet she didn't protect him. It was a consequence she would have to deal with for the rest of her life.Nathalie feared for the current Ladybug and Chat Noir, hoping they would never ever have to go through the immense heart-wrenching pain of losing their partner. Those nights she spent crying, those days she felt so empty, those horrible patrols she had to face alone, she hoped the two would never have to deal with. A half of her heart was missing forever, and yet it was because she couldn't protect him from the same thing he helped protect her from.He had somehow helped her fix the development and kept her from losing her civilian self. She remembered being so terrified when she couldn't detransform, but she told her partner immediately. Nathalie remembered how he pulled her into his arms comfortingly and reassured her that she wasn't going to be alone. She recalled how she violently shook with sobs, so fearful of losing her civilian life, meaning she would never see her family, friends, or those she cared so much about, yet he promised to save her. Her Chat Noir promised that he would do anything it took to save her civilian self, and he would spend every moment of his transformation helping her out. And he followed through. If it weren't for his own development, she would've never would've lost him. It wasn't until later that she learned her Chat Noir's real name was Felix, a shy music-loving boy in her class. He always did seem to get flustered around her popular goody two-shoes civilian self, Nathalie remembered. Now she worked with Felix's older brother, which was a constant reminder of his bloodline. He didn't talk or even look remotely like Felix, but she couldn't escape the memory.She wasn't going to let the child in charge of Paris die from her development. She was going to have to do something, and it was going to have to be quick. Nathalie grabbed her keys, waving at Gorilla before walking out the door.
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Unfortunately for both Chloe and Ladybug, the oblivious blonde girl had chosen to ask the wrong person if they had known where Chat Noir was. If she would've asked Adrien, he could've transformed a little later, but she had chosen to ask the boy from the bakery whom she had a crush on, to which he had no clue. As Adrien started to walk back to his house, Nathalie ran past him, but stopped for a moment to talk with him, "Adrien, I forgot I have a dentist appointment! Gorilla is inside if you need anything and the chefs have prepared your food. I'll be back!""Uh... Okay, thanks," he replied, walking back to that general direction of his house. He was a bit confused to say the least. Nathalie never seemed rushed or nervous, yet here she was, panicking and looking somewhat emotional over a dentist appointment. Adrien hoped she wouldn't get akumatized for missing a dentist appointment. He didn't want to know what kind of monstrous akuma Hawkmoth could make from someone who was upset with dentists. Probably pulling everyone's teeth out? He didn't want to think about that. He'd always had an issue with dentists, but that was a story he'd save for thinking about later.Once Adrien entered his house, he received an acknowledging grunt from his driver to whom he greeted with a simple hello. He went up to his room, noticing his computer was open to the LadyBlog. A new video was posted: A Message for Lady LuckAdrien opened to the video, assuming it was a nice video for the old Ladybug and someone was giving her thanks. However, he was surprised to see that Alya was holding the camera shakily and Ladybug was worriedly asking for the previous generation's holder of her miraculous. Her mask contained streaks of makeup that she likely attempted to wipe off. "What's going on, Plagg?" Adrien asked his kwami, unsure of what was happening. He flew out from Adrien's shirt to look at the screen, and that's when it hit him."Oh... no. No, no! Adrien, we have to go to Master Fu's! Now!" Plagg suddenly realized how terrible the situation was once he laid eyes on the heroine. The memory of Felix resurfaced, and he gulped."Why? Plagg, is she in danger?" He asked, remembering how dramatic his kwami could be at times. "Yes!! She's going to die if we don't do something! We have to go right now!!" Plagg hissed, scaring Adrien. He'd never seen his kwami so serious. He was always joking about dying if he wasn't given Camembert, but this obviously did not seem like a joke."Do I transform?!" Adrien asked, looking to the kwami with worry."No! I have to talk to Ladybug personally! You are just going to have to come with me! She's blind anyways!" * * *"Sorry, I couldn't find Chat!" Chloe apologized once she entered the cozy office of Master Fu's."That's okay, Chloe. All we need is Lady Luck to show up," Ladybug assured her as Alya helped her take the remains of the makeup off her mask, "I'll just have to talk to Chat Noir during patrol later then.""You are not patrolling as a blind Ladybug! You are going to fall off the Eiffel Tower or something if you do that, genius!" The blonde scolded, causing Ladybug to roll her eyes."I have wings and a yoyo! Plus, my sense of smell is really helpful in finding everything around me," the heroine argued. "That's still dangerous," Alya agreed, "You should just have Chat Noir come to you.""I suddenly recall that someone couldn't even find my room after coming everyday.""Okay, I get it! I'm blind! Doesn't mean I'm completely helpless though. I did actually de-evillize my mo-Marinette's mom though!" Ladybug pointed out."Still, until we can get all your powers under control, you're not doing anything dangerous," Alya retorted. “You don’t have to be so worried about me! I swear, I’ll be fine, Alya.”Once the door opened, Ladybug felt her stomach twist with anxiety. Was Lady Luck finally here?* * *Nathalie stood at the door of Master Fu's, taking a deep breath. Would she be able to save the newer hero from what her partner suffered, what he saved her from dealing with?Hoping it wasn't already too late, she opened the door to see Ladybug gasp before turning to the door. The poor girl's pupils were gray instead of black... She hadn't noticed much on camera, but now she was seeing her in the flesh. She was seeing what she could've gone though if Felix hadn't stopped it."Sorry, I saw Adrien earlier, but I noticed he was heading home in your direction. Did he make it?" Chloe asked Nathalie, completely oblivious to the fact that this was the Lady Luck, the popular teenage heroine of the late 90's. "Yes, he made it just fine," Nathalie replied, trying to maintain her monotone voice as emotions she suppressed long ago threatened to arise when she saw the nostalgic appearance of Master Fu's waiting room. "Lady Luck has returned?" A familiar, notably croaky voice spoke from around the corner, into his office. "Master," she bowed her head respectfully to the elderly man."It's been exceptionally long since I've seen you, my dear. How are you?" He asked, helping her tension slightly fall away. "I-I'm doing well. Yourself?" She asked, ignoring the feeling of wanting to act like the outspoken, passionate superhero she once was. "My days are quite long," he chuckled, then he walked over to Ladybug. Alya and Chloe's mouths hung open at the revelation of the old Ladybug's identity. They never could've guessed that Nathalie, Mr. Agreste's assistant, was Lady Luck. "However, we may have a large problem at hand. This one is unable to transform back, and her powers are growing, almost giving her bug-like tendencies," Fu explained to Nathalie. "I have wings, my hair is changing colors, I'm practically blind, and my sense of smell is better than anything," Ladybug explained, but she was unable to see the civilian. Adrien's scent lingered on her, as if she were near him constantly. "That is certainly a case. I went through a similar development, but my... partner, Felix," She gulped back the lump in her throat that threatened to arise. She cut herself off before she would cry. Tears burned her eyes, and the scent of salt was strong in the air for Ladybug. "Master... There was- something I didn't tell you about Felix," she whispered, trying to keep her composure. "He... I know I told you that it was a battle that killed him, but-" her voice wavered with emotion, and she tried so desperately to hide the fact that she was on the verge of tears, ready to burst. "The development," was all she could say before bursting into tears. The rest of what she said was undecipherable, but they understood it wasn't good. "The development killed your partner?" Ladybug asked softly. She received a curt nod from the woman who was wiping at her tears quickly with a tissue, hoping to salvage whatever makeup was untouched by her tears. Her mascara was ruined, so there was no use saving that. Chloe looked at Alya in disbelief. "Ladybug..." was all she could say to her."Are you saying... Ladybug could die if we don't do something?" Alya asked, just as her blonde male classmate kicked the door open in a desperate attempt to reach his partner."Ladybug won’t die!" Adrien yelled, his kwami flying in behind him, then hiding after noticing his classmates were out. Ladybug jolted at the sudden outburst, turning to the direction of the yelling. "Chat Noir?" She asked, unable to see him, but able to smell the obvious Camembert from him. Chloe and Alya's eyes widened as they stared at the outburst, speechless. Did Ladybug call Adrien Chat Noir? Nathalie looked at him through glassy eyes from her last conversation, wiping them away. She half-heartedly wondered how badly Gabriel would react to his overprotected son being the daredevil cat superhero running the streets.Adrien instinctually bursted our laughing to dismiss what Ladybug said as a joke. "I'm definitely not Chat Noir if that was what you thought!" He replied, his face red at his near-revelation. Chloe rolled her eyes, remembering how Ladybug tried to hide her identity nearly as badly as he did. Alya groaned in disappointment, almost believing it for a second.Nathalie shrugged, suddenly uncaring to whether or not Gabriel would end up firing her for not babysitting his teenage son 24/7."You smell like Camembert and cologne. Are you sure?" Ladybug laughed, already knowing his voice well enough with his smell."No, it's just Adrien," Alya muttered, still disappointed that he wasn't a superhero. Ladybug's face turned in curiosity. Why did Adrien and Chat Noir nearly have the same scent? These coincidences were getting stranger and stranger."Have you forgotten anything?" Nathalie asked her."Wait Nathalie, this isn't the dentist's office. You're going to be late!" Adrien realized, and Chloe smacked her face into her hand. "I'm not going to the dentist, Adrien. I was Lady Luck, and Ladybug needed to talk to me," Nathalie told him."Lady Luck?! That was you?!" Adrien asked incredulously. "I'll catch him up," Alya pulled him off to the side to explain everything that he missed. Meanwhile, Ladybug continued to talk to Nathalie."I don't think I've forgotten anything," Ladybug shrugged, responding to the question Nathalie had asked her before Adrien interrupted."Do you remember what the name of your parents are?" She whispered, not wanting to reveal Ladybug's identity. She knew this answer! Of course she did. Her parents owned a bakery! She just rescued her mother earlier, and she knew her name. She told her that her name was... Sabine. Yes, Sabine! Her father's name was... he had green eyes. Black hair? No, brown! Yes brown hair! His name started with a... D. The bakery is the Du... Cheng? No, Dupain! His last name is Dupain. What was his first name again? How did she forget? She didn't remember forgetting his name. He told her while she was Ladybug too! So how did she forget? What did she do when she was a civilian? Her name was Marinette. She knew that. Last name was Dupain... Cheng! But what was her father's first name again?"Sabine Cheng... and Mr. Dupain," She whispered back."Do you know his first name?" Come on, Ladybug thought. Thinking helps! It should. His first name... her father's first name was ____ Dupain-Cheng. What was that blank? She knew it! It had to be in her memory somewhere. Chloe watched with anticipation as Ladybug struggled to think. "I-I can't... remember," she let her eyes fall downcast. Nathalie bit her lip, knowing there had to be something. She said her hair was changing. "You said you had color-changing hair.""Yeah, it was weird. First it started with a red streak, then my bangs were red, and eventually my hair grew covered with red streaks, then apparently my natural hair color darkened from midnight blue to flat-out black under the red streaks. After talking to... my mother," Ladybug made sure to whisper, "My hair grew two blue streaks, then it disappeared. Do you have any idea what's going on?" "Wait, you just talked to her?" Nathalie asked, confused."I cleansed her akuma. I don't know.""You know, Felix... he really knew all about this kind of thing. I do remember some things he told me while he was going through it. For example, like when your hair changed, it reflected the balance between you, your civilian self, and Tikki. The blue hair color came from your civilian self. Since you were so close to your birth mother, and used magic powers to save her, some of your civilian self had been restored," Nathalie explained quietly to the heroine, although Chloe listened intently. "But it wasn't my hair color before, I don't think," Ladybug argued. "That's because it wasn't fully restored. It was a lighter shade of blue, am I correct? Because your natural hair color is a midnight shade, it was getting closer to replicate what your civilian self may have looked like.""So I was almost my civilian self again? Or at least getting closer. Where did the red and black hair color come from then?" Ladybug inquired curiously."The red hair color came from Tikki. The black hair color is technically a combination of your civilian soul as well as Tikki's. Ladybug is a soul all her own, so you are a balance of Tikki and... Marinette, was it?" She whispered the last part. Ladybug nodded in confirmation. Nathalie continued, "But Tikki and Marinette are the links connecting Ladybug. Without one or the other, Ladybug can no longer exist. With your soul depending on the existence of both your links, having one taken away would..." "Destroy me," Ladybug whispered in the horrifying realization. "Felix... that's how his development ended. That's why we have to find a way to fix yours," the older woman explained."How did he die?" Ladybug asked softly, knowing this might be a touchy subject. Nathalie's eyes became glassy once more, and the girl immediately wanted to take back her question, regretting being so insensitive. "Wait, you don't have to an-""His development had changed his tan skin to green, and his hair turned bright green. Like cataclysm touched each limb of his body, he slowly disappeared into nothing. He screamed out for me, using of his silly nicknames for me. I tried my best to reassure him as he disappeared, but once he was gone..."The last time she had seen her partner, he was crying out for her, practically quivering with anxiety, and she didn't know how to help him. The pure look of fear he had in his eyes would never leave her mind. How he became so worried when his hands began to disappear, how he looked to her for a solution, and she let him down, it tied a knot in her stomach. Just thinking about how the love of her life disappeared before her eyes because of her lack of assistance made her want to curl up and cry.She was his partner! She was supposed to help him with everything, just like he had done for her. Nathalie couldn't do anything, but hold Chat Noir and try to console him for the few seconds she had until he was completely gone. "All that was left... was Plagg and his miraculous."Nathalie never found another trace of Felix.
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"All that was left was Plagg... and his miraculous.""H-He just... disappeared into thin air?" Chloe attempted to ask, seeing as Ladybug was left just as speechless as Adrien. Thankfully Nathalie was very discreet when mentioning Marinette's name, so he didn't hear when she used it, but he did listen to her story about losing her partner. "Is Ladybug going to..." Alya's voice grew weak. Nathalie didn't reply immediately, but she tried to wipe away the traces that her tears left. Her Felix had suffered, and now was her chance to help someone else, like he had done for her. The problem was that only Felix had known how to stop her development, yet he couldn't end his own. She felt just as clueless as Ladybug did."She can't die!" Adrien blurted out, almost angrily. Ladybug would've used words to console him or at least try to assure that she wasn't going to die, but now she wasn't even sure.If it came down to... that, she would need her partner to promise her something important. She had to do it before it was too late."I need to talk to Chat Noir."The spotted heroine ran out of the office, leaving them behind. "Adrien, didn't you say you had a photo shoot?" Chloe asked, remembering how obvious it was that her old friend was Chat Noir. He needed an escape, and now was the chance. Adrien gaped at her, unsure of whether or not she knew. She narrowed her icy eyes, giving a curt nod in confirmation. That was all he needed to know."Oh... right! Silly me!" Adrien laughed nervously, making his way to escape."Adrien, it isn't scheduled until tomorrow," Nathalie reminded him, causing him to flash an anxious look to Chloe. "That's because... my daddy told a bunch of photographers that Adrien would model for free, seeing as he is my childhood best friend! Those pictures are for me, so I won't be paying him squat!" Chloe crossed her arms, turning her head slightly to look at Adrien with a risen eyebrow. "Uh... I guess. I mean, BFF's for life! I have to go! The appointment is right now! Chloe, I need you there for assistance," the blonde requested, widening his eyes and flicking them toward the door.Chloe rolled her eyes and followed him out into the now darkened outdoors. "Of course I know you're Chat Noir!" she hissed, glaring at him once they were away from the office, "But someone is waiting to talk to you and she's blind so hurry up before she goes somewhere you can't find her! Especially at nighttime!""How did you- we'll talk about this later! I'll be back!" Adrien quickly changed the subject, running into a corner to transform. Once he did so, Chloe pointed him in the direction of his partner. Chat Noir rushed to her side, causing Ladybug to turn at his arrival. "Adrien?" She questioned, being that she hadn't left the ground and his scent still reeked of strong Camembert, but a cologne that was likely used in an attempt to cover up the horrid stench."Nope, Chat Noir," he told her, but the girl's eyes narrowed in confusion."I think you're confusing," Ladybug declared."And you're not wrong... or quiet. Let's go somewhere else to talk about this," he whispered, taking her by the arm gently to escort her to the top of the Eiffel Tower."I can get there myself," she grumbled, but Chat Noir held her securely as he raised the two with his staff."I know, but I can't risk losing you," he replied quietly as they reached the top. He slowly released her from his grip once they sat down at their usual spot, swinging their legs over the high distance from the ground. The air made Chat nervous about Ladybug's safety, so he held her arm once again. He noticed how the lights of the city behind him sparkled in orb-like sequences. It was a beautiful sight to take in, only making him feel more bad about his partner's loss of eyesight."You're not going to lose me, you silly cat! At least not from a fall," she assured him, slipping her arm out from his grip. Already having heard parts of the conversation she had with Nathalie, Adrien tried to mentally prepare himself for whatever Ladybug had to say. "But I— need you to promise me something, just in case my development... kills me," the heroine turned toward him."It won't kill you, Ladybug," Chat Noir tried to reassure her, as well as himself ."Chat... Let's be honest. I'm already so far into his mess. I bet the only reason Lady Luck was able to stop it was because she wasn't too evolved. Look at me, I've got wings, almost completely red hair, and I've practically gone blind," a sad smile forced its way into her face."You're not going to die! You're not!" He cried out, causing Ladybug's heart to sink at the hurt in his voice."Kitty... I don't have control over this kind of thing. I don't think Lady Luck knows what to do either. Look what it did to her partner. I just need you to promise me something," she rested her hand on his tensed shoulder.His silence told her that he was listening, so she continued. "One of the times I went to Master Fu's during our little two week patrol break, he told me why Hawkmoth wanted the miraculous and why he couldn't have it. He wants it to make a wish, and he definitely could if he got his hands on it.""What do you think he'd use it for?" Chat Noir asked, his voice gaining more sturdiness. "Hawkmoth keeps his motives secret," Ladybug replied."So why couldn't we make a wish? Not a selfish one, but a wise one, like stopping Hawkmoth or ending poverty?" The hero asked his partner.Ladybug shifted in thought, trying to decide how she'd explain it. "You remember Robustus, right? The robot akuma that wanted to become a human? He wanted the miraculous for himself, so he could make that wish and give him humanity. I learned that in return, someone else's humanity would have been taken because there's a balance. Master Fu briefly explained that to me the last time I met with him.""Oh, that makes sense. We have to keep our miraculous protected from Hawkmoth then. So in theory, if he wanted power from the wish, would someone else's power be taken? Like Mayor Bourgeois's, then we'd be in trouble," Chat Noir inquired curiously."That's right," Ladybug nodded, confirming his thoughts. Her mind wandered back to the original promise she was going to ask him to keep. "Anyways, I just have to ask you something. Based on what I've heard from Nathalie, if... I do disappear, you'll be left with my Miraculous and Tikki."Chat Noir bit his lip, trying to choke back whatever emotional lump he felt coming. How could she be talking about dying like that? She was his partner, and he cared so much about her. He lost his own mother, Marinette, and now Ladybug was barely hanging onto her life. Ladybug was all he had left, and now she was expecting to disappear. "Hawkmoth will probably try to take advantage of me gone. He might even try to convince you to give him the miraculous or try to akumatize you. The moment I disappear, please take care of my earrings and give them to-""I CAN'T REPLACE YOU, LADYBUG!" Chat Noir cried, causing Ladybug to blink in baffling silence. She shook her head and tried to continue."Chat, please. You'll need a partner. I can't leave you behind with no one! I care about you, and I can't disappear knowing you'll be alone!" She argued, her own eyes growing moist. She heard her voice squeak almost in a crack."YOU'RE ALL I HAVE! You- you can't disappear, Ladybug!!" Chat Noir's voice nearly broke. Ladybug's heart fell into the pit of her stomach, and a tear ran down her mask. She bit down her trembling lower lip, and pulled her arms around her partner.He was so scared of losing her, yet she had no idea how she could stop the development. Nathalie didn't seem to know either. Ladybug sunk her face into Chat Noir's shoulder, and he held her tightly. She felt the trembles of his shoulders, almost as if he were trying to contain them."You know... this is just in case," Ladybug whispered, "I just want you to be safe. Give my earrings to Lady Luck first. Whatever Hawkmoth says, don't listen to him. He's crazy."She felt Chat Noir's head nod up and down slightly against her own head, as they held one another in a hug. "You're a good partner, Chat Noir.""You're the best, Ladybug."* * *"So you can't recall how Felix fixed your own development?" Master Fu asked Nathalie. "I don't know how he did! The boy used to study the history of our miraculous in his free time. He just did something by himself, and I was somehow able to transform back again. He wasn't able to fix his own. It was like he forgot, so he couldn't even ask me to do it for him! Instead, he let the entire thing engulf him until he was nothing," Nathalie explained, sighing."Please save Ladybug! We can help you," Alya offered, pointing at Chloe as she walked back into the office. "She's right. As tedious as it might seem to search for answers, it will prove more helpful than doing nothing," Fu replied."They're not wrong. As irritating as Ladybug could get, she's a really good friend and smart hero. We can help," Chloe added.Nathalie looked around at all the support surrounding her, and for what seemed like the first time since Felix was alive, she felt hopeful. "Let's get started then," she let a small smile fall over her face. She received smiles in return from her support, and tears of appreciation stung her eyes. Sniffling, she wiped them away.Master Fu's eyes wandered to the books on his desk, then he asked, "Do you know where Felix used to live?" Nathalie's blue eyes widened, then she let them fall to her feet. "Well... we were still in high school, so he lived with his parents. I'm not sure if they still live in the same location.""Maybe we can find his notes or journals in his room?" Alya suggested. "You know, we can ask Plagg where Felix placed notes on this subject if he had any," Master Fu suggested."You're right! First I'll check to see if Felix's parents still live in the same place, then we can search for Chat Noir," Nathalie agreed, beginning to take action. "Great, we'll start looking for Chat Noir and we can meet back here after," Alya added, grabbing Chloe."I'll discuss matters with my assistant for the time being," Fu smiled, allowing the group to split out. * * *"You know that Chat Noir is with Ladybug, right?" Chloe told Alya as they continued to walk along the streets."Great, so where would the two hang out?" The brunette asked her."Probably in their hangout spot. That's going to take a while to get there," Chloe sighed, looking to the top of the Eiffel Tower. Alya's eyes followed Chloe's visual trail to the two barely visible red and black dots sitting at the top. "Crap. You're right.""Even the elevator won't take us to that point. If we climb, we fall," the blonde explained, causing Alya to brighten at a sudden idea. She looked to her with a sigh, realizing the brunette planned on doing something utterly ridiculous."Then how about we take the elevator, then climb. We won't fall if we climb carefully," Alya shot out the friendly finger guns excitedly. "That sounds hard. Also incredibly ridiculous! How do you intend on holding your grip? No matter what I try to do, I'm probably going to end up being a blonde pancake splat across the ground of Paris," Chloe growled nervously."Just bee careful, then," Alya laughed, receiving a glare in response from her frenemy. After some more argument, Chloe was finally somewhat persuaded to join Alya in her dangerous pursuit. They stepped into the elevator, with Chloe hoping for the best. * * * Nathalie stopped once the house came into view. This was the house that once protected and withheld the only boy she'd ever come to love. Nothing was there to her anymore. If it didn't contain Felix, it didn't contain life. All it held was the painfully wonderful memories of the boy who knew how to make a shy girl smile and laugh freely. It would hurt to see the memorable place without him now, but she would have to get there if she wanted to save Ladybug. Her blue eyes remained void of life, and she straightened her posture as she prepared to see the people who once cared for her partner, and were so kind to her whenever she'd come to Felix for homework help. She forced herself to walk to the front door, numbing the pain her heart felt as more memories of Felix came crashing down on her. Nathalie raised her pale, shaking fist to the door, knocking more softly than she would've preferred. She heard footsteps approach from behind the door, and she braced herself for another painful reminder of her partner, but instead, she was greeted with a stranger's face. Relief flooded through her, but it immediately turned to guilt. "Who are you?" A brunette girl about Adrien's age asked, probably curious as to why there was a random nervous lady knocking. "I'm Miss Sancouer, a friend of the Dior family. Do Mr. and Mrs. Dior still live in this residence?" She questioned. "No, this is the Rossi family. I'm Lila. Come in," the green-eyed girl invited her in.Nathalie politely accepted, mentally deciding what she could do. Keeping her head straight and her eyes traced on the ground, she decided not to observe her surroundings. She knew she'd become emotional if she even looked at a solid reminder of her partner."So... do you need their contact info? I'm pretty sure we met them before they moved out," Lila asked her, offering a seat on her couch."By any chance, do you know if they left any of their son's things behind?" Nathalie wondered, taking the seat."Um... I'm not sure. If you want, you could look into the attic. I do know that there are old things up there," Lila offered helpfully."That would be great. Would you mind if I took a look?" She asked, getting to her feet. "Yeah! Go ahead," Lila nodded, standing and walking over to lead her toward the area. Her light brown hair swished back and forth as she walked through the now-cleaned hallways. The woman let her gaze fall along the hallways, remembering the pictures that used to hang on the walls. They were now barren and void of Felix Dior.Lila yanked on the string that hung at the end, stepping back as the door to the attic fell open, causing the attached ladder to unfold itself. Fixing the ladder to properly stand on the ground, the girl offered the woman a flashlight and allowed her to take a look."So... you were close with the family that lived here?" Lila asked, politely trying to make conversation with her guest as she followed her into the attic.Nathalie paused for a moment, then allowed herself to respond, "Yes, actually I was romantically involved with their son."Lila paled, causing Nathalie to raise an eyebrow. "Oh... Felix? I... um heard about him!" She smiled nervously, clutching at the small pigtails she made at the ends of her hair. "You heard about his... sudden disappearance?" Nathalie went back to facing the dust-covered objects in the attic. "The Diors seemed heartbroken when they began moving things from his room. I'm so sorry about his... passing," Lila offered a gentle hand to her shoulder. The irritating lump in her throat came back, and Nathalie tried to blink the threatening tears away. Comfort always made her weak, and she hated it. "Yeah, me too," she replied coldly.Lila awkwardly stood to the side as Nathalie began to look through the Dior family's old things. She found old lamps, vases, even furniture. Felix's old toys were also put in a simple chest, but Nathalie didn't bother to search through it. "Is there anything in particular you're searching for? Something they borrowed and never returned?" Lila asked, finally speaking after mentally wondering whether or not she'd ask to break the awkward silence."Something like that. Are there books here?" Nathalie asked, turning to look at her."Yeah, on that shelf over there," Lila pointed to the farthest corner to the right. Nathalie followed her direction and found the shelf. After digging through the books and picking up all of them, she only saw that literature sat on the shelf. It had taken at least half an hour to look through all of them. Unfortunately, she didn't find any journals or notes from Felix. Some old schoolwork sat in a box, but none of it had contained anything related to the miraculous. By midnight, Nathalie had given up searching through the attic, apologizing profusely to Lila for have taken so long. Lila replied with a sleepy smile, yawning before speaking, "It's okay... I'm sorry you didn't find what... you were looking for." The girl sat up against the wall, barely able to keep her eyes open. "Where are your parents by the way?" Nathalie asked, concerned."Out on a business trip," she mumbled sleepily."Well, I'll show myself out. Goodnight, and thank you for letting me search. I didn't think it would take so long, I'm sorry again."Now she'd have to find another way to help Ladybug.
----- CHAPTER BREAK -----
"Alya, this is a terrible idea! We're going to fall and die!" Chloe yelled angrily as they continued to climb the Eiffel Tower after getting off the elevator, bar by bar. She was sweating from being nervous, so her hands were slippery, and the blonde was on the verge of tears. "Calm down! Once we find Ladybug and Chat Noir, they can help us down!" Alya yelled back, her voice being carried away by the wind. The distance was making Chloe dizzy, and she didn't dare peek down. She already felt like throwing up, and her urge to cry wasn't helping. The fact that they were a far height from the ground was making her nervous, and with sweaty hands, she felt inevitably bound to fall to her death. It wasn't even like Ladybug could spot her, being that she was practically blind. Maybe Chat Noir, but Ladybug mentioned that his vision was usually less better than the night time. He could probably see her if she fell, but if both she and Alya were falling, he wouldn't be able to save both of them, and Ladybug couldn't save any of them being blind."MY HANDS ARE SWEATY AND SLIPPERY!! I’M GOING TO DIE!!" Chloe screamed, now wrapping her arms around the metal pieces building the Eiffel Tower. It was not her best idea to wear flats either, because those were incredibly slippery. "Chloe, stop panicking! You're just making yourself sweat more, and that's dangerous! Just hang on and I'll climb to the top to get Chat Noir! He'll come back for you, and Ladybug could probably fly me down!" Alya climbed down a few metal bars to calm the panicky blonde. "Don't just sit there," Chloe growled through grit teeth out of fear, "Get Ladybug!!" "But I want Ladybug to bring me down," Alya complained childishly, "She's blind by the way.""I know that, you imbecile! She also has an increasingly better sense of smell that can help her find me!" Chloe argued, gasping when her gaze fell beneath her. Her knees wobbled as her feet kicked to rest on the bar above. Her ankle smacked into the metal, causing her to whimper. "Why did you wear flats to climb an Eiffel Tower? Those have terrible grip!" Alya scolded her."I know!! Go get Ladybug or Chat Noir!! I'm going to fall!" She screamed, the skin on her palms burning from the irritatingly painful blisters that happened to form. "Chill out! You're getting way too panicky, and it's not going to help with the sweating," Alya warned, beginning to climb faster. Chloe squealed out in frustration, allowing her voice to carry out into the night as she pulled onto the next bar above her. * * *In efforts of wanting to avoid the terrifying thoughts of her incoming doom, Ladybug wanted to just joke and hang out with Chat Noir like they usually would at patrol. If this was her last patrol, at least she could know it was a lighthearted, euphoric time. The two sat on the top of the Eiffel Tower, the city lights gleaming behind them with the moon and starlights exaltedly shining above. Chat Noir wished so badly that his partner would've been able to view the magnificent sight. Their voices ran quiet when Ladybug picked up the scent of strong perfume below and Chat Noir heard the sound of a frustrated scream. "Do you think it's an akuma?" Ladybug whispered, turning to the place where she assumed her partner to be."I'm not sure," Chat whispered back, but then the sight of an arm clutching the edge of the small platform caused him to gasp. Ladybug wasted no time in pulling him behind her protectively as she jumped into battle position, but then she heard Alya's voice, "Ladybug! Chat Noir!"She reached down, and felt her arm before hauling her up on the platform. A sense of worry hit her, "Alya Cesaire! What were you thinking to climb all the way up here?! You could have fallen!" Alya sighed, shaking her head. The heroine often took the role of a mother figure to victims when it came down to little things, but she was the same age as her. She felt no need to be scolded by her role model. "Look, we have something really important to discuss, but for now, you have to get Chloe! She's getting really nervous about climbing and her hands are slippery!" She pointed below, to which Chat Noir used his staff to lower himself. "Chloe is climbing up here too?! Alya, that was very dangerous!! You both could've died! Chat Noir- Oh, it seems he has gone down to get her. As for you, what do you need to talk about so desperately that you had to climb to the top of this tower?" Ladybug sat her down in a safe area away from the edge, crossing her arms afterwards."Well, we need Chat Noir's kwami, who had Felix as his former charge, and we need to know where he kept his studies and notes on the topic of your issue," Alya explained as she saw Chat Noir return with Chloe. The blonde girl shakily made her way to sit beside Ladybug. "You need to talk to Plagg? We should probably all head on down to the actual ground then. If I detransform here, I'll have no place to hide and I doubt Ladybug could carry down three people at once.""Okay, Ladybug could take me down, and Chat Noir can take Chloe," Alya decided."How about Ladybug takes me down, then Chat Noir takes down Alya," Chloe argued. Ladybug just shook her head, grabbing whichever person was nearest to her, then flying down carefully. When she realized this person had leather, she let out a frustrated groan. "I think I'm more than capable of getting myself down, my lady, but thank you," Chat Noir chuckled half heartedly."Whatever, we're halfway down. I'll just bring down the other two by myself," she laughed, continuing to bring him to the floor. "You sure you won't drop one?" Chat Noir asked her as she quickly flew down, releasing him once her feet hit the floor. "I got this," she told him before flying back up. Her partner shrugged before following her back up to help her take one of the girls to the floor. Once they reached the top, the girls were still arguing over who gets to have Ladybug take them down. The heroine grabbed one of them randomly, this time ensuring she hadn't grabbed her own capable partner to take her down. Chat Noir took Alya down, as Ladybug had taken Chloe randomly. "Okay, I'm going to detransform somewhere, and I'll send my kwami to meet you guys here. Don't move, please," He tacked on at the end before bursting into a sprint towards the park. Once he was out of sight, he dropped his transformation, and let Plagg fall into his hands. "Here, I have some Camembert for you. You need to help the girls with the Ladybug situation," he said, pulling the required energy source from his front shirt pocket. Plagg thankfully grabbed it, and swallowed the cheese. "It's midnight, kid. You go home, and I'll come back to your house when I'm done. You have school tomorrow and it ain't gonna be pleasant if you don't sleep," the kwami told him, causing Adrien to feel touched by his uncharacteristic care. "But Ladybug-" Adrien began, But his kwami shut his mouth and pointed to the direction of his house."Go home, kid. I got this," he declared. "Please stay out of sight," Adrien begged the kwami as he walked away from him for what felt like he first time in a few years. Plagg discreetly flew back to where all the girls were standing. He noticed Ladybug's appearance had definitely taken a change. For one, her eyes were now grey, and that was not a good sign. With Felix, he was stuck inside the guy during the entire development, so it wasn't until Lady Luck found him lying beside the ring that he had actually been released. "Ladybug?" Plagg flew up to her, and she immediately recognized his voice."You're Chat's kwami! You can help, right?" Ladybug asked. "Somewhat," Plagg replied, looking more closely at Ladybug. "What happened to your eyes? Why did they change color?" "Little red specks and dots began to form in the iris of my eye, and eventually the blue and red mixed to create the purple iris. As for the pupil, I have no clue. I can only see very very poorly. Just terrible blobs of mixed colors," Ladybug explained. "That's not good," the kwami mumbled to her."We should go back to Master Fu's. That's where Nathalie said she'd meet us," Chloe reminded them. Alya nodded, and Ladybug was led by Plagg. "So... Felix had the development too, right?" Ladybug confirmed, and Plagg replied positively."He did. I was technically within him the entire time, but was stuck watching Felix fade to nothing. There was this place... it was kind of like his subconscious or something, but it was filled with random colors. Felix was stuck sleeping there the whole time, only awakening when he'd visit his alter ego in his dreams.""Like my dream! I met Marinette in my dream, which was a place filled with random bright colors, and she told me that when she wasn't with me, she was stuck reliving her old memories," Ladybug whispered her own name, ensuring Alya didn't hear. "It sounds like you and Felix are having the same kind of development. With Lady Luck's development, I remember Felix spent all his days and nights trying to find a solution to make sure she wouldn't disappear. The kid barely slept, skipped his homework, and even often ditched class to find more research on how he could help his partner change back," Plagg unconsciously let a sad smile grow on his face as he discussed his previous holder's love for his partner. "It sounded like he really cared for Lady Luck," Ladybug replied, her own heart breaking as she realized history may repeat itself. "And Lady Luck loved Felix more than life itself. I wasn't there to watch her reaction to his development, but I remember how heartbroken she was after... he disappeared," Plagg's smile disappeared. "How... can we stop this development? Also what about your current holder? Is he okay? Is he going to go through what Felix went through?" Ladybug questioned, growing more anxious. "We will do our best to stop your development. My holder is going through a normal development right now. It's very slow, and takes time. He can detransform easily, so that's the sign that he won't have that issue."Alya, Chloe, Ladybug, and Plagg were able to go back into Master Fu's place. He had gone to bed, but allowed the group to continue to use his space. "How did your search for the books go?" Alya asked Nathalie, who seemingly just made it to the shop a little before they had. "I didn't find anything," Nathalie reported, then her gaze fell on Plagg. She held her emotions at bay, seeing as the last time she had seen him was when her partner died. "You've aged terribly," Plagg joked, trying to pretend he hadn't seen her everyday Adrien was his holder."You're as irritating as ever," Nathalie shifted her glasses then clearing her throat. "Okay, so you didn't find anything. Plagg, where did Felix keep his notes?" Alya asked the kwami.He looked around for a moment, as if to hark back his memories and recall the moments. "I'm mostly sure he'd left all his research in his journals. He was always writing things down, and saving them in his desk drawer.""Did you see any desks at Felix's house?" Ladybug asked Nathalie. "No, the old owners had moved out. The new owner let me look through their attic, which held a majority of Felix's belongings," she replied, "I searched the huge bookcase, and there was nothing on Felix's miraculous research.""Tomorrow, we should try to contact Felix's parents then. They might still have his desk and research," Plagg suggested. "It's probably a good idea to do this tomorrow then. Alya and Chloe have school tomorrow, Nathalie has work, and Plagg has to go back to his holder. I don't want you guys to exhaust yourselves helping me," Ladybug told them, wrapping her arms around herself. "If it means we don't lose one of our heroes, it's worth losing some sleep," Alya said with a smile. "If it means we can stop history from repeating itself."The group split up and went back to their respective houses with the promise to meet back up again after the high school was let out for the day.
----- CHAPTER BREAK -----
"Adrien, it's time for school!" Nathalie knocked at his door to awaken him.At the sound of her voice, Adrien sleepily glanced up toward his door. "There's an issue that I'd consider a little more important than my education!" He yelled back, rubbing his eyes. "And what might that be?"Adrien jumped at the familiar, deep male voice that came from beside him. He sat up, realizing his father was sitting at his desk. "Father! What are y-you doing here this morning? I thought you'd be at work!" The boy asked, smiling nervously as he sat up straight. "I heard from your bodyguard that you and Nathalie returned home late. What were you doing?" Gabriel asked with a raised eyebrow as he noticed the slideshow background of his computer changing to a selfie of Marinette and Alya, more zoomed in on Marinette's face than her best friend's. Adrien's face reddened as he got up and slapped the button to shut the computer monitor off. "Oh, I was... doing a school project with the people I was assigned to group with!" He thought up the excuse quickly, "And Nathalie had to drive me there and back!"Gabriel grunted a small thoughtful response, then looked at the door. "You know, when I had asked Nathalie, she offered me a different explanation," he clasped his hands together, standing to tower over his son in height. Adrien gulped, letting out a nervous laugh, "Oh?""Nathalie told me that you were volunteering with your friends," Gabriel spoke curtly. The tall man adjusted his glasses, clearing his throat seriously. He bent down slightly with narrowed icy gray eyes to look his son in the eyes, then asked in the most solemn tone, "So let me ask you again, what exactly were you doing last night?"Adrien parted his lips to respond breathlessly, but Gabriel cut him off, "Don't think this is the first time I've seen you sneaking off at night either. When I'd come home late at night, I'd notice you weren't in your bedroom."It was then the boy felt he'd been whacked in the stomach with a dumbbell, and he looked to his drawer where Plagg slept helplessly before looking back up at his father. What could he tell him about all those nights? It wasn't like he could reveal his identity to his father, but he suddenly realized he could do much worse. It was a terrible idea, Adrien knew, but revealing his identity wasn't an option. If he offered a less crazy explanation, Gabriel likely wouldn't believe him.With a smirk, he looked up at his father and looked back and said, "I'll give you the truth, Father."Gabriel looked taken aback by his sudden change of heart, and he pushed on curiously, "Well, then what is it?" Adrien spoke smugly, and told his father, "What I do is something not a lot of people know about. Not even my closest friends know this, but I..."Nathalie snuck the door open and looked at Adrien, anxiously awaiting his answer. Was he going to tell Gabriel that she was Lady Luck? Was he going to tell him that he had been assisting in helping cure Ladybug's dysfunctional development? "I sneak out to botanical gardens to learn about plants and further my interest in plant science!" Adrien blurted randomly. Seriously? Plant science?Originally, Adrien planned on blurting out something completely scandalous, but of course, his "good boy" filter basically let something educational and safe slip out from his mouth. He mentally scolded himself, watching his father's reaction relax slightly at his odd response."When your mother was a teenager, she used to obsess over botanical gardens. She would always bring me to her favorites on our dates," Gabriel's face softened at the memory, "For your next birthday, I'll have my schedule cleared so we can take a visit to your mother's absolute favorite botanical garden."Adrien's heart fell at the mention of his missing mother, and he immediately regretted lying about having an interest in something so personal and important. "... Thanks, Father.""You always seem to remind me more and more of her," Gabriel nearly smiled, but he cleared his throat as he stood back to his feet. "Anyways, you have school soon. You should begin getting prepared. Nathalie and your bodyguard will take you."Adrien nodded, almost solemnly, then he hung his head sadly. How could his mother have disappeared like nothing?Gabriel walked out of his room and his assistant quickly scooted to the side, allowing his accessible exit. Once he left, Nathalie went into Adrien's room."While you're at school with your friends, I'll continue to assist Ladybug and Master Fu. Don't worry about her. Just focus on your studies," Nathalie assured him, and he nodded."Just... please don't let her disappear too. I can't lose my partner too," Adrien looked up at her hopefully."I'll do my best to save her, Adrien," Nathalie promised, but then it took a few moments for the words he had said to set in. PARTNER?! Did Adrien just refer to Ladybug as his partner?! Adrien saw Nathalie pale, and he finally realized what he accidentally let slip out. "Wait! I didn't-" he tried to backtrack his words, but Nathalie just looked at the ring on his finger for what seemed like the first time and knew. "I won't tell anyone," she quietly reassured him before closing the door behind her after leaving his room."Way to go, plant boy!" Plagg whisper-shouted as he left his hiding spot. "I don't know why I said that," Adrien groaned in shame, falling back to his bed. "Said what? Being an avid plant lover or letting your identity slip?!" The kwami asked him, his aggression clearly escaping."Both," the blonde replied exhaustedly.* * *Adrien gave Alya and Chloe an acknowledging nod once he caught their gazes upon his entrance into the classroom.He looked back to the empty seat beside Alya that once contained the bubbly yet shy girl who went missing. She didn't deserve it, Adrien thought sadly. Alya even seemed to be trying to ignore the void space in their desk, barely ever turning in the direction."How is she?" Adrien quietly asked Chloe as he passed his own desk. He remembered how when Alya was catching him up on the details he missed, he learned Ladybug was Bridgette, so she'd been living with Chloe for a while. "She's... still the same. Emotionally, she seems drained," Chloe sighed, remembering the past night and how she found Ladybug in the middle of the night.Upon being questioned, Chloe learned that the heroine was worried about her family and friends, and how they would be so upset if they learned what was happening and how she lied to them about being able to maybe return one day. "Gosh... We have to do everything we can to help save her. We can't let her disappear," Adrien told both Chloe and Alya."We have a research period coming up in class today. Maybe the school library has something on previous superheroes and their developments," Alya suggested helpfully.The school bell rang, and the students scattered to their seats as the teacher walked into the classroom. "Good morning, class. As you know, you all have an upcoming group project. Today I'll explain it, then we can head on down to the library to do research!" Miss Bustier began. She tidied her desk quickly, then clicked the projector on. Miss Bustier set out an old paper under the camera, showing its requirements."Hey man, what's up with Chloe and Alya?" Nino whispered to Adrien curiously."Oh, it's nothing. Just... uh- Marinette stuff," Adrien lied. Nino rose an eyebrow, "Why would Chloe care about Marinette? I know they used to be BFFs, but she used to pick on her a lot before she disappeared." "Guilt?" Adrien's stomach twisted at the idea of lying about something so serious. He was using poor Marinette as an excuse for Ladybug. Gosh, he thought, why did she even like him in the first place? She deserved someone so much better, he thought to himself.Nino could tell Adrien was lying, but he didn't persist on the detail. The teacher was already giving them a scolding look for chatting, so he quieted down and listened to her."You guys will be in groups of three! No more or less! The research topic can be about anything you guys are deeply interested in, but it has to be about an issue in today's world, and how it was dealt with in the previous years," Miss Bustier explained.Nino looked to Adrien to ask him if he wanted to partner up, but he was already looking at Chloe and Alya. What was going on with the three of them? Nino shook off the small bit of betrayal he felt, and looked to Max and Kim who gave him a thumbs up. He smiled in return, but looked once again at Adrien. The blonde seemed distracted, he noticed. Deciding he'd ask his friend later, Nino abandoned his desk to go with his group. * * *"But Chloe, we're always in a group! Why haven't you been talking to me like you used to? I thought we were besties!" A certain redhead whined quite loudly."I'm busy with something right now, Sabrina. It's very important I do this with them," Chloe told her friend, urgent to ensure that their group would consist of people who could help save Ladybug. "It's like I don't even exist anymore! I won't keep letting you use me anymore! Goodbye Chloe!" Sabrina stomped away to find another group.Chloe sighed exhaustedly, mentally reminding herself to apologize to her melodramatic friend after the entire ordeal was over. She truly learned to appreciate the girl for previously putting up with her garbage and bad attitude, but she was often really sensitive. "I remember when Marinette tried to get her to chill out," Alya sadly reminisced, and Chloe turned away guiltily. Whenever someone brought up Marinette, Chloe immediately felt responsible for not letting them know the truth. People assumed she left and died, and the police already gave up their search. Everyone was left with little hope of ever finding her, and yet she knew exactly where she was."Let's get headed to the library," Miss Bustier announced, "Everyone stay with their groups and line up against the wall so I can write down your names!"The class did as instructed, and with Sabrina brushing past Chloe with the cold shoulder, the blonde sighed again. She had to keep reminding herself that she used to be a terrible person to put up with, and if Sabrina used to do it, she could as well. If the girl wanted to ignore her, it was her choice, the blonde told herself. Soon enough, the class was arranged properly into groups, with Miss Bustier fixing each to ensure everyone was put into one. She led her class down to the library. Adrien suddenly saw Marinette sitting on a chair, using his game controller to beat Max for the school's competition. He saw her looking up at him curiously when he had just told her that he was happy to begin working with her. He saw her smile at him in delight, cuddling his remote, then sheepishly giving it back. "Adrien? Adrien!" A voice snapped him back to reality. Chloe pulled him to the book aisles where the rest of the class had already ventured back to. "Sorry!" He apologized, following her back to Alya. The brunette was already skimming the "M" title aisle in the efforts to finding anything Miraculous-related. "Adrien, I'd suggest you start looking in the 'L' section for Ladybug or Lady Luck. Chloe, look for either the 'D' section for development or the 'S' section for superhero history. We meet back up by the chairs in fifteen with the books we find," Alya planned, "If we don't find anything at all, the computers are our next best option." Adrien and Chloe agreed to her plan, then split off to their respective sections. The boy found the "L" section, and immediately found a large selection of books referring to ladybugs. He honestly doubted his school's library would actually contain any useful information in this subject, but it was worth trying. 'A childrens' book on getting to know Ladybug, a manga based on the Ladybug Miraculous, a Ladybug superhero guide, a history book of previous Ladybug holders... Some of these are more helpful than others,' Adrien thought to himself. He set these books aside, rushing over to the "C" section. If he could find something on the old Chat Noir and how he reverted Lady Luck's permanent transformation, maybe it could lead him to better clues about how to fix Ladybug. Maybe it was something involving his own miraculous that once saved Lady Luck?'Cat Puns: The Best Of Chat Noir,' Adrien mentally read to himself, outwardly chuckling. Placing that book aside for later, he looked through a few more Chat Noir-related books. Considering he was looking in the nonfiction, he was able to find some biographies of the past holders of his miraculous, but they were mostly theories based on them. What did Nathalie say the last guy's name was again? Fredrick? 'I don't think he publicly revealed his identity though, so maybe we're basing the biographies by years,' Adrien thought to himself. Most holders kept the name the same for his miraculous, Adrien discovered, but a female renamed herself, Midnight Kitty. What year did Nathalie's Chat Noir have the miraculous? Late nineties? Adrien knew there wasn't much to be said about how he found the solution, otherwise Nathalie wouldn't have had the trouble of changing him back. Why couldn't he change himself back? Why did he need Nathalie to do it and why couldn't he tell her? Was it different?The boy was just getting more questions than answers at this point, and he just carried the stack of books to the chairs Alya told him and Chloe to meet her at once they had finished. Seeing as he had arrived a bit earlier, he started looking through some of the more useful books he found. Although he was intrigued by some of the facts he discovered about the older generation, Adrien kept himself focused. He searched through the biography of the 1999 Lady Luck. 'Lady Luck retired from her duty at fifteen, a year after losing her partner to a battle,' Adrien read. He skipped to the chapter labeled, "Power Change."He learned that she developed wings, and was able to use them easily. Her sense of sight increased sharply, making her able to detect things more easily, but only after her partner had helped fix her development, leaving a portion of her hair red. He didn't reverse anything, but set it on the right path, Adrien found. So how could he help set her back on the right path? If nothing was reversible, then it meant she would forever be cursed with terrible vision, and her beautiful bluebell eyes were left purple. Of course, her appearance wasn't going to be an issue, but just the fact that his poor partner was going to be left practically blind made him sad. The worst part was that she would be able to be detected more easily as a civilian once she was changed back to normal with such distinguishable features such as red-black ombré hair and purple eyes. How would she be able to hide from the public as a civilian? 'Aw, now I'm just thinking too far ahead. It's important to just focus on the solution we need to find,' Adrien thought to himself. "I see you've already dug into your research, Agreste," Alya spoke up from behind him suddenly, causing him to jump slightly at the surprising entrance she made to their designated meeting area. "There's nothing about the solution. Only history about how the previous Chat Noir allegedly died in an akuma attack in the year, 2000," Adrien groaned, "I found some history, but it only left me with more questions than answers.""Well, that's research for you! In my LadyBlog, I have to gather those questions I came up with during me research and string together what I've got, searching for the missing pieces when I can, then coming to a solid conclusion after finding evidence!" Alya explained, causing Adrien to weaken slightly at such an idea. Ladybug was always amazing at putting together random things to save the day, Adrien felt. She was practically blind, but she wasn't dead, meaning the heroine was still available for resource. Being that she wasn't exactly the most emotionally solid person thanks to her knowledge of the incoming doom she thought was inevitable, Adrien wasn't sure if he wanted to put such a thing on the heroine. If it came down to that, he would likely go to her. As of now, the LadyBlogger was available. "Where the heck is Chloe? I thought I was late, but it's already been like twenty minutes! This library is terribly big. I'll just go find her. You can watch all these books," Alya grumbled.Adrien sighed, watching the blogger storm off to find the blonde. Deciding to take a peek at older generations of Ladybugs, Adrien grabbed a few of the biographies he found from his book search. He noticed that all of them did go through a change in powers, but they all affected the holder positively, such as making them stronger, smarter, or quicker. They did get upgraded powers, he discovered, but it seemed that it was Nathalie who was the first to get the messy development. It seemed to be a result of something however. What happened that made the development go wrong in the first place?
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"None of these books even slightly mention an idea of a solution to fix Ladybug's development!" Chloe whined, closing yet another book. The group had spent a half hour skimming through their books for possible aids to their search."What are you three working on?" Miss Bustier suddenly asked from behind Adrien. "Nothing!" Chloe yelped anxiously. The teacher glanced at her suspiciously. "Just looking up our favorite heroes for the project," Alya said quickly, yet nonchalantly. Everyone knew she was practically obsessed with anything Ladybug-related, so it was expected she was searching up something of that topic. "Alright, please try to keep it down. We have another fifteen minutes before lunch, so keep up the good researching," Miss Bustier said before leaving to check up on another group."Kim, we can't research how to carve a duck out of a football!" The group heard, and Miss Bustier scowled, running over to where it came from."You boys better be joking! I swear, you better not have spent all this period researching that!" Miss Bustier yelled. Adrien chuckled a bit, "Poor Nino got stuck over there.""Oh, right! I forgot about Nino! Haha," Alya laughed, a hint of guilt in her tone. "We have fifteen minutes left for this period, guys. What are we going to do? Ladybug doesn't have much time, and Nathalie is practically clueless," Chloe reminded them restlessly."Well, there has to be something Nathalie knows or something we can find. Chat Noir's kwami should've been paying attention to the research Felix was doing at the time," Adrien grumbled the last part accusingly. He felt a heavy pinch on his chest, causing him to grimace in pain. The blonde lightly flicked the part of his chest where his kwami sat in his pocket. Chloe groaned at their behavior, already knowing Adrien was referring to his own kwami. Alya narrowed her eyes in confusion at why Adrien was acting strangely. "Well, we said we would go check out the computers if we couldn't find anything more, right? Let's see if there's anything that we could put together," the blogger decided. Adrien felt his shirt being yanked repeatedly by the kwami. It was their simple code that Plagg needed something from the boy whenever they were in public. "Yeah, that's a good idea. I'll catch back up with you two in a minute. I got to... uh- hit the John," Adrien said, then slipped away from the two. "Who says 'hit the John' when they need to use the bathroom?" Alya asked Chloe, shaking her head once he was out of hearing range."I have no idea. He watches too many cartoons and anime shows," the blonde sighed, then headed off to the computers. The girls logged into their school accounts and got started.* *"Plagg, what's going on?" Adrien asked once they were alone in the bathroom, allowing the kwami to fly out of his shirt.The kwami surprisingly didn't seem peeved or irritated like he usually got with Adrien when he did something, but instead looked... almost hurt."Look, I'm sorry if I flicked you a little too harshly. I should've been more careful," the boy began to apologize."He kept everything so secretive, Adrien.""What?" "I don't know why he didn't use his own research when his development went wrong, Adrien. I swear, I don't even know how Felix fixed Nathalie. He never said a word of how he did it. She just went to sleep and woke up as a civilian again," Plagg rambled, "I don't know if he gave her anything before she went to sleep or if he had to do something magically. I don't know, Adrien!""Calm down, Plagg," Adrien brought the kwami in his hands, seeing as he was breathing heavily, "We'll figure it out.""Wait... is this about the dumb thing I said earlier? About you paying enough attention to Felix's work? I wasn't blaming you. I'm sorry," the boy apologized, and Plagg looked up at him guiltily."But it is my fault in a way! It's not controllable, but I shouldn't have let him transform. He was so tired, and it was exhausting for the both of us. It was like the energy was ripped from the both of us the moment I was pulled into the ring.""Don't all Chat Noir holders transform when they're tired? You know, night akuma fights?" Adrien asked, his brain flicking on a light."Yes, you do it all the time. If I'm being honest, I'm not sure why it didn't happen to you," Plagg replied, "You're always tired from photo shoots.""Wait, Plagg! Would you think timing is a factor?" * * *Nathalie walked out to visit the Bourgeois's hotel so she could pick up Ladybug. She remembered Chloe told her that the heroine was forbidden from leaving the house until she was under someone's supervision, so it came to her surprise that people were marveling at Ladybug's ability to fly around in the air blindly. 'Great,' Nathalie thought, 'How am I going to get her attention now that she's all the way up there?' She glanced around at all the people around her. 'Who had the loudest voice? Too bad Gorilla refused to talk anymore,' she thought. The woman remembered that he used to be loud and obnoxious in high school, even teasing Felix at times. She noticed a small child with dark brown hair and brown eyes was wandering around while her mother, the news reporter, was on the phone. Maybe she was loud?"Can you please yell Ladybug's name for me? I don't think she would hear me," Nathalie asked quickly.Manon tilted her head curiously, but decided to do it anyway,"LADYBUG!!!!" Mrs. Chamack flashed a short glare toward her daughter for the scream, but returned to her phone call. Ladybug landed herself on the floor, redirecting her senses to the source of where she heard the yell. 'That girl sounded so familiar... Did Marinette know her?' She asked herself. "Ladybug, what are you doing out of the hotel? Chloe told me to get you from there, but I saw you flying," Nathalie approached the heroine. "I'm not a baby who needs to be supervised! I'm a teenager with a yoyo! Why does everyone think I'm incapable of being by myself?!" Ladybug grumbled, allowing her wings to coil away.The woman sighed at the girl's behavior. "No one thinks you're incapable, Ladybug. You're just in danger of disappearing at any given moment and we want to make sure we know you haven't," Nathalie explained. Ladybug's face contorted into an uncomfortable expression. "I've been trying to forget about that. I can't remember your face. I can't remember Adrien's or... even Alya's. Am I getting worse?" She asked, her voice filling with disappointment and fear.Nathalie opened her mouth, but closed it after realizing that she wasn't sure what to say. That wasn't a good sign. Forgetting faces? Was that part of what Felix went through? But he didn't go blind. If anything, his vision turned more cat-like and it improved in the darkness. The human cat paws and green skin were pretty disturbing though, she remembered."Thought so. I guess I'm just going to forget everything and turn into a ladybug or something," Ladybug pouted at the silence she received from her question. "No, you're fine. And you don't turn into a ladybug," the woman told her. "I forgot what Marinette looks like. Is that bad?"'Probably,' Nathalie mentally spoke. Aloud, she said, "That's because you haven't seen your own face in a while."How did Felix end up fixing her? All she did was wake up as a civilian. She wasn't even trapped in her suit for longer than a week."Let's go. We need to figure something out," Nathalie led the younger heroine out by holding onto her shoulder. They went back to the Agreste Mansion where Gabriel had already left."Does Chat Noir have anything to do with fixing me?" Ladybug asked Nathalie."I'm... not sure. Look, all I remember is that he made me go to sleep, then I woke up with him excitedly telling me that I was turned back to normal," Nathalie recalled waking up on a bed, seeing her hands, once covered for the entire week in the black spandex that went all the way up to her arms, now barren and free from the frustrating contraption. Her clothing fit loosely instead of clinging to her skin like it had while she was trapped in it."I guess it must've happened in my sleep. Wait, have you slept?!" Nathalie asked, her mind flipping to a quick conclusion. What if sleep was a factor? "I sleep every night! Sometimes I sit up a little late, but I do sleep eventually. It's just a normal pattern," Ladybug explained, debunking Nathalie's theory. "I wonder what Felix did while I slept then. All I remembered was that he told me to get to sleep, then I awoke as a civilian again. Maybe Chat Noir needs to watch you when you sleep," Nathalie suggested. "That's... a bit weird, but maybe it'll work. Was that the first time your Chat Noir saw your real identity?" The heroine asked Nathalie."Yes, but I didn't learn his identity while he was here. I knew he had a crush on me as a civilian, but I didn't know he was my partner until after Master Fu told me.""Oh... I'm sorry," Ladybug let her empty gaze fall slightly."You know... you and Chat Noir should let each other know the truth: who you guys really are. Just in case something happens, it's best to hear the truth from each other," Nathalie advised, continuing after a short silence. "But isn't it dangerous? For our friends and families and each other-" Ladybug was cut off by Nathalie shortly."Oh never mind all that. I promise you, it'll be fine as long as no one else hears," she reassured her. "I.... I'm not sure. Is that a good idea? I mean, I would love to find out who Chat Noir is, but I can't even see him! What if I don't even know him? What if I lost my chance to see him without the mask?" Ladybug questioned nervously. She brought her hands to her eyes, wishing she could see the form of them she once knew. "Trust me, you won't regret this. I'm almost positive you know who Chat Noir is," Nathalie smiled warmly, "Don't miss out on what could be your opportunity! It's worth it.""You're right. I-I should tell him the truth then. I'll do it the next time I see him," Ladybug decided, but with uncertainty. Should she tell Chat Noir that she was Marinette all along? Oh boy. Hopefully he wouldn't get too mad that she was there all along, she thought to herself.
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"Adrien Agreste, please report to the office."Alya snorted in amusement at Adrien's look of exasperation. "Did something catch you doing something naughty, Agreste?" She asked as she failed at solving yet another math problem."What? No! I'm not sure what's going on. Maybe it's a photoshoot?" Adrien quickly defended himself. The boy collected his things and placed them in his book bag. He left for the office curiously, yet a bit nervously. Did he get caught doing something? His father might ground him and prevent him from going out with his friends, meaning he would have to sneak out very carefully if he wanted to help his partner. After opening the door, he saw that his bodyguard was waiting for him in the office. "Adrien, you're leaving school early today," Principal Damocles clarified after sneaking a look inside his file. "Uh... Okay. Have a nice day, Principal Damocles," Adrien replied, then followed his bodyguard out to the car. Once he opened the door, Nathalie immediately went in for her explanation. "Adrien, I think you're going to need to transform and watch Ladybug sleep if you want to save her."The boy tore his gaze from his book bag after climbing into his seat to glance at Nathalie, perplexed by the odd suggestion. "Why would I have to watch Ladybug sleep?" Adrien wondered, shrugging curiously."Well, that's how my partner probably did it. I just remember he made me go to sleep, then woke me up and I was detransformed," Nathalie told him, remembering her own experience. "Are you sure he didn't do something else while you were sleeping? I mean I'll try anything, but it sounds a little creepy," Adrien mumbled. "Lucky, there was probably something that Felix did during that time. I wouldn't know what it was because he had me in his ring the entire time," Plagg piped in, using Nathalie's nickname. She rolled her eyes at the name, but sighed. "Well, let's give it a try at least. Do you think Adrien has to be transformed, Plagg?" "Wasn't Felix? I mean, we have to replicate everything he did if we even want to have a shot at saving Ladybug. We saved you early in your development though, so it might vary for the little lady.""I guess I'll transform when we get back then. Does Ladybug know where she is?" Adrien asked Nathalie.She shrugged simply. "I'm not completely sure if she knows where she is, but I told her to stay in the room, and I left food for her." Once they got to the Agreste Mansion, they immediately rushed up to where Ladybug was. The girl perked up at the noise of people coming, seeing as she had been bored. "I can't believe I smell Adrien on this bed," she happily mumbled to herself before the door opened. Quickly, she sat up and turned toward the noise, pretending she hadn't just been enjoying sitting in the bedroom of her crush."Why are we in Adrien's bedroom anyway?" Ladybug asked the assistant. "No reason!" Chat Noir replied quickly, but Nathalie sent him an exasperated glare. "Adrien said it was a good idea to have you in here since there's space and I could keep a better eye on you," Nathalie included, disregarding the boy's frantic response. The heroine raised an eyebrow toward Chat Noir, but soon forgot. "So Ladybug, fall asleep. Chat Noir, watch her."The both of them glanced in her direction, perplexed by her odd demand, but they followed direction. Ladybug turned her back to Chat Noir and closed her eyes. The hero awkwardly held his gaze at his partner for several minutes before slipping a blanket over her. The girl squeaked and jumped up in surprise by the soft contact of the blanket, but Chat apologized quickly. "I'm sorry! I just thought you might be more comfortable if you had a blanket! It's chilly!" "O-Oh, okay. Thanks," Ladybug slowly laid back down on the bed."Oh my goodness, I'm embarrassed and I'm not even in this situation. Stop being so awkward, please." The older woman cringed outwardly."Sorry," said both heroes in unison, their voices meek against the echo of the empty mansion. The situation was only growing increasingly awkward for the few members in the room.Ladybug's eyes remained closed, but the brightness of the room was still apparent to her. Although she couldn't make out shapes and objects anymore, light and mixing colors were still something visual to her. The room was dead silent, and every time Chat Noir swallowed, he swore that it sounded like a whale. Every breath someone took was noticeable through the silence. Ladybug sighed and turned to face her partner, but held her eyelids closed. Chat Noir awkwardly continued to watch her, hoping he wasn't making her uncomfortable. He was able to see that she was still awake with her eye movement making her eyelids flutter and uneven breaths. The light was making her bury her face into the pillow, hoping to darken the world around her. She writhed under the blanket, wishing her spandex suit wasn't so skin-like. Ladybug found herself wishing she was able to feel her own soft skin once again, and be able to wear baggy clothes that hung around her limbs. "Want me to close the curtains?" Chat Noir whispered softly."Ad-Chat Noir, don't wake her," Nathalie muttered. "She's not sleeping yet," Chat spoke, but slightly louder. The heroine bobbed her head up and down in response to Chat Noir's initial question, her cheek rubbing against the silky material of the pillow as her eyes were squeezed tightly. The silence continued to be awkward for everyone, but it broke as the sound of the rattling metal rings scraped across the beams that supported the curtains. Although Ladybug couldn't see like she used to, she visualized mornings where her mother would pull her old pink curtains open to let in the beautiful, warm sunlight that would cover her civilian face and arms like a hug. Her eyes continued to squeeze shut, but she noticed that the light seemed to falter after the curtains closed. One thing worried her. In this little flashback of hers, which helped her visualize most things she used to have, such as her room, and her bed, as well as her windows, but her mother's face was a blank slate. Every time she tried to piece together a face, it came out distorted and disfigured. Something was always just... off. In this figment of her imagination, her mother walked closer to her, and Marinette couldn't move. Petrified by the blank slate that used to contain something she knew so well, her heart rate began to quicken. Why couldn't she open her eyes? Suddenly her own body, or at least Marinette's, started to move, but it was under a different control. She felt as if she were living through the eyes of something else, and it was through the protagonist of a horror film.An overwhelming desire to remember what a face looked like overcame her, but when Marinette turned to face the mirror, a horrifying reflection of a blank face stared back at her. No eyes, no mouth. Just the smooth empty skin on her face, completely unmasked and completely empty, framed by the dark bangs that fell above the area where her eyes would've been. A few strands of her old hair rested against her barren face, falling out of the pigtails that had been tied aside. Ladybug's eyes shot open, and she sat up quickly to recover from the dreadful and intense excuse for a nightmare she had. "Ladybug, are you okay?!" Chat Noir asked, grabbing her arm reassuringly.Her heart rate was still frantic, and she realized she had broken into a cold sweat. She tried to look at her partner, but was frustrated by her lack of ability to make out his facial features. Only the blurry, unintelligible outline of his hair and face shape came into view."I can't remember faces anymore..."Nathalie wanted to reassure her that Felix had a similar issue, however instead it was color he had forgotten, but it was only just a matter of time before he was turned to nothing. Her memories were falling apart, and her brain was losing its ability to piece together logical, everyday things that used to be visual."You've been unable to see properly for a long time... It's probably just part of the messy development," Chat reasoned."Spots off! Detransform me!" Ladybug sat up, feeling her ears, but nothing was there. Just the soft flaps of her earlobes remained, likely still molded with the earrings that seemed to sink into them. Acceptance was an important part of staying positive.Just as Chat Noir was about to speak, nearby screams erupted from the city. "There's not enough time to sleep on the job!" Ladybug threw the blanket off of her and let her wings uncoil. "We'll be back, Nathalie!" Chat Noir told his father's assistant before following his partner out the window. He closely followed behind her, ensuring she wouldn't fall."What kind of akuma do you think it is?" The heroine asked as Chat struggles to keep up with her wings by using his staff. "Based... on what... I can see, it looks like the villain is... a dark cloud man?" The hero huffed exhaustedly. He brought his hand up to his forehead, slapping it before letting it drop to his side once again. "For crying out cloud!" Ladybug sighed, turning to face her partner. "You're making a pun... right now?""Right meow, actually. I mean, I prefur cat puns, but I won't let him steal my thunder," Chat clicked his tongue, forcing a smile. If Ladybug was going to disappear soon, she might as well get to have a few more laughs. "Pre-fur? Thunder? Your puns really blow," Ladybug groaned, but caught what she had just said, "Are you kidding me? Did I just use 'blow' in a conversation where you're making weather puns?""You almost mist the winding opportunity, my Lady!" Chat Noir chuckled, his smile dropping after. He wished with everything in him that he knew how to save his partner. "I bet you have a really big ol' grin on your face right about now. I can't see it, but I know you well enough," Ladybug giggled, but rolled her eyes. Not well enough... to know how much he cared about her. Probably not well enough to know that he worried himself sick about losing his best friend to her own powers, he thought to himself."You got me, my Lady!" Chat Noir laughed, pushing a lighthearted tone to it. Ladybug smiled back at him, and pulled out her yoyo. "Ready to get this cloudy guy?" She asked, putting her hands on her hips. Although there were many physical and mental changes that the heroine went through, she never stopped being the silly, yet amazingly courageous girl he was tied up with a yoyo string on the first day they met. "As always, by your side!"
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Ladybug felt unusually exhausted by using her Lucky Charm powers to defeat a man made of clouds with a terrifyingly human-morphed horse head. She didn't see what he looked like, but from Chat's description, Hawkmoth knew how to give people nightmares. It nearly seemed impossible to catch something that wasn't even solid material, better yet break it. "Ladybug, you're overexerting yourself! You barely slept five minutes under my awkward watchfulness, and you look exhausted. Take a break," Chat Noir strongly suggested, grabbing his partner's shoulder. "But we have to stop him!" Ladybug insisted, "He's scaring people!""LB, it only affects those who are sleeping. What's the worst that can happen? So far, all I've seen him do was float over sleeping people with his dark little cloud, and strike them with the lightning that gives them nightmares. It doesn't affect you unless you're asleep. No one gets physically harmed, and you're exhausted. Get some rest, and you can get back to this. I promise, I'll fight him and try to get his akuma," Chat Noir compromised, but Ladybug pulled away from her partner's gentle grip on her shoulder and shook her head."The civilians come first, Chat. They always come before me. You come before me too, and I won't have you fight alone," Ladybug told him, then hurled her yoyo away, allowing it to pull her with it. Chat Noir stood dumbfounded for a few moments. Why was she always so stubborn, yet generous at the same time? If she wasn't careful, she could pass out from exhaustion. The heroine already looked as if she were getting more tired by the minute. He continued to stay behind her for safety measures. "Night-Mare, you do realize that your name is a weird pun, don't you?" Chat Noir shot out, trying to distract the strange cloudy, transparent horse-man while Ladybug figured something out. The heroine rolled her eyes with a smirk, then called forward another Lucky Charm. The villain glared at the cat-themed hero, obviously irritated. "Mare is actually a female horse. Also why the dark cloud? Your horse head and dark cloud are a strange combination. I wouldn't go with that if I were you," Chat Noir practically imitated Chloe's behavior, snobbily scoffing at the end as he waved the villain off with a sassy attitude. "A battery?! Now Tikki is just running out of ideas," Ladybug groaned after searching the area for anything that could be useful with the given item. With her recently developed power of unlimited Lucky Charms, she spent a lot of her supposedly unlimited energy trying to receive things from Tikki that could possibly aid her in the fight, and throwing them back up once she couldn't find a use. Of course, there was probably a use, but it would be visually easier to find that if she were able to actually see, Ladybug thought grumpily. She felt around the nearby objects, also using her extremely heightened sense of smell to locate. Nothing required batteries. "Miraculous Ladybug," The heroine mumbled exhaustedly, tossing the battery back up.Once she returned that object, her fingers began to tingle. She ignored it, seeing as it wasn't too noticeable. Ladybug shook off the exhaustion and grabbed her yoyo out again. Once she tossed it, the tingles grew into sharp pains, as if her blood were circulating actual pins and needles through her stream from her fingers. She bit back a cry, and hoped she aimed her yoyo toward the cloud man correctly. It went straight through him, and bounced back to her. Of course, the man was invincible, she remembered. Slowly, the tingling sensation grew up through her hands and Ladybug knew the pain would go with it in enough time. She could feel the sharp pain prickling through her skin, and slowly spreading up. 'Is it... happening already? Am I going to just disappear? No!' the heroine thought to herself. She wasn't going to give up though. Chat Noir wouldn't finish this battle alone, even if it took every piece of her. She knew this would be her last battle, and hopefully her best one.* * *"The sleeping didn't work! Chat Noir did watch her. Ladybug is still in the same condition, and I'm really worried for her. I don't know what Felix did, but I really wish he would've told me," Nathalie told Gorilla, Felix's brother. Of course his own brother never told anyone how he fixed such a big problem. It was as if he let himself disappear, Gorilla grumpily thought. He had known from the very beginning that his younger brother was one of Paris's superheroes. Of course that was because he had hid the ring from him until he told him where he kept running off to in the middle of the night. The kid was smart, but not athletic, he remembered. However, it did make him jealous when he, the captain of his high school's football team, wasn't chosen for being a superhero when his silly, yet introverted younger brother was chosen instead. Although he bullied his younger brother for writing songs about his crush, Gorilla did care a lot about him, and it crushed him when he disappeared. He often blamed himself for not protecting his younger brother. "If he had told any of us how he saved me from getting too far with his development, I could've saved him, and I could save Ladybug. Felix complained about getting prickled with pain right before he disappeared, but I can't tell the girl that right now. I just have to supervise her to make sure she doesn't feel anything like that," Nathalie continued to talk to Gorilla."I know you're probably thinking, why aren't I watching her right now? Well, I can't run on rooftops anymore and follow her like Chat Noir can. I'm sure he's keeping a good eye on her."* * *"Why is Chat Noir letting Ladybug run across rooftops blindly and fight weird akuma when she could literally die any minute now?! Moron!" Chloe complained, letting her head bump on the window after letting out a frustrated sigh. Alya glanced up and saw the fight as well. She pulled out her phone and zoomed in on the heroine. She grimaced at the sight of Ladybug's face, as if she were concealing a horrid wound. Was she wounded? "Why does Ladybug look like she's going to pass out?" The blogger questioned the blonde aloud."What? Let me see that!" Chloe yanked Alya's phone from her grip and used the camera to zoom back in on Ladybug's face as she continued to move as if she were doing just fine. Her expressions said otherwise, but when she felt Chat turn at her, Ladybug allowed her face to fall back into a relaxed position. "What is she doing?! I swear, I'm going to scream at her grave if she dies!" Chloe angrily whisper-shouted. "Poor Bridgette. I wonder how she's been able to go home when she has this weird development problem," Alya said, sighing. "Yeah, I do wonder," Chloe mumbled coldly. * * *'Please don't spread anymore. Please stop. Please stop spreading,' Ladybug mentally pleaded to her pain as she continued to fight. She sunk her teeth into her bottom lip and squeezed her eyes shut as she felt the prickling pain of every tiny piece of magic within break her down. She called forward another Lucky Charm, only to collapse to her knees weakly on the rooftop. Her breathing hitched unevenly, and she let out a quiet whimper. Chat Noir spun around to see his partner weakly get back to her feet and offer him a forced smile. A half-formed note from her kwami fell into Ladybug's hands, reading:StWaYouEn"What the heck?" Ladybug whispered, completely unable to see. Her fingers ran over the jagged, incomplete edge of the note that was formed halfway. "Chat, I think Tikki tried to leave us a note."Her partner took it into his hands, pulling it from hers softly, then tried to read it aloud. "St Wa You En? What is that? I think Tikki couldn't fit the entire note on the page," Chat Noir glanced back at Ladybug, who was clutching at her stomach discreetly. "O-Oh. Maybe we just have to decode her message?" Ladybug's hands trailed back to her hips, to which she immediately pulled away from quickly, as if her own hips burned her hands. "Ladybug, what is going on? I can tell you've been trying to hide how tired you are, but I think you're on the verge of passing out! I can't let you keep fighting," Chat Noir touched her shoulder, causing her to hiss out in pain and jump back a step.She looked away from him guiltily, and muttered an apology for her sudden action, "Sorry about that... Look Chat, I have to beat this akuma. I can't leave- I can't just-" Ladybug curled inwardly, trying to ignore the spreading pain and continue talking. At this point, it felt as if almost every vessel in her body contained billions of pins and needles, bouncing off the edges and pricking her in every possible place. It was nearly unbearable, and the pain was horribly untolerable. "C-Can't j-j-just leave you- to de-deal," Ladybug whimpered out, wanting to fall to the ground and curl into a ball, "With him!""Give me your miraculous, Ladybug! You too, Chat Noir!" The akuma floated up to them, taunting Ladybug, "Aww, looks like the buggy is about to fall asleep and endure the horrific nightmares I have planned!""We need to get you to a hospital! Don't worry about the akuma; he's harmless. It's you on the other hand that I'm worried about! Can you please just tell me what's going on, Bugaboo?" Ladybug's heart crumpled at her partner's concern for her, and she looked away. "P-Please, can you just... tell me what the note sh-should say? I-It doesn't matter anymore, okay? I-I'll b-be fine, Kitty," she whispered, her knees growing weaker by the moment with every kick and prick of pain she was forced to endure. Chat Noir wanted to fall apart at the sight in front of him, but he had to stay strong. His partner was nearing her end, and he wasn't sure how to fix anything. He did what he thought could help and picked her up, then began to run back to his mansion. "Chat! Ch-Chat! We have to deal with him!!" Ladybug screeched out, her body writhing under his grip. "You're far more important, Ladybug!" He told her, but she finally broke out of his grip. "If this is going to be our last fight," Ladybug cried, panting heavily as she backed away, "Please... let me help you one last time!" "L-Ladybug, no! I-I'm not going to let you die! Please, let's just go back to Nathalie, and we can find Master Fu... and I can let Plagg help- I can g-get Alya and Chloe!" Chat Noir panicked, trying to think of every possible way he could save her. His heart was slamming heavily against his chest, watching his partner fight back tears of her own from dealing with such a horrible pain he couldn't even see. "C-Chat... They can't help. I know. It's getting later and later, and I won't leave you to have to defeat Night-Mare alone. Time is ticking... and I-I have to help you!" Ladybug cried out. "No... Please, just let us try to help you! Please, Ladybug! Bridgette, Bugaboo, I-I'll never forgive myself if we don't at least try to fix this while we still have time! Please..." The blonde begged, his voice breaking as he tried with every piece of his heart to persuade his partner. Letting her die without even trying was not an option he would ever consider, and she was suffering. Ladybug knew she was being stubborn, and it was growing practically impossible for her to fight. Already battling pain, blindness, and the akuma, it was time to strengthen up and at least see if there was any way she could save the victim before it was too late for her.
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Surprisingly, the pain lessened and became almost tolerable. After spending what seemed like forever lying to convince her partner that the pain was completely gone, she pulled it together and made him go fight with her while she still had time. She knew she was being horribly stubborn, and understood that this couldn’t end in anything short of a disaster.Ladybug's eyes were drooping in exhaustion, and she had to keep rubbing them. The rush of air she felt when swinging on her yoyo seemed to wake her up a little bit each time, but right after, she was dead tired."I underestimated the importance of beds," Ladybug mumbled to herself deliriously. "So this is the miraculous Ladybug, huh? More like the miraculous Lazybug!" The akuma taunted her distractingly.'This is just a person under Hawkmoth's control. I'm not going to smack him. I'm not going to smack him,' Ladybug repeated to herself as she took an irritated huff. She had encountered many annoying akuma villains, but this one really took the cake. Being so sleep-deprived really took a toll on her tolerance levels, causing Ladybug to have really felt as if slapping Hawkmoth in the face was appropriate for this moment."Says the akuma with the female horse name, sitting on a cloud. What's your excuse for such atrocities?" Chat Noir tried to distract him again. He glanced back at Ladybug worriedly, seeing how exhausted she was. "Excuse me, you cosplaying anime girl. I had a horrible nightmare, and now everyone should have them!""Did you just call me a cosplaying anime girl?!" Chat Noir growled, pulling out his staff. As the immature males in the attack argued, Ladybug bought the time to try and think up another strategy. Was this object she had to purify even materialized, or was it air, just like he was? How an akuma could turn solid matter into air was beyond her, but there had to be something she wasn't seeing. * * *Within Ladybug, the colorful world around Marinette began collapsing in darkness, creating a pink light to form around her like a bubble. When she looked up, she noticed a smaller red field of light was pushing away from her, and inside her kwami was yelling frantically yet soundlessly. "I'm losing you!! No, Marinette!" Tikki screamed, but Marinette couldn't hear a single word. She watched as Tikki's form pulled slowly away from her own, and she noticed her face was frantic and fearful."Ladybug won't survive if you disconnect from me! You won't survive if you leave! You can't go! Hang on, Marinette!" The kwami yelled, trying to push against the force pulling Marinette away."Tikki? Tikki!! I can't hear you!" Marinette asked, but her kwami couldn't hear her either. She felt nothing but intense fear and and bewildering confusion. “What’s happening?! Tikki?” "Marinette!!" Tikki cried out again, pushing her fins out to reach for her holder.Marinette reached up, but her hand wasn't able to pass through her pink field of light. She uselessly skimmed the surface with her hand, unable to leave the bubble-like light field. She could see Tikki mouthing her name with horrifying intensity, yet they seemed to be pulling farther and farther apart. Marinette was tethered between a gaping black hole and reality. “Tikki?!” She tried to pull toward her kwami, terrified as she saw her grow smaller with the distance into the dark.The short rope snapped, causing her to screech as it barreled down harshly into the emptiness below. A huge pink flash brought her consciousness back.* * * Just a few moments before * * *The dooming realization set in on Ladybug when her entire hand began to go numb. Although she was unable to see much due to the blurriness causing her vision, it was obvious against the coloring of whatever was supposed to be behind her hand. The pink light flashed as if she were detransforming, but to her dismay, it seemed that her hand was slowly disappearing with the light. She used her other hand to feel for that one, but she only felt the nubs of her wrist.Marinette was supposed to be behind her detransformation, but instead, there was nothing. There was no skin, no hand. She was literally nothing beneath the suit.Her breath was shaky, and she felt herself tremble. Fearfully, she began to call for her partner. She didn’t know what else to do. "Chat!! No, no... This shouldn't be happening already! I thought I had more time! Chat Noir!!!" Ladybug yelped as she felt the tingling of pins and needles course through the vessels in her wrist. With intense dread, she was aware that her left wrist would soon disappear in a matter of seconds. She tried to hang onto herself, but one of her hands were completely gone, and she could only feel her suited arms growing more and more pricked with the tingles. Her partner came rushing to her side, completely forgetting about the ridiculous akuma, gasping once he saw the light slowly detransforming her, leaving behind air. "Ladybug! No, we're not losing you!!" He yelled out, looking around for someone. "Master Fu! Wayzz?! Nathalie!! Please, someone!!"It was time to say something. She couldn't let the biggest secret of her life die with her. She reached to grab her horrified partner with the unaffected hand."Chat Noir, I have to tell you something! I— I can’t lie anymore, Chat! I’m not Bridgette, okay? I mean, I am her, but I was using her as a disguise to cover up the fact that I’m stuck in this suit! You know me already! I’m Marinette!” She rambled, but finally cut to the point.Her partner's heart sunk in disbelief. 'Marinette? Marinette... Ladybug, my Marinette is Ladybug...' The thoughts pierced painfully into his heart as he gazed up at the sight in front of him.Not only was he losing his partner, but now he was losing the girl who truly loved him. Suddenly, her right eye started to restore some of her lost vision, and she noticed the color of her natural hair on that side of her head. A part of her soul felt restored, yet Ladybug was falling away."M-Marinette?" Chat whispered, tears beginning to gather in his eyes. Nearly half of Marinette's face was visible to him, proving that her claim was true.She couldn't let Chat Noir cry because of her. She couldn't let him down. He couldn't be sad. It wasn't his fault."Hey, please don't cry, Kitty," Marinette whispered, biting back her own tears as she pulled her lips into a smile. The girl, who was always so selfless, caring, and loving to every single one of her friends was the same girl who had always had his back, no matter what difference in opinion or strategy when they battled akuma together. She was his trustworthy partner, his beautiful classmate, the love of his life, and he was finding her and losing her in the same moments. She didn’t want to upset him in her last moments with tears when she had every right to cry. "Princess... Bugaboo, I-I'm so sorry I didn't help y-you! I'm so sorry, Marinette!" Chat Noir cried, clutching the disappearing girl close to him."Hey no... Kitty, it wasn't your fault at all. I-I don't know what we could've done anyways,” she tried to comfort him. “You know, I remember you calling me ‘Princess’ when we worked together to battle the Evillustrator,” Marinette laughed softly, tears running down her face as she looked at her partner, hoping she could give him one last laugh. "That's be-because you are a princess," Chat tried to offer a smile, but it turned into a cringe as he continued to sob and watch his partner/classmate try not to cry."P-Please... don't c-cry, Kitty," Marinette repeated in an emotional whisper, afraid that her own voice would break apart and fall into the harsh sobs her own partner's voice was dealing with. Hearing him cry, watching him tremble as the tears fell from his green eyes made her heart crumble to pieces. "I-I'm sorry I did-didn't say a-anything t-to you before, Ch-Chat."Chat Noir embraced her more tightly, and she used what was left of her arms to hug him back. The magic was already up to her elbows, and she tried not to look at it. It was so... final. She didn’t want to see herself go, and neither did he. For those last remaining moments, he wanted to close his eyes, and wake up to a better reality. He wanted to wake up to Marinette being friendly with him at school, to have a playful patrol with his partner right after their dismissal, to have both of them- no- her, Marinette, Ladybug. "I couldn't be happier t-to have you as my partner, m-my Lady," The boy whispered to her, realizing this might be the last thing she ever heard from him, or anyone really. She gave him one last emotional smile before the pink magic overtook the rest of her, letting her slip into darkness.His arms were left... empty. He had her there, but that changed in a matter of seconds.This was the end of today's Ladybug. This was the end of Marinette Dupain-Cheng. History had to run its course, and fate brought upon doom for her. At the same time, it brought appreciation and love, as she never could've met Chat Noir or Adrien Agreste without becoming Ladybug.Adrien let his transformation drop at the same time he fell to the ground with the worst heart-wrenching sobs Plagg had ever heard from any of his holders. In his hands, he held Ladybug's remaining ribbon as well as her earrings. Tikki flew up, and was horrified when the realization was set in. "Marinette!!" She cried, grabbing ahold one of her holder's ribbons, "No! No, no! Not Marinette! Not my incredibly sweet Marinette!! No!!" The kwami whimpered, tears overflowing her large blue eyes and splashing into the ground as they rolled off her cheeks in large amounts. Plagg, empathic to such a similar loss, flew beside Tikki, patting her back in consolation as she wrapped her holder's ribbon around her in a heartbroken manner. His gaze fell on the ribbon of Ladybug, and his mind flashed back to meeting her when she requested his help. Guilt transcended Plagg, as well as Tikki. "I was supposed to protect- her!" Tikki choked, crumpling into the ribbon, but her tearful gaze fell over Adrien. "I'm... so sorry, Adrien.""Tikki, stop it! You wouldn't let me blame myself, so I'm not letting you do it either! It's not your fault there's an unknown magical force killing our holders!" Plagg demanded, pulling on Tikki's fin, "Now, I'll never let anything happen to Adrien, so I think I've seen something in common with all the holders before the wrong development began.""Why c-co-couldn't we stop M-Marinette from dying?! Why couldn't we have seen this before?! Why couldn't you see this before?!" Adrien yelled out, his emotions taking control for once. He didn't mean to blame the kwami, so his face softened slightly apologetically, but tears still rolled down his face in large amounts as he choked back sobs. Plagg's face fell, but then sturdied. "If I had seen this before, I would've saved them! Obviously, Felix knew what was happening when he stopped Nathalie's development from occurring! He should've told us how he fixed everything!" "Pl-Please calm down, guys," Tikki whispered mournfully. She held the ribbon around her body, trying to take in as much of Marinette as she tried to push back the horrible guilty thought that she would need a new holder. "Why didn't it take m-" Adrien's cry was interrupted by Plagg ripping the earrings out of the boy's grip before he made an irreversible decision. Tikki's eyes widened in horror as she realized that Adrien could've wished himself out of existence with the power of both miraculous jewels. She gently took them from Plagg, allowing her holder's ribbon to slip off her arms and fall lifelessly to the ground. "Be careful, Adrien! You could've- done something horrible!" Plagg scolded, flying to meet Adrien's tearful gaze."Please, we can try and figure something out," Tikki glanced up pitifully at Adrien, then back at the remaining ribbons of Ladybug.The boy's knees weakened at the attempt to get up from the ground, and his chest weighed him down as an uncontrollable emptiness consumed him. How could she be gone? Humans shouldn't be able to disappear into thin air forever! He must've been dreaming! He had to be dreaming. The heartache was intoxicating, and his breathing was ragged. His vision was blurring in panic as he looked up searchingly for Ladybug, Marinette, his partner. "Marinette! Mari, Princess!! Please... You have to be— you have to be here! L-Ladybug..." He sobbed, his arms being the only strength holding his torso from the ground. Tikki whimpered, "Please... Plagg, get someone if it's possible."Plagg glanced at the heartbreaking sight of his holder's inconsolable state, and flew away to find Nathalie. She’d dealt with this before, and Adrien needed someone to do something."Look Adrien," Tikki flew to run her paws through his hair as she would do to Marinette when she had breakdowns, "I-I miss her too. I know... this is really hard! Trust me, I understand that you miss her. She is your partner, your classmate, your best friend. She's my best friend too..."The idea of using the past tense for "is," sounded horribly confirming to the idea that she was truly gone, and it didn't sound right. She couldn’t use the word, “was.” It couldn't sound right. Marinette was like a strong light, and when she went out, it left everyone in the darkness of uncertainty, fear, and a painful amount of grief.
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"Is Adrien on top of a roof?!" Alya spun around from the window, furrowing her eyebrows in confusion. "What?" Chloe's head spun to see the window. "Why would Adrien be on a roof?" The blogger asked Chloe, to see if she could think of a reason.The blonde's face went pale when she realized that she couldn't explain that to Alya. Of course, Adrien must've detransformed or run out of energy when he was fighting the weird horse man akuma with Ladybug. "Maybe... Ladybug or Chat Noir had to- uhh, put him there to... protect him from the akuma?" Chloe shrugged exaggeratedly, peeking at the window."The akuma could knock him off," Alya crossed her arms, "If they wanted to protect Adrien from a floating akuma, they should've placed him somewhere underground or indoors.""Yeah... terrible idea! Why didn't they just do that? Ha! Ha..." Chloe frowned, looking at the blonde boy from a distance. She wasn't able to see the expression on his face, but he was kneeling on the rooftop. There was a red thing floating around him, but it wasn't distinguishable from their distance.The blonde searched for Ladybug with her eyes from the window, but she didn't catch sight of her. She leaned toward the window, trying to focus on Adrien's expression."Chloe Bourgeois! Are you going to focus on your schoolwork or spend all of your classroom dawdling out the window?!" Mrs. Mendeliev was losing her patience, causing Chloe to jump at the sudden yell of her name. Her heart slammed frantically against her chest for the moment, and she looked up to see the angry teacher practically growling in her face. "S-Sorry?" Chloe responded, gulping and giving the teacher a guilty smile.It was safe to say that no other student looked out the window or fell off task up until the bell rang for their next class. Still, Chloe couldn't help but wonder what Ladybug and Adrien were up to. Did they find anything? Were they any closer to finding the answer that could save Marinette's life? Maybe Adrien was falling to his knees in relief that they were able to do so.* * *"J-just now? It happened... just now?" Nathalie struggled to speak, completely shocked by Plagg's news."I don't know! It just- happened in front of Chat Noir! Tikki and Adrien are bawling their eyes out, and I don't know what to do! Help, please! I lost Felix, and now Marinette- she came to me for help, and I sent her to Master Fu! Please- with the akuma, and the tears and the Marinette..." Plagg begged the woman.Nathalie's blue eyes fell down to her hands, and a familiar wash of disappointment in herself overcame her. She was too late, and the girl was gone. She looked up at Plagg, hope vacant from her dull eyes. "I don't know, Plagg. I-I'll do my best to console Adrien and Tikki, but Marinette is gone... I couldn't bring back Felix, and I can't do anything about Marinette."Plagg's face fell, but he knew that it was too late for her. Marinette was truly as gone as his former holder had been, and now there was no saving either of them. All that was left was to pick up the broken pieces of her civilian life and help his holder cope with finding a new partner, but it didn't come any easier. "I-I understand, but what about the akuma? Adrien can't purify it."Nathalie looked at the kwami, her face stern like stone. She knew exactly what he was implying. "I retired, and Paris would panic if their Ladybug was replaced by the old Lady Luck, Plagg. There's no way Tikki would want to transform me anyway.""She's not mad anymore, Lucky," he said softly."I wouldn't be so sure about that," Nathalie remarked, crossing her arms."I just saw her a moment ago! If she were still irritated with you for giving up your miraculous, don't you think Marinette would've heard all about it?" Plagg tried to reason."Oh, trust me. After our last time together, I'm positive the little ball of energy hates me.""She's fine! If anything, she'll get over it quickly if you apologize," the kwami told the assistant, causing her to sigh. "I know I owe her an apology. I should've told her that I was going to retire as Lady Luck, but I yanked off the earrings while I was emotional, and dropped off the box in Master Fu's office while he was away. She must've been so confused," Nathalie agreed."So you'll be Lady Luck and de-evillize the akuma?" Plagg asked hopefully."I-I don't know about that. Let me just apologize to Tikki first."The woman opened her jacket, allowing the black cat to fly in, then she left the house.Plagg could hear the increasingly quick heartbeat from Nathalie, and he knew she was nervous. Her breathing was irregular, but not yet ragged. "Haven't changed much at all, have you, Lucky?" He mumbled, quietly enough so that she didn't hear him. She was a brave heroine as a kid, but Plagg remembered how she even got nervous with particular issues, to which Chat Noir would try and calm her down. Now she was dreading talking to her kwami, likely fearful that Tikki wouldn't forgive her."Where is he, Plagg?" Nathalie asked quietly, unsure of the directions."Go down a few streets to the left, then make a turn up toward the Louvre," he whispered, peeking out of the jacket to visually demonstrate with his arms.They went, following Plagg's advice, to see that the boy was sitting on a roof, staring down at the street desolately. Tikki was not in clear view, but as a former holder, the red glow was a familiar sight.Nathalie's eyes widened at the kwami beside him, but their eyes didn't catch on each other's quite yet. Plagg heard the pick-up of the heartbeat and felt the woman stop in her tracks, so he flew out. "I got Nathalie 'Lady Luck' Sancouer!" He announced loudly, causing Nathalie to cringe, and both heads to turn. Did he honestly need to give out her entire name, and old nickname, and yell it out so plainly? No warning, Nathalie thought, the kwami gave her no warning."N-Nathalie? Is that... really you?" Tikki's soft voice broke the hanging silence.Nathalie struggled to meet her gaze, somehow worried that it would be met with disappointment, or anger. "Tikki," Nathalie began quietly, forcing her averted gaze toward the kwami, but she immediately regretted it. All the emotions the kwami had managed to push back after finally getting her tears to stop for Marinette had began running down her face like a waterfall, and Nathalie felt that she were about to cry too.She held out her hands shakily for her kwami to land on like she had done previously. Tikki flew down, then up to Nathalie's face. Immediately, the woman's serious expression turned into an emotional half-smile"I-I'm sorry, Tikki. I should've told you I was retiring, but I d-didn't even mention it. I'm sorry I didn't even say goodbye," Nathalie pushed back an unwanted lump in her throat, "And I'm sorry about... Marinette."The kwami slowly flew back, sitting on Nathalie's hands. "You were upset about Felix, Nathalie... I would've understood. Marinette isn't your fault.""I didn't save either of them. You don't have to be so understanding with me. I should've done something," Nathalie painfully admitted, her gaze falling to the lower palms of her hands."Now we can do something," Tikki looked up at her, sadly, but with hope.Just as Nathalie was about to speak, she flew up to the roof where she stored the earrings carefully, then placed them in the woman's hands. Her thumbs rubbed across the black, lifeless surface of the earrings smoothly, then let her index finger feel the silver backings. Those had disappeared during her own development, and Marinette's. "Are you sure? I mean, people are going to be confused if they see Lady Luck all of a sudden," Nathalie whispered. "If anything, they'll be excited to see you again," Tikki smiled, but her heart was weighing down with Marinette. It brought her joy to see a holder she thought she had lost forever, but it hurt to lose such a sweet girl. Plagg flew up to the roof, sitting beside Adrien worriedly. "You okay?" He asked quietly.Adrien didn't reply. Everything felt so unreal and dark. It just couldn't process that his partner might be truly gone. Nathalie headed over to behind a building before making the transformation that had once been a part of her daily life. "Tikki, transform me," she whispered, not wanting the public to hear a battle call from the underpaid assistant of Gabriel Agreste."I updated the phrase to 'spots on,'" Tikki informed her quietly."Spots on!" Her arms and lower legs were suddenly covered in black spandex, then from the knee up to the shoulders, the familiar red spandex appeared. She felt the red mask appear across her face, and all in the instant of a pink flash, she became Lady Luck again.She reached up to feel for her low bun, but it was brought and unwrapped into the signature high ponytail, with red ribbons suddenly tied in.The moment she stepped out into the public from behind the alley, a young woman screamed with delight. "Lady Luck! Is that you?!" She asked excitedly.Nathalie felt the stern assistant personality she normally had as a civilian completely melted away from the heroine side. "Yeah! Just came back to help defeat this little akuma," she said. "You signed an autograph for me when I was like six years old! It's literally lucky. Oh my goodness, I carry it around like all the time and it really brings me good luck! Look, I have it with me now!" The woman rambled on, pulling the small photo out of her purse, then handing it to her.Nathalie observed the old photograph, noticing there was no streak of red hair. The picture must've been taken before the development, she thought."Wow, I can't believe you remember me," Nathalie chuckled a little, handing the picture back to the young woman."Are you kidding?! You were my role model! Of course I remember you!" The woman exclaimed. The heroine smiled, happy that she still had an impact on others from her younger days, "I appreciate your kindness, Miss. It was nice meeting you again."Before long, Lady Luck made her ascend to the rooftop, first stopping by Adrien. "Do you want to go home, Adrien? I could take care of this akuma myself, and I know you've had a long day.""No," he muttered through his teeth, almost spitefully. Nathalie was taken aback by the sudden change in his mood. If anything, she knew enough from experience with his father's temper that if she pushed on, he might blow a fuse and start yelling. "Alright... Just let me know when you're ready to go. I'll go fight the akuma. Stay safe," she said, remembering how she dealt with the grief. She mostly only had cried over Felix when she was alone, and ran across the rooftops, swung around the Eiffel Tower. Adrien just needed time alone, and until he would be able to accept the fact that she wasn't returning, he wasn't going to be himself. * * *Once the bell rang for school dismissal, Alya noticed people running with their phone cameras and social media accounts to capture video footage of Ladybug. Was her hair back to normal? It seemed much longer than usual, she noticed, but once she caught glance of the heroine's build, she seemed taller than the previous heroine. She looked a heck of a lot like... Lady Luck?"Who the heck is that?" Chloe asked, catching Alya's attention. "Her? I think that's... Lady Luck! Hey, I guess they rescued Ladybug if she gave the miraculous to Nathalie," Alya smiled, "So that means Bridgette is back to her normal civilian self!" "Right," Chloe laughed, but she was personally excited that Ladybug had finally managed to detransform. If Nathalie was wearing the miraculous, it meant that Marinette finally got it off! It would be a bit odd talking to someone who used to be her enemy, but nonetheless, they became friends over time. She was excited to finally be able to hang out with Marinette and Alya, as they were really fun people to hang out with. But best of all, everyone would be so happy to find her again. She bet Adrien would probably be the most excited. Immediately, she suggested heading over to the Dupain-Cheng bakery. "I used to love that bakery, I swear, but now it just feels empty without my best friend," Alya replied, her smile dropping. "No, but let's go! Come on! Maybe we'll see Mar-Bridgette there, or Adrien will be there to tell us the details about Ladybug finally being able to change back. Besides, it never hurts to say hello to her parents," Chloe shrugged. As the two began heading there, the blonde took notice of Adrien sitting on a roof of a building, sulking. "Uh... you go ahead, Alya. I need to run somewhere real quick, but I'll meet back up with you at the bakery!" Chloe said rushingly. They split up, and she walked over to under the building of the roof. "Hey Casanova, what do you think you're doing? Sitting on a roof in your civilian form?!" Chloe hissed, causing Adrien to glance down at her. He carefully slipped down, and took Plagg back into his jacket. Now, he had to tell her."So you finally rescued Ladybug?! I saw Lady Luck, and I knew she was finally free from her costume. How did you do it? Where is she anyways?" Chloe asked.Adrien didn’t know what to say.
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The pink light was blinding. With the random splash of blue surrounding her, she wondered where everyone had gone. Looking down, she noticed she was laying on a random blue platform. Where in the world was she? The first thing that caught her attention was the slightly longer pigtails that fell upon her shoulders, curling into themselves toward the ends.It wasn't red and black anymore, but it was back to the dark, natural color she once had it. It wasn't held in place with the red ribbons she normally used, but was instead tied with her own strands of hair.Her hands, they were bare and pale. The clothes she wore fell comfortably warm around her body."Hello?" She called out, hearing her voice echo into the emptiness. "You're her daughter, aren't you?" A random male voice came from behind. She let out a surprised yelp, nearly falling off the little surface. Marinette jumped to her feet, then spun around to face a man. "Who are you talking about?"He had black hair, many faint streaks of green highlighting. His eyes were a bold green, and he wore a look of surprise."Who are you? Where am I?" Marinette demanded, looking around. Other than the small surface she sat upon, there seemed to be nothing else. He turned away from her, and said, "I was a Chat Noir, but my name is Felix. I'm not exactly sure where we are.""You're... Felix? Oh my goodness. I'm dead. I'm definitely dead," she mumbled to herself in disbelief. Nathalie's long lost love was stuck in the afterlife, and there she was, stuck too, she thought. "You're not dead," he chuckled, "There's a different place for that. Who are you? I'm guessing a Ladybug."Marinette wore a look of utter shock that he guessed so quickly. "How did you know?" "I guessed that it was a holding place for all the Ladybug and Chat Noir souls that were detached from their kwamis, and I recall that most Ladybug holders were female. Speaking of Ladybugs, are you the daughter of Nathalie Sancoeur?" Felix asked, turning back around to face her. "No, I'm not, but I know her. And what do you mean I'm detached?! Why can't we go back? I thought we were already separated from our kwami before we transformed," Marinette replied with confusion, glancing toward him. She looked below the small surface of hers, and didn't see anything other than the colors of everywhere else. How Felix wasn't falling was beyond her, but she was too nervous to step off the platform. Her gloveless fingers gripped the edges tightly."It has to do with the development, which took me forever to figure out. I can explain it to you now that we have time, but first I'd like to ask, how is Nathalie?" He requested, a sad smile taking place on his face. He noticed how tightly she was gripping the platform, and remembered his own similar experience. The only difference was that there was no one to greet him, and he had accidentally fallen from the small surface, screaming as he doomingly expected that he'd fall eternally."She's... cool? Nathalie misses you a lot, but she's good. I didn't really get to know her until I found out she was Lady Luck, and she was helping me."Felix felt his heart tighten at the idea of his "Princess Spots" missing him. He wanted to know so much more about her, like what kind of person did she turn out to be? What kind of job did she work? Did she ever reach her dream of making clothes for people who couldn't afford it? Of designing?"This is going to be a bit silly to ask, but do you mind... catching me up on how Paris is? Who Nathalie has become? I just... I'm so out of touch with reality, yet it feels like I just got here yesterday. I've had way too much time to think, and no one to talk to. Man, it's boring!"Marinette took another look around at the random colors around her, almost like how it was when she saw herself in her dream, meeting her subconscious, only it had been a pink tinted world, rather than the blue one they were in now. Why blue? She wasn't sure. This was her new reality, and she was officially unattached from the world she once knew.* * *Adrien really meant to tell her, but at the same time, he didn’t want to say it. He couldn’t use her name in the past tense. He didn’t want to. “Ladybug... Chloe, Ladybug... she— she’s free.”What in the world did he just say? Why did he just lie? Well it wasn't a complete lie anyways. She did go somewhere, only it was probably the afterlife, he thought sadly."Oh, wow! That's good. At least she got out of that costume," Chloe cheered, then gave him a hug, "I'm glad this whole mess is over."This wasn't like him at all, and Ladybug would've kicked his butt off the Eiffel Tower if she heard that he didn't tell the whole truth. He missed Ladybug, he missed Marinette. Yes, she free of her costume, but she wasn't there anymore. The costume was there, but not Marinette. "So, did you talk to the girl under the mask?" Chloe winked exaggeratedly, smiling as she knew that everyone was finally going to be so happy that she was back."Marinette, yeah," he mumbled sadly, tears beginning to brim, but he pushed them away. Lying felt horrible, yet it provided a false sense of security that she wasn't being mourned as dead. It was such a dumb thing to do, and he knew he had to come clean. "You found out!!! You finally know who your partner is! Isn't that amazing? When I accidentally found out, I told her she should've told you, but she was all, 'It's unsafe! Blah, blah, blah!'" Chloe giggled, but stopped when she noticed the grim expression on Adrien. A few seconds of awkward silence followed, and Chloe grew worried. "Why aren't you happy? Did you not want a reveal?"Ladybug was way too nervous to confess her identity to him. She was scared he would not be happy with who she was, yet she finally did it. Adrien finally knew, but Chloe wasn't sure why he was so upset. If anything, she thought he would be really excited to find out that his classmate was his partner.Adrien immediately put his foot down at the idea that he could ever be disappointed in Marinette as Ladybug. "No! No, I'm so so happy that she is Ladybug. Trust me!" The blonde brought forward the only natural smile he could muster at the time, using every source of happiness that Marinette ever left him during that moment."So why are you so quiet?" The girl pushed, now growing a bit impatient with his weird behavior. What in the world was this boy's problem? Why couldn't he just act like a normal person and just be excited? "She went away," Adrien said, pulling his hair over his eyes, turning away from her. So much shame filled his voice, and it was burning through his chest to admit the truth, yet it hurt with a flaming ache to accept something he thought could never occur to someone as strong as Marinette, caring as Ladybug, a combination of both."...What do you mean away?" Chloe asked, her voice quieter. What was he talking about? Where did she go?This was the time for Adrien to clarify the truth... and break everyone's hearts. This was the time to officially say what he's been trying his hardest not to think about. This was the time to come clean."M-Marinette... She went away on a mission.”And yet he didn't.
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"How did they react when you told them about Ladybug?" Nathalie asked Adrien, already detransformed after fighting the akuma by herself. "I- uh... how do you think they reacted?" Adrien clenched his fists defensively, not able to look her in the eye. His heart burned with regret, and he couldn't believe he lied straight to Chloe like that. He didn't even bother telling Alya, being that the blondest girl went to mention it to her. "Oh... I'm sorry. I had to tell people too, so I understand. You just... have to do it, even if it means admitting the worst. I couldn't even handle the idea of Felix, my Chat Noir, having been tortured and killed by something that's supposed to enhance your abilities. Your development is normal, right? Just slowly gaining things that you can put away without a problem?""Yeah... I can put away my fangs whenever I need to, so it doesn't always show up," Adrien replied shortly, trying to avoid the subject of death."That's good. I can't believe a development that affected me had affected Marinette. I mean, Felix saved me from it's progression, but it still passed to her. When Felix died, it stayed with him, but didn't go to you," Nathalie tried to conclude."You let it pass to her," Adrien grumbled, stomping away angrily. He didn't turn to see her expression, because he knew he would've regretted his words so quickly, and apologized immediately. He heard her gasp a little, and she fell silent. Adrien knew he was wrong, and it was mean. Blaming others was not right, and it would hurt Nathalie. Surely, she didn't mean to let Marinette die, and she tried to research and help save her. "Y-You didn't," he turned around, his eyes focused on the floor as they grew watery. His voice was trembling, and it pained him to speak. "I'm sorry," he told her, "You didn't p-pass it to her. It wasn't your fault."Nathalie held a firm expression, but a few tears leaked out without her own permission. "You should get started in your homework, Adrien. You have a photo shoot later today, and your father wouldn't be to keen on you missing it." The boy watched his father's assistant walk away robotically, and immediately he felt so much more alone again. Here he nearly had another person in his house to turn to, but he hurt her by wrongfully weighing her down with the blame of being the reason that his partner, his best friend, the girl who cared so deeply for him was dead. "I-I'm sorry," he croaked out, and he noticed Nathalie's figure stiffen. She didn't turn back to him, but paused for a short moment before continuing to make her way to her office. The clacking noise of her heels stepping against the clean white tiles of the mansion echoed against the emptiness, slowly becoming more and more distant."Just give her time, kid," Plagg suggested, "Let's go to your room, and maybe you could rest a little..." Adrien slowly nodded in response, tears slipping from his eyes as he wrapped his arms around himself more and more tightly. His kwami sat on his shoulder, hoping his presence could somehow comfort the boy. Deciding to slowly fly in front of him, Plagg acted as a guide to lead him to his bedroom. He followed his kwami, trying to keep his bottom lip from quivering.How could it be that he could lose Ladybug? She couldn't just be wiped off the surface of the planet without a trace, leaving behind so many people who loved her, both as the heroine and the civilian. She couldn't just not be at the weekly patrols. She never skipped a patrol with him, and he couldn't just guard Paris without her. Who was Chat Noir to be without Ladybug? Who was Adrien Agreste without Marinette Dupain-Cheng? He couldn't even begin to imagine another girl working beside him, and having to work with another partner in place of Marinette. She made him promise her that he would find a new partner, yet it felt so wrong to even imagine having a new person fill in her costume.Once Adrien shut the door from the inside of his bedroom, he fell into a hiccup of sobs, allowing himself to crumple to his knees. Having slumped against the door, his back rested against the shiny dark wood as his head hung down.He cried, and violently seized a ribbon of Ladybug's. Tears rolled off his cheeks and his chest weighed down in misery while his heart felt unbelievably empty. Why couldn't he have just saved her? She had so many plans and dreams for her life, never wanting to disappear. "M-Marinette," he sobbed her name quietly.* * *"And so that is what I made my partner promise me... I just hope he finds a good partner," Marinette sighed, squeezing her hands into fists, "I really upset him when I begged him to keep that promise...""I don't blame him, it's scary to think about losing someone you're so close to. Now that your Chat Noir is alone, who do you think would make the best partner for him?" Felix asked, able to see the visual memory of Marinette's beside her replaying."I really hope Nathalie would take it for now. Long term, I think this one fencer girl would have her best skills to protect Paris as Ladybug. Her name is Kagami, and she was a really good fighter. Besides, I think Chat Noir could trust her. I know she could protect Adrien Agreste for me," Marinette smiled sadly. "Agreste? Wait a minute, is he related to a Gabriel Agreste?" Felix's eyes widened in curiosity."Oh, you know Gabriel Agreste? He is Adrien's dad, and a worldwide known fashion designer," she replied. "Oh goodness, Gabriel Agreste had a son! Nathalie's best friend, Emilie, had the biggest crush on him," the man laughed in memory, but it slowly faded. "This might sound a bit crazy to ask, but do you know... if Nathalie ever found a new partner? If she married another man?"Marinette quickly jumped to reply, "No, no. She missed you way too much. She resigned as Lady Luck like a year after you died. She works for Gabriel Agreste now, but didn't marry anybody. Nathalie loves you!" Of course Nathalie didn't give up on her love. She would do the same for Adrien if he didn't make it. "R-Really? She didn't? She does?" Felix asked, his cheeks flushing red as he looked down at his feet. A sense of relief as well as affection for Nathalie flooded into him, and he couldn't help but to smile again."Yes! I just wish there was a way we could come back. I'm not sure how you saved Nathalie or how we're stuck in here. Is it like a globe or a room? Are there edges, or is it just endless?" Marinette questioned excitedly. Felix mentally computed and analyzed her multiple questions as quickly as he could. "For a while, I actually didn't move. I didn't want to get off the ledge that you were on, but I fell off and didn't slip into eternity, so I guess that's a floor. We're not floating, but at the same time, we are not physically stepping on anything materialistic. I tried to find a corner or edge, but it's just empty space. I tried to get out of here, but it goes on forever. If we leave the ledge, it might eventually be hard to find again. There's no direction we can go and find civilization.""Well, there's no harm in trying. How hard could it be to find the ledge if there's nothing to hide it?" Marinette suggested optimistically. "It's really flat, and it's like looking at the edge of a paper. Trust me, it disappeared until you came back. It's like the only thing that kept my sanity. Everything else is just nothing, I swear I lost my mind. I'm so glad I could talk to another person for once. I don't even know how long I've been here," Felix rambled on. Marinette nervously laughed a little in response. Was she going to lose her sanity in this weird world? At least she had someone to talk to. "So wait, does any of this really exist or are we just subconsciously alive while our bodies are technically disintegrated in the air?" Marinette asked Felix curiously."I wish I knew how to answer that, but I assume that our bodies were technically brought here while the masks are stuck with our kwamis," Felix replied, sitting down. "What happened? What is the development for, and what does it mean? Why did ours go wrong?"Felix sighed, looking out at the space in front of them, and began to talk. "To explain the development, it's basically an upgrade of powers. It's pretty much what my kwami had called it, superhero puberty.""That's what I remember Plagg telling me," Marinette amused."He's a funny little guy, but he's right. Like puberty, you must get lots of rest during this vital upgrade of powers. The kwami must be recharged with both rest and food before transforming you. You see, they never borrow our energy, but allow us to use theirs. The development takes a huge amount of energy, so it drains our own.""Why can't they just detransform us then?" She asked."It would literally kill us. With the development taking more energy than we have, the kwamis have to be the source. We need energy to help our hearts beat, to help our organs work, to basically allow our brains to function.""The dumb akuma came up the day after I had an all-nighter," Marinette recalled, suddenly realizing. "I remember Nathalie always pushed herself to do a lot in high school so she could get into a good college, then work for the fashion industry. She was a straight-A student, always involved in school activities, as well as sports. The girl even got the lead of our school play. There weren't enough hours in the day to do everything, so it took from her sleep.""So did you just get too caught up between school, family, and hero duties?" Felix asked."Yeah... my family runs a bakery, and I had to help them all day, as well as do a long project with my other homework assignments. My parents woke me up early the next morning to make sure I wasn't late, but I had never even gone to sleep. Right after school, I was so sure I was going to take a nap, but then the dumb Printer akuma forced me to deal with his ridiculousness. After the attack, I finally realized I never lost spots after using my power. That's when I couldn't detransform," Marinette explained."For my own experience, I spent most of my nights researching a way to help Nathalie detransform. That's when I realized that sleep and energy had an effect on our developing powers. I got stuck in the cat suit a week after Nathalie got stuck in her suit, but it was right after we helped detransform her.""So basically Nathalie broke the superhero puberty?" Marinette asked."I found that it could only happen to one holder of each specific Miraculous, mostly to hold our energy for future issues, so since I'm stuck in here, your partner is completely safe from not having enough energy. It will draw from me if he doesn't," Felix explained."What if we run out of energy?" Marinette questioned."We can't. Because we were so dangerously low on energy, something put us in here, preserving and expanding our energy as a source. Based on earlier research, I found that this was the only way to keep heroes from dying, but one person of each Miraculous would get taken indefinitely."
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Nathalie and Felix
"So we're stuck here forever, huh?" Marinette asked, her optimistic tone fallen away. She turned away on the platform, and away from Felix, not wanting to let him see how sad she had become.She'd never get to see Alya, her best friend who could always make her laugh. No more slumber parties, no more shopping trips, or movie nights. Alya would have to find a new best friend, and Marinette hoped it would be Chloe.She'd never get to see her wonderful parents who'd always care about her. They would have to run the bakery with the help of other employees now, and she knew it was breaking their hearts. Her mother and father were the most loving people she knew, and she wouldn't ever give up the memories of them. Maybe one day, after the eternity she would spend in this holding place, she would get to see them again. Now Chloe wouldn't have to deal with Ladybug in her hotel, but she knew that she was a better person. With every piece of her, Marinette hoped she wouldn't go back to her mean ways, and could be kind. They really grew to become closer friends over the course of the development, and it was like having a sister. She was so proud of how much Chloe developed over time, and even became kind. And Adrien... she'd never get to see him ever again. He was always so kind to her, and she wished she would've been courageous enough to admit her feelings before getting stuck as Ladybug. He returned the feelings, and it was so amazing, but now he'd have to move on. She hated to imagine, but if it would make him happy again, he had to find love. Maybe with a kind girl, he could fall in love and start a real family later. It wasn't fair how he was such a sweet boy, and came from such a cold, harsh home.Lastly, and most painfully, Chat Noir watched her slowly disintegrate. Her partner, her best friend, he was always the best thing about being Ladybug. Having him in her life made her feel luckier than anyone else in Paris. He was the silliest, most caring boy she'd ever met. Now he was going to have to find a new Ladybug, and thanks to her, he wouldn't lose another partner. He would never have to deal with the same kind of issue, and it was a relief. She would miss him more than everyone."Hey, don't be so down... There's one little advantage to being here that I haven't told you about," Felix tried to cheer her up. Gloomily, she turned toward him, "What?""So you remember meeting yourself in a dream, right? Well, we get to do that once in a while with the ones we love. The only downside is that we can't see them, but they can see us. We can hear them, and they can hear us," Felix said, allowing himself to smile.Curiously, she perked up and sat upright, asking, "Have you tried it?""I've done it with my parents, but they don't think I'm real. I can’t do it for Nathalie. If I did, I would probably break down crying," Felix admitted, "But I think your partner will understand you.""I-I think I'll try it with Adrien first," Marinette decided, excited to be able to hear his voice again. He would be able to see her, but not vice versa. "So let me explain how to do it," Felix begun.* * *"Adrien, I don't understand why you're acting with such inappropriate behavior. Obey your photographer and stop brooding. You're not being normal," Gabriel demanded, causing Adrien to glare toward him. The photographer tried everything, but Adrien wouldn't give a genuine smile. It came out more like a forced cringe, as well as his reddened eyes. The eyes were able to be edited, but the boy refused to cooperate. "Fine! You want another fake smile?! Here's the one I was forced to give after Mom disappeared!" Adrien yelled, surprising his father. He angrily clamped down his teeth, pulling his cheeks back and forced a grin, but tears ran from his eyes and his breathing was uneven and heavy. Anger and frustration met his eyes, as well as misery, but the smile never got there.Why should he be happy when the love of his life was gone? When Marinette Dupain-Cheng was no longer alive on the surface of his planet, why should he have to smile and act as if the sun kept shining, and the days were filled with light and excitement? What was the point of being happy? Why did he have to act anymore? All he felt inside was a ripping emptiness where his partner used to be, and it only seemed to envelop him more and more, slowly sucking away the light that kept him alive, his love, and his happiness. His mother's disappearance left a hole, but Marinette's death tore the entire heart to pieces. He felt nothing left, but painful shreds of grief in his chest, and it was unbearable.She was gone, and he was there, but not there. How could Adrien be present anymore? How could his mind and body still be in the same place when his heart was dead?Gabriel froze, watching as his son squeezed his fists, and held up that false smile while tears streamed out of his eyes. It slowly faded into another cringe, and he let out a sob. "Adrien... I..." The man began, his tone slightly less harsh."No! You don't care! There's nothing anymore! What am I supposed to do when she's gone?! She's never coming back, and I don't know how to be happy anymore!! It's like an endless hole in my heart, and I can't pull it together anymore! I just can't do it, Father! I'm done!" He shouted, storming out of the room when he was finished. Adrien shoved his fists towards his cheeks, trying to rub away his tears.Gabriel stood there, wordless of what had just been said. Emilie Agreste's disappearance had really taken a toll on his son, and it was rightfully so, he thought. At least at the end of this, Adrien would be happy again."Sir, with all due respect, I believe we should clear the rest of Adrien's schedule for today," Nathalie spoke up, walking beside him.With a thoughtful groan, Gabriel nodded in approval. "Today, you may clear my son's schedule.""Yes Sir," his assistant replied."As for now, please find my son. He seems to have run off," he glanced out in the street, then stepping into the limo."Yes Sir."Before she knew it, she saw the cat superhero flinging himself across Paris, trying to get to the top of the Eiffel Tower. Once her boss drove off, she walked into an alleyway. "Tikki? Are you okay?" Nathalie asked, opening her jacket. "I'm a bit hungry, but it's not too bad. I can still transform you so you could go to Adrien," the kwami whispered. "I'll grab a cookie for you," she replied, walking back into the street and rushing to the bakery. Once she got to the bakery, she saw Alya and Chloe sitting at a table. They waved to her cheerfully. Well, she thought, they seemed to be taking Ladybug's death pretty well on the outside. Considering Marinette was their friend, she assumed they would be a little more upset. She walked to the table, putting on a more sympathetic smile."How are you guys taking everything?" Nathalie asked."Oh, we're so happy! It's awesome that Ladybug finally got her wish!" Alya smiled, causing Nathalie to widen her eyes. What in the world? Why were they so excited that Marinette was dead? "I mean, it's a little sad that she can't return soon, but at least you get to take a turn in the suit again," Chloe spoke up.Nathalie turned her head between both of them, horrified by their lack of sympathy. "I know she's finally out of the suit, but I would think you girls ought to be at least a little bit sad. She was your friend.""There's not much to be sad about, other than the fact that she's not here right now. Other than that, we're happy for her. Why aren't you?" Chloe asked, frowning a bit. How far did Marinette have to go? Was it going to be a long mission? Obviously, she had no clue of the horrifying fate that had consumed her friend's life."I- have to grab a cookie for the kwami," she replied, dismissing herself to the counter. Both girls shrugged her off behavior off, chalking it up to adult crankiness."Hello Mrs. Dupain-Cheng. May I order a small bag of chocolate chip cookies?" Nathalie requested, pulling out her wallet. "Of course. That'll be two euros," Sabine said as she placed a few cookies into a bag. It had been several months since she lost her daughter, yet she had no clue that it wasn't until earlier that day that Marinette was truly gone. Nathalie could see her pain, knowing that Sabine was missing her child, holding onto the impossible hope of the girl still being alive. She wouldn't be able to break this news to her. It wouldn't be right.Handing over the money, the women exchanged items, then gave brief farewells and well-wishes. She could feel the kwami trembling in her jacket, likely affected by the voice of her holder's mother, or the familiar aroma of the place she would no longer go to with Marinette. Outside the bakery, down the park, Nathalie opened her jacket and held out a chocolate chip cookie. "Tikki, are you okay?"Out from the jacket, the kwami came out tearfully, "I-I miss her so much... I can't believe I couldn't save her from being the one who had to be taken. I promised I would never let any of my holders go out like that!""Oh Tikki, it wasn't your fault. You knew it was bound to someone happen eventually, and it's really upsetting. Marinette didn't deserve to die so quickly..." Nathalie tried to convince her. The kwami thanked her for the cookies, and ate a few of them. Thankful it was one that she was used to, one that would connect her to her holder, Tikki offered her transformation once she finished.One transformation later, Lady Luck swung the yoyo to a roof, becoming nervous when it began to yank her violently towards her destination. Of course as a kid, it was so exhilarating and refreshing, but as an adult, it was like watching your life flash before your eyes as you were hurdling through the air like a football and holding on to a little piece of plastic on a thin string.Smacking into the top of the roof, Nathalie groaned, basically having to peel herself from the surface. Luckily, the magic suit prevented a majority of the pain, but she knew she'd be truly feeling it once she took it off. "How did I not break a tooth, or better yet, my nose?" She asked herself, rubbing it carefully. Standing back to her feet, she looked down at herself in the red suit again. Of course she didn't have that same thin teenage body, but she was still relatively fit for being in her thirties. Looking beside herself, it was almost expectant to her to see the boy with dark hair in the cat suit, but reality stayed close to her mind, reminding her of the truth. "I miss you, Kitty," she whispered for a moment. The gaping wound he left in her heart from his permanent disappearance never healed, and she never thought it possibly could. Now, Adrien had to face what she was dealing with. He may have replied to her attempts at consolation with hurtful words, but she knew the kid didn't mean it. Although it hurt her at first, she realized that Adrien was hurting in the same way she had been, and it wasn't something to gloss over. He needed to grieve, and she respected it.Spotting him at the top of the Eiffel Tower where the heroes always seemed to meet up at, Nathalie made the decision to leave him time to think. Her motherly instincts allowed her to sit on a rooftop, watching from a distance to ensure he would be okay.
----- CHAPTER BREAK -----
"-is what you're saying.Adrien's eyes shot open to see nothing but green shades. Whether it was the darkest shade of yellow combining with the deepest forest green, or just the blinding bright neon green you can find in the sea of darkness and misfortune, he spun around, landing his eyes on a familiar girl. She was turned away, seemingly holding a conversation with another person, who was practically living in the shadows. Sitting up immediately, he reached out to her. Once his fingers made contact with the softness of her skin, the room fluttered into bright pinkness, immediately lightning away the dark green. She turned around, and he saw her again. "Marinette?!" He screeched, nearly falling back."I hear something! Does he know I'm here? I think I can feel him!" She squealed happily, looking right past him.There she was, with her silky dark curl ringlets tied into her signature pigtails, as well as those big oceanic eyes that could always pull his attention away. "M-Marinette? I'm right here!" He cried out, causing her to walk right through him as if he were the ghost. A deeper voice, distorted and unclear, spoke to her, although Adrien couldn't tell what he was saying. He could see her turning in that direction with a grateful nod, her pink lips pulling into a soft smile.Only catching whispers that seemed to blow beside her, Marinette couldn't hear much of what he was saying. Adrien heard her clearly, and saw her there, but she couldn't see him at all."Adrien?" She looked around cluelessly that he was right beside her."Marinette!! Marinette! I'm right here! P-Please!" Adrien screamed out, causing her to turn in his direction. She could feel her heart skip a beat, then her cheeks heated up. She had to say something to the boy she'd loved since she met him."Adrien..." She spoke, seeming to look right at him, "I'm so sorry. Look, I- I heard about what you said about me. I know you saw my message about how I really feel about you, and I think I know how you feel about me... I love you." Why couldn't she just have told him while she had the chance as a living, breathing, healthy girl?Marinette could feel herself begin to cry at her own words, "-and I'm g-going to miss you... so much. I'm so sorry I didn't tell you how I felt before. I was so scared you wouldn't feel the same way." It was so hard to imagine that she'd never see him ever again. All she would have are the memories of their days in which she'd spent alongside him as a friend.Adrien tried to grab her hands, but she only felt a rush of warm air. She knew what he was trying to do. Marinette held her hands still, allowing him to try and hold them."Marinette, I love you too. I miss you... Please, please come back to us, come back to me! Please... Marinette, I need you!" He begged, trying to grab the air where the girl's hands would be. Marinette only caught some of it in whispers, "-arin... ove you... miss you... back to me... please... Marinette... I need you!"She was able to piece it together, and she choked back a cry, not wanting him to see her like that. Why couldn't she just be able to stay with him? Why did she take her own life for granted while she had it? Marinette could've been with him all that time, but she was afraid all that time. He was missing her already, and it wasn't fair to him. She'd broken his heart and left him."I'm so... sorry, Adrien. I didn't want to disappear on you either. I didn't mean to leave you. I promise with every fiber within me that I will never forget you. You are my first love, Adrien Agreste," Marinette told him, staring directly in front of her with the hope he was standing there as well. The warmth seemed to slip away, and she heard a whispering sob of a boy. Her heart tore itself to pieces at the sounds of his internal torture of emotional pain and anguish. She could feel her stomach twisting in guilt, and she just wanted to do something: hug him, kiss him, or just give him comfort."M-Marinette!! N-Noth-ing makes s-sense without you anymore!! I c-cant do it! I need you!! P-Please... Please come back!! Mari, please!" Adrien begged, crumpling to the floor in sobs as she stood there, holding back tears herself. "I love you so much. Y-You're going to be okay... I promise. My heart... it's never going to leave you. I swear on everything I am that I will always love you forever, Adrien," Marinette promised, tears spilling down her cheeks.The world started to crumble away in front of him, and he tried to reach out and grab her, but he only fell away into an abyss of light. "Mari!! Marinette!! No!!! Please, Marinette!!!" He screamed out, his arms reaching out as far as he could, but he continued to fall back as she turned away.Before he knew it, his green eyes snapped open to the darkness of midnight as he continued to scream out her name. "Marinette!!! No!!" "Kid, wake up! You're fine! You're going to be fine!" Plagg tugged on his shirt collar quickly as he continued to reach out for her. Tears continuously rolled down his cheeks uncontrollably as he screamed her name out repeatedly."Adrien! You're awake! It was only a dream!" Plagg tried to calm him to the best of his abilities. Slowly, he was able to stop his loud sobs until they turned to quiet cries with his kwami's consistent pleas. Burying his face in his arms, he couldn't believe this was his reality. It just didn't make sense that she wasn't going to be at school, at her family's bakery, or on patrols with him. How was he going to be able to face another day without Marinette? Without Ladybug? Knowing they were the same person twisted the knife into his gut as he came to pull every wonderful memory he had between the two personas and combine them into the most fantastic girl he'd ever come to meet. They'd been partners, friends, and classmates, but they were in love. He loved her, and it was impossible to figure things out. What would he do now? Where would he go? Why would he have to continue being Chat Noir?He couldn't even imagine having to transform again without being able to see Ladybug drop in beside him. It would just be incredibly empty, and he no longer could have his Ladybug to purify akumas, run alongside him during patrols, or even just cheer him up after a horrible day of photo shoots and "family" drama.How could he continue to protect Paris without his Ladybug?* * *Nino was getting pretty irritated with his friends at the moment. It seemed that ever since Marinette disappeared, he lost his membership of being in the group. To make matters stranger, Chloe Bourgeois was his replacement! It seemed that the new girl who rarely ever showed up to class, Bridgette, took Marinette's spot. The usually cheerful designer was gone, yet no one really seemed to talk about her anymore. What in the world was going on with Alya and Adrien? What was Chloe doing with them? Mostly, why was he being shunned?! Honestly, he thought Adrien would get over their petty argument after the passing of several months, but he never seemed interested in talking to him anymore. Lately, the DJ had been hanging out with Kim, Max, and Alix, seeing as he was unofficially kicked out of his usual group. They were really chill, Nino thought, but their dares were getting pretty intense. Max was thankful to have another friend to share the pain of keeping Kim and Alix out of trouble with, and Nino got along with him well enough. This group always went over to Kim's house on Friday nights, and they spent their evening playing video games, eating pizza, and rocking out to Nino's new tunes. They would always watch cheap horror movies once it got late, slipping into pajamas and laughing at the quality of the antagonist's character design or just calling out the ridiculous decisions made by characters in the movie. It was always fun, yet he missed his best friends. He missed Alya, he missed Marinette, he missed Adrien. It became time to resolve this matter with Alya and Adrien. Nino, sitting on his bed lazily, picked up his phone and disconnected it from the charger. Finding his previous text conversation with Adrien, he pulled up the screen's keyboard, and hesitantly typed his message. Nino: Hey bro Okay, that wasn't a horrible start. The text box opened, and Nino watched to see what he would send. Then it disappeared. "What the heck?" Nino grumbled, "Try to be nice and that's what- never mind!" Accidentally sending the same exact text to Alya, he realized he probably should've revised it. However, the response was practically immediate. Alya: BRO?! I'm not your bro, Nino! I'm a girl, and I don't appreciate your BRO-ness! Nino sighed in relief. Alya was back to her normal self. Nino: Sorry Al. Meant to send that to Adrien. I meant to say "hello, princess of france" Alya: Capitalize correctly, and I'm a queen, not a princess. Nino: Oh, my mistake. Hello, Queen Alya of France. Alya: That's better, DJ Spinny. Nino laughed a little, placing his phone down. At least Alya seemed to be okay with him again. Maybe... he could hang out with her later? Would that be too much?Picking up his phone again, he typed out his question. Nino: Are you free to hang tomorrow? After sending it, he felt his heart race. With each and every second passing by, he felt more and more anxious. Once her speech bubble popped up, he let out a inhuman screech, almost falling off his bed, knocking his red baseball cap to the floor. Alya: I'm down. That meant she would be there. Nino: Cool. See you then, Queen Alya of France. Was that too much? Was she going to think he was crazy for giving her a nickname? He hoped it was the right time. Alya: See ya DJ Spinny. Yep, definitely not too much. Nino: why DJ Spinny??? Alya: First of all, you're a DJ. You got akumatized into a party bubble guy who made disks go all spinny. Second of all, I think it's just perfect enough for a "dork-asaurus" like you. Nino: Lol what's a dorkasaurus?? Alya: It's a Marinette word extension! :) I miss hearing the crazy words she used to make up... Nino: I'm sorry, Al. I know she was such an awesome friend. Alya: *is Alya: Anyways, I'll definitely see you tomorrow! Nino: See you then! She missed Marinette a ton, and he didn't blame her a bit. He missed the girl too, and it was sad that she left. Nino internally cringed at his mistake. He totally made it sound as if Marinette was gone forever. It wasn't as if she were dead or anything. Ladybug promised to tell everyone if she found out that Marinette died. Besides, she promised that she would be okay. She sent that video to everyone with her last promises. Hopefully she wasn't lying.* * *Chloe sat in her bedroom the next morning, gazing at the mess she and Ladybug had made during the time she allowed her to stay over. With the heroine, she never had enough time to clean her own room. Previously she had her butler do it, but it just didn't feel right to demand people to do her things anymore. Now that she left for whatever mission Adrien was talking about, everything was so quiet and boring. She had a roommate for several months, and now she was alone again. Before, she never would've wanted to admit it, but Marinette was a really fun person to hang out with. She almost made her feel like real family; as if they were sisters. With every silly argument, discussion, shopping day, she felt like she had a real sister by her side. Of course Sabrina was her best friend, but at the moment, they weren't on speaking terms. Chloe honestly couldn't blame the redhead for getting irritated for leaving her out of everything lately. Maybe it was time to go apologize, and this time, not with any silly bribes. She grabbed her striped purse, slinging it over her shoulder before slipping her phone into it. "Where are you off to, Miss Chloe?" Her butler asked as she left her room. "I need to make up with Sabrina. With Ladybug always being here, I might've left her out of a lot of things," Chloe admitted, almost painfully. It was embarrassing to admit her mistakes, and talk about having to correct them.With everything she ever put Sabrina through, it was worth the shame."Do you need a ride?" He asked, a smile forming on his face. The girl was maturing more and more every time we spoke with her. He was proud. "I think I'll walk today, but thank you," Chloe replied, her tone more polite.Once she left, she texted Adrien just to check in. He seemed really upset about Ladybug, but she really didn't know what for. Chloe: Morning! ☀️ She smiled at her little sun emoji she put beside it. The little text at the bottom showed that her text was read. The text box suddenly popped up to show Adrien was typing, so she looked down at it as she crossed the street. When it disappeared, she frowned. Continuing to walk on, she waited a few moments before checking her phone. Just read. Adrien Agreste left his childhood friend on read. "Oh, you are not doing this to my good morning text, Agreste," she grumbled angrily, tossing the phone back into her purse.With every year she knew Adrien, he never left her on read. Text him during practice? Quick response.Text him at midnight? It would take a moment or two for a reply.Text him when they had a dumb argument? Still, he'd reply quickly. No matter how irritated he was with her antics, he never left her on read.Even when his mother left and he was really sad, Adrien would always text her back. This was weird, and she wouldn't leave it be. Even if he was busy, he'd just text her to mention it. Maybe he just didn't have enough service to send the text? Chloe: Are you okay? Maybe she was overthinking it.Chloe left the phone in her purse, continuing to walk until she reached Sabrina's house. After knocking on the brown door, the blonde took a step back, quickly glancing toward the glass window. A few moments later, she was met with Mrs. Raincomprix. "Can I help you, Miss Bourgeois?" The redhead woman sighed at the presence of her. Chloe knew that Sabrina's mother never really liked her. Likely remembering how much of a crappy friend the blonde used to be to her daughter, treating her like a servant and abusing her friendship, Chloe understood why Mrs. Raincomprix didn't exactly approve of their friendship. She decided to be much more polite. "Good morning, Mrs. Raincomprix! I actually came today to just check in on Sabrina. I just wanted to apologize for some things," Chloe offered her sweetest smile.Obviously, the mother seemed taken aback by the odd change in Chloe, but she didn't question it too much. "Don't push my daughter around, Miss Bourgeois. I don't care that your father is the mayor of Paris. I don't even work in this city," she declared, her tone much more serious. Chloe cringed a bit, but she knew why she was telling her that. Previously, she used to threaten everybody that she would tell her father to fire them if they didn't do what she wanted. The seriousness in her tone made Chloe want to cry a little."I promise, I'm going to be much nicer," The girl told her, trying not to choke up as she pushed a sincere smile. It was completely reasonable that she didn't trust her, so it wasn't worth being a brat anymore. The woman was quite angry with her, but treating people horribly wasn't right. Ladybug taught her that."Sabrina!!" The woman yelled out, turning around.The smaller redhead came down halfway down the stairs, peering past her mother's figure to see who stood in front of her. Mrs. Raincomprix shifted away, revealing Chloe. The blonde waved at her friend, giving her an apologetic smile. "I don't talk to mean people," Sabrina sneered with irritation, beginning to turn away to go back up, but Chloe threw her hand up. Her high voice hummed with irritation."Sabrina, I'm so sorry! I just came here to apologize. I know I've been a horrible friend, and I treated you terribly. I understand if you don't want to be my friend again, but let me just apologize to you."Sabrina paused, turning back a little, "I'm listening."Her mother left the room, not wanting to invade on whatever Chloe and Sabrina were talking about. "You're an amazing friend, and you've always been there for me. Ever since my mother left, you've been my rock. You're so kind and loyal, and I should've been more appreciative about having you around as my BFF," Chloe told her, "I've been so rude to you, and I treated you like dirt. It was so mean, and I shouldn't have been so rude to you. Lately I've been helping 'Bridgette,' and hanging around with Adrien and Alya. I shouldn't have ignored you and pushed you away, Sabrina. I miss you, and I'm so sorry."Once she finished what she had to say, Chloe smiled at her one last time. "I've said everything, and again, I'm sorry. Thank you for being my best friend. I understand why you're angry, so I'll just go. Goodbye Sabrina."The blonde turned around, tearfully as she shut the door behind her. Sabrina just wasn't going to forgive her again. She'd pushed her forgiveness and killed their friendship.Walking away again, she looked back at her phone, noticing she was left on read again. Again.Adrien wasn't okay, and she had to do something. Deciding she'd stop by his place and check up on him, she turned to a different direction to begin.Once she arrived, she took notice that Nathalie didn't bother to lock the gates. Hopefully Adrien's father wouldn't notice, Chloe thought. On the way out, Jean the bakery boy nearly bumped into her. "Jean?" She gasped, her cheeks growing pink. "Oh hey, Chloe! I was just on my way out. Mrs. Dupain-Cheng sent me to deliver some surprise sweets to cheer up some classmates. I'm actually on my way to a few more houses. Here's yours," Jean chuckled, handing her a small pink box with Marinette's bakery design logo on it. "O-Oh, you got me one?" Chloe asked."Yeah, she asked me to make some for all of Marinette's friends, and I remembered you were one of them! I think... but whatever, I know you deserve sweets too, so there's a variety of cookies in there. I wasn't exactly sure which ones you liked so if you have allergies, let me know and I could make you a whole new batch!" Jean hadn't even realized he was rambling."Thanks? I mean thank you. I don't have allergies, so it's all good," Chloe nodded, taking the small box from him and cradling it in her arms. "Great! So see you later, I guess?" He said, beginning to walk away, waving to her with his free hand. She waved back, then let her gaze fall to the box. Her name was neatly printed across the top of the box, slightly below the bakery's logo. Opening it, she saw nearly perfectly done cookies. Letting out a soft sigh as she watched him leave, she slipped the box into her purse, then continued to walk up into the mansion. Once she opened the door, she noticed the tall, stern man standing across, but not facing her direction. He seemed to be talking to Adrien's bodyguard, although the guy never responded to anyone. Holding her breath, she tipped her way into the house as quietly as she could. With a few silent steps, she made her way behind a large gray pillar.Peeking around, she caught the bodyguard's eye, and hid back again. A bit nervous he might point her out to Gabriel, she continued to hide behind the pillar.However, they both walked outside, and the bodyguard seemed to ignore her presence. Maybe he was close with Nathalie, and he wasn't as mean. If Mr. Agreste caught her, she feared he might call her father and send her back to the hotel without her being able to talk to her friend. Once they were all the way out the door, she bolted around the pillar, booking it up the stairs, then slipping into a higher hallway. She ran toward Adrien's room, but stopped when she heard their voices."-sorry that I was so mean to you about losing her," she heard Adrien's voice, but didn't catch the first part of that sentence. Lowering herself to ensure she wouldn't be seen by Gabriel or anyone else, she slowly opened the door. They didn't hear the door, due to its hinges being well-oiled. She slowly closed the door behind her, but stayed hidden beside the wooden skateboard ramps or whatever they were. Adrien and Nathalie were sitting on the white couches slightly diagonal from her. She wasn't completely exposed, but if they turned around, she might've been visible."I know losing your partner is so hard, and I'm so sad that it's come to this. Tikki told me who Marinette thought the best holder would be if she died, and she thought it would be best for me to train the next Ladybug," Nathalie sympathized. 'Losing his partner? What is that supposed to mean?' Chloe wondered to herself, frowning as she continued to listen. Maybe she would be better hidden in the bathroom. She slowly crawled to the other side of the bedroom without their notice, slightly cringing when she saw her reflection in the black television screen. If they saw, they'd probably be very confused. Instead, they got up, causing Chloe to slip under his desk, slowly rolling his chair to cover her body. "Who is... the next Ladybug supposed to be? Is it Alya- or Chloe?" Adrien asked the assistant, walking toward his desk to turn on his computer. Chloe nearly jumped at the mention of her name, thinking they might've found her, but he was just asking the question. Once he rolled out the chair, he sat on it, pushing himself in. 'The next Ladybug? What's wrong with the one we just had? Are you really that devastated that Ladybug is Marinette, Adrien?' She thought to herself.Chloe backed herself completely against the wall, trying her very best not to make a noise or move. His knees were nearly half an inch from the tip of her nose. "Uh... well, considering Tikki said Master Fu had plans that wouldn't allow her to choose those certain people as Ladybug, Marinette ended up picking that fencing girl you met," Nathalie told him."She's right. Marinette told me that Kagami was very capable of protecting you as a partner and all of Paris. She said her skills were very advanced and she would work well with you," Tikki flew out from Nathalie's jacket to report. Her eyes fell down to below the desk, where she noticed the blonde girl pushed up against the wall. Frowning at her in confusion, Chloe looked at the kwami pleadingly to stay quiet. Tikki slowly looked away, pretending she hadn't just seen her down there. She'd been caught up on how Chloe improved her behavior and knew about Marinette's real identity, but it wouldn't be true to say that she completely forgave the blonde for nearly getting her holder akumatized with irritation, or for insulting her everyday. Still, she assumed Chloe had her odd reasons for sitting beneath Adrien's computer desk. "I don't want a new partner! I just want Marinette back!" Adrien grumbled, clicking his computer on to see the LadyBlog to look at older blogs about his adventures with Ladybug. 'She just went on a mission. Why is everyone so upset? Plus, why can't Nathalie just keep being Lady Luck?' Chloe thought to herself curiously. "She's in the same situation as Felix. I just wish we could bring the both of them back!" Tikki sighed. 'But Felix is dead,' Chloe thought. Then it hit her. Suddenly shoving Adrien's knees back with all her force, Chloe bursted out from underneath the desk. "Are you telling me that Ladybug is dead?! Marinette is dead?!!" The boy's computer seat had wheels, which caused him to fly back at her force, combined with the horror of a random hand shoving his knees out of nowhere. His chair tipped back, and he fell out of his seat with a short yelp."Chloe?! What are you doing here?! How long have you been here?" Adrien asked, his voice shrill and panicked. "Long enough to know that you've lied to me!! You told me that Ladybug was able to get out of her suit! You told me she was okay! I believed you! You lied to me about my friend, and she's dead?!" Chloe practically screamed with anger. A part of her was doing her best to pull the angered, mean part of her away from Adrien, and shove her back into the corner. The hurt and pain was too much.Natalie was completely startled by her sudden appearance, having no idea what just happened. "Wait, you didn't tell Chloe what happened?" She asked Adrien.He got up, slowly retreating from Chloe's rage as she continued to stomp up to him, "I-I mean... she got out of the costume! I'm sorry! I didn't mean to lie. I just got so- so scared and-""How could you lie to me so easily?! Adrien, I thought you were better than this! We've been friends since forever, and I thought you were the one person I could trust! And Ladybug... why didn't you save her?! I thought you had it handled!" Chloe yelled at him. She felt her pain growing through the reins that she just learned to heal herself with. All that she managed to put away, all her old self, just bursted out of the thin wrap she had to hold it. Marinette helped her become better and kinder, but all of it was falling apart without her.She felt the same disgust, anger, and betrayal she once felt with everyone before she managed to better herself, and she blamed Adrien. She blamed Chat Noir. "You broke my trust, Adrien! How can I trust you again?! You didn't help Ladybug! You didn't save Marinette! Y-You killed her by not saving her! You didn't even tell me that she was gone because y-you're a coward!" She began to cry, her face completely red with anger and frustration.Adrien's own eyes grew watery once again, and he reached out to Chloe, but she turned away before she did anything she regretted. "Y-You're a coward! You're a cowardly person! You let her die when she t-trusted you could save her! Ladybug trusted you, A-Adrien!!" She sobbed, realizing her friend, who truly helped her become a better version of herself, who accepted her irritating behavior, who became like a sister to a girl who grew up lonely, was truly gone. How is it that even with every rude insult and trick Chloe had tortured Marinette with, she still managed to help her and make her feel like a sister? How was it that she was even gone? Looking up, she saw Tikki looking speechless, and Nathalie frowning as tears began prickling at the corners of her eyes."Don't blame him. It's not going to change anything, I promise you," she told the girl sternly. Her bottom lip quivered, and she frowned, trying to choke back the cry as she stomped out of the room. Nearly running into Gabriel Agreste, she continued to stomp out angrily."Miss Bourgeois?" The taller man exclaimed, obviously bewildered by her angry, tearful demeanor. "Chloe!" Adrien called out after her, running out of his room to try and catch up with her, but she only ran faster.Immediately, she knew blaming Adrien like that was wrong, and knowing how sensitive he was, it probably hurt him a lot as well, but she couldn't stop thinking about how her friend was no longer alive anymore. She didn't exist anymore, all because she became a superhero. It wasn't controllable, and she knew it was coming, but it was easy for Chloe to deny it. Just like it was easy for Adrien to deny that she was really gone.Worst of all, her parents, best friends, and classmates all thought she was safe and alive somewhere, yet she knew she could never come back.
----- CHAPTER BREAK -----
Marinette sat back on the blue platform beside Felix with a weary sigh. Wasn't it bad enough for Adrien with his mother gone? She didn't need to ruin his life, nor be haunting his dreams."It's hard, isn't it? You're struggling to hear someone you love tell you things after they think you've died or something," Felix said sympathetically."I just... I can't stand to hear him like that. I've never heard Adrien cry, and it just reminds me of my partner, who was so sensitive to the idea that I'd disappear, and I love them both." She replied. "Chat Noir, I love him like a partner. I'd do anything for him. Adrien, I love him romantically, and it's... why am I talking and comparing them?" Marinette shook her head.Felix had a knowing smirk, realizing the obvious. He’d gone through the experience, and recognized his former thoughts in her’s."I just miss everyone so much. How are you still okay, Felix?" Marinette turned to him."Being alone for who knows how long was depressing for a while. I assume it was five years. You know, at one point, I counted up to two years, five months, thirteen days, seven hours, and fifty-seven minutes?" Felix joked a little."Really?! Is it that boring here?!" Marinette asked, her eyes wide with worry."I'm kidding! It's pretty boring, so I did actually count for a while, but I don't think I made it over six hours," he assured her. "It was depressing being alone, but now I have you to ‘chat’ with.""Did you come up with that pun before or after you got stuck here?" She grumbled, realizing this was another Chat Noir she'd be dealing with for eternity."I actually came up with it in here, but I never thought I'd be able to let anyone else hear it," Felix laughed at her grumpy expression, "I wish I could've told it to my Lady Luck though. She probably would’ve punched me in the arm.”Marinette's face softened. "Why don't you just tell it to her in that weird dream thing?" She asked."I just don't want to remind her of me anymore. If she's moved on, I don't want to suddenly show up in her dream and make her upset," he explained, letting his gaze wander to the distance in front. “Although I’m glad she remembers me, I do want her to live her life like she did before.”"She would do anything to see you again! Trust me," she told him, "Every time she brings you up, she talks about how much she misses you and how it's all her fault that she couldn't save you."A new blade of pain struck Felix through the heart, and he gasped. "Why would she blame herself?! It's my own dumb fault for not using my energy correctly. If getting stuck here for eternity means she gets to live on Earth for the rest of her life with family and friends, it's worth it."Marinette knew from that statement that Felix was truly in love with Nathalie. She could feel her heart crumbling to a million pieces for the two, being in love but unable to ever see each other, like her and Adrien. His love was unconditional for Nathalie."Isn't there any... any possible way we could work together and find a way out of here? We have to get back to the people we love, and you've already had to wait almost nineteen years. Come on, Felix. There has to be something," Marinette pushed on.He gave her a half-smile, mostly filled with sadness. "I've tried everything, kiddo. Unless you can find some kind of loophole, it doesn't seem that bright ahead," Felix replied."Maybe there is a loophole! Let's try to reconnect with someone who can help us in their dream, and maybe we could formulate a plan. Maybe Master Fu could help us! Do you know him?" She asked, causing Felix to nod."I remember that dude. He was cool, but pretty clueless about the development. I figured he should've known more about it, considering he is a guardian, but who knows? Maybe Nathalie offered him more information after I disappeared and gave him my research notes," He gave her the benefit of the doubt.Marinette cringed a little, remembering how Master Fu wasn't very savvy with her issue. He offered advice, but she never did actually go back to him in the end. "People kinda thought you died in a battle..."Maybe there wasn't a way, she thought sadly. If Master Fu wasn't even sure of what was happening, with him being a guardian, maybe they would get stuck there forever. Felix was probably right, seeing as he tried, and he was way more knowledgeable than her.Felix frowned, asking, "Didn't Nathalie tell them about the development? What about Fu?""It really wasn't until recently that she confessed to him that you didn't die in a battle. It was really hard for her to talk about it," She answered, looking down.Of course, it wasn't likely that someone could help them out of this prison-like infinite energy vacuum, but if there was a small possibility, it was best to take it as soon as possible. He'd already lost practically eighteen years of his life to this place, meaning he'd lost eighteen years with Nathalie, his family, and his friends. No one was getting any younger. If there was a time to act, it was then."Does anyone have any good information about the development? Who's the most knowledgeable person on this subject so far?" Felix persisted."Besides you, probably Nathalie. My friends, Chloe, Alya, and Chat Noir were pretty involved with the whole issue as well. Adrien was also pretty involved too.""Well, let's try to think of something, then we could figure out who could help us," Felix offered his positivity.But if Felix was getting hopeful about this, maybe there really was a shot.* * *"I'm just pretty confused, Alya," Nino told her as they both sat down with their bag of cookies."About what?" Alya asked him, taking a small bite of the chocolate chip cookie she got from the bakery.Nino shuffled uncomfortably, knowing this would probably be an controversial question to ask. He tried to think of a strategically kind way to put it."Well... I'm just confused about what's been happening with... you know, our group. I've just been pretty out of the loop, you know? I've seen how you and Adrien kinda just adopted Chloe and Bridgette into the group, which is totally cool and all, but I don't know... Am I still a friend to you guys?"Nino lowered his head, shoving his hands into his pocket. His hat was low enough to cover his eyes so she wasn't able to take a good look at his hurt expression.Alya placed their dessert bag down, looking at Nino. They really did neglect him as a friend, and he probably thought he did something."Nino, you're always going to be our friend. You're always going to be my friend," Alya told him, holding one of his shoulders with a hand."Why have I been so... excluded, Alya? I've been left out of everything for a while, and it just doesn't feel like we're friends anymore. Even Adrien refuses to answer my texts for some reason, and it just feels like we've been in some fight for a long time." Nino finally admitted."Look Nino, it's just been really crazy with our friend going missing. Ever since then, it's just been once weird thing after another, and we've just been so busy. I promise, I'll talk to Adrien. I don't know why he's being a jerk right now, since he won't even answer my texts either," Alya told him. "But listen, I won't exclude you anymore. The whole craziness is over, and I'm pretty sure Marinette is okay. She sent us that video, and like you said, she wouldn't lie to us."Alya took another big bite of the cookie, giving Nino a smile.Nino gave her a grateful smile, suddenly glad to have her back again. She was definitely his favorite person. "Thanks, Alya. I appreciate it. I get what you mean about Marinette. She's missing, and-"They were completely unaware about an angered blonde running up to them."Adrien is a freaking liar! I can't even stand to look at him! He lied to my face, and Marinette is freaking dead forever!!" Chloe yelled, interrupting Nino.Alya's cookie fell from her hand as she stared at Chloe incredulously. "Marinette? Chloe, what are you talking about?"Nino's heart dropped, and he looked over at Alya, then at Chloe, who's face was streaked with runny mascara tears. Having accidentally used her civilian name, the blonde looked back at Nino with teary blue eyes, then over at Jean who was working at the bakery during the time.He dropped his oven mitt, and walked over to Chloe quickly. "Marinette Dupain-Cheng? Is she really dead, Chloe?" Jean worriedly asked, holding her arm gently.Chloe's face crumpled into a cringe, realizing this was a horrible place to accidentally reveal the truth."She's gone... I'm so sorry," Chloe whispered, causing Alya to step back with tears in her eyes."Marinette is dead?" Nino yanked his hat off, looking at Chloe fearfully."Oh my goodness, this is... so bad. I'm so sorry," Jean pulled Chloe into a hug."So wait, Adrien knew all this time that Marinette was dead?!" Alya cried out, tears running from her own eyes."Oh my gosh. Oh my gosh... Poor Marinette," Nino gripped his hat tightly in his clenched fists."She can't be gone! Adrien probably lied about that too! Maybe he's just playing a really dumb joke! A really really dumb joke! She's not gone! I bet if I just... if I just-" Alya cried, shakily pulling her own phone out of her pocket and pulling up Marinette's contact."Alya..." Nino tried to interject, knowing she was in denial. Tears leaked out of his own eyes, but he pushed them away, as he tried to calm Alya down."No, Nino! I'm going to call her, and she's- she's gonna pick up! You’ll see!" Alya pulled away, angrily sobbing as she smashed her thumb into the option to call her.As the phone dial continued on, and the ringing continued on, Alya anxiously held the phone up to her ear."It's Marinette!" The phone answered cheerfully, causing Alya to cry out."Marinette! You aren't-""Leave a message! Beep!" Marinette giggled in the voicemail."I'm so sorry," Chloe whispered sadly."Y-You better call me back, Marinette Dupain-Cheng! You hear?! You... have to!" Alya yelled into the phone, sobbing shortly after. It fell from her hand as her knees nearly buckled.Nino caught her, pulling her into a chair. She clung onto him, fearful he would too disappear if she didn't hang onto him. He held her, letting the both of them mourn."H-How are we going to tell the Dupain-Chengs?" Chloe asked Jean, crying."We'll think of something... Poor Marinette," Jean shook his head sympathetically."Chloe... how did she die?" Alya finally dared to ask, but was fearful of the answer.Did she get pushed from a great height? Did she accidentally get killed? Was Marinette kidnapped and tortured? Alya's mind couldn't stop running through all the painful possibilities.Chloe opened her mouth, but couldn't find a way to say it without exposing her identity. Should she expose her identity after promising the heroine, who pleaded her to never say her name in connection to Ladybug's? It was unforgivable to expose her identity, especially after swearing to Ladybug she wouldn't. "But more importantly, you know my identity now. I need to know, can I trust you?" Ladybug asked Chloe, hoping with every fiber that she could trust her friend.
"Marinette, I- you're Ladybug! You've saved me more times than I can count! Why the heck would I betray you?" Chloe asked, completely oblivious as to why she would ever expose her friend's secret identity.
"I really need you to keep this to yourself. Please don't tell a soul. This could put people in danger, including yourself," the heroine begged Chloe, warning her of the consequences.
"I won't tell anyone!" Chloe promised.
She couldn't lie like Adrien did. It wasn't right to lie about Marinette's death to her loved ones. She had no right to make everyone think that she died differently.As everyone awaited her answer, they all heard a pile of thuds and screams from the outside."It's an akuma attack!" Chloe shouted, pointing outside shakily. At least she could buy some time to think about what she could say.
----- CHAPTER BREAK -----
The walls weren't thick enough to cover up the cries of his daughter's classmates. He could overhear some of the conversation from behind the wall of the bakery."How are we going to tell the Dupain-Chengs?"It was the first thing that caught his attention. He wanted to go over and ask what was going on, but Tom silently waited for a reply to see if he could tell what they were talking about. He could hear the sobs of Alya and Chloe echoing throughout the building."We'll think of something. Don't worry," his teenage employee responded to the question.What could they be talking about? Was it about Marinette. It couldn't be about her... right?Maybe it was about their bread? Maybe the bakery food wasn't so great and it made them sad.Tom tried his best to think of scenarios in which his worst possible fear wasn't a reality."Chloe," he heard Alya ask meekly through her cries, "How did she die?"A strike of pain stabbed through his chest as it was the last nail in the coffin. It wasn't just his imagination running wild. His daughter was really gone. She wasn't just out in the world, exploring or having fun anymore. He picked up a photo of her from a nearby shelf and squeezed it in his arms.Tom felt his airways close off as he breathed heavily. His daughter, his only baby, was no longer there. Once beating him at video games, eating dessert and playing around in the kitchen, and being lively with her family, Marinette was no longer there. She wasn't going to be there to lighten up the bakery anymore. The whole house was growing less and less colorful without her. She... was gone. His only baby was gone.Stumbling out the door as he choked back a scream of hatred for whoever was responsible for his baby's death, he caught himself against the wall of the bakery. Smashing his fist into the side of the building, he was frustrated.Tears began rolling out as he thought about her. Her smile that she'd never be able to show.Punch.Her bright blue eyes that she'd never be able to open.Punch.Her playfulness and silliness that would never be able to bring any further joy to others. Punch.He didn't protect his daughter, and now she was gone for good. When she went missing, and she sent that video, it was a relief to know that she was at least alive, but his worries for her never left.He'd dropped her photograph.More tears rolled down his cheeks as he punched the wall more aggressively with both fists. Letting out a scream of fury, he didn't even see the little black butterfly flapping towards him."Why?! She wasn't supposed to go yet!! She wasn't!!"Without another moment wasted, it absorbed into the photograph.A clear, calming voice answered his question as huge tears rolled off his cheeks. "You feel as if you didn't protect your child.""I... I didn’t.”"And if there's one thing you need, it's your poor little girl in your arms again. I can help you get her back.""Y-You can get her back?" Tom asked incredulously."Of course. I wouldn't stop a father from having his child back. It's unfair, and it doesn't make anyone happy with her gone. All I need are the Ladybug and Chat Noir Miraculous, and you'll have your precious daughter back.""I'll do whatever it takes, Hawkmoth."What color did the world need without Marinette?* * *"It's an akuma attack!" Chloe yelled, pointing out the window."Quick, we can all hide in the house. Right this way!" Jean began to lead the teenagers up the stairs, where Tom and Sabine told him to hide people in case of an akuma attack.Chloe, Alya, and Nino all followed him up the stairs quickly, and they all were sat in the living room. Jean whispered, "Okay, so let's stay quiet and calm until Chat Noir and Ladybug show up.""Our Ladybug is officially retired. She's gone forever," Chloe muttered truthfully.Nino, Alya, and Jean all turned to look at her with confusion."I don't understand. You said that she... went away on a mission. Is it true?" Alya whispered, clutching Nino's arm anxiously.The blonde froze, realizing now was the time to make her decision. Would she lie and honor Marinette's wishes or tell the truth and expose her secret identity?What would Marinette want her to do? What would Ladybug do? What should Chloe do?She wasn't sure exposing Ladybug was the best thing to do, especially with Jean there. Even though his dreamy brown eyes and warm smile felt trustworthy, she wasn't about to blab personal business to a beautiful stranger she only met a handful of times. "You know... what I'm talking about," Chloe muttered in response to Alya's question. Once he was gone, she'd tell her two classmates the truth.It wasn't her right to cover up Marinette's death and sugarcoat it. Those who loved her deserved to know what she had gone through.Before much longer, all the teenagers turned when they heard the door swing open. Sabine looked at them with worry."Mrs. Dupain-Cheng! There's been an akuma, and you were out at the store. Are you okay?" Jean asked, jumping up to help her. "T-Tom, he's been akumatized. I don't know where Ladybug is, and I'm getting worried. Tom didn't seem upset at all when I left. Did he deal with an upset customer?" Sabine whispered, looking at all of them anxiously. "I... I- uh... Mrs. Dupain-Cheng..." Alya bit her lip as she tried to push the lump in her throat back down. The tears wouldn't stop rolling down her cheeks as she tried to think of a way to say what happened."What's wrong, dear?" She asked her daughter's best friend.With widened eyes, she turned to look at Chloe, Jean, then at Nino helplessly. "There's been a... report," Nino spoke up, but couldn't look her in the eyes."I-It's about... Marinette," Alya managed to whisper to Sabine, her heart twisting with pain.Her worried expression twisted into anxiety and distress. "What's going on with my Marinette?" She asked quickly, but was terrified to learn the answer.Was she kidnapped? Was she hurt? Was Marinette forever paralyzed? What was happening with her daughter? It couldn't possibly be that horrendous idea that she spent every moment trying not to think about. It couldn't be her worst nightmare. Her baby girl was going to be okay. She had to be okay. Breaking down into sobs, Alya managed to say the words she dreaded ever learning about. "Sh-She's gone. Marinette..." Alya whimpered, burying her face into her arms to spare the pain of watching the woman who raised and birthed her best friend try not to crumble to pieces at her own words."N-No... I'm sure she'll be back, Alya dear. Remember that video? She's okay," Sabine swallowed the lump in her throat. Chloe felt the tears rolling off her cheeks and dribbling down her chin as she stared down at the ground. Her friend's mother didn't want to accept that Marinette was gone, and she didn't blame her. Still angry with Adrien for lying to her, she admitted to hearing it from him. "Adrien told me!""Maybe Adrien heard another rumor. Ladybug promised to tell us if anything happened to Marinette. We should talk to Ladybug. After the akuma attack, we should run out and find her," Sabine rambled, nervously twisting her wedding ring on her finger."Ladybug retired.""No, she disappeared! Her powers got the better of her, and they made her disappear! It was just like the old Chat Noir!" Alya explained tearfully. Chloe cringed, but knew it wasn't worth keeping the truth. "Ladybug... she's gone now," she said, but she wouldn't look up as she spoke the next few words, "And so is Marinette.”
----- CHAPTER BREAK -----
"Who did you say Marinette wanted to give the miraculous to?" Nathalie asked the kwami, glancing out the window with a sigh.There was no way she wanted to battle whatever that akuma was. He was randomly draining people of color, causing them to fall to the floor motionlessly."Technically she wanted you to keep it, but she also thought that fencer girl, Kagami was a good fit for Chat Noir's partner," Tikki muttered, a little irritated and hurt Nathalie wanted to get rid of her for the second time."Where does this girl live? Where can I give her the miraculous?" Nathalie asked, causing Tikki to turn away."I think you'll just have to ask Adrien," said the kwami coldly.When Nathalie turned around, she could see the kwami looking away from her. "Are you mad I took the miraculous from Marinette when she died?" She asked Tikki, her voice smaller.The kwami looked at her, her eyes filled with a certain emotion Nathalie couldn't decipher. It seemed like a mixture of sympathy, betrayal, and irritation. "No, Nathalie! Of course not! I missed you, it's just... I don't feel quite ready to just move along to another holder so quickly, and just let go of you, and my poor Marinette... I know, I'm supposed to be an embodiment of wisdom and luck, but sometimes things feel overwhelming for me as well," Tikki explained, her voice growing softer.Nathalie felt her heart drop painfully. Of course her kwami wasn't emotionless, and it was hard for her to move on. "How about we just go to meet Kagami, then you can tell me whether or not you feel comfortable. I can let her deal with this one akuma as Ladybug, then you can let me know. If you don't like her, I could still be your Lady Luck," the woman compromised with a small smile.The kwami gulped audibly, but accepted this as a deal. Keeping an open mind was always better. The memory of Marinette overhearing Adrien tell the girl that she was just a friend came back to her when she thought about Kagami.
"Marinette? Yeah, of course! She's a very good friend," Adrien smiled bashfully at Kagami, rubbing the back of his neck.
Marinette's heart sank, and she stopped listening.
"And you'll really like her too, once you get to know her," Adrien continued, but Marinette wasn't paying attention anymore.
Marinette turned back around and let herself slump down against the side of the small structure. She slid down slowly, her eyes welling with light tears. "A very good friend, huh?" She repeated quietly, staring down at her lap.
Tikki felt horrible seeing her poor holder so heartbroken. She knew Marinette thought she was nothing more than a friend, and this girl had so much admiration for him. "That sounds like a good start to me," she reassured Marinette with comfort.At least now she could know that Adrien loved her. It was time to shake off the past and move on, no matter how difficult it would be."Tikki, I'm so, so sorry. You're so sick and, well, I don't know what I do without you," Marinette apologized profusely."You wouldn't be Ladybug for one!" Tikki giggled, trying to cheer her up."I know, but I mean: Tikki, you're more than just my kwami for me," Marinette told her, causing Tikki's heart to swell with love for her holder."I know," she laughed, hugging Marinette's cheek.Every Ladybug was special to her, and it didn't feel right to lose Marinette so quickly. She was so kind, intelligent, and fun to be around. From meeting her on that very first day, she knew that being with Marinette would be one of the best adventures she'd ever get to have. She just never thought she’d see the day when that adventure would end so quickly."Are you sure you're ready?" Nathalie asked her, taking her into her hands.Tikki's gaze was still lowered with misery and sadness, but she nodded anyway. "I'm ready."* * *Kagami was a bit confused to see a box sitting on her bed when she got back from fencing. There had been some akuma villain, and the class was dismissed early.She picked up the box, then opened it. There were two little red earrings with black spots in there, but without another second, a red flash of light blinded her, causing her to throw the box out the window as if it were a grenade. She did not want her house to blow up and harm her family, so she hurled it as far as her arm could throw.Expecting an explosion, she peeked back outside, but the whole thing seemed to have disappeared.Meanwhile, Tikki was grumbling and dragging the box back to Nathalie. If the earrings would've broken, the power of creation, meaning the entire universe, could've been destroyed. Kagami was reckless, Tikki thought.Then again, she probably thought her room was about to explode.She considered going back to Kagami, but didn't want to get chucked out the window again. Once she found Nathalie, she was very grumpy."Tikki, what are you doing here? I thought you said you'd give Kagami a shot," Nathalie told her a she continued to file Mr. Agreste's paperwork."The little girl chucked the Miraculous and I out the window! I'm not exactly supposed to be thrown out a window, and neither is the power of creation!" Tikki ranted.It was very out of character for sweet Tikki to get this frustrated with someone. Nathalie was able to see how visibly tense the kwami was with everything."Okay, calm down. Do you want me to deliver the Miraculous and explain it to her?" Nathalie offered the little red kwami."Calm down?! Nat, she chucked me out a window! I think you should be Lady Luck!" Tikki was fired up."You really didn't give her a cha-""I gave her a chance! I did it and she doesn't want me! It didn't work out and I just want my Marinette back! Marinette should be Ladybug and it isn't time for her to just go away! She was supposed to be Ladybug until she was old! It isn't fair!" Tikki began to crack with emotion, trying to hold back the tears."Tikki...""I would only take you, and there's an akuma! There's no way she could learn to battle it as quickly as you or Marinette did! It's not supposed to be like this!"Nathalie cradled her in her hands, understanding that she missed Marinette."A-and you... you were also supposed to be Ladybug until you were old, but you didn't want m-me either!" Tikki confessed, furrowing her forehead angrily. Large tears rolled down, dripping on Nathalie's hands."Tikki, again, I'm so sorry. I was just so... upset about losing Felix. It's about the people you work with, and I know I should've at least warned you, but I was so sad about leaving you. I didn't want to hurt your feelings, but it was dumb to not tell you," Nathalie pulled her into her cheek, like a hug."Besides, if I didn't give you up, you might've never gotten to meet Marinette. She was a really good Ladybug," she added, causing Tikki to let a small smile slip.Wiping away tears, she laughed a little, "She really was," then it faded, "I wish I hadn't... met her because then she would still be alive.""No, it's not your fault, Tikki," Nathalie reassured her, "It's no one's fault. These powers just do crazy things, and if it were possible, I wish it could've taken me back then instead of Marinette and Felix.""No, I don't want it to take you either," Tikki said quickly.Sniffling, she looked back up at Nathalie. "I might've been a bit harsh about Kagami, and I know Marinette thinks she'd be a good partner... Maybe you can just let her try to beat this akuma for today, then take the Miraculous back so we can discuss whether or not she's capable of being the... next Ladybug.""That's fine. We can try that," Nathalie nodded her head, using a more gentle tone.So it was decided those steps would be taken. From there, Nathalie transformed as Lady Luck to meet Kagami. Her bun fell and rearranged into a high ponytail with the magic, with her bangs falling out loosely. Her clothes were replaced with the skin-tight suit once again. The ribbon in her ponytail mixed with the red portion in her hair.Would Kagami even want to be the next Ladybug? Could Tikki handle having a new holder?Once there was a careful reintroduction with the assistance and delivery by the famed Lady Luck, a new trial began. A promise was made to bring the earrings back once the task was complete so her performance could be observed. The young fencer was actually excited about getting to fight an akuma, and was pleasantly surprised by her yoyo weapon. Her new suit flared out into a dark red vest cape that was tied with a shiny leather belt.What wasn't the best was having to awkwardly introduce her alter ego to Chat Noir as the new Ladybug, now calling herself by a different name. Walking up behind to the cat hero who was obviously searching for the akuma, the transformed Kagami tapped his shoulder.In response, he spun around with his staff defensively with narrowed eyes before widening them with disbelief."Hello Chat Noir, I deeply apologize for the loss of your former partner. I understand you cared for her, and it must be incredibly difficult to deal with," she offered sympathies.He felt his heart stab at her words, even though he knew she had a good intention. "Thanks," he muttered quietly, turning back around, "So... I guess you're the next Ladybug.""Yes, you can call me... uh- Lady Fate.""Okay Lady Fate. Let's go defeat this akuma," he spoke more coldly than he intended to. Freezing, he realized he sounded like his father. He turned back around, hanging his head down. "I'm sorry, I know you're just starting out and having a grumpy partner sounds like a dealbreaker. I just... I miss my lady so... so much."She offered a small smile of forgiveness, but let it fall once she saw a bright green man with glowing red eyes walking around, zapping people and draining them of color, taking their liveliness. "He's behind you," She whispered, pulling out a yoyo.Chat Noir extended his baton, fiercely spinning it with a single hand as he glared at the large bright green man, but upon looking at the mustache, it slipped from his grip and clattered to the floor. "Mr. D-Dupain-Cheng?" He felt his eyes burn yet again with the tears.Lady Fate saw the photograph of Marinette as just a light silhouette that filled up with pink like a measuring cup filling with water or milk. Assuming it would eventually reach the top so he could complete his mission, she realized that must be the akumatized item. She'd seen Alya always discussing Lucky Charm items and how Ladybug identified them on her blog, so it wasn't too hard to try and locate the akuma."Before I use up your energy to bring back my little girl, I'm going to need your miraculous jewelry," Tom demanded, walking closer menacingly. His red eyes made them cringe at how slightly creepy everything was.She yanked the hero out of the way before his livelihood was zapped away, seeing as he just sat dumbfounded by the akuma."You need our jewelry before you zap us. There's a better solution, Monsieur. Please... Marinette wouldn't want you to do this," Chat Noir begged as Lady Fate summoned a Lucky Charm.Remembering Tikki's advice from earlier about how a Lucky Charm had to be used with strategy after summoning it, Lady Fate looked at the item she was given. It appeared to be a long, heavy spotted box.Removing the box, she saw a plank of wood. "A plank of wood? How is that supposed to be helpful? Chat Noir, how does Ladybug use items like this?!”"I don't know. She is so clever and can think up solutions on the spot. I just usually follow to do whatever she tells me," Chat Noir replied quietly, spinning his baton in front of them to shield off the akuma's red zaps."Okay, we've got a plank of wood! Tikki says to use other items around to build some kind of setup for the akuma. We've got trees, grass, benches, and trash. I'm going to check for usueful items in the trash!" she announced."Dumpster-diving isn't going to stop me from bringing back my baby, you little red fraud," Tom spoke with uncharacteristic spite in his tone.Lady Fate ran up and attempted to smack him with the plank of wood, causing him to grab her and hold her down. The akumatized Tom removed one earring from her ear, causing her to slowly detransform.Chat Noir pushed him off, and tried to retrieve the earring, but Tom grabbed his hand. With panic, Lady Fate tried to pull him off, but the man was significantly larger than her. She used her yoyo to try and trap him, but he snatched her with the other hand, dropping the akumatized object to the ground, causing the glass part of the frame to shatter.With this, the heroine writhed under his grip, resorting to pinching his hand to get him to release her. When she turned back around, she had seen that the akuma was holding Adrien in one hand with a ring in his other. He was squirming and twisting, angrily trying to get released. Already half detransformed, she stuck the other earring back in. It reformed her suit, and she used the yoyo to catch the poisoned moth.Once she did as Tikki told her, it returned everything back to normal, only this time, Adrien took the ring and ran as far as he could."Adrien is Chat Noir?" Lady Fate whispered to herself.After assisting Tom back home quickly, Kagami privately detransformed in a restroom. "Thank you for your help, Tikki. Being a Ladybug was interesting, but I— I don’t think I’ll be able to focus on this duty with everything I have going on. Where did you want me to return the Miraculous again?"Tikki smiled graciously, and said, "Oh, just go to the Agreste Mansion and give the box with the earrings to Nathalie Sancouer.”"Okay, bye Tikki! It was nice meeting you," Kagami smiled, allowing the kwami to wave goodbye before she slipped the earrings off.The girl accidentally let Chat Noir get caught and detransformed in front of an akuma. Hopefully Mr. Dupain-Chang wouldn't remember, but then again, she didn't remember anything when she got akumatized. A bit ashamed she let the whole ordeal take place instead of being able to protect both herself and Chat Noir from getting caught, she placed the earrings back into the box and started on her way to the Agreste Mansion.She recalled having heard it was around the school she had gone to when she lost a fencing match with Adrien Agreste, so she started in that direction.It should be a ridiculously large mansion, right? She remembered hearing the boy was a celebrity, and it seemed reasonable he would live in a large, protective house.She quickly researched it on her phone, and matched the mansion to the one online. Kagami walked ahead and rang the doorbell, causing a stern male voice to answer."How may I help you?" He asked in a serious tone."I was looking to return something to Ms. Sancouer, Nathalie Sancouer," Kagami spoke clearly into the speaker."She is currently unavailable. You may drop it here," he told her, opening a metal slot.”I’m sorry, I was supposed to directly return it to her. Do you know when she’ll return?””My assistant is out on a vacation, and she hasn’t given her notice when she’ll return. I will ensure that your package is directly returned.”"So you'll give it directly to her?" Kagami confirmed."Of course. Just deposit it here," the serious man told her. Was that what she was supposed to do? Was this Nathalie’s boss? Hopefully it would end up with the right person. She had a immediately feeling of regret the moment her fingers released the pressure holding up the box, hearing it slip down into the echoing metal tunnel, gently scraping the sides quickly until it reached a small thudding point.
----- CHAPTER BREAK -----
A new holder already?! Was Nathalie insane? It was hard enough to even walk to class without seeing Marinette as if she'd never left.At least his own father didn't go replacing his mother two seconds after she left, or even at all. Sometimes, Adrien wondered if Nathalie even had a human heart, or was just a robot. Of course, he'd seen her emotions firsthand. She did obviously feel bad when she did things or when Adrien hurt her with his own words.He was so not ready for a new partner just yet. If anything, he preferred having his caretaker as his partner for the time being, but she had to go and give away the miraculous to someone who now knew his secret identity. He was so dead."I can't believe you exposed yourself! Normally I wouldn't give a single crap about any of this, but Hawkmoth is on your butt about finding out who you are! He's probably now looking to trick the new Ladybug holder into giving him the miraculous since the last one was too smart!" Plagg ranted. "I know, I'm so lame... It was because of that akuma, Marinette's dad. He trapped me and nearly completely detransformed my partner, but she escaped in time," Adrien slumped down on his bed, his shoulders falling forward as he threw his face into his arms. "I'm just not as on my game as I used to be. Plagg, I miss her.""Adrien, have you seen Kagami?" Nathalie asked him after a short knock."No, why?" Adrien asked as he lifted his head, a bit confused as to why he would see the girl who fenced at his school one time."She was your partner today. I asked her to return the earrings when she finished up so then Tikki and I could decide whether or not they were compatible as a team or now, but it looks like the attack is over and she hasn't been out," Nathalie explained, looking a bit frantic. "Oh, that was Kagami? I thought she seemed a bit familiar. And by the way, how in the world did you get around to replacing Ladybug so quickly? I thought you would've filled in until we figured something out," Adrien replied, feeling slightly grumpy. "Tikki told me that Marinette actually wanted Kagami to be your partner because she thought she'd protect you with her defense skills," Nathalie pointed out."Ladybug made me promise to give you the earrings when she disappeared," Adrien argued."Probably so I could pawn them off to the next person she trusted to be a good enough partner for you, otherwise I'm sure Tikki wouldn't have mentioned it," she reasoned, "Marinette just wanted you safe, Adrien."The blonde boy went silent, unsure what else to say. The love of his life wanted him to replace her, a trustworthy friend and partner, right after she died. To Adrien, she was the brightest star of the night, the shining sun of day, the moonlight that swept out over the darkness of his terrifying world. To lose her was more unbearably crushing than he’d originally assumed.. His heart felt unmendable and disconsolate. Without her, the love in his heart felt as if it turned to dust, just as if it had been cataclysmed by his own power, just as the love within his own father had. He couldn’t just replace someone who meant that much to him. Everything still felt like a horrible nightmare he wanted to wake up from. Why couldn’t Marinette just be running late to class again? Why couldn’t Ladybug just slip into his lonely patrol, apologizing for not being able to come earlier? He looked at Nathalie, and silently shrugged. Just thinking of the lively girl made him want to burst into tears again, but he didn’t want to. His eyes glossed over, and he tore his gaze away from his caretaker."Let me know if you see Kagami. I'll be working on your father's paperwork in his office," Nathalie decided to leave him time to think and take it in. He nodded in response, turning back around to think some more.* * *Gabriel stood in his office, staring at the box in disbelief. The earrings were now in his possession. How could they come to him so easily? The miraculous that was most difficult to obtain was now in his possession. Taking the other miraculous would be a piece of cake. Without Ladybug, Chat Noir was nearly defenseless, Gabriel thought. All he had to do was akumatized someone to impersonate a new Ladybug, then send her to persuade Chat Noir to give up his miraculous. He knew just the person he could trust, but first he had to upset her. "Sir?" Nathalie knocked at his office door. Gabriel quickly shoved the miraculous into a drawer."Come in," he spoke seriously. The woman opened the door, and stepped in before closing it. "I'm going to return to my paperwork," she informed him, "It's nearly finished."Gabriel held his hands behind his back and let out a scowl. "Nathalie, why weren't you working on it when I came in here? I didn't hire you to take breaks whenever you want.""I was just checking up on Adrien," she informed him, trying not to appear irritated."I did not hire you to babysit my teenage son either, so I do not expect you to skip out on your paperwork," Gabriel said seriously, pushing a neatly stacked pile of papers on the floor as he walked by. She took a deep breath in through her nose and closed her eyes before nodding. "Yes, Sir," she spoke through gritted teeth. He was really grating down on her patience, and she was doing her best not to summon in her old Lady Luck to flip him over a table, mostly for Adrien's sake."I don't want to have to fire you, but it may come to that if you keep messing around," he told her, not even making eye contact.Gabriel sternly walked out, a small smirk on his face as he had grabbed the earrings. She knew she could leave this job, then find a better position like hers easily, but she didn't want to abandon a child with that robotic excuse for a father. He really knew how to stir those unpleasant emotions out of her, and he sure did a great job of it, the woman thought. It wasn't long until Nathalie noticed the dark butterfly flapping toward her. 'An akuma?! Oh no, I'm not dealing with that today! I know way too much about identities to get akumatized!' Nathalie thought as she kicked the door open and ran out into the hall. She had to lead the akuma away from Adrien, as he was emotionally vulnerable at the moment about his partner. At the same time, she didn't want him to have to fight her.How could she make the akuma go away?! Well, they were sent after strong negative emotions, so all she had to do was calm down. Okay, so Gabriel threatened to fire her, but she had to forgive the jerk, she thought to herself. Maybe he's just concerned about his work getting done quickly and he's stressed. Maybe he wanted Adrien to develop independently, or he was just in a bad mood himself. It likely wasn't her fault he got mad at her. She had to do more important things anyways. Maybe she could work on finding Kagami and taking back the miraculous to talk to Tikki about whether or not she was capable of being a holder, but first she had to get back to working on her paperwork. Taking a deep breath, she allowed herself to smile naturally as she thought about her memories as Lady Luck alongside her own Chat Noir. Maybe she could find a way to bring back the both of them. Once she stopped running away, she snuck a glance behind her, realizing the akuma had gotten away. This should've been a good thing, but there was Chloe who was sad, and Adrien who was completely heartbroken. Not to mention, he had never been akumatized, so he could easily be the next target. Running back, she skidded through the clear hallways on her flats once she reached the mansion. She caught sight of the akuma growing closer to Adrien's room, and she bolted forward past the akuma. Kicking open the door, she grabbed Adrien's arm. "We have to go, now!" She demanded to the boy."What?" He asked, and Plagg's eyes grew wide with terror. "Go! Go, Adrien and Nathalie!!" The kwami shouted, yanking his charge's hair to turn him toward the sight. "Oh my goodness!! Let's go!!" Adrien followed Nathalie after quickly snatching up his kwami. She led him to the other exit, then pushed him ahead of her, allowing him to run more quickly. They were all panicking about the akuma, which made their negative emotions possible to get possessed by the butterfly. She knew this wasn't good, but she had to get Adrien out of the danger. "Okay, listen to me!" She told him as they ran out of the mansion, "Don't panic about the butterfly! Whatever you do, just find something positive to focus on, and don't allow yourself to get scared or upset!" "I-I want to," He panted as he ran, "but I c-cant stop thinking about her! I saw her die in front of me! She disappeared into nothing like she'd never even existed!" As Nathalie saw the tears welling back up in his eyes, she quickly said, "We will get her back!! I promise you, we'll get both Marinette and Felix back! It won't be easy, but we can do it!" At least that's how she convinced herself not to break into tears herself. "How are we supposed to do that?" Adrien asked, frowning with glassy eyes."We will talk to the Guardian again, we'll do more research! I won't stop until I find a way to get them back," she reassured him while running. Although it seemed like a long-shot, Adrien looked as if he felt slightly more hopeful than he had earlier. Nathalie smiled in relief, then turned back around to see if the butterfly was still following. She noticed it was flying away, back into the sky. If she had the powers, she would've purified it there, but Kagami probably still had the powers. At least it might fly back to wherever Hawkmoth was. Nathalie just hoped that no one was in danger of becoming the next target. * * *Marinette traced her finger into the blue platform, pretending as if she could sketch her idea down somewhere. It was such a shame having to be so bored. She couldn't even imagine how Felix kept his sanity after being locked in a blue area of nothing with no one to talk to and nothing to do. "Did you get in touch with Master Fu yet?" The girl asked Felix, who was just sitting to the side, thinking. "I haven't yet. Don't worry though, he's probably just not asleep yet," he reassured her quickly. Although he knew this was a strong possibility, another was that he wasn't close enough with Master Fu for him to get in touch.Maybe Marinette had a better connection with him. Of course, Nathalie was a good option, but he felt as if the dream visits were torture. The person on the other end was always so emotional, and he'd get emotional. Overall, he knew bothering Nathalie would ruin her day, and he didn't want her to be sad. If someone could reach the guardian, maybe they could figure something out. He turned around, facing the bored young girl, who was randomly tracing her finger as if she were drawing something. "Marinette, did you get to know Master Fu very well?" Felix asked her, causing her to look back up at him. He honestly didn’t think this would work, but if it made someone else feel less hopeless than he did, he would try to encourage her."Uh... I mean, I did get to meet him, and he gave me instructions. Does that count?" Marinette replied, furrowing her eyebrows. "I think that's good enough. I didn't get to really meet the guardian after he tested me for the miraculous. In order to reach him, we need a good connection, and I can't even remember what he looks like. Would you be able to give it a try?" He asked the girl. Give it a try and maybe finally be able to get back to everyone she loves?! Of course! "Definitely!" She exclaimed. Once she made contact, she glanced at Felix. "Uh... Master Fu? Is that you?" She asked aloud, but a bit shyly. "Y-s -inette," she heard parts of his answer. "Oh no, Felix... I can't hear him too well!" She turned back to him in a panic."Don't worry, just try and see what you can comprehend," Felix reassured her. Nodding, she turned back around. "Master Fu, I've got Felix with me. I don't know if you can see him, but I have Lady Luck's old partner here. Is there any way we can both get out of here?" She asked. An echoing hum was heard from the other side. "There's — book- wouldn't under-nd all of—.""A book? And you wouldn't be able to understand it? Is there any way you can get in contact with someone who could?" Marinette pieced it together and tried to offer a solution. "P—bly.... someone— there still.... assist.""Probably someone out there can still assist... I think that's what he was trying to tell me," Marinette mentioned to Felix. "That's awesome! If he and that person can work together and find that spellbook, then maybe there's more information on how we can get out of here!" Felix explained to her."Do you know where the spellbook is?" Marinette asked both Master Fu and Felix."I never found out," Felix sighed."N-t exactly," Master Fu's voice seemed to say in a whisper of wind. He tried to explain how it was lost, but the wind seemed to break up his words into harsher fragments, completely incomprehensible. She twitched her eye nervously as she assumed she was missing vital information with this faltering connection. "I'm so sorry, Master Fu. Because of where we are, I can't hear you very well. I think our connection is dying," she told him, seeing the colors around them changing back rapidly. This was their last second to get something in."Please, if you can, help get us out of here," she begged quickly before everything around her changed back to blue. He was gone. Now, all she could do is hope that Master Fu could find that spellbook and figure out if there's any information that could help release them from the prison of energy so they could be with their loved ones again.
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"Could it have been a dream? This might've been an attempt at contact, or maybe just stress from being unable to help the current hero with the development... She said she had Felix with her. I didn't see him.”"Master?" Wayzz spoke, seeing as the elderly man was pacing back and forth anxiously."I never got to learn much about this development. The big accident happened during this lesson, and I never learned more. I wonder if Marinette truly did disappear," Master Fu told his kwami. "Would you like to take a walk out by the schools so we can ask her friends about Ladybug?" The kwami asked as an attempt to offer a solution. "I wouldn't want to upset them in that manner just in case the development really did cause her to disappear. Maybe we can ask our old Lady Luck," Master Fu decided, taking the kwami along as he began making his way out. * * *Once she took a horribly saddened Adrien to school for the day, Nathalie sat in the car beside Felix's older brother. "Ladybug's earrings are with another girl, and she still hasn't returned them like I asked," she told Gorilla, her fingers pressed into her scalp stressfully. "I should've dealt with the akuma myself. This would've never happened if I wasn’t being so lazy that day! You know, I was telling myself that Adrien needed a new partner, but I was just too lazy to deal with that angry akuma," Nathalie explained, gaining a sympathetic glance from Gorilla."Why am I such a moron? Gosh, I wish Felix would've been the lucky one and I would've been the one to disappear. At least he would've made sure to give the Miraculous to a trustworthy person, and now it's probably lost with the girl Marinette thought was trustworthy."Once they got back to the mansion, Nathalie noticed Master Fu wandering around the area and wondered what he was doing. "Oh uhmm, how can I help you?" She asked, dusting her jacket off. "Hello Nathalie, I was hoping to see how Ladybug was doing. I haven't heard much about her, and I was thinking it might've been good news," the older man tested, causing one of Nathalie's hands to fly up to her chin nervously. The other was clutching her clipboard tightly."Uh— about that... I've been meaning to tell you, but I thought Tikki or Adrien would've done it already, but umm... Marinette disappeared too," she told him, her shoulders hunched in shame. "Oh no... this is what I've feared. I believe she's reached out to contact me in a dream, but I'm not completely sure of this. In my training, I've learned up to a certain extent about this knowledge, and if I'm correct, there's one other person in Shanghai who still may be knowledgeable about this situation," Master Fu spoke, rubbing his chin. He couldn't just give up. Especially after the contact he made with Marinette, he found a hope that he may be able to set free those who were preserved. "If there's at least a single chance there's a person who could help free Felix and Marinette, let's take it," Nathalie begged."We can make an attempt, and do our best. We mustn't let this information come to those like Adrien and Marinette's friends just yet. False hope will only hurt them further," Master Fu warned her. "I won't mention a word of this," she promised the elderly man. As the two departed with polite farewells, Nathalie made her way to the mansion by herself. Once she opened the doors, the clipboard fell from her arms in horror as she stood face-to-face with the worst villain in all of Paris. * * *"Class, I have horrible news, as some of you may have heard. Your missing classmate, Marinette Dupain-Cheng, has passed away," Miss Bustier announced tearfully. Chloe held her arms crossed, and she refused to dare look up, as her eyes were glassy with tears. If she even spoke, she knew she'd just burst into tears for the third time that day. She knew Alya was in the same state, just from walking alongside her that morning. Neither of them said a word, having known the feeling was mutual. She couldn't even bring herself to look at Adrien, but she assumed he was pretty darn upset as well. Chloe saw Alya sitting beside the empty space that used to contain the bubbly girl who she always used to argue with. None of those arguments even mattered anymore, seeing as they departed in good terms, but it couldn't stop her from feeling so guilty about being such a brat. Why couldn't she just have been kind all those years? Why did she have to make so many years of her friend's life so miserable? "So, there will be a school remembrance in the gym that we'll be attending for Marinette. She was such... a kind-hearted girl," the teacher continued, grasping the little pink makeup bag Marinette designed for her in her hand tightly. Again, Chloe could see the evidence of what made her such a mean person. There on the bag that Marinette had made with special thought for Miss Bustier were her ugly childish scribbles that she'd added to devalue the gift. She'd done so many ridiculous things out of jealousy, and although Ladybug seemed to have forgiven her, she stil felt as if there was nothing she could ever do to make it up to her for all those years of torturous teasing and bullying. As the class began to get up from their desks to follow their teacher, Adrien didn't want to believe this was even real. How was it possible that the sweet, kind girl that used to sit in front of him was no longer going to be there? The first friendship he'd personally initiated by himself was with Marinette, and only Marinette. Her sweet smile was imprinted in his memory, and he buried his face into his hands, desperately trying to escape the reality in which the love of his life, his best friend, his lady was no longer alive.He felt so alone, and as he glanced up through his tear-filled eyes, he saw Chloe coldly rush by him, still unable to talk to him. Nino held Alya in his arms, trying to comfort her. Seeing as she'd been Marinette's best friend, it was understandable that Nino needed to be there for her. Adrien finally stood up on shaky legs, allowing his gaze to fall on her empty desk. "Are you alright, Adrien?" Miss Bustier asked him, as she saw he didn't move from his standing position, beside his own desk. His head hung down, and he felt his shoulders tremble and shake as he released quiet sobs into his hands. Marinette had been the first friend to take him to the movies, and although it wasn't complete, it was still one of the best times he'd spent with her as a civilian. She'd been his partner when they trained for the game championship, and that was the first time he came over to hang out with her. She'd always been so kind to him, and now she was never coming back, and the idea that he would never see Marinette again made his chest hurt with the most emptying pain, and his face burn with such frustration that she would no longer be around. This was all his fault... If only he’d been smarter. If only he could be more like Felix, who had actually managed to figure out how to save the love of his life, but he wasn’t. He felt so undeserving of his powers, and undeserving to have had Marinette as his partner.His teacher sympathetically placed her hand on his shoulder, and said, "I'm so sorry, Adrien. She was such a compassionate and affectionate girl, and I know she was your friend. I saw how Marinette admired you as well.""W-Why? I'm n-nothing without her..." Adrien whispered, unable to open his eyes without letting more tears fall. Who was Chat Noir without Ladybug? They were partners, and she was forever his true love. She'd always tried to protect him in akuma attacks, and in the end, it was always Ladybug who saved him whenever he was changed by the villain. She even died wanting to help him defeat their last akuma together, and regret burned throughout him that he didn't try harder to stop her from wasting her energy. How was it that he wasn’t smart enough? Why couldn’t he just be good enough?"Adrien... you're a worthy individual, and you miss Marinette. She was everyone's hero after all, both in and out of costume."Oh, and that's right. Somehow, the secret Marinette had worked so hard to keep was now widespread to the entire Ladybug fan base and to everyone who ever wanted to know. Adrien wondered how far Ladybug would've kicked his butt if she knew that he didn't protect her secret identity like she protected him. Now everyone was aware that Marinette was Ladybug, and it likely wouldn't go unmentioned in their school assembly. It still didn't feel right, even though he knew she was gone. She never wanted it to happen like that. Even though it wasn't like anyone could use that information against her now, he still hated that her privacy was broken against her knowledge.Once the entire class filed in the large area that Principal Damocles and his staff arranged for a remembrance in Marinette's honor, Adrien's heart fell as he saw a framed picture of her student I.D. photo. She'd been so young in that picture, having no clue that she would be one of Paris's saviors. The image captured the playful, yet shy nature of her civilian self, a part of her he'd only seen as Chat Noir while he was just getting to know her.More classes from the school begun to sit down on the chairs, gasping in horror at the newly revealed information of their beloved protector. Adrien couldn't feel his heart anymore, and it was then that he didn't just couldn't cry anymore, as if all the tears were flushed and all that was left was a wallowing dry pit. Why couldn’t this just be one of Night-Mare’s effects so that he could wake up to seeing her there, and be able to help her this time? "We're here today to remember and honor a kindhearted student of our school who, due to unfortunate events involving her selflessness as a superhero, has passed away," Mr. Damocles began to say as he stood before all the students. "Marinette Dupain-Cheng was not only just a girl who's parents own the Dupain-Cheng Bakery, or just a courageous superhero, but she was a good friend to everyone. She always did her best to make everyone feel included. Always sticking up for her friends and classmates, Marinette cared an incredible amount about all of you," Miss Bustier took her turn to say, still clutching onto that bag she received from Marinette. "Although she could be disruptive and tardy to class, she was always determined to make a difference and be of help to everyone around her. I have never met such a headstrong, kind student like Marinette Dupain-Cheng. You could tell she was special, and she was intelligent," Miss Mendeliev felt her gaze drop from the students to the floor. She could just recall the days that the cheerful girl would stumble into the classroom, yelling out apologies and excuses as she'd make her way to her desk.Adrien watched Alya raise her hand shakily as she wiped her tears away with her other hand. The principal nodded, gesturing for her to come up as well. "You got this, Al?" Nino whispered, a hand over her shoulder. "Yeah, I do. Thank you, Nino," Alya replied, holding her hand over his own as she stood up then walked away as he pulled his hand back down. As she stood up in front of the school, she bit her lip, letting her gaze wander to the picture of her best friend. She blinked away the incoming tears and tried to envision she was talking in front of the girl herself. "M-Marinette... she is- w-was honestly the best person I've ever met. I've never known anyone more positive or enthusiastic as my best friend. I remember when we first met, and although I was a new girl, she didn't hesitate to share her last cookie with me. She did everything to make me feel like a part of this school, and wouldn't let me suffer the symptoms of being the 'new girl.' Yes, she is Ladybug, but that's not all she is. It only adds to the Marinette we all know: clumsy, silly, cheerful, brave, caring, and confident. She was our class president because she cared so much about all of us, and wanted us to have a good school year. She was human, and often got scared or nervous, but what's special about Marinette is that she always conquers every challenge, both human and superhuman," Alya chuckled tearfully, "I'm proud to say that she was not only my best friend, but my sister at heart.""That was beautiful. Thank you, Alya," Miss Bustier smiled through glassy eyes. As Chloe raised her hand, she got a few confused looks, and exasperated ones too. Many people expected to hear her express how glad she was that she was gone, but many also expected her to go on about how big of a fan for Ladybug she was. Sabrina glared at her, expecting the worse as she stood up in front of the school by Alya. The brunette gave a watery half-smile and went to go sit back down by Nino."I know... I haven't been the best person, and I admit, I was a bully, but today is not about me. Today is only about our heroine, who gave up so much for everyone, and went through so much garbage to keep her identity secret so people like us couldn't be used as leverage," Chloe nervously began, but put on a much more stern expression to let everyone know how hard Ladybug worked for them."She always wanted to protect us, no matter how annoying it was when she had to deal with bratty civilians like me. Marinette, she never wanted anything but the best for all of us, and as both Ladybug and her civilian self, she'd sure as heck make sure that we'd be okay."The lump in Chloe's throat arose again, and she kept pushing it back down, only to find more tears falling and it to arise. Yet, she kept persisting. "Even though we all knew how brave and confident she was, under all that, she was human like us. She had fears, dreams, and hopes as well, and to know that she's... gone, n-now... I-I'm so sorry," the girl broke once she looked at Marinette's picture again, running away in tears."Chloe!" Sabrina called out, beginning to run after her. She'd changed, and no longer was the blonde selfish anymore, but she had a heart. She needed her best friend, and Sabrina wanted to be there for her.Adrien's heart twisted at the opportunity that he'd get to say something for the love of his life. She meant so much to him, and her life mattered. Many more classmates went on with their stories and anecdotes with Marinette, as well as their experiences with Ladybug. Everyone spoke such heartwarming stories, and there were no dry eyes left, except Adrien's. Now she was gone, and he was alone. What was left for him anymore? His mouth felt like cotton, and all he craved was to be with Marinette again. That nightmare he had in which he'd seen his lady was torture, because it wasn't real. All he wanted was to see her beside him on patrols, behind him in class, and with him forever. A piece of him was completely empty, and it froze in his chest horribly. It felt so cold, and he felt so broken. His breathing pace was quickened, and he couldn't feel his legs any longer.The numbness spread to his arms, hands, then fingertips. The burning heat in his face was replaced with an empty chill, and before his mind numbed, he heard a voice. "Wouldn't you do anything to bring her back?" 'No, no. There's reasoning, and she can't come back. That's how life works,' Adrien wrapped his arms around himself in some attempt to find any warmth whatsoever, but he was met with none. "We can bring her back. Don't you miss her, Adrien?"He felt a need, and it was growing stronger and stronger with every second he heard the voice. Resistance was hard, especially when it felt like he was resisting Marinette herself.
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How was it real that Hawkmoth was the one standing before her? Where did he come from, and why was he there for a heroine who wasn't even there in his time as a villain? Was he still in search of Ladybug's miraculous and he'd just questioned someone who'd seen Lady Luck wandering around? Nathalie had so many questions, and yet she couldn't ask any of them to the man before her. "Nathalie Sancouer, I'm going to have to ask you a favor..." the metal-masked man spoke in a menacing, yet familiar voice. Where had she heard him from? Most importantly, why was he three inches from kissing her?With wide eyes and a hanging jaw, Nathalie mentally plotted her nearest escape strategy. If she ran past him, he'd most likely try to grab her and then akumatize her. If she ran back, he'd probably whack her with the cane he practically held up to her chin. "Are you afraid, Miss Sancouer? I don't bite.""W-What exactly d-do you want from me?" She asked, hoping to sound challenging and rebellious, but it sounded more desperate and fearful. "Well, since you're about the same height and build as Lady Luck was, I thought you'd take pride in becoming the next Ladybug," Hawkmoth leaned in a little closer.Oh, Nathalie could tell it would only hurt her fist if she tried to punch the metallic mask covering his face, but she sure wanted to! "Let me guess," Nathalie spoke, turning her face away quickly then backing up, "You want me to hunt down the Ladybug miraculous so I could give it to you?" Walking toward her and backing the woman into a wall, he smirked and chuckled, "I'm a step ahead of you.""You can't have the miraculous!" Nathalie argued, remembering it was with Kagami.Leaning into her personal space as an intimidation tactic, Hawkmoth teased on, "Oh? Why can't I?" His hard, stone-like gray eyes hammered into her bright oceanic eyes, and she tried to think of how to escape. She glanced down, noticing an open space between his legs. His cane wasn't aimed at her face, but was held behind his back. "Because you don't have it!" Nathalie screeched, sliding beneath his legs to run out to the open door. With an angry scowl, Hawkmoth dove and shut the door in front of her face. "Where do you think you're going? This isn't optional.""I'm not athletic enough to be Ladybug," Nathalie argued, knocking well enough that was a lie, "Besides, Mr. Agreste wouldn't like if I skipped my work duties and neglected his son.""I don't think that'll be an issue," Hawkmoth chuckled once again, holding the cane up to her face once again. "What, did you just happen to ask him on your way into breaking into his mansion?" She asked sarcastically, now having more courage to challenge the butthead in front of her. Hawkmoth groaned at her sudden change in personality. What happened to her boring, dry personality in which she'd just take orders and go? Why was she getting so imprudent and cheeky with him?"Don't be sarcastic with me, Nathalie. I'll fire you," he threatened, causing her to frown, then widen her eyes as the truth came crashing down. "Y-You're Gabriel Agreste?!" Nathalie pointed a shaking finger at him, causing him to nod with a devilish grin."This is an order from your boss. I'll let you wear the Miraculous itself if you can get Chat Noir's Miraculous," Hawkmoth compromised, after demanding. "I-I think I'd rather be fired!" Nathalie yelled, her face pale from the intensity of the situation. "You know, your son would be so disappointed if he learned that his father was Paris's biggest villain."Hawkmoth's smirk fell, and he narrowed his eyes at her. "You don't know anything! I'm doing it for him! I'm doing it so he could be happy again!" Nathalie gasped, then frowned, "But being a villain won't make him happy. Adrien sees you as a role model, as a dad. If he learns you're the one akumatizing all his friends and terrorizing Paris, he'll be so upset!"Pushing away her words, Hawkmoth growled. If she were feeling more vulnerable and scared, he'd be able to akumatize her and make her do his bidding. Unfortunately, learning he was Gabriel only made her less scared, and now she was more snappy. "Look, I've got Ladybug's miraculous for you, and all I need is Chat Noir's. I just want to bring back my Emilie. She was your best friend too. Don't you miss her?" Hawkmoth persisted on with a question. She widened her eyes, and looked down. "Of course I miss my best friend too. The only reason I stayed around was because I promised her that I'd take care of her son no matter what. This doesn't mean we can abuse the powers of the magic and get her back. We've only got one wish, and it might have consequences," Nathalie replied, crossing her arms. Looking back up at Hawkmoth, she saw he was distracted. "Are you even listening?!""Be quiet, I feel something," Hawkmoth stared out the window. Sighing, she shook her head at her boss. "You better not send out an akuma. Don't forget that you can't purify them without Ladybug," she reminded him. Ignoring her, he walked over to the portrait of his wife, then pressed his fingers through certain sections of the painting. "No, stop it! Mr. Agreste!" She grumbled, running after him as she saw him sink into the ground. He stood with his back straight up and held his cane proudly. Taking a leap, Nathalie fell on top of him and got entrapped in the strange elevator-like transportation. He groaned at the impact of her body, and she grumbled as she smacked her shoulder into his metal mask on the way down. They were awkwardly squashed together and yelling out angry banter until they were released into Hawkmoth's lair, tumbling out."Why did you think that was a good idea?!" Hawkmoth asked her angrily."Oh I don't know?! Maybe the fact that I'm trying to stop you from akumatizing another sad person?!" Nathalie tried to swipe at his cane, but he held it away from her. "That's not necessary," Hawkmoth picked her up and placed her back into the spot so she'd get transported back into the mansion. "Stop! What are you doing?!" She asked as she was pulled back down quickly.From his controls, he locked down the mansion, and locked his lair so she wouldn't be able to re-enter or leave. Quickly, he slid back over to the window and picked up the cane. Snatching up a white butterfly, he held it into his hands and poisoned it before allowing it to fly away. "Hurry, akuma!" He rushed. Not knowing exactly who he was akumatizing, he waited for the akuma to find the victim. He just felt the extreme sadness within the chest of his next villain. Once he felt the sensation of the akuma absorb into an item, he smiled. He felt it was a boy, and he was mourning the loss of a female lover. "Wouldn't you do anything to bring her back?" Hawkmoth asked, trying to persuade the boy to join his side."No, no. There's reasoning, and she can't come back. That's how life works," he heard the echo of his son's voice. He missed someone. Was it Ladybug?"We can bring her back. Don't you miss her, Adrien?" Hawkmoth asked him, knowing his weaknesses, "Don't you want to be happy again? You can bring back anyone. Even your dear mother... You can have that complete family again."He could feel his son trying to pull away and resist him. "N-No! I won't let you poison my mind!" He heard the angered, hurt voice of his little boy. He felt his chest burn with pain, but not from Adrien's akumatization. It was the pain of hearing his baby boy so hurt. "No, no! I'm not trying to hurt you, I promise. I just want to help you. We can bring back anyone you want," his voice went up a few octaves with concern."You just want to turn me into another one of your akuma! I can't become one!" Adrien resisted, and it caught the attention of his classmates. Suddenly, his feeling of solitude was fading, and he was losing him. "Listen to me, I'll help you!" Hawkmoth yelled, "Adrien!"The feeling completely went away, and it wasn't long before the poisoned akuma returned back to him. He just needed to akumatize another person, and maybe if he could get Nathalie to do his bidding, it would be considerably easy. He just wanted to bring back his old partner, and the love of his life. She was a much better parent to Adrien, and if he could just get the cat miraculous, she'd be back in his arms again. * * *"So you've tried the detransformation phrase?" Gabriel asked after stepping outside. "Yes, but it hasn't worked! My timing hasn't even gone out, and I've been transformed for a whole three days," Emilie whispered fearfully."We've still got another week in Tibet. We'll have you detransformed by then," the man promised, holding her hand. "I'm just so scared I won't be able to change back. What if I'm gone forever? I can't risk allowing Adrien to know my identity. He could be at risk, and I can't do that to him. What if our little Adrien has to grow up without a mother?" Emilie asked, on the verge of tears. "He won't. You won't disappear, I promise."* * *Nathalie was frustrated with everything at this point. After trying to hulk-smash every chair into every window, she didn't even make a scratch. Gabriel really invested his money into good window glass. The doors were sealed by the emergency metal doors, and now she was stuck. She attempted to get back into Hawkmoth's lair, but the buttons were practically gone, and didn't even press in. Instead, she just looked like a maniac angrily shoving her fingernails all over her best friend's portrait painting. If she got too angry, Hawkmoth would be able to akumatize her and take power over her. However, she assumed that Hawkmoth had already akumatized Adrien.Was she really that big of a failure to let Hawkmoth somehow get ahold of Marinette's miraculous, and now Adrien's? Now Tikki was really going to be irritated with her.But then again, was it really that bad that Emilie would be able to come back now? Of course, there'd be some kind of magical consequence.Eventually, Gabriel came out of his random elevator hole with a saddened expression. "Can't you just go find Chat Noir and just bring his ring to me?" "That's about the most ridiculous question I've ever heard come from you," Nathalie replied snarkily. Crossing her arms, she rolled her eyes, "When do you intend on letting me out? Are you just going to lock me up like you've locked up your son for all these years?"Gabriel glared at her, but didn't reply. Instead, he just walked back to his office. Slipping out her cellphone, she walked up to Adrien's room to make the call. After locking his doors, she went to the furthest corner of his room and found Adrien's contact. "Adrien, are you okay?!" she whisper-shouted into the phone as soon as he picked up."W-What do you mean?" He asked, his voice a little rough from most likely crying or screaming. "Didn't you get akumatized?" Nathalie asked, somewhat having overheard Gabriel talking to Adrien while he was probably being upset. "I almost did, but luckily my classmates helped calm me down. Hawkmoth, his methods of persuasion are so convincing, it's terrifying to think I- could've been a villain," Adrien confided, his voice trembling a little.Nathalie sighed, relieved he was okay. Probably a little traumatized, the woman imagined he was, but still not corrupted. He was so headstrong, that Mr. Agreste couldn't even corrupt his own son. "You're fine now, and that's all that matters. I— well... found out where my old miraculous ended up."Dropping his own matter, Adrien's eyes widened, and he curiously asked, "Where was it?" "Your fa—" Nathalie paused for a moment. Did she really want to get Adrien more emotionally vulnerable? It would break his heart to find out that his father was actually Hawkmoth. Maybe she could just be a little more vague. "Eh, I mean I found it, but didn't exactly find it. I don't have it either... because Hawkmoth has it." "Wait, what?! How did he get it? This is so bad! We need Ladybug to purify the akuma, and now she's gone, along with the actual miraculous you would've needed and now-" Adrien broke into a panic, rambling on and on until Nathalie cut him off. "Look, I'm calling because you need to be very careful. As far as I know, Hawkmoth doesn't know your identity, but he's on the lookout for Chat Noir," she told him. However, his mind only went back to what Ladybug had told him while they were up on the Eiffel Tower.She wanted him to get a new partner after she disappeared. He didn’t think she would, but she already knew.He never imagined she'd be right. Adrien thought she was just assuming the worst possible scenario that could never happen. Now she was truly gone. Her words only remained within his memories. Ladybug predicted that Hawkmoth would try to get his miraculous and akumatize him, and she was right. She was also terrified to imagine that he wouldn't have a partner, and that fear was coming alive. Her miraculous was gone, so it was only him against Hawkmoth. "He nearly akumatized me, and I would've given him the miraculous for sure! Ladybug told me he would make a wish with both of the miraculous, ending in some kind of consequence!" Adrien told Nathalie over the phone, still hiding in the empty school bathroom, "Ladybug and I were wondering what kind of crazy motive someone as evil as him could have. Maybe absolute power or money?" Nathalie bit her lip, unsure how she'd dance around this answer. Of course it was made clear by Gabriel that he wanted to bring back Emilie, but at what cost? What if it was an innocent civilian who ended up losing their life for hers? She missed her best friend dearly, but if Emilie knew some innocent civilian died for her, she'd never forgive herself. "Hawkmoth says he lost his wife, and he wants both of the miraculous to bring her back," Nathalie spoke carefully enough not to let Hawkmoth's identity slip to his son. It made her wonder if she should come clean and confess the truth, but at the same time, she felt that she was protecting Adrien from such horribly scarring secrets. "If he's able to bring back his wife, what if we... could bring back Marinette and Felix?" Adrien asked, causing Nathalie's eyes to widen with panic. "No, no! As much as it would be great to bring them back, two innocent civilians lives would be lost in exchange. The same goes for Hawkmoth, which is why we cannot let him get ahold of your miraculous. I have to get back Ladybug's before he akumatizes somebody," Nathalie explained. "I won't be able to focus on school with all this craziness. Can you please pick me up early and tell the principal I have a photo shoot or something? We can work together on trying to find Hawkmoth to take back her miraculous then," Adrien requested, causing Nathalie to look around warily. "Uh... I might not be able to do that. I have to find a way out of his lair after taking back the miraculous," she whispered. "Are you in his lair?! Where is it? I'll help you," Adrien insisted, growing worried. "I'm so sorry, but it's really dangerous. I... I care about you too much to let you get hurt," Nathalie told him, her motherly instincts kicking in again."Nathalie, wait!" Adrien exclaimed into the phone, but the woman knew better than to let him try to talk her into letting him help. "I have to go. Gorilla will be there after school," Nathalie promised, then hung up before he could say anything more. Looking up around Adrien's room, she saw his window was open. At least she'd have an exit plan. Sneaking back out into the hall, she peeked out to see where Gabriel was. Seeing as it was empty, he was most likely still in his office. He always kept his most important belongings in his top desk drawer. If she could distract him, she could unlock the drawer and grab it. But then again, she could try to use an easier plan. What if she were to go along with his plan, only pretending to look for Chat Noir, when in reality, she'd just use the miraculous to defeat him? Being a full time assistant provided her with all kinds of knowledge she wouldn't know otherwise. She was thankful for that, but after the whole ordeal was over and Hawkmoth was defeated, maybe she would find a new job. Of course, she'd first ensure that she could help Adrien find other family to stay with or hopefully having him go with his best friend's family.At least she knew where his moth miraculous was now, for future reference. With a quickly beating heart, she walked into his office. He was typing away at his computer, probably filling out some report or legal forms for his fashion industry. "Mr. Agreste, I- I do admit... I miss Emilie, and I understand there is a consequence to bringing her back. I've... I've decided that for Adrien's best interest, I'll volunteer to be that consequence. If a person's life is returned, another's is taken, and I'll be that other person. Emilie deserved so much better," Nathalie spoke, but with every word she spoke, it only became closer and closer to the truth. Maybe she didn't mind giving Adrien that opportunity to see his mother again.
----- CHAPTER BREAK -----
"Is it true that you had to stare at Nathalie while she was asleep to make her detransform?" Marinette asked him, trying not to laugh. His eyes widened and he felt himself blush as he crossed his arms, "I did not watch her sleep! I swear, all I did was make sure she got her rest, then I went back to researching how to make her turn back! She was scared and didn't want to be alone, so I promised to sit by her. Is that how everyone thinks I helped change her back? By being creepy?" Marinette laughed at how defensive and embarrassed he got. It was kind of him to stay by her when she was scared, she thought. "Nathalie thought that was how you changed her back. She made my Chat Noir stare at me while I tried to go to sleep," she giggled. "Oh... my gosh. She thought that was how— I swear, I did not watch her sleep! That's so weird!!" He shoved his face into his hands to cover his eyes out of pure embarrassment and groaned. How in the world did he fix Nathalie's development? Felix was pretty sure it had to do with either resting or identities. He remembered she began to detransform while she was asleep, but it was also at the time that he discovered who she was. With the simple glance at the name on her wall, he realized exactly why Lady Luck had led him to that very room for his energy restoration experiment. It was because she was Nathalie Sancouer. Right then, maybe coincidentally or not, she immediately changed back.He had an idea. "So you have no clue who your Chat Noir is?" Felix rested his chin on his hands after asking the young girl."No, I can't even consider any possibilities? I don't think I know him as a civilian, because I'm pretty sure I'd be able to recognize him in a heartbeat," Marinette told him, smiling. Felix replied with, "You're probably right, but it doesn't hurt to consider everyone you know. Name every blonde you know.""Well... I know Chloe, but she's not Chat Noir," Marinette laughed. "There's also Rose, Adrien, Aurore, Mylene is a little blonde, and uh... Adrien's mom.""Who are the only boy blondes you know?" Felix questioned deeper. "The only blonde boy I know is Adrien," she replied simply, "Other than Chat Noir.""Tell me about both of them," The guy smirked, awaiting her realization. Marinette narrowed her eyes, putting her hands on her hips, "Why are you so interested in comparing them?""No reason, I'm just curious as to how Adrien and Chat Noir compare," Felix chuckled, obviously lying. Rolling her eyes, Marinette laughed. He reminded her of Alya, always trying to compare her crush to her partner. Deciding to humor him, she went on to say some comparing qualities, "Well, if you're really that interested, they both have blonde hair and green eyes." "Would you say they're the same build?" Felix questioned. Marinette thought about the times she hugged Chat Noir, and the time Adrien danced with her, and they hugged. Other than their clothing material being different, she could say they were pretty similar. "I guess," she shrugged, "But their personalities are nothing alike!"He found himself remembering his experience of leading a double life, and recalling how differently he presented himself. "You know something, Marinette," Felix said, laughing a bit, " When I was Chat Noir, I acted all cool and tough when I was really a wimp that got bullied by my own older brother. Would you say that you were different as Ladybug?"Marinette frowned a little, deep in thought. Was she really putting on an act as Ladybug? She'd say that she did use more of her intelligence and leadership as her hero counterpart than she did as a civilian, but she did use those qualities during both lives eventually. Chat Noir was silly, and Adrien was more shy, and rather reserved. She'd never seen Chat Noir get really shy before, neither Adrien get Chat-like before. The cat hero was more outspoken, and rather sensitive, but she learned Adrien was sensitive as well. Then again, during that time she had a heightened sense of smell, she did recognize their scents bring so similar. They did both share physical characteristics as well as a couple personality traits. However, she couldn't imagine that if Chat Noir were to take off his mask, that the love of her life would be behind it. It was too strange to comprehend. She could only see a mystery boy, possibly from some other school or class."Well... I mean I do act a little differently, but I don't become an entirely different being. I just... I don't know, I can't see, I can't imagine my partner being the same guy I've had a crush on for so long. It's just... I don't know, I can't see it at all," Marinette expressed, feeling a bit of frustration with herself. Chat Noir accepted her as Marinette right away, and yet, she couldn't find it remotely possible to accept him as Adrien. They just seemed so vastly different. To her, it was like saying her grandmother was Hawkmoth; the whole idea was just impossible to imagine. "It's a bit crazy to realize that someone who's been by your side all along was the person you've been crushing on for so long. I had to realize that Nathalie was Lady Luck when I saw her name written on the wall of her own bedroom," Felix tried to assure her."But Adrien can't be Chat Noir, it's just not... logical. I mean... I just can't assume something as strange as that," Marinette attempted at explaining. "Hypothetically, if Adrien is your Chat Noir, would you accept him?" 'Of course,' she tried to reason with herself, but it was strange. It was just not matching up to her, and trying to see Chat Noir take off his mask in her mind only lead to many different combinations of faces, but none matched Adrien's. How... could it be?"I know, it's so crazy, but imagine that Adrien really adores you as both Ladybug and Marinette, and he is terrified to reveal himself to you. Imagine he spent a long time working up his confidence to tell you the truth, and he's so scared of your reaction. As you said, you really love him, and you adore Chat as a partner, but he's worried he will mess everything up," Felix tried again. He really hoped this would do something. "Now, imagine Adrien— oh wait, he wears a silver ring, right? Yeah, imagine he's nervously twisting his ring around his finger as he's guiding you to a more private place. You follow him, and so he turns around slowly and says the magic phrase, 'Plagg, transform me.'" Marinette had her eyes closed as she tried to imagine the complete scenario. She could just see Chat Noir finally turning around, upset by her blank reaction and scared that his worst fear of not being accepted for his true self was becoming a reality. 'A-Adrien... wait. Don't go,' she imagined forcing herself to say before he walked away. He turned around, his saddened eyes giving a look of curiosity. 'I love you, as Adrien Agreste, or my kitty. Having both of you as the same person could only be a dream, but even I'm not that lucky. I could only hope you were Adrien Agreste under that mask, but no matter what, I'll love you forever and always as my partner and best friend.'But then again, Adrien always disappeared in akuma attacks, and Chat Noir showed up when he was gone. Either that was a gigantic coincidence, or Felix's oddly specific pestering to consider Adrien as Chat Noir was right. Adrien was protective, like Chat Noir, and did care so much about the people around him. He wanted nothing more than for everyone to be safe. Chat Noir was kind, and poured his heart into helping others, just as Adrien did.Could... it be that Adrien Agreste, the boy she’d loved since that one rainy day, was the same boy under that leather mask? He was Chat Noir. He was Adrien. Adrien Agreste and Chat Noir.Felix frowned, looking around as their blue world began to shift colors rapidly. Marinette was looking at him helplessly, unsure as to what was happening now that she figured out her partner’s identity. "Felix, what's happening?" She asked, sitting closer beside him nervously. "I'm not sure, but this might be a good thing," Felix reassured the young girl, offering a smile.She looked around, hoping they could find a door of some kind. Finally, she looked under the platform to see that one of her red ribbons had come with her. Marinette picked it up, but yelped as it disintegrated in her hands, much like the way she detransformed, but instead of completely disappearing or going away, the pink spots formed something else. Everything around them became purple.It was a hole. "Felix," she whispered, completely surprised by the huge blue gaping energy that seems to be sucking away at nothing. "There's a hole.""Don't just go jumping into it all willy-nilly either," his eyes widened as he placed a hand on her shoulder, "We don't even know if it's completely safe yet. It might lead somewhere even more empty, or maybe it could bring us back? Whatever it is, I'm sure there are consequences we have to consider.""But how do we know if we never get out of here? What if it's a limited exit hole and we're wasting time?" Marinette asked, looking back at the hole. "Maybe it leads back to my other ribbon that I left behind in the real world?""You could be right, but... what if it's— maybe we should try to ask Master Fu again," Felix didn't want to get his hopes up. Only he could dream of seeing the real world again, with Nathalie being in it. "What if we don't have time, Felix?" Marinette asked, walking towards the hole. "I don't know, just don't get near it yet! I'll ask Master Fu right now. Marinette, be careful!" He told her as she continued to walk towards it."I just want to look inside. Can you hold me back so I don't fly in, so I could peek at whatever is on the other side?" Marinette asked him. Well, she did figure out her partner's identity. Maybe this was freedom? Felix finally agreed, and held her shoulders as she leaned forward, allowing her face to enter into whatever world rested on the other side. Once her head was out, Felix asked, "Are you okay, Marinette? Let me know if you need me to pull you back in."She gave him a thumbs up, and continued to look in. What she saw was some white area, with a desk and a computer. "Fine, here are the earrings. Don't lose them or hide them," a stern male voice said threateningly. Was that... Hawkmoth?"I promise, I will get Emilie back for Adrien," she heard Nathalie say. Shoving her head back inside, she stumbled back, falling on her butt."Are you okay? Did you see anything bad? Does your face hurt?" Felix asked, quickly checking her head over. "Felix, Nathalie is being controlled by Hawkmoth!" Marinette blurted out. "Who the heck is Hawkmoth? The only moth miraculous guy I knew was Moth Boy, but that's beside the point. Nathalie is being controlled?! Let's go," Felix helped her back up and made sure she got in the hole safely. After that, he took one last look around the place he'd been trapped for the past nineteen years, then jumped through the hole himself.
----- CHAPTER BREAK -----
Nathalie made her way quickly out of the house by transforming then using Adrien's open window to escape the house. She'd just agreed to give up her life in exchange for her best friend's, and Adrien had no idea. She hoped he'd be happy and understand why she took his miraculous. In the end, it wouldn't have mattered whether or not she was akumatized by Gabriel since it would've had the same outcome. The only difference is that she'd probably forget everything after as a victim, and that might've been easier than having to consciously remember making bad choices.She heard a faint calling out for her from behind, but she knew lots of people had her name. Who would be calling her anyways? Adrien and all his friends were at school, and it wasn't like she knew people in this city outside of work purposes. She was already transformed, and not a lot of people knew her secret identity.A male voice was practically screaming out her name, and she knew it wasn't Gabriel's voice. It sounded almost familiar, but she couldn't possibly be right. She just chalked it up to her mind playing tricks on her, and just left it. Using her yoyo, she made her way up to the rooftops. She thought she might as well go up to the school's roof to check in on Adrien. If she wanted him to be perfectly safe from his own father, who she just found out was Hawkmoth, she'd just pull him from class and make sure Gorilla drives him away for a while, but first she would have to get his miraculous. * * *"Nathalie!!! Nath!! NATHALIE!!!" Felix chased out all the way to the window, yet she jumped off and swung away as her heroine counterpart. He banged his forehead into the glass, letting it slump down a little. He was too late to stop her from leaving.Glancing up through his short eyelashes, he could see the back of her dark, longer ponytail whipping as she continued to run across the rooftops, only going further and further from him."She jumped out the freaking window," Marinette announced exhaustedly. "Why didn't she use a door like a normal person? Not to mention, she has my miraculous, so I can't exactly chase her down.""As we were running, I noticed the doors and bottom-level windows were all covered by metal traps," Felix pointed out, still bummed that he missed her."I guess we're just going to have to climb then, aren't we?" Marinette smirked, causing him to look at her with confusion. She did everything blindly as Ladybug, therefore she knew she was able to do dangerous things without resulting in death.Then again, she had wings and a yoyo back then, so she wouldn't end up a ground pancake."What if we slip off and die? We literally just got our lives back," he reminded her nervously. He was right, she knew, but there weren't many exits around them, so unless they wanted to deal with a grumpy Gabriel Agreste, the window was their only way out."Just be careful," Marinette told him, using the back of the television desk to boost herself up into the open window. She carefully stood up on the small window ledge, then used the sides of the window to balance herself as she used the tips of her toes to stand on the outer edge of the window. With only two glass panels, she would just have to lean really close to the window until she could make it to the concrete wall of which she could perch her feet on. "Marinette, don't you dare— Get back in here!!" Felix finally noticed she where she actually was. "The thing you're standing on is way too thin to support you! There's nowhere to grab on for support except more of those slippery thin window panels! Grab my hand," he held out his hand. "Calm down, this is the only way to get out of here. Just... just give me a second," Marinette huffed, still using the sides of the open window for support. "That's way too complicated and dangerous. Just get back in here so we could figure out another way. I promise, I'll talk to Gabriel or something, just don't go trying to climb the outside of the building with the lack of support," Felix tried to convince her, still holding out his hand in case he'd need to grab her. "There's some support. It won't be that bad," Marinette said, sliding her feet over to the next panel as she used a single hand to press against the glass, while the other was holding on to the side of the open window. If she leaned correctly, she wouldn't fall thirty-five feet. Felix's nails scratched the windows as he tried to keep within reaching distance. He was fearing for her life, yet she seemed perfectly fine. 'Reckless teenagers... What am I saying? I was one.'She was careful to grab the next metal half-bar on the glass to keep her balance and shift her feet slowly to the next panel. Holding her breath, she knew one slip-up could cause a fall, and it would be difficult to turn back now. Taking a quick glance at Felix, she could see his pupils shrinking with worry, and his lips forming a cringe. Obviously he was scared for her, and he was right to be. "That's barely— please come back inside! I'm very concerned for your safety," Felix leaned outside the window to offer his hand yet again. "Stop worrying! I'm fine, just follow me!" Marinette ushered, causing the guy to sigh. "Marinette, doing things like this without your powers is so dangero— are you sliding down? Unless you plan to fall on that tree-" Felix interrupted himself, seeing as she decided to slide down so she could perch herself on a tree branch. Finding her footing on a sturdy enough branch, she lowered herself and grabbed the branch with her hands to use as she let herself step off the branch and onto a lower one. "Follow me! It's not that scary," She insisted to Felix, showing the safety of her activity. "I'm not scared, I'm just... not exactly fond of doing things without my powers," Felix replied, carefully stepping out of the window as he placed his feet on the ledges. "Not to mention, some of us happen to be heavier than teenage girls."Eventually, with enough time, both of them found the ground without harsh injury. Other than the fact that the retired cat hero accidentally slipped off the tree four branches too early and met a face full of dirt, they did quite well lowering themselves from a large second floor building. "Are you sure you don't need to stop somewhere to grab ice?" Marinette asked him, seeing as Felix had been rubbing his nose for a while as they walked on. "No, I'm okay. Thank you, but it was just a small fall," he insisted, wiping dirt off his face. 'A small fall that I swore nearly killed me, but it doesn't matter. I just want to find Nathalie before it's too late,' he thought to himself, feeling hopeful."Are you excited to see your 'Princess Spots' again?" Marinette decided to change the subject to something more happy. He definitely looked as if he needed it after practically eating dirt for lunch. "Definitely," Felix laughed, remembering the nickname. "I'm just hoping she's okay. What about you? Aren't you excited to see Adrien? I bet he misses you a lot too."Marinette felt her cheeks flush with pinkness, and she allowed herself to smile, "I- I mean, if that communication was real, then he might've missed me, but I don't know. I just- he made this huge sweet speech to me while I was stuck as Ladybug about how much he loved Marinette. I was trashing my civilian self, and he stood up for me.""Why were you trashing yourself to begin with?" Felix chuckled, "He sounds really nice. There's no way he isn't missing you right now.""I was just irritated that he was falling in love with the lame side of me, and not the confident, smarter superhero side. I thought he just loved the memories of me being shy, and not myself, but he told me I was wrong. He started describing me with... I don't know, such sweet words. He called me heroic as a civilian, having no clue that I was Ladybug at the time. He really is the nicest," Marinette gushed about Adrien. She was also very glad now that he was the same person as her partner, but she wasn't sure when she was going to tell him. "You know," Marinette added, "Chat Noir practically begged me to let me tell him his identity, which would've probably transformed me back, but I didn't listen to him and everyone probably thinks we're dead now." "Really? You could've totally avoided the whole issue by doing a reveal with your partner because it ties you down to your civilian side like an anchor," Felix laughed, informing her. It would've saved her so much pain and angst if she would've done it straight away."At least we were able to bring you back. The only person we couldn't bring back was the peacock, whoever that was," Marinette realized, now feeling bad about forgetting. Master Fu had mentioned a woman getting eaten away by the development, then disappearing. "Wait... Paon disappeared? When? She was Moth Boy's partner!" He asked, completely surprised that someone else he used to know was placed in an area like his own."Master Fu told me that she disappeared one or two years ago apparently. I didn't really see her around, but I guess she had the same issue with her miraculous," Marinette told him."Mommy, Marinette's not dead!! Mommy! Mommy!" The girl heard a younger voice scream out. "Marinette? Is that really you?" Marinette turned around to see an excited Manon and a confused Mrs. Chamack. "Hi— Manon! Hello Mrs. Chamack!" She greeted them as casually as she possibly could. "We... just came from your funeral service.""Everyone said you were dead! My mommy and I were crying, but now you're back from the dead! Are you a zombie? You're too nice to eat my brains, right? Please don't eat my brains. I promise I won't steal your dolls anymore!" Manon rambled, breaking from her mother's hand hold to run to Marinette. "I— uh am not a zombie, Manon. Don't worry about that. I... was forced to run away for the safety of my family, but they had no idea," she lied, unsure how to keep her identity safe and not expose her entire agenda. Manon jumped up to hug her, still excited to see she wasn't dead. Boosting her up to carry the young child, she offered a small smile."Did he kidnap you?" Mrs. Chamack whispered to Marinette very quietly, motioning to Felix who was just staring at the sky and breathing the air with appreciation, "Just nod if you need me to call the police." Marinette resisted the urge to laugh a little, seeing as he did seem a bit weird at the time, looking around at everything with amazement. It wasn't surprising, seeing as the poor guy was locked up for seventeen years, away from the sun, air, and human civilization. "What?! No, no! I'm okay, I promise. It's all over. He... actually found me, and brought me back to Paris now that the whole ordeal is over," the teenager lied through her teeth, well-adjusted to bending the truth by that time. "Well, I'm so glad you're not actually dead. Everyone cried so much for you and said such beautiful things about you. The entire funeral was broadcasted on television, so if you'd like, I could go back to the studio right now and announce your return," The woman offered, pulling out her phone to show her the website the video was saved on. People cried for her? Gosh, she felt so bad. If she watched the funeral, she might've just melted in a puddle of sadness and guilt. Everyone was so nice, and it hurt her heart. "Oh, thank you so much, but I'll be sure to personally tell all my friends and family first. If it's no trouble, could you announce the news after two days? I'll find everyone I know tomorrow to give them an explanation, then you could let everyone else know if you'd like to," Marinette asked. She wanted to be the one to personally approach those who assumed she was dead, and inform them of her return. She felt that they deserved personal explanations, seeing as she was transformed and gone for nearly half a year. "Of course, until then, I'll keep this matter private. I'll give you a call before I go to the studio to check in and make sure you've told everyone first," Mrs. Chamack agreed, giving her a quick hug. "Your parents and friends are going to be so happy to see you again.""Thank you," Marinette put Manon back down to hug her back. After exchanging goodbyes and leaving, Marinette and Felix continued walking on. After a while, Marinette caught sight of what looked like a transformed, dejected Nathalie swinging off the roof of her school. Her suspicions were correct when she saw her detransform after looking around and checking for nearby pedestrians."Felix, go hide around that wall. I'm going to surprise your girlfriend," Marinette smiled, pushing him away. She was excited to see Nathalie's reaction to seeing the love of her life again. She'd missed Felix so much, and blamed herself for so long. The weights of guilt would hopefully soon be lifted from her shoulders once and for all. Before much longer, the assistant was tackled by a pigtailed teenage girl who squeezed her in a hug. "Nathalie! I came back, and look who came with me!" Marinette squealed excitedly. Nathalie was in complete shock, but she managed to hug Marinette back, relieved she was alive. "Thank goodness you're okay! I thought you died, or got lost. Oh my gosh, you're completely detransformed! You don't even have a single strand of red in your hair!" She checked the girl's hair with excitement. "I know! I'm normal again, but there's something better I want to show you!" Marinette grabbed her hand, yanking her along around the turn. "What are you doing?" Nathalie laughed a little, following, but she froze when she saw the guy in the blue striped shirt. He had a little bit of facial hair, but his eyes, his face, his skin was normal. Maybe she was hallucinating. Marinette was already gone, and so was Felix. There was no way Felix was back again. He had some stripes of green in his hair, but it wasn't completely green. Hawkmoth has managed to make a realistic copy of Felix and Marinette. Maybe she hadn't met Hawkmoth at all. She had to be hallucinating. There was no way she'd be so lucky.Was she dreaming all of this?Standing there blankly, Nathalie's face displayed absolute confusion and internal crisis."H-Hi? I was hoping- sorry, I- you probably have n-no idea who I am. I used to be one of your friends in high school, and I thought you m-might remember me- sorry that was lame," Felix laughed a little nervously, but then tried to hide the hurt in his smile.Nathalie felt her heart break. She was in shock, but she had to say something, or do something quickly. She was in love with him, and he thought she couldn't remember who he was. If he was real, she couldn't do this to him. He was alone for so long, and probably missed her. She had to pull out of this shock and say something."Kitty... Felix, how could I ever forget you? There wasn't a single day that I didn't miss you."Felix turned around, and before he could say another word, he was crushed in her hug. "Oh my gosh, I never thought I'd see you again!" She whispered, her face in his shirt. He threw his arms around her and felt the tears of relief run from his eyes. Felix kissed her forehead, and just embraced her loving human touch again. It had been so long since he'd seen or felt another human being, It was a long seventeen years since he'd seen the love of his life. "How in the world did you get out?! You know what, it doesn't even matter anymore. I'm just so so happy you're back and okay," Nathalie squeezed his torso tightly, feeling his trembles from excitement and nerves at the same time.She couldn't help but notice how muscular and hot he'd become as an adult. Not that his physical appearance was super important, she thought gleefully, but she had never fallen out of love with him. "It was because of Marinette," Felix credited the younger girl, "She figured out her partner's identity, and she got to escape. The reason you changed back was because I learned your identity. So I guess our energy was taken largely by the development, meaning we can't just waste it all on using our powers and running around. I guess the identity is like an anchor, tying us down to who we really are and giving us a better sense of it.""Thank you so much, Marinette," Nathalie smiled at her. "I owe it all to you. Marinette, I'll never be able to thank you enough for bringing me back and opening that exit. Now, we need to take you back to your poor worrying family," Felix exclaimed to Marinette, grabbing Nathalie by the hand. "Definitely," Nathalie agreed, blushing as his arm wrapped around her shoulder. She smiled, side-hugging him back. "Oh my gosh, Mama and Papa are probably so upset!" Marinette panicked, knowing she'd have to come up with some excuse as to why she left some mysterious note about having to go somewhere. She barely remembered what she even wrote, but it was in a group chat somewhere from when she was forced to participate in her own search party. Gosh, that would be an awkward issue to confront. "Oh... uh, Marinette? One little thing, someone let your identity slip, and everyone thinks Ladybug is dead," Nathalie added. "What?! Really? I heard everyone thinks I'm dead, but Ladybug too? Oh my goodness, this is so bad... I need to go home. Can you take me back secretly?" Marinette told her, now so embarrassed that everyone was aware of her identity. They probably all thought she was so lame now that they knew that their city's heroine was really a clumsy teenager."Yeah, of course! I'll have Lady Luck make a special delivery to the bakery," Nathalie laughed, albeit rather falsely. She pushed back the dreadful feeling that she would bring back her best friend and be locked away for eternity. "Wait, what if you wear the miraculous and can't get it off again?" Marinette cautioned her. "I'm already developed, Marinette. I can't develop again," she reassured her, "And so are you!" "Just tell your Chat Noir not to transform when he's tired, please," Felix asked of her, not wanting someone else to deal with the pain. "Trust me, I will! We don't need poor Adrien getting stuck in that place," Marinette crossed her arms, feeling her face heat up at the mention of his name. "First, I'm going to let someone have a little talk with you," the woman chuckled, slipping on the earrings for a moment. Tikki appeared, facing Nathalie. "Again, why why why did you think Kagami was a good idea?! She gave me to Hawkmoth!" The kwami grumbled. "Well, I found someone else this time you might like," Nathalie pointed in the other direction, causing her to look at Felix. "Wait, you got Felix back?! I'm so so happy for you, Nath!! I mean, I don't see him as a Ladybug, but-""I think she means behind you, Tikki," Felix laughed, pointing behind the kwami. Assuming this was another charge that Nathalie thought would be a good fit, she began to introduce herself before completely looking. "Hi, I'm Ti— MARINETTE?!!? OH MY GOODNESS, I MISSED YOU AND I THOUGHT I WOULD NEVER SEE YOU AGAIN!!!" Tikki flew into Marinette's cheek, to which she laughed happily and wrapped her fingers around the kwami gently."Tikki, I'm so happy to see you again! It's been such a long time! I hope you're okay, I mean I was Ladybug for a long, long time," Marinette held her in her hands, cuddling her up to her face. Oh, how she missed the little red creature's positivity and love. She missed talking to her, and having her around. "I'm perfectly fine! A little tired if I'm being honest, but I'm so happy you're okay! You got out, and I'm so glad you're alive!" The kwami attacked her with love, "Don't you dare die again!" "I won't, I promise," Marinette giggled, "Now let's go back home. I've been so homesick, you wouldn't believe." All she wanted to do was see her parents again and just take a long break. She was drained from all that transforming, detransforming, and energy-sucking. It was vital that she'd also give her kwami a load of cookies for dealing with all this chaos."Here, take the miraculous for now," Nathalie pulled out the earrings. She didn't end up getting Adrien's miraculous yet, but when she would, she'd ask Marinette to borrow hers for a little. Soon, she might not even get to be with Felix. He deserved to know the truth. "I- uh... made a deal with Hawkmoth that I'd take the place of Adrien's mom, so she could come back and live with Adrien. The only thing is that I need to get the cat miraculous first.""You... did WHAT?! Nathalie, it's absolutely boring and sad over there! You really really don't have to make that deal! I doubt Emilie would even want you to do that! If anything, she just needs to figure out who her partner is," Felix begged, not wanting to lose Nathalie already. "Her partner is Hawkmoth, and I'm sure she already knows that, Felix," she said quietly, looking down at her fingernails. The guy just stared at her in disbelief. He couldn't let her torture herself like that for all of eternity, and just do nothing. There had to be a better solution. He looked at Marinette helplessly, and she glanced back, in thought."But... she has a son who's also a hero! What if we tell her that? Can we reach out to her?" Marinette asked Felix, seeing as he had the most knowledge about the topic."That would work too! You don't have to do anything you don't want to, Nath. I promise I'll do whatever it takes to fix this," Felix promised her, "The only issue is that she'd have to reach out to us, since we can't do it from out here.""What if I went back into that hole and made contact with her?" Marinette volunteered, "I didn't see the hole close up.""No, I don't want you to get stuck there alone. If it closes up, then you won't be able to get out," Felix told her, also knowing she'd have to get back into that mansion with all that security. He didn't want a child to lose her entire life to her powers like he had done. She didn't deserve that."Felix is right, I don't want you to get stuck there either. We'll take you home, then figure something out ourselves. Go have fun and enjoy being free. Do you want Tikki for now, or do you want me to hang onto her?" Nathalie asked her. Marinette bit her lip, deciding she'd try to stall until Felix could figure something out to make sure everyone could get out and no one is left behind in the void. "Can I take Tikki?" "Of course," Nathalie hesitantly handed over the earrings. She hoped she'd be able to get them back once she had Adrien's. "Do you still want Felix and me to walk you into the bakery and make sure you get in okay? We can explain everything to your parents for you."Marinette nodded affirmatively, and walked beside her."Here, come in the middle. We'll try to hide you from the public," Nathalie offered, and Felix moved to let her in. The three began their trip to the Dupain-Cheng bakery, avoiding anyone who looked about her age. At this time, most kids were already in school, so it was relatively easy. It hurt to think that her friends were dealing with the idea of her being dead, thinking she was gone forever. Her family had no idea they were about to see her, so it would be a pleasant surprise. Marinette wondered if they too knew that she was Ladybug. "So, now that you're back, Felix, are you going to see your family too?" Marinette asked. Nathalie looked down, realizing they were no longer in the same household Felix grew up in. The woman really hoped the Dior family had just moved somewhere nearby. She recalled that the Rossi family moved in sometime after."If I'm being completely honest, I'm excited to see my parents again. However, I'm not so excited to see my older brother. I've already told you about how he is," Felix chuckled a bit sadly. "He really misses you, Felix. He stopped talking after you 'died,' and now he works with me. I promise you, he's not as mean as he used to be," Nathalie told him, offering a smile, as well as a quick change of subject."I-uh... Are you sure? He always told me about how I was too lame for you, and how I had no chance with you whatsoever because I was a 'nobody.' That's honestly why I wasn't sure if you remembered me," Felix shamefully admitted to Nathalie. "No, no, of course you were memorable. Don't you remember how sad I was when 'Felix' disappeared during your development? I missed you so so much, as both Felix and Chat Noir. I was so dumb to not see it sooner. Disregarding my own lameness, Goril- Gordon is truly a nicer person now. I mean, all he does is grunt in response to people. He even lets Gabriel's son call him Gorilla. He's rather serious, but not mean.""Gorilla? That's something," Felix laughed, and Marinette nodded in confirmation. "Hey, we made it to your bakery! Do you just want to walk in behind us or run in and surprise them? I could distract them while you run into your room or something," Nathalie offered to Marinette. "Uh... Can you check to see if they're busy?" She asked, her voice falling a bit more soft and shy. Nathalie walked casually past the front door, glancing inside to see that their room was relatively empty. Other than a couple customers, Jean the cashier was at the register. She turned around and walked back to her group. "They're not in the room. I'm guessing they're in the back," Nathalie told the younger girl."Oh, okay. I'll just walk in then," she told Nathalie, "I think I can take it from here.""Are you sure you'll be okay from here?" The woman asked, concerned for her safety."Yes, don't worry about me. You and Felix have so much to catch up on," Marinette giggled a little. She smiled, laughing a bit as well. "Thank you again, Marinette. If you would like, I'll keep the secret safe from Adrien until you can surprise him.""Yeah, thank you! I'll personally surprise all my friends eventually! Maybe I'll just show up to school tomorrow?" Marinette planned, laughing. "Go ahead, do whatever you'd like. You have your life back, so enjoy it! Also go get some rest. Felix and I are going to catch up on technology and family." Once they split, Marinette gathered herself, and slowly walked into the bakery. She wasn't sure what to expect from her parents. Anger? Disappointment? Horror? Excitement? Tears? "Welcome to the Dupain-Cheng Bakery! How may I help yo— Wow, I'm sorry, this might sound weird, but you look a lot like Marinette Dupain-Cheng," Jean declared, thinking back to when he'd seen Ladybug in person."Uh... yeah, I get that a lot. Haha, do you know where the owners of this bakery are?" Marinette asked, feeling nervous for some reason. Why was it so nerve wracking to see her parents as herself? "They went to funeral service for their daughter. Unfortunately, she passed during her service as Ladybug. The owners will be back any time now," Jean explained sadly. Of course they were probably still at her funeral service. She could just see them thanking everyone who came and wishing them a good day. Maybe they were still really upset and just too sad to leave quickly."O-Oh, uh... thank you. I'll just- oh there they are. I'm- uh..." Marinette hopped over the counter to hide behind him."Miss, I'm afraid you're not allowed back here. Please go back to the customer area," Jean begged, awkwardly seeing his bosses come over. "I don't want to have to be loud and upset them. Didn't you want to talk to them— oh, let me talk to them first really quickly.""Hello, how was the service?" Jean quickly slid back around the desk, helping them with their bags. "It was so beautiful. I'm amazed at what wonderful friends Marinette had," Sabine told him tearfully. "They shared such sweet memories, and were so... emotional about her. One of her poor friends almost got akumatized, and Marinette used to have the biggest crush on him. She'd be so happy to see how much they all cared," Tom continued for her, placing a hand on his shoulder. Adrien almost got akumatized? No... he couldn't be that sad. His father was so cold and empty with him, and yet he never got akumatized. How did he get akumatized over her? "I'm sure they were all so kind. I've met a few of them actually. They all cared so much about her," Jean replied, pulling out some seats for them. Marinette slumped behind the counter, holding back tears, as well as her breath. She quickly wiped them away, and tried to regulate her breathing. So glad to hear their voices and be in their bakery again, she couldn't help but get emotional. The amazing, homely aroma of the bakery brought her to tears, and she couldn't believe how lucky she was to be back. She really missed her family, and was so happy she'd get to see them again.When she stood up, she realized they were all looking in the opposite direction. So badly, she wanted to jump into their arms and hug the life out of them, but it would be all too sudden. She had to take it slowly for them, even though it was so painful to watch them be so sad over her.She silently walked up the stairs, making her way back to her apartment. The fresh smell of the floral scent her mother usually spread was still there. Finally, Marinette hesitantly slipped on her earrings to let her kwami loose. For extra measures, she felt the pointy backings to make sure they didn't disappear again. They were there again, and would never go away."Were your parents super happy?" Tikki asked excitedly, assuming her holder had already exposed herself and revealed that she wasn't gone anymore. "No, they're super upset because they just came back from my funeral service. Or Ladybug's. I'm not actually sure, but everyone now knows my secret identity," Marinette spoke sadly."So you haven't told them you've returned? Did you just sneak past them or break in?" Tikki asked curiously.The girl quietly pulled down the ladder for her room, then climbed up into it before gently pushing the trap door open. "I snuck in, but I'm pretty sure the cashier guy saw me hide behind the counter. I have no clue how to just tell my parents I'm alive. I'm sure they've already accepted I'm dead. What if they think I faked my death? Do I even have to keep you a secret anymore?" "You should go tell your parents! They'd be so happy! You can show me to them and I could explain to them. I don't think it really matters anymore since everyone already knows you're Ladybug, but I wouldn't advertise to the public that you have the miraculous right now. Hawkmoth thinks Nathalie has it," the kwami insisted. Marinette agreed, being that it was definitely time to admit that she was no longer gone. It was sad to leave them to grieve over someone who came back. "I'll wait for them to come back into the house, since they were already on their way up. I don't want the people in the bakery to start a riot," she decided. As she thought, the door opened and the sounds of her parents' voices and sniffles were heard from below her room. Marinette took a breath before opening her trap door.Immediately, that caught their attention. "Tom, there's an intruder in Marinette's room," Sabine whispered, grabbing the nearest broomstick. "No... Mom, it's- it's just me," Marinette spoke out, unsure about how to present herself. She climbed down the stairs, and stood in front of both her parents.Without a moment's hesitation, she was pulled into hugs and kisses of relief. "Marinette, oh my sweet baby girl! I thought you had died! Thank goodness, I can't believe you're back!" Sabine hugged her daughter tightly, as she was slightly lifted by her father. "How is this possible? I really thought you had died!" Tom asked, hugging her protectively. Warmth seeped into her heart, having her family back around her and knowing she was okay. She was so happy to see them happy again. It had been so many months since they'd seen or heard from her as Marinette. Counting up all those long days, she'd guess it was likely at least half a year."And you being Ladybug? How could we not see that? Why didn't you tell us?" Sabine asked, now checking her for harm or scratches."I didn't want Hawkmoth to come after my family for my Miraculous, so I couldn't say anything. My costume and mask wouldn't come off, no matter what I tried, and I didn't know I would just randomly disappear so quickly. I know I did a lot of dumb things, and it probably would've been better to have just revealed my identity, and I'm sorry to have worried you so much," Marinette told them apologetically."Please don't be cross with her," Tikki emerged from her room, "I always tell her that it's safer that she doesn't reveal her identity, so she was just listening to me."Tom and Sabine's eyes were wide with curiosity, and a little bit of terror. They both turned to their daughter wordlessly, hoping for some kind of explanation for this small, bug-like being. Was it her superhero sidekick? What species of animal was it and how in the world did it know how to speak French?"This is Tikki," Marinette offered an introduction, "She's my kwami, and without her, I wouldn't have powers.""Oh, yes. It's really a pleasure to formally meet you both, Mr. and Mrs. Dupain-Cheng," Tikki smiled with a sense of friendliness. "Uh... hello Tikki. It's nice to meet you as well," Sabine spoke, offering a gentle smile in return. "What was it you were saying about Marinette?""Well, because of the development that Ladybug had to go through, she didn't have enough energy to go through with it, and as an attempt to save her life when all of her energy was slowly dying, the powers placed her in a void of which her human soul could accept the infinite energy," Tikki explained, causing Marinette to look at her exhaustedly. She wished she could've been able to talk to Tikki while stuck as Ladybug, because at least they would've had more information. As Tikki and her parents conversed, Marinette was thinking that the good thing is that she was able to come back, and even better, she was able to save Felix too! What saddened her was that she wasn't able to bring back Emilie, and now Nathalie felt she was obligated to bring her back by switching places. Luckily, Marinette had one of the miraculous, and there was no way Nathalie would be able to carry out the deal without it. Based on how much blathering Felix did about how much he loved Nathalie, she knew it would absolutely break him if the woman decided to take Emilie's place and go back to the place he had just escaped. She decided she wasn't going to give her back the miraculous until they found a better solution."—no way that she's going to continue being a superhero who risks her life everyday! It's just too dangerous for someone as young and delicate as Marinette! She's so little, and we can't just have her running out, dealing with crazy villains!" Marinette tuned back into the conversation between Tikki and her parents to hear what they had to say. She frowned, upset that they didn't think she was capable. "Mama, I'm old enough. I've been doing it for two entire years, and—" "And you died! We thought we lost you forever!!" Sabine argued, her voice cracking at the emotional projection. Seeing Marinette's face fall, she softened her tone, "Sweetie, we just got you back... You're our baby, and we can't lose you again. You don't understand, it was so scary thinking you were gone.""Please, Mama. I promise the same thing won't happen," Marinette squeezed her hand, "It could only happen once, and it's already done. I found my way back, and I never died. I was just contained somewhere, but now I know it can't happen again.""But Marinette, that same thing may not happen, but being out by yourself, you could be approached by someone much more dangerous and large than you, and with a simple yoyo as a weapon, you might not be able to defend yourself. The world is evil, and there are people out here who could hurt you, even being transformed," Sabine grabbed her, holding her close. "She's very skilled with the yoyo," Tikki spoke up, "And with the suit's protection, she can't get harmed as much as a civilian." She didn't want to lose Marinette. Her parents didn't want to lose her either. Marinette didn't want to lose her life, nor her kwami. It was understandable that her mother was scared to lose her again, but Marinette knew she was completely capable of being Ladybug and battling akuma. She could fight crime as a heroine without anything but a yoyo, and her ideas. "Marinette, my baby. Knowing you were no longer alive, it made me realize that we should've been paying closer attention to your random disappearances during akuma attacks, and complaints of school absences from your school. I felt like I could've prevented your death, but now that you're back... I just can't bear the thought of you dying again. We love you so much, and protecting you is our job as parents. As a superhero, there's not a lot we can do to keep you safe, and it scares me," Sabine confessed, hugging her daughter tightly."You know I'll always be careful, Mama. I love you both so much as well, and it's my turn to keep you guys safe, as well as everyone in Paris. I'm not alone either. I have Chat Noir by my side to protect me, and the guidance of the former heroes to direct me," Marinette explained, resting her chin on her mother's shoulder as she hugged her back."Just... promise us that you'll be safe," Tom asked of her, resting his hand gently over her back. "I promise, Papa. Tikki is also here to keep me safe and protect me from injuries. That ordeal was a one-time thing, and I know it'll never happen again. I'll come home safely everyday, and that's a promise.""Then we will fully and completely support our strong, brave daughter as Paris's superhero.”
----- CHAPTER BREAK -----
The next morning that Marinette woke up to, she had nearly forgotten who she was and where she was, mostly due to being Ladybug for so long. It had been months since she slept in her room, but thanks to Chloe, she had a comfortable place to sleep. Initially, she assumed she was going to sleep on the streets or on a high ledge of the Eiffel Tower at night, but Chloe's generous offer allowed otherwise. It was comforting to feel the bright rays of sun gently warming her face and blanketed body, and to see the familiar place she grew up in as her blurry morning vision slowly cleared. The sweet light pinkness of her walls brought her appreciation and love for the slowing end of her hectic journey. Now she was safe again, in the home of her loving, but slightly irritated parents, and back to her original healthy state. No more blindness, fear, worry, guilt, or pain was in her path, and she was glad."Looks like you're finally awake!" Tikki giggled, pawing at her chosen's face softly. It had been so long since she had to wake up a sleeping Marinette for school again."Yeah," Marinette replied, but she couldn't help but smile. Everything was so perfect. The collage of Adrien's pictures still hung in the same place she'd left them, and immediately, she remembered she had planned on showing up at school that day. Her thoughts slowly wandered to Alya. How would she respond to her knowing she'd been lying about her identity to her all this time? As her best friend and biggest fan, Alya most likely expected that Marinette would've been more helpful rather than flakey and dishonest. Gosh, this was worse than she thought. Same for Adrien. Now that he knew she was Ladybug, he also knew she didn't say anything during her own search party, and she had already known they weren't going to find her. Now he was probably going to hate her forever and ever, and never fall in love with her! Snapping out of her calm state, she began freaking out all over again."You definitely look like you're back to your old self," Tikki laughed after seeing Marinette flop back on her bed with a pitiful groan and widened eyes. "I did so many dumb things as Ladybug, like helping in my own search party, and now everyone knows and is probably going to hate me forever! Especially Adrien!" Marinette threw a pillow over her own face, whining childishly."Calm down, they think you're dead," Tikki reassured her, but it only made Marinette curl further into her fetal position. After thinking about what she said, the kwami quickly restated, "What I mean is that they miss you so much, and they'll overlook those moments. They'll be so so happy to see you again, that it won't even matter."Marinette slowly sat up, giving her kwami a thankful smile. She'd missed Tikki so much, and loved how helpful she was when it came to cheering her up and being optimistic. The kwami might be right, seeing as the search parties were conducted within the first week she went missing, and with enough luck, they wouldn't remember. "Now let's go downstairs and say good morning to your parents! They wanted to let you sleep in a little," Tikki suggested, causing Marinette to turn to look at the time on her phone.Definitely at least an hour late for school, but then again, what was there to worry about? Everyone already thought she was dead, so it wasn't expected that she'd be in her seat at the time school started. At this point, she was pretty sure she'd already had 'Bridgette' and her own seat replaced by someone else, and it wouldn't be a surprise.Agreeing with her kwami, she climbed down her ladder to get off her bed, then get ready for the day. After brushing her teeth and fixing her hair, she slipped into her favorite outfit, and then opened the trap door to let Tikki and herself out. Being that she actually left one of her self-designed jackets in that 'void', it was relieving that she'd made another copy of it, being she had lost the first one before."Good morning, sweetie!" Sabine greeted Marinette cheerfully, running over to hug her."Morning," she replied with a sleepy smile, walking over to hug her mother and father. "How was your sleep, Marinette?" Tom asked, cheerfully placing down a plate with a buttered croissant in front of her. "It was the best sleep I've had in a while. I'm feeling ready to go back to school today," she responded, taking a bite into her bread. "Really? Are you sure you don't want to take the day off?" He asked, patting her back. "I'm sure! I'm excited to see my friends again, although it'll probably scare them a lot," Marinette replied, laughing a little as she sipped the milk her mother placed down for her. She thanked her mother once more. "Chloe was devastated," Sabine added, "and it was quite strange seeing as she's always been unkind towards you. You are an amazing Ladybug, so I guess she was a big fan.""Oh, as Ladybug, I became her friend!" She explained, but it hurt to think about one of her best friends being so upset over her so-called death. "That's nice of you!" She replied, wiping the counter of the kitchen with a cloth to clean up a bit of milk she spilled. Marinette smiled at her mother, taking the last bite of her croissant and putting the plate in the sink. The girl picked up her backpack, and slipped her arms through the straps. "I'm going to head off to school! Bye!" She attempted to leave, but her mother stopped her. “Wait just a second, we’re walking you to school!” Sabine grabbed her daughter’s arm protectively.“But it’s not that far away,” Marinette pointed out, “Plus, I’m sure you guys are busy with the bakery so I’ll be fine!” “Marinette, even though your father claimed that we both trust you enough to be Ladybug, I’m not fully onboard with this idea. We discussed it together last night, and thought it would be a better idea that we supervise you more,” Sabine carefully explained to her daughter. “Mama, I promise I’ll be okay! I’m fourteen years old, and I can make sure to stay safe,” she promised her mother, “That thing where I got stuck as Ladybug will never happen again, and I’ll make sure to consult the Miraculous keeper if anything seems off.”“Look, you’re still our child, and it’s our duty to keep you safe. We weren’t careful enough before, and it felt like the worst mistake in our lives,” Tom revealed, “We won’t repeat this mistake. We love and trust you, Marinette, but the world is much bigger and more dangerous for a small girl like you. We’ve seen you as Ladybug defending yourself, but there are bigger things out there that we couldn’t protect you from. Losing you was the scariest thing we’ve ever been through, and it worried and upset us that you didn’t trust us enough to tell us your situation.”“Papa, I’m sorry I didn’t tell you both, but I was afraid to reveal my identity with Hawkmoth still being a threat. I didn’t want him to hurt you both in exchange for a miraculous I couldn’t even take off,” Marinette explained, feeling a bit upset about the sudden flip in her parents’ decisions. “Don’t worry about me. I’m sorry that I didn’t say anything, and I know I should’ve, but I was scared. I can handle bigger things now, and being Ladybug is something I love.”After not being able to budge her parents’ decisions, she was chaperoned on her simple, quick walk to class.Obviously wanting to avoid the public, she made her way carefully across the street and ensured her walkways were clear before proceeding. Her heart was pounding with excitement and nerves. "Tikki, I can't believe they're going to see me as Marinette again," she whispered to her kwami, who hid in her jacket to avoid causing attention."It'll be fun! Just... tell the truth. They already know you're Ladybug, so there's no use concealing anything," Tikki advised, shrugging. Once Marinette arrived inside the school and said goodbye to her parents for the day, she'd checked the time to see what class she had. It was her language arts class, which was with Miss Bustier, her favorite teacher. As she walked over to the room, she peeked through the window, seeing that everyone was walking around, pairing off with people. Was it a partner project?Chloe went over to Sabrina, and Adrien took Nino. Marinette noticed Alya was standing in one place, just staring away. She looked really sad, as well as some of her other classmates. Whenever someone would approach her, it seemed like she'd brush them off.Adrien was wearing a black sweatshirt, and she'd never seen him wear something that casual. He had such an empty look in his eyes, and it scared Marinette. She'd never seen him like this. At least he went with Nino, so he had a partner for whatever they were working on. Now was her chance to get their attention. There was no use in hiding anymore. She had to reveal herself as alive now, and it was going to be strange for everyone. Everyone seemed distracted with their business, so she snuck in and closed the door silently. Ivan's large build was partially blocking her from sight, so she walked behind him discreetly. With her other friends at the other side of the classroom, Marinette made her way over to Alya mostly unnoticed. She took a deep breath, and nervously approached Alya. Reaching out as if she were going to tap her shoulder, she quickly pulled her hand away, not wanting to scare her either."Hey, do you want to be my partner?" Marinette finally asked, causing Alya to turn around. She decided to speak in a soft voice, so it wouldn't be so frightening. The last thing she wanted was for her strong best friend to reflexively whack her in the nose out of self-defense.Her eyes scanned the familiar pink shoes, then her pink pants, shirt, then finally her longer pigtails. This was her best friend. Once she put together all the pieces, she immediately pulled her into a hug, barely giving her a chance to explain herself."Girl, I thought you were dead! How in the world did you revive from the dead?! I thought we lost you forever!!" Alya cried, practically squeezing her best friend to death, “I hate you so much!!”“I’m so sorry, Alya! I know I should’ve told you, and I felt horrible keeping the secret from you!”“You better have!” Alya yelled, angrily hugging her tighter.Marinette was so glad to have her best friend back, and knowledgeable of the fact she was present and existing. The torture of watching Alya's spirit fade away slowly from the disappearance of Marinette was finally over, and now she could hopefully go back to the way things were before the entire ordeal began. "It's a long, long story," Marinette finally answered, laughing mirthfully and hugging her back. Who was she without her best friend? Whether she was a blogger, Ladybug helper, or just there for Marinette when it came to the smallest problems, it was nice having Alya around. She missed having the bespectacled girl to rant, help, support, or just talk sense into her. "M-Marinette's a ghost. Juleka, sh-she's a ghost— or a zombie," Rose whispered, grabbing her sleeping classmate's shoulder in a panic. "Cool," Juleka replied, still half-asleep while the petite blonde girl was having half a panic attack in the back of the classroom.Having heard a few meek whispers from behind, Marinette spun around to face a completely pale, distraught Rose and sleeping Juleka. "Oh, hi Rose and Juleka!" She greeted the girls, causing Rose to work up the courage to walk up suspiciously and poke a hesitant finger into Marinette's shoulder to ensure her existence. * * *Meanwhile with Adrien and Nino, they were working dutifully on their class assignment for the day, well-aware that this would be one of the last grades before the progress reports had to be turned in by the teachers. Nino's literature grade hadn't been the absolute best unfortunately, and he was on a ledge between passing and failing the class. To say he was nervous about seeing his parents' reactions to his mediocre grades was a bit of an understatement, and he was entirely convinced he could push up his grade a little further up if he could do well on this assignment. Not only was his grade at stakes, but he knew from the look of Adrien's recent grades and lack of turning anything in that his grades wasn't great either. Gabriel Agreste, Nino knew, was the one he really needed to take into consideration when helping out Adrien with his grades. Nino asked Adrien, "So... what is another archetype we could describe in chapter three?""Whatever you want to do," Adrien quietly replied, then let his gaze wander off again. "Dude, I get you're upset, but please help me out a little here. I've already done four of them, and we need six," Nino took his hat off, getting a little frustrated with his friend's lack of motivation to work. Adrien was normally diligent and focused when it came to school in general, so he thought having his friend as a partner could be helpful between the both of them.Normally, he wouldn't mind picking up the slack when it came to his normally exhausted friend, but this last grade needed to be high for both their sakes. Nino knew that Marinette's disappearance completely threw Adrien for a loop, and his grades went crashing down. For the sake of his friend, he didn't want the stern Gabriel Agreste to find his son's literature grade so low in his public school progress reports, only to have the poor boy homeschooled again. Adrien's eyes widened a little, realizing he hadn't contributed a single answer in this partner assignment, and he picked up his book to scan through. "What about the one where Cindy says that the branch was sturdy as a rock?" He asked quickly, pointing out a page in his book. Nino sighed, shaking his head a little. "Adrien, that's a simile. We're doing archetypes," he explained, trying to keep his patience in check. He knew Adrien was super upset, and he felt horrible for not being able to be more understanding.If his grades went down, he could deal with it. His parents would be super irritated, and probably ground him from going to any DJ-related events for two months, but they'd still allow him to go to public school. This was his best friend's livelihood he had to protect, and yet Adrien only seemed to slither further and further away into his own dark hole. He was hardly aware about what he was doing in class anymore, and it was causing Nino to worry.Adrien tossed the book in his bag and threw it against the wall with frustration. "I-I don't know, Nino! I've been staring at this book, and the chapter, and I haven't even found a single archetype from chapter one, and it's due today! I don't get it, and I can't focus! It's just so ridiculous! I just— I..." he trailed off, running out of the classroom before he could get too emotional."Adrien— bro! Please, we'll figure this out!" Nino called after him, but his friend already stormed off tearfully.Sighing miserably, he turned back to look at Alya, only to Marinette getting ambushed with hugs and comments from his fellow classmates. "Marinette... Whoa, dudette!" Nino screamed, panicking at the sight of his revived classmate. He stood up, looking toward the door that Adrien had just stormed out of, and then back at Marinette, then sighed and sat back down miserably."Hi guys, I know this is so weird, but as I've been told, you all know my... secret," the girl spoke a bit shyly, glancing at her pocket as if searching for validation to continue. Looking back up, she continued on to tell the truth, "There was this development I had as a superhero that wouldn't let me detransform because I didn't get enough sleep apparently. Eventually it caused me to disappear, but I found a way out, and it somehow reversed all that crazy red and black hair, wings and such, so now I'm back to normal.""Y-You! You left me and didn't even say goodbye!" Chloe tearfully accused Marinette angrily before attacking her with a hug."I'm sorry, I didn't know I was going to disappear so quickly," Marinette laughed a little, hugging her friend back. It was ironic that the person who once gave her the worst trouble was one of the most caring friends she could ever meet, and that she was angrily excited to have her back.While answering some questions about her whereabouts and revival, Marinette had noticed that Adrien wasn't in the classroom anymore. Was he hurt that she didn't say anything to him right away? He didn't know she knew his identity, so maybe he was just going to the bathroom? Or he could've possibly assumed her return was an illusion or trick of some akuma villain, then went to transform. "Has anyone seen Adrien?" She asked, after answering more questions from her classmates. Marinette felt so bad she didn't check up on him the moment she walked into the classroom. He was so worried when she began to disappear, and now he was somewhere else."The poor guy just ran out before you got here. He was getting frustrated with our class work and so he threw his backpack. He misses you a lot," Nino informed her, pointing out the door. "Thanks Nino," Marinette pat his shoulder, picking up Adrien's backpack so she'd have an excuse to talk to him. Slinging it over her shoulder, she walked out to the hallway. Sure enough, she spotted the boy. Butterflies erupted within her stomach, and she felt her face heat up. Here was her Chat Noir, the one who cared so much about her. He was nearly akumatized because of her 'death.' Oh, she was so excited and nervous to approach him again. He was leaning against the wall, staring in the other direction. She walked up behind him quietly, not wanting to abruptly ambush him with her presence. How could she start this conversation?She couldn't be a chicken anymore. This was Chat Noir she was talking to, and he was far from intimidating. Adrien wasn't intimidating either, but the thought of approaching him so casually happened to present itself in such a manner. As he turned around, he managed to catch her eye before she initiated the contact. Stumbling forward in an attempt to walk to him, she caught herself and pulled away before she scared him from being too close. With a wide, yet shy smile, she waved at him."Hi Adrien! Uh... I think you dropped this!" Marinette exclaimed, holding out his backpack to him, "Well, I mean you kinda threw it, so maybe it means you didn't wan—"Before she could continue on with her mindless blabbering, she felt him envelop her in his arms, pulling her close. Now he had his princess back. He had his lady safe, and however she managed to come back, he was positive he never wanted to let her go. She was the girl who loved him for his personality, and understood who he was as a person. After hearing her confession to him through the video, he knew she didn't fall for his looks or status. How could he appreciate someone so amazing more than he already did? Not bothering to stop his tears, he tightened his hug around her small frame. Within the embrace, Marinette let the backpack strap slip through her fingers to return the gesture. No one heard the short yelp and scoff of the poor kwami that happened to be in the backpack of his chosen."N-Not even going to question it, Kitty?" Marinette whispered, her eyes leaking with tears as she wrapped her arm around her partner's neck, the other under his arm. Adrien chuckled through his quiet sobs of happiness. Somehow she'd managed to figure out his identity as well, and understand every single aspect of him. From the deep layers of the shy model, to the dorky superhero partner, she knew all of him. "Why... would I question a miracle?" Adrien asked, feeling himself smile reflexively as more tears fell from his eyes, drenching his cheeks with warmth.Marinette couldn't even respond, feeling her heart skip a beat and quicken with such passion. Her mouth ran dry, and her eyes grew glassier. She further let her face sink into his sweatshirt, and continued to hold him closely. After a short a while of hugging, they finally pulled away, but didn't stand far from one another. Marinette nervously smiled at him, unsure of what to say next. Adrien offered a smile in return, crossing his arms loosely. "So... you watched my video," Marinette said, her face entrenched with redness. Immediately, she wanted to recoil into herself as the internal panic alarms went off. Why in the world did she bring that up?! He could've forgotten and gotten over his crush on her! That would be so awkward for him to tell her, and so embarrassing, not to mention it would be incredibly heartbreaking. "Yeah," Adrien chuckled, wiping tears away, "I didn't even realize I had a crush on you until I watched it. You know, I was having an internal crisis when I realized I loved both you and Ladybug. I'm so glad I was fortunate enough to have the two most amazing girls in Paris as a single person."Barely recovering from her blurting, Marinette giggled a bit, offering a warm smile after. It wasn't until he told 'Bridgette' that she knew he thought so highly of her heroine counterpart. As for Marinette, she didn't know he liked her until he told her straight to her permanently masked face that he admired her. All it had taken was a gutsy confession for the entire thing to fall together, and now they both were aware of their feelings for one another. "I loved both you and Ladybug, then I eventually had to get over one of you just to fall in love with another side of you. I would've been relieved when I realized you were Ladybug, only the timing managed to be really bad," he looked down, remembering watching her slowly disappear from his arms. Like a broken record in his mind, he could just see and hear her trying not to cry in front of him as she slowly faded from existence. As if she could read his thoughts, she reached out to touch his shoulder gently as a reminder she wasn't gone anymore. "I really should've let you tell me your identity, and I could've said it earlier. It was because of my disconnection to myself that I didn't have an anchor to reality, and it was because of how disconnected everyone else was from me as well."Adrien let his downward gaze raise up to meet Marinette's, and a small smile broke out on his face. "So... you disappeared because you didn't let me tell you my identity?" He asked, his eyes squinting, holding a rather playful demeanor. Marinette felt herself scowl a little as she realized what he was implying. Yes, he was right, and yes, she was wrong. Oh goodness, that's what he was signifying. She let out an exaggerated sigh, and let her entire upper body slump forward with the exhalation. "Yes Adrien, you were right. I was wrong. If I would've let you just tell me you were Adrien Agreste, I wouldn't have disappeared in your arms and died!" She admitted jokingly. "Huh. Chat Noir was right for once," Adrien pretended to look off into air, crossing his arms and grinning playfully. "For once," Marinette scoffed sarcastically, but then laughed a little. "So... everything okay, Kitty?" She asked more gently. Although he was laughing, there was still something somber lingering behind his smiles that didn't seem to match his light-hearted actions. Adrien's smile faded a little, but he started off with a pushed sense of friskiness that seemed to dissipate as he continued talking, "For one, I thought you were... really gone. Two, you came back out of nowhere and I'm still not even sure whether or not I'm just dreaming again. If so, I hope I never have to wake up. I'm just so happy you're here again."Marinette felt her heart crumble at his reappearing sadness toward his fears, and she wanted nothing more than to reassure him she was real, and there with him. Of course, he'd already lost his mother, so a random unexplained miracle in which she came back didn't seem so realistic. To Adrien, disappearing in her manner didn't seem realistic either. It had been too fast, and she hardly had adequate time to explain anything before his arms were empty, so it had been as if she hadn't existed to begin with, as if she were just a dream, or an illusion. She was something that was too good to be real. He didn't want her to leave him, and he was scared she wasn't real. It sounded like a strange fear, but to have lost two important people in his life, and have them disappear as if they weren't even real, while time and the days continued to go on as if they had no effect on anything, it scared him."Adrien, I'm not going anywhere this time. I'm here for real, so Ladybug and Marinette aren't leaving again," Marinette reassured him. She wanted him to know that she would be with him no matter what. Whether it was some crazy akuma Hawkmoth sent out against them, a stressful school project, or just being company for a photo shoot, she wanted him to know he wasn't going to go through anything alone that he didn't want to. "I'm here for you as a best friend, partner, or... whatever you want me to be. You never have to be alone again." The boy pulled her into a hug again, feeling himself emotionally unravel at her words. He squeezed his eyes shut as he buried his face into her hair, and he felt her face immerse into his shoulder as her arms wrapped under his arms, securing him closely. "T-Thank you," he whispered, his voice rather choked up. Marinette loosened her embrace a tiny bit, allowing enough room to look up at him to ensure he was okay. Tilting her head up, her gaze locked in with Adrien's, and unconsciously, her eyes grew wider. She could feel her heart thumping passionately, and her breath stopped for a moment as she looked up into his emerald eyes.As she felt him draw closer, she could hear the pounding of her heart grow louder. Her cheeks flushed with heat that seemed travel up to the tips of her ears, then spread all throughout her chest. At this point, she felt time slow down, and the noise around her drown out in the numbing, yet powerful passion that threw the sound of her heartbeat into silence while their lips magnetized. Her hands left his sides to hold his shoulders, and glancing up at him from below her dark eyelashes, she wanted to make sure he didn't want to pull away.Once their lips gently connected, her stomach erupted with excitement, and her breath caught in his kiss. Her eyelids fluttered down, then squeezed shut as she steadily kissed back. As he realized she wasn't pulling away either, he passionately kissed back. One of his hands carefully rested under her jawline as the other was on her upper back. After they both pulled away, they both breathlessly blushed at each other, unable to say a word right away. How in the world did that happen?! Weren't they just hugging? Crap, Adrien was going to be so freaked out, Marinette worried. "S-So..." Adrien stuttered a little, offering a nervous smile. "Haha, th-that was just— surprising!" Marinette pushed herself to respond to him, although if would've been less awkward if she left a few seconds in between their jumbled phrases. It made her feel like she loudly cut him off before he had the chance to say anything. Several seconds went by, leaving nothing but the sound of breathing in those long awkward seconds, "Yeah!" The boy threw his reply in there, feeling as if he'd waited too long to reply. "Y-You know, I- um," Marinette tried to construct a natural-sounding sentence, "I have to say that— you're really... nice."What in the world? Nice? Was that all she could say? She couldn't mentioned that he was a great kisser, or that she was glad he had become so close with her. She could've said anything that sounded natural, but all she said was that he was freaking nice?! Marinette was mentally slamming her hand to her forehead in frustration with her lack of normalcy around him. This was Chat Noir for crying out loud! He was her best friend, and so easy to talk to. "Thank you," Adrien replied, shyly tracing his fingernail into gentle circles around his index finger, "Y-You're really nice too, Marinette."Nice at kissing, he wanted to say, and he understood that she was probably just as nervous as he was. "I meant it," Marinette said, but widened her eyes in distress as she wanted to indicate something else. "The kiss."Adrien's heart rate picked up as he felt his chest explode with complete adoration for his partner. What else could he want at this point? He had Marinette now, and there was nothing else he needed to be happy. She was his happiness, his lucky charm, his bugaboo."I did too."
----- CHAPTER BREAK -----
"If Hawkmoth is a dangerous villain who can control you, why in the world are you meeting back up with him?!" Felix asked, wondering how the woman could be so careless. Placing his hands over his head, he paced around stressfully. Why in the world was she so determined to get herself trapped? As Nathalie pulled out her phone to check if Adrien left any messages about whether or not she wanted her to pick him up, Felix’s eyes widened. “What in the world is that?! Is it a Nokia or Blackberry? Is it doing stuff when you touch the screen?” Felix asked, getting a bit distracted, seeing as the last time he saw a cell phone was from 2000. “Wow, I forgot about those,” she laughed, letting him see the phone. "Anyway, don't you want to see your brother? He lives in the Agreste mansion, and so do I. Second, he asked to meet back up with me to check on my progress. He probably wants to know if I located Chat Noir's miraculous," Nathalie explained to him, still unsure about what exactly she'd tell Gabriel when she'd meet up with him later that day. He had earlier requested to have a word with her, and gave her a specific time to meet.He quickly handed back the cell phone after accidentally opening up the front camera feature and seeing himself at a much older age. It was weird, and he couldn’t completely recognize himself. He no longer looked like that awkward teenager just starting high school, but now had a little bit of facial hair and a much more masculine facial structure. "I can wait to see the guy who tortured me for fourteen years, so you don't have to worry about me being impatient," Felix said, pushing away the anxiety that bubbled up at the thought of seeing him again. "Not to mention, I really can't have you getting hurt. He wants to trade you off for his wife, Nath, and that's going to end up trapping you eternally. There's no way out of it, and you'll be lost foreve—""Hey, you'll be okay. I promise Goril— Gordon is better than he was. He won't bully you, I promise. If he even makes so much as one rude gesture, I swear I'll deal with him," she told him, cracking a small smile. "I won't get hurt either. It's just... Adrien misses his mom. If I could—" "No, you can't just do that!" He insisted, the fear of losing her overpowering his worries about facing his childhood bully, "I told you I'd help you figure something out, and no one has to get trapped."She looked up at him, her playful smile fading to a rather sad one. "Felix...""Just please promise me you won't," Felix begged, watching as she looked away from his pleading eyes. "Adrien... he's— like a son to me. I just want him to be happy. Imagine how happy he'd be if his real mother came back," Nathalie admitted, her gaze falling to the floor as she wrapped her arms around herself.His heart began to fall, and he realized that she was still planning on making the trade. "Nathalie, he won't want to lose you either. If we plan this carefully, we can bring her back anyways. I'm not saying I don't want her to come back either, I'm just saying there's another way. Yes, Hawkmoth's plan is easier, but there's a consequence involved, and I- I don't know how I'd live without you in this real world.""I'm positive you can!" She reassured him, "You have your brother, your family, and I'm sure Marinette and Adrien would definitely show you ar—"Felix let go of her, looking away in fear he might start getting all emotional in front of her again. "You can't just do this to yourself! I know we can figure something out!""I'm going to talk to him now, and you're talking to Gordon!" She finally snapped, yanking his arm as she began walking back to the mansion."Nath!" He tried to pull away, but she had a death hold on his arm, and there was no escape. Surrendering to her force, he allowed her to lead him inside. His eyes widened as he took in the large, fancy mansion that she lived in, and gazed toward the stern, slender figure that stood over the lower level of his house. "Who is he?" Gabriel asked Nathalie, although his tone sounded more like a demand rather than a question. "Ugh, Gabriel," she disgustedly referred to him informally, "This is my significant other, if that's what you want to know."Felix picked up the hint she dropped, and immediately he knew this was Hawkmoth, the guy who wanted to take her away from him. Gently wriggling out of her grasp, he angrily walked up the stairs, wanting to confront the jerk face-to-face. "Felix, what are you doing?" Nathalie asked, sighing as she watched both men face each other with matching glares, although Felix's was more protective, while Gabriel's happened to be rather irritated. "Felix Dior," Gabriel spoke after clearing his throat once he got a better look at him, his expression clearly unamused."Moth Boy," Felix rose an eyebrow, his shoulders growing more tense. "Street Tramp," Gabriel referred to him by a name he once used as an insult, gripping his striped tie as he was preparing to transform."Enough name-calling. Felix, let's go," she walked up the stairs, pulling him away to go find his brother. "So I guess you faked your own death," Gabriel added just as Felix began to follow Nathalie out, "While you were pretending to be dead, your parents moved away. Unfortunately, on their way out, they got in an unfortunate car crash, and didn't make it."Completely disregarding the previous accusation of faking his own death, he felt himself spin and lurch forward as if he were to attack, but Nathalie grabbed him, strongly wrapping her arms around his chest. "You're such a liar, Gabriel," she sneered, feeling Felix's breathing pattern weaken in utter disbelief, "I didn't hear a thing about that." "I don't lie, Miss Sancouer. Maybe you didn't hear because Gordon doesn't talk anymore. He did miss an entire week of work last year, and—" "You're lying!" Felix accused him, writhing and twisting out of Nathalie's hold on him. As he broke loose, she yet again managed to hold him back from bringing physical aggression to the confrontation."Felix, ignore him! He likes to upset people," she yanked him behind her, "Gabriel, stop! Do you even want me to make the deal or not?! If it weren't for how much your son wants to see his mom, I would've already called the deal off!" "Nathalie, don't!" Felix anxiously grabbed her arm. Was she serious about actually doing the trade? She couldn't be. He was terrified of the actual answer to that.With that, Gabriel went silent and Felix followed behind her. Once the front door opened, a gleeful Adrien walked in through the door beside a suddenly present Marinette. Nathalie watched Gabriel's eyes wander from her earlobes to Marinette's, then he fixated his glare on the woman. She glared back, cautiously blocking the girl from his view by stepping in the way. Still wearing the earrings, Marinette was totally unaware of the true identity of the man in her presence."Hey Nathalie, I actually got Marinette back!" Adrien interrupted, then noticed his father as well. "Hi Father, I'd like you to meet Marinette!" "Hi Nathalie and Felix! Nice to meet you, Mr. Agreste," Marinette greeted everyone, but once she glanced around for another time, she noticed a thick tension in the air between the adults. She saw Felix holding Nathalie’s arm anxiously, to which she gently yanked away and smiled awkwardly. "Marinette, Paris's hero. I'm honored to be in your presence, Miss Dupain-Cheng," Gabriel politely greeted, causing both Nathalie and Felix to strike a hard-core glare at him. If he were to try anything with her, they'd attack him in a second, and there wasn't going to be any hesitation.Looking at them glaring at Gabriel, she frowned a bit with confusion. “Thanks, Mr. Agreste,” she replied, holding back the want to ramble about how much she idolized his fashion designing work. Something about everyone was just... off."Adrien, why don't you take Marinette and Felix to find Gorilla. Felix, go introduce yourself to Adrien," Nathalie pulled him down the stairs, pushing him after the teenagers as she wanted to distract everyone with other situations. Adrien agreed, motioning for Felix to come along, but the guy looked back at Nathalie. She gave him an affirmative nod, and he hesitantly followed Adrien and Marinette away. Now was her time to talk to Gabriel about the deal. Again, her only reason for doing this was to get her best friend out of that ridiculous place and back with her family. He led her to his office, and there he sat, across from her chair over a desk.Unlike Emilie, Nathalie didn't have a family anymore. Of course, her parents were still alive, but they lived far, and with time, she grew apart from them. Other than having been Lady Luck and her stable job of working for a famous fashion designer, she didn't think she had much to be around for. Emilie was supposed to be the one watching her son grow up, and enjoying life with her family. She knew Felix was upset with her for wanting to leave, but if it meant allowing her best friend to live on in her place, it was worth dealing with. Besides, Felix was still young and attractive. As much as she hated the idea, he could easily find another girl. Maybe he'd find a girl who had more personality... or was just prettier in general. Besides, it wasn't like she was going to be dead. She'd just be stuck in whatever Felix and Marinette were stuck in. Nathalie dreaded the idea of being stranded in the middle of nowhere for eternity, but to think Emilie was dealing with the same issue currently, and having been dealing with it for years, her choice made sense. "Okay, so if you're still planning on going through with our little deal, why in the world does the dead Ladybug still have the miraculous? Where's Chat Noir's? Does Felix know where it's at?" Gabriel demanded, pointing a rough finger at her, "And why have you been skipping out on all your paperwork recently? Look at all these piles! I would've fired you if it weren't for our deal!" Gabriel motioned to the piles of paper on his desk, removing his elbow from a pile. "Marinette, or the girl you just referred to as 'Dead Ladybug', wanted to be with her kwami, and have her powers again. She just came back from disappearing from her development, and she needs time to readjust to being herself. Let her be. I haven't backed out of our deal, although with your bad attitude, I've been deeply considering it," Nathalie threatened, explaining with irritation. "Considering I'm practically giving up my life so your wife could come back, I don't think I want to spend my last days dealing with your garbage, Gabriel. If I were you, I'd start looking for a new assistant who could put up with your crap, since I won't be here much longer," she responded sarcastically, starting to get up. What was she still here for? He wasn't allowed to tell her what to do anymore, now that he had nothing on her. "Okay... I’m sorry. Look, I'm not particularly fond of this boy, Felix. His behavior is disagreeable and unacceptable in our situation," Gabriel apologized, defending himself a little. "He's just concerned about me having to trade my life for Emilie's. I'm sure you'd be the same way if your wife were to do the same for anyone else!" She argued, putting Gabriel in his perspective. Looking away, he just cleared his throat and went silent for a few moments to gather his thoughts. She wasn't wrong, Nathalie knew, as he did love Emilie with all his heart, and would've done anything to bring her back. Gabriel wasn’t sure what to say anymore. He just felt... helpless. Nathalie was the only one he could count on to bring back his wife, and he wasn’t in power anymore.Her attention was snapped back the man once he thought of something to bring up.Holding back from making another snarky remark, Gabriel pushed himself to thank her. "I... don't know who else I'm going to make my assistant, but I know they won't be anything like you. I'm not sure whether or not that's a good thing, but... I do appreciate it. Although we're not on the same page, I appreciate that you're doing this for Emilie and Adrien."In response, Nathalie offered a nod of acknowledgement, and held her image of professionalism strong as she used to. * * *Adrien noticed the tight rigidity in the room when he came back into his house with Marinette, but he could reel off it didn't involve him for once. Obviously, it seemed to have to do with Nathalie and his father, or something with Felix, because he wasn't very talkative on the way. Figuring it might just be an introverted personality, Adrien tried to lighten the mood with a conversation, “Hey, so aren’t you the past Chat Noir? I’m the current one, so it kind of feels like I’m talking to an ancestor in some way!” "Yeah," Felix replied half-heartedly, looking back in the opposite direction to where Nathalie was with Gabriel. What if they were making the deal right now? What if that was the last time he ever saw her?"So I guess you know my body guard too. I don't know his real name, but everyone calls him Gorilla. I think it's because he's big and doesn't talk," Adrien continued, and Marinette glanced back at him with a smile. "He said Gorilla was actually his brother, you know," she told Adrien, having remembered the conversations from the void."Really? I didn't know my bodyguard had a brother!" Adrien exclaimed, "Then again, he doesn't really talk, so I guess it would make sense."“Felix, what’s happening with Nathalie, you and Mr. Agreste?” Marinette finally asked, her curiosity getting the better of her. “I... uh,” Felix looked at Hawkmoth’s son, unsure how to say it all without starting chaos, “Nathalie is asking if I can stay with her until I stabilize my life.”“Oh, is Father being strict about allowing other people to stay in our house? I’ll talk to him later.”"Hey, it's him!" Marinette tapped Felix's shoulder, motioning over to the other room, where Gorilla happened to be texting someone. Dropping his shoulders, Felix felt his eyes wince. His brother looked... so old now. His back was hunched, and his hair was grey, while he remembered it to be black and shiny. His mischievous blue eyes were now a lifeless, faded grey. "Hey Gordon," he walked over, giving a short smile. Adrien caught the suddenly shocked expression overtake his bodyguard's face. "Felix?" He asked, his voice gruff and deep, but his tone rather gentle. Hearing his voice for the first time, Adrien looked back at Marinette with surprise, wondering how she'd react. Her head was tilted, and she appeared curious."Wow, you've really grown up. I see you're no longer wearing that yellow school jacket," Felix pointed out, laughing a bit. "Y-You're here. All these years... we thought you were lost. Nathalie told me about how you disappeared into the miraculous," he spoke, his eyes still wide with shock, "You look almost exactly the same since the last time I saw you. Of course, you've gotten older, but man, you still look like you!""Thanks, and I'm not sure quite why. Nathalie didn't age much either, so maybe it's due to the power of our Miraculous that stuck with us. Thanks to Marinette, we were able to escape the void that we were stuck in," Felix motioned toward the girl, who gave him a shy wave. Adrien smiled, grabbing her hand and leading her out of the room to give the brothers privacy, waving back."Look man, I know I was rough back then, and I gave you a hard time about things, but I did actually care about you, brother. I'm glad you're back," Gorilla cracked a smile, pulling his younger brother into a short hug. "I'm glad to see you again. I've missed our family. Speaking of which, I heard Mom and Dad moved away," Felix brought up, beginning to feel more anxious. Gabriel couldn't have been right about his parents, right? He was just trying to get to him, just like Nathalie said. There was no way he was right.He felt his heart sink as he watched Gorilla's face fall, and look down. Shaking his head a little, Felix tried to speak, but no words escaped him. "I'm sorry, they... got into an accident about two years ago."* * *"So now that you're back, I'm guessing Nathalie gave you your earrings back," Adrien told Marinette, glancing at her black earrings with a smile. "She did! I'm glad, but at the same time... it's kind of weird. I mean, being Ladybug is honestly the best, but if I'm being truthful, I'm kind of... scared," Marinette admitted, grabbing at the back of her earrings again to check for the metal backings, feeling her heart slow with relief when she'd feel the pointy edge. That paranoia she felt when she had the earrings on often made her feel that they were stuck, when she knew that it was completely removable by choice. Why was she so worried it wasn't going to come off? The ordeal was over, and there wasn't anything left to be scared of."Scared? You're the bravest girl I know. You're out of that suit now," Adrien said, placing a hand over her shoulder reassuringly."Getting stuck in that suit was pretty scary, but... it was more than that, Adrien. While I was stuck as Ladybug, I... lost myself. I know, that sounds weird saying out loud, but it was like I was two different people. I had Ladybug, then I had Marinette. Once Marinette was gone, I... felt this uncomfortable emptiness, and it was like I was losing a little more of myself everyday, and the emptiness kept growing, until it began to ache. If I'm being honest, I'm not even sure if Ladybug is still there inside me anymore, but I can't feel an emptiness. That might just be because I'm Marinette right now, but if I transform, what if she can't come back? What if I can't be Ladybug any longer?" Adrien watched her grow more and more distressed, unconsciously reaching for the back of her earlobes once again. "Hey, look at me. Marinette, I understand you're scared, but it's going to be okay. You are Ladybug. Marinette makes up Ladybug, and so does Tikki. She's the costume and magical part of it, and you're the girl behind the mask. You both make up Ladybug, so she can't just disappear. You're here now, and so is she."Marinette glanced back up at Adrien, "You're probably right. It's just... scary. I guess being so many different people, and acting like someone else for the longest time just makes it hard to come back as yourself, and accept it easily. Ladybug, I just felt as if she were a completely different part of me as I acted. Before the development, I was completely separating Ladybug from myself, considering her a different person rather than an extension of myself. It's just so hard to see Ladybug as me."Turning around to face a mirror, she looked up to see her own face, and for a split second, she could've sworn that she had just seen red and black in that reflection, but it was only her unmasked face. Reaching up to touch it, it was real, and her actual skin. There was no mask there.It felt almost naked, yet refreshing. She never thought the sight of her own bare face would be so relieving, uncovered by the red and black that used to be a part of her skin. Now her nose bridge was uncovered, as well as her eyebrows. Everything was there again, and transforming, she felt, could take it all away again. Blinking, there was that masked, distressed face staring back at her for a short moment again, and she spun back around, unable to face the mirror. Breathing a bit heavily, she looked up at Adrien, who was frowning in concern for her. "Are you okay?" What if she lost this side of her for good this time? Oh, how she'd taken being herself for granted, and now she promised she wouldn't any longer. To lose herself against her own will once more, and to forever be someone she wasn't born as, it would be... indescribably terrifying. How could it be that she was scared to put the suit back on? She used to do it countless times in the past year or so, but ever since she'd been permanently masked, it felt psychologically damaging to her to even consider becoming Ladybug again.
----- CHAPTER BREAK -----
When Nathalie caught sight of the flash of blue and black rushing past Gabriel's office, then heard the front door slam, she knew something went wrong. Did Gorilla make him upset or something? Gosh dang, he ran out fast. It was apparent that over the years, Felix somehow never lost his athletic abilities from being a previous Chat Noir.That, however, wasn't important. Why was he upset? Could it have been that Gabriel was actually telling the truth? Or was Gorilla just being a jerk? Either way, she went after him. Glancing back, she noticed her boss raise an eyebrow in confusion as to why Felix ran out so quickly. Running out to catch him, she realized her thirty-year old body wasn't exactly in the same flexibly resilient shape it used to be when she was a teenager. Still pushing herself, she threw open the front door, then braked to a stop as she caught sight of him standing outside, unmoving and completely still. All she could see was the back of his stiff, slightly hunched over position, yet he turned his face completely away from sight. "Hey Felix, are you okay?" She asked, approaching him gently. Noticing his silence and stiffness, she could tell he wasn't okay, but she figured he'd at least know that he wasn't alone.Still unable to say a word, Felix forced his head to move up and down, but it was hardly noticeable, seeing how stiff he was. As she closed the distance between them, placing her hand over his arm, she felt him tremble a little. Still hiding his face, Nathalie was unable to see the absolute heartbreak in his expression, "What's wrong?"He didn't look back up at her, but she watched his hands clench into fists. "He... wasn't lying, Nathalie."Her blue eyes widened, and she felt her heart tighten in pain for him. "Y-You don't mean..." "Gordon... he s-said they..." Felix's voice trembled as he tried to push down the lump, "T-there was an accident... and they didn't- make it out alive."Here, Felix who lost his childhood, his parents, and seventeen years of his life, stood before her, falling apart as the reality of his situation hit him hard. He never had the chance to grow up with other people, or have anyone to talk to. The people who raised him, and took care of him were now dead, and everyone probably assumed they were reunited in the afterlife. Nathalie felt horrible, and knew this was mostly due to her. If she hadn't let him know she went through the development, he wouldn't have tried to help her, and he wouldn't have stayed up all night every night to try and find a way to change back Lady Luck to her civilian form. If she just found the solution to his development, he wouldn't have disappeared, and lost the most important years of his life. He would've had so many more memories as a teenager, both good and bad, some embarrassing, some prideful.He would've graduated from high school with his parents, whom she knew would've been so proud of him, taking a picture of their son in his cap and gown. He would've had his own dorm room at college, probably with some silly or messy roommates, and would've had so much fun, but of course, making many visits back home to his parents on the weekends when he could. Felix could've made his own career, and met someone who he could actually love, that wasn't just a complete burden to the most important years of his life. They could've gotten married and had kids while Nathalie went off to do her job with Gabriel, or in this case, would've been the one stuck in the void all this time, leaving no room for Marinette who wouldn't have had to disappear. There was no way in the world he deserved someone like her, she thought, watching him break down. "Felix, I'm so so sorry," she croaked out, pulling him into a tightened hug. With each broken heave he took, she felt worse and worse about ruining his life. Now more than ever, she wanted to bring Emilie back in her place. The woman deserved to see her son grow up, and be around for her family. "N-Nathalie, please," he whispered, feeling the weak hesitant grip she had around him, and remembering how it meant she was doing something he didn't want her to do. "I'm so sorry, Felix," she told him, her voice nearly as shaky as his own, but sounded more like a plea for forgiveness. "This shouldn't have happened to you. Your parents... they were such good people.""It's not your fault," he tried to convince her, but she slowly shook her head. "I wasn't supposed to get you into this in the first place. Marinette could've been safe. You wouldn't have gotten into it with all that research, which made you tired when you transformed during that vital time. You could've been safe, but I messed up. You deserve to live the rest of your life with happiness," Nathalie told him, her blue-grey eyes piercing through his own, as she felt confident this was her mistake. "Y-you can't just go, Nath! My parents are gone, my friends grew up! Please, I need you here with me! I don't know— I can't live without you! Please don't go..." he begged, already feeling her loosen her weak grip as if she were about to leave. Felix knew her. He knew she'd just want to go find Gabriel and get the worst over with. "Please... you deserve way better. There are so many better women than me, and you can't just waste your life with someone who w-wasted yours," she muttered the last part, but said it clearly enough to be understood. Her eye contact broke when she saw his watery eyes flinch with pain. "Wasted my life? Nathalie, you're the only thought that kept me sane and hopeful! You're the only reason I didn't fall apart in there! The thought that I might eventually find a way out and get to spend the rest of my life with you made me hold onto that last piece of sanity I had! I'm in love with you, and only you! Please, you can't do this!" He fell to his knees, clutching onto her arm with one hand as he used the other to wipe the stray tear from his eye. Nathalie felt her bottom lip quiver, and she couldn't find the strength to look at him in the eyes. Why was he in love with the jerk responsible for his loss of life? How could he still love her after she wasted so much of his time? "Nathalie, please don't!" he begged, searching her gaze for any sign of doubt she had. From her stern, yet heartbroken expression, he could tell she wasn't changing her mind. "Felix, this... this is my purpose. I have to bring her back. For Adrien, for Gabriel, and for Emilie. She deserves to live, and I'm not- I don't have any reason not to let her. Please don't make this harder, Felix. I love you too, more than I can even bear it, and I don't even know how I'm going to live without you."Felix stood back up, suddenly his worried expression turning into a frustrated one, "Then you know that I can't live without you either! I can't just let you do this to yourself!" Why was she so determined to do this to herself? What was making her so convinced that this "solution" was the only way out? How could she be so set on making sure she'd be the tortured one? He added, "You know I can find another way! There's always another way, and—""Felix, there's no guarantee that will work! I can, on the other hand, guarantee Emilie's return! Stop trying to change my mind!" Nathalie finally snapped back. Crossing her arms, she scowled with returning frustration. She was not only frustrated with his persistence, but with herself for having started this entire ordeal. If she had just left her partner alone while she was developing wrong, he never would've known, never tried to help her, and never would've gotten stuck in that void to begin with. It was only right that she fixed this and returned things back to order. "What the heck, Nathalie?! You think I'm just going to let you disappear after I freaking used every single ounce of my energy to help you?!" Felix threw his arms up, shrugging exaggeratedly as he glared back at her."I know it was my fault! This entire thing was my fault! Don't you know that I spend every single waking day thinking and regretting my decision to bring you into this?! Don't you know that I know it was my fault that this happened to Marinette?! If I just shut up and let myself deal with it, none of this crap would've happened! This is my mess, let me deal with the consequences before anything else happens!!" Nathalie began yelling, her voice growing strained towards the end as she told him exactly how she felt. Tears rolled down her cheeks uncontrollably, and she clenched down her teeth, trying to prevent any whimpers from escaping her.Instead of winding down for her sake, Felix told her, "None of that was on purpose, Nathalie! You didn't know, and you can't just blame yourself! I don't blame you ever, and even though I didn't know that helping you every single night and pushing to find a solution would make me disappear, I don't ever consider you the cause! I don't blame you, and I never will! You know, I do feel horrible about losing my parents, but I don't feel bad about what happened to me. It was because of it that I was able to save you! Knowing you were safe was the only thing that made me feel happy in that cruel empty void! I don't regret anything one bit!!" Nathalie didn't even realize how hard she was crying until she felt Felix wipe away her tears with his thumb. * * *"Ladybug, wake up!" She felt her partner urging her, shaking her from Adrien's bed. Foggily, Marinette arose from the bed, slipping the blankets off her only to see her legs covered with red, familiar black spots covering them in large areas. Why was she transformed? Her breath began to hitch shakily as her hand hesitantly reached to touch her earlobe. There was no pointy backing, but she didn't feel anything in the front either. Her hand slid from her ear to her hair, to which she pulled forward to get a closer look at. To her horror, the hair was red, streaking with a few black patches."Chat... what's going on? I don't remember transforming again," she whispered, looking up at her partner in confusion. Glancing around the room, she also noticed Nathalie wasn't there anymore. "Night-Mare hit you! He must've given you some crazy dream, but don't worry, you're awake now! Let's try and defeat him before you disappear! Nathalie's weird suggestion about me watching you while you sleep didn't work," Chat Noir insisted. Wait... Night-Mare's still there? Of course she knew she didn't defeat him, but didn't someone else do it? Second, before she disappeared? She already disappeared. This couldn't be right. Frozen with a look of terror on her face, she turned to her partner, "Ch-Chat, I— I didn't transform again. I know I got out of that void, and got Felix out too! I already disappeared, then came back!" Chills ran down her spine and her heart dropped to her stomach when she saw the look of absolute confusion from her partner's face. "My lady, you were struck by the akuma, and he must've given you that nightmare."Shaking her head and standing to her feet, she didn't want to believe this. There was no way she was still transformed. She was Marinette, and only Marinette. She saw her family again, saw her friends, and... found out Chat Noir was Adrien! That's it, that's how she'd convince him she wasn't crazy. Maybe that's how she'd detransform this time!"Chat, I know you're Adrien Agreste," she said, expecting a pink light to flash the room and detransform her. Instead, all she got was a blank stare from Chat Noir, then a chuckle. "What? My lady, Adrien's at school right now. We really need to get going so we can get this akuma," he informed her, but something just felt cold. There was no warmth coming from her partner like usual, yet he looked exactly like he normally did. "You are Adrien! I know it. You guys have the same face and voice!" She argued, but as she said that, her vision began to blur, and her throat felt choked with fear. She let her wings come out from her back, but they didn't work to her command to help her fly.Squinting frantically to try and clear her vision, she only felt her vision worsen. "How could you know if you can't see me, Ladybug? You can't see my face," he spoke, but his voice began to distort in strange high and low pitches, both playing at once, "And I'm afraid my voice isn't anything like Adrien's." What was happening? Why was he becoming like this? He was Adrien! Chat Noir was Adrien, and she was Marinette! Maybe if she revealed herself before it was too late, like last time, she could break free! She felt herself collapse weakly as she tried to push forward, and hit the bed behind her, which she remembered was Adrien's bed. "Chat Noir, I'm Marinette Dupain-Cheng!" She declared, but something felt off about saying that. Her stomach twisted and turned, and her throat dried as if she were telling a lie. Sweat formed and her breathing grew slightly quicker, although she remembered this as the truth. "No, you're not, Ladybug," she heard from the distorted voice that took the shape of her partner. "I— am! I'm Marinette!" She spoke, but it still felt wrong. She didn't feel like herself. Everything felt so deceitful and inauthentic. Why was it wrong? What was it that made her feel so scared and empty? How was it so hard to breath normally when she knew she was telling the truth. Somehow, she felt scared that people might discover she was lying about her identity. Not as the miraculous Ladybug, but as the simple, kind Marinette. She didn't feel like Marinette.Where was that positive, awkward, yet bubbly side of her? Did it just leave her forever? Was she ever going to find that kind-hearted, brave, caring side of her, or was she always going to just be this stressful, indecisive distortion of herself?Everything grew darker around her, and she fearfully looked around into the surrounding emptiness, almost as if she were trapped in her own void of lies. She felt like a fraud, as both Ladybug and Marinette.Worst of all, she never even escaped the mask and costume."I am Marinette!" She heard echoing around her in her own voice, and she could do nothing but endure it.* * *"Marinette!! Wake up, it's okay! It's morning, wake up!" Tikki tried to wake the yelling, sleeping teenager. "I am Marinette! I'm Marinette!" She continued to yell, frantically clutching at her blankets, squeezing tightly. "Wake up! You're okay!" Tikki gently shook her holder's shoulder, causing her to shoot up in a cold sweat. Marinette's blue eyes were wide with terror, and her breathing was ragged and quick. Unable to put words together, she just stared at her kwami wordlessly."You're okay, Marinette! It was just a nightmare! The development is over," Tikki reassured her, gently rubbing Marinette's cheek as the girl held her hands out in front of her to ensure the suit was off, then reached for the earlobes to feel for the metal earring backings. With a dry throat, Marinette reached over for the cup of water on her stand, and chugged a majority of it. She dropped it back down and let her head crash back down to her pillow although her eyes were still wide open. "Tikki... I don't know why— I feel so fake. I never felt like this before, and it's weird," Marinette turned to look at her kwami helplessly. "Did you have a crazy nightmare?" Tikki asked, sitting beside her. "It was like... I never got changed back. I was still stuck in that mask, and nothing I tried let me out," Marinette explained vaguely, placing her hand over her eyes stressfully. "You still felt trapped?" The kwami asked, watching the tension in her holder build. "I... I guess so. I mean, even though I'm free now, I'm scared to transform again. What if it doesn't come off? I know what Nathalie said, but what if it's not... right? I don't know how to explain it."Listening, Tikki knew she'd need the wise words and counseling of an old, wise friend. "I think I know someone who could help."
----- CHAPTER BREAK -----
In the next hour after awakening, Marinette decided to take Tikki's advice and go see Master Fu. She honestly knew she could use whatever advice he could give her. This was a definitely necessary step to take, seeing as how she accidentally lost one of the earring's backings from checking on it too much. Although her kwami assured her that the backings weren't part of the magic, Marinette still worried she might have somehow messed up the working order of her miraculous, and ruined the powers. Currently, she was wearing only one earring, and she had placed the back-less earring on her desk."Marinette, so many of my holders have accidentally lost the backings before, and they just usually replace it with whatever cheap earring backings they could find in their room," Tikki told the girl as she checked around her bed one last time."But what if because I already had the development, it affects my transformation?" Marinette asked, crawling under her desk as she felt around the floor for the backing."Nathalie practically lost the earring backings three times in two months while she was a teenage Ladybug and trust me, the quality was not affected after her development. You're fine, Marinette! Just use another backing, put the earring back in, and let's go," Tikki flew down, trying to urge her holder. The girl sighed and attempted to crawl back out from under her desk. In the attempt to get up, she accidentally bumped her head on the side of the desk, causing her to let out a groan. Rubbing her head, she grumbled, "Just my luck."Standing to her feet, she reached over to the top of her desk where she left the single earring, only to find she knocked it off when she hit her head. "Here it is!" Her kwami retrieved it from the ground, holding the piece up. "Thank you," Marinette took it from her, and walked over to her jewelry box to grab another backing from another earring. The only other backing she could find was from a special pair of earrings her grandmother, Gina, had once given her from one of her international trips. Hesitantly, she slid the back off one of the special earrings, and used it to secure her miraculous after putting it on. Closing her jewelry box, she grabbed her purse and slung it diagonally over her left shoulder to hang at the right side of her hip. "Okay, I think I'm ready. I only remember how Master Fu's place smells, so I'm not so sure I'll be able to point it out with my human sense of smell," Marinette cracked a bit of a smile, glancing at her kwami. "I'll help you find it," her kwami reassured her, deciding to take her place in Marinette's purse in the case that she'd come across any overexcited reporters. After having breakfast with her parents that morning and telling them that she'd re-enroll into her school the next day, Marinette quickly headed off into the streets. She knew Mrs. Chamack technically had her permission to report Ladybug's return to Paris on this day, so more civilians would likely be on the lookout for her in both hero and civilian form. "Okay, so make a turn here," Tikki instructed her, "Then turn there."After following the directions her kwami provided her with, she found herself back at the office of Master Fu's. From the look of his front door, she suddenly recalled having come there after having that strange dream of Marinette and Ladybug discussing the whole ordeal. Was that strange thing just her differentiating herself as two different people? Isn't that how she had seen herself?Shaking her head, she pushed the door open, and glanced around the corner to see the next door. From there, she softly knocked. "Hello? It's me, Marinette."Within mere seconds, the door flew open. "Marinette, you've recovered? How did you do so?" Master Fu asked, an elated smile lifting the wrinkled skin around his eyes and mouth. "I- uh... well, the old Chat Noir, Felix, kind of helped me while I was stuck in this... blue area? I guess I could call it a void. Anyways, he hinted me to Chat Noir's true identity, then I realized it. I think when I figured it out, a huge hole opened up on the void, so Felix and I left through there. We ended up in Adrien's house for some reason, but we're fine now. I mean, I guess Felix mentioned something about his hair still being a little green, but he's mostly back to normal. I'm completely back to normal though," Marinette explained as the older man invited her in."You discovered that your partner is Adrien Agreste," Master Fu replied thoughtfully."Master, we should record this for any future issues," Wayzz urged. "That's a bright idea, Wayzz. Marinette, I'm so glad you've returned. This is incredible," the elderly man continued to smile, looking down at his desk to search for some paper. With a smaller pen, he allowed his kwami to take note of the experience as he was educated to write in several languages. "You and Felix are back! That's amazing," Master Fu mused, "I was actually reaching out to another student who was educated in this subject during our training as guardians.""I'm so glad we're back now. Felix and Nathalie are together now, and I can see my friends, my family, and of course, Adrien," Marinette couldn't help but smile at the thought of her new progress with Adrien. The smile faded when she remembered exactly why she had come."Are you readjusting well?" Master Fu inquired, watching her emotion fall. Tikki looked up at Marinette, awaiting her answer. She knew her holder was having a lot of difficulty with that."I- everything's good! The people around me are okay with my return, so everything's relatively the same with everyone! My parents are back on schedule, my friends are happy I've returned, and Adrien... he's glad I'm back," Marinette felt herself blush at the last sentence. She looked away from Tikki a bit shamefully as the kwami let out a quiet gasp of protest."I'm happy to hear. And what about you? How are you doing?" Master Fu asked after watching Tikki's urgency for Marinette to voice something certain. Maybe she wasn't telling the entirety of the truth. After taking the heated water from his little stove, he pulled out two small mugs.Marinette felt herself laugh a bit, using it rather to deflect the anxiety she felt about the subject. Just thinking about the red and black spandex made her stomach churn uncomfortably. "I- it's all fine! I just... I guess I can say that I'm adjusting," she replied."Adjusting back to being a civilian and being your true self again, it's not as easy as people may imagine. I can say that you will fall back into old patterns, and you'll be back to your old state of mind in almost no time," Master Fu sat down on a mat, pouring two hot cups of tea. He handed one off to her, and she sipped it a little."That's good. I just- I guess I don't know how I'm going to transform," she confessed, "Being Ladybug... it doesn't feel like me. Every time I look in the mirror, all I can see is Ladybug looking back at me."Nodding, Master Fu listened. "Tikki, Wayzz, please give us a bit of privacy on the subject for a short moment.""Yes, Master," Wayzz obeyed his holder, looking to Tikki's uncertain look toward her holder. Hesitantly, she followed the other kwami out. "You may continue," Fu smiled toward Marinette."Thanks, it's just... I can hardly recognize myself, and it's weird. It's like the mask should be there, even though it's gone. I don't want it there, but it doesn't feel right. I don't see myself anymore.""Being in the mask for so long truly had an effect on your mental and emotional state, I believe. You are, and always will be yourself. The development did split you, but now there's no separation," Master Fu explained to her."Thank you, Master Fu. I just... how can I stop being so scared of transforming? I loved being Ladybug, but now it's terrifying," Marinette told him, looking down at her hands.Not having completely left from the hearing range of her holder, Tikki's heart cracked at the implication. Was her holder afraid of being Ladybug? Did she want to stop? Would she lose Marinette as a holder? She didn't want a new Ladybug!"Tikki, we're not supposed to eavesdrop on them. Let's go to the other room," Wayzz urged gently, seeing his friend's heartbroken, scared expression."You're afraid of getting trapped in the mask again?" Master Fu asked."That's part of it. I know Nathalie told me that it's all over now and it won't get stuck, so I guess it's just a dumb fear. I guess I'm just mostly scared that... I don't know, I think I'm afraid to put on that mask and lose the girl behind the mask. I'm not brave like I used to be, or as strong. I don't think I can remember how to fight anymore, or use my skill. I'm just not Ladybug anymore. Like Ladybug's skills all came from the person I used to be, and I'm afraid I'm not that person anymore. I'm not the same girl you picked to be Ladybug. I'm afraid I've changed."Master Fu nodded, his understanding eyes filled with a comforting warmth a person possibly would find in a grandparent. "You're afraid that you'll put on the mask, and not recognize yourself. I know you're scared, but fear is what makes us brave. A world without fear is a world of danger. Courage originates from fear, and overcoming it is the most important part."* * *As Nathalie sat beside Adrien in the limo, he saw her wave goodbye to Felix. "So, he was your Chat Noir," Adrien confirmed, looking back at the person who once held his most important duty. "Yes, he was- I mean is the best! I couldn't have asked for a better partner at the time. How are you and Marinette?" Nathalie asked, changing the subject as the guilt of it came flooding in at the mention of him. "I'm so happy she's back. Marinette has literally brought our classroom back to life with the single hour she was there, and I'm so glad my partner is back. The only thing is that... I'm worried about her. She told me she was scared to be Ladybug again. She said she didn't feel like herself anymore. Did you feel like that?" Adrien asked her, frowning with worry. Truth be told, she honestly didn't have to deal with the problem that long. Poor Ladybug was stuck in her costume for half a year, and she barely had to deal with it for a week or two. Emotionally, she wasn't severely affected when she had to transform again. She recalled being a little nervous that it might get stuck again, but her partner was reassuring that the issue wasn't going to reoccur. It seemed that it would be psychologically draining to pretend to be another person everyday, every hour, and every minute for half of an entire year. She'd definitely try to have a talk with Marinette the next time she saw her, and see how she's handling the transition back to society. Maybe Felix could help. After all, he had more experience with the whole ordeal, seeing as he suffered for the entirety of six month in development as Chat Noir. "My messy development was fixed after a week or two, so I didn't really get too scared about transforming again. So Marinette is really scared to transform again? It's understandable. Try to remind her that the issue is absolutely never going to happen to her again now that it's fixed. Her development is done, and she'll be able to use her new powers, but without all those crazy problems. I know it won't completely solve this, but it might provide a little bit of relief for now," she replied."Marinette is really upset about it. It was really crazy. I mean, she saw everyone around her mourning her civilian self like she was a completely different person. She had to pretend to be two different people, and crazy things started happening to her. She even went blind," Adrien told Nathalie, his voice a bit shaky with uncertainty."Marinette told me back then too. Are you still scared for her?" Nathalie asked, seeing the obvious concern in his tightly coiled fists and tense facial expression."I-I mean, I'm not scared she'll disappear again because I know it's all over. I'm just... I don't know. What do I do if she doesn't- What if she doesn't want be my partner anymore?" He asked quietly, trying to regain the composure in his voice.Nathalie felt her heart break, hoping that there was no way this boy felt the same guilt she felt. "Why wouldn't she?" Adrien stayed quiet for a little as he gathered his response. Unable to look up, he told her, "I didn't save her. Felix saved you, and he took your development in return. I- I didn't do anything. Marinette died because of it.""Adrien, Marinette would completely disagree with that! You helped her so much emotionally, and were there for her the whole time. If she had gone through everything alone, she might not have even tried to come back. It was because of you that she came back. Felix told me that realizing her identity was what set them both free.""I've got to go," Adrien said as soon as the car stopped in front of his school, "I'll see you after school.""Have a good day, Adrien."* * *"Felix Dior? Isn't that the dead son of the people who moved out?" Mrs. Rossi asked, suspiciously eyeing the guy who stood at her door."Yes, that's me! I mean, it was a weird situation, and I didn't actually die. It was actually more like a... hostage situation I was in for several years.""Yeah, I don't buy that. You're obviously in good health," Mrs. Rossi's eyebrow rose up as she glanced at Felix's muscular physique. Obviously someone looking like that wasn’t in the likelihood of getting kidnapped. "Goodbye.""Wait, please let me just get ahold of my no-" Felix argued as the door slammed in his face. Even though Nathalie had told him she checked for his research in their old attic, he just wanted to check some old hiding spots. According to some of the old conversations he shared with Marinette during that week they spent in the void together, Lila wasn't exactly the nicest person to Ladybug. It was obvious that the apple didn't fall too far from the tree. On the other hand, Nathalie said Lila was an absolute angel when she met her. Maybe it was a teenager thing, like how everyone thought Gordon was the perfect athletic older brother when he was actually a big bully.Never mind that, he thought, it was probably extremely strange to see some random guy walk up to the door, claiming to be a dead former resident, just to ask to come into the house and ask to look for some old papers. If it were him on the other end, he'd most likely be a little wary as well. All he wanted to do was revise his old research to see if he could come up with a solution for bringing back Emilie from the void without trading Nathalie. She was definitely planning on getting the miraculous back from Marinette and Adrien so Hawkmoth could make the trade, and she could take the place of her best friend. He knew he had to act quickly.Next stop, he decided, would be at the library, which was hopefully still open after all this time. Once he got in, he was shocked to see that the old librarian was still there. Quietly, he walked over. "Hello Mrs. Yunsan, may I borrow some paper and a pen?""Felix Dior? Well you haven't changed after all these years. Still borrowin' office supplies, I see. There's some new notebooks over there, and there's a couple complimentary pencils and highlighters if the kids haven't taken them all already, dear. I just stocked it last week," she shakily pointed to the corner, the corners of her fading grey eyes crinkling as she gently smiled. Seeing some of the kind people he once knew to be so healthy and strong turn frail hurt his heart."Thank you. Have a good day, Mrs. Yunson," Felix wished her, offering a smile. "And to you as well, dear."Looking over to the desk she was referring to, he could see that there were a couple broken pencils left and one highlighter left, which happened to be a pink one. He took one of the notebooks, the highlighter, and one of the more sharpened pencils, and found the same small corner table he used to do all his homework at as a kid. Sitting down on the old wooden chair, he looked down at all his supplies, then opened the notebook to an empty fresh page. First, maybe he could figure out where in the void she might be. If he didn't see her, and Marinette didn't either, maybe it's a separate system?Having done the research about the Miraculous and their powers, he had memorized most of what he could find.With he and Marinette being able to see each other in the same void, the Ladybug and Chat Noir voids had to be connected. Maybe it was because the ladybug and cat miraculous were supposed to be stronger together, making them partners. So possibly, the inner circle of miraculous jewels could all see each other as a team. If there were any miraculous ancestors who got trapped in there, it was possible that Emilie and them could communicate. He had no clue who was in the outer circle of miraculous jewels, but it was most likely the dog, monkey, and all the other ones he thought he read about one time during his research.It was possible the voids were arranged like the box had set them up. It was confusing, seeing as he hadn't ever found any corners of the void he was in, but maybe it was a recurring infinity room? He began by putting out all the information he already knew in a Venn diagram. So with him and Nathalie, he knew that he discovered her identity early in Nathalie's development. Maybe like a week or two into it, he had let her rest in her room, seeing as he discovered energy was a source of the problem affecting the development. With Marinette and Adrien, Marinette discovered Adrien's identity in the void, which was after the development. She didn't exactly discover it on her own, but with Felix's hints and convincing. The thing they had in common, was that there was an identity revealed in the process. So what he knew was that since Nathalie was asleep, there was no consciousness necessary to undo the "permanent" transformation. Since Marinette told him that she tried to reveal her identity while she was in the process of disintegrating, he knew that it helped a little, seeing as she didn't have any trace of Ladybug when she arrived to the void, but it didn't reverse or stop the disintegration. So why was it effective only when he found out Lady Luck's identity, and not when she found out his identity afterwards? Felix scribbled down his theories. “I found out because I saw her picture in her room while she was resting. Timing is a possible factor, seeing as Nathalie found out after I disappeared.”Why did Marinette break free when she found out who Adrien was, yet not the other way around? “She found out because I (practically revealed) hinted her about the possibility of Adrien being her partner. It happened in the void, which proves we still have a chance at getting Emilie out.”Next, he made a few more notes on who's development was effective and who was able to escape it. With it, he found a possible solution. Maybe Emilie could get out without having to make any communication with them. Maybe if they took Adrien, who didn't know anything about his mother being the missing peacock, and helped him learn about that reveal, she could get out easily! That was it! He just had to tell Nathalie there was a solution, and make sure he could get to her before it was too late.
----- CHAPTER BREAK -----
"Are you okay, Marinette?" Tikki asked her holder as they left Master Fu's."Yeah, I'm okay!" Marinette smiled a bit forcefully. Was she okay? Honestly, she appreciated what Master Fu told her about being fearful, and did feel way less scared. However, she did realize something that made guilt overpower the anxiety she was dealing with. If Nathalie was trying to make some sort of deal with Hawkmoth, he'd finally stop with the akuma attacks, and she'd never have to transform. She wouldn't have to be Ladybug, which strangely, she had to force herself to admit internally, made her feel happy. It wasn't because Paris would no longer be under attack, but because there would no longer have to be any transformations, and she wouldn't have to face Ladybug ever again. It was for all the wrong reasons, and it made her stomach churn with guilt, and made her feel like a monster. How could she be so selfish? Why couldn't she feel only happy for the fact that the Parisians would be safe? Of course, she did find herself happy for that reason, but the other reason made her feel like such a bad person. Everyone now knew who Ladybug was, and it was no use trying to hide it anymore. Besides, was she still that brave superheroine who would do anything to save the people she loved? Or was she now a broken shell of fear and weakness who'd fall apart at the mention of a transformation?Was there any real use for this girl who once held the power of bravery and strength, then lost it all in a single incident? Did she even deserve to be Ladybug anymore?Of course, she hated the idea of leaving her kwami, but if there was no longer a use for her, then she couldn't just hang onto her. Tikki looked up at her holder, walking around with a blank expression and dull eyes. Where was that lively, playful spark she used to see in that beautiful smile and those big blue eyes? Where was that silliness she used to encompass, and that love she used to radiate with every encounter? During that night, before she had transformed, she had been working on a huge school project, but joking around with Tikki at the same time. It was obvious Marinette wanted to spend as much time as she could with her, seeing as she had to daily go through a majority of her days around people, pretending as if Tikki wasn't there. She had been so compassionate with her, and never once let Tikki go hungry or feel ignored for a single day. Marinette only wanted Tikki to feel included and happy, never letting a day go by where she didn't spend time with her kwami. It was because of her, Tikki felt, that she was distracted enough to have to spend all night working on that project, and lose sleep and energy on her, causing that development to take away a huge percentage of her energy. Now, because of her, Tikki felt, Marinette was never going to be the same. She changed over the course of time, and now she was scared, and hollow of that loving energy. Tikki feared that she'd lose Marinette now. It was obvious she no longer wanted to be Ladybug, and it was scary to imagine that she'd hand back her miraculous, and leave Tikki forever."Marinette?" The kwami whimpered, sinking into her holder's jacket pocket. "Yes, Tikki?" Marinette asked, peering into the pocket. "Can... I talk to you when we get back? I want to tell you something important."Marinette nodded, but couldn't find it within her to say another word.Seeing the pain in her kwami's eyes, Marinette's guilt worsened, and her breathing shuddered unevenly with a wave of nausea. The influence that the guilt had over her stomach was pushing into it so harshly, that she could feel that tea from Master Fu rush up her esophagus forcefully. Her poor kwami. She looked so hurt. Tikki didn't deserve her. Marinette didn't deserve someone as sweet as Tikki.Keeling over on the sidewalk, Marinette ripped her jacket off shakily. She found her face in a bush, and immediately, a large rush of vomit escaped her, and she collapsed to her elbows in exhaustion."Marinette!! Oh my gosh, Marinette! Are you okay?!" Tikki screamed, seeing her holder's face drain of color, and her eyes droop. Her parents weren't far from here. Just a couple more blocks down..."Mari, listen to me. I'm going to be right back. I'm going to get your parents! Please, hang in there," Tikki begged, pulling her holder's bangs back from her boiling forehead. Receiving a slow nod from Marinette, she flew down the street, rushing to the bakery doors. What happened? Was the development making her sick? Was this anxiety she was getting from this making her ill? Was being Ladybug too much for her?"Please help!!! It's Marinette!" Tikki pleaded to the bakers. Tom and Sabine gasped, their eyes widening with worry. Throwing off their aprons, they rushed to follow Tikki out. One of their employees took over the oven duty for them. "What's wrong? Did she get hurt? Was it an akuma?!" Sabine asked the kwami as she jogged to keep up with her. "No, she's really sick! She threw up and collapsed! I think she's really stressed and it's getting to her," Tikki admitted, pushing back tears. "She's right there!" Tom pointed from a distance, seeing Marinette sitting on the floor, her face buried in her crossed arms which were leaning on the seat of the bench. "Marinette, sweetie, are you okay?" She scooped her daughter into her arms.Feeling as helpless as she once did as a young child, the girl clung to her mother, burying her face deep in her shoulder, shuddering. She wanted all of this to go away, and to just wake up to a world where the development never happened. Marinette wanted to go back to being the strong savior of Paris, and not just some weak, scared victim. She hated feeling like this, and it made her feel so... vulnerable. Why was she like this? Why couldn't she just bounce back like nothing ever happened? She didn't see Felix crying over the whole situation, and he was trapped for nearly two decades. Where did she lose everything that made her the real Ladybug she used to know and let empower her?Most importantly of all, what was all of this self-pity? Her old self would've never let it come this far. She never would've felt this pathetic. She could no longer recognize this person she was trapped inside, so void of the positivity and upbeat attitude she used to carry in abundance. She knew she needed to talk to someone who could straighten her out, and not give her any pity. She needed someone to give her the cold, hard facts. Maybe it was time to talk to Chloe.When she finally got home, and answered all of her parents' worried and frantic questions, she walked up to her room, letting the chaise catch her fall after dropping herself upon it. "Are you sure you're okay, Marinette? That was scary, and I know it's because of stress. Please, you can talk to me," Tikki told her, seeing her lay on her seat, mindlessly scrolling through social media. "Thanks, Tikki. I'm sorry about that. I just didn't feel too good, but now I feel better," the girl said, leaving the app, and going into the text messaging one. She pulled up Chloe's contact, and texted her. Marinette: Can I talk to you after school? It didn't take long to register a response from the blonde. Chloe: Ugh, fine. ;-p Lol, your house or mine? Marinette: Whichever is easier for you.Chloe: I guess I'll come over lol. I'll just ask my driver to bring me to your parents' bakery. Marinette: Thanks. I'll see you then. * * *Chloe frowned at the text messages, wondering what was up with those serious responses. Was she always such a serious texting person, or was she upset about something? Even when they were rivals, Marinette wouldn't be so serious over texts, normally being sarcastic or something. She wanted to ask Alya, but she didn't want to offend her by letting her know that her best friend came to her for help, instead of the bespectacled blogger. Instead, she kept it to herself. She noticed Adrien seemed a bit down as well, and she tried to ask him about it, but he brushed it off as being tired. "Did she dump you? Wait, did you dump her?" Chloe whispered, her eyes widening with worry. "What?! No, we're fine. Why? Did Marinette say something?" Adrien whispered back to her nervously."No, no. I just noticed you seemed sad, and I wasn't sure if it was about Marinette or not," Chloe shrugged."It's— I'm not— I don't know... I just, I'm worried about her.""Wait, is there something wrong with Marinette?" Chloe asked. Was it her ability to transform? Maybe she broke her transformation or killed the Ladybug part of her off. Whatever it was, she recalled that incident Ladybug mentioned to her where she was talking to the Marinette part of herself, and had split herself into two. "She's... really scared of transforming into Ladybug. I tried everything to convince her that she wouldn't get stuck again, but— I-I don't think she wants to be Ladybug anymore."* * *"You don't want to be Ladybug anymore?! What happened?" A familiar voice yelled as soon as she entered the room.Marinette, still in her pajamas, propped her chin up on her hand. "What are you doing in your pajamas in the afternoon? It's way too early," Chloe told her, shoving a pile of dirty clothes aside to sit beside her. "I'm not going anywhere. Why would I need to?" Marinette asked, smoothing out her pajama top."It's still dayligh— You know what, never mind. You wanted to talk to me," Chloe shook her head, giving her friend her full attention. "Yeah," Marinette said, beginning to sit back up. "I... it's about me being Ladybug. I don't—"She noticed movement by her computer, remembering her kwami could hear her. She couldn't let her hear this problem. It would hurt Tikki, knowing how she felt. "Let's go up to the roof," Marinette suggested, getting up to her feet. She motioned for Chloe to follow her up the ladder to get to her bed, then up to the rooftop."So what's going on?" Chloe asked, biting her tongue to resist the temptation of further interrogating her idol slash former class nemesis. Marinette began to feel a bit hesitant about opening up to her, but pushed past it. Chloe was a changed girl. She was no longer a bully, but now a close friend. It just felt strange to trust her in civilian form at this point."I... this might sound weird, but I just... I don't want to transform into Ladybug anymore," she said, too ashamed to look the blonde in the eye. She waited for the dramatic reaction, expecting the worst from her former enemy.Chloe took a small, but deep breath, deciding to sit beside her. She nodded, not wanting to overreact without hearing her side of the story first, but looked back at Marinette as a sign to continue on."I loved that part of me so much, and I miss it, but I know that I can't transform into her anymore. It's just... I'm not who I used to be, Chloe. I'm worried that if I transform, I won't recognize myself anymore. In fact, I still can barely look in the mirror and not see the wrong Ladybug looking back at me. It's not that same hero you knew, or the one Paris relied on."Chloe felt her stomach lurch, realizing that the very person she once idolized and was such a gigantic fan of was falling to pieces in front of her. Marinette didn't see herself as the same person anymore.Yeah, it was scary, but Marinette isn't just going to let herself collapse into nothing. Ladybug isn't just going to curl up into a pathetic ball of self pity and throw it all away. She wouldn't let it happen so easily.“Don’t be so ridiculous!” Chloe exploded, causing Marinette to glance at her with a furrowed brow. "Don't you even dare tell me you're giving up on yourself, Dupain-Cheng. There is no difference between you now, and you before you developed. All the development had been was just a dumb process that messed with your mind, and I know you struggled with it!" Chloe told her."You are way stronger than you think. The fact that you still pushed onward, even in your last moments before disappearing, despite the fact that everything was painful and terrifying, makes you a freaking warrior!” A warrior? Really? She felt like anything but a warrior at this moment. A coward? A wimp? Yes, and yes. A warrior? Not exactly.Marinette's mouth fell open, and she frowned in protest, but Chloe continued despite her attempts at interruption."You are not a girl that any average moron would try to mess with. In front of me right now, I don't see a quitter. I see Paris's warrior who's about to give up her armor to go back to being an average civilian. Dupain-Cheng, you don't let anyone or anything tell you that it's time to stop doing what you love! Not me, not Hawkmoth, not even that freaking development. You aren't done being Ladybug until you truly know that you've given your all, and you've served to the fullest extent of your abilities.""Chloe-“"Are you done being Ladybug? Tell me, do you know that you can no longer serve as Ladybug, and do you think there's nothing more you can do to overcome this fear?" Chloe pushed on, watching Marinette's pathetic expression change to a more familiar one.There she recognized that burn of determination that she repeatedly saw in Marinette, both as a civilian and hero. It may have been a small light, but it was strong. It wasn't burnt out. It was just healing, and slowly regaining its size once more. "My job isn't finished."Chloe felt her face light up with enthusiasm, and she hugged her friend excitedly. Marinette laughed, hugging her back. "I don't know if I could transform right away, but I know I won't be giving back my miraculous. It might be hard, but I'll get to that point again at some point.""All that matters is that you know that you're capable of being Ladybug again," Chloe said, "And with that bravery, I know you can do it. You know you can do it.""I can do it," Marinette nodded her head with more determination. Of course this didn’t make her less terrified, but with Chloe’s and Master Fu’s words of empowerment and their support, she knew this couldn’t be the end of Ladybug. She couldn’t just say goodbye to Ladybug forever like this, and let go of such a big part of herself."Good. When are you coming back to class, by the way? Everyone's excited for you," Chloe asked, laughing lightheartedly. Of course now that everyone knew she wasn’t dead, it was pretty obvious that her close friends would be incredibly overwhelmed with excitement to see her again."I'll come back as soon as I can. I have to re-enroll. Is Adrien better now?" Marinette asked, smiling.Chloe rolled her eyes, chuckling a bit. "He's way better now. I mean, he finally stopped bawling his eyes out over you. He's a little upset that you were thinking of ending your duty as his partner, but you're not. Adrien will be fine.""Bawled his eyes out over me?!" She shrieked, flailing back in surprise. Marinette assumed she meant that Adrien was crying about her nearly giving up her duty, while Chloe was referring to when Adrien was upset over her “death.” "Oh yeah. I mean, he was full-on sobbing over your desk, kneeling to the floor in sorrow. Tears were flyin' everywhere, and he was crying out your name like he was in a televised novella," Chloe described how Adrien was before and during the funeral of Marinette's. The blonde had no clue as to why Marinette thought it was odd that her own love interest would be sad that she practically died in his arms. If that Jean bakery boy died in her arms, she'd likely take on the role of a character in a Roman tragedy play, being extremely dramatic, and she had yet to admit her feelings to him."I— I should transform. Right? And go over to Adrien. I need to let him know," Marinette decided nervously."Yeah, go ahead. I mean, he's fine now, but knock yourself out. Not literally. Take it easy," Chloe advised, smiling at her newfound will to transform. She could've easily just walked over to Adrien to let him know that she wasn't planning on giving up her miraculous, or just texted like a normal individual, but Marinette was making her own big decisions. At least she inspired her to get back on her feet. That was considered heroic, right?"Tikki?" Marinette called her kwami over, opening the trap door. "Yes, Marinette?" Tikki came over, her little body hunched over a bit anxiously."I think... I think it's time to transform," the teenager decided.With those words, Tikki lit up excitedly, hugging Marinette's cheek. "Just say the words, Mari!" Adrien was really upset, Marinette thought, meaning she had to do this to prove to him that she wasn't going to abandon him as a partner. There was no need to worry. The mask would come off again with a couple simple words. She wasn't losing herself ever again. Ladybug was Marinette, and everyone would treat her as so. Even if she were trapped again, there was no need to hide away and change herself. She was always going to be herself, and the mask was just a piece of spandex. She wasn't masked permanently.“Tikki—“ Marinette attempted, but clenched her teeth shut and squeezed her eyes closed defensively as she held her hands around her smooth, suit-free skin.No, she can’t chicken out this time. It was terrifying, but she had to keep Adrien in mind.“Spots...” she mouthed the last word to herself but anxiously opened one of her eyes to look down at her free skin once again. Taking a deep breath, she knew this had to be the one."Tikki, spots on!" Marinette took that leap, allowing the magic to swarm her body like a comforting blanket of warmth, rather than a trapping, claustrophobic layer. Chloe smiled as she saw her friend turn into her alter ego once again. "Your wings are back," she pointed out. "Crap, do you think it's permanent?! Unspread my wings!" Ladybug felt herself panic, but to her ultimate relief, the wings put themselves away to her command. "See? Nothing to worry about! Look, I bet if you wanted to, you could even detransform right now," Chloe offered, placing a hand to her shoulder. Taking a shaky sigh, the girl nodded. "Should I test it?" Chloe shrugged, "It's your choice, Marinette.""Spots off," she whispered, closing her eyes hopefully, clenching her fists. Flashbacks of her in her room saying the same words rushed through her mind, remembering how they had no effect on her ability to turn back. She remembered the unending frustration of being trapped as practically another person, watching everyone around her panic about her whereabouts as she watched from a third person.It had to be over... Please, she begged herself, let it be done."It worked, Marinette!" She heard her kwami tell her, causing the girl to slowly open her eyes. She looked down to see her regular clothes back on, and her hands uncovered. "I can be Ladybug," she said, smiling to herself, "So now, I'm going to tell Adrien that I'm not going to stop being his partner."Pulling a cookie from the box Jean had given her from her purse, Chloe offered it to Tikki. "Thank you!" She happily took it, practically swallowing it whole before hugging the blonde's cheek. Chloe stiffened in surprise by this gesture, but laughed a little, holding a hand to Tikki as if to hug her tiny body back. "Now let's get you transformed! Are you ready again?" Tikki asked Marinette. "I’ve got this. Spots on!" * * *Adrien was playing video games for the first time in a while, just allowing himself to relax after finishing up his homework. It had been a while since he'd been able to enjoy being a teenage kid, but Nathalie has suggested it to him surprisingly. Usually she was the one who told him to focus on his work and practice his extracurriculars more often, but she'd been more laid back lately. Beating down the buttons of his controller, he heard a knock on his door. Pausing his game, he spoke loudly, "Come in!" Felix opened the door, glancing over at the television screen. "Video games? Wow, is that Ultimate Mecha Strike? I played the first edition!" He exclaimed, getting sidetracked. "Really? That edition is pretty rare now! Do you still have it?" Adrien asked. "I hope so. I'd have to ask Gordon, assuming my parents didn't sell it after I disappeared," Felix shook his head. "Oh, what did I come here to say? Wait, yeah! Anyways, if Nathalie comes to ask for your miraculous, don't give it to her. No matter what excuse she uses, don't give it to her.""Wait, why would she ask for it?" Adrien asked. "She's... in a deal with Hawkmoth. It's not that Nathalie is evil or anything, but it would end up going against her. Same thing for— Is that Ladybug?" The guy pointed towards the window, seeing the heroine in the red suit swinging towards the open window. "Marinette?" Adrien spun around, just as Ladybug reached the window. "Hi Adrien! Hey Felix," she said, an excited smile. "You're transformed!" Adrien exclaimed, helping her down before pulling her into a hug. "Thanks to Chloe, I finally got the suit on!" She laughed, wrapping her arms tightly around him. "I'm never going to stop being Ladybug, or your partner.""I'm so glad to hear that, LB," Adrien smiled, "I was so worried you weren't going to be my partner anymore.""Alrighty, I'll just see you guys later," Felix slipped out of the room awkwardly, not wanting to ruin their moment. They were cute together, and had so much love for one another, he thought with a smile. "So, since you're here, how about a little dual?" Adrien pointed to another game controller with a smirk. "Oh, you're on," Ladybug laughed, snatching up the second one. "Last time, I managed to grind you into the dust, so let's see if you've stepped up your game, Kitty.""Grind me into the dust?! So exaggerated! I did manage to beat you once," Adrien exclaimed, crossing his arms as he laughed. "Pffft, I just felt bad, so I let you win that round," Ladybug joked playfully. "Sure you did... I bet you were just overwhelmed by my amazing skills, and you couldn't defeat me that time," Adrien spoke sarcastically, sassily tossing back his imaginary flowing hair. "There's only one way to find out."
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The next morning, Adrien was waken up by Nathalie. "Good morning, Adrien," she greeted him, uncovering his face with the blanket he pulled over it. "Breakfast is ready downstairs when you're up.""Thanks," Adrien replied groggily, pulling the blanket back over his face. Chuckling a bit, she pulled it back off, causing the teenage boy to groan in discontent. Would he remember this encounter when he fully woke up? "You have school," she reminded him. "By the way, could Felix borrow your ring for the day? He wants to try it out for a little."Half-asleep, Adrien tossed the hand wearing the ring out of the blanket for Nathalie. Plagg glanced at Nathalie, and she offered a nervous smile. He didn't know of her plan with Hawkmoth, so he just lamely followed along as she pulled out a small plate of cheese for him.Careful not to be too rough, Nathalie slipped the ring off his finger, and placed it over her own so Plagg would be able to hang around Adrien. "You can stay here until Felix transforms," she whispered to the kwami. Eating the pile of cheese with content, Plagg nodded. "Also if he doesn't get up in ten minutes, wake him.""I'm sure my breath will do the trick," he told her, smiling mischievously.Nathalie gave him a thumbs up, chuckling at the kwami’s humor before leaving the room. To her misfortune, Felix was already awake. "Hey Nath," he greeted her, causing her to quickly shove her hand containing the ring into her pocket. "Felix! I was just waking Adrien for school. Speaking of which, I gotta run an errand for Gabriel as his assistant, so could you ride with him and Gordon to school and make sure he gets there safely?" Nathalie asked, slipping the ring off into her pocket as she pulled her hand out discreetly. "Sure thing, I’ll make sure Adrien gets there okay. What does the Moth Jerk want you to do anyways?" Felix rolled his eyes at the mention of Gabriel. "Oh— I have to pick up... some bagels!" Nathalie lied."Oh, is it from Marinette's parents' bakery? I heard they have the best stuff! Do you mind grabbing a bagel for me as well?" Felix laughed, pulling out some money from his pocket to give for his portion. "Sure! Don't worry, it's on me," Nathalie smiled nervously, grabbing her purse from the rack nearby. "What? No, I'll pay. You've done more than enough for me. Are you sure you don't want company?" Felix offered, a bit worried by the nervousness she displayed. "I'm fine, I'll pay! Besides, you can keep Adrien company. I'll be back with your bagel when you return," Nathalie began backing away towards the stairs. "Okay, stay safe!" Felix called after her as she turned around to descend the stairs towards the door."Love you!" She called back, closing the door before he could reply. "Lo—ve you too..." Felix sighed, turning back around.Adrien sleepily stumbled out of the room, scratching his hair as Plagg followed along with a silly grin. "Have you seen my old kitten?" Plagg joked, seeing Felix. "Hey! I haven't seen you in forever! I missed you!" The guy held out his hands for the cat kwami, allowing him to sit on them. "Man, what happened to you? You've got facial hair now!" Plagg grabbed the small beard."I know! I don't even know how the void made that happen, and so cleanly too," Felix explained, laughing a bit."Well I'm glad you're not dead." Plagg said, causing his former holder to be touched by his words of care.The teenage boy touched his finger that usually contained the ring, then looked down at his hands. Suddenly frantic, he scanned the floor around him."Hey, where'd my ring go?" Adrien finally asked.* * *Once Nathalie reached the Dupain-Cheng Bakery, she saw Marinette stumbling out, tripping over her own feet. She grabbed the girl's arm by reflex before she could completely let the girl’s face meet the cement."Whoa, that was a close one," Nathalie helped her regain her balance. "Yeah, I just wanted to get to school early for once," Marinette laughed, "Thanks for catching me!""No problem. I was actually wondering if I could ask you for a small favor," the woman began, slipping her hand into her pocket to check for the silver ring."Sure, what is it?" The teenage girl asked, readjusting her purse and pulling her backpack straps back into position. "Would it be alright if I borrowed your miraculous for the day? Adrien lent Felix his miraculous back for the day, and I figured we could hang around Paris as superheroes again for a little," Nathalie bent the truth, barely able to look her in the eye. At this point, she thought, she wasn't even bending the truth. She was hardcore snapping it in two, then crumbling it to pieces. "Sure! Besides, you were Ladybug before I was, so you and I both can use it whenever," Marinette laughed, pulling her earrings off.Why wouldn't she be able to trust Lady Luck? She was hanging onto the earrings while she was stuck in the void, so there wasn't any reason for her to believe that she'd try to do anything crazy with the miraculous she once owned. To get technical, Nathalie had the Miraculous for a much longer time than she did. "By the way, how are you handling your transition back into society as yourself?" Nathalie asked, remembering hearing from Adrien about how hard on her it had been."I'm doing better now. I have to admit, it was really hard at first, but I'm feeling more and more comfortable. It's still a tiny bit weird seeing myself without a mask, but it's getting better. Did you ever feel like that?" Marinette confided, asking. "I'm glad to hear that you're feeling better about it. I would've probably been feeling the same way if I had spent nearly as much time masked as you did, but for me, it was probably around a week or two. I was kind of nervous about transforming again, but I got over it eventually.""That's good! I hope I do too. My friend, Chloe, helped me overcome my fear of transforming. I know everything won't go back to the way it was, but it might be better that way," Marinette said, handing Nathalie her earrings. "Bye Marinette!" Tikki said before flying over to Nathalie for the time being."See you later, Tikki and Nathalie!" Marinette called after them as she walked off to school."The woman waved back, feeling a harsh wave of guilt hit her. She was practically doing the job every akuma failed to finish, and abused the innocent trust of a teenage girl. 'Hawkmoth will return their miraculous when it's done,' she tried to remind herself."Are you okay, Nathalie?" Tikki asked her as she saw the woman's gaze fall to the floor. Lifting her head, she pushed herself to smile, "Yeah, I'm fine. I just need to pick up a bagel."Turning towards the door, Tikki slipped into Nathalie's gray purse. Once she stepped into the bakery, she glanced over the selection of bakery goods. In the bagel section, she noticed the large variety. Didn't he like raisin a lot? She remembered him once rambling on about raisins while they were good friends in high school, so she assumed a raisin bagel was pretty reasonable. Plus, now she could poke fun at that memory with him. "Nathalie! How can I help you?" Sabine offered, snapping the pastry tongs open and closed."Hello Sabine, could you get me the bagel with raisins?" Nathalie asked. "Sure! I remember you hated raisins in high school. It's always interesting to see someone overcome certain food dislikes. I used to despise cream cheese, but now I love all the pastries that involve it," Sabine went on to make a bit of conversation, now more cheerful with her daughter being back home."Oh, that's good. I still don't like raisins, but I'm picking up the bagel for Felix," Nathalie chuckled, watching the woman quickly take the one from display to warm up. "Felix Dior? He was found?" Sabine gasped, pushing the small microwave oven shut as she turned around to hear more."I mean— he and Marinette came back from the same place," she tried to explain, unsure of what the young girl had told her parents. "Oh, so he was a Ladybug?" Sabine inquired, tilting her head. Oh. So basically Marinette told the truth about where she was."He was actually the Chat Noir from our time," Nathalie told her rather quietly so that people around wouldn’t listen in."You don't say!" Sabine slapped the table counter with surprise, "Felix was so shy though! I remember Chat being so outgoing and silly in all the interviews!” "Yeah, it surprised me too," she replied, chuckling a bit at the reaction that came from the previously reserved Sabine. A small beeping noise came from the oven, causing her to turn around. "There we are," the petite woman popped the bagel out and placed it in a small paper bag. "Thank you," Nathalie said, exchanging her money for the bag. "No, thank you for coming. Have a good day!" Sabine placed it into the register, waving at her former classmate. As she stepped outside, Tikki exclaimed, "I didn't know you knew Marinette's mom in high school! I was there... I didn't even notice that my new holder was the daughter of one of your classmates!" Nathalie laughed at her enthusiasm, unlocking her car as she held the bagel bag in one arm. Sliding in once she opened the door, she allowed Tikki to sit beside her in the passenger seat, although she was awfully small for it. Using Nathalie's purse like a car seat, she positioned herself for the ride back. Starting the car, Nathalie began to drive off, going back to the mansion.* * *"Hey, where'd my ring go?" Adrien asked, looking at Plagg. "What? I didn't eat it," Plagg scowled, seeing the look Adrien gave him, "Felix's lady borrowed it for him so they could hang out as superheroes later. Nathalie told you, and even asked you to borrow it.""What?! I don't remember that! I must've been asleep!" Adrien turned to Felix, "Wait, why didn't you want her to get ahold of it? What did you mean when you said it would hurt her?"Obviously, as his caretaker and only mother figure, Adrien grew worried for her. "Crap, crap. Nathalie! She wanted to exchange her life for yo— Look kid, there's something you need to know," Felix said to the blonde, quickly looking at Plagg, who glanced away. "Why is she exchanging her life?! Is it about Marinette? Is she disappearing again?" Adrien rambled, his heart picking up pace just thinking about his lady disappearing again. "No, Marinette is completely safe," he confirmed. "But do you ever remember another superhero? A peacock one?""I had a few dreams about one when I was a kid... At least that's what my father told me whenever I asked. Is the peacock lady real?" Adrien asked, his eyes widening with bewilderment. "Yes, and it's someone you already know," Felix confirmed, waiting for him to realize. Maybe if he just came to the conclusion like Marinette did, or like he had with Nathalie, Emilie would be freed without Nathalie even needing to do anything. "What?" Adrien asked incredulously. "Think about it. How many adult women knew you all your life? I mean, every year since the day you were born," Felix asked."There was Nathalie and my mom. Nathalie was the peacock lady?! But wasn't she Lady Luck?" The blond couldn't it in himself to see either of the women he'd known since he was born to be the random lady he'd sworn he saw in his dreams at midnight."Nathalie has only been Lady Luck. She's never held the power of another miraculous," the man explained, watching the expression on Adrien go from confused to a mixture of shock and sadness. "Are you... are you saying my mom was the peacock?" Adrien asked, his heart rate picking up. Didn't she also disappear because of the development? His poor, loving mother had gone through the same pain and confusion that his partner did? "Yes."And she suffered alone. He had no idea why his mother disappeared, or why they had to leave Tibet without finding her. "Plagg, the reveal didn't work," Felix told the kwami quietly."Crap."Did his father know? "Is... my father aware of this?" Adrien asked, beginning to feel choked at the idea of his mother slowly disappearing to nothing."He is aware of it.""I— he... he never— he didn't tell me?" Adrien began to back away, a burning sensation of betrayal punching him in the chest. It was becoming unbearably painful to even imagine how his father had just dismissed her disappearance as a death, when she was actually alive and breathing at the very same moment he was. She was stuck all by herself, just trapped."Freaking Moth Boy— er Hawkmoth," Felix grumbled to Plagg. "Hawkmoth?! My father isn't— he couldn't be—" Adrien began to backtrack."Kid, I'm sorry," Plagg shook his head. "I— I just... school," the boy muttered, beginning to walk away quickly as he felt the tears burn in his eyes. He threw his backpack over his shoulder, and began to run. Once he made it outside the gates, he gazed back at his house, or dare he say, Hawkmoth's house. He was the son of a villain, a terrorizer. His father was evil, and no matter what the motive was, he resorted to violence and anger. His own father poisoned the minds of his friends and teachers. He manipulated them and turned them against Paris, until Ladybug could save them. He couldn't be here. He took off running, cutting through the park to get to Marinette. She needed to know. As he approached the bakery, he tried to compose himself, but his nose was runny, his eyes glassy, and his breathing heavy with anxiety. "Is Marinette here?" He asked quickly, feeling his voice break a bit at the mention of her name. "She left for school. Are you okay, Adrien?" Sabine asked, abandoning the register for a moment to walk over to the obviously upset boy. "Y-Yeah, I'm sorry. I just— uhh had forgotten we had an algebra test and was wondering if we had homework," he lied, pushing out a small laugh as he wiped his eyes. "Don't worry too much. If you did, I'm sure your teacher won't mind if it's a day late," Sabine smiled. "Thank you," Adrien said, "Bye, Mrs. Dupain-Cheng.""Bye Adrien," she told him as he left with a wave. With fumbling fingers, he boy reached for his phone. He pulled up Marinette's contact through the tears beginning to blur his vision. His throat tightened as a ball formed at hearing her voice. "Hi Adrien!" She picked up.Walking towards the school across the street, Adrien felt his face crumple, and he gripped the phone. "W-Where are you?" He whispered at a barely decipherable volume. "I'm in the hallway at school with Alya and Nino. Where are you? Is everything okay?" Marinette asked. "Can you please meet me?" Adrien asked, hating himself for sniffling and stuttering against his wishes. Why was he crying for goodness sakes? He couldn't cry in front of her anymore. She probably already thought he was a huge crybaby from the previous times. "Yeah, of course. I'll come to the front," Marinette replied quickly, her voice filled with painful concern. Within moments, he saw her walk out, looking around for him. He quickly tried to regain his composure, but still looked and felt like the mess he was at the bakery. When he caught her eye, she came over to him. "Adrien, what's going on? Are you okay?" She asked, watching him try not to break into tears. "Hawkmoth," he said, unable to look at her. "He— he's...""Did he hurt you?!" Marinette asked him, causing him to shake his head as tears began to roll down his cheeks. "My father...," Adrien muttered, his frame trembling, "He's Hawkmoth, Marinette.""What? Your father...?" "He's a monster, Marinette. I'm the son of a monster," he began to cry, "And my mom... she's stuck! She's the one who got trapped! She's the peacock, Marinette!" "Oh my goodness, Adrien," she pulled him into a hug to try and console him, seeing as he began to lose control of his emotions. At that moment, he felt so ashamed and small, as well as terrible. His father was responsible for all the evil in Paris, and his mom was trapped in a torturous void. He didn't care if everyone around him could see him crying anymore, he just helplessly let himself cry into Marinette's shoulder. "I hate him! I can't believe we— I've been so close to th-that monster this whole time! I've literally been in his house, while we've been dealing with his powers, and now he's trying to exchange Nathalie to get my mother out of the void!" "What?! That's terrible! I'm so sorry, Adrien. What do you want to do about this?" She asked, raising her hand to touch her earrings, but then she remembered. Nathalie had her miraculous. Did she have Adrien's? Then Hawkmoth could use her as a trading pawn for Adrien's mom, and Nathalie would get stuck in the void."I don't know. Felix knows, and I think he's going to get the miraculous back from her."There had to be something Marinette could do to stop her, and get his mother back without consequence. It was decided, she had to see Master Fu again.* * *"Are you sure you want to do this now?" Gabriel asked, his heart heavy. "I... think I'm ready now," Nathalie told him, but was still unable to make eye contact. "Before we begin, there's something I need to tell you..." He spoke guiltily, not able to commence without revealing the truth."What?" "Emilie's miraculous... she was trying to get it off while she was in that development. In result, she ended up breaking it off of her," Gabriel told her, looking down."Did it detransform her?""Nathalie... I- I understand if this might make you change your mind, so I have to tell you. The broken miraculous came off of her, and since the energy already drained so much, it... it killed Emilie. She's... not in the void, Nathalie. She's dead."Hugging herself, she sat down on the chair in Gabriel's office. She felt so bad about not telling Felix goodbye, but she knew it was best not to break his heart any further. The last time they hugged, and the last time they kissed would always stay with her, regardless of whether or not there was an afterlife for her. She wasn't going to be stuck in that void, but she wasn't going to be alive either. This was Emilie's new chance at life, and Nathalie was positive she would make the most of it. "Okay," She whispered, "I— I understand.""Are you sure you don't want to call Felix over?" Gabriel asked, watching her take the earrings out of her pocket to give to him. "I don't want him to see me like this," she muttered, "I was so heartbroken after seeing him disappear, and I don't want him to ever feel like that." Never again, did she ever want to experience anything as hard as that. She didn't want her love to feel it either. "Please just tell him I had to leave for a business trip or something. Just leave it at that," Nathalie begged.As much as Felix and he clashed in his younger years, he couldn't wish such a painful fate upon him. He knew exactly how bad it felt to lose someone you love so much, and not even be able to say goodbye."Don't you want to say goodbye? I mean, he'll find out eventually and it'll hurt. Let the truth come from you, someone he loves, rather than just finding out," Gabriel offered. Nathalie felt that annoying lump rise in her throat, and she shook her head with denial. "Please, just promise me you'll give back the earrings and ring to Marinette and Adrien once this mess is over. How do I know I can trust that you'll give it back to them?" She changed the subject, clearing her throat and redirecting her emotions to accusation. Crossing her arms, she forced her watering eyes to burn into Gabriel's gray ones. "I will return the miraculous to the two. There's nothing more I want with them. The only reason I began using negative manipulation to influence emotionally vulnerable people was because I wanted to retrieve the miraculous jewelries and get my wife back. You know that Hawkmoth didn't arise until after she disappeared! I promise I don't do this out of pleasure or passion. I just want my Emilie back.""You will stop terrorizing Paris for the jewelry, and make su— make sure my Felix is okay," Nathalie demanded, her face fierce with determination, but her tone softer with emotion for her love. "Of course. Are you positive you don't want to see Felix one last time? Tell him any last words?" Gabriel offered, watching her tears fall from her eyes at his question as her thin eyebrows scrunched together painfully. "No!! If I saw him again, h-he'd know! I can't do it! I can't just end my story like that! It makes it sound way more permanent, and I can't stand thinking of this being forever!! I know I'm going to be gone forever, and I'm sure Felix does, but saying g-goodbye makes it... sound like forever," Nathalie's yelling faltered weakly into her last few words, squeezing her hands into fists. As much as Gabriel wanted to disagree and reassure her that this was a decision that was fine, he felt urged to make one statement, "It is forever."Looking back at the undelivered raisin bagel in her purse, she pulled it out. "I- I'll be back."Nodding his head, he led her back to the exit. Once she was out, she saw Felix frantically running around, calling her name out. "Felix?" Nathalie held up the paper bag with the still warm raisin bagel.As he caught sight of her, he ran up to her, enveloping her tightly in a hug. "Nathalie, oh my goodness, I thought you were gone! I'm so so glad you're okay," he said, feeling her weakly stiffen from his grip. "Felix, I wanted to say goodb— I go—got you this bagel," she looked up at him through glazed eyes, holding the bag out to him. He took it from her, and placed it beside them, "Oh Lucky, I love you so much. What's going on?" Looking down, she knew she couldn't lie to him. But would it be lying if she didn't include the part where she said Emilie was actually dead? "Nothing.""Then why can't you look me in the face?" Felix asked, gently touching one of her shoulders. "B-Because... I love you too much," she muttered tearfully, "It hurts, and I just can't— I don't kno- I love you, Felix!!"Felix's eyes widened, and he felt his heart race with the most passionate beat he'd ever felt. His cheeks heated up. "I can't hide this from you anymore. It's too cruel. I'm so sorry," she whispered, glancing back up at him."Hide what?" He asked, then a horrible idea came crashing down on his reality, smacking him like a ton of bricks, causing his racing heartbeat to jolt to a stop as his stomach fell. "Nathalie, are you—""Yes, I'm doing it for her! I'm doing it for her son, and even my irritating boss!" Nathalie exploded. "What? I know you want to find a way, but this isn't it! Nathalie, you promised me you weren't doing it! You promised Marinette, and you're breaking it! You told me you weren't going to go through with it! Why can't you just wait until we find a real solution? Why does this have to be right this second?!" Felix asked, his face reddening. "I can't even think of you being tortured in that small space all alone for all of eternity. Please, Adrien and I were trying out a new method to bring her back, and I think we can do it. If you get stuck there, there's no way we could get you out.""Every single second is another one wasted for Emilie without her family, and she only has so much life left to live! I'm not going to let her throw away more time when Adrien could be growing up with a real parent, and not just a strict father and uptight, boring caretaker!" Nathalie argued. "We're going in freaking circles around this conversation, Felix," Nathalie crossed her arms, "I'm not— I won't be in a void. I promise you that.""Where the heck are you going to be then?! California? Nathalie, just please, there are better ways to get her back. Emilie will come back, and you don't have to do this," he begged, holding her closely."Emilie won't come back unless I do this because she's dead!""What?? So you're throwing away your entire life instead?! You don't deserve that, and neither does she! I know it's not fair, and you should understand too. Just a little more time and I pr—""You promise what? I'd love to hear exactly how you plan on carrying this promise out. As far as I can tell, there's only one way to revive a dead person, and that's through a wish. I don't want the wish to plant that consequence on some innocent civilian. I'm still Lady Luck, Felix. With or without the mask and kwami, I'm still here to protect the people of Paris, and if that means I have to give up something important, I'll do it for them!" Nathalie angrily chuckled through her tears. Why didn't she care enough about him to stay? He knew his thinking was selfish, but he couldn't help but question aloud whether or not she truly even cared enough about how he felt about this."You know I'd do anything for you! What if that consequence took you instead? I couldn't live with losing you again! I'm doing this for you, Felix! I'm taking that spot, so it can't touch you, or anyone else for that matter! Don't even question my love for you, Felix! You know I'll love you until the day I die!" Nathalie yelled, then cringed at that poor phrasing.That was a terrible way to word it considering the circumstances."Oh? Don't you think that I love you that much, Nathalie?! Don't you understand how much it would hurt me to lose you again? You, of all people, should understand that I love you so freaking much, that the mere thought of this situation makes me want to do absolutely everything it takes to make sure you're safe? Heck, I'd even take your place for Emilie! Why don't you just let me do it?" "I'm doing it, Felix! I'm sorry, but this is it! I'm already leaving today, and I didn't want to fight with you! I just want you to know that I love you, and will never stop loving you! I wanted my last moment with you to be one where I didn't cry or yell! I wanted this to be my best moment, because it's my last... I'm— going to go," Nathalie decided, turning away from him, beginning to walk off. "No! Wait, Nathalie! Stop, please!! No, don't do this!! Who cares about what Gabriel thinks? This is about finding a way to bring back Emilie. I'll spend every day and night researching a way— just like when I helped you!" Nathalie's glassy eyes glared, "That's how you disappeared in the first place.""I'm a grown man without powers now, Nath. There's no more development! It doesn't matter how much energy I lose. I'm a human, and if I get tired, I fall asleep. There's no kwami to refuel me, so it's all good," he convinced her. "Don't you even think about wasting your energy again. Felix, this isn't going to work with a dead person! It worked because you disappeared, and didn't technically die," Nathalie told him."I'd do it all again in a heartbeat if it meant letting you live life," Felix declared."Over my dead body, you would," Nathalie replied snarkily. Wow, that was a dumb way of phrasing it."Exactly!" "I didn't mean it like that. You better not! You lost so much of your precious short life because of me, and I'm not letting you do it again!" She twisted out of his grasp. "I'm fine with it, you're not dying for me!""Lucky, you're not dying either!" He argued. He didn't want to lose her. She'd always stuck up for him in high school, and been there to save him from bullies and people who picked on him.And yet, he couldn't save her as a grown man."Look Felix, I just wanted to say goodbye. Come or don't come. I have to go," she told him, gently pulling away from his hold on her.
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Marinette glanced at her vibrating cell phone, then back at Adrien. They were just getting to class, and about to enter the classroom."Go ahead without me. I'll catch up to you and Alya," she promised, pulling the phone from her pocket. "Is something wrong?" Adrien asked, looking at how she was getting phoned by his father's contact. He'd gotten her number after she won the hat design contest with the pigeon feather hat. Maybe his father was interested in doing business with the young designer now that he was aware of her status, he thought. "I'm sure everything's fine. It might just be something inquiring for the hat thing. Maybe he wants me to do something more with it? I'm not sure, but it's probably nothing," she shrugged, but thought back on Nathalie. Considering she used his business phone to schedule all the calls, it was largely possible that it wasn't Gabriel calling her. Did it have something to do with her miraculous?"Okay, I'll see you inside," Adrien said, looking back at her as he went into the classroom. Marinette gently smiled at him before he left, then picked up the phone, "Hello?""Nathalieisdoingtheswitchrightnowandshewontlistentome!!!" Felix cried out really quickly, not taking a single breath in between his words. "Whoa, Felix? Is that you? What is Nathalie doing now? Sorry, I couldn't quite catch that," Marinette asked nervously. What in the world did he say? She only caught something about Nathalie and something about a glitch? "She's doing the switch!! She won't listen to me, and she's planning on doing it right this instant! I don't know what else to do!" He told her, completely panic-stricken about Nathalie's decision."Oh, this is bad! Felix, I'm going to head over to Master Fu's right now. I was planning on doing it after class, but I'm going now! Try to stall her!" Marinette told him, then hung up after hearing his affirmation. Forgetting about her word to Adrien, she burst off sprinting into the other direction, running past the other oncoming students. She half-expected Tikki to pop out of her purse and ask about the situation, as it would normally go, but this wasn't that kind of situation. This involved her kwami, and Adrien's.What if the large wish hurt her kwami and Adrien's in the process? How would they get Nathalie back if she was traded with the wish? Was it a single wish for everything, or was it unlimited? These were all things she knew Master Fu could tell her about. As she ran away from the school, she heard the tardy bell ring behind her, echoing as a somewhat nostalgic memory of normalcy and comforting familiarity. She didn't want to think about it, seeing as she had a much more important situation at hand. She found her way to Master Fu's again, huffing and nearly out of breath. "Master... Fu... Nathalie, she's... about to do... the wish with Hawkmoth," she spoke through heaving breaths. "What? Marinette, where are your earrings?" Master Fu asked her, noticing that her earlobes were empty of the protective jewels. After catching her breath quickly, she went on to explain the situation, "Nathalie is doing a deal with Hawkmoth. She requested to use my earrings, and took Adrien's ring as well. She's trading her spot for the holder of the peacock miraculous's spot, and going to put herself in the void as the consequence. Is there anything we can do to get the other holder out fast?""I did hear back from the other student from my old academy, and he mentioned that there was a way back. You escaped the void, right? So you can go back in there, while you're transformed, and you can assist the holder in getting out of there," Master Fu described, "You must retrieve your earrings, and then you can ensure that whoever is in there can get out. Since you've escaped, you have the power to open the portal in and out of there, no matter which void. It may, however, drain your energy in dangerous amounts, so I advise you don't spend too much time in there."The sound of that last reminder sent chills down her spine. She could possibly become trapped again? So there actually was a way that she might get stuck in the void again. If that happened, she’d be alone there forever."Thank you, Master. I will get those earrings. I just have one more question. If Tikki and Plagg are used for the wish, will it hurt them?" She asked, cringing a bit."I have heard that when the power of creation and destruction are used together, it harshly drains the kwami of their energy, and they become too exhausted to power a transformation. They may go into long periods of sleep, but it is unknown how long. Depending on the size of the wish, their sleep can last mere hours to decades," Master Fu recalled, looking back at Wayzz for confirmation, to which he nodded. "Oh goodness, I have to get going then quickly! Bye Master Fu! Bye Wayzz!" She called back as she began running back to the mansion, where she'd try to retrieve her own miraculous once more. * * *"Hey Adrien, didn't Marinette tell you she was coming back to school today?" Chloe asked him when the teacher left the room to drop off the attendance. "Yeah, where is that girl?" Alya asked him, glancing down at Adrien and Nino."Yes, she's in the hallway. My father called her for some reason, so she's just talking on the phone. I'm sure Miss Bustier will see her while she's out there," Adrien told her.Alya nodded, and looked back down at her work. She glanced at the empty seat beside her, wishing her friend was already there to fill the air with excitement and giggles. She smiled a bit to herself, glad she had her best friend back. Alya missed the way things were before the whole incident, but she was hopeful that things would return to normal eventually. Besides, if Marinette was outside, that meant she'd come back to class at anytime. "I'll go get her!" Chloe decided, getting impatient watching Adrien and Alya anxiously peeking at the door every few seconds.As she swung the door open, she glanced to the side, expecting to see Marinette where she had seen her earlier, but the spot was empty. She let the door close behind her, and she went over to the railing of the balcony to see if she could spot her. Scanning the sides, then down below, she didn't see the pigtailed teenager. Miss Bustier came back up the stairs, asking Chloe, "Is everything okay?" The blonde offered a smile, but she wasn't sure where Marinette had gone. "I was actually looking for Marinette. I saw her here not too long ago, before class started.""Marinette? Maybe she just went to save Paris again, or she might've wanted to," Miss Bustier suggested, seeing Chloe begin to look slightly worried at the disappearance of her friend.Adrien walked out of the classroom, wanting to check for himself. "Where is she?" He asked Chloe and Miss Bustier. "We're not sure, but Miss Bustier is thinking it might've been an akuma," Chloe replied, conspicuously glancing out toward the entrance of the school."Uh... May I go to use the restroom, Miss Bustier?" Adrien requested, giving a short nod to Chloe, having received the message."Sure, but please hurry back to class," Miss Bustier replied, then led Chloe back in with her. He then began to run back to his house, assuming Marinette had gone there to confront Hawkmoth or try and get her miraculous back. To his surprise, he noticed her already running down in the same direction toward his house. "Marinette!" He called out, watching her screech to a stop to turn and see him. "Adrien? Nathalie is in trouble, we need to go!" Marinette announced, not bothering to try and lie her way out of it. Besides, she couldn't find herself able to lie to him anymore. He was her partner, and they needed to trust each other. She trusted Adrien, and although she knew what she was about to do would freak him out, it was to get his mom back.* * *"Nathalie?! Nathalie!!! Nathalie!" Felix yelled, running around the mansion frantically, having had been searching for about fifteen minutes since he called Marinette. Why did this have to happen to his Nathalie? He couldn't imagine having to live a normal life in the real world now without her. It felt like just yesterday to him since they were young protectors of Paris, joking around at patrols, bothering each other with the worst jokes they could think of. She was his best friend, both in and out of the costume back then and he couldn’t imagine losing her again.He hoped she wasn't gone. "Felix, what's wrong? Are you looking for Nathalie?" Gorilla asked, having deduced from what he's heard. "Gabriel is freaking switching out Nathalie for Emilie, and Emilie's dead! Do you know where Hawkmoth took her?" Felix practically begged his brother, whose older appearance still threw him off. Even so, he was too worried for Nathalie to think about it, scared she might've already been gone. Frantic knocking was heard from the front door, causing Felix to run back to open it. Sure enough, it was Marinette, as well as Adrien. "Where is my miraculous? I know how to fix this!" She said, looking around to see where Nathalie was."She's... in his special room," Gorilla announced to all of them."Special room?" Felix echoed with a frown, feeling nauseous at the sound of that."Follow me," he said, motioning.All three of them rushingly followed behind him, and were led to the painting of Adrien's mother. "He told me never to come in here, and I never have, but I assume this is where Nathalie went with him," he pointed, feeling around for the button on the painting. He pushed it in once he found it, and suddenly, there was an opening. Gorilla quickly stepped away, and it was obvious that the entrance would only transport a certain amount of people, usually one. Luckily, Marinette was small enough to go in with another person, and it was decided that Adrien would get on the next round. Once the hole closed up, Felix asked, "You found a solution?" "Yes, it... it's a bit risky, but at least we'll be able to bring everyone back," Marinette said, trying not to worry. If this went wrong, and she spent too much time in that void, she'd get trapped for good again, and this time, possibly forever. She was playing with her livelihood here, and her nightmare could soon be a reality. She only hoped for the best, and understood the risks. At least she could bring back Adrien's mom and complete his family. She could make him happy, even if she ended up being trapped in the end. That was what mattered most, right?"Please be careful, Marinette," Felix advised the girl as they were finally brought into the lair."Tikki, Plagg, give me ultimate pow—" "No!! Nathalie, stop!" Marinette yelled, "I have a solution, and I could do it right now!" "What?" Hawkmoth gasped, looking over at the untransformed superhero.Marinette scowled at the man who disappointed and scared her partner, and disregarded him. "I just need my earrings back, and I could fix this," she said to Nathalie, who looked as if she wanted to cry. Relieved by this, Nathalie took off the earrings, handing them back to the girl. "What's your plan?" She asked her. Not wanting the adults around her to worry about her safety, she didn't want to tell them. What if Nathalie prevented her from risking her chance at saving Emilie, and just took her place when she could've helped all along? Already knowing her identity was obviously well known after her apparent "death," she carelessly transformed in front of them. "I'm going to get Emilie out," Marinette told Nathalie, to which she seemed frazzled by that. Master Fu told her she had the power to go in and out of the void, so she knew it would just be some kind of phrase she needed to say to allow Tikki to know that she needed to go within. Going against every ounce of fear and anxiety she had within her, screaming not to do this, the already transformed Marinette pushed herself to command, "Tikki, open the portal!" “Wait, Marinette!!” Felix called after her.A huge swarm of pink light seemed to pull out of Ladybug's chest, and immediately she felt herself weaken, and nearly fell to her knees to recoil, but the light surrounded her, supporting her body. It swirled into a large bright circle, and as Tikki was aware, the opening displayed the void of the peacock miraculous. Ladybug tried to look back, but the light broke her weak hold from the real world, pulling her in as if she were a magnet. Her hole snapped shut before Nathalie could stop it.* * *Adrien finally had his turn to get into the transport to Hawkmoth's lair, so when he arrived, it was safe to say that he wasn't pleased to see his metal-masked transformed villain father.Apparently, he noticed he had walked into chaos. Felix was muttering curse words as Nathalie was frantically looking to do something while Hawkmoth was sighing in concern. Once he noticed his son had wandered in, he nearly dropped his cane. "Adrien?!" "Where's Marinette?" He asked, trying to ignore his father."She jumped straight into the freaking void, and the void closed up! She's in there for nothing, and she's probably going to get stuck!" Felix failed at trying to maintain his calm, knowing a child was alone in a void just because he forgot to mention that the woman she was looking for is dead, and not in the void. "What?! She didn't tell me she was going in there! She's doing it to get my mom?" Adrien asked incredulously, beginning to feel himself turn to panic. He just got her back, and the first thing she does is go back into a void?! What if she couldn't get out?!"Your... mother isn't in there, Adrien," Nathalie confessed, her face twisted with pain and sadness. "What? Where is she then?" He finally asked, but he could predict the answer. He didn't want it to be true, but deep down, he knew. "She's... going to come back. I promise you," She placed her trembling hand over his shoulder as she felt a natural, but sad smile overcome her. He would soon be reunited with his mother and have a full family once more. "Nathalie..." Felix said, her name sounding more like a pained plead. "Your mother is coming back, and... Felix will stay here with you until he could find a place," Nathalie told him, feeling a tear slip from one of her glassy eyes. "Wait, you— you're not doing the switch, are you?" Adrien asked, his face growing concerned. "I'll do it! Please, Gabriel don't let her do this. I'll take her place. I-I can't let her do this, just let me do it instead," Felix turned to Hawkmoth, begging. "Don't you even dare," Nathalie threatened, "Gabriel, we have a deal. You're switching me, not him.""Nathalie, he's right there!" Hawkmoth whisper-shouted, pointing at his son. "Oh, he already knows!" Felix grumbled, "Nathalie isn't doing the switch! I'll do it!" "What?!" Gabriel screeched, looking at Adrien, "Never mind the switch right now! Do you already know, Adrien?!" "Felix! I swear!" Nathalie scolded."I'm not letting you take her place! I'll do it!""I'm not fighting with you, Felix! I'm doing it, and I love you way too much for you to do this," Nathalie declared finally, but she was holding back tears. She yanked Felix into a hug, and held him as tightly as she could. "I can't let you do this," Felix's voice grew weak with misery, and he held her tightly. "You’ve already gone through it, Kitty. I have to do this," she told him, pulling his face into her hands gently. "None of you should have to do this," Adrien told them, yet again ignoring his father."Adrien, you're forbidden to say you'll do it!" Gabriel told him. "Father, Marinette probably got stuck!" "Now no one could do it if they wanted to because the earrings went into the void," Nathalie reminded them.* * *Unknowing she left behind a room of utter chaos, Ladybug was already in the purple void. She assumed it'd be blue, mostly because the peacock was of that color, and because her own void was blue. However, it wasn't mixing either different shades. It was just a flat color with no dimension, or no other variations of the main color.Turning around, she saw she had the pink hole there as an exit. However, it seemed to be very slowly shrinking. "Mrs. Agreste?" She called out a bit rushingly, hearing her voice echo into the distance. "Mrs. Agreste, I've come to get you out! Where are you?" Ladybug continued, beginning to walk out away from the purple platform. She checked back on the hole, and it was slightly smaller. She'd have to crouch a bit to get in. "Please, we don't have much time! Are you here? Mrs. Agreste?! Your husband and son miss you!" Ladybug tried again. She heard nothing, but her frantic echo in response. The heroine felt her head warm a bit, and she immediately knew what that meant. Nervously, she picked up that section of hair, and noticed it was turning red. "Dang it!" She cried out, pulling her shaking hands over her eyes as she felt the same process happen again. "Mrs. Agreste, are you here?!" Ladybug asked aloud, turning back to the further shrinking exit.She looked around the distance one last time, and saw that it was vacant of any life. Maybe Mrs. Agreste did escape, and was somewhere in the real world. She truly hoped that was the case. Turning back, the hole was even smaller, and her head was warming even more. She dove through the hole, and felt herself fall out of the void and onto the concrete floor of Hawkmoth's lair. Once it closed up, her transformation released, and she collapsed from her attempts to sit up. "Marinette?" Her kwami weakly spoke beside her, just as exhausted. "I see you got a small red highlight.""Tikki... I'm so sorry. I'll get you... a... a whole bunch of cookies," Marinette promised, her eyelids heavy. She barely cared about what happened to her hair anymore. There were bigger issues at hand."Marinette!" Adrien ran over to her, pulling her into his arms."Hi," she whispered sleepily, "You know, I think your mother escaped the void, Adrien. We'll just go find her, and everything will be okay. I promise.""Oh my goodness, Marinette," Nathalie bent down to see her. "You don't have... to do it. She's not in the void, Nathalie. She escaped," Marinette said, shaking herself awake. She dragged her arms down to her purse, and slipped three cookies out for her kwami, then brought Tikki to them."Emilie didn't escape, Marinette. She... didn't make it to the void," Nathalie spoke quietly, "Gabriel told me she pried off her own peacock brooch, and... well, I guess it took all of the energy she needed to keep her heart beating, and... she didn't make it.""Oh... Adrien," Marinette looked up into his eyes to see the pained expression he wore, "You don't deserve this," she forced herself to sit up to hug him."She... did die then, didn't she?" Adrien sunk into her hold, feeling her weak grip tighten a bit at his response. "I'm okay, Marinette. Thank you," he whispered reassuringly, although the truth hurt more than he wanted to admit. "Adrien, she's coming back," Nathalie reminded him, causing him to look at her with a look of confusion."How?" Marinette asked, releasing Adrien a bit, but still using his chest to lean on so she wouldn't fall over in a collapse. He used an arm to wrap around her securely so she wouldn’t have to use any extra effort to stay up."I— I'm doing the switch with her," Nathalie whispered, squeezing her eyes tightly with discomfort. She didn't want to think about what she was doing. Of course she wanted to live on and be with the people she loved. It wasn't like she truly wanted this for herself. Of course she wanted to be with Felix, watch Adrien grow, and get a new job, but her best friend was missing out on being with her family. Emilie didn't get to see her son grow into his teenage years, or watch him become that confident, brave superhero that worked alongside the love of his life. "Nathalie, you don't have to do it," Adrien replied, and Nathalie could feel herself, against her own judgement, internally lean towards the idea. She could stay with the love of her life. She could start a family of her own. She could do so many things with the rest of her life. And to be completely honest, she really wanted to take this shovel and dig her way out of this. "I— I have to," she told him, although she felt that her words were empty with uncertainty and fear. "Marinette, may I use your earrings one last time?" Tikki whimpered, looking at Marinette helplessly as she dropped her cookie to the floor. The girl looked back at her kwami, then reached up to her ears to feel the jewelry. She couldn't give it to her. She was practically signing away Nathalie's life by doing this, but it was also bringing back Adrien's mom. "Please, Adrien, don't you want to see your mom again? Don't you want Hawkmoth to stop it with those akuma attacks? Marinette, the people of Paris will be safe from terror and evil," Nathalie explained. "Not like this. There has to be a better way," Marinette told Nathalie, pulling her kwami close to console her. She didn't want to take the earrings off to give to her. Nathalie deserved her life.Nathalie took the earrings off of her gently, and already having Chat Noir's ring, she gave them to Gabriel to make the final transformation, the one of ultimate power."Tikki, Plagg, are you okay to do the transformation?" Nathalie asked them."Nathalie! I'm not okay with helping wish you away, but... I'm powerless to the current holder of the earrings, and will do whatever is expected," Tikki hung her head guiltily. "What the heck is wrong with you morons?! I don't want to help wish one of you out of existence, but unfortunately Tikki is right. Considering Hawkmoth is holding the miraculous right now, we cannot resist the orders," Plagg grumbled angrily.Gabriel called out the final transformation, causing his gray, cold eyes to be replaced with golden glow, and the costume was purple, cracking to show the golden light from beneath."Father, don't do this!! I miss Mom too, but we can't trade anyone's life!" Adrien protested. "Gabriel, don't do it!! Use me instead! Don't take Nathalie!" Felix begged with every ounce he had. He held Nathalie protectively under his grip, to which she wrapped her arms around him in comfort. "Don't take her, please! She's my everything! I don't have anyone left anymore!!""It'll be okay, Kitty," she told him, beginning to cry at seeing his own tears. She wiped them away from his face with her hand gently. "You'll be okay, Felix. I promise," she said shakily, but pushed a smile to comfort him. "No! No, Nathalie! Please, I can't lose you! You're all I have left, and y-you're my partner! You have to stay! Nathalie!" He yelled, slamming his fist uselessly against the side of the metal wall, "Gabriel, don't do this! Don't take her!! You can’t... do this!” She grabbed his hands gently within hers, and held them close to her. She kissed them, then looked back up at him. Nathalie could've sworn she'd never seen him cry so hard in his life. "It's going to be okay, Felix. You have my heart, and that’s all I need to stay here.”Everyone painfully watched as the form of Nathalie began to fade from existence."Nathalie!! Nath! Please, no!! No! No! Nathalie!!" He tried to hold her in his arms, but her warmth faded from beneath his touch. She looked down at herself, and saw that Felix couldn't touch her anymore. "I love you, Felix," she told him, her blue eyes just visible for the very last time. She was finding her way to the afterlife in which the rest of the Ladybug holders watched down and protected. Nathalie Sancouer, Lady Luck, the Ladybug holder of 1999, had come to serve her duty, and complete it. There would not be another citizen to suffer under the pain of Hawkmoth, or taken as a consequence. Her job was finished, and now a family was reuniting. There was no more guilt, or pain left for the Agreste family. And just with that, the former holder of the Ladybug miraculous left, only to have a missing woman come back in her place, last but not least, completing the last of the Agreste family puzzle. "Mom?"
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"You used your power to terrorize Paris?!" Emilie yelled at her husband over the phone as he chuckled a bit nervously, rubbing the back of his neck."Well, I mean... you died. Adrien needed you, and you didn't want him to grow up without a mother, so..." Gabriel tried to explain, touching the glass that separated them."So you decide that sending out evil butterflies to manipulate innocent people into stealing the Ladybug and Black Cat Miraculous from kids is the way to go? Gabriel, were you even thinking?! Now, you're stuck in prison for five years unless you plan on selling the Agreste company for the money!" Emilie smacked her forehead into the palm of her hand, unsure as to what was even going through her husband's head."First off, we're not doing that. Second, this one teenager in Adrien's class named Lila Rossi actually started a funding page to help get me out—""I'm surprised that you weren't given more time, considering it was treason," she crossed her arms with irritation. "Me too... How is Adrien?" Gabriel asked her. "He's a little upset that he gained a family member only to lose another one." She softened up a little as she thought about their son, "Five years isn't so long anyways. Adrien will be nineteen when you get out, so we'll have our family back to normal.""Yeah... I hope he knows how sorry I am. I'm sorry too, Em. I just wish I would've gone about this a better way... Maybe if I politely asked the heroes for their miraculous at the beginning with the promise of giving it back.""Well Gabriel, he does know that. I'll remind him anyway. I can't believe Nathalie's really gone though... She was my best friend, and she chose to take my place.""Poor Adrien... I wish I could've told him about what I was doing. Maybe he would've stopped me, or even helped me to get the miraculous without all that garbage. Nathalie did volunteer to do it for you, Em. It was really nice of her, but it's not your fault," Gabriel said wistfully, remembering how kind his assistant had been to him in the hardest of times. "How is Felix doing?" "Felix is really upset about her, but he's been taking over Nathalie's position for her and helping us. What else can I say? She's gone, and she was practically all he had left," Emilie told him, thinking back to the nights where she'd hear him trying not to sob too loudly from the next room over. "I don't blame him. It's really hard on someone when they lose someone they once loved so much," Gabriel said, painfully looking up into the beautiful green eyes of his wife. It warmed his heart to be able to see her again, and although it hurt he couldn't spend every day with her, he knew this was his own personal consequence for everything he put Paris through and that he deserved it. On one hand, he would have his wife back when he'd get out, but for Felix, he'd never get to see Nathalie ever again. "I love you so much, Emilie," Gabriel told his wife, seeing as their phone call visitation was coming to the end of the time limit."Oh Gabriel... I love you too," Emilie told him, gently pressing her hand against the glass that separated them. He pressed his hand against the other side of the glass to where her hand was, and looked at her with a broken smile. She felt her heart break as she watched her husband be taken away back to the prison rooms.Although she was irritated with him for all of this, she wanted nothing more to have their family complete and safely together again. Was his company really worth this temporary separation?* * *"Hey Felix! Have you seen Adrien?" Marinette asked him as he let her into the mansion. She had been almost surprised to hear a man's voice come from the camera that popped out of the wall by the gate, but had realized she would never hear Nathalie out of that speaker again."Hey Marinette! Oh yeah, he's still getting ready to go to school. I already let him know you were coming to pick him up," Felix told her, "You can come into the dining room. Adrien will meet you for breakfast.""Oh thank goodness! I forgot my breakfast this morning. What are we having?" She said, pulling her backpack off to let Tikki out. "Bagels, only because I still have the cooking skills of my teenage self," Felix chuckled, albeit a bit sadly. "Emilie gave the chefs a few weeks off to make up for Gabriel's overworking schedule he had them on.""I like bagels! Don't worry, I burn everything I try to cook, and my family owns a bakery," Marinette laughed, sitting down on a random chair. "Bugaboo!" She heard from behind her before she was tackled in a hug. "Kitty!!" She turned around to kiss his cheek, hugging him around the neck."The bagels," Felix said monotonously, walking out to retrieve their breakfast and to give the cute couple their privacy. "Good morning, my lady. I notice you're getting here quite early nowadays! I remember just before everything, you used to run into class hours late!" Adrien joked, causing her to playfully roll her eyes. "It was half an hour late at most," She grumbled, sitting back down. "Was it?" Adrien asked, pretending to have to think about it, before he shook his head jokingly, "Nah, I don't think you made it to class most days.""Gasp! How dare you lie so terribly, Hiss-ter Meow Meow Pants!" Marinette melodramatically rolled her eyes to the side, holding the back of her hand to her forehead to feign taken offense.As Felix walked in with the food, he felt his heart weigh down a little at how similarly he and Nathalie used to joke around together. She was always so silly, kind, and lighthearted.One of her favorite nicknames for him was even Hiss-ter Meow.Why did she have to be gone? He brought them their toasted bagels as well as butter just in case they wanted to butter them. Placing their plates in front of them both, he sighed a little."Thank you," they both told Felix, to which he offered a smile. He was glad they had each other, and would be able to safely continue their life with one another free of worries. At least nobody was stuck in the void, and ever would be in this generation of superheroes. Marinette was out of the void, and Adrien was already safe."Hello, my Adrien! Good morning, Marinette!" Mrs. Agreste had greeted the teenagers once she stepped into the dining room. She set down the car keys, also greeting Felix, "Morning, Felix!""Good morning, Mrs. Agreste!" "Hi Mom!""Morning, Emilie. Would you like a bagel?" Felix offered a plate. "Oh, no thank you, but thank you for thinking of me," Emilie replied, a sad smile turning up on her face. Once Marinette and Adrien finished off their breakfasts, they left to walk to school. She felt a hand gently slip into hers, and she turned to look up into his green eyes and bright smile. It was the same smile she recognized when he was in his free form as Chat Noir, the one in which he let himself loosely turn into the biggest goofball she'd ever met. She was so happy and content being back with her kitty, and now couldn't help but love the fact that she was back to being the girl she truly was, with and without a mask on her face. It felt perfect with everything back in order. But... maybe they could try something."Hey Tikki, would you mind if I used Ladybug to get to school?" Marinette asked her kwami with a sweet smile, and a chocolate chip cookie in her purse."I'd usually say no, but I don't see any reason to save up your transformations for. Go on ahead, Marinette!" Tikki took the cookie thankfully, chowing down on it swiftly. "Plagg, would you mind?" Adrien glanced down at his glaring kwami. Marinette held Tikki in her hands as the two giggled at their interaction. It was so real, and Plagg released the truest of his personality to Adrien, that resulted with which he accepted with love and kindness. "Do I get cheese after this? I better have the biggest wheel of Camembert we got after this," Plagg grumbled, to which Adrien chuckled and nodded."Plagg, claws out!""Tikki, spots on!"Marinette transformed alongside Adrien, watching as her crush, boyfriend, and best friend turned into the boy she trusted with her life, one and the same. The red suit wrapped itself around her small frame snugly and with ease. It enveloped her with a rush of excitement and optimism to start the day with. The warmth she'd usually felt when it transformed her had never left while she was a civilian, meaning it carried her energy. It carried both Ladybug and Marinette, but in a combination that swirled what made up either girl into a comforting balance. Using her yo-yo as Chat Noir used his staff, the two made their way to school with excitement. They didn't take the usual route, as it would've been too quick, but instead used their patrol one to tour the city for a little before they'd have to settle down for the school day. For now, they rested on the Eiffel Tower to watch the beautiful morning."My lady?""Yes, Adrien?" Ladybug replied, a loving warmth budging through her as she used his name."Do you think we'll ever fight another akuma ever again?" Chat Noir asked, although there was a small tone of sadness he couldn't quite shake. "Well, now that Master Fu has the butterfly miraculous back in his possession, I don't think another villain will take control of it." She looked over at him, realizing he didn't seem to give off the same happy energy he had earlier. "Hey, we don't need a villain to be superheroes. We're... just protectors now. We protect Paris from average crime, and give the police and firemen a break whenever they need it," Ladybug reassured him. "You're right. You know, I'm glad my father can never manipulate another person's sadness or anger ever again," he said, looking back up at the city in front of him. His eyes were still clouded with some sort of... guilt. Maybe he still felt guilty that he couldn't do a single thing to save her when his partner was disappearing in front of his eyes.Maybe there was a part of him that wished he had never allowed his father to use a wish and take away the life of another person, the person who showed him the most care in that household out of everyone else after his mother's disappearance. Maybe he wanted to hate the person behind Hawkmoth's mask and wanted to be glad he was stuck in prison, but couldn't help but miss his father. But he wasn't going to spill the beans on Ladybug. Not today, at least. Because now there was something else he would be concerned about."Let's go to school, bugaboo," Chat offered his hand as he stood to his feet. Ladybug took it happily, letting her transformation drop. He lifted her into his arms, using his staff to lower them back into the city, and take them to school. "Well that's quite the entrance," Chloe laughed, watching Chat Noir gently lower Marinette. "I know, isn't it?" Marinette scrunched her nose, giggling and squeezing her kitty's hand. They all walked over to the backside of the stair wall to let him drop his transformation. “So how have you two been?” Chloe asked curiously. “Enjoying the akuma-free life,” she replied easily. “Claws in.”“I bet,” Chloe laughed, joking, “Same! I can make fun of anyone I want without making them turn into super villains!” Marinette rolled her eyes, laughing. Of course Chloe would say that, even after not bullying anyone for a while. “You haven’t done that for a while, Chloe! You’re on a winning streak here,” Marinette played along, causing the both of them to giggle. “Claws in.”“No kidding, it’s been a good few weeks over here without making anyone cry!” Chloe told her, shrugging exaggeratedly. “Claws in, Plagg!” Marinette turned back to check on her partner. “Everything okay, kitty?” “Claws in!!” He tried again. “Uh...” Chloe frowned, looking at the two of them with worry. “Marinette,” he grabbed her arm anxiously. Oh no. Not him. This was definitely not happening to him. “It’s okay, Adrien. We’ll figure it out,” Marinette reassured him, reaching to wrap an arm around his shoulder for a hug. She had to stay calm. Get the heck home.There was a new situation.