Chapter Text
It is a quiet night. The sounds of traffic are far away from the roofs of the tall houses. On one of these roofs Ladybug and Chat Noir sit and look up to the sky. The moon shines down on Paris as if it were in a particularly good mood tonight. Chat Noir dangles his legs over the edge of the roof and stretches.
"Looks like Shadowmoth isn't planning on roughing up Paris today either."
"Seems so."
The superhero looks at his partner from the side. "Is everything all right, M'lady?" Ladybug stares off into the distance thoughtfully. She just can't share her partner's apparent serenity. Somewhere out there, he is. The man who is giving them all a hard time. The one who terrorizes them. Who she has helped to power.
'No,' she admonishes herself inwardly. She can't start thinking those thoughts again. Especially not around Chat Noir. In the last three weeks, he's gone through a lot of trouble to make her feel better. She should show him that his efforts were not in vain.
That's why she turns her head and smiles at him. "Don't get me wrong: I'm glad he doesn't seem to have abused the Miraculous yet. But it also makes me... uneasy. Since he hasn't done anything yet, we don't know how he's going to proceed or what his plan is." She hides her face in her hands and a frustrated groan escapes her. Partly because she's been brooding for weeks and just doesn't have a breakthrough, and partly because she can't turn off these thoughts even on a quiet evening like this.
A warm hand strokes her back, forcing her to look up. Chat Noir smiles at her. It's the same confident smile that has worked wonders for the past few weeks. It stops Ladybug's thoughts and helps her focus only on the moment. "I know it's frustrating. But let's take it as a good sign! The citizens have not been exposed to any danger yet!"
"No visible danger." corrects Ladybug, thinking dejectedly of the dangerous Risk - Akuma. But the superhero next to her moves closer and lifts her chin with his finger. Familiar green eyes beam at her in the darkness. She falters for a moment. Why had she never noticed how beautiful those eyes were before?
"Hey, we've been over this. We learn from our mistakes. Together, okay?"
The superheroine's mind is still preoccupied with the color of those glowing eyes, so she just nods. But it seems to be enough for Chat Noir, because he leans back, satisfied. "Good. Besides, who knows, maybe there's a really mundane reason for this disaster break!" Puzzled, but also curious, Ladybug tilts his head.
"Like what, for instance?" A mischievous grin spreads across the hero's face. "Maybe Shadowmoth wrote down his master plan so he wouldn't forget it, but then he misplaced the note. Imagine, the poor guy may have been rummaging through his office for weeks now looking for that one piece of paper and just can't find it." Without meaning to, Ladybug actually has to grin.
Curious, she looks at her partner. "How do you know he has an office?" He makes a throwaway hand gesture and shrugs his shoulders with a grin. "All the boring adults who eventually go nuts and mutate into a villain have an office." This makes the superheroine laugh.
Reflexively, she puts a hand on her chest. Her chest suddenly feels much lighter. Meanwhile, Chat Noir doesn't stop grinning. "I'm serious! Even the greatest supervillains can be scatterbrained and fail at such simple things! The note probably ended up in the trash and has long since been lost forever!"
Grateful for this obvious distraction, Ladybug, still with a smile on her lips, huffs.
"Ah yes, and do you have any other ideas as to why things have been so peaceful so far?" "Of course!" Confidently, Chat Noir grabs his chest and raises a hand to count off his suggestions.
"There's the possibility that he suffered a plane crash and our problem has already taken care of itself."
"Unlikely."
"Well, then he just ran into the love of his life on a business trip in America and without anyone noticing, he already emigrated two weeks ago and is now living a simple but happy life on the other side of the world. And he was too embarrassed to officially resign as Shadowmoth, so he quietly ended his career."
"Who would have such bad taste and fall in love with a supervillain? This theory is even more unlikely than the previous one." Though she doesn't fail to make Ladybug laugh. Chat Noir shrugs his shoulders, unaffected, but smirks.
"Haven't you ever read a mystery novel, M'lady? The villains are always the ones you least expect."
"Of course." Ladybug tries for a serious tone, but can't stop smirking.
That's why Chat Noir snorts and straightens his torso. "Good, then we'll just move on to my favorite theory." "Now I'm curious." The smirk turns into a grin as her partner raises his index finger in the air. "The simplest yet best explanation for Shadowmoth's lack of action is the Kwamis. The little fellows have formed a rebellion and pounced on him like a swarm of little pests, chattering away incessantly and making his life hell. The poor man has not been able to think a clear thought, and thus has not been able to act."
The thought of a mini-rebellion from Kwamis makes Ladybug smile, but it is weaker than before. The lightness in the air fades as she thinks of the happy faces of the little creatures. What must they be going through right now? A hand touches her gently on the shoulder. Chat Noir has noticed her change of mood and looks at her with concern. "M'lady?"
At first she feels the impulse to just shut up and pretend nothing is wrong. But then she remembers the promise she made to herself: No more secrets. She has to learn to be open with her partner. Especially if they both want to get through this in one piece. So she puts her hand on her partner's and sadly explains, "I was just thinking about the Kwamis. How you described your theory... It reminded me of how it used to be."
She bites her lip. 'Don't be so vague!' So she takes a breath and looks past the superhero into the distance. "When I became Guardian, I couldn't bring myself to lock the Kwamis in the Miracle Box. Instead, they were allowed to roam freely in my room and were only supposed to hide when someone strange came."
The hint of a smile graced her face. "I've gotten so used to having little creatures flying around the room all the time, chattering away in confusion, that the last few weeks I've felt kind of.... lonely. The silence, the stillness, everything was so.... bleak." Chat Noir clenches his free hand into a fist and lowers his gaze. "Yes, being alone in an empty room can sometimes feel more stifling than being surrounded by a crowd of people."
Nodding, Ladybug draws her knees to her chest and closes her eyes. "Everything is just so... hard." She can't stop the sudden tremor in her voice. "I didn't just lose some magical accessories. I allowed the kwamis - living creatures! - to fall into the hands of this cruel man and I can't -” A knot in her throat prevents her form speaking further. Only with difficulty does she manage to end her sentence. “I can´t imagine what these little guys must be going through right now!" Two strong arms encircle her and pull her to a warm chest. Instantly, her body relaxes. She didn't even realize how tense she was.
"I'm sorry you feel that way. I wish you wouldn't put so much guilt on yourself. But I'm going to do everything I can to make you feel better. I've already told you, and I'll repeat it as many times as it takes: we're going to get them back. The Miraculous, and the Kwamis. We'll do it. Together."
A sigh escapes Ladybug. Chat Noir is right. As it is so often. They need to keep a clear head and work together. Then they will save the Kwamis. They will save all of Paris.
The weight on her chest lightens, and she hides her face in the crook of her partner's neck for a moment. He strokes her back reassuringly before adopting a much more relaxed tone. "Besides, the Kwamis aren't alone: they have each other. And if they're anything like my kwami, I'm sure they won't let some old curmudgeon like that get them down." Though he can´t see it, but Chat Noir feels the corners of his lady's mouth lift.
Her voice is soft, but it's so close to his ear that he can still hear it.
"I know I probably say this way too rarely, but I have the best partner in the world."
"Can't be, I already have her." Jerking away from his embrace, Ladybug slaps him on the arm. "Suck-up." she mutters with a smirk. "Gentleman." he corrects with a grin.
The two sit silently next to each other for a while before Ladybug turns her gaze to the sky and asks, "Tonight feels kind of weird, don't you think?" Her partner now raises his eyes thoughtfully as well. In fact, he's had an underlying feeling all evening that he can't quite place. That his lady senses it as well is even stranger.
"I thought I was imagining it, but you seem to feel it too. What do you think it means?" "I don't know. But it doesn't feel like danger, does it?"
"No, that´s not it. Something just feels... different." Pondering, they both look at the moon shining brilliantly down on them, as if it holds an answer.
Finally, Chat Noir can't stifle a yawn. "Whatever it is, it will have to wait until tomorrow. Now I think it's time to go home." Checking, his partner opens her yoyo and snaps her eyes open. "You're right, we should go! I lost track of time!" Smugly, Chat Noir brushes a few strands of hair from his face. "Well, I usually have that effect on people!"
Ladybug rolls her eyes and sticks her tongue out at him, but turns her face away to hide the blush rising in her cheeks. The fact is that Chat Noir is indeed to blame for her forgetting the time. This recent effect, however, means nothing and is certainly not something she wants to decorate his ego with. However, her partner does not seem to notice her embarrassment.
When she turns back to him, he bows gallantly to her. "Well then, good night, M'lady. I wish you sweet dreams!" Since when does his mischievous wink make her so embarrassed? Quickly clearing her throat, she waves goodbye to him, "Good night, Kitty!" Before she lunges with the yoyo and disappears into the streets of Paris.
When she arrives at her roof deck, she makes sure no one is watching her before climbing through the skylight into her room. "Spots off!" A pink glow surrounds her, and a moment later the suit is gone and Marinette is back in her everyday clothes. Restless, she begins pacing the room, gathering her Pajamas. Her Kwami Tikki flies up beside her and looks at her curiously.
"What was that all about, Marinette?" she wants to know. "I have absolutely no idea what you mean." claims the teen, surveying her pajamas a little too intently. So Tikki helps her out. "Chat Noir and you were kind of... romantic today."
"What? T-that's not true at all!"
"You blushed several times and didn't scold him at all. That's not like you at all." Tikki enumerates the facts, not taking her eyes off Marinette.
Her owner's response consists of a worried groan. "Did I really behave so differently? Do you think Chat noticed it too? Is that a bad thing? Does he think differently of me now?" Tikki tilts her head. "Why are you so worried about it?" Puzzled, Marinette pauses and blinks. "I just...I don't know. I guess I just don't want to lose him."
Tikki, while very sure there's more to it, leaves it at that. Right now, Marinette has enough on her plate. The idea of a crush right now would probably just stress her out unnecessarily. So the kwami makes an effort to get her owner to stop thinking, and instead shoos her into bed before settling down next to her on the pillow.
"Go to sleep now. It's late and you have school tomorrow." Tiredly, Marinette smiles and pats her friend on the head. "I'd be lost without you, Tikki..." "I know. Good night, Marinette!" A yawn distorts her mumbled reply before Marinette's eyes fall shut and she falls asleep almost instantly.
Tikki watches her for a while. Although Kwamis are asleep too, she's not managing to rest quite as easily today. She has heard her owner talking about the rest of the Kwamis before. So far she has not mentioned it, but the loss of her friends hurts her more than she wants to admit. Usually she pushes the thoughts away to keep a smile for Marinette, to distract her from her worries and support her with optimistic thoughts.
But here, now? In the darkness? That's when she allows herself this one moment of deep sorrow. How she misses her friends! Now they must suffer as much as Noroo. She never told Marinette, but when the Kwamis tried to contact him on Noroo's birthday and were interrupted by Shadowmoth, his demeanor shocked her deeply. His behavior clearly showed that he has no respect left for small creatures. She shudders at the thought of what limits he might impose on her friends.
And it drives her into guilt herself. Because unlike Marinette, she is a Kwami, a god. She has lived for thousands of years, has seen and experienced so much. She should have given Marinette better advice, supported her better, been more vigilant. Maybe then she could have protected her friends. With this extremely sad thought, the little Kwami finally drifts off into a restless sleep.
.....................
When Marinette opens her eyes the next morning, blinking, a stranger´s hand lies next to her face. Untouched, Marinette closes her eyes again and turns to the other side.
A second passes. Two. Three.
Then the thought reaches her brain and she tears her eyes open.
Wide awake, she turns her head and looks beside her. Sure enough, there is a strange hand lying there. Panic, confusion and fear flood her as her eyes wander along the hand and discover an unfamiliar face with its eyes closed. Strands of red hair cover part of the female features.
Unable to move due to the shock, Marinette's eyes continue to wander down the person. From chin to neck to shoulders and - good grief. This person is not wearing clothes. Her brain flips over.
There's a naked, strange woman lying in her bed.
Witnesses later confirm that the scream Marinette makes can be heard even at the other end of Paris.
Awakened by the scream, the strange woman now also opens her eyes and jerks back, startled. "Marinette! What's wrong?" she calls, looking at the girl in confusion. As if SHE is the one acting strangely here. Marinette sits up and puts as much distance between herself and this girl as is possible in the small bed.
"Who are you?" she wants to know, pressing herself against the wall. The girl seems even more confused. Instead of an answer, she leans forward as if to advance to the dark-haired teenager, but abruptly falls with her upper body on the mattress, as if she hadn't considered her balance. "What -" the stranger mumbles in confusion, bracing herself before freezing and looking down at her arms.
Seconds pass, stretching into an eternity, until the woman finally lifts her head and looks at Marinette again. Anxiously, the dark-haired woman presses herself even tighter against the wall.
"Don't come near me! I'm warning you-"
"Marinette, it´s okay! It's me!"
But Marinette does not hear. Instead, some sense finally awakens in her and she starts screaming again. "Maman! Papa! Com- mhhpf!" The woman has sprinted forward and covered Marinette's mouth. Her face is now inches from Marinette's. Big eyes look pleadingly at her.
"It's all right, Marinette. It's me, Tikki! Your kwami, your friend, do you hear me?"
Mingled with the shock and panic is disbelief. Tikki? Impossible. But how would this woman have known about her kwami? Or know her name? Desperation sparks in the stranger's eyes. "Please, look at me! I'm Tikki, seriously! I'm your kwami!" This must be a dream. There is no other way to explain this weird situation.
Neither woman moves an inch, so Marinette is forced to look into the woman's pleading eyes. They are violet, she notes with surprise. She has never seen such a color in a human before. They really do look like those of her kwami. The hair color is also the same red as Tikki's skin. Only the front strands are black. How can that be? A knock interrupts her thoughts. Her mother's muffled voice sounds.
"Marinette, honey? What's wrong? You screamed!"
Her eyes dart from the still-closed hatch back to the stranger. Her mouth is still held shut, so she can't answer. Insistently, the woman pleads, "I promise I'll explain everything, but PLEASE, believe me!" Hesitantly, Marinette looks at her counterpart. The woman's voice is a little deeper than Tikki's, yet they sound suspiciously similar. And as unlikely as it sounds that her kwami turned into a woman overnight: The explanation that a strange woman, who looks suspiciously similar to her kwami, has laid down in her bed next to her at night, unclothed, sounds even more unlikely.
That's why she decides to accept the situation as it is for now and believe the woman - Tikki. "Marinette?" comes more urgently from below. Slowly, the teen nods to Tikki and points to the hand on her face. Tikki releases her mouth so that Marinette, without taking her eyes off the girl, hesitantly calls out, "I´m okay!"
Her mother doesn't seem to be appeased by that. A moment later, the hatch opens. Quick-witted, Marinette jumps up and runs toward the door - because she has no idea how to explain Tikki's sight on her bed when her parents discover her. So she waves her hands to distract her mother. The latter looks at her daughter with concern. "Are you sure you're all right?" She nods eagerly.
"It's all right, Maman! I just got a fright. There was a - um - mouse! No, a bug! A bug mouse!" Hesitantly, Sabine looks at her daughter, but before she can doubt her daughter's explanation, she grabs her by the shoulders and urges her to descend the stairs and leave her room.
"Since that bug mouse is still in my room, you'll have to leave me alone now so I can close the door and catch it. So, I'll see you at breakfast!" "If you need help-" Sabine continues, but by then her daughter has already slammed the door in her face.
Exhausted and done with nerves, Marinette walks back to the bed and almost flinches again when she sees that the human Tikki is still sitting on her mattress, staring a little lost at her hands. So it's not imagination. Hesitantly, Marinette's gaze wanders around her room and she calls out testily, "Tikki?"
Nothing responds. If her kwami had actually been here and hiding, she would have come out by now, Marinette is sure. According to this, the girl on her bed really is her Kwami....
Almost shyly, Tikki raises her hand and smiles apologetically. "It's me, Marinette."
The dark-haired girl closes her eyes and takes one deep breath. Okay, don't freak out. Stay calm. When she opens her eyes, she crosses her arms and looks challengingly at her friend. "Okay, I want answers. Now. And that explanation better be bombastically convincing!"