Disclaimer: I do not own Miraculous Ladybug. It belongs to its respective owner.
Summer Skies
present day
"I'm heading out now, Uncle Cheng!" a black-haired girl with pigtails exclaims as she runs past her uncle. She stops by the entrance of his humble little house, and slips on her white sandals.
Her uncle pokes his head into the room, and nods at her. "Be careful, and don't stay out too late, Marinette," Wang Cheng says calmly.
"I know," she answers with a smile and wave of her hand. A white tote bag is slung over her shoulder, and she runs out the door, screaming, "I'll be sure to be back by dinner!"
Marinette walks down the streets of the little village with a smile on her face. She continues walking down the streets until she reaches the opening of the forest, and she quietly slips past the thick bushes and tall trees. She follows the dirt path before her, and she quickens her pace when she sees stairs made of stone in the distance. A sad smile spreads across her face when she finally reaches the start of the stairs at the nostalgia. She walks up the steps three at a time, and she sits down once she reaches the very top.
Marinette reaches into her tote bag and carefully pulls out a black cat mask. She gently holds it in her hands as if it were the most precious and most fragile thing in the world, and her eyes begin to water when the memories come rushing back into her mind.
"Adrien…"
She was six when she first met him.
"…Uncle Cheng?" a little girl with a bobcut calls out in fear, cupping her mouth with her tiny hands. "Uncle Cheng? Where are you?"
Marinette was playing Hide-and-Seek with her uncle, but she unknowingly went too deep inside the forest. She hid behind a bush and waited for her uncle to find her, but he never came. She didn't have a watch on her, but she could tell by the color of the sky that nighttime was coming, and she was terrified. The sky was a cloudless blue when they started the game, and now, it was a blend of blue and pink and orange and violet. If she couldn't find her way by the time the moon came up, she didn't know what would become of her.
After minutes of walking around and trying to find a way out, Marinette curls up into a ball and begins to weep. She's scared—she just wants to be safe in her uncle's home again.
"Hey, Ladybug."
Marinette stops crying at the sound of the voice, wiping away the tears that blur her vision. She looks up when she's done, and she's surprised to see a boy standing next to a tree in the distance. He's tall and much older than she is, possibly in his late teens. He's wearing a black shirt with three colorful lines across the chest area, and over it is a white buttoned-up shirt with his sleeves rolled up to his elbows. He has on light blue skinny jeans, and orange Converse shoes adorn his feet. His hair is blond and messy, and that's all she can tell for now because his face is hidden by a mask that resembles that of a black cat's.
"L-Ladybug?" Marinette echoes. She then looks down at the dress she's wearing, and it's red with black polka dots all over it—it's no wonder he called her that.
Suddenly, realization hits her.
"Excuse me, mister," Marinette calls out to him, standing up. She nervously shifts from foot to foot, and places her arms behind her back. "Do you know the way out of the forest?"
The boy nods. "I'll show you the way out."
"Thank you!" Marinette exclaims, and in her excited state, she runs towards him with her arms stretched out. The boy lets out a startled gasp and grabs the nearest stick, then proceeds to whack her over the head with it. Marinette falls to the ground and places two hands over the injured spot.
"S-sorry!" the boy stutters, waving his hands before him. He continues to hold the stick, however. "I didn't mean to hit you!"
"Then why did you?" Marinette frowns as she continues to rub the spot he hit in order to soothe the pain. She stands up when she's all right again, and this time knowing to keep her distance from him in case he were the whack her over the head again.
"You're a human… aren't you?" he asks, making Marinette raise her eyebrow in confusion.
"Yes," she answers, tilting her head to the side at the strange question. "Just like you."
"That's where you're wrong," the boy says. "I'm not a human. I'm a spirit."
Silence follows his words. The only thing Marinette could hear is the howling of the wind that travels around the two of them. She's heard people talk about Forest Spirits, but she's always been told that they were myths, legends, and old folktales.
"You're… a spirit?" Marinette asks, and he nods. "No, you're not! Don't lie to me—I hate liars!"
"But I am," the boy chuckles. "I don't blame you if you don't believe me. I don't really look like one, do I?"
"You look like a human boy," she says. "And why can't I touch you?"
"Because if a human touches me… I'll disappear," he says quietly. "So, please don't touch me."
Marinette doesn't seem convinced at his words, and a child is not always obedient. She starts running towards him, but luckily, the boy dodges her at the last second. She does it again and again and again, until the spirit decides to hit her on the head with the stick once more.
"Y-you're not kidding, are you?" Marinette asks, rubbing her burning forehead. "I don't think you'd make this much effort avoiding my touch…"
"That's what I've been trying to tell you for the start," he sighs exasperatedly. "When I was a baby, the God of this forest placed a spell on me. I'd live, but cursed to disappear if a human ever were to touch me. So, if you touch me… that's the end for me."
"I'm sorry," Marinette apologizes. "I thought you were lying."
Smiling behind his mask, the boy approaches the little girl and holds the stick out to her. "Grab the other end of the stick," he tells her. "I'll lead you out of the forest."
Marinette grabs the other end of the stick. "Thank you!" she smiles.
Marinette and the boy walk down the dirt roads of the forest, the stick acting as a barrier between life and death for the cat-masked boy. Grass and dirt soon become cobblestone paths, and Marinette couldn't be happier to see the end of the forest in the distance. She grins up at the kind person and memorizes his features because after this, she definitely wants to see him again.
"It's like we're on a date," Marinette giggles. "Right, Chat Noir?"
"Chat Noir?" the boys asks. He then remembers that the mask he's wearing is designed after the face of a black cat. "Wait… aren't you a little too young to know what a date is?"
"My mommy and daddy go on one all the time," Marinette says, skipping down the stone path. "They told me all about it."
"I see. So, this feels like a date, huh?" Chat Noir asks, tapping the stick with one finger. "It's not a very romantic one, if you ask me…"
Marinette laughs.
They soon reach the end of the cobblestone trail, and Chat Noir points in the distance. "If you go straight, you'll reach the mountain path. It'll lead you straight to town."
Marinette lets go of the stick and skips down the steps made of stone. She turns herself around and exclaims, "Thank you, mister!"
"You're welcome," Chat Noir replies. He waves goodbye to her and shoves one hand in his pocket, and he turns around to head back into the forest.
"Wait."
Chat Noir slowly turns his head around to see the little girl standing with her hands behind her back. "Can I see you again?" she asks. "If I come back here tomorrow… would you be here? Would you wait for me here?"
"They say that if you step foot into this forest," Chat Noir begins. "You'll lose your way forever. You'll get captured by the akumas and turned evil against your will." Marinette looks up at him, and blinks. "…That's what the villagers say, don't they?"
"That's true," Marinette says. "But you'll be there to protect me, so I'm not scared."
The boy stays silent.
"I'm Marinette," she smiles. "What's your name?"
He doesn't say a word, and only the howling wind and the rustling trees make noise around them.
And then he speaks up.
"Adrien."
Marinette walks along the dirt path, when she hears a familiar voice calling her name. Her eyes widen, and up ahead, she could see her uncle Cheng looking around the area frantically.
"Uncle Cheng!" Marinette cries, running up to him.
"Marinette! I've been looking everywhere for you!" her uncle replied in Chinese. He kneels down to her level and gives her a hug. "Don't go too far into the forest!"
"I'm sorry," Marinette apologizes. She grabs Uncle Cheng's hand, and they walk along the path to get back to town. The sun is setting, and Marinette looks behind her to take one last glance at the forest. It looks so peaceful and not scary at all under the orange afternoon sky. She looks up at her uncle, "Uncle Cheng?"
"Yes, Marinette?" he answers, looking down at her with a smile.
"Are there really spirits in the forest?"
Wang Cheng laughs. "Who knows?" he replies. "We call these spirits akumas.
"Akumas?"
He nods. "I remember being curious about that when I was about your age too. I once took a walk in the forest, and thought I caught a spirit with a cat mask on. When I looked back, it was gone. It was probably just my imagination though." Marinette's eyes widen as her relative continues, "Come to think of it, when your mom was young, she would attend a summer festival in the forest every year. Some villagers say it's a festival for spirits and humans unknowingly blend in."
"A festival for spirits?"
Her uncle nods. "Festivals and events are always held in town. If the villagers didn't plan that festival, who did?" he asks, chuckling. "This little town is pretty superstitious. I think a group of people organize this forest festival just to make a story for the town. Bring some excitement for all of us; give us something to talk about."
They continue to walk down the rest of the forest path in silence, and Marinette has Adrien on her mind the entire time.
"You came back."
Adrien is sitting on the stone steps leading to the forest, and Marinette just looks up at his masked face with a smile. She's carrying a plastic bag with two pink, strawberry popsicles inside, and holds it up.
"I wanted to thank you," Marinette grins. "And I brought you some popsicles! Th-that is… if spirits can… eat…" Her face turns red—she didn't even think about whether Adrien could eat or not.
Adrien laughs. "I can eat," he says. "I don't need to, but I can. So, thank you, Marinette." He gets up on his feet and looks down at her. "It's pretty hot today, isn't it? I know a nice open field with lots of wind."
Marinette nods, and Adrien starts walking ahead with his hands shoved in his pockets. She runs up the stairs to catch up to him, and lets him pick the first popsicle so as to not accidentally touch it if she were to hand him one.
Adrien lifts his mask over his mouth to be able to take bites of his frozen treat, but not enough for Marinette to fully see his face, which disappoints her greatly. But she quickly drops her sadness—maybe she'll get to see his face one day.
While walking through the forest, Marinette has a nagging feeling in the back of her head that someone's watching her. She turns her head to the side to see if anything's following her, only to find no one there. She runs closer to Adrien's side, who suddenly stops, and Marinette gasps in surprise at his sudden halt. She sighs in relief when she realizes she didn't touch him.
"Adrien," a dark voice says. Marinette looks ahead to see a tall and monstrous cat figure ahead, and she lets out a gasp at the sight of it. "Is she… a human?" Adrien doesn't answer him, and Marinette hides behind him. "Can I eat her?"
"If you're hungry, why don't you just eat some Camembert?" Adrien replies sassily. "This is Marinette. She's my friend."
"I see," the cat spirit says. He looks down at her with a stone-cold glare, and he smirks at her fear. "Marinade—"
"Marinette."
"Marinette," it continues. "Don't touch him. If you do, I'll come back for you—"
Marinette sneezes.
The monster lets out a shriek, and its body is enveloped in a cloud of black and violet. Instead of the tall beast previously occupying the space, there's a little black cat sprite floating in the air.
"Oh, a kitten?" Marinette asks with absolute glee. Grumbling, the sprite flies away, disappearing behind the trees.
"That was Plagg. He disguises himself as an akuma to scare other spirits off, but he's really just a kwami," Adrien laughs.
"What's a kwami?" Marinette asks.
"Kwami's are sprites. They can shape-shift, unlike akumas, who keep their form always," he explains. "He transforms into that huge monster you just saw to scare people off. But he's all bark and no bite. He doesn't even eat humans, by the way. He eats cheese. Camembert cheese, to be specific."
"A cat that eats cheese?" Marinette laughs. Adrien joins in with her laughter, and walks ahead. Marinette continues to walk as well, and decides to ask him, "Adrien, why do you always wear that mask?"
"I don't really look like a spirit, do I?" Adrien asks. "Nevermind about me. Tell me about yourself."
"Are you curious?" Marinette grins.
"That's why I waited for you."
Smiling, Marinette runs in front of Adrien and walks backwards to keep her eyes on him while she tells him about herself. She blinks when the shade from the tress disappear, and when she turns around, there's an open field before her.
It's a circle of grass and flowers surrounded by trees, and Marinette could faintly hear the streams of a river in the distance. There's a breeze in this part of the forest that feels really nice, especially since it's one of the hottest days of the year.
Laughing, Marinette runs across the field, and Adrien follows behind with a ghost of a smile on his face.
This human really is something.
After this, Marinette visits the forest every day to see Adrien.
They're out in the open field again, and Marinette is picking flowers of the colors red, blue, purple and yellow. When she's done, she runs over to the spirit, who's lying on a bed of grass.
"Adrien!" Marinette exclaims, running up to him. When he doesn't react, she kneels down above his head. "Adrien?" After another moment of silence, she asks herself, "Did he fall asleep?"
Marinette looks down at his upside-down form, and puts her flowers down. She stretches her hands out to ouch his mask, but hesitates. "I… can touch his mask, right? As long as it's not his skin?"
Quietly and carefully, Marinette slowly lifts up Adrien's black cat mask off, looking down at him with a soft expression on her face.
Adrien is handsome. He has flawless, soft-looking skin, and his golden blond hair is messy, but he manages to pull it off so well. He suddenly opens his eyes to reveal striking emerald green, and out of embarrassment, Marinette slams his mask against his face with a squeak.
"Ow!" Adrien cries, clutching his mask. "For a little lady, you sure are strong." He sits upright and turns himself around to look at her.
"You were pretending to sleep, weren't you?" Marinette asks, and Adrien stays silent. "Adrien, why do you wear that mask?"
"Because I don't look like a spirit," Adrien says. "I wear this mask so that the forest spirits who don't know me won't eat me up. They call me Chat Noir here, and they'll know not to attack me once they see the mask."
"Chat Noir? Like the name I called you?" she asks.
Adrien nods. "They all overheard you, and it kind of stuck."
Marinette laughs.
When the sun begins to set, Adrien walks Marinette back to the stone steps.
"I'll be here again tomorrow, like always," Adrien tells her.
"About that…" Marinette says once they reach the bottom of the stairs. "I won't be able to come here tomorrow."
"You aren't…? Why?" Adrien asks, genuinely upset. He had fun with her all summer—playing Hide-and-Seek, picking flowers, sailing grass boats, dipping their feet in the river, learning about the human life and her learning about the spirits.
"I'm only here to spend the summer at my uncle's," Marinette explains. "I told you, remember? I have to go back to Paris."
"Will you come again next summer?" Adrien asks hopefully.
Marinette smiles. "I will."
"I'll be waiting for you."
The year goes by in a blur, and before she knows it, Marinette is back in the forest, sitting by the river with Adrien. Their feet are dipped in the water, and they're swaying them back and forth as they talk.
"Did you miss me?" seven-year-old Marinette teases, kicking the water with her feet.
"Of course I did," Adrien laughs. "You're really fun to have around, Marinette."
"I like spending time with you too," she grins. Marinette leans back and looks up at the clouds rolling by in the clear, summer sky. She'll treasure these moments spent with Adrien, she knew.
When the sky goes from blue to pink, Adrien decides it's time to walk Marinette back to the stone steps. On their way there, a little blue peacock flies in front of Adrien, startling him.
"Berry, you scared me!" Adrien exclaims, taking a step back.
"Adrien, is this the human everyone's been talking about?" the kwami asks worriedly, pointing at Marinette. "It's dangerous! If she touches you, you'll… you'll…!" Berry starts crying hysterically, and her tears are glittery and sprinkling like water fountains.
"What do you mean everyone—Ugh, Plagg!" Adrien screams, and the black cat kwami comes flying in front of him with a slice of cheese (which he probably stole) in his hands.
"You called, kid?" Plagg asks.
"You told everyone?!" Adrien screeches.
"Adrien? Is everything all right?" Marinette asks. She hears fluttering behind her, and when she turns around, she screams at the sight of a huge bee staring right at her.
She screams, alerting both Adrien and Berry.
"Hanni, I told you that you'd scare her," says a calm voice. Marinette looks down to see a little fox on all fours, but looking at its size, it must be a kwami. She gets confirmation when the sprite flies up to her level to speak to her.
"Excuse you, Kitsuu, bees are completely normal," Hanni huffs, crossing her little arms.
"Not bees as big as you," says another unfamiliar voice.
"Ladybugs as big as you aren't exactly normal either, Tikki," Hanni says when a ladybug sprite flies into the scene. A turtle and butterfly kwami follow after Tikki, and Marinette discovers that their names are Wayzz and Nooroo, respectively.
The kwamis begin making a ruckus—Berry is sobbing uncontrollably, Hanni and Tikki are yelling each other's ears off, Plagg is just smirking at the whole scene, Kitsuu is trying to stop Berry from crying, Wayzz is trying to calm everyone down, and Nooroo is in the corner, watching the scene with a pout on his face.
"Everyone, stop!" Adrien screams, making the kwamis go silent.
"But Adrien!" the sprites all exclaim at the same time.
"Marinette knows not to touch me," Adrien says, looking down at the little girl with a bobcut. "I'll be all right."
Still unconvinced, the kwamis all fly in front of Marinette and tell her, "Don't touch him! DON'T!"
"I-I won't," Marinette says, and after quickly making a promise to them, the sprites all fly off in different directions to get back to what they were doing. She looks up at Adrien, "Who were they?"
"My family," Adrien laughs. "They're very over-protective of me. Sorry about that."
"Your family?" Marinette asks.
Adrien nods. "Let me tell you something about myself," he begins. "I wasn't born a spirit. I was once a human. When I was a baby, I was abandoned in this forest. I cried loudly and helplessly—which caught Plagg's attention. I would've died if it weren't for him, actually. He convinced the mountain god—we call him Fu—to help me. So, Fu turned me into a spirit. The kwamis you just saw have taken care of me since I was a baby."
"It must've been so fun all these years," Marinette says. "They seem so nice."
"They really are," Adrien grins. "It's pretty funny—I actually thought about our family tree. Plagg would be my dad, Tikki my mom, Berry my little sister, Nooroo my little brother, Hanni my older sister, Kitsuu my older brother, and Wayzz my grandpa."
"That's so nice," Marinette smiles, but her smile fades when she asks, "Adrien? Do they… hate me?"
"What are you talking about?" Adrien asks, stopping when they make it to the stairs.
"Do they hate me because I'm a human?" she asks sadly. "I promise I won't make you disappear."
"Don't worry, Marinette," Adrien laughs. "They don't hate you. Trust me."
"I hope not," Marinette frowns. "Well, my uncle's probably looking for me right now. I'll see you tomorrow!" She goes down the stairs and runs down the dirt path leading to the village, waving goodbye to him. "Bye, Adrien!"
Adrien waves goodbye to her until she disappears in the distance. He then says, "Alright, I know you guys are there. You can come out."
Seven guilty kwamis fly out of a bush and fly over to him. "We were just a bit worried," Tikki says on behalf of everyone.
"I wasn't," Plagg scoffs, earning him a glare from the ladybug kwami herself.
"If I may add something, you were right, Adrien," Wayzz says with a warm smile.
"Right about what?" Adrien asks.
"We do like her," the kwamis all say in unison.
Adrien smiles. "Thanks, guys."
"Marinette?" Adrien calls out as he walks around the forest. "Marinette?"
Marinette had run off into the forest upon meeting up with him that day. Adrien had been walking around the forest for minutes now, and there's still no sign of that girl—
"BOO!"
Adrien looks up, unstartled, to see Marinette hanging upside-down on a tree branch with the most ridiculous expression on her face.
"…What are you doing?" Adrien asks. Despite the fact that he has a mask on his face, Marinette can tell what kind of facial expression he's making.
"I… uh, wanted to scare you…" Marinette answers with a pinch of disappointment. She lifts herself up and sits on the tree branch, looking down at him with a sheepish expression on her face. "I wanted to see your startled face, but I forgot about your mask…"
"You're so weird," Adrien laughs.
Marinette looks down at him and frowns at his black cat mask. "Adrien?" she asks. "At least when I'm around… can you take your mask off every once in a while?"
"Sure," Adrien says, lifting up his mask so that she can see his green eyes. "But is there a reason?"
"Not really, it's just—"
Crrrack.
Marinette looks over to where the sound came from and gasps when the tree branch she's sitting on breaks. Suddenly, she's falling, and the whole world is in slow motion when she sees Adrien running towards her with his arms outstretched, ready to catch her. Her eyes widen because Adrien is just about to die, and it's going to be her fault.
At the last second, Adrien stops, and pulls his arms back, allowing Marinette to fall to the ground.
"Marinette! I-I'm sorry, I…" Adrien says, rushing to her side. "Are you okay?"
Marinette turns herself around and sits up, looking down at the grass. She covers her eyes with her bangs and says, "…Adrien."
Adrien kneels down to her level, setting his mask down next to him. "Yes?" he responds.
"No matter what…" Marinette looks up at him with tearful eyes. Despite this, she wears a forced smile on her face. "Don't ever touch me, okay? Don't…"
She sobs, and he wants to comfort her, but the arm he stretched out was trembling.
"…I'm sorry," is all Adrien can say. "I won't ever touch you. I promise."
Marinette visits Adrien year after year after year, and now she's fourteen years old, spending her last summer day with him before heading back to Paris. Instead of keeping her hair in a bobcut, she decided to grow it out, and she keeps it tied into two pigtails.
"Adrien, I'm back!" Marinette announces upon reaching their meet-up spot.
"You grew your hair out," Adrien says. "The pigtails look really nice on you, Ladybug."
"You haven't called me that in years," she laughs, rushing to his side.
They walk in silence as they make their way to their usual spot—the open field in the heart of the forest—but Marinette looks up at Adrien to observe his appearance. Her appearance has changed throughout the years, but Adrien looks exactly the same since the day they first met.
"Adrien, you don't age, do you?" Marinette asks.
"I do, but very, very slowly," Adrien explains. "I'm about seventeen years old now. I aged up by only one year since the day we met."
"Huh," Marinette says. "Gradually, our ages are getting closer."
"I'll be eighteen by the time you reach seventeen," Adrien says. "I age up one year every ten years, or something along the lines of that."
"You'll be young for a long time," Marinette laughs. "Lucky you."
"I'm not very lucky if that means I'm going to surpass you," Adrien says.
Marinette looks up at him, and her chest pinches.
"I didn't think about that…"
"Uncle Cheng?" Marinette asks at the dinner table. "Do you think spirits get cold in the winter?"
Wang Cheng laughs, setting down his homemade food on the table. "You still think spirits live in that forest?" he asks, and Marinette turns bright red. "Well, if you were to ask me, I think they do."
"Really?" Marinette asks.
He nods.
The next day, Marinette runs to the forest to see Adrien one last time before she has to hop onto the train to bring her back to her city.
"A scarf?" Adrien asks, holding up a sky blue muffler—his favorite color.
Marinette nods. "I made it myself," she says. "Use it in the winter. I heard it's going to be a freezing cold winter this year."
She doesn't tell him that it took her all night to sew the scarf. She doesn't tell him she made it because she didn't want him to get cold when winter comes around, whether spirits get cold or not. She doesn't tell him that she wants him to think of her whenever he wears the scarf.
But somehow, he knows.
Adrien looks down at the gift, and smiles. "Thank you, Marinette," he says.
"It's nothing," she says, waving. "I'll see you next summer!"
"I'll be waiting!" Adrien exclaims, waving goodbye.
Marinette runs off so as to not miss her train, and when she takes one last glance over her shoulder, she sees Adrien wrap the scarf around his neck. He lifts up his mask, and smiles down at it.
Her heart skips a beat.
"Time flies, doesn't it?"
Adrien and Marinette are making their way down the same forest path they've walked in the past eleven years. Everything remains unchanged—the trees are still healthy and strong, the breeze ever so breezy, the grass green, and their friendship just as precious as ever.
"It really does," Marinette says. "I'm seventeen now."
She kept her hair tied into two pigtails ever since Adrien told her she looked nice in them. She couldn't bring herself to keep it down after that.
"I'm eighteen," Adrien says. "After next year, you've surpassed me by age."
Marinette frowns. She never wanted to grow older than him, but it was inevitable.
They make it to the open field and lie on the grass in silence as they watch the clouds roll by in the sky on this lazy afternoon.
"Adrien, I'm graduating next year, you know," Marinette says, breaking the silence.
"You've told me about that before," Adrien recalls. "You're getting into fashion design, right?"
Marinette nods. "But that's not all," she grins. "I'm thinking of getting a job here, so that I could see you more." Adrien looks at her, but she can't tell what he's expressing because of the mask covering his face. "And once I get enough money, I'm thinking of moving here."
Marinette's willing to leave Paris behind for this tiny little village. She's willing to travel over six hours by train (getting here and going back) on weekends just for a job here. She's willing to leave her friends and family behind to start all over.
For him.
Adrien couldn't let that happen. He didn't want that to happen. He didn't want her to drop everything good in her life so far just for him—a spirit she can't even touch.
"Marinette," Adrien begins.
"Hm?"
"Forget about me."
Marinette eyes widen. "What…?"
"Forget about me," he repeats. "I don't want you to throw everything away for something that hardly even exists. Stay in Paris. You have better opportunities there."
"I don't want to," Marinette says. "I want to be with you, Adrien."
"I… I want to be with you too," Adrien says. "But you know it's impossible."
Marinette knew that time would separate them someday, but for now… she wants to spend as much time as she can with Adrien. She wants to enjoy every moment they spent together, and embed every single one into her heart.
She never wanted to forget about him.
"I know."
"A spirit festival?" Marinette asks. She and Adrien are sitting by the river, and their feet are dipped in the cold water. She kicks the water just like she used to when she was seven years old, and the thought makes her somewhat sad because that was ten years ago.
"Basically, it's a summer festival organized by spirits," Adrien explains clearer. "It mimics traditional Chinese lantern festivals."
"Oh, my uncle told me about that when I was little," Marinette recalls.
"I didn't want to invite you back then because I thought you'd get scared," Adrien laughs. "Plagg really scared you back then. But now that you're older, would you come?" He takes his mask off and looks down at her with his striking green eyes, making Marinette's cheeks burn. Setting his mask aside, he smiles, "I've wanted to go with you for a long time now."
"I'll go with you!" Marinette exclaims, kicking the water excitedly. She accidentally splashes Adrien, who reacts by splashing her with water as well. The two childishly splash each other with water until they're both soaked to the bone, and they're laughing their heads off at the end of their game.
"Meet me at our usual spot at eight," Adrien says.
"I'll be there," Marinette says.
When the clock strikes eight in the evening, Marinette leaves her house wearing her favorite traditional, pink Chinese dress adorned with ladybugs in reference to the first name he's ever called her. Marinette excitedly runs to the usual spot fifteen minutes earlier, and she's surprised to find Adrien already waiting there for her.
"You're here early," Adrien says from the top of the stairs. He's wearing a green Chinese shirt with black pants, and his mask is stuck on his face like always.
"I could say the same for you," Marinette laughs, running up the stairs.
They follow the sound of the music and the bright lights that could be seen past the bushes and leaves, until they reach the festival. There are lanterns hanging from tree to tree, game booths, food stands, and booths holding merchandise. People are walking around dressed in traditional Chinese clothing as well, confusing Marinette.
"I thought this was a spirit festival?" she asks.
"It is," Adrien says. "But the akumas all disguise themselves as humans so as to not get caught. Some of the villagers unknowingly blend in."
"And you've never been touched?" Marinette asked.
"I've never been to this festival before," Adrien says. "I wanted my first time going here to be with you."
Marinette looks away to hide the blush on her face, when Adrien calls out her name. She turns around to see him pull a black cloth out of his pocket.
"Tie this around your wrist so we don't get separated," Adrien instructs, and Marinette nods. She ties one end around her wrist and watches as Adrien ties the other around his.
"It's like we're on a date," Marinette giggles.
"This is a date," Adrien says, causing her to look up in surprise. He moves his mask to the side of his head and smiles at her. "Let's go."
Adrien and Marinette spend their night playing games and watching the fireworks blow up in the dark sky. Sometime around ten in the evening, they're handed one lantern each. For old times' sake, Adrien and Marinette decide to release them in the open field.
"You have to close your eyes and make a wish before releasing it," Adrien says. "They say that this way, your wish will come true."
"I see," Marinette says, closing her eyes.
After whispering her wish into the air, Marinette re-opens her eyes and sees Adrien smiling down at her. "Done?" he asks, and she nods. "On three. One, two… three."
They let their lanterns go at the same time, watching them float up into the sky. They seem to have started the release, since seconds after releasing theirs, a plethora of floating lanterns follow right after.
"What did you wish for?" Adrien asks.
"If I told you, then it wouldn't come true," Marinette grins.
"So, you're one of those people," Adrien laughs.
And then it's quiet. The only things they could hear on their way to the field are the chirping of the crickets and the streaming of the river nearby, until Adrien breaks the silence.
"Marinette," he suddenly says.
"Yes?" she answers.
"I can't wait for summer to come around anymore," Adrien says, and Marinette looks up at him with wide eyes. "When I'm away from you, I want to go see you so bad. It's painful."
Adrien suddenly stops walking, making Marinette stop as well. Before she could say anything, Adrien takes his mask off, puts it on Marinette's face, and kisses the mask's cheek.
"Keep this mask," Adrien smiles, and behind it, Marinette could feel her tears threatening to fall. He probably won't go to their usual spot next summer, and the thought alone makes her heart break.
This really is her last summer with Adrien.
A series of giggles suddenly resounds from behind them, and both Adrien and Marinette turn their heads to see a little girl with pigtails and bunny teeth chasing after a little boy. While passing by them, the girl trips, but Adrien luckily catches her before she could fall and get hurt.
"Thank you!" the girl says to Adrien before running off to catch up with her friend.
"Be careful!" Marinette calls after him. When she turns to look back at Adrien, her eyes widen at the sight before her.
The hand Adrien touched the boy with is crystallizing into remnants of light floating up into the sky.
"Adrien?! What—" Marinette lets out a gasp of absolute horror and heartbreak. "Was that girl human?!"
Adrien looks down at his hand, his whole body shaking as he's slowly slipping away from existence. This isn't how it's supposed to go. He didn't even get the chance to…
Adrien turns to Marinette with open arms, and smiles. "Marinette," he says, his voice breaking. "I can finally touch you."
Before he fully disappears, Marinette takes the black cat mask off and sets it down before jumping into Adrien's arms. She has a smile on her face the whole she's hugging him, and she releases him to look into his green eyes one last time. She refuses to frown because she wants the last things she wants Adrien to remember is the image of her smiling face.
Her heart shatters as she remembers all the moments they've spent together these last few years.
"Hey, Ladybug."
"I'm Marinette. What's your name?"
"This is Marinette. She's my friend."
"Tell me about yourself."
"Are you curious?"
"That's why I waited for you."
"At least when I'm around… can you take your mask off every once in a while?"
"Will you come again next summer?"
"I will."
"I'll be waiting for you."
"No matter what… don't ever touch me, okay?"
"I want to be with you."
"I love you, Marinette," Adrien is the last thing she hears before he completely fades.
Marinette continues to hug the clothes left behind, breathing in the last of his scent. She looks up and watches Adrien's crystal remnants fly up into the midnight blue sky, along with the floating lanterns. She turns around and picks up the black cat mask lying on the grass, and just thinking that he was with her seconds ago is enough to make her heart shatter into uncountable pieces.
She holds it close to her chest, and she cries.
present day
Marinette thinks back to the wish she made last year.
I wish that, no matter what happens… I will never forget Adrien.
She hasn't yet, and she doubts that it will ever happen.
"Thank you, Marinette."
Marinette turns around to see the seven kwamis of the forest floating before her. They all have on sad smiles on their faces, and she could tell they're all mourning the death of Adrien as well.
"We wanted to be with Adrien forever," Plagg says.
"But we knew we couldn't," Tikki finishes.
"He was lonely," Berry sniffs.
"Until you came along," Nooroo beams.
"Thank you for keeping him company," Hanni says.
"And for granting him happiness," Kitsuu smiles.
"We can't thank you enough," Wayzz says.
Marinette smiles at each one of them sadly. She couldn't imagine how they were feeling—they've taken care of him since he was a baby. They must have it harder than her.
"He loved you, Marinette," Plagg smiles. "He really, really did."
"…I know," Marinette says.
She smiles, looking down at the black cat mask in her hands.
"I loved him, too."
A/N: Hotarubi no Mori e is beautifully heartbreaking. I just had to write a Miraculous Ladybug version of it.
The new kwamis don't have official names yet, so I (obviously) named them myself LOL. The bee is Hanni (because it sounds similar to honey), the peacock is Berry (because it's blue and blueberry), and the fox is Kitsuu (because fox in Japanese is kitsune).
Thank you for reading!