Chapter One- Croissants and Prophecies

Adrien slid into his desk at school on a morning that was like any other- but this morning, he was waiting until school was over and wishing that time would pass faster. Minutes seemed like seconds when he was anxious about the meeting, what would be the highlight of his day. I wonder why he called it urgent, he thought, his mind racing. " I read something in my father's book about Ladybug and I getting new powers to face harder supervillains!"
"Huh?"
Adrien's head shot up immediately. There stood Marinette, in the doorway, eyes wide. Quick, think of a response!
"Hey Marinette. You're here early."
She just stared, unmoving. "Oh, you're probably wondering about what I said. I'm playing this new superhero video game with Nino, and he- he actually named himself Ladybug." Adrien laughed and Marinette did too, all traces of panic erased from her face.
She bent over to pick up a paper bag she had dropped. "You're probably on a pretty high level, then!" She joked. "Yeah, I guess." He felt sick inside- he loved being a superhero, but his least favorite part was definitely when he had to lie all the time to protect his identity.
Marinette reached into the bag she was holding and pulled out- No, it can't be!- A croissant, which she handed to Adrien. "Thank you!" He grinned, and took a bite, savoring the taste that was so foreign with his strict diet.
"Are these from your bakery?" He asked after swallowing, getting ready to take the next bite with hunger in his eyes. She smirked at his expression and looked down for a moment. "Yeah, I made them yesterday- but my mom made the cookies." His head shot up once again, eyes wide, making Marinette laugh.
"Haven't we all told you that you and your dares are OVER?" Alix punched Kim in the arm and he finally relented. "Okay, Okay. Im still doing competitions though!"
As others filed in the room towards their seats, Alya pushed past them. "MARI! You won't believe this!" Marinette was leaning up against the edge of Adrien and Nino's seats with her arms up in defense. Others passed her. "What is it?" They both sat down in their spots. "Yesterday after school, I got a call from the news anchor- you know, the one you babysit for- and she guaranteed me my OWN show segment for the Ladyblog!" She pretended to hold a microphone in her hand. "It's Alya Cesárie, reporting live with the latest Superhero News!" Marinette snickered. "That's really awesome- your own news show!" Alya partially grimaced. "But there's a catch. To be able to do it, I need recent footage of Ladybug and Chat Noir in action- by Friday."
"What's wrong with that? You're great at that!" Alya sighed. "Well? They haven't been in public lately, and I haven't been able to catch any fight scenes before they're already over. I don't think I'll be able to."
Note to self: Go out in public more with Chat so Alya can get footage before Friday.
What Marinette didn't know was that Adrien was thinking almost the same thing.
I guess Alya has it easy! Marinette thought, writing down an inconspicuous note so she wouldn't forget. The bell then rang, signaling the start of class- and the start of a long and uneventful school day.
~~~~timeskip~~~~
"Hey man, where are you going so fast?" Nino chuckled as his friend practically jumped out of his seat once the dismissal bell rang. "Oh, Sorry- I have an important meeting after school that I'm going to. Don't want to be late!" He dashed out of the door. Nino just shook his head and put his headphones back on.
Meanwhile, Alya was also racing out he door, eager to try and find sightings of the heroes.
She's determined, that's for sure! Marinette gathered her things and slung her purse over her shoulder, careful not to hurt Tikki. "Let's go home and work on sewing my new dress."
And just like that the school was empty, and everyone was off leading their own lives.
Adrien, for example, was in his limousine, navigating Gorilla to Master Fu's place, where he was going to 'Get his back aligned'. He didn't really have much of an idea of what it was, but it must've been believable, because Gorilla didn't hesitate in taking him there.
Soon they arrived at a brick building Adrien hopped out of the car and walked in the door, a bell ringing as he did so.
"I can tell you've been excited for this meeting," Adrien heard from a back room as Master Fu walked out with a smile on his face. "Welcome, Chat Noir."
The two walked to a back room with chairs so they could have their discussion in peace (They couldn't risk outsiders seeing things through the glass). "You were right in thinking that this would be important, but I'm afraid it's not in the way you were hoping. Both you and Ladybug have inquired about the Book of Miraculous, and the other powers it speaks of." Ladybug knows about the book? "All of this will come in due time, though." Adrien sat forward in his chair that was adjacent to Master Fu's, listening intently to every word.
"Today I have called you here for something different. The turtle Kwami has warned me of a prophecy, one that will potentially alter Ladybug's future as well as your own. Ladybug? What will it do? Will we lose our miraculous? Every doubt and theory raced through his mind in the space of just a few seconds. "When will the prophecy-"
A bright and blinding white light filled the room as it went dark- the lights are coming from Master Fu's eyes!
And he prophesied...
The time for reveal has come,
And as it fails, redemption will be sung,
The future will visit the past,
But nothing for forever will last.
If they do not return from where they had start,
One by one, they'll be struck through the heart.
But before all of this can take place,
There must be an evil to erase.
Entering trances, save your might
For the trials you'll face at night.
Paranoia will sting deep
From the shadows where you sleep.
And the last of the challenges is the memory loss,
Which you'll know comes at a great cost.
As everything else, once this prophecy ends for good-
It will come true, and things won't happen as they would.

"MASTER FU!" Adrien yelled, rushing forward to catch him. Once the prophecy was finished, the lights in his eyes had gone out and he had immediately fallen forward. The man lay unmoving on the floor. Adrien turned him over and checked his pulse- he was alive! But what had happened?
He must have fainted after the prophecy, Adrien reasoned. It must be really strong. He tried CPR to no avail, and finally decided to carry him to the limousine. Once he got into the main room of the building, Gorilla saw Adrien through the glass and rushed inside to help carry the unconscious man out to the car. Adrien got in after, instructing "To the hospital!" and Gorilla stepped on the gas.
All Adrien could think about on the drive was the prophecy. Would it kill Master Fu? What would it do to Ladybug and I? What evil do we have to erase?
It was a good thing that the nearest hospital was only a few blocks away, because Adrien might have gone insane otherwise.
A little while later, Adrien was sitting in a chair outside the hospital room. A nurse got his attention. "The doctor told me that they can keep him stable, and he still has a pulse. It'd be best if you go home and get some rest. The diagnosis will hopefully come in a few days, once he comes to." He thanked her and stood up, deciding to leave. The clock read 6:00 P.M. He'd been waiting in the hospital for two hours.
I hope Master Fu is okay.
Adrien stepped outside and breathed in the cold air. He put his hands in his pockets and walked out towards where the vehicle was parked, and got in.
The ride home was silent.
When the familiar iron gates to Adrien's home opened, He had figured out exactly what he was going to do. Gorilla dropped him off at the entrance and went to park the limousine off in the garage. Adrien dashed up the steps and escaped up to his bedroom unnoticed by Nathalie.
Shutting the door behind him, Adrien headed straight to his fridge. He set a cheese wheel down on the table .
"Camembert. Now eat."
Plagg flew over and ate without comment, which was rare. The second after he licked his lips came "Plagg, Claws Out!"
Chat Noir withdrew his staff from the back of his suit. Pressing a paw-shaped green button, He called Ladybug.

Marinette held up the turquoise dress with pink accents and grey lace. "It's finished! Thanks for the help, Tikki!" She giggled and hung it up in her closet as her kwami put away some supplies. "Hey, what do you think- Tikki, what's wrong?" She was shaking and Marinette suddenly felt tingly all over. "You need to transform! Chat is trying to contact you!" Confused, she declared "Tikki! Spots on!"
Ladybug switched open her yo-yo, seeing Chat's familiar face come on screen- but instead of the confident smirk that she was used to, he was worried and frowning. "What's wrong, kitty?" She questioned.
"Can you meet me tonight? Something happened, and it's urgent." She was puzzled by his seriousness- it must have really been important. "Y-Yeah I can, where should we meet?" "Hmm... How about the Eiffel Tower, at seven?"
"See you there."

Chapter 2- Truths and Dares

Chat Noir detransformed and went down the staircase to the dining room, awaiting dinner, which always came at exactly 6:20. It was only about five minutes until then, so he checked his phone for schedule changes or notifications.
Soon enough, a metal cart wheeled out of the kitchen and Alonźo, the chef, served Adrien dinner. "Thanks, Al. Hey, when is Julia having the baby? Nathalie needs to schedule someone to help in the kitchens." Alonźo laughed. "This Saturday, and she won't let me forget it. She's been making sure her hospital bag is packed every five minutes!" He shook his head. "Anyways, enjoy the food, and have a good week!"
It's time to head out, Adrien thought after he finished and took his plate to the counter. He then went back up the staircase, transformed, and left for the Tower through the window.
There's a lot to explain, But at least I get to see her, he thought.

Ladybug and Chat both arrived a bit earlier than their scheduled time- both being anxious about what had happened.
"Hey, Chat." She took a deep inhale. "Explain."
They both leaned against the metal bars in the center of the platform. "Master Fu contacted me and said we needed to meet, so I went and saw him this afternoon. He said something about a prophecy-" Chat's hands suddenly started glowing and a scroll appeared, which they immediately unrolled. "Is- Is this the prophecy itself?" Ladybug questioned. He only nodded, remembering Master Fu as he spoke the same words written on the page infront of them.
"The time for reveal has come,
And as it fails, redemption will be sung,
The future will visit the past,
But nothing for forever will last.
If they do not return from where they had start,
One by one, they'll be struck through the heart.
But before all of this can take place,
There must be an evil to erase.
Entering trances, save your might
For the trials you'll face at night.
Paranoia will sting deep
From the shadows where you sleep.
And the last of the challenges is the memory loss,
Which you'll know comes at a great cost.
As everything else, once this prophecy ends for good-
It will come true, and things won't happen as they would."
"Woah," they said in unison. Marinette spoke slowly. "So, about this... did he say it was specifically about us? Will we have to 'face the trials'?" Chat Noir coughed. "Yeah. But this-the prophecy- isn't the only reason I asked you to meet me," He whispered, his voice reaching a decrescendo. Ladybug put a hand on his shoulder, looking at him with concern. "It was Master Fu- after he prophesied, he collapsed and went unconscious. I took him to the hospital, but the doctors haven't been able to figure out if anything happened." Ladybug buried her face in her hands, and didn't push him off when Chat put his arm around her. With a prophecy that could be dangerous, not knowing what will come with it, and a mentor in critical condition, plus being superheroes, they had a lot on their plates.
After taking a deep breath, Ladybug sat up and had a much more relaxed look on her face. "We can do it. We'll make sure to check the hospital every so often so we don't miss an update. As for the prophecy, if anything unusual happens, we'll meet to decide what to do. Sound like a plan?" She declared. Chat grinned up at her. "Aaaawww, M'Lady the problem solver." She rolled her eyes at him but still smiled. "Yeah, that sounds good, though. Check the hospital, let you know if anything unusual happens. You got it," Chat Noir agreed. Ladybug looked down at her comrade. "Okay." He stood up beside her. "Okay."
They stood in silence for a few minutes, each deep in thought, until Chat Noir spoke. "Wanna play a game, M'Lady?" He asked nonchalantly. She searched her mind for any reason to deny, and not finding any (and thinking what the heck, I've got time to kill), she simply said "Sure." Grinning, he sauntered over towards her. "It's called Truth or Dare- it's popular in America- have you ever played it before?" She shook her head. "I think I've heard of the name before, but I've never played it before, no." Looking at Ladybug, he started to explain how to play: "First, you ask the other person 'Truth or Dare'. If they say Truth, then you can ask them a question that they have to answer honestly-" Ladybug held up a finger. "Uh uh uh, kitty, I know where you're heading with this. I won't play if you ask me to reveal my identity, or anything close to that." Chat sighed dramatically, holding his hands up in surrender. "Ok, ok, if you insist. Now Let me finish explaining how to play the game. Now, if they pick Dare instead of truth, you can Dare them to do something- but you can chicken out if you want." He turned his head to see Ladybug with her game face. "it's on."

"Okay Kitty, Truth or Dare?" Ladybug smiled evilly. "Hmm... I did Dare Last time, and the time before that, and the time before that... so I SUPPOSE I'll do Truth this time." Rolling her eyes, ladybug thought of something perfect to ask. "What's your guilty pleasure?" She asked. Chat Noir's eyes widened, and he tried to stifle a laugh. Just before he made an inappropriate comment, Ladybug clarified what she meant. "No Chat, (ugh) you and your dirty mind... ANYWAYS, what I meant was... you know, what you do in your free time that nobody knows about. Like stalking a celebrity or something." Aww, I was gonna have fun with that one. Oh well..You know what? I'm just going to be honest. "Well, since I have to tell the truth, There's a website I go on when I have free time (I normally don't have much at all) It's called The LadyBlog, and I like reading it- wait, have you heard of it before?" She nodded, surprised. "Yeah, I read it sometimes. I just didn't expect it, that's all." There was silence for a few seconds. "Wow, it's getting dark- how long have we been playing this game?" Ladybug wondered. "Long enough- but I think we have time for one more round before we call it quits for the night." She shrugged. "Whatever you say, Cat. Go on, ask away. Chat looked like a little kid excited to go on a ride at the fairgrounds. He drew out every word he spoke. "Ok M'Lady, Truth? Or Dare?" Hmm... I'm guessing he thinks I'm going to pick Truth, and has something embarrassing I have to answer... So I'll just choose
"Dare."
Just as I expected.
Chat responded so fast that Ladybug didn't even catch what he had said.
"What?"
"I dare you to kiss me." He tapped his gloved finger on his cheek.
Huh? Kiss him? No way- but really, a kiss wouldn't hurt anything, right? Was how Ladybug would normally think like- But this was different, so right now, it's more like :
It's a Dare. I won't back down from a Dare.
And so Ladybug kissed Chat full on the mouth and zipped away, saluting him with a smirk on her face.
Chat Noir just sat there, dumbstruck.

Chapter 3- Realizations and Reruns

At three in the morning, only a few Parisians were awake. Adrien Agreste was one of them.
He had woken up in a cold sweat, sitting bolt upright in bed. "Plagg- Please tell me it wasn't a dream." The black kwami yawned. "Sadly, It was a dream." "Re-" "That you got me a membership to the cheese emporium and actually gave me time to eat all of it!" Adrien turned his head slowly, glaring at Plagg.
"Let me make it easier for you: Did Ladybug kiss me last night?"
Plagg sighed. "Yes," he yawned dramatically, " So now can we make the important dream a reality?"
But Adrien was already asleep with a lovesick smile on his face.

The day at school was uneventful and the students didn't really learn anything- it was all just a recap over the previous lessons- so everybody was counting down the minutes until it was over. Two of the students, though, didn't notice time passing because their minds were occupied replaying events from the previous night.
Someone finally asked about it.
"Mari- seriously girl, what's up with you today? You've been totally out of it," Alya questioned while they walked out of the building together. It took Marinette a moment to respond. "It's something I just- I can't tell you exactly what, but I made a decision yesterday, and I know it was probably wrong of me to do... but I- I liked it." Alya looked over at her best friend in terror. "I CAN'T HANDLE BEING AN AUNT AT-" Marinette silenced her best friend. "Geez, Alya! I didn't do anything like that!" She seemed to blow out a breath she'd been holding. "So you didn't get knocked up?" "No! I would never, well, you know what? Let's not talk about this anymore!" Alya chuckled at Marinette's nervousness about it. Instead of inquiring further like her reporter instincts told her to, She let it go and went her separate way from Marinette.
Meanwhile, Adrien was on his way to the hospital to check for any updates on Master Fu. He opened the glass door, walked inside, and got checked in with a visitor's badge. He thanked the desk clerk and walked through a long hallway, went up a floor in an elevator that played the same annoying tune over and over, and found room 334. After staff instructions, he twisted the cold metal door handle and stepped into the strong scent of antiseptic. He approached a doctor standing next to the hospital bed. "If this is why you've come here, we do have the results today. Mr. Fu has seems to have contracted Amnestic Disorder- though we are not certain whether his memory will be permanently affected or not." Adrien gazed downward with a grim look of concern on his face. Amnesia. What are Ladybug and I going to do? "Is there anything I can do to help?" He tried. " Well, visits from people he's close to May help kickstart his memory, but it might not work. It wouldn't hurt, though."
Adrien nodded and thanked the doctor before leaving the hospital and returning to his home to transform.
I get to see Ladybug again. Ladybug, My Love, who KISsEd me last night!
Adrien was gushing in his head , but to everyone else he just looked like a normal teenager walking down the street. After years of doing it, Adrien had become good at subconsciously hiding his emotions. Pretending that his father's carelessness about what he felt didn't hurt. But it did.
Everybody saw the cool-and-casual Adrien. Everybody but one.
Stay low, Thought Seer. You can't strike just yet, said a voice in their head. Yes, Hawkmoth, they responded.
—~~~—
Chat Noir was perched on a rung of the Eiffel Tower when his Lady showed up- He'd contacted her, jumped over buildings until he got to the Tower, and Ladybug showed up less than 2 minutes afterward. Being superheroes made travel much more convenient and quicker.
Turning to look at her as her feet touched the floor (of the platform), he noticed a faint blush on her cheeks. "Uh." She blew out a breath. "So, what happened?" That's when Chat Noir noticed the reason she wasn't her usual confident self- She had been thinking about the kiss, too. Fighting the urge to grin, he informed her of the update. "I went to the hospital today, and they diagnosed him with Amnesia, basically. The doctors don't know whether it will last or not." Ladybug gaped a little bit, comprehending what it meant. "Can we do anything?" She questioned, coming to sit next to him on the bar. "The doctor said that visits from family or people close to him might help." He set his hand down next to hers. There was a comfortable silence once again while they both were thinking.
"What are we going to do? What if the curse is worse than we thought?" Ladybug's Light voice pierced the air. "I'm not exactly sure. We can both go visit the hospital, see if it helps like they said. Otherwise," Chat Noir sighed in doubt, "We'll just have to get through it like we always do, together." Ladybug turned her head, smiling sadly at him. They gazed into each other's eyes for a few moments.
Suddenly, Ladybug felt the overwhelming urge to lean into him, let their lips touch like the night before. No! I can't! Be loyal to Adrien! Adrien! Adrien... who barely acknowledges my existence...
it was in that moment that she realized that Adrien didn't love her.
But the guy sitting right next to her did.
He cared. A weight was lifted off her shoulders and she didn't feel so guilty like she did before.
So she leaned in.
Her eyelashes fluttered to a close.
"I'M COMING FOR YOU TWO," a voice screamed out of nowhere. Alya!?Ladybug thought of at first. Shoot, she must have been filming us for her-
Ladybug's suspicions proved wrong when she spotted a figure in flowing purple, standing with her hands on her temples atop a brick building. "M'Lady! W-What's our game plan?" She turned to look at her comrade, whose cheeks were flaming red and eyes were wide. "Uh- let's let her come to us! We need to get to low ground!"
Extending his baton, Chat shot out into the sky while ladybug flew beside him gripping her yo-yo.
Soon, they both made landfall on green grass. Moving to the center, they surveyed the area and got into fight stances.
"This is going to be a piece of cake! I already know what they're going to do-before they do it!" The same voice from earlier laughed from behind them. "Leading me here doesn't change anything." She sneered. "Say hello to Thought Seer, the only superhero that WILL conquer you once and for all!" She posed dramatically.
Alright, so you can't think on this one. Don't think, just act.
Ladybug repeated the mantra and charged out of nowhere.
"Huh?" Thought Seer screamed. She hadn't anticipated a random attack. She sidestepped and bolted out of the park. "Well, that was weird! Chat, any idea where the akuma could be, or what she's planning to do?" He looked as though he was hit with a sudden realization. "M'Lady, I've got the akuma! Just run! She thinks that we'll make a plan, but she'll read our minds to spoil it! Let's run!"
Both being a little bit confused, they chased after the girl.
They found her in no time on a partially deserted street near Master Fu's. In the spur of the moment, Ladybug called on her Lucky Charm. A cardboard box fell into her hands. She tore it open as fast as she could. White Powder? She couldn't help but wonder what she was supposed to do with it. "CHAT!" Ladybug yelled. She charged at Thought Seer, who didn't understand Ladybug's thoughts in time to dodge the flurry of white powder that blinded her, coating her face and arms. A yell of "CATACLYSM!" Was heard, and a concentrated bolt of lucid black light flew from Chat Noir's hands into Thought Seer's. A scream resounded as her hands turned to ash and Ladybug, unsure of what had just happened, captured the purple moth that flew out. "N-No more evildoing for you, akuma!" She purified and released it. "Bye-bye, little butterfly!" Tossing the discarded box into the air, she yelled "Miraculous Ladybug!"
Finally, she turned to Chat in disbelief. "What happened?"
"The akuma was in her hands. I don't know how, but I made my cataclysm not spread to the rest of her!"
"Woah!"
"Yeah, I was just like, You've CAT to be KITTEN me right MEOW!"
Ladybug hung her head, hiding the smile on her face.
They did their traditional fist bump. "Pound it!"
"What h- CHAT NOIR? LADYBUG! My heroes!" The Girl, who seemed to be 9 or 10, ran up to them. "C-Can I get your autographs?" The duo shared a knowing smile before signing the paper that the girl, who had introduced herself as Genivieve, had pulled out of her school bag. "Alright now, M'Lady and I have to leave before our miraculous run out. It was nice meeting you!" Chat Noir grinned at Genivieve. "Stay safe, Okay? Have a good day!" Ladybug added. "Goodbye!" They told her before zipping off in different directions.
Genivieve skipped home. "They're the best heroes EVER! They look so cute together!"

Marinette detransformed and laid on her bed, exhausted. The attack wasn't hard to deal with, and Genivieve was really nice to meet, but all of the conflicting emotions in her head wore her out. I love Adrien. Adrien doesn't love me. Chat loves me. I- like Chat? No, no-
She didn't get any time to think about it all, though, because Alya burst through her door in excitement. "MARI! IGOTTHEFOOTAGE!" She grabbed Marinette's hands, pulling her out of bed and started jumping up and down. "Woah, Woah. Can you speak a little bit slower, so I can at least understand you?" They laughed and sat down on her bed.
"I got footage of Ladybug and Chat Noir, and Naudia gave me the job! I get my own news segment!" They both squealed in happiness. "Show me!" Marinette demanded, to which Alya gladly pulled out her phone and played a video clip that was taken from the ground, looking up at the Eiffel Tower. The heroes were definitely visible, but you couldn't make out exactly what they were doing. Marinette silently blew out a breath she'd been holding. Thank Goodness! If Alya had seen us about to kiss- she'd be running up a wall, shouting "LADYNOIR! LADYNOIR! MY SHIP IS CANON!"
They laughed and decided to turn on the news- Alya had become much more interested in it, now that she was going to be on it soon.
" - And that's the weather for the week. I'm Matt Stensland, and this is the Paris News Network." The screen switched suddenly to a pink-haired news anchor they knew all too well. She was grinning with excitement. "I'm Naudia Shumack. Don't be bemused, it's just the news! Or do, because we've just been sent recent footage of our two famous heroes! The sender remains anonymous!"
Marinette's breath hitched in her throat. It couldn't be-
Oh, but it could.
On the screen appeared Chat with his devilishly handsome face, asking a question that you couldn't hear. She remembered the situation perfectly- she had said "what?" And he had repeated the tantalizing question, tapping his cheek twice. She saw her own face redden and smirk. She remembered her own words. It's a Dare. I won't back down from a Dare.
Then she kissed him, hard, and Marinette watched her own lips melt against his perfectly before she disappeared from the scene. Her eyes were glued to the TV as she saw the look on Chat's face. Dumbstruck and in love. Seriously, completely in love.
Alya literally screamed this time, doing exactly what Marinette had predicted earlier.
Mari just sat there, frozen.
Oh no, she thought.
I think I'm... In love.