Chat appeared before me, except, he wasn't Chat. Dressed completely in white, eyes blazing. This couldn't be my Chat,
"What have you done?" I whispered, looking at him, my Chat, I wouldn't have admitted it before now but, my Chat was…
"I was found by Hawk Moth, and Hawk Moth looked into me." I felt something churning inside of me,
"You've been akumatised. Chat, you aren't supposed to be like this." He stared at me, expression hard and unfeeling,
"I am Chat Blanc. I am myself, I will not let anyone take this away from me." I couldn't fight him, I couldn't hurt him,
"Chat, you've got to stop this, you've got to stop this now!" my eyes began to swim as I looked at him, and he looked at me, like he couldn't see me. "You've been taken by an akuma, this isn't you!"
"I want you safe, my lady. I want us to be safe." My heart stopped, why, why had he been akumatised? How could he say those things without any feeling? The butterfly mask appeared over his face and I could hear Hawk Moths voice,
You must obey me. I need the Miraculous.
"You are tiny," Chat hissed, "I can see so much, but your reign will come to an end, everything must come to death." His voice made me shiver, "All things, everything dies." I wanted to call out, to make him stop but I couldn't speak.
I will not fall. I cannot fall.
The mask just evaporated from around his face and his expression turned neutral.
"Chat you've done it now stop. Just let go." My voice hitched and cracked,
"How can I let go of this? I'm a hero!"
"But this is wrong!" I pleaded with his blank face, "You can't control an akuma!" he looked down at me,
"But I can." He stated, "Everything can be ours…but why does it hurt?" A single tear slipped down his cheek, fresh floods began pouring down my face.
"Carrying an akuma could kill you, and it's my fault!" my answer was hoarse and I couldn't think,
"I have strength and power, but it's so heavy."
"That's what I feel, all the time. Doesn't it drive you mad?" I stood in front of him,
"My head." He moaned, squeezing it between his claws, I couldn't see him like this, couldn't see him in pain.
"Come here." I spread my arms as he staggered towards me,
"It's killing me!" he sobbed and I smiled sadly, I took his hands in mine.
"I think you need some good luck." I pressed my lips to his, and this time, I meant it. Not like Dark Cupid, where I had no choice, I wanted this kiss, my Chat, the darkness of the Akuma flowed into me and I grimaced into the kiss, his lips were so soft, so pure and yet the evil flowing from them hurt. I broke away from him and watched as the white butterfly moved away, Chat's dark leather returning to his body. He collapsed in my arms and oh so gently I laid him on the floor, the akuma darkness flowing through me. How long could I hold it in?
"What happened?" Chat's voice groggily complained, I turned back to him,
"Don't you remember?" I teased, knowing full well Akuma victims never remembered,
"There was this…singing." I rolled my eyes,
"That's right, I sang a song and Hawk Moth flew away." He chuckled,
"I was at home…no I wasn't I was in the park and…there was this voice…I can't remember anything else." He sounded so shocked. I felt a tremor pass through me, not long left. I looked at my companion, my partner and sighed, he looked back at me,
"Chat noir," I let the name roll off my tongue, "We've defeated so many akumas together, the bubbler, Evillustrator, Chloe Bourgois, though I'm not sure that last one counts," I laughed, "I never thought she'd cause as much trouble as she did."
"You make it sound like we won't see her again." I was running out of time, I tried not to let it show,
"Maybe you will, and maybe I will. But not like this." I looked away, Chat stood up and pointed at me,
"You're not making sense!" he accused me,
"We might never make sense again!" I found the funny side of it, "Imagine if you hated me, or thought I was stupid? And don't say it can't happen cause it could." He frowned at me and I sighed, "It's a bit dodgy, this next bit. I'm never sure what you'll think." Pain coursed through me and I bent in two,
"Ladybug!"
"Stay away," I tried to suppress the sob building in my throat,
"Ladybug, tell me what's going on." His voice was overflowing with worry and fear,
"I absorbed the Akuma that was inside you and no one's meant to do that." I grimaced, "every cell in my body is dying," I looked deep into his hurt filled eyes,
"Can't you do anything?"
"Yeah, I'll do it very soon, Tikki taught me a little trick, it's sort of a way of purifying myself. Except, it means I'm going to change back. And I know things won't be the same again. Not like this. Not how we are now. And before I change-"
"Don't say that!" Chat seemed to have caught up with what I was saying,
"Chat, before I change back I just wanted to say that you were fantastic, absolutely fantastic. And you know what? We were a great team." I smiled and tears slipped down my face, "Tikki, purify." Power coursed through me washing me out in white light as the darkness was chased from my body, it seemed to last forever. My last thought as the light cleared, would Chat like Marinette?
Chat stood, mouth open in front of me, I raised my hand shyly and waved,
"Hello." He stood and stared, I cleared my throat,
"So, um…what do you think?" he blinked,
"That's a surprise."
"Good surprise or bad surprise?" my voice wavered, I was stupid to think he might still like me as Marinette, I was probably just some random girl now to him,
"Good different." My head snapped up to see Chat's face inches from mine, "Cause you see, Mari…" I squinted as he flashed, detransforming, "I'm just like you." And there stood before me was the guy, the other guy I really, really liked,
"A-ADRIEN!" I felt the heat rise to my face as I tipped backwards, Adrien flinched.
"I'm sorry, I'm probably a disappointment…" I stared at him blankly for two seconds, processing,
"A-a disappointment? Yes definitely, cause it just so happens that the partner I just realised I was in love with was the same guy as the boy I have a crush on at school who is so perfect I can't talk to him even a little bit…" Kill me now, I should've just let the Akuma burn me up. I felt strong arms encircle me,
"You're still Ladybug, still my lady. Still you, but not just Ladybug." I snuggled into his chest, my Adrien, yes I liked the sound of that.
"By the way you owe me,"
"Why."
"That's the second time I've saved you with a kiss."
"What!"