Hello fellow Miraculousers! I got great reviews on the first story I ever posted here! Yay! Thank you guys SOOO much. I love you! Here's another story, this one will be broken into two or three chapters. Hope you enjoy!

July 21, 2016

3 Months Before.

I ran alongside Chat Noir, chasing after the latest akuma victim, Time Breaker. She was too smart of her own good, collecting people and turning them into time as quickly as you could say "Miraculous". I glanced at Chat Noir, but he stayed focused on the akuma in front of us. Suddenly, his eyes grew large, pupils shrinking in fear.

"Ladybug!" He shouted. I snapped my head around to look at Time Breaker who was barely an arms-length away from touching my shoulder. While trying to move out of the way, the Marinette came out in me and I tripped, falling onto my knees. The sudden loss of time between moving out of the way and being erased from the universe had me frozen in place, unable to jump into action due to the crushing fact that it was over for me. One mistake would cost me. If Timebreaker got me, I wasn't coming back.

A giant black blur bolted out in front of me, and before I had time to think about what it was, two leather-clad arms stretched out around me, hugging me against its chest tightly to keep me safe. I could hear a racing heartbeat thump wildly against the warm chest that held me close. That was when it hit me, the black blur was Chat Noir.

Timebreakers fingers grazed the middle of Chat Noir's back and she skated off in the opposite direction before I could even blink, laughing to herself about the time she had received from him. Chat's body froze, locking me in place. His body slowly started to fade away, blending in with the Paris background. Not wanting to watch, I closed my eyes, squeezing his body against mine in a tight hug while running my fingers through his soft, golden hair. Grief was ripping me apart from the inside out, tearing me open at all my vulnerable seams and spilling my heart and soul onto the ground beneath me. My kitty was disappearing right under my fingertips. My kitty, the one who saved me more times than I could count. My best friend, who never missed the chance to make me feel beautiful and whole with his flirtatious antics. The giddy boy, who told me that he believed in me only hours after we first met. All of that, for someone he didn't even know.

Tears flooded my eyes, and I gave Chat Noir one last squeeze before slipping out from under his transparent arms. I stood tall, collecting myself quickly. There was still an akuma to defeat, with or without Chat Noir.

Timebreaker skated one giant circle around me, cackling into the rich Paris air. She almost had all the time she needed to go back and fix what was wronged. She was close to her goal and was getting more and more confident with her powers. I knew it was just a matter of time before Hawkmoth would instruct her to grab Chat Noir's miraculous before he disappeared, and I also knew that I couldn't let that happen.

I reached down and yanked the ring off Chat's finger, determined to keep it out of Timebreaker's reach. Gradually, Chat de-transformed, starting with his feet. The black leather melted away in a green light, revealing a clean pair of orange converse shoes before traveling up Chat Noir's real legs, which were clad in a pair of light-blue denim jeans complete with a black belt. Next, the light exposed a simple white button-down shirt that was opened over a black t-shirt. The t-shirt sported a collection of strips over the chest area. Finally, the light reached Chat's face, slowly revealing who he really was.

I felt my heart lurch in my chest as his transformation completed, revealing Chat Noir's civilian identity. His green cat-like eyes shifted, morphing into the all too familiar eyes of Adrien Agreste. My Adrien, whom I admired every day from two feet away behind a desk. The Adrien, who I now realized, never left my side. He stuck with me, protecting my life, risking his, and caring for every person that surrounded him without a second thought.

I turned the ring over in my hand, watching it turn from black to silver as a small black kawamii came swirling out of the face of the ring. The stupid silver ring Adrien always wore on his right hand. How could I have been so blind?

The kawamii blinked up at me with two large, green eyes, then turned towards Adrien. By now, his body was only visible if you squinted your eyes real hard to see him. Off to the side, I could hear Timebreaker stop short on her rollerblades, seemingly stunned by Adrien's transformation. While she was distracted, the black kawamii faced me with a deep sadness filtering across his face from looking upon the broken body of his previous holder.

"Quickly, Ladybug, you need to put the ring on." The kawamii spoke.

"What?" I asked.

"The ring! Claw's out, that's the command, hurry!" The kawamii shouted, looking back at Timebreaker. Fear gripped my chest. Both my earrings and Chat's ring? What would that do to me? Could I handle that kind of power?

"I-I don't think I can." I told the kawamii. The black creature flew up to my face and looked at me real hard, his eyes narrowing almost angrily.

"Marinette," It said. I jumped a little when he said my name, wondering how he knew. The kawamii continued sullenly, "Adrien would want you to do this." At his words, the fear in me shifted, becoming something stronger. Confidence swirled through me, captivating me and controlling me as I slipped the ring over my finger and called out the words. A strong rush of energy engrossed me, encasing me in a tunneling wind. A new mask fitted itself over my eyes, and I could suddenly see the way Chat Noir must have seen. Everything was enhanced, from my eyesight to my sense of smell. I could feel the people around me without even really knowing they were there, and I could smell the freshly made bread from my parent's bakery just down the street. The new sounds that pierced my ears were overwhelming, every honk of a car horn and every exhale of a civilian's breath didn't go unnoticed by me.

The transformation proceeded as my costume re-formed around my body, covering me in a bright purple suit enhanced with gold embroidery that twisted and turned in a symmetrical pattern that went straight down my chest and spread out at my ribcage. The gold thread twisted and turned around my waist and my limbs evenly with intricate detail. I looked up into the sky, closing my eyes to focus my new powers. Any fear I had about combining mine and Chat Noir's Miraculous's vanished as my new senses tuned down and became more tolerable for me. It allowed me to feel the Ladybug within me twisting with the power of Chat Noir's ring, becoming one. He was in me now, even if his body had completely vanished, Adrien's remnants remained in his ring and flowed through me now, keeping me steady. I opened my eyes and stared down Timebreaker who had collected herself and was now ready to fight.

I swung my re-decorated yo-yo through the air and smiled a Chat-Noir-type smile at Timebreaker. "It's over for you, akuma." I stated. "Time to go."

The last line there was my attempt at a time related pun. I know, it's bad, bear with me here :) I will be releasing Chapter Two sometime this week. I'd be willing to hear theories if you've got any! I'll give you a hint: Lucky Charm.

Love you guys!