Author's Note:

I've seen a few of the YouTube videos where Adrien gets turned into a real cat. At least one (if not more) of them are because he makes Plagg mad and Plagg's the one who arranges his misadventure. Shout out to those artists who inspired this story. But, instead of Plagg changing Adrien into a cat, I thought it'd be fun to explore Nooroo getting tired of Gabriel's attitude and decides to stop trying to reason with him, and instead, remind him which of the two has the real powers.

I do not own any of these characters.

Nooroo was inactive and resting inside the Moth Miraculous with just his thoughts to keep him company. I've tried and I've tried to reason with Gabriel. I wish his will power wasn't so strong. If he was younger, he'd be easier to convince that he needed to follow certain rules. But alas, he knows exactly what rules he can impose on me. I wish he just remembered which one of us actually had the power he was wielding. Perhaps, it's time I quit trying to reason with him and give him a gentle reminder of the power balance in our relationship.

Nooroo concentrated and forced the miraculous to light up and hum, signaling Gabriel that someone's emotions were perfect for being akumatized. That's odd, Gabriel thought, I can't tell what kind of emotion it is yet. Oh well, perhaps I'll be able to feel it better after I transform.

After Gabriel had made his way into his lair, Nooroo appeared and began trying to reason with Gabriel one last time. "Master, please... the miraculous isn't meant to be used in this way."

"That's enough, Nooroo. Do not speak to me like that. You know better than anyone else why I'm doing what I'm doing. Nooroo, Darkwings Rise!"

Gabriel could've sworn he saw Nooroo smiling as he was being sucked into the miraculous. A flash of purple, and suddenly Gabriel was very confused. Why are the butterflies as big as I am?

Gabriel tried to scream when he realized he was only a few inches in size, but nothing came out. Well, nothing that anyone else would've heard, but the other white butterflies scattered at the sound that had been produced.

Okay Gabriel. Get ahold of yourself. You've been changed into a butterfly by a magical being. Perhaps if I try... "Nooroo, Darkwings Fall!" Nope. That didn't work. It's not like I can actually say those works, but I thought it might've counted trying to say it as a butterfly. Nathalie... She can help... I hope.

Gabriel flew out of the lair through the open window and around to the front of the mansion. He entered through the front door and found Nathalie near his computer. He flew over and landed on the keyboard.

Nathalie gasped. "An akuma. Here?" She turned and looked at the portrait, making her way to Hawk Moth's lair. She couldn't find him anywhere; so, she made her way back to the office.

While she was gone, Gabriel had managed to use the mouse to pull up a blank document and the keyboard to type out, i gabriel. Gabriel was tired. Moving the mouse and pressing the keys were a lot harder as a butterfly. He was resting on the keyboard again when Nathalie returned.

Nathalie looked at the purple butterfly, still on the keyboard, and then the computer screen. Something was different. She walked closer, hesitating as she did, until she could read the words on the computer screen. Gabriel had to fly out the way quickly as she fainted and fell forward onto the keyboard. He landed on top of the monitor and waited, rather impatiently, for her to wake up.

Nathalie woke up after a couple minutes and had keyboard impressions on her right cheek. She picked herself up and sat the keyboard back on the table. A long string of a's were scrolled across the formerly blank document. She cleared the document and looked at the purple butterfly sitting on the top of the monitor. She could've sworn it was scowling. "Can you understand me?"

Gabriel flew down and landed hard on the y key and then flew back to the top of the monitor.

Nathalie nodded. At least she wouldn't have to type out her questions. "Do you know how to fix this?"

n

"Do you know how long you'll be this way until you change back?"

n

"Is there anything you want me to do?"

clear sched

Nathalie nodded and typed away on her phone. "Done."

tell son away

Nathalie called Adrien and paced back and forth in front of Gabriel. "Adrien... Your father wanted me to inform you he had an unexpected need to leave for an... open ended business trip... You're welcome." She hung up the phone and looked back at Gabriel. "Anything else?"

out 4 air

"Be careful sir, watch out for birds."

Gabriel fluttered out and landed on top of the mansion to get some fresh air and think about his options.

Gabriel was brought out of his thoughts by a green flash. He was surprised by Adrien's window opening and Cat Noir flying out. He quickly fluttered back inside and got Nathalie's attention. Nathalie pulled up a blank document on her phone and let Gabriel land on it, hoping it would be easier for him.

It took him a few tries to figure it out. His feet were too small for the phone to register. He finally figured out his head would work. It wasn't comfortable, but much less tiring than the computer keyboard.

adrien is cat noir

"What? Really? How... How did you find out?"

just left window

"Do... you think he could help you?"

no lb

"You think... Ladybug? How?"

yoyo

Nathalie took Gabriel into Adrien's room and they waited for Cat Noir to return. Adrien's door had been locked, but Nathalie had a key. His phone was on top of his piano, playing the piece he was currently practicing. He had it set on a loop. After an hour of listening to Pachelbel's Canon in D, Cat Noir flew into Adrien's bedroom and dropped his transformation right at the same time he saw Nathalie sitting on his sofa. Adrien swallowed hard.

"Adrien... Your father needs your help." Nathalie pointed to the purple butterfly on her shoulder. "It appears he was transformed into a butterfly."

Adrien sat down and looked between Nathalie and the butterfly. Not only was he beside himself for getting discovered as Cat Noir, but his father was a purple butterfly... resembling an akuma. "D-Did Hawk Moth do this to him?"

"Yes. Your father was catching some fresh air when he saw you leave earlier. We thought you could get Ladybug to purify him back into himself."

"N-Not that I don't believe you, but... could I get some verification from father?"

Nathalie pulled out her phone and handed it to Adrien with a blank document. Gabriel flew over and landed on the phone.

hello son

Adrien gasped. "It's true. I... I can't believe it. But... it's true. I-I'll try to get Ladybug over here. I don't know how long it'll take. We don't know each other's identity, but I think I can get the Ladyblogger's help."

Adrien handed the phone back to Nathalie, transformed, and leapt out the window. He landed on Alya's balcony. Opening his baton, he tried to reach Ladybug before proceeding. He tapped on the door once he confirmed Ladybug was not available. "Cat Noir?"

"I need to get ahold of Ladybug, and I thought you could post something on the Ladyblog to tell her to meet me on top of the Eiffel Tower. Please?"

"Sure. I'll post it right away."

"Thanks. I owe you an interview." Cat Noir leapt off the balcony and headed to the Eiffel Tower.

He was only waiting about ten minutes when he heard the telltale zip of Ladybug's yoyo.

"Cat? Is everything okay?"

"Hawk Moth has taken another victim. But, this one's not wreaking havoc on Paris. He was turned into a butterfly instead of a super-villain."

"That's odd. How did you find out?"

"That's the part I really need to talk to you about. My identity has been compromised."

"Cat," Ladybug started as she put a hand on his shoulder, "are you okay?"

"I'm shook... very shook if I'm honest. They were waiting for me when I got home after I took the suit out for a joy ride. They acted like they weren't surprised to see me detransform. So... either they've known for some amount of time, or they saw me leave today."

"Do... Do you think you can trust them?"

"I don't know. But, I know I can trust you... I know I need to show you my identity even if you don't show me yours so I can explain the rest of the situation."

Ladybug looked away for a second and then turned back to Cat Noir and nodded. She gasped as she saw Cat Noir detransform into Adrien. She held her hand over her mouth and shook her head violently side to side. "No... It can't be... Adrien?"

"I'm sorry. I know you weren't ready yet. I wouldn't have done it if it wasn't important."

"I... I understand. So, tell me the rest of the story."

"It's my father. He's been turned into a purple butterfly by Hawk Moth. I'm... I'm afraid it's a trap. Maybe Hawk Moth already knows my identity and is using my father as bait."

"Possibly. But... we need to help your father, regardless. Let's meet them somewhere other than your mansion. That would at least throw some amount of a wrench into Hawk Moth's plan."

Adrien nodded and stood up, transforming back into Cat Noir. "I'll get them to meet us at the park near the Dupain-Cheng bakery. It's less likely to have onlookers this late in the day and Hawk Moth would likely not be expecting it.

"Cat? Before you go..."

"Yes?"

"I'm sorry for my reaction earlier. It's just... Adrien Agreste was the last person I expected to be you. You're so different from each other... personality wise at least. I just... want to make sure you understand that it was the shock and not disappointment. I could never be disappointed of you... either of you."

"Thanks. I'll see you at the park."

Ladybug made her rounds checking every tree and bench at the park until Adrien and Nathalie arrived. Sure enough, Nathalie had a purple butterfly sitting on her shoulder. "How do you think I could help?"

"We think you could try to purify him and see if that transforms him back. It might not work, but it's the only idea we have."

"Okay. I'll try" She opened her yoyo and Gabriel flew off of Nathalie's shoulder and onto the brightly lit interior of the yoyo. The cover closed over it and Ladybug opened it back up. A white butterfly flew out and landed on the ground. Everyone watched with baited breath and didn't say a word until the butterfly slowly started to grow and transform back into the form of a man. Once the white glow faded, Gabriel Agreste was standing in front of Ladybug.

"T-Thank you."

To his surprise, Nooroo flew up and hovered in front of him. "Do you have anything else to say for yourself?"

Ladybug and Adrien looked at each other in horror at the implications of an unfamiliar kwami talking to Gabriel. "Father?"

Gabriel sighed and turned to Adrien. "Yes son. It is what it looks like. Hawk Moth didn't do this to me. Nooroo did after repeatedly warning me about my misuse of the miraculous." Gabriel turned to Ladybug, who had taken a defensive posture. "Thank you for freeing me. I... I'm sorry for all the trouble I've caused. I was just trying to bring Adrien's mother back."

"Mother? What does mother have to do with you being Hawk Moth?"

"Because he can make a wish with our miraculouses," Ladybug stated while trying to get into a position to protect Adrien.

"That's right. I just need the Cat and Ladybug Miraculouses and I can make a wish using a special incantation. I was going to wish your mother back."

"But, did you know there'd be a price to pay? That the universe has to stay in balance? Are you willing to pay any price? Even if that price was Adrien?"

Gabriel's eyes widened. "I knew there was a price. But, I never considered it could be Adrien. I thought it might be some random stranger."

"Father? Do you even know what happened to mother?"

"She used the Peacock Miraculous too many times. It's damaged and caused her to go into an endless sleep. She's... She's been in the basement the whole time."

Adrien sat straight down on the ground. His legs no longer had the strength to support him. "All this time... and you never told me? I thought... I thought she just left us and... didn't want to be with us anymore."

"Son... I... I considered telling you several times, but I thought the knowledge of her condition might have been too much for you to handle. I-I'm sorry."

Adrien looked up at Ladybug. "Do... Do you think the guardian can help?"

"I'll go see. But first..." She turned towards Gabriel and held out her hand. "I need your miraculous, or he'll never come out of hiding to help... if he can even help." Gabriel took off the Moth Miraculous and Nooroo disappeared. He handed it over to Ladybug and she softened her stance. She turned to go and then turned back to Gabriel. "You said Emilie had used the Peacock Miraculous. Do you still have it?"

"Yes. It's in the safe."

"Plagg!" Adrien called out and his kwami flew up to face him. "Retrieve the Peacock Miraculous and take it to the guardian. Ladybug will meet you there."

Plagg and Ladybug nodded at each other and then took off. Leaving Adrien, Nathalie, and Gabriel to return back to the mansion on their own.

"Master Fu!" Marinette yelled as she entered his shop.

"Yes, Marinette. How... may... I..." Master Fu looked at the Moth Miraculous in amazement. "How did you..."

"Hawk Moth gave it to me himself. Plagg should be arriving shortly with the Peacock Miraculous. We learned it's damaged and has hurt someone close to Hawk Moth. He was wanting to use the wish to bring her back."

"I see. But you convinced him to surrender instead. But why would he surrender?"

"He wants to know if you can heal his wife. She's been put into an endless sleep by using the Peacock Miraculous while it was broken."

Master Fu pulled out his phone and started going through the pages of the book he had recorded earlier. "Hmmm. There is a page on fixing a damaged miraculous, but nothing about fixing someone hurt by it. Maybe Duusu can let us know the answer."

Plagg flew in with the Peacock Miraculous, and the book. "Here they are. Straight from..."

"Thanks Plagg," Marinette interrupted. "But, let's not name drop just yet."

"Good job, Plagg." Master Fu took the miraculous over to his kitchen and whipped up the fix. He dropped the miraculous into the mixture and then fished it out with a spoon. He rinsed it off and pinned it onto his Hawaiian shirt. Duusu appeared before Master Fu. "It's good to see you again Duusu. Are you feeling better?"

"Yes Master Fu. I'm feeling much better. It's great to be back to myself. How may I help?"

"Do you know how to wake up the person who had used you while you were damaged and is now in an endless sleep?"

"I'm sorry master. There isn't a way to cure her. I warned her repeatedly, but she was so strong willed that my words fell on deaf ears."

Marinette's head dropped. "I'll go tell them. Plagg, come with me so you can say goodbye to Adrien."

Master Fu's ears perked up. "You know Cat Noir's identity?"

"I just learned it tonight. He still doesn't know my identity. I was going to show him after I informed Hawk Moth about his wife. I wanted to make sure he knows it's me before I have to return Tikki. Plus, I'm sure he'll want to say goodbye to Plagg."

"Be careful. Hawk Moth might not have his miraculous any more, but he might still try to fight you after hearing the news."

"I will. Thank you."

Marinette was almost back to the Agreste mansion and asked Tikki, "Could the Lucky Charm create something that would help Emilie?"

"I'm afraid not. The issue is that she's not really there anymore. Her body is, but her spirit has already moved on. Even I can't fix that. If Hawk Moth had tried to use the wish, he likely would've ended up with a zombie instead of having Emilie back."

Marinette shuddered at the thought and then transformed back into Ladybug. In no time, she was back with the others. "I'm so sorry. But the guardian could not find a way in the book and Duusu said it was impossible. I also asked my kwami and she confirmed it was not possible, even with the wish. You might have ended up with her body reanimated, but it wouldn't have been Emilie."

Gabriel hung his head and left the room with Nathalie. Adrien walked up to Ladybug and hugged her. "Thank you for trying. I... I guess you'll need to return my ring?"

Plagg flew over to Adrien and hugged his cheek. "I'm going to miss you kid. None of the other Cat Noir's ever fed me nearly as much Camembert as you."

"Goodbye Plagg. I'm going to miss you too." Adrien slipped off his ring and Plagg disappeared. He held out his hand for Ladybug to take it.

"Tikki, Spots Off." Ladybug whispered. Marinette was standing in front of Adrien and looked away. "I... I wanted you to know for sure that I was Ladybug in case several girls tried to claim it was them."

"Marinette?" Adrien pulled her face up and looked into her eyes. "That certainly explains your shock earlier."

"Surprise! I... I hope you're not disappointed..."

"Never! Never even crossed my mind."

Marinette smiled at him timidly. "I... uh... whew this is embarrassing... I uh... I just wanted to let you know that the someone else I was talking about... was you."

Adrien's eyes widened. He picked her up, spun her around, and then set her down gently. His cheeks turned bright red and his hand absent-mindedly flew to the back of his neck as the reality of what she had said sunk deeper into consciousness. "Wow. I was really jealous of myself, huh?"

"Apparently so, kitty." Marinette exhaled and her face contorted. "Tikki?"

"Yes, Marinette?"

"It's time. I just wanted to say goodbye first. I'm going to miss you so much."

"I'm going to miss you too. It's been a pleasure knowing you."

Marinette smiled sadly and removed her earrings, causing Tikki to disappear. "I need to return these."

"I understand. I'll see you at school tomorrow?"

"Unless... you can stop by my house in half an hour..."

"I'd love to."

Marinette kissed Adrien on the cheek and then left to return the last two miraculouses to Master Fu. She knew she had a long road ahead of her. But, she knew she could do it... with Adrien's help.