Disclaimer: I do not own Miraculous Ladybug.


A different world, a different time. The clock might tick the same way and the bird outside sings the same song. Maybe the wind shakes the leaves the same way, maybe the snow in winter coats the same streets.

Maybe it's all the same, even if everything is different. The same faces, but different stories. The same names, but different memories.

One thing will always stay the same though, no matter how different everything may be. In the end, love stays the same. In the end the two hearts will find each other who were meant to be for all eternity.

Eyerything is different. Only love stays the same.

Chapter 1

The city of Paris laid silent, softly veiled in a hazy mist that caressed the tiled rooftops while the wind whispered its last songs. The silence of the night rested above the dormant houses, the light of the moon only carefully peeking out between a few cloud fragments. Not even the stars dared to show themselves tonight, for their shine would be nothing more than a lifeless flicker in the gloomy sky. Only the chilly breeze could be heard that quietly rustled the leaves of a few trees and a lonely bat that disappeared into the shadows of an alleyway. Sleep surrounded the houses and their residents and the last lights flickered dimly behind closed windows. Barely any human soul dared to enter the streets at this hour, most of them safe at home, tucked into their own warm bed. Floating in dreams of the future about what has been and what will never be. Dreams are for sleeping.

The last ones awake that set their feet outside were the poor, the desperate, those who had ill intentions and a lonely cat on a rooftop. His eyes darted around, glowing yellow orbs. Polished amber that hid something treacherous. No one saw him coming as he crossed the roofs on silent paws, crouched on all fours. Nobody saw the face beneath the cloak of snow white or the mask that hid his identity from all curiosity. The cat's white mask.

He jumped from one roof to the next, briefly glancing down into the streets. Into the foreign world that was so familiar to him at the same time. It had been so long since he had seen all this. But now that he was here, sitting on the tiles, his ears firmly pressed to his shimmering blonde hair, it all came back like it was yesterday. The sweet memories of a time when all had been much easier. Back when his body hadn't been toughened from harsh training. When his heart had still been soft.

Had he really become sentimental now, because of some meaningless memories? Pathetic. He knew exactly what he had to do, there was no time for distractions. For far too long he had prepared for this exact evening, this sweet night. Innocent like his prey. But it had to be this way, no mercy, no remorse. Such feelings were for the weak.

One roof came after the next, the piercing yellow eyes searching the dark without rest. He knew what he was looking for, it had to be around here somewhere. But where… keep calm. He would not fail by missing his target. The cool air brushed his cheeks as he kept running. Don't stop, don't look back. No time to enjoy a nostalgic moment if it meant to miss the chance that he was waiting for. If only he could find…

His white, cat-like ears twitched as a sudden noise reached him. Footsteps? A laugh, not far from him, somewhere down below. Curiosity drove him to the next rooftop, from which he carefully peeked down to the main road, well hidden, thanks to the thick fog. At least he hoped so. Damned be his white leather suit. Beautiful, dangerous white that promised him such power.

Two figures moved through the night, almost invisible in the darkness. But what did the cat with night-vision care? And even if he could not see as clearly as at daytime, the figures soon peeled out of the blackness, looking for protection in the light of a street lantern and exposing themselves to his gaze. A young woman in a lovely dress, flowing burgundy, trimmed with lace. A small hat rested on her head, decorated with delicate silk roses. The man by her side wore a fine shirt and a vest of pale green brocade on top. He held her hand and she laughed happily at something he had said. For a minute or two, they stood under the lantern, before resuming their walk. A young couple that just enjoyed the peace and quiet, while the night hid the secrets of their conversations. Unaware of the snow white cat who had watched their little, private trip.

The boy in white grimaced. Love, who needed that? A mixture of completely irrational emotions that turned the mind into pudding and made the heart beat faster, just because some other person came around the corner. A feeling that artificially made someone else more relevant in the own illusory world for no good reason. Love was distracting, love turned one blind and deaf for logic. And it hurt. A lot. Especially when a loved one was lost.

With a shake of his head, he turned his thoughts back to the actual task. His legs set into motion and he swung over a wide path to the next roof, jabbing his steel staff into the cobblestone of the road. Each of his movements was perfectly calculated, his muscles working smoothly like those of a predator.

A spark of red in the corner of his eye caught his attention. Quickly he hid behind the next chimney to stay out of sight, carefully peeking out of his hiding place. There she was, a slender figure, standing upright in the dark. The body clothed in a red, sleeveless dress over a black blouse, the short skirt open at the front to allow for better movement. Tight, black pants were tucked into red, over-knee boots and a black corsage was wrapped beneath the chest. Slim gloves in red reached over her elbows and a single yoyo hung securely from her waist. What made the outfit stand out were the polka-dots, dotting the red fabric. Black dots on red everywhere, even on the mask the covered her face. The livid moonlight set a silvery shimmer on her raven hair, bound back into two pigtails by red ribbons and framing the pretty face with the self-confident smile. Proudly she stood there at the edge of a tiled roof, her weight shifted to one leg and her gaze drifted over the sleeping city she guarded. Her city.

For a moment, the boy in the white mask forgot to breathe. His body was frozen as he stared at her, taking in the whole sight of her. Everything he had worked towards, everything he had prepared for the last few years vanished for a few seconds and became indifferent. Even the slim, sharpened dagger that hung from his belt in a white sheath didn't matter anymore, the bare steel that had been given to him for one sole purpose.

Once more, memories returned to him, painfully pushed to the surface out of the depths of his consciousness. Blurry pictures of the moment when he had met the red clad heroine for the first time and they had explored their new abilities together. The first battle against an akuma and the bravery she had shown back then. Her assertiveness and her strength, everything about her that had enchanted him. Back when he had been so weak and breakable.

She didn't seem to have changed a bit and her close resemblance to the old pictures in his mind took his breath away. The only real change was her age. She had grown and become more… beautiful.

He could not move and lingered, secretly watching the motionless girl just a few feet away from him, as a dark, familiar presence slowly crept into his consciousness.

Ah, old memories… so sweet and malicious at the same time.

A pull in the back of his head snapped him out of his daydreams, pain shot through his limbs in a flash and he gasped for air. Jerkily he pressed his back against the chimney, crouching into the shadows. Had the girl heard him? But that was not the only thing he was afraid of.

You wouldn't allow yourself to get distracted by such insignificant recalls now, would you?

Hastily he shook his head, closing his eyes and trying hard to calm down his racing heartbeat. His breath trembled and he put one clawed hand onto his mouth. The girl mustn't hear him! An ominous, purple butterfly shape glowed upon his face as a low voice whispered into his ear.

The past is a thing that your head changes to make it seem brighter than it really had been. Your mind is playing tricks on you, Chat Blanc. Don't allow it to sway you.

The presence of the voice loomed over him and he felt his sanity slowly slipping away. His pupils narrowed, the sweet pictures fading into irrelevance.

You've already gone through enough pain.

The voice was right, he had let foolish nostalgia distract him from his mission. Once again he felt the weight of the dagger on his belt, a hand clad in white leather reached around the handle.

Ladybug might have stayed the same as before, but himself? He was all different. And it was better that way.

Once more, the butterfly symbol shone brightly around his eyes before disappearing. The voice would leave him alone, so that Ladybug couldn't figure out he was blessed with the power of an akuma so easily. It would only provoke an unnecessary fight. Not that he couldn't easily beat her in a fight, but it would be risky.

His lips formed into a derisive grin as he quietly stepped out of the shadows. She was still there, having sat down at this point, her legs dangling from the roof. She hadn't noticed him yet… all it took was a well-placed throw of his dagger, but… where was the fun in that. And besides that, it was an idiotic tactic. He would only have one chance and if he missed her or didn't hit her properly, she would know he was her enemy. And he should keep that hidden well. After all, Ladybug was powerful, even though she was by herself. Why jump into a dangerous battle that, up to now, every akuma had lost, if he could succeed with much more elegant manipulation?

He came closer to her, the hood on his head pulled deep into his face. His footsteps were heard, Ladybug winced and jumped up, turning around to meet his gaze. For a moment, their eyes met, yellow with blue. This blue, like the heavens above on a bright summer day. How they sparkled, so alive, as she examined him with distrust…

Enough. Stupid, foolish feelings.

"And who are you exactly?" Her skeptical voice scared him out of his thoughts, but he quickly regained his posture and bowed to her gallantly, a charming smile on his lips.

"Just a lonely cat at night looking for company. So how could I miss this purrfect moment to meet a lovely girl like you?"

She raised an eyebrow, clearly not knowing what she should think of him. Her hand went to the yoyo on her waist, not taking it off yet though. She shifted her weight to her left leg, fighting an amused smile that tried to creep up onto her face. "Oh, a charmer. How did someone like you get onto the rooftops, did your crush run away?"

He chuckled. "Seems like I just found her again", he purred.

At that she groaned slightly, rolling her eyes, but could not resist a short laugh. It was so easy winning her trust, he thought. And when that had happened, she was done for. "How can I be your crush if I don't even know you, let alone your name?" She still eyed him rather warily, but he could not help but notice that she played along. Was that maybe… no, not really flirting. It was all part of his plan.

He inched closer to her, earning an unsure glance from her as she retreated one step. Confusion crossed her face when he kneeled down and took her hand to kiss its back. "For me, it's enough to know who you are, Mylady."

He could feel her body freezing in sudden terror and she tore her hand away from him as if she had just burned herself. Fazed she stared at him with wide eyes that darted from his head to toe, seemingly looking for something. It was almost a bit uncomfortable for him to be stared at like that.
Now she dared a step towards him, her hand slowly reaching forward and then pulling back again. Had she intended to remove his hood? He stood still, his golden eyes piercing into hers and he saw her shudder a little in the dark. What was it that he saw in her eyes, uncertainty? Disbelief? Or maybe a glimpse of… hope? "Tell me…" Her voice had become more quiet and careful. As if she feared that speaking to loud would cause the boy in white in front of her to shatter into a million pieces. "Do you by any chance know… someone by the name… Chat Noir?"

Chat Noir. All of a sudden, it felt like the air around the two rapidly lost all comfortable warmth. The words he formed in his mouth stung like ice shards, so cold. And his eyes chastened him of a malicious lie. "Chat Noir…" Like poison on his tongue. "I've never heard that name before."

He could practically feel her hope getting smashed to pieces as her eyes turned dull. She pulled back, averting her gaze and turning away from him, no longer wanting to look at him. "Forgive me, I… I just thought-"

"What?" Harshly he cut her off. He didn't want to hear anymore, nothing at all. Not about Chat Noir. That weakling was long gone, buried somewhere deep inside of him where no one should ever find him again. Ladybug would not get him out of there now, never.

She swallowed and took a deep breath, before looking up at him again. "You… just reminded me of him. Of Chat Noir."

His eyes narrowed and he fought with keeping up the facade of the perfect gentleman. A fake smile was forced onto his face. "Forget that stranger. Whoever he is, he isn't worth it if he just leaves you behind by yourself. If you don't want to be alone, I could offer a fitting alternative…" He offered a white clad hand, only for it to be hit away by her. Dumbfounded, he met her gaze and inhaled sharply.

Her eyes that had shined so beautifully just now had filled with anger and a hint of desperation. "How can you say that about him?", she screamed, pain in her expression. "You don't even know him! Chat Noir was a hero, he was always by my side. He was my partner, dammit!" Her tone rose by an octave.

He stumbled backwards, shocked by her reaction. That had not been planned, not at all… She missed Chat Noir… No! No, that didn't matter! He had to concentrate!

Only then he heard the sniffing.

Her head was lowered, the black bands falling over her face. Still he saw the tears dripping from her chin. She… was crying.

"Until… until he…" Dejected, she wiped the silvery tears away. All Chat Blanc could do was stand there and watch her, veiled in silence. "He was always brave and honest. And he… he… was there." She shook her head and looked up, their eyes met once more. "For a moment I thought that… you, maybe… I'm sorry. I guess I was wrong."

He just stood there, feeling numb as her words dug into the pit that he had dug for Chat Noir. She missed him, that stupid, pathetic tomcat.

She was a fool. A fool to believe she could have him back. The hatred grew inside of him, raked by his own denial as he ignored the aggravating pull in his chest that whispered about his guilt. What did she know, she was a dumb little girl who had never grown up. Unlike him. Should he not be the one who had the right to cry after everything that had happened to him? How dare she question the path that he had taken, the one that had brought him strength and power? The path to becoming unbreakable.

His hand clenched into a fist, his yellow eyes glowing dangerously in his rage. He stepped closer until he was right behind her, hissing into her ear. "Don't speak his name!"

A high-pitched scream escaped her lips as she tumbled forward in an attempt to get away from him. Only where her feet wanted to step, there was no more roof. She stepped into nothing, slipping. He saw her fall, heard her scream-

Not even a second later he found himself kneeling at the edge of the roof, her hand in his. He held onto her, noticing her surprised, confused expression. The ground was far below her and he doubted she couldn't have saved herself from the fall. Nonetheless, he pulled her up to safety, one arm wrapped tightly around her waist. She stared at him wide-eyed, their faces just a few inches apart and he could feel her pulse beating against his chest. A breath escaped her mouth, opened slightly from shock, and brushed his cheeks as he pressed her firmly against him with one had. The other had reached into his cloak to grab the dagger.

She was so close. The perfect chance…

But he missed it. His body refused to move, frozen in position. As if his muscles no longer reacted to his will for the second time tonight.

What was wrong with him? She was there, right in front of him at his mercy. All he had to do was pull out the dagger and… did he even want this? What, of course he wanted this! How could he even consider anything else, she was useless and pitiful and why would his body not move?!

Before he could decide on anything, she had already freed herself of his grip and had gained discrete distance to him, not noticing the dagger though. She offered him a sheepish smile. "That was… unexpected."

Whatever this girl did to him, it was not good. Not a proper influence. He had to get away from her and fast. So that he could return and try again as soon as he had gotten his priorities in order. "I… I have to go." He turned around on one heel and ran, his cloak flowing behind him in a white blur.

But she came after him, swinging to him using her yoyo and catching his arm before he could get away. As he looked at her, she returned the glance with a begging expression. "Don't go."

He hesitated. What should he say? Swallowing heavily, he took her hand gently into his. This girl was spinning his head around, what was he doing?! Calm down, he told himself, this was all part of the plan to win her trust, nothing else! "I have to, but I… I'll come back." To hunt her, until all of this was over.

She wanted to say something it seemed, but instead she settled for a simple, kind smile, letting go of his hand and thus allowing him to leave. He saw it in her sky blue eyes, she would wait for him. Unknowingly wait for her death.

As he rushed away into the dark, until even the innocent brightness of his cloak had disappeared, he felt a sting in his chest, lingering. Muffled feelings of guilt that he tried to ignore.


Author's Note:

Hello, I hope you enjoyed my first chapter of "White Mask". I have put a lot of thought into this and more chapters are on their way.

Just so that you know, I am actually German and English is not my birth language. Which means I first need to write a chapter in German, then let friends proof-read it and then I translate the chapter into English and let my American friend check it for grammar mistakes. Writing a chapter takes me about a day if I'm fast and translating takes another day. So please don't be mad if I don't post chapters every other day, I'll try to update frequently.

By the way, there is a reason why Chat Blanc doesn't act like a destructive maniac in my fanfiction. Just be patient please, it will all make sense soon.

Anyways, thanks for reading. See ya :D