•••Chapter 1•••
"You are not dying on me!" Ladybug cried as she cradled her partner in her arms, watching as the light faded from his once bright warm green eyes. This wasn't supposed to be how they died, not like this. Not at the hands of an Akuma.
Chat held Ladybug's hand until his last moments, his body going limp as his heart finally stopped. Ladybug refused to believe he was gone, shaking her head as she brought him closer to her and sobbed harder than she'd ever cry in her life. Or what was left of it. She was bleeding out, slowly dying even as she held her deceased partner.
Once she knew she wouldn't make it for much longer, she forced herself to let go of Chat, laying him down to rest for his last time. They were so young still, in their late teens, about to start a new life as young adults. But that would never happen now, it was over for them.
The heroine managed to stand up, facing the Akuma who just laughed at their defeat. But Ladybug wasn't planning on letting them win, not after they killed her partner. Her best friend.
She threw her yo-yo to wrap about the Akuma, tugging on the string harshly to drag the villain closer. Once they got close enough, Ladybug ripped off the cursed object, crushing it under her foot to release the black butterfly. She caught it and returned everything back to normal. Well almost.
Her partner was still gone and she was still dying.
She stumbled back, nearly falling over as she turned on her heel and made her way over to Chat. She knew how this would end for her, she wasn't going to make it. She could practically feel herself losing all feeling in her body, her vision blurry as she fell to the ground beside her partner. She grabbed his hand, holding it as tightly as she could. If they were both going to die, then Ladybug was sure to make sure they both went out the same way; Holding their hearts in their hands.
"I'll see you soon Chat... you better be... waiting for... me..." Her eyes were losing their light and she forced herself to close them. The two just appeared to be resting, but anyone who would end up moving them would realise the hard truth.
They had both died in each other's arms.
When Ladybug opened her eyes again, she was standing. She didn't seem to have moved at all, in fact just in front of her were the bodies of Chat Noir and... herself. She wasn't surprised that she had died, she knew she would— what surprised her was she was still here. Didn't people go to heaven when they died? Then again she never was the religious type, perhaps ordinary people didn't do that. Or perhaps she was still there for a reason.
Her thoughts were interrupted when she heard someone speak her name, their voice cracking with tears.
Ladybug recognised the familiar voice right away and she turned around to face them, her eyes widening at who she saw.
"Chat Noir?" She asked quietly, her own voice cracking with the threat of tears. She smiled, "I guess you did wait for me—"
She was cut off by her partner suddenly pulling her into a tight embrace, and Ladybug didn't hesitate to hug him back. The two fell to their knees, too weak to stand as sobs ripped through them.
"You idiot... You weren't supposed to come so quickly..." Chat mumbled, his voice covered in tears. His grip on her tightened slightly, but she didn't mind.
"Sorry... I just couldn't wait to see you again," She replied, her smile sad and weak but still there. She felt Chat let out a short laugh, knowing he'd probably do the same.
"You know... now that we're— um, dead... can we finally reveal ourselves?" Chat asked, his voice bordering on hopeful despite the tears. Ladybug snorted, finding it foolish to keep it a secret now. She was about to answer when she heard a sudden beep and it took her a moment to realise it wasn't coming from her or Chat, it was coming from their physical selves. She glanced over her shoulder to watch as they detransformed, and Ladybug couldn't hide her gasp as she saw that he was really Adrien Agreste. She turned back to face Chat, his expression mirroring hers. Obviously, they both felt the same.
"You're—?!" They both started in unison, not able to finish. Instead, they just tackled each other in a hug, Marinette regretting not revealing themselves earlier when they were still alive. They would've made such a cute couple.
When they looked at each other again, their outfits had changed, as if they had also detransformed. They were wearing their normal outfits, and Marinette realised right then at that moment that they would never transform ever again. No more Ladybug and Chat Noir. Only their legacy remained.
Suddenly a bright light appeared above them and the two stood up quickly, their hands entwined as if afraid to lose each other again. Marinette looked over at their bodies again, a spark of pain rushing through her when she saw Tikki with who it appeared to be Adrien's kwami. Their antenna's were lowered, and it took Marinette and moment to realise they were crying. Did they cry over the loss of every miraculous holder?
It pained Marinette to see, she suddenly didn't want to leave yet, she wanted to say goodbye to them one last time. But she supposed it was too late.
The bright light got more intense and the two were forced to close their eyes, the blinding light covering them and then suddenly disappearing. When they opened their eyes again, they were standing outside a hospital room, their hands still intertwined as they exchanged a glance.
Adrien checked the label on the door, "It's a delivery room, but... why are we here?" He asked, glancing around to take in his surroundings. Marinette thought for a moment before biting her lip nervously and taking a step forward and walking straight into a wall, but the wall didn't stop her, she fazed right through, dragging Adrien along with her.
The two exchanged another glance and smiled, "Well that worked," Marinette said as she glanced around the room, immediately spotting a group of people. Four or five doctors and nurses surrounding a woman in bed, her husband beside her as she cradled a baby wrapped in a blanket in her arms. Marinette was the first to move, interested in why they were here but also intrigued by the sight of a baby. She glanced back at Adrien, noticing how he didn't move.
"Come on, let's go see the baby." She said with a smile, gesturing for him to follow. He just looked hesitant.
"It's not our baby though,"
"Well, why else were we teleported here? Obviously, this baby has some relevance to all of this," She remarked, crossing her arms as she waited for Adrien to followed. He sighed and did as he was told, walking beside Marinette as the two got closer to the bed. The doctors and nurses had dispersed, leaving space for the two to look.
The young woman who had her black hair done up in a bun, cradled the child as if it was the most delicate thing in the world. The baby opened its eyes just slightly, revealing a pair of gorgeous bluebell eyes. Marinette smiled.
"Let's name her Victoria," The mother said softly, the husband nodding in agreement as he stared down at his new daughter. Marinette noticed how the baby seemed to be staring at them, though she wasn't sure how. Marinette tested her theory and waved slightly, a smile on her face. The baby replied with an adorable laugh, and the two ghosts couldn't help but grin.
"I like Victoria," Marinette said, glancing over at Adrien to see that he obviously did too. She hadn't seen him smile that big before since... well since they were still alive.
"I do too."
