Warning ahead of time: This story contains occasional cussing, sensitive topics, and sometimes gruesome chapters that may or may not have a warning on them.

Little girls should not cause this much destruction.

Nor should they be using a dreamcatcher as a weapon, to cause Parisians to fall asleep on the spot. The city was in shambles, cars piled up left and right, their drivers in a deep slumber. Many families were worried for their sleeping loved ones, the fear of them succumbing to the dreams fresh in their minds. Ladybug and Chat Noir had faced many foes in the past, but never had they faced one quite so disastrous.

Standing atop one of the many rooftops of Paris, the two heroes stood before the dreadful akuma, a young child around the age of seven, who had suffered one too many nightmares. Dreamcatcher in hand, her bright violet locks framed her face in an almost anti-gravity way, as she faced the only two beings in her way.

Chat Noir stood alongside his dear partner, baton at the ready. He never imagined one little girl would wreak so much havoc in Paris, but he was more than ready to put an end to it. Ladybug took a pace toward the akumatized girl, who went by the name Lucid.

"Lucid! You must stop this!" Ladybug shouted.

She responded harshly in her young tone, "Nobody understands, Ladybug! I'm tired of all these nightmares. All I want are good dreams!"

"Well she's clearly not feline good," Chat joked with a smirk.

He was shushed by a quick glare from his spotted companion, but Chat Noir could've sworn he saw a glint of amusement in her bluebell eyes. He turned his attention back to the villainous little girl, who was now fuming with annoyance.

Who knew one of the most fierce akumas we'd ever face would be so young and innocent? Chat thought, So small, and yet causing so much peril in the city.

"No one understands me!" Lucid cried cutting into Chat's thoughts, "Everyone needs to sleep and have good dreams, and I'll make sure it happens!"

Ladybug protested, "Lucid, making people sleep isn't something you can just do at any time. It's dangerous! You need to learn that!"

A small smile formed on Chat Noir's lips. His lady was always so intelligent, knowing just what to say. However, Lucid screeched with rage, clearly not impressed, and Chat Noir stepped up to Ladybug's side. The two of them prepared their defenses, yo-yo and baton, with narrowed eyes at the living nightmare. Lucid's blazing eyes met with Ladybug's.

"I've just about had enough of you! I won't let you stop my dreams!" she screamed.

Lucid raised her dreamcatcher into the air, the object shining a dark purple as the akuma rested inside. It started to shine, glowing more bright by the moment as it gave off a harsh black light, and with no warning she unleashed her wrath. The young girl with a dark, glittering mask like the night sky held forth her dreamcatcher, which was now nearly bursting with energy. With no warning, a huge, powerful beam was released from the weavings, bringing along a dark light and an ear-piercing ring with it.

Ladybug stood wide-eyed, as the terrifying blast headed her way in seconds. Chat looked at her frantically. It would only be a few short moments before the cataclysmic beam hit Ladybug, so with no further thought the black cat with the mask ran at Ladybug. It was getting so close!

Three...

Two...

One...

Chat Noir's shoulder made contact with Ladybug's, and with all the force he could muster he slammed the spotted heroine aside, as the blast connected with his chest and immediately sent a terrible, searing pain throughout his entire body. A scream of agony escaped him, and in a cloud of purple and black sparks surrounding him, Chat Noir clutched his chest and collapsed to the ground, blond locks falling in his face.

"CHAT!"

Chat Noir barely made out his partner's scream. All he could feel was the intense throb that now resided in the middle of his chest. His vision blurred. Chat's senses started to fade, as the only thing he could hear was his own panting, and the only thing he could feel was complete and utter pain. Then, mere moments later, silence and blackness wrapped around Chat Noir like a blanket as he felt his consciousness slip away for good.

Cold. He felt so cold. His face and, as a matter of fact, half of his whole body, was laying against something hard. He tried to open his eyes, but they seemed stuck closed. Chat Noir tried to make out his surroundings as his senses slowly returned, which isn't easy to begin with when you're eyes won't open. He heard an eerie silence, only broken by the whistling of wind and the occasional tinkle of what sounded like broken glass. The chill that swept over his body made Chat shiver, and at last he managed to crack open his cat-like eyes.

He was met with a depressing landscape. It was a city, desolate and destroyed, no living creature in sight. What looked to once be a lively place was now nothing but an abandoned wasteland. Chat was laying on his side against hard pavement, and a groan escaped his lips as he sat himself up.

'What happened to me?' Chat thought. He tried to remember, but it was certainly a struggle. 'Ladybug and I were fighting Lucid, and I got struck with that blast. After that... oh, I can't remember!'

A sudden scream broke it's way into Chat's thoughts, causing him to jump with alarm. He could tell that the scream wasn't simply from fear. It was bloodcurdling, sounding as if it was forced out of a victims raw throat during a session of torture. Although the scream was far in another area of the deserted city, Chat staggered to his feet and took off in the direction of it. Whoever it was who had screamed, they were certainly in pain.

As Chat Noir raced along the broken grey rooftops, he looked around at the terrible view. Most buildings were either crashed to the ground, or broken into pieces, with very few still in decent condition. Various household objects were littered all over the roads and sidewalks, along with shattered glass and broken building parts everywhere you looked. However, there was one element that frightened Chat Noir most of all about this place. Dead bodies.

"Holy shit..." he muttered.

A strong nausea suddenly formed at the bottom of his stomach, and he had to force himself not to vomit at the sight.

Corpses of fallen citizens were strewn everywhere. Bloody, torn, rotting corpses. Many of small children or elderly people, and Chat had to hold back tears, even though he didn't know any of these people. He felt as if his heart was breaking apart, but he warned himself not to focus on his current location as he approached the area of the scream.

Although, as he had taken in his surroundings Chat Noir already figured out where he was. It was Paris. His beautiful home, now gone. Wrecked. Absolutely destroyed. The Eiffel Tower sitting in ruins in the distance.

"Gaaugh! H-help!"

Very close by, another painful shriek emerged from what sounded like the same voice. A familiar voice at that. Chat ran to the area where the sound had come from, and looking down from the roof he stood upon at the streets, he spotted his very familiar companion.

"Ladybug?" he muttered to himself in disbelief. What was she doing here?

As Chat Noir got closer, he was able to better make out the situation. Ladybug was very tattered, her suit torn and her hair messy, cuts present all across her body, as her blue, pain filled eyes were directed at the figure who stood before her. She was bleeding... a lot. The heroine was clasping a spot on her stomach which, Chat could see through her fingers, was quickly oozing scarlet liquid. He shifted his gaze to the being who stood over Ladybug. From the back, Chat could tell that she was a teenager. She bore floating violet locks, a black skirt, and was clutching a dreamcatcher.

'A dreamcatcher?' Chat thought, 'Then that means...'

"Lucid..." Ladybug rasped, "Please... haven't you c-caused me enough pain yet?"

Chat Noir felt his hairs rise. His lady sounded so terribly in pain. How long had he been asleep if Lucid was now a teenager? In fact, Ladybug herself bore an older, more mature appearance.

The akumatized girl snickered, "Not quite. You've still got life left in you, haven't you? We can still have more fun."

It was at just this moment that Chat came to the attention of what Lucid bore in her other hand. As she lifted it, he recognized the gleaming, silver blade of a dagger. Anger surged through Chat Noir as he leaped out from his hiding place, and wielded his baton.

"You won't lay another finger on her!" he shouted.

Lucid spun around with shock, and Chat had no hesitation as he charged at her and swung his fist at her cheek. He wasn't normally this enraged, but the adrenaline that rushed through his veins knowing that Ladybug was suffering caused him to lash out much more. He felt ready to kill!

Chat Noir knocked Lucid to the ground with the hit, and when he rushed at her to throw another punch his fist connected with thin air instead of skin. He blinked with surprise as Lucid suddenly vanished.

"W-what? How?" he stuttered with shock, but Chat decided not to dwell on it as he turned to Ladybug.

The red spotted girl was still clasping her stomach wound as a small pool of blood began forming beneath her, however she was staring at Chat Noir with wide, unreadable eyes. He kneeled down beside her as she spoke to him.

"Ch-Chat... you're alive..."

He shuddered. She was so weak.

"Yes, I'm alive. Come on, we need to get you out of here!" he replied. Chat put his hand on Ladybug's shoulder, prepared to help her stand, but she stopped him. Ladybug weakly sat forward and touched her bloody hand to his cheek, her stare still locked on him.

"Chat Noir... y-you don't understand. You've b-been asleep... for ten years," she rasped.

A gasp escaped Chat uncontrollably. No... that couldn't be possible! He refused to believe that he had been asleep for such a long time. Ladybug winced and fell back, landing in Chat's arms as he held her. She was bleeding more, her life draining away in front of his eyes.

"My lady, hang in there! Don't give up on me!" his voice cracked.

Ladybug gazed at Chat. Her eyes were filled with many emotions: Understanding, sadness and maybe even love, as they locked with the bold green eyes of Chat Noir.

She choked out, "It is already t-too late Chat..."

"No..."

Tears stung Chat's eyes as they flooded his vision. He gritted his teeth in pain as he looked down at his dying love cradled in his arms. The life in Ladybug's eyes were starting to fade.

"P-Please Ladybug... don't die!" Chat Noir sobbed.

Hot tears were freely flowing down his cheeks now. Ladybug was gone, her wonderful life taken away by that terrible girl. Chat Noir uncontrollably sobbed, hugging Ladybug close as he sought out her warmth that was now fading from her body.

'I wasn't fast enough,' Chat thought, 'I couldn't save her... what kind of partner am I?!'

Minutes passed as all signs of life from the beloved heroine faded away. Chat felt dead inside as his tears kept flowing, refusing to leave her side. He would just stay here until he died.

"Chat!"

A loud shout met Chat's ears. At a time like this, he would've ignored it, but the voice was so familiar that it intrigued him. Intrigued him as to why he could hear that voice.

"L-Ladybug?"

He sat up and looked around. No one was there.

"Chat Noir!"

His cat-like ear twitched. The call was louder this time, still the familiar tone of Ladybug that he knew. However, the voice wasn't coming from any particular direction.

"My lady? Where are you? How can I hear you?"

"Chat Noir! Wake up!"

"CHAT!"

The girl with the blue pigtails rubbed her sore shoulder from where Chat Noir had tackled her. She was practically in shock. She was just about to be hit by a giant, powerful blast from Lucid.

But Chat saved me... she thought.

Ladybug watched in horror as her partner screamed out in pain and collapsed to hit knees, clutching his chest. She quickly staggered up and ran to his side as Lucid cackled from behind her. She supported Chat as she felt his energy start to falter, but no matter how much she tried to snap him out of it, the black cat never responded. Ladybug angrily turned her head to the laughing akuma.

"What did you do to him?!" she demanded.

Lucid smirked, "Well I was trying to hit you, but you'll see."

Ladybug scowled with annoyance and turned back to her partner, who had fallen into a deep sleep.

"Well, I have no time for you. Bye-bye!"

Ladybug gasped as the young girl began to fly away. She had to chase after her, but she couldn't leave Chat! She kept looking back and forth between the two of them as Lucid was getting farther away from her. She came to only one solution.

"Lucky Charm!"

Ladybug threw her spotted yo-yo into the air and a mix of red and black erupted from it. The fluttering beam swirled into the air, and came together to form a red and black spotted shield that fell down into her arms. She frowned with disappointment.

"How am I supposed to stop Lucid with this?"

She watched as the little girl vanished into the distance, and she sighed. When she returned her attention to the feline hero, he was curled up on his side, clenching his fist with a look of distress on his face. What really caught her attention was the tears streaking down his cheeks, and the light sobs that escaped his mouth. He was crying in his sleep. She couldn't even think of a time where she'd seen him shed a tear and here he was, sobbing. She dropped her shield in shock and rushed over to his side, cradling him in her arms as she let his head rest on her lap.

"Chat!" She called out, trying to wake him or get some sort of reaction. There was no response from the cat for a moment, only sobs, but then he let out a faint murmur of words that Ladybug couldn't make out. However, she could've sworn she heard him say her name. She tried again.

"Chat Noir!"

His crying began to fade. His cat ears twitched as if he could hear her. Chat muttered something again, but Ladybug still couldn't make out his message. Finally, desperate to wake up her partner, she cried out one more time.

"Chat Noir! Wake up!"

With that, his cat-like eyes reappeared, flying around with urgency and confusion. When their gazes met, his eyes suddenly widened and he pushed himself away, springing up faster than she had ever seen him before. She stared up at him with concern as he armed his baton, panic clear in his features.

"Stay away from me, you monster!" he exclaimed, and in Ladybug's confusion, she noticed how dazed he seemed. As if he was still sleeping. She bolted to her feet, standing at the ready.

"Chat, it's me! It's Ladybug!" she reassured. His eyes blazed with fury as he spun his baton defensively. Chat shook his head in denial.

"You killed her!" he cried, cheeks stained from previous tears.

With no warning, he called upon his Cataclysm, and Ladybug sprung into action, diving for her shield. Chat sprinted toward her, inky black claws prepared to strike. Ladybug quickly flew up her shield, and as Chat Noir swiped at the metal it immediately rusted over before breaking into pieces.

Once losing her lucky charm, Ladybug acted on her instincts and threw her arms around her partner in a tight embrace, locking his arms at his sides. He struggled against her hold, but she kept her grip.

"Chat, please. It's me! Everything's okay!" Ladybug pleaded. She continued repeating this, until she felt the black cat hero relax against her. She softened her tone, trying to keep him calm as she firmly repeated the same words.

"It's okay."

Ladybug found herself down on her knees as Chat's breathing slowed and felt his arms wrap around her waist, returning the embrace. A small smile formed on her lips, and after a few more long moments she drew back to look at him. He seemed to have finally snapped out of his daze, however his eyes were distant and glossy.

"Chat Noir... what happened?" Ladybug asked, her voice soft and filled with concern. He didn't meet her gaze, his eyes glancing off to the side as he fell into silence. Ladybug didn't press on, just gave him time to collect his thoughts. After a few moments, he shook his head with a sigh.

"I don't want to talk about it..." he lamented, his hands falling to his sides. Ladybug furrowed her brows in sympathy, and slowly nodded, right when she heard the beep of her earrings.

"I understand..." before she could even continue, Chat interrupted her.

"Come on, let's go recharge."

Ladybug could only wonder: What had Lucid done to him?