I nodded, "Be back in a sec, Mi' Lady. Don't go fighting Skeleton's without me, you can't have all the fun." I winked at her and darted off into the night, stowing myself away under a near-by bridge.
The ring slid over my finger with ease. The power that emitted from it twisted with my mortality, making me feel once again, whole. I was home.
Plagg flew up out of the ring and shook his head tiredly.
"Marinette, how many times do I have to tell you not to take the ring off before I'm out!" Plagg whined. I smiled at the small kawamii, waiting for him to notice who I was. He seemed a little slow on the uptake, continuing his list of complaints as he twirled through the air.
Finally, I cleared my throat and held out my hands for Plagg to sit on. He suddenly looked up at me with wide eyes, "Adrien?"
I laughed whole-heartedly, "Yes, Plagg."
"Adrien! Oh, I missed you buddy. Do you got any cheese? I haven't had any camembert since you disappeared…" On Plagg rambled, and on I listened, until Ladybug shouted for Chat Noir to get his furry-behind-out-here-and-fight.
"Uh, Plagg?" I said. Plagg stopped talking and looked at me. "We got an akuma to capture."
"Aww, but I just de-transformed!"
"For old times," I replied. "Plagg, Claws out!" I commanded. The ring on my finger turned black as the night and I was transformed into my Alter-Ego.
I opened my eyes, night vision flickering over me. My ears twitched in the darkness, sensing the walls that surrounded me. I reached for my baton and charged out from under the bridge, swirling my baton through the air to take out a row of Skeletons that had assembled around the area in front of me.
Ladybug appeared at my side and asked, "Have you looked at your outfit?" I glanced down for a quick second, which was more than enough time to be humiliated.
"Ugh, red so doesn't match my eyes!" I complained. My black suit was still decorated with Ladybug's classic colors.
Ladybug looked at me and stifled a giggle, "You're my Lucky Charm, remember? Now, the akuma is in Halloween's staff, I'll distracted him, but I need you to sneak around back and slide under him. Use your Cataclysm power to grab the staff and destroy it. Ready?"
"Ready," I used my baton to catapult me onto the roof of a building off to the left and Ladybug charged forward, circling the Akumatized Victim that was floating over his Skeleton army aimlessly. She caught his attention and I took my cue.
I ran down the roof tops, coming up just behind the Akuma Victim. I extended my baton and slid down to the ground, using it as though it were a pole. I summoned my Cataclysm power before my feet even touched the ground.
Ladybug veered off to a sharp right, leaving an opening for me to slide under the Akuma Victim and steal his staff without him noticing. I reached up and grabbed the base of the object, yanking it out of Halloween's hand. The Cataclysm magic traveled up the staff's large stem, turning it from a pure gold to a charcoal black. I threw the staff like a javelin towards Ladybug, who caught the object, and broke it against her knee, releasing the akuma.
I stood up and walked casually over to Ladybug, tucking my baton back into it's usual spot on my lower back. Ladybug purified the akuma, watching its white wings descended into the night sky. A look of sadness crossed her face, so I gently placed a hand on her shoulder to comfort her.
Ladybugs bluebell eyes found mine amidst the Paris sunrise, then, she laughed. The purist sound in the world. I swore in that moment, everything lit up around us. The sun that was just beginning to peak off in the distance, rose a little higher. And the air, became a little richer, and the breeze felt a little warmer. I became completely submerged in Ladybug's genuine happiness, as did everything around her. That was when I fell in love with Ladybug, because she had the power to change the world with a single smile.
Ladybug's laughter ceased, but her smile remained. "How am I supposed to throw you into the air, Chat Noir?" She asked, biting her lip to contain her laughter. I let out a small laugh and wrapped my arms around Ladybug tightly, feeling sadness creep up into my chest and wrap my heart in its cold fingers. I tilted my head, shoving my nose into Ladybugs soft hair, inhaling her sweet scent deeply.
Ladybug sobbed lightly into my chest, trying to hide her face from me. We sat like that for a moment, supporting each other, neither of us quite standing on our own, until we both heard the all too familiar beep of her earrings.
I let go of Mi' Lady and tucked a loose strand of hair behind her ear, running my fingers run down its short length. Ladybug closed her eyes and shook her head.
"I don't want you to leave, Chat."
"I don't want to leave, Mi' Lady," my hand traveled to her cheek, tracing her jawline down to her chin. I don't know what came over me, maybe it was all that time spent in The White Abyss, but I kissed her.
Ladybug tensed up and stepped back.
"I can't Chat. I just…" Her earrings beeped once more, as did one of the pads on my ring. I wasn't worried, she knew who I was now. But a panicked look crossed her face for a moment because I didn't know who she was, and she didn't have much time left. Ladybug had used her Charm long before I used my Cataclysm, she had to have been down to her last few spots.
I grabbed her hand and quickly ran her to my spot under the bridge. Once out of sight, I commanded Plagg to detransform me, keeping hold of Ladybug's wrist.
"It's because I'm Adrien, isn't it?" I asked inquisitively. Ladybug's earrings beeped once more, and she let out a squeal, her hand flying to her ears.
"I really have to go-"
"And I died. Am I right?" I continued, cutting her off. Ladybug tensed up and glared at me, an evil glint reflecting off her eyes.
"Don't" Ladybug warned.
"You knew me in our civilian lives, didn't you? But, now I'm back and-"
"I said don't Adrien!" Ladybug snapped. "Don't do this. You don't understand what I've gone through the past three months." Ladybug tried to move around me to leave, but I stepped in front of her. "Ugh, you persistent Chat! Fine, I'll tell you. When you disappeared that day, Adrien, it was like the whole world shut down. Nino didn't talk for weeks, your dad locked himself up in his house, and he never leaves. You're on the news, along with many others, every single day. Reminding me that, I could've done better. Fear, Adrien! I was a culprit of fear, and taking your ring was supposed to save you, but it didn't!" Ladybug placed one hand on her chest to calm herself down and wiped away frustrated tears with the other.
Her words hit me like a sack of bricks, punching a hole through me with every sentence. I tried to imagine what it would've been like for me if I were in her shoes, but the thought was just too painful. Ladybug had lost me, just as I had lost her. While I was stuck in a prison, she was stuck with the world.
"Ladybug, I-"
Ladybug cut me off quietly, "So, I'm sorry I can't kiss you during a one-time comeback to fight a single battle. Not when you're going to get sent away as soon as I say those two words, and I have to say them, Adrien, before I change back."
"Ladybug wait-"
"Miraculous Ladybug." She whispered. A swirl of red light protruded from my chest and swirled around me, shooting out into Paris to return the world to normal again. The light swirled back towards me, engulfing me in a swarm of ladybugs, then vanished.
I was still here, and the Ladybug print had vanished from my clothing.
Ladybug sucked in a breath, then ducked behind one of the pillars scattered out beneath the bridge. A pink light illuminated her area for just a moment, then dissipated as Ladybug turned to her civilian form.
I walked over to my side of the pillar and sat down on the ground. I reached my hand back, and Ladybug placed her barehand in mine, clutching it tightly.
"I'm still here," I said astonished.
"How?" Ladybug choked out. I leaned my head against the pillar and let out a small sigh.
"Magic is funny, I guess."
"You have a sick sense of humor, Chat."
"My name is Adrien," I replied defensively.
Ladybug was quick to respond, "Not when you're Chat Noir humor shows."
I let out a small laugh, "Is Ladybug trying to be funny?" I inquired. There was a small, drawn out silence.
"No," came Ladybugs reply. I gave her hand a small squeeze to comfort her.
"I want to see you," I stated.
"Adrien-"
"Please," I begged. Ladybug grew quite again.
"Okay," she whispered. I quickly stood up, dusting off the dirt from my jeans, and stepped away from the pillar. Slowly, a body emerged from the other side, walking around to stand right in front of me. She kept eye contact with me the entire way, not once doubting her decision.
The girl in front of me wore a black suit jacket with a white t-shirt, decorated in a pink floral pattern that descended over her chest. Her pink capris pants were skin tight all the way down to her calves, and a pair of pink flats decorated her feet.
Marinette's bluebell eyes stared back at mine, her cheeks lit up with a pink blush that spread across her face at my assessment of her.
Without thinking, I enfolded my best friend in a hug, and she responded immediately, pulling me close.
"You're amazing, Marinette." I said. Marinette looked up at me a smiled.
"You're still here, Adrien."
"I'm still here," I agreed, cupping her chin. "May we try that kiss again, Princess?" Marinette blushed furiously, letting out a nervous giggle.
"I missed you, Chaton." Marinette grabbed my face with both hands and kissed me hard in the morning light of Paris. Her warm hands ran though my silky hair and I pressed her against my chest, wishing that we could stay in that moment forever, wrapped in each other's arms. I returned her passion vigorously, basking in the feel of my Princesses care.
I was home.