A/N: Good morning everybody! I hope your Saturday morning is going well! I may post two chapters today, so stay tuned. Here is chapter 7!

Chapter 7: Cats Hate Water

Adrien was getting anxious. He had heard many disturbing noises, screams, and cries for help, or maybe it was just in his head.

Stop panicking! This is what Lila wants you to do! Don't give her what she wants, he scolded himself.

Then again, the screams he had heard had sounded a lot like his friends…

Stop it Adrien! Get ahold of yourself!

CRASH!

"AAAAAAAHHH!" Adrien screamed.

What was that?! he thought.

Suddenly, water began filling the large pool coming from the holes in the sides.

"Oh no."

Marinette was bawling her eyes out. She couldn't believe it! Chloe was actually dead! She also couldn't believe that Master Fu had been right. Chloe had actually changed for the better when she had gotten her miraculous.

"N-N-NO! CH-CHLOE!" she wailed.

Beep! Beep!

Her earrings beeped, and she de-transformed.

"Marinette…" a small voice said weakly.

Marinette rubbed her eyes, and looked down to find Tikki laying in her lap, exhausted. Then she glanced up at Alya.

"I know the drill," Alya said as she handed Tikki a cookie from her pocket.

Tikki gladly accepted it, and the three of them sat silently and watched her devour it.

Adrien was still stuck and still panicking. The water had already risen to his knees.

"Somebody help me!" he yelled for what seemed like the millionth time.

He sighed, nobody was going to get there in time. Everything had gone quiet after the loud crash, and he could only assume the worst. Then a sudden thought struck him that made him pale.

What had happened to Marinette?

"My lucky charm has never failed me before! Why now?" Marinette yelled.

"Marinette, I know you're upset, but Adrien is in danger!" Nino said trying to bring her out of her trance.

She looked up at him, her eyes still glistening with tears. Then she shook her head, and her eyes widened.

"Oh no! Uh-um, l-let's go!" she shouted quickly before hopping up off of the ground and running off in a random direction.

"Mari wait!" Alya called after her.

Nino gave her a look, and they both began running behind her.

"Marinette, where are you even going?" Nino asked her.

She stopped abruptly and held up her finger trying to quiet them. Nino and Alya both ran into her.

"Shhh!" Marinette whisper-yelled.

Alya rolled her eyes.

Suddenly, they could hear the faint noise of rushing water.

"Do you guys hear that?" Marinette asked.

"Yeah," Alya replied.

"I hear it," Nino said.

"It sounds like it's coming from–"

"That way!" Alya interrupted Marinette.

"How do you know?" Marinette questioned.

"I just know," she said firmly. "Maybe it has something to do with my miraculous, but I just know! Trust me!"

Marinette thought for a moment before finally nodding and running down the hall that Alya had pointed out. After running for a few minutes they came to another obvious door. They could hear someone yelling for help on the other side.

"That's Adrien!" Marinette yelled, "We're coming!"

On the other side of the door Adrien was relieved.

"Hurry, there's not much time left!" he shouted back. The water had risen to his waist.

Marinette pounded on the door, but her strength alone wouldn't be enough.

"Tikki, spots on!"

As soon as she transformed, she kicked down the door and ran into the room. Adrien was chained to a chair at the bottom of a pool. Water was quickly rushing in and rising. It was up to his chest.

"Marinette!" he cried with joy. He looked from person to person, but couldn't see Chloe. That was strange, but he would ask about that later.

"How am I supposed to get you out of there?" Marinette questioned.

"LUCKY CHARM!" all three of them shouted.

"Oh! Right!" she facepalmed, "Lucky..."

She paused, "But what if it doesn't work this time?" she asked on the verge of tears.

What does she mean if it doesn't work this time? Adrien thought.

Alya put her hand on her shoulder, "You can do it girl."

"Marinette can you please hurry?!" Adrien shouted anxiously forgetting his previous thought and remembering his current predicament.

"Alright then. Lucky charm!" she shouted.

A red and black-spotted bolt cutter fell into her hands.

{A/N: I know, so creative, right?}

"Perfect!"

She dove into the water and swam over to him. She maneuvered with the bolt cutter and clamped down on one part of the chain wrapped around him. Suddenly, they glowed and tightened.

"Aah!" he cried out in pain.

"What the?!" Marinette yelled.

"Not again!" Adrien barely choked out. The chains were so tight that he could barely breathe, and the water was covering his mouth.

"Adrien!" Marinette cried.

"Hurry!" he coughed, trying not to inhale the water.

Marinette was beginning to panic. What if it failed? What if she couldn't save him? What if–?

"Marinette focus!" Alya shouted, snapping her out of her stupor.

"You can do it!" Nino yelled, "You have to…" he whispered.

No! She wouldn't fail. She was going to save him!

The water had completely covered them. She clamped down on the chain again, but this time harder, and it snapped. She tried to get him out of the chains, but got herself entangled in the process. Luckily, Alya saw this and jumped in to save them.

She grabbed the chain that had wrapped around Marinette's leg and let her swim to the surface for a quick breath. Marinette gasped and then dove back down again. Alya had already untangled Adrien most of the way, and Marinette helped her get the rest of the chains off.

By now, Adrien was barely conscious. They dragged him up to the surface, and and laid him by the side of the pool. He shook as he tried to cough up the water in his lungs. Once he had finally stopped coughing, everyone was silent. He laid there, exhausted.

Finally, he broke the silence, "Marinette," he said, his voice hoarse, "I love you," he smiled.

"I love you too," she replied, "You really scared me!" she told him as she embraced him tightly, not wanting to ever let go of him again.

During this tender moment, Adrien had a sudden realization.

"Wait a minute guys! We have to save Chloe!"

They all looked shamefully at the ground.

"Wait, what happened…?" he asked tentatively.

Marinette began sobbing again.

No one could speak.

"No," he whispered in shock.

"W-We c-couldn't save her," Marinette cried.

"She died to save you," Nino said sadly.

"What do you mean to save me?" Adrien asked.

"Your trap was going to activate soon, and the walls were closing in on her, so she told us to go save you," Alya told him.

"WHAT?! AND YOU JUST LEFT HER THERE?! This must be some sick dream! This never really happened. Come on Adrien! Wake up!" he screamed.

He looked back up at his friends, and knew that it wasn't a dream. He burst into tears, and Nino rushed to his side.

"H-How c-c-could you d-do that? I c-can't lose anyone else," he sobbed.

Everyone went silent. He must have been talking about his mom.

"We didn't have a choice. It was either you, Marinette, and Chloe die, or just Chloe. Marinette stayed until the last second to try and save her, but she couldn't," Alya said softly.

"T-Thank you Marinette. Thank you," he whimpered.

They all sat on the floor in a big group hug with Adrien in the middle and mourned the loss of Chloe. It was a warming kind of hug, not one that you would want to break. After everyone stopped crying, the group of four sat there in comfortable silence. No one wanted to move. {A/N: kind of reminds me of that moment in Inside Out when Joy and Sadness work together at the end and the new core memory is formed when Riley and her parents are in that group hug, you know?}

"Well, as much as I hate to say it, we actually need to get out of here," Nino said quietly.

"Nino's right. We need to save our kwamis," Alya agreed.

The four of them begrudgingly stood up, with Marinette and Adrien holding hands.

"Hey girl, you never did your whole miraculous ladybug thing," Alya pointed out.

"What's the point?" she whispered as she stared at the ground.

"I don't know. It just normally fixes everything."

"What's there to fix?" she paused, "Wait a minute…"

Marinette had a sudden spark of hope. She dove into the pool to retrieve the bolt cutter. After she grabbed it, she made her way back to the poolside with her friends.

"What are you doing Marinette?" Nino questioned.

Adrien looked at her with a confused expression and tilted his head to one side, but didn't say a word.

Marinette took a deep breath. Time slowed. She didn't know if it would work, but she was going to try.

"MIRACULOUS LADYBUG!"

Ladybugs swarmed all around them. They glowed brighter than they ever had before as they flew around and changed everything back to normal.

Suddenly, a glowing ball of yellow light appeared in front of them.

"What is that?!" Alya screamed.

When the light died down, they couldn't believe the sight in front of them.

"Chloe?"

Hope you guys enjoyed! Next chapter may come your way very soon. Who knows? Maybe I'm feeling generous today (; ! Until next chapter, TTFN!