The annual masquerade date had been announced, therefore business at the stall was booming. We were taking orders for gowns, suits and every single article of clothing imaginable. Chat complained about the overwhelming demand for our products, but for me, it was something to help take my mind off of everything. Sewing and designing was now more than a pastime for me; it was a retreat. I could forget about Hawkmoth and Alya and Nino and my romantic drama with Adrien. I could forget about the fact that if I broke my curse, I would break my destiny and kill Tikki. I could forget my worries about how Nino was faring in the world without a kwami or a familiar face. Most importantly, I could push aside the fact that the masquerade was the day before my birthday; the day before I would fall into an eternal sleep.

I had one and a half months left to live. It seemed so far away when it was a year, but my impending doom was growing closer and closer. I was running out of time to kill Hawkmoth and, in doing so, push my curse into nonexistence. In other words, hopeless. I knew Hawkmoth's game. Keep me distracted with spies and hostages so I couldn't scrape together a resistance against him. Well, one crisis had been resolved, only one more. The spy.

I figured there were two options: Chat Noir or Queen Bee. I had known Chat much longer than Queenie, but did that count for anything? Chat pushed his allegiance upon me but I didn't protest. I snuck a glance towards my partner, who had his tongue stuck out a little as he scribbled down an order for a customer. He was adorable. I just wanted to hug him. Yes, Chat made annoying puns and flirted a lot, but he was my friend and I trusted him. Then again, I thought the same of Queenie.

How could one of my friends betray me?

"LB? Milady, we need all hands on deck here!" Chat said, trying to write down three things at once.

"Right! Sorry," I shook myself out of my doubts. It had to be someone else. It had to.

I started taking orders, surrounded by crowds but feeling so lonely. I couldn't talk to anyone, for fear they could be the one who would destroy my trust. Well, there was one person, but I pushed him away. Adrien. Adrien liked me, as in liked me, and I loved him. What was the problem? He was just as lonely as me. His father saw him as his legacy, not a person. Adrien had an uncle and a cousin, but they were just as bad.

I didn't really know anymore.

Chat sighed with relief as our last customer filed his order. I sat down on the ground and let my head drop to my knees.

"There's a lot here," Queenie said checking over the list. "Are you sure you don't need a hand, LB?

"It'll be fine," I waved my hand, brushing off her concern. "Besides, you make pottery, not dresses."

"True. But if you need anything-"

"I'll ask," I finished, sighing again.

The market was filled with the cheerful voices of a finished day's work. Sellers were packing up their goods, chatting to one another. I left a handful of coins on the provided table and began to pack up our scarce leftovers. Chat thrust a handful of homemade bracelets into his satchel and Queenie carefully placed a couple of pots in her bag. I waded up the remaining garments and shoved them into my large bag.

Then I noticed something.

The market had gone quiet. The atmosphere had morphed from pleasant to terror. People's cheerful voices were stifled. I looked up. The sky was dark, even though it had been clear moments ago. Grey clouds had overtaken the blue. A chill shivered down my back. The air was cold. The only sound I could hear was a cold, evil laugh.

"Stormy Weather," I muttered.

Queenie cursed before screaming:

"Everybody run!" The people stampeded away, running for their lives.

There was a ripple of warmth beside me as Queenie summoned her whips. They glowed in the darkness.

"Where is she?" Chat said frantically, his head lashing back and forth trying to spot the akuma.

Stormy Weather was a rare sight. She had power over the weather, as her name suggests. She usually caused terror in other areas of France in an attempt to spread Hawkmoth's rule. She never attacked Paris, but we had all heard of her. Her real name was Aurore. She had lost her family to a storm many years back. Her bitterness brought her to Hawkmoth, who publicly turned her into a villain.

"Show yourself!" I called, letting my hand catch fire. A giggling voice rang around me.

"Give me what Hawkmoth wants, and maybe I'll think about it."

"Don't do this, Aurore!"

I only had a second to dodge the ray of ice that came at me. I had a feeling that if I was too late, I would have been turned into a popsicle.

"Don't call me that!" She snarled, revealing herself to be hovering above us. Her purple hair lashed around her in the winds. Parasol glowed, cooling down from the attack.

"Give them to me and I'll spare your friends!"

"Give what to her?!" Chat screamed over the howling winds. I shook my head.

"Not important!"

"Wha-" Another blast of ice interrupted Chat's sentence. I looked over my shoulder, expecting to see Chat barely escaping.

The thing is, he didn't.

"No!" I screamed because Chat was stuck in a block of ice. His face was set in a startled expression, almost like he was saying oh dear. I lobbed the fire that was flickering in my at the block. He wasn't dead. No, no, no. I had already lost so much. Please, no. Please.

"Hand them over, Ladybug!"

"Never!" I screamed, trying to fight back the tears. Another blast. I jumped out of the way, but it hit my foot. I fell on the ground, my cheek stinging from the impact. I attempted to pull my foot free, to no avail.

"Queenie! Queenie help!" But Queenie was paralyzed with fear. Her eyes were wide and her glowing lashes faded from existence, leaving us in darkness. The ice that Chat was stuck in her slowly melting away, thanks to my magical fire.

Fire.

Queenie was hit square on my a blast. I rubbed my hands together and started chanting. My hands started to steam. Stormy Weather glided over to me.

"Hand over the earrings, Marinette, or else your friends will be frozen forever!"

"No!" I spat and placed my steaming hands on the ice, melting it instantly. But Stormy just pointed her parasol at my chest.

"Don't-" she was cut off by an arrow whizzing past her ear.

"What is-" she tried to say, but someone grabbed her from behind, snatched her parasol and broke it in half over their knee. The skies cleared instantly, but I was more concerned with my saviors. Alya's brother Caleb was clutching a bow in his hand on a building above. He waved down at me.

And then in front of me was a girl. She was the one who broke the parasol and saved my life.

"Manon?!"

I''ve planned out the next few chapters!