A/N: I'M SORRY. I GOT EXCITED. I had just finished writing this episode, and I couldn't wait the extra day to share it. ^_^

Enjoy...

Episode Eight: Alliances

Part One

Adrien warily glanced outside the window. He watched a couple pass by; other than them, there was no one on the street outside.

Marinette shoved a block of camembert cheese in his hands, making his face wrinkle in disgust as Plagg dove for it. Tikki was already on the counter, chowing down on a plateful of cookies. "Mom and Dad are at the hospital. They had to take our neighbor, who had tried stabbing herself." She shook her head. "It looks like Song Bird's Render World ability wasn't reversed…"

The one to blame was sitting on a chair, his elbows on his knees as his head hung low. His silvery hair fell like a curtain around his face, disguising his features. Adrien felt a nagging tug at his memory, almost as if he should know this boy. He frowned.

"Song Bird." The silver-haired boy jerked, but he didn't raise up. "Why didn't everything go back to normal?"

The blue-green-and-red kaleidoscope eyes met Adrien's. Song Bird smiled grimly, tapping his chest with a single gold-ringed finger. "I have a bit more darkness in me than the average person. I thought I would be able to channel Hawk Moth's power and control it, but his butterflies feed off of the emotion they are designed to enhance, making them grow stronger." He took a deep breath. "His butterflies absorb negative emotions, I'm full of negative emotions… you get the picture."

Adrien eyed the blue and green feathers still stretching from the sides of his head like a crown. "You're still akumatized, too."

Song Bird touched the feathers, grimacing. "I've noticed. I… don't know how to revert back."

"Because you ate the butterfly, there's no real way to purify you completely," Marinette whispered, chewing on her lip. "You might… always be akumatized."

Song Bird shook his head, panic flashing through his eyes. "I can't be. Iraami - my kwami, he can't stay transformed that long! He would surely die!"

Plagg, finally done stuffing himself, zipped up to Song Bird. The boy leaned back, but the black kwami followed, staring into his kaleidoscope eyes. "You're Iraami's Miraculous Wielder? Hmph. Makes sense." Plagg turned around, crossing his little arms and shoving his nose into the air. "Let me guess; he's still upset about that feather?"

Song Bird's mouth opened and closed a couple of times.

Plagg rolled his eyes. "Figures. That's what you get, though, when you wave something fluffy and soft in front of a cat!"

"Plagg!" Adrien groaned.

"What did you do?" Marinette demanded, disapproving already.

"Iraami waved his tail in front of my face! Don't you know cats love feathers?" He glanced at Adrien and huffed. "Well, except for you. You're allergic."

Adrien rolled his eyes, crossing his arms. Marinette stomped her foot, angry. "You shouldn't play with Iraami's feathers like that, Plagg! What if you had really hurt him?"

"Chill, dude." Plagg glanced at Song Bird. "Iraami should be all right as long as we can separate you two. Where's your Miraculous? We'll take it off of you."

Song Bird frowned. "It's usually in my… hair…" However, his hand patted his loosened hair, and he paled. "I… don't know where it is."

Marinette approached Song Bird, her hand outstretched. "Maybe it's a part of - "

Reflexively, Adrien wrapped his arm around Marinette, pulling her against him tightly as he hissed at Song Bird.

Everyone stared at him in shock.

Slowly, he released his girlfriend. "I-I'm sorry," he murmured, embarrassed. "I think the illusion I was under had some lingering effects…"

In reality, he had been reminded of when Marinette had reached for him when he had collapsed in the mall; hesitant, yet concerned. He didn't want to give Song Bird a chance to alter her mind, either. He couldn't. If Marinette stopped loving him…

It would crush him.

Marinette touched his face, bringing him out of his glum thought process. "Are you okay, Adrien?"

"Of course, bugaboo," he chirped, giving her a big grin as he wrapped his arms around her and touched his nose to hers. "After all, you're alive - no thanks to me. Oh, and you're safe - also no thanks."

Marinette rolled her eyes. "Thank you, kitty." She ruffled his hair, smirking. Turning back to Song Bird, she stared at his cloak with an odd expression. "What if…"

Song Bird watched them, staying quiet as they stared at him. "What?"

Adrien caught onto her thought process. "The cloak…"

"It looks like a plume of feathers," Marinette finished.

"It's the brooch!" Plagg screeched, dive bombing the clasp in the front.

Feathers shot outwards, and Plagg screeched as some of them nicked him. He fled behind Marinette's hair - now in their signature blue-black pigtails - and licked at a small cut on his paw.

Adrien bared his teeth, pushing Marinette behind him. "Plagg, claws out!"

"Wait, kid - whoooaaa!" Plagg was sucked into the ring, still in mid-sentence. Adrien grabbed the baton on his hip, twirling it in front of him defensively.

Song Bird winced as he tried to pull the cloak away from himself. Blood oozed down the feathers from where it was cutting into his neck and collarbone. "I-I'm sorry," he rasped as the feathers slowly receded. "I don't know what happened."

Adrien stopped spinning the baton, putting a protective arm around Marinette's waist. She touched his leather arm as she examined Song Bird's cloak. "I think it's protecting itself from being taken off."

Song Bird shook his head. "This has never happened before."

Adrien snorted, leaning against his extended baton while resting his hand on Marinette's hip. "Sure."

When she tried to pull away, he gripped a little tighter. Surprised, she glanced at him. "Are you feeling okay, kitty? You've been clingy ever since we got back…"

He stared into her bluebell eyes. Those beautiful eyes that, not even an hour earlier, had been dull and without their usual spark as she had been in another guy's arms. She winced as his claws dug into her waist. "Wh-what is it?"

"Do you like Zamir?" popped out of Adrien's mouth before he could stop it. He just felt so insecure, as if his princess would leave him at any moment and go after someone else. He glimpsed Song Bird's confused frown, but didn't understand why he would be confused.

"How could you think that?" Marinette demanded, propping her hand on her hip as her fingers wrap around his arm. "I like you. You know that. I confessed to you!"

He winced at the painful memory, his ears flattening against his head. After all, he had turned her down - for her alter ego. "Marinette, I - "

"No, Adrien. You need to listen." His eyes dilate as his lips thinned into a line. His focus pinpointed on her as she gained a tone that she had never used with him before; harsh, criticizing, and demanding. "I don't know what had happened in that… that illusioned state, but it wasn't real. I wouldn't want to be with anyone other than you, kitty." Her gaze softened as her hand creeped up his arm to her shoulder. "Especially after I found out the real you."

His vision wobbled. "Mari…" Crushing her to him, he buried his head into the side of her neck, taking in the wonderful smell of cookies and pomegranate. She must have baked Tikki's cookies fresh.

Song Bird cleared his throat, looking slightly awkward. "I'm sorry to bother you, but shouldn't we be going?"

"Yes, we should!" Marinette squeaked, a grin plastered on her face. "Tikki, spots on!"

"Yaaay!" Tikki cheered, happily zooming into the earrings.

Adrien grinned at Ladybug lazily, waggling his eyebrows. His tail flicked in anticipation. "Will I get scratches later?"

Ladybug pushed his face away, puffing out her cheeks - but smiling. "Let's see if you're a good kitty."

He pouted, but a swift kiss had him bouncing after her as Song Bird led the way to Hawk Moth's hideout.

Song Bird stared over Paris as he soared, the two heroes following after him over the rooftop. He was oddly relieved they both seemed to be fine and were even flirting, although when Adrien/Chat Noir had nearly attacked him in the bakery, it had gotten him thinking.

What did people see in their worst nightmares?

Twirling a feather, he wondered what it felt like to sink into that oblivion. Of course, it wouldn't work on him; he used his own blood to create Alter Mind, after all.

Glancing down, he saw Chat Noir following right next to Ladybug, even landing on the same railing as her - but never bumping into her or knocking her off balance. They were perfectly synchronized with one another.

His partner was an evil man who wanted to destroy them.

Song Bird gritted his teeth. He wouldn't allow Hawk Moth to destroy these two; they were both his friends, and kwamis help him, he will protect them to his last breath.

Dropping onto the next roof, he took a deep breath to steady his emotions. He could feel the rage building up, alive and thrashing like a living creature. He could not afford for it to take over again, though; not yet. Not until he saw Hawk Moth again.

"Is this the place?" Chat asked, stopping next to Song Bird. He kept a healthy distance between them, making sure Ladybug was behind him.

Adrien is just allergic to feathers, Song Bird tried to rationalize, but he knew the truth. The boy was worried about him betraying them; smart thinking.

Song Bird shook his head. "I'm sorry; I had to take a break. I can only fly for so long before I have to recharge." He jumped to the next building, using the cloak to float onto the roof. "This way."

As they approached the Seine River again, he noticed Chat Noir slowly looking more and more confused. Glancing at the blonde-haired boy, Song Bird wondered if he would finally connect the dots before they made it to the house. It sure would make everything easier.

Adrien stared at the mansion, dumbfounded. He had slowly recognized the surroundings as they had approached, but it wasn't until he was standing in front of the long-forgotten gate of the mansion that he realized where they were.

When he was younger, he often spent summers with his mother here on the Seine River. After she had went missing four years ago, the house had fallen into disuse as his father couldn't handle being surrounded by her possessions.

His hands clenched, the claws of the suit biting through his gloves. Turning on Song Bird, he demanded, "Why are we here?"

"Hawk Moth is inside."

Adrien's head spun. Hawk Moth was inside his mother's old home. He felt like he was missing an important bit of information; was Song Bird holding something else back?

As they walked up the driveway, Adrien allowed his eyes to drift to the top tower of the mansion - because that's what it was. It was a small tower with a bell on the inside. He knew that the side facing the Seine River had a large window with circular shutters that retracted at the push of a button. His mother had loved the view of Paris, so Gabriel had designed the tower just for her.

Song Bird opened the front door and beckoned them inside. He led the way up the staircase, glancing back to make sure they were still following. "It's this way," he murmured in a low voice, but even that echoed in the empty foyer.

Ladybug stuck close to Adrien, bumping against his arm in occasion. He could tell she was concerned about him, but because of how sound echoed in the abandoned mansion, she did not ask him outright. Adrien's reassuring smile faltered as he realized where they were heading.

His mother's tower that overlooked Paris.

Song Bird paused at the door to the spiraling staircase. In a hushed voice, he said, "Are you ready?"

Adrien swallowed back his questions and nodded. Ladybug did the same.

The trio quietly padded up the stairs which dumped out into a large circular room. Along the far wall, a huge circular window overlooked the Seine River and Paris, its mechanical shutters fully opened.

"You have done well, Song Bird."

They froze, staring into the darkness with wide eyes. Adrien glanced between the vague form in the middle of the room and Song Bird, dread sinking in.

Song Bird paled underneath his mask at the looks both Ladybug and Chat Noir were giving him. "N-no! I didn't - he's twisting his words!"

Hawk Moth chuckled, approaching them. His hands were linked behind his back, and his sharp blue eyes contrasted against the grey of his mask. "Even if everything did not go as planned, you still served your purpose, Song Bird. Now…" He thrust one of his hands towards the white-haired boy. "Take their Miraculouses!"

Song Bird emitted a strangled gasp, falling onto his knees as he clutched his head. "N-no," he moaned, fighting the rising feeling to attack the two heroes.

"What did you do to him?" Chat Noir demanded, twirling his baton.

Hawk Moth laughed. "Have you already forgotten? He devoured one of my akumas. He is still under my control."

Ladybug and Chat Noir glanced at Song Bird. The fear and wariness in their gazes was nearly his undoing. "Defeat… him," he huffed, not moving from his collapsed position on the ground. "I… I'll be all right."

Hawk Moth took this opportunity of the heroes' momentary distraction to whip his cane towards Ladybug. It struck her midsection, knocking her out of breath. He followed it up with a quick jab at her arm, but she had caught on by now and leapt backwards.

"Marinette," Hawk Moth purred her name, smiling with the ghost of kindness. "Do you really think you can defeat me? Do you not remember those secrets we had shared when you had been akumatized?"

Ladybug paled. "I-I wouldn't have told you anything," she exclaimed, whipping her yo-yo out. "You're just trying to trick me!"

"You had told me 'patience is a virtue,'" he said smoothly, and something about those words rang in Ladybug's ears. "That the reason why I had always failed was because I had rushed to acquire your Miraculouses. So… I took my time with my plans."

"Ladybug?" Chat Noir whispered, unsure.

Ladybug stood stock still, her eyes wide as she stared at Hawk Moth.

"Don't listen to him!" Chat Noir spat out. "He's manipulating you!"

Hawk Moth's grin only widened as he stared at Ladybug's face. "Oh? Might it be that you are remembering, Lady Heartless?"

"No!" Ladybug clutched her head, wincing as if she had been dealt a physical blow. "I-I don't know what you're talking about!"

Chat charged forward, swinging his baton in a practiced fencing move. Hawk Moth batted him aside effortlessly, sparing the fallen boy with nothing more than an irritated glance. "My dear Marinette, don't you see?" he continued, grinning triumphantly. "You have been unknowingly playing along with my plans. Your akumatized state had only been a deeper version of yourself - a version of yourself you had unlocked."

Ladybug gritted her teeth, clenching her yo-yo. "I'm nothing like I was then!" she exclaimed, swinging out her yo-yo to entrap Hawk Moth.

His staff's knobbed edge slammed into her forearm, and an audible crack echoed through the domed room.

Crying out in pain, Ladybug fell to her knees. She cradled her broken arm, a few tears slipping down her cheeks as her breath whooshed in and out.

Hawk Moth tossed aside the trapping string of the now limp yo-yo, approaching the fallen heroine with a sick grin on his face. "I will take your Miraculous, now, and show you how to truly use it."

Chat Noir rammed into Hawk Moth, pushing him over. Hawk Moth desperately tried to keep Chat's claws away from his face, startled at the raw fury in the boy's face. His staff gained deep gouges from the boy's claws. Finally finding some leverage, he kicked the hero off of himself.

Chat landed on all four, snarling like a feline. Even the leather tail - not real - was whipping around agitatedly like a real appendage, and his eyes glowed a brilliant green. Chat stabbed a claw into his hand, drawing blood as he gripped his baton tightly. "Sunder," he snarled, launching towards Hawk Moth with incomprehensible speed.

Unable to get away this time, Hawk Moth blocked the move with his baton. His eyes widened in shock as the staff vibrated in his hands before shattering like glass. He staggered backwards, glaring at Chat Noir.

"You are more of a threat than I anticipated, Chat Noir," he murmured, sinking into a defensive posture.

Chat straightened up, his head tilted to the side. His baton lost the sickly green glow, although the crazed look in his eyes did not abate. "I will make you pay for hurting Ladybug."

Hawk Moth narrowed his eyes. "She is not even yours, you stupid boy. Her civilian self is dating - "

"That doesn't matter!" Chat delivered a fast roundhouse; apparently, his speed hadn't been from the Sunder ability but was his own power. "You still hurt her!"

Hawk Moth blocked all of the boy's rage-fuelled attacks despite the speed. Narrowing his eyes, he saw an opening and kicked, knocking the boy to the ground. Hawk Moth grabbed Chat's ankle, pulling it up and kicking his knee.

Chat screamed as his leg broke.

As Chat gasped and whimpered in pain, Hawk Moth leaned over and snatched his hand. However, a black-spotted red yo-yo knocked weakly into his hand, drawing his attention away from the injured hero.

Ladybug was sitting upright, her broken right arm cradled against her side. Her left hand was outstretched, grasping the end of the yo-yo's string.

"You insolent girl," Hawk Moth snarled, stalking over and grabbing her by one of her pigtails. "You don't deserve your Miraculous; you don't even know how to use it properly!"

Ladybug forced a pained smile onto her face. "You… wouldn't know how to, either," she gasped. "Your heart… is too corrupted."

Hawk Moth hissed as something stabbed into his leg. Looking down, he saw one of Song Bird's bloodied feathers buried deep into his calf.

Staggering backwards, Hawk Moth fought the pull of Song Bird's Alter Mind spell. "You… will pay for this…" he managed to get out, collapsing near Chat Noir.

Chat struggled to sit up, sucking in his breath as his leg screamed at him. Tears pricking his eyes, he reached over and yanked off the brooch on Hawk Moth's vest.

An ugly purple cloud much like that of an akumatized victim encased Hawk Moth as a little lavender kwami popped out of the brooch, looking the worse for wear. "Th-thank you," it whispered, collapsing on the chest of the former Hawk Moth. The purple mist dissipated, revealing the true identity of the evil mastermind behind all of their pain and suffering.

Gabriel Agreste.

A/N: Dun dun duuuuun... huge reveal. Well, not really, since a lot of people think Gabriel is Hawk Moth (myself included).

So I was rereading my earlier chapters and I realized I spelled Hawk Moth as Hawkmoth a couple of times. I'll have to reboot this fanfic later on so I can fix that... sorry if any of you caught my slips in present tense, by the way! I'll be fixing those, as well. I try to catch them all (yes, a Pokemon reference), but some just slip by me all ninja style...

My offer from the last post still stands! In celebration of hitting 100 reviews, if you have any questions for me, shoot them my way in a PM or as a review! I'll answer in the next post.