OC Kwamis:
Babble; Kwami of Translation. Object; keychain of a tower. Weapon; Trowel.
Fixx; Kwami of Organization. (Claims she's the Kwami of Perfection. Untrue.) Object; Tiara. Weapon; Scales.
Guardian Temple Inhabitants:
Protectors: Elite fighters trained to protect the Order of the Guardians at any cost. Most are paired with a specific Guardian, to serve as their sword and shield. In short, they are guardians of the Guardians.
Mages: A group of few people who have magical properties from birth and have honed them into powerful spells and magical barriers. They're quite rare.
Monks; Guardians, Mages, and Protectors as a whole.
Masters; Male Monks
Madams/Mistresses; Female Monks
AU Family Tree:
Agreste Family: Gabriel Agreste and Michal Agreste were brothers, who each married one of the Graham de Vanily sisters. Michal and Amelie had a son; Félix, and Gabriel and Emilie had a son; Adrien.
(:-:)
"I don't think we're supposed to be here." Ladybug quietly scolded Chat Noir, wagging her head. "I mean, if the Guardians and Protectors haven't even told us about this area of the temple, I doubt they want us to know about them."
"You're almost done with your complete Guardian training." Chat Noir insisted, waving dismissively as he turned sharply to the left, guiding her through the maze of hallways. "Besides, if they really are so protective about this area, where are the Protectors? There's sentries everywhere, but none here."
"They probably have a magical barrier somewhere." Ladybug reminded him. "Those are quite dangerous."
"Where's your sense of adventure?" Chat Noir scoffed, glancing over his shoulder at his partner as he shoved open a doorway. "And with me leading, I'll be the one to get stuck in one, not you. If there is one, you can retreat to a safe vantage point and be completely blameless when they find me."
"I wouldn't do that to you." Ladybug promised, dread filling her stomach at even the thought of leaving him in a paralyzed position for any period of time. "If one of us gets in trouble, we both will."
Chat Noir smirked playfully, pivoting to face her as he walked backwards. "That's what makes us an amazing team, Bugaboo. We never leave each other behind."
"Uh-huh. Despite the clear idiocy of the other." The spotted heroine teased, careful not to look at the wall Chat Noir was about to trip into. "One would think that you're the evil master mind of the team, with all the annoying adventures you rope me into."
He beamed back at her smugly, turning around just in time to slam into the wall, letting out a little yelp as he rubbed his nose furiously. "Ow!" At her laugh, he turned on her with a betrayed expression. "You did that on purpose, you twisted insect!"
"Guilty as charged." Ladybug shrugged. "Think of it as payback for you ruining my Guardian career."
"Hey! I haven't ruined it yet. Also, you have my permission to thoroughly ruin my Protector status if I do mess you up." Chat Noir promised, a grin spreading across his face as he envisaged his important role, still kneading his nose. "Which I promise I won't, because I'd sooner lose my training then endanger yours."
"Uh-huh. Says the boy who's putting my future on the line by forcing me to explore an ancient, sacred temple's dangerous hallway that might be boobytrapped by spells that could immobilize us at a moment's notice."
"Again, only I'd be incapacitated because I'm the one who would trip them." Chat Noir repeated, tapping one lengthy claw against his cheek as he readjusted his trajectory down another hallway, a doorway down the end. "How about this; if there's nothing on the inside of that door but another hallway, we'll turn back around and return to the training grounds. If there is something that looks interesting, we'll keep on going."
"Alright." She agreed reluctantly, praying silently that the other side would be blank. She really did not want to have to keep on wandering around longer then they must; if Master Li Jie or Madam Daiyu discovered them, there was no way they'd be allowed to stay as apprentices in the temple. At the same time, she was unwilling to abandon Chat Noir to save her own skin. They were partners after all, and they stuck together, even when one was a being a fool.
Chat Noir looked up at the Chinese letters printed at the top of the door, tilting his head. His mouth moved quietly as he read the words, and though Ladybug tried, she could not read his lips. (She hated it when he spoke in Bod-Yig; it was impossible to tell what he was saying, as she did not speak any of her mother's native languages.)
"What does it say?" Ladybug demanded to know, tilting her head at him when he stared at the glowing podium beside the door.
"Uh, basically that only Miraculous holders are allowed in." Chat Noir said, returning his gaze to the words. "I'm not done reading yet. Let's see… 'Worthiness will be weighed with a press of the switch, only those wished may entered thy abode.' It technically translates to 'the room' but 'thy abode' sounds much fancier and more poetic." He said, glancing back over to her with a teasing grin before resuming staring at the letters. He faltered after finishing the final line, then burst into a wide smile, laughing.
"What is it?" Ladybug asked, desperate to know what was so funny. "What does it say? Chat?"
He kneeled over, grasping his legs as he gasped for breath, still chuckling. "It says 'Plagg, go away. You know what you did'."
Ladybug blinked, before clarity washed over her. She laughed, covering her mouth to smother the giggles. "What did Plagg do?!" She wheezed between snickers.
"I don't know!" Chat Noir cackled, staring at his ring with mirth. "Plagg, I demand an explanation!"
"Later, though." Ladybug sniggered, waving at the door.
"Right." Chat Noir cleared his throat and straightened, still chortling under his breath. "Ladybug, as I host Plagg, I think you should be the one to put her hand on the podium."
"Okay." Ladybug agreed readily, her spirits high due to the friendly joke that had spread through the air seconds before. She pressed her palm to the stand, waiting quietly.
The white glow faded to a cheerful green, beeping in confirmation. A robotic-sounding voice, out of nowhere, chimed "Hostess of the Ladybug Miraculous, welcome."
"Thank you, weird voice." Ladybug smirked as the door opened, bowing in the traditional-Chinese way Chat Noir had taught her.
"You're very welcome." The voice said proudly, causing Ladybug and Chat Noir to exchange a confused look. After a moment, in which the voice did not continue, they shrugged and continued on, still mildly perturbed, but not really questioning it.
Through the door was a huge vault, walls lined with mythical objects; a few mirrors in one section, three wands sitting on a table, several genie lamps that Chat Noir showed a keen interest in, and display cases filled with all kinds of different objects.
"Oh…" Ladybug uttered, awed. "This is the gallery of mythical, ancient artefacts that the Guardians have collected over the years. Like… here!" She gestured with great excitement to one of the cases, beaming. "The Golden Fleece that Jason acquired! The indestructible lion's skin that Hercules maimed! Somehow! And…uh… wow, that's an idol of Buddha, isn't it?"
"These were collected from all over the world!" Chat Noir uttered in raw disbelief. "Greek things are here, Chinese here… ooh, look!" He held up two rings from a table, gazing at them in awe. "Wow, these look so much like the Graham de Vanily twin rings! I bet these are the real deal, though." Under his breath, he added "Does that mean that the nursery stories are true?"
"What is the Graham de Vanily twin rings?" Ladybug asked, glancing up in confusion.
"Ancient family heirlooms." Chat Noir dismissed, changing the topic immediately. "Look, mirrors! Mirror, mirror, on the wall, who is the fairest of them all?" He teased, spreading his arms wide like the Evil Queen in Snow White.
Both heroes were surprised when one of the mirrors flickered on and answered, "Adrien Agreste is the fairest of them all."
"I mean, it's not wrong," Ladybug reasoned as Chat Noir hurriedly pivoted and wandered away. "Adrien Agreste is pretty cute."
Chat Noir blinked at her in surprise, before shaking it off and staring down at a table. "Hey, what's this?" Chat Noir asked, running his hand through the tabletop, which was covered in ash, the 'fairest of them all' mirror forgotten.
"Hmm?" Ladybug asked, gazing over his shoulder. "I don't know?"
Chat Noir looked up at the label above the table – Ladybug noticed distantly that there was a label for every artifact – and hummed thoughtfully. "'Mirror of True Love', it says. Description: 'If you gaze within it, you can see the face of that which you love most dearly'." He grinned. "This is Cataclysm ash! I'll bet Plagg looked in it and got super embarrassed and destroyed it."
Ladybug giggled at the thought. "I bet he saw Tikki."
"OoOoh, someone's in wove~!" Chat Noir grinned, covering his mouth. He regained seriousness after a moment, straightening his shoulders. "For the record, M'lady, if that mirror was still…uh…valid, I know who I'd see."
"Uh-huh. I know who I'd see, too." Ladybug flashed back, turning her back on the flirt. "And sorry, but he's waaay cuter than you are."
"Offense." Chat Noir hissed playfully, punching her arm. "I'll bet you'd see Bananoir."
"Ew!" Ladybug giggled, pushing him away. "That would be horrible! Ew, ew!"
"Meow-ch." Chat Noir pouted at her, green eyes sparkling with fake sorrow.
Ladybug pointedly avoided his gaze, trying not to fall victim to his baby-doll eyes. "Aren't there other mirrors you can use to distract yourself?"
"Good point!" He chimed immediately, pivoting to admire another one. "And don't think I do not know what you did. I do. I just choose to pretend like I didn't."
Ladybug shrugged and peered at the sword display beside the mirrors, recognizing one as Excalibur. Poseidon's Trident was easy to differentiate.
"'Mirror of One Wish'." Chat Noir reads, voice loud and clear. "Definition; 'Can grant a single, minor wish to any person in the world'. Huh. What do you think counts as a 'minor wish'? Like, would changing your eye color count as a 'minor wish'?" He looked abashed at that sentence, wincing to himself.
"Don't know." Ladybug shrugged, frowning hesitantly. "Awfully specific."
"Maybe I want to change my eye color." He sniffed back, frowning at the mirror thoughtfully.
"That's a strange wish." Ladybug said mildly, not really paying attention. At the moment, all she knew was that it was…unusual. She was more bothered with wondering if wishing that they would know Hawkmoth's identity soon counted as a mild wish. "Do you think that… no, probably not."
"What?" He asked, drawing his eyes away from the magical mirror to face her. "I'm all ears. Like, seriously, I have four ears. I can surely spare one or two or all four to whatever you're thinking."
"Would wishing that we'd learn Hawkmoth's identity count as a minor wish? Like, not having us just know it all of a sudden, but like…soon. We fight him again and its revealed. Would that count as a minor wish?" Ladybug hesitated, looking down at her feet. "It's going to be like our Miraculous, isn't it? Even if we make the wish, there'll be a price. Like, if I want to know Hawkmoth's identity, our identities will be revealed instead."
"Identities, as in, plural?" Chat Noir asked, confused. "Wouldn't it be equal? Like, 'every action has an opposite and equal reaction'? So only one of our identities would be revealed if we found out Hawkmoth's identity."
"The Miraculous aren't exactly 'fair', Chat." Ladybug reluctantly informed him, looking away sorrowfully. "There will always be a greater price to pay, no matter what we wish for. I'm willing to bet the mirror's the same way."
"Oh." He uttered uncertainly. "Uh…I don't think finding out Hawkmoth's identity counts as a minor wish. It's pretty major, honestly." His visage was one of regret, wistfully biting his lip. "Scratch that; it's the most major thing we can ask for."
"No mirror, then." Ladybug confirmed, pivoting to fiddle with another artifact on the table. "What were you going to wish?"
"I already told you." Chat Noir stated slowly, pinning his cat ears onto the back of his scalp. "I want to change my eye color."
"What?" Ladybug inquired, snapping her head up. "You were serious?" At his nod, she forged onward. "Well, I mean…uh… okay, yeah, that's pretty minor, all things considering. But why? What color? How long would it be altered?"
"Uh…" He hesitated nervously and looked at his feet. "…blue? And…uh…forever? Alter time so that I was born with blue eyes?"
A picture of Chat Blanc, filled with rage, pain, and betrayal flashed across her mind, his blue eyes growing icy as he snarled at her in wrath. Ladybug's eyebrow twitched, and she forced back her panic attack, gulping and forcing herself to take deep breaths. She wouldn't fall apart. Not in front of her partner. Not about something as simple as…this.
Ladybug's gaze trailed up to Chat Noir's green eyes, and her heart squeezed. She adored his cat eyes; the gentle green was so beautiful, and just so… Chat. She didn't want to lose them. But, then again, her eyes were blue. And they changed completely green, just like his, when she became Lady Noire.
Staring at him, it occurred to her that he really wanted to wish for this; it was important to him, yet oh-so small. It was the first time she had ever even gotten the slightest inkling that he ever wanted something that wasn't her to love him. Even when she was fighting Chat Blanc, all he wanted to do was reverse his Akumatization, so that she'd love him. (Again…?)
No, this was…this was something different. Something she wasn't entirely sure of. She wanted him to be happy, and the look in his eyes told her it was something he desperately hoped to have. She just…she didn't know if she'd be able to cope with him having blue eyes.
Ladybug turned toward another artifact, wondering once again if it was really safe to be down here. It was a bit unusual that the only defense this area of the Temple had was a door, especially home to so many artifacts, but…really, she and Chat Noir were the only non-Guardians and non-Protectors that had managed to even get into the temple ever since it's miraculous restoration. And that was only because Ladybug was a half-Guardian and Chat Noir was her partner and – by extension – her translator. Really, there was no reason for most of the temple to be guarded.
This was dangerous. They had already messed with too many artifacts for their own good, and Ladybug… Ladybug didn't want to lengthen that string of irresponsibility even more than they already had. But he desperately wanted this. So much. But why blue?! Of all the colors, why…why that?
Sure, she could make an educated guess. Chat Noir's favorite color – and her favorite color, for that matter – was blue. (Their favorite colors were really the only thing they had in common, she noted.) It made sense that he wanted blue eyes.
"Hey, Chat?" Ladybug called out quietly, glancing at the Mirror of One Wish. She was very much going to regret this.
Her partner looked up, surprised by her tone and by what she was staring at, vaulting over. "Yeah? What's up?"
"Will your… if you wish, will your eyes on your transformation also change color?" She inquired, tugging at one of her hair ribbons uncertainly. "Like…will they also be blue? Like, blue cat eyes?"
"No." He immediately answered, shaking his head. "They'd still be green. I think…blue wouldn't really look good with a black costume? Like, it'd be too… Blue looks better with white, or, you know, red." He gestured to her pointedly. "Blue and black seems more of an…evil color combination, I suppose."
Ladybug's shoulders sagged with relief. "Okay, good. So, you'd still look exactly the same transformed?" She wouldn't have to deal with him looking similar to Chat Blanc, after all. He'd remain the same and looked at him wouldn't terrify her. She could grant him permission without fearing what it would make him have the appearance of.
Chat Noir nodded in confirmation to her query, scratching the back of his head. "I mean…yeah. It'd only be my civilian self that would look different, really. I'm… not sure how it'd work, but, uh…yeah?"
"I think you should do it, Chat." Ladybug decided, crossing her arms decisively.
His head sprang up, a confused look flashing through his eyes for a moment. "No, no, that-that wouldn't… LB, no. That's selfish to do."
"Uh-huh. Kitty, I think you deserve a reward. Like, I preferably wouldn't want your costume to have blue eyes, because uh… well, certain reasons, but you'd honestly look good with blue eyes." She framed him with her fingers, beaming at Chat Noir as she joked, "sure, a bit Chloe-like, but you would look good."
"Chloe-like?" He snorted, mirth sparkling in his gaze. He looked way too hopeful, as if he had never gotten anything that he really wanted in his life. Just her permission was enough to spark excitement in him. "Why? Is it the blonde hair?"
"Maybe." She teased, shrugging her shoulders, faking nonchalance. "Maybe that's what it is."
He grinned cockily at her, brushing his hair out of his face. "Ridiculous, utterly ridiculous! My hair is sooo much better than Bourgeois!" Chat Noir pronounced 'Bourgeois' like Chloe often pronounced 'Dupain-Cheng' when insulting Marinette.
Ladybug giggled, covering her smile ineffectively. She marveled at how easily he could impersonate the diva, as if it was second nature. (Okay, it was a little bit worrying, but she wasn't going to question him now. It did seem like a very Chat-thing to learn.)
Chat Noir beamed down at her as she giggled, shoulders straightening with pride. After a moment, he relaxed again, grin sagging. "Were you…serious about the Mirror? Are you really okay with me wishing for it?"
Ladybug stared up at him, smothering her snickers in favor of becoming serious. "Of course, kitty! I do think that you're prefect just the way you are," she explained, "but if you want to do it, I think you should go for it. Do whatever you want, you know?"
"If you're sure." He repeated, eyes wide and full of awe and hope.
"I am, kitty. I really am." Ladybug assured him, placing one hand on his arm. "Go right on ahead."
Chat Noir pivoted cautiously, staring at the mirror with awe. He seemed to be bubbling over with anticipation, shock that she actually was okay with him to do this. Ladybug wondered how often the things he wanted were denied him; why he was so eager for every little thing she allowed him to do. He was bursting with absolute joy and seemed to be glowing like the sun.
Ladybug dimly wondered, if she summoned Lucky Charm, if they would be sun glasses. Because she totally needed them right now.
Chat Noir reached out his hand to touch the mirror, still vibrating as he did so. He was so eager to wish, to change just the smallest thing about himself, and he was about to be allowed this privilege –
"Wait!" Came a familiar voice, not of one of the Guardians or of the Protectors, echoing through the vault. "Don't do that!"
Ladybug and Chat Noir both jolted, pivoting in perfect harmony to face Bunnix as she stepped from her Burrow, the adult woman's face one of panic. She looked several years older than when Ladybug had last seen her, but that didn't necessarily surprise Ladybug. After all, Bunnix had to detransform and age at some point.
"Bunnix?" Ladybug asked, stepping almost protectively in front of Chat Noir, for no real reason except for her fear of his Akumatized counterpart.
Bunnix ignored Ladybug, striding over to Chat Noir and clasping his shoulders akin to the way she had done with Ladybug only a few months before. "Don't. You. Dare!"
"What?" He blinked, surprised. He was cradling the hand that he had been reaching out to touch the glass with, having snatched it back to his chest when Bunnix's voice had first penetrated the chamber.
"Please, don't." Bunnix insisted, blue eyes softening as she rose to her full height, withdrawing her hands. He flinched when she left, as if treasuring the shared physical contact for the three seconds it had been available. "It's not…it's not going to work, little one."
"Oh." He sorrowfully cooed to himself, staring at his feet.
"It's not going to make them love you." Bunnix bluntly continued, looking at the mirror. "Nothing can, nor will."
"…Bunnix?" Ladybug hesitantly asked, peering up at the adult. "What's going on?"
Bunnix looked at her sideways, biting her lip. "I can explain later. For now, though-"
"What's so bad about it?" Chat Noir inquired, never lifting his head. "Like, I get it, it's a pointless wish, but…why are you so adamant about me not changing my eyes?"
"Listen, kitten," Bunnix sighed, positioning herself as close as she could get to him without touching. "It's a quite simple wish, but it has time-altering qualities. If you had gone through with it, you could've gotten stuck in time for years."
"How?" He croaked, loosing every ounce of bravery and cockiness he had only ten minutes previously.
"Your wish was to change your eye color." Bunnix began, waving her hand. "To blue." (Ladybug flinched at that once more, for picturing Chat Noir with blue eyes was too close to Chat Blanc for her liking. She would rather stop repeating the part about blue eyes.) "Because your parents said that was all you needed to be perfect, and all you needed to earn their love. In reality, your eye color has nothing to do with it. If you had been born with blue eyes, corresponding with your wish, they would have claimed that green eyes were what you truly needed. Then, today, you would wish for green eyes. If you wished for green eyes, you'd be born with green, and…the mirror would be unable to cope. It could break, or, more probable, it would have paralyzed you until it found a solution, until it figured out whether to give you blue or green eyes."
"What if I asked that from now on I'd have blue eyes?" Chat Noir asked, looking up at her, ears flattened to his scalp, holding himself like he was going to break at any moment.
Bunnix's face twisted at that, as if she knew something absolutely horrible. "You do not want to know the answer to that."
"But I do." He insisted, looking for all the world like he really did not want to know.
Bunnix shook her head bitterly, hand curling. "Your father would not believe that they really changed. He would go to any means necessary to prove that it's fake; that they're contacts, or altered with magic, or…or something. In the end, his attempt would end with your blindness."
"Ah."
Silence filled the trove, much more deafening then noise ever could be. Chat Noir didn't even fidget in the stillness of it all; staring at the ground and allowing his ears to remain squished flat against his scalp. The quietness was unnerving, and Ladybug felt tempted to just scream, to make some noise, any noise.
She didn't, though. After all, Ladybug still wasn't overly sure what had just been discussed, but she did know that, somehow, Bunnix knew more about Chat Noir then the spotted woman ever did. Ladybug was quiet for a moment longer before realizing, with dread, that Chat Noir must have a horrible family life. If the conversation was anything to go by, his parents made excuses for why they didn't love him. They pretended like they would "if only". His father would force his son to be blind to try and prove a point. A comment Chat Noir had made several months back had even led Ladybug to learn that his mother was dead. (Alas, Chat Noir was an only child, too.) That meant he was all alone. With his horrible father.
No wonder he wanted to be a Protector. To risk everything for her sake. He didn't have anything to lose.
"What about Mom?" Chat Noir asked, voice a dull whisper, barely making any noise.
"I'm not the one you want to hear this from." Bunnix told him gently, adverting her gaze to her Burrow, biting her lip. "Believe me, this is not something that–"
"Who else will I hear it from?" Chat Noir begged, clasping his hands together in a pleading motion. "Please, Bunnix!"
"I-" Bunnix looked down at him, ears flopping downwards. "I think you already know the answer, kitten."'
"I don't…I don't want to know the answer." He insisted, trembling. "Tell me I'm wrong. Please."
Bunnix took a step back, fiddling with her pom-pom. "You poor boy…" She whispered sympathetically, eyes softening. "You've been through so much…"
Chat Noir flinched at that, stumbling in reverse. He tripped against the leg of a table, stubbing his heel, barely managing to catch himself on the table. He didn't acknowledge his foot, which must've been hurting quite a bit, kneeling on the ground. He planted his elbows and forehead on the table, covering his head with his hands defensively.
It was the smallest Ladybug had ever seen him, and she couldn't help but slip down next to him, one hand on his back, protectively hunching over him.
"I'm sorry." Bunnix apologized, turning towards them, one foot already in the Burrow. "But you had to know, little one."
"I know." Chat Noir croaked weakly, picking up his head slowly to stare at the rabbit-heroine. "Thank you."
The other mammal hero in the room nodded slowly, raising one hand in a silent farewell before retreating quietly to her Burrow. It vanished behind her with a flash, leaving no way to trace the heroine now.
Chat Noir buried his head back into the table, trying to muffle his sobs against the golden surface.
"Chat?" Ladybug asked tentatively, palm pressing into his shoulder blades, a gentle reassurance to him that she was here. "Are you okay?" Stupid question. "I mean…no, you're not but…Kitty, oh, Kitty, I'm…oh..."
He whimpered, curling up even more against her touch. "I'm sorry… you shouldn't have to see me like this…"
"I don't mind, Kitty." She crooned, trying to sound motherly.
"I mind…" He croaked, his claws digging painfully into his scalp, hard enough to draw a few strings of blood. "I shouldn't…I shouldn't be crying over this. It's so simple…just…man up and ignore it. It's okay. Everything's alright."
She hated how he put extra emphasis on certain words, how he was trying to force himself to calm down. He wasn't okay, but he desperately wanted to fake it. He was trying so hard to act alright that Ladybug wanted to cry until he did, too.
"It's okay to not be alright. I'm here for you." She comforted. "You got that?"
"We should be getting back." He said into the table, words somewhat muffled, instead of answering. "Madam Daiyu will have a fit if I'm not back." Chat Noir tried to lift his head, yet failed, exhausted. He flopped back down onto the tablet, twisting his head to the side to stare at the doorway. His breathing was ragged and uncertain. "Maybe. I don't… I don't even know anymore."
"Chat…" Ladybug started, worriedly, rubbing her hands across his back gently. "Deep breathes, okay?"
He didn't say anything else, just curling more into himself, away from her. He was so upset, and he was acting like it was his fault that his parents were horrible. But it was his parents' fault. After learning that his parents didn't love him, that what he looked like or did wouldn't change that, he had just…fallen apart. He was a mess.
"Deep breaths. Slow, deep breathes." She whispered, laying a gently kiss against the top of his head. "I'm here for you, kitty."
He whined deep in his throat, leaning back into her as he sobbed, removing himself carefully from the table.
Ladybug kept an eye out for an Akumas. Granted, she was well aware that they were far out of Hawkmoth's range, far away from any place where he can hurt them or take advantage of their negative emotions, but it's an old habit. She knows she always feels better when someone – either Tikki or Chat Noir – would keep an eye out whenever she was suffering, and even in Tibet she was ready to bet that Chat Noir wanted the same. Now, more then ever, he needed to know that someone cared and that someone was going to tend to him. He was suffering far too much for Ladybug's liking.
One of the heroine's arms was wrapped firmly around his shoulders and chest, and Chat Noir was gripping them like a vise, unwilling to let go, unwilling to risk slipping away from her. He whimpered pathetically, cuddling against her.
They sat like that for…Ladybug didn't know how long. He held her the whole time, and she squeezed back just as tightly if not more so. Her father, Mr. Dupain, surely would know what to do in this situation. He gave the best Papa Bear hugs, and Ladybug was honestly craving them right now. She wanted to drag Chat Noir into the bakery, shove him into her Dad's arms and have everything be alright.
It was Chat Noir who first made any move to leave, releasing her arms except to pry them off, humming non-committedly. "Thank you, LB." He magnanimously murmured, though she couldn't help but notice his blank canvas of a face.
She knew that when he got like this, there was really nothing she could do about it. As much as she wanted to comfort him and help, she was well aware that it would do little to nothing. If anything, it would drive him further into his despair. He just needed a friend to be there for him. She fully believed that holding his hand was the best thing she could do at the moment and be silent.
She offered him a smile as she took his hand, his clawed fingers remaining lax under her grip. He looked up at her with watery, green eyes. (Oh, she would never tell him, but she was so glad they didn't change. She would love him the same, green eyes or not, but she was so used to the thought of civilian-Chat with emeralds for eyes that it would mess her up with having to trade them for sapphires.) He blinked slowly at her, his lips twitching upwards for a second before returning to neutral.
"Do you want to head back, or stay here for a bit?" Ladybug inquired softly, not demanding him make the decision. She wanted him to know that it was fully his choice; she wasn't going to try to force him to lean more in one decision then the other. She would rather stay where they were for a bit, but whatever he wanted, she'd go along with it.
"I want to head back." He admitted turning his head towards the doorway. "Walking would calm me down. Maybe."
Ladybug wrapped her arms around his forearm, dropping her head comfortingly onto his shoulder. "That sounds good, Kitty."
His shoulders relaxed, and he sighed in relief. "You sure?"
"Chat," she said gently, closing her eyes, chest losing her tension. "Whatever you want, I support."
"Okay." He agreed, folding immediately and not continuing the discussion. That worried Ladybug somewhat, but she didn't comment.
She wasn't exactly aware how long it took them to wander back down the halls, Chat Noir quietly leading the way. He was able to navigate the corridors with ease, despite all the turns, twists, and forks that the halls led to. Not once did he get turned around in the whole maze of passageways.
But they did eventually get to the main sanctum, where a couple of Guardians were collaborating quietly with a Mage.
Master Li Jie, a powerful Guardian and wielder of the Kwami of Translation, looked up when they entered, raising one hand in greeting. "Hello, young apprentices." He greeted in French, his Kwami, Babble, hard at work as he unleashed his power. "Where did you wander off to?"
"We went exploring the temple." Ladybug told him, squeezing Chat Noir's arm reassuringly when he slightly tensed.
"Not in any of the rooms that Protectors were stationed at, I hope?" Master Li Jie confirmed, softening up somewhat to tilt his head at her, laying his hands on his hips.
"No, the room we went to did not have any Protectors guarding." Ladybug informed, as cryptic as she could be in her answer. Actually, a major part of Ladybug's training was dedicated to instructing her to be mysterious. A somewhat worrying lesson, but the heroine also found it quite funny. It rare when she could put it into practice in front of her elders, though they seemed quite pleased whenever she did it.
Following pattern, Master Li Jie gazed down at her, eyebrows soft with approval, the rest of his expression unreadable. This was the highest praise coming from the Master, and Ladybug felt herself swell with pride.
"Has your visit come to an end?" Master Li Jie inquired after a moment, switching his attention from solely on her to the duo as a whole. "Or do you want to add another lesson before morning arises in Paris?"
Ladybug pulled out her yo-yo, adjusting her hold on it and peering down at the time. "I'm afraid not. I have to be heading back now if I want any sleep tonight. What about you, Chat Noir?" She inquired, peering up curiously at her partner in worry. "Can you stay?"
"I think it best if I return home." Chat Noir informed her, but she knew he meant 'return to my house'. That horrible place was not a home to him, but, surely, was more alike a prison. Ladybug wasn't even aware of what it looked like, but she already knew that much.
Ladybug released her grip on his arm, sliding her hand back down to his. Chat Noir accepted it. "Master Li Jie," she said carefully, squaring her shoulders. "We'll be back day after tomorrow for our next segment."
"Perfect." Master Li Jie nodded, bowing politely to the two of them. "Have a safe Voyage back."
"Thank you, we will." Ladybug confirmed, bowing back along with Chat Noir. All the monks paying attention to them raised their eyebrows at the duo's linked hands, though none of them commented. Well, they may have, but Ladybug couldn't understand Chinese. Chat Noir could understand and had extremely keen hearing, but there was really no telling if he had heard anything without asking, and during his transformation Master Li Jie could also understand them, and he might find it impolite if she inquired about it.
Instead of asking, Ladybug withdrew the Horse Miraculous from her yo-yo, placing it onto the bridge of her nose. "Kaalki, Tikki, unify!" Her second transformation washed over her, and she activated Voyage in the next breath, pinning the teal circlet onto the wall.
Appaloosa and Chat Noir collectively stepped through the portal, waving goodbye to the monks as they did so. They reemerged on a chilly rooftop at the heart of Paris, the moon glowing white in the sky. Chat Noir's legs gave way under him the moment the portal was sealed behind them and fell to his legs shakily, squeezing his eyes shut.
"Chat?" Appaloosa inquired fearfully, falling to her knees beside him, worry clenching at her heart. She knew he wasn't physically hurt, but mentally or emotionally…that was another matter. She couldn't just zip open his suit to apply bandages to his heart, because this was…different. Worse. "Chat, oh, Kwamis, please answer me. Kaalki, Tikki, divide!" She pushed the glasses back into her yo-yo before the horse Kwami even had a chance to materialize. Ladybug curling herself around Chat Noir defensively, knowing now more than ever she actually did have to keep an eye out for butterflies. "Please, say something! I'm here, kitty, I just need you to talk to me!"
"I'm okay." Chat Noir forced out, shaking his head weakly. "I just… I'm better than I was, I swear. I just…can't go back there. Not yet. I need a moment." He squeezed his eyes shut. "Just one moment. And then I'll be ready to do it. Will…will you not go? Not yet?"
Ladybug couldn't express how eternally thankful she was that he actually wanted her to stay there and wasn't pushing her away. She knew that, if she was in his position, she'd be pushing away any signs of help, refusing to believe that everyone was only helping because they were sympathetic. She was impressed that he was strong enough to still ask for assistance instead of shying away.
"I'll stay." She promised him, nuzzling her cheek against the top of his head. "As long as you need me to."
He purred quietly, and she couldn't tell if it was he was happy for her assistance, or if it was a self-soothing purr due to his immense amount of inner turmoil. Maybe it was a mix of both.
Something interesting Ladybug had learned about Chat Noir that had only really come to light that day in the artifact trove; Chat Noir was touch starved. He craved every bit of physical show of affection, and practically leeched as much love as he could from every touch. Even when they were just doing their pound it, he pressed his fist against hers with triple as much vigor as she did and even took a second longer to pull back.
Ladybug hugged him a bit closer, at the thought, fingers running through his hair. Hesitantly, she dared to inquire "do you want to talk about it?"
He gasped lightly at that, shoulders tensing at her words. "I-I…I mean…if…if you want to, if you're okay with it. I-I don't want to bother you–"
"Chat Noir." Ladybug said, forcing her voice to be stern and teasing all in one breath. "You are the last person in the world who I'd ever think was bothering me. Besides, I asked you."
He paused for a second more, then turned his head to burry it into her stomach, sagging low enough to do so. His purr reached a new volume, the noise vibrating across the rooftops. "Thank you…" He took a deep, steadying breath, then sighed. "You… you see, my…my family…" He hesitated uncertainly, twisting his head to face away from her.
Ladybug held back form finishing that sentence with 'your family sucks'.
"Th-they want-wanted m-me to look m-more li-like Fa-Father." He croaked out. "If…F-father h-has blue-blue eyes… and I-I look too mu-much l-like Mother. Th-they told me that if-if I had blue ey-eyes, I'd be perfect."
"Oh, Chat…" Ladybug whispered, tapping her head against his, foreheads touching. She didn't follow it with another sentence, only meaning to be reassuring.
He sighed against her, sniffling subsiding. "I thought Mom loved me, at least, but…I realized that's not how it… that's not how she works. She doesn't…she didn't view kids – view me – as a human being. She…she thought of me as nothing but entertainment. A way to amuse herself. I-I really… when I was younger, I loved being with her, but…but…" He hesitated, shrinking into himself. "I…I think it was all a lie? I don't…it was just a joke to her, the whole time. And-and I knew that deep down, but I didn't want to accept it, and…and…" Chat Noir hiccupped. "My cousin… if my parents are that bad, his parents are just like them. I-I…I don't know…I have to tell him or…or… oh, who am I kidding? He probably already knows. I was always the slower of the two of us."
"You and your cousin's parents are horrible." Ladybug decided, growling in anger, but keeping her grip gently on him. "They don't deserve a son like you, and I'm… I'm going to kill those blasted fools." She paused, worried. "What's your cousin like?"
"He probably wouldn't care." Chat Noir admitted quietly, wincing. "He…he's not exactly the…the loving type. He's…different. And…and please don't kill them! They're…they're trying!"
"Chat, you are never going to go back to that place again." Ladybug hissed. "I don't care that you think that they're 'trying'! They're clearly not! And even if they were, they're not trying hard enough! They haven't gotten it right in – how old are you?"
"Fifteen." Chat Noir mumbled, not looking up.
"Fifteen!" Ladybug snarled. "If they haven't gotten it right for fifteen years, they're not going to magically start getting it right! And – wait, you're fifteen?!"
"Yeah?" Chat Noir blinked up, green eyes filling with confusion that almost completely blotted out the sorrow.
"Wow, old." Ladybug said in approval and fascination, being only fourteen herself. "And here I thought of you as the little brother of the group. But that's beside the point!" She waved her arms about, releasing him to do so. "We need to plan some way to get you out of your home." She glared at his expression, and sighed. "Fine. We can also bring your cousin, too.
"I'm not going to leave, Ladybug!" Chat Noir choked. "What where would I even go? Where would you take me? And it'd take too long to get my cousin; he lives in London and very rarely visits!"
"I-I don't know, but I'd think of something! I hate the idea of you being alone there in your…your…wherever you live! Wherever you are! We'll…we'll elope or something!"
He blinked at her in shock, before cracking a smile. "You do know what elope means, right?"
"Yes and pretend I didn't say that!" Ladybug hushed him with a laugh. She had purposely chosen that particular word to try to break him from his depressed stupor. "Kitten. I care about you so much. I don't want you to have to suffer, okay? I…I don't like it, but…I won't stop you from staying. But just so you know, if things get too…much, I can…can figure something out. I'll get you out of there and you don't have to be trapped there."
"Thank you, but…but I don't think I need it; honest. It'll…it'll pretty much be the same as it's always been." He pointed out bitterly. "Only now I know what he's… truly like. I know, and that's the only difference. Really."
"You sure, Kitty?" Ladybug confirmed, pulling back to regard him so that he could see the true worry in her eyes. One hand was on her shoulder, and the other cupping his cheek.
"I'm sure." He promised, reaching up to touch her hand on his cheek gently, leaning into it. "Promise."
He paused for a moment, purring against her for a second longer before withdrawing. "If you'll excuse me, Ladybug," he gently began. "I have a cousin to talk to."
"How's my favorite cousin?" Adrien greeted, touching the phone to his ear. He glanced up at Plagg, who watched him with sorrowful, green eyes.
"Please, Adrien, you're a horrendous actor." Félix scoffed, on the other side. "You didn't just call to ask how I was. If I'm being honest, I assumed I'd be the first to call you. What's your alternative motive?"
Adrien paused, before sighing slowly. "Félix…what…how do you feel about our parents? Like…do they… love us, or…or are they just…I don't know…odd?"
"Your parents are odd." He responded immediately. "Your father is a neglectful man who only cares about his own personal gain, and our mothers both have – or had – the minds of children, seeing us as simple playmates. My father, in the meantime, was the only relatively normal of all four, and the only one who truly loved anyone. Don't tell me, Adrien, that you only just now figured it out."
Adrien paused, fiddling with Marinette's Lucky Charm she had given him.
"Oh, my dear, sweet, naïve cousin." Félix lamented, having the tone of someone who was desperately trying not to facepalm. "Tell me you at least had the audacity to figure it out on your own, and it wasn't one of your sub-par friends who informed you on the matter."
"I-I wouldn't exactly call her a friend…" Adrien stammered, feeling embarrassed. Because, of course, Félix had known all along. Félix was the smarter of the two, but… Adrien had hoped that maybe Félix had been as hopelessly oblivious as his younger cousin, himself, had been. "She's more-more of a…uh…"
"Adrien…" Félix groaned. "She?! Don't tell me you got a girlfriend who's moderately smarter than you! That is not suitable; especially not for one of your stature. Listen to me; you're smarter than most in simple functions – like school work – but you lack worldly wisdom. If you have a woman who's wiser then you in the forces of the world, chances are she'll learn to become better then you in other subjects as well. It's simple disgraceful, especially for someone of both Graham de Vanily and Agreste blood."
"Not my girlfriend!" Adrien gasped, thinking with horror of Bunnix – the one who had informed him – in all her ten-maybe-fifteen-years-older-then-him glory. "Oh, gosh, no, she'd more of my adviser. My…uh…support counselor!"
Félix grunted, getting more and more frustrated with the conversation as it expanded. "This is getting worse by the moment. What do you need therapy for?! There's plenty of people with worse parents then you have! They might need the help, but you certainly don't. Goodness, Adrien, if you can't take care of yourself, you never will be able to!"
Plagg, hovering in front of Adrien, stuck out his tongue at Félix's words, beginning to look like he wanted to cataclysm him. Knowing Plagg, the Kwami wouldn't have a problem with murdering the older cousin.
"Listen to me." Félix ordered. "Yes, I admit, our family sucks, especially your side of the tree, but that's supposed to encourage us to become stronger men. If you can't handle the pain now, I wish you luck on handling it come adulthood and the future. Adri-" His voice cut out, followed by the beep of the phone as the connection was severed.
Adrien drew back in surprise, staring at his phone as it illustrated that the call had ended. "What?"
Plagg floated from the phone, nose scrunched up in disgust and eyes narrowed. "Yeaaah, we're not talking to him."
"Plagg?" Adrien inquired, confused. "What did you do?"
"Hung up the phone. We Kwamis can do stuff like that, you know." Plagg shrugged, snarling. "Your cousin is stupid and he's not doing anything to help ya. In fact, I'm pretty sure his whole goal is to irritate you enough so that Hawkmoth could Akumatize you." At Adrien's horrified look, Plagg properly translated. "Your cousin already tried to team up with Hawkmoth once, right? Why wouldn't he try again? I highly assume that, while he actually miiight be the most decent of your whole family, besides you, he's still sucky."
"Don't talk about him like that!" Adrien pleaded. "Félix really is trying to be better! It's not his fault that our family is–"
"Stupid? Abusive? Neglectful?" Plagg listed, sticking out his tongue. "Or were you going to say 'flawed', 'going through a difficult time', and 'different'? I've heard it all before, kid." Plagg's eyes drifted towards Adrien's computer, where the picture of his mom was displayed. "Face it, they were flawed way before they had you and Fé. Actually, I'm surprised both pairs of parents had the patience to wait for their kiddos to be born. They didn't get sick of waiting for the babies to be born and get an abortion, and that's honestly fairly shocking. I'm sure kidnapping some random baby is much quicker than waiting."
Adrien looked down, fingers curling defensively around the blankets as he squeezed. It hurt by how painfully truthful Plagg was being, but the Kwami was right. His parents weren't the patient type; everything they wanted, they wanted it right away.
"I'm glad they waited, though." Plagg said gently, knocking into his forehead with enough force to knock the teenage boy back into a laying-down position on his bed. "Frankly, I'm glad your parents were so terrible. I'm glad your father's not worth beans and is probably worse than Hawkmoth at this point. I'm glad your mother only cared about you because she viewed children as a kind of toy."
"Plagg!" Adrien cried weakly, staring up at the immortal cat in horror. "How can you say things like that?!"
"Let me finish." Plagg shushed him, staring to groom his chosen's hair little by little. "Your parents were not good people; there's no doubt about that. Like, I guess it makes sense that they view you as a mistake. But, kid, if they were different, you'd wind up like that stuck-up, good-for-nothin' brat, Chloe. Or that lyin' vixen, Lila. Worse of all, you coulda been normal."
"I'm normal!" Adrien protested, sinking into himself. "I am! I'm an ordinary kid!"
"Oh, I hope not." Plagg sighed. "Normal is borin', kid. You're amazin' and unique. You think a normal kid would be vaultin' around rooftops as Chat Noir? You really think that a normal kid wouldn't sacrifice everythin' he ever wanted to give an old man a cane?"
"I…I don't know!" Adrien whimpered, closing his eyes. "Ma…maybe they would?! I don't know, Plagg!"
"They wouldn't. Easy answer, kid." Plagg snorted. "No, they'd assume that the old man would eventually reach his own walkin' stick or that someone else would get it for him. They'd ignore him for their own personal gain; you were on the brink of gettin' anythin' you wanted, but you tossed it all away for his sake. Do you realize how special that is? I knew you were incredible that very first day; knew you'd make a fine kitten. Ya'know, you climbed up your wall to pounce on me from above to stop me from eatin' your stuff. That was a very Black Cat thin' to do; very few kids would think of that."
"I don't remember doing that." Adrien said in surprise, straightening as his green eyes sprang open.
"Well, I do. Vividly. That was some feat you pulled, Adrien." Plagg explained gently. "I was – and still am – so proud of you. If you were normal, even slightly different then you were, we never woulda met. We coulda gone on forever not knowin' each other. We never woulda met, and you never woulda ended up goin' to school, most likely. You never woulda met the girl of your dreams or learned to enjoy Camembert. Which is honestly the most atrocious of all of the things I mentioned. But that's not what happened. What happened is that you grew into a fine youn' man, who learned to love, really love, and you became someone worthy of bein' cared for, someone worth dyin' for. Kid, I'd live all the pain of my nine lives a thousand times over before I ever let you get hurt. Kid. I love you. I love ya so freakin' much, that it's not even funny anymore. If your father ever lays a hand on ya kid, I will Cataclysm the dude. Just to keep you safe. I'm your Protector. And I'ma not lettin' ya go."
"Plagg…" Adrien whimpered, shocked by Plagg's seriousness. "Plagg, how…how are you so amazing? What did I ever do to deserve you?"
"You were you, kid. You pushed back all the abuse and trails your father shoved at ya, and you became a wonderful young man." Plagg purred, rubbing his nose against Adrien's forehead. "You are perfect, just the way you are. I don't care if you have green eyes, or blue eyes, or, dunno, even rainbow eyes… kid, ya could have no eyes and I'd still love ya the same. Ladybug, too. Probably Nino, as well. You got that?"
Adrien nodded shakily, sniffling. "Yeah, I got that." He lifted one hand to his Kwami and began to stoke him gently, taking a slow, unsteady breath. After a bit, he smiled. "Love you, Plagg. Love you tons."
Plagg groomed his hair some more, waiting until his chosen's breathing evened out and the pets vanished as Adrien fell asleep. Then, quietly, he leaned over and said quietly into Adrien's ear, "Yeah, well, I love you more, kiddo. I'ma stick with ya for forever."
He waited for about an hour or more before finally floating away, regarding Adrien with worry one final time before drifting from the room, sneaking away and heading down below to Gabriel Agreste's office. Luckily, the studio was empty, Mr. Agreste having long since retired for the night. Empty and unguarded.
Plagg made one last check around the room, then drifted towards the painting of Adrien's mother, her kind, smile seeming false and untrue in the mostly dark room. He snarled up at her, wishing he could summon Cataclysm and destroy that stupid portrait, but there was a high chance it'd destroy everything in the house. Including his kid. Instead, he settled for scratching his claws across her face in disgust.
He phased into the safe, glancing around at the artifacts and objects strewn about within its walls. His eyes, at last, fell on a Peacock brooch, and he inhaled, absorbing the tell-tale Kwami scent that he had ignored when he first had come here. Duusu's scent.
So, that's how Adrien's parents had been so patient. They hadn't been. They had created a senti-monster toddler, skipped all the hard steps. They were, suddenly, so much worse. They could have made him however they wanted, but they chose to ridicule him for the slight flaws. Or lied to him and told him that his faults were his own fault. No wonder.
Plagg growled, grabbing the brooch between his paws to carry it to safety. He was going to destroy everyone who hurt his kid. When Adrien went to school the next day, he was going to sneak back here and Cataclysm this place to the ground. It'd destroy all the surrounding area, probably, but at least none of those people mattered. Only Adrien did. (And, ugh, fine. Maaaaybe Ladybug and Tikki did too, but he didn't admit that.)
Nobody, and he meant nobody, could injure his kid and get away with it. He'd make sure of that.