Ch7

"Who is she?", Ladybug said as she and Chat Noir raced each other. The wind buffeted her words but she knew that her partner had heard her.

"We didn't talk much. I saw her when I was on the route to keep the Horse Miraculous in flat #121 and wasted most of time chasing her across Paris. When she decided I wasn't threatening enough we got to talk for a minute or two before my senses told me something was amiss. I checked and found out that someone had started an akuma alert. Then I came with her to help as fast as I could.", the man in black said.

Ladybug hummed a response, not really in the mood to speak just yet, her throat felt clogged, stuck. In a way, her heart was still beating unevenly, like when she first started to run. The uneven tempo unnerved her and she breathed deep to try and bring it back to normal. She was missing something, something she really needed- not like oxygen or like water, but more like something she needed to sense. There was something she needed to hear, and it wasn't the wind blowing in her face and whispering sweet nothings into her ears.

"What did you talk about?", She asked as the both of them simultaneously jumped over a gap between two buildings.

"Well…She told me to call her Nyx and that she wasn't either friend or foe, Bugaboo. I would've talked more but well, the Akuma alarm interrupted us before she could respond about what she knew about the new Butterfly and Peacock Miraculous holders."

"What about –". Ladybug cut off midway when blue light crackled to life a few yards in front of her. She stopped and skid till she was just feet away from the light. A wide blue circle with pale blue light, not really weighing anything, anchored to nothing but time: A portal.

Chat stopped right next to her and the two of them wait patiently with a smile.

Two blue and white bunny ears popped out of the white and blue circle in front of them, followed by a red head and a face.
"'Sup Kitty Noir and Mini-bug.", Bunnyx said when she finally got through the portal. It blinked out of existence the next second.

"Bunny!", Chat said, prompting the redhead to punch him on the head.

"It's Bunnyx, you boop!", Bunnyx said while Chat Noir chuckled in return.

"Bunnyx.", Ladybug said trying to smile but her tiredness crept into it. Bunnyx seldom came to them for fun. Something was happening in the future. Something that warranted the Miraculous of last chance to be used.

"Don't look so wary, Mini-bug. It's mostly good news this time.", the rabbit Miraculous holder said. She gave a smile.

Ladybug let out a sigh of relief and closed her eyes. She was definitely tired today and the throbbing in head was surely a sign of a bump. The latest battle had been taxing and she still hadn't used her Miraculous Ladybug to heal. She didn't know what she would do if more bad news was toppled onto her.

"But wait a sec before I say anything. What's the date? I haven't used the Miraculous to go this far back in time for quite a while. Want to make sure this is the right time." ,the heroine in blue and white said.

Ladybug told her the date, still wary even though Bunnyx had told her to be at ease.

"Huh, I guess I'm near the right time then. Tell me has anything…weird happened?"

"You mean the magically huge amount of hostile Miraculous holders in Paris out of which at least three are not from our Miracle box?", Chat Noir said and Ladybug huffed in annoyance, not wanting to remember their enemies.

Bunnyx gave them a small smile, "Yeah that's it."

"What do we need to know?", Ladybug jumped. This was her only chance to get information about their adversaries.

"I can't tell you anything. You're older self specifically asked me not to tell you anything."

"Then why-?"

"Am I here?", Bunnyx completed her sentence for her, "To tell you not to show mini-me the way to use our miraculous yet."

"Wh-"

"This is important mini-bug!", the elder heroine put her arms on the younger one's shoulders, "No matter what, you cannot give me the miraculous. Do you get me?"

Ladybug couldn't understand why. Was ALix not responsible enough yet? She somehow managed to wrestle her questions into a box and give nod. Bunnyx gave a sigh of relief.

"This is for you, Kitty Noir.", Bunnyx turned to Chat Noir and extended her palm.

The black cat hero put forward his own hand and Bunnyx dropped somethings into it. Ladybug leaned to look into her partner's hands but he quickly stashed it in his pocket. The object must have been small.

"And this is for you, Mini-bug.", Bunnyx turned to her. Ladybug received whatever was addressed to her, she looked at her open palm and saw a small, wooden a flute-like object and an envelope, "What?"

"Your future self has written a letter to you. Read it then burn it.", Bunnyx said and Ladybug looked up, more question brimming in her mouth. She was cut off when the time heroine continued on, "I will be serious Mini-bug and Kitty Noir, this ordeal will be harder than any you have faced."

Her eyes found Chat Noir's, "You have to be ready. Ready for that secret to come out."

Ladybug saw Chat Noir's eyes widen and a sense of panic come to him. She saw it in his eyes, he was fearful. The way he stiffened, it was so rare for him to tense outside of an akuma battle, told Ladybug how powerful this secret was. Should she ask him what it was about? No, maybe it had something do with his civilian life and she had no right to pry into it.

"And you'll have to learn to let go, to forgive, Mini-bug.", Bunny put her hands on Ladybugs shoulders. "It's the only way you can move forward."

"Wait-", both Ladybug and Cat Noir said at the same time but Bunnyx silenced both of them by shaking her head. She moved back and both could tell it was her time to leave.

"Be brave, be strong. And…I'm sorry."

Maybe the last thing she said wasn't something she was supposed to, because Ladybug saw Bunnyx's eyes widen in realisation. Realization of her mistake? Her blunder? Some important think she remembered she had to do? The blue haired heroine couldn't find out because a portal opened and the Rabbit heroine turned and left before either of the two could say anything.

The wind picked up the fallen silence and tenseness and pushed it up, muttering a stifled howl. Both heroes looked to where the time traveller had gone, nothing left to show she had ever been at that spot. At that time.

The heroine in red and black let out a breath, her eyes looked up to find the moon, it was a small crescent.

"Are you going to read the letter?", Chat Noir asked, finally breaking the silence.

She looked at the envelope, it was pink.

'Seems my taste doesn't change in the future.'

She turned it around to see her handwriting same as ever, if not a little more refined, spelling out her hero name 'Ladybug'. Under her large name, written in small font were the words 'Open when alone'.

"I've explicitly told myself to open this in the comfort of solitude.", Ladybug said with a amused glance, trying to use humour to bring a sense of normalcy like Chat did.

"Okay.", Chat's quiet reply told her she had failed.

She held back her disappointment and placed the flute-like object and envelope in the magical storage in her yoyo. The envelope crinkled when she tried to force it in but she managed it with minimal damage. She'd observe the two things later.

"I have some things to think about. Can we talk about all that happened today some other time?", her partner said in an uncharacteristically serious voice.

Ladybug tried to glimpse of her partner's expression but he was turned away from her, hand itching for his baton. She wondered how effective Bunnyx's word had been for Chat Noir to react so strongly. A lot considering how he wasn't even looking at her. Was it because it was something that concerned her? Or because it was it because it meant a lot to him? Chat Noir was one of the most humorous and fun-loving person she knew, but he was also very sensitive, he just smothered it better than most.

"Okay.", She couldn't help her own silent reply. After all, she hated failing at anything, even lifting the spirits of her partner.

"Ah, you should take this.", Chat Noir turned to give her something.

Ladybug took the Horse Miraculous that he was holding out to her.

"Also, I told Kagami we would need her again, she agreed to help.", He said and turned around again, ready to bolt.

"Go home safe, Chat.", Bluebell eyes looked over to their partner.

Green eyes flashed as he turned to meet her gaze, "You too."

The next second he was gone. She didn't see him go, he just melded into the night and shadows. Gone with the wind. She looked at the crescent moon one more time and breathed out.

"Let's go.", she softly said to herself.

Ladybug swung from roof to roof, not stopping even once, she had a destination in her mind, but still a lot of ground to cover. Might as well talk to Luka Couffaine tonight. She followed the Seine to search for a certain boathouse.

'How creepy of you to know where he is.', a voice snickered in her mind.

'Shut up.", she grumpily told her inner devil.

She wasn't a stalker anymore, granted she had only ever stalked Adrien. She shivered as she recalled her teenage years, what a mess she had been. She knew where he was because he had told her. Because tomorrow she had to meet him for a date…? A meeting? Hang out? Yeah, hang out sounded best.

'Don't blush, dummy. It's not a date, you don't even know if he feels the same way anymore…'

The red and black spotted heroine stopped when she saw the Couffaine family ship. She pulled out a red and black envelope from her yoyo storage, this was one she'd written two days ago, along with Chat Noir. Finalizing everything that needed to be said, making sure to not expose Luka's identity as Viperion.

She breathed in the night, summer had made it warm. Courage, she needed courage to talk to him. Texting was one thing, talking was another. But maybe she wouldn't need to talk to him, maybe she wouldn't get to. The man with black hair and aqua eyes stood alone on his deck, but she could hear the chatter of him talking with his family. She watched from her perch as Juleka popped up, said something to him before going back inside laughing. His face was close to glowing despite the recent akuma attack he had to watch.

Taking a chance, she swung over to the ship and landed on its roof. Luka looked over to where she was and his eyes widened a little, maybe he hadn't expected her to come by so soon. Akuma attack or not, Ladybug had already decided to contact him today, it would be the only time she would know his location as she didn't know his new address.

Ladybug put her gloved finger to her lips in the universal sign of silence. Juleka Couffaine chose that moment to come out once more, now having a Rose Lavillant with longer hair on her arm. The slightest nod of Luka's head was all the indication that he had understood her.

"So…who will you be going to see tomorrow, Luka?", Rose asked with a giggle.

Ladybug tensed up. Of course Juleka and Rose would find out about their dat- no- their hang out plans for tomorrow.

"Haha. So you can scare them off? I think not, Rose.", Luka said with a lax smile on his face. Ladybug relaxed.

"Aw…you're no fun.", Rose said with a pout.

"Blame yourselves. The both of you somehow always manage to find me and my date no matter where in the city we go.", Luka's reply was teasing.

"We don't do it on purpose.", Juleka said with a huff.

"Ay, Luka. It can't be helped all Couffaines think of the same place for romantic spots.", Anarcha Couffaine popped up and walked over to the three.

Ladybug stiffened once again. She hadn't seen Anarcha Couffaine, but that didn't mean the mother hadn't seen her. Had she seen her? What would happen if she had seen her?

"Do not.", both the Couffaine siblings said. Suprisingly Luka's voice was softer than Juleka's, who used to mumble all the time as a teen.

Everyone laughed at their timing and then talked some more. Ladybug tried her best to not listen in to their private family life.

She patiently stood in the shadows, trying not to be seen.

"Well, I'm going and getting grub, anything else ya need?", Anarcha said heading for the door.

"My amp and-"

"We'll get it!", Rose didn't let Luka complete before grabbing his sister's hand and dashing inside.

The mother and son made faces at each other before smiling and going about their tasks.

Now left alone on the boat deck with Luka, Ladybug quickly jumped to him, looking into his aqua blue eyes for a second she handed him the envelope. He gently took it from her, a question forming at his lips.

"The letter will explain everything you need to know right now.", the red and black heroine said.

She supposed she should have stayed and explained, but she didn't have time. Taking in his eyes one more time, the cool sturdy blue that kept her grounded one more time, she let out a breath and swung away.

MLBMLBMLB

Marinette plopped down on her bed and breathed out. Tikki flew over to her cookie stash.

"What is going on Tikki?", Marinette said tiredly.

"I don't understand what you're asking Marinette.", Tikki said.

"Bunnyx came to tell us not to give Alix the Rabbit Miraculous. And she gave me these.", the blue eyed girl held up the flute-like structure and the envelope.

"That's the Tunema.", Tikki pointed towards the flute-like object.

"The one ingredient you said we needed to scavenge from the temple Master Fu had trained in?"

"Yes. Each Miracle box has one and only one can help in upgrading of Miraculous from a specific box. If your future self has given you this, then it must from our miracle box."

"So…how much time have we saved?", Marinette asked. Looking for the temple and its contents would have been a time taking and hard mission. Her older self have given this to her to save time.

"I can't say."

Marinette hummed in response and opened the envelope. Pulling out the letter she sat up straight and read it.

Hey Marinette,

Haha this is weird, writing to myself. Anyways, there are a few important things I need to tell you.

Firstly, do not give Alix Kubdel the Rabbit Miraculous. I'm sure Bunnyx has already told you this but I'm reminding you one more time.

Secondly, if you wish to upgrade you will have to go to an 'Order of the Miraculous' temple. You can go to anyone and the upgrade will work, as long as you have determination, love and the willingness to sacrifice in you.

Thirdly, never lose your way. Trust in yourself and those who care for you. I know this time of life will be hard. The events that take place will sometimes suffocate you, I know because I've been there. But you must move forward anyways. You'll come to the right place eventually.

Lastly, you must forgive. It most necessary, because if you don't have the strength to forgive…well I can't tell you about the future but I can tell you that you will regret it. I know you're strong enough to do this. Stay strong, stay safe.

That is all.

Love,

Marinette Dupain-Cheng

P.s- It's best to burn this letter once you're done reading it.

"What are you thinking about Marinette?", Tikki asked, blue eyes wide with worry.

Marinette looked up and felt a tightness in her chest. Learn to forgive? Was she not forgiving enough? Was someone going to betray her?

Does the future really hold so much pain for me?

"I don't know Tikki. I think I need to sleep."

Tomorrow, she'll deal with everything tomorrow. When her heart isn't beating like she's about to burst and she isn't so tired she can't stop herself from overthinking.

She rolled over and closed her eyes, trusting Tikki to understand the que and switch off the lights.

Seconds later, her room was in darkness. She let out a sigh and allowed sleep to take over.

A/n: Can't say I'm happy with this chapter. I might edit it it so watch out for that.