The sun seemed to shine brighter than ever on this joyous day. Everyone was out in celebrating together, the final defeat of Hawkmoth brought the whole city of Paris to together.

Marinette found her way to her best friend Alya. She was happier than ever to have Alya by her side, even if Alya didn't know it, Marinette needed some comfort right now. Any excuse to forget the truth for a while would satisfy the young designer.

"Did you hear, Ladybug is going to come on my blog and tell the story about how Chat Noir and her defeated Hawkmoth!" Alya rushed her words out like she only had a few seconds to speak, not even noticing how broken her friend felt in the moment.

"Really, that must be awesome for you, everyone's gonna be watching your blog Alya," Marinette put on her best excited face, hoping it would conceal the slight shake in her voice and the tears about to run down her face.

"Can you believe it? Hawkmoth has finally been defeated, after three long years." It felt like it had only been three weeks since Marinette first became Ladybug, the rest of the time must have been put into the slow last few hours. "I wonder what will happen to Ladybug and Chat Noir next. I doubt that this will be the last of their adventures after all."

Marinette wanted to turn to Alya and tell her that she agreed, she wanted for those words to be true, but Marinette couldn't work up the energy in herself to lie to her best friend today. Instead Marinette hummed an agreement.

"Maybe it'll be aliens, or monsters, or maybe," Alya rambled on and on about who or what she thinks Paris's superhero duo will fight next. Marinette tried to listen but her own thoughts blared louder than Alya's blabbering.

The best friends had started walking with no direction in mind and no thought about it. There was no place either of them wanted wanted to go specifically, but Marinette soon noticed that they had been headed to the place she least wanted to see, the Agreste Mansion. The memories her brain had clung on to this place made Marinette want to curl up in a ball and puke, or maybe even cry

"So there were so many reporters there when Ladybug was announcing the defeat of Hawkmoth and they were all asking about how she beat Hawkmoth and stuff. Then I showed up and Ladybug asked me to interview her later to get the full story on everything that happened," Alya gushed not even paying attention to her BFF. Marinette kind of wished she knew how Alya transitioned from what Ladybug and Chat Noir were going to fight next to how her interview with Ladybug got set up.

Alya's story got cut off by her boyfriend running up to them, "Alya, Marinette! Have you seen Adrien anywhere?"

Marinette's stomach dropped seeing Nino asking an innocent question that he had no idea would hurt Marinette so much. It was fair that he had innocently asked the question, it shouldn't hurt Marinette as much as it did.

"No, why?" Alya asked.

"I didn't see him anywhere, I was hoping that his father would let him do what he wanted to celebrate. Even if Adrien's dad sucks I would hope he'd alow him that." Nino admitted. "Do you know where he'd at least be right now?"

Alya nudged Marinette, which wasn't fair because her days of being a crazy stalker were completely over. It had been so long since Marinette had kept track of where Adrien was at all times.

But Marinette knew exactly where Adrien was right now.

"No, we don't know, but I could try calling him if you'd like," Marinette said her voice squeaking.

Nino nodded, and watched as Marinette tried to call Adrien with no response.

"Hey Nino, why don't you join us?" Alya invited after realizing Adrien wasn't going to answer.

"Thanks dudettes! If I can't be with Adrien at least I'll be with you guys," Nino walked to stand by Marinette and Nino.

Alya and Nino started walking without Marinette following, as if she wasn't there. Watching her friends walk away seemed to have finally set off the ticking time bomb that was Marinette as she fell to the ground crying, reclaiming the attention of Nino and Alya. Her friends came racing over to help Marinette.

"Marinette, are you okay girl?" Alya asked giving Marinette a great big hug.

Marinette tried to respond, however her words fell out as a big blubbering mess.

"Look, Marinette, whatever happened I'm here to help you. Please take a deep breath and start over. I can't understand you if you aren't making any sense," Alya's words came out calm and sweet.

"It's," Marinette took a second to cry a bit more before finishing, "Adrien"

At the mention of his best friend Nino dropped down to Marinette and Alya's level. "Adrien? What happened?" Nino placed a hand on Marinette's shoulder like how Adrien used to.

"He-he-he," Marinette's tears got in the way of her talking.

"Marinette, did Adrien hurt you?" Alya asked her best friend.

"What? Adrien would never hurt anyone," Nino argued over to his girlfriend.

"Well Marinette is in the floor crying, what do you expect me to ask?" Alya said her face heating up.

"You can't just assume that my bro would do that Alya," Nino protested.

"A-A-Adrien is d-dead," Marinette finally blurted out, even if it took some stuttering to get there.

It wasn't fair, the best person in the entire world was gone. Adrien was like the rays of sunshine hitting Marinette's face in how he brightened up everyone's day. Now he was gone. The boy Marinette spent years looking up to she'd never see again.

It happened during the final battle between Hawkmoth with her and Adrien. It all happened so fast. Without realizing who he was attacking Hawkmoth took the ring off Chat and flung him twords the wall at full speed.

He died right after hitting the wall.

After that Marinette was so full of fury she lost control of herself. She had finally learned who her partner was, after all these years, it turned out to be one of her best friends, and she only learned after he was gone. The rage she felt took over her in that minute, so the next few seconds seemed to gon by in an instant. Ladybug fought harder than she ever did before and she had finally defeated Hawkmoth. But she had took his life in the process, similar to how he took Adrien's.

It made her loss even worse when she found out Hawkmoth was Adrien's own father.

Marinette looked back up to Alya and Nino who had gone pale in the face. She had no idea what to tell them, or how to explain how she knew. Hawkmoth's identity hadn't even been reaveled yet. Marinette's friends eyes started to tear up as well.

"What?"

Marinette jumped up and gave them a big hug, she cried harder than she was before if that was somehow possible. She didn't try to explain what was going on in the moment as she let all her tears out now.

"Marinette please tell me your pranking me, it can't be true. It's not true," Alya blurted out. Rather than getting a response Marinette cried harder into her best friend's shoulder.

Nino was stund, he had no idea how to react. His best friend in the whole world was dead? How? Why? A million little questions ran through his mind. Nino's tounge felt heavy and dry. As much as he needed to know what happened to Adrien he still stayed quiet. How had the world done this to him and everyone around him. There was no way.

"Girl, you can tell us what happened, we're your friends," Alya pulled Marinette in front of her to look into her eyes.

Marinette was just as unable to speak than Nino was in that moment. Through her crying there was no way to get her to speak smoothly.

"Alya, please I don't wanna talk right now," Marinette said but with a lot of extra stuttering.

"Tell us when you're ready," Alya said ready to accept Marinette's crying fest.

When Marinette thought of the most powerful moment if Adrien's she didn't think of the stuff you'd think she would have. No, none of the dances between the two appeared in her mind. Nor did the times he had saved her life. When Marinette thought of the moment Adrien had made the most imlact on her is when he told Marinette the truth she had been unwilling to hear until then, that nobody was useless. That's how she found herself in Chloe's father's hotel. She had been let in because of the celebration of Hawkmoth's defeat. It seemed as if Chloe had no clue that this was going on.

"Dupain-Cheng, what are you doing here?" Chloe scoffed seeing her rival at the door of her room. "How did you get let in?"

Marinette held up a bag she had tucked in her hand. Marinette had made sure that she didn't accidentally destroy the contents inside of it.

"I was hoping to give you a crossont. Because Hawkmoth was defeated today and I thought it would be a nice gesture," Marinette said not making eye contact with the bully.

"How do I know it's not poisoned?" Chloe asked poking the bag with her index finger.

"Because I'm here to apologize," Marinette admitted.

The blonde spun around and sat on one of her many rich people chairs. "I'm listening."

Marinette stepped into Chloe's room. She had only been here once or twice before, but those times had been as Ladybug. Marinette wondered how many times Adrien had been here, he was friends with Chloe when they were younger after all.

"Listen, Chloe. I feel like I might have took things to far with you. At first I tried to defend myself, but it slowly started escalating. Rather than protecting myself from your evil ways I was mean to you, I tried to justify it by how mean you treated other people, but how I treated you was not okay. I was being hypocritical and mean. Chloe, I'm not trying to be your friend but I don't wanna be your enemy anymore. Truce?" Marinette hung out her hand for Chloe to take.

To Marinette's suprise she shook it.

"I guess I was mean to you or whatever. Please leave you're getting your pheasant germs all over my floors. Chloe whined like the brat she'll always be.

When walking out if Chloe's apartment Marinette felt like a weight had been lifted off her shoulders. Could it really