Witch
Author's Notes: Starting the month off right, today's story is from LyraMaeArcher, who once again is setting the bar too high for the rest of us. Good thing we can borrow Chat's baton to get over it.
Lyra: I have nothing to say here. GL to us and MariChat May. haha.
MR: Marichat May? Oh dear. Somebody told me it was Murder May. *frantically goes back and starts re-writing
The cackle of laughter from the akuma in front of him admittedly made Chat Noir pause. Something about it made him shiver nervously, cat ears pressing against his head. In all true appearances, the woman was a stereotypical witch - clawed fingers, dark flowing robes with a pointed black hat sitting on straggly hair, and a crooked nose complete with an oversized hairy nose. To make matters worse, she carried a straw broom and growled at the people of Paris in an off-key lilting voice.
Her dark beady eyes glinted at him in a dangerously ominous fashion - setting alarm bells screaming in his head as green lightning shot from her crooked wand. This one was on a definite mission. A mission that seemed determined to deal with a boy in a black cat suit.
Dodging and twisting with practiced ease, Chat hoped that Ladybug would arrive soon. His money was on the broom as the akuma location, but he needed to wait for her to arrive and do her miraculous thing.
His eyes kept drifting off the villain, even as he rattled off puns about witches, gymnastic agility keeping him from getting hit with her projectiles.
Finally, a flash of red and the zip of a familiar yo-yo made him grin, catapulting himself onto the rooftops to convene with this partner and give his report.
"Hey Kitty. What do we have today?"
"I think you mean witch do we have today?" he purred, taking pride in the instant eye roll and quiet groan from her. God, he loved that response.
"I think it is in the broom." She nodded at this revelation, yo-yo spinning in preparation.
"Ok, Kitty. Do your thing." With a smirk and a nod, he jumped from the roof to draw the attention to himself so Ladybug could sneak in from the back unexpectedly.
The witch's eyes narrowed as she saw him, a slow grin splitting her dark stained lips to reveal horribly crooked teeth.
"Here, kitty, kitty." The cackle rang out again, setting him on edge again. They needed to deal with this akuma soon.
As he baited the witch's attention with wit and banter, he realized with growing concern that she actually wanted to pay attention to him. She had no concern for Ladybug, her eyes fixated on him only.
It only took a single stumble for the akuma to get her wish - a black cat paused long enough to be hit with a magical green lightning bolt. Chat had been hit by numerous projectiles in his stint as a superhero: dark arrows, floating kisses, laser beams, pigeons… once he found himself completely covered in splattered eggs. But this time felt different, the electricity that rippled through him felt incredibly similar to that of his transformation. So much, in fact, he glanced down to see if he had reverted back to his civilian self.
No. No jeans and t-shirt. Instead, he found himself staring at fur. Black fur. On his rapidly shrinking body. Shifting himself to all fours, Chat discovered that his gloves no longer covered his hands, replaced by soft looking paws.
Quickly, his eyes darted to the akuma, her foul grin seeming to grow farther away as his shape shrunk from that of a teen to a kitten. Everything seemed exaggeratedly oversized.
Behind the women stood Ladybug, her brilliant blue eyes staring at him in complete shock, the yo-yo in her grasp slowing down as she took the sight of him in.
The witch turned quickly, wand extended and spell released before Ladybug even had time to respond. Launching from where he had hunched, Chat threw himself at the witch. His yell of Ladybug's name came out as nothing more than a sad little mewl, squeaking more than his voice ever has before. His tiny claws did nothing to stop the attack, landing on the woman's arm.
It was too late - the green electricity jolting Ladybug in surprise. She bowled over, grasping as her stomach. The cackle from the witch started again, pulling Chat off her shirt sleeve by the scruff of his neck, eliciting a hiss that in no way sounded threatening.
"Now, now, kitten. She is going to need her familiar. Go to your master."
With a gentle flick of the wrist, Chat felt himself airborne, twisting on instinct to land on his feet in front of his lady with a sharp yowl.
Except, she wasn't his lady. The suit and mask vanished, replaced by a young woman standing in her place that he knew very well.
Marinette Dupain-Cheng.
Her body sizzled with energy - the feeling familiar as it rippled over her skin. A quick startled glance down made her gasp. Her suit was gone, leaving her identity bare for anyone to see. Hiding her face with her hands, Marinette quickly curled herself around to avoid being seen without her spots. Could Hawkmoth see through his akuma? Did he see her face?
Peeking between gaps of her fingers, she glanced up and down the street. Thankfully the people of Paris were used to the sounds of the akuma alerts and made for cover, leaving the road clear.
The cackle of the witch akuma faded, evidence that her opponent had wandered off without attempting to claim the earrings for herself.
"Tikki?" Marinette whispered, hoping to find her kwami and power up again. Silence greeted her. Prying her fingers from her face, frantic eyes searched for the red creature. Nothing.
A soft, high-pitched mew brought her attention to her feet, where a small, black fuzzy kitten with brilliant green eyes sat peering up at her. A golden bell dangled from a collar around his neck. At her attention, he padded himself closer, rubbing himself against her shoe with another squeaky cry.
"Chat?" she whispered, crouching down to the ground to gently pet the top of his head with a finger. Unsure if she should give into the smile that threatened to break as the little thing burst into soft broken mews and rubbed against her hand, she scooped him up to nuzzle him against her cheek. He let out a spluttering purr.
This was bad. Really bad. Chat was a literal kitten and Tikki was missing. Marinette had no powers and her identity had been compromised A panicked thought filled her as the kitty against her cheek pressed closer - did Chat know? Did he know that she was Marinette?
She needed time to put together some kind of plan. To figure out a way to get this all solved and to defeat the akuma.
Tucking the kitten into the pocket of her arms, Marinette's pink slippered shoes found their way through the back streets of Paris, avoiding any contact with people as she slid into the back door of the bakery apartments.
When Chat made more tiny mews, she shushed him, taking two steps at a time and bursting into her house. With the door slammed behind her, she barrelled for her bedroom, thankful that her parents spent so much of their day in the bakery.
Safely in the confines of pink and wooden beams, Marinette collapsed onto her chaise, gently placing Chat kitten beside her. The kitten sat still, blinking his eyes at her as she mentally panicked.
It wasn't long before the panic oozed out to her voice, an unedited stream of consciousness tumbling out of her mouth unbidden in typical Marinette style, forcing her to her feet to pace.
"I don't know what to do, kitty. Why did the akuma turn you in an actual kitten? What happened to Tikki and why can't I transform? What was that akuma anyway? What if I can't get my powers back and you are stuck as a cat forever?" She paused for a moment, eyes wide and staring at the small kitten who cocked his head adorably to one side before letting out a small meow. She didn't know what to do.
With a sigh, she let herself flop to the floor, leaning against the chaise as a pillow. Chat, for his part, simply flopped as well, paws stretching out to press against her arm.
"Tikki would know what to do," she whispered. The echo of Tikki's voice rattled in her head, reminding her to breathe. Slow inhale, slow exhale. God, Chat must think her civilian self was a fool - not the levelheaded, quick thinking superhero she pretended to be.
"Sorry, Chat. I wish I knew what to do. If only there was some kind of instruction manual that explained this whole thing."
A burst of brilliant pink light filled up her bedroom, the tingling of electricity making the hairs of her arms stand up and Chat to take a defensive stance with a hiss. Thumping as it hit the soft cushions of the chaise lounge, the light vanished to reveal a thick, age-worn, leather-bound book. A raised pattern adorned the front - a symbol similar in appearance to that on the earring box that sat hidden in the drawer of her vanity.
The spine of the book made a terrific cracking sound as Marinette slowly opened the cover, curiosity driving her to see exactly what she had conjured out of thin air. Maybe this was her lucky charm?
Nearly indecipherable black-inked script interspersed with carefully labelled diagrams of various shapes and items lined the pages. The titles at the top of the page made her a little nervous: poisons, love, necromancy, elements, curses, protection - the instructions offering steps on how to complete spells for each.
"This is like the Miraculous Grimoire," she murmured, staring at each page as she carefully looked through each. "It's full of spells or something." Kitten Chat just stared at her blankly, carefully out of range from the book, lifting his head from time to time to sniff at the air.
One page caught her eye, the title at the top making her pause.
Shapeshifting.
A thought tickled in the back of her head. What if - ? Her eyes slid to Chat, who casually licked his paw, looking far too comfortable as a kitten. What if -?
The instructions in the book looked …. Doable. The ingredients seemed obtainable, the steps clearly laid out. Maybe she could transform Chat back into himself - cheesy puns, over the top foolishness, silly smirks, and all. She needed her partner.
"I have a plan," she announced, springing to her feet with a clap. Chat's cat-like startle reflex making his fur stand on end as he jumped to all fours. Laughing, she ran her hand down his back to calm him. "Sorry, kitty. I'm going to try something and I'm going to need you to trust me. See this page? It's a spell, I think, that might turn you back into… well… you."
He let out a strange chirping sound, before pressing his head into her hand and purring. She decided that was a sign to go for it.
It took time to gather ingredients - rummaging through all the cupboards and drawers in the house, and even a quick trip to the market to find everything on the list. Dragging the largest pot she could find out of her mother's collection, Marinette plopped it onto the stove with a shockingly loud clang.
With steel determination, she began to follow the instructions carefully, adding pinches of this, and pinches of that to the pot and stirring carefully.
She tried not to think about what exactly she was doing. Tried not to panic over the idea that she was somehow working on making a magic potion to turn her best friend and partner back into a human instead of a cat. Tried not to think about what might happen if she failed.
It took time to complete the task, and then more time to get it to a rolling boil.
The putrid stench nearly made her gag, causing her to pinch her nose as she warily approached the pot that boiled noisily on the stovetop. Green bubbles popped at the surface - everything that the world stereotypically thought of when they thought of a witch's brew. If she wasn't holding her nose for dear life, she'd be wrinkling it with disapproval.
A quick double check at the book on the table behind her confirmed that she'd followed all the steps in the right order. All the right ingredients. Been boiling it for the right amount of time. She eyed it with trepidation, holding her breath to lean in again. It seemed as good as it was likely to get.
Scooping the liquid into a clear glass, she quickly set it on the counter to cool. A soft mewling drew her attention to the small black cat coiled on the couch, peering at her with what felt like concern.
"I know," she muttered, afraid of what came next.
Chat lazily stretched before hopping off the seat to rub on her leg with a loud purr. Her little friend always knew how to calm her nerves. In thanks, she gave a quick scratch to his head before turning her attention to the book.
Pour liquid onto the object you wish to change form. Focus your mind on the form you wish it to be. When ready, concentrate energy to object and release.
Chat hopped up the tall stools, the small set of green eyes peeking over the table edge as he sat there to watch.
Marinette felt sick. If this went wrong ….
Her fists clenched as determination flooded her again. No. She could do this. But first, a test. Grabbing an apple from the bowl of fruit left on the counter, she placed it in front of her.
"You'd think they'd have more detailed instructions on how MUCH of this to use," she muttered, picking up the still hot glass. Slowly, she poured a small portion of the ooze onto the apple, watching in dismay as it slid over the surface of the fruit with a nasty hissing sound. Kitty Chat's ears folded backwards at the sound.
"Ok, I can do this."
Closing her eyes, she imagined the apple changing into a pie. Hot. Steaming. With Crinkled edges and a lattice pattern. She could practically smell the sweetness of the filling. With that in her mind, she opened her eyes, stared at the slime coated apple and pushed that thought towards it.
For a moment, nothing happened and she wavered. Had she failed somehow with her potion? With her vision? And then….. An explosion of warm fruit and pastry splattered all over the counter, leaving a sticky mess dripping onto the pink tiled floor.
Marinette sat for a bit, staring blankly at the destruction feeling numb and sick and panicked all at the same time. The stirrings of a full-scale panic attack lay just under the surface, her breathing getting erratic as she realized exactly how dangerous this spell could be.
"No. No, I can't do this kitty. I can't get you back to your human form. And then you'll be stuck as a cat forever, and I'll never see Tikki again, and that akuma will run wild and do weird things to people, and Hawkmoth will win somehow, and it will be all my fault. I can't do this."
Being a cat was both wonderful and terrible at all the same time. The temptation to curl up and sleep combined with the nearly overwhelming urge to give into the wild side of himself was intriguing - the curtains on the walls of Marinette's living room practically screaming for him to climb them.
He couldn't wait to be back to his normal self again. If one could call a cat suit completely with ears and a domino mask normal.
The puddle of gooey apple bits definitely made for an interesting development in what felt like an already extraordinary challenge. Admittedly, being turned into a pile of cat pieces didn't feel all that appealing.
One look at Marinette's face told him everything he needed to know, seeing her eyes glaze over and her short gasps for air as she went a terrifying shade of white. Arms flailing, she jumped to her feet and words came tumbling out - ranting and panicked words of failure.
It had been hard at first to fully reconcile the masked face of his partner with the sweet face of Marinette, but watching her determination through this whole experience left him more in love than ever. He had always felt that his friendship with Marinette was something more - that they always were drawn to each other, and now he knew why.
But this, the nearly hysterical, wild-eyed version of herself was new. Ladybug had doubted herself plenty of times. Marinette had a habit of overthinking things. But seeing them merged together made his heart warm a little.
Jumping from the tall chair with surprising grace, he padded his way over to where she flopped on the couch, still mumbling to herself about failure. A quick jump onto the furniture, he pressed himself against her leg for a moment before deciding to scale her arm. His cheek against hers. He just needed to get her to calm down long enough to think rationally. She startled a little when he put his paw on her face.
"I'm here," he whispered, the sounds coming out more like strangling squeaks than the words he really wanted to say. "You can do this. I believe in you." He blinked. The long kind of blinks that cats give to show they love you. When his eyes opened again, she had calmed down somewhat, staring at him with a soft expression.
"Sorry kitty," she whispered back, pressing her cheek against him and rubbing. He couldn't help the purr that spluttered awkwardly in his chest. He loved her.
"Ok, let's try again."
He found himself plopped gently onto the cushions before she headed to the kitchen to clean up the disaster.
Looking around the room, he eyed the window beside the couch. Something about it felt… off. It didn't take much to jump to the sill and look outside. Cars and people bustled on the street below - life as usual returning for the people of Paris. Was the akuma still out there somewhere?
Above him dangled the hook for the blinds. His paw twitched with an agonizing need. A quick glance at Marinette showed her still scraping apple goo off the counter, attention far from him at this moment. The paw twitched again.
He couldn't. He shouldn't. Playing with things in a friend's house was all sorts of breaches of social etiquette.
The paw moved on its own, stretching slowly over his head to gently bat the circle. It made the most delightful movement, swaying back and forth. He hit it again. And again. Suddenly, it felt like every muscle of his being burst to life all at once, sending him flying off the sill and in full speed mode around the house. Up the stairs. Down the stairs. Over the top of the couch and skidding over the wooden slats of the entry floor. The soft jingle of the bell at his throat sounded heavenly as he ran, making him want to keep hearing it. His claws sank happily into the curtains, propelling him to the top in a heartbeat, only to launch himself from the incredible height with excitement.
Flying felt amazing, the air ruffling his fur as he twisted easily before landing on his feet on the couch and racing back up the stairs to Marinette's room. Tumbling all over the floor, he pounced hard on a stuffed Ladybug doll, biting its pigtail and throwing it into the air before running back to the kitchen.
It felt amazing to be alive.
Until he looked at Marinette, bent over the kitchen floor with a wet cloth, staring at him with shock.
Oh.
He stopped running, bowing his head in shame, with his ears tucked back.
"Sorry," came out as an annoying little squeak.
Marinette's soft chuckle gave him hope. But for now, even as his heart beat tried to return to normal, he was going to be good. Sit on the couch and watch her until she was ready. At first, he did just that. But soon, energy reserves depleted, he found it impossible to keep his eyes open, drooping over and over until finally, he just gave in and fell asleep on the softness of the Dupain-Cheng's living room couch.
The kitchen finally apple free, Marinette looked over at Chat, sprawled on his back with limb askew in all directions. His unexpected and enthusiastic kitten outburst of energy wore him out and she couldn't help but smile. At least he was a cute kitten. And without the puns, he might be fun to keep around.
Another apple pulled from the fruit collection, this time set inside a bowl for protection. Add green concoction. Visualize a pie. Push that energy out. Wait patiently. The apple in the bowl shimmered, flickering for the briefest of moments before stretching out into an awkwardly shaped apple pie.
Another apple. Another pie.
Her confidence finally settled into place, determination filling her. She could do this.
Scooping up Chat with both hands, she placed him on her lap as he peered up at her with sleepy eyes, blinking himself awake.
"I'm ready, Kitty. Are you?"
He let out a small mew before a big yawn, jumping from her lap onto the counter where he sat, tail curled around his feet. He looked so tiny and adorable sitting there, trusting her completely.
A deep breath in, she grabbed what remained of the magic potion, poised to dump out.
"Here we go."
He shivered as the slime dropped onto his fur, the uncomfortable sound of hissing making her wince. His eyes stayed on her, staring at her as if to give her the reassurance she needed to keep going. The cup empty and the little cat coated in a layer of green goop, she closed her eyes.
The image of Chat Noir, HER Chat Noir, cocky grin, laughing eyes, chaotic mop of hair, and black suit filled her mind. This was what he should look like. Firmly planted in her vision, she took a deep breath, opened her eyes, and pushed the image forward. Chat blinked, another shiver wracking through his tiny frame before he shimmered and flickered. Marinette held her breath, trying to hold onto that mental picture of her partner as the spell took control.
It felt different than whatever the witch had done. Instead of a burst of tingling energy, this felt more like ooze combined with being flipped from the inside out. His skin felt like it was being pulled in a thousand directions, body twisting into a shape that it never should have been. It didn't hurt. He just felt … wrong…. as if he was waiting for himself to be put back together.
And then, suddenly, he was.
Sitting awkwardly on top of the Dupain-Cheng's kitchen counter, he blinked before looking down at himself. Human arms. Human legs. Fingers in black gloves. The only evidence of cat his superhero ears and tail belt.
He couldn't help but grin at Marinette as he jumped off the counter.
"You did it!" he cheered, lunging forward to crush her in a celebratory hug. She meeped in surprised. "I knew you could do it."
She said nothing, simply staring at him with a strange expression on her face. Was she - mad? Nervous? Upset? He couldn't quite read what it meant.
"Are you ok?" he asked hesitantly.
The outburst of tears and loud sobbing was completely unexpected, as was the sudden rush of her crushing herself against his chest. But his arms instinctively wrapped around her in protection, his face pressed into her hair as he murmured nonsense about everything being ok.
Finally, she calmed down, still wrapped around him and holding him tight.
"Sorry," she murmured against him. "I thought I was going to blow you up."
He couldn't help but laugh.
"Good as new. You did just fine, Bugaboo."
She stiffened in his arms, slowly detangling herself from his grasp. He felt frustrated that she kept her eyes down and stepped away, suddenly finding the kitchen needing to be cleaned again.
"What's wrong?" he asked, reaching for her arm. She froze, wide blue eyes turning slowly to meet his green ones.
"You aren't supposed to know." It was a whisper, small and timid, but everything that he understood. The secret of her identity meant everything to her - a security blanket of sorts to protect those she loved. But it was too late now. He knew. And he would die before he gave that secret away.
"I know. I promise I will never tell. Ever."
He placed a soft hand on her cheek, running his thumb over it to wipe away the dampness there.
"Trust me."
She looked at him a long time, studying his face more intently than ever, seeking something. Finally, the tenseness in her body relaxed as she accepted reality.
"Let's get your spot back, My Lady."
Together, they flipped through the magic grimoire, hoping some kind of clue that would help them solve the challenge of Marinette's missing kwami and powers. When no solutions appeared, Marinette dropped her head to the counter in dismay.
"I need Tikki."
He understood that feeling. Life without Plagg would be ….. He shuddered. A nightmare of loneliness and isolation that he never wanted to live in again.
"Ok, so we need to beat this akuma somehow, and get you your powers back."
The plan, when they finally put one together, seemed questionable at best. The goal was to lure the witch to a local shop that sold Ladybug merchandise, Chat would draw her attention, make her think of Ladybug instead of Chat, and then *somehow* get her to hit Marinette with Ladybug in mind.
A quick check of the Ladyblog narrowed down the location of the akuma, still wandering through neighbourhoods in Paris, magic transforming people into various things. Escaping to the balcony through Marinette's bedroom, they launched onto the rooftops. Marinette clung to his neck, wrapped against his back piggy-back style as he vaulted from eave to eave with familiar and strong movements.
Dropping Marinette off in an alleyway near the Ladybug store, he made sure to reassure her, waiting for her determined look to steel her eyes and that confident smile to warm her face before he left.
It took hardly any time to find their akuma - green bolts of electricity sizzling through the air to find their mark on various people. It felt like chaos. A quick jump from the roof brought him into the witch's view.
"Witch-a doin'?" he purred at her.
She paused, cocking her head with a crooked toothy grin.
"Well, well - it looks like our little magic girl was a successful little witch after all! What a good familiar you are for her, helping her achieve her potential."
A spark of green arched in his direction from the wand in her hand, forcing him to dodge. The plan seemed to be working as she followed his lead, heading through the streets towards the intended destination. Bolt after bolt headed his way, keeping him jumping and moving through the streets - inching closer to the merchandise store. He could see Marinette peeking out from the open window.
"Didn't like being a real kitten?" the witch cackled.
"Are you kitten me?" he yelled back. "It was meowvelous." Another green zap shot out to him.
"Well, let's make you a cat again."
"My lady prefers me being a boy, thank you. She is paw-sivitely in love with my punning skills. Can't do that as a cat."
Another zap, narrowly missing Chat's right shoulder, making him jump in response. So close to their goal.
"Your lady needs her familiar, you know. She's a witch now. You need to be a cat for her."
"How exactly are you able to get my ring if I'm a cat, anyway?"
The witch cackled.
"Who needs your ring? Not me. I just want people to respect pagans. Who better to show people the wonder of this life than Paris' superhero duo as a witch with her familiar?"
A purple butterfly-shaped shadow flashed over the witch's face, making her pause.
"I don't want their miraculous. I want acknowledgement!" Her voice was loud, yelling up into the sky. Chat braced himself, glancing quickly over to Marinette who simply shrugged in response.
The witch screeched as her broom shook in her hand. Out of the end squeezed a purple butterfly, wings flapping frantically as it escaped. Bubbles covered the shape of the witch leaving a stunned woman blinking in surprise.
On the edge of his vision, a pink flash covered Marinette, transforming her back to her familiar spotted suit. Her yo-yo was moving in an instant, launching into the sky to snap the butterfly within its folds.
Chat sighed with relief as she sent it off into the air - white and pure and free.
"Lucky Charm!"
Hidden on a rooftop, Ladybug took hold of the small object that fell into her hands. A small golden bell - the perfect replica of the one around Chat's throat. Smiling, she threw it up into the air with a yell of "Miraculous Ladybug!" The rush of ladybugs swirled around the city, the last wash of cleaning up everything left after the akuma.
Beside her, Chat grinned. "I always knew I was a bell-ievably wonderful lucky charm."
She rolled her eyes. After all, what could she do about his sense of humour?
"I think you were better as a kitten," she said flatly, turning away with an annoyed huff.
"I was purr-etty cute, right?"
Jokes aside, she knew she had to deal with the revelation of the day. Dropping her transformation and shooing Tikki into her purse, she turned back to Chat.
"Chat, we need to talk. About… this." Waving her hands at herself, she felt her worries press in close again. The whole point of secret identities was that they were supposed to stay secret. aNd now, that was ruined.
"I can transform, too. Then it would be fair." He opened his mouth to say the words that would change him to his civilian self, but she cut him off with a sharp "No."
She couldn't know. One identity was enough.
"Promise me, kitty. Promise me that my name will never leave your lips. Promise me that no one will ever find out who I am because of you. Promise me that this is going to be safe."
His arms were around her in an instant, pulling her close against him. His heartbeat thumped happily under her ear as she put her own around him.
"I promise, Marinette. I promise with every fiber of my being that I will protect you and your identity."
The sincerity of his words sunk into her heart, giving her peace. Because, she knew without an inkling of doubt that it was true.
They stayed there on the rooftop, curled together until the sun vanished over the horizon and night began, because together is how they belonged.