Chapter 3: You Don't Know Me Like I Know You

Timeline 3: Marinette knows that Adrien is Chat Noir, and Adrien knows Marinette is Ladybug, but neither one knows that the other knows

Ephemeral had a new solution in mind as he wound back time. He went to Chat Noir first.

"Chat Noir, I saw only one of the childhood dreams," said Ephemeral in Vipereon.

"Was it mine? Please tell me. I almost let myself get hit just to know what it was," said Chat.

"No, not yours," Ephemeral lied. "I won't tell Ladybug this, but in one of the timelines I saw Ladybug get hit and transform into the Knitting Fairy. I had her stand in a different place the next time so I could deflect the shot onto the Dino Huggy man instead."

"Haha! You saw her without a mask?" asked Chat.

"Yes, I did. Do you want to know her identity?" asked Ephemeral.

"Yes, very much!" said Chat. "If you don't tell her I know. She'll get mad."

"She's Marinette Dupain-Cheng."

"What? Really? Wow!" said Chat, looking very happy.

'"Ladybug, I saw only one of the childhood dreams. Adrien just wanted to be whatever his parents wanted him to be."

"Why are you telling me about Adrien? Unless... no, it's impossible. H-he's Chat Noir?

"Yes."

"I wish you hadn't told me that. I have to go detransform, and think about this."

Ephemeral spied on Ladybug and Alya again when they met in Marinette's room the evening of the reveal.

"Adrien just sent me a text asking me out!" said Marinette.

"Wonderful and a bit rude at the same time," said Alya. "Are you going to say yes?"

"Certainly... I mean, I think so. Yes! He doesn't know I'm Ladybug, so that means he likes me for me."

"But you know he's Chat Noir, so won't that make dating awkward?"

"It's better than with Luka. When there's an akuma he'll have to make an excuse and leave, so I'll be free to go off and transform without lying."

Ephemeral shook his head sadly.

"Aren't you worried you'll be less effective as a fighting team because you know him?"

"Yeah, I'm a bit worried thinking how bad we were together fighting Desperada. But I think I can get over that. I know how well we did together before I knew."

"You have a point."

"Plus, I get to date Adrien! And spend time with him behind the mask without him knowing it's me, seeing that other side of him that he hides. It's perfect!"

Ephemeral also spied on Adrien in his room, talking to Plagg.

"I thought you were mad at Ladybug for playing favorites with Alya and Nino," said Plagg. "Why do you want to date her as Marinette?"

"It's still not fair, but it's more understandable now. They're her best friend and her friend's boyfriend. I'm a random guy in a funny suit who helps her fight crime. Of course she trusts and favors them more. She doesn't know I'm a close friend, too. One day she will, and then she'll apologize."

"Or not," said Plagg. "Women aren't predictable. That's why I love cheese."

"Anyway, I get to spend time with her without her knowing I'm the guy behind the mask that she kept rejecting."

This was looking pretty good to Ephemeral, so he headed out with a "Fast forward."

Ephemeral sensed a change in energy as he moved forward in time. There was a point where he felt cut off from communication with the one who akumatized him. He went ahead an hour from that point, and listened to a news conference given by Ladybug and Chat Noir. They didn't look very happy.

"Today, we put an end to the threat of Shadow Moth forever," said Ladybug. "He set a trap once he knew we had feelings for each other, and it might have worked if we hadn't built up the trust between us."

"Just cut to the chase!" shouted Chat Noir. "He wanted me to kill Ladybug, but I killed him with a Cataclysm instead!"

Chat's right hand began to glow black as he said the invoking word.

Ephemeral frowned. This wouldn't do. He had loyalty to Shadow Moth, after all.

"Rewind!"