Just as Victor had predicted, Marinette and Adrien were hungry. They had let Plagg and Tikki eat all the berries.
"I didn't really eat that much at dinner." Adrien said.
"Me too." Marinette said. "I'm sure we can find something."
"Marinette."
"Oh Hi Grim."
"You know this guy?" Adrien said.
"He's a friend. What are you doing here?"
"I thought you guys might need help getting back and that you might be hungry." He said pulling the fruit from his pocket.
"Thank you. You're a life saver." Marinette said.
"I only brought one you guys will have to share." He pulled out a knife and cut it in half. As he did this he kept thinking."Please don't make me do this." But Victor's voice reminded him of his punishment if he failed. He gave Marinette the red half and Adrien the green half.
"Weird looking fruit." Adrien said.
They both took a bite, chewed it up, and swallowed. Grim looked at them nervously.
"I feel strange." Marinette said.
"Me too." Adrien said. "Wha...what's happening to us?"
They looked at Grim's guilty face.
"Grim what have you done?" Marinette asked.
"Oh! Damn you Victor! And damn me too! He said disappearing.
Marinette and Adrien felt dizzy, their thoughts were fading. They collapsed to the ground.
"Marinette!" Tikki said.
"Adrien!" Plagg said.
"What's wrong with them?"
They heard voices and footsteps coming near. They hid, it was Nino and Alya.
"I told you the bus was on the left." He said.
"You're terrible with directions so I'm not trusting you- Oh my God!" Alya screamed when she saw them. "Marinette!"
"Adrien!"
"Oh no! Help! Help! Someone help!" Alya shrieked.
"You called." Victor said.
"Whoa! Where did you come from?" Nino said.
"Nevermind that. We must get these to back to the mansion quickly." He said.
...
When Marinette awoke she was back in the guest room but she couldn't remember how she got there or why she was there. Come to think of it she couldn't remember anything.
"Where am I? Why am I here?" She got out of bed and left the room. Darkness was everywhere in the hallway. Suddenly she heard strange and beautiful music playing. She followed it unaware of the glittering dust transforming her.
Adrien woke up the same way. Confused and with no memory of anything.
"How did I get here?"
He heard the music too, followed it, and it led him into a ballroom. As soon as he entered his clothes changed into a black suit with a black cat mask. The room was filled with ghosts, dancing and laughing. For some reason he wasn't startled by them. Then eyes turned to the stairway where a young girl stood. She was dressed in a bright red gown with black spots that showed some cleavage but covered the breasts, it didn't have any sleeves and a red ribbon covered her shoulders. Her hair was down and pinned back, a red necklace hung from her neck. She was so young and beautiful.
As she made her way downstairs, a ghostly gentleman asked her to dance and she accepted. A ghostly woman began dancing with him. The young black cat boy and the ladybug girl continued to change partners until they met face to face with each other. She was surprised and stricken by how handsome he was. When he looked into her blue eyes he immediately recognized her. He gently took her hand and kissed it.
Their hands joined, interlacing fingers. His free hand came to her waist while hers came to his shoulder. From that moment, they danced with only with each other never losing eye contact. He pulled her closer to him.
"Chat." She whispered.
"No. Not Chat." He whispered back. "Call me by my name."
"Adrien."
"Marinette." He whispered in her ear.
"I can't!" She started to cry.
"What's wrong?"
"You don't love me. You love ladybug."
"Marinette you are Ladybug. I love you. Marinette...please...please." She pulled away but he put his arms around her while she sobbed on his chest. "Don't leave me, my lady." She pulled back and looked at him with tear filled eyes. He wiped them away. "You're so beautiful."
He brought his lips to hers in a kiss. She melted into it, she felt content in his arms and wanted to be in them forever. Adrien brought his hand to her hair and stroked. He loved her so much, he couldn't bear to lose her. When they parted he took her hand, got down on one knee, and laid his head on her hand gently.
"Please don't go." He begged. "Stay with me."
"Oh Adrien. I...I will."
But just as those words were spoken the clock chimed, the room seemed to grow dark. The dancing ghosts looked at them. Some with looks of sorrow others with looks of anger. Marinette looked down at her hand, she was holding a bloody knife. She screamed and threw it down. Glass broke, screams were heard, the ghostly dancers vanished and these horrible demonic spirits appeared. They closed in on them, Adrien and Marinette tried to run away but the dark spirits blocked them. They grabbed them and pulled them apart.
"Marinette!"
"Adrien!"
They reached for each other but the ghosts kept them apart, Then one demon that looked like Victor grabbed Marinette and dragged her away screaming.
"Marinette!" He tried to get to her but the ghosts blocked him. "Marinette! Marinette! No!" The floor opened and he found himself falling into dark nothingness.
When Adrien woke up he was lying on the floor of the ballroom which was now empty. "What the heck just happened?" He sat up and coughed up a pieace of amber rock. He looked around confused then remembered everything. "Marinette! Marinette!" But she was no where to be found. "Marinette!"
"Adrien! Keep it down I'm trying to sleep." Plagg said.
"Plagg! What happened?! Where's Marinette?!"
"I don't know. You guys passed out, Nino and Alya brought you back here, I got bored and decided to catch some Zs."
"I gotta find her." A bright misty light approached him. It gestured him to follow. "Do you know where she is?" He asked it. It didn't anwser, it just flew down the hall. Taking it as a yes he followed it.