Guest Reviews;

Dark; I'm so glad you enjoyed it! Thank you! :D

XD Yay! *Hugs* Now we can do best friend things!

Oh, it absolutely will be! I'll make brownies! And cake!

Me too! Can't wait!

Guest; Yes, he will! Aspik returns!

XD He's blissfully oblivious for several chapters.

You'll see! Though, if he does, it would take a while

(:)

I have changed Ladybug and Adrien's interaction, as well as Sass and Adrien's conversation, in Chapter 5 and Chapter 8! Backstory to why the Snake Miraculous suddenly changed its power unlocked!

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On a less important note, I'm two reviews away from this being my most reviewed-on book! Yay!

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GOOD NEWS! TWO SPECIAL BONUS CHAPTERS WILL BE RELEASED NEXT WEEK! ON THE 30TH OF SEPTEMBER, AND ON THE 3RD OF OCTOBER! KEEP YOUR EYES PEELED FOR THEM!

(:)

Requiem

- Dear Even Hansen

After practicing with Adrien's Miraculous – he accidently turned into a snake most of the time because he couldn't get his snake costume off of his mind – Ladybug and Aspik – the boy having reused his former name – were leaping through Paris, staring out across the city.

People, used to Ladybug leaping across city, hardly spared them a first glance, expecting to see the original duo jumping from building to building, a snarl of disgust still painted across their faces.

One glance, look away, do a retake and a shout of joy as they pointed at Ladybug and her new partner, shouting out questions.

Thirty minutes into patrol, and they were used to it. Everyone was just too excited when they noticed the absence of Chat Noir and a new hero in his place.

Just by looking at her, Aspik could see her discomfort, the way she desperately wanted everyone to stop being such jerks to Chat Noir.

"Well." Ladybug finally said as yet another group called after them where Chat Noir was, and if he was forever gone? "There doesn't seem to be any akumas around tonight. I think…I think we're good for the night."

Aspik nodded, turning his head to look in the direction of his house. "Alright. But, if there is an akuma, we'll come back out, right?"

"Of course." Ladybug agreed, nodding. "But for now,…I think it's safe to assume we're fine."

Aspik nodded in agreement, peering over the edge at the people below. "Okay, M—Ladybug." He blushed profusely, looking like he wanted to be hit. Why he had a bewildered expression plastered on, Ladybug had no idea.

Ladybug thought for a bit, then decided to review the obvious. "Remember, nobody can know who you are."

Adrien's mouth moved for a few seconds, no sound coming out before he at last nodded. "Makes sense; especially when anyone could be Hawkmoth. It'd be foolish to risk it."

His words made Ladybug inwardly chuckle; it had been a bit longer than a year ago that she had presumed he, or his father, was Hawkmoth. And while a tickling sensation at the back of her head told her Mr. Agreste may still be the infamous villain, she ignored it for the most part.

Now, she smiled at him, heading for the edge of the building.

Once she stood at the tip of the roof, she turned back around to smile at him. "Good, you understand. See you tomorrow." Ladybug back flipped off the roof, did a couple of spins in midair, tossed her yo-yo up to the highest building in sight, the end getting tangled up with a mysterious object. The sudden attachment yanked her from her free fall halfway to the street and dragged her to her destination. As she left, she could see Aspik fully turn to the crowd and wave shyly.

While he'd most likely never fill Chat's shoes of being 'Best Partner in the World'; he'd do just fine. Just fine.

With a heart full of joy, Ladybug made her way home, only fifteen city blocks away, leaping onto her balcony as she detransformed. One flash of pink later, and Marinette stood where Ladybug had previously been.

The air beside her left ear now was occupied with Tikki, the small-yet-extremely-old Kwami of creation stretching. "That was a long run, Marinette! Did you do everything you wanted to with him?"

"No, Tikki; I didn't. I got so frustrated with the crowds that I neglected to introduce Aspik to the people of Paris formally." Marinette explained, swinging open her trapdoor and stepping in.

"Oh." Tikki squeaked, following her chosen inside. "Well, there's always tomorrow. Were the crowds really that bad?" She, of course, knew that they were that bad. But she awaited Marinette's response.

"They chased us through Paris screaming 'Good riddance to Chat Noir', and that 'there was no possible way this new hero would be a worst candidate then Chat' and things like that. It was horrible!" Marinette complained, picking up the crocheting she had started the day before.

Tikki nodded sagely, sighing. "Not all people are as virtuous as you and Chat Noir. Most are evil and will think they're right even when they're wrong. It's a broken world."

"Like Lila." Marinette suggested, her face wrinkling into a scowl just by thinking of the young Italian girl. "She justifies lying by claiming she's just telling people what they want to hear."

Tikki studied Marinette for a moment, then sighed gently. "Marinette…you're the same way."

"Hmm? What do you mean?" Marinette asked, distracted slightly when she messed up a stitch.

"Chris." Tikki prompted, trying to get Marinette to remember. "You lied to Chris about being one of Santa's elves, and afterwards tried to make it right by claiming you were telling him a nice story."

"So, you're comparing me to Lia?"

"No, of course no-!" Tikki cut herself off, lowering her head. "Marinette, I'm just pointed out that you do much the same as Lila does. So, I suppose…yes. I am comparing you to her. It's not right to lie, and you've both told 'nice, little stories' to distract others from the truth."

A look of utter shock and disgust crossed Marinette's face, the expressing deepening with every passing second. After a minute, she spoke. "Tikki, it's different with me because—"

"That's humanity." Tikki shrugged. "I'm being honest, right now, Marinette. Humans will be hypocrites and then claim it's different for them because of some random reason. I'm not saying you're as bad as Lila, I'm just stating facts."

Marinette thought for a moment, the clicking of needles the only noise in the room for half a minute. "Oh."

"While, yes, I believe you are a better person then Lila for you made it right in the end by telling the truth, you took the same trail as her for a bit."

Marinette's shoulders sagged, despair creeping onto her face. "How often have you noticed me doing things like that?"

"Not too particularly often." Tikki comforted, smiling gently at her chosen. "But, once in a while, you will do something that I do not approve of, then justify it somehow or another."

Marinette was silent for a few more minutes, deep in her subconsciousness.

"Marinette, sweetie!" Sabine's voice rang from the kitchen, the happiness that she felt obvious in her tone. "Dinner time!"

"Coming, Mama!" Marinette called back, tilting her head toward the trap door in her floor. "I'll think about it, Tikki." She shifted the topic, glancing at her Kwami in sorrow. "And I'm sorry."

"I'm not blaming you, Marinette." Tikki comforted, circling her chosen. "I was simply observing."

"I know." Marinette hummed, standing up and adjusting her swivel chair so she could immediately jump onto it after dinner. "I'll try to do better."

Tikki didn't look like she knew what else to say, so she settled for flying up onto the kwami-sized bed Marinette had made for her.

Meanwhile, Marinette headed below to meet her family for dinner.

"Hello, Marinette!" Her father boomed, the oldest Dupain-Cheng smiling merrily. "I haven't seen you at all today; was your hibernation fun?"

"Daaad…" Marinette complained, nestling her way into her chair.

"I'm just kidding, sweetie." He soothed, patting her hand. "How was school? Eventful?"

"Not particularly." Marinette shrugged, sighing. Then, against her better judgement – knowing her parents despised Chat Blanc along with the rest of the city – she brought up the subject. "It seems all anyone can talk about is Chat Blanc."

Her parents exchanged a worried look, Sabine setting a bowl of salad on the table. "Well…honey, Chat Blanc, or, as people have started calling it, "the White Plague" was a pretty horrible day. It's worth discussing. You know all about those akuma therapy groups that have formed across the city. People trying to cope with their new mental illnesses; all because it needs to be shared; be spoken about."

Marinette thought of Chat Noir, her heart squeezing. Most ex-akumas had to talk about their experience to get better; thus, forming the multiple therapy groups just for akumas. Chat would never be able to join one, even as his civilian form. He couldn't just not mention which akuma he was, for, if he did, not only would his identity be revealed, but would also cause mass panic among his group and probably a deep hatred for the members. What if he was one of that ninety percent that needed to talk it out? If he was, he'd be all alone, unable to deal with it…

The sound of her mother saying Chat's name jerked Marinette's subconsciousness back to the dinner table, as she focused on the conversation at hand.

"After all," Sabine was saying, "people always end up having to talk about their loses, and Chat Blanc wiped out at least one member from every city in Paris."

"Except ours." Marinette finished as she stared at her empty plate, devoid of food. "We got lucky."

Silence.

Dread settled in Marinette's stomach from the dread of it all, and she raised her head to them, horror stricken.

"…right? Mama? Papa?"

"Marinette…" Sabine started, sorrow filling her face.

"My…" Tom stiffened, hesitating. "my parents, they…they…"

Fear made the teen's heart stop.

"Well," Tom took a deep breath, inhaling through the nose. "As you know, twenty years ago they divorced. But…lately, they've been making an effort to get together again; they really are trying. The day that… he was akumatized, they happened to be on a date, and… and he…"

Another awkward pause.

"They were at Andre's, and he…he wiped out almost the whole street, including them. It…Marinette…"

Marinette ignored her father, pushing back from her seat. How…how could they hide that form her? She didn't even know her grandparents had also died in the attack until now! And they didn't even tell her! Why not; she wanted to know!

"Marinette!" Sabine chided her daughter, stopping the teen from her frantic escape endeavors. "Stay seated. You still need to eat up."

Marinette grumpily flopped back into her seat, glaring at her spot.

Sabine served the lasagna onto her daughter's plate, sighing. "I know that it's hard, but it's true. He killed your grandparents and many others."

"How'd you find out?" Marinette asked quietly, staring down at nothing. "If they were dead…"

"Somebody took a video of Chat Blanc taking out everyone on the street, and they showed it on the news right after you went up to your room to check on Alya and make sure she was safe."

When I was transforming into Ladybug. And fighting Chat Blanc. Marinette translated to herself, still gazing at her plate.

"I'm sorry, sweetie." Tom murmured staring at the wall. "We just…we just didn't want to worry you or upset you."

"I understand." Marinette assured, though she didn't want to understand. She didn't want to get it, but she was thankful that they hadn't come up and seen an empty room. Mass panic would have happened.

While she thought on this, and dinner lapsed into silence, she finally began to understand exactly why they were fairly angry at Chat along with the rest of the city.

Even so, she was still disappointed with them. Her parents were sweet, kind, considerate, overall the best people ever. They even tried to get Chat Noir to love her when she 'confessed' her love for him. But one big mess up, and he was tossed out the window like he was worthless.

It was wrong, and very upsetting, and while Marinette understood why, she didn't 'get' it.

After dinner, Marinette pushed back from the table, put her dishes on the counter, then rushed back up the stairs right away, her parents staring after her sadly.

She closed the trapdoor gently, climbed her ladder two rungs at a time, then collapsed on her pillow, sobbing her heart out while Tikki watched in silence, knowing she could do nothing.

Wasn't it funny how humans always took things for granted until it was too late?