Marinette voiced ached, amongst several other bruised things. "Tikki!"

Everything else faded into static. There she was. After forever, there she sat, askew in her lap, and though a touch dazed and confused, it was like she'd never been missing. Marinette couldn't see anything else but Tikki, her laser focus stare trying to prove to her that yes, even if fresh tears were blurring her vision, this was real, the Tikki she was looking at was real. It felt like finding an oasis after thousands of agonising days in the desert, having faced only mirages and parched disappointment. She wasn't imaginary. Tikki was here.

In slow motion, Tikki looked up. She blinked, rubbed her eyes, and blinked again. Her mouth dropped open, and she made a sound like desperate, surprised relief.

"Marinette? Marinette!" She cried, shooting up to hug her charge's face, instantly dissolving into jittery tears. "Marinette, you have no idea how hard it's been to find you and— I was so worried, you— why are you here? What hap— Oh, it doesn't matter, not at all, oh Marinette, little Marinette, I was so scared and I saw you and I went to go to you and then you were—"

The dam burst, and then Marinette sobbed too, too many emotions gumming up her sentences. "Tikki! Tikki, oh my— Tikki, Tikki, I tried to find you, I tried, I really tried, I tried so hard, and I looked everywhere, I looked at the Seine and I tried to go up the tower, and you weren't there and— and— then Chat said he lost you and I was even more worried, I thought you'd been hurt or captured or worse and—"

"—I saw, when you got hurt, in, in the attack, the other one, and, oh my stars— frightened, Marinette, I was so frightened, I thought you were going to die, Marinette, why did you do that? You weren't breathing, oh, little bug, you're safe, you're safe, you're safe—"

"I thought, it, its all my— you were gone! I was by myself and it was horrid, never, never, never again, I can't— Everything was going wrong, it was all wrong, and I thought you drowned, and Chat nearly got hurt, and Alya did get hurt, and now my Mum— I was alone, and you were missing and I didn't know how to do anything— Tikki—"

Tikki glowed and glowed, she couldn't stop herself, she was so full of heartache and happiness and urge to protect. She had her chosen back! Her Marinette, her Marinette, her precious, sweet, talented, lost, brave Marinette. Tikki patted her charge's cheeks, feeling the warmth of Marinette's tears, how real she was, here, she was here, not alone, safe again, all safe. Tikki layered protective magic over her again and again, not caring if it took anymore of her waning energy, she would not lose her again, not this one, not again. She blubbered like she hadn't in decades, viscous tears drenching her face like a waterfall.

Mari wasn't much better off. She hunched her body over Tikki, cradling her close to her face as she wracked with sobs, full body sobs, as everything she'd held inside over the past month all poured out in a gush of raw emotion. She cupped her hands around Tikki, pressed their foreheads together, and cried, screamed from deep in her chest, let herself grieve all the lost time, let herself let go of all the poison thoughts that had plagued her head. She could rest. Tikki was home. Tikki wasn't gone, she wasn't lost, it would be okay, she was safe, she was real and she was finally, finally, finally tangibly here. She hasn't messed up so badly to have lost her forever, and it felt right to let just a touch of that newly-present guilt go free.

Neither knew how long they stayed like that, a ball of rapturous emotion and unreachable words, but pulling out of it took time. Both knew they had things to worry about, but sometimes, letting the pain was more important, and neither was willing to let go of the other again.

Tikki, eventually, wiped her eyes, leaning over to catch a stray tear from Marinette's eyelashes. "I am so proud of you."

Marinette sucked on her lip in an attempt to keep her feelings reigned back in. "Tikki, I—"

Something wriggled in her lap. Marinette looked down and nearly screamed.

Two Kwami she didn't recognise were sat in the remains of her cardigan-sling, both looking awkwardly between Tikki and Marinette, back and forth like they were watching some kind of absurd tennis match. They, to their credit, did look as if they'd rather be anywhere else, visibly aware that they were invading on something they shouldn't be, even if it was an accident. One that, if she had to make a guess, resembled a common grey squirrel, was using his tail to hide his face, peeking past the fur every now and again to see if either Tikki or Marinette had stopped crying, while the other— which looked like some type of small bird, a sparrow maybe?— had very quickly pulled both wings over his head and tried to make himself as small as possible. He looked like a tiny brown teepee.

Marinette blinked, thinking she was hallucinating. The one that looked like a squirrel waved from behind his tail. Marinette, overloaded, numbly waved back.

The squirrel Kwami looked to Tikki and shrugged sheepishly. "Uhh, Spots, should we introduce ourselves or…? We are kinda sitting in her lap, y'know, I think we're past the point of staying unnoticed."

"We have already been seen, Tikki." The sparrow Kwami next to him muttered, apparently very embarrassed as he was taking his sweet, slow time to come out from under his feather hut.

"Oh dear." Tikki said with a teary laugh, "That's almost two rules broken in less than a day."

"What?" Marinette said, a little dizzy. Whether it was more from the sudden elation of finding Tikki, or a concussion, it was hard to tell. "Rules? Who…?"

Tikki floated down to rest on Marinette's knee. "Marinette, this is Biirdy and this is Chitters. They're Kwami, like me." Biirdy and Chitters both hummed a greeting as Tikki pointed to them. "They're my friends, they've been taking care of me."

"Oh! Hello." Marinette mumbled, nodding her head politely. "Nice to meet you. I'm Marinette."

"The same to you, Miss Marinette!" Biirdy chirped, a little brighter now he'd been formally introduced. "Apologies for us intruding on what was clearly a very personal moment, but when you crashed into our tree my dear, we were so caught up in our conversation, you see, that we—"

"Oh my god. I crashed into your tree—" Marinette sat up, cringing at the crunching sound her bones made as she did. "The Akuma." She glanced back over to the street, where Chat Noir and Medicina were still duking it out. Neither had made a move to follow her, apparently having directed their stress at her being flung out of the way into fervour for fighting one another. Marinette turned back to Tikki. "Tikki, it's my mum. The Akuma's my mum."

Tikki gasped, putting her one solid paw over her mouth. "Oh no, Marinette, I'm so sorry. What happened?"

Mari shook her head. "Nothing bad, it's okay, we can fix it, we just need to focus on saving her first, right? Can we—"

"Miss Marinette, if I may interject?" Biirdy said. "Apologies for cutting in."

"What?" Marinette looked to him, a little startled. She'd already forgotten he was there. "Yes?"

"I'd like to offer my humble assistance." He fluffed his feathers up in an attempt to look more important. "My miraculous is yours to use freely in the pursuit of justice."

"Hey! I was just about to say that! Well, without the bells and whistles." Chitters said, flying up to Mari's eye level and mock-saluting, "Here to help ya, bug girl."

Mari, unsure as what to say, looked to Tikki, who frowned. "That's very nice of you, but I think Marinette's more than capable of defeating an Akuma with just one miraculous."

"Oh, Tikki! Dear me, please don't think that we meant to insinuate you, or your ward, were inadequate, no, the very opposite! I, for one, as I cannot speak for Chitters, only wish to add to your already impressive power, if so allowed. Hawk Moth has done enough evil, and we can't stand idly by any longer." Biirdy said with barely restrained passion. "We would like to help in however means we can! We've been lax in our duty to protect, and, as you know, we wish only to remedy this."

"Yeah what he said, but she should pick my miraculous. It's better." Chitters chipped in. "It'll probably suit her better too."

Tikki's frown deepened. "Yes, I understand you, I just don't think that its a good idea. Marinette's never used more than one miraculous before, she's not used to it."

Chitters gestured to Tikki and Biirdy, drawing them into a huddled circle. "Hey, here's a wild thought. What if she puts all three miraculous on? The suit will look a little weird, but that's three times the strength she'd usually have. Well, a little under that, but whatever, Tikki's a powerhouse, and hey, the exposure therapy to different types of miraculous might be a good boost for her system."

"Chitters, you fool, your head's filled with acorns— she can't put glasses and goggles on at the same time!" Biirdy squawked. "How ridiculous would that look? She couldn't possibly."

Chitters crossed his arms, a little awkwardly since he'd started the huddle. "Sure she could, we can just put the googles on her forehead, or hang em around her neck, they're versatile! It'd be a fashion forward look too, what's the issue? Is this not Paris, home of fashion?"

Tikki hissed under her breath. "The issue is that I'm not about to have her Inflicted, Chitters. She's had a stressful day; her mother is the Akuma. Three could be too many, especially if she's emotionally compromised. She'd need full concentration for that much magic."

"Oh. Right. Forgot about that. Sorry."

Mari didn't seem to hear their whispered exchange. "Um, excuse me, I'm very flattered, but I don't think I should try anything new right now. I just need to save my mama and get home, though I do appreciate the offer, really."

Tikki floated up to Marinette's side, casually placing her arm against her gemstone, watching her paw resume existence with a nervous shiver and shaky sigh. "It's better for you two to wait here. Marinette and I will come back to get you after the battle, it's not going to be safe for you to stay here if things keep crashing into your tree." She assured them, looking at Biirdy. "That'll give you time to pack too. We can have a conversation about the uhh… the special things Chitters isn't allowed to touch tomorrow."

"Of course Tikki, whatever you think is best."

"There's more things I can't touch? Yeesh, you guys have no faith in me at all." Chitters said, throwing up his arms and shaking his head. "Y'all suck."

"Its only a precaution built from experience! Just last week, I asked you to carry those acorns to the pantry and you dropped all of them off the edge of the branch! They were all bruised!" Biirdy tittered.

"Eh, still taste good. I don't see the problem." Chitters shrugged, picking at his teeth. "You crush most of them into paste anyway."

"The problem was that you shouldn't have dropped them in the first place!"

Tikki turned to Marinette. "They'll go on like this forever, we should go."

"Okay." Marinette picked up the bandage and sling, waved goodbye to the Kwami and hobbled over to the nearest alley, doing her best to avoid being seen. Once she reached it, she slumped against the wall, taking deep laboured breaths.

Tikki hovered in front of her, instantly shifting into worried mother-hen mode. "Marinette? What's wrong? Are you okay? Are you hurt?"

Mari managed a nod, lifting the sticky edge of her sling. The cut along Mari's arm made Tikki gasp, and she covered her mouth in shock; the wound, left uncovered and untreated, had swelled, bloating the arm to a concerning size, the redness surrounding it suggesting infection. Dirt and debris from the oak and ground had gotten into the cut too, and yellow pus had started to form along the edges. Marinette's pale face suggested she'd already lost a lot of blood, and the layer of sweat coating her brow didn't help her look less feeble, but she gave Tikki a reassuring grin nonetheless.

"I'm okay. It looks worse than it is. It's not even that deep. Really, my back hurts worse than my arm, I'm okay."

Tikki tutted fretfully, "It looks horrendous, Marinette you can't fight like this! You need a hospital!"

"No, I can." She lifted her other hand, showing Tikki the bandage-scarf. "I already have the Akuma's object, I just need to transform and break it. I can do that one-handed, and my injury was close enough to the Akuma's conception that Miraculous Ladybug should just clear it up, no problem. I'll be fine, no need to worry."

Tikki still wasn't convinced. "Let me at least try to heal it first?"

"You can do that?"

Tikki tilted her head and hummed. "My miraculous is more aligned with purity, good luck and creation than traditional healing, but cleansing a wound like this isn't too far of a stretch. Here, let me—"

"I don't think we have the time." Marinette said with a look towards the fight, where Chat was just barely holding off a frenzied Medicina. "I appreciate it Tikki, but if worse comes to worse and Miraculous Ladybug can't fix it, I'll take you up on the offer then. Right now, Mama's still suffering and Chat can't fight her by himself forever. He loses and its all over, we can't afford to wait."

Tikki didn't like the sound of that, and she made it clear with a firmly disapproving hum, but she nonetheless relented, breathing deeply. Too many of her charges thought of others first and, often too often, it left them like this; reckless in pursuit of protecting those they loved. It wasn't a bad trait, but unchecked? Marinette could end up with far worse damage than a cut to her arm and a bruised back. Tikki would have to watch how Marinette was acting a little closer from now on. She refused to let her fall into the same trappings as her too-brave last bugs.

Tikki flew up to Mari's forehead, planting a kiss between her eyes. "Fine, but don't think this conversation is over. This should numb the pain just enough to keep you going, but it won't heal it completely— I'd need more time for that— so be careful how you move your arm, okay?"

"Thank you, and Tikki?"

"Yes?"

"…I really, really missed you."

Tikki smiled warmly, hugging Marinette's cheek. "I really, really missed you too, Marinette. Ready to be Ladybug again?"

Marinette winced. "About as ready as I can be."

"Then you know what to say."

"Tikki! Spots on!"

"My darling! Where's my baby, my Marinette, oh, where has she gone?" Medicina wailed, apparently deadened to the fact that she had been the one to send her daughter flying. "She could be hurt and she needs her arm fixed, oh my baby, my baby Marinette!"

"Focus on the fight, Akuma!" Chat shouted, as he pounced, trying to pull the civilians out of her skirt and missing by a hair's width. Though he wanted to, he couldn't go to Mari, he couldn't go leaving the victims at risk over her or leave as violent an Akuma as Medicina unattended, not now she'd really cracked. He had to keep her distracted, that was his job, and he was trying to start with getting the hostages out and away, but he wasn't getting far. He couldn't reach the people on the ground as he kept getting blocked, he couldn't land any punches on the Akuma without risking the safety of the people still caught in her dress, and worst of all, he was finding it difficult to focus on anything else but Marinette. The quicker he got the Akuma out of the way, the quicker he could go and check on her, and adrenaline was keeping him moving enough to stay in the fight, but still.

The crunching sound she'd made when she hit the tree wasn't giving him much less to worry about.

Medicina kept dodging him effortlessly, as she twisted, floating higher as she wailed, "Oh dear, oh dear! I mustn't let anyone be hurt! I have to move them all to emergency treatment immediately! My little key lime! My little peach pie!"

She waved her hands, more dust flying everywhere. The goop piles around the plaza began to shake, the people trapped inside screaming and crying, jiggling them like jello on a roomba. Rose too, even while unconscious, started to look a little green.

"Don't look at them! Fight me!" Chat cried, trying to get in close with his baton. He was ignored, and Medicina, strangely graceful as she was, avoided him with ease. With a twirl, she slapped him sharply across the cheek, sending him falling down to the pavement, bouncing hard against the tarmac. She laughed at him cruelly, magical cackles that reverberated inside his ears and made him want to throw up a hairball. It all felt a little hopeless.

"Hey, everyone! We're saved! We're saved!" Someone shouted.

'What?' Chat couldn't help but think. 'She's flying circles around me, what are you talking about?' As he struggled to stand back up, he turned his head, wondering what they were seeing about the battle that he couldn't, and felt relief and shock and joy like no other wash over him the moment he did.

Ladybug.

There she was, stood atop a bent lamppost like she'd never been gone, more beautiful than he'd ever seen her. Blue eyes as bright as the sky, hair as dark as night, a vision of hope like a lighthouse in a storm— Ladybug. There she was. Their hero returned, glowing like a sun, bright like she'd never been gone.

She raised her arm, calling for her Lucky Charm, words like a war-torn prayer. Dotted brass knuckles dropped into her hands. It didn't take much thinking on anyone's part to figure out what exactly she was supposed to do with them.

Without wasting a second, Ladybug threw her yo-yo, catching the Akuma by surprise and with a sharp yank, she pulled Medicina towards her, cracking her across the cheek in one full, effortlessly fluid punch. Instantly, Medicina's head rolled, knocked out cold. Her dress dissolved, the people falling out unharmed. With another controlled flick of her wrist, Ladybug sent the Akuma careening towards the park fence, tying her to it securely with loops of yo-yo string.

The people cheered and cried. Their hero, their treasured heroine was back, and safe, saving the day, poised to protect.

Ladybug didn't seem to hear them. She stared down at the Akuma with eyes like thunder. She was furious.

"My Lady!" Chat cried, voice cracking on every word. "You're back!"

Ladybug didn't reply. She was too angry, but she spared him, him alone, a second-long glance, eyes creasing in a brief, strained smile, before the rage overtook her and she spat her words like they were grit in her mouth. "Hey, Hawk Moth. Can you hear me? Can you see me through her eyes? I want to know."

A purple outline appeared in front of Medicina's face.

Ladybug's lip curled. "So you can, huh? Great. I want you to hear this." She stalked forward, hopping down the length of the twisted lamppost with an angry saunter. "I'm sick of you. I'm tired of your selfish, egotistical, bastardisation of people's fears. You're. An. Arsehole."

She ignored the gasps of the people around her, Chat being one of them. Ladybug wasn't the type to swear carelessly.

Her voice dripped with hearty disdain. "You evil little coward. Sitting hidden away somewhere, having innocent people fight unwillingly in pursuit of your own sick greed. You're despicable—cursing them for just being human! For feeling! You hypocrite— you feel just as badly as they do, you disgusting, creepy little con-man, you— Don't you have family? Don't you have people who feel love, who love you, who would hate, would just hate, to see you as you are now? What will they say when they know who you are? All of what you've done?"

Ladybug grabbed Medicina's face, staring into her glassy eyes, through to Hawk Moth's purple light igniting them. "Every person, everything, on this planet feels. You have no right to punish them for that. There's no shame in anger when it's allowed to be learned from, but using it for your own self-absorbed desire for power is more horrifying than anything else I've known. I hate it. How many have you made suffer for your selfishness? How many more? Your magic feels like deceit."

She took a deep breath, her tone relaxing for a moment, even as she balled her other hand into a tight fist. "I am not perfect. I am not all good. I am just a person. I fail. I fall. I feel, and you are no more fallible than me. I've seen what happens when you make mistakes this big and I hope to learn from them, but you? You've already stepped too far, with every new victim you re-dig your grave and, oh hell, you messed with the wrong city, Hawk Moth. I left these people without protection, I left Chat alone, I failed and trust me when I say I won't do the same again, but guess what?" She smiled, all teeth. "They're all still here, fighting you, fighting your influence, tooth and nail, pitch and fork. We won't go down easy."

Blinking back impassioned tears, she straightened her back. "We're going to defeat you, Hawk Moth. We are going to find you, take that poor, tortured Kwami away from you, and free everyone in Paris from your hatred, and I mean everyone." She lifted her head defiantly, "People like you don't deserve second chances, you've already had too many discarded chances to change. You're a lost cause. Someday you're going to have to look at what you've done and desperately hope to repent."

She dropped Medicina's face, ripped the bandage from where it was tied around her yoyo string and tore it in half. "Your days are numbered, Hawk Moth. Be ready to stand trial."

The Akuma emerged, it's curse-stained wings fluttering frantically. It didn't take long for her to scoop it up and purify it, and as she watched it fly away, Ladybug took a deep, shaky breath, and slowly turned around, the cheers of the crowd around her fading into background. She grinned like she'd fought a century-long war alone, tears in her eyes and warmth in her cheeks, and held out her fist to a gobsmacked Chat. "…Pound it?"

Chat didn't say anything. He just rushed at her, not even trying to hide how much he was crying, and pulled her to his chest in a tight embrace. "I missed you so much. I missed you so, so, so much."

"I missed you too." Ladybug replied softly, voice muffled by the hug, "I'm so sorry you had to fight by yourself, Chaton. You were so brave."

He sniffled into her shoulder, unwilling to let go. The few people still gathered around began awkwardly clapping, and soon a chant of 'Ladybug! Ladybug! Ladybug' began, and Nadja suddenly was there, breaking up the tender moment by shoving a microphone in Ladybug's face. "Ladybug!" She didn't seem to have a question.

"Hello, Nadja."

"Ladybug!" She said again. "You're back!"

"I am."

"Permanently?" Her voice wavered a little.

Ladybug's eyes watered. "As much as I can be. I'm… not at full strength, and no, I won't disclose why. Nadja, I'll give you, and Alya from the Ladyblog, proper interviews another time, I owe it to you after what happened to you, but for now? Please… please let me rest."

Nadja held her microphone to her chest, "Oh, of course, of course!"

"Thank you." Ladybug managed a weak smile, "Chat?"

"Yes, my lady?" He was holding her waist like he was scared she'd disappear into mist.

She pulled his hands off her gently, creasing her eyes. "I'll meet you, midnight, top of the tower. I think we need to catch up."

And, with that, she threw her charm into the air, let ladybugs clear the way, and leapt away into the sky like she'd never been gone.