oOoOo

.

Forget me not (because I will)
(And the world fell silent as the monster raged.)

.

oOo

They knew the girl. Her name. Her family. Where she lived.

She'd either break now and give in to an Akuma now – or they'd get the Miraculous Box some other way.

.

.o.O.o.

Despair came in many forms. But Marinette had never expected it to come from one, simple realization.

It wasn't Chat on that rooftop.

She should have known and she should have transformed but Marinette hadn't – instead, she had thrown open that hatch, beaming widely, a teasing "You're early!" caught in her throat.

She should have known it wouldn't be Chat. He had a life outside of the suit, there had been a reason why he had never been able to visit any earlier than dinner time.

It was the middle of the week, for crying out loud! He had school, homework, extracurriculars!

She should have known it wouldn't be Chat.

But the hatch was thrown open and her eyes were shining with gratefulness and her lips displayed the most vibrant of smiles.

The "You're early!" died on her lips the moment the Sentimonster lunged at her and all air was stolen from her lungs.

.O.

.

They had waited for days – in vain. Gabriel had been so sure she'd succumb to an Akuma, had been convinced she'd have to give in, had stayed transformed for hours to wait for that one opportunity!

And it had shown itself again and again and again.

And every single time, as he waited with halted breath for the connection to be made, a few minutes after having sent out the Akuma he was met with silence.

No Akuma anymore.

They had been cataclysmed.

Gabriel had been furious. He had raged and cursed Chat Noir and Ladybug and all the powers in the universe combined, but then Nathalie had reminded him of the Peacock Miracoulous he held and their one, big chance.

Chat could cataclysm only one thing at a time.

Chat could cataclysm only one thing at a time.

.

.O.

The world was turning and tumbling as Marinette fell down the trapdoor, the Sentimonster at her throat.

Her eyes were widened in surprise and then due to lack of oxygen and then her voice was nothing but a scratching in her throat anymore.

"ǤıʋƏ ɰɝ ұǫɄɍ ƜiʁɅƆυȴƠʊƨ!", the monster spat at her, it's claws digging into Marinette's skin deeper and deeper, until they drew blood.

Marinette didn't fight back. Too transfixed, still, dots swarming her vision.

Air, air, air, air.

She desperately tried to catch her breath, but the more she tried the tighter the hold got, a cruel smile displaying glistening fangs.

A few seconds longer. A few terrible seconds longer and then the monster seemed to realize it's mission once again

"ǤıʋƏ ɰɝ ұǫɄɍ ƜiʁɅƆυȴƠʊƨ!", it hissed once again, its voice singing almost. Another claw came up to her ears, the monster's eyes growing wide, as Marinette's vision turned darker and darker and-

Suddenly, the hold on her was relinquished and from the corner of her eyes, she could make out a small, red flying bug? Mouse? Bugmouse?

Tikki.

Tikki.

"Ǥǝt ɐʍaʏ ᵮɌƟƜ MɆ!"

Tikki.

The Sentimonster had let go of her, furiously grabbing for the kwami buzzing around like an annoying bug – and it was for Marinette to stumble back, fall against the chaise and gasp for air. Enough time for the fog in her mind to lift, to realize what was happening – to take in the monster – a twisted and wrong version of her partner.

Her partner.

She looked up and was met with green, feral eyes and a hulking, black silhouette.

Perhaps she might have hesitated now, had she been anyone else, had worried whether this was her partner, akumatized and twisted – but she had seen him akumatized once before.

A white suit and a desolate wasteland.

This wasn't her partner.

"Marinette!", her kwami cried out, desperately trying to get out of the giant claws threatening to crush her.

Right.

"Tikki, SPOTS ON!"

And then she was out of her room, upon Parisian Rooftops, breathing fresh air once again, chest heaving.

Yet there was no time for reprieve – for the Sentimonster followed her and she had to get ready to fight.

.O.

.

Almost. They almost had her – she had flared up, if but for a moment – they were so close, just a little bit longer…!

.

.O.

The fight was...surprisingly easy. Ladybug could feel the claws digging into her skin still, the echoes of its distorted voice sending shivers down her back.

But the fight?

It wasn't a fight even. More like a chase across Parisian rooftops, along the Seine and down the alleys. The Sentimonster just – it stalled. It evaded all her attacks, ran farther and farther away, but didn't seem to be bothered with any civilians.

It just stalled.

It stalled.

Ladybug's eyes shot open in realization at what she had done.

The Miraculous. She had left the Miraculous Box in her room.

Unsupervised.

And without another thought, Ladybug turned and fled.

.O.

.

It was too easy, almost, Hawkmoth thought to himself, in his lair, an ever watchful eyes carefully watching for any emotion to be used.

Teenagers were so emotional after all.

With a maniac smile, purple magic spread from his fingers, engulfing the once pure butterfly, stripping away all of its warmth.

.

.O.

Ladybug didn't know whether she was on time or just a tad too late, but the hatch was still ripped away from its frame – and a slender woman had just wormed her way out of her room, holding onto the precious box.

They made eye contact. For just a second they made eye contact and it was enough for Mayura to recognize her and smirk – a disgusting, triumphant smirk that sent shivers down Ladybug's spine.

She had failed.

A charm fell from Mayura's wrist and she smashed the item without a second of hesitation and another shiver was sent down Ladybug's back as she remembered Sentibug.

The monster was dead.

Murderer.

Ladybug stood there, rooted to her spot, as the Amok fell to the floor – the broken piece of a mirror – her eyes trained on the black-spotted box in Mayura's arms.

On the triumphant smirk on Mayura's face.

Cold terror gripped Ladybug, threatening to rip her apart as horrid realization set in how much, how much she had failed and-and she had failed, she had failed, she had…

"MARINETTE! WATCH OUT! AKUMA!"

Ladybug barely heard the voice over the pounding in her ears, barely saw the dark shadow through the blood in her eyes.

But that – that voice was Chat. And that – that fluttering was an Akuma.

No.

Mayura wasn't even running, Ladybug noticed from the corner of her eye as she finally – finally! – allowed herself to face the magic butterfly fluttering closer and closer.

She didn't need to. She tried to calm herself down, of course she did, but she was hiccuping still and her throat hurt and-and she wouldn't be able to withstand and…

"CATACLYSM!"

The insect was engulfed by dark energy, until it was reduced to nothing but ashes – Ladybug's eyes traveled up the hand, the arm, until reaching her partner's face, his expression creased from worry.

He spotted that look too often for her liking, LAdybug decided, but…

"M'lady, are you ok?"

But this wasn't the time.

Mayura was running. And Ladybug was after her already, swinging from rooftop to rooftop again, her partner closely following her.

.O.

.

Mayura was fast. And Ladybug and Chat Noir were but teenagers. They got closer, maybe, possibly, but…

Beeeeeeeeeep.

"We can keep going, Mari, don't worry! We'll catch her soon enough!"

.

.O.

.

There was a roar not too far away.

Beep.

...

Beeeeeeeep.

And the yet another monster was after them. This time an Akuma, Ladybug was sure of it, but there was no time to take care of it, because they couldn't let Hawkmoth have the box.

.

.O.

.

Ladybug's yo-yo caught Mayura around the ankle.

Beep.

...

Beep.

...

Beeeeeep.

It was a short triumph only, for she got tackled by the Akuma and lost her grip, only for chat to jump in and get the Akuma off of her.

.

.O.

Beep.

…

Beep.

…

Beep.

…

Beeeeeeep.

With each step they took, each blow they tried to deal, Chat's de-transformation grew closer.

They should have known they wouldn't catch up to the peacock on time.

He would have to stay back now. Ladybug would be on her own, trying to fight off to people at once, but that was ok, because it didn't matter.

She didn't care.

She needed to get the box and-

"No, wait!"

Her wrist was snatched but she didn't even look back before snatching it back, her legs moving faster and faster and faster until they threatened to give out underneath her.

"I have to recharge, what if she attacks you, what if…!"

For a split second, Ladybug allowed herself to turn around.

"She has the box, Chat", she whispered. God knew whether he had heard her or not.

"She has the box and I-I can't let her have the box."

And off she was, trying harder and harder to catch up with a bird.

.O.

Birds were fast. Birds were fast and elegant as they reigned from the sky.

And Ladybugs were their prey.

Really, the chase had been futile from the very start. Mayura ran and ran and ran and the distance grew longer and longer until Ladybug allowed herself to call for her Lucky Charm.

It was a miniature black cat.

For all the time she had been Ladybug, Marinette had never thought luck would laugh in her face like that.

And now her transformation was starting to run out, too – she should have stuck to not calling for it at all, why hadn't she stuck to not calling it at all, she had had a reason why she hadn't-

And then Mayura tripped.

"Usually, I'm against clipping a bird's wings, but purrhaps for you one should have made an egg-ception?"

Ladybug almost fell over from relief – when she saw Chat retract his baton with one hand and scoop up the Miraculous Box with another.

Her breaths were still gasps, tears were threatening to spill from her eyes still and every move she made felt like being slapped – but Mayura had tripped.

Had fallen.

She didn't have the box anymore, she didn't have the box anymore, she didn't have the box anymore!

She didn't have the box anymore.

Ladybug fell to her knees.

Mayura took one look at Chat before snarling and fleeing the scene.

Chat gazed after her for a few moments, before shaking his head and trotting over to Marinette, sitting down next to her.

"It's ok", he whispered, stroking her hair and Ladybug was too shocked to even disagree.

.

.o.O.o.

.

The sun was fading with the prettiest of colors when Ladybug finally came out of her stupor.

"She-She-She almost got the box, Chat. She-almost got the box", she whispered, tears welling up in her eyes once more.

"Shush, Mari, it's going to be fine."

"No! No, it's! it's not, she-she took the box! The box!"

"Yes, I know, but you defended it, didn't you?"

She had. She had, but did it matter?

"You-You should have cataclysmed her, Chat. Just-why didn't you cataclysm her?"

"You don't mean that, Lb, and you know that. We're heroes. We don't hurt people."

Marinette looked up at that, eyes filled with stubbornness and Chat would have found it endearing were it not for what was happening right now.

Was it not for the fact that he was looking at Marinette now instead of Ladybug, something she had never wanted and he always had.

He finally knew her identity and it was the curse she had always feared it would be.

"She would have deserved it."

Marinette was pouting now and Chat couldn't help but smile.

"She would, wouldn't she?", he chuckled and Marinette forced herself to smile – until Chat's gaze fell, that was.

"But – I couldn't have cataclysmed her even if I had wanted to. Used it on the Akuma, I, uh – I still got the butterfly on me."

Marinette froze at that. Then her eyes widened in terror and she scrambled away from Chat, to his surprise and he felt as if she had pushed him away.

"I – oh god, Chat, I-I'm so sorry, I should have said something earlier, I should..."

His ears were drooping and it was making her feel all the worse.

"I-I'm a terrible partner! I almost lost the box and I-I let that-that disgusting bug stay with you without doing anything and I – I made you fight that Akuma all on your..."

"It's ok", Chat interrupted her, smiling encouragingly the way he always did and it should be enough to calm her down, but it wasn't.

"No! No, it's not ok! You-You'Re sacrificing so much and I always do is..."

Chat slid closer and put an arm on her shoulder.

"Mari."

"I know you're..."

"It's ok, Maribug. It really is. I just – I'd really like you to cleanse the Akuma to reverse the damage that has been made."

"Oh."

"Yeah."

"I – I guess I'll cleanse it then?"

Chat silently nodded and Marinette glanced at Tikki who was nodding, too.

"You can transform, Marinette, I'm r..."

"Spots on."

Usually, Marinette would have waited for Tikki to finish her sentence, but she – she was tired. So goddamn tired and she wished she hadn't spoke to begin with.

She didn't want to remember any magic right now.

The Akuma was cleansed quickly. The cure was called for even faster.

Marinette was surprised when her transformation faded, but she supposed she might have de-transformed on her own without noticing.

Or perhaps five minutes had passed already.

It didn't really matter, did it?

"Don't-Don't leave just yet, will you?", she whispered, tears welling up in her eyes and then a sob spilled from her lips.

Chat pulled her closer once more.

"Of course not. I'll stay as long as you need me to."

And stay he did. Silently holding her, stroking her hair, comforting her once again and all it did was make Marinette feel even worse because he had wasted an entire afternoon.

All because she had almost lost the Miraculous Box – and later she'd scold herself for letting it lay next to her, discarded and unwatched.

"Sh-She was in m-my room, Chat!", she eventually hiccuped, clutching him closer to her

"She-she broke i-in and - and took the box and – and I-I thought it was you, but it wasn't, it was Mayura and I-I-I almost lost the box. I almost lost the box, I almost-"

And then she broke off, her eyes fixating somewhere far, far away and all Chat could do was hold her and be on the lookout for anymore Akuma – but none came. Not after a minute, not after five, not after ten.

Marinette had yet to say anything again.

Another minute passed. Another. An-

"She almost got the box, Chat. The-The box. The Miraculous!"

"I know, Mari. But she didn't, did she? She didn't get the box. We stopped her!"

He was trying to sound optimistic and he was pretty sure he succeeded, too – but all his words did was make her face go paler as horror crept upon her features.

"She could come back any time", she whispered.

"She-She could come back tomorrow or when I'm at school or-or when I'm asleep and-and she could bring Hawkmoth too, and, and..."

"It's going to be ok, Mari", Chat murmured:"I know it will. You're amazing – don't ever let anyone make you doubt that, ok?"

.o.O.o.

.

The next day, the news was filled with pictures of her and Chat hugging and everyone zoomed in on the box laying next to them.

THE MIRACULOUS BOX?!

LADYBUG ATTACKED!

WHY HAWKMOTH MAY HAVE MORE ALLIES!

Marinette was supposed to go to school that day. But she didn't. Instead, Tikki was busy keeping watch over any incoming Akuma.

.

.o.O.o.

Three days passed. Three days in which Marinette stayed holed up in her room, refusing to come out, safe the occasional Akuma attack – there were five. Five in three days and everytime Marinette had to leave her home, she hid the Box somewhere in the house, praying that Mayura wouldn't find it.

She tried once, but Marinette had handed her parents a Miraculous each – just for safekeeping – and they had managed to defend their home.

But only barely. Ladybug and Chat Noir had needed to leave the Akuma battle to take care of the Sentimonster that had been attacking the bakery and once they had finished, Marinette had fought the Akuma while holding onto the Miraculous Box

God knows who might rove around that place at night.

Mariette didn't leave her covers for any other reason though. Tikki made her take a shower once and

"A...second picnic? My, my, if I didn't know better I'd think you were trying to woo me...", Chat suggested, waggling his eyebrows in a silly manner.

Marinette knew he was trying to cheer her up. She forced herself to grin.

Chat's smile fell.

"Is-Is this another "Thank you"?", he asked and they both knew the answer to that was a "No".

"Chat, you-you know that I love you, right?"

"...Yes? What's bringing this on, bugaboo?"

"And you trust me?"

"More than anyone else."

Marinette kept silent for a few minutes, refusing to meet Chat's eyes and Chat's ears were pressed flat to his head.

Neither of them touched the food she had neatly spread on the blanket.

"Remember Reflekta 2.0?"

"When we switched Miraculous?"

"Yes."

"Of course."

"I was incredibly unfair to you back then."

Chat sat up straighter at her words, tilting his head in confusion.

"What do you mean?"

"I-You were a great "Mister Bug" and I shouldn't have treated you the way I did. But I didn't see it and I got mad at you and-I was being unfair."

She lowered her gaze and bit her lips, because Chat looked at her all confused. But his tail was lashing out nonetheless, nervously slapping against her flower pots until one of them was sent crashing down.

Chat ignored it.

So did Marinette.

"What is-What is bringing this on, Marinette? What-Why now?", he asked, his voice shaking and he stepped closer and Marinette knew he knew because horror slowly crept upon his features and he eventually whispered:"What-What are you suggesting, Marinette?"

She still didn't meat his gaze. It'd be too painful. It was hard enough as it was.

"I...", her voice cracked and she had to swallow, her throat suddenly feeling too dry.

"We both know the Miraculous Box isn't safe with me anymore and..."

"No."

"Chat, let me..."

"No. No, bug, we-you...we can't. We can't! If-If you give up the guardianship you-you'd forget me! You'd forget us. Out ime together as-as partners! I can't do this without you..." You'd have another partner, maybe we can..." "No! I-you're my partner! I don't want another!"

And then, suddenly, Chat was all close up to her and Marinette had to swallow again, trying to keep the tears at bay.

"We'll find a solution, I-I will take the Miraculous Box! Keep it with me, they don't know where I live and Hawkmoth-Hawkmoth can go to hell. We'll find a way to do this, we-you can't give up! You're Ladybug! You never give up!" "It's different this..." "We just have to wait this out. Things will go back to normal again. I'm sure of it. Just...don't leave me, Marinette- Whatever happens, please...just don't leave me. Don't-Don't you dare give up the Miraculous Box!"

"Chat..."

"Promise me, Marinette! Promise me you won't give up, ok!"

She finally looked at him and was surprised to find tears in his eyes and any objection she had had dissipated in that moment.

"Promise me?"

"Promise."

And Chat leaned back and forced himself to smile and Marinette forced herself to lie as well.

"You're the best partner I could wish for, bug. I trust you and with this...I trust you to trust me. Things will get better eventually."

This chapter's lateness is entirely the fault of my dislike for action scenes.
Please leave a review if you enjoyed the chapter ^^