A Revealing Christmas

Written by: JuliaFC

Betas: Asralie, Etoile-Lead-Sama, Rose Manley

Disclaimer: This story is based on characters and situations created and owned by (c) Thomas Astruc, TS1 Bouygues, Disney Channel, Zagtoon, Toei Animation. No money is being made and no copyright or trademark infringement is intended.

This story is written as a Secret Santa for jumpingjoy82 at the Miraculous Fanworks server. Happy Christmas, hun! I hope you'll like this story. I'm sorry if it's so angsty, but the prompt you have suggested, (If this is really what you want, I'll go) was only giving me angsty vibes. I'll post part 2 as soon as I finish writing it! 3

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Ladybug kept looking at her bugphone, constantly dialling Chat Noir's number over and over again as the battle unfolded in front of her.

"You can purr your message after the 'meow'! Meow!"

She sighed for the umpteenth time and closed the bugphone, her eyes narrowing in concentration as she tried to find a solution. Once again, she needed Chat Noir's cataclysm. And again, Chat Noir was nowhere to be found. It was the only weapon they needed to defeat the akuma, as the butterfly had taken residence in the victim's wedding band. And it certainly isn't easy to break a ring without proper tools, unless you use the cataclysm.

Ladybug had left over twenty messages on his phone, but it always went into voicemail. She had resolved to call for Vesperia, since the power of the bee could at least immobilise the akuma. But the real problem was getting close to the akuma. Not easy, when getting hit would turn you into a Christmas present, all wrapped up and topped off with bows. Especially when considering that your Lucky Charm is a big Santa Claus's doll.

Viperion had used Second Chance more than he could remember, because each time, they had ended up in a box, covered in festive Christmas wrapping, unable to get out (or breathe). It was honestly getting ridiculous. Finally, Ladybug called again for most of the team. Only Rena Furtive wasn't in view, as she was spying in the distance. Chat Noir was the only one still missing.

Eventually, several Second Chances later, the inevitable happened; Luka had to hide away to recharge, having used his Miraculous so many times. But before he could re-transform and call for his powers again, Ladybug heard the akuma cackle. She and Luka peeked out from behind the chimney to see what had happened and…her heart froze. The akuma was holding Alya by the throat. Alya, who should have been transformed and hidden, out of the way. Instead, here she was, detransformed, with the akuma's hands wrapped around her neck. Most importantly and even more scarily, the akuma victim was holding the Fox Miraculous in her other hand.

"Alya, no!" screamed Ladybug, cupping both hands to her mouth.

"Give me your Miraculous, Ladybug!" mocked the victim. "Papillombre will be pleased with me for getting him these other fantastic weapons too!" She released Alya and dropped her to the ground, transforming her into yet another Christmas present as she gleefully showed them the Miraculouses she held in her hands. She had gotten not only the Fox's but also the Turtle's!

Shoot—They really were in trouble! "Where is Chat Noir?", she despondently wondered, as tears rolled down her cheeks. None of this would have happened if the black clad superhero had been there on time.

Finally, she felt the gracious thump of his boots on the rooftop next to her.

"Meow, My Lady, sorry—I know I'm late, I couldn't get away," he apologised.

She didn't say anything and just threw the Santa Claus doll at the akuma's feet. The victim took the blow and lost its balance, falling to the ground.

"Now, Vesperia!" called Ladybug.

"Venom!" Vesperia hit the victim with her sting, causing it to freeze.

"Chat Noir, it's in the ring!" she shouted, retrieving the two stolen Miraculouses from the victim's hand.

The boy smirked and nodded. "Cataclysm!" he called, approaching the victim to destroy the ring on her finger. The butterfly flapped away, and Ladybug purified it, letting the white and harmless thing go, sighing in relief when the storm of Ladybugs flew around, changing back Alya from the gift she had been turned into. A little further, Nino also appeared back. Ladybug checked that the victim was alright and landed onto the rooftop, saying "Pound it!" along with the rest of the team.

"Now I'll need to sc—" started Chat Noir, taking the baton from behind his back and getting ready to jump away. But as he crouched to jump, he felt a hand firmly grabbing his wrist and lifting him off the ground.

"Not so fast, young man."

Chat Noir kicked the air with his legs. "Let me down!" he shrieked, but ended up with another hand grabbing him at the collar and keeping him up. Master Su-han glared at the superhero straight in the eye.

"I have had enough of you and of your complete lack of responsibility!" Su-Han yelled at Chat Noir's face. The boy looked around, saw the gaze of all the other members of the team fixed on him, and blushed deep red.

"Master Su-Han, that's enough. Chat Noir came and helped us defeat the akuma," intervened Ladybug.

But Su-Han turned to glare at her. "I do not care! Two Miraculouses! We nearly lost two crucial Miraculouses to the enemy! The Miraculous holder that was under cover for her safety also had her cover blown. All because he was not here soon enough. We could have lost the battle against the akuma because he was not here soon enough," he accused, pointing at Cat Noir with his finger. Su-Han then turned to him and moved his face millimeters from the boy's, his gaze locked onto the green feline-like eyes.

"I couldn't get away! There were too many people, my identity could have been in danger!" the boy tried to explain, but Su-Han's glare didn't falter.

"I said that I do not care. When you are a Miraculous holder, nothing—and I mean NOTHING—is more important than transforming and helping the team. Especially when you are the holder of a Miraculous so crucial in battle such as the Black Cat. If you are so busy in your civilian life that you cannot transform when needed, you do not deserve to hold it."

"I always do my best to be here! I can't be more precise or I would endanger my identity, there are times that I just can't—"

Su-Han roared. "Excuses!" he hissed in front of the boy's nose. Then, he turned to Viperion. "Also, we had to abuse the Snake Miraculous again in order to wait for you. How many times did you need to use Second Chance?"

The Snake holder looked warily at the great guardian, and opened his mouth a couple of times to answer, although no sound came out.

"How many times?" Su-Han asked again.

"I—around forty-five," admitted Viperion, lowering his gaze when he met the monk's angry one. The man turned to Chat Noir again.

"FORTY-FIVE TIMES! For something that was sorted out in seconds as soon as you showed up!" He glared at the boy again and let go of him, nearly throwing him to the ground before walking to Ladybug. "I demand the holder of the Black Cat to be changed. Immediately. I will take the ring and find a suitable holder that you will not know the identity of, exactly like you did not know his."

Quite a few gasps resounded in the air at this. Viperion paled and darted his gaze from Chat Noir, to Ladybug, to Su-Han. Ladybug lowered her head, her eyes squeezed shut as her shaky hands balled into fists.

"I think it's not a conversation to have in front of the whole team, Master Su-Han. Let's find a more private spot," she said, her voice trembling.

Su-Han nodded, and the three jumped away, ending up in an abandoned building away from curious eyes.

"I don't want Chat Noir to leave," started Ladybug, when they made sure that the place was safe to talk. "I don't want anyone else to be the Black Cat. That Miraculous is Chat Noir's. If you force him to quit, I—I'll quit too." The girl brought her hands to the sides of her head and breathed heavily, her eyes widened in shock.

"I am fed up with your constant failure. You get too attached to the holders that are members of your team. The interest of the city of Paris should be your first priority. Your holders are tools, pawns that you, as a general, use to fight evil. They are not your partners. They are not your equals. You are—or rather should be—in control. And you are NOT." Su-Han raised a hand palm up, and moved it closer to Ladybug, almost expectantly. "I have always said that you were too young to be a Miraculous holder, and especially a Guardian."

Ladybug stared at the hand Su-Han had stretched out in front of her. Her gaze moved until her gaze locked into Chat Noir's. The boy was as pale as a sheet of paper, wide-eyed, his lips pursed in a terrified grimace. Tears started falling from the corner of her eyes, wetting her cheeks.

"I… that's not true!" protested Ladybug. "We demonstrated it to you over and over again. We deserve our Miraculouses, we always do what's best for Paris! We have been fighting for this city for nearly one year! We always put the interest of the city over ours."

"Demonstrate it then!" He pointed a finger towards Chat Noir. "Show me that you have authority over your team of holders and take the Miraculous away from him. If he is too busy to come help when needed, then he does NOT deserve it. Not when his absence has nearly caused you to lose two crucial Miraculouses to the enemy!"

Fresh tears started falling out of Ladybug's eyes as her gaze locked with Chat Noir's again, his face dancing in front of her eyes at every beat of her eyelashes, her bottom lip quivering, her face red, her breathing catching. She closed her eyes and took a big breath, lowering her head to look at the floor of the dusty room they had found shelter in.

The boy slouched his shoulders and lowered his head glumly. "If this is really what you want, I'll go. But I don't want you to give up your Miraculous, Ladybug. Or your memories. Please. Do it for me." His voice was hoarse and broken as he spoke. Ladybug closed her eyes and balled her hands into fists, her arms shaking as she did so.

"Okay. I'm so sorry, Chat Noir," she whispered as her head lowered even more.

Chat Noir took a big breath. "Okay then. Claws in."

Ladybug cried and closed her eyes, covering her gaze with her arm as the magic started to fade.

"You can look. It's pointless now," said the boy defeatedly, as Plagg came out of the ring and landed in his hand after a couple of twirls. As soon as he touched his palm, he bolted towards Su-Han.

"You filthy piece of—" he shouted, but the great guardian raised a hand defensively towards him, then moving both hands to his face in a meditative pose with two index fingers in front of his nose.

"Enough, kwami."

Plagg's rage didn't falter. "No, you don't understand. You're blaming the wrong person. My gamin does everything that he can. It's not his fault if his father is a bastard."

"I said enough!" commanded Su-Han, but Plagg stuck his tongue out at him.

"And I suppose you're going to take control over me? I'm not going anywhere without my gamin! He's the best Black Cat I've ever had. You won't take me away from him, he's suffered enough…"

The celestial guardian's eyes widened when he heard Plagg's voice cracking. "He's not—"

"HE IS!" retorted Plagg. "What do you know about it? You came out of nowhere demanding to be the boss, but you're not. You know nothing. You've been out of this world for far too long."

But Adrien cut Plagg off. "Enough, buddy. Thank you for being there for me." He smiled softly at Plagg who turned around and flattened his ears at the side of his head, mouthing a 'no' as Adrien patted his back gently. "It's been fun to know you. I renounce you, Plagg."

Ladybug's eyes shot open at his words, as the girl finally took the maskless figure of the blond boy in.

"A-Adrien?" she whispered in disbelief. She brought her hands to her mouth, her eyes widening more as her chest stopped moving.

Adrien stepped forward and grabbed one of her hands, placing his ring on her palm and closing her hand on it. "Look after Plagg for me, My Lady. If you need cheese, give me a call. I have way too much of that stinky stuff in my cabinet." His voice cracked as the first tears fell from his eyes onto his cheeks. He looked down, his bottom lip quivering as he breathed heavily and added in a low whisper, "I love you."

And he walked away, leaving Ladybug shaking and pale, her teeth chattering and her eyes full of tears, blurring everything in front of her. Her knees felt so weak that she couldn't hold herself together anymore and collapsed onto the ground, only the sound of her desperate sobs filling the silence of the empty shelter.

To be continued…

Author's Note:

Hello everyone and happy…uh, post Christmas! This story is a Secret Santa, and I'm really sorry if it's published a little after Christmas but…it's still holiday time, right? :D Jumpingjoy82, as I said in the note at the start, I'm sorry if the story is angsty, but your prompt gave me angsty vibes so…here it goes. I'm still in the process of writing part 2, but I had to get part 1 out to not miss the deadline. I'll try to post the second one soon. Just bear with me, I'm currently on holidays abroad to visit my mum and dad, and my mum is sick, so I may post it after January the 8th. Hope you will like this first part anyways! Happy Holidays :)

Last but not least, as usual, if you read this and you're not part of our wonderful Discord server already, but you enjoy reading, writing and talking about Miraculous, please join our Discord server, Miraculous Fanworks (for people on FFN, discord dot gg slash mlfanworks).