Chapter 3 Write Back

"Kaalki, divide," said Pegabug, turning back into Ladybug.

Ladybug used her yo-yo to put the glasses back in the Miracle Box. "Kaalki, thank you for your help. Your stash of finest-quality McIntosh apples is in my room."

"You are welcome." Kaalki vanished into the yo-yo portal.

Ladybug threw the cooking pot into the air. "Miraculous Ladybug!"

The swarm of magic ladybugs flew out, healing Alya and fixing all the other damage. Ladybug heard voices outside the room: Alya's family was back home.

"What happened? Hawkmoth was going to kidnap me. He hit me and then.." Alya said.

Alya got to her feet. She put a hand to her neck. "My Miraculous, it's gone!"

"Yes, Trixx got stolen," said Ladybug. "When someone trusts you with a thing, you don't lose it?"

"I'm so sorry! I thought I had the perfect plan, but it didn't work."

We'll talk about this more," said Ladybug. "First, I have to show myself to your family. Tikki, spots off."

Marinette put the tired Tikki into her purse to get a macaron.

"You, Chat Noir, and I need to talk in private ASAP," said Marinette.

Alya said. "I'll tell my family I picked up a clue about Shadow Moth that I need to share with Chat Noir, and I need your support as my best friend. We can meet in my room."

Marinette and Alya emerged from the twin's room and they were embraced by the others. Chat Noir also got hugs from everyone.

The Sentibubbler was gone, to Marinette's regret. She had thought about giving him the coffee cup and his freedom. Since the Lucky Charm was used on Shadow Moth, all the direct and indirect damage resulting from his actions was removed, and that included the sentimonster.

The family accepted Alya's explanation and the three of them went into Alya's room.


Marinette said to Chat, "First, let's sweep this room. Shadow Moth got away with the Fox Miraculous and we have to make sure he isn't in here, hiding under an illusion."

"Block the door with something, too," said Alya. "He could open the door and make it seem like it was still shut."

Once they were sure of the room's security, Marinette said, "We have to talk about what to do. Alya, Chat knows I'm Ladybug now."

"I'm glad you told me, m'Lady," said Chat Noir. "Now that we're sharing names, I can tell you mine."

Marinette said, "Not now. Alya is compromised. Don't give her more information that could be extorted from her."

Alya said, "Yes, I'm compromised. Shadow Moth said he would force me to talk."

"Oh Alya, this is horrible for you and your family," said Marinette.

"M-maybe we could go away, into witness protection or something," said Alya.

'We'll think of something," said Marinette.

Alya said, "I'm really sorry about losing the Miraculous. Poor Trixx!"

"We'll get her back; it's not hopeless," said Marinette. "Look what I got!"

She showed them the Butterfly and Peacock Miraculous. The other two both gasped.

"Wow!" said Chat Noir. "It's the end of Shadow Moth!"

"Not quite," said Marinette. "He can do a lot of damage with Mirage. He's probably hiding out there, waiting to follow me or Chat home."

"You could go home as Marinette," said Alya.

"And leave it that Ladybug came in here and didn't come out? That's the same thing as telling him my identity. I'm sure he's watching."

"What can we do?" asked Chat.

"Let's see what the kwamis can tell us," said Marinette. "Nooroo and Duusu, I am the Guardian and I reclaim you."

The kwamis flew out of their Miraculous.

Nooroo cried out, "Free! At last!"

"Thank you, thank you, thank you!" said Duusu with great excitement.

Tikki flew up and hugged them both. "Welcome back! We missed you!"

"I'm glad we got you back, but we lost Trixx in exchange," said Marinette. "I'm hoping you can tell us enough about your former holder that we can identify him."

"We'll try, but we can't say his name," said Duusu.

"You can tell a lot," said Tikki. "Not long ago I told Kaalki how to find Chat Noir in case of an emergency. He's been a holder for me, so I couldn't give his name, but I told her his address and where his room is."

"Kaalki came to warn me when we were fighting Sole Crusher," said Chat. "I wondered later how she knew where to find me."

"Okay, Nooroo and Duusu, do you know Shadow Moth's address?" asked Marinette.

"The address is Place de Clitolet," said Nooroo. "It's a big mansion."

"That address sounds familiar," said Tikki.

"That's my – I know that address," said Chat Noir. "Are you sure?"

"I saw it on letters on his desk," said Nooroo.

"Me too," said Duusu.

"It's not possible..." said Chat.

"How about this?" asked Marinette. "Nooroo, you were never held by Mayura, right? Can you give us her name?"

"I can: Nathalie Sancoeur," said Nooroo.

"Aaagh!" said Chat. He held his head in his hands. "My father's assistant. My address... My father is Shadow Moth!"

"You're... Adrien Agreste?" asked Marinette, with a bubble of joy in her heart.

"Plagg, claws in," said Chat Noir in a despairing voice.

Plagg appeared, and he saw Nooroo and Duusu.

"You guys are back!" Plagg said.

The kwamis frolicked and celebrated, paying no attention to the unhappy Adrien.

"Oh Adrien, I'm sorry..." said Marinette, putting an arm around him.

"Try not to get upset or you'll get akumatized. No wait, that can't happen any more," said Alya.

"No Chat Blanc, thank goodness," said Marinette.

"What?" asked Adrien.

"It's the reason I held back telling you," said Marinette. "There was an alternate timeline with Paris destroyed, you akumatized, and you knew my identity."

"Oh," said Adrien. "I didn't know."

"Alternate timelines... that gives me an idea. I hate to risk using Fluff, but I think it's the only way," said Marinette.

"What are you planning?" asked Alya.

"I can send a message to myself in the past," said Marinette.

"What will you say?" asked Alya.

"I wish could tell myself to stop using holders who are known to Hawk Moth. That's what Master Fu would have done. He would have searched for new people to trust starting right after the fight with Miracle Queen. If he could still remember."

"That's a little rough on us, don't you think?" asked Alya.

"Look at what happened. Gabriel Agreste invited everyone into a trap using Style Queen. He shot everyone down until there was just Sentinino. Only your special high-five saved me from taking a bugged Miraculous home. And today was another trap based on knowing your identity."

Alya sighed. "And now poor Trixx is lost. I guess I can't blame you. So that's what you're going to do?"

"No, that decision is too far back. Too much could go wrong. I need a shorter time hop, like Viperion does with his Second Chance."

"We need to go after my father right now," said Adrien with a cold rage. "No time hops needed. We just take the monster out!"

"Now he can do illusions it's too risky. We need a place and time where he's in the open, not suspecting, and with no illusion powers. A time like... earlier today."

"How would that work?" asked Alya.

"I need to get a note yesterday telling me not to come here as Marinette, no matter what nightmares I have. Shadow Moth's plan would be the same whether I was here or not; I was just one more hostage. I know where he will be hiding during the first stage, when he makes a threatening call to you. While he's distracted, I'll jump him as Pegabug."

"We'll jump him together," said Adrien. "I insist on being involved. He's my father."

"All right, a surprise attack with the two of us is our best chance of getting his coffee cup and both Miraculouses. We'll put in the note when and where to attack, and to get you first. Also his identity, in case he gets away."

"He won't," said Adrien grimly.

"Let's write the note and I'll use Fluff to get it into my room," said Marinette.

"What will happen to us when you change the timeline?" asked Alya.

"We'll still be us, just not the us we are now. We won't remember any of this," said Marinette. "This timeline is done for."

"That kind of feels like suicide," said Alya.

"Yeah," said Marinette. "That's why I only use time travel as a last resort."