Miss Lenoir looked at Marinette and smiled. "You did well, Guardian. Hawk Moth has been pacified, Serket has been defeated, and Le Faisan has been captured. You have one remaining Miraculous to collect. What are you going to do now?"
Marinette hummed. "I'm not going to restore the Scorpion Miraculous. Vengeance is a dangerous concept, and poor Mrs. Tsurugi was consumed by it. I can't risk that happening to someone else."
"That is a wise choice. And the Pheasant Miraculous?"
Marinette continued with a quiet confidence, "I'm going to introduce Giichi to the other kwami and see if they will take him in. Justice can be a powerful ally. It's not Giichi's fault that the person who brought him here used the Miraculous how he did. If the other kwamis will accept Giichi, then we will have twenty Miraculous – a nice, even number."
"And if they don't?" Miss Lenoir inquired.
"I have means of taking care of that. Which reminds me… I need to have a talk with Kitty. About a lot of things," she grinned.
"You have plenty of time. Your beloved cat will do anything for you. You do know that you are just as beloved to him as he is to you, no?" Miss Lenoir rubbed Marinette's forearm.
"I've learned that, Miss Lenoir." She smiled fondly. "And you? What are you going to do now?"
"I've lived a long and fruitful life, Marinette. I've saved Paris on more than one occasion and lived to see it saved from its biggest threat to date. With the magic of the Miracle Box no longer protecting me, I don't have much time left. Besides," she winked at Marinette, "I want to see Fu again soon. We were separated for far too long. I don't think I could stand being away from him for another moment."
Marinette's heart caught in her throat. "You've been such a help to me – without you, I don't think I could have made it through all of this. Thank you. From the bottom of my heart, thank you."
"Our work is not yet done, Marinette." Miss Lenoir said tenderly.
"It isn't? How so?"
"The mission that Fu gave me is not yet completed. I need to visit the Agrestes again - this time, with Ladybug. I'll explain on the way there."
Miss Lenoir and Ladybug, eyes glistening, arrived at what was the front door of the Agreste mansion a few minutes later. Gabriel and Adrien, surprised to see Ladybug return so quickly, greeted them in the atrium. Adrien rushed to Ladybug, throwing his arms around her and holding her tightly. He spoke so only she could hear. "You were so good. Thank you. Thank you for saving Paris. Thank you for saving my family, my Lady."
"Any time, Kitty," she whispered in his ear as she squeezed him back. After they disengaged, Ladybug addressed Gabriel. "My friend and I are here for some business." Her voice sounded oddly formal in her ears.
"Of course, Ladybug. Please come in."
Gabriel led the three others into his office and closed the door behind them. Addressing Ladybug, he said, "Thank you for giving me the chance to redeem myself. I know I haven't been able to make up for all of the chaos that I caused… but I feel like I am off to a good start."
"Mister Agreste… today you proved to me where your true heart is. I have a proposition for you. If you will lead us to your wife, please?"
Gabriel took a step back, stunned. "To… to Emilie? Yes, of course, whatever you ask. I don't see the reason why… but it is certainly your prerogative, Ladybug. Please, this way. Adrien… do you remember how to activate the platform?"
"Yes, Father." Adrien shot Ladybug a questioning glance, then stood in front of the portrait of Emilie and placed his fingers on the hidden buttons.
Gabriel and Miss Lenoir stood on the platform. Adrien pressed the buttons and watched as his father and the mysterious woman descended. When the platform returned, Adrien and Ladybug stood facing each other on the platform. Adrien reached around her to activate it. As they descended into darkness, Adrien said, "What's up, Bug?"
Ladybug took Adrien by the hand and toyed with his fingers. "You'll have to trust me," she said.
"Always," Adrien breathed, then stole a quick kiss in the darkness before the platform emerged in the hidden room.
When Adrien and Ladybug arrived, they saw that Gabriel had turned on the lights to reveal the garden, bridge, and sarcophagus. The group crossed the bridge and stood in front of where Emilie Agreste lay. Ladybug took a deep breath, looked at each of the others, and smiled. "Gabriel Agreste. Adrien Agreste." She held out her hand, and Adrien gasped. "This is the Miraculous of the Black Cat. Combined with the Miraculous of the Ladybug, a wish can be made to alter reality. I will use it for the greater good."
Adrien slapped his left hand over his right, shocked. That sneaky little… she pickpocketed me!
Ladybug placed the ring on her right hand and Plagg flew out from behind Adrien.
"Ladybug… what are you doing?" Gabriel asked.
"Throughout the past few weeks, Chat Noir and I have battled Serket and Le Faisan. We have fought many battles and finally came out victorious. But the one thing we haven't been able to accomplish is to set things right after them. People have suffered. Paris has suffered. We're going to change that, starting now. Plagg, transformez-moi!"
A flash of green light enveloped Ladybug. When the light faded, her costume had been divided into the right side red, the left side black separated by a swirling line of glistening gold that curved from the right side of her neck to her left thigh. Large spots appeared, one red on her chest and one black on her stomach, mimicking the balanced depiction of a yin-yang. "I can think of no better place to start than by reversing that which caused the curse of Hawk Moth to fall upon Paris."
Gabriel reached out to her with trembling hands and took a step forward. "Ladybug – you can't! The wish… it comes with a price! In order to raise someone from this state, a life must be given in return!"
"I know, Mister Agreste. And it was your intention to sacrifice yourself for your wife."
Adrien's mouth fell open. "Father… you… Mother…?"
"It's true, Ladybug." Gabriel's shoulders slumped and he turned to his son. "I'm sorry for how I've treated you. I hoped that your mother would be able to pick up the pieces and these past couple of years with me would fade to nothing but an unpleasant memory over time."
"Ladybug!" Adrien cried. "You can't let Father do this! Not now! There must be some other way for him to pay for his mistakes!"
"There is," a voice spoke up. Marianne Lenoir advanced from the shadows. "I will be making the exchange."
"You…?" Adrien exclaimed.
Gabriel frowned. "I don't think we've been properly introduced, Miss…"
"Lenoir. Marianne Lenoir. I was the companion of the last Guardian for over one hundred years. I have spent my life as devoted to the Miraculous as anyone else. I know the cost and I am willing to pay the price. The previous Guardian, Fu Wang, gave me one more mission to fulfill after his death: atone for the mistakes that he made that caused the loss of the Butterfly and Peacock Miraculous. You used the Butterfly for good, Gabriel Agreste. By saving the last virtuous holder of the Peacock, I will be balancing the scales once again. The Agreste family has suffered enough."
Gabriel and Adrien's eyes grew wide. There was a stunned silence for the span of a few seconds. Finally, Gabriel whispered "Am I hearing you correctly? You're offering to give your life in exchange for Emilie to be healed?"
"I have lived a long life, Mister Agreste. It is time for the next adventure," she smiled.
Gabriel buried his face in his hands, shoulders shaking silently. Adrien ran over to Miss Lenoir and wrapped her in a tight hug. "I'll never forget this. We will never forget this. How can we ever repay you?"
Marianne smiled tenderly and cupped Adrien's face in her hands. "Be kind and enjoy each other. Do not squander the second chance that you have been given. That is all I ask."
Gabriel joined Adrien and Marianne, wrapping his long arms around the both of them. "We will do that. We will think of you every day. Thank you, thank you, thank you," he sobbed.
After a moment, Ladybug cleared her throat. "It is time. Miss Lenoir, are you ready?" Gabriel and Adrien stepped back, clutching each other. Tears glistened on their faces.
"I am ready, Ladybug."
"Very well. Miss Marianne Lenoir, the Order of the Guardians of the Miraculous commends you for your service. Thank you for being loyal and faithful. Lucky Charm!" A white glowing orb materialized and fell into Ladybug's hands. She handed it to Marianne and looked into her eyes. "Thank you again. For everything," Ladybug whispered, before giving Miss Lenoir a tight hug of her own. "I'll miss you."
"You are an excellent Guardian," Miss Lenoir assured her. "You and your companion will do many great things together."
Ladybug nodded, and stepped back. She took a deep breath and muttered something that sounded vaguely like Chinese under her breath. She smiled, lifted her head to the sky, and called out "Miraculous LADYBUG!"
Bright white light from the orb filled the room and Adrien and Gabriel closed their eyes, but not before seeing a serene smile on the face of Marianne Lenoir. When they opened their eyes again, Miss Lenoir and the orb had disappeared, leaving only the scarlet ribbon she wore in her hair behind.
In the sarcophagus in front of Ladybug, a pair of eyes opened for the first time in two years.