I still haven't finished this story... it keeps freaken growing! This chapter is the largest out of anything I have done yet so feast your eyes on it's 4000+ words. It was originally two chapters but its midnight and I couldn't find a good ending point so blah, blah blah. Ugh I haven't decided what I want to post next. I have a few options but I'm not sure if I want to make you ppl laugh or cry. Also I have yet another idea as a one shot that could continue this ridiculously long story arc.

Hispanicin... Your answer awaits!

Anon... No need for such drastic measures... Here is more story!

The-Unnamed-Artist... But satisfaction brought it back.*Grins* I love those old sayings. My favorite is the second line to this Saying. "Early bird gets the worm, but the second mouse gets the cheese." I'm a second mouse kind of gal.

When an akuma transforms people into what they are on the inside Marinette and Adrien realize something very important as to who they are down to their very cores.

I own nothing... Except my imagination.

Secrets Within (Part 4)

They made it to the top of the balloon in a few seconds with Chat dodging the aerial attacks masterfully. The top of the blimp was surprisingly flat so the moment she could Ladybug leapt off Chats back throwing her yoyo out to smash into Exposers hand messing up her aim. Exposer yelped hauling her hand back and shaking it even as she soared out of reach of the two heroes. Landing and bouncing slightly on the rubbery surface Ladybug darted back to the center where Chat was heading. It was hard running on the surface of the blimp and it almost reminded her of a bounce houses surface since it gave yet bounced back with every step. The best way to run on such a surface was a bouncing lope that took some serious getting used to. Unfortunately they didn't have the time to get used to it seeing that the akuma looked ready to resume her attacks at any second. Chat and Ladybug came together in the center of the blimp watching as Exposer darted around above them searching for a weak point.

"We need to take out her jetpack if we want a chance at winning." Ladybug murmured even as her miraculous beeped reminding her of the dwindling time they had.

"Where did she get a jet pack anyways?" Chat grumbled.

"It was probably a toy she picked up. Those pompoms are obnoxiously useful." Ladybug answered as she glanced down at his side. Dried blood matted his suit and fresh blood dotted the dark lines surface. "Is your side ok?"

Chat spared a glance down a grimace crossing his face. "Its not deep enough to need stiches although its bleeding pretty good. It is burning pretty bad but I can ignore it easy. I think she stabbed me with an oversized nail."

Ladybug winced in sympathy then cried "Move!" as round colorful balls the size of beach balls flew at them. The balls struck the surface double bouncing Ladybug and in the next second a rainbow colored pompom struck her in the side before she could think of blocking. The pompom burst on impact enveloping her in a cloud of rainbow colored smoke and Ladybug cursed mentally.

"Mari-" Tikis voice cut off suddenly as a shiver of what felt like an electric charge surged over her.

"Crap." Ladybug snarled out loud as she hit the surface of the balloon coughing as she accidently inhaled some of the rainbow smoke.

"Ladybug!" Chat shouted and managing to roll to her feet she could see him rushing towards her on all fours. Due to his claws Chat was far better at maneuvering on the blimp easily dodging the large balls and pompoms that the akuma tossed his way. A foot from her he twisted in the air and smashed a clear ball back at Exposer with his staff making her cry out when it collided. It knocked her from the air and she fell below the curve of the blimp leaving them in peace for a brief moment.

"Ladybug are you ok?!" Chat asked reaching out to grip her arm to steady her.

Ladybug shivered "I think so… I can't hear Tiki though her voice was cut off. Do I look different?"

Chat took a half a step back. "No you look the same. Don't scare me like that!"

Ladybug flashed him a weak grin. "Sorry it surprised me and…"

"WHY DIDN'T YOU TWO CHANGE?!" Exposer shrieked as she soared back above them. "That's not fair!"

Ladybug glared up at her "Life isn't fair get over it!"

It really was the wrong thing to say and Exposer snarled as she whipped her hand forward rainbow smoke appearing midair as more beach ball sized spheres flew at them. Chat snatched Ladybug up throwing them both sideways as the balls struck the surface and bounced.

"They're freaken marbles!" Chat growled as one struck near his head before bouncing away over the side of the blimp.

"Who cares! We need to take out that dam jetpack!" Ladybug answered rolling back to her feet spinning her yoyo to deflect another ball.

"Jetpack…" Chat muttered looking up at Exposer who was reaching into her pouch once more. "I'll hit the jetpack. Cover me!"

He ran forward on all fours keeping traction in a way only he could manage and Exposer followed him clearly feeling that he was the greater threat. Refusing to let her partner down Ladybug coiled her legs putting as much power into her next two jumps as she could. To her surprise she soared far higher than she thought she would almost coming even with Exposer. Ladybug bounced once more on the rubbery surface gaining the last bit of height she needed and at the peak of her jump tossed her yoyo forward striking Exposer in the head. Attacks stopped cold by the blow Exposer twisted round falling several feet in the air as she did.

"That hurt!" she screamed looking ready to throw something at Ladybug.

Chat took her moment of distraction in stride shooting up on his staff behind her and in the next second one of the tanks on her back exploded as his claws slashed through something important.

"NOOOO!" Exposer shrieked as she lost control of the jet pack and spiraled away below the curve of the balloon. Chat fell from the air with a yelp, staff vanishing as green light enveloped him and Ladybug felt her heart plummet with his body. He had detransformed midair and without another thought she threw her yoyo forward catching his leg before he fell beyond the curve of the balloon. Bouncing to the edge Ladybug rapidly pulled the line in feeling to her relief his weight on the other end.

"Chat!" Ladybug called not wanting to give away his identity and a second later he smiled up at her from his upside down position.

Adrien was a few feet from her hanging over the edge of the blimp by her yoyo and yet in more ways than one he still looked like Chat without the mask. Black fuzzy ears adorned his hair, black gloves up to his wrists covered his hands and she was sure she could see a tail flicking sideways as she hauled him up. Black cargo pants, green shirt with a black paw print in the center, and hoodie like jacket covered him instead of his normal ensemble but Ladybug didn't have time to contemplate it. In the next instant her luck ran out and pink light filled the space between them as her yoyo vanished.

Adrien yelped as he suddenly dropped twisting around and missing the edge of the blimp by mere centimeters. Marinette didn't even think about it, she simply launched herself after him reaching for his hand as she caught up.

"You idiot!" he screamed at her looking furious and Marinette wrapped him in a hug as they fell not caring one bit that they were falling to their deaths. Ok maybe she did care but there was no way she could have lived with herself for dropping Adrien even if it wasn't her fault. It was more than just that though. Some instinct or gut feeling told her that the sky was home. It was the same feeling she got when she threw her yoyo in the perfect position for a swing.

"Marinette FLY!" Tiki squealed in her ear as the rooftops of Paris grew ever closer.

"Fly?" Marinette whispered questioningly something within her coming to life as she said that word.

Instinct took over causing the muscles in her back to burn as her new set of wings caught the air and held. A soft humming filled the air as they soared forwards still falling but not nearly as fast and rapidly slowing as the neared the rooftops.

"You have wings?!" Adrien yelped eyes wide and moments later they crashed to a halt on a flat rooftop where they both lay on the ground worn out and very shaky from the fall.

They were both panting hard, shaking, and as Marinette looked up at the blimp that was so high up in the sky it looked like a small toy she began to giggle almost hysterically. Adrien joined her a moment later crushing her in a hug that made Marinettes next round of giggles come out as a squeak.

Marinette hugged him back just as tight running a hand through his hair and freezing as she felt the fuzzy warmth of cat ears. Pulling back to really see them Marinette gasped then grabbed Adriens head forcing him to look down as she eyed the black, furry, and very real cat ears he had coming out of his skull.

"Princess what are you doing?" Adrien asked as she released his head only to pull him forward so she could look over his shoulder for his tail. It twitched on the ground curling towards his body and Marinette had to resist a very strong urge to tug on it.

"Um Adrien… you have real cat ears and a tail…" Marinette squeaked

His jaw dropped and Marinette noted his canines were longer and sharper than normal. As Adrien blinked at her trying to comprehend her words Marinette also realized his eyes were also changed, his pupils were now elongated to be more cat like. Twisting around Adrien froze as his tail came into view then one hand flew up to his head as the other reached for his tail. Adrien was used to his leather tail that only moved for balance or when his mood was sketchy, this tail however was not leather. It was furry though not poofy thank goodness, and it wouldn't hold still either. Twisting round even further he tried to grab it and it twitched sideways avoiding his grasping hand. Marinette laughed at his antics her hands coming up to prevent him from chasing his tail further. Realizing what he had done Adrien blushed getting a good look at Marinette his surprise from earlier coming back all at once.

"Ok I may have gotten a tail and cat ears but I can't believe you have wings!" Adrien cried his eyes wide and excited as he tried to crane around her to get a better look at them. At his words Marinette suddenly seemed to realize he hadn't been the only one to change.

A look of shock crossed her face and she glanced down at her polka dotted covered hands then craned her head as she glanced behind her eyeing the translucent black wings that poked out from under two rounded swaths of fabric. One of them twitched as she focused on it and she could feel the tremble of the wing all the way into her spine. A part of her mind felt detached as she thought 'I have wings, my parents are going to freak' then all at once reality hit.

"Ghaaa!" Marinette shrieked leaping up to her feet and her wings suddenly opened vibrating rapidly as she hovered. "Ahhhh nooo!" she shrieked again tilting forwards flailing her wings instantly freezing and she fell right onto her face.

"Marinette!" Adrien cried scrambling to her side eyeing his panicked girlfriend carefully. As much as his outfit had changed hers was completely altered and he couldn't help but think it was because she was a designer at heart. The only thing left of her normal attire from what he could tell was her little pink purse. Her top was red with black polka dots and extended to mid-thigh in the back. Following the curve of her rib cage the front of the top was slit to a spot just under her breasts, and a black skintight bodysuit was beneath it covering the rest of her down to where it met knee high red polka dotted boots. A belt with two pouches hung around her waist and what looked like a yoyo was there too. A round hole in the back of her shirt allowed for her wings to move freely although they appeared to be covered by two oblong flaps of red polka dotted material now that they weren't being used. The top was sleeveless and red polka dotted gloves covered her arms up to her elbows. Like him a mask no longer covered her face but the way she looked it was impossible to not see her as Ladybug.

Marinette groaned, a very unhappy worried sound making Adriens heart pound.

"Marinette are you ok?" Adrien asked hesitantly watching as her wings buzzed slightly when he touched her shoulder.

"I…I have wings!" Marinette cried looking up at him with shock in her eyes as she slowly sat up rubbing her nose.

Something about her words made Adrien pause and with a frown on his face he asked "You didn't realize you had wings?"

Marinette shook her head "Tiki told me to fly when I caught up to you and it was just instinct I suppose… Speaking of Tiki…" She looked around her panic over discovering she actually had wings dispersing in favor of finding her kwami.

Adrien felt his ears flatten a sound very close to a growl slipping past his lips. Marinette froze at the sound and he gripped her hand as he stared right into her bluebell eyes. "You didn't know you had wings and yet you jumped after me?!" He roared all at once the sheer stupidity of that thought driving him to yell.

Marinette flinched but then her eyes grew steely. "Of course I jumped! I dropped you! We would have figured out something…"

Adrien cut her off. "You idiot! Stop putting yourself into danger to fix my mistakes! I'm supposed to be protecting you not the other way around!"

"NO!" Marinette snarled startling Adrien so that he instantly went silent ears pricking in surprise. "That is not the way this works." She shoved a finger into his chest her glare withering. "We protect each other and catch one another when the other falls." She continued stabbing him with her finger leaving him feeling as if she were poking holes in his very spirit. "I will never stop fighting to save you just as you will never stop fighting to save me. You have no right asking me to stop."

Adrien caught her hand his chest staring to feel bruised as he realized that she had retained Ladybugs strength even now that she was in civilian form… well sort of in civilian form.

"But I'm supposed to be your shield. If one of us falls it has to be me because I can't fix everything like you can." Adrien whispered before she could continue. Marinette sighed as his gaze fell from hers and his cat ears drooped. The look was adorable on him but Marinette knew that she couldn't leave this discussion as it was, she hesitated to call it a fight since they weren't yelling or lashing out at each other.

Silently Marinette lifted her free hand to his face forcing his gaze back to hers. "Adrien, Tiki is the one that shields my body but you are the one who holds and shields my heart. When you go down in a fight…" She broke off for a second her voice catching as she remembered several of those occasions before managing to start up once more. "Just know that I can't lose you Adrien. It's like Plagg said a while ago, once you go down I go all out to make sure that you will wake back up."

Adrien felt furious at her words and yet he was also filled with pride. He knew that she always had his back no matter what, but to hear her say it in a total no nonsense tone made him swell with love for her.

"You have held my heart from the day I really met you." Adrien said making a smile flicker at the corner of her lips. She went to reply probably something just as sweet to say back when Plagg groaned and flopped out of the pocket in his jacket into his lap.

"Oh my god I can't take this gooey sweetness anymore… Tiki we let them have their little tiff and now they will work better as a unit can we please go now! I am starving and the weird akuma magic has me feeling nauseous." Plagg whined looking pitiful as he did.

Tiki flew out of Marinette purse letting out a scolding buzz as she did. "Must you ruin every moment that they have like this! They just fell in civilian form from a height greater than the Eiffel Tower and if they hadn't been hit by that ridiculous akuma they both could have died!"

"Um…" Marinette started but the two kwami looked up at her with a shocking glare and she went silent. A buzz of sound passed between the two kwami, their two chosen looking on in quiet awed confusion until all at once it broke off. Tiki flew up before Marinette and for once the cute kwami looked deadly serious, an aura of power leaking from her making Marinette want to cower.

"You both need to work on your fighting strategies. Yes you were lucky and you always are Marinette but the past few times you have fought akuma you two have managed to put yourselves in mortal danger. Our magic can only cover you so far and these akuma are not going to get any easier to fight. If anything things will only become more dangerous." Tiki scolded

Marinette looked shocked, guilty, and severely upset at her words while Adrien didn't know what to think. He had never heard Tiki use that tone before and clearly neither had Marinette. In fact she looked fairly close to tears. Plagg grumbled something under his breath them flew up off Adriens lap to hover right in front of his face. Plaggs eyes narrowed and something in Adrien made him sit at attention some instinct telling him that he was very much in trouble.

"Plagg?" Adrien started then yelped as Plagg darted forward nipping the very tip of his nose making his eyes instantly water and his cat ears fall so they were plastered to his head. It was a silent rebuke one that if he hadn't gotten hit with the akumas magic would have had very little effect. Now with the true instincts of a cat surging through him however the rebuke struck far deeper than any words could. A whine fled his lips and in the next second he buried his head into Marinette lap.

"Plagg!" Tiki cried watching as Adrien shivered and Marinette ran a hand over his head still looking upset by Tikis words as well as confused.

"What? He is my kitten and words don't usually work on him as well as they do on your girl. Besides now that he has the cat half combined thanks to the akuma my scolding will have a far deeper message than anything I can say." Plagg huffed and at Tikis glare he rolled his green eyes. "He is my kitten Tiki. I don't scold you for reprimanding your little bug and you almost brought her to tears."

Tiki sighed and the two kwami looked at their chosen a silent message passing between them, before suddenly as one they spoke. "We don't want to lose either of you."

Marinette flinched and Adriens head rose enough to look at the two kwami from the corner of his eye. Neither of them knew what to say to that so they both settled for mumbled sorrys to their respective kwamis. Some part of them knew that the reason why they were being affected so much by the kwami was because of the akuma magic but just because you knew the cause of something didn't change the effect it had over you.

In the end after they settled from their fight and subsequent scolding they stayed on the roof for a while regrouping themselves and in Marinette as well as Adriens case adjusting to their new forms. The two kwami watched on proud and worried over their chosen but both kwami were feeling exhausted.

"Do you two think you can make it back to Marinettes house?" Tiki asked as Adrien bounced off a chimney swatting playfully at Marinette who was mastering hovering quite well.

Marinette snickered grabbing his hand as he leapt into the air to swat at her again and without breaking the hover swung him forward so he could land on the top of the chimney. Adrien hadn't been expecting that and he landed wrong his feet missing the edge so that he landed on his stomach.

"OOOWWW…" He complained as Marinette laughed settling herself back to the rooftop turning her attention back to Tiki.

"I think we will make it just fine Tiki but what are we going to do about my parents?" Marinette asked "I mean it's quite obvious even without a mask on that I am Ladybug and Adrien isn't much better off. Especially since I have wings and Adrien has cat ears complete with a tail for goodness sakes."

Tiki shrugged a little helplessly. "We all need rest Marinette. You can probably hide in your room until Plagg and I recover then sneak back out to deal with the akuma. Exposer hasn't made another rucks yet so we will have to wait for her to appear again to take them out."

Marinette nodded stroking Adriens head as he pressed against her on all fours. She smiled at the softness of his hair and marvel at the warm fuzziness of his ears as she rubbed them. The ear she was rubbing twitched in her fingers and Adrien sighed leaning against her harder.

"I would say we can hide at my place but it still wouldn't explain how we got out of your room in the first place." Adrien murmured even as a purr started to rumble out of him from her pets.

"Who cares about all that I'm hungry and someone promised me cheese bread for lunch!" Plagg complained and at his words Marinettes eyes went wide.

"Oh my gosh… Lunch! My mom is going to come get us for lunch and we are not in my room!" Marinette spazzed suddenly and Adrien understood why.

"We have to get back to your house! Come on lets go!" Adrien said and started to run leaping to the next rooftop over as Plagg grabbed hold of his hoodie jacket.

Tiki dove into Marinettes purse and she was off like a shot sprinting and jumping alongside Adrien as they raced the clock back to her room. Several times Marinette had to fly grabbing hold of Adriens hands to clear jumps they usually needed their equipment for. Adrien loved the sensation of flying each time and from the look on Marinette face she seemed to be enjoying it as well. Finally they reached her balcony and she dropped from a hover right through her open door feet hitting the discarded bag of cat toys on her bed and scattering them across the sheets. Adrien dropped down beside her grinning because they had made it in time. The movie was still playing on the computer and her door was still closed. In the next instant however a knock sounded on the door below them and Marinette got a very panicked look in her eyes.

"Yeah?" Marinette squeaked jumping over the edge of her bed and hovering in the air as Adrien dropped to his belly on her bed.

"Marinette? Are you two ok?" Her mom called the door starting to rise.

"AH! Yes!" Marinette shouted dropping to the floor landing slightly on the door to snap it closed once more. "Don't come in… I was showing Adrien… ideas for presents!" she lied swiftly leaping towards her closet as she riffled through some costumes and pulled out a cloak that she swiftly wrapped around her.

"Oh is that why you two have been so quiet up here?" Sabine asked curiously through the closed door.

"Yep!" Marinette yelled back scrambling back to the door in case her mom decided to try and peek.

A yowl froze her midstep as she made it to the center of the room.

"Marinette? What was that?" Sabine questioned sounding concerned as another yowl echoed.

Marinette was mortified and as a cat toy ball flew over the edge of her bed she realized her mistake.

"It's the movie! I'll SHUT IT UP right now!" Marinette called emphasizing several words in an attempt to get Adrien to stop making noise.

"No mine!" Adriens voice yowled over the sound of the film and in the next instant Plagg flew over the edge of the bed Adrien leaping after him in the pursuit of what looked like a chunky mouse toy. Adrien caught the end of it as he fell the toy shredding under his claws and the thing burst sending minty leafy flakes everywhere.

"Adrien!" Marinette shrieked as he suddenly landed on her knocking her to the ground with a huge thump.

"Marinette?!" Sabine yelled worried as she flung Marinettes door wide open. Tiki grabbed Plagg who was now half buried in the toy still floating a few feet from the kids on the ground not seeing Sabine as she froze in the doorway.

"I told you to stop teasing him!" Tiki squealed knocking the toy off his head and Plagg simply giggled snuggling against her midair as he purred. Adrien was doing much the same thing to Marinette and as Tiki looked down she realized Marinettes mother had fully come into the room staring at the scene before her shock written all over her face.

"What on earth?" She asked staring at the mess before her.

Tiki at a loss did the only thing she could think of "Uh…Meow?" she uttered and Marinette made a choking sound before falling back flat on the floor hands over her face.

To the kwamis surprise Sabine threw her head back and laughed.

Mom knows all...