Author's Note: I really have got to set my priorities straight :( And by saying that, I mean that I think I'm going to have to take a little vacation from fanfic for a while, but before I do, I was thinking that I don't want to leave this story hanging for the people who like it. That is why I have decided to just post all my chapters today so that the story is out there for you guys. I don't know when I'll be back after today, but I really hope you guys will enjoy the twist ending of this story. As always, thanks for reading!

Disclaimer: I do not own any characters or elements relating to Miraculous: Tales of Ladybug and Cat Noir.

Miraculous: Borderline

Chapter 6: Even If

Cat Noir fell to his knees besides Tikki. He felt sick to his stomach as the implications of what had just happened hit him.

No. No, no, no, no.

"No," someone sobbed next to him, and Cat Noir realized it had been Marinette who'd been crying out.

Marinette slipped a hand underneath Tikki's fragile frame and lifted her up. Tears fell from her eyes as Marinette's face contorted in heart-wrenching despair.

"I—I have to fix her," Marinette whispered.

Cat Noir didn't know what to say. What if that had been Plagg instead? He'd react the same way. But reality was reality, and the sooner he could get Marinette to understand that, the better things would be.

"How?" Cat Noir asked gently.

He started trying to take Tikki from Marinette. At that moment, his ring chimed, telling him he was about to transform back.

Marinette suddenly jerked back. "Can I have your ring?" she asked, her gaze suddenly piercing and fierce, and before Cat Noir could react, she'd yanked off his ring.

Cat Noir gave a strangled yelp as his costume started to vanish. Marinette wasn't looking at him, however, so he dove behind a steel beam so she wouldn't see his transformation.

I have to get back my ring! Adrien thought. He wanted to peek around the beam to see what Marinette was doing but was afraid that she'd see him.

Adrien felt shocked that Marinette would do something so blunt. Do I know her after all?

Adrien leaned his head back against the beam and took a shaky breath.

I have to get that ring back no matter the cost.

He stood up and walked around the beam to confront Marinette...but she was gone.

Adrien felt panic race through his veins as he spun around desperately to catch a sight of her dark-blue hair or bright blue eyes. Instead, his eyes landed on the silver ring set down safely on the Eiffel Tower platform, looking as untouched as it did that day he found it within its box.

Adrien picked it up and put it back on, and Plagg appeared at his shoulder.

"What…" Adrien looked down at his ring, then back up at Plagg, his gaze tortured and desperate. "What just happened, Plagg?"

Plagg shrugged helplessly. "I don't know, Adrien," he said hoarsely, and not for the second time in his life, Adrien had no idea if Plagg was telling the truth.

"Heal Tikki," Marinette had whispered. "Heal her."

Please.

Her fingers tightened on Cat Noir's ring and her other hand rested on her remaining earring. She was willing to do whatever it takes to get Tikki back, even if it meant defying Master Wu and upsetting the balance of the universe.

Even if it meant destroying the world.

It was her emotions overriding her again and not her brain, but for once, Marinette didn't care. It was the gray area that Hawk Moth always tread upon, and for once, Marinette had stepped a foot inside of it and wasn't willing to let go.

Please.

A sudden tingling in her fingers made Marinette open her eyes and gasp. A faint golden glow emanated from Tikki, and it spiraled upward to Marinette's face. Marinette felt the familiar weight of the miraculous earrings rest on her ears, whole once more, and Tikki began fluttering her eyes and stirring as if waking up from a deep slumber.

"Marinette?" Tikki whispered, her eyes sleepy and confused.

Marinette felt tears spring to her eyes even as she scooped up her best friend and hugged her to her cheek.

"Tikki—" Marinette choked up.

She dropped Cat Noir's ring and scrambled up, holding Tikki close to her. Now that the ordeal was over, Marinette was nervous to be there. She knew she'd committed some kind of crime...and although Marinette had always been such an advocate for doing the right thing, this time, Marinette did not regret her decision.

She would do it again if she must. And that was what scared her.

"Master, what's wrong?" Wayzz asked.

Master Fu shook his head, his hand shaking as he closed the Miracle Box. "A miraculous...it's gone," Master Fu whispered.

Wayzz recoiled, his face a mask of utter shock. "But—how can that be? That's impossible," Wayzz cried.

Master Fu shook his head again, his deep brown eyes staring out of the window at the Paris scenery unseeingly. "Not impossible, Wayzz," he said softly. "Just something that I'd never thought would happen on my watch."

Master Fu looked down at his miraculous bracelet. Wayzz hovered worriedly over his shoulder. "Oh, Marinette," Master Fu sighed.

Wayzz buzzed anxiously. "Do you think you were wrong about her?" he asked.

Master Fu looked out of the window again and didn't answer for a long moment. "Sometimes, Wayzz, people do surprising things that are out of character. I'm sure—"

Master Fu stopped for a moment, lost in thought. "I'm sure," he finally said, his voice low and sad, "that she had a good reason. But I hope she knows what she's doing, because Marinette holds the fate of Paris—and the whole world—in her hands."

Master Fu stood up and walked over to the window, his keen eyes scanning the streets of Paris below. "Marinette is the most powerful miraculous wielder there is, and her morals are strong and good."

Wayzz hovered near his master's shoulder. "But if she can be swayed to choose the wrong path, it could be disastrous," Wayzz piped up, an edge of nervousness clear in his voice.

Master Fu stared into the distance, his face withdrawn and pinched with worry. "I don't think anyone could stop her then."

End of Chapter 6: Even If

Author's Note: Again, I don't know when I'll be back after today 2/11/19 but feel free to review! It gives me encouragement and provides a way for me to jumpstart a new story if I do come back! As always, thanks for reading, and I hope you enjoy where this story is about to go and how it'll end! Dun dun dun!