Hey everyone, sorry for the late update, but here's the next chapter! Thank you so much for all the reviews, especially Eclipse, mayuralover, Horizon Pokemon, and BlueJay64! Thanks for all the support!
Chapter 17
-Marinette-
Luka had taken off quickly, and as Luka had left the park, Lila had entered it. Not Marinette's ideal situation. She tried not to grit her teeth in frustration and instead focused on what Adrien was saying. "Yeah, Father wanted to hear all about last night, but I told him it was personal and I would only tell him what I wanted to," he was laughing and Marinette joined in. Things were still awkward, but at least Adrien didn't seem to be in any real pain. He seemed almost better than normal, as though he'd solved a problem that had been on his mind forever. The more Marinette observed his behavior, the more connections she found to his alter ego. He was starting to tell her another joke when Marinette heard a distant echo like that of an guitar at a concert. Was there a concert today? But as she heard more notes follow, a feeling of dread dripped into the pit of her stomach, and she knew what was coming next.
She let Adrien finish telling the joke before she told him what she thought she was hearing. "It sounds kind of like Jagged Stone when he got akumatized." She said and she saw Adrien's face widen in surprise, then carefully focus on the problem. "Just in case it's an akuma, let's get out of here. He stood up and grabbed Marinette's hand. She didn't protest, but let him lead her down into an alley. "Stay here," he told her. "I'm gonna go find my bodyguard." He rushed back out of the alley, and Marinette laughed to herself. She knew what he what he was leaving her to do, and he'd just unwittingly provided her a place to transform. She called to Tiki, "Spots on!"
Ladybug leapt across the buildings at top speed, desperately trying to reach the source of the song. Luka was playing the chorus of "His Princess" and singing along loudly, but just as beautifully as before. She heard his music grow louder as she got closer, but each step toward it caused her own heart to begin to fail her. Finally she reached the edge of the city and saw him. He was stunning in a blue and black suit of Hawkmoth's design holding his guitar of the same colors. His hair looked the same, but when he looked up, his eyes were lined on dark makeup with blue painted tear streaks down each cheek. He didn't greet her, but kept singing, the lyrics of the bridge only making the tune more powerful. Ladybug felt her head spin as her mind tried to fight the effects of his song. The song was so powerful, the music drawing her in, and the last lyrics she heard before she dropped to the ground 10 feet in front of Luka were "She has my heart in every way. If she was mine I'd never let her get away. I'd tell her that I loved her. . .every day."
-Chat Noir-
Chat ran towards the song's source, but gradually he heard it end. As the music halted, he heard a loud, sickening laugh through the streets followed by a boomin announcement. "And now we will see who truly lies beneath Ladybug's mask!" A well of panic swelled up in Chat's throat and he finally reached the edge of the city. Looking down he saw the akuma, a young man decked out in blue was bent over Ladybug's crumpled body. He'd pulled off one of her earrings and her transformation was starting to wane. Chat didn't hesitate, he jumped off, and smacked the akuma to the side and Ladybug's earring fell out of his hand, landing near the edge of the water.
Ladybug still wasn't getting up. Her eyes were closed and her body was limp. Could it be that she was dead? No. No. Chat would not accept that. He ran to the edge of the water, scooping up her fallen earring and running back to her. He placed the earring back in and her suit stitched itself back into place, hiding her face and the parts of her that had begun to appear. But she still didn't wake up. The akuma was stirring, slowly pulling himself up to his feet and glaring straight at Chat. "Good but, alley cat." He mocked, "But here's a blow you can't hit." He snarled bringing his hand to his guitar and starting his sad song over again.
Chat picked up Ladybug in his arms, and extended his baton pulling them up in the air. The akuma followed them, but at a leisurely pace, choosing to taunt from a distance. "You can't save her you stupid cat!" He yelled across the top of the building. "Watch me!" Chat snarled back. The akuma laughed cruelly, "She's overcome in Heartbreak! You can't fix it!" He cackled and Chat looked down at his lady in his arms. What had made Marinette succumb to this? The answer came almost immediately. He hadn't been there to stop it.
-Ladybug-
Her head was spinning with flashbacks of some of her most painful moments. It started with rejection by Adrien that night that he'd stood her and her friends up when going to Andre's. The wretched blackness of disappointment and loneliness filled her mind, until it switched to Chat begging her to let him in on the secrets, for her to open the door. A torrent of guilt nearly drowned her as all she could see was Chat's miserable face as he'd begged her, pleaded with her to finally be allowed to know. She saw it again when Adrien asked her about Kagami, asking her advice on how to woo another girl. Ladybug felt the familiar ache of the friendzone as she skated with Luka on the other side of the rink from Adrien, and her hesitation the Kagami had spelled out for her in clear black letters, identifying it as her weakness. But then she saw Chat again, his coldness towards her after another rejection ending with them being able to work as a team again, but that memory was brief, and all too quickly she again plunged into a world of darkness, riddled with more memories of her failures and disappointments.
-Chat Noir-
He wasn't sure how to save her, but he knew this akuma wouldn't wait long. He needed time. Chat picked up Ladybug again, but running with her was harder, because she wasn't even concious to hold on to him so she wouldn't fall. He heard the akuma behind him, still calling after him, "You can run silly cat, but you can never hide from Heartbreaker! Pain always finds you!"
Chat dove into the streets, ducking into an alley with Ladybug still cradled in his arms. "I'm going to save you, Bugaboo." he whispered to her limp body, wondering if the one thing he worried about would be what actually worked. He looked down, studying her face. It was almost like she was asleep, because her face was contorting and reacting, and he heard her call out something. It was a single word, but it became everything for him, "Chat." He listened for more, but nothing more came from her lips. She rustled in her dream-state, as though she was trying to fight something, and failing, because soon, she went limp in his arms again. Chat looked around him, but he knew it wouldn't be long before Heartbreaker found them again. So he did the one thing that he hadn't remembered and that she might not recall.
He kissed his lady, his princess, but to him in the moment, she truly was his Queen. The moment Chat's lips met hers, he had but one thought, "We should've done this sooner." He felt almost guilty as he pulled away rather quickly, but its effect was true. Her eyes flew open and immediately focused on him. "Chat. I was calling for you." She whispered, and he was just so relieved to have her back. He bent forward and hugged her close, "I was so worried I lost you, Ladybug." He almost cried. Chat helped her to her feet. "You saved me, kitty." She said, and Chat could swear she was almost glowing. "Of course. I'd be lost without you, m'lady." He smiled back at her. "Are you ready to give another shot? This time with some extra help?" He asked. She smiled her smile saying he'd read her mind exactly as she flung her yo-yo in the air calling "Lucky Charm!"
-Ladybug-
He was definitely the right choice. There was no doubt now. Chat was the only one who'd been able to save her from an abyss of her own weakness. That shone brighter than anything right now. The thought that her kitty was also the one she'd dreamed of having her first kiss with only made her happier. What fell into her hands from the lucky charm was a jacket. A jacket? She glanced around them in the alley, but didn't see anything she needed. "I don't see anything," She told Chat, "Let's go up, maybe there's something to help us out there." He nodded and they both leapt up to the top of the building and Ladybug glanced around again. Still nothing. In the distance she heard Heartbreaker playing his song and she had to close her eyes to focus to keep herself from passing out again. But clutching the jacket in her hands, she moved to the edge of the building and looked for clues again in the nearby park.
She glanced an abandoned kite in a tree and jumped down to retrieve the string. Fingering it in her hands, she jumped back up to where Chat was waiting. "We'll have to be sneaky so we can surprise him, otherwise it might not work." She said, but her voice faltered as she heard the song grow louder. "Well he's definitely not stealthy." Chat said as the crouched behind a chimney as Heartbreaker made his way across the roof towards them. "Come on out you silly heros! Come and meet the end of your happiness with Heartbreaker!" He laughed as he played the bridge of his song, but Ladybug wasn't listening to him. Her yo-yo lit up and as she glanced around one last time, her gaze lit up on Chat. She bent over and threaded the kite string through the sleeves of the jacket and handed one end of the string to Chat. "Have your cataclysm ready." She whispered. And silently, they waited for Heartbreaker to make his way closer, and when they heard his footfalls only a few feet away, they leapt up over the chimney with the strung jacket between them, each holding an end, with the jacket catching right in Heartbreaker's face.
Ladybug flung her yo-yo and it caught around Heartbreaker's feet, pulling him off balance. She stepped behind him as he fought to get the jacket off his face. With his hands occupied, Chat used his cataclysm to destroy his guitar. Ladybug zipped up the jacket on the back, trapping Heartbreaker's hands to his side. Then it was endgame. Chat and Ladybug forced him to let go of the guitar pick and Ladybug snapped it in half, releasing the akuma. She captured it easily and used her Lucky Charm to cleanse the city. She knew that all the inhabitants that had experienced the same kind of pain she had must be doubled over in pain or in dream-states like she'd been in. As she and Chat watched the magical ladybugs sweep across the city and Ladybug poised to leave, she felt a hand on her shoulder. Chat. "We need to talk." He said, "Now."
Sorry for the cliffhanger. That's a little mean, but I'll try to finish up the next chapter for tomorrow. Again, if you think I should write another fanfic let me know, especially if there's something specific you think I should write about.