Two masked heroes patrolled the Parisian skyline, keeping a close eye out for any Akuma trying to hide in the twilight skies. Rena Rouge and Queen Bee sat down on the edge of the Eiffel Tower together, talking as they waited for Carapace to finish his rounds..
"I'm trying to get my dad to make butterfly houses for the butterflies that have been purified. I'm hoping that if we can limit the number of butterflies Scarlet Moth has access to, then maybe he'll have to limit his Akuma."
"That's actually not a bad idea, Bee." Chloe smiled at her partners praise. Of course Alya knew who she was, everyone in Paris knew Queen Bee was Chloe Bourgeois, and she'd even started a blog of pictures she'd take and post to give the people of Paris an inside look to what their heroes went through every day. It made them more human, more relatable, and it gave the people faith that even they could protect themselves from Scarlet Moth. Alya kept the Ladyblog updated still, and it wasn't very different than that. Sometimes people would even email Queen Bee, asking for help and she'd help them as Chloe, funding charities, hosting fundraisers, and leading an initiative for the people to gain their own confidence.
Looking at Chloe under the dim lights that dotted their tower, Alya felt pride blossom in her chest for the young woman sitting next to her, talking passionately about this butterfly house idea.
"And it would give the Parisians a chance to see REAL Akuma up close, purified ones of course. That should help with the fear that everyone still has over them. If they see that they're JUST butterflies, and just as much a victim as they are, maybe it will keep people from giving way to their emotions."
"When did you get so sentimental, Bee?" Carapace asked from behind them. The two smiled as he plopped down between them, leaning on Alya's shoulder.
"I've always been nice, Shelly."
"Carapace."
"I like Shelly, too." Alya smirked.
"Really Kit?"
"I'm not a Kit."
"I like Kit." Chloe echoed, causing everyone to laugh.
"I wonder where Ladybug and Chat Noir are." Nino said, as he looked out at the city.
"I wonder who they are." Chloe sighed.
"You know we can't know that." Alya said sternly. They had figured out who each other were on their own, but they still had no clue as to who Ladybug and Chat were. Although Alya was getting irritated that she couldn't figure it out, she knew it was for the better.
'The less we know about each other, the better.' she thought. She looked at the two next to her and felt a pang in her chest. 'But still…' Alya was a smart girl for sure. She knew it was better for them not to know their identities, but while she looked at the two next to her she couldn't help but wish that she could share pure moments like these with the other two heroes, without the masks.
Since they had been given their Miraculous, permanently, and figured out who each other were, they shared a bond together, masks on and was a bond between them, a trust that they didn't have with Ladybug of Chat Noir. And they didn't have that bond with anyone else themselves. She saw the jealous looks Chat would give them, but he still bit his tongue and kept his secret, and Alya knew it was because Ladybug.
'That kitten would do anything for that bug' A bell tolled midnight and the three rose to their feet.
"Let me see you two ladies home." They dropped off Chloe first, sliding into her penthouse room.
"Pollen, buzz off." A yellow magic traveled down Chloe's body as she demiraculized. She immediately grabbed a box of honey sugar cookies and handed the Kwami one.
"Do you guys want anything to drink, or eat? Jean made some extra food." Chloe asked as she pulled out a few tupperware containers.
"No thanks, i'm not really hungry right now." Nino said as he smiled. Chloe rolled her eyes and handed them each a container.
"Take it with you then, it's his special pasta bake. I'll see you guys tomorrow, right? We're still going to find Andre?"
"Yes! Hopefully Marinette and Adrien can come with us too!" Chloe nodded, a smile on her face.
"I think Sabrina wanted to come too if that's alright?"
"That fine with me!"
"I'm sure neither Marinette or Adrien would mind either."
"Alright, be safe you too. Goodnight." With that, Alya and Nino headed to Alya's.
They landed softly on her roof, and Alya immediately wrapped her arms around her boyfriend, who eagerly reciprocated the hug.
"Trixx, let's lounge." Alya muttered against Nino's chest. The magic fell away and the fox Kwami zipped into the bedroom window.
"I'm glad you're okay." Nino's chest rumbled under Alya's ear as he chuckled.
"It's not like we fought anyone, babe."
"Yeah, I know. But I'm always glad you're okay." She yawned and Nino detangled himself from her.
"You need to get to bed. I'll see you tomorrow." He placed a kiss on her forehead and made to leave, but Alya grabbed his wrist and turned him around. She placed a hard kiss to his lips and he smiled into it as he melted to her once more. He really did love this little vixen.
"Goodnight." He breathed against her cheeks before leaping off the roof. Alya shook her head and watched him slip into his window a few blocks away before she slipped into home and promptly fell asleep.
The next few weeks passed like a Paris breeze, the rains had finally relented, giving way to blue skies and white cotton clouds. There had been no Akuma attacks, and the five Paris heroes began to believe that Scarlet Moth might not be a threat anymore. But their hopeful outlook soon slipped from their grasps like sand.
Tuesday, April 8th, 10 am- Tom & Sabine Boulangerie Patisserie
Marinette was covered in flour, but she wasn't the only one. Four other teens stood around her parent's bakery kitchen laughing and throwing croissant dough at each other. Marinette had invited Alya, Nino, Chloe, and Adrien over to "study", at least that's what they had told Gabriel Agreste. Adrien had been telling them that his dad was in another one of his moods for the past couple weeks, and things at home had been especially tense. Nathalie had been on sabbatical for the past month or so, claiming her parents had demanded she come home to the states after Scarlet Moth had made his first appearance. Adrien had never suspected the cold woman to be family oriented, but then again, he didn't know anything personal about her, and he didn't think that his dad had cared for her so much that her absence would make this much difference.
It had been Marinette's idea to have them over, and it was her dad's idea to let them help make the pastries for the afternoon rush. They all jumped at the idea and here they were, kitchen and kids, coated in a thick layer of flour. Tom walked in through the door.
"I see we're adding children to our menu." He chuckled. Marinette and her friends beamed at the large man before Marinette swiped some flower across his cheek.
"Yup, and dads too." Tom shook his head at his daughter and slid the trays of croissants into the oven when the screaming started.
All six heads snapped up at once and Tom looked at the children, papa bear mode on high.
"You kids stay in here. No buts. Lock the door behind me and stay put. Please."
"Okay papa." Marinette nodded as he left the kitchen. She followed his instructions and the teens looked nervously around.
"I need to get home to make sure Nora and the twins are okay!" Alya said, yanking the back door open.
"Alya-"
"I'll make sure she gets home safe." Nino said as he stood beside her. Marinette sighed as she chewed her lip and nodded her head. She knew they'd be okay, and she knew what they were really about to do. Chloe stood up and followed them out yelling,
"Pollen, buzz on!" Marinette looked at Adrien, who looked just as nervous as she did.
"Marinette, if you want to go help your parents, do it. Go make sure they're safe. I'll stay here. Cross my heart." He held two twisted fingers behind his back. Marinette nodded as she stepped to the door. She threw one last look at the boy before she disappeared out of sight. Adrien locked the door behind her and Plagg zipped out of his pocket.
"Plagg, claws out!"
The news vans got there before they did, recording the strange figure.
"Citizens of Paris, fear me, for I am Total Darkness! There will be no more light, and no one will be safe, not until I get every last Miraculous!" A man stood atop the Eiffel Tower in a dark cloak that flowed around his feet like water, constantly moving on it's own. A hood covered the victims face, shrouding it in shadows. All that you could see were two electric blue eyes glowing from the depths of the hood before a pair skeletal arms reached out above his head from inside the cloak. A giant shadow burst from his hands and into the sky as the five heros came onto the scene. The skies looked as if someone had shot ink into them, swirls of darkness overtook the blue, and the cotton ball clouds turned purple, swirling with black. It looked like a living nightmare. Once the darkness overtook the skies, a barrier of dark magic settled over Paris like a dome. Nothing could get out, and nothing could get in. The heroes stood in shocked horror, immobilized by fear. Total Darkness looked at them, arms still raised, shadows still shooting into the sky, and an electric blue, cheshire smile slowly split his face, causing chills to go down the heroes spines.
"Chat Noir!" Ladybug called as she lunged forward, but her partner could not move. His animal instincts kept him on the spot, the pure, unadulterated, evil that rolled off this man in waves put him into a state of fight or flight he'd never been in before and he struggled to keep his weight up as he shook. He tried calling out to his lady, tried to tell her he couldn't help. It happened all too soon. Ladybug was converging with the victim, she tried to throw her yo-yo at him, but he grabbed it with lightning reflexes. He yanked her to his side and grabbed her by the throat and hung her over the edge of the very top of the Tower. Ladybug struggled to breathe, struggled to free herself from his iron grip. Her eyes grew wide in fear as she clawed at his hand, desperately kicking at him to no avail. A neon moth formed around his eyes as he paused, his grip still tight against her throat.
'Finally. Total Darkness, take her ear rings!' Hawk Moth yelled inside his head. 'Take them, or I will take your power away!'
"I'd watch who you're talking to, Hawk Moth. You have no control here," he squeezed tighter around her neck, "and besides, I've always liked to play with my food."
Marinette's vision began to swim, black dots swarmed around the man in front of her that had nothing to do with the powers he was wielding above them. With one last, shakey, desperate gasp Marinette went limp, the last thing she saw were those eyes, they seemed strangely familiar. With Ladybug out cold, he dropped her.
Tikki couldn't escape from the ear rings fast enough, she zipped to Marinette's still transforming clothes, desperately grabbing at anything she could grab, trying with all her might to slow her down. But she was too tired, so slow, too heavy to do anything useful. Her small tears glittered like diamonds from her eyes in the air around them. She couldn't save her. She couldn't do anything.
"Marinette, please." Her tiny voice cracked in the girls ears. Marinette's last cohesive thought was of Tikki, of her her happy smile being replaced with despair. Total Darkness was right. There was no more light if Tikki wasn't smiling anymore.
"Ladybug!" Tikki heard four voices cry out. But as Marinette's outfit reappeared one voice called out desperately, like a wounded animal; the voice of a man with a truly broken, fearful heart. It was not the first time Tikki had heard a voice like that cry out.
"M'la-MARINETTE!" Chat Noir howled as his eyes glowed, leaping to her in a blur. He caught her in his arms and pulled her tightly to his chest.
"Plagg, claws out." Adrien barely breathed as he demiraculized. Tears were creating rivers on Marinette's jacket as he sobbed into her shoulder, rocking back and forth. "I'm sorry. I'm so, so sorry." He repeated, running his hands along her back and through her hair, like one would with a new puppy who was struggling to grip onto life, struggling to breathe.
Alya watched as her best friend lay limp in Adrien's arms. A simmering rage bloomed in her chest. Nino was crying, Chloe was crying, she was crying. Crying for her family, for Marinette and Adrien, for herself, for Pairs.
"Carapace. Queen Bee. Let's. Take. Him. Down." She growled as the three jumped to him. They gave him everything they could, arms and legs tangling together, but he bested them every time. Queen Bee tried to tangle him up with her spinning top, but he grabbed the string and flung her away. Carapace threw his shell at him as Rena made illusions to fight him and wear him out. But Total Darkness caught the shell, and threw it through all the illusions and it slammed into Rena's ribs. Rena crawled in front of Chloe, protecting her from Total Darkness, who walked slowly to them. He lifted a foot, making to kick them off the edge, but Carapace slid between his feet and grabbed a foot, causing him to tumble backward.
Carapace stared up at the man as he stalked over to the three beaten and bruised heroes. Something dark moved in the sky, a glimmer catching his eye. The form made its way quickly toward them and at the last second Nino scooped the two girls into his arms and dropped to Marinette.
A silver batton whizzed past Total Darkness' hood and left a dent in the tower's metal. Chat Noir had him on the defensive, he kept dodging Chat's attacks. Soon he was backed against the mangled door that wouldn't open. He had no escape. Nowhere to run.
There was a primal look in Adrien's eyes as he called his Cataclysm. A feral grin of his own set on his features as he stepped to the cloaked figure.
"I've always wondered what my Cataclysm would do to a person." He made to press his hand to Total Darkness' chest, but his form melted into shadows and his hand pressed against the tower door. Chat stood there, heart to his feet as the Eiffel Tower began to crumble around him.
"Shelter!" Nino cried as the tower fell down around them, his protective dome keeping them from being crushed.
After the tower had fallen Chat joined them on the ground, Nino's magic fell away and Adrien scooped a lifeless Marinette into his arms.
"What do we do, Adrien?" Chloe coughed, looking up at him with cloudy eyes.
"We have to go to Master Fu. Fast." The group leapt into action, making their way to the teahouse.
Tuesday, April 8th, 12pm- Lounging Lotus Teahouse
"Master Fu!" Adrien called out as the four of them tumbled into his teahouse. "Master Fu!" His voice cracked as the tears continued to cascade down his face.
"Adrien, what is the-" His stomach dropped when he saw Marinette in his arms, her body limp like a forgotten doll. His eyes darted to his Kwami with Tikki in a similar state.
"What happened?" He was instantly upon the bruised children, setting them down on soft pillows. He bustled around, as the four of them recounted what had happened. He handed them each a steaming glass of tea, even their Kwamies got a thimble full of the warm liquid.
"This will help with the shock." The teens didn't say anything, they just sipped their tea, staring at the motionless Marinette and Tikki.
"Please, Tikki. Sugar Cube wake up." A watery voice begged the tiny ladybug he desperately clung to. "Please, please, come back to me. Tikki. Tikki." He shook her shoulders. There was nothing he could think to do, and that's when he saw it. A shimmering tear on the tips of her lashes.
"Master, a paintbrush!" The elderly man handed him a small brush and he wiped the tear. He muttered to himself and the tear began to glow red. "Please, please work." He shuddered. He dropped the tear off the brush and into Tikki's mouth. The tiny goddess shot up, panting.
"MARINETTE! PLAGG!" She frantically looked around, and the black cat pulled her close to him.
"Damnit Tikki, you can't leave me again." The Ladybug sobbed into his fur.
"What just happened?" Nino asked as they watched the heartwarming scene in front of them.
"Tikki is the Goddess of Creation." Adrien said blankly.
"Her tears are special. Her healing abilities come from her emotions. There's no emotion more pure than a tear from a goddess. But only the God of Destruction knows how to use them." Master Fu said softly.
"That defeats the purpose, don't you think?" Chloe asked.
"I think it's ironic, that the God of Destruction knows the only way to use the Goddess of Creations greatest power." Nino said.
"It's about balance. If the Goddess of Creation knew how to use the one power that can stop any destruction then there would be no balance. I'm sure she knows how to use his power too." Alya mumbled dumbly.
"Yes, that is how it works, it's act-"
"What are we going to do, Master Fu?" Adrien asked the old man, cutting him off. Master Fu sighed, setting his lips into a tight line.
"We need as much help as we can get. Then we need to know who this Akuma victim is, and how we can stop them." Master Fu said, pulling the Miraculous Box from it's spot in the phonograph.
A/N*********************
Alright, because I work 40+ hours a week I'll try and update this story Saturdays-Mondays. I'm sorry for any spelling and grammar errors, I'm currently out of contacts and I ran my glasses over, so I'm typing mostly blind. But I'm currently working on a sketch of Total Darkness, and so I think I'm going to rename this piece. Let me know what you guys think of my first Miraculous Ladybug Fic!