Chapter 6: Afternoon 2

The picture Fu had zoomed in depicted an ancient Black Cat filtering magic on one half of the page while the other depicted an ancient Ladybug doing the same. The magic swirling about the Cat was like Chat's Cataclysm while Ladybug's resembled the Cure without the millions of bugs. The opposite page that Adrien had briefly seen held the strange code only Fu could understand, Plagg's fur bristled as he caught onto Fu's train of thought. "Have you gone senile, you old coot?"

Adrien frowned at his companion before cocking a brow at Fu. "How will Cataclysm save her? It's meant to destroy."

Plagg hissed and jumped onto Adrien's shoulder. "Exactly. Nothing good will come from this wackjob's suggestion. That's why I didn't even tell you about it." He swatted a paw threateningly at the Master with another hiss.

Fu's face remained expressionless. "Have you ever wondered where Cataclysm comes from? Energy and magic do not just appear. You are a scientific man, Adrien. You know the laws." He reached for his tea and took a slow sip as Adrien rolled over his words.

"Energy cannot be created or destroyed," Adrien recited. "It can only be transferred to another source." He offered his kwami a head scratch before posing his thoughts to the elder. "Cataclysm takes negative energy from another source to destroy. And the Cure, it takes positive energy from another source to create. Our powers aren't magic at all. They're basic science."

The older man shrugged as he lowered his cup. "Magic is merely an older form of science. It's either powerful or unstable depending on the wielder. I had chosen you partially because you enjoy science, but it seems you never made the connection. Truly a pity." He tapped the table beside the tablet. "Now, Marinette is meant to filter positive energy. While the negative—the destructive—energy is meant to be her companion, she can only handle small doses of it. She cannot wield it after being selected by Tikki. Dark magic is nothing more than condensed negative energy. If you had taken the attack, it would have acted as a power boost, so to speak. But Ladybug is not meant to filter the negative. Therefore, when she took the attack meant for you, it cancelled out her positivity."

Adrien's brows burrowed together. "I don't understand, Master. If she can no longer channel the positive energy, then how can she still wield Tikki?"

Fu raised a finger and ticked it side to side like a parent scolding a child. "Have you forgotten, child? The energy does not simply go away. It's merely locked away by the darkness. Her poor health is caused by the negative sway of the magic, so to speak. She is a light wielder, but the condensed attack she took set that balance off. Had it been an equal attack, nothing would have happened. The two forces would have negated the other." He smiled kindly at Adrien. "Now, since you are a filter for the negative and Marinette's energy is imbalanced, what do you suppose is the solution?"

Plagg slapped a paw on Adrien's shoulder. "Don't do it, kid. It's risky. He's not factoring in Emma. There's no way to know how it will affect her even if it works on Marinette."

Adrien folded his hands together on the table and gazed down at them. "Let's say Emma is not affected. Perhaps Mari's light is protecting our child from the dark. I could, in theory, absorb the residual magic that's corrupting her, correct?" He glanced timidly up at Fu. "I'll power up and Mari will be safe?"

The man nodded. "In theory, yes. It's been a long time since this spell was attempted. And," he tilted his head towards Adrien's shoulder where Plagg was seething. "The last attempt did not fare well. There are risks to every spell. Surely, you know the risks of using Black Hole?"

Adrien scrubbed at his neck as he looked away. "Yeah, for every year I went back. I lost a year of my life and for every day I stay, I lose another." He directed his gaze back at Fu. "It's just thirteen years and I can take them off my remaining cat lives as well."

"Lives that are meant to be saved for battle," Plagg hissed quietly. "But, seeing as neither of us want to lose the mollies, we decided it would be worth the risk." Adrien knew Plagg was also referring to Tikki. If Marinette died, Tikki would go dormant once more. There was no reason for Nino, as the new Guardian, to reassign her. The world was at peace. Well, as much peace as the world could be without his father unleashing akumas once a week. Plagg continued. "But, this spell could kill you. And we still don't know what would happen to Emma." Plagg poked Adrien's cheek roughly. "You're meant to absorb the darkness in metered doses. If you absorb all her negative energy, it could be too much for your body. Not to mention, it would take years to learn to properly channel the energy. This plan sucks. On to plan B."

Fu thumbed the tablet off. Adrien stared at his reflection on the dark screen as he began to guess at Fu's next words. A sense of finality blanketing him as Fu voiced aloud his thoughts.

"There is no plan B."

XXX

Adrien finished his pastry at last. With a sigh, he snuggled closer to Marinette. "You're the best, Marinette."

The girl giggled beside him. "Because I bring you pastries? Your dietician would hate me if he ever found out."

He snorted. "It'll be our secret, princess." He turned his head and pressed a kiss onto her silky hair. He rested against her and inhaled deeply; drinking in her scent. It was easy to pretend they were just on a date in the park, but the looming threat of their future never completely left his mind. That threat was the very reason he was being allowed this time. Had her life not be in danger, he would be stuck in his room on this sunny Saturday no doubt doing homework, binging anime, or practicing piano. He squeezed her a little tighter and prayed to whatever god would listen to him would change their future. He couldn't lose her. Even if it meant locking her up during the final battle with Hawk Moth or never being with her romantically, he would find a solution.

He refused to believe that their destiny was set in stone.

XXX

With Plagg tucked away in his pocket, Adrien trudged down the sidewalk. His ear piece was snuggly secured in his ear to allow him to speak freely to Plagg. "If Gabriel's attack would never have hurt me, could I not just tell my younger self to take the hit? To watch her? Something?"

If he could change that one detail, maybe he would return home to a healthy and happy Marinette. His Emma would be safe, too. No risk on any of their parts.

Plagg squirmed in his breast pocket. "Say you tell him. Who's to say he could even stop her? You know Marinette better than anyone. Unless you chained her to a post, she would still take that hit for you. That's why you should have waited until after the battle to reveal yourself."

"It's not like I had a choice," he grumbled. "I was kinda forced to. Not that I regret spending the extra time with My Lady."

"You're still going to do it, aren't you?"

Adrien tilted his head back, his long hair shifting over his shoulders as he paused. His emerald eyes found the familiar landmark of the Tower in the distance. The Tower where he had fallen for his Lady. The Tower where he had revealed himself to his Princess. The Tower where he had proposed to his love. Tears pricked uncomfortably behind his eyes and fought them. "I can't lose her," he repeated his daily prayer and his kwami sighed.

"Alright, kid. We'll leave tonight and I'll help you learn the spell as soon as we get home." Plagg said around a sigh.

Adrien nodded his understanding and smiled softly. "Thanks, Plagg."

He resumed his pace towards the park and he could faintly see the forms of his younger self and Marinette in the distance. His pace increased as he found himself desperate to be close to Marinette. While she wasn't necessarily his Mari, she could still offer the comfort he craved. With a quick glance at his surroundings, he popped behind a tree and called upon his transformation.

Chat Noir darted out. His sudden appearance noticed by the nearby children and fans that called out his name. A few parents pulled their children closer at seeing that he wasn't exactly the Chat Noir they had grown used to. The commotion had caused Marinette and Adrien to stand from their bench and stare. Chat smirked as he drew closer and could see Adrien's outraged expression.

"Hello, my Princess," Chat purred as he stopped before them. He reached for the girl's hand and bowed over it to press a kiss to her tender skin. The girl squeaked in surprise as Adrien practically growled at her side. The cat smirked at the kitten as he pulled the girl to his side. "Sorry, but it appears I need to borrow your date, pretty boy."

He reached for his baton and elongated it. Adrien fumed in silence as he watched Chat leap away with Marinette in his arms.