Finally, it was getting pretty late. Ladybug yawned. "I'm getting tired... Maka, you still don't see anything?"
The meister shook her head. "It might be possible that Hawk Moth is using soul protect - a technique that masks his soul, making it look like an ordinary human's. If that's the case, he might even be a witch..." She shuddered. "But if he is using soul protect, he would be unable to use any witch powers, assuming the creation of akuma is a witch power." She yawned. "In any case, I'm getting exhausted... Do you have any place I can stay?"
Ladybug grunted. "W-well, I do, but... I can't show you my true identity, Maka."
"That's okay. I understand that it's important for your identity to remain secret. In that case, can you leave me with someone who I might be able to stay with for the time being?" asked the brunette with a soft smile.
The superheroine nodded. "Of course. You and Soul both can probably stay there..." She frowned, and glanced back, to where Chat Noir had been following her. She groaned. "Where did those two idiots go?"
Maka sighed. "Don't worry about it, Ladybug. Soul isn't completely an idiot. Chat Noir will probably find a place for him, right?"
"I hope so..." muttered the bug lady, before leaping to a nearby balcony and knocking on the door to it.
The door opened in a second. "Ladybug? What are you doing here?" asked a confused girl with glasses, dressed in pajamas. She glanced at her phone. "It's, like, 11 PM..." she sleepily muttered.
The heroine chuckled. "Good never takes a break, Alya. I have an important assignment for you - this is Maka Albarn, a hero, like me. She needs somewhere to stay for the night, do you think she could stay here?"
"Yeah, we have a spare couch. You've saved Paris so many times, I think we owe you at least this much," Alya said with a smile, before yawning widely.
Ladybug offered a wave, before flying away majestically. Maka was dubious, watching her with a confused look.
Alya touched her shoulder, and gestured to the sofa. "Cmon, girl, couch is over here. Holler my name if you need anything," she explained and headed back to her room.
Maka shut the door behind her. Sighing, she sat down on the couch. She hoped Soul was okay... For so long, they hadn't be separated. Fear gripped her - what if he got hurt, and Ladybug and Maka just didn't notice? Maka had been so focused on trying to find Hawk Moth's soul... Why hadn't she looking back?
The sound of snoring was loud and obnoxious. The blond boy laid on top of the weapon, and they both were stripped down to their underwear.
It wasn't sexual or awkward - it just happened. Adrien had lost track of Ladybug, and decided it was getting too late to keep looking. Both of the boys were getting exhausted, so Adrien suggested they stay at his place - which turned out to be a fancy, modern mansion. Soul didn't pry, but did admire the piano in his room.
The blond boy de-transformed and introduced Soul to Plagg, but Soul wasn't fazed.
"So, your power comes from a piece of jewelry and a fairy," the weapon said dryly.
Adrien blushed. "W-well-!"
Soul smiled. "I think that's pretty cool, actually. Is Ladybug the same way?"
"Yeah, her power comes from her earrings..." He looked at Soul, curiosity in his eyes. "Where does your power come from?"
The white-haired boy was caught off guard by the question. "O-oh. Actually, my power comes from inside me - I've been able to transform since I was born. It's second nature, really." He chuckled, putting a hand on the back of his neck.
Adrien smiled back. "That's pretty cool, actually... You think you could transform now?"
Soul's eyes widened. "Sure!" he chuckled, and his form turned into bright white light, before the light hardened into his scythe form.
Adrien gasped, and quickly moved to catch him, eyes widening with wonder. "Wow," he whispered, marvelling over him, as the weapon dropped into his hands.
"You seriously have never seen a weapon like me before?" Soul asked, as he transformed back.
The blonde boy shook his head. "No, never... It's amazing," he breathed.
"Heh," the weapon grinned, before yawning. "Well, high time we get to bed - when we fight Hawk Moth tomorrow, we gotta be at our best!" he proclaimed with a grin.
"Yeah!" The other boy cheered, the smile spreading to him. With a determined look on his face, he fell face-first onto his bed.
Soul snickered, before doing the same.
"Black Star, it's midnight!" Tsubaki protested. "We should find Maka and Soul, chances are they've already found Hawk Moth..."
"A big star like me doesn't need the two of them. I can take on Hawk Moth all by my self! Yahoo!" the assassin cheered, a grin on his face.
The weapon's head lowered. "Alright... But can we at least take a break? I need to go to the bathroom."
"Go ahead, Tsubaki, I'll wait outside!" Black Star responded with a nod.
The black haired woman's eyes widened, before she nodded and ran off to find the bathroom.
Eventually, she stumbled in, and stared at her reflection. She sighed, letting her tense body relax. "Black Star is wrong... Something is wrong here, and we can't do it without Maka and Soul's help. Why can't he just admit he's wrong for once?" Suddenly, she released, she was crying, gripping the sink, too overcome with emotion to notice the black butterfly that slipped beneath the crack of the door.
The second the akuma touched her scarf, the creature dissipated into it, corrupting it and turning it black. Tsubaki gasped, head shooting up to look at her blurred reflection, a pink butterfly outline floating just in front of it.
"Ah, Tsubaki, the sweet, shy woman who's too kind to put her idiotic partner in his place..." a honeyed voice whispered in her ear. "Now, you will become Lady Blade, and have the power and will to give everyone, including Black Star, what they deserve. I only ask for the miraculous of Ladybug and Chat Noir in return... Do we have a deal?"
The woman's heart pounded. She stared into her own reflection's indigo eyes, deep in thought. Normally she had such a level head... But her voice of reason seemed to be silenced. A soft chuckled escaped the weapon's lips. "Of course, Hawk Moth. I can't wait to put that brat in his place," she whispered, and the transformation overtook her.
Black Star whistled, standing outside. "Tsubaki... Tsubaki! What is taking her so long? A star as big as me can't wait forever!" He groaned, and stomped off in the direction she went. "Hey, Tsubaki, what's taking?" he asked, upon seeing the back of his partner.
She didn't respond, breathing quickly. She was hunched over a bit.
"Woah, are you okay?" Black Star asked, slowly approaching his partner.
The woman whipped around, letting out a piercing scream. In her hands were two enchanted swords, identical to the one she would usually become in uncanny sword mode. She looked the same as always except for the black lines crisscrossing her cheeks, and the pure fury on her face, in her eyes!
"Tsubaki?" the assassin whispered, eyes wide.
Her eyes narrowed. "YOU WILL CALL ME LADY BLADE!" she screamed, before dashing forth, her blades ready to slice him in half.
He gasped, and quickly jumped up, dodging them just as they swept beneath him. While she recovered, he dashed into a nearby alley. He had no weapon, save for his soul menace, a shock-like power. But even so, he couldn't fight Tsubaki! He shook his head, and ran, tears running down his cheeks. He pulled out his phone, and called Maka - something he should have done from the beginning.