"...and for as long as they lived, they lived happily ever after. The end."
Marinette threw the book in a corner in frustration. "How did this help me at all? It just wasted my time!" Tikki chimed in, "I told you so, but there must be some use for it. Maybe something with the title itself?" Marinette shook her head. "I would've known it by now. Besides, if there was something strange about the book, I'd detect it in a second. I did summon it, after all."
Tikki nudged Cat Noir. "I bet Plagg's getting tired. We have to figure this book out before he transforms back to his civilian self, and fast!" Marinette sobbed in her hands, "But I don't understand! What does Sleeping Beauty have anything to do with Cat Noir-"
Suddenly, her eyes brightened. "Wait a minute…"
She slowly reached for the book and flipped to a page. "Aha… and for one hundred years, Princess Aurora would have to sleep until her true love came and kissed her awake." Tikki squealed, "Do you think you need to kiss Cat Noir to wake him up!" A blush coated her cheeks, "No way! Besides, I'm not his true love- ugh," she mumbled as she made a face.
Tikki nudged Marinette. "You won't know until you try. Should we transform now? 'Cause if it works and you kiss him awake… he'll know your identity." Marinette nodded.
"Tikki, spots on!"
Her costume appeared in a flash, as she ran a hand over her sculpted face and a ladybug-like mask appeared, grafting itself to her pale skin. Her precious yo-yo hung at the side of her waist as she hoisted Cat Noir up.
She looked desperately into his closed eyes and dreamy smile, looking and hoping for another way to wake him up. She'd had to give him her first kiss once, she wasn't looking forward to waste her second. She had wanted to give it to Adrien… but then again, third time was the charm.
No time to waste. All of Paris depended on her to… kiss her partner awake. She cringed at the thought. She imagined Tikki in her head. Do it, Marinette! Paris depends on you!
Finally, she cupped his face as she brought her lips to his.
When their lips first made contact, she didn't sense any stirs of consciousness. So, obviously, she kissed him harder. Because if she wasn't the true love… and it ended up being a total jerk like Chloe, she'd have to take back her contract with Cat Noir as being the Bug and Cat team.
Then, his eyes fluttered awake as she kept trying. A force of wills, demanding Cat Noir's eyes to open, to regain consciousness, to enter reality and leave the dreams.
He didn't dare mumble; this was the best day of his life. Besides being lulled into a one-hundred year sleep. He savored every moment of her kiss, trying to take it all in for possibly the last time as she let go, finally.
The only thing he could say was, "That was delightful."
Immediately, Ladybug stormed up to him and hugged him tight. "Ow! Ah, ah, ah, you're crushing me," he said desperately. Ladybug smiled at him, his heart ka-bumped with pleasure. "Let's go, partner. Time to get our hero act on." Cat Noir smirked.
"Paw-lease. This cat was born ready."
Nightmare stormed through Paris, citizens falling down left and right. "WHERE ARE YOU, LADYBUG AND CAT NOIR?"
"Yoo-hoo!"
A black cat preened in front of him, twirling his little stick. "Next time, you don't have to tuck me into bed." He leaped away as another blast of black mist coated the roof where he had sat on.
Ladybug furrowed her brow, trying to figure out what to do. She leaped along with Cat Noir. "Why hello, my lady. Nice to see you're as charming as ever," he winked. Ladybug groaned. "Cat Noir, you saw me fifteen seconds ago. Anyway, the akuma must be in his top hat!" He shook his head. "No, it can't be. His top hat fell off a long time ago, and besides, he wouldn't let that go so easily." She frowned. "But what's generating his powers?"
Cat Noir snapped his fingers. "His sleeping mask!" Ladybug said, "Huh?"
"He had a sleeping mask on. The akuma-" "Must be inside!" finished Ladybug. She smirked. "Looks like we have a smart kitty cat. Now come on!" He grinned as he flashed her his signature two-finger salute. "You got it, LB."
They turned simultaneously around to face Nightmare. "I have saved this for you two, and now I think it's time!" His fist glowed with extreme black energy. Cat Noir stepped in front of Ladybug. "Ladybug, you should leave." Ladybug snorted and shoved him. "No way, cat. I let you save me once, and my repayment wasn't all that great-"
"It was fantastic," mumbled Cat Noir. "-and I don't feel like paying you again. Come on, cat. We do this together or not at all." He smiled and nodded. "That's my bugaboo."
Together, they charged.
Well, for one thing, it was hard.
For another, it was extremely difficult to even land a blow on the guy, as he was shooting black mist wherever they stepped. "I guess this puts a new meaning to supervillain," put in Cat Noir. Ladybug shot him a stink-eye as she leaped and dodged another burst of mist.
She thought furiously. "We can't touch him, so… oh!" she yelped. "Make him shoot himself!" Cat Noir frowned. "But won't that put him through danger?" Ladybug shook her head. "I can activate my Miraculous Ladybug and reverse everything quickly, just make him fall asleep himself!"
Cat Noir nodded and pounced at the guy. "Hey, sleepyhead, wanna go and take a nap?" He extended his staff and flew over the shot of mist that was aimed at his face. Ladybug jumped right where the mist left off. "Ha! Can't catch me!"
They played the silly game of tag until Nightmare was surrounded by his own dusty black soot. Ladybug and Cat Noir perched on a streetlight that wasn't covered in the black dust. "We've got you now," he smirked. Ladybug stopped him. "Wait. We need to be able to get the akumatized object and destroy it, preferably not touching that dust." Cat Noir nodded. "Is this what you humans call a double-edged sword?"
"Come on, witty kitty. We're gonna go for a ride." Ladybug leaped off of the lamplight, wrapping her yo-yo around Nightmare's wrist and landing straight on his head. "Hey!" he complained. He shot right above them.
It hit.
Ladybug faintly heard Cat Noir mewling in the distance, the soft pounding of feet that must have meant that he was running straight for her, which was a terrible idea. "Don't," she tried to say. But her mouth and her body might as well have been a heavyweight, as she couldn't move at all. Drowsiness overtook her as she fell asleep.