Dabble in Drabbles 34.3: Connection
MAN do I miss this so much! That moment when you've gotten used to writing stories every day that it feels weird when you can't for a week. Yeup. I was ripped out of my cocoon of Love Square goodness and forced to write essays every day, study every day, just…ugh. I want to write!
ANYWAY, I can't go complaining like that when I left ya'll at that point in the last chapter now, can I? :D that was mean of me (sorry not sorry)
Also, shout-out to Fallen's Child for making a podfic of Teaspoon's first chapter! Her voice is AMAZING! go search Dabble in Drabbles in Youtube and listen to it! I insist! Either you can do it now or you can do it after reading this chapter. Up to you. Just...her voice is just so beautiful!
So, LAST CHAPTER of the Teaspoon series! Yay! I'll finally be able to rest your aching hearts (probably). This is long! Seriously freaking long!
To those who are new to this, go back to DiD 34.1 or chapter 37 to understand the story.
Summary: For more than 5000 years, one will always find a Ladybug with her Chat Noir. But when her Chat Noir disappears from the picture, it'll be like a ladybug whose wings are ripped from her back.
Adrien picked up his bag and checked inside to make sure all his fencing gear was there. Just as he was about to leave, he said, "Plagg, where are you? We have to go."
There was no reply.
Adrien frowned. Was his kwami playing hide and seek with him again? He strode back inside his bedroom and crouched on his knees to the mini cubbyhole for his kwami's makeshift bed. "Okay, time to get up."
But then he spotted the unopened camembert cheese inside. He picked it up. "Funny. This would've been gone right now."
Gone.
Plagg was gone.
He suddenly remembered. His breathing came in shallow gasps as he looked at his finger where his miraculous once resided. The bedroom now felt too small. Dropping the package on the floor, he ran out of his room.
A week had passed since the disappearance of Chat Noir. A tiresome week filled with akuma attacks almost one after the other. Marinette was hanging through her sheer will alone to not go under. Many times, she had expected a black cat to distract the villain while she brought her Lucky Charm out. Many times, she expected him to have her back while she fought. But there was no such thing happening ever again. Her partner was gone.
"Marinette, you have to take a rest." Tikki said with concern. Marinette crashed on her bed, bones weary and heart heavy. She shook her head.
"Chat Noir." She mumbled. "I have to find Chat Noir."
"You don't know his civilian form." Tikki said. "It'll be almost impossible for you to find him."
A tear slipped down the young girl's cheek. She picked up the red miraculous box and gazed at it. For a week, she had been battling with wanting to open it and meet his kwami. But her other side feared that if she opened it, she would know the full reason why he left, and maybe her heart might finally be taken away by Chat Noir.
Tikki watched her charge. Aside from being tired from saving Paris without Chat Noir, she was mentally scarred from her accidental murder of an akuma victim.
"I think we have to go to the Guardian."
Marinette paused and she looked at her kwami. "Master Fu?"
The quantic god nodded. "He will know what to do."
Marinette looked back at the box in her hands. Putting it inside her pouch, she let Tikki settle inside before going back to the man who gave her the ladybug miraculous.
"Ahh, Ladybug. I was wondering if you were ever going to come."
Marinette peeked through the door and into the kind eyes of Master Fu. He beckoned her to come in and she did. There was a low table in the middle of the room with a set of tea and small Chinese sweet buns in a platter. Marinette knelt in front of him.
"So your Chat Noir is gone." Master Fu said, sipping his herbal green tea. Marinette just stared at her reflection in the tea. He put his cup down. "May I see it?"
She took out Chat Noir's miraculous box and slid it on the table. Tikki settled on the table beside Wayzz. Master Fu opened it and Plagg floated out.
The cat kwami blinked its eyes slowly. His gaze traveled to Marinette and suddenly he was clawing at her face. Marinette drew away as he swiped his tiny, but sharp claws at her, hissing and growling. "YOU! YOU COULD'VE SAVED HIM!"
"PLAGG! PLAGG PLEASE!" Tikki grabbed her other soul away from her charge. "Plagg, calm down!"
He turned to Tikki, his pupils in thin slits. He snarled, "My kitten is gone! I told him it was a bad idea! I told him everything would go broke if he let his miraculous go without Ladybug! But did he actually follow my advice?! NO! He wanted to keep her safe! He wanted to keep his friend safe from all those harm! BECAUSE HE LOVED HER! AND THAT IS WHY I HATE LADYBUGS!"
Plagg sank down on the table, his large head nestling on his hands. "I've lost too many kittens…too many…"
Marinette watched in shock as Tikki and Wayzz comforted Plagg. Her lower lip trembled. Plagg grew startled at the teardrops falling on the wooden surface. He looked up at her. She said softly, "I'm sorry. I'm so sorry. It's my fault. If only I had been a better partner, a better Ladybug, this wouldn't have had to happen."
"Of course it wouldn't have happened." Plagg snapped. But then the burning rage in him melted at the broken gaze of Marinette. He sighed. "Ladybug, this isn't just about me losing my charge. This is about a strong connection with another being's soul. And when that is ripped out, nothing can bring it back until one of us is willing to connect again. And that goes for a Ladybug's Chat Noir as well."
"But Chat…" Marinette asked hesitantly. "He doesn't want be Chat anymore?"
"'As long as Paris will be rest assured and Ladybug is safe, Chat Noir will never appear again.'" Plagg quoted from Adrien. He shook his head. "But he's an idiot. A lovesick idiot."
"What do you mean?" Marinette asked.
Wayzz answered her this time. "A Ladybug cannot function without a Chat Noir. That is how it always was and will always be."
"So if Chat Noir is gone…" Marinette's eyes widened. "Ladybug must disappear too?!"
"Not necessarily." Master Fu said. "There are two ways to deal with this situation. First, you give up your miraculous and a new duo will appear."
Marinette's eyes shot to Tikki. The kwami had been with her through everything, be it her awkward phase with Adrien or the dangers with akuma attacks. She was her other half. Ladybug was already a part of her. Marinette shook her head. "I don't want to give up being Ladybug just yet."
A smile flickered on Master Fu's mouth. "Even if your partner has given up being Chat Noir?"
"I know my partner." Marinette declared. "He wouldn't give up his miraculous so easily! If he truly loved Ladybug – If he truly loved me - then he would come back!"
The Guardian looked at the bad luck kwami. Plagg rolled his eyes. "He's a lovesick kitten. You don't even need to feed him catnip."
"Then there's only one way left." Master Fu said. "Find Chat Noir and bring him back."
"Alya, I need your help."
The young reporter knew where this was going to go. She had already seen it coming from a week away. Alya picked up her bag and walked out of her house. "I'll be there in 5."
When she got to Marinette's bakery in less than three minutes flat, she saw her best friend pacing around in the middle of her bedroom. Marinette looked at her and bit her lip. Alya set her bag on a chair and crossed her arms.
"Alya, before anything else, there's something I have to tell you." Marinette said slowly. "Please don't freak out-"
"Is this about you being Ladybug?" Alya interrupted. "Because I already know."
Marinette gawked at her. "Y-You already – how – when?!"
"Last week. You weren't really discreet about hiding your protectiveness." Alya smirked. But then it fell away. "Are you holding up okay?"
An overwhelming feeling of relief from pent-up secrets burst out of Marinette. She sobbed and wrapped her arms around Alya. "I messed up! I messed up so badly! Chat Noir's gone! The akuma victim is dead! It's all because of me! I – I don't-"
"Marinette, relax. That's why I'm here, aren't I?" Alya said gently. She wiped away the tears from her best friend's cheeks. "We're here to set things straight. We're here to bring back Chat Noir. It's all about him, isn't it? I've noticed how you always seem tired every day and the akuma attacks have grown stronger."
"Is that why you gave me honey lemon tea every morning at school?" Alya grinned. Marinette smiled gratefully. "Alya, you're the best."
"I know." Alya said smugly. Then she put her reporter face on. "So now, what do you have in mind, Ladybug?"
Marinette called out to her kwami. "Tikki, you can come out now."
The small creature shot out of the corner of the room and floated in front of Alya. "Hello, my name is Tikki and I am a kwami. I am what make Marinette Ladybug."
Alya stared. "Oh."
"Oh?" Marinette echoed. Alya turned towards her and grinned sheepishly. "I thought you were hiding some kind of Ladybug costume in your closets, so sometimes, I tried to do a bit of snooping around."
"Alya!"
"Sorry!" The reporter apologized. "I didn't know that you transformed with a kwami."
Marinette grinned. "You want to see my transformation?"
Alya nodded and positioned her camera in front of her, but Marinette shook her head. With a pout, Alya put it away.
"Tikki, transforme moi!"
She watched, entranced, as Marinette did her sequence as pink energy traveled throughout her body, ladybug spots replacing her ordinary clothes. Once her sequence ended, Paris's superhero stood in front of her.
"Wow." Alya breathed out. "This is better than I could have imagined. So what now?"
Ladybug looked at her with a determined expression.
"I want to send a message to all of Paris."
Adrien sighed as he slumped on his computer chair. Spotting a red dot on the Ladyblog, he clicked it.
"Are you ready?" Alya's voice spoke from behind the camera. The video shook a little before focusing on a certain superhero. Ladybug nodded. "Ready, go."
"To all Parisians, I am here to tell you I'm sorry." Ladybug said. "All of you have seen Chat Noir trip and accidentally used Cataclysm on the akuma villain, causing the victim to die. But the truth is…it wasn't Chat Noir who killed her. It was me."
Adrien's eyes widened. No, my lady! You can't!
"The akuma villain's main ability is to switch the souls of two people into each other's bodies." Ladybug explained. "For those who were caught with the akuma's attack, you would know. Unfortunately, Chat Noir and I fell victim to its powers. And because of that, I was in Chat Noir's body and he was in mine. The only way we could return to back to normal was to use the body we were in to save the day."
Pain and distraught flashed through her face. "So in the end, you all saw Chat Noir use Cataclysm. But that wasn't him. That was me in his body. I was Chat Noir. I used Cataclysm. I was the one who killed her. Chat Noir is innocent."
"I-I'm not asking for forgiveness." Ladybug said softly. "What I'm asking for is for Paris to apologize to Chat Noir. He did nothing wrong. From the beginning up until now, all he has done is to keep the city safe. He puts us all before himself. If it wasn't for him, then there would be no Ladybug at all. That's why…"
Ladybug looked straight at the camera, straight into Adrien's eyes. "Chat Noir, wherever you are, I just want you to know, you are my hero. I'm sorry for failing your expectations. But I hope that you still want to come back. Paris needs you. I need you. A Ladybug is incomplete without her Chat Noir."
"He's waiting for you." Adrien knew she was talking about Plagg. She wiped her tears with the back of her hand. Her voice quivered.
"I'll be waiting for you."
Paris was in uproar.
Headlines about the black cat superhero filled the front page of every newspaper. In each medium of social media, Ladybug and Chat Noir was what everyone was talking about. There were plenty of conspiracy theories as to why Ladybug would video that or why she couldn't do anything without Chat Noir. Debates were held, rumors were spread, and rallies were going on in the streets. But there was one united message:
BRING CHAT NOIR BACK!
The video of Ladybug garnered 2 million views in 3 hours. It was shared, reblogged, reposted, and mentioned so many times it was like everyone knew about it and have watched it more than 10 times.
Many reporters wanted to interview Alya, asking why Ladybug would go to her instead of famous TV stations, but Alya refused. She was under silent oath to Ladybug.
What shocked Marinette the most, however, was how cruel people could be; and how protective Adrien and Chloé – out of all people – were of Ladybug.
"Ladybug's such an attention whore." A guy in the upper grades said with a nasty laugh. Marinette stopped in her tracks, pain shooting in her heart. Alya was ready to rip off the guy's head, but Chloé beat her to it.
"He did not just say that." Chloé growled. She dumped her bag at Sabrina. "Hold this."
She marched up to the guy who said the passing remark.
SLAP!
The sharp sound resonated around the sudden quiet hallway. Everyone watched as the drama began to unfold. Chloé's fingers left a fine imprint on the guy's cheek. He turned to the mayor's daughter in shock.
"What the hell?!" He exploded. Chloé gave him a cool look as she applied soothing hand cream on her stinging palm. She wasn't very fond of pain, but that slap felt nice.
"Nothing. You just annoyed me." Chloé said nonchalantly. He clenched his hand into a fist. He was about to punch Chloé in the face, but several things prevented that.
Adrien stepped in front of him, blocking the punch with his hand. He growled, "Are you really low enough that you would hit a girl?"
"What? You're all touchy feely because I said something that's true?" The guy sneered.
Rage flared up in Adrien's green eyes. He tightened his grip and the upperclassman winced. Adrien growled, "You don't know a thing about Ladybug. You don't know what she is going through. So don't you dare say a bad thing about her."
"It's true. She's just an attention whore." The upperclassman said. "Did you see her costume? It's like she's just begging to be banged."
Adrien's patience snapped. He had crossed the line.
With a snarl, he punched the upperclassman on the face. There were shrieks of shock and somebody went to get a teacher. Nino tried to pull Adrien off, but he resisted. He continued to punch, kick, and beat the upperclassman up. The guy tried to fight back, but years of fencing training and superhero duties had honed Adrien's reflexes.
"Adrien! Stop it! You've done enough!" His fencing master snapped. It took Ivan and Kim to hold him back as another teacher quickly led the upperclassman away to the nurse room.
"Let go of me! He hasn't apologized to her! How dare you disrespect Ladybug?!" Adrien snarled. "How dare you say that in front of her?!"
People were confused as to what he meant. But both Marinette and Alya realized it.
Adrien knew.
Suddenly, Marinette – sweet, shy Marinette who looked like she was ready to bolt when Adrien was a foot away from her – wrapped her arms around him. He froze as she leaned her forehead on the square of his back.
She said quietly, "Calm down, Adrien."
Adrien's shoulder sagged. All his anger evaporated. He squeezed her hand before slipping out of her hold. She looked up at him. He said, "Sorry for scaring you, Marinette."
Marinette blushed and she turned back to being a spluttering mess. "I- ah – um – I-It's oaky! I – I mean, okay! Fine! Yeup! Not scared!"
"Adrien." He winced at the clipped voice of Nathalie speaking up behind him. He turned around. How did she get here so fast? She said, "Come with me."
Giving one last longing look at Marinette, he followed his father's assistant.
The incident was quickly covered up. All that was left were rumors that many people didn't believe. How could the perfect Adrien Agreste hurt somebody? It was good that Adrien had a clean record. Because if he didn't, he would already be pulled out of school.
It was thanks to Nathalie (and his pleading kitty eyes, really) that had him suspended for a week instead.
But despite all the trouble happening around Marinette, that still didn't stop Madame Bustier from giving her class group projects.
It had been a week since the incident, and 10 days since the Ladybug video, that Adrien was finally allowed back in school. He was as popular as ever. Not only because he was a model, but because he stood up against the upperclassman who said those things about Ladybug.
"H-How are you feeling?" Marinette asked him nervously as she put a platter of chocolate chip cookies on her desk. Adrien, Marinette, Nino, and Alya were paired up in a group, but the latter two had something else to do on that day. So only Adrien was able to come and work on the project with her.
Adrien drummed his pencil on the floor. Worksheets were scattered around them in Marinette's room. He said quietly, "I should be the one asking you that."
Marinette paused in her writing. She wondered what he meant, and then remembered that he knew she was Ladybug. She bit her lip. "I-It's…"
"Do you miss Chat Noir?" Adrien abruptly asked. She hesitated, and then nodded her head.
"Are you disappointed?" Marinette said. "That Ladybug is just a boring, ordinary girl, no one special."
"You're special to me!" Adrien blurted out. Her gaze snapped at him. "A superhero sits behind me every day at school and I didn't know! You're an amazing designer! You're incredibly friendly and optimistic! Y-You're my best friend!"
With each compliment, her face grew redder. With a giggle, she pointed out, "I thought your best friend was Nino."
He opened his mouth to tell her his reason, but realizing that if he did that, he would reveal himself, he just smiled. "Well, yeah. But you're one of my first friends. Even if we kinda started in the wrong foot."
"I-I'm sorry!" Marinette squeaked. "I was jumping to conclusions! I really thought you were like Chloé!"
Adrien laughed. "It's okay. I get that a lot. But I'm glad that I'm able to be friends with you. We are friends…right?"
"Of course!" Marinette declared fiercely. "And I lo-"
Marinette stopped in the middle of her sentence. Adrien looked at her, cheeks red, eyes wide in anticipation. Her eyes flickered to the pictures of her and Chat Noir. Her gaze softened. She drew away from Adrien.
"Chat Noir."
Adrien jumped. But she wasn't referring to him. She was looking at the posters of the black superhero on the wall where his modeling pictures used to be. Marinette said sadly, "He was always there for me. He was always there for Paris. But with the kind of person I am in real life, I'm guessing he doesn't want to deal with me any longer."
"That's not true-"
"I killed a person, Adrien!" Marinette cried. "Who would want to be partnered with a murderer?!"
"She's not dead."
Marinette's heart stopped. "What?"
He said. "The akuma victim? Her name is Evan and she's currently in the hospital for the usual checkup for akuma victims. But she's not dead. She's still alive."
Adrien grabbed her shoulders. He said firmly, "You didn't kill anyone."
Marinette stared at him, a stunned expression on her face. "Y-You're telling the truth?"
Adrien slipped out his phone and opened into a video in Youtube. It was a reply video to Ladybug from the akumatized victim. He showed it to her.
"Ladybug, I saw your video and I just want to say: I'm sorry!" Evan said to the camera. "I'm alive! All healthy with no abnormalities! Well, aside from me being transgender, but whatever. The black thing didn't kill me. I was in a coma for two days but I wasn't dead. I have no ill will against you or Chat Noir. You both saved me and that is what matters the most. I'm alive, Ladybug! I'm alive! It's not your fault!"
"She's alive." Marinette repeated, a tear sliding down her face. Adrien watched as she cried silently. A huge burden had lifted from her small shoulders. "But will Chat Noir come back?"
Adrien looked down guiltily. Everything was solved. Ladybug wanted him back. Paris wanted him back. So what was holding him back from being Chat Noir?
Suddenly, screams pierced the air.
Marinette and Adrien's heads snapped up at the sound. Marinette jumped up and opened her window. There was a large cloud billowing near the Seine River. She said, "I have to go. You stay here."
"Tikki, transforme moi!"
Adrien stared at his lady. She squirmed under his heated gaze. Turning around, she climbed up to her balcony. He followed after her. Ladybug looked at him and smiled. "See you later, Adrien."
And with that said, Adrien watched her leave. There was a dreadful feeling deep inside him. His gut was telling him that something terrible was going to happen to Ladybug.
Ladybug was fighting the latest akuma and it looked like she was losing terribly.
Adrien gripped his phone a bit tighter as he watched the battle rage on. He was itching to go and help her. He could see places where the akuma villain had lowered his guard. If he was Chat Noir right now, he would be able to strike during moments while Ladybug thought up of a strategy.
Adrien longed for his ring. He longed for Plagg. Most of all, he longed for being Chat Noir.
"You can go." An elderly voice spoke up from behind him. Adrien jumped and whirled around. An old man was standing in the middle of Marinette's room. Adrien recognized him as the man whom he had helped on that first day of school. The old man said, "Ladybug needs you, Chat Noir."
"Who are you?" Adrien asked.
"My name is Master Fu." He said. He handed Adrien the miraculous box. "I am the Guardian."
Adrien took it from him with trembling fingers. He opened it.
A bright green shining bubble floated out and Plagg materialized. The cat kwami opened his eyes and settled his gaze on Adrien. A lazy grin spread on his face. "You really have to cry right now?"
"Plagg." Adrien choked out. He put the ring on and grabbed his kwami. Plagg yowled as he squirmed at Adrien's rough affections. "Ow- Adrien – you're squeezing me too tight – watch my whiskers – never mind!"
"I'm so sorry." Adrien cried. "I'm sorry."
Plagg raised a nonexistent eyebrow at this. "Sorry? What for? What you did was right, even if it did hurt."
"I-"
"Now stop being a sourpuss and transform!" Plagg snapped. "We can talk later."
Adrien was immediately reminded of Ladybug's current situation. "Right. Of course."
"Plagg, transforme moi!"
He could feel the familiar, powerful energy travel through him. He smiled as he felt Plagg's presence throughout him. He and his kwami were one again.
Chat Noir opened his eyes and inspected himself. He flexed his claws. "Chat Noir is back in action!"
He was about to thank Master Fu, but there was no one in the room. It was like he wasn't there to begin with. Deeming that it could be dealt with later, Chat Noir leaped out of the window and ran off to save Ladybug.
Master Fu watched the superhero from below the streets. Wayzz landed on his shoulder. "Do you think that was a good idea, Master?"
"He needs her as much as she needs him." Master Fu said. "They are meant for each other after all."
Her limbs were heavy. The akuma villain before her swam in and out of view. She was tired.
And then, the inevitable happened.
The akuma villain got a hold of her yo-yo and pulled it out of her grasp. He threw it out of the way before grabbing her ankle and dangling her over the side of the Eiffel Tower. Ladybug was much more awake now.
"Give me your miraculous and I will spare your life!" The akuma villain demanded.
Ladybug glared at him. "NEVER!"
"You leave me no choice."
And then he dropped her.
Ladybug's heart plummeted along with herself. This was it. This was how she was going to die. Not even a magical suit could save her from a hundred meter drop.
I'm sorry Chat.
3
2
1
"LADYBUG!"
Her breath was taken away as a warm body slammed into her. Strong arms wrapped around her waist. The next thing she knew, she had already gently touched down on the ground. Startling green cat eyes met her blue ones.
"Sorry I'm late, my lady." Chat Noir said, kissing the back of her hand. She was speechless. She watched as he gave her a wink and shot up to the top of the Eiffel Tower with his baton. The whole crowd was cheering and chanting his name.
She was snapped out of her daze when she saw her yo-yo sailing down. She deftly caught it, a smile on her lips. "Just on time, chaton. You were just on time."
Their synchronizing was even more fluid than before. If back then was them reading each other's minds and knowing what to do, then this time, it was like their thoughts were as one. Their bond had broken. But once it was mended, it was thicker, stronger, and more indestructible.
Later on, Plagg and Tikki would agree that this was the ideal miraculous duo.
MIRACULOUS LADYBUG
Everything went back to normal. Everything was back to the way it was. Chat Noir and Ladybug exchanged looks. This time, they didn't do their traditional fist bump.
Ladybug stepped forward and wrapped him into a fierce bear hug. Chat Noir tightened his grip around her. Hot tears fell on his shoulder and ran down his suit. Ladybug said in a broken voice, "D-Don't leave me ever again! Why did you have to do that, you stupid cat?! I had to fight the akuma villains all by myself and-"
"I missed you too." Chat Noir translated her rant. She cried harder and clung to him. "I'm sorry my lady. I'm sorry, princess. I won't ever leave again, I promise you that."
She nodded. Their reunion however, had to be cut short as her earrings beeped. Ladybug stepped out of his arms and looked down at the crowd. She saw the flicker of uncertainty on his face. "Chaton, look at me."
She stroked the side of his cheek and said, "Paris trusts you. I trust you. You had every chance to become a supervillain after that time, but you didn't. And that's why you're a superhero."
The last sliver of doubt melted away. Chat Noir smiled. "Thank you, my lady."
"I'll see you tonight, Chat Noir." Ladybug said.
And as the spotted hero zipped away, Chat Noir leaped down onto the ground to face the crowd. And when he did, he was welcomed back with apologies and open arms.
"Since you know my identity, aren't you going to reveal to me yours?"
Chat Noir looked lazily at Marinette. He was stretched out precariously on her balcony railings, his tail slowly swishing back and forth. He hummed in a flat response. Marinette frowned. She asked, "I've wondered. Why was Evan alive after being hit by Cataclysm? I thought it was a power of destruction."
"It is." Chat Noir looked at his claws. "But Cataclysm is different from your Lucky Charm. Cataclysm can be controlled. It responds to the wielder's will. You would never be able to kill someone if that wasn't your intention. Cataclysm destroyed Foxface, but it didn't kill Evan."
Marinette gave a sigh of relief. "Thank goodness. You know, you still didn't answer my question. When will you reveal your identity to me?"
Thunder rumbled in the distance and small droplets began to fall. Chat Noir stood up. He smiled down at her.
"You'll know tomorrow."
Fin.
DONE!
I'm pooped! Forgive me for all the grammatical errors! (I think I need a beta) This was a really long chapter! Teaspoon three-shot has now drawn to a close!
And before ya'll start demanding a reveal, the next chapters are going to be several reveal fics, don't worry. But that won't be until Friday because I will be away.
So THANK YOU FOR READING! AND REVIEWING! AND THANKS FOR THE FAVES AND THE FOLLOWS!
I LOVE YOU ALL!
See ya'll in the next chapter!