Chapter Three
Resurrection
It was 2am and the wind was starting to pick-up. Marinette shifted in her sleep as the whistling of her slightly open window slowly dragged her out of a dream. She tried to return to the illusions of Adrien and the steamy romance she longed for, but the whistling won her attention. Bleary eyed she sat up and rubbed her face, grumbling with the effort of freeing herself from the covers. Once exposed to the chill of her room, she demonstrated a shuffling gait normally reserved for zombie impressions, closed her window and yawned widely. She was on her way back to throw herself under still warm blankets when something caught her eye.
Tikki was missing from where she normally rested. Marinette woke up a bit more in curiosity, a quick glance at the clock making her question whether this was an important enough issue to miss sleep over. "Tikki?" She whispered as loud as she could without risking waking her parents, but only silence answered.
She lifted the trapdoor leading down to the rest of the house and poked her head out. Nothing seemed out of the ordinary, except for how spooky it all seemed in the dead of night. The wind was shifting things outside the windows, creating noises that taunted the imagination. Slowly she set the door back down and frowned, her head not quite alert enough to figure out her next move. In the quiet, Marinette could hear something moving about on the upper balcony. She hesitated going up there, thinking about the cold and the low probability of it being Tikki; but relented thinking that maybe she had been clumsy and locked her friend out before getting ready for bed. The girl hastily pulled on a housecoat and made to go outside, but as soon as she touched her hand to the doorknob she heard a hushed shout and something clatter. Opening it with caution, Marinette peeked out, spotting nothing strange. "Tikki?" She called, the wind taking her words and making her repeat herself a little louder.
Her little kwami appeared before her, looking more serious than anything. "Marinette! Why aren't you sleeping?"
This made Marinette confused, "I was looking for you." If she had locked Tikki outside she would be angry by now. Something else was going on. "What are you doing out here?" The girl took another look around but still didn't see anything. The sky was dark and it looked like it was about to rain.
Tikki frowned. "I was talking to an old friend. I'm afraid they didn't have very good news." The little creature's antenna were drooping and she was resting on the top of a plant. It reminded Marinette of a fairy she had seen in one of her old books. Marinette went to scoop the kwami up, but Tikki picked herself up and hovered past Marinette's shoulder, allowing her to close the door to warm the room back up. Marinette followed with more questions than answers.
"Tikki what do you mean by old friend? I thought I was the only person you knew?"
The creature sat down on Marinette's desk. "There is another kwami in Paris. They are tracking down a strange akuma that has wandered in from far away."
"WHAT!?" Marinette gasped, her voice too loud for two in the morning. She clapped a hand over her mouth and started to pace. "Another kwami? So there's another one of us in town? Are they nice? What is-? where are-? I didn't think that there were others…!" Her questions started falling over each other in an attempt to come out of her mouth first. Marinette picked up Tikki in her palm and stared at her intensely. "Tell me everything Tikki. Who is this new person? Why would Hawk Moth create an akuma from somewhere else to come here? It makes no sense."
Tikki lowered her eyes, "I didn't think that any of the others would come here, normally the other Miraculous work alone." She sighed, hesitant to say more. "There is a lot you don't know Marinette. You will get overwhelmed if I just tell you everything." She wrung her little hands and looked up at her friend. "Can this wait till morning?"
Marinette shook her head. "No Tikki. I can't sleep now knowing there's someone else doing my job. We should go out! Try to find the akuma before it hurts someone!" She went to the window, a second away from asking to transform before Tikki shook her head.
"You will not find her out there Marinette. Her abilities are difficult to combat. She attacks through dreams and is very powerful." Tikki hovered up to Marinette's face. "This akuma is unlike the ones you've faced before. This one is generated by a different Miraculous."
The girl blinked, not understanding. "Another… Miraculous? I thought only Hawk moth could create akuma. Is it the person you were talking to? It that why they're here?"
Tikki shook her head, "No, but she knows who made the akuma and what it wants."
"Can we help?" Marinette looked worried. "How is this other Miraculous tracking the akuma? What is it after?"
The creature sighed, "It is after you and Chat Noir. The same reason that Hawk Moth is after you. The akuma wants your Miraculous for itself."
"For itself? What about the Miraculous that made it?" Marinette wasn't quite following. Normally Hawk moth proposed a trade - but why would someone else make an akuma just to attack Ladybug and Chat Noir?
Tikki went to Marinette's bed and rested on a pillow. "I can't tell you everything… I'm sorry. You're still not ready." Never had Marinette seen her kwami so apologetic. "Usually Ladybug and Chat Noir are powerful enough to keep the other five in balance, but you're not yet fully matured into a full-fledged Ladybug. You are fast approaching that level, and I am extremely proud of you, but if any more Miraculous come to challenge you, I am terrified of losing you." Her eyes wavered, brimming with tears. Marinette softened and hugged her friend close to her chest.
"You're worried about me."
Tikki said nothing, afraid that if she opened her mouth once more she would tell her friend everything. Instead she buried her face into Marinette's pajamas, and hoped that everything would work out. She didn't want to damage the trust that they built between them.
The next day was far more uneventful than Marinette wanted it to be. Tikki's lips were sealed about everything and Marinette didn't want to push her too hard to talk; but it was difficult to focus on anything with the idea of another Miraculous being in town. Who was it? What sort of person were they - would they work with her and Chat Noir? Were they older? Were they French? Were they a superhero back home like she was here? How far along in their hunt for this mysterious akuma were they?
Marinette wasn't watching where she was going during her run to complete some errands for her mother. She wandered right through the path of Kim and Max, causing the three of them to bounce between their shoulders and stop awkwardly at the intersection. She apologized profusely, trying to wipe away the embarrassment with a laugh.
"Aa! Sorry!" Marinette made sure she didn't do any serious harm before rubbing the back of her head. "I wasn't looking where I was going."
The two of them shrugged, seeming to enjoy Marinette's abrupt company. "We're off to see a movie with Rose and Juleka, do you want to come?"
Marinette was flattered and would have normally said yes, however there was a list in her pocket of groceries that wouldn't buy themselves. She also doubted she'd have time to shop then catch-up with them later. "Sounds like fun, but my mom needs me to pick up some things from the supermarket." She smiled and made to wave them off, when she spotted a black figure leap between two buildings behind them. Before Marinette knew what she was doing she let out a gasp and started looking around for signs of trouble. Max and Kim followed her shocked expression to see Chat Noir jumping from roof-top to roof-top going west.
"Is that…?"
"Chat Noir?" Max finished for Kim, his feet already in the process of moving in the direction of the masked hero. The taller teen shook his head and started to head towards the movie theatre. "We have no time Max! We're supposed to be there in five minutes… hopefully he's just patrolling." This seemed to pacify Max somewhat and they hastily waved Marinette goodbye. Their heads occasionally looked over their shoulder to see if the cat was coming back their way. Marinette simply stared in the direction her partner travelled, her mind ticking away at what to do.
With a groan, she hid in the shelter of an alleyway and began her transformation sequence. Maybe Chat Noir was on the heels of a villain that appeared on the other side of town? She couldn't afford to leave him on his own, especially knowing Tikki's information.
Once she was dressed for the occasion, Ladybug swung her yo-yo and started to track her partner down. She hoped that whatever he was doing wouldn't take too long or her mother would start to worry. She had been late for far too many errand runs that it was starting to look suspicious. After searching for a couple blocks she saw Chat Noir climbing up an older building by the Seine, he stopped when he saw Ladybug approach and looked relieved.
"You're a hard girl to find, my lady." He smiled wearily, making Ladybug concerned. Where was his boundless energy? His usual flirtatious wink? How long had he been running around town looking for her - hours? He looked ready to drop.
She sat down on the top of the roof and waited for Chat Noir to finish clambering up. He perched beside her and leaned back. The long drawn out breath he took made Ladybug wonder if he was going to fall asleep right there beside her.
The view wasn't anything spectacular, especially with the dreary grey clouds overhead, but it was still peaceful. Ladybug found herself missing the summer, where she could watch the bright sunsets fade into warm nights. "Were you looking for me?" It was rare seeing him without a pressing need to save the city at the forefront of her mind.
"I missed you." He moved over so that their forearms were touching. It looked like he was going to lean in to kiss her cheek, but he stopped just close enough to tease. "We should meet like this more often. Talk about battle strategies, get to know one another…" His attitude always made her grin, and tonight was no exception. It made it easier to open up to her when she was smiling.
"I have errands to run Chat Noir, I can't be called away just because you missed me."
The cat sighed and rolled his eyes, his mouth forming it's usual pout when she let him down. "I also need to talk to you about your kwami. That is, if you don't mind?"
Well that was a first. Ladybug assessed the expression on her partner's face with interest. Did his kwami also talk to some mystery Miraculous bearer last night?
"I don't mind, I don't think I have anything to hide." It wasn't as if Tikki told her anything substantial.
Chat Noir pulled away from Ladybug to look out at the city. "How many Miraculous are out there? Do you know?" There was something in his voice that was off. Strained perhaps. Like this was a topic he didn't really want to broach with her.
Ladybug shook her head, "I don't. I know there are others though, and that we're special. past Chat Noirs and Ladybugs always worked together." She wondered if decades ago another Chat Noir and another Ladybug sat together like this. Fought like they did. Cared about each other the same way.
"To do what?" He seemed genuinely interested, but Ladybug felt out of her element. Tikki never answered these kinds of questions, and at the time Marinette wasn't interested enough to want to know the answers. She wasn't one to really dwell on the philosophy of it all.
"I think it's to stop others from abusing their powers. Hawk moth would be terrorizing the city without us." It seemed a valid guess from her perspective.
Cat Noir shook his head, "I think he's only a threat to the city because he's looking for us. If our Miraculous didn't exist… I don't think anyone would be a victim of his akuma."
This made Ladybug sit in silence as she processed that thought. Would that be true? Was it their fault that their friends were being 'akumatized'? She noticed Chat Noir shifting uncomfortably before nervously laughing at his own words. Did he realize how odd he was being? Marinette desperately wanted to change the subject, but there was something in his tinted eyes that burned. Like he had something important to say but was coming at it sideways - not his usual head on manner that Ladybug found so refreshing.
"I mean, it's not really our fault that Hawk moth is using his akumas to get us… I only mean we might have a different purpose."
He was being so serious! It was Ladybug's turn to shake her head. "No, you're right. If we didn't exist, Hawk moth would not be using these methods to get to our Miraculous." She leaned back and tilted her head towards the colourless sky. "But we do exist. He knows we're out there." She gestured to the cityscape and frowned. "This won't stop until we get to him. Find the man behind the mask."
"What if we just give him our Miraculous?" The cat stared at his dangling feet.
Ladybug froze, her mouth slightly open at the suggestion. He must be joking! Yet his face seemed set in stone. "Are you mad!? Then he wins! He could use the Miraculous to take over the world!" What did he mean by even suggesting something like that? She waited to hear his response to her outburst, but there was none forthcoming. He was serious and it put her on edge. Now she was looking for a polite exit, hoping that maybe the cat was just in a weird mood.
Chat Noir scrunched up his face, "We don't know if that's what he wants. I heard the Miraculous could be used to create Miracles… to bring back people we lost. Maybe that's what he's doing."
"Who told you that?" Ladybug stood up from the ledge and walked a few paces backwards. Give up their Miraculous? The Chat Noir she knew would never do that! They fought so hard to stop Hawk moth before, why give up now? "What is going on Chat Noir?"
They both were standing now, staring at each other wondering what the other was thinking. Chat Noir crossed his arms, his eyes not quite meeting Ladybug's. "Would you give this up to bring back someone you love?" The question sounded uncertain, as if he were asking himself. Ladybug didn't know what to say, she had everyone she loved in arms reach - except Adrien of course, but Ladybug had a feeling Chat Noir was talking about something deeper than a crush.
"Did your kwami tell you that the Miraculous can bring back the dead?" She wanted to be sure that she understood fully what Chat Noir was trying to say, and that he wasn't just making stuff up.
The cat looked hesitant, "He didn't want to admit it, but they have been used like that in the past. He won't tell me how."
Ladybug hugged herself, suddenly feeling a chill. She stared at the people wandering the street below. She had thought that the Egyptian exhibit from months back was eluding to something like that - but it seemed more mythical than factual. It seemed that bearing the Miraculous gave them more power than she thought.
"There is someone that I love… that I might get back, if I collect the Miraculous." His voice was robotic and it made Ladybug's eyes widen.
"You don't mean… you're going to give this up?" She struggled to see where this new perspective was coming from. "And what about my Miraculous? You would need it wouldn't you?"
They looked at each other again, a small tendril of distrust weaving between the two of them. Something was wrong with Chat Noir, Ladybug was sure of it. This person that he loved, did they die recently? Was grief turning him into this? "Chat Noir, I don't know what you're going through, but… I don't want to give up my Miraculous. There are still people I want to protect."
Chat Noir looked at his feet.
Ladybug took a few more steps back. "I need to go. I'll see you later…" Why did she feel this way? Like there was a sudden wall between them? She jumped off the side of the building and headed towards the supermarket. She didn't dare look back. When she was safely de-transformed Tikki clung to her shoulder.
"He's being affected by the akuma Marinette! That wasn't the usual Chat Noir!"
Marinette's face was warped with worry. "That was so awkward! How do I fix this Tikki? It sounds like he wants to switch sides. He wouldn't take my Miraculous would he?" She picked up her friend in her hands and looked her in the eye. "Chat Noir and Ladybug always work together right?"
"The akuma is influencing him, I'm sure of it. You need to find the other Miraculous as soon as you can - tonight even. Before it convinces Chat Noir to do something he'll regret."
Marinette fretted, biting her lip. "Was it all true though? What he said. That the Miraculous can resurrect people?"
Tikki seemed smaller all of a sudden, "Together we are very powerful, which is why we are divided. Why we chose someone with potential to protect us from those that wish to unite us and use our power." She sighed and flew into Marinette's bag. "It is a lot to take in."
Marinette thought that was the understatement of the day, but didn't comment on it as she ran to the supermarket. Her head was spinning from all that had happened. It was just a couple days ago she and Chat Noir were fighting side by side. Now he was debating giving it all up - hinting that she should too, for the revival of someone he loved. It must be someone really close to him, to even consider talking to her about it. A seed of doubt started to grow.
Tikki looked up at her friend's chin, watching the emotions flicker across the girl's face. This akuma was going to upset everything she had worked so hard for. Marinette was still so young, and she cared for Chat Noir more than she wanted to admit. Why was it that through the ages, it was always the cat that was the end for her Ladybug?