Chapter 1

The clear summer skies and sun warming their backs was almost enough to lift Marinette's spirits. Almost.

They'd been hiking for hours now, steady and sure up the side of the mountain. This class trip was supposed to help her get her mind off of Luka- or at least that's what she told herself. What better way to get over a boy than spend four days in the wilderness cataloging flora and fauna?

The day was just beginning to tire her, and everyone was eager to reach the rest point at the top, where they had planned to eat a picnic lunch.

"I swear if I see one more bug I'm going to lose it! This is ridiculous! Utterly ridiculous!"

Marinette sighed. Any tranquility she had achieved interrupted by Chloe, right on schedule.

"Hey look, it's a ladybug! This one's on the list!" A voice from the front of the group, which Marinette thought was Nathaniel.

A hum of approval rang out across the group. Their weekend excursion came with a scavenger hunt- whoever could spot the most species on the list won a prize at the conclusion of the trip. They'd paired off into teams, Marinette with Alya of course. She'd been hesitant to go, but her best friend insisted.

"C'mon Marinette, it'll be fun. Plus, I need your help beating Nino. He's been bragging about how he's going to win all week."

So here she was, walking behind the group in quiet observation. She smiled a little to herself as she checked "ladybug" off their list. Perhaps a sign of luck from the universe, she thought to herself.

The trail narrowed up ahead, so much so that they began to group with their partners so as to safely navigate the path ahead.

"Stay in pairs and away from the edge! And remember, safety first! We're almost to the rest point," Called Mme Bustier.

Upon realizing Alya was no longer next to her, Marinette strained to find her amongst the lines of students in front of her. Finally, she spotted her a few groups ahead; she had evidently gotten pushed further forward in the crowd and was laughing, hand in hand with Nino.

Who would she walk with now? She was pretty sure the class split up into even pairs. Wait, she thought. If Nino was with Alya, and everyone else was with a partner, that left...

"Hey Marinette! Looks like Nino and Alya left us behind. I guess we're partners now." She jumped, turning towards the voice behind her, which belonged to none other than Adrien Agreste himself.

"A-adrien! Wow, looks like I do have to be your wif- I mean partner, haha, on the hike! Not that we would be any other kind of partners..."

He smiled sheepishly at her, not seeming to mind her stuttering. I guess he's used to it by now, she thought. Great- one boy I like breaks up with me and the other thinks I'm insane.

She felt a little nudge from inside her backpack- a comforting gesture from Tiki. She brought her along just in case- she didn't feel safe leaving her or her miraculous behind while she was away, not with Hawkmoth more eager than ever to steal it from her.

"Hey, by the way, I'm sorry to hear about you and Luka," he offered, glancing down at her with a small smile.

"Oh, yeah. You heard about Luka," she said, not meeting his eyes. I guess she wasn't surprised; word travels fast. "Thank you Adrien, you mean a lo- I mean, it means a lot."

"Of course Marinette. I'm here if you want to talk about it."

Marinette did not, in fact, want to talk about it. Especially not with Adrien. She'd tried to confide in Alya, but she couldn't understand the full extent of what Marinette was going through. Not by any fault of her own of course- Ladybug was a burden she had to bear alone. If it weren't for this trip, she might have lost her mind- it was an escape, from Luka and everything that reminded her of him.

The last time she'd seen Luka hadn't actually been the breakup. As heartbroken as she was, she needed to entrust someone who wouldn't be on the trip with a miraculous in case anything went wrong while she was gone. Sass and his powers seemed like the next best option to protect Paris. So, she dried her tears, transformed, and met Luka in the alleyway they had agreed upon earlier in the week.

"Luka, I entrust you with this miraculous and the safety of Paris while I'm away. If anything goes wrong, you know how to reach me." It was all she could say before tears welled in her eyes. However, she knew that if she could trust anyone, it was him. They may not be together, but Luka was loyal and smart. Knowing he was holding a miraculous made it a lot easier for her to take the space she needed to move past everything.

Anxiety welled in her stomach as she remembered how weak they were actually leaving Paris. It was a Wednesday, the week before Marinette was set to leave, and she was waiting for Chat on their favorite rooftop. The sky had been particularly beautiful that night, she remembered fondly.

"Hey Bugaboo. Miss me?" Chat leapt on to the roof, leaning on his staff as he greeted her.

"You wish, kitty cat. Hey, before we get going, I need to talk to you about something. I'll be out of town, starting next Friday, for four days. I can't give you any details, obviously- secret identities and all. Do you think you can protect Paris without me?"

Chat furrowed his brow. "I'd normally say of course M'lady, but this cat will be away too. At the same time, actually. Are you following me?" He wiggled his eyebrows suggestively.

Ladybug rolled her eyes. "Only in your dreams, Chat. Can we leave Paris without both of us for that long? Is it safe?"

Chat pondered for a moment, a serious demeanor overtaking him. "Honestly, I don't know. Hawkmoth has been a little more quiet recently; we've only had an Akuma attack once every two weeks. If he sticks with that schedule, we should be back before there's another one."

Ladybug nodded. "I'll leave miraculous with a few holders while we're gone just in case. The snake and the dragon, I think. They can handle patrols and can hold off an Akuma until both of us can get back. That is, if you're close enough to come back."

Chat stood, tail swishing in approval. "The serpent and the dragon. Sounds good to me, bugaboo."

Satisfied with their plan, they headed off into the night. Marinette let the memory calm her, Chat's logic and assuradness reminding her how much she trusted her partner's judgment.

"I'm sorry about Kagami too," said Marinette, the memory of the dragon miraculous holder reminding her of Adrien's own breakup.

Marinette's words snapped Adrien out of his own trance. "Thank you Marinette, but I'm okay, really. Some things just don't work out."

At some point during their conversation, they had drifted farther behind the rest of the group. The trail was still narrow, and began to curve sharply. If they didn't pick up the pace, they'd be left behind and out of sight from everyone else.

"We should get going," said Marinette, gesturing to their distant classmates.

"Wait Marinette, look!" A form perched on a tree above them had caught Adrien's attention.

"I think it's a golden eagle," he whispered. He pulled her gently by the arm to stand close to him, pointing at the branch above.

Marinette's mouth went dry and she could swear Adrien could hear how loud her heart was beating. Did he have to do this right now? She could barely form sentences around him and now they were alone and he had touched her.

Marinette squeaked and instinctively backed away from him. She played it off by putting her hand over her eyes to shield her from the sun, trying to get a better look at the eagle.

"I think you should be kissed- I MEAN it's on the list," Marinette managed, face beet red. Adrien seemed too distracted by the eagle to notice her obvious struggle.

"It's beautiful," he murmered, then turned to face her. "We should take pictures to show everyone," he suggested, smiling at her.

"I have my nice camera in my backpack," Marinette offered, slipping the bag off her shoulder. "It takes a second to set up."

"Here, let me hold that for you," Adrien said, reaching to take her bag. In the process, their hands brushed, the cold metal of his ring grazing her skin.

This was too much, Marinette thought, taking a step back. Adrien Agreste touching her twice in one day was more than she could handle- but the ledge was still narrow and one step back proved to be one too many.

As her left foot went back to meet her right, the loose rock beneath her feet shifted.

It was as if she fell in slow motion. Her feet came out from under her, and the ledge was too close to catch her full body when she fell, sending her backwards off the edge of the cliff.

Her stomach was in her throat. Her body became weightless as she locked eyes with the boy in front of her. Soon the cliff would be rushing past her and it would be too late. Her eyes stayed locked with Adrien's on the cliff. Her mind went to the spots on her ears. She thought of the Kwami in her backpack. She thought of the Guardian box hidden in her room. Something green flashed in Adrien's eyes, and she heard him yell something inaudible from the cliffside. She saw the ravaged streets of Paris, her partner all alone as Hawkmoth took absolute power. She knew what she had to do.

"Tikki, Spots On!"