Yay for more updates! This chapter is where this AU mixes it with canon a little bit. Things are different due to the setting and the circumstances, but I'm sure you'll all recognize this familiar villain :)


Marinette awoke to something soft and furry sitting on her face. "What is that?" she thought as she tried to open her eyes. A tuft of fur tickled her nose and she let out a loud "ACHOO!" Her body shook as she sneezed and whatever was sitting on her head fell off on to the floor. Marinette rubbed her eyes and leaned over the side of her bed. She found an annoyed Shadow glaring back at her.

"Sorry!" Marinette shouted, suddenly remembering her new pet cat. They went to bed together last night and somehow he had ended up on her face. It was his own fault for causing her to sneeze though. Perhaps next time he would pick a pillow that wasn't Marinette's face!

"I guess we're both wide awake now," laughed Marinette as she sat up. "Let's wake up Tikki and then we can get some breakfast. Would you like to have the honors?"

Much to Marinette's surprise, Shadow nodded and jumped back on to the bed to wake up Tikki. "Did he really understand what I said?" Marinette wondered as she watched Shadow stealthily approach Tikki. "I didn't think cats spoke French, but maybe they pick it up along the way."

Shadow put his paw on Tikki's back and began to bump her. The kwami didn't budge. Shadow tried again, this time with his nose. There was still no response, but he still had one last trick to try. He began to lick her and started to meow loudly. "Eww!" Tikki screeched, quickly opening her eyes. "Shadow! You didn't have to lick me!"

"Don't be mad," Marinette giggled, giving Shadow a good petting as a reward. "We couldn't wake you! I didn't expect you to be such a heavy sleeper."

Marinette walked over to her closet and chose a dress to start the day. It was light blue and had an intricate pattern stitched on the bottom. The sleeves were short, making it perfect for a hot day. "What do you think?" Marinette asked Tikki and Shadow. "I'm planning on going out later today with my friend, Alya. How does this look?"

"It's beautiful!" Tikki gasped. She flew over and touched the fabric. "It's so soft too! I love it!"

"I made this one myself," Marinette added proudly. "It took over a week and the pattern was a pain, but it was definitely worth it. This is the first time I'll have a chance to wear it out. I haven't left the house much lately since it's been so busy at the bakery."

"Try it on! I want to see you in it!"

"Ta-da!"

Marinette turned around after changing into the dress, spinning around to show it off. "You're gorgeous!" Tikki exclaimed. If cats could blush, Shadow definitely would have been. Even he had to admit that Marinette looked stunning in that dress especially with her hair down almost like a princess.

"The only problem is that this dress doesn't have a pocket, so I have no place to hide you, Tikki. I'll have to make sure I'm carrying a bag instead." Marinette grabbed a cloth bag off the floor and slung it around her shoulder. "This should do. This bag might be big enough to carry both you and Shadow. Let's see."

Marinette lifted Shadow off the ground much to his dismay and placed him in the bag. He stuck his head out the top and meowed. "Perfect!' Marinette laughed. "There's plenty of space. Now you get in Tikki and then we can leave to go pick up Alya. She's my best friend by the way. I can't wait for you to meet her!" Tikki flew into the bag, taking a comfortable spot next to Shadow.

The trio went down the stairs and was stopped by Marinette's parents. "Good morning!" Sabine said, giving her daughter a tap on the shoulder. "You're certainly up early today." Her eyes landed on Shadow who was playing with a stray thread coming off the bag. She rose an eyebrow and asked, "Is the little friend your father told me about last night?"

"Yeah..." Marinette replied hesitantly. She hoped her mother wouldn't be upset. If she was, Marinette might have to send Shadow back out to the streets.

Sabine pet Shadow on the head which he seemed to enjoy. With a sigh, she said, "He is cute and we need someone to catch that bug. I suppose it'll be fine if he stays as long as he behaves. I don't want to be cleaning up his messes."

"He's a really good kitty," Marinette explained. "He won't make a mess and I'll keep him up in my room. Thanks! You're the best!" She gave her mother a kiss on the cheek and continued on. "I'm going to meet Alya now. I'll be back later!" Her mother could hardly utter "good-bye" before her daughter was out the door.

Marinette watched Shadow anxiously as she walked through the busy streets of Paris. Even though it was Saturday morning, she didn't expect so many people to be out. She was afraid that Shadow might feel uneasy around so many strangers. He kept his head hidden inside the bag and kept silent. Marinette didn't know if he was nervous or just sleeping.

She arrived at a beautiful brick house just off the corner of her own street. Alya's family lived a life of luxury to say the least. Her mother worked as head chef for the palace which brought in good money. Marinette was sometimes jealous, but then remembered that Alya had several younger siblings she had to share the house with. Money definitely wasn't everything.

Marinette knocked on the door and it immediately swung open. Alya was standing there, already fully dressed with bag in hand. "Marinette?" she asked, raising an eyebrow. "What are you doing here? I was about to visit your house to see if you wanted to go out for a bit. I guess you beat me to it!"

Then she spotted Shadow who seemed to have woken up from his nap. "Who's this? He's so cute!" Alya squealed, plucking Shadow out of the bag. The cat looked up at her in alarm since he wasn't prepared to be touched by anyone other than Marinette. Shadow glanced back at Marinette for help, but she was more interested in laughing at Alya than helping him.

Alya tickled his tummy and threw him up in the air playfully. When Shadow came back down, he looked like he was going to be sick. Naturally, Alya threw him up again and this time he did a little flip. "This is not good," he thought as he dug his claws into Alya's dress to keep himself steady. Despite not having breakfast yet, there was a good chance that something was going to come back up.

"I think he's had enough," Marinette said as she noticed Shadow's sickly expression. She grabbed him back and set him gently in her bag. "Shadow isn't quite used to being around overly affectionate people yet. He might feel better staying in my bag."

"Are you sure? He looks pretty heavy. I can carry him if you want."

"No, this is fine. I think he's more comfortable in there anyways."

"God bless her," Shadow thought in relief. "I still feel dizzy and my fur is a mess. Are most human girls this energetic?"

"Let's get going," said Marinette, pulling Alya out of the doorway. "Shadow and I haven't eaten yet, so we're starved. Do you want to stop by that fruit stall around the corner? We can grab something and then eat in the park. I want to go see all the flowers they planted!"

"Sure," Alya laughed as she and Marinette ran back out into the street. While they walked, Alya noticed Marinette seemed to have an unusual skip in her step. She expected the poor girl to still be depressed after yesterday, but it was the exact opposite.

"What's gotten into you?" Alya asked. "You can hardly keep that smile off your face."

"Last night ended being a really great night if you can believe it," Marinette confessed. "I talked to someone who ended up making me feel a lot better."

"I would normally press for details, but I'm so happy to see you smiling that I don't care. This is really something to celebrate!" Alya gave her friend a warm hug to reaffirm her point. All night she had been stressed about how Marinette was feeling. Marinette was a strong girl, but when she got upset, it could be hard to snap her out of a funk. Alya secretly wondered who was able to turn her frown upside down.

"There's the stall!" Marinette shouted, running over to the fruit vendor. "Everything looks so good!" There were apples, oranges, grapes, and every kind of fruit Marinette could imagine for sale. "Everything looks delicious," she thought as she perused her options. "I bet Tikki would eat any of these, but what would Shadow like? Cats can eat fruit, right?"

"Hey Mari, what are you gonna get?" Alya asked as she pulled out her pocketbook. She was holding a fresh orange and handed her money to the man. Marinette went for the apples and ended up grabbing three of them. "Three?" Alya laughed. "How hungry are you?"

"They're not all for me. Shadow needs breakfast too."

"Okay, but then who's gonna eat that last apple? You can always give it to-"

THUD!

The entire street shook and the buildings rattled. Both Alya and Marinette fell to the ground,the fruit tumbling out of their hands. Shadow fell out of the bag, into the dirt. "What the heck was that?" Alya shouted as she helped Marinette stand back up. "I didn't think Paris had earthquakes."

The girls brief conversation was interrupted by dozens of screams.

"What is that?"

"Get out of the way!"

"It's heading right for us!"

Marinette and Alya looked up to see a giant creature made of stone running straight towards them. It had glowing yellow eyes and was at least ten meters tall. Its entire body was made of mossy stone and in one of his hands was a girl, desperate for help. She was beating on the monster's fists in a vain attempt to be released from his iron grip. The monster didn't seem keen on letting her go.

"What is that thing?" Alya shrieked.

"I don't know, but we need to get out of here before it crushes us!"

Marinette grabbed Alya's hand and sprinted into a nearby alley. Shadow ran behind them. Covered by the darkness of the alley, Marinette prayed that the monster wouldn't see them.

"What is that?" Marinette thought as she tried to catch her breath. "It's a giant stone beast and it's destroying the city! What are we going to do? We can't hide in this alley forever, but that monster could be anywhere. What about Maman and Papa too? What if the monster gets them?"

"Marinette, I have to get back out there!" Alya exclaimed. She pulled a pad of paper and pencil out of her bag. "This could be the story that gets me published! I need to see the monster up close so I can get all the details!"

"It's too dangerous! You saw that thing. It could crush you like a bug. I'm not going to let you leave."

"Sorry!" Alya dodged past Marinette and ran back out into the street. Marinette chased her to the corner of the alley, but stopped. Alya disappeared amongst the fleeing crowds. Marinette slid down against the wall and held her head in her hands. Shadow rubbed against her leg, trying to make her feel better.

"What should I do?" Marinette groaned. "She's going to get hurt and I couldn't stop her!"

"Marinette, you need to transform!" Tikki came flying out of Marinette's bag. "That's an akuma out there, I'm sure of it! You have to go fight him and save Alya! You have to save Paris!"

"Me? Are you insane? That thing could make mincemeat out of me! And what's an akuma? You're not making sense again..."

"Listen to me! That monster is a normal person possessed by an evil spirit called an akuma. He's being controlled by another miraculous user with the goal of the destroying the city. The only one who can stop it is Ladybug! This is the great evil you need to fight!"

"I know you called it a great evil before, but I didn't think it was going to be this 'great'! What could I do to stop it?"

"A person can only become possessed by an akuma when they get upset. The akuma manifests itself in an object that grants the user temporary powers. If you can destroy that object, the akuma will come out and you can purify it. All you need to do is catch it with your yo-yo. My magic will take care of the rest."

"Tikki, I can't do this!" Marinette was shaking now. The sudden weight of her expectations were crashing down hard. "That monster will kill me! What if I mess up and someone else gets hurt? I didn't think being Ladybug meant I had to fight humongous rock monsters. Can I give back the earrings? Is it too late?"

"I know it's scary, but you're the chosen one. It can only be you."

There was another wave of screams and a loud, furious roar. Tikki gave Marinette a nervous look. "We need to hurry," she said. "People are in danger! Alya's in danger!"

"Alya..." Marinette's eyes narrowed. While wallowing in her own self-pity, she had completely forgotten about her best friend. Alya was in danger and best friends didn't abandon each other. "You're right," Marinette said, taking a deep breath. "I have to do this. Tikki! Spots on!"

There was a swirl of light and Marinette felt her dress transform into Ladybug's suit. She clenched her fist and thought, "I'm going to have to trust Tikki. I can't let Paris or Alya get destroyed by this monster. He's going to regret ever messing with me."

She unhooked her yo-yo and prepared to take to the rooftops, hoping to scope out the monster's location. That's when she felt Shadow clawing at her leg. He saw meowing loudly, almost begging her not to leave him. Marinette was surprised with how relaxed he was. She thought seeing magic in action would phase him at least a little, but maybe cats were used to seeing magic.

"You need to stay here," Marinette, now Ladybug, said. She patted his head to reassure him. "I don't want you to get hurt too. I promise I'll be back to get you." Shadow didn't seem convinced, but backed away. He hung his head and she gave him a sad smile. With that, Ladybug jumped onto the closest roof and gazed over Paris's skyline.

"Let's see..." Ladybug mused as she vaulted from roof to roof. "That monster couldn't have gotten far. It's only been five minutes since I last saw him, so he should be somewhere around-"

"HELP!"

"Yep! There he is!"

Marinette watched the monster punch a building, sending the entire structure crumbling down. Both his hands were closed tight, one holding the girl from before and the other mysteriously shut. The beast was destroying whatever was in his path. All sane people had run away which left behind only dirt and rubble. From behind the monster, Ladybug saw something moving.

"Alya!" Ladybug thought, horrified. "She's way too close! That thing will step on her! It looks like it's my time to shine and save her butt like always." She tossed her yo-yo at the monster and it twirled around his arm. The yo-yo pulled her towards the monster and then quickly unraveled, leaving Ladybug about five meters away from him; a distance slightly too close for comfort.

"Hey stonehead!" Ladybug taunted. She needed to get the monster away from Alya and get that girl out of his hands. Once she took care of that, they could fight which was something she hadn't quite figured out yet. But there needed to be more action and less thinking.

The monster turned to her, surprised that anyone was fighting back. "The name's Stoneheart!" he bellowed. "Who are you?"

"Ladybug, pleased to me you. Now if you'd be so kind as to let that girl go, I'd greatly appreciate it."

The monster roared and held the girl higher into the air. "Mylene is mine! I won't let you have her! Get out of my way!" He charged at her at an alarming speed for someone made out of solid stone. He took a swing at her, but she swiftly dodged it. Being Ladybug boosted her agility levels.

"Have you tried asking how she feels?" Ladybug asked as she swung around to the monster's backside.

"Okay... okay... This is good," she told herself. "You're keeping him busy, so he's not hurting anyone or destroying anything. I don't know how to stop him though. Maybe I can get up towards his hands and force him to let that girl go."

She threw her yo-yo and watched it loop around Stoneheart's neck. Giving the line a tug, it pulled her up and she landed on his head. Stoneheart screamed and tried to swat her off his face. In the process, he dropped Mylene to the ground. She ran away to safety as soon as she hit dirt. Stoneheart tried to pull Ladybug away, but refused to open his other hand. Whatever he was hiding in there was important.

Stoneheart began to rock his body violently. "Hold on tight!" Ladybug thought as she tried to find something to grip on the giant's head. But it was all smooth stone, so her hands had nothing to grab. Stoneheart jerked his head forwards and Ladybug came flying off, landing back on the street.

"That hurt!" Ladybug groaned as she rubbed her head. "This plan isn't going to work. I need to think of something else. I need to find that object Tikki was talking about. I bet it's in his closed fist. Now I only need him to open it!"

She tried to stand up, but found her legs were killing her. She was going to need a moment to recover, but Stoneheart wasn't going to give her that luxury. "Get away!" he wailed. Before she could move, Stoneheart was bringing his fists down at Ladybug, prepared to take her out with a single strike.

"This is it!" Ladybug cringed. "I tried my best, Tikki, but I think you picked the wrong Ladybug. I'm sorry..." She braced herself for impact as a dark shadow loomed over her. She closed her eyes and covered her head. "Here it comes..."

CLANG!

Ladybug heard the sound of rock hitting metal. She opened her eyes and found a boy holding the monster back. But he was no normal boy considering he had cat ears and a tail. He was holding a steel rod up against Stoneheart's fists, protecting her. In a brief moment of confusion, Ladybug observed the boy. He couldn't be much older than her and had striking blonde hair. His back was turned to her so she couldn't see his face.

"Now would be a good time to run!" he shouted as Stoneheart pushed harder against his baton. He was going to have to pull away and didn't want a squashed bug or cat. Ladybug quickly pulled him away and let Stoneheart's fist collide with the ground, sending bricks and dirt flying. She dragged the catboy away behind a stray cart and shoved him down.

"Who are you?" she asked. "Are you crazy?" When she finally got to see his face, she was awestruck. He was handsome despite having a black mask hiding most of his features. What hit her the most were his emerald eyes. They looked strangely familiar.

The boy bowed and said, "I'm Chat Noir, at your service. It looks like you've run into some trouble and I'm here to help."

"Do you have a miraculous too?" Marinette was unaware that she was getting a partner.

"I'm afraid I don't have the answer to that," Chat Noir apologized. For a moment, he got lost in her bluebell eyes. He wasn't used to seeing her at eye level. He cursed himself for getting distracted and continued on. "I've got a lot of questions too, but I'm hoping you might be able to provide some answers. But right now we need to stop Stoneheart!"

"How do I know I can trust you?"

"My lady, you don't have a choice."

He was right. By herself, she stood no chance against Stoneheart even with Tikki's magic. She needed someone to be the bait while she came up with a plan. She took another look at Chat Noir and bit her lip. "He seems trustworthy enough. I'll have to take him up on his offer. But I can't shake the feeling that I've seen him before though. It's making me uneasy."

"Alright then," Ladybug nodded, sticking out her hand. "It's a deal." Chat Noir took her hand and firmly shook it. He had a catlike smile on his face which looked both cute and devious. He quickly stood up and extended his baton which Ladybug assumed was similar to her yo-yo.

"I'm sure you've got a plan, so I'll play around with this hunk of junk for a little while. You must have some kind of spell you can use. And don't look so nervous. You saved that girl from before. You're a hero. Now we need to finish it off. Just give me the signal and we'll send this rock rolling!" He somersaulted out from behind the cart and pointed his staff at Stoneheart. "Get ready for a good beating!" Chat Noir cried, barrelling forward to attack.

He lunged forward and hit Stoneheart square on the head. To his dismay, the monster refused to back down and instead increased in size with each hit. Chat Noir looked back over at Ladybug with a frown. "I think now's a good time for that plan!" he shouted, narrowly dodging a hit from Stoneheart. "Attacking him isn't working!"

"Why do I have to come up with the plan?" Ladybug cursed. "I know I'm going to die. This is it. I wish I could tell my parents and Alya goodbye before I leave this world. I can't do this!"

You saved that girl from before. You're a hero.

Chat Noir's words rang through her head. "A hero?" Ladybug scoffed, brushing away her bangs. "Would a hero cower in a corner like this? I'm anything but. Chat Noir would be better off without me, but I can't leave him alone. He's trusting me!"

Ladybug was still hiding behind the cart, but it wouldn't be long before Stoneheart found her. "There has to be something I can do... Wait! I can use the spell Tikki was talking about from before. I completely forgot!"

Ladybug stood up and shouted, "Lucky Charm!" Her yo-yo went flying into the sky and came back down with a strange red and black spotted object. Ladybug examined the object and realized that it was nothing more than a large piece of cloth. "This is it?" Ladybug thought in frustration. "What am I supposed to do with this? Blindfold him?"

"Ladybug, I really need your help!" Chat Noir was running circles around Stoneheart trying not to get caught. He used his baton to block any attacks, but was too afraid to strike back. He didn't want Stoneheart to get even bigger. "Seriously! Anytime soon would be great!"

"Give me a second!" Ladybug shouted back. "I need to think." She ran her hand across the cloth. It was thick and made more like a sail than normal fabric. While trying to think, Ladybug turned around and saw someone peeking from around the corner. It was the girl Stoneheart had been holding captive, Mylene. Instead of leaving the scene, she had stayed behind to watch. She had a nervous expression and looked ready to cry. Did she know the monster?

"That's it!" Ladybug exclaimed, sprinting towards the girl. Chat Noir watched her hurry away and didn't have time to protest before Stoneheart took another swing. As Ladybug approached Mylene, the girl shrank back into the shadows. "No! It's okay," Ladybug smiled, offering the girl her hand. "I'm here to stop that monster."

"He isn't a monster," Mylene argued in a hushed tone. "He's my friend..." Ladybug recalled Tikki mentioning that these akuma were only possessed humans. Something must've angered Mylene's friend which allowed him to become possessed.

"I'm going to save your friend then!" Ladybug put her hand on Mylene's shoulder to keep her calm. "I'm going to need your help though. Will you help me?" Mylene nodded since she had no other choice. "Great," Ladybug smiled, clapping her hands together. "I need you to go back out there and let him capture you. I promise I won't let him hurt you. I'll take care of everything from here, but you must trust me!"

Mylene looked worried, but put on a brave face. "Hang on," Ladybug instructed. She pulled Mylene close and the girl wrapped her arms around Ladybug's torso. Ladybug threw her yo-yo up and it hooked onto a nearby chimney. She pulled herself and Mylene safely to the roof. Then, she surveyed the area, looking for one thing specifically.

In the distance was a tall building. It was a brand new hotel built by the Bourgeois family. It was considered an architectural feat because of its height and it was exactly the location Ladybug needed.

"Stoneheart!" Ladybug shouted. The monster looked up at her and then over at Mylene. His eyes began to glow even brighter and he beat his chest with his fists. "Mylene! Give her back!"

"Try and catch us then!" Ladybug smirked, jumping to the next rooftop. "Chat Noir, keep up! I'm going to need your help!"

Chat Noir nodded and extended his baton, vaulting himself to Ladybug's side. "Is this your plan?" he asked, running on all fours along the roof shingles. "A game of cat and mouse? We're all going to get killed like this!"

"Don't worry," Ladybug grinned confidently. "I've got a plan!"

From the streets below, Stoneheart was chasing the heroes. Unbeknownst to him, he was running right into Ladybug's trap.

Once they arrived at the hotel, Ladybug swung herself up onto the roof with Chat Noir close behind. They were extremely high up. Anyone who jumped off here would have to have a death wish. Stoneheart stood at the base of the hotel and pounded his fists against the hotel, breaking through the walls. "Mylene! Give her to me!" he shouted.

"Come up and get her!" Ladybug taunted. She tied her yo-yo around Mylene's waist and carefully leaned her over the side so Stoneheart could see her face. If Ladybug could upset the beast even more, he would be more likely to make mistakes. Stoneheart saw Mylene and began to climb up the hotel walls. The distance between them wasn't great, so Ladybug would have to be quick.

"Mylene! On my cue, I need you to jump!" Ladybug demanded, recoiling her yo-yo. Mylene turned white. Ladybug thought she might start crying.

"Are you nuts?" Chat Noir interjected. "What's going to stop her from hitting the ground? She'll die!"

Ladybug shook her head. "Stoneheart won't let her fall. I can guarantee that. But if anything goes wrong, you need to swoop down and save her. You need to be ready for action anyways. When Stoneheart drops whatever is in his fist, you need to catch it and bring it back to me."

The sheer confidence in her voice shocked Chat Noir. Her plan sounded crazy, but she believed in it. The cat could hardly believe this was the same girl who had been panicking fifteen minutes ago. Her entire aura had changed. She truly looked like a hero.

"Alright..." Chat Noir nodded, deciding to believe in her. There was something in her that captured his attention, not allowing him to look away.

Ladybug ran over to the edge where Stoneheart was drawing extremely close. She wrapped her yo-yo around his open hand, forcing it shut. His free hand was completely unusable now. Next, she grabbed Mylene and said, "Now it's your turn. I know this is scary, but it's the only way I can save your friend. Trust me."

Without hesitation, Mylene stepped onto the edge of the building, her dress flapping wildly in the wind. She looked down at Stoneheart and smiled. "They're going to save you, Ivan," she whispered to herself. She let the wind take her body as she fell over the side.

Stoneheart watched Mylene fall and reached out his hand to grab her, but his empty hand was shut tight by Ladybug's yo-yo. In a split decision, he opened his other hand and put it out underneath Mylene, catching her. A crumpled ball of paper fell out.

"Chat Noir!" Ladybug cried. "Help me get that! The akuma should be in there!" Chat Noir didn't know what an akuma was, but he followed her instructions nonetheless. He jumped off the side and plummeted down. He saw the wad of paper and hit it back up towards Ladybug with his staff. Then, he stabbed his baton into the wall to stop himself from falling.

Ladybug reached over the side of the hotel and grabbed the paper. She ripped it in half and the paper suddenly lost its purple hue. A black butterfly flew out, trying to escape. "That must be akuma!" Ladybug thought. "What did Tikki say to do? I just have to catch it with my yo-yo!"

"No more evil doing for you!" she shouted, tossing her yo-yo in the akuma's direction. The device quickly snatched the bug up and then reopened. A beautiful white butterfly flew out into the open sky. "Wow..." Ladybug said in awe. It was hard to believe such a small creature had contained so much evil.

"Ladybug, we've got a problem!" She heard Chat Noir yell from below. She looked over the side and saw a purple mist form around Stoneheart. His body began to shrink and he was returning to normal. Mylene began to fall along with the boy who had lost his grip on the building. They were both going to hit the ground!

"Chat! Grab him and I'll get Mylene!" Ladybug replied, now throwing herself off the roof. She pointed her body downwards and opened her arms to Mylene. Mylene grabbed her hands and Ladybug pulled her close. "What now?" Ladybug thought as the ground was getting closer. "If I throw my yo-yo from here, there's no guarantee it'll latch onto something. We still might hit the ground!"

Then she remembered the cloth from before. It was tied on to her arm so she wouldn't lose it. "Mylene, untie that cloth and give it to me," Ladybug said. Mylene undid the cloth and handed it back to Ladybug. She held the cloth above her head and prayed, "Please work..."

A giant gust of wind came through and caught the cloth. All of sudden, Ladybug and Mylene's descent slowed. The cloth acted as a glider that would safely take them down. Ladybug looked over and saw Chat Noir, sitting on his baton, holding on to a large boy. He gave her a wink and then carefully jumped down to the ground, boy in hand.

Ladybug felt her feet land on solid ground and let out a sigh of relief. She let Mylene go and watched the girl run over to hug her friend. Ladybug recognized him now. His name was Ivan and he was the son of the butcher just a few blocks down from her house. He was usually a kind boy, so Ladybug wondered what must have happened to turn him into a raging, stone monster.

"Marinette!"

A little voice rang in Ladybug's head. "Tikki?" Ladybug wondered. "Did you see that? I really defeated the akuma! I did it!"

"Yep and I'm so proud of you, but your work isn't done yet! There's one last thing you need to do."

"What's that?"

"You need to restore the city to normal. Everything's a mess like this. Just throw your Lucky Charm into the air and shout 'Miraculous Ladybug'! That'll take care of everything!"

Ladybug looked around and realized that everything was a disaster. Buildings were destroyed and there was rubble everywhere. There was a gaping hole inside the hotel from where Stoneheart had gotten upset. "I didn't realize how much stuff Stoneheart destroyed. Good thing magic makes for a quick clean-up."

"Miraculous Ladybug!"

She threw the cloth into the air and into dissolved into red light. The light swirled around the city, restoring everything to normal. Buildings rebuilt themselves and all the debris disappeared. It was like there had never been an akuma in the first place.

"Woah..." a voice said from behind her. Ladybug swerved to see Chat Noir cheekily smiling. "I'm impressed," he laughed, tucking away his baton at his waist. "This is some powerful magic. You must be a pretty high-level witch."

"I don't think I'd call myself a witch or even a magician..." Ladybug replied sheepishly. "I'm just a hero trying to save the day with a little bit of magic."

Beep!

Ladybug was startled by the sudden noise. "That must be my earrings!" she thought as she touched a hand to her ear. "I'll return to normal Marinette soon. I'd better get out of here, but I want to take a second look at that piece of paper."

She spotted the crumbled paper on the ground and opened it up. "It's a love song?" she thought as she read its contents. "That's so sweet, but why would this make Ivan upset? Did he get rejected? I should probably return this to him before I leave."

Ivan was still sitting on the ground with Mylene trying to comfort him. He still seemed to be in a daze. Ladybug walked over and knelt down to eye level. "I think this belongs to you," she smiled. Ivan took the paper hesitantly and nodded. He was blushing. "Don't be nervous," Ladybug laughed. "I hope I'm not prying, but did something make you upset by chance?"

"I scared Mylene with my song..." Ivan replied. He looked ashamed. "I didn't mean to be scary, but when she ran away, some girl watching made fun off me and I lost my cool. Then this weird butterfly came out of nowhere and the rest is a blur..."

"But I wasn't scared!" Mylene protested, giving Ivan a big hug. "You just startled me, that's all. I think your song was sweet." Just to show Ivan how much she adored it, Mylene gave Ivan a quick peck on the cheek. The boy turned even redder and began to twiddle his thumbs, avoiding eye contact.

"How cute..." Ladybug giggled. "They're in love."

"Who was this girl?" Ivan and Mylene looked up and saw Chat Noir now beside them. He didn't want to miss out on the party, so he joined in. He, like Ladybug, wanted to know who was responsible for turning Ivan into a monster.

"Her name is Chloe... Chloe Bourgeois," Ivan confessed, his head hanging. Ladybug clicked her tongue in disgust. "I should've guessed it," she moaned. "That girl has nothing better to do than bother other people. I thought she was only a menace at lessons, but she's apparently taken her terror to the streets. Wonderful..."

"Excuse me..." Mylene piped up quietly. "But who are you two?"

"I'm Ladybug and that's Chat Noir. You don't need to worry about us. We're just here to help. And you two should start heading home. It's not safe to lay in the street like this."

Mylene helped Ivan stand up and they walked hand in hand down the street. "All's well that ends well," Ladybug smiled proudly. "I didn't think being Ladybug would give me matchmaking powers."

Beep!

"I'm sorry, but I have to go..." Ladybug apologized to Chat Noir, slowly backing away. "I don't have much time before my magic wears off. I don't want to show all of Paris who I really am, so this is goodbye! Thanks for your help, Chat Noir. I couldn't have done it without you!"

"Wait!" Chat Noir yelled. He grabbed Ladybug's wrist and pulled her back, a strange shiver running through his spine. She noticed that his gloved hands were covering what looked to be real claws. Now taking a closer look at him, he didn't seem to just be a boy in a cat costume like she first assumed. His cat ears wiggled while he spoke and his tail moved with a mind of its own. It looked like he was actually half cat!

"I'm sorry, Chat. I need to leave."

"Then I'm coming with you!"

"You can't do that! I'm supposed to keep my identity a secret and I hardly even know you."

"You don't recognize my face?" Chat Noir cocked his head. He stared at her with sad, green eyes. "I'm hurt."

"Recognize his face? He did look familiar, but I definitely would've remembered a boy dressed up as a cat." Ladybug scratched her head, trying to remember something. "But I feel like I've seen that pouty expression before..."

Chat Noir shook his head and sighed. "I'll have to spell it out for you then. Very well... It can't hurt to have a proper introduction. My name is Chat Noir though you have taken upon yourself to name me Shadow. And you, my dear Ladybug, might have the answers to all of my questions."


Comments and criticisms are appreciated! :)