I meant to post this yesterday, but accidentally fell asleep! Oops!

Anyways, please enjoy this chapter and Happy New Year! I hope your year is miraculous!


A few nights later, Marinette had the scariest nightmare of her life.

She was in a dark space and it was impossible to see. The air was thick and she was having difficulty breathing. There was an unseen weight on her chest, restricting her lungs. To keep herself calm, Marinette closed her eyes and tried humming. She sat down and pulled her knees up, grabbing at the corners of her dress. If she kept her eyes closed, she wouldn't be able to see anything and then, maybe nothing could hurt her.

"Ladybug..." an ominous voice whispered. The sound tickled her ear like it's voice was coming from right next to her. But when she swatted at her ear, there was nothing. Marinette's eyes shot open and she quickly jumped to her feet, shaking.

"W-who's there?" she stammered, frantically turning her head. If there was someone nearby, it would be impossible to see them. The room was so dark Marinette couldn't even see her own hands. Someone could be lurking behind her and she wouldn't notice.

"Your miraculous... give it to me," the voice hissed, growing increasingly irritated.

"No! I won't give it to anyone. Who are you?"

"Give it to me."

"No! Get away!"

A gloved hand shot out of the darkness and seized Marinette's arm. Its grip was tight and twisted at her skin. Marinette struggled to escape, but with no luck. She dug her nails into the hand, but it seemed to feel no pain. It was like an unbreakable iron chain, keeping her trapped in place.

"Let go!" Marinette screamed, desperately trying to pull the hand off her. "Help! Somebody please! Chat Noir! Anyone please help!" Her cries were met with silence. There was no one in the world who could hear her.

"Give me your miraculous." A dull, purple light began to glow in the shape of a butterfly only a few centimeters from Marinette's face. "I want your miraculous."

"Never!"

"Then so be it..."

All of a sudden, the void was filled with screams of terror. Visions danced past Marinette's eyes. Her parents being attacked by a giant, stone beast with the bakery in shambles behind them. Nino and Alya running for their lives while being slashed at by a rogue guard. A bloodied Chat Noir lying on the ground, half dead, begging for her to be at his side.

"Stop this!" Marinette sank to the floor and covered her ears, but the sounds didn't get any quieter. She could hear the cries of her loved ones vividly. They were beginning to mix into one terrifying cacophony. "Stop it! Please just stop!" Her mind felt overloaded. It might split at any second.

"Marinette... Marinette! Are you okay?"

Marinette felt a warm hand press against her back, shaking her awake. She turned to see a worried Chat Noir hanging over her. His green eyes glowed against the darkness of the night. He sat down on the bed and smiled at her. "You were screaming and shaking. You even kicked the blankets off your bed. Did you have a nightmare?"

"Yeah, but I'm fine..." Marinette blushed in embarrassment. She hadn't expected Chat Noir to watch over her like this. Normally she was the one playing parent, not the other way around. Still, she was glad to have him by her side. All her fears vanished once she saw his face. Her nightmare wasn't so scary anymore. Perhaps he was a better good luck charm than she was.

"Are you sure?"

"I'm really fine. Sorry for waking you up. It's the middle of the night."

"Not a problem, my lady. If you're in trouble, I'll always be there, day or night."

"Go back to sleep, you flirt," Marinette giggled, hitting Chat Noir with her pillow. He laughed and put his hands up in defeat. There was a green flash and Chat Noir jumped back onto the ground in cat form, curling up on the pillow Marinette had set out for him. Satisfied that Chat was back to sleep, Marinette pulled her covers back up and snuggled against her pillow. Hopefully, she would be able to fall back asleep.

A few hours later, Marinette awoke to something furry rubbing against her leg. She opened her eyes and found Chat Noir sleeping on her bed. "When did he get up here?" Marinette thought groggily. She slowly sat up, using her pillow to keep herself upright, and poked Chat Noir in the stomach. He hardly moved, a sign that he was still deep asleep. "He must've been really tired last night... I shouldn't wake him."

Marinette stretched her arms out with a yawn, then carefully peeled back the blankets to avoid waking up Chat Noir. She stepped out of her bed and grabbed a red dress from the closet, changing out of her nightgown. As she changed, Tikki began to stir and flew over to wish her friend good morning.

"Good morning, Marinette!" Tikki smiled, flying in circles around the girl. "It's it a lovely morning!"

"You've only just woken up," Marinette giggled, amused by Tikki's optimism. "But try to keep your voice down. Chat is still asleep. He seems exhausted. I wonder why..."

"It's because he was up all night watching you! When you went back to sleep after your nightmare, he was worried and sat on your bed the entire night. When he jumped back onto the bed, he accidentally woke me up and I saw him. He watched you for a long time. I'm surprised he fell asleep since he was so diligent."

"Dumb cat," Marinette smiled as she glanced back at Chat Noir. "It was only a nightmare. You didn't have to worry about me like that." She was amazed at how far Chat Noir was willing to go for her. He always listened to her instructions when they fought, a sign of his unconditional trust. It was like a pet protecting its master though Marinette didn't see their relationship that way. Cat or not, she and Chat Noir were equals. She considered him her greatest ally and trusted him more than anyone in the world. He took that friendship to a new level.

"If he's still sleeping, I'll let him rest a bit longer," Marinette continued as she tied her hair up into a bun, wrapping a red ribbon around to keep it tight. "That nightmare really bothered me, so I can't sit here today and do nothing. I'm going back to the library to see if I can find any leads on Hawk Moth. I don't like the idea of him roaming free around Paris. We need to try to pin him down."

"But you know Chat Noir doesn't like to be left alone."

"I know, but he needs a day to himself. He's done so much for me. He needs time to relax. Besides, if he knew why I was going to the library, he'd only get worried. I won't trouble him with my own problems."

"Are you sure?"

"Positive. I'll make sure to leave out some water and snacks for him before we go. I'll write a note too, just in case something happens. It'll be good for him to take a break, so don't worry." Marinette grabbed a piece of paper off her desk and quickly scribbled a note to Chat Noir.

Went to the library with Tikki. Be back in a bit.

Marinette

Marinette ran downstairs and came back with a bowl of water and a handful of treats. "These should tide him over until we get back," she said, setting the food and water down by the desk. "He still might be sleeping when we return. The poor kitty looks exhausted." Marinette felt guilty about keeping him awake all night.

She grabbed her purse and let Tikki inside. To Tikki's joy, there were already freshly baked cookies waiting for her. Marinette headed to the kitchen and told her parents she was off to the library again. They mentioned how impressed they were by her dedication to her studies to which Marinette simply nodded and then quickly ran out the door. Lying to her parents was getting harder and harder.

With a spring in her step, Marinette walked to the library. She wasn't exactly sure what to look for this time. The magic book from before didn't offer any information on Hawk Moth, but that didn't mean another book wouldn't.

Marinette went in the front doors of the library, but was disappointed to see that librarian on duty wasn't the same one before. The other lady had been helpful while this one looked old and bitter. Marinette made a mental note to stay far away from her.

"There's gotta be something in one of these books," Marinette affirmed. "Maybe there's a kind of tracking magic I can research. Then, Chat Noir and I could hunt Hawk Moth down. The magic section seems to be my best bet. I'll check there first."

She weaved through the rows of shelves on the way to the magic section when she heard two familiar voices bickering from behind one of the bookshelves.

"Is this really your idea of a date? I thought we were going to do something fun."

"This is fun. I'm doing research for my article. What could be more fun than that?"

"I can think of a few things..."

"Hmph. I thought you'd be excited to help, but I guess not. You're always welcome to go home."

"N-No! I'll stay... since you asked me out and everything."

Marinette turned the corner to discover a blushing Nino and Alya digging through a stack of books. Nino was sitting on stool, probably bored out of his mind, though he was trying to contain his embarrassment at the moment. Alya wasn't even watching him while speaking. She was too engrossed in her books.

"What are you guys doing here?" Marinette called out, starling both Nino and Alya.

"Marinette?" Alya smiled, standing up. "Isn't this a grand coincidence? Nino and I were doing some research for my upcoming Ladybug article."

"Correction," Nino interjected, holding up his finger. "You are doing research. I'm sitting here waiting for you to finish since you told me this was going to be a date."

"He's trying to act mad and manly," Alya whispered to Marinette. "But you should've seen his face when I asked him out. He looked like a lovesick schoolgirl. I thought he might melt into my arms."

"I can hear you!"

"So you can vouch that it was true. Don't be snippy with me, Nino Lahiffe, or this date is cancelled. We'll go out later, but we had to make this little detour first. You know, it would be better to help out the girl of your dreams instead of complaining to her if you want to earn brownie points."

Nino spun around on his stool, so his back was to the girls. Marinette assumed it was in an effort to conceal how utterly flustered he was. He was trying to play it cool, but ultimately failing. Alya was a tough match. She tickled his heart in a way no one else could and definitely used that to her advantage. Not to say she didn't love him. She absolutely did, but sometimes Ladybug had to come first.

"So why are you here, Marinette?" Alya asked.

The suddenness of the question caught Marinette off guard. "O-Oh! Me? I'm actually looking up information on Ladybug too for... lessons! Yeah, lessons..."

"We can work together then. Three sets of hands are better than two!"

"I don't think one of those sets is willing to work though," Marinette giggled, nodding her head in Nino's direction.

"He'll come around eventually," Alya laughed, kneeling back down beside her pile of books. "You can start looking through this pile. Good luck though. We haven't found anything yet. Maybe looking in the history section would yield better results. Nino, can you go check the history books?"

"It would be my pleasure," Nino grumbled as he jumped off his stool. He left the girls alone and headed towards the history section. In his head, he prayed that he might find some book of value. Maybe then Alya would let them leave. He had dressed up in his best clothes for this date and even prepared to say those three magic works. However, a library was not the ideal romantic destination he had been hoping for.

"You've really gotten into this Ladybug stuff, haven't you?" Marinette asked as she cracked open a book.

"Well not only is it giving me work, but it's so interesting too. At first I thought she and Chat Noir were normal magicians, but I talked to an old man who told me that their magic is legendary and passed down through the ages. That means there were other Ladybugs in the past. It's exactly the type of story people are looking for!"

"A history lesson?"

"Not just that, but the true identity of Ladybug. That mask keeps her face hidden, so no one knows who she really is. Why would you keep your identity a secret though when you're the hero of Paris?"

"Not everyone loves her as much as you do. I heard that mob tried to attack her and Chat Noir the other day."

"For real? Some people are just ungrateful. She and Chat Noir are heroes. Without them, Paris would be a pile of rubble by now! These crazy monsters are getting out of hand. First Stoneheart, then the Pigeon man-"

"And that weird Rogercop."

Alya raised an eyebrow. "I didn't hear about this one," she smiled, leaning in close to Marinette. "Care to share the story?"

"Another time," Marinette laughed as she pushed Alya back. "I don't know all the details. I just heard it from somebody else."

"Darn. It looks like I need to step up my game. There are other people trying to publish stories about Ladybug, but mine are going to be the best. I need more information though. Like their origins or where these monsters are coming from."

"That's what I'd like to know too," Marinette agreed. "I'm sure there's one person behind it, but who could that one person be? Where could they be?"

"I was thinking the same thing!" Alya nodded, setting aside another book. "These monsters or akuma are all similar and seem to be after Ladybug and Chat Noir's miraculouses. Someone is clearly out to steal their magic, but they must be a pretty powerful magician in their own right."

"There's not much to go off either. We'll be lucky if even one of these books has any information. I came here the other day and found virtually nothing." Marinette paused for a minute and thought, "Okay, that's not completely true. But I can't tell Alya that I found a magical book filled with the entire history of Chat Noir and Ladybug except it can only be opened by me, Ladybug, and my pet cat, Chat Noir, who also has the power to turn into a human. Nope! I'm not going to utter a word."

"Really?" Alya sighed, her glasses almost falling off her nose. She pushed them back up and said, "It looks like we won't have much luck then. I could sit here forever, but I did promise Nino a date and I was looking forward to it. I think he might confess today!"

"You think so?" Marinette gasped. "That's so exciting! Alya, I'm so happy for you." She leaned over and gave her best friend a hug. Marinette had been cheering them on from the start and was ecstatic to see things move further than friends. "Promise me you'll confess too, alright?"

"Alright," smiled Alya as she began to pack up her books. "I'm just as nervous about it as he is, but I have a better poker face. Good luck with your research for lessons. Don't work yourself too hard."

"I won't!"

Alya turned to leave, but accidentally stumbled on a book left on the ground. She bent down to pick it up, reading off the title. "Magical Monsters Through Literature? Sounds like a snooze, but it might have some info on those monsters if you want to take a look, Marinette." She handed it to Marinette who took it carefully.

"You know," Alya continued, tapping her finger to her chin. "Talking about those strange monsters, isn't it strange that the king hasn't done anything about them yet?"

"What do you mean?"

"He hasn't publicly come out and discussed them even though it's clear they're a big problem. Usually he's really good about that stuff. Remember when there was that awful trolley accident downtown? The king had a speech prepared and an action plan within the day. It's odd for him to be so silent."

"That is unusual for him," Marinette thought. "People have almost gotten hurt and property has been destroyed yet he hasn't mentioned a word. Why wouldn't he say anything? Unless..."

"Alya, you're a genius!" Marinette exclaimed, quickly standing up. "You've just given me the lead I'm looking for!"

"Your welcome... I think? What's gotten you riled up?"

"I don't have much time to talk, but enjoy your date!" Marinette stuffed her books back into the shelf and sprinted away. She had important news for Chat Noir and needed to make a detour by the palace. They were finally one step closer to closing in on Hawk Moth if her hunch was correct.

"I'll try!" Alya called to her friend. "And Marinette?"

"Yeah?" Marinette shouted back, skidding to a stop.

"That bun looks great on you." Alya winked and waved her friend good-bye.

Marinette smiled and then continued her race out of the library, ignoring the scolding from the mean librarian at the front desk. In the distance not far from the library, Marinette could see the palace in all its glory. That was where she needed to go next.

Dodging her way through the hoards of people, Marinette found herself at the palace's front gate. It was five meters tall and made of iron and steel. There were guards on either side, not including the ones working all throughout the palace. The wall surrounding the palace was decorated with sharp, metal tips. It was a lovely architectural choice, but was made to keep criminals out. Despite it's beauty, the palace was a fortress to protect the king. Nobody unwanted could get in. And if they did, they certainly weren't getting out.

"Hawk Moth must be in there, I'm sure of it," Marinette thought as she grabbed the bars of the gate. She tried to peek through, but wasn't expecting to see anything. The guards exchanged curious glances at her, but didn't think much of her. How could a little girl do anything dangerous?

"Could he be threatening the king?" Marinette wondered, now pacing through the area. "King Gabriel spends his time in there alone so if somebody threatened him, would anyone notice? Could this be a corruption scandal? I still don't have enough information yet, but at least I know where to look."

"The problem is how to get into the palace. Even if I ask politely, these guards won't let me in. I could sneak in as Ladybug, but it's still risky. I don't want Chat Noir to get hurt either. We'll need to make a plan once I get back home. We can end this fight soon! I need to talk to Chat right away!"

Chat Noir was woken up by his peaceful slumber by the slamming of the trap door and Marinette's triumphant cries. "Chat! Chat! Wake up! This is important!" Marinette shouted. Chat's eyes flickered open as he let out a tired meow. Staying up all night had taken its toll. He felt awful. His entire body ached all over and he had a raging headache, but for his lady, anything was worth it.

"Calm down!" Tikki cried as she flew out of Marinette's pocket. "You'll frighten him!"

"I'm fine..." Chat Noir yawned, turning into his human form. "What's got your tail in a twist?"

Marinette clapped her hands together excitedly and plopped onto the bed besides Chat Noir. "Well," she began. "I went to the library to do some research on Hawk Moth and-"

"Wait... You left without me?"

"I wanted you to get some sleep," Marinette confessed. "You looked tired so I let you sleep. You need a break now and then too. You aren't a supercat."

"Wasn't much of a break since I feel awful," Chat Noir chuckled to himself. "I'll spend the rest of the day lounging around if she's offering though. I used to spend most of my time lying in the sun, but fighting akuma and being with Marinette has consumed almost all that free time."

"Anyways," continued Marinette. "I think I might have some more information on his whereabouts."

"Seriously? C'mon, spill!"

"I think he might be hiding in the palace, possibly threatening the king. Normally King Gabriel is extremely active when it comes to Paris's problems, but he hasn't mentioned anything about these akuma attacks. Something's fishy and we need to find out what. Even if it doesn't have to do with Hawk Moth, the King still could be in trouble. We're going to have to sneak into the palace!"

"Back up a minute," Chat Noir said, holding up a paw. "You want to what? We can't sneak into the palace. Isn't that where royalty lives? Shouldn't there be a bajillion guards?"

"Yes, but we're Ladybug and Chat Noir," Marinette argued. "It'll be a piece of cake."

"I don't know... It sounds dangerous especially if we're just going off a hunch." Chat Noir frowned and put his paw gently on Marinette's leg. "I don't want you to get hurt, that's all. We can't go in without a plan or knowing who or what we're looking for. What if you're wrong? Then all of Paris will think that we've become the bad guys."

"Not to mention, there's a chance that scary man from before might be there," Chat Noir shivered, recounting his memories at the palace. "What if he finds me? I bet he'd skin the fur off my back and use it as a rug. There's no way I'm letting Marinette get close to that guy or any of those guards. It's more dangerous than she realizes."

"But-"

"He's right, Marinette," Tikki interrupted. "I don't know if that's a good idea. It's not safe."

"And fighting akuma is?" Marinette stood up and crossed her arms angrily. "I thought we could handle anything. I'm telling you guys, Hawk Moth's in there somewhere. We're so close and you want to back out now?"

"It's not backing out," retorted Chat. "It's waiting to formulate a plan which you're great at by the way." He gave Marinette a hopeful smile that she wasn't buying. "Why doesn't she get it?" Chat Noir internally groaned. "Tikki and I don't want her getting hurt. She's headstrong and confident, but we can't charge headfirst into danger. And if Hawk Moth really is hiding in the palace, we'd be plunging into enemy territory unprepared."

"I'm nervous though! What if someone gets hurt? I don't want more akumas attacking the city. If something happens, I... I don't know what will do."

"Nothing will happen while I'm around," Chat Noir grinned. "I'll make sure of that." The sheer confidence in his voice made Marinette feel a tad better.

Tikki flew in between Marinette and Chat Noir and cheered, "It's settled then! We'll wait it out and see what happens. If anything goes wrong, we'll head for the palace, but it's always best to have a plan."

Seeing the look of doubt on Marinette's face, Tikki patted her on the shoulder and said, "Trust me, Marinette! I have centuries of experience. It's better this way. We need to prepare for whatever tricks Hawk Moth has up his sleeve."

Marinette nodded and prayed, "I hope they're right..."

"I don't like seeing that sad face," Chat Noir frowned, poking Marinette playfully in the stomach. "So chin up! Girls are much cuter when they're smiling especially you, princess."

"And you're much cuter as a cat," Marinette laughed back, taking her turn at poking Chat Noir. "But lucky for you, I think your human side is cute too."

Chat Noir opened his mouth, but Marinette hushed him with her finger. She didn't seem to notice the growing blush on his cheeks. "Don't bother," she giggled. "If it's an atrocious cat pun, I don't want to hear it."

"But I've been saving this one for a week!"

"Nope! Don't want to hear it!"

"Well, I'm going to say it anyways," Chat Noir smiled, sticking his tongue out. "You-"

"LA LA LA LA! What's that? Are you saying something?" Marinette covered her ears and walked away, pretending to be unable to hear. "I can't hear you!"

Not going to let himself be ignored, Chat Noir sprung from the bed and chased after her. He chased her in circles around the bedroom, both of them laughing hysterically. It was all fun and games until Chat Noir tripped over a spool of thread on the ground, coming crashing down, and he accidentally pulled Marinette down with him.

He fell on top of her, pinning her to the ground. He pushed himself up and groggily shook his head. "Ouch!" he thought. "I should've been paying more attention to where I was..." That's when he noticed he was hovering right above Marinette who was taken off guard, but still laughing.

"Plan to get off anytime soon?" she asked. "You're much heavier in your human form than your cat. That fall hurt!"

Chat Noir stared at her for a moment, not hearing her words. She was so close that he could see the tiny freckles dotting her nose. He was looking deep into her ocean eyes and wondered what in the world he'd have to do to make them his. "She's so beautiful..."

"Earth to Chat? Can you please get off? You're crushing me!"

"Aah! S-Sorry!" Chat Noir quickly rolled to his side, releasing Marinette. "I didn't mean to... umm... what I'm mean is-"

"It's no big deal. We should both try being a little more careful. Our recklessness has gotten us into our fair share of trouble." Marinette brushed herself off and sat down at her desk. "I think I might start a new project, so you and Tikki can relax for now. There's food and water here whenever you're hungry." She turned her back to him and began to work, ending the conversation.

Chat Noir watched her work with eyes of longing. He wanted to wrap his arms around her and give her a hug from behind, but restrained himself. He didn't want to cross over any boundaries. "Did she feel nothing?" he thought sadly, thinking back to moments prior. "She didn't even look flustered. Are feelings for me really that impossible?"


Reviews and criticisms are appreciated! :)