"Of course there is!" Ladybug protested, stomping her foot. "Why even ask such a stupid question? There are other people out there who care about and depend on you. Your existence means so much to others. How could you even think to abandon them?"

King Gabriel sighed and slowly approached Ladybug, his eyes staring straight into her soul. "There are sometimes more important things in life. I would've ended it all to have the chance to see my son's face again. I wouldn't be standing here if this miraculous hadn't given me that chance."

"Y-You're crazy!" Ladybug cried as stepped backwards. "Prince Adrien is dead. No amount of miraculous magic can bring him back to life!" She, just like the king, wanted to see Prince Adrien once more, but she couldn't deny reality. The image of his black casket was engraved in her memory. There was no magic that could bring the dead back to life.

"That's where you're wrong. Prince Adrien isn't dead. He's simply missing and if you cooperate and hand over your miraculous, I'll finally be able to find him!" King Gabriel had an twisted expression, a strange mixture of hope and insanity.

"Missing?" Ladybug thought. "But he was pronounced dead. I saw the casket. Why would the king lie about his son being dead? The poor man has lost his mind. He's trying to rationalize Prince Adrien's death, but can't see what's right in front of him. I need to get that miraculous away from him. He isn't in his right mind!"

King Gabriel reached out and traced his finger along the outline of Ladybug's chin. Though uncomfortable, she stood her ground and glared at him. King Gabriel clicked his tongue in disappointment and said, "I can tell you don't believe me, but I don't care if anyone believes me. My son is out there and I'm going to find him. So hand me your miraculous. I won't take no for an answer."

"Never!" Ladybug knocked King Gabriel's hand away and leaped backwards. "On the contrary, it will be me taking your miraculous. You've caused enough harm to Paris already! Destroying the city won't accomplish anything!"

"That was only a ploy to lure you out of hiding. I thought I might be able to send someone else to do my dirty work, but they were all incompetent fools. They say if you want something done right, you must do it yourself. I will gladly take your miraculous by my own hands."

"I don't want to hurt you! Please!" Ladybug begged, offering the king one last chance to back down. She tightly gripped her yo-yo in case the situation went sour. "Things don't have to be this way. Prince Adrien wouldn't want to see you like this. He wouldn't you to put all of Paris in danger for his sake!"

"How would you know what my son wants?" King Gabriel growled. He tore his glasses off and angrily threw them at the ground, smashing the lens. Shards of glass bounced up, cutting King Gabriel's hand. Drops of blood oozed from the wound, but it didn't faze him. "I won't let you deceive me! I'm going to bring my son back if it's the last thing I do!"

"Dark wings rise!" There was a blinding flash of purple light as King Gabriel activated his miraculous. Once the light subsided, Ladybug noticed that his attire had changed to a suit and mask like her own. King Gabriel had transformed into Hawk Moth and in his hands was a long scepter which was pointed directly at her.

"It ends here, Ladybug!" Hawk Moth beckoned with an evil glare. "I will have your miraculous!"

"He's an old man..." Ladybug thought, trying to think of a strategy. "He'll go down without much of a fight, but I can't beat him up too badly. I'll be in big trouble if anyone founds out I hurt the king. No one would hesitate to throw me in jail!"

Before Ladybug had the opportunity to strike, Hawk Moth held his finger up in the air and a white butterfly gently landed on it. "Isn't it beautiful?" Hawk Moth mused, bringing the butterfly closer to his face. "Such an innocent creature quickly becomes a monstrosity. I wonder what would happen if I unleashed all of these upon Paris?"

"You wouldn't dare!"

"What makes you so sure? I might be persuaded to do otherwise if you gave me your miraculous. You can't be in two places at once. Certainly, all these akuma would cause significant damage before you would ever get the chance to save the day. And like you said yourself, miraculous magic can't bring people back to life."

"He can't possibly be threatening to take the life of his own citizens?" Ladybug thought horrified. "What should I do? I can't let him hurt anyone, but if I give up my miraculous, I give up Tikki and being Ladybug. Do I have any other option though? The idea of people getting hurt because I made a mistake... it makes me sick to my stomach. I'm sorry Tikki... I know what I have to do."

"You win," Ladybug sighed, her head falling. "Please don't hurt anyone. I'll give you my miraculous, but promise you won't release any more akuma. End this game."

"Of course."

Taking a deep breath, Ladybug reached for her earrings and began to undo the clasps when a sudden green light appeared from behind Hawk Moth. A tall figure emerged from the light, but in the darkness, it was difficult to see.

But Ladybug knew that figure anywhere. It was the one she had been searching for for the past weeks. It was the one she thought she might never see again. But somehow, here he was at her side just like he always promised he would be. It was Chat Noir.

"Not so fast!" Chat Noir grinned, pulling his baton from his belt and extending it. With a running start, Chat Noir vaulted over Hawk Moth and landed in front of Ladybug in fighting position. His staff ran horizontally across his body, a sign of protection. "You tried to hurt my lady," Chat Noir hissed. "Now it's my turn to hurt you!"

"Chat Noir!" Ladybug exclaimed in shock. "Y-You... you came back!" Tears were beginning to well up. Something about seeing his face again instantly filled a gap in her heart. She had never been so happy to see anyone before.

"Did you really think I could leave you alone?" Chat Noir smiled. "What kind of partner would I be if abandoned you? I'm sorry... I never should have left!"

"Chat Noir..."

"You!" Hawk Moth shouted, breaking up the sweet moment between Chat Noir and Ladybug. He clenched his fists and his jaw tensed, a year's worth of rage and anger preparing to explode. Hawk Moth lunged forward and grabbed Chat Noir's shoulders, shaking the cat violently. His fingernails dug deep into Chat Noir's skin. "Where is he?" Hawk Moth cried. "Where is my son?"

With his baton, Chat Noir struck a blow to Hawk Moth's chest, knocking the man to the ground. "Stay away from us," Chat Noir warned, baring his claws. "Come close to my lady again and I'll show you how dangerous I can be."

Chat Noir felt a warm hand on his shoulder. "Don't hurt him," Ladybug said, joining Chat Noir's side. "All we need is his miraculous. We don't need to beat him up too."

"But Ladybug, you know what awful things he did to Paris. He put everyone in danger!"

"I know and I can't forgive him for that, but he's doing it out of desperation. He thinks he can bring Prince Adrien back."

"I can!" Hawk Moth roared, pounding his fists against the ground. He was sobbing as he held his head with shaking hands. "Tell me where he is! Tell me!" He could hardly sit up straight.

Ladybug and Chat Noir exchanged confused looks. Neither knew what Hawk Moth was raving on about. "Let me talk to him," Ladybug said, biting her lip. "If anything happens, be ready to attack, but we'll try to talk him down first. This doesn't need to be a violent fight." Chat Noir nodded and watched Ladybug slowly approach Hawk Moth.

She kneeled down next to him and rubbed his back, mimicking how Alya would treat her whenever she was upset. "It's okay," Ladybug whispered in a calming voice. "Who knows where Prince Adrien is?" It was important to let Hawk Moth talk out his anger to hopefully convince him to think rationally. If she could keep him calm, it might open an opportunity to steal his miraculous. But it felt like she was consoling a crying child, not Paris's public enemy number one.

"That wretched cat!" Hawk Moth growled, looking up at Chat Noir. "Where is my son? I know you did something to him! You can't hide it anymore!"Hawk Moth tried to stand up, but quickly collapsed back onto the ground. Ladybug caught him before his head hit the floor and kept him steady.

"Me?" Chat Noir yelped, pointing at himself. "That's impossible... I-I don't even know your son!"

"You were there on that night. When I came into Adrien's room, he had vanished and you were there instead! What did you do with him? Please tell me he's okay... please..." Hawk Moth's voice trailed off into a weak whimper.

"That night..." Chat Noir remembered. "Is that why he was so angry? He thought I had hurt his son. But there was nobody in the room when I regained consciousness. Prince Adrien must have disappeared before I got there, but why was I in the bedroom of a missing prince? I couldn't be responsible for... no, there's no way. I would never..."

Ladybug glanced from Hawk Moth to Chat Noir. "What's he talking about?" she asked warily. "I thought you didn't know Prince Adrien. Why does he think you hurt the prince?"

"My lady, there's some things I haven't told you. You know I lost my memory, but there's more to the story. I don't know if the information I have will be useful, but I don't think Hawk Moth is lying. Prince Adrien might still be out there and we need to find him!"

Chat Noir's heroic spirit overcame his jealousy. He didn't want his rival in love to come back and steal Ladybug away, but that would make everyone happier. If he could see his princess smile and bring peace to Paris, it was a sacrifice he was willing to make. He would be the bigger person... err, cat.

"Could he really be alive?" Ladybug wondered, her spirits rising. "Would I be able to see his face again?" She could vividly imagine his face in all its smiling glory. After a year of wishing, would her dreams finally come true?

"You don't need to steal our miraculouses anymore because we'll help you," Ladybug decided. "If Prince Adrien is still out there, Chat Noir and I will find him. We're on your side, but I need your miraculous. We're not willing to trust you. Grief can drive people to extremes as you've clearly proven."

Hawk Moth lowered his head, not uttering a word. He slowly reached for his miraculous and unpinned it. There was another flash of purple light and he transformed back into King Gabriel. He stared at it for a moment before he set the brooch in Ladybug's hand and closed her fist around it. "I-I'm sorry..." he stammered. "Please... I just want my son back. I-I'll... I'll do anything!"

"After all those crazy akumas, this was all we had to do to stop Hawk Moth," Ladybug smiled. Relief flooded over her. "I'm glad this is all over, but Ladybug and Chat Noir's jobs aren't finished yet. We're going to find Prince Adrien!"

"Let's take him into another room," Ladybug said, slinging King Gabriel's arm around her shoulder. "I think we passed his bedroom on the way here." Chat Noir nodded and opened the door for her. She carefully lifted King Gabriel up. He managed to walk on his own, but lacked any energy. Ladybug worried he might collapse if she let go.

She lead him into his bedroom where Chat Noir started a fire in the fireplace. Carefully, she put the king in his bed and pulled up two chairs by his bedside. She and Chat Noir took a seat and waited patiently for King Gabriel to calm down. They didn't want to overwhelm him, but it was felt strange for their enemy to suddenly become their ally. Instead of forcing him into conversation, they decided to let him sleep. He looked exhausted, physically and mentally.

While King Gabriel rested, Ladybug turned to Chat Noir. "What was he talking about before?" she asked Chat. "I thought we promised not to keep anymore secrets."

"It wasn't a secret per se..." Chat Noir explained, giving Ladybug a hesitant smile. "I just didn't think to tell you. I never thought it would be important, but it might give us clues on how to find Prince Adrien."

"Then start talking, kitty."

"Here I go then... about a year ago, I woke up with amnesia in that room in the tower. I didn't know who I was or how I got there. The room was a disaster and there was a spellbook and rune on the floor. That's when the king came in, surrounded by guards, and tried to capture me. He kept yelling about his son, but at the time, I had no clue who he was talking about. I managed to escape before I was caught and that was it. I never came back."

"Is that why King Gabriel thinks you have something to do with Prince Adrien's disappearance?"

"Probably."

"But you had nothing to do with it, right?" Ladybug pleaded. She couldn't imagine Chat Noir ever hurting someone, let alone abducting or hurting a prince. It just wasn't his nature.

Chat Noir sadly smiled. "I can't guarantee that..." he admitted. "I can't remember anything. It's completely possible that before I lost my memories, I... I..."

"Get that thinking out of your head! We both know you wouldn't hurt a fly! Just because you don't remember doesn't mean that you're responsible. There must be some explanation for this!"

"I hope so..." the black cat sighed. "You really miss him, don't you?"

"I do, but that doesn't mean I care about you any less. You're my beloved partner and no boy could ever change that. I'm so happy you're back!" Ladybug grinned, her bluebell eyes shining. She wasn't going to let Chat Noir leave her side again.

"That means the world to me to hear you say that."

"Marinette!"

"Tikki?" Ladybug thought as a Tikki's voice filled her mind. "Did you see? We did it! We finally defeated Hawk Moth!"

"That's amazing, Marinette, but now we need to find Prince Adrien. Release your transformation. I want to talk to you and Chat Noir."

"Are you sure? King Gabriel's lying right here. He might see you."

"I'm sure. He has a kwami too. It won't be a big surprise."

"Okay," Ladybug murmured. "Spots off!"

With a pink glow, her clothes returned to normal and Tikki came flying out of her earrings. "Much better!" Tikki exclaimed. "I thought I was going to miss out on all the action. By the way, I'm glad you're back, Chat Noir. Marinette was a complete mess without you!"

"Was not!" Marinette blushed. "I was just worried. That's all..." Chat Noir stifled a laugh. Marinette was adorable when she was flustered.

"Chat, can you tell me more about this spellbook?" Tikki asked, sitting on Chat Noir's leg. "I think it might be the key to Prince Adrien's whereabouts." Tikki had a suspicion that Plagg might be involved too, but kept it to herself. She couldn't confirm if Prince Adrien and Chat Noir had a connection just yet. And considering Chat Noir had finally returned, Tikki didn't want to ruin the moment.

"Uh, sure." Chat Noir thought back to the first time he found the book. "It was opened to this page that had a drawing of the rune on the floor. I couldn't read any of the words so I have no idea what the spell does. At the time, I didn't think much of it. I just assumed someone had been practicing magic."

"I see... I think I need a second opinion on this. Nooroo, please come out. I know you're hiding, but there's nothing to worry about. We don't bite!"

A purple, butterfly-like creature appeared from King Gabriel's pockets. He looked nervous as he flew out and hovered in front of Tikki. "H-hello..." he stammered as he rubbed his hands anxiously. The poor kwami looked ready to burst into tears. "I-I'm Nooroo."

"Hello!" Marinette smiled, offering her finger for the kwami to shake. "I'm Marinette and this is Chat Noir. We're friends of Tikki's. It's nice to meet you! You must be King Gabriel's kwami." Nooroo nodded and shook Marinette's finger, but kept quiet.

"He's always been a little shy," Tikki explained. "His masters tend to be a bit overbearing, so his words tend to get overshadowed."

"Sorry for picking bad masters..." Nooroo grumbled.

"We all make mistakes," Tikki giggled, trying to comfort Nooroo. "But that's not what we're here to talk about. You and King Gabriel have been searching for Prince Adrien for over a year. Have you made any progress?"

"None. We haven't found a trace of him. The only reason King Gabriel still holds hope is because a body hasn't been found."

"So what was with the funeral then?" Marinette interjected. "Why lie to the entire kingdom? Search parties could have been sent out to look for the prince." Marinette wished she had known the truth earlier. She had been in so much unnecessary pain as many others probably were too. How would someone like Chloe react if she knew the prince might still be alive?

"The king sent out dozens of search parties in secret," Nooroo sullenly explained. "But after a week, no one could find him. King Gabriel's advisors pressured him into pronouncing the prince dead, but he refused to believe it. Even after the funeral, he kept on searching. That was when I met him. I wanted to offer him a way to find his son, but his grief led him to make poor choices. And since I accepted him as my master, I had no choice but to obey."

"So how are we going to find someone that's been missing for a year?" Chat Noir asked. "Especially if his own father couldn't find him. Our miraculouses can't perform miracles. In a year, this prince could possibly be on the other side of the world!"

"I doubt Prince Adrien would've gone very far." Nooroo shook his head. "I've heard that the prince was very loyal to his city. Unless he was taken against his will, he might still be nearby perhaps in hiding."

"Who's to say he wasn't?" Marinette frowned, her worries growing. "His bedroom was destroyed. There might have been a struggle. What if he got hurt? What if someone really killed him?"

"I don't think he was attacked," Tikki responded. "I think the destruction was the result of the spell somebody cast. I'm starting to think Prince Adrien's disappearance was more magical than anything else. It would explain why no one has been able to find him yet. Magic hasn't been taken into account."

"So what does that mean then?"

"It could mean anything. Magic is unpredictable. It's hard to say if he's alive or dead. Any number of things could have happened."

"Ah..." Marinette rubbed her nose, trying to contain her emotions. "I don't want to get my hopes up," she sighed. "Like Tikki said, he might really be dead. But if King Gabriel still has hope, then so will I. This is my way of repaying a favor. I'll find him..."

"We'll figure it out!" Chat Noir exclaimed. His confidence startled everyone else. He sounded so sure. After seeing the looks of dismay he received, Chat Noir laughed. "We're Ladybug and Chat Noir after all. We've fought every type of monster under the sun. Magic is what we know best. With some time and heavy thinking, I'm sure we'll find him and that's a promise."

"Thanks, Chat." Marinette reached over and hugged Chat Noir. He felt like he was blushing from the tip of his ears right down to his tail. He had missed her hugs so much. Nothing could replace the feeling of her affection. How he had survived without it was a mystery. In the time he had intended to forget his one-sided love it had only become stronger.

"I-It's nothing," Chat Noir stuttered, rubbing the back of his head. "Just a cat's honor. Wow, is it hot in here or is it just me?" He fanned himself, trying to make the sudden heat from his embarrassment dissipate.

"You're a silly kitty. Anyways, it might be time for us to go," Marinette said, standing up. "King Gabriel is still asleep. We must have stressed him out so it's best to let him rest. We can always come back and talk another day. In the meantime, I hope it's okay if I hold onto this."

Marinette held up the butterfly miraculous. "Yes, of course," Nooroo agreed. "I can't imagine better hands. My master needed to be separated from it. Normally, I accompany whoever has the miraculous, but I will stay with Master Gabriel for now."

"That sounds good," Marinette nodded, pocketing the brooch. "Chat Noir and I will do our best to find Prince Adrien. We won't give up!"


Not the type of fight you were expecting, right? ;)