So I got to watch the Origins episode in French and holy shit, it was damn good. No spoilers here, but if you have the opportunity to watch it in a language you enjoy, do it. You won't regret it.
Also, I couldn't leave you guys hanging. I'm gonna keep the updates coming in celebration of the Origin episodes being released in French (at least in Quebec). Two more chapters left!
Chat Noir sat by Ladybug's body when his ring let out a final beep. There was a green glow and he returned to being Adrien. Plagg came tumbling out of the ring along with another tiny creature that appeared from the butterfly brooch.
"What the hell is wrong with you?" Plagg shouted as he crossed his arms. "Are you an idiot?" He was clearly upset that Adrien had succumbed to the temptation of Hawk Moth. It was almost disgraceful, not to mention extremely dangerous. With that much power, it wouldn't have been out of the question to accidentally hurt himself or somebody else. Not to mention that the entire time Plagg was trapped in the ring, he couldn't eat any cheese!
Plagg's eyes traveled down towards Ladybug's body. He watched her lay motionless like a doll. The tiny creature's gaze shifted back up to Adrien whose face was red and tear stained. Though Plagg had been trapped in the miraculous, he saw what happened, but was powerless to stop it. Somehow, he knew that Ladybug would come to save Chat Noir. She always did, but he didn't know she would be willing to sacrifice herself for him.
"Adrien..." Plagg sighed. He flew into Adrien's lap and cuddled against his clothes, searching for warmth. The air was cold and wet. Adrien ran his finger against the kwami's soft fur. It felt good to be surrounded by his friend again. Plagg was the only one who could offer any comfort right now.
There was whimper from the corner of the tower. Adrien and Plagg turned and saw the shivering pink kwami that belonged to Hawk Moth. He looked scared and out of place. It was clear that the entire ordeal scared him. It must have been terrifying to be taken away from his home and help captive by nothing less than a monster.
"It's okay," Adrien whispered with compassionate eyes. He took off the brooch and set it in front of him. "I don't need this anymore," he explained. "Take this back to your master. And tell him... tell him I'm sorry." The kwami nodded and picked up the brooch. It flew out of the cathedral without a single word.
Adrien and Plagg didn't ask any questions. They didn't ask his name or his purpose. They didn't want to know what Hawk Moth had been after this entire time. Adrien didn't want to know why his father had been chosen to hold a miraculous. It didn't matter anymore. Everything was meaningless now.
The atmosphere was silent. Only the pitter patter of the rain hitting the tower could be heard. It was extremely late now and Plagg was exhausted. He was hungry and wanted some cheese. He hadn't eaten in over a day. His stomach let out a loud rumble.
"Adrien, can we go home?" Plagg whined as he threw his paws up in frustration. Adrien shook his head. "You can, but I'm staying here. I won't leave her side."
His clothes were soaked through completely. They stuck to his skin, causing goosebumps. The dirt on his body felt grimy and gross. His hair was sopping wet and clung to his face. It was uncomfortable, but Adrien ignored it. He was still too focused on Ladybug.
"I'm sorry," he muttered. Plagg looked up when Adrien started to speak. "Adrien?" Plagg said. He sounded concerned, a rare emotion from him.
"You really need to go home. You're cold and wet. You'll get sick."
"I don't care!" Adrien slammed his fists against the ground, startling Plagg. "Don't you understand? She's dead, Plagg. She's dead! And I'm the one that killed her. I killed her!"
"Dead?" Plagg said. "Adrien, I don't think she's..."
"Please stop," Adrien commanded. "S-stop talking."
Plagg instantly closed his mouth. He had never seen Adrien so serious. Adrien buried his head in his hands and muttered, "Just leave. You can go get your cheese or whatever, but I don't care. I just want to be alone." Plagg could hear Adrien's muffled sobs.
The black cat shrunk back from his master. He wanted to give Adrien some space though he didn't understand why Adrien was so upset. Plagg flew behind the pillar of the tower and sat down. He wouldn't bother Adrien until the boy had calmed down. Adrien wouldn't understand logic and reason if Plagg tried to talk now.
The long night dragged on. Plagg fell asleep almost immediately despite laying on the cold stone, but Adrien tried to stay awake. He was afraid that if he fell asleep, he would be plagued with nightmares. Unfortunately, those nightmares were reality and he could do nothing to escape them. Adrien's eyelids slowly closed as he laid down beside Ladybug's body. He nuzzled close to her and looked up out at the sky.
The clouds had faded and the rain stopped. In that moment, he decided he would have to move on in the morning. He couldn't sit beside her forever. She was gone, but he would have to keep living his life. She would want him to be happy and not stay stuck in the past. She would be sad if she discovered he spent this long with her body. That was the kind of girl she was. An incredible, amazing, miraculous girl.
Adrien wondered what he would do from now on. He didn't know if he could go home. How could he face his father after almost killing him? How could he face his father after he had been turned into a monster? The idea of stepping foot into the mansion caused a feeling of guilt to settle in his stomach. Home hardly seemed like an option.
And being Chat Noir? There would be no more of that. If there was no Ladybug to purify the akuma and be by his side, what was the point? It would only stir up bad memories. Plagg would have to find someone else to be the new Chat Noir. Adrien couldn't handle it anymore. He had enough of these superpowers. He would easily relinquish them to someone more worthy. He failed his duties completely.
He couldn't stand the idea of working with a new Ladybug either. The cycle of Ladybug and Chat Noir had continued for all of time. Eventually, they all died at some point. She would be replaced, but not in his heart. No one could take her place. In his mind, she would be the one and only Ladybug.
Adrien looked up and saw the stars covering the sky. He sighed and said, "Aren't the stars beautiful tonight, my lady?" Then he fell asleep at her side.
"Ugh..." A small groan emerged from Ladybug's lips. "My entire body hurts," she thought. "I think I might be sick. I don't know if I could even sit up."
She slowly opened her eyes and observed her environment. It was damp. Her suit was soaked. Clearly, it wasn't waterproof. The ground was cold and uncomfortable, but something smelled good. She looked at her hands and saw she was holding beautiful white flowers.
"Flowers?" she wondered. "Why am I holding flowers? I mean, they're nice and all, but they aren't exactly my style."
Ladybug set the flowers at her side and tried to prop herself up. Every time she moved her muscles screamed a little. Everything was tense and tight. It felt like she had run a thousand miles. Once she finally sat up, Ladybug looked to her side and was surprised to see Adrien sleeping beside her.
"Adrien?" she gasped. What was he doing here? It was obvious that it was late and it had been raining. His entire body was soaked. He would get sick laying out here like this. And why was he next to her? What happened?
A blush appeared on Ladybug's cheeks. "I was sleeping next to Adrien!" she thought, excited. "I'm not going to complain, but what's going on? The last thing I remember was passing out after Chat Noir hugged me." She looked back at Adrien. "I should probably wake him up. He needs to go home and sleep in a real bed. If he catches a cold, I'll blame myself."
"Hey," Ladybug said. She poked Adrien's cheek. He let out an accidental, but adorable grunt. Ladybug giggled. Even when sleeping, he was cute.
"Adrien, wake up," she repeated. This time, she rocked his body back and forth. The sudden noise woke Plagg up. He peaked from behind the pillar and saw Ladybug trying to wake Adrien up. "About time," he thought. "I want to go home, but Adrien won't let me. Maybe now we can go get some cheese! I'm so hungry!"
Adrien groaned as he opened his eyes. Who had woken him up? If it was Plagg, that kwami was going to get an earful. Adrien's vision was blurry at first. He could only make out a red mass hovering in front of him. A feeble moan came from his mouth as he murmured, "Plagg?"
"Plagg?" Ladybug replied, a bit offended. "I know it's late and you're tired, but I'm at least a little cuter than that thing, right?" She pointed over at Plagg whose head was sticking out from behind the pillar. Somehow, she knew who Adrien was mumbling about. The kwami frowned and flew over beside Ladybug.
"What are you talking about?" Plagg sneered. "I'm the cutest cat in existence." He flicked his tail to prove his point.
Adrien sat up with a jolt. "Ladybug!" he exclaimed. "Y-you're alive, but how? I thought you died."
"Died?" Ladybug thought. "He thought I was dead? I hurt like hell, but I'm still alive and kicking."
"It takes more than that to squash a bug like me," she smiled. She gave Adrien a hug and said, "I'm glad you're okay. I was so worried."
Her body was warm despite being wet. Adrien was in shock as he hugged her back. "She's alive!" he thought. "She's really alive!" A steady trail of tears flooded from his eyes.
"Could you two quit it?" Plagg asked, making a pretend gagging sound. "You're so mushy. I don't understand why you were so emotional. I was trying to tell you that she was okay, but you wouldn't listen." Plagg huffed and turned away.
"What do you mean?" Adrien asked, trying to wipe away his embarrassing tears with his wet shirt.
"Your cataclysm can't kill anyone. Chat Noir is supposed to protect people, not hurt them. You can cause a lot of pain with it, but you can't kill anyone. That would go against literally everything Chat Noir stands for. I thought that would be obvious, duh!" Plagg spoke as if this was clearest thing in the world.
"Plagg!" Adrien crossed his arms. He gave the cat an angry frown. If Plagg had know Ladybug was alive, he should had tried harder to let Adrien know or did he find some sick enjoyment in seeing Adrien cry. Honestly, Adrien wouldn't put it past him. Plagg loved to tease Adrien.
Adrien looked down at himself with a thick gasp and remembered that he was no longer Chat Noir. Ladybug saw him and Plagg, but it didn't seem to phase her. It was like she knew he was Adrien. Had she figured him out a long time ago? When had his secret been revealed?
"Is something wrong?" Ladybug asked, tilting her head in confusion. "You're making a weird face right now." She mimicked his face which sent her into a fit of giggles. Adrien smiled, happy to see his lady so alive. He thought she was gone, but here she was, laughing in front of him. Her laughs echoed throughout the tower, raising Adrien's spirits.
"You don't seem surprised," Adrien said. "I'm not Chat Noir right now, but you knew it was me. How?"
Ladybug pursed her lips and sheepishly smiled. "T-that's a funny story," she stammered. "I'll tell you in a sec, but I have some quick cleanup to do first."
Adrien watched her stand up and walk over to the edge of the tower. She unhooked her yo-yo and tossed it into the air, yelling, "Lucky Charm!" A plastic, red and black heart fell into her hands. Ladybug looked at it with unamused eyes.
"Ha ha, very funny," she mumbled to herself. Her own superpowers were mocking her. She held the heart in her hand and gave it a kiss. "Maybe this is a sign of good things to come?" she thought hopefully. "I hope I'm not going to be the one getting rejected soon!"
She threw the heart up into the air and shouted, "Miraculous Ladybug!" The heart dissolved into red light that swirled around all of Paris. Ladybug watched with a smile as buildings rebuilt themselves and the remaining pain her body subsided. Her miraculous cure was really the best superpower in existence.
"That looks much better," Ladybug said, admiring her handiwork. Adrien stood up and walked beside her. He looked out on the Paris he had destroyed, but it appeared brand new. He felt extremely grateful, but guilty that Ladybug was the one to clean up his mess. She had been seriously hurt because of it too.
Ladybug turned to see Adrien's sad expression and she flicked him on the forehead. "If you make that face again, you're gonna be in for it," she scolded him. "Everything is okay now, see? There's no need to be upset. Don't feel guilty, it wasn't your fault. You were being controlled by the akuma."
"..."
Adrien didn't know what to say. Why was his lady so kind? He clearly made a mistake, but she wouldn't let him beat himself up about it. She wanted him to move on, just like she had already. Adrien bit his lip and turned away from her. He was too ashamed to look her in the eye.
Adrien felt warm arms reach around him. Ladybug was hugging him. He could feel her body against his back and her breath against his neck. "Adrien," she whispered. "Please don't be sad. I'm here for you. And about before... I wasn't lying. I really do..."
Ladybug took in a deep breath and smiled. "I really do love you."
Her face turned beet red. Even though this was technically the third time she confessed, it didn't get any easier. It was still embarrassing. All her feelings were being put out in the open. She heard Adrien hold his breath as his body tightened. He placed his hands on her arms that were wrapped tightly around his waist. Those were the words he always dreamed of hearing, but could he believe in them?
"How could you?" he sighed. "You never showed any interest in Chat Noir and he's way more exciting than Adrien Agreste. You don't have to lie to me. I know you lied earlier just to release the akuma. There's no reason to continue this joke."
Ladybug squeezed tighter. "It wasn't a joke!" she protested. "I love you. I love Chat Noir and Adrien Agreste. I have for a long time. I just didn't know... I just didn't know you two were one in the same."
Her earrings began to beep. She let go of Adrien and shyly put her hands behind her her back. Adrien turned to face her. He could tell she was embarrassed. Her face was almost the same shade as her suit. "Could this be real?" Adrien thought. "Does she really love me?"
"The reason I rejected you as Chat Noir was because I was in love with Adrien Agreste, the sweet guy who sat in front of me in class. When I first saw the way you smiled, I fell for you... hard. And then I met Chat Noir, the punny, over the top cat who couldn't stop flirting if his life depended on it. He became my best friend, but he was my prince too. I was such an idiot not to realize it sooner. You both were the same wonderful person."
Adrien listened to her words in shock. "She was in love with Adrien?" His eyes widened as she continued to speak. "How is this possible? She said she sat behind me in class. She goes to my school! But who...? Who sits behind me?"
A quiet beep came from Ladybug's earrings. She smiled and said, "I hope you're okay with plain, boring me." A red glow spiraled around her and the ladybug disguise vanished, leaving behind a blushing, nervous Marinette. She crossed her legs and gave Adrien a hesitant smile. "It's just me," she said.
"M-Marinette..." Adrien stammered. Plagg watched as Marinette revealed herself. He was trying to restrain his laughter. How stupid could these kids be? Weren't their true identities crystal clear from the start? Perhaps that was a symptom of being in love. It made you blind to the obvious. The extremely obvious.
Plagg felt a warm body lean up beside him. To his surprise, it was Tikki who had been released from her miraculous. She had a soft smile as she gazed lovingly at the two teens. Plagg rolled his eyes. Tikki had always been the hopeless romantic. Still, he was happy to see her again. They hadn't been side by side like this for decades.
"You're disappointed, aren't you"? Marinette sighed as she saw Adrien's expression. "I know I'm not as spectacular as Ladybug. I'm awkward and clumsy, not to mention a bit of a stalker. So it's okay if you don't like me too. I understand..."
"It was her the whole time," Adrien thought, so absorbed in his own thoughts that he almost couldn't hear Marinette. "Ha, of course it was her. Who else could be Paris's kind-hearted hero than the even more kind-hearted Marinette? It makes so much sense now and this entire time she had been trying to save me as both Marinette and Ladybug. I wanted to know her true identity so badly and now that I know, I..."
"This is embarrassing," Marinette said with a disappointed sigh. "Tikki, we should go. I'm sorry for burdening you with this, Adrien. I understand if you don't want to be partners anymore." There were small tears in the corner of her eyes.
"What?" Adrien exclaimed. He grabbed her wrist. He didn't want her to run away. "Please don't go," he smiled. "We're still partners. We always will be. Just because you're Marinette now doesn't mean that you aren't also Ladybug. You're both of them and I'm in love with all of you."
In Adrien's mind, everything made sense. All the qualities he loved about Ladybug, Marinette exhibited on a daily basis though not always in front of him. She was his lady through and through. She was also his princess. She was his dream girl, his perfect match. He couldn't dream of not having her by his side.
"You still love me?" Marinette said in a hushed tone. She could hardly believe her ears. Adrien said she loved her in return. Adrien nodded his head and opened his arms, ready for an embrace. Marinette ran into his arms and began to cry tears of joy. She was so incredibly happy.
Adrien listened to her tears and almost cried some of his own. He too was happy to be holding the girl he loved most in his arms. Finally, they had joined together as one, their strange love square finally realized.
Tikki and Plagg laughed to themselves as they watched the young lovers hug. It was one of the perks of their job to be able to see such pure, innocent love blossom. That was more Tikki's thing, but even Plagg had to admit it was nice once in awhile.
Marinette and Adrien looked out from the tower to see the rising sun. Orange and pink hues painted the sky. It was a new start for Paris. It was a new step in their lives. They would be moving forward together now as Adrien and Marinette and Ladybug and Chat Noir.
"Marinette?" Adrien asked as he stared at the sun. She looked up from his chest and smiled. "Yes?"
"Do you think Paris will let me become its hero again? I destroyed it and hurt so many people. You could carry on all by yourself. You don't need me."
"That's not true," Marinette frowned. "We're a team and everyone is excited to have you back. The entire time Paris wanted you to be yourself again. They missed you. I can't wait to see Nino's face the next time Chat Noir saves Paris. He'll be ecstatic. You see? People do care about you."
"Thanks, my lady. You really know the purr-fect thing to say in any situation."
"We were having a serious conversation and you just ruined it with that stupid cat pun. You know that, right?"
"Of course. It's what I'm best at."
Marinette tried to frown, but instead broke into a smile. She couldn't be mad about the cat puns especially when saw it was Adrien who made them. It seemed so wrong, but also so right. Lovingly, she grabbed Adrien's arm and called over Tikki and Plagg. "We're going home!" she declared. "I'm exhausted and need something to eat."
"Cheese?" Plagg asked with an excited smirk.
"All the cheese you could ever want," Adrien laughed.
Adrien escorted Marinette home. Well, he escorted her to the side of the bakery where she had to sneak up the side wall and back into her bedroom. Her parents didn't know that she had run away during the night, saved all of Paris, and almost got herself killed. All that information would stress them out. They didn't need to know.
"Good-bye, Princess," Adrien smiled as he let go of Marinette's hand. "When will I see you again?"
"After I take a good nap," Marinette yawned. "I'm tired." She stood on her toes on kissed Adrien on the cheek. Since they were officially going out, she decided to be a bit gutsier and turn on some of that Ladybug charm. Somehow, she didn't feel so nervous around him anymore since she knew he was Chat Noir. Adrien's cheek heated up where Marinette's lips had touched. He looked like a nervous schoolboy.
Plagg poked his head out of Adrien's shirt. "Calm down there, Romeo," he snickered. "Or you'll scare your Juliet away."
Adrien said nothing as he stared lovingly as Marinette climbed up onto her balcony. She blew him a kiss and he pretended to catch it. She giggled and then entered her bedroom. Adrien watched here disappear with a lovestruck smile. He had only known Marinette was Ladybug for a few hours, but he had fallen in love with her all over again if that was even possible.
"Can we go home now?" Plagg moaned. He was tired and sore. Not to mention, he desperately needed some cheese. Some fine camembert would hit the spot nicely.
"I don't know if we can go home," Adrien sighed. "If my father is there, what'll we do? Our secret is out and so is his. I don't think either of us could handle seeing each other anymore. Maybe it's time to move out. I've had plans for awhile..."
Plagg rolled his eyes. "Stop being a drama queen and man up! Talk to your dad and let him explain himself. If anything happens, I've got your back, promise. You won't know what your dad has been thinking if you don't ask him."
A knot formed in Adrien's stomach. He had so many questions. It was heartbreaking to know that his father was Hawk Moth. He was an evil man who preyed on people's emotions, but what were his motives? Adrien doubted he could ever forgive his father, but they couldn't abandon each other either. They were each other's only family and Adrien believed that some tiny part of his father's heart must love him. Right?
"Let's go home then," Adrien smiled. Plagg did a somersault in glee. Home meant food! "I expect you to keep your promise though," Adrien warned. "Otherwise no cheese for a mouth." Plagg nodded his head in agreement. That was a deal he could make.
Adrien walked down the dark streets of Paris, dreading the moment he would return home. He checked his phone and was startled when he saw the news. What Happened to Ladybug? was what most of the headlines read. The articles detailed her battle against Chat Blanc ending with her possible demise. There was footage of him running away with her body. No one knew if she was alive or if he had been saved.
Plagg looked at Adrien's screen as he scrolled through the news. "Shouldn't you tell someone that you're both okay?" he asked. Adrien shrugged. He could leave his audience in suspense for a little bit. Besides, he had other, more important matters to deal with right now.
Adrien stepped up to the front of his house. He took a deep breath as he pushed open the heavy door. The house was dark, not a single light was turned on. If he was lucky, his father wouldn't be home yet. Marinette told him that he had been sent to the hospital after being attacked by Chat Blanc. He had been scratched up pretty bad, but he would live which was a relief.
Trying to stay quiet, Adrien walked through the main hall towards the kitchen. He needed to grab Plagg some cheese and then they could go to bed. Tomorrow would be a long day. They both needed some quality sleep. Adrien passed by the large staircase that led upstairs when he heard a familiar, cold voice.
"Adrien."
"Father?"
Adrien squinted and saw his father's figure at the top of the staircase. The man walked down the steps, approaching his son. Adrien felt his body stiffen either from fear or disgust. He couldn't tell.
Gabriel stood in front of his son in his usual proud manner though he had cuts on his face and probably bruises all over his body. He appeared slightly less professional than normal. His eyes were staring straight into Adrien's soul. Adrien braced himself for harsh words.
Then, his eyes softened as Gabriel hugged his son. Adrien gasped, taken completely by surprise. He couldn't remember the last time his father said anything kind to him, let alone hugged him. Adrien didn't return the hug. He was still upset with his father.
"I'm glad you're okay," Gabriel whispered. His voice was shaky and Adrien felt something wet land on his shoulder. Was his father crying?
"I'm glad you're okay too, father." Adrien pat his father on the back, hoping to control the crying. This was a strange, alien situation to him. His father was never emotional.
Gabriel pulled back and wiped his face with a handkerchief. "I apologize for that outburst," he said, trying to regain composure.
"It's fine," Adrien smiled. Seeing his father care so much sparked a fire in Adrien's heart. For once, he felt like he had a family. He bit his lip and hesitated for a moment. He didn't want to ruin this moment between them so quickly, but he couldn't wait any longer.
"Father, can we talk?"