Back again. With the conclusion. Then it's back to the one-shots.

Marichat May 2023

Day #11: Hard Decision

(Sequel to Day #6: Kidnapping)

Scouting out the top of the Arc de Tromphe with their magical scopes, the two heroes saw Monarch still standing there, with a chained-up Marinette at his feet.

Ladybug knew of course that had to be an illusion, but what neither of them knew was that Monarch was an illusion too. The real Monarch was watching the scene from a nearby rooftop, controlling both illusions with ease. He could see and hear everything at the sight and act accordingly with his illusions, not to mention four other miraculous powers he might need.

Sooner then he would have expected, he spotted Chat Noir jumping back toward the arch. When he landed on the opposite end of the roof, he could see a small jewelry box in his hand.

"I have the earrings!" he yelled, holding the box up high.

Monarch just smiled. "And, as promised, dear Marinette is just fine," he said, gesturing down to the girl.

"Chat, I'm so sorry," she apologized.

Chat gave her a smile. "I'm just happy you're okay." Marinette smiled back.

"Now hand over the box, then your ring, and I'll get her go," Monarch instructed him.

That was the plan. Or at least part of it.

"Catch," Chat tossed the box high in the air toward him, making both Monarch and Marinette look up at it.

A perfect distraction.

If that had been the real Monarch on top of the arch.

Puzzled, the real Monarch saw Ladybug scaling up the side of the arch, right behind where his illusions were. She was trying to get the drop on him. And if she was there, then her earrings weren't actually in that box at all. They were trying to trick him. But he was the one with the upper hand here.

Still, if Ladybug tried to attack his illusion or try to grab his hostage, they would disappear and he'd lose his deception advantage.

Luckily, illusion wasn't the only power he had active at the moment.

As Ladybug got closer to his illusions and threw her yoyo, Monarch summoned a green shield bubble around them both. Her yoyo harmlessly bounced off, leaving his illusions still standing.

The jewelry box fell to the roof floor, opening to reveal nothing inside.

"I should have known you wouldn't have been able to take Ladybug's miraculous," Monarch said from inside the shield. "And if you're not going to honor my deal, then I shouldn't have to either."

Monarch snapped his eyes down to Marinette and grabbed her by her throat. Then lifted her up off of her feet.

As she started to struggle and gasp for breath, Chat ran to the bubble. "No! Stop it! Leave her alone!" he shouted desperately, pounding his fists against the impenetrable surface.

"Attack Ladybug and get me her miraculous!" he yelled, tightening his grip on Marinette's throat a bit more.

Chat's eyes darted back and forth franticly between his lady still standing on the roof's edge and his princess being choked just out of his reach.

What should he do? What could he do to save her?

Ladybug just stood there at the edge of the roof. She watched helplessly as Chat glanced back and forth between her and the illusion of her. Was he going to attack her again? How could she prove that it was just an illusion now if they couldn't get to them?

As she tried to think of a new plan of action, Chat stood tall and faced Monarch, having made up his mind.

"I won't do it," he said strongly. "You promised you wouldn't hurt Marinette if I got you Ladybug's miraculous and I didn't. So now you're hurting her," he said, gesturing with his eyes to what he was still doing to her. "And since she's hurt already, that part of the deal can no longer stand." Monarch was puzzled by his statement, then he realized that he was right. If Marinette was already hurt, he could no longer promise her safety. He no longer had leverage for getting Ladybug's miraculous. "But the other part. You promised her release if I gave you my miraculous," Chat continued, looking down grimly. "So…if I give you my miraculous now…will you let her go?"

Ladybug gasped. She already knew he might have been willing to give up his miraculous if he was also willing to steal her miraculous from her to save…well, her. But still, at this moment, seeing her in distress, he was seriously going to do it.

Monarch looked at him with wider eyes.

"You really do love her?" he asked, genuinely surprised.

Chat glance to his princess, who was still struggling to breath normal. "With all my heart," he replied sincerely.

The villainous man grinned. So, his suspicions had been correct. His feelings for Marinette Dupain-Cheng were deeper than he could have hoped for.

"And that's all I wanted to know," he said before finally putting Marinette down. Even if he just got the information he wanted from this little charade, he couldn't help the desire to continue; for the theatrics and just for the sake toying with Chat Noir's feelings further. "Voyage!" he summoned another teleportation portal inside the shield bubble.

"Wait," Chat snapped to attention again. Was he leaving? And was he taking Marinette with him? "No! Marinette!" Chat screamed, slamming his fists against the shield twice as hard. "Take my miraculous! Just let Marinette go!" he begged.

Chat stepped back and reached down to his right hand, about to take off his ring to prove he was really serious about trading this time. No tricks.

Seeing what he was about to do, Ladybug jumped on him.

"Chat, no!" she yelled, holding his hands away from each other.

As Chat struggled to get Ladybug off of him, Monarch just grinned at their chaotic actions.

"I'll be seeing you both again soon," he said before allowing his captive to crawl over to the other side of the shield. "Say your goodbyes, my dear," he told her.

Marinette placed her hand on the shield and looked right at her kitty. "Chat! Please! Save me!" she pleaded, tears streaming from her eyes.

Breaking free from Ladybug, Chat knelt down and placed his hand to align with hers on the other side of the shield. "I'm here, princess. I'm right here," he tried to comfort her. But a second later, Monarch was pulling on the chain again, ripping her hand away. "No! Marinette!" Chat watched in utter horror as Monarch dragged her through the portal. When they were gone, the portal closed, then the shield bubble disappeared as well. Chat stumbled forward a bit, into the exact spot they had been. "No! Why…why didn't he-?" He offered his miraculous for her freedom. Why didn't he take it? He turned his angry stare behind him toward Ladybug. "Why did you stop me?!" he screamed at her before turning back and kneeling on the ground.

"Chat…" Ladybug said slowly. She had never seen Chat this upset before. This angry. And she hated it. "It…it wasn't real. That wasn't Marinette. It was an illusion," she tried to tell him. If he could understand that, maybe he'd calm down.

"You don't know that! How could you possibly know that!?" Chat screamed again. His head lowered almost all the way to the roof. He punched the concrete several times, making it crack a bit, before breaking down. "Marinette," he whispered. "I'm sorry. I'm so sorry," Chat sobbed hopelessly.

His princess was gone. He couldn't save her, and now she was Monarch's prisoner.

Still watching from his viewing hiding place, Monarch smirked. Satisfied with the useful information he had gotten and having broken Chat Noir's spirits, Monarch left the scene for home.

Ladybug stood there, watching and listening to her kitty sob. She couldn't just leave him like this. She refused to.

How could she prove to him that that Marinette was a fake that the real her was okay?

She already knew how.

Their identities were supposed to remain a secret. Even from each other. But Chat needed to know. He almost gave up his miraculous for an illusion. It wasn't safe for him to keep believing that Monarch had her.

Sure, he did basically betray her to take her earrings, but it was to save her—again, for an illusion. Which he wouldn't have fallen for if he had known.

And what if Monarch decided to come after her for real the next time he wanted to use Chat's love for her as a weapon? They could make a plan together to help protect her when she wasn't transformed.

It was hard decision, and Marinette knew that, rationally, it made sense. But mostly, she just wanted her partner to stop crying.

"Chat?" she said softly, approaching him from behind with an outstretched hand.

"Go away, Ladybug!" he shouted before she could touch him.

Ladybug withdrew her hand but walked around to in front of him and knelt.

"Chat, please. Open your eyes," she said, cupping the side of his face. His face was at level with hers but his eyes stayed shut. "I knew it was an illusion…because I'm right here." And with that, she spoke her detransformation words. Seeing the pink light from behind his eye lids, and from shock, Chat opened his eyes. When the light reseeded, there his princess was. Smiling and unhurt. "Surprise?" she said somewhat awkwardly.

Chat sat up straighter as he looking at her with wide eyes. "M…Marinette?" he uttered in disbelief. "But…you…you were-"

"Monarch has the miraculous of the fox, remember? It was just an illusion to trick you. He never touched me," she reassured him.

Chat remembered that Monarch could create illusions with the power of the fox. She just touched his face so she couldn't be another illusion. And Monarch no longer had the peacock so she couldn't be a senti-monster. But he could still do other things. And he refused to be fooled again. "No," he shook his head and stood up quickly, taking a few steps away from her. "How-how do I know this isn't just another trick? If you're not an illusion, you could be a person akumatized to look like Marinette." An even worse trick. Being focused to fight someone that looks just like Marinette since he's never been able to successfully akumatize the real Marinette.

It had barely been five minutes and Monarch was already torturing him with his princess.

Marinette sighed, not surprised by his paranoia or disbelief. "Okay. Then ask me things only you and I would know," she said, standing up.

Chat looked at her skeptically but decided that it would certainly be enough proof for him.

"What's my favorite pastry from your parent's bakery?" he asked.

"Chocolate chip cookies," she answered right away.

That was one of his top favorites. But she could have easily guessed that.

"Where did I take you out to last week?" That was a bit more specific.

"Montparnasse Tower to watch the sunset."

Okay, right again. Still, someone could have taken a picture and posted it on social media.

"What's my favorite physical thing about you?" That was a lot harder.

"My bluebell eyes. But when my hair is down, then that's your favorite," she said confidently. Chat stopped and just stared at her for a minute. He remembered that being a private conversation in her room after he stole her hair ties. But Marinette wasn't finished yet. "Also," she started walking closer to him. Chat didn't move. "When we cuddle on my chaise or bed, and you hold me close, you purr like a real cat. You get embarrassed but I think it's adorable," she said sweetly, inches from his face.

There was no denying it.

"Marinette?" he whispered. Only his actual princess could know that.

"It's me, kitty. It's really me."

More tears came from Chat's eyes as he wrapped his arms around her body, muttering endless apologize for doubting her, attacking her, and falling for Monarch's trick. He felt like a total fool.

Marinette hugged him back, stroking his hair and whispered reassurances that she wasn't mad and that everything was okay.

She still loved him and he loved her. With everything they had.

And if Monarch intended to use that as a weakness, then they'd show him it was really what made them stronger than him.

Quick note; this was somewhat inspired by the Miraculous fan comic 'With or Without the Mask' by Ferisae (I don't know where it was originally posted, I just found a YouTube video of it and it's great). One-sided reveal, I know, but was already a hair over my word limit. Plus, I like the whole 'tell me something only u would know to prove you're u' thing.

Drama is fun to write.

See u again tomorrow with another that was also fun to write =^.^=