"Morning, Love Bug," I rolls over, snuggling up to me. I sigh happily as its warm and cozy in our den. "Remember when Lady WiFi called you a Tom Cat?" I snort, giggling. "Nah, I just a regular fur ball, your favorite ball of fluff." "Thanks for helping me get through the past few days, love. I don't think I could have gotten through them without you." "I may not be a orphan, but I know how it feels to lose a parent." "Cat, I'm so sorry. That was stupid." "Ladybug, we all deal with grief in different ways. I'm not mad."
There are days though where I wonder if my mother did actually die, or if was just another lie my father told me. I can hear the rain still coming down pattering gently onto the leaves outside. "You want to cuddle? I'm not ready to face the rain yet." Ladybug laughs. "You mean, you don't want to become a wet cat." I nod. "Good. Cause wet cat smells awful." I gently roll on top of her. "Oh, and what do you know about wet cats? Is there something you want to tell me?" She places both hands on my cheeks, a soft look in her eye. "Yeah. Make love to me."
Our love-making is so and sweet, and a happy aura swirls around us. However, I keep hearing a strange noise and I know its not coming from Ladybug. "Sh. Do you hear that?" I whisper, and Ladybug holds her breath.
"There. That sound groaning sound. M'lady, do think someone needs help?" I'm already to bound out the door, but Ladybug grabs my arm. "Cat, wait. It could be a trap." I narrow my eyes as I whisper, "Do you think someone would stoop that low?" "Its certainly not Hawkmoth out there. But we do have to be cautious."
Ladybug follows me out of the short tunnel after we dress, and once we're upright, she takes out her yo-yo. After being in our warm nest, the rain feels cold. "Try to move in a circle to pinpoint where the sound is coming from," Ladybug says quietly, up against my back. I do as I'm told, my cat ears swiveling.
I point left, onto the path. "Let's go." Holding hands, and my baton at the ready, we walk down the muddy trail. Beneath the fresh smells of rain and mud, a new smell arises, and I see a spark of color up ahead, through the mist I can see pink and red. "This way," the groaning sound is getting louder and as we come around the bend, we can see a man sprawled out in pain.
"Cat, he's not pretending, look at that sheen of sweat on his face. We have to do something." "Just be careful, Bugaboo." The man sees us and tries to shuffle upright, only to groan in pain. Ladybug and I sit down on either side of him. "Please, don't move. We've come to help you."
"Ladybug? Cat Noir? Is it really you?" "Yes. What happened and where are you injured?" "I-I tripped while running and hurt my ankle." Ladybug looks across at me. "Can you rip the pant leg? We need to see how bad the injury is." "Do what you need to do, Ladybug. I've not come to hurt you, but to help you." "We'll worry about that later. Just rest and Cat and I will take care of things." "M'lady, its extremely puffy. Do you think we should take him back to the temple?" "I have a few things in my bag."
Ladybug takes out a few things, including a handful of leaves, that she starts smashing into a bowl. "You know our names, but we don't know yours." "I'm Papagino, and I come from Hawkmoth's Castle. He trapped me to translate what the birds were saying, especially crows. He has a plan with those birds, so be on guard."
"That is very kind and brave of you. But it wasn't worth running all this way to tell us." "Hawkmoth is ruthless and won't stop until he gets what he wants, Ladybug. Given the chance, he would snatch either one of you, knowing you would talk." "Is his castle near? Cat and I have been traveling for weeks."
"If you take the road heading west, you won't miss it. Made of cold gray stone, and nearly interpenetrate to get into. I admire your courage greatly." Ladybug's lips twitch, and I wonder if she already has taken the information and has formed a plan. However, now is not the time to ask. "Cat, hold him, while I apply the medicine. I don't know if will sting or not." Ladybug takes some of the "green goop" and starts spreading it on his ankle. His face which minutes ago was a mask of pain, relaxes, and the pain must be leeching away. Ladybug digs in pack, ripping a part of the old blanket we used last night and ties it around his ankle. "The healers will fix you up the rest of way back at the temple. Cat, do you think you carry him?"
Soon, we're hobbling along slowly, and the sun bursts from behind the clouds, sending vast steam clouds into the air. "Looks like we're in for a hot day," Ladybug says, wiping her brow. I think of the field of roses, and know there's a place similar in the gardens. "I may just have a solution for that."
We drop off Papagino with the healers, promising him we'll check on him later. I take her hand and we walk down the hallways. "How do you know how to fix his ankle? You were so calm, I don't think I saw your hands shake once." Ladybug laughs gently. "Let's just say my mother taught me the old medicines, and she made sure I would pass down to my daughter, if I have one some day. And as for being calm and collected, all in the days work for a superhero."
"I wouldn't have known how to do that." "I'll teach you, someday." "Let's go down into the rose garden, I promise it will be cool and shady." We take a picnic, and enjoy each other's company.
Awhile later, Ladybug rests in her in my lap, as I French braid her hair. "Cat, do you have the feeling we're being watched?" she sits up quickly. "M'lady," I grin, "Haven't you heard the phrase, "A Cat Is Watching"?" "Cat, I'm serious. Look, in that tree there? Didn't Papagino say something about crows?"
"I know I'm allergic to feathers, love. But their only roosting in that tree. Calm down." Ladybug sighs, and settles back down, but I can tell she has an eye on the birds.
The sun plus the food works it magic on me, and I slip into slumber.
The crows watch the two heroes carefully, waiting for the warm sun to work its magic. Caw! Caw! The black cat's the strongest, we should take his ring first, Cackle cries harshly. No, wouldn't the earrings be first from the clever Ladybug!
The birds swoop down and hop innocently onto the grass closer and closer to the sleeping heroes. Just a little more and they'll be in swiping distance of taking the ring.
Yet the birds are a bit ski dish, the black cat even in sleep looks powerful. One the birds is brave enough to peck at the ring, and Cat stirs.
"Cat! What's going on?" Ladybug tumbles over as the birds peck and scratch at us. "M'lady, there after our Miraculous!" We leap into our fighting positions, black feathers and beaks flying all around us.
I try vailently to protect M'lady, but its no use the birds are too quick, to fast with their claws and beaks. The sun is just rising, but I feel the dankness coming, as the birds tear at my suit.
Just before I go down, Papagino leaps into fray, shooing off the birds would dart away like an arrow from a bow. "Come on, let's get Cat inside. If we leave these scratches unattended for long they'll become infected."
Great, guess its my turn to sit in a bed, but the doctors reassure me when I come to, that the injuries won't take long to heal.
Ladybug brings me some coffee, and plops down in a chair. "I told you those birds looked like trouble," she says. "Now you know how I felt about pigeons." "Come to think of it, I never heard you sneeze once during the fight," Ladybug cracks up, knowing about my allergy to feathers. "Ha, ha. Very funny, Bugaboo. But I've made a mess of things, we should be traveling again already."
"Don't worry about that. Besides, we meant Papagino didn't we? And he warned us about the birds…" Ladybug's voice trails off, a strange look in her eye. "M'lady, what's on your mind?" "Luckily, we were able to capture the birds. And who knows birds better then…." "Dussu!" Dussu is Felix's Kagami, and if he can translate for us, we might be able to figure out what they and Hawkmoth are up to.
"Let me go Felix and Kagami," Ladybug says, digging into her yo-yo to make a portal. "Be back soon!" "Great, Claws In." I snuggle under the covers, and clunk out. The only good about being injured is you have an excuse to take a nap.
It will be good to see my cousin again, and Kagami. It feels like such a long time since there wedding.
Hawkmoth paced one of the empty halls of his castle. His birds he had worked so hard and yet to return. Blasted Ladybug! Curse Cat Noir! They had probably caught the birds. He stroked his chin, his cane tapping along the floor. He needed to draw Ladybug and Cat out into the open, but how?
Maybe offer a reward? Surely the heroes must have other enemies besides himself. Hawkmoth smiled to himself. The plan would still need work, but he was clever schemer, without a doubt.