Chapter Thirty-Nine
Adrien walked into the Wangs' massage parlor at exactly fifteen minutes after the hour– having been waiting around the corner on the north end of the street ten minutes before that. The timing that had been requested of him needed to be precise, to make sure that he would not cross paths with Lady Noire– who had been arriving from the south end of the street before him so they would be out of sight of each other.
Marianne greeted him at the front of the parlor, beginning to close up the shop and pulling blinds down as soon as he was through the door, keeping them hidden from the eyes of anyone that might be passing by. Adrien could hear talking from the backroom, and straining his ears he could hear the familiar voice of Lady Noire, just one hallway apart.
"You can transform now, dear," Marianne said as she double-checked the windows, before turning back towards Adrien. She wore a small pair of round glasses today, bright eyes smiling warmly from behind them.
It would never not be strange transforming in front of someone, feeling strangely vulnerable as he called for the transformation phrase– and with a flash of pink light he was Crimson Beetle. Once he was transformed, he could sense a pulse of churning energy coming from nearby– Lady Noire. Marianne led him back into the main room, where he could see Fu, Lady Noire, and a cluster of kwamis waiting for them– two of the kwamis not being the Guardians' normal companions.
"We're all ready, Fu," Marianne said as she came in behind him.
"Hi, Crim," Lady Noire said, smiling at him, and his heart felt warm as he watched her.
"Ready for Guardian training?" He asked, and she gave a quick nod.
Trixx was resting in Fu's hair, his fur puffed up as he sat there. A familiar green kwami hovered near the man's shoulder, the Turtle. Roaar darted off to join Marianne as she came in. That left the last kwami, who was floating right up to Crimson Beetle. Green eyes watched him, the small creature's fur white with brown patches. She had a proud gleam in her eyes, the Horse flicking her tail as she circled about him once.
"Tis an honor to meet you, future Guardian," the kwami said in a British accent, giving him a slight bow. "I am Kaalki, the kwami of Migration, and I am excited to work with you today."
He smiled, holding out his hand. "Hey Kaalki, it's nice to meet you."
The kwami regarded him, before holding out a small hoof, pressing it against one of his fingers in greeting. Kaalki gave him a small nod, before drifting off towards Marianne, small legs swinging under her as if she were galloping as she settled on the shoulder opposite of Roaar. Crimson turned his eyes towards Wayzz, whom he had technically met before. The Turtle gave him a small bow as they made eye contact.
"I am Wayzz, kwami of Protection," he said, speaking as if this were their first encounter, not leaving Fu's side. "It is nice to meet you, holder of Tikki– how is she doing?"
Crimson Beetle felt a wave of warmth in his mind, and he smiled. "Tikki says hi– and she's been doing great. She was really excited about coming here today."
"Why don't you go unify with Tikki?" Trixx grumbled, paws curling into Fu's hair. "She'll be able to put up with you."
Wayzz sighed. "Master can transform with whoever he likes, Trixx."
"He's my holder!" The Fox protested.
"And my Guardian."
"You can't take him! He's mine!"
Wayzz took in a deep breath. "Must you do this every time? It's unbecoming, you are acting like a human child."
"Well you're acting like a boring old human."
"That is enough, you two– some of us are 'boring' old humans after all," Fu said, reaching up to stroke Trixx, while Wayzz let out yet another long sigh. "Sorry about the two of them, Trixx can be… protective."
"I'm nothing like him!" Trixx shrieked in horror.
"He's just like this because you almost chose me to be your companion," Wayzz said. "Which was years ago, but still he panics." He eyed Trixx. "You do know I'm the one that suggested he went with you, correct?"
"And he's not going to change his mind!"
Wayzz looked out at the heroes. "I was Master's first choice for a kwami, he wished to use my powers to shelter himself when he was young." He smiled at Fu, the look in his eyes being that of a grandfather watching their grandchild. "I feel we would have done well together, but Fu… ah, he was cautious and afraid in his young age, and I knew using my powers would have only encouraged that fear."
"Wayzz taught me the importance of matching the power and the kwami to a holder," Fu said. "He felt I would prosper if there was someone to push me."
"Trixx was a good choice," Wayzz agreed, giving a small nod. "You could temper his recklessness, and he would help you move forward. His powers still helped you to hide, but encouraged creativity. It's made you into a fine Guardian, Fu."
"Thank you, Wayzz," Fu said.
"Remember what you said, Turtle, I'm the best one for him."
"Well, shall we get going?" Marianne asked. "Not much we can do here besides talk."
"Are… are we going somewhere?" Crimson asked, confused.
Marianne merely smiled, tapping her glasses. "Kaalki, full gallop."
The Horse kwami turned into a burst of white light, being drawn towards Marianne. She hit the glasses as an orb of light, instantly transforming her. As the energy faded, a pair of dark sunglasses fell across Marianne's face, no mask resting over her eyes. Gray hair was drawn back into a ponytail. A horseshoe hung at her side, outfit the same silvery sheen as her hair.
"Voyage," she said, white light dancing about her arm. She thrust her hand forward, sending out a pulse of light, quickly forming a blue portal in front of them, hovering ominously above the mat.
"Silver Mare's portals are completely safe," Fu said as Crimson and Lady Noire shared a glance. "Come along now, let's go."
Roaar and Wayzz were the first to drift into the portal, followed by Fu and Trixx as they stepped through. Silver Mare watched them, and Crimson took that as his cue to step forward. He hesitated for a moment, before looking back and offering his hand to Lady Noire as she followed behind him. She froze up slightly, and for a second he was worried that he had upset her– but then she put her hand into his, allowing him to lead them through the portal that hovered in front of them.
It was a seamless transition, passing through. No rush of energy, no disorientation– just one moment they were in the massage shop, and the next they were stepping into the outdoors. Crimson had to blink as his eyes adjusted, looking out at the vast desert in front of them, the sun beating down from above, the air dry. It looked just like the classic picture you'd see of a desert– nothing but sand and dunes for miles and miles.
"Where are we?" Lady Noire asked, looking about, sinking slightly into the sand as she walked.
"Egypt," Silver Mare replied as she passed through the portal after them, still transformed with the Horse Miraculous. She waved her hand behind her, the portal vanishing as she spoke: "Halt." She spared a quick glance out, letting out a small sigh. "It's quite a beautiful country, if you ever get the chance to see it all, but I'm afraid I had to take us a ways out so we wouldn't be disturbed."
"Marianne and I tracked a former Butterfly holder here in Egypt, once," Fu said, looking the most worn out of all of them– being the only one who wasn't transformed in the heat.
"They were difficult to follow– didn't want to fight nor to be found," Trixx said, tail swaying.
"When was that?" Crimson asked.
Fu smiled, a gleam in his eye. "Ah, that would have been about... the 1890's, right dear?"
"1894," Silver Mare replied. "The year you officially asked me to join you in seeking Miraculouses, like we weren't a team already." She grinned at them. "Fu was a stubborn one. Still is."
"You were the stubborn one– following me into danger!"
"Wait– wait one second," Crimson Beetle said, doing the math in his head. "You're saying the 1890's? Not the 1990's?"
The two shared a look, a smirk curling on their lips. "That's right."
"That's... that's over a hundred and twenty years ago," Lady Noire said, eyes wide. "That's... that's impossible– even if you were that old, you would have been like babies then– not tracking down Miraculouses!"
"Bold of you to assume I had a childhood," Fu muttered under his breath.
"No, we were young adults then," Silver Mare said with a smile.
"Wh-what?" Crimson managed to force out after a moment of gawking.
"I was born in Russia in 1866," Silver Mare said with a smile, as if this was the most casual thing one could say. The two heroes stared at her in shock, and on her shoulder Roaar let out a rumbled laugh– flashing them a fanged grin.
"That means– that means you're–" Crimson stammered out.
"I'll be turning a hundred and fifty this year," she said warmly, as if this were a completely normal age. The two heroes stared at her, before their eyes flickered towards Fu, who had sunk down into the sand– looking exhausted even after just a few minutes in the sun, sweat rolling down his face. He had yet to transform, and if it wasn't for the impossible information being handed to them, he would have questioned the old man as to why.
"A hundred and eighty-seven as of a month ago," Fu said dismissively.
"H-how–?" Lady Noire croaked out.
Trixx grinned at them from atop Fu's head. "That is the true burden of the Miraculous– you will never die. Forever you will wither away, the magic keeping you alive as you shrivel into nothing–"
"Ignore him," Fu said. "A Miraculous does not do that, nor will it. If you want to be technical, my true age is eighty-six years old– that is how many years I have experienced life and how much I have aged, my body has simply been on earth for longer."
"Fu and I have spent multiple years in a dormant state," Silver Mare said. "A hibernation, I suppose you could call it. My mind and my body is eighty-one years old, even though I have been physically on earth for much longer."
"Dormancy is a state in which a transformed Miraculous holder enters what can be compared to a sleep." Fu explained. "Magic preserves the mind and body in an unchanging state until they are awoken out of it. You do not age, grow, hunger, heal, or dream at all in this state. When you awake, it feels like nothing more than perhaps a few days have passed, and you continue on as you were."
"I doubt you'll ever have such a need for that state," Silver Mare. "At least I hope so. It is difficult, mentally."
"But how… how do you, like, integrate into society?" Lady asked. "I mean, it's not like your birth certificate would say your true age, and, and like– everything else?"
"The Fox Miraculous is useful," Fu replied.
"Getting established and adjusted takes work," Silver Mare said. "But once we're settled, we do our best to live an honest life." She smiled. "We could talk about this all day; however, we brought you out here to learn some of the more fascinating abilities of these gems."
"What are we going to be doing?" Crimson couldn't help but feel a bit excited– not that their last lesson hadn't been interesting, but being out where they could be transformed and use their powers... that sounded a lot more epic.
"Today you will be learning about the unification of Miraculouses," Fu said, voice sounding solemn.
"Wait, last time you said that we shouldn't–" Lady Noire began.
"Unify an Alpha Duo together, yes," Fu agreed. "But when used with other Miraculouses, unification can be an advanced skill that allows you to transform with theoretically multiple Miraculouses– though you would have to be a fool to unite more than two."
"How come?" Crimson Beetle asked.
"It's a straining process, dear," Silver Mare said with a smile. "Quite dangerous as well, if done recklessly. With time, most people can handle the unification of two Miraculouses, walking away with mere exhaustion. Beyond that, however... well, you have learned about what a broken Miraculous can do; and it is quite similar. Exposure to that much magic, being channeled through your physical form can impact the body and mind."
"In theory, someone could handle three," Fu continued. "But it is simply a risk not worth taking, two Miraculouses have been united safely by many different holders for years. For our sake, simply imagine two as the limit, as it is what remains safe."
"There are two ways to unify," Silver Mare continued. "Such as when you are already transformed as I am– and you invite a kwami to merge with your current form. You of course put on the Miraculous," she smiled, holding up the hand where her panjas bracelet resided. "And use the following transformation phrase: Roaar, unify!"
Roaar became a burst of magenta light, being pulled towards the Horse holder. She entered the Miraculous with a flare, a swift rush of energy adding to the current transformation. As the light faded, you could see the remains of what had been a part of Marianne's unification with the horse– the whites and silvers of her suit, her hair still in that high ponytail, and, of course, the lack of a mask with the sunglasses on her face. The Tiger features had joined her, however, jagged dark stripes running across her costume, claws at the tip of her gloved hands, the weapons of both Miraculouses hanging on her form.
She smiled, revealing pointed canines. "You can call me Silver Tigresse."
"Awesome," Crimson couldn't help but whisper in awe.
"The other means to activate a unification is pretty much the same," Fu said, drawing their attention towards him. "When you aren't transformed yet and wish to harness the powers of both kwamis from the start, you use both of their names in the incantation: Trixx, Wayzz– unify!"
An orb of golden light flew from his head to the necklace around his neck, while one of green energy zipped down towards a bracelet on his hand. The two auras danced across his form, intertwining with one another as they transformed him. As the light faded, a figure that resembled Citrine Húlí stood there, his nine flowing tails were now just two swaying behind him, and they had taken on a yellow hue instead of orange. The Turtle influence was strong, instead of fur hanging from his shoulders and hips, a dark green armor patterned like shells hung there instead. Yellow easily faded into green, and those two colors being the twin hues on his mask. A conical hat rested on his head, looking like that of a turtle shell, and his flute was strapped to his back as always.
"The result is the same," he said with a smile. "In this form I am known as Jade Húlí, and I am able to access both the powers of the Fox and the Turtle. As for the magic guise of one's identity, if you are using a Miraculous in a unification that you have used often, you will likely be recognized as the wielder of that Miraculous. Should I walk into Paris like this, the people would probably know I am Citrine Húlí. However, if I had unified with the two Miraculouses Marianne holds, they would see me as a stranger."
"So if we were to put on a different Miraculous than usual, unifying or not, it would be like a whole new identity?" Lady asked, raising an eyebrow.
"Yes. If you were to unify with the Fox, you would likely be recognized as Lady Noire. But if you were to only wear the Fox both your civilian and alter ego would be hidden by the glamour." He paused for a moment, considering. "Of course, simply announcing that you are Lady Noire could break that glamour and allow people to see you as such– but your civilian self would still be hidden by the magic, unless revealed."
"Theoretically you could twist the glamour of your main Miraculous to be seen as someone else if you were to alter your costume enough," Silver Tigresse added. "But that is more of a hypothetical possibility."
"We are not here to discuss transformations– but you teach you about unification," Jade Húlí said, removing the 'hat' from his head, revealing it to be a shield as he held it on his arm. "Unification has risks, as we have described, but there are benefits to this state as well." He closed his eyes for a moment, and in front of Crimson and Lady an illusion of a knight appeared, standing in the sand. Húlí looked up at them, his voice turning flat. "Attack."
"What?" Crimson asked.
"Attack," he repeated, waving his hand to the warrior illusion.
"Why?"
Suddenly Jade Húlí charged forward without another word, drawing his flute from his back– swinging it straight towards Crimson Beetle. He didn't have time to react– and Lady moved first. She rushed in front of him, baton in hand as she blocked the blow. Her eyes were wide as she forced Húlí back, sending up a spray of sand as he slid back. Both were on edge from the sudden attack, but Húlí did not strike again, simply giving her an approving nod.
"When in a fight, there is no time to ask 'why'," Jade Húlí said. "You must observe your opponent, but that is not a time to rest. You must keep reacting. Lady Noire reacted properly– one moment of faltering could be your fall, Crimson Beetle."
"He didn't think you'd attack him," Lady Noire said defensively.
"I wouldn't have actually struck him," Húlí replied. "It would have just been a feint, had you not interfered, but in a true fight a foe wouldn't have hesitated– and Monarch has tried to fool you with fake allies before. It is better to be cautious than overly trusting– but being overly cautious can be just as dangerous; it is about balance. Now. Attack."
He waved his flute, and the illusion warrior turned to face them, before moving forward. Crimson Beetle didn't want to mess once more, so illusion or not, he charged forward as he had been told to do. It was difficult to move swiftly through the desert sand, so Crimson threw his yoyo forward, expecting it to pass straight through the illusion and disrupt it– but instead the weapon rebounded right off of the chest with a thud, the yoyo flying back through the air. He stiffened up in surprise, and Lady Noire bounded forward on all fours, bracing herself as she pounced on the warrior– but she passed right through him, the illusion vanishing like a puff of smoke.
"What was that?" Lady Noire asked, blinking as she rolled to her feet, shaking sand from her hair.
"That is what I called an Armored Illusion," Jade Húlí said. "A protected illusion– an ability that has manifested with my unification of the Fox and the Turtle, and the true advantage of using unification. You do not just get access to both kwami's powers, but new ones as well from their combined auras."
"Awesome," Crimson whispered.
Jade Húlí waved his flute, summoning two twin fennec foxes in front of him. The two little creatures bounded towards him and Lady, each one pausing in front of the heroes, looking up at them as they sat. They seemed to act like dogs, tails wagging, rearing onto their hind legs as if begging to be stroked. Despite knowing it was an illusion, they look so real and absolutely adorable that he couldn't help but reach his hand out slightly. He paused, looking at Húlí, who gave a nod for him to continue.
He touched the fox, and like before, the illusion did not shatter. However, he did not find his fingers sinking into soft fur, but instead gliding across the shape of the fox, which might as well have been made from marble– smooth and cool. He pulled back his hand slightly in surprise, but as he reached forward to touch it once again, the illusion vanished upon contact.
"It does not make the illusions real– but the illusion merely gains a one time Protection due to the fragile nature of Deception, but that might be all you need to make an illusion appear a bit more real," Jade Húlí explained. "That's why I picked an armored foe for you to face at first, as bumping up against them would have felt more natural compared to the illusions I made just now."
"That is pretty cool," Crimson Beetle said, realizing this was what Fu must have done when he had been captured by Gorizilla– how the illusion of Crimson had held against Gorizilla's impact, how the force had knocked him out of the akuma's hand, and why Wayzz had been present.
"There are practically infinite possibilities when it comes to unified Miraculouses," Silver Tigresse said. "You are not unlocking a set power, but more discovering something new when it comes to the Miraculouses, seeing what can manifest from the kwamis' united auras." She held up a clawed hand. "With the Tiger, I am naturally able to summon energy to a single point in my palm, and release that Force upon contact with that target. When unified with the Horse, that impact can have a bit more reach."
She snapped her fingers, and off in the distance behind her they caught a brief burst of indigo light– which was soon followed by an echoing boom, the entire earth shaking around them as a giant plume of sand was sent up into the air, leaving an empty patch of desert where a dune had once stood. Crimson stumbled back a few steps, the tremors shaking the ground slowly dying down.
It was strange how alive Fu and Marianne became when transformed, a spunk that hadn't been there before, their playful humor seeming almost more sly. Silver Tigresse turned to watch as the sand fell back to the earth, leaving a small plume in its wake as it settled, nothing like the sleek dune that had been there before. She had a hand on her hip as she watched the wreckage she had created, and it was pretty clear why they had brought way out here– even with the beating sun shining down on them.
"Unlike when normally wielding a Miraculous, it is impossible to be told what powers might form from unification– from us, the kwamis, or otherwise. Three beings are becoming one in a single moment; a versatile ability that should be used with care," Jade Húlí explained. "If you become familiar with a specific unification, it can become more reliable as a tool. But the abilities that come from unification have never truly been studied due to the volatile nature of the powers. It is something to choose with care."
"Are we going to unify with a Miraculous today?" Crimson Beetle asked eagerly.
"Most definitely not," Húlí said, sharp eyes looking back now. "It is dangerous, and you are young."
He was taken back at the denial. "Then why are you teaching us about it if you're not even going to let us use it?"
"You two are going to be Guardians– and as such you will learn all that we know about these Miraculouses," Húlí turned back to face them. "We have never taught you to fight– that was something you have learned on your own. Consider these lessons in a similar vein. When we are together, it is not about what Monarch might send your way next, but what you should know about magic long after Monarch is gone."
"Not that none of this can help you when it comes to facing Monarch," Tigresse said with a smile.
"However, the most important thing to know when it comes to the Miraculouses, is just how unsafe they can be," Húlí said solemnly, before slowly sinking down to sit in the sand.
Tigresse did the same, and after a moment Crimson and Lady sat down across from them. He could feel the heat of the sand through his suit, though the protection it granted made it not painful, as he imagined it would be against his bare skin. Húlí seemed to be gathering his thoughts, a silence in the air as they all waited.
"Lady Noire, tell me about when you summoned your Cataclysm for the first time," Jade Húlí said as he at last spoke.
Lady Noire shifted at this request, and Crimson Beetle's eyes fell on her, wondering if he should say something, but she was already talking: "Apex told me that I was trying to summon as much energy as I could," she said quietly. "Which resulted in such a large wave of Destruction."
"Large then," Silver Tigresse said softly. "You have become well attuned to your Miraculous– if you were to try to summon the same force again, I am sure you would draw much more power."
"What matters is that Miracluouses are not simple machines that always produce the same results," Húlí said quietly. "They can be impacted by willpower, emotion, knowledge– the holder is in control of a kwami's power, and humans are not simple beings. A Miraculous is meant to limit the raw power the kwami holds– but that does not mean we humans cannot push them to dangerous limits."
He took in a deep breath, before continuing.
"I have made many mistakes in my time wielding these gems– if a mere 'mistake' can describe such. The one I shall tell you today will be what has led us to our current situation, and has brought you into the world of magic– how I broke the Butterfly Miraculous."
"You broke the Butterfly?" Lady whispered.
"Shì," he confirmed. "I was young, oh, about twenty years old. Still at the very beginning of my journey of life, but well some time after the Order of the Guardians had fallen– and the first time I committed to finding the missing Butterfly. I was alone in my duty, with the kwamis as my sole companions. I alternated between their powers frequently, save for the Ladybug, Black Cat, and Rabbit– I had been forbidden from using the Rabbit, and I of course had no partner then to truly wield half of an Alpha Duo. But I had so many powers at my fingertips, and up against the one who had claimed the Butterfly I was sure I would win.
"Now Húdié was a sly holder, greedy and looking for trouble. Not like Monarch, with a grand goal and trying to put on a show– but the Miraculous gave him power, and he was not about to give it up. We had multiple fights, a game of cat and mouse where I had become the hunter, determined to reclaim the brooch. In one of our last fights I decided to go all out, and put on one of the more powerful Miraculouses of the Miracle Box– the Elemental within."
"The Dragon of Storm," Lady Noire said, and Fu gave a nod of confirmation.
"I was young, but no longer confined to the limits of a timer. I had a powerful Miraculous, and a burning drive to win. You would think I would have learned the dangers of Miraculouses by then, but I was blinded by pride. As Ruby Lóng, I summoned forth a powerful Lightning Dragon, primed not only with all the raw force I could muster, but backed with unbridled emotions."
Húlí took in a deep breath.
"If it were not for the magic of the Miraculous he had... such a strike would have easily killed Húdié and his current champion, and anyone else had they been nearby," he said. "It was an extreme that I should have never sought, because it easily put the powers beyond my control. I created a continuous bolt of lightning with that rage, not a swift flash, but a pulsing ray that would not die down. The Miraculous may have saved Húdié, but it could not save itself– and the Butterfly fractured. The gem cracked, raw power leaking out from it.
"I did not know what I had done to poor Nooroo until I detransformed, and Longg could explain what horror I had inflicted upon the kwami, having nearly ripped him from what binds him to this realm, forcing his mind to reach for the spiritual state they had once been apart of, while his body remained bound by the jewel. As for his holders, oh... so many Butterflies holders have suffered because of my mistake. Some had been cruel and selfish, but others... they were just people who happened to stumble across magic, not knowing the risk they were taking on."
The Guardian was silent for a moment.
"I forbade myself from using Miraculouses of such power after that," Húlí said quietly. "These gems were not mine to wield, they were ones I was meant to protect. If I were to don a Miraculous, it would be one without such offensive capabilities, so I could never make such a mistake and endanger anyone again. The Dragon, the Bee, Tiger, Rooster, Black Cat, Monkey, Ox... they were ones I would not put on or use, along with the Timekeepers. I vowed I would not make a mistake again, and that I would bring Duusu and Nooroo home." He gave a half smile. "And as you know, I have yet to retrieve those Miraculouses. I have lived a long life, and if I cannot keep that promise, I hope the two of you can carry it on for me, and let my Miracle Box be safe and whole at long last."
"We will bring the kwamis home," Lady Noire said. "I promise."
He smiled. "I am glad to see how much you care for the kwamis; that was something I was never taught by my master, nor any Guardian before me. It was about the powers, and never the beings that granted us such."
They were quiet as he said this, Lady Noire rubbing the ring on her finger. Crimson wondered if that was part of the reason they did not learn of the Guardians sooner, instead having their kwamis become the ones to guide them through their world of magic, to be the ones for them to trust and depend on.
Tigresse pushed herself to her feet, blue energy pulsing around her wrist. "I believe this will be a good place to end for today, we should be getting you children back to Paris. Voyage!"
He wondered if this was going to be how all their lessons were– learning the deep and heavy powers of the Miraculouses, the tragic stories brought them to this reality, only for them to be hurried home before it could truly sink in.
But both he and Lady were on their feet once more, passing through the portal to return to the massage shop.
"So, Luka, still up to smuggling me some sweets?" Adrien asked as the band began to pack up.
Luka gave a small smile. "Finally decided to take me up on my offer?"
"My father's having a show coming up in June," Adrien explained. "So my diet will be a bit more limited the next few weeks."
He usually did fine with things like this; as much as he did love a sweet treat, he could handle a few weeks of it being cut out. Except his kwami had a very strong sweet tooth, and while Tikki insisted that she would do just fine with other foods, he didn't think it was fair to make her go without it for too long. His Valentine's candy stash was long gone, and while he might have gone to Marinette to get something from her bakery, he didn't want to pester her for days on end. Besides, Luka had already offered, and he didn't get to see him too often outside of band practice.
"Messed up, if you ask me."
Adrien had to hold back a sigh, because all of his friends did this whenever he brought up a diet. It wasn't like he was starved with food cut off– his 'diets' basically consisted of the same thing he was offered at home, just with extra monitoring from his dietitian to make sure there wouldn't be too much fluctuation between fittings before the show. It was tedious, but far from horrible like everyone seemed to think.
"Want to help me remedy that? I'd pay you, of course."
Luka smiled. "Very risky thing you're asking me to do, smuggling sweets to a model. Can't risk being caught." He slung his guitar over his shoulder. "What would you want me to get you?"
"Honestly, just some candy," Adrien said. "I, er, sometimes just need that sugar rush, you know?" Gets me through akuma attacks.
"What kind do you want?"
"Anything works for me," Adrien replied– he hadn't found a kind that Tikki didn't like. In fact the kwami was vibrating in excitement in his pocket. "Though I do like strawberry flavors."
"It looks like you're really starting to rebel," Juleka said with a small smirk.
"Nino would be so proud," Ivan added.
"The dark side truly does have cookies," Rose said brightly.
"You're all incorrigible," Adrien said, shaking his head.
"You mean you're not going to help me start a candy smuggling business?" Luka said with false hurt. "But your image would draw in people for miles."
"I think candy smuggling is as 'dark' as Adrien will go," Mylene said with a chuckle.
"Adrien doesn't have a bad bone in his body," Rose replied. "I mean, not even Monarch is immune– she hasn't sent out another akuma since Gorizilla!"
Ivan frowned slightly. "It has been several weeks, hasn't it?"
"None at all this month," Adrien agreed– and it was just as Master Fu predicted. After such a close call, it seemed like Monarch was not eager to take another risk. He had wondered if the broken state of the Butterfly had caught up with her– but Tikki insisted that it was unlikely that Monarch would just suddenly go silent so suddenly; and seeing how strong her akumas had been, it was very unlikely that it had all hit her at once.
Perhaps the wounds of the Miraculous were starting to get to her, and that combined with his near-death with Gorizilla had resulted in her sudden radio silence.
While the lack of akuma attacks was unsettling in its own way, he supposed it was comforting that even Monarch had boundaries she wouldn't cross. It made the woman behind the mask just seem just a bit more human. Though that didn't excuse the mind control and terrorism.
"Do you think she's gone for good?" Mylene said softly.
"That would be pretty awesome," Juleka said.
"I don't think so," Adrien shook his head– as wonderful as that would be, he knew it wouldn't be that simple.
"Maybe she just wants the heroes to lower their guard," Ivan said. "Have them think she's gone, then throw out a powerful akuma."
"She targets emotions, right?" Luka said. "Maybe she just hasn't found one she likes? Or just not one intense enough... though that does sound unlikely with how big the city is."
"And she has akumatized people over pretty minor things," Adrien said.
Rose grinned. "What if we got, like, a pigeon akuma or something?"
Adrien wrinkled his nose– because that sounded like a nightmare with his allergies.
"It's all about timing," Juleka said quietly. "Wait for the right moment, like a parade or something. When everyone's together and emotions are just churning– then snap, akuma attack."
Rose let out a small gasp. "Like the school dance!"
"I hope our local terrorist isn't sitting around waiting for a school dance," Adrien said with a smile, which seemed to lessen the tension the conversation was bringing. "You guys excited? Just a week away."
"Me and Jules have matching dresses!" Rose said in excitement, reaching out to grab Juleka's hand. "Well, different colors– but it's the same style! Well the styles are different too but– oh you'll get it when you see it– it's going to be so cute, I can't wait to show you guys!"
Mylene smiled. "We should do matching dresses too, Ivan."
"...Yeah, no thanks."
"What about you, Luka?" Adrien asked with a smile. "Are you going with anyone to the dance?"
Luka raised an eyebrow. "I don't go to your school?"
Adrien paused, having already known that, as he had never seen Luka at school– but at the same time, this was news to him. He and Juleka were the same age, and it didn't make much sense for Luka to go to an entirely different school. "Oh, right. Where do you go, then?"
"I'm homeschooled," Luka replied.
"Oh. I was too," Adrien said. "This is my first year in public school, actually, but I love it."
Luka fiddled with the tuning pegs on his guitar. "Opposite for me. Took a year with Mom teaching me after... stuff, and never really wanted to go back." He played a cord on his guitar, before silencing it by wrapping his fingers around the strings. "I think Mom likes it better, too, she doesn't like the current school system."
"I don't think she'd like it no matter how it was structured," Juleka said.
Luka laughed. "Fair enough."
"There's more productive things you kids could be doing than homework!" Ankara called as she walked past them– causing all of them to laugh.
"I actually have less homework now than when I was tutored at home," Adrien said, rubbing the back of his neck.
"Mom, we're adopting Adrien!" Juleka called over her shoulder.
"Always room for one more!" Anarka called back, and Adrien flushed.
"So you're not going at all?" Adrien asked Luka, partly hoping to draw the conversation away from his home life, but also he knew that homeschool would cut Luka off from any kind of school activities, as it did for him. "I mean, I don't think the school would stop you from coming to the dance, especially with Juleka going there."
"Eh, I think it would be a bit awkward for me just to show up for no reason," Luka replied, playing another chord on his guitar. "I still don't go there, no matter what way you string it."
"What if you went with me?" Adrien offered, which made Luka pause, looking up at him. "I know we'd all love for you to be there, and it would be a lot of fun."
Luka raised an eyebrow. "Are you asking me on a date, Adrien?"
Adrien didn't answer right away, because that hadn't been his original intention with the question– but he very much liked Luka's follow-up. It just sounded... nice. Luka always sounded nice, actually, and he found it wasn't a difficult decision to make. "If... If you want to? I really wouldn't mind it being a date."
Rose let out an excited squeal.
"Nice," Luka said, flashing a smile at him. "Because coincidentally I wouldn't mind it being a date, either."
Adrien was always composed– it was something he had been taught to do since he was young. That no matter what emotions were rushing through him, he needed to be calm on the outside, not let anything show unless he wanted it to. But all that he had learned had apparently decided to ditch him, because he was pretty sure he did nothing but stand there as Luka started playing a Jagged Stone song on his guitar. Or at least that was happening when Adrien came to the realization that he was just standing there, his face feeling warm as he hurried over to his keyboard to pack it up, not sure of what to do. He should be saying something, he was the one that had asked him after all, but what was he supposed to say? He glanced over at Luka once more, who smiled once more– and Adrien managed to return it despite the jumbled state of his mind.
The others were saying something, not to him, though, so his mind didn't bother listening despite the fact that it was probably about him. Luka pushed himself to his feet, making his way over, and once again Adrien wasn't sure what to do, because suddenly everything felt different with the knowledge that he was going to be the date for his dance.
It was a good 'different', though.
"You okay?" Luka asked, his hand on his shoulder, voice soft.
"I have no idea what I'm supposed to be doing, to be honest," Adrien whispered, face red– and Luka let out a soft laugh.
"Paris' heartthrob is shy?" Luka asked, sinking down so he was sitting cross legged next to him. "It is pretty cute, actually. Don't worry though, I'm not exactly sure what to be doing, either." He gave him a smile. "Just decided to go for it when you asked, you know? When the one you like asks you for a dance, you just don't not make it a date."
Adrien had many people get a crush on him– he knew he received dozens of letters and cards about such that Nathalie never gave him, but this was very much different. An element that felt so much more real with it being a friend in front of him. A friend that happened to be far cooler than he would ever be, and was quite cute
He was supposed to say something back to Luka– and the small squeak he made most certainly did not count. Adrien wasn't sure what was happening, because this wasn't what he had pictured when it came to ask someone out. You were supposed to be bold, smooth, sweep them off their feet. Give them gifts, tell jokes, take them dinner– not questions of uncertainty.
Yet here he was, feeling quite flushed regardless, with Luka just sitting right next to him.
"I take it you had a good day today?" Gabriel asked as he sat down at the dinner table, watching Adrien closely– who smiled, rubbing the back of his neck. "Your band practice went well?"
"It was great," he said. "I have a date to the dance now, actually."
"I was wondering when you were going to ask someone," Gabriel said, giving a small nod. "It's coming up, isn't it?"
"Next week."
"Cutting it close," Gabriel said with a frown, sighing slightly after a moment. "No matter, I still need to meet with this date of yours. I will need to check my schedule and make some time."
Adrien paused, fork in hand. "...Meet them?"
"That is what we agreed on when I let you go to this dance, yes? I need to make sure the company you will be keeping is acceptable," Gabriel replied, taking a small sip of wine. "What is their name? I will have Na– I will schedule an appointment to meet with them."
Adrien had no problem with this when his father had told him this, it had been what he expected from the man– but now he did not feel comfortable at all with this. A pit formed in his stomach, and suddenly he had no appetite for the meal in front of him. He just sat there, mind racing as he tried to think of an answer.
His father had never said anything negative before... but they had never exactly had any discussion about such, either. Adrien didn't like the idea that Luka being a boy would mean anything– but that didn't mean that it wouldn't here. The fact that everyone his father had approved of had been girls certainly showed that the man had expectations– and he had no idea what his father would even think. Nearly everything he had learned about the community had been from Chloe and school, never from home, and that was only making this new fear grow.
"Adrien?" Gabriel asked as he caught Adrien's pallid expression– and Adrien quickly shoved some food into his mouth.
"Um– you don't need to worry about doing that, Father, I know you're busy," Adrien said hastily.
They were public figures, and everything they did seemed to be planned around that fact. If his father thought something wouldn't reflect well for them, the answer would be no. That would have to be what his father would focus on, and he hated that. He didn't care what anyone thought, he didn't want to care, he just wanted to go to this dance and have fun. To be his with friends, not to worry about a thing–
"Adrien, you know that's out of the question," Gabriel said.
"We have a show coming up right after the dance!" Adrien protested. "I wouldn't want anything to be pushed back or delayed just because of some little school event. I'll be okay, Father."
He should be able to go with whoever he wants!
"One little meeting isn't going to send the whole show crashing," Gabriel said, sighing. "And the fact that you're suddenly trying to squirrel your way out of this makes it clear this is necessary. Who are you going with? One of your bandmates, correct? Or just a classmate?"
The dread he felt in his stomach that was usually reserved for hoping his father would be at dinner, except for now he was silently hoping for an emergency call or meeting to somehow pop up just so this conversation could just be pushed to the side and be forgotten.
"They're a friend, Father– isn't that enough?"
"Is there a reason why you don't want to talk about this date of yours?"
"No?"
"Then I would like a name," Gabriel replied.
"Why do you need a name?" Adrien asked. "Are you saying that you don't trust my judgment?"
"No, but I trust mine more than I do yours," Gabriel replied with a sigh. "And with how you're acting, I am beginning to guess that perhaps there is a reason I shouldn't. Who are you taking to the dance?"
"A friend?" Adrien offered again.
Gabriel sighed. "Adrien, I would like to have a civil conversation– I did not come down here for childish games. Now, I would like a name right now, or else I will be revoking my permission for you to go."
"You can't do that, you already said I could go!" Adrien protested.
"I can and I will, Adrien, and I would prefer you not to test me," Gabriel snapped. "Just because I have been lenient these last few weeks does not mean I will be reckless. Now give me a name."
Adrien lowered his head slightly, closing his eyes. "...His name is Luka."
And he sat there in the horrible silence, waiting for whatever was to happen next. Tikki pressed up against him, and he realized he could feel tears forming as his panic surged. He fought to hold them back, the few passing moments feeling like an eternity.
"'He'," Gabriel said softly. "Is... is that why you didn't want to tell me, Adrien?"
He opened his eyes, and saw his father's expression had completely changed. He gave the shortest of nods, not trusting his voice, but the raw fear he had felt moments ago wasn't as strong now.
Gabriel set his fork down, not saying anything for a moment, and again Adrien's panic spiked– and Gabriel looked at him once more. "I... I did not intend to pressure you in that regard, Adrien. You know that, right?"
"I– I just–" Adrien swallowed. "I didn't know what you would think."
"I'm sorry, Adrien," Gabriel said. "For feeling like that was something you couldn't tell me. And for forcing you to say so if you weren't ready."
Several tears were falling down Adrien's eyes as he sat there, the realization that everything was okay washing over him all at once, that fear that had been crawling up his throat now gone, and he wasn't sure what he was supposed to do. So he just started talking, grateful that he knew that he could.
"I– I like girls, too," Adrien said quickly. "I mean, I actually thought that I only did, but after meeting Luka, and, um, Juleka said some things and I really like being around Luka I just feel really calm around him and he's really nice, and– and when he asked if it was going to be a date I didn't want to say anything else but yes and I... I... I'm still not sure what I feel to be honest, it's all still kind of new? But I feel happy about what's happening and... and... yeah."
"I had a boyfriend in university," Gabriel said as he trailed off, and Adrien looked at him in surprise.
"You... you did?"
"I never told you that?"
He had never been told anything about his father's university days, or before that either. Actually, he knew very little of his father's life before his marriage– Gabriel had never been one to tell stories. He knew much more about his mother, but even then, that was thanks to stories from his aunt, alongside what Emilie had told him.
But he didn't say any of that, and simply shook his head.
"It was back before Audrey found me," Gabriel said. "I survived on commissions in those days. I hadn't met your mother yet, though I was friends with Nathalie at that point..." He trailed off for a moment, gaze becoming guarded, and he swiftly continued. "He started off as a customer of mine, but things grew from there. He had some ridiculous ideas, but I suppose he was a fellow artist, as well. A writer of sorts."
"What happened to him?"
"We went on in life and went our own ways. He did well for himself in the end, I suppose," Gabriel shrugged.
"Who is he?"
"You don't need to know the name of my exes, Adrien, does it even matter?"
He crossed his arms. "You wanted to know the name of my date."
"That– that is completely different! Besides, he's one of your bandmates, isn't he? I already knew of him!"
"Well you made projects for this guy, didn't you?" Adrien said. "He's a writer, right? Has he written any books I'd know? You said he was known or something, right? Did you end things on bad terms, is that why you don't want to talk about it?"
"For goodness sake," Gabriel muttered, pressing his fingers against the bridge of his nose. "No, our relationship just never went anywhere, nothing horrible happened. And if you must know, he's a clown, Adrien."
"You don't have to be rude."
"No, he's literally a clown," Gabriel said, looking up at Adrien– and he might have thought it was a joke if it wasn't for the fact that his father didn't joke around. "Down to the red nose and the ridiculous jokes– has his own little show and everything."
"You're... you're serious."
"He even changed his last name to it so his stage name would be his real name!" Gabriel said, tossing his hands up. "I don't understand Harry at all sometimes. Nice man, but he is the definition of over-the-top. He's... he's like Chloe, you know, just overwhelming at times."
"Father?"
"...Yes?"
"You do know that you're very much over-the-top too, right?" Adrien asked, smirking slightly.
He burst out laughing when he saw his father's expression, who quickly tried to compose himself, his gaze turning to his meal as if nothing had happened– but Adrien's smile didn't fade as the meal continued, the dining room for once not feeling empty.
Nathalie made her way through the hallway in silence.
It was the middle of the night as she headed towards the kitchen as she often did, not wanting to run into anyone else. She didn't want anyone to see her like this, uncomposed and exhausted, and the silence about her was calming. Her hand kept going to a small pin on her chest– the golden dove pin that Nooroo had given her.
The gift itself didn't mean much to her, but she felt better with the weight of the pin right where the Miraculous used to sit. She wondered if some of Nooroo's aura lingered on it, because things felt just a bit more bearable as she wore it– though even that could not take away the emptiness she now felt with the magic gone.
She turned on the coffeemaker, knowing that she would need a cup to get her through her nightly research. She moved robotically, the same as she had day after day. Time seemed to have blurred together since her Miraculous had been taken from her, a sameness taking hold as she sat in her room. Not that her time had gone to waste; she had spent every moment she had the energy diligently studying.
Nathalie let out a sigh, grabbing her mug of coffee as it finally finished, taking a long sip. It was bitter, burning her tongue, but she didn't care, just wanting the caffeine.
"Why on earth are you drinking coffee in the middle of the night?"
Nathalie let out a startled gasp, the cup slipping from her hands. The mug fell to the floor, shattering and sending porcelain and coffee flying across the floor. She slowly turned, shards crunching under her shoes as she looked at Gabriel with wide eyes.
"What– what are you doing up so late, sir?" She managed to stammer out.
"Audrey doesn't seem to understand the concepts of timezones," he replied, eyes flickering to the coffee running across the floor. Nathalie moved swiftly, pulling open a drawer in search of a towel, but by the time she moved back around she found Gabriel holding a roll of paper towels in hand, moving to clean up the mess. "You didn't answer my question– why on earth are you having a cup of coffee in the middle of the night?"
"Studying," she managed to say, abandoning the towel, and going in search of a broom instead.
"Studying what?"
She gritted her teeth slightly. "...The Grimoire, sir."
They both had a digital copy of the book, her only resource for it ever since Gabriel had given up the physical copy to the heroes. She didn't blame him for wanting to get rid of the book, however, because it had been the catalyst that had started all this. Her gut tightened at the thought, eyes not leaving Gabriel as he threw away the coffee-soaked paper towels.
"Of course you are," Gabriel said dryly. "You seem not to care about anything else."
Her hands tightened around the broom. "You know that I have to do this."
"No, you don't," Gabriel replied as he pushed himself to his feet, and he snatched the broom from her before she could move to clean up the porcelain shards. "Seeing as you seem to think putting my son in the line of fire was the only answer."
She fingered the pin on her shirt, trying to imagine it was the Butterfly Miraculous. That she could transform with just a few words. That all would be okay.
"I never wanted that to happen," Nathalie whispered as he swept up the shards. "He wasn't supposed to be hurt and I– you were completely right to be angry with me, to feel this way– I don't know why I even did it, it the moment it just all felt so right, then suddenly my akuma no longer had him and I– I–"
Her voice cracked, and she could feel the tears coming. Stinging her eyes, words choking in her throat, and the sob came even as she tried to swallow it back.
"I am so sorry!" She cried. "I know you hate me, and you should, but I–"
"Hate?" He asked, looking at her as he dumped the porcelain into the garbage. "Nathalie, you know I don't hate you. Absolutely furious? Oh yes, that has not faded– but I do not hate you."
"Why not?" She screamed at him– which made him jump. "Why do you say that? I'm the reason why Emilie is gone! Your son almost died because of me– how could you feel anything else but hate me?!"
Gabriel lifted his gaze, looking quite startled. "Nathalie, I thought you were over this," he whispered. "You need to stop thinking that– you cannot blame yourself for what happened to Emilie. Please don't tell me you're starting up on this again– it was not your fault."
"I found the Grimoire," Nathalie whispered. "I gave her that book, I set her on the path to finding the Miraculouses, it was my fault she found magic."
"Nathalie, you know–"
"I was her champion," Nathalie said, taking a step forward. "If I hadn't agreed, she wouldn't have kept transforming. She wouldn't have kept letting those powers touch her. If I had just stayed away none of this would have–"
"You think she wouldn't have found someone else to serve as her champion?" Gabriel snapped. "She would have come to me, to Amelie, Ezra, perhaps even to Adrien! It wouldn't have stopped her– her choices were beyond any of our control!"
She turned away from him, fingers digging into her hair.
"It's my fault that it happened, and it's my fault that everything happened! If it wasn't for me you would still have your family here and I don't know why you even let me stay here but if you would just let me use that Miraculous and I make everything right, I could bring her back, I would pay the price, and Adrien would have a mom again and you would have Emilie again and I would at least be able to fix everything that I've done!"
She was crying, eyes red and tears falling down her face, desperation flooding her. She had to fix this, she had to fix this, she had to fix this–!
"Give me the Butterfly again," she whispered, and she reached out towards him, grabbing his sleeve. "Please. Please, I have to fix this, Gabriel, I have to, I need–"
"Nathalie, enough!"
"If I would have stopped her, she would still be here," Nathalie whispered, tears stinging her eyes.
"And you don't think that I think everyday?" Gabriel snapped. "That if I could have just done something sooner, that if maybe we had swapped Miraculouses, or– or–" He closed his eyes. "A thousand things could have been done differently– but... but that doesn't change what happened. Where we are."
"We can fix everything," Nathalie whispered, stepping towards him. "Gabriel, please. I... I can't live like this! Knowing that everything we need is so close. If you would just let me, I could save her! I promise, I will never involved Adrien in another plan, I will never put him in harm's way again, I–"
"You promise?" He asked quietly, holding her gaze, cutting off her pleas.
"I promise," she whispered with no hesitation.
"Very well," Gabriel said, turning. "I... I trust you. But I'm not ready to bring out the Miraculouses again, not right now. When I'm ready, I will tell you, but for now... for now, why don't you come back to work? I could really use your help with the upcoming show, and... and Adrien is missing you."
"If that's what you'd like, sir," Nathalie said quietly, and she opened up the cupboard, reaching for another mug– but Gabriel's hand grabbed her wrist.
"Nathalie, you should sleep," he said. "Promise me you're not going to have any more of this midnight coffee?"
"...Of course, sir," she said.
"Thank you," Gabriel turned, heading for the door. "I... I'll see you in the morning?"
"Goodnight sir," Nathalie replied, watching as he left.
As soon as his footsteps faded she turned back towards the cupboard, pulling out another coffee mug.
