Hey! I'm back with a new Miraculous Ladybug book! I am going to make a goal: if this book gets up to 10 reviews on the first chapter then I will continue it! This is an AU, but I hope you all enjoy! Here is a playlist of some of the songs that inspired me to write this:
Back to You by Selena Gomez
I Think I'm in Love Again by Kat Dahlia
This Feeling by The Chainsmokers ft. Kelsea Ballerini
Wake Me Up by Avicii
Eastside by Halsey, Khalid and Benny Blanco
Warrior by Demi Lovato
Enjoy!
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Paris, France (also known as "la Ville Lumière" or the "City of Lights" and "Ville de l'amour" or the "City of Love") 1812.
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No One's P.O.V
Knock Knock
Wang Fu opened his eyes, disturbed from his meditation by a simple knock on the door at an unusual time at night. Rain poured and the air was chill, not even a petty thief would be out in this weather.
It seemed fate had other plans for whoever was outside his house. Maybe someone that needed to take shelter being caught in the rain? He had no idea.
The old man stood up and walked over to the door, slightly curious as to why there was not another knock. Did they leave already? Was this a prank to scare him? It would take a lot more to scare the old master of the miraculous if that were so.
He twisted the handle and pushed open the door to reveal nothing but the dark, mucky streets and rotted houses of the poverty-stricken side of Paris. Some cooing came from below Fu. His curious old eyes looked down to find a neatly weaved basket with a baby blue blanket. Within the bundle of the pristine cloth was a baby boy with dazzling emerald eyes and tuffs of golden hair.
Thunder roared and lightening flashed, scaring the child and making him cry. Still surprised by the baby's presence, Fu quickly carried the basket inside and shut the door. The master carefully took the baby in the blue blanket out of the basket and cradled the child, trying to warm him up from the cold.
The baby calmed down and fell asleep as if he knew that he was safe. Fu carefully took in all the baby's features once again and felt something special about the little one.
"Master, I sense something. It felt like a rift within a miraculous," a small turtle informed, floating over to Fu to see the child.
"Do you know which miraculous it was, Wayzz?" the old man asked his Kwami. Wayzz shook his head "no" sadly in defeat.
"I feel a shift in our fate and more so, with him," Fu added, gesturing to the sleeping child in his arms. Wayzz spotted something engraved on the blanket and zipped around to find a nicely stitched in name in cursive.
"His name is Adrien," the turtle informed, fondly as the baby cooed in his dreams. Fu looked closely at Adrien before nodding to an unspoken agreement with himself. "He shall be the next holder of the black cat miraculous."
From then, Fu raised and cared for Adrien as if he were his own. The master of the miraculous trained the youngling into a mighty warrior and leader of a group of other superheroes and superheroines of the miraculous.
He was known as Chat Noir, with the power of destruction and protector of the poor people of Paris.
His other half and with her powers of creation, Ladybug has always stood alongside him as a true hero and friend. Though neither knew of each other's identity, they trusted each other with their lives. Adrien was devoted to protect and slowly fell in love with the strong girl behind the mask, even if he didn't know who it was.
They balanced each other. As cheesy as it sounded, she made him complete. Whole. He couldn't imagine another person taking her place in his heart.
In 1827, the grudge between the rich and poor grew into a war when a villain named Hawkmoth began to attack. The poor blamed the rich for the attacks. The wealthy were insulted by the lower class's claims and only tormented the innocent beggared civilians more.
This gave Hawkmoth an advantage and started attacking the indigent. The high-class did nothing but watch to entertain to themselves. Adrien was barely fifteen years old when becoming a soldier and the last line of defense for the poor.
Paris was split in two, broken and lost without its light and love.
Together, Chat and Ladybug battled the mysterious and notorious Hawkmoth, who wanted the black cat and ladybug miraculous for reasons unknown. The villain was hidden away somewhere in Paris, feeding off of civilian's negative emotions to create illusions of destructive, dark purple monsters.
Yet, the only one who can cure these horrible beasts back into pure white, ghostly wisps was Ladybug. No other miraculous had the power to purify people's demons, only the bug hero.
The night the two heroes found out Hawkmoth was an opulent person…everything went wrong.
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18 years later…
(1830)
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Chat Noir's P.O.V
Everything stood still. No wind or sound dared to fill in the void silent except for the horrible screaming coming from my partner, Ladybug.
My blood went cold and head dizzy with confusion.
This couldn't be happening. This couldn't be real.
The demon-like akuma laughed maniacally, yellow eyes watching the hero bleed in a pool of red under herself and drowning without water. Her face grew paler by the minute, breathing ragged and unsteady.
I lost all sense of sanity and began to see red, losing myself while the other part of me was dying on the road not too far away. I gritted my teeth in rage and released all of my built up fury on the evil monster.
It only took a minute to defeat the akuma before it disappeared into a pile of ash.
"C-Chat," a weak voice called. My ears perked up and turned to see Ladybug barely keeping her eyes open. Suddenly, my anger melted into a melancholy of sorrow and crawled on all fours like a cat over to the love of my life.
"L-Ladybug," I stuttered, afraid that if I merely touched her hand it would be enough to end her life. I was not used to seeing the dullness in her eyes or the confident girl so fragile.
It was heartbreaking, like a knife plunging itself into my heart and repeatedly stabbed over and over again. Twisting and turning until there was nothing left except the scar of what happened and leave a horrible reminder of the only person that I ever loved that I wasn't able to protect.
Ladybug murmured something that I wasn't able to hear. I leaned down closer and asked to repeat whatever she had said.
"Take m-my earrings…back to…M-Master…Fu," she ordered, whimpering in pain. Tears raced down her cheeks as the throbbing from the wound increased. My eyes went blurry and shook my head in disbelief. What came out of her mouth next made me freeze.
"…find…a n-new…L-Ladybug," she added. Tears finally began to roll down my cheeks as I pulled away shaking my head, not believing anything she just said.
Find a new Ladybug! There was no way! There was no possible way! There could never be a new Ladybug that could replace the original. Never!
"N-No, I-I can get you some…help. You'll be paw-pawsitively okay," I cried, but her fading eyes told another story and sniffled.
"I wish…that were t-true," Ladybug voice cracking. Where was Ladybug's luck when she needed it most? Where was I when she needed me most?
A red light appeared and Ladybug disappeared, someone else replacing the dying hero. My eyes widen when seeing the familiar girl with dark hair.
"K-Kagami?" I whimpered, surprised before a sad and weak smirk plastered her delicate face.
Kagami and I were close friends in school and fencing partners. I had a little crush on her but kept my love for Ladybug. Now that I know they are the same person, it's too late.
I carefully brought her into my arms and hugged the brave girl. I didn't want to ever let go nor for her to leave but time was running out and there was nothing that we could do.
There was nothing I could do to stop this horrible disaster. My first love was dying before me, and I felt so helpless. Useless.
"T-Take the e-earring…C-Chat and f-find a…new hero," she whispered, before going limp in my arms and eyes empty of life. My body racked with sobs as I held her cold body close to mine. This wasn't happening! No, I…I don't believe this. This isn't real! Yet, reality had different plans and the pain made it real. It hurt, deeply.
Thunder roared in the sky and rain fell down, pounding on my back but didn't care. I just lost the one I love. There was nothing to fill the gaping hole in my heart, no stitch could ever mend this broken mind filled with only sadness and pain. All hope and light she filled are lost in the darkness, the void of emptiness.
"Chat," a small voice spoke. I didn't look, my body and soul racking with sobs but perked my ears to listen.
"W-We need to get the miraculous back to Master Fu before anymore of Hawkmoth's minions come," she warned.
I finally looked up and to see Ladybug's Kwami droopily hovering, trying not to cry. I compiled, placing Kagami back on the ground and shakily unlatched the miraculous from her ears. I hiccupped, bending down and placing a kiss on her forehead then resting it against mine.
"I love you," I spoke softly, one last time.
Tikki began to glow and placed a kiss on her forehead. Kagami disappeared into red specks of light before completely vanishing into the night, a small cherry blossom tree replacing her spot.
I placed Tikki in my pocket then leaped to the roofs when my sensitive hearing picked up on a group of laughing akumas. I left who I used to be with her. Ladybug is dead, and so am I. This meant war on those who wronged the poor and destroy for greed.
This is all Hawkmoth's fault. He was going to pay for what he did. No...the wealthy will pay for not caring to help with their problem. Hawkmoth was one of them, but he wasn't the only one that cared about only themselves and money. They all are to be blamed for their selfishness.
I arrived back at our base in the abandoned part of Paris to Master Fu, ignoring the poor civilians that waved or asked for food. I hopped to the roof and opened the trapdoor, a secret entrance in. I sighed, going downstairs to the main room.
Fu sat in a crisscross position seeming relaxed then opened his eyes when seeing me. He looked at me with sorrow as I stepped in and handed him the Ladybug Miraculous.
He slowly stood and graciously took them into his frail hand then walked to the Box of Miracles that held the rest of the miraculous. I was about to leave when he spoke.
"Chat Noir…Adrien, I am very sorry. It pains me to say this, but we need a new Ladybug," Master Fu said. I clenched my hands into fists and teeth gritted hard together that it would take a crowbar to pry it open. My anger boiled and was about to yell at the old geezer that there would never be another like her. He stopped me.
"I know how you felt about her but this is no time to be selfish. I sense a terrible battle approaching that could decide how this war ends and only Ladybug has the cure to turn akuma's from bad to good. You can't let your emotions get the best of you. These people need you, Adrien. They need you right now, but they also need Ladybug," he explained.
I shut my mouth, letting an irritated groan leave my lips. This wasn't fair.
While the wealthy were fine dining, the poor were practically starving. They use Hawkmoth to send akumas to attack as their own entertainment. It was all a ploy, a huge scam to get rid of the weak and replace it with power. We lose people we love from illness, murder and starvation, but they don't seem to have a problem with that at all.
It's only a matter of time before the doomsday for the poor people of Paris. I hate to admit it, but Master Fu is right. We need a new Ladybug or else this war will never be won. The innocent will be enslaved, men forced into labor, and women cleaning houses and create more enslaved children.
"Fine," I finally agreed, "but I'm not going to like it one bit. Whoever it is under that mask, they're never going to replace the real Ladybug. You can count on that," I harshly said, then walked out and slamming the door shut. I began to wonder who the new Ladybug would be that Master Fu is going to pick.
I shrugged it off, not caring anymore who it was except for the fact that they will never be as good as Kagami, my best friend and love. They will never be a good enough Ladybug.
I entered my dark room and de-transformed, giving Plagg some stinky Camembert cheese before lying down on my cot.
"Kid, I get you're grieving right now but you'll need to move on eventually," My Kwami advised. I turned on my side so my back was facing the floating cat. He was right, yet it won't be easy and knew it would take a long time. It felt so wrong, so horribly wrong.
It felt like a part of myself was ripped away from my body and stomped on until it looked like my destructive power's fatal end.
My eye watered as I formed myself into a ball, everything hurt. My body felt numb and everything seemed hopeless. I buried my face further into the pillow and silently wept myself to sleep, loneliness overwhelming my mind.
No one could replace her.
No one.
Who is the wannabe that thinks they can replace my loves place anyway?
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Marinette's P.O.V
"You must always follow these steps to become a proper lady and a suitable wife…" my mother droned on, pacing back and forth in front of my desk.
I leaned my head heavily on the palm of my hand, staring out the window and imagining what it was like to be out in the sunshine for a day.
The closest thing I have to nature is the garden in front of the house and the flowers on my balcony.
No fun.
No exploring.
No going against the rules of a lady.
That's what mother teaches me almost every day. How to be a proper lady and a suitable wife.
Honestly, I could care less with any of this. All the high-class people define me as "odd" or "socially awkward" to be either a lady or a wife.
My mother has been trying to get me to meet boys that come to the balls and galas with every chance she can get. Like every time, I reject them because there was always something…un-charming about them.
Le Chien Kim was full of himself. Sometimes, I saw him flexing into any sort of reflection he found. While most girls would swoon at this, I almost choked on my drink the first time seeing it.
Then there was Maximum Kante, although he preferred to be called Max. He wasn't bad at all, but we decided to be good friends instead. I couldn't see myself going into any further relationship except that, and he agreed. We would hang out at times at any gathering when given the chance.
That was until Max became a "distraction," as my lovely mother would put it, and cut off all communication from the only friend I've ever made.
Lastly, there was some weird guy who called himself Xane Yoder. Let's just say, he wore more hairspray than he has manners and looked like a bright walking rainbow. He was really annoying and got on my nerves so badly that I socked him in the nose once. I was so happy when he left.
Yet, my mother was the opposite of happy. As punishment, she forced me to write apology letters to the whole household then made me go over all the guidelines of how to treat another person, preferably a man, with respect.
I'll treat a man with respect once he starts to return it.
"In a few nights, we will be holding a grand party for the Ladies of the Court. I expect you to be on your best behavior. It's almost your deadline to be married off, and you will be married even if I have to force it with an arranged one. Ladies who aren't wedded by their twentieth birthday-"
"-will be placed like all the others, in the poor class. I know this, but I don't want to marry a man just because I am forced too. I want to marry out of love, mother," I explained. Mother did not appreciate me cutting her off and narrowed her eyes down at me sternly.
"I will not tolerate with such an attitude and neither will your future husband. You better learn how to keep your mouth shut or else there will be far more severe consequences than I have given," mother warned, sighing tiredly.
"I just want what's best for you, dear. Trust me, you'll thank me for all I have done for you."
Did she even know what was best for me? I've practically been raised by her and father's servants my whole life. The only reason she decided to pay attention to me is to teach me how to be a lady, not embarrass the family name and find a high-statused man to marry me off on, ignoring how I felt the whole entire time.
I didn't say anything and rolled my eyes like every time, looking back outside at the sun beaming through the windows. Birds flew past and off, disappearing into the sky. I wish I were that free, but here I am, cooped up in this house. Maybe living with the poor wouldn't be a bad idea.
There has to be more to life than just being a man's servant and passing on my mother's teachings, basically repeating the same life over onto the next generation. There just has to be more and staying in this house is the problem of finding out. If only I could escape.
"You are dismissed," mother said, begrudgingly. After hearing those magical words, I raced off to the deepest part of the house where no one goes much anymore. This is where I like to practice the noble art of fencing or sword fighting.
My father taught me at a young age. As the years past and my training to become a lady began, I had to teach myself in secret. It was unheard of and very un-ladylike for a maiden like me to sword fight. We are supposed to be on display like some prize for men to have high-status.
There was a slight problem of sneaking a saber. The weapons keeper counts them every night before lights out. So, I asked the family woodcarver to make one out of wood and kept it between the two of us ever since.
Now, I am here in this dark, old room that is used as storage, practicing fencing as my secret hobby.
Each thrust and swing helped sooth my stress and relieve any sort of problem. This noble art calms and excites me while pretending to battle a foe (which was an old dummy that was thrown out, but I retrieved it for other uses rather than trash).
I just wish…there was more to life than the one I live inside this four-wall prison. Like…save citizens from evil monsters or wicked magical users or something exciting! Like Ladybug and Chat Noir fighting those awful akumas plaguing the streets of Paris!
Where can a girl like me get some freedom and help others?
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