With Chloé gone for good and Marinette and Kagami having their first akuma attack under their belts, it's time to start tying up some loose ends.
After filling Alya in about what's happening, the pair meets Master Fu and he begins training them to take over.
And it's perfect timing, too. A ghost from the past is back to haunt and it's up to the superhero quartet to put a stop to it!
Cat Noir brought Marinette home, and he set her down on her balcony. Tikki came out of Marinette's clutch.
"So... How did I do?" Marinette asked Cat Noir, blushing and anxious for his review. "Is there anything I need to improve on? Any comments?"
"How did you do?" Cat Noir asked, sounding like she was joking. "You nailed it out there! It was like you've been doing this for years!"
Marinette's blush when darker and she questioned, "Really?"
"Absolutely!" Tikki agreed. "You were incredible!"
"Maturity, leadership, righteousness, and keeping a clear head? You were purrfect," He spoke, leaning in to her with a flirtatious smile and lidded eyes. "Master Fu will be proud."
"Speaking of whom, where can I find him? If he's going to train me to be the new guardian, then shouldn't I meet him?" Marinette asked, still red-faced.
"Thought you'd never ask," Cat Noir spoke as he pulled out a paper slip. "Once you fill your friend in, you'll both need to go to this address. From there, he'll start teaching you what you need to know."
Marinette smiled and took the paper slip.
"I... I'll see you again soon?" Marinette asked, blushing.
"You will." He said as he took her hand with the paper slip and gave it a kiss. He also slipped a kiss onto her cheek. As always, she couldn't stop a swoon, and she watched him leave her balcony.
"Isn't he amazing?" Marinette said with a swooning sigh. Tikki giggled. Marinette quickly sent Alya a text, letting her know she'd gotten home okay.
With the other half of the foursome, Ryuko landed on the roof of her home, with Argos beside her.
"Open sky." Ryuko said before changing back.
"You were amazing tonight," Argos said, sounding smitten. "Cat Noir and I were right to trust you and your friend with these jewels."
"Thank you," Kagami spoke, smiling. "I'm excited for more adventures."
"I am, too," Argos spoke as he took Kagami's hands and looked her in the eyes. "I can't wait to see you again."
"Neither can I," Kagami giggled. She gave him a quick peck on his cheek, and he chuckled in response. "Oyasuminasai."
He told her, "Bonne nuit."
He stepped away from her before leaping off the roof to leave.
The following morning, Alya had come by and Marinette brought her up to speed.
And they were watching the news feed on the latter's heroics the previous night.
"For the past few months, Cat Noir and Argos have been the only super-powered champions in Paris," Nadja said as recorded feed was replayed on the screen. "But now, we have two new heroines who are here to keep them in line."
The news feed from the night that focused on Ladybug and Ryuko started playing. The first part of the video was Ryuko and her martial arts skills and fighting off Sole Destroyer at the Eiffel Tower. They didn't forget about her swordswoman-ship.
"First up, we have Ryuko, who is no slouch with that sword of hers! And control of the elements doesn't hurt, either!" Nadja said as the feed changed to Ryuko turning into water and going into the sentimonster to create the cement.
"And let's not forget the TRUE lady of the night, Ladybug," Nadja reported as the feed switched to Ladybug capturing the butterfly. "And rightfully so!"
The feed showed Ladybug tossing the empty cement bag in the air, and all her magical ladybugs cleaning up Sole Destroyer's mess.
"Thanks to her power, Paris was spared from being turned into a literal golden city with singing shoes for inhabitants," Nadja said. "We may not know what their purpose is yet, but we're excited to see more of the girls in this group."
Marinette turned the news off and looked at Alya.
"So that's what's going on," Alya said, sounding like she was letting the information sink in. "This is a lot to process..."
"I know, I'm still trying to absorb it, too." Marinette admitted.
"But think of it this way: now you have an excuse to hang out with your handsome tomcat more often." Alya teased.
Marinette giggled, blushing, and she said, "Y-Yeah, I do. But still, it's a lot of responsibility. I'm not sure I can handle it alone."
"But you're not alone, Marinette," Tikki reassured. "You have me, Alya, Kagami, and even Master Fu for support!"
"Speaking of whom, don't you have to go and see him?" Alya asked.
"Yes, I do," Marinette said as she took out the address slip she'd gotten from Cat Noir. "Shall we?"
"What, me as well?" Alya asked.
"Cat Noir did say both of us." Marinette said.
The girls were soon at the address that was written on the paper. It looked to be nothing more than a Chinese massage shop. Marinette looked between the building and the paper slip.
"Are you sure this is the right place?" Alya asked.
"It matches the address," Marinette responded before looking down at Tikki. "Are we on the right track here, Tikki?"
"Yep, this is the place," Tikki responded. "Trust me, he'll be happy to see you two."
"But why both of us? And where's Kagami?" Alya questioned.
"Kagami does have a bad habit of being unfiltered," Marinette spoke. "Maybe it's best she's out of the loop for the most part. She can't accidentally reveal insight she doesn't know."
"Also true, but still, shouldn't she at least meet him?" Alya asked.
"Let's just go in and see what happens." Marinette said. The girls walked inside the building.
As expected, it did look like a massage shop, with multiple pieces of Chinese influence in the décor. And in the back was a phonograph. In the center of the room was an older man wearing a Hawaiian shirt, sitting with his legs crossed and his eyes closed.
"Um... Excuse me, sir...?" Marinette asked.
"Hello, girls," He said, looking up and smiling at the girls. "Please, come in."
Alya locked the door and the two girls approached him.
"You... You're the guardian of the Miraculous?" Marinette asked, hoping she was right.
"Indeed." Fu spoke.
"Wayzz!" Tikki said, coming out of her clutch. Out of hiding came a turtle-like kwami, who gave Tikki a hug.
"Glad to see you again, Tikki!" Wayzz spoke.
"Another kwami?" Alya asked.
"Yes. The source of the Miraculous jewels' powers," Master Fu chuckled. "Come, sit, and let's have a discussion."
The girls sat on their knees and looked around.
"Marinette, you and your friend were excellent last night," Master Fu spoke as he smiled. "Cat Noir and Argos were right to pick the two of you to hold those Miraculous."
"I'm glad we did a good job." Marinette said with a sigh of relief.
Fu's expression changed, and he spoke, "I was worried that the Butterfly Miraculous had been lost forever. While I'm glad to know it's in Paris, so we have a chance to get it back, the fact that Nooroo is in the wrong hands isn't a good thing."
"Cat Noir said the same." Marinette spoke.
"Nooroo? The kwami of the Butterfly Miraculous?" Alya questioned.
"Precisely," Fu said with a nod. "I assume Cat Noir told you most of what he knew, Marinette?"
"He did," Marinette confirmed. "But still... This is a lot to ask of me, training me to take over ownership of the Miracle Box. How many jewels are in there?"
"Currently fourteen, but at maximum, it holds nineteen." Fu informed.
"Holy cow, that's a lot!" Alya spoke.
"Exactly why I asked both of you here," Fu told the girls. "It's a lot of work, and a lot of pressure to guard this box and keep it out of the wrong hands. I barely escaped with the box on several occasions. It takes its toll on you when you don't have anyone to help you carry the load. I won't let that happen to you, Marinette, so having both of you train to take over the guardian duties is to keep the stress to a minimum. This power must be used for the greater good, so it must be shared."
The girls nodded.
"So, your first training task will be to meditate with the Miracle Box for an entire twenty-four hours without food or drink." Master Fu said, looking stern.
The girls looked at each other with awkward, uncomfortable expressions. They turned back to their mentor.
"Um, I actually need to help my parents at the bakery." Marinette spoke.
"And I gotta watch the twins." Alya added.
Master Fu started laughing and said, "I'm joking, girls. Those strict traditions did me no favors back then. That's another unhealthy cycle I plan to break."
The girls sighed in relief before laughing at this.
"Especially since you can make the argument that if it hadn't been for those traditions, we wouldn't be talking right now." Master Fu said, sounding sad. Guilty, even.
"What do you mean? I know Cat Noir mentioned something about a mistake you made." Marinette started.
"It's best if I tell both of you the whole story..." Fu started.
When the girls wrapped up their training for the day, they left, pondering what Master Fu had gone through.
"Wow, living a hundred and seventy-two years, guarding that box and living with the guilt of that mistake? What an awful way to live..." Alya spoke.
"On the other hand, the monks could've been a little more sensitive to his feelings," Marinette refuted. "If they hadn't brought him into their ranks without thinking about what he wanted, maybe it wouldn't have happened."
"Also true," Alya conceded. "Thank goodness Master Fu is breaking traditions because of how unhealthy they were for him."
"Yeah. Meditating for twenty-four full hours without any food? That's not just unhealthy, it's dangerous! My dad and your mom wouldn't stand for it." Marinette commented.
"No kidding. And think about how much he had to go through to protect the box after the fact. All the wars he had to survive..." Alya agreed.
"Including escaping the Nazis in World War II," Marinette added. "How many famines, droughts, revolutions, and natural disasters did he have to get through to keep the kwamis out of the wrong hands?"
"Too many," Alya confessed. "If taking over for him will help relieve him of that burden, then I'm happy to help you, girl."
"Thanks, Alya," Marinette said. "It's a lot to take on. I'm glad you'll be there for me."
"Hey, let's try the Louvre," Alya suggested. "Maybe we can get some information on past Miraculous owners and see what else we can learn!"
"Great idea," Marinette spoke. "Hey Tikki, can you offer us insight while we're there?"
"Sure!" Tikki spoke. The girls made their way to the bus to get to the Louvre to investigate.
Meanwhile, the boys were at said museum, where a new piece was going to be revealed.
"I still don't understand why we're here," Plagg said from under Adrien's shirt. "Shouldn't we be at a fromagerie stocking up on camembert?"
"Plagg, quiet." Adrien hissed.
"This new piece came from the Tibetan mountains, in the same area the guardians' temple was." Félix spoke.
Adrien added, "And Alix said her dad mentioned the piece was carbon-dated to be around two hundred years old."
"You don't think...?" Duusu asked in a high-pitched, panicked voice.
"Let's hope not." Adrien murmured.
Alim, Alix's father, dropped the curtain and revealed a huge stone piece. There was a hollow knothole inside, with a small, amphibian-like creature inside. The emblem of the Order of the Guardians was atop its forehead. Everyone around the two boys was applauding.
Félix's eyes widened and his head throbbed in pain. Duusu frantically looked between the statue and his owner.
Adrien mouthed out, "You feel an amok?"
Félix looked back at his cousin and gave a nod. Covertly, Adrien took a picture before the two boys slipped out of sight.
"Don't get so worked up. Now that your girlfriend has the Ladybug Miraculous, there won't be a problem." Plagg teased Adrien.
"Plagg, she's not my girlfriend yet," Adrien said, blushing. "Besides, as far as she knows, Adrien Agreste and Cat Noir are two completely separate people, and she's in love with the latter."
"Kagami views Argos and Félix the same way," Félix reaffirmed. "It needs to be like this for a little while longer."
"Speaking of Marinette, look who's standing right there." Plagg teased again as he pointed out Marinette hanging around near some of the paintings and statues, with Alya at her side.
Adrien's breath caught.
"Go for it." Félix said, gently pushing Adrien towards her.
Adrien took a deep breath, his face red, before making his way over to the girl.
"Wow! Joan of Arc was one of your past owners, Tikki?" Alya asked as they were looking over the woman's statue.
"She sure was. She was known as the Scarlet Fate back then." Tikki responded.
"And look, the Order of the Guardians' emblem is on the statue," Marinette said, pointing out the emblem on the hilt of Joan's sword. "It's amazing how the Miraculous shaped our world."
"They sure have." Tikki said.
Marinette, blushing, asked, "Tikki, humor me, but... Has it happened before? A Ladybug and a Cat Noir falling in love?"
"Well, yes, but they didn't necessarily have a rogue Butterfly Miraculous owner to deal with. Sometimes the threat they'd face wasn't even Miraculous-related." Tikki confirmed.
"Marinette, hi!" Adrien spoke. Tikki ducked.
"Oh, Adrien." Marinette said in greeting.
"F-Fancy meeting you here," He said, rubbing the back of his head. His face was still pink. "I-I... What brings you by?"
Marinette and Alya glanced at each other, and Alya cut in, "Oh, just hanging around and looking at the paintings."
"Y-Yeah, um, I guess that's expected when you're at a museum." Adrien chuckled, looking at Marinette.
Marinette gave a nod, only for her eyes to find the new statue. Her vision zeroed in on the amphibian-like feature's forehead.
"Wait... I don't think I've seen that one before." Marinette said as she pushed by Adrien and made a beeline for it. Alya followed after her.
Adrien waited a few beats before jogging after the girls.
"Pretty neat, huh?" Adrien asked as he came up beside Marinette. "It just came in today."
"It did?" Marinette questioned.
"Yeah," Adrien added, blushing. "It was found in the Tibetan mountains."
The placard at the base of the display described the statue, including the carbon-dating's age estimate.
Adrien tried to reach for Marinette's hand to hold it, only for her to move out of the way. Adrien looked up and saw that she and Alya were making a run for the exit. Adrien sagged a bit.
"It has the order's emblem on it," Marinette said to Alya as they left the museum. "Just like Joan's sword."
"And the age is around two-hundred years old. This can't be a coincidence." Alya agreed as she pulled up a picture of the statue before sending it to Marinette.
"We'd better tell Master Fu," Marinette said. "That could be the sentimonster he created."
"Let's go." Alya said as she and Marinette doubled-back to the Master's massage shop to update him.
Later that afternoon, Marinette was up on her balcony, watching the sun set.
"I'm not surprised Master Fu panicked," Marinette confessed to Tikki. "But he shouldn't be so worried. We can handle it."
"Then what are you waiting for? Let's get the others involved!" Tikki spoke.
"Alright! Tikki, spots on!" Marinette called. She transformed into Ladybug before taking out her yo-yo, opening the phone app, and sending a group message to everyone. She then zipped off to the designated meet-up spot.
When all four of them rendezvoused at their spot, they all spoke about what they'd learned about in the museum.
"So, the new piece in the museum is a sentimonster?" Ryuko summarized.
"Exactly," Ladybug said. "Master Fu's sentimonster. The same one that consumed the entire Order of the Guardians, and all but the grimoire one Miracle Box. But how is this possible, for him to lie dormant for so long?"
"Well, he did fall into a lava stream while chasing after Master Fu." Cat Noir spoke.
"Though I understand why he didn't destroy him in the first place." Argos added.
"Logic is panic's prey," Cat Noir said with a somber look. "You can't think straight when you're survival mode."
"Wait, if the statue is a sentimonster, then can't you just destroy him, Argos?" Ryuko asked.
He grew an uncomfortable expression. His eyes went askance before saying, "Yes, I can, but..."
"Then what's the problem?" Ryuko questioned.
"According to Master Fu's story, it ate all the Miracle Boxes and the monks who lived in the temple, which had been destroyed in the aftermath." Ladybug commented, sadness in her tone.
"Meaning if I just snap my fingers and destroy the sentimonster, we won't be able to fix the damage he caused." Argos explained.
"Then the Order of the Guardians and the Miracle Boxes will truly be gone for good." Ryuko concluded.
"So what do we do?" Argos asked.
"Since you have the Peacock Miraculous, we won't have to worry about the sentimonster causing any trouble. Should we just leave him alone?" Cat Noir asked Argos.
"Sounds like the safest option to me." Argos said.
"No, we don't well enough alone," Ladybug said, getting her teammates' attention. "I have an idea, but I need you guys to trust me."
"We're listening." Cat Noir said, looking at Ladybug with a smile.
That evening in the Louvre, the four heroes snuck inside, and went to where the dormant sentimonster was.
"Yep, this is him. That amok is in there, no doubt," Argos said, raising his hand to the stone. "Damn, I can tell how hangry he is for Miraculous."
"Ready?" Ladybug asked Cat Noir and Ryuko.
They gave firm nods.
"Are you sure about this?" Argos asked, turning back to Ladybug. "I can't control a sentimonster I didn't create."
"And bringing him back to life runs the risk of him getting akumatized, putting him under the control of whoever has the Butterfly Miraculous." Cat Noir added.
"That's what I'm counting on. I know this sounds insane, but if there's a chance, however small, to capture the amok and restore the Order of the Guardians, we should at least try," Ladybug stated. "And unless we do something to help Master Fu fix his mistake, this is just gonna keep haunting him. He shouldn't have to run and hide anymore. He's suffered enough."
"Agreed," Ryuko spoke, drawing her sword. "Let's do it."
The four of them took deep breaths and stood ready in guarded stances.
Argos put his hand on the statue, causing it to crumble. The sentimonster emerged. He resembled some sort of frog-like creature, but he didn't have eyes, he was vibrant blue, and he had the symbol of the Order of the Guardians on his forehead.
"Yummy, yummy, Miraculous!" He grumbled as his vision zeroed in on Argos' broach. He jumped at him to eat it, and he dodged out of the way. The beast unleashed his long tongue and tried using it to grab and eat Argos' jewel.
Again, he moved out of the way. The creature turned and his vision honed in on Ryuko's choker. Again, he pounced
"Duck!" Ladybug shouted as the girls hit the floor to dodge the sentimonster. Ryuko had her sword up to guard, meanwhile Cat Noir and Ladybug were spinning their own weapons to shield themselves.
Argos pinched his fingers, causing the sentimonster to still and resist, as if he were in some sort of pain.
"Don't move another step, or I'll remove your amok!" Argos ordered. The monster grumbled. "I don't want to destroy you this way! Believe me, I don't! But still, I'm willing to do it if you go too far!"
The sentimonster backed down.
"Okay, we're good," Argos spoke. "I'll keep him reigned in as best as I can."
"That's all we need," Ladybug spoke. She heard wings fluttering, and she saw a black butterfly coming through the vent. "Here we go! Stand back, everyone!"
The butterfly was swallowed up. In about thirty seconds, the creature was enveloped in purple foam, and it emerged to be a thousand times larger than it was originally, thus towering over the four of them.
He roared, calling for Miraculous to eat. He began running at Cat Noir, who used his staff to try knocking him off-balance. It worked, albeit barely, giving Cat Noir time to get out of range of the sentimonster's tongue.
He charged at Ryuko, only for Argos to once again hold it back with his hand.
"Lucky Charm!" Ladybug called while throwing her yo-yo up into the air. In her hands landed a red and black-spotted metal detector.
"A metal detector?" Ryuko asked while jumping to dodge the sentimonster's tongue. "Lightning Dragon!"
She turned into a lightning bolt to try zapping the sentimonster to paralyze it, only for him to shake off the shock. Ryuko was knocked back and landed next to Argos. He helped her stand up, and the two of them gave each other affectionate looks.
"How's that going to help us?" Cat Noir questioned while running on all fours to evade the tongue.
"Using cement to stop Chloé in her tracks, I understand, but a metal detector?" Argos asked, using his hand to try getting some extra control over the creature.
Ladybug looked around. Her eyes saw Cat Noir, who flashed in red with black spots, and when her eyes landed on the sentimonster, it also started flashing in red with black spots. She gasped in epiphany.
"Argos, you said the amok is inside the sentimonster?" Ladybug asked as she used her yo-yo to block the tongue.
"Right!" Argos confirmed while trying to hold the beast back with his hands, as if trying to get a wild horse from running loose by using invisible reigns.
"And if I remember correctly, Master Fu said that he put the amok inside his staff!" Ladybug spoke. "If my theory is right... Kitty! Over here!"
"Yes, m'lady?!" Cat Noir asked as he jumped over to stand by her side with a sultry expression.
"We're going to take a little trip into the belly of the beast." Ladybug spoke while returning his expression. She wrapped her yo-yo string around the both of them, tying them up.
"What?!" Cat Noir asked, eyes wide.
"Argos, let him swallow me and Cat Noir up!" Ladybug called.
"Are you crazy?!" Argos shouted, his eyes the size of dinner plates. Meanwhile Ryuko once again tried slicing at the sentimonster with her sword.
"Just trust me!" Ladybug hollered.
Argos looked at Ladybug, saw how serious she was, and he gave a firm nod. He opened his hand by an inconsequential margin. But it was enough for the sentimonster to lash its tongue out at Ladybug and Cat Noir, pulling them inside his mouth.
Ryuko and Argos kept fighting the sentimonster, both with worried looks on their faces.
Once the pair was inside, they saw the mass expanse of the sentimonster's stomach. Inside were bubbles filled with random items that the creature had eaten. Some bubbles were filled with monks from the Order of the Guardians, Miracle Boxes, and more. Vases with the order's emblem, scrolls, and pieces of the temple. Ladybug turned on the metal detector. It started beeping.
"Follow me!" Ladybug said as she started "swimming" through the space.
"What's going on?" Cat Noir asked as he followed Ladybug.
"Argos said the amok was in here. And Master Fu put the amok in the staff. The sentimonster would've just vanished if the staff had been broken. Combine that with the metal detector..." Ladybug began.
"I get it! The metal detector is going to be used to find the staff where the amok is!" Cat Noir concluded.
"Exactly!" Ladybug said. The signal on the detector was getting stronger. "This way!"
They kept swimming in the direction of the signal.
Outside the beast, Ryuko and Argos were still trying to keep the sentimonster at bay.
"I hope Ladybug knows what she's doing in there!" Argos said aloud while continuing to keep the sentimonster from moving too much.
Ryuko was doing her best to keep the sentimonster off his game, including constant position movements to make him dizzy.
"Wind Dragon!" Ryuko called before turning into another tornado and lifting the sentimonster up off the floor. However, she was overzealous and wound up blasting a hole in the roof, bringing the sentimonster with her.
Argos ran for cover to duck the debris before running outside. Ryuko deposited the sentimonster onto the ground outside the Louvre before changing back. He stood up and growled in anger before once again launching himself at the twosome.
"Watch out!" Argos shouted as he jumped in and swept Ryuko off her feet before getting her out of the sentimonster's path. The sentimonster landed on its stomach before tumbling.
Ryuko and Argos looked each other in the eyes, a spark of love between them. They smiled before jumping up to the roof of the Louvre. Argos put her down and he continued to try reigning the sentimonster in a bit.
Back in the sentimonster's stomach, the signal on the metal detector was getting even stronger.
"Aha!" Ladybug said as they came upon a bubble with Master Fu's staff inside. "Just like I thought! The staff is in one piece! You know what to do, kitty-cat!"
Cat Noir smiled before raising his ring hand.
"You got it, m'lady," He said. "Cataclysm!"
The sentimonster had started climbing up the pyramid of the Louvre. His weight was beginning to crush the structure, meanwhile Argos and Ryuko were bracing themselves for impact.
"Argos," Ryuko started. "I have to tell you something in case we don't make it!"
"So do I!" Argos spoke.
They looked at each other and they began, "Je t'ai-"
But they heard a hissing sound, like a hole had been poked into a balloon and the air was beginning to whoosh out. They looked at the senitmonster, whose cheeks were puffing up, as if he were about to vomit. Instead, it burst into bubbles, and there stood Ladybug and Cat Noir, who were smiling. The latter of the two was holding the Master's staff, which had been broken in half and was ashen black.
"You did it!" Ryuko said, both her and Argos smiling.
Out of the staff came both the akuma and the amok. Ladybug caught both of them with her yo-yo.
"Bye bye." She said as she released them and watched them fly away.
She took the metal detector and threw it into the air, shouting, "Miraculous Ladybug!"
Like before, the magical ladybugs repaired everything. The Louvre, the Master's staff, everything.
"Pound it!" The foursome said, bumping fists.
"Master Fu will be so relieved..." Ladybug said as she looked up to the sky, where the butterfly and the feather had disappeared to.
The following morning, Clara from the news channel was in front of the Louvre, reporting on the disappearance of the statue. Ladybug and company were there, as well as spectators, including Alya.
"Clara Contard, live in front of the Louvre with Ladybug and her team," Clara began. "Last night's security footage shows the four of them breaking the statue that had once been here, only for a monster to emerge."
The footage from the security cameras revealed Argos bringing the sentimonster back to life, the butterfly coming in and getting eaten, and almost everything up until the feed cut out due to the fight causing it to break.
"So, tell me, Ladybug, the statue that was unveiled here yesterday wasn't a statue at all, but a sentimonster?" Clara asked.
"That's right, Clara," Ladybug spoke, a little anxious. "A sentimonster that was created nearly two-hundred years ago. Unfortunately, the person who created the sentimonster is long since gone."
"How did you know it was a sentimonster?" Clara asked.
"I sensed an amok inside the creature and informed my colleagues." Argos added.
"But since you have the Peacock Miraculous, couldn't you have just destroyed the sentimonster and left it at that?" Clara asked Argos.
"For all we know, the sentimonster might have done an insane amount of damage prior to him falling dormant," Ladybug explained. "We just wanted to fix the mistakes of the past, and reverse any wreckage he may have caused - any people, places, or other structures and items that he ate and kept inside his stomach for all this time."
"You revived it so you could do just that?" Clara asked.
"Correct." Ryuko confirmed before looking at her peacock boyfriend with an affectionate smile. He gave a subtle smile to her.
"Since I didn't create the sentimonster, I couldn't control it." Argos spoke.
"Thus, we decided to tackle the problem the same way we did with Chloé." Ryuko added.
"We had to revive it, and wait for the person that turned Chloé Bourgeois into Sole Crusher to do the same for the sentimonster," Cat Noir elaborated. "And we took the situation from there."
"So you caused a problem to solve more than one at once?" Clara clarified.
"Exactly," Ladybug spoke. "Controversial though it was, we felt it necessary. The creator of this sentimonster can now rest easy, knowing that his mistakes have been undone."
"And there you have it, everyone! The sentimonster that was mistaken for a statue is long gone, and all the trouble it caused nearly two-hundred years ago has been fixed," Clara said to the camera. "Such an amazing power Ladybug has, with no statute of limitations!"
Clara added a few contextual anecdotes to provide perspective (pre-Civil War era in America; Louis Phillipe I's reign over France; Ireland's Great Famine).
But Ladybug wasn't listening. She looked at Cat Noir with an affectionate smile, who returned her expression in full ardency. Making sure the cameras weren't watching, Ladybug held Cat Noir's hand and gave it a light squeeze. He reciprocated.
"Now, Ladybug," Clara asked, getting Ladybug's attention. "In light of last night's incident with the sentimonster, and what happened with Chloé Bourgeois before, please tell us: is there trouble on the horizon for Paris?"
Ladybug took a deep breath before telling Clara, "We have reason to believe that the Butterfly Miraculous - which, like all Miraculous, are intended for the greater good - is in the wrong hands right now. There's no telling who has it, or where this person is within Paris. We have no clues thus far."
"Could these past two incidents be a mere preview of what may be to come?" Clara asked.
"Whatever happens, Paris can rest assured that Cat Noir and Argos' efforts to make Paris a happier place will not be in vain. We'll be there to take care of any trouble Paris may face in response to the Butterfly Miraculous' owner's abuse of the jewel." Ladybug spoke, this time standing proud and looking to her team.
"But considering how dangerous these villains are, won't it be too much for just the four of you to handle alone?" Clara questioned.
Ladybug gave a confident smile before saying, "Whoever said it would be only the four of us?"
Everyone in the crowd got riled up in delight at this news.
"Now, bug out!" Ladybug said as the four heroes left the scene, and everyone up-roared with applause.
Once the four of them got out of sight of the news crew, they began running across the rooftops and talking.
"Panache and decorum! Great work, girls." Cat Noir said as he caught up to Ladybug and gave her sultry eyes.
Ladybug blushed and responded, "Merci, chaton."
"Dropping that hint about future teammates was nice, too." Argos spoke.
"And good call, talking as if Master Fu has long died and there's no guardian." Ryuko agreed.
"Speaking of whom, I'd better get back to my training. See you later!" Ladybug said before breaking from the group and zipping away.
Once she'd hidden from sight and changed back, Marinette and Alya went back to Master Fu's home to report what happened.
"You gotta check this out!" Alya said as she showed Master Fu something on her phone.
On the news was Clara, who was in a helicopter above the Tibetan mountains, flying over the restored temple of the Order of the Guardians.
"What makes this phenomenon so hard to explain is that the temple has been restored to its former glory overnight, and all the monks who were living in this temple are still alive, as if it hasn't been nearly two centuries!" Clara said while on scene.
The camera zoomed in onto the emblem.
"And what's more, the temple has the same symbol that was on the sentimonster Ladybug, Cat Noir, and their friends fought the night before. Is there a connection between them?" Clara asked. "I think so!"
Watching the news, Master Fu looked at the repaired temple with a wistful smile, and he heaved a relieved sigh.
"Thank you, Marinette. Kagami, Cat Noir, and Argos, too." Fu spoke as Alya put her phone away.
"No. Thank you for trusting us to take care of your sentimonster and clean up that mess." Marinette spoke.
"When you told me your plans, I admit, I was worried," Fu confessed. "But this is one of many times I've been happy to be wrong."
"Same here." Wayzz agreed.
"Are you going to go and visit them and tell them everything?" Alya asked.
"I will," Fu admitted. "But more importantly, you've once again proven to be an excellent Ladybug, Marinette. And an amazing future guardian."
"Thank you, Master," Marinette spoke. "I know this is only the beginning..."
"But chance favors the prepared mind, so let's get back to training! So, what's next?" Alya said, smiling.
"Ooh! Cat Noir has an aquatic mode on his suit! I'd like to learn how to do that!" Marinette spoke.
Fu chuckled at the girls' eagerness, and said, "Follow me. I'll show you two how to make the potions."
The girls followed Master Fu into the next room, eager to get started.
'I can't believe I'm thinking this, but I'm excited for the next akumatization!' Marinette thought, blushing.
I'll bet you guys were expecting Lila/Cerise, whatever her name is, to show up here, right? Nope! Since her alter-ego's actual name and design is still TBD (if I'm wrong, no spoilers, please!), I thought I'd just keep her off-screen for this story.
Coming up, for the finale, the girls begin asking themselves who the boys are behind the masks. And more importantly, can they accept who they are? And what about the remaining jewels in the box?