Sorry I’m so late this week, life happened. If you’re still enjoying these roundups and finding them helpful please leave me a quick like on this post just so I know. But be sure to like/reblog the individual stories as well if you find something you enjoy!
From@nerdypanda3126: Kiss Prompts One |Two|Three|Four|Five |Six |Seven(fyi this is the order I reblogged them in and not official, it was just the easiest way to line them up for me )
As always if I missed something that should be included reblog with the link and I’ll reblog it here! If you prefer not to be included in these roundups for any reason please drop me a message, or if you post something that you would like to be sure I include, please drop a link in my asks and I’ll make sure it gets listed (Lukanette endgame only please - see what is the weekly roundupfor more details). If you want to be sure I’ve flagged your work for inclusion you can check the quickroundup tag on my blog to see what I’ve got in the queue for this week.
If you find something you like please like/reblog the original post to let the author know you enjoyed their work!
Some #lukanette love for all the poor shippers out there hurting right now ❤
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I started this drawing over a year ago and just finally got around to finishing it in between working on this big commission I’ve got going Hope y'all enjoy it I’m pretty happy with how it turned out.
“I was gonna talk to you about something. But I lost my nerve,” she admitted. “And now I can’t find it again.” The hand that was on the spoon moved to pick up a cloth napkin instead, and dip it in the mixture. “This should help with the shirt.”
When Marinette was about to start scrubbing away the stain, Luka’s hand was back on hers, this time with more strength. As she looked up, she was startled to see how close he was. So close, she could make out the light pink color on his cheeks.
“You know you can trust me with anything, right?” he said, with a husky voice she had never heard come from him.
HO-HO-HO! HAPPY HOLIDAYS!!! Here’s my Secret Santa gift for my pal @lineith featuring one of her gorgeous cat!Marinette designs!!
*deep breath*
FLYCLJCLHCLJC EDEN!!!
I’ve been admiring this since last night like— khckhclhcliyclhclhc
The audacity to send it at a time when I couldn’t make loud unintelligible noises of excitement!! It’s so beautiful ;_; And unfairly funny. Those faces!!!! Your chibis are so good!! And Luka is just— the unsuspecting fool!! Merry Christmas to him~
In my moment of disbelief I missed both the ring and that I had designed that outfit. I literally went— that looks familiar.
Thank you, thank you, thank you so much!!! I hope you have a beautiful time with your loved ones! Happy holidays!!
If for some reason you’ve been living under a rock, please go check out Eden’s works. Top tier quality and a really sweet person. Go go go!!!
Second illustration I made for @youarethemusicinme-lukanette -a lukanette fanzine- back in 2020. This is a companion piece to a beautiful fic written by @kryptored<3
One instant in a series of soft moments, her turn at last.
Check my IG (art_of_lineith) for close-ups.
|Check my Miraculous Ladybug tag for redesigns and lukanette content| |DO NOT REPOST MY WORK|
He closes the space between them just a little, enough so that his breath tickles the tip of her nose. Marinette doesn’t know what to think, and Luka only makes it worse by choosing to drop his soft lips on her left exposed shoulder.“I love the freckles on your shoulders.”Just as promised, he’s taking it slowly. But at this rate, she’s not sure if she’ll make it to the end intact.
Second illustration I made for @youarethemusicinme-lukanette -a lukanette fanzine- back in 2020. This is a companion piece to a beautiful fic written by @kryptored<3
A piece I made back in 2020 for @youarethemusicinme-lukanettealukanette fanzine. Two blueberries enjoying some gardening~ Luka’s helping Marinette with some new additions to her balcony. Sass will be forever my favorite thing here <3
Check my IG (art_of_lineith) for close-ups.
|Check my Miraculous Ladybug tag for redesigns and lukanette content| |DO NOT REPOST MY WORK|
“Did you sleep at all last night?” His fingers froze on the strings at the sound of his sister’s voice. The moment his hands stilled, a wave of exhaustion washed over him. Slowly, he blinked, and then pulled his gaze away from the music he had hastily written and looked up at his sister.
Juleka was standing in the doorway to the music room, her hair still in papers, and she was wrapped in her black and violet dressing gown. Her arms were folded across her chest, and she was glaring at him with a mix of exhaustion and annoyance.
“Not exactly…” he mumbled, ducking away from her gaze, turning to the safety of the sheet music in front of him. They had gotten home from the Agreste ball at near three in the morning. And he had had every intention of going to bed for some much-needed sleep. But then his hands had begun to itch with new music. And he had instead made his way to the music room, where he had been ever since. “What time is it?”
Instead of answering, his sister stalked to the windows and threw open the curtains that had been tightly shut before they left for the ball the previous night. He hissed as bright sunlight blinded him. Blindly, he groped for his pocket watch. He blanched when he saw the time.
The girls’ heads darted up at the words. Marinette stiffened, but didn’t take it back, opting to squeeze her hands together on her lap rather than let her nerves show.
It was time to say it, she figured. Everyone had gotten together for a sort of “reminiscing” party - Rose would use any excuse to get everybody in one place, really - and they were even adults now. She was still fighting evil as Ladybug, but she had a better handle on it than when she was a teenager. Maybe it’d be a little more work than if she wasn’t a superhero, but she could still try for the kind of relationship she’d always been denied when she was younger.
She’d long grown out of her lousy crush on Adrien (complete with a well-imagined slap to the kwami of love, if there was one), as well as out of her dream of the three kids and a hamster. At least for now, she wanted to live in the moment and be happy.
Luka made her happy, and she wanted him to know that.
The girls, however, didn’t seem to agree. They exchanged glances with each other around the table, all showing various expressions but none of them that Marinette could define as “good.” The only possible exception was Juleka, who seemed more conflicted than anything else. Marinette didn’t think much of it though; this involved her brother after all, so it was natural to be hesitant. Really, she’d only said anything to the girls at all because she secretly wanted Juleka’s approval.
“What?” Marinette asked when everyone continued to stay silent.
Note: I’ll be travelling next week and I’m not sure what kind of internet connection I’m going to have at any point. If it’s too hard to get the roundup done, I’ll do my best to include everything on the following week. Feel free to leave a link in my DMs if you are concerned I’m going to miss your work.
If I missed something that should be included, reblog, reply, DM, or drop the link in my asks and I’ll make sure it goes on next week’s roundup! If you prefer not to be included in these roundups for any reason please drop me a message, or if you post something that you would like to be sure I include, please drop a link in my asks and I’ll make sure it gets listed (Lukanette endgame only please - see what is the weekly roundupfor more details). If you want to be sure I’ve flagged your work for inclusion you can check the quickroundup tag on my blog to see what I’ve got in the queue for this week.
If you find something you like please like/reblog the original post to let the author know you enjoyed their work!
If I missed something that should be included, reblog, reply, DM, or drop the link in my asks and I’ll make sure it goes on next week’s roundup! If you prefer not to be included in these roundups for any reason please drop me a message, or if you post something that you would like to be sure I include, please drop a link in my asks and I’ll make sure it gets listed (Lukanette endgame only please - see what is the weekly roundupfor more details). If you want to be sure I’ve flagged your work for inclusion you can check the quickroundup tag on my blog to see what I’ve got in the queue for this week.
If you find something you like please like/reblog the original post to let the author know you enjoyed their work!
Ok so this is my take on a modern day fairytale kind of story. Would you guys like some more chapters? I’ve currently marked it as a one shot but I’m thinking about adding some other chapters focusing on Alya, Chloe (or Zoe possibly) and maybe some other characters and the deals (or curses) they make with or from Luka.
Lila looked around with an expression of disgust on her face as she walked down the steps towards the Seine. It was the last place she wanted to be, especially with how unsightly it was but she was desperate. In her mind, she believed that she should be worshiped by all who saw her. She was a goddess and deserved to be treated as such. However, her life was not what she envisioned at all. She was almost 21 and she still wasn’t famous or adored. She still wasn’t filthy rich or had a hot and rich guy on her arm. The media had no idea who she was and she was working as a lowly advert actress and a small time model when she deserved to be up there with a A listers. Well, that life wasn’t good enough for her but she didn’t want to have to work for it. Oh no, Lila believed that what she wanted should be handed to her on a silver platter. She was destined to be one of the elite and she knew it. However, her usual methods of cheating and leeching off others didn’t working in the way she wanted so she had to come up with something, which is what lead her to The Seine or as she called it the slum area. Paris itself was home to many supernatural creatures and she had tried every trick in the book but they weren’t good enough. Nothing was. She had been to several of the supernaturals in the city but they could only offer her charms to briefly improve her luck or a hex that will curse her enemies. Some had offered her spells to bring in some positivity or some had done rituals for her but none of them lasted and she wanted something more effective and permanent. She wanted her name to be remembered forever and for anyone who had tried to cross her to get exactly what they deserve and suffer. Naturally there had been some in her life but one stuck out. Marinette Dupain-Cheng. A half breed witch who tried to expose her in their school and was currently living a good life. Well, that wasn’t fair which is what lead her to here. Of course, she wouldn’t be seen dead here normally but she had tried everything else so now she was going to the place where she knew someone would be able to help her. However, she went in disguise. She couldn’t risk been seen here plus the Seine was rough. It was home to the low class humans, witches and worst of all the fae, an extremely attractive race with a reputation worst then werewolves. The fae were treated poorly, forced to live in awful conditions and were labeled as scum, tricksters and other degrading names. Despite this, they were one of the most powerful race when it came to using magic and the only creatures that could give her what she wanted. Due to been very unpopular in Paris, they were hard to find but she had managed to track one down with the help of her sheep, Alya. The fae supposedly lived in a houseboat in the Seine river and was her last hope. However, he had a rep of been a bad guy and been extremely dangerous but Lila didn’t care. She wanted her promised life and would do anything to get it. She came to a stop as she saw the boat she was looking for, frowning to herself before she took out a fox tail pendent and put it on. One of the reasons why people didn’t like the fae was because of their ability to detect when people were truthful or not. No one quite understood how it worked but faes were said to be able to look into the very soul of people and that made them uncomfortable, which was why Lila had the pendent. It had a powerful charm on that would protect from the fae’s truth seeking eyes. Satisfied with it, she stepped over to the boat and climbed onto the gangplank before heading onto the boat. She grimaced at the scattered boxes and papers that littered the deck but shook it off. She walked over to the entrance to the cabin and began to descend down the stairs into darkness.
“Hello?” She called, looking around but she couldn’t really see anything. “Is anyone home?”
“Oh, we have a visssstor,” A voice hissed, making her jump and look where it came from. Instantly, she saw two glowing eyes that were teal green in color and snakelike.
“I don’t recall having any visitors,” A second voice added, though this one sounded more human. It was actually a very nice voice. It was softly spoken and almost musical. Almost instantly, she felt her body relax as she walked over, unconsciously drawn to it. Another reason why people hated faes. They were naturally seductive with how they were and how they spoke. “And what do you want?”
Oh, she could listen to that voice all day… but she needed to remember why she was here.
“I…” She mumbled, shaking her off the fog in her mind and putting on her innocent act. “I hear you have the power to give people their hearts desire,”
“Hmm,” He replied as she watched. The eyes moved suggesting the fae was getting up before a light came on, revealing a large amount of snake tanks and a young man. Lila studied him as he glanced at her. He was very attractive but the fae were supernaturally beautiful. His hair was black with teal blue highlights and his skin looked slightly tanned. He wore black ripped joggers and a white tank top, showing off his toned arms that had tattoos of snakes going up them. It was clear that the fae had snakelike features too. The most obvious was his eyes but he also had a number of green teal scales across his arms and neck. Lila felt a little uncomfortable as she glanced at him but that discomfort turned to fear as she felt something sliver over her feet. She looked down and screamed as she saw a snake that looked up at her and stuck its tongue out. She felt panic rise as she wanted to kick it but before she could, the fae was in front of her. “Not fond of my reptile friends hmm?”
“I… I’m afraid of snakes,” She gasped, actually telling the truth for once. The fae smiled at her before turning away. “Could we go outside?”
“Why? They’re not going to bite and most of them aren’t poisonous,” He replied, looking back at her. That’s when she noticed the snake resting around his neck. It would have been beautiful to anyone not afraid of them. It was teal green with dark teal diamonds across it’s body and a hood around it’s head like a cobra. His eyes searched her features, making her feel like he was searching her soul before they flickered down and landed on her foxtail pendent before he sat back down and glanced at her. “Well, aren’t you here for a reason? Tell me what you desire, Little Fox,”
“I… I would like to be famous,” She replied, trying to seek shy and meek. “It’s been my desire-”
“So you want a little fame?”
“A little fame? I want more then just a little fame!” She gasped, pinching her nose before realizing she almost lose her cool. She took a deep breathe and shot him a smile. Not that he was looking. He was holding one of his snakes and sticking his tongue out at it in a playful manner. It made her feel sick when she saw it was forked. “I mean I want to be the most famous person on the planet if you can do that. I really want my name in every newspaper and to be up there on the red carpet with all of the A listers. I want to be so famous no one will ever forget my name,”
“Interesting,” He replied as she took a breathe. “I can definitely do that. Is there anything else you want?”
“Oh yes, there is,” She replied, ready to turn on the water works. “T-There’s this woman who has been making my life awful since high school. Marinette Dupain-Cheng. She use to bully me and she constantly makes it hard for me to reach and work for companies. I’m sure she’s had me blacklisted. I can’t even order of her website because of this,”
She began to cry, making the fae frown but not for the reasons she thought. He heard the name Marinette Dupain-Cheng before. He was sure she was a friend of his sister and Juleka had said she was nice. He turned his attention to Lila. Depending on what she said depended on what he could do.
“I’m sorry… I just…” She sniffed. “I j-just want her to finally get what she deserves. I’ve tried to be the bigger person but… she just doesn’t stop,”
“I see,” He replied, frowning. He wasn’t sure he believed her but he couldn’t tell with her pendent on. Luckily, she had said ‘get what she deserved’ which meant he could easily work it so he doesn’t harm her. 'Getting what she deserves’ can be considered a grey area, meaning he can do anything he wanted as long as he deemed it 'what she deserved’. Yes, he could still honor the contract without harming anyone. Sure, he had cursed a few people but he didn’t like to if he didn’t have to. “Well, I can easily do those things. Fame and fortune. It’s yours and getting even with this person. Easily done,”
“Really?” She gasped, surprised. “When can you do it?”
“I can start immediately. Of course, it will take a little time for your fame to skyrocket but I promise it will,” He replied, making her frown a little. “It’s only natural that I have to make some spells and pull some strings but of course, none of this can happen until we’ve discussed a price that is,”
“A Price?” She questioned surprised. She had heard Faes didn’t charge a fee. “I was unaware,”
“Of course, my services don’t come free,” He replied, smirking. She frowned as if she hadn’t expected that. “All magic comes with a price, Lila and fae magic is typical expensive,”
“Expensive?” She echoed. “I don’t have a lot of money,”
“My price is fairly simple in it’s nature but still rather costly,” He replied, waving his hand. A contract appeared out of thin air, making Lila gasp. “€150. Once you sign the contract, it can’t be altered or amended,”
“That’s all?” She asked, making him nod. She would have to live with all her fame and her enemies getting what they deserve. It sounded like a fair price to her. “That seems pretty cheap and fair to me,”
“Then if you’re satisfied, sign the contract,” He smiled, holding out a pen. Lila snatched it out of his hand and grabbed the paper, signing on the line at the bottom. As soon as she did, the contract and pen appeared in the fae’s hand. “Excellent! Glad to do business with you, Little Fox,”
“Oh thank you so much!” She gasped, smiling before she left as he smiled back. As soon as she did, the smile left his face as his snake moved around his neck.
“She wass wearing a protection amulet,” The snake hissed. “Are we sure she’s telling the truth? Should we grant her wissh, Luka?”
“A deal is a deal, Sass,” He replied, folding up the contract and putting it with the others he had. “She will have her fame and Miss Dupain-Cheng will get everything she deserves,”
~A Couple of Weeks Later~
Since making the deal with the fae, Lila’s life had dramatically improved. She went from been a barely known actress to an A-star Celebrity. Woman wanted to be her and men wanted her. She had adoring fans who screamed her name and cried when she walked past. She had landed herself in a relationship with a pretty handsome man. She was on top of the world and richer then she had ever imagined. She had it all but it wasn’t enough. She could have all the money and fame in the world and it would still not be enough because Marinette Dupain-Cheng hadn’t suffered yet. Her business was still successful. She hadn’t been made an example of nor had she disappeared of the face of the earth. If anything, she was getting more popular. To say Lila wasn’t happy was an understatement. Sure, the fae had told her that it would take sometime but she wanted her nemesis to fall now! Which was why she was storming towards the fae’s boathouse to demand he destroy her life. She stormed onto the boat and stalked into the living area, where the fae was sat with his snakes.
“Hello, Little Fox,” He stated, making her glare at him. “Something wrong?”
“Wrong?!” She screeched, making him frown. “Wrong?! You were suppose to punish Marinette and make her suffer!”
“Hmm I don’t recall that been in the contract,” He replied, making her grit her teeth. “But I don’t really see the issue. You have your fame and fortune. Why fixate on Marinette?”
“Because I want her to suffer!” She screamed, stamping her foot before she pointed at him. “That was part of our deal! You need to honor it! My wish was for her to suffer!”
“Incorrect,” He replied, causing their contract to appear in a puff of teal smoke. “I have it right here and it states 'I want Marinette to get what she deserves’ nothing more, nothing less. Since you failed to specify exactly what that was, I decided the best course of action was to leave her alone since that’s what she deserved,”
“What?!” She screamed. “You useless puck!”
The entire room’s feeling changed as soon as that word left her mouth. The term puck was considered extremely offensive against the fae. It basically implied that they were nothing but pranksters and trouble makers. The fae’s eyes turned green and more snakelike as Lila stepped back, realizing her mistake before she ran out of the boathouse. The fae’s eyes narrowed as he watched her scamper out. She thought she could run from him but that wouldn’t help her. He had cursed people for less.
“Luka,” Sass’s voice made him look over and stroke the snake’s chin. “Are you ok?”
“I’m fine, Sass,” He replied, looking at the contract in his hand. “Isn’t the first time and won’t be the last I’ve been called that but like the last time, her deed won’t go unpunished,”
“What do you intend to do?”
“Lila asked for fame and for this girl to get what she deserved right?” He answered, making the snake nod. “Well then I think Miss Rossi should get exactly that. By the time, I’m done with her, she’ll wish she never met me but first I think it’s time I paid Miss Dupain-Cheng a visit to determine exactly what she deserves. Though I have a feeling it won’t be what Lila envisioned,”
“And the fame part?”
“Oh, I’ll give her a week to enjoy her new lifestyle while I deal with the second part of her contract. Once that’s done, Lila will go down in history. Everyone will know her name and never forget her,” Luka replied, making the snake look at him but the devious smirk on his lips told him that it was as simple as Lila been famous for been an actress. “She will get exactly what she wanted whenever she wants it or not,”
“She’ll learn the hard way why one should not make themselves the enemy of a fae,”
~Marinette’s Shop~
Marinette hummed to herself as she flicked through the magazine she was reading. Lila had been on the front cover but despite what people now believed about her, Marinette wasn’t mad. She was actually happy for Lila. She had never wanted to be her enemy and just didn’t get why the girl couldn’t be honest. Even after Lila had tried to destroy her, Marinette had given her a second chance. Come clean to the class and all will be forgiven. She had done the same with Chloe so she could do the same with Lila. Unfortunately Lila decided not to and proceed to turn almost everyone against Marinette. Something that lasted through her adult life too. Even after they had left school and moved on their careers, Lila chose to slam her at every chance she could. Whenever it was a snide comment when she saw her, whispering horrible rumors about her to her ex best friend who would then post said rumors on her news blog or just leaving a bad review on her shop, Lila was determined to ruin her. Luckily, she still had a small number on her side but she had lost a lot of 'friends’ to Lila over the years but she guessed they weren’t her true friends anyway. If they were, they wouldn’t have believed Lila nor encouraged her to do the embarrassing and frankly creepy things in her attempt to get the attention of Adrien Agreste, one of the few faes in the city who weren’t treated badly. That was probably because he was rich and part of the seelie court, which was also known as the summer court but he didn’t stay by her side, despite insisting he was. No, he insisted she take the 'high road’ and got annoyed at her when she decided not after losing her crush on him. Honestly, she didn’t see what her younger self saw in him. She was grateful to the people who did stay by her side though. One of the people who did side with her was part of the seelie court just like Adrien but she was treated badly due to her choice of lover. Her name was Rose and her girlfriend was Juleka, the other person who stayed on Marinette’s side. The thing was Juleka was half fae, half human. She didn’t fit in anywhere. She was considered a freak to most witches and humans for been half fae, she didn’t fit in with the seelie court as her family were part of the unseelie court but she didn’t really fit in with them either. Though from what she had told Marinette, none of her family members fitted in with the unseelie court despite been full bloods either. In school, she was picked on for it, especially by Chloe, though the blonde had since changed her tune after been cursed by Juleka’s brother. According to her, her brother was one of the most powerful faes in the unseelie court and had cursed Chloe with a karma spell. To say it humbled her was an understatement and she wasn’t the first person to be cursed by him nor the last. Apparently, he had cursed the musician XY and his father, Chloe’s own family and a number of other people but from what Marinette had heard, most of them deserved it. That didn’t mean she wasn’t afraid of him. She had made a mental note to never piss him off if she met him. Of course, his curses had put him at odds with the magical councils yet he got away with it. She was pretty sure he only got away with it because they were scared of him and because none of his 'victims’ had been mortally wounded nor were they really victims. It had turned out that each one of them had done something wrong. XY and his father had stolen music and other creative ideas from a number of musicians, Chloe’s family were corrupt to the bone and arguable to blame for Chloe’s own behavior. Sure, she was partly to blame as well but she never would have become that bad in the first place if her parents hadn’t given into her every whim. His other victims were far from innocent too. They ranged from criminal gangs to other corrupted politicians. Either way, his curses had been blessings in disguise. Chloe had since became a way better person, her family humbled, the artists that had their work had their thieves brought to justice and their work returned to them and the victims of the other cursed got justice. All in all, it worked out for the better. The bell rang, making her jump a little and look up.
“Hi, welcome-” The greeting died in her throat as she stared at the very fae she had been thinking about. Luka Couffaine, Juleka’s older brother. She never thought she would ever see him in her store. From what she knew, he tended to stay at his boathouse at the Seine, preferring to deal with his magic and his snakes but she had seen enough photos of him to recognize him. As she stared at him, the fear she felt disappeared and was replaced by attraction. She knew fae were extremely beautiful. Rose, Adrien and Juleka all were but Luka was something else. Not only was he gorgeous but he had an air about him too. Everything about him screamed hot. His hair, his body shape and his eyes. Oh his eyes. They were so hard to look from. They were snakelike but ocean blue in color. As he stepped into the shop, Marinette couldn’t help the little whine that escaped her lips. She felt like she was in the presence of an actual god. The pictures she had seen did not do him any justice at all. “H-Hi, can I help you?”
“Marinette Dupain-Cheng?” He asked, making her want to faint with just the way he said her name. She weakly nodded and tried not to faint as he tilted his head to the side as a smile appeared on his lips. “Well, Juleka never told me how pretty you were,”
“I… um…” She blushed as he smiled. “S-Same here,”
He chuckled as she went bright red before he closed the door.
“I need to talk to you about a recent contract of mine,” He stated, making her frown. Luka was what you might call a deal maker but it was rare for a witch to get involved with it. She walked over to the door and moved the sign to say closed. “Is there somewhere private we can go?”
“We can talk in the back,” She replied, making him nod and follow her as she lead him to her reading room. “So this contract-”
“I was contracted by one Lila Rossi to make her famous and to give you 'what you deserve’,” He stated, making her frown. So that’s how Lila got famous and now he was here to act Lila’s revenge. She frowned but she wasn’t surprised. She closed her eyes, waiting for him to curse her but when it didn’t occur, she opened her eyes and found him look at her with interest. “There’s more to the story,”
“Oh?” She asked, feeling a little silly.
“Don’t feel silly. It’s a natural reaction to assume I’m here to exact her 'vengeance’ and technically I am here to honor that part of the contract,” He replied, making her gulp. “However, Lila failed to tell me exactly what she wanted. She told me to 'give you what you deserve’. I decided to leave you alone but apparently that wasn’t good enough for her so she came by and demanded I do my job,”
He rolled her eyes at that.
“She was extremely angry that I had decided that course of action to the extend where she called me a 'useless puck’,” He explained, making Marinette gasp and began to apology to him. He held up his hand, stopping her. Though he appreciated the sentiment. “You do not need to apology for her. I simply came here to talk to and determine exactly what I should give you,”
“Give me?”
“Part of Lila’s contract was to 'give you what you deserved’ which is why I’m here. I need to determine exactly what that is since she never actually said,” He explained, making Marinette nod. “But in order to do so I need to know the full story. Why does Lila Rossi hate you so much?”
“Because I caught onto her lies,” Marinette sighed, making Luka frown. He had suspected that Lila had been lying but hearing it from someone else annoyed him more. This was no longer just about contracts and magic. This was now about pride. Lila thought she could fool him and get him to do her dirty work while getting to live a good life. Well, not on his watch. “That’s why she wants me to get what I deserve. She’s made it her mission to destroy me,”
“So she does lie. How disappointing,” He muttered, frowning. It wasn’t a surprise. Faes themselves couldn’t lie and had to tell the truth but they also couldn’t stand liars. “That explains her pendent,”
“So what are you going to do?” She asked as he made a face. “I know a little about contracts and I know they are unbreakable. Whatever you do, she’ll use it to her advantage as long as she has that silver tongue of hers. It’s her biggest strength. I know from personal experience. No matter what I did to show people the truth about her, she always spun it to make me look like the bad guy and she’ll do the same to you. You try and break the contract, she’ll made it so you’re the bad guy. You try to alter it and she’ll make you look evil. You have no choice but to honor it in the way she intended,”
“I see,” He muttered, making her frown. She would have some sort of punishment. “Then I’m going to honor it,”
“Then please don’t be too harsh on me,” She muttered, closing her eyes as Luka stepped closer to her. “I accept whatever you decide to curse me with,”
“I’m not going to curse you,” He replied in a gentle voice, causing her to snap open her eyes. “Did Juleka tell you why us unseelie are hated compared to the fae of the seelie court?”
“No?”
“It’s because people believe us to be malicious,” He replied, making her frown. “But the truth is we’re not. No fae is benevolent or malicious. We simply grant what we are asked to so when I say I’m going to honor her contract, it will be done to the exact detail,”
“But isn’t that giving her what she wants?” Marinette asked, confused. “She’ll be happy with it. I suffer and she gets to be the most famous person,”
“Oh, I doubt she’ll be happy with what she gets, Marinette,” He smiled in a dark manner. “You see we unseelie are what you might call tricksters and mischievous. We have no rules nor do we play to others. Lila thinks she can control me but she can’t. Personally, I don’t like it went people act entitled nor do I like been insulted so it’s my duty to punish her for her entitled and frankly awful behaviour. Lila wants fame. Well, I’ll make sure no one will ever forget her name again. She wants you to 'get what you deserve’ then I’ll do exactly that. She’s going to get exactly what she asked for whenever she liked it or not,”
“I think I understand,” She replied, nodding. “I’m just sorry you had to take her job,”
“Hmm, I’m not,” He replied, shrugged. “Paid for food for a week. Besides, I get to punish one of the wicked again and I know exactly how to turn this around without breaching my contract with her. Starting with you,”
Marinette closed her eyes as she expected him to reign down fury and fire on her but to her surprise, she simply felt his lips brush against her cheek as he placed a gentle kiss there. She opened her eyes as she felt magic flow through her body but it didn’t feel wicked or cursed. It felt… good and light. Like she was on cloud nine. It continued to flow even as he pulled away.
“As par to my contract, I have given you what you deserve,” He stated, making her look at him. “Which is a blessing of prosperity. May your future be a bright one,”
“A blessing?” She asked, generally surprised. “But isn’t that breaking your contract?”
“No, it isn’t,” He smiled, making her blush a little. “Lila only said to give you what you deserved. She never said what that was,”
“Oh,” She replied before smiling brightly. “Then thank you,”
~One Week Later~
Marinette couldn’t help the massive grin on her face as she walked through the Gala, getting everyone’s attention. She got endless compliments and couldn’t believe her luck but when she thought about it, she knew it was because of Luka’s gift. Apparently, this was his definition of 'what she deserves’. In other words, success and happiness. And happy she was. She had never had such a successful run before nor had she been in the spot light like this. She just wish she could thank her fae friend. After all, he had been the one to change her life.
“Marinette!” A familiar voice called, causing her to look over and see Adrien. If she had been 14 years old again, she might have fainted from his amazing smile but she was over him these days. Having said that, he still looked beautiful, just not as otherworldly as she once thought. “Wow, you look amazing,”
“Thank you,” She smiled but it didn’t last long as Lila stormed over.
“Marinette,” She grinned falsely. On the outside, she looked happy for her rival but on the inside, she was fuming. Apparently, that stupid fae had helped Marinette become a sensation overnight, despite her contract with him. Anyone who was anyone wanted a MDC original, which was why Marinette was here and Lila hated it. She had gotten an invite because she was the current it girl. Anyone who was anyone knew her name. She was so famous that she couldn’t walk down the street and she loved it but tonight someone else was outshining her and that someone was Marinette. Lila had to admit she looked amazing but it wouldn’t last long. It enraged her that Marinette was stealing her limelight and she was determined to destroy her but she would wait til Marinette lose her defense pose. “I heard you’ve been getting more successful recently. Oh maybe we could work together. With my status and your designs, we could do great things,”
“Oh, I’m not interested Lila but thank you,” Marinette replied, making Lila grit her teeth as she stepped forward.
“Listen here, Dupain-Cheng,” She hissed, getting closer to her. “There is nothing special about you as I know for a fact you had that puck help you but he also helped me and I intend to keep my throne so either you get in line or I’ll destroy you again,”
“I’m not afraid of you, Lila,” Marinette replied back. “And his name is Luka. Yes, he gave me a blessing and maybe that’s why I’m successful but unlike you, I’m grateful for his help,”
“Typical,” Lila gasped, turning on her heel and walking away from Marinette. Marinette shrugged and turned back to people as a waiter came by with glasses of red wine. Seeing her chance, Lila took one and was about to 'trip’ into Marinette, planning to ruin her dress with the wine but before she could, someone caught her by the waist, removed the glass in her hand and pulled her into a dance, making her glare at Luka. “You! You broke-”
“Now, now. Don’t make a scene,” He replied as they glided across the floor. “There are a lot of cameras and I’m sure you don’t want them to see you arguing with the son of Jagged Stone now, especially if you decide to use those racial slurs again,”
“I-” She gasped, glancing around and saw he was telling the truth. Of course he was. Faes can’t lie. “You stopped me from ruining her. If you hadn’t cheated-”
“I did no such thing,” He replied, making her grit her teeth. “You were the one who didn’t say exactly what to do with Miss Dupain-Cheng so I improvised,”
“So you made her more successful?!” She gasped in annoyance. “That is not what I wanted,”
“I care not for your wants but for the contract’s words. It said to give her what she deserved and that’s what I did. If anyone is to blame, it is yourself for not been exact in your wording,” He shrugged, making her gasp in annoyance. “But relax. I’m not here to cause any trouble. Actually, I’m here to grant the final part of our contract,”
“I’m already famous!”
“Are you?” He questioned, making her look around. Despite dancing with him, no one seemed bothered by her. All eyes were still on Marinette. “Seems like to me no one’s really paying attention to you,”
She gasped as she realized he was right. She was famous but not enough. She turned to him with a begging expression.
“You need to honor-”
“Don’t worry, Miss Rossi,” He smiled but to her surprise, he roughly grabbed her arm, causing it to feel like it was burning. “I’m here to make sure everyone remembers you forever,”
The way he said it sent a shiver down her spine and she panicked, trying to pull her arm away from him as it continued to burn before he suddenly let go.
“That’s our contract fulfilled,” He stated, walking away from her and picking up a glass of wine from a nearby waiter. He held up the glass to her with a smirk on his face “Have fun now,”
With that, he turned on his heel and walked over to Marinette, causing the witch to smile as she greeted him. Despite his promise, that annoyed her and if he wasn’t going to punish Marinette, she would. She began to storm over but was stopped by one of the other people there.
“Oh, isn’t Marinette such a darling?” She asked, mistaking Lila for one of the crowd who was admiring the girl. Lila couldn’t believe her luck. She could easily corrupt this person’s mind. “I would love one of her design,”
“Oh, she is the most talented designers in the world and I hate her for it,” She stated, surprising herself and causing the person to look over at her before shaking her head. “I mean we were in school together and she was always so nice to other people, it made me sick. She told me to stop lying so I destroyed her life and turned most of her friends against her,”
“What?” The woman asked, looking wary as Lila covered her mouth.
“I didn’t mean that,” She gasped, thinking she was able to lie. “I mean I totally meant it. She was such a goody two-shoes and I hated her guts. I even framed her for stealing another person’s designs once. Her class actually believed it. They were so stupid. All that to do was turn around the sketch and they would have seen her signature. The best part is she wasn’t the first person I did this too,”
At this point, everyone was looking at Lila with shock and disgust, apart from Luka. He simply held up his glass to her as she glared at him. She had realized that burning feeling he had created was a curse. A curse of truth but all she had to do was remain quiet until it lifted.
“I caused a girl to kill herself,” She suddenly blurted out, causing a number of people to gasp. “I laughed at her funeral and pretended I was crying,”
Lila clapped her hands to her mouth but it didn’t stop her from talking. One by one, all of the lies she had said throughout the years came out in front of everyone at the gala including the cameras that were filming everyone. People were whispering to each other and pointing at her. In sudden realization, Lila realized that everyone was no longer looking at Marinette but in fact were all looking at her. They were taking her picture and the cameras and reporters covering the event were filming her too. She knew by morning her career was over and it only got worst as security came over.
“Miss, come with us please,” They stated, making her look at them.
“What?!” She gasped, annoyed. “Do you know who I am?!”
“Yes, you’re Lila Rossi and due to your confession the police have been called,” The man answered, making her go pale. “Come quietly,”
“Quietly?! You stupid buffoon!” She screamed, despite trying to act 'innocent’. “I am Lila Rossi! I’m the best thing here and you think you can force me from here?! I deserve to be here!! Not these morons! Me! I’m the Queen! You should be begging for my attention!!”
Apparently, whatever Luka had done to her didn’t just cause her to tell the truth but to drop her act. However, the security guard didn’t care and went to take her arm, causing her to hit him which only made the situation worst. Soon, her downfall was filmed by all the cameras and bystanders as she was frogmarched out, shrieking like a banshee. Actually, scrap that. Banshees had nicer voices. Luka smirked as he watched her spill more lies and cause a scene, enjoying it.
“What did you do to her?” Marinette asked, causing him to turn his attention to her.
“I gave her a blessing," He replied, causing her to raise an eyebrow. "Unlike yours though, I gave her a blessing of truth. She can’t lie about anything now. Not through words or through her personality. I would guess that she is going to be trending on social media. She wanted to be famous after all,”
“That is brilliant,” Marinette smiled before turning to him. “Thank you for my blessing by the way. It’s really helped my business take off but I feel kind of bad that I’m riding on your magic for all my success. I wouldn’t have gotten this far without it. Is there anyway to thank you?”
“You know I only gave you a little boost of prosperity right?” He asked, making her look at him. “Everything else was all you.. but I would love to get to know you better if you’re interested and if you insist on thanking me, you could get me a danish from your parent’s bakery. They’re my favorite treat,”
“I would you to get to know you better as well,” Marinette flushed, making him grin. “And getting a danish wouldn’t be a problem… want to dance?”
“I would love to,” He smiled, taking her hand and leading her onto the dance floor as they heard Lila screeching in the background. By tomorrow morning, she would go down in history as a spoiled diva but not just that but people would post about her. Her previous victims would reveal how she was and the hashtag 'LiarRossi’ would trend, occasionally making a comeback when something new was revealed. All the crimes and fraud she committed to would come to light, along with every bad deed she did and she would realize with growing horror that Luka fulfilled his contract perfectly. After all, he promised to make her famous and now she was. She would never be forgotten for a long time. The best part was he had brought her to the height of fame which made this so much more better. You see Fame is tricky. Once you’re famous, everyone watches you every move and with how famous Lila was, people from all over would learn of her misdeeds, spreading her story all across the world. The newspapers were going to have a field day and her name would forever be remembered as a famous liar. He would make sure no one would ever forget her. After all, she asked to be known by everyone and that’s exactly what he gave her. Of course, that doesn’t mean he wasn’t grateful to her. After all, if he hadn’t taken her deal, he might not have finally gotten a chance to meet Marinette and now he had. He hoped Lila was satisfied with the outcome. He sure knew he was.
Whoop! Another chapter down. Finally decided to get Stormy Weather 2 out of the way and I think I did a good job adapting it considering that it is a filler episode and a show case. Anyway, next chapter is Midas (Bob Roth) and I’ll be releasing a few new designs. Hope you guys enjoy this chapter :)
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Chapter Seventy-One: Stormy Weather
~Hawkmoth’s Lair~
“And this will repair the miraculous?” Gabriel asked, glancing at the molten gold that would make part of the cure. Su Han himself was grinding up meteorite dust as it was required. It didn’t look that impressive to him but this guy should know what he was doing since he was the celestial guardian… or so he claimed. Gabriel guessed that he wasn’t the true one and going by the legends that had been passed down by his father and his father’s father, this man was the sixth celestial guardian. According to the legend, the fifth celestial guardian known as Master Toutai was attacked by an unknown assassin, cutting his normally long life short and in his last moments, he passed the title onto his best friend in the order, one Master Su Han. Su Han then swore to protect the miraculous and continue his friend’s legacy until his soul was reborn. Having met the man though, Gabriel was certain the majority of that legend was fabricated. Su Han had expressed a desire to find the new mage but not to help him regain the title but to ensure that he himself remained the celestial guardian. As to how he would achieve that, all he knew as that Su Han needed to find him before the next spring festival which was only a few months away. Of course, that made him come to Hawkmoth. In return for helping him fix the miraculous and capture Anatis and Lady Noir, Hawkmoth was to help him find the mage. However, Gabriel had no intention of doing so. As soon as he got the mage’s identity, he would find a way to akumatize him. He would become his masterpiece, even more so than Luka Couffaine and Marinette Dupain-Cheng. Speaking of the students, he had also decided to lay low on targeting Luka or at least making situations to target him. Should a natural situation come up, he would take that chance but he also needed Luka to lower his guard and continuously targeting him wouldn’t make that happen. Besides, Lila wasn’t able to get close to him anymore. In that sense, she had outlived her usefulness but he wouldn’t throw her away just yet. She can still sow discord, similarly to how Chloe Bourgeois used to. Shame that Anatis put her on the right track but it is what it is. He’ll make do with the pawn that he has. Of course, he nearly lost Lila been in school thanks to the frame up job she did. Mr Damocles actually contacted the school board and it took all of his power to ensure that she got away scott free. He would have tried to get Luka expelled since it would have made for another attempt but the rest of the school board wouldn’t agree to that. Besides, he managed to get Lila to stay in school by suggesting that maybe she was acting out due to lack of attention at home. Naturally, the rest of the school board lapped it up and those didn’t… well they soon did after a rather generous donation to their bank accounts. He had also warned her to keep a low profile for now. A few snide remarks here and there should be enough. After all, words were often more damaging then actions. Gabriel frowned as Su Han cleared his throat, making him look at him. “Yes?”
“Are you listening?” He asked, crossing his arms.
“Yes, I am,” He replied, narrowing his eyes. Su Han huffed before turning back to the mixture. “But you didn’t answer my question. Will it repair the miraculous?”
“Yes, it will,” He replied, stirring the mixture. “This potion was created by the fourth celestial guardian, Sir Rene,”
He turned to the spellbook and turned the pages, coming to a stop when he came to the page about the aqua power up potions.
“According to Legend, Sir Rene also created the power up potions and shared them, along with this potion and a number of other unknown ones with the first celestial guardian despite being born in a different time,” Su Han replied, making Gabriel frown. “It is believed he used the rabbit miraculous to do so but no-one actually knows for sure,”
“Not even you?” Gabriel asked, crossing his arms.
“I did not inherit the title of Celestial Guardian in the same way as my predecessors therefore I do not share the same connection to them,” He replied, frowning as he poured the crushed meteorite dust into the molten gold. “Do you have the peacock feather?”
“Yes,” Gabriel replied, gesturing to Nathalie to bring it over. “This should suffice,”
“Hmm,” Su Han replied, taking it from her before he examined it. “It will do,”
Once he said that, he dropped it into the mixture, causing a puff of smoke the same color as the peacock miraculous to appear. Su Han turned to Gabriel, making him raise an eyebrow.
“The potion is done,” He stated, gesturing to it. “All that is required now is for you to inject it into the miraculous and state the incarnation. Once you do that, the miraculous will be repaired. However, it needs time to charge up it’s magic,”
“Charge up its magic?” Gabriel asked, frowning. “What does that mean? Will it be safe for me to use?”
“Once it is repaired, yes but the more it is charged up the more powerful it’s magic will be,” He stated, making Gabriel nod. “To charge it up, it must be around emotion,”
“Will it take time to charge?” He asked, making Su Han think.
“Depends on the emotions it is exposed to,” He replied as Gabriel listened. “If they are weak, it will take long to charge,”
“I see,” He replied, thinking. “I shall have Nathalie wear it-”
“Not her,” Su Han said, making him frown as he glanced at him. “She has been exposed to the broken miraculous. If she was to wear it again in her current state, it will make her worst despite been fixed,”
“I see,” He frowned, thinking. “Then I will have to wear it until it’s charged up. Will I know when it is?”
“Yes, you should feel it’s magic,” He replied, making Gabriel nod. “I should take my leave for now. We will talk again soon,”
“Thank you for your guidance,” Gabriel replied as Su Han left before he took out a syringe and used it to take some of the mixture into it. He moved it over to the peacock miraculous and pressed it against the cracks before injecting it into it. It filled the cracks and began to glow, making him smirk before he held out his arms. “Miraculous of the Peacock, repair yourself!”
The miraculous began to glow white before it floated in the air for a few seconds. Suddenly, it burst into light then fell out of the air. Gabriel caught it and held it up as he examined it. There were no more cracks on it at all but it looked slightly dull in color. However, overall it looked fixed. Smirking to himself, Gabriel fixed it on his shirt, allowing Duusu to manifest and the miraculous to change into a golden pin.
“Whoo!” Duusu declared as she floated up. “Oh! I feel so much better! What happened?!”
She looked around before spotting Nooroo and squealed, making Gabriel raise an eyebrow.
“Nooroo!” She gasped, hugging him before she pulled away. “Oh wow! Everything was so chaotic in my head! Like a nightmare that I had fallen into the wrong hands!”
“Sorry, old friend but I’m afraid the nightmare is not over yet,” Nooroo replied, gesturing towards Gabriel who had crossed his arms in a stern manner.
“Dusuu, Kwami of the Peacock miraculous,” He stated, making her look at him. “I am your master, Gabriel Agreste. You will do what I say and we have rules that you will follow. Understood?”
“Y-Yes, Master,” She gasped, nodding as he smirked evilly.
“Excellent,” He replied, turning to the grimoire. “Now I have repaired your miraculous but the current guardian suggested that I need to recharge the magic of the miraculous. Is this true?”
“Y-Yes, Master,” She replied, pressing her paws together. “When a miraculous is damaged, its magic is consumed and drained, trying to repair it but exposing the miraculous to what it is connected to restores the magic or so Master Rene said. I don’t really understand how it works but Master Feng seemed to agree with Master Rene,”
“And how long will that take?”
“I… I don’t know,” She replied, making him frown. “The only other miraculous to have been broken was the rabbit miraculous but Fluff’s Miraculous is time based so she had to be passed through time,”
“I see,” He replied, turning to her and Nooroo. “You will stay with me and Nooroo then once it has recharged its magic, you will help me become more powerful and take Anatis and Lady Noir’s miraculous… and of course, help me find and akumatize the mage!”
“Y-You want to akumatize the mage?” She asked, fearful. “Master, you mustn’t! You wouldn’t-”
“You dare question me?!” He growled, making her gulp. “I am your master and you will do as I say. You will help me get what I want. Understood?!”
“Y-Yes, Master,”
~Deep Within the Catacombs underneath Paris~
Why did you show him how to fix the miraculous? Simme hissed as Su Han walked into the area with a cage that had two rats that he caught. He stopped at the place he had set up as a camp and placed the cage down before kneeling down in front of them. Rats again…
“It is the only thing that doesn’t raise suspicion, my lord,” He replied, bowing as Simme hissed in displeasure. “I know you prefer human chi-”
Yes!! I want the lifeforce of the mortals that idiot loves so much! Not of rodents! Simme hissed out, making Su Han flinch. Feed me real food!!
“Master, please. I can not right now,” He replied, making Simme roar in anger. “I w-will try to lure some homeless into here for you to feast on but for now, please enjoy the rats,”
Fine! But you better try or it will be your chi I’ll consume! Simme replied before Su Han’s head was forced back and his mouth opened in a silent scream as shadows poured from it, making the rats panic and attempt to escape. The shadows surrounded them, causing them to squeal and squeak in fear as the shadows closed in on them. Also instantly, the rats began to glow. Within seconds, they were turned into dried up corpses. The shadows returned back into Su Han, making him gasp as his eyes turned black before they turned black to normal. He blinked and picked up the cage before taking out the corpses of the rats and throwing them into the small pile of other rat corpses. As he did, the sounds of footsteps got his attention, making him straight up and turn around.
“Grand Mage,” Zoe Lee stated as she walked over and knelt down, bowing her head towards him. “You sent for me?”
“Yes,” He replied as he walked over to her. “I want a progress report,”
“Currently, I have moved back into the Grand Paris hotel and I will start attending Dupont High tomorrow,” She replied in an emotionless voice. “I haven’t yet made progress on tracking down the mage. The reason for the delay in joining the school was in order to build a ‘relationship’ with my half sister, Chloe. She is known very well in school and previously held the Bee Miraculous. She informed me that Anatis took it from her and advised her to seek help from a professional. Since she has done so and 'improved’ her lifestyle, she has become fairly popular at the school, especially with the girl who runs the ladyblog. She doesn’t realise this but she will help me infiltrate the school and find anyone who may have a connection to the holder of the eastern box. I intend to cause discord in the school in order to lure them out,”
“Excellent,” Su Han replied before dismissing her. She nodded and left as a shadow formed on the wall again.
And the mage? Simme’s voice echoed, making Su Han frown. The Spring Festival is three months away. You’re running out of time if you want to keep this level of power and magic that you have gotten used to.
“Finding the current holder of the Eastern Miraculous will lead us to the mage,” Su Han replied. “But we do need a back up plan in case that doesn’t,”
We should influence some people. Luring the darkness out of people’s hearts will make the mage act if he’s in Paris. Simme suggested, making Su Han think. Especially if it’s me who does it.
“Isn’t that risky?”
Isn’t waiting for him to appear just as risky? Simme countered. We can lure him out using Hawkmoth’s akumas. He can’t stand people been hurt so if I influence them like I did with Crescendo then he’ll come running to try and save them and when he does, you can finally have the power that belongs to you
“Yes but Toutai’s concubine is in Paris too,” Su Han replied, frowning to himself. His disciples had warned him that Mulan was active and looking for him. He knew what she wanted. She wanted revenge. She wanted to kill him and if she did, it would mess up his plans. He couldn’t allow that to happen. “If she sees me, she’ll try and get her vengeance for me taking Toutai’s life,”
Leave the influencing to me Simme replied, making Su Han glance at the shadows. I might be a little out of practice because of the cage but human hearts remain the same and I can influence them all the same too. It will also give me more strength to take down the mage when he comes out of his hiding place.
“Very well,"
~The Next Day~
Zoe glanced in the mirror as she applied some make up to her skin in order to hide the paleness. She leaned over and put her brush down before taking out her contact lens. They were slightly a brighter shade of blue then what her eyes colored in order to hide the dullness within them. She put them in as her kwami stayed in front of her before she brushed her hair. Once satisfied with her look, she added some lip gloss and got up before walking over to her wardrobe and putting on her leather jacket. It was one of the few things she was allowed to wear despite it not matching her mother’s usual taste. She grabbed her bag and turned to her kwami.
"Stingg, hide in my bag,” She ordered in a cold tone.
“Y-Yes, Mistress,” Stingg replied before flying into her bag. Zoe turned on her heel and left her room, heading to where Chloe was waiting for her. As soon as she saw her, she turned to her 'outside’ personality and gave her a bright smile, which Chloe returned.
“Hey, ready for your first day?” She asked, making Zoe smile a little.
“I’m a bit nervous,” She lied. She wasn’t nervous at all. “What if people don’t like me?”
“Oh, please!” Chloe gasped, making Zoe think for a second she had seen through it before she moved her arm around her. “They are going to love you! Just be yourself and not like Mum and you’re good,”
“Not like Mum?” Zoe asked, generally taken back by that. She had known Chloe had changed, especially since the last time they saw each other but as far as she knew, Chloe looked up to their mum and wanted to be just like her. “I thought you wanted to be like her?”
“I did until I realised what a bitch she was,” Chloe answered, again surprising Zoe as she looked at her nails. “She never has time for me, can’t even get my name right and basically acts like I don’t exist. When I was more naive, I thought that if I acted like her, she would love me but that isn’t the case,”
“What made you change your mind?” Zoe asked, finding the conversation interesting. It had been a long time since she had felt anything and hearing her sister speak ill of their mother sparked something inside her.
“Oh, a friend gave me some really good advice and a reality check,” She replied, making Zoe raise an eyebrow. She didn’t know Chloe had friends and the way she said it suggested a hidden meaning. “After that, I asked Daddy to get me a therapist and have been going to weekly sessions ever since,”
“You have a therapist?” Zoe asked as they walked out of the hotel and got into the car. Chloe nodded as she did up her seat belt. “Does it work?”
“Oh, definitely,” She replied as she took out her phone. “I’ve learnt so much about myself and Dr Lang is really nice and understanding. Mum doesn’t like it though. She thinks it’s a waste of time,”
“Well, if it’s helping you then that’s the main thing right?” Zoe asked, making Chloe smile and nod. “So who’s your friend?”
“Oh, no one really important,” Chloe replied, brushing it off. “I have loads of them now anyway. Even Marinette,”
“Marinette?”
“Oh, you are going to love her!” She gasped, making Zoe raise an eyebrow. “She is really into her fashion. Even Mum actually likes her stuff,”
“Really?” Zoe asked, surprised for the third time that day. “Well, that is surprising,”
“And we’re here,” Chloe stated as the car pulled up. “Thanks for the ride, Jean!”
“No problem, Miss Chloe,” He replied as the two girls got out. Zoe said her thanks quickly before joining Chloe outside of the school. She looked up at it as she followed Chloe inside, not really listening to her as she chatted.
“Oh and you should definitely avoid Lila,” She stated, getting her attention. “She’s this crazy liar and it’s best not to get involved with her,”
“I’ll keep that in mind,” Zoe replied as Chloe led her to the principal’s office.
“Ok, here’s Mr Damocles’ office. Just knock and he’ll let you in,” She replied before hugging her. “I have to go to my class but I’ll see you at lunch,”
“Ok. Thanks, Chloe,” Zoe smiled and waved as she ran off but as soon as she disappeared out of sight, she dropped her cheerful expression. “Chloe’s changed a lot. No wonder why Mother thinks of her as a failure,”
She let out a sigh and shook her head, putting on her persona before knocking on the door.
“Come in,” A gruff voice replied, causing her to open the door. She walked in, causing Mr Damocles to look up at her. “Ah, can I help you, young Lady?”
“Hello, sir. I’m Zoe Lee, Chloe’s sister,” She stated, making him look at her in surprise. “It’s my first day here,”
“Oh yes! Of course!” He gasped, scrambling up and rushing over to the file cabinet. “Forgive me, I was just working on some important work. Now where is it?”
He flicked through the files as Zoe leaned over and looked at his computer, raising an eyebrow at the letter he was writing. It appeared to be addressed to Anatis, making her frown. She hadn’t met him or Lady Noir during the Crescendo attack as Su Han had ordered her to leave so she wouldn’t get caught up in it but she had seen him swinging through the city or on the news. There had been a couple of akumas since she came back to Paris and she watched the news about them. It fascinated her how people reacted to Anatis. The way the Parisians look at him when he does interested her, like he was their Savior. In a way, he kind of was. Him and Lady Noir were. They stood against Hawk Moth with their team of heroes while everyone else cowered away. Despite her allegiance not been with them, Zoe had fantasies about what it would be like to run with them when she saw them running about the city or fighting a few akumas but that would be for another lifetime. She was not there to run around with them. She was not on their side and if they got in her way, she wouldn’t hesitate to remove them regardless of what it might do to the city.
“Ah, here we go!” Mr Damocles stated, pulling out a file and walking over to her. “Your new student file,”
He sat down and opened it, taking out a couple of documents.
“Let’s see… this is a copy of your schedule, a map of the school and… ah, it appears your student file has already been completed,” He smiled, looking up from it and handing her the information. “Your home teacher will be Mrs Mendeleiev,”
“Oh, I was under the impression I would be with my sister,” She stated, making him frown.
“Well, Mrs Mendeleiev’s class is for students your age,” He replied, making her frown. “And she is very good at helping new students settle in,”
“Perhaps I should contact my step-father,” She replied, crossing her arms but Mr Damocles didn’t even raise an eyebrow. She managed to hold back a frown as she expected it to work but apparently, Mr Damocles wasn’t as much of a push over as she had been told. “You are aware of who he is,”
“Yes but my decision remains final, Miss Lee,” He stated, crossing his arms too. “The mayor may be in charge of the city but he does not have any power in my school and if you attempt to blackmail me, any of my teachers or the students by threatening to contact the mayor, I won’t hesitate this time to give you detention. Is that understood?”
“Yes, Mr Damocles,” She replied, frowning. How was she supposed to investigate the akuma class if she wasn’t able to be in that class? She would just have to find a different way. “I didn’t mean to cause offence,”
“Yes, well… I’m not surprised that you thought you could get away with that given who your mother is but please take a leaf out of your sister’s book and remove yourself from the path your mother has set you on,” He stated, surprising her. “You seem like an intelligent young lady and you can thrive here but only if you’re willing to try,”
“I… see,” She replied, getting up and taking the papers he gave her. “I will try my best, Mr Damocles so I better go to my home room,”
“Excellent,” He replied, causing Zoe to shoot him a smile before she got up and left. As soon as she was out of the office, her smile turned to a frown as she took out her phone and made a note to be careful around him. With that done, she looked at her map and walked over to the classroom, knocking on the door as she did. A stern voice told her to come in, causing her to frown before she opened the door and walked inside. The teacher raised an unimpressed eyebrow as she looked at her, along with her class.
“And you are?”
“Oh, I’m Zoe Lee,” She replied, going with the shy but polite act. “It’s my first day here and-”
“Ah, yes. I was informed of a new student joining my class yet again,” She remarked before glancing around the room. “Have a seat next to Miss Borealis ,”
Zoe nodded and took her seat, glancing around at her new class. Mrs Mendeleiev took the register before Aurora began to introduce her to the rest of the class and explained her role in it. Finally, the bell went signalling the first lesson of the day. The students all got up and headed to their classes, causing Zoe to find her way to her next one. The rest of the morning went that way until they found themselves back in Mrs Mendeleiev’s class for Science. This time, however, Zoe noticed a new addition to their class, making her raise an eyebrow. Sat in the back was Luka Couffaine, son of Jagged Stone and the winner of the violin contest she had entered. She had no idea he was even in her class as he hadn’t been in any of their classes that morning. What made it even stranger was no one seemed bothered by it, not even their teacher. Instead the students greeted him, making him smile and wave back.
“Ok, Zoe, this is the only student you haven’t met yet,” Aurora grinned, gesturing towards him. “This is-”
“Luka Couffaine,” She smiled, making everyone look at her. “We’ve met before,”
“Yeah, I remember,” Luka smiled, glancing at her with tired eyes. That surprised her a little as last time she had seen him he didn’t have dark circles under his eyes. It looked like he hadn’t slept in a long time. However, she didn’t have time to think about that as he stared at her. His eyes hardened a little as he scanned her, making her feel concerned as if he was looking deep into her soul. However, she mentally shook it off. It was just her imagination as there was no way that he couldn’t detect her true intention. “Zoe right? I had no idea you went to this school,”
“Oh, I didn’t when I joined that contest,” She smiled, rubbing the back of her neck. “I actually moved back here after that and Chloe recommended the school,”
“Chloe recommended it?” Jean asked, making Zoe nod. “Wow, I’m so proud of her! I knew she had changed but to actually recommend it!”
“We’re all proud of her,” Luka commented, making the rest nod before he turned back to Zoe. “Anyway, welcome to Dupont,”
“Thank you but why weren’t you in class earlier?” She asked, causing everyone to look at her. “Did I say something wrong?”
“Guys, it’s fine,” Luka stated, making her look back at him. “I have therapy every Monday Morning so I’m excused from my classes during that time,”
“Oh I’m so sorry,” She gasped, making a mental note. “I didn’t mean to pry,”
“It’s fine, Zoe,” He replied as Mrs Mendeleiev clapped her hands, causing everyone to go to their seats. Though Luka raised an eyebrow. He couldn’t pinpoint but something felt off with Zoe. He had felt it a little at the contest but brushes it off as Melodie due to how she acted and since Zoe had disappeared at the end of it, he couldn’t confirm if it really was Melodie so he just forgot about it, especially with the other things that had occurred since then. However, now it was back on his mind. Not that he wanted it to be. In fact, it was the last thing he needed. He was already struggling with sleep and he didn’t need another thing to keep him up late again. He frowned before jumping as Mrs Mendeliev called his name and asked him if he was paying attention. “S-Sorry, Miss,”
She gave him a look before continuing what she was saying.
“Now as I was saying, these tests are designed to check your GPA scores,” She stated, passing the tests around. “It is designed to find areas of weakness and struggling, which we will work on once we get the scores back. I expect you all to try your best and take this seriously. Getting a good score could be the difference between free time and extra tutoring. Is that understood?”
“Yes, Miss,” Everyone replied as Zoe raised an eyebrow.
“Now because you’re new here, Zoe. I won’t have you sit the test today. Instead, I will have you do some work sheets,” She replied, making Zoe nod as she headed back to her desk and took them out. She walked back over and placed them on her desk. “However, once you’ve settled in , you will take it. Understood?”
“Yes, Miss,” Zoe replied, feeling that Mrs Mendeliev wasn’t the type of teacher she wanted to piss off. She would have to maintain her 'outside’ persona with her in order to keep her off her back. With that, Mrs Mendeliev started the test and took her seat at the front of the class as she waited for the time to pass. Zoe worked on the worksheets as best as she could but part of her was slightly distracted by her encounter with Luka. Despite the fact that she didn’t think that he could work out her true intention, it didn’t settle her mind. She had come across people who had tried to figure her out before and each time, she had convinced them that they should trust her but something told her it might not be this easy this time round. She frowned a little to herself and quickly glanced behind her, half expecting Luka to be glaring at her but instead, he was focusing on his paper as if nothing was the matter. Maybe she was overthinking it. Yeah, that would be the case. She was in a new place and had a new mission. She always got nervous when getting a new mission so that was it. There was no way he knew anything other then what she wanted him to see. That look he gave her earlier? It was him trying to remember her name. It was that simple but she should definitely keep an eye on him. He might be useful in her plan after all… plus he was cute. Looking back at her work, she put it to the back of her mind. After that, time passed pretty quickly and soon she found herself walking with Kagami, Aurora, Luka and Felix towards the canteen for lunch. She wasn’t sure about Felix or Kagami but Aurora and Luka seemed really nice and she was certain that his reaction to her was fluke. She smiled as he laughed full hearted at something Aurora had said before Kagami made a witty comment.
“Oh damn, Kagami has a sense of humour,” Aurora grinned, lightly knocking her shoulder with the girl as she grinned. Kagami gave her a smile and turned to her.
“Well, I do have more then one emotion,” She grinned back, making them all laugh. “Unlike Felix,”
“You wound me, Kagami,” Felix replied, dramatically holding his hand to his heart before he looked at Luka. “Have you seen how mean she is to me, Luka?”
“Hmm… well, she kind of has a point,” He laughed, making Felix gasp dramatically again as the girls laughed. “But you’re getting there,”
“Rude!” Felix gasped before bursting into laughter with everyone else. Once they stopped, he and Kagami turned to them. “Well, we’ll see you after lessons. Uncle has requested our presence for lunch today… assuming he actually turns up,”
“Yes but at least, Adrien won’t eat alone,” Kagami replied, making everyone nod before they said their goodbyes. They waved and left the school as the other three headed to the cafeteria. Almost instantly, they were greeted, causing them to wave. Aurora made a beeline for a girl with wavy hair and glasses before sitting next to her as they began to chat. Luka, on the other hand, walked over to a girl Zoe recognized and hugged, giving her a soft kiss on the cheek. The girl giggled and hugged him back before pressing a kiss to his cheek. Zoe felt a tingle of jealousy but shook it off as Chloe came over and dragged her towards the group.
“Listen up, everyone! This is my sister, Zoe!” She declared, gesturing towards her and causing everyone to look up. “She’s new here and just started today,”
“Hi, Zoe,” The girl who kissed Luka declared, smiling brightly as everyone else said hi and welcomed her. “I’m Marinette Dupain-Cheng,”
“Oh, Chloe mentioned you,” She smiled, making Marinette smile too. “She said you’re really into fashion,”
“I am!” She gasped, clearly excited to share her passions. “I actually have my own store and I’ve been making clothes for years! Oh I could totally make you something as a welcome gift!”
“Oh, that’s ok,” Zoe gasped, holding up her hands. “I wouldn’t want to trouble you with that,”
“Oh, it would be no trouble at all,” She gasped before making a thinking face. “Though, I won’t be able to do it yet. I’ve got a few commissions to do for a couple of clients plus I’m still working on that thing,”
“That thing?” Zoe asked but Marinette brushed her off and said it didn’t matter. “Oh, ok,”
“Anyway, I’m right in thinking you were part of that violin contest right?” She asked, making Zoe nod and ask her how she knew. “I was there, supporting Luka,”
“Oh that makes sense,” She gasped, rubbing the back of her neck.She hadn’t really paid attention to anyone else but the other contestants and the only reason why she did that was to play the role. Master Su Han had seen it as a chance to spy on the heroes, believing it was certain to cause an akuma but he had also ordered her mother to find a way to get into Paris. While her mother was making the arrangements, she had entered the contest but because the akuma had been too violent, she hadn’t been able to observe it. Instead, Su Han got her out of there. While usually he didn’t care for casualties, he did see her as an asset. “Are you friends with Luka?”
“I’m his girlfriend,” Marinette grinned proudly, causing Luka to blush a little. “But he’s also one of my best friends,”
“Melody..” He mumbled with red cheeks. Zoe however felt a bit disappointed but brushed it off. Having a relationship was too much a distraction so it wasn’t like she was going to pursue him but it would have been nice to flirt with him a little. Everyone smiled and chatted while they ate lunch, causing Zoe to get to know them but their peace didn’t last. Instead, a girl with frankly terrible taste in fashion and god awful haircut sundered up to them and gave the fakest smile Zoe had ever seen. She noticed that Luka visibly tensed up as she smirked.
“Hi everyone!” She gasped in a cheerful manner before turning to Luka. “Freak,”
“Lila, you know what I’m going to say,” He stated in a calm manner, despite the fact that she had just called him a freak. She however tossed her head and turned away from him as she faced Zoe.
“I’m just introducing myself to the new student here. Besides, I’m within the legal requirement,” She stated in a vindictive manner, gesturing to the fact that she was in fact on the other side of the table far from him. Since her attempt at framing him and losing her most loyal ally, Lila had been showing her true colors. She had for the most part stuck to the restraining order but that didn’t stop the snide remarks. “After all, the restraining order only says I can’t be in a certain radius of you, not your friends. Besides, I’m probably not your biggest worry right now. I hear that Bob Roth and your step father are out on bail. Be a shame if anything was to happen to you again,”
She smirked evilly at him as she flipped her hair and turned to Zoe.
“I’m Lila Rossi by the way,” She smirked, holding out her hands. “I suggest you join me instead of these losers. I have lots of connections so if you want to be successful, you should be with me,”
“Um…” Zoe replied, not sure what to say. She was sure Chloe had said she was a liar and if it was just the two of them, she would shut her down. However, she had a persona to maintain. She went to open her mouth but before she could, Chloe butted in.
“Rossi, no one here likes you,” She declared, crossing her arms. “And I’ve already told her that you’re a super liar!”
Lila narrowed her eyes before flicking her hair and walking away. Zoe watched as she shoved some poor student to the ground and left the room.
“Well, she was something,” Zoe laughed, making everyone nod before she turned to Luka. “What did she mean by Bob Roth and your step father been on Bail?”
“It’s a long story,” Luka sighed, making her raise an eyebrow. “Bob Roth released my relation to Jagged Stone without our permission and it directly led to a very dangerous situation for me regarding my stepfather. The court case for that is coming up next week and not only are we pressing charges against Mr Roth, we’re also suing him. As for my stepfather… Well, we’re also pressing charges against him. I’m going to be off for a few days to deal with it. I hope Anatis and Lady Noir are able to come by. I would feel safer if they could,”
“I’m sure they will,” Marinette replied, gently taking his hand. “You’ll be ok,”
“Thank you, Melody,” He replied but he still looked shaken up. “Mind if we change the subject? I don’t like to talk about that,”
“Sure,”
~A Few Days Later~
Su Han frowned to himself as he watched the students from Dupont High from afar. Zoe had settled in nicely and no one had suspected a thing. Her first report to him was that no one seemed to be suspicious when it came to miraculous. However, she also knew it would take time to conduct a full search. He did not expect good results in just a few days and he considered himself a patient man when the end results would benefit him. However, Simme was not. He was whining for more than just rats. Luckily, their plan to corrupt people would gain him energy. It wasn’t quite the same as consuming souls and life force but it would stop him whining at least. Presently, he was terrorizing some pigeons as Su Han watched the school. If his calculations were correct, the mage should in fact be the same age as the students who attended the school and given that the amount of akumas in that school, there was no way he could stay away if he was in the city. Or at least that’s what Simme said. Su Han wasn’t so sure but it was the best lead they had plus if the mage wasn’t there then the guardian of the eastern miraculous box might be. Though that could be a teacher or a student. Who knows what happened after he was eaten by that sentimonster? Su Han narrowed his eyes as he watched a number of students come out of the school. He jumped a bit closer in order to hear more.
“Oh that is terrible,” A ginger haired girl with glasses gasped as she walked out with two blonde girls. Behind them, a girl with dark hair walked hand in hand with a boy with black hair with teal blue highlights. Su Han pursed his lips as he stared at the youth. In his day, that child would be punished for daring to wear such an extreme hairstyle, especially if he was part of the order. “Is there anything I can do to help?”
“Oh, that’s ok, Sabrina,” The blonde girl with an umbrella stated, holding up her free hand. “It’s only a small drop and Mrs Mendeliev is helping me catching up,”
“She’s got this,” The rebellious youth smiled before he turned to her. “But seriously, we don’t mind helping you if you need it,”
“Just let us know,” The girl with the dark hair smiled before the two of them said their goodbyes to the girl and walked off. The blonde girl smiled and waved in reply but another girl walked past her, causing the other students to tense up as she stopped in front of her.
“Aurora, I heard you drop a whole point on your GPA,” She gasped, making Aurora glance at her. “You know I tutored Prince Ali for a certain amount of time-”
“Lila, save your lies,” Aurora replied, making her grit her teeth a little. “I already have a plan to regain it,”
“Oh, of course but I hope it works out,” She replied as they went to walk around her but Aurora stopped and asked her what she meant. “Oh, I’m just saying you can’t be Little Miss Weather Girl and Little Miss Good Grades at the same time,”
“That’s not true!” Sabrina gasped, making Lila laugh.
“Of course, it’s true. That’s the way life is. You can’t have everything,” She replied, making Aurora frown and look upset. “Oh, I better not make you cry otherwise you might turn into Stormy Weather and rain on me. What a pathetic power,”
“Oh and been Volpina was better?!” Aurora gasped, clearly angry at the comment but Lila smirked. “Besides, I won’t transform since I already have a plan,”
“Yeah right!” She stated, making both her and Sabrina gasp. “Once a villain always a villain. It’s only a matter of time before Hawkmoth gets to you again,”
With that, she turned away and left, leaving both Aurora and Sabrina shaking with anger. However, the two girls shook it off and went their own ways, causing Su Han to narrow his eyes as Simme crawled over to him.
The blonde child… He hissed, making Su Han nod. She is perfect…
Su Han nodded before the shadows moved from him and followed the girl as she got into a car and drove off. They attatched themselves to the car as it drove through the city before it came to a stop near a building. The girl got out and walked through the doors, causing the shadows to follow her. Just before she entered into the building, the shadows latched onto her leg and began to fill her mind with negative thoughts.
I’m just saying you can’t be Little Miss Weather Girl and Little Miss Good Grades at the same time… Lila’s voice echoed in her mind, making her frown as she pressed the lift button. She tried to shake it off but the shadows tightened their grip. It was a slower way then the way they had done to Crescendo but it was still effective… plus it was more enjoyable this way. That’s the way life is. You can’t have everything…
“That’s not true,” She muttered as the lift opened.
Oh, no! I better not make you cry otherwise you might turn into Stormy Weather and rain on me. What a pathetic power!
“My power wasn’t pathetic,” She muttered before shaking her head. “Beside, I’m not going to be Stormy Weather again,”
Once a villain always a villain. It’s only a matter of time before Hawkmoth gets to you again…
She’s right, you know… Simme’s voice echoed, causing Aurora to gasp and look around wildly. But why resist when you could use that power to put that child in her place?
“Who are you?!” She gasped, making him laugh. Her panic only increased when the akuma appeared. “Oh no! An akuma! Stay calm, Aurora!”
Why resist? Simme asked again, making her squeak in surprise as the lift suddenly came to a stop and the lights went out. Your anger is fair and your judgement should be swift. Show the world who the most powerful villain is!
Aurora’s eyes turned completely black as the lights turned back on, allowing the akuma to fly into her umbrella and open up the connection to Hawkmoth.
“Stormy Weather, people have told you that you’ll never change,” Hawkmoth declared in her mind as she stared into space, listening to him. He had his reservations about akumatizing her when he felt her rage but he wasn’t about to miss a chance to try and get the miraculous. “Well, they’re right. People don’t change, they grow. This time, your powers will be even stronger as you know them well! Show them how you’re able to control all of the forces of nature!”
“Alright, Hawk Moth,” She declared as a truly dark grin appeared in place of her usual smile, making him laugh as the purple smog encased her.
~At the Liberty~
“No!” Luka gasped, jolting awake. He let out a sigh as he looked around, realising he was in his room. He glanced at his notepad and realised he had fallen asleep while doing his homework. He wasn’t surprised since his sleeping pattern had gone out of the window again. His nightmares about the flood had gotten a hundred times worst since finding out what it was. His sleeping moments were haunted by the cold icy glare of Lady Blanche and the horrible laughter of Simme. His waking moments weren’t much better. Sometimes he felt like she was stood behind him and he would jump, despite nothing been there. He also found it hard to look at Lady Noir. He hadn’t fully told her everything but he knew he would have to at some point. He knew that but he was afraid of her reaction. Luckily, she had the charm on her so he wouldn’t have to face Lady Blanche any time soon but part of him still worried. He had told her that he had experienced something that allowed him to make her an anti-akuma charm. However, it seemed that he couldn’t make himself one no matter how hard he tried and he had tried. He asked Tikki why and she suggested that it was because he lacked the energy to do so. Creation couldn’t come from nothing. It required something, even if it was the smallest spark. Since Anatis was trying to create an anti-akuma charm from nothing, he wouldn’t be able to do it. Now if he faced an akuma, he could create one because he would have his spark. He argued that he was facing the akumas but she pointed out that he hadn’t actually been targeted by Hawkmoth since the scarlet attack. On one hand, that was a good thing but on the other, it meant he had no real inspiration to create the charm. Typically, when he finally came up with a way to protect himself Hawk Moth would stop targeting him. He sighed and got up, walking over to Tikki who was also taking a nap. He gently poked her, making her wake up. “Hey…”
“Luka?” She asked, looking at him before frowning. “Are you ok?”
“Not really…” He admitted, making her fly over to him as he sat on his bed. “Sorry for waking you up but…”
“Another nightmare?” She asked, making him nod. “Same as usual?”
“When isn’t it?” He asked, frowning. “Do you think it will ever go away?”
“Of course,” She replied, resting in his hands. “You went through a lot when you faced Lady Blanche. It’s natural to having trauma from that,”
“I know…” He muttered, looking down. “I just… I hate that I can’t look at Lady Noir without thinking about how I failed her,”
“You didn’t fail her,” She stated, making him frown. “We stopped that from happening,”
“I know but if I hadn’t thought about telling Marinette then maybe I wouldn’t have-” He cut himself off as he sighed. “Despite it, part of me still wants to tell her and the other me. He said the time would come but what if I tell her and it’s even worse then this time? What if I can’t save anyone?”
“Luka, listen to me,” Tikki stated, making him look at her. “Yes, you made a mistake but that doesn’t mean the events that occurred were your fault. We both know that Hawkmoth and Su Han took advantage of the situation and caused the events. Yes, you had a choice when it came to telling Marinette about it but they also had a choice. They didn’t have to go through their plan or be the way they are,”
“I know, Tikki,” He sighed, nodding. “I’m trying not to blame myself… I’ll get there eventually. It’s just… It’s hard and I know blaming myself isn’t helping but-”
“You feel responsible,” She concluded, making him nod.
“Even for things out of my control,”
“Luka…”
“I know,” He replied, sighing. “I know I’m not but it’s part of my complex or at least that’s what Dr Lang says. She says I need to learn to accept that I’m not responsible for everything and everyone,”
“She’s right,” Tikki stated but before they could continue the conversation, the boat shook heavily. Luka jumped up and rushed upstairs, only to be greeted by a terrible sight. The sky was blood red and there was an orange glow to the area like a fire had been lit. In the distance, they could see what appeared to be a huge volcano. Luka stepped back in horror as his mind flashed back to the Paris he had witnessed. Even though it was a different look, he couldn’t help but feel a wave of panic wash over him. It could be Simme for all he knew. Feeling a panic attack creeping up on him, he rushed back inside and into his room, causing Tikki to look at him with concern. “Luka?!”
“It’s… it’s not the same,” He muttered, trying to calm himself. He began to mentally count, using the technique that Dr Lang had taught him before taking a deep breath. “It’s not the same,”
“Take deep breaths, Luka,” Tikki stated, causing him to nod and do so as she looked over “I hope Plagg didn’t use his cataclysm,”
“C-Could he cause that?” He asked, starting to calm down as he realised that it was probably an akuma. He shook his head before taking one last breath. “We need to transform,”
“Are you going to be ok?” Tikki asked, concerned written over her features.
“I’ll be fine. It was just a small moment of panic,” He admitted but he was slowly getting better with handling them. Tikki nodded before he swiped his earrings. “Tikki spots on!”
The red glow covered his body, leaving Anatis in his place before he opened his porthole and climbed out. He threw his yoyo and swung towards the Volcano, heading to the building where Lady Noir was already waiting. He landed next to her, causing her to look at him.
“Looks like Stormy Weather’s made a comeback,” She stated, making him frown before she looked over at him. “So far, she’s not made any actual attack apart from the big volcano but according to the experts, it’s moving us away from the sun,”
“Away from the sun?” He questioned, frowning.
“That seems to be her goal,” She confirmed as Stormy Weather flew a bit closer to the helicopter, filming the scene. Anatis frowned as he watched her. It wasn’t because she ignored them but because her song sounded distorted and she seemed to be in rage. It reminded him of something but right now, he couldn’t put his finger on it. “She seems to be more interesting in the camera then us,”
“Well, let’s see what she has to say,” He replied, making her nod as Stormy Weather focused her attention on the camera.
“I’m using this volcano to move the Earth away from the sun!” She declared, making the heroes frown. That definitely appeared to be her goal. “Soon, the world will be plunged into a perpetual winter and all earthlings will be nothing but frozen food! Then you’ll see how truly powerful I am!”
She burst into evil laughter as lightning struck around her, making the heroes frown.
“So that’s her play,” Anatis stated, pulling a thinking face as Lady Noir looked at him. “She’s trying to prove a point and show her power but why? Aurora isn’t usually this type of person. I know she’s been akumatized but she knows her worth and doesn’t need to prove it. The times she has been akumatized… it’s not because someone questioned her ability but jealousy… so why the sudden change?”
“Perhaps we need to do some detective work,” Lady Noir replied, making Anatis nod. “Let’s start with her classmates. Maybe someone saw something,”
“Sounds good to me,” He replied, nodding. “She seems more interested in playing up for the cameras right now anyway,”
Lady Noir nodded before the two of them headed off to find Aurora’s classmates to see if they could find the cause of her sudden akumazation.
~At the Grand Paris Hotel~
Zoe frowned to herself as she looked over at the volcano that the akuma had summoned. She wasn’t sure what to make of it but it would give her a good sense of how the heroes worked so she was watching the battle… except there wasn’t much of one. She thought that Anatis and Lady Noir would charge head first into a fight but instead they had left the scene. Not that Stormy Weather had noticed. She seemed too busy, showing off her power before flying off. Zoe frowned as she had waited on the roof to see when she would come back. Hearing the lift ping, she let out a sigh before turning around to face the butler.
“Mademoiselle, I know this is your first time seeing an akuma but please come inside. We can watch it on the news,” He stated, making her frown before she nodded and turned to follow him but before they could, a loud thump caught their attention. Zoe turned around and saw Lady Noir and Anatis where she had stood. “Ah, Mademoiselle Noir and Monsieur Anatis, what can we help you with?”
“We’re trying to find out what caused Aurora to turn back into Stormy Weather,” Anatis explained, making him frown and nod. “Could we come inside and question Miss Raincomplex? We were informed she was here and might have seen something,”
“Yes, of course,” He replied, allowing them to come into the lift. Zoe sneaked a peak at the hero as Jean leaned over and pressed the button. Lady Noir was humming a little and Anatis seemed to be thinking. However, he noticed her staring and gave her a gentle smile, making her cheek flush slightly.
“You must be Zoe,” He stated, making her blink and look at him in surprise. “I’m Anatis and this is Lady Noir,”
“Welcome to Paris!” The cat girl grinned, holding up her fingers in a peace sign. “It’s nice to meet you by the way,”
“It’s nice to meet you too,” She smiled, making the heroes smile back. “But how did you know about me?”
“Oh, my informant told me about it,” Anatis confessed, surprising her. “Nothing bad I assure you,”
“My informant also told me,” Lady Noir added in, surprising her even more. “Nothing bad either,”
“You have informants?” She asked, surprised. Both Anatis and Lady Noir grinned, making her feel a little on edge. It was the type of grin that told her that it wasn’t just one person. They had multiple in the school. She would have to be careful. “Wow,”
“Here we are,” Jean stated as the lift stopped and opened, causing them to walk into the penthouse. Chloe was curled up in her blanket, holding Mr Cuddly while Sabrina was pacing. “Mademoiselle Sabrina, Anatis and Lady Noir wish to talk with you,”
“Oh,” She gasped, walking over as Zoe hovered nearby. “Is everything ok?”
“We’ve been questioning Aurora’s classmates to find out the cause. A few of them mentioned you were talking with her as she left school,” Anatis stated, making Sabrina nod. “Did anything happen?”
“Yes!” She gasped, making them frown. “Aurora was talking to me about her GPS score and Lila Rossi overheard us and offered to tutor her, using it to spit one of her lies. Obviously, we didn’t believe her and when Aurora called her out on it, she made fun of Aurora and called her a villain and told her that her power was pathetic. She was really mean but Aurora brushed it off or at least, I thought she did. I should have known,”
“Sabrina, take a deep breath,” Anatis ordered, causing her to nod. “You did nothing wrong. As per usual, Lila was the cause of this so I’m not even surprised. It also explains why Stormy Weather seems to be trying to make a point. In her mind, she’s proving that she is in fact more powerful than Lila said. Thank you for this information, Sabrina. It’s been very useful,”
“You’re welcome, Anatis,” Sabrina answered, feeling a bit calmer. “But does this mean Aurora is going to hurt Lila?”
“Probably,” He sighed, frowning. “I suppose we better go make sure she’s ok,”
“Do we have to?” Lady Noir whined as the two headed walked back over to the lift.
“Yes,” He replied, though he didn’t sound happy about it before he looked at everyone. “Stay inside, wrap up warm and keep calm. We’ll get Paris back to normal soon,”
“Ok!” Sabrina nodded as they disappeared into the lift. Zoe watched as her eyes lingered on where the heroes had been. Sabrina moved closer to her. “You know Chloe has a life size cut out of him. I’m sure she wouldn’t mind if you borrowed it,”
“What?” Zoe asked as Chloe shot up.
“Hey! That is my lifesize cut out!” She declared, making Sabrina smile. “If Zoe wants one, Daddy can buy her one too!”
“You have a lifesize cut out of Anatis?” Zoe asked as Chloe grinned proudly. “Do you have a crush on him or something?”
“Who doesn’t?” Chloe asked as Sabrina blushed a little. Zoe wasn’t surprised by that. The boy was attractive. “I still need to get a life size cut of Lady Noir as well,”
“Wait what?!”
“What? I have a crush on her too,”
~The Rossi’s House~
Anatis landed on the window seal, frowning as he noticed the window was open. Lady Noir landed next as he climbed inside then followed. Both of them shivered as they glanced around Lila’s room. It was freezing to the point of seeing their breaths and the masks covering her walls did not help. Anatis walked over to the laptop on the floor and picked it up, frowning as he saw ice on it. He glanced over and saw an icy patch on the wall.
“Seems Aurora came here,” He muttered, making Lady Noir nod as she shivered. “I’d guess she came through the window and fired at Lila but she got out of the way before it could hit her,”
He walked over to the door and opened it, finding the hallway covered in ice too. It was colder here as well.
“I think we better use our winter suits,” He stated, getting a nod from Lady Noir before they both took out the power up snack and ate them, turning their suits into their winter ones. Anatis walked into the hallway and followed the ice through the house. “She must of ran downstairs,”
“And Aurora followed,” Lady Noir replied as they made their way downstairs. As soon as they did, they saw Mrs Rossi frozen with a look of shock on her face. By the way she was standing, it appeared that someone had pushed her in front of them. “Did she seriously sacrifice her own mother?”
“Are we really surprised?” Anatis questioned as they followed the ice. “She caused her and her father to be akumatized,”
“True but still…” Lady Noir mumbled as they came across her father in a similar way. They made their way past him, coming to the back door which was open. They walked outside and came to a stop as they found Lila frozen in the garden as she attempted to run away. “Did her no good in the end,”
“You’re right about that,” Stormy Weather’s voice declared, causing the two heroes to gasp and look behind them before she attempted to freeze them. The two heroes jumped back, avoiding her ice as she cackled before they took out their weapons and charged at her. She dodged them and fired more ice at them before Lady Noir dived at her. She almost got to her but last second, Stormy Weather turned on her and hit her with a strong gale, smirking as she did. Lady Noir was knocked to the ground and Stormy Weather pointed her umbrella at her, only this time it didn’t appear to have ice. Lady Noir gasped as a bolt of lightning almost struck her but Anatis pulled her out of the way and threw his yoyo towards Stormy Weather, who knocked it back with ease and sent him a glare that could kill. “You’ll never defeat me, you stupid bug! I’m a hurricane!”
With those words, she directed her umbrella at them and summoned strong winds, sending them crashing through a building roof as she laughed evilly.
“Ouch,” Anatis gasped, rubbing his back as Lady Noir got up. He pulled himself up as well before turning to her. “Are you ok?”
“Nothing broken,” She grinned, making him smile back. “But Stormy Weather is so much more stronger and… colder then before,”
“You noticed too,” He sighed, frowning. “Something about all this doesn’t add up. I know she went after people before but to completely try and plunge the earth into a new ice age just to prove a point… even for an akuma, it seems extreme,”
“That and she certainly seemed willing to kill us,” Lady Noir replied, making him frown. “I’m pretty certain that bolt of lightning would have turned me to dust. Thanks for the save,”
“Anytime, Kitten,” He smiled before making a face. She raised an eyebrow. “She knocked us into this building right?”
“Yeah,” She replied, a little confused as to why he asked.
“Then why hasn’t she chased after us?” He questioned, making her frown too. Most normal akumas chase after them. That’s usually their whole goal. Sure, there were a number of them that completed their goal first but they always went after them afterwards. The only one that didn’t really do that was Crescendo. Sure, she had tried to take their miraculous but her behaviour was erratic and she kept on changing her goal. “Something isn’t right at all,”
“She reminds me of Crescendo a little bit,” Lady Noir mumbled, making Anatis look at her before he pulled a face, like he was thinking. “Like the erratic behaviour and the killer streak. You know what. Just ign-”
“That’s it!” He gasped, making her jump a little. “That’s what I couldn’t place. Earlier when she was focused on the camera, I c
Ok firstly, I can’t stand how Chat Blanc is! Urg, the whole episode made me mad with the way everything is bad on Marinette! and Rose! She disappointed me! I don’t like how the Girl Squad is. Anyway, I finally finished up my version. I hope you guys enjoy it and sorry if there is any mistakes. I’ve gone through it for now but it’s 6am here and I’m tired so I’ve probably missed some. I’ll go through it again at a later date to find them. Anyway, I’m pretty happy with how this came out and while at the ending, Luka seems happy. I can say that he is not, he is going to be dealing with this for a long time. Right now, he is simply putting on a brave face so to speak. Anyway, enjoy. Oh also this is going to be rough from the start. You’ve been warned.
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Chapter Seventy- Lady Blanche
~Sometime in the Near Future~
“Lady Blanche, I’m giving you to the infinite power of destruction!” Hawkmoth declared as Lady Noir gripped her hair, trying to resist his deal. Anatis pushed himself up as he gripped his ribs. He was already weakened from his battle with Hawkmoth and Simme’s influence wasn’t helping. However, he wasn’t about to give up. He went to rush over but Su Han roughly grabbed him, allowing shadows to wrap around him as he struggled. The other heroes were also trapped, unable to get away from Su Han’s forces. “You and I will seize Anatis’ miraculous and finally I can have my wish!”
“Lady Noir! Fight h- hmm!” Anatis shouted as Su Han covered his mouth.
“Silence, child,” He growled, tightening his grip. “You will watch your lover fall to our dark influence and then once she has pried the earrings from you, I will take your power and grant my true destiny!”
Finally, Finni and his pet human will fall… Simme’s voice echoed as Lady Noir screamed, trying to resist Hawkmoth. He narrowed his eyes as he glared at her before moving his hand to assert more control over her.
“Obey!” He growled as she trembled before her arms fell to her side and she looked down, causing Anatis’ eyes to widen.
“I’m so-sorry, Annie,” She whispered as the purple smog consumed her, causing the heroes to gasp in shock and fear. Hawkmoth and Su Han smirked as the smog lifted, revealing their latest akuma. She looked the same as Lady Noir, apart from the colours she wore. In place of the black was white. Even her hair was as white as snow. In place of the green was an icy blue and her once healthy skin was a sickly white, almost as pale as a corpse. Her eyes were now a cold icy blue, matching the details on her suit and her belt buckle had changed to white with a blue circle around it. Inside it had changed too. Instead of been a black paw print, it was a purple butterfly. The hairband that tied her braid had the same symbol on it. Before Anatis could react, Su Han shoved him in front of her, causing him to land on the ground as Hawkmoth smirked. He shakily looked up at her as the two villains looked on the scene before them. The rest of their team were either frozen with fear or trying to break from the minions holding them back.
“Seize his miraculous!” Hawkmoth declared, smirking. Both him and Su Han would get what they wanted. Lady Blanche created a ball of white energy and pointed it towards Anatis as he pushed himself up and looked at her with a sorrowful expression. Her lip trembled and tears rolled down her face as she stared back with a matching one.
“Kitten, it’s ok,” He stated in a calm voice as he held out his hand. Su Han smirked as he watched, thinking that even he couldn’t bring her back from the edge. “You can resist this,”
“I… I…” She gasped, conflicted. “I don’t want to do this!”
“I know,” Anatis gasped, still focusing on her. “You don’t have to,”
She trembled again before moving her hair towards Hawkmoth and Su Han, making the two gasp.
“Get better control of her!” Su Han declared as Anatis saw the chance to try and get over to her. However, a shadow stopped him and knocked him back down, draining him of his energy. While Anatis was on the floor, Hawkmoth moved his hand and used his power to try and gain control over Lady Blanche, making her cry out in pain. The other heroes continued to try and break free, wanting to help their leaders but the minions of Su Han were stronger then them and once again overpowered them, forcing them to watch the scene helplessly. Anatis, however, wasn’t about to give up. Despite been drastically weakened from Simme, the battle and his injuries, he pushed himself up and glared at Hawkmoth and Su Han.
“L-Leave her alone!” He gasped, making Su Han walk over and backhand him, causing him to fall onto the ground again as blood dripped from his mouth. Seeing the younger on the ground, Su Han slammed his foot into his ribs, causing him to cry out.
“Stop it!” Culpeo cried out, trying to get free from the minion who had held off her as the others did the same. She managed to get out of their grip and ran over, trying to stop Su Han as he continued to kick Anatis. She grabbed his arm but he turned around and hit her, knocking her back and allowing her captor to hold her back again.
“Insolate brats!” He snarled before he turned back to Anatis and roughly grab his hair, force him on his knees so he could see her as she struggled and tried to resist. Anatis tried to pull free but Su Han had a tight grip on his hair. He reached for the earrings but hissed and yanked back his free hand as his skin burnt. He narrowed his eyes in annoyance. “That little trick might stop me and Hawkmoth from taking them but we have other ways. I will admit that I will enjoy watching your lover become your executioner, Mage. Now,”
He looked over at Lady Blanche, who was still pointing her ball of energy at Hawkmoth.
“Take his miraculous!” He growled, yanking Anatis’ hair so she could easily grab his earrings. Hawkmoth clenched his hand and ordered her to grab them, making her look more fearful and panicked. Anatis’ eyes widened as the energy ball in her hand began to get more shaky as she shook. More tears rolled down her face as she pointed it towards him under Hawkmoth’s control. Su Han smirked and shoved him forward, causing him to land on the ground in front of her as she shook but she didn’t attack. “What are you waiting for?!”
“Take his miraculous!” Hawkmoth growled as her hand shook. Anatis’ eyes widened as the energy ball began to get bigger.
“I… I don’t want to hurt him!” She cried, making Anatis want to reach out and hug her. She didn’t deserve to suffer like this. “I won’t hurt him!”
“What?!” Hawkmoth gasped, glaring. “I order you-”
“I WON’T HURT HIM!” She screamed, lifting her hand and allowing the ball to consume her. Only it didn’t destroy her. It began to grow bigger, causing Anatis to crawl back as Hawkmoth and Su Han stepped back in fear. The minions let go of the heroes, causing them to rush over and help Anatis to his feet as Lady Blanche screamed. Anatis and the heroes stepped back as Su Han turned on his tail and ran out. Hawkmoth stared in fear as the ball began to get closer to them.
“Hawkmoth! Undo it!” Anatis called out, making Hawkmoth blink and snap his fingers, recalling the akuma. Only it didn’t work. Fear entered his eyes as he realized this would be his last moments. He stepped back and dropped his cane as he turned, running off. Left with not many choices, Anatis closed his eyes and took a deep breath before opening them as they turned silver. “Alpheus! Lead me your strength!”
Holding out his hands, Anatis summoned a gust of air, trapping Lady Blanche inside it but he could feel the power behind it and he knew he wouldn’t be able to hold it back for long.
“Valkyrie! Get everyone out of here now!” He ordered, using his strength to hold it back but they could see he was struggling to contain it. Valkyrie nodded and opened a portal, causing the other heroes to rush in it. Anatis looked over at Bunnyx, who was staring at the ball of energy with fear. “Bunnyx! Listen to me! Get in your burrow and find me in the past! You’re our last chance! Help me save her!”
She nodded as he faltered before he pushed back the energy again but he was fighting a losing battle and they both knew it. She closed her eyes and summoned a burrow before jumping it in as Culpeo and Abeille rushed through Valkyrie’s portal, leaving just Anatis left. Valkyrie held it open for him to come through but he didn’t move.
“Anatis! Let’s go!” She called but he looked back and shook his head. “Anatis! You have to come now! I can’t keep it open for much longer!”
“If I let go now, it will explode!” He called out, looking back over as he felt the air bubble weakening more. He wouldn’t be able to hold on much longer. “Close the portal now!”
“But you’ll be trapped here!” She gasped.
“I know,” He replied, giving her a soft smile before his expression turned serious. “Get as far as you can. I don’t know what the blast radius will be,”
“Anatis, you-” She started but then a bit of the energy escaped, hitting a nearby building to explode. Valkyrie screamed but before she could do anything else, Anatis redirected a bit of the wind he had summoned and used it to push her back, causing the portal to close. With the portal closed and the last of his energy gone, Anatis lost the wind, causing it to disappear and for the ball of energy to begin to expand again.
“Just me and you now,” He whispered with tears in his eyes. “I love you, Princess,”
“I-I love you too, my prince,” She whispered back before she couldn’t hold it back anymore. She let out a painful scream, causing the ball to explode. Anatis finally let his tears fall as it consumed him.
Luka! Finni’s voice echoed as it began to turn him into stone. He could feel Finni trying to resist it and stop him from being consumed by it but he knew it was impossible. He felt himself lose consciousness as the transformation into stone completely. As he turned to stone, the explosion itself rippled through Paris, striking anyone who stood in it’s way including Su Han, Hawkmoth and the remaining heroes. Abeille and Culpeo held each other as it hit them. Leatherback threw up his shield and summoned his power, trying to protect them. Valkyrie huddled inside the shelter with Apollo and Sabertooth as Ryuko and Aspik held hands. Regardless of their attempts, they were all turned into stone, along with anyone else that the destructive energy touched. The explosion continued to rip through Paris, destroying all in it’s path before it exploded again, sending a beam of destruction through the atmosphere and straight into the moon, causing it to break and split in half before disappearing. As the destructive energy disappeared, Lady Blanche slowly opened her eyes and found herself met with a horrifying sight. All of Paris had been destroyed and there were a number of statues scattered around. One of them appeared to a statue of Hawkmoth that seemed to be fleeing and right in front of her was a statue of Luka, reaching out for her with tears on his cheek but the statue looked different to what he normally looked like as Anatis, which was strange to her. She was sure he was wearing the miraculous. His costume looked very similar to his Anatis outfit but the belt was different and strangely enough, he seemed to have a tail coat on. His hair appeared the same and his mask was slightly different in patterns. There were several cracks on the statue that seemed to be filled with gold, making it look beautiful but what really made it stunning was the huge wings, stretched out from his back and the crown that resembled a halo. Despite his sorrowful expression, he looked angelic. However, the statue also freaked her out. It was so detailed that it unnerved her. Feeling afraid, she looked around for the real Luka, hoping to see him but all she saw was destruction and statues everywhere. Gradually, she looked up at the sky and gasped as she saw the moon. Not only had it been cracked in half but it had also been knocked out of its usual place, bringing it close to the planet. Realization washed over her as she realized she had done it but then she looked back at the statue in front of her. Pure horror filled her as she realized Luka hadn’t left her side, regardless of being in the blast radius. She covered her mouth as a sob escaped her mouth and tears rolled down from her cheeks. In front of her wasn’t a statue of Luka but Luka himself. Her akuma powers had turned him and everyone else into the statues around her.
“No… kwami no!” She screamed as she cupped his face. Tears continuously rolled down her face as she stared at his stone eyes. The once ocean blue eyes that were filled with kindness, mystery and wisdom were gone and replaced with stone gray ones that were void of any life and emotions.“Luka, please… Come back to me! Please, don’t leave me!!”
She let out a scream of anguish as she fell to her knees, sobbing uncontrollably. Part of her wanted to wake up from this nightmare and have Luka hold her, telling her that it was nothing more than a bad dream but part of her knew that wasn’t going to happen. A loud cracking noise echoed in the distance but she was too caught up in her grief to notice. She covered her face with her hands as she sobbed in front of him, wishing that somehow she could go back in time but she didn’t have the Rabbit Miraculous. Alix had that and she did remember hearing Anatis shout at her to go to her burrow so maybe she would fix it but right now, she had lost her best friend, her partner and her boyfriend. However, a loud whooshing sound got her attention but before she could react, a tidal wave of water rushed over her and Luka, almost washing her away from him. She fought against the current and waters, using her strength to swim over to him as the city continued to flood. She managed to get close enough to him to place her hand on his cheek but grief rippled through her once more as he felt cold to touch. She cupped both of his cheeks and leaned in, gently pressing her lips to his. In her mind, she was hoping that maybe it would revive him, like in a fairytale. It doesn’t work. She pulls away with more tears in her eyes before a cracking sound and an echo wave got her attention, causing her to look behind him. The water instantly changes, feeling colder and darker then before as a wave of fear flooded over her, taking over her mind and emotions as a dark laugh echoed through the waves. She looked back at Luka before letting go of him and swimming away, knowing that something was in the water with her. She felt the water ripple as she swam through it before a tentacle wrapped itself around her leg and yanked her downwards.
“Going somewhere, Pretty Kitty?” Simme stated as he appeared in full form. Lady Blanche looked at him terrified, making the demon smirk. “Come with me and I’ll let you be with your precious boyfriend,”
An angry hiss escaped her lips as bubbles appeared before she summoned a ball of energy and threw it at him, causing him to let go of her leg to dodge it. He turned around and went to hit her but she used her powers to block it, injuring him before she swam off.
“Fine but you’ll never get him back!” He screamed before laughing. “He’ll be my prisoner forever!”
Lady Blanche ignored him as she reached the surface before breaking through it and swimming over to the TVi studio building as it was one of the only ones left standing. She climbed up it and onto the roof, falling back on her knees as she hugged herself. She hated herself. She had killed Luka, destroyed all of Paris and unleashed Simme in his full form. Now she had no choice but to leave Luka’s corpse with him. She sobbed to herself as she continued to hug herself.
“I-I’m so s-sorry, Luka…” She whispered. “I r-really hope Bunnyx can fix this…”
~Current Time, Hawkmoth’s Lair~
“Emile, I miss every moment,” Gabriel sighed as he looked at his wife in her eternal sleep. She looked so peaceful, just like how she did when they shared a bed together. He would watch her for a few minutes after he had woken up, amazed with the fact that he had married such an amazing and beautiful woman before she would wake up and smile up at him. He longed for those days again but sometimes his mind drifted to Nathalie. She was his rock right now. Always so brave and determined to help him. He knew she loved him and he saw it as an opportunity to have support in his mission. However, the more they worked together, the more he found himself getting closer to her. She was a beautiful and intelligent woman and maybe if the situation was different, he would pursue her. He shook his head off such thoughts. Things weren’t different and he was too loyal to Emile to even consider another woman, let alone Nathalie. In the end, she was just another piece on the chessboard and as such she could be sacrificed if necessary. It was best not to get attached. He sighed and placed his hand on the coffin. “But one day, I will get the miraculous of Anatis and Lady Noir, repair the mistakes of the past and make sure you’re returned to us,”
He removed his hand and walked over to the lift, heading up back to the manor to continue with his normal life. After all, he had to keep up appearances.
~Current Time, The Liberty~
“Ok, I’m gonna tell her,” Luka stated, turning to face Tikki. For the last half an hour, he had been pacing up and down his room. He had been meditating to connect with Feng for the time before his pacing began but hadn’t gotten any real answers from the older mage. Instead, he had received an overly complicated answer that went simplified basically meant that Feng couldn’t actually tell him the outcome of him telling Marinette. He had been disappointed and asked why but Feng simply replied that he is bound by cosmic rules that meant he couldn’t always reveal the outcome of a situation. In other words, Luka had to find out on his own. “I mean he didn’t say anything bad would happen right?”
“He didn’t say anything,” Tikki pointed out, making him frown. “Meaning it could be good or it could be bad,”
“I know!” Luka sighed, groaning. “I wish he could just tell me! Are the comic rules an actual thing?”
“Yep,” Tikki nodded. “All who can see the future, past and present are bound by the rules of the universe to not reveal any information that can drastically change fate. They can however give hints and arrange help if it’s needed,”
“Hence why he got me to go to Shanghai,” Luka nodded. “He couldn’t tell me about Meishi so he left hints,”
“Exactly!”
“But there’s no hints about this choice so it’s not bad right?” Luka asked, glancing over to his journals. All of them were filled with the same words. ‘It’s coming’. Written over all of the pages. Luka frowned before shaking his head. Surely, that wasn’t a hint to do with him telling Marinette. It was something to do with his nightmare, not his choice to tell his girlfriend that he was a superhero. A cold shiver traveled down his back as he thought about it but he shook it off. He was clearly overthinking things. “Right! No more hesitation! I’m gonna tell her!”
“Are you sure?” Tikki asked, making Luka look at her. “I know it was Master Han who came up with the rule but in this case, it might be a good thing,”
“Telling her will be a good thing too,” He smiled, gently cupping her in his hands. “I’m sure if it’s not meant to be then something will happen. Anyway, I’m supposed to meet Marinette for lunch with the rest of our friends. If I text and ask her to meet a little earlier, I can tell her in private. I hope she won’t be disappointed though,”
“While I don’t think telling her will be a good idea, I don’t think she’ll be disappointed,” Tikki replied, making Luka nod. “But if you think it’s the right thing to do then you should tell her,”
“Thank you, Tikki,” He smiled, gently kissing her forehead. “Oh, I should let Lady Noir know that I’m going to tell someone. That way she can choose someone too,”
“Well, at least you’re considerate towards her,” Tikki mused. She had seen a number of Ladybugs who weren’t. She had also seen a number of Black cats who were too destructive but both sides needed to be balanced. She figured that’s why Luka worked as Anatis. He had plenty of creativity, making him compatible with her but he had enough chaos in his blood to be able to work with Plagg both as a holder and an ally. Marinette was similar too. She felt it when she was Ladybug. She frowned to herself as she thought about it. If only she could tell Luka that Marinette was Lady Noir but sadly, she couldn’t. Despite the fact that it would be a lot easier, she had been bound by the spell placed on the kwamis to ensure their obedience. She did count herself lucky that she had gotten Luka as a holder though. Despite knowing of the spell, he never took advantage of it. He had asked her the details of it but sadly she could only say so much. That didn’t stop Luka from trying to find a way to undo it and he never treated her badly. He always made sure she had a good supply of cookies and tried to include her in his plans by asking what she thought and if she approved of it. She had a lot of holders who hadn’t, especially before Luka. She didn’t question it at the time but now she had discovered that Master Toutai had been murdered and that Master Su Han had stole his title via the wish, she wondered if that had directly affected who was choose as the Ladybug. One that stuck out in her mind was Tentomushi. She was her holder during the feudal period of Japan. She wasn’t a bad person per say but she was trained to kill from an early age and quickly became one of the shogun’s secret weapon. Even after she was freed from his service, she still killed for a living. It was all she knew so when she was given the miraculous, she became one of the most violent Ladybugs Tikki had been with. She was never considerate towards her black cat and didn’t care who got hurt while she was working. She would sacrifice anyone as long as her goal was completed, even when she wasn’t sure if she would be able to bring them back and often ignored Tikki’s advice. She actually clashed and ended up being taken down by that time period’s monkey holder Sarutobi Sasuke when she went too far with her plans. It had been a long and grueling battle but with trickery and clever use of Uproar, Sasuke defeated her and took back the Ladybug miraculous. She was then dishonorably discharged from the order of the guardians by Su Han, despite the fact that he had been the one to choose her in the first place. It made Tikki sad when she thought about it. Feng or one of the other celestial guardians would have tried to help her, even after she had lost the miraculous but as soon as she became useless to him, Su Han dropped her faster then you can say 'goodbye’. She let out a little sigh, causing Luka to look over at her.
“You ok?” He asked, making her look at him. “You look sad,”
“I was just thinking about the past,” She replied, making him give her a look. “Just remembering how lucky I am to have you as my holder,”
“I’m the lucky one, Tikki,” He smiled, gently placing a kiss on her head. “Ready to get going? I’m gonna send a text to Lady Noire to let her know that I’m going through with it then we’ll go find Marinette,”
“If you’re sure about this then I’m with you,” She replied, making him smile.
“Thank you, Tikki,” He replied before swiping his earrings. “Tikki, spots on!”
He transformed before taking out his yoyo and climbing out of the boat, swinging off into the heart of the city. Once he landed on the rooftops, he opened his yoyo and looked for Lady Noir’s contact info. Seeing she was online, he decided to call her instead off texting. After the first ring, she answered.
“Hey, Annie,” She grinned, making him smile. She appeared to be laying on a rooftop in the sun like a typical cat. “I can’t chat for long since I have plans to do soon but I’ve got a few minutes. Everything ok?”
“Yeah, I just wanted to let you know that I’m going to do what we discussed,” He stated, making her look at him. “Is that ok?”
“What? Yes, of course,” She replied, making him let out a sigh. “I’m glad you let me know though,”
“Of course I would,” He stated, making her smile. “You’re my partner and this is a big thing that could affect both of us so naturally I’m going to tell you,”
“Thank you,” She smiled shyly, looking away before returning her gaze to the camera. “I want to tell my boyfriend,”
“I encourage it,” He smiled, making her smile back. “Feng said nothing bad… but then again he didn’t say anything. He kind of gave me 'I can’t say because rules say I can’t’ kind of speech,”
“Really?” She asked, frowning before shaking her head. “Well, if it’s not meant to be then maybe Bunnyx or someone will reset the timeline?”
“Yeah, that’s a good point,” He nodded, making her nod. “Ok, I say we go tell the people we want to tell then meet at our usual spot at sundown. Sounds good?”
“Yup!” She grinned, making him nod. “Wish me luck, Annie,”
“Good luck, Kitten,” He replied before they both hung up. He took a deep breath before going to throw his yoyo to swing off but before he could, his yoyo vibrated. Figuring it was Lady Noir, he opened it but it wasn’t from her.
Lepus: Anatis, I hope this finds you. If it does, come to the place beneath history. It is of great urgency that we speak. Godspeed. Lepus.
“Lepus?” He asked, frowning before using the yoyo to detect this user’s location. Anatis rose an eyebrow as he saw that this Lepus was located in the Louvre. He really hoped they weren’t actually inside it but then again, they said underneath history. Maybe they were in the catacombs underneath it. He frowned and closed his yoyo, throwing it and swinging to the location before finding one of the entrances to the catacombs and climbing down into them. He took out his yoyo and followed the map to Lepus’ location. He made it close by before the signal disappeared. He frowned but upon hearing chatter, he held out his yoyo in defense and stepped out. Leaning against the wall and chatting to none other then Fluff was Sir Rene. He wasn’t wearing his usual armor but a blue tunic, brown breeches and leather shoes. “Sir Rene?”
“Anatis, my message found you!” He declared, facing him. Anatis lowered his weapon and walked over. “I really must apologize for the sudden visit and the location but I couldn’t risk been seen. A medieval knight walking around might have made people panic,”
“Agreed but why are you here?” He asked, frowning as Fluff fluttered over, eating a carrot. “You used the rabbit miraculous? Why didn’t you just contact me in the spirit realm?”
“Yes,” He replied, rubbing the back of his neck. “If I could I would have but I can only access certain areas of the spirit realm and Feng’s hut requires a much more powerful magic then I have access too,”
“I thought you had magic?” Anatis asked, frowning.
“I mean I do but I had to repress a lot of it during my life due to Uther’s rule and I’m afraid I’m not very academic when it comes to the study of magic. Merlin is helping me learn but there is still a lot I can’t do so needs must,”
“I see,” Anatis replied, nodding. “But what’s so important that you would travel to the future to talk to me? I mean you could have asked Feng to send a message right?”
“Oh not for this,” He replied, straightening up. “We have rules and one of them is when it comes to our test, we deal with it ourselves. I did the same for Toutai as well. I would have talked to you in the spirit realm but you haven’t been there in a while plus Feng is fairly strict about who gets to go into his hut. He only let Toutai in that time because he knew Toutai could help you better when dealing with Miracle Queen then the rest of us could,”
“I see,” Anatis nodded, holding his chin when he thought about it. He did wonder why Feng was a little strict about his hut but maybe because it had been his home in his lifetime. If Luka moved the Liberty into the spirit world, he would be strict about who could be on it as he would consider it his space away from the others. Sure, he wouldn’t mind them coming on it every now and then but only on his terms. Maybe Feng thought similarly about his hut. “So this test… is it like Feast?”
“Similar but I don’t know the details about it per say,” He explained, making Anatis frown. “Like you, I can channel Feng’s magic but as you know as well as I do that it isn’t as potent to us as it is with him,”
“Yes, I noticed that,” Anatis admitted, frowning a little. It was something he hadn’t told Tikki but when he channeled Feng’s magic to find out the outcome of him leaving Paris, it felt like he was watching an old film where certain parts in the film were damaged. However, it was still clear what would happen if he did leave. “So what do you know about the test?”
“Well, it’s the test of courage as that’s my trait as a spirit,” He explained, making Anatis nod. “I’m not sure what exactly it will intel for you but if it was anything like Toutai’s, you will be facing your fears and nightmares,”
“N-Nightmares?” Anatis asked, his voice breaking slightly. “I.. is there a different way to pass it? Like rescuing someone from a burning building?”
“No,” He stated, making Anatis frown even more. “I’m sorry but that’s not how it works. Rescuing someone from a burning building is fairly normal for you. Yes, it can count as an act of courage but true courage comes from facing what scares us the most and working through it. To past my test, you must face your biggest fear and prevail regardless of how scared you felt or how scary it is,”
“I… see…” Anatis frowned, looking down before taking a deep breath. “Then I guess I have to face it. Any idea when this will happen?”
“It could be from the next minute to three days’ time,” Rene stated, making Luka frown. “I don’t know the exact time but it is soon. Very soon,”
“Great,” Anatis sighed, running his fingers through his hair. “Well, at least you warned me,”
“Of course,” Rene nodded before turning to Fluff. “We should get back to our time. You’ll know when you’ve passed it,”
“Will I see you afterwards?” He asked, making Rene pull a thinking face. “Rene?”
“Possibly,” He answered, making Anatis nod. “I can’t make a promise but I will try to return here or at least get Feng to let me talk to you in the hut,”
“Ok,” Anatis replied, nodding as Rene transformed into Lapus. It was very similar to his Wyvern outfit but more blue, white and silver with rabbit ears instead of horns. “Goodbye,”
“Farewell and good luck, Luka,” He replied, taking out the umbrella. “Burrow!”
One appeared and he stepped through it, causing it to close after he did.
“Tikki, spots off,” Anatis declared, catching Tikki as he frowned. She glanced around as he took out a cookie and gave it to her. “We have a problem,”
“What is it?” She asked, frowning. Luka bit his lip. “Luka?”
“Rene just met with me,” He stated, making her look at him. “He told me his test is coming up and that I’ll have to face my fears and nightmares to pass it,”
“But you already faced Mob Boss and Miracle Queen already so maybe you’ve passed it?” Tikki asked, making Luka frown and glance down. “You think… that nightmare is the test?”
“It has to be,” He replied, frowning. “Rene would have told me if I passed the test already and it’s the only one out of my usual nightmares that has happened yet,”
“Didn’t Dr Lang say that it was just been overwhelmed?” She asked, not wanting it to be real. She had seen how Luka reacted to those dreams. How he woke up screaming and crying. He sighed and sat down as she bit into her cookie.
“Yes but only because I told her about the flood part,” He replied, frowning before he looked up at her. “But that wasn’t the full dream. I didn’t mention about that sea monster or Lady Noir been different or the moon or the fact that I’m trapped beneath the waves and unable to move,”
He hugged his knees as he frowned, looking afraid.
“I don’t think it’s just a dream, Tikki,” He replied, frowning. “And I think that I might be what caused it,”
“What do you mean?” Tikki asked, frowning as Luka sighed, running his fingers through his hair again. “Luka?”
“What if me telling Marinette causes it or not telling her?” He asked, looking at her. “I.. I don’t know what to do. If I tell her and it causes that dream to come true then I’ll never forgive myself but if I don’t tell her, not only will I be lying to her but if it comes true because I don’t tell her…”
“Maybe we should head to Marinette and you can make your mind up as you go?” Tikki suggested, making Luka nod before he checked his phone. Marinette sent him a text to say that she was going to be running a little late but she’d message him when she was on her way. He got up and opened his jacket for Tikki before she flew inside and he walked over to the ladder that lead back to the streets. He began to head to where he was suppose to meet Marinette but before he could, a cold shiver made him stop before he glanced over at the rooftops. His eyes widened as he saw Bunnyx looking around but he knew he hadn’t given Alix the miraculous permanently so the fact that she was there concerned him. He quickly ducked into an alleyway and opened his jacket, causing Tikki to fly out. “Bunnyx is on the roof,”
“Really?” She asked, frowning. “Then we should see what she needs or why she’s here,”
“Agreed. Luckily, Marinette is running a little late so we should be ok,” He replied, making Tikki nod before he transformed and threw his yoyo up, pulling himself onto the building. As soon as he landed on the roof, a wave of fear and sorrow washed over him, causing him to be even more concerned then before. The worst part is it was coming from Bunnyx. However, it wasn’t an older version of her. By the looks of it, she was only a little older then what she was now. Her hair was slightly longer and she was a tiny bit taller but other then that, there was no difference between this Bunnyx and present day Alix. “Bunnyx?”
“Anatis!” She gasped, jumping and turning around but before he could ask her what was wrong, she glomped him in a hug. He frowned but moved his arms around her as she shook. The aura of fear was stronger now that she was close. She pulled back and wiped her eyes free from the tears that had been in them, worrying Anatis even more. “Sorry but it’s just…”
She sniffed as tears filled her eyes again.
“Hey, it’s ok. Take a breath and take your time,” He stated, making her nod before she did as told. “There we go. Now what are you doing here? Not that I’m unhappy to see you but I’m guessing you’re from the future?”
“Y-Yeah… we… I need your help,” She stated, making him blink. “Something happened today that will cause a major disaster in the future. I managed to escape it and have pinpointed the event to today but I’m not sure what it was or when it happened exactly. Is there anything you can think of that caused it?”
Anatis bit his lip before looking at her with an almost guilty expression.
“Anatis?” She asked, concerned.
“Let’s go into your burrow,” He stated, making her blink. “You never know who’s listening,”
She nodded and stepped into her burrow. Anatis raised an eyebrow before she waved her hand, closing it behind them. As soon as she did, she detransformed and took out a carrot for Fluff, who began eating it.
“How come you were able to keep your burrow open?” Anatis asked as she turned to him. “I thought it closed automatically,”
“I’ve been practicing,” She replied, making him blink. “I’m not quite as cool as older me but I’m getting there. Now, what was with the guilty expression? Do you know what might have caused this disaster?”
“I have a rough idea but I’m not sure which route creates this outcome,” He replied, making her frown. “I… I intended to tell my girlfriend that I’m Anatis today but I’m not sure if telling her is what leads to the disaster you’re talking about or keeping it from her… I don’t know…”
“Well, it’s a start at least,” She muttered before looking at him. “But why were you planning to tell someone? Isn’t it a rule not to?”
“Well… um…” He mumbled, looking to the side before he glanced back at her. “I take it at this point you know who I am under the mask,”
“Of course, I do. Admittedly I’m not the first person you tell but you know I can keep a secret,” She grinned, making him nod. “So what’s that gotta do with it?”
“Last week was the scarlet moth attack,” He stated, making her eyes widen. “You know what happened to me during that time…”
“I see,” She muttered, frowning. “That explains why you want to tell her. Code Black is what you called it aka the plan to get the earrings in case you ever got akumatized,”
“Yeah…” He nodded, making her frown. “So in your future do I tell her… or…?”
“I don’t know,” She replied, frowning before the room shook. Anatis frowned as well as Alix ran over to one of their portals and looked in it. To both of their horrors, it went fuzzy. “That is not good. Fluff, Clockwise!”
She retransformed before checking on the rest of the portals, making Anatis frown. He walked over to the one that fuzzed out before going to touch it. However, Bunnyx suddenly pulled him back and glared at him.
“You don’t want to do that,” She stated, placing a bowl over his head before dragging him over to another portal. “Normally we have to avoid interfering but this is worse then I realized. Our future is in danger so I’m gonna need your help,”
“Ok,” Anatis replied, frowning as she pressed the portal, fast forwarding it to a point. Thanks to the bowl covering his eyes, he couldn’t see anything that happened but he had a sinking feeling in his stomach. She gently nudged him through it and followed him, making him step through the portal. Instantly, he shivered at the air. It was extremely cold, making him frown even more. She took off the bowl, revealing the Paris of his nightmares in front of him. “Oh god… what happened?”
“The less you know the better,” She stated, making him frown. “Just do your thing. Capture the akuma and restore order. Then hopefully this nightmare will be over,”
“Ok,” He nodded, glancing around as the sinking feeling of fear formed at the pit of his stomach. It was exactly the same as in his nightmare and he really didn’t want to be here. What freaked him out more was that he couldn’t feel the song of the city. No matter what he had gone through in the past, he could feel and hear the song of the city even during Heroes day but in this version of Paris, there wasn’t a song. It was just empty and that scared him. Just what exactly happened here? He went to ask but Bunnyx had turned back to her burrow, making him frown. “You’re not staying?”
“I can’t,” She stated, looking at him with an expression he couldn’t quite read. “I have to work out what caused this. I have a rough idea where to start from what you’ve told but you’re right. We don’t know which one caused it so I need to find out then find a way to avoid plus I have to be on standby to find another way if you fail,”
“I see,” He muttered, frowning. He didn’t want to do this alone but it looked like he had no choice.
“Good luck, Anatis,” She stated, frowning before she looked up at him with a seemingly hopeful look. “I really hope you can fix this,”
“Yeah… me too,” He muttered as she disappeared back into the burrow, making him frown as a shiver passed over him. He glanced around as he heard a melody on the wind, making him glance in the direction it was coming from. Taking out his yoyo, he walked over to the edge of the building and swung to one of the others that had survived whatever had happened here. He landed on it as the voice got louder, making him glance around before he saw it’s source. Sat on one of the shelters was a girl that resembled Lady Noir. Like his partner, she was dressed in a cat based outfit but instead of it been black, it appeared to be white. In fact, even her hair was white. His eyes widened as he looked at her. “Lady… Noir?”
“Little Kitten sat on a roof all alone without her,” She sang in a sorrowful voice that made Anatis’ heart ache. “ Annie. Little Kitten sat on a roof singing someone save me,”
“Lady Noir…” He stated as he walked forward, getting her attention as she stopped singing.
“Annie?!” She gasped, jumping and turning around. As soon as she saw him, she broke into a smile and jumped down from the roof, walking towards him. Anatis instinctively took a step back as she stalked over. The way she walked wasn’t how his Lady Noir walked. “I thought I lost you! Oh, I was so sad that you were gone!”
“What happened to you?” He asked, concerned before he remembered what Bunnyx had said. He shook his head. “No, don’t tell me. We’ll fix everything… I promise,”
“Of course, we will. We’re gonna fix everything!” She smiled, stalking over before she moved around him, actually crawling like a cat. He froze up as she stood back up. “Especially now that you’re back and going to give me your miraculous!”
She grabbed at his ears, trying to rip off the earrings but he grabbed her arms and used his feet to push her off him, causing her to fall to the floor as he jumped away and took out his yoyo.
“My miraculous?!” He asked, spinning it. “What is wrong with you, Lady Noir?”
“I’m sorry,” She stated, getting up and looking over at him. “I didn’t mean to be rude, Annie. Could you please hand me your miraculous? Lady Blanche has gotten into some mischief,”
“Lady Blanche?” He asked, frowning as it all clicked into place. The difference in her look, the want for a miraculous and of course the Paris they were standing in. Somehow, this had all been caused because she had been akumatized. She looked to the side as she held her arm with a sorrowful expression on her face, making his heart ache again before he lowered his yoyo and put it away. Slowly, he walked over to her as she kept looking down. “You’ve been akumatized, Lady Noir. You don’t want or need my miraculous. You need my help. I need to deevilze you so please… let me help you…”
“Annie…” She whispered, looking at him with tears in her icy blue eyes. He stepped closer and wiped away a tear as it trailed down her cheek. “S-Save me… please,”
“My poor kitten,” He whispered. “Tell me… do you remember where the akuma went?”
He gently picked up her hand and looked at her ring before she glanced up at him and smirked at him as she placed his hand on her heart.
“It landed in my heart but it’s already broken!” She replied, making him jump back as she went to grab at his miraculous. This wasn’t going to be an easy task. He knew that the real Lady Noir wasn’t in control but the akuma was. Given that she hadn’t talked to Hawkmoth yet, he could assume that he wasn’t around meaning she was a rogue akuma. That made her more dangerous then the normal kind. She growled as he jumped back and charged at him, trying to grab his earrings. He dodged and ducked down, using his legs to bring her down before jumping up and running to the edge of the building. He needed to evaluate what he was going to do. She jumped up and gave chase as he jumped on the edge before diving off the building. “No! Don’t jump down there, Luka!”
“What?!” He gasped, losing his concentration as she dived after him. He landed on a bus and stumbled as she landed near him. He quickly scrambled up. “W-what did you say?!”
“Your name, Luka,” She answered, making him shake his head.
“No, you’ve got it wrong,” He gasped, shocked. “I’m not Luka,”
“Don’t lie to me!” She screamed, charging at him. He dodged and ran off, jumping across to other places as she chased after him. “I know you’re Luka!”
“But how?!” He shouted back as he tried to escape her. “I didn’t tell you who I am! You know my rule about identities and what Mulan advised!!”
“No but you told someone!” She replied, making him stop as he looked at her. She stopped as well as she glared at him. “And so did I. That is where it all began,”
~Bunnyx’s Burrow~
“But how?!” Anatis shouted as he tried to escape Lady Blanche. Bunnyx frowned as she watched the scene, crossing her arms as she did. She had detransformed and charged up Fluff as soon as she had entered her burrow. Now she was trying to work out what had happened. She had also re transformed in case this Anatis failed. She had to be ready to grab someone else. Hopefully, he wouldn’t and this interaction would reveal what happened. “I didn’t tell you who I am! You know my rule about identities and what Mulan advised!!”
“No but you told someone!” Lady Blanche shouted back, making Bunnyx look at the scene in surprise. Anatis came to a stop as he faced her, causing her to stop as well. “And so did I. That is where it all began,”
“Hmm,” Bunnyx muttered to herself before she changed the screen to the day she picked up Anatis and let it play out, watching it as she did.
~Alternative Timeline~
“Good luck, Kitten,” Anatis stated, finishing the conversation he had with Lady Noir about telling a person before they both hung up. He took a deep breathe before throwing his yoyo and swinging off into the city. He landed in an alleyway, near where he was going to meet Marinette detransformed before walking over to their meeting point. At exactly the same time in the other direction, Lady Noir landed in another alleyway and also detransformed, leaving it to meet with Luka. A smile appeared on her face as she saw him waiting. He had sent her a text saying that he had something important to tell her and she had replied that she also had something important to tell him. As if sensing she was there, he looked up and gave her a beautiful smile before walking over to her. “Hey,”
“Hey back,” She giggled, making him smile. “So this thing I want to tell you… um… can we go somewhere more private for it?”
“I was about to suggest the same thing,” He replied, making her smile before he took her hand in his. The two of them walked off towards the Seine and farther from prying ears, heading towards the Canal Saint-Martin. Once there, they came to a stop and Luka smiled as he leaned on the bridge. “I like it here. It’s peaceful and quiet, meaning I can hear the music of the city,”
He turned to face Marinette as she looked around.
“The best part is hardly anyone comes here,” He explained, making her smile as she walked over to him. “So we shouldn’t have to worry about anyone overhearing us,”
“That’s good,” She smiled, making him smile back. “So.. Do you want to go first or should I?”
“I’m kind of nervous,” He admitted, rubbing the back of his neck. She giggled a little. “But if it’s ok with you, I would like to go first,”
“That’s fine with me,” She smiled, making him smile back before he bit his lip. “Hey, whatever it is… I’m still gonna love you,”
“Y-Yeah… it’s just…” He took a deep breath before looking at her. “It’s big, Marinette and I’m not sure how to say it so I’m just gonna go for it,”
“Alright,” She nodded, gently taking his hand in hers.
“Ok,” He replied, closing his eyes and taking another deep breath. “I’m… I’m Anatis,”
Marinette blinked as she looked at him in shock, causing him to open his eyes. Fearing the worst, he gently placed his hand on her shoulder, making her look at him.
“M-Marinette? Please say something?” He asked, concerned. What if she now hated him? Or was disappointed? She must be so disappointed. Oh, kwami, maybe this was a bad idea. “I’m sorry. I shouldn’t… I can use the Rabbit and-”
“I’m Lady Noir,” She stated, making him look at her in just as much shock. “A-And I don’t want to forget this. My boyfriend is my best friend too,”
“Y-You’re not disappointed?” He asked, making her give him a look that screamed Lady Noir. He wondered how he didn’t see it before.
“Far from it… Annie,” She giggled, making him smile too before she cupped his cheek, making a blush come across his cheeks. “I’m happy that the two boys I’ve admired for a long time are the same person and that I’m lucky enough to be with you,”
“Kitten,” He whispered, closing his eyes. “I’m so happy to know you’re my girlfriend and my partner but we should be careful,”
“I know,” She replied. “We’ll keep this between us,”
“Hmm sounds like a good idea,” He replied, opening his eyes to reveal a soft expression. “I love you,”
“I love you too,” She replied, leaning up and gently pressing her lips to his. He kissed back, snaking his arm around her waist as she moved her arms around his neck…
~Bunnyx’s Burrow~
“It’s worse than I thought,” Bunnyx gasped, pausing the screen before rushing over to another one to see what was happening with Anatis and Lady Blanche. “Come on, Anatis. Quick!”
She pressed the screen in front of her, causing it to come to life as Anatis landed on another bus. She frowned as he glanced up to Lady Blanche who was walking over to him.
“Give me your miraculous so I can make everything go back to the way it was!” She shouted, making Anatis glance up at her. “I just want to fix this,”
“I know but you know I can’t do that,” He replied, making her narrow her eyes. “I’m sorry, Kitten… I am but-”
She suddenly tackled him, making him grunt before she jumped up and charged up a ball of white energy in her hands. He watched as a huge tentacle came out of the water, making him stare in fear before she hissed as she narrowed her eyes, directing the ball of energy into the tentacle.
“Mega cataclysm!” She declared, throwing it out. It hit the tentacle, causing a wave of energy to blast from it and for the tentacle to hit into a building, knocking it down and into the water as Anatis stared in horror. Lady Blanche breathed out heavily as she glared at the tentacle retreating back into the water. “I won’t let you take him. I won’t lose him again,”
“… What was that?” He asked, slowly getting up and causing her to turn around. “Lady Noir?”
“It’s Lady Blanche and that was Simme,” She answered, confirming his worst fears. “He escaped after the calamity,”
“T-The Calamity?” He asked, making her glance up. He followed her gaze and saw the moon split in half, confirming that it really was the Paris he had dreamt about. “Lady Noir-”
“Lady Blanche,” She corrected, making him frown.
“What happened?” He asked, glancing at her. “Kitten, what happened to you?”
“Wouldn’t you like to know,” She replied, switching back to her akuma personality before she tried to hit him again. Anatis jumped back and swung off, making her growl. “You can’t run from me, Luka!”
“Oh no!” Bunnyx gasped as her burrow shook from Lady Blanche’s attack on Simme. She paused her screen and rushed over to another one, fast-forwarding it to one of Luka’s and Marinette’s dates. She frowned to herself as she watched them sharing ice cream together. She moved it forward again. This time they danced together. She kept searching but they seemed happy with each other. Both sides of them just got stronger so where did it go wrong? She frowned as she came to a battle between an akuma and Anatis. She pursed her lips as she watched them battle it out. The akuma almost won but before he could harm Anatis, Lady Noir inferred and distracted him, giving Anatis enough time to summon a lucky charm before the two of them defeated them. She frowned as she watched Anatis throw the cure before the two of them went off. However in the shadows, Su Han lingered, giving her a shiver. She paused it and turned to the current scene on the screen. “You have to succeed, Anatis! Forget about everything and capture his akuma now!”
~Apocalyptic Paris~
“Things were perfect until Hawkmoth found out about us,” Lady Blanche stated as she landed on the Eiffel tower. “Somehow he found out and… well, you can see for yourself what happened. All because of us. Our love did this to the world,”
“No,” Anatis stated in a firm voice, making her turn around as he stood above. “Love did not do this… I don’t know how we got involved with each other but our love didn’t destroy the world. We’ve always used it to save it. Hawkmoth is what caused it. He was the one who akumatized you. He was the one who caused the 'Calamity’ as you put it and freed Simme. All of this can be directly linked to Hawkmoth’s actions. Not ours. I know we would have done our best to stop this from happening. I know I would have tried to reach out to you and save you. So don’t blame us, Kitten. We didn’t destroy the world. Hawkmoth did!”
He glanced to the side a little.
“I know you don’t really think that, Kitten,” He muttered, meaning her words. “It’s just the akuma speaking but it doesn’t matter because I’m going to fix it!”
“That optimism and determination,” She growled, summoning a small ball of white light and firing it at him. He jumped away from it. “It’s so annoying! How do you even remain like that even when faced with this?!”
She gestured to everything as Anatis landed in front of her.
“I have to,” He stated, making her grit her teeth. “I can’t afford to give up. Not only would it give Hawkmoth an advantage but it’s just not in my personality to do so. I can’t give up not after what we’ve gone through and I’m not giving up on you. You’re one of the most important people to me, Kitten,”
“A-Anatis,” She gasped, a light blush danced across her face as her eyes flickered green for a brief moment. She lowered her hand as he stepped over to her. “E-Even like this?”
“I never judged you for been akumatized before… and I’m not going to judge you for it now,” He stated, taking his hand in hers. Her eyes flickered green for a little longer this time “Give me your akuma, Kitten. I can fre-”
“No!” A deep voice roared out as a number of tentacles burst free from the water and slammed towards them. Lady Blanche suddenly pulled Anatis out of the way and fired her mega-cataclysm at it as Anatis landed on the ground. “I have worked too hard for this! I am not about to let you undo it!”
“You will not touch him!” She screamed, firing another large ball at it as the tentacles attempted to hit her and try to get to him. However, neither of them noticed a seperate one moving behind Anatis as he got up, staring at the scene in front of him. It suddenly wrapped around his ankle and pulled, causing him to fall before it began to drag him to the edge, making him cry out. Lady Blanche turned around and grabbed his hand, her eyes full of fear as more of them wrapped around his torso as it tried to drag him to the watery deep. Her eyes widened as she could feel his hand been pulled out of hers before he was suddenly yanked back, causing their hands to break free from each other. He tried to reach out for her as he was dragged into the water, his eyes wide and full of fear as he disappeared into the depths. “Luka!”
~Bunnyx’s Burrow~
“Luka!” Lady Blanche screamed as he was dragged into the water by Simme, causing Bunnyx to stare in horror. The fear in Lady Blanche’s voice was clear as she called for him and she was clearly frightened of going into the water but he had been so close to freeing her. Her eyes were starting to turn back into her normal color. Simme must have sensed it and that’s why he interfered. He didn’t want her to be saved and given what he was, it made sense. Lady Blanche was a perfect power source for him. All of her despair and guilt acted like a battery for him and he had finally defeated the 'mage’ and Finni. If Anatis succeed then this would all be undone, meaning Simme wouldn’t escape, Finni wouldn’t be killed and Lady Noir wouldn’t be in this state. It would all be undone. Bunnyx paused the screen and turned to another. If she could work out exactly how it came to this then she could work the exact moment and change the course of history. She pressed the scene in front of her and watched the scene play out.
~Alternative Paris~
“I want you to break him,” Hawkmoth stated to Lila who was sitting in her usual spot in the park, reading her book as he talked to her. “I was so cool to succeeding last time and this time I want to succeed and you will help me,”
“But he really did have a seizure,” Lila replied back, frowning as she closed her book. “And it was too close last time. The timing of the scarlet akumas, the fact that everyone was willing to defend him. I’m lucky that my father dotes on me but if I do something again, I might not be so lucky and I know when to cut my losses. You’re playing a losing game when it comes to Luka-”
“Are you planning to give up my work?” He growled, making Lila smirk a little.
“Of course not… I just think going after Luka is a losing game,” She replied, placing her book on her lap. “Now going after Marinette. Now that would be worth it,”
“Excuse me?” Hawkmoth asked, frowning.
“Think about it,” Lila stated. “She was Princess Justice, your most powerful akuma to date and she is close to both Luka and Anatis. Target her and you can take out more then one bird. If you’re so determined to break Luka then that’s the way to do it and plus Luka is careful and has a restraining order on me. Marinette on the other hand doesn’t. She would be a much better target,”
“That isn’t a bad idea,” Hawkmoth stated, smirking. “Do your usual thing at school and torment her,”
“Not hard to do,” Lila stated, smirking. “Am I ok to leave now?”
“Yes,” He replied, making her get up. “Do this well and I’ll reward you immensely,”
“I promise you won’t be disappointed,” She stated, walking off as Hawkmoth’s smirk disappeared.
“Sir?” Nathalie asked from the driver’s seat. “Are we going after Marinette?”
“No,” He replied, making her blink. “Miss Rossi can but I will be focus my energy on Mr Couffaine,”
“I see,”
“But Miss Rossi did have a point,” Hawkmoth replied, smirking. “Miss Dupain-Cheng is the secret to akumatizing Luka,”
~At the Liberty~
“I intend to invite her to join Gabriel as my apprentice but your relationship with Miss Dupain-Cheng would
Inspired by @airi-p4 recent comic. It was so cute and adorable that I had to write something for it. Admittedly, this is inspired by the first part and is a little short but that’s ok. I still enjoyed writing this.
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“Uh! Why did it go wrong again?!” Marinette groaned, holding her face in her hands as Alya gently patted her back. Once again, she had tried to ask Adrien on a date and once again she had messed up royally. There was a fair in town and she thought it had been the perfect place for a date. As usual, the girl squad had encouraged her, telling her she could do it and she marched up to Adrien but the moment she got near him, she lost all of her confidence and it didn’t help that he was talking about a girl called Kagami. As if that wasn’t bad enough, he jumped at the chance to ask her where he thought he should take Kagami on a date, which in turn resulted her to suggest the fair. Adrien had thanked her, saying he could always rely on his ‘best’ friend to help work out what to do before hugging her and rushing off. The thing is she didn’t want to be his best friend. She wanted to be his girlfriend but something always seemed to go wrong no matter how hard she tried. And now it seemed like Adrien had his sights on someone else. Maybe it was best to move on. She had to accept that he would only ever see her as a friend. She let out a huff and sat down as Alya sat next to her. “I can’t keep doing this, Alya. Every time I try it goes wrong and he is interested in someone else,”
“Come on, girl,” Alya frowned, making her frown. “You can’t give up now. Adrien just needs to see how amazing you are and once he does, he’ll jump at the chance to date you,”
“Adrien doesn’t see me as more then a friend,” She stated, making Alya frown. “And maybe I should be ok with that. You know I’ve tried everything and it just doesn’t happen.. maybe it’s time to move on,”
“Girl, you can’t give up!” Alya gasped, making Marinette flinch a little from her raised voice. “Sorry but I just don’t want to see you give up. You’ve worked so hard for this,”
“And none of it worked,” She sighed, looking down. “I’m just meant to be alone forever,”
“That’s not true,” Alya gasped, taking her hands in her. “Ok so you can’t go to the fair on a romantic date with Adrien but you can go to the fair on the best friend date ever with me!”
“Really?” Marinette asked, smiling a little.
“Yeah! We’ll go on rides, get ice cream and candy floss and play a bunch of games!” Alya grinned, making Marinette smile. “I’ll even win you a toy,”
“Aww, thanks but aren’t you going with Nino?” She asked, making Alya grin.
“Yeah but not til the weekend,” She explained, making Marinette feel a little better. “But the fair opens today so let’s go after school! It’s been ages since we actually did something together that wasn’t related to Adrien or school work,”
“Well, I’d have to ask my mama and papa but sure,” Marinette grinned, linking arms with Alya as they headed back to the classroom. It would be fun to hang out properly.
~After School~
“Whoa, this is so pretty,” Marinette gasped as she looked around at the fair. The lights were beautiful and the air smelt sweet. There were a number of food stalls and different rides but there were also game stands and different sideshows. They had gone on a few rides already and played a number of games. Right now, they were walking around, eating some chocolate kebabs. Instead of meats and veg, they had strawberries and marshmallows on, along with been dipped in a chocolate fountain. They tasted delicious. The two of them walked towards the Seine area of the fair as they ate, causing Marinette to come to a stop as she noticed a boat. It was fairly chaotic looking and hardly anyone was near it but there was a very pretty girl leaning against it. Behind her was a purple tent set up on the boat. It had stars and moons on it, making Marinette want to touch it. Next to the tent and the girl was a sign.
The Mysterious Viperion
Tarots. Crystal Balls. Palms. Runes and much more.
Palm Reading: €10
Tarot Reading: €20
Crystal Ball Reading: €5
Runes Reading: €15
Zodiac Reading: €10
Love. Fate. Destiny.
Come inside and have your future revealed
“Ooh a psychic!” Alya grinned, pointing towards the tent as Marinette glanced at it. “Hey, let’s get our future read. Maybe they can advise you on how to win over Adrien,”
“Alya!” Marinette gasped but despite her comment, she was curious. Maybe this psychic could tell her where she was going wrong or why the universe seemed to be against her. “A-Alright but you have to do it as well!”
“Sure,” Alya grinned, walking over to the girl. “Hey, so how do we do this?”
“Prices are there or you can go for a full reading for €65,” The girl mumbled quietly as Marinette glanced at her hair. It was black and purple. “You’ll have to wait for a moment though. He’s currently reading the Mayor’s future,”
“Ok. We’ll do the crystal ball reading. One reading each,” Alya replied, taking out €10 and handing it to the girl who nodded before putting the money in a box. “So is he the real deal or a con artist?”
“You’ll find out soon enough,” She replied as the mayor exited from the tent with a grin on his face. Marinette rose an eyebrow as the girl disappeared into the tent and came out a few minutes later. “He’s ready to see you now,”
She gestured to the tent, causing Marinette to take a gulp and walking inside with Alya. The smell of white sage hit her nose as she looked around. Now that she was inside it, she could see the tent was fairly big. She noticed a tank that housed a beautiful looking snake that seemed to be resting. She turned her attention away from it as she continued to glance around. In the middle of the tent was a round table covered with a purple cloth with a crystal ball on top of it and a couple of chairs before it. Sat in behind that was a mysterious figure. She could see he was male but she couldn’t see much of his face as it was covered with a hood. All she could see was his mouth in fact.
“Please take a seat,” He stated, making Marinette’s heart flutter a little. His voice was soft and charming and the air around him seemed gentle. She took a seat next to Alya before the mysterious fortune reader began. “I am Viperion, teller of truth. I can’t promise that I will tell you what you want to hear but heed my words. The future isn’t always sugar coated and it is my duty to the universe to tell the truth that I have been gifted to see. Now you both paid for a crystal ball reading. I will admit that it isn’t as accurate as tarots or palms but if you satisfied with your choice, we can begin,”
“Yes, we’re good,” Alya answered, making Viperion nod. “I’ll go first,”
“Very well,” He replied, moving his hands over the crystal ball. For a few moments, he remained silent before he smirked. “Interesting,”
“What is?” Alya asked, a little impatiently.
“So far, I see no real issues in your immediate future. Your relationship with your boyfriend is strong and your friendships are stronger,” He stated, making her let out a sigh of relief but then then he frowned. “Dear me. You seem to have trouble coming for you in the form of a fox who spins tales of gold but are nothing more then hay,”
“Huh?” Alya asked, confused.
“You wish for success and she will promise you the world but her promises are empty,” He stated, frowning. “She is nothing more then a wolf in sheep’s clothing so beware and be skeptical. For if you take her words as true, you will lose what you most hold dear,”
Alya blinked at his reading, feeling a shiver down her spine as he tilled his head to the side.
“And that’s all the universe will let me see with you,” He replied, making her nod before she shook of the feeling as he turned his attention to Marinette. She gulped a little afraid of what he might say with her. He moved his hands over the crystal ball again before a playful smile came on his lips. “Oh, you’ve had quite the unfortunate love life hm?”
“That’s such an understatement compared after the latest attempt with Adrien,” Alya grinned, making Marinette groan.
“Alya!” She gasped before turning to the fortune-teller. “Sorry, Mr Viperion. Please go on,”
“The universe is trying to lead you to the right path,” He stated, moving his hands again. “But the right path is not made of sunshine like you think it is,”
“You mean Adrien isn’t meant for me?” She asked, a little sorrow in her voice but deep down she knew that. All the times it went wrong and she failed. It was because she wasn’t meant to be with him. At least, she knew now. “S-So what else awaits me? Is it bad?”
“Hmm,” He answered, glancing at the crystal ball. “Do not worry. Your luck is about to change,”
“It is?” She asked, blinking.
“Yes, a chance encounter will change your perspective,” He replied, making her blink again. “In other words… you’re about to meet someone who is right for you,”
He glanced up at her, causing her to see his full face and boy was he cute. His eyes were ocean blue and danced in a way that made her heart stop. His hair was dark with blue highlights and he had a mischievous but playful smile was on his lips. Marinette couldn’t help but blush as he looked at her.
Marinette felt lighter than she had in weeks for the next few days, even the two akuma she had to fight weren’t bothering her. She talked with Luka frequently, telling him about her day and the little things that made her happy or sad or stressed. Marinette could be vague about what was bothering her and her Hanahaki would ease up a little when she told Luka about it. She had found her loophole of sorts, talking around the problem helped, talking about how she felt even without context, helped. Marinette was confident that things were starting to look up for her.
So when her friends asked her to come to a Kitty Section mini concert that Friday, Marinette felt good enough that she accepted. The rest of the week (well for the two days beforehand) Marinette and her friends talked about the concert and about dressing up a little and maybe doing a snack potluck. Then the day of, Alya texted Marinette to come to the boat 2 hours early. Weird, but maybe they needed help decorating so Marinette didn’t think too much of it and hurried to get ready then sent a quick, see you soon! to Luka.
Marinette enjoyed the walk to the boathouse. It was a warm spring day with just a touch of a cool breeze to keep the day from being too hot. The slap of her slip-ons hit the cement and Marinette could feel Tikki bounding along in her purse. The little god had been very supportive of Marinette talking to Luka, almost adamant in telling her to talk about everything, even the little things which as it turned out helped more than Marinette thought it would. She was really blessed to have the goddess of luck and creativity at her side.
When Marinette reached the boat she could hear lots of talking below deck. Marinette called out, “Hello! I made it!” Then a thump of feet hit her ears and she saw Alya pop up and grabbed Marinette’s arm. Marinette was starting to get a little confused.
“Alya what’s-”
“I’ll explain in a minute, just follow me.” Alya almost barked at her. Now Marinette was confused and concerned. When they got to Luka and Juleka’s room Marinette saw the girl squad huddled together.
“Marinette! You made it on time!” Rose said, a big pleased smile was on her face. Marinette smiled nervously back.
“Y-yeah, I’m just a little confused-”
“Okay, let’s get this meeting started!” Alya cut in. Marinette started to have a sinking feeling grow in her stomach.
“What meet-”
“Okay, so, Buttercup is at the Eiffel tower doing a shoot, which is roughly 20 minutes from here.” Alya cut Marinette off again. Apparently she was in one of her moods as a result Marinette’s mood started to take a dive. Not another ‘adrinette’ plan, Marinette’s stomach twisted almost painfully.
“Alya, I-”
“So, while we girls get the boat ready for the concert tonight, Marinette can go to the photo shoot and accidently bump into him and ask him to come to the concert and then Rose will play a romantic song or two for Marinette to confess and dance with Adrien and live happily ever after!”
“Alya, I don’t-” But Alya interrupted Marinette again and Marinette was feeling like she was doing it on purpose. She looked at the other girls in the group looking seriously at Alya and nodding along. Rose was commenting about which songs she will sing and Alex nodded along looking a little bored. Mylene was asking about decorations for the boat and Alya was still going on about her ‘perfect adrinette plan’.
Marinette was starting to feel her heart race and her breathing becoming difficult, her fingers were starting to tremble. She needed to leave. Marinette turned when she felt a hand land on her shoulder.
“You okay?” Juleka mumbled. Marinette gasped a little before she word-vomited.
“I uh, yeah, just need.. Air, I’m fine! No air! I-I mean no worries. I’m going to wash my dace- I mean face.” Marinette unsteadily got to her feet and shot out the door to the bathroom. She thought she heard Alya call for her but Marinette ignored her.
After firmly closing the door shut Marinette gasped again and dropped her head over the sink. She could feel the Hanahaki acting up and Marinette desperately wanted to keep the flowers in, but her body had other ideas; her chest started to convulse with the lack of air getting to her lungs. Marinette started coughing, hard. A pink tulip and a yellow rose came up. Marinette heard knocking on the door and panicked.
“Marinette, it’s Luka, can I come in?” The male voice said.
Marinette relaxed a little and opened the door a crack, standing there was Luka with a worried expression on his face, over his shoulder she could see Juleka nervously looking at them both.
“…I’ll leave you to it.” Juleka said before she disappeared from view. Marinette opened the bathroom door and let Luka in. Luka sat on the toilet as Marinette stood over the sink again.
Luka was quiet waiting for Marinette to speak, Marinette bit her lip before she turned to face him.
“Alya has been… pushy and ignoring me.” Marinette finally said, the silence was comfortable. Luka nodded to show he was listening, Marinette really appreciated that.
“She is in one of her moods, when nothing I say matters, and Alya is pushing another ‘get Marinette together with adrien’ plan.” Marinette’s face twisted in displeasure. Luka blinked but kept a steady poker face waiting until Marinette was done speaking.
“I don’t want that anymore and I’ve tried telling her in the past but she ignores it and says I’m just chickening out. Now, I guess she’s making it so I don’t have the option to… it’s stressful and hurts me.” Marinette grabbed her chest, feeling the Hanahaki squeeze her lungs a little. Marinette sank to the floor, a large sigh left her.
“I don’t know what to do anymore, if Alya won’t listen then what am I supposed to do?” Marinette rested her head on her knees, the image of a person who has too much stress and not enough people supporting them.
“I think you need to tell them how you really feel. Both Jules and I can back you up, you aren’t alone, Marinette, we got your back. Whatever you need to do I’ll be there to support you.” Luka said as he softly rubbed her shoulder until she looked up at him.
“Thanks, Luka. I don’t know what I would do without your help.”
Marinette stared at Luka as he climbed into her room, her thoughts running a million miles a minute wondering if she had prior plans with Luka she forgot about. Luka took a minute to look over Marinette. She had rumpled bed-head and dark circles under her eyes, she looked a little pale and Luka felt bad for waking her up.
“Sorry for waking you, you look like you could use the sleep.”
Marinette blushed, desperately trying to comb her fingers through her hair hoping to tame the wild mess.
“Oh no! It was about time for me to get up anyway. No worries!” Marinette reassured Luka with only a little false brightness, she was just caught off guard and needed a moment to wake up.
“Are you sure? Cause I can go and leave you to get some more rest.” Luka asked. Marinette blushed again, touched by Luka’s concern for her. It was very different from the concern her friends gave her, there was no prying or stress to tell him something to get him to stop asking. Luka was chill, and Marinette realized she needed more of that in her life.
“No, Luka, please stay. It’s wonderful to see you.” Marinette assured him, she patted the space on her bed next to her. Luka climbed up and sat on top of the covers but still close by. Marinette smiled at him, immense feelings of gratitude welled up then suddenly felt the overwhelming urge to cough.
Marinette’s eyes started watering and she could feel the flower springing up in her mouth. Luka looked concerned again and Marinette desperately wanted to stop the Hanahaki but her body wouldn’t listen. Coughing hard, Marinette hunched over as a beautiful dark pink rose came up. Luka patted her shoulder and stilled with his hand on her back when he saw the flower.
“Marinette…” Luka started but stopped, swallowing hard he picked up the flower and rubbed her back again as Marinette coughed for another 30 seconds.
When the coughing fit was over Marinette wouldn’t look at him, fear crawled up her belly to her heart and clenched tightly.
“Marinette,” Luka started softly. “Please be honest with me, do you have Hanahaki?” His voice held no anger, nor disappointment that Marinette expected. Just soft concerned tones of a friend that wouldn’t judge you.
“Yes.” Marinette didn’t want to lie to him, and the moment the words left her mouth, her chest released the pressure that was building. She felt like she could breathe freely again. She took a deep breath and laughed lightly. Luka looked a little confused but a small smile graced his lips, he still held concern in his eyes but he seemed happy that she was happy. Was it really that simple? Marinette had glanced at the remedies when she looked up long-term effects, one specifically mentioned addressing the suppressed emotion but she had no idea it would have this big of an effect. Maybe she could beat her Hanahaki, if she talked about things more. The thought of expressing her emotions, all of her emotions, stopped her cold. Marinette’s smile faded, she couldn’t tell anyone.
“Luka, you can’t tell anyone.” Marinette said sadly. She had secrets she could reveal and if she talked about the things bothering her, about how her friends were making her feel, and she would lose them which could possibly expose the fact she was Ladybug. It was too dangerous.
Luka hummed with a frown. “Why not? It seems like you have been dealing with this for a while, what’s so bad that you can’t tell me or your friends?”
Marinette hesitated, but the disease acted faster, she started coughing again, a snapdragon and a white rose came up, Luka quickly rubbed her back again while Marinette was coughing and silently looked at the new flowers.
“Deception and secrecy.” Luka muttered, then his eyes widened as if something occurred to him, then he looked thoughtful. For a moment, Marinette feared that Luka had figured out she was Ladybug and everything was going to go downhill from here and her mind spiraled down the many disaster paths that could happen.
“You can’t tell me.”
The sentence froze Marinette. She hadn’t thought of it like that before, but it was true; she couldn’t tell anyone.
“You would tell me if you could, but you can’t.” Luka continued.
Marinette nodded but looked a little relieved that he understood. It was incredibly hard to keep the secrets she had and to be a star-student, the class rep., role-model for others, and share her generosity unconditionally. Marinette was tired and none of that included her Ladybug duties or bakery chores she had to do too.
“Luka?”
“Yeah?” He responded.
“I’m happy you are here. I didn’t realize how stressed and worried I was, but letting you know about my disease helped alleviate it. At least a little bit.” Marinette smiled ruefully.
“I’m glad you told me. I’ll be here, however long you want me to, in whatever way you need.” Luka vowed.
“Thank you.” Marinette blushed again. She relaxed against him and sighed.
Luka had a small soft smile on his lips and cuddled her closer for a few minutes. Marinette enjoyed the silence and comfort that Luka created. It felt like she could just be, and be herself freely.
Marinette took a peak at where Tikki was hiding and found the goddess partly hidden watching with relieved eyes. Marinette thought that she was happy that Marinette shared the truth about her Hanahaki with someone. Marinette thought she was glad she shared it with Luka too; like a small weight had been lifted.
“Luka, can we just cuddle like this for a while?” Marinette asked softly. Luka felt Marinette relax more and squeezed her a little closer to him.
Luka: Beautiful cinnamon roll who’s too pure and precious for this world.
Marinette: Sorry doesn’t bring back my fucking Skittles, Luka.
Luka knew he fucked up the moment he realized they were all gone. His heart was pounding in his chest, knowing that when Marinette came back and saw they were all gone, well, he did the only thing he could. He ran. He ran like the boogeyman was after him, knowing that when he was a block away from the Liberty and saw all the Miraculous Ladybugs fixing everything he had less than five minutes until Marinette learned of what he did. After getting to the boathouse and hunkering down in his room, he prayed. Luka swears he could hear Marinette’s screech across Paris. Counting the second, Luka brings his phone out of his pocket with trembling hands.
Luka: Marinette, I’m sorry
Luka waited for five minutes before he tried again.
Luka: Please talk to me baby
The sweat was pouring down his face and he quickly wiped it away. Luka took a deep breath and tried again.
Luka: Muffin?
Luka: Sweet pea?
Luka: The love of my life
The silent treatment was a really bad sign. Luka knew he was in deep shit now. He sighed and decided to pull all the stops.
Luka: Beautiful cinnamon roll who’s too pure and precious for this world
He waited again, chewing on his hoodie string. If this didn’t work Luka knew nothing could save him from Marinette’s wrath. Luka held his breath when he saw the waiting dots of Marinette texting him back, they started and stopped several times before his phone dinged with her answer.
Marinette: Sorry doesn’t bring back my fucking Skittles, Luka.
Fuck, he was doomed. His name with a period? Luka knew he had a lot of groveling to do when he saw her next. If she didn’t kill him on sight. Luka smacked the phone to his forehead. “That was so stupid Couffaine.” Luka said to himself. Then his phone dinged again with another message.
Marinette: Your ass is MINE the next time I see you.
Luka felt a shiver go down his spine. Would an innuendo joke be a good idea right now? Probably not. But when did Luka do anything sensible when it came to Marinette? Never. But before he could start typing, Marinette messaged him again.
Marinette: And I swear to kwami, if you make a joke about your ass, your punishment will double.
Luka had to smile about that. Marinette knew him too well.
Luka got up from his hiding hole and sat on his bed, he threw his phone on his pillow and stretched. Luka knew he was in for it when he saw Marinette tomorrow but he couldn’t help but smile. Man he loved that woman, no matter how scary she could be.
Marinette took her phone and opened her messaging app, it was time to share her information with Nino. Sending a quick, “I need to talk to you, please come over” text and started to wait. Nino responded positively saying he would be over in thirty.
Marinette stacks her papers together again, for the 4th time in 30 minutes, she knew she was nervous and Tikki had been silently watching her hold this entire time.
“Marinette, this is Nino you are talking to, he is your childhood best friend, he will listen to you.” Tikki finally spoke, hoping that the encouragement would help Marinette’s nerves.
“But Tikki, since Alya came along and they got together my word has been holding very much influence anymore. AND I’m doing this behind her back! She’s gonna hate me and never trust Nino again! Oh, Tikki this was a mistake-”
Amidst Marinette’s nervous ranting she heard Sabine call for her saying that Nino was here. No time to continue to freak out, she just had to get through her evidence and hopefully convince Nino of the truth.
Nino knocked on her trap door and Marinette called for him to open it, when he did she saw he looked nervous too.
“Come on in, Nino. There’s something important I want to talk to you about.” A little bit of Ladybug bleed through giving Marinette strength. Nino nodded and went to sit on the lounging chair, facing her.
“Okay Nettie, I’m listening.” Marinette paused, and looked up from her papers she grabbed to ‘organize’ again. Maybe this wouldn’t be as bad as she thought.
Marinette went down her itemized list of lies Lila has told then went back through giving information that proved each one was a lie. Marinette went methodically through each one, giving time for Nino to nod or say ‘continue’ to make sure he understood before moving on to the next one. By the time Marinette had gone through her entire list an hour and a half had gone by, Nino removed his hat and rubbed his head letting out a long sigh.
“Marinette, I believe you. I also owe you an apology.”
“Oh, that’s not-”
“Yes, it is.” Nino said firmly. This was his childhood best friend, and the fact that Marinette went to such lengths to prove Lila’s lies says a lot about how everyone, himself included, had been treating her.
“I’m sorry for not believing you, that was wrong of me to just dismiss you and ignore everything you had said.” Nino took a deep breath, before he continued.
“I should have listened to you from the start and looked into Lila myself, a few of us are doing that and we hope to tell more people. There’s just one last thing.” Nino gulped he knew he had messed up pretty badly and desperately needed to talk to Alya but Marinette needed his support right now.
“So, what can I do to help?” He asked.
Marinette sat still blinking at Nino for a moment, stunned that he believed her and was willing to help. She blinked back tears and thought for a moment.
“Just when Lila lies, point out the inconsistencies and back me up, if that is too much then just check in on me every once in a while?” Marinette looked down at her shoes before looking back up to Nino, he was smiling.
“Yeah, I can do that, dudette.”
“You said a few others are looking into things?” Marinette remembered he mentioned that.
“Yeah, a couple people and I’m sure they will reach out to you soon. If you could talk to them that would be great but I also understand you have needed your space.” Nino paused, actually Nettie had been a lot more relaxed lately since getting space and it seemed Adrien stopped bugging her too. Really after that, Marinette’s mood has been happier like before.
“You’ve been happier lately, I hope that continues and I know the others will want to apologize too, but take it at your speed Marinette, you are right that we haven’t been giving you enough consideration.”
Marinette did start crying, she was happy to have her childhood friend back and that he supported her. She was happy that others were starting to see Lila’s lies and maybe she would have more people on her side.
“Thank you Nino,” Marinette wiped her eyes but tears still fell.
“Sorry it took me so long, Nettie.” Nino opened his arms and Marinette happily hugged him. The two took a bit longer to let go, both realizing it had been far too long since they last hung out just to two of them.
He was completely transfixed by her lips—when was he not?—and it was driving him insane. Why did she have to purse her lips like that? Was she doing it on purpose?
Her lips were always enough to drive him to distraction. Not that he minded.
But today, she was wearing a new lip gloss. One that painted her lips the same shade as a perfectly ripe strawberry. His favourite fruit in the world. And it wasn’t enough that her lips were that tantalizing shade of berry red. They were glossy too. The light was reflecting off of the gloss, and it was making her perfectly pouted lips look like a perfect strawberry…
And she was pouting because she was trying to concentrate.
They were sprawled out on her bedroom floor, surrounded by textbooks and papers. They were supposed to be doing homework. She was doing her homework. And him? He was staring at her lips like an idiot. Of course, they were much more enticing than his history homework…
“Luka?” He jumped. He hadn’t even realized she had looked up from her work to look at him, her head tilted quizzically to the side, her lips pursed in concern. Her lips… “Are you alright?”
Heat flooded his face. “Yep! Yeah. I’m good. Fine, yeah…”
He tore his gaze away from her and began scribbling nonsense in his notebook. But he couldn’t help but idly wonder if her lips tasted like strawberries.
“Ok,” she said breezily.
They worked in silence for a few minutes, or rather, she worked in silence. He was still trying the wrestle his mind away from thoughts of her berry red, perfectly kissable lips. And then she started humming.
And he knew, before he even looked at her face to see the smile she was trying to hide behind her perfectly pursed lips, that she was doing this on purpose. Because she was humming Strawberry Fields Forever.
He was done. He could not take it anymore.
He got up, letting his pencil clatter to the ground as he hauled himself up to his feet. Marinette jumped at the sound, blinking up at him in confusion. Her eyes wide, and her long lashes fluttering as he plopped himself down in front of her.
“Luka?” She asked innocently. Too innocently. “Is it something the matter-“
Her words died in a surprised squeak on his lips as he cupped her cheek and pressed his lips to hers. It only took her half a second to return the kiss.
If I missed something that should be included, reblog, reply, DM, or drop the link in my asks and I’ll make sure it goes on next week’s roundup! If you prefer not to be included in these roundups for any reason please drop me a message, or if you post something that you would like to be sure I include, please drop a link in my asks and I’ll make sure it gets listed (Lukanette endgame only please - see what is the weekly roundupfor more details). If you want to be sure I’ve flagged your work for inclusion you can check the quickroundup tag on my blog to see what I’ve got in the queue for this week.
If you find something you like please like/reblog the original post to let the author know you enjoyed their work!
Notes: Full disclosure: I do not do yoga. This was supposed to be something else, and then Laurel and I started talking yoga and the phrase “Yoga Meet Cute” came up and the next thing I knew I was looking up beginner lessons on YT to make this semi-believable because I, my friends, do not do the Yoga. (It…one hundred percent ran away from me. These chapters were supposed to be SHORT. But I’m having a blast here, so I guess that’s the important thing. Anyone figure it out yet?)
Note: I’ll be travelling next week and I’m not sure what kind of internet connection I’m going to have at any point. If it’s too hard to get the roundup done, I’ll do my best to include everything on the following week. Feel free to leave a link in my DMs if you are concerned I’m going to miss your work.
If I missed something that should be included, reblog, reply, DM, or drop the link in my asks and I’ll make sure it goes on next week’s roundup! If you prefer not to be included in these roundups for any reason please drop me a message, or if you post something that you would like to be sure I include, please drop a link in my asks and I’ll make sure it gets listed (Lukanette endgame only please - see what is the weekly roundupfor more details). If you want to be sure I’ve flagged your work for inclusion you can check the quickroundup tag on my blog to see what I’ve got in the queue for this week.
If you find something you like please like/reblog the original post to let the author know you enjoyed their work!
