His body hit the ground with a sickening crunch. She heard the scream that tore from his mouth. She fought harder. She had to get to him, before it was too late. Blindly, she pushed through the dogs that snapped at her, silencing their snarls with a flick of her yoyo. She only heard the pounding of her heart, blood rushing through her ears, could only dimly see the wounded hero struggling to stand. Everything felt cold, distant. She watched as the akuma slashed open her partner's torso. A scream rose from the depths of her being and leapt from her lips as she charged. The heroine dispatched the akuma with a series of violent kicks and punches, breaking the akuma free and purifying it. Hoping, hoping she could reverse this before it was too late. She flung the Lucky Charm into the air and ran to her partner's side. His breath came in short gasps, his body limp in an ever-growing pool of blood. And yet, he grinned at her despite the agony reflected in his green eyes. It hadn't worked. She was surprised to find that her cheeks were wet. She dropped to her knees in defeat.

"I'm sorry," she whispered, cupping his face in her hands. He pushed her bangs out of her face and his grin softened.

"Don't worry about me, my Lady." He coughed and her gaze immediately flicked to the wound on his chest. She choked back a sob. Her voice shook in fear.

"Chat…" Miraculous beeped. Time froze. They stared into each other's eyes, communicating without words.

Memories danced across her eyes. Each moment flashed with clarity, undisturbed by the tears that streamed down her face. For an eternity they simply gazed at each other, raw emotion flooding between them. Her transformation slipped away but she didn't care, oh God she didn't care. She clutched him closer to her chest, burying her face in his shoulder and drawing her hand through his hair. His own transformation followed, leaving an achingly familiar boy in its place. She sucked in a gasp of air and her sorrow began to crush her. His black t-shirt was quickly soaked with blood. His chest spasmed as he struggled to breathe. Still she held him tight. The ambulance came and people shouted, but they paid no attention. He placed a hand on her back and her heart squeezed at the thought that it would soon be cold.

I tried.

You did your best.

I failed.

It's not your fault.

I love you.

I love you too.

"I'll miss you, kitty," she whispered hoarsely, pressing her face against the warmth of his neck. His grip tightened momentarily.

"Goodbye, Princess." His hand slipped from her back. She cried, her tears falling upon his shoulder. She held him until the authorities forced him away. People clamored about her and she realized that now all of Paris knew who she truly was. But she didn't hear them. She remained on her knees, hugging herself in the absence of him. Chat Noir was dead. Adrien Agreste was gone forever. Ladybug was revealed. Marinette Dupain-Cheng was broken beyond repair. Who knew that a single goodbye could hurt so much?