The sharp, clanking sounds of the duel pierced through the darkness, growing louder with each rooftop that brought Rena Rouge and Ladybug closer to the fight. What had been a faint movement in the distance, was now a clear picture of Cat Noir and Stormy Weather in a dance of arms. For each blow Stormy Weather threw towards Cat Noir, there was a block and a counter attack thrown in return. Cat Noir's movements with his baton were graceful as he ducked and weaved past Stormy's Umbrella.

I guess all of Adrien's fencing lessons actually do come in handy, Rena mused, who knew?

Rena Rouge and Ladybug were still several rooftops away from being able to help, but Cat Noir was closing in on Stormy– gaining the upper hand. Dodging another attack, Stormy Weather seemed to become aware of this, for out of the darkness came a blinding light. There was a wave of heat and a thunderous crash that almost brought the girls to a halt. It was lightning, and it struck dangerously close to Cat Noir. The ground where he'd previously been standing was sizzling and steaming from where the lightning struck, turning the ice into vapor. Had he not been moving already; Cat Noir would've been burnt to a crisp. A quick exchange of glances and Rena Rouge and Ladybug picked up the pace.

Another flash of lightning. Another. Stormy Weather was living up to her name.

Cat Noir, somehow, was maintaining his dance while evading the lightning that was threatening to barbeque him. If he read her movements, he could determine where her next lightning strike would be and have time to dodge. But it was an ill twist of fate when he slipped on the ice that surrounded him, and Stormy Weather was able to knock his baton from his hand. Cackling, she moved to aim her umbrella at his head.

But she was a moment too slow. Ladybug's yo-yo wrapped around the barrel of the weapon and jolted it aside in time to disrupt the trajectory of the icicle that came shooting from the tip. Furiously, Stormy Weather whipped her head in the direction of the intruder, and Cat Noir breathed a small sigh of relief at the arrival of his comrades. She let out a scream in Ladybug's direction and tried to yank her umbrella free, but the yo-yo held fast. Cat Noir made a break for his baton while Rena Rouge moved in to corner Stormy Weather from behind.

With her yo-yo still wrapped around the barrel of the umbrella, Ladybug was now the immediate target of Stormy Weather's fury. Icicles as sharp as knives began firing from the tip of the umbrella. They whistled through the air at a high speed, and the only way Ladybug could dodge was to let go of her hold on the weapon. She rolled out of the way as the icicles whizzed past her, only barely missing her shoulder.

Now outnumbered, the villain let out a frustrated cry, realizing that she'd lost the upper hand.

"Don't you love the polar bears?!"

Unwilling to be stopped, she took to the sky again, on the path to her goal. She flew in the direction of the television station, lightning trailing behind her to slow down her pursuers.

"We can't let her reach the broadcast tower." Chat yelled to his partners, "If she gets her umbrella to the top, she'll be able to connect to the satellites and freeze the entire globe."

"What could she have to gain by that?" Ladybug asked, dodging a lightning bolt.

"She's trying to reset the global temperature."

"I hate climate change just as much as the next girl," Rena Rouge added, keeping pace, "But doesn't this seem a bit extreme?"

"Only a little," Cat Noir chuckled.

Having to dodge the lightning attacks was a major disadvantage for the heroes, and it gave Stormy Weather all the time she needed to reach the television station. She'd even reached the edge of the broadcast tower by the time Ladybug's yo-yo wrapped around her leg and wrenched her back. Stormy Weather thrashed around to face Ladybug, the rage evident in her eyes. Once again, she began shooting razor sharp icicles at the one who held her.

Rena Rouge brought her flute to her lips, poised to use her power. If Stormy Weather's goal was to reach the tower, well then, she'd just have to make the tower that much harder to find. And with Stormy's attention on Ladybug for the moment, Rena had the perfect opportunity to make it happen. She played the magical tune that activated her power, and directed it toward the broadcast tower.

"Mirage!"

Now there were five towers on the roof.

"Looks like you have to guess which is the real tower, Rapunzel." Chat taunted as he dodged an icicle.

Rena smirked. Not only had her mirage added towers, but she also hid the real tower from view. There would be no 'guessing the right tower'. She ducked as an icicle flew her way.

"Care to wrap this up, Ladybug?" Chat asked as he lunged to avoid an icicle-lightning combo strike.

With a nod, and a toss of her yo-yo, Ladybug called on her own magic power.

"Lucky Charm!"

Her outstretched hand caught the item that fell to her aid. It was…

"A balloon?" she questioned.

"What are you supposed to do with that?" Rena asked, hitting an icicle out of the air like a baseball.

Ladybug checked her surroundings to find out how her gift should be used. When all she could see was the villain in front of her, an idea sprang to life. Quickly she blew air into the balloon while Cat Noir drew Stormy Weather's fire.

This was the third time Stormy Weather had been akumatized. She was used to the usual distract and conquer routine that Cat Noir and Ladybug put into action. When Cat Noir had moved far away enough from Ladybug to cover her fire, Stormy Weather quickly changed targets. Ladybug had been busy blowing air into the balloon and only just managed to jump out of the way of the attack. The action, however, caused her to let go of the balloon and sent it flying.

"Looks like you're out of a Lucky Charm, Ladybug." Stormy Weather boasted, "That's too bad." The lightning was still coming down all around the rooftop, and the villain grinned an evil grin. Her teeth glistened with each flash as she leveled her umbrella to aim at Ladybug.

Stormy Weather was so filled with glee at the prospect of defeating Ladybug, that she failed to notice the balloon flying right towards her.

SMACK

It landed right on her face, covering her eyes, and providing enough of a distraction to give Rena Rouge an opportunity to jump in and snag the umbrella. Rena quickly tossed it to Ladybug as Stormy Weather let out an outraged and defeated cry. She moved the balloon from her face just in time to see her umbrella come down over Ladybug's knee.

Since he'd been the first to use his power, Cat Noir had to leave immediately after Ladybug cleansed the Akuma. He was relieved that he had an excuse to escape Ladybug's prying eyes. He knew her identity, and she knew his, but she didn't know that he knew hers. So, though she might have wanted to question him right then, there was no reason in her mind for Ladybug to know that he was Adrien. But he knew that she knew, and he thought about the conversation that they'd eventually have to have—at least as Adrien and Marinette. He'd have to find a way to tell her what he knew. He contemplated this as he dropped down onto his bedroom floor and his transformation broke.

With his usual dramatics, Plagg flitted over to Adrien's minifridge and helped himself to some Camembert. After scarfing down a few slices, he burped and turned to Adrien.

"The Cat's out of the bag?" he questioned him, reciting the words that Adrien said to Alya and Marinette after freeing them from the ice dome.

Adrien flinched and rubbed the back of his head. "Well…it is?" it came out as a question since he had no better response. And well…it was.

"You're right it is. Great job telling your secret identity to a reporter who's been out to unmask you since the beginning. I bet her fans will love this one."

Adrien's expression blanked a bit. "Alya wouldn't do that." She was his friend. He was sure he could trust her. Though, remembering the tenacity she had for her blog and pleasing her fans, his assuredness waivered a bit.

And Plagg's deadpanned expression didn't help either.

"We were stuck in an impenetrable dome of ice. What else could I have done?"

Plagg yawned, unable to come up with a good answer. "All I'm saying is that you might want to have a talk with her sooner rather than later. Just to be sure."

"Yeah, yeah". Adrien said, waving him off. Still, he took a seat at his computer and logged onto the Ladyblog.

He spent the next few hours refreshing the page, confident that Alya wouldn't have posted anything about him. Each time he held his breath, and each time he felt silly for doubting her trust. Still, Plagg's words echoed in his mind. It was silly, he knew. After all, it had been weeks since the interview with Ladybug, and Alya had never even hinted about having a lead. If she kept such a juicy detail under wraps, then certainly she would keep his identity safe too, right?

Of course she will, he reassured himself. He trusted her. He truly did. Still, it couldn't hurt to talk to her like Plagg suggested. And with that thought, he transformed, resolved to pay her a visit.

It was dark for the second time that day, when Chat leapt across the rooftops leading to Alya's house. He saw the light on in the living room, and peeked in to see if she was there. She was. She sat on the couch, and a movie played across the television screen. He waited a moment to see if anyone else was home, but she seemed to be alone.

Alya turned her head towards the window when she heard a light tapping on the glass. She was very surprised to see Cat Noir outside on her balcony. A mischievous smile broke out across her face as she rose to let him in. She'd had a million questions to ask him that she hadn't had a chance to ask after the battle, since he'd never come back to the fountain. She figured she'd just have to corner him at school, but he'd shown up to her home instead. How perfect!

"Well, look what the Cat dragged in." she said through her smirk. "What brings you here?"

"I was in the neighborhood." He said, cautiously stepping inside. "Is your family home?"

"No, they just left to go see a movie. "

"Awesome! I was hoping we could talk." He looked down at his feet and raised his hand to his head, "You know, about a certain secret that I don't think you're going to post to your blog, but I need to make sure."

Alya laughed.

"I'm all over it, Cat-Boy. Trust me, I know better than to out one of Paris' heroes as much as I may want to."

At this, Cat Noir visibly relaxed, and he smiled.

"I knew you could keep a secret."

Alya grinned, "Of course I can. In fact, I have a secret that I'm sure you'd never guess, but I think it's only fair to tell you since you told me yours. I'm Rena Rouge."

Adrien blinked. "No way."

"Way." Alya laughed with a wink and pulled out her necklace from where it was hiding in her shirt. Ladybug said she would still have to return it, but she'd let her hold onto it just for the night, "Why else would I hardly have any good shots of her for my blog?"

"Alya, who are you talking to?" came a voice from the directions of what Chat could only assume was Alya's bedroom.

A second later the owner of the voice appeared. It was Marinette. And she was in her pajamas.

"I thought you said you were alone." Chat whipped his head back to Alya.

"No, I said my family was out to see a movie." Alya corrected before turning her attention to Marinette, "Look who popped in to see us, Marinette. Our friend, the cat."

Marinette, who'd been a statue since entering the room, slowly came back to life at the mention of her name. She'd agreed to Alya's demand of an emergency sleepover so they could dish out everything that was their secret life. She'd never imagined the third part of that secret life would show up here. And while she was in her pajamas. Though, it wouldn't be the first time Cat Noir saw her in them. Or the second for that matter, since he was actually Adrien. Cat Noir was Adrien. As many times as she and Alya had gone over that fact in the past few hours, it hadn't quite stuck. Even with him standing there in Alya's living room, it didn't seem real.

"H-hey, Cat Noir." This is weird, Marinette thought. "What are you doing here?"

Chat smiled his roguish grin before answering. This seemed as good an opportunity as any, "I just came to see how Ladybug and Rena Rouge were doing after earlier today. You haven't seen them around have you?"

Marinette stiffened and peeked over at Alya, and back at Chat.

"You told him?!" she gaped at Alya, who was already raising her hands in defense.

"Hey, I only told him that I was Rena Rouge. I said nothing about you."

"Actually," Cat Noir interjected, clearing his throat, "I sort of figured out your identity on my own the other night." he hesitated sheepishly, "On patrol."

"Oh." Was all she said.

An almost awkward silence to fill the air while she mulled it over in her head. It took a moment, but then it landed.

"OH." She said again, the realization hitting her. And then another "oh…" as it sunk in.

"What am I missing?" Alya asked, looking between the two.

In response, they both only blushed and looked in opposite directions. Then it clicked. Alya's mouth popped open as she realized what she was missing. Cat Noir's been in love with Ladybug since forever. Ladybug rejects Cat Noir because she, Marinette, is in love with Adrien. Adrien is Cat Noir.

"Oh, em, gee."

Both blushes deepened.

Of course, I invited him to stay and watch the movie with us. He stayed, and the movie ended up watching us instead. I got to meet Plagg and Tikki, and we let all of the Kwamis hang out with us as well— which might've been my favorite part of the evening. Especially since I don't get to spend much time with Trixx. She's so sweet, and it made me happy to see her spending time with her friends, since they don't see each other very often. (You know, being secret magical beings and all that.)

Adrien and Marinette were total gems, and they answered any and every question that I could think to ask. They answered a lot of questions lol. There were so many. Like, did you know, Plagg loves cheese. Camembert is his favorite. And Tikki loves cookies, especially chocolate chip. It made me wonder what kind of thing Trixx likes to eat, since I've never had the chance to ask. Turns out she loves strawberries! So do I, which is awesome. Further proof that we were meant to be together.

Oh! I almost forgot. The absolute best part of the evening was when it finally dawned on me to ask Adrien and Marinette to show me their phones. Of course, they had no idea why, but I had an idea. So they handed me their phones, and I could NOT contain my laughter. Ever since that Oblivio incident, I'd wondered what had been on their personal phones to make them fall for each other. Get this, they BOTH had the other as their background XD. Adrien had Ladybug (of course) and Marinette had Adrien! They had no idea why I was so hysterical until they saw it for themselves. Our sides hurt so much after that, I'm pretty sure I'm going to wake up with abs in the morning. I would say we're all going to wake up with abs, but they both already have them. Perks of being a hero lol.

Anyway, I can say with full confidence, that this was probably the best night of my life. So far, anyway, haha. Until next time. ;)

Alya, out.

Alya closed and locked her diary, put it back into the box that Marinette made for her, and slid the box back under her bed where she kept it. It was a little bit after two in the morning, and everyone in the house was asleep, including Marinette who was staying over and had fallen asleep in the living room. Alya had been bubbling with energy, but was finally starting to wind down. It was a great night, she thought, as she made her way to her printer and grabbed the two photos that were waiting there for her.

She locked her bedroom door before heading into the depths of her closet. Removing the framed Jagged Stone poster, she was once again greeted with by her evidence board. An excited smile took over her face as she looked between the differently colored threads. She reached out to tough the rough strings, remembering all of times she'd made the connections. The identity journey was a long one. And now she knew.

Alya took the photos in her hands, one of Marinette and one of Adrien, and tacked them over their respective question marks. It was a sight to behold. Nobody else in Paris, except for the heroes themselves and someone named Master Fu, knew the identities behind Paris' beloved heroes. She beamed at the evidence board which was now 2/3's complete. They'd find out Hawk Moth's identity one day, but for now she just took it in.

And then she took it down. One by one, she removed the photos identifying each hero. It had never been her intention to show this to anyone else anyway, but suddenly it just felt too dangerous to have. Being determined to fill the blanks, and having the blanks filled were two entirely different things. So down it came— tack by tack, string by string.

And though it was gone, it would never be forgotten.