A/N: Another reediting/ rewrite of my first Ladybug series. This one is kinda important to me. And was inspired by the idea that if you died by an Akuma attack, there was no coming back with the miraculous cure. Also, this was originally written when there were only a few episodes out. So many people believed that Adrien's father was Hawkmoth. This will remain true for this story…if you don't like that, then turn back now.

Unmasked

Chapter 1

Marinette couldn't have been happier. It was her fifteenth birthday. She was with, Alya, who was busy distracting her while her parents finished setting up downstairs. Alya was texting a bunch of the guests, checking up on their locations, and information that Marinette herself was forbidden to know about. She didn't question any of this because she knew her parents and best friend were going all out for her party.

Curiosity was getting the better of her, and she wouldn't help but ask, "How many people did you invite?"

Alya smiled, "Everyone from class, except Chloe and Sabrina."

"Oh, that was a go-" Marinette froze in mid-sentence. Did Alya just say everyone except Chloe and Sabrina? Did that include Adrien too? Her eyes went wide and Alya sent her a knowing smile.

"I take care of my friend's," Alya told her.

Marinette was stuck with her mouth hung open. "Y-y-you invited...HIM!"

Alya grinned at her best friend. "And he RSVP'd too, said he'd be a little late due to a photoshoot, but that he'd come by."

Marinette jumped to her feet and began to pace around the room in a panic. She couldn't believe that Alya had done this. She didn't know if she wanted to strangle or hug her best friend more. "He said he was looking really forward to talking and getting to know you better."

Marinette decided that hugging her best friend was the best option. She latched onto Alya and hugged her while jumping up and down in victory. "Thank you! Thank you! Thank you!" Alya laughed at her friend's antics and let herself down from Marinette's grasp. "You're amazing!"

"Now, now," Alya tried to calm her best friend down. "It's not that big of a deal."

"It is to me," she twirled and spun around in celebration. "I'm so happy!"

"I couldn't tell," Alya teased.

Suddenly Marinette looked down at the outfit that she had designed for the day. She began to panic and ran to her mirror to look herself over. It was a strapless dress, made with pink Chinese silk. Its edges decorated with black lace trim. Black tights with pink flats. A black short shrug, the sleeves came down to her elbows. She looked back at Alya with a look of panic.

"D-do I look alright?" she questioned. "I want to look really pretty for him…"

"Marinette, how many times do I have to tell you, just find that confident woman I know you can be, and he will be tripping over himself to talk to you," Alya explained to her friend. She did come over to the mirror and looked her friend over closely. "But, this is a great start, you look awesome."

"Marinette. Your guests have begun to arrive," her mother called from outside her opened bedroom trap door. Marinette grinned like an idiot as excitement came over her.

"Let's go before you faint before we even arrive at the party," Alya chuckled taking her friend by the shoulder. Marinette followed her and the two made their way downstairs. She was glad that she had such a great friend to help her through all the bad in her life. Today wouldn't be one of those days, though. She had a great feeling about today.

She went downstairs to the back of the bakery, where a little patch of green grass was. A tiny little background that the family rarely ever used. There Marinette's parents and classmates greeted her.

She was greeted by Alix first, and then Nathanael. There were other students there as well. She greeted them all one by one, thanking them for coming. Her father, Tom had set up a table of treats and some music was playing over the radio her parents used to listen to while baking. She looked around excitedly for Adrien but he wasn't to be seen. She frowned but forced a smile on her face when she turned to her mother, Sabine. She motioned to a table beside her, where there were presents set up and waiting for her. Excited little butterflies filled her. It was the perfect for what she had wanted so badly for a birthday celebration. Sabine pointed her to a large box in the center. Marinette stopped in front of the table and examined the box before she began to take off the wrapping paper. She ripped the paper off and revealed a brand new serger.

"Marinette!" Alya gasped. "Is that the sewing machine you told me about?"

Marinette nodded and turned back to face her guests and parents. "It's perfect. Exactly what I wanted. I can do so much more stuff for designing now. Thank you so much!"

Her parents beamed with pride. "Why don't you open more?" her father suggested. "We have a few minutes more to wait for dinner to be delivered."

Marinette did just that. She opened Nathanael's next, had received a beautiful and framed drawn portrait of herself. It was so life like. She had known that he was talented, but never this much. "Thank you, Nathanael, I love it."

He visibly blushed, and she turned to open another. Though as she reached for another gift, there were screams from just out front of her parent's shop. Everyone turned and moved back through to the front to see what had happened. Marinette gasped as she saw more classmates that hadn't arrived yet, laying on the ground. Marinette gasped as she saw just before her eyes them turn from their young youthful selves to older, elderly aged. She looked up and saw an elderly woman floating in midair. She was dressed all in black and the dress was ripped and torn in all directions. Her hair was flowing in all directions, and she looked so incredibly angry. She looked haunting, almost like a spirit rather than an Akuma possession.

"You worthless, self-centered brats!" she screamed at Marinette and her classmates. "Can't be bothered to visit your oh so often forgotten elderly relatives! See how it feels to become old!"

Marinette saw her pick up what looked like a cane, thought with a sharp point at the end. She swung the cane and a black light shot out at her. Nathanael rushed out in front of her, and pushed her out of the way, taking the brunt of the blow. And like the others, she watched as the youth was sucked right out of him. He collapsed to the ground. Her classmates cried out.

"See how it feels!" the Akuma possession cried out. Marinette knew she had to get away from her family and friends so she could transform. She felt Tikki moving around in her jacket pocket that she had hidden her in before Alya had arrived telling her to act now. Marinette couldn't possibly get away. Alya and her mother were both holding onto her protectively. And Nathanael had already protected her.

The situation only worsened when Tom stepped forward. "Please, stop this," he begged. "We are so sorry that your family has forgotten about you. We are not like that, though, please, calm down. Join us. We will spend time with you."

Most people seemed to know that the villains who attacked were people suffering some sort of trauma or a moment of pure rage. She knew her father was trying to do what he could to calm the possessed woman. Marinette tried to warn him. She knew better than anyone that they couldn't be reasoned with. "Papa! Don-"

It was too late. The woman charged at her father, holding her cane, the sharp end pointing at her father and ready to stab him. Marinette screamed as time seemed to slow down, the sharp point of the cane coming towards her father. Her father covering himself up protectively.

Then the words escaped her mouth. "Tikki, transform me."

The light that covered her, transformed her and released her within milliseconds. As the light dissipated her friends and family stood around in shock. She didn't give them a chance to react as she was already on the Akuma, kicking the cane out of the Akuma's hand. The Akuma hissed at her and turned her attacks onto Ladybug. She was easily able to dodge the attacks. She grabbed her yo-yo and used it to try and trap the Akuma. She was easily able to dodge it as well.

She could hear her family and friend's voices, calling out to her, some in shock, and some just screaming in shock. She didn't care. She couldn't. She needed to stop this Akuma. She needed Chat Noir. Where the heck was he?! She needed her partner to help her.

The Akuma threw her into the ground, and she was nearly hit with the youth zapper ability. She yelped and jumped to her feet and did what she could to protect herself. She climbed to her feet and used her yo-yo to swing her up onto a nearby rooftop. The Akuma came after her, but Marinette saw this as an opening and grabbed the cane from the Akuma. When she safely landed on the roof, she snapped the cane in half, releasing the Akuma.

She took out her yo-yo and started to spin it around. "You're not getting away from me Akuma." She released the yo-yo and captured the Akuma easily. The yo-yo came back to her, and she released the Akuma. "Bye, bye little butterfly."

The possessed woman returned back to normal, landing on the street nearby. Her classmates also returned back to their proper age. She stood on the roof. She had been so set on saving her father that the full extent of her actions was setting in now. She stood on that roof looking down at her classmates below. Everyone stared up at her in shock. Her heart raced in her chest. She had revealed herself to her entire family and class. It was to save her father, but still, everything was slowly dawning on her.

It only worsened when she heard the helicopter above. She turned and looked at the helicopter, her mouth fell open. News crew's always got involved in the Akuma battles, playing the battles on live TV. This was the first time that they had gotten so much of the battles, though. How much had they gotten on film, though?

Then she heard her yo-yo beep, and she realized she was getting a call from her partner Chat Noir. She brought the yo-yo up to her ear so she could hear. "What have you done?!" Filled her ears. She knew her fate was sealed. The news crews had gotten it all on tape. And everyone knew she was Ladybug now. Everyone including Chat Noir.

She closed the yo-yo, her eyes wide. The entire weight hitting her like a brick. 'Everyone...everyone knows that pathetic...pathetic little Marinette Dupain-Cheng is Ladybug.'

Marinette didn't know what she could say or do. She couldn't face everyone. And she wouldn't.

Marinette did all that she could do.

She ran.

A/N: So I added a few details, changed a few others. It's pretty much the same. Only a few changes throughout the story I guess. Hope any new readers will enjoy.