"Marinette!" a small, gentle voice chastised. "Please try to remember the proper order!"

"I know! I'm sorry, Your Majesty! I'm sorry!" the young raven-haired mage cried in reply.

Their voices echoed in the private training room in the Summer Palace, observed only by a couple of guards posted outside. Inside, Marinette sat exhausted on top of the training mat, panting as she was put through her rigorous training. She was dressed far differently than before, sporting the skintight red and black suit and mask of the legendary mage-knight, Ladybug. The knight of Queen Tikki, the tiny little red God of Luck. Who now hovered over her Chosen and sighed. "Marinette, please just call me Tikki," she chided. "The formalities get very tedious in a fight."

"I-I'm sorry, Your- Uh, I m-mean, Tikki," Marinette replied, flustered. She touched a finger to her ear, chanting the command that would recall the mage-armor. It fell away, leaving just her white training robes. "Tikki, I'm very flattered, humbled, that you chose me for this. B-but are you sure you made the right choice? I feel like I haven't made any progress since I've started." It was so hard trying to figure out how to fight an Akuma, when she had never even seen one. Never even heard of one, until the queen pulled her aside for her special training.

"Nonsense," the little red god replied sweetly. "You've grown by leaps and bounds! You just don't see it yet." They were interrupted when the crystal bells chimed from the bell tower, marking the dinner hour. "Ah! I didn't realize it was that late! We'll have to pick this up again tomorrow. Good job today, Marinette. I have to go make sure that Plagg doesn't eat us out of house and home."

"Send my regards to His Majesty," Marinette called. She smiled to herself. Queen Tikki might gripe now about the other sovereign, but she'd seen how anxious the God of Luck was before King Plagg's royal delegation arrived at the Summer Palace. They were so cute together.

A familiar ache throbbed in her chest. Adrien. She missed him more than words could say. She was so proud of him. Learning to read and write in a different language, going to school in a different world than his own. Watching his awkward scrawl become poised and confident script. Slowly building a life for himself. Without her.

Worse, now she doubted that he would ever want to see her again. Not after the last letter she sent. Perhaps she should have kept it to herself, but she had been keeping so many secrets from him that she simply couldn't hold that one back.

She hadn't received a letter from him since. They were her greatest source of comfort in this hard, competitive world she immersed herself into. Especially now that she was so isolated from her fellow trainees with her special status. Her fingers brushed against her new earrings, one of the rare few jewels for which their entire world was named. A soft sigh escaped her. Sometimes, if she was being honest, she really wished that she had never come. Then she could be happy at home, with him. It was a naive dream. Queen Tikki had handpicked her. Plucked her right out of the academy. She would have ended up in this position somehow anyway.

I want to go home. I want to see him.

Her eyes prickled with tears of their own accord. Sniffling, she wiped them away with her sleeve, trying to collect herself. It wouldn't do for a legendary mage-knight to cry. All she needed was to get through this royal delegation and then she could finally go back. She would beg for Adrien's forgiveness for leaving him alone for so much longer than she intended. She would tell him everything. All the words she couldn't say in a letter, not without risking their kingdom's safety. She would tell him and him alone. After all, Familiars were supposed to be the bedrock of support in a mage, weren't they? Being here without him had been like cutting off one of her limbs. It was unreasonable to ask that she be anything but completely honest with him.

If she got in trouble for it, then so be it.

Her heart and her eyes set with determination, Marinette squared her shoulders back and exited the training room. She tread through the high vaulted corridors of the Summer Palace, enjoying the warm breeze that passed through the open marble archways. The air was always perfumed with the smell of flowers from the innumerable fountains and gardens that dotted every courtyard. It never ceased to amaze her how beautiful this place was. She wished there was some way to share it with Adrien.

Sighing, Marinette tried to tug herself away from that train of thought again. She arrived at her quarters, a large, luxurious apartment in the royal wing - which did her no favors in garnering any popularity with her fellow trainees. Padding inside, she thought she might indulge for once and take a bath while everyone was being kept busy at the banquet.

That was when she noticed the neat little envelop waiting for her on top of her desk. It was her mother's hand. The words 'URGENT, PLEASE READ' were scribbled in red atop it. Sucking in a sharp breath, Marinette attended to it immediately. That was when her blood ran cold.

Adrien is... missing?

The blond never arrived home after school. He didn't turn up again the next day. Since it was so unlike him, they immediately went to Headmaster Fu for help. Only to find out that he was no longer in the city. Or worse, he was...

"No," she whispered. "No, it can't be!" She would have felt something like that surely, no matter how far apart they were. Thinking quickly, she thought back to the timing of all this. This would have been when he just received...

The letter fell from her fingertips as her face grew white. Her stupid letter about Nathaniel! Why had she sent him that letter! She should have waited. Just explained in person. It was no wonder that he must have taken off and who knew where he might be!

Marinette's face set with fierce and unyielding will. Screw the delegation! They could do without her extra protection! She went straight to her wardrobe, grabbing just one set of clothes. She'd sneak into the kitchens when everyone was busy, grabbing some food for the journey. Wherever Adrien was, he couldn't have gotten too far yet. If she used Ladybug, there was a chance that she could-

"Going somewhere?"

The voice drawled behind her, coming from the window. Marinette whirled around. She got the shock of her life. A boy in a white catsuit, mask, and silver bell leaned comfortably against the windowsill, despite the fact that they were dizzyingly high up from the ground below. The blond, violet eyed being smirked at her surprise, hopping lightly down into her chambers. "What's the matter, Prrincess?" he laughed. "Don't you recognize me?"

Marinette frowned at him, the shadow of recognition in the back of her mind. The shape of that face. The color of that hair. It was all so... Then she froze.

"What? Just realized how Familiar I am?" the boy grinned, giving the raven-haired mage a wink.

"Adrien?!" Marinette gasped, coming up to cup his face in her hands. He felt strangely cool to the touch. "Adrien, what happened to you?! Why are you like this?!"

A very feline purr rumbled from the back of the white cat's throat as he briefly nuzzled against her fingers. It was chilling to hear. He cracked one eye open, giving the mage a mischievous smile. "Don't you like it? I'm a cat now. It means that their stupid 'no-human' rule doesn't apply to me anymore. I can stay with you forever."

"But I don't want a cat!" Marinette cried aghast. "I want you, Adrien. Just like you were!"

The white cat's nose scrunched up into a moue of indignation. That was another unnerving thing about this being who had Adrien's face. He acted so much more immature than her sweet sunshine. "Is that why you kissed Nathaniel?" he demanded sharply, narrowing his violet eyes.

Marinette went even colder. There was no doubt about it. This was Adrien. He was the only person she told. "I told you," she whispered, the guilt racking into her. "He kissed me. I didn't kiss him back, Adrien. I would never. Oh Heavens above, please don't tell me that's why you somehow did this to yourself."

The cat-boy wrestled out of her grip. He shook himself off, right down to his tail - that was more animated than it had any right to be - before he folded his arms over his chest. "Fine, I won't tell you." He looked around the large, lush bedroom. "Do you have anything to eat around here? I'm starving. I haven't eaten in three days and I ran all the way over here."

Ran? As in on foot? From the capital? If that was the case, somehow he was just as swift and as strong as Ladybug. He didn't somehow get a hold of one of the Miraculous jewels, did he? Except which one would he be? The closest one would probably be King Plagg's, but seeing as the little black sovereign was right downstairs, they would surely have heard about it.

"Hellooo~?" the white cat snapped his fingers in front of her face, grabbing her attention. "Didn't you hear me? Your cat is hungry. Feed me."

"O-oh, right," Marinette said, secretly growing annoyed. Gah, he really acted just like a stuck up pussycat! "What do you want?"

"Fish!" the cat-boy grinned, baring teeth that were too sharp to look human. "Ooh, and if there's caviar I want that too. They must have some in this ridiculously fancy place. Go get some."

Her face now contorted into a visible frown, she nodded. "Fine, but just- stay here, okay? Please don't go wandering off anywhere. And don't touch anything! I'll be right back." With that she left, adding a locking charm on the door just for good measure.

The white cat scoffed. Then he pressed a claw to his temple, addressing the ghoulish black eyes in the back of his mind. "So, I'm here. What exactly am I stealing?" he asked as he looked around the messy, lived in room.

Her earrings, the voice hissed back. You'll have to take them when she's asleep.

"In bed, huh?" A wicked smirk stretched across the boy's lips. "That shouldn't be a problem."

~o~

When the raven-haired mage returned to her rooms, she found everything nearly just as she'd left it. At first glance, it seemed that her visitor had also disappeared, until she spotted the white ball curled up on top of her bed. The white cat cracked one violet eye open as she approached. Taking this as some kind of cue, he unfurled himself from his ball. Just like a cat rousing from its slumber, he stretched slowly and languidly, stretching every possible muscle and vertebrae. Some vague and distant memory came back to him, telling him how one put on a show for the cameras. The skintight white suit certainly didn't hurt either. When he looked back at Marinette, her pretty face was flushed.

Propping his chin up from the bed, the cat-boy swung his legs in the air and patted the mattress beside him. "Come feed me," he commanded, nodding to the tray of grilled sardines in her hands.

Regaining some control over herself, Marinette shook her head to clear it. Then with an annoyed look, she sat down beside him. "Can't you feed yourself?"

"But I want you to," the white cat pouted. He shifted, pressing his mop of blond hair up underneath her arm, until his head rested on top of her thigh. He looked up to her, mustering up the most kittenish expression he could manage. "Pwetty pwease~?"

"Ugh, fine," Marinette replied, her tone at odds with the blush that spread across her cheeks. She carefully picked up one of the grilled sardines and held it over his mouth. "Say ah~"

"Ahhh~Mm!" the cat-boy obeyed, taking the whole sardine in one mouthful. "Another!" he declared, accommodated once more. In a manner not at all innocent, his lips increasingly began to tease and suckle on her fingertips with each feeding, running a rough tongue over her digits. His violet eyes flicked up to hers, smouldering with a dark hunger that had nothing to do with the fish.

Finally, Marinette had enough. "Adrien, what are you doing?!" she cried, jumping up from the bed. She held onto her hand as if scalded, a violent blush spread across her cheeks.

"You know exactly what I'm doing," the white cat replied testily, deprived of his plaything. Then he smirked at the way she panted, the way she flushed. He waggled his eyebrows suggestively. "Is it working?"

"Are you INSANE?!" the raven-haired mage screeched. "I'm not going to get frisky with a cat! Let alone some fake, twisted version of my Adrien!" Throwing up her hands, she declared, "That's it. This can't wait. I'm taking this up with the other mages, right now!" Spinning on her heel, she stormed from the room. The doors slammed behind her, the click of a locking charm back in place.

The ghoul in the back of the white cat's mind snapped. You fool! All you had to do was wait for her to sleep!

"And what would have been the fun in that?" the cat-boy asked archly.

Just go after her!

"Tch," the cat-boy clucked his tongue in annoyance. Rolling out of bed, he landed lightly on all fours. Striding up to the door with a hand on his hip, his violet eyes surveyed the thick heavy wooden doors. It would take no less than ten men to ram against it to make it even budge.

A sharp-toothed smirk stretched across the cat's lips.

~o~

Behind Marinette, the doors to her apartment exploded in a shockwave of wood and splinters. She didn't need to look back to know that the white cat had escaped its confines. Her heart pounded, torn with indecision as she bolted down the corridors. The sound had raised the alarm, sending the palace guard into motion. Everyone was going on high alert to face this intruder. Screams erupted in the halls, none of them the cat's, as fights began to engage.

Every part of her wanted to turn right back around. To run to Adrien's safety, to make sure that no one seriously hurt him. However, it was clear that for some reason, he was now a threat. Which meant that the godlings downstairs were likely in danger!

Tikki and Plagg. They would know how to fix this. First, she needed to keep them safe! She touched a gemstone earring, incanting the spell that would cast the suit and mask over her, along with granting all the powers it held.

Ladybug skid into the banquet room, where the festivities were still well underway. Queen Tikki looked up from her spot at the head of the table. Her blue eyes went wide in alarm. "Ladybug?"

"No time to explain!" Ladybug cried, waving an arm towards an exit. "Everyone has to leave! NOW!" After the shock of seeing the legendary mage-knight in person wore off, the banquet guests were quick to obey her, ushering everyone towards the corridor that she gestured towards. Ladybug went straight to the two sovereigns, picking them up against her breast as she ran to lead them to safety.

The little red god cried, "Ladybug! What happened?"

"It's Adrien," Ladybug panted as she ran. "He suddenly turned up out of the blue and he's all changed. Literally changed into a cat! And he's acting so strange. I can barely recognize him anymore! Now he's attacking the guard!"

At this, Queen Tikki let out a loud gasp. "Akuma!"

Ladybug's gaze snapped to her. "A-Akuma? I thought those were evil little spirits. This is Adrien."

"Not anymore," Tikki shook her head sadly. "If he was upset enough, he could have been infected and possessed. The only way to stop him now is to release the Akuma from his body."

The little god's words sent a crash of guilt against the young mage-knight that nearly made her stumble. "Oh no," she whispered, a sharp stab of despair tearing up her eyes. "This is my fault. I sent him a stupid letter that I knew would make him upset!"

"It's alright, Ladybug," Tikki consoled her, patting her arm. "You couldn't have had any idea that an Akuma would be active."

"If there's Akuma now..." the little God of Destruction spoke in a low tone. He and Tikki shared a look. "Ladybug!" the black king commanded, "Make a right! We need to get to my rooms, now!" Doing as she was bid, the mage-knight skid around a corner, making a sharp turn straight to the royal guest chambers. The doors were ajar, barely hanging onto their hinges as if they'd been stormed. "Hurry!" Plagg snapped, spurring them forward.

Ladybug burst into the room. All around them, prone bodies lay on the ground. Plagg's personal guard. All of them meant to protect the treasure that he carried with him wherever he went. The Black Cat Miraculous. Which now was being rolled along the knuckles of sharp white claws.

"All this fuss over a little ring," the white cat grinned, toying with the jewel as if it were an amusing trinket. Ladybug's heart nearly stopped, gazing upon the cat-boy in horror. He looked up as if in thought, before he nodded to himself. "Alright. Let's see what this thing can do." Before anyone could stop him, he slipped the ring over his finger and slashed at the air.

The very fabric of reality ripped along his clawmarks. Shadows ate away at the tear like thousands of gnashing teeth, ripping and tearing. Eventually, it became an opening the size of a doorway.

The Moth Man stepped through, his liquid velvet cloak casting up a thin film of dark mist from the other realm. His black and white mask turned towards the mage-knight and the godlings, its inhuman face seeming to mock them. "Very good, dear boy," he purred, patting the smirking white cat on the shoulder. "Now it's time to take care of these pathetic creatures."

"You!" King Plagg hissed, snapping his fanged teeth. "I knew it was you, you foul demon! We should have killed you when we had the chance!"

"I believe the reason you sealed me was because you could not," the Moth Man replied, his voice curdling with smugness. "I fail to see how that will change this time." The mask turned to his victim. "Boy, I need those earrings if I am to access my full power on this plane. Go take them."

This was the first time the cat seemed to hesitate. His violet eyes turned up to Ladybug, frowning as the pieces came together. "That's Marinette," he said, whipping his gaze up to the entity of malice. "You said she wouldn't get hurt!"

"If you did your job, right. Which you did not," the Moth Man responded indifferently. A gloved hand drew out from underneath the cloak. His fingers suddenly clawed and twisted, as if squashing an overripe fruit in its palm. "Now do as you're told. Or else I will kill her, you mangy cat," the mask hissed, as the boy spasmed and began to scream.

"Adrien!" Ladybug shrieked in horror.

The white cat gasped for breath when he was released. His entire body trembled from the mere moment of insurmountable agony. Even so, he looked down at his clawed hand and the deactive black ring of destruction that still adorned his finger. The one that had ripped a hole in reality without even trying. Gritting his teeth, he yanked it off and shoved it into a zipper pocket. Then he pulled out a silver rod from behind his back. It extended out into a quarterstaff. "Just give it up," he spat at the mage-knight. "I don't want to hurt you."

Ladybug stared at him. Slowly, she let the two godlings go, taking out the yoyo that was her choice of weapon. Just as she did in training, she spun it like a ball on chain, until it whirled like a propellor. "I don't want to hurt you either, Adrien. But I'm going to have to in order to free you."

"Oh yeah? Nice toy," the white cat scoffed. Then a millisecond later, he instinctively dodged a shot to the head that would have surely knocked him out.

"Thanks!" Ladybug smiled. Before she let loose a volley of shots that took all of the cat's considerable dexterity to dodge. The cat parried when he could, skid and ducked when he couldn't. However, he couldn't possibly dodge all the blows, so he went on the offensive. He took a running dash, sliding just underneath her range of attack. He extended the staff out between her legs, tripping her up as he took the brief respite from the yoyo barrage to gather his wits.

"How long does that thing get?!" Ladybug demanded.

"As long as it needs to be," the white cat replied, giving her a lascivious wink. The mage-knight only groaned in reply. Then she came after him in full again, this time trying to knock the staff from his fingers.

"Ladybug! Use the spell, Lucky Charm! Lucky Charm!" Tikki called from the sidelines, as if they were still in the training room.

"I can't remember it right now!" Ladybug snapped back. Who could possibly even think about incanting anything when they were engaged in a full-out brawl like this?! It was taking everything she had not to get a debilitating baton blow to the back of the head that would leave her vulnerable to attack. All the cat had to do was knock her out. Ladybug had to figure out how to get the Akuma out of Adrien. Which admitted would probably be easier if he was knocked out first.

Then finally, her yoyo made contact. It wrapped around the staff, yanking it straight out of his clawed hands. In a double-coup, she used his very weapon like a pendulum, sending it straight back to knock a blow against the white cat so hard it sent him reeling to the ground. A faint groan escaped him, before he finally went still, face down on the ground.

Ladybug panted sharply, trying to catch her breath. "Y'know, when I wanted to be a mage, I really didn't sign up for fist fights," she wheezed. Then she shakily went over to the cat's prone body. She just hoped that she didn't do any irreparable harm to her Adrien, in her effort to save him. The question was now, how was she supposed to get the akuma out of him. Where does an evil spirit reside?

Carefully, she turned his body over, trying to assess the damage.

Suddenly, both violet eyes snapped open.

"Psych!" the cat grinned viciously. He took her face in his hands, then headbutted her. The pain was searing for both of them, but he expected it. While she was still disoriented, he scrabbled for his baton. Surprising her from behind, he pressed the silver weapon up against her throat. But not before Ladybug's fingers slipped up just in time to keep him from completely cutting off her breath.

The pair were at an impasse. It took both of the cat's hands to keep the staff at her throat. While Ladybug had to use all her strength to keep it from pressing into her trachea and making her faint from lack of air. "Adrien, just let go!" she hissed, her limbs trembling as the baton pressed ever closer to her throat. "Neither of us is getting anywhere!"

The white cat glanced in her direction. He smirked. "I beg to differ," he purred. Suddenly, he pressed into her, his lips enclosing around her earlobe. Before she could stop him, his tongue lapped over her earring, sucking it off.

At once, Ladybug fell away. Leaving Marinette desperately scrabbling at the baton that now pressed hard into her throat. The cat let her go immediately, letting the raven-haired mage fall down to her hands and knees. Marinette coughed, wheezing for breath as she clawed at her throat. "Marinette!" the little red god gasped, flying over to her chosen's side.

The Moth Man howled in triumph, clapping his hands in applause for his champion's victory. "Well done. Well done, dear boy! I have to say that you have far exceeded my greatest expectations! If only I had someone like you a millenia ago! I would already be the ruler of the entire cosmos!"

The white cat gave him the most sarcastic bow that he could manage. He spat out the earring into his palm in the same motion. When he straightened, he clutched it tight to his chest. "You said you weren't going to hurt Marinette if I got this for you. I want a guarantee of that."

The impassive mask glanced in the girl's direction, before it turned back to the cat. "She is still a Miraculous wielder. She will need to be disposed of so that she will not hinder my plans in the future."

"And what about your promise to me!" the cat demanded, his violet eyes flashing in outrage. "You told me- You swore to me, that I could have her as mine forever!"

A strange clicking, raspy sounded emanated from beneath the mask. It gave the cat-boy chills to listen to it. Especially when he suspected that it was laughter. "Yes..." the Moth Man purred. "I did promise that, didn't I?" Part of his cloak billowed out like a wing, an expanse of shadow that seemed to take a bite of the world. When the cloak floated down, a window to another world hung in the air like a portrait, displaying a scene that was all too chilling and familiar.

It was his father's house in Paris.

The white cat physically recoiled from it. "What is this?" he demanded.

"Why, your reward, of course," the inhuman mask replied. "Earth has no active magic. Only potential. Therefore, it would be the perfect place to dispose of a Miraculous wielder."

"But I'm not going there!" the cat argued, his lips pulling back into a snarl. "I hate it there!"

"Oh really? Think, dear boy," the Moth Man whispered. His voice was like poison, drawing ever deeper into Adrien's psyche. "Your father is a master of control. You could be just like him. If you truly think about it." His gloved hand reached out, touching two slimy digits to the nape of the cat-boy's neck. Changing him. Some distant part of him heard the little black and red bugs screaming at him not to listen, but it was as though he were listening to them underwater.

The moth mask peered down at him with its soulless dead eyes. "What better way to guarantee that she'll be yours forever than to make sure she can never leave you?"

The dark thoughts slithered again. Unbidden the image of Marinette trapped in his world came into being. A cold world without magic, where he was still his father's heir. Wealthy, all powerful. He could have anything he wanted. Especially, the young girl he'd taken from another world, lost, alone, and helpless. She had no choice but to rely on him. Everything she had was thanks to his regard.

And alone at night in that empty mansion, he'd go to her room. She was not allowed to lock her door. Not against him. She'd look up from her bed, her robe slipping off one slender shoulder. She'd shiver at the sharp smile that twisted his lips. He would close the door behind him, and her blue eyes would go wide with fear-

Fear?

No.

That wasn't-

That wasn't what he wanted.

HE DIDN'T WANT THAT!

The white cat clenched his eyes eyes shut, his heart pounding as he fought to dispel the images. "This isn't- Stop it! STOP IT!" he cried, fisting handfuls of his hair as if the pain would drive the thoughts away. "I don't think like this! This isn't me!"

He loved her. He loved Marinette with all his soul. He would never do that to her. That person in his mind was some dark, twisted version of him. Perverted by the soulless shadow that wanted to prey on him. It wasn't him. It wasn't real! He would never be that cruel, cold boy in his father's shadow. Not while he had Marinette. Not while she brought out his true self. The bad parts, but more importantly, the good.

The cat fell to his knees, letting out a primal scream. Then, just like the letter on the dock, the images began to burn away, crisping at the edges and eating away at the visions. As if a fire were cleansing him of the evil infection. It burned. It hurt. But it also felt so good. Soon, the dark thoughts and images were as wispy as smoke from a campfire, dissipating up into a starry night sky.

Gasping for breath, a fully-human Adrien fell to his side utterly spent, never noticing that his hands were no longer sheathed in white clawed gloves.

The Moth Man took a step back from the boy. "How did-" he started, before the mask shook its head. "No matter," he murmured, taking a step towards the young blond. The jewels glittered on the ground next to him, ready to be claimed. "Pity. It would have been amusing to watch him torture that witch."

That was when a bolt of lightning went crackling towards the back of the Moth Man's head. The shade dodged it, only just. However, it drew his attention back behind him. Marinette stood with trembling legs, her finger pressed to the earring that she still had. "Don't you go near him!" she growled, her blue eyes glowing in ferocity. "You'll have to go through me first!"

"You little pest," the shade hissed, turning back to face her.

With the Moth Man's attention diverted, the little gods made their move. Tikki went straight for the earring. Plagg for the black ring. However, the little black god hovered with his prize in front of Adrien's face. Consequently, he was the first thing that the blond saw when he opened his eyes again after what seemed like a days long nap.

Adrien's eyes snapped wide open. "Gah! BUG!" he cried, scrabbling away on his elbows.

"I am not a bug!" the little Destruction God cried in outrage. "I am a thousands year old god-king! How dare you!"

"Wha- really?" the blond blinked "Oh, I'm so sorry! I didn't mean to-" That was when a fire bolt shots overhead, forcing them both to duck for cover. "W-w-wait, where the hell-" He looked around, his jaw dropping when he saw Marinette dueling with what looked like a shadowy ink blot test from hell. His heart thundered, torn with the joy of finally seeing her, only to realize that she was in incredible danger. "What the hell's going on?!"

"Kid!" Plagg snapped. Adrien looked back at him. "I really don't have time to explain, but you're exactly what I've been waiting for!"

~o~

Marinette did all she could to fight back against assaults both physical and mental. The physical she could handle, despite the fact that it could shape shadows to take whatever form it wanted. This evil spirit wasn't that strong in this plane yet, so she could take him even as just a trainee. It was the mental that nearly overwhelmed her. Old doubts and insecurities pulled her down like lead weights, visions of dark creatures and living nightmares setting her off balance and distracting her.

Thankfully, Queen Tikki had insisted on daily meditations, forcing her to confront her own mind. If was feeble preparation, but it was enough at least to know what thoughts were hers and what weren't.

That was when her foot bumped up against something on the floor. She looked down. Adrien lay there, his face streaked with blood, skin too white and too cold. He wasn't moving. He wasn't breathing.

"Adrien," Marinette whispered as her entire world shattered. "No!"

"Marinette, watch out!" Tikki called. The image suddenly dissolved into one of the unconscious guards. She looked up in time to see a clawed hand of black shadow hurtle towards her. It was too close. She couldn't get out a spell in time.

Something silver flashed in front of her. It tore through the clawed hand, shredding it into nothing in the process. A strong, young frame clad in black stepped in front of her. His back was to her, but she could see the clawed hands, the whisking tail, the kitten ears atop of mop of blond hair. Marinette froze, dread pooling as the too recent memories of a certain white cat haunted her.

Then he turned around and she saw him. Adrien. He smiled a warm, human smile. His smile. Even set in a black mask, his green eyes glowed with adoration. As if she were the answer to all the troubles of the universe. In that moment, she wanted nothing more than to run to him and hold him. To shower him with affection. To tell him how much she missed him. How much she loved him.

Unfortunately, their enemy was going to have to put their reunion on hold.

The shadows lashed again, forcing the black-clad boy to grab Marinette and jump aside to safety. "I'll distract him!" he called, picking up his baton from the ground. "You do what you have to do!"

That was when Tikki and Plagg flew up in front of Marinette's nose. The little red god held up the missing earring, which she'd kept safe out of the Moth Man's reach until now. "Marinette, here! Turn into Ladybug and use Lucky Charm! We have to banish him! It's the only way to stop this!"

"I don't understand," Marinette said as she put her earring back in. "How is Adrien doing this? If he's not been taken over by that- that thing again..."

"He's an adept," King Plagg explained. "And he's wearing the Black Cat Miraculous."

The raven-haired mage stared, dumbfounded. One because, apparently, her Familiar was just like her. Second, because King Plagg had not chosen a mage-knight for himself in well over five hundred years.

"Marinette!" Queen Tikki cried. "Transform!"

"Oh, right!" The mage shook her head, snapping out of it.

Meanwhile, the dark shade trembled in fury at the constant stream of obstacles. Not only that, but the mask the boy wore acted as a shield against mental intrusions, effectively binding his powers. Growing more aggressive and less calculated in his assault, the Moth Man threw all that he had into trying to beat the black cat down into submission.

"Who are you?!" he howled. "How is it that you're wearing that ring?!"

"That's a funny question from you, seeing as you brought him here," a voice called, as Ladybug joined the fray. Recognizing her voice, the black cat turned a grin over to her. Only to falter and blush when he realized just what Marinette was wearing. Ladybug glanced at him, her own cheeks heating up in a blush as he ogled her in her skintight armor. "Eyes up, cat!" she snapped, flustered.

"R-right!" the blond stammered, before he turned a fierce look at their opponent. "It's two against one now! You may as well just go back to wherever you came from or else get ready for a real beat down!"

The masked shade screamed in fury. Somehow, he grew larger, more menacing, stealing into every single shadow in the room. "You insignificant little insects! Do you not know who I am?! I am the denizen of your darkest soul. I am the secret whisper in the back of your mind. I see everything. Know everything. How do you think you can hope to defeat me!"

"Because I'm Ladybug!" the mage-knight declared, her bluebell eyes burning with determination.

"And I'm... uh..." the black-clad blond briefly looked over himself, specifically at the clawed gloves and the long tail. "I'm Chat Noir!"

"It's Panther, you idiot!" Plagg called from the side, before Tikki quickly shushed him.

"Adri- Chat Noir!" Ladybug called to her Familiar. "Keep me covered! I have to find a way to banish him!"

"That's fine and all, Lady- Milady," Chat Noir replied, gripping his baton tighter. "But I'm seriously running out of steam here. You better hurry it up, whatever you're doing." With that, he hurled himself back into the fray. That was when Ladybug put a finger to her ear and began to chant the incantation for Lucky Charm.

Once the shade realized just what Ladybug was doing, the Moth Man concentrated all his attacks on her. It forced Chat to act as her shield, defending her against the brutal assault until she finished her spell.

She did.

Then she blinked when she realized that nothing had happened. "T-Tikki, did I do it wrong?" she called to the little red queen.

"No, it was exactly right, Ladybug!" Queen Tikki replied.

"Wait, what was supposed to happen?" Chat Noir demanded, parrying away another sharp scythe-like shadow.

"The Lucky Charm spell conjures exactly what we need right when we need it to win any battle," Ladybug explained.

"Well, that's..."

"Lucky. I know."

"I was going to say convenient, but lucky works," Chat grinned. With a grimmer expression, he looked around the room, as if to check to see if their secret weapon was misplaced somewhere. That was when he spotted the window in reality behind the dark being. It glowed with intense white light, not unlike the rip that had brought him here in the first place. However, as he squinted into it, he gave a violent start when he recognized where it was. "Wait a minute. That's my house! That's Earth!"

Ladybug looked up to see where he was pointing. Suddenly, she realized the image of Earth was not just a window anymore, but an actual rip in reality. "That's it!" she cried. "We have to get him in there!"

Chat Noir gaped at her. "Are you kidding? That's my world! I'm not just going to unleash this thing onto it!"

"It'll be okay, Adrien." Ladybug, no Marinette, put a hand on his shoulder. Her bluebell eyes looked to his green, entreating and imploring. "Trust me."

Despite his trepidation, a warmth spread through his chest. The ache and affection he felt for her returned tenfold. "...Always," Adrien promised. Then Chat Noir turned back to the matter at hand. "So how do we get him in there?"

"Take this," Marinette said, passing off one end of her yoyo, "and follow my lead."

~o~

The Agreste Mansion was silent.

It was always silent.

It was even more so now that Adrien Agreste no longer roamed its halls. There was never a creak of a door or a rustle of a curtain. Not a drip of water. Or the tick of a clock. It was as if the entire house were in mourning, now that the very last of its life disappeared nearly a year ago.

Gabriel Agreste stood by the piano in the sitting room. The one that his son used to play before he brought him into the family business. There used to be music then. There used to be life. Even if it was in the form of a young blond boy in the stark, empty mansion. Like a pale yellow dot against a canvas of white.

Now there was nothing. Only the cold. The solitude. The silence.

On these days it was oppressive, cloying like a thick velvet blanket. Sometimes, he thought he might very well drown in it, as though he were forever submerged underwater. Choking as he gasped for just one breath, one small ray of relief.

Suddenly, the silence shattered.

A crash sounded in the other room. Gabriel spun towards it, eyes wide. Without thinking, he sprinted towards the noise, bursting into the main living room. There he was greeted by the strangest sight he had ever seen.

A pale, ghoulish looking man lay splayed across his carpet. He was almost skeletal, his clothes a mess of tattered black shreds of cloth. That wasn't the strangest part, because in front of him, like a gaping hole in reality, two teenagers stared back at him through a window from an entirely different place. They were dressed up in costume, like superheroes for Halloween.

However, Gabriel Agreste went cold when he recognized the blond, young man, even with the black mask. "Adrien!" he cried, stepping towards him.

His son glanced over to him. His expression was the perfect picture of indifference, but the recognition was there. With a wry half-smile, Adrien raised a hand and gave him a short two-fingered salute.

Then in a flash of blinding white light, he was gone.

Gabriel stared at the empty space before him. He walked forward, hands outstretched, as if he could feel where that door had been. However, he hit only air. Nothing. "No," he whispered. "NO!"

Behind him, the pale man groaned, rousing from his stupor. Gabriel whirled on him. He knelt down next to the strange man, fisting the front of his tattered clothes. His lips pinned back into a snarl, his eyes as cold as glaciers but with the burn of dry ice.

"Where. Is. My. Son!"

~o~

Following the defeat of the Moth Man, the Summer Palace was bursting with activity. Far earlier than anyone had anticipated, they announced the arrival of Queen Tikki's newest Ladybug along with a bevy of feasts and celebrations across the kingdom. No one really needed to know that said Ladybug was still woefully inexperienced and undertrained. Just as no one needed to know quite yet that the Black Cat Miraculous had also been awakened after a half-millenia of dormancy.

As the festivals and activity clamored outside, Marinette and Adrien knelt in front of Queen Tikki and King Plagg in a private audience chamber. To discuss their fate. A talk that was long overdue, but equally dreaded. Their expressions were haggard and worried. Their hands clasped so tightly, it was as if they were afraid of losing one another if they so much as eased their grip.

The little red god canted her head, giving them a sweet smile. "Marinette. Adrien. Why do you two look so worried? You should be proud of what you accomplished."

"With all due respect, Your Majesty," Adrien spoke slowly. He swallowed heavily as a flurry of anxiety built in the pool of his stomach. "I can't be Chat Noir." Everyone ignored the darkly muttered 'Panther' under King Plagg's breath. "Marinette told me about how the legendary Mage-Knights are supposed to protect their respective kingdoms. Which means that I would have to leave here and I just- I can't do it. My life is here. My family is here. My friends are here..."

His green eyes turned to the girl beside him. Even now, the sight inspired a feeling of warmth, of home. His place was beside her, no matter what life threw at them. He belonged to her, body and soul. In a breathless voice, he murmured, "Marinette is here."

A blush graced her cheeks, her gaze answering his with the sweetest affection. Turning towards the godlings, Marinette added earnestly, "And I can't be Ladybug. Not if it means staying away from Adrien for months and months at a time. Separating anyone else from their Familiar for that long is unthinkable. And I can't do that to him. Not again."

"Oh dear," Queen Tikki frowned. "That is disappointing to hear. Well, unfortunately, I cannot make any special exceptions to the human companion prohibition."

"And there's no way I'm leaving the Black Cat Miraculous behind," King Plagg added, giving the young humans a withering look.

Together the godlings said, "And there's no way you can give up your Miraculous."

Marinette and Adrien went ashen. They looked to each other, a gulf of fear and trepidation breaching their resolve. This was the very worst possible outcome. Suddenly, Adrien was hit with a wild plan. He felt the heaviness of the ring on his finger. He could use it. Steal Marinette away from here. They could run where no one could find them. They might always be on the run. Away from those who would seek to recover the legendary artifacts from them.

But at least they would have each other.

They could even elope.

Before Adrien could think of how best to escape, Tikki turned to her companion. "Plagg, what do you think we should do?"

The little black god sighed and shrugged, "Well, it's not like I have any choice in the matter. What a pain."

With that rather cryptic exchange, Tikki turned back to the young humans with a grave look. "There is nothing else for it. Marinette, you will stay here and continue to train as Ladybug. Adrien," she turned to the young blond, "you will also stay here in the Summer Palace. You'll be under Plagg's care, as an adept and Chat Noir in training."

"Panther!" Plagg huffed petulantly.

"Oh shush, Plagg. Nobody even remembers that. Chat Noir sounds better besides."

Both Mage and Familiar gave a fierce start. As if they didn't quite believe what they just heard. Tikki merely giggled at them, amused smiles spreading across both the godlings' mouths at their chosens' gobsmacked expressions. "You sillies," the little queen teased, "we would never dream of separating the two of you!"

Despite their shock, a small tendril of hope grew to seed, still tentative and fragile. "But... I don't understand," Marinette said slowly. "I thought that Miraculous wielders had to stay in their respective kingdoms."

"That is true in most cases," Tikki replied. "But do you know why it's taken so long for Plagg to choose a new mage-knight?" Both teens shook their heads. "Not very many do. Plagg just happens to be, well... picky."

The little black god inspected his hand, looking rather cross. "It's not picky. I just have a certain set of criteria that is not very easily met," he sniffed haughtily. "First of all, being an adept is an absolute must. They also must have an affinity for Destruction, which is fairly rare. They also need to not be batshit crazy, because most Destruction-adepts are. Ooh! And a good sense of humor is a plus. Young, strong. And pretty. But not too pretty, mind. There needs to be a certain sense of ruggedness to my panthers." At this point, Adrien wasn't really sure how he felt about all this. "And green eyes! To match mine ever so nicely."

"What Plagg is not telling you," Tikki cut in loudly, before the list could devolve any more, "is that his picks are always intrinsically tied to the current Ladybug. For good reason. Destruction unfettered will only cause chaos throughout the realm. Whereas Creation and Destruction in harmony can actually do more good than Luck and Creation alone. So Plagg exclusively picks in pairs." The little red god gave the other sovereign a coy smile. "He's a little bit of a secret romantic like that."

Plagg sniffed grumpily at that. But he didn't disagree.

"So, I was chosen because I'm Marinette's Familiar?" Adrien asked slowly. He couldn't help the giddy smile that spread across his face, his green eyes sparkling with delight.

"UGH, he's a sap!" Plagg cried. "I made a mistake!"

Tikki ignored him. Instead, she gave the blond a gentle smile. "No, Adrien, not because you're her Familiar. Or at least not just because of that." Then she turned to Marinette. "Tell me. How did you and Adrien first meet?"

"Oh, I..." the raven-haired mage blushed at the embarrassing memory, "I was doing my Familiar summoning for the academy. I don't know what happened, but I completely goofed up my spell. I somehow accidentally kidnapped Adrien from his world and before we knew it, I made him my Familiar."

The little queen hummed, giving her Chosen a knowing smile. "Was it really an accident, Marinette? Or were you just very, very lucky?" Marinette could only blink in reply.

Leaving them with no time to think on her words and what they might imply, Tikki clapped her hands. "Well, I think that's enough serious talk for today! Why don't the two of you head downstairs? I think your parents must be here by now. They must be eager to see you." At that, both teens' eyes widened. They clambered up from their kneeling positions and tore off out of the room, ignoring all royal decorum in the process.

Tikki giggled again. "Oh, these two are going to be so much fun," she said, as the two gods followed at a much more sedate pace.

"Yeah, well, now it looks like I'm stuck here! Again! How annoying!" the little black king griped. "I thought this was going to be just a short trip. Now I have to do the whole regency thing for a hundred years again."

Glancing out of the corner of her eye, the God of Luck teased, "You know, it is your choice to keep pairing your kittens up with my bugs. Maybe you just like having an excuse to spend time with me."

The God of Destruction scoffed in reply.

But he didn't disagree.

~o~

Later on that evening, when they had more than their fill of food, fun, and familial doting, Marinette and Adrien found a quiet spot along one of the pools in the courtyard. Dipping their legs in the cool water, they leaned against each other with hands and limbs interlaced, stargazing both above in the night sky and in the clear, crystal water before them. Marinette gently stroked the blond's hair and neck, causing him to melt into her like butter as he lay his head in her lap. A very feline purr rumbled from the back of his throat, which she found that she didn't mind very much at all this time. They stayed that way in quiet companionship, enjoying the bliss of simply being with one another after so long apart.

"You know, if things didn't fall the way they did, I was going to elope with you," Adrien informed her matter-of-factly after a time.

Marinette laughed. The sound sweeter than the chime of the crystal bells of the Summer Palace. "Oh really now?"

"Really." He turned his green eyes up towards her to show that he was completely sincere. That he had every intention of following through. That he wouldn't have regretted it for an instant. "You're my whole world, Marinette."

The mage blushed under the intensity of his gaze. Even as her heart filled with so much happiness that it physically ached. She turned her eyes away, suddenly feeling shy. "...How can you marry me if you haven't even kissed me yet?"

Adrien's eyes widened, before they softened with affection. Pushing himself up from her lap, he cupped her cheek. Moving to correct his egregious error, he leaned closer until they were a breath apart. Her soft lips parted, warm with anticipation.

Then he suddenly froze.

Blushing profusely, Marinette asked, "Wh-what's wrong?"

The blond suddenly let out a bark of laughter, hanging his head as he shook it in disbelief. "I can't believe it. I forgot all about it. I was going to tell you right when I saw you. Then with everything that happened it just completely slipped my mind."

Feeling just a touch put out, the mage frowned. "What? What is it?"

Adrien looked up, his green eyes glowing with adoration. A smile spread across his lips.

"I love you," he said, watching Marinette suck in a sharp breath.

Then, he kissed her.