"When the power of love overcomes the love of power, the world will know peace."

Jimi Hendrix

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Ladybug's back hit the wall she was thrown at. In every attempt, she had tried to escape the clutches of Mayura who had been reaching for earrings. She had been giving quite the fight to keep her Miraculous. She promised Master Fu she would keep the Miraculous box safe while he went into hiding for the time being. The hero got up slowly. Her body was screaming at her to stop, but she wasn't about to let Mayura win. Not ever. She had her yoyo behind her, swinging in a deadly spin that could hurt anyone. "What have you done to Cat Noir?!" those beautiful bluebell eyes turned into a deep ocean with waves clashing in her eyes.

Mayura didn't respond. It didn't matter to her if she killed Ladybug. All that mattered was the happiness for Adrien and Gabriel Agreste. Finding out Cat Noir was Adrien, it gave her the idea to play Ladybug into her trap. She took a step back.

While Adrien thought of having his mother back was good, Plagg had also warned him of the consequences which would happen. An eye for an eye was like a life for a life.

Dammit, that clueless child didn't know what he was talking about. Mayura dodged every attack Ladybug threw at her. She simply lured her to the Agreste mansion. It was clear to her that this young boy meant a lot to Ladybug.

With the incident of Volphina, Mayura was told how emotional Ladybug was when she held fake Adrien by the wrist. She nearly gave up her Miraculous for an illusion. So that got her thinking. If Cat Noir didn't show up because she was going to 'hurt' Adrien, there would a be a good chance that she would get Ladybug's miraculous and after getting that miraculous, Cat Noir would give himself up for his Ladybug. "He's gone." she set her foot on her back. "You won't escape, little bug. Your Miraculous is mine."

"No!" her body ached so much. She closed her eyes tightly. This was how it was all going to end. She had failed as Ladybug.

"Marinette, don't let evil take over and make the world fall into misery. You are Ladybug."

Other voices who also held the ladybug miraculous in the past spoke with the light spirit. They were right. Just because she was vulnerable, didn't mean she could just give up. After all, Cat Noir sacrificed himself for her. All the time. He always managed to get her out of harm's way.

She opened her eyes. "Your reign of terror is over!" she knocked Mayura off of her feet and got on to her own. Her yoyo swung behind her.

The peacock themed villain advanced towards the young hero who managed to get her off of the little bug. There was little emotion that appeared on her face. She simply showed hee teeth in a creepy manner.

Ladybug dodged any attack M would throw at her. She looked for any signs of weakness. None. She only met her a few times during when Sabrina had gotten akumatized a third time as Miraculer. And that made her nervous. She wasn't ready to face Hawkmoth all by herself. But, she supposed the world depended on it.

Any wish Hawkmoth could have, could alter time and reality.

Mayura backed away at the hero's sudden movements. Every step in plan A was falling apart. There was a plan B, but she was unsure it would work. She really didn't have any other choice here. Yeah, Hawkmoth could akumatize Lila or someone to help her. She just needed Ladybug to be still. There had to be some sort of hidden power of the peacock that could also make dark nightmares come true.

Another thing was like Ladybug and Cat Noir, she could communicate with Hawkmoth. She did that silently while Ladybug tried getting the upper advantage against her. "Hawkmoth." she called out.

"Mayura. What seems to be the matter?"

"Akumatize him." she instructed slowly.

"Akumatize who?" Ladybug asked. She was worried for whomever she was talking about. She looked around her to see no one, but she also kept her guard up to ensure Mayura didn't have the advantage.

Cat Noir...or rather Cat Blanc appeared behind her. He caught her yoyo, calling out his cataclysm, leaving Ladybug to use her hand to hand combat skills.

"No..Cat Noir, this isn't you! Please snap out of it!" she backed away. It was a good thing she wasn't on any sort of roof of Paris. If she was, she sort of knew she was going to be a goner. No yoyo. Man, her luck hadn't been so great lately.

"You actually care now, Bugaboo?" he asked in this taunting voice.

"I've always cared and you know that.." seeing her partner like this made her bring her guard down slightly. "I don't want to fight you, Cat!"

He called out his cataclysm again. "You know you're outnumbered, Ladybug. Give up."

'Give up.' That's all that echoed in her mind. She knew she was stronger than this, but how was she going to make it through without him?

Mayura knocked Ladybug back into a wall again. She gestured for Cat Blanc to come forward and use his cataclysm on her.

He didn't. He put his hand with that sort of power to a nearby pipe, which crumbled into dust. He held her up with a clawed hand. There was no emotion in his eyes.

She was defenseless. As much as she thrashed at his grasp, it felt as his grip tightened. Her arms tugged at his hand. This wasn't the Cat Noir she knew and loved. Only moments later did she see black dots fill her vision. She was losing air. They could take her Miraculous now with her like this, but they didn't. She felt herself being dropped on the ground. She coughed violently as air finally filled her body again. Tears filled her eyes. "Cat.."

The villain in white clad tilted his head. His pink eyes just stared at her.

"Now, bring her to Hawkmoth. He'd like to see her." Mayura led the way to Hawkmoth.

Cat Blanc grabbed Ladybug, forcing her to stand up. He removed his belt tail from his waist, tying her arms behind her back. "Don't you try anything. Or else."

She looked down in defeat. Somehow. she had to get him back. Without her yoyo or lucky charm, she couldn't do anything. Unless if she decided to to risk her secret identity for all of Paris to see. So, she remained to stay as Ladybug.

He dragged her to the Agreste mansion where he threw her to the ground.

The side of her face hit the ground. Hawkmoth..whoever he was was right in front of her the whole time. The entire Agreste family must of been conspiring against her to get her Miraculous. As well as Cat Noir's.

But..Cat Noir was akumatized.

She managed to get on her knees. She was going to face Hawkmoth. Even if it killed her. She promised the people of Paris that she would keep them away from harm.

Hawkmoth stood on the stairs of the main hall. He had his staff in front of him in a gentleman like manner. He lifted one of his hands up to take the butterfly back from Cat Blanc's ring.

Ladybug watched the butterfly leave. It turned white as it came back to him.

He held up that staff like sceptor up to encase the butterfly.

Cat Noir went to Ladybug's side, seeing her look so strong, but injuries covered her face and neck. He was stopped by Mayura.

"She's only holding you back."

"Shut up! You made me do your dirty work!" He saw how claw marks covered her neck. His heart fell when he saw the look of defeat in her eyes. "What did you do to her?!" he wanted answers.

"What did we do?" Hawkmoth started. "Actually, you should be asking yourself."

The hero in black looked at his ring. Only three minutes until he transformed back. He looked back to Ladybug who had her arms tied behind her back by his belt tail. He..he hurt her. "No..Plagg, claws in.."

Ladybug closed her eyes as soon as she heard her partner ask his kwamii to make himself as an everyday civilian. She wouldn't look. She couldn't.

"Kid.."

"I had to Plagg, okay?!" He handed over his miraculous to Hawkmoth, making the villain smile.

"Now, you, Ladybug." she heard him say.

"Never. I'll never give my miraculous to you." she felt her arms go to her side. As she spoke, her voice sounded raspy. "As long as I'm still alive, my miraculous will never be yours."

"Hold him back."

Mayura firmly held Adrien's arm.

"What are you doing?! Get off of me!"

She dodged any attacks he tried to do on her. "Foolish boy. We're doing this for your own good. Your father made a lot of sacrifices to do this for you."

His eyes widened. "Father?" his tone of voice had changed from pure anger to sadness. The pieces of his lost time with his father started falling together. "How could you?" Those so called business vacations were just lies so that he could akumatize everyone. He started crying.

"I'm doing this for you, Adrien. I know how careless I've been lately, but that's because I was going to get your dear mother back. We both miss her. How would you feel if she came back? We'd be a happy family again."

"After everything you've done, do you really think I want to team with you and Mayura?"

Hawkmoth was a little taken back. He expected Adrien to be on his side. He didn't care about the consequences that could come. If he had his sweet Emilie back, he would be over the moon. "Deal with him and chain her up." Hawkmoth walked down the stairs to reach his lair.

Adrien was quite the fighter. But without powers...ugh..what had he done? He did his best to think positively for his Lady. He appreciated how she closed her eyes, but at the same time felt disappointed. "You won't tie me down!"

Mayura pushed him into a wall. "I'd suggest you shut your mouth before anything worse happens to your Ladybug." she de-transformed. "Gorilla, please lead Adrien to his room while I handle Ladybug.

Gorilla did so.

Ladybug looked up to see Natalie. "Y-you.."

"You really should hand over your Miraculous. Things will only get worse if you keep resisting like this."

The spotted heroine remained stubborn.

She pulled her into another room with no windows. Natalie could easily kick Ladybug if she tried to escape. It's not like anyone suspected herself or Gabriel to be the bad guys. She cuffed Ladybug's wrists and ankles. "Give up. It's over." she left her in the dark.

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Hawkmoth approached the injured Ladybug. "I told you I would destroy you."

"Y-you don't need to do this.."

"Yes I do. You're being resistant. I can't have that, but with you chained up like this, this will be easy."

She heard a high pitched voice. She didn't look up, but she assumed that voice belonged to Hawkmoth's kwamii.

"Master, please reconsider."

"I need her back and you're just my slave."

"Would your wife approve of you treating your kwamii like a slave?"

He slapped her. "You don't get to decide this, Ladybug. Give it to me!" he demanded. After hearing another refusal, he blew a fuse. He pulled her earrings off.

Her earrings beeped massively and Tikki flew out, only to stumble towards the ground. She whimpered. "I'll destroy the light spirit and you'll no longer be a threat to me." he put on the white ring that Cat Noir gave to him. "Destroy her."

As his new slave, he had to. Being starved hurt, but what hurt more was hurting the creature he loved. The black cat kwamii floated down towards the ladybug kwamii. "I'm sorry.."

A horrible shriek echoed through the room as Plagg touched Tikki's body. It shook Marinette to her core.

She felt a part of her being taken away. She..she failed as Ladybug. There was no hope for the world. She began to cry. She couldn't protect her. She should of fought back. She should of done something to prevent this, but she did nothing.

Destroying the light spirit would cause a great imbalance in the world. And that ultimate wish could take more than one life.

Gabriel picked up the earrings. He gave Plagg all of the cheese he wanted, but he couldn't eat after what he had done. He looked over to the girl. Marinette. Huh. He knew she would tire herself out and pass out on the ground here.

He needed to go to Adrien. Or somehow send a message to Wayzz. Plagg looked at the spot where he had destroyed Tikki.

The private fashion designer smiled to himself. His wish could finally come true.

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"The world's in trouble." Wayzz said in a sad voice.

"How do you know? What happened?" Fu asked. Usually when his kwamii said something like this, it was far more serious.

"It's Tikki and Plagg. We have to go help." Wayzz guided his miraculous holder to where he last felt the auras of both kwamiis. Fu followed.

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Adrien was let out of his room after a couple of hours. He had cried himself to sleep, only to be woken up by Plagg who looked like he didn't sleep in ages. But it only had been a few hours.

"Follow me." he whispered. "Ladybug..I mean Marinette needs you."

Gorilla had no clue about Gabriel or Natalie being the bad guys. He was only following orders. And to witness that girl get betrayed and hurt by her partner, it did indeed break his heart. He couldn't work here anymore. So, he left.

Adrien was sad. He followed Plagg to where Ladybug was held. He ran over to her when he saw her small body sprawled across the floor.

Those chains that held her bruised her wrists and ankles after struggling so much. Her hair was out of her signature pigtails.

He pulled ber body into his arms. "Marinette.." he held her close to him. "Is she?.."

"Not dead. Just sleeping, but her kwamii is." Plagg wouldn't let himself cry. He destroyed his lover. He took a deep breath. And then set a paw on the chains that held Marinette. He destroyed them.

The blond thanked him. He carefully took one of her hands, kissing the back of it.

"Hello, Cat Noir."

Adrien nearly had the hairs on him fall off. "You!"

Master Fu smiled. "Shh.. please be quiet. Hawkmoth can't know I'm here."

"How did you get in here?"

"There's no time for that. All isn't lost yet."

"But Master Fu-"

He cut Plagg off. "Do you remember what the first few miraculous guardians said about the balance of light and dark spirits?"

Plagg shook his head.

"Even if darkness destroys light, it'll grow inside the darkness as if light destroys darkness, it will grow inside. It will take time. I'm not sure for how long." he sat on the ground. "There is one thing more powerful than the ladybug and black cat miraculous put together."

He looked up. "What is it?"

"I made the risk to have a Ladybug and a Cat Noir. I've observed how you two have grown and it sometimes frustrated me when you two rejected each other. But now you know each other's secret selves. You two are made for each other." he paused for a moment. "Love."

"Love?"

"Yes. Light and dark reside in you both. I want you to end this. Bring Hawkmoth's miraculous to me. I know I can fix these sort of things."

"I will. I promise."

Marinette opened her eyes slowly. "Where's Tikki?.." It was all a dream to her. But moments later did she realize that it was reality. She was overcome by sadness, but happy that Adrien was here.

He held her hand, giving it a comforting squeeze. "Tikki will come back. I know it."

She got up with the help of Adrien of course. "How do you know that?"

Before Adrien could reply, Master Fu did. "Light and dark, remember those studies you did with me not too long ago?"

Marinette searched her mind for those times. She nodded. "I just need to wait.." she said sadly.

"Don't loose hope."

She nodded her head. "Love conquers all.." she said quietly. She guided herself so that her lips touched his. "You've always been there for me and I'll always be there for you." she began. "Who knew Adrien Agreste could be such the flirtatious superhero?" she giggled.

Adrien couldn't help, but smile. He was in love. This..Marinette was the girl of his dreams. "We're made for each other."

"And I'm so happy it's you.." she kissed him, pulling herself closer to him as she clutched his shoulders.

He pit his arms around her waist, kissing her back passionately.

As their lips touched, a powerful light came from them, sending any evil back. It would dissolve like a pill in water.

All the power Gabriel thought he had was too much for him to handle. He couldn't wield it.

The love between Adrien and Marinette made him realize that the only way he could make a happy family was to move on with his life. He would one day see Emilie again. He had to give all of this madness up. And all of that missed time with his son, he needed to make that up. "I can't do this."

"You've been working so hard on this. Don't give up."

"I've been using the powers given to me to harm others and I hurt my own son..I have to let go." he dropped the ring. "Forgive me, Emilie.." he whispered. He sat on his knees and cried. It had been nearly a decade since he had cried and boy did it feel good.

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Epilogue

All Ladybug and Cat Noir said was that Hawkmoth had been defeated, but they would not reveal who they were or who Hawkmoth was.

Everyone at school questioned how the heck Mari and Adrien became a couple over night. Chloe wasn't happy, but the least was that if Adrien was happy, she was happy.

Ladybug and Cat Noir over the years barely made any appearances.

The butterfly and the peacock miraculous were given back to the great guardian of the miraculous. He was so proud of them both. And that he could when the time came, he would die in peace.

Ladybug and Cat Noir would be the next great miraculous guardians as long as they lead with love, courage, and kindness.