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Ladybug Blues

Chapter Eight - His Wish

"I need to make a wish," he stated, his voice firm despite the tremble in his hands. "To bring Marinette back."

The deity let out a lengthy laugh, the sound echoing through the room. "Ah, so simple, so pure," Gimmi mused, floating closer to Adrien. "But as I'm sure you know, young hero, wishes are never quite that straightforward."

"What do you mean?" Adrien mumbled, one hand clutching the other. "I've done everything I could to get here, to get her back."

Gimmi's smile was sad. "Indeed, you have. But wishes, especially those that involve life and death, come with a price." The being hovered closer, their form shifting slightly. "What is it you truly wish for, Adrien Agreste?"

"Marinette. I wish to bring Marinette back," Adrien said, his voice shaking with determination. "I'll pay whatever price you ask, just let her live again. Let me get to her in time, please."

Gimmi's expression grew serious, the room's pink tinge fading to a stark white. "Very well," the deity said, their voice echoing through the room. "Your wish is to reset the day of her death, so you may save her. But remember, Adrien Agreste, the butterfly effect is a powerful force. Changing one thing may change everything."

Adrien's smile quickly turned sour as his expression changed from grateful to agonized. He clutched his wrist, looking down to see his hand turning to a fine dust. "What's happening?" He stuttered, eyes wide with fear.

"To make a wish is to destroy and rebuild the current reality. Your life, as you know it, will cease to exist," Gimmi continued, their eyes never leaving Adrien's. "In its place, a new reality will form, shaped by the choice you've made."

Adrien felt his knees buckle, he held back sobs as he crumbled to the floor.

"You'd think this would be quicker, huh?" Plagg quipped, trying to ease the tension. Tikki hovered closer, her eyes filled with a mix of pity and fear.

Adrien could hold it in no longer, a cry of agony escaping his throat in a guttural growl. His body felt like it was tearing apart from the inside out, the very essence of his being slipping through his fingertips like sand. He looked down at his hand again, now nothing but a skeletal structure of dust and bone.

"It's worth it," he whispered to himself, his voice shaking. "It's all worth it."

***********

Adrien stood at his locker, a tear-stained letter clutched in his hands. A single finger lifted to his cheek, dragging over the wetness under his eyes as he regained awareness. It was morning, and the hallways of Collège Françoise Dupont buzzed with the energy of a regular school day. His heart thundered in his chest as the reality of Gimmi's warning set in. The corridor was a blur of faces and voices, all of them unchanged, as if the last few moments in Marinette's room had never occurred.

He quickly scanned the locker room for any sign of Marinette, and sprinting into action when she was nowhere in sight. He had to save her this time. Adrenaline coursed through his veins, pushing away the pain of his recent ordeal. His heart hammered in his chest like a drummer playing for his life.

Pouncing over rooftops and in between alleys, Chat Noir did his best to swallow the lump in his throat until he could see her, his Lady, the love of his life, Marinette, stepping up to the edge of the bridge. Chat Noir ignored the way his legs burned, the way they begged for a moment of rest. He wouldn't rest until Marinette was safe in his arms again.

He was closer this time, so much closer. He would catch her, drag her to the shore and kiss every ounce of hope from his own body into hers, anything to make her stay.

"Marinette!" Chat shouted, his voice echoing through the early morning air. She turned towards him, her eyes widening with surprise, but she was already too close to the edge. Adrenaline surged through his body, pushing him to run faster than he ever had before. His heart felt like it was going to burst out of his chest.

Marinette looked over her shoulder, her eyes meeting his for a brief second before she lost her balance and toppled over the side. Chat Noir leaped into action, diving headfirst into the murky water, and secured his Lady's hand in his own. The joy that overcame his heart quickly diminished when he realized that they weren't ascending to the surface.

No, they were surely sinking deeper, at least Chat Noir was. Perhaps it was the instinct to survive that forced Marinette to thrash about, but her panic only served to push Chat Noir further and further down. The water was cold, dark, and unforgiving. Chat Noir's lungs burned, and he knew he had to act fast. He couldn't let this happen again, not on his watch. If he couldn't save his love, then what was all of this for?

He snatched his baton from his back with the strength he had left, shoving it into Marinette's hands and up to her mouth. He knew she knew what to do with it. With a final push of his hand, Marinette rose to the surface, coughing and sputtering for air. The weight lifted from his chest, Char Noir watched her, his eyes never leaving her. He felt the current pulling at him, the water getting colder, but he didn't care. This was his penance.

Marinette looked down at him, her eyes wide with terror. She threw the baton to the side, diving back into the water, her arms reaching for him. But it was too late. Adrien felt the water envelop him fully, his body giving in to the cold embrace of the river. His vision began to blur, the world around him becoming a muffled symphony of bubbles and shadowy shapes. His heart pounded in his ears, a silent scream of regret. He'd never get to hold her again, to sleep in her bed and inhale her scent for hours, he would never shed another tear, begging for whatever God that could exist to just bring his love back.

Marinette's hand brushed against his mask, her nails scratching against his suit. "Chat, no!" she screamed, her voice muffled by the water plaguing his body. "Please come back to me!"

A weak, clawed hand brushed her bangs out of the way, trailing down to her jawbone. "I'm just happy I could save you this time," Chat Noir's eyelids fell gently. "I love you, My Lady..."

Marinette's eyes widened as her sobs came to a halt. "My...? But, you- you- Chat," She stuttered, prodding for just a bit more information, but he was gone. How long had he known? How did he know? Questions filled the girl's head as she cried, pressing her forehead to Chat Noir's chest.

The world around her blurred as the water rushed, lapping at the shore. Marinette held Chat's lifeless body in her arms, her sobs echoing through the deserted riverside. The weight of his sacrifice crushed her soul, and she felt the burden of his loss in every fiber of her being. It was a moment frozen in time, a moment she wished she could take back.

With trembling fingers, Marinette reached for Chat Noir's miraculous. Her heart felt as though it had shattered into a million pieces. Her breaths were ragged, her body shaking uncontrollably. She had to do something, anything to save him. Her trembling hand touched the cold metal of his ring, the miraculous pulsing gently under her fingertips. It whispered a promise of salvation, a whisper of hope in the dark abyss of despair that was consuming her.

Sliding it off, a broken sob left her lips. Oh, God. It was him, all along. Adrien Agreste, famous model and student. Her classmate, her love, her crush, her everything. And she had killed him.

"Oh, Adrien," Marinette whispered, her voice cracking as she cradled his lifeless form. She swiped her fingers under his bangs, pushing them away to place a delicate kiss on Adrien's forehead. "I'm sorry, I'm so, so sorry. I love you, too." she sobbed, her voice barely audible.

Her eyes fell on the Black Cat Miraculous in her hand, glinting in the faint light. It was warm to the touch, almost pulsing with a strange energy. In that moment, she realized she had the power to change it all. The miraculous could bring him back, if she retrieved her own from Alya's locker. It'd only been an hour or so, she probably hadn't even found it yet. Marinette's eyes hardened with determination, her teeth clenched as she took a deep breath.

No. To make that wish would make her no different than Hawkmoth himself. But how was she going to explain this? How could she possibly explain to practically the entirety of Paris, that their beloved Adrien Agreste had been their savior, Chat Noir?

Marinette looked at the miraculous in her hand, the Black Cat one that had once been her love's, her Chaton's. Tears spilled from her eyes instantly. There would be no more night-time patrols, no more corny dates, cat puns, or roses forced into her hands. Adrien was gone, he wasn't coming back.

A dreadful feeling of deja vu overcame Marinette's senses, a splintering headache piercing through her skull. Something inside her told her she had been here before. She knew the outcome, she knew the pain. Her trembling hands touched the cold metal of the Black Cat Miraculous.

Plagg was nowhere in sight, as he usually would be if Adrien took his ring off.

"Plagg!" She screamed, looking around frantically. "Plagg, where are you?"

Nothing.

Tikki would know what was happening. But she couldn't just leave Adrien here, cold and alone. Marinette pulled her phone from her wet pocket, not surprised when it refused to turn on.

"Okay..." Marinette murmured. "I have to get him to the hospital myself, then."

Marinette ignored the way her sorrow dissipated at the face of urgency, her mind racing with what she had to do. She had to get him to a hospital, she had to save him. But she knew deep down that it was too late. Adrien's body was cold and heavy in her arms, and she knew she couldn't do it alone. She needed help. Adrien could still transform, so Plagg was obviously still active, just not in this plane of existence.

Slipping the cold ring over her ring finger, she shuddered at the feeling of the miraculous' magic. It was like electricity compared to Tikki's warm embrace. "Plagg, claws out," she whispered, her voice trembling.

Green light flashed over her body, encasing her in the warm suit she remembered so fondly. Lady Noire stood, carrying Adrien in her arms. The weight of his body was so real, so heavy. She took off running, her legs burning with every step she took. She practiced her lines, the excuses she'd make for her love's death. Nobody would know that his accidental demise was a sacrifice for her own.

The hospital was a blur of lights and sirens. The cold, sterile air slapped her in the face as she stumbled through the doors. "Help!" she screamed, her voice echoing off the walls. "Someone, please help!"

Nurses and doctors rushed towards her, their eyes widening at the sight of Adrien's limp body. They took him from her arms, the sudden absence of his weight leaving her feeling hollow. They laid him on a gurney and wheeled him away, leaving Lady Noire in a cold, empty space. She watched him go, feeling a piece of herself go with him. She could hear the machines beep and whir, and the frantic commands of the medical staff. The miraculous on her finger grew hot, a pulsing reminder of the power she held.

Watching Adrien's lifeless body being taken away, Lady Noire held herself tightly. Tears burned her eyes, but refused to fall. She couldn't grieve yet, not with her earrings sitting in Alya's locker.

Lady Noire forced her legs to move, detransforming on her way back to the school. There, she'd grab her miraculous and figure everything else out, one step at a time.

The halls were eerily empty, the echoes of her shoes the only sound as she made her way to Alya's locker. She fiddled with the lock, her hands trembling with the urgency of the situation. Finally, the locker clicked open, revealing her Ladybug miraculous, untouched.

Marinette reached in, her heart racing as she snatched the box, shoving it deep into her hoodie pocket.

"Marinette?" Alya's voice echoed through the locker room, causing Marinette to freeze. She spun around, her eyes wide with fear.

"Alya," she choked out, her voice barely above a whisper.

Alya looked at her with confusion, then concern. "Marinette, are you okay?" She took a step closer, her eyes darting to the wet clothes Marinette hadn't bothered to change. "What happened? And why are you in my locker?"

Marinette took a deep breath, her mind racing. She couldn't tell Alya the truth, not yet. "I... I just... I lost something, and I thought it might've been in here."

Alya's eyebrows furrowed. "What did you lose? If you even lost anything at all? Are you stealing from me, Marinette?" Her tone grew accusatory, a hint of anger in her voice.

Marinette's eyes watered as she shook her head slowly, a baffled smile creeping onto her lips. "Are you kidding me?" She whispered. "I-I don't have time for this shit!"

Marinette pushed past Alya, yanking her arm away when she tried to grab for it. She sprinted through the empty halls, her heart pounding. The miraculous in her pocket felt like a bomb ticking down to zero. She had to get to Master Fu's. It was the only place she could think to go.

When she arrived at the shop, she stumbled in, soaking wet and out of breath. The old man looked up from his book, his eyes widening at the sight of her. "Marinette, what happened?" He asked, setting the book aside.

Marinette collapsed to the floor, tears splashing onto the hardwood beneath her. "Adrien- Chat Noir, h-he's gone!" she wailed, her voice shaking with sobs. "It's all my fault, a-and Plagg is gone- I don't know about Tikki yet, but-but-"

Master Fu's eyes grew serious, his frail body moving swiftly to her side. "Stop, slow down. What do you mean, 'gone'?"

The girl sniffled, and reluctantly held out her hand, showing Master Fu the miraculous- Adrien's miraculous.

Master Fu's eyes grew wide with shock. "Adrien," he whispered, "What happened?"

Marinette took a shaky breath. "I-I tried to... I was going to-to..." she stuttered, unable to get the words out.

How was she supposed to explain that she was about to take her own life when Adrien saved her? He'd take her miraculous back for sure, someone as unstable as herself would never be deemed worthy of holding a miraculous, especially that of creation.

"I-I tried to save him," she choked out, her voice hoarse from screaming and crying. "But I failed. He's dead because of me!"

Master Fu took the miraculous from her hand, his eyes never leaving hers. "I see... I will keep his ring safe, Marinette. But, tell me more about Plagg and Tikki being gone?"

Marinette took the box from her pocket, pushing her earrings in. Tikki did not emerge.

"I first noticed it when I took Adrien's ring, a-after he'd..." Marinette trailed off, briefly staring off into space before snapping back to reality. "Uh, Plagg didn't come out like normal, and now Tikki's not either. I don't know why."

Master Fu studied the ring for a moment. His eyebrows furrowed, and he excused himself. When he came back, he held a tablet in his hands. Fu swiped through photos for what felt like forever before stopping. He looked up at Marinette briefly, sighing.

"This is... grave," he said. "A wish has been made." He looked up at Marinette with sad eyes.

Marinette's heart sank even further. "A wish? B-but how? I don't remember making a wish!" she stuttered, hands flying up to her earrings.

Master Fu looked at her gravely. "It wasn't you, Marinette. It was Adrien."

Marinette's stomach lurched. "Adrien? What could he have wished for?" she murmured, her voice trembling.

"I'm just happy I could save you this time, My Lady."

"This time,"

"My Lady,"

My Lady. This time. The words repeated again and again in her head. The deja vu, the headache, the feeling of being on that riverbank before. It all made sense now. Adrien had wished to save her, to reset the day of her death. Her death... She died. How long did it take for him to make the wish?

Master Fu's eyes grew sadder as he spoke. "I don't know what he wished for, Marinette, but unfortunately it has placed Plagg and Tikki in a sort of... Sleep." He paused, choosing his words carefully. "When a miraculous is used for a wish that alters reality, the kwami inside is drained of their form. They need time to recover, until then, they exist purely as energy."

"How much time?" She asked, running a hand through her hair. "How long will they be like this?"

Master Fu's gaze fell to the floor. "It's hard to say. It could be weeks, months, maybe even a year or so. You will still be able to transform and use your miraculous for good, you just will not have Tikki with you for some time." He paused for a while, tapping his knee lightly. "I will find a new holder for the Black Cat, you'll still need help fighting Hawkmoth."

Marinette felt the color drain from her face. "No! You can't just replace him, Master!" she protested, her voice rising in panic. "I won't work with a new holder, Adrien is the only one."

Master Fu's expression remained solemn. "Marinette, we cannot leave Paris unprotected. Your bond with Adrien is strong, but the miraculous are not toys. We must prepare for the future."

Marinette felt a surge of anger, but she knew he was right. She took a deep breath, nodding reluctantly. But the thought of Adrien being replaced so quickly, so soon after his death, it crushed Marinette. "I understand," she said, her voice shaking. "But who will you choose?"

"You know the rules, Marinette." Master Fu said gently.

Marinette nodded, her eyes still glued to the floor. How would she move past this? The only friend she had left was dead now, and he wasn't ever coming back. She'd have to get used to another Chat Noir, relearn how to fight alongside someone new. Someone who didn't know her as Marinette, who didn't hold her hand at night on a random rooftop when she couldn't sleep. Someone who wasn't her love.

How was she supposed to live again?

Slowly, Marinette stood and made her way out of the tea shop where Master Fu resided. She walked along the Siene for a little while, wondering what the doctors had done with Adrien, if they'd called his father yet. If his father even answered the phone. When she finally got home, it was dark out. Her parents rushed to her, bombarding her with questions. Seeing the zoned out look on their daughter's face, they decided it was best to let her rest for the night.

Marinette laid in bed, staring at the ceiling. She couldn't get the image of Adrien's cold, lifeless body out of her head. She reached for her earrings, the miraculous that was now useless without Tikki, and felt the weight of them heavy on her chest. It was like a noose around her neck, a constant reminder of her failure.

She'd never dealt with death before. Her grandparents were still alive, she never had any pets. The closest she'd come was her own supposed death, but she had come back. Adrien made sure of it. He wouldn't come back like her. Marinette hated herself for the way her tears dried up long before she got home. She hated that all she could think about was how she'd survive without him, and not how he sacrificed his own life for hers.

"Ungrateful." Marinette mumbled to herself. "It should've been you." She brought her hands to her own neck, squeezing with every bit of rage and despair she had. She didn't stop until black spots filled her vision and her throat burned.

Even now, she couldn't bring herself to do it, to die. How ridiculous. She turned over, burying her face into her cat pillow and screamed until it felt like her esophagus was torn to shreds.

********************

Weeks passed before Marinette gathered the courage to patrol without her Chaton. It felt like a crime. She lived, he didn't.

Gabriel Agreste had decided not to hold a funeral, Marinette supposed losing both his wife and child within five years was hard, but planning a funeral for both was probably even worse. He hadn't come out with any new clothing lines since Adrien's death, refusing any press conferences and staying holed up in his mansion.

Hawkmoth laid dormant. Not a single akuma since Adrien died, and Marinette was thankful for it. The less she had to see of some random new holder, the better.

Ladybug landed quietly on the Eiffel Tower, reminiscing her little 'dates' with Chat Noir. Dried roses still sat in some places, somehow unmoved by the weather. She crouched, gently picking one up. It was so brittle, so fragile.

"It's just me now," she whispered, her voice breaking.

"It doesn't have to be that way." A melodic voice spoke from behind.

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