Chapter Text
Riiiiiiing!
All the students start to leave the class for lunch, leaving only Marinette and Alya pretending to organize their backpacks; the moment the last student leaves, Marinette starts.
“Oh my God, do you know who that is? Oh my God, I’m freaking out! AHHHHHHHH!”
“Relax girl, yeah I wonder if I remember the model from your favorite clothing brand, son of your favorite stylish,”
Marinette starts her tangent about the fashion industry, why Agreste is the best brand ever, and her dreams of being just as famous while Alya looks with a fond look at her.
“... And you know that’s my whole dream. Wait, do you think Adrien can help me get in contact with the fashion world? Just imagine, me, being recognized by the Gabriel Agreste,” She says with stars in her eyes.
“Y‘know that for that to happen, you first have to talk to him, right?”
-
“So, your name is Adrien, right?”
“Yes, and you are…?”
“Nino,” the boy with headphones says, smiling.
The two boys left the class together, they had sat together throughout Miss Bustier’s class and the moment they first talked, they clicked, just like that.
“So, hey, why did you just show up last year? Where did you study before?”
“Well… I was, well, homeschooled my whole life. This is the first time my father let me study with other people. O-outside of extracurriculars, I mean. Sorry, I just- I’m not used to other people.” The blond says bashfully. The truth is, he’s used to spending time alone with rarely another person to talk to, seldom someone his age. To finally be at school is a dream come true, one he still isn’t quite sure how it happened.
“You seemed used to Chloé,” Nino says, not mean but curious, for the two couldn’t seem more different.
“Chloé is... Chloé’s complicated, “ and he seems to fight for what to say. “We’ve known each other for a long time, and with our life, it is difficult to make friends our age, so we just, you know, became friends.”
For a moment, Nino looks at him with furrowed brows, looking like he’s about to say something, but looks away and starts talking again.
“Well, I’m glad you’re different. You seem chill dude, “ both smile at that and keep walking.
For Adrien, his first chance at friendship by himself, and for Nino, a possible new friend.
-
The lunch is almost over and a few students are already returning. The class, empty now, is silent when Chloé enters, followed by Sabrina.
“Aargh! Adrien should be spending time with me, ME! Sabrina, make him spend time with me! “ It’s a demanding tone, with Chloé so full of herself it makes Sabrina tremble.
“B-but I do-don’t know how, “ she says, holding a tablet with Chloé’s schedule.
“Find a way! Oh my god! “ Chloé rolls her eyes while chewing a piece of gum.
Riiiiiiing!
As other people enter the class, Chloé, while nobody’s looking, sticks gum in Marinette’s seat. At the same moment, Adrien enters alone, Nino in the bathroom. He sees Chloé act and goes to the seat at the same time.
“Chloé! Why did you- “He starts trying to take the gum out with his fingers. “Dear God Chloé”
“Hey, what the hell are you doing with my chair?“ Marinette enters with Alya and Nino following her, marching in Adrien’s direction, and they all start talking at the same time.
“Dude, I thought you were different!”
“I can’t believe it!”
“No, no, you misunderstood.”
“What I misunderstood, Agreste, please explain to me.“
“I-I was just trying to help.“
They all keep discussing and now the entire class is looking at them and Marinette looks seconds away from exploding when the door opens again and Miss Bustier enters. They all go silent enough to hear a needle falling, even Chloé who was in a corner not knowing whether to complain and make herself the victim or laugh at Marinette’s expense.
“Everyone, to your seats, now.”
Adrien looks dejected for a second, but Marinette simply puts a sheet of paper over the gum and sits on the side. Everyone else goes to their seat, Chloé with her head held up and Nino looking at the other side, which leaves Adrien just returning silently to his seat.
-
Fu was meditating with Wayzz, one in front of the other, both with their legs crossed and eyes closed, the miraculous box in the middle of them. On top of the box there was a pair of black dot earrings and a silver ring.
The old man sighs, opening his eyes and looking defeated.
"Wayzz, you know this isn't helping any of us."
"It might help, you just have to wait for it," the Kwami says with his eyes closed, still trying to meditate.
They both have spent hours in the same room, unmoving, waiting for Wayzz to establish a connection with the other Kwamis so they can discuss how to find the new holders. Long gone was the time when Kwamis would walk freely and choose their humans, or the time when they would look at the stars looking for an answer they might have written before humanity even was being considered.
During the next three hours, Wazzy sits, with no movement, no looking, just searching for a connection while Fu drinks his tea. Then Wayzz opens his eyes and with a hopeful look he says:
"We know how to choose this time."
"How?"
"With their dreams."
-
"Bye Mari, see you tomorrow girl"
"Bye Alya, I'll bring some sweets for tomorrow for us to share okay?"
Marinette passes by Adrien pointly not looking at him on the way home while the boy sighs. Argh I can't believe I thought someone Chloé calls a friend would be decent, she tells herself. I can't believe I thought just because I was finally going to school things would be better, he thinks bitterly.
And this is life. Life's full of misunderstandings, bitterness, and remorse; there's no meaning outside of what we decide and we keep on living based on a survival instinct or out of the guilt we would have if we killed ourselves.
They all get home, do their chores, do a little homework, and go to bed waiting for the next day to come and for the routine to begin again and again and again. Except tonight things are gonna be a little different.
It's dark and very few people are out, most sleeping and trying to rest for the next day, however, in an alley in a not-very-safe place, a Chinese massage house has its lights on with its doors and windows locked. Inside the house, Fu stands with a different Kwami, this one named Trixxy.
"Are you sure this will work?"
"It has worked before and will work again"
"Very well, Trixxy, on the hunt!"
Trixxy then is warped into a necklace Fu was wearing and he becomes different. His whole face and shoulders become obscured by a burnt orange hood/cape, loose black pants, and long black gloves, with a belt-like fabric on the waist that has the slight shape and color of a fox tail.
He produces a flute out of thin air and brings it to his lips, making a melody that somehow reaches all of Paris; all of those asleep hear the song and their dreams begin to change.
No matter who, no matter where in Paris, all citizens have the same dream that night. The melody goes into the dream changing images and messing with people's perception of reality.
“Well, it seems the dream plan worked, now all to be done is giving the miraculous away right Fu?” Wayzz says hours later when Trixxy is back at the box, and Fu is back to normal.
“I hope it's as easy as that old friend,” Fu begins to gather the earrings and ring and puts them in small, black and red boxes.
“Look, I know you don't think it’s necessary but Nooro warned us, he never would've risked himself like this if it wasn't important.”
“I know Wayzz, trust me, I'll do what's right, whether I agree or not”
-
“Bonjour maman, bonjour papa” Marinette enters the kitchen in the morning, kissing both her parents’ cheeks.
There's a short Chinese woman at the table and a tall and large French man by the stove.
“Bonjour sweetie”
“Boujour Marinette, did you sleep well?”
“I- well yes but I kinda had this weird dream?” She says opening the fridge and grabbing juice to pour herself a cup “It had something to do with cats and bugs but I can't remember anything, it's frustrating.”
“Oh sweetheart it's just a dream, anyways, remember we need your help as soon as you get home from school, we have this huge order to finish by Friday.”
“Oui maman, I remember” the girl answers before grabbing her bag and leaving the house.
On the way to school, she stops in front of a traffic light and an old man stops by her side; he's short, Asian, around sixty or so and his hair is almost fully white, he has a Hawaiian shirt and cargo shorts, there's nothing interesting about him so Marinette doesn't spend two seconds looking in his direction and the old man seemed to share the feeling.
The light turns green and people start crossing the street when the old man trips and all of his things fall across the road. Marinette thought for a single moment before helping the man and gathering his things.
“Thank you, young lady, you didn't have to,” 'no one else did', the thought is bitter in his head.
“Ah, it's no problem sir, here, do you have it all?”
“Yes, yes, thank you,” and he left in a hurry before the lights turned red.
“Oh well,...” The girl starts to leave too when she notices a small black box with Chinese inscriptions, she grabs it and says “Sir, you forgot- “ but the man is already gone.
The box is small enough to fit in her palm, with details in bright red and a yin and yang symbol in the center. She looks around but seeing no trace of the old man she puts it in her pocket and leaves for school.
-
Adrien is leaving his car after having said his goodbyes to Natalie and Gorilla when an old man walking rapidly bumps into him, dropping a small box on the floor.
“Sir! You dropped this-” There was no one on the sidewalk, the car was just as gone as the man and no student was outside. “Oh.”
The box fits in his hand, and when he takes a better look at it he notices that the red details are Chinese inscriptions of human concepts such as creation, chaos, perception, and others. He pockets it and goes in the classroom direction.
Standing there he sees Nino and after sighing he goes to talk to him.
"Heeey Nino."
"Agreste."
Another sigh and Adrrien has to close his eyes for a second before sitting on his chair and turning towards the other boy.
"You know I didn't put gum in that girl's seat, right? It was Chloé."
"I dunno dude, all I know is you're friends with Chloé, there was gum in that girl's seat and that girl happens to be my friend since childhood, who by the way, has a name: Marinette."
"What are you guys talking about my girl?" Alya enters the room followed by a group of students.
"Nothing at all, so did you sleep well? Cause I had the weirdest dream with a bug and a cat and..." Nino turns in her direction and they both start talking.
Adrien seems defeated and turns towards the front with his head down low.
"Very well class, everyone to your seats-"
"I'M HERE I'M HERE I'M NOT LATE!" Marinette enters making the whole class look at her, most barely holding a laugh.
"Congratulations miss Dupain-Cheng, now if you would be so kind as to join your classmates I'd like to start the class"
"Oui Miss Boustier, sorry about that."
-
“Very well, this is the house of our new holder!” Fu is standing in an alley hidden from the street looking at a window on the seventh floor, when he reaches into his pocket.
“…”
“Fu, are you ready?” Wayzz asks from the man's shirt pocket.
“...”
“Fu, what happened-?”
“I can't find the box,” he whispers.
“What? I didn't understand”
“I can't find the box,” Fu repeats, shocked. “I CAN'T FIND THE BOX WAYZZ!”
Some people from outside the alley were now looking at him and walking faster.
“Fu, calm down, you must have forgotten at home, let's go back and try again tomorrow,” Wayzz says calmly.
“Right, you're right I must've forgotten, let's check back at home,” Fu says breathing heavily and getting out of the alley but he stops for a second right before getting out.
“What is that?”
“What is what?”
“This noise, do you hear-?
“...AAAAAAAAHHHHH” The scream echoes through the street and a girl comes flying through bringing a storm with her.
It's too fast to see any details but she has an unnatural glow and brings silver butterflies following alongside. Her hair is divided into two purple and white pigtails, she wears a dark dress and seems to be dragged by her purple umbrella.
“Oh no, oh no, oh no, oh no. It began.” Fu staggers backward deeper into the alley while hearing the girl's scream echo through the street.
He shoots into the alley and dives behind a dumpster.
“Fu, you're not in conditions to fight.”
“Someone has to.”
“But not you, Fu, please listen to reason,” Wayzz is floating in front of Fu's face looking into his eyes almost desperate.
Fu's eyes on the other hand can't seem to focus on anything, he has a panicked expression and his hands are trembling.
“Someone has to, Wayzz, and I was trained for it, It has to be me,” he says in a whisper, afraid of accepting he's the one who has to fight.
See, Wang Fu is only a man. He was trained is true, the last miraculous keeper taught him all he knew, taught him the history of miraculous, how they came to be, what to do with them, how he was chosen, and how to choose new keepers. But he also has been in a position of miraculous keeper for 62 years, been carrying the secret alone for 40 of these years, hidden away, with no real threat and he grew complacent.
That's why Nooro was stolen.
That's why Fu couldn't move now. Because of all the guilt, all the fear. There was a story forming in Paris and the only one who knew about it couldn't move.
He couldn't move.
There was a rogue miraculous, possibly being used for evil by a person who had no idea of its history and its true power, and all Fu could do was tremble in a hidden alley.
He couldn't move, he couldn't breathe, he couldn't-
"HAHAHA THIS IS SO MUCH FUN!"
"CHAT NOIR! WAIT FOR ME!"
Two shadows fly through the sky above the alley jumping from building to building, from a distance Wazzy and Fu see a red and black dot and another all-black dot going in the umbrella girl's direction.
"Is that... ?"
"It's Ladybug and Chat Noir, t-they're here."
-
Now, in order for this to make sense we must go back a little.
Marinette and Adrien's class were all in their seats in silence copying the exercise on the board when a faculty member opened the door with a serious face.
"All students must go home immediately, there's been reports of a terrorist attack happening on the Champ de Mars," and that unleashes a flood of worried voices.
"WHAT?"
"What do you mean by a terrorist attack?!"
"Oh my god, is anyone hurt?"
"Is anyone DEAD?!"
"Class please be silent."
"WE'RE GONNA DIE!"
And they all start trying to leave at same in panic, a few seconds and all the ones left in the class are Miss Bustier and Adrien.
"You're not leaving Adrien?" Miss Bustier asks with furrowed brows.
"I have to wait for the car to come to pick me up, they probably already know about it and are on the way but I'll call my father anyway," maybe he answers this time.
"Well I'll be going and I have to lock the class, come wait on the patio."
And there they go, where Miss Bustier goes to her car and Adrien is left all alone. He's used to being alone but that doesn't make it any less difficult. And for a moment he wonders if that's how he'll die. The terrorist attack will come close to the school and he'll be caught in the crossfire, his father will be at home working on a project or another, and Natalie and Gorilla will be on the way looking only to do their job and nothing else.
He will die alone, just like every single day spent on this earth ever since his mother died and he was left to pick up the pieces.
Or, he might live, the attack will still come but he'll live. Damaged, dead to his father, without being able to fulfill his purpose to him. Scarred for life by something out of his control, like every single thing in his life-
NO. No, no, no, he won't die, he won't. He'll live and make friends and find love, and he won't be lonely and he'll actually have a life worth living. Good things only, think good things, you're not alone Adrien.
He starts pacing, repeating under his breath "You're not alone, you're not alone."
When he finally calms down he takes a deep breath and opens his eyes. There's still no Natalie or Gorilla but he'll make it home, they will come and everything will be okay. He looks around and sits on a nearby bench when he feels an object in his jeans pocket.
"Oh it's that box," he grabs it and holds it in his palm. He knows he's not supposed to keep things from others but something is compelling him to open it, something he's not sure where it's coming from but it's strong enough for him to think Screw it!
There's a ring.
It's a silver ring with a flat circle in the middle, almost like something is supposed to be there but isn't. He still doesn't know what that feeling is but it's getting even stronger and whispers in his head to put the ring. He shouldn't, he knows he shouldn't and he has always been strong enough to resist temptations from life but this time it doesn't seem possible.
He puts the ring and it fits perfectly on his finger, almost like it was made for me.
For a moment nothing happens, and Adrien doesn't know why he feels like something should be happening, he just put on a ring, nothing much. But then,
"AAAAAHAHA! I'm free! Finally, we discussed this so much Wayzz, I can't believe you only found my person now so, how-
Slap!
"What the hell are you?" Aaand Adrien panics. I mean, a floating cat-like thing just showed up in front of him and started talking, of course he panicked.
"What do you mean who I am? I'm me, I should be the one asking who are you"
"Well I happen to also be me, and I was here before you the one who showed up out of nowhere."
"HAHA! 'You were here before' You're funny, kid." The floating cat-like thing says wiping a tear and laughing. "By the way, did Fu and Wayzz not explain sh*t to you? I'm your miraculous, duh."
"You're my what? And who's Fu and Wayzz?"
"Your Kwami, did they really just throw the box at you and tell you to open it?"
"What's a Kawami?"
"Kwami, kid." The 'Kwami' sighs and rolls its eyes before taking a serious look at Adrien "Look, what's your name?"
"Adrien."
"Look, Adrien, I'm your Kwami, your little friend who can help you restore the peace in the universe and bring back things to normal because one of us was kidnapped and now things' gonna get messy, do you understand until now?"
"Kinda, your friend got kidnapped and you want my help? That's it?"
"... You know what, sure let's go with that. For that to happen you must become a hero-"
"A hero?"
"Don't interrupt me!"
"Sorry, sorry."
"But yeah, a hero. Like in those stories I know kids like you like to read. So yeah, blah blah blah hero, blah blah blah save Nooro blah blah blah Plagg claws out"
"Plagg claws out?"
"WAIT NO-"
"AAAAAAAAHHHH"
-
Meanwhile, Marinette finally closed the door behind her and went up the stairs calling for her parents.
"Maman! Papa! Where are you guys?"
"Marinette!"
"Maman!"
Sabine Cheng appears coming from the living room where Tom is watching the TV on the news channel. From here Marinette can only see a storm going on and a lot of cops before her mother stands on her way and makes a serious face.
"Marinette, go to your room and stay there okay? We don't know what's happening but we want you safe."
"Okay, maman." The girl nods.
Marinette turns and goes upstairs in her room's direction, and as soon as she closes the door she runs to her computer and begins to look for news regarding the attack.
It's only when she sits on her chair that she feels something poking out of her pants pocket. It is the box the old man forgot.
She, who was so focused on the attack just moments ago, now can't help but grab the box and stare at it, the Chinese inscriptions are all concepts with no real phrase but is the yin and yang symbol in the middle that grabs her attention. Something is calling her. She doesn't know who or what but she can feel deep in her bones that she must open the box.
She opens and it's only a pair of earrings, two small black dot earrings in the middle of the box.
For some unknown reason, she grabs the earrings and goes to the mirror. She holds the earrings in her ear and after a moment of doubt, she puts them on. They're simple, nothing special, nothing extravagant, so why did she feel like something was supposed to happen?
"Waaahhh... dear god it's been so long."
"AAAAAHHH WHAT THE HECK ARE YOU?" And now Marinette is the one freaking out, except instead of slapping the Kwami she starts throwing things at the red floating thing direction.
"HEY! That's not polite, did you know?" The red Kwami says unfazed as objects pass right through. "Did Fu and Wayzz not explain what I am and what's your role?"
"Oh my god, I'm dreaming that's it. I was in class then I fell asleep because of sleep deprivation and now I'm dreaming of a red floating thing in my room" Marinette starts pacing around ignoring everything the little creature is saying.
“You're not dreaming, and I'm not a thing. I'm your new Kwami and I'm here to help.”
“Help?”
“Yes, help your rescue Nooro, and bring back peace.”
“I can't believe I'm taking this seriously, but please Miss Kwami, what the hell do you mean?”
“Well, I'm Tikki and I'm here to help you rescue Nooro and bring down whoever is using him. Did Fu and Wazzy not explain anything to you?”
Marinette seemed even more lost than in the beginning, repeating to herself this is not real, this is not real.
“Okay, let's say that by some miracle, this was real. What am I even supposed to do?”
Tikki smiled and floated closer to Marinette’s face before saying quietly.
“You become Ladybug. You will say a certain phrase and I'll be warped into the earrings, then you will go after Nooro and when you find him peace will be brought to us.”
“...”
“You understood that, right?”
“I lost it, I completely lost it”
The girl sits on her divan with her eyes unfocused and Tikki is left looking confused at her.
“What did you lose? Maybe I can help find it just like you’ll help me find Nooro,” she says hopefully which makes Marinette look in disbelief at her.
“Lord, give me strength.”
Tikki turn her head to the side confused, not unlike a puppy that doesn't understand what's going on.
“Look, all you gotta do is say Tikki spots on and go after Nooro, if you need help Chat Noir will be there for you,” Tikki says with a smile.
“Tikki spots on? AAAAAHHH!”
A big light involved Marinette the moment Tikki is warped into the earrings, it changes her normal clothes into a red cheongsam with black spots, black leggings, red motorbike gloves, and black and red shoes; her hair also changes, from the pigtails that reached only under the shoulders to pigtails into the middle of her back, getting a dark blueish color and she more than sees a mask sliding into her face by what appears to be pure magic.
“Oh my god, oh my god, oh my god, I can believe this, this isn't really happening.” She starts hyperventilating while talking to herself. “It's all just a dream, it's all just a very very realistic dream and you're gonna wake up at any moment now”
She takes a deep breath and closes her eyes. She exhales and goes to the mirror. There she can notice other details like the golden details in her cheongsam, how her mask is red, and how there are two strands of hair before her ears that remind her of antennas. She takes all of this in and then the realization settles.
This is not a dream, a dream is never this realistic, it never has this many details. An actual alien spoke to me and turned me into a superhero.
And her second thought is, Alya is gonna freak out.
Which makes her start jumping and giggling over the absurdity of it all. And it's while she's laughing with herself she hears it right above her room.
“AAAAAAAA HAHAHA I'M THE FREEST PERSON ON EARTH”
And a loud Bam! As if someone just jumped on her rooftop.
“What the hell is this?” She starts going to her balcony but the noise is heard again and the male laugh is going further away.
She comes out of her room and from a distance she can see a black spot running through roofs and jumping with a silver staff.
“Is that the one who stole Nooro? Or is that Chat Noir?” She wonders out loud.
And while there's a big part of her thinking that she should just take the earrings off and throw them away there's a small part of her that thinks there's only one way to find out and that seals the deal.
She goes to the edge of her balcony and hesitates. She'd never done anything even remotely similar to this, she barely knew anything about this whole thing, and Tikki, although a stranger, wasn't here anymore, her parents would probably tell her to take the earrings out at the same moment but she found within herself that she doesn't want to. She wants to go jumping from roof to roof like the other guy, she wants to find out what's like to save someone, even if she never knew this Nooro guy, and God does she wants to risk it.
She closes her eyes, takes a deep breath, and grabs a yo-yo that is in her waist like a belt.
She throws it as far as she can and after pulling it to make sure it's secure she jumps.
"AAAAAAAHHHH"
She flies. Oh God does she fly, she shoots through the air and there's more adrenaline in her body right now than the time she went on a rollercoaster for the time. She's too fast, going through the air, and when the swing of the yo-yo is nearly ending she pulls the yo-yo with all the strength she can gather and falls on a roof.
It's not a pretty fall, she rolls through dust and the cement scratches her skin, the fall should have broken at least a couple of bones but instead, she gets up, and aside from a few scratches that didn't even bleed, she feels great.
"What? Why am I okay?"
Shaking her head she decides it doesn't matter and decides to try again. She goes to the very edge and throws her yo-yo, this time only with a second to ensure the yo-yo is secure.
She goes in the direction of where the black dot is still jumping from building to building and this time her fall is better, it's far from a graceful or a trained one but it's better. She goes once again to the edge and this time jumps before checking if the yo-yo is safe. She falls on her feet and keeps running to the edge, she jumps again and again and again and it gets easier every time.
And it was freeing, it was the better feeling she ever felt in her entire life, and nothing, nothing, could compare to the beat of her heart and the way the wind played with her hair.
She keeps going, she keeps jumping again and again and soon she can see the black dot with a staff better. He stopped by a rooftop, and when she's one roof away he turns, almost as if sensing her.
His eyes are pretty, it's her first thought. He happens to be a man dressed in a skin-tight shirt, black motorbike gloves, dark gray cargo pants, black cat ears coming from his hair, and black shoes, all lined with green details she can barely see from where she is. And his eyes, his eyes are like cat's, all emerald green with slit pupils, looking straight at her.
"Hey! Are you the person who stole Nooro?" He yells holding his staff and with a black expression.
"What? No! I thought you were the one who stole Nooro!"
Which makes him look so much like a lost kitty she has to hold back a smile.
"Then who are you?" He jumps into her roof with the help of his staff.
"I'm- I'm Ladybug?" She takes a couple of steps back. "And you are?"
"Chat Noir, at your service M'Lady." He says with a bow.
"Riiight, oh wait, you're supposed to help me!"
"I am?"
"YES! You're supposed to help me find Nooro and bring peace back."
"Oh yeah my Kwami said something about this, he just didn't mention I have a partner."
"Yeah well, here I am, by the way, do you know where to find this Nooro?" She asks, crossing her arms and looking around. "You seemed to know where you're going."
"I mean, an alien creature shows up to me telling me I gotta become a superhero when a few moments before I heard about a terrorist attack so I thought hey, it's probably connected right?"
"You're right, God I'm so bad at this, so sorry, it's my first day."
"Don't worry, It's my first day too, now let's go." He starts running towards the edge and jumps with his staff's help. "HAHAHA THIS IS SO MUCH FUN!"
"CHAT NOIR! WAIT FOR ME!"
