Dreams and melodies of another time(line)
It all started a couple of weeks after the fight against Miraculous Queen. It begun with a dream of hers and a song linering on Chat's head each time he was on his suit. Why now? Why this? Who can help? Are they the only ones? Well, just like Alice, you need to follow a rabbit to the Wonderland.
Ok so, once again, after seeing a bunch of fics of Chat Blanc consequences and a bit of inspiration I decided to write this fic. I have no idea if it will become a long fic with a lot of chapters or a one-shot fic. I hope you enjoy it! ^-^
P.D.: In the end I let myself focus in writing and not on what I was writing, sorry if the story shifts ona weird way or there is something you find strange with my writing.
P.D.:P.D.: WHY CAN'T I WRITE LIKE A NORMAL PERSON UGHHHHH
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It all had started a couple of weeks after Ladybug and Chat Noir had won once again against Hawk Moth with his latest akuma: Miracle Queen. It had been a difficult fight where both heroes had to hold onto two different miraculous at once to win. Despite winning, the loses were also great. Their superhero partners were forced to reveal their identities and could no longer use the miraculous without being compromised, Chloe had betrayed their trust and fell in a comma a day after pulling the stunt of wielding all the miraculous at once and, even worse, they had lost their only support and mentor, Master Fu, who renounced his duty as the guardian of the miraculous and passed into Ladybug. His memories were erased, Ladybug had even more responsibility now and she refused Chat's idea of revealing identities to help her guard the miraculous box.
At least Marinette had had two weeks to adapt to her new role as guardian of the miraculous and the miraculous box turned back to its usual form when she detransformed. She had made a crafty box with safe lock disguised as a sewing box. Tikki had taught her all of the guardians’ history, rules and duties Fu hadn't explained yet and cheered Mari through the whole process, helping her dealing with the loss. Occasionally, when Mari was sure that Chat wouldn't pay her a visit, she would open the miraculous box and let a kwami free for some time so they weren't bored inside the box and the kwamis helped her giving advices or helping Tikki explain something.
Everything seemed fine once again and Marinette and Adrien had this unnerving feeling that something was going to blow or go wrong. Even Hawkie had managed to stay silent for two whole weeks, which definitely wasn't a good sign. And then it came, unannounced, creeping like a cold-blooded reptile, attacking at night like a predator to its prey.
For Marinette, it was a dream of her, first dating Adrien, then it changes to her breaking with Adrien and finally her dating Chat before everything turned white. She woke up, sweating and with a feeling that those pale blue eyes stared at her from somewhere she couldn't see. She talked about that with Tikki, but it was just a nightmare, right? She had had tons of those after losing Chat in Timebreaker's fight. It would be gone due time like that, right? She couldn't sleep well and it began to show in her daily life.
For Adrien, it started during one of his nightly escapades as Chat, as a tune that popped in his head and he couldn't help but to hum. When he stopped in a rooftop, the tune brought some lyrics he couldn't help but sing. It said something about a cat sitting on a rooftop, which was ironic in retrospective, but he couldn't help it. Then he began to have this lingering sensation that he was missing something, as if something had been stripped out of him. He returned to his home and detransform, sitting to think about it. The song was gone, but that hindering feeling was not and for once, Plagg was silent. He didn't tease Adrien or demand his usual portion of cheese, but he also didn't reply to Adrien's questions and he did a hurt face each time he looked at the beret.
Things were also weird at school for both. Lila was in a bad mood each time Adrien or Marinette were in her range of sight, almost making her slip. Alya and Nino were strangely stubborn affirming that Adrien and Mari were dating secretly and that made both of them pinch as if something had hurt them. Marinette's obsession with Adrien had worsened and Adrien couldn't help but to wander around Marinette for some reason. Everyone in their class openly discussed daily how cute would Adrien and Marinette be if they were a couple. Some weeks ago, Mari would be in heaven for most of that, but now she was unexplainably hurt, as if she was losing something but didn't know what.
Then Adrien began to dream too. Dreaming about him being with Mari, both as Adrien and as Chat Noir. Those were nice and made him happy, but he felt at loss when he woke up. There were also those that gave him chills and made him wake up in cold sweat. Those were about him, alone, in a destroyed and sunken version of Paris. He wore a white version of his suit and his eyes were icy blue. Sometimes he fought with Ladybug and he felt disheartened each time. But what scared him the most were those where he was sitting alone in the roof of a skyscraper, singing that exact same song he couldn't get out of his head when he was Chat.
For their kwamis wasn't easy as well. Plagg felt a huge amount of pain, despair and sadness each time Adrien transformed or he saw that damned beret or Marinette. He knew something was wrong, very wrong, as if someone had been playing with the fabrics of reality he used to play with when he was a young kwami, but he didn't know what it was. Tikki would feel very sad in the most unexpected situations and her little chest hurt each time she wasn't with Plagg, so they would visit each other an awful lot while their holders where at school. They would chat a bit, but they would mostly bask in the other's presence before having to part ways once more.
But all that was only the first week. In the second, more people became involved. Gabriel Agreste wouldn't get to rest for just one night being haunted by nightmares of a white cat killing him over and over. Nathalie would also get nightmares of she being killed by a white explosion, Hawk Moth beating her, stealing her miraculous and firing her. But then, each time she saw Adrien or his friend Marinette, a word would slither into her mind and haunt her for the rest of the day, telling her unceasingly that she, was a traitor. Luka and Kagami grow a bit distant of Mari and Adrien, having dreamed a lot about the two of them dating and being genuinely happy. They hated those dreams, especially because deep down, they knew they would never be able to make them so happy and it hurt. Adrien’s latest behaviour and demeanour paired up with Marinette's nervousness didn't help Kagami and Luka's feelings as well.
In the second week, Adrien became restless and spent a lot of time patrolling Paris by himself, since he couldn't bear with those nightmares were he fought with her, so he would spent the nights bouncing from roof to roof, guarding Paris as he hummed non-stop that grim tune he was beginning to loathe. Meanwhile, Marinette also became restless, because of those dreams of her with Adrien and everyone's behaviour. She was trying so hard to turn over a new leaf and everyone encouraging her to be with Adrien, Luka being distant and those cursed dreams certainly didn't help her.
Then it was Alix turn. Since understanding she was going to be a kwami holder, she had begun to add a little white and blue rabbit on her graffities. She would sometimes draw things from weird dreams she gets from time to time. But she didn't expect the white cat. Or the white cat on an apocalyptic Paris. Or the white cat destroying the moon. Or killing a ladybug and a butterfly. She was scared of that little white cat. And then the real dream came. She saw Chat Noir being akumatized and turning Chat Blanc, she saw him, crying, trying to disobey Hawk Moth and accidentally killing everyone and destroying the moon in the process and she saw him, all alone, spending a whole month in a ruined empty city that began to flood. It was disheartening and she couldn't help but pitying Chat Noir. She wanted to help, sure, but what could she do? She didn't have a Miraculous and she certainly didn't have a way to contact Ladybug.
And the third week came and the kwamis couldn't bear with everything anymore. They knew that everybody was getting weird, that everybody was having dreams of something that never happened. They were getting more and more restless as the seconds passed, but they didn't know what to do. They wouldn't risk it and act unless something serious, really serious happened, because they had promised to never play again with their powers. But then, Kagami broke with Adrien and Luka broke with Marinette. Their holders were heartbroken, and they knew that they had to do something. Tikki couldn't act or do something straight forward, but she had a plan.
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The next time Ladybug and Chat Noir patrolled Paris, they both looked horrible and Parisian people couldn't help to pity them. Chat Noir was tense and hurt, while Ladybug was heartbroken and stiff. There was no banter, no flirting nor joking from both of them. Not even a single sound came out of their mouths. And then Plagg decided to act. He used the tiny bit of conscience kwamis had while powering up their holders and infused Adrien's mind with a single thought. That hellish tune that even he was getting tired of. Chat immediately frowned and began to hum the melody, angry that it came out even when he was with his Lady and they weren't still on a rooftop.
And Ladybug slipped. She slipped and crashed into one of the thousand Agreste's billboards. Chat immediately went to help her and ask her what had happened, but he couldn't stop humming the tune and Ladybug became visibly discomforted and traumatized. When Chat approached to help her, she backed away and cover herself for an instant, before remembering that her Chaton wasn't akumatized nor he was trying to kill her. But it was already late, Chat was really hurt from that.
"M-My Lady?" said Chat hurt, but not stopping to hum that cursed tune.
"I- I'm sorry Chat" said her at the verge of tears. "I just- I just can bear it anymore".
"Wh-Whats wrong Ladybug?" asked Chat Noir, finally stopping to hum.
"There is- There's a lot or things wrong Chat. We... We need to talk" said Ladybug as she began to cry and it began to rain.
"Let's go somewhere else LB. I also need to talk with you" said Chat Noir.
They silently jumped from roof to roof, not bearing to look at one another, with a destination set on their minds. They arrived to Notre Damme and entered the cathedral, like they normally did when it was raining and none of them carried an umbrella. The priests where always considerate with them and let them stay inside, thanking them for saving the city each time they were around. This time, they sensed the tension between the heroes and offered them a peaceful spot to chat without worrying about someone listening to them.
"I-" began both heroes at unison.
"You first Chat" said Ladybug calmly.
"No. You were the one who wanted to talk My Lady" replied Chat.
"You also wanted to talk kitty" said Ladybug.
"But you said it first, so you talk first buggaboo” said Chat smugly and the mood lifted for a bit.
"I guess you are right on that one chaton" said Ladybug with a faint smile.
"Oh, I'm more than right and you know it LB" purred Chat, making both of them laugh for a bit, before getting back to the sad mood again.
"Chat, there is something I haven't told you... And I'm getting nightmares from it. Everyone around me is suddenly acting strange out of nowhere and I-" said Ladybug with tears running down her cheeks.
"Is it- Is it related to the melody I was humming before?" asked Chat, immediately regretting it when Ladybug suddenly stiffened.
She nodded. "Y-You were akumatized".
"I... What?" asked him, feeling as if everything was tearing apart.
"I-It's hard to explain, but a month ago I delivered a beret for someone and the Bunnix appeared, and she send me to the future and you where there, all alone and akumatized and I didn't know why and you knew my identityandhtenwefoughtandyoutriedtokillmeandandand-" said Ladybug breaking down.
Chat stood there, deciphering what Ladybug had just said and trying to process it all of it. The beret wasn't from Ladybug, she was just delivering it. And he somehow was akumatized in another future. More importantly, he was alone in that future, just like on his nightmares. Wait a minute, he knows her identity? Could it be that he was akumatized when she revealed her identity to him? That couldn't be, right? Wait a second, they fought and tried to kill her? That definitely wasn't normal. No akuma would ever want to kill them, at least, not before snatching the miraculous first. Unless...
"M-My Lady? D-Did I kill Hawk Moth? Did I- Did I killed you?" asked Chat with his voice faltering.
"I- I saw a reman-nent of m-me a-a-and Hawk Moth c-cataclysmed under the water. Paris wa-as de-destroy and f-fl-flooded. Y-You told me th-that our- That our love did that..." managed to say Ladybug.
"I- I think I'm also having nightmares about that... Was I- Was I a white cat with ice blue eyes?" asked Chat.
She opened like plates, confirming his suspicions, and slowly nodded. "I think- I think it's because I changed the timeline..." said Ladybug. "It happened to me before..."
Now it was Chat's turn to be surprised. "It had happened to you before? When?" asks the cat hero clearly worried.
"It was- It was after Timebreaker. I- I saw you die in my arms for two months..." said Ladybug, remembering the nightmares and crying once again.
"What?" asked Chat, getting more worried after every answer.
"You jumped in front of me and- And saved me from Timebreaker's power. You- You died in my arms before I went back on time and fixed everything" said Ladybug.
"I- I had no idea... I-I'm sorry for ever worrying you Ladybug" said Chat with watery eyes.
"Stupid chaton" says Ladybug trying to clear her eyes. "Why are you apologizing for now? I thought we had already settled that whenever you'll take a hit for me, I'll throw you across Paris"
"How could I forget; I think I've seen Paris from above so many times a flock of birds has taken me in as one of them" said Chat smiling a bit.
"Okay, we've got to fix this. Any ideas Chat?" asked Ladybug standing up and drying her tears from her face.
"How could this foolish alley cat have one My Lady? You're the one who makes the plans and the new guardian, aren't you?" said Chat standing up as well.
"I'll talk with the kwamis to see if anyone has an idea. Send yours as well, I bet he has a lot to catch up with Tikki" said Ladybug.
"Will do, but I'm not sure it will work. I've been asking him for weeks and he's been strange lately. Perhaps he does need to catch up with his buddies kwami" said Chat.
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Ladybug landed perfectly on her bed and called off her transformation, throwing herself to her bed from exhaustion. The patrol and the talk about the Chat Blanc incident had really taken a token on her. Nevertheless, she stood up and took out the miraculous box. She stared at it for a long time until a cough behind her get her back into reality. She turned around and found Tikki rolling her eyes and next to her was Chat Noir's kwami, Plagg, who was giving her a deadpanned stare.
"Please, whatever you do, don't begin to fantasise with that model boy or my holder, I'm a bit tired of teen hormones at home" said Plagg plainly.
"Plagg? What are you doing here?" asked the girl.
"You said you wanted to see me, so here am I" answered Plagg.
"I didn't mean right now, but that will certainly help me. Nice to see you again by the way" said Marinette politely.
"It's always nice to see you too Princess, even if it's through my holder's eyes" said Plagg bowing. "Or wait, now I should call you Master?"
"Don't be silly Plagg, I don't feel like a guardian and I'm too young to be a master. Would you like a bit of cheese? It's not camembert but I swear we should have a bit of brie".
"I have to admit it Princess, you're my favourite guardian. You're not as lame as the others, you're laxer and you know how to break the rules. I like you. But I'd still appreciate that cheese" said Plagg in an unexpectedly polite manner.
"Aww, thank you Plagg. I'll be back in a sec" said the girl and disappeared downstairs.
"You really get the good ones Sugar Cube" said Plagg.
"I told you not to call me that Stinky Socks. But I think you have a great holder now" said Tikki.
"If that kid knew how to use his head, he would be great ladybug material. Your holder on the other hand would make an excellent black cat" teased the black kwami.
"We both know you love this kitten, even if you refuse to admit it" teased back Tikki.
"Whatever" said Plagg facing away from Tikki to hide his embarrassment.
"I'm back" said Marinette bringing along a tray filled with food.
"I think that's too much food for two kwamis and a girl" said Plagg.
"Who said it was just for two kwamis and a girl?" said Marinette, opening the miraculous box and putting on all of the miraculous. She sat immediately after doing that. "Ugh, this is so tiring".
"I retire what I said before Tikki. This holder of yours is way too crazy, she's fit for the monkey kwami" said Plagg.
"Don't be rude to my holder Plagg" warned Tikki.
"Good afternoon Master, kwamis of Creation and Destruction" said Sass.
"It's an honour to see you again Master" said Pollen bowing, but a bunch of kwamis zoomed along her.
"Master! Master! We're so happy that you summoned us all, we were getting bored. But you're the only one who has freed us from time to time, you're the best guardian we've ever had!" said some of the kwamis.
"Aww, you guys are so adorable" said Marinette snuggling the kwamis happily. "But today I called you here for a reason and not just to play. Well, we'll play a bit, but later".
"What do you need Master? We'll help you gladly!" said the kwamis.
"I'm amazed Princess, you have them all on your side and that's weird for a human" pointed Plagg.
"I thought you were also on my side Plagg" said her faking being hurt. "After all this time and cheese, we've shared".
"Oh, shut it Princess, you know you're my n°1 human girl and my n°2 girl and human, but don't tell Chat Noir I said this, he'll be insufferable if he knows".
"And we don't want him to get more annoying, don't worry" said Mari giggling.
"Even if it's lovely to talk about that, I believe we should focus on our little problem before you exhaust yourself like Chloe did" said Tikki interrupting the idle chat.
"You're right" said Marinette and turned to the kwamis. "I need your help with a pressing matter".
"What's happening?" asked Pollen worried.
"Is it the time ripples?" asked Fluff innocently.
"The what?" asked confused Marinette, Tikki and Plagg.
"The time ripples" repeated Fluff.
"Those are the residual memories and energy from timelines that had been erased or forcefully changed. Fluff and I can sense them" explained Sass.
"Right, because Fluff is the kwami of time and you're the kwami of repetition, you two are time-related kwamis" said Marinette.
"Yes. I'm sensing a time ripple now, like when you fought Timebreaker or Chat Blanc" said happily Fluff.
"Fluff, sweetheart, we fought him two months ago and we began to have this time ripples a month after defeating him. Is that something normal?" asked Tikki.
"Oh, that could be because my holder spent quite a lot of time preventing another Chat Blanc timeline. Master can be adorably clumsy, but we had a hard time dealing with all the timelines she provoked" said Fluff.
"I'm sorry for that" apologised Mari. "Wait. Bunnix! Can we ask her to help us?"
"It's rather unlikely Master. Fluff's powers aren't intended to work like that, even if Bunnix used it for fixing the timelines, their power it's meant to be used just for time traveling. Not even with my power, that it's meant to alter the timelines, we can fix the time ripples" explained Sass.
"But couldn't we ask Fluff's holder to give Master some advice about dealing with time ripples and their effects?" asked Wayzz.
"Great idea as always Shelly. But there is a tiny problem with it. She's from the future and Fluff can't precisely pinpoint from when we should call her" said Trixx smugly.
"It's okay, I'll think about it and find a solution. Thank you for your help guys" said Marinette. "Now, who wants to play?"
The kwamis played with Marinette happily, watched curiously her designs and latest projects and ate delightedly the food Marinette had prepared for them, minding which food to pick based on the favourite snack of each kwami. When Marinette was exhausted by the token of bearing sixteen miraculous, which was surprisingly a lot of time for a human, the kwamis returned to the miraculous box without waiting for Mari to ask them to, thanking her for letting them have fun like that. When only Tikki and Plagg were left, Tikki landed on Marinette’s head and Plagg flew in front of Marinette.
"Princess, you're really surprising and strong" complimented Plagg. "Beautiful as well, thought my kitten is smitten with you for another reason".
"I thought he decided to go after someone else" said Marinette.
"He did, or at least tried to. But his girlfriend broke with him recently. And you never left his mind" explained Plagg. "Both as Ladybug and Marinette. Really, even if he doesn't know it, he's head over heels for your civilian self. He can be really dense sometimes, but I hope you'll be able to forgive him for being stupid".
"Of course I can Plagg, he has already done plenty of stupid things to me. But he's my best friend and the best partner I could ask for. And you think so, don't try to deny it" teased Marinette.
"If only you knew Princess. All that bravado he has with the mask disappears outside of it. He's so boring and soft. He doesn't even rebels against his stupid father! And his father is an horrendous piece of sh-" complained the tiny god.
"Plagg! You're revealing a bit too much! And for the record, I think Chat Noir is honestly a very kind and adorable human. He wasn't wrong when he told you that you'd drool after seeing him without the mask. Even you have to admit that you like him a bit" said Tikki.
"I'm not only after pretty boys Tikki. That both Adrien and Luka were very handsome was just a coincidence. And we both know what happens if Chat and I love each other. We don't want another Chat Blanc" replied Marinette.
"Wait, let's ignore the whole Chat Blanc being caused by your mutual obvious love. She likes the model boy and the guitarist? I know you're high quality Princess, but you seem to aim high for a boyfriend as well. What's so special about the model even? The guitarist at least showed some guts, but the model one seemed to be quite a wimp" said Plagg.
"Watch it Plagg, or no more cheese for you when you come by" warned Marinette seriously. "That model you're talking about is the sweetest and kindest boy I know. He is very gentle and nice even with those who doesn't deserve it. He's much more than just a pretty face. He has protected me a lot of times against akumas without even having a miraculous and when he had the Snake miraculous, he repeated the same moment for a lot of time".
"I'll be sure to not disrespect him again, if you talk so well of him, he must be a great guy" said Plagg ignoring Tikki's death glare. "Before I go, anything I have to tell my kitten?"
"Tell him what we discussed and that I'll try to find something as soon as I can" said Marinette. "Also tell him that even akumatized and despite trying to fight me, he still was very gentle to me".
"Your wishes are orders Princess" said Plagg bowing and phase through the window.
Plagg flew across Paris, flying high enough to avoid being seen by humans, but not high enough to be seen against the dark blue starry sky. He was amused, it was clear that his kitten and Tikki's baby bug we're so in love, even if they didn't know it. Tonight had proven his suspicions and he was glad, Marinette would be perfect for his depressed kitten. Plus, she'd gain someone loyal who'd give her the unconditional love she deserves. Because she does deserve it, Plagg was more than sure of that. She had proven once and again that she was a capable Ladybug, despite her age, that she was a great guardian and, above all of that, she was the best human Plagg had met since Tikki created them. And with a happy shipping thought, Plagg phased through Adrien and landed on his head.
"Missed me already? Your baker friend saw me and feed me cheese on my way back, so I was educated and repaid her with an educated talk. She's really interesting you know. Such a pity that she won't be able to be Multi Mouse again" said Plagg and before he could react, Adrien hugged him.
"I was so worried Plagg. I was beginning to think that something had happened to you" said Adrien. "I'm glad you had your fun. Mari is such a great girl. Don't tell Nino, but she's my best friend without a doubt".
"She is a great human, I admit that. But I was thinking, do you like her? She is an amazing girl after all. Maybe she would be good for you" commented Plagg.
"You too Plagg? Why is everyone so pushy to make us a couple? She dislikes that clearly, she's stuttery and blushy around me again, even if she wasn't anymore" complained Adrien.
"I'm not pushing you lover boy. But don't try to fool me, I know perfectly what sort of dreams you're having and how happy you feel about the ones in which you date her" said Plagg.
"The dreams! What did Ladybug discover about them?" changed the topic Adrien not so discretely.
"They aren't dreams" said Plagg.
"What?" asked Adrien dumbfounded. "What do you mean they aren't dreams?"
"Exactly that. Those are your memories, as Ladybug suspected. The memories of the timeline in which you were akumatized. Which reminds me, your Lady said that you don't have to worry, you were gentle to her even akumatized" said Plagg.
"As sweet as always My Lady, but what do you mean those are memories?" asked Adrien.
"Fluff, the time kwami, said that they are time ripples, the residual memories of a timeline that has been erased or forcefully changed" explained the black kwami. "Which means that you dated Marinette and you were very happy. And just so you know, apparently she is also having this dreams".
"Wait, if the dreams are true and everyone is shipping us together... Is everybody having this time ripples? Wait. If Mari is being stuttery again, could it be that she doesn't likes at all the idea of us being together. She probably hates me again" said Adrien feeling down.
"Why do you have to be some dense sometimes" complained Plagg. "Look, kid, when I badmouthed you to see her opinion of you, she defended you quite fiercely. She has seen you, the real you, not just the perfect sunshine boy. And putting that aside, do you want to know what I've been doing all this time?"
"What are we going to do Tikki?" asked Marinette worried.
"I don't know Mari, it's been so long since I suffered something like this. The concept of time was barely new and the one provoking the time ripples was..." began Tikki. "That little..."
"Who?" asked Mari curiously.
"Plagg. That- That- Uggghhh. I bet he has something to do with all of this" said Tikki.
"How could he? Aren't we dealing with timelines?" asked Marinette.
"Marinette, without a holder to regulate our powers, our powers are absolute and supreme. Plagg can literally destroy concepts of reality that you study in physics. I created the universe in a fit of rage" explained Tikki.
"What? You're telling me everything in existence was created because you threw a tantrum? Wait, more importantly, we are regulating your powers?" asked Marinette.
"I was young and Plagg wouldn't stop destroying everything I did, but yes you regulate our powers, if not Chat would destroy Paris each time he used cataclysm" said Tikki.
"Couldn't we then ask Alix to use the bunny miraculous to locate her future version precisely?" asked Marinette.
"That's a great idea Marinette!" exclaimed Tikki. "You should talk to her tomorrow after school".
"I'm not sure how to explain it to her thought" said Marinette.
"Be simple, we need her help to go to the future and find her future self" said Tikki.
"Yeah, it will be better not to overthink it too much. Good night Tikki" said Marinette and turned off the lights.
"Good night Marinette" said Tikki.
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"Hey Alix!" called Adrien when he saw the pink-haired skater.
"Huh? What's up sunshine? You want some real advice to date Mari? Wrong girl I'm afraid" teased Alix.
"What? No, I wasn't- I didn't-" said Adrien getting all flustered.
"Oh my god. You two are made for each other" said Alix.
"I was trying to ask you something else!" said Adrien utterly embarrassed.
"Oh. What happens Sunshine?" asked Alix.
"Have you had any type of unusual dreams lately? Like, someone dating or a white cat?" asked Adrien still blushing.
"Wait. How do you know that? I didn't tell that to anybody" said Alix surprised and worried.
"I was just checking. I'm having them and since they first appeared everybody acts differently and tries to make Marinette and me a couple, which by the way seems to make her quite uncomfortable" said Adrien looking down a bit.
"Okay, first thing blondie: Marinette is definitely not uncomfortable with the thought of dating you. Second: Who else is having these dreams?" asked Alix.
"As far as I know, you, me and our local heroes" said Adrien. Alix raised an eyebrow. "I happened to bump into Chat and I talked to him a bit".
"Bumping into other people? That's something really Marinett-ish you know Buttercup" teased Alix.
"Ugh! I'll keep asking to see who else has dreamed unusual stuff lately!" said Adrien hurrying to hide his flustered face.
"I'm so going to share this with the girls" said Alix smirking and turned around to bump into a half asleep Marinette.
"Oh, I'm sorry Alix, I was distracted. I've been having these weird dreams lately and I haven't been sleeping well. Have you had any weird dreams this past weeks?" asked Marinette not so discretely.
"Okay, first of all, you look like a zombie Mari. Second, I have and apparently Sunflower, Chat and LB have been having them as well. Your boyfriend just asked me a minute ago".
"My boyfriend? But I've broken up with Luka Alix" said Mari sheepishly. "Wait, you had the dreams too? What happened on them?"
"Well, I meant Adrien. As for the dreams, I saw you dating Adrien and a white cat destroying Paris and the moon. Why?" said Alix.
"Okay so, apparently, about two months ago or so Ladybug went to the future with a superhero from another future and she had to take down an akumatized Chat Noir. She defeated him, changed the timeline and now there is this weird time thingies that are affecting everyone involved with Ladybug or Chat in that other timeline. Apparently, I dated Chat after breaking with Adrien or something like that" said Marinette. "And since last month everyone has being acting weird and I've been having those dreams and like, yesterday Ladybug appeared on my balcony to ask me and I was so relieved because I thought I was going crazy or something like that and-"
"Wowowowow, breath girl, I'm not getting all of that" said Alix.
"Sorry, it's been hard lately since I'm barely sleeping a couple of hours" said Marinette.
"Don't worry. But let me get this straight. Anyone who interacted with Chat or Ladybug on that timeline is now getting these thingies of time? Why am I getting them though?" asked Alix.
"It's more like anyone who was significant in the development of that timeline is having dreams and people around them is getting influenced subconsciously by that. But you're getting them for another reason. Ladybug wanted to talk to you and ask you personally, but I offered to because it was faster for everyone. Your future self is apparently the future hero that helped Ladybug" said Marinette mentally praying not to be outed as Ladybug by something so stupid.
"Oh yeah, Bunnix rocks. I can wait to be like future me. You should have seen me Mari, I was so cool and badass" said Alix excited and proud.
"Alix, you already are cool and badass to me. Your skating abilities? I could never do anything like that" said Marinette. "Oh, before I forget it, Ladybug wants you to meet her on your rooftop by 5 or so. Imagine that you get to help her like your future self did. Will do. Does? Ughhh, all this time travelling is so confusing".
Alix laughed wholeheartedly and the bell rings. "Come on time-klutz, we need to get in class before Mme. Mendeleiev or we'll have to face her wrath" teased the skater girl.
--------------------------------
Ladybug landed on the designated rooftop, her mind filled with thoughts. After having asked the whole classroom, she discovered that the little lie she had told Alix about why people was getting the dreams wasn't so farfetched as she thought. Every single person on her class had had some sort of dream and even some other people she knew had as well. She discussed this with Fluff when she picked his miraculous to lend it to Alix and the joke was on her because it was indeed how the ripples worked more or less. She was a tad nervous about the whole issue but at least she had Alix and Chat, she had sent him a message via a private chatroom, supporting her.
Chat saw her landing at the distance. As always, his Lady was diligent and punctual, getting to the meeting point some time before their meeting. He was also nervous like Ladybug and wanted everything to go back to normal. So when he saw his Lady's call through their private chatroom on an old and almost forgotten platform, he instantly transformed and ran to Alix's rooftop. He supposed they would be giving Alix the time miraculous for a bit so she could help them with all of this time travelling problem. He landed and approached Ladybug, not daring to make a sound due to all his nervousness. She gestured him a salute and they both sat down, contemplating silently the blue sky.
Alix was excited, but a ball of dizziness remained on her throat. Sure, she was eager to become Bunnix and be the badass heroine her future self was, but she had a bit of doubt whether she would make it right or not. At least she knew Ladybug and Chat trusted her enough to give her a miraculous, even if it was just for a short time. Also, she couldn't forget about Mari's earlier support. Yeah, she could take on the world if Marinette say she could. So she opened the door to her rooftop and saw the heroes waiting for her.
"Hey" called Alix. "Am I late?"
"Hello Alix. Don't worry you aren't. I see that Marinette did remember to tell you" said Ladybug standing up.
"Huh? You asked Marinette to deliver a message? Why didn't you just visited Alix?" asked Chat confused.
"Well, I had to talk with Marinette, it was already late when we finished talking and also because I asked Mari to do something else too. Thanks to her, I now know that all of her classmates are having some sort of time ripples" said Ladybug.
"She remembered. She only seems to forget to sign anything she makes for-" said Alix, but Ladybug put her hand on Alix's mouth.
"Alix, I'm pretty sure Mari wouldn't appreciate a certain alley cat knowing about... That" said Ladybug.
"What? Now I want to know" said Chat.
"Didn't curiosity kill the cat?" teased Alix smirking.
"Purrhaps, but satisfaction brought it back" replied Chat Noir with a smirk.
"Maybe, but your Princess will have your neck and ours too if we let you know" said Ladybug, sending a chill down Chat's and Alix's spines.
"Wait, why do you know I call her Princess?" asked Chat confused.
"No, why do you call Mari Princess? You seem to know her well" pointed Alix.
"I happen to know her. After being her knight in shining leather a couple of times and having some heart to heart, she let me be her friend and I sometimes pass by her balcony" said Chat. "But why does My Lady know it?"
"You think Mari is just your friend? Besides, us girls like to gossip, specially about boys. Isn't that right Violet?" said Ladybug with a smug smile.
"No way, you know Secret Garden?" said Alix surprised yet amused.
"I loved Secret Garden" said Ladybug. "I almost told Marinette to include me, but it wouldn't be great if a hero helped in a plan to get Buttercup with Lotus".
"Lotus? Buttercup? Violet? Secret Garden?" asked Chat very confused. "I'm lost. Did Marinette plan to open a flower shop?"
"Silly kitty, we are using codenames so you don't understand us" teased the heroine.
"Yeah, Marinette is the sweetest person, but you really don't want to be on her bad side, not to mention angering her" agreed Alix. "Wow, Mari is so awesome. She attracts all of types of talented people like Jagged Stone or you guys".
"Also you Alix. You are also very talented skating and painting those incredible graffities. Don't think I missed that one you made of Chat and I near the library" said Ladybug.
"That was hers? Boy, I loved that graffiti of us! It was a great ego boost to see something so cool of us." said Chat amazed. "Also, let's not forget that time you helped us when we were affected by Reverser's powers or when we fought Timetagger".
"And that's why we're here now" concluded Ladybug with a smile so bright that almost blinded Chat and Alix. "Now, Alix Kubdel".
"I will grant you the miraculous of the rabbit and you must return it when your task is finished" said Ladybug opening the box and revealing the miraculous, allowing Fluff to flow out of the miraculous. "This is the miraculous of the rabbit, which gives its holder the power of time travelling, and this creature here is a kwami, the magical being that lends you its power through the miraculous".
"My name is Fluff. It will be nice to work with you in the future. Or was it tomorrows’ past?" said Fluff.
"Heya Fluff. Nice to see you too" says Alix petting Fluff. "Was the speech necessary thought? Not to be rude, but like, I already knew that".
"I know, sorry, it's the rules" apologised Ladybug.
"Well then, it can't be helped. So, what do I need to do?" said Alix. "Do I transform now?"
"I'm not sure. The power of the rabbit miraculous is pretty dangerous after all. Do you think she should train to adapt to it Fluff?" asked the heroine.
"There is no way fixed to train it Master. Only with experience can will be learned" said Fluff.
"Uh... Am I the only one that doesn't understand this kwami's speech?" asked Chat Noir.
"Nope, I don't get it too" said Alix shrugging.
"Fluff can be a bit confusing sometimes, but they are a great kwami for sure" said Ladybug. "Anyway, Alix, transform and let's try to use your power, don't worry about making a mistake".
"Sure thing LB. Fluff, clockwise!" chanted Alix and her transformation begun.
"Uh... Isn't her suit different from future Bunnix?" asked Ladybug.
"I think so My Lady. At least, I don't remember that Bunnix had a vest or a cap or... Are those skating protections?" pointed Chat Noir.
"Could it be because it's my first time?" said Bunnix.
"Hm... Oh, I remember Tikki, my kwami, telling me that our suits are made unconsciously by our deepest thoughts, so maybe they can change?" tried Ladybug.
"It makes sense to me" accepted Chat Noir.
"Well then, now I only have to use my superpower to... What do I have to do?" asked Bunnix.
"Well, we need you to find your future self, but we don't know from when she is. At least we think that you can open a Burrow and there should be a lot of exits to different points of time. It's what I saw future Bunnix doing" said Ladybug.
"I can do that!" said Bunnix eagerly. "Burrow!"
"Now what My Lady?" asked Chat Noir. "We jump inside?"
"No, Bunnix has to jump inside holding us, or else we'll be lost in time" said Ladybug.
"Then let's go!" said Bunnix grabbing the other heroes and jumping into her burrow.
The inside was unlike Ladybug remembered. It was all white and only had a single hole, the one they had entered from. Ladybug was perplexed, why wasn’t the burrow like she remembered? Could it be that she had messed up or something? What if it was like that because she and Chat were there at the same time? No, it couldn't be that. There had to be a reason why this was happening. And then she remembered the kwami guide they had on their weapons.
"Bunnix! Look at your umbrella, you should have a little screen or something and there should be a manual in there" said Ladybug.
"A screen? On an umbrella? What are you- WOAH!" said Bunnix as she pulled the bottom of her umbrella and revealed a screen. "Impressive".
"No time for wondering Lola Bunny, you'll detransform in 5 minutes and we'll be on a huge problem if we're in here" said Chat hurrying her.
"Sheesh, I'm doing it Tom, no need of any nickname" said Bunnix searching through the screen. "Here it is! Uh... Aha... Oh, apparently, I'll collect those holes Ladybug talked about for each time I travel through another time and open a burrow. Oh, but for now I can simply go to whenever I want".
"And can you leave a message to other time-travellers?" asked Ladybug.
"Uhhh... Yes! I can. But it will take form of a riddle and will appear on an exact date and moment" said Bunnix.
"Like that one your future self-sent us" said Chat.
"Okay, then send a message to yourself in... Say, 12 years from now telling to come" said Ladybug.
"I'm on it Ladybug" said Bunnix. "Done. Now, how about we exit this before I detransform, because I've lost the count of how many times has beeped my miraculous".
"Let's get back for now" said Ladybug. "Hopefully, your future self will come in no time".
Bunnix picked up the heroes on her shoulders and jumped out of the burrow. They landed gently on the roof and then Bunnix put them on the ground to let them stand, awed by the strength the miraculous gave her. She was so enthusiastic about it that she was jumping without even noticing, which caused a huge laugh from Chat Noir and a smirky smile from Ladybug who found it adorable and amusing at the same time. Bunnix stopped and looked at them confused at first, but she realised what had happened and blushed almost instantly.
"Aw, don't worry Lopunny, it's normal to be so excited the first time you use a miraculous. My Lady literally fell for me on her first day" said Chat Noir with a huge dorky grin.
"Firstly, I fell on you, not for you. And secondly, why did you had to tell her that! I'm so embarrassed" said Ladybug turning red as her suit.
"No way, Ladybug fell on you?" said Bunnix. "The gracious and agile Ladybug? Our Miraculous Ladybug?"
"The one and only. Apparently, she’s quite clumsy outside of th- Hey! My Lady?! My Lady put me down! What are you- Oh no! Buggaboo please n-" pleaded Chat Noir as Ladybug threw him across Paris once again.
"That's for teasing me so much! Stupid alley cat!" shouted Ladybug and turned to Bunnix with a dead serious face and a blush that rivalled with Marinette's in Bunnix opinion. "You have seen or heard nothing, got it?"
"Pfffft. Sure thing clumsybug" teased Alix and instantly got a soft punch from Ladybug on her shoulder. "Okay, okay. I won't tell a soul LB, I don't want an aerial tour of Paris like Chat".
"Good" said Ladybug trying to look serious and composed, but still bright red as her hero suit.
"Can I ask you something Ladybug?" asked Bunnix trying to change the topic.
"Yeah, sure thing" said Ladybug visually relaxing.
"How did you befriend Marinette? Don't get me wrong, she's great and I know that, but she has this huge despise towards your other friend Lila Rossi" said Bunnix and instantly regretted it when she saw Ladybug tense.
"Lila? Lila Rossi isn't my friend and she has never been. First, she lied about me rescuing her and saying we're besties, then she tried to lie to that model boy saying she was a hero as well, a hero that would beat me easily with her eyes closed. Do you see a patron yet? Because then she was akumatized, we deakumatized her and declared openly her hate towards me. She abused of her lies to make Marinette look like a villain. Marinette almost was akumatized, but she didn't let herself get akumatized. Meanwhile, your so good Lila saw the akuma and use it to become once again a villain. And let's not forget how she actively tried to help an akuma to defeat us. She is nothing but a liar and a villain. And Marinette has evaded being akumatized not once, but twice. Now tell me, which one is a good friend?" said Ladybug with a faint note of anger on her voice.
"Marinette was almost akumatized twice?" said Chat Noir getting on the roof, a bit surprised and devastated by the information.
"She- She has been lying all this time?" said Bunnix shocked. "That lying-"
"Stop that both of you, you wouldn't want to be akumatized again, would you?" said someone behind them. They turn and see Bunnix, future Bunnix, standing there with a worried look on her face. "Mini-bug is telling the truth. But Lila is not a liar. She's a villain, a true villain".
"Bunnix?" said the young heroes at once, surprised.
"The one and only. I came when I got the message, what's the matter Mini-bug?" said adult Bunnix.
"We need help to deal with the time ripples I caused when fixing Chat Blanc" said Ladybug.
"Actually, I caused the time ripples after changing too many times the timeline, Fluff already told you" pointed the older rabbit. "To be precise, Plagg caused them when he destroyed the possibility of Chat Blanc, but I asked him to do so".
"Plagg did what?" asked Chat Noir surprised.
"He is destruction itself; he destroyed any possibilities for Chat Blanc happening in any future. Though, mini-me will have to deal with it when the time comes, but she will have forgotten about it after spending so many years trapped in a rock thanks to a certain cat" said adult Bunnix. "I did forget that you originally gave me the miraculous now, but after this you won't need Bunnix for a few years".
"Shame, I planned to fill that blank space with a lot of holes" said young Bunnix as she detransformed into Alix.
"Don't worry mini me, I remember this now, so here, a carrot for Fluff" said Bunnix giving Alix a carrot. "Let them eat and transform back. Meanwhile Mini-bug, use your Lucky Charm. And Kitty Noir has to use Cataclysm on it, but you have to call for your Cataclysm before Ladybug uses her Lucky Charm. This way we'll fix the time ripples".
Chat Noir nodded and called upon his Cataclysm and looked to Ladybug. She used her Luck Charm and an umbrella fell on her hands, but instead of a red with spots item, it was a black umbrella. Both heroes recognised perfectly the umbrella and were a bit shocked at first, but the black umbrella began to turn white. Bunnix rushed Chat Noir towards Ladybug and he cataclysmed the umbrella before it turned completely white. Ladybug and Chat Noir stood there for a solid minute without saying a thing, staring at the ashes of the umbrella.
"I'm done" said the younger Bunnix. "What now old me?"
"Oh, now we go into my burrow" said as she grabbed everyone and jumped into a burrow.
"Now this is real time travelling" said young Bunnix amazed with the hole filled burrow she was in.
"Even better, your burrow will look like this next time you use it" said proudly the older Bunnix.
"No way. This is so cool!" said the younger one amazed. "What do we do now?"
"Now? Now we let the idiots in love detransform" said Bunnix as all the holes in the burrow closed.
"What! Bunnix let us out now! This is serious! We can't know each other’s secret identity as long as Hawk Moth has his miraculous!" said desperately Ladybug.
"Do you want to fix the time ripples or not? Because this is the way to do it" said Bunnix firmly.
"How can revealing our identities fix this time mess?" asked Chat Noir equally desperate as Ladybug.
"It will fix more than this time mess as you call it Kitty Noir. First, it will fix your relationships as heroes and civilians. Second, it will fix Marinette's problems with Liela. Thirdly, when you two reveal yourselves and realize how big of an idiot each of you are, there will be a soul bond between you two. When a soul bond between destruction and creation happens, there will be a flash of light that works on the same way the miraculous cure works, but since we are trapped intime, it will only fix any time problems" explained the older Bunnix.
"Then why am I here? Is it okay for me to know who they are?" said teen Bunnix.
"You need to know as well. You will play an important role to help Marinette's problems with that lying fox wannabe. Also, without your help, an akumatized Ladybug will destroy Paris and everything" said Bunnix.
"I'll be akumatized?" asked Ladybug shocked.
"I can’t tell you that Mini-bug, but I can assure you that Lady Akuma will be an akuma far worse than Chat Blanc. Be prepared Kitty Noir" said Bunnix with a tenebrous tone.
Everyone remained silent. Adult Bunnix was simply standing there, not moving at all. Teen Bunnix on the contrary was moving a lot, walking from one point to another while thinking what she could possibly do. Chat Noir was lying on the floor, lost in his thoughts about future Bunnix words and her warning, which made his skin crawl a bit. Why had he been prepared for an akuma named Lady Akuma? Meanwhile Ladybug was panicking mentally. Her secret would be discovered, she would become akumatized and create the worst akuma ever. What did everything had to go so wrong? And then, Chat's ring beeped for the last time and a green light covered him. Ladybug involuntarily closed her eyes. Bunnix did not.
"You are Chat Noir?!" screamed the younger Bunnix with a mix of surprise and disbelief.
"Uh... Hello again Alix?" said civilian Chat Noir as he fed his whiny kwami.
"Ladybug, open your eyes" said adult Bunnix.
Ladybug obeyed and saw... "Adrien Agreste?! You're mon chaton?!"
"The one and only" said Adrien bowing.
"I can't believe it. NO. Bunnix let me go, he can't see me detransformed!" Begged Ladybug panicking extremely. "Alix Kubdel you better let me go right now!"
"Won't do Mini-bug. You have to stay, even if you want to die out of embarrassment" said older Bunnix grinning. "Or is it that you can't face Buttercups? What a shame Lotus".
"No way! No! It can't be! You're Ma- I mean, Lotus?!" exclaimed surprised young Bunnix and began to laugh when she saw Ladybug's blush.
"What is going on?!" asked confused Adrien.
"Girls. Girls are going on. That's why I prefer my delicious Camembert" said Plagg deadpanned.
"I want to die" said Ladybug covering her face with her hands curled on the floor.
"Oh come on Buggaboo, Kitty Noir will be delighted to know you're lotus, he thinks so greatly of you already" teased the older Bunnix.
"Yeah, doesn't Buttercups already consider you part of nobility?" said teen Bunnix.
"But I can't face him! I've had this huge fat crush on him for so much time and now he ends up being my partner? The same I've been rejecting all this time? COME ON! WHAT'S NEXT?! IS MY MOTHER HAWK MOTH?!" screamed Ladybug forgetting that Adrien was still with them.
"You like me? I've been rejected all this time for me?" asked Adrien first sheepishly, but he soon began to laugh.
"AND NOW HE KNOWS!! Kill me already please" whined Ladybug.
"Are you sure we can't spare her adult me?" asked teen Bunnix pitying Ladybug.
"I also feel sorry for her, but it's just for a few minutes until they start being so gross" said adult Bunnix smirking.
"Uh... Can I know what's happening? This cat is purrty confused right now" said Adrien.
"Oh don't you purrty me Agreste! I refuse to hear your horrible puns in class too!" jumped Ladybug as her earrings beeped and she detransformed. She quickly covers herself, but it was too late.
"Marinette?" asked Adrien confused. "Purrincess is that you?"
"Marinette? Who is Marinette? I-I don't know what a Marinette is" said Marinette smoothly.
"Oh come on Lotus, Buttercups has seen you already" said Alix as she detransformed to face them seriously. "Though I wish Tiger Lily was here to film all of this, we'd have fun for months".
"Alix Kubdel! IF YOU DARE SAY A SINGLE WORD TO ALYA I'LL SKIN YOU ALIVE PERSONALLY!" said Marinette in an outburst, not thinking rationally, turning herself to face Alix but meeting Adrien.
"Hello again M'Lady. Or should I say Princess?" said Adrien trying to smile gently despite his utter confusion and embarrassment. He had so many emotions swirling inside of him that he was surprised that he was acting so... calm. Thought he is surprised when a light blinds all of them, said light coming from him and Marinette and expanding through the Burrow.
"I told you that you loved bakery girl, but did anyone hear me? Of course not" complained Plagg.
"Oh shush Stinky Socks, you're ruining the mood! Please, proceed with your talk" said Tikki.
"Why is Ladybug's kwami so cute, yet so scary?" asked Alix.
"She's the most fearsome kwami of al I've met. I have nothing but respect towards her. Even Plagg fears her" said Bunnix.
"Can we get a bit of privacy?" asked Adrien and Marinette at unison while blushing crazily, which only worsened when they processed their newly found synchronization.
"I'm afraid not, unless you want to be lost in time that is" said Bunnix. "Come on lovebirds, stop being like that and confess already or I'll confess for you both and just so you know, I'm very acquainted with your darkest deepest secrets, so you definitely don't want me spilling things like a phone theft or a huge dakimakura".
Both teenagers straightened by the fear caused by the sole thought of the other one knowing their most embarrassing stuff. "Okay..."
"Marinette?" asked Adrien nervously.
"Shall I start?" asked the boy even more nervously.
"That's it, I'm done" said Bunnix.
"I like you Adrien! I've liked you since you gave me that umbrella!" confessed Marinette scared by Bunnix's threat to her social image.
"You heard her Buttercups. She likes you so much, she can't talk straight to you without messing up her speech or stammering like an MP5" said Alix.
"And she does really like you. Ask her why did your father let you return to school after the Volpina and Collector incident" said Bunnix.
"Marinette? Did you convince somehow father to let me go back to school?" asked Adrien hesitantly.
And then it came. Marinette explained everything. How she felt, how she had tailored after Lila and Adrien once and discovered the book of the miraculous, about her fear, her love, everything since the very beginning, when they got their miraculous. There were a few laughs at some points, mainly due to something Marinette had messed up with; but there were also tears and Alix even hugged Marinette until she almost asphyxiated her. Then it was Adrien's turn to talk. He talked about his family problems, about his huge cold empty home and how alive he felt when he was Chat. He also confessed his feelings to Marinette, about him still not being 100% over Ladybug, but also about his recently found feelings of Marinette. At the end, Alix was very shaken by all of the things she had just learnt and simply pulled the two idiots into a hug.
"Come on Mini-me, let's give these dorks a bit of time to think" said Bunnix as she opened her Burrow again and pushed each teenager on their bedroom.
----------------------------------------
"Tikki" said Marinette with a wavering voice.
"Yes Marinette?" asked Tikki.
"Am I dreaming again? Adrien is not Chat and I didn't embarrass myself in front of him, right?" asked Marinette.
"I'm sure you didn't embarrass yourself, Adrien really liked the fact that-" said Tikki, but she was interrupted by a knock on the window.
"Oh no! Chat's here! And Chat is Adrien! Adrien is here! On my room! My posters of him are all over the room! He's going to freak out and he'll hate meandI'llbeleftwithoutapartnerandHawkMothwillslaughterParisanditwillallhavebeenmyfaultand-" said Marinette until Tikki headbutted her.
"Marinette! Calm down, open that window, let that cat in and talk with him. He won't be creeped by you, I'm sure of it" said Tikki calming her holder.
Marinette breathed, nodded and opened her windows. "Hello?"
"Hey Mini Bug, you forgot the miraculous" said Bunnix.
"I bet she was lost on her mind" teased Alix. "Thought I won't mind keeping the miraculous if you want".
"Oh, Alix, Bunnix. It's just you" sighed Marinette relieved.
"Were you waiting for someone else Lotus?" teased Alix winking.
"I hate you so much now" said Marinette blushing. "Come on, give the miraculous and let me be paranoid by myself".
"Just so you know Mini-bug, everything will be alright before you can say Spots On" said Bunnix. "To begin with, the time ripples are fixed".
"Yeah, you'll be able to sleep finally girl, you definitely need it" pointed Alix.
"Gee, I love you too Alix. No need to have some tact or anything alike" said Marinette sarcastically.
"Even restless, Princess is a delightful sight for an alley cat like me" said Chat poking his head through the windows.
"Aahh!!!!" screamed Marinette from the bottom of her lungs as she picked a pillow and threw it to Chat Noir, almost knocking him off.
"Make sure to never be on the receiving end of anything Marinette throws Mini-me" said Bunnix. "I once saw her knock Chat and Carapace of a roof, without even being transformed".
"You could have warned me!" exclaims Chat Noir. "Why do you treat me like this after I compliment you Buggaboo?"
"I panicked" said Marinette sheepishly shrugging her shoulders.
"You did deserve that one for eavesdropping us" declared Alix.
"I can't argue about that, even if it wasn't intentional" admitted the feline hero. "Can I get inside before someone spots me here?"
"Y-You can enter I guess" said Marinette trying to appear uninterested and calm.
"And we'll leave" said Bunnix, giving the miraculous to Marinette. "Come on Teennix, I'll burrow-drop you an hour ago".
"See you at school guys" said Alix preparing to leave but turns to Marinette. "And Marinette, I'm sorry for being a jerk about you and Lila. We show her who is the boss?"
"Count me in" said Marinette smiling. She bid goodbye and the pink haired girls disappeared through a Burrow.
"I'm sorry for telling you to leave Lila alone because she wasn't hurting anyone. And for not noticing that she was hurting you" said Chat Noir.
"Don't worry, I know you always see the positive side in each possibility. It's one of the things I like about you" said Marinette calmly.
"Marinette?" said Chat Noir.
"Yes Kitty?" asked Marinette.
"I know we have some- Well, a lot of stuff to process and everything but..." said Chat nervously as he played with his fingers.
"But what? What happens Minou?" asked Marinette a bit worried.
"If you'd like, could we... Could we, you know, go on a date or something? After everything, of course. And only if you want to" said Chat blushing.
"Chat, detransform" ordered Marinette and the cat obeyed.
"My Lady? Princess?" asked Chat worried.
"I would love to, you big dork" said Marinette as she pulled Adrien into a hug, giving him a peck on his cheek.
"You know, I think this is the best bug you've ever had. She's bold, she feeds me and she can shut my kitten with a single peck" said Plagg to Tikki.
"Admit it, you also like my bug because she's good for your so smitten kitten" said Tikki smirking.
"You will never hear me admit that" said Plagg stubbornly. Meanwhile, the teenagers were both dying inside from embarrassment.
"Plagg, please, shut up" managed to say a very flustered Adrien.
"I-I'll go for s-so-some snacks" said Marinette blushing considerably as she headed towards the stairs and disappeared.
"Hello again, Adrien. I'm not sure if you remember me from Reflekta's and Reflekdoll's fight but I'm Marinette's kwami" said Tikki politely, allowing Adrien to calm down.
"Hello Tikki. I do remember you, it's nice to meet you again" replied politely Adrien. "I admit you are a lot less grumpy than Plagg and a lot nicer".
"Watch kid, because that less grumpy nicer kwami can and will obliterate you if you dare anger her" warned Plagg and instantly got hit by Tikki.
"Now, now, Plagg. Don't scare Adrien like that. I'm not that bad" said Tikki smiling with her eyes closed, giving more and more a feeling of danger. "Thought Adrien, sweetheart, I'll say this once. Keep Marinette happy. Okey?" said as Adrien felt a shiver go down his spine.
"Roger that" said Adrien a bit nervous and afraid for his life.
"Don't worry now, I was just kidding a bit" said Tikki, but Adrien thought otherwise. "But you will face a lot of threats if you date Marinette. As you know, Marinette has a lot of people close to her, some of them are quite famous, some of them are a bit zealous of black cats that broke their daughter's heart. But I'm sure you'll manage it".
"I love Marinette a lot. Nothing can or will ever stop me from loving her" said Adrien, now very serious and determined.
Tikki pat his head. "Well said Adrien" said the kwami not noticing that Mari had just arrived. "Now I can finally give you my approval as well as my blessing".
"Tikki!" whined Marinette even redder than before, startling Tikki and Adrien. Adrien found cute how she could blush so much.
"Are those Camembert filled croissants?" asked Plagg gleefully as he darted over Marinette. "Adrien, you better make her happy and marry her this instant or I'll cataclysm your butt to the next millennia".
"M-M-Marry?" said both teens profoundly blushing at unison.
"And here I thought you'd drop a pun to propose" teased Plagg and Tikki nudged him.
"Stop teasing them so much Stinky Socks!" said Tikki.
"I'm sorry Sugar Cube, but I've been hearing this kitten fantasize with her so much on both sides of both masks. This is my revenge" said Plagg.
"N-No croissants then" managed to stutter Marinette.
"Not the croissants!" said Plagg as he kneeled apologising on mid-air. "I'm sorry Princess! I shall never enrage you again".
"G-Good. Have one then" said Marinette still blushing. Adrien was speechless and amazed.
"You're amazing Marinette" said Adrien without thinking. "If I could, I'd ask you to Mari me".
Marinette.exe stopped working. She blushed, groaned, rolled her eyes and squealed. At the same time. Adrien was once again surprised by her, until he registered what he had just said and turn into another blushing mess. Plagg was cackling as if it was the funniest thing he had seen ever, even crying from laughing to hard. But nobody expected Tikki to enter into a giggling mood that didn't stop even when Plagg had finished laughing. Adrien wanted to crawl into a hole and never get out. But Marinette grabbed his shirt shyly, not looking to him because of sheer embarrassment, but also not letting him go.
"Ad-drien. I h-h-hate you" she said and then give him a shy peck on the cheeks and proceeded to hide herself behind a gigantic pillow.
Adrien stood there, uncertain of what just happened and unsure of what to do, but everything was irrelevant since Marinette has given him a kiss on the cheek. A lot of feelings revolved inside of him, thus causing Adrien.exe to stop working. That is, until Plagg decided to feed him with a Camembert-filled croissant which was, to Adrien's disgust, impressibly delicious. He munches it down and resisted the urge to stare at Marinette until his heart was satisfied.
"Come on now, don't go all silent you two" said Plagg. "Do your weird human mating ritual and begin to date or whatever you find appropriate".
"He's right Marinette, you two have confessed your feelings already but, those that means that you're a couple?" pointed Tikki.
"I- Uh- Do you-" fumbled Adrien, not sure of how to express his feelings.
Marinette giggled a bit seeing her partner doing silly faces while trying to figure what to say. "Would you two give us a bit of time to discuss some stuff?"
"Your wishes are orders Princess" said Plagg bowing as he and Tikki turned to leave the room.
"Yeah, so..." said Marinette awkwardly. "What should we do know?"
"I want to date you, I really want to, but..." said Adrien scratching his neck and hoping that Marinette didn't misunderstand him.
"But there is a lot to process and you don't want to make things weird" finished Marinette nodding, calming both of them the fact that they had thought similarly.
"Purrcisely, I couldn't have said that better" said Adrien. "Though, I really want all of this to go away and date you and maybe hold hands with you and take you on some dates" said as he blushed.
She looked at him with tender eyes and love pouncing through her body. "I want that too" said with a gentle and shy smile.
"So, when I'm ready, and you are as well, could we..." said Adrien, but got interrupted by Marinette, who decided that it was a good idea to kiss him and didn't expect that his brain would melt at that.
"Yes kitty, when we're both ready, I want you to take me on a date" said Marinette with a bright blush on her cheeks."
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Marinette and Adrien finally where ready three months later. Everyone had stopped getting the time ripples effects when they fixed it, but there were a lot of things to work out. With Adrien decided to help her and Alix wanting to kick some butts, Marinette finally managed to prove that Lila was a liar. It didn't happen on the course of a day thought. They had first convinced Alya and Nino with some proof they had managed to gather, getting both of them on their side. But Alya was a major breakthrough in the whole operation. After apologizing for ages, she swam through the internet, getting medical records, testimonies, gathering proof of Lila's lies and contacting Lia's previous classmates to ask about her. Almost singlehandedly she managed to recompile enough data to prove once and for all that Lila was an evil.
Obviously other people participated. Luka tried to help after apologizing to Marinette for breaking up with her, but Alix and Alya refused to let him help, so he simply gathered some information and handle it to the boys, who were a tad more understanding, specially Adrien after knowing that Luka had simply having so many dreams of Marinette being happy with him that left Luka almost paranoid. Kagami also apologised to Adrien, but this time the girls didn't interfere because Marinette had expressly called her to help due to the fact that she had also been involved with Lila's lies and that they were friends, no matter if they both loved the same boy. She was a valuable asset to the team and working with other people along with Marinette's encouragement, Kagami made some more friends. And then was Max. He had been the hardest one to convince, but after showing Markov the evidence and the little robot stubbornly forced the boy to look at it too, they managed to get him to help, but only after Ladybug and Chat Noir deakumatized him.
When they released the truth to the principal and the teachers, there was a burst of anger between the humiliated adults, but they managed to keep their feelings in check and called Mrs. Rossi to talk with her. Lila got expulsed, her mother wanted to send her back to Italy, but after everyone saw how she willingly accepted Hawk Moth's offer of akumatization, it was clear that she couldn't simply walk away. They called the authorities and send her to a minor center on Italy, far from Hawk Moth's influence and far from anyone she could manipulate.
Then it was the turn of the students to know and Scarlet Moth made an appearance once again. This time thought, the heroes where prepared and they had more than enough back up to deal with all the students. Afterwards, a lot of people apologized to Marinette for being rude to her or accusing her of being jealous. She forgave them, because she knew it wasn't fully their fault, they were being manipulated after all. But she never forgot, and it showed. She never fully got back to her lovely attitude. She was still selfless and stood up to any injustice people faced, but she also was wearier of them and didn't fully trust anyone. No one blamed her for it, rather, they were thankful that she at least tried to keep thing normal between everyone.
Soon enough, she became a sensation. Everyone in school adored her, there were fan clubs and she got a lot of commissions. She opened a fashion blog and began to post her newest creations along with her never ending commissions. Adrien helped her as much as he could doing anything for her or simply being for her, not ready to date her yet but caring for her nonetheless. It helped a lot that the akumas where fewer than ever and that Mayura had surrendered her miraculous anonymously, leaving it along with a note on the Major's desk, who immediately contacted Ladybug and returned it to her. At the same time, Nathalie had resigned as Gabriel's assistant and left the mansion forever, leaving Adrien a bit sad, but Gorilla made sure to fill in her role, always caring of the boy as if it was his own child.
Slowly, everything fell back in order and improved further any expectation Adrien or Marinette could had ever thought. They were more in love with each other, having fell for the other each day had passed, making their feelings grow as much as possible and, when the time finally came, they began to date. Alix lamented ever pitying Marinette's embarrassment back in the burrow, future Bunnix was right and they both were sickening with all their lovey-dovey interactions. Even Rose despised them from time to time for being so cheesy, and Rose was an addict to romance. But everyone was happy for them, even if they only showed disgust for their newly founded couple. As for what happened with Hawk Moth? Well, that's a story for another time.