Don't Remember Me Like This

Chapter 1

The world went silent. Not a single sound could be perceived. The warm turned cold, the loud turned unhearable and what was once obvious turnt unclear. She looked around her, so much was going on, still she was immobile, not able to differentiate the constant movements around her, not able to focus on a single object her sight could catch. Everything was moving in slow motion, time had stopped, but only for her.

"M'lady"
Those words made her come back. Now the entire universe was consumed in fog, all but him and his weak words that he pulled out of his last bit of strength.

"Chat..." she answered while turning to him. The fear she could perceive in his eyes was overwhelming, all had catched him by surprise, he was still unaware of what had happened to him. He hadn't even noticed the unbearable pain originating from his insides.

Forcing herself to return back, to break the prison the shock had trapped her in, she ran towards the young boy whose eyes were once filled with hope, joy and innocent playfulness, now blinded by horror.

"M'lady..."

"Chat I'm here! I'm here now! I'm here now! Everything is going to be okay, I promise" she yelled tears running down her eyes trying to make sense of what had just happened. "Everything is going to be okay, I promise" she lied.

"It hurts"

"I know, I know Chat, but it will soon stop" she answered in devastation. Seeing her partner, her best friend and companion through every adventure and adversities, was like a burning pain in the core of her body. She had never seen him this way, cold, almost lifeless, without that cocky smile of his which lit her up everytime she saw him, like a radiating sun.

"When this is over I'm gonna send a claim sheet to Master Fu, bugaboo, he didn't mention this as a part of the deal of being Chat Noir" he joked while forcing a cute cocky smile to his lady with the little energy left in his body.

"Chat..." she said with the corners of her lips lifting upwards, not being able to contain a little laugh while tears still ran down her cheeks. She was smiling, not a smile of joy, but a sad one. Her heart got warm by his words, even though he was laying in her arms, facing the profuse darkness of death. Even though the fear of uncertainty was consuming him and haunting all the traces of hope, he was doing all he could to calm his lady, to make her laugh in the most dreadful situations.

The world was silent, muted by an imaginary shield that excluded them from their surroundings. Our two characters were not alone, Rena Rouge, Carapace, Queen Bee, Viperion, Ryuko, they were all there. Fighting against the akumatized creatures, doing all in their power to delay what was coming, giving the two time, the privacy they deserved. Because they all knew, they all knew what was happening.

"M'lady, promise me one thing"

"Chat, don't say that, your fight is not over yet, you will make it, don't you dare think otherwise"

The cat made a weak grin with satisfaction, with proudness and admiration, "That's why I love you"

"You... lo-"

"Ladybug, I need you to promise me one thing before-" he confessed almost in whispers.

"No..."

"Promise me!"

"Chat I can't do that..."

"I need you to! Please, do it for me, promise me!"

"Ok... I will..." she accepted at last with doubt, almost unable to open her eyes because of the tears blinding her vision.

"I need you to promise me that you won't remember me like this. When this is over and you think about me, I don't want you to see this picture of me. I... I want you to remember me how I've always been" he started coughing and blood run down his lips, he smiled, "I want you to remember all the fun we had together, how I used to tease you while defeating villains, how I called you bugaboo even if I knew you hated it just because I loved to see that cute angry face you made, how I joked around and acted like a clown so I could hear that precious laugh of yours. Promise me!"

"Chat, please don't say that! Don't talk like if there is no hope, like if this is the end, I beg you!"

But he was right, he looked disastrous and the odds weren't in his favour. It was hard to accept that this weak body with broken bones and blood covering his usually caramel skin that was now white and pale was actually that joyful boy, full of life, that she called her partner. She had never imagined that their relationship could ever have an end, that there would be a world without Ladybug and Chat Noir, superheroes of Paris. Now reality struck like a painful knife in the back.

"When I'm gone I don't want you to remember this scene, this picture of me. Not only for my memory. I don't want this..." he paused and took her hand carefully, holding it tightly next to his body, "I don't want this memory to haunt you, I wouldn't be able to leave in peace knowing that".

"Chat..." was the only word she managed to take out. Chat Noir had a point, she knew she wouldn't be able to live another day without imagining his blooded face, she knew she would have nightmares about it everytime she closed her eyes, she knew that the word devastated wouldn't even come close to describing her future suffering, so she lied. "I won't" she said with a leap of courage. "I... I will only remember the happy moments. Like the first time we met. You remember that? I didn't think I was strong enough, that I could make it, but you believed in me. You made me see parts of me that even I myself hadn't discovered. And I will remember your funny jokes, and how much I loved them even if I acted as I didn't. They see me catwalking, remember that one? Or when you tried to imitate me? Lucky charm! Lucky charm! Remember?" she said, imitating the voice he used.

A sigh of relief filled them both, Chat Noir layed peacefully bringing the corners of his lips up gently. He wasn't scared anymore.

"There is only one thing I regret," he said at last almost unhearable.

Ladybug admired him in confusion.

"I just wish I had been enough for you m'lady"

"Chat... No! Don't say that! You were enough, you have always been! Don't you ever doubt that! It was never you, it was me, it's my fault, it has always been my fault. You were always perfect... My prince..."

He opened his eyes fully, one last time, she could still see that cocky grin in his eyes despite his desperation, still trying to hide his pain from her. "It's you and me against the world m'lady. It always has been and it will always be", and with a last breath his soul left his weak body closing slowly his broken eyes.