Tethered Souls | A Miraculous Ladybug Fanfiction

The Sacrifice

"Oh, I'm counting on it," Hawk Moth said lunging at Chat with his weapon. Chat Noir blocked it easily but Hawk Moth was quick to sweep his legs out from under him. Chat fell back and dropped his staff on the way down, sending it out of his reach. Hawk Moth had him pinned down now with the tip of his weapon. "When I sent Umbra for surveillance I was surprised to see you being so careless, Chat Noir. It was only too easy for me to deduce that this girl was important to you. I knew if she went missing, you would turn up to find her. You were simple to fool. As for your partner," Hawk Moth laughed, "Ladybug's moral compass will be her downfall. Whenever someone innocent needs saving she's always first on the scene. I'm beginning to wonder if you didn't inform your partner of your decision to come here. You didn't think you could manage me on your own did you?" He said pressing the end of his staff into Chat Noir's chest. He grunted with pain.

Marinette watched helplessly as her partner struggled to reach his weapon. She hadn't been able to defend herself before, she'd been ambushed in her sleep. Her mouth had been covered immediately so she couldn't call out for help, or for Tikki. The little kwami looked up at Marinette from behind her leg where she'd been hiding when Chat Noir came to untie her. She couldn't transform now, Chat Noir was right in front of her. She hadn't even been sure if she was ready to let Chat know the truth, let alone Hawk Moth. She could be putting herself in serious danger if she revealed her identity to her enemy.

"Just give me your miraculous Chat Noir, this doesn't need to be painful," Hawk Moth taunted, stepping on Chat's wrist. He began to lean down to take his ring off his finger but Chat Noir kicked the man's legs causing him to stumble back and loosen his hold on the hero. He leapt into a crouch, snagging his staff, "I'll never give it up, Hawk Moth. Never to you,"

"Oh, but you don't even know why I need it,"

"It doesn't matter why you need my miraculous. It could only be for selfish reasons coming from you," Chat hissed, "You feed off of the negative emotions of everyone in Paris, you cause terror throughout the city. No one is safe from your resolve. You will never succeed, Hawk Moth. Not as long as Ladybug and I are still fighting against you,"

"What if I told you that combining the powers of creation and destruction could grant you a wish capable of granting any desire? It creates boundless power right at your fingertips Chat Noir. I need your miraculous to right a terrible wrong. This is no mere selfish desire, young hero, it is a wish born out of love and loss,"

"There will be a terrible price to pay if you do that Hawk Moth," Marinette piped up.

Hawk Moth turned his head towards Marinette, his eyes boring into her with hatred and desperation, "How would you even know such a thing?" he seethed.

"There is always a price to pay for selfishness, Hawk Moth, no matter the good intentions. Just look at how far you've gone to take Chat Noir and Ladybug's miraculous. It's been years and your plan has yet to succeed. Ladybug is not even here. You cannot possibly get what you want without her,"

Hawk Moth's expression darkened, "You're right. It has been far too long. I can't succeed without both the ring of the black cat and the earrings of the ladybug," He said, looking back to Chat Noir, "But I know how to lure her out of hiding. So, if you won't give me your miraculous," the man began, "then I'll take it off your corpse," he lunged at Chat, swinging his staff to hit him across the face. Chat didn't have the time to block it before Hawk Moth's fist came down. 

Marinette looked away, her heart pounding wildly. She couldn't bear to watch, she had to do something, but what could she do? Tikki stared at her from her hiding spot, pleading with her eyes. Marinette pursed her lips and looked around desperately. Transforming in front of the butterfly miraculous holder had to be a last resort. Her eyes fell on a trunk sitting across the room. Marinette's mind ran a hundred miles a minute. She had a wild idea of what could lie within that trunk. If she somehow could get to it, maybe she could use the contents inside to help Chat. She had no real reason to believe that what she suspected might be the trunk, was actually in there; all she knew for certain was that if the trunk resided inside Hawk Moth's lair, it had to be important. 

She heard something hit the ground hard and she turned to see her partner bruised and bloody, breathing heavily on his stomach. Marinette's heart lurched to see him like that. She desperately wanted to jump into action with him. She wanted to be by his side and assist him in defeating their long time foe, once and for all, but she needed to find another way. Chat Noir attempted to prop himself up with his hands but Hawk Moth kicked him down again. He smiled sickeningly as he unsheathed his staff to reveal a thin sword which had been concealed underneath. Marinette's eyes went wide she let out a nightmare worthy scream that echoed throughout the rounded room as Hawk Moth lifted the blade over her partner's body. "Tikki! Spots On!" she wailed. Within seconds, Marinette was freed from her ropes, and transformed into Ladybug. In one bound, Ladybug threw herself in front of her partner. She shielded Chat Noir with her body as Hawk Moth lowered the blade.

Ladybug felt a sharp, unbelievable pain in her chest and pressure as the sword left her body. She hit the ground and she heard a bloodcurdling scream followed by a faint, "What did you do," as the sound of blood rushing in her ears muffled her hearing. She curled her legs up to her chest and pressed her hands to her wound. She lifted her hands slightly after a moment and got dizzy at the sight. She tried to watch the battle between Chat Noir and his opponent, but she was getting so tired. Her eyelids were so heavy she could barely keep them open. Ladybug had just lost the fight to keep her eyes from shutting when she felt hands under her back. She felt her body being lifted up and she managed to open her eyes again. She saw Chat Noir hovering over her, watching her intensely. She smiled faintly, "Surprise, kitty" she said weakly.

"Marinette," Chat Noir said through tears, "Why would you do this? Why would you sacrifice yourself for me?"

"It was about time I put all of my trust in you, the way you always did for me,"

"Trust? What are you talking about Ladybug? I have to get you to a hospital right now,"

"No," Marinette said, putting her hand over Chat Noir's gently. She tried to remember her plan, but her thoughts were clouding over, "just remember," she struggled, "that kwami's powers work in mysterious ways,"

"What- What do you mean? Marinette!" But Marinette could hardly hear him. It felt as though she was miles away. She closed her eyes and she let the calm sink in.

"And remember," she managed to get out, "remember that I love you chaton,"