𝐀𝐋𝐋 𝐀𝐑𝐎𝐔𝐍𝐃 𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐂𝐈𝐓𝐘 - (miraculous zoénette fanfic)

🐾 - part 2: Obelisk de Luxor 🐞

Zoe hissed as the cold wind bit at her face, numbing her cheeks and turning her nose pink. She clinged to the warm body of Ladybug beside her as they swung over the rooftops of Paris. The city blurred in her vision, the buildings going by too fast for Zoe to recognize them. Not that she could, anyway. Paris was all so foreign to her. And that's what Marinette was trying to help her with. Her heart surged with a pang of warmth at the thought of the gentle girl. She took all of Zoe in and saw the parts that troubled her, and went out of her way to be kind. And so Zoe would complete this scavenger hunt, even if she'd rather be doing it with Marinette.

Her motion came to a sudden stop, and the world ceased to move. Ladybug caught her as Zoe lurched forward, about to stumble off a rooftop.

"Thanks," Zoe said, steadying herself. She felt the light touch of Ladybug's fingertips against her waist, lingering a moment longer than necessary. But then the other girl moved her hands away, using them to gesture into the plaza below.

"Here we are," Ladybug said grandly. "The Place de Concorde. It's Paris's largest square, and each of the eight corners represent one of Paris's cities."

Zoe raised her eyebrow as she looked into the square.

"You seem to know quite a bit about it," Zoe commented, surprised.

"French history class," Ladybug explained, tapping the side of her nose. That would explain it.

Zoe looked out into the place. It was beautiful, of course, since this was Paris and everything was ancient and romantic. Historic buildings surrounded the square, protecting everyone within. Fountains spewed gray water, dirtied by the coins that lingered at the bottom. Mimes and violinists performed for a penny, children stopping to watch in amusement. And in the middle stood a white obelisk, tall and pretty.

"That's where I'm supposed to go," Zoe said, pointing at the obelisk. This was where Marinette was guiding her. Step by step, she would find her way to her friend.

"I can neither confirm nor deny this," Ladybug said, but she winked mischievously. Zoe couldn't help the grin that spread over her face. She had spent time with the superheroine before, but she hadn't gotten to see what it was like to just hang out with her. Underneath the mask, Ladybug was just a normal girl, afterall. They were sure to have things in common. And though superheroes weren't the most reliable of companions, they needed friends too. Zoe was willing to be that for Ladybug.

Just as she was about to inquire about the other girl's interests, however, she felt arms push under her knees and she was being lifted up. Zoe let out a yelp of surprise, swinging her arms around Ladybug's neck. Ladybug tilted her head, as if she was confused as to why carrying Zoe like she was a blushing bride would surprise her.

"I was going to take you down to see the obelisk?" Ladybug said uncertainly. She began to put Zoe down.

"Right, yeah, that's fine," Zoe stammered, desperate to stay clinging to the Lady. She was shockingly warm, and it made little butterflies appear in Zoe's stomach. "Let's go."

"You're sure?" Ladybug asked. Zoe nodded. "Alright then. Hold on tight." And Zoe did. She held on so tight, she thought she might accidentally pull Ladybug's neck off. Wouldn't that make a wonderful headline? Read All About It: Flustered American Girl Rips Off Beloved Superhero's Neck In A Terrifying Display. Yeah, no thanks. Zoe had seen her fair share of disgruntled headlines, mostly about her parents and their disastrous affair, and she knew she couldn't cause such a scene. She moved her hands down to Ladybug's shoulder, just in case.

As they began to drop, Zoe pushed her nose into Ladybug's shoulder, squeezing her eyes shut. Her stomach dropped as they flew down to the Obelisk, And Zoe wondered how Marinette had even gotten Ladybug to do this for her. But that thought was cut off abruptly as it came, because then they were lurched up again and Zoe had to stop herself from screaming.

"You get used to it eventually," Ladybug promised, which made Zoe think this was going to be a longer hunt that she anticipated. They descended in front of the obelisk eventually, and Ladybug set Zoe's feet firmly on the floor. She let out a sigh of relief, thankful she was still alive and not splattered on the concrete for the pigeons to pick apart.

"So this is the Obelisk de Luxor," Zoe noted as she looked at the giant pillar in front of her. It reminded her of the Washington Monument back in the States, which she saw on a school trip to DC. From where she stood, though, she couldn't see the top of it like she could from the rooftop. They were too close.

"Pretty, isn't it?" Ladybug asked. "It took three years to get here from Egypt, so Parisians really ought to appreciate it more."

Zoe smiled at Ladybugs' uncanny knowledge of the historic sight. "Oh?" She inquired. "Have any more fun facts about this place?"

"Well, I don't know if you'd call this next one fun exactly," Ladybug started. "Before the obelisk was built, there were like, a ton of executions here. Louis and Marie were beheaded here."

Zoe laughed. "Absolutely lovely. And so romantic. It really is the city of love."

Ladybug laughed too, and Zoe couldn't help how familiar she found it. She couldn't pinpoint it, but she was sure she had heard a laugh just as adorable only the other day. But it was probably just her imagination.

"So where's the clue?" Zoe asked, taking a closer look at the Obelisk. She figured it would be taped on there, or somewhere nearby, but she didn't see anything.

"Oh, it's coming." Ladybug grinned, hiding a mystery in her eyes. Zoe felt a sudden burst of sadness erupt in her chest. Her curve of the lips felt so similar to Marinette, and it made her long for the other girl. Zoe wished with everything that she was here. But not all wishes come true.

A pigeon landed on Ladybug's shoulder and cooed in her ear. Zoe grimaced. Pigeons weren't exactly known for being clean. They were filthy in New York and somehow, even filthier here. But Ladybug didn't flinch, but smiled at the bird. At least she wasn't touching it.

"Don't worry Zoe," Ladybug said after seeing the girl's distress. "These are Mr. Ramier's pigeons. They're perfectly safe. He actually trains them to carry things to people. Things like messages."

Zoe's eyes widened as she realized the pigeon had a tiny scroll in his beak. Hesitantly, she reached forward and plucked it out. The next clue from Marinette.

"Very good Edgar," a man's voice said. Zoe turned to see a man in all gray approach them, holding out his hand for the pigeon to land on. He smiled at her, his eyes squinting in the sunlight. He introduced himself as Mr. Ramier, and held out his hand for her to shake. She took it gladly, strangely curious about his eccentric character.

"My Pigeons and I would like to welcome you to Paris, Ms. Lee," Mr. Ramier said, and Edgar the pigeon cooed. "As long as you have a pigeon, you'll have a friend."

"But there are pigeons everywhere," Zoe said, intrigued. Mr. Ramier laughed.

"Exactly."

Before she could ponder what the man meant, Ladybug nudged her in the side.

"Open up the clue, Zoe," she said. "Where are we going next?"

Hestily obeying, Zoe unfolded the scroll of paper. She liked that she got to see all these new places, and even meet some interesting people, but she wanted to get to Marinette. Paris just wasn't the same without her. So Zoe cast her eyes on the clue and read them aloud.

"Great job at finding the Obelisk de Luxor, now I'll take you somewhere with lots of culture in store. It's filled with new friends, and lots of art. So head on over if you want the hunt to really start!"

"She gave you quite the softball," Mr. Ramier said, feeding Edgar. Zoe smiled. She had indeed. Even if she hadn't been there yet, Zoe knew about the famous Louvre museum. It had been on her list of places to see, but she was hoping to take Marinette there on a date, once she finally had the nerve to ask. She supposed it would have to wait until her next visit.

"Ready to go?" Ladybug asked, holding her hand out. Zoe nodded, and folded herself in Ladybug's arms.