Future Tales of the Miraculous

Chapter 17

Time for recovery after generating Queen Bee's layer of protection was short lived for Carapace. The sound of Rena Rouge's body crashing through the nearby building's glass window drew both his and Ladybug's immediate attention.

"Go help Rena," the polka dotted heroine's voice shakily urged Carapace.

She then turned to meet Le Paon's new champion. The now pallid-toned Chat Noir's unflinching gaze was intently locked onto her as he approached.

"What are you doing, Adrien?"

The question came off her lips as a breathy whisper. Something was horribly wrong with her longtime partner. The crimson eyed boy remained silent, engaging her in a circular stalk and readying his batons into a staff. Fighting back her tears, she swallowed down the growing lump of despair that threatened to choke her. 

"I'm not going to fight you."

"Good. All the easier for me, bugaboo."

Ladybug had never seen her partner move so fast. He viciously lunged at her almost immediately, throwing his full weight into a clawed swipe at her head. As he continued his ferocious attack, Ladybug managed to barely duck and dodge him a handful of times, but it wasn't long before he successfully caught her with repeated staff blows at full force. When the staff was coming around again for another painful blow, Ladybug managed to dispatch her yo-yo at it, snaring it with the string and grasping the end with both hands.

"I know it's still you in there. You can't give into her!" Her sapphire eyes were drowning in fresh tears that flooded down her mask and over her cheeks. "Please, Adrien!"

Her broken voice had no effect on his emotionless glare. She felt her heart sink even further when he dropped his grip on the staff and summoned his power, making both his gloved hands come alive with swarming clouds of destructive black magic.

"Cataclysm."

The polka dotted heroine slumped down to her knees, watching the leaping feline close in on her defenseless form. Before his claws could grasp her, a crystal-like green barrier enveloped the girl, absorbing Chat Noir's slashing attack, then crumbling away. To Ladybug, Carapace's booming, frantic voice could be heard in the distance, yet at the same time sounded too far away for comprehension. She could barely register what was happening.  The destructive fate of LadyBug and Black Cat was coming to fruition and she found herself powerless to stop it.

Invisible weight bore down on her; an uneasy pit formed in her stomach like a rock, bringing about restless waves of nausea through her core. Her yo-yo shot into the air above when she mumbled for her Lucky Charm. After an ignition of quickly dissipating light, the power revealed a box of ladybug earrings. There was little time to search her surroundings for clues before the white feline descended on the heroine again, thrusting her into the ground with one powerful claw locked around her neck.    

Rena's head was spinning when she came to; she awoke with a disorienting headache and pain slowly seeping into every part of her body.  A familiar set of warm bronze eyes watched over her, brightening with relief as she was coming to.  As she sat up, the memories of what was happening quickly returned.

In the short distance, she and Carapace watched on as Chat Noir straddled his defeated partner, engaged in a heated exchange with the sorrowful heroine.  Remembering the feline's words before her crash into the building, the autumn colored fox played a swift series of notes on her bansari, watching anxiously as her illusion took effect. 

"This will work," Carapace assured the brunette, squeezing her hand. 

—

"My wonderful, loyal champion.  My son," Le Paon welcomed the white feline approaching her.