Loss

12

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Marinette's P.O.V

Miss Bustier had everyone leave the classroom when the screaming grew louder and headed towards the exit. I changed directions from everyone else and went to the restroom. After checking to make sure no one else was in the room, I opened my purse to let Tikki out.

"Are you ready, Marinette?" my kwami asked.

I took a deep breath in and released it before saying three words.

"Tikki, spots on."

My suit magically encased my body with the familiar boost of energy and strength joining in. Soon, I ran out of the bathroom and used my yo-yo to get onto the school's roof. Ducking down, I scanned the area outside of the school to see if I could spot the danger.

The first thing I noticed, were people laying still on the ground with giant purple bubbles surrounding only their heads. The sight of the nontransparent sphere sent shivers down my spine for some unknown reason. I had a very unsettling feeling about this akuma.

"Well, it's nice to see I'm not the only one crashing this paw-rty," I jumped and turned to see a grinning Chat Noir but something was off with him. He seemed more...careful and hesitant.

"Have you seen the akuma?" I asked. Chat shook his head "no" in response while kneeling next to me.

"I know as much as you do, but those bubbles are making me purr-etty un-claw-fortable," he said, a stupid grin spreading cheek to cheek.

I groaned and rolled my eyes but would not admit to the slight hint of relief that flowed through me. I thought things would be different with how I acted at the last akuma fight. I'm just glad nothing has changed with our partnership.

"Then, we better start investigating and fast," I ordered, taking out my yo-yo and was about to swing away. A sudden force pushed me aside when a giant purple bubble flew past. Chat Noir and I slid a little before getting to our feet when the akuma landed a few feet away.

The akuma looked like a genie with her hair tied up in a high ponytail and a lamp hooked to her belt.

"I think the akuma is in the lamp," I informed Chat. He agreed without looking away from the new conjured up villain. I began to spin my yo-yo to use as a shield while Chat readied his baton.

"I am Desire, and I shall get my one true wish. But first, I need those lovely pieces of jewelry for Hawkmoth to make my dream become a reality!" Desire said, grabbing her lamp.

"We need to be careful not-"Chat was explaining, until I charged head-on at the akuma. I wasn't thinking straight and immediately regretted my decision after seeing Desire aim the lamp's spout at me. A flash of gray caught the corner of my eye for a split second before hitting the akuma in the ribs.

The air left her lungs and recoiled from the hit, clutching her side. The lamp slipped out of her hands and clattered onto the ground. I quickly wrapped up the akuma, tightening the unbreakable string around her arms and body.

"Chat!" I called, my partner who understood the plan and activated his powers of destruction.

"Cataclysm!" Chat shouted. Dangerous, black bubbles began protruding from his glove and ready to turn its target into dust. I kicked the lamp over to Chat who grabbed it with his devastating touch.

The lamp turned to ash and ended the suspiciously short battle. I realized that I didn't even get to use my Lucky Charm at all! Something was wrong, but I couldn't place a finger on what it was.

My answer came when the akuma didn't fade back into her civilian form and laughed manically.

"You fools! You think that you can stop me by destroying my lamp?" Desire laughed before disappearing in a cloud of smoke and reappeared outside of my yoyo's restrainments, the string falling onto the school's roof lifelessly.

I tugged my yoyo back and began to spin it defensively as Chat joined my side. I heard the first beep come from his ring. He had four minutes left until de-transforming.

"Now, what?" Chat asked. I carefully searched for anything that was holding the dark butterfly, yet nothing stood out.

"I...I-I don't know," I replied. I felt a strange feeling spiral within me. This emotion, I've never felt it when I am Ladybug, but...it was there and very difficult to ignore. Was this...fear? Why do I feel so uncertain and scared? Hopeless?

There was something about the akuma that gave me chills and a horrible ache within my chest dropping down into my stomach. A sinking feeling, I'm drowning.

"Ladybug, snap out of it!" Chat shouted, shaking my shoulders. The beeping of his ring caught my attention. I realized that the akuma was gone and stopped spinning my yoyo.

"Chat, where did the akuma go?" I asked, scanning the area for the genie.

"She vanished in smoke not to long ago," he explained. I looked around a bit lost and guilty for not paying attention. We are in a battle with a villain, and I am off my game. I can worry later as Marinette, but I am Ladybug right now. Ladybug does not act like this.

"Come on, let's go find that akuma and see what she is up too," I ordered, about to swing away when my partner caught my wrist before going any further.

"Milady, you really need to tell me what's wro-"Chat was cut off when his second to last paw print disappeared.

"You go and recharge. I'll look for the akuma. Meet up with me again as fast as you can," I said, slipping my wrist out of his hold. Green eyes were glazed with worry and his cat ears drooped a bit saddened.

I paused for a moment, adding, "I'll be fine, Kitty. I promise."

Determination replaced my fear from earlier and smiled a little at Chat before swinging off to find Desire.

Chat Noir's P.O.V

I watched Ladybug swing away to find the villain as my transformation wore off. The worry didn't go away but grew more after her final words. I knew those words from anywhere. I practically live my life with them.

They are demeaning and fruitless. A mask of emotions covering up the truth. Even though she may seem fine and at the moment, is mentally fine, she wasn't.

Ladybug is forcing herself to be okay.

"Why are you lying to me, Ladybug?" I asked, talking to myself. "We're partners, you can trust me with your life but...not with anything else?"

"Kid, give me cheese. This stomach isn't going to be feeding itself," Plagg demanded, patting his tiny stomach. Glaring at the small being, I pulled out the stinky cheese and handed it to my Kwami.

Plagg took the food and started chowing it down while, I stared into the distance where Ladybug ran off in.

"You know, every Ladybug I've ever met was always stubborn with their emotions. They would always lock up how they felt until bursting like the dinosaurs I destroyed," Plagg explained, chowing on his cheese.

"How was any of that supposed to help me with her?" I questioned, sarcastically.

The Kwami of destruction swallowed the cheese before saying, "You need to make her crack sooner or later. If you don't, that crack will become bigger and bigger until something bad happens. It's like standing on thin ice. Once you're on thin ice and it starts cracking, you only have so much time before falling through."

I thought over Plagg's words, making sense of them and nodding in agreement.

"Thanks, Plagg. Who knew you had a bit of wisdom in you?" I teased.

"One, did you forget how old I am? Two, there better be double the price of camembert," The tiny cat said. I smiled and shook my head but the moment was ruined when the ground shook and smoke rose in the distance.

"Plagg, claws out!"

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