The New Guardian

Chapter 21: The Cube Part 1

"Chat Noir?" Ladybug said, admiring the Eiffel Tower through the white snow. "Do you ever miss Master Fu?"

"I wasn't as close to him as you were." Chat adjusted his scarf. "But I wish I had gotten a chance."

"I miss him." Ladybug responded, crisscrossing her legs as she looked down. "I trust his judgement, but . . . I really don't think I'm cut out to be a guardian."

"Don't you remember when you thought that about the Ladybug miraculous? You mentioned before that you tried to get rid of it because you doubted yourself." Chat scooted his body, turning to her. "You learned yourself that that decision was wrong. You were always meant to be Paris's Ladybug. And now . . . you're meant to protect the miraculous all together."

"What if this time it's different?" She looked to him. "One miraculous is a different matter than the entire Miracle Box."

"Come on, LB." Chat smiled. "With me by your side to support you, nothing will stand in our way of protecting this city." His hand reached for her shoulder. Ladybug blushed. "The miraculous are in good hands and . . . it's only been a year and a half. We have plenty of time to figure it all out."

"I just wish I could talk to him." Ladybug bit the inside of her cheek. "I only received part of my guardian training and I still have so many questions. I can't ask him for help anymore." She sighed. "Anytime my lucky charm brought me to his shop or if I needed any advice, he was there. Now . . . I have to do everything on my own."

"Hey, no you don't." Chat Noir shook her shoulder. "I'm here and I can support you. I never knew much about this world of miraculous, but there's always a way. We'll be partners forever, no matter what happens, so maybe there's another book out there. Maybe there are more temples or more boxes. There has to be something left and we'll find whatever it is."

Ladybug smiled. "You know . . . I sent him a Christmas card."

"But I thought-"

"I know he doesn't remember us, but I still thought I'd send one." Ladybug interrupted. "Marianne sent me an invitation to their wedding. She knows my identity still and she knew how happy I'd be for them."

"Are you going?" Chat leaned back on his hands.

"Well the invite is for both of us and we'd have to attend in disguise. It'd be insanely rude for two superheroes to show up and drive the attention away from the married couple." She rested her chin on her palms. "But I don't know it's the best idea to go."

"You should. Go as yourself and I'll stay back." Chat smiled. "At least go for Marianne, but you also get assurance for Master Fu's future."

"I guess." Ladybug grinned, turning back to the dimmer sky. "But next Christmas, we're getting pictures together and not for a magazine this time. I'll keep sending my cards for now. He won't remember us, but it's all in the season."

. . .

The Present:

Ivory twisted her blade in the asphalt, pacing around it. "The great heroes of Paris have fallen so easily?!" She shouted. "I thought they would've had better." She stopped.

"We need to leave, Ladybug." Chat whispered. "If we escape, you can use your lucky charm to fix everything, including our powers. We can hide for awhile and think of a plan. Then we can come back stronger."

"I'm tired of running, Chat Noir." Ladybug shook her head. "We need to finish this dispute between us and the temple once and for all. That's the only way to end it." She turned to him. "Unless we kill them. But we aren't really heroes then."

"We need a plan." He insisted.

"No plan will end it." She assured. "The fighting will only continue."