Nightmares (A Ladybug and Chat Noir Fanfic)

Chapter 9

Normally Ladybug was a force to be reckoned with but now she was staring off into space breathing heavily. Her lucky charm nearly crushed in her tight grip, if it wasn't magic it probably would be dust by now. Chat moved over to her to double check there were no injuries like he first assumed.

"L-Ladybug? Are you okay?" he asked scared for her answer. She looked at him with watery eyes. He wiped the tears that were beginning to fall without thinking. She recoiled at his touch before hurriedly getting up. She quickly purified the akuma and used her lucky charm to fix everything that had been damaged. Chat was left staring after her, did he do something wrong? He chased after her as she used her yo-yo to swing up to a nearby roof. 

"Ladybug wait!" he yelled, she stopped and turned to him, her face scrunched up as if in pain.

"Wh-what do you want Chat?" She choked out.

"What is going on? You froze up out there and don't tell me you're okay because I can see you're not," he said moving closer to her. She searched his eyes for something but he didn't know what. The moment drew out as he got close enough to see all the shades of blue in her beautiful eyes. His fingers reached for her hand, lightly holding her hand in his.

"I just need a break Chat, I need a break from being Ladybug, it's all too much and-", her earrings beeped interrupting her, she shut her eyes tight and pulled her hand out of his, "I have to go, please don't follow me."

She left. Chat stood watching her leave, every muscle in him telling him to follow, but she would never forgive him if he found out her identity like this. His ears dropped as he slowly made his way to a nearby alley to transform.

"Plagg, Claws in," he said and with a flash he was Adrien again, Plagg floating beside him. He felt emotion rise in his chest and his vision became blurry. He let him self slid down the wall until his head was on his knees, "I don't understand what's wrong with her Plagg, and what does she mean she needs a break! Does she want a break from me?"

"It'll be okay kid, she'll be back in no time," Plagg did his best to be comforting but it was never his strong suit.

"Thanks Plagg," Adrien said weakly, he wiped away his tears and got up, he needed to get back to his body guard. He needed to be a perfect Agreste, at least until he was done the photoshoot he was booked for tonight.

Marinette was on her bed sobbing into her pillow. She had messed everything up so bad, if Chat hadn't been there Hawkmoth would have gotten her miraculous. She was so useless, and a horrible ladybug. The kwamis were doing their best to comfort her but it fell on deaf ears as Marinette spiraled into her own despair. There was a sharp knock on her trap door downstairs, it flung open and the kwamis scattered hiding as quickly as possible.

"Marinette!" Alya's harsh tone filled the room but after a moment she heard her best friend crying and climbed up to her bed, "Oh Marinette." Her voice was softer as she crawled over to her best friend. She pulled Marinette into a hug letting her anger fade away so she could be here for her best friend.

"I'm so so sorry Alya," Marinette sobbed.

"Shhh it's okay girl, I've got you," the minutes passed as Alya comforted her BFF softly. Marinette stopped crying after some time and sat up on her bed looking like a complete mess, "I know you're going through something big and if its about Adrien or Luka or something else completely, I'm here for you."

"I wish I could tell you Alya, its just- its such a big secret that if I tell you it could change everything, and then-then the world could be destroyed again because of me!" Marinette struggled to get the words out.

"I doubt the world will be destroyed girl. But if it is that big of a secret maybe it would be easier to handle together?"

"Alya- I- I'm Ladybug," Marinette searched for Alya's reaction, for the anger she expected to see. Instead Alya's features softened.

"Of course you are girl, I should have seen it ages ago!" She said with a bit of a laugh.

"What do you mean of course I am?!"

"I mean come on, you're a natural leader, you constantly disappear right before an akuma attack, and don't get me started with the lame excuses!" They both laughed at the last point, "But you've been Ladybug for a while so what changed now?" Marinette looked down at her hands trying to come up with the words.

"I have all this new responsibility being the new guardian and I-I saw something, a possible future that if I'm not careful could happen all over again," she fought to stay in control of her emotions everything bubbling up at once, "in this future I messed up and Hawkmoth found out who I was and he used it somehow to hur-hurt Chat Noir and then he destroyed the w-world." Marinette was shaking from the emotion building up, she couldn't go on.

"It's okay girl you don't have to tell me everything right now, I think I understand enough, it's going to be okay now, I'm here and I promise no one will even know I know anything."

"I don't think I can keep being Ladybug," Marinette said through her tears, "I can't sleep at night, I'm failing my classes, I've gotten no where with the spellbook, and I keep messing up as Ladybug. I can't stop being Marinette so I'll have to stop being Ladybug," Marinette reached up to her earrings pulled them out from her ears, "Alya I am giving you the Ladybug miraculous please take care of Tiki, watch over Paris, and-and keep Chat Noir safe."

"Marinette no! I can't-" Alya eyes wide looked at the earrings now in her hand.

"You can, you're amazing at being Rena Rouge and you'll be a great Ladybug, and maybe you won't need to be Ladybug if I can just get some sleep before Hawkmoth akumatize's someone," she said rationalizing her decision. Alya's eyes stayed on the pair of earrings letting the silence hang. She looked up at her best friends pleading eyes. She nodded slowly.

"Okay, but only until you're ready to be Ladybug again, okay?"

"Yes, thank you Alya," Marinette let a breath she didn't know she was holding, "Tiki?"

"Oh Marinette," the red kwami flew out of hiding to hug Marinette, "I don't want to leave your side but if this is what you really want I will support it until you're ready." Tiki said with tears in her eyes. Marinette hugged her tight wishing everything could be different.