Merman (Miraculous Ladybug AU)

Epilogue

"I hope we did the right thing, coming here, and hiding out. Maybe we should have stayed and been the heroes of the city."

Tikki appeared at the surface of the water, returning from her quick swim. "You just have to trust your heart, Marinette. Are you happy with your life?"

Marinette gazed over the water, staring into the distance. It had been nearly seven years since she was rescued from the dungeons, and her life had calmed down since then. She and Adrien had gotten closer, the same for Nino and Alya.

The four of them had set up a new life near a secluded beach on a distant island, not telling anyone where they were going and only going back to civilisation when they needed things like food. Everything else, they could do without. They had escaped with their lives and that was enough.

"I'm happy. I wanted to get away from Paris, and now I have. I've got Adrien, Alya, Nino, and Emma now. I don't need anything else."

Tikki looked behind Marinette and disappeared under the water, vanishing from sight. Marinette turned around to see Emma running as fast as her legs could carry her. "Mama!"

Marinette stood up and opened her arms toward Emma, waiting for the child to reach her. "Hello, Babybug."

Adrien had nicknamed Emma 'Babybug' just after she was born, and it stuck. Of course, Emma didn't know where her name came from, and she probably never would. It was her parents' little secret.

"There you are, Emma. I've been looking for you." Adrien smiled at Emma, not mad in the slightest. He knew she would head straight to Marinette, and there was nothing on the island that could pose a threat to her.

As she shifted Emma onto her hip, Marinette started to walk home. She saw Alya on the veranda outside. "I'll meet you inside, but go see Auntie Alya for me."

"Okay." As soon as Emma's feet touched the ground, she was off.

Marinette grabbed Adrien's hand and pulled him back to the beach. Adrien stumbled, still not to most coordinated on land. "Come with me."

"Where are we going?"

"For a quick walk."

"We have to get back to Emma, though."

Marinette kept walking, dragging Adrien with her. "Alya can look after her for a few minutes, we just need to talk about something."

As soon as they walked over a sand dune and out of sight from the houses, Marinette began to speak. "We need to talk about the Miraculous."

"Do we? I'm sure no one needs heroes anymore, and we're parents now. What would happen to Emma?" Adrien knew that if he wanted to keep the Miraculous forever, he would have to accept the responsibilities of being a hero, but he couldn't risk Emma being left alone, possibly in danger.

"What if we just ignore all the problems that Ladybug and Chat Noir could so easily fix and Emma gets hurt? We wouldn't be able to live with ourselves!"

"You of all people should know what it's like to not have parents, we're only here today because you lost yours!" That was a low blow, and Adrien could see it on Marinette's face. She had returned to Paris multiple times over the years, leaving flowers on the graves on the anniversary of their deaths, but it was still a sensitive subject.

"My parents were murdered civilians, not superheroes. They didn't have superpowers, they couldn't stop their fates. We can, Adrien. We were given the powers to save the world and be the heroes they need when the world is filled with evil, why wouldn't we take that?"

"Gabriel had a Miraculous, two of them, and look how he turned out. I don't want to risk being so unattached the world as he was!"

Marinette grasped Adrien face in her hands and pulled him towards her until their faces were only centimetres away from each other. "You aren't your father, you're already so different."

"I don't want to turn into him, though. Maybe I should just give my Miraculous up."

"Adrien, I promise I will never let you turn into your father, for whatever reason. He was a villain with a dark heart, but you are a hero. You choose other people and their safety over yourself. You've shown that time and time again, even the first time you got your Miraculous.

"It would have been so easy to go with Gabriel, to help him and bring your mother back, but you chose to save me and our friends, and keep the akumas from escaping into Paris. That's what heroes do, and you're a hero."

Adrien placed his hands over Marinette's, keeping them where they were. "What would I do without you, Marinette?"

"You'd be out exploring the oceans by yourself."

"I don't think I would have ever gotten out of that palace."

"You would have, even if it took some time. The only reason everything happened so quickly was that YOU nearly got shot with a harpoon and I so daringly saved your life." Marinette's tone turned from gentle to teasing in a few words.

Grinning, Adrien spun them around and dipped Marinette, causing her to laugh. "Of course, my hero."

"Now that I think about it, I don't think you've ever said thank you for that."

"How will I ever repay you? Would a kiss be sufficient?"

"Keep your Miraculous. Help us protect civilians."

Adrien's face fell. "Marinette..."

Marinette pulled away from Adrien. "Just consider it, please. If they need us, you have to make a choice."

"I know."

"I'm going to head back to Emma. She must be wondering where I am."

"I'll stay here and think about everything. See you when I get back." Adrien kissed Marinette on the cheek and she walked away.

Turning towards the water, Adrien sprinted towards it, putting all his focus into not tripping. Once he was far enough out to sea, he dove in. As soon as he hit the water, Adrien felt his legs merge together and turn back into his familiar tail.

After he had first transformed into Chat Noir, the change to legs and back again had happened automatically. Changing back into his tail was easier, whenever the salt water hit his legs they changed, but to get his legs back he had to dry off completely. It was more complicated than it should be.

Breathing in deeply, water rushed through Adrien's gills as he sped through the water. Swimming helped him clear his head, and it had become his escape from life, especially once he had gained his freedom.

He swam for an hour, watching the plants and sea life floating past him before he decided to head home. With his thoughts in order and his decision clear, Adrien was ready to return.

Usually, there was nothing in the water that could pose a threat to anyone on the island, so Adrien wasn't paying too much attention to where he was going. He didn't have to worry about ships passing by since the water was too shallow, so something hard bumped into his head, Adrien got a bit of a shock.

Throwing himself back in the water, Adrien was about to call his transformation when he realised that Plagg was nowhere to be seen, and the 'attacker' was actually just a glass bottle with a piece of seaweed paper in it.

"If this is here, it must be for us." Adrien grabbed the bottle and powered back to the shore, knowing that he had been gone long enough.

When he reached the shore, Adrien hauled himself back onto the beach in front of Marinette. She had been waiting for him, even though he didn't know how she found him, or how long she had been waiting.

Rolling the bottle in front of her feet, Adrien curled his tail underneath him and waited. The sun was blisteringly hot, and the water was nearly boiling off Adrien's skin. In minutes, he was completely dry and standing in front of Marinette again.

As soon as he had stood up, Marinette started talking. "You've been swimming for hours and come back with a message in a bottle? Seems like a very cliché mermaid habit."

"Very funny, but not everyone sends messages like that Only officials, because they have the power to control the water currents and send the bottle wherever they want. Anyone else just uses the postal service."

Marinette shook her head. "Fine, but it still seems weird that half fish half humans have a post system."

Holding the bottle up to his face for closer inspection, Adrien caught sight of the royal seal keeping the letter closed. "This is from King Ali."

"I guess we better open it, then, if the king thinks we're important enough to send letters to."

Adrien uncorked the bottle and tipped the letter into his hand before passing the green tinted parchment to Marinette. "You can read it."

"Ladybug and Chat Noir, your assistance is required in matters of safety concerning the kingdom. We request that you travel to meet with us immediately after receiving this letter. Thank you, King Ali." Marinette finished speaking and allowed the letter to roll itself back up.

Adrien looked at the letter in his hand and nodded, sure of his decision. "I think the ocean needs its heroes, Ladybug."

Marinette grinned and grasped both of his hands in hers. "I think they do, Chat Noir."

Without another word, both of the heroes ran into the ocean and called their transformations, changing into heroes in mid-air. Marinette sent a message to Alya with Trixx before disappearing off into the ocean alongside Adrien, ready to take their places as heroes and protect the innocent people from evil.

"You made the right choice." Ladybug called to Chat.

"If there are no heroes, there is no safe world for Emma to grow up in, and I will protect her with everything I have."

"I knew you would."

The city loomed into view and Ladybug and Chat Noir headed straight for the palace. Guards swung the doors open for them and the heroes zoomed straight into the throne room, where Ali was pacing anxiously. "Thank goodness you're here!"

"What do we need to do?"

"There is someone attacking the outskirts of the city. They do not have a Miraculous, but they are still too powerful for the guards and we need your help."

Chat squeezed Ladybug's hand, pausing for a moment before he answered. "We'll help you. Where do we need to go?"