It took some time for Ladybug to realise what just happened. She had crashed to the ground the moment Chat had pushed her away. She hadn't even had time to react. Dark Venus had been too fast. It had been just a blink of an eye of insecurity and the villain had instantly caught on the chance and shot her arrow at Ladybug.
But Chat Noir had saved her. He had pushed her away and now he was the one who had got shot.
Instead of her.
She saw everything that happened after like it was in slow motion:
Chat's relieved look when he saw that he had successfully saved his lady.
The shot.
The pain appearing on his face.
His lips turning black.
Chat Noir's hateful look when he glanced at her.
Chat grabbing his sword as he stood up.
His weapon pointing at Ladybug.
This is bad. This is really bad!
Ladybug immediately got up and pulled out her yoyo. She began to slowly step back - holding her hands up.
"Kitty, look at me! Please, fight! It's just a spell, it's not real!" she exclaimed.
She needed to get Chat back! She could not defeat the akuma without him!
But it was like he didn't hear a word. He glanced at Ladybug but his look..
The look on his face broke her heart. There was no love, no kindness in those glowing green eyes.
It was pure hatred.
Towards her.
Towards his lady.
No! She can not think this way! It is just the akuma's spell that controlls him. His feelings aren't real!
"You really think that you can defeat me with that pure excuse of a weapon, Ladybug?" he scoffed - the word "Ladybug" left his lips with disgust. "I've always thought that you're too weak to be a hero! And look, I was damn right!" he shouted and ran towards her.
It took all of Ladybug's strength not to break into tears after hearing those words. Chat, or rather the akuma's impact on him, knew exactly how to break her.
No! She couldn't let the akuma win! Not like this!
She began to back away, not breaking the eye contact between her and Chat Noir. When Chat reached her, he held up his sword and attacked her. Just in time, Ladybug blocked his shot and caught his sword with her yoyo.
Chat, knowing her tactics and moves too well, escaped from her hold instantly and attacked her again and again.
From the distance, Ladybug could hear Dark Venus' laugh. She thought it was over for the heroes.
"She's wrong! I won't give up so easily! This bug won't let Hawkmoth win tonight! Not like this!" she thought as she blocked all of Chat Noir's slashes towards her.
She needed a plan immediately. She knew that Dark Venus could shoot her too at any moment so she had to pay attention not only to Chat Noir but to the villain too. Although, the bigger problem was Kitty. They had had several trainings together before in order to strengthen their powers and get to know each other better. It had been pretty helpful for both of them - and not just because they could have spent more time together this way.
But, now it made Ladybug vulnerable as Chat knew all of her moves exactly.
A sudden pain brought her back. Chat Noir successfully slashed her with his sword, leaving a sharp pain on her leg. Thanks to their suits, they were invulnerable but they could still feel it like it was real.
Ladybug collapsed on her knees, she could barely see anything, the pain made her vision blurry.
Just as she reached to grab her yoyo - it fell out of her palm the moment she got hit - her eyes met with the most hateful look she had ever seen.
"Pathetic! So pathetic!" - Chat glared at her. "You call yourself a hero? Look at you! You've always been weak and not enough for this city! Or for me!"
Ladybug looked up with teared eyes. She knew it was all the akuma speaking from Chat Noir but.. The way he spoke to her felt so real and hurt her more than anything before. She had to use all her remaining strength not to cry.
"You really thought that I could love you?! You're nothing without me! Nothing!" he shouted and pointed his sword to her neck.
"Kitty, no! It's not true! I know it's not!" she had started crying. "I'm.. I'm trying! I'm trying so hard! I wanna be worthy and not only for Paris but" she sighed "but for you as well! Because I.. I love you!"
That was it. Ladybug finally said the truth that she had been hiding from everyone, even herself for too long. Her first confession. Although she had never thought it would happen this way, not while her Kitty was under a spell that made him want to kill her. She just hoped that maybe, just maybe her confession would break the spell.
The moment those three words left Ladybug's lips, Chat's gaze softened. He backed up a few steps and lifted his sword away from her.
Ladybug knew that this was the moment for her. The spell could not be broken - or at least that was what she thought - but at least it made him hesitate a bit.
In a sudden movement, she pulled up her leg and threw it under Chat Noir's feet, making him loose his balance completely. He fell on to the ground - his sword sliding far away from him.
Ladybug used the opportunity to get her yoyo back - throwing herself on Chat - she tied him down.
It was her only chance. Now or never!
Throwing her yoyo up, she called for her Lucky Charm. She knew that the moment she got her weapon, only a few minutes would remain for her before detransforming, so she had to be fast.
Her yoyo turned into a bow in an instant.
But - just as she would catch it - she felt a pain sharpening on her back.
She got shot and fell on to the ground next to Chat Noir.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
"What happened? Where.. Where am I?" Chat asked with a confused look.
His vision was still unclear - as he tried to pull himself up.
His lips were no longer black.
He couldn't recall what had happened exactly.
But he did remember one certain thing. Someone told him those three magic words he had eagerly wanted to hear from his lady. He just couldn't remember who said this to him. Those words had immediately brought him back and he was now fully aware of himself.
"Dark Venus must have shot me" he tried to figure out what was going on. "But then how could her spell leave me?"
That was when he noticed Ladybug, lying next to him.
"Little Spot! Oh my.. Are you okay?!" he immediately shifted next to her and - gently grabbing her shoulders - he turned her to face him.
"She must have been the one who saved me from that spell. Wow. She's even more incredible than I've ever imagined." Chat thought, holding his lady in his arms.
"Just wait, stupid boy!" a devilish laugh echoed above him. "She's now stronger than ever! She has the power of hatred inside her heart!.." Dark Venus scoffed.
"What are you talking about?" Chat exclaimed, not understanding anything. He stared at Ladybug and that was when he saw her lips.
Her lips that had been once cherry blossom - were now darker then ever.
But, why didn't she wake up? The people who had gotten shot by Dark Venus' arrows had been immediately filled with anger, hatred and disgust and they had began to attack all of their loved ones or anyone who had gotten near them. But, none of them were unconscious.
"What have you done to her?!" Chat hold her close to his arms in a protective way.
"Oh, it's nothing." Dark Venus grinned. "I just simply shot her." She paused for a moment, enjoying the desperate look of Chat Noir. ".. right after she used that utterly ridiculous power of her."
NO!! no no no no!!!
Chat knew exactly what that meant. When they used their abilities, they became very vulnerable. All their strength was needed to call out the power of the black cat and the ladybug miraculouses. This was the reason why they used their magic only at the end of the akuma attacks when there were no other chances to defeat the villain.
Chat looked around and immediately spotted a black bow covered by red dots. He grabbed it in a rush and stood up, pointing the bow at Dark Venus' direction.
"I don't know what your arrow did to M'lady." his look became concerned. "But I can assure you that you're gonna pay for it right now!"
"You really think so?! You have to catch me first!" the villain shouted, flying up to the Tower's top.
Chat had no idea how he could defeat her. The key had been always Ladybug's lucky charm. She always got some kind of weapon - usually a bow - to stop the akuma. For him it was adorable that her weapons had never hurt anyone. It just made the villain or the villains - if they were as powerful as Dark Venus to be able to turn others evil too - unconscious or just frozen, unable to move. Unfortunately, she could only use it at the very end, but it had always worked before.
Chat wasn't sure if the lucky charm could work without Ladybug.
But he had to give it a try.
To save his lady.
Putting the weapon on his back, he reached for his staff. Pushing a button its size grew and with a little strength, he pushed himself up to the Eiffel Tower's peak.
Dark Venus - noticing Chat's arrival - pulled out her bow and began to shoot him. Chat needed all his power - including the super mobility and reflexes - to avoid all of her arrows.
Throwing his staff to her direction, it made her to drop her bow which - a moment later - landed on the ground. It seemed to catch Dark Venus off guard as she didn't pay attention to Chat Noir.
He immediately used this opportunity to sneak behind her. He grabbed the magic bow and without hesitation, he shot.
The arrow hit her by the back and a moment later, Dark Venus was falling down from the Tower.
Villain or not, Chat Noir knew he had to save her. He jumped down promptly and after catching her, he landed gently and put her on to the ground.
Looking at her costume, he spotted a yellow flower that didn't match with her suit. Knowing what the akuma's possessed things used to be, he immediately knew that it was the one. He called out his Cataclysm and with a simple touch, he destroyed it. A dark butterfly tried to escape but Chat caught it and put his heavy sword on it so the akuma could not escape from them until Ladybug would purify it.
The orchid ripped into ashes and a moment later Dark Venus vanished, leaving a sad young woman behind.
"Chloe. Again." Chat murmured to himself. They had saved her from akumas several times already. And as for Chat - knowing Chloe in real life - it was not surprising at all to see her again.
"Hey, are you okay?" Chat asked with an empathetic tone.
"Ye.. Yes, I think." Chloe muttered. She looked confused.
It was a mutual thing happening with the akumatized victims. Their memories were a blurr, and only some moments from their akumatization remained in their mind. And in time, they forgot it all.
Chloe seemed to be remembering what happened as she hugged Chat immediately.
"Thank you for saving me, Chat Noir! I'm so sorry I caused trouble again!" she cried.
"Hey, hey it's okay." Chat smiled. "Do you remember what happened?"
"I do." she whispered, letting off of the hero. "I..I know what I did and I'm really sorry! I didn't mean any of this!"
"It's never your fault, Chloe." Chat stated. "We should be allowed to feel miserable sometimes" he looked away with a sad gaze "if Hawkmoth didn't akumatize everyone who feels this way.. But" he turned to face Chloe "I can assure you that we will put an end to this!"
Chloe could not help but hug Chat Noir again, saying sorry constantly. "Ladybug and you really are the Heroes of Paris. Thank you for being there for us!"
Hearing the mention of his lady, Chat turned pale and turned his gaze to Ladybug's direction.
She hadn't woken up yet.
Gently taking off Chloe's arms from him, he rushed to Ladybug, holding her in his embrace.
"Why.. why isn't she awake?!" he asked desperately to Chloe.
She looked shocked, putting her hands on her face.
Chloe needed a minute to figure out, then suddenly her gaze tensed.
"I.. I think I know why." she whispered. "The people I shot felt nothing but love. That's why my arrows could make them evil - turning all their loving feelings into hate. The more love their heart contained, the more powerful villain they got" she paused. "But... I don't know how this can be possible but... Ladybug's heart was already filled with hate."
"Hate?!" Chat couldn't believe his ears. How could his lady hate anyone? She had the purest, kindest soul he had ever met. That was why she had never hurt the akumatized villains either. He had always admired this about her.
Suddenly, rage grew inside him. "Someone must have hurt her in her civil life! Whoever this person is, they will pay for it!" he thought, sending a questioned look at Chloe.
"But, why hasn't she woken up yet? I destroyed the akuma therefore its spell should have left her!" Chat began to panic. Had he done something wrong?
"I think, I know the answer" Chloe whispered. "Since her heart was filled with hate already, my arrows of hatred made her feelings too intense. If it happened with a civilian, it would probably.. Kill them. It would destroy their soul for good."
"Now, I understand!" Chat thought. "She must have called for her lucky charm the moment she got shot and since we are the most vulnerable when we use our power, the pain must have been unbearable - even for her - no matter our suits. It must have made her unconscious."
Chat looked down, caressing Ladybug's face. "I think, I know why it made her faint, although I can't tell you" he glanced at Chloe.
His master had said that they must not tell civilians anything about their powers. They could never know who Hawkmoth could be in real life nor who would turn evil by him.
"But.. I don't know what to do now! How.. How can I wake her up?" he looked defeated. Since Ladybug could not heal the damage the akuma caused, Chat was useless.
Chloe stood up as she replied with a mischievous grin.
"What about a kiss?" she looked at the hero as if she knew something. "You know the kind of kiss you read in those fairy tales."
Without saying goodbye, she turned away from Chat Noir and left a shocked Kitty behind her.
"Did she just joke? How can a kiss - as intriguing as it sounded - work?" Chat murmured to himself.
He didn't even understand why would he believe her. But - looking down his lady, how calmly she slept, some of her stray lock of hair covering her little face - he could not resist but try what Chloe said.
Although he had never believed in "true love" kisses' power before.
He slowly closed the distance between them and put his lips on hers gently, closing his eyes. He felt his body trembling the moment their lips connected, sending a shiver down on his spine.
He needed all his strength to finally let go of her and see if it worked.
He didn't believe in fairy tales, magic kisses and stuff like that.
But he knew one thing.
He loved Ladybug.
A moment later, a bright blue pair of eyes met his gaze.
"Chat? What happened?"