Chapter Text
In the end Kagami did not get the opportunity to talk to her mother after leaving the park. She had departed from the other girls shortly after her agreement and she had been on her way home, but of course there had to be an akuma alert. So now she was cowering behind an overturned car, as close as possible to the fight, and trying to help Ladybug and Chat Noir out without putting herself in the line of fire.
This in itself wasn’t quite easy as the akuma seemed more focused on the civilians than the heroes. The fencer wasn’t sure what the aim of the akuma was. They clearly had some form of flying ability, though they had no wings they were incredibly fast. Fast enough to have the heroes undeniably struggle with keeping up.
The akuma kept picking civilians up from the streets and dragging them into the sky, just to let go of them there and watch them drop down again. With how quick this was happening there was nothing left for the heroes to do, but to catch the falling people before they became splattered remains on the earth.
Logically, Kagami thought to herself, the best strategy would be to just let the people fall. The heroes could barely fight back like this. They would not be able to keep this up indefinitely. They had to be aware of this themselves. Ladybug would be able to bring the dead back after the fight was over. And the fight could be over so much quicker, if they wanted.
Secretly, she found herself thankful, for the heroes’ dedication to keeping everyone as safe as possible. Especially when she could do nothing but watch in quiet horror as a kid – considering their size barely old enough for school – was plunging screaming and crying to what would have presumably been their premature death, were it not for Chat Noir slinging himself over the rooftops to catch the child midair and bring both of them to the floor in a considerably slower fashion. The cat hero was on the move again not even a second later.
This, if nothing else, was the reason why the duo was so beloved by the city. Their commitment to defeating Hawkmoth and fighting his villains was certainly admired by many, but the people’s love they had gained through their devotion to the people.
Kagami could not claim that she wasn’t just as taken with the heroes as the other citizens of Paris. As such she had been honored when she had been given a Miraculous and been made Ryuko. Of course, she didn’t have the Dragon Miraculous right now, but the girl had never been one to do things by half. She may not have any magical powers at the moment and yet Ladybug had chosen her. The least she could do was to try and bring as many civilians to safety as she could. Not an easy task when any quick movement drew the enemy’s eyes.
Despite this she began slowly inching closer to the kid, that had just been saved by Chat, as she had done with many others during the ongoing attack. Leaving the deceptive safety of the car behind made her heart quicken, nonetheless. Reaching the child, a little girl with dark skin, a cute pink sweater and adorable hair clips adorning her locks was unsurprisingly the easiest part. Convincing a sobbing child to whom you are a total stranger was in turn easier than it should be. But maybe after her experience just now she would have trusted anyone to get her to safety.
On their way to the next building with an open door, Kagami made sure to keep her body in between the akuma and the child. Honestly, the most difficult part of this task as the akuma was moving a lot. After what felt like an eternity and Kagami estimated to be more along the lines of two to three minutes they reached the door. She shooed the girl inside. Hopefully the people already inside would be able to comfort her. She hadn’t been able to take the time.
With a sigh the fencer turned and started to sneak back in the direction of the battlefield. The akuma had moved further away in search of new victims. Most people in this area were already hiding inside. One of the few times hiding actually protected you from the akuma’s wrath. And as such the villain had to find their victims in another part of the city. They were moving slowly as the akuma kept grabbing civilians on the way.
Despite that Kagami was being slowly left behind. Leading people safely to hiding places took a much higher amount of time than letting them drop from the sky. In an attempt the keep up she finally opted to go for a small sprint instead of the crouched crawl she had been upkeeping so far.
The moment she started to run, she knew she had made a mistake. She didn’t need to hear the swooshing sound to feel akuma’s presence. It was only her training that allowed the girl to jump in time with a roll to side. The villain barely missing her.
Were had that guy even come from. They had been so far away just a moment ago.
Though she knew her luck wouldn’t last her. As she got up to her feet the villain was hovering over where she had just been. Already staring at her. Only the surprise of having missed holding them in place.
Then they were moving again. No amount of reflexes was saving her this time. Her jump to the side expected this time. Even if it was technically her other side, but clearly that didn’t make a difference in this.
Kagami could feel herself being pulled up by her wrist. Her shoulder feeling like it was getting yanked out of its socket. She could sense the pressure on her ears as the ground beneath her was being left behind at an uncomfortable fast pace.
Morbidly, the girl had the fleeting thought, that despite its unpleasant nature, this was also a touch she would miss when it was gone. Though in this case because she might not be able to live with the consequences. It would undoubtedly be quite painful to hit the pavement from their current height.
Internally cursing her stupid mistake, Kagami looked up at her captor. If she was already here, she might as well be useful to Ladybug and learn more about them. Surely any information would be useful at this point. She just prayed that this wouldn’t actually be as fatal as her brain was trying to convince her it was.
The akuma while one of Hawkmoth’s simpler designs – merely a human silhouette – was also one of his better ones. The akuma seemed to persist purely out of ripped paper pieces. All of them full of writing. No further details were to see to indicate where or what the akumatized object was. Maybe one of the paper pieces, but there was no way of accurately telling which one it was. There was nothing to show how the akuma was flying. Clearly the magic took care of this.
That was all she could get before her ascent turned abruptly into a descend. The akuma dropped her and so did her stomach.
Vaguely, she wondered if her mother would even miss her. How long it would take her to notice if nobody informed her. Which was ridiculous. Of course someone would tell. And even if she died like this, it would not be permanent. Ladybug would fix it just like she always did.
And yet the thought came unbidden. Marinette would miss her. She had no doubt of this. Surely Adrian as well. They were friends after all. Her teachers potentially, but he could not be sure of this. Maybe Ladybug and Chat Noir. They didn’t know each other well, but they had worked together often enough that her absence would hopefully be noted.
The pavement was nearing rapidly, and she was starting to pray that she wasn’t actually going to find out the answer to her worrying.
The breath was knocked out of her lungs as Ladybug forcefully intercepted her undesired path. The heroin’s swings transforming the downwards course into essentially a sideways one.
Kagami did not get to feel any relief or even process the villain was on them again. At this point they were only about the stories high in the air instead of the hundreds of meters from before. She could sense the moment Ladybug decided to let them fall again. And she could the reason behind that decision as them akuma immediately lost interest.
Kagami realized just a moment later that the heroin didn’t make any move to further slow their descent and instead seemed to intend to purely protect the fencer from damage with her own body. At least that was what it looked like when Ladybug pulled her close enough that she could feel her taut muscles through their clothes despite the intense situation. Ladybug slung her arm around her head, as if to protect her from any damage and pressing the girl’s face against her shoulder. Leaving Kagami to breathe in the smell of sweat and pastries in a strangely familiar way.
Ladybug hit the ground first. While the Japanese girl could feel the hit up into her death, the heroin’s pained gasp clearly showed who had taken the most damage.
Both of them rolled, clinging to each other over the floor before finally stopping with Kagami coming to a rest on top the other girl. With how awful she already felt she at least didn’t have the capacity to register the discomfort of being touched or the awkwardness of lying on top of another person unplanned.
Honestly, she felt respect for the little girl who had handled this with as much grace as in the situation possible. Kagami also felt like crying. That seemed like an appropriate response. Of course, in public she had to keep her composure. Even though she felt like throwing up.
Actually, no. She was going to throw up.
In desperation she jumped of the girl below her and hurled herself several meters away from her. Just to empty her stomachs contents onto the street with gravel pressing into her knees.
By the time the retching subsided the heroin was kneeling next to her with one hand keeping her hair out of her face and with the other stroking circles on her back. Kagami could hear her own rasping heavy breathing, her own heart beating to quickly and could feel the burn of stomach acid in her throat and mouth.
She could feel shame flood her body. Not only was she not behaving with the dignity becoming of a Tsurugi, she was keeping the heroin from her job.
“Are you feeling better?”, came the smooth voice from next to her. Gathering what little was left of her dignity and also courage, she spit any rest fluids out of her mouth, wiped her mouth with her sleeve and turned to Ladybug.
For just a moment Kagami could swear she saw blue pupils instead of the usual empty white glow in the heroin’s eyes. When she blinked the image – clearly reminiscent of Marinette’s eyes – was gone. The fencer really needed to get a grip.
“Yes, sorry. I’m alright.” Ladybug nodded and smiled kindly at her. “Good. You should really get to somewhere further away from the fight.” She brushed a strand of hair out of Kagami’s face and got up, her hands fully leaving the other’s body. “I have to go.”
“Wait!” The fencer jumped up and grabbed the heroin’s wrist before she could leave. She wouldn’t miss her chance like this. “I can help.” The girl sighed. “Kagami…” – “You are struggling with only two people right now. You need more people and it’s not like you have the time to leave and get them. I’m already here.” Ignoring the queasy feeling in her gut from just having rudely interrupted the human embodiment of creation she watched as said human pressed her lips tightly together before commenting: “You just fell…” – “I’m fine. It’s not me you need to worry about, but all the other civilians out there.” Ladybug gave a strangled sound, that she couldn’t quite place and as such chose to ignore. She rubbed her free hand over her face and sighed again. “Alright, yes, we do need the manpower.” She grabbed her jojo but then looked back at Kagami. “I kinda need my other hand for this as well.” – “Oh, right…” Embarrassed she dropped her own hand of the girl’s wrist, her own palm burning from the contact.
She watched as Ladybug opened up her jojo and pulled out a familiar small wooden box. Such an inconspicuous object to be holding one of the most powerful artifacts in the entire universe. The heroin held the box in her direction, but she had done this often enough to know that she couldn’t immediately take it.
“Kagami Tsurugi”, Ladybug’s demure voice delivered the by now well-known words, “this is the dragon miraculous. It embodies the concept of perfection. Will you use its powers to aid me in the fight against evil and protect the people of Paris, as well as return it to me when asked?”
Kagami felt herself smiling. “Yes.”