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Nooroo sits on her shoulder, watching the woman murmur wordlessly to the butterfly in her hand. "Oh," she says, "this one is exquisite."
Unlike Gabriel, Carmen's butterflies have a distinct purple tinge even when not imbued with her power, and the sight of her admiring them has always filled Nooroo with joy. The woman, his caretaker for several decades now, can be visually impassive with her emotions at times, but Nooroo can feel the strong beat of her feelings in their bond.
She lets the akuma fly off, and Carmen lifts her palm to Nooroo, so he hops on. He smiles up at her as she studies him, the black of her hair inky like her father's used to be and her eyes a dark blue, only shades off of the majestic purple she sports as Monarch.
In many ways, Nooroo cannot ask for a better person to wield his miraculous. Dimly, through the haze of her worry, he notes that through her he's forgotten much of the shame from his time with Hawk Moth. Carmen blinks, her lips twitching upwards. "You're thinking of something," she states. "What is it?"
"You must be nervous," Nooroo says, "I can feel it."
She cups her other hand around his body and tugs her closer to him, her eyes twinkling down at the Kwami. "It's not every day that your mother forgets you."
"But she will still love you," he insists. His wings flap slightly against her skin. "I've seen it before, even if I have not hosted a guardian in some time."
"Are you ready?"
He returns the question. "Are you, Mistress?"
Carmen stares at him, that heavy gaze that reveals no truths, but their powers betray her. "I am more ready than anyone else," she says. "I am ready to be a guardian. I'm more concerned about you, frankly. Are you ready to be my partner in this?"
Nooroo exhales. "I haven't felt adequate... to have this responsibility." He tries to smile despite the anxiety that plagues them both. "But I think I've had some decent rehabilitation."
The lines of her face reveal her age, despite her rigorous beauty regimen and dyed roots, and she forms an easy, familiar grin. Carmen lightly rubs a finger against his cheek, and he laughs because it tickles. "What would I ever do without you, Nooroo?"
"Wonderful things," he says, and he means it because it's true.
Carmen never thought it would be this easy to watch her mother slip away. Her mother, proud wielder of the Ladybug miraculous, hands over the box with a firm grip. Unlike many of the stories Carmen's heard of teenage antics, her mother in this moment is the epitome of seriousness. "I am so proud of you, and I love you," Marinette says, no tears in her eyes. "Never doubt how much trust I have for you in this, even if I won't remember."
"I know, Maman. I love you too, so much."
She takes the box from her mother and instantly sees the change, a new light entering her mother's eyes, one that Carmen can't identify. The younger woman tucks the miraculous box within a chest bought for this purpose and lets her father know the deed is done.
Luka comes in slowly, Sass hidden on his person, and Marinette smiles at him. "I know you," she says happily. "Both of you."
He sits beside her, taking a hand in his. "You're my wife and the melody of my life."
"You made that rhyme on purpose," Marinette says with a mischievous grin. "Have you always been so good at wordplay?"
"When I try to be." Luka gestures at Carmen with his free hand. "But our daughter is the true wordsmith. Children read her books."
Marinette looks at her and asks, "is writing your passion?"
Carmen kneels on the ground by her mother. "Yes, and yours was designing clothes." She gestures to the elegant blazer that Nooroo's hidden in. "You made this for me a few years ago, but it's still in fashion."
"It's a classic cut," Marinette says with an appraising eye. "You look beautiful in it."
Mother and daughter look at each other, and Carmen feels a weight lift off her lungs with the realization that she still feels her mother's undying love. From within her pocket, Nooroo squirms with happiness, an emotional feedback loop that drives Carmen to smile. "Thank you," she says, to everyone in the room.
When she stands, Luka does too and gives her a hug. "Wait in the foyer for me," he says quietly. "I want to do this right."
Carmen gives her mother a kiss on the cheek. "I have to go," she says with a frown, "but I will be back to see you tomorrow."
"Wait!" Marinette huffs, "I don't know your name, dear."
The younger woman laughs. "It's Carmen." She points at her father. "And he's Luka."
Marinette nods, seemingly pleased. "Okay," she says firmly, "Now you may leave. I will see you tomorrow."
"Of course." And with that, Carmen takes the chest, cradling it in front of her, and leaves to wait by the door. Her father joins her minutes later, brightness in his eyes despite a slight sheen of tears. "I thought I would be the best person for this." He swallows and puts a hand on her shoulder. "But I think you're handling this better than me."
Carmen shakes her head. "I'm just more in tune with handling things like this. It comes with the territory."
Luka stares at his bracelet, rubbing at the metal with a solemn look. "I've been lucky to have so many second chances." He laughs. "But this one I will have to do without Sass."
He opens the wood of the chest to lay his miraculous within and shuts it calmly. Luka smiles when he glances back up. "You are ready," he says with a smile. "I can hear it. Steady like a wave, and well practiced."
There's that prick of tears in her eyes, finally, but she isn't sure who broke first, her or Nooroo. "Thank you, Dad." She nods and steels herself. "That means a lot to me."
Luka leans forward to kiss her cheek and pats the opposite one. "I'm going to return to your mother. Be good, my song."
"I will." She looks down at her pocket. "We'll both be."
"I know you will. I know," he says confidently, "you've learned from the best."
"I couldn't have asked for better parents."
"No," he says simply. "You couldn't have asked for a better mother. I'm just part of her instrumentals."
Carmen rolls her eyes. "You might think that sometimes, but she would hate to hear you say it." But she's grinning now, and they part with an awkward side hug. He watches her leave before returning to his wife. Luka knows that while things are different now, it'll be okay. It always is.