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“What if you could go back and know that one thing you missed?”
That was the last thing Chat Noir remembered the akuma saying before he was hit while protecting Ladybug. He went free falling through what felt like a never ending vortex, letting out a loud groan as he rolled onto his side after hitting the ground with a thud.
Chat remembered that it had been raining hard during the fight, but looking up now, there was nothing but clear skies. Not even a single cloud to be seen and everything around him was dry. Strange.
Standing up, Chat realised he was standing on the roof of a block of flats he didn’t recognise. Perhaps he had been thrown out of the city? He wondered to himself. Chat walked to the edge of the roof and crouched down, looking over the side. Below him he could see the park that was near the school, but instead of the Ladybug and Chat Noir statue taking pride of place, there was a kids playground with swings and a slippery slide. Chat frowned. Something wasn’t right…
Extending out his baton, Chat slid down to ground level to investigate. Cautiously he looked around in case the akuma was still lurking around somewhere.
“Yo, Catboy! Where’s the party?”
Chat turned to where the voice was coming from to see a boy around his own age bouncing a tennis ball on the ground and catching it again.
“Party?” Chat asked.
“Well it’s too early for Halloween.” The boy laughed. “That’s one hell of a costume though.” He threw over his shoulder as he walked away.
Chat stood watching the boy as he disappeared around the corner, rubbing the back of his neck. How was it that the boy didn’t know who he was? Chat noticed other people looking at him strangely as they walked by. Did the akuma erase people’s memories? And where was Ladybug?
Chat heard his ring start to beep. He had forgotten that he had already used his cataclysm. Slipping into an alleyway he dropped his transformation. Plagg fell into his hands and promptly started laughing at his chosen, pointing a paw at his face. Adrien rolled his eyes at the Kwami and handed him a piece of camembert.
“Shut up Plagg.” Adrien huffed. “I didn’t exactly have time to wash the makeup off and change my clothes before transforming now did I?”
Adrien turned and looked at his reflection in the glass of a window. He had been in the middle of a punk rock themed shoot and he barely recognised himself. His usually soft blond locks had been spiked up and he was wearing heavy black eyeliner with a Matrix inspired long black coat.
Patting his hair down a bit so it didn’t look so spiked, Adrien found he still had a pair of sunglasses in his pocket. At least he could cover up the makeup somewhat.
“Something feels off Plagg.” Adrien said, looking out from the alleyway across the street to the park. “That boy didn’t know I was Chat Noir, and that playground over there - I swear that was taken away years ago.”
Plagg nestled into Adrien’s collar. “Maybe it was a time travelling akuma.” Plagg suggested. “What do you remember before you were hit?”
Adrien didn’t answer immediately as his attention was drawn to a tall, thin man sitting on a park bench. Adrien realised it was Mr Ramier reading a paper in between throwing bread crumbs to the pigeons at his feet. He looked younger though, with less grey hair.
Mr Ramier stood up, and after stretching he said farewell to the pigeons and walked off, leaving his newspaper on the bench. Adrien quickly crossed the road and picked the paper up. On the cover was Mayor Bourgeois who had just won his first election and was being sworn into office. Standing next to him was a little girl of about 3 or 4.
“Chloé?” Adrien whispered, confusion evident in his voice. “But, how…?”
“We have gone back in time.” Plagg confirmed what was already evident to Adrien. “That means we’re stuck here until Ladybug can defeat the akuma in our time and throw her cure.”
Adrien looked around again. It seemed like a very ordinary day, so why was he here?
“The akuma wanted to go back in time to a day that they thought was important to them, but they didn’t realise it at the time.” Adrien told Plagg. “But according to the date in this newspaper, I would only be about 4 years old in this timeline. I doubt anything much life altering happened to me at that age.”
Plagg tapped his paw on Adrien’s shoulder. “Maybe we just have to sit tight for now. It might be an idea to hide and transform back in case we suddenly get thrown back to the present. I’m not sure that’s how Ladybug wants to find out who you are.”
“You’re probably right, Plagg. That’s not how I’d want to reveal my identity either.” Adrien conceded. As fun as it might be to explore and take a trip down memory lane, Adrien knew time travel can have dangerous consequences.
Standing up, Adrien was walking past the playground when he heard his name being called by a familiar voice.
“Adrien, sweetheart, where are you?”
“I’m here mummy.”
Adrien looked around and saw a mop of blond curls run past him and into the arms of his waiting mother. The boy held up a small wildflower he had picked.
“Is that for me? It's beautiful Adrien.” The woman gushed, bending down so the little boy could put the flower in her hair.
“Mum.” Adrien whispered under his breath. He could scarcely believe his eyes. There she was, standing on the other side of the park alive and beautiful, just like he remembered her. He watched as she wipe a bit of dirt of small Adrien’s cheek before standing back up and watching him run about the playground with the other children, her arms folded contently and the sun highlighting her golden hair.
Adrien started moving forward when he felt Plagg tugging at him. “Kid, we are in the past here, remember. Your actions can have consequences. Space time continuum…ring a bell?”
Adrien scoffed. “You’ve been watching too many movies, Plagg.” His eyes then saddened. “Besides, in the future my mother is dead and I doubt anything I do today could change that. She’s never going to see me at this age. I won’t say anything, I promise. I just want to hear her voice.”
Adrien made his way to a park bench that was closer to where his mother was. He didn’t really know what he was hoping for, he just wanted to look at her, to remember her the way she was. Adrien couldn’t see where his younger self had gone, he must have disappeared behind the play fort, but Adrien almost held his breath when he realised his mother was heading straight for him.
Sitting down beside him on the bench with a sigh, Emilie turned her head to the tall blond man with a smile. “It’s hard keeping track of them sometimes isn’t it? Blink your eyes and they get straight into mischief.”
She rested her back against the back of the beach with a soft laugh. She looked tired, but happy. Adrien was grateful for the sunglasses he was wearing because he could feel tears welling behind his eyes. He never thought he would hear her laugh again, except in his dreams.
Clearing his throat, he thought it would seem rude if he didn’t engage in some conversation. “I imagine it would be.”
Emilie looked at him. “No kids yourself?”
Adrien chuckled. “I’m only 17. Still a while for that I think.”
Emilie let out a slightly embarrassed laugh. “Oh I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to offend, it’s just that with those sunglasses and long coat you seemed older. It’s a lovely coat by the way. Very well made, I can tell.”
Adrien was grateful that the Gabriel logo wasn’t visible on this particular style. “Thank you, and no, it’s fine. I get it all the time, people thinking I’m older that is. Anyway, I don't even have a girlfriend, at least she doesn’t want to be my girlfriend.” Adrien realised he was rambling. He hadn’t intended to come across like that, but there was so much he wanted to talk to his mother about. He let out a sigh dejectedly. “I guess she wasn’t the right girl for me.”
“Ah, unrequited love.” Emilie said knowingly. “I know that kind of sigh in a young man who feels as though his love will never be returned. Sometimes though the one that you want isn’t necessarily the one you need.” She leaned a little closer towards him and he could smell her signature floral perfume, the one his father had especially designed for her. “You seem like a lovely young man, and if fate is kind I’m sure the right girl will reveal herself to you.”
“You really think so?” Adrien asked. There were so many questions he wanted answered, but he knew this wasn’t the time for those. He had to remind himself that he couldn’t think of her as his mother right now and that for her, he was nothing more than a stranger to pass conversation with.
“Of course.” Emilie declared happily. “I was like you when I was a teenager, thinking I would be left behind while it seemed everyone I knew was dating. Then one day when I least expected it I met my husband and my whole world changed in ways I could never have imagined. I’m the happiest I’ve ever been and when you become a parent it increases tenfold. You’ll see for yourself when the time is right and maybe you’ll remember today and this little conversation.”
“I don’t think I’ll ever forget.” Adrien said sincerely.
Emilie looked down at her watch and her face changed to surprise. “Oh, is it that late? I lost track of the time again. Adrien is starting with his Chinese tutor today and we wouldn’t want to be late for his first lesson.”
Emilie stood up and called Adrien’s name. The little boy ran out from behind the fort and over to her, wrapping his arms around her legs. “Can I say bye bye to my new friend?” Little Adrien asked.
“Okay, but be quick. We need to pick up Daddy from the office on the way.”
The little boy darted off around the back of the play fort, but returned a moment later with a small black cat plushie and a sad look on his face. “She’s gone and she forgot her Kitty.”
“Oh, that’s a shame. What was her name? Maybe we can return it.”
Little Adrien’s eyes went wide, then glistened with tears. “I forgot to ask.” He wailed. Emilie crouched down and hugged her son.
“Never mind darling.” She soothed. “We’ll leave Kitty here on the seat next to this nice young man and maybe she will come back for it.”
Little Adrien looked up with his big green eyes at the person sitting on the bench. He then looked down at the plushie before sitting it on the seat. “Will you look after Kitty?” He asked, his eyes so gentle and innocent.
Adrien smiled at his younger self and nodded. “Sure, I’ll look after it.” He said, wondering where that little boy disappeared to in the young man on the verge of adulthood.
“Have a nice day.” Emilie waved. Adrien desperately wanted to leap off the bench and hug her and tell her how much he loved her and that he missed her everyday, but he knew he couldn’t, so he contained himself to a simple wave back, still trying to hold his emotions at bay.
“Do you think I will ever see her again?” He heard little Adrien ask his mother, wiping his tear stained cheeks with one hand while holding onto his mother’s skirt with the other. “She was so nice and I really wanted to be her friend.”
“If fate is kind...” Emilie replied, echoing what she had told future Adrien before. “…and it’s meant to be, you will find each other again, I’m sure of it.”
Adrien watched as Emilie took little Adrien by the hand and helped him into the awaiting car. He sat there until the car had vanished into the distance, his heart broken and yet strangely at peace. A moment later, a dark haired girl with pigtails and in pink shorts raced into the playground.
“Kitty…Kitty!” She called before her eyes landed on the black cat plushie.
“Kitty!” She called, grabbing the soft cat from beside Adrien and cuddling it close to her chest. “Didn’t I tell you to sit and stay.” She scolded the toy, waving her finger and pouting.
“Sweetheart, we need to go. Papa is waiting with fresh cookies.”
“Yay cookies.” The little girl called out, running over to her mother. Adrien’s mouth fell open when he recognised who was unmistakably Sabine Cheng.
“Marinette.” He whispered under his breath. “The little girl I met that day was Marinette.”
“Great, maybe we can go to her bakery then and get some gooey cheese puffs while we wait for Ladybug.” Plagg interjected. Adrien shook his head.
“No, you don’t understand Plagg. If I had asked her name, we would have taken the plushie to the bakery and I would have known Marinette years ago before…”
A sudden realisation came to him. He would have known Marinette before he became Chat Noir, before he met Ladybug. What would it have changed had he known Marinette years earlier? His heart began to race in his chest. Would he still have fallen for Ladybug? In his heart Adrien wanted to say yes, but his head told him that in all honesty, he wasn’t sure what the answer would be anymore.
“Kid.” Plagg called anxiously from his collar. “You need to transform. I have a feeling Ladybug is going to reverse this any minute.”
Adrien nodded his head and made his way towards a quiet alleyway. Calling his transformation, Chat Noir leaned his back against the wall, running through his mind all the events of the past hour and trying to make sense of the new, yet familiar feelings that were settling in his heart.
Feeling the sense that someone was watching him, he lifted his head and his eyes widened at the sight of a small Chinese man in a hoola shirt standing out the front of a shop.
“Master Fu?” Chat spoke, barely above a whisper.
Master Fu nodded his head slowly with a knowing smile and in a flash of light Chat found himself back on the side of the street in the pouring rain.
“Chat!”
Chat turned his head to find Ladybug crashing into him and wrapping him up in a fierce hug. Behind her was Versperia and Ryuko. Clearly after he had been thrown into the past she had gone to get help.
“Kitty, I was so scared. Where did you go?” Ladybug asked frantically, holding his face between her hands.
“The past.” He said, still feeling dazed like he had just awoken from a dream. “I saw…I realised something…something I had forgotten about.”
Ladybug looked at him worriedly when her earring beeped and Chat smiled at her.
“Don’t worry about me m’lady, I’ll tell you all about it later. You go and get back the Miraculous from the others. I need to go and see a friend.”