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Everyone has an Angel and Devil on their shoulders.
Sure, it always was meant only as a figure of speech, but Adrien saw them for as long as he could remember.
The first time he remembered seeing them was when his mother was playing with him. He saw them on her shoulders. One of them was looking exactly like his mom, but much brighter - with the white robe and shiny blonde hair, with a little smile on her face she was the embodiment of kindness and peacefulness. But the other one, even if she looked like his mother… The blonde hair was noticeably darker, the robe was almost fully black with a little white rand on the collar. She was smiling too, but her smile seemed different from the woman in white.
Back then, Adrien couldn’t really tell what was wrong with it, but now he could say that it was not a smile but a mischievous grin.
He asked his mother who those women were. Emilie only laughed at his question lightly and played with his hair.
“Adrien, where did you learn about Angels and Devils on the shoulders?” She asked him with a smile, picking him up into her arms.
“About ‘ho?” He asked, confused.
“Oh, Adrien, my little ball of sunshine. You know what? Let’s sit down,” Emilie looked around, “let’s sit down on the couch in your room and I'll explain.”
Adrien climbed down from his mother’s arms and ran as fast as he could towards his room but ran into something solid and soft at the same time.
“Ow, Adrien! My little mischief,” Gabriel chuckled with a little grunt, because Adrien ran right into his ankle. “Be careful running around that fast!”
“I’m sorry, da!” Adrien shouted, getting up on his feet and started to run again.
“Literally, Sunshine,” Gabriel snorted, looking as Adrien disappeared around the corner. “Runs with the same speed as a sun ray.”
“He is just a small kid,” Emilie came over and kissed him lightly on the cheek. “All kids like running around and do a lot of stuff that they find interesting.”
“I know,” Gabriel sighed before hugging his wife. “But we soon will need to decide…”
“Shhh, we can discuss it later. And I’m sure it should be Adrien to choose what to do.”
“I know my dear, I know.” Emilie parted from her husband and continued to walk towards Adrien’s room. “Have a good time designing, my silk moth!”
“And it wasn’t that necessary to use that nickname again,” Gabriel muttered quietly.
Emilie closed the door of Adrien’s room and looked around but she couldn’t see her son.
“Adrien, are you hiding from your mom?” She heard him giggling somewhere around his bed. “Are you trying to win this game? You know that I… will win!” She exclaimed as she yanked off a blanket, revealing Adrien.
“But ma! It’s not fair!” Adrien protested, trying to evade his mother’s attempt to tickle him.
“I know, Adrien. But I’m using it to my advantage!” Emilie laughed, stopping tickling him.
“Ma, who are those women on your shoulders?” Adrien asked again.
“Let me tell you a story,” Emilie sat down on the bed and pulled her son into a hug. “People believe that everyone has an Angel and the Devil on their shoulders. Usually, they start to whisper in your ear, when you’re in doubt. The angel always tries to find the most kind solution, the one that will make everyone around you happy. But the Devil will urge you to succumb to your own needs, push you to do selfish things.
“I won’t tell you that it’s a bad thing because sometimes we need to pay attention to ourselves too, but we can’t be selfless all the time. Remember, Adrien, they are not good nor bad. They just help you to choose, but in the end it’s not their decision. It’s yours.”
“Mine? How?” Adrien asked, elevating his head a little to look her in the eyes.
“Hmm… How about this, you said that you saw my Angel and Devil?” She asked him.
“Oh, yes! And they look like you a lot! But they are dressed differently!”
“Oh, how’s that so?” Emilie looked surprised.
“Well, the one on your left… no, it’s right, right? No, I forgot again!”
“Don’t worry, my little dandelion,” she patted his head. “If you forget where the left and right of the person in front of you is, you can do a little chant!”
“The chant! How could I forget about the chant!” Adrien exclaimed excitedly. “Raise up your right hand and give to the left in a mirror a pat. Do it with the left hand, the right in the mirror… Does that chant have an end?” He finished, confused a little.
“No, it doesn’t,” Emilie answered with a chuckle. “You were saying that I have two mini me's on my shoulders but they looked different. How?"
"The one on your right shoulder looks so kind and shiny! She is just white on white and too bright! But the other on the left seems darker. She is bright too but in another way?"
“So, they are my Angel and Devil,” Emilie explained. “Can you hear them?”
Adrien sat silent for a minute, before answering.
“I’m not sure,” he said hesitantly. “The one on the right whispers about being a good mother while the one on the left says that even you deserve fun. But what fun is she talking about? I don’t understand.”
“What fun? Hm… How about finding how ticklish you are!” Emilie let Adrien go, before making a tickling gesture.
“No, ma, stop!” Adrien laughed, taking a little step back. But when Emilie made the exact small step towards him, he turned around and started running. “Da, saaaaave me!”
***
Several years passed in a slow blur. His mother was gone and he didn’t even know how it happened. He only knew that her Angel and Devil were slowly fading with each year. He didn’t know what caused it. All he knew was that one day Angel and Devil disappeared.
His mother was gone on the next day.
His father’s Angel and Devil were… interesting. They looked exactly like his father, they had the same clothes but with different colours, but at the same time very uncomfortable and chained. Though, considering how strict and determined he was, it was no surprise.
But his own Angel and Devil- that was a different story. For starters, he didn’t have a Devil on his left shoulder. It really bothered him for several years, until he just got used to it. Sure, it wasn’t that bad, right?
But with the passing of time he started to notice that it’s harder and harder for him to take some time for his own desires and wants. Everything that his father wanted him to do, Adrien just couldn’t force himself to say no.
A simple, short word that held a big power, but it couldn’t escape his lips in front of his father’s wishes.
Homeschool? Yes. Fencing? Yes. Chinese? Yes. Modelling? Yes. Not allowed to meet other kids of his year except Chloe?
Yes.
But one morning, he felt that something changed. Adrien couldn’t understand what changed at first, but then he realised.
Why should he always listen to his father? Why was he always pushing himself aside? Why couldn't he have what he wanted?
Fencing? Yes, because he liked it. Chinese? Yes, because it was useful to him and would benefit him in the future. Modelling? Even if it wasn’t his favourite thing, at that moment it was his only option to earn money, so it was yes. Homeschool and not meeting other kids? Y-
NO.
He wanted it. He needed it. He…
But there was no Devil on his left shoulder. Not even a shadow.
But why could he say no then?
***
He got caught right at the entrance of the school. That was predictable in some way, who would ever let him do what he wants to do? He couldn't even put up a fight out there, humbly following Nathalie and Gorilla back into the car.
It had been worth a try, he told himself. It didn't mean, though, that Adrien wouldn’t try to do something similar to this again. No, he vowed to double his efforts from now on.
When he came back to his room, Adrien was torn between sadness and bitterness.
On one hand, he understood his father's scolding because Adrien disobeyed his will. But on the other hand, his father didn't seem to be the same man as he was before, when they could all laugh and have a great time together. Even his Angel and Devil looked sad and pale.
Throwing a bag at the climbing wall was probably not his wisest idea to do when they had returned to the mansion. But he couldn’t help it, he was so frustrated! It was his chance to finally stand up and get things his way! But…
Wait, what was that box doing here? Adrien would have remembered if it was here when he ran away. After all, he spent almost his whole life in that room, he knew all corners and all little specks of dust. He could have sworn that that thing wasn’t from their house staff.
Was it dangerous? It didn’t seem to be. But it drew his attention, and made him want to open it. The voice of the reason tried to stop him but why would he stop? That box beckoned him…
“Wow, now I see why I was sent to you, little kid,” a grumpy voice declared above him.
Adrien raised his head and stared at the weird black creature whose head was much bigger than it should have been by all means of anatomy. “Anyways, let me shorten the speech as much as possible: I’m Plagg, Kwami of Destruction and a lot of not useful and not interesting stuff. See, there was some guy or a girl who had started to use Miraculous for the wrong deeds and you were chosen to stop them before they destroy the world or themselves. Yes, I know you’re curious to learn what the Miraculous is. It’s a piece of jewel, just like that ring. Questions?”
“Uh, yes, actually,” Adrien sat down on the couch and looked at the ring. “How do I use it?”
“Oh, simple. You put it, say ‘Plagg, Claws Out’, when detransform ‘Plagg, Claws In’. As a hero, you have a power called Cataclysm. Call for it and everything you touch will disappear. And…”
“Plagg, Claws Out!” Adrien exclaimed quickly, after hastily putting the ring on.
“Whyyyyyy…” Kwami’s voice was monotone, as if they saw it coming, but Adrien didn’t notice it, trying to understand his new feelings.
He was feeling as if some missing part of his soul had returned to its place. But something still was missing.
And it called for him.
“There were explosions near Francois-Dupont school, “ the reporter was saying from the TV screen. “Witnesses said that they haven't seen anybody but they heard some sort of a manic laughter coming from the building. We can’t confirm or deny those statements, but…”
“Francois-Dupont?” Adrien whispered, rubbing the back of his head. “Wasn’t this the school I was going for? I need to hurry!”
***
That girl was interesting.
She looked just like him. She had the same costume as his except it was ladybug-themed and was slightly burned at the finger-tips.
But for Adrien, she was interesting for another reason.
She was missing her Angel.
Though, he admitted, she herself looked like one. And if it weren’t for a mischievous, slightly manic grin and wrinkling eyes, he would believe in her innocent nature.
“So, I guess it was you who set off explosions?” Adrien asked in lieu of a polite greeting.
“Maybe yes, maybe not,” she replied, not dropping the grin. But her eyes focused on him and just by a slight posture change he could say that she was ready to attack him. Years of fencing fully paid off, making him notice those little details.
“Why then?” He asked, waving in the school direction.
“It’s fun! Do you know how funny it is when people start to run and scream, not knowing what caused the panic? It’s so joyful!” She answered, still holding that wide grin.
“So, you’re the one who almost killed a few students here?” Adrien’s voice dropped.
“Yes,” she shrugged.
Adrien was lost. He couldn’t wrap his head around how that girl could say such things with almost no hesitation. It was… it was not right.
“But why? What did they do to you?” He tried to reason.
“Why would you like to know? You know what, get out of here before I add you to the list of what to blow up, you and that white-winged thing on the shoulder!” Her joy and happiness were replaced with anger and fury.
“Can’t do it, you know,” he shrugged, slightly shifting so he was leaning on his right leg. “Else you will try to kill those poor students again.”
“They’re not poor! And they’re guilty!” With that shout she attacked him, launching yo-yo (she had a yo-yo as her weapon!) straight toward his head.
Luckily, he was prepared for something like this and easily dodged it. Then Adrien pulled out his baton and tried to catch the wire of the yo-yo but somehow it escaped.
“I don’t want to fight, you know?” He said, charging at her. “But you kinda make me do it and…”
“KIM!!!” A really loud, monstrous voice came from the school direction, making them both freeze in their place and look at the source of the noise.
They saw a really large stone thing that was climbing out of the broken wall and was going after a small figure of some boy, and after the monster and the boy disappeared from their sight, they glanced at each other.
“Was it yours?” Adrien asked first, confused.
“No, I thought it was yours?” The girl answered, confused as well.
“No. Hey, what did your kwami say when you received your Miraculous?” he asked.
“That somebody was using their Miraculous for evil and that I was chosen to stop them…” she answered, seeming to slump a little bit. “They also said something about seeing why they were sent to me…”
“You said that you saw my Angel, is it true?”
“Do you see them as well?” She raised her head and Adrien thought that he saw hope glimmering in her eyes .
“I have seen them since I was a little kid,” Adrien answered. “And I’m sure that I never saw a person, except me, with only one thing on their shoulder instead of two.”
“I know, right?” The girl seemed to finally calm down. “They all were looking at me weirdly when I told them about their Angels and Devils. And they didn’t believe me! They destroyed my things, they…” Okay, he was wrong. She calmed down only for a second only to have a panic attack later.
“Okay, here, here, calm down,” Adrien didn’t know how to comfort a person. He only knew that you should hug them and whisper something calm. So he did it, though it looked awkward. “They are all not here. They won’t harm you, nobody’s going to touch you…”
They sat in silence for a few more minutes before…
“BRING ME THE MIRACULOUS OF LADYBUG AND BLACK CAT!” The shout of the monster reached them.
“Does that thing want our jewels?” Adrien asked, looking worryingly in the direction from which the voice came.
“It seems so,” the ladybug-girl sniffed and pulled out of the hug. “I… I’m sorry I attacked you. I seemed to be blinded by some rage, everything was so foggy…”
“You seem stable now,” Adrien said, standing up. “I suggest a truce. We defeat that thing since it’s after us and then discuss everything that happened. Deal?” He asked, holding out his arm.
She seemed to hesitate a little, and he saw a glimpse of the madness in her eyes before she accepted his hand and stood up too.
“Deal.”