Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

“Where are Adrien and Kagami‽”

Dozens of voices cried out, the Miraculized villains tore apart the streets as they attacked. “Clout!” “Venom!” “Lightning Dragon!” They struck at once, a perfect army of mindless soldiers.

“Lucky Charm!” Ladybug’s yoyo whipped into the air, summoning a plastic kazoo. She threw it at the storm of lightning heading her way, the object acting as an insulator to disrupt the flow. That single Miraculized fell to the ground, and Cat Noir hopped over, pulling off their ring.

Crunch! He punched it into his palm, breaking it completely.

The yoyo whipped about more and more, knocking people to the ground. Cat Noir’s staff flashed through the air.

“Genesis!” A rocket launcher fired.

“Cataclysm!”

“Lucky Charm!” One of those horse heads on a stick children played with. Using it as a melee weapon, she spun it with grace and skill, batting people to the ground. One by one they fell, and she and Cat Noir plucked the rings right off.

But more kept coming, pouring through the portals.

“Cat Noir— we need to get to the source. These rings were designed by Gabriel Agreste and Tomoe Tsurugi. One of them might know. We’ll split up, but keep in touch.” She deflected a venom, spun around the attacker, and kicked them to the ground.

“WE CAN’T KEEP UP!” she cried, affecting desperation. “WE GIVE UP! ADRIEN AND KAGAMI ARE PRISONERS WITHIN THEIR OWN HOMES! BUT YOU’LL NEVER GET THEM OUT WITHOUT US!”

““Voyage!”” Two of their blank white opponents opened up portals, ready to rescue the missing prisoners. And with playful winks, Ladybug and Cat Noir knocked everyone away, each leaping through a different portal at random.

Ladybug ran through Gabriel’s manor, calling his name! “Mr. Agreste, where are you? We need to talk!” But she wasn’t alone. More of the Miraculized followed her in. She jumped over an attacker, running up the stairs as she searched for him, but two three more emerged from a portal.

“Water Dragon!” Like a river it rushed toward her, knocking her over the railing.

Another jumped, aiming their fist with a cry of “Clout!” Ladybug pushed off the ground, rolling through the air, but the shock wave was too great, sending splintered woo flying everywhere as the ground was smashed to pieces.

Ladybug and her pursuers fell to the room below.

“What’s going on?” she asked, landing on her feet. This space was vast, with much to see, but a strange object caught her immediate attention. Cutting through the crowd, she raced toward it, deflecting all manner of attacks. She tore the cloth off, revealing a strange tube.

And the woman inside.

“What? Who is she?”

Another portal opened, and Monarch dashed raced toward her. “Get away from her! Venom!” His hand now a stinger, he plunged it through the air, missing her by miles. “Give me your Miraculous!”

“Who is she and why is Mr. Agreste keeping her here? Do you know‽ Is he working for you or—” her eyes narrowed as she put the pieces in place. She clicked on her comm device, contacting her partner. “Cat Noir, it’s an emergency. Monarch is here. I have reason to believe he is Gabriel Agreste himself. There’s a blonde woman in the basement, kept in suspended animation. I believe she may be his missing wife!”

“On my way!”

“Everyone, get her, but don’t harm that woman!”

“You want to protect her, huh?” She kicked one of the Miracuclized straight at a pillar, chasing them through the air as their back slammed into it. They rose to their feet, countering with a punch as they stepped forward, but Ladybug landed in the gap behind them. With a spin kick she turned to face their back, knocking her opponent forward.

They spun toward their prey, throwing another punch. “Clout!” An a crack split through the pillar, sending it falling straight toward Émilie’s glass coffin.

“Nooo!” Monarch braced himself, catching it before it could fall. But it was heavy and took all his strength. Ladybug’s yoyo wrapped around the pillar as she pulled herself toward him. He panicked— how could he stop her without letting go?

He couldn’t.

She plucked away the Butterfly Miraculous.

“Somebody, get her!” He refused to give in, holding on thanks to the strength of the reconfigured Miraculous. He watched his minions charge in. But Ladybug didn’t seem to care. Instead she just placed the Butterfly Miraculous on her chest.

That’s when Astrocat crashed down from above. “I got here as fast as I could!” He changed back into Cat Noir, using his staff to strike down all attackers. “Looks like you could use a paw.”

“Indeed I could, kitty. Tikki, Nooroo, Unify!” Her face lit up as she became Ladyfly, plucking a butterfly out of the air. One of the many Monarch had raised to use against her, and now it was going to be his undoing.

Charging it with power, she released the Kamiko straight into Cat Noir’s bell. “Are you ready, Victoricat? To show them what we’re made of?”

“I always said it was you and me against the world, but this time it feels so literal!” His outfit turned pure white and his hair became silver. His face looked almost serene as he stepped forward, facing the crowd of Miraculized warriors. “Cataclysm,” he said plainly, summoning a ball of white energy.

And it exploded, tearing throughout the room, several streaks of light under his command. It ravaged every Alliance ring it could fin, stripping Monarch’s army of their power. They collapsed to the ground, now ordinary citizens unable to help him in his quest.

“Lucky Charm!” cried Ladyfly, summoning another object. This time it was a bug catching net. “Get the pillar,” she instructed. She ran forward as her partner flicked a tiny ball of light forward. It struck the support column in Monarch’s hand, causing it to crumble to pieces.

She brought the net down on his head, pulling him to the ground, and reached for his left hand, pulling off every ring. Victoricat grabbed the other hand, and stripped him of every last bit of power he had.

Gabriel Agreste collapsed to his knees.

This was the 358^th simulation he’d run of the Perfect Alliance plan.

It was the 358^th time he’d lost.

Chapter Text

“You’re being foolish Gabriel,” Tomoe spat.

“Wrong! I’ve used the power of Sublimation to run the simulation over three hundred times. Perfect Alliance is doomed to end in failure. We cannot let it end like this. Something must be done!” They were speaking through their Alliance Rings, trying to smooth out some last minute details. At least, that was the plan.

Tomoe hadn’t expected him to pull this. “They are merely simulations based on your own preconceived notions. You’ve been defeated by Ladybug and Cat Noir countless times! And now you are overestimating them. You believe them to be invincible so your simulations make them invincible. Everything will work out, just have faith in the plan!”

“It’s not like I’m suggesting we abandon the plan! Just adjust it. We need to make ourselves stronger. We need something that can let us defeat Ladybug and Cat Noir!”

“Gabriel, you don’t have much longer to live. Where in the world do you propose we find a weapon stronger than an army of 6.5 billion warriors armed with the Miraculous‽ Don’t let your fear cloud your judgment!”

“Do not mistake caution for fear! Or your recklessness for bravery! I will find that weapon. And I will do it myself if I have to!” He hung up, tossing his table to the ground with a cry of frustration. Didn’t she see? They were so close, but they had to be perfect! They weren’t going up against just anyone. They were facing Ladybug! If anyone could find a way to defeat an army of over six billion people, it surely would be the girl whose super power was literally ‘Give me what I need to win!’

He’d need to take drastic measures. Consort every resource at his disposal. “Sublimation, I give myself the power of speed reading. Multitude!” He had hundreds of books, but with a few dozen bodies it wouldn’t take long to scour them all. He gathered them off the shelves, tomes on magical artifacts, ancient powers, and legends of times long past. Slamming them down on the floor, he began speeding through the pages, searching for anything that seemed useful.

Longinus, Excalibur, Gáe Bulg, Mjolnir, all powerful weapons for sure, but he needed something bigger, stronger, something of overwhelming God-like might. Fairy deals. Faustian bargains. He needed power in any form he could take.

Maybe if he played his cards right, he wouldn’t even need to defeat Ladybug and Cat Noir. If a demon could revive Émilie, no. Demons could not be trusted with the life of a loved one. Fairies were pushing it.

But a Witch?

The Witch Who Lives Between Worlds. It showed a drawing of beautiful woman with long black hair sprawling across the page. Dozens of beautiful butterflies fluttered around her. That had to be a sign. Right? Or was that simply his desperation?

He studied the entry: a witch who could grant almost any wish if a fair price was paid. Someone with power over time and space, who had magic powerful enough to twist reality. This was it, his best shot. She could help him get his Wish.

“Sublimation, I grant myself the power to travel between dimensions!”

He emerged from the portal into a strange looking shop filled with odd curiosities. A shamisen in the corner, a strange set of bowls in a tower somewhere in the kitchen, strangely patterned rugs that seemed to move as he watched. A silver haired teenager observed him carefully as did two blank looking children, but he didn’t care about them. He was only here for her, the woman with long black hair and the shimmering dress.

“Are you the Space-Time Witch? I’ve read about you in many ancient books. Is it true you can grant any wish?”

“Normally I would say yes, I can grant any wish for the proper price. But what you seek, what you truly wish to accomplish in the end, is beyond even me. My powers cannot return life where it has been lost.”

“That was a bit tempting!” But no, he was never going to be that direct anyway. “But no. I know better than to bargain for life with a Witch. The last thing I need is for my wife to be forced into some cursed half existence. I need something I can control a little more.” The two children stared at him like he was aa circus attraction, and he considered knocking them away. But no, best not to anger the witch.

“Desperate as ever, huh Gabriel Agreste?” asked the silver haired boy. At some point he’d moved to the kitchen and was now polishing one of the pots with a dischcloth.

“I have no idea who you are or what you’re talking about. A man as pathetic as that fashion designer could never hope to accomplish anything as great as what I’ve done.” It seems the Space-Time Witch and her workers knew more about him than he bargained, but it was worth the effort to lie.

“So you aren’t the same Gabriel Agreste who invaded my home city and got his ass kicked my world’s Holders. That Gabriel would have recognized me. Unless you’re bluffing. I suppose you could also be someone who genuinely isn’t Gabriel— but Yuko says your desire is to bring back someone lost. All the clues are pointing in one direction.” He seemed intelligent, but hardly a threat without the Miraculous.

He moved a bag of flour to the table, for reasons Monarch couldn’t fathom.

“You might not be able to bring back my wife, but you can get me the tools that will, right? With the Miraculous of the Ladybug and Black Cat, I will be able to save her myself, without needing your magic!”

“Get you the Miraculous? In theory that is a wish within my power to grant— but because the two Miraculous together grant powers beyond even what Clow or I am capable of, the price becomes something you cannot afford.” So she was planning to drive a hard bargain? Two could play at that game.

“If you won’t grant me what I want then I will take it from you by force! I want something strong enough to defeat Ladybug and Cat Noir! I wish for nothing more or less than to see my family together again! And nothing will get in the way of that. Sublimation, I grant myself the power of Invisibility!” He announced, smiling wickedly as he faded from sight. “Venom!” Time to use his favorite trick.

“Multi~” CLANG! “tude.” Pain exploded in his head.

Everything went dark as he shrank down and he realized he was trapped. He had to get out of here. He pounded on the metal walls, but they would not yield. That boy must have done something. Well, he would pay.

“Let me out of here!” He pounded again.

“Fall In!” growing back to normal size, he felt something cold cover his skin, like a layer of powder.

Then the boy grabbed his wrist, and Monarch found himself at the wrong end of his own stinger.“Resis~” he choked on the rag as the world went still.

Then in what felt like an instant, he regained all mobility quickly scrambling to stand.

“You— but how— what happened?”

“I kicked your ass,” said Yuu.

““He kicked your ass!””

Nooroo appeared, eye wide as he drank in the sight. “What happened here? Am I finally free?”

Anger exploded in Gabriel. Everything he’d worked for taken away in an instant by some kid he’d never met before! How had he been so thoroughly outplayed? And now this stranger had the Miraculous?

“Nooroo, would you mind if I borrowed your power for a moment?”

“You seem like a nice person, so I don’t mind. You just need to say Nooroo, Light Wings, Rise!”

“Nooroo, Light Wings, Rise!”

“I am Arthemis.” He flicked the cane open, looking for something, but found the space empty. “Yuko, how many waffle irons does a Butterfly cost?”

What the fucking Hell was that supposed to mean?

She grabbed the rag off the floor and folded it like origami. “I would say this settles our debts in that regard,” It flew straight to Arthemis, who went to work creating a Kamiko without missing a beat. “Stay close, my Kamiko. Light Wings Fall!” It went straight into the boy’s necklace, it was shaped like a silver star.

He wore a white shirt, shorts, and cape, looking almost like some cross between a religious figure and an animated Superhero. “Call me Miracle Worker!” He grabbed Monarch’s reconfigured rings.

“I assume you used the same trick with an ally— probably Mrs. Tsurugi, pulling the Kwamis and sending them across dimensions. I am going to sever their connection with her and pull them free from that wretched machine.”

How had he known so much?

Had he really faced another Monarch in another universe?

“It’s over?”

“Someone beat Monarch?”

The terror sank in, gnawing at Gabriel’s heart. Ladybug had beaten her hundreds of times, but she had magic. He told himself it wasn’t his fault he got his ass handed to him by middle schoolers every day of the week, but they were magic. He could forgive himself for that.

Now he felt like he’d die of embarrassment.

“No! I won’t let it end like this! I have to save her! I have to save Émilie!” He had to reunite his family. Him, his wife, and their child: a thought dawned. These people knew him. Why not weaponize that knowledge. “You know so much about me. But how much do you know‽” Did they know about Adrien’s Amok? It came down to this. He made a fist and aimed his wedding bands at the ground.

“Don’t you dare!” cried Miracle Worker. “You’re bluffing!”

Yes, but would he genuinely call him on it? That’s what it came down to.

Yuko watched the boy frowning at him. He almost pitied the stranger for coming so close to victory. Now it was time to barter for the Miraculous, using his son as a hostage.

“I see you value my son’s life as well. Someone like you wouldn’t want to risk an innocent life, you don’t know the desperation that drives a man to throw it all away! Well my son’s life is in these twin rings of the Graham de Vanily family! I can end him in an instant, and his death will be on your hands!”

“Do not be mistaken,” said Yuko. “You will be the one spilling his blood. We will be blameless.”

“Don’t do it!” Nooroo begged. “He’s your son!” And that’s when he said something that caught Gabriel by surprise. “I wish for you to save Adrien’s life! Protect him! Don’t let his Amok be destroyed! I’ll pay whatever price I can!”

“The price to be paid is heavy,” said Yuko.

“You shall be returned to Gabriel Agreste. And no longer will outside interference be able to rescue you. You will remain in his servitude until you are reclaimed by the Guardian of the Miraculous. Yuu, hand the Butterfly Miraculous back to Gabriel Agreste.”

Gabriel wanted to scream with delight! That was one left, now could he get the rest back?

“Gabriel Agreste. I said you could not afford to wish for the Miraculous. But that does not mean I will not bargain with you. After all, what was it you sought through force? A power strong enough to defeat Ladybug and Cat Noir. That is something you can trade for. But something this dangerous will not be cheap, the cost is immense.

“Your payment will be the fourteen Miraculous you have just lost, as well as the twin rings.”
She moved toward the vase, plucking out the lilies. “Funeral flowers, nourished by the grief of the deceased herself. Feed them to Nooroo and they will amplify his powers. He will give you strength to defeat Ladybug and Cat Noir.”

He wasn’t thrilled about the price, but he’d gone in knowing it would be tough. And now he had a weapon to use against Ladybug and Cat Noir. And if Yuko was being honest about her fair prices, this one was as strong as fourteen Miraculous. “Now, I just need to get home, but I think I can manage that. Nooroo, Dark Wings, Rise!” He transformed into an old suit he hadn’t down the world in months. Honestly, it felt more like years at this point.

Flicking his cane open, Hawkmoth unleashed the Butterfly within, catching it in his grasp. “My little Akuma, stay close by. I need your help to get back home. Dark Wings Fall.” He transformed into an orange version of the Collector, with orange skin, hair, and an orange outfit in different shades. “I am the Wanderer.” With a grin, he summoned another swirling vortex of magic. They’d have to adjust, and Tomoe would be scream and call him names, but this gave them a fighting chance. And without a second look back, he stepped through, ready to continue his evil plot.

When he returned to his own world, he emerged right before Tomoe, a bright grin on his face. “Can you hear it? The sound of my heart racing as we approach victory! I’ve done it, I’ve obtained a new power! One that will allow us to triumph over Ladybug and Cat Noir once and for all.”

She frowned, thrusting her bokken into his face.

“Do not play with me Gabriel. It is nearly time for our plan to begin! It’s obvious you’ve done something, and you better not have derailed it. I hear your heart racing but I can tell that it carries guilt, there’s something you’re hiding from me.”

“I met someone named Yuko Ichihara.”
She gasped, rising to her feet. “The Space-Time Witch‽ You fool, what have you traded‽” She slammed her wooden sword against the floorboard.

“I have traded her the fourteen Miraculous I no longer need. Now only the Butterfly remains, and in exchange she has given me I have long desired. The power to defeat that wretched pest and her little cat. The power of the Butterfly has always been our greatest weapon, and she’s given us a way to enhance its strength even further!”

“You fool! We needed those Miraculous to form our army of Miraculized warriors. Without them how can we possibly hope to overpower Ladybug and Cat Noir. You’ve ruined everything.” She swung, but he caught the blade in his hand.

“You think too small. With Nooroo’s powers pushed to their limits, we won’t need the rest of the Miraculous, watch and you’ll see.” He released the Akuma empowering him, clutching his head as he transformed back.

“Nooroo,” he commanded, stumbling forward. “Eat these,” he held up the lilies, watching with a vicious grin as the Kwami consumed the flowers. “Devour them and grow stronger so that together we can consume the world.” He could feel the pieces falling into place, everything would soon be his.

He’d have his family back.

Nothing could stop him this time.

“Nooroo, Nightmare Wings, Rise!”

He wore a black suit, with a purple helmet over his face, bearing a butterfly motif. A dark purple cape trailed behind him, and his usual cane had been replaced by a sword. “I am Nightmare Moth!”

Chapter Text

Meanwhile, twelve years in the future, a rabbit hole opened into a backyard party somewhere in Paris, and Bunnyx stepped out into the shadows, watching everyone and everything. Hand painted streamers were hung from trees everywhere, and a huge banner read Happy 12^th Birthday Harmonie. As some children bounced in the inflatable castle, Mme. Bustier and her wife greeted all the guests.

“Marientte! Adrien! You didn’t have to go through all the trouble!” Bustier said with delight as they both walked into the yard. Adrien was carefully carrying a giant strawberry pink cake decorated with macarons in several different colors. Red, black, orange, green, multiple shades of blue, a red with a golden trim: Alix was pretty sure it represented the entire team.

“Of course we didn’t have to. But we wanted to. Besides, little Harmonie deserves the best. It’s not every day you turn twelve you know!” Marinette launched into a hug, grabbing her teacher tight. “I just hope she likes the present I got her.”

“I’m sure she’ll love it.”

Up front, Max was helping Nino set up his equipment to DJ the party, while Kitty Section, Luka included, were getting their instruments ready for a live performance. Apparently they were going all out.

Adrien set the cake on the catering table, where croissants, macarons, and choquettes called out to everyone. Marinette smile at her parents work, still going strong all these years later.

“Counterclockwise,” said Alix, letting the magic vanish like dust in the wind. “Hey everyone, how are things?”

““““““Alix!”””””” Her classmates came rushing toward her.

“Hey, how have you been?”

“What have you been up to?”

“What are you doing here? Not that we’re not glad to see you. But like, why mini-you?” asked Rose.

“I was hopping through time like a little bunny rabbit when I came across this!” She held up an original first edition copy of The Little Prince. And I got it autographed by Saint-Exupéry himself! Older Harmonie told me this was her favorite book so I figured an autographed copy would be perfect for her. Decided to drop it off at her birthday because, well, it’s easier to keep track of stuff like that so I don’t accidentally cause any problems down the line.

“But enough about me, where’s the birthday girl?”

Mme. Bustier directed her toward the bouncing castle, Alix called out as she approached. “Hey, Harmonie, guess what I got!”

“Alix!” She came hopping down the inflatable steps, wrapping her arms around Alix’s leg. “Is that a book.”

“It’s a signed copy of The Little Prince,” she handed it over. Harmonie’s eyes lit up as she grabbed it, staring excitedly at the cover.

“Thank you! I’m going to go put this with the other gifts so it doesn’t get damaged.” She ran toward the gift table, right next to the snack table, which was filled with— that was strange. Alix stared, brow furrowed, these macarons looked off. And where did Marinette’s cake go?

She looked around, trying to spot Marinette and Adrien but neither of them could be seen. She snatched a macaron, sniffing it. The smell wasn’t bad, just not as sweet as she was used to. She took a bite, chewing thoughtfully. They must have changed the recipe in these past few years.

Then she noticed Alya, standing to the side, staring at her with a serious look on her face. “Huh?” She gave a polite but awkward wave as she walked closer, wondering what that was all about. “Is something wrong?”

“What do you mean is something wrong? You tell me!”

“Alya, I’m a Time Traveler, from the past. If something happened recently, I wouldn’t know about it yet.”

Alya blinked, adjusting her glasses. “So you don’t know yet. That’s good, maybe there’s still a chance you’ll fix things.” She kept staring, as if expecting something.

“Well it depends. If something is supposed to happen then I’m not supposed to interfere. You know that, right? You’re Ladybug’s second in command.”

“What did you say?” Alya gasped. “So you don’t know.”

Alix looked around. “Where is Marinette anyway? If you’ve got some concerns about the time stream, we should discuss it with her. If adult!me doesn’t show up with an objection, she and I can discuss this together, the chain of command~” Alix’s eyes glanced up at the store bought banner. Happy Birthday.

She spun, panic hitting her like a freight truck. “Alya, where’s Marinette?”

“Alix, Marinette’s been dead for twelve years!”

“No, that’s impossible. She was just here like five seconds ago.”

“Then something must have changed the past. This is your specialty, Alix. You have to intervene. You can go save her and make sure everything’s right again. If you’re on the case, I’m sure everything will work out just fine.”

“But how did she die?”

“Monarch killed her in their final battle. It was his Perfect Alliance plan, the one that gave us all nightmares.”

“No— I’ve seen that fight. She becomes Bug Noire and battles him and— well it’s a draw. But she survives. She can’t die. What about Gabriel Agreste, is he still alive?”

“Yeah, what about him? He found his long lost wife and moved away from Paris when the rumors started. The timing was too strange and coincidental. A lot of people suspected he was Monarch and accused him of sacrificing Ladybug to bring Émilie back. He proved his innocence but he was too upset by that time, so they moved away, taking Adrien with him.

“Nobody has seen any of them since then.”

“No, no, that’s wrong. He was supposed to die. He was Monarch. He must have tri— no, that’s completely irrelevant for the problem at hand.” She fell to her knees, trying to work things out. “What am I supposed to do.”

“Alix, what’s wrong?” asked Alya.

She looked up, and everything was normal again. “That’s Marinette’s cake!” She ran back to the table, Alya following close behind. She grabbed another macaron, shoving it in her mouth. “Tom and Sabine’s macarons, delicious as ever.”

“Best boulangerie and pâtisserie in Paris. You know that girl. Seriously, why are you freaking out?”

“It’s some sort of time disturbance,” said Alix. “I’ve never dealt with anything like this before. I’m just supposed to protect the Miraculous, I wasn’t prepared to actually fix any time problems yet.” She grabbed Alya’s shoulders. “It’s like there are two competing timelines. Right now, in this timeline, everything is fine. But in the other one, Marinette is dead and Monarch killed her. We need to make sure,” she blinked. The cake was gone. No! She wanted to speak to Marinette, get her input. She panicked, staring at the party hoping for another switch.

“Alix, calm down. Marinette chose you for a reason. She trusts you. I know this must be scary, but you can do this. You can figure out what’s wrong and save her. Fix everything so that we’re traveling back down the correct path.”

Alix took a deep breath, recording a message on her Pocketwatch. “Hey Adult!Me, things are really bad right now and I could really use your help!”

“Fluff, Clockwise,” she said, not caring who saw. “Burrow.” She opened the portal and put one foot through, turning back to look at Alya. “I promise, I’ll make things right.”

She looked at all the Burrow windows, watching some of them flicker. “Okay, we just need to figure this out. Adult!me, if you have any advice to give now would be a good time.” She stepped forward toward one of the time portals, when another one lit up. Spinning, she expected to see herself from a different part of the timeline.

Instead she saw a teenage boy in an orange colored chicken suit.

She threw a punch, missing him completely.

“Who are you‽” she grabbed her umbrella. “What did you do‽ One second everything was okay and then time went haywire. I’ve never seen it like this before!”

“Sunset,” he said, detransforming. Then Orikko appeared. So he wasn’t just dressed like a chicken for fun. He had the Rooster Miraculous. That just made him even more suspicious. She kept her weapon ready as she stepped away, hoping to put some safety buffer between them. “That’s Orikko, why do you have the Miraculous‽” She attacked swift and sudden, hooking his wrist with her umbrella.

He yanked her forward before she could strike, and promptly tore away her Miraculous. She’d been given the task of protecting it by running around, and had neglected any form of combat training. But she couldn’t give up, she had to get it back.

“Noooo!” She made a desperate lunge but he was too fast. She crashed through the air, hitting the floor, and looked up in time to see the watch flying back her way.

“A gesture of good faith.”

Fluff materialized, looking down at Alix. “I can sense more Kwamis!”

And they appeared, Pollen, Trixx, Wayzz, Stompp, Barkk, Longg, Ziggy, Roarr, Sass, Kaalki, Xuppu, Daizzi, and Mullo. The ones that Félix had traded to Shadowmoth. So when in the timeline did this boy come from? The Monarch days? Post Chrysalis?

“Everyone. It was going to have been such a long time! I hope we can see each other again not too long ago!”

The Kwamis all hugged, it would have been heartwarming if her nerves weren’t ice cold with fear.

“It’s too bad the rest of us aren’t here,” said Wayzz.

Orikko turned to Alix, and cleared his throat. “Please don’t be too suspicious of Yuu. I can vouch for him. He’s a swell guy. He managed to take down Monarch and reclaim all the Miraculous. Unfortunately Monarch threatened to destroy Adrien’s Amok if we didn’t return the Butterfly Miraculous.”

“He didn’t demand all of you back?”

“It’s a long story.” Yuu gave her a weary look. “First of all, are you aware of the other dimensions?”

“Like the one Shadybug and Claw Noir come from?”

“Yes, I’m from another dimension. Where my girlfriend was the Ladybug Holder. And she fought bravely alongside her team. We’ve been through a lot together, fighting over a hundred Akumatized villains, leaping through time. We even teamed up with an alternate universe version of Ladybug and Cat Noir to fight an alternate version of Monarch.

“We were just about to end this. We found out Butterfly villain’s hideout. Maris and her team attacked. But things went south, the mission went wrong, and things got bad. So I traveled to another world to meet a powerful witch named Yuko.

“She grants wishes, and I began working for her as a form of payment. But I wasn’t the only one who thought to visit her. Just this morning, Monarch showed up.”

And he summarized it all.

“So you’re saying your boss is helping Monarch‽ And you want me to trust you?” She clutched her Miraculous tight, afraid it would get stolen again. She should have trusted him, he’d returned it voluntarily, but this story was too confusing to readily process. “And you say this is all part of her grand scheme to—”

“To save Adrien. She likes helping people but the rules state she can’t act on her own unless someone wishes for it. So I think she wanted Nooroo to make the wish. Now it’s up to us all to work together and stop Monarch from winning. If she says that the flowers are strong enough to defeat Ladybug and Cat Noir, then he’ll probably be able to defeat them in a fight. I just need to decode what exactly she means.

“If we’re lucky, it won’t matter at all.”

“You think she’d just lie to him?”

“No, Ladybug isn’t that strong.” Part of her wanted to tell him off and punch him for disrespecting her leader. “Cat Noir’s got more offensive power but in the grand scheme of things he isn’t very strong either. She’s smart. A lot of villains were strong enough to defeat her but not smart enough. It’s possible the upgrade will grant him the strength he needs but not the wisdom.”

Okay, he had a point.

“But I wouldn’t bank on this saving us. We must consider the possibility that wishing for enough strength to win means gaining enough strength to overcome your weaknesses. In which case he’ll be able to brute fore his way to victory and overpower the duo.” Yuu paced around and she kept close track of him. Whoever he was, he was clearly worried about this.

“The next problem— what constitutes Ladybug and Cat Noir? They have a team at their disposal— or rather they will. Does that team count as part of their strength? If so, then Monarch may now be powerful enough to defeat Ladybug and her teammates, meaning we’ll be have to work extra hard to tip the scales back in our balance.

“But if not, then we’re relatively safe. We just need to gather everyone and have them work together.”

“You’ve put a lot of thought into this.”

“Yes. And I do have one potential solution springing to mind. Argos. He isn’t part of her team, he’s an independent player right now, he should be able to help, even if he refuses to create a Sentimonster. I think he’s worth recruiting.”

“So, recruit Argos, bring back the rest of Ladybug’s team, and hope for the best?”

“No, that’s still not enough. We need to know what exactly his plan is. Then we take countermeasures.”

“Well his plan was originally to Miraculize 99% of the population of the planet and brainwash them into being his army. He’d send them powers through the Alliance Rings, and they’d attack Ladybug and Cat Noir. But things would quickly derail when Cat Noir temporarily relinquished his Miraculous and Ladybug Unified it with her own. She and Monarch would get into a one on one confrontation, and it would end with him feeling remorse and sacrificing his life to make things right.

“I’m not really sure I should be telling you this, but if the Kwamis say to trust you.”

“That’s the plan he was using to unleash in the other universe. Interesting. Seems they were pretty similar other than a few minor divergences, such as an accidental merger with my dimension and Monarch’s visit to Yuko’s shop.”

“Well it doesn’t matter now anyway. You have the Miraculous. He can’t use the Perfect Alliance plan.”

“Don’t be so sure. Did Ladybug and Cat Noir ever face Copycat and Volpina in your universe?”

“Okay but creating one Akumatized Supervillain with the power of a Miraculous isn’t the same as empowering nearly the entire population of the planet.”

“Yes, but he has Yuko’s help now. With the magic funeral lilies, who knows how bad things could get? What do you know already. You were in a panic so I assume you know something went wrong.”

Alix turned to one of the Burrow windows. “Fluff, Clockwise,” and beckoned him over. “I was visiting the future, planning to attend Harmonie’s birthday party, then time rippled. Marinette suddenly vanished and things started changing on me. The banners, the cake, the catering, all of it.

“I asked about what was happening, and Alya told me that Marinette died twelve years ago.

“When she realized I was surprised, she seemed thrilled that I was about to intervene, but we don’t have much to work with. She just said Monarch killed Ladybug in their final battle. I came running to the Burrow to check. As far as I know, their final battle was supposed to be the Perfect Alliance plan.” She flicked through the screen, watching time speed by, then she saw it.

“No, what’s going on?”

An army of the Miraculized, taking over Paris. Alya, wounded on the street. Luka, his arm broken, fighting to protect his family. Juleka, in a panic, caught between helping her brother and Rose, unable to save either as they were overtaken.

“This shouldn’t be happening. They were supposed to win in the original timeline, why are they losing now?” Was Yuko’s magic really this powerful?

“Calm down, Bunnyx. We have these, remember?” He held out the Miraculous. “We can protect them. Monarch changed the past, but we can change it too. We won’t let him win. We just need to figure out what exactly he did.”

He walked to a window and gave it a flick.

Bunnyx gasped at what they saw.

“Well, this one could be tough.”

He turned to Alix. “Do you want to come with me to meet Yuko, or would you rather wait here?”

“I think I’d feel more comfortable staying here for now, no offense. But your boss sounds kind of freaky. I’m not sure I can trust someone helping Monarch, even if you say she has a good reason for it.” But she supposed she could trust him. “What exactly do you plan to do?”

“The Perfect Alliance plan works by spreading nightmares right? Poison everyone and then they’ll be vulnerable to Monarch’s manipulation. The first thing we want to do is get an antidote of our own. It will help make our team stronger in the end. Then I want to discuss some things with Yuko, see if we can get ourselves another advantage.”

He reached into his pocket. “Here, take these,” he began handing over several Miraculous. “As another gesture of faith. But please let me hold onto this one a little longer,” he said, frowning as he looked at the Rooster Miraculous.

“What’s wrong?”

“I might have made a huge mistake. But it doesn’t matter. I can recalculate. Orikko, Sunrise!”

He held out his hand, “Sublimation: I give myself the power of inter dimensional travel.”

Chapter Text

Cat Noir. Gabriel Agreste is Monarch. I’m waiting for you at his place. We’ll only have a shot if we fight him together.

Ladybug sent the text and looked around the corner, waiting for Gabriel to leave.

It was with a heavy heart that she approached Nathalie, lying there in bed. Gabriel was Adrien’s father, but Nathalie was family too, even if not by blood. How was he going to feel hearing that they were both in on this? It wasn’t fair that he had to deal with this!

“Where is Adrien Agreste‽ What have you done with him?” She yanked the Alliance ring off Nathalie’s finger, demanding answers.

“He’s safe. But you aren’t,” she broke into a fit of coughs. “Gabriel— Nightmare Moth— he and Tsurugi-san have a plan to send the entire world after you and Cat Noir.” She coughed more. “They’ll be able to track you. You have to change back. Hurry!”

This was worse than she realized, but she still needed to help Nathalie. “You don’t look well. I’ll take you to the hospital,” she reached over to pick up the bed ridden woman, but Nathalie grabbed her arm, stopping her.

“It’s too late for me. I was Mayura. I used the broken Peacock. And this is the price I’m paying for it.” She reached under her pillow, grabbing her phone. “I don’t have much longer—”

“No! You have to hang in there!”

“Please, stop Gabriel. That’s what she would have wanted.”

Ladybug looked down, seeing Adrien’s mother looking up at her.

“Transform back. You have to. It’s the only way to stay safe.”

She closed her eyes, drifting off to sleep.

“No! Nathalie!” She shook her body. “Please, get up! Hold on!” It was too late. There was no pulse.

When Time Travel is involved, wait times are anyone’s guess.

Bunnyx was in the middle of squatting over to sit down when Yuu returned, back in his Dawnbringer form. He was carrying two containers of macarons with inky black filling.

“Are those macarons? What flavor?” She didn’t want to judge a book by its cover, but they looked disgusting. However she was more than familiar with Ladybug’s magicarons, and wondered if these also had some hidden power.

“Magic,” Dawnbringer confirmed. “Sunset.” And there was the ordinary looking silver haired fourteen-year-old. Then again Bunnyx was also a teen herself. But right now they both had the weight of the world on their shoulders.

“I made these with some tea and peppermint which should have calming properties, along with a bit of help from this guy. Koppi, say hello.”

A tiny floating octopus emerged from behind the scenes. “Hi, I’m Koppi, the Kwami of Imitation. As you may have guessed, I can copy other Kwami’s powers.” He pointed at the containers in Yuu’s hands. “Behold, one batch of Eagle-Imitation Liberation, perfect for freeing human minds from a nightmare curse.”

Next, Yuu handed over the Rooster Miraculous, putting the reclaimed set back in Bunnyx’s control. “I’m done with it, please entrust this to Marc Anciel. Although— depending on how this plays out I may need him to give me a ride back home.” Bunnyx chuckled at that. This kid had all the power in the world and was giving it up so readily? Not many could do that. Or maybe he was happy enough with Koppi.

He handed her one of the containers, saying, “I’ll handle Adrien, Félix, and Kagami.” That meant returning the Dragon Miraculous, but she knew it was in good hands. “You can do the rest. And as for Koppi, I think I know just the right person to add to the team.”

“Got it!” And they were both off.

Ivan Miraculized himself, just like normal. And all their friends onboard the Liberty joined in to save him. Except— Alya joined in, helping to hold him down as the others got the ring. There was no Plagg, he must have still been with Adrien.

Alix hesitated, she was supposed to ensure the timeline stayed on course. But it was diverging too much. Some stranger showed up with the Miraculous. Gabriel gets a new power. She wasn’t supposed to change things.

When the Burrow portal opened in her peripheral vision, she turned, half expecting Yuu. Instead it was her adult self, a glum look plastered on her face. “I got your message. Admittedly this is situation is a bit unusual. I’ve sensed time disturbances before but never one like this.”

“What do I do? How do I correct this? Things are already going so of course. We have all the Kwamis back. And some kid from another dimension wants to help.”

“Really?” Adult!Bunnyx rubbed her chin. “When time changes, you don’t remember the new timeline, and you get stuck on the outside learning the new one. It seems we’re both in this together, because I haven’t experienced it yet. Tell me everything.”

So she told herself about Yuu, his boss, the wish, Nightmare Moth, and the Kwamis.

“Okay, we really need to work on your combat training later. But right now you need to make a decision. See, when timeline’s change, it’s nearly impossible to get everything to realign perfectly. You can intervene and things will probably work out for the best, but a few things are likely going to change. You just need to decide what the most important thing to preserve right now is.”

“Saving Marinette, of course.” She looked at all her friends, watching as they prepared to seek out more allies. She couldn’t think of a reason to pull them all apart, but she needed their help. She hoped Marinette would forgive her.

So she stepped onto the boat, heads immediately turning toward her.

“Alix, what are you doing here?” asked Alya. “I thought Ladybug asked you to guard the Rabbit Miraculous from Monarch.”

“Yes, but something’s happened. This is an emergency. The timeline’s seriously diverged from what it’s supposed to be. I was just visiting the future when I ran into you. She told me Ladybug had been killed today.” Her friends let out a collective gasp. “That was not supposed to happen.”

She took out the box of macarons, there was more than enough for each of them. “Here, these are magical antidotes to Nightormentor’s dust. You’ll need them all if you want to help save the day.”

She watched each of their friends take one, examining the black ganache. Kim was the first to pop it in his mouth. “Wow, I feel better already.” Everyone followed suit, and a wave of revitalization ran through them all.

“Now, I don’t know if Ladybug would approve of what I’m about to do. But this is an emergency. But since Monarch somehow screwed with the timeline, I figure the only thing we can do is screw with it again.” They all looked at her in confusion, and she felt a tiny spark of pleasure at being able to reveal this. “Alright everybody, you can come out now.”

And the Kwamis appeared one by one, each holding their Miraculous.

“Now quick, the final battle is happening at the Agreste manor. Ladybug needs your help, everyone!”

“Trixx, Let’s Pounce!”

“Wayzz, Shell On!”

“Pollen, Buzz On!”

“Stompp, Make Way!”

“Mullo, Get Squeaky!”

“Roarr, Stripes On!”

“Daizzi, Rejoice!”

“Kaalki, Full Gallop!”

“Xuppu, Showtime!”

“Ziggy, Bleat It!”

“Orikko, Sunrise!”

“See, Tsurugi-san?” Nightmare Moth laughed. “I told you this power was worth it. With my amplified powers of Akumatization, I was able to Akumatize myself and recreate the powers of the Miraculous, we still have an army of Miraculized warriors on our side. And I am now stronger than ever. This time, Ladybug and Cat Noir won’t stand a chance.”

“Well you might want to hurry. It seems that Ladybug has been found in your very house. And Cat Noir is on his way. They must suspect your involvement.”

“Then I shall greet them. After today, it won’t matter if they know who I am, because the Miraculous will be mine!” He clasped his hand together as if snatching victory from the air.

The Burrow technically had access to all of Time and Space. The first time this battle happened, she help relocate Luka and the others from Brazil to Paris, so their Mirakung-Fu could be put to better use. And as she watched her other self guide them all through the Burrow, she waited until the last second to pop up again.

“Change of plans,” she said, tossing some extra macarons to Jagged, Penny, and Su-Han. “I need Luka to come with me somewhere else.” She grabbed his wrist and guided him back through the swirling light.

“Wait, I thought you wanted me in Paris?”

She offered him another macaron, she was down to two, so she really hoped they wouldn’t need any extras. “Here, eat this, it will ease the pain.” She waited for him to finish before she continued.

“Last time, I was just offering a little extra help. But this time, I’m on a full blown time mission. Monarch changed the past. He’s about to kill Marinette if we don’t stop him.”

Luke gasped, the fear hitting him worse than any nightmare. “Let me help. I have Mirakung-Fu, I’ve been training for something like this. I won’t let him hurt her.” He felt the tempo of his heart spike, and tried a few deep breaths, but the thought of Marinette in trouble was a lot to handle.

“Yes, but don’t get too cocky. He’s got more than just the Miraculous on his side. He used the power of the Rooster to traverse dimensions. He’s getting outside help and he’s more powerful than ever now. But he’s not the only one with extra-dimensional help. We’ve got an ally all our own. And he’s brought us a little gift.”

She revealed the Snake bracelet, placing it in his hands.

“Sass,” Luka whispered, watching the snake Kwami materialize.

“I’m afraid we have no time for touching reunionss. We musst hurry if we are to save Ladybug.”

“Sass, Scales Slither.”

“Now, go,” she opened another portal, leading right to the Agreste manor. “I have one more person to recruit.”

“Where are Kagami and Adrien!”

“Release them!”

“Let them go!”

“Ladybug, you traitor!”

“I’ll never forgive you!”

The Miraculized were attacking from all directions. With the powers of Venom and Clout, the struck with frightening speed. She ducked and blocked, grabbing them as they came and tossing them to the ground. She cut the chandelier from the ceiling, letting it drop down on them to keep them occupied.

Fleeing the room, she searched for a safe spot, but they were relentless.

Nathalie’s words echoed in her brain “You have to change back.”

She ran for the kitchen, glad to find it empty. “Spots Off,” she said, and his in one of the cupboards.

“Tikki, this is bad, what am I supposed to do‽”

That’s when she heard a voice colder than a bucket of arctic water.

“Oh Ladybug, where are you?” asked Monarch.

Sabrina lay in bed, clutching her head through the sobs.

“Why would we ever forgive you‽” spat Marinette.

“You spent years helping Choé,” said Rose. “You’re nothing but a mean, nasty person.”

“Yeah, nobody likes you!”

“You should get lost!”

“Why don’t you just vanish already‽”

“Don’t listen to the nightmares,” said Bunnyx, emerging through the Burrow. “It’s all a trap.”

“Alix?” she asked. “What are you doing here?”

“I came to help,” she said, offering the last of her macarons. “And to ask for your help in return.”

Sabrina took the macaron, half expecting it to be laced with laxatives after all she had done. But if someone wanted to punish her, she was willing to accept it. But it tasted fine, if a little unusual. She chewed it slowly, the taste of peppermint left her mouth wintery fresh. And she wiped away the tears, reaching for her glasses on her nightstand. “Alix, what’s going on?”

“Someone’s rewritten history, and we need to fight back before everything is lost. And to do that, we need to assemble the team.” She handed over the Dog Collar. “We need Miss Hound!”

“I don’t deserve it.”

“There’s no one else we can count on right now. Everyone else needs you. Now is not the time to feel guilty about the past. Now is the time to change the future for the better.” She slipped the Miraculus onto Sabrina’s neck herself.

“Please, we need you or else Paris may be doomed!”

“Barkk, On the Hunt!”

“I’ve found you!” He said, tearing open the cupboard to reach inside. He grabbed the girl’s leg, dragging her out, eager to finally see the face of the enemy he loathed so much. “Marinette Dupain-Cheng‽”

“No!” She kicked him in the face, jumping to her feet as he reeled away. “Tikki, Spots On!” It was do or die time, even if she had to fight him alongside an army of the entire world, she’d fight to the bitter end. “That’s Ladybug to you! Lucky Charm!”

Chapter Text

Throwing her yoyo into the air, she summoned a grand piano that crashed down on him. It broke and splintered, but he still managed to stand.

“Not digging the new look, what should I call you?”

“I am Nightmare Moth! Resistance! Venom!” His sword turned into a yellow stinger, jabbing the air as she knocked him away.

“You’re not wearing any of your rings? What did you do with the Kwamis this time‽”

“That’s for me to know and you to find out! Genesis!” This time, he summoned a piano on her, but she flipped away to safety. Or so she thought. It was more like out of the frying pan and into the fire. More portals opened up as the Miraculized made their return.

“Where are Adrien and Kagami‽”

“He has them!” She pointed. “Nightmare Moth. It’s all a trick. He’s obviously the bad guy!”

“If you get me the Miraculous I promise I can find your precious Adrien and Kagami for you!”

“Clout!” One warrior jumped forward, throwing a punch.

“Lucky Charm!” Ladybug gritted her teeth, summoning a baker’s peel. She batted her attacker away, kicking at the next one who came from behind, then spun in an arc to clear as much room as possible. Nightmare Moth stepped forward, his Resistance negating Lucky Charm completely. It dissolved in her hands, so she reached for the yoyo.

“Clout!” He cried, swinging his reformed sword.

He slashed across her chest with a blow so powerful it sent her flying. She crashed through the wall, rolling along the ground. Cries of “““Clout!””” and “““Venom!””” both rang out as people attacked from all around. She rolled along the ground and lassoed someone’s wrist, yanking them to the ground. She danced around their fallen body, flipping over the assailant’s, and planted a heel in someone’s head.

“Lucky Charm!” She summoned a soccer ball, and with a bicycle kick she smashed it into someone’s face. It rebounded back toward her, and she kicked it at another Miraculized soldier. It ping ponged back and forth as she took down several more of her enemies, but they kept getting back up, night invincible fighters ready to give their all.

“Shellter!” Nightmare Moth caught the soccer ball, cutting off Ladybug’s assault.

“Lucky Charm!”

“Genesis! Resistance!” he formed throwing stars, armed with the power of the Ox’s Determination, and when her clothes hanger manifested, one shuriken was all it took to disintegrate it like a sand sculpture in the tide.

“Clout!” A Miraculized struck her in the chest, knocking the wind from her lungs. Ladybug’s vision blurred as she crashed backward. She heard a cry of Venom, but her arms and legs were heavy, she wasn’t sure she could move.

“Lucky Charm!” She said weakly, summoning an inflatable life raft. It shielded her from the Venom, puncturing as it was struck, but she managed to twist it around the attacker’s arm and spin them back at the crowd. They crashed like a bowling ball hitting a strike, and they all toppled over.

She grappled onto the upper railing of the stairs, swinging at Nightmare Moth. But he opened a portal, spitting her within striking distance. “Venom!” She flipped over his attack and kicked him in the face, knocking him to the ground.

“I see. If this was enough to defeat you, my original plan would have worked. But there’s a reason I made that deal!” Hi grin sent her adrenaline spiking nearly as much as his cryptic words. “Allow me to show you the power of nightmares!” He clasped his hand, generating a ball of dark energy. When he opened his palm it had formed into the shape of a midnight black butterfly.

It drifted toward the ground taking on a new form. It became a copy of the Bubbler, but jet black like a shadow. “Get her, Nightmare Bubbler!” Nightmare Moth commanded. His new soldier swung his? its? bubble wand, unleashing a storm of bubbles at her.

She deflected them all with her yoyo, but that didn’t leave her much room to maneuver when several Miraculized came at her with glowing Venom stingers.

She quickly lurched to the side, swinging back up above the crowd as they all looked up at her. Nightmare Bubbler swung more bubble her way, but she didn’t slow down. She was safe up here for a few seconds— until they all leapt through the Voyage portals. With Clouts and Venom stings coming at her midair, she mad an emergency landing, skidding to the ground.

Where a dark shadowy version of Lady WiFi was waiting for her. With a flick of her phone, she sent her “stop” signal flying at Ladybug. “Lucky Charm!” She, humorously enough, got a stop sign. She spun around the attack and swung, batting away Lady WiFi’s phone. Instead of clattering to the ground like she expected, it simply dissolved into shadowy bubbles as a new one formed in Lady WiFi’s hands.

“Cat Noir, where are you?” she whimpered. There were too many of them, she couldn’t do this on her own.

“Give up, Ladybug! My new powers have no limits! You won’t be able to stop them all!” He sent his next butterfly fluttering into the universe, watching as it transformed into a copy of Riposte. With swift rapid strikes it came straight for Ladybug, pushing her back. Her yoyo did all it could, blocking phone signals, popping bubbles, deflecting sword strikes.

Then a burst of pain shot through her head and one moment of weakness was all it took.

Riposte slashed her into a corner. She found herself backed into a wall, no way out.

“Shellter!” And he trapped her in his barrier. “Looks like you’ve just lost!” He held out his hand. “Voyage! Venom!” He summoned his stringer, stabbing into the portal. She dodged to the side, avoiding his thrust, but he simply snapped his fingers, shrinking her prison. “You’re only delaying the inevitable.”

“Cat Noir, please!”

“CATACLYSM!” And there he finally was.

Chapter Text

He came charging through the crowds, as Ryuko knocked them away with her sword. With a single touch, he caused the barrier to shatter, dropping her to her feet. “Sorry I took so long, I came as fast as I could.”

She gripped her head, groaning in pain. “I was worried you’d never come.”

“Sorry, I had some stuff to deal with.” he took out a macaron, offering it to her. “Here, eat this, it will help.”

She took it like medicine, nearly swallowing it whole. The effects were reinvigorating, like drinking a glass of ice cold water on a hot summer day.

“Ryuko‽” Nightmare Hawk gasped. “It seems that wretched witch has back stabbed me. But that doesn’t matter. Nothing you can do will stop me. I am INVINCIBLE! Second Chance!” In the name of caution, he set up a return point, but he was fairly certain he wouldn’t need it. “Wind Dragon!” And like a storm he blasted forth, knocking them to the ground. “Venom!” He reformed right above Ladybug, striking while she was down.

She swept his feet out from under him, rolling to a standing position as he fell. But he twisted his body into a flip, kicking her backward. She launched through the air, but came skidding to a halt. So he charged after her, only to be stopped by Cat Noir’s staff.

Turning to the cat with a grin on his face, he swung forward, but Argos came rushing in. He skid along Cat Noir’s pole as his cousin held him steady, and kicked Nightmare Moth in the chin. Leaping forward, he struck with a kick flip to the chest and combo’s right into a slash with his fan.

Dismissing Venom, Nightmare Moth parried with his blade, knocking Argos’ fan into the air. “My dear nephew, don’t you at all care about your cousin Adrien? And what about you Kagami? Marinette? I’m doing this all for his mother! Don’t any of you care about the poor boy‽”

Cat Noir growled, charging in. “Don’t you dare pretend you do!” His pole came crashing down with a loud crack, bashing his father’s skull. “You claim you love him‽ You locked him up like an animal in a cage! You controlled him! You tried to breed him like cattle! You wouldn’t even allow him to be with the girl he loved!”

Nightmare Moth caught his pole and lifted Cat Noir off the ground. “Venom!” He jabbed through the air, but Cat Noir escaped with a kick flip, landing a safe distance away.

“Wind Dragon!” Ryuko created a barrier pushing away the Miraculized, but more kept coming in, appearing through the endless Voyage portals that appeared.

Argos snatched his fan off the ground, looking at the feathers spread before him. He could easily turn the tides with the right Sentimonster, but that wasn’t something he wanted to do.

That’s when the Alliance Rings all went off, displaying an image of Adrien and Kagami.

“Someone, please help us! Ladybug and Cat Noir have trapped us in the Paris Catacombs.”

“We don’t know where we are!”

The Miraculized all snapped to attention.”We have to rescue them!”

“We’ll be back to stop you, Ladybug!”

“We’re coming Adrien and Kagami!”

And they all rushed out as quickly as they came.

“What, how can this be?”

Another Voyage portal opened, and out stepped Rena Rouge, followed by Carapace, Vesperia, Viperion, Miss Hound, Caprikid, Rooster Bold, Pegasus, King Monkey, Purple Tigress, Minotaurox, Polymouse, Pigella, and someone Ladybug and the others didn’t recognize.

“I am Mimichrome!” He was wearing a black and white striped outfit with four belts sticking out like arms. “Holder of the Miraculous of the Octopus!”

Rena Rouge smirked. “Did you like my little trick?” She twirled her flute playfully. “That was something I cooked up with my Mirage, and had a little robot friend of ours display to the public.” She jumped over Lady WiFi’s attack, kicking her doppleganger in the face.

“Uproar!” King Monkey cried out, summoning a mini tote bag. He balled it up and tossed it at Bubbler. His bubbled became little marbles, spilling onto the floor, and when he took a step forward, he simply tripped on the ground and fell.

“Clout!” Purple Tigress jumped in, and with a single punch she smashed through the darkness. The fake Bubbler burst apart— only to reform. “No, these things are invincible.”

Pigella charged at Nightmare Moth, raising her tambourine. ‘Ah,’ he thought. ‘She must be planning to use Gift to trap me in a dream. Too bad for her, that wont work.’ He crossed his arms, “Resistance,” he called out. And she smacked him silly across the face.

She grabbed him around the waist and pulled him into a wrestling move, slamming his head into the ground.

With a grunt of effort, he shook her off, summoning more butterflies. He threw them forward, laughing with delight as they formed: Befani, Anansi, Desperada.

White candies flew and Desperada played her trumpet. “Resistance!” Minotaruox tanked a few hits, desperate to protect his teammates. Miss Hound managed to bounced her ball off Desperada’s instrument case, stealing it with a Fetch, but she simply summoned a new one with her shadows.

Anansi came leaping at Ladybug, but a call of “Lucky Charm!” Gave her a stationary punching bag. The boxing villain swung her fist hard, the bag nearly toppled Ladybug to the ground, but she caught it and kicked it back with a backflip. Nightmare Anansi was knocked backwards as Ladybug turned to her main target.

“Multitude!” Polymouse broke down into a dozen copies, scampering everywhere. They climbed along Desperada’s body, clinging to her instruments She tried to play, but they held down the wrong keys, and her trumpet made the wrong notes. They still shot their magic, missing by a mile, but the discordant noise frustrated her to no ends. She tried to shake them off.

With great effort they redirected the trumpet at LadyWifi, managing to blast her away.

“Hah, you think removing one of my soldiers will be enough!” Nightmare Moth tossed out another butterfly, this one twisting into the form of Queen Wasp. Lifting her hands up she commanded an army of shadow wasps to rise from the darkness. They surrounded the Heroes, ready to strike.

“Water Dragon!” Kagami swung her sword, erected a half sphere of water to keep them out.

“This isn’t good,” said Ladybug! As long as we’re in here we can’t stop Nightmare Moth. And he has the same powers as you do. He could probably dispel this barrier with a snap. We need a plan. Lucky Charm!” She summoned a bug catching net.

Nightmare Moth called forth his next butterfly, recreating Chloé’s first Akumatized form, Antibug. Wordlessly, she spun her yoyo into the air, manifesting a giant sword.

“Caprikid, I need a bottle, one that will fit in this net!”

“Genesis!”

Nightmare Moth snapped his fingers, and the water barrier splashed to the ground.

Ladybug swung her bug catching net catching a few wasps in the bottle, and caught a few of the wasps.

Meanwhile, Mimichrome picked up the trumpet the Polymice had liberated from Desperada. “Mimic!”

Multiplication- the power to tak e something and make it more plentiful.

“Multitude!” Shrinking down, he also made countless mini trumpets, and he tooted a few notes, blasting as many wasps out of the air as he could. He began targeting the Nightmare Akumas as well, blasting them away one by one.

Nightmare Moth grimaced, snapped his fingers, and dismissed Desperada and her instruments. But the damage was already done. Riposte, Befani, Anansi, all gone. Nightmare Moth was down to the two Chloés.

Ladybug threw Queen Wasps’s own wasps back at her. The bottle broke and they accidentally stung their own queen, leaving her stuck in place. Then Ladybug went for Antibug, bringing her bug catching net down on the sword. It tore through the netting with a rip, but got caught on the metal frame. Twisting the handle, Ladybug snapped it free from Antibug’s grasp, slashing her with her own sword.

“I won’t ever stop!” Monarch closed his hand, ready to summon a new butterfly, but he stopped, a grin forming. “I know, I’ll go back in time and warn my accomplice to stop your broadcast. Then the Miraculized will still be on my side. Second Chance!” Nothing happened. “Second Chance!” He growled. “What did you do?”

“Sorry,” said Viperion. “But Butterfly users can cancel each other’s Akumas. Peacock users can cancel each other’s Amoks. And I just canceled your time loop.”

He fell back on his first plan, summoning three more Nightmare Akumas.

They transformed: Princess Fragrance, Stormy Weather, and Party Crasher.

The disco shadow took aim, and Minotaruox came charging in, “I won’t let you!” Several beams fired off, but none took effect. Minotaurox’s hammer crashed through Party Crasher’s disco ball, and he tackled the shadow to the ground.

“Venom!” vesperia sealed the deal, making sure he wouldn’t be a problem.

Princess Fragrance took aim, spraying her perfume bottle. Ryuko took a deep breath, calling out, “WIND DRAGON!” And for the second time that battle, she harnessed the wind, blowing the pink mist away.

Stormy Weather swung her umbrella, firing a blast of lightning, but Miss Hound threw her ball as hard as she could. It bounced right off and back into her hand. Her Miraculous beeped, but she didn’t have time to care. “Fetch!” Nothing. “Fetch!” Still no good. Stormy Weather kept firing, and Miss Hound took a deep breath. “Fetch!” This time she tore the umbrella straight from the shadow’s hands.

“No matter, my Nightmares can always make more!”

Stormy Weather’s shadow swirled around her hand, forming another umbrella. But in the second it took her to complete that creation, Miss Hound struck again, bouncing her ball off the shadow construct and back into her own hand. “FETCH!”

“Give it up Nightmare Moth! We’re stronger than you and your shadows, because we’re a team!” said Ladybug. “You can try all you like but we’re going to stop you!”

Argos and Cat Noir double teamed him with round house kicks, knocking him to the ground.

“No, I won’t let you defeat me!” He cried out. “I will do WHATEVER it takes! Nightmare Charm!” He summoned a giant sledgehammer, batting both boys away, and jumped after Cat Noir. “Cataclysm!” He channeled the destructive energy into the head of the hammer.

Ladybug caught her partner with her yoyo, pulling him away as Nightmare Moth slammed his weapon into the ground.

Cracks webbed throughout the floor until all at once, it gave away.

They all plummeted to the ground below.

Chapter Text

Nightmare Moth grunted, walking toward a large object covered with a sheet. And looking at everyone, he said to them. “I won’t ever give up! Not until she’s alive again!” And she tore it open, revealing the unmoving body of his wife. “You children will never understand what it’s like to lose someone you love!”

“No,” Cat Noir whispered. He’d known what his father was planning, but seeing this in front of him, his father’s obsession laid bare, was too much. “Mom.”

Ladybug and Nightmare Moth both turned to him.

““Adrien?””

“You’ll pay for this!” He charged forward. “Cataclysm!” But his attack was ineffective against the power of the Ox. Nightmare Moth grabbed his wrist, pulling it away from his chest, and reached for the Miraculous.

“Voyage!” Pegasus opened a portal or a long distance sweeping kick. Both father and son took a tumble, but Cat Noir was able to bounce to his feet first.

“Sublimation, I give myself the power of enhanced reflexes.”

Nightmre Moth swung at him, but Rooster Bold ducked and swerved, like a gust of wind, completely untouchable. He grabbed Nightmare Moth by the wrists and flung him to the ground, but Nightmare Moth just tucked his shoulder and rolled, swinging his sword in an arc.

Cat Noir slammed his pole down, pinning Nightmare Moth’s blade, and hoisted himself up to add some extra fuel to his kick. Launching himself forward, Cat Noir entered a Voyage portal and popped up behind his father, slamming the pole into his back.

“Lucky Charm!” Ladybug cried out one more time. She summoned an entire shelf full of books.

“Cataclysm!” Nightmare Moth called out once again, swinging his hammer rapidly.

The Heroes began pelting him with books.

He swung his hammer, destroying them one by one until. “Fetch!” Miss Hound snatched her book back in midflight, and Nightmare Moth’s hammer missed completely, striking the ground. It cracked beneath his feet and he fell. Instinctively, he reached out, catching onto the edge of the hole he’d formed.

“Voyage!” He opened a portal for himself, but it was too late.

Argos’ fan slashed through the air, knocking the Butterfly broach loose.

“Cataclysm!” cried Cat Noir, catching it in his hand. It crumbled to bits, dust flying as he opened his palm to let the jet black Akuma fly away.

“No more evildoing for you, little Nightmare Akuma,” said Ladybug, catching it with her yoyo.

And she tossed a book into the air, “Miraculous Ladybug.”

As Nightmare Moth turned back into Gabriel, Argos and Cat Noir both pulled him up, watching as the ladybugs first repaired the broken bridge, then flew up to the world above.

“Nooooo!” Gabriel roared, slamming his fits on the ground. He fell over, retching dust from his throat. “Why can’t you understand? I just want to save my wife.” He felt his life slipping away, with every grain of dust he coughed. And with it went the anger, leaving a hole for the sadness to fill. “She just wanted a child. She didn’t deserve this.”

“The wish comes with a price, Gabriel. It would have cost too much.”

She took out Nathalie’s phone, playing Émilie Agreste’s final video.

“Don't be sad, Nathalie. You know that I had agreed to it, that Gabriel never forced me to do anything. But he should never try to bring me back. No one should have their life stolen from them because of the mistake that we made. You must continue to be happy, even though I'm no longer here. As long as there's love, it is possible. Adrien will be well-surrounded. He'll have you, Nathalie, and he'll have his father if Gabriel agrees to give up on his madness... and on me. Adrien... will have all the love he needs to be happy.”

Gabriel broke down sobbing, the pain growing in his chest with each heaving breath.

“You have to move on Gabriel. If we don’t do something, you will be gone in only a few hours. Adrien doesn’t deserve to be all alone. It’s too late for your wife but~”

“Says who?” asked Mimichrome, stepping forward. “Who says it has to be too late for Adrien’s mom? Ladybug, you’re one of the smartest people in the world. You have the power of miracles in your hand. Isn’t it too early to give up, before you’ve even tried?”

“But we can’t use the wish! To do that someone else would have to~”

“Then don’t use the wish!” He said. “Adrien loves you. He’s always loved you. We all know this. Don’t make him choose between following your command and saving his mom, not until you’ve at least tried everything you can.”

Gabriel reached for Ladybug’s hands, holding them tight in his own. “Please. Just try. I just need to know we at least did everything we could. If that still fails, I’ll move on, I swear it. But I need you to at least try.”

Ladybug froze, the desperation in Gabriel’s voice was plucking at her heart. She turned to Cat Noir waiting for him to say something, weigh in with what he wanted. Instead he was silent. She wished she could say she understood, that their love was so great she could decipher the intricacies of his heart to decode the mystery.

But she couldn’t.

Was Mimichrome right? Was he caught up between following his heart and supporting her? Was this decision too hard to make on his own? Could it be the years of oppression at his father’s hands? Or was giving his mother the death sentence just too much for one teenager.

She thought it over, what if it had been her mom? Or Adrien himself.

She’d never kill someone for it. Never use the wish. But wouldn’t she surely try?

“Okay,” was all she said, standing up, then, “Lucky Charm.”

She summoned a tennis racket.

Chapter Text

“On Heroes’ Day, when you unleashed the Scarlet Akumas. How did you do that?”

“It was,” he coughed and sputtered more dust, “Nathalie. I Akumatized her into Catalyst. She had the power to give me more powers.”

“Ryuko, take this,” she grabbed one of her aqua magicaroons. “I want you to search for the missing Butterfly Miraculous. The dust blew into the water so I suspect it might still be there. Mimichrome, grab some butterflies, we need you to make some Kamikos.”

“I think I can do that without the butterflies, actually.”

“Pegasus, take us to Nathalie Sancouer’s room.”

“Voyage!”

Nathalie’s eyes blinked awake. “You— you’re all here. Gabriel, does this mean you’ve given up on Ém—”

“No,” he said softly. “I have one last trick to try, I’ve asked Ladybug to help. And if this doesn’t work, then I’ll know for sure. But I refuse to give up on her until I’ve at least tried every option available.”

“Nathalie, we need your help,” said Ladybug. “Mimichrome.”

“Mimic—” he squirted some ink, forming it into a black butterfly.

The transmission of emotions and energy, forming a bridge that will convey our will from afar —

And it flew into Nathalie’s glasses. “Please. Catalyst, we are counting on you to help us.”

Ladybug held out her yoyo for Catalyst to touch. “Please enhance my powers, then Mimichrome’s then Rooster Bold’s.”

With a weak smile, Catalyst did as she was told. Maybe a full blown Kamiko might have given her the strength she lacked, but the inky imitation left her weak as ever. “Confronting Gabriel was the death of me, I couldn’t handle the stress. Thanks to your ladybugs I have a bit more time, but not much. I swear I’ll do my best.” She enhanced Ladybug first, turning her outfit golden with red and black spots. “You are Goldenbug.” Mimichrome stayed black and white but sprouted more belts, and they began twisting and moving to his will. “You are Magichrome.” And Rooster Bold was next, turning his outfit into a fiery orange red, “You are Rooster Sun.”

“Magichrome, use your Kamiko again, Akumatize me and Rooster Sun next!”

“Got it!” He sent out two more inky butterflies, one into the yoyo and the other into Rooster Sun’s Miraculous. “You are now Godbug and Rooster Nova!”

Godbug’s golden outfit had become white, while still maintaining the spots, and Rooster Nova’s simply turned a different shade.

“Okay now we’ve been doubly enhanced. Rooster Nova, give yourself the power to amplify other powers, just like Catalyst did. And then enhance me.”

“Sublimation, I give myself the power to make others stronger.” He reached for the yoyo, letting his power flow through him. “Do you really think this will work?”

“I don’t know, but I’m going to try.” She glanced at Catalyst and Gabriel, both coughing up a fit.

That’s when Magichrome said, “Normally, to Mimic a power, I have to understand it fairly well. I admit Sublimation kind of confuses me, but I think with Catalyst’s help, I can manage. So if you’ll allow me.

“Mimic- Multitude!” He split into hundreds of copies of himself, all scrambling for Godbug’s yoyo.

Pretension- the power to claim that which is not yours and make it real.

“““““Sublimation!””””” “““Sublimation!””” “““““““Sublimation!””””””” “““Sublimation!””” “““““Sublimation!””””” “““““Sublimation!””””” “““Sublimation!””” “““““““Sublimation!””””””” “““Sublimation!””” “““““Sublimation!””””” “““““Sublimation!””””” “““Sublimation!””” “““““““Sublimation!””””””” “““Sublimation!””” “““““Sublimation!””””” “““““Sublimation!””””” “““Sublimation!””” “““““““Sublimation!””””””” “““Sublimation!””” “““““Sublimation!””””” “““““Sublimation!””””” “““Sublimation!””” “““““““Sublimation!””””””” “““Sublimation!””” “““““Sublimation!””””” “““““Sublimation!””””” “““Sublimation!””” “““““““Sublimation!””””””” “““Sublimation!””” “““““Sublimation!””””” “““““Sublimation!””””” “““Sublimation!””” “““““““Sublimation!””””””” “““Sublimation!””” “““““Sublimation!””””” “““““Sublimation!””””” “““Sublimation!””” “““““““Sublimation!””””””” “““Sublimation!””” “““““Sublimation!”””””

They all poured extra power into Godbug’s yoyo, multiplying her strength as far as it would go. But only time would tell if even this was enough.

She threw the tennis racket into the air.

“MIRACULOUS GODBUG!”

And white ladybugs exploded everywhere, surrounding Catalyst— now Nathalie again, and Gabriel, all before flying off.

Nathalie examine herself in amazement, pushing herself out of bed. “I feel fine. I can walk again. It’s like nothing ever happened.”

The magic washed away from Ladybug and her allies, they were back to normal again, watching carefully as Gabriel examined his body. “The Cataclysm is gone.” He turned to Pegasus. “Please, take us back down, I need to see my wife. I need to see if she’s back to normal.”

Ladybug’s yoyo rang, a message from Ryuko.

“I’m sorry,” she said. “I tried, but the Butterfly Miraculous is gone. I couldn’t find it no matter how hard I searched. But there is good news.”

Émilie Agreste stepped into frame. “Hello? Gabriel, Nathalie? What happened? I feel like I just had the strangest dream.”

Gabriel broke down crying tears of joy.

Two Alixes sat on the roof of the Louvre, bathing in the sunset light.

Younger Alix turned to her adult self. “This is way more than I bargained for. Adrien’s parents— they’re both alive. They were supposed to be dead and we saved them. And his Amok—” she took a breath, not wanting to say any more. She didn’t want to sort through this all. She wanted her older self to give her guidance, tell her what to do, spill all the answers, laid out in a twelve step plan for her to follow.

She never imagined herself to be the type bowing down to adult authority, but she was just a kid. And this was too much for her.

“Everything’s going to change. There’s no way around it.”

“True, in all my years as the Rabbit Holder I have never seen something like this happen.” She placed her hand on her younger shoulder. “The best we can do is watch it all play out and see how things happen in this new timeline. I won’t pretend I’m not scared, but honestly, it’s kind of exciting.”

“Yeah, I guess it is.”