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Dear Diary,
You know I’m not sigma. Not even close. More like beta. I just sit here in this hospital bed, watch TV, play games, wait for Maman and Papa, or wait for the room where it hurts. Same every day.
But TODAY. OMG. The coolest thing ever happened.
I was in bed, like always, playing Roblox on my Switch. Admin abuse was on, and I was super focused. Then BOOM — explosion outside. I nearly jumped out of my blankets. Dust clouds from my window (and it’s not even a good view!). And I saw LADYBUG zip by!! I could actually see the spots on her suit!! For real!! If it had been Chat Noir I think I would’ve straight up fainted lol.
Then the nurse came in. She asked if I was okay. I said Yeah, just hot, so she opened the window. She sighed, all serious.
“I hope Ladybug and Chat Noir beat this akuma soon,” I said.
“Yes,” she said, “let’s hope it doesn’t get closer. Are you okay now?”
I nodded. She touched my forehead and smiled, then looked at my Chat Noir poster on the wall. (He was smiling at me too :D).
“I’ll be back in a while,” she whispered and left.
And then BOOM again, louder. Something black CRASHED into the room, behind the empty bed. Something metal too.
I gasped. Akuma?? I hid under my blanket. Then I heard someone groan. Not good. I slipped out of bed on the other side. My toe hit something hard. A ring. Big silver one. But when I picked it up, it SHRANK and turned pink, like one of my toy rings at home. I stared at it. Did it just change?? Magic ring?? That’s like… totally sigma.
Then it got even crazier.
“Kid, can I have it back?” a weird voice said.
I looked up. A black CAT was FLOATING in the air. Green eyes, tiny teeth.
Floating. Yes, floating!
“This?” I held up the ring.
“Yes. It doesn’t belong to you, kid. It’s my boy’s.”
I scratched my head. “What are you, a genie? Do I get 3 wishes? Can you delete my leukaemia?”
The cat looked annoyed at first, but when I said “leukaemia,” his eyes got HUGE. He went quiet. Then sighed.
“Sorry, kid. Even if I could, I wouldn’t be able to take leukaemia away.”
“Why not, genie? You’re floating, you’re magic! Magic can do anything!”
“I’m not a genie. I’m a kwami. Plagg. Nice to meet you. I eat genies for breakfast.”
I snorted. “So if you’re powerful, why not help me?”
He sighed again. “It would take too long to explain.”
Another explosion shook the window. Ladybug zipped by again. When I looked back, Plagg suddenly FLEW INTO ME. Like through my chest. I felt all weird for a second, then he popped out again looking even sadder.
“I’m sorry, kid. I can’t help. Can you give me the ring? My boy needs it.”
And then my brain clicked. The ring. The colours. The CAT. OMG.
Plagg gave me a toothy grin. “Yes. Now give it back before someone finds him on the floor.”
My heart was in my throat. “Wait… he’s here? Without his mask? Can I—”
Plagg zipped over and pressed his little arms on my mouth.
“No. Too dangerous. You’d be a target for the new Hawkmoth. Please, give it back now.”
I thought for a sec. Then whispered under his tiny arms, “I’m brave.” It probably just sounded like “mmmhh mmmhh.” But if Chat Noir really needed it, I wasn’t gonna let him down. I slowly opened my hand.
“Thanks!” Plagg said, grabbed the ring, and vanished.
Then I heard it. A whisper: “Plagg, claws out.”
And right there in front of me — CHAT NOIR.
I could NOT breathe. He was even more sigma in person than on my poster.
He smiled. “Thank you, Maudine. That’s your name, right?”
I gasped. “Wait, how do you know??”
He laughed, rubbed his neck. “It’s on your bed chart. I had some time to read.”
Oh. My. God. My cheeks burned. “Sorry, I didn’t wanna hold you up.”
He put his hand on my shoulder. HIS HAND. I almost squealed. “Don’t worry. I know how you feel.” He leaned closer and whispered, “Wanna know a secret? First time I saw Plagg, I thought he was a genie, too.”
I laughed so hard. He chuckled. “Yeah, he wasn’t impressed. Surprised he didn’t ask you for cheese.”
“Cheese??”
“Yep. He’s a total glutton.”
Then he got serious. “You’re brave, Maudine. A real warrior. But Hawkmoth is horrible. If you knew who I really was, you’d be in danger.”
Another explosion rattled the room. He frowned. “I need to go.”
Tears filled my eyes. He saw. “But I might come back later. Promise.”
Then he held out his fist. Omg. A FIST BUMP.
I tapped mine to his.
“Promise. Pound it?”
“Pound it!!”
He winked and flew out the window.
Diary, that alone would’ve made this the best day EVER. But guess what? IT WASN’T OVER.
After they cooked the battle, HE CAME BACK. And not just him. THE WHOLE TEAM. Ladybug, Rena Rouge, Carapace, Viperion, Pigella, Ryuko… ALL OF THEM. Ladybug gave me a keyring!!
I asked if they all had kwami. Ladybug nodded.
“They give us our powers.”
“Plagg said he’s stronger than a genie,” I said. “But he said he can’t cure leukaemia.”
Ladybug’s eyes went soft. “He’s right, sweetie. Even magic has consequences. To take your sickness away, someone else would have to get sick.”
Tears ran down my face. “No! I don’t want that.”
I cried on her shoulder. Pigella hugged me and said, “You’re so brave. We’re proud of you.”
Then Rena grinned. “Let’s take a group pic! I’ll send it to the Ladyblog.”
“OMG REALLY??” I squealed.
“Yeah! Nurse, can you help?”
The poor nurse almost dropped her folder seeing all the heroes, but she took the picture. And one of herself with them too lol.
When the heroes had left, she finished checking my temperature, and said, “That was definitely a different kind of day.”
Not different, Diary. The BEST day ever. I’m holding Ladybug’s keyring right now and I’ll never forget it.
Yours,
Maudine 💖