Chapter Text
It was dark and it was hard to breathe. The sound of things shaking, glass shattering, the earth trembling. There was people talking in the distance, but it was garbled noise. A hot pain shot through his right arm and a cool swirling on his left.
Adrien shot up in his bed, drenched in a pool of his own sweat as he gasped for air. "What...?"
"Adrien!" A black fuzz zipped to the blond, looking over him frantically for any injuries. "Are you okay? Do you hurt anywhere?" Adrien peeled his blankets off, coming to sit to the edge of his bed. He moved his extremities, rolled his shoulders, stood and stretched. Nothing.
"Was it all a dream?" Adrien was quick to reach into his nightstand, opening the top drawer and opening the green marker that lay inside.
The red string of fate – a connection made by the gods that tied you to the person you're destined to be with. At the age of fifteen, the red string grants you the ability to communicate with the end of your red string; write on your skin and the other will receive the mark as well.
As Chat Noir, Adrien found his string tied to his partner, Ladybug. After several long years, Adrien discovered Ladybug's identity on a school trip to London. Adrien had been meaning to tell her that he knows her identity, he just hadn't gotten around to it.
All he remembers is fighting some akuma in a cathedral but things took a turn for the worst... Marinette.
"Are you there? Ladybug?" The writing on his arm glowed and started to slowly fade – something he had never experienced before. Adrien looked up at Plagg.
"Was this all just a dream? Did I dream up an akuma?"
"You didn't."
"A musical, choral akuma?" Plagg nodded. "What happened?" Adrien didn't receive an answer as a knock on his door made Plagg zip under the pillows.
"Adrien, it's time to wake up. You're going to be late for school if you sleep in." Adrien let out a silent sigh.
"I'm awake Nathalie." Adrien called back.
"Breakfast will be served in the dining room." The echo of her heels clipping the floor slowly disappeared and Adrien began to get ready for school.
It was weird. Everything seemed normal and it was beginning to put Adrien on edge.
Breakfast was the same as usual, alone and bland. Nathalie describing the plans for today before leaving him alone to his thoughts until he arrived at school.
Could it really have been just a dream? Everything had been so clear, there is no way that it could have been a dream. Even Plagg knows of the akuma and Plagg has no way to get into my head unless we are transformed. Everyone was there, Chloé, Nino, Alya...
The Ladyblog.
Adrien was quick to get on his cell phone and to the internet browser, putting in the all too familiar address.
"Webpage not found?"
"Did you say something, Adrien?" Nathalie asked from the front seat.
"N-No, sorry." Adrien muttered. He continued to refresh the page, but it still read "webpage not found". He searched for it in the search engine and nothing was found either. He continued searching until he arrived at the school, meeting up with Nino at the front.
"Hey dude, good morning." Nino greeted with a wave.
"Good morning. Uh, where's Alya?" Nino looked at his wrist. Red messy writing was barely visible.
"She's on her way."
"Good morning!" Alya called, coming down the corner and planting a kiss on Nino's cheek. Alya greeted Adrien and he smiled and nodded in return, before they began to head inside. Which was something that struck Adrien as odd as they would usually wait for Marinette.
"Hey Alya, what happened to the Ladyblog?" Adrien asked as he stood at her other side. She looked at him curiously.
"Ladyblog? I have a Chatblog but not a 'Ladyblog'." Now it was Adrien's turn to look at her as if she had sprouted another head.
"Chatblog?" She laughed.
"Yeah, the blog to only the greatest, most wanted leather wearing cat of Paris. Don't you remember? You're a big fan of that black cat too."
"I am?" Adrien asked.
"Yeah bro. Ever since he came out, he's been the most wanted. Don't you remember, like three years ago?"
"Most wanted, how come?"
"Paris' most wanted criminal!" Criminal?
"What's with you all of a sudden? You suddenly claim about some 'Ladyblog' and now you don't even remember that you're a Chat Noir fan?" Adrien shook his head slowly.
"I guess I've been too stressed out and all." He mumbled and tried to laugh. Alya hummed.
"Probably. By the way, where's your sister?"
"My what? Sister?" Alya and Nino exchanged a glance and laughed.
"You know, your only sister?"
"I don't have one.
"If she hears you say that, she's going to be upset." Adrien was about to reject the idea once more before his voice was interrupted.
"Big brother!" A flash of blue bounded into the classroom, attaching to his arm and looking up at him with a smile.
"Marinette!" He was glad to see her, alive and uninjured, but he was worried about how she was addressing him by.
"Sorry, I wasn't able to come to school with you with morning. Papa had me showing a design early this morning." She hugged him and as much as Adrien wanted to hold her flush to him, he couldn't find the strength to.
"Showing a design?"
"For the upcoming Agreste fall line, remember?" Adrien blinked.
"When did Father get you to show your designs" Marinette chuckled, looking at Adrien and her two peers nervously.
"Silly, are you feeling well?" She leaned back from him and put the back of her hand to his forehead. "Don't you remember? Papa put us in the business together; you the model and I'm the designer. Remember how happy Papa was whenever he found out I wanted to be fashion designer?" She smiled fondly at the memory while it didn't come to Adrien.
"Who are you?" Her attention turned back to Adrien and her smile faltered.
"W-What do you mean?"
"What is your name?"
"M-Marinette... Agreste." His heart sunk.
"Isn't your name Marinette Dupain-Cheng?" She began to stammer.
"Yo, aren't those like the famous bakers? I heard that they didn't have any children." Adrien stared at Nino.
"Okay, what kind of prank are you all playing at here?" He asked, looking at all of them as if they were strangers. They returned the same stare with concern.
"Adrikins! Oh and Mari too!"
"Chlo!" Marinette quickly went to Chloé's side. "Something is wrong with Adrien."
"What?" The blonde turned her gaze to Adrien. "Are you okay? If Mari's this upset, it must be big." This was a good prank. Marinette and Chloé? He started to laugh.
"This isn't real. This can't be real." Adrien felt his shirt pocket be tugged on.
"Check her earrings." Plagg's voice urged. Of course, her earrings. Adrien quickly crossed over to where Marinette and Chloé were, cupping Marinette's cheeks. She was different altogether, dressed in designer clothing he couldn't recognize and her hair was down.
Adrien brushed her hair behind her ears and there were star-studded diamond earrings. Not the black studs he was expecting to be there.
His heart plummeted and his breathing constricted. Panic, hysteria and dread set it.
"A-Adrien?" It was the same raven hair, the same bluebell eyes, the same voice that stuttered when she was embarrassed or trying to stop his kisses.
But it wasn't her.
So he bolted. He ran out of the classroom despite how many people called out to him. He shot out of the building and ran. Ran until he was out of the public eye.
"Plagg, transform me!" Without a care, Chat Noir vaulted through the sunny Parisian day, to the farthest and tallest point he could, away from all sorts of human interaction – the Eiffel Tower.
He was out of breath but it wasn't because he had just sprinted and vaulted his way across the city of Paris. It was because he realized he was in a world that wasn't his.
"Plagg." The transformation disappeared and the kwami was in his hands. "What happened? Where's Ladybug? Where are we?" Plagg floated out of Adrien's hands, looking at the city of Paris before him.
"I-I can't sense her. Tikki, Papillon must have gotten to-"
"No. There's no way."
"Kid, she didn't have the earrings-"
"That doesn't mean anything! Maybe she had a change of wardrobe today!"
"Then explain how she's an Agreste. I clearly heard her call you 'big brother'." Adrien clutched his hair.
"It's a prank. A bad dream and a prank-"
"Adrien! I can't sense her. I can't sense her at all! She's not around, you can't seem to communicate with her either. There's magic everywhere! We aren't in our world anymore!" Plagg shouted at his holder. Never had Adrien heard Plagg as agitated as he was now. "He has her... The church collapsed and she ran out of time... We, we have to go see him."
"Him?"
"The Guardian." He zipped into Adrien's hands, his paws patting on the ring. "I'll tell you how to get there." Adrien nodded.
"Plagg, transform me."
The trip to where ever the Guardian was staying was short, yet very sketchy. A dimly lit alley street. Empty wooden boxes and stray newspaper sheets welcomed him with a 'closed' sign hanging on the door.
"Are you sure this is the right place? A Chinese massage parlor?"
"Just go in." Just as Chat was about to knock, the door creaked open. His ear twitched and his tail swished slightly.
"I'm expected?"
"The Guardian must know something." Chat pushed the door open and continued inside, closing the door behind him. He was inside a small lobby, a waiting room of sorts.
"I have been waiting for you." A voice reached to them and Chat's ears twitched at the voice. "Please, come in." Plagg dropped the transformation and zipped forward, stopping before exiting the lobby.
"Well, c'mon, don't lag behind." Adrien fixed his bag across his shoulder and he followed Plagg, paying attention to his surroundings. The hallway was dimly lit, but he could tell that the flooring was wooden planks that creaked under his weight. The wallpaper was cream colored with pale green palm trees. His nose picked up the faintest scent of incense as he drew closer to a door.
Sunlight shone through the door and after Plagg zoomed in, Adrien pushed the door open. The wooden flooring turned into tatami matting and a red plush carpet towards the middle. Two sitting cushions were on the carpet, one being occupied by a gentleman in a red floral printed button up and khaki shorts.
"Chat Noir, I was hoping to see you soon." He rose his head, smiling warmly. "Please, take a seat." In his cross-legged position, he motioned to the cushion before him.
Adrien remembered this man from long ago. This was the man he helped just outside the school. And soon after, he found a small, black wooden box in his bag that contained a silver ring.
"So you're the Guardian?" Adrien asked, setting his bag down on the floor as he sat. The man nodded, stroking his barely white streaked black beard as he watched Adrien.
"I am sure you have many questions. I may be able to answer them for you."
"Old man!" Plagg zipped to the man.
"Plagg!" Adrien scolded under his breath. The man chuckled, holding the kwami in his hand and stroking his head with two fingers.
"It's quite alright. That's how the boy greets me. It is nice to see you Plagg. It has been a couple years, has it not?" Plagg mewed happily, something Adrien have never seen before.
However, Plagg mewling happily was the least of his concerns at the moment.
"I apologize for interrupting your warm reunion Guardian and Plaag, but-" He rose hand.
"Please, call me Fu." Adrien nodded, taking Fu's cue to continue.
"There's something that I want to ask. Well, there's many things I want to ask." Fu nodded. "What happened to Ladybug? Where is her kwami? Why is Ladybug... Why is Marinette my sister? What, where, what is this world?"
"Adrien, do you remember your last akuma attack?" Adrien tried to recall what the last akuma was. There was a heavy cloud on his memories that lingered in his thoughts, but he was able to clear through.
"There was a concert. A woman, Treble Maker. She... Ladybug noticed that she fancied me so we tried to use myself as a diversion, but she through us and attacked ladybug." He put a hand to his chest. He could still remember the pain he felt.
"Ladybug!" Chat Noir peered over the broken window until he saw the red umbrella with black polka dots open. He also saw Nino in the distance. Chat wanted to do nothing more than to jump down to Ladybug, but Treble Maker was still in attack mode.
"Look like spots over that was what made your forte. Un-fur-tunately for you, kitty cat, you're going to be put to rest." In her hand, she held a small sizzling whole note. "Permanently."
Now that Chat had paid attention, there were several strewn around the cathedral.
"It was nice playing with you." One after another, the time bombs exploded, destroying the infrastructure of the cathedral. Beams and arches started to crumble and fall.
"Adrien, you have to get out of here! Before the building collapses down on us!" Plagg called.
"Ladybug! She's in the back!"
"You won't be able to get to her if you're dead!" Plagg had a point. Chat tried to vault through the falling debris, but his ankles got caught by Treble Maker's base clef on a fallen over beam and he lost his balance.
"Why don't you be a good kitty and stay somewhere I can reach you easily?" He was so close to the front door. Escape, freedom was near, but his legs were constricted and his chest felt a dull pain. He tried to reach for his baton but Tremble Maker kicked it out of reach. She leaned down and grabbed his chin with a smug smile. "I'll be back for you soon kitty. There's a bug that need to get squished." Chat moved out of her grip with a grunt. She laughed as she left him.
The ground shook as she sang, debris falling on him.
"Chat! Chat Noir! God damn it, you better be alive when I get in there!" His vision, even with the cat's night vision, was blurry with all the dust that was fell with the debris. Infrastructure had cornered him into a tight spot and his right arm got trapped under a fallen stone arc.
"Kid! Adrien! Are you okay?" Chat grunted.
"D-Does it look like I'm okay?" Chat coughed and he shifted, trying to move his arm. He hissed in pain – his arm was probably broken. That was until the pain slowly started to subside.
"How is that?"
"What are you doing?"
"Taking your pain."
"Don't push yourself."
"Help is coming. Can you use cataclysm?" Chat squeezed his free hand.
"Do you have the energy for it?"
"Don't worry about me, kid." Chat nodded.
"Cataclysm!" The black rustic magic grew in his palm and he swiped at the stone pillar on his arm.
"Chat!" The voice was muffled as the stone arc started to crumble before him, the pressure on his arm releasing. "Chat! Oh god, you okay?" After the debris cleared, Alya managed to slip in. As the stone arc disappeared, the transformation dropped and the pain hit Adrien like a freight train.
Just before he blacked out, he felt writing on his arm. Through his blurred vision, he saw messy pink writing.
"I'm sorry."
Fu sat silent as he listened to Adrien's tale. His eyes hung on Plagg sadly.
"The reason you cannot sense Tikki is because she must have been taken."
"Taken?" They both asked. Fu nodded solemnly.
"The akuma got a hold of Ladybug's miraculous and took it to Papillon. Papillon... With possession of the Miraculous of Creation, has created a world to his benefit."
"Created a world of his own benefit?"
"Tikki has many powers and paired with the Miraculous of Champions, they created a world in where Ladybug does not exist."
"Why would Tikki do that?" Adrien asked.
"Just like Nooroo was forced into making akumas rather than champions, Tikki was forced into this action as well." Plagg's ears were drooped and his tail sagged. "This world was created. False lives and ideologies have been created. In this world, Papillon is a hero, while Chat Noir is a wanted criminal."
"So nobody knows about Ladybug? Ladybug is-"
"Non-existent in this realm. Since Papillon was not able to get your Miraculous, he has crafted a world where everyone is after your miraculous. Therefore, you are a wanted criminal." Plagg scoffed, his tail swishing angrily.
"Like I'll let him get his paws on me."
"But Fu, that still doesn't explain as to why I still know of Ladybug. If Papillon has created a false world with new ideologies, then why do I still remember?"
"Miraculous holders were unaffected by the reality change."
"You're a miraculous holder?" Fu nodded.
"Wayzz." From behind Fu, a small turtled floated into view, bowing to Adrien.
"How do you do?" It spoke softly and respectably, much differently to what he was used to. Adrien nodded to it with a small smile as Plagg tackled them down.
"But Marinette... Ladybug in this world, she's my sister. Why did that happen?" Adrien questioned.
"There are some things that must have not blended well when the new reality was created. While creating this alternate universe, Tikki used her healing magic – as to why you are now uninjured – however, as for Ladybug being your sibling, I am unsure. Did you share your identities?"
"Tikki knew." Plagg spoke up.
"She must have altered the universe to place her as close as she could to Chat then." Which in turn means, she became your sister." Adrien couldn't process this.
"Tikki did it for Marinette's safety." Plagg reassured him.
"That doesn't help me when I have romantic feelings for my alleged sister." Adrien muttered, turning his attention back to Fu. "Where does this leave Papillon?"
"I am unsure." Fu admitted. "He has used the Miraculous of Creation to its full power, so it is more than likely that Tikki has gone into hibernation within the miraculous. Plagg let out a worried sigh.
"Tikki..."
"How would I bring out Papillon?" Plagg's ears perked, a smile tugging at his lips.
"Your school companion, Alya Césaire, has good documentation. I would suggest researching her material and formulate a plan." Adrien nodded. "Meanwhile, I will try and contact another miraculous holder to aid your quest.
"Another miraculous holder?" Fu nodded.
"Once I get into contact with them, I shall have Plagg bring you back to me. Until then, I suggest you keep up your rouse, Chat Noir. I am sure you have a very worried sister on your hands." He motioned to his school bag and Plagg phased through the side of the bag, reappearing out of the top, struggling to pull Adrien's cell phone.
"You're in trouble." Plagg sang.
"I'm plagued with bad luck, what do you expect?" Adrien took the phone from Plagg's paws and he met with many missed calls and text notifications. "Thank you for all of this, Fu." Adrien bowed once he stood.
"You shall hear from me again soon." Fu bowed his head and Adrien nodded.
"Good bye, old man." Fu smiled.
"Take good care of your boy Plagg." Plagg zipped to Fu and got a pat, before zipping back to Adrien.
Once Adrien was out of the massage parlor, he phoned Marinette.
"Adrien? Where are you? Where did you go?" Her concern was the same as always. "Everyone was worried. Professor Bustier was about to call Papa, but I lied and told her you had a shoot... Adrien, are you okay?"
"I'm sorry Marinette. I didn't mean to run off like that. I guess I was having a bad morning and needed a break." He heard her sigh.
"Will you make it back by lunch? Chloé said we could have lunch at her Papa's restaurant today." Chloé.
What was Chloé like in this world? Now that Marinette was an Agreste, did she tolerate her? Were they friends?
"Adrien?"
"Yes?"
"You didn't answer."
"Oh." Adrien looked at his watch. "Are we getting escorted?"
"She's taking us."
"Us?"
"Alya, Nino and I?" What a world.
"I'll meet you there then."
"Adrien?"
"Yes Mari?"
"I was really worried about you today. Will you talk to me about it tonight?" It was genuine Marinette Dupain-Cheng.
How close of a sibling relationship did they have? Was Marinette adopted into the family? How long had she been an Agreste?
"Maybe. If I feel up to it." There was a sigh of relief on the other end.
"I'll see you soon."
"See you soon." Adrien kept the phone to his ear until he heard the tone die. He pulled the phone away, looking down at the contact photo of a bubbly Marinette.
"Wow, I'm impressed that an 'I love you' or a nickname didn't slip." Plagg hung by his shoulder. Adrien let out a sigh.
"Oh shut it." He ran a hand through his hair. "I always imagined her to be an Agreste, but never like this." Plagg snickered.
"Nobody ever said you'd be lucky." Adrien chuckled.
"I think I'm aware of that." Plagg looked up at his master with flattened ears for a moment. He felt bad, extremely. The one important thing that Adrien Agreste had in his life, his best friend and his girlfriend, was stripped away from him, just like Plagg got stripped from his. However, he wasn't going to let that bring him down. Together, they would fight this. A silent pact, Adrien Agreste and Plagg, against the world.
"You ready?"
"Whenever you are."
"Plagg, transform me."