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Chapter Text

Chapter 1

Six beings (four teenagers and two Kwamis) stared at the same photo and wondered What happened that caused Ladybug and Chat Noir to have such a passionate kiss at the top of Montparnasse Tower before the Miraculous Cure restored everything?

Marinette stared at her computer and wondered how she could possibly have kissed her partner like that when her heart irrevocably belonged to Adrien. She didn't want to hurt her partner's feelings.

Adrien figured that if he could get Ladybug to fall in love with him when they'd lost their memories that he could do it again but lamented the fact that he didn't remember the kiss. He looked at the photo on his computer about once a month (week? day?) to dream about that possibility.

Alya and Nino were hanging out in Alya's room. Alya was remembering how excited she was to take the photo in the first place because it seemed that LadyNoir was finally going to be canon. She figured that whatever the reason for Ladybug to reject Chat Noir's advances, there was obviously something there and wondered if a kiss like that would happen again.

Nino was supporting his girlfriend as she spoke about the LadyNoir 'ship and thought the photo looked cute. He wondered what had happened while Ladybug and Chat Noir's memories were gone which would lead to such an intense PDA.

Both Tikki and Plagg figured that at some point the two superheroes had to have detransformed, and knew who both holders were. While it was disconcerting having no memory, especially as a magical being, the two Kwami knew that Ladybug and Chat Noir were meant to be close as that was the yin-yang nature of the two miraculous.

Considering how Marinette was head-over-heels for Adrien, Tikki knew that would have been a factor leading up to the kiss and wondered if they were able to see both sides of each other.

Plagg was just tired of Adrien staring at the photo, whining about his love life, and teased him mercilessly. He wondered how he could help his holder be less oblivious. Or if that was even possible.

Little did the six beings know that by pondering questions while staring at the same photo at the same time, they created a link that would reveal the lost memories. But with magic, as in life, there are always surprises.

The first incident happened while the four friends were playing video games at Alya's. It was one of those super-rare occasions where Adrien was there in person, having permission to attend the "study session". (They actually did study first.)

Alya and Nino were playing their favorite dancing game while Marinette and Adrien waited for their turn. This particular dance move had the two players practically in each other's arms. Suddenly, they paused, losing their place in the game.

"Do you think we'll remember all this afterwards?" Nino remembered asking as his black-gloved hand touched the spotted heroine's arm.

"Apparently, my Miraculous Ladybug reverts everything. So I'm guessing we won't," Alya remembered replying.

"All right, then. With your permission, Milady," Nino said as he took the spotted heroine in his arms and looked deep into her gorgeous bluebell eyes.

Alya looked at the face of her partner and found herself closing her eyes and leaning in. The kiss was gentle, sweet, and carried the promise of much more to come. They broke apart reluctantly, and Alya knew what she had to do. "Miraculous Ladybug!" she cried, throwing the ladybug-patterned teapot into the air.

Nino and Alya came to themselves and found they were staring at each other while holding hands, ignoring the game completely. For a moment, they didn't know where they were, confusing the intruding memory with reality.

"Giving up on the game," Adrien teased with a smirk.

"I know you guys are dating, but are you really going to give up the round so easily? Or would you rather go snog in a corner?" Marinette couldn't help but razz her friends.

"That was… " Nino was at a loss for words.

"... weird," said Alya as she shook her head, looking first at her hands and then at her boyfriend's face.

Marinette was concerned by their response. "Ok, guys. What happened?"

"This is going to sound so strange," said Alya, coming over to the couch to sit by her bestie. "I just remembered something, but it wasn't my memory."

"Me too, dudette," piped in Nino.

"What did you remember, Nino," Adrien asked his best bud.

"I remember asking Ladybug for permission to kiss her," he said a little shyly.

"What?" Marinette was shocked. Adrien looked a little pale himself.

"I've never asked Ladybug for a kiss. Ever." He seemed a little distressed as he looked toward Alya. "I think it was Chat Noir's memory."

"That's okay because I think I just remembered Ladybug's memory of the same incident." She looked at her boyfriend. "Chat Noir had asked if the Miraculous Ladybug cure would bring our memories back. I said that I thought so, and then he asked for permission to kiss me. I looked at him, closed my eyes, and felt a rush of passion as we kissed. Then we broke apart, and I threw the Lucky Charm into the air to reset everything. The next thing I knew, I was back here, holding hands with Nino and the round was over."

"Yeah. That's exactly what I remember her saying," a confused Nino said.

"Do.. um, do you rem-remember where you were at the time? In the memory, I m-mean," Marinette stuttered.

Both Alya and Nino thought for a moment. "I'm not 100% sure, but it looked like a rooftop," said Nino.

"I bet it was the top of Montparnasse Tower!" Alya was excited. "You know, that kiss I snapped a photo of after we were freed from being Oblivio? I think I was living that!"

"You know what, babe, I think you're right."

Marinette seemed a little embarrassed. "I still wonder what could have possessed Ladybug to do that when she's been so adamant that Chat Noir is not a romantic interest."

"Who knows," Adrien said with a sigh. If one didn't know better, they'd say he looked wistful. "But whatever it was, I bet Chat Noir hopes it will happen again someday."

"But how could you remember something that you weren't part of?" The higher-pitched voice showed Marinette's stress level.

"Well, we were part of it," said Alya. "Sort of. I mean we had just been freed from being Oblivio."

In Adrien's pocket and Marinette's purse, two powerful, magical beings silently considered the ramifications of what they'd just heard.

The next incident occurred that same night as Marinette and Adrien were on their way home. They needed to leave at the same time, so it was just the two of them (and their Kwamis). The elevator was a bit older and lurched slightly as the doors closed, causing Adrien to stumble in the far corner and Marinette against the wall.

Marinette looked at herself. She was dressed in what looked like black leather. Then she looked over at the girl in the elevator. She was dressed in what looked like a red jumpsuit with black spots, and a similarly themed domino mask on her face.

"Looks like you and I were at the same costume party!" she said.

Adrien looked at himself and the boy in the corner. He noticed the boy's ring. Pointing at it, he asked, "Why is that flashing?"

Marinette looked at her ring, then at the girl's jewelry. "And your earrings, too! We must shop at the same jewelry store!"

Adrien was confused. "Are we supposed to know each other?"

Marinette was just as confused. "I'd be surprised if we weren't."

The beeping from the ring and earrings got faster. Suddenly the lipstick near Adrien disappeared, as did the costumes. Even stranger, two creatures flew out of the jewelry. Adrien was scared and scooted over to the boy in the corner.

"Aaah! There are giant bugs! Mice? Bug-mice!"

Tikki lifted up her black head. "Wow, I am starving right now!"

Marinette thought the creatures were cool and slid over to the one that came out of her ring. "Hi, there! What are you, exactly? Genies, like the one in the lamp?"

"If I'm a genie," replied Tikki, "where is my lamp? Besides, where am I? And who are you!"

Adrien slid behind the boy again, seeking comfort. He pointed at the red bug-mouse creature. "What's that thing doing in my earring?" he asked.

"I'm not a thing," Plagg replied indignantly in his high pitched voice. "I'm …" He gasped. "I don't know what I am!" His stomach gave an embarrassing rumble. "But I do know I'm very hungry."

At this, Adrien's natural sympathy kicked in, and he picked up the red creature. "Aw, poor little … no thing," he said as he ticked the creature's tummy. Plagg giggled.

The two teens stumbled a little.

"Whoa! What was that?"

"The elevator lurched," said Marinette. "And then…"

Adrien looked over at his friend. "Did you see something?"

"Yeah. I was trapped in an elevator with no memory. I looked over and saw m… Ladybug."

"Same here. But I saw Chat Noir in the corner." Adrien seemed really confused. If he was looking at himself in the corner, then did that mean he had Ladybug's memory? It must because he remembered picking up Tikki. And looking at himself pick up Plagg.

What in the hell is going on? both teens thought simultaneously.

When she got home, Marinette rushed straight to her bedroom to have a heart-to-heart with her Kwami.

"Tikki, tonight was definitely weird! Did you hear what Alya and Nino said? And then in the elevator on the way home… I think I was remembering Chat Noir's memory."

"It happened to me, too, though I was Plagg in the memory."

"Any idea why it's happening?"

"Maybe, though I'm not sure. I'll need to talk with Plagg about it."

As soon as Adrien was left alone in his room, Plagg raided the stash of Camembert (as per usual).

"Plagg, do you know why Nino and Alya would be remembering Ladybug's and my memories? Also, why would I remember something that happened to Ladybug?"

"I'm not sure, exactly. But it's happening to me, too. I remember Ladybug tickling my tummy, and I sounded like Sugarcube. And I remember craving sweets. Blech!" He downed a piece of his precious cheese. "Let me think about it a bit. I'll also need to speak with Sugarcube."

Chapter Text

Chapter 2

While he would normally just wait until his holder was back in school to see her, this seemed too important to wait. The black, cat-like embodiment of destruction flew through the air as quickly, quietly, and stealthily as he could, heading to the Guardian's home. He needed to see his Sugarcube and let her know about what happened earlier in the day. To his surprise, about halfway there he spotted his red-and-black counterpart heading his direction.

"Sugarcube! I was coming to see you."

"And I needed to see you, Stinky Sock. Since you're out here I'm guessing that you also started remembering things?"

"Yeah. I was in the memory, but it wasn't my memory. I was you being tickled by your holder." Plagg made a face.

"I remember the same thing, but from your point of view. Your holder asked if I was a genie and I said that if that was true then where was my lamp," Tikki said.

"And I was indignant being called a bug mouse, and surprised when I didn't know what I was." Plagg was concerned. "Could this be what happened when we fought that Oblivio Akuma? It sounds like a repressed memory coming back, but mixed up."

"I think you're right, Plagg. It almost sounds like a mental or spiritual bond has been created and it's interfering with the magic barrier suppressing those lost memories."

"Why would the magic mix up who gets to see those memories, though?"

"I don't know, Plagg, but we're going to have to figure out how to deal with it. At the very least we need to tell Ladybug what's happening." She looked sideways at her counterpart. "Does Chat Noir actually know you're gone this time," she chided, remembering Nooroo's last cycle day.

"Yes. He's been getting the memories, too, and isn't handling it well.."

"Same with Ladybug. Come on, the sooner we see her the sooner we can research what's going on."

Marinette was a little concerned when Plagg came back with Tikki.

"Is Chat Noir okay?"

"Tikki tells me that you and she have been reliving memories that aren't yours. Chat Noir and I have, too. He's a little freaked out."

"That makes two of us."

"Four," said Plagg.

"And it also happened to Nino and Alya earlier tonight. I had thought it might be from when we lost our memories during Oblivio."

"That's what I think, too," said Tikki. "It's like a repressed memory trying to surface, but the magic is mixing up who gets which memory."

"Is there anything we can do about it?"

"After speaking with Tikki, we don't think so. Maybe the Temple of the Guardians has an answer."

"Of course! I need to get hold of them anyway to tell them about what's been going on here. In the meantime, I guess we'll just have to hang on and integrate those returning memories."

"This may get stressful," Plagg said darkly.

School the next day was interesting, to say the least. None of the six beings had slept very well, as they were plagued with dreams. Though nobody remembered them, each of the six beings were left with an unsettled feeling.

Nino had grabbed an extra coffee on his way out the door, figuring that Alya would appreciate it. She seemed more than grateful for the caffeine boost.

"Thanks, babe," the normally chipper Ladyblogger gushed. "I'm really going to need this today."

"Didn't sleep well?"

"Not really. I kept thinking about what happened yesterday."

"Me, too. That was… weird, to say the least."

"You're telling me."

"You guys talking about your kiss yesterday," piped up another voice. Looking up, they saw the normally put-together, uber handsome-teen-supermodel-slash-heartthrob dragging himself over to them. Unusually, he was wearing dark sunglasses.

"You look like hell, Bro."

"Thanks, Nino. Way to build my self-confidence."

"Seriously, Adrien. What's up, man?"

"I didn't sleep well."

"Guess that makes three of us, then," Alya said as Adrien sipped on his own caffeinated beverage. Before long, they were nearly bowled over by Marinette.

"Running late again, girl?"

"Slept in. Sort of." Marinette looked at the others and stared at the coffees jealously. "I didn't have time to grab much of a breakfast. Today is going to draaaaag!"

"Here," Adrien said as he passed over his steaming cup. "You look like you could use a boost."

"What about you?"

"I'll survive," he said, yawning as he stretched every muscle he could, looking very cat-like. "I've worked before on less sleep than this."

"You are a godsend!" Marinette took a sip, then made a face. "You like it black, huh?"

"Model diet doesn't allow for much in the way of fats and sugars."

Marinette took another sip or two as the four best friends (and two hidden Kwamis) made their way into the school, then handed it back to the model.

"Thanks for the caffeine boost. I should be okay now."

Adrien swished the coffee around. "At least take half. You look like you need it more than me."

Marinette smiled. "If you insist. And thank you."

The rest of the school day went normally, at least until gym class. The students were partnered up and, per usual, Alya & Nino were a pair as were Adrien & Marinette. Each pair was waiting their turn to go next for mixed-doubles tennis. As always, the two Kwamis were in their respective holders' gym gear off to the side.

Adrien was sitting against a column and saw himself sitting against another side. This had to be another of Ladybug's memories. He was worried because he'd just discovered that he was a superhero and had a supervilla i n after him, but had absolutely NO idea how to regain his powers.

"If my own mother doesn't know that I'm Ladybug, then nobody must know." Yup. That proved it.

"What about us? Do you think we know," Marinette asked herself in Chat Noir's voice.

Adrien looked at his (Ladybug's) phone and saw one of his more popular modeling photos set as the phone's wallpaper. "I feel like we're m-more than just a superhero team."

Marinette looked at her (Chat Noir's) phone and pulled up the photo gallery. There were a million photos of Ladybug "Do you think we're…"

The two teens looked at each other. Then, as Adrien started to show his phone to … the other him, the memory faded.

=^.^= =^.^= =^.^=

Nino looked at the floating cat-like creature. He may have lost his memory, but he knew what he had to do. Somehow he also knew that the cat-creature was planning on doing something stupid. Again. "You can't just leave, we have to help them!"

"We don't even know who we are or who they are," Alya retorted as she stared out of the window. "I don't wanna help out a couple of strangers."

Nino was indignant. He  flew  up a little  higher  for emphasis. "You may not remember who you are, but at least you know this about yourself. You're a selfish being and a total coward!" He floated  back down  and turned his back on the black cat  in a huff .

"Me? A coward?" Alya was indignant. She sped around and over to sit in the air right next to the red bug-like creature. "I am not a coward. I… I'm a free spirit. So don't come if you don't want to," she started as she headed toward the window, "but I'm outta here!" Then she flew out of the window, and the memory faded.

=^.^= =^.^= =^.^=

Tikki and Plagg saw the world in a purple haze,  joined in thought as they rarely were in lif e . They opened the door and spoke with one voice.

"Ladybug. Chat Noir." They looked around. "We know you're in here. You won't get away this time. You remember your BFF Oblivio, don't you? Don't tell us you've… forgotten us." Then they laughed evilly as they started throwing furniture around. It took a while, and there was no sign of the superheroes or their miraculouses.

Suddenly a phone rang, so they ran toward it (they had legs!)

"Uh, uh. Gotcha. You shouldn't have 'forgotten' to switch off your phone."

However, by the time they got there, the phone was gone. All they saw was a post-it note with the drawing of a … donkey. And with an aggravated cry of, "Noooooo!" the memory faded.

=^.^= =^.^= =^.^=

"Agreste! Cesaire! Dupain-Cheng! Lahiffe! If the four of you don't take this seriously, I'll have to mark you down for today," M D'Argincourt was livid. "The four of you normally at least participate instead of just standing around. And Ms. Cesaire, why did you just walk off the court in a huff?"

"Sorry, M D'Argincourt. It won't happen again," the teens apologized.

"See that it doesn't," the gym teacher said as he headed to coach other students.

To say the four teens were freaked out would be an understatement. Marinette looked at the others as they came toward center court.

"Are you guys okay?"

"Not really," said Alya. "I'm pretty certain now that these are Ladybug's and Chat Noir's memories. Right, Nino?"

Nino thought about it. The floating cat-creature had to have been Chat Noir's Kwami… but he couldn't say that as only a miraculous holder would know what a Kwami is. It's a good thing that both he and Alya were miraculous holders - at least part-time. "Definitely. Though I'm pretty sure I got part of Ladybug's memory this time."

"And I got part of Chat Noir's," Alya looked at him significantly, and Nino knew they'd have to talk about it later when they were alone.

"That's weird," said Adrien. "I'm pretty sure I had Ladybug's memory as well."

"I'm pretty sure I had Chat Noir's," piped up Marinette.

"Okay, this is freaking me out," said Alya. "Why would we be remembering things we never saw?"

"I don't know," she replied. "What I do know is that, from what I've seen, it's got something to do with Ladybug, Chat Noir, and Oblivio."

"What I don't get," replied Nino, "is why the two of you are getting the memories. I mean I get why Alya and I might – we were Oblivio. But you guys?"

Adrien and Marinette both blanched at that. "I don't know. Maybe it's because we're best friends and hanging out with you all the time?"

"Maybe, Adrien," said the Ladyblogger, unconvinced. "Regardless, this requires investigation."

"And how are you going to research weird, magical issues dealing with memory?" Marinette had no idea how she was going to get out of this one.

"I can't, which is extremely frustrating. But I can put a notice on the Ladyblog asking Ladybug to come talk to me."

"You think she'll have the answers as to why you're re-living their memories?"

"No, I don't. Not really. On the other hand, I do know that she has access to all the miraculouses we've seen so far (except Hawkmoth's and Mayura's), and that includes the horse miraculous. I also know that the Temple of the Guardians has been restored."

"Great idea, Alya," piped up Nino.

"I thought so. I'll do that as soon as class is over."

Tikki and Plagg encouraged their respective holders to transform as soon as possible so they could communicate.

Marinette decided that if she were going to consult the Temple of the Guardians for this, she wanted Chat Noir to come with her. As soon as she got home, she started preparing things, then transformed and called Chat Noir as she put them in the infinite storage area of her yo-yo.

Adrien wanted to talk with Ladybug about the visions and was impatient for all of his extracurricular activities to end so he could transform.

Nino and Alya just wanted to stay together as they waited for an answer from Ladybug. In the meantime, they tried working through this… whatever it was.

Chapter Text

Chapter Text

Chapter Text

Chapter 5

The portal opened almost exactly on the same spot that Ladybug and Chat Noir had left earlier in the day, and the four teens stepped out.

"Wow," was all Nino could say. Alya just said nothing as she absorbed every last detail of the temple that she could get. Her smile was short-lived as the monk greeting them said something and then gestured to her phone.

"No photos or video allowed, Alya. Sorry," Chat translated. "He says you'll get the phone back just before we leave."

Alya pouted but did as instructed. The monk said something else in Chinese, smiled, and beckoned the four to follow him. Chat took the lead, and they were led into the same room as before.

"Hello again, Master Chung," Ladybug greeted the older monk, who was once more sitting in the center of the table's three seats. "May I introduce Alya Cesaire and Nino Lahiffe. These are the two who were akumatized into Oblivio."

"Greetings," Master Chung Sho-Li replied in his heavily-accented French. "This is everyone who was affected, no?"

"Wait a minute!" Alya froze as she looked up at the superheroes. "What about Marinette Dupain-Cheng and Adrien Agreste? They were seeing your memories as well."

"Oh my gosh, I can't believe I forgot about Adrien having the memory." Ladybug was worried.

"Don't worry about Adrien, Milady. I know he'll be alright. I'm more worried about Marinette." Chat appeared confident.

"Marinette's fine, Kitty. I'm sure of that." She gave a worried look at Chat Noir. "Are you sure Adrien will be okay? I mean this has been tough on all of us, and he's a civilian..."

"Miladybug, I am as sure that Adrien will be okay as I am sure that my superhero name is Chat Noir." He looked at her strangely. "Are you sure that Marinette is okay?"

Ladybug returned his look. "I'm as sure of that as you are about Adrien." Her subtle "I think" was only heard due to Chat's superior hearing while transformed.

"Are you sure they'll both be okay? I'm worried about them," Alya said.

"As worried as you all are, we only need those who were directly involved to make sure all the memories are accessible." Master Chung said, smirking at the four who had nearly forgotten his presence. "That means we'll need all six of you."

"Six?" four voices said simultaneously.

"Yes. Ladybug and Chat Noir, after what you told us earlier, we've determined we need Tikki and Plagg as well as the four of you."

"Wait, does this mean I'll finally discover the girl underneath the mask?" Chat Noir was excited, though Ladybug was more nervous.

"Oh my gosh. Oh my gosh ohmygoshohmygosh oh my gosh! I'll finally get to know the identities of the heroes?" Alya practically squealed.

"Considering the memories we've seen, I'm surprised it hasn't happened already." Ladybug replied to Alya but looked into Chat Noir's eyes. "I'll be honest, Kitty. I'm a little scared. I've always felt inadequate beneath the mask."

"We can actually do this while blindfolding the two civilians if we need to. That part is up to you, Ladybug and Chat Noir. As for revealing yourselves to each other… that depends. How long have you been fighting this Hawkmoth together?"

"Over a year, right Bugaboo?"

"Uh, DON'T call me Bugaboo! But you're right. At least a year."

"And what are your feelings toward each other. We need you to be completely honest, with yourself and with each other," one of the other monks said.

"It's no secret that I love Ladybug," Chat had no problem admitting his feelings. He looked at Ladybug with a serious expression. "Milady, I've loved you since you stood up to Hawkmoth during Stoneheart.." He reached out to take her hand and look her in the eye. "I know you were scared, and I know we'd messed up the first time. But you faced the challenge and stood up to Hawkmoth anyway. From that moment on, my heart was yours and I vowed that whoever you were under the mask that I'd love you."

"You said before that you loved me. Until that rooftop setup you did before Glaciator, I didn't know how much. You are my best friend, Chat. I trust you with my life and more. I've even found myself wondering if I could trust you with my heart." She looked into his eyes. "And I'm sorry. Like I told you on that rooftop, I'm in love with someone else."

"Wait, he created a romantic rooftop rendezvous for you?" Alya practically squealed.

"Alya! They need to work this out on their own." Ever the protector, Nino tried pulling his girlfriend aside to give the superheroes some space.

"No way! This is juicy stuff."

"It's their personal life."

"Well something is obviously there, or there never would have been that rooftop kiss at the end of Oblivio." She turned to the costumed teens. "It only goes to prove that something happened while you didn't have your memories."

"I keep telling myself the same thing," Chat said. "I figure that if I got her to fall in love with me while our memories were gone, then I have a chance with our memories intact. Please, Milady. Tell me I have a chance?"

"I do like you, Chat," Ladybug admitted, "but nothing could happen between us unless I completely forgot about Adrien!" Ladybug went red in the face as she slapped her hands over her mouth.

Chat Noir went pale. "Adrien? The boy you love… his name is Adrien?"

Ladybug looked sheepish as she blushed as red as her supersuit. "Yes. But I can't piece two words in his presence without tripping over my tongue. And my feet. I told you the first time we met that I was madly clumsy."

Alya had listened to this exchange and was silent for a full minute as she stared at Ladybug, the pieces finally fitting together. Then she laughed. "Oh, my god. Oh. My. God. This makes so much sense!" She couldn't help belly-laughing. "No wonder you always… and then… Oh my god. No wonder you said that if you were Ladybug you wouldn't even tell me, because you are! And then… that's how you knew Lila was lying! Ohmygod..."

"Shut up, Rena!"

"Wait. Alya is Rena Rouge?" Chat stared at Alya.

Alya stopped laughing and blushed instead. "Yup. I still think that you were a naughty kitty for trying to find out my identity. Too late now, I guess."

"I guess so… wait. I know that Rena Rouge has a thing for Carapace. But if Rena is you, Alya…" Chat Noir looked over at Nino. "Carapace?"

"Uh, why would I be a superhero, dude?" Nino tried deflecting, but his face gave him away. After Chat stared at him a bit, he admitted, "Yeah, I'm Carapace."

"Okay, fine. I give up. I need to let Chat know anyway, and Alya is my best girlfriend, so screw it. Spots off!" Marinette detransformed in front of the others. Then she looked sheepishly at Chat Noir. "I told you that Marinette was fine, didn't I."

"Marinette?" Chat was stunned for just a moment. Then he smiled. "Of course it's you, our Everyday Ladybug. Why wouldn't it be."

"Chat?"

"Wait. You said you love Adrien." His eyes went wide. "You love Adrien Agreste? Why?"

"Oh, Kitty. I really don't want to hurt you. Can you promise me you won't be jealous?"

"I can't be. I mean I'm not. But please, tell me why you love Adrien." Chat seemed to have a desperate sound to his voice. "I mean, he's a famous model, he's rich, and is considered handsome. Is that it?" He sounded disappointed.

"Please let this go, Kitty. It's embarrassing enough as it is."

"It's important. Please, Milady. Tell me why you're in love with Adrien." Chat used the most devastating weapon in his arsenal.

Not the kitty eyes! Ugh! "Okay," Marinette took a steadying breath. "Okay. The first day I met him, I actually thought he was like Chloe – stuck up, full of himself, etc. But I was wrong. I accused him of putting gum on my seat, but it turns out he was only trying to take it off. At the end of school that day, it was raining and I was waiting at the entrance. He reached out to me, told me the truth, and admitted that he was new to public school and had never had any real friends before. He handed me his umbrella, and then it closed on me. He let out a genuine laugh, one that reached his eyes. Oh, that laugh. It was like sunshine had broken through the clouds and shone just on us. I had caught a glimpse of the person beneath the mask of Gabriel's 'perfect son', his kindness, his vulnerability, just… him. That's the boy I fell in love with."

She looked up at Chat Noir. "I know that he wears a mask every day, just like I wear one when I'm Ladybug. That can't be easy, and I just want to be there for him however I can. But I keep tripping over myself every time I try to let him know how I feel, both literally and figuratively." Tears began pooling in her eyes. "If only I could talk to him as easily as I talk to you, Chat. Then I'd really be able to be there for him. And we could get to know each other better. But I also know that he'll only ever see me as a friend. He told me so when he apologized for pranking me at the Grevin Wax Museum." She sniffled. "But I can't help it, Chat. The heart wants what it wants."

With tears brimming in his eyes, Chat Noir gently took Marinette's hand in his own. "Oh, Marinette. Milady. You have been there for Adrien more than you know. You can talk to him like you talk to me. And the girl he loves? That has always been you. I just didn't know it until now." Marinette was confused for a moment until she heard "Claws off!" Before her eyes stood her crush, still holding her hand. Marinette gasped, then blushed. "I'm sorry I was so blind that I didn't recognize the girl behind the mask even though she sat behind me. Though now that I think about it, maybe I did. You've always held a special place in my heart, Marinette. I think I was just too blinded by the spots."

"And I was too blinded by the golden-haired boy in front of me to give my Kitty a chance." She reached out to him but was interrupted.

"Great. Now that that's over, maybe he'll quit agonizing over which pig-tailed girl he loves more. Ugh!"

"Plagg! Leave them alone," Tikki swiped at her counterpart. "They need to figure this out themselves."

"I just can't believe that my two favorite 'ships were actually the same one!" Alya beamed, then frowned as she remembered she couldn't record any of this.

"Yes, yes. Now that that's out of the way, will the six of you come this way please?" Master Chung led them to a smaller chamber just off of the larger room they were in and asked them to sit on the available cushions. There was a gentle incense burning that helped lend a calm feeling to the room.

"Sit and relax," Master Chung said, guiding them through a meditation designed to bring the memories forward. "Think of nothing, just embrace the warmth of the room and of each other."

Three couples held each other close and reached out toward one another, physically and emotionally. They let their minds drift, and started thinking about their feelings for one another. Six beings (four teenagers and two Kwamis) started thinking about the same thing at the same time.

"Relax," said the priests in voices that sounded far away. "You are all safe here. Let the memories come. Embrace it, even if it does not appear to be yours. Let the memories ebb and flow as they will. They will sort themselves. Breathe in, breathe out. In… out…" the voices continued to fade. Soon, they felt another memory coming on and welcomed it.

Nino and Alya were in the closet playing Super Penguino. They had just put the tablet down enough to start making out when the door opened, and Ms. Bustier caught them. The embarrassment at being caught was mortifying. If only everyone would forget that they saw them!

"Oblivio, I am Hawkmoth. I'll give you the power to make everyone forget. I only ask one thing in return. Get me Ladybug and Chat Noir's miraculouses."

"Yes, Hawkmoth."

=^.^= =^.^= =^.^=

The dark-haired, blue-eyed girl and the blond-haired, green-eyed boy were in the elevator, each holding a strange creature. The red one the girl held giggled after she tickled it and the black one was sniffing the boy's shirt.

"Okay, everyone, we're going to keep our cool here," the boy said as he stood up and walked toward the elevator doors. We've all lost our memories and we don't know why, but we'll fi…"

He was interrupted as the elevator dropped a bit, then the ceiling caved in a little – almost as if it was hit.

=^.^= =^.^= =^.^=

They arrived in the lobby, which was trashed beyond hope.

"The exit is blocked," the boy said.

"We're going to have to find another way out," the girl replied.

Suddenly they heard a noise behind them.

=^.^= =^.^= =^.^=

They were in a bathroom, trying to figure out why something was after them. The black cat-like one flew into the boy's field of vision.

"Excuse me, but the 'creatures' are hungry. Would you mind opening up your shirt to see what smells so good?"

The boy did just that and pulled out a wedge of cheese. "Camembert?"

The black creature gasped, snatched it out of the boy's hand, and said "It's the most beautiful thing I've ever seen!" before swallowing it in one gulp.

The little red one's tummy rumbled, so the girl looked in her purse. She found a macaron and offered it to the creature. "Will this do?"

"Mmm, thank you."

The girl looked in her purse again and found her ID card. "Marinette! My name is Marinette Dupain-Cheng."

The boy did a gentlemanly bow, saying, "Pleased to meet you, Marinette." He then pulled out his own ID. "Adrien Agreste."

Marinette mimed a curtsy and replied, "Super nice to meet you, too, Adrien."

=^.^= =^.^= =^.^=

The two teens had just figured out how to unlock their phones and called their parents. Gabriel was not available, but Marinette was able to call her mother. Sabine was worried about her daughter.

"They're saying that Ladybug and Chat Noir are battling a supervillain at Montparnasse Tower! Isn't that where you were going on your school trip today?"

As Sabine was talking, Marinette noticed a poster and walked toward it. "Chat Noir and Ladybug?"

"Marinette, is everything okay? Where are you?"

"Sure, Mom. Everything's okay. I'm with my friend. Safe. Don't worry."

Hearing this, Adrien gestured his surprise that she wasn't asking for help."

"I'm so relieved. Whatever you do, stay there until the supervillain's been defeated."

"Sure, Mom. I will. Love you!" And with that, Marinette hung up the phone.

"Why didn't you ask her for help?" Adrien asked.

"I have both good news, and bad news," Marinette said. "The good news is that there are superheroes in the tower that will stop that supervillain. The bad news is that we're the superheroes. And that thing that's chasing us is a supervillain. And we're supposed to be defeating it with superpowers that we no longer have!"

=^.^= =^.^= =^.^=

Adrien and Marinette were sitting against a pillar, having just shown their phones to each other.

"We must have told each other everything," Adrien commented. "I couldn't hide my identity from the girl I love."

Marinette stared into his gorgeous, dreamy eyes for a moment before turning back.

"So, if we're the superheroes, then what are they?" She gestured toward the window where the two strange flying creatures were.

"I have no idea."

=^.^= =^.^= =^.^=

The black cat-like creature was flying around Paris.

"A coward? Me? What-ever!"

Then he spotted a billboard ad for Adrien, the Fragrance.

"Adrien?" He flew away, fast.

"I may not remember my own name, but I know for a fact that I'm brave!" He ran right into another billboard. He looked around, and everywhere he looked… Adrien's face on a billboard, a poster, at the entrance to the underground, on the walkways.

He looked toward the tower. "This is called psychological harassment!"

Before long, he noticed the field of purple energy gathering above Montparnasse Tower. Then he remembered the red being's words…

"You're a selfish being and a total coward!"

"I am not a coward and I'm not selfish either," he said as he turned away from the tower. "But… maybe this Adrien boy has some yummy Camembert left." Then he turned toward the tower once more.

Somehow, he knew he was just using the Camembert as an excuse.

=^.^= =^.^= =^.^=

Marinette and Adrien had just finished talking to Master Fu, who had given them the Kwamis names (that's what the creatures were!) and how to transform. They heard the supervillain on the roof.

"Ladybug! Chat Noir! If you don't come out of hiding and give us your miraculous, this giant bubble's going to erase the memories of every single person in Paris!"

"It's time to bring Ladybug back. Tikki, spots on!" Marinette went through her transformation.

"Wow, that was amazing!"

"Thanks, but I don't feel like a superhero at all."

"You've already proven that you are one. With or without a costume."

It took a few false starts after opening her yo-yo and reading the user's guide – as well as accidentally summoning her Lucky Charm – but Ladybug was finally ready to go.

"Marinette, I want to fight beside you. If we're a couple then we'll be stronger together."

"But you don't have your Kwami or your superpowers. And without your costume, the villain would know your true identity."

Adrien looked disappointed as he thought about this. Then Ladybug took his hand and said something that just made his heart melt. "But most of all, I wouldn't want anything to happen to you. I'm starting to understand how much you mean to me, Adrien." Then she kissed him on the cheek before she walked away. "Please, stay there."

Adrien touched his cheek where she had kissed him. "Woah. I don't need any memory to know that I love that girl."

=^.^= =^.^= =^.^=

They were hiding on the roof, Ladybug and the cardboard Chat, when the black Kwami flew up to them.

"So, can I be of any help in any way?"

"Plagg?"

"Plagg? So that's my name, Plagg?"

"Yeah, and you got here just at the right time," Adrien said as he stood up. "Plagg, claws out!" Adrien went through his own transformation. "Hey, pretty cool, right?"

"Very cool, but try not to lose your memory again."

Ladybug and Chat Noir proceeded to fight, and Ladybug even reminded Chat Noir not to say the name of his special power unless he wanted to trigger it. Unfortunately, the fight wasn't going well. Chat hid behind Ladybug, who was spinning her yo-yo as a shield.

"We won't stand a chance until we stop him from firing at us."

"Of course! His left hand is different from the rest of his body. That must be where the akuma is hiding."

"Okay. I've got no idea what the Hakuna Matata is, but I trust you. So what's the plan?"

Ladybug looked around, a plan coming to mind. "Can you get him to forget about me for a little while?"

So Chat Noir did what he did best, and distracted the supervillain while Ladybug placed the teapot her Lucky Charm created on Oblivio's right hand. Then Chat was able to "Cataclysm!" the right hand's covering. The akuma butterfly was released, caught, and purified. Then the supervillain detransformed into two people.

"What do we do about that," Chat Noir asked as he looked up that the giant bubble of forgetfulness.

"This is where my other power comes in. It fixes everything back to how it was originally."

"Wait," Chat said as he grabbed Ladybug's forearm. "Do you think we'll remember all this… afterwards?"

=^.^= =^.^= =^.^=

Alya had just snapped the photo of the infamous Ladybug and Chat Noir kiss on top of Montparnasse Tower when they broke apart and Ladybug cast her Miraculous Ladybug cure. As their memories returned, Ladybug jumped out of Chat's embrace.

"Ladybug? Chat Noir?"

"Guys, you haven't seen a supervillain named Oblivio, have you," Chat asked Nino and Alya.

"You defeated it already, dude."

"Actually, he was… us" Alya told the confused heroes.

In tandem, the Heroes of Paris said, "Oh, okay. Pound it?" then did their traditional fist bump.

The six beings came to themselves at last. They were still sitting on the comfortable cushions, breathing in the relaxing incense while the monks chanted softly around them, each couple giving comfort to themselves and the others in the circle.

"Well, one thing's for sure," Adrien said as he looked at Marinette. "I knew we were made for each other."

"For once, I agree with you, Kitty," she sighed as she looked back at him. "Though it may take me a while to reconcile the two images of you that I have in my mind. I'm just not used to Adrien Agreste saying silly cat puns."

"The more I think about it, the less I can separate Marinette from Ladybug. You've always stood up for what is right."

"All that is necessary for the triumph of evil is that good people do nothing. Right, Alya?"

"Right, girl."

The monks came over to the teens as Tikki and Plagg flew up. "The magic causing the memory recall and switch seems to have settled. How are you feeling, Plagg? Tikki?"

"Hungry! Is there any Camembert?"

Adrien laughed. "He's back to normal."

"I'm better as well, thank you, Master," Tikki replied.

"I'm glad to hear that." Master Chung addressed the teens. "Everything should settle down now. I'd say it would go back to how it was before, but that's not quite right. After all, you all know each others' secret identities. You'll need to be careful about that supervillain of yours, Hawkmoth."

Marinette was slowly standing up, hesitant to ask her question. But she needed to know. "Master Chung?"

"Yes, Marinette?"

"About the Miracle Box and our miraculouses…" she slowly looked up into the face of the man in charge of the whole temple, the place where Master Fu studied as a child. "Am I still the guardian of the Miracle Box? And I don't want to give up Tikki. I just found out that my crush and my partner are the same person, and while I am still wrapping my head around that one, in my heart I couldn't think of a better person to be my partner. I mean I did offer him the snake miraculous once, though that didn't work out. Oh, wow, now I know why, and I bet Plagg wasn't happy about that. But I'm worried. I mean there is just so much to learn, and so much responsibility. And I know that Master Fu didn't complete his training here. He taught me what he could, though, and even if I wasn't ready to take the responsibility at the time I take it seriously. What I meant to say is… please don't take Tikki or Chat Noir away from me."

"Marinette, I'm not going to take Tikki from you. Or Plagg from Adrien."

"You're not?"

"No." Master Chung looked both Marinette and Adrien in the eyes. "The circumstances in which Tikki and Plagg were activated are unusual. You've basically had a trial by fire. That is no easy task, and from what I've seen you have both done very well. Wang Fu sent us word as soon as the temple was restored, and included both the reason he activated the Ladybug and Black Cat miraculouses as well as why he chose you."

Marinette breathed a little easier at that and squeezed Adrien's hand.

"You still have a lot to learn, and we'll probably be sending you some help for training. We'll contact you."

"Master, I'm concerned about one other thing." She looked at Adrien. "I don't want to lose my memories at all. And I don't think I can do this alone. Is it possible to name a co-guardian?"

"Yes."

"Adrien, would you be co-guardian with me? You are my Kitty, my protector, and I know I cannot be Ladybug without you."

"Always. You and me against the world, right?"

"Right." She held out her fist for a fist bump. "Pound it?"

"Pound it."

"Additionally, with schoolwork getting harder and with Hawkmoth still sending out Akuma, I'm going to need a core of permanent superheroes. Is that possible as well, Master?"

"Marinette, for the most part, the rules are 'your box, your rules'. So follow your instincts. If you feel you need a permanent core of heroes, then choose them."

"Alya, Nino, as soon as we get home, I want to give you your miraculouses permanently. Will you use them for the greater good and not for personal gain (trust me, that never works)? Will you help Adrien and me to find and defeat Hawkmoth? Will you help us cover when we need to face a supervillain? And most of all, will you still be our best friends?"

Alya was tearing. "Yes, Guardian. Thank you for your trust in me."

"Guardian, I will shield you all to the best of my ability." Nino was smiling.

Marinette hugged her friends. "Let's go home, guys."

Adrien and Marinette called their transformations and they left via the Horse miraculous power Voyage and landed in Alya's living room. Although it seemed forever since they'd been here, it couldn't have been more than a few hours."

"Mom! We're back."

"Hey, Alya. Flyweight. Ladybug. Mr. Whiskers." Nora greeted each visitor in turn.

"Hi, Nora." Alya yawned. "What time is it?"

"It's about 22:00, Alya," said her mother. "And with you yawning like that, I'm thinking it's time for bed." She looked at the group. "Did everything go okay?"

"It appears so," Ladybug answered. "It will take time to be sure. Don't worry, I'll keep an eye on her and Nino."

"In the meantime, this Kitty has to head home to curl up in his basket," Chat Noir said as he stretched. "Shall we, Milady?"

"We shall." They headed toward Alya's bedroom window.

Before the heroes left, they gave their best friends a hug. "See you tomorrow?"

"Can't wait."

Alya snickered.

"What?"

"I can't wait to see Chloe's and Lila's faces tomorrow when they see the SS Adrienette has sailed."

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