The Price of One || Miraculous Ladybug Fanfiction

Chapter Thirty Six: The Triumph of Good Over Evil

Loveless

She had been waiting for them - turned away in favor of gazing at the setting sun.

"Isn't the idea beautiful? That the setting sun is a promise - teaching us that while night may fall upon us, a new day will soon begin. I used to believe that - that good would triumph over evil." She sighed, letting out a small chuckle. "I was so naive."

"Em-Emma?"

Her onyx eyes widened. No...it..it couldn't be.

She whipped around.

Louis gave her that familiar Louis smile that she had been missing for all these months. He was in his alter-ego, but she could've recognized those bluebell eyes from anywhere.

Loveless let out a strangled sob as the two met in a tight embrace. Because he was there - he wasn't just a figment of her imagination. He hadn't left her all alone.

"I'm so sorry!" She cried out with emotion - holding onto him tighter. "I shouldn't have told Camille anything! I should've just kept my big mouth shut and then none of this would've ever happened!"

"No, Ems. I'm the one who should be sorry." He whispered into her hair. "I should've had better control over my emotions - and I shouldn't have let a girl come between us. You're my little sister - and I love you more than anything."

Loveless sobbed again, letting her fingers dig into his skin. "I just felt so guilty. No one could even look at me. And you had to die without peace. Because of me." Her voice broke, and she wondered if the rest of her had already shattered.

Louis gently pried away her grip, stepping back to look her in the eyes. "Emma - I didn't die without peace because of you. I found peace because of you." He tucked a piece of hair back behind her ear. "So you have to take all of that anger, all of that guilt, fear, rage and sadness, and just let it go, Em. Let it go."

It was like a thousand pound burden had been lifted from her shoulders, and Loveless's form seemed to crumble away until all that was left was a teary Cygnet as a brilliant white butterfly soared away.

She might've been sad, and she might've been hurting, but she was strong - she wasn't a product of tragedy, destined for horrible demise like Hawkmoth had wanted her to believe. She was Emma Agreste - a girl built out of love and goodness who had so much more to offer.

Louis's time seemed to be drawing near as his hands began to disintegrate in golden flakes - the miraculous magic sending him back from whence he came.

So the two siblings stayed close in a tight embrace - both not wanting to let the other go.

"How can I live on, Louis?" Cygnet asked hoarsely. "How am I supposed to go home knowing my big brother isn't going to be there for the rest of my life?"

He held her tighter. "It's going to be hard at first, I'm not going to lie. But each day, I promise it's going to get a little easier. And there's going to be times where you're going to feel like your world is falling apart around you, but you're going to have family and friends to love you and remind you that you are not alone. That you are loved."

Cygnet swallowed. "But how am I supposed to say goodbye?" She whispered.

But he only smiled mysteriously, that familiar spark in his beautiful eyes. "We don't. We say 'See you later'."

His legs had already disappeared, but Cygnet pressed herself to what was left of him - hiding her face in his chest as they held each other for one last time.

And then he was gone.

"Emma?"

She looked up to see Ladybug and Cat Noir - standing a few feet away, tears in their eyes. "Mom? Dad?" She whimpered.

It wasn't long before the three collided, and Cygnet couldn't help but laugh as she was sandwiched tightly in-between their hugs.

"Don't ever do that to us again." Ladybug scolded when the three had finally separated, causing Cygnet to smile bashfully as Cat Noir wrapped an arm around her shoulders, but then her eyes widened - finally realizing the gravity of all that had happened.

"Wait! I was akumatized!" She shouted in exclamation, and Ladybug raised an eyebrow. "Wasn't that kind of obvious?" She asked, but Cygnet shook her head. "You don't understand." She insisted. "Hawkmoth - when you accept the akuma, you basically grant him a bridge into your mind." She paused. "He knows everything now. About the future - our identities."

Emma winced as the two inhaled sharply - sharing a look that she couldn't quite read.

"What do we do now, M'lady?" Cat Noir asked as Ladybug pursed her lips. "I..I don't know. I guess we get Emma home first - then we decide what to do next."

"Mom! You're not listening to me!" Cygnet complained. She pointed at her choker. "Hawkmoth got into my head, but I also rejected his akuma - purifying it without the miraculous ladybug's cleansing abilities."

Cat Noir waved his hands. "Hold on, hold on. I'm confused." He looked back at Cygnet. "What are you trying to say here?"

"I'm saying that while Hawk Moth got into my head, I also got into his." She smiled in triumph. "I know where he is."