Forgotten

7

"Yes," Chat Noir said, moving closer to her. "Yes I am."

"You're the real one."

He nodded, trying to keep his emotions in check. "Do you remember me?"

Very slowly Marinette shook her head.

Chat Noir held back tears. "I came to talk to you about something important."

"What is it?" she asked breathlessly.

"It's about why you lost your memories."

She scrunched up her face. "I lost my memory because I fell."

"No Marinette, you didn't fall. Something else happened."

Another tear fell down her face and she stood there for a minute before speaking. "Please tell me."

He nodded. "You were Ladybug, the real one. We fought alongside each other against Shadow Moth. Then the Grandmaster in charge of the Miraculouses convinced you to give up your role as guardian of the Miracle Box. When you did that, your memories were erased to keep the Miraculouses safe."

Marinette stared at him in disbelief as she listened. There were a lot of words that she didn't understand. "But... that can't be true. I could never be a superhero. I'm just a clumsy girl who fell and bumped her head."

"No you're not," he argued. "You're so much more than that, Marinette. You're the hero that Paris needs right now."

She didn't respond, so he kept speaking.

"When I had to give up my Miraculous, I felt lost. Like something was missing. I was missing my kwami, Plagg, who gives me my powers. I was missing the freedom that it gave me. But above all, I was missing my true identity. Have you felt the same way ever since you lost your memories?"

"Yes," she choked out. "I feel exactly the same. I just didn't know why."

"You can get it back Marinette. Your memories might be gone, but you can be Ladybug again. And then maybe you won't feel so empty."

Through the tears a small smile emerged.

He smiled back and held a box out to her.

"What's that?" she whispered.

"It's your earrings. It's time you put them on again."

Marinette hesitantly took the box from his hand. With one last look at him, she opened it up.

************************************

They ran across the rooftops.

"So, we have to find the akuma thing first?" Ladybug asked Chat Noir as they traveled.

"Yes, and the amok. They'll be hidden somewhere on the villain. Try to find something that seems out of place. Then we have to break it to release them."

"And then I use my Lucky Ch...?"

"No!" Chat Noir shouted, stopping her from completing the word. "As soon as you say it, your power is activated. Wait until we get there."

"Okay, okay," she murmured to herself, trying to remember everything that he was telling her.

"Then after they're released from the object, you capture them with your yo-yo to purify them, M'lady."

"M'lady?" she repeated, glancing over.

"Oh sorry. I... have about seven different nicknames for you. I hope that you don't mind."

Ladybug laughed. "Not at all. Do I have any nicknames for you?"

"Yeah," he nodded. "You used to call me 'Kitty' sometimes."