A Price To Pay

Chapter 1

"Adrien...you know how much damage this could do to someone you care about. This isn't right-"

"Be quiet Ladybug! If this brings back my mother...then I'm doing it! I'm going to help my father and bring her back."

"But, Adrien-"

"Just give me your miraculous."

"Never."

"Then you leave me no choice. Plagg, Claws Out!"

Ladybug watched as Adrien transformed back into her partner, Cat Noir.

"Cat, I don't want to hurt you."

"Then just give me your miraculous so we can get this over with. Don't you want me to be happy?"

"Yes! But not like this! There's a terrible price to pay if you bring her back, no matter what."

Cat Noir lunged at Ladybug. She dodged. He lunged again. She dodged again. Cat Noir ended up tripping her with his stick and she fell to the floor. Cat Noir dropped down next to her and they looked at each other for a moment, Ladybug pleading Cat Noir to stop, with her eyes.

He shook his head. Ladybug got back up and stood in a fighting position. Cat Noir just stood up. "Cataclysm." He said. Ladybug's eyes widened. Cat Noir jumped in the air and hit a wall in his house. But he didn't care. The wall collapsed on top of Ladybug, making her faint underneath the blocks.

Cat Noir walked over to her and found her head. He grabbed her earrings, making her de-transform. The raven blue hair, the pink khaki pants, the white floral shirt, and the pigtails were all too familiar.

At that second, Cat Noir knew he should've believed Ladybug, if not her, then at least believed his classmate, Marinette Dupain-Cheng. But he didn't want to, he wanted to bring his mother back. And that's just what he was going to do.

The sirens...the sirens...the sirens...the sirens were the last thing Marinette heard before she slipped into unconsciousness...

"THE SIRENS!!" Marinette woke up yelling.

Marinette closed her eyes and let out a shaky breath. She rubbed her eyes and let out another shaky breath. Confused, she looked around and saw a bowl of warm soup next to her bed. Remembering the events of the week before, she realized that she hadn't been at school for a week because she was sick.

As soon as Marinette stood up, she got dizzy and she had to lay back down. Marinette let tears slip down her face. Tikki... she thought. She wanted her tiny friend back. No she NEEDED her. She was the only thing that could comfort her right now.

Sabine came into the room and breathed out a sigh of relief. "Oh thank goodness you're awake!"

"How long was I...?"

"At least a week, after you passed out at the Agreste mansion of course."

Marinette groaned.

"Don't worry, Alya took notes for you. I have them right now, but I don't want you working on anything yet."

"Why not?" Sabine bit her lip. "Have you seen yourself? You're as pale as snow and, I'm not sure how, you puked while you were asleep. Marinette, you're not ready to do anything just yet."

Marinette covered her face. She suddenly sat straight up and immediately became dizzy.

"Marinette! Lay back down!" Marinette slowly shook her head.

"Mom, why aren't any of my bones broken?"

"Um, I don't know. Why?"

"If a whole wall fell on a person, they would be dead. If not dead, severely injured, right?"

Sabine nodded.

"So then, why am I alright except for a sickness." Sabine's expression softened. "Sweetie, I'm guessing that it was the strength of Ladybug that helped you stay alive." Marinette laid back down. She knew it. Her mom and possibly her dad, knew that she was Ladybug.

"How did you find out?" Marinette whispered. "Cat Noir had the earrings in his hand, and hesitated before leaving you. Nathalie saw everything...and told me. I'm so sorry, Marinette. Alya knows too..."

"A price to pay..." Marientte whispered.

"What?"

"Nothing."

Sabine left the room. At that moment, Marinette knew exactly why she was so sick.