The princess returns (Book 2)

Home, the real home

"Ladybug, you are the one who killed me. And now, I shall take revenge on the ones you love!" whispered a voice spookily.

"No!" I screamed, bolting awake in my sleep. I looked around, awaiting Adrien's presence but it never came. Instead, one of the servants came rushing in.

"Is everything alright, m'lady?" asked the girl. I nodded hastily before dismissing her of her duties for the night. I wrapped myself in the blanket and hugged my knees, rocking front to back, front to back, as an effort to calm myself.
"Are you having nightmares again?" asked Tikki. I nodded through my tears, trying to take in deep breaths.
"Wasn't Lady Butterfly kind of protecting you from them?" asked Tikki, concern written all over her face as she flew closer to me.
"She... didn't... come... tonight," I said through my tears as I continued to weep.

Tikki came up to my face and nuzzled into my cheek, hoping it would calm me down. But the only person who could calm me down was Adrien. And he wasn't here. Because I sent him away.
"He's coming to meet you in Paris in 3 days," she whispered soothingly as if hearing my thoughts.

The room lit up with a bright light as my phone turned on and a sound started to play from it. I looked at it, tears all over my face as I saw that Adrien was requesting a video call.

I accepted and he looked at me with a sympathetic look.
"I knew it," he said sadly. I gave him a sad chuckle before continuing to sob.
"What did he do this time?" asked Adrien, sounding like Adrien and not... him.
"He... he..." I couldn't talk. All that came out of me was chokes of sadness as I attempted to stop my tears. Alas, it did not work. They just sprayed out of my eyes like a fountain.

"Sun goes down and says goodnight.
Pull your covers up real tight.
By your bed we'll leave a light.
To guide you off to dreamland.
Your pillows soft your bed is warm.
Your eyes are tired when day is done.
One more kiss and you'll be gone.
On your way to dreamland.
Every sleepy boy and girl.
In every bed around the world.
Can hear the stars up in the sky.
Whispering a lullaby.
Who knows where you'll fly away.
Winging passed the light of day.
The man in the moon and the Milky Way.
Welcome you to dreamland.
Every sleepy boy and girl.
In every bed around the world.
Can hear the stars up in the sky.
Whispering a lullaby.
Who knows where you'll fly away.
Winging passed the light of day.
The man in the moon and the Milky Way.
Welcome you to dreamland," he sang.

I let myself sigh in relaxation. He could always comfort me with that song and I never knew why it comforted me.

"M'lady, what's wrong?" cried Adrien, as he jumped onto my balcony and into my room.
"H-how did you know?" I asked with tears flowing.
"I... I didn't. I could feel it," he explained shakily. He muttered his detransformation words and appeared to me as Adrien. He took me in his arms and rocked me side to side.
"How do I make you feel okay enough to tell me what's wrong?" he asked me with desperation in his eyes. I shrugged as I continued sobbing into his shoulder.

And that's when he did it. He sang me that song. Once he was done, I looked up at him in awe.
"What was that?" I asked, wiping away the tears and feeling better. He gave me a smile. "I didn't know you could sing."
"I didn't either," he said with a chuckle.
"Where did you learn that song?" I asked him.
"My mother sang it to me whenever I got nightmares as a little boy," he explained.
"That was beautiful," said a voice at my bedroom door.

Eleanor was looking at us in shock.
"T-Thank you Eleanor," he stammered.
"No thank you. If I was in the living room, I would have never heard her. And also, it's a good thing you sensed it because I would have never known how to comfort her like that," she said with a smile, as she leant on the doorframe.
"Oh yeah. How did you get here so quick?" I asked him.
"I ran over as fast as I could when I felt something was wrong. Is there anyway you can move back into the city? I'm exhausted," he explained with an exasperated sigh. Eleanor shook her head and I looked down sadly.

Of course. My mother wanted me far away from all of my friends. I just hope she won't interfere with my after-graduation plans. Ugh, I'd hate that if she did.

"Thank you Adrien," I said with a smile.
"Any time princess. Want to tell me what happened?" he asked, feeling more relaxed now that I was.
"He said that because I killed him... he was going to make me pay by hurting the ones I love," I explained.
"It's okay Marinette. He can't hurt you. Hawkmoth is gone," he said sadly.
"But he isn't! Now his anger lives within Lila/Lady Butterfly! And I have to leave to a place where they know about this and know there are heroes to protect them! I can't live like this anymore!" I wailed.
"I promise, I will help you once we get to Paris," he whispered.

"Adrien... if I... died," I began.
"Don't say that!" he snapped.
"Hear me out," I hissed. I let out a deep breath before continuing. "If she won... if I did die. Promise me one thing... well 2 actually."
"Of course," he said with a sigh. He didn't want to talk about this obviously but I needed to make my point engraved into his head.
"First of all, do not fall in love with Lila," I said playfully.
"Ew definitely not," he said with a chuckle. I cleared my throat and he sensed the change in the next thing. It was serious.
"Do not use the moth miraculous to bring me back. Do not terrorise the next Ladybug into giving her my miraculous so you can make the wish to bring me back," I explained.

The thought of that stung him a little but he accepted my terms. Now I just had to hope he could keep to them.