Chapter 5: Partial Recovery

They all got back to the park: Sabine flying with Gina, Rose flying with Honeybee, Chat Noir vaulting along with Carapace, and Renard Rouge leaping by himself.

The coal statues of Marinette, Mylène, Alya, and Kim were grim reminders that everything was far from fixed.

After several minutes, the other group arrived: Master Fu, Alix, Max, and Ivan. Master Fu had a small bottle with a purple fluid in it.

"We have the formula!" said Alix. "Max had a great idea for the missing ingredient: a tear of joy."

"I simply suggested we look on the internet for weddings being held nearby," said Max.

Fu introduced himself to Chat Noir. "I am the Great Guardian of the Miraculous. My name is Master Fu."

"I remember you," said Chat Noir. "You were the old man I helped stand when you dropped your cane. It cost me my first day at school. Hey, you're not using a cane now. Was that all a trick?"

"It was a test of character before I gave you the Cat Miraculous," said Master Fu.

"You're here to help Ladybug? Thank you. I wish we had known about you before," said Chat Noir.

"I like to stay in the background, but Ladybug knew about me. I have met with her more than once," said Master Fu.

Chat Noir frowned at this. "But not me. You didn't trust me."

"The time was not right. One does not put the noodles into the pot before the water is hot."

"Things are plenty hot right now," said Chat. "What can we do to save Ladybug?"

"I need you to detransform, feed your kwami, and give him this formula to drink before transforming again."

"What will it do?"

"It will temporarily let him create Lucky Charms," said Master Fu. "We will turn Ladybug's kwagatama, along with yours, into an emergency Lucky Charm."

"A what?" asked Chat Noir.

"Didn't Plagg give you one on your birthday?" asked Master Fu. "A magical bead made from the hair of all previous Cat Miraculous holders, bound with a special resin produced by the kwami."

"No, he gave me a piece of stinky Camembert with a ribbon around it. When I didn't want it, he ate it himself."

"He may be saving it for another occasion."

"I'll ask him."

Chat Noir moved out of sight to de-transform and re-transform. When he came back he looked different. There were shimmering purple swirls all over his costume.

"No kwagatama," said Chat. "Plagg said he was too lazy to keep hairs from all his kittens."

"Unfortunate," said Master Fu. "If we could use both together we would be sure of a full restoration. As it is, it may be only partial."

"Marinette will be partially herself and partially coal? She'll die!" said Chat.

"We'll do the best we can," said Master Fu. "Take Ladybug's kwagatama, throw it up into the air, and invoke 'Lucky Charm'."

"Lucky Charm!"

The artifact came down about twice as large and now it was red with black polka-dots.

"With your left hand touching the statue of Marinette, throw the Lucky Charm into the air and invoke it as 'Miraculous Chat Noir'. There should be enough magic to restore Marinette, but only her."

"Miraculous Chat Noir!"

Dark magical ladybugs flowed out, and zoomed all around Marinette. With a gasp she was back to life.

"Yes!" said everyone together. Chat Noir, Gina, and Sabine were overjoyed. However...

"Aah! My right arm... I can' t move it," said Marinette. "Master Fu? Chat Noir? What happened?"

Master Fu said, "It seems the coal bullet of Befana struck your right shoulder. The transformation magic was strongest there – it may not have completely healed."

"I was turned to coal?" asked Marinette.

"You were. More healing is possible, but you must transform," said Master Fu.

"In front of everyone? What about my secret identity?" asked Marinette.

"Everyone here knows," said Master Fu.

"Tikki, spots on!"

With the invocation of the restored Miraculous, Tikki reconnected to the world. She zipped into the left earring as a red blur. Marinette became Ladybug.

"Now you need to capture and purify the akuma," said Master Fu. "Carapace, you can release it for her."

"My arm is still useless," said Ladybug. "It doesn't hurt as much, but... I'm right handed."

With her left hand, Ladybug opened her yo-yo. Carapace used his force bubble to place the akuma into the glowing space inside, and the top of the yo-yo closed over it. When it re-opened, the butterfly was pure white again."

"Bye-bye, little butterfly."

"Now we need a Lucky Charm," said Master Fu.

With an awkward left-handed spin Ladybug sent the yo-yo up. "Lucky Charm!"

She got a polka-dotted rubber ball.

"There's nothing left to defeat. Just throw the ball up and it should heal everything else," said Master Fu.

Ladybug tossed the ball left-handed. "Miraculous Ladybug!"

A bright swarm of ladybugs flowed everywhere. It flowed around the coal statues, restoring Alya, Kim, and Mylène. It returned Rose and Sabine to normal, and back in the bakery Tom was restored to life. All the incidental damage to objects was completely fixed.

Ladybug felt her arm. "I still can't move it."

"I was afraid of that," said Master Fu. "Since you were already healed by one spell, you were skipped over by the second one."

"Then my arm? Will it...?"

"It will have to be healed by normal means, if it can be," said Master Fu.

Marinette's mother rushed up. "I'll call an ambulance. We'll get you treated, sweetie!"

Gina said, "Oh, my precious Marinetta. I'm so sorry."

"It's my fault," said Marinette. "If I was honest with you from the start that I was expecting a surprise party this afternoon, you wouldn't have gotten angry enough to be akumatized."

"And maybe if you had told me that you no longer liked that kind of candy..." said Gina.

"You're right, I should have been honest," said Marinette. "I was trying to spare your feelings, but lying make everything worse. I'm sorry. I love you, Nona."

"I love you too, Marinetta."

Alya and the other friends crowded around.

"It's good to be back," said Alya. "And to have you back, Ladybug. Marinette, that is."

"I think I'd better give the earrings back to Master Fu," said Ladybug. "Too many people know my identity now. And I can't be a hero with one arm. Tikki, I'm sorry, but I have to renounce you."

In a shimmering wave Ladybug's costume disappeared. Marinette handed the earrings to Master Fu.

"Find a good new home for Tikki, all right?" Marinette asked.

"I have seen some good possibilities," said Master Fu, looking first at Alix and then at Alya.

The ambulance arrived to collect Marinette. Gina and Sabine were going with her.

As she was being loaded onto a stretcher, Chat Noir whispered something in Marinette's ear. Her eyes went wide and she smiled at him. He kissed her on the cheek.

Alya nodded to herself. "Thought so."

Alya was allowed to visit Marinette in the hospital. She brought back news to the class.

"It doesn't look good for Marinette's arm," Alya told the others. "They say it might have to be amputated."

"Oh no," said Rose.

"Poor Marinette," said Nathaniel. "She drew fashion designs right-handed."

"I have some bad news about Adrien," said Nino. "After he thought his plans were ruined for good when the Miraculous turned to coal, Hawk Moth wrote out a confession and took an overdose of sleeping pills. Hawk Moth was Gabriel Agreste, Adrien's dad."

"What? Why would a famous fashion designer become a super-villain?" asked Alya. "Was he insane?"

"The confession said he was trying to get a wish to bring back his wife, Adrien's mother."

"So Adrien is an orphan?" asked Juleka. "That's why he's not here today."

"Gabriel Agreste's assistant, Nathalie, found him in time," said Nino. "He was given emergency treatment and he's expected to recover fully, but he's under arrest for terrorism"

"Where will Adrien live now?" asked Alix.

"He's with a grandmother on his mother's side for now," said Nino. "But he told me he's applying to be emancipated and he'll come back to school here."

Chloé said from across the room, "Adrien will come back for me. He'll never be interested in that silly Marinette, especially with only one arm."

"I think you'll be surprised," said Alya. "A lot changed at that birthday party."

The End