Our Tale As Old As Time

Chapter 16

        Ladybug couldn't believe it! She just kissed Adrien Agreste! Who also just happened to be her partner all this time! The irony of her heart lining up and falling in love with the same guy twice amazed her. She really was lucky! How had she been so blind to it!? The butterflies filled her chest, but there was still one that she needed to catch. There was still an akuma to take care of.

"Oh right! That problem." Chat's voice cut her from her thoughts. The akuma was before them, mounted up on a white horse. It was obvious that she was a little girl, as she wore a frilly purple princess dress with silver accenting, and a gold tiara. From previous experience, Ladybug knew that the dastardly butterfly was in the tiara and the only thing she needed to do was find a way to get a hold of the jewel. She shot Chat a glance.

"You ready Chat?"

"I'm ready for anything, as long as I'm with you M'lady." Ladybug couldn't help the smile that spread across her face. This was the Chat Noir she knew and loved, the only difference, his simple one liners now meant so much more to her. With a simple nod to the other, the heroes charged the girl. The little girl pulled on the reins of her horse and turned the animal away from them. The pair began to gallop off, but not before Ladybug and Chat Noir gave chase. "We're not going to be able to catch them on foot!" Chat hollered to her. He was right, on foot they wouldn't be able to catch a horse. Both of them stopped, as Ladybug decided to call upon her lucky charm. What materialized was "miraculously inconvenient" as usual. It was a large suction cup this time. What was she supposed to do with this? "What are you going to do with that?" Chat said repeating her thoughts out loud. What would she have done without him? Ladybug rolled her eyes at her own sarcasm. Who was she kidding, Chat...Adrien was irreplaceable. Spotting a motorcycle parked by the sidewalk, she began to formulate a plan. A simple glance at her partner's face immediately informed her that he was unsure but excited about the object. Ladybug smirked as she sprinted to the bike and swung her legs over.

"Get on Kitty! We have a horse to catch." Chat jumped on behind her, comfortably wrapping his arms around her waist. Revving the engine, Ladybug and Chat Noir resumed the chase. Catching up was easy with the motorcycle, and as they closed the gap, Ladybug began to put her plan into action. "Take control!" She instructed Chat as stood up on the bike.

"What!?" The look of horror that crossed over Chat Noir's face didn't surprise Ladybug; she was standing on a moving motorcycle. Swinging her yoyo, she used it to hoist herself up onto a parallel rooftop. In order to get the tiara, Ladybug needed an aerial advantage. Chat pulled himself together and slipped into position as the driver of the bike. Of course, in his usual fashion of theatrical displays. Clearly, Adrien had watched action movies before. Weird, Marinette didn't think an action film to be his cinematic type. When the horse took a sharp turn down a narrow street, Chat Noir followed suite, taking the turn just as tightly mere seconds behind. Ladybug glanced at the road ahead, trying to anticipate the route the akuma would take. That's when she saw the corner up ahead. The only option would be to take a right tun, The horse would cut off Chat Noir making it, but it wouldn't hinder the plan any. Sprinting ahead, Ladybug took the corner and ducked down between two buildings, using the suction cup as a grip to fasten herself to one of the walls. She could do this, she just needed to wait for the perfect moment. When Ladybug heard the horse's stumbling hooves and Chat's shout, she knew the chase had come around the corner. This was it. She couldn't screw this up now, Paris was counting on her, Chat Noir/Adrien was counting on her. Before she could be swallowed by the pressure, Ladybug buried it, instead choosing to build up the momentum and courage she needed to jump. As the horse barreled by, Ladybug simultaneously released the suction cup and leapt from the shadows. Mid-jump, Ladybug realized she had an issue. She had meant to jump out onto the horse's back, not over the thing. In a split second decision, Ladybug looped her yoyo around a nearby lamp post, swinging around it until she was in prime position to release it and drop down onto the equine's back behind the akumatized little girl. The horse picked up pace, bouncing as it galloped through the Paris streets. This was even bouncier than Phillipe had been, that's when the realization hit, they were riding bareback! That's why this was so difficult! Phillipe had been wearing a saddle, this horse only had a bridle and reins. Ladybug hadn't expected this set back, but she was going to do her best to work around it. Reaching around the girl, Ladybug snatched up the reins and pulled back hard, despite the girl's protestant arm swings. The horse dug in its hocks as it halted abruptly the stone screeching underneath its hooves.

"Get off my horse!" The girl whined as she threw her own tantrum. Sugar and cookies. Ladybug sighed and rolled her eyes. She may be a babysitter from time to time, but that didn't mean she didn't get tired of the little fits that the kids threw. Both girls were caught off guard when they heard the rev of the motorcycle. Chat sitting on it smugly as he spun it in donuts around the horse. He was clearly enjoying himself. The smoke billowed up around them as Chat brought the bike to a halt parallel to the animal, leaning over it like the model he was under the mask. It was a lot easier to see where Chat and Adrien were alike now, and Ladybug wondered if he was getting a similar feeling but with her identity. How long had they been dancing around each other, blinded by the love for each other's persona? It was honestly embarrassing to think about it. Whatever the case, Ladybug couldn't help the love that was growing for her dear partner Chat Noir.