Archive of Our Own ^beta

"Can I trust you with this mission?" Ladybug spoke, her hand reaching out to Alix, the blue and white clock resting on her palm.

"You can count on me, Ladybug." She took the clock in her hands, transforming.

"Remember Alix, once you're gone, you won't be able to return from this mission until Monarch has been defeated." Ladybug added, her voice strong and serious. 

Marinette knew that putting this burden on her best friend was horrible. No 14 year old should be carrying such a responsibility, a responsibility like the one forced upon her.

She felt like a terrible friend for putting her own best friend through worse than she had to bear.

But someone had to do the job.

"It's alright Ladybug, I was already prepared." Alix's father spoke, hugging his daughter for what he believed would be the last time in a long while.

"Stay safe and strong for me, alright?" He asked his daughter, keeping his composure as to not upset her.

"I will dad." She said, and the words faded in the promises of time.

Her hair had grown out, even though she had cut it shorter. She'd grown much taller than before, taller than anyone in her old class ironically enough.

She was a full-grown adult. It had been around 5 years since the beginning of her long mission. She knew she had to do this and she trusted Ladybug and Chat Noir with her life.

Which is why when finally the final battle approached, she felt as if she had prepared her whole life just for this event.

The older Ladybug walked towards the bunny hero, the red and black polka dotted miracle box between her hands.

A small compartment opened up, the picture on the outside representing the symbol of a white bunny with a cyan background. The symbol of the bunny miraculous.

She stood in front of the girl, her curly red hair messier than usual, her eyes sleepier and her gaze stern.

"It is time, Bunnix." She said, catching the other hero off guard as her eyes went wide.

"You can go home now." Ladybug finished, looking at the other girl full of sympathy and watching as the other slowly internally crumbled at her words.

Alix was shocked. It was all over. It was all finally over. She can return to her father. And her brother, Jalil.

She can see them again, at last.

Her eyes watered, disbelief wandering around her aura and her hands slightly shaking as she reached for the pocket clock on her side.

She removed it, causing her suit to dissapear and her good kwami companion to appear from the clock.

"It was my pleasure to work with you all this time, Alix" The white rabbit thanked, rubbing it's head against the girl's chin in an affectionate way.

"The honour was mine, Fluff." She said, caressing the rabbit with her thumb as her tears streamed down her cheeks.

"I renounce you." She uttered under her breath, making the creature dissapear and the camouflage of the clock to fade away.

"You were an incredible holder Bunnix. You remained loyal and active for 5 continuous years and you always managed to keep the timelines intact. I am honoured to have worked with you." The red and black bug themed hero took pride in their partnership.

"Thank you for entrusting me with this important mission, Ladybug." A teary Alix replied to her, her smile wide and pearly.

"You can go home now." Ladybug encouraged, patting the now former hero in the shoulder. "You're free."

And it suddenly hit Alix that she really was free.

"Goodbye, Ladybug."

The girl knocked on the door, trying to keep her calm as she awaited for an answer.

A tall man with glasses opened the door, staring at the woman knocking on his door. Upon realising who it is, he rapidly wrapped his arm around his daughter, unable to contain the sobs that escaped his throat.

The girl hugged him back, giving in to her own emotions as she slowly joined him in sobbing their hearts out.

Jalil approached the door, confused on why his dad was suddenly crying. He seemed to not expect the sight, dropping the phone he was holding on his hands and running to the two figures hugging in the doorstep.

"Alix, is it really you?" He spoke, shrieks erruptinv from his own body as he desperately tried to hug the other two people.

"It is me, Jalil. It's me." She cried, pulling back a little so she could pull her hand from her dad and wrap it around her brother.

"I missed you so much you two." She continued, now tightly embracing both of them as they slightly tippytoed inside.

"We missed you two, sweetheart." Mr Kubdel answered, using one of his free hands to push the door closed while continuing to hug his kids.

All three of them pulled away, finally taking a better look at Alix. She had really grown up. And her father had to miss it.

"You are in time for dinner, sis." Jalil announced, earning a small chuckle from his sister as they all walked to the kitchen in the girl's old home.

Would it actually count as her old home if her new home was technically a bubble between time and space that worked as a burrow?

The family sat on the three chairs surrounding the dinner table, the food settling on the placemats perfectly.

"So tell us, Alix, was your mission successful?" Mr Kubdel questioned, even though the answer to that was quite obvious by the fact that Alix was even here to begin with.

"Well yes, but it took so much work from both mine, Chat Noir's and Ladybug's parts. You see..." She began, the sound fading out in the distance as she felt the sight moving away from her, like she was watching herself speak in third person, floating among the people.

The walls of the house slowly ceased to exist, elaving the three people and the table in a dark void, only visible in the horizon.

'Oh.' Bunnix though, 'where are we going?' she densely thought, watching the figures fade.

She breathed in, feeling her lungs heavy and pained, a sharp pain hurting her above her kidney.

'I wish I had gone back to them' she anticipated, trying to take another breath but her chest now heaving hardly whenever she tried.

'I hope they are alright.' she thought, her eyelids becoming heavy, shutting closed every passing second.

"Bunnix? Bunnix can you hear me? Wake up! Please wake up! Hold on!" The voices distantly whimpered, but she could only hear them muffled, her ears ringing loudly and her head throbbing in pain.

'Win for us, Ladybug' she wanted to say, but her mouth couldn't move at her own command, feeling glued shut. 

She tried filling her lungs with more air, downing as much oxygen as she could. Her body wasn't working on her own accord, she'd gone too far.

She took her last few breaths, the only people flashing before her eyes being her dear friends, her brother, her father, her mother.

She'd finally get to see her mother.

"Mom, I'm coming." She managed to mutter quietly, only hearing loud crying in response. But she couldn't do anything. So she let it be.

She breathed in her last breath, her last few tears escaping her tearducts and warming her face up.

'I missed you. '