Work Text:
It’s not her first Diamond Dance, but Kagami is hoping it’ll be her last.
She’s never particularly cared for the events. She attended before out of duty— to be the diamond that her mother raised her to be and to show everyone just how brightly she shined. In the past, she didn’t enjoy the company of her peers, finding them to be spoiled rotten, irritating, and overall unimpressive and unpleasant people to be around, but this year will be different. For several reasons.
For one, there is a friend that will be attending. Adrien will be there, and while they will be forced to attend as king and queen, at least their reluctance will be mutual. Misery loves company, or so the saying goes.
And, of course, the other reason is because if all goes to plan, this will be her last Diamond Dance. And perhaps, the last there will ever be.
Kagami stares into the bathroom mirror, looking into her own eyes and finding nothing but complete resolution.
She pulls back one side of her jacket and stares at the brooch underneath. It’s deep red and could easily be mistaken for a fan or a flower from its design. Even if anyone did see it, they likely won’t know what it is.
A blue head peeks out from the inside jacket pocket. “Is that what you’re wearing?”
“No. The dance provides outfits for everyone who goes. We will change when we get there, and don’t worry, I ensured that I would have pockets for my dress.”
Duusu smiles at her. “Too bad I can’t dance too. It sounds so romantic!”
“Unfortunately, it’s not.” Kagami gently scratches his head. “But I’m sure there will be something for you to eat. And if there isn’t, then I’ll grab something nice for you after. I wouldn’t be able to do this without you.”
Kagami reaches up to feel the slight warmth coming from the red studded earrings. Life pulses within them, all thanks to Duusu.
Duusu chirps happily. “I hope you have fun tonight!”
“I’m not sure if I’d call it fun,” Kagami admits. “But I’m hoping it’ll be a good night either way.”
—
She had been Ryuko first.
She had been Ladybug’s ally and friend first.
Kagami doubted if she was either now, but not out of fault for Ladybug. She hadn’t done anything intentionally wrong— it wasn’t her fault that Shadowmoth forced beings like her to fight. It wasn’t her fault that Ryuko felt sick after watching a feather be purified, a living being killed because it was forced to fight in a war it had no stakes in.
Ryuko wasn’t supposed to know, but she did. She heard the way her mother spoke on the phone once when she wasn't supposed to be home— off handed comments about letting Kagami keep it because she didn’t need the ring to keep her in line. And slowly, Kagami had put the pieces together.
Her ring, her amok.
She never had a father after all. Her mother wouldn’t need one in the picture if she had other means to have a child. A successor.
It wasn’t definite confirmation but Kagami knew the answer in her heart. And when she looked at other sentimonsters, she saw herself in their eyes. Duty. Obligation.
Kagami couldn’t let it continue, but Shadowmoth was out of reach. She didn’t know his exact identity, but she knew other things.
Her mother had a connection to him. Owed him for creating Kagami. And her mother had a lot of business partners in Paris, but all she needed was that connection.
Ryuko showed up at her office one night. Told her she wanted to make a deal with Shadowmoth. And while her mother didn’t take kindly to the visit, Ryuko got what she wanted.
Ryuko made her demand, then told him to name his price. And despite herself, Shadowmoth knew of her desperation and told her that he would give her the Peacock, if she gave him either Ladybug and Chat Noir’s Miraculouses, or every other Miraculous from every other hero.
An unbalanced, unfair deal, but Shadowmoth held all the cards. All Ryuko could do was give him a time and date to show up and it would be done.
The next night, Ryuko struck. She was one of a few permanent heroes, and fortunately, she knew all of them. Alya, Nino, and Luka were easy enough targets, but her last stop of the night made every step even heavier than it already was.
Ryuko had overheard something she shouldn’t have, once. Her good friend and leader were one and the same. It made sense in hindsight, given all the identities that she knew thus far.
Marinette was Ladybug. Ladybug was Guardian. And that meant that every other Miraculous was somewhere in her room.
Ryuko found and took every single one, except for the earrings. Even with how far her betrayal was going, Ryuko couldn’t take Ladybug away from Paris, or from Marinette.
Every single Miraculous, including her own, was then stored away until her meeting with Shadowmoth. Come morning, Kagami would act as though she too had been met with a Miraculous thief, and her guilt only became deeper watching her friends spiral.
She could’ve corrected her mistake. Could’ve turned it around— taken from Shadowmoth instead.
But she didn’t. And when the day came around, Ryuko made the trade.
Fifteen Miraculouses for the Peacock. All without exposing her identity, nor learning Shadowmoth’s.
In the darkness of her room, Kagami clutched the brooch in hand, ignoring every text and notification on her phone. She sat with her guilt, trying to determine if the trade was truly worth it, or if she should’ve taken the chance to take Shadowmoth down, even if he had been fully prepared for a betrayal.
But the brooch was warm in her hand, and when her eyes lingered to the date on her clock, she began to hatch a plan.
A way to make her betrayal worthwhile.
—
Adrien is late to the Diamond Dance. Kagami bites back a smile when she hears her mother and Gabriel Agreste harshly whisper over this fact.
Slowly, her respect for her mother has been vanishing, and ever since Kagami found the amok in the ring on Gabriel’s finger, she’s felt nothing but disdain for the man. Both of them were in league with Monarch. There was a chance that Gabriel could be Monarch, but it wouldn’t matter either way tonight.
Kagami had a good feeling that Monarch, whoever he was, would be at this dance. And so long as she succeeded, she wouldn’t need to worry about him anymore.
Adrien shows up eventually, smiling politely as ever. He takes Kagami’s hand and to her surprise, leans down to kiss it.
She doesn’t understand why until she feels it. Her eyes dart to the hand hidden behind his back, and the silver ring there. The pulse of life there that she knows all too well.
She’s pulled away to get dressed for the dance soon enough but the realization sinks in slowly.
He’s already there, sitting in the spot Adrien should be in, when Kagami enters the ballroom. She sits beside him, as is expected, and it doesn’t escape her notice that he has folded his hands over each other, purposefully hiding the ring.
Kagami hasn’t gotten a good look at it yet, but she’s certain it’s not Adrien’s. That he is not Adrien, no matter how hard he’s pretending to be.
It’s a good act. Unfortunately, Kagami knows that Adrien doesn’t have his amok, meaning there’s only one other person it can be.
She didn’t realize Félix was like her too. A strange feeling bubbles to her chest.
She glances at the clock as she sits down next to him. Fifteen minutes until their dance.
Not long until Monarch’s defeat then.
“You look beautiful.” It may be an imitation of Adrien’s polite voice but Félix doesn’t look like he’s lying. She wonders how sincere any of this is, then decides she wants to know what he looks like when he’s sincere. “Out of everyone here, you’re the best suited to be queen.”
“I could say the same about you.” Kagami keeps her voice level, even if her eyes are searching. “Are you enjoying yourself, Adrien?”
“As much as I can.” There’s a slight strain in his smile, almost unnoticeable. Félix doesn’t enjoy the dance either then. Another thing in common. “At least I’m with pleasant company.”
“Yes.” Kagami agrees, her gaze narrowing a little as she glances at the other so-called ‘Diamonds’ below them. “On nights like these, pleasant company can be so hard to find.”
Félix’s eyes widen a little, as if the mask has slipped, and he bites back a grin. “At least we can understand each other on that front.”
It’s as if they’re in a play together, Félix as the role of Adrien, Kagami as herself, yet while they both know their roles, Félix doesn’t realize how much of her role is an act. How much bubbles just below the surface, anticipation at the forefront of it all, and how much she yearns to be free.
She doesn’t know much about Félix. She’s formally met him once, heard others complain here and there, but she doesn’t think he’s been in Paris since his uncle was Akumatized and attacked him. And now, he’s here, pretending to be Adrien, but to what end? For what purpose?
Adrien hadn’t wanted to come. He’s dating Marinette, oblivious to the fact that her and Ladybug, his former crush, are one and the same. Is Félix filling in just to cover him, or is there another reason? Is he playing with fire when it comes to Gabriel?
Her mind circles back. Félix is like her. He has his amok.
She wants to see it but thinks it would be rude to ask. The amok is their soul, trapped within an object. They hardly know each other, why would he bear his soul to her?
Her ring feels warm. The earring feels warm.
She’s willing to bet Félix’s ring feels warm too.
“What keeps you here?” Félix asks suddenly. Kagami glances at the clock. Ten minutes. “If you hate it here so much, what’s stopping you from leaving?”
“Possibly security.”
“Are they a problem?” He raises an eyebrow. Kagami finds herself smirking.
“Not at all, but my mother would make quite the fuss.”
“They love making a fuss, don’t they?” His eyes dart back to where their parents are— or rather, where her, Adrien’s, and Chloé’s parents are. Neither of Félix’s are present. “One thing out of place and it’s everyone else’s problem. Lives destroyed,” his voice drops to something bitter and distinctly un-Adrien like, “With a snap of their fingers.”
“Power corrupts.” Her brooch is hidden under the flower on her dress, red blending in with red. Kagami is well aware that she’s been corrupted but intends to use this fact. Power beats power. She’ll prove it, even if it means losing herself to achieve her goal. “They see what they can get and don’t consider the lives of others, only how to get it.”
Fifteen kwamis— fourteen now, Fluff is elsewhere, or rather, elsewhen— under Monarch’s thumb, due to her actions. Duusu told her how terrible Monarch was, unable to speak his name, but still able to speak of the horrors. Kagami gave them all up, separated them from their Holders, some of which they were quite attached to.
Longg. She betrayed Longg. And he had smiled weakly and said he forgave her and understood.
The guilt ate her alive, ants feasting on the remains of her heart. But Kagami had a plan.
Minutes tick by, filled with soft questions and inquisitive eyes. He’s interested in her too. She wonders what he sees.
Their platform lowers so they can step onto the dance floor. Félix takes her hand gently, the other hovering over her waist until she moves first. Not hesitation, but a silent request for permission.
His ring-hand is hidden at her waist. She doesn’t look down, no matter how much she wants to.
Music fills the air. Félix begins their dance, slow at first, allowing her to set the pace. His eyes do not wander, and this, Kagami thinks, is the part that makes it most obvious that he is not Adrien.
They are alone on the dance floor, a crowd formed around them that dares not step closer to the king and queen. This moment is for them, this dance is for them, this song is for them.
The Dragon and the Peacock suit her for the same reasons: she’s always been a little greedy, deep down. Always wanted more, the same way a dragon hoards and a peacock collects. And this, right here, right now, she wants to keep forever.
Keep him forever, the dragon, the peacock, says inside of her.
Every second is vital. Kagami knows it won’t be long now.
She pulls him in a little closer, inclining her head and dropping her voice down to a whisper. “Do you trust me?”
There’s a flicker in his eyes. Félix does not know what Adrien would say here but gives it his best approximate guess. “Of course.”
“Then whatever you do,” for the first time since his hand took hers, her eyes flicker away and towards the entrance, “Stay close to me. I’ll protect you.”
“Protect me from—”
Félix doesn’t get to finish his sentence. The entrances are busted open, iridescent glares of light shining on the floor and walls as one by one, knights made of pure diamond march into the room.
The adults all stand up, eyes wide and outraged. The other kids start screaming and running the opposite direction.
Félix’s eyes fill with shock, then dart over to lock onto her. Her calm demeanor, her unshakeable stance.
He seems to double take, his perception of her changing in real time.
The knights, about a dozen or so in total, march for the adults, surrounding them. Many of the other kids escape, but Kagami’s hand entwines with Félix’s. She doubts he would run now, even if she wasn’t holding onto him. He’s too curious.
“What is the meaning of this?” Kagami hears her mother demand.
“Sentimonsters.” She hears Gabriel growl. “They have to be.”
All of her diamond knights raise their blades and thrust them forward. The moment they so much as touch a single person, diamond spreads on their skin, turning them into a sparkling statue. One by one, all of the adults are engulfed, and once they are, the knights that caused it begin to glow and split into two, duplicating themselves.
It’s only Kagami, Félix, and the diamond knights once they’re finished. All of them are cut from the same cloth, or rather, taken from the same fan.
“Good work.” Kagami tells them. “You know what to do.”
They all nod and begin marching out. Kagami turns towards Félix, searching his eyes. “They won’t hurt you, I promise. I won’t either.”
Félix is silent for a long moment, seeming to drink that information in. “You know I’m not Adrien, don’t you?” Kagami nods once. “Because you…”
“Duusu,” Kagami murmurs, “Spread my feathers.”
Her dress transforms from her mother’s vibrant red to a shade of deep blue, length growing in the back while remaining shorter in the front. A few crest feathers sprout from her hair and her skin and eyes become blue and violet respectively. When Félix gazes at her, there’s an air of hesitance that wasn’t there before.
Kagami— Aoi Hane— holds up her hand still bearing her amok. “I told you I wouldn’t hurt you.” She tells him again. “Not one of my own.”
It clicks. Green eyes blow wide, abruptly drinking in every inch of her very being. Aoi Hane extends a hand and this time, Félix takes it without hesitation. She smiles and runs for the exit, pulling him along and once they’re outside, tugging him into her arms, sweeping him off his feet in an instant as the distant sound of suits of armor marching fills the air.
Now is the part where we steal him away forever? The dragon, the peacock, asks once again. Aoi Hane has to push the thought away before it consumes her.
“Allow me to get you somewhere safe.”
“I can’t stay with you?” Félix sounds disappointed. Something within— which part, she cannot tell— hums happily, but she must shake her head despite it.
“I have business to take care of first. The dangerous sort.”
“I don’t mind.” His mouth curves into a smirk. “I could do with a little danger.”
Her heart skips a beat. She hasn’t felt that in quite some time. “I would feel better if you were safe. But I will find you again, later.”
“Promise?” The word loses its teasing edge, coming across as more genuine than she expects it to.
Nonetheless, she nods. “I promise.” She vows. “Safety first. We will talk later.”
—
The diamond knights march throughout Paris, focused and determined. They freeze anyone deemed a threat— police, the wealthy that would sooner sell out everyone in the city then give up their riches, dangerous criminals— but Aoi Hane gave specific instructions for them to leave Miraculous Holders alone, other than Monarch. Otherwise, they will protect the city and grow in numbers with each act.
Confusion and panic has struck but Aoi Hane knows they’ll understand soon enough. She only needs the right people to explain it.
She waits for their inevitable arrival. As soon as she spots Ladybug and Chat Noir trying to wrangle her knights together, she heads straight for them. They both tense when she leaps down from the rooftops but Aoi Hane bears no hostility towards them.
“Ladybug. Chat Noir.” She greets. “I understand how this must look but I assure you, I only seek to better Paris.”
The pair exchange a look. “…Right.” Chat Noir replies in a skeptical tone. “How exactly does turning people into statues help? And who are you?”
“I’m eliminating those who have only hurt this city. My hope is Monarch is among them. I may not know his identity but I know he’s in league with people like Tomoe Tsurugi and Gabriel Agreste.”
“And how do you know that?” Ladybug presses, an unreadable look in her eyes. “How did you get the Peacock Miraculous from Monarch without knowing his identity?”
“I made a trade. Tomoe Tsurugi got me in contact with him, and in return for every other Miraculous, he gave me the Peacock.” Both Chat Noir and Ladybug react to that— shock and anger and more confusion— Aoi Hane holds up a hand and continues. “My plan was to use the Peacock to bring him down. And while I have no confirmation yet, I believe I’ve succeeded. Monarch is among the frozen, where he’ll remain and never hurt anyone again.”
“You—!” Ladybug’s anger feels like a wildfire, surrounding her on all sides. In comparison, Chat Noir’s eyes are cold and defensive, clutching onto his staff like he’s ready to either fight by or defend his lady at a moment’s notice. “You took everything! There are kwami suffering because of you!”
The barbs dig into her heart. She thinks of Longg, the sad smile as she renounced him. “I only did it to one day bring him down. Now Monarch can never hurt anyone ever again and Paris will be the safest city on Earth.”
“How?” Ladybug presses, eyes blazing. Her yo-yo is in hand, poised to throw. “How did you take all of them? How did you know?”
“Because I know you, Ladybug.” Aoi Hane takes a gamble, and a step forward. She does not reach for the fan— they don’t understand yet, but they will. They just need to realize they can trust her. “You trusted me. With the Dragon Miraculous. All of this,” she gestures around them, “Is a means to protect us. To protect all of us, from monsters like my mother and Adrien’s father. And with Monarch gone, we can reclaim everything.”
She sees the moment when Ladybug gets it— when both of them get it. The light leaves Ladybug’s eyes, shoulders going stack. Tension rises in Chat Noir’s, gritting his teeth as betrayal dances in his eyes.
When Ladybug can’t move, Chat Noir does instead. He steps in front of her, shielding Aoi Hane from her view. There’s a coldness in his eyes that she’s never seen before.
“Kagami.” Chat Noir says out loud, her identity now no longer a secret. “Hand over your Miraculous.”
Frustration hits Aoi Hane hard and fast— they still see her as an enemy. She’s not— if anything, she’s done their job for them. “Paris will be safer like this—” She begins, but Chat Noir shuts her down.
“And who gets to decide that? You?” Another step forward, eyes narrowing. “That’s tyranny, Kagami. Turning anyone you want to a crystal statue whenever you see them as a threat— you won’t create a paradise, you create a prison! You’ll be no better than Gabriel or your mother—!”
“Don’t!” Aoi Hane finally finds the fan in her hand. A shorter weapon than she prefers, but she’s trained with many different weapons. The tessen is by no means her favorite but she knows how to make it work. “You fear the power we hold— I’m embracing it! Don’t you see how much more we could do if we were more proactive? If we did more to prevent all of this from happening?”
“Not like this!” Chat Noir strikes and Aoi Hane quickly blocks it. “We will take down Monarch— whoever he is— but not by taking the city by storm! Not by turning people to statues like he does! Not by becoming anything like the people we’re trying to fight!”
They match each other blow for blow. It’s rare that she meets an opponent who can keep up with her— Chat Noir is a whirlwind. Aoi Hane goes back and forth with him, only just managing to send his staff flying off and leaving him weaponless. Even then, however, Chat Noir balls his fists and looks like he’s ready to go down swinging, staff or no staff.
A zip and a string curling around one of her arms however, catches Aoi Hane’s attention. The arm clutching her fan is yanked back, away from Chat Noir, and she meets Ladybug’s tear-filled eyes. Sees the hurt.
It makes her falter.
“Kagami…” Ladybug whispers, almost lost. “I trusted you… I thought I failed you. You watched me struggle, you knew how much it hurt to lose the other Miraculouses but you…”
She trails off. Aoi Hane can’t move. When Chat Noir gains the courage to make a move for her brooch, she doesn’t try to stop him.
A flash of silver and a grunt from Chat Noir snaps her out of it however. He staggers back, cheek blooming red. She yanks herself free of the yo-yo string and turns to meet a familiar pair of green eyes.
“That’s not yours.” Félix’s eyes gleam, Chat Noir’s staff in hand. He looks a little awkward holding it, perhaps not used to fighting with a weapon, but determined nonetheless.
“Félix?” Chat Noir exclaims, utterly baffled.
“They’re not willing to listen.” Félix ignores him to talk to her instead. “You don’t need to waste your words on them.”
Aoi Hane’s throat bobs but she knows there’s nothing else to be done here. She rushes forward, a hand on Félix’s shoulder, but glances back. Knows from the look in Ladybug’s eyes that if she runs now, she’ll be pursued.
Unless…
Her hands do not shake as she pulls out one of her earrings, but it’s no less heavy. She tosses it to Ladybug and tells her, “Fix it, but know it wasn’t their fault. Only mine. I made them out of vengeance. It’s all they know.”
Aoi Hane sweeps Félix off his feet and takes off. No one chases after them, and a minute later, the miraculous cure fixes everything.
Aoi Hane finds a secluded rooftop to set Félix down on and cannot stop herself from weeping, sinking to the ground. His arm finds its way on her shoulder to bring her in close, a little awkward but no less trying, and Aoi Hane tries not to let her tears ruin his suit.
He twirls Chat Noir’s staff with one hand until it disappears. He looks a little mystified by it, how it’s gone in a pop. Aoi Hane remembers a time when she had been just as awed by the power the Miraculous gave. Now, it only feels like a burden.
“I really am no better.” She murmurs. Félix glances at her. “I created life only to use it, then let it die… Just as Shadowmoth had.”
“You were trying to do something greater. You know better now.” Félix insists. “Honor the fallen. Do not forget their name.”
She rubs her eyes. “Fall my feathers.” She murmurs, and the transformation leaves her. She unclips the brooch from her dress. “I am not worthy of this power. I’ve only created pain. It would be better in your hands.”
Kagami tries to offer it to him but Félix gets a pinched look on his face and pushes it back towards her. “No.” He tells her firmly. “It’s yours. If you don’t feel worthy now, then you just need to become worthy. If you didn’t like how things went tonight, then fix it. Do not give up yet. Not when you’ve gotten further than I ever could.”
She gives him a look. Félix lets out a small breath. “I wanted the brooch once as well. It didn’t work out. But you succeeded. You got this far for a reason. Please, don’t give up now.”
Félix has a hand on each of her shoulders, staring into her eyes with a mix of determination and a softness she doesn’t suspect, or feel that she deserves. Her heart sings however— the two parts inside her, both dragon and peacock, want her to keep this. Keep him forever. Bundle him up in her nest, as a part of her hoard, and keep him safe and happy and covered in gold and wrapped in comfortable things and preen his feathers hair and keep him warm and—
Kagami wraps him into a hug, trying not to cry into his shoulder. Félix returns it, slightly more confident than before, and they stay like that for a while.
“Chat Noir said I couldn’t take Monarch down like this.” She says when she finally pulls back, ridding herself of the tears staining her face. “But Monarch doesn’t come out and fight himself. He stays hidden and we have no way of knowing who he is.”
“…Well.” Félix begins, and her head snaps up. His smile is sly and prideful. “I might be able to help with that.”
“You know who he is?” She presses. He nods.
“I wasn’t able to face him without a Miraculous before, especially when he had the Peacock. But if you have it, and we have the means to fight him, then he doesn’t stand a chance.” Félix holds his head up high as he tells her, “Gabriel Agreste. Monarch, Shadowmoth, Hawkmoth— he’s Gabriel Agreste, and we need to take Adrien’s amok back before we take him down a peg.”
“Gabriel Agreste…” She murmurs. She’s not surprised. It makes sense and she really did take down Monarch tonight in that case. “We can handle him.” She says, and Félix smiles gleefully. “But… I’m tired tonight. And I don’t know if I can go home.”
Félix takes her hand gently, eyes shining like stars. “That’s fine. I have someplace we can go. Do you trust me?”
For a boy she met only today, and has been known for his trickery in the past, she shouldn’t. But today, he has trusted her a dozen times over, and she wants to do the same. To reach back and learn to trust someone with all the things that have been weighing heavily on her.
She takes his hand, their amoks bumping against one another, and her actions speak for themselves.