Chapter Text
"You don't love me the way that she did, you can never match her," Adrien had screamed , his eyes filled with hatred.
"No Adrien that's not true, I love you," She had yelled back from the ground, "I've loved you ever since the day we met, you're my everything,"
"You're wrong," Adrien had said as he activated his Cataclysm, "You fell in love with Adrien, and he's not real, he's fake and you can't love something that's not real," Adrien had stared at her with stone-cold eyes as he walked closer to her.
"No, you're real," She had said as she slid back on the floor, bumping into the coffin, "You have to be real,"
"I'm not Marinette, so I might as well destroy those earrings and bring back someone who loved me for who I truly am," Adrien had walked over to her with no mercy in his eyes, his white mask making his icy blues eyes look even scarier, Adrien kneeled down next to Marinette's shaking, helpless body,
"Goodnight m'lady,"
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"Adrien!" Marinette woke up in a cold sweat, she was breathing heavily, and her heart was beating aggressively at the memory. Marinette touched her ears on impulse and was met with naked earlobes.
"Marinette!" Alya rushed over to her as Marinette clutched her heart, sitting up in her bed. Alya had refused to leave Marinette's side since "The Betrayl" and had been protecting her from the press and making sure her health was maintained, "Are you okay?"
"I'm fine," Marinette said once her breathing had slowed down, "I just had another nightmare," Marinette tried to give Alya a reassuring smile, but the tears in her eyes weren't very convincing.
"Oh girl," Alya pursed her lips and gave her a hug, careful not to squeeze her ribs too hard, "Are you sure you can go to school today?"
"I'm sure," Marinette said as she started to get out of bed, she was immediately welcomed with a dizzy spell and had to lay back down again, "I've waited long enough,"
"Are you sure you're going to be able to deal with...everything," Marinette nodded confidently and tried to get out of bed, she was still a little dizzy after doing it, but she hadn't fainted so that was good.
"I know I can do it," Marinette said as she started to get ready, she walked by her desk and stopped short when she noticed the box sitting on her desk, "And I think I'm ready for those again too,"
"Are you sure Marinette?" Alya asked worriedly as Marinette held the box in her hand, "I know that you were pretty worried about putting them back on again,"
Marinette stared intently at the box in her hand, "Paris needs Ladybug," Marinette opened the box and was met with a nostalgic burst of pink light.
"Marinette!" Tikki exclaimed once she saw who had opened the box, Tikki hugged her owner's cheek and Marinette laughed happily. Suddenly, Tikki saw all of Marinette.
This girl was not the Marinette that Tikki remembered, this girl was sad and sullen with messy dark hair and broken eyes. Her skin was pale and her lips lacked their normal pink hue.
"Hi Tikki," Marinette said as she smiled , Alya watched in the corner, not wanting to disturb their reuinion.
"I'll be right back Marinette," Alya said as she started walking downstairs.
"Alya truly is a great friend!" Tikki said cheerfully, "Has she been staying with you all this time?"
"She has, she's been staying on my chaise ever since I got back from the hospital," Marinette pointed to the chaise where all of Alya's stuff was scattered about.
Tikki shifted uncomfortably, "Marinette, how are you doing?"
"I'd honestly be lying if I said I was fine," Marinette said sadly, Tikki flew over to her and hugged her cheek again, "But I'm doing better, I'm finally going back to school today and I've been doing my best to ignore everything,"
"I'm sorry Marinette," Tikki said, "I wish I had been there to help you,"
"It's fine Tikki, I'm doing my best," Marinette suddenly felt a hand on her shoulder and her whole body immediately tensed up.
"It's okay, it's just me," Alya said softly, and Marinette sighed in relief, "There are a lot of reporters out there, are you sure you can handle this?"
"I'm sure Alya," Marinette said with a playful eye roll, "I'm going to be fine, I promise," Marinette quickly shooed Alya and Tikki away so she could get dressed.
She stood in front of her mirror and sucked in a breath as she lifted up her shirt. The scars on her body made her want to faint, the scratches from his claws were still there and they didn't seem like they would be healing. She quickly changed into another shirt and put on her usual outfit, tying her hair into her signature pigtails.
"I'm ready," Marinette said once she was fully dressed, Alya grabbed Marinette's purse and her bag and handed her the earrings, Marinette took them hesitantly and the two girls and Tikki walked downstairs.
"Stay here," Alya said to Marinette once they'd gotten to Marinette's living room area, "I'm going to tell your parents your coming and get some breakfast for us,"
Marinette sat down on the couch and stared at the earrings, "Tikki, if I use these after they've already been unified, is something bad going to happen?"
Tikki's expression saddened as she tried to come up with an answer, "I don't know Marinette, I think you'll be fine but that's up to you," Marinette nodded and clenched the earrings in her fist, still staring at them.
"I guess I'll try to keep my mind off of that," Marinette shrugged as she grabbed the remote for the t.v and clicked it on, she was met with an alarming sight.
"Police are still looking for Gabriel Agreste, the man behind the mask of Hawkmoth who has been terrorizing Paris for years. Police are also looking for Adrien Agreste, also known as Chat Noir who was involved in the downfall of Ladybug, who was dramatically revealed as Marinette Dupain-Cheng, the daughter of Tom Dupain who owns the best bakery in Paris,"
As Nadja Chamak spoke, pictures of Gabriel, Adrien, and Marinette flashed on the screen along with pictures of their superhero identities, Marinette could feel her breathing getting heavy but she couldn't take her eyes off of the screen "On March 12th, Ladybug and Chat Noir came face to face with Hawkmoth with the hope of finally defeating him, their investigations led them to the Agreste mansion where they discovered that Gabriel Agreste was trying to bring his wife back to life. Adrien Agreste's bodyguard caught all of this on camera and we're here to give you a devastating account of everything that went down that day, including Chat Noir's betrayal and Ladybug's downfall,"
Suddenly, the screen went black, "Marinette," Alya said sternly, "I don't want you watching any of that."
Marinette was still completely still on the couch, the picture of Adrien on the screen was still imprinted in her mind. It wasn't a modeling picture or a class picture, they used one of him with his father, one where he looked like a boy who would do anything to have a perfect family again. The other picture was of Chat Noir under Dark Cupid's control, both pictures made Adrien seem like a villain, and that's how he would be remembered, and technically, that's what he was: a villain.
Marinette stood up and walked with Alya downstairs to the bakery where he parents were waiting. The two of them stood there with tears in their eyes as they watched their daughter begin to brave the unthinkable.
"We love you, sweetie," Sabine said as she and Tom wrapped Marinette in a huge hug, "Stay safe out there,"
"I love you too," Marinette said as she enjoyed the warm embrace, "And I'll try," Marinette and Alya started to walk out the door.
"And Marinette?" Tom said quickly, Marinette turned back around, "Please let us know if you need anything?"
"Always," Marinette said with a smile, Alya nodded at her and opened the door. Marinette was met with obnoxiously bright camera flashes and excited screaming.
Flash
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Marinette could practically see the bright lights of the hospital before she had even opened her eyes, everything was too bright and way too loud. It was like all of her senses had been enhanced and they were practically killing her. Marinette finally opened her eyes slowly wondering where she was.
"Marinette?" A familiar voice had asked, Marinette had whipped her head around and winced immediately at the pain.
"Alya?" Marinette croaked out, her voice raspy, "What happened?" Suddenly Marinette remembered parts of what had gone down, her eyes widened, her hands flew up quickly and she touched her ears, her earrings, they were gone, "Where are my mirac- my earrings?"
"Marinette-" Alya had said with a frown on her face as Marinette recalled the events.
"Where are my earrings?" Marinette panicked as tears started to form in her eyes, "I need them, they're way too special to me,"
"Calm down Marinette," Alya said as she placed a gentle hand on her shoulder, Marinette tried to steady her breathing, and Alya sighed as she realized she had to tell Marinette, "Marinette, I know, everyone knows," Alya's heart shattered into a million different pieces as Marinette's expression changed drastically, her expression morphing into one of sheer terror.
"No," Marinette whispered as she stared at Alya, "This can't be real," Marinette frantically looked around as she discovered a remote on the side of her hospital bed. She had flicked it on and it was conveniently on the news.
"It has been a week since Ladybug, also known as Marinette Dupain Cheng, was betrayed by her partner Adrien Agreste, also known as Chat Noir. Hawkmoth was revealed to be fashion designer Gabriel Agreste and his son joined him during battle after they were both revealed. Dupain-Cheng was rushed to the hospital after the battle due to severe injuries, she has yet to wake up after a week and all of Paris is praying for her. Gabriel and Adrien Agreste escaped the scene and have yet to be found. Officials are still awaiting footage of what exactly happened on that fateful day,"
Marinette could feel herself panicking, even more, her breathing was heavy and she felt like the room was spinning, "I think I'm going to be sick," She had choked out, Alya rubbed her back as she dry heaved into a trashcan.
"It's okay Marinette," Alya soothed, "Everyone has been really worried about you, even Chloe," Alya had looked over at the little table by Marinette's hospital bed and picked up the tiny box on it, "Here somebody, dropped this off a few days ago,"
"Is that my miraculous?" Marinette had gasped as she stared at the box.
"It is, I'm not sure if it still works or if you even want to use it," Marinette leaned over and hugged Alya, ignoring the pain.
"Thank you, Alya,"
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Marinette was jerked out of her memory when she felt a protective arm grab onto hers. Alya held her close as the reporters swarmed her excitedly, some even had tears in her eyes.
"Marinette everyone is so glad you're okay," One teary-eyed reporter said as she shoved a microphone in her face, "How are you feeling?"
"Uh, I've been better," Marinette giggled with a nervous smile.
"Are you nervous about going back to school?" Another reporter asked her, Marinette smiled awkwardly, this actually wasn't so bad.
"A little," Marinette confessed, "It's pretty scary but I'm excited to see my friends again,"
"How did you feel when your partner turned out to be your classmate?" Marinette gulped, these questions were beginning to reach a very personal level.
"I mean I guess it was exciting?" Marinette said suddenly feeling very uncomfortable, "I never imagined that he could be Chat Noir,"
"How did it feel when Adrien betrayed you?" Marinette suddenly felt herself overheating and her breath hitched.
"I-" Marinette could feel tears pricking at her eyes, this was too much, she looked at Alya with pleading eyes and Alya sensed her discomfort.
"Okay, that's enough for today," Alya said as she pulled Marinette through the crowd, the reporters continued to shout at her and citizens were pointing at her from across the street, "Are you okay?" Alya whispered into her ear, Marinette nodded untruthfully as the two of them arrived at the door of a sleek black car that would transport the two of them around.
"That wasn't very fun," Marinette laughed sadly once they were safely in the car, she leaned her head up against the window and sighed.
"Hey, Marinette?" Alya asked hesitantly, "I know this isn't the best time, but do you maybe want to film a documentary with me? I really wanted to record your reunion so Paris knows you're completely safe,"
"That's fine Alya," Marinette said, she guessed she would probably need some more experience in front of cameras anyways, Alya hugged her gently with a huge smile on her face.
"Are you ready for this?" Alya asked once they arrived at the school, Marinette grabbed onto Alya's hand and Alya squeezed it, Marinette nodded confidently and Alya grabbed her phone out, "Okay, I'm going live in 5,4,3,2,1," Alya flashed her reporter smile and waved at the camera, "Hey Ladybloggers, it's Alya here and today I have a very special guest with me, my bestie, Marinette Dupain-Cheng!"
"Hi," Marinette said shyly with a nervous smile and wave, Alya smiled at her proudly.
"Today is Marinette's first day back at school and we're going to make the most of it!" Alya and Marinette got out of the car and started walking up the steps, "So Marinette, what are you most looking forward to today?"
"Um well I guess seeing all of our friends, oh and I'm excited to see what you have planned, you've been really secretive about it,"
"Well I guess you'll just have to wait and find out," Alya said with a sly smirk as she and Marinette walked into school, Marinette and Alya walked through the halls in mostly comfortable silence, though Marinette was very aware of the thousands of people watching her every move.
Alya and Marinette arrived at Ms. Bustier's door and Alya turned to Marinette, "You ready?" She asked with a cocked eyebrow.
"As ready as I'll ever be," Marinette said with a nervous giggle, Alya pushed open the door and was met with a surprising sight, the classroom had been transformed into a party venue. There was Ladybug-themed food, a ladybug pinata, and red and black balloons. Nino had set up a DJ booth in the corner and was playing Marinette's favorite song. All of Marinette's classmates were standing in the front of the room looking extremely anxious, but they all brightened up when they saw Marinette.
"Welcome back Marinette!" They all said at the same time, almost in perfect sync, even Chloe and Lila said it, looking just as happy.
"Wow thanks, guys," Marinette said, feeling extremely loved but also very overwhelmed.
"Hey Marinette," Alya said from behind her, "Look at your seat," Marinette's gaze drifted to her seat which was almost unrecognizable because of the several piles of gifts piled on top of it. Marinette could see Ladybug-themed gifts but also things like sketchbooks and Jagged Stone records that were geared more towards Marinette's hobbies.
Marinette tried to keep her eyes fully focused on the unbelievably high pile of gifts on her seat but her gaze kept drifting to the seat in front of hers. She could see a thick layer of dust on the seat and it made her mood darken.
"This is amazing!" Marinette forced her gaze back to her classmates, "Who is this from?"
"The people of Paris," Ms. Bustier said as she placed a hand on Marinette's shoulder, "We asked the people who wanted to give you gifts to drop them off at the school so you could be surprised,"
"This is amazing," Marinette said again, she turned to Alya and looked directly into her phone, "Thank you, everyone,"
"No, thank you, Marinette," Chloe surprisingly said as she walked up to her, "You're amazing, thank you for everything you've done,"
"Of course Chloe," Marinette said as she gave her a hug, "It's my job,"
Suddenly, Nino turned the music up, and Marinette's classmates started to dance like nothing bad had happened at all. Marinette smiled at her classmates as they came up to her and gave their condolences to her but Marinette's attention was still focused on his empty seat, she didn't like to think about him but her only thoughts at that moment were of him. What was he doing at that very moment?
Marinette tried to enjoy herself as she ate and unwrapped presents but she couldn't turn her thoughts away from him, god, she couldn't even bear to think of him by his actual name, it was too painful and way too confusing.
Finally, after an exhausting day, Marinette could finally go home. She and Alya tried to walk out to the car undetected but Nadja Chamack ran towards them.
"Marinette wait," She called out to them, her cameraman following close behind, "I'm sure you're extremely tired but could you answer one more question for today?"
Marinette sucked in her breath and put on a false smile, "Sure Nadja, what's up?"
"Are you going to continue to save Paris as Ladybug?" Marinette thought for a moment, she had been contemplating this question all day.
"I am," Marinette finally decided, Alya looked at her with a concerned expression on her face, "Even if there are no more akumatized villains on the loose and even if I don't have my partner anymore," Marinette's face fell at that, "I still am Ladybug and I will always be here for Paris,"
"Thank you Ladybug," Nadja said, Marinette felt mixed feelings about her acknowledging her by her hero name, "We truly appreciate everything you've done for us,"
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"Are you sure about this Marinette?" Alya asked as Marinette put on her earrings, "You're still healing, I don't want you to get hurt,"
"I'll be fine Alya," Marinette said, "Besides, I just promised Paris that I'll continue to protect them, and I don't like to break promises,"
Marinette said the magic words and felt the familiar warmth of the miraculous magic engulf her. Being in her costume made her feel powerful and graceful and like she could do anything. Marinette observed the spotted pattern of her suit in the mirror making sure nothing looked off. She checked every inch of her body to make sure that everything was the same, the only different thing was that her hair appeared a little longer but it was like that in her civilian form as well.
"I'll be right back," Marinette reassured as Alya stared at her with a stunned expression on her face, still not being able to believe that her best friend was her idol.
Marinette climbed up to her trapdoor and opened the hatch slowly, she climbed up and took in how refreshing the cold night air felt on her face.
"Here goes nothing," Marinette whispered to herself, she swung on the yoyo and almost crashed into a building, this really was nostalgic, the only thing missing was him. Marinette shook the thoughts from her head and tried again, this time she managed to not so-gracefully swing onto the next building. "Okay, so far so good," Marinette swung onto the next one, landing perfect on the top, she laughed giddily and continued to swing through Paris almost perfectly.
She waved at any civilians who were still outside and continued to laugh like she hadn't in a while. It was just her and the beautiful Spring night, there were no villains or threats.
"Woohoo!" Marinette giggled as she braved a challenging swing, she could see a few photographers and reporters videoing her but she didn't care.
Suddenly, it was like her body was on autopilot, taking her to the Eiffel Tower. Marinette sat on the building that was right across from it and smiled wistfully at the beauty of its golden lights.
"Wow," She breathed happily, "It looks beautiful," Marinette's thoughts were soon turned to her former partner, they would probably be doing this right now if it wasn't for... that. Marinette imagined exacty what would happen, they would probably race each other to the building and she would probably win, they would sit down and just talk. Marinette would say 'It looks beautiful' and Chat would say something smooth like 'Not as beautiful as you m'lady'.
Marinette frowned at herself, she needed to stop thinking of the past, he had betrayed her and she couldn't be feeling those feelings of longing towards him. Still, she couldn't help but think what he was thinking at that very moment, was he missing her too, or did he completely hate her guts like he had said to her face?
"Oh Adrien," Marinette said with sad eyes, "I wish it was easier to hate you,"