The Miraculous Which Was Never Hers

When It All Ends

Three days had gone by since that incident.

Marinette stared at her floor, subconsciously wrapping bandages on her arm, lost in thought. Her kwami hovering just beside her, cautiously looking at his holder, hoping he wouldn't snap her out of her stupor.

So much had happened since then.

She gripped the wounded arm a little too tightly, causing her to let out a wince, apprehensively reprimanding her carelessness. The pain in her arm continued to grow, but she chose to ignore it.

Just like she was ignoring almost everything else.

Gaia had turned herself in, detransformed.

Marinette blankly gazed at the earrings atop her counter, in a faraway, dreamlike state.

She had given the Ladybug miraculous to her.

Soon after the defeat, the police arrived at the scene. Providing no explanation whatsoever, Gaia told them to arrest herself. Reassurance from the two heroes and a sad, agonizing smile from Lila bid Gaia to the future awaiting her. The future she created. The consequences of her actions.

Both Iris and Chat, however much they loved her, were hesitant to let her roam free. Lila couldn't say anything against it either. It was the law, and it had to be followed.

Roger Raincomprix, however unaware of the situation, acted accordingly. The heroes explained the circumstances briefly. And Gaia was to be sentenced to up to 10 years in prison, depending on the verdict.

It didn't seem fair, of course. But losing someone you love doesn't give you an excuse to terrorize a city.

They tried their hardest to keep Shadowbug's true identity hidden from the media, but it was an unachievable feat.

The backlash of this could have been worse.

The heroes refused to talk officially on any news channel for two whole days. They were still yet to make a statement. Both were coping with the aftermath of the battle. And with so many things left unsaid between them, with no idea where to start, it was hard to talk to each other. Thankfully though, Nadja, Alya, and a few other successful reporters/journalists handled the situation tactfully, telling the masses not to vandalize any belongings of the villain's family, or not to harass them.

After all, the fact that Gaia Rossi was Shadowbug wasn't her family's fault. They shouldn't be the ones suffering the hatred from the people.

There were still some rioters and revolting parties parading around the Rossi property, but that was unavoidable. Grateful were the heroes that their numbers were in the minority.

They themselves, though, were nowhere in sight for these two days.

However worrying it may be, the better part of the civilians knew their saviors needed rest. So they gave them time.

The unknown battle taking place at an unknown location was now the talk of the town. The damage of the final battle had been colossal, owing to Chat Blanc's reckless cataclysms. Even if Marinette transformed with the Ladybug Miraculous, she'd not be able to revert it back.

Thankfully, casualties had been naught, except the ones fighting, and so, Marinette had trouble disguising her injuries, not having the excuse of being caught in the crossfire to rely upon.

She'd spent the past two days reflecting.

Reflecting on all the things that happened.

There were so many things she had to say, yet the words just didn't come out. To add to that, all centres of education were closed for a week, to help Paris get back on track after this sudden earthquake shook them all. This led to Marinette not being able to meet Adrien, or rather, Chat.