Miraculous Ladybug: Marinette

Part 3: Realisation

Marinette stood atop the Eiffel Tower, the new moon to her back. Her eyes, once full of life and joy, stared down on Paris with a look of cold indifference. They observed those who walked the Parisian streets with eyes of apathetic judgement, the winds swirling around her in a haunting dance of lost innocence. With a casual flick of her wrist, cascades of corrupt akumas emerged from her wings, filling the Parisian skies with clouds of dark energy and sending an unspoken message of dread to those who saw them.

The akumas descended from the skies like ravenous scavengers, extinguishing the lights that dotted the Parisian cityscape. Streetlights, neon signs, and headlights, all were consumed by the swarm of corrupted butterflies, leaving Paris devoid of all light, trapped in the clutches of true darkness. Almost. There is one light that remains visible to the people of Paris, that sits atop the Eiffel Tower. A blinding white light, casting an ethereal glow upon the darkness she herself had caused. This light, though intense, was devoid of all warmth and compassion. It was cold and empty, leaving those who got too close to it with a feeling of emptiness and sorrow.

*Adrien's POV*

"Why won't this hollow feeling go away?" Adrien laid on his bed, staring up at the ceiling. He had lost family before, but he had been too young for it to have had a significant impact on his life. This, the loss of his father... it was too much for anyone to have to go through, much less a teenager. "How could anyone go through this? How could anyone go through this pain, this  emptiness and come out unscathed?" His father had been the pillar upon which his life had been built. He had been a constant in Adrien's development. Someone who Adrien knew would always be there to support him. With his absence came an endless void, a wall of grief that clung to him like a widow's shroud, casting shadows over even his brightest of moments.

He could feel Plagg watching him. "I know, Plagg. I know. I need to heal and sitting indoors and moping isn't going to do that."

"So why don't you go outside?" Plagg sat on the edge of his bed, uneaten camembert resting between them. "You need to live to be alive. If you don't, how are you different than a cor... than an inanimate object?"

Adrien did not answer at first. His mouth could not find the words his heart wished him to speak, so he said nothing. Plagg was about to continue but was stopped in his tracks. "I don't know, Plagg," Adrien said, his voice cracking from his inner turmoil. "I don't know. But I can't go out there. Not yet."

"Then when?" Plagg persisted. "You've been in here for a full week now. I'm lazy, but even I wouldn't stay in my room for that long." Adrien seemed unsure but kept listening anyway. "It's like when you're hungry, and you're grouchy because you've got nothing in the tank. But when you fill yourself with juicy, delicious camembert, you feel incredible and ready to take on the world. That's what you need to do, Adrien. Fill the emptiness in your chest with positivity, with life and love. You need to go outside and talk with your friends. That is the only way to move on."

Adrien said nothing, yet Plagg could feel that this conservation had just ended.

He flew over to the window, looking over his shoulder at his master. He had little experience with human emotion, so navigating this minefield wasn't going to be easy. He had figured that this was a temporary thing humans go through when experiencing loss, so he hadn't changed much initially. But with every day that passed, he couldn't help but worry that Adrien's condition was becoming more and more permanent. The joyful bond that the two had once shared was slowly transforming into a chain of sorrow that bound the two of them together.

Regardless of his master's condition, Plagg would always be there to offer support when he needed it, regardless of whether he wanted to hear it. He would always offer companionship to him, regardless of if he wanted it. He would always be willing to crack a cheesy pun, even if it wasn't appropriate for the time. Because if it drew even a sliver of a smile from his master, it would have been worth it. He would aid in his master's recovery in his unique way because that was just who he was.