Miraculous Ladybug: Destiny [UNDER SERIOUS EDITING]

8 • Marinette

    Controlled.
    That was how I felt in this moment.
    I couldn't see anything, feel anything, hear anything.
    All I saw was the darkness.
    The gaping, endless, darkness.
    A void that reached on, long, infinite, swallowing me up with blindness.
    I couldn't do anything. I was a mindless, lost soul. Life suddenly did not seem to have a meaning anymore. All strength had faded away from me. I no longer felt powerful. I no longer felt my real, confident personality of my alter-ego.
   All I was, was a weak, empty puppet, attached by strings. And oh they were everywhere. The only thing that I could see; endless lines upon lines of string, strung from a invisible roof, stretched from the ground to the left, some taut, some loose.
   I felt like a minuscule fruit fly caught and despairingly tangled in a spider's trap. A web that floated gently past my skin and sending poisonous venom down my throat and the shivers going down my spine and the feeling of being watched and judged for my every step.
    Darkness, darkness, darkness. Pressing down from me, everywhere, yet nowhere. There was no source to the darkness. The darkness moved with me, and stayed with me. There was no escape.
    Somewhere, somehow, there was a whisper. A voice. I needed to gain control. I knew this.
    I needed to fight against this prison of mine inside my own head. That was another fact that resided within the very depths of my heart, my soul. The deepest most precious, most hidden parts the cloaked and locked and concealed secrets that escaped all the attention. It was the only safe part of me. The only part of me that still remained sane. That was still functioning. That was still logical.
   But every time I tried, I only ended up feeling negative and frustrated, as if my whole world was collapsing around me. Like there was no hope anymore. Not for me. Not ever for me. There would never be any hope for me. I felt like as if the world was shunning me. As if the world disappeared from my life. As if life was frowning on me, and all humanity had abandoned me.
    But it was always so, that the hero would find a light in her darkest hours.
    That was how I heard his voice. It was why I could hear it. And it was why I could listen to it and it was why, in the very distance, was a light. All at once.
    "Marinette. I know you're in there somewhere. Please. Do this for the sake of Paris and your entire school. You can fight it. You can make it. Because you're strong. Because this isn't who you are."
    I felt myself  pushing me back as I reached for the light. As I reached for the source of my salvation. That voice... Oh that voice. So familiar, with so much beauty behind it. But my memories slipped away from my frantic grasps, sliding away from my snatches. I felt my body move, my mouth uttering words that weren't mine — that were untrue.
    "This is who I am, Chatnoir. This is who I am, because I never stood up before. I was too, scared, too shy, too weak." I spat, my painted red lips curled, and I felt a dark bubble of power rise against my chest. It pulled me, it hurt me. Unbearable pressure, demanding power and vengeance. "Before, I was the puppet. Before, everyone used me, hurt me, betrayed me. But now, I give the honour back. Starting with you."
     The bars around me shook, the thin red strings wires, burning through metal and cutting through the poles like clay. My hands shot out, and I could faintly see his outline, struggling against my iron hold as I watched the air fading out from him. As I watched him struggle against the clamp around his neck. I screamed from my invisible prison, a wave of panic flooding through my soul.
      Not my partner. Not my kitty. Not now.
     "Chat." I rasped, and gasped when I caught a flash of his sad smile staring back at me. I writhed when the darkness tried to swallow me up again, and struggled with all my might to find my freedom. His green eyes were enough though. They were vivid, they were observant, and they had caught the moment that I had regained myself.
     "Marinette!" He wheezed.
     But instead, I was lashing with a crimson thread, choking him, killing him.
     "Don't do this!" He said, hands clawing at mine, desperate for that one gulp of oxygen. I could see it fading away from him. I could see his life draining away, those iridescent eyes growing grey, murky, misting up.
He is my partner. He is my friend. He is my companion, and my supporter. How twisted was I, to be able to do such a thing? How twisted was I, that I am allowing my anger to kill?
     I let the scream come out of my mouth, I let the pain explode. There wasn't any point anymore. There was no point to keeping the pain bearable by obeying the dark akuma plaguing my mind. I felt my fingers weaken, I felt my body fighting for control, not knowing what to do and frantic through the confusion. My hands released, and my body crumpled to the floor. I faintly heard the gasp of breath, and felt relief flood through the scrap of sanity.
    This was my conscious. This was my mind. 

    Hawkmoth had no place in it.

    A golden river of warmth flooded my mind, wrapped around me and gave me its power. It washed away the darkness, and it vanquished the evil from my body. It regained my small inch of control for me. And even through that small split second of control, it freed me. I felt my hand finally do what it should've done in the beginning. It took my other hand and ripped off the bracelet. Then, my mouth moving of its own accord, I said the two essential words that made everything right again.
    "Miraculous Ladybug." I whispered.
I knew my eyes had closed. But I knew that around me, everything was being washed by a red light. Dozens upon dozens of small, red ladybugs, swirling the ball in the magic of creation. In the magic of love and beauty. In the magic of rights and all that was good.
The warm light filled my soul, and lightened my vision into view. My eyelids fluttered open, slowly, steadily — as if unsure that they could ever tempt to open again. A pair of worried green eyes touched my own, gazing down at me with such concern and beauty that I almost thought that it was my dream come true. So certain, that it was my very own crush, Adrien Agreste.
"Ladybug," he whispered, and then, without warning, embraced me with all the warmth in the world. I smiled, despite myself, and buried my head into his shoulder, the pain fading, the light helping to adjust my eyes, and the faint dash of mint in the air.
I took a deep breath, and cried.
Sobs racked my body as my tears flowed into his clothes. I cried because it hurt. I cried because I had done so much wrong in such a short time. I cried because I knew I was weak, and that Ladybug would've never fallen to Hawkmoth's ambitions. But in my last tears, there was a small ounce of satisfaction and happiness that I had managed to overcome myself — to overcome Hawkmoth's cruel imitation of me.
His hand brushed through my hair, gentle, soft and comforting. I only clutched him harder, not letting him go. Why was I liked this? Why was I crying into my crush's shirt without a care in the world?
Now that thought snapped me out of my depression.
Life sucks when it dawns on you. I lifted my eyes slowing, feeling the clearer sharpness in them again, and that was when I looked at him, up and down. His concerned eyes met mine, his hair a sandy blonde, but I realised, with a start, that he was clad in a black leather suit.
Oh for the love of great croissants.
"Oh," was all that escaped my lips as I slowly crept away from his embrace. "I'm sorry Chatnoir."
He grinned, but not before a flash of hurt came across his features. Those caring eyes showed me to a different side of him, and I couldn't help but return the expression. "Well," I said, licking my dry lips. "I'm okay now, but I'm guessing you figured it out?"
"How could I not recognise m'lady?" That teasing lilt was back in his voice, and with it, he perked up.
I gave out a dry chuckle. "Well next time you know where to find me kitty..." I trailed off, but held his gaze. "Thanks for saving me. I don't know where I would be without you."
He nodded, but his gaze became serious. "I almost lost you back there," he whispered, barely audible, "don't do that to me again, okay? I know you couldn't help it, but... I'll always be there for you. Just give me a call whenever you need it." His tone expressed an unreadable amount of worry and other emotions.
"I can't make any promises Chat, but you've done more than enough to earn my respects. I can handle myself." Three sharp beeps came from Chatnoir's ring just as I finished my sentence.
"I'll stay if you want me to," he said, tearing his glance away.
I sighed. One side of me wanted him to stay — to know who he truly was. But the other... "It's already unfair enough that I was revealed today. We need to keep ourselves safe. I won't be able to help it if I get akumatised again. I might even strike before you're transformed. There's been... Too much too handle today, and... I think I need some time just to process all of this. Maybe another time Chat. Maybe another time, another place, when it's not so hectic." I smiled sadly.
He seemed to fight against himself too, the decision of staying or leaving. With a final set determination, he leaned back, and stepped away. He saluted to me, "Farewell Ladybug! Until we meet again!" And dashed off.

Whoop! Hip hip hooray! I finally fixed all the chapters! Though this one is by far the suckies thing I have ever written. I promise that I will edit this chapter immensely and add in a fight, but I was really pressured to make this all flow okay? So, I really hope that in you guys somewhere, you might've enjoyed this chapter (which I will be surprised if anyone did) and give a little time to press that star!

HL🐞