Loss

4

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Marinette's P.O.V

It was hard pretending to be happy when a voice keeps repeating how it's all my fault, and that I am weak.

The truth was hard to bare with, but I pushed the voice down into the depths of where all the dark thoughts were and proceeded with having fun jumping across the rooves. It felt refreshing to clear my mind and reassuring that once the akuma is taken down, then mama will be back with us.

I felt selfish. The main reason that I wanted to get rid of this akuma was to bring my mother back. It wasn't for Paris's sake...well, not as much. Yet, questions invaded my mind.

Will mama actually be brought back? What if my magic doesn't bring her back? What if this was something permanent? What if mama is gone forever? What if the last time I would see her beautiful face was in a casket?

No! I can't think like this! I don't care how greedy or selfish I am being, I am going to get my mother back! This has to work! Swallowing the forming lump in my throat and wiping my eyes, I didn't notice that I was lagging behind a bit.

"Ladybug?" Chat called out with a questioning tone. I looked up and realized how far behind I was from my partner. I increased my pace to catch up when seeing something coming up from behind Chat.

"Chat! Behind you!" I yelled, leaping faster than before. My partner quickly ducked from the approaching ghostly orbs that almost hit him. Finally arriving next to Chat Noir, I began to spin my yo-yo to use as a shield. Chat had my back as I had his.

"I am Pandora! The keeper of the box filled with all the worlds' evil. You shall give me your miraculous or else, you shall be taken out, permanently!" the akumatized victim shouted, pointing her finger threateningly at the both of us.

"Sorry, the only one I feline taking out is my Bugaboo," Chat said, winking at me. I rolled my eyes and glared. Now, was not the time to joke around. It made me a little agitated that he wasn't taking this any way seriously but didn't say anything. He didn't know why I was acting this way and that's how it's going to be.

"You have disrespected me in more ways than one, Chat Noir. My pretties, give this cat his punishment and this ladybug for helping the buffoon," Pandora ordered, grinning evilly. The ghost henchmen flew towards and attacked us with claw-like fingers.

*One fight later...*

"Lucky Charm!" I yelled, getting tired of this annoying villain. Chat and I knew that the akuma was in the box she held, but it was hard slipping past her guards.

We were hiding at the moment to think up of a plan which leads to using my powers. I searched the area after looking at the object in my hand, a trash can lid. There were some spots that landed on a few places before looking at the box and Chat's hand.

"So, are we going to take out the trash?" Chat joked. I ignored him and began to aim before throwing the lid like a frisbee. It ricocheted off of the places my vision told me before hitting the main target.

"Chat!" I shouted. He nodded, activating his powers. Chat Noir ran as fast as he could before leaping at the box as Pandora and her ghost guards or him or the box too.

I bit my lip and squeezed my hands into fists with the tension that grew in the air as everything slowed. A pinch of anxiety began to twist like a knife in my stomach and sweat beaded my forehead.

Then, the box turns into ashes, and I release the tension in my muscles of ever-growing nerves. He did it.

The ghosts disappeared and the victim was covered in a shower of purple bubbles, changing back into her actual self. Chat caught her and carefully helped the poor girl to a bench to sit at. I grabbed the trash lid and threw it into the air.