What's With Marinette? || A Miraculous: Tales of Ladybug and Chat Noir Fanfic

The Fortress In The Forest

Previously:

"Sleep tight, Alya," Nino whispered, resting his head on Alya's and closing his eyes, deciding some rest was good for both of them.
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With Tikki and Plagg

The two humanized kwamis reached the location where the guardians and all of the kwamis built the most secure base for Mari's gift.

The location was in the middle of the woods on the outskirts of Paris. Tikki and Plagg landed on their feet, Plagg having held the unconscious Mari the entire flight there.

The flight did not take that long seeing as Plagg and Tikki are fast flyers. Tikki went to find the passcode tree, Plagg stepping back while looking at Mari. He felt really bad he allowed his princess to stay with those monsters. He was sure Tikki was blaming herself, but there was nothing more he could do right now.

When Plagg heard a shift and a bang, his eyes drifted from Mari to the small clearing in front of him. He noticed Tikki had found the passcode tree and had opened the hatch.

"Quick, we need to get her inside," Tikki exclaimed, speed walking over to Plagg.

Plagg nodded and the two rushed into the hatch, running down the spiral stairway to the fortress below. This fortress was made almost four hundred years ago because, every other generation, the chosen Ladybug gains a gift from birth and is expected to use this gift in battle.

Tikki and Plagg came upon a door at the end of the stairs. They gazed at the door with determination to keep the chosen safe. Then, the humanized kwamis glanced at each other.

"Here, Cookie. I'm gonna let you take her so I can unlock the door," Plagg offered, handing Mari over to Tikki.

Tikki held Marinette in her arms and watched Plagg unlock the door. Plagg placed his hand on a scanner. The scanner identified him, then shifted to a retina scan. Plagg put his left eye in front of the scanner, not blinking as his retina was scanned. Then a voice recognition speaker appeared.

"Please, input your code," the speaker required.

Plagg bent down a little due to his height to be level with the speaker, then spoke into it.

"Camembert," Plagg stated with a straight face.

Tikki giggled at Plagg's chosen passcode. She remembers him choosing that code. It still makes her laugh. Plagg smirked as he heard Tikki's laugh, glad to see he could make her happy.

The two kwamis waited for the doors to slide open, then walked through. The doors slammed shut immediately after they walked in. Tikki and Plagg are used to the bang of the door hence there was no flinch.

They looked around, smiling nostalgically. They missed the beauty of this place. Tikki then turned to Plagg, smiling a small smile as she saw the nostalgia in his eyes.

"Come on. We have to get her to her room. She needs treatment and proper rest. She hasn't slept much in days," Tikki stated worriedly.

Plagg nodded in understanding, putting a hand around Tikki's waist and walking to the bedroom.

Plagg wishes he could have chosen anyone other than Tom and Sabine.

Tikki wishes she could have prevented Mari's pain.

They both wish this nightmare would end soon for their poor Mari.

Tikki looked up from Marinette when Plagg stopped walking. She looked at the door in front of her. They reached the bedroom. Plagg opened the door for Tikki, this one needing no passcodes, and followed Tikki to the bed.

Plagg watched Tikki gingerly set Marinette on the bed. He then proceeded to go out of the bedroom and to the bathroom, looking for medical supplies. He knew to an extent how bad Mari's injuries were.

Finding the Med Kit, Plagg rushed back into the bedroom and found Tikki taking off Mari's black hoodie.

"Tikki, don't get her naked in front of me," Plagg whined, shielding his eyes with his free hand.

When he heard no reply from Tikki, he frowned and moved his hand away from his face. The second he saw the sadness on Tikki's face, he ran over and sat in the chair beside Tikki. Plagg followed Tikki's line of sight and sighed sadly. The two humanized kwamis were saddened at the sight of the multiple cuts running down Mari's arms.

Plagg placed the Med Kit on the nightstand. He then turned to Tikki and watched her cover her face with her hands. Plagg placed his hand on Tikki's shoulder, feeling a slight tremor run through her. Recognizing the signs, he pulled her into a hug, allowing her to rest her head on his shoulder and cling to him as she cried out the guilt.

"We should've looked for better people, Plagg. Why did we give her to them? Why Tom and Sabine?" Tikki spat the names out as if they were a virus.

Plagg just watched on in guilt and remorse. He wanted so bad to go back in time and pick a different couple to watch over Mari. If only things had not gotten so bad back then...

"Let's not worry about that right now, Bug. Just help her with her injuries and wounds. I have to go make sure Adrien isn't having a mental breakdown at my sudden disappearance," Plagg explained, standing up off the chair.

Tikki nodded and Plagg leaned down to give her a kiss goodbye. The two kwamis kissed and Tikki watched Plagg walk out of the bedroom and out of the fortress. She then turned back to Mari and sighed.

"I'm so sorry, Marinette. Honey, you are so strong for surviving all these years," Tikki whispered.

Tikki grabbed the Med Kit from the nightstand and got started taking Mari's t-shirt off to change the bandages she had put on Mari this morning.

I hope they don't hurt you, anymore, Tikki thought sadly with a frown.
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With Plagg

As soon as Plagg had exited the fortress, a bright green light encased him, transforming him back to his kwami form. He could not let anyone see him in his human form.

Then, he took off in the direction of Paris, not looking forward to the conversation he was going to have with his holder.

Oh, jeez. I hope this kid goes easy on me, Plagg thought to himself.

Reaching Paris, Plagg stayed hidden from civilians as best he could as he flew towards the Agreste mansion. He went up to Adrien's bedroom window, looking in and seeing Adrien pacing from his ramp to his bed.

Plagg braced himself and phased through the window, coming to a stop in front of Adrien. He watched as Adrien jerked back in surprise at his kwami's sudden reappearance. Plagg wore a sad and concerned frown and Adrien seemed to take note of that.

"Plagg, wha-"

"We need to talk," Plagg said, looking at Adrien eye to eye.

Adrien gulped and nodded, hoping and wishing everything was okay. He walked over to his bed and sat on it, bracing himself for the long talk with Plagg he knew was coming his way.
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TBC...