Miraculous Ladybug Oneshots

AU #2 ~ The Little Mermaid ~

      Adrien wasn't really sure what he was expecting when he walked into the circus. An elephant, sure. A few jugglers or trapeze artists, definitely. None of that mattered, so he didn't care. All he cared about was getting the water that he needed to help his mom. To help her get better, to get back to the woman she used to be.

      He sat down on the bleachers, interested but skeptical as to what this performance would bring. He had been searching for years for some sort of cure for his mom's lung problems, and his father had too. Gabriel had been even more aggressive than Adrien, but even together they couldn't find anything. It was like Emilie was fighting something within her, something they couldn't see.

      "Welcome!" the ringmaster yelled, his blond hair gleaming in the light like gold. "Come, feast your eyes on that which you have never seen. It is said that they are pure myth, pure legend. But, my dear friends, let me introduce you to your dreams. Alive, breathing, swimming. Welcome, to the Little Mermaid of Felix's Circus!"

      Despite himself, Adrien stood up with the rest of the crowd and gasped. It...it really did look like a mermaid. Her deep pink tail contrasted gorgeously with her dark blue hair and light blue eyes, her arms elegantly reaching out towards the glass of her cage, no evidence of concern for oxygen on her face.

      Their eyes connected, and immediately he knew. This mermaid, she was real. She was real, and she was in a world of sadness. Her eyes were bright, but Adrien had seen too many lies in bright eyes to believe them. Beneath the beautiful shine, there was pain. Hurt at being trapped somewhere she didn't belong and being treated like an animal for profit.

      Adrien reached out slowly and pressed his hand against the glass, right on top of hers. She looked at him and smiled, though it was a small, sad smile. He smiled back, hoping that it would convey everything he so desperately wanted to say. 

      Then it was over. The ringleader signaled and his assistants pulled the tarp back over the cage the mermaid was trapped in. Adrien returned to his seat, but he knew that something had changed. He knew that now he didn't only want to save his mom. He wanted to save the mermaid too.

~~~~~~~~~~

Word count: 398

Picture: https://www.pinterest.co.uk/pin/604608318704834947/

Just a short one today, entirely based off of that picture and the fact that I watched the Little Mermaid (2018) only a few days ago. Did y'all like it? Remember, I'm always happy to get constructive criticism!

I hope you're safe, healthy and happy, and I'm praying for you during this time of pandemic.

Thank you so much for reading!! :D <3