Meddling with time

1

Hi! I wrote this back in 2020 when my writing was significantly worse, maybe at some point I'll update it, but who knows. Anyway enjoy I guess :)

A cold, white claw drags through her pale, bruised skin, blood spilling slowly from her shoulder. The cool metal of her earings no longer comfort her as she forces herself not to feel the loss and pain in her heart. She can't get akumatised, she can't let Lila win, she can't give up on her kids. Pain grabs her heart again as she thinks of the children she hasn't seen in almost two years, the 7 year old who used to make daisy chains and beat her brothers in fights, the 5 year old boy who used to draw with bright red crayons and give flowers to everyone he saw, the 2 year old who had screamed for food, whose first steps she missed, whose first words she never would know. She needed to forget, to let this pain leave her heart, it hurt to remember her best friend who sacrificed herself so that she could fight longer and harder, it hurt to remember the DJ she loved like a brother, who spent every day crying on her shoulder, it hurt to remember her husband who lost his battle, who tourtured her every day for fun, it would be a relief to forget, she would never have to carry the guilt, never have to pay for her actions.

"I, Marinette Dupain-Cheng-Agreste, hereby-" She was interupted by the DJ by her side clamping his hand over her mouth even though it must have been agony for him to do so, and pointing at the man in the doorway, the same man who had just ripped her skin apart.
"You need to remember Marinette, even if it kills you. Would you really throw Alya's death away for your own peace?" His words ripped trough her heart, he's right, she can't just throw the pain away, she needed to fight, even if she died trying. The pair fall back into silence, both out of tears, the same deep, broken breathing filling the small, dark room.

They sit in familiar silence, ignoring the sticky feeling of newly spilled blood, ignoring the pain they felt every time they breathed, ignoring the torments of their captor as she threatened their broken hearts. She doesn't blink an eye when her akumatised love hits her and hurts her, only squeezing her friend's hand as more blood drains from her body. The only change in the air comes when their tormentors leave, and the two let out a weak sigh of relief. Time passes, though neither of them could say how long, time became a forgotten concept, no longer necessary for them to track.

"Nino?" Her whisper floats through his head, fear echoing in her words. He simply nods when he sees the man in white leather is gone, and she hears the small rush of air that comes with his answer, her ability to see him stolen by the dark room.
"I have to do it." Tears fill his eyes for the first time since he watched his wife fall lifeless into his arms, Marinette pulls him into a weak, tired hug when she sees the light from beneath the door reflect on the tear dripping down his cheek. Selfish, that's all either of them can think, but she can't hold the pain anymore, and he knows it.
"Goodbye Marinette." And it really is goodbye, he knows that not even the miraculous ladybugs would be able to bring her memory back, if there ever was a chance that they could.
"I'm sorry Nino." She feels him smile gently against her neck, but the tears that mix with the blood on her shoulder tell her that the smile is forced and sad, void of any happiness. She tries to let go, to move away, to move on, but she can't, her arms just wrap themselves tighter around him, desperate to hang on to him, to not make the inevitable decision that breaks apart her soul.

She wipes her cheeks as she pulls away, feeling Nino grab her hand gently, squeezing it three times, "I love you," it became their only communication when words failed, it was all they had left of the laughing blogger who would use the gesture to say hello every time they met, and they couldn't loose that, even if they forgot everything else, they had to keep that gesture. She squeezed his hand in reply, laughing sadly as she did, this really was goodbye.

"I, Marinette Dupain-Cheng-Agreste, hereby relinquish the miracle box, and name Emma Agreste the new guardian." Tears roll down her cheeks as every memory slips away, reliving every second of her life in the few seconds the light engulfs her.

"I love you M'lady, don't ever forget that." His hand gently wiped the tears from her cheeks, both their eyes filled with pain when they meet.
"You can fight it- I- please Kitty- I can't loose you too." He smiles sadly at his wife, not letting her eyes see the akuma that flew dangerously close to him now. He pulls the ring gently from his finger, pressing it into her hand as his lips meet hers, both of them desperately kissing, knowing that this would be their last.
"I love you Marinette." The gentle whisper tickles her ear, causing her to smile a little.
A claw scratches her cheek, his suit white and cold, his touch biting into her soul, causing her to fall back in fear.
"Looks like your luck's run out Little Lady."

Her best friend lay in Nino's arms, wincing in pain as he rubbed her hand in small circles. Tears ran down her face, as she stroked Alya's auburn hair behind her ears, singing songs from their teenage years to sooth the dying girl.
"You were supposed to wait, you were supposed to meet him, please wait Alya, please, please." A smile danced on her friends lips as she slipped into death, Marinette didn't hear Nino cry as she started begging her friend, screaming miraculous ladybug in the hopes that it would do something. Alya couldn't be gone, Alya was strong, she would get up in a second and laugh it off, but she didn't, everything was falling away.
"ALYA! ALYA! PLEASE! Please! I can't- not again, please Alya. Please." The girl chocked, not noticing Nino's arms around her as she cried, not feeling the pain of her wounds, Alya couldn't leave her, because then there's no hope left.
"Please."

"Mummy! Emma won't give me back my crayon!" The woman smiled at her son, lost in the bittersweet moment, she knew this was their last day together, she knew they would never see her again, and yet it felt so normal, her kids bickering, her two year old crying on her hip. Her heart ached as she called them all inside, sitting them all on the sofa while tears warmed her cheeks.
"I love you all very, very much, and sometimes- and I want to- sometimes you have to say goodbye to your- to the people you love to keep them safe." Her breathing became broken, memories of her husband kissing her goodbye as the akuma entered his wedding ring, and of Emma's questions when she told them they had to go into hiding.
"Like daddy?" Marinette sniffed a little, wiping away her tear, she had to stay strong for her kids, they couldn't know her pain. She smiled, though any idiot could tell it was fake, holding back the weight of the pain in her heart, protecting her kids from the war raging across the nearby city.
"Yes, like Ch- like daddy." She pulled them into a hug as her phone buzzed, telling her that Alix was waiting.
"Your going to stay with Alix for a while, okay?" They all nod cheerfully, thinking of a weekend visit, they liked Alix, she let them colour in her tatoos and slide down the banisters, they didn't know how much it hurt their mother that she could never ask Alya to watch them, they didn't know the blogger who was supposed to be with them right now.

He didn't know why he laughed as he held Marinette's unconsious body in his arms, all he knew was that he had lost, he was alone, his best friend had been akumatized, turned into a murderous, insane puppet, the love of his life was dead, gone without a funeral or even a proper goodbye, a smile on her face trying to comfort her friend, his only hope had given up, laid the fate of the world on a ten year old because she had nothing left to live for, and in a minute she would wake up with a smile on her face and the innocence that came with ignorance restored, he was alone, and he was broken, his promise to Alya destroyed, he had given up all hope, and was left all alone, completely broken.

So that was that. This story is also on Ao3 so yeah, thats a thing.