Chapter Text
They say that in times of near death experiences or even death itself, a person’s life flashes before their eyes. Marinette had never dwelled on that before, she didn’t like to think about it, that your life could truly play out in front of you in a flash and then boom...you were gone. Yet here she was, her life playing out like some sad teen movie as the light engulfed her. Why? Why did this happen? She knew how it happened, but she still couldn’t wrap her head around the why? Why did Chat betray her like this? They had a plan, they knew Hawkmoth was Gabriel Agreste and that his assistant Nathalie was Mayura. It was going to be an ambush. Chat’s kwami Plagg had found his lair and had told them how to get there. It was perfect. Next akuma they would have Viperion (Luka), Donryu (Kagami), Fox-Tail (Nathaniel), Noc-Turtle (Marc) and Bee-Witch (Chloe) distract the akuma while Chat and her went to the Agreste Mansion to break into the lair then ambush Hawkmoth aka Gabriel. Ideally they were hoping to catch Nathalie off guard and deal with her before they entered the lair but when they had arrived she wasn’t at her desk in front of Gabriel’s office which meant she was most likely in the lair with him, but they knew it was a possibility so they proceeded down as planned. Then...then her own hell manifested. She hadn’t realized it, not at first, she had been battling Mayura, she had managed to pin her and had turned to see how Chat was faring against Hawkmoth and was shocked to see they weren’t even fighting, they were staring at her.
Before she could ask what Chat was doing, or rather what he was not doing he darted toward her and she thought with relief, he was going to help her. Why was that not what happened? Chat grabbed her by the shoulders and pushed her away from Mayura, Marinette tried to struggle against him and she would have won if Mayura hadn’t started to help restrain her. It was a blur, but she knew she got some hits in, she did everything she could, she kicked, she threw punches wildly, she bit, she threw her head in every direction hoping it would strike and smiling viciously when it did. They took her yoyo as she felt herself forced onto a chair, it creaked from the pressure, she still tried to fight. They tied her to the chair using everything at their disposal it seemed, rope, cables, duct tape, she still tried to fight. Hawkmoth was yelling, Chat was trying to soothe her, looking at her like he didn’t just fight her and restrain her onto a chair, she reared her head back and headbutted him, she was still fighting.
“What the fuck My Lady!? Here I am trying to help you and you go and break my nose! Me-ouch!” Chat spit out from behind his hand a bit of blood followed the words.
“Help me?” Marinette screeched indignantly. “How is fighting me and helping the enemy tie me to a chair helping me!?”
“I’m helping all of us! Why don’t you see that?”
“We don’t have time to waste. The earrings.” Hawkmoth commanded and Marinette had this sick feeling in her gut as she looked from the villain she had been fighting since she was 12, back to her partner, was he even my partner to begin with? , and saw how he nodded and smiled before looking back at her with his wide, wild toxic green eyes. She leaned back as much as she could scowling and baring her teeth, she would do whatever she had to if it meant keeping the earrings safe, when Chat reached towards her she turned her face as quickly bit his hand. The answering yowl made her want to smirk in vindication, even as he shook his hand she still held on with her teeth till she felt someone yank on her hair, hard. She didn’t immediately let go even if the pain was great, her teeth scraped the leather of Chat’s suit the whole time she was pulled away but she didn’t care. What she did care about was the fact that the hand in her hair didn’t let go, she briefly glanced back to see the unmistakable blue of Mayura. Before she could even think to try and struggle still she felt another hand grab her jaw to keep her in place, seeing as Chat had both hands visible she had to assume Mayura was holding her with both her hands since she could also see Hawkmoth standing in the back. Not being able to do much other than growl, she opted to growl out her frustration.
“Growling isn’t very ladylike Ladybug.” Chat of course put emphasis on the ‘lady’ in ladylike as he went for her earring on her left ear first. Marinette did her best to keep her tears at bay. She would not cry in front of them, she would not allow them that satisfaction.
It was like a rip when he removed the first earring. It made her gasp, it wasn’t exactly pain, not at first, it was more this overwhelming sense of discomfort, like having a popcorn kernel stuck between every single tooth and gum. Why does it feel like this? It’s never felt like this before? Then the pain hit and Marinette had to grind her teeth in order to not make a sound, she wouldn’t give them that pleasure, but God , it hurt so much. She could feel parts of her transformation bubbling, almost sizzling and falling off. It was bizarre, never had a transformation falling felt like this, but then again, never had she had her earrings forcibly removed. There was barely any time to brace herself when she felt Chat go for the other earrings and this time, this time she couldn’t hold back the scream that clawed its way out. The pain was too much, it was so different that the first one, this time it was a burning sensation coupled with her muscles feeling like every single one of them had been pulled. She could distantly hear voices, but ultimately they were muffled by her screaming.
“Stop being dramatic Bugaboo.” She could hear Chat laughing, when she opened her eyes it was to see him looking down at the earrings in his hand. There was a soft gasp coming from somewhat behind her so she willed herself with the small amount of strength she had to look back and saw Nathalie Sancoeur staring back at her with big eyes. It almost made her snort, the older woman may have been surprised to see that Ladybug was none other than her, plain Marinette, but Marinette had guessed Nathalie was Mayura. Who, by the way, did not look so great. Her transformation had been dropped and she pale, there were bags under her eyes and her breathing was labored. Even though she had just helped to take her earrings, Marinette still felt pity for the woman, she knew she was going to die if she continued to use the peacock, but seeing as Hawkmoth, no Gabriel seemed to have won, maybe there was hope for her to get better. Marinette knew better though. She had read the Grimoire pages about damaged Miraculi, she knew the damage they dealt stayed unless the broken Miraculous was fixed and the kwami of the Miraculous was feeling merciful.
“Marinette? It’s...Oh my God...You’re you!” Her head snapped back to Chat fast enough she felt a slight strain. The look in his eyes made her want to puke, he looked in awe and almost in love. There was no way she would say it was actual love, more like obsession that he in his deluded mind convinced himself was love.
“We don’t have time for this. The earrings and the ring, now.” Gabriel growled, his transformation was also dropped, Marinette saw Nooroo for the first time and wished she could comfort the kwami. He looked so drained.
“Chat. I’m begging you. Don’t give him my earrings or your ring! You don’t understand what will happen!” Marinette was desperate as she pleaded.
“Plagg, claws in.” There was a loud gasp, it took a second for her to realize it was her who had made the sound. Standing where Chat had been was her ex-crush, ex-friend, Adrien Agreste and gone was the lovesick look he had been giving her as he walked over to his father. His father! “No. You don’t understand, Marinette! This! All of this is for my mother. Don’t you...Don’t you want me to have my mother back?”
“Listen to me Chat-Adrien...even you Gabriel. You don’t want to make this wish! It might bring your wife back, yes. But every wish comes at a price!”
“I think you’re lying to save your own skin Mlle Dupain-Cheng.” Gabriel replied as he took the earrings and ring from Adrien and put them on himself carefully.
“What would I gain from lying? Nothing! If you make this wish there is going to be a price you aren’t going to be able to handle!”
“Adrien. Quiet her. Now.” Gabriel gritted out. Marinette could tell he was experiencing the clash of power between good and bad luck. Creation and Destruction. He wasn’t even transformed yet and Marinette could tell the power was overwhelming him. When she had read the Grimoire about the “Balanced Yet Always Fighting” Power, or that was the closest translation anyways, Marinette liked to call it the Ambivalence Power, the book spoke how many could not handle the Power and themselves would decay on the spot. It was considered an instant action of the Power, instant Karma, to bring the two Miraculi together was considered an evil act, so to counterbalance it, the Power would take the life of the user if they could not bear it and make a wish quickly.
“Yes Father!” Adrien hastily agreed and all Marinette could do was glare at him, and when he approached with a piece of duct tape she did her best to lean away even if her energy was all but gone. He was anything but gentle as he slapped the duct tape over her mouth.
“Now I can begin. It’s finally happening Adrien, we’re going to get her back.” Gabriel gave his son a smile and Marinette pitied the joy on Adrien’s face, knowing that was probably the first real smile his father had given him since his mother had gone missing. “Tell me your names Kwamis.”
“T-Tikki…” Tikki grit out, the look in her eyes promised harm.
“Plagg.” The black cat Kwami spat out with disgust as he hovered as close to Tikki as he could.
“Tikki, Plagg. Kwamis of Creation and Destruction. Unify and Transform me so I may make a wish!” Gabriel commanded, all Marinette could do was watch as Tikki and Plagg were sucked into their respective Miraculi. Then Gabriel began to glow until he was a being of purple and gold like the ones she had seen and read about in the Grimoire. It was impossible to look away, even if she was crying now. “I wish, in order to make my son’s and I’s life perfect, the return of my wife and his mother Emilie Charlotte Agreste.”
His voice was odd, terrifying in a way to process. It was like hearing three voices speaking at once, Tikki’s, Plagg’s, and his. It was soothing, it was commanding, it was horrific and it made Marinette’s skin crawl. She could feel wind whip around her, the source being Gabriel as he started to levitate from the ground, it was a small bit at first then he was floating in the air above them all. Nathalie was yelling something and Adrien was cheering and yet Marinette would not take her eyes off Gabriel. He was about to damn the world, the universe, reality itself and she would not forgive herself if she looked away. This was her fault.
“Gabriel Agreste. Your wish has been heard by us. Are you willing to pay the price?” A voice said. There was no telling where it was coming from but it felt like it was everywhere at once somehow. It too sounded like a chorus of voices talking at once, it shook Marinette’s bones.
“Yes! I am willing to pay any price, now grant me my wish!” Gabriel yelled to the voice. Even as the wind whipped and he continued to glow, it grew silent, like all sound was muted.
“That so?...Your wish is granted.” The voice decreed and when it did everything came back ten times stronger, ten times louder. The wind felt fast enough to slice skin. The glowing of Gabriel intensified to the point where her tears weren’t just from her emotions. She swore to not take her eyes off him till everything was over but it proved difficult. Voices were everywhere and what they were saying was nonsensical but the volume of them grew and grew till they were the only thing she could hear. The light from Gabriel was too bright and she had to look away, had to close her eyes, and when she did her life flashed before her and somehow she knew she was going to die.
Marinette was being taken from the world in response to the wish. Why? She had a guess. Gabriel didn’t just say he wanted the wish for himself, he said he wanted it for him and Adrien, so Creation and Destruction were taking something from both of them. She didn’t know what or who they would take from Gabriel but she knew she was the price for Adrien and she wanted to scream. He didn’t really care about her, he only ever wanted the Ladybug parts of her. How was this fair? Now she was really crying.
Today had been so normal and so had the week leading up to this moment. Class had been...class. Lila reigning supreme and making up whatever kind of story she fancied and doing whatever she could to paint Marinette in a negative light. Everyone soaked up her words like sponges, like if they didn’t hear every word it would be a travesty unparalleled by anything to date. Mlle Bustier of course did nothing about the constant distractions nor how they treated Marinette, because she had to be the ‘better example.’ It didn’t matter if they “pulled pranks”-bullied-her, it didn’t matter if there was a new rumor about her every week that they tried to pass on through the school, and it didn’t matter that they isolated her to the back. No none of it mattered. All that mattered was her being a perfect example, a perfect student, a perfect hero, a perfect daughter.
For God’s sake she couldn’t even tell her parents what was going on because they were so busy with the store that any attention they gave her felt like it was an obligation rather than actual affection and attentiveness. Every morning it was the same, “Good morning sweetie, don’t be late today.” Every lunch it was, “Your lunch is upstairs,” if they weren’t too busy to notice her walk in or hear her greet them. Every night was the same, “How was school? How’s Alya and the girls? How’s Adrien?” That is, if they remembered to ask. She knew they were busy and she knew the bakery was their lives but was it selfish to want more?
Today, she hadn’t even gotten a “Good morning.” They were too busy with the bakery. Something about trying out some new recipes, but it would have felt good to know they noticed her before she went into what was probably the biggest fight of her life. When Plagg had announced what he had discovered, she should have known something was off by the way Chat...Adrien had acted. Eager was one way she would describe his behavior. He had wanted to charge in right away, “guns blazing,” as he put it. The team firmly denied that and it took entirely too long to convince him that would not be a good idea. Chat had seemed angry at the conclusion, Marinette had just assumed it was because he was ready to put a stop to Hawkmoth and Mayura, but evidently that was not the case.
Luka had even warned her that Chat’s tune had seemed off, but he too seemed to think he was just anxious about taking down the villain. Kagami and Chloe had seemed worried for Adrien and what this would mean for him, Marinette had thought of it too. Even if he hadn’t been the best friend or really, a friend to her at all lately, he didn’t deserve everything that was about to come but her, Chloe and Kagami had resolved that they would be there for him after the fact and do whatever they could to support him. Of course they had discussed this after the team meeting and the plan had been made, Kagami and Chloe had been just as nervous as Marc had been during the meeting. Marinette did her best to reassure her that nothing would go wrong and that all of this, all the akumas and sentimonsters, it would all be over.
She had not planned on betrayal. Not at all. All the emotions she had been holding back because she had to be Ladybug, the example, the happy daughter, came rushing out. She let herself feel the absolute anger that had been lingering in her heart for the past two years, even if it was muffled by the duct tape, Marinette screamed out her frustrations. Tears flowed freely in acknowledgement of all the hurt and sadness that she had locked away. It was messy, everything felt like too little and too much all at the same time. Her heart ached. Her lungs burned. She opened her eyes, faced the all-consuming light and she stopped fighting.
Tikki could feel all her anger as the wish was being made, she could feel Plagg’s too...and his sorrow. He hadn’t known his kitten would do this, that was clear, they had talked in the void before Gabriel started talking to Them for his wish. All the same though, her bug was hurt, was hurting and she screamed for all kwami in existence to hear when she felt the payment being paid, when she felt Marinette’s soul being taken. Not her bug. Not after everything she had been through. Not after everything she had done to protect everyone.
“Please! She has done nothing but protect! She is a True Guardian! A True Creation Soul! Don’t take her!” She pleaded.
“The man specified the wish was as much for him as it was for his son. The son coveted her above all.” They said.
“No.” Plagg yelled out. “He only cared for the Ladybug part of her. That is not all of her.”
“Plagg speaks the truth! He didn’t love all of her! There is room for...a deal here. She is our Guardian.” Tikki reasoned.
“...By all means. Make your case.”
“He only cared for a part of her. A part of her life...It hasn’t been done in a very long time but…” Plagg started.
“Plagg?”
“Take years from her. Allow us to take our Guardian somewhere safe, somewhere she can start over and have a happier life. Look. Look at her life. When you do, you'll know we are right.” Plagg commanded. Tikki had never seen him so serious. When They didn’t respond, Tikki knew they were seriously considering what Plagg had suggested. It was their best bet to save Marinette. Even she didn’t remember the last time this type of deal had been struck but she knew it had happened before, but never to a holder. Never to a Guardian.
“We have allowed it. We stopped the full effects on her. Admittedly we don’t know how much time we took but she will be transported to a place that will love her and bring her happiness. You two will go with her along with Nooroo and Duusuu.”
“Thank you for your generousness…” Tikki sighed out.
“Kwami of Creation. You want more. Tell us.”
“I do, but you have been generous.”
“Tell us.”
“I want to enact Karma. I want to punish those who have hurt my bug. She suffered when she shouldn’t have. All because of others and their greed and their need to take advantage. That is what I want. But I know you will carry out balance for the wish...I did not want to ask too much.”
“Sugar Cube...If you ask me I think Paris deserves a little Karma.” Plagg hissed out.
“Tikki. You know we can’t stop you. And we won’t. Though you do not need it, you have permission from us. Now go. The wish is almost over and the little Guardian will need you more than ever. Go and make her life happy. On our behalf, apologize to the small creation soul.”
“Thank you! Thank you so much! You are too kind. We hope to not see you again unless necessary.”
“And us, you Kwamis of Creation and Destruction.”
Tikki cried tears of joy and her and Plagg embraced as they let the light wash over them. They were with Marinette, they could feel it, and they both vowed, she would be happy. She would be loved, even if it was just by them. They smiled and they waited. A new life was starting for all of them.