Disclaimer-I don't own Miraculous Ladybug or anything involved in it.
Warning-Kind of angst, horror, no-name character dies.
Summary- When enough is enough even Marinette can be depressed, and in Paris that's all it takes. Now Demon is here. During Chameleon I guess.
Note- I wanted to make a Akuma-Marinette fic, so here it is. As of right now this is just a quick one shot since I haven't really thought of any ways to continue it. Also some Mari-Juleka friendship because I needed 1 good classmate for this story and I like Juleka.
Also I haven't seen Chameleon all the way through yet, but I know about it and this fic is based during that episode.
Sometimes life sucked. It would always get better but sometimes life just sucked and you needed to be alone and upset for a bit, let everything out, cry or scream or punch a pillow.
Unfortunately this was Paris and Hawk Moth was around, so that was an exceedingly dangerous thing to do, even more so when you were secretly Ladybug who was fighting Hawk Moth. But still emotions could get the best of even the ever-optimistic Marinette, hence why she was in the bathroom of her school, grabbing the side of the sink so hard it might break, seething, growling, and grinding her teeth in a way that was going to make her jaw ache.
Because Chloe was awful for the past week, now Lila was there and was even worse, her friends seem to be turning on her, and Marinette had spent the better part of a year now bending over backwards for everyone, risking her life as Ladybug, and it was all hitting her at once.
Dimly she thought Tikki was talking but she couldn't make out a single word of it, just trying not to punch a wall or something else stupid, jaw and tips of her fingers starting to ache. She never even noticed Tikki's sudden shout, or the dark butterfly that came through the wall and into the ribbon on her right.
She did notice the sudden pressure that seemed to it her like a migraine, the pain that lanced through her body, and something was IN HER HEAD.
She screamed, although she didn't hear it, she threw herself back on instinct hitting the stall wall behind her bouncing off onto the ground, although she never felt it, she bit her lip so hard she bled, although she never tasted it.
All she knew was the terrible pressure and that thing.
Juleka was looking for Marinette, they had been friends for years, they knew each other's families and played together, and while she wasn't exactly sure what the blue-haired girl's seeming problem with Lila was, she did know that Mari had been on edge since the other girl had shown up, and that Mari had only gotten more and more tense, and now she couldn't find her friend.
As she was looking though she did find, or rather hear, a sudden feminine scream of pain. Chasing it she came to the girls bathroom, logically she shouldn't go in there, Juleka had more then enough experience with Paris and Hawk Moth to know that she had no business going TOWARDS a scream, she was at best a liability, at worse she'd become an active enemy to the people that were able to help.
But she was looking for her friend, then heard a female scream, short of knowing for a fact that Marinette(or Rose) wasn't in there, she was going in there.
And unfortunately her fears were true, as when she got into the bathroom there was Marinette, on the ground, hands on her head, screaming from pain Juleka couldn't identify any source to.
So she ran to Marinette, grabbing her shoulders, at a loss at what to do, just trying to comfort her friend.
And it seemed to do something, Marinette's eyes flickered open and she seemed to see her, and although the screaming didn't stop Marinette did curl into her slightly.
Juleka had finally remembered her phone when suddenly Marinette spoke, or rather her screams became words rather then just senseless yelling.
"TAKE THEM! RIP THEM OFF, JUST TAKE THEM!"
Juleka had no idea what Marinette was talking about, or if it was even to her, but she had to try to make sense of it.
"Mari, Mari listen to me, just listen to me, calm down, I'll call the hospital, just focus, focus on me."
Rather then any sort of real acknowledgment Marinette just kept screaming, but at least this time it made sense, if a sick sort.
"MY EARRINGS! TAKE THEM PLEASE! TAKE THEM, RIP THEM OUT, JUST TAKE THEM AND PUT THEM ON!"
Juleka had no idea what to do, but she did know that beyond anything else, she trusted Marinette, more then anyone else, maybe even her family, Juleka trusted Marinette to knows what's right.
Marinette had given her confidence, been her friend, helped her even against something as silly as her photo curse, even saved her and there classmates from Akuma such as Darkblade. So if Marinette said rip off her earrings, then as sicking as Juleka found it, she'd do exactly that.
She grabbed Marinette's head, ignored her screams, 'how on earth has no one else come yet!', and held her closely, shifting her hands away from her ears to find the earrings, trying to hold Marinette's thrashing as much as she could.
She reached over to grab them, but they were rather small, especially the backs, and with Marinette's shaking she couldn't get a proper hold of them to take them off safely.
She took a moment to wipe her eyes from the tears that were starting to pool, and just whispered "I'm sorry Mari", she reached down, grabbed the facing up left earring first, and wrenched down, blood splatting on her hand and Marinette's shoulder and hair.
She held down the sudden urge to vomit, reached down, around Marinette's head to her right ear that was facing the ground, grabbed it that earring as well, slipped for a second, and with a concious effort to ignore that the blood on her hand had caused the slip, she finally got a hold of the earring and pulled, this one even worse, she was afraid she had ripped off Marinette's earlobe.
And immediately the screams died down, Marinette was just laying there, shaking, blood dripping from her injured ears, the earrings in her hands felt like they were burning and she couldn't tell if that was her imagination or not.
As it turned out instead of being a good thing the screams stopping seemed like a bad thing, as after a moment the now familiar purple smoke from a person being Akumatized began to emanate from Marinette, and Juleka scrambled away, standing up, but unable to look away.
As the smoke began to disappear, far slower then normal, she shoved the earrings into her pocket, if Marinette had taken such care of them and taking them away had caused the Akumatization had appeared right after it was best to keep them out of sight, as for putting them on that was another thing entirely, and driven out of her mind as she saw what Marinette had become.
Pain, pain and pressure and that thing was squirming in her mind, but she couldn't give in, she forgot why she couldn't give in but she couldn't no matter how much it hurt, no matter how much that thing demanded her to give in.
It took her a moment to become aware that something had changed, not inside, but out, and she forced her eyes open.
Purple, purple and the impression of 'good'.
Tikki.
No, no Tikki wasn't purple, this was Juleka.
No Tikki was good though, Tikki was good and she couldn't let that touch Tikki. Juleka was good, she could get Tikki.
Where was Tikki, what was Tikki? Tiki was...
…
Pain, pressure, tunneling deeper.
That's right, Tikki was her earrings, she had to get Tikki away, Tikki could go to the good thing, she spoke, tried to tell the good thing to take Tikki, even as she could barely get them out and her throat burned.
"TAKE THEM! RIP THEM OFF, JUST TAKE THEM!"
The good thing, 'Juleka' didn't understand, explain more.
Explain what.
Deeper, give in, better place, revenge, content.
Explain she had to get Tikki away, give Tikki to her, Tikki could explain once she was safe, how did Tikki explain things?
That's right, put on the earrings and Tikki was happy.
She'd tell the purple Juleka thing to put them on and they'd both be happy.
"MY EARRINGS! TAKE THEM PLEASE! TAKE THEM, RIP THEM OUT, JUST TAKE THEM AND PUT THEM ON!"
Juleka finally understood, holding her closer, moved things 'her hands' away from Tikki.
Deeper, squirming, into everything, it was all that mattered.
She didn't even notice her earrings being ripped out, that pain nothing to the thing because nothing matters compared to that thing and the pain.
She did notice as suddenly the pain lessened, the thing was everywhere but less noticable.
Peaceful.
A voice, calm, collected, nice.
"How interesting, I've never seen that reaction, but you are strong, I can feel it, and that struggle left you tired, so give into me, and I'll give you everything you want, and you'll give me everything I want."
Of course, why not. Tikki was good, Juleka was good, they were together and that thing 'what was she referring to again, she couldn't remember', couldn't touch them.
She didn't talk 'what was talking' but she knew he understood, she was his, he was hers, they would both be happy with this.
"Very good, now awaken Demon."
Juleka shook, just looking at that thing on the ground.
Vaguely humanoid and pitch black was all she could describe it as. As if shadows and ink had been given human form, but then the edges had been washed away so you couldn't tell where it began and ended. Just the impression of what it was supposed to be.
Then light, she felt no shame in jumping back in shock and more then a little fear, her back against the wall near the mirrors, the door to her side.
Two blue lights, it took a moment for her to realize they were meant to be eyes, if eyes were glass orbs filled with solid blue fire.
And the thing simply floated up, still laying the same position but now at shoulder height. Slowly the thing just rotated until it was right side up, a mockery of a human standing, only one 'foot' was lightly touching the ground, the other leg, or what was supposed to be a leg, curled up.
Blue lights meeting her eyes, shifting to the side, it occurred to her that it was tilting it head in curiosity, although the lights never flicked or gave any other impression of blinking, they simply moved and gave off the bright blue light.
It lifted it's arms, looking at them as the lights went back and forth, almost in awe.
Juleka had no idea what to do, she had met Akuma before, but most Akuma had a clear role or idea, they wanted something and that's it, this living shadow was just there, she didn't know what it did or wanted, but she had no desire at all to call it's attention to her, her pocket felt like it was burning.
The thing that was once Marinette floated to the side, touching the stall door, then pulling back. It floated to the other side, close to Juleka, and put it's hand, or where it's hand was meant to be, on the mirror. It withdrew then touched the sink.
Was it just curious, was it testing something, had whatever happened to Marinette injured this thing making it come out half done or something?
Then it put it's hand on the sink again, and this time the moment she touched the sink it collapsed, a pile of ash hitting the floor, Juleka had never even noticed the change but where the sink once was, was now a pile of ash.
The thing pressed it's hand on the mirror, and again the mirror fell into ash between her blinking, but this time rather then the whole mirror falling like the sink, nor just around the shade's hand, a wave of ash fell down from where it's hand was in a complex pattern so a detailed butterfly seemed to be just burned out of the mirror, ash falling to the ground.
Juleka couldn't help the loud gulp she made, it was quiet but the only other sound since Marinette had turned was the ash hitting the ground, and in that silence even the small gulp was clearly heard by both of them, the blue lights swinging around in her direction, stopping at her face.
The thing floated closer, just barely off the ground not a sound heard as it was suddenly there, right in front of her just just barely not touching her.
Juleka froze, she could be brave if needed, but this thing terrified her, and she couldn't see what she could do that would have even a chance of doing something.
A 'hand' rose, touching her cheek. The cool touch cut through her fears, she was still afraid, but what was touching her was clearly a hand, slightly cool like she'd just been holding something cold but without a doubt a human hand.
And nothing hurt, she wasn't turning to ash like the sink or anything, those lights 'eyes she reminded herself, this was Marinette, Akumatized and terrifying, but still Marinette' tilted in the same half-confused expression as earlier.
She took a chance.
"Mari, it's me Juleka. Please be alright, don't hurt anyone, you'll never forgive yourself."
The Shade gave no indication it had heard for a moment, then it floated closer, and up, and Juleka felt a pressure on her forehead, a comforting kiss, like her mother would give her when she was sick.
The Thing pulled back, seemingly satisfied, and went to the door, and like some sort of joke someone finally appeared, after all the yelling, trashing, and now the Akuma, someone finally appeared.
A teacher, Juleka barely recognized the woman she taught science to a different class Juleka thought.
Juleka was about to warn the woman, when suddenly that thing was there, in front of the Teacher.
Neither Juleka or the teacher had any chance to do anything, the Teacher couldn't even jump before the thing touched her.
And where the Teacher had been was a pile of ash hit the ground, along with clothes.
Juleka just stared, not comprehending, she was fine but the teacher, there was a trick, the Teacher hadn't just, just dissolved into ash, right? There was no way.
As Juleka just stood there to stunned to even show fear, the thing leaned down, a tendril reaching out and sifting through the ash, grabbing the now empty pants, lifting them up and rifling through the pockets, until the abomination found a phone.
The pants were dropped and the monster seemed to poke at the phone as Juleka just watched, unable to move.
After a moment alarms suddenly blared, causing Juleka to jump at the loud noise after all the quiet. She reorganized the sound, the Mayor had put in several alarms around the city meaning that an Akuma(or similar), depending on the alarm it meant the Akuma was in a different place, this particular alarm meant that Akuma was near the school.
Juleka stared at the thing, figuring it out and unconsciously speaking out loud.
"That alarm will cause the school to lock down, we'll all be locked in at least for minute."
The creature just stared at her, then put up a small appendage, a mockery of the universal "quiet" sign, then simply floated out of the bathroom, a small sound indicating the door had also been turned to ash.
Juleka's legs just gave out, she hit the ground. That thing, that thing had just killed someone, and it was going to keep going.
Almost against her will Juleka looked down and realized her hand was open, the earrings suddenly in her hand, she hadn't even realized she had grabbed them, one of them still had a drop of Marinette's blood on it.
Mechanically she stood up, turning on the nearest sink, and washing the earrings from the blood.
Marinette had wanted her to put them on, she didn't know why, but she had already decided to believe in Marinette, even if that thing was there she wouldn't fail, she wouldn't.
Her eyes closed for a moment, blue fire appeared on her eyelids causing her to jump back with a little shriek, the earrings stabbing into her suddenly clenched fist.
She took a deep breath in, calm, deep breath out, calm, deep breath in, calm, deep breath out, calm.
She opened her fist, the earrings were silver and clean, her hands were shaking as she lifted one of them, one more time she breathed in, then out.
Hands now steady she lifted her hands, and undid her own earrings, small and simple black studs, left then right, she put them into her other pocket and lifted the silver earrings.
She lifted her hands, and put on the left earring, then the right.
Suddenly a red little bug-thing appeared in front of her to her shock, causing her to fall back.
At the same time a sudden scream, which she easily recognized as Chloe's from a lot of experience.
Eh may or may not continue this, but don't count on it, if I do continue it Juleka will put on Tikki, go to Master Fu, and join Chat, Rena, Carapace, and Queen against the destructive, sadistic, and very intelligent Demon. The ultimate end may or may not have Juleka getting her own Miraculous as thanks.
Also the earring ripping ended up more intense then I intended, as did Juleka's devotion to Marinette, but it worked well enough. And I tried to describe Marinette's Akuma form to match Juleka's perception, so when Juleka is thinking right it's just a Shadow Of Marinette, but when Juleka is really scared it's some abomination without anything human.