The door shut behind her leaving her in the small study alone. The room was eerie and dark. Marinette glanced around and studied the area she had been thrust into. Walking slowly through the room her hand grazed the mid wall molding and lightly brushed over the muted pink wallpaper. The intricate design of flowers danced happily under her gaze.
Marinette's blue bell eyes widened in realization. The wallpaper was really moving! She took a leap back and rushed a glance around the room. It was all moving! The room began to lighten and spin. Colors brightened and the room seemed to expand. Suddenly the form of Adrien materialized. Marinette reached an arm out to touch him if only briefly. Her hand landed on his forearm hitting the surface of his skin harder than she intended.
"Marinette, something is wrong." Tiki stated rising from Marinette's over the shoulder bag.
Marinette ignored Tiki's concern as she looked over Adrien again.
"Tiki, he's real." shock and wonder were thick in her voice. Adrien looked at her and smiled but never said a word. He didn't have to. She was fawning already and he had just shown up. Being near Adrien usually had Marinette falling over herself but this time was different. Marinette felt happy. Genuine happy.
"Marinette please!" Tiki urged. Floating up to her cheek Tiki began to plead with Marinette. "Is this not strange to you? Please at least transform." Tiki's words fell on deaf ears as did most of her concerns when it came to Adrien. Tiki began to tug Marinette's shirt in hopes of breaking the trance she had fallen in.
"Marinette, you have to snap out of it!" In a last-ditch effort Tiki placed herself in front of Marinette's eyes breaking her line of site to Adrien.
"Tiki what are you doing?" Marinette snapped. Glancing around the room she realized the darkness had returned. No brightness, no lights, and certainly no Adrien. "What happened Tiki?" Marinette looked genuinely confused.
"Marinette, you don't remember what just happened?" Tiki questioned floating back to examine Marinette's face.
"The last thing I remember is the door shutting behind us. Everything went bright and I had this warm feeling. Nothing but the feeling and I liked it. It's like when the morning sun hits you on a crisp day. It was calming and... I guess in a word, it was happy." Marinette looked up from the strap of her purse that she had been twisting. "What did I do Tiki? What happened?"
Questions filled Marinette's face and Tiki realized she wouldn't be able to answer all of them. Some things are better left unsaid Tiki reasoned as she decided Marinette didn't need the happiness she felt in her ripped out just because of a hallucination. That was all she could reason it was.
"We need to get out of here Marinette. This place is giving me the creeps." The tiny kwami stated as she quickly flew back into the bag.
"Ok." was all Marinette could muster. Confusion seeped into her brain but she still had a hint of the happy she felt before. The residual happy warmed her core as she felt the rest of her go cold. Is this what it's like to not be happy? Marinette asked herself. Is this sad?
Her thoughts reached her face and Tiki could see sadness painted on her otherwise beaming face.
Marinette's eyes fell to the floor as she drifted out of the room.
The whole walk home was laced with the sadness. A constant sadness that scared Tiki. 'Marinette isn't like this. Tiki would know better than anyone! Something is messing with her and Tiki was going to figure out what it is. First though she is going to make the black-haired beauty smile again!' Tiki challenged herself.
"Do you want to patrol tonight Marinette?" Tiki asked tentatively. The kwami knew Marinette loved to patrol but between homework and chores she barely got the time. Tonight was perfect though. Being a Saturday night, it would be the perfect night for a distraction.
"I'm not feeling it Tiki." Marinette sighed as she turned the corner to her house. Her thoughts had wandered the entire walk home. Anything that could pop into her head did. Marinette knew she wasn't being great company but she couldn't shake this gloomy feeling in her gut. It clouded her brain and scrambled her thoughts turning everything grey.
"Fresh air would be good for you after all the dust in the room today. Please Marinette." Tiki pleaded.
The door opened to Marinette's bedroom and Tiki flew to her bed. Marinette tossed her purse onto the chase to the right of her room and continued walking until she collapsed on the bed.
"Maybe you're right, Tiki. Let's go patrol." The gloom still stuck in her stomach but Marinette never let sadness take a hold of her. Maybe Cat could get crack a joke and the feeling would just go away. She had to try. She felt terrible for her kwami to have to see her so depressed. Tiki had helped her with situations before. Heck Tiki was saving her skin all the time. I guess ancient kwami wisdom really is a thing.
Tiki flew from her perch and smiled preparing for the transformation. This would help Tiki just knew it!
"Tiki, Spots on!" Marinette chimed and it sent the kwami into a flurry around the petite figure. A mask draped around the big blue eyes as the polka dotted ladybug suit morphed quickly onto Marinette's small frame. Her yo-yo took its place on her hip. With that Marinette was off.
She flew through the city in a flash as she tried her best to clear her mind. No matter what she did she couldn't shake this churning feeling. Since they left the museum the feeling had turned from sadness to a gut wrenching ache.
Marinette landed at the roof top of one of the taller buildings downtown. She took a deep breath and leaned against the railing taking in the lights of the city. Something was wrong, Tiki was right but neither of them knew what it was.
"Fancy finding you hear Bugaboo" Mocked the cheerful voice of her partner.
Cat Noir jumped perching himself on the ledge she was leaning on. Looking at her face he immediately knew something wasn't right. Her face was pale and her eyes were a dull blue. This is not the Ladybug he knew.