Natalie sighed as she looked up at the portrait of Emilie. Emilie was gorgeous, that was a fact, no doubt about that. The resemblance between Adrien and his mother was unmistakable. It's no wonder Gabriel fell in love with such a woman. And no matter how much Natalie loved Gabriel, she couldn't find it in herself to hate Emilie.
She took one last look back at the door to make sure it was locked, before she took out the remotes and turned all the cameras off. Sighing, she reached inside the portrait and took out the peacock miraculous.
Transforming into Mayura was probably the most painful thing that ever happened to her. After Emilie died, the peacock miraculous was badly broken. The only reason Natalie had used it was because she couldn't bear to see Gabriel like that, beaten, helpless, and ashamed.
A glowing orb erupted from the miraculous, a blue one. When the glow faded away, there floated a kwami, with a long elegant neck and beautiful cool colors in its feathers. The peafowl.
"Happy to see me again, Peafowl?" Natalie asked, her lips changing into a smirk. The peafowl bowed her head. "You copy your love so much that it's sickening. You know that I hate being treated like Nooroo. And anyway, my name's not 'peafowl', it's-"
"Shut up," Natalie snapped, and the peafowl did as she was told. "Hawkmoth gave up. We can't let that happen."
"Why not? I thought you wanted him to love you, not Amelia."
"EMILIE!" Natalie shouted. "And that's enough! Feathers out!" The peafowl sighed as she got sucked into the clothespin that Natalie clipped onto her shirt.
Natalie started to twirl, and a beautiful dress replaced her crisp suit. Eyeshadow magically appeared on her eyelids, and her skin turned a distinct blue. High heels appeared on her feet, and a feather materialized in her hand.
"Mayura." Natalie smiled as she said her Supervillain name, tasting it in her body. "The Supervillain of despair." If Hawkmoth could make supervillains using negative emotions, so could she. She fingered her clothespin, and winced as a searing pain sliced through her mind. The peacock miraculous still was broken, like Gabriel said.
She closed her fist around the white, innocent feather, and darkness pooled into it. She remembered doing this when she was Catalyst, when she was going to save her love from certain defeat.
When she re-opened her hand, a dark purple feather sat there, instead of the white, pure one that's now gone. Closing her eyes, she reached her mind for any despair that's in the world, ready to evilize whoever that was.
After a few moments, she smiled, and blew the feather.
"Adrien! My man!" Nino walks up to Adrien and pats him on the back. Adrien smiles and waves at me. No way. There is no way that Adrien Agreste just waved at me. No. Way.
"C'mon Marinette, say hi!" Alya elbowed me.
"Uh, hi, Adrien! Hehe!" I manage to stutter out, smiling stupidly the whole time. Ugh, why do I have to stutter whenever I'm around him? Man up, Marinette!
"Hey Marinette! So since Nino and Alya are getting ice cream, I guess you and I are?" Adrien walked towards me, wearing his perfect smile, with his perfect green eyes, and his perfectly combed blonde hair.
"Oh, yeah, I uh, I love you! I mean I uh, would love you! I mean uh, I would love that!" Curse me and my stupid words!
Adrien laughs his perfect laugh. Alya rolls her eyes and facepalms, but I ignore her completely. My love life… is very interesting. Well, my first love is obviously Adrien, I mean, everything about him is perfect!
At first I thought he would be some kind of snobby rich person, like Chloe Bourgeois, but later he proved what kind of a person he is; the totally AWESOME kind!
Then, waltzing in, came Cat Noir. Okay, Cat Noir is handsome, and totally cool. But I have to admit, that even though Adrien doesn't go around saving the city with me, Adrien is a lost cooler that Cat Noir in my opinion. He's a hero in his own way! And although Cat Noir admitted his feelings for me, I can't find it in myself to love him yet. I'll admit, I was a little harsh on him. But I can't choose who I love. And that's that.
And then, Luka comes to me. Well, I came to him. Luka's really nice, but I can't help but think that he's a little bit of a show-off. His musical sense is amazing, but when he 'reads my heart', well, at least that's what I call it, it can be a little annoying. I almost fell for him, I really did. But then of course, Adrien becomes my number one choice again. Life is so complicated, don't you think?
"So… where is Andre today?" Alya asks, breaking the awkward silence.
"Um…" Nino slides open his phone and looks at the map. "I don't know where he is. No one posted it today."
"Well then… bicycle rides around the city to find him!" Alya offered. THIS IS THE BEST DAY OF MY LIFE! Going on a bicycle with Adrien? It's a dream come true!
"Why not?" Nino put his arm around Alya and together they walked over to a bike rental. Adrien and I looked at each other.
"They're the perfect couple," Adrien sighed as he looked over at our best friends, hopping onto a double bike. "You know when I asked you for love advice about Kagami?"
"Yeah," I sigh. "That was bad."
"Huh?"
"I mean uh, yeah yeah, I remember, what about it?" Dang. I messed up again.
As usual, Adrien pretends not to notice. "So… well, I'm not sure that Kagami likes me. And after my first and second crush… I think I have to move on to someone else."
First and second? He had another crush before Kagami? Is it Chloe? NO NO NO TELL ME THAT IT'S NOT CHLOE!
"Oh… who?"
Adrien laughs and shrugs his shoulders. "Well… you! But maybe just temporarily. Until I find someone else, if you don't like that idea."
DON'T LIKE THAT IDEA?! YOU GOTTA BE KIDDING ME! THIS IS THE BEST DAY OF MY LIFE!
"Oh, of course I love the idea of you! I mean us! I mean uh, yeah us. Yeah. I love you - us."
"Great, uh, shall we ride a bike?" Adrien put his arm around me and we walked over to the bike rental. From the moment I saw Alya's facepalm, I knew I had on my stupid smile of happiness, the one that I always have on when Adrien is near me. I mean, I can't help it. He's just too perfect.
"Ladies first," Adrien smiled as he held the bike for me to hop on. I blush and look up at him. His expression is happy and care-free, but something deep down is making him sad. I don't know what, but may as well ask him when we're getting ice cream at Andre's.
Sitting in the back of the two person bike, Adrien getting in front, together, we pumped the pedals, our feet in perfect unison.
"Hey dude!" I hear Nino call from the two person bike he and Alya were sharing. Alya's arms were wrapped around Nino's waist, as together they sped off on a lap around the park. THey were always the perfect match.
After a good lap around the park, we spotted Andre's ice cream cart by the eiffel tower. "Oh, right on time!" Alya shouts as we park our bikes by the side of the street.
Nino and ALya link arms as Andre smiles at them. "Nino and Alya! The most perfectly matched couple I have ever seen! Watermelon base, with a touch of passion fruit! Enjoy your ice cream, and keep your love true!"
Adrien and I look at each other. I guess neither of us have really had this experience before. Finally, he puts on a sad smile and drapes his arm over my shoulder.
Andre immediately perks up at us. "If it isn't for pretty Marinette! And who is this? Adrien Agreste? I knew my ice cream would bring the best love birds together! Strawberry pink, the color of love, mint green, and raspberry red, the color of-"
"Marinette, hurry up!" I hear Alya and Nino shout. Adrien takes the ice cream and hands it over to me.
"Marinette, why don't you join your friends?" Andre asked in his italian accent. "I need to have a word with Mr. Adrien!"
"Oh, uh, sure," I smile at Andre before walking over to Alya and Nino. Whatever Andre has to say with Adrien has to be some serious love business. Whatever's bothering Adrien must be important. If only I could help him…
"Don't worry Marinette," Tikki's adorable voice rings in my ears. I look down to see Tikki smiling up at me. "Adrien's lucky to have a friend like you. After you defeat Hawkmoth, you can show him that you're Ladybug! Then he'll be sure to love you!"
I sigh. "But I don't want him to love Ladybug, Tikki. I want him to love Marinette. Just me. But if I have to show him who's really loving him, the Ladybug herself, I will. I just wish…"
"You've helped him a lot, Marinette! You've saved his life! I'm sure he values his life over the many love problems he has. Besides, Andre will help him. He's the best love expert around Paris!"
"Hey, who are you talking to?"
I scream when I realize that Adrien's sitting on my left, with his own ice cream. Surprise and sorrow both stab me in the heart. He's not meant to be with me. Even Andre says so. We have separate ice creams. We're not meant to be after all.
"Red cherry base, black ebony hair, and her sky blue stare?" I guessed, looking at the ice cream cone. Something clicked in my mind, but I can't quite place it. I know this person… whoever he's in love with.
"So… who's this lucky girl, Adrien?" Alya leaned over from Nino, nodding at his ice cream.
Adrien blushed, looking up at a Ladybug poster. "I can't tell you."
"So… it's not Marinette?" Nino asked, and Alya punched him in the guts. But I don't even wait for Adrien's answer to know that it's not me. What kind of Red cherry base is that for? I hate cherries anyway. It's not me. Adrien will find his love and he'll live happily ever after without me. I don't matter to him. Why does he need me?
"I… have to go. Sorry Adrien. Enjoy your ice cream, everyone. Have fun." I blink back tears as I stand up, turning away from Adrien. The worst thing that could happen is crying in front of my best friend, her date, and the love of my life.
"Marinette, you said you were free the whole night," Alya complained, waving her phone. She shot me a look that said; Don't you dare. DON'T YOU DARE LEAVE US. Don't you DARE leave Adrien.
"I know, actually, my parents are going out tonight, and I have to run the bakery, so uh, enjoy, guys." Tearing my gaze away from Alya's, I put a few coins in a bike rent machine and walked the bike to the center of the street.
"Marinette-"
I spin back to stare into Adrien's beautiful green eyes. I've seen these eyes before, on someone else's face. Someone else I love. I know that I know them… but I can't remember who. The green is weaved with a little bit of blue, the sadness in his heart reflected in his gaze.
"Adrien… I really have to go. I'm sorry but-" tears choke my words. I cannot cry. I CANNOT.
"Find someone else to help you with your love life. I'm not meant to be with you. I'm sure Kagami would make a better date. Or whoever you're in love with."
"But-"
"I HAVE TO GO." I turn my gaze at Alya, and I can't keep the snap out of my voice. It cracks down like a whip on all three of them. For all I know, this is the first time I let my bad side out on those I love.
Swinging one leg over the seat, my feet pedal myself away from them, my eyes refusing to look back, no matter how much I want to.
Water pelts my head, and looking up, the clouds are gray and rain is falling down. Nobody else is on the street. It's just me. Thunder sounds overhead, and raindrops fall down my face.
And yet, some of them tasted like salt.
