Okay, hello people! I'm back!

This is becoming a full blown story now because... I don't even know why.

This chapter is my take on two things that were requested in reviews:


Tikki reacting to what Marinette does

Marinette confronting Alya


I'm also adding in my own bits because otherwise it would be too short.

Including Master Fu. :D

And more Plagg. Who doesn't love Plagg?

Also, this is a rewrite of this chapter. My friend offered to write some of the chapter for me and I didn't really like it- it included Adrien cutting- so I've deleted it and am doing it myself this time. Some of her chapter is still here, however.

Nothingness.

Cold, empty, nothingness.

Horrible, unforgiving, numbness.

A struggle for freedom from the darkness, trying to shed light on the situation, losing.

Losing to the hands that never want you to awaken. That want you to sleep in their prison forever.

Losing the freedom to move and to think. Losing the fact of existence itself.

Losing.

Once Tikki would have cared. Before the reveal. When she had feelings, thoughts, emotions. When she never lost.

Before Marinette threw the earrings away.

Before the worst situation arose.

Trapped, trapped inside herself,

Dormant.

o0o

Plagg was fading rapidly.

Yin and Yang. Black and White. Life and Death. Joy and Sorrow. Sweet and Sour. Creation and Destruction.

They needed each other.

Without Tikki, Plagg was nothing. He only had a few hours before he went dormant.

The cat-like creature shuddered.

Dormancy was something every kwami hated.

But why was Tikki dormant? It was always his kittens who caused the untimely dormancies, never her bugs!

Her bugs...

A weakened Plagg wrote a short and barely informative note for Adrien before he floated tipsily to the house of one designer-to-be.

He never made it. The floating and phasing through walls left him to weak to move.

He resisted. Of course he did. He may have been unlucky, lazy and kind of greedy, but he couldn't go back in there.

Not without saying goodbye.

Eventually, he gave in. He let the seeping numbness wash over his body as he lay there, on a busy street, fading from existence.

From existence, but never memory.

o0o

Fu always knew it was going to happen.

So did Wayzz.

But that didn't make it any better.

He knew Marinette, Ladybug, Mademoiselle Dupain-Cheng, wouldn't be able to handle it. But this... this was serious.

She'd plunged poor Tikki, and by extension Plagg, into the cold waters of dormancy.

She may as well have handed Hawkmoth ultimate power on a silver platter.

This was bad.

So bad.

o0o

Alya didn't know what was coming for her.

A very angry Marinette.

Not seeing the anger written all over her old friend's face, she invited her in and sat down on the couch, seizing her phone and switching on the camera.

'So, Mari-'

'DON'T call me Mari!' Marinette snarled.

That was the first clue that something was wrong.

Being grabbed by the collar and pushed to the wall was the second one.

But Alya, who'd always prided herself on being an amazing reporter, didn't even notice.

'... anyway, can you just sit down so I can have an interview? That way I can make my blog really famous. You haven't done any other interviews either, have you, so that gives me the first one!'

'No.' It was said entirely too calmly.

'What do you mean 'no?' I don't get it!'

'I mean no. I'm not giving you an interview.' The former hero was seething now.

'Well, why?' Alya truly didn't understand it.

'Why? WHY?' Mari began. 'Well, let me see. First off, you reveal my identity to the entire world without a second thought. Secondly, you just expect me to give you an interview when I have clearly stated I no longer wish to be a part of your life. Thirdly, you were screaming at me for not telling you something I was forbidden to.'

Alya just sat there, dumbfounded by the girl in front of her.

'And lastly, I DON'T WANT TO BE INTERVIEWED NOW PEOPLE KNOW WHO I AM! I've told you before? Is it that hard to drum it into your head, Alya?'

'But I'm your best friend!' Alya finally sputtered out as Marinette made her way to the door. She uttered one last thing before she closed the door for the last time.

'Not anymore, you're not.'

o0o

He was gone.

Plagg was gone. Forever.

The one person- kwami- who'd promised to always be there for him, was gone.

He'd promised.

But if Adrien knew Plagg- and he most certainly did- then the little being of destruction would've fought.

Plagg kept his promises.

So why wasn't he here?

What if he had no choice? It was certainly a possibility. Plagg was... Plagg.

He was sarcastic, bitter, greedy, lazy, annoying and grouchy.

But...

He was there. He cared, as much as he hated to show it. He may have been bad luck, but he was the best thing that ever happened to Adrien.

The best.

That's better than the last one, in my opinion.

Also, ending the story here. Goodbye!

Xoxo,

~KatnissEeveedeen