Chapter Eleven: Fateful Outcomes
Marinette's POV:
I find my purse with Chloe, who runs up to me.
She's a really tight hugger. "Oh my goodness, I thought something happened to you," she murmured.
I softly smiled, and she handed me back the purse. "Thanks for watching it for me," I say, and she waves her hand.
"Nonsense, you were as brave as Ladybug when you saved me. It was the least I could do."
Alya joins my side, reviewing the footage she's been covering. She sighs, and looks at me with concern.
"You sure you're alright? I mean, that thing was burning!" she questions.
"Uh huh, don't worry about me," I assure them.
I see Adrien with Nino, but there's no sign of Florence. They approach our little group, and I wave. Chloe rolls her eyes. "You're hopeless," she tells me. I fake scowl back. She laughs.
"It's getting real strange around here," Alya mutters. "First Mélodie, and now there's this invisible fire gal. So many new heroes are here. It's almost like they're gathering, as if something bad is about to happen…"
"You do have a point," agrees Nino. "I feel that the villains are more destructive and have less stability."
I take a moment to think about it. Tikki did say something was different about Mélodie. What if something was going to happen?
Oh! I check my purse for Tikki. Thankfully, she's in there, a bit disoriented from the whole drama. I close it, before anyone can see her.
"Four heroes who have super powers in one place is pretty fishy," adds Adrien. "Paris can't be the only place where there's crime, right? So why Paris?"
"Because it's the only place where there are crazy villains with powers!" answers Chloe. Realizing what she said, she turns bright red. "And I guess that includes me…" she mumbles.
"And me," offers Alya. "I was Lady Wi-Fi."
"Don't forget about the Bubbler," Nino offers.
"Points taken. Could it be…that the villains are controlled by one main guy, who has powers like Ladybug, Cat Noir, and the other two?" asks Chloe.
I gulp. That would make plenty of sense. A final battle between the forces of good and evil…
Alya playfully punches Chloe in the arm. "You know, you'd make a good journalist," she compliments. "How about you help me with the Ladyblog?"
Chloe stutters, surprised by the offer. "Um, sure?" she answers. Alya grins, and grabs her. They spin around, and the poor blond is confused.
"We are going to be a great duo!" Alya cheers. I chuckle, so do Adrien and Nino.
We agree to hang out for a bit, as school is already over anywhere. The five of us take a hike through the park.
I hear someone groaning.
I run to where the sound is coming from.
"Marinette, where are you going?" I hear Alya call, but I ignore her.
At the base of a new treehouse, I find Florence. Unconscious.
"Oh no!" I rush to her side, and shake her. "Florence, wake up!"
She doesn't.
Her hair is matted with blood.
The others catch up to me, and they gasp in horror.
Adrien comes to my side first. I don't know why, but he seems to have guilt in his eyes.
Chloe inspects the treehouse. "Has she been living in here all this time?" she yells. Alya climbs up, and throws out something. Nino catches it.
"There's ton of boxes of this stuff, but all of them are empty," Alya shouts from above.
"The girl has been living on granola bars. No wonder she got sick at that race," concludes Nino.
"Guys."
All of them snap their attention back to me.
"We got to get help."
Florence's POV:
I feel cozy. Someone adjusts something wet on my forehead. My eyes flutter open.
A woman kindly tucks me in. She gasps when she sees me. "Thank goodness, you're awake now."
She looks familiar. The woman rises to leave, but I grab her arm. "Please," I croak. "Don't leave me alone."
"It's okay, you're safe," she assures me.
I remember now. The Recycler. The flute. Losing energy. Falling out of the treehouse. Hitting my head. Lifting my head, I find there's bandages around my head.
Marinette arrives, and cries in joy.
She hugs me around the waist. "Be gentle with her, Marinette," her mother, I realize, tells her. "I got to help your father with the bakery, so I'll check on you girls later." Mrs. Dupain Cheng leaves.
We stay in silence for a while.
"It's been two days," says Marinette. "Since…we found you at your place. Alix told us you've been living there."
I swallow. Did she tell them anything else? Marinette doesn't continue, so I guess my secret is safe.
"Yeah, I'm sorry I didn't say anything," I apologize. Sighing, Marinette points to a corner of her room. Most of my stuff from the treehouse is there. My eyes widen in surprise.
"I'm sorry…but Mom and Dad decided you should live with us temporarily. Actually, Adrien offered first, but we couldn't contact his father, so they decided you should come here. All five of us brought you to the hospital, and they said you had a concussion. We brought you home, and Chloe decided to pay for the expenses."
I reach for my bandages, and Marinette looks saddened. "Why?" she asks.
"It's complicated," I muster. Not now. I don't want to share anything yet.
She nods, and tucks a bang behind her ear.
"Things have…are strange lately, and I don't know what's going on anymore," she confides with me. I nod. She doesn't know that I am aware of her identity as Ladybug.
"I mean, there's new superheroes, the villains are so destructive, you're hurt, and I'm getting a weird vibe," she continues. She wants to say more, but she shakes her head.
"Marinette, where are you going to sleep?"
"I've been sleeping on the couch downstairs, and I can always do it again tonight."
"Can't we share?"
"Are you sure? I don't know if your head's healed properly…"
"Please?" I beg.
"Alright, fine." She gives in, and I laugh. "It will be just like a sleepover," I think aloud.
Marinette fishes out a card from her purse. "Here." She hands it to me.
I open it, and in it are a bunch of notes.
"Get well soon! We miss you!" – Rose
"Hope you're feeling well, superstar!" – Nino
"Miss you! Come back so we can have that rematch!" -Alix
"Who am I going to learn my lines with now? Just kidding, but get well quick!" -Chloe
"Hope you'll be feeling better!" – Nathaniel
"Florence, best wishes that your health is better." – Adrien
Many of these kind wishes were scribbled across this small card, and they made me smile.
I yawned, and Marinette covers me with her blanket. She picks up the towel on my head. "Get more rest, and I'll wake you for dinner, okay?" I gingerly nod, and fall asleep.
Tikki's POV:
The moon shines in the sky. The girls are snuggling.
I search around the room, and I see it. Victorious, I buzz towards Florence's purse.
She wasn't the only one who had been injured.
"Chicca, I know you're in there," I whisper.
Silence.
"Florence is your new holder, right?"
No response.
I sigh.
"Things are really bad in the future, aren't they?"
Sniffles, then crying.
I hop into the purse, and hug my fellow kwami. Her feather droops from her head, and the tears keep falling.
"I'm not a good kwami." She mumbles.
"Yes you are!" I argue. "You risked your live coming here, and from what's happened, you were able to sustain your own powers, Rosso's and mine."
The yellow kwami shakes her head. "Not Rosso's, he and his kwami holder perished. Ladybug…your current Ladybug, was only able to save the flute. Florence and I used the magic I had left to enchant it with our own powers. Since, you know, I lost my original weapon."
I frowned. Kwami were immortal. Unless…
"Cataclysm," Chicca murmurs, confirming my fears. "That's also how you…" she sobs harder.
"When," I question. "When did this all happen?"
"Hawk Moth…the first real devastation he conducted will happen in a few weeks…"
I gasp. "Then we need to get ready."
She cries more. She's the youngest and most inexperienced of the kwami. The last time any of us saw us was in Egypt, where her first Miraculous holder died. Then, Chicca had vanished.
"I've been keeping too many secrets from her," she murmurs.
"It's okay, we don't want to overwhelm them."
"But you just said we had to get ready!"
"I know!"
Chicca bottom lip quivers. "What do we do?"
I fly out of the purse, and return with a cherry.
"First thing we have to do is for you to eat and rest. You won't think straight if you don't."
"What next?"
"We think of a plan in the morning."
Moments later, she licks her lips. "Thank you."
I rise up, but Chicca tugs my foot.
"You know who Florence is, don't you?"
I grimly nod. "It took me awhile, but the way those two respond around her confirms it."
"Don't you think they should be kept further away? To avoid…"
"I think fate brought them together, in both future and past."
The yellow kwami laughs bitterly.
"That's one thing we couldn't control. Fate."
Well, here's a weird chapter. I promise it's going to get more epic in the next chapter.
Marinette and Florence are officially living together, and Tikki and Chicca have their tearful reunion.
I know you guys are reviewing, and that is totally awesome and makes me happy to know what you guys think. Sadly, I can't access the recent ones, and I've noticed other fellow fanfic writers are having the same problem. I hope this will be fixed soon! ^-^
I know you guys are asking a bunch of questions and have your theories, but there are still more I have to touch upon. Florence's past (in the future) is a dark one, and I don't want to overwhelm you all with feels by adding it all in one chapter.
I haven't forgotten about Tomato-kun, the male ballerina kwami, and Hawkdaddy. Yes, Hawkmoth is going to have his sinister moments, too.
Again, thank you for your continuing support! It means a lot to me, and I'm glad. It helps keep the fangirlism in control for me, too XD.
I am so happy that Miraculous Ladybug is airing January 10th (in French)! Finally, we can visit our love square again and have more frustration over it! Lol just kidding XD I am really curious how they are going to portray Volpina. I've given her a badass, stubborn, and flare (puns) personality here.
Hope to update soon. Love ya!
~Kurama Kaitou
