It's easier for you readers to understand when I write in first person. So I'm switching over to using first person. Sorry for the wait. I was very busy with school. Enjoy.

I found myself on cement ground, surrounded by darkness. I groaned as a stinging pain shot through my back.

Not good. I thought to myself. I blinked, but instead of empty space being in front of me like it had been a second ago, there was Ladybug. Towering over me, a sneer painted on her face. An expression I had never thought I could make.

Ladybug's foot stomped down on my shoulder, a crack sounded throughout the emptiness that I was trapped in. I cried out in pain and tried to grasp my now broken shoulder, but found that I couldn't move my arm. I couldn't move anything. I was paralyzed beneath the wrath of Ladybug.

"Stop." I gasped, my throat feeling painfully raw, as if I had been screaming for hours without stop.

The Ladybug above me let out a cold dark laugh and her mouth broke out into a sickening grin.

"Stop?" She laughed that word but then her face turned to icy stone. "After you abandoned me!" She slowly pressed her heel down onto my fingers, reveling in the snap that came from my pinky.

"Abandoned?" I whimpered, my confusion only masking my face for a split second before it turned back into agonizing pain as she applied more force on my left hand.

"You don't remember!" She screamed out and stomped on my hand. I may have been paralyzed but that didn't stop the pain from making me scream out. I let out a sob.

"How can you not remember destroying my life!" She screamed out again. "Destroying everything I had!" I couldn't think.

"You destroyed every chance I had at a life!" What about my life? I had a family and friends and a boy. I had everything! How could she act like she was the victim. I was the victim! Me! Marinette!

"You destroyed everything for me!"

"I am you!" My voice echoed, hitting the "walls" of the emptiness.

The walls shattered, spraying down on my vulnerable body.

I squeezed by eyes shut, awaiting the pain of the shards piercing my body. But nothing happened.

But something did drip on my face. I reached out with my right hand, the paralyzation seeming to disappear once the walls had been destroyed. I stared at the slick blood that coated my fingers.

No.

My eyes shot upwards at where Ladybug had last been. And still was. But this time she was positioned so that she hovered over every part of my body. Her toned muscles only disturbed by the shards of black that pierced through every part of her. She had shielded me.

Another sob racked through my body.

No.

"I'm sorry for what I did to you." That was the only thing I could think of saying to her.

"What you did to yourself, you mean." She coughed up blood that sprayed down on the white dress that I adorned. "Like you said, I am you." And with that she fell upward into oblivion and I fell down.

I woke up in cold sweat on my white bed, moon shining down on my face making me squint. I wiped the moisture from my brow and looked up at my skylight in the ceiling. Tikki stirred from her fetal position next to my pillow.

"Sorry to wake you Tikki." I murmured quietly since the walls of my apartment were very thin.

"I'm an immortal magical fairy, Marinette." Tikki squeaked as she looked at me, amusement painted on her face. "I think I'll be fine."

I let out a weak chuckle and closed my eyes, trying to calm my heart that still hadn't stopped racing.

"Was it the nightmares again?" Tikki asked worriedly. I sighed for what seemed like the 5th time.

"I thought they had disappeared." I said, dread filling my chest. It had been 4 years since I had nightmares. I got them when I first came to New York City. And after an agonizing year with them they finally disappeared and had never resurfaced. Until now I guess.

"There has to be a reason they came back." Tikki said, prodding me for answers about what was going on with my life. "Like for example the return of Adrien."

"I'll be fine Tikki." I said, masking the panic that was still resting in my throat.

Tikki fell back to sleep shortly, but I did not. I sat on my bed and looked out the window. I memorized how the cars looked passing on the street below like I had done a thousand times. I watched the familiar reds and yellows. Paris had never looked like this. The black pavement had been old cobblestone. And the buildings had been smaller and more beautiful. Each curve and arch perfectly placed and designed.

I brought my knees up to my chest, resting my chin on top of them. My dark hair fell past my shoulders. I traced the scars that lined my arms and legs. I stopped once I reached the white disfigurement that covered the lower half of my stomach.

Flashback

"Agh!" I cried out as I fell onto my balcony. Tikki detransformed, not able to keep up the transformation for any longer. She fell from the air and landed on the wood flooring with a loud thud. I sat up, surrounded by spilled dirt and broken fragments from the clay pots that housed my flowers.

I removed my arm from my abdomen to see red dark stains growing on my white floral shirt.

A wave of exhaustion hit me and I fell backwards, passing out. But not before seeing a flash of orange.

End of Flashback

I didn't sleep that night. Instead choosing to watch the city that raced by me. Cars lights flashing through my window, lighting up my room, leaving a melancholy feeling hanging in my chest.

"You better have hundreds of interviews and press releases setup." Janette scowled as she saw me entering her office. "Or there would be no point of you coming into work." The threat hung heavy in the air between us. But I didn't let it bother me too much. I wasn't entering the room empty handed.

"Interviews, press releases, and tons of celebs gossiping on twitter about the theme change." I plopped down in the chair opposite her.

Janette perked up in her seat.

"Honestly Marinette I had believed I had given you an impossible task." She admitted as she typed away at her computer, checking multiple social media sites to see if there truly was buzz. "How did you do it?"

I choked on my own spit as I spluttered.

Words Marinette, use your words, not your guttural noises.

" I, uh, know a model so I asked him to hook me up." I finally said. I prayed that she wouldn't ask anymore questions. I wasn't ready for the office gossip about what was between me and Adrien. And if anyone knew about me and Adrien there would be dozens of tabloids and then dozens of questions about why the so called dead Marinette was still alive.

"Oh, I see." Janette muttered disinterested. "I was hoping you were the one who had the direct connections. But this model will do."

I could feel my shoulders fall down as I let out a sigh of relief.

"I'm going to just put the finishing touches on the designs." I said as I got up from my seat. "When will the models be available for the fitting?"

Janette looked up from her computer, seemingly satisfied with the publicity I had gotten for us.

"Tomorrow." Janette took a sip of her coffee and leaned back in her chair. "I would like you to be present for the fitting."

I stopped by the door. I had never been at the fittings. I just designed and made the prototypes. But I never fitted the models for the runway. And I rarely even went to the runways.

"This is a little unexpected Janette." I admitted. "May I ask why?"

Janette stood up from her chair and walked over to me, her 6 inch heels clicking on the marble floor with her every step.

"There's a lot riding on this new theme and these new designs." Janette reach for the door handle and twisted it. "I need the original creator to be there to make sure everything is perfect. And that includes the runway show." She opened the door and the noise from the bustle outside her office became our new background noise.

"Of course, Janette." I said. "I'll be there."

A smirk slipped onto her tight face that was being lifted by her even tighter bun.

"Don't be late."