As Tikki released the ivory butterfly, a catalyst washed over the three.
The darkness that washed over Chevalier disappeared and left the doll to drop down to the ground. Darkness washed over Ches, leaving the cat plush to drop down and bounce off Chat Noir harmlessly.
Not that he noticed, his gaze locked on Marinette, watching the darkness wash over her, leaving her as she was before, her hands stretched out, gaze still wide, cheeks still stained with tears. She sat frozen for a few seconds, just reaching out, trying to grab her knight before he was gone.
He scrambled up, rolling Ches off and rushing to her side, hands resting on her shoulders. She jumped at the touch, turning to him with wide, watery eyes, looking surprised to see him. Like she forgot he was there.
"Marinete?" he asked, frantic and nervous.
She stared at him, just soaking in his appearance.
Then her face twisted up, her body shaking under his claws. "Ch-Chat, y-you, your b-back, you-"
He pulled her close, letting her press her face against his chest, smearing her tears into the suit. He clutched her tightly, feeling her quiver and jerk in his arms as she cried, letting her hold him tightly. Into her hair, he whispered, "I know, I'm sorry, I'm here, I'm here. It's ok, it's ok Marinette, I'm here."
She just kept crying, and gasping and shaking against him, gripping his sides tightly, like she was afraid that if she let go, he'd disappear.
Chat just held her, repeating that he was here.
Tikki floated closer, staring at her holder, worried. Reaching out, she started to pet and play with Marinette's hair, whispering encouragement to the distraught girl.
Near them, a doll laid still, an ever present smile on his face.
Alya refused to move, clutching the Ladybug doll, waiting. Nino stood with her, grimacing as he waited. She wanted to wait. Wanted to see Marinette. Had to see her. Had to talk to her. She had to come out sometime. That big cat couldn't be missed.
Or Chat.
Or the Chat doll.
Someone had to come out sometime.
They both gave a start when they saw a figure come out, sucking in a sharp breath when they saw Chat carrying Marinette, her cat pillow strung over his shoulders. In her hands was the Chat doll, pressed closely to her chest. And strapped to his belt was a pink box Alya recognized.
"Marinette!" Alya cried, rushing over.
The distraught girl gave a start, looking up to her.
Chat instinctively tightened his hold on her, pulling her closer, then relaxed, easing her down before the girl, claws set on Marinette's shoulders, letting her lean on him, grounding herself.
Alya stopped a little before them, taking in her tear stained cheeks, her red eyes, small, shaking form. "Oh Marinette," she whispered, distraught.
"Al," Marinette uttered back, sniffing.
Alya reached for, then stopped, unsure.
Marinette reached to her, lightly touch her hand to hers. Alya surged forward, wrapping her up in a tight hug. Babbling and broken apologies burst forth between the two girls, sputtering between broken cries and gasps, clutching each other tightly, a respective doll clutched in their hands.
Nino and Chat stood a little ways behind them, respectively turning away, leaving them some privacy. When Chat held out Ches to Nino, the boy took it quietly, eyeing the smile on the plush's face.
It was over, Nino thought in relief, sparing the girls a fast glance.
There was still some things to work out, but it was over at least.
They got Marinette back.
Marinette was kinda numb when she arrived back home. She took her parents' embrace willingly, exhausting emotionally and mentally, willingly sinking into their warm arms. She answered them as best as she could, all the while soaking in their touch, their warmth. She was glad to be back with them.
And now, alone in her room with a promise of dinner on the way, she stood at her sink, gently scrubbing at Chat doll's head, working the paint off his blond head. Her sink bled black beneath her slow work, warm water running persistently to try and flush the ink color away.
Tikki floated near, watching over her chosen, watching her work, watching her try and fix the doll as best she could. Out of the two, he needed the least amount of work. A restitching, a new bell, and just getting the paint out of his hair.
The Ladybug doll, Marinette wasn't ready to try and fix yet.
She wanted him taken care of first.
"How's it going?"
Marinette jumped, looking up to see Chat beside her. He took a step back, claws up. "Sorry," he offered weakly.
She shook her head, murmuring, "I, I was really out of it."
"You had quite the day," he pointed out gently.
"Yeah," she agreed, sighing as she brought the doll up, eyeing him critically.
There were a few specs left, but just a bit more and her doll would be a fully fledged blond again.
Chat leaned against the wall, watching her persist and work at the doll, trying to scrub the last of the paint out of his hair. Sparing a glance at Tikki, he quietly, shyly asked, "Do you… do you remember….?"
Marinette paused, staring down at the mostly clean sink, watching the water spout out, curling around the ivory bowl, watching water drip off the doll, hitting the few slick stains of black that hugged the sides. She stared at the doll's smile. "It's… it's like a dream," she admitted. She turned off the water, filling her room with silence. She held up the doll gently, cupping him like a child. "I remember… pieces. I, I remember him. I, I named him Chevalier."
Her lips quirked up in a sad smile. She gave a weak laugh, opening a drawer, bringing out a towel and starting to dry him. "Apparently you struck a bigger chord with me than I expected."
Chat blinked in surprise. "I did?"
Her lips curled up higher. "Remember our first meeting? Well, Chat and Marinette's first meeting? You called me princess and declared yourself my knight." Chat blushed, clearing his throat at that, rubbing the back of his neck. "That, that evidently stuck."
"Which is why his name was Chevalier?" Chat guessed.
"Yeah. You were my knight, I needed saving and, he came to life to be that knight." Through an akuma, but, they echo what victims want. She wanted someone by her side. Someone she trusted, adored, someone she knew loved her.
She knows that Chat loved her.
Through the akuma's magic, the doll echoed that love and devotion, tried to meet all that she needed, tried to make it better.
She was touched.
She took a shaky breath, drawing Chat to her side. She gripped the doll tightly. "I, I kinda remember how it ended. He, he…"
He decided that her happiness was more important. At the price of his existence, his animation. He gave that up for her.
Even when she mistook him for Chat.
Even when her thoughts kept lingering to her partner.
"He loves you very much," Chat murmured.
Marinette nodded, moving the towel aside to peer at the doll's face.
"I'm glad," Chat voiced, drawing her curious, tired gaze. He quickly told her, "He was able to be there for you, when you needed someone. He was there when I couldn't, I should have been but I wasn't and-"
"It's not your fault Chat," she reassured.
"I should have tried-"
He went quiet when she leaned on him, resting her cheek on the curve of his collar. "You're here now," she reassured.
He loosely wrapped his arms around her, resting his cheek on her hair. When he opened his eyes to look to the sink, Tikki had long since left, leaving the two alone. He closed his eyes and leaned on, soaking in the relief that it was over, she was back, she was going to be ok. It was all going to be ok.
His arms tightened on her slightly.
He'll make sure it'll stay ok.
And Lila wasn't going to get away with this.
Against the hero, Marinette stared down at the doll, contemplative and unsatisfied. Uncaring that he was still wet and damp, she brought the plush close, pressing him to her neck in a loose hug. "Thank you," she whispered to him. "Mon Chevalier."