Welcome back! Thank you so much for the awesome responses! Your reactions were so much fun to read and I also can't believe how many new readers I have acquired now. Welcome! And sorry if you've been kept awake binge reading this story. But it's nice to see some new faces in the review section. Also, thank you to everyone who has added this story to the favourites and who have followed it. Your support always means a lot to me and inspires me to keep writing.
CAUTION: This chapter contains suicide references.
Chapter Thirty-Seven: The Horrific Truth
At the mention of that name – his lady's name – Chat Noir's knees caved in beneath him, as if they had been kicked out from under him, and he collapsed to the ground. His green eyes were locked on the scene before him. His ears clogged up as if he was underwater and he could no longer hear them talking, hearing only muffled sounds. The scene was pulled further and further away from him. The forms of his mother, Tom, Sabine and baby Marinette growing smaller and smaller as they were pulled into the distance, leaving nothing but darkness surrounding Chat Noir.
He barely noticed. He didn't care.
It couldn't be.
There was no way this was true.
It…it had to be some kind of trick.
It made sense, but it didn't make sense at the same time. Marinette…was Nina's…daughter. There was some big conspiracy that surrounded her. Innocent and sweet Marinette was the daughter of Nina Couture and had been lied to all her life about her true identity. That certainly explained the weird behaviour of her parents – her aunt and uncle – after Nina returned to Paris. Now it all made sense. Marinette had mentioned to him that at the mention of doing a work placement with Nina Couture, they had forbidden her from doing such a thing. Now all of a sudden they wanted to run away with Marinette.
The big question was, why was Marinette taken away from Nina in the first place? Why had his mother heartlessly left her to bleed to death on that mountain and taken Marinette away? What had happened to Marinette's father? From what he could tell from the way Sabine was crying, something good couldn't have happened to him. All this time…Marinette had been living an even bigger lie than what Chat Noir had been. Here was him getting upset over his mother's secrets and his father being Hawkmoth when all of this was going to destroy Marinette's entire world. And Chat Noir had thought that he had been living one huge lie. Were Sabine and Tom ever going to tell Marinette the truth? Judging by the letter his mother had never managed to finish or send to them, it looked like she wanted Marinette to know the truth one day. But how would someone even begin to explain something like this?
Chat Noir then stiffened slightly in confusion. Marinette had been spending a lot of time with Nina these past few weeks. Why hadn't Nina told Marinette the truth? Wouldn't that be the first thing a long lost parent would want to do? Chat Noir had most of the answers, yet still, nothing made any sense. He gripped at his hair in frustration as his heart lurched out of his chest, reaching for Marinette.
The truth was going to destroy her world.
Wrapping his arms around his abdomen, Chat Noir imaged that he was wrapping his arms around Marinette. That he was shielding her from everything that could hurt her. He would protect her and help her live in ignorant bliss for all eternity. Chat Noir wished that he had never found this out now. Why did he have to go snooping? But he guessed that it was true that the truth always had a way of revealing itself in the end. As much as Chat Noir didn't want to know, he needed to know. The same would go for Marinette as well. She had every right to know that her life wasn't what she thought it was. As much as Chat Noir wanted to protect her from the truth, he knew that he couldn't.
But could Chat Noir really put it upon himself to do such a thing? Could he be the one responsible for shattering Marinette's fake reality? Could he pop her bubble and allow her to fall down into unknown territory? He didn't even possess all the answers that she would need. Just the words that would destroy everything that she thought she knew. Could he live with himself for doing such a thing? Would Marinette even believe him in the first place? After all, he had little to no evidence. It would be a large amount of information to swallow and his lady was notoriously stubborn. He would need to sit her down and word it as delicately as he could and hope that her trust in him would be enough for her to believe him. Because after all, surely she would know that he wouldn't be sick enough to make up something as horrific as this? Maybe then she could confront Sabine and Tom and then maybe they would have all the answers that she needed. Chat Noir would be by her side the whole time, offering her as much love and support as he could. She would need him. And he needed her.
A lump formed in Chat Noir's throat that became impossible to swallow back. Tears formed in his eyes as the seriousness and reality of the situation dawned on him. It was like he had slipped into some alternate dimension where everything was different and nothing made sense. He felt like he didn't belong. Like everything around him was wrong. He was a jigsaw piece in the wrong puzzle. The more he tried to fit everything together, the more frustrated he became. Everything felt surreal. As if it was nothing more than a vivid nightmare. Maybe it was just a nightmare. Chat Noir still wasn't one hundred percent sure if he could trust these visions. He hoped that it was all just lies. But Chat Noir knew that hope was in vain. No one could make something like this up. What would it achieve to do such a thing in the first place?
Chat Noir had to face this new reality. Marinette was Nina's daughter and his own mother had helped kidnap her and gave her to her Sabine and Tom to raise. Her parents were really her aunt and uncle. It seemed that her real father was either missing or dead…just like his own mother. At those thoughts, Chat Noir began to wonder what happened afterwards. Obviously Nina survived and it seemed like his mother had realised this. How had Nina survived? What had really happened to his mother? How had his father got hold of his mother's butterfly miraculous? What had happened to the peacock miraculous? It seemed his mother had taken it, but what did she do with it afterwards? So many questions buzzed around Adrien's brain that his head began to hurt from all the confusion.
"So…this is where you've been hiding."
The familiar, exasperated voice of his mother startled Chat Noir. He abruptly looked up to see that he was no longer surrounded by darkness. He was in what looked like a temple. Maybe it was part of the temple of the guardians. That seemed the most likely explanation. The architecture was pretty similar with its high ceilings and great stone pillars with different, intricate designs carved into them and into the walls, each one seemingly telling a thrilling ancient story. The room was dark, with only the faint, yellow glow of a few torches that were attached to the walls. There was no furniture of any kind or any artifacts, just a large empty room.
Emilie Agreste was stood in the centre, looking older now. In fact, she looked just how she did the last time Adrien saw her. She looked beyond exhausted, but there was an angry fire behind her eyes that refused to be extinguished. There were dark circles under her green eyes and Chat Noir could see the butterfly brooch pinned to her chest, sitting just on top of her hiking gear. Despite looking directly at Chat Noir, her eyes stared right through him, causing Chat Noir to turn and see what she was looking at.
Chat Noir gasped when he caught sight of Nina stood a few feet behind him. Her back was to Emilie and she was stood just in front of some large, wooden double doors, seemingly just staring at them. She barely seemed to be paying attention to Emilie's presence. Her posture was slightly tired and hunched over, like she was carrying the weight of the world on her back. Her usually tidy blonde hair was messy and looked like it hadn't been washed in a while. Her clothes were dirty and Chat Noir gasped at the sight of what looked like blood stains. He wasn't sure whether that was Nina's blood or somebody else's. He wasn't sure whether he wanted to find out.
Nina then sighed shakily and reached a hand up weakly, pressing it against the door before leaning her forehead against it. With her fingers, she delicately stroked the wood, once again barely paying his mother any attention. Chat Noir stared at Nina in confusion as did his mother, though Emilie looked a lot more guarded and wary.
"You've got a lot of nerve hiding out here after everything you've done," Emilie spat after getting no response from Nina.
Nina still kept her back to Emilie and her hand fell still, though she still kept it pressed against the door. Her pale hand clenched into a fist.
"The guardians got what they deserved. You all conspired against me," Nina replied flatly, "You all wished to see me destroyed. I simply returned the favour."
"You left us with no choice!" Emilie yelled before taking a deep breath to try and calm herself down, "You were becoming corrupted by power."
"If you really think I would be so shallow to be obsessed with power, then you never really knew me that well at all, did you?" Nina sighed, relaxing her hand again and pressing the palm of her hand against the wooden door. Her back was still facing them, so Chat Noir couldn't see her facial expression which made her presence all the more intimidating and haunting.
Emilie frowned. "How did you even survive anyway?"
"None of your business." Nina sounded bored.
"It is my business when your existence is placing the whole world in danger. Placing your own daughter in danger," Emilie snapped, taking one step forward.
Nina seemed to stiffen at the mention of Marinette. "H-how is she?"
"As if you care."
"Of course I care. If you weren't so quick to make assumptions about me and label me as the bad guy, then you would know that.," Nina growled, digging her nails into the door.
Emilie said nothing and simply kept on glaring at her.
"Please," Nina pleaded in a whisper, "From one mother to another, I need to know that she's okay."
It took a moment for Emilie to answer, though it seemed she finally caved as she sighed, looking slightly guilty.
"She's doing very well," Emilie admitted.
"Tell me about her," Nina urged.
Emilie sighed, "You know I can't do that. Just know that she's fine and that she's safe. I'm not a complete monster either, Nina, I did everything I could to ensure her welfare. She's fine and happy and that's all I'm going to tell you for obvious reasons."
"I'm glad." Nina's voice cracked slightly, giving away the fact that she was holding back tears. "I know why you're here. You're here to finish what you were too cowardly to do before, aren't you?"
"I –"
"Well you don't have to worry about that," Nina snapped, backing away from the door slightly, "You can keep your precious little conscience intact."
Emilie frowned in confusion. "What are you talking about?"
"Just go," Nina snapped, "Go home to your husband and your kid. At least you can. Me?" Nina giggled. "I have nothing. You made sure of that. You've got what you wanted so you might as well just leave me alone. I won't be a burden on you anymore."
Chat Noir then watched in confusion as Nina grabbed hold of the door handles and used all of her strength to yank the door open. He gasped and shielded his eyes as a bright white light filled the room, burning his eyes and almost blinding him. His mother gasped too and shielded her eyes, whereas Nina didn't seem to care. She simple stood still in the large doorway, staring into the bright room in front of her. Chat Noir then squinted as his eyes began to slowly adjust. The room in front of Nina appeared completely empty apart from a few walls that looked like they were made out of a sturdier material. In the centre of the room was…Chat Noir couldn't even fathom what he was looking at.
A bright white line appeared to hover in the air, swaying slightly like a thin piece of curtain in the breeze. It was completely white and Chat Noir was unable to see beyond it. Bright light omitted from it and gale force winds filled the room, only it wasn't blowing things away, but pulling things towards it. Nina clung onto the side of the door frame as she continued to stare at it while Emilie gasped and grabbed hold of a pillar next to her. It didn't feel like the force was strong enough to pull someone in from where they were all standing, just knock them over, but Chat Noir knew that if Nina took one step closer she would likely be pulled in.
But what was that thing? Chat Noir had never seen anything like it. It was like some sort of portal. Just wide enough for a human to fit through, but so tall that it reached from the floor to the ceiling. It was almost like a crack. A crack in the middle of the air, right through the fabric of reality. That's when it finally dawned on him. The memories of Ladybug telling Chat Noir a story that her kwami had told her. About a past Ladybug and Chat Noir who had caused an imbalance in the universe, creating a crack in time and space itself. Both of them, along with some of the guardians had been pulled in. Now it was just simply kept in the temple, sealed in a room to ensure that nobody else got pulled in. What exactly was Nina doing going near that thing?
"Nina, stop!" Emilie called, "What are you doing?!"
Nina merely sighed, her shoulders falling in defeat, her grip on the door frame loosening. "What you failed to do twelve years ago."
"No, Nina!" Emilie begged, trying to get closer, frequently nearly losing her balance as she did so.
Chat Noir's heart leapt into his mouth as he watched the scene. Both his mother and Nina were dangerously close to the portal. Emilie continued to shuffle forward, her arms flailing around at either side of her, trying to keep her balance. Nina didn't seem to notice Emilie approaching her. She just continued to stare at the portal. Her messy blonde hair being blown towards it, her grip on the door frame loosening even more.
"I won't let you do this, I just want to help you!" Emilie cried out as she finally approached. She grabbed hold of the pillar next to the door, just within arm's reach of Nina. Nina finally turned around to look at Emilie and Chat Noir gasped at the sight of her. Her eyes were red and puffy as if she had been crying for a thousand years. He was so used to seeing her looking so pristine, that seeing her in such a state was incredibly surreal and she almost looked unrecognisable. It looked like she had a lost a lot of weight as her cheeks were staring to look hollow. Her skin looked willowy and as thin as paper. Stress lines adorned the usual perfect features of her face. Her eyes were wild as she stared at Emilie; she looked complete deranged and unhinged. Chat Noir couldn't help but run towards his mother, desperate to protect her, but he knew that he couldn't. This was just a vision. There was nothing he could do. He was helpless to do nothing but watch the scene unfold in horror.
"All I ever wanted to do is help people!" Nina sobbed, "Is that such a crime?"
Emilie shook her head. "No. No, it isn't. But you were taking it too far, Nina. Y-you're not well. I can help you with that, just please…come away from there. Take my hand." Emilie held her hand out, but Nina merely looked at it in disgust before looking towards the portal again.
"They say it's a fate worse than death," Nina mused, "That your consciousness floats in an ocean of nothingness for all eternity. They say that you go mad, even if you just look at it for too long. But I'm already mad. Mad with grief. Mad with loneliness. I have no purpose. I have nothing. It's best that I am just scattered into atoms."
"Don't think like that." Tears began forming in Emilie's eyes.
"You left me to die."
"Yeah…and I regret that now. I was wrong. I handled everything badly. I shouldn't have left you with the guardians. I shouldn't have left you on that mountain side. Not a day goes by where I don't regret what I did. You're still my best friend, Nina, and I love you. All I want to do now is make things right. I want to help you," Emilie pleaded, "Please, just take my hand and get away from there."
"Why?!" Nina shrieked, "What's the point? I'm a lost cause." She turned her head to glare at Emilie. "You have taken everything from me. Gabriel, my miraculous, my daughter…but yet you just couldn't take the final step and take my life. You had to leave me there suffering. I'm doing you a favour."
"You're doing no one a favour!" Emilie yelled, "Look…I can't regret what happened with Gabriel because I do love him and it gave me our son. But what I do regret is all the lies and what it did to our friendship."
Nina sighed, "Forget it. It doesn't matter anymore. I don't matter anymore."
"Yes, you do!" Emilie tried to reason with her. "There's a guardian that survived. I can take you to him and he can help you. I can help you."
Nina snorted, "Yeah…like a guardian would help me now after everything."
"You'd be surprised," Emilie said desperately, "And in time you'll get better and…maybe you'd even be able to see your daughter again. Just let me help you. That's all I want to do, Nina. You're my best friend and you never stopped being my best friend. I care about you."
Emilie extended her hand even more, desperately reaching for Nina and hoping that she would take her hand. Nina looked down at Emilie's hand and then towards the portal again. Finally, Nina sighed before slowly and apprehensively reaching her own hand towards Emilie. Chat Noir bit his lip as he watched the scene, standing incredibly still and holding his breath. After what felt like an eternity, Nina's hand finally reached Emilie's and Emilie clung on as tightly as possible, smiling slightly and looking relieved.
"I promise that we'll get through this together. Remember? Me and you together, just like it always has been." Emilie continued to smile softly at Nina.
"I've done such bad things," Nina whispered.
"I know."
"I killed all those people." Nina's eyes grew distant.
Emilie sighed, "I'll never be able to forgive you for that, but you need help Nina, and I'm still prepared to offer it to you. I can take you somewhere safe."
"I took pleasure in it," Nina admitted, her lip twitching upwards slightly, "The power over their lives was in my hand. After everything you did to me…it felt good to inflict that pain on others. And you know what?"
Emilie frowned in confusion. However, Nina merely smirked back at her before abruptly yanking on Emilie's arm, causing her to lose her balance. Chat Noir gasped as everything then seemed to happen in slow motion. Emilie continued to yank Emilie forward before flinging her towards the portal. Emilie's eyes widened as she realised what was happening. Nina let go of her hand and Emilie slipped free of her grasp, taking away the only thing that kept Emilie from being sucked in. What was so haunting was that Emilie never screamed. But the terror and fear in her green eyes as she was pulled off her feet towards the portal was enough to have Chat Noir screaming for her. He watched, completely and utterly helpless, as his mother was pulled further and further towards it.
"I can't forgive you either," Nina smirked as she watched with pleasure as Emilie was pulled into the portal, her arms outstretched as she grasped at air in the hopes of clinging onto something. Flicking her blonde hair out of her face, Nina then turned her back and began walking away, not seeing Emilie quickly rip her miraculous off her chest and throw it into the corner of the room. The small brooch bounced off the wall before rolling and coming to a stop by one of the pillars. Nina stormed by, not noticing it. This must have been where his father had gotten it from. When his father went looking for his mother, he must have found her miraculous here.
Chat Noir kept screaming and ran towards his mother just as she was pulled into the portal, her outstretched hand the only thing visible that reached through the white veil. Without even thinking and with tears blurring his vision, Chat Noir leapt forward and reached for his mother's hand. His fingers fell through hers as if he was nothing more than a ghost, incapable of saving her, powerlessly watching as his mother disappeared forever, being torn apart until nothing but atoms remained.
"MOOOOOMMMMMM!" Chat Noir screamed as he collapsed back onto the ground, sobs tearing through his chest. Forcing himself up again, Chat Noir leapt towards the portal, wanting and hoping to go in after her, not caring if he suffered a fate worse than death in the process. He wanted to be in there with her. He wanted to die too. The horror and fear in his mother's eyes burned themselves into his memory forever. Nina had done this! She had killed all of the guardians and then killed his mother! She would pay for this! She had ruined so many people's lives! Chat Noir wasn't about to let her continue.
The scene disappeared and everything became pitch black again. Chat Noir was alone again. Alone and angry and confused and terrified. Nina had murdered his mother. She had murdered all of the guardians. He had allowed Marinette to be alone with that woman. No wonder Tom and Sabine were terrified. All along, his mother, Tom and Sabine knew what she was capable of. He needed to protect Marinette from her. He couldn't let Nina get her hands on her, whether her intentions were pure or not.
"Adrien!"
Chat Noir gasped at the sound of his name being called. It sounded distant as it quietly echoed through the dark void. However, Chat Noir ignored it. He collapsed to his knees again and gripped the strands of his blond hair between his fingers. Tears trickled down his cheeks as he struggled to contain his sobs. He had just watched his own mother die. She was murdered right in front of him and there was nothing Chat Noir could have done. He was merely watching a vision of the past. Someone had wanted to him to see this. What if those creatures were trying to help? What if they were a warning?
Anger and misery swirled around Chat Noir, making him dizzy as he struggled to process everything he had just witnessed. His father was Hawkmoth. Marinette was the daughter of his mother's deranged best friend who had murdered not only his mother, but all of the guardians apart from Master Fu. Nina must be after something. Otherwise why would she do all of those horrible things? Both he and Marinette had been living a lie their whole life. Both of their mothers were once great super heroes. In another, perfect universe, where none of this complicated stuff had occurred, he and Marinette would have grown up together. That thought cruelly taunted Chat Noir. His mother would still be alive. Nina wouldn't have gone crazy. It seemed that it was all because of the miraculous. Did these jewels bring humans nothing but grief, misery and insanity? He had lost both of his parents because of these jewels. Marinette had lost both of hers as well.
Chat Noir stared down at his ring before clenching his fist in anger, tears continuing to endlessly fall down his cheeks. This was all too much to bare. His mind reeled. His stomach lurched like he was on an endless roller coaster, caught on an eternal loop-de-loop that turned his insides to mush and made his head painfully spin. He wasn't sure how much more of this he could take. He just wanted to stay in this dark void forever and never have to face any of it. Never face his father and never face his mother's dark past. He just wanted to wallow here forever. He needed time, but he couldn't have time. It…it was all too much.
But he knew he couldn't break or back down now. Marinette needed him. Paris needed him. Once all of this was over, then he could grieve and maybe even try to come to terms with everything that had happened. He needed to fight on. He needed to find Marinette and try to explain things to her. He knew that would likely mean everything he had been up to these past few weeks would come out as well. Marinette would go spare at him. But at least she would know the truth. He needed to put her first. Then they could defeat Hawkmoth and Nina.
Could they really face their own parents though? As hard as it would be, Chat Noir knew that they had to. It was the only way. The only way to keep Paris safe. It would break his heart to fight his father, but it was the right thing to do. But he couldn't do it alone. He would need Ladybug's help. Apart he was weak, but with her by his side, he knew he could do anything. They were a formidable force and an amazing team.
"Adrien!" The voice called again, more desperately this time.
Chat Noir finally looked up and looked around in confusion. Someone was calling to him. But he was so sure that he was alone in the darkness. He suddenly became aware of a throbbing pain at the back of his head and Chat Noir winced as he reached up to rub it. The throbbing pain only grew worse at Chat Noir's touch, like a huge pulsating bruise. Chat Noir brought his fingers away and looked down at them. There didn't seem to be any blood, so that was a relief.
"Adrien! Please wake up, I'm so sorry!"
"Father?" Chat Noir gasped out in a faint whisper. His eyes snapped open and he found that he was no long in the dark void. The face of Hawkmoth stared down at him, his grey eyes full of terror and concern. Arms were wrapped tightly around him and Chat Noir's head continued to throb as he tried to figure out what was happening.
"Oh, thank goodness," Hawkmoth gasped out, his head bowing over his son slightly as his eyes filled with relief, though he still looked incredibly worried.
The memories came racing back into Chat Noir's mind. He had found out his father was Hawkmoth and they had thought. Chat Noir had charged at him only to be knocked back and bang his head against the wall. That must have been what knocked him out. That must have been why he was having those visions. Hawkmoth's arms tightened around him, finally helping him to snap out of his dazed state. Cringing and wincing, feeling completely disgusted at being in this man's arms, Chat Noir shook Hawkmoth off him and stood up shakily. Hawkmoth tried to reach for him again, but Chat Noir stepped back, holding his hands up in warning for his father to stay away from him.
"Keep away from me," Chat Noir growled out.
"But son, with your help, I could get your mother back," Hawkmoth pleaded.
Chat Noir narrowed his eyes. "What are you talking about?"
"If we could get the ladybug miraculous, a wish will be granted to us. We could wish for your mother back. We could save her from her terrible fate and we could be a proper family again," Hawkmoth explained desperately.
"And sacrifice someone else in the process!" Chat Noir snarled. "I want mom back too, there is nothing that I would love more, but I've accepted that that's not going to happen. It can't happen. It goes against the laws of nature. You need to let go, father."
"I can't!" Hawkmoth cried out before glaring at Chat Noir, "How dare you turn your back on your mother like that!"
"I'm not turning my back on her!" Chat Noir yelled back, "I know for a fact that mom would not be okay with something like this. She was a hero and would never abuse the miraculous in such a way. She would be disgusted at you for suggesting sacrificing someone so that she could live!"
Hawkmoth's eyes narrowed and his hands clenched into tight fists. "If you're not with me, then you're against me. I can't believe you would be so selfish and do this to your own mother."
"Think what you like," Chat Noir then gasped as he caught sight of the window behind his father's shoulder. The sun had set. He was late for meeting up with Ladybug. He wasn't sure what he was going to do or say, but he knew he needed to get out of here. He couldn't face Hawkmoth on his own. He didn't trust himself. He needed Ladybug's help. He needed to try and explain everything to her, though he wasn't sure how he was going to do that. However, all he could think about right now was how much Hawkmoth's words stung him. He wasn't abandoning his mother…was he? There was no way she would be happy with his father for carrying out such a plan. Sacrificing one life for another…it wasn't right. There was nothing Chat Noir would love more than to say yes to his father. To help him in getting his mother back so that he could feel her soft, warm arms wrapped around him again in her comforting embrace. But he knew he couldn't. It wasn't right. She was gone. As much as it pained Chat Noir, he knew he needed to accept that. He needed to look forward. Look forward to his future with Ladybug and ensure that she was safe. He needed to look forward and defeated Nina and defeat…his father.
His mind reeling in confusion and pain, Chat Noir turned on his heel and bolted out of the room.
"No, son, wait!" He heard his father plead behind him, but Chat Noir didn't stop. He didn't even look back. He was frightened that if he did look back, he would cave in. His family was broken and there was no way of fixing it. As much as he wanted his mother back, he couldn't have someone's death on his conscience and he knew that his mother would be disgusted that he would ever consider such a thing. He needed to find Ladybug. How he was going to go about this, he wasn't sure.
How do you even begin to explain something like this?
So what's Adrien going to do now? What's going to happen next? I feel like the quality of the second half of this chapter slipped a little bit, but this was the best I could get it. But I guess it's up to you guys to be the judge of that. I hope that you've all been having a lovely weekend. As always, feel free to let me know your thoughts and opinions in a review. Feedback helps me out a lot. See you guys soon!