Note: posted after a really long day ... my tired brain says it is ok.
The Blessing
'One man's curse is another man's blessing.'
Hawk Moth dropped Marinette to the floor and snarled towards Adrien while he picked up the offending clothing item – the Gabriel Agreste brand boxer shorts and the stone they covered from the niche in the wall.
"Should I be proud of this?" he raised the hand. "Should I be proud of what you have done when this item got abandoned in this corner?" Hawk Moth toned his words in a mocking way that insinuated a particular type of action. His words made both Marinette and Adrien blush.
The old teacher, Tenzin, stiffened and his eyes widened when he saw that Hawk Moth held the stone. Then he muttered a few words and continued to observe carefully.
Marinette stared at the rock in Hawk Moth's hand. Wasn't that supposed be the infamous cursed stone? She thought she recognized it in the night. How did it work? Did it work at all? She expected spectacular effects, Hawk Moth should at least detransform, or drop unconscious, or start singing Chinese national anthem, anything, but the villain remained unaffected by the stone. Apparently, it did not have any magical powers. Marinette felt like a failure. It was just a stone, nothing more, nothing less, no powers, nothing happened.
"Children are supposed to be a blessing for their parents." Hawk Moth talked mockingly towards Adrien. The boy was holding Marinette and checking her condition. She forced herself to get up so Adrien helped her to get on her feet.
Ling was hiding covered under a tapestry pretending to be a pile of rubble. But she kept the phone out hoping that it will catch the action on video.
Adrien ignored the words. All he cared about was that Marinette was okay.
"You are not my blessing." Hawk Moth snarled. "I was cursed by your existence. If not for you, Emilie would never have done that!" he continued to shout, but he stopped all attacks.
Tenzin was whispering words quickly as if he was speedily chanting all their morning prayers.
"Do you still have the earrings?" Adrien whispered to Marinette.
"They are with me safely." Tikki chipped quietly from Marinette's pocket.
"I should put them on if I want to transform." Marinette whispered back.
"No" a black kwami and his chosen replied in unison.
"I already have the ring on my hand." Adrien whispered back.
They faced each other but did not look at each other, but over the other's shoulder, they were watching each other's back.
"And to think of … I have let you be a part of my dream! I let you be a part of my brand!" Hawk Moth waved the offending piece of underwear, but physically, he was crumbling. He was approaching the two teens and continued shouting insults at his son.
Mayura was running towards them while Dorje, Pema and Ye lied on the floor of the corridor in various states, all three temporarily incapacitated for further fight.
Marinette saw Mayura approached quickly and threw herself on her, the girl's hand aimed at the brooch, but the villain extended her arm in front of her chest to defend herself. Marinette was not easy to deter. Mayura hit Marinette hard, the blow was intended to push the girl away so she would fall and fling away all the way to the wall, but the girl latched onto the villain's arm.
Adrien noticed Hawk Moth stopped with his physical attacks, he was shouting verbal insults the whole time. The speech was intended to crumble him emotionally, he was supposed to feel guilty for everything his father did, as Gabriel Agreste and as Hawk Moth. Everything was Adrien's fault, everything was because of Adrien, his mother's disappearance, his fathers – Hawk Moth's quest for the Ladybug's earring and Chat Noirs ring. Everything that happened was because of him, but the boy refused to take the blame this time.
Adrien made a step towards Hawk Moth who was visibly weaker by each moment. There was no attack back so he quickly took one more step. At that exact moment, Hawk Moth finally reacted he raised his cane and swung, but Adrien evaded it. Hawk Moth threw the stone from his hand towards Adrien, but the boy stepped aside and jumped at Hawk Moth. One strong grab with his hand, one stiffly clenched fist and a strong pull.
Hawk Moth smashed the boy's torso with his cane before it disintegrated together with the magical suit the villain was wearing. Hawk Moth forcibly detransformed into Gabriel Agreste.
The stone missed Adrien but it continued flying towards Mayura and Marinette. The villain raised her arm and grabbed the girl to use her as a shield. But Marinette jumped to the side just enough. The stone missed Marinette and hit Mayura straight into her brooch. Mayura relaxed only for a moment, but that was sufficient. Marinette's hand was firmly around the brooch and as Mayura pushed and thrown the girl away, Marinette pulled and ripped the brooch of her chest. The girl flew away and crushed into the wall. Mayura detransformed into Nathalie.
The stone that so merrily bounced off the brooch rolled straight back to the niche from which it was taken.
Marinette clenched her fist. She felt the hard brooch in her hand. She had hit the wall with her back first and she used her legs to slow down the fall, she was now curled on the floor with her back on the wall. But Mayura was Nathalie and she was sure she had the brooch in her hand. She did it. But she was in pain and dazed from the hit and Nathalie was going in her direction. She had to defend herself, she had to act, now.
Adrien was on the floor, motionless. He got hit over the ribs and his back and he instinctively protected his head with his arms while his fist was clenched because he held the pin, the butterfly miraculous. Adrien hit the floor hard. He saw Hawk Moth's legs detransform into civilian clothes. His fist was below his head. He heard Mayura slammed Marinette into the wall with a painful thud.
"No!" Gabriel Agreste screamed and kicked Adrien with his foot.
Adrien curled up quickly. But then he rolled away to evade the next blow. Then he saw Nathalie was detransformed but she was going for Marinette who was on the floor, probably injured.
"No" Adrien screamed at Nathalie, he crawled up on all fours, he crawled towards Marinette to help her, to protect her, to do anything. But he got hit into his back, by his father. He finally dropped the pin from his fist, just below his chest.
But, Plagg phased out from his clothes below him, collected the pin and hid in the boy's pocket.
Nathalie ran over and stood before Marinette, she was about to throw herself on the girl, but Marinette pushed her legs forward, her feet hit Nathalie in her ankles and she lost her balance. Marinette gained enough momentum to roll away, and Nathalie hit the floor. But the woman was quick and agile, she bounced back and went after Marinette. The girl scrambled on her feet, quickly put the brooch in her pocket and picked up one short piece of stick that was left over from the fight and a piece of tapestry. She shouted, she groaned, she screamed and run at Gabriel Agreste. She slammed the stick and the tapestry and her body into the tall man who was about to hit Adrien once more.
Gabriel had to take a few steps back from the blow and finally reached the wall but he kept his balance. His hands found Marinette's neck again. He was strong, he held her away by her neck and finally lifted her off from the floor. Marinette was facing him this time.
Nathalie pushed Adrien with her foot and rolled him over..
"His hands are empty." she said.
"He must have dropped it." Gabriel replied.
Gabriel let go one of his hands from Marinette's neck and used it to search her body for the miraculous she must have taken from Nathalie. But just when he got close enough to reach her pocket where Tikki was hiding, she swung her leg and hit him straight between his legs. He had no magic armour this time. His body curled straight away as a reflex. He dropped her to the floor.
Adrien was motionless, his eyes only slightly opened. He saw Marinette was held by her neck again, but then she was dropped to the floor (again).
Nathalie kicked him again to roll him away.
"I can't find it." she screamed. The panic finally took her. She was physically tired, no food and no rest was taking its toll.
"Search him!" Gabriel squeaked in unnaturally high pitch voice, Nathalie turned towards her boss and stared at him for a moment, she never heard him talk with such tone.
Gabriel reached for Marinette. He could see where her pocket was, he just had to put his hand in.
But then he was pushed away, he was forced to lay on his stomach and someone pushed him to the floor. Dorje and Ling held him tight, both put one of their knees to his torso.
Ling was screaming insults in any language she knew (and apparently she knew insults in a variety of languages). Dorje simply sighed with relief, his body ached from the fight.
Tenzin was approaching with slow and careful steps muttering words in his chin.
At the same time, Pema tackled Nathalie to the floor and Ye simply held her by her shoulders to the floor with her face down.
Tenzin approached Marinette very closely and muttered a few words. Tikki pushed the brooch out of the pocket just enough for Tenzin to fetch it.
Then Tenzin slowly walked over to Adrien and spoke quietly. Plagg pushed the pin out of the boy's pocket and Tenzin grabbed it before it landed onto the floor.
"I will now ask all of you to close your eyes." Tenzin ordered solemnly.
Marinette and Adrien first reached for each other and held hands before they closed their eyes. Ye made sure he was holding Nathalie well and then obeyed. Pema crouched by his side and pressed with her hands and knees. Ling closed her eyes. Dorje sighed again and closed his eyes.
Tenzin chanted a tune and stroked the brooch and the pin. Nooroo appeared first with the usual flash of light, but the kwami looked very tired and could barely open his eyes.
"Yes master" Nooroo spoke quietly and tiredly.
Tenzin simply smiled and stroke the brooch once more. This time in a faint flash of light there was Dusuu, but with a similar exhausted expression.
"Hello master." the kwami muttered tiredly.
"I want you to go to your previous wielders and take all their memories of ever wielding a miraculous and everything that happened in that time." the old teacher ordered.
The two tired kwami were sitting on the palms of his hands and just blinked towards the old teacher. Tenzin looked at them kindly and hummed. He knew he did not need to repeat the instruction. Kwami blinked tiredly again. Tenzin hummed a slow tune that resembled the melody they chanted at the breakfast prayers. It was supposed to enhance the energy of the monks and prepare them for the day. He hummed gently and waited.
Adrien held Marinette's hand with his eyes closed. His back hurt with each breath, his body was bruised on so many places he could not detect individual sources of pain. Through his pain, he heard the gentle tune that monk chanted and stroke the back of her hand with his thumb. He felt her hand was warm, he felt she pressed his hand back, she was alive, she was conscious and he knew that everything will be okay.
Marinette felt his grip, her whole body ached it was painful to breathe. She closed her eyes when asked to and she was not even tempted to open them. The hand she held was warm and safe and everything she needed. She squeezed back from time to time just to assure him that she was also there. She concentrated on his touch. She put the pain away and everything that mattered was that hand she held. She smiled even though it was painful because of the injuries on her face. After a few of his strokes she stroked the back of his hand back.
Ling kept her eyes closed and waited. The tune that Tenzin hummed was calming but strengthening at the same time. It gave her the strength to push the man down and keep him there. She was curious about what was going to happen but she saw enough to obey the instructions from the old monk. Because she did not want to witness anything like that again, like ever. So she put her weight onto her knee and arms and pushed the man down.
Ye was in pain, everything hurt and all he wanted was for this fight to finish so he can go and examine his wounds. The tune was nice, it made his pain almost go away, he concentrated on the tune and found the strength to hold the woman down. But why was the man humming? Shouldn't they tie up those two villains and hand them over to authorities?
Dorje and Pema closed their eyes although they knew what was going to happen. They let the tune of the chant enter their ears, wash over their brains and their bodies. Somehow, it became easier to breathe and their minds became clearer. After the first minute they started to hum along the same tune with Tenzin.
Gabriel was furious, but his exhausted and hungry civilian body was too weak to resist two strong and determined persons who pushed him down. He refused to close his eyes as if that would prevent whatever the old monk intended for them. He heard the order that the old monk issued only partially. He tried to wiggle his way out or move, but the strong young monk just pressed him harder. He was pressed so hard it became difficult to breathe, so Gabriel stopped to resist.
Nathalie succumbed to the pressure and her feelings. She knew it was finished. Gabriel was there and not moving (much) so she stayed still. She waited for him to make the move. And then she heard Tenzin speak, but she did not understand what was going to happen. Perhaps this was for the best, perhaps now Gabriel was going to finally let go of his wife and start to look at her? Perhaps this was what was needed for him to have his closure.
When three monks hummed along, the two kwami finally opened their eyes wide and floated up from the hands that held them. They slowly and silently floated over to Gabriel and Nathalie. Dusuu floated over to Nathalie and placed himself on her back, he turned towards Tenzin and waited.
Nooroo took his time, he was barely able to direct himself, he finally sat on Gabriel's back and looked towards Tenzin. But the man started to move as soon as he felt the pressure of the kwami on his back.
Tenzin changed the tune and sang much louder, Pema and Dorje quickly followed. The two kwami slowly closed their eyes. There was something like a flash of light from the kwami to the head of their former wielders and after that Tenzin dropped the two miracoulous and the kwami were sucked in instantly.
"You can open your eyes now." Tenzin instructed calmly. He bent over and retrieved the two miraculous jewels and stored them in his pocket.
Gabriel and Nathalie were unconscious.