A/N: So, uh, spoiler alert... I didn't get my act together. I won't go into the details, but lets just say I went away from home for a week, could only work on finishing the chapter on my phone, and when fixing up the final draft I added about 2000 more words. Sorry for making you guys wait again, clearly schedules and I just don't go well together XD
But chapter 18 is finally here! Surprisingly no warnings this time around, this chapter is pretty dialogue-heavy with a lot of exposition (and emotions, as always), that will help to set things up for the chapters to come! This is arguably the last chill chapter, from here on out I have 1 more chapter planned that will include some fluff but otherwise everything after this includes action, angst, whump, and everything in between. Also as a side note, I threw in a little kwami headcanon of mine that as far as I know hasn't really been displayed in the show, but I love the idea of every kwami being connected to one another and being unable to keep the world in order without each other, soooo yeah I threw that in in this chapter ^^
As always, thank you for all of your continued support on this story! Enjoy!
The ever so familiar Ladybug of Paris' rooftops landed into Adrien's bedroom through his window with a thud. He walked over to greet his Lady with a smile.
"Good morning Bugaboo," Adrien said, trying to make himself sound brighter than he felt.
Unfortunately for his attempt, Ladybug stood up from her landing crouch and was instantly able to recognize his false demeanor.
"I know that you wouldn't have asked me to come over here for nothing, silly. You don't need to act like everything is alright when you're around me, what's the matter?" she asked, getting straight to the point.
Adrien debated holding his pretend smile for a moment, but it wasn't hard to let his resolve crumble to pieces when he decided against it.
"Everything… everything is the matter," he stated dejectedly. "I don't know what to do, Mari. I woke up this morning and I-I suddenly felt like I was spiraling into this darkness… I don't even know how to describe it. It felt like I was going crazy."
He shivered.
"I came so close to just... giving up on it all. I wouldn't stop shooting down Plagg's attempts to help me, and now he's..."
Adrien sat down at the edge of his bed with his head low and sighed miserably, running a hand through his hair.
"Plagg ran away, he's been gone for nearly half an hour now. I messed up so bad, and I don't know what I'll do if I can't find him. He could be anywhere."
Ladybug's eyes flashed with concern, but she gave him a confident nod anyway. If she was hiding her worries to try and help him feel better, then he appreciated it.
She raised her chin and said, "Spots off," before a pink shower of sparkles promptly surrounded her and turned her back to her quirky teenager identity.
Adrien could feel his heart fluttering merely at the sight of her in front of him, finding reasons to love every single feature of the girl. The way her raven hair shone blue when in the light, the gentle touch of her hands whenever they brushed his skin, and the knowledge of the sweet taste of her lips.
How he had been so utterly oblivious for such a long time, he didn't know.
Marinette gave him a reassuring smile and took his hand as she sat by his side.
"It's gonna be okay, I'll help you find Plagg and we'll sort all of this out," she said.
Adrien sadly blinked at her. She could read him like a picture book.
"I hope so..."
Marinette turned to the ladybug kwami that nibbled on a cookie next to her, and asked, "Think you could help to track Plagg down, Tikki? I know you kwamis have your own sort of connection, so I don't know how long you'll need but I can stay here until you get back."
Tikki took a final bite of the pastry before smiling and nodding to the two of them.
"Yes, kwamis can sense each other's presence from quite a distance away, the feeling getting stronger the closer we get to each other. The only thing that could prevent it is if a kwami's master forbids them from connecting with other kwamis, which is what we believe has happened to Nooroo and Duusu, and why we can only search for their location on one of their cycles," Tikki insightfully informed them.
Both of the teenagers held blank, expectant expressions.
"...So yes, it should be a piece of cake to find Plagg for you Adrien! I can't promise that I'll be able to bring him back, because he can get really pouty whenever he isolates himself like this. He may want to talk to you in person, but once I find him I'll fly back as fast as I can!"
She gave a confident salute with her tiny hand, and Adrien smiled gratefully.
"Thank you, Tikki."
Marinette and Adrien watched as the red kwami zipped out of the room and took off on her search. Knowing that they may have some time to wait, the two of them settled into a comfortable conversation while keeping a close watch on the door, making sure Nathalie and the Gorilla didn't come in so Adrien wouldn't be caught.
He latched onto the words that Marinette spoke like nothing else in the world mattered more, catching the way that she would still stumble over her words from time to time, but had more confidence than the way he knew her before they discovered identities. They talked about different things, ranging from their plans for the summer vacation, to the miraculous and Hawkmoth, to their desires to take their newly established relationship at a slow pace for the time being.
Or, at least until Adrien wasn't having potentially lethal dreams anymore.
It felt good, warm in his chest. Sitting with his girlfriend, having a peaceful talk without having to think of all of the problems that he had in his life. It was a nice distraction. Adrien estimated it had been about twenty minutes of conversation before Tikki came flying back into the room. She wore a smile but her eyes had worry written all over them, and at the sight of this the two teenagers stood up to meet her instantly.
"Tikki! Did you find Plagg?" Marinette questioned.
"Yes, but he doesn't seem to have cooled down from whatever happened earlier this morning. He didn't say it out loud, but I'm absolutely sure that it would be better if you went and talked to him yourself Adrien."
Adrien clenched his jaw and nodded, determination to make amends with his friend rushing back to him.
"I will, and I'll bring him back."
Marinette smiled at him before turning to Tikki and asking, "By the way, where exactly is Plagg hiding?"
The kwami smirked and rolled her eyes.
"Where do you think?"
Adrien's eyes hit the home of the Guardian before they had made it all the way there, sticking out like a sore thumb for the two heroes despite being almost identical to all of the other buildings surrounding it. He clung tight to Ladybug's back, who had been piggybacking him with ease ever since they left his house and had come to bring Plagg back. He was so flustered at first at the thought of being carried around by her, that his cheeks were nearly as red as her suit, but Ladybug had giggled and assured him that it was no problem at all. That was all he needed to hear before jumping at the opportunity.
He felt very troubled on their journey to the Master's home, however. As they traveled the city streets, Adrien realized how horribly empty they still remained. Ever since the battle with the akumatized villain Gunslinger, Ladybug and Chat Noir hadn't been able to go out and fight because of Adrien's wound needing enough time to heal. Due to no signs of him, the duo assumed that Hawkmoth had released the akuma from the victim, Paul, so that he could resume being his normal self until the power up was required once more. Ladybug had thankfully managed to use this as an opportunity to use her Lucky Charm when there was no fight (it was a stuffed animal of a lion, they still couldn't figure out what it meant), and use Miraculous Ladybug to fix all of the damage that had been done by the violent akuma.
This included healing anyone who had been shot in the crossfire, but Adrien's wound unfortunately still remained afterward. Just his luck, he and Plagg realized that it must be the cursed magic that was essentially flowing through his veins by now, and the fact that it was immune to the powers of Miraculous Ladybug. All it caused was further frustration, but Adrien tried to shrug it off since the ache from the gunshot was starting to ebb anyway.
The terrifying memory of being soaked in his own blood, however… that wouldn't ebb anytime soon.
"Remember, we've got to be quick about this," Ladybug reminded him as they landed down in a nearby alley so she could detransform. "I don't think that shower of yours can create the disguise of you being home forever."
"It's never failed me before," Adrien recalled with a light chuckle.
The heroine smiled, giving his shoulder a nudge as she rolled her eyes.
"Come on, let's go get that troublesome kwami of yours."
Once Marinette was transformed back and quickly fed Tikki, the two of them stepped out of their hiding spot and went into the building where the Master resided. They walked down the hall in silence, trying to keep a low profile, however on the inside Adrien felt a stirring worry about talking to Plagg again.
The last time he had spoken to the kwami he had been ready to give up and live with Fatal Dreaming, completely shutting down Plagg's arguments and just convincing himself that not fighting back would be easier. The small cat had never been so fed up before. Throughout this entire mess Plagg had always been there for Adrien, trying to help and actually taking the curse seriously, comforting him after a bad nightmare, even long before Marinette did. Plagg had done absolutely everything to show his owner that he cared, and what did Adrien give him in return?
Nothing.
Absolutely nothing, other than a side glance and no consideration for his feelings. Adrien felt terrible, and was willing to do anything to make it up to Plagg.
Once reaching the correct room, Marinette lightly hesitated before knocking on the door.
Adrien said to her, "Come to think of it, this is the first time we've spoken with the Master since we discovered our-" He was cut off as the door opened, presenting the two teenagers face to face with the Guardian of the Miraculous. His narrowed eyes bore into them, and silence filled the air before Marinette chose to speak.
"Master Fu?"
The Master stepped aside, inviting them into the room. He still did not speak, leaving Marinette and Adrien feeling uncertain as they entered his quarters and the entrance closed behind them.
Finally, the elderly man sighed and said, "I wondered how long it would be until the two of you showed up on my doorstep. Please, take a seat. We must have a serious discussion."
As Master Fu left into a back room, the two teenagers exchanged nervous glances as they sat down with their hands on their knees. Moments later, the man returned with a stone tray, containing a Chinese-esqe teapot and three teacups.
As he placed the dishes down between them, he said, "I am glad to see that both of you are well. Adrien, I was very concerned when I learned of your wound from the battle with Gunslinger, but I am pleased to see that you have made a very quick recovery."
Adrien nodded, wondering if he knew about Marinette's help using her lucky charm.
"O-Of course."
Master Fu remained silent as he poured out the steaming tea and handed out their teacups. Adrien kept on expecting him to say something, or what serious discussion they needed to have, so when he grew impatient he decided to take the lead.
"Master, sir, there is something I've come to ask you about-"
"Plagg is safe. He came to me in distress and flew into the Miracle Box, so I had Wayzz go after him when I knew you were here," Master Fu stated simply. "Seems as though you two have had a conflict?"
Adrien lowered his head shamefully, Plagg's words playing back in his ears.
"I hate you."
He knew he didn't mean it. It was because Adrien wasn't listening to him, and he got angry.
No, he couldn't have meant it. He didn't actually hate him… right?
"Yeah… yeah we did have an argument."
The Master hummed in response. Tikki then flew forward from where she had been perched on Marinette's shoulder, raising her small hand in an offering.
"Plagg can't hide away forever. I'll go and talk to him, see if I can help Wayzz convince him to come back," she said.
Marinette nodded. "Thank you Tikki."
As they sat and watched Tikki zip into the Miracle Box that hid within the phonograph, Adrien took a sip of his tea. It was just the perfect temperature, the type of herbal concoction that warms your chest and relaxes your muscles in an instant. If anything, he had to give Master Fu massive kudos on his tea skills.
"Now, there is something far more important that we must talk about today," the Master stated.
Adrien gave a firm nod, glad to be getting back to their initial topic of discussion. He just hoped that Tikki and Wayzz would be able to convince Plagg to come out and talk to him.
Marinette lowered her teacup from her lips and asked, "Is it… about our identities?"
Master Fu's eyes narrowed, his demeanor changing to seriousness in an instant.
"Precisely."
The duo focused all of their attention on the Guardian, as he explained to them the circumstance that they were now caught in.
"Marinette, Adrien, knowing each other's true identities could be detrimental to your duty as heroes. You will now have more at stake, you will worry for each other in a fight on a more personal level, and if others potentially find out then you will only be putting yourselves and your families at a greater risk. You now have more that you will feel you need to protect, and as Hawkmoth only grows stronger and stronger, this could be very problematic."
Master Fu paused to sip from his teacup, leaving a deadly silence hanging in the air as Marinette and Adrien dared not speak.
He continued, "In any other cases, learning of each other's identities would result in a permanent confiscation of your miraculous, to be passed on to new heroes to take your place. However, with such a powerful threat in the form of Gunslinger - and by extension, Hawkmoth - still on the line, I hesitate to take your powers away. It is at a time like this that Paris is in desperate need of matured, experienced heroes to face such a strong akuma. If I were to put rookie superheroes up against someone of Gunslinger's caliber, seeing as how much he was able to hurt you, Adrien, then they would easily be killed in the violent action."
Adrien began biting his lower lip before he even realized. Memories of how painful the bullet was, how blindingly agonizing it felt to die, often haunted Adrien's thoughts. Even though the event had passed, looking back on it still made him feel utterly terrified, sometimes even more than his nightmares of Marinette did. It made him feel selfish, to be more scared for himself than what he had watched happen to her.
Selfish, yet, still terrified.
"So, what are we going to do then? Are you only going to let us keep our miraculous until Gunslinger is defeated, and then pass them on to someone else?" Marinette asked, a hint of sadness etched into her voice.
Adrien looked at her, taking in all of her features in that moment. He felt something heavy and yet empty make its home inside of him, a deeper dread than he had ever felt before at the thought of having their miraculous taken away. He didn't want to allow it, he wanted to refuse to give up his ring, he would fight to keep it. Not just the ring, but the first real friend that he had ever made since Chloe.
Plagg.
Adrien knew that being gifted with a miraculous was the best thing that happened in his entire life. He wouldn't give up his happiest memories that easily. All of the experiences and fights he's had alongside Ladybug, and Marinette for that matter. If he never had his miraculous, he never would have found a constant companion in his kwami, he never would have met the love of his life and his partner in crime.
Motivation surged through him as he recalled the best years of his life. Adrien refused to give up the ring, even if he knew he had no choice in the matter.
Following Marinette's question, no one jumped at the chance to answer. While the two heroes looked to the Guardian with determined eyes, showing him they weren't backing down easily, he looked back at them with curiosity. It was like he scanned over their expressions- their every action, before coming to a conclusion.
"Well, normally I would do just that… but perhaps not this time. I have been coming up with a way that might allow you both to keep them."
Marinette and Adrien's eyes practically burst as they flew so wide with excitement. The elderly man took another calm sip of his tea, as if he hadn't just suggested a way that he could save their powerful jewels from permanent confiscation.
"As we've seen with Lucid's magical abilities, and the level of power that mere soldiers of Hawkmoth have possessed, he is only continuing to grow stronger. Taking the time to train new heroes to gain new experience at a time like this would be very difficult," Master Fu explained with a sigh. "No, rather than simply taking your miraculous away, I think I would like to test both of you."
The teenagers once again exchanged questioning glances.
"Test?" Adrien repeated.
Master Fu suddenly placed his cup down and rose to his feet. Despite being nearly the same height as the two of them sitting down, Adrien sensed the illustriousness in the Guardian, his decades of experience with the duty and powers of the miraculous towering over their short ownership of the earrings and ring. It might as well have radiated off of him, because his solemn stance was enough to steal the full attention of the teenagers, no words needed.
The Master took a pace forward, and placed one hand on each of their shoulders.
"Marinette and Adrien, the two of you are Ladybug and Chat Noir, Paris' heroes. Your job is to defend the lives and safety of this city, and fight against the anger and hate that take the form of akumas. This is not a personal job, this is a terribly important task that has been put onto your shoulders, to defend the life and love of an entire city." Master Fu paused to release his grip on their shoulders, looking both of them right in the eye. "If the two of you can prove yourselves to me, the next time you face the akuma Gunslinger in battle, that you will not sacrifice the importance of your jobs for the sake of your personal feelings, then I will allow you to keep your miraculous despite being aware of each other's identities."
Adrien felt a beam stretch across his face, feeling rather unnatural after everything that he had experienced in recent weeks.
"Wait, we can really keep them?" Marinette confirmed, an equally large smile on her face. "If we can prove to you that we can stay focused on our duty as heroes and not get distracted by each other, then we can keep being Chat Noir and Ladybug?"
Master Fu let out a light chuckle and nodded to her.
"Yes, I will allow it this time."
Adrien couldn't hold in the laugh that escaped him as he lunged over to Marinette and wrapped his arms around her, feeling a surge of warmth as she grinned and hugged him right back.
It was such a good feeling, he realized. Adrien couldn't remember the last time that he had felt this truly happy, knowing that as long as they could do everything as they always did, he and Marinette could keep being heroes together, and fight crime together in the years to come! Knowing their identities was a worry that he had silently put to the side, to force himself to focus on the more important situation at hand, but getting this confirmation made him feel such relief. For just a minute, it put aside his fears of what this mystery cure for his curse could possibly be, and filled him with determination.
This was something that they knew how to handle. This was something that they could do.
And now, in the arms of his recently established girlfriend, Adrien's chest swelled with hope. Make up with Plagg, prove to Master Fu that they could keep their miraculous, and solve what Fatal Dreaming's weakness is.
If he could do that, would he feel this happy all the time?
"Thank you Master, but how will we be able to get out there and fight Gunslinger if he's nowhere to be found?" Marinette pointed out, now drawn back from the embrace. "The people are still afraid, the streets are repaired but emptier than they've ever been. Paul is surely still enraged at the mayor out there, he wants to enact revenge on Chloe, but he hasn't been akumatized again. How will Hawkmoth know that we're ready for a rematch?"
Master Fu let out a hum and stroked his beard in thought.
"Yes, that is troubling. The best advice that I can offer is to simply wait until the man has been akumatized once again, and when that time comes make sure that you are rested and strong enough to be able to protect the people. The citizens of Paris must be your top priority," he answered.
Marinette and Adrien firmly nodded, each with hard expressions of determination.
"Yes sir!" they both exclaimed.
Following this rush of excitement, the trio began to settle again. Marinette and Adrien hadn't intended their stay to be this long, but the kwamis had yet to emerge from the Miracle Box.
As they sipped more of the comforting tea, Master Fu stole a glance at the phonograph and said, "It seems as though Plagg may still be feeling upset about what happened earlier. If I may ask, what did you clash about that has caused you two to become upset?"
Adrien lowered his teacup from his lips, and couldn't help but deeply sigh. The reminder of what transpired that morning hurt him more than many of his nightmares had.
Perhaps because he knew that this was reality.
"It was… about Fatal Dreaming again. I've been getting worse every day, and my father confiscated the medicine that you gave me, so every night I've been seeing more nightmares unless I force myself not to sleep. Bleeding this, dying that, it's never not gruesome and I hate it so much," he explained.
Adrien could feel his eyes growing misty, and lowered his head to attempt hiding it. He silently thanked Marinette for the comforting hand she placed against his back.
"This morning, I w-woke up from another bad one, and I was feeling really awful. I didn't realize how much Plagg was worried about me, all he was doing was trying to help but I snapped at him saying that it would be easier to just give up the fight. I know- I know that I can't do that, but I felt so… okay, with giving up, telling everyone about Fatal Dreaming and letting myself have these nightmares until I die. Plagg was trying to get through to me, but I just kept ignoring him, when he was just trying to show me that he cared."
He could feel the warmth of a tear falling down his cheek as he recapped everything that had happened, but he kept going anyways.
"I was being a horrible owner… and then Plagg said that he h-hated me, and he left. I know he didn't mean it, he was angry at me because I refused to listen. If anything, I just want to tell him how sorry I am. Even if he can't forgive me."
Maybe it was from the overly emotional day that he seemed to be having today, or it could've been from the sudden buildup of sadness again. Whatever the case, Adrien's head hung low as tears fell from his eyes, quietly sniffing as Marinette continued to hold her hand against his back.
From the corner of his gaze, he could see Master Fu stand from his seat again, and turn to retrieve something. He balled his hands into fists, rubbed at his soaking eyes, and looked up to the Guardian as he returned with a thick book in his hands.
A book that looked… familiar.
"This is very concerning Adrien, not only for what has transpired between you and Plagg, but based on how long you have lasted after being cursed by Lucid, and how this is now affecting your mental well-being," said Master Fu. He set the book down in front of the duo, turned open to a page of ancient texts and spells that appeared to be related to the miraculous. There was an illustration on the page that looked identical to the scar on Adrien's body, painted in jagged black and purple inks, which was enough to tell him what the coded text was about.
Master Fu's book has information on the curse!
"Unfortunately, I do not have any more of the pills that I gave you to help you sleep, as the ingredients to concoct them are extremely difficult to come across. However, I have been doing further research on this strange spell ever since our last discussion Adrien, and I discovered that there is ancient information on it in this spellbook." The Master pointed out certain illustrations and records to them as he explained. "The curse traces back to the earliest days of the miraculous, a kind of magic that can be achieved once one reaches a certain level of power, and is strong enough to surpass the healing effects of the Miraculous Ladybug spell.
"As you know, each individual miraculous holds its own set of abilities, and the butterfly miraculous is one of the few that can allow access to the Fatal Dreaming spell. Due to Hawkmoth's abilities to grant a victim any power he chooses, when he learned of Lucid, a troubled young girl who desired sleep for the many and terrible nightmares for anyone who opposed her, she was thus granted the power to inflict this curse on you, Adrien."
He shifted in his seat with unease. It all made sense, all of the pieces came together to create one clear answer to the puzzle, and yet it didn't make him feel much better. If Hawkmoth had gained enough power to use this level of magic, just how far could he go? How many terrible spells could he cast onto other people in Paris, forcing them to suffer through the kind of pain that he had, just for being an innocent bystander of a villain attack?
"So, just how strong has Hawkmoth become now? To be able to grant such incredible magic through his akumas, how far do we have to go to stand a chance against him?" Marinette asked.
Master Fu picked up the book and began to search through its pages.
"Well, judging by the ancient powers he managed to unearth for Lucid, and how dangerous and violent our most recent angry victim has become, he seems to have a terribly strong willpower that has allowed him to achieve great heights in his abilities in a short amount of time," he answered.
Adrien's teeth began to grip, his fists clenching in anger at the thought of their terrible enemy, manipulating and taking advantage of his emotionally compromised victims for his own personal gain. Hawkmoth stood for everything Ladybug and Chat Noir stood against.
"We have to stop him, no matter the cost," Adrien growled. "We can't let Hawkmoth keep tormenting people like this. Whether it's us, our friends, or strangers. His only reason for attacking the city and its people is so that he can take our miraculous, and for what? His own personal gain? So that someone out there will lose something precious to them as he gets what he wants?"
He slammed his empty teacup onto its tray, the loud rattle reverberating throughout the Guardian's home.
"We can't let him win…"
Marinette's eyes narrowed in on him and she firmly cupped a hand against his cheek.
"You need to get better first! I feel the same way as you Adrien, Hawkmoth has done terrible things that he must pay for, and we need to take back the butterfly miraculous as soon as possible."
He stared back at her, placing his hand over hers as it fit perfectly against his cheekbone.
"But… we won't get anywhere if we can fix your curse first. It feels like we haven't come any closer to figuring this out, how are we supposed to cure Fatal Dreaming at this rate?"
Marinette turned to the Master as she asked the question, her tone almost demanding.
In response, the elderly man turned his attention back to the spellbook, and after a few more page flips he put it back to the floor between them. Now in front of them was a new page, the same ancient code as before written on it but instead of being writings of the curse, it was what appeared to be a detailed list of records, seemingly from decades or even centuries ago.
Master Fu explained, "Every recorded instance of this curse in the past has noted if the victim survived, or succumbed to their fears and insanity. However, it has also been highlighted that every time a victim of Fatal Dreaming was explained how to cure it by another individual, they died shortly after. They lost the strength needed to properly oppose what harmed them."
The same as what the Master told me the very first time I asked him, Adrien realized. Even these records show the facts straight to my face, I'm the one who has to stop this.
"So... only I can know how to fix myself…" he murmured. Despite already having the answer to his question, he still felt the need to state it out loud, as if desiring for the elderly man to tell him that he was wrong, that there was another way. A simpler way.
He lifted his hand and tightly clutched onto his chest, feelings of doubt stirring within his chest like a brewing storm. He still had no idea how to fix this, he had researched and planned and tried everything that he could think of, and yet was still met with new nightmares every single night.
Master Fu then reached forward and took Adrien's free hand in his own two. He looked up to meet the gaze across from him.
"Adrien, this curse's one weakness comes from your own strength, and you and Marinette are some of the strongest individuals that I have ever encountered," he encouraged. "You mustn't cling to your negative thoughts, or look back on the nightmares that have hurt you after they have already passed. Any negativity that you give off will only feed the magic inside you, do you understand?"
He did understand. This he knew, surprisingly, recalling the sting that would flash across his body every time he got caught up in his own mind.
Still, the Master's instructions resonated with him, urging him to follow courage and positivity instead of allowing himself to drown. In response, Adrien nodded.
"Yes sir."
Master Fu smiled.
"Good."
Adrien noticed the Guardian closely eyeing his neck, making him realize that the scar must be visible after his attempts of hiding it back at home. Silently he slid back the sleeve of his iconic white unbuttoned shirt, showing the man how far the cracks had spread down his arms.
Beside him, he glimpsed Marinette with a hand pinched to her chin, deep in thought without any focus on them at all.
"The curse's weakness comes from his own strength…" he heard her murmur.
The blond gently smiled. He felt so grateful toward Marinette, if he didn't have her at his side then who knows where he would be by now. She had been close with him at every chance she had, supporting him when he told her about his nightmares, holding him tight when he was in anguish and never giving up on finding a way to save him.
How was he lucky enough to have the greatest girl in the world by his side?
Master Fu then let out a worried grunt and told Adrien, "Your scar has grown immensely, and will only continue to get worse the longer that this goes on." He leaned back from inspecting his arm, placing his hands back to his thighs again. "I'm afraid that I've done just about all that I can do to help you, but I implore you young one, do not give up hope. You can defeat this monster, just as you have defeated Hawkmoth every other time in the past."
Adrien felt a surge of optimism at his words, and smiled gratefully.
"Okay, I won't give up hope. Thank you, Master Fu."
The two men exchange strong nods.
"It is my pleasure Adrien."
Suddenly, the Miracle Box gives a tremor and two red and green creatures zip out of the head of the phonograph. Adrien nearly trips over his own feet as he abruptly stands, meeting the encouraging gazes of Tikki and Wayzz.
"Plagg?" he called hesitantly.
Moments later, two large ears poked out from within the box, and Adrien's familiar friend emerged with an expression that he found hard to read. Plagg looked almost flustered or embarrassed, and yet he still had that desperation in his eyes.
Was it a desperation to help? To get away from the situation he was in? Adrien found the details too vague to care, all he wanted was to talk to his friend. He took a pace forward, suddenly unable to control the emotions that poured out of him.
"Plagg… god, Plagg I-I'm so sorry! You were right, I can't give up and I'm not going to, you-you were right… you were so right, and I'm sorry I didn't mean anything that I said this morning, I should have- I should have had better control-"
"Adrien!"
The small cat silenced his owner, and for a moment Adrien was scared that he was still upset over that morning. Instead, Plagg came forward, close to his nose, and lifted his small paw to wipe away a tear that Adrien hadn't even realized was there.
"Just take a breath, okay kid?"
He blinked, meeting his kwamis eyes for a moment, and realized that he didn't look angry or desperate anymore. He looked apologetic, his cheeks a hint of pink.
Is he... embarrassed with how soft he's acting? Adrien realized. He cupped his hands out in front of him, and Plagg flew down to sit in them in usual fashion.
"I'm really sorry too, I shouldn't have blown up at you like that, I was being immature," Plagg said. "I just- I can't keep sitting by and watching all of this horrible stuff happen! Guess there was a part of me that was trying to get you to feel the same way..."
"Plagg…" the teen tried to console him. None of this was Plagg's fault, and yet he seemed to be feeling as guilty and regretful as Adrien felt. Were they really that similar after all?
"I want it to stop, I want to stop having to sit beside you every night and do nothing but watch as you… as you hurt so much because of these dreams. I hate this, I hate everything about this and I hate that I can hardly do anything to help you."
Plagg gave a sharp blink, and he lifted his head to meet the face of his miraculous owner. He spoke to Adrien more genuinely than he remembered being in a very long time.
"But, I don't hate you."
A soft laugh escaped Adrien. He knew that those were the words he needed to hear, and he drew a palm over his eyes to wipe away the second round of oncoming tears since he had arrived.
"Thank you!" he breathed.
Plagg softly smiled, and flew up to hug against his owner's shoulder. Adrien held his hands over the kwami in return, feeling so relieved and grateful that he could hardly speak.
From behind them, he heard the voices of Marinette and Tikki "awww"ing at them.
"Aww Plagg, you're so cute when you show your soft side!" Tikki cooed.
Adrien could practically feel the little cat roll his eyes against him.
"Don't get used to it Sugarcube."
His line earned a giggle out of those in the room. Adrien could feel the storm of emotions now beginning to quell, as he composed himself and Marinette rose to her feet.
"Come on guys, we should be heading back before someone finds out we're gone," she said, then turning to the Guardian of the Miraculous and politely bowing in gratitude. "Thank you for your help Master Fu! We will make sure that we're ready for when Gunslinger comes back again, and this time we'll definitely beat him!"
Adrien stood by Marinette's side, grinning with a newfound confidence as he held her hand.
"And we'll prove to you that we can keep our miraculouses too. You can count on us Master!"
The elderly man nodded to them with a smile.
"I am looking forward to it."
With their hands tightly intertwined, the two heroes turned to the door. Adrien could feel a stronger determination than he could ever remember fighting back against the fears that had plagued him for so long, telling him that there was a way.
Being Ladybug and Chat Noir could remain as a part of their lives, and they would make sure of it. Plagg had forgiven him, offering him a chance to make it up to the kwami and truly fight against the darkness that had pinned him down. But most of all, he still had a chance. A chance to live, a chance to find the inner strength that their teacher had taught him to seek out, and find the way to kill his nightmares before it was too late.
It was possible, and Adrien felt stronger than ever leaving the room that day. He could do this.
"And Adrien?"
The Master's voice made him and Marinette stop in their tracks, just as they had reached for the doorknob.
"Do not force yourself to remain awake at night. While I understand how tormenting it must be to see your nightmares each time you sleep, refusing the healthy amount of rest that your body needs will only make the situation worse than it currently is," he instructed. "The less you sleep, the more obvious it will become to those around you that there is a problem. You will grow physically sick and weak, and we must ensure that your physical strength remains strong in order to aid your mental strength."
Adrien held back a sigh. It was true that he had grown exhausted over time, the desperation to avoid any more bloody visions urging him to avoid falling asleep unless otherwise necessary. He debated arguing against Master Fu for a few moments, exchanging a glance with Plagg on his shoulder, but quickly decided against it. The man was right, and Adrien knew that. He would only continue to make this worse if he didn't sleep, and he had to keep up his strength.
The teen also knew enough at this point, however, to know that this would turn his curse into a ticking time bomb. With every nightmare, every negative feeling, it would grow worse. The more he slept, the faster it grew, and the less time he had to find a cure. The more dangerous each passing night became, the question in the back of his mind of if he would ever live to see the day that followed the last. A time limit, to which he would never know when the clock hit 0.
Still, he knew what was the right choice, and he complied.
"I understand Master, thank you."
Adrien could see Marinette gazing at him worriedly, but squeezed her hand reassuringly.
It's going to be okay, he silently promised. We'll figure this out together. I won't let you watch me die. I know how painful it is, and you're the last person on this planet who deserves to see that.
As if she knew what he was saying to her, Marinette squeezed his hand back.
Master Fu nodded to the heroes and said, "Farewell, I hope to see you again soon!"
The two teenagers emphasized their gratitude to him as they exited the miraculous sanctuary, leaving Wang Fu and his wise kwami sitting in silence. After having minutes to their own thoughts, Wayzz turned to his owner and sat down on his shoulder.
"Master, if I may ask, why are you so hesitant to take away their miraculous? It is strictly against the code to know each other's true identities while fighting crime, why did you come up with a reason for Marinette and Adrien to keep them?" he questioned.
Master Fu knew that this was true. He knew that he had gone against one of the most strict rules of owning a miraculous, and yet could not deny that he had reasonable intentions for doing so.
"Adrien Agreste is running out of time, and if this really is the end for him, then I wanted to try and provide a distraction, something to keep him busy and happy while having to endure this curse."
"Yes, but… what is the real reason why?"
The man sighed. He should have known that his kwami would see right through him, Wayzz was far too smart to be underestimated. While yes, the Master felt a deep concern for the cat hero's well being at such a young age, and did not want to provide him any further anguish during a time where he had already experienced plenty, it was more than just sympathy.
He let them keep the miraculous out of such great potential.
"I… couldn't bring myself to take them," he admitted to Wayzz. "It makes me devastated to think that I would be giving up two of the greatest heroes that I have ever met."
A/N: Reviews and favourites are always super appreciated! I can't say exactly when chapter 19 will be here, but I'm aiming for it to be finished before the end of July.