Chapter Eight: Split my Mind
Marinette! Tikki's voice held a note of panic the bluenette wasn't quite accustomed to, and it resonated through her mind until it dominated every corner of her brain, filling the pores of her skull. Warmth erupted through her body, and her thoughts swallowed her backwards, encompassing the spotted heroine. Ladybug didn't lose consciousness, but she was watching herself fall, unable to control her own muscles.
I will always love you, my knight.
An explosion of blinding rose colored light filled her vision, and she couldn't even close her eyes against it before she realized the Eiffel Tower was disappearing through a hole. A portal. The heat in her veins faded, and Ladybug gasped, flailed, her mobility restored, but her shoulder blades hit something solid, flipping her over, and she toppled through several thick branches before colliding with a carpet of moss and flowers, groaning.
The agony wasn't anywhere near unbearable, but as she moved her abused limbs…they hurt. "What just happened?" Ladybug winced as she endeavored to get her feet under her, hissing as her left knee refused to support her weight. Her body crushed against a nearby tree, panting desperately as she blinked back tears, but they wouldn't stop.
Her brows pulled together, and she wiped at her face, pulling her gloved fingers away with a sticky coat of crimson. Oh. Not tears. She was bleeding. The bluenette touched her right eyebrow and felt the deep gash running above it over to her temple. It stung now that she was aware of it, the adrenaline of her fall and near death wearing off to leave her feeling every injury tenfold.
Her mouth throbbed with viscous prevail, and the stirrings of a headache galloped through her skull. "Tikki?" Her bluebell orbs darted around, soaking in the foreign environment, spotting the vibrant flowers blossoming along a large bush. "Peonies?" Her earrings started beeping, and her orbs flew wide. "T-Tikki?" She hadn't even used Lucky Charm! What was happening?
M-Move!
The bluenette shoved from the trunk as hard as she could, diving in the opposite direction under Tikki's urgent command, rolling over the soft ground. Her form screamed its protest the entire way, but she came up, clutching for her yo-yo…gasping. It was still on the…tower, but even more surprising….was the woman who looked like…
"L-Ladybug?" Her suit appeared to be made of cloth, and was far more loose fitting than her own, but she couldn't mistake the outfit. A red mask pulled taut over the girl's eyes, tied behind her head with two long tendrils leading down to her shoulders. Her aqua tresses were pulled high into a bun, and a headpiece with intricate gold and red jewels sat in the center of her hairstyle.
The other girl's bright blue eyes narrowed dangerously, and her yo-yo swung out, her voice calling out in a language that Marinette didn't immediately recognize as her instincts kicked her into motion. The bluenette cart wheeled to avoid being snared, but it only got her so far as her earrings beeped more frantically.
"Tikki, what's going on," she shrieked, launching herself at a tree limb, climbing up and clinging to it, and the alternate bug faltered, pausing her assault. The attacker offered a quizzical glance, but Mari's ancient finally answered, reverberating along her mind.
I d-don't know…trying to…r-reverse…
Warmth dominated her veins again, and she lost control of her body once more as her mind slid to the backseat. Her form fell backwards off the branch she had been perched on, and the tree disappeared through a portal, her back hitting solid cement a second later. Just before it closed, the faux Ladybug's head appeared…and beside her…a man, with a black cat mask covering half his face. Then, all she saw was the Eiffel Tower with the biggest moon she'd ever seen, and her world went black.
***POV Change***
Adrien wanted to bang his head repeatedly on his desk. That was a torture better suffered than continuously wondering where the bluenette was. Class was almost over and she wasn't there. Was she intent on skipping school entirely just to avoid him?
As a civilian, he'd done quite a number on her heart. As Chat…he'd done quite a number on her mind. However, part of him, the deepest, darkest part of his animal, of his male…couldn't regret taking her body the way he had. She had…tasted amazing. The sounds, the smells, the way she screamed for him drove his senses into an overwhelming euphoric pleasure. Mari had begged Chat not to stop, thrusting herself against his face, and he wanted to drink up every drop until there wasn't one left for another person.
He shivered. The blonde swallowed around the heat pooling into his groin, and he shifted a fraction to adjust himself as the arousal swiftly grew, becoming uncomfortable. She'd wanted to keep going, which was the most…amazing part of it all. He would have torn his suit to shreds and fucked her over and over and over right there if he could, but the sudden guilt of Ladybug overpowered his lust, and he had also remembered she wasn't there alone.
Fuckin' Luka.
Alya let out a gasp, and most of the students shifted in her direction, pulling his attention as well. The blush creeping up into her caramel cheeks stood out vibrantly, and she cleared her throat. "I j-just, uh—" The investigative journalist got up from her seat, hopping down the steps towards Ms. Bustier, showing her something on her phone, and the older woman's brows furrowed deeply, her mouth falling open before she had a chance to compose herself.
Something about the way her orbs wavered made the lust and passion stave off, leaving a pit of concern swelling up in his chest, and he blinked around the sudden difficulty to breathe. What was going on?
"O-Okay, thank you, Alya. I'm sure the official word will come through Mr. Damocles," she croaked, nodding.
It had to be about, Mari. He could feel it with every fiber of his soul. "What's going on?" Adrien stood from his chair as the fiery Ladyblogger tried to move by, but he blocked her passage, making her cross her arms in a defiant stance.
The woman glowered through golden orbs, poised over her dark spectacles. "You're in my way," she growled.
"And you're avoiding my question," he spat back just as easily. "It's Mari, isn't it? She isn't here, and you look worried," he accused. The blonde watched the emotions flitting behind her beautiful eyes, and could see the visible pulse at the side of her neck, and that was all it took to confirm his calculated suspicion. Something was wrong with his bluenette. The…bluenette.
"M-Mind your business," she whispered hoarsely, moving around him, and this time, he let her, shaking his head, the golden locks on his head splayed across his vision.
"What's wrong with, Marinette?" he asked the teacher loudly as he slammed his fist against his desk. His boisterous voice and the crash of his hand pulled the curiosity from several other students who echoed his sentiment.
Rose squeaked, whimpering. "Is she going to be okay?"
Alix sighed. "Don't cry Rose, it's okay," she offered almost brusquely, but that was just Alix.
A chorus of concern emanated through the room succeeding his question, and Ms. Bustier cringed, throwing her hands up to silence them, wincing. "It's…not an official message," she whispered softly. "I don't want to deliver news that may turn out to be false."
"Who was the message from?" The model didn't care how invasive his inquiry seemed. The pain was coiling in his chest, refusing to relinquish its infallible grasp on his erratically beating heart. Something was wrong, and the longer he waited, the more difficult breathing became…the harder it was not to stave off the stinging behind his vibrant emerald orbs.
The experienced woman faltered, and he knew it was a reliable source. She was just stalling. He grabbed his books, throwing them into his bag. "Class isn't d-dismissed," she warned, and he shrugged almost flippantly.
"Write me up, send me to the principal's office next time I'm here, but I'm going to check for myself. Mari means a lot to everyone, and if it's so bad that Alya couldn't control herself, and you couldn't keep your face professional, I'm betting it's pretty bad," he bit out angrily, the animal side of him rising up to take charge, trickling the faintest growl into his words, and several students gasped, giving him enough pause to realize how disobedient he sounded.
"A-Adrien?"
Nino's worried tone forced him to usher in a deep breath before he replied. "Look, I made her feel bad," he said in a whisper to his best friend, "if she's hurt and that's the last thing I did, I'll regret it forever," he stated honestly. "Plus, I care about her a lot, she's one of my closest friends," he admitted. "She does mean a lot to me…even if it's not the way she wanted." The words made his mouth taste bitter, and he faltered, slipping to a knee, groaning as a lazy agony spiraled through his chest down his torso to possess his stomach. It made him nauseous, threatening to consume him.
Forever mine. You will be my Princess, and I will be your knight. I love you.
"Sh-Shit," he gasped as the phantom voice dissipated, and he desperately gulped for air as several pairs of hands grabbed him, trying to help. Well, most of them were trying to help. At least one or two were just…groping, and he shook them off his body, getting up as the excruciation subsided, allowing him to breathe and think again. "I h-have to go," he snapped, slinging his bag over his shoulder, running before the teacher could protest.
***POV Change***
Mari sat on her chaise, staring at the stairs to her loft with a glower. "I hate you," she murmured. Sure, she could make it up there, but it was going to be a pain in the ass, and she'd rather not make the trip several times if she could avoid it.
"W-We're lucky you didn't get more hurt," Tikki offered softly, making the bluenette flinch.
"Yeah," she admitted, covering her face. "I don't know what I was thinking. I mean, I do, but I don't. I just wanted to forget!"
"Jumping off the tower was not a smart move," the ancient chuckled.
"Yeah, I'm still not sure what happened," Mari whispered hoarsely, frowning. Each time she tried to conjure the memory after the jump, the images became jumbled, and the next thing that was clear was waking up in the hospital. The weird part was even Tikki couldn't remember.
"Y-Yeah," the crimson Kwami murmured, rubbing her own cheeks lightly. "It worries me that there's a blank slate where a memory should be," she whimpered. "What happened?"
Marinette shrugged, closing her eyes, but a thump pulled them open just as quick, and her heart leapt up into her throat as she jerked into an alert overdrive. Oh, God! Not now! "Chat! I c-can't have comp—" Too late. The feline hero let himself in, and one look at her, had the goofy grin falling from his face.
"P-Princess?" His agile body leapt over the railing to land with little sound on the floor in a crouch, and she tried to turn away, but he was by her side just as fast, trying to pull her towards him.
"I-I'm fine," she whispered desperately, pushing his claws off her face and shoulder, feeling the first sting of tears to fill her eyes. She wasn't fine, of course. She hurt badly, but seeing Chat…almost hurt more. She wanted him. She…had cheated on Luka with him. Or had she? It was still a little unclear in her heart because they weren't really dating, were they?
"You're not fine," he hissed, low, feline, and he moved to kneel in front of her, peering up at her downturned face. "You're…bashed up. D-Did somebody do this to you?" The threat leaking along each syllable made her blue eyes widen, and she swallowed.
"N-No," she croaked. "I j-just had an accident," she said truthfully. "I'll live."
His right hand touched the brace on her left knee, caressing the material softly, and Mari shivered, despite the fact she was unable to really feel his touch through it. "What's this for?" His voice was soft, concerned, and she chewed on her swollen lip for a beat before wincing and releasing it.
"Patellar subluxation," she breathed. "Whatever that is."
Chat nodded his head a little. "It's a partial dislocation of the kneecap," he said matter-of-factly. His claws touched her right arm, which was blossoming in beautiful multi-colored bruises before caressing her cheek. "What happened?
"Accident," she repeated, eyes watering.
"Nobody did this to you?" His vibrant orbs fixed on hers, searching, and she nodded slowly.
"I'm sure, Chat. I promise. Nobody else was involved. It w-was all me."
He blew out a loud breath, shaking his head. "I'm sorry," he offered softly.
"N-Not your fault," she half-lied, and he smacked his lips together a few times before tilting his head at her.
"Mari?"
"Wh-what?"
"Tell me it's not my fault again…" This time, his voice was slow, calculated, and there were threads of pain wrapping along each word. Could he tell she was lying? Well, half lying. It wasn't really his fault, but his…affections had confused her more than she had really needed the night before. She wanted him, so incredibly bad. She craved his touch more than she could explain, and it was killing her inside.
"Wh-Why," she sniffled, covering her face with her palms.
"I just...can you please say it again?"
She swallowed thickly, shaking her head. "Wh-Why are you here? D-didn't you get enough out of tormenting me last night! You …what…get some sick pleasure out of luring me out, throwing me back, and then drawing me all the way in after you've made me feel like you don't want me?"
Marinette felt him recoiling, drawing further away from her, and a snarl released into the air. "Wh-what?"
The first thing that popped into her mind was the initial one to fall from her swollen lips. "Right, because last night w-wasn't pity," she laughed, shaking her head, her heart contracting in pain as she realized it was…actually how she felt in the end. "Like you weren't trying to give me a pity romp?" She laughed softly, the tears falling down her cheeks. Of course, that's what it had been. Or, maybe he'd been frustrated and it had been right place, right time? Whatever the reason, he'd made his position clear several nights prior. Last night changed nothing. Especially, since he'd lied… "You can go Ch-Chat."
"Princess…"
"I'm not your fucking,PRINCESS," she screamed angrily, getting up, unsteadily, wavering, but she glared at the hero, who drew himself up to his full height, towering over her. "I'm nothing," she spat. "I'm over you. I'm over Adrien, and I'm over everything," she whispered, sobbing, slipping.
Chat caught her before her knees could touch the floor, and he gave her the strangest look. His face rippled, giving way to emotions she couldn't even catch, and his vibrant eyes widened in surprise. "D-Don't s-say that," he whimpered. "I care about you."
"Y-Yeah," she laughed bitterly. "Right behind Ladybug," she shoved against him, and he seemed startled, because the bluenette fell against her chaise with the sudden push. She yelped in pain, and he rushed forward to help her, but she raised a palm to stop him. "Get out," she snapped. "I don't want you to come here anymore, Chat. I mean it. Never darken my skylight again, or I'll swipe your Miraculous myself," she hissed angrily.
The feline opened his mouth, closing it. He stepped forward, and she recoiled, making him pause before his head dropped, ears slumping towards the sides as he nodded. "As my…Princess wishes," he croaked, making a stealthy retreat up the loft, disappearing.
When the silence became deafening, Marinette released a heart wrenching sob, shaking her head. "Wh-what did I just do?"
"Reacted before thinking," Tikki whispered, hurt. Her blue eyes went wide, donning a distant look for several seconds before she shook her oversized head. "What?"
A knight to call my own. My shield. My love….my life.
Marinette's lips parted, releasing the agony bubbling up with the ghost whispering in her mind, and her body slumped to the floor, convulsing.
Author Notes:
Guest, It's fine, even if you do hate it, but yeah, I can understand the frustration! Dumb characters…do what I want you to!
Trying414, nah…she'll be fine :P :P :P
Mayuralover, yes…cliffhangers are my specialty ;) and yes, Plagg tells him a bit…and I hope you continue to enjoy ^_^…hopefully it gets MORE interesting, and you're very welcome! (of course an imbalance is NEVER good)
Faefolk11, Lol, yeah, famous last words, right? :P :P hope you're enjoying! Yes, partially, but even that cost him some….consciousness lmao!
NotOften, Yes, Luka made plenty of good points I thought should be expressed. I've never been ployamorous, but I feel like those would be problems! You're welcome for the update!
SiriusBlack1, well, it's nice to see you here, and I'm glad that you're loving it! *listens to choir* nope, not a full choir yet! LMAO! I'm glad you love it, and hopefully you continue to do so after THIS crazy chapter ;)
