Marinette stared in surprise toward where the voice began, the dim outline of a small figure emerging through the remaining cloud of smoke. His tiny frame shouldn't have been as imposing as it appeared, a colourful red robe splashed with white flowers tied around his waist. Face etched with wisdom peered beneath a carefully groomed goatee as he slowly made his way across the village square.

The newcomer said nothing, footsteps making no sound as he stopped at her side, hand resting gently on her head in comfort. At his touch, she calmed, heart returning to normal as hope filled her soul.

"About time you showed up, old man," snarled Gabriel from behind Marinette, scrambling to his feet after the powerful blow.

"This is enough, Gabriel. It's all enough." His soft and gentle reprimanding voice a harsh contrast to the sharp shout a moment before.

Gabriel rushed forward, his tall stature stopping to tower over that of the older man, hands balled into tight fists by his side as he seethed with heaving breaths. "Enough, Fu? You have ignored me for this long and you think it's enough?"

Fu stood unaffected by the theatrics, tilting his head back to maintain eye contact with the God of Fire who looked ready to explode into spontaneous combustion mode at any moment.

"Yes."

A flame of rage ignited within Gabriel's eyes, leaving Marinette cringing over Adrien once again. There was nothing but heavy silence and the sound of barely controlled breathing before Gabriel launched into a verbal attack, his low-toned words spitting out like acid.

"My wife DIED, Fu! DIED! And you did nothing to help me. I begged you to save her, to bring her back to me and what did you do? Nothing. You let her die. You, old man, could have saved her with your powers but you wouldn't. You did nothing!" A slender finger jabbed at the shorter man, poking him hard in the chest.

"Then you disappear. Where did you go, Fu, while ignoring me? Look at all that I've done to get your attention. Stealing young girls from the village. Threatening to destroy it. Look how far I had to go so you would pry yourself out of your hole to respond."

Fu stood still, letting Gabriel let loose all his frustrations without response. When the older man said nothing, Marinette cringed under the evidence of the God of Fire ramping up for another assault.

"Bring her back to me."

A sad look crossed Fu's features before he slowly shook his head.

"I can't do that. I wish I could."

Gabriel's eyes narrowed dangerously, glaring at the old man while his fists began to glow a threatening red colour.

"Why not?" His voice was low and menacing, more of a growl than a question.

"You know the laws, Gabriel. We cannot interfere with the life cycles of humans. It's forbidden. I'm sorry that she died but I could do nothing then just like I can do nothing now. She is gone."

The words were barely out of his mouth when Gabriel lashed out, a powerful swing of a clenched hand aiming straight for the other man's head. Fu responded with a well-placed block, spurring Gabriel to swing out his other fist with anger.

Marinette's eyes trailed the movements of the two men locked in a battle of flying arms and feet as they punched and parried against each other. Grunts and thunks punctuated their motions, the violent crunch of bone on bone making her wince.

Where Gabriel's actions were wild and full-motion, Fu's were methodical and precise, even as he was forced back under the assault. Finally, Gabriel shoved Fu hard against a crumbling wall of ash, pinning him there with a single arm, leaning in close with uncontrolled anger.

"Bring her back!"

The soft answer of no sent Gabriel over the edge of any remaining sanity, a solid flame bursting forth with an unrelenting scream of rage. The fire wrapped itself around the mysterious Fu, who had somehow created an encasing bubble for protection as the blaze hit.

Blind with madness, Gabriel's heat intensified, determined to destroy the being that had refused the only thing he wanted. Fu stood calmly within the safety of his cocoon, waiting as the God of Fire unleashed his entire power.

Incomprehensible words tore from Gabriel's throat as he pressed closer to his target. Marinette watched in awe as the small man simply stood in behind the shield, calmly waiting for the moment to end. Why didn't he do something, anything in response?

Finally, Gabriel seemed to realize that all his efforts were in vain, calling back the flames with a gesture, ragged breaths tearing from his lungs as he eyed his opponent. In the blink of an eye, he shifted his attention to where Marinette waited with his son, arm thrusting forward. The flames shot from his hand instantly, aiming for her and Adrien without a moment of hesitation.

"Fine!" Gabriel's voice bellowed, rattling her ears in surprise before she curled in on herself, slamming her eyes closed, certain the blaze would burn her skin from her bones.

But she felt nothing. Heard nothing.

A peek through a crack in her eyes revealed that Fu had flung his protection wide, encasing both Marinette and Adrien faster than the flames travelled.

"I said that was enough, Gabriel."

From the corner of her eye, Marinette saw movement. Stepping out of the bubble, Fu's hands flashed faster than anything she had ever seen, reaching up to find purchase against Gabriel's neck. Gabriel let out a startled screech, flames disappearing from his hands as he pulled in futility on the hands around him.

"I'm sorry, Gabriel. I didn't want to do this. I had hoped you would find a way to move on. I see now that I was wrong." Fu dropped his head for a moment. Taking a deep breath, he stood to his full height, his voice ringing clearly with authority as he continued to speak.

"I am the Guardian of the Gods. I have the duty to protect humanity and the Gods. As such, I have the power to remove abilities when they are being misused. You, Gabriel, are guilty of misusing your powers - no matter what you believed. You destroyed the lives of many young human girls by forcing them to become your wives, even if only in name. You destroyed this village in your rage. You mistreated your son, forcing him to renounce his immortality with lies, and ultimately, you killed him. As Guardian of the Gods, I, Fu, remove your powers."

Gabriel's eyes bulged in panic as Fu released his grip, a weakness overtaking his once imposing frame. Crumpled on the cobblestones over knelt a man who openly wept for the loss of hope, the last thing tying him to the woman he had once loved.

"I am sorry, Gabriel. I didn't want this to happen," sighed the Guardian, eyes gentle with sadness as he peered down at the broken man. When he turned, Fu's eyes held a look that Marinette couldn't fully place, before stepping closer to look at Adrien.

"Please. Can you save him?" Marinette breathed, afraid to hope. The words spoken of Adrien's mortality a moment earlier stung at her chest. Did he give his godhood in an attempt to save her? Now he lay in her arms, unbreathing and covered in burns that blistered his skin. She didn't know if she could breathe - the full-reality of his sacrifices too great to process. She never deserved this from him. Not after her accusations. Not after she had planned to walk away and become his father's wife. A sob stuck in her throat, painful and frozen, Adrien's face blurring through a layer of unshed tears. "Please." Her plea sounded small and desperate, squeaked out alongside the sound of a cry.

The Guardian knelt beside Adrien, a hand resting gently on his arm with a sad smile. His eyes fell closed just for a moment, taking in a loud deep breath.

Marinette swore she could feel energy seeping from Adrien's skin into her hands, pulsing through every fibre of her being. Lightning and ice mixed with fire and wind tore through her, leaving her breathless. Against her chest, her heart stuttered with a thump that nearly doubled her over before racing out her fingers and back to him.

In her arms, Marinette felt Adrien shiver, a quiet gasp from his lips the only evidence of any change. Raising her eyes, Marinette found Fu glancing at her again with an incomprehensible look before he spoke.

"So - who are you?"

The gentle swishing sound of soft voices talking woke him, dragging his eyelids apart with concentrated effort. The light burnt against his eyes, making him wince. Slowly his eyes adjusted to the assault, leaving him to quietly search the room with a dull sense of disorientation. It felt familiar in some way - comfortable and safe. He felt his brow furrow in response.

Where was he? Hadn't he been in the village with Marinette and his father -? Oh, his father. The thought hit him hard as the memory of blazing flames made his skin quiver in response. He gasped, hand fluttering to his chest. Surely he should be dead. Or hurt. Or something. Not resting here on a soft bed in a strange place.

The voices stopped their murmuring with a rustle of motion, Marinette leaning into view with a pair of concerned eyes and gentle fingers touching his against his chest.

"You're awake!" she whispered, relief flooding her face. Plagg floated close, eyes narrowed.

"Stupid kid," the cat's small voice growled before a purr escaped his bravado and Plagg nestled happily into Adrien's hair.

"Master Fu, he's awake."

Shuffling of nearby feet drew his attention, turning his head to the side as he examined the old man approaching. He was unfamiliar, and yet, Adrien felt an overwhelming sense of comfort. A smile on the elder's face brought a surge of comfort.

"Here, boy. Drink this." Adrien grunted as he slowly pulled himself to a seated position, watching Marinette's shy glances while accepting a cup of steaming tea in a small cup from the one she called Fu. Bitter on the tongue, the drink burned down his throat, settling into his stomach with a heavy feeling before a soft sensation fluttered through his system.

"We have much to talk about."

He listened as Fu explained the past, the story of his mother and father and how his father had used his powers to attempt to force the Guardian to bring her back. His heart hurt to think of his mother, but he continued to listen to the old man, sipping the golden tea.

Occasionally, Adrien felt his eyes drifting to Marinette where she sat at the foot of his bed, head bowed and unwilling to make eye contact with him. He wanted to reach out and touch her to see if she would respond.

"His powers are gone, Adrien. Gabriel has been banished to immortality powerless." Adrien's eyes snapped with full attention back to the Guardian in surprise.

"What?"

"Your father. His misuse of power got them revoked." Adrien nodded slowly, staring down at the remaining liquid in his cup. Marinette's village was safe from the wrath of the Fire God. Relief filled him, even if he didn't know how to feel. She was safe now. Safe to go home to her family and live the life of her dreams. Marry whoever she wanted.

Again his eyes found her, her body language hard to read and her face turned away enough that he couldn't see. Maybe his game was unforgivable. Maybe it was too much to hope that she could forgive his act and love him still. Maybe it was too late to dream of a happy life together. He sighed softly, draining the remains of the tea before passing the cup back to Master Fu with thanks.

The old man smiled.

"You know, I think I've got some things to do in the other room," he muttered, shuffling out of the room to leave them alone.

The silence was almost deafening, a chasm between them impossible to cross. What could he say that would make this right? He didn't know. The feeling of glass shards tearing his heart into a million pieces felt like the right answer.

"You died." Her voice was tiny and ragged, muffled by the knees she had her face pressed against and arms curled around. He said nothing, simply watching. "You died for me." Her eyes when she raised her head were wet, the blue colour inside swimming behind a pane of unshed tears. "Why?"

"I love you," he whispered back, wishing he could throw himself across the bed to wrap her in his arms. Fear held him back. Fear that she would reject him now just had she had before his father retaliated. Her pupils blew wide even as her brows came together in a frown and she dropped her face back into her knees.

"I mean it you know, even if you don't believe me." She gulped air. "I'm sorry for what I did. I can't say I regret it though because -" he faltered, wanted to explain but not sure how. "Now the village is safe. Your family is safe. You are safe." His voice trailed off, reality making it hard to breathe. Now she could leave and he would never see her again.

From her place on the far side of his bed, she slowly uncurled herself and stood. Eyes locked with his, she stepped in close, leaning over to kiss him softly on the forehead.

"Thank you, Adrien," she whispered, and then she walked out the door.

The quivering of her legs and arms wouldn't stop, breath hard to pull into her lungs as she stepped out of the room and into the hallway of Fu's small home. Pressing a hand to her mouth she forced herself to keep walking.

He was alive. She could be thankful for that. The Guardian's powers had healed all his wounds.

She found the old man an enigmatic bundle of curious energy. He listened carefully as she had told him the story of everything, his eyes watching her with that indefinable expression, simply humming in response at various parts. He asked her so many questions about herself after that, encouraging her to talk about herself and the village with keen interest.

When Adrien awoke, her heart leapt with panic and hope - thankful to see his brilliant green eyes staring back at her, distracting her from Fu's questioning gaze.

She needed to leave, go back to the village where she belonged, even if her heart felt like she had tied it to the room behind her. She wobbled a little, swallowing down a small sob.

"You don't have to leave, you know," Fu's soft voice came from the room beside her before she pushed the door open to head outside. She froze with her hand stretched out in front of her, ready to escape, her head dropping.

"I -" The words strangled in her throat. She didn't belong here with Adrien in the mountains of the Gods. She was nothing more than a human girl who had made him give up his immortality to save her village. "I can't."

The door opened with ease as she shoved on it, trembling legs thrusting themselves over the threshold to the open air. Fu's house stood proudly at the peak of the tallest mountain, affording views of the valley so beautiful it seemed unreal. No, this wasn't her home, even if everything in her yearned to turn back and throw herself in Adrien's arms. He deserved better than someone like her.

A surge of regret and sorrow threw her into a run, desperate to escape this world of the Gods. These crazy immortal beings whose lives had so effectively ruined her own. Blindly, she raced down the path, hands clutching her robe to keep it out of the way of her feet as she pushed herself forward, stumbling over her footsteps as her vision blurred. This was not supposed to be her life - the rejected bride of a god who brought shame to herself and her family with the destruction of her village. The girl who had been deceived into a lie - only to wish that lie was the truth. One who loved a god.

Finally, she gave in, the wobble of her legs collapsing her into a pile on soft grass with a sob. She loved him. And now it was too late.