A/N: All dialogue is to be interpreted as a translation from French.
Words in italics are used either for emphasis or, such as the case of 'Chat Noir' (which is literally translated from French as Cat Black), imply that they are meant to remain in their original French
Since the events of Mayura:
Ladybug has made amends with the mayor and offered her complete cooperation. Neither the mayor not the public knows the true identity of Mayura, who most believe dead following the battle.
Adrien has been tending to Nathalie as she remains comatose. Gabriel has exiled himself to the Agreste mansion, rarely leaving his room or the aviary. Chat Noir has not been seen by the public since the battle against Mayura.
Volpina maintains law and order among non-Akumatized criminals. Aside from Ladybug, she has become Paris' most prevalent superhero. Despite her efforts, petty and violent crime rates have increased sharply.
Foxhunt
Chapter One: A Family Divided
The air was cold, crisp, and silent one winter's day as the snow ceased to fall, having left an icy blanket over the land and trees. A rustling among white-coated brush broke the silence, followed by the charge of a small red fox, scattering clouds of snow and small sticks in its wake. Its shining, crimson coat and white underside had become damp and matted, but its paws continued to tear across the land. The presence of the sun was nothing more than another hazard for the vixen during her desperate hunt.
Out of its element, lacking the silent blessing of the moon, the majestic creature, now thin, grizzled, and hungry, sniffed the air, flared her black-tipped ears for any unnatural sounds, and scanned the area with its partially snow-blinded yet brilliant hazel eyes. Suddenly, the vixen's gaze locked onto a dark swarm fluttering mere feet away. The fox snarled, gritted its teeth, and lunged into the swarm. One by one, the dark, unnatural creatures fluttered their black wings as they attempted to scatter. Despite their efforts, the fox sunk her fangs into the moth-like creatures' backs and wings before tearing them apart. Those too fast to bite were shredded with the vixen's claws, painting the snow beneath them black as coal.
Once the invaders had been silenced, the red fox panted heavily, releasing steam from its blackened mouth. Despite its hunger pangs, she knew what had to be done. That purpose came before all else, regardless of its cost. As the vixen washed its mouth by lapping up some loose snow, a set of eyes became fixed on her form. Those eyes, so cold, void of emotion, void of even a soul, gazed upon the creature without so much as blinking. Then, came the sound of gunfire in the silent forest.
"Alya! Alya!" two very familiar, high-pitched voice called out as things faded to black just before returning to reality.
Opening her hazel eyes, Alya focused on two small, slightly blurry little girls, smiled, and slowly rose up from under her sheets. "You guys are up early," she happily moaned. "Can you hand me my glasses, please?"
Etta quickly jumped down from the bed, ran over to her sister's dresser, grabbed her glasses, and quickly returned to her spot. "Here you go, Alya," she sweetly declared as she handed her big sister her glasses.
"Marinette called!" Ella happily cried out. "She hasn't called in forever. She wanted you to meet her at your friend's apartment. Can you tell her I said hi?"
"Can you tell her I said hi, too?" Etta jumped in. "And that we miss her? And that she should come over for dinner more?"
"Calm down, calm down," Alya gently spoke up as she slipped her glasses and slippers on. "Thanks for letting me know. Can you guys call her back and tell her I'll be there in about twenty minutes, please?"
The twins excitedly agreed before scampering off into the living room. Once the two were gone, Alya let out a heavy sigh as images from her dreams flashed through her mind. She'd been having similar dreams for about a week now, but this one was different. After a minute, the young woman stood up, made her way to the bathroom, took a quick shower, dressed in her usual plaid shirt and jeans, grabbed the breakfast she and Trixx had made the night before, and turned to her sisters. "Okay, girls," she said in what was dubbed her Mom Voice. "Mommy's gonna be home in about an hour, so I need you two to keep the doors locked, don't open for anyone but Mommy, and try to behave indoors today, okay?"
The twins let out a collective groan. "But it's starting to snow!" they cried out. "We wanna go play in the snow!"
"Tell you what," the young woman declared as she placed an apple and a piece of toast on her sisters' plates. "You two eat your breakfast, help Mommy with the groceries, and when I get back from my friend's house, the three of us'll go out and play in the snow. How's that sound?"
"Yay!" Ella and Etta excitedly shrieked, jumping up and down.
"Good girls," Alya proudly replied. "Let Mom know my friend needed help with something, and that I'll be back soon. Okay, love you, Ella." The redheaded young woman leaned down and kissed her sister, receiving one in return. "Love you, Etta." Alya leaned down yet again, kissed her other sister, received a kiss in return, and stood up. "I can trust the two of you alone for an hour, right?"
"Yeah!" the twins promised with great enthusiasm.
Giving her sisters one last smile, one last wave, and one last kiss blown, Alya departed from her family's apartment, locking the door behind her. Be safe, girls, she prayed. No matter how troubling her dreams, or how terrible their message, nothing was more horrific than the thought of her sisters in danger. In Alya's eyes, their lives were infinitely more precious than her own. Once she exited the apartment complex, the redheaded young woman gazed out at Paris to find it coated in snow. Looking out at the fresh, white veil covering the earth, Alya found herself paralyzed as something flashed through her mind: The red fox from her dream lay on its side, struggling for breath, and gazing at something. With another flash, the young woman came face-to-face with the vixen as its hazel eyes stared into her very soul, until a stream of blood flowed down its face and blinded them both.
Jolting back, Alya clenched her forehead and gasped. Her heart pounding, the redhead felt a small, gentle hand touch her shoulder. "Alya, what was that?" Trixx called out.
"I-I don't know," the young woman stuttered. "Those dreams I've been having…Trixx, what's happening to me?"
"…Maybe it's a warning," the fox Kwami suggested. "You'd better get to Master Fu. Come on, let's pounce."
Nodding her head, Alya tucked Trixx back into her bag and ran toward an alley. "Trixx, Let's Pounce!" she declared, summoning the Miraculous Light and instantaneously transforming into Volpina under the blessing of the Fox. Filled with strength and determination, the African American young woman leapt high into the air in a single bound.
Sitting on the floor of his living room, Master Fu smiled to himself as his final pupil arrived undetected by most others. Seeing she was the last to arrive, Volpina closed and locked the window behind her, turned to her fellow Miraculous, and smiled.
"It's great to see you, Alya," Ladybug declared as she lovingly embraced her old friend.
"Back at you, Marinette," the fox Miraculous warmly replied. "You too, Adrien."
"Hey," Chat Noir happily declared, though his tone was far from its usual, optimistic self. The Cat and the Fox hugged one another before slowly separating.
"…How is she?" Volpina asked in a gentle yet pained voice. Though she tried her best to visit as often as possible, Alya couldn't help but feel a sense of guilt for all the times she chose to hide from the Agreste mansion, rather than face the pain that lay within.
"Stable, for now," the blond young man tried to maintain some level of hope. "Sometimes, I see her move a little. It…gives me hope, you know?"
Volpina nodded her head and gave a slight smile before turning to her host. "Master Fu," she greeted with a respectful bow.
"Volpina," the old master warmly declared as he rose and returned the gesture. Letting out a quiet chuckle, the two warmly embraced one another. "I apologize for not summoning you all here sooner. How have deh days treated you?"
Returning to their human forms, Marinette, Adrien, and Alya released Tikki, Plagg, and Trixx into the air before kneeling on the floor.
"Marinette and Alya have been helping and visiting, but…it's not like it used to be," Adrien confessed as his glance shifted toward the ground. "It seems like we hardly see each other, whether it's at school or as Miraculous. And, with Nathalie still asleep, and my dad…I-it's been rough."
"I'm, uh…" Marinette began once all eyes turned to her. "…It's been hard to keep being both Marinette and Ladybug. Most days, I go straight from school to home until an Akumatized shows up. Most of the time, I fight alone. Then, once it's all done, I just go back home. I know the three of us are growing apart, and I know it's my fault. I'm sorry, you guys. I'm sorry, Master."
Finally, the group focused on Alya. Clearing her throat, the young woman crossed her hands upon her lap. "…I'm working at it, you know," she declared in a plain voice, though it wasn't long before the ache began to show itself. "But, every day is getting harder. I mean, Trixx helps me keep from binging, and I'm keeping crime down as Volpina, but it feels like I'm really just standing still, trying to keep from taking steps back. I'm trying to look after my sisters, but I've been having trouble sleeping. Then, the nightmares started." Trixx nodded her head in approval.
"What nightmares?" Marinette asked, breaking from tradition, as usual. Adrien shared in his friend's concern.
"Um, it's…" Alya began, still refusing to make eye contact.
After a second of painful silence, the old master placed his hand on his student's shoulder. "Please, Alya," he beseeched her. "We have to become a family once more. Tell us."
Tightly shutting her eyes, Alya forced herself to recall the terrible memories of sleepless nights past. "…I see a fox in the forest," she began, no longer attempting to remain strong. "She's running. Every night, it was a little different. For the first few nights, she just kept running, even though she never reached where she was going. I woke up sweaty and out of breath the first three times. Then, I started seeing moths, like the Akuma. One night, I saw…" Having hit a massive lump in her throat, Alya placed a gently clenched fist over her mouth, not daring to open her eyes as they began to well up with hot tears. Taking in a deep, trembling gasp of air, she forced herself onward. "I saw Lady Wi-Fi. She looks and sounds so much like me…Then, she tried to kill the fox. That night, I woke up crying…Then, I started seeing the fox…lying on the ground, covered in blood…and there's never anything I can do for her."
The room fell silent as Alya began to silently weep and choke in more trembling breaths. Master Fu stepped back to allow Marinette to wrap her arms gently around her best friend. "It's okay," the raven-haired girl whispered as Alya began coughing and openly crying. "It's alright…"
Tikki and Plagg each placed their little hands on Trixx's shoulders, trying their best to support her and her partner. Not knowing what to do, or even if he was strong enough to endure more sorrow, Adrien remained in his seated position, trying not to break down in tears.
Time passed by, tears dried, and the air grew clearer. Master Fu instructed Alya to rest as he meditated above her. Marinette and Adrien watched in anxious silence as their friend remained still and serene. Suddenly, Marinette felt two warm hands gently rest upon her shoulders, and it felt like yesterday, when things were brighter. Closing her eyes, the young woman smiled and pressed her weight against her long-time partner and friend.
"Dere is someone…some-thing, seeking you, Alya," the old master finally declared, keeping his eyes tightly shut. "Its heart is cold…It awaits patiently for its prey. Its home is in shadows."
Her vision growing red, Marinette felt her heart begin to pound as her face slowly began to tighten with a distant, awful heat. "Hawk Moth," she snarled as the hellish visage of the dark Miraculous forced its way back into her mind. Summoning every last bit of her fleeting restraint, Marinette tightly clenched her right hand into a fist at her side.
"We don't know that," Adrien replied, trying to keep his voice down.
"I am sorry, but dat is all I can find," Master Fu sorrowfully declared as he slowly rose to his feet. "Whatever deh threat is, its powers are great."
Opening her eyes, the redheaded young woman sat up and faced her allies. "Everything's falling apart," she choked out, barely above a whisper.
Forcing herself to unclench her fist, Marinette calmed herself, looked at Adrien and nodded her head, and walked over to her friend. "Alya…" she began as she crouched down to eye-level. "We're all together, here and now…We can make this right again…And we have to start by forgiving ourselves."
"…But will you?" Alya demanded of her oldest friend. "I've heard you say that before, but you never let yourself forget how you couldn't bring her back." Marinette bit her lip and shifted her gaze to the floor. "…Adrien, I know you haven't stopped thinking you should've known something was wrong with her…And I can't forgive myself for not being able to do anything."
"…What could any of us have done, though?" Adrien finally spoke up, turning all eyes on him. "Yeah, we failed her…But there was no way of knowing…We all did what we could…even if it didn't save her…But she is alive…That means something."
"Alya, if it hadn't been for you, Chat Noir and I couldn't have stopped Mayura, or her Avatars," Marinette continued, her voice sounding like it did not so long ago. "We work as a team…We share every victory and every loss…And you're right…I need to let go…Not even Ladybug can do everything."
"And I could never be the one that kept my family from falling apart," Adrien declared. "I used to think it was all on me…That if I messed up, everything would crumble…But there was no stopping it. In the end, all that matters is that we tried to do the right thing."
"…Does this mean we can finally be a family again?" Alya begged of her friends as their eyes began to run with tears. "Because that's what Paris needs…That's what all of us needs."
"Being a family again sounds nice," Marinette accepted, feeling an old warmth return to her.
"Definitely," Adrien warmly added, finding peace with the family he had made for himself.
"A family is what we have all yearned for," Master Fu joyously declared. "We must come together, be it in weakness or strength…victory, or defeat."
"Thank God," Alya exclaimed as she threw herself forward and embraced her brother, sister, and father for the first time in far too long. "I need you all…and this city needs the Miraculous Ones to really come back."
"That's what friends are for," Marinette warmly declared, remembering how sweet and gentle Alya's hugs were. "I'm so sorry for forgetting that."
"Same here," Adrien confessed. "We're family, Miraculous or not." Those words gave peace not only to Marinette and Alya, but to Master Fu as well. At last, his family had returned.
As the Miraculous Ones held one another, a long figure rested atop an abandoned building, his eyes focused on the city below, and his breath silent as he planned he stalked his prey. The man's eyes stared for hours without blinking as he awaited the arrival of the fox. From his cold, dark chamber, Hawk Moth watched over Paris through his hunter's pupils. The dark Miraculous' breath created steam as his blackened heart awaited the return of those he loved.