Foxhunt

Chapter Two: Reconciliation

Sitting alone, as she had been for two days prior, her doors and windows locked, headphones placed snugly over her ears, her music loud but soothing, Lila Rossi rested atop her couch, staring at her family's television with darkened, sleep-starved eyes. Her long, auburn hair had grown greasy and unkempt from lack of attention or care, the young woman sniffled as her oil-stained nose began to drip yet again. Seeing no point in trying to stop it, Lila simply continued gazing at her mindless program. Her health had been poor for the past month, but the greatest blow was the loss of her will to keep on. Ever since she was last Akumatized, Lila had simply given up.

Teachers had noticed the young woman's grades declining as winter began to lay the Earth to rest, and Lila herself noticed she was putting on weight. However, neither made much difference to her. Knowing she could never be Volpina, never make friends, and never have a loving family, the Italian young woman took solace in distractions and refused to be left in silence. Now, her headphones remained on even while she slept. Music kept the nightmares and memories away. Each day was a silent struggle to remain calm, and each night was a battle to sleep and escape the fear of becoming a monster yet again. As long as she succeeded at her daily battle and made it through another night, nothing else mattered, whether others understood it or not. Potential, dreams, and goals meant nothing anymore.

Suddenly, a knock at the door interrupted "Asylums for the Feeling" and caused Lila to look away from the television. The knock was strong but not hostile, though that wasn't enough to encourage the young woman. Slowly slipping her headphones down around her neck, Lila slowly rose up, her body shaking slightly and her face locked into a look of surprise and skepticism. Millions of potential dangers raced through the girl's weary, feverish mind as she gradually stepped closer to her door. "Who's there?" she called out. Please, God, don't let it be him, she prayed as she awaited an answer.

"Lila Rossi, I'm Volpina," a familiar voice gently answered. Her tone was kind, unlike so many others. "We met a few months ago, and I wanted to check up on you. Your friends said they haven't seen you at school for a while, and I'm here to make sure you're okay."

Her hands trembling, Lila approached the door, looked through its peephole, and saw the fox Miraculous that had helped her overcome Hawk Moth's darkness. At first, the very sight of Volpina disgusted her and filled her mind with envy and guilt, but those feelings quickly faded. Lila then unlocked the door, opened it just enough for the Miraculous to enter, and stood back. Once the young heroine was inside, Lila closed and locked the door, making sure nothing else slipped in. "Um, do you want something to drink?" she offered while nervously wiping her nose with her finger. "I've got soda or water…Um, take a seat."

"Thank you," Volpina warmly replied as she tucked her "tail" against her legs and humbly sat down on the couch. "I'm good on the drink, but thank you. Please, sit down. You don't need to be nervous around me, Lila." Despite the pleasant façade she put on, Alya felt her heart break anew at the sight of her classmate. For months, she had watched as Lila Rossi, dubbed The Beautiful Liar, slowly deteriorated. Though she had never been perfect, Lila had once carried herself with grace. Her will to endure all the hardships thrust upon her, whether through her own fault or not, inspired even Alya and Marinette. But now, the suffering she had endured had brought her to her knees and intended to keep her there.

Reluctantly obliging, Lila nodded her head, quickly straightened her hair as much as possible, and sat next to the Miraculous. "Uh…I'm fine," she lied. "Thanks for checking on me, but I just have a cold." Allowing her gaze to fade back to the television, Lila cleared her throat as new tears began to form in her tired eyes. "Besides…you don't need to lie to me…I know no one asked you to come. I don't have any friends."

"You know that's not true," the fox Miraculous declared. "There are a lot of people who care about you. Your teacher, the woman with the red hair, told me how much you help her, and how you're always there to help your classmates with their problems." Lila's gaze shifted toward the television, prompting Volpina to sit up straight, let out a quiet sigh, and let her false smile fade. "…Lila…you were one of the last people Hawk Moth Akumatized. I saw how hard it was on you, how much you suffered. I know we talked things out, but it's pretty clear you're not alright." Lila refused to make eye contact, choosing instead to watch a pointless cartoon about a fox unable to stop sobbing. "…I can't imagine what it was like for you…but, I've been Akumatized too. It's a lot to deal with, isn't it? There are support groups at your school. If you wanted, I could even…"

"Why are you here?" the Italian young woman asked plainly without looking away from the screen. Her voice was bold and fueled by a greater knowledge than expected.

Her gaze shifting to the floor, Volpina paused for a moment. "…You were Volpina before I was," she finally confessed, her voice filled with doubt and unease. For the first time, the fox Miraculous was truly vulnerable. "…Even if you weren't a Miraculous, you had the spirit of one…I don't understand how you did it. It couldn't have all been a lie. I just…I guess I was…"

"You wanna know how to find yourself," Lila declared. "Is that it? …If you want to figure out who you are behind that mask, you came to the wrong person. I never knew who I was. I played a different role every day: Volpina was just one of them. I knew what I wanted to see in a hero, so that's what I acted like. And you know what? People loved me. They said I was the best they'd ever seen: That I was the answer to their prayers…But it didn't really mean anything. I wasn't the person they fell in love with. Then, when it was all over, it didn't change anything. It was all one big lie." Silence filled the air, but Lila finally faced her uninvited guest. "...That's why I hated you so much: Seeing you in that costume, knowing it was real, knowing you were real, just reminded me that all I ever was, was a lie. Look around you…I'm alone. I'm always alone, and I hate it. I've been telling lies since I was a kid. I lied that I wasn't alone. I lied I had a great family: That my dad actually loved me and had a great job, and wasn't a worthless drunk whose only good quality was that he left when I was young…That my mom spent time with me and really cared what happened to me…That I was happy. That what people said didn't hurt me. Now…I know lies. I can see through any lie, no matter who's telling it…Just not my own."

Seeing the real Lila for the first time, Volpina looked into her eyes and slowly extended her hand. "Lila…" she whispered.

"When Hawk Moth Akumatized me…I wanted it to happen," the brunette confessed. "I wanted to be Volpina again, not just because I was angry and upset, but because it was so much easier living that lie instead of seeing the truth…The truth is what hurts people."

"But lies hurt the one telling them," Volpina came to understand.

"And that's fine," Lila declared as she wiped a tear from her eye. "You know, I used to think of myself as a liar…Now I know I'm not…I'm the lie." With that, Volpina wrapped her arms around the suffering girl and held her tightly. "…I don't get it…Why do you keep trying to help me?" Tears began to stream down the young woman's eyes as the Miraculous held her. "…Why won't you just give up? I'm not worth it…Look at all the things I've done to you, to Marinette, to…everybody?"

"Because you are worth it," the fox Miraculous confessed. "I've hurt people too. I've lied, I've done things I knew were wrong…We're all just human. I never forgot the horrible things I said and did when I was Akumatized…but I never held onto it like you are…I got help…Lila, I got help…Please, please, don't go it alone anymore. Can't you see it's killing you? …I don't know what you've been through, but I don't want you to suffer anymore. I think that's why you lie and hurt people…Because you're afraid of the darkness inside of you, and you need to see if people will still care about you after they see it too. But Lila, you're not that darkness…All it does is feed off you. You have to accept it and let it go. Please…"

Lila refused to answer, but Volpina felt two trembling arms wrap around her shoulders as a warm, moist face nuzzled against her own. At first, it sounded like a cough or a gasp, but it soon became clear: "…Thank God for you," Lila's weak, hoarse voice choked out. "…I-I thought…Thank God for you!" Hearing the girl's cries, Volpina only held her tighter, gently rubbing her right hand up and down Lila's trembling upper-back. "I…T-that's why you came here, wasn't it? …You had to find it for yourself, but then you decided to save me…Even after all I did…"

"Sssh," Volpina gently whispered as she stroked the suffering child's long hair. "…Everything's going to be okay, Lila…I want you to get some help. I want you to go to that group, tell them everything, and make sure your teacher knows you are not okay…You have to let Volpina go, and let Lila Rossi be born. You don't need Volpina…You never did."

"…Neither did you," Lila finally answered. "…You are Volpina…She'll never be anything other than what you are…Remember that."

"I will," Volpina promised with the first chuckle she had experienced in too long.

"I can't give you any answers, Volpina…Just like you can't give me my truth…But now we know it's not too late." Pulling herself away, all the while keeping her hands on her hero's shoulders, Lila stared into Volpina's beautiful eyes. "…I promise I'll get help…Find yourself, Volpina. And take care of Marinette and Adrien. And tell them I'm sorry."

"…I will," the fox Miraculous vowed. "We've all forgiven you, Lila. You take care of yourself, okay?" Lila nodded her head and smiled. "And don't be afraid of the truth…It only hurts until we let it in."

As Volpina departed, Lila watched until she was beyond her sight, closed and locked her door, and decided to pick up her phone for the first time in weeks. "Hello?" Miss Bustier's sweet voice answered. "Lila? Is everything alright?"

"…No, Miss Bustier," Lila confessed. "No, it's not. Can…can you come get me, please?"

Sitting atop a tall building, Volpina felt the cold air kiss her cheeks as she clasped her flute. The fox Miraculous took in a deep breath, released it in the form of a great sigh, and descended into the city below.

"What's wrong, Alya?" Trixx asked as her partner gracefully but heavily landed on a lower building. "Didn't you get what you were looking for?"

"Yeah," Alya answered. "And it was just as scary as I thought it'd be."

"Just remember, babe," the fox Kwami reassured her beloved friend. "I'll always be with you. I can't figure this out for you, but I'll be there when you figure it out."

"...Thanks, Trixx," the redheaded young woman finally accepted the truth. "I love you."

"Love you too, Alya," Trixx warmly replied.

Gulping, Marinette tightly clasped the small, black box in the palm of her hand. Knowing her master's instruction didn't make her mission any easier. Her heart began to pound as her palms grew sweaty. However, she chose to have faith, reached out her hand, and knocked at the door before her.

After a second, the door opened, and Sabrina Raincomprix stood before Marinette, who extended her hand to display the strangely marked black box. In that moment, the world seemed to pause. It's time to forgive, Marinette told herself as she stood her ground.