Mayura

Requiem: Redemption

With light having returned to the city, the Miraculous felt their sorrows fade away, restoring the hope they each fought so desperately for. In that instant, the air grew lighter, though the bliss was short-lived.

"Ladybug," Chat called as he approached his partner. "Are you okay?"

"…Ow," Ladybug declared in her own voice. "I'm okay, though."

"Where's her Miraculous?" Volpina asked, quickly scanning the enemy's form.

"It's a pin on her chest," Ladybug answered with the point of a shaking finger. "Chat Noir…"

"Got it," the feline Miraculous replied as he carefully parted ways with Volpina and ran to the pale-blue woman. Spotting the corrupted item, Chat Noir crouched down and placed his white-clad hand over it. Mayura let out a heavy sigh of shameful defeat as her hated enemy enclosed her Miraculous in an orb of white energy. Closing his eyes, the blond young man concentrated until the pin was reduced to stardust. "Ladybug," he gently declared as he held out the orb of divine destruction.

Stumbling forward with Volpina's help, Ladybug slowly placed her hands into the ball of light, closed her eyes, and moved her head towards the sky. "Miraculous Ladybug," she prayed with the last of her strength.

Mayura closed her eyes and bowed her head in bitter sorrow. Duusu's large eyes dripped with hot tears as she reached out her little hand one last time to touch her beloved friend's shoulder. Then, her essence returned to the Miraculous as it was reconstructed into its purest state.

Once her work was done, Ladybug collapsed into Volpina's arms, where the fox Miraculous gracefully lowered her to the ground. "Nice work, Ladybug," she quietly exclaimed.

The world froze as the three Miraculous turned to their foe, whose façade slowly faded. The hatred and sorrow that were never her own began to vanish, allowing the woman's naturally purple and black hair to blow in the wind. Chat Noir's eyes widened as his jaw dropped at the sight too terrible to be real. Volpina stared in awe for a moment before turning away. Ladybug's eyes glossed over with tears of sorrow and disappointment. Nathalie lay on the cold ground before the Miraculous, her pale skin dry and scratched, eyes reddened and moist with tears, lips cut, and her body thin and weak.

Before his beloved guardian could awaken, Chat returned to Adrien and rushed to her side, crouching down on his knee and gently taking her hand. "Nathalie," he begged her to respond. "Nathalie, wake up!" Tears welled up in the young man's eyes as he desperately clenched the woman's hand. "Nathalie, please! Please, wake up!"

Her darkened, tear-stained eyelids slowly parting, Nathalie gazed up at her greatest treasure. "…Adrien," she happily exclaimed, though her voice was weak and hoarse. "Thank God." Mayura was truly gone, and the true Nathalie had returned.

Fighting back his tears, though they continued to flow from his eyes, Adrien forced himself to smile. "Nathalie," he choked out. "…Nathalie, you're sick. What happened? Nathalie, please…I…I don't understand this."

Letting out a heavy sigh, the purple-haired woman closed her eyes to release one last tear before opening them once more to look her beloved charge in the face. "I prayed you wouldn't see me like this," she confessed. "Adrien, I've made so many mistakes in my life…But whenever I look at you, I remember why I'm here…and it feels like redemption."

"Nathalie…" Adrien gasped out between quaking sobs. "You…How did you…"

"Adrien, please listen…Your father is a saint…" Closing her eyes and wincing in pain, Nathalie squeezed the boy's hand, like he used to do to her as a babe. "…I've done something terrible…But everything…everything…was for her…"

"What?" the blond young man choked out, growing ever more confused. "W-who are…"

"Your mother, Adrien," Nathalie confessed with a smile. "My sweet, beautiful boy…All I ever wanted was to see her hold you again…even if it was only once…I see how much you and your father need her…and I thought my life was a small price to pay."

Shaking his head, Adrien pulled his guardian closer, kissed her icy cheek, and gently stroked the hair away from her face. "Nathalie, that Miraculous…" he managed to whisper. "Nathalie, it was broken… Is that…Is…Is that why you got sick? Nathalie!" His heart pounding, Adrien turned to Ladybug and Volpina. "Ladybug, please! You've got to do something! You can heal her, can't you?"

Ladybug forced herself back onto her feet, handed the restored Miraculous to Volpina, and began to stagger forward. Though her body ached and the spots on her Miraculous were beginning to fade, the young woman pushed onward.

"Adrien, no matter what happens to me…" Nathalie began her final confession. The woman smiled as tears slid from her dulled eyes. Adrien continuously shook his head, begging in gasps for this not to be the end. "…I am so proud of you…You're so much like your mother…" Nathalie then looked up at Ladybug, her shame nearly choking her. "Ladybug…I can see you better now…We were wrong about you…I am so sorry."

"Ma'am, I…Nathalie…" Ladybug replied, her voice free of any anger. "You were under the influence of…"

"No, Ladybug…" Nathalie forced herself to continue. "For so long…all that hate…all because you were trying to do the right thing…Hawk Moth…him and I…we were wrong…I never meant to hurt anyone, though. God…I'm so sorry."

"…T-try not to talk," the ladybug Miraculous nervously replied as she extended her yo-yo. "Everything's gonna be alright, Nathalie…" Closing her eyes, Marinette felt her heart shatter not only for Nathalie, but for Adrien as well. This had to work. "Miraculous Ladybug," she begged.

Flying from her shelter, Duusu passed by Volpina, who tearfully watched the unhappy scene without knowing what to say or do. Her little face locked in a deeply sorrowful frown, the unhappy Kwami sniffled and shed tears as she flew to her dearest friend and touched her hand one last time. Closing her eyes, Duusu felt Nathalie take her hand, giving her all she needed to nod her little head and disappear.

A wash of white energy flowed over Nathalie's thin, pale body as Ladybug struggled to maintain her fleeting strength. Slowly, her Miraculous form began to fade, revealing Marinette's tear-soaked eyes and intense expression. Despite the pain, she forced herself to endure, all for Nathalie. As the Miraculous Light began to fade, Ladybug froze before shedding bitter tears. "Her body is too badly injured and weak," she sorrowfully declared, much to Adrien and Volpina's horror. "…She's entering a coma, but I don't know if she'll ever wake up."

"Nathalie, please!" Adrien begged as she threw himself over his beloved guardian and tightly hugged her. "Please, no…"

Extending her hand, Volpina focused her energy and created a small, gentle sun over the mother and her child. The light was just enough to warm Nathalie's withered body, and allow her to see Adrien as clear as the day.

"…Mom," Adrien exclaimed as he lay his face upon the sweet, beautiful woman's bosom.

Letting out a sharp gasp, Nathalie smiled and wept tears of joy before placing her arms around the young man she loved as her own. "I love you, Adrien," she choked out as her eyelids grew far too heavy to remain open. "Thank you…for saving me…"

"Nathalie, we forgive everything," Ladybug declared as Marinette's hands became exposed through her disintegrating costume. "No one blames you for what Mayura did…You're a hero and a mother…"

Nathalie smiled warmly as she looked out to see her Avatars standing around her and her beloved child. They were all so beautiful, despite what they were made to do. Slowly, the wolf and Ladybug's shadow stepped in opposite directions and paved the way for a woman clad in a flowing, white gown, whose golden hair blew in an unseen breeze. Her emerald eyes were filled with love as her gentle smile seemed to glow. "I see her…" the suffering woman joyously exclaimed. "Adrien…I love you. I couldn't save her, or you, or even your father…I see that now…But I will love each of you forever and ever…" Letting out one last sigh, Nathalie finally found peace, and slipped into a deep slumber in Adrien's arms.

Tightly clenching his eyes shut to shut out the hellish reality around him, Adrien let in a painful gasp as he nuzzled his cheek against Nathalie's. Plagg levitated above his dearest friend, his face locked in an expression of profound shock and mutual pain, before lowering himself to hug the crown of the young man's head. Ladybug and Volpina approached to the left and right and placed their hands on the suffering child's shoulders, wanting nothing more than to take his pain away. Despite their powers, the Miraculous remained helpless against the forces of life and death, even when unnatural forces were to blame. His normally immovable expression stricken with shock and horror, Master Fu slowly approached the awful scene, relying heavily on his cane. Adrien felt the old master's hand upon his back, like the embrace of the grandfather he never knew. In that darkest of times, the three Miraculous, their Kwami, and their master took comfort in the fact that they still had one another.

A gentle, cool breeze swept through the silent city as the first rays of the rising sun shed their holy, warming light on the world. Adrien finally managed to look up from Nathalie's cold, sweet face and into the golden embrace of the sunrise. Ladybug, Volpina, and Plagg turned as well, letting the wind blow through their hair. Master Fu, as expected, vanished before the dawn, but his presence left a lingering feeling of hope.

Aftermath

"Nadia Chamack, Paris News," the anchorwoman spoke into the camera as she stood in front of the rubble and wreckage from the previous night's rampage. "A host of strange creatures, believed to be associated with Hawk Moth, laid waste to our fair city, forcing residents off the streets, all over the course of last night. Thanks to the efforts of Ladybug, Cat Noir, and Volpina, there was no loss of life, and collateral damage was minimized. Parisians have once again banded together to restore property lost or destroyed during this incident.

'When asked to comment, Volpina refused, insisting the crisis had been averted and there were no further concerns. Ladybug and Cat Noir could not be reached for an interview, and their whereabouts, as usual, remain a mystery.

'Mayor Bourgeois has addressed the citizens of Paris, having this to say:'

"The Miraculous have once again protected our fair city," the white-haired man declared into an array of microphones. "However, the nature of these most recent attacks has left us with more questions than answers. Given the gravity of the situation, I intend to schedule a private conference with Ladybug in an attempt to discern Hawk Moth's motivation as well as the source of the creatures that laid waste to the city."

"Although most injuries were minor or otherwise unrelated," Nadia continued once the feed of the mayor concluded. "Gabriel Agreste's personal secretary and assistant manager of the prestigious Gabriel fashion brand, one Nathalie Sancoeur, was hospitalized following the attack. Her condition is stable for the time being, but she has reportedly fallen into a trauma-induced coma."

Having donned the vile and shameful mantle of Hawk Moth once more, Gabriel lowered his head and closed his eyes in profound sorrow as his window to the city sealed itself shut. All hope and all joy had truly left his life, leaving only darkness and a deeper thirst for revenge against Ladybug and all who stood with her.

Exhausting all remaining willpower to prevent her hand from crushing the peacock Miraculous, Marinette placed the artifact in a black, wooden trunk blessed by a sacred seal. Surrounding the pin, though few in number, were several other Miraculous, each bearing their own unique design. Once the item was safely returned to its rightful resting spot, Marinette stepped back and allowed Master Fu to once more close the box.

"Marinette, I know deh three of you are suffering," the old master declared in a softer, kinder voice than before. "…But we cannot allow ourselves to become distracted. Dis too shall pass, in time."

"Master…could I have saved her?" Marinette spoke up one last time before her tears began to stream down her cheeks. "There must have been something I could have done!"

"I am sorry, Marinette," Master Fu answered as he closed his heavy eyes and released a heavy sigh. "But it is not our place to determine who will live, and who will die. All we can do is try to protect deh innocent, and pray dat we can accept deh consequences."

"Master…" the raven-haired young woman declared, her voice taking on a different tone. "…I can't forgive Hawk Moth…not after what he's done to Nathalie, and to Adrien…"

"My child, you must control your passions…Lest you become something you are not. Deh pain we feel dis day shall fade…We must remember who we are, and why we are here."

A sharp, disgusted snarl poured from Marinette's mouth as she turned and quietly stormed out of the room, leaving her master alone and guilty once more.

After a week, upon special request, Gabriel was able to have Nathalie moved to the Agreste Mansion. A team of doctors and nurses were assigned to monitor and treat the comatose woman around the clock, allowing only Adrien and Gabriel to see her. In accordance with HIPPA laws as well as Gabriel's orders, no information of Nathalie's condition or whereabouts were to be shared with the media or anyone outside of the Agreste family.

"Master…" Adrien choked out, managing to control his tears just a little bit longer. "Why did this have to happen to Nathalie? W-why couldn't it have been me?"

"Do not bear dis weight upon your weary shoulders, Adrien," the elderly man ordered of his student. "Your life is just as precious as hers. She was mislead, but she alone must choose whether or not to return. In dis time, I pray you will not consider retribution." Adrien lowered his head. "Spend time with your friends, my child. Retribution is in deh hand of God, not deh Miraculous."

Over the following month, Volpina was spotted more frequently than either Ladybug or Chat Noir, leaving Alya little time alone or in the company of family or friends. Students at Collège Françoise Dupont soon found that, following their condolences, they had little to talk about around Adrien, Alya, or Marinette. All of Paris seemed to grow quieter as the three friends slowly alienated themselves from one another.

The Miraculous Ones spent most of their meetings in silence or absence, leaving Master Fu to watch his students come undone. After such a short time, the family they had all forged was growing apart, leaving only silent sorrow and unspoken words as a bitter memory. The Kwami attempted to raise their partner's spirits, but to no avail. For the first time in so long, tomorrow showed little promise, and every sunset left the world colder. The mayor continued his attempts at reaching Ladybug, but was met only with radio silence.

Adrien sat at Nathalie's bedside day after day, whether hoping she would wake up or simply needing to see her face, cold and still though it was, he didn't know. Marinette and Alya would come by on separate days from one another, each apologizing to her for their failure. Gabriel visited his beloved assistant only at night, just as he did for Emilie.

Another month passed by, ushering in an unnaturally cold blanket of snow to cover Paris' sorrows and scars. Days and nights seemed to fade into one another, causing everyone to lose track of hours, days, or even weeks. Not since Hawk Moth's first attack had so many lost their way, and few were able to tell why.

Master Fu faced his pupils as they sat away from one another on his living room floor. Marinette, Adrien, and Alya kept to themselves, each doing what they could to fight off the tension and discomfort in the air.

At last, Marinette rose to her feet, turned, and faced her friends and the old master. "…I feel like I failed you guys," she confessed, no longer able to keep her feelings hidden. "…That's why I haven't come around. And every time I see any of you or Nathalie, all I can see is how I couldn't save her…and how I couldn't save you from this sadness."

"It wasn't your fault," Alya replied, opening her mouth for the first time in so long. "I was the one who couldn't do anything…I couldn't even comfort you, Adrien."

"…It's not like I did any good, either," Adrien finally opened up. "Nathalie was so sick, and I couldn't even be there for her. Maybe if I did, I could have…"

"Do not mourn deh past, any of you," Master Fu ordered. The moment he had waited so long to see had finally come. "We are only human…Our spirits can only endure so long before we crumble… Adrien, Marinette, Alya…each of you did all dat you could…Nathalie is alive because of what you have all done. She slipped into slumber with her spirit at peace…Each of you was responsible for dat. Sometimes, all we can be is present…Forgive…and be forgiven."

Marinette let out a heavy sigh, released Hawk Moth from her mind, and mustered the strength to approach her friends. Alya looked Adrien and Marinette in the eyes, knowing there was no shame to be had. Adrien outstretched his arms to embrace the members of his precious family that were still with him. Their mistakes and pain having faded at long last, the Miraculous, their Kwami, and the old master finally embraced one another. Despite all they had endured, all they had lost, and all the pain they witnessed, there was hope: Tomorrow would be filled with an unending light. In that one moment, there was certainty, even if it was only temporary.