Chapter 11: A painful cure

Luka was with the guardians doing his daily exercises. Jagged and Penny had returned to the temple after taking a little vacation and the other guardians were talking to them.

Su Han called Luka to proceed with the next part of his training.

"Good Luka. I have thought about it and; Just as you asked me, the guardians and I talked and we are going to allow you and only you the access to the guardians' archive room. But first, I need to give something to you."

Suhan presented him with a fairly old book.

"This is a guide to learning the Guardians coding language. We use it to keep the secrets of the Miraculous and the temple. In addition, it is a way for all members of the guardians to be able to read all the material we have stored. Now, I'll show you the place."

Luka followed Su Han to the place where the guardians' files are stored. Everything had returned to its place once the Miraculous including all the files contained in the temple.

Su Han opened the doors.

Upon entering, Luka saw a pile of scrolls stored on various shelves. They were quite old shelves and some rolls were more yellowed than others. A light shined in the center, illuminating the entrance in conjunction with the candles that were on the wall.

He admired the entire room, seeing the large amount of material that was there. Luka took a few steps forward of the large room. He spotted a door in the background, somewhat worn by time and closed by a very large padlock.

"And what is that room here?" Luka said, noticing the padlock that guarded the place at the back of the room.

"That's the section of banned books Luka. No one has access to that room but me." Su Han explained.

Luka thought that maybe he could find something useful in the forbidden zone. But it would be somewhat complicated to get in. For now, they would have to settle for what he could get.

"Can I check what is stored here, master?"

"Yes, Luka. But at noon we will start training again. Don't be late."

Su Han retreated, leaving Luka alone. He checked the names on the shelves inside the temple. All the scrolls were kept in his own section.

With the help of the book, he found a section that was simply called Medicine.

Luka then prepared to take the book that contained the codified language used to read some of the scrolls in the medicine section. With what he found in the decoding book he managed to discern some of the titles of the guardians.

He found a couple of scrolls with some titles that caught his attention.

Medicine for training

Using ingredients to heal Miraculous wounds.

Pain medication.

He took the three rolls and carefully hid them in his suit. That material could be useful to you. He hoped that at least the guardians wouldn't miss them until he could return them to their place.

He could work with that.

The light in Marinette's room was still on. Two people were there working.

Luka took a tree leaf from a bag and threw it into the cauldron, causing it to smoke a little. Both teenagers coughed at the strong smell of the potion. Marinette ran to open her bedroom window, feeling suffocated.

Luka and Marinette reviewed their notes on the mix they were working on. The next ingredient they had to add to the potion was Sulfur.

"Is it necessary to use sulfur? Its's too strong. Are you sure it won't hurt Mr. Agreste?"

"That's what the scroll says." Luka was part of the scroll he was consulting "It's a very strong cure, but there is also no way to reduce the burning effects on the skin. It's definitely going to be very painful."

Marinette thought.

"Isn't there some way to reduce those effects?" Marinette took some of the notes that Luka had made previously in her hands and began to review them along with her own notes.

"I've been researching as much as I can Marinette, but I can't find a concrete answer for that. I'm still learning how to decipher the Guardian code language, especially for the more advanced scrolls I've seen in the Guardian archive."

"Have you found out anything that could be useful for Nathalie?" Marinette asked "Remember that she is our number 1 priority."

"There are some things we could try, but they require materials that I'm still trying to decipher and search for." Luka said seriously and his tone had a bit of seriousness.

"I know Luka, I'm sorry. The thing is that time is against us and we cannot lose more time than we have already lost."

"I understand you Marinette. I'm sorry to sound like that. Things are not being easy. The guardians denied me access to the forbidden area, and I had to bring the rest without them knowing."

Luka and Marinette had stayed up very late working on the potion that would help Gabriel make the cataclysm recede and they could see if it would cure him completely. In the meantime, they put Nathalie's medicine vial aside.

"Do you think we can use the same formula we used for Nathalie's medicine?"

"Possibly," Luka reviewed the formula he obtained from one of the grimoires in the east wing of the temple "I'm still trying to find out how viable it may be. With a few modifications it would be possible."

"Could we use this Luka?" Marinette handed him a sheet with some of the notes of things that she had thought about using in a potion that could lessen the effects of the peacock on Nathalie.

Luka carefully read the ingredients.

"It could be useful. But I'll check it myself and I'll tell you my results when I have them."

Marinette yawned looking at the time on the clock. It was already three in the morning.

"I think we should go rest." Marinette rubbed her eyes "In the morning, we will finish what we were doing."

"It's okay Marinette." Luka got up from his seat and stretched, feeling tired.

Luka took his sleeping bag out of his bag.

"You are ok like that? You can sleep on the Chaise Longue if you want, Luka." Marinette pointed out where she had the object located.

"It's okay, I brought the sleeping bag for a reason."

Marinette turned off the light on her desk and headed to her bed so she could rest.

"Good night, Luka."

"Good night, Marinette."

Gabriel was sitting on his bed trying to design something to take his mind off things. But he really couldn't think of anything to draw at all. He once again started a new blank document without being able to get out of his mind that Marinette had promised him that they would bring him something that day to relieve him a little.

Gabriel checked the time on the clock he had on his nightstand.

She was late.

Gabriel put the tablet aside and began to walk around the room. He walked around not knowing what to do to distract himself.

Will she come? Will she keep her word?"

Gabriel was very worried, the last time Marinette came back, but he was afraid that this time the opposite would happen and she would not return with the medicine as she had promised.

Gabriel, lost in his thoughts, tripped over the large vase that was at one end of the room, causing it to wobble. He quickly crouched down to cushion the fall of the object. He grabbed it tightly before the vase hit the ground, and with effort put it in its place. He put his hand on his cataclysmic arm, feeling pain from the effort he had to make.

Adrien, who was heading back to the second floor, heard a noise coming from the father's room, as if something was falling. Similar to how the other day while he was cooking that he lost his balance due to the pain caused by the cataclysm. He ran to where his father was, finding the door open.

"Father, is something wrong?" Adrien timidly approached the entrance of the room "I heard your footsteps."

"No," Gabriel answered automatically, but as he saw that Adrien was going to leave, "Actually, Adrien. Do you know if Marinette is on her way?"

Adrien checked his phone for a moment.

"No, she hasn't responded to my messages yet." Adrien went through his contacts, but at the moment he had no new messages.

Gabriel was a little worried about that.

Adrien could see his father's concern.

"Father, Marinette is always late for all of her compromises. She may have something coming up, like Ladybug, it could be why she hasn't arrived yet." Adrien said to try to reassure him.

Gabriel thought maybe it was his paranoia speaking again.

"Oh, thank you son. I don't know her very well yet, I thought she maybe..."

"You thought Marinette would break her word. Father, I've known her for a long time and I know firsthand that Marinette isn't like that. She will not fail her promise."

Adrien left the room to return to what he was doing. Gabriel went to look out the window when Marinette would arrive.

Nathalie entered as soon as Adrien left the place. She stood next to Gabriel at the bedroom window.

"She still hasn't arrived yet?" Gabriel hoped that at least Marinette had left some message about her delay to Nathalie.

"No." Nathalie saw the sun setting through the window. "And it's already getting late."

Gabriel stared at the entrance door hoping to see Marinette arriving at the place.

"I need someone to guard the door, Nathalie." Gabriel mentioned with concern.

"I'll go wait for her then."

Nathalie left to go wait for Marinette to arrive as she had promised a few days ago.

Marinette opened her eyes tiredly. Getting up she looked around her.

"Luka?"

But he didn't respond. It seemed to her that Luka was no longer there.

Marinette was surprised, until she saw that the sun was lower than usual.

Marinette quickly looked at the time on her phone.

3:30 pm

It was late. It was already getting late. She was supposed to be on her way to the Agreste mansion by now.

She forgot to set the alarm.

Marinette immediately stood up stumbling and falling on the floor next to her bed.

"Tikki, why didn't you wake me up?" Marinette grabbed her head.

"I'm sorry, Marinette" Tikki put her paws together "I just saw that you were very tired and I wanted to let you rest."

Marinette took a quick bath and dressed like lightning.

She went to her table and found a post-it note with Luka's handwriting.

I left because I have training today. I didn't want to wake you up because you were very tired. I finished both potions. They are now ready to use. I labeled each one so you don't confuse them.

Marinette smiled and breathed a sigh of relief.

She took the medicine from the table and carefully packed it into his school bag. She checked that she carried Luka's instructions in the front pocket of her backpack to give them to Nathalie. Marinette grabbed all the utensils she would probably need for the occasion alongside a vial that was part of the medicine she prepared for Nathalie the day before and packed it in the front pocket of her backpack.

Marinette checked the contents one more time to make sure she hadn't forgotten anything.

Marinette ran out to the bakery exit. Before Sabine, who was at the cashier, came out, she stopped her.

"Are you leaving now, Marinette?"

"Yes, I'm going to go see Adrien. I promised him that today he would go to the mansion and well I should already be there."

Sabine smiled and took a bag with some of the Bakery products.

"Okay Marinette, you can take this from us to the family."

"Thank you, mom." Marinette kissed him on the cheek and took the bag from her mother before leaving.

Marinette was running in the direction of the Agreste mansion. She turned the corner to get to the door. Marinette rang the doorbell and waited for the door to be opened.

The mansion camera came out to see who it was.

"Miss Dupain Cheng," Marinette heard on the answering machine "Get in."

Nathalie pressed the button for the doors to open and Marinette could enter.

Marinette ran through the patio until she reached the front door.

Adrien opened the door for her to enter.

"I brought the medicine, I hope I'm not late." Marinette was trying to catch her breath.

"You're on time Marinette. Come on."

Adrien took her hand and led her to her father's room. Adrien knocked on the door to get the attention of his father who was sitting on the edge of the bed.

"Father, Marinette is here." Marinette went ahead to enter the room.

Nathalie arrived behind both of them.

"Mr. Agreste."

Gabriel got up from his bed.

"Welcome back, Marinette."

Marinette showed him the bottle of medicine.

"I brought you your medicine just as I told you. But first I need to explain how it works."

Gabriel sat on the edge of the bed. Nathalie stood at the door and Adrien stood next to her to listen to Marinette's explanation.

"Me and Luka already have a medicine that can relieve your symptoms, but not cure them. We're still working on that. But I have something for you that could help the cataclysm not spread so quickly."

"And how do I take this medication?" Gabriel asked, seeing the shape of the bottle.

"That's the hard part... It has to be applied directly to the skin. We use this bottle with a dropper so we can administer the correct doses."

"What about Nathalie?" Gabriel looked at her out of the corner of his eye for a moment before returning his gaze to Marinette.

"I brought something for Nathalie too, but I'll show it to her later, that one is easier to supply. I will show you myself how both are supplied."

"Then I think I would prefer it if you started with me."

Gabriel took off his jacket, along with his vest and dress shirt, tossing them to the floor and lay back on the bed staring at the ceiling.

"Someone will have to do it. Who will do it?" Marinette asked into the air.

Nathalie and Adrien stood still, not knowing what decision to make. Seeing their indecision, Marinette decided to take the initiative.

"I will do it. I guess."

Marinette took a step forward.

"We have to apply everything where the cataclysm was before. This has to be once a week. But I need nothing to interfere with this, and I mean don't let Mr. Agreste move."

Nathalie approached the bed and took his hand. Adrien took the other one from the other end of the bed.

"I warn you, Mr. Agreste, that this... It will hurt a lot."

It was time to get your hands dirty.

"I'll do it as quickly as possible."

Marinette opened the bottle, detecting a slight smell of ammonia, sulfur, and some alcohol. Marinette shook her head as she got a little dizzy from the smell.

Taking some as she planned with Luka, she spread it across Gabriel's upper back.

As soon as a couple of drops touched her skin, Gabriel let out a cry of pain that shook everyone in the room. Even the kwamis were scared when they saw Gabriel's reaction.

Adrien closed his eyes and looked away. Nathalie watched in horror as the medicine burned Gabriel's skin.

Marinette's hands were shaking.

"I'm Sorry, I'm Sorry..."

He took a few drops again and spread them over the next area. Gabriel bit the pillow to avoid attracting the attention of the Parisians. His back was aflame with flames that he definitely couldn't extinguish.

But the worst pain of his life was felt as soon as one of the drops of liquid touched the point where the black stain produced by the cataclysm was.

It was such an unbearable pain. Everything turned black. Gabriel rolled his eyes and lay still on the bed.

Everyone gave a surprised sigh. Marinette put her hand over her mouth.

"Did I kill him?"

This time it was Nathalie who approached. She left Gabriel's hand on the bed. She checked Gabriel's neck finding his pulse.

"No, he's alive. It seems that he fainted from the pain."

Marinette took the lid of the bottle again which she threw to the ground.

"Come, I'll show you how to perform the healing." Marinette pointed to Gabriel again.

She would take advantage of the fact that Gabriel was not conscious so she could teach Adrien and Nathalie the procedure.

When it was Adrien's turn, he couldn't stop shaking.

"Adrien, are you sure you want to do it?" Nathalie asked "You're not obligated to..."

"I want to do it; I am partly the cause of this."

Marinette took Adrien's hand and showed him how to open and close the bottle.

"Adrien, you have to do it like this."

Then Adrien extended his hand to put a few drops of the medicine on the areas where the medicine had not been applied.

"I… I'm sorry, sorry."

Marinette stopped when she saw that Adrien didn't seem very comfortable with what she was doing. She saw him a little stiff when he had to apply the drops himself.

"This is all my fault..."

"Adrien." Nathalie was going to console him.

"I know my father was Hawkmoth, but I would never wish that on him, especially on my own father."

Marinette set the bottle aside on Gabriel's nightstand.

"Adrien. I know this must be very difficult for you, but I think it would be important if you could help him too, Adrien. I think he would appreciate it, don't you?

Adrien nodded sheepishly.

"I guess you're right. But, what if I hurt him again?"

"You're not going to do it, Adrien." Marinette assured him.

Nathalie watched as Marinette comforted Adrien. Marinette then remembered the other bottle she brought with her.

"I brought something to relieve the peacock's symptoms a little."

"It will work?" Nathalie had her doubts about whether what Ladybug tried would be useful.

"We're not sure yet," Marinette said, "But we can't lose anything by trying."

Marinette looked in her small bag and from there she took out a small glass vial filled with a liquid of a rather striking color. The girl offered it to Nathalie.

"Drink this."

Nathalie took the small bottle in her hands. The violet color of her position shined a little between her hands. She wasn't sure if he was safe.

It was worth trying. She had nothing to lose.

Nathalie opened the bottle to drink the contents

She felt a taste similar to ginger, quite mild.

She felt some relief in her throat with what she had just drank. Nathalie handed the bottle back to Marinette.

"I'll stay a little to verify that there are no side effects."

Nathalie could already tell that Marinette was someone she could trust.

"I understand now why Adrien chose you, Marinette. Despite everything, you are gentle, you have a good heart and you helped us."

Nathalie hugged her.

"Thank you, Marinette."

Marinette smiled and accepted the hug. She knew that gesture meant a lot coming from Nathalie because Adrien had told her that she wasn't very expressive with people.

Marinette would stay there that night. Nathalie helped her create a alibi with her parents. Although they weren't very happy about it, they gave Marinette permission to spend the night there, for now.

It was relatively simple.

Adrien offered her to stay with him in the same room.

But Nathalie quickly intervened.

"Marinette is going to sleep in the guest room."

"But Nathalie." Adrien protested.

"Can I stay here tonight please." Marinette pleaded.

Nathalie looked at Adrien, Adrien gave her that puppy eyes when he wanted something.

Nathalie sighed defeated.

"Alright. But please, next time Marinette will go to the guest room."

Nathalie would stay lying on the armchair in the room while they would sit on the couch. Marinette sat next to Adrien to watch over Gabriel.

It was already dawn. It was 5 in the morning. Gabriel opened his eyes, a little dizzy. He smelled burning sulfur. He rose slightly from the position he was in to examine his arm. He seemed a little better than last time. That medicine was effective.

I saw that Nathalie was fast asleep on the couch. His son and Marinette were on the couch. They had both fallen asleep next to each other.

They stayed there all night, watching him.

Nathalie opened her eyes noticing that Gabriel's silhouette was moving. She took her glasses that were hanging on her clothes and put them on. Leaning on the couch, she got up and went to check on Gabriel.

"How do you feel?"

"I must look pathetic." Gabriel lifted his head a little from the pillow and rearranged it to see Nathalie.

Nathalie sat next to her, in the empty space of her bed.

"I know I don't deserve all this you're are doing for me. I misbehaved with you."

"I would never wish for this to happen to you. No matter how angry I am with you." Nathalie stretched, nodding as her muscles protested the position in which she had been asleep all night.

Gabriel placed his hand on top of Nathalie's.

"Forgive me Nathalie. I treated you badly; I had the chance to correct everything. But I didn't. And only made things worse."

Gabriel watched as Nathalie winced in pain as she coughed. He wished he could run his hand down her back, but he knew Nathalie wouldn't be comfortable with that.

"I deserve this, I caused all this, I left you in that state."

Gabriel saw that Marinette and Adrien had already opened their eyes.

"If only I could go back in time..." Gabriel looked at Marinette, as if trying to make her understand if he could lend her the rabbit Miraculous.

Marinette denied and stood up, stretching on the spot.

"We can't do that, altering time is dangerous. We don't know what could cause that. I already learned my lesson."

Nathalie shook her head at the idea that Gabriel had proposed a few moments ago.

Marinette checked the time.

"I think I should go now." Marinette received messages from her parents on her phone "Mom must be worried about me."

"I'll take you outside Marinette."

"I'm going with you Nathalie." Adrien got up from his seat to go with them.

Marinette said goodbye to Gabriel.

Adrien and Nathalie went to the first floor with Marinette. She gave them the instructions for each of the medicines as a reminder of how and how many quantities to use.

"Thank you very much Marinette. We are sorry to cause you inconvenience."

"You were the ones who came to look for help. That is the most important thing. I will be alert of what happens. If there are any side effects do not hesitate to contact me or Luka directly."

"We will do, Ladybug."

Marinette transformed right there to return to her house.

"Bug out." Ladybug jumped.

They both went back inside.

"Adrien, your father must be hungry. Do you want to help me prepare breakfast?"

Nathalie knew that Gabriel would be hungry when he woke up again, so she decided that she would at least prepare something for him so that he wouldn't have to wake up to an empty stomach.

Nathalie came in with the tray of food for Gabriel. He was trying to draw on his drawing tablet, but his strokes were very unstable. He threw his stylus next to his bed in frustration.

He heard the door open and Nathalie entered through it. She carried a tray in her hands,

Nathalie put the tray on the nightstand and picked up the small bowl of rice.

"I brought you something to eat. And some pain pills."

"Have you already taken your medicine?" Gabriel needed to know if Marinette gave the medicine to Nathalie.

"Marnette gave it to me last night." Nathalie took the bowl of rice and offered it to Gabriel along with her spoon.

Gabriel tried to grab the spoon, but his hand was so numb that it was not possible for him to grab the spoon. Nathalie saw the problem Gabriel was having and she took the spoon from his hand in a somewhat abrupt manner.

"Let me help you Gabriel or are you going to die of hunger after everything we went through?"

Gabriel lay back on the bed a little intimidated by the way Nathalie spoke to him.

"Please, let me help you." Nathalie softened her voice more, making Gabriel relax a little with her. Nathalie took some rice with her spoon, offering it to him.

She reluctantly received the spoon that Nathalie was offering him with food.

She ate slowly and watched as Nathalie stirred the rice and then offered it to her.

Gabriel couldn't stop thinking about Nathalie's selfless gesture.

There he realized something. Something Adrien had asked him a long time ago and he completely denied it.

That maybe he was falling in love with her.

This was the first chapter I wrote for this story and I made up an entire fic with this chapter alone can you believe it?.