35 Resolve

"So based on the questions I've asked you earlier, I've created this." Trixx said.

Adrien pursed his lips, silent as his emerald eyes swiveled about. Nino narrowed his eyes and looked at Trixx.

"Why does Adrien's course look like that? Didn't you say Alya's and his would be together? Why aren't they the same?" He asked, glancing at the blond in concern.

"They are technically together, their courses are on the left while yours is on the right. Certain parts of their course however will have to be done on their own before they meet up." Trixx said, crossing his arms.

"Could you not have been a bit more…gradual?" Plagg asked in a hiss, flying up to him.

"Gradual? I was under the assumption that we're short on time."Trixx said and an eyeroll followed the statement.

"Yeah, but you can't expect him to just go in there and deal with-"Plagg started, understandably perplexed but Adrien stopped him.

"It's not real. None of this is real. We'll be fine."

Alya studied the huge obstacle course before her, but not her own. Her eyes were fixated on the blonde haired, blue eyed, spoiled brat in red satin and lace lingerie grinning at Adrien at the start of his course. Her eyes trailed further down, and there were more of her along the course. The course itself had a caged and dark appearance. She knew that the moment Adrien stepped into it, there would be more disturbing things to come.

She glanced back at Adrien, her heart riddled with unease. She knew about the fact that Chloe had tried to kill Marinette, but she didn't know much more than that. From the look in Nino's eyes, he obviously knew something that she didn't, but even he still looked unsure; as if Adrien had never actually explained everything himself, so he'd guessed his way along.

However, as her eyes travelled back to the barely clothed woman with that sickening expression on her face, something in her chest constricted painfully. The way the illusion stared at Adrien… The smirk, and that disgustingly smug, perverse look in her eyes. It made her blood curdle. But it didn't make sense, weren't they supposedly dating? Hopelessly in love at one point in time?

 That was the last she'd heard before she'd gone to New York. Of course, Adrien seemed to be dating Marinette, so he must have broken up with the blonde before. Still…Was she that scary of a lover to him?

"But Adrien-"Nino started. Adrien glanced at his friend who faltered. His amber eyes were full of concern. Slowly, Adrien grinned at him. "Why in the world would I be afraid of the Mayor's rotten daughter?"

Alya raised her brows.

Plagg pursed his lips. Of course Trixx would do something like this. Adrien had never told Nino or Alya the finer details pertaining to his relationship with that thing. Trixx had practically forced it out of him using the prospect of Marinette's safety as leverage.

"…Yeah. You can do this, bro." Nino said, smiling reassuringly.

Trixx nodded his head. "For the first few rounds, we're going to work on the things that frighten you the most in this realm. Let's be frank, this is a very, very dire situation. Elijah is a very dangerous man, we don't know what new skills he's developed since he left the Miraculous world, or what he's capable of, but we will assume that he's capable of anything. If he uses your fears against you, it's game over; not just for you, but for a lot of people in this realm. Adrien, you also have Miss Bourgeois on your list of enemies, and we have established how lethal she can be. You need to be able to deal with her accordingly. Alya, Nino, your courses, like Adrien's, are laced with elements of your life that you are afraid of. You three need to be able to know how to navigate around in these situations. So, Adrien, Alya, you will not use your Miraculous for the first few rounds."

They nodded. Nino glanced at Adrien and then Alya. The first looked impassive while the latter seemed to be calculating something, and it wasn't difficult to understand what as she stared down the illusion of Chloe Bourgeois. She wasn't even looking at the forest like zone that was her own obstacle course.

She turned towards him looking very uncomfortable and worried, and not for herself.

Nino sighed. He had his assumptions. Numerous in fact, but the empty look in Adrien's eyes as he stared ahead made him feel increasingly sick.

"You can head towards the starting line of your course."Trixx said.

Adrien took a deep breath and exhaled to get rid of the suffocating feeling in his chest and the ache below his diaphragm.

It wasn't real. It wasn't real, and to save Marinette from Chloe and Elijah this was necessary. When it was all over, he'd never have to suffer again.

Plagg looked at Adrien, now quite a few meters away at his starting point. He exhaled, turned to Trixx and crossed his arms. "We're trying to help him. Not throw him into an episode or a coma. How is he going to learn anything when he's having a panic you crazy freak? I'm going with him." He said, and with that he turned to fly towards the pale blonde.

Trixx huffed. "Hey! Stop! You know that won't teach him anything, Plagg! You've made him too reliant on you! You know he's not always going to have you around. I'm doing this for everyone's sake! Plagg, get back here. Listen to me! You can't always save him!"

Plagg stopped, then craned his neck to look at Trixx out of the corner of his eye.

"Yes, he will. And yes, I can. I'd personally be more concerned about Alya if I were you, since she can't rely on having you around, or saving her. Ain't that right?" He asked mockingly.

Trixx narrowed his eyes. "Why are you getting so defensive? Look, let's be logical here, alright? We both know this needs to be done." He said.

"And you know what this would do to him. He's not like other children. You were supposed to help, not torture the kid. How dare you-!" Plagg's voice was a hiss at that point.

"Can you stop? This extent of emotional attachment is dangerous for you. Everyone in the Miraculous world knows what you get like when they die. For all things miraculous Plagg, get a grip! You yourself know that even if you do protect him, someday he'll breathe his last breath and you will never see him again. You will never talk to him again, you won't hear him laugh again. In a few centuries there'll be barely any proof that he'd ever existed. So why do you always do this? You have a duty Plagg! A duty to humanity. You're a guide, not his damn parent!"

Plagg stared at him. He just stared, unblinking. Then he spoke quietly.

"He will die someday. I know that. They all do. After a few centuries, nobody will remember him. He won't smile, or laugh, he won't breathe. Who knows, maybe one day at the end of his life, he may even forget me… Maybe I'm not his real parent, but I am certainly not just his guide. Don't think you know what goes on in my mind, because in here, I remember every one of them. They are always breathing, smiling, laughing, even when they're dead. So even when Adrien no longer exists, I will always remember that he existed. I give less than a Berryabout the rest of humanity. My duty is this kid, so don't tell me that I should be more like you. So what if it hurts? We all pick our poisons. Even if I suffer because of this, at least I know I protected that smile. The one that nobody will remember but me."

Trixx clenched his jaw, but said nothing. Seeing that Trixx had finally shut up, Plagg turned slowly and flew away.

Trixx sighed in a loud and exaggerated way. Plagg never changed.

"You know, you're still an asshole and an idiot, Plagg. Just die and reincarnate so I get along with you."

Plagg's ear twisted and he turned his head, still flying.

"Pfft! I'll stay alive to make sure that never ever happens, you fuzzy-tailed freak." He replied with a toothy smile.

Trixx rolled his eyes as he watched the kwami drop into Adrien's hair. Instantly, the boy looked up and the far-off look dissipated in favor of a relieved, genuine smile as Plagg rolled around in his silky locks.

"That smile, huh? "Trixx said to himself as he watched them. Everything he'd said was out of pure concern for his frenemy. He knew how this would end someday. It always ended the same. There was nothing Plagg could do about it. Someday, Adrien would become old and senile. He would no longer be able to move or think in the same way that he once had. Plagg would have to watch him deteriorate while never even aging a second. Then one day, Adrien would be in a casket, and Plagg would have to watch him disappear into the ground, or be thrown into the wind. Adrien would be another human who no longer existed. An ordinary human. Another statistic, another Miraculous wielder gone. Even if Plagg fought against his callousness , everyone knew how the story went.

Why did he always have to break his own heart for these children?

 As he watched Adrien start to laugh, he found the words leaving his mouth before he could stop them.

"Picturesque... That's a beautiful son you got there, Plagg."

He thought about the scene for a moment longer as he flew forward to start them off.

'What did Plagg mean when he said "Less than a Berry"?' He wondered once they stood in their places.

MLMLMLMLMLMLMLMLMLMLMLM

Luka blinked calmly. "The human realm, you think it will work?" He asked.

"Yes Luka, you have been chosen to go there with Marinette to confront Elijah because only you have the power to do so." Sass spoke with his usual composed demeanor.

"I've heard that line at least five times by now. I'll do my best not to let any of you down. I take it you will be coming with me since you're the only kwami who's visited?" Luka asked.

Sass nodded. "We have been chosen specifically by the Guardian and the Miraculous monks, it is a great honor for us both."

Luka stayed quiet for a moment.

"Will I be using the Ouroboros bracelet then or will you be accompanying me as an advisor?"He asked, looking at the floating kwami.

Sass smiled. "What do you wish to do with the power I'll be sharing, my young master?"

Luka exhaled.

"A lot. But first, I need to understand it all."

"What do you need to understand? Perhaps I can assissssst."

Luka looked down at the cup of water in his hand. He and Sass were alone in his room. The monks had spoken to him about what he needed to do earlier on in the day and asked him to start deciding what he needed for the trip, but Sass had entered the room a few minutes prior.

He sighed. Their plan was not going to work. That is, capturing Elijah and forcing reason down his throat, was not going to work.

He knew Elijah better than anyone, and Elijah was not the kind of individual who would easily give up. Especially not on something he cared about.

"Elijah. I need to understand what really happened that day, because none of it adds up at all." He said.

Sass tilted his head.

"But you know what happened."

Luka looked back at Sass.

"But it doesn't make sense. Why would he just…"

Sass frowned as he listened.

Luka put down his cup and let out a strong exhale. "Emilie disappeared. Elijah's wife and unborn child died in the fire. Duusu disappeared. Someone in that Realm their humanity because of Elijah's presence taking up the place of a human."

Sass floated down in front of Luka.

"What doesn't add up about thisss?"

Luka pursed his lips.

"If Duusu disappeared because of the failed reversal, then Duusu would have been stuck in the Miraculous. At the very least, Emilie would have been stuck in it. The brooch is here in the miraculous world, so by default, whoever was inside should have came out. Sass…Nobody came out."

Sass stared at Luka with widening eyes. "Yesss…I believe you're correct." He said blinking a few times.

"Nobody came out out of it.. We've had guards watching it this whole time. And Tikki and Plagg have been sharing energy with Duusu who we believed to be in the Brooch… But if he's not coming out then something's definitely wrong. Even a failed reversssal shouldn't trap him in the brooch while it's here in the Miraculous world." Sass blinked rapidly as he spoke.

"Precisely. So I need to understand what actually happened, and only then an we find Duusu."Luka said before standing up.

"How will you do that?" Sass asked, floating up to his shoulder. Luka turned his head to look at the Kwami.

"I'll need Nooroo, too."He said.

"Nooroo? What would you do with-"

A knock interrupted them. "Master Luka, come quick! The monks need you to see this immediately!"

Sass and Luka looked at each other confused. The young monk on the other side was audibly distressed.

Luka crossed the room and opened the door to see the young purple haired monk breathing hard as if he'd just run as fast is he could.

"Kato? What's wrong?" Luka asked.

Kato looked at him, "We need to go to the Elder Monk's temple right this instant."

Luka nodded and Sass flew up next to his head. "I smell trouble."

The three ran through the corridor and out into the courtyard. They crossed over the paths and grass until the temple was in sight. Luka squinted at the electric blue glow being emitted from it. Something was definitely up.

They pressed on till they were right in front of it, Kato suddenly stopped. He looked at Luka.

"Young master guard your energy. Don't let anything seep." He said with earnest eyes. Luka pursed his lips and nodded. The pair took deep breaths and each placed a foot on the first step of the temple entrance.

Instantly, Luka felt as if something was trying to drain his energy, a lot of it. He stilled his resolve and continued up the to the doors, pushing them open and closing them behind Kato and himself. Sass looked around with a complex expression.

"They're in the room where the Miraculous box was being kept." Kato said and they began to walk.

"Is everyone here?" Luka asked.

"The leaders, the Guardian and some of the Kwami."

"And Miss Marinette?"

"She's under a sleeping spell and we have given her water from the springs to boost her energy, some of the kwami are watching her sleep. It's safer that she doesn't come near this."

Luka nodded. As long as Marinette didn't step near the temple she would be okay. She had limited energy to begin with. For whatever reason, something in the temple was drawing energy and it would be lethal if she stepped near this area.

Kato looked at Luka as they finally reached the room. Luka nodded and pushed the door open. Immediately, the leaders turned to look at him.

In the large room, all the leaders stood in a circle surrounding something. Several Kwami's were also staring at whatever it was, unfazed by his entry. Luka looked at Fu who was staring intently at the center of the circle too; in his hands he held the Miraculous box. Something was odd though, Fu's arms seemed to be raw and burned.

Tikki met his eyes and gestured him over. He exhaled through his nose and moved towards her. Once there, he could finally see what everyone was looking at and his eyes widened.

In the center of the room lay the pedestal where the box had previously been temporarily placed upon; but now the peacock brooch was on it: alone. On the floor in a circle lay eight young monks- the ones who had been guarding the box. All were unconscious and their bodies looked frozen, their eyes unseeing. The only tell-tale sign that they're were still alive was the slight rising and falling of their chests, and a facial twitch every so often. Thick blue streams of energy flowed from the backs of their necks, across the floor, up the pedestal and into the brooch.

"What is this?" Luka asked, looking at the others.

"The peacock broach is draining energy. With Tikki here, and Plagg over there, the balance is way-off. It's requiring more power to sustain Duusu, if he's even in there." Fu said gravely. He looked at Luka. "Don't get any close. If you touch them, you become a source too, and it will drain you as well. I barely grabbed the box in time before it began to ravage their energies."

Luka furrowed his brows then looked at the leaders. "We were supposed to take the Miraculous box and all the Miraculous jewels to the human realm, including the Peacock Miraculous. Are we supposed to leave this behind here?"He asked.

An old blue eyed monk named Lee looked at him. "I believe that is the only thing we can do. It's safe to say, however, that something is very amiss, aside from everything else that has gone wrong. Luka, tomorrow Miss Marinette, Fu and yourself will be sent to the human realm. You need to do everything in your power to get Elijah to stop this nonsense." One of the leaders said, looking at him.

Luka nodded, then looked at the floor calculatingly.

"I have been told that I can borrow Sass's power."He started.

Everyone nodded. He looked back up at everyone with determined eyes.

"I'd like to request borrowing Nooroo's as well." He said.

The leaders began to murmur. Luka took a breath. "I ask that you trust me on this mission. I understand that it was decided that I should attempt overpowering Elijah, however I sincerely believe that this plan will fall through. I know him better than anyone, he will not give up. You've said it yourself. Something is very amiss, and I need to get to the bottom of this before I take on Elijah."

Fu frowned. "But what would you need Nooroo for?" He asked Luka.

"Perspective, Master Fu. I need perspective." Luka said.

MLMLMLMLMLMMLMMLMLMLMLMLMLMLML

"Are you all ready?" Trixx asked.

Everyone nodded, standing poised at their starting points. "Alright then, three, two, one. Begin." He said.

Immediately each course became blanketed with thick black fog, preventing each person from seeing anything that wasn't a part of their respective courses.

MLMLMLMLMLMLMLMLMLM

Alya looked around. It seemed she was in some sort of Jungle clearing. She could hear insects, and loud chirping. In the distance it sounded as if there was a waterfall or some sort of flowing water supply. She took a deep breath.

This wasn't scary at all. It was only a jungle. And she'd had enough experience with the animals at her father's zoo to steel her nerves against seeing a wild animal. She began making her way forward, out of the clearing and deeper into the monstrous army of trees before her.

As she went deeper, the sky changed. Sun rays no longer flowed through the spaces in the canopy above. Instead, heavy droplets of rain plummeted through. The animals in the forest began to become rowdy as the rain became harder. Alya winced.

She didn't like the rain. In Paris, rain meant crime time. She gulped and began to run. She only needed to get to the end of the course right? She could do it.

A loud clap of thunder made her stumble as she darted ahead. She had to get to the end of the course. The sky , though she could not entirely see it, had changed from its previous grey to a thick charcoal color. She tripped, falling face down into a large puddle of prickling-cold water.

Pulling herself up with a gasp, she started to wipe her face and her glasses.

Except… Why was the water red? And why did it no longer smell, or have the consistency of water. Blinking a few times, she looked down to find that she was standing in a coagulated pool of blood. There was also a large smear, as if whatever had been bleeding was dragged away.

Crunch… Crunch… Crunch…

Alya gulped and started to walk forward. As she did, the chewing sound became louder and louder. She could hear the bones of whatever was being eaten being snapped effortlessly, only dulled by the sounds of cartilage being ground intermittently.

Furrowing her brows, she paused as she saw the outline of a large tiger. It's back was toward her, but the face belonging to the meat it was devouring was not. Hazel-eyes that matched her own were glossy, and his mouth was open in a silent scream.

"D-Dad?" She breathed. At that, the chewing paused, and one of the tiger's ears turned.

MHMHMHMHMHMH

 Hearing Alya's scream in the distance, Adrien and Nino had different reactions while on their respective courses.

Nino immediately began to tremble. "Alya!?" He shouted. Feeling dread fill his belly, he turned around in an attempt to go back the way he came. He needed to make sure she was okay, and that all she'd seen was an illusion.

Only, there was no path back. Everything around him was pitch-black. It was as if he was blind.

Adrien swallowed thickly. "It's not real." He said. "Yes, it's not real. But if it were, kid, you have to keep putting one foot in front of the other." Plagg said.

Nodding, Adrien let out a shaky breath. "Yes. Yes, you're right." He said, yanking his arm away from one of the hundred or so naked clones of Chloe clawing at him as he tried to get to end of the dark, mile-long cage.

"You can do this. I'm right here. You can beat it. For you, and for Marinette." Plagg said. Adrien nodded, gritting his teeth and moving through the clones a little faster as their hurled insults, nitpicking at his every insecurity and targeting his fears.

"For you, Tikki, Nino, Alya… For Marinette… And for me… I will beat it." Adrien said.