I raised my hand to accept hers when a force tackled me to the ground. I turned my head to see Nino had pushed me to the ground. Alya had shown up as well and she and Chloe had taken up hurling books at Scarlet Moth.

Their plan of attack was somewhat a fail, the books were deflected and flown back at them only to fall short of hitting them and falling.

“So, um, good job with Adrien, he got his old man to sign out of the hospital early and he’s on his way. I have no idea why he’s being let out this early but I’m not going to complain.”

“That’s great Nino, let go of me.

“Nope, I can feel you trying to go back to Scarlet Moth. I have no idea what’s happening but if Scarlet over here has anything to do with it, it can’t be good.”

I opened my mouth to argue but he made a fair point. “Great, well, if you could hide me in the basement and lock the trapdoor until the spell wears off on me, then would you and Adrien be up for a bit of Grave robbing?” I asked in a hushed whisper.

“Come again?” He asked, his eye’s wide.

“I need you to find Tomoe Tsuruig’s grave and unbury the body.”

“You mean dig up, also, think about how decomposed she’ll be.” he shuddered at the thought.

“If I’m right, she should be holding a certain flower and won’t be decomposed. Bring the flower along with you.”

He nodded looking like he was trying not to vomit right then and there at my request. He picked me up in a way I wouldn’t be able to struggle much and brought me into the basement, we struggled on the ladder and he had to leave me halfway before scurrying up to lock the door once he got out.

From where I was, I didn’t have much to do other than pace, every so often my body would unwillingly go up to try and break through to the trapdoor but no dice. After a moment, I felt the spell fade and I had more control over my body.

“Hello? Marinette? I saw you come in here, are you okay?” I heard a genuine sweet voice call to me.

“Emily? Yes! I’m down here. This is perfect!” I called back up and there was a bit of hesitation before I watched her faze through the ceiling and climb down.

“Are you okay? Why do you have a bloody bandage?!” She reached me and studied my features, placing a hand on my cheek in a caring motherly way, her eyes pooled with worry. I didn’t realize that my gloves had slipped off in the chaos.

“I’m fine.” I pulled my hand to my body, hiding it with my other hand. “Just, um, I’m going to do what I came here to do. Okay?”

“I- I don’t understand!” Emily cried as I grabbed the ceremonial knife from the desk. Clutching it tightly in my hand and rolled up my sleeve. I positioned it over my arm. “Marinette! No!” I froze and turned.

“Listen, you don’t have to hurt yourself, it will be alright. Things might not be good right now but they will get better. I don’t want to see you harm yourself.”

“But, I need to do this.”

“No you don’t, I know I can’t do much right now, but tell me what’s going on! You can get help. I don’t want you to end up like me!”

“Don’t worry, I won’t, I know what I’m doing.” I faced the knife again but I was more hesitant. “You're not disgusted by them?” I looked back at her suddenly feeling self conscious of the marks and veins, they throbbed a bit at the thought and I brought my hand up over my heart.

“What do you mean?”

“The- the veins, they’re gross and hideous to look at.”

“I would never be disgusted at you, they're a part of you and I would never hate any part of you. Why do you ask?”

“They’re just so unsightly and, I don’t know, embarrassing? I guess?”

“Never be ashamed or embarrassed about yourself, they make up you.” She reassured me. “I feel like you’re dodging my concern, what are you planning on doing with that knife?”

“I can explain, but if I told you, you would stop me, so I’ll just continue.” I made a quick, clean slice there and Emily was mortified.

“Marinette! Wha- No! Don’t do that again!” She came over and placed her ghostly hand on my arm. I couldn’t feel it.

“Please, let me do this.”

“Nope, not if it means you hurting yourself.”

Frustrated, I bit my lip and ignored her, feeling terrible about it but it’s what I was here to do, after, my aunt wouldn’t have any more control over me. Emily would be safe.

I started drawing the rune, now embedded in my memory, my arm stinging as I worked but I ignored it. I could use the same rune with scarlet moth later but for now, I’m going to use it for Emily. When I stood to go grab her body and pull it into the circle, I noticed she was hiding her face, unable to shed a tear but still lightly sobbing.

I brought it over and stuck a flower petal in her peacock brooch. I started the ritual. Everything was fine, Emily was confused and scared during the whole process and my magic could sense Scarlet Moth over head, my friends keeping her busy.

When the spell ended, the blinding light flashed through the room and I felt Scarlet Moth figure out my plan and start to move towards the staff only room. I needed to throw her off, hopeful it works.

I was able to sense Skarlet Moth through her conscience, when I exerted my magic, that’s how I knew where she was. Since I found her through her use of magic, she could find me, especially after the large burst of magic at the end of the spell.

She’s blind and only sees ghosts and magic, maybe if I could move as death, it will throw her off. Hopefully. It can’t hurt to try, if it doesn't work, we’d be in as bad of a place as we would be not doing anything. I just needed to hold her off until Nino and Adrien came back.

I sat down and closed my eyes realizing that I have no idea how to do this. I’ve done it about once and that was by accident. After a moment of nothing, I realized that I’d get no where and that my aunt was standing right over the trapdoor, all she would need to do was faze and it would be the end of the line for me.

“Wa-what happened?” Emily sat up and I threw my arms around her neck, finally able to embrace her.

“You're alive!”

“Pardon me?”

“I resurrected you. Also, just a fair warning, I put a flower petal in your brooch, you need to keep it on you at all times. Something to add, we’re being attacked by your old friend and my aunt, I’m really sorry, I know this is terrible timing, but I wanted to make sure you were safe before my aunt tries to slaughter me for not doing what she says.” I was all out of tears and the pain all over my left arm was, not bad, not horrible, worse. There wasn’t a word to accurately describe it.

“I don’t care!” her words came out harsh and bitter. “I don’t care if me being dead put me in danger, I don’t care if she's my old friend or your aunt! What I do care about is what you're doing to yourself! If me staying dead kept you from hurting yourself, it would have been fine as long as you were safe!” her hands gripped both of my arms, tears trickled out of the corners of her eyes. I let out an involuntary yelp of pain when she squeezed my injury from resurrecting Alya. she rolled up my sleeve to see it.

“Marinette,” her voice was softer. “Oh my-, dear, why?”

I opened my mouth to apologies, to say anything, but Scarlet Moth fazed in.

“Well that was fun.” Tomoe gracefully hopped down the ladder.  “Now Marinette, you're cornered. I do hope you can understand when you’ve been beat.

Emily pushed me behind her, taking a protective, motherly position. “Stay away from her!” she curled her lip, baring her teeth, ready to fight off my aunt.

“I’m sorry Emily, you were a good friend, but this is between me and my niece.” she flicked her wrist and Emily flew into the desk, knocking books off it. She covered her head as books rained down around her landing with a bone breaking thud on concrete, echoing off the walls.

“It seems you’re running out of energy, your protection spells are weaker now.

“But I didn’t put any spells on them.”

“What did you feel the night we first talked? You felt extremely protective of them, I could do anything to harm them until you were weakened.”

I learned from her statement but ignored it, instead watched Adrien and Nino try to sneak into the basement with the dead body out of the corner of my eye. “Hey, so auntie? I feel as if this isn’t a fair fight, I mean, I could go for my friends method of throwing things at you but we both know how well that would work, even if you didn’t deflect them, they’d go through you. I could use magic but I’m inexperienced and you’re accustomed to it so how shall we level the playing field?”

She lit a fire in the palm of her hand, sparks flying everywhere, jumping to the sides as she neared me, holding the fire. I backed up against the wall and she came so close that the fire just barely licked my cheek, burning my skin. I let out a screech of pain and the fire fed on the right side of my face.