I am back!!!!!

Hello hello dear peeps, lovelies, sky riders (gosh that's an old one) etc.

I feel like Part 3 is much more serious than the other parts. Well don't worry! Part 4 will be so unserious- I mean it's literally just bonuses I wanted because I can't part with this version of Marinette and Adrien I have created just yet.

Anyways, I am back after two weeks. Sorry for the long wait. All I did this week was go to uni, come home, sleep, repeat. I have never been so exhausted in my life! But it is Saturday today so I have time to relax and write and update.

About an hour or two passed between this and the previous chapter.

............

By the end of their retelling of everything that had happened since Marinette had left Luka, Adrien believed that the three combined could have made a small lake with their tears. He understood why, however. He too felt incredibly sad that their life in the mortal realm had ended in such a way. During their time there, he had grown quite fond of the few moments he had spent talking with the two. Additionally, Marinette had told him a lot about the two and how they had been kind to her when no one else had. How they had taken her in like she was their daughter, how they had spent time with her like she was their friend, how they had made her feel like she had a family. 

Adrien could put the past between them far behind since he knew they treated his lady with the dignity and respect she deserved. And they were the only family she had before they had re-met and before she had regained her memories.

He was thankful for them, for making sure she was not alone.

"It's all my fault! I'm sorry guys- I-"

"No, Marinette!" Alya quickly grabbed onto her hand, shaking her head, "It wasn't your fault, I- we brought this onto ourselves. This was the punishment we were meant to receive and-"

"But it was because of me you were punished in the first place!"

Nino chimed in and grabbed her other hand, "It was on our own will that we wanted to help! What we had to endure wasn't your fault-"

"Yes it was!" Marinette stomped her foot and now Adrien could tell her tears were flooded with frustration.

Deciding it would be better to step in, he moved in order to be right behind her, causing the fox and the turtle to tense up, any arguments stuck at the tip of their tongue. Adrien almost rolled his eyes but thought it better not to, so as to not scare the two of them away or cause them to draw their weapons. He just snaked his arms under her shoulders and placed his hands around Marinette's wrists, gently yanking them out of their grip. He let go of her wrists and they dropped to her sides whilst he wrapped his arms right under her chest and pulled her close to him. Though it was a minute action, he rubbed her sides soothingly, knowing that just his small presence helped to calm her down.

Contrary to Alya and Nino's expectations of what she would do, she didn't even struggle to get out of Destruction's hands.

Before either of them could snap out of their stupor and say something, he spoke first, "The blame does not go to just one. Rather, it will not do you anything to blame yourselves for something which occurred due to a series of decisions which were not even something you could make."

Alya's jaw dropped at the gentle and civil way in which he spoke. Even with the fact that she had become comfortable talking to him in the mortal realm, this was Destruction. She didn't know what to expect.

"Uh- what?" Nino answered.

Adrien sighed as he looked between the two, "The blame is not entirely on one or two people. It falls on a lot of us, including myself I guess."

Despite her innate fear for Destruction, just as many fairies had always had, Alya raised her eyebrow, "Care to elaborate?"

"I was doing that anyways," he muttered but Marinette elbowed him, causing him to pinch her sides. Alya coughed and the two straightened before Adrien properly answered her, "Think about it. There are a lot of things which happened which caused the two of you to end up being punished the way you did. Within those circumstances, there were several different people which some of the blame could be placed on."

Alya and Nino listened intently as he explained thoroughly why there was not one person at fault. The Emperor and court officials of Soleria could be blamed for sending them to the mortal realm in the first place. For letting their prejudice determine that Alya and Nino should be punished for something as minute as helping Marinette. It wasn't like they had expected Marinette to break herself and Adrien out of prison. They just knew that she had wanted to help Luka.

Speaking of Luka, he could also be partially at fault, for being the one who killed Marinette, possessed or not. But it had been Marinette who had told Luka to own up to his actions, so she believed that if she hadn't have sent him, this wouldn't have happened.

"Wouldn't it? They had been sent to the mortal realm to receive punishment. Regardless of time, something like this still would have happened."

He couldn't see her face but he could feel the conflict she felt as she said, "Perhaps," with uncertainty.

He knew she believed that maybe if something had changed, something as tragic as the loss of a baby may not have happened. He thought so too, but he also realised long ago, that destiny would do whatever it took to get what was meant to be. If there was anyone or anything he wanted to truly place blame on, it would be destiny and the Fates.

To have balance in the realms, destiny needed to be cruel.

That didn't mean he wouldn't selfishly fight for his own happiness. 

He still told them that he was a lot of the cause, since they would not have been punished if Marinette hadn't been involved with him in the first place. Ultimately, the hatred of their realm was directed towards him, not them, but because it was revealed- and very publicly- that Marinette was intimately involved with him, she was condemned along with him. Even a little support towards her would have ended in punishment. Therefore, if only he hadn't have become involved with her, if only he had stayed away.

"But that would have also been impossible because we have already established that I was supposed to get you out. That you would come back to me. I made absolute sure of that."

Adrien's mouth twisted to the side as he nodded in agreement, "True," he said, placing his chin on top of her head, "And, it's probably selfish of me to say this, but I wouldn't have it any other way. I won't lose you a third time."

"Wait- sorry- what? What are you talking about?"

Marinette answered with an innocently sweet voice which made his mind tingle at the sound, "Have you not noticed yet? My energy is different, is it not?"

Both of them stepped closer, scrutinising Marinette who was still trapped in Destruction's arms.

Alya gasped, "Oh my Sol! Your energy! You can use it properly now?"

Marinette nodded, causing Adrien to grumble and move his head to stop his chin from being injured, "I guess it took me dying again to completely bring it back."

At that, Adrien scrunched his face and spun her around seriously scolding at her, "Stop joking like that."

She tilted her head and smiled, "Or what?"

'Why must you be so adorable when you say it like that?' Was what she knew he was thinking.

"Or..." he leaned in so his lips were close to hers, his eyes meeting her own, his anger subsiding just from looking at her, "I know a few ways to prevent you from joking about something like that."

Unable to resist, he gave her a small peck on the lips.

He would have gone further if the other two hadn't reminded him that they were there, "So... the two of you. Are you guys really together?" Surprisingly it had been Nino who asked.

Alya hit his arm, "That's not the point. The point is, what the hell do you mean dying again? Why do you make it sound like a regular occurrence?"

Marinette turned her head, but finding that she couldn't turn much in his arms, she huffed at him, "Ugh, let me turn Adrien."

"That's actually your name?" Nino asked.

Once Marinette managed to turn after struggling for a few more seconds, she nodded, "Yup. And to answer your question Alya. Not a regular occurrence. Just... it has happened more than it should," in Adrien's arms still, she shrugged her shoulders. 

From above, "We need to have a serious talk about you taking amusement in dying more than once."

She snorted at the thought, "It's not about the dying. It's about escaping death which amuses me," she let out a small chuckle when he gave her a heavy sigh, "Besides, I am immortal again There is nothing which will willingly want to hurt me and succeed."

"Okay. Something about this picture does not add up," Alya placed her hands on her hips, "What is up with you Marinette? Immortal? You didn't even go through the portal because- well- you know-" she pointedly looked at Adrien.

It was Marinette's turn to sigh, "I really did not mean to deceive the both of you. When I had gotten to know you guys, it's true that my energy was weak because it was locked inside of me. With it, my memories also. So I really didn't know myself who I really was. If Luka hadn't kidnapped me," she ignored the curses both let out at the name, knowing that the two had been rather angry at Luka, "I may have even come back sooner. Then again, I may have always meant to come at that exact time. Destiny is fickle and does not always agree with what we want."

Adrien scoffed in agreement, "Since when has destiny ever cared about what the two of us have wanted?"

Rolling her eyes, she continued, "I guess, I should introduce myself properly. Adrien?" at her prompt, Adrien released her from his clutches and she moved forward. 

She turned to nod at him and he smiled at her, raising his hand and aiming it at the rock they were standing on. The problem was that he was aiming it at an area which could make them all fall off. The ground started to rumble beneath them and both Alya and Nino started panicking.

"What the-"

Neither of them could move, however. Even as they watched the rock beneath them start to disintegrate, they were stuck in their place. Not when Marinette seemed so unfazed that they were about to fall.

And then, as the rock was close to crumbling, as they had finally come to their senses and realised that they should probably leap, Marinette laughed, "Are you trying to show off how well you can control it?"

"More like I want to show you off, my dear," proud of himself, he smirked, "It's all for dramatic effect."

"Uh... hello? We should probably jump if we don't want to fall." 

And so Alya could get her hands on Adrien.

She wouldn't do much, just... maybe a little maiming. Perhaps a slap to the face or something.

Just a little... 

Neither of the other two seemed to agree, however, and made no move to jump. Frustrated, Alya was about to open her mouth again, but then something amazing happened.

It was a miniscule movement at first, but Alya still saw the way Marinette twirled her fingers and sparks of magic flowed out. Her hands began to move wider, more elegantly, and the magic which expelled out of her became greater. But unlike what she had seen of Marinette before, the ladybug had no trouble in controlling the power she had, even though now it seemed that she had more. 

They watched as her magic lightly touched what had been destroyed and so effortlessly put it back together.

Smiling as Marinette's magic worked around them, Adrien spoke, "The mortals have a saying. Opposites attract. I find that there is some merit to those words," he targeted his smile towards Marinette this time,  "For I am Destruction and my opposite is Creation, yet I find myself very attracted to her."

"I find myself attracted to you too Kitty."

He continued, "For millennia people have thought that as opposites, we should hate each other, that we are enemies. It is time people realise that we were never enemies. Only they made it our image. But that is wrong."

"For Creation and Destruction are opposites. They are like the sun and the moon. In one world, there should not be one without the other." 

One thing Alya could understand from her words was that, this didn't just mean Marinette was Creation and she had always been in a relationship the complete opposite of what most thought. There was something more in her words, another meaning to it. From the way Destruction eyed Creation with understanding, she deduced that it was true. 

Alya suddenly remembered that there was this old prophecy that had been brought up a few years ago...

............

"Kitty?" Alya asked later, after her and Marinette separated from their lovers- who were headed to where Hawkmoth was said to be buried (Marinette and Adrien had argued about it, even though they had already decided on it before, but, in the end, he had won).

Marinette snorted, "What? I think it's cute."

"Yeah- but. Kitty? Seriously?"

Giggling at Alya's weirded out expression, Marinette nodded, "Don't tell anyone else okay. Not many people know this but his spiritual animal is a black cat."

At that, Alya burst out laughing, incredulously asking, "A cat? Really? Not like a tiger or a panther or something?"

"Mhmm. A black cat. The mortals see the black cat as unlucky. That's all because of him."

Squinting her eyes Alya pointed at her, "I sense a story to this."

"Yeah, but I won't tell you it right now," rather she wanted him to be there when the story was told, just so she could tease him about it.

"Ugh, okay. But can I tell..." Alya paused and looked at Marinette. 

For a second, Marinette didn't understand the look but once she realised she shook her head. When Alya nudged her pleadingly, however, she sighed, "Okay fine. You can tell Nino. But only because they seem to be friendly with each other."

"Thank you!" Alya said, feeling a bit more cheery because of her friend, "So, anyways. Will you tell me what the two of you were chatting about before?"

............

Before they had left, Adrien had asked Alya and Nino to stand aside so he and Marinette could speak. Although confused, she had followed him a bit away from the other two, though she asked him to not go too far so she could still keep an eye on them. After all, they were still both not doing okay. But time was of the essence so they needed all the help they could get.

They stopped by a tree not too far from Alya and Nino and they turned to face each other.

"I know you are worried about me going there M'lady," he caressed her cheek staring at her face full of worry like he had already noticed, "But you know that I have to go. If we want this all the end, I have to be the one to confront him."

"I know. I just- I can't help it. I want so much to just stop you from going. I wish I could just keep you trapped somewhere again so I can deal with him myself. But I know you don't want that."

He smiled at her and leaned in to kiss her forehead, "Thank you for understanding. I wish I didn't need to do this as well, but it's time we both stop stalling. Hence, I will make you a promise."

She moved back to see his face, "A promise?"

"Give me your hand. The left one," she did as he asked, puzzled, but she trusted him, "It is a custom in Luneith to give someone a gift, entirely handmade, when asking for their hand in marriage. If the other doesn't accept, it means that the feeling is not mutual and the person must back off. It allows for the two to see where their relationship stands and whether or not to continue."

"Adrien..."

He smiled, "If the other accepts, it means that they are both ready to commit to a life together."

She squeezed his hand, "There is nothing more I want than to spend my life with you."

"Then I guess the next part will be easy."

From out of nowhere, he summoned a ring unlike any she would see in jewellery stalls or shops she would pass by. Of course it wouldn't be, for as he had said, it was made by his own hands. The entirety of the ring was black, something which most would not like to wear as it wouldn't match the colour which embodied every street of Soleria. Surprisingly, the actual ring was made of metal, similar to that of his armour- which made her suspect he actually used one of his armour to make it. But Marinette's favourite part of it was the black jade bead, a reminder of all they had been through since she came back.

In all honesty, since she had regained her memories, she had felt herself becoming more and more disconnected to her newer ones as her mind played every old one in her head. Sometimes, that small period where she was just Marinette felt like it was fading away from her.

But, looking at the bead, maybe they wouldn't.

Most people when they saw his magic, they felt scared and restless and as if at any moment, something would go wrong. It was different for her. She just felt safe, relieved, happy.

"I can't be sure what will happen now that we are dealing with the uncharted madness of my father once and for all. Whether we will both come out of this unscathed or not, I cannot be certain. But I want you to make me a promise," he took a deep breath, suddenly feeling emotional as he spoke. He had always wondered if the day would come that he would ask her, he had always dreamed of it. Even though this was a unconventional and wasn't the way he had envisioned it happening, he would still ask her, "Will you accept this ring and promise to marry me after all this is over?"

"I will," she laughed as his smile grew wider, "I promise. Do you?"

"I do."

............

"He asked you to marry him?"

Marinette smiled, "Pretty much. Though I think the ring was half about him giving me something back for the bracelet I made him."

"Huh?"

"Oh- uh- I just made him a bracelet for protection- it's nothing- don't worry about it," she looked at the ring on her finger, "But knowing him, he made an excuse that it was tradition to make sure he put in on me. Though- before you say anything- he was serious about the point on marriage. In fact he seemed a bit nervous."

"And you accepted!!!"

Amused, Marinette looked at her, "Why are you so surprised? Of course I did!"

Sheepishly, Alya laughed, "Sorry. I guess," she paused, trying to put together her thoughts of what had occurred in the last few hours, "It's just weird to think about."

"What's weird? Us being together?"

"Sort of," she nodded, "But not just that. You being- well- you! I always thought you were someone greater than we could ever comprehend, but I never expected this."

Marinette placed a hand on her friend's shoulder, "I really am sorry Alya."

"No, no," the fox shook her head and smiled, "You don't have to be. You didn't even know yourself. Anyways. I just find all of this weird probably because it was so sudden. I was ready to accept that my best friend had fallen in love with someone practically untouchable but, with the way he looked at you like you were his world, even back then, I should have realised that you were both already in so deep. With the added revelation of who you are, however, the whole thing just seems so impossible even when I have seen it with my own two eyes."

"Yet, here we are."

Alya nudged her with her shoulder, "What I meant was, all of my life, we have all been told that Destruct- Adrien- he has no heart. That he is a monster who cares only about using his abilities for evil. That he is Creation's greatest foe and the worst thing that happened to her. I mean she- uh- you sacrificed yourself to imprison him and we all saw it as someone deciding it would be best to take herself down with her enemy if it meant to be the only way to end a huge war. I know I wasn't even alive during that time but, even Luka thought that was what it was."

"I resent that. But also, I guess those depictions of him and us are partially our own fault. We wanted to keep our relationship a secret, mostly because we knew so many people would be against it, so we let everyone think we were enemies."

"But now you think differently, don't you?"

Marinette sighed and looked up at the bright blue sky, "What would have happened if we had dealt with it all beforehand? Would we have been able to survive? Would our love have been enough to keep us together, even if our families tried to drive us apart?"

"What are you saying?"

"I'm saying, everything happens for a reason. But that reason depends on the choice we make. If something happened differently, would we be as we are now? If I had made a different choice back then, would we have gone through all that we did? Would we have been better?" But then she smiled, "Yet..."

"Yet?" Alya questioned, wondering why her friend appeared to become so happy in a blink of an eye.

"Yet, I don't think I can regret the choices that I made anymore."

"Why... Why not? Didn't you-" Marinette stopped to look at Alya, causing her to pause in her tracks too.

"Yes we have gone through so many hardships and we made so many wrong choices. And I should still regret them but... how can I when it all lead to me realising just how much I would do for his sake?"

Alya thought for a while, "I think I get it," she said, "It's like, if you hadn't gone through everything that did end up happening, if everything had been all just sunshine and happiness, perhaps you both wouldn't have felt as resolved with the need to protect each other. Maybe you wouldn't have been so willing to make sure the other survives even if it means that you don't. Not everyone would be as willing as the two of you are for each other."

And it made Alya think about everything which had happened to her and Nino. What they had gone through... their own hardships. Alya realised that even though it was sad and made her heart ache just to think about, it reiterated in her mind just how much Nino had meant to her. When she had learnt that he too had decided to ki- she didn't even want to think about it- it had suddenly struck her just how important he was to her. He was her life partner and she would risk everything if it meant she could keep his smile on his face.

She didn't want to ever see him be miserable again.

Was it the same for Marinette and Adrien? 

She felt that it was, yet at the same time it wasn't. In Alya's eyes, it was like their relationship went even beyond what her and Nino felt with each other. Probably because they had gone through an entirety of different challenges which hurt them over and over, yet they still managed to come out of it together. But Alya thought that the two would go to extreme lengths for each other, as long as it meant the other was okay. They weren't just a couple or two people who loved each other. They weren't just two people who met and decided that it was fate that they found each other. For anyone who saw the two, they could tell instantly. 

They were the two people who would risk more than everything, more than even the Fates could decree, if only if it was for the other.

Creation and Destruction.

Marinette and Adrien. 

Two people who were meant to be compatibly impossible. But they worked harder for each other than any other two people in love.

It was so completely evident that together they were stronger, so why did everyone and everything want to keep them apart?

Another sigh came from Marinette, who seemed to frown once more, making Alya do so as well, "That's why I'm worried for him. I know that he would rather die than let anything happen to me again."

"But you still don't regret your choices? Even if it means something bad could happen again?"

"I don't," she replied, "Even if it leads to something bad happening, I will do everything in my power to prevent it. I have the power to heal, to create."

"And if you cant?" It was a realistic question, something Marinette had thought about more than she would admit.

"Then I will fight for what I want. No matter what."

Pleased with the answer, Alya nodded and reached out to hold Marinette's hand, "Then I will stand with you and help you fight. And I know Nino would also."

Marinette squeezed the hand to express her sincere thanks to Alya, "I'm glad we can rely on you both."

............

That small bit about Adrien's spiritual animal was put there for the sake of humour since I needed some. There won't be time for much in later chapters. Also have I even mentioned that his spiritual animal is a black cat? Or did you guys just assume it was? Cuz I've written so many words that I cannot remember if I've mentioned it yet or not. I have such poor memory WHYYYYYYYY!!! T0T

Fun fact: In previous drafts of this chapter, Marinette and Adrien had never explicitly gotten together and their relationship had still been ambiguous. 

But then I wrote Part 3 chapter 1 and well... if you didn't catch it (because I didn't actually write it out), they did more than just kiss, which I thought was more how their characters would react when I was writing it. I mean, their relationship isn't a shy one since she has gotten her memories back now.

And so, this chapter changed from Alya asking them if they were in a relationship or not and Marinette being unsure until Adrien came and said that he will not take no as an answer when they kissed so many times already- to what you all see now where Adrien and Marinette are being openly touchy. 

Honestly, I was done with the two of them being ambiguous with their feelings so a lot in part 3 changed cuz of it. 

I think it is better this way though. You're welcome :)

This chapter was basically about tying a few loose ends regarding my favourite 4's feelings before the big end. 

See you next week lovelies <3