The Wolves in the Woods

A Few Caterpillars

Well, I must endure the presence of a few caterpillars if I wish to become acquainted with the butterflies.

— Antoine de Saint-Exupéry

***

Master Fu and Marinette discuss some pressing matters concerning recent events.

***

            "And... that's what happened," Marinette relayed to Master Fu. The older man hummed, stroking his goatee. "I won't lie. It surprised me seeing her out of prison." Marinette refilled Master Fu's tea at his request. "But attacking someone like that..." She squeezed her eyes shut, flashing back to the hell that had been her life for two months. "She's changed so much..." And not for the better went unsaid.

Wayzz floated beside his master. Paw to his chin in deep thought. Tikki sat in her spot at the table munching on a cookie, keeping a careful eye on her Holder. It was one thing to hear that Alya Césaire, the former Fox Hero, was arrested. But to hear something like this?...

"... and then Lila was actually being nice and tried to help me," Marinette went on, her emotions on high alert. "I don't even know what to think! On day one, she was a super liar. And then the next day, she's helping me win a court case against my class!" She got up and paced back and forth, hands gesturing wildly in the air. "Who is she, really?! Is she a liar or not?!" Marinette's voice increased in pitch with every emotion that ran through her. "And how am I supposed to trust her if she lied about me in the past?! She turned my own best friend against me!"

Which, in hindsight, must not have been that strong a friendship if she turned on her supposed best friend that easily. But for Marinette's sake, Fu and Wayzz opted not to say anything.

"And then!" Marinette paused. "I suddenly hear the school board doing an investigation against my school!" She laughed, the pitch making her sound like a maniac. "I don't even know what to think about that! Is karma finally catching up or what?!" Marinette laughed. Empty and hollow. With tears forming in her eyes. The pent-up anger and hurt she had accumulated these past two months and three weeks were finally showing themselves after being buried for so long.

"What am I supposed to do now?" Marinette asked, her voice breaking. "I trusted them, and they did this..." She hiccuped. "I-I thought I could rely on them because they had my back then." She sat back down at the table. "But now..." She weakly choked back a sob. "I don't know who I can trust anymore..."

Tikki gazed at her Holder with sad eyes while the tears flowed out of Marinette's. The pressure and stress from the abuse and the trial were finally showing their ugly cracks. Staining the joy and happiness Marinette once had. It never should have come to this, Tikki thought. It never should have gotten to the point Marinette couldn't trust her own friends anymore. It was bad enough they fell for easily debunked lies from someone they had just met. But to do this to her Holder...

... Tikki restrained herself from showing her full anger at the moment. Marinette needed her.

Shuffle...

Marinette felt a sudden warmth envelop her shoulders. Looking up through her tear-filled eyes, she could make out the shape of Master Fu draping a blanket over her. Though it was with much strain, she smiled, appreciating the gesture.

"You are quite strong to have made it through on your own," Master Fu said, returning to his seat. "Though am I correct to guess you had people to rely on?" Marinette sniffled, sitting up. Tikki wiped away a few stray tears from her face.