With the exception of the plot and the original characters that are depicted in the story, the author makes absolutely no profit off of this work of fan fiction, and no copyright infringement is intended on the franchise of Inuyasha and Miraculous Ladybug that rightfully belong to its owners Rumiko Takahashi and Thomas Astruc, respectively.
I'd like to give a big shoutout to Joanna Frances Tiano Cajilig and BunnyWK for bouncing off ideas with me as well as taking a second look at the revisions I've made for this chapter, which was difficult to write this time due to work and other things going on in my life. So without further ado, let the show begin! :)
It didn't take Marinette very much effort to find Kim at school the next day. He was hanging out with Max on a green bench during lunch break, boastfully bragging about how he'll crush their rivals at the upcoming lacrosse match. Needless to say, she was able to persuade the guy to step away and have a little chat with her. Kim actually thought she was asking him out as he smugly smirked at the reincarnated teen.
At the moment she really wanted to punch his teeth out. She was tempted, though had to reluctantly reign in her boiling temper till they stood by the vending machines, away from most of their classmates. When no one was around, Marinette let everything out. It wasn't in the negative way Tikki had been initially worried about when the kwami peeked from the purse she was hiding in.
It was more like a general lecturing an incompetent soldier, speaking to Kim in an icy voice with the threat of going straight to the lacrosse coach and explain why his poor grade point average had suddenly skyrocketed over the last few months. If he did try to bully Nathaniel again, then Kim will have more to worry about than losing a sports scholarship to enter the university. Expulsion would turn Kim's goal on a franc once the principal officially acknowledged it on paper.
Since that fateful afternoon, Kim has made sure to put as much distance between himself and Nathaniel as much as possible. Although he still felt bad about how he acted towards his only friend, the red-haired male had started to become more open about his feelings and learning to use the word 'no' when someone wanted him to do a 'little favor'.
When Friday morning rolled around, Chloe entered the first class wearing the latest fashion trend with Sabrina right behind her with a starry-eyed look. Did that also include a winded speech about how Queen Bee will become the greatest clothing line and Marinette still being a rival? Probably not. On the other hand, she apparently went to the principal's office and showed him documents that were related to the derby hat competition: sketches, text messages and social media posts with time stamps, etc. Everything Marinette had suggested when the whole Lila situation had reared its ugly head.
However, the principal would have to take the evidence up with Mr. Agreste and see what happens. Apparently Lila had claimed to have not been feeling well when she was designing her hat, so it was possible that she has no recollection of what happened.
Marinette felt like gagging after hearing the gossip from Alya. While she adored her friend, she wanted the girl to think outside of the box and pinpoint where the source came from, as well as do research on this so-called 'hallucination disease'. The reincarnated teen just hoped Alya would take it into consideration once Lila was officially disqualified in light of the new evidence and Chloe crowned the competition's rightful victor. While it would still a feather to put on her proverbial cap, Queen Bee wouldn't be happy with the outcome.
After all, what's the point in savoring a victory when you couldn't even beat your rival?
In retrospect the week ended on a good note. Marinette spent Saturday and Sunday helping around the bakery or running errands. When Monday morning arrived, however, she felt a throbbing pain pulsing in the back of her mind upon awakening to her phone's shrill alarm. Blinking, the teen turned it off by sliding a finger across the screen before placing that same hand over her forehead. It was warm. She felt warm. Marinette swore silently under her breath.
Terrific. Why is that when something good happens to me, there's a flipside to it all? Releasing a low groan, Marinette pushed the comforter off and slid out of the bed. Try as she might to tread silently in the room to prepare for the day, Tikki had still woken up. "Mari? Is everything okay?"
Today's outfit wasn't really anything special; a white tee embroidered with cherry blossoms, grey pants and matching trousers. Marinette tried to act indifferent as she pulled out some sneakers from the closet. "No worries, Tikki. Just feeling a bit under the weather."
Upon finishing that sentence, she released a loud cough. It seemed like hearing such a hoarse sound switched on an alarm bell in Tikki's groggy mind as the little spirit suddenly seemed more awake than a few moments ago. Levitating in the air the spotted kwami quickly flew over to her owner as Marinette proceeded to tie her shoes.
"Marinette, you really don't look that well! Maybe you should stay at home and rest? Surely your parents and the school would understand if you need to take a day off to rest -"
"I can't miss class, Tikki. It's bad enough that my attendance has been less than stellar these last few weeks." The teen grumbled, fumbling with tightening the string of the right sneaker. When she was sure that it wouldn't cause her to stumble down the stairs, Marinette grabbed her backpack and went through the trapdoor leading to the living room. She greeted Tom and Sabine with a small smile, grabbing an apple from the fruit basket for a light breakfast and bid them good—bye.
However, whether it was still possessing a keen eye or simply motherly intuition, Sabine prevented her from walking out of the bakery with a stern frown. Pulling Marinette back into their living room, she had the young girl sit on the couch before disappearing for a few moments. The family matriarch returned with a thermometer and had Marinette keep it in her mouth for two minutes. Once the allotted time was up, Sabine took it out and clicked her tongue as narrowed almond-colored orbs fell upon Marinette.
"Just as I thought, you're sick. I'll call the school and let them know you're not coming in today," Sabine sighed, running a hand through Marinette's bangs. "You should've told me that you weren't feeling well instead of trying to go to class like this."
The aspiring designer smiled sheepishly. "I know, but I really thought I'd be all right to at least go today and call in sick tomorrow -" Marinette's sentence was cut off by another loud cough, causing the older woman to step back a bit. Sabine shook her head.
"Be that as it may, you should take into consideration of your other classmates if they had gotten sick too. I'll bring up some lunch for you in a little while. In the meantime, just get some rest. That includes no studying."
Marinette gaped. "B-But Mom - !"
"I'm not hearing it, Marinette Dupain-Cheng. You march back up to your room and relax." The raven-haired teen flinched at the steely undertone in Sabine's voice before she reluctantly walked back up to her room. Tikki, who had been pretending to be a stuffed animal on Marinette's bed, instantly dropped the facade when her wide, confused bluebell eyes fell upon her owner.
The teen explained what had happened as she walked behind the changing screen, switching up today's selection from a fashionably practical outfit to a pair of house clothes that consisted of stretchy lavender pants and a tee with an iris printed on the front. Once she finished changing Marinette laid back on the bed, arms stretched out and staring up at the ceiling with a pout.
"So much for going to school today," Marinette grumbled. "Guess I can text Alya or Chloe to see if I can borrow their notes so I can catch up on what I've missed -"
"You're supposed to be resting, Mari! School can wait!"
"I am not going to be held back in my studies on top of losing sleep, Tikki." The secret superhero retorted, grabbing her phone off of the dresser and tapping the screen. It happened before in my last life, and I am not going to have those mistakes being repeated. Marinette added in the back of her mind. Just because I am 'destined' to save the world from some elusive villain in this life that doesn't mean I can't slack off and achieve a general education. I want to at least have the chance to go to a university!
Tikki sighed heavily as she watched her owner fiddle with that electronic device in her hands, knowing all too well what Marinette wasn't going to heed her advice. If there's one extraordinary trait that this human possesses, it's a stubborn streak that would at least be a mile wide. It's all well and good to have some priorities straight, but you also need to listen to your body if it requires rest! The kwami shook her head. Guess it'll be up to me to make sure she doesn't overdo it unless her mother decides to instill some fear into Mari so that she'll listen.
And that was what happened for the rest of the morning as the time slowly ticked by; Tikki looked after Marinette, occasionally using a tiny bit of magic to keep the sheets dry and the temperature in the bedroom comfortable enough for her owner to sleep. She could only hope that Hawk Moth didn't find another victim to help him steal the Miraculouses today. A sick Ladybug would spell out disaster, even if Tikki would be able to alleviate some of the illness after fusing with the Ladybug Earrings.
Marinette did try to do some 'light' studying - at least for an hour - but her attempt was inevitably defeated by a pointed look from Tikki. She wasn't in the mood to scroll through social media and had already caught up with her manga reading list over the weekend. So the only other option she had was to venture in a different genre of books to read. Fortunately Marinette had enough books she borrowed from the library to familiarize herself more with Paris' history. Today's selection was The Gilded Cage: Rise and Fall of Versailles. Who honestly would have thought that the construction of an opulent palace in uninhabitable marshlands sparked a revolution that transformed France's government to what it was today? Well, maybe it wasn't too surprising; Marinette knew first-hand just how destructive human greed could be, whether it was fighting over riches, territory, and even a pink-colored marble that housed an unspeakable power. Nonetheless, Versailles was definitely one of the top three places on Marinette's sightseeing agenda over the winter holidays.
Question is, why am I sick? There hasn't been anything going around, at least that I know about. Stress? Marinette frowned, tearing her gaze from the book and to glance up at the ceiling. Or is it a sign of something else? Maybe...no, that can't be it. How is it even possible? I had used every ounce of my spiritual power to protect everyone within the vicinity of the Final Battle, or pretty damn near close to it. It shouldn't be possible that I've gotten them back after all of these years. Being acutely aware of other energies is one thing, but coming out of a dormant state? No. It's already strange enough that I even have the memories from my previous life. The aspiring artist huffed. Maybe I'm thinking too much about this. I should just try to relax so I can go back to school tomorrow. Rolling over onto her side, she marked her place in The Gilded Cage and closed her eyes, allowing sleep to take a hold of her.
Alya looked at the directions on her phone and then back up at the sign above a quaint little shop. "Yup, there's no doubt. This has gotta be the place. It's kinda cool that she lives in a bakery, actually. I wonder if she gets to sample stuff before they're for sale? I'll have to ask her next time."
Pocketing her phone, the auburn—haired girl strolled towards the door and opened it. Upon entering she heard a little bell chime and was greeted by a cheery mustached man in an apron. "Welcome! How can I help you today?"
Hazel orbs blinked once, then twice before the young girl smiled sheepishly. "Oh, I'm not here to get anything. I'm actually here to drop off Marinette's homework. She texted me earlier and asked if I could bring them by on my way home." The man - who introduced himself as Tom - shook his head in disbelief.
"Even when she's sick, being on top of her schoolwork is all that child worries about."
"I know the feeling, Mr. Dupain-Cheng. I can't tell you how many times I've tried to invite her out for a snack after school and keep getting rejected so she can prepare for a test or something." Seeing the downtrodden expression on his face, Alya quickly added. "But don't worry, I haven't given up yet! One way or another that girl is gonna learn to at least have some fun!"
Tom smiled. "I'm glad Mari has a friend like you to watch over her. Can I get you anything before you take off? It'll be on the house!"
"Thanks, but I'll have to take a raincheck. I need to look after my siblings once they get home from school, and I just came to drop off the stuff Marinette asked for. I'll definitely try some next time. It's nice to finally meet you, Mr. Dupain-Cheng!" Alya waved good-bye and exited the bakery.
After talking to Marinette's father, Alya found herself being renewed with determination. She wanted her friend to grow. If not as a potential fashion designer or however she wanted to ultimately become, then at least have that girl view the world beyond the spine of textbooks and those flashcards she always carried with her.
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