This "short" story is the reason my Mayfly updates have been taken so long. I've been working on this since, like, December.

Anyways, this is Alyanette, which was a surprise since I usually go DJWifi. And as usual, not canon for Loveater or anything after. And no superheroes before Ladybug and Chat Noir (but the NY special isn't canon anyway, for some reason, so.)


When I Grow Up

Alya was three when she was first introduced to the concept of a superhero.

It was, of course, a kids cartoon. It was one of many kid shows her parents put on to keep her occupied, but something about this one show grabbed Alya's attention. It wasn't long before she was asking to watch this show all day long, and all her gifts that Christmas were merch from the show.

And then she found another superhero show to obsess over. And another.

Eventually she was old enough for books, and age appropriate comic books, and she ate them up quicker than her parents could buy them.

The first creative writing assignment for school, Alya wrote about superheroes. And again for the next one. And the next one.

There was a point in time where all of Alya's shirts were superhero shirts. Her seventh birthday, she got a large poster to hang up on her wall. She treated every gym class like superhero training, played pretend at recess, even started an unofficial superhero club with her classmates. She was obsessed - and her friends never made fun of her for it. After all, it made recess fun and even lunch fun. Her teachers saw it as inspiration for growing creatively, encouraging the superhero stories and play time.

"You're superhero stories are so interesting!" Her teacher said, with a bright smile. "But you have so much more potential. For this next assignment, perhaps you could focus on what makes a hero a hero?"

Alya nodded, eager to respond to the challenge. Especially one from her teacher, who was so great!

And then she switched schools.


Alya was nine when it happened. It was the middle of the school year, when everyone in her year at school had already formed their friend groups with no room left for a new girl.

And the new teacher was mean. She didn't let Alya fidget in class, or believe Alya when she complained of headaches, and docked points off of assignments for sloppy handwriting.

"But if I don't write fast the ideas will be gone!" Alya argued to her mom, the third time she failed an assignment due to her handwriting.

"How about this, then," her mom replied. "You write it down first, fast and sloppy, and then you go back and write it neater, okay?"

Alya nodded. "Okay."

But as mean as the teacher was, the students slowly became worst. There was Lena, who always commented on Alya's hair no matter how she wore it, and her "kids" shirts.

"You're so immature," Lena would sneer whenever Alya would bring up superheroes.

Or sometimes it would be, "go play with the boys if you're into that type of thing." Which was ridiculous, Alya knew, because back at her old school she had both girl and boy friends.

She missed her old school and her old friends.

There was Tasha, who liked to play pretend, too, but always made Alya play the bad guy, or the sidekick, or "that funny guy every show has."

And then there was Tom, who always ran into Alya or tripped her or made her spill her lunch. He threw stuff at her - and the other students - and laughed when she got annoyed.

Once, Alya picked up the pencil thrown at her and threw it back. She got a warning. Tom didn't.

At lunch, Alya sat at the end of the table with a girl named Zahra. Zahra's family lived next door to Alya's, and Zahra's mom, Ms Shilpa, was good friends with Alya's mom. Zahra herself was friendly, but she was shy and fell quiet at lunch.

"Zahra has sensory issues," Mrs Shilpa explained once. "She can't hear well when there's lots of noise. She's not trying to be mean."

Alya respected that, or at least she tried, but it left her without anything to do at lunch. Soon, she started sneaking in comic books to read.

Three days later, it was snatched out of her hands by a classmate called Kelsey.

"Lunch lady Roberts!" Kelsey called. "Alya's bringing reading materials to lunch!"

"It's just a comic book!" Alya argued.

But Ms Roberts didn't care, and that was the end of that.


"I'm sorry school's been rough for you," Alya's mom said.

Alya was face down on her bed, her brain not cooperating enough for her to do her homework. She was feeling beat up after Tom had tripped her on the blacktop, and now her favorite jeans were ripped - something Lena had spent the rest of the day pointing out. Kelsey had tried to get Alya in trouble again after she "yelled" at Tom, but the teacher overseeing recess had been more concerned with her bleeding knee and sent her to the nurse instead of scolding her.

"You know, there is a superhero with a similar story," Alya's mom continued.

That perked her up.

"Really?" Alya asked, turning to her side so she could see her mom.

"Really," her mom continued. "Her name is Sky Sheppard. You should look her up sometime."


Sky Sheppard, AKA Blue Falcon, was a character in a teenage superhero show, based off of a larger superhero franchise. And Alya became obsessed.

Naturally, she dragged Zahra into her obsession, and the two would race to get homework done so they could watch it together.

The premise of the show was simple. Sky was teenaged girl going to school, who in the pilot found and nursed a magical bird named Lunae back to power. In return, when the villains attacked Sky's town, Lunae gave her superpowers and she became the Blue Falcon. Of course, she had to keep her identity secret, so no one in her school knew.

Instead, she was teased in school - for being a nerd, or wearing glasses, or wearing "boy clothes" or being clumsy. She did have two friends - Celyn, tech genius who would later become the Red Parrot, and Holly, the girl who lived next door and was the first to learn Sky's secret.

"If you become a superhero," Alya's mom said. "You tell me first, okay? Me, not Zahra."

Alya nodded.

"Same with you, Zahra," Mrs Shilpa added.

When one of the episodes introduced a character with sensory issues just like Zahra, Zahra nearly squealed in delight.

And then came the episode on bullying.


"Mr Dark swears he never sees Lydia's bullying me," Sky whispered, leaning over the lunch table to talk to Celyn and Holly. "So I'm going to record it and prove it! Then, he'll be forced to do something!"

(Mr Dark and Lydia were the two villains of the show - Mr Dark the school's principal who was secretly the main supervillain, and Lydia the schoolyard bully who constantly made Sky's life hard.)

"I think I have some ideas on how to do that," Celyn said. "Meet me in my lab-"

"You mean you're room," Holly interjected.

"After school."

The three protagonists exchanged a firm nod before the scene changed.

"Would that work?" Alya wondered.

Her mom paused her work in the kitchen. "Would what work?"

"Recording a bully, to prove he's a bully," Alya answered.

"It might," her mom answered. "Why?"

"If I took proof to the principal, that Tom was pushing and tripping us, he would have to do something, wouldn't he?"

"There's definitely a chance," her mom agreed. She walked up to the couch and ruffled Alya's hair. "Would you like to try?"


Alya had wanted to use her dad's fancy camera, but that had been shot down immediately. Instead, her mom took her to the store to buy a cheap camera.

And she recorded everything.

Every push, every shove, every thrown object. It was undeniable proof that Tom was bullying her.

"You can't actually believe that's going to work," Lena said, watching her with her stony blue eyes.

"Don't come crying to me when it fails," Tasha scolded.

"You're going to get in so much trouble," Kelsey warned.

But none of them tried to stop her. Not even Kelsey, who loved getting other students in trouble.

"Maybe they want him to get in trouble too," Zahra suggested, as she and Alya watched as Lena and Kelsey obviously gossiped about them.

"Maybe."


Alya was going to do this politely, like Sky always did. Her mom, however, had different plans.

Marlena Cesaire stormed into the school, Zahra and Alya behind her, and marched right up to the principal's office.

"Ms Cesaire," the principal greeted. "So good to see you."

"Uh huh," she said. "Last time we talked, you said you couldn't punish a student for bullying without proof. Well, my daughter has proof, so you better do something about it now."

Alya ended up getting detention for recording without other student's consent, but Tom was suspended for the rest of the school year and it was so worth it.

(Lena also got detention for something Alya had accidentally caught her saying, but for some reason she didn't hold a grudge.)

There were only two more weeks left in the school year, but they were the best Alya had had at that school. Tasha was more willing to play as equals during recess, Lena no longer constantly called Alya childish, and Kelsey seemed satisfied to ignore her.

It was great.

During those two weeks, Alya and Zahra grew even closer, and Alya started developing a sign language for them to use at lunch. It was almost finished, too, when summer rolled around.

"Next year is going to be great!" Alya said, bumping shoulders with Zahra as they left school for the last time that year.


The next teacher Alya had was older, with gray hair and glasses and a stern expression, but Alya didn't let that scare her.

It was going to be a better year. Lena had approached Alya almost right away, whispering that Tom had switched schools completely, and giving Alya a timid thanks. Plus Alya now had glasses, so she shouldn't get headaches as bad. Unfortunately, Tasha wasn't in her class, and just as she was starting to consider her a friend, but Zahra still was and that was the important thing.

"Alright," the teacher announced. "We're going to go around the room, and introduce ourselves and what we want to be when we grow up. You, on the corner, you start."

Alya was in the second row, second from the end, next to Zahra, so it was some time before it got to her. Kelsey was the only student Alya recognized in the first row, and she wanted to be a police officer.

"I want to be a cook," Zahra answered shyly when it was her turn.

The teacher made a note and looked expectedly at Alya.

"Hi. I'm Alya, and when I grow up, I want to be a superhero."

The class stifled laughs.

"But superheroes aren't real!" Someone called out.

"Even if they were, you couldn't be one," someone who very much had not spoken to Alya before added.

"Everyone, shh," the teacher said. "Next."

When everyone finished, the teacher made one last note before standing up. "Now, the reason I had all of you do that is because your first writing project of the year is going to be interviewing someone who is what you want to be when you grow up. Now, you may change your answer if they're hard to work with-" with that, the teacher glanced at Alya. "Or if you change your mind."

But Alya wasn't going to change her mind.


It was winter when it happened.

Alya and Zahra were bundled up on the couch, forgotten hot chocolate in their hands, as the penultimate episode of that season played out before their eyes.

Blue Falcon was at the edge of the cliff, two bad guys standing over her with weapons drawn and aimed. Holly and Celyn were too far away.

The tension was killing Alya and Zahra - and even Nora, who was caught in the action from where she stood in the kitchen, the snack she was after forgotten. How would Blue Falcon get out of this?

"Surrender!" One of the bad guys demanded.

"Never," Blue Falcon snarled.

"Tell us where you hid it!" The bad guy demanded. "Or it's game over for you."

"No. It's game over for you."

Trumpets blared as a new character appeared, surrounded by an aura of light as she landed, cape flowing and hands on her hips.

"Who's that?" Alya asked.

Her mom looked up from her book. "Oh, that Majestia. She's from a different series."

The two bad guys turned, eyes wide at the sight of Majestia.

"We'd like to surrender now," one of them squeaked.

"She's cool," Alya said, with similarly wide eyes.


Majestia returned the next episode, to help the heroes finally put an end to Mr Dark's reign of darkness.

"Thank you for being willing to help with such a small scale problem," Sky said, as she and Majestia left the planning meeting. "I know you usually handle much bigger threats."

"No threat is too small for me!" Majestia said. "After all, it's like I always say-"


"That's three," Kelsey said, leaning over the bus aisle to interrupt the conversation between Tasha and Alya.

"Three what?" Alya asked.

"Three times you've referenced that Majestia," Kelsey said.

"So?"

"Just saying," Kelsey said.

"I think Kels is just jealous she hasn't seen the new episodes," Tasha said.

"I don't even watch that stupid show!" Kelsey argued. "What's so great about superheroes anyway? They don't even exist in real life."

"But wouldn't it be cool if they did?" Alya asked, dramatically looking out the bus window.

"Kels, you're going to get in trouble," Lena said, in the seat besides Kelsey. "Pull your feet back."

"You know," Tasha said, "my mom always says: superheroes may not be real, but the concepts they embody are."

"Isn't that what she said about Santa Claus?" Kelsey asked.

"Yeah, so?"

"I like that quote," Alya said. "But what does embody mean?"

"I - uhh, I don't know."

"It means encapsulates," the kid in the seat behind them said.

"Yeah... and what does that mean?"


"Alright, Alya, you're next."

Alya stood up from her seat, presentation notes in her hand, and headed to the front of the class. Zahra gave her an enthusiastic thumbs up, and Kelsey held up the camera Alya had asked her to record on.

"When I grow up, I want to be a superhero," Alya started. "But superheroes don't exist - yet - so I had to choose something else. But just because superheroes don't exist doesn't mean you can't come close, so while there's no job for me interview, there's someone who's close to a superhero in my life.

"I choose to do my presentation on my mom, because she's many things I want to be when I grow up. She's strong - constantly carrying heavy plates and dishes for work, wrestling with my sisters and I. She's intelligent - she's constantly helping me and my sisters with homework. She's loving, and I know I can come to her with any problems. And while I don't want to be cook, I do hope to bring the effish - the efficiency and confidence to whatever job I do end up. This is why I chose to interview her."

Alya shuffled her papers, finding the sheet with her mom's answers, and continued on.

When she was, the class clapped politely, as required by the teacher, and she sat down.

"Well, that's not what I meant when I gave the assignment," the teacher said. "But it aligns with what I said, and it was well thought out and well given. Good job, Alya. Zahra, you're next."


(Zahra also did her presentation on Alya's mom, who was the reason she wanted to be a cook in the first place.)


Alya, Tasha, and Zahra were enjoying a visit to the park in the fresh spring weather when Zahra broke the news.

"What do you mean you're moving?" Alya asked.

"My dad got a good job in England," Zahra said, picking at the grass below her hand. "We're leaving once the school year is over."

"So you won't be here next year?" Tasha asked.

Zahra shook her head.

"But, but - but school will be so awful without you there!" Alya complained.

"I know, I don't know what I'll do without you," Zahra replied. "But we can keep in contact! I'll write you both letters every week."

"Yes, please do," Tasha said. "I'm getting a phone for my birthday, so if you ask your parents for one, we can text! I'll let Alya borrow mine."

"Yes, and in the meantime," Alya said, standing up to make her proclamation, "we'll make this the best school year ever!"


"What do you mean you're moving?" Tasha asked, clearly having run over to Alya's house from the other side of the neighborhood, phone still in her hand.

"I know, right?" Alya complained, throwing her hands up for emphasis. "I can't believe they're dragging me to Paris! Paris! I don't know anyone in Paris!"

Alya moved to the living room, Tasha kicking off her shoes before following in. They plopped on the couch together.

"When are you moving?" Tasha asked.

"In a week," Alya said. "Dad will stay to make sure our stuff gets packed up and moved, but mom needs to be at her new job by Monday, and she wants to make sure we all start school in the same school we stay in."

"Then stay here," Tasha begged.

"I would if I could," Alya replied. "But it's fine! We can stay in contact-"

"Like you did with Zahra?" Tasha asked.

"I'm still in contact with Zahra," Alya argued.

"Really? Then why is she always texting me to check in on you?"

"Because you're really nosy," Alya replied, playfully shoving at Tasha.

"Am not," Tasha replied. "You're the one who's constantly recording everything."

"What does that have to do with anything?"

Tasha snickered, which made Alya laugh, which made Tasha laugh.

"I will miss you though," Tasha said.

"I'll miss you too," Alya replied. "But you'll be fine. You've got April and Tim in class with you again this year."

"Oh they're fun. But they're not nerds like you."

"No one is like me."

"And we're all thankful for that," Nora chimed in as she crossed the living room.

Alya threw a pillow at her.

"Paris isn't that far away," Tasha said. "Maybe you can come back sometime? Maybe when that new movie comes out?"

"Oh yeah, no way you're seeing a Majestia movie without me," Alya confirmed. "I'll be back."


New school, once again, but Alya was determined not to let it daunt her.

Francois Dupoint, despite the city it resided in, was not much bigger than her old school. It had a lot more stairs - not a problem for Alya, who always did her best to stay fit, but surely a problem for some of the students - and it was, somehow, noisier.

Her new teacher, Ms Bustier, was nice, if a bit younger than most of Alya's previous teachers.

Even with her glasses, Alya preferred sitting in the front row. It was so much easier to see the board from the front, and she didn't have to look over the shoulders of fidgeting students.

A lot of the students seemed to know each other already - but Alya was not letting that bother her. A girl in pink squealed at seeing that a girl dressed in black was in her class again. A very tall boy pumped his fists when a shorter boy in a green shirt walked in. A girl with pink hair tried to talk a boy with red hair into sitting next to her.
And then a girl with pigtails walked in, and sat down by herself.

Alya watched her for a moment. She didn't look like she was expecting a friend to walk in, nor was she scanning the arrived students for familiar faces. Alya debated sitting by her - she looked lonely.

And then Chloe happened.

There really was one in every school, wasn't there? Alya seethed as she watched Chloe talk to the girl with pigtails. Acting like she owned the school, like she could boss all of the students around - and picking on the girl without any friends.

Barely thinking, Alya stood up, stormed up to the two girls, grabbed the girl with the pigtail's hand, and pulled her out of the line of fire.
The girl introduced herself as Marinette.

Marinette listened as Alya described Majestia and her love for comic books. It wasn't a shared interest, but she listened. And when Marinette started talking fashion, Alya listened as well.

It felt like the start of a beautiful friendship.


Ladybug.

Actual superhero Ladybug.

Alya was trembling with excitement. An actual superhero. Ladybug. Superheroes in Paris!

Her mom was less impressed. "We need to be more careful now that there's this threat. Maybe Alya should switch schools, since Stoneheart was one of her classmates. Or at least, switch teachers."

"What? No!" Alya argued. "But I've already made a friend! And I - I don't think she has a lot of other friends, and I don't want to abandon her-"

"Okay, okay," her mom relented. "But be careful."

"I will! I promise!"


(Alya was not careful. But she did catch a lot of the battle on her camera.)


Something changed in Paris after that. It was subtle, and yet Alya - who had just moved to Paris - could feel it.

People whispered, excitably and nervously, all throughout the school. Hawkmoth and Ladybug and Chat Noir and heroes and did you get turned into a Stoneheart?

Alya was thrumming with excitement. It was like a dream come true! Superheroes were real, she had talked to one, she had to tell Tasha and Zahra and find Lena's number to rub it in her face -

And Marinette! She couldn't wait to tell Marinette!

But Marinette had changed, also. There was a fire in her eyes that hadn't been there yesterday.

So they sat, not in the front row, but the second row from the front, refusing to budge when Chloe walked in.

And as Alya watched her new friend, she started to feel flutters in her heart.


"What do you want to be when you grow up?"

Adrien shrugged. Nino talked film. Chloe huffed, Sabrina wanted to be like her father. Alix also shrugged, and Mylene mentioned acting. Marinette, of course, wanted to be a designer.

"A journalist," Alya said confidently, and then it was Ivan's turn.

"But Alya, you already are a journalist," Marinette whispered.

"What was I supposed to say?" Alya asked. "A superhero?"

"It's possible," Marinette said, poking Alya's arm. "And you would make an amazing superhero."

Alya did her best not to blush.

"What about you?" She countered. "You're practically one already, always standing up to Chloe."

Now it was Marinette's turn to blush.

"It's nothing," she mumbled.

"Nonsense," Adrien said, turning around in his seat to face them. "You're amazing, Marinette!"


Adrien.

Alya liked Adrien, she did, but she also hated him.

One nice moment with Adrien, and Marinette was head over heels for him. Always giving him heart eyes, always making presents, always always Adrien this and that.

So Alya supported her, she did her best. Because Marinette was her friend, her best friend, and she deserved to be happy. And Alya wanted to make Marinette happy.


"This is amazing, girl!" Alya said, holding up the t-shirt to herself.

"You like it?" Marinette asked.

"I love it!"

Marinette was amazing, as always. Not only had she come up with a design for a Ladyblog shirt, she had figured out how to make into an actual, tangible shirt. Alya's blog had a shirt now!

"I was so worried-"

"Stop," Alya said. "You shouldn't have worried, this is perfect! I can't wait to wear it tomorrow!"

"Wear it out? To class?" Marinette said.

"Yes! It's awesome! You are amazing, you know?"

"Thanks."


It was bound to happen eventually.

That's what Alya told herself, sitting nervously on the couch, trying to trust Ladybug.

It was bound to happen eventually.

Alya had already been akumatized. It was painless, if a bit embarrassing. Nothing bad would happen.

It was bound to happen eventually.

It wasn't her fault. People just got akumatized now.

It was bound to happen eventually.

Had she been to harsh on the twins? Was it her fault? Was there something she could've done, to protect them better? Was she the reason her little sisters had been targeted by Hawkmoth.

No. It was bound to happen eventually. She had been perfectly reasonable, and sometimes that just caused akumas. This was the world they lived in now.

The fact that it happened on Alya's watch was just bad luck.

Right?

Alya felt like the worst sister in the world.

What was she going to tell her parents? Maybe she shouldn't call them until after it was over, when she could reassure them that the twins were completely safe.

They were completely safe, right?

She could trust Ladybug. Of course she could. This was no different than any other Akuma - except that this akuma was her sisters.

And there was nothing Alya could do but wait.

Alya sighed. She didn't want to wait - she wanted to help. But what could she do?

It sucked, just waiting like this. Alya felt so powerless, so useless. If only there was something she could do-

And that's when Ladybug showed up.


"- and most of all, trustworthy!"

Trixx had a point. Alya had known the conditions when Ladybug had given her the miraculous. How could she claim to be a superhero when she broke that trust?

Being a superhero was more than having superpowers. If Alya wanted live up to her own expectations, she needed to do the right thing.

And give Ladybug the miraculous back.


Keeping a secret identity was hard.

Alya's first instinct was to tell Marinette - to tell her best friend, sitting across from her on the couch, who she never thought she could keep a secret from.

(Except for that one secret.)

Her second instinct was to tell her parents. She told her parents everything, how could she just not mention this?

Her third instinct was to text Zahra. Her fourth to talk to Nino when they ended up as partners during a project the next day. Her fifth -

Well, the point is, she wanted to tell someone.

How did Ladybug do it? Was it true that no one knew her identity? Alya had only been a hero for one battle and she was bursting at the seems to tell someone.

"Do you think Ladybug's lonely?" Alya asked Marinette, as they packed up for class.

"Huh? What makes you ask that?"

"Well, no one knows her identity, right? Wouldn't that be lonely?"

Marinette paused for a moment. "I guess I never thought about it. I mean, she's probably fine, she has Chat Noir, right? And that new hero too - Rena Rouge was it?"

"Yeah but - I don't know, it was just a thought."

Alya turned to put her notebook in her bag, and when she looked back up, Marinette was still watching her.

"What?"

"Nothing," Marinette said, shaking her head. "I just think it's nice that there's someone who thinks of things like that."


Alya was in the middle of a really good Majestia fanfic that Zahra had sent her when she heard the knock on her window.

Ladybug waited outside, and when Alya opened the window, she ducked in and gave a big smile.

"Want to go on patrol with me?"

"Patrol?" Alya repeated. "You mean, just - patrol. With you. Yes!"


"Patrol" was a strong word.

As far as Alya could tell, they weren't actually watching for anything. Instead, she and Ladybug raced over the rooftops, enjoying the cold night air and the physical boost the miraculous gave them.

Eventually, they came to a stop at the top of the Eiffel Tower, with all of Paris sprawled out under them.

Alya let out a laugh as she sat down, feet swinging over the edge. "This was fun!"

"It was," Ladybug agreed. "It's always nice, getting to go out when there's no akuma attack."

Alya nodded. This was her first time transformed that didn't include an akuma or some other emergency. As much as Alya enjoyed helping during akuma battles, this was something else.

And beside her, was Ladybug. Just sitting there, enjoying the night.

"How are you enjoying being a hero?" Ladybug asked, eyes still watching the sky.

"It's amazing," Alya replied. "I - it's what I wanted to be for as long as I can remember. And doing it here, with you-"

Ladybug blushed and giggled.

"No, seriously, you're amazing," Alya continued. "I hope you know that."

"You're pretty awesome yourself," Ladybug replied, looking at Alya. "I've enjoyed having you as backup recently."

Now it was Alya's turn to blush.

"Well, I'm always willing to help," she stammered out. "Whenever you need me, Ladybug."


"Pound it!"

Chat Noir's timer beeped, and Ladybug and Viperion left to take his miraculous, leaving Alya to detransform and wait on the street.

Hawkmoth had been brutal, sending akumas one after another. Alya was exhausted, as was Trixx, who laid down on Alya's knee and fell asleep immediately. Alya did her best to stay awake as she waited for Ladybug, but nodded off as well.

She woke up when Ladybug landed in front of her.

"Tired?" Ladybug teased.

Alya yawned. "A little." She judged Trixx awake, and raised her arms to take off her miraculous.

"Actually, I was thinking," Ladybug said, "that maybe you should keep it, for now."

Alya froze, hands on the clasp. Keep her miraculous?

"You've been a big help," Ladybug continued. "I'd like to know that I can count on you for backup regardless of whether I can get away or not."

Alya's hands were still on the clasp, and she slowly pulled them away. "Did Viperion keep his too?"

"No, just you," Ladybug replied. "You've been fighting the longest - I've known you the longest, I trust you the most. And this - this is an experiment, so, one at a time."

"And you chose me?"

"Of course." Ladybug said it like it was obvious.

Alya's mind was still not processing.

"You don't have to show up to every battle," Ladybug continued. "But keep an eye out for when Chat and I seem to be struggling, or if there's a lot of civilians in the line of fire, or-"

Alya could keep her miraculous. Ladybug was letting Alya keep her miraculous, because she trusted her.

Alya leaped off the bench and wrapped her arms around Ladybug.

"Thank you I won't let you down!"


Alya took another sip of her coffee. Her mom said she was too young for a caffeine dependency, but she had been up all night dealing with a difficult akuma.

Next to her, Marinette's head dipped again. Alya elbowed her, and Marinette jolted awake.

"Are you alright, girl?" Alya whispered.

"'mfine," Marinette slurred. "Just - sleep - night."

I know why I'm tired, Alya thought, watching Marinette's chin hit her chest. But why are you?

Alya nudged her again. "Have you been getting any sleep recently?"

"Wha - yeah! I just - had homework - and-"

Alya sighed and nudged Marinette awake again.

"Akuma?" Marinette muttered.

"No, just class," Alya said. "Are you sure you're alright?"


The next day, Marinette feel asleep on her lunch. The next, during science class with Mendeleev. So the following morning, Alya showed up at Marinette's place with a demand.

"Skip school?" Marinette asked.

"You need to sleep!" Alya said. "Or do something. You look like you're minutes from falling apart, girl."

And it wasn't just the impromptu naps. Her grades were falling, her clothes were messier, she was more emotional - something was going on.

Marinette considered her for a moment. "I didn't know it was that noticeable."

"You're worrying me," Alya admitted. "I care a lot about you, Marinette. You're my friend - please take care of yourself."

"I - okay."


Marinette brought macaroons for Alya the next day.

"I feel a lot better," she admitted, as Alya stuffed her face with the sweets. "Thank you."

"Of course," Alya said, around a mouthful of macaroons. "I love you, girl."

Alya meant it casually - or, at least, meant to say it casually - but Marinette blushed all the same.


The two of them had collapsed on Alya's bed together, "working" on their homework. Marinette had to finish a proposal for the school council, Alya an article for the school newspaper.

But they were actually watching the Majestia movie, which had finally come out to streaming. Marinette wasn't as familiar with the lore as Alya was, so Alya found herself explaining it.

"You definitely know your Majestia trivia," Marinette teased. "Wha - did she just - that would never work in real life?"

"It's not supposed to be real life," Alya pointed out. "It's a superhero movie."

"Yeah, but there are superheroes in real life," Marinette said.

"Not when this movie was made," Alya said. "It premiered only a couple weeks after Ladybug made her first appearance."

"I guess that's fair," Marinette mumbled. "Now, why would you do that, when she could've just-"

Alya laughed as Marinette continued to judge the battle choreography of the movie.

"What?" Marinette asked.

"Nothing," Alya replied. "I just like hearing you so passionate."

Marinette blushed and muttered something under her breath.

"Ooh, you don't want to miss this part-" Alya said, pulling Marinette out of her muttering.

"Oh is this the move from the trailers?"

"No, better. Just watch it."


"I'm Ladybug."

That was not what Alya was expecting Marinette to say.

She hadn't really expected Marinette to say anything at all.

Marinette had called, stressed and near a break down, and Alya had come over in hopes of helping. She had been sorting pages of homework that had been thrown around, salvaging half-made sewing projects, when Marinette said that.

Alya glanced back at Marinette. Her legs were curled up next to her chest, and she was watching Alya with wide eyes.

She wasn't joking.
It made sense, Alya realized as she watched Marinette. It made a lot of sense, really. Ladybug and Marinette - the same determination, same creativity, the same ability to inspire others.

The same feelings in Alya's stomach whenever she was around them.

Why hadn't she seen it before?

"Alya?" Marinette asked, eyes still trained on her.

"I - okay. I'm just surprised - this is a lot to trust me with."

"I know. But I trust you."


Alya scanned over the heads of the crowd, looking for the specific Majestia cosplay her friend was wearing, in a sea of Majestias, Wonder Womans, and other similar heroes.

"See her yet?" Marinette asked, standing at Alya's side. The two had arrived early at the superhero convention, so they were one of the first inside the building.

Every once in a while, someone would pass by, point at Alya, and mutter something to their friends. Alya frequently heard the word "Ladyblogger" come from people's lips. It was nice to be recognized.

"Nope," Alya said, taking a break from standing on her toes. "Oh, wait, I think that's her - Tasha!"

Alya waved, and Tasha waved back before making her way through the crowd.

The two girls collided in hugs.

"Oh, I've missed you so much!" Tasha said, pulling away. "Wha - you're not in cosplay?"

"Didn't have time," Alya admitted. "Anyways, Tasha, this is my friend Marinette. Marinette, Tasha."

"Nice to finally meet you," Tasha said. "Alya's mentioned you several times."

"She's mentioned you a lot too. I like your cosplay, by the way. Did you sew it yourself?"

Alya grinned as her two friends hit it off, comparing their cosplays for the day. Tasha's Majestia cosplay was homemade, but well done, and Marinette looked amazing in her handmade Carapace costume.

"Oh, hey, it's the Ladyblogger!" Another passerby said. Alya gave him a wave.

"Ladyblogger?" Tasha repeated.

"Oh, Alya's blog," Marinette explained. "The Ladyblog? It's amazing, even the superheroes like it!"

Well, Ladybug might be a little biased, Alya mused.

"Oh, I heard you had another blog," Tasha said.

"This is her best," Marinette continued. "You should look it up, she's gotten some amazing footage-"

"I get lucky a lot," Alya said, shrugging and willing herself not to blush.

"Pfft," Tasha said. "I've seen your videos, before they had real life superheroes in them. You're more than lucky."


Hawkmoth was far too easy to beat.

Or maybe the heroes had gotten too good. All it had taken was one warning from Viperion, a cataclysm from Chat Noir, and a whatever his powers were from Roi Singe.

Alya didn't even do anything, watching as Ladybug grabbed the butterfly miraculous from Hawkmoth.

"Your reign of terror ends here," she announced, as Gabriel detransformed.

The next few minutes - hours? - were a blur. Cameras, police, more cameras, announcements by Ladybug, even more cameras, it never seemed to end.

"And will you be retiring now?" One reporter asked.

"I, uh-" Ladybug stammered, caught off guard from the question. "Not permanently. I will always be here for Paris. But I think a vacation is in order."


"Want to go with me on vacation?"

Alya blinked. "Go where?"

"I don't know yet," Marinette admitted.

Alya opened the door all the way, letting her into their apartment.

"But I was thinking," Marinette continued. "Just a day vacation. A free one, preferably. But we could use the horse miraculous and go anywhere-"

"I'm in," Alya said. "Who else is coming?"

"Oh, uh, I was only going to invite you." They had made it to the kitchen, and Alya opened the fridge to grab a drink for her and Marinette.

"Oh?" Alya asked. "I'm honored."

"Well, you've been a big help," Marinette said. "I don't know if I would've made it through all of - all of this - without you."

Alya handed Marinette a glass of orange drink and they sat down at the table.

"Anything for you, girl," Alya said. "Any place in particular?"

"I - have not thought that far in advance."

"Good," Alya decided. "You've done enough planning for a lifetime. Trixx, Tikki, any suggestions?


"All that is necessary for the triumph of evil is that good people do nothing."