Author's Notes: Sorry for such a late update, I have been busy with the holidays and slowly going back through this story to try and correct my work. Thank you all for your structured criticism and pointing out my mistakes so that I may fix them, let me know if I missed anything.
Ladybug and Rena Rouge landed on Alya's balcony. They had just finished up patrol and were getting ready to bring an end to Ladybug's miraculous birthday gift.
"Trixx let's rest." Rena said turning back into Alya then turning to Ladybug. "Do you have a few minutes before I hand Trixx back over to you?" She asked.
"If it's for an interview, I have to admit I am not in the mood." Ladybug replied honestly, she had not expected an argument with Chat and found it affecting her more than she should let it.
"It is but not the type you are thinking. I did an interview with Rena Rouge and wanted you to see and approve it before I post it." Alya explained feeling slightly awkward. She could tell there was some tension between Ladybug and Chat Noir tonight during patrol and felt kinda like a buffer. But she had faith that Paris's hero duo would solve whatever was going on between them; just as they solve everything else.
"Of course Alya I would be happy too." Ladybug said to the young reporter.
Alya smiled and walked over to her computer and pulled up the video. She then handed it over to Ladybug who hit play and proceeded to watch the interview with interest.
Alya watched Ladybug as the video played, but was confused by her reaction. Alya saw a mix of relief, guilt, and hurt cross over Ladybug's face.
Ladybug sighed when the video ended. "I like it and am okay with you posting it, but need to ask did Trixx have anything to do with discovering the truth about Lila?" She asked in a somewhat sad tone.
Alya was now really confused and concerned. "Yes, Trixx was looking over my blog and pointed a few thing out about Lila's interview that I should have noticed from the beginning. Why was she not supposed to that?" Alya asked almost panicked, Ladybug basically just confirmed that Lila's interview was a lie, so why was she upset about it.
"No! No its not that, its just... Well I had hoped that you would seek the truth out yourself." (Or would actually trust and listen to your best friend.) Ladybug explained in disappointment and was admittedly a bit envious of the little orange and white kwami.
"Is that why you did not confront Alya about Lila in the first place?" Trixx asked from her perch on Alya's shoulder, a piece of jerky in her hands.
That was a good question, one Alya had never even thought of. Why didn't Ladybug inform her that Lila was lying about being her best friend from the start?
Ladybug sighed and reminded herself that they can't know that she technically did try to do just that. "Thats part of the reason, in the beginning I confronted Lila about her behavior and had hoped Lila would come clean at some point. But all that did was get her akumatized and make her hate me. Then a friend of mine told me outing her might not be the best solution."
" Also I saw that your friend Marinette who had seen me confront Lila had already tried to point out her behavior to you..." Ladybug trailed off, she had not really ment to ramble on like that. But at least she didn't stutter, Alya might have actually have recognized her if she did that.
"Whoa whoa, back up are you saying you outed Lila in front of Marinette, and that is why she kept trying to warn me about Lila?" Alya recapped.
Ladybug nodded. "Adrien Agreste too. Marinette was hiding behind a trash can in the park across the way from your school. She trying to rescue a book from it without being seen by Adrien or Lila." She admitted with a light blush.
Alya's eyebrows shot up in suprise. Realization crossing her features as she realized what Ladybug was telling her actually lined up with what Marinette had mentioned to her the day Lila returned to school. Although Alya was pretty sure that Marinette never mentioned Ladybug showing up. No she got angry and threw a napkin at Lila almost taking out Max's eye in the process.
Alya almost slapped herself at that last thought. Max wears glasses and was no where near Lila when Marinette first threw the napkin. And even with out those facts in place; a paper napkin would be way too light to hurt someone much less take their eye out.
Why did Alya believe something so stupidly and noticeably fake? And why did the entire class flip on Marinette for such an obvious lie? Alya's back straightened as she instantly understood why the class blew up her phone this morning. Lila had been using the class as an indirect way to bully Marinette! Trixx was right this morning, Lila is a liar and manipulator.
"Alya?" Ladybug asked concerned as she saw her friend go from surprised to apprehensive to furious all in a matter of moments.
"Oh that lying witch is going to pay on Monday. How dare she manipulate and use the class to as a way to target my BFF, class rep, and one of the best people in Paris!" Alya shouted angrily. "Well best after you of course." She added calmly as an after thought.
Ladybug smiled happy to see that her best friend thinks so highly of her as both Marinette and Ladybug. But the smile quickly faded as exactly what new revelation Alya seems upset about was put in the forefront of her mind.
"Um maybe we should call this a night?" Trixx said cutting through the negative atmosphere. It was obvious that these two have a lot to work out. But Trixx's job is complete for the time being and it is getting late.
Ladybug and Alya both nodded but when Alya went to take off her miraculous she hesitated. "Um I am glad I got to spend some time with you, and I wish you could stick around. Not just because I like being a hero but because you seem to be able to get through my thick head and make me a better person." Alya said to Trixx.
Trixx smiled at her holder. "I am happy to have gotten some extra time with you as well. I'm sorry I ruined your birthday though." She replied.
"Not at all, I think this all needed to happen. Besides I am beginning to think birthdays in Paris are cursed anyways." Alya replied with a smile.
"What do you mean?" Ladybug inquired.
"Well Nino was akumtized into Bubbler to throw Adrien a party for his birthday. Marinette's Nona was akumtized into Befana and began attacking Marinette on her birthday. And even Miss Bustier was akumtized into Zombizou on her own birthday. I really think birthdays in Paris are cursed." Alya explained.
"Huh." Was the only response Ladybug could give to that probably accurate theory.
Chat Noir jumped into his window and dropped his transformation.
Plagg instantly zoomed into his mini fridge, devouring two slices of cheese in two big gulps before grabbing a third piece and sitting down on Adrien's desk to slowly savor the stinky dairy product.
Adrien began pacing back and forth, like an agitated cat. He knew he had overreacted about Ladybug not telling him about her injury, he just did not like it; but could accept it. However he can not shake the irritation that the whole thing could have been prevented all together.
Marinette had been so genuine when she agreed not to out Lila and had so far (outside of the events that led to her being expelled) had tried to follow that agreement. So what changed?
"Kid you need to calm down, Ladybug would have said something about the injury before hand if it was serious enough to impede her ability to fight. Besides she was right, you don't have to always take a hit for her to get her to safety." Plagg stated as he watched his holder continue to pace.
"Its not that Plagg, its Marinette. I thought she was going to take the high road, so not to cause any unnecessary Akumas. Ladybug got hurt today because she outed Lila to Alya!" Adrien explained in frustration.
"Okay, first of all I need more cheese to deal with this. Second I am pretty sure Pigtails had nothing to do with what happened today. Lastly your advice to 'take the high road' was the worst advice I have ever heard you give anyone." Plagg stated flying up into Adrian's face.
Adrian blinked at his kwami. "What do you mean, the interview of Marinette on the Ladyblog says Lila was after her because she blamed her for Alya finding out about her lies. You can't tell me Marinette was not responsible for today." The blond model argued completely ignoring everything else his kwami had said.
Plagg rolled his eyes, he knew divine intervention when he felt it and was pretty sure Tikki was responsible for outing the liar not pigtails. But he knew he could not explain that to his oblivious kid.
"Adrien, are you really telling me that your upset about pigtails telling her best friend whom she tells everything, about a liar who has been bullying her to the point that she was nearly akumtized in front of the entire class!?" Plagg asked with a disproving glare.
To be honest when he saw pigtails get akumtized after being expelled, Plagg had nearly gone into a panic; and thanked Tikki's Ladybug luck that Hawkmoth suddenly flaked out. Otherwise he might have cataclysmed the lying brat in vengeance.
Adrien frowned, he knows that Lila is the bad guy and that what she does is wrong. But he expected better of Marinette. Marinette has already proven that she is willing to rise above those who do wrong to her with Chloe. Why is this so different?
"Plagg Marinette was willing accept Chloe after all that she had done to her. Even threw her a Queen Bee appreciation party." Adrien tried to reason.
Plagg shook his head angrily, this righteous lecture thing was boring from the start, and the kwami of destruction was getting very impatient with his holder. But Plagg was not lazy enough to not care what this could do to Ladybug and Chat Noir relationship if aloud to play out. He has seen way too much in his long life.
"Kid you need to just drop this! Ladybug would never hold the victim responsible for the things done to them, and would be very ashamed of you if she found out you were blaming something an Akuma did on an innocent civilian." Plagg stated.
Adrien was about to reply but a loud ding from his computer captured his attention. A notification from the Ladyblog popped up on the screen. Curious Adrien opened it up to find an interview of Rena Rouge, which he promptly hit play to. Plagg flew back into his mini fridge to replenish all the energy he spent doing Tikki's job.
Ding. Ding. Ding. Ding. Alya awoke the following morning to her phone going off. Rubbing the sleep from her eyes she grabbed her phone off of the charger, only to come face to face with a bunch of text messages and blog notifications.
Alix:
Wait, wait, so Marinette had nothing to do with you removing that post? And Lila really is a two faced lier!?
Mylene:
I saw your newest post and realized we never really heard Marinette's side of why she does not like Lila, and was wondering if we should call together a meeting or something?
Juleka:
Rose has been crying all morning. This had all better be legit.
Adrien:
I don't think you should have posted that interview with Rena Rouge. As grateful as I am to find out Marinette had kept her promise to take the high road, nothing good comes from making the villains miserable.
Lila:
I am sorry, I was just angry yesterday about all that was going on. Ladybug once said to me that she thought I might make a better fox miraculous holder than Rena Rouge and that is probably why she said those lies about me, she feels threatened. And since I could not take my rightfull and justified anger out on a super hero I may have directed it at Marinette. I am so so sorry please say you will forgive me!
Alya re-read Lila's message three times to make sure she had read it correctly. By the time she finished she was just about ready to throw her phone at the wall in anger, but loved her phone too much to do so. After a few calming breaths Alya made a decision.
Alya:
No! I won't forgive you until you stop lying, clean up your attitude, and make amends for all that you have done.
Alya double checked her message to make sure she was satisfied before sending it to Lila. Afterwards she began contemplating Adrien's message which had made no sense to Alya.
What did he mean by Marinette's promise to take the high road? And how could he think that it was a bad idea to post the truth and just let Lila get away with everything just to spare her the consequences of her own actions?
Alya then remembered what Ladybug had said the night before, that she had called out Lila's lies in front of both Marinette and Adrian at the park. Adrien knew from the very beginning that Lila was a liar and did nothing. That realization had Alya scowling at her phone as she hit the reply button to Adrien's text.
Alya:
Okay first off "The Triumph Of Evil Is That Good People Do NOTHING!" Are you a Hawkmoth supporter too, because you are even more of an idiot then I thought if you truly think letting Lila get away with lies and manipulation just to spare her her just rewards is a good idea. And what do you mean by Marinette promising to 'take the high road'?
As Alya hit send her phone dinged with another message from Lila. Alya contemplated ignoring it but sighed as she opened it up.
Lila:
You will regret that choice.
This number has blocked you.
Alya raised an eyebrow and thought back to the mall yesterday and the threat Lila had told Marinette about ruining Alya's reputation if she did not fix this. Alya snorted no way in God's green Earth will she allow that to happen to her or anyone else. She is going to set a bunch of things straight, starting with Marinette.
Speaking of Marinette Alya's phone dinged with a message from said person.
Marinette:
Hey Alya, Mama said you and Nino could come by around 2:00pm today.
Alya allowed a small smile to grace her lips as she sent an affirmative text to her BFF, then a coordinating text with Nino. She also gave a quick response to the rest of the people who messaged her telling them Yes Lila is a liar, No Marinette had nothing to do with that revelation, and that she will discuss it in more detail on Monday at school.
Alya proudly put her phone back on the charger and jumped on her computer to navigate through her blogs comments.