Chapter 8: Memories
Once again, Paris was saved from one of Hawk Moth's Akumas. But that was something that Adrien Agreste did not know about. Having left his cell phone in his locker, along with his kwami Plagg, he did not even suspect that Paris was under attack, as he continued his fencing practice with his friend Kagami. Fencing lessons were always a good way to let off some steam for Kagami, who enjoyed to fight Adrien, while Adrien just enjoyed to spend some time with someone who had been one of his few friends for many years. Because their teacher was called to the administration's office more than once, they continued to talk about what was bothering Adrien that day, ditching practice. In a way, Adrien actually appreciated that, because he was just not in the mood for fencing that afternoon, not with all those thoughts regarding Marinette, swarming inside his mind.
"You have described her to me, and you did a good job, Adrien. But, even if I understand that she's an interesting girl, I still don't see what makes her so appealing to you." -Kagami told him. –"So, in order to understand it, I want you to tell me what makes her so appealing to you." -she declared in a formal tone.
"What do you mean?" -Adrien asked her, a little puzzled with what she said.
"My grandmother has always told me that sometimes, the way a person sees another, is not how that person truly is." -Kagami told him. Unlike her grandfather, who had taught her numerous things, regarding her behaviour and the philosophy of life that she upheld, her grandmother, on the other hand, had taught her things regarding matters of the heart, though she believed that she herself would never use them, except to, perhaps, help others. –"I believe in that. But I also believe that the first impression a person makes, is everything and it also shows what kind of person, she lets other people think she is." -she said.
Adrien became a little confused with Kagami's words, but he tried his best to see where she was going with that. As such, he said nothing, and merely nodded and listened to her, before giving her an answer that he thought would be the one she was expecting from him.
"What I'm trying to say is that I want to know what was your first impression of her, when you met her." -Kagami declared. –"And of course, how you met her. You failed to tell me how you first met her." -she told him.
"So… you want me to tell you how we first met and what was the impression she gave me, is that it?" -Adrien asked her, to see if he had understood what she wanted from him.
"In one word, yes." -Kagami said with a neutral voice.
"Then, do you want the full story, or…" -Adrien asked her.
"No, that will not be necessary. I want you to tell me what are the seven words that first came to your mind, when you met her." -Kagami said.
"You want me to tell you the first seven words that came to my mind, when I first saw Marinette? That might be a little hard, since I can't remember everything that went through my mind back then." -Adrien admitted.
"I know you can do it. You have an exceptional memory." -Kagami complimented him with her usual formal tone. –"Go on, what are the first seven words that came to your mind?" -she insisted on the matter.
"Alright… seven words you say?" -Adrien said.
"Yes, and don't hesitate. Don't think too hard on them. Just let your memory guide you." -Kagami said.
Adrien did not really understand where that was going in, but he decided to amuse Kagami. If she was a different person, Adrien would hypothesize that she was just having a little bit of fun with him. But he knew that Kagami was not that kind of person. So, he did as she asked him. Trying not to think too hard, he allowed his thoughts to take him back to the day when he met Marinette for the first time, so he could tell Kagami what she wanted to hear.
"Cookies, fabrics, red, smile, sunshine, kindness… and blue." -Adrien said. Those were the words that came to his mind, even though two of them had nothing to do with the first time he saw her.
"You hesitated on the last one, Adrien." -Kagami told him, having noticed his hesitation.
"A little, I admit." -Adrien said.
"Still, now that you have said those words, we will analyse what they really mean." –Kagami said with a serious voice.
The whole thing felt like something a psychologist or a psychiatrist would do. Adrien did not know what to think of all that, but he believed that what Kagami was doing was for a reason. He had come to trust her over the years, though at first, he did so out of courtesy, because that had been the way he had been raised. It was only when they became closer, that Adrien truly developed a kind of friendly trust that he only had with Chloe, and later on, with Nino, as well as the rest of his friends. Nowadays, he admitted that though they were not the closest of friends, he had absolute trust on her.
"The first two words, cookies and fabric. Why did you say them? Or better yet, why did they come to your mind?" -Kagami asked him.
"Because Marinette smelled like cookies. Her parents have a bakery and that place always smells like cookies, fresh-baked bread, muffins, cupcakes… you know, nice and delicious scents. She smelled nice. In fact, she always smells like cookies and other delicious treats." -Adrien said, realizing that he had never said that out loud before. –"And regarding fabrics, she wants to be a fashion designer, just like my dad. The first time I met her, she was carrying with her a sample book of fabrics, which landed on my feet, by accident. We bumped into one another." -he declared.
"I see. And what about the colour red? What was so special about it, that made you say it?" -Kagami asked him. More and more that looked like a police interrogation.
"About the colour red?" -Adrien asked. –"Why did I say red? I don't exactly remember what Marinette was wearing that day. I just said red, because Marinette's Ladybug outfit is red and that just popped into my mind… but I can't tell Kagami that. What am I supposed to say? Come on, Adrien, think, think…" -he thought to himself. –"I-I guess I said it because the first time I met her, she was wearing this red dress that she had designed and sewn herself, with a little help from her mother… of course, back then, I didn't know about that part. I knew that the dress had been tailor-made, because I noticed the stitching… when your dad's a fashion designer himself, you pick up a couple of things; but I didn't know she had been the one who designed and sewn it. I only found out about it later."
Adrien lied about that part of the memory, but was hoping Kagami did not notice he was making it up. Though there was a bit of truth in that lie. During the first couple of weeks at Françoise Dupont, he noticed many things about his classmates, including that some of Marinette's clothes were tailor-made, though not by a professional tailor, which made him think that either her mother had done them for her, or that she herself had done them. In the end, he found out that she had done them with a little help from her mother, and that she wanted to be a fashion designer.
"I understand. You have always had a keen eye for spotting those sorts of things." -Kagami said in a neutral tone.
"Well, when you spent so much of your free time alone, reading mystery and detective novels, you tend to also catch a couple of tricks to help you identify that surrounds you." -Adrien said. When he was younger, after his mother died, he grew the habit of locking himself in the mansion's library and read all the books he found appealing to him, a habit which he lost a little, since he began to have more friends.
They continued to analyse the words Adrien had said, with Kagami wanting to know why he had chosen them. He told her that the reason why he said smile, was because the first thing he had seen in Marinette was her gorgeous and beautiful smile. And when it came to sunshine, it was because that same smile irradiated the same warmth that he always felt, whenever he saw a beautiful sunset. Finally, the last two, kindness and blue were pretty obvious choices for Adrien. Kindness, because he saw just how kind she was, not just to him, but everyone she met. And blue, because that was the colour of her eyes and her hair, which excluding her smile, were the most appealing of her features. After hearing him say all that, Kagami had no doubt that not only Adrien was in love with Marinette, but that that love had a strong foundation in his first memories of her. He had fallen in love with her at first sight, but that love had grown into something more than just an attraction, and that was a good thing in her eyes. He loved Marinette with both his heart and his mind.
"Forgive me for having made you answer all these questions. But I truly wanted to know if you were speaking from both your heart and your mind. One must never speak from just the heart, because a heart can be misled; though the same could be said about one's mind. That's why both must work together, Adrien. When it comes to all the things my grandfather and grandmother have taught me separately, that is one of the few things where they have always agreed on." -Kagami said. –"They have both always told me that, when it comes to love, if someone speaks only from the heart, or only from the mind, then that is not love, but infatuation, which itself, can be very dangerous. And I can clearly say that what you are feeling for this girl is not infatuation, but true love, because the way you spoke about her, through your memories of her, you were speaking from both of your heart and your mind." -she said.
"I understand." -Adrien said. Once again, Kagami had spoken with wisdom, well beyond her years, proving that though they were both the same age, their upbringing had been completely different.
"I am truly happy for you, my friend." -Kagami smiled at him. It was the second time she smiled that afternoon, and yet, Adrien could not help but to notice just how rare that was. –"But as I saw it earlier, you seem to be hesitating to tell her what you truly feel about her. Perhaps, I could help you with it?" -she said, the last part with a rather shy voice.
Once more, Kagami had seen right through him and that amazed him. And furthermore, it amazed him that she would volunteer to help him with such a task, given that she did not know Marinette, and that she herself was not a person he would ask for love advice, given her views on love. Still, beggars can not be choosers, and Adrien knew he was going to need all the help he could get for that task.
"Well, I've always heard that you shouldn't look a gift horse in the mouth." -Adrien smiled at her. –"If you want to help, I'll gladly take up on that offer." -he told her. –"So… what do you think I should do? I mean, you already told me that I shouldn't hesitate on telling her about how I feel, but what else should I do?"
"Well, if she's that important to you, you should buy her something. Something that will symbolize your love for her. I could help you pick something nice for her. I am not one who likes to receive presents, but I do know that most people, especially girls, love presents." -Kagami said.
Valentine's Day was only a couple of days away. If Adrien wanted to tell Marinette how he felt about her on that specific date, he would have to decide how he was going to tell her and make a couple of preparations for it. And to do that, he was going to need some help. He was going to ask Nino to help him out, but he figured that perhaps help from someone of the opposite gender on that matter, would be best. If Kagami was willing to lend him a hand, who was he to
"You're hired." -Adrien chuckled. –"I'm determined to find something really beautiful to offer her, when I tell her my feelings for her. And with you helping me, it will be a lot easier." -he said, while thinking that that way he would not make the mistake of buying the wrong present for Marinette.
He wanted to continue the conversation with Kagami and schedule when they would meet to go shopping for a present for Marinette. Unfortunately, Monsieur Gaudin returned and did not leave the room for the rest of the lesson. When the lesson ended, they both agreed they would talk over the phone later to decide when they would meet up to go look for a present, before hitting the showers. Though the fencing lesson was anything but special, he had managed to find in Kagami, an ally that would help him in his attempt to win over Marinette's heart.
"Took you long enough." -Plagg said, as he heard Adrien's footsteps. Usually, the black cat kwami would not say a word, but because he did not hear another person in the locker room, he decided to throw that comment to his holder, just to see what Adrien would talk back.
"Not really. I mean, I might have taken two or three more minutes than usual, but that's because I was talking to Kagami." -Adrien said, as he opened the locker door. –"We spent most of the lesson talking about Marinette, you know?"
"And "Miss Uptight" was okay with you and her talking about your future girlfriend?" -Plagg raised an eyebrow. –"Never took her for the kind of person who you would talk about Marinette, Adrien." -he said.
"Well, neither did I. But surprisingly, she is a really good listener. And before you ask, no, I didn't start to talk about Marinette. Kagami just saw that I wasn't with my head in the lesson today, and she asked me what was going on." -Adrien admitted. –"Plus, she decided to help me pick something nice to give Marinette, when I ask her to be my girlfriend." -he said.
"Whoa… are you sure she's the same girl you usually have fencing lessons with?! Because, it doesn't look like her." -Plagg stated, surprised with what he had just learned.
"I was surprised as well. But, hey, if she wants to help, who am I to stop her? I need all the help I can ger." -Adrien said, as he took off his training vest, and got ready to hit the showers.
"I thought you were going to ask Nino, or even Alya to help you with the whole "Operation: Cupid". What happened? Did you change your mind?" -Plagg asked him.
"I'm still going to ask Nino for a little help. As for Alya, I'm not going to ask her, because she's Marinette's best-friend, and I don't want her to tell Marinette what I'm going to do. It's not that I don't trust her to keep a secret, but… well, you know what I mean!" -Adrien told his kwami.
"I know, I know. And believe me, Adrien, everything's going to turn out just fine, you'll see." -Plagg told him, already knowing, just like it happened with pretty much everyone in that class, which also included every kwami, that Marinette was head over heels for Adrien. Adrien himself seemed to be the only one who did not know that, with the same being for Marinette, who did not know Adrien was head over heels for her. –"Oh, by the way! Just so you know, there was an Akuma attack, while you were practicing." -he told him.
"An Akuma?!" -Adrien exclaimed. –"What happened? Did they manage to stop him?!" -he asked, almost demanding Plagg to tell him what had happened.
"Don't worry, the others have taken care of it. I've been watching the whole thing on your cell phone." -Plagg said, pointing to an image in the cell phone, which showed the members of the Miraculous Team that showed up, exiting the Bibliothèque Mazarine, after defeating the Akuma. –"Marinette, Alya, Nino, Mylene, Alix and Nathaniel had their hands full with this Akuma, called Origami. But they managed to kick his butt." -he said.
"Wish I could have been there." -Adrien sighed.
"Oh, don't worry, you'll have other opportunities to kick some Akuma butt." -Plagg said. –"Besides, if you had gone and help them, I wouldn't have been able to finally beat Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild." -he joked. –"Now, hurry up and go take a shower, so your bodyguard/driver can take us home. I've got a huge chunk of Camembert cheese with my name on it, back at home."
"You and your Camembert cheese… why can't you just be like a regular cat, who enjoys eating some fish?" -Adrien asked Plagg, with a sarcastic tone, as he grabbed his towel.
"Well, regular cats prefer fish to cheese, which isn't my case. And besides, if I was a regular cat, you wouldn't be able to go into the night doing all those crazy stunts that you do on the rooftops of this city, because I wouldn't have any powers to lend you." -Plagg shot at Adrien, with a smirk on his face. –"Face it, I'm better than any cat out there!" -he laughed.
"Sometimes I wonder if that's true." -Adrien chuckled.
After dinner, Marinette told her parents she was going to sleep earlier, saying that she was feeling a little tired. Tom and Sabine felt it was a little strange, given that Marinette had not done anything particularly exhausting that day. Still, they themselves were exhausted, and knowing that until Valentine's Day, the movement inside the bakery was not going to diminish, and as such, they decided to go to bed earlier too, so they could get a few good hours of sleep.
As for Marinette, she said she was going to sleep earlier, but what she did instead, was spend the rest of her evening, looking over the idea she had had to tell Adrien she loved him. The idea was simple, but it sounded solid. But the more she thought about it, the more she wondered if it would work. Plus, other ideas started to pop up inside her mind; most of them hers, along with a few others that had been given to her by either Alya, Rose, Juleka, and Mylene. Ever since she told them about her crush on Adrien, that the girls threw in a couple of suggestions to help her find the best way to tell him she loved him. She had written all of the ideas and suggestions they had given her in a notebook, and that was the same notebook she had in front of her, right then. Looking at them, she began to feel like neither her idea, nor the ideas of her friends were what she needed to accomplish her goal. All of that, only managed to create even more doubts inside Marinette's mind.
Usually, Tikki would be right by her side to encourage her. But because she ate too many cookies that night, and became a little sick, she told Marinette that she was going out for a little bit, leaving her alone. The blue-haired girl, as always, told her to be careful. She knew Tikki could take care of herself, but she always feared that something would happen to her, like being attacked by a stray cat, or a pigeon, or just losing her way and not be able to come home, which was silly, and she knew, but still, she cared for Tikki like she cared for her parents and the rest of her family. For her, Tikki was more than just her kwami. She was like her older sister she never had.
When she came back, about an hour later, the scarlet kwami passed through the wall, to see Marinette with her eyes glued to the screen of her laptop. Wondering what she was doing, Tikki silently
"What are you doing?" -Tikki asked her.
"I was thinking about how am I going to tell Adrien that I love him." -Marinette sighed.
"But I thought you had already figured that out, and that you just did not know what kind of present you were going to give him." -Tikki told her.
"I thought I had everything figured out, Tikki, but I'm not so sure anymore." -Marinette sighed. –"The more I think about it, the more I think if it the whole thing is what I want to do, Tikki. Over the years, Alya and the rest of the girls suggested to me tons of ideas for it. I went to check the old notebook where I wrote those ideas, just to see if there was anything in it that might help my plan become even better… but it turns out, it only managed to sprinkle my mind with doubts." -she sighed. –"That's why I decided to go and read some fanfiction, to see if while doing it, something would pop up inside my head, that would help me put the whole matter to rest."
"Fanfiction? Of what?" -Tikki asked her, curious. She knew Marinette sometimes did this to clear her thoughts. But depending on the problem she had, and on her mood, she would read different kinds of fanfiction.
"Well, you know I'm a really huge fan of Harry Potter fanfiction, so I started with it, but then, I decided to also check Sailor Moon fanfiction… and before you know it, I was reading Miraculous fanfiction." -Marinette sighed. Miraculous or Miraculous Ladybug, was the name the fans of the Miraculous Team had baptized the fandom dedicated to it and its adventures.
"Miraculous fanfiction? I thought you didn't read that." -Tikki said. Ever since Marinette had taken on the mantle of Ladybug, and made herself known to the whole world, along with the rest of the Miraculous Team, that a fanbase was established; a fanbase which dedicated itself to create all sorts of art, based on the Miraculous heroes. The number of fanart was such that hundreds of websites were created to share it, since the Miraculous Blog could not handle all of it. From fan comics to illustrations, there was something for everyone. On top of that, fanfics with all the different heroes existed, that ranged from simple stories where they would battle an Akuma, to alternative universes, where the heroes would have adventures in different time periods, different realities, or have different powers. And like all fanfics, these were divided by genre, which allowed everyone to find something that appealed to them. And because no one knew the heroes' true identities, they were forced to come up with fictional civilian identities for them. All in all, it represented how a fandom works, and how some of the things created by countless artists inspired other people to do the same.
"I don't… or I didn't, until now. I don't know why I ended up reading it, but I did. Turns out, there are a lot of great fanfics with Ladybug as the main character, you know?" -Marinette pointed out. Some of her friends, sometimes spent a little time reading fanfics regarding their team, just for fun, but Marinette did not, because she preferred to read about fictional worlds, instead of something based on the real world. Which was not to say that she did not like to see art, like fan comics from the Miraculous Team, but that was different. –"And did you know that the most common name people use for Ladybug's civilian identity is Bridgette?" -she chuckled. –"I don't know why they choose that name, but at least that way no one will ever suspect that I am Ladybug. I mean, none of the fanfics I've read so far used Marinette… and guess what, most people use Felix for Chat's civilian identity."
"How many have you read, since I was gone?" -Tikki asked her. It was the first time she saw Marinette talking like that.
"About 14… I mean, most were just a couple of pages long. But this one I'm reading right now; it's really long and it's really good. It tells the story of an alternative universe, where Ladybug and Chat Noir are super-soldiers created during World War II, just like Captain America, to battle the Nazis, while the rest of the Miraculous Team are either spies for the Allies, or for the Nazis, or even supervillains working for the Nazis, which are being led by Hawk Moth, instead of Adolf Hitler." -Marinette told her. –"And you know what the best part of it is? It's that this Ladybug is in love with Chat Noir, and before they go on a mission, which might be their last, she asks him to marry him, and he says yes… Can you imagine it? Even in fanfics, Ladybug is courageous enough to ask Chat Noir to marry her… and I can't even find a way, courageous or not, to ask Adrien to be my boyfriend…" -she sighed, frustrated, and feeling bad about herself.
"You're really nervous about tell him the truth, aren't you?" -Tikki asked her, knowing that Marinette was not well, right then. And she did not even need to hear that speech she gave her about how things between Ladybug and Chat Noir worked out in the fanfic, while in reality, she did not know how make them work. She just needed to see the frustration and sadness in her eyes. –"Marinette, everything will turn out okay in the end. I know they will." -she said, as she flew towards the blue-haired girl and hugged her left cheek.
"Tikki, I want this to be perfect, but I have no idea how to do it!" –Marinette told her, as she caressed the little kwami's head with her right index finger. –"How will I do this? What should I say? I think my head is about to explode Tikki…" -she said, while trying not to start crying.
"Poor Marinette… if only she knew." -Tikki thought to herself. –"Maybe I should tell her that I know from Plagg that Adrien loves her, the same way she loves him… no, I can't tell her that! If I do that, she'll know that I've always knew about it, and I didn't tell her anything… I don't want her to think that I didn't tell her the truth, because of whatever crazy reason she might come up with in her head. Instead, I'll keep quiet about it, and help her tell Adrien how she feels about him. I will tell her about knowing that Adrien loves her the same way she loves him, but only later, when they're dating." -she thought, believing that was the best course of action. –"Don't say that, Marinette. You'll be able to do it. And when I say that, it's not just because I have faith in you. It's because you always find a way to solve any problem that comes your way. And I believe that you will find a way to solve this one."
Once more, Tikki's words warmth Marinette's heart and gave her the hope she so desperately needed right then. It was one of the things that Marinette loved the most in Tikki. She was nice, kind, but above all, she always had something encouraging to say to her, when she needed the most. Ever since she met her, Marinette's self-confidence had grown, but she herself believed she was still a long way from being the self-confident person her friends already believed she was, whenever she donned the Ladybug outfit.
"You never give up on me, do you, Tikki?" -Marinette asked the little kwami, as she shed a tear.
"Never." -Tikki smiled at her, while wiping the tear from Marinette's face, making her smile. –"Now, why don't you forget about all that and go to bed?"
"I can't sleep, Tikki… this problem won't let me sleep." -Marinette sighed, believing that with everything that was going on inside her head, she would not be able to sleep right that night.
"Just try, Marinette. A few hours of sleep will help you rest, and will also help you to find the answer to this problem you have." -Tikki suggested her. -They say that a good night of sleep is what you need, when you have a problem, which seems to not have any answer." -she said.
Marinette wanted to tell Tikki that no amount of sleep would help her, but as always, when the little kwami smiled at her, there was no turning back. Tikki just had the innate ability to make others do as she told them, just by using her tender smile. Smiling back, she agreed to go to bed and try to get some sleep.
"Alright, I'll go to sleep." -Marinette told her, as she closed the windows on the laptop. –"But I doubt my mind will let me sleep." -she sighed.
"Don't worry, I'll talk to you until you fall asleep. I can even read you a bedtime story, if you want to." -Tikki said.
"I might take you on that offer." -Marinette smiled, as she turned off the laptop.
Being true to her word, Marinette changed into her pyjamas, brushed her teeth and got ready to bed. Climbing onto her bed, she made herself as comfortable as she could, as Tikki watched her. On most days, she was happy to climb onto her bed, which she viewed as a close friend, that was always there for her. But on that night, she felt that not even the softness and cosiness of her bed would be enough to provide her
"There. I'm in bed." -Marinette smiled at her. –"So, can I get my bedtime story now?" -she chuckled, while rising an eyebrow at Tikki.
"What kind of bedtime story do you want to hear? Brothers Grimm? Hans Christian Andersen? Please, ask me for a Hans Christian Andersen fairy tale. They're my favourites, especially Thumbelina and The Wild Swans!" -Tikki giggled. She had begun to read those fairy tales and memorize them, so she could tell them to Manon, when her mom left her to sleep at Marinette's place.
"Well, I'm not really in a mood for a fairy tale tonight. Instead, can you tell me a story of one of your previous holders? I always like to know what other Ladybugs did in the past." -Marinette said, as she pulled the covers.
"Oh, alright… but who will it be?" -Tikki said, as she wondered which of story of her former holders she would pick. Because she had so many holders over the course of the millenniums, it was hard for her to just pick one. After a little thought, she decided who she was going to talk about that night. –"I know… La Coccinelle, the second French person to wield my miraculous. She was my wielder for nearly 10 years. She was a really funny girl, and I've got tons of stories about her." -she said. –"Did you know that she was the very first girl, and as far as I know, the only one as well, who was accepted into the Musketeers?"
"The Musketeers?! You're pulling my leg, Tikki. The Musketeers were all men. I doubt they allowed her to join them." -Marinette said.
"And they didn't, at first. But that didn't stop her from trying. When they didn't allow her to join them, she did what any girl her age would have done. She disguised herself as a young man, and got accepted." -Tikki declared. –"But being the daughter of who she was, I was not impressed by that stunt of hers." -she giggled.
"Whose daughter, was she?" -Marinette asked the scarlet kwami.
"She was the daughter of Charles de Batz de Castelmore. But you know him better by the name of D'Artagnan." -Tikki told her.
"D'Artagnan?! You mean, the Count of d'Artagnan whose life served as base for the character of D'Artagnan in the Three Musketeers?" -Marinette asked her. She had read the novels written by Alexandre Dumas, and because her dad was a huge fan of them, she had seen pretty much every movie adaptation to feature the legendary team of musketeers, she knew a little bit more about the subject, than most people. –"I didn't even know he had a daughter." -she said, surprised to hear that.
"Most people only knew her older brothers. Her name was Louise de Batz de Castelmore. She used her younger brother's name to get accepted into the Musketeers, when she disguised herself to do it, you know? But yes, she was the daughter of D'Artagnan and let me tell you, the way she managed to get herself into trouble, was nothing short of legendary." -Tikki giggled. –"There was this one time, when she had just beaten a bunch of brutes, who were causing trouble to a group of merchants, only to get into another jam, where she was forced to go after a burglar, who had stollen her horse. She ran after him for nearly an hour, just to get the horse back. Luckily, she had me by her side, and used my powers to get him. That was one crazy pursuit, even by my standards." -she giggled again.
"Did she have the same powers I have?" -Marinette asked her, curious.
"Most of them. But she had a couple of abilities that you don't have; just like you have some abilities that she did not have. For example, you are much more acrobatic than she ever was. She, on the other hand, was pretty good handling all kinds of swords. On top of the yo-yo, she also had a rapier as a secondary weapon." -Tikki answered her. –"The way she combined them in battle was phenomenal."
Tikki continued to talk about La Coccinelle and Marinette kept listening to her, wanting to know more about that superheroine, who like her, had used Tikki's miraculous, a long time ago, in the 17th century. It was nice to know that she was not the only Ladybug who had problems of her own, and that in the end, everything turned out alright. The more Tikki talked about her, the more Marinette wished she could go back in time and meet her, just to see her in action, or to ask her a couple of questions, which she believed only a fellow Ladybug would know how to answer. And without realizing it, the blue-haired girl started to get sleepy. With her mind not thinking about the problems she was having, she allowed herself to rest and relax; exactly what Tikki wanted her to do; to rest and sleep. When the little scarlet kwami finished telling the story she was telling her, Marinette was already snoring, peacefully. Smiling, Tikki was happy to see that she had managed to get her to sleep.
"Goodnight, Marinette. I hope you have sweet dreams this night, and that these dreams help you realize, that no matter what, you and Adrien are destined to be together." -Tikki thought to herself, as she kissed Marinette's forehead, before turning off the light, and nuzzling herself, against Marinette's neck, falling asleep shortly after, as well.
Two good things happened in the last couple of minutes. I finished this chapter, and I find out that the remake of Resident Evil 3 will be released in April 2020 (the whole trailer screams Resident Evil, just so you know). Now regarding this chapter, it took me a bit longer to write it (I was supposed to have finished it last night), because I had to do a little bit of research regarding La Coccinelle, our other French Ladybug. Now, for those of you who don't know Charles de Bazt Castelmore, also known as D'Artagnan, whose life served as inspiration to Alexandre Dumas, while creating the character D'Artagnan in the Three Musketeers, he only had two sons. But I figured, since La Coccinelle is portrayed as a musketeer, why not having her being his daughter? (I know, I know, it sounds a bit farfetched, and it might come out as a little rip-off of The Musketter's Daughter movie idea, but hey, not all my ideas can be truly original, irght?)
I admit that I wasn't going to add that little bit about La Coccinelle into the story, just yet, but I figured that Marinette deserved a bedtime story, and we all know that Tikki has hundreds of adventures with her other holders, and that our Ladybug loves to hear about them, from time to time. Plus, this chapter also provided me with the opportunity to also explore Kagmi and Adrien's friendship. SO, what did you think about it? Did you enjoy it, or not? As always, feel free to comment, fav and leave suggestions to improve this fic, alright? Don't be shy.