Chapter Five:
Great, Marinette thought while running down the street. I'm probably just going to have to get used to this.
Of course. She just had to have forgotten about setting an alarm. Considering Tikki was all for sleeping in, she was almost an hour late for class.
Mlle. Bustier was going to kill her, she decided, sighing. She'd already had to deal with a lecture from her parents, and she wasn't looking forward to another.
Tikki flew out from her coat, tilting her head.
"Kid, even if you're from an alternate reality, I'd think you've known that the school's that way," she reprimanded, pointing behind Marinette.
Marinette groaned before turning around and running in the other direction.
Suffice it to say, she entered the room out of breath and looking thoroughly exhausted.
"Well, look what the cat dragged in," Sabrina drawled. Unbeknownst to her and everyone else in the room, Adrien flinched.
Marinette just shook her head before sliding into her seat. "Sorry, Mlle. Bustier. Alarm didn't go off," she lied.
Mlle. Bustier just shook her head and went back to the lesson.
"Girl," Alya whispered, "you've got to stop sleeping in if you want to understand anything in school."
"Trust me, I know." Marinette muttered in reply, getting out her notebook and flipping to a fresh page.
An hour later she had a partly sufficient page or two of notes about Greek dynasties and was currently helplessly trying to fill out a Maths worksheet.
In this alternate universe, they were apparently on completely different lessons. She missed the Pythagorean Theorem of home. She'd been able to figure that out after a couple sessions with Tikki. (You'd be surprised how many times her kwami's Chosen has been in collège.)
Well, she mused, at least Science hasn't gotten to Physics yet.
She scribbled a little more on the page, trying to figure out if she was supposed to divide or square the latest step. She ended up doing both and debating over which looked like the answer.
She ended up just sighing and putting her pencil down. She looked over to Alya, hoping to get some advice on the problem, when she noticed Adrien staring at her.
Once Adrien realized he'd been caught, he looked away, almost seeming to… blush? No, that wasn't possible, Marinette tried to convince herself as her heart started to race.
She quickly looked away. When she looked back at the mess on her worksheet, she raised her hand. "Mlle. Bustier? May I use the bathroom?"
The teacher in question looked up at her and sighed, just barely nodding her head. Marinette scampered out of the classroom and let Tikki fly out of her coat before splashing some water on her face.
She glanced at her reflection in the mirror, finding the same purple eyes and flower tucked in her hair as yesterday. "Do you see that?" she asked Tikki.
"Huh?"
"The flower!" Marinette exclaimed.
Tikki just stared at her.
"Nevermind," Marinette said, sighing. When she tried to touch the flower and her hand went straight through, she confirmed it. Whatever magic brought her here really liked to mess with her.
She was about to leave when she realized that, in the morning's chaos, she'd forgotten to put her hair up in its typical pigtails. No wonder Adrien was staring at her, she never did that.
She scrambled around in her purse, but found only one hairband. She did the best she could anyways, and left with her hair in a lazy ponytail. Today was, apparently, the day for trying new things.
Marinette was greeted, once she entered the room, with the sound of the lunch bell. Alya rushed over, grabbed Marinette's hand, and pulled her to their lunch table.
Alya fixed Marinette with a look that threatened to kill. "Now, if you would please explain why you didn't bother to check the blog last night, that'd be great."
She momentarily blanked before realizing what Alya meant. Riiight, she'd promised Alya yesterday.
"I forgot to comment?" Marinette offered hopefully.
"Uh-huh. Girl, we didn't even have that much homework last night! You couldn't have typed a quick 'job well done' or something?" Alya exclaimed, annoyed.
"I-I…" Marinette tried to think of an excuse. She-she what? Spent the majority of the afternoon learning to become this world's version of Ladybug via pillows and wooden yo-yos? Yeah, that would go down well.
Alya shook her head, poking Marinette in the stomach. "...weren't interested because it didn't include a certain black cat?" she teased.
Marinette tried to blush while putting her best flustered face on. This world's Marinette/Ladybug has a crush on Chat, she reminded herself.
"N-no!" she stammered, placing a mental picture of Adrien in Chat's place and channeling her crush as best she could. "W-why would I do t-that?"
Alya just winked. "C'mon girl, I've seen the posters in your room. You're obsessed."
She was formulating another stuttered response when Nino walked up to them, dragging Adrien behind him.
"Hey guys! Mind if we come sit?" he asked.
Marinette did her best not to stare at Adrien. Alya gave her a weird look before smiling at Nino and responding, "Of course not! Why would we?"
She moved over to make room and gestured for Marinette to do the same. Marinette followed and internally sighed. She was supposed to like Chat in this world, not Adrien.
"Hey Nino, hey Adrien!" she managed to say, forcing a smile. Nino smiled, waved at her, and elbowed Adrien.
"H-hey M-Marinette," came Adrien's response.
She froze. Oh no, she internally whimpered. Please no.
Adrien had a crush on her in this world and she was supposed to like Chat Noir instead.
Oh, how she hated whatever cruel force had got her into this situation.
Sorry not sorry! And onto the other side of the story…
Adrien sighed, staring up at the ceiling.
Plagg, who'd been dealing with his lovesick behavior ever since Day One, didn't bother to take any interest, but Tikki did, fluttering over.
"She'll be okay," she comforted.
Plagg muttered something while nibbling in his camembert, well aware of how this would turn out.
"But… what if she isn't? What if she gets stuck and doesn't make it back?"
"She will. The Blessing of the Flowers isn't a curse, Adrien."
"...sometimes it feels like it is." he replied disdainfully.
Plagg gave up on his post-lunch snack. "God, kid, just stop worrying! Your girlfriend will be fine."
Adrien tried to glare at him, but his face was busy turning bright red. "Well, maybe if somebody didn't make Trixx stomp off, I'd feel a little better about whatever magic she's under."
"Not my fault she's so sensitive," Plagg retorted.
"Alright, guys." Tikki said. "What's done is done. Adrien, stop with the blame game and Plagg, the snide comments aren't appreciated. All kwamis have their faults."
"Why do I always end up with the lovesick ones?" Plagg muttered, just loud enough for Adrien to hear, before flying away.
Tikki gave Adrien an encouraging smile. "Ladybug's state isn't something to blame on yourself or to worry yourself sick about. She'll fix whatever problem needs to be fixed and be back as soon as possible."
"...you're right." Adrien said, sighing. "I'll try not to worry so much. Don't want my friends getting suspicious at school tomorrow. Sorry Plagg."
Tikki suddenly stiffened. "I'll be back."
"Wha- Tikki!" Adrien exclaimed, but Tikki had already flew through the open window.
Back at Master Fu's…
Tikki flew in, slightly out of breath.
"Wayzz! Master Fu!" she called.
The turtle kwami flew towards her, followed closely by Master Fu.
"What seems to be the problem, Tikki?" Fu asked.
"Ladybug… Marinette… secret identity… reveal… school..." the red kwami blurted, clearly scared.
"Master, this is quite the problem!" Wayzz exclaimed.
"Now, no need to worry," Fu said, smiling at the kwamis. "I've known you'd inquire about this, Tikki. You've always been one for preserving identities."
Tikki stared up at him expectantly.
"I happen to be good friends with Marinette's parents." he said, smiling.
"Shortly after you and Adrien came to visit the first time, I called to let them know that Marinette had been selected to attend a program to learn how to… better embrace her Chinese heritage, I believe that was how I put it.
"She's supposed to be boarding with me for the next three weeks to do so, and I've assured her parents she'll be tutored in place of her classes.
"I also managed to convince them that I told Marinette about this shortly after she left school today and she's been staying here because of the akuma attack. They sent over a bag for her earlier." he finished.
Wayzz, who had been quiet while listening to Fu's explanation, immediately apologized.
"I forgot you phoned the Dupain-Chengs."
"It's quite alright." Fu assured him.
"So anyone who asks will be told about the program?" Tikki summarized, relieved.
Master Fu nodded.
"And if anyone comes to check on her? Give her homework?" she inquired.
"Wayzz?" Fu instructed.
Wayzz flowed with a green light.
"Hello?" he called, sounding exactly like Marinette.
(I gave Wayzz this power because, since turtles represent knowledge, I believe that if he ever saw Trixx use the voice adaptation alongside her powers, he would be able to learn how to as well. Of course, this would take an excessive amount of energy so that it wouldn't be overpowered.)
Master Fu poured a cup of tea and gifted it to Wayzz.
Tikki shook her head. "I'm sorry Master Fu, I should've known you'd have had it under control."
"No need to apologize, it's normal to be concerned. Should I have forgotten, your inquires would've reminded me."
"Well, thank you!" she exclaimed, fluttering out of the window back to Adrien.
When Adrien asked what she'd scurried of to do, she simply said she'd had to check up on Ladybug.
Meanwhile, at the other end of the wardrobe…
Back at home, Marinette slumped down on her desk, exhausted. It'd taken all of her strength to speak clearly in front of Adrien and act like she hadn't figured out his crush.
Classes afterwards hadn't been exactly thrilling, even during the easier lessons, because of her realization that, just like she did back home, Adrien was constantly staring at the back of her head. She had to fix that when she got home.
When Marinette ducked into the bathroom to discuss this with Tikki towards the end of the day, the little kwami only chuckled about her smitten Chosen.
"You're even worse then the real Ladybug!" she'd exclaimed.
In current time, Marinette sighed and lifted her head up. The Chat Noir desktop wallpaper grinned back at her, and she felt conflicted.
She couldn't believe that this Ladybug loved Chat Noir, because of what it meant for her back home.
It's just the magic messing with me, she tried to convince herself, ignoring the voice in the back of her head telling her otherwise.
Marinette got up and grabbed her wooden yo-yo, deciding to work on some exercises. She eventually ended up repeating the Haemolymph move. Puns flitted in and out of her mind as she imagined herself in various situations.
Smacktalking was definitely her weakest link, she mused. How did Chat usually go about it?
She vaguely remembered a mix of puns and teasing. But teasing about what?
Oh, she thought as she realized. Chat always played off of what they were akumatized for. He reminded them of the weakness that Hawkmoth had supposedly let them overcome, forcing them to make him a target in order to disprove him.
Marinette would be able to do that, with a little thinking and decisive reasoning.
She'd also need to remember that she didn't have Lucky Charm or Miraculous Ladybug anymore. That'd just mess her up further.
"Haemolymph!" she tried. She didn't sound… confident enough.
"Haemolymph!" she yelled. Nope, she just sounded like a newbie.
"Haemolymph."
"HAEMOLYMPH!"
"Haemolymph!"
"Haemolymph!"
At one point, she just ended up doing various accents and impressions. Of them all, the British version definitely sounded the worst, but the Darth Vader impression came in close second. Tikki looked over once or twice from the stack of pastries that'd been drawing her attention, and shook her head.
She thought back to Chat Noir, how he'd look while using Cataclysm, and did her best.
"Haemolymph!" she exclaimed, expertly flipping her wooden yo-yo and smiling. Almost…
Marinette tried again, this time adjusting her smile, and ending up doing a pretty good job with sounding clear and practiced. Tikki fluttered over to her desk when she was finished.
"Want me to test you on your ability to protect Chat?" she asked hopefully.
"I'm pretty sure you just want to throw pillows at me," Marinette replied, chuckling. "But sure, you never know when I'll have to deal with an akuma after all."
Tikki hummed happily, and immediately flung two pillows at Marinette.
Luckily, they both were aimed for the same general area, so Marinette was able to flip over to where they'd land. Unfortunately, she'd calculated their arc wrong, so only one hit her, the other skimming her elbow.
Sometime after the sixth or so pillow, Marinette started to wonder if Chat ever practiced like this. He have had to be pretty skilled to jump in front of me during Timebreaker and Dark Cupid, she figured.
After a while, Marinette was able to "protect Chat" almost everytime, excluding the spiral of seven Tikki had gleefully thrown at one point.
"Why do you enjoy this?" she inquired, out of breath after Tikki had flung a burst of three.
Tikki shrugged. "Centuries of villians grates on you, kid. It's stress relieving."
"But why me?" Marinette had exclaimed as a group of four were thrown at her.
I have a lot of pillows, she realized.
"You need the practice," came the response.
Marinette just smiled and shook her head. How on earth did Chat deal with his kwami? she wondered.
Tikki eventually gave up, probably bored, and flew off to her stack of macaroons. Marinette wandered over to her computer and pulled up Noir News; reminded of her broken promise to check it yesterday.
The headline Ladybug: A Different Person!? greeted her, and she froze in her seat, breathing heavily. Oh, this was bad.
