Monday morning came and Marinette began to panic. She had spent all of Sunday inside gathering her worries. What if the other students hated her? What if they bombarded her with every question she couldn't answer? What if the teachers hated her? She was going deeper and deeper into her insecurities and as she began to breathe faster and faster.
She felt a mug pushed into her hands, and blinked to see her mom standing there. Sabine knew what was happening and helped her like she had for both days she had been home. Marinette smiled at her and Sabine went back to cutting some ingredients up for something.
"You should leave soon, Mari. School starts in thirty minutes, and you know how to get there, right?"
"Yes, mom. I know how to walk down the street. I'll go grab my stuff then I'll go," Marinette went back up to her room and grabbed the backpack her mom bought and put on the watch she asked for the day before.
Downstairs, she hugged her father before swiping a danish for the road. There was a crowd that had gathered around the building, for both pastries and to see her. She knew it was mostly for her, there were almost three bakeries on one block average.
"Bye, Dad. I'll drop by right after school and maybe I'll go to the park for a shorter time before dinner's ready." Marinette received a joyful look at having her come home, and a scold from stealing the danish.
She walked out of the shop with purpose, shoving her way through the group of cameras, questions, and onlookers. Once she was free of the main mass, it was easier to get across the street and finally more or less disappear into morning rushed people who had a destination like her.
In ten minutes, she was in the school's office, checking in with a secretary for her schedule. Monsieur Damocles came out of his personal office before she left, and he had her come into the office.
"I hear you're back for good, right?" Marinette nodded as he continued, "Good. Hate to lose you so quickly again," he chuckled at his excuse of a joke before clearing his throat. "So, you're in Mademoiselle Bustier's class. It starts soon, but you shouldn't be the only new student to that class it seems. You can afford to be a little late today. The famed Adrien Agreste is taking a step down from his prissy life up in his mansion to join Paris public schools."
"Okay, Monsieur. May I have my schedule now? I would hate to inconvenience you," Marinette was nearly silenced when she heard the boy's name from Saturday.
"Yes, yes. Of course. My secretary must have it by now, and I have to leave school for a meeting with Monsieur Agreste this morning. If the secretary doesn't have it, just wait until it gets here. Good morning, Marinette," Monsieur Damocles led her out of the office and then left the office lobby to leave for the meeting. The secretary didn't have the schedule yet, so Marinette sat down to wait for it.
The bell rung five minutes before Marinette was given her schedule, and another five minutes passed before she could figure out where the class was. She took a deep breath and put Chat out of her mind before knocking on the door and coming in at the teacher's call.
"Hi, I'm Marinette Dupain-Cheng. I came here after being returned home for the first time since I was six years old," she announced before the class. Mademoiselle Bustier had instructed her to sit next to Alya, and she ended up right behind Adrien. His blond head nodded slowly back and forth in concentration she realized after a few minutes behind him.
"Adrikins, so glad you and could catch up yesterday. It's a shame the entire media is focused on that bakery girl instead of your return to fame- fashion. I meant your return to the fashion world," a skinny blond girl giggled at Adrien from across the aisle, and Marinette looked at her curiously.
"Chloé, now's not the time. It's my first day of class and I want to learn," Adrien whispered furiously. Her name was Chloé. She seemed a bit more than rude, with her head angled upwards even though her and Adrien were almost the at the same level.
"Quiet, we are in a lecture," Mademoiselle Bustier called up from the space in front of their desks, "This is a place of learning and I intend for all of you to do so, particularly people who sit in the front and I have a direct view of."
She looked pointedly at Adrien, but her eyes passed over the Chloé girl. She must be caught doing things like that a lot. Tikki never let them talk during class, so Marinette fell back onto her Ladybug education habits. She listened very well, but also was able to let her mind drift while listening.
"Marinette! I dare say you are not paying attention. Even if it's your first day, you will need to catch up. Please recite the last sentence to the best of your abilities," Mademoiselle Bustier was very loud, but it might be because the back of the classroom is very far away.
"Yes, Mademoiselle. You said, 'One of the most famous books in French history was The Hunchback of Notre Dame, by Victor Hugo. We will be studying this novel for almost the rest of the year,'" Marinette recited and tilted her head side to side while thinking.
"Oh, okay then. Now let's continue with our Advanced Research Lesson on the author. Victor Hugo also wrote the famed Les Miserables which is believed to be more famous. You will study it next year, and we focus on this book first because of the French landmark. We will be taking a field trip at the end of the book to visit the site and other remarkable landmarks featured in the novel," Mademoiselle Bustier continued to drone while Marinette drifted yet again.
She knew that her drifting wouldn't be minded again after the first time. By the time she was finished with her thoughts, Alya was staring at her.
"What? Is there something on my face?" Marinette wiped around her mouth and Alya chuckled.
"Yes Mademoiselle. You said blah blah blah. How did you remember all of that in the two seconds she talked about it. While not paying attention," Alya said as they packed up bags for lunch.
"It's quite easy. The people who schooled me while I was kidnapped had me recite things for days. I wasn't even allowed the readings outside of the classroom," Marinette remembered the time the girl that was tutored there didn't remember something. Plagg was teaching them that day and he made her stand in the front of the room and not move until she remembered it or it was time for her to go home. She stood in place for three hours before her mother had arrived to pick her up.
Alya chattered about what would happen for the rest of the school day and the rest of the school year. Marinette found Alya riveting in how she could talk and talk all day long. Marinette didn't think she could do it.
They found somewhere to sit and the boy who sat in front of Alya sat down across from her.
"Hey, Alya. Since we both have a new friend by us, I thought we could all sit together," the boy fiddled with the headphones around his neck.
"Get lost, Lahiffe. Only the friend can sit by us. You don't have enough class," Alya teased as he sat down anyway.
The blond boy who was sitting in front of her was the Adrien Agreste boy. She was still curious about him. How he returned this weekend instead of any other weekend. Not only that, but they came to the same school for the first time today and are in the same possible friend group.
"Adrien, was it? Where have you been these past ten years? I assume you know where I've been," Marinette asked innocently. LIke she wasn't guilty of pinning something most likely untrue about him on him.
"My mom requested I was kept inside and not ever let out of the house so people couldn't take advantage of my youth, father including. My mom disappeared about a year ago, or something, and Father's over his mourning now. So, I guess my extended vacation is over," Adrien sounded regretful about it all, but also punctuated. Chat was not punctuated in the least.
"Do you want to go to the park if you get some free time? I don't imagine you have that much, but I-I'd love someone who's been shut away even longer than I have and share experiences," Marinette mentally gasped. She had stuttered in front of this cute boy. She talked to Chat so often, and she supposed he was cute enough for her to not do this.
Alya had openly gasped and was taken by surprise by the unintentional date. Not the stuttering, she hardly knew Marinette. Alya knew no girl who would go so fearlessly into a date after meeting a person so soon.
"Yeah, I would totally do that. I could outmaneuver my bodyguard that picks me up. I don't think I have anything tonight if that's okay," Adrien said before Marinette could look at Alya. Alya gasped yet again.
"Nino, we couldn't even get a bet on the time limit yet!" Alya was staring at the two new friends.
"What? You're right! Way to ruin our streak. We bet on every possible relationship to form in our class, and we haven't missed one yet. You beat us to it," Nino was taken aback.
"I'm sorry we didn't know about your gambling problems?" Marinette sounded confused, but Adrien was confused. He didn't get this kind of sarcasm from his father.
"Marinette you shouldn't be sorry. They are just joking around, I'm sure," Adrien smiled brightly at her from across the table. There was a moment of silence before the other three burst into laughter. It only made him more confused.
"I am also joking. Nothing is ever so literal unless you take that way," Marinette was quoting Chat Noir, and Adrien blinked and looked away. They practiced jokes on Adrien until they went walking and eventually went back to the classroom.
The rest of the day was easy and a bit boring. Most of the information had been already taught to Marinette, and she could fly through the course work.
By the time school was over, Marinette had almost forgot about going to the park with someone other than Ladybug nestled into her brain. She was walking past Adrien when he reminded her.
"S-sorry. I forgot for a m-moment. I'll have to check in with my parents first, i-if that's okay," she said and he nodded.
"That's okay. If my father just got me back after nine years, I would also be having that problem. Now, I can't be alone enough to him. I just wish I could get a healthy balance of friends and home life," he sighed.
"It's okay. T-this is my family's bakery. D-do you want anything?"
"I'll be okay. Father keeps me on a strict diet." Marinette eyed him. He was practically as skinny as Chat was before they were let go. She couldn't believe a parent would make their child stay that small.
She ran in and waved at her dad, then snatched two of the closest pastries she could find- two chocolate-filled croissants. She gave one to Adrien and he looked surprised.
"My favorite! I told you that you didn't have to."
"My treat. Anyway, it's almost closing time and they were leftover."
"This park is weird, isn't it?" Adrien looked at the big fountain that the park was centered around and the different areas where people gathered.
"I guess. It was the park that the people k-kidnapped me in. It's also where they returned me. I w-was wondering about that. You were gone for ten years, and I was gone for nine. If nobody ever saw you and they gave up their hopes on me, who's to say that you weren't anywhere else?"
Adrien's eyes widened as he looked alarmed. "Sorry for cutting this short but I see my bodyguard over there."
"What? Where?" Adrien pointed out a pale man. She looked around the park and saw Tikki walking past the children's area. "Oh! I really need to go too. I'll s-see you tomorrow, right?"
"Yeah, I'll see you tomorrow Marinette," Adrien was distant as he walked off in the direction of the man.
She looked for Tikki once more and couldn't find her. She started to walk by a bench, and a hand pushed her shoulder down until she sat down.
"Insolent child. You came here everyday as a child. It makes you the easiest target for us creepers. But even worse, you still come here every day you can. For an hour or ten minutes, we will always be able to find you," Tikki sat down next to her.
"What do you want with me?" Marinette snapped at her, because Ladybug would never offer herself for a beating.
"I simply want to inform you that some changes might occur. Those meds were never for your memory loss. Simply a side effect, if you did have them. Now, after effects, that's something to worry about. Soon, like probably today or tomorrow, you will require much more food than what you eat now. It will be sudden, it happened to me. Next, you will become lean and pure muscle. Your body is preparing itself for what's to come."
"What did these pills even do?"
"It's easy once you understand how to do it. Each pills attempts to find if there's any magic remaining in your family line." Marinette gawked and was not allowed to talk, "But once you take a pill, it is incredibly hard to have children, much to the dismay of Plagg and I. It takes a long time of pills to react to every inch of magic in your bloodline. Chat and you have received the most-potent amount. Some power evolves with age, but we've pretty much juiced it out of you. We are simply using you two as our masters used us. You will do so one day to your apprentices. Marinette, I hope you understand that we will require you two to help us.
"There is a great force of evil that we have been fighting for generations. Before the magical lines faded out of memory and when we didn't have to resort to these methods. The current masters must choose and apprentice to take their role in this war. I chose you and Plagg chose Chat Noir. You will be Marinette to me, but Chat and all of your allies will only know you as Ladybug. When you retire, your identity will become Tikki and Chat will become Plagg. When you retire or I die, I will lose my fake name and once again take on the name I was given at birth."
"Tikki, I have one main question. If I have to fight, don't I need to learn? Also since you're married don't you have to know Plagg's real name?"
"Why of course I know my husband's name! What kind of woman do you think I am? Chat and Ladybug have a history of revealing their identities no matter what, but it gets so annoying. My Tikki said the same thing. So, anyway we covered all the things I was supposed to tell you. We chose you for a reason. It wasn't a random choice to take you from your family. You and Chat have the right personalities and the right age group. Trixx, Nooroo, Duusu, Queen Bee, Plagg, and I are all the people who fight in the war. Unfortunately, Duusu and Nooroo have both turned against us. So, eventually after everyone gains their powers, we will have a wonderful team to defeat them and pass the power to the next generation to be with us," Tikki paused and looked at Marinette.
"So is the war primarily against those two? Or is it another enemy that is greater than them?"
"She calls herself the Supreme Kwami. Each person who grows into their powers is a kwami. Yes, you are a kwami. You both did magic the week before we gave you back to your families. So, eat. Listen to your bodily functions and needs for food and whatever else it tells you, except hormones. I don't want to deal with those and don't try it. I have to go, so I'll be in touch."
Marinette watched Tikki walk away with a brisk pace, her heels clicking. Processing the last of the information, she stood and went home. She hoped Adrien found his way home safely.
"Good evening, Mari. I didn't see you drop by the shop this afternoon." Marinette was welcomed with this statement.
"Yeah, I made a friend and I didn't want to keep him waiting. I waved to Dad, did you see me?"
"Yes, Marinette. I didn't get a chance to ask you about anything, but I'll survive. Sabine, I told you not to worry. If anyone did anything, it's not like we'd give up."
"Thank you. Now if you'll excuse me, I'm guessing we have about thirty minutes until dinner? I have some homework to work on for a little bit," she made her way up into the pink room.
There was a pile of boxes on the chaise. She spied a computer box, and box with some designs around it, and on the top of the pile, a box for a cell phone. She moved them aside and sat down to think for a minute. Ladybug fell into the empty spaces of the room and she had a conversation with her buried side.
What does Tikki even mean? I mean, honestly, I can't even see you or me working for the sadistic woman.
That's true, but if they awakened hidden magical powers… That will be a real issue if neither of us can control them. If only Tikki was actually nice.
But still, why would she bother to explain all of these things now? She hasn't bothered in over nine years. Nine years and one day to be exact.
There's always the possibility that Plagg has say over her, but how he changes around her it's doubtful. He becomes more respectful, not her.
Ladybug tucked herself away as Tom bellowed out the word dinner. Marinette hurried down and helped to set the table. It was a quiet night after dinner. She spent the night in her room doing the homework to catch up. She wasn't really in her room, though. She was up on the balcony that had been forgotten about in her last few days. An old wooden table was up there, some cracked plastic tea cups, and a two chairs that went with the table. Also the group of plants that had been so overgrown she only had a narrow stip of concrete to set up shop on her homework.
Writing about Victor Hugo was very dull. She kept finding herself looking up and the dusk around her. The sun was beautiful in how it lit up the Paris skyline. The city always seemed behind the rest of the world. School got out much later than some places, the sun took much longer to set. Paris was simply trying to hold onto the past.
A crunch sounded behind her and she turned quickly. Sabine had started to crawl up and stepped on a tea cup.
"Sorry if I scared you. Dinner was tense and I didn't get anything out about your day. So," Sabine paused as if she wasn't sure what to do, "How was your day?"
"It was fine I guess. Alya sits next to me and we are friends, I think. A boy named Nino sits in front of her and another new kid sits in front of me. We made a mini friend group. It won't be a four group forever, but we can all split up into two groups of needed. The classes were fine," Marinette thought about the days that Chat and Ladybug were left to teach themselves. It happened every so often. It was her very favorite moments with Chat.
Their conversation died soon after, and any attempts to reinvigorate it didn't happen. They couldn't sit in peaceful silence but they couldn't talk either. Marinette thought it was maybe the worse thing to happen to her since coming back.