Summary: From all the people... it had to be her. From the "Tensions" promt.
It's Probably Karma
.
.
The Akuma was defeated, and Chloe Bourgeois was still having an internal crisis.
Because this was not happening.
She had to have been imagining things.
Because there was no way in hell that Chloe saw Marinette talking to that kwami.
Nuh-uh.
And yet… Chloe, who had been looked in a bathroom stall listening-ignoring- to a lesson from her kwami, heard the commotion outside, heard her nemesis enter the room, saw her with that kwami and heard her say the magic words and dash out to the action.
And Tikki had been a witness too, so…
"This has to be karma at its best" she thought as she saw Honey Bee help the Akuma victim back to his feet.
BEEP!
Honey Bee looked up at her partner with concern, and Chloe simply avoided her gaze.
(but on the inside she was burning with guilt)
"Uh, Red Queen?" she asked warily. Chloe took a big breath.
"Just act like everything is normal" she told herself as she turned her back, shoulders strait and chin up high.
"I'll see you on patrol tonight" she said before leaving her partner and previous akumatized person behind.
Not even five minutes later, Chloe was yelling at her pillow while Tikki munched on a pile of cookies (that may or may not have been purchased from Tom & Sabine Boulangerie Patisserie) with a smirk on her face.
"Well, I did warn you that you should be kinder to your classmates" the ladybug kwami said when Chloe finally got her head out of the pillows.
"I don't understand" Chloe whimpered, "Why did it have to be her?"
"Because she was chosen" was Tikki's only reply. Chloe glared at her. "What? It's the truth"
Chloe huffed.
"What I meant was: why did my amazing partner in fighting crime and being fabulous while at it had to be the girl that I-"
"Constantly ridicule?"
"Shut up" Chloe said. Tikki sighed before putting the cookie down and flying to face her charge.
"Hate to break it to you Chloe, but now you have to make a decision" she said looking serious. "Either you gather up some of that Red Queen courage you have and talk to Honey Bee and come clean of your behavior, or so help me, I will make you do it the hard way"
A tense silence followed, in which kwami and human stared at each other.
"You're bluffing with that last part" Chloe said after a while.
"Am I?" Tikki warned. "I told you at the beginning, that being the holder of the Ladybug Miraculous required you to be kind, willing to listen to others and put others needs before your own, something that I haven't seen you do almost at all, Chloe Bourgeois. The only thing that I've seem to be seeing you do is cause some akumas, be completely self-centered and uncaring-"
"I care for Sabrina, Adrien and Honey Bee!" Chloe cut in, face red.
"You treat Sabrina like a slave and shower her with gifts for her to remain loyal; you seem to treat Adrien like a trophy, despite him being a friend from your childhood and being one of the only people who can possibly truly know you and wish for you to be a better person!" Tikki continued to say. Chloe wanted to shut her off, but a part of wanted to keep listening.
"And as for Honey Bee… or more accurately, Marinette Dupain-Cheng; she's been suffering your constant harassment for a while and she's done nothing to you!" Tikki then looked at her charge straight in the eye.
"In order words: Grow. Up"
Chloe sighed. As much as she hated admitting that Tikki was right…
She had to face this.
I've always thought that if Tikki and Chloe personally knew each other, this is something that would inevitably happen.
