Author's Note: I deleted the chapter of how Marinette and Alain first met Ren and Morgana, and I've seen how people don't really approve of their introductions and secrets being revealed so fast. I made it because I wanted to introduce them, even though it got too hasty. So, I decided to fix all that. I'm really sorry for all this.
Marinette sighed, sitting cross-legged and eyes closed. Breathing in and exhaling slowly as she listened to the soothing music on her phone. Emptying all thoughts out of her mind and to ease herself in a calm state. Meditating can be of good use when one is stressed. Unfortunately, she couldn't rid her thoughts of that strange white butterfly she had seen earlier.
Where did it come from?
Who is this Trickster whom she must help?
What sort of unjust game did that magical insect refer to?
It was all so confusing. If it had stayed a little longer, Marinette could've asked the butterfly some questions and get the answers she needed. While she had been sitting there for two and a half hours, her companions had finally returned. They didn't buy too much, just brought some outfits, wigs, glasses, hats and makeup she will need for disguises.
Disguises were also brought for Claude. Nobody expected him to go out carelessly unless he wants to get caught by authorities, if his parents ever bother to care enough to send someone searching for him. False names were created for Marinette and Claude, each choosing which outfit or wig they'd like to wear.
As for Alain, the boy seemed to have calmed down after his little spat with Tikki. But he kept his distance from her, no doubt still pissed at the tiny goddess. And by any indication, Tikki avoided him as well.
After her decisions were made on the disguises, Marinette decided to go out and patrol the city. Zoe offered to accompany her as Vesperia, but Marinette politely declined. But if she needs her, she'll send Zoe a text. Plus, it's about time she had a little talk with Chat Noir about the events of this morning's akuma episode.
As Ladybug, she scoured the city rooftops to make sure they're no more black butterflies fluttering around. Hopefully, today's events would only be a one time for Hawkmoth to back off. But you never know when it comes to Hawkmoth. She then noticed some flyers had been posted on bulletin boards, in the store windows, or on telephone poles.
The face of the girl on those flyers is her, as Marinette, causing her to stop abruptly and examine one of them. The bakery's phone number and address were printed beneath her photo. And what she read in the statement made her want to cry.
Our daughter, Marinette, ran away after we punished her when she got expelled for attacking an innocent girl over a boy. We hoped sending her to a boarding school in London would straighten her out, but she vanished last night. She doesn't understand what she did wrong and the girl she had attacked has a rare disease she cannot control which often leads to silly misunderstandings, but it doesn't stop her from trying to make friends with our daughter, except Marinette remains stubborn and continuously lashes out at her for no reason other than petty jealousy. We want our daughter to come back so she can face the consequences. If you see her, please contact this number and hand her over to us as soon as possible.
Tom & Sabine Boulangerie Patisserie.
The concern laced into the message made Ladybug feel very distressed. It's as if her parents are calling her a delinquent so people could treat her like one if they see her. Mentioning Lila, though not her name, and her alleged disease just to make people feel sorry for her made the spotted heroine want to vomit. Then again, she was glad neither of her parents had been akumatized so they couldn't have been that upset. Or perhaps they're not that concerned for her at all regarding the fight she had with them on the night before she ran away.
She shook her head, not wishing to waste time on whether or not to confront her parents in her hero guise. Tearing those flyers to pieces and throwing them in the trash, she launched herself back onto the rooftops.
The view of the city as Ladybug swings around and the grateful faces of the people of Paris are all she sees as she launches from rooftop to rooftop. Everything seemed to be peaceful. It was a nice day in Paris. The weather is good. People are out and about going to school or work. Her mind had been so lost in bliss and getting some exercise when she heard someone land behind her.
"Good day, M'lady! You're as beautiful as ever!"
Ladybug's smile dropped. Body growing tense, but she took a deep breath to steel herself. She turned, facing Chat Noir with a firm frown. "Good day, Chat."
The black leathered feline stepped towards her and tried to grab her hand, but she pulled away before he could, glaring at him with cold eyes that said, 'Don't touch me.' Chat sighed with a frown before speaking, "Anyway, I wanted to talk to you about our new teammate, Vesperia..." he said the name like it was a bad taste in his mouth. "You need to revoke her of the miraculous."
The sentence reverberated in Ladybug's brain for more than few seconds to sink in and her defense of the bee heroine slam into place. "Why would I do that? Vesperia has done nothing wrong."
Chat sharply pointed to his nose, which she finally noticed has a bandage. "She punched me so hard, my nose bled. Not to mention she was making lame excuses defending a bully after he sexually harassed one of his female peers. Lila was just being affectionate and wanted to go on a date, and what does Claude do? Attempts to force her into having relations! Doesn't he understand no when Lila doesn't want to go further in a relationship? If you ask me, he deserves to spend the rest of his days in military school. But now he's run away to who knows where, and his parents are dreadfully upset. I had to handle a really dangerous akuma today because he's behaving like a selfish brat."
Listening to the sheer audacity of that statement made Ladybug's rage burn like an inferno. How dare he tell her to strip Zoe of her miraculous just because she told him off for blaming Claude's problems on himself. And seriously? He doesn't think there's any problem with him trying to force her on a date, while he criticizes Claude for supposedly forcing himself on Lila when it was the opposite and laying the fault at Claude's feet because his father got akumatized.
She took a deep breath to contain herself from blowing up at him, but the anger and disappointment is clearly heard. "Do you ever hear yourself whenever you talk nonsense? Claude is not a bully! He wasn't trying to force Lila into having relations. Lila is the one who tried forcing him into sex, despite his refusal! None of those adults believed him when he told the truth and tried sending him to a military school. He doesn't deserve that life! And you, how dare you stand there and blame Claude when Lila is the one who caused all this trouble and Hawkmoth is the one taking advantage of people's emotions! Especially when YOU try forcing me into a relationship with you, even though I always made it clear that my answer is, and always will be, NO! You're supposed to be a hero, Chat. Someone who swore to protect this city and its people, and yet here you are using a victim of sexual harassment as a scapegoat for Hawkmoth's actions. If you don't want to fight any of the akumas or help people who are suffering just like Claude is, then perhaps I should find another cat to help me! That is, IF you decide to clean up your act!"
Chat began to back up as soon as she snarled in his face in a manner befitting a wolf. He stares at her, uncomprehending what she was implying. At the threat of renouncing his miraculous, he panicked and jumped to defend himself. "Whoa, hold on a sec! You wouldn't do that to me, would you, M'lady? I've defended this city for years! Why would you tell me to quit after I-"
"Because you've become a condescending, selfish and uncaring piece of trash!" Ladybug starts listing off the reasons why he's failed. "You purposely sit out on fights because I refuse to go out with you. You constantly shame victims of bullying for having a right to be angry. You joke around and it gets people seriously hurt, or worse, killed!" More than once, she had seen people die in akuma battles as a result of Chat's entitled attitude, passiveness and clowning around. It was a good thing the Miraculous Ladybug cure can bring people back to life, although those victims will have nightmares or PTSD because they died for a short time. "I gave Vesperia the bee miraculous because she has proven herself worthy of my trust and has taken fights more seriously than you ever have! She is a permanent hero!"
He was silent as he contemplated her words, his slitted green eyes fixated on her aggressive posture with shocked disbelief. "But what about Chloe? She's finally become a better person now."
Ladybug just stared at him, annoyed. "Your point being...?"
"Chloe stopped me last night when I was patrolling and told me how sorry she is for all the trouble she had caused in the past and wants to become Queen Bee again. I promised her I would try to talk to you about it. She's also warned us about Vesperia. Maybe you made the mistake of making her a permanent hero. What if Vesperia betrays you and attempts to steal all of the miraculous for Hawkmoth?"
Ladybug couldn't believe what she was hearing. After willingly teaming up with Hawkmoth, Chloe has reached the point of no return. She will never change, content to behaving like the spoiled, heartless bully she always will be. Still, Chloe manipulating Chat into trying to goad Ladybug into renouncing Vesperia of the bee miraculous and give it back to her made the spotted heroine very suspicious. Choking down her fury, her voice came out icy, "Forget it."
"Excuse me?" Chat's ears pricked up.
Ladybug's eyes narrowed dangerously as she stabs his chest with an accusatory finger. "I said FORGET IT! The only mistake I ever made was allowing Chloe to use the bee miraculous. She will never become Queen Bee again, EVER! She chose to work for Hawkmoth and tried to steal all the miraculous for herself! Did you forget that, or did you choose to forget on purpose!? And whatever Chloe told you about Vesperia is obviously a gross fabrication, just to steal the bee miraculous for herself and cause even more trouble for us!"
"You don't know that! You're not even giving Chloe a second chance!"
"Because what she's done can never be forgiven! And I doubt she's changed because, knowing Chloe, she secretly enjoys making a lot of people miserable for her own amusement. Heck, she's also got Lila working with her on whatever evil schemes they'll come up with to hurt more people!"
Chat Noir shook his head as if he was a disappointed father and she was being an unreasonable, immature child. "You know, you're starting to sound exactly like Marinette. Always seeing the worst in people when all they want is to make a fresh start. She wouldn't stop being overdramatic and selfish that she never stops to think about everyone's feelings. She refused to give Lila a chance and now she's paying the price for it. And now, she too has run away from home and left no trace for her parents to find, other than a silly note claiming how they 'abandoned' her for a liar and-"
Ladybug's hand moved so swiftly that she didn't know she had punched that stupid cat in the eye until he screamed. To be honest, it made her feel a little better. All she ever done was think about everyone's feelings. For too long, she had set aside her own anxieties and sacrificed her free time to provide aide for her loved ones. She had swallowed her emotions so that others will stop calling her dramatic whenever she complained about her problems and never know of the emotional pain they've caused her because they never cared. And why should they care? Why is she condemned as selfish when everyone around her has become selfish? They stopped caring the minute Lila opened her big fat mouth and lied.
"Maybe I'm glad to be thinking like Marinette, because it means I'm thinking for myself instead of seeing things based on Lila's words! Which, honestly, is nothing but garbage! And right now..." Ladybug towers over him, each word laced with venom. "You're starting to sound a lot like Adrien! Stuck in your pathetic high road principle that you cannot see the harm Lila or Chloe have done."
Chat massaged the left eye where she had punched, glaring at her. He was going to whine about why she hit him, but she never gave him the chance.
"Last time I checked on the Dupain-Cheng bakery, Marinette ran away because her parents were going to ship her off to a boarding school in London. They refused to believe her about Lila, especially after she stopped Lila from trying to coerce poor Claude into sex. If I ever find Marinette or Claude, I have no intention of sending them back to the families who cast them out until the truth about Lila comes to light. If anything, I'd be doing those poor kids a favor by protecting them from more suffering."
"But M'lady-"
"That is the end of this discussion!" She turned her back to him, grabbing her yo-yo. "Until you get your act together, I'll be looking to make some temporary heroes, those who have my trust, or find some new volunteers to be permanent." Not sparing him a glance, she flung her yo-yo and swung away.
Marinette huffed, roughly sliding the door to the massage shop closed behind her. That ugly spat with Chat Noir and reading her parents' flyers still lingered. She wanted to let off some steam, really bad. At least she was able to prevent another akuma from targeting another civilian. It was easy to catch and purify a single butterfly without having to fight a monster.
"How did it go? Are you okay?" Zoe was the first person to welcome her back, noticing the lingering resentment in her eyes. Sighing, Marinette repeated the events of her confrontation with that dumb cat. The blonde stares at her, shocked and furious. "I can't believe him! The nerve of that jerk! How can he think I'd betray you and steal all of the miraculous, even though it was my half-sister who did all of that!?"
"He's just like Adrien, too naive and so stuck in his high road principle that he willingly turns the other cheek when it comes to brats like Chloe and Lila," Marinette groans. Then again, that does sound familiar to Adrien... No, he couldn't be Chat Noir, not when she has no proof, but his willingness to look the other way does remind her of Adrien. "Don't worry, I'll never revoke you of the bee miraculous. You've earned it because you have proven yourself worthy of being a great hero."
Zoe blushed, a huge grin plastered on her face. "Thank you, Marinette. I'm honored that you think so highly of me."
"Because you have been there for me when I needed it... even after everyone I love pushed me away because I couldn't trust them with my secrets..."
FLASHBACK
Zoe might not have been there when it happened, but she had been given all the details of Marinette's female friends ganging up on her in her bedroom after they invited themselves in without permission, unless her parents willingly allowed them to go do it, again without Marinette's knowledge. They demanded that she tell them a secret and mentioned a little story about them all giving their secrets to a bracelet made of beads. Marinette snapped, yelling that maybe they aren't friends and the poor girl felt more awful than before than afterwards; her girl posse had gotten akumatized into various supervillains, demanding she confide in them or else they'll make her confess her secrets by force.
Thankfully, Marinette was able to fix everything by her usual Ladybug cure. Before that, Alya, who wasn't her estranged best friend before the Lila debacle made things worse, was able to break free of her brainwashing, which Zoe had to admit was very impressive.
She was able to patch things up somewhat with her female friends, explaining breaking up with Luka really broke her heart. And never being able to tell Adrien how she feels is just painful. Marinette decided to stick to friendship, which is better than rushing into romantic relationships. She was so glad and relieved her friends understood her feelings, accepting it. Even though Alya was still slightly annoyed that she wouldn't trust her best friend with whatever happened afterward.
Why is Zoe learning about this now? Because one time at lunch, Lila tried to pull another one of her victim stunts after Marinette made it firmly clear that she has plans after school and can't go out to the movies with her friends. Almost like a switch had been flipped, Alya and the girl posse began reprimanding Marinette for being so nasty to Lila and making up these terrible excuses to avoid spending time with her. All Lila wants is to make friends, but Marinette was not the least interested.
From what Zoe could see, Marinette seemed outright offended or worried to be anywhere near Lila. But nobody bothered to ask why, instead deeming her as selfish and rude. As for Lila... the blonde did catch a glimpse of the Italian smirking in delight as the girls ganged up on Marinette. Woah, that smirk alone radiated wickedness like the villains Zoe watched on those Disney movies.
Adrien stepped in to intervene, and Zoe had hoped he'd stick up for Marinette. Boy, was she wrong. He only intervened on Lila's behalf, shaming Marinette for not giving her a chance. Marinette gawks at him as though he had just slapped her. Then, she got up and ran out of the cafeteria. Was she crying?
Deeply concerned, Zoe decided to investigate. Catching up with her in the women's restroom, the blonde found her leaning against the sink, trying to wash the tears out of her eyes.
"Are you okay, Marinette?" Zoe asked with caution, determined not to startle her.
Marinette looks up, surprised to see her there. She said nothing but feels hesitant to speak. Zoe approaches her, offering a handkerchief for her to dry her face. Marinette accepted it, saying thanks and then abruptly told her to leave. Zoe was taken aback, but she refused to leave. Her friend is just standing there, looking very distraught. She needs help and now.
"Look, I don't know what's going on right now, but I know you have your reason for not going to a movie with the girls, otherwise you'd never have run off like that after all the horrible things they said," Zoe began in a gentle tone. "It has to do with this Lila person, huh?" Her deduction was correct as Marinette looks at her, almost alarmed. "I noticed how she was smiling smugly while everyone scolded you. I won't try to force it out of you. If you can't tell me what's going on, it's your right."
"Will we still be friends?" The young designer questions, nervously.
"Absolutely. I want to remain friends with you, and I'll always will be. That's why it hurts me to see you like this. I can't help you with whatever's making you so distressed if you don't tell me. Just take your time and think about it."
Just as Zoe turned to go, something grabs her hand. It was Marinette, clutching her hand desperately.
"Zoe, wait! Stay." It overwhelmed Marinette a little bit to see someone actually wanting to hear her out and help her. Luke and her broke up because she was lying to him, the same goes for Adrien and that's why she can't confess to him. All because of secrets and lies. And it's not just these secrets and lies preventing her from having fun with her best friends or spending time with her parents - Lila has been using those repeated absences to portray Marinette as purposely avoiding everyone out of spite because of either her presence or she could be involved with some bad influences. And now, with Zoe here lending a helping hand, poor girl grows increasingly more emotional as she knew what she had to say.
"You're right. I am alone." Tears began to sting at the brim of Marinette's eyes as it all came pouring out of her. "More than ever before. I can barely take it anymore! You know why I broke up with Luka? Not because I don't like him, he's amazing! It's cause there's something that I can't tell him. You know why I have to forget Adrien? For the exact same reason! I keep secrets, I lie all the time! Lila may be a horrible person who lies for selfish gain, but I'm not better than her! I lie to my friends, to my parents, to everyone and the worst thing is, I can't do it any other way!"
"There must be another way," Zoe tried to comfort her.
"No, not this time. I have no choice." Marinette continues holding back her tears, looking at the ground in anguish and thinking about the truth she's going to unleash at this second. "All this is bigger than us, Zoe... Way too big."
"It it's too big, the two of us can handle it. Two heads are better than one."
"If I tell you, things will never be the same between us again." The girl shakes her head, wondering if this is a good idea to confide in Zoe, half expecting her to abandon her once it comes out. "I'll mess up everything, maybe even destroy it."
"No, it won't..." By now, Zoe could feel her own voice breaking. Whatever it is that's hurting her friend, she wants to be there to help her. "Marinette, I'm your friend."
"And I..." Tears start spilling down her cheeks as Marinette looks her straight in the eye, "I'm Ladybug."
Zoe looked totally shocked at the big secret this girl has been holding for years. Wow, it was truly the mother of secrets. No wonder Marinette has been so absent all the time. People have been telling her that she doesn't spend much time with them. Did they assume she was doing something wrong or just purposely skipping out? The excuses, the tardiness, the forgetfulness, all of it. Because Marinette Dupain-Cheng had the biggest secret in all of Paris - the responsibility of protecting Paris as their most beloved superhero, Ladybug. It's a burden bestowed upon her by from what Zoe will later learn by an elderly guardian who was forced to erase his memories due to Hawkmoth discovering the guardian's identity.
This could either damage or strength their friendship, and Zoe decided that this should be the latter option. Marinette definitely deserves the support and help she needs. The blonde smiled and shed a few tears of her own, embracing Marinette as she allows her to cry on her shoulder.
"Everything will be all right, Marinette," she whispers. "You can trust me. I'll help you from now on."
FLASHBACK ENDS
"Even superheroes need help from someone," Zoe consoles. "I guess all it takes is for the right person to come along and lend a helping hand. The right person who has earned your trust."
"Yeah..." Marinette sighs bitterly, recalling how badly everyone in her life has thrown away their trust in her. Even her estranged best friend tarnished that trust as well. "To be honest, I did want to confide in Alya about my secret. But as long as Lila's in the picture and wrapping Alya around her finger, perhaps it's for the best that she'll never know."
"I'm just sorry that I couldn't do anything to help you when you got expelled..." Part of Zoe felt shame and guilt when she had heard what had happened. She hadn't been there when Lila molested Claude, but if only she had been...
"It's not your fault. Even if you did, Lila would definitely twist your words and paint you as the bad guy. And I'm pretty sure Chloe would back her up for support."
Enough talk about those two brats. The girls wanted to do something to take their minds off today's events. They head towards the sitting room where their friends are. Perhaps they could ask Allegra to teach them judo to relieve some stress or meditate some more.
Zoe's hand barely brushed the door when an idea came to her. "There is this new arcade just round the corner a distance from Dupont. We could go there, with you in disguise, that is if you want to." She suddenly felt stupid for bringing up that wretched school. That's the last place Marinette would ever go near after the incident, even though it's close to a new arcade that recently opened last week.
To her surprise, Marinette didn't seem bothered by the idea of visiting the arcade. "It's okay. I'd like to go there. I don't think I've ever seen this arcade. I'll just find whatever I need to wear to conceal my identity and we can go. And uh, what name should I go by if people ask questions?"
Zoe thought for a moment. "We can't go by Marie or Maria, those names sound closely related. How about Cristina?"
"Sounds good to me. We should ask the others if they'd want to go as well."
Except neither of them had the time to ask the rest of their friends because Alain's voice was heard from another room as he shouted, "Kaalki, full gallop!" And a flash of light illuminated through a crack in the door.
Horror filled Marinette's core. And judging by Zoe's stunned silence, her reaction was the same.
Alain is using the horse miraculous, but why hasn't anybody noticed? Recalling his stubborn insistence on communicating with the Phantom Thieves of Japan for help... Alain is definitely the type of person dead set on doing what he feels is right, no matter how crazy or stupid it is.
Marinette hastily threw open the door and there stood Alain, clad in an attire vaguely similar to Pegasus, even with the hair changed white to become a ponytail, except the colors of his super suit are dark grey and white, perfectly matching Kallki's colors. He didn't bother to notice Marinette had barged in as he commands, "Voyage to Tokyo!"
A portal magically opens in front of him and he began to walk in. In the stress and shock of her friend's recklessness, Marinette threw herself forward pouncing on him in a manner similar to a wild cat. When her body collides against Alain's, the two of them fell into the portal, with Tikki following close behind, just as the portal vanished.
Zoe just stood there witnessing everything that recently happed, dreadfully concerned for her companions and silently praying they won't get into trouble.