The last thing Marinette remembered was being Ladybug. The behemoth was smashing Paris as it called it's own name, like a Pokemon knock-off. She looked up in horror at the massive iron giant called Strikeback as it absorbed the powers of her allies. One giant became three faster than she could blink. Then the worst happened. Strikeback absorbed Chat Noir's power. She saw the giant about to Cataclysm her partner, kill him with his own that moment the kid came riding by, again, singing his little song.

"My name's Froggy, here I come! I'm not afraid of anyone!"

Unknown to Ladybug, a small green symbol lite up on her back. She could do it, she could save Chat Noir! She didn't think twice as she swung down and shoved him out of the way. However, her momentum caused her to land on the ground, stunned for a moment. Strikeback didn't hesitate and Marinette's world went white.

How long she floated there, in that white light, she had no idea. With no sun or sky, there was no way to tell the passage of time. If Max were here, he would have started counting and could tell her exactly how long it had been. A feeling of guilt plagued her at the thought of her friends and family. Would she ever see them again? As she felt the sadness whelm up in her, the white light began to change.

Marinette could now feel soft grass beneath her back and on her exposed skin of her legs. She opened her eyes and found herself laying in what appeared to be a garden of some sort. White marble benches and columns dotted the space and so many pretty flowers. As the holder of the Ladybug Miraculous, Marinette admired all forms of creation as a matter of course. But this garden sparked her inspiration more than any she had ever seen. It was, not to put too fine a point on it, otherworldly.

She looked down at her body and found she was garbed in only a simple white dress. The hem was of a modest cut and the top had two straps around her shoulders. It looked like something she would have made for herself. She reached up and checked her hair to find it was loose and not tied up. A pair of simple white ribbons lay on the grass next to her, which she took and tied her signature pigtails. If this was heaven, she wanted to be presentable after all. Her feet were bare but she had no shoes to wear. Then she checked her ears and neckline. No Ladybug Miraculous hung on her ears any longer but she was relieved to feel the Kwagatama though.

She began to stroll through the garden, partly to look for someone to explain what was going on as well to continue the garden. After walking for sometime, she comes across another girl leaning over a pool of water.

The girl has blonde hair in ringlets down her back. Her dress has the back exposed and a hem that hugs her thighs. As Marinette approached, the girl looked up and smiled, her green eyes bright. Marientte felt her stomach churn. This girl looked just like how she had imagined Emma to look, or rather one version of Emma. Marinette would have loved her no matter which combination of her and Adrien she had come out as. As she thought this, one of the girls eyes changed to bluebell. She blinked, looking at the blonde in utter confusion.

"I see, your mind supplied the image of the daughter you desired for my shape. But since you had a few ideas, it's been changing my shape for the last ten minutes. I'm glad you're awake, it should finally stabilize."

"Oh, I'm sorry. Why do you look like Emma though?"

The girl giggled. "Just to put you at ease, my dear. My true form is a bit much for mortals. After a major change into the afterlife sector, I mean."

"So, this is heaven then?"

"One of them, yes. This is a heaven for holders of the Miraculous throughout the multiverse when they are not guiding new holders. Normally, you would be taken to the Palace of Creation to live with Tikki and her chosen, but well you have been bound to most of the miraculous at one point or the other."

Marinette worried her lip, unsure what this meant. The girl continued, taking Marinette's silence in stride.

"It's a lot to take in, sweetie. Take your time. We also have another issue. Two actually."

"I…" Marientte trailed off, looking around. "I think I can see one of them. My death should have been undone by Bunnyx already."

The girl clapped in delight. "Yes! You hit one of the issues. You shouldn't have arrived here, your time branch was already eliminated and time has resumed it's correct course. You defeated Risk and Strikeback and then continued to battle Shadowmoth under his new name, Monarch."

"Wait, there was an Akuma too?"

"Yep, you would have never jumped into that situation if that Akuma had not messed with you. But here you are still. The other issue is, you're a Guardian. As a guardian, you should have never worn a miraculous and lost your memories of your life as a hero. But you changed that rule, and thus are both a hero and a guardian. So, there are three options for you, hero of creation."

Marinette gulped and steeled herself. "OK, what are my options?"

"First option, we allow you to stay here in the palace of the Kwami of your choice, though I suspect you'll pick Tikki. You won't ever want here and you won't know pain or suffering again."

"Alright, that does sound like a solid choice. What's the second option?"

"We allow you to be erased from existence, like the rest of your rogue time branch. That way you never have to miss your family and friends. You'll just cease to exist."

"I… don't really like that idea. Maman and Papa wouldn't want me to give up out of grief. I won't be taking it."

The clone of her imagined Emma smiled softly. "I knew that would be your answer. That's why I saved the most likely one for last." The girl knelt and touched the pool of water and an image appeared in it.

A girl in a simple tunic and pants was cutting the bounds of some other girls, desperately looking around as she moved from post to post. The knife wielding girl was the spitting image of Marinette.

"In this world, the Marinette that lived there was picking medical herbs with her friends for a little pocket money. A group of bandits happened upon them as they were headed home. The bandits rounded up the girls with the intent of taking them to a nearby human traffic market. Marinette, being as clever as ever, managed to take a dagger from her captor and freed herself. She then freed the others while the bandits were drinking to celebrate their good fortune."

A chill gripped Marinette's heart, colder than ice. "What happened to the girls?"

"They all made it home safely to their parents. The bandits hideout was across a bridge from the mainland. Marinette was the last across as the only sober bandit caught up with her. He knocked her down and started to advance on the other girls that were at the far side."

Marinette knelt down as well, already sure what came next. "She cut the ropes holding the bridge up, didn't she?"

The girl was sad as she nodded. "Yes. She died to make sure they all got home. The problem is, she should have lived. The time line calls for a Marinette Dupain-Cheng to save that world. So there is a Marinette shaped hole and a world on the break of peril."

Marinette paced back and forth, her mind wondering in five different directions as always. "So many variables that could go wrong there, not to mention the pain I'll cause Maman and Papa when I show up at their place in that world."

"Yes, well what you do when you are there is up to you. You might be able to regain your family and some of your life. In fact, as your Guardian Angel I would prefer if you did until you're 18. But you won't be going alone to this other world. We would send you help, naturally."

"What sort of help?" Marinette asked, shocked.

"We will give you two boons. Ask and we shall grant them if we are able."

Her first thoughts went to Adrien and Chat Noir. One was the boy she loved above all others. The other was her partner and the one she most wanted by her side in any mission. Then she looked up at a pedestal with the symbol of the Order of Guardians on it. Her mind went to those nights, snuggled on the bed with her Kwamis. Listening to their stories of past holders and their adventures. Marinette no longer wanted to be a normal girl with a normal life. She didn't want to be a fashion designer. Clarity ruled her mind now. What she wanted to be, was a Guardian.

"I would like access to the Miracle Box and the Miraculous Spell book in the new world."

The girl threw her head back and laughed. "Plagg owes me some cheese. He was sure you would pick the model to come with you over the book. I will tell you, once you are 18 there is a way you might be able to regain your friends and partners. They all died in your universe wearing Miraculous. Their memories are in those Miraculous forever. I cannot say more, speak to Tikki and Dusuu about it."

The girl clapped her hands and summoned a table with several things on it. The first was not just her altered Mother box but was also several other boxes.

"I pulled all the Miraculous that existed in your world at the time of it's destruction. You will need to train Guardians for them naturally, but take your time on that."

"That makes sense. I wouldn't want to rush into giving a box full of super powers to the wrong person. But how am I going to carry around all these boxes with me?"

"Don't worry, I made a pocket dimension only you can access. You can open it at will and store anything Miraculous related there. You can even quickly summon things with your thoughts with practice."

Next she summoned the spell book and set it on the table. "I cannot give you the tablet with the translations sadly. You would have no way to charge it over there."

Marinette picked up the book and rubbed the cover. "Not to worry, I transferred a copy to my Bug Phone. It is magic so no worries there."

"Excellent. And this is a gift from me to you, since you asked to be a Guardian I feel like you should dress the part."

A deep red tunic with the emblem of the order on it as well as a pair of saffron pants appeared on the table. Next to them was a ornate staff with a sapphire gem on top, acting as a compass to the Mother box on the table.

"A Guardian's staff, just for me?" Marinette asked in amazement as she picked it up.

"Yep, it will serve you well."

"Why no shoes though?" The ravenette asked the blonde with a serious look.

"Oh, I forget about those so often. Monks tend to not really need or use them. I can add a pair for you." She did so with a wave. "You'll still need to protect your identify as a Guardian. I'll drop you a village away from your new home so you can acquire something suitable before heading to find your parents in that world. I should warn you, the world has little magic of it's own but is plagued with supernatural creatures. The Miraculous will be a major help in saving that world."

Marinette nodded. "I can manage that. I think I have a plan for my parents. I am just going to tell them the truth and see what happens."

The blonde patted her on the shoulder. "I will watch your progress with interest, Marinette.I added my contact to all your Miraculous tool phones for the Mother Box. Call me if you need anything."

Marinette smiled and hugged the girl, the daughter she might have had one day. "What do I call you? Do you have a name?"

The girl smile did not waver. "We don't actually have names of our own. My protected ones tend to give me names of their own. Whatever you want to call me, works for me."

"Very well, Emma. Thanks for everything."

A tear fell from the bluebell eye of the celestial being. "You honor me, Marinette. Until next time, may you walk in the light of the Kwami."

And Marinette was falling into white light once more.

***

This time when she awoke, it was in the clothes she had designed for herself back in her old world. She did not have her purse anymore though. First thing she did was reach out and open the pocket dimension as Emma had taught her. A shimmering light appeared and she pictured the Mother box coming to her hand. There was a rush of air and she felt the large oval box come to rest on her palm. She removed the box and quickly took out the Ladybug earrings. She would let the other Kwami out soon and explain everything, but her ears felt naked right now. She popped them in and a flash of pink light appeared before her. She smiled softly as the small Ladybug Kwami materialized

"Good to see you again, Tikki."

"Oh, Marinette!"

The two rushed to show their affection to the other as their foreheads touched. After a moment, they split apart as Marinette returned the Mother Box to it's safe was looking around in interest. In her haste to recover her Miraculous, she had not really paid attention to where she had appeared. They were on a road leading off into the forest on the right and down a steep hill towards a village on the left.

"Where are we, Marinette?" Tikki asked, worry in her voice.

"I'll explain soon, Tikki, I promise. Hide for now and stay out of sight. I'm gonna see if I can earn us some coin for clothes, room, and board. Plus food for the Kwamis."

Tikki nodded her approval. "Yeah, that's important. Let's get going."

The pair set off down the road, both wondering what challenges awaited them.

Notes:

Marinette will be focusing on using the Chinese Miracle Box, aka the Mother Box. While I hope to one day show off more Miraculous as their powers are revealed, the only non-Chinese Miraculous released is the Eagle. I will be cross posting this on AO3 and . Also I am interested in getting a beta reader if someone is game for that. I've been slowly working on this idea for a few days so unsure of how it will go, but I have a rough idea of the plot up to the time skip to 18. Eventual Adriennette and Zoenette pairings, no Zoedrian though. See you all soon!