Anthea snuck in through the window, tumbling into Marinette's office with a thump.
"Oh dear, are you okay?" Marinette asked, holding out a hand for the girl sprawled out on the floor. "That was quite the tumble!" She giggled warmly.
"I'm fine!" Anthea took the hand offered and stood up, shaking her shirt down to get rid of any dust.
She glanced around the room again, taking in the lived in aesthetic of the interior for a few minutes.
"I was watching you." Marinette broke the silence, bringing Anthea a bottle of strawberry flavored water. "You did fantastic. Tikki really did make the right choice. I'm proud of you." She remarked. "However, we can continue this later. For now we have-" she paused temporarily, looking down at the small golden watch on her wrist "roughly 10 seconds before your mother-"
As if summoned by the mention of her, Alya slammed the door open.
"Anthea, honey. Oh my god I'm so glad you're safe." She rushed over, almost crushing her daughter in a tight hug. "What were you thinking? Why didn't you say no?"
"What are you on about, maman?" She asked awkwardly, shooting Marinette a look that almost screamed 'help me'.
"Those godforsaken earrings! Don't think I'm dumb, Anthea." She released the girl from a hug but continued to grip her shoulders, locking eyes. "Don't think I wouldn't recognise my own daughter." She hugged Anthea again briefly before turning to Marinette.
"And what were you thinking!" She hissed. "I know full well you hated being a child soldier, why in the world would you force other children to do it?" She pointed a finger at Marinette, rage stricken.
"Sit, I'll explain it all." Marinette gestured to the two Cesaire's to take a seat, handing another bottle of water to Alya. "I didn't choose Anthea, Alya. Tikki did." She sat beside the two, holding her own drink. "I wasn't keen on it initially, but since the day we met her Tikki was. Well. Particularly fond of Anthea. I spent about fifteen years convincing her otherwise but she wouldn't take no for an answer." She took a deep breath. "And about a year ago, I began to see what she meant. Anthea is truly incredible. Her first thought has always been to help others and for that, I think she's worthy of the miraculous. But most importantly, it was her choice. She didn't have to, unlike I did." Marinette squeezed Alyas shoulder. "And I'm not throwing her to the wolves like Master Fu did to me. I'm mentoring her."
Alya sighed. "Is this what you want, Anthea?" She asked, a pitiful resignation filled her eyes and her voice was laced with what Anthea could only describe as maternal love and worry.
Anthea gulped, replying with a passionate and caring tone.
"Yes. It is. I want to help people maman, and this is the best way I can do that."
"You always were too caring." Her mother chuckled before continuing. "If this is what you want."
"Thank you ,maman."
Anthea left the house with her mother shortly after but saw Feyline running along the rooftops. With her mother's encouragement, she left to join her new partner.
After she got home, she noticed the feeling of a small, almost hook-like charm in her pocket that Tikki identified as a kwagatagma.
—-
"UGHHHH. Dad I'm so tiredddd." Emma complained, flopping face first onto her father's bed. "You never told me how draining it is to use your powers!" She grumbled, her voice muffled by fluffy pillows.
"I didn't have enough time, eclipse. As soon as you get accustomed to your powers then it won't be nearly as draining." He hummed in reply, engrossed in trying his hand at sewing a beanie of sorts. He was failing miserably but Emma was too tired to show him how he was mucking up the stitching. "You should get some rest."
"Rest? After that? Adalia literally threw me by the ankle!" She argued. "How am I supposed to sleep after the coolest thing ever just happened?"
She was tired, yes, but how in the world could she just lay down and fall asleep after that had just happened?
"It was thrilling for me too, Em'." He gave up, placing the half finished beanie on the small table beside him and grabbing a hair tie. As he walked towards her, they heard the snap as the hairband tied her father's hair up. "but you've got school in the morning." He added at the end.
"I'll sleep later. For now I want to go on patrol. It's what you and maman did every night, right?" She pulled her head up, rubbing her eyes and turning around to face her father.
"Yes but it's your first day. You should sleep." He tried to argue but it was to no avail.
Before he had time to stop her, Emma was transformed and out the window, ready to patrol. Shortly after, Adalia joined her.
Adrien had stayed up till his daughter had arrived home, made her coffee and brought her to bed, slipping on a chain necklace with his kwagatagma on around her neck as she slept.
—-
The murmuring of the class flooded her ears.
They were all talking about the new heroines of Paris, debating favorites and wondering who they could be.
Of course her closest friends were partial to Feyline, even without knowing who she was.
"Did you see, their powers are called different things! And they've clearly not got the same dynamic as Ladybug and Chat noir, but I like how they work together!" A voice across the class piped up.
"Feyline looked so cool but how did she fight with all that hair in the way?" Another spoke up.
"I'm just happy to see two awesome, kick butt women fight for Paris!" A girl a few rows In Front of her beamed.
"You look awful, kid." Plagg whispered from inside her purse.
Emma slammed her head on the table, grumbling under her breath to Plagg. She reached into her purse, patting his head to get him to shut up.
"Hey, Em'! What's up?" Anthea placed something down on the corner of the desk before sliding beside them and tapping her shoulder. She wrapped an arm around Emma's shoulder, encouraging her to wake up.
Emma looked up, noticing irregular eye bags under her eyes that mirrored their own.
"Just tired." She replied, noting the well hidden, groggy slur in Anthea's voice. She spread her arms over the desk dramatically as she spoke. Resting her chin on top of an Adalia themed notebook that her mother managed to create overnight.
"Don't worry, I've got you!" Anthea beamed, placing a hot coffee cup into Emma's hand. "Coffee! From your dad's place!" She explained, sipping on her own cup.
"Anthea. I literally love you. Thank you." Emma chugged the coffee, running a hand through her hair and leaning backwards. "Oh! Wait! What do I owe you?" She asked, reaching into her bag and brushing her fingers past Plagg again as they looked for her purse.
"Your smile and conversation is all I ask for!" Anthea replied, passing a pen to Emma too. "Oh, and help with making notes if that's okay." She sheepishly grinned, glancing at Emma.
Anthea glanced at her sore wrist. Turns out the magic ladybirds fixed everything but the prickling pain caused by the strenuous activities that came with being a holder of the ladybug miraculous.
Tikki had told her it wouldn't hurt soon enough, that she just had to get used to it.
"Yeah of course!" Emma replied, shooting a soft smile at her friend. They felt their cheeks redden as she saw the deep brown eyes that looked into her own and looked away, covering their face with the notebook.
"Oh! Is that an Adalia notebook?" Emma heard the girl In Front of her ask.
"Uh, yeah! Maman made it last night. I've got a Feyline one in my bag." She rubbed the back of her neck gently and reached into the dark green backpack, pulling out a notebook that matched the Adalia one.
"WOAH! That's awesome!" Kit fawned over the notebooks, admiring the handy work.
"Yeah! I'm partial to the Adalia one myself." She smiled back, waving the notebook in her hand slightly.
"Enough about that, everyone get your textbooks out and turn to page thirty four please!" Miss Bustier chirped. "Today we'll be reviewing how to simplify Algebraic expressions!"
From what Emma had seen, Miss Bustier took after her mother in both looks and career choice. Her maman had taught Marinette and Adriens class and she, Emma and Anthea's.
Miss Bustier brought up an array of questions on the board, leaving the class to solve them.
"Psst, hey An'? What did you get for this question?" Emma whispered, handing her notebook to their friend. The good thing about being in the back of the class was that they could help each other without being told off by their teachers.
"Huh, I'm not sure actually." Anthea replied, turning the page that was illuminated by the orange light of the sun to see the next set of questions.
They both looked at the book, trying to figure out the answer between the two of them.