Chapter Text
“Marinette! Your alarm has been ringing for the past five minutes! You’re going to be late for your first day of school!” A sweet voice yells, breaking me away from whatever type of dream I was in.
Wait.
First day… back at school…? H- What? Wasn't I just-?
I open my eyes, groaning in pain as the sun shines over my eyes. I’m greeted by my room. A room that had been mine a year or so ago. Was this all a dream? But, it feels so real… It couldn’t be a dream.
“Marinette!”
“Coming!” My voice is hoarse, and my mouth feels dry. I stand up from my bed, and my body protests in despair. I can feel my knees collapsing under me, creating a thud kind of noise. I can feel the pain coming in waves. I slowly change my position, checking my legs, hands, everything. Angry red scars litter them. Fading but there. Fading but hurting oh so damn much. I never got scars this bad, scars that litter everywhere. Not until… Ladybug. I stand up quickly, ignoring the pain and the dizziness that comes up after. Tikki.
This was real. I wasn’t dreaming. I was sent back.
I go over to my purse, opening it and peering in. Tikki wasn’t there. She wasn’t inside.
“Tikki?” I whisper, looking at my room frantically. “Tikki? Tikki!?” She wasn’t there. Nowhere to be found. But, how? How could she be back to the time that started the mess known as Ladybug and Chat Noir? All I can remember is holding the Ladybug earrings and Ring of the- oh shit.
“Marinette? Is everything alright?” I hear my mom ask, hearing her footsteps coming up the stairs. I was in a dirty short-sleeve shirt (and was that blood?) with nothing covering my scar filled arms.
“Everything is fine! Don’t worry! No need to come up here! Totally!” I say, frantically changing my shirt and throwing on another (cleaner) shirt and a sweater. I hear my mom retreating with ‘alright honey’ and I breathe out a sigh of relief. Close. Too close.
This was not a dream. This was not a game. There was no second chance after this. I mess this up and I am done for. I went back in time, back to fix the mistakes I’ve made.
I finish putting on my jeans and shoes and go downstairs. After a quick breakfast, a goodbye to both my parents and a box of cookies I was on my merry way. (And god did it hurt so much to see the parents I had-)
And I turned the corner to find Master Fu slowly making his way through the street as a car came dangerously close to hitting him.
A quick conversation and some running later, I found out two things. I was the only one to remember and I couldn't change many things. This brought up a wave of emotions within me that I couldn't name.
Bitterness.
I could definitely name that one. It was clawing its way into my heart - grasping at straws that I needed to hold onto. If I was the only one to remember, how would Ad-Chat Noir react if I told him? Would I tell him? How can I tell him if I couldn't tell Master Fu? Was this all a sick prank? Was this even real? Would everyone still be the same?
Upon entering the school, I remember how Alya and I became friends. A pang of pain hit my chest. Could I even bring myself to be her friend? When I put her in harm's way back when I was still Ladybug? Would I bring her grief and misfortune now that I am nothing like I was before? I pushed myself to walk away from the desk, away from the incident that would make me and Alya friends. I hear Chloe and Sabrina talking about Adrien, and I can't help but remember my Chloe. The Chloe that grew up and the one that died too soon. A Chloe that died because of you, a voice in my head says.
I ignore it as the teacher walked in. I was certain, that now I could save them all. I didn't need to be friends with Alya, I didn't need to be rivals with Chloe, I didn't need anyone. I need to save them, not sink them down with me.
Time went on fast from then on, until Ivan got sent to the principal’s office.
Then things got dangerous.