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Ladybug sat in a bush in the park close to her house. It had been a long afternoon, but she wasn’t ready to face her kwami yet. Tikki would probably tell her it was alright and it wasn’t all her fault, but she wasn’t ready for that yet, so she was going to sit feeling miserable for a little while longer. As she hadn’t used her lucky charm so she could sit for quite a while.
The cause of the latest akuma lay square at her feet. It was almost Lila all over again. A “fan” had accosted Adrien, and she had gone overboard. The girl was an easy target for Mothboy. She hated that after she had saved her, she had to pretend that she didn’t know the real reason the butterfly had jumped her.
Knees pulled up tight she sat and suffered. There was a rustle, and a small face appeared through the leaves. “Oh! Hi! I thought I saw you come in here!”
The little girl crawled into the small hiding spot with Ladybug. She was wearing a Ladybug costume but was missing a mask. “My name is Naomi I like to hide in here when I don’t feel good. I thought I was the only one that knew about it. I hope you don’t mind sharing. I was looking for a quiet spot, but you are here. I really like your costume, it looks realer than mine. The kids tease me all the time, but I don’t care. Well, I do care, but I still wear it. What’s your name?”
Ladybug sat and stared in amazement. This little girl didn't realise that she was the real Ladybug! “Hi. I can go if you want your spot.”
“No. Please stay. I have never had a chance to talk to someone else who likes to dress up like Ladybug that isn't mean. You don’t look mean. Don’t you think Ladybug is amazing! I wish I could do all the stuff she does. She is awesome when she zips by with her yo-yo. I can imagine the wind whooshing through my hair. It would be so amazing! Have you ever seen her use her lucky charm? It’s miraculous! I got to see it! I was nearby when they fought timebreaker. There where two Ladybugs! It was sooo super cool! Have you ever seen her in person?”
Ladybug smiled. “I might have. Where did you get your costume? It looks nice.”
“My mom made it she likes to sew. It took her two months to save for the materials. But she said I deserved it. Her job doesn’t pay much.”
“That’s too bad. Do you have a mask to go with it?”
“I do, but some girls took it. They said I shouldn’t wear this. That it didn’t go with my skin colour and my hair was wrong.”
Ladybug’s nose squinched up. “Did someone really say that? That’s unacceptable!”
Naomi sighed, “it happens a lot. It hasn’t been easy lately. I can’t tell mom. It makes her sad when I tell her that people are mean to me. I will have to lie and say I lost my mask. I don’t want her to be mad, but it is better than sad don’t you think?”
Ladybug got to her knees. “Are those girls still here?”
“Oh please don't I don't want to get anyone in trouble. They already tease me a lot.”
Ladybug smiled, “trust me Naomi. Come on let’s go talk to these girls.”
Ladybug pushed out of the shrubs with Naomi in tow. After a few paces, she saw the group of girls. It was obvious that they were the ones. In the centre of the group of five girls, one stood out in particular. She was a carbon copy of Chloe. She stood in a tailor-made Ladybug suit that looked like it came off of the same rack as Chloe’s. What it had in quality it lacked in heart. The girl had Naomi’s mask on her finger and was twirling it around as she spoke to the others.
Ladybug strolled up as Naomi followed quietly behind, as they approached the blond girl was the first to notice them. She sneered as she moved towards them causing her friends to cluster behind her.
“Look the loser has a looser friend. Where did you find her Naomi, is there a con in the area?”
Ladybug sighed, this was a mini Chloe. She could feel the young girl behind her fidget nervously, worried about a confrontation. As usual, she had been rash. This is what had got her in trouble earlier. She was Ladybug she was the one that always had a plan. Then it came to her.
She smiled at the young blond turned to Naomi and whispered: “watch this!”
With a flourish, she drew her yo-yo and cast it above her head. “LUCKY CHARM!” A shower of magic exploded over their heads followed by a red with black spots textbook dropping into her hands.
Ladybug winked at Naomi and turned back to the others, “So I hear that you think Naomi doesn’t suit being a Ladybug. Come gather around I will tell you a couple of stories about past Ladybugs including one about an OmuHimba girl.
The girls all clustered around as Ladybug opened her book and began her history lesson.
It was only a few minutes later before here miraculous gave off its first beep. “alright I have to go. Girls I understand with everything that’s going on it is hard to keep an open mind, but we are all human. We all need to be friends.”
The blond girl hung her head. She held out the mask to Naomi. “I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have teased you.”
Naomi didn’t hesitate, she wrapped the other girl in a huge hug. “I forgive you.”
For the first time in hours, Ladybug smiled. “Naomi, we need to go.”
The girl looked confused, “go?”
Ladybug wrapped her are around the girl's waist and with a flick of her yo-yo they were gone.
Ladybug landed in a deserted ally not far away, “I hope it sunk in, but if she’s mean, remember If we wish to change the world, we must all learn to love each other. If it's ok I would also like to have your address so I could drop in and check on you.
Ladybug smiled, murmuring to herself as she sailed away transformation ready to drop. “and I know someone in fashion that might be interested in getting your mom’s name.”