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Stars twinkled in the sky, and Marinette knew that she was supposed to be asleep ages ago.
It wasn’t that there was a patrol soon, it was Chat’s turn today, or that there was any homework or project due the next day, she had already finished everything that had to be done after school today.
No, she just couldn’t sleep . The more she tried, the harder it seemed , but was it really her fault that she couldn’t sleep?
Marinette sighed. Maybe it was partially her fault.
“Seriously Marinette, I don’t know why you're still talking about this! You gotta tone down the jealousy a bit and see what’s really happening, girl! No offense, but if you keep going like this you’ll end up making a mistake that will lead you into some serious trouble. I don’t wanna see my bestie in trouble just because of jealousy. Please.”
Of course, Lila had happened. Again. And Alya had been supportive of the Italian lying doll. AGAIN!
On top of all the daily drama, Adrien’s advice to take the high road ….
Deciding she needed fresh air, Marinette climbed out of her room into the balcony. Somehow, seeing Paris, the city she protected, all calm and peaceful always helped quieten the ravenette’s inner turmoils.
She was alone but she was strong. No one may believe her now, but in the end, it is always the truth that prevails. She wouldn’t gain anything from exposing Lila, Marinette just hated liars.
And there wasn’t anything she was losing in this battle for the truth, right?
She remembered how the entire girl group sans Marinette had gathered around Lila, soaking in the liar’s stories without even batting an eyelid.
The girl group that had promised to stay together, always.
Wrong. Entirely wrong.
She was losing her sanity. She was losing her inner calm. She was losing her credibility by being projected as a jealous bully.
But above all, she was losing her friends.
But were they ever your real friends? A tiny voice whispered in her mind.
Memories of impromptu hangouts, baking sessions, sleepovers, gossips and group projects flipped through her mind like a movie, and she couldn’t help the prickling in her eyes. Those moments, those fun times, if anyone were to look at them, they would have assumed the kids to be fast friends without a doubt.
“You are so helpful, Marinette!”
“Best friends forever?”
“We don’t know what we would have done without you, Mari!”
But the moment an Italian diva comes sashaying her way in, telling everyone what they want to hear , Marinette is thrown to the background. Just like the puppets thrown in some dark, musty corner of the shelf after a child gets some brand, new toy.
But then again, am I not a puppet myself, doing whatever someone wished her to do with the best of her ability? Serving others, never asking for anything in return and…
“CATACLYSM!”
The girl jumped, turning around to see Chat Noir standing behind her, his right arm extended with the hand balled into a fist. The gloved fist opened to release dust on the ground.
His concerned expression. Hers shocked. Both of them knew what that dust earlier had been.
An akuma. Reaching for Marinette to corrupt her and turn her into one of Hawk Moth’s minions.
Silence prevailed between the two teens until Chat Noir said, “I need to recharge.”
Nodding, the girl turned around, keeping her eyes shut to not see Chat detransforming. But the moment she did that, negative thoughts cluttered her mind once again.
Getting akumatized? Especially when you are freaking Ladybug? Nice job, eh? No wonder your friends left you, you pesky little-
“Marinette?”
She felt a gloved hand on her shoulder. Turning around, the girl met the anxious expression of the superhero.
“Is everything okay?” Chat asked, his luminescent green eyes boring into her bluebells.
“Ye-yeah! Everything is fine! Pawsome as ever! Lame joke right? Heh-eh-eh…”
Seeing his unchanging expression, her voice faltered. He didn’t buy her lie. Why would he? He himself had just cataclysmed an akuma that had headed straight for her.
“Marinette. We both know that’s a lie. Please, tell me what happened. After all, I am your friend.”
Friend.
Wasn’t that 6 letter word meant to warm a person’ heart? Then why was it slicing her heart into two pieces?
Something was off. His cat senses were telling him so, and pulling him in the direction of a certain bakery. Plagg’s eagerness from earlier wasn’t helping the case.
“Plagg, come on. We gotta go.”
"Hey, hold your whiskers and just say the magic words,” Plagg said as he quickly gobbled up a whole wheel of Camembert.
“Plagg, you usually never want to transform. Why are you so eager this time?” The boy asked in confusion.
“Well for one, I’m not eager. And for two, because of your feelings for Pigtails, it’s kind of obvious that you’re going to stay long, so we might as well get over with it so we can get back quickly and so I could eat my cheese and get my beauty sleep.”
...
Chat Noir had done his patrol. Now time for Detective Noir to arrive at the scene.
As he neared the bakery, he came to a stop a few roofs away so he wouldn’t be seen.
Someone was on Marinette’s balcony.
He felt a mix of emotions, including confusion and relief, when he made out Marinette’s shape.
Relieved that she was awake so they could talk, but sad and confused that she was awake pacing her balcony when she should be asleep..
If she’s thinking about becoming nocturnal, I might as well become her nighttime friend and accompany her, Chat chuckled to himself.
And that’s when his mirth turned to horror.
For it wasn’t normal for purple butterflies to fly in Paris without reason. Especially straight for cheery people like Marinette. Not unless…
There was no way he was going to let Marinette get Akumatized!
Whatever happened next could only be explained as reflexes stemming from sheer panic and horror.
So now here he stood, a trembling Marinette looking at him with tears in her eyes, the akuma-turned-dust having already flown away with the wind.
“Chat, is it my fault, that I don’t know all of the cool people in the world? That I speak the truth, and not lie for the sake of making friends? That I am trying to unmask a liar, and trying to save my friends from hurt and pain? Are they even my friends, Chat?”
He didn’t know the answer. He truly didn’t. After all, he was one of those who had told her not to expose Lila.
He couldn’t comfort her with words. But maybe…
Marinette gasped as Chat wrapped her in a tight hug. Confused at first, his whisper of “I am always here for you Marinette” made the girl break all the dams that held her emotions, the treacherous tears escaping her eyes as she let loose her frustrations of the day.
She knew he would always have her back. Their friendship was one she could always count upon.