Archive of Our Own ^beta

The Bugettes and Kitty Cat had Mayura on the ropes. Before she could react, the spotted heroines had her wrapped up in two magical yo-yos binding her arms to her side. “Would you like to do the honors Kitty?” Ladybug asked, a victorious smirk pulled across her lips as her gaze shifted between Mayura, Chat Noir and her sentimonster clone.

“My pleasure m’lady.” He proudly walked between the two most beautiful women in the world before stopping just in front of the villainess. Wrapping his fingers around her brooch the two locked eyes. “Your reign is over Mayura.” 

Before he could pull the jewel from her chest another figure joined them. A large man who wore all gray and appeared to be armored much like a knight with a smoke-like plumage flowing from the top of his helmet; covering his right hand was a large box with a nozzle on the front. Before anyone could truly react, smoke began flowing from the opening from the akuma’s hand, enveloping the entire area in a thick cloud. Chat pulled the brooch off Mayura and could only see a hint of the blue light of her transformation through all the smoke. 

“I have her miraculous! Fall back and let’s regroup” Chat called, jumping away from the akuma and the now powerless Mayura, landing under the Arc de Triomphe quickly followed by the Bugettes. The beeping of one of the earrings (he wasn’t even sure if Sentibug’s earrings beeped or what happened if she were to lose all five spots) reminded him that Lucky Charm has already been used. He held out the peacock miraculous for Ladybug; quickly taking it, she threw her lucky charm, a fork, into the air, fixing the damage done to the Arc and the surrounding area.

“Chat, can you and Senti follow Smokey while I recharge and return the miraculous?” She asked, sure that they would both agree which she was right about, since the named parties gave a quick nod and turned to jump away. Before they got the chance though Ladybug’s voice took a stern commanding tone. “And try not to engage until I get back.” And with that she zipped away to recharge. 

Quickly feeding Tikki, she transformed again and called on her Lucky Charm in order to figure out where Master Fu was. Apparently, he was still working at the movie theater as a ticket fell into her hands. As she made her way to the empty lobby as Marinette, she saw Master Fu’s hat just peeking over the counter like last time.

“Hello Master Fu.” Once he lifted his head to see her, she sent him a proud smile. “I need the Miracle Box master.” With an understanding look he quickly pulled out the box, every compartment opening one by one.

“Marinette Dupain-Cheng, pick an ally you can trust to fight alongside you for this mission.” Repeating the same phrase he has every time an ally was needed. Marinette let out a soft chuckle much to the confusion of the guardian.

“I’m not picking an ally master.” She placed the peacock miraculous in its proper place and smiled at the old man. “I’m returning one.” When he finally looked inside the box his shocked expression quickly turned to a joyous one.

“Marinette, this is wonderful!” he cheered, looking expectantly at her to give more details. Having the peacock miraculous back in his possession was a weight lifted off his shoulders as Duusu was finally back with the other kwamis who would be so happy to see him.

“I’ll tell you all about it when there is no longer an akuma to deal with. Chat Noir and Sentibug are currently chasing it down but it is extremely hard to see due to its power.” The man was obviously very confused, but Marinette continued. “Can you come by my place tonight, I believe we have a lot to talk about.”

Bowing his head, he responded “I will see you tonight Marinette.” Before she could leave the theater, he added something that greatly surprised her. “Please tell Mrs. Cheng that she will be having two guests for dinner tonight.” Marinette’s eyes were as wide as saucers but quickly shook off the worry as she had a partner and new ally to get back to.

Arriving on scene she saw smoke still filling the streets but slowly dissipating along with Chat Noir and an extremely uncomfortable Sentibug standing behind him as reporters surrounded them. She dropped behind the duo much to the confusion of all the reporters who silenced themselves. “Were you able to defeat and purify the akuma?” She asked, still unsure of just how accurate her copy is and what powers it possesses.

Chat shook his head “The akuma didn’t have any real offensive capabilities, it just sprayed smoke everywhere as it took Mayura somewhere to either blend in or to her home or something. We were about to fight it when it purified itself.

She thought carefully for a moment before being interrupted by the now invigorated media crazed at seeing two Ladybugs with seemingly no explanation. Sentibug was more startled than the other heroes at the sudden outcry feeling as if she shouldn’t be with the real heroes. She was just an imitation meant to trick Chat. Making her way from the noise, she was just about to throw her yo-yo to make her escape when a pair of gentle but firm hands grabbed her shoulders.

“Don’t worry, Senti, we already have part of a plan made for you so you can keep… being you” Ladybug reassured as she saw the doubt flicker across her eyes. “I’m not sure exactly what the Guardian has planned, but I’ll keep you safe.”

“We both will.” Chat confirmed giving her a sincere smile. Sentibug had a look of utter relief on her face and fear dissipating from her eyes which made thm pull her into a group hug despite all the cameras behind them. The heroes made their way to the rooftops so they could talk without the constant questions being fired from behind them. Once they were far enough away Chat looked towards Ladybug. “So, what’s the plan?”

“I honestly can’t say for sure. But I’m taking Sentibug home with me at least for a little bit and Master Fu is apparently going to explain his plan later.” She was still incredibly nervous about that. Having someone that looked exactly like her in a ladybug costume right next to her during dinner was going to be… well she wasn’t sure but she didn’t think the glamor would be that strong. She was all for looking after Sentibug, especially if her parents were able to know about her. She also didn’t want to tell Chat Noir about him coming over for dinner because he gave her literally no information to go on which was frustrating, especially with such a delicate situation.

“Umm.” Sentibug spoke up, not having done so in quite some time. “Can you not call me Sentibug, I don’t know what I want to be called yet but can we find a different temporary name?” She held her arms behind her back, her right foot drawing a circular pattern in front of her and her eyes were focused downwards. The original heroes winced at the thought of how they were treating her, she was a sentimonster but clearly, she was more human than anything seen before from one. She could probably use a name that wasn’t always calling out that she wasn’t human.

“Bridgette.” The spotted heroes’ eyes shifted towards Chat as he spoke “What? Earlier you called yourselves the Bugettes so I think Bridgette is close to that and works, at least for a temporary name.”

“What do you think, it’s your choice.”

She took a deep breath closing her eyes before a smile graced her features. “I might change it later, but for now call me Bridgette.” The pair in front of Bridgette shared a smile before turning their attention back towards the newly named heroine.

“Well, I have to head out since I will be missed if I don’t head back to my civilian life. Do you have everything covered here m’lady?” Chat asked as he stepped towards the edge of the roof.

“Yeah, let’s do a patrol tonight so I can tell you what the guardian says. Does that work for you?”

“See you then!” And with that, he jumped onto the next roof bounding away in the Parisian skyline. With that problem solved he had another one that needed his attention. Lila couldn’t just get Marinette expelled and think that he wasn’t going to protect her, if she did, she was sorely mistaken.

“Well Bridgette, let’s get you home.” Ladybug said with a comforting smile.

“Home.” She repeated dreamily.

Once they were both in her room Marinette de-transformed and called Fu up hoping to clear up what she was supposed to do until he arrived. Hiding what appeared to be one the heroes of Paris in her room right after getting expelled would more than certainly freak her parents out, especially with Bridgette as nervous and fidgety as she was right now. Heck, she wouldn’t blame her parents for assuming she somehow kidnapped the great Ladybug with everything that happened today.

“Hello Marinette, is there something I can help you with?” Fu asked in a concerned voice, obviously preoccupied with something but still giving the call his full attention.

“I’m here with Bridgette, that’s what she’s going by as of now, and I just wanted to ask, what should I do until you come for dinner and what do I even tell them? How am I supposed to explain Ladybug being in my room and-“ Her panicking was infectious as the longer she went on the tighter Bridgette held onto her keychain fearing that she would be destroyed.

Bubbles formed from Tikki’s mouth as she tried to speak, quickly readjusting her approach she tried again. “Ladybug, calm down, everything will be fine you’ll see.”

“Tikki is right, tell your parents that two of Ladybug’s allies will be having dinner with you and I will explain the rest over dinner. Can you do that?”

Marinette took a calming breath before letting out a sigh of relief. “Yes, Master.”

“If your parents accept, I would like Bridgette to stay with you as I cannot care for a teenager as well as your parents have.”

“They are amazing aren’t they?” she replied a bit dreamily.

“They did raise Ladybug herself, so I am inclined to think so. I am currently working on some things so that Bridgette can be integrated into society instead of just appearing out of thin air like what actually happened, but I will see you soon Marinette so that we can discuss this and so much more.” His response, while very vague and leaving much to the imagination, helped calm her as she now knew he had an actual plan.

“Very well Master.” Thoughts flooded her mind as she ended the call. Master Fu would be coming to her house for dinner with Bridgette, who looked exactly like Ladybug, for who knows exactly what purpose. She had to trust him and hope that everything would be okay after dinner. Taking a deep breath with her eyes closed, she let the panic flow out with her breath, one of the many techniques she had learned from Master Fu. When she opened her eyes again she turned to the still skittish Bridgette. “Bridgette, my name is Marinette and welcome home.”

“So,” Bridgette started, shifting her feet. “What did he say?”

“Master Fu, he’s the guardian of the miraculous and the one currently in possession of the peacock brooch, wants you to live here with me.” She said as she sat down on the chaise in her room, motioning for her ‘twin’ to join her. Once they were both seated, she continued. “In all honesty, I don’t know what he’s planning, he’s secretive like that. He will be joining us for dinner and will be discussing things with us and my parents while he’s here. Tonight, I will talk with Chat Noir to update him with what we learn over dinner; as of now that’s as much of the plan as I have.”

“Oh, ok.” Bridgette couldn’t meet Marinette’s eyes, still staring down at the keychain that controlled her. The keychain that kept her alive. The keychain that Ladybug nearly broke. Her life rested in her hands and she couldn’t even begin to think about what that truly meant.

Marinette, seeing Bridgette’s fixation on the miniature Eiffel Tower, quickly got up and began rifling through her jewelry materials. After three boxes with no luck she found a chain to match the golden Eiffel Tower keychain; after checking the color and how long it needed to be, she cut the chain and attached clasps to the ends. 

“Here you go.” She said as she slid the chain through the key ring. “Now you can keep it around your neck without being afraid to drop it or anything.” The smile she gave was so reassuring that Bridgette quickly wrapped the chain around her neck and clasped it closed. For the first time since the akuma showed up she felt relaxed and safe, Marinette wasn’t going to hurt her or take advantage of her. “I’m going to go talk to my parents, but I’ll be back shortly.” As Marinette left the room, Bridgette realized that not only could she trust Marinette, but Marinette already trusted her.

To say Marinette felt awkward was an understatement, sitting with her family alongside her mentor and new friend who was quickly explained to not be Ladybug. Marinette’s parents were stunned and only held polite conversation for the beginning of the meal. Bridgette was incredibly nervous and fidgety scared of what the adults thought of her, and Marinette herself was nearly silent as she wasn’t sure why Master Fu was even here except to give Bridgette a home nor did she know what information she was supposed to know for whatever he had planned. Master Fu on the other hand was extremely calm as if the scenario were completely normal which just confused everyone else further.

“The food is wonderful Madame Cheng, but I believe it is time that I explain why I am here.” The old guardian said with a smile. “I do come for multiple reasons so let me start off with a request I have for the two of you.” His attention focused on Tom and Sabine, much to their surprise. “Bridgette here has nowhere to go, for you see she was a creation of the peacock miraculous. The beings created by the peacock miraculous are called sentimonsters, however seeing Bridgette makes me inclined to now call them sentibeings as she is extraordinarily special and very human. I do not have the proper care required to take care of her and I am here to ask that you take care of her like you have Marinette, as she has become a wonderful person thanks to your guidance.” Bridgette’s head hung low with every word he spoke, but Marinette’s comforting presence was enough so that her eyes could meet with her possible care givers.

“We would be honored!” Tom’s voice boomed with pride as he looked over the two girls. “I can’t wait to show our new daughter all our love and care.” Bridgette’s head quickly shot up in shock as she gaped at the large man’s words.

“If we are being trusted with someone as precious as Bridgette then we can only accept.” Sabine spoke with such a loving voice that matched her smile. “Welcome to our family, Bridgette.” The spotted heroine quickly learned that she could cry as being welcomed so openly into a family was so unexpected no matter how many times Marinette assured her that it was going to happen. She shot around the table and pulled them into a tight hug which they freely returned. After a few moments Fu spoke again.

“I do have more to speak about, much more in fact.” The family hug soon broke apart as they each took their seats again wiping tears of joy from their faces. “First off, I would like to give you this. This is everything you will need in order to prove that Bridgette Cheng is very much a real person and that you have taken her into your family including a story which we will discuss later.” He handed Tom a manila envelope which he opened to find a birth certificate, a passport, adoption papers and more legal documents. “And before you ask, I did use some magic in order to make all of this happen.” Satisfied with the answer to his unspoken question Tom quickly left to store the envelope in the safe that rested in his room. “The next matter we have to discuss is Marinette.”

“Me?” Marinette asked, shocked by the topic change and still unsure of what was happening. The old man just laughed at her response before continuing.

“Yes you. I have watched you very closely Marinette, ever since Ladybug chose you to become Multimouse as you are by far the most capable miraculous holder I have ever seen in all my days.” The girl in question blushed at the comment as her parents beamed with pride. “In fact, your time as the mouse holder made me realize that I may be too old to be the guardian and that I should look for a new guardian to take my place. I will turn one hundred and eighty-seven in just a few weeks now, and I have waited too long to turn over my tenure as a guardian. When the time comes, I would like you, Marinette, to become the new guardian.”

Marinette was floored. ‘Did he just ask me to take over as guardian in front of my parents?’ Words fumbled out of her mouth before she got her mind in the right order and tried to speak properly. “I’m honored, but isn’t this supposed to be a secret?”

Fu let out a depressed sigh as he dropped his head in despair. “Indeed, it is, and I have taken that to heart due to the mistakes I made in my youth. My life has been filled with loneliness, but I don’t wish the same for you. I hope that with your family by your side you will be able to live your life with happiness and not in complete secrecy.” Years of running away with only one person to turn to, who he had to leave behind and who was still waiting for him to return to her. He didn’t want the same fate for Marinette, and maybe like this her life can be better.

After taking a few calming breaths, Marinette brought a smile to her lips. “I will gladly accept the role of guardian when the time comes.” The smile he gave back was unlike any she had seen before on the old man. He opened his bag and pulled out a black box with a red insignia on its top.

“Marinette Dupain-Cheng, as future guardian of the miraculous, I present the miraculous of the mouse which grants the power of multiplication. You will use this for your own protection and to learn more about the miraculous but like Ladybug said, Multimouse should not return to the battlefield.” Marinette hesitantly took the miraculous from its box. Mullo flew from the pendant necklace in an orb of pink light stopping right in front of Marinette.

“Marinette!” The little mouse squeaked as he nuzzled into her cheek. “I heard you’re going to be my permanent wielder; I haven’t had a permanent owner in so long. I'm glad you are my chosen!” Marinette cupped the kwami returning his affection before putting on her second miraculous.

“It’s good to see you again too, Mullo, and I’m honored that you think so highly of me.” She blushed as the pendant transformed into a Chinese coin. The kwami just smiled at her before setting himself on Marinette’s shoulder.

“And Bridgette,” Master Fu added. “I don’t know if you already knew this, but the Peacock miraculous is broken and in need of repair. As soon as it was returned to my possession, I began the process of healing it, and once it is fully restored, I would like you to wear it permanently as well.” As he said this, he pulled out another identical box. “I have it with me and would like to change your appearance to be that of a normal teenage girl instead of Ladybug. Do I have your permission to do this?” Bridgette looked between everyone in the room who just nodded approvingly, well if they supported him, if Marinette trusted him, then she could do the same. She slowly nodded at him which he returned in kind before opening the second box. When he did so a bright blue orb emerged from the box.

Duusu let out a groan of confusion as his form took shape. “W-where am I?” The peacock-like being floated up and down as if staying still was difficult.

“As I have said previously, I got to work on healing the damaged miraculous as soon as I could, and in my haste, I did not realize the consequences of my actions.” The guardian said ruefully, his head hanging low in shame. “I haven’t dealt with a broken miraculous in over one hundred and seventy years; while a miraculous is broken a kwami cannot fully form memories, so once I started the healing process, names, faces, places all get lost and all that is left behind are vague ideas of what he experienced.” He pinned the brooch to his shirt transforming into a peacock with many long pale blue feathers with a sky blue circle towards the ends of each feather.

“So, even though Mayura is defeated we are no closer to discovering who Hawkmoth is or even who Mayura was?” Marinette asked, hiding the frustration in her voice. They may have won against Mayura, but now they are back where they were before heroes’ day. The peacock miraculous has been returned to the box, and sentimonsters were more difficult to defeat than akumatized villains. She blamed Hawkmoth for making them play a secondary role to his akumas. It would have been far more dangerous if the amoks took center stage.

“Unfortunately, that is correct, but I do have a plan to help us.” His grim frown shifted to a knowing smile. “Duusu! Let’s dance!” In a brilliant flash of light Master Fu’s skin turned a light blue and his outfit changed to a dark blue suit with matching pants and boots, the end of the jacket he wore resembled a peacock’s tail feathers. “Bridgette, may I hold the object where the amok is hiding?” Reluctantly, she unclasped the chain around her neck and placed the golden Eiffel Tower in the palm of his hand. Bringing his other hand over the keychain he pulled energy from around him, dark blue energy bubbles formed around his hands and around Bridgette’s body as well before the color shifted towards a slightly lighter shade that matched the edges of the feathers on the peacock miraculous. The Dupain-Chengs watched in silence as Bridgette’s form shifted slightly, but the almost thirty seconds of watching him manipulate the energy was nerve wracking. When the magic faded around Bridgette, what stood before the family of three was a girl who looked like the daughter. There were noticeable differences like Bridgette being a few centimeters taller than Marinette, instead of having pigtails she had a long Ponytail that went to her mid-back, the freckles that lined Marinette’s face were absent and her eyes were now gray, much like Sabine’s. She wore an exact replica of what Marinette was wearing now but made to fit her new height. The two girls could easily pass as sisters or cousins which was the idea Master Fu had in mind.

Bridgette opened her eyes and after looking down at her hands she realized that she looked like a normal teenage girl and no longer like Ladybug. She could live a normal life! She quickly ran to a nearby mirror and gauged her appearance. After a few moments, a blue flash signaling Master Fu’s detransformation brought her attention back to the group. “Thank you! Thank You! Thank you!” She cried wrapping the small man into a tight hug as she swirled him in the air.

“Young Bridgette, you have chosen to fight for the side of good and for that, this is only a small gift I give to you.” He smiled brightly as he was set down back onto the floor wiping the tears from Bridgette’s cheeks. “Now as for the plan I’ve mentioned'' He motioned for everyone to take their seats again before he continued speaking. “When Mayura created you, she gave you the ability to summon objects to mimic Ladybug’s lucky charm. I have taken that away and instead I gave you the ability to see through the miraculous glamor that protects the wielder’s identity. For this ability to work you must see your target both inside and outside of the mask in person. With this ability we now will play the long game. Ladybug has even more allies so, should he try another Scarletmoth attack, we will surely be victorious. As that is the only time he has made an appearance in public thus far, let us hope that the peacock miraculous will be fully healed by the time he tries such a move again so that you can fight alongside Ladybug and Chat Noir to give them an upper hand for victory. I also would like for you to go to school with Marinette, as many of her classmates have been akumatized, you might find out Hawkmoth’s identity from watching those who interact with them.”

“Um, Master?” Marinette cautiously added, “I was expelled from school today due to Lila Rossi framing me for cheating, stealing her necklace, and pushing her down a flight of stairs.” She hung her head in resignation, accepting whatever words he offered her.

“Hmmm, interesting.” He hummed as he stroked his beard. “That girl’s aura is dangerous, and she has claimed to be enemies with Ladybug. Her actions, while unexpected, I cannot say are out of character for her.” His words came as a shock to the parents, not that Marinette was innocent, but that Lila doing such things could not be claimed as ‘out of character’. “While I know that may seem like a horrible turn of events, it may actually be a blessing in disguise. Instead of going to school, you can come by my old massage parlor and I can teach you more about being a guardian; this also allows you to interact less with Lila which would be beneficial for your mental health.”

“That… Actually sounds great.” She wasn’t sure she wanted to ditch her friends like that, but this could be a chance to take Hawkmoth down forever and maybe even make the world a better place as the guardian, once she earned the title, plus she could always go to Master Fu for support if she needed it.

“Sweetie, I support your decision and all, but what about your dream to become a fashion designer?” Her mother’s concerned voice brought up a good point. Maybe this will be a tougher decision than I thought.

“Over the years, I have run many small businesses where I was the only worker. There are many things that I could teach you about that as well if you are interested, and my shop is already set to go into your possession whenever that time comes.” Or maybe it really was that simple? She could take time training to become a guardian while learning how to make a career for herself. No more making excuses to leave from class and her parents would respect her if she decided to meet up with Master Fu as Multimouse and she could just switch transformations after she left. Maybe Lila getting her expelled was a good thing.

While her parents set up the guest room for Bridgette, with Maman promising to make it her permanent room by buying her furniture and new clothes tomorrow while Marinette worked in the bakery for the day, Marinette and Master Fu had to have a more private conversation which took place in her bedroom. She wasn’t sure if he’d been here before when she first received the miraculous, it could have been Wayzz who dropped it off or another kwami but she needed to focus.

“Master, is it safe to wear two miraculous at once permanently? It took me a few days to fully recover after my first time as Multimouse.” She asked, trying her best to keep her composure despite how weird the situation was.

“As I have said before, you are the most capable miraculous holder I have ever seen in all my days. Wearing multiple miraculous for long periods of time can be risky, but it is not unheard of, in fact me and Wayzz have theorized that you could wear up to four in a long term manner, including combining their powers, without any long term negative effects, however we would never recommend such a thing.”

“Ok” She sighed in relief, holding the Chinese coin between her fingers.

“I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again Marinette, you are the best Ladybug I’ve ever had!” The red kwami proclaimed as she rested on Fu’s shoulder.

“You can ask Master Fu, I was worried about you for weeks after you pulled that stunt against Kwamibuster, I’m certain that if anybody else were to try that they would die, except maybe Chat Noir. He probably wouldn’t last too long though but I think he’d pass out and all of the kwamis would be able to take the miraculous from him before he perished.” That’s certainly a comforting thought. She now had two magical beings that would be by her side, now there could be a whole conversation in her room that she wasn’t even a part of. That is going to be interesting, I guess.

“Before you go anywhere as Ladybug, I would recommend taking off the mouse miraculous because it is far more noticeable than wearing a pair of black stud earrings as Multimouse.” Fu advised simply. She was going to have to get used to taking off her necklace as part of her pre-transformation routine now. Before she could respond her phone started ringing and she noticed that it was Adrien calling her. Strange, she thought, he normally doesn’t call me unless we’re working on a project together or if he’s missing a hangout that I’m at, and especially not at night.

“Sorry Master, I’ll call him back later.” She said as she moved to dismiss the call.

“You should take the call, Marinette, we have discussed everything I believe we needed to discuss.” He smiled once he saw who it was that was trying to call her, and he made his way to leave her room.

“Wait!” She called, suddenly remembering something. The old man turned around curiously at her reaction. “Who is King Monkey? He’s the only holder besides Chat Noir whose civilian identity I don’t know for sure.”

He let a smirk pull across his lips at her question. “Xuppu bet King Monkey that he could keep his identity secret and apparently he takes those very seriously.”

She sighed in defeat as he finished speaking. “I thought as much.” Waving goodbye as her mentor moved down the stairs to discuss Bridgette’s cover story with her parents, she answered the phone. “H-hey, Adrien.” ‘ I just talked about overtaking the role as a caretaker for magical jewels in front of my parents! I can talk to my crush without stuttering, for kwami’s sake,’ she chastised herself. “I wasn’t expecting you to call me.” So far so good.

“Hey, Marinette. I was debating whether to call you or not, but I… yeah.” He stated nervously, she could easily picture his hand on the back of his neck as his eyes shifted to one side.

“O-kay?” She was certainly confused by how he was speaking and the sigh he let out before speaking again didn’t help.

“I am very sorry for how I’ve acted about Lila and I promise to do better.”

“Adrien, I’m expelled, she won.” She admitted in defeat.

“Umm about that…”

“Adrien?”

“She’s going to reverse your expulsion. We both know that she’s a liar and I’m sorry for not realizing sooner that she was actually evil.”

“What do you mean she’s going to reverse my expulsion? Why would she do that?”

“My father made me do a photoshoot with her today and I told her if she wanted to be my friend, she would have to lie away your expulsion and not mess with you. I wish there were a way to not deal with her, but I didn’t act soon enough and for that I am incredibly sorry.” She was lucky he didn’t want to video call because then he would see the tears rolling down her cheeks. He did that for me. He protected me and even apologized for not doing it sooner. She was wiping away the tears from her eyes.

“That boy’s a keeper, think of how many children they could have!” Mullo whispered excitedly much to Marinette’s dismay.

“Shhh” Tikki scolded while trying and failing to suppress her giggles. “She wants three.”

“What was that Marinette?” He asked. If Mullo and Tikki heard the cackling of a certain black cat kwami above their own they didn’t mention it.

“Nothing!” She squawked, mortified by her kwamis’ discussion and failing to hide her flaming red cheeks. Regaining her composure, she spoke again. “Thank you so much Adrien but even if I get accepted back into school I won’t be going back.”

“WHAT!?” He screeched.

“I got an opportunity of a lifetime for a mentorship program tonight and I’m going to take it. I will still be around so we can hang out and the bakery will always be open for you.” She clearly heard Adrien taking a few calming breaths himself before he spoke.

“I’m excited for you Marinette, but I’m going to miss you at school.”

“Well you won’t be without a Dupain-Cheng presence at school.”

“Huh?”

“My family just adopted my cousin, kinda, it’s a long story, but we hope she’s going to be joining you in class.”

“Oh cool!”

“She won’t be starting right away, but can you keep her safe from Lila while she’s in school?”

“Of course, Mari.” He gave me a nickname! “I’ll make Lila stay away from her and keep… umm what’s her name by the way?”

“Her name’s Bridgette, she’s got amnesia and so, we’re trying to help her adjust but we think school will be good for her.” Now Adrien was glad that he didn’t decide to ask for a video call because the way his eyes widened at the mention of her name would be hard to explain. Marinette got a warning wave from Tikki which startled the girl. “Oh, sorry to cut this short Adrien, but I gotta get going, can you come over after school this week or sometime over the weekend to meet her?”

“Same here, but I should be able to make it over sometime. Talk to you later!”

“Talk to you later!” As she hung up from the phone call, she looked at her kwamis with a disapproving glare before turning out her lights and calling for her transformation.

Marinette decided to go out and patrol as Multimouse instead of Ladybug tonight. While she loved their dynamic as Ladybug and Chat Noir, Marinette and Chat Noir were far more casual, after the Weredad incident he visited her balcony once or twice every week. And she wanted something casual after the awkward conversation she had at dinner, plus now she didn’t have to make everything third person when talking about how the night went. Bounding buildings as Multimouse was a new experience, a mix of high-powered jumps and using her jump rope as a shorter version of her yo-yo she quickly made her way over to the rooftop they agreed upon for impromptu patrols. She caught sight of Chat Noir in the distance, surprised that he wasn’t early for once.

“Multimouse?” Chat asked as his boots made contact with the roof, his body language definitely read as excited but also with a hint of confusion with his tilted head. He was expecting to meet up with Ladybug tonight and probably never expected to see Multimouse again after her first outing.

“In the flesh.” She proclaimed with a wink. “Come on, let's sit down, we have a lot to talk about, Kitty.” They sat together with their feet dangling off the roof as she retold how the night went, mainly focusing on Bridgette’s situation and Master Fu’s plan for her to be the next peacock holder. To say he was surprised was an understatement, Fu has made a house visit but only one time and under the guise of being a substitute Chinese teacher.

“I honestly can’t believe he said that he was the guardian to your parents. That makes no sense.” He remarked, memories of feeling left out earlier in his and Ladybug’s partnership resurfacing.

“Well, I haven’t told you the reason I have the mouse miraculous yet.”

“Oh yeah, I was wondering about that.”

“Well apparently, the plan I made to defeat Kwamibuster, yeah, that would have killed most people. But because I was able to not only survive, but be successful, he decided that he was going to train me as the next guardian. I think Bridgette’s situation also spurred his decision to act now, but he wanted me to have a support group to rely on which he didn’t have.”

“Wow that’s amazing Mar-Multimouse” He exclaimed. “But I have to ask, are you okay becoming the guardian, it’s a lot of responsibility and I know how much you love fashion, are you going to give it up?”

“It’s a lot of responsibility but someone has to bear it, and Master Fu will actually help me make a business out of my work.” She said cheerfully.

“Well that’s good.” He let out a breath and closed his eyes just taking in the sounds around him. “I’m glad you were chosen as the next guardian, Princess.”

“Well, I think you’re gonna have to wait a bit. I haven’t even started my training so it will probably be at least a year before I take over, if not more.” She could see his ears flatten against the top of his head as he turned to look at her, disappointment filling his big kitten eyes. “Don’t worry though, I’m keeping the miraculous, so I can always go on a run with you since my schedule conveniently opened itself up today” Multimouse just let out a chuckle as she pulled off the jump rope from around her waist. “Wanna race to the Eiffel Tower?” Not even waiting for an answer, she flicked out her jump rope and let it grip onto a ledge quickly swinging away.

“Hey! No fair!” The teens’ laughter filled the air as they made their way through the Parisian skyline.

“And because of this rare disease, sometimes I can’t control things I say.” Marinette and her father were both trying hard not to react poorly to the girl’s words, and it seemed to be working well enough. “I’m really sorry, Marinette.” The fake sweetness pouring from the Italian girl’s lips would have certainly set Sabine into a righteous fury after what they learned last night, but she was out with Bridgette buying clothes, furniture and any school supplies that couldn’t be passed from Marinette. The father daughter duo managed to keep their cool throughout her whole ‘confession’, if only just barely.

“Thank you for your confession Lila, it was very moving.” The principal and Lila both missed the four pairs of rolling eyes, two of which were hidden away in Marinette’s purse. “Marinette, you will of course be welcome back to school tomorrow.” He said before blowing his nose in his handkerchief.

“Actually sir, since you are currently meeting with us, we have something else we’d like to discuss with you if that’s alright.” Tom said with a caring tone that betrayed how he truly felt. The man at the desk wiped his tears and cleared his throat before responding.

“Yes, of course. Lila you are dismissed.” The girl in question eyed the duo suspiciously before making her cheerful exit. “Now, what is it you would like to discuss, M. Dupain?”

“Yesterday, we received terrible news after Marinette was falsely expelled. One of Sabine’s sisters and her husband passed away in a car accident leaving behind a girl Marinette’s age, Bridgette. From what Sabine understands she wanted to become a baker and so had learned French in order to learn from us once she was old enough. However, due to the accident, she got amnesia and forgot most of the Mandarin language but luckily kept all her French.” Tom recited the practiced story with ease to the gullible and overly emotional principal. “We have decided to take her in and enroll her in the school if that is alright with you.”

“Yes, yes of course!” The old man said through his tears after hearing such a tragic story. “As long as you have all of the necessary documents, we can have her enrolled by Monday.”

“One more thing,” Marinette spoke up, “I will not be returning to school tomorrow or ever again, as I have been given an opportunity for a mentorship program that I can’t pass up.” Mr. Damocles often saw Marinette’s confident side as he interacted with the girl more since she became class president, but his brows still shot up at how she spoke.

“I’m incredibly surprised by this outcome, but we will make the necessary changes to the class roster. I hope you do well in your program but know that you will always be welcome back here.” He was glad to see that someone was able to see just how talented the girl was, even if that prevented her from rejoining the school. She surely would do great things one day like her teachers and classmates have been saying.

“Thank you, sir.”

“Girl, Mr. Damocles just said that you were welcomed back into school and you decided not to come back. What’s that about!?” Alya said as soon as she was in the bakery during her lunch break. Marinette motioned for another worker to take over the register while she brought Alya to the living room. Her dad was in the bakery while her mom was still out with Bridgette. “Spill, why aren’t you coming back?” She demanded, foot tapping repeatedly in frustration.

“Listen, I loved going to school but Lila has caused me more problems than I care to admit. I was almost akumatized a few months ago and I was akumatized yesterday, both because of Lila. She caused me to be expelled and admitted it to the principal. I got an opportunity to be in a mentorship program and I can’t reasonably turn it down, since they found out I was expelled. They even offered to make it during normal school hours so I can still have a social life.” Marinette took a deep breath, having been nervous about what she was going to tell her, but continued on before Alya could get a word in. “I don’t want to be around Lila, especially after what she did to me yesterday and this gives me the opportunity to keep her away from me and further my fashion career.”

The reporter was clearly taking some time to process everything that Marinette had said and eventually just hugged her friend tightly. “I’m going to miss you so much, M.” She then pulled away and looked at her with mock hurt. “With you leaving, that means I don’t have a seat mate anymore. How could you do such a thing to me?” The over- exaggerated pout made both girls burst out laughing neither realizing how they ended up on the floor or knowing how long they’ve been there.

“Actually Als, Nino is going to sit with you while my cousin sits with Adrien.” Alya’s raised eyebrow made Marinette realize why she’s confused. “Oh shoot! I forgot to tell you about that.” Alya just sat down on the couch and let Marinette tell the given story about Bridgette’s sudden appearance and why she’ll be joining class with them.

“Can I meet her!? If she’s anything like you then I bet we’ll be great friends!” Her excitement warmed Marinette’s heart but she had to temper her friend’s reaction quickly.

“Like I said, she has amnesia, and we think it’s permanent. Right now she’s really skittish and doesn’t really like being around other people. I think you’ll be friends with her, but you’re a little too fiery to drop on her without any warning. Adrien’s coming over tonight as he’s going to be watching over her at school.” Marinette said in as much of a reassuring voice as she could manage.

“Yeah that makes sense. I’ll meet her soon though, right?” She asked with hope and a bit of disappointment lacing her words.

“This weekend for sure!”

“So…” Alya sing-songed, matched with her waggling eyebrows Marinette knew where this was going. “Dinner with Adrien, huh?”

“Yeah, we’re going to mainly be focusing on making everything normal for Bridgette and letting her get to know Adrien and vice versa.”

“Are you sure you won’t make a fool of yourself while you eat? Your clumsiness increases tenfold everytime Adrien is around.” She said it humorously, but she still sounded concerned.

“I hope not, I was able to manage a whole phone call with him last night, only stuttering in the very beginning. So maybe I’m finally getting the confidence I need around him.” Marinette proclaimed triumphantly, still proud of how successful she was last night and mortified by her kwamis’ side comments that Adrien might have heard. Alya brought her friend into another hug and they both lingered for a moment.

“I’m so proud of you!”

“Thanks, Alya, see you this weekend?”

“You bet!” After the two friends made their goodbyes, the two kwamis floated out of her bag and moved to their chosen’s shoulders.

“I’m going to have three of you guys in the house once Duusu is all healed up.” She let out a happy sigh. “My life just got a whole lot more interesting.” The mouse and bug just laughed on her shoulder happily eating their snacks.