Chapter Text
Marinette wasn’t prone to harassing Tikki for information. As they both share a majority of their time together, and are forgiving of each other's ignorance of the past and future world; little to no arguments or prodding was ever needed or used. However, today was…different…an exception to a rule.
“Tikki,” Marinette whispered.
The two of them found themselves in a restroom cubicle. Hidden from sight and hearing, yet always they remained at a whispered tone, no matter the layers of concrete and plastic between them and the outside world.
The girl had slumped onto the green bathroom wall, huffing as she placed the pink duvet bag on the stool. “What was that! You almost got us caught!”
Yet still, as Marinette's fury was driven hard and wedging between absolute disbelief and adrenaline, Tikki had the mind to ignore her. Instead the powerful kwamii looked down, absentmindedly gazing at the tiled floor. She didn’t mutter a single word, and her ghost-like floating stilled suspiciously.
“Tikki?” Marinette repeated. She folded her arms and crouched at a slight angle, to her level. “What's wrong?” Now concern laced her voice, something that brought Tikki present again.
“Oh?” She mumbled. “Oh.” She shook her head, flying towards Marinette's side. “It was nothing, I thought I saw…” She trailed off. “Nevermind that.” She decidedly shut her mouth, she won’t mention the Guardian, not until she was sure. I hope I am…She thought.
Marinette squeezed her inner hand. Was she keeping something from her? It stung a bit, but at the ringing of the first class Marinette shut her mouth…she would ask again later, when they were comfortable and alone.
She swaddled the air, as if she smelt something bad. “Mistakes…they happen! Just…you know- Don’t go flying out in a crowded hallway. If it weren’t for Alya yelling out ‘AKUMATIZED BUTTERFLY’, we would’ve been goners!” She chuckled.
Tikki Placcated a kind smile, as if to say ‘stop talking and lets move on’, and Marinette nervous about the condition she found her friend in agreed.
.
.
.
When Marinette ushered down to class, waving her teacher hello and sitting next to Alya at the right edge of seat, she was expecting the polite hello’s she often received. But Alya was preoccupied with Nino, and Nino was preoccupied with Adrien. The trio were talking in whispers, in fact the entire class was. Even the teacher, who simply acknowledged her, was talking with another teacher. None of the words made sense, though. Scrambled, she tried to listen in, but all she got were meddled sentences.
“Really, I heard that she fell from a bridge!” Nino exclaimed.
“Tch,” Alya wiggled her finger, taunting him in his ignorance. “That's what they want you to believe!” She pushed her head closer, inching her back everforth so they could hear. “I heard that she tried suiciding…but her daddy covered it up so as to not embarrass the family name.”
This time Adrien was the one to speak up, clearly disappointed and more so disgusted. “Agh Alya I expected this from Chloe but not from you. We shouldn’t talk about someones misfortune…specifically if its something clearly personal.”
“Hey bud, I’m just reporting what I’ve heard.” She shrugged. “Plus It's much more plausible than her getting pushed by some stranger…though I guess she did have some ugly relations…”
Adrien shook his head. “Not as plausible as her simply tripping, besides what if she hears these rumors…I doubt it would help her recovery.”
Marinette now spoke up, raising her neck to be seen. “Whats going on…who’s ‘she’?” Suddenly the three friends' eyes widened, snapping their heads towards her.
“You really haven’t heard!” Nino leaned forward. “Its been going around the school since this morning!” Alya took marionnettes hands and forced her closer to the group, eyeing the rest of the class as if they weren't also talking about the same topic.
“Do I have some news for you girl! You know that girl that used to bully you back then…the one that almost made you move schools!”
Marinette slowly nodded. “The one that fell down the bridge, back then?”
“Yep, well she’s back. She awoke from her coma like- two months ago and is coming today. I heard she’ll be in this class.”
Marinette suddenly clutched the desk with her nails, staring at Alya with hooded eyes and a slimmed shut mouth. She didn’t show much of a reaction, but inside she felt hell. Her heart- how she hoped no one could hear it, the taste of spit and the mornings toothpaste rested brazly in her mouth, burning. Her nails would knowingly bleed as she tore some of the woodshavings.
Y/n L/n…
There wasn’t a name - not chloes or Hawkmoths that brought more fear and terror in her heart than hers.
Such a name wasn’t deserving of any mentions of hopeful recoveries. Such a name spitted on Marinettes face. And Such a name made her vomit, cry, and wish for another existence twice fold.
Y/n L/n…She repeated in her mind.
“She bullied you?” Adrien eyed her, though noticed how Marinette glass eyes turned human once more.
She feverishly blushed looking away as she cursed at her dreary attitude. “Ah! Yes, well it wasn’t so bad cause you know- your here- and agh! Well what I meant to say is that she’s here and your here so-”
Arya wrapped an arm around her, the other one shushing her. “Eh, what she means is that yes, Y/n did bully her.” She released the hand on marinette's mouth when she softened her gaze.
“I forgot, you weren’t here to see her…but yeah it was pretty bad.” Arya started counting on her fingers all the misdemeanors the young woman had done to Marinette.
“Hm…lets see if I can get it all…she burned your hair, made you eat a gecko, tried drowning you-”
“Twice…” Marionette mumbled.
“Might’ve killed your hamster, well we’re not sure but after that ‘show your pet to school’ day he started being sick…oh, and stole your ultimate crush DerEcK!” She cooed.
Marinette had to slap her for that one, and in front of her current ultimate crush, Adrien too.
“Shut up, I was like thirteen!”
All of them giggled at her misery, but marionette felt uneasy. If Y/n was coming back, truly and to this class nonetheless, would she be the same person? Would she take all those lost years of unbridled rage and use it up on her?
Alya was right to have counted those five terrible situations. But Alya only knows so much, as much as Marionette has told her. And Y/n has done so much worse.
She defiled her existence to that of bullying.
She walks funny because of her, she talks funny because of her. She’s a perfectionist because of her. She can’t even talk to people she likes because of her. Marinette's entire personality, her flaws, were excruciating, pointed out, perfected and eased because of her.
Her clumsiness is attributed to the ever weariness of her surroundings. Everything that makes marionette marionette was because of Y/n.
And her poor parents…by the time her stutter started forming they could only try to get faculty attention. But mere bakers could do nothing against the influence of the L/n family. So moving was the only option, until it wasn’t.
When the news came that she fell from the bridge, kept in a coma that she had a chance to never wake up from, Marinette had never felt as much shame as when she silently cheered for her demise. Well deserved, karma she announced then and there, existed.
“Hey Marinette?” Adrien tapped on the wood, tilting his head in confusion.
Marinette snapped out of it, smiling weakly till she remembered who she was talking to again. “AGH YES!?”
Adrien smiled softly, signing. “Well, we tried getting your attention but you were kinda…”
“You were completely ignoring us. You know we even waved our hands to your face, and nothing!” Nino laughed.
Alya bumped shoulders with her. “Don’t tell me you were thinking on our good friend Y/n!”
Marinette shook her hands, laughing nervously. “Pshhh, meeee! Noooooo! I would never, besides the past is the past!” She giggled. Though the plastered smile did very little to convince Alya.
Ever with a keen eye, she sighed and leaned closer, enough so only she could hear. “Hey, Marinette…If you are worried about her, which I know you aren’t…Buuuuut- if you are…” She placed a kind hand on her shoulder. “You can always talk to me about it.” She smiled warmly. “Plus, you’re different, confident and-” She paused, looking around again. “You got a little black and red in you, if you catch my drift. You got this girl, and if you don’t, we got your back so you do.” She gave a little wink before returning to her conversation with Nino and Adrien.
Marinette clutched the straps of her bag, bouncing her left leg as her hands shook. Her lips quivered as she rolled them back, eyes watering. It hasn’t been such an easy morning, but Alya knew when to lift her spirits.
She’s right, I’m a new person. I won’t get struck so easily! I’m ladybug, Guardian of the miraculous! I’ve fought Hawkmoth and countless villains! I won’t surrender so easily!
Suddenly Miss Bustier called for everyone's attention, clapping her hands as she smiled.
“Well class, I'm sure you’ve heard already! But we’re getting a new student! You may have already known her from a few years back - before the accident, but she’s made a steady recovery and has decided to join us this year!”
Again everyone started whispering, however as soon as they came they left with the hand that belonged to Miss Bustier.
“Now I know we are excited, but remember to ease her into class. She has been away for three years…so please, be kind and gentle!”
There was a wave of affirmation as Miss Bustier went to open the door.
“Come in…” She mumbled, leading the young woman into the classroom.
There the girl with the h/c hair and s/c skin stood nervously. She twiddled her thumbs and rocked her heels, waving.
Y/n was absolutely gorgeous.
Somehow, despite spending the last three years in a coma, her body had matured beautifully, each curve, each dip in body fat or lack thereof was masterfully done.
Tikki took her time when creating her…
Marinette felt the bile rise.
“Hello…” She smiled.
She even had the gall to blush.
Miss Bustier placed her hand on Y/n’s back, directing her to Marinette.
No.
“Now, since this is a special case, can you, Alya, move next to Ivan?”
No.
“I want Miss L/n to settle nice and easy this year, and who better than our class representative Marinette?!” She laughed.
No.
Her breath stilled, her palms sweaty. She pleaded with Alya, to stay, to defy her. But Alya could only shift uncomfortably as she silently told her that she couldn’t.
She gripped her hand, nails digging into her flesh as Alya winced.
“Is something the matter? Show your hand Marinette.”
“No of course not, Miss Bustier.” Alya replied. “She’s just handing me my pencil.” She dropped low, as if Marinette held it to her hips. “Im sorry girl, but I can’t do anything about it…it’ll be fine though I promise! I’ll still be behind you!” She said lowly, in a single breath.
Her words were anything but reassuring.
Alya took a few seconds to move, yet for Marinette it felt like forever. When she finally sat down, it felt harder than any blow an akumatized person could do.
Marinette scooched as Y/n took a step towards her.
One.
Two.
Her left leg bounced, she clutched her strap.
Three.
Four.
With each step, she felt her Ladybug diminishing. With each step, her heart stopped.
She thought she could do this, but its different when its reality.
It’s different when she feels like herself three years ago.