Work Text:
Marinette stumbled into the coffee shop, hoping her favorite barista, Adélie, wouldn’t have taken the day off. Even if that was almost impossible. One of the many things Marinette deeply appreciated of the woman, apart from her magic with coffee, was that no matter how awful the weekend had been, she was always there. As her regular, Adélie knew exactly how to prepare her early morning before-school coffee. Vital for her existence.
There was no one in line, which was quite unusual, but the less she had to wait for a cup of liquid happiness, the better.
“The usual, please. With extra caramel. Worked on some commissions last night and I feel like my mannequins are probably more alive than me right now. How was the night shift?”
“Horrible. Now, will that be cash, credit, or memories?”
She stuck her head out of her bag at those words. That wasn’t something Adélie would say, or ask. Adélie loved the night shift since everything was quiet, and she knew Marinette hated cards since she was extremely prone to losing them.
Marinette looked up.
Of course. It wasn’t Adélie.
It was Lila.
“Where is Adélie? She never skips early Mondays.”
“Maybe she forgot to come to work today?”
Yeah, that was totally not unsettling to hear on a Monday at seven A.M. on three hours of sleep and no coffee, and coming from Lila.
“What did you do this time?”
“I don’t know why you care so much about it if you will forget it later.”
Okay, this was no longer just unsettling. It was straight-up worrying. She stepped up carefully, never allowing the fake barista to leave her visual field. She had made that mistake once, and wasn’t exactly willing to repeat it.
“Lila, I’ll ask it again. What did you do?”
Behind the counter, she turned absent-mindedly to look for her bag. She bent to grab it from one of the hidden hooks.
“Well, I guess telling you won’t hurt if you won’t remember it later.”
Lila turned to Marinette.
“Did you know the Peacock Miraculous can create many things? Sentient ones, unlike that little Miraculous of yours.”
“Where are you going with this?”
Marinette had a few ideas, of which none were particularly great to even consider.
“Well, you see. Not so long ago, there was a show with many magical items, none of which exist here for obvious reasons. A few days ago, I was reminded of it, and decided to explore my powers.”
She grabbed something from inside her bag.
“I present to you", she said as she opened her hand, "the Memory Stone.
Had… Had Lila copied My Little Pony?
Marinette had to confirm it.
"Did you seriously waste a perfectly good amok on creating an artifact from an animated colorful pony show?"
"You truly do not understand the extent to my powers now, Marinette. With the right words, I can make you forget your purpose! You won't remember why you protect the Miraculous, and hand it to me!"
Lila believed she deserved a pat on the back for such a marvelous idea. She had outsmarted Hawk Moth, Shadow Moth, Monarch or whatever silly name Gabriel Agreste had decided for himself. The moment she put her mind to it, the man didn't stand a chance against her, the
A silly girl like Marinette would even less. She wouldn't have the slightest trace of a chance against her, the great Crisalide.
"Lila, how long ago did you watch the show?"
"It was simply one of the great masterpieces of animation for children in the last decade, I used to watch it religiously as it aired."
"You do realize we're about the same age, right? Only a few months of difference?"
"Of course."
"You realize it was one of the most popular shows for kids, right?"
"Yeah? It was well deserved."
"You do realize we grew up watching the same channels? With exactly the same shows airing at the exact same time?"
"We didn't! You know as well as I do that I grew up in Italy!"
"C'mon, we both know you are as French as I am, even a bit more if we count my Maman's side and Papa's mother."
"Well, still, I don't get what you want to prove with all your silly little arguments."
"You want to use a cartoon show's plan against me. A show I still have memorized, practically frame by frame."
"My Memory Stone is far more powerful than Wallflower's! It is sentient!"
"Wow, a sentient stone. Do I cue the lights for you to break into a song about how ignored you feel and how that is the root to all your evil so I feel guilty and apologize for existing now?"
"First of all, Invisible is a banger song and you have no right to disrespect it. Second, I am perfectly capable of making my own plans without relying on a cartoon character to make them for me.”
“Then why do I have five texts from Alya asking who am I and why she has me saved as “bestie” on her phone?”
“I… I didn't erase you from everyone’s minds! That’s a difference!”
“Why do I have the suspicion that I have until sunset today to retrieve the amok or the effects will be permanent?”
“That was to keep the concept!”
“Whatever you say.” As much as she wanted to laugh at Lila’s attempt at a good plan, she was kind of worried too. How was she going to find a rock’s amok?
She had less than twenty hours to figure it out.
“Don’t even think you will make it out of here intact. I will erase your memories! Stay still for me, Marinette. This will be over very soon. You won't even have to think about it. You can just let it go if you please.”
Nope, she thought inside.
She dived out of the Stone’s ray’s range.
“HOW DID YOU GUESS THAT?”
“I told you Lila, I have that show practically memorized entirely frame by frame. Which also reminds me.” She jumped over to the back of the counter and quickly looked around for what she was searching for. “AHA! A yearbook!”
Marinette ripped a few pages out of the book, liberating a blue feather from within its spine and making the Stone in Lila’s hand vanish.
“Maybe try not to use the plot to a My Little Pony special next time. Now, if you will please go find Adélie from wherever you left her, I still haven’t had my morning coffee and I’m about to be late for class. Again.”