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I. Alya
Alya, Marinette notices, has been on edge all afternoon. Nooroo, nuzzled up against the back of her neck, sneaks a quick peak at the Guardian’s face. She simply rolls her eyes at the kwami and offers a grin. Nooroo titters to himself and nods back before retreating into Marinette’s hair.
“Alya, are you going to tell me what’s wrong?”
Alya chews on her lip before finally dropping her shoulders in defeat. “Girl, you are too perceptive for your own good, sometimes.”
“You’re rather transparent, Alya, I hate to break it to you.”
Alya laughs. “Fine, fine, I’ll admit that you’ve got me there. Everything is okay, I’ve just been doing a lot of thinking recently, and honestly, I consider you one of my very best friends, and best friends shouldn’t keep secrets from each other, and I’ve been keeping a huge one from you-”
“Alya,” Marinette interrupts before she can ramble too close to her secret identity. “I have no issues with you keeping secrets from me. Everything will be revealed in its own time. Surely, after being friends with me, you’ve learned this.”
Alya chews her lip again. “Well, I guess, but-”
“Then let it happen, Alya. Naturally, in its own time. There is nothing you could tell me that I would be upset with you for keeping from me.”
“I’m Rena Rouge.”
Marinette has to stop herself from sighing and pinching the bridge of her nose. Nooroo rumbles against the back of her neck. “I’m sorry?” An opportunity to backtrack.
“I’m Rena Rouge, and I’m sorry that I’ve had to bail on you so many times for akuma and then sentimonster attacks, and I promise that I’ve been begging the Guardian to give you a Miraculous because, girl, if anyone deserves one, you do, but I just couldn’t keep it in any longer, oh but now I’ve put you in danger and-”
“Alya.”
The other girl immediately stops talking.
“Alya, first of all, you flatter me, thinking I could wield a Miraculous. I’m honored that you think so highly of me. Second of all, your secret is safe with me.” This is followed by a softly muttered ‘well, I had no doubts about that.’ “And lastly, you probably shouldn’t have told me that, regardless, and it would be in your best interest if you told the rest of your team that a civilian knows your identity.”
“You’re right, of course. You always are.”
“And Alya?” The reporter looks up at her. “If I ever get to wield my own Miraculous, you’ll be the first person I tell.” Alya laughs and jumps on her friend, who laughs in return.
II. Chloé
“My turn. Dupain-Cheng, you’re with me today.”
“Chloé.” Marinette has been expecting this conversation, though being dragged away from Adrien and into Chloé’s limo was not the exact circumstance she expected.
“We need to talk. I need advice.”
“Of course, Chloé. How can I help?”
Chloé, even in the confines of the limo, glances around. “Let’s wait until we get back to the hotel. We can speak in private there.”
Marinette merely smiles and nods, letting Chloé chatter mindlessly for the duration of the drive. When the finally arrive, Marinette is dragged up to Chloé’s room and the door slammed shut.
“Okay, Chloé, we’re alone, and we will be for the next several minutes, I think.” Marinette knows for a fact that no one will interrupt them, and doesn’t even need magic to see it, considering how scared the staff looked as they swept through the hotel.
“This is a difficult conversation for me to have, Marinette, so please don’t talk until I am done.”
Marinette inclines her head.
“Good. So, first things first, I am Queen Bee. I’ll accept your praise and appreciation now.”
Marinette smiles and compliments Chloé on the work she has put in saving the city.
“Thank you. Now, I have been begging the Guardian—that’s who gave me the Miraculous—to give you one, and she simply refuses to. I don’t say this about just anyone, but it’s ridiculous that you are not a hero with me. Utterly ridiculous.”
Marinette giggles. “Chloé—”
“Ah! No interruptions, I’m not done yet. Anyway! The Guardian clearly can’t see your talent like I can, so I need your help pitching you to the Guardian so we can get you on the team.”
“Chloé, I’m flattered, truly, but I suspect that this Guardian has her own reasons for not giving me one. If she offers me a Miraculous, I’d be flattered, but in the meantime, it is probably for the best that I not have one.”
“Dupain-Cheng!”
“Chloé,” Marinette says firmly. “Thank you for believing in me, but I’m not offended. If I’m meant to have one, the Guardian will give me one.”
Chloé pouts but finally relents. “Well, fine. But I won’t stop pestering the Guardian about you.”
“I wouldn’t expect anything less.”
III. Nino
“I’m Carapace.”
“I know.”
IV. Kagami
“Marinette, I have a secret I would like to share with you. When are you available to meet about this?”
Marinette looks at Kagami over the rim of her glass of orange juice. Slowly, she sets the glass back down on the table and nods thoughtfully. “Well, seeing as we already have plans to spend the day together, I am happy to take you back to my house and we can have the discussion there.”
Kagami frowns ever-so-slightly. “I see. You are prepared to receive my secret on such short notice?”
Marinette grins to herself. Leave it to Kagami to have a perfect plan for every conversation. “Of course. You can tell me anything at any time, Kagami, and I will be ready for it.”
Kagami nods. “Very well. Let us go, then.”
Marinette leads Kagami back to the bakery. It isn’t a far walk, but Marinette, knowing exactly what is coming, takes her time, giving Kagami time to prepare mentally for the conversation they are about to have. When the finally reach Marinette’s house and have settled in, Kagami places a hand on her choker—her Miraculous, as Marinette, the Guardian, knows it to be—and looks Marinette in the eye.
“Marinette, what I am about to tell you cannot leave this room. I am entrusting you with my deepest and most guarded secret. Are you prepared for that responsibility?”
Marinette nods solemnly. “There is no one you can trust more ardently to hold your secrets than me, Kagami. Whatever you need to share, it will not leave this room.”
Kagami is silent for a long moment but nods to herself. “I am the hero Ryuko. My teammates have shared that they each have told their secret to a trusted civilian, and so I have decided to trust you as my dearest and most trusted civilian friend.”
Marinette grabs Kagami’s hand and holds it. “Kagami, I am so proud of all the work you have done as Ryuko. Thank you for protecting our city and thank you for trusting me enough to share this secret. You have my word, not a single soul will learn your secret from me.”
The tension in Kagami’s shoulders loosens (almost imperceptibly, as Kagami always holds herself with the straightest posture, but Marinette, master of observation, notices the stress of revealing her secret leave Kagami’s stance anyway). “Thank you, Mari-hime. And now that you know my secret, I would like to introduce you to someone. Longg, you may reveal yourself now.”
The dragon kwami emerges from inside Kagami’s jacket. She looks at Marinette, who winks. The dragon kwami grins and bows slightly to the Guardian. “This is your trusted civilian, Kagami-san?”
“Indeed, Longg-sama. Marinette, may I introduce Longg-sama, the kwami who inhabits my Miraculous and grants me my powers as Ryuko.”
Longg bows once more to Marinette, this time obviously. “A pleasure to meet you, Marinette. You may call me Longg.”
Marinette bows back. “The pleasure is all mine, Longg. Welcome to my home. My I offer you anything? Food or beverage?”
Longg’s eyes brighten. “My nourishment of choice is dragonfruit, if you have that available.”
Marinette laughs and nods. “I have fresh dragonfruit as well as dragonfruit macarons in the bakery. Give me just a moment and I will return with some for you shortly.”
As Marinette escapes down the ladder into the house, Nooroo appears from where he has hidden inside Marinette’s hair. “I suppose I owe you, Guardian. All four of them shared their secret with you.”
Marinette hums happily to herself as she retrieves dragonfruit and hibiscus from the aether, handing the flower to Nooroo who immediately starts munching happily. “It was awfully unwise of you to bet against my Sight, Nooroo. And perhaps unkind of me to offer the bet in the first place.”
Nooroo giggles. “Maybe so, but it is far more fun than I have had in many years, so the loss is worth the entertainment. What will you claim as your boon?”
“Your continued recovery is more than enough for me, Nooroo, but thank you for offering. Now, let’s see if I can get any of them to spill Chat’s identity to me.”
“Now that is a bet I am happy to take Guardian. There is no way they will slip up so horrendously.”
The Guardian and the butterfly kwami laugh together as they return to the loft.