Chapter Text
Alya sat down with a heavy sigh. Marinette glanced at her. Surprised enough that she had gotten to class first today, she found herself only more shocked upon seeing the dark circles sitting under her best friend's eyes.
"What's wrong?" She asked, alarmed.
"Nothing." Alya said through a yawn. "Just up late compiling info for the Ladyblog."
"Oh." Marinette didn't know what to say to that. She never knew how to deal with her friend's dangerous obsession with unmasking Ladybug. But it didn't matter if Marinette stumbled, Alya took her mumbled nothing as invitation enough to continue.
"It just makes me so frustrated." She exclaimed. "I've spent so many hours and put so much research into this and I still have no idea who Ladybug could be! Whenever I feel like I'm getting close, it's like the answer just slips away. Like I've forgotten something important, or I lose my train of thought. I think I'm losing my mind!" She finished, dropping her head to the desk with a groan.
Marinette patted her friend on the back consolingly, glad that with her face buried in her arms like that Alya wasn't able to see the guilt in her expression. "I'm sure that's not it. You just need to look at things from a fresh perspective."
"Yeah." Alya replied, voice muffled by the desk. "Yeah… maybe."
"I want to tell her Tikki."
Marinette sat at the desk in her room, mirroring the defeated posture of her friend. Tikki fluttered around her head looking down on the miserable girl with pity.
"You know we can't do that, Marinette."
Marinette moved her head enough for one baleful eye to escape it's cage. "She won't tell anyone." She tried half-heartedly. "She's my best friend."
"Oh, Marinette." Tikki landed on her forearm with a sigh. "You know that's not it."
She didn't reply.
"No one can know who you are. As Ladybug, you are protected from akuma but your friends are not. If someone who knew your secret were akumatised, then everyone and everything you care about would be in danger. Papillon can see into the minds of his puppets. He would know all about you."
Her head came up. "Maybe we could be careful! We could -"
Tikki touched her tiny paw to her friend, lending what comfort she could. "You can't watch Alya every minute of every day. Not as Marinette, and not as Ladybug. I'm sorry, but this is one burden that you have to bear."
"I know." Marinette sighed. She rubbed at her forehead. "I know you're right. I'm sorry."
"It's okay." Came the tiny voice. Then, slightly chipper, "And at least you don't have to do this alone."
"That's true." Marinette said with a crooked smile. "I have you. And Chat Noir too, I guess. I can't tell him - he gets turned too often to risk it - but at least I know he must feel the same. There must be someone that he wants to tell."
"I'm sure there is." Tikki agreed with a smile. "And one day you'll both get that chance."