Chapter Text
“I don’t get it.” Marinette glanced up from her history textbook to talk to Tikki. “I know I’m not 5000 years old, so who was that Ladybug in the papyrus?” Today she had a grueling fight with Pharaoh, and Marinette was happy to be snuggled back up in her bed. While exhaustion tried to drag her off to sleep, curiosity tickled the back of her mind.
Sitting atop the book, Tikki crossed her nubs as she looked down. “Well, Kwamis like me have always existed, and so have superheroes like you.” She smiled up at Marinette, but there was a sad softness to it that didn’t quite meet her eyes.
Marinette furrowed her eyebrows. “So, that wasn’t you in the papyrus either?”
“What do you think?”
“You don’t look 5,000 years old.” Marinette grinned as she patted Tikki’s head.
Tikki giggled. “Well, I’m not. I’m older than that.” Her eyes grew a bit tight as she held Marinette’s gaze. “I’m the kwami who has always watched over my Ladybug since the very beginning.”
Something in Tikki’s phrasing sounded odd, but Marinette shrugged it off. “You must have known much less klutzy ladybugs than me, right?”
“My Ladybugs have had many different struggles.”
Marinette glanced down and sighed. “Yeah, that’s what I thought.”
Tikki flew under Marinette’s chin, lifting her head. “Marinette, you are incredibly talented and creative. I am so proud that you are my Ladybug. You may struggle, yes. But all my Ladybugs have. It is a joy for me to be here with you now to watch you grow like this.”
Tears burned Marinette’s eyes as she stared at the blurry red kwami she was coming to see as one of her best friends. Something in Tikki’s words had struck deep in her heart, and she couldn’t help but wonder if Tikki had to encourage other ladybugs like this. Marinette blinked back her tears as she questioned, “Really?”
“Yes.” Tikki kissed Marinette’s forehead. “Now, you better get to sleep. Remember, you have that history test tomorrow.”
Marinette chuckled as she sniffed. “Good thing it’s on Ancient Egypt.”