Shadow

8

{+}{+}{+}

Marinette's P.O.V

   "Marinette, I think you should take these back."

   I watched with wide eyes as Sabrina began to take off the miraculous from her ears. My surprise quickly switched to confusion, wondering why she is giving me the earrings back. She is doing a good job at keeping the city safe and...I'm not sure if this is the best time to get them back.

   I can feel my mental stability starting to fall once again and the very cause of it is living under the same roof as I am. If Mallorie finds out my identity...

   Flashes of threats of Mallorie exposing my identity and harassing Tikki fly through my head. My anxiety skyrockets and shake my head, taking a step back.

   "I c-can't right now," I quietly replied, flinching away when Sabrina held out the jewelry like I am afraid of it. Sabrina tilted her head to the side in confusion at my movements.

   "Why not?" Sabrina asked, concern evident in her voice.

   "I just...it's complicated," I answered, crossing my arms and gripping my upper arms.

   "It doesn't have to be complicated if you just tell me what's going on-"

   "Sabrina," I cut her off, "Just...no, not now."

   Sabrina narrowed her eyes, seeming to suspect something but decided not to go that route. Instead, her face scrunched up in empathy and said, "I don't know what's going on with you at the moment but can you at least make an effort to go look for him? Chat Noir needs you right now, Marinette. Something is wrong and only his true partner will be able to fix it."

   Sabrina grabbed my hand and placed the miraculous in my palm. She wrapped my fingers around the magic jewelry before placing a reassuring hand on my shoulder.

   "I'll be right here when you get back if you really think you're not ready...or well, I'll be hiding in the closet," Sabrina said. I glanced between my hand holding the earrings and Sabrina. With a shakily unsure sigh, I nodded and reattached the jewelry to my earlobes.

Sabrina seemed relieved, taking a step back to give me some space. Once the earrings are attached, Tikki appeared in a flash of red. The Kwami blinked as if she had been sleeping before seeing my face. Instantly, an overly happy Tikki shot over to me and hugged my cheek. I smiled, giggling a bit and hugged the small bug back.

"I really missed you, Marinette!" Tikki spoke, sincerely, "I'm super happy you're Ladybug again!"

Tikki turned to Sabrina, adding, "You did a wonderful job! Thank you for your help!"

The room fell into silence, making Tikki's happy mood shift into one of confusion. I thinned my lips out, grimacing a little. Sabrina frowned, looking down at the floor. Noticing the tension increased, Tikki turned toward me for answers.

"Am I missing something?" She asked.

"Tikki..." I started, scratching the back of my neck and sighed, "...this will only be for a little bit until I find Chat Noir and see what's wrong with him. Then, I'll be temporarily returning the miraculous again."

Tikki's demeanor dropped, antennas sadly drooping. The edges of her mouth are drawn down, realizing she isn't fully returned quite yet.

"You see, my life became a bit more...complicated and I don't think I'm ready to take on the role as Ladybug again just yet. Not until I solved this problem," I explained, hoping Tikki will understand my point. She seemed reluctant and unliking of the idea. Yet, she gave me a small smile and floated over to me.