Guilt Ridden-DISCONTINUED

I'm Fine

Today is just another day for Marinette Dupain-Cheng, at least she thought it was. She was called to a very early 3am akuma attack and was not very pleased about it. Chat Noir and her got the job done fairly quickly but Ladybug couldn't help but feel the tension between them. She tried to talk to him about it but he would avoid the topic. So now after falling asleep the third time in class today she had a lot going on in her mind. So much that she was scared awake by her bff Alya.

"Girl, are you okay?" Alya was getting more concerned for her friend as she had become more stressed and tired everyday. "Marinette, why are you crying?"

Marinette was unaware she was crying until she felt the tears running down her face, "Uh, probably just a bad dream, nothing to worry about."

"Girl you are overworking yourself and I know you have a lot but maybe it's time for a short break?"

The girl's conversation in the quiet classroom had drawn some attention, especially to Adrien Agreste and Nino Lahiffe.

" Yo Marinette you good? You have been asleep almost all day and now you look like you have been crying." Adrien nodded in agreement.
Marinette couldn't handle it anymore, everyone was staring at this point and she just needed to clear her mind.

"Miss Bustier, can I please use the restroom?"

"Sure Marinette just do-

*CRASH*

"Akuma!"

"Everyone Run!"

"Actually everyone is dismissed, please evacuate the building and get home safely!" Miss Bustier exclaimed
Marinette just couldn't get a break anymore she ran out of the classroom nodding to Alya that she should transform and keep close. Marinette ran out of the school to a nearby ally before her Kwami Tikki popped out of her purse.

"Marineete are you okay?" Tikki asked as she nuzzled Marinette's cheek, "Maybe you should take a break. I don't want you to keep overworking yourself."

"I'm fine Tikki just tired, we will go home and take a nap and eat some cookies when this is all said and done."

"I will hold you to it!"

"Tikki Spots On!"
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Meanwhile in the boys locker room

"She doesn't need me Plagg, why should I even bother?"

"Because you're Chat Noir! She still needs you, your partners."

"What kind of partner am I if she doesn't even trust me and lets other miraculous wielders know each other's identities." Adrien says as he slams his locker door shut.

"Kid you have to worry about that later, she is Guardian after all. She knows what's best." Plagg insists, "Anyways we have to go now the fight is getting worse out there."

"Ugh fine, Plagg Claws Out."

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"Pound it!"

Ladybug held out her fist waiting for her partner to return the gesture. However it never came, instead Chat Noir said they needed to talk. She doesn't like the look in his eye and he was even more quiet than usual. It was getting her worried the last couple of weeks he stopped using all of her nicknames and only called her Ladybug. She also felt the absence of his small gestures he would make to her. They agreed to meet at the top of the Eiffel Tower in 5 minutes to give the kwamis a chance to charge.

"I have a bad feeling about this Tikki, he has been acting strange but today it felt like he didn't even want to be there."

Tikki gave her a reassuring look, "I am sure everything is fine Marinette! You two are Ladybug and Chat Noir after all!"

"I hope so Tikki, I just don't want to ever see that happen again." she shivers

"It wont Marinette, you have done a good job at making sure it hasn't."

"You're right Tikki, let's go see Kitty!"
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Ladybug can see Chat Noir as she is approaching the top of the Eiffel Tower. It still amazes her the length that yoyo can reach as well as Chats baton. As she got closer she grew more concerned as she could see the worry and irritation on his face.

"Hopefully we can get this sorted out, I don't like seeing him like this" Marinette thought as she closed in on her partner. "Hey Kitty you said we needed to talk, is everything okay?"

The two shared an uncomfortable silence minus the cars they could hear from the city below. Ladybug approached Chat and sat next to him showing a look of concern. Only for it to be returned with anger.

"I don't know Ladybug, maybe you can explain this all for me." He shot up and started pacing back and forth between Ladybug and a pillar. "Care to explain why the hell I have been replaced?"

She was in complete shock, "What? Chat wh-"

"LET me finish!" Chat exclaimed, "Not only do you not need me in battles anymore because you have Carapace and Rena Rouge, oh wait I'm sorry Rena Furtive. But they also know each other's identities. I just can't understand it, Ladybug, we have been partners for years but they can know this information but I can't?"

"Chat h-how did you find out that they know their identities?"

"Little turtle told me cause we happen to be friends"

"Chat it was an accident. I couldn't separate them and I needed back-up then." tears started to form in her eyes as she realized what was happening. She didn't know how to fix it either, which only drove the fear. She also started to feel a sense of guilt.

"I don't care what it was!" tears had started to stream down his eyes, not that he had noticed. "I don't understand why I am being left in the dark so much, what happened to you and me? Why am I getting thrown in trash cans to be left like I'm garbage?"

"Kitty I- '' She couldn't finish before the Akuma appeared next to Chat. Before saying anything she jumped at him and caught the butterfly in her yoyo. "Not again," she muttered "Not again"

"What? What do you mean not again?" He said as he started to sit up

"I-I have to go, im sorry" She started running but a hand caught her wrist

"I CAN'T TELL YOU!" She screamed and yanked her wrist out of his hand and started swinging back home without looking back. She knew she shouldn't leave him. Not like that but the emotions were taking over her. All her stresses, worries, fears, all of it. It all came crashing down.

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"Girl you really need to calm down before you get akumatized"

"Alya is right Marinette"

Marientte was in her loft bed crying while Tikki and Alya sat on the chasie below, Alya was coming over for dinner and Marinette forgot. When she returned crying Tikki told Alya everything (Minus anything related to Chat Blanc). Marinette hasn't moved since she returned from the Eiffel Tower not even saying a word. She was just quietly sobbing in her bed holding the lucky charm Adrien had given to her.

"Alya-a-a I-I just feel sooo gu-guilty"

"Why though? You haven't done anything wrong" Alya said trying to comfort her as she climbed up the bed to sit and hug her, "You are the guardian you have to be careful around everyone"

*sniff sniff*

"But he is my partner and now he is upset because of me. I brought you into danger, I brought everyone into danger. I'm not a good guardian Alya and I never was a good Ladybug. I tend to get more people Akumatized an-and." She broke.

Marinette was having a fully blown panic attack and Alya and Tikki were trying everything they could to calm her down but she drowned it all out. All of the pain and guilt she felt rose to the surface, finally breaking her. It broke her so much that she didn't realize the voice in her head started speaking.

"Guilt Trip I am Shadow Moth '' the voice was speaking very kindly to her, as if he wanted to help, "I am giving you the power to erase everyone's guilt so there won't be any more secrets, no more lies. All I need in return is the Miraculous of Ladybug and Chat Noir."

"Yes, Shadow Moth, anything to be happy again."