Hiraeth || Miraculous Ladybug

Ten - Alone

Marinette was about to step into the bakery, her purse bouncing on her side as she ran. She placed a hand over it to smooth the ride for Tikki. Once inside, her parent's greeted her happily and asked how her school day was and how the project went at Adrien's. She brushed off all the questions about her crush awkwardly, and excused herself back up to her room where she could work in peace for a while before dinner. Marinette took her school books out of her backpack and Tikki flew out of the purse to greet the holder.

"Tikki, I need to start coming up with a plan with Chat Noir to get the Miraculous back from Shadowmoth." She spoke idly as she spread out the homework she needed to start. "It's not going to be easy." She added. 

Tikki hummed and flew herself into Marinette's waiting hands. "It'll be okay, I know you'll get it back. You and Chat are the best Ladybug and Chat Noir that Plagg and I have ever seen. I am so proud of everything the two of you have accomplished." 

Marinette sighed and kissed Tikki's small head. "I hope you're right, Tikki. I feel like such a failure, but if you believe in me, then I'll try to believe in me too." She promised.

And trying is what she would do.

☼ ☼ ☼

Marinette was startled awake to the sound of her phone chiming, she had fallen asleep on her desk doing homework. She groggily lifted her head to check it, before straightening up quickly at the sight of a new Akuma Alert. "What?" She muttered under her breath, which caught the Kwami's attention too. "I need to go check this out. It's been too long since there's been one. Tikki, spots on!"

Ladybug leapt onto the loft bed and through the trapdoor with ease, heading towards the location that the tracker on her yo-yo broadcasted. It sat idly at the bottom of the Eiffel tower. She pressed on Chat Noir's contact and brought it closer to her ear better, and let out a frustrated sigh when it went to voicemail. She hung it up quickly. "Chat Noir, where are you?"

☼ ☼ ☼

Adrien stepped into the school locker room, heading towards the locker he left his school bag in while he was fencing. Ever since Kagami has been upset with him, it hasn't been the same, but he doesn't blame her. He knows he hurt her which he still feels guilty about. He shook his head and sighed, pulling his phone out of his bag. He clicked the button on the side to check for any new notifications, and stopped in his tracks when he spotted the new Akuma Alert. Adrien shoved his phone back into his bag and quickly gathered his stuff, rushing outside to where his bodyguard was waiting. He would have to get home before he could join his Lady in the fight, so his father wouldn't send out search parties for him for not returning home after his fencing class. 

His leg bounced anxiously in the car as he pulled up to the mansion which seemed to take longer than normal, and quickly rushed in. He was headed up the stairs to his room at a faster pace than usual when his father's assistant Nathalie called out to him. 

"Adrien, how was school?" Her voice was monotone as always, and he froze in his tracks to turn and respond to her. Her face never really exposed what she was thinking when talking to him.

"It was good, thank you. I have a lot of school work to do, so I should probably-" His voice was cut off when she changed the topic. 

"Your father requested I go over your schedule with you. The 10th was left blank, as you requested, though it was hard to run by your father." Her voice was cool but not mean. 

"Great, thank you Nathalie." He tried continuous times to slink away, but she just kept informing him of changes or corrections to his schedule. He couldn't get away. 

☼ ☼ ☼

Ladybug landed a couple streets from the Eiffel Tower, dialing for Chat Noir again. She was growing impatient, but didn't have much time to wait any longer. She threw the yo-yo in frustration and swung into where the fight was waiting for the heroes of Paris. She landed on the concrete carefully, keeping a fair distance from the Akumatized victim as precaution as she analyzed it. 

"Give me your Miraculous!" The well known demand rang out over the streets. It didn't used to phase her since she had gotten used to it, but since Shadowmoth gained power over all the Miraculous, she wasn't sure what kind of secret powers or strengths the villain in front of her held. She looped her yo-yo up and over the metal frame of the tower, swinging around to try to catch it from the side. Mid swing, a purple smoke replaced where the villain was standing and disappeared, leaving a civilian in its place suddenly. Caught off guard, she landed clumsily on her side and tumbled. She grunted and rested on her arm which sent a sharp pain up it. Shoot, that's going to bruise, she thought. I'll have to come up with an excuse if my parents see it or find a way to cover it.

Ladybug stood up and rubbed her sore arm, and it wasn't long before she was already getting swarmed by reporters who were just as confused as she was. 

"Ladybug, is it true that the Akuma disappeared as soon as it appeared?" 

"Ladybug, where is Chat Noir?" 

"Ladybug, is it-" 

"Is it true-"

Ladybug tuned out all the voices which pushed overwhelming questions of "Ladybug this", and "Ladybug that". She didn't have answers for them and couldn't give them clarity, as much as she wished she could give them and herself some. "I'm sorry." She shook her head, throwing her yo-yo and swinging away from the crowd. It was too much to deal with right now, she just had to patrol and make sure all danger was clear so she could get home and process what just happened. She stopped and rested on a chimney to catch her breath, scanning the streets below. People were starting to fill the streets that were empty minutes before, no longer feeling the need to hide. Ladybug shook her head again in confusion, just needing to get home.

☼ ☼ ☼

Marinette sighed and collapsed back on her bed. "Tikki, that was so weird. It was gone soon after it appeared." 

"I've never seen anything like that." Tikki admitted sympathetically from where she was sitting on Marinette's stomach. She Kwami flew up to Marinette's neck to nuzzle in and offer comfort, in which Marinette cupped her hands around her and was thankful for it. 

"Why did Chat Noir not show up? It's not like him." Marinette covered her face but jumped when she heard a thud from above. She noticed him peak through the glass above her loft bed. "Speak of the devil." Leaning forward to let the Cat -like hero in, she pulled her legs to look at him, and he noticed the hurt on her face which she did a poor job of hiding. 

Chat Noir rubbed the back of his neck, and he assumed she was hurt because he didn't show up to the Eiffel tower, but couldn't say anything regarding it since he wasn't supposed to know she was Ladybug, only Adrien knew. 

"Mari, I know you know Ladybug. If you see her, please tell her I didn't mean to stand her up. I wanted to be there to help." He begged, his eyes looking sincere. 

"I would never stand her up on purpose." He promised. 

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1288 words