ADJUDICATION

Trust

Marinette Dupain-Chen was in front of her unrolled roll-up, she also had cleared her pegboard and had photo copies of some pages from the grimoire.

"So, you've heard about Lila's demise." Alya noted. "I knew you were jealous that she was pining after Adrien, but I never expected you to go to those lengths."

"I didn't," Marinette replied. "Although, I can't argue that what 'I' said wasn't the truth."

"That's really bad, just don't admit it to anybody, or captain Pierre will add it to his 'record' in a heartbeat." Alya added.

Marinette slapped her forehead. "Law books, I forgot to get law books!"

"Calm down, girl, don't you think you're taking this panicking a bit too far, Pierre said that you'll have a representative, so trying to get yourself knowledgeable about legal battles is just going to waste energy."

Marinette breaths. "Alright, but I still think I should know my rights as a French citizen at least."

"I can help, if you like, I'm good at research, remember."

"Thanks Al, you are the best best friend a girl could ask for."

"Don't mention it, but I should tell you, they want me to wear the ladybug miraculous until your name is cleared."

"You?"

"Well, Scarabella actually, they just don't know she is me."

"How are you going to manage the Ladyblog and my Miraculous? Not to mention you'll be hiding things from Nino again, and you know how well that went."

"I'll try my best, but I only think they chose me because there isn't any other documented ladybug wielders in present history other than you and I."

Marinette looks at her information. "Do you have any idea how Monarch pulled this off and why he chose Lila as the victim?"

"It must have something to do with the fox miraculous." Alya noted. "Or perhaps we saw a sentimonster?"

"No, there would have to be two sentimonsters and the peacock can only produce one at a time, if you wanted two sentimonsters to be present, then two separate people would have to summon them. Plus we know that the fox's illusions vanish upon contact, if a pigeon hadn't disrupted one of Vulpina's illusions, I would have given up my miraculous."

"Right, but what if Monarch found a way to solidify the illusions so that they wouldn't disappear on touch? What if that is an advance use for the fox miraculous that hasn't yet been recorded?"

Marinette thinks about it for a moment. "But you were the one to help me uncover a new way to use my miraculous by helping me learn to create an akuma deterrent in the form of those magical charms, so, if anybody would have discovered such, I thought it would have been you."

Alya seemed frustrated to hear this. "You're right. I should have, after being promoted to permanent holder, practiced the limits of my power, just another way I screwed up as the fox holder."

"Don't think like that, Alya, you did your best in the end, and nobody will be mad at you for it, I'm not."

Alya smiled. "Well, you have an excuse for not being mad at me, you're my BFF after all."

"You might still be right though, the onus of deciding the limits of the power you can have with the miraculous is squarely on the shoulders that wield it. We can't even begin to fathom how powerful the fox miraculous could be."

"Well, Trixx did make the Eiffel tower dance once, just so you didn't have to reveal you were ladybug to me and the girls. I'm glad you did come to your senses and put your trust in me. I still haven't said a word about me knowing that you're Ladybug to Nino." Alya patted Marinette on the back. "However, let's get back to the topic of Lila, you said that what 'you' spoke under the Eiffel tower before 'you' killed Lila wasn't something you can argue with. As a journalist, I know that means that 'you' spoke the truth before 'you' stabbed Lila. Why didn't you tell me about her manipulation?"

"I did Alya, I've been telling you, but it went in one ear and out of the other. Even your knowledge of me being Ladybug hadn't stopped you from believing every lie that she sent your way."

Alya was flabbergasted at first, but it soon dawned on her how bad of a bestie she'd been. "I'm sorry... it's just... no... I don't really have an excuse. How could a journalist like me be taken in so easily? I only have myself to blame, and you are right, you tried to warn me, but it seems I was unwilling to listen, and it's sad that I am only now coming to this realization after her death. I... I don't deserve your trust. I don't even deserve to wield the Ladybug earrings... I think I should leave."

Marinette grabs Alya's wrist as she reaches down to open the trapdoor. "Alya stop! So, you're imperfect, who isn't? I lost all the miraculous because I thought Felix was Adrien. I should have known better that Adrien would have been among those who'd been hit by Risk, but I just wanted to stop the akuma at any cost... I just didn't know that the cost would be to lose all my allies in one fell swoop. Only Cat Noir, Bunnix and I remain. I still trust you Alya, you've made mistakes, we all have, I mean, how would we ever learn to be better without them?"

Alya had a tear in her eye. "This is why you are the best wielder of the ladybug miraculous, you always know what to say to bring joy. You understand so much for someone so young. I'm glad to hear the wisdom and glad that you can trust me after all the trust I put into someone who didn't deserve it." Alya wiped her face with her sleeve. "Speaking of the rabbit wielder, don't you think that she would have shown up to do something if this wasn't supposed to happen?"

"Alya! You know the future isn't written in stone, but in a way you're right. If this had a bad outcome, Bunnix would have shown up to prevent it, maybe what will come won't have a bad ending after all."

"Well, I better get going before my parents and Nino worry about me, as for you, try and keep all of this info you have displayed on the downlow, you don't want to risk Tom seeing it and asking questions." Alya said as she lifted the trapdoor.

"Yeah, I suppose you're right. I don't like how my father is noisy. He'll probably be wondering how I have Images of Monarch." Marinette noted.

So now Alya knew that she could trust Marinette and Marinette could do the same for her. As for whether or not Marinette will acquiesce to the requests that will be included in the letter written by the police? That decision will lie squarely on Marinette's shoulders. She knows she can trust Alya with the Ladybug Miraculous. After all, Marinette wasn't yet aware that the alliance ring that Alya wore was tracking her every move.