Broken Melody

Favours

Ladybug dropped through the skylight of her balcony and landed on her bed.

She didn’t want to greet her parents down in the bakery with the condition she was in.

Besides, when they noticed that she was gone, they would come up and check her room to see her here and would think she just entered when they were too busy to notice.

Taking a breath to calm herself, Ladybug stared at her spotted-clad hands and closed her eyes, bracing herself for what she knew was to come next.

“Tikki…” she took one more breath, “Spots off.” And caught a tired, but worried Tikki, in her cupped hands.

Tikki pushed herself up with a worried look, “That was too close, Marinette! Hawk Moth could have-!”

“I know!” She had thought she was prepared, but she guessed she still felt raw from what had just happened a few minutes ago.

Both Tikki and Marinette flinched at her loud cry. Marinette instantly feeling guilty while Tikki drew in on herself, looking hurt.

“I’m sorry-I didn’t mean to- I’m sorry, Tikki.” Marinette immediately apologized, hating that she had yelled at the kwami. She shot her an apologetic smile and tried to reassure her that everything was still fine, “I’m sorry, Tikki, but don’t worry, Ladybug didn’t get akumatised so it’s fine. I’m going to try harder, so you don’t have to worry, okay?” she pulled out a cookie from her purse and handed it to the quiet kwami who speechlessly accepted it.

Seeing that, Marinette felt even more guilty and blamed herself for causing the little kwami like that.

She shouldn’t be yelling at Tikki for her mistake. This was her fault. She almost got akumatised again and Tikki was just concerned.

She just… didn’t want to hear about Ladybug being compromised right now.

“I think I should get some fresh air, cool my head down.” Marinette strained a smile while trying to make herself sound calm.

Tikki looked at her Chosen- actually looked at her. She stared at the strained smile on her face, her shoulders tensed and her eyes…

Where was her usual bright bubbly energetic eyes?

How long had they looked tired?

“Alright.” Tikki murmured absentmindedly as she floated up and watched as Marinette pulled herself up onto her balcony, but not without one more apology.

Tikki didn’t know what to say. All she could think of was Marinette shouting at her.

Did… Did I cause that?

She thought back to Marinette and her guilt-ridden face as she apologized to her.

She thought about why Marinette had apologized.

The reason was because she had snapped and yelled at her.

But why did she snap?

“That was too close, Marinette! Hawk Moth could have-!”

“I know!”

Tikki looked down and carefully went through what she said.

“Did I put pressure on Marinette?” she asked to the empty room. She didn’t mean to. She was only worried that Marinette had almost gotten akumatised again. Who would save her if Hawk Moth were to attain her earrings?

Marinette had said she was fine.

But her eyes said otherwise.

“If you were to keep pushing her to be the very best, encouraging her to take on more than she could, Marinette might someday break.”