A New Partner | #MLWattysAwards | ✔️

A Kwami's Tears

Mirielle was stunned. How could Chat Noir not see that she wasn't Marinette? Her eyes were brown! Her hair was... well, still blue, but Marinette's bangs were slightly different.

When she arrived back in her room, she detransformed and threw herself on the bed.

"What have I done?" She mumbled, face-flat on her bed.

"Mirielle! He thinks you are his former Ladybug! You have to tell him you're not Marinette! He's going to be heartbroken if you wait any longer! It's best to break it to him now," she insisted.

"I- I would, but I've never seen him more relieved and excited! If I break his heart..." She whimpered.

"Oh Marin- Mirielle, he has to learn to cope with her loss. This isn't healthy for him. You should've told him," she scolded, sadly. She almost used her former chosen's name.

"I'll tell him next time!" Mirielle promised Tikki, making sure she wouldn't let his hopes get too high before she would have to crush it.

"Good for you! You can do it!" Tikki cheered for her.

"Come on Marinette! You can do it!" Tikki cheered her on.

"You think so?" Marinette looked over at her hopefully.

"Of course you can! If you can battle akumas and save Paris, this should be a piece of cake!" Tikki giggled, encouraging her.

"Thank you Tikki," Marinette cuddled the kwami to her cheek as she let out little tinkering giggles.

Tikki's eyes filled with sadness as she thought about her and Marinette's relationship. She truly did miss the bright-eyed bluenette she had come to know as not just her chosen, but her friend.

"I'll be back, Mirielle! I just have to go do something important!" Tikki told her.

Mirielle responded with a nod as she pulled out her homework.

Tikki flew out of her window and through the city of Paris. Eventually, she had come to the Dupain-Cheng bakery.

She flew in and snuck a cookie to Marinette's old room.

Just as she was putting the cookie to her small mouth, she stopped to realize something.

Most of Marinette's things were packed up in boxes. She dropped the cookie and slumped down to a box.

Her eyes filled with tiny tears and she let out a heart-wrenching sob when she saw Marinette's favorite jacket beside her. She crawled into the jacket, wishing she could just wake up and see Marinette's smile once more.

She sat in there for a while, weeping and remembering the adventures she had with the joyous, playful, kind girl.

After a while, she slightly opened the box to see Marinette's favorite pink purse in there as well. Tikki started crying and she flew into the purse and stayed there for a long while.

"What would I do without you, Tikki?" Marinette asked, laughing joyfully.

"You wouldn't be Ladybug, of course!" Tikki giggled

Tikki let out a little giggle as she remembered little moments like that where she could just joke around with Marinette.

Her smile faded as she remembered that now, she has a new assignment: Mirielle.

"Do I even want to be Mirielle's kwami?" She whimpered, hopelessly, wishing she could ask Marinette.

She felt as if she were betraying Marinette by becoming the kwami for her cousin.

This all felt like a nightmare for Tikki. All the death, tears, sadness, anger just felt like a dream. She felt like she would wake up anytime and Marinette would playfully tease her about sleeping too long, then comfort her once she learned about the nightmare.

But Marinette had chosen Mirielle to take her place if she died. She couldn't let Marinette down, no matter how miserable she was that she was gone. She knew Mirielle was meant for great things.