Losing Identities

Chapter 16

Marinette's POV

The air is slightly chilly outside. A few people are already wandering through the streets on their way to work or the gym or wherever else they need to go. Adrien takes my hand and squeezes it as we walk.

We find a bus going to the outskirts of Paris. Adrien immediately pulls out his wallet and pays for two tickets, and we sit down next to each other.

"Want to listen to music?" I ask.

"Sure. You have Jagged Stone, right?"

"You're teasing, aren't you kitty? You know Jagged and I are friends." I smile.

Adrien laughs. "Right. Introduce me to him sometime... please?"

"Of course." I reach into my purse to get my phone, careful not to disturb Tikki, who... isn't there. When Hawk Moth was given my miraculous, he got Tikki too. Tikki... one of my best friends... my kwami...

An arm wraps around me, holding me close. "You miss her," he whispers. "Your kwami."

I nod. "Tikki. She was there for me when no one else was."

Adrien hugs me tighter. "I understand. Plagg was there for me too... most of the time, when he wasn't sleeping or eating nasty camembert cheese."

I sniffle. "Tikki liked cookies. Especially chocolate chip."

"That's a good snack."

"And now... now Hawk Moth has her! He won't listen to her advice, he won't appreciate her kindness or feed her cookies... He might hurt her!" I cry.

"And Plagg..." Adrien murmurs, taking a deep breath. "Plagg may be lazy, but he's so funny and generous..."

"Hawk Moth doesn't deserve them!" I choke out, clinging to Adrien.

"He doesn't." Adrien sighs. I can feel him trembling. "Oh Mari, I don't know what to do... it's too dangerous to go there, but we need them and they need us..."

The most we can do is hope our paths cross again, that we can find them one day and rescue them. But hope... it's running out so fast.

The bus comes to a stop, and a few people get on, merely glancing at the crying teenagers. They don't want or need to know what the matter is.

I reach back into my purse, grab my phone, and offer Adrien an earbud.

Song:  I Will Remember You by Sarah McLachlan

I do not own the song or the video.

I thought about attaching the version from The Office, but nah.