The Miraculous Marichat

Part Two

Marinette groaned at the screen of her computer. The footage of Chat Noir kissing her hand and then her subsequent declaration of friendship had gone viral. All kinds of speculations were whizzing about. Marinette has already declined nearly twenty calls from Alya.
Marinette's phone began buzzing on her desk once again. Her best friend's face lit up the screen.
"You should answer," Tikki said, hovering in front of Marinette's nose. "You're going to have to talk to her eventually."
Marinette sighed and obediently pressed the answer button.
"Girl!" Alya yelled right in her ear. Marinette squealed and flinched away. "When were you planning to tell me you're friends with Chat Noir?"
"I'm not friends with him, Alya," Marinette sighed.
"But you said—"
"I've only talked to him a couple of times, like when Nathaniel and my Nana got akumatized. That's all I meant."
"Really?" Alya said, sounding slightly disappointed. "Because there are some crazy rumors on the internet right now. You're not pregnant with a litter of kittens are you?"
"No!" Marinette yelped, her face turning as red as her Ladybug costume. "No way! Besides you know I'm in love with Adrien."
"Exactly, girl! Which is why I was so surprised. But, like I said, they do look similar."
"I don't just like Adrien for his looks you know," Marinette grumbled. "I'm not that shallow."
"I know, I know," Alya giggled. "But be careful okay? Might be good to lay low for the next few days until this blows over. Some people are going nuts. They even have a ship name for you two."
"Ship name?" Marinette moaned, dreading the response.
"Yup, the Miraculous Marichat."
Marinette rolled her eyes.
"Wonderful. I'll see you tomorrow, Alya."
"Goodnight, girl!"
Marinette hung up and leaned back in her chair.
"Alya is probably right, Tikki. People will forget all about this soon."
A strange tapping pulled Marinette's attention from her tiny, floating companion. It was coming from her sunroof.
"Hide, Tikki!"
Marinette carefully slunk up onto her bed and pushed open the sky light.
"Chat Noir?"
The black-clad superhero stood on her patio.
"Hey there, Marinette," he said, his tail swishing back and forth. "Sorry I couldn't come see you earlier, I didn't have much time before I transformed back."
"Come see me," Marinette said. "Why would you need to do that?"
"To make sure you were okay," Chat smiled. "As someone accustomed to near-death experiences, I know how scary they can be.Then I saw the video going around and everything people are saying about you and me. I wanted to make sure you were okay because of that too."
Chat Noir's confident grin faltered slightly.
"Oh, that!" Marinette waved him off. She wasn't used to Chat looking so concerned.
"Don't worry about it! I'm sure everyone will forget all about it soon enough."
"I'm really sorry, Marinette," Chat continued. "I didn't mean to put you in an uncomfortable situation like that."
"Chat Noir," Marinette said, taking a step forward and placing her hand groundingly on his shoulder. She could tell this was really bothering him.
"It's not your fault. You didn't do anything wrong. As a matter of fact, thank you for saving me."
Chat Noir finally met Marinette's eyes. A mischievous grin crept back onto his face.
"Well in that case," Chat scooped up Marinette's hand and bowed lowly before brushing his lips against her knuckles.
"Until next time?"
Marinette giggled. There was the Chat Noir she knew.
"Looking forward to it."
Marinette winked at her kitty and was satisfied to witness his eyes widening and his cheeks reddening slightly.
The moment passed and Chat Noir vaulted off of her roof. She watched him go with a sigh. What was she going to do about this mess?

——

"Oh, Manon, not you too," Marinette sighed. It was bad enough dealing with strangers in the street trying to talk to her and her classmates' prying questions, but now even her babysitting charge was pushing the issue.
"But my mommy said—"
"You can't always believe everything you see on TV, Manon," Marinette explained as calmly as she could. "Chat Noir and I are not a couple."
"Yes you are!" Manon stomped her foot and held up a copy of the book she had brought with her. Illustrations of a beautiful prince and sleeping princess looked up at Marinette from the pages.
"The prince saves the princess because they are in love! Chat Noir saved you, which makes him your prince!"
"Manon, that's just a fairytale," Marinette groaned. "And besides, Chat Noir and Ladybug save everyone in Paris, not just me."
"She's right, Manon," Alya said from her position on Marinette's couch. "Boys and girls can get to know each other and be friends without being in love."
Manon burst into tears.
"Oh, Manon don't cry!" Marinette said, kneeling down to be at her level. "Just because Chat Noir isn't my prince doesn't mean there isn't one out there for me."
"Chat Noir is your prince!" Manon screamed before running past Marinette and up the stairs.
"Manon!" Marinette called after her.
"It's okay, Marinette," Alya consoled her best friend. "She'll calm down in a minute."
Marinette sighed and sat beside her friend on the couch. Alya was a much better babysitter than Marinette; she usually knew best.
After a few minutes, a crash sounded from Marinette's room.
"Manon!" The girls cried in unison. They both rushed up the stairs, but their charge wasn't in Marinette's room. The skylight above the bed had been shattered.
The two girls scurried onto the roof, only to come up short.
Manon was standing on the railing of the patio, but she was no longer Manon. She wore a sparkly black skirt and had wings like that of an Akuma fluttering behind her. The fairytale book she was holding glowed with a dark purple aura.
"Manon, no!" Marinette cried.
"I am not Manon!" the villain proclaimed "I am Fairy Godmother! And I am going to make all my fairytales come true, starting with yours, Marinette!"
Before Marinette could react, the villain brushed her hand over the book and a bolt of purple energy hit the designer square in the chest.
Marinette gasped as her clothes were replaced by a large, pink ball gown. Silk gloves came to just below her elbow and she could feel her hair had been released from its pigtails.
Fairy Godmother cackled.
"Marinette!" Alya yelled. She reached out her hand to place on her best friend's shoulder.
"The princess needs a guardian!" Fairy Godmother proclaimed.
"Alya, look out—"
It was too late, a bolt of energy hit Alya and transformed her into a giant red dragon.
"Alya!" Marinette screamed.
"Grab the princess!" Fairy Godmother commanded.
Marinette turned to run but tripped over the hem of her overly-long skirt. She was caught in the dragon's talons.
Marinette screamed as the dragon and Fairy Godmother took off into the Paris sky, neither them nor Hawkmoth knowing they had already captured a defenseless Ladybug.