Missing My Other Half

Lost In Translation.

After saying her goodbye to Chat, Marinette ducked into an alley, transforming back into her civilian form before he could find her. Her heart was heavy and her thoughts were agonizing.

"Oh Marinette, he's going to be so scared. You need to go back." Tikki pleaded.

"Tikki I can't." The broken girl choked out between sobs. "I'm too weak to protect him and too weak to protect myself. I'm not the superhero Paris deserves. I'm not Ladybug."

"Marinette what are you saying?" The Kwami's tiny voice squeaked. "You're the best miraculous wielder I've ever served and no one, not you, and certainly not miss Chloe Bourgeois can convince me otherwise."

"I'm sorry but..." she took a deep breath. "This is goodbye Tikki. I can't do this anymore. I can't pretend to be good enough for this city when I know someday I'll mess up and bring it down with me. The mask has done well at disguising my insecurities but, eventually people are going to start seeing through the cracks."

Tikki couldn't comprehend what she was hearing. How could her chosen not see how important and loved she was by this city?

Before she could protest Marinette quickly took out her earrings, shoving them into the box in which they were delivered to her in. And with that Tikki was gone. Marinette was alone, thinking she deserved to be. She started walking, knowing that there was one last person she needed to see.

The streets were empty and the lampposts were her only sense of comfort. Their warm light was inviting but completely incompatible with how she was feeling. Her mind couldn't help but wander to Chat Noir, the boy who had always been by her side. Her friend. Her partner.

As she approached the building, Marinette hesitated, wondering if she was making the right choice. Shaking away her compelling thoughts, she opened the door.

"Tea?" The petite, old man asked with a cup in hand. As if he had already been informed of her coming.

"Hmmm? Oh sorry, no thanks. I won't be staying long." She replied meekly.

"You seem distracted. Are you doing okay?" Master Fu asked, concern rising in his voice.

"I will be." She lied. "Actually I just stopped by to return these." With tears in her eyes, Marinette removed the small, unique box from her purse.

"Oh, no. You are the chosen one. These belong to you."

"But that's just it, they don't. People don't see me as anything compared to my alter ego... and I just can't keep up with that image anymore."

"Mari-"

"Just give them to someone else!" She screamed out, harsher than she meant to, with her already hoarse voice, startling him. Shoving the little box in his arms Marinette rushed out the door and into the now stormy streets.

~~~

On the way back to Adrien's house Plagg had felt his link to Tikki disappear. A slight pain rose in his chest, making him feel as a piece of him was missing. You can't have destruction without creation.

"What was that all about Plagg? What did she mean she was sorry? Why did she leave?"

"Look kid, I don't have all the answers." Plagg hissed out with strife, still overcome with the hurt of being separated from Tikki. Adrien had a questioning look on his face and Plagg softened his tone. "But what I do know is that you need to find her."

The noir Kwami's only conclusion was that Marinette had taken out her earrings. Did that mean she was planning to keep it that way? It was true that the partnership between Adrien and Marinette, Plagg and Tikki, Chat Noir and Ladybug was the strongest it ever had been. The Kwamis decided it was because both their chosen had fallen for the other. They had grown to love both sides of their partner in their entirety, even if they hadn't yet realized it.   Love made them stronger, and that connection could not simply disappear.

"Plagg what did I do to drive her away? Why couldn't I just be there for her?!" he said, yelling more at himself then the black cat in front of him.

"Don't blame yourself kid. There's nothing you could have done in that moment to make her feel any better."

But in the back of his mind Plagg couldn't help but think, maybe Adrien could have done something differently back at school. Realizing Adrien was completely exhausted and confused, Plagg went to fetch his own cheese that night. Refusing to let himself pester his friend, or to allow Adrien to see the pain filled tear rolling down his furry cheek.

~~~

Marinette was walking all night trying to clear her thoughts in the storm and allowing the rain drops to mask her tears. She'd called her parents saying she was staying late at Alya's to work on a project.

"Well at least this way no one will see me crying. Right Tik-" she stopped when she realized Tikki wasn't there. Right. She'd sent her away. The bluenette sighed, and said to no one in particular, "when the new Ladybug appears, things will be better for everyone."

Finally arriving home, drenched from head to toe, Marinette didn't realize how much she'd been shivering until she crawled into bed. Once she drifted off, the conflicted girl found herself in a dream.

She saw Ladybug with Chat. But it wasn't her. This was the Ladybug who would replace her. She didn't wear tights but rather a tight, red leather dress with splatters of black print. Her hair was a bright rouge, which Marinette thought clashed with her suit. She didn't look like Ladybug.

"Thank you for saving me M'lady." Chat said with a smirk as he pulled the feigned heroine into a long, loving kiss. A twisted feeling rose in Marinette's stomach at the sight. Everything was wrong. As their lips parted Marinette saw a familiar scarlet pooling from Chat's mouth, staining his pearly teeth. She turned her attention to Ladybug who was now wearing a sadistic smile. Marinette then noticed the knife impaling Chat's stomach, Ladybug's hand clutching the other end of the blade. She writhed in her sleep, desperately trying to save her Chat but...

Marinette shot up in her bed, overlaid in a sweat that covered her entire form. She was breathing heavily and couldn't get her thoughts under control. They kept returning to the look on Chat's face, mocking her as she failed him once again.

"Marinette dear, are you alright?" her mother said with a worried expression as she entered her daughter's room. Sabine had gone to wake her up, as she had yet again slept through her alarm. Putting her hand to the girl's forehead, she recoiled her touch. "Oh sweetie, you're burning up."

"No, Maman I'm freezing." Marinette replied through her chattering teeth, struggling to clutch her blanket close enough.

"You have a fever" she said with a frown. "You need to rest. Don't worry about school. I'll notify your teachers and come by later to check on you." she said, kissing Marinette on the cheek. "Sweet dreams." Not likely.

~~~

Adrien too was still lying in bed. He had faked sick in order to skip school and miss any other disturbances planned for the day. Nothing would get in the way of his search for his Ladybug.

When he decided it was safe to start looking, he got out of bed and transformed himself into Chat Noir, wondering how his whole world had flipped so suddenly and without any warning.