A Little Fall of Rain

A Gathering of Friends

It was after midnight when Ladybug gently landed on her old rooftop balcony. The apartment below had been dark for a while, and it would be several more hours until her parents woke up. As she looked around, Ladybug quickly scanned her old rooftop. She expected it to look different, somehow. But everything was the same; even her plants appeared healthy and watered. As she started to walk over to the skylight hatch, her heart began to beat wildly in her chest. It will just be a few minutes. You can do it, girl! Crouching down, she tried to lift the latch.

But it didn't budge.

"Hey, Plagg? Can you help?"

Instantly, the tiny black kwami appeared and phased through the glass. After she heard it click, Ladybug slowly pulled it open and gently lowered herself down onto the bed.

Once inside, the smells of her old room overwhelmed her. Even though it was only her room, she could smell her mother's cooking in the air. Oh! And the bread. Ladybug closed her eyes and inhaled deeply. It would still be hours before her parents opened the bakery, but the smell of yeast and butter always saturated the air. She had always loved that smell. It was the smell of home.

After a few more deep breaths, Ladybug opened her eyes to find Plagg staring at her. Oh, right! She had a job to do.

"I found them," Plagg stated. "Exactly where Tikki said they'd be. They're under the floorboard. Come."

Careful not to make any noise, Ladybug slowly climbed down the ladder. Her old parquet flooring could squeak loudly when she walked; Ladybug needed to be extra cautious now.

Plagg disappeared into the floor. Then, seconds later, a few of the wood boards popped up. Ladybug pulled them up the rest of the way, revealing her diary and the Miracle Box.

Without making a noise, Ladybug lifted the items into her arms. She then carefully replaced the floorboards and stood up to leave. Ladybug had every intention of leaving; she really did. But... she couldn't take her eyes away from her old room, from all the artifacts of her old life.

"We need to leave, now," Plagg reminded her. "You can't be seen."

Ladybug hugged the diary and Miracle Box to her chest. With a wince, she looked up to Plagg. "Can you keep an eye on my parents? Let me know if they start to wake up."

Plagg crossed his arms. "This isn't a good idea."

"I know," Ladybug looked at him with sad eyes. "Please, Plagg?"

Plagg stared back at her for a moment. Then with a heavy sigh, he disappeared into the floor.

Even in the middle of the night, ambient light shone through the window, allowing Ladybug to look around her old room. Unlike her balcony, she could see many changes here. Someone had emptied her chest and stacked its contents into neat piles with sticky notes on top. It was all the presents she had made for her friends. The sight made Marinette smile; her gifts would be delivered after all.

Ladybug walked over and sat down at her desk. She gently placed her fingertips on her keyboard, remembering countless hours spent at her computer. Ladybug didn't dare turn it on, but she still wanted to remember what it felt like to be herself again. Soon, her eyes fell on her sketchbook, then on a picture of her parents.

A familiar lump started forming in her throat. They were so close, sleeping peacefully just meters away. This was just so cruel! Why couldn't they know she was alive?! They wouldn't tell anyone, Ladybug was positive. It wasn't fair that they had to be in so much pain!

Ladybug hid her face in her palms. She couldn't risk breaking out into sobs. Not now. What if they heard? Dropping her hands, Ladybug stared up at the ceiling and took deep breaths.