Red String | A Miraculous Ladybug Fanfiction

chapter two - e

"they say that people are born with a red string that they can't see tied to their pinky fingers, and the end is tied to the one you're fated to be with. but the thread is twisted this way and that, making it hard to find the other end." -Yoon Jae

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Although the duo were able to get rid of the Akuma, Marinette was still having a bit of trouble with the red string of fate. She couldn't concentrate on who was on the other end because of the fight, but apparently fate wanted to interfere with her completely. One great example of this was the constant tugging in strange directions on the way back to the Tom & Sabine Boulangerie Pastisserie. She did manage to catch people's strange gazes but pushed them off in the focus to get home. As soon as she arrived, Marinette did everything possible to get rid of it; cutting it with scissors, rubbing it off with soap, and even going as far as to gnaw it off with her teeth like an anxious beaver. All trials ended in vain, however, with the thread still looped around her pinky finger as if it were a present.

"I can't believe this!" Marinette complained as she flopped onto her bed. She began to bury her face deep within her pillow, muffling up her words, "I was so distracted during the fight! What would've happened if someone had gotten injured?"

"It's not your fault, Marinette," Tikki patted her cheek gently, giving comfort to the poor girl, "You took a pretty hard beating today, but I can't see the string so I won't be able to help you."

Marinette pulled the pillow off of her face and sat upright, holding up her pinky finger, "I don't understand though. It's like wearing clothes; if I don't pay attention to it, then I can't feel it. But when I'm concentrating, I can pull and tug at it. Why is that?" She was as lost as someone using a broken G.P.S.

Her kwami frowned, obviously concerned for the hero, "I don't know. None of the other Ladybugs have experienced this sort of issue."

"Maybe it's because I hit my head too hard," Marinette rubbed the base of her neck, "Or my vision got messed up. Either way, I'll have to apologize to Chat Noir next time we meet him for being so distracted." The sweet smell of a new batch of cakes wafted up her staircase, and Marinette instantly shot up, "That's right! I can ask mom about this!" Immediately, she zoomed down the stairs, leaving a giggling Tikki behind.

Her feet thudded down each step like a set of heartbeats.

Thud.

Thud.

Thud.

"Mom!" Marinette called as she turned the corner, "I need some help."

Her mother turned, made of color and sugar. Frosting painted her cheeks and her forehead caked with powder. "Hurry, sweetheart," Sabine said as she dashed across the kitchen, "Your father and I are busy with a sudden rush of customers." She pushed down the edges of her traditional outfit, not wanting to get it dirty.

"Do you have any information on the red string of fate?" Marinette leaned over the counter, watching her mom dash like an animated character.

"Why is this necessary?" Her mother replied with a curious glint in her eye, even though her embrace was filled with cookies and cake slices. Sabine slid around the tiled floor like a professional ice skater, grabbing her items from one place and placing it in her already full arms.