Adieu

Twelve years

"I'm Bridgette." She said.

"Hello, Adrien. I'm Tikki. Nice to meet you." A red bug with a visibly sad face greeted him.
"How do you know who I am?! " Adrien whispered.

At that moment, Plagg called off the transformation and flew towards Tikki.

"You seem really sad. It's not like you." He whispered.
Adrien had never seen such a sensitive side of Plagg.

Tikki and Bridgette, both broke into tears, Tikki still floating and Bridgette kneeled on the ground.

"You're Marinette's twin. Bridgette. Which means you're Ladybug now. Which means you're Ladybug's twin. Which means Ladybug was Marinette!" The revelation almost made the poor boy jump off the ground.

"Basically, yeah." She answered.

"Mari was Ladybug." He stammered on his words. Emerald green eyes wide in shock. His brain trying to register all that's happening.

"Yes. Marinette was Ladybug. Was. Never knew a single word can change so much." Bridgette said. Eyes on the ground.

A minute of silence passed. A melancholic mood set in their minds. And hearts. She was gone. Slipped away from his hands like sand particles.
And now, here stood her twin. Bridgette. Both of them incredibly strong, proud, in a good way, beautiful, clumsy. Just by the looks of it.
But there was something different in both of them.

Marinette was the one successful in making Adrien fall for her.
Not Bridgette.

"You miss her, don't you?" He asked absentmindedly.

"Yeah," she said, failing to find any other words.

"What's done is done," he whispered.

"Yeah." She responded.

"You'll be the new Ladybug then, huh? he asked.

"Yeah."
"But"
"But I'll never be able to replace her. Them. Never be able to replace either Marinette or Ladybug. I'll try my best though." a dry chuckle escaped her lips.

"I hope Tikki has told you everything." He stated.

"Yeah. She's so sweet, she helps me try to get over Marinette's dea-. Nevermind." tears were visibly stopped forcefully at the brim of her eyes.

"She's told me all about you two. How Marinette used to like you, you used to like Ladybug. It's weird how a love square can exist in two people." She finished.

"Wait, Mari used to like me?!" He gasped.

"Long story," she stated.

Silence was what Adrien chose as a response.

"We should probably get going. No one can change the past." She said. This time, her tears let go. She did not hold them back.

"Its weird, Tikki," Plagg said in their own little corner. Away from the detransformed superheroes.

"What's weird?" A sad tone answered.

"How one single day, can change someone's entire life.

"I know."

"The Adrien I know is a pun-loving, flirty kind of a person. But this blond standing in front of me is like a whole new person. He hasn't even made a single pun in the entire day." He continued.

"I agree Adrien has changed. So has Bridgette. She was so bubbly and jovial. She was like a party person. This is not her. They have changed, Plagg. I have changed. And so have you." She said, staring intently into his eyes.