The princess returns (Book 2)

The end of an era

This will be 2 chapters in one.

I lay in bed awake, the nightmares preventing me from sleeping. By now, everyone had fallen back asleep. All except me. I shook the duvet off me and got out of bed.

"I. Am. Ladybug."

Lila's face didn't even flinch. She just laughed.
"I knew it," she said bitterly before fading out of view. I went limp and let my head fall to the table.
"Why did you do that?" asked Chloe.
"I-I don't know," was all I could muster out.
"Now it will be easier for her to... y'know... kill you. You shouldn't have done that Marinette. Ridiculous, utterly ridiculous," said Chloe with a sigh. She grabbed ahold of my hand and led me back upstairs.

I crashed down onto my bed.
"Oh my god. Is she okay?" asked Alya, coming from her bed.
"She is for now. Lady Butterfly showed up," answered Chloe, sitting down on her bed.
"And?" asked Alya, glaring daggers at Chloe.
"Pushy," Chloe mumbled.
"Sorry if I'm worrying about my best friend. And I wouldn't expect you to care since you hated her all of the time you two have known each other," snapped Alya, enveloping me in a hug.
"She told Lila that she was Ladybug," snapped Chloe.

"Marinette? Why?" asked Alya softly. I simply shrugged.
"I think we need to let her sleep. She'll have a clear mind in the morning," snapped Chloe, getting back in her bed. Alya hesitated before agreeing and going back into bed. I, however, continued to stay awake.

Why did I do it? What was the purpose of me doing that? Now it'll be easier for her to kill me. What was I thinking?!

"Tikki, spots on," I whispered.

Light enveloped my figure as my suit began to appear and cover my clothes. I used my hand to make the light add my mask and then touched my hair and it was in a high ponytail. The light faded and I was left in my costume.

I opened the window, jumped onto it and without warning, fell out of it. I let out a screech before grabbing my yo-yo and swinging it so that it wrapped around the chimney of a house. Once it was secured, I pulled tighter and swung, my foot skimming the road as I did so.

"I haven't been out for a while," I said, releasing a sigh of relief as I landed on the roof. I reeled my yo-yo back in and attached it back to my waist. I glanced towards the mansion in front of me to see no lights on. Somehow, I had disturbed no one from their slumber.

I walked towards the roof of another house and jumped down onto it.

Without realising, I had made my way home. Not the mansion on the outskirts of Paris, but the small bakery that I once remembered to be my home. I quietly jumped and landed on where my bed was supposed to be but instead kept falling until I hit the floor. I landed with a BANG, probably alerting the people who owned this place that I was here. But I didn't care.

I looked around my empty room and remembered the good times I had had here. I pressed my hand against the wall lightly, remembering the posters of Adrien that used to hang from them. I found the trapdoor and opened it up. I climbed down and saw the kitchen and living room of my house.

Nothing was there. Just a few boxes. The people who lived here after me had moved out, and by the looks of things, the others were moving in. Only one piece of furniture was present in the room and that was the red sofa, of which a young child sat staring at me wide-eyed.

I realised this and began to blush in embarrassment.
"Just doing a routine check," I lied. The young child looked back at me in awe, not moving a muscle. It was creepy but intense. After a few peaceful moments of silence, the young child pointed at me.
"Y-you're Ladybug," she said with a toothy grin. I nodded slowly before the child got up and stood in front of me.