Mission Accomplished

Mission: Uncover Ladybug's Identity

Alya Césaire is not a normal girl.

She is 17. She already runs a very successful blog. She has an amazing boyfriend. She is an aspiring journalist. She's Rena Rouge on occasion. She is best friends with Ladybug's civilian ident-

What!

She's best friends with Ladybug's civilian identity?!

Yeah. So maybe she is feeling a tad bit hurt by Marinette for not telling her her secret.

She knew that searching for Ladybug's civilian identity was dangerous and risky, and that if she did find out there would be consequences, but she just couldn't stand the mystery. After all, curiosity did kill the cat.

Which is exactly how she ended up in this current predicament: dangling off the edge of the Eiffel Tower. With one hand holding her up. 300 feet in the sky, with only a sea of concrete to catch her fall. Damn it.

But before we get to that, let me start at the very beginning.

I started my day off the same way I usually do. I woke up. I ate breakfast. I brushed my teeth, washed my face, got dressed and obsessed over the previous night's akuma attack. Is it unhealthy to obsess over akumitizations? Yes. Do I do it anyway? That is besides the point.

I left my house around 6:30 to begin my walk to school. I live relatively close to Marinette's house, so I decided to pay her a visit to remind her to wake up on time and make it to first period before the late bell rings.

"Morning Sabine!"

"Good morning to you too, Alya. Are you here to see Marinette? She's still asleep, but you can go right on up."

I climbed the stairs up to the apartment above the bakery and stopped right outside of Marinette's trap door to her room.

"Tikki!" I heard Marinette exclaim. Who's Tikki? I was preparing to knock but as I raised my hand the door swung up and in. I was face to face with a frazzled Marinette. Not wanting to cause a problem where there was none I didn't question her; instead, I asked why she was already awake. Her response was so typical.

"I woke up from a nightmare that featured Adrien falling to his death in a volcano. I couldn't go back to sleep", she sheepishly admitted as a light dusting of pink appeared on her cheeks. She looked ready to burst from embarrassment.

"Chill out girl. You're my best friend, so no judgment here. You know that!"

We decided to make our way to school together, but something just seemed off the whole way there. Tikki? I've never heard Marinette say anything about a Tikki? Is it a who? What? Phrase in Chinese? I know she's been practicing to impress her uncle. But that doesn't make any sense, he was just here and he's not visiting again anytime soon.

So many questions, and yet no practical ways to weasel the answer out of my friend without receiving one of her lame attempts at an excuse.

"So, Mari, can I ask you a question?"

Marinette's eyes shifted to meet hers. "Umm, sure. What is it?"

"Well...What is a Tikki?"

Marinette's jaw dropped. Her eyes bulged out of her eye sockets and she took a big gulp of air to prevent herself from passing out.

"Marinette?" I gently waved my hand in front of her eyes to break her out of her sudden trance. That did the trick when she instantly replied, "It's nothing!!! I promise. NOTHING at all. I promise!" And took off running to school.

Well that could've gone better. Not.

As I entered the classroom, my eyes locked with Marinette's and she instantly focused her gaze downwards to the table.