Marinette
Tikki flew ahead at full speed - not having a care in the world for whoever might have spotted the pomegranate kwami. Marinette chased after her kwami, her head swirling in a mixture of emotions, ranging from frustration to worry and distress.
She had only told Marinette that they needed to go before flying out the door herself, leaving Marinette to scramble after her in confusion.
“Tikki! What’s wrong?” She cried, perplexed. Tikki didn’t look back. “Emma.” She only breathed, her charcoal eyes suddenly growing sad before hardening in determination. “She’s in trouble.”
Somehow, Marinette began to run faster.
“What? How would you know that? It doesn’t make any sense!” While she knew that kwamis were capable of a lot of things, she didn’t know that they were capable of sensing people in need.
Tikki bit her lip, turning around to quickly face her holder. “I don’t have time to explain it, or keep the identities secret. All you need to know is that something is wrong with Emma, and that kwami’s can sense the emotions and wellbeing of other miraculous holders.”
“What is that supposed to mean?”
“Emma is Cygnet!”
Her footsteps faltered - her mind crashing as she struggled to process what Tikki had just said. It couldn’t be possible. Cygnet, the reserved, mysterious superheroine from the future couldn’t be bubbly, over-enthusiastic Emma Bisset. But then Marinette recalled all the akumas - how Emma always had to go do something - anything to get away from the fight, but in reality, she had to transform and be in the fight.
“Is she hurt?” The words came out robotically, her mind switching over to ‘Ladybug-mode’, because if she was injured, Emma didn’t need Marinette - she needed Ladybug. Tikki hesitated. “Yes, but I don’t know how badly.” The kwami said in a whisper.
It didn’t take much time for Marinette to kick in the door - only to be greeted with the sight of her friend laying unaturally still in a pool of blood.
“T-tikki.” A feeble voice came from the ground, revealing a kwami that Marinette now knew was Emma’s. The kwami’s periwinkle eyes were filled with tears, but none fell. “Cia.” Tikki breathed, zooming across the room to meet with the black swan kwami as Marinette raced to her fallen friend.
“She’s breathing.” Marinette announced after pressing an ear to Emma’s chest, rising up and down slowly with shallow breaths. “We need to get her to the hospital!” She turned back to her kwami, about to transform when Tikki shook her head. “Doctors won’t be able to fix her. It’s a magical problem - maybe something to do with the miraculous?”
Cia looked at Tikki in confusion, but the pomegranate kwami only gave Cia a reassuring nod before turning back to Marinette. “I can do a stasis spell. It will keep Emma’s body completely frozen in time until we can find a more permanent solution.”
“Okay.” Marinette agreed quickly. “Marinette, it's not that simple.” Tikki stopped for a second, pulling at her small antennas. “If I do the spell, I need Plagg to do it with me. But kwami’s can’t see this particular type of magic - it’s based off of these lines that need to match up in order for the spell to work, but in order to do so, two or more humans must stand across from each other to make sure the ends meet.”
Her breathing stopped, finally realizing what her kwami was getting at. “In order for this to work, Cat Noir and I have to reveal each other's identities.” Marinette said slowly, testing the words. Tikki nodded solemnly. “I’m sorry, Marinette. But this is the only way to ensure Emma’s survival.”
Marinette tried to steady her breathing, but her heart was rising into her throat, her stomach dropping to the soles of her feet. She never wanted to reveal identities - it was easier for Cat Noir to think that she was always the perfect Ladybug - not ditzy Marinette, an everyday Parisian citizen who also made mistakes.
Her bluebell eyes went down, observing Emma’s frail form - struggling to breathe each breath. She pursed her lips.
As much as Marinette wished to keep her identity a secret, she had made a promise to herself long ago that the citizens would come first - and Emma was a citizen who needed her help.
Marinette’s eyes flew open with a startling tenacity, her fists squeezing tightly. “Tikki,” She whispered, a tear trailing down her face. “Spots on.”
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The ‘spell’ concept is kind of confusing, so I’m going to try and explain it to the best of my ability.
While in this chapter, Tikki is lying to Marinette in order to keep Emma’s true purpose and identity safe(That she's Ladybug and Cat Noir's daughter sent to help them reconnect from the future), the stasis spell will keep Emma’s body frozen in time, therefore buying her and the future time until Marinette and Adrien will find each other once again.
The actual spell is more physical, and it forms a circle and a pendulum, and the pendulum has to be perfectly aligned with the center of the circle to allow the spell to take shape. While kwamis can actually see the spell, Tikki wants Marinette to think that she has no other options than to reveal her identity because both her and Cat Noir will have to stand on opposite sides of the circle to make certain that the pendulum is perfectly lined up with the center, causing them to reveal each other's true identities within that moment.
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The Price of One || Miraculous Ladybug Fanfiction
Fanfiction""EVERYTHING I DID WAS FOR HER." Life seems to be going on for both Marinette and Adrien. Their hearts have moved on and everything seems to be perfect when a new girl shows up at Françoise Dupont High, but she's not just any normal girl. Her name...
