Hi again everyone!  Hope you're all ready for this update!  Before we start, though, just wanted to give you all a big thank you for the 100 reads!  I know it's not much but it's the start... so thanks-

Tikki: DON'T THINK I'VE FORGOTTEN ABOUT THAT LECTURE

Oh, right... 

Ah, well, let's get to it!  Don't forget to vote, and comment if you liked it!

Enjoy XD

Marinette / Ladybug

Ladybug shivered as she swung into her house, then relished the warmth of her room once she was inside.  She wrung out her wet hair, sighing.  She hoped that her wet hair disappeared when she transformed back; there was no way she was turning on a hair dryer this late at night and waking her parents.  That idea was practically screaming a reveal.

She heard her earrings beep, and she felt a whoosh! as the magic melted away, leaving her as regular Marinette.  Immediately, she went to her desk drawer to retrieve a cookie for her kwami, as she knew that Tikki would have had a long day herself.

"Hey, Tikki, do you w-"

"MARINETTE DUPAIN-CHENG!"

Marinette jumped as Tikki half yelled, half scolded, half whispered at her- wait, that would be thirds.  It didn't matter at this point, the only thing Marinette was conscious of was that her usually happy-go-lucky kwami was mad.  At her.

"What the heck, Tikki!?" Marinette yelled back, but she hadn't meant it in a mean manner.  She was just spooked at Tikki's weird behaviour.  It's almost as if I'd done something wrong...

"Do. You. Know. WHAT YOU JUST DID!?" Tikki scolded her again.

"Uh... what?" Marinette asked, genuinely confused.  Maybe she was mad at her for not saving that akuma victim, or for not stopping his akumatization entirely.  But that was not my fault... right?

"Do you seriously not know!?" Tikki asked her, sighing when Marinette shook her head.  "You left Chat Noir out in the rain.  Alone.  Shrunken.  Probably injured."

Marinette sighed.  "No, Tikki, you've got it all wrong," she explained, desperate to make her kwami happy again.  "I mean, I couldn't just take him here, y'know?  I don't want the reveal to happen soon... if ever.  We must keep our identities a secret," Marinette added.  "Besides, he's got his kwami to look out for him... Plagg, right?  I remember him from when Chloe got akumatized the second time."

Tikki sighed at her holder's stupidity.  "Marinette... I know you have to protect your identities.  But, in a time of crisis, you really have no choic-"

"Tikki, that time will be, if it even happens, when we go to defeat Hawkmoth!  You know, the villain we've been trying to defeat for the past year!?" When her kwami went silent, Marinette sighed.  "Sorry, Tikki, I just got frustrated," Marinette said, trying to apologize.

"I'm frustrated too, Marinette.  Why can't you understand that he does everything in his power he can to help you?  Always.  He always helps you, both as Ladybug and as Marinette.  He's taken hits for you, he's tried to make you smile.  For God's sake, he called you his light!" Tikki ranted.

"His... light?" Marinette repeated, thinking of the memory.

"That's it, Chaton," she told him encouragingly, hugging him again. "If there is anything, I mean anything, I could do to help you, just dial me up. I'll always be there, Chaton."

He smiled at her. "You know, My Lady," he said, "Sometimes I get really sad. But then I see you, and it's like all of the bad feelings just go away. They leave, and I get happy again. You make me happy, Ladybug. I guess what I'm trying to say is..."

"You're my light."

"His... his light... he trusted me... oh god, what have I done," Marinette questioned, tears coming to her eyes.  "He's scared, alone, and he tried to get me to stay with him... and I left.  I left my Chaton.  How- how c-could I..." Marinette broke off as she started sobbing.  Tikki flew over and comforted her, as much as she could.

"We have to go out," Marinette said, coming to her senses.  "Tikki-"

"No, Marinette," Tikki said firmly.  "I haven't even eaten yet.  Besides, it's like one o'clock in the morning already.  I care about Chat, but I also care about you, Marinette.  You have to get at least five hours of sleep tonight.  If you go to bed now, you might be able to wake up early enough and get him, according to your original plan," Tikki suggested.

Marinette looked at her kwami.  "But Tikki," she protested, then broke off into a yawn.  "I am pretty tired.  And Chat's probably asleep himself, now that I think about it," Marinette added thinking to herself.

"Wait, just to check, you're bringing him here?  Tomorrow?" Tikki asked.  

"Yes," Marinette replied, sure of herself.

"You do know that this means revealing your identity, even if he doesn't reveal his?" Tikki checked for the last time.  Marinette nodded.

"Tikki, now I realize that there are risks meant to be taken.  There is a time and place for everything.  I know that now is the time and place for it.  Thank you, Tikki," Marinette explained, smiling brightly at her kwami.

"Oh, Marinette... you're always ready to help anyone... even when you make mistakes you always go and fix them," Tikki cheered, cuddling Marinette's cheek.  "That's why you're one of my favourite Ladybugs."

Marinette blushed, and smiled.  "Aww, thanks, Tikki," she said, then yawned.  "Welp, I should probably go to be-"

A tap at the window.

"Huh?" Marinette and Tikki said in unison, turning their heads to face the window.

Another tap sounded.  And another.  They kept coming, one after another.  The longer Marinette stared, the more a figure came into shape, a black figure, that looked a lot like Tikki...

"A kwami!" Marinette yelled suddenly, then hurried to open the window.  Almost at once, a little black kwami flew into her bedroom, looking distressed.

"Plagg!" Tikki said cheerfully, greeting her old friend for the first time since they met for Nooroo's Cycle Celebration.  "How are you?"

"Fine," Plagg said curtly.  "I-"

"Wow Plagg... looks like you're cutting to the cheese," Tikki said, smiling idiotically.

"TIKKI!" Plagg yelled at his friend.  "This is really important!"

Marinette quickly put the pieces together.  "Plagg... if you're here.... where is Chat?"

Plagg looked at her.  "That's why I'm here.  Ad- er, I mean Chat- I c-can't..."

"I can't find h-him."

That's all for Chapter 5 Part 1!  I hope you all enjoyed it!  I tried to encorporate aspects from the recent episodes... let me know if I did okay on that.  Also, this was kinda short.  Sorry...

Speaking of recent episodes... who saw the Queen's Battle special?  What'd you think?  I think it's good that Chloe is finally getting some redemption... her character is really growing... she's turning into a better person.  WELL, better late than never, right?

Don't even get me started on Frozer.

Anyways, I'll go now.  Have an awesome day / night!  Don't forget to...

Stay tuned ;)