I'm new to the miraculous salt train, but I saw Ladybug and couldn't stop myself. I love Marinette's parents but that ending...ugh. Anyways, enjoy this salt!

Marinette clenched her fists to hide her trembling hands. Lila's lies were spiraling out of control. Her own mother, her own mother was supporting Lila.

"Marinette! Are you listening to me?" Usually Marinette would fold underneath Sabine's gaze, a mixture of disappointment and sorrow. Sabine didn't have to get angry to make Marinette feel awful and apologetic.

Today though, today wasn't the same. Lila had been lying all day at school. She was always lying but today Lila had claimed that Jagged Stone and XY both wanted her to be their muse. Marinette knew immediately it was a lie, XY and Jagged didn't even have the same style! Moreover, XY didn't even make his own music.

Kitty Section knew that. XY had said so in front of them! But they too said nothing, only frowning at Marinette. Adrien had just looked at her, pleading for Marinette to let it go, since she couldn't win. She had. She owed Adrien for getting her back in school, so she stopped fighting. Her irritation hadn't diminished though. She had worked with Jagged quite often, and knew much of his hatred of XY. If he knew he was being compared to XY, Jagged would be upset enough to get akumatized. As one of the few people who believed in her work, Marinette felt compelled to stand up for his beliefs. But knowing no one would believe her, she'd kept quiet.

Marinette had come home straight after school where Sabine, having noticed her daughter's bad mood, asked what had happened at school. Marinette had taken the opportunity to tell her mother everything. Sabine though, wouldn't hear of it.

She'd told Marinette that she should let it go. That it wasn't Lila's fault she had a disease causing her to lie and Sabine had raised Marinette to be considerate of other people. How could Marinette then go and attack this poor girl for something she cannot control? Sabine had believed better of Marinette, and she absolutely had to go apologize to Lila tomorrow. In front of everyone, after how Marinette must have completely humiliated the hapless girl, who despite her many problems fought so hard to do what she loved.

Lila's lies had made Marinette become the horrible child in her mother's eyes. Marinette bowed her head, unable to look at Sabine, feeling her eyes burn.

"S-sorry maman," Marinette stammered before dashing to her room. She heard Sabine call after her, but didn't respond, her only destination being her bed.

As soon as her door closed, Tikki flew out of her purse. "Are you alright Marinette?" Seeing the tears brimming in her eyes, the little kwami panicked. "Don't cry! It'll be okay!"

Marinette took a deep breath after swallowing the lump in her throat. She silently counted to ten, whilst pinching herself, to calm herself down. She climbed onto her loft bed, huddled against her pillows. Then Marinette spoke, barely louder than a whisper "Lila has maman on her side now. Papa too, I bet. I've become the cruel one who disregards other people's feelings, as far as they're concerned. Even Chloe couldn't manage to do that!"

"It's like your friends. They'll all learn with time," Tikki tried to soothe her. Marinette shook her head.

"It isn't the same Tikki. I'm used to being alone at school. Before Alya and being Ladybug, no one wanted to be my friend. If they even hinted at it, Chloe would make their lives miserable. It wasn't their fault, and they were all quite nice behind her back. But still, I was alone.

So when Lila pushed me to be alone, I was hurt because I hadn't expected that from Alya, not with how much she wants to stand up for everyone. And you know I hate liars."

Marinette looked right at Tikki, and without any emotion in her voice told Tikki, "You don't expect things from people you don't entirely trust."

Tikki had blinked at that, obviously not expecting it from her holder. Marinette was tired of pretending though, of pretending that she had, for even a second, thought one of her classmates would stand up for her. Her parents on the other hand? Her parents had held the entirety of her trust and affection.

Today, thanks to Lila, Marinette felt that she never truly held theirs. Not if they so easily believed Lila and her fake disease. Marinette had looked it up afterwards. Lila was no pathological liar, A type of compulsive maybe, but not at all pathological. Marinette would even go so far as to Lila displayed behaviours similar to that of a sociopath. But that didn't excuse her from being a decent human being.

"Marinette! Please calm down!" Tikki begged. Marinette blinked, looking around herself. She hadn't even noticed how tightly she was gripping her blankets. Seeing Tikki look so worried, brought Marinette back to herself.

She opened her arms to give Tikki a hug. Marinette wouldn't let herself get akumatized, She'd never let Hawk Moth get her miraculous or let Lila have the satisfaction.

"Marinette? I think you should leave Lila alone from now on." Marinette grew cold, as she moved backwards to stare at Tikki. "What do you mean?" She asked numbly.

"I'm saying that Lila's going to keep lying, but the only one getting hurt is you! So let her lie. Ignore it. Alya has been willing to keep you two apart right? Just keep doing that. Make Lila irrelevant to you."

Marinette squared her shoulders. "You're saying, if I can't beat them, I should join them?" Tikki nodded emphatically. "So I should pretend to believe her? No matter the lie?"

"No!" Tikki cried. "More like, pretend she doesn't exist?" Marinette frowned clearly unhappy with the idea.

Tikki sighed. "You're already being forced to apologize to her in front of everyone in your class. I'm just trying to come up with ideas to keep you from suffering because of Lila, Marinette."

Letting Lila go on lying didn't sit right with Marinette. She knew Tikki didn't like it either, but had no clue how to proceed. Marinette shook her head, unable to think any further. She was emotionally drained enough for one day.

"I'm going to sleep Tikki. Maybe something will come to me in a dream?" She joked weakly. Tikki nodded. The ladybug kwami hovered for a while, until Marinette had dozed off. This couldn't continue.

Marinette would never stop trying to expose Lila. It was part of her character as Ladybug. Tikki would have to come up with something that would stop Lila once and for all. For that, Tikki knew exactly whose help she would enlist.

Lila Rossi would be very sorry, very soon.