A girl with sandy-blonde hair and green eyes looks at the stage. She didn't know Marinette Dupain-Cheng that well, but just from the few times she's walked into the bakery, she knew she was hiding something heavy behind her closed walls. The girl and her sister had discussed possibilities every day after they left. They weren't as blind as most of Paris, but something was stopping them from connecting all the dots, so they had many theories, but unbeknownst to them, none of them were true.

"What are we going to do, Nova?" Her sister asks.

Nova turns to her sister, Hazel. Hazel has red hair that reaches the middle of her back, the same green eyes as her sister.

"I have an idea, Hazel. After all, we have our theory on why Marinette went messing, but how do we tell Paris?" Nova asks, her green eyes starting to prick with tears.

Hazel pulls her sister's face up and makes her lock eyes with her.

"We'll give them a show."

A voice cuts them off, coming from the surrounding speakers.

"Citizens of Paris, thank you, everyone, who has come to celebrate our hero, who has freed us from Hawk Moth and his army of akumas! Unfortunately-" his voice cracked and he coughed to try to cover it up, then blinked away the tears in his eyes, "unfortunately, Ladybug hasn't made it yet... but don't give up hope! There's still time left in the day. Ladybug, if you can hear me..." He pauses, searching the crowd for Ladybug, but the sisters knew he wouldn't find her, "please, I just want to see you one more time. I... I owe this to you."He closed his eyes and let out a relieved sigh. "Thank you." He smiled, clearly still expecting Ladybug to show up.

The girls exchange sad looks. They walk up to the stage, where Cat Noir smiles at them.

"Hello. What's wrong, girls?" Cat Noir asks, noticing their sadness.

"We want to give Ladybug and Paris a show. We saw the video you made recently, and... we want to show Paris and Ladybug our appreciation for her, and what we think she was so upset about." Nova explains.

Cat Noir sighs, then agrees.

***

The two walk onto the stage, Nova dressed in a Ladybug costume without the mask or wig, and Hazel wearing a costume that looks very similar to the clothes Marinette was last seen wearing, making them look like Ladybug and Marinette, without the wigs. Nova taps on a microphone, getting everyone's attention.

"Hello everyone. I'm Nova and this is my sister, Hazel. We have a theory as to why Ladybug has been acting so... sad, suspicious, and closed off. She started acting like that when Marinette disappeared. What we believe happened is that when Marinette disappeared, she was attacked by someone and Ladybug had to save her. Marinette possibly knew something, considering the fact Ladybug visited her now and then. We believe Ladybug and Marinette viewed each other as sisters, so when Marinette was attacked by someone, possibly Mayura, and Ladybug had to keep her safe somehow, but it was better for no one to know, so Ladybug, in a way, kidnapped her to keep her safe. Ladybug realised attachments were dangerous, so she stopped talking to Marinette so openly, keeping her safe until Hawk Moth and Mayura have been dealt with. We believe something like this happened, minus the singing. I'm playing as Ladybug, and Hazel is playing as Marinette."

The two put on the last of their costumes, meaning the mask and wigs.

Hazel frowns, "This is also a message for Ladybug and Marinette." She then starts acting. "I'm so sorry about what happened, Ladybug! If I had been more careful-"

Nova interrupts, "You don't have to apologise, Marinette. It wasn't your fault, you didn't know this was going to happen."

"But I should have!" Hazel frowns.

Nova frowns, "You just being connected to be nearly killed you, Marinette! I nearly killed you just for knowing you! Until your safe, we should stop being so close to each other."

Hazel frowns, "I'm not a child, Ladybug!"

"Neither am I, and my enemies are a lot stronger than they were two years ago! I should be alone, only Cat Noir as my partner." Nova glares.

"Alone?" Hazel asks.

Nova sighs. Music starts slow, and Nova sings, "Standing...
Frozen...
In this life I've chosen...
Please don't...
Find me.
The past is all behind me.
Leave me... in the snow..."

Nova turns her head to her sister with a sad smile and finishes, "Let me go."

Hazel panics, "No, Ladybug wait! Don't go!"

"I'm just trying to protect you, Marinette!" Nova exclaims, walking away from Hazel.

Hazel exclaims, "You don't have to protect me! I'm not afraid!"

Nova whips around and asks, "What do you want, Marinette?"

Hazel sings, "This...
Just you and I talking and chatting
And taking up space.
And you...

You look so at peace
Which I did not predict
After all that took place"

Nova looks down at her arms which are crossed over her chest in shame.

"I'm so sorry
I didn't know, I couldn't see
I knew you were hiding but selfishly thought you were hiding from me...
That's why I've come all this way...
Too look in your eyes and say...
I can't lose you"

Hazel looks down slightly, her eyes widening in terror as she says the next two words.

"Not again.
I can't lose you like then.
If you could see yourself the way I do
Then, you'd see why I can't lose you."

She reaches for Nova, who instantly pulls away.

"Wait!
I'm happy you're safe,
But it's not safe to stay here and talk.
Don't get close!" Nova sings as she walks away from her sister, tears forming in her eyes.

"This is all so brand new
Let me first learn to crawl
Before I try to walk
I'm at home here...
Out in the cold, out in the air
But it all turns to chaos near people I love
And with how much I care!"

Nova cries, her tears becoming easier for people to see, so she wipes them away.

"Please don't remind me to feel...
Believe me;
The danger is real!"

The two start singing together.

"I can't lose you, not again!
I can't lose you like then!"

Nova turns to Hazel and backs away from her, "You don't know the things that they can do!
Keep your distance cause-"

They sing together, "I can't lose you!"

Hazel sings, "You have to listen!
I've come here to tell you
That everything's different
Now that I understand..."

Nova sniffs, "Oh, I know you mean well,
But the world's getting harsher
Just leave me alone!
Let me get this in hand!"

Hazel persists, "But I'm here for you! We can fix this together!
For once, try to trust me!
I'm begging you now!"

Nova screams, "Don't you see? I'm the storm
And you make it worse!
I would fix it
But I don't know how!"

Hazel grabs Nova's hands as Nova pulls away from Hazel as they both sing,
"I can't lose you!
Try to see!"

Hazel asks, "Why can't you turn to me?"
Nova cries, "I'm trying to tell you that-"

They sing together, "I can't lose you
Like before!"

Nova frowns, "As much as I wish I can't-"
Hazel cries, "Why can't you-"

They sing together, "Open that door!"
Nova pulls her hands out of Hazel's and turns away from her. Nova hugs herself, showing the guilt Ladybug would be feeling.
"If you loved yourself the way I do
Then you'd see why
I CAN'T LOSE YOU!"

Hazel runs into Nova's arms, causing the two to end the song in a hug. There's a sad silence for a few seconds, then the crowd erupts into applause. Nova pulls off her Ladybug mask and lets her straight sandy-blonde hair fall to her shoulders.

"Thank you, everyone. But we are serious. Ladybug, Marinette, if either of you two is watching, if you two could see yourself the way we all do, then you'd see why we can't lose either of you. You're both people who sacrifice so much for each other. This is our way of showing our gratitude." Hazel smiles, tears still running down her cheeks.

The crowd claps, not one person was left with dry eyes. Including a certain blue-haired girl who saw everything from her computer as everything was live-streamed. She couldn't believe someone came to that conclusion, but what else she couldn't believe was that someone went through all that trouble to just tell her how much they felt they needed both sides of herself. She felt more guilty and continued to cry to herself.

A/N: This was inspired by the book written with the same title by @youreverydayladybug

It's just a fan alternate part. I'm so sorry if you don't like it, Elise. I had to write, so I've done it as a "What if it happened this way instead?"