Author's Note: I'm back! Just here to let everyone know again that I'm updating stories and catching up on all the work I haven't been able to do in the last month. I hope you enjoy this chapter and don't forget to check out ORAD Chapter 11 (updated yesterday!).
Chapter 3
Adrien let loose another sigh as he slumped down onto his computer desk. All around his head were various gifts and cards for yet another Valentine's Day; admirers from all around Paris and France in general had sent him little things declaring their love and admiration for him but these were only trinkets to him. Only one thing would make his Valentine's Day perfect. He sighed again. There was no way Ladybug of all people would even have remotely considered sending him of all people a gift. She probably had a boyfriend anyway.
"If you sigh one more time, I will shove this Camembert into your mouth," Plagg threatened. Adrien raised an eyebrow at him as the tiny black cat swallowed whole his third or fourth piece. He always got a little extra on holidays. "Just because the girl you like doesn't like you doesn't mean it's the end of the world. Just look at all the other stuff you got."
"But it doesn't mean anything if it isn't from her," he mused, sitting up in his chair. Adrien spun so that he could look out the window. It was an oddly clear day. He wondered if he should go for a run outside; maybe he would run into his lady and they would get the chance to spend Valentine's Day together after all. Plagg rolled his eyes.
"You're hooking yourself onto one girl, hoping for something to come from nothing. You haven't even told Ladybug how you feel."
"That's because there's never been a chance!" He spun back to face his partner who downed another piece of cheese. "I try to tell her but every time I get close to doing so, something always happens."
"Then maybe that's fate saying you shouldn't."
"Fate or not, I'm going to tell her. At least it'll make me feel better to be rejected than not."
"Great. Then maybe you can move on to more important things like finding me more cheese." It was now Adrien's turn to roll his eyes. Turning back to the desk, he eyed the pile of gifts, hesitantly reaching out to study them. There were even a couple from out of the country. He stopped, however, when his eyes landed on a red, heart shaped card, his heart kicked into over drive as his body almost lunged for the said thing. Plagg bristled in shock. "Dude," he whined. He started to say more but stopped himself as he turned to face his chosen whose eyes had gone completely wide and his face grew redder and redder the longer he read the card. By the time he was done, all Adrien could manage was a squeak. Plagg, curious by nature, flew up to read over his shoulder. He recognized the handwriting immediately from the exact same card that had been sent the previous year and his grin grew wider and wider until he got to the bottom and saw that there was a name to finally go with the sender.
Marinette.
Marinette Dupain-Cheng.
Being the laid back, too-important-for-your-human-love-story kind, Plagg snickered. "Well, there you go. Guess you found your Juliet kid."
Adrien squeaked. Eventually he stuttered out, "B-but…. Marinette!"
"Yeah, that's what the name reads as. Last name is Dupain-Cheng. We only know one of those right?" Plagg snickered the more Adrien became flustered.
"This isn't funny Plagg. I don't like Marinette like that!"
"Uh-huh. Sure."
"What's that supposed to mean?"
"Kid, I know you're oblivious but this is taking it to new heights."
"What's that supposed to mean?! Plagg!"
The cat flew off to hide, leaving his chosen to fluster over his words but before he could do anything, his phone started buzzing, alerting him to an akuma warning. Without hesitating, he jumped over the couch and to the TV were Mrs. Chumack stood on the screen, face laced with concern, as she reported the happenings on the street of Paris. He stared at the screen. "The citizens of Paris are terrorized once more as a new akumatized victim, a man calling himself Love Rage, turns innocent bystanders into rage filled minions who are taking over the streets by attacking and destroying whatever they can get their hands on." The picture turned to a crowd of angry looking citizens with red glowing eyes as they growled at anything and everything, lunged at people and inanimate objects alike, and then proceeded to move to the next destroyable object. "Ladybug and Chat Noir are still nowhere to be seen. Will Paris finally fall to Hawkmoth's evil?"
"Not today it won't," he muttered. "Plagg, get down here!"
He raised his head to eye him before dropping back down. "No way. I'm not going."
"You're not getting a choice. Plagg, claws out!" The cat gave a yelp of surprise before spiraling into the ring, thus transforming his partner into the hero Chat Noir, who climbed out the window of the Agreste Manor.
MLMLMLMLML
Chat Noir looked down on the city below. His bright green scanned the horizon as he watched the mayhem below and then up on the horizon. His tail twitched. Where in the world was Ladybug? He'd been here for a good ten minutes looking for her and the akuma- with no luck on either front. The sun had set some time ago. He was running out of options; attacking the civilians below wasn't one and he knew from past experience that taking on the minions one by one never did them any good so finding the head akuma, purifying them, and then helping the innocent people find their ways home was the way to go. He reached for his baton trying once more to reach his partner. He stood when it failed to go through, muttering, "Come on LB. I could really use your help right about now."
He wasn't dumb. Adrien Agreste was intelligent; he had to be of course if he wanted to keep going to school after all. He'd also come up with plans in the past when helping with an akuma like Reflekta. This, however, was a little odd.
Especially since he had no idea where to start looking.
His eyes scanned the ground again as he watched the crowd go wild. The longer he looked, the more he realized that there appeared to be more victims joining the larger crowd from a singular direction. Without waiting, he headed that way. The stream of mindless minions eventually thinned out to one or two every now and then but it was enough to lead him straight to doors of the Louvre where he saw a rather large, hulking figure, and a smaller, blue haired figure step into the doors. Every now and then there came a bright blast of light. It didn't take much for him to figure out that he'd just seen the akuma Love Rage and one of his minions invade the inside. More minions came out one by one. The night security he guessed. Chat cleared the next couple of roofs, out of sight of the people below as they continued to destroy and terrorize the streets of Paris, until he came to a skylight opening at the top of the building; it was one that both of the superheroes had used at least once before to break in and save Paris. He quickly scanned the area. No one minded him. Good. He jumped through.
He knew the Louvre by heart having grown up in Paris and having had to visit many, many, many times throughout his life. Even without his night vision, he would have been fine. He could clearly make out the shapes of the artwork and the statues placed strategically around the building to catch the eye of the thousands of visitors who visited annually. His eyes glowed green. The magic of the suit turned the world around him to a muted green as he could see in the dark and he used it to creep forward, listening, and searching. His ears twitched. He turned his face in the direction. There was a soft murmuring coming from one of the largest rooms in the building and he worked his way forward to it. Hiding on the outside of the door frame, he peered inside.
The room was open and in the center was a display stand of some kind that was being used as a seat for the akuma who watched in mild amusement as his minion trashed the room around him. He watched as the girl reached up, disregarded the alarms, and tore down paintings, knocked down statues, and made an overall general mess of the place. Chat flinched with each sound.
"Alright," he murmured to himself, "First things first. I've got to figure out where the akuma is so LB can purify it when she gets here."
He leaned further around the door frame. His face fell when he realized that the akuma was now staring at the door, a wicked grin on his face.
Author's Note: I'm so happy I got a lot of responses to this story! The real thanks goes to @aeonthedimensionalgirl for letting me write her story. I hope everyone enjoys this new chapter!
Chapter 2
Hawkmoth knew that today was going to be the perfect day to make an akuma. After all, a holiday like Valentine's day always brought some kind of drama which meant that someone's emotions were going to end up being a mess and make them easy prey. In his secret lair, his window opened, allowing only the minimum amount of light into the room. The bright, white butterflies around him took flight as a smirk crossed his lips.
What a wonderful day to capture Ladybug and Chat Noir's miraculous!
Thomas' plans for the day hadn't been ending up at the Trocadéro with his head in his hands, anger radiating off every inch of his being. He'd messed up. Big time. He wouldn't be surprised if his sweetheart just decided that he wasn't worth the time or energy anymore and left. Just like that. Just like everyone else.
He screamed.
Other couples nearby stared at him. Some went out of their way to avoid him and others stared in concern. Nobody approached him though which was fine; he just wanted to sit and stew in his anger and frustration alone.
Then, he was peaceful, near quiet in his mind. His eyes glassed over as the purple butterfly mask appeared over his eyes and he knew, as a Parisian, what was happening. It was perfectly fine for him too. He dropped his hands from his head. A sneering voice greeted. "Love Rage, I am Hawkmoth. Being angry is only natural especially when they're being secretive and cold with you. More people should feel what you are currently feeling," the voice assured him. Thomas gripped his hands knuckle white against his pants. Where was the lie? Everyone around him looked at him as nothing more than an angry monster (considering he stood at a staggering height of six feet and three inches tall and was surprisingly muscular for a person of his stature) when he was certain that many of them had no room to judge him! A sneer crossed his lips.
"How can I help," he asked. Hawkmoth, hidden away somewhere in the confines of his lair, allowed his smile to grow wider.
"I will give you the power you need," he promised, "As long as you bring me the Miraculous of Ladybug and Chat Noir: the earrings and ring!"
He stood, the purple mask being clearly outlined on his face, squeezing his fist close. "Deal!"
The world melted to black.
Marinette felt absolutely sick to her stomach. She and Alya had appropriately celebrated her success in sending off the letter with a tiny party of sweets and movies in her room before the other girl had left for the evening. She had been giddy all night on patrol. Chat Noir had noticed too; he had tilted his head quizzically at her, shot a couple of puns and questions, but she fielded them only by saying that tomorrow was going to be an interesting day.
He thankfully had not pushed the issue.
Now as she sat in the first class of the day, her stomach felt like it had captured a lot of the akumas instead of her yo-yo. Her bluebell eyes darted around the room. First to the door, then to the board, then down to her sketchbook where she absently drew various hearts and a couple of new designs, a soft sigh escaping her lips as she worked. Alya waved a hand in front of her face at one point. When she didn't acknowledge, she smirked, leaning in close and whispering, "Hey Mari, Adrien's here."
The half-Asian yelped. A couple of other heads in the room eyed her questioningly but she flushed and waved to them. They returned to what they were doing as she glared at her giggling friend who definitely did not look apologetic by any stretch of the imagination. Mari stuck out her tongue.
"Not cool Alya."
"Girl, the way you were off dreaming, I had to get your attention some way." She held up her phone. Mari blinked at the sudden electronic brightness that was in her face. Alya had pulled up her pride and joy, the Ladyblog, and was in the middle of posting a new report. "Anyway, give me your feedback. I was thinking of doing a blog on how to incorporate some ladybug inspired gear into the everyday outfit since I did the post about ladybugs being symbols of love and fortune last year. Maybe a "luck your way into love" kind of article thing. It's cheesy. I know but it is a pretty popular topic. Especially around this time of year." Marinette rubbed her eyes.
"I think it's a cool idea. If anything, you can even hide it more by using just solid red and black accessories."
Alya scrolled up on her phone. "True. The spots don't necessarily have to be there but they do make it look cute." She nodded.
"Exactly. Do you need me to whip anything up for you? I have some left over fabric from that skirt project I did for you last month." The darker skinned girl smiled at her friend.
"That would be awesome! How about a bow and maybe a purse? Just cute, simple things you can get done easily." Marinette giggled and slid the sketchbook over to her. On the page were a couple of designs: hair bows, bow ties, ties, belts, purses, and jewelry of all kind. She leaned back in her seat as Alya gushed over the designs, flipping back and forth through some of the pages to see what other special offerings the girl could give.
"All of those would be pretty quick. Why don't we go back to my place during lunch to get them done?"
Alya nodded. She grabbed her bag and together, the two girls left the classroom. They were chatting animatedly when suddenly there was a scream behind them. They turned enough to see an akuma floating some distance above the ground, shooting people with some energy from his hands (honestly like every other akuma ever. Hawkmoth was really unoriginal with the spread of his akuma's influence). He was large. It was almost cartoonish as to how bulky he was. His hair was slicked back and there was a black spiked helmet on his head which matched the black colored mask he had over his face. His shoulders were covered by a thick, spiked leather jacket with the words "Love Rage" stitched on the back. He, like the other akumas and the heroes, had a skin tight suit underneath it. The ensemble ended in a pair of biker boots. He cackled, shooting again, "Everyone will feel Love's rage!" Marinette's face dropped when he turned on the two of them.
She was sure she would never forget the depraved look on his face, the twisted smirk, as he raised his hands at them, and fired.
There wasn't any time!
Mari did the only thing she could. She immediately jumped towards Alya, shouting, "Run!" The umber haired girl staggered but did as she was ordered. Her legs pumped like crazy. She wasn't even sure where she was going for a second until she ended up nearly collapsing in the front of the Dupain-Cheng bakery. Several guests stared at her. Sabine gasped, moving quickly around the register to help her. Tom heard some commotion. He ducked his head out of the kitchen to see what was up. When he saw his daughter's friend nearly on the floor in his bakery, he went back in for a glass of water which he brought to her immediately. She took it. Alya downed half of it before she managed to explain what happened, "There's... There's an akuma. Mari and I had to run away. He was making a mess of the park area." The customers mumbled again. Sabine and Tom however, paled. The older woman grabbed her shoulders gently but firmly.
"Marinette was with you? Where is she?" Alya blinked. She turned quickly and too paled.
Marinette was missing!
Love Rage liked his newest minion.
The young girl, a dark haired half-Asian, had been rather heroic when she'd pushed her friend out of his blast to give her a chance to run away, but it hadn't saved her. She'd been hit. Square in the back. There was a gasped followed by a thud as she fell to the ground.
At first, he thought he might have accidentally knocked her out but she eventually pushed herself up, let loose a low, menacing growl as she reached up to pull her pigtails out. She shook her hair loose. Spinning revealed to him that his power had worked; her eyes were no longer a normal shade or even remotely normal as they had turned completely red. The others he had blasted came up behind her. They bowed. Love Rage smirked in approval. Raising his hand to point, he ordered them, "Go! Find Ladybug and Chat Noir and bring them to me."
The mindless minions grunted, taking off into the streets of Paris.
At first, no one knew what was going on. They stared in confusion at the people who came flooding into the public area at the same time, reaching for whatever they could, destroying and using to destroy. Those unfortunate enough to not run away ended up on the receiving end of several flying fists. The anger was tangible.
If Love Rage was anything, he wasn't a liar. There was no way he couldn't lie about having a favorite minion and it turned out to be the last one he'd turned; the half Asian girl with medium length dark hair. She was agile. Easily clearing a park bench, she landed, like a predatory cat, on an unfortunate man whose face was nearly destroyed as she purely wailed on him. She was remorseless. Particularly when it came to couples. Anyone caught near her, especially pairs, were immediately lunged for, pummeled to a pile of pain and blood, before she would quickly and efficiently sprint off for the next person. He laughed.
His power worked the strongest on those who had love troubles.
Her troubles must be great.
His eyes scanned the horizon after finishing his admiration of her. Chat Noir and Ladybug were nowhere to be seen. The purple mask of Hawkmoth appeared on his face and the voice returned, "It's only a matter of time before they appear."
"Yes Hawkmoth," he agreed, "and when they do, I will be ready for them."
"Excellent. Make sure I get those Miraculouses Love Rage."
"Yes Hawkmoth."
The villain smiled, tightening his hands on the top of his cane. His heart pounded. This time would be different; he felt it. It would only be a matter of time, as he had told his pawn, before they appeared and the miraculous were finally, finally, his. His eyes wandered through Love Rage's eyes, watching the chaos unfold on the streets of Paris, he couldn't help, like him, but be impressed with the young lady below. He knew her. Marinette Dupain-Cheng if he remembered correctly. Student at Collège Françoise Dupont. Winner of the derby competition the previous year. If memory continued to serve correctly, she was one of two students within her class that he had not yet akumatized. Her skills were impressive. She was strong, agile, lethal in appearance, and everything she did was with intention.
He mused as to how long it would before she finally had a purple mask of her own to wear.
“If You Give Your Date a Cookie”- A Miraculous Ladybug One-shot
Synopsis: Alya and Nino are on their first official date after the Animan, cage-locking experience. Of course no date would be complete without a picnic in the park with sweets provided by the Dupain- Cheng bakery. DJWIFI Fluff.
Author’s Note: @aeonthedimensionalgirl here’s your request fic! I had fun writing this piece and I hope you enjoy it as much as I did. Special thanks to @rosesamurai for helping me come up with the topic. Everyone enjoy!
Alya had to admit it. Nino had done a bang-of-job of a date. He’d picked her up earlier that day and taken her out first to a light lunch at a cute little bakery, then they’d gone to the Louve where a special program of storytelling through the ages was on displayed and then they’d gone to a quaint bookshop, a music shop where he demonstrated some of his awesome musical talent with a guitar, drums, and piano, and now they found themselves back in the park. It was much later into the afternoon. The day was still sunny and pleasant which was unusual for Paris but they didn’t mind too much as it meant they now had the rare opportunity to have a picnic. Alya brushed a bit of her hair out of her face. The stubborn mass continued to bother her despite having wrangled it into a ponytail earlier that morning. Her skirt, white with orange flowers printed on it, was spread out around her and her exposed arms in the spaghetti-strapped tank were warmed by the sun above. Nino smiled as he presented their early dinner to her.
They had a little of everything. There were finger sandwiches, some pasta salad his mother had made, fruit, water and juices, and for desert, a bag brought especially from the Dupain-Cheng bakery, their logo, designed she thought with pride by Marinette, emblazoned on the front. She smiled. Their banter was light. He talked about wanting to be a DJ in the future and travel across all of Europe. She spoke on wanting to be a newswoman. Internationally known, traveling as well. They talked about the places they wanted to go: the UAE, America, Brazil, Japan (Nino snickered and said he wouldn’t be surprised if Adrien magically appeared while they were there so he could geek over their culture), Thailand, Korea, and China (they’d drag Mari along for that one so she could at least say she visited her mother’s home country at least once in her life). The list went on and on.
Then Alya mentioned getting a tattoo of the world and coloring in the places she managed to get to. That got them talking about tattoos. Nino wanted to get something musical in between his shoulder blades. She was thinking of getting a “Dream big” expression on her wrist and maybe a Ladybug and Cat’s paw and her back.
Then they talked about the heroes.
Nino admitted to having a crush on both of them to which she only patted his hand and assured him it wasn’t weird and that she did too. After all, who wouldn’t love heroes like Ladybug and Chat? He smiled pleasantly and nodded, glad she understood and didn’t think him weird.
While they talked, they ate. Eventually they got down to the bag of sweets from the Dupain- Cheng bakery and they munched happily on cookies and Danishes and cupcakes and croissants.
Alya groaned when they finally managed to polish off most of the bag. She flopped back on the picnic blanket and rubbed her aching belly. “That’s it, no more,” she groaned, closing her eyes, “That was too delicious Nino.” He chuckled, packing up the dishes and everything else.
“You can thank my mom. She made the food. As for the sweets, you can thank Marinette for those.” Alya opened one of her eyes.
“Marinette?”
He nodded. “Totally. Dudette was kind enough to ask her parents to provide us the sweets for our first date.” She rolled her eyes. Clearly a thank-you text was needed later that evening. Then maybe a hug tomorrow. Nino shook the bag once more and she stared at him when he pulled out one final, but huge, chocolate chip cookie. “Here,” he offered it to her, “It’s the last one. No point in worrying about taking it home.” She groaned and shook her head.
“No way. I’m too full. You eat it!” He raised an eyebrow.
“No, you eat it. You’ve got enough room for it I know it.”
She sat up. “No seriously, you can have it.”
“Alya, take it.”
“Nino, I’m too full! I can’t.”
“Well I can’t have it either.” Now it was she who raised an eyebrow at him as she crossed her arms at him.
“And why not,” she asked, a smile teasing on his lips. He floundered for a second. Eventually, he managed to shout out, “Because I’ll get fat if I eat it!” She blinked. Her eyes raked over him before she managed to laugh out her response.
“If you’re fat then I must be the sizes of a planet!” He smirked and joined in with her laughter. They quieted over a span of a few minutes and before either of them could debate what to do with the final sweet, Nino stood and left the blanket. She watched as he went up to a mother trying to wrangle three kids out of the park. He broke the cookie in three and offered it to her, she smiled thankfully and gave each of them one which helped to quiet them down. Alya smirked as he walked back to her.
“That’s done,” he returned the expression to her. “Ready to head home?”
“Yeah,” she agreed, standing off of the blanket and brushing out her skirt. He grabbed the blanket, folded it back, and offered her a hand, a soft blush on his face. She took it gratefully and together, they headed out of the park, happy for the success of their first date.
Author’s Note: *cracks knuckles* Alright. I managed to focus enough to get this chapter out. Really, it’s all fluff and filler which sucks but I promise it plays a big role in the future. *Cackles to self about the evil I have planned.* Anyway, enjoy!
Chapter 8
Marinette paced back and forth. Chat’s transformation had worn off some time ago and now Adrien Agreste sat in her rolling chair, his legs spread so his hands could sit in between them on the edge of said chair as he watched his adorable little girlfriend stress over the situation. At one point, he opened his mouth but when the words he didn’t want came out, he ended up just motioning to her. Mari eyed him. He motioned frantically with his hands for her to come over to him. Slowly, she did but as soon as she was in reach, he gently took her hands and smiled up at her softly, kissing the back of both of them before pulling her closer to hug her tightly. She reached up and hugged around his neck. Leaning down a bit was enough to kiss the top of his head. She sighed.
“I’m so sorry Adrien.” He eyed her. Raising his eyebrow was the only way to ask, “Why?” She toyed with a piece of his soft hair, her eyes diverted as she answered the unspoken question, “You were protecting me… again. I’ve been so clumsy lately. I nearly was hit by Madame Pirouette at the ball and then Miss Translate.” She sighed again, raising a hand to cover her face. “If anything happens to you… it’s going to be my fault.”
Adrien squeezed her waist. He opened his mouth to quickly reply with, “Match lost, true wheel lever loose say. Thru well seawalls key tat trust soul maid moth bits lost joust teal provide yet.”
Marinette giggled and poked his nose. “You silly cat. I didn’t understand a thing you just said.” If he was a superhero, she would’ve sworn his ears had gone flat but a quick peck on the nose helped to fix him right up. “But if I know you well enough, it was probably sappy and self sacrificing so thank-you.” She giggled again as he hugged her close and peppered little kisses on her neck. Eventually, their lips met for a soft kiss.
They broke it off only when they heard from below, “Don’t worry Mrs. Cheng! We’ll just show ourselves up. Adrien and Marinette should be up there and expecting us.” Pause. “Uh…. yes, ma’am. I’m sure. That’s where she said we were going to meet for our… for our project!”
They were closer now so she could hear her mom reply, “That’s odd. I didn’t see her come in; she must have come in the back door then. I’ll be up in a few minutes with some snacks for you kids.”
A sigh escaped the young girl’s lips. She’d forgotten about explaining how she’d gotten home. At least her best friend was good at coming up with a story to cover their tails. Marinette’s trap door opened a few moments later and in popped Alya whose brow was furrowed as her eyes landed on the two of them. She cleared the door for Nino who came in too. They shut the door. All of the kwamis flew out of hiding and once everyone was settled, the half-Asian stood back up, facing the three of them, her mind running a million miles a minute. “Miss Translate is a tricky akuma. Especially since getting hit results in a scrabbling of language.” She motioned to Adrien. “There’s no way Chat Noir is going to be able to help us since I doubt he’ll be able to transform as he is.”
“That’s for sure,”Plagg snickered. “I had to waste my energy before we could even transform back. Plus, Romeo couldn’t even woo his lady a second ago.” Alya raised an eyebrow. Tikki elbowed him in the side to which the black cat hissed and rubbed his side. Adrien just turned red.
“Then what do you propose Ladybug,” Wayzz inquired.
“Until Miss Translate shows her face again, there isn’t much we’re going to be able to do. Our main issue is going to be handling this,” she motioned to the model.
“Easy as pie,” Alya smirked. “I can make announcement on the Ladyblog about the effects of the Akuma and you can escort Adrien home explaining that he was caught in the blast.”
“Dude, his dad is going to have our butts though. We’re going to be so banned from seeing our dude ever again,” Nino groaned. Marinette’s face paled and Alya elbowed him in the side. He yelped, rubbing the spot before seeing the other girl’s face, quickly stuttering out, “b-but Nathalie seems pretty cool. She might be willing to help us field Mr. Agreste until everything gets sorted. Say Adrien is sick or something.” Alya raised an eyebrow at the blonde.
“Will she do that?”
He started to open his mouth, remembered that whatever he was about to say wouldn’t make any sense, so he was resigned to nod his head. Marinette bit her lip. Darn, he was so cute. Alya nodded in return. “Well, there you go. We have a plan.”
“For right now. Doesn’t help with the akuma,” Plagg pointed out, bored. Trixx giggled and flew around Alya’s face.
“Tikki’s kit will come up with something,” she cheered, “but I vote we play a trick on her.” Alya grabbed her by the tail and pulled her back.
“Oh no. We’re not playing anymore of your tricks on anyone. You nearly got me grounded with that flour stunt you pulled on my mom.” Trixx snickered again. Alya started to say something but was interrupted by a knock on the door. The kwamis all flew out of sight immediately. It opened and up walked Sabinea tray loaded with sweets and drinks. She smiled at the four of them.
“Hi Mom,” Marinette chirped. She skipped over to help grab the tray which the older woman offered with no complaint.
“Welcome back Marinette. Is everything alright? It’s not like you to not say anything when coming home….”
“I… uh….” She rubbed the back of her neck. “Sorry Mom. I kind of forgot since we wanted to get started on this project right away.”
“That’s alright sweetheart. Your father and I are going to start closing up the bakery soon. Would any of you like to stay for dinner?”
“No thanks Mrs. Cheng,” Alya smiled, “My mom’s making dinner tonight so I’ll be heading home soon.”
“I’ve got a prior engagement too,” Nino nodded. She nodded, turning to stare at Adrien.
“And you sweetie?” All of their faces fell. Adrien’s went pale. Suddenly, he started coughing like crazy and the others jumped up in surprise. Sabine entered the room. Her motherly instincts kicked in; she placed her hand on his forehead and frowned. “You should go home sweetheart. You feel a bit warm to me. Would you like me to call your driver?” He shook his head. Marinette stood then.
“I’ll walk him home. It’s my fault he’s here anyway,” Marinette volunteered. She hesitated. However, after a few minutes of debate with herself, she nodded her agreeance.
“Alright but straight there and back. There’s still an akuma on the loose after all.” She turned to leave. “I’ll let your father know what’s going on. Be safe sweetie.” The others said good-bye to her and after she left, the kwamis came out, returning to their holders.
“Guess that’s our cue dudes. Good save there dude,” he high-fived the silent kid. He smirked and returned it. Marinette rolled her eyes.
“He’s already got enough of an ego; you probably just made it worse,” she teased. Adrien narrowed his eyes at her. She giggled. “I love you too kitty.”
“Ugh, can we go please? I don’t want to see them flirting all the time,” Plagg groaned, flying into Adrien’s shirt pocket. Tikki giggled.
“You’re going to have to get used to it Plagg.”
He grumbled something out like “Yeah, yeah.” The others chuckled, quickly grabbed at the sweets that were provided to them, and left out together, only parting ways outside the bakery where Alya and Nino confirmed that they would be taking patrol tonight to watch for the akuma. Marinette nodded. She thanked them and waved the two off as they headed in the opposite direction. The walk with Adrien was silent. It seemed to take for ever and no time at all but every step helped in the return of her guilt. She bit her lip, refusing to look over at him. It was hard especially since it seemed that in the last few months alone she was getting more careless and clumsy, resulting in either herself or Chat into some kind of trouble. She would never forget Nightmare. Not as long as she lived.
Her boyfriend squeezed her hand, pulling her out of her thoughts. A soft smile crossed his face. She returned it weakly. As they approached the Agreste manor, her footsteps slowed until she finally came to stop, in turn, stopping Adrien. He eyed her quizzically. She took a deep breath. “Adrien… I’m sorry.” He raised an eyebrow at her.
“Shorts tart whale?” It was her turn to eye him.
“I’m guessing you asked me for what and I guess you have your answer. It’s the same as earlier,” she replied. Adrien’s smile didn’t dim as he pulled her towards him, leaning her head against his chest as he hugged her. Marinette sniffled, burying her face in the same location. She squeezed the back of his shirt.
She was not going to cry right now gosh darn it.
There was a soft kiss planted on the top of her head multiple times. Then it moved down, to her left ear, and despite her not wanting to raise her head and show him her red flushed cheeks and tear dotted eyes, eventually on her forehead, both cheeks, her nose, lower to her jawline. Her grip tightened on him. He leaned back enough to show her his smile. Her eyes wandered across his face. Not one inch of his being blamed her for the situation. All she could see was the love and respect he had for her and she knew, without a doubt, that if his words weren’t scrambled, he would probably be telling her, “There’s nothing to be sorry for. We’re a team. Besides, I know you’ll fix this because you are absolutely pawesome.”
She didn’t know if she wanted to slap him or giggle for a pun he didn’t even make.
Marinette rolled her eyes and poked his nose instead. His smirk only grew wider. “I hate sometimes hate how well I know what you’re thinking. I’m fine, I promise. I still wanted to apologize for it anyway.” He nodded, leaning back down to catch her lips in a kiss. She returned it with a sigh, lacing her fingers briefly into his hair; his arms snaked their way around her waist to pull her up a bit and deepen it. When they broke apart, Marinette had no desire to cry anymore. Instead, she smiled just as brightly as he did. Clearing her throat, she stated, “Well, let’s get you in. I’ve got some explaining to do to Nathalie.”
He nodded and took her hand, squeezing it, as he had the gate opened and eventually, the front door.
Synopsis: Jay lives an ordinary life (except for the fact that she's really invisible) until her mother gives her a family antique- a locket that hasn't been opened since her great-grandmother's time. Curious, the young girl opens it to release Cassiopia, a rare golden dragon kwami. When an evil presence makes itself known, just how will Jay handle the miraculous changes in her life?
Author’s Notes: Here is the 300 Follower prize for Musical Miraculous Holder on Amino! She came in first and got a drawing of Cassiopeia and this story which were supposed to be about my miraculous life but..... Yeah, it came out rough. Anyway, I hope everyone enjoys!
Jay stared at the box in her hand, giving it a gentle squeeze. It felt warm under her touch. Never had she experienced something like this before and it caused her heart to begin pounding like crazy. A soft, spring wind pushed some stray hair into her face. She pushed it back behind her ear.
The young woman was walking slowly to her high school one nice, Winter morning; despite it being the middle of winter, the temperature was closer to eighty and felt more like Spring than actual Winter, leaving the residents to wonder if Winter had even come at all that year. It was close to her birthday. She was soon to turn fifteen. The box she held was an early gift from her mother who had witnessed a... darkness hanging over her daughter's head in the last couple of days.
You see, Jay was as plain as plain got.
Her hair was pin straight, blonde-brown. Her skin was white but not a beautiful porcelain white, but more of a splotchy red from some skin condition she had yet to research, and her eyes were regular brown (not even the cool, demon-looking color of her younger sister). In a crowd, she was easily forgotten. Her words were often drowned out by the world around her. So, she found comfort in books and manga more than she did in other humans; she was unwanted, undesired, and kept to herself as a result. Plus, it didn't help that her parents, both working long hours to make ends meet for three growing children, decided that it would be her sole responsibility to maintain every chore in the house by herself, help take care of her siblings, and maintain an all "A" average in her honors classes.
Honestly, she felt like she was losing her mind.
The reason her mother had given her the gift early was this: Jay's father had come home early the previous night and immediately started yelling and lecturing her for not doing the dishes while doing the laundry. It was ridiculous. She sat there, clenching and unclenching her fists, waiting for him to be done before she'd run into her room to flop down on her bed.
When she woke up, the gift was on her desk with a note that only read, "Happy early birthday! This is a special gift. The eldest girl in our family has always gotten this box on their fifteenth birthday. It will be up to you if you will open it or not. Love, Mom."
Jay had smiled. While the two of them often went at it themselves, her mother was far more sympathetic than her father.
Hence how the young woman ended up walking to school, holding a box that felt alive in a sense, and giving her some strength to get through the day.
She breathed in deeps as the smell of drugs, paper, and cleaner hit her nose. The school had around two thousand students and the halls were already crowded by people. She slipped the box into her front pocket, hoisted her bag higher on her shoulder, and began navigating her way to her locker, which was inconveniently next to the locker of Elizabeth Barton. Lizzie, as her friends were allowed to call her, Jay recalled bitterly, used to be her friend but some stupid argument she couldn't even remember caused Lizzie to send her a "Dear Jane" letter, leaving her completely alone to navigate the waters of her high school career with no friends at all.
It made her angry and lonely but she wasn't sure how to escape it.
Just as she feared, Lizzie was there. She leaned against her locker, smirking at the girls next to her. Jay ignored them. Quickly, she opened the locker and started replacing books. She didn't miss how the more popular girl's eyes darted to her then back to her friends, her smile growing painfully larger as she made sure to say loudly enough, "Yeah, so, my part is Saturday. I’m going to invite the whole school." She turned then. Jay didn't look at her. "Except for certain people of course," she practically hissed. Her friends didn't miss the tone or the direction; they snickered. The young girl breathed in depp, trying to keep her emotions in check, as she placed the last book in the locker and slammed the door, grabbing her bag and running away, followed closely by the sound of laughter.
****
She wanted to punch the wall.
She wanted to kick and scream.
Instead, she cried.
Hiding in one of the girl's bathrooms, she sat on the closed toilet, wiping her eyes with the sleeve of her jacket. She didn't let anyone hear her though. After a few moments, she calmed enough to start breathing normally again and in desperate need to feel some relief, she reached for the box in her pocket. It was still warm against her skin. Her shoulders relaxed. Pulling it out, she stared at the ornate cover like she'd done the night before. IT was oriental in design. Primarily black, it was decorated in what she could only assume were Chinese symbols and it didn't seem to be locked, but when she'd asked her mom later that morning about it, she'd only shrugged and told her that the box would let her know if she should open it. Her aunt, the eldest girl, had never felt the need. Neither had her grandmother. But apparently, her great-great-grandmother had opened it. That was the last anyone knew of it being opened. For over fifty years, it had been sealed.
Now, Jay felt the need.
Slowly, she opened the top. A bright, glowing gold light emerged, causing her to jerk and drop it, shielding her eyes from the brightness as it finished opening on its own.
Jay's jaw dropped. Floating in front of her was a tiny, golden creature. It opened its eyes quickly, revealing red irises. There were long pieces of what looked like hair protruding from both cheeks and back from the forehead. There were also horns, spikes, and a tail that swung gently back and forth as it gave her a sharp-tooth grin, flying closer to get a better look at her.
"I was wondering when you were going to open it," the creature cheered, "I'm Cassiopia, the golden dragon kwami!"
The young girl blinked. "The... what?"
"The golden dragon kwami! I' the kwami of purity."
She flew around, nodding her head before stopping front of her once more. "Yep. You're the one!"
"The one what? You're not making any sense," Jay hissed. Cassiopia flew down then and rested on her knees.
"The chosen hero. I give you the power of Purity to transform into a superhero." Her eyes narrowed then. "And from what I sense, your town is going to need it. I sense a darkness approaching."
"Wait a second! I'm not a superhero. I'm not
wanted by anyone! Why would someone like me be the one to save anyone?"
The little dragon cocked her head to the side.
"You're an odd person aren't you?" Jay sighed.
"Yeah, I get that a lot but it's exactly why I...."
"Should be the holder," she smirked. Jay blinked. The kwami directed the smile up at her this time. "You're not perfect, and you have a lot of stress, but you have a heart of gold and that's what matters. Besides, there is someone that wants you around. Me. I'd like to work with you Jay." She moved then grab, surprisingly, a locket which she had come from, placing it around the girl's neck and the smile remaining as bright and happy as she could make it.
She started to reply but stopped when the door opened and a new group of girls walked in. The first bell was already ringing. Instead, she sighed and grabbed her bag, motioning for her to hide inside. She did so without complaint. Jay gathered her things and left while avoiding eye contact with the other girls.
****
The two people stood on top of a large building just across from the school. One was female. She wore a skin tight suit with white going down the middle, a diamond pattern of brown and dark brown crossing along her back. Her suit also had heels that were black, and gloves that pointed off of her arms to match. Her mask was pointed up at the brows. Her kwami was a horned-viper.
The other was male. Like his partner, he eyed the school below. His outfit was different. For one thing, it was pure black with n eared-hood on his head. Lighter spots appeared every now and then on him but didn't touch the tail that extended out from his suit. His eyes were yellow, teeth and claws sharp, and he had what looked like a club with raised areas on his back. She had two daggers on either hip in contrast. His kwami was a jaguar.
The female cocked her hip. "It's here of all places?"
The male shrugged. "I don't argue with the master. He sensed its presence awaken here."
"And how are we supposed to get it? You said this was going to be an easy job."
He turned, his eyes narrowing on her. "If you would shut-up for two seconds, I'll tell you what's going to happen." She waited then, crossing her arms as her partner rose to meet her at eye level.
"The plan is simple: I'll go in disguised as one of them and just steal it." She baulked.
"What? That's no fun. Can't I blow anything up?" He shook his head.
"The master specifically...."
"And since when do you listen to every word he says," she hissed. He raised an eyebrow at her but didn't contest the point. When neither of them looked to back down on the point, she finally conceded, "Fine. We'll do it your way first. But, if you fail after two hours, I'm going to start blowing the place up. That'll get that stupid little kwami out of hiding." He nodded.
"Fine." He turned then, walking back on the roof before jumping down to a hidden alley below, transforming back and ushering his kwami into hiding, before strolling to the front of the school with a back bag in tow, all while she watched from above.
****
Math was pure hell. Jay sat in the back of the room, trying her best to keep up but the numbers seemed to fly by so quickly and, when the teacher refused to acknowledge her hand, she finally sat back with a humph and decided the class was overrated. She reached for the computer paper she always had in her bag. Doodling helped to ease her mind.
Cassiopia poked her head out at one point. "You should be paying attention," she scolded. A couple of heads turned towards her and Jay only blushed, waving them off, before glaring at the bag and writing a tiny note that she slipped inside. The dragon read it: Why should I? I didn't understand a thing from day one and this b- (She found a pen and scratched out the word) won't even answer my questions. I've tried going for help but all she does is call me dumb. I'm done. I have credits. I'll repeat the d- (Another scribble) class. The kwami looked out of the bag concerned, taking a good look at the person who was now her partner. Their meeting had been abrupt, yes, but now, really looking at her, she saw a deep sadness in the young girl, a bit of darkness resting on her heart, and anger, lots of anger, radiating off of her. She baulked a bit. Her heart was golden, that was true, but the little kwami was resigned that she had her work cut out for her with this chosen.
Suddenly, she felt a shiver run up her spine and her eyes immediately glued on the door. A moustached person opened a it and motioned for her briefly. She smiled, quickly told the class to attempt the next problem, and went with him. Everyone started mumbling. When she returned, it wasn't alone. There were two boys in tow with her and she beamed at the class.
"I know this is unusual but we actually have two new transfer students today. This is Christian Reams," she motioned to the blonde haired boy who smiled sheepishly and waved, "And Brandon Wright." The other boy, a taller, stockier, and blacked haired version of the boy. He merely nodded his head. "Boys, you can take a seat in the two empty seats there." Jay blinked. The only empty seats available were in front of her and to her right. She slumped further. Cripes. She didn't want seat mates of any kind near her. Mentally, she swore as the blonde, Christian, sat in front and the black haired dude, Brandon, sat to her right. Both smiled at her politely. The teacher began her lesson again and Brandon raised his hand, which she acknowledged in a moment.
"Pardon me but would it be alright for her," he motioned to Jay, "to re-explain to me what's going on? I think I'm a bit lost." The teacher shrugged.
"Yes, that's fine but keep the talking down."
Jay groaned as he slid his desk closer. He held out a hand once he was done. "Hi. I'm Brandon." She eyed it but didn't take it.
"Jay."
His smile never dimmed but he did drop his hand. "Jay then." He paused, eyeing the locket. "That's a neat locket you have there." She blinked and absently grabbed for it, remembering that Cassi- she should start calling her that- had placed it on her in the bathroom.
"Uh... thanks. Family heirloom." He nodded, sliding her book over to take a look at it.
"So. Where do we start friend?" Now it was she would eyed him.
"I'm not your friend," she warned. "And you start by finding someone else. I don't know what's going on."
"But you've been here all year...."
Yeah but I'm absolute sh...." She felt a pinch from the bag and she rubbed the spot, "crap at math." Man, that'd actually hurt. She made a mental note to scold Cassi later for it. Brandon blinked.
"But this is...." She covered her ears.
"Don't fuuuuu-ing say it. I get it. I'm in the honors class and I can't do the simplest forms of math." He smiled and then pulled her book completely away from her. "Hey!"
"I'll help you," he replied confidently. She blinked, shaking her head.
"I'm sorry. I think you've lost your mind or I have but did you just say...."
"I'll help you."
Her eyes turned hard then as she coldly responded with, "No thanks."
He turned to her. "You're going to get my help one way or the other," he responded.
"I didn't ask for it!"
"But you did. By even telling me you were crap." She paused. Then she saw red.
"That wasn't me asking!"
"Jay Diggins, if you would kindly stop disrupting my class." She glared at the teacher. The whole time they'd been talking not one word of course.... Jay grabbed her bag then. Without another word to the teacher, she left, heading straight for the front office because she already knew that that's where she'd have to go anyway.
Meanwhile, two sets of cold eyes watched her leave.
****
An hour lecture later with detention on her roster for the next two weeks, Jay left the office. She sighed defeated as she realized that it was now right before lunch. Instead of heading to her second period, she went straight to the cafeteria where a few skippers were already hanging out; the cafeteria crew were too busy readying themselves for the oncoming onslaught to worry about a handful of kids skipping class to push them out of the place. Jay found her usual seat. It was hidden behind a pillar that no one ever came around. She was safe there. Sitting out of sight, she sighed again and Cassi flew up to hide behind her lunch bag as she pulled out her food. She stared up at her chosen.
"Jay," she asked slowly, "Will you talk to me?" She shrugged.
"What's there to talk about? You saw how today went. It's the same song and dance every day. I come to school, people say sh-stuff," she corrected at a glare, "but I'm the one who gets left in the dust."
"I see that," she assured,"but there are better ways of handling the situations you're in that doesn't result in anger or getting sent to the office." Jay bit into her sandwich. When her mouth was clear, she slowly replied, "I know but it never gets me anything but more rejection." She slumped in her seat. "I'm literally the only mistake God ever made." The little dragon baulked this time. She stared up sadly at her chosen but when the bell rang, she slipped back down into the bag. Jay sniffled but wiped the corners of her eyes, clearing them of the tears that threatened, before returning to the stony expression she normally wore around the school.
The flood of students came instantly. It was loud suddenly and she flinched under it; just like she'd expected though, once most of the foot traffic had died down, she was left alone behind her pillar and a sigh of relief escaped her lips.
Until a shadow crossed her view.
She looked up started and there stood Brandon, the last person she didn't want to see of course.
She glared. "haven't you done enough damage today? What do you want?" He returned the expression while reaching into his bag to pull out her calculus book. He tossed it onto the table in front of her.
"I'm just returning that. Lose the attitude alright."
"Stay away from me and I might consider it," she gritted.
He crossed his arms. Man, if his arms weren't toned. "I'll consider it once you tell me why." She shrugged.
"There's nothing to say. I just don't want you around."
"There's more to it," he asserted. "It's not that simple and I know it. I'm going to find out so you might as well tell me." She snorted, closing her lunch box and packing up the remains of her lunch. She wasn't feeling hungry anymore. Standing, she slung her bag over her shoulder and, surprisingly, had to glare up at him still. For years, kids made fun of her for being abnormally tall for a girl so it was odd to find herself having to look up at someone. It was rare and in between.
"Get used to disappointment," she retorted, starting to walk off. He grabbed for her then. She spun, disbelief etched on her face as he gently squeezed her arm. His face was softer now.
"I just want to help," he soothed. She hesitated for a second but then returned to her normal demeanor, tugging her arm to try and remove it from his grasp. "Why are you running away?"
"I'm not running yet. Let me go!"
"Not until you talk to me."
"You just started today. Why do you care?"
"What can I say? I'm a sentimental guy."
"Then take your sentiments elsewhere! Let me go!"
"I'm not...."
"What are you doing? She's already told you to let her go," a new voice interjected. Jay blinked as Brandon's hand was violently ripped off of her arm and he was shoved violently backwards. He stumbled but didn't fall. Standing in front of her, was surprisingly, the other new kid Christian. His eyes, a brilliant blue color sparkled defensively for her as he guarded her from him again. Brandon growled.
"This is none of your business Chris."
"I think it is brother," he assured him. "Especially when I see you being a complete jerk to a girl at our new school. You promised mom you'd behave this time. I'm tired of moving schools." He motioned to the double doors leading out of the cafeteria. "leave. Go get your head screwed on right and try again later." The taller, dark haired boy glared but did as ordered, leaving the two of them behind. Jay sighed in relief. Christian turned with a smile and softly soothed, "Sorry about that. Brandon has a lot of anger issues. I'm sure he means well but he doesn't know his boundaries." He held out a hand. "I'm Christian by the way. Friends call me Chris." She hesitated but gently took his hand. They shook. He smiled. "I heard what happened between you and him in class today and well... I want to apologize. Example of him meaning well but not knowing his boundaries."
"It's... it's alright," Jay managed. She bit her tongue, not sure how to remain civil especially since she was still running on adrenaline from the previous spat. "I'm not good with handling people oso it probably got worse than it needed to be."
Christ looked around. "I've noticed. Would you mind if I asked why you're eating lunch alone?"
She shrugged. "No one likes me. You'll usually find me alone anyway." A soft smile crossed his lips.
"That's not true. I happen to like you and we just met so that's saying something." Jay blinked, confused but before she could respond, he asked, "Would you mind if I sit with you for the remainder of lunch? I haven't made any friends yet so I'm just kind of on my own." She nodded dumbly.
Lunch was pleasant from that point on. Chris made small talk to which she replied with short answers; after all, she wasn't used to anyone really wanting to talk to her so it felt... odd to talk so much.
The final bell rang and they gathered up their things. Just as they were leaving, continuing their small talk, Jay was jerked into his arms as an explosion suddenly rocked the school to its foundation. The students in the hall screamed, grabbing onto the walls as best as they could. Teachers came running, ordering student to evacuate to the rear of the school. Cassi poked her head out of the bag, her eyes narrowed and slitted like a snake's, a low growl escaping from her throat.
"It's here," she informed her chosen. "The darkness I told you about. We have to go handle it." Jay nodded and ran forward, tearing herself out of Chris' hold.
"Jay," he called. She looked back long enough to see him swept away by the crowd of people. She pushed her way up stream, shoving past teachers and students alike until she came out on a deserted staircase. Cassi flew out of her bag.
"There's not much time for me to explain everything," Cassi quickly stated, "but you need to know, you'll have a weapon you can use at your disposal as well as the ability 'Golden Purity." It'll cleanse any area of darkness that has it."
"Great but...," Jay swallowed, "I don't know how ready I am for this."
"We don't have time to debate whether you're ready or not. I believe in you. You're going to be amazing. Now, to transform, just say 'Armor up!'" Jay nodded. She ripped the locket in her hand before saying, "Cassi, armor up!"
Cassiopia gave her one last smile before a bright light dragged her into the locket. Jay felt the magic take hold, spiraling up and over her head first, placing a golden colored mask over her eyes, two horns and two long pieces of hair over her own slicked back hair. Her clothing changed as well. From the neck down, she was given a skin tight suit that was accented white in the front, but gold over her shoulders, arms, and legs, ending in knee high black boots. A tail appeared on her back. Four heavy balls ended up on her hip kind of like a belt and a staff emerged from her split hands. She gave it a twirl and knew that it was only natural for her to have it. When everything was done, Jay blinked and quickly surveyed herself.
"Okay, that was weird," she said to the air. Another blast rocked the school. She staggered but caught herself against the railing of the staircase and as soon as she was able to stand again, she ran up said stairs, finding a classroom window to fling herself out of and up to the roof. She ran to the front where the blasts came from.
What she found was startling. Another person, dressed kind of like her, was holding up two daggers that glowed yellow before spitting out another blast. The woman laughed.
"Come out, come out, wherever you are," she sing-songed, "Come and play little dragon. I'm going to take your miraculous for myself!"
Jay gritted her teeth. She jumped, raising the staff over her head and slinging it down towards her head. She saw though and dodged, flipping back out of the way. The new hero landed, standing quickly, and raising her staff in defense. The woman hissed.
"So, you've finally come to play Dragon." She suddenly disappeared. Jay blinked and grunted as she was kicked from behind. The woman laughed. "Oh my. You're still new to being a holder. How sad for you." She gritted her teeth and jumped up, ready to defend herself again.
"I- I may be new but that doesn't mean I'm going to let you win!" She ran forward, swinging her staff wide. The woman blocked and cackled as she pushed said weapon back out and kicked its holder in the middle. She slid back for some feet. A gasp escaped her lips and she gripped at her mid-section. Another laugh.
"Oh youngling. When are you going to figure out that you'll never be able to touch this Viper?" She spun her daggers, walking towards the downed girl. Jay panted, trying her hardest to regain her breath. Viper continued to smirk. Her weapons glowed menacingly as she continued approaching. Her mind raced. What was she to do?
Tough was only an act.
She had no idea how to actually do anything.
Cassi had put her faith in the wrong person after all.
She dropped her staff. Her stomach really hurt and her vision was swimming. Some hero she turned out to be. Not even one for thirty minutes into being a hero and it was about to be over.
The villain snickered, pointing her daggers, ready to blast.
She squeezed her eyes shut, ready.
The blast happened but it didn't hit its target. The asphalt shattered. She hissed again and turned. Jay blinked, realizing that she'd been scooped up and whisked out of the path of danger. The person held her close. Looking up, she blushed.
He was wearing an all white suit. Over his head was a matching color hood with round ears and fur around the edge. Up to his eyes was covered by what she could only describe as a ninja's mask. He had a tail that swished back and forth. She didn't miss how the suit hugged his curves and muscles nicely; to say she was smitten at sight was an understatement. She turned redder than normal. Blue eyes met red.
"Are you alright," he asked softly. She nodded dumbly. He sat her on her feet and she could tell he was smiling under the mask. "Good. I'm going to need your help getting rid of her." He motioned to Viper. Jay took her staff back, which he'd scooped up with her, swallowing hard.
"But I... I don't know how to fight," she shook. He took both of her hands and gripped them softly.
"Have faith," he assured her. "Your kwami will guide your actions."
"Ugh. How cheesy," Viper snickered. "But even you won't be enough to save her Leo." She raised a hand, summoning a mist of purple. Several of the cars in the parking lot glowed and morphed, changing into odd blob shaped creatures. She pointed. "Get them Poisons!" They groaned and surged forward. Leo swore and jumped away, pulling the tail off of his hips, revealing that it was a whip as well. He slung it round, cutting some of the creatures in half. They divided. Falling, they oozed away, causing everything they touched to rust or die. Jay swung her staff. The same thing happened to her Poisons; it didn't help that she also had to contend with Viper's attacks both at a distance and up close.
Viper got close and swiped with her right dagger. Jay bent away but fell back, bumping into Leo's back. He looked back at her.
"Now what," she panicked.
Leo flung his whip again. "You're going to have to purify the area."
She jabbed at the head of another Poison. "I don't know how!"
"Do you trust me?" She grunted as she blocked another blast.
"I don't really have a choice do I?"
"Good. I'll keep you safe. Close your eyes and reach deep within yourself. You'll find the answer there." She eyed him like he was crazy but eventually nodded, deciding that she had no other choice. She straightened. Closing her eyes, the world went dark but she could still hear the battle. At one point, she heard, "Royal Roar" and felt a blast of intense energy. It ruffled her hair.
She swallowed. 'Alright Cassi,' she begged, 'now would be the time to guide me. What am I looking for exactly?'
Jay swore she heard Cassi giggle. It appeared in her mind as a soft golden glow at her feet that grew stronger and stronger until it shot out some distance to capture what looked like the symbol of a spider. The glow held the panicking image in place. It was like second nature. She knew what to do. The staff went over her head where she concentrated her power. When it was done, she threw it. The staff struck and remained upright. It sounded like the spider screamed as it was hit.
"Golden Purity," she ordered. The energy of the staff left, radiating out in golden circles. The spider faded. Viper hissed, blocking her eyes from the energy. The Poisons groaned but faded, returning to their original places, everything damaged was fixed. When she opened her eyes, everything was normal again. Her staff flew back to her open hand. She sighed. "Did it work?"
Her partner nodded. "Yes, Viper's gone. The area's clean. You did it." Excitement rose in her heart. So much so, that she jumped up and down cheering, before offering him a high five that he took with a smile.
There was a cheer from behind them. Turning, the two heroes found the school population returned. Jay flushed. Suddenly, Lizzie and one of her friends ran up to them, holding a mic and camera from the school broadcasting club.
"Excuse me," she said into the mic, "Lizzie Barton, Callum High News. Who are you exactly and will you be protecting us from that villain from now on?" She pushed said device into her face. Jay floundered. Suddenly, Leo was there, placing a protective hand on her shoulder. Two loud beeps rang out from her locket and a thick bracelet on his wrist.
"We're flattered you want to interview us," he charmed, "but our time is short." He started to pull her away but Jay reached for the mic.
"I'm the Golden Dragon," she announced, "and I'll be protecting everyone from now on. Promise!" The newswoman blinked as she gave it back to her and the two heroes took off. Once out of sight, they ducked into an alley where he started to leave. She grabbed his hand. He paused. "Wait! Who are you really," she pleaded. Another beep. He smiled and turned, pulling her hand up to place a gentle kiss on the back. She blushed.
"As much as I would like to tell you, it's not safe. We can't reveal ourselves to anyone- even each other." He released her, turning again. "You won't be seen here. I'll go find somewhere else to transform." His smile grew more pronounced. "I'll see you next time, Dragon." He took off before she could stop him. She flushed, placing her hands on her cheeks, willing her heart to slow down without success.
****
"You did wonderful today Jay," Cassi cheered as they returned to the school. She retrieved her bag which thankfully hadn't been stolen.
"I love it," she admitted, "All my life, I dream of magic. I never thought it would happen to someone like me!" She paused. "Though, I probably should get some practice in soon so I don't mess up like I did this time."
The kwami nodded. "Yes but this is only the beginning. There will be plenty of time to learn." Jay smirked, tossing said bag over her shoulder.
"I wouldn't have it any other way."
****
Viper hissed as she was struck across the face. She didn't dare raise her eyes. He was angry. Rightfully so. Dark Claw leaned against a nearby wall, arms crossed as he watched.
"You fool," the older man spat. "The next time, you will follow orders. I would have had the golden dragon by now if you hadn't acted recklessly!"
"Yes... my lord." He struck her again. She remained silent this time as he turned towards the other servant.
"Dark Claw," he ordered. The black clad villain got off the wall and bowed. "Return. Resume the plan until you get that dragon." He bowed once more.
"Of course my lord." He turned, ignoring the hiss of Viper as he left, transforming back with a maniacal grin across his lips.
My request inbox is closed but, boy, is my week busy starting today! These were all the requests I received yesterday and starting tonight when I get home from work.
The order you see above is the order I received them in and will thus be the order I write them in.
Author's Notes: Hey all! I'm finally on summer break so I'm trying my best to update everything. One-shots, I promise, I'll be working you all into my busy schedule as well. I will get your stories , some credits are due in this story. The story of "The Disowned Princess" is from The Chinese Fairy Book edited by Dr. R. Wilhelm and translated by Frederick H. Martens (published by Frederick A. Stokes Company, 1921). You can check it out at your local library or at the following websites: /collections/the-chinese-fairy-book-1921/ or Asian_folktales/Chinese_Folktale_ #set_visible. I tried researching the history of this story but wasn't able to find much. I still like it even if it might not be 100% accurate. It's one of the few that I liked from the book. I also tried to make sure the Spanish was accurate but if it's not, if someone better at speaking Spanish than I would care to correct me, please let me know! I wanted it to read something along the lines of "What has happened to you?" or "What has happened?" Anyway, enjoy!
Chapter 12
Morning dawned again but Marinette didn't feel her usual cheer; her hair was disheveled, her neck sore, and her mood just generally sour. She stretched. Looking over, she discovered it was four, a time way earlier than she normally awoke at but the stress of losing an akuma was getting to her and she knew it. Tikki slept peacefully on her pillow. A soft smile crossed her face as she watched her for a few minutes. Deciding that sitting there wasn't doing her any good, she climbed down her stairs, grabbed her shower things, and went to clean up for the day. Water never felt so good. A few minutes under the spray helped to clear her head and work the tension out of her body. Coming out, she dried her hair and went to her desk where she turned on the single lamp which casted a soft glow around the immediate area. It was covered in papers. Most were maps and lists of places they've already looked. She hesitated as she reached for them but she pushed them out of the way in favor of pulling her sketchbook and drawing supplies to her.
She stared at the blank page she'd open to. Adrien's situation had made it nearly impossible for her to work on her portfolio for the Agreste Industries contest. She had so much to do. Her thoughts circled and circled and circled but came up with nothing to no avail. A soft knock came from her door. She turned as it opened, revealing the concerned looking face of her mother. Her eyes wandered for a second before landing on her daughter who jumped up in surprise. "Maman! What are you doing up?"
The older woman smiled. She entered the room with two cups of tea that were raising steam. "I know they're hot and summer's almost here but I think it's cold enough outside to enjoy them."
Marinette smiled and took a cup gratefully. Her mother sat on the chaise lounge and patted the space next to her which her daughter took without question. They sat in silence for a few moments, sipping the tea. Marinette had to admit that she was starting to feel a little bit better. Finally, Sabine asked, "Mari, what's wrong?"
"Nothing Maman," she mumbled. The older woman eyed her.
"Marinette, don't lie to me. I've been around long enough to know when something isn't right. Especially with my daughter." The girl flinched. Sabine sat her cup down and took Marinette's free hand, holding it gently as she brushed some stray hair out of her daughter's face; her face was warm and loving but her eyes were filled with concern. Of course the last couple of nights hadn't escaped her. She'd seen how tired her daughter was and how worried she appeared to be despite how she tried to be her usual, peppy self. "You can talk to me Mari. Maybe I can help you more than you think."
The girl blinked before sighing, "I'm just… It's my fault Adrien's sick." Now it was Sabine's turn to blink. A slow soft smile crossed her face.
"It's not your fault Mari…."
"But it is Maman," she whispered, "It was my fault we were out and I wasn't paying attention when he got splashed. He did it to keep me from getting wet."
The other's had agreed that until Adrien was healed, the lie was that he had been splashed with water protecting Marinette. Because it had been cold out, he had gotten sick rather quickly. They told everyone who had a connection with Adrien the lie just to make it stick for now. Even Nathalie had been alright with it and used it to basically keep Gabriel at a distance… for now.
Sabine continued to smile. "Adrien will get better Marinette. I have no doubt about that. You just have to trust him and forgive yourself." She paused long enough to think, "Do you remember when you were younger and I told you the story of 'The Disowned Princess'?" Mari shook her head. She remembered her mother telling her a lot of old stories when she was younger, a great deal of them were passed down from generations of Chengs, but most were just general fairy tales and legends. She'd always had a preference for the ones about princess who were both strong and beautiful, kind and courageous. Sabine bushed another strand of hair out of her face.
"A long time ago," she started, "a young man failed his exams and was thus made to return to his family. On his way, he ran across a beautiful young woman who was herding sheep but these were not ordinary sheep; they were thunder sheep, said to control the weather. The young man was moved by the sadness in her face and stopped to talk to her, 'Young maiden, why are you so sad?'
'Sir, I have been disowned by my husband. He treated me horribly and then threw me out to tend these sheep and my step-parents would not acknowledge his treatment; thus I am left to be a herder of sheep even though I am the youngest daughter of the Dragon King of the Dungting Sea! I am in need of my father's help, and I have a letter for him, but I cannot send it.'
The young man thought for a moment. 'I am on my way home. I pass by the Dungting sea. Why don't I deliver the letter for you?'
The princess cried, 'Would you? I know it some ride away….'
'I will do it,' he insisted. 'I cannot stand to see a young lady hurting as you. You do not deserve this.' She smiled brightly, pulling the letter from her shirt, handing it to him, and before he rode away, she explained how to get the attention of the servant who would take him to see her father. She bowed as he rode away.
It was the first time in months that she felt any kind of hope.
A month passed. The young man eventually ended up at the Dungting sea and he did as the young princess instructed: he took his belt and knocked it three times on a nearby tree and the servant came from the water.
'What is it you want mortal,' he demanded.
'I come to see the Dragon King. I have a letter from his daughter who has fallen on dark times,' he explained. The servant did not hesitate. He cleared the water and led the way for the young man to meet the king but the king was busy and in a meeting so he had to wait a bit. However, it didn't take too long. The king arrived and the young man explained everything but it was only after he read the letter did he cry, 'It is my fault! I should have treated my daughter better!'
Then the women cried and he ordered them quiet before his brother was angered. His brother was a powerful being with a temper and should he hear of the problems, he would not have hesitated to destroy his daughter's ex-family. But it was too late! The brother of the king heard and immediately set out to destroy the family, eating the ex-husband and flooding the lands of the family, returning home with his niece in tow. The young man was still there at the request of the king; everyone rejoiced when they walked in and the brother promised to never do it again. The king and his family threw an elaborate feast for the young man. The uncle eventually asked if he would marry his niece but the young man was offended by the question and refused; he insisted that he needed to leave and return home even though he knew he would never see the young woman or her family again.
The family understood. Everyone bade him farewell with gifts of jewels and other riches. The king even walked him to the edge of the kingdom! The young man traveled and by the time he got home, he was rich from the things he'd sold. He decided to marry once there. There was a widow with a daughter at the edge of his village and he decided to take the daughter as his bride and treat her mother generously in her old age.
However, the young man noticed that the daughter looked a lot like the Dragon princess. He had his suspicions but said nothing, still marrying the girl. After some time, she admitted that she was the same princess and asked if he was mad at her for tricking him; she knew his good spirit and wished to be his wife. He could not be angry with her, he too admitted, and they spent several years happily together before they finally returned to the kingdom of Dragons to live together happily for the next ten thousand years."
Sabine patted her daughter's hand, "I tell you this story again Marinette because you are like the Princess. Like her, I see the light fading from your eyes and the stress getting to you but…."
"But I shouldn't worry because everything will work out right," she smiled. Sabine nodded, kissing her daughter's temple.
"Exactly." Marinette smiled for the first time in several days, taking her mother in a tight hug.
"Thanks Maman," she whispered. "You helped me out more than you think."
"You're welcome." She held her daughter out at arm's length and smiled wider. "Now that I see my Marinette coming through, I think you have your ideas?" She nodded to the desk.
"You bet! I'm going to get to work now." The young girl shot out of the lounge and went back to her desk, drawing like crazy, ideas circulating in her mind as she finally was able to grasp what she was doing. Sabine watched for a moment. She grabbed the two mugs and quietly left the way she'd come in.
MLMLMLMLML
She was close.
She had to be.
The energy shot out around her again.
It was terrifying and painful.
A silent scream stuck in her throat as Maria collapsed to the ground again.
Where was he?
Where was he?
WHERE WAS HE?
Panting, she waited until the pain subsided again.
A shadow crossed in front of her eyes. There was a gasp.
Suddenly, a strong set of hands grabbed her shoulders and she weakly looked up from where she laid. Bleary eyed, she barely made out a familiar shape as her vision started to blacken and a voice called, "¡Maria! ¿Qué pasó? What is wrong?"
A low growl escaped her throat.
A weak hand shout out and grabbed the front of his tailored suit and she pulled him in close. When their faces were close enough, she managed out, "Help… me…."
Author’s Note: Here’s the second! I’ll be updating all the links as soon as I’m done here.
Chapter 10
Adrien was so bored!
He laid on his bed, staring up at the ceiling even though the sun was shining and realistically speaking, he should have been at school by now. Plagg was somewhere nearby, sleeping peacefully, and fully enjoying the time off even if his chosen didn't appreciate it. He couldn't transform so there went his escape. He was playing sick so there went everything else. Litter-ally. No shoots, no fencing, no Chinese, no school. Nothing. Even Marinette was out of his reach right now, busy running around Paris searching for Miss Translate for his sake.
He sighed at the thought. His skin crawled. Emerald Shield and Lady Fox would do their very best to protect her, he knew, but it didn't help his nerves; he was Chat Noir. He was supposed to have her back. The thought of him not being there made him really sick with worry. He sighed again.
"Awww is the love sick boy missing his sweetheart," Plagg teased. Adrien merely turned his head to face him, unsure what expression to give. The cat kwami stopped in his tracks. Usually he would get a glare or a tease back but this time, all he got was an emotionless face. This was completely out of character.
Now he was worried too.
Plagg floated down to sit on Adrien's chest, crossing his arms and legs. His tail switched back and forth as he considered the situation. Finally, he started, "Listen kid, you've got two options: One, sit here all day and do nothing or two, find something to make yourself useful."
Adrien raised an eyebrow at him. He floated closer to the kids head.
"Sitting here moping isn't doing you any good. I know you can't speak right now but finding something to do would be better than doing this. I trust Ladybug and Tikki. Both of them are strong and they'll get this resolved soon but until then, worrying and panicking and doing nothing isn't helping either." He smirked mischievously. "Say, why don't we go check your father's safe again? Nobody's in the house today and it would be a good time to take a closer look at the contents. I know you've been wanting to for a while now. You even said so in your sleep not too long ago."
That did it. The boy's face turned red and he lunged for the cat who merely flew out of his reach. Adrien glared up at him. He giggled and took off, phasing through the door. He muttered a curse under his breath and took off after him, slowing down every now and then to ensure that no one was in fact there and watching him enter his father's office without permission. He shut the door quietly and leaned against it with a sigh. There was humming coming from the safe. He approached it and just before he was able to touch it, it swung open, Plagg reappearing and looking as smug as he pleased. He rubbed his claws on his chest. "Good thing one of my previous holders was a lock pick. This lock is far too simple for a man like your dad." Adrien glared again but approached slowly.
The items were still there since the last time. There was a picture of his mother, the broach, a travel brochure to Tibet, some other odds and ends, but what really caught his eyes, was the old brown book.
When he'd taken it over a year ago, he'd lost it and thought it lost to him and his father forever. He had waited days for his punishment. It never came. He'd asked Plagg to help him out then too, breaking back in, only to find the book replaced, right back where it belonged and no one being the wiser that it had been taken.
He'd shut the door and vowed to never open again.
He was a liar and he knew it. The book's images had burned in the back of his mind- especially the ones concerning what looked like an ancient version of Ladybug, Chat Noir, and Hawkmoth. Clearly this book had something to do with the Miraculous but when he'd asked, Plagg only shrugged and said that Tikki would probably know more than him; asking her had only led to another "I'm not sure. It was written after we had returned to the miraculous until our next holder appeared." Now was his chance to really get a good look at them.
Pulling the book out, he set it on his father's desk. Page after page was filled with ancient script but the images were rather detailed. There was a Ladybug with her yo-yo. Chat and his staff. Hawkmoth and his cane. Volpina and her flute. Emerald and his shield. Next to each was also a picture of their miraculous: earrings, rings, pin, necklace, and bracelet. He made sure to note the information appropriately for the others when he returned to the ability to speak. He flipped a few more pages and paused. After Emerald, there was a yellow clad hero, a spinning top serving as her weapon, and a bee designed comb acting as her miraculous. He studied her. She was in a dynamic pose like the others, throwing her weapon out as if she were in combat, and her face was twisted in determination. She had long hair that was braided down and touched to just mid-thigh.
He couldn't read the secret script but he wondered who she was.
Adrien flipped the page and his heart nearly stopped. There was yet another hero on this page. They were clad all in blue and it was impossible to tell what gender they were from the outfit. It was tight fitting but had what looked like tail feathers coming off of the end that draped across the ground. Only, they were fanned out in the picture as this holder was jumping, throwing what looked like a hand fan off of the page. He mused that there must have been a special ability in them to turn them lethal, almost like Cataclysm did with his hand. He really stopped when he spied the miraculous for this hero. He jerked his head up, staring at the safe. Plagg, who had been oddly silent, smiled knowingly. The kid finally figured it out.
He raced back, flinging the door open, reaching up and slowly taking the pin from its perch. At first glance, it looked cool to the touch, but he could feel a bit of heat radiating off of the metal, like it was alive.
It felt the same as his ring.
Turning to Plagg, he raised an eyebrow, unable to ask his question. The kwami nodded. "Yeah, that's a miraculous. Duusu is the kwami for it. I don't know how or why your old man has it, but he does. I didn't realize it until the second time we opened that safe. I snuck back in not too long after that to confirm it." Adrien paused. He set the miraculous back on the shelf, turned, grabbed the book and replaced it as well. Plagg flew down close to his face. "Duuuuuude what are you doing? You're just going to leave that valuable information in the hands of your dad?" Adrien glared and nodded. Plagg sighed. "Fair enough but what are we going to do? It's not like you just ask your dad what in the world he's doing with a miraculous and book without exposing yourself as Chat Noir." That made him pause even more.
Before he could formulate a plan, the door gave a soft click. His face fell. Nathalie was here! He panicked, looking around for some kind of excuse as to why he was in his father's office, when suddenly, he remembered he was supposed to be "sick." Quickly, he opened his shirt for Plagg who flew in without complaint, and sat in the chair.
He placed his head on the table, closing his eyes.
All he could do was pray that whoever it was thought that he had just wandered from his room in a sick delusion or something.
It seemed to take an eternity for the door to finally open. There was no sound for a moment. He nearly jumped in surprise when a hand, cold and large, touched his forehead and stayed there for a few moments. Eventually it disappeared and the person who owned it, retreated quickly to the door. He cracked an eye to see who it was. He really nearly did jump out of his skin as he realized that his father, Gabriel Agreste, was the one who had found him.
He nearly groaned but swallowed it down.
What had been nervousness suddenly changed to straight fear when he heard his father's very distinctive voice call out, "Gorilla, cat Harold quiz!"
Another person appeared. There was no conversing after that but Adrien guessed that there didn't need to be as he was soon scooped up and taken out of the room. He barely cracked his eyes again to find that he was now being carried bridal style back to his room by his rather large and muscular bodyguard. Nathalie was at the bottom of the staircase. She looked between
Adrien and the office in a panic. She chose to follow them upstairs.
The Gorilla laid him down gently in his bed. Nathalie took over, tucking him in. When the job was done, they turned to leave and she made a very pointed fact of saying loudly, "Thank-you for your help. He must have wandered down in his illness. I hope he stays in bed for the rest of the day until the doctor can get here."
His door shut with a click.
Adrien sat up. Plagg flew out of his shirt and sighed as he faced the door. "Boy, that sure was a close one," he mused, turning to face his partner. He leaned his head quizzically. "Uh... what's got you looking all concerned?"
The boy had moved to the edge of his bed, sitting so that his feet touched the ground, and he leaned into his hands, elbows on his knees. His brow was tightened. The normally clear green of his eyes was hazy as he was deep in thought. There was no way he was going to convey everything to Plagg so he was left there in the metaphorical space of his mind.
The book.
The broach.
The odd behavior of his father after the Simon Says incident.
Now the language.
Nathalie had said the other day that his father had been at a meeting at the Agreste headquarters. That would have put him at the office building around the time that Miss Translate had attacked; so why then was he talking all scrambled? There shouldn't be any excuse considering the headquarter offices were on the other side of Paris, in the exact OPPOSITE direction from where the battle had taken place. Even if had been there, Emerald and Fox had cleared the area first before assisting with the akuma. They'd even done well to keep her contained to a certain area so they wouldn't have to worry about civilians getting hit with the blast.
In fact, the only person he'd seen get hit was himself....
He paused, his mind flashing back to the day of the fight. No. Not just him.
The blast had reflected.
Right back at Miss Translate.
What if doing that meant that... maybe it was stretching but what if Hawkmoth was hit too? He didn't know how but he was grasping at straws really and his mind was racing alongside his heart.
As soon as he got his words back, he had a lot of serious questions to pose to his friends.
He just hoped to goodness that his line of thinking was wrong.
