Chapter 19:Happy Birthday Marinette!(Keith's POV)
Author's Note: So I found out that Marinette's canonical birthday is somewhere in July or August because she's a Leo. However that doesn't make any sense as Marinette's birthday would have passed before Adrein joined school, therefore an episode taking place on her birthday shouldn't have happened in season two, same with the christmas special, as they're only in October for the school year as Season one starts in September making Befana the most confusing episodes time wise. So for this reason I have decided Marinttes birthday is in October as it makes sense, to me, canonical. Otherwise that episode is somehow set in the future, but it isn't as it is referenced in other episodes. Like the Dearest Family episode when her Grandma wants to give her a motorcycle. So in this fic, Marinette's Birthday is October 15th. Just to give make the timeline more snug, instead of worrying about stupid stuff, like canon and where the episode is supposed to go. So the beginning of this fic starts the end week of September and the first week of October to keep everything in perspective. Cause I assume most of the first episode takes place on the last week of September with a few episodes after also falling on that week. Long tangent, but I felt I had to rant about the stupidity of Marinette's birthday being in July because if that was true we shouldn't have gotten an episode about her birthday while they're still in school and not on summer break.
Keiht puts blows into another pink balloon, why they are celebrating Marinette's birthday while she is still missing(well he knows where she is, but still) is a complete mystery to him.
But he doesn't question it. Because obviously they are grieving and also he doesn't want to make them sad even more than they already are. Unless they are trying to brign her back by celebrating( but that's stupid, because Marinette is in space probably unsure if her birthday has passed, is today, or hasn't happened yet. And he knows because it is so freaking hard to tell time when all you see is the starry sky). So what are they trying to accomplish?
Keith hands the balloon to Adrien, who promptly ties string to the balloon's base.
He then grabs another balloon right next to him and begins the same blowing process. Keith would help more, if it weren't for his ankle being sprained by saving Chat. If Marinette were there to use her lucky charm, then his ankle would've mended immediately because it got hurt during the fight against Kagmi's akuma form.
But it's fine, he's got a lot of piano practice in, even if it became boring for the five hundredth time he practiced a song. Because Keith can't work in this condition or fence. Which sucks, especially because fencing is the only thing that he is obligated to do that is actually fun.
The balloon pops, and it's remains fly across the room. Damm it, he blew it too big by not paying attention.
Adrien smiles, "Blew it too big huh?"
Keith pouts, "Yea."
Chloe comes out of the kitchen in the Dupain-Cheng house, "What was that popping noise? It scared me half to death!"
He laughs, "Sorry Blondie, blew the balloon too big and it popped."
A balloon scared Chloe, well she wasn't expecting there to be a big popping noise because he wasn't paying attention to how big the balloon was getting. Keith found that kinda funny, because he had probably made Chloe jump at the sound he wasn't trying to make. It just happened, by accident.
"Everything looks great kids," Sabine says, making Keith turn his head around to face her and Tom.
Just then knocks occur on the door. Keith hisses, when he has to turn his wheelchair ( is overreacting, having crutches would have been fine. But no! said that he couldn't let Keith damage his sprained ankle more and the wheelchair is more safe than crutches. Which also means he can't go to school as is like there are ruffians who could jostle his ankle). So he turns his wheelchair around to face the person that just came through the door.
Tom is surprised, "Mother! What are you doing here! Aren't you supposed to be on one of your trips?"
The lady, who looks like a biker replies, "I don't need a reason to visit my granddaughter on her birthday do I?"
"No," Tom says, nervous.
"So where is the birthday girl?" The lady's green eyes spot Keith and she dashes to his side, making him jump ever so slightly. "So you dyed your hair black, Mari .Interesting choice. Well here's your favorite candy!" Producing a carmel looking cand out of her purse.
Keith protests, "But I'm not…"
"Oh what happened to your foot? Hurt it in a bike crash, or perhaps running too fast without looking where you're going?" Her green eyes gleams with interest.
"Well...I sprained it by saving Chat."
"Oh that new superhero? Wonderful job Mari. I bet Chat really likes you after that."
Keith nods, unsure of how to respond. Especially since this lad is confusing him for Marientte. Him and her look nothing alike, their passions are completely different from each other and he's a boy and she's a girl.
"Mother!" Tom squeals, embarrassed, as he takes the lady away from him.
"Wow, that was weird how that lady mistook you for Marinette," Adrein comments. Chloe nods, "Yeah you two are nothing alike."
"I know! I'm not even sure why she mistook me for Marientte either," Keith exclaims.
Then they hear a shout and a door slam shut. Tom comes out looking angry, relieved and upset, while Sabine is trying to soothe him. "Sorry you had to go through that. She's my mother, but she hasn't seen Marinette since she was a small child. So she mistook you for her. And when I tried to tell her that she stormed off. I want to go after her, but…"
Sabine sadly says, "Dear you can go after her. After all, we're just celebrating Marinette's birthday without Marinette."
Tom sighs, "I suppose you're right. This party is just to give us hope that Marientte is still out there, so I suppose I can leave to comfort my mother."
Keith responds, "Of course you can. Sabine, me and Adrein can handle the rest."
"You sure?"
Keith nods, and so does everyone else.
"Alright."
Thirty minutes pass, and no sign from Tom. Which worries Keith, as he thinks they should have come back a few minutes earlier. Tom's mom couldn't have been that far ahead of him, when Tom went to go and comfort her.
Keith wants to get out there and see what's happening, but would invade their private chat, if they're still having it. So he sits, conflicted on what to do. And there's not much he can do, with his busted ankle.
That's when the door slams open and a witch looking creature flies to where he is.
"Marinette you're coming with me to spend some time with your dear old grandma," it sounds sinister to him, which makes him want to run, but he can't because of his ankle. Stupid sprained ankle.
Sabine steps in front of him, "Keith is not Marinette!"
The witch creature frowns angrily, "I have waited for Marientte to come out! So you won't stop me from this!" A blast of green light falls onto Sabine turning her into coal.
"That's for being a bad daughter-in-law!"
Oh crap, even if he wanted to run, there's no way he'd get out of here with protection, because they'd all be turned into coal.
"Now step aside friends of my granddaughter. Or I'll do the same thing to you!" "It's okay," Keith yells, "I'll be fine."
"Wise choice granddaughter."
The witch lady picks him up and puts him on the front of her broom and they zoom off. Which is quite terrifying, flying over Paris on a broom, with no safety. But it thrills Keith, just like flying Red did. Keith hopes Marinette is okay and being a good pilot to Red as he flies with her grandmother over Paris.
They stop at the park.
And then the witch lady asks him, "Do you want to go on the Merry Go Round like old times?"
Keith inwardly is shocked by the question but agrees with a nod of his head. Can't risk angering her, especially since all she wants to do is spend time with her grandchild. And Keith admits, he kind of wouldn't mind, as he hasn't been on a merry go round with his real mom, or any of his grandparents. As it was just dad and him.
She carries him and settles him onto one of the fake horses, careful of his ankle. It's a bit embarrassing to go on a merry go round at age sixteen, but it's for Marinette's grandmother so he doesn't express it.
Soon Chat and Honeybee arrive at the park, Honeybee swinging her spinning top and Chat is in a fighting stance.
"Stay here Mari. Grandma needs to take care of a few things."
"Get away from him!" yells Chat to the witch.
"Kitty you shouldn't mess with me, I can turn you into coal or a fairy with a blast from my hand."
Chat runs towards her and swings his baton at the witch. Keith watches from the merry-go-round holding tight to the horse so he doesn't fall onto his side and hurt his ankle by trying to get up. Besides, he'd be useless in a fight, anyway because the witch could blast him, in his superhero form and he'd have no defense. Whereas Honeybee and Chat have weapons that can block the blasts. So he watches the fight.
Chat and Honeybee are doing a good job of deflecting blasts, and have managed to make the witch exhausted. As Keith assumes that the blasts of energy, if the witch tries them too often with recharging, her energy gets low. So now'd be the perfect time to attack her. While she is weakened.
Honeybee uses her signature move, venom, and paralyzes the witch. Chat cataclysms the witch's purse which returns her to normal. Which hopefully returns Sabine and Tom to normal too. Like when Kim and Alya became normal after defeating Chloe's old butler.
"Are you okay Keith?" asks Chat, while Honeybee helps the lady.
"Yea. Still got a sprained ankle though."
Chat laughs, "Yeah you do, by the look of that cast." Honeybee comes up to him with the lady. Her green eyes show sadness as she gazes upon him, "So you really aren't Mari huh,"
Keith nods. "I shouldn't have kidnapped you, but I refuse to believe that my granddaughter really is gone somewhere. And they were throwing that party."
"It's okay, no harm done."
"But stillI, I should have trusted my son's words when he said that they were throwing the party because they were losing hope that Marinette would return home!"
Keith doesn't look at her. It's kind of his fault for Marinette not being here, even if he doesn't know how the switch happened.
The heroes take them home, where thankfully Sabine and Tom are okay. Marinette's grandmother apologizes and it's sweet. The party happens, where they give Marinette presents and store them in her room, so that when she comes back she knows that everyone still cares about her.
Keith doesn't know when that will happen because first Marinette's got to help the paladins fight the Galra Empire and stop their tyranny and after that she can go home with the other paladins. He hopes they're all okay, so he can see them again and meet Marinette/Ladybug in the flesh.