CHAPTER TWENTY-SIX:
THE ULTIMATE TREASURE
It had happened so fast. Too fast.
Marinette had only blinked, and she saw Hawkmoth's golden form before her; heard his dying screams; felt the fear emanating from him before he froze completely over.
Then, he was gone. The sea had reclaimed its fallen Challenger.
Breathing hard, Marinette stood and picked the Hand of Midas up by its metal hilt. Her reflection looked like it was going to faint any second. While she knew that the Hand had saved her life, Marinette was surprised she had the courage to hold it after what she had just witnessed.
Furthermore, she couldn't find it in her heart to feel anything for Hawkmoth. Was she glad he was no longer a threat to her and her sister? Absolutely! Did she wish for the swordsman to be granted such a terrible fate? Of course not! There was a middle ground, and that's where Marinette was right now.
But was Bridgette in the same place?
The younger blunette looked ahead as the floating hand continued to turn, bringing her around to see her sister.
The Queen of Thieves wore a face Marinette couldn't put her finger on.
It wasn't smug satisfaction – Bridgette was too compassionate for that.
It wasn't pity or regret – she had borne too many hard feelings for her old master over the years.
But there was something recognizable in those plain, pale features; a faint glint that fell over Bridgette like a heavy veil.
It looked like doubt.
Bridgette's eyes locked on Marinette's... and the look vanished as instantly as Hawkmoth had, replaced instead by the relief of seeing her little sister in one piece.
Something wet splashed against Marinette's feet.
The instant cold snapped her back into reality, and she saw that she was now walking on water.
The rising sea had reached her, and the fingers of the spinning, golden hand stuck out of the surface like shiny rocks.
Marinette was about to ready her yo-yo, but then her eye caught the Hand of Midas again and she paused. No, she thought. I'm not taking any chances.
She closed her eyes and said quickly, "Spots off."
There was a whoosh of pink light, and Tikki was beside her.
The kwami looked around frantically before eyeballing her friend. "Marinette, what are you –?"
Marinette was too busy tearing off the lower part of her rose-coloured pant leg to answer. It came off in a rough, tattered strip, stopping at the knee.
Bridgette noticed and cupped her hands over her mouth. "Hurry, Marinette! We're running out of time!"
The young blunette wrapped the torn fabric around the golden part of the Hand, swaddling it completely.
Marinette just finished tucking in the end when a sharp KHITZ sounded, and the cloth changed from pink to gold in a heartbeat.
Marinette patted the wrapped Hand carefully. Good news: her fingers didn't harden.
Grinning, Marinette said, "Tikki, spots on!"
Another flash, and she was Ladybug again.
She snapped around to where Bridgette was standing (on the almost-submerged griffin, by the way). Then, Marinette dove into the water and swam for it.
Bridgette followed suit, coming up beside her sister in the flooding chamber.
All around them, the griffin statues sank away, as did the godly mural on the wall. Worse still, the open slits in the wall were now spitting out streaks of water one by one.
Marinette slid under the surface when one of the spouts landed on her. She swam out of the way before coming back up, sputtering. She soon realized how difficult it was to tread water with only one hand.
Bridgette had to shield herself from the onslaught of sea spray raining down on her. She squinted up at the ceiling.
To both sisters' gratification, the skylight remained clear.
But now that she was closer, Marinette could actually see that it wasn't just a skylight.
It was another tunnel; a tube stretching far beyond the ceiling. The high opening was so small and seemed so far away.
Bridgette spat out seawater. "Use your yo-yo!" she panted. "Get us out of here!"
Marinette took a deep breath, brought her yo-yo above her head, and spun it. Kicking madly to keep upright, Marinette threw the little, red thing up into the skylight.
She saw it soar past the opening, felt it scraping along marble...
Then, it fell right back down and landed with a loud PLOP in the water beside the sisters.
Marinette scowled. "There's nothing for me to grab onto!" she admitted as she recalled the yo-yo. Her voice rose with a bit of optimism. "We can still float to the top when the water rises!"
Bridgette shook her head. "It's too long, and the water's still rising too slowly! The tunnel will soon flood from the top and force us back down!"
And we'll drown. Marinette heard that unspoken part loud and clear in her head.
She let out a poor excuse for a laugh. "Can I ever go into an ocean or river without worrying about drowning?"
Her laughter died when she glanced around her.
The water had reached the top and was now growing towards the arched ceiling of the chamber. Save for the skylight above, the sisters were left in darkness.
Marinette had never felt so trapped in all her life.
Bridgette grasped her sister's arm, but her eyes were gentle and sad. The front strands of her midnight hair streaked along her face like tears. "You shouldn't have... come back for me," Bridgette said between breaths. "I'm so sorry... I made you... miss your wedding... again."
Marinette giggled, almost inhaling a mouthful of water. She coughed and stated boldly, "You were worth it."
The Queen of Thieves – who had first looked at Ladybug with fierce, undiluted contempt – now gazed upon her sister with fierce, unspoken love. She smiled with glossy eyes.
The two sisters clasped each others' hands. Then, their heads bumped the ceiling, and they squeezed into the skylight together.
Little by little, they bobbed to the top, where sunlight and fresh air seemed beyond their reach.
Marinette stared up at the opening, counting how many seconds of air she and Bridgette had left.
The walls groaned and compressed around her. She could hear the ocean roaring outside, drawing closer. It reminded her of the last time she had almost drowned. The pain would come first, like millions of tiny, scorching needles stabbing into her lungs. Then, a soft blanket would smother the flames, surrounding her with cold but unfeeling peace.
There were worse ways to go. And this time, Marinette wouldn't be going alone.
Her only wish now was that she could see...
Something appeared in the opening above, blocking the sunlight.
Marinette didn't have to be close enough to know whose silhouette she was staring at. She knew it with a burst of happiness in her chest.
"Just water you ladies doing down there?"
"Adrien!"
Bridgette's jaw fell so far open, it should have popped off at the joints.
Suddenly, a long stick of metal stabbed into the water between the sisters. The prince's magic staff!
"Grab on!" Adrien yelled, his tone imploring them to do so quickly.
Beaming with unbound relief, Marinette released Bridgette's hand and latched onto the staff.
Bridgette didn't hesitate to do the same, securing one arm around her sister's waist before grabbing the staff with both hands.
Then... they went flying up through the tunnel as though they were being fired out of a cannon. Neither sister let go or moved an inch.
Then Bridgette bellowed, "If you don't marry him immediately, then I will!"
Marinette wasn't sure she could hear herself laughing over the rush of wind.
The bright light hit them like a giant disc...
... and then they slowed to a stop just as they breached the opening and tasted open ocean.
Then, Adrien's gloved hand was there in front of Marinette.
Do you trust me?
Yes.
Marinette grasped it firmly, and she was lifted and lowered onto the roof of the great, marble dome.
She sank to her knees, panting heavily. It was mostly from the joy of being rescued than the shock of almost drowning. Above the horizon, the warm rays of the fully-risen sun greeted her. Marinette sighed and closed her eyes for a brief moment.
Then, two strong hands lifted her to her feet, and Marinette opened her eyes to see her prince's face.
She blinked... and then giggled.
"What's so funny?" Adrien asked.
She pointed at him. "You're all wet!"
It was true. His golden hair was more sloppy and sticky than usual, and his mask, cheeks, and lips were covered with dew.
Adrien frowned playfully. "That's the pot calling the kettle black," he said.
"You're the one wearing black, silly k–"
Suddenly, his wet lips were on hers, but they were surprisingly warm.
Marinette gasped at first, then closed her eyes and cupped Adrien's face with her free hand as she kissed him back.
It felt more like minutes than seconds. When they broke it off, Adrien gave her that feline grin. "I guess we're even now," he said.
Marinette rolled her eyes to the sky in thought. "Eh... You still have some catching up to do."
"Ahem."
The couple turned to Bridgette as though just remembering she was there too.
Marinette's face reddened.
The Queen of Thieves was smiling, but her posture implied that she was quite impatient. "That's cute and all, but can you lovebirds save it for after we get off the isle?" she asked, beckoning to the ring of rising water creeping up towards them.
Marinette and Adrien glanced around. Though they weren't in danger anymore, the former preferred not to get wet again.
Marinette looked for something for her yo-yo to swing onto, but the rest of the great citadel had fully sunk beneath the waves. The top of the pillared dome was the only part of the Vanishing Isle remaining above the surface.
Then, Marinette saw something white floating towards their island.
Not marble – a sail!
"Look!" Marinette said, pointing.
Several hands waved urgently from the little boat, shouting the names of their missing friends. Alix was the loudest of them all.
"Ahoy there!" Nino called from the helm. "Need a lift?"
Adrien grinned. Bridgette beamed at the sight of her fellow thieves.
Marinette saw Alya leap onto the ship's railing and blow into her reed flute. The music sounded like a watery serenade.
Then, a strip of sea foam appeared between the ship and the sinking dome. It bubbled and sprouted up cubes of contained water, creating a pathway of ocean-like stepping stones for the three heroes to cross.
Adrien swept his arm gracefully to the side, grinning at the two sisters. "Ladies first."
Marinette smirked and took Bridgette by the hand. "Let's go!" she stated.
Bridgette seemed apprehensive about the whole thing, but she ran with her sister onto the watery walkway all the same.
Adrien followed right behind the girls, jumping onto the enchanted blocks just as the sea swallowed the roof of the dome.
They all bounced off the globs of water until they finally reached the ship's hull. The moment Marinette and Bridgette approached, Kim and Ivan leaned over the railing to reach for them.
They hauled Marinette up first, and her feet barely touched the wooden deck before she was pulled into Alya's open arms. Marinette embraced her best friend back, careful not to touch her with the Hand of Midas in case the wrapping had come loose.
Once Bridgette was safely onboard, Alix, Juleka, Rose, and Mylene swarmed their leader in a group hug, blubbering hasty apologies. Bridgette just laughed and assured them that all was forgiven.
Finally, Adrien clambered over and received a semi-warm greeting from Nino, who threatened to throttle the prince the next time he took off without warning.
A great splash from the sea silenced the whole crew, and they turned towards what remained of the Vanishing Isle.
A cascade of mist and foam burst around the remaining pillars as they went under, leaving large, distorted ripples in its wake.
A low, guttural, cooing sound vibrated through the water and off the small ship. From the sound of it, it seemed that the giant turtle was happy to be back in the ocean again.
The surface stilled, and all became quiet save for the soft brush of ocean air against the sail.
Alya blew out a whistle. "Well, looks like the Vanishing Isle is nothing but another, ordinary myth now," she said.
"At least until it resurfaces again," Bridgette pointed out, her eyes gazing over the calm sea.
"When do you think that'll happen?" Alix asked. "And where?"
Marinette shrugged. "I don't think we'll ever know," she replied with a sigh. "But to be honest, that suits me just fine."
She tapped her earrings and whispered, "Spots off" once again.
Adrien, Alya, and Nino did the same with their magic jewels, and they all returned to their normal selves.
Tikki, Trixx, Plagg, and Wayzz saluted their human friends as they appeared.
Then, Alix rubbed her lips together hard. "I didn't want to say anything yet, but..." She looked up at her best friend and queen. "Hawkmoth?"
Marinette stiffened at that name.
Bridgette dipped her head in the barest nod. "Nothing but another, ordinary myth," she recited coolly.
The Queen's Seven all let out a small sigh of relief.
That's when Rose's baby-blue eyes glanced down at the dripping thing that Marinette was carrying. "What's that?" she asked.
Marinette blinked and looked. "Oh! I almost forgot," she chuckled before unrolling the golden cloth and tossing it aside.
A collective gasp filled the ship like a breeze, and all eyes widened at the Hand of Midas. It's golden surface sent sharp gleams of sunlight into their faces, but the crew never once looked away.
"Wow," Adrien breathed. "Is that really...?"
"Uh-huh," Marinette said.
"Dude..." Nino and Alya said together, both of them straightening their classes.
Max did the same. Kim looked like he was drooling. Rose had her hands on her cheeks. Juleka brushed her hair away from her whole face so she could look upon the Hand with both copper eyes. Ivan and Mylene stared blankly as though the golden light had bewitched them. Tikki blinked several times. Plagg was licking his lips. Wayzz looked apprehensive.
Trixx, of course, had that hungry grin on her little snout. "Helloooo, gorgeous," she purred as she reached towards the Hand.
"No!" Marinette and Bridgette cried in unison, the former wrenching the artefact back and the latter thrusting her palm up at the fox kwami.
Trixx reeled and frowned with her paws on her hips. "Geez! Get a little more greedy, why don't ya?" she grumbled.
Tikki bumped her sly friend away with a hard nudge of her tiny hip, sending Trixx flying off with that trademark "AH!"
Some of the group chittered.
Marinette carefully extended the Hand of Midas to Bridgette. "Here," she said with a smile. "This belongs to you."
Bridgette accepted the handle with steady fingers, and she held it up in front of her.
Alix grinned and patted her best friend on the back. "You were right, Bridge," she said proudly. "You did it!"
The other thieves nodded, no doubt already thinking of the endless amount gold they would soon have.
Bridgette's mouth started to curl... and then it dropped.
Her hand dropped too. And her chin. And her eyes. She let out a sad whisper of a sigh.
Marinette stared at her sister confusedly. Wasn't this the moment Bridgette had been dreaming of her whole life? Marinette remembered the tears of happiness that had risen in the Queen's eyes back in the chamber. But now, her eyes were dry and vacant, as though Bridgette were off in her own little world.
Finally, Marinette asked, "What's wrong, sis? After all these years, you finally have your ultimate treasure."
Bridgette raised an eyebrow and snorted amusedly. "This thing?" She shook her head and stared at the Hand of Midas with a contorted brow. "No," Bridgette said more softly. "After all these years, I've finally realized what an utter fool I've been."
"Huh?!" The Queen's Seven rasped in unison.
Even Marinette's eyes widened a bit.
"What are you talkin' about?" Alix asked.
Bridgette smiled and lifted the Hand back up, less fervently this time. "This wretched thing almost cost me the ultimate treasure," she stated, passing the artefact to her second-in-command. "I was so obsessed with achieving my ancestors' dream; so focused on getting what I wanted, I didn't realize that what I wanted... was already right in front of me."
Alix glanced between Bridgette and the Hand, but her face softened with some form of understanding.
Meanwhile, Marinette's heart warmed at her sister's words, and a smile started to form on her own face. "And what was it?" she enquired hopefully.
When Bridgette turned to her, those blue-moon eyes were glossy but full of joy.
Suddenly, Bridgette walked over and threw her arms around her sister, squeezing her with a warm tenderness that made Marinette smile and hug her back.
"You, little sister," Bridgette croaked, and that's when Marinette realized the Queen of Thieves was sobbing. Or laughing. Maybe both. "You are my ultimate treasure! I'm sorry it took me so long to figure it out!"
Marinette buried her face in her sister's shoulder to hide her own soft, happy cries.
Then, there was more crying and sniffling on the ship to go around.
"Awww!" Rose bawled. "That is the most beautiful thing I've ever heard!"
There was a soft popping noise before Tikki blubbered, "Anyone need a tissue?"
Someone blew their nose a few seconds later.
When Marinette looked up, she saw Adrien smiling with a tiny hint of false jealousy. Marinette gave him a knowing look that said, It's okay. You're my ultimate treasure.
The prince just shrugged, but his grin never fell.
After all, it wasn't everyday your long-lost sister truly became your sister.
Even Alix got all weepy. "Come on – knock it off!" she moaned with a laugh. "I'm getting something in my eye!"
Marinette and Bridgette giggled and finally pulled apart, wiping their eyes on their sleeves.
Then, Bridgette took a deep breath and let it out confidently before holding her hand out to Alix.
The pink-haired speedster got the message and cautiously gave back the Hand of Midas.
Marinette went over to stand beside Adrien, knowing what was about to happen.
The Queen of Thieves drew herself up very royal-like and walked over to the railing. "The Hand of Midas can take its curse to the bottom of the sea!" she declared, drawing her arm back.
A few gasps sounded as Bridgette threw the golden hand with all her might, sending it as far away from the ship as she could.
It spun through the air like a blinking orb of light, shrinking into the distance.
Then, it landed in the water with a tiny splash, and that was the last anyone saw of the Hand of Midas.
As the water stilled again, some of the thieves stared at the vacant spot like children who had just lost their favourite toy.
Max frowned. "There goes my golden chess set," he muttered.
"Umm... You sure you couldn't have just... you know... given it away?" Kim asked.
Bridgette smirked and turned back to her closest friends. "Trust me," she said, "that thing is far more trouble than it's worth. It's safer for everyone if it never falls into the wrong hands... or any hands, I should say." She caught Marinette's approving look before walking over to place her hands on Alix's and Juleka's shoulders. "Besides," Bridgette said perkily, "who needs golden chess sets and palaces when we have the whole world at our fingertips?"
Max gave a side nod that said, Good point.
"But we don't have an army," Mylene pointed out.
Ivan agreed. "Who are we now if not the Forty Thieves?" he asked.
Bridgette never dropped her smile and huddled her tight-knit band of bandits together in a ring. "We don't need an army," she insisted with a look of empathy, "or some silly old "Code" or notorious titles. A certain sister once told me that it's not about who you were or what you did back then, it's about what you do now."
Marinette blushed when Adrien, Alya, Nino, and the kwamis eyed her with impressed grins.
"And as long as I have my trusty Seven," Bridgette continued, "I feel like the richest queen in the world."
Alix groaned loudly. "Aw... Come here, you dumb dork!" she said between tears before embracing her best friend.
Juleka, Max, and Rose squeezed Bridgette from all sides. Kim, Ivan and Mylene embraced the whole group. All of them were beaming and giggling and and murmuring words of affection.
Alya lifted her glasses to dab at her eyes. "Great, now you've got me going," she complained.
The others burst into laughter.
Adrien squeezed Marinette's hand gently. "Let's go home," he said with that cat-like smirk. "We have some unfinished business."
Marinette couldn't agree more.