Miraculous:
Origins of Ladybug and Cat Noir
"Have you ever had a song that you couldn't get out of your head?" Marinette asked as she set her empty lunchbox into her backpack. The mass of adolescents were currently filtering their way out of the cafeteria while Nino and Alya were setting their milk boxes on their trays.
Nino seemed to find the question funny, and gave a chuckle "All the time, dude! Why do you think I walk around with these in my pack?" Tapping the headphones that had been around his head during lunch, he packed them away before the trio went over to where the trays were being deposited. "I mean, music is kind of my life."
"Yeah, but I don't recognize this tune." Marinette hummed a few bars, and shook her head. "After that it just repeats."
"Eh, sounds like something an American company would create." Nino made a face, which had the two girls laughing. Seconds later, the tune in Marinette's head would cease, but at the time it was slightly disorienting.
Walking to their next classes had Nino waving to the girls as they went to Phys Ed being held in the courtyard, and he headed off to his foreign language class. Unfortunately, while the girls were getting ready, the sound of something heavy hitting the ground outside drew everyone's attention. Marinette and Alya specifically were in the middle of changing when every student ran over to the windows. On the bridge leading Notre Dame a huge stone gargoyle landed on their side with its wings flared out. Behind both girls they heard the others cry out "What is that?!" "Is that a monster?!" "Paris has monsters now?!" "Whoa! Cool!"
Everyone glanced at the last voice to see the black haired girl with the purple bangs glancing around at each other. "I-I mean, oh no~!"
Leaning back, the monstrous creature roared, sounding like a cross between a T-Rex from the movies, and a landslide. Seconds later, the creature took flight, sending rocks and stones everywhere with every flap of its wings, causing glass to spiderweb with cracks, cars to veer off the roads and crash into walls, and people to run screaming for cover.
Alya, to Marinette's chagrin, pulled out her cell phone and started to record the monster the moment everyone else was voicing their opinions. When the rocks started to fly, she grabbed the teen and practically threw her to the ground as sharpened stones went through the glass where she had been. "Everyone! Find cover!" the raven-haired teen called out, only to see the girls hide behind the gym lockers. She then glared at her newest friend "Are you insane?! Or do you not have any self-preservation instincts?!"
"You don't understand! This is huge!" Alya called out. "Marinette, don't you know what this means?!"
Marinette nodded "Yeah, we have a reject from the Art class's pottery station rampaging outside in an effort to hurt people!"
"No! This means that Paris finally has a super-villain!"
That lone statement caused the raven-haired teen to glare at Alya as she sat up. "How is that a good thing?!"
She watched as Alya practically wiggled in place. "You don't understand, if we have a super-villain, then it only means we're also going to have a-" Her eyes suddenly went wide, mouth dropping open. Turning around caused Marinette's blood to run cold at the sight of the gargoyle glaring at the girls through the window.
When it reached toward the glass a long pole slammed into the back of the gargoyle's hand, sending it crashing down into the street "Hey!" A blonde male attired in black slid down, kicking the monster's face. "Do not look in on ladies changing!" he shouted, landing with his back to the windows. "It's ungentlemanly."
"Superhero~" Alya breathed out, her eyes wide.
Crashing to the ground, the gargoyle snarled while shaking its head. "I don't know what rock you crawled out from inside of, but I recommend you roll on out of here, before you get hurt." Twirling his staff, he held out his right hand with his claws bared.
Rising up to its full height, the massive beast towered over the black clad male before roaring out in rage, and leaping up, taking flight. The black clad male spun his staff around creating a shield that would protect him, the stone shards turning to dust upon impact. Only when the creature was gone did the male stop the spin of his weapon, letting it shorten to that of a baton. Affixing his weapon to his back, the teen glared after the monster, debating going after it, or returning to school.
"I have to interview him!" Alya suddenly jumped up, bolting for the door before anyone could stop her.
"Alya! Your t-shirt!" Marinette bolted after her, making sure that she at least had on her shorts and t-shirt.
The blonde was just about to leave when he heard "Mr. Superhero!" being called out. He turned to regard the female, only for his eyes to widen, and his right hand to cover his eyes. "Who are you? What was that creature you just fought? Why do you have feline ears and a belt for a tail? Do you have a favorite catchphrase?"
"Whoa!" Holding out his hands, his eyes still closed. "I'm sorry to cut you off, but before I answer any questions, I think you really should put on something to cover your" he coughed into his hand, "upper body."
Looking down at herself, Alya blushed a little. "It's, um, my swimsuit top." At least she had the good decency to be slightly embarrassed leaving the school grounds without her t-shirt on, at least until she felt it being pulled down over her head by Marinette. "Thanks, girl." Pushing her arms through her sleeves, she gave a broad smile. "I find it works better than sports attire at keeping me stable."
"Sorry to say, but potentially putting yourself in danger, just to get a story, doesn't sound stable to me." That caused Alya's cheeks to burn in embarrassment. "But you did ask me some questions, and as a gentleman, I am not about to leave a lady wanting for her initiative." He noticed that people were already starting to arrive. "My name is Chat Noir, and if I'm right, that creature was either an Akuma, or a creation of one. As for the ears and tail, it's all part of my feline persona, and as of yet, no, I don't have a catchphrase." Offering the pair of girls a bow, he pulled the baton from his back, and brought it down. "I must leave you though, because I really need to get back on the trail of that creature. Take care of yourselves."
With that, he offered the two girls a wave, extending the pole until he was landing on top of the school, and leaping away. Turning off the record function of her phone, Alya leaped up and down with a squeal of delight that could rival car tires on asphalt. Running back into the school, the two girls were the center of attention as the others gossiped about this newest development. Marinette even had a chance to weigh in on what it was like meeting a superhero for the first time, causing several of the other girls to instantly start chattering with her.
The entire school was a buzz of gossip as Adrien sat down for his next class, the girls chattering about Chat Noir, and wondering who it was under that mask. Nino sat down next to him as the bell rang. "Dude! You missed some excitement."
"No kidding. I don't think I've ever seen so many people talking so animatedly." Adrien shook his head "What happened?
"Apparently, we now have monsters, and a superhero here in Paris." Nino answered.
"Really?" Adrien turned to him with rapt attention. "Tell me more."
For the rest of the school day it was a mix of basic orientation and everyone whispering their own ideas about who the heroic Chat Noir was after sending the gargoyle away. Marinette, for the most part, was done hearing about it after the first hour, although she had to admit, if only to herself, his timely arrival and respect for both her and Alya was more than a little endearing. Part of her dared to hope that when he bowed to the pair, at least part of that was directed at her. When the bell rang to leave the school, she stepped out the double doors, and into the first drips of a thunderstorm.
Stepping back, she pulled off her pack and searched through it only for realization to slap her in the face. Looking over at the bakery, she mentally pictured her umbrella still hanging up under her bed's mezzanine. A sound beside her caused Marinette to turn, only to see Adrien stepping out under his umbrella. "Forgot something?"
Looking away, she scratched at the side of her face. "Y-Yeah." she sighed. "I kind of forgot it in my bedroom."
"Do you want to borrow mine?"
Marinette looked at the teen as he handed off his umbrella, but didn't make any move to take the item. Her heart was pounding in her chest as she motioned down the length of the school. "I- My home is just across the street." Adrien turned to see Tom and Sabine's while she replaced the pack on her back. "I-It would be silly for me to take your umbrella for such a short distance."
"Then how about I walk you there?" Adrien asked cocking out his elbow. Time seemed to slow down for Marinette as she looked at his arm, then up to the welcoming smile on his face, her heart pounding against her ribs like a trapped animal. It only took seconds for her to reach out and slide her hand onto his forearm, but when he placed his warm hand onto hers, time felt like it had no more meaning in her life. The pair descended the steps just as a silver sedan pulled to a stop in front of the school. "Nathalie is most likely in the car, I'm just going to let her know that I'm walking you home, okay?"
Nodding with her cheeks heating up, Marinette didn't trust her voice at the moment, so she just followed his lead, pressing her front to his arm. Approaching the side of the car, the forward passenger's side window slid down to reveal the stoic face of Nathalie. "Adrien, we need to get you to the photo-shoot in the next twenty minutes."
"I understand, Nathalie, but my friend, Marinette, forgot her umbrella, so I was going to walk her home." Adrien countered.
She seemed nonplussed by Adrien's statement. "Why walk her, when we can just drive her home?"
"I- um, I just live at my parent's." Marinette flubbed only for Nathalie to blink.
Adrien smiled back at Marinette before translating "Her home is Tom and Sabine's bakery," he then pointed at the building in question, "just over there." Nathalie looked at the two teens, then at the bakery, then back.
"We need to get you something to tide you over until dinner, so we'll pick you up after your walk." he heard Nathalie say before the window slid up, ending the conversation.
Looking from the car that pulled away, back up to Adrien had Marinette questioning all aspects of her existence as the male smiled back. "I-Is that a – normal reaction from her?"
"No." Adrien admitted honestly as they started walking along the sidewalk. "That was probably the warmest she has ever been to someone she just met. Nathalie must like you."
"Yeah? I still can't believe I flubbed that so hard!" Marinette shivered "I bet she thinks I'm some sort of freak!" The sound of Adrien's laughter next to her caused the teen to look to her side, her own chuckles starting hesitantly. She didn't know what he was laughing at, but she hoped it wasn't because he thought of her as a freak too.
"I'm sorry for laughing." Adrien said as he wiped his eyes. They reached the crosswalk, and he looked back at Marinette. "Nathalie causes grown men to shake in their boots with how detached and clinical she can be. It comes from working with my father, but the fact that you could get out even half a sentence around her at first meeting is respectable."
"Oh~, okay." Marinette suddenly felt warmth blossoming in her chest at the praise. "You sound like you know her pretty well." The pair started on their way across the street, reaching the sidewalk by the time Adrien responded.
"All my life. She was there from before I was born." Adrien walked the pair to the front of the bakery. "Sadly, this is where I leave you. I really should get to my photo-shoot."
Marinette nodded "I'll see you tomorrow, then." The door opened to reveal Nathalie standing with a small bag of snacks in one hand. Stepping back, so that she could walk under the umbrella her escort still held, the teen girl gave the older woman a smile. "Thank you for letting Adrien walk me home, I just hope that it hasn't made him too late to his photo-shoot."
"Quite the opposite," Nathalie announced, looking at the teenage girl, "Vincent is having a bit of trouble with one of the reflectors, so this little impromptu stop just means less time for Adrien to wait around, being bored."
"It was a pleasure to meet you, Miss Nathalie."
The slight quirk of one side of Nathalie's lips did not go unnoticed by either teen. "The pleasure was all mine, Miss Marinette." With that said, Adrien escorted Nathalie to the passenger's side door, opening it while holding the umbrella above her head until she was inside. Going to the rear door, he stopped after it was opened to wave to the raven-haired girl, which she returned, before he slid inside, and the car drove off.
Entering the bakery had Marinette in a daze as she passed by her parents. Sabine blinked as she walked by the pair without acknowledging either of their presence, even though they asked how her first day at the new school had been. Tom stepped away from the oven to practically watch as she skipped up the stairs toward their apartment. "Something tells me, that girl is in love."
Sabine nodded "It was bound to happen sooner rather than later." Wrapping his arm around his wife, the huge male kissed the top of her head before getting back to his baking.
Taking some juice from the fridge, Marinette opened the hatch to her room and sat down at her computer, humming to herself the same bars she had at school. Opening her diary, she then started to write about the handsome boy that had not only saved her from Chloé's bullying, but had been kind enough to walk her home during the storm. Her heart pounded as she scribbled his name in the margin, a heart above the "i" in Adrien's name. Seconds later, she cracked open her sketchpad and started to draw his face from memory.
Halfway across Paris the gargoyle flew with its head turning left, then right, as if trying to find something. Unable to find what it was looking for, the creature turned around in the middle of the air, and flew straight for the Arc de Triomphe. Landing on the top, it snarled at the people and cars that passed by below. "Easy, my pet." A woman stepped out of the shadows, her two toned crimson hair falling over a single glowing green eye, leaving the other surrounded by a white domino mask covering her upper face. A too small top hat rested upon her head with a trio of cards poking out of the hatband. Dressed in a white top that dropped to a point about rib height that exposed her gray scaled bodysuit between the shirt, black hot pants, and black thigh high boots.
In front of her collar a black club-shaped tie dropped down her chest while a red diamond adorned her black pants at navel height, her white opera style gloves were embellished with a red heart one the left, and a black spade on the right. Held in her left hand a black wand with white tips was held down near her knee, while a set of cards were held up in her other, fanned out to reveal a Queen of Hearts followed by random other cards. Reaching up, she slid her wand back into an inner pocket of her open black coat, and used that hand to slide under the jaw of the stone creature.
The gargoyle gave a soft growl of contentment as she scratched under it's chin. "I only need to find those Miraculous, and we'll be able to show all of Paris the true power of magic." Stepping back from the edge, she turned around to look at the Eiffel Tower as the lights turned on, illuminating the iron structure. Bringing up her wand, she swirled it around, the white tips on the black stick glowing as she created a saddle for the back of the gargoyle. "Now take me to the next arrondissement. When the Magician gives her word, she sees it through to the bitter end!"
During dinner, while she was enjoying the homemade Cassoulet her father made, Marinette started to hum the tune she couldn't seem to get out of her head. "What is that honey?" Tom asked "A new tune from Jagged Stone?"
With a piece of sausage trapped in between her lips, the teen blinked "Hmm?" she queried before pushing the meat into her mouth with her fork and chewing.
"That tune," Tom repeated, "I've never heard you hum it before today."
Swallowing her food gave Marinette a chance to really search her memory of where, or when she had heard this particular tune. "I-I don't really know, papa." Reaching up, she rubbed at the side of her head. "For the life of me, I can't remember where I've heard it, but I can't get it out of my head."
"It's probably something you heard years ago, and just don't remember, sweetheart." Sabine suggested. "After all, it sounds a little bit like a tune I grew up with." In a matter of seconds, her mother was singing a beautiful rendition of a Chinese song, but the pitch and cadence were different than what Marinette could practically feel in the back of her mind.
Giving her parents a smile, she nodded "That must be it, I must be remembering something from my childhood, and just messing up the tune."
"Anything is possible, honey." Sabine smiled at her daughter, before sharing a pointed look with her husband.
Once dinner was concluded with Sabine and Marinette washing and drying dishes, Tom set up the game system to start up their nightly competition of Ultimate Mecha Strike before their daughter would be too caught up in homework to play during the rest of the school year. It was during their game when their daughter kept getting distracted, that the pair realized that perhaps tonight wasn't a good time. "Are you alright, honey?"
"Huh?" Marinette blinked as she saw her mech laying on the ground, her father's standing over it in victory.
"Are you tired?" Tom asked. "I haven't been able to beat you three times in a row since you were ten."
Marinette blinked at the screen again "I – guess I am." Shaking her head, she stood from her seat. "I'm going to take in an early night. See you in the morning."
"Sleep well, honey." Sabine encouraged as Marinette went up the ladder, and into her bedroom.
Getting dressed in a set of pajamas that consisted of a white pajama tank top with black straps, with a pair of light pink pajama bottoms, with a cherry blossom motif going up her left leg, Marinette sat down on her chaise lounge, looking up at the ceiling. "What is wrong with me?" she muttered "Why can't I get this stupid tune out of my head?" Closing her eyes, the teen slowed her breathing, just trying to quiet her mind. The problem was, when her mind quieted, the tune came through louder, and clearer than it ever had before, as did the image of a disused Chinese shop.
Opening her eyes, she took deep breaths, her mouth open a little. "What did I just see?" Shaking her head more vigorously than before, she climbed the steps to her mezzanine, and flopped onto her bed. Unfortunately for Marinette, sleep didn't come easily, so she climbed back down to her desk, and started working on something, anything to get her mind off of the song in her head. A second later, the song ended and didn't start up again.
Time passed with Marinette initially feeling relief, but as the minutes ticked by the silence took on a more ominous feel as she set down what she was working on, her eyes blinking. Closing them again, she tried to remember the image of the Chinese shop just from the earlier flash, but she couldn't summon up the image. Climbing up the ladder to her mezzanine once more, the shaken teen laid down in her bed, curling up.
In a matter of minutes, she was fast asleep.
Fear stabbed at Tikki's being as she heard something crawling around on the roof, a snuffling of its nose at the vent Plagg had exited reaching down to the dusty shop below. A deep, guttural snarl echoed through the shop as the tiny creature looked around for something to do. It was when her paw touched one of the many cases around her that she had an idea. Going around the room, she scooped up as much dust as she could hold, and flew up the vent. When she was just below the cover to the fan, the little creature blew the mass of dust into the snorting gargoyle's nose and flew back down to the shop.
A roar of anger and frustration caused the stone creature to leap into the night sky, sneezing and coughing as it flew away. Fifteen minutes later, the monstrous creature landed in the courtyard of Notre Dame, shaking its head in an attempt at getting the clumps of dust out of the stone monster's nostril. In a handful of minutes the creature felt a hand on its upper back, the fingers trailing along lovingly as The Magician spoke soothing words into its ear. "Now, tell me where you heard the song."
My initial idea was to have Marinette hear the "Song of the Kwami" for a full week, but realized that if I were to do that, I would be stretching this story out to 10 chapters/episodes instead of just five, and that would've been insane. Also, making Marinette lose that much sleep would've just been sadistic, and it was bad enough I made it so Tikki could connect directly into her mind.
Also, forgive me for giving Nathalie a personality more similar to that of her Season 5 self, I just really like this version of her now.
