Miraculous:
Origins of Ladybug and Cat Noir
Marinette awoke bright eyed and bushy tailed the very next morning. After cleaning herself off, and getting dressed in her pink capri pants, light pink shirt with the cherry blossom motif, and her black blazer, she went down to find her mother in the kitchen. "Morning, mama." she called out before going over and giving her a kiss on the cheek.
Sabine looked at her daughter with awe in her eyes. "Someone got enough sleep last night."
"Yeah, and I finally realized what my dreams and that tune I couldn't get out of my head was all about." Sitting down at the table, she started to pour her cereal into a bowl, before adding milk.
"Oh~?" Sabine asked.
Giving her mother a nod, she asked "Do you remember Marianne?"
The clattering of her mother's teaspoon into the sink caused Marinette to turn around. Sabine looked stricken with guilt at the question. "Honey, how do you remember that name?"
"I- my dream. Is something wrong, mama?"
Walking around the table, she sat down opposite her daughter, both hands on her teacup. "I only ever took you to her shop once, so why would you remember her now?"
Looking down at her cereal, she shook her head. "I remembered the tune came from her shop." Returning her gaze to her mother, she shrugged. "I think it was from a Chinese jewelry box I opened or something. Anyway, that tune had been in the back of my head for years, and I just didn't realize." She then noticed that her mother had taken a sip of her tea. "Why do you ask?"
"Marianne had been a friend of mine for years before I ever took you to her shop. She married a man named Wang Fu, but he died before we ever met." Sabine shook her head "Five years after I took you to her shop, I was informed that she too had passed away, and left me the shop."
"Really?!"
Nodding her head, the older woman sighed. "We haven't done anything with it except pay the taxes on the building. Marianne was such a good friend, I thought it would've been betraying her if I let anything happen to the shop, but we need to do something with it soon."
Stirring her cereal, the teenage girl shrugged. "I could always take it over once I'm eighteen, if you don't mind."
"What about your fashion aspirations?" Sabine asked.
That caused Marinette to smile "What better place than my own shop to sell my own fashions?" she asked. "I could probably get friends to help me with modeling my designs and running the register while I'm in the back, sewing, stitching up clothes for clients, or hemming dresses."
"Looks like you've already thought this through-"
"Not really. This is all just off the top of my head."
It was impossible to deny that Marinette was getting worked up over the concept of having her own shop, and that in itself allowed Sabine to forget the tragedy of her friend's passing if it allowed her child to achieve her dreams. "Oh, you're almost late for school."
Finishing up her cereal, Marinette pulled her lunch box from the refrigerator, and slid it into her backpack. "I'll see you after school, mama." she said before kissing her mother on the cheek again and heading downstairs. Her father was up to his mustache in dough, so she gave him a quick peck on the cheek too, before calling out "See you after school!" and ran off to Collège Françoise Dupont.
Everything seemed so right with the world as Adrien stepped out of the car to see Marinette already meeting up with Alya outside of the school. Nino came from the opposite direction, so he intercepted the slender teen, the pair talking about their evenings with, at least, one obvious omission from the model. Upon the quartet arriving at their classroom the two girls noted a lack of Chloé and Sabrina, so they took it upon themselves to retake their formerly taken seats. The two boys sat down in front with the blonde looking back and talking to the two girls about their science homework.
"Oh no! I forgot!" Marinette slapped her forehead. "I was so tired last night I completely forgot to do my physics homework!"
"Do you have your books, I can give you some pointers if you have questions." Adrien offered.
Marinette smiled and nodded "Yes, please! I'm an absolute idiot when it comes to physics."
Standing beside her desk, he watched as she started doing the lesson plan, quizzing her on what she needed to know for their homework. Thankfully, this was basic physics for Marinette, so it was child's play for Adrien since he was already into the second aspect for the science. It wasn't long, however, before the group heard "What are you doing in our seats?!"
Alya was about to say something when Marinette shook her head, pointing to the front of the classroom. "Those are your seats, Chloé, and you better get used to them."
"What?! How dare you?!" Chloé shouted as she pulled out her phone, "My daddy-"
"- is going to do nothing!" Marinette suddenly stood up, and walked down to stand face to face with the blonde. "If you think your father is going to do anything to me, or my family, all because you can't sit behind Adrien? Then you are more delusional than I thought." Taking a deep breath, she let it out through her nose. "Chloé, I don't know why you don't like me. All that I have ever done was try to treat you with kindness, but you spit it back in my face."
Chloé looked around as the classroom started to fill. "You are beneath me, Dupain-Cheng!"
Letting out a mirthless laugh "Here's a news flash for you, Chloé. I don't care anymore. Be as petty and vindictive as you like, but you will never get a response out of me, outside of telling you where you can go, and what you can do with your worthless opinion." She then pointed to the seat across the aisle from Adrien. "Now, sit!"
The sound of everyone going "Ooh!" surrounding them caused the blonde to look around.
"It's ridiculous! Utterly ridiculous how you talk to me, Dupain-Cheng!" she then noted Sabrina was already sitting in the bench seat up front. Chloé opened her mouth to say something, but when she noticed the look that everyone was giving her, she relented in her tirade and sat down, only to look at the seat. "Why is there gum on this seat?!"
"Oh, yeah" Mylène remarked, "papa didn't get around to that seat last night with all of his cleaning, so there was still a little gum left on the seat from yesterday."
"Ugh! Ridiculous! Utterly, and completely, ri~dic~u~lous!" She then noted how visible the gum was once it adhered to her round, white clad, derrière.
A couple of people snickered, but Marinette didn't so much as crack a smile as she sat down next to Alya. "Whoa, girl! That was awesome!"
"I'll admit, it's impressive when someone can make Chloé back down." Adrien said, only to get the stink eye from the very girl he mentioned. After helping Marinette with a few more minor physics problems, he returned to his seat in just enough time for Caline Bustier to enter.
Stalking across the top of the Arc de Triomphe, the Magician glared at the Parisians that were even now starting to record her. "I was so close to getting the ring from that self-righteous feline, and what happens? A girl in red spandex with black spots shows up to literally wreck my gargoyle!" The outline of a glowing mask appeared around her face as a voice entered her mind.
"That will be the holder of the ladybug Miraculous." his voice was soft, yet deep, causing her to smile. "Cat Noir was an annoyance, but this new girl," the voice paused, "could be trouble."
Glaring down at the people below the Arc, she nodded. "How about I give them a little trouble, Hawkmoth?" Pulling out her wand from the inside of her coat pocket, she swirled it around sending a sparkling ray out that slammed straight into the Eiffel Tower. People at the Trocadero, and the Champ de Mars screamed, with the latter running away, fearing the tower collapsing. In a matter of seconds, the iron structure glowed white, and disappeared.
With a laugh, she ran forward and leaped off of the Arc de Triomphe, swirling her wand around until the massive structure too glowed white and disappeared. She had just started walking away when a news van stopped, with Clara Contard getting out to try interviewing the villain, but she stopped her with a single flick of her wand. Stepping in front of the camera, she smiled "This is a warning to all of Paris," she paused dramatically, "I have just taken away both the Arc de Triomphe and the Eiffel Tower in less time than it took for me to say their names." Televisions, phones, billboards and computer screens all showed her face. "This is my command for the two new heroes. I will be using my magic to remove every Parisian landmark in this city over the course of the next hour. Either you face me, or I will ensure that they stay gone – forever." A moment later, every screen flashed black as she pushed away the camera, and sauntered down the street.
Everyone in the class saw the announcement on their tablets, only for screams to start passing through each of the classes. Caline Bustier looked at her students. "Everyone, we have to stay here," she started to say, only for Alya to leap out of her seat.
"Are you insane?!" Caline looked at the teen, worried that she might be making a wrong decision about the safety of her students. "There is no way I'm missing out on recording this!" The teen was down the steps and out the door faster than the teacher could call her name.
Marinette suddenly bolted after her best friend. "Don't worry! I'll bring her back!" Caline started to call out for her too, but Chloé let out a frustrated puff of air.
"Who cares about Dupain-Cheng?! Let her miss class!"
It was about that time that Adrien raised his hand. "May I be excused, I think breakfast isn't sitting well with me this morning." Caline, realizing that she had lost control of her class, just sighed and motioned for the door.
It wasn't long before the police arrived, but with a single flick of her wand, the vehicles turned into giant granite blocks with the people trapped inside. "Sorry, officer, but I'll let you out after I have what I need from your superheroes." Sauntering away, she gave a throaty laugh as she walked toward the Tuileries Garden, and the Louvre Museum. After only a few minutes, and drawing closer to the former palace changed into a museum, the Magician sighed as she noted how few people there were in her path. "What a sorry sight. Paris in hiding." Looking around, a wicked thought passed her mind, so she transformed her wand into a microphone. "How about a musical number to draw out those two cowards?" Walking into the center of the street, she slammed her boot down, so that the heel cracked the asphalt. "Here's one of my personal favorites."
Bringing her microphone up, she started to sing "If all of the kings had their queens on the throne, we would pop champagne and raise a toast!" A flute of champagne suddenly appeared in her hand, only for her to raise it once, and throw it back onto the street. "To all of the queens who are fighting alone, baby, you're not dancing on your own!" Wiggling her hips, she started to dance her way down the street. "Can't live without me, you wanna but you can't, nah-nah-nah!" She shook her head with a twirl of her body, before her legs started to walk the center line with a shake of her hips. "Think it's funny, but honey can't run this show on your own."
Twirling with every elongated step, she would twirl on one heel, bringing her other leg up, before doing the same thing one step later. "I can feel my body shake," her entire body shook, alternating her upper and lower body, along with her head, "there's only so much I can take! I'll show you how a real queen behaves!" Her tiny tophat suddenly transformed into a royal crown with every possible jewel surrounded by gold and silver. "Oh, no damsel in distress, don't need to save me. Once I start breathing fire, you can't tame me!"
By this time she reached the Place de la Concorde. With an effortless leap, she landed on the white awning, and crossed one leg over the other. "You might think I'm weak without a sword," one then appeared in her left hand, "but if I had one, it'd be bigger than yours!" The weapon grew in size as she slid down the awning until she slammed the tip against the ground and used it to vault off. "If all of the kings had their queens on a throne, we would pop champagne and raise a toast!" Swiping the sword around herself, the weapon seemed to create a long length of cloth, until she was wearing a cape with white furry trim. "To all of the queens who are fighting alone, baby, you're not dancing on your own."
A second later, her entire cape billowed out, rippling with every step she took closer to her destination. "Disobey me, then baby, it's off with your head," bringing the sword up, she made a motion across her neck, before moving it down, the weapon becoming a rapier, "gonna change it and make it a world you won't forget." A swipe of her sword, and the entire courtyard of the Louvre was filled with piles of gold coins while bars of gold stretched up seven feet. "Oh, no damsel in distress, don't need to save me. Once I start breathing fire, you can't tame me," twirling around, she created a magical bubble that covered the courtyard, "and you might think I'm weak without a sword," she then threw the weapon away, only to have it dissipate into thin air, "but I'm stronger than I ever was before!"
"If all of the kings had their queens on the throne" she twirled around to land on a golden throne with a velvet red seat and back, "we would pop champagne and raise a toast!" Her right hand tossed the microphone over to her left, while another flute of bubbling champagne appeared in her palm. She then raised it and lowered her head "To all of the queens who are fighting alone, baby, you're not dancing on your own." Lifting the flute of champagne, she took a sip of the liquid, before setting it on the arm of her throne, and stepping off to twirl around one last time.
Looking up, she suddenly saw the two heroes, her eyes locking on Cat Noir. "In chess, the king can move one space at a time," she then noted Ladybug zipping in at the side, only for her to skid across the top of her bubble, "but queens are free to go wherever they like." Twirling her microphone, she transformed it back into her wand, her voice going low and threatening, "You get too close, you'll get a royalty high," a blast emerged from the bubble, narrowly missed by Ladybug, "so breathe it in to feel alive!" Her next attack went straight at the black clad hero, but he dodged it at the last second, the obelisk at the entrance of the courtyard exploding into tiny chunks of white stone.
"If all of the kings had their queens on the throne," she spun back around and swiped a spell at Ladybug, who barely managed to deflect it with her spinning yo-yo, "we would pop champagne and raise a toast. To all of the queens who are fighting alone," the Magician suddenly twirled her wand over the deck of cards she held, "baby, you're not dancing on your own!" The rest of her cards flew out as if propelled, like rockets, at the two superheroes.
Cat Noir leaped out of the way as he called out "Be careful, my lady! Those cards explode!"
Hearing his warning, Ladybug spun her cable around a bin, and launched it at the cards, only to be knocked back as the combined explosion not only destroyed the bin, but what was inside too. "She can fire out, while we can't touch her!" Continuing to twirl her yo-yo, she felt an energy blast go through her shield, glancing off of her arm enough to feel like a sunburn. "Enough of this! Lucky charm!" a moment later, she had a small hand mirror in her hand. Bringing it up, she cried out as the next energy blast was deflected back, only to bounce off the shield. "Kitty, do you have anything that can destroy that shield?"
"Only one thing, but I really didn't want to use it unless absolutely necessary!" Pulling his right hand back, he called out "Cataclysm!" and felt the dark surge of energy coalescing in his palm. In a second, he reached out, and watched as the shield cracked, spider-webbing all around to the other side, while the Magician inside felt her jaw drop, her eyes popping open.
"No!" she screamed, only for the bubble to shatter to dust, and fall down.
Rushing forward, the pair of superheroes snatched away both her small tophat, which returned from it's transformation into being a crown, and her wand. Cat Noir shredded the hat with his claws to reveal nothing, while Ladybug broke the wand with her knee. A black butterfly flew out from the now snapped wand, only for her to twirl her yo-yo "No more making trouble for you little Akuma!" After capturing the insect seconds later, she slid her finger down the middle of her yo-yo to reveal a purified white butterfly. "Bye, bye little butterfly." Looking back at her partner, she smiled before tossing the mirror up "Miraculous Ladybug!"
The rush of magical energy returned everything to normal, from the monuments to the people, the street, and any buildings that were damaged in the entire time the Magician and her gargoyle were active. When the smoke surrounding the woman cleared, they saw her wearing a simple sweater and jeans, her body a little more robust than the one she showed as her Akumatized self, a short bob cut, and her brown eyes looking up at the pair through slender rimmed glasses. "What happened? And why am I at the Louvre?!"
"I'm sorry to say, but I think you were transformed into a super-villain." Ladybug then looked at her hand to reveal that the magic wand had been a simple pen. "What is the last thing you remember?" She asked, crouching to look at the woman.
Thinking back, the woman shook her head. "I-I was opening my mail, and had just read – the rejection letter! Oh no!"
"What rejection letter?" Cat Noir asked.
"I-" she took a deep breath, and let it out, "I did something wrong years ago, and was fired. I can never work in my chosen profession again although I paid my debt, so while in prison I wrote a fantasy novel, and hoped to become the next Tolkien, or Rowling, but the publisher I sent my manuscript to rejected it outright." Wiping the tears from her face, she sighed. "I was just – so angry."
"All isn't lost." Cat Noir said with a smile. "Remember that Rowling was rejected several times before she was published. Sometimes it takes a bit of adversity to discover how your story needs to be told. Just keep at it, and think of it as your own stepping stone to success."
Smiling up at the teenage boy, she nodded "Thank you."
Ladybug smiled at the interaction "I would say that was a successful mission." She then held up her fist "Pound it?"
Cat Noir brought up his fist, impacting hers before both of their jewels started to beep. "Can you get home from here?"
"Yes, and thank you again."
"Good. Take care, and bug out!" Ladybug flew off with the use of her yo-yo, while Cat Noir took off with the use of his telescoping staff. Turning around, she started to walk away, heading back home.
"I'm not sure how I feel knowing that you're over there alone, Marinette." Sabine said over the phone that Saturday morning while Tom manned the register.
"That's the thing, mama, I'm not here all alone." Marinette said as she wiped down the display cases. "Alya, Nino, and Adrien are here with me." She looked across to see her new best friend wiping down one of the windows, while Adrien and Nino wiped down the walls. "Besides, it's not like I'm going to open the shop tomorrow," she said with a small chuckle, "but I did want to make sure it was clean before I ever tried anything here."
Sabine sighed, rubbing at her forehead "I should never have given you the keys." she muttered almost to herself. "Just stay safe, honey, and make sure you four always go together in a group of two or more. That side of Paris wasn't exactly been the best even when Marianne was alive."
"I promise, mama, now I have to let you go. We're going to finish cleaning the shop, and then check out what other rooms there might be." Giving their typical "I love you's" to each other, the two women hung up the phones before Marinette looked at all they still needed to do. "This is going to take us at least a week."
Nino laughed "It'll be fine, dude! Besides, it's a perfect excuse to get my bro out of the house for the day."
"I'll admit, it's great to do stuff together as a group." Alya commented.
The two girls, and Adrien laughed. "Thank you for inviting me, I'm having the time of my life."
"Dude! You are so weird! I don't know anyone who has fun cleaning."
Reaching back, he rubbed at his neck "It's just something I don't get to really do outside of making my bed, so this is helping me to learn something new."
"Man, I want your problems." Nino huffed as the four of them continued to clean.
"Speaking of problems," Alya remarked, "who wants to go get some lunch in about an hour or so? I missed breakfast."
Marinette nodded "In a little bit, I wanted to see what other rooms there are other than the main shop, and the back room."
Nodding at her best friend's suggestion, Alya continued to wipe down the window, only for her hip to bump into a small table. "Oh no!" she dropped her rag and reached for the item as it fell over, only to tear the pavilion off of an old gramophone as the rest crashed to the ground. "I'm sorry, Marinette." The trio went over to where the thing lay, cracked.
"It's alright." Marinette sighed "Probably wouldn't have worked in the first place." Scooping up the body of the device, she shrugged. "Let's just take it into the back, and I'll look into recycling it later."
"Okay." Alya carried the horn portion with her as the two girls set the device on a table in the back. When it was on the table, she lightly touched the device. "It's too bad, really. I bet you would've loved sewing here in the back room, listening to music, and generally just relaxing."
"Yeah, but I can do the same with my computer." Marinette said on her way back, causing Alya to follow. Neither of them noticed the orange flash coming from within the hidden jewelry box, and momentarily illuminating the crack down the center of the gramophone. "Now, who's hungry? Burgers are on me today."
Okay, I couldn't help myself but give the villain a song and dance number, and I think this one works so well for her.
Also, did I just give a spoiler about who will receive their Miraculous next? *blep*
