Song Recommendation: Paper Crown - Nightcore
{No POV}
After examining them and retrieving the miraculouses, Fu sadly revealed they were in fact fully dead.
No coming back.
Marinette and Adrien cried their hearts out at the news, as did the rest of the heroes especially Nora and Kyle who were best friends of the two deceased.
It was a great day for most of Paris as the sun returned but for its heroes it was a tragic day that they wanted to end quickly.
After settling things out with Master Fu, Marinette and Adrien transformed and went to the ruins of the Tower to address the citizens.
"Today, Hawk Moth has been defeated and arrested, his Miraculous back in the hands of good." Ladybug began after taking a deep calming breath gaining applause from everyone who was there and even unknowingly from those who watched on their TVs.
"However today we heroes mourn the death of two great, selfless heroes." Chat Continued sadly causing everyone to calm down.
"These heroes gave everything they did and didn't have to protect this wonderful city, even sacrificing both their future and their lives for us all..." Ladybug continued.
"Which is why we would like to have a moment of silence in respect of their sacrifice for us. For the sacrifice of Dragoness and Tiger King..." Chat Finished hugging Ladybug in a sideways hug as she struggled to contain her emotions.
"We ask for a moment of silence before we fix the city..." Ladybug finished up completely.
Everyone agreed now saddened that two of its heroes were dead and there was promptly a long moment of pure silence before Ladybug pulled away from Chat, tears in her eyes, and turned to the tower.
She looked down for a moment in hopes to calm herself and noticed two things.
One was an envelope where the bodies had been and the other was a masculine bracelet so she picked them up and handed them to Chat to hold onto while she worked.
She threw her yoyo in the air and said the words.
"MIRACULOUS LADYBUG!" Said Marinette in a somber shout.
Ladybugs started swarming around and fixing everything which made everyone smile except for Ladybug and Chat Noir who left promptly back to their hideout where only Fu was left.
"I shall leave you two to mourn in peace. I shall go report to the poliece and your parents Marinette that they are... gone now. For real." Said Fu quietly and sadly before leaving.
Marinette wanted to cry she really did, but couldn't and she had no idea why.
So she opened the envelope and discovered it contained two letters, one for Adrien and one for herself
Adrien grabbed his as she read hers.
'Dear Marinette,
I know you must be hurting horribly right now because of the loss of your older sister. But I am writing this for you so that you learn the truth about everything. Your sister, she loves you very much but she could never bring herself to tell you that when we were growing up she was always very sickly. Up until you were about four years old she could barely even get out of bed. Even without us being on this timer the moment she resigned her miraculous she could've very well died. Your sister was born with a very agressive disease that limited her something fierce. But when you were only four, you visited her with a big goofy smile on your face and spent a whole entire day with her showing her drawings and listening to her storytelling. But the following day, she woke up and was as if she had no disease. That day, was the day she received Longg and his miraculous. Since that day with you, Marianne knew you would be facing a difficult path in life but that you would turn out to be an amazing girl. Knowing this she always made sure to be there to help you find your way through life. Marianne loved you dearly and always will, even in death. She however always refused to tell you that she also wanted to watch you grow and find the one person that made you as happy as I made her. So when we saw you in person for the first time Marianne was overjoyed and at the same time devastated that soon she would have to leave you once again, this time for good. All she ever wanted for you was for you to have everything you ever dreamed of. So please smile, for her, now that we're gone and go make those big dreams of yours happen. Your friends need to go make their own dreams come true as well, and to stop stalling time when it comes to their love lives.
Sincerely, Jason Louis Harrison'
Marinette cried her heart out once she finished reading and then into Adrien's chest as Adrien read his letter.
'Dear Adrien,
You are such a wonderful boy. I am glad that my sister has such a wonderful soulmate. I want to thank you for making her happy once more like I know you will now that I am gone for good. There are some things in life I could never bring myself to tell her, but i'm certain that Jason told her in his letter to her. He's always been better at this kind of affair than me. I also wish to ask that you watch over her for me now that I am gone. If I know anything about my little sister, it's that she is very stubborn and a very hard worker. She has a tendency to overdo things at times. I am glad you two have found love so early in life and I am glad that you two are together. Even as I write this I can sense that some sad things still have yet to pass for everything to finally settle. Please don't tell Marinette until she is done letting her emotions other than happiness out. It only makes it worse. Anyway, I'm sorry I left so suddenly but I had to. Just remember both of you that you are never alone. Man, I suck at these things, why the hell am I writing a letter?!
Oh... that's right.. I suck at talking about this stuff more than I do at writing letters. Well damn.
Regardless, I have straightened things out for all you teens that I have grown a fondness for over the short months I have spent here in Paris again, so just be sure to work hard and make your dreams a reality.
P.S. - Do NOT make a pun at Marinette while she's letting emotions out or you will be yelled at loudly.
Sincerely, Marianne Emma Dupain-Cheng'
As Adrien finished reading it fully hit him once more and he cried into Marinette's shoulder in turn.
-Few Days Later-
The funeral now completed and the bodies buried in their new graves right in the outskirts of Paris buried in costumes designed by Marinette as the superheroes they were, their lawyer invited them and some specific others to a hearing of their wills.
First group to go in was Marinette, Adrien, Sabine, and Tom.
"She left a will?"
"Yes, well Mrs. Garrison was actually a very successful musician who did some work on the side as a model over the years. She had a lot of assets and left a will some months ago stipulating how exactly she wanted it all distributed." The lawyer explained as he looked over his documents.
The four were shocked.
"Let's see, it says..." Began the lawyer.
"I, Maria Garrison, being of sound mind and body hearby testify in this will that I want to leave the following things to the following people.
To my beloved parents Sabine Cheng and Tom Dupain I leave a sum of 500,000 Euros for them to use as they see fit as well as transfer ownership of my home on the outskirts of the city located at 4 Rue Gotlib and everything within it.-"
"WHAT?!" Exclaimed Sabine and Tom in shock before passing out.
The lawyer sighed knowing this was going to happen.
"Can I keep reading now? I still have Mr. Garrison's will to go through after this one." The lawyer questioned tiredly.
"Y-yes... Sorry..." Stated Marinette as Adrien had finally managed to wake up her parents.
"Moving on..." Began the lawyer searching for his last place.
"To my beloved little sister, I leave the estate located at 18 De Torrance. As well as a sum of 600,000 euros under the following conditions.
-Marinette Dupain-Cheng goes to college for fashion design and business management.
-Marinette Dupain-Cheng uses whatever is left to start up her own brand." Read the lawyer pausing to let them all comprehend.
Marinette at this point was flabbergasted trying to desperately process everything.
"Lastly to Adrien Agreste whom I have grown to consider and recognize as a brother-in-law, I leave a sum of 600,000 euros. I also legally adopted him, so I wish for him to do as he pleases but live at the 4 Rue Gotlib estate until the time comes that he is of legal age and decides for himself whether he wishes to live in the apartment located at 16 Rue Gotlib #1200 that I have purchased or stay at the house. The only condition for him to receive these things is that he, Adrien Agreste, continues to stay by Marinette Dupain-Cheng's side." The lawyer read.
Sabine and Tom smiled sadly at Adrien who was crying and hugged him close.
Marinette smiled and joined in after hearing that last bit. Then they settled down once more noticing the surprised look on the lawyer's face.
"Oh! There seems to be another part to her will... Holy!" Exclaimed the lawyer in absolute shock almost passing out.
"Aside from these assets I wish for the following things:
-The property located at 2 Rue Gotlib shall now legally be transfered over to Marinette Dupain Cheng and Adrien Agreste
-The company and brand once owned by Gabriel Agreste that I have had purchased by a trusted friend in my stead shall be passed down cojointly to Marinette Dupain-Cheng and Adrien Agreste to run as they see fit once they have graduated college and shall for the meantime be looked after by one Natalie Sancour.
-Natalie Sancour, as mentioned above will also be living with Adrien Agreste and will be running everything with Marinette Dupain-Cheng and Adrien Agreste that has to do with the company and brand.
-The location of 1488 Rosemary Lane back in London shall be left to Sabine Cheng and Tom Dupain as a second location to do as best they see fit.
-Lastly I also leave one final sum of 5,000,000 euros for Marinette Dupain-Cheng and Adrien Agreste cojointly that they will only have access to when they meet the following criteria that I know some day they will." Said the lawyer pausing to calm himself after seeing the last part of the will.
"The conditions are as follow:
-They must both be at least 21 or over.
-They both must be in a REAL relationship
-They must be married for at least a total of 4 years.
-They most both have made at least three dreams from childhood a reality.
These are my final wishes along with hope that the people I care about keep looking to the future and not to the past." Finished reading the lawyer.
The people in the room were left shocked speechless.
The lawyer then seemed to remember something and handed Adrien and Marinette letters. And a small box to each adult in the room.
"She also left these for me to give to you. Said to not open anything until you were out of here for whatever reason." The lawyer said.
The people nodded and with that they were dismissed.
"For the hearing of the will of one Jacob Garrison, please listen..." Began the lawyer after walking into the waiting room for will hearing noting only the people for Jacob Garrison and Maria Garrison's wills were here.
"To Chloe Bourgeois, I leave a high class apartment near the Paris University of the Arts for her to occupy only once she comes of age and goes to university."
Chloe was moved to tears by the kindness.
"To Max Kante, I leave an apartment near the Paris Technologial University."
Max was now moved.
"To Nino Lahiffe and Alya Cesaire, I leave a cojointly owned high class apartment near the Paris University of the Arts. As well as 500,000 euros each for tuiton purposes and 5,000,000 euros for them to use once they graduate to make their dreams a reality."
Alya promptly fainted only to be catched by one flabbergasted Nino.
"To Nora Cesaire and Kyle Le Chien I leave a sum of 10,000,000 euros and the apartment just two floors above the one that will belong to Nino Lahiffe and Alya Cesaire."
Nora and Kyle were shocked but blushed after glancing at each other and looked away.
And like this the reading continued.
â—‡MLBMLBMLBâ—‡
'Finally, the last bit of this will! Man this client sure had a long one...' Thought the lawyer as he looked over the paper his drink of water soothing his tired throat.
"Finally, my beloved wife and I would like to leave one final asset for Marinette Dupain-Cheng and Adrien Agreste. The summer home in Hawaii." Read the lawyer.
'Damn these two were loaded, they weren't kidding when they said that this was legitimate either, I checked everything out before this will was approved...' Thought the lawyer.
-Later That Night-
Marinette sighed as she sat down in her room and let her hair down before taking in her surroundings.
It was real this time.
Her sister was gone.
Her sister was dead. She wouldn't ever come back.
Oh, and it hurt. It hurt as badly as if she had been stabbed clean through her heart.
The scene still replayed in her mind as if it was a song on repeat,
Her distracted and then suddenly being protected by a bleeding Marianne from Hawk Moth from an un noticed attack.
Then Marianne falling to the grown saying only ' It's all you now...' before her eyes closed one final time and a slow final breath escaped her body.
Later on feeling the coldness of her dead body unable to proccess fully that she was gone for good at last.
The constant playback was haunting and it made Marinette realize something.
Marianne was gone, it's true, but she would never fully disappear from her life. She was her sister but she was also her greatest hero and because of that she would live on in her heart forever.
Marinette sighed dried her tears before grabbing her favorite picture that she had with her sister and took it with her to her chest where she hid Adrien's gifts for the next 35 years, placing it on top of the chest and heading to the second closet in her room for the first time in a decade.
"Are you okay Marinette?" Asked Tikki concerned.
Marinette took a deep breath and smiled.
"Yes, Tikki... I just, need to do something before we pack and go to Adrien's Mansion for the next two weeks..." Marinette answered calmly and slightly more cheerfully than she had when the anniversary of her sister's death had come months before.
Tikki smiled sadly and nodded.
"Whatever it is, I am right with you Marinette."
"Thanks Tikki." Marinette said with a smile.
Marinette opened the closet gently, the doors squeaking open as she moved them.
When opened the closet was dusty but thankfully all of the clothes were in dress bags that retained their sturdiness and protection over the years. There were boxes up on the top railing of the closet and there were shoes on the bottom as well as something that neither Tikki nor Marinette could make out clearly.
So Marinette decided to move aside the clutter of shoes to reveal what was hidden back there, only to find something shocking.
A simple purple box with black writing on the lid. It was small but stil big enough to hold a few sweaters in Marianne's size from when she was a teenager comfortably.
'My Secrets' Read the writing after Marinette blew some dust off of it and cleared the remaining dust gently off of the lid.
"Her Secrets? She kept them in a box hidden in her closet?" Questioned Tikki confused.
"Looks like it, Tikki, but we can't be sure what secrets she kept here exactly. My sister was always very mysterious and very secretive. For as longs as I can remember. It could contain any number of secrets and still not contain her secret of her hero days." Said Marinette reassuringly after some thought sitting at her computer desk placing the box and picture in front of her.
Her door was knocked on before she could open the box.
"Marinette? Are you in here? It's Adrien." Spoke up the person on the other side of her door.
"Adrien? Come in!" Spoke Marinette in response.
Adrien walked in carrying a box in his hand.
"How are you doing My Lady?" Said Adrien placing the box down on her little couch.
"I'm alright Kitty... I just... I am doing something that I should have first done 10 years ago before packing up so we can go to your house."
"What is it you need to do my bugaboo?" Asked Adrien now curious as Marinette walked back to her desk and sat down prompting Adrien to sit next to the box he had brought with him and observe silently and supportively.
"I needed to go through Marianne's closet and sift through her stuff. I needed to see her things so that I can learn more about her. Because I didn't really get much of a chanve to really know my sister when she was around. I managed to know a tiny little bit but then she was gone again, this time she's not coming back." Marinette revealed with a sigh her hands stuck just above the red and gold ribbons that secured the box.
"It's okay Marinette... Your sister loved you... You can look through her things... Afterall she left them for you." Said Adrien placing his hands supportively on Marinette's shoulders.
"Thank you, Kitty... I needed that." Marinette said with a smile before finally removing the ribbons.
With the ribbons removed Marinette lifted the lid and was left speechless at the contents of the box.
TBC...