Hey guys. Heads up. Sad chapter.
Also, I'm open to suggestions. From show, or not from show.
Enjoy.
The moment the rays of the morning sun touched Adrien's face, he immediately opened his eyes, bolted out of bed, and turned on his computers. The center computer had a wallpaper filled with Marinette's smiling faces.
"Happy Birthday." Adrien sighed blissfully. He leans in to kiss the wallpaper.
After a morning bath and a swift change of clothes, he grabbed a small package perfectly wrapped in pink and tied with a red bow before blissfully walking to the dining room for breakfast.
"Anything special planned for today?" Gabriel asked when he spots the present.
"Oh. Not that special." Adrien sounded uninterested, but fails to hide the smile on his face.
Plagg groans as he flew out, "Then why did you bother making your princess a present? Do you even realize how many sleepless nights I have to suffer through listening to that same yucky birthday song?"
Adrien was too busy arguing with Plagg to notice the surprised look on his father's face.
Marinette's... Birthday...
"Tell her... I said 'Happy Birthday.'" He requested.
Hopefully his son didn't notice the sadness in his voice.
The moment Adrien left the mansion, Gabriel gazed longingly at the painting of his wife.
He wished he could tell Adrien what really happened to his mother, why she suddenly disappeared.
He wished he could tell the whole team everything. Everything than happened...
On that day...
He could never forgive himself for what happened on that day.
But one day, he'll be forced to tell the truth.
For now, he must help mend a broken heart, on this very day.
Marinette's friends and classmates were already at the park setting up the decorations by the time Adrien arrived.
When Adrien found out Marinette's birthday was coming up, he immediately roped everyone of her friends to throw a surprise party for her at the park.
He acted as the manager, assigning his friends to a particular job in order to give his princess the best birthday ever.
He even convinced Amshel to bake a cake for her. Marinette's uncle even got her grandmother to distract her while he bakes the cake.
"Hey. Thanks for helping out, Chlo." He smiled at his childhood best friend who, with Lila, was setting up the birthday banner.
As soon as Adrien left to check on the other preparations, Chloe's smile disappeared.
"Why did I even bother?" She groaned.
"Because you want to make Adrien happy." Pollen replied.
And nothing makes Adrien happy more than Marinette being happy.
Chloe never got along with Marinette.
In fact, she never got along with anyone in her school.
She was always the self-proclaimed Queen Bee. Whatever she wants, she gets. Those who gets in her way, has to pay the price.
Marinette was her top prey.
Yet no matter how many dirty tricks she played on the bluenette, the baker's daughter will always find ways to throw her tricks right back at her.
One of the many things people love about Marinette Dupain-Cheng.
Then Adrien attended school.
She relished at the sight of her childhood best friend dumping soda at her no. 1 enemy, but when he glared at her, something inside her suddenly... cracked.
And if it wasn't bad enough that she had to apologize to Dupain-Cheng, she found in the next following days that her childhood best friend has a massive CRUSH(!) on the bane of her existence.
What does he see in that little klutz anyway?!
She did everything in her power to make him forget his utterly ridiculous crush: tripping Marinette, making her spill food on herself... which he, to her complete disbelief, still finds cute...
Frame Marinette for stealing his phone... only for him to easily forgive her...
She even threatened Adrien to stay away from her.
Unfortunately... Gabriel decided to pick him up from school that day.
Now she's forced to help her friend impress Marinette by organizing a birthday party in her honor.
Chloe gives out a heavy sigh, "Pollen, do you mind?"
The bee Kwami grabbed Chloe's end of the banner and quickly tied it to the pole.
Chloe was surprised. She didn't realize someone that small can tie so fast. And into a perfect tight knot too.
"You'd be surprised what we Kwamis learn over a thousand years." Tikki remarks before tying Lila's end of the banner on the other pole.
After Zen gave him an update on the progress of the preparations, Adrien beamed with pride and excitement.
Everything was going according to plan. All that's left was the birthday girl herself.
Adrien couldn't wait to see the smile on Marinette's face when she sees the surprise party they set up for her.
She saw the signs.
Every time they saw her, they would all flash nervous smiles at her at the same time. Sometimes they would hide, things from. When she asked Alya if she could borrow her notes, the redhead said she needed to go to the dentist and dash off.
She knew exactly what they were planning.
And she wasn't looking forward to it.
Don't get her wrong. She loves surprises, and what her friends are doing is very sweet.
It's just that... It's just... won't be the same.
Without...
As she lays on the bed, she continues to stare at a picture on her phone, longing for the good ol' days when...
"Marinette!"
She hides her phone and gets up, just as the hatch to her room was opened by her uncle.
"Care to come down, Cupcake?" He asked, "I need some help with the orders."
"Sure uncle." Marinette replies.
When she got down, Amshel didn't miss the sadness in his niece's eyes. And he knows why.
When Adrien called about a surprise birthday party for Marinette, he initially wanted to tell him that it wasn't a good idea, considering a certain event that happened prior.
But when he heard Marinette's friends from the other side excitedly talking about the party, he reconsidered, hoping they would succeed in making her happy on this special day.
The moment Marinette called him that she was going out with a "special customer", Amshel started to make a very special birthday cake.
"Great job on the balloons Aurore. The roses are beautiful Rose. Manon, those chocolates are for later. Chris, careful where you're kicking that ball."
Being head organizer for a special event is a lot of hard work. Adrien was almost at the verge of collapsing and needing to go to the hospital when he got the call from Amshel, telling him that Marinette was out with her grandmother.
Adrien immediately straightened up, wiped all the sweat off him, (in one swift motion) and went back to organizing.
When he was sure that they were 99% ready, he called Amshel and told him that they were ready to, "let the eagle land on her nest."
A few minutes later after Adrien made the call, Marinette arrived at the park, her eyes covered by her grandmother, Gina.
When Gina removed her hands everyone shouted,
"HAPPY BIRTHDAY MARINETTE!"
Marinette didn't know what to say, even after her uncle appeared with her birthday cake.
Her uncle... her grandmother... her friends...
They all did this? All for her?
"I... don't know what to say." She finally spoke.
"You don't have to thank us , Girl." Alya waves her hand.
"Yeah." Nino pushed Adrien forward, "It was all this guy's idea."
Nino and Alya winked at their friend. Adrien flinched, his hands, which was holding Marinette's gift, trembling.
He turns around, only to regret immediately, as Marinette flashed her signature radiant smile at him.
He freezes, just like always, but shakes it off.
He got this.
With a firm face, he approaches the girl of his dreams. Just as he was about to give her his present, she gently grabs his hands, making him blush.
"This, has got to be the sweetest thing you ever done for me." Marinette beamed, I, never even knew you care that much."
Of course he does! Much MORE!
"Adrien..." Marinette's eyes sparkled, "Will you be mine?"
...?!
Did she... Did she finally...?!
Adrien felt he was walking on air. Finally. His dream, rea-
"Adrien?"
Adrien blinked. Marinette was looking at him with a confused look on her face.
"In case you didn't hear," The bluenette repeated shyly, "I said, thank you."
Adrien panicked mentally. It was just his no-good brain making fun of him by making him hallucinate!
Adrien mentally took a deep breathe and smiled back at Marinette, "I'm, glad you like it."
There's that stupid love-struck smile again.
Lila never wanted to take part of this gathering in the first place. She was suppose to ask Adrien to help her with her English homework (even if she got good marks).
Before she could even ask, Adrien asked her if she could help them organize a special event. She agreed, boasting about the extravagant parties she organized for many princes and princesses she is close friends with. (If she has any.)
To her complete shock, the special event was a birthday party. For Marinette...
She never appreciated that show-off after she took credit for stopping Stoneheart for the first time. Many times she would help the heroes and no one noticed. But they just can't forget the very first day Marinette Dupain-Cheng helped saved the day and gave a hopeful speech that Team Miraculous never gives up until they save the day.
And if that wasn't bad enough, the wannabe hero is popular and loved by everyone in school, and out of school. All because of that sweet facade of hers and her ability to manipulate others through her sweets.
And the sour cherry on top? Adrien Agreste, super model, son of the esteemed Gabriel Agreste and every girls' favourite future husband, has a ginormous CRUSH(!) on LAME(!) Marinette.
She's ten times better than Marinette! And a SUPERHERO!
The moment Adrien gave Marinette her birthday present, Lila lost her cool and kicked the nearest object out of frustration: Chris' soccer ball.
The ball bounced everywhere. Adrien screamed, watching in horror as the ball ruined everyone's hard work.
It stopped when it landed on Marinette's cake, splattering buttercream on the birthday girl.
Alya and Zen approached their friend and proceeded to wipe the buttercream off of her. Alya wiped the buttercream off Marinette's face, revealing tears running down the girl's cheeks.
Marinette said nothing as she ran away from the party, ignoring the voices of her worried family and friends.
Everyone glared at Lila. Adrien scolded her for ruining Marinette's birthday party and making her cry on her special day before running off to catch up to her. Some willingly volunteered on the search while the rest tried their best to fix the mess Lila made.
What is wrong with that girl?
When Gina got the call, she was happy and excited to take part in the surprise party for Marinette.
It was sweet her friends planned this surprise for her. She should thank them later for their hard work.
When she removed her hands from Marinette's eyes, her granddaughter's eyes lit up with joy.
She never realized Marinette had so many friends, and so many people who care about her. Then again, her sweet granddaughter had a big heart of gold.
One of her friends pushed another, a blond boy, forward, saying he was the one who planned to get everyone to pitch in.
Gina noticed the boy was holding a present in his hands and was nervously approaching Marinette at a slow pace.
She knew that look.
Gina smirks. She should do something, extra special for Marinette's special friend for all his hard work.
Just as everything was going great, that brown-haired girl ruined everything and made her granddaughter cry.
That was unforgivable!
Marinette didn't deserve that, not on her birthday. Especially after what happened...
She didn't miss that sad look on her granddaughter's face while they were hanging out.
If only she knew what happened. They maybe she could...
"Can't blame her."
Gina turns around to find a girl with butterfly wings leaning against a tree.
"That party, was lame." Mariposa waves her hand in an insulting manner. Then she smiles ominously, "How about we lively it up?"
A white butterfly lands on her finger. She kisses it, filling it with dark energy before sending it towards Gina.
The akuma fused with Gina's candy case. Seconds later, a black cloud of dark energy surrounded Marinette's grandmother while Mariposa grinned.
"How many 'I'm sorry' does it take for you to stop being mad at me?"
Adrien ignored Lila and kept searching for Marinette.
"Seriously Lila? On her birthday?" Zen shakes his head in disappointment before resuming his search for his friend, "But I guess you can't take all the blame. To be honest, I wasn't sure if we should've went with this."
This made Adrien stop in surprise, "Why?"
"Don't get me wrong. It was nice that you guys thought this up." Zen kept searching, "It's just that... The party was great. The only thing missing was-!"
Zen didn't get to finish as Nino pushed him out of the way.
A few feet from where Zen once stood, a tree turned into coal. Everyone looked up only to find the akumatized form of Marinette's grandmother riding on top of her flying akumatized motorbike.
She points her weapon at Lila, "It's rude to ruin a little girl's birthday party."
She shoots a bullet at Lila who manages to dodge it.
"Technically Marinette isn't little anymore." Sabrina pointed out, only to duck behind a bush. The bush turned into coal instead.
"It's rude to interrupt, little girl." Befana scolds.
Sabrina wanted to correct her, but then changed her mind.
"Grandma Gina please don't do this." Zen reasoned, "This isn't you. Kind, sweet, loving..."
Befana smiled at Zen's kind words, "You always say the sweetest things."
She then shoots him. Instead of turning into coal, Zen turned into a white winged fairy.
Adrien managed to hide behind a tree. Plagg flew out of his jacket.
"Guess we have to change too."
All she wants to do for the rest of the day was to sit on the bench, until the sun rose on the next day.
Who knows? Maybe someone might get akumatized and they'll forget about her for the rest of the year.
Marinette tried her best to stay happy. She really did. Her friends and family worked so hard.
But she couldn't hold it in for long, and ran.
She looks down at her purse, "Maybe I was being selfish."
She turns her head to the right, looking at the present Adrien gave her.
Everyone was so happy when she opened her eyes. So many people came. So many sacrificed their time just to celebrate with her.
She smiles at her purse, "You're right. I should head back."
She got up. Maybe it wasn't the perfect birthday party she wanted, but at least she won't be celebrating it alone.
She was suddenly tackled to the ground. The bench, along with Adrien's present, turned into coal.
She looked up and blushed at the sight of her rescuer. But when she turns her head to look at the latest villain, she gasped.
"Grandma?"
Befana turned to her granddaughter, "My sweet little Marinette... Get your claws off her you dirty pussycat."
She commands her army of fairies to seize Chat Noir.
While his teammates battled the fairies, Chat grabbed Marinette and heads for the Eiffel Tower with Queen Bee. He sets his princess down at the top and asks Queen Bee to look after her while he goes after Befana.
"I can't believe my grandma got akumatized." Marinette sadly looks down.
"Well maybe if you hadn't just ran away and made her worried, we wouldn't be in this mess." Queen Bee pointed out, "Okay. So Lila made a mess of everything just like she always does. But that doesn't mean-"
"It's not that."
This caught Queen Bee's attention.
Marinette looks at her phone, "It's my first birthday party. Without... them."
Queen Bee looks down at the picture Marinette was sadly staring at.
A picture of her, with her parents.
...
Oh...
Queen Bee feels like she shouldn't ask, but she did, "What happened to them?"
Marinette kept her head down, "The Phantom Night."
The moment Marinette spoke those three little words, memories flashed before Queen Bee's eyes.
Terrible memories...
On one particular night, the entire city was covered in thick fog, so thick no one could see where they were going. Many accidents happened on that day that led to a lot of people injured and hospitalized.
Some say they could hear faint voices coming from the fog. Some say they were the voices of unfriendly ghosts.
Then there was a flash of light. So bright, everyone had to cover their eyes.
When the light died down, the fog disappeared.
Along with many people.
One of them... was her mother...
She told her not to go. But she did.
She never even told her... how much she...
"Did you lose your parents too?" Marinette asked the bee heroine.
The bee heroine scowled at the bluenette, "No."
She then sadly looks down, "Just... someone dear to me."
She told her not to go. Many times she tried to reason with her, but she wouldn't listen.
She called her many horrible things, including being a horrible mother.
If only she could take it all back.
Her father and the police swore they won't rest until they would find her.
Yet... up to this day...
"You'll see her soon." Marinette spoke in an assuring tone.
Queen Bee didn't look at her, "What makes you say that?"
It took a while for Marinette to reply, "You, saved me and a lot of people the first day you appeared. You also ran away... but then you came back. Why?"
"Because my u- unbelievable friend did." Queen Bee recalled wanting to give up her Miraculous because the duty suddenly bestowed upon her was too dangerous.
But then Adrien decided to face Stoneheart and the Butterflies on his own. She found herself transforming once again and went after her reckless childhood friend.
Then the next thing she knew, she defeated Stoneheart and saved the day. Her father even made a public announcement that Paris is proud to have a hero like Queen Bee. And the rest of Team Miraculous.
Marinette continued with a hopeful look on her face, "The more I saw you guys save more people, I thought maybe, maybe you can can find Mom and Dad. And Adrien's mom, and Chloe's mom, and..."
Queen Bee never gave it a thought that having superpowers would help her find her lost mother. She only wished her mom would see what an amazing hero she became.
But now that Marinette mentioned it... She can't believe she's actually thinking about it and hopefully won't say it out loud...
But Marinette... was right...
She's a superhero now. It's time she takes charge and find her mom.
Along with everyone else.
She turns to her classmate, "Marinette...!"
She pulls Marinette behind her just as Hawk Moth landed on the tower.
"Now don't be alarmed." The older Butterfly spoke casually, "I'm here to bring the lost princess back to her sweet, worried, granny."
"I'll personally return the princess." Queen Bee shot back, "Once she's back to being a sweet granny."
She can't believe she just said that.
Hawk Moth scowled as he slowly approaches Queen Bee, "I know you."
Queen Bee did her best to hide her nervousness of being found out.
Hawk Moth stopped, "The meddling princess and Team Miraculous' secret sidekick."
Queen Bee's eyes widened in disbelief. Behind her, Marinette gave a nervous wave to Hawk Moth.
Atleast he doesn't know who she really is behind the mask.
And did he just acknowledge Marinette instead of her?
Hawk Moth grabbed Queen Bee by the wrist and threw her aside before approaching a slightly terrified Marinette.
He got closer...and closer... until...
"Can I interview you for my blog?"
...?
Hawk Moth never expected Marinette to fish out her phone and ask him for an interview.
Well... He's not falling for that trick.
"People are asking which of the heroes is your No. 1 adversary and greatest threat to your master plan." Marinette went on as she recorded, "Leading so far: Ladybug."
This made Hawk Moth stop... and laugh hysterically.
"Oh please." He scoffs, "Ladybug is more of a nuisance than a threat. A spoiled, whining, teenage brat. Now Chat Noir, an actual threat. My protege Mariposa thinks so too. Although, in a, different light."
Queen Bee quietly stuck her tongue out in disgust. She knows what he means.
She never could figure out if the younger Butterfly wanted to either beat up her leader, or date him.
She's okay with the first one.
She manages to knock Hawk Moth down by his feet and grabbed Marinette, swinging from rooftop to rooftop until she landed on the rooftop of her hotel. She didn't want to hide her rival in her room, but she has too.
After telling Marinette not to snoop around someone else's room, she went to join her friends in defeating Befana.
She didn't mean to hit Carapace on the face with a pillow. She thought her grandmother or either of the Butterflies found her when the door leading outside opened.
Carapace told her that her grandmother was purified and brought her back to the park. Marinette immediately rushed to her grandmother and tackled her in a warm, loving embrace. She happily returned the embrace.
"We miss them too, Cupcake." Amshel whispered as he joined in the hug.
She does miss her parents. She wished, by some miracle, they would appear, out of nowhere, at her birthday party.
She wouldn't care how. She'd just embrace them with tears in her eyes and repeatedly tell them how much she loves them several times.
But its okay. She's still surrounded by the people she loves and who love her back.
The Dupain-Chengs broke the hug, allowing Marinette to face her friends, "I'm sorry I worried all of you."
"You're not the one who should apologize." Alya pointed out as Nino pushed a hesitating Lila forward.
"Sorry I almost ruined your birthday." The Italian girl begrudgingly apologized.
Why does she have to be the only one apologizing?
After Marinette blew out her birthday candles, the party was in full swing.
While her friends were dancing and/eating birthday cake, Marinette approaches Adrien, "I never got the chance to open your present."
Adrien tensed as Marinette opened the box which housed his gift. With her delicate fingers, Marinette lifted her gift from the case, a bracelet made out of 6 charms. Each charm represented a member of Team Miraculous.
Looking closely at the jewelry he made himself, Adrien tensed even more, wondering if he should've gotten Marinette a bigger present.
"It's beautiful." Marinette oohed.
Adrien shot his head up in surprise, "Really?"
"But not amazing as your other surprise." Marinette gestured to the party "Still, thanks."
She kisses Adrien on the cheek before heading to the table where her other present laid.
"Alright!" Nino raises his hand to high-five his friend.
When he didn't respond, he realized the blond boy was frozen in shock, and internally screaming with glee.
As Marinette wondered which present to open next, her eyes fell on an envelope with her name written intricately on it. Drawn at the tips of the M and e were small pink cherry blossom flowers, just like the flowers on Marinette's shirt.
And just like the others she received every year on her birthday...
From her parents...
She picks up the envelope and opens it, revealing a card with the words:
"Always remember... You're never alone."
She opens the card, her eyes widened at the drawing in the inside.
It was a pencil sketch of her celebrating her birthday with her family and friends.
And her parents.
The card wasn't signed. Neither was the envelope. She didn't know who it came from, but it helped filled the empty void inside, filling her with warmth and happiness as she held the card close to her chest.
Hidden behind a tree, cloaked by the shadows, unseen, Gabriel smiles as he watches a happy Marinette join her friends in the merriment. He leaves unnoticed, knowing his work is done.
"Happy Birthday Marinette." A small voice whispered.
Marinette looked down at her purse and smiled.
"Thanks. Nooroo."
Marinette: I'm Marinette. Just an ordinary girl, with an ordinary life. Until the day my parents disappeared... Then one day, two people dressed as butterflies appeared out of nowhere and turned one of my friends into a golem. They terrorized the entire city, until 6 brave heroes came and saved the day. I don't know who these brave heroes truly are, or who's the cutie behind the black cat mask, but I believe in Team Miraculous. I believe they can save us all.
(Marinette looks at her bracelet. The purple jewel glows ominously.)