Marin rested his back against the wall of the entrance of the museum waiting for his friends. His mother had already kept him home for longer than he needed after his overdose of Miraculous spell so he was extremely eager to spend some time outside of his home.
Lifting his head for a moment he looked around for Alya but instead, his heart started to face as he spotted Adrien walking by with his bodyguard and his father's secretary. It had been a while since he saw him, but even so, Adrien somehow was always just as handsome as he remembered. For a moment he wondered if he should call out to him in greeting, they were friends after all. But then doubled down on, not, if only for the sole fact that his voice always had a tendency to get pitchy around him-
"Marin!"
"EEP!" Marin's eyes widened as his face ran red in surprise with Alya surprising him from behind, capturing him in a hug, as well as gaining the attention of everyone around him. He immediately covered his mouth, not wanting to speak ever again in his life, nor sneak a glance at how Adrien reacted to his little...slip up.
But, as if subconsciously, Marin's eyes darted towards his blonde best friend, who returned his eyes contact. His eyes lit up once they spotted him, and immediately Adrien started to wave with a smile on his face, only to be deterred by Nathalie pulling him into the museum.
Marin whimpered to himself as Alya still hung on, squishing her face against his.
"Cutie, I asked Alix to get us into this unveiling, so I could show you, what I figured out about superheroes. Not so you could gawk at Adrien. You can do that any day at school." Alya lightly teased before then grabbing his arm to drag him inside.
"What- no, I'm all ears for..." Marin's thought went into overdrive trying to remember what Alya had told him before, but he was blanking. "whatever it is you wanted to show me." He stammered as he then saw Alix was waiting for them. He waved to her as Alya continued her speech.
Okay? First, you need to know that Ladybug and Chat Noir get their powers from jewels called Miraculous-"
"What? There is no way that's true." Marin immediately interrupted as he couldn't believe his trusted best had had just revealed a dangerous piece of information.
"Trust me cutie pie, I have my reliable sources," Alys remarked.
"Alya. You told me that you'd stop researching Ladybug's secret identity." Marin said sternly as Alix stood beside him. "Remember when you almost got suspended when you thought Chloe of all people was Ladybug? And then Akumatized right after?"
"Oh I know, but this research has nothing to do with his identity," Alya said sheepishly but Marin didn't trust something about her tone. " I'm going to help Ladybug unmask Hawkmoth, and I think I may have found just the connection between the superheroes and Hawkmoth! Come on!" Alya said taking the lead and running through the museum, past the no running sign.
Marin took a deep breath, placing his hands together after trying to rub the tired out of his face. "This is fine." Marin said as Alix had to drag him to follow Alya.
"Okay, I'm convinced that Ladybug, Chat Noir, and the others have been depicted through the centuries. Until for some reason the world forgot about them." Alya said as they walked through the Egyptian exhibit. "We already know about this one, the Ladybug from Ancient Egypt." Alya said, presenting the piece of Ladybug evidence that Marin himself had led her to find, and then unintentionally helped her discover how ancient his predecessors ran. He never thought he'd wish back the days when Alya still thought he was a girl, at least there'd still be a buffer between her investigation and not including him in said bug hunt.
"Allegedly."
"The Pharaoh called him and Chat Noir out by name." Alya pointed out.
Marin hummed as he crossed his arms. "Hm, don't remember that, as the only thing I do remember was getting tossed in a sarcophagus. Besides, that guy wasn't a real Pharaoh, that was a nerd being possessed by Hawkmoth to prove a theory, no offense to your brother Alix."
"None taken, he's a huge nerd."
"But you were the one who showed me this in the first place. Didn't you say that an acquaintance pointed this out to you?" Alya asked.
"Yeah but I haven't talked to them in forever, they ghosted me a few days after I started talking about the hundreds of methods you could use to bake bread."
"I hear that." Alix remarked. "You are way too into bread. Like, you'd probably marry bread if you could."
"...Okay I'm hitting eject on this conversation," Marin said, walking away once his face started to burn with embarrassment.
"WE GOT A BREAD WEIRDO OVER HERE!" Alix yelled out into the hall just before Marin slapped his hand against her mouth and then dragged her away with Alya trailing behind almost falling over from laughter.
"Here, a black knight or, a black cat Miraculous holder." Alya pointed out in the hall of oil paintings, and then ran down it towards another painting. "and here, a lady? Or a Butterfly Miraculous superhero! Not to mention this!" Alya said as she took out her phone. "Heracles? Or a Lion Miraculous holder?"
"A Lion Miraculous?" Marin asked tilted his head as he looked at the photo. For a moment he thought that maybe there could be the slightest chance. But then again, Miraculous were usually jewelry, what kind of Miraculous would manifest as a skinned Lion's pet? Gauntlets maybe, but even that could be a stretch.
"Why not a bunny Miraculous while you're at it?" Alix joked as Marin averted his gaze nervously at the remembrance that Fluff was indeed the Kwami of the Bunny Miraculous.
Alya rolled her eyes in amusement, going along with the joke for a moment. "Except here's the big money, the one thing that all these works of art have in common," Alya said as she pulled up her image gallery. "It's the same symbol on every single one." She said pointing to an emblem that was all too familiar to Marin. "It's like a secret society emblem or something, like something out of National Treasure. Maybe some kind of brotherhood that watches over Miraculous Holders since the beginning of time." Alya said, sounding like she was still pondering the implications of the symbol. Meaning while she had a contention, she would have no idea how major the implications were.
"Or something," Marin said.
"Ugh, why do you have to throw off my groove dude?" Alya complained placing his hands on her hips.
"Because that symbol could mean just about anything. It could be a signature of the time period the art was made in for all you know. I'm just saying, these similarities are one thing but it's possible that these paintings could have the same painter or-"
"I've seen that symbol." Alix said suddenly as Marin looked at her, screaming internally at how helpful his friends were to each other.
"Oh really?" Alya asked pushing the bridge of her glasses up with a devious expression on her face as she glanced at Marin with a knowing expression on her face. They started walked back down to the main hall where the revelation was supposed to be.
"Yeah, it's on that old Tibetan statue that my old man is about to present. According to my old man it's almost 200 years old."
"OHHHH, I found that there haven't been any Miraculous-wearing superheroes for the last 200-years." Alya said growing more excited.
"So this statue would be the last trace of any Miraculous?" Alix asked, growing more excited herself.
"Until Ladybug and Chat Noir showed up a few months ago, yeah!"
"That's so rad!" Alix remarked just as they walked into the hall crowded with people. Marin's stomach started to churn in displeasure, being surrounded by a group of strangers in a place that was supposed to be nice a quiet.
"I'm sure my video will help Ladybug unmask Hawkmoth-"
"Hold on a second, you're going to publish your theory on your Ladyblog?" Marin asked cutting in as he heard Alya speak up again. "Don't you need hard evidence or at least something to back up what you're saying?"
"Actually, I already uploaded the video this morning..."
"The Mystery of the Miraculous, it's awesome!" Alix cut un.
"Alix, you're into this kind of stuff?" Marin asked in surprise.
"Yeah, everyone is. Well, everyone except you maybe." Alix pointed out. "Aren't you curious about this kinda stuff?"
"No way. Come on Alya you don't think that there's actually any foundation to this do you?"
"Well obviously Ladybug and Chat Noir won't be around for long if they defeat Hawkmoth, after all they only showed up when that guy was causing trouble. It only makes sense that they'd disappear again once Hawkmoth is defeated. So, I guess good on you for helping get us through this as soon as possible."
"Psh, like that'd stop me from reporting on this." Alya said just as the statue was revealed and everyone began to clap. Marin stood with his friends on the staircase, overlooking everything, but for a moment Marin could feel an all too familiar feeling. His eyes were drawn to the statue, and he could sense something off about the statue, he could feel the presence of something evil.
Marin held up his phone as he and Master Fu watched Alya's newest video together. While nearby, Tikki and Wayzz were having a little tea party with mini cupcakes decorated with buttercream flowers.
"I'm sorry master, I knew what Alya was like before I thought trusting her with a Miraculous was a good idea. Now she's snooping around in places that could lead her in places she shouldn't be going."
"Alya is an excellent journalist, she's not the first to unravel this connection between the Miraculous and the Guardians, and I doubt that she'll be the last. Rest assured there is no direct link that could lead her to find out about us or the Miraculous box. Now, what was it that you wanted to talk about?"
"It was actually about this." Marin said as he took his phone back from Master Fu and pulled up a photo of the statue that Alix's dad found. "I sensed something from it, like it was sentient or something-"
"Impossible! That's impossible!" Master Fu gasped as he swatted Marin's phone away, clearly disturbed by what he saw.
"Master?" Marin asked as Wayzz and Tikki turned their attention towards their Master. "Is there something up with this statue-"
"It is no statue Marinus. It is a sentimonster, one that is very ancient and very powerful."
"A sentimonster?" Marin asked. "But...Alix said that it was found over 200 years ago. Do you think that Mayura may have created it that long ago?"
"No...no I don't." Master Fu said shaking his head as he then walked towards the window with his hand folded behind his back. "It was created from emotions in it's rawest form, from within the anger and grief of a young boy who had never properly learned how to quell his emotions. I'm sorry Marinus, but for you to understand, then you must know the entire story." Master said as Marin could only listen to his sorrowful Master.
"I was younger than you are now when I was chosen to become a guardian of the Miraculous. My parents told me it was a great honor, and to reject such a calling would disgrace our family. So they left me in the hands of the monks who served. It was miserable living there under their strict code of ethics, it was incredibly lonely. One of the trials I had to face was to watch over a Miracle Box without food or drink for days in order to temper my body. The only item I had with me was an apprentice's staff.
Soon, I could take it no longer, thusly I had decided to use the Peacock Miraculous, infusing it's power with my apprentice staff as it's anchor. All I wanted was a kind little companion to bring me some rice balls. But in my folly, I had made a grave mistake. As with each passing day I not only grew hungrier, I grew angrier as well. Angry at my family for passing me along to the monks like I was a sack of rice to be sold off at a market, angry at the monks for stealing me away from my family, but most of all; I held hatred for the temple, and the loneliness it made me endure for so long.
As a result, this anger manifested within the sentimonster I had created, one that only wished to follow it's masters command. And at the time, I subconsciously wished for the temple and Miraculous to disappear. The sentimonter consumed everything and everyone in sight, destroying the temple in such a short time. In the panic, I had lost my staff, and my will to even think about destroying it. As a result, the sentimonster had grown even more confused and ravenous, furiously looking to consume anything that would quell its insatiable hunger. Within the panic, an elder monk ordered me to take the Miraculous box I was guarding as well the single remaining grimoire and flee as far as I could.
But as I had escaped into the mountain range the last thing I saw was the temple being devoured and realized that the only remaining Miracle box was the one I was protecting. As I ran for my life along the way I had lost the grimore and the 2 Miraculous you now fight against. From then on I realized that I could no longer return to the temple, nor my family for the fear that the monster would consume them always terrified me. From then on I believed the Sentimoster had been vanquished for good by the monks, but I can see now that it was foolish of me to believe so. And now, it has been unearthed. Should it find it's way out of the seal it's contained in..." Master Fu hung his head as he gripped the helm of his pants. Tikki and Wayzz both hovered near him trying to comfort him while Marin expression sparked with determination.
"Master, Chat Noir and I will stop it and release the amok." Marin said boldly.
"You will lose." Master Fu said bluntly. "He destroyed the order of the Guardians, is immune to the power of the Miraculous. I'm sorry Marinus, I've deceived you all this time, I've no right to be called Master, let alone a Guardian."
"That's not true Master!" Marin argued. "You're the only reason that the Miracle box has been kept safe all this time, and the reason that Paris has heroes to protect them from Hawkmoth.
"But I am also the reason that you and Chat Noir were placed with this burden on your shoulders, and the reason that Hawkmoth and Mauyra have caused chaos within the city to begin with. I will repeat my same mistake over again. You and Chat Noir will return you Miraculous to me, and then I will return into hiding just as I have before. If the monster is solely after the Miracle box and the Miraculous then I must ensure that it will never find it's target.
"Master that's ridiculous. You can't keep running from something like this, you're too old! You can't use a Miraculous to protect yourself, let alone a Miraculous box. Heck, you even need me to open the front door of your house when you lock yourself out with both pairs of key's inside!"
"That was an accident." Master Fu tried to argue.
"It happened by accident over a dozen times?" Marin pointed, dumbfounded by his teacher who in turn sighed heavily.
"Not matter. Whatever happens to me will happen. It was my fault everything bad happened, that Nooroo is not longer with his siblings." Master Fu said as he turned towards Tikki and Wayzz, who clearly still missed their brother terribly.
"It's not your fault, it's Hawkmoth's for using his Miraculous for evil." Marin pointed out gripping his fists.
"And who's mistake caused that?" Master Fu pointed out as he turned his back on his pupil.
"When you chose me as Ladybug you placed your trust in me, just like you placed your trust in Chat Noir. Please, just leave it to us, we'll nip this problem right in the bud." Marin said reassuringly with approval from both Kwamis. But even so, Master Fu still had a somber expression on his face.
"Nathalie is just having a dizzy spell, it's nothing serious." Adrien's father said as Adrien knelt by Nathalie's side with a concerned expression on his face. He glanced at his father for a moment with uncertainly.
"It's thoughtful for you to be concerned," Nathalie said with a weary smile. "I'm alright Adrien."
"But-" Adrien was about to argue before his father placed a hand on his shoulder, preventing him from speaking.
"You don't have to be worried about her."
Adrien wavered as he saw his father's expression soften from his usual stoic nature. "If you say so father." Adrien said as he walked back to his room, followed by his bodyguard until he shut the door behind him.
"Hey, why the long face?" Plagg asked as he flew out of his hiding place.
Adrien hesitated as he glanced at the photo of his mother always placed nearby. "Nathalie's condition..."
"I'm sure she'll be fine, you know how hard she works."
But Adrien shook his head. "My father used to say the same thing about my mother, but it only got worse..."
"How about a duet?" Plagg said flying over to the other end of the piano.
"You can play the piano?" Adrien asked wearily.
"Of course! I am a Kwami of many talents!" Plagg said as he started playing the key one by one with his feet in a ragtime upbeat tune.
A smile suddenly drew on Adrien's face as he immediately mirrored his Kwami's playing, ending up laughing as Plagg ended the song by running all over the keys. "My mother used to be the only person who could make me laugh like that. Thank's Plagg." Adrien said gratefully as he petted Plaggs head.
When night fell, Mayura broke into the museum under Hawkmoth's orders. She easily evaded security, landing before the sealed away sentimonter that was brimming with power.
"I can feel it yearning," Mayura said as she placed her hand before the sentient sentimonter before her. "It's hungry, ravenous for Miraculous." As she placed her hand against the alter it begun to crack. But just before she could access the sentimonster she felt a presence behind her, blocking an attack from Ladybug who descended from about.
"Didn't you hear? The Museum said no touching the exhibits!" Ladybug said as he kicked towards her, but as Mayura grabbed his ankle he responded by using his other leg to kick her square in the head, knocking her back a few feet.
"So Ladybug, we finally meet." Mayura said holding her fan near her face just as the seal broke. "What brings you here?"
"I think you already know." Ladybug said as they both turned their heads to the sound of rubble moving.
"Yum Yum, Miraculous!" The sentimonster exclaimed as both Mayura and Ladybug evaded it jumping towards them. The sentimonster turned against Mayura first, most likely recognizing the Miraculous it was created with, but was displeased that its original creator was nowhere in sight.
"Take one more step and I'll take away your Amok from you!" Mayura commended as the Sentimonster winced under her command. "Do you really want me to destroy you?"
"Sentimonsters aren't your toys to be used like that!" Ladybug remarked angrily, "They're living beings with emotions just like you or me! If you keep playing around like this then you're going to-"
"That's enough out of you." Mayura said turning the Sentimonster's attention towards him. "Claim his Miraculous and I shall allow you to live."
"Yum Yum!" The Sentimonster cheered, now chasing after the hero who flipped backward to avoid the sentimonster's tongue.
"The Sentimonster is all yours Hawkmoth." Mayura said, dashing towards Ladybug to cover the arrival of the Akuma, distracting him with her attacks while the Akuma possessed the Sentimonster.
"Yummy! Miraculous!" The Sentimonster said as Ladybug gasped at how it grew in size under Hawkmoth's control. He took a few steps back before jumping on top of the staircase railing, easily jumping towards the skylight and escaping into the night.
Mayura smirked in amusement, watching as Feast roared and then followed after the hero, already knowing that neither he, Chat Noir, nor the Guardian would have a chance to escape.
Master Fu was already packing his most important belongings onto the back of his bicycle within his massage studio. Just as he tied the last box on his bike, he turned to see Ladybug slamming open the door before him, shaken up and almost out of breath.
"Master! You need to use Kalkki and get as far away from here as possible." Ladybug said as he knelt before his Master, knowing that Feast would be following close behind. "Hawkmoth akumatized the monster, now it's huge and it's caught the scent of the Miraculous." Ladybug said trying to catch his breath.
Master Fu took a moment to place a hand on his student's shoulder."I'm sorry Marinus. But even if I'm no true Guardian, it's my responsibility to keep the Miraculous and you safe." Master Fu said as he approached his student. "I'm glad I had the chance to meet you."
"The Miraculous and me?" Ladybug repeated just before Master Fu chopped the back of his neck, knocking him out cold and into his arms.
"Master! What have you done?!" Wayzz gasped as he hovered before his friend, worried about his safety. Master Fu placed Marinus on the futon that was still lain out then pulled the covers over him.
"Hawkmoth has made this situation more dire than ever. Marinus has done the best he can, but now I need to be the one taking responsibility." Master Fu said as he removed Ladybug's Miraculous, turning him back to normal. "Don't worry Wayzz, he'll be safe here. For now we must retrieve Plagg."
"But..." Wayzz said in defeat as he realized Fu wasn't listening anymore as he rolled the bike towards the sidewalk.
"Time is of the essence." Master Fu said sternly as Wayzz hung his head. "The longer we stay here the more danger Adrien will be in."
"Yes Master." Wayzz said in defeat, looking back at Marinys for what could be the last time before following Master Fu.
Adrien's eyes fluttered open just as he saw a paper falling before him.
"Plagg?" He asked, then his eyes widened as he realized his Kwami was nowhere in sight as he picked up the note.
"Dear Adrien, you've gone above and beyond the duty of any Chat Noir before your time. But I regret to inform you that in order for yours and Ladybug's protection, Tikki and Plagg must..." Adrien gasped as he realized that he wasn't wearing his Miraculous anymore. He dashed towards the window, seeing a green Kwami flying towards Master Fu who was on a bike. But they quickly speeded off as they were being chased by what looked to be a giant blue frog.
Immediately he looked around, the first thing his eyes rested on was the Banana man suit that he, borrowed, about a week ago. Right now, he didn't have a lot of options.
"You see?!" Master Fu explained as he was both pedaling for the sake of himself and the 17 other most important beings in his life. "If Adrien and Marinus still had their Miraculous then they'd already be eaten up by now!" Master Fu yelled against the sound of wind and the night traffic against them.
"Or they'd be fighting against that thing, as you intended for them to!" Wayzz pointed out as he looked back worriedly at the approaching giant Sentimonster.
"Not against something as monstrous as this Wayzz, this is for their and our protection! Sometimes fighting is futile!" Master Fu said, but both of their attentions was garnered by a Banana approaching them.
"Evening Mr. Master!" The banana said with a broom attached to his back, riding on a scooter. "Are you aware that you have cat-napped my Kwami?!"
"Adrien?!" Master Fu and Wayzz said in shock.
"You need to get out of here, you're in danger!" Master Fu immediately scolded as they both winded through traffic while Feast approached them.
"I think that's my line sir!" Adrien said as they both evaded Feasts tongue. "If you would just return my Miraculous, or maybe give me constructive criticism as to what I did wrong to lose it-"
"The fault was my own, leave now before it too late!" Master Fu warned.
"Can't do that sir! I know Ladybug would say to protect you, and I trust him with my life!" Adrien said hanging back to try and delay Feast.
"Who else would go so far as to help you? Wayzz asked, trying to prompt his Master to reconsider. "Master, there's no use in running. Your disciples are already fighting to protect you! With or without their Miraculous they're Ladybug and Chat Noir,
"The longer I stay more I risk their and everyone else's safety.
" Master, I know you're scared, but whether you like it or not, you're a Guardian! You need to stop making excuses!" Wayzz snapped at his longtime friend.
"Precisely, which is why this is my decision to make." Master Fu said back as he placed his hand on his Miraculous, about to remove it.
"I'm sorry Master, it was always an honor to be your Kwami." Wayzz said then grabbed his Miraculous from Master Fu's hand then flew off out of range.
"WAYZZ!" Master Fu called out fearfully as he saw his best friend flying towards the creature, Miraculous in hand.
"Over here!" The Kwami called out, diverting Feasts attention just enough for Adrien's plan to be set into motion as a moment later a bus crashed into the beast, it's drive already having jumped to safety.
Unfortunately, Feast didn't feel the impact at all, instead, it ate the bus who and turned his attention towards the Kwami before him.
"Hey!" Master Fu called out, holding up the Miracle Box, "This is what you want isn't it?!"
"Master! No!" Adrien called out.
"I'm the one you've wanted for the past 172 years!" Master Fu said as he held Chat Noir's ring behind him. Adrien gasped for a moment before he took it, then tumbled out of the way as Feast continued to chase after the old man.
"Thank you Chat Noir." Master Fu said gratefully as Chat Noir nodded, placing him on top of the bus. "Wait, Ladybug doesn't have his Miraculous! You can't fight Feast alone!"
"It's alright Master," Adrien said as he stood before Master Fu protectively with his staff in hand. "If I know my partner, and I do. He'll find to steal the show." Chat Noir said as he jumped down towards Feast.
Marin ran through the streets, half trying to run for his life, half trying to focus on where Feast was, and half trying not to scream out in panic. He had no idea where he was going, he had no idea why the Master would act so drastically like that, and he was hoping that his parents were still buying that he was studying in his room. But then he spotted someone familiar and green.
"Wayzz!" Marin called out spotting the Turtle Kwami flying overhead. He caught his attention as the Kwami flew down towards him on the empty street. "Where's Master Fu?"
"That monster is chasing him, Chat Noir is protecting him but I don't know how much longer they can hold on!" Wayzz said as Marin noticed he was holding his Miraculous in hand.
"It'll be alright because we're going to save them," Marin said taking the Turtle Miraculous and placing it on his wrist much to Wayzz's a moment the Miraculous turned into a pink string bracelet with a marble turtle emblem."Ready?"
Wayzz was stunned for a moment but then nodded in affirmation. "Anything to save my best friend."
"Wayzz, shell on!"
"Please hurry up my Lady, I don't want to be eaten." Chat Noir silently prayed as his baton was snatched from his hand. He was on all fours to evade Feast's tongue, really not wanting to be on the receiving end of it, but then found his back against the bus right next to the Master Fu as he sought cover for a moment.
"Any ideas?" Chat Noir asked. "There's no sign of the Amok."
"The Amok should be in a staff, but I have no idea where it is.
"So all I have to do is blast it with a cataclysm right?" Chat Noir asked flexing his claws.
"No! If you destroy the beast there's no telling what could happen to it. You may make it spiral more out of control than it is already!" Master Fu said just as Feast swallowed the bus they were using for cover.
Both Chat Noir and Master Fu faced down the monster before, already about to swallow them as well. Before that could happen, Chat Noir stepped before Master Fu as a last-ditch attempt to protect the Master and the Miraculous, shutting his eyes tightly. When all of a sudden he heard a familiar voice.
"Protection!"
Chat Noir hesitated for a moment before opening his eyes, seeing a familiar barrier erected around them. His ears pricked up as he heard someone stepping right beside him, and he was looking up towards the person he knew all too well, but was donning the Turtle Miraculous.
"See? What did I say?!" Chat Noir said with a smile, looking back at the Master who was equally as shocked.
"Ladybug." Master Fu said with a look of guilt across his face. "I'm-"
"We can talk about this later, for now called me Biē Jiǎ." The new hero said as he held his arms forward, keeping the shield up while Feast kept trying to breakthrough.
"Um, we're safe in here right?" Chat Noir asked as he heard Biē Jiǎ's Miraculous start to beep.
"So long as Biē Jiǎ can keep his concentration." Master Fu said. "But it's a far too temporary solution, we still don't know where the Amok is. If we can figure it out, then there's a chance that the Akuma will be released as well."
"Actually, we do know Master." Biē Jiǎ said turning his head back towards the two. "Don't you remember? I told you that I sensed the Amok coming straight from Feast."
"Yeah, so?" Chat Noir asked.
Master Fu then gasped with realization as he figured out what his pupil was trying to say. "Biē Jiǎ and Ladybug by extension have the ability to sense both Akuma and Amok's, not the monster itself, but the item of possession."
"Then that means..." Chat Noir grimaced as his ears flattened.
"Yup, get ready to run Master, leave the rest to us." Biē Jiǎ said as Master Fu passed the Ladybug earrings to him, just as his shield was about to break.
"Ohhh, not the tongue." Chat Noir groaned as he wrapped his arm around Biē Jiǎ's waist, closing his eyes as Feasts' tongue broke through the shield, and Biē Jiǎ's Miraculous beeped for the final time.
Marin transformed back just as he and Chat Noir were swallowed up. He felt hs partner's arm wrapped around his waist while he placed an arm around his shoulder to hang on.
"Chat-"
"I know I know, eyes closed. I'm not gonna peep." Chat Noir said lamely, sounding a little sour as they both now had Feasts slime on them from the trip down. A giggle escaped Marin's lips as he put his earrings back on, summoning his precious Kwami before him in a red light. Tikki's eyes lit up as she saw him, but kept her mouth shut as she saw Chat Noir floating beside him. Instead, she hugged his cheek, not caring that he was covered in slime.
"I missed you too Sugarcube." Marin said. "Tikki, spots on!"
In a moment he transformed, and Chat Noir opened his eyes yet still had an unamused frown on his face.
"You owe me for that you know." Chat Noir remarked, crossing his arms.
Ladybug smiled sheepishly at him, clapping his hands together pleadingly, "I know. Will ice cream help make up for this? I'll treat you."
"It's a start." Chat Noir said with a cheeky grin, winking at his partner before then spotting something familiar. "Hey, my staff!" He said making swimming motions to get closer to his weapon, but when he tried to pop it, his staff only dispersed into small bubbles. "Hey, what gives!?" The hero demanded.
"Everything in here must be sealed away by magic somehow, otherwise they'd just overwhelm Feast." Ladybug remarked as he took out his yo-yo. "That being said, this place is far too large, and we have far too little time. Lucky Charm!" He said, holding up his yo-yo overhead.
"Be careful with what you eat."Chat Noir said holding his hand out. "Cataclysm!" He said, activating his power and easily swiped through the bubble, destroying the staff before them.
"That's enough mischief for you little ones, it's time to purify!" Ladybug said as he caught the Akuma and the Amok in one motion. Then opening it once more, watching the newly purified Akuma and Amok disperse. "Bye-bye. Miraculous Ladybug!" Ladybug then said, and turned everything back to normal.
He, Chat Noir, and Master Fu pounded their fists victoriously as the danger had passed.
"Thank you Ladybug, Chat Noir. It's thanks to you both that I no longer live in fear of that Sentimonster anymore." Master Fu said as Ladybug returned his Miraculous. He placed it on his wrist, summing Wayzz who had a proud smile on his face.
"I only put your teaching to practice Master." Ladybug said humbly. "But don't think we're not going to talk about what happened back there." He said crossing his arms sternly. Wayzz nodded in agreement, but Master Fu smiled, it was a small price to pay considering the alternative. Just then Ladybug and Chat Noir's Miraculous started to beep.
"Well I think we'd both put your teaching to practice now." Chat Noir pointed out as both his and Ladybug's Miraculous began to beep. "But don't expect me not to follow up on when the heck you started learning how to use the other Miraculous." Chat Noir said as Ladybug chuckled nervously, rubbing the back of his neck. Both heroes waved good-bye as they ran in different directions while Master Fu looked at both of his disciples proudly.
The next evening Marin showed Master Fu the footage of the Guardian's temple that had returned back to normal.
"My mistake has been undone, the monks have been freed and the temple has returned to its former glory. Words cannot begin to convey how grateful I am to you and to Chat Noir." Master Fu said bowing his head towards his student. "The life of a Guardian is hard, but if I could change one thing in my youth it would've been to share some of those burdens with another. However, there was a blessing within all the grief, had I not made the choices that I had, I may not have met you. Marinus Dupain Chueng, should I fail my mission before it is complete-
"Master, nothing is going to happen to you." Marin said as Wayzz and Tikki sat on his shoulder.
"You're very kind to care Marinus, but this should be something you need to hear."
"Should I fail my mission before it is complete I bequeath my role of a guardian to you."
"A- A guardian? To protect the Miraculous, Master I can't-"
" I've spent my entire life protecting the Miraculous. If I ever had dreams when I was younger then they were lost the moment I used the Peacock Miraculous for my own selfish purposes, for evil."
"Master, you were just a kid."
"A child who had one job, who's failure resulted in the destruction of the temple. I carry my burdens, my regrets every day and I would never wish them upon you or Chat Noir. Ideally, once your mission is complete, and the threat is quelled, I shall return the Miraculous box to its right place and disappear for one final time."
"Disappear? But Master what about Madam Lenoir? She's waiting for you for years now." Marin said as he remembered what she told him the last time they met.
"Marianne is incredibly precious to me, but neither of us has regretted the life we spent apart." Master Fu said as pulled photo frame out of a box. One that showed a family portrait of Marianne among her large family, he could easily point out her grandchildren, children and her smiling next to her wife "I would have never asked her to place her life on hold for me, she was married had a beautiful family. Even though she fell in love with someone else, she has always desired to include me in that same life for what remaining time we both have. Which is why, if I fail before then. I place the role of the guardian onto your shoulders. It will be your decision as to the fate of the Miraculous. Should you decide to continue your role as Ladybug, to seal away the Miraculous, to flee far from the range of Hawkmoth's tyranny, to pass along the role..."
"I told you before, nothing is going to happen to you Master." Marin said more sternly this time. "But if you decide to retire early, then I'll consider it."
"Excellent, your first task will be to guard the Miracle box for 24 hours without food." Master Fu said.
"Of course Master." Marin said without hesitation as Tikki glared at her partner, then poked his cheek in disapproval. "What?" He asked sincerely, wondering why his Kwami was so upset, but received an answer as Master Fu started laughing.
"Eager as always Marinus. But that was a joke, I would never subject you to the same rigorous training I endured. Instead, prove to me that you can help me clear out all these moving boxes and you'll be a fully-fledged Ladybug." Master Fu said as he gestured to the boxes that were already packed from yesterday's events.
Marin helped Master Fu carry his boxes to the moving truck, taking one final look at his Master's shop in melancholy. Part of him would miss this place, after all, it held many good memories for him. Once they were finished he stood near the front near the drivers' window, looking up at Master who had donned a disguise, now wearing a hat and a fake mustache.
"You sure you'll be alright on your own?" Marin asked, noticing Wayzz peaking out of Master Fu's shirt pocket.
"All I can hope for is that you will never have to sacrifice your dreams due to my mistakes."
" Mistakes make us who we are. It's important that we never allow them to linger long enough for them to take over." Marin repeated as he remembered the last time he considered leaving behind the mantle of Ladybug. "Even though I hated being Ladybug at first, I've already made my choice. I'm want to save Nooroo no matter what and stop Hawkmoth and Mayura from their evil. Even if it may be overwhelming at times I know that as long as I have Chat Noir and Tikki and the rest of the Kwami's then we'll be able to overcome any hurdle."
"Well said." Master Fu nodded in approval.
"Oh, but before you go." Marin said as he handed a white box to his teacher. "It's a...truck warming gift." His chest swelled with a bittersweet pride as he saw Master Fu opening it up. Almost immediately Wayzz dived into the box that was a collection of miniature treats. Each one was the favorite of one Kwami, all of them carefully decorated by hand. "It'll probably be a while until we see each other again."
"Don't worry, as long as Hawkmoth is a threat I will always be around to lend Ladybug and Chat Noir a hand." Master Fu nodded as he and Wayzz waved at before driving away.
Marin lingered over the trust driving away he had a sinking feeling slowly grow. Instinctively, he placed his hand in his messenger bag, slowly feeling at ease as he felt Tikki nuzzle against his hand, easing him a little but not fully ridding him of that foreboding feeling in his gut.
Notes:
- Marin has transformed with all of the Miraculous, his transformation with Wayzz is Biē Jiǎ just translated to Turtle Shell.
-Marie is pan and had a life partner had kids and has a bunch of grand kids.
- Unofficially Marianne and Fu were super best friends, but then that world war happened and they spent a lot of time apart. She ended up marrying one of Fu's best friends and they lived together happily in the swiss alps raising a big family while still keeping in touch. Eventually, Marinne's wife died a couple of years before the start of the series of natural causes. Soon after Marianne contacted Fu with some hope that they could find happiness, and then Backwarder happened, but she was fine with waiting a little while longer.
- Next episode. Nothing really much happens. Nah, may as well skip it, it's so irrelevant, no reason to acknowledge it.
- Link to concept art on ArchiveOfOurOwn page.