Chapter Text
Marinett touched down on the tiled rooftop a second before launching back into the air.
Paris, the city of lights, love, and evil butterflies that turned people into supervillains deprived of their free will, looked as lovely as ever to Marinette.
Marinette could not be considered an ordinary girl with an ordinary life, she had doubts that such a person even existed, but acting as a superhero had grown routine since she first discovered the Ladybug earrings in her bedroom during her first year of Lyceé.
Now entering her final year of Lyceé, Marinette was feeling optimistic. She now felt like the miraculous was an opportunity rather than a curse despite her initial apprehension.
If Marinette were being honest, her outlook on her role as Ladybug had more to do with how she perceived her civilian life. As she became isolated from her class, she began to rely on her role as Ladybug as a distraction.
Marinette knew this was not exactly healthy. Though considering how Chat Noir had been doing the same for years, Marinette could not find it in herself to feel too guilty.
And despite what her parents or the Kawmis might say, Marinette was doing fine.
Marinette was doing so incredibly fine that she had even found the time to leave for patrol early.
Whipping her arm back to launch her yo-yo, Marinett shot toward the Eiffel Tower. As she scaled the building, her breathing became slightly pitched.
Arriving at the platform where she and Chat usually meet, Marinette paused. Shivering in the chilled night air, Marinette surveyed the uppermost platform of the Eiffel Tower. Seeing no signs of the leather-clade hero she begrudgingly called her partner, Marinett smiled. It was rare that she beat him to patrol these days with her hectic schedule.
Marinette took the brief time that she would be alone to take in the cityscape below her.
Marinett had seen Paris from the perspective atop the Effiel Tower a million times and believed that she would have to see it a million more times before it would begin to feel dull.
Having noticed that she had zoned out, Marinette looked down at the screen display on her yo-yo, huffing as she saw the time. All the minimal effort it took to leave early for patrol had been for naught as Chat Noir was officially late.
Growing bored, Marinette lazily began to pace the platform as she twirled her yo-yo around in idle circles. Letting her eyes wander, Marinette scoffed upon noticing something catch the light near the center of the platform. Assuming it was trash, Marinette walked closer to the object so she could throw whatever it was away. It was only as Marinette got closer that she could identify the item.
Marinett realized that the object, or objects, could not be considered trash. Marinette could hardly believe her eyes as she knelt to future inspect the items
Marinette gasped as she grabbed the broaches, a sudden urgency motivating her reflexes. She clutched the Butterfly and Peacock miraculous with shaking hands.
They are fake
The realization slammed into Marinette and nearly caused her to topple over. She felt like screaming at the cruelty of such a prank. Because the missing miraculous wouldn't have shown up out of nowhere. Not after years she and Chat Noir spent, tirelessly casing after the missing miraculous. The miraculous being fake was the only logical conclusion Marinette could come to.
She knew of three people capable of such a cruel prank, all of whom would have enjoyed teasing Ladybug.
Marinett, for one, was unamused.
Feeling her simmering frustration begin to boil, Marinett reeled her arm back, intent on launching the fake miraculous far away so she wouldn't be forced to acknowledge their presence and her frustration.
Before Marinette let her arm go, she hesitated. She was reluctant to get her hopes up, but as Ladybug and Guardian of the Miraculous, it was her responsibility to consider the possibility that the two miraculous were real.
The mere thought that she was holding the authentic Butterfly and Peacock miraculous caused her heart to beat rapidly. Marinette slowly lowered her arm and opened her fist to inspect the so-called miraculous. She tilted her hand and watched how the light reflected off the shiny surfaces of the brochures. They looked real enough, though there was one thing jewelry made by mortals could not replicate. And Marinette saw no signs of the Kwamis that gave the Miraculous their powers.
Marinette looked to the sky above, her previous good mood having been vanquished. After regaining her practiced restraint, Marinette looked back down to the supposed Peacock and Butterfly miraculous.
Even though she was beyond irritated, Marinette wondered how Chat Noir would react to such a prank. Always the dramatic one, Marinette could see Chat Noir dramatically flinging himself off the Eiffel Tower.
Marinette was beginning to think the fake Miraculous was the work of citizens instead of supervillains (Lila being under that classification). Marinette knew that certain Parisians were displeased with Ladybug and Chat Noir's continued inability to stop Hawkmoth and Myura. Still, she found it hard to believe that someone would go to such lengths to aggravate her and Chat.
Deciding to humor the pranksters, Marinette playfully called out the names of the Butterfly and Peacock kwamis she'd learned for Tiki, not expecting a response.
“Nooroo? Duusu? Can you hear me?” Marinette rolled her eyes, feeling like she was asking ghosts if they could hear her.
…
“Yes, guardian?”
Marinette felt her heart stop.
Just a prank- It's just a prank- just a…
Marinette could no longer explain away the presence of the miraculous as a prank when she turned to see the deceptively powerless bodies of the Peacock and Butterfly Kwami floating behind her.
“You are here?!” Marinette breathed out, stupidly, for she was at a loss for more elegant wording.
“Yes, we are here.” Duusu supplied, looking as defeated as Marinette felt after years spent trying to stop Hawkmoth and Myura.
“But how-?” Marinette asked, looking back down at the miraculous with renewed awe.
“Who- how- why are you miraculous here!?”
“Please…” Marinette was cut off by the sound of Nooroo’s tiny voice.
“Guardian, it has been so long since we last saw the other Kwami.” Duusu finished because it seemed Nooroo could not.
“I- yes, of course.” Marinette got out after a moment.
At her assumed permission, the Kwami returned to their respective miraculous. After the blur of light from the movement faded, Marinette was left in the dark.
I …. am holding…the real… Peacock… and Butterfly… Miraculous.
I am holding the real Peacock and Butterfly Miraculous.
“Mon Dieu...” Marinette whispered as reality settled in.
Marinette slid open her yo-yo, dropping the miraculous into the portal that led to the miracle box. If she thought Chat Noir would have had an extreme reaction before, Marinett couldn't imagine how he would react to the miraculous being real.
Marinette paced with vigor, wearing holes into the concrete base as she waited for Chat Noir to arrive. Marinette could not focus on one thought at a time as she wondered what this meant for what returning the miraculous meant for Paris, Chat, and the Kwamis.
The Kwamis!
She needed to talk to them. They would be so relieved to be reunited with Nooroo and Duusu after so many years spent apart.
Marinette hesitated as she stepped towards the ledge, debating whether she should stay and wait for Chat to arrive.
Marinette considered herself creative. But even with all her daydreaming, she never fathomed that she would acquire the Peacock and Butterfly miraculous in such a way. Marinett had always assumed that she and Chat Noir would defeat Hawkmoth and Muyra together.
“Oh, mon Dieu!” Marinett exclaimed as she realized that they would finally be able to reveal their identities to one another. After years of their partnership, she would finally be able to learn Chat Noir's real name.
He is going to be so excited.
Chat Noir had been intent on prying anything she was willing to reveal about her life outside of the mask since the very beginning. Marinette found it annoying at times but could relate to being curious about Chat Noir. She wondered what his hobbies were if his eyes were green outside of the transformation, and what his friends were like.
As time continued to pass, the restlessness got to Marinette. She leaped down from the top of the Eiffel Tower, deciding to leave a message for Chat as it became clear that he had been unable to meet for patrol for whatever reason.
Instead of swinging with her yo-yo, Marinette used her yo-yo to leave a voice message for Chat Noir as she descended the Effile Tower by jumping from railing to railing.
“Chat, you are never going to believe this-!”