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“Maman! Maman! Tell me the story again!” A young girl asked her mother. Her dark hair swayed while she jumped up and down, her bluebell eyes lit up in excitement. “The one about the angels!”
“Alright Marinette sweetie,” the girl’s mother replied. “But you have to get in your pajamas first.”
Marinette squealed with excitement before rushing off to get ready for bed. Before much time had passed, she lay in bed with her mother Sabine sitting at the foot of it.
“As the story goes, whenever an angel flies over a sick child, the child becomes an angel too. Leaving nothing but a broken mirror behind. From there they go to the Celestial City and stay there for the rest of time until they take their flights.”
“And that’s why we always put a mirror in my room when I’m feeling poorly!”
“Yes, that is why. Now off to bed my little baker.
Have sweet dreams.”
“Goodnight maman!”
----
“Dami! Get better soon! You have to incase the angels come!”
“The both of us are ten Marinette. I’m not a child and neither are you.”
Marinette frowned. Her best friend Damian was sick and he wouldn't listen to her! If the angels flew over him and he disappeared, then how would they know what happened to him?
“Hmph!” Marinette cried out before discreetly pullin the hand mirror out of her apron pocket. She sat on the end of Damian’s bed as the mirror fell to the ground. Nudging it under the bed, Marinette felt satisfied. “You're so stubborn, Damian!”
While Marinette was a mere baker’s daughter, Damian was a noble’s son. However everyone knew that his family was cursed. Each Wayne child had been passed over by angels when sick. First Richard Grayson, then Jason Todd, even Tim Drake- who Bruce had been watching over temporarily. All three had fallen ill and then disappeared with nothing but a broken mirror. As such Bruce demanded that whenever Damian was ill, no mirrors could be in his room. Although now Damian was ten, the oldest Wayne child to survive. But something had told Marinette that Damian needed a mirror this time.
So she hid a mirror in his room.
The two were always an unlikely pair. The cold and callous Damian Wayne becoming friends with the sweet and kind Marinette Dupain-Cheng was unthinkable before the two had bonded. It had happened after Damian had been caught out in the rain and Marinette had given him shelter. By the time Bruce found the two, Damian had been in the middle of baking bread with the Dupain-Chengs. They had only grown closer from there.
“What are you thinking about?” The boy asked, shaking Marinette out of her reverie.
“Hmm? Nothing. Just how we met.”
“Oh?”
“Yeah. It just feels like after today I’m not going to see you for awhile.”
“Well I shall prove you wrong. Visit me tomorrow morning and I will still be there.”
Marinette smiled. “Thank you, Damian.”
Damian nodded, and soon Marinette had to leave. The day had passed quickly, and it was now night.
“Farewell, for now, Damian,” Marinette told her best friend. “As I shall see you soon.”
“Goodbye Marinette, I shall see you tomorrow.”
Just as Marinette was about to leave, she turned back and enveloped the sick boy in her arms. Squeezing him, she turned back around and fled the room, tears pricking her eyes.
----
That was the last day Marinette saw Damian. She had come in the next morning to see him missing from his covers. Marinette had laid down and grabbed the hidden mirror, only to see the long crack splitting the mirror in half. She tucked it back in her pocket before informing Mr. Wayne, crying for her friend.
Two years had passed since that fateful night. Marinette was now twelve and was working more and more at the bakery. However as much as she loved baking, she wanted to be a seamstress. She had grown cold and distant from everyone, missing her friend. Marinette tended to avoid the noble’s district, as she was reminded of Damian.
Marinette still felt like she would see Damian again, but she was losing hope. She was still stuck on the mortal plane, and as the days trudged on Marinette kept getting older. Marinette knew she was going to become an angel. How else would she see Damian again?
As such, she was never careful with her health. Not extremely, as she still washed her hands and foods before preparing anything. But she would work extremely hard and would walk out in the cold and rain without a care. Yet, she was blessed with good health. The villagers considered her lucky, all except Marinette.
It was midwinter when Marinette fell sick. Her parents put a mirror in her room for tradition’s sake, but she still held her hand mirror from all those years ago. As Marinette lay in her bed that night, she felt it was time. She fell asleep with a smile on her face, knowing she would see Damian soon.
----
“Marinette! Marinette!” A voice called to her. She groaned, moving away from the finger poking her cheek.
“Five more minutes!” She murmured.
“Marinette!”
She opened her eyes to reveal a face she hadn’t seen in years. Green eyes lit with mischief, lips curved into a smirk. Damian Wayne looked right back at her.
“Told you we’d meet again.”
Damian barked out a laugh. “Yes, you did. How did you know?”
“Gut feeling.”
“Hmm.”
“What?”
“I have a theory.”
“Penny for your thoughts?”
“Not yet, no.”
“Can you at least tell me where we are?”
“The Celestial City.”
“THE CELESTIAL CITY?!”
“Yes, no need to shout, Marinette.”
“But I was told it was just a fairy tale-” Marinette cut off. “WHAT THE HELL?”
Her surprise was warranted, as she had just noticed an obvious change about her friend. On his back were big, elegant, black feathered wings with a green sheen to them. At the end of them were a single spike at each wing. They were beautiful.
Damian followed her gaze. “Oh? My wings? You have them too now.”
Her head whipped around as she stared at her own wings. They were an off-white color. But instead of encroaching on cream territory, the off white seemed pinkish.
She stared at her wings, seemingly unable to wrap her head around the idea of wings.
“Woah.”
----
“So you and your brothers were taken because of your affinity with gods?” Marinette asked Damian. They were currently walking through the Celestial Town as Damian educated Mari on the background and history.
“No, because we each had a fragment of the Kwami’s soul.”
“Yeah, so an affinity with a kwami.”
“No, a soul fragment.”
“Tomato, tomahto.”
“No, an affinity is when someone is like a kwami and is able to use their magics. Being a fragment means you are part of the Kwami.”
“Huh.”
“It was strange when I first learned of it as well.”
“So what kwami are you a fragment of?”
“The kwami of destruction, Plagg.”
“Oh. Am I one?”
“A fragment?” Damian asked. When he received a nod he answered. “I don’t know. Nobody can tell except the Kwami before your wings change.”
“Wings change?”
“Change color. Like how mine is black. They used to be a light green color before they changed.”
“What causes them to change?”
“Various things.”
“As?”
“Stress, reaching important milestones, the Kwami triggers the change, or when the fragment kills a demon. There is one other way, but it's extremely rare.”
“A demon?”
“Yes. The celestial city is home to the angels, but there is also a place for the demons. Sometimes demons come and try to attack the city. That's where the fragments come in. The fragments, and I, are the protectors of the city. That’s why the angels take the sick children. They are searching for the next generation of fragments to guard the city. We are the only ones who can die.”
“Die? Damian, you're an angel though! You can die again?”
“Yes, but I have already done so in many other lives. Same as all the other fragments and angels.”
“Why do the angels only go after the sick children?”
“The fragments tend to live relatively healthy lives, but when sick, they get sicker than normal children do. As such they could pass onto their next life. As such the angels have to pick up sick children to bring them to the celestial city in attempts to find the fragments.”
“The fragment business is so in-depth and crazy!”
“It is, but you'll quickly get used to it.”
“Damian! Damian!” A voice interrupted.
It was a boy around the same age as Damian. Black hair and blue eyes. He had navy wings and was flying towards the duo.
“Hello, Jon. What do you need?” Damian asked.
“Alfred has called for you!” Jon replied as he landed on the pathway.
“What for?”
“I don't know! He just does!”
“Then I shall set off immediately. Bring Marinette to my residence.” Damian agreed, spreading his wings.
“Wait! Who’s Alfred? And why is he so important?”
“Alfred is the oldest fragment in the city. When he calls, everyone comes.” Damian replied as he shot off into the sky.
Jon turned to Marinette. “Uh hi, I’m Jon. So you're the Marinette he talks about?”
“Presumably, unless there is another Marinette in the city.” She responded coldly, unsure what to think of the boy.
“Oh wow, I totally see the Damian in you.”
“And that's a bad thing?”
Jon backtracked immediately, waving his arms around. “No that not! It’s perfectly fine!”
Marinette hummed. “So where does Damian reside?”
Jon brightened. “Oh it's really close! Follow me!” He grabbed her wrist and started pulling. Marinette sighed then let herself be pulled.
Jon and Marinette raced through the streets as they reached closer to their destination. They would have flown, but Marinette had not been at the city a day. She hadn't even flown once. Her body was still adapting to the wings.
Damian lived in a large apartment building in the middle of the city. It's beauty was indescribable. The ornate pillars and windows made the building seem mystical and extravagant. Marinette stared at the building as she imagined majestic togas based off the building. Her hands itched for a sketchbook, but instead was led inside by Jon.
There were others inside the apartment lobby. Each had colorful wings, all vibrant shades. There were many groups, one of three boys with similar defining features, and another with all girls. Some more guys were milling about, but it was obvious that all of them were fragments.
Jon led Marinette over to the group of boys. Each has black hair, but on closer inspection one had a white tuff of hair. Each had different shades of blue eyes as well. But Marinette knew each one of them. They were the missing Wayne children.
Richard had a vibrant blue set of wings, cobalt in colour. Jason had red, although his wings were more reflective. Timothy had a muted yellow colour in his wings, but if the light caught just right they turned red. It was a nice affect.
“Dick, Jay, Tim!” Jon called out excitedly. Marinette could easily compare him to an over-excited dog. “Marinette came! She’s here!”
“Marinette? As in Dami’s friend Marinette?” Dick asked.
“Yes, and I am right here,” Marinette cut in, giving Jon the side eye. “Pleasure.”
----
Weeks had passed since she first came. Marinette had settled in quickly, and was grateful to live close to Damian. Since she wasn't a fragment, she could not live in the same complex. As such she found the closest one to Damian and stayed there.
Damian and Marinette had rekindled their friendship and was spending most of their time together. Marinette had started growing out of her cold exterior and was acting kind and sweet again. She had Damian back, and all was well.
She had even been introduced to Alfred, the oldest fragment. A fragment of Nooroo, the Kwami of transmission. He was wise and grandfather-ly, always willing to give advice.
Marinette was happy.
So there had to be something to disrupt it.
A demon had trespassed into the city. He was the strongest demon in the last millenia. He had once gone up against almost all of the fragments, only to kill all except Alfred, who was now too old to fight. That was the last time there had been so many fragments all at once. Damian, Dick, Jason, Tim, and all the other fragments Marinette had come to know were called to fight. She was terrified. Not of the demon Darkseid, but for the safety of her friends. Of Damian.
So Marinette had followed them. Everyone else was running away, all the angels heading away from Darkseid. Marinette ran toward the danger. She would help her friends even if it meant she died in the battle and was forced to reincarnate.
Marinette snuck behind some of the rubble and watched the scene. The fragments hovered by each other as they tried to get Darkseid to leave. However the demon laughed before attacking. She watched as the fragments fought valiantly.
The first to fall was Rose, a fragment of Daizzi. In her grief, Juleka fell next trying to get to Rose. Juleka was a fragment of Mullo. Their wings were splattered with blood as they took their final breaths before reincarnation. Marinette hoped they would find happiness.
Most of the others were knocked unconscious by the time Darkseid turned his attention to Damian.
When Darkseid went to attack Damian, she snapped. She flew out and knocked Damian away from the hit. However, she was unable to move as Darkseid finished the blow. She held her forearms up in an “X” shape.
The blow never came.
Marinette opened her eyes to see that there was a barrier protecting herself from the demon. Darkseid repetitively smashed his fist against it, but the barrier didn't move.
“Marinette!” She heard Damian call from where he landed from her shove.
“Kind of… in the… middle… of something… here!” She gritted out.
“Am I too strong for you, little ladybug?” The demon taunted.
Little ladybug? What? Marinette thought before deciding to ignore it. Her friends couldn't protect themselves from this demon. She could block his attacks. She was going to end this demon.
She straightened her legs and started to push back. At this point, Darkseid had stopped banging against the shield. He tried to plant his feet into the ground, but Marinette continued to push back. Rubble started piling around his feet, making Marinette’s efforts double.
Sweat dripped down her forehead as she looked towards Damian. When she had knocked him away rubble had fallen on his leg. Leaving him immobile. He couldn't destroy it without the possibility of sending the rest of the place into ruins or making it unstable. His eyes were wide with fear for her.
Marinette noticed a flash of red in her vision. Looking back she saw her wings were bright red. She was a fragment. In her shock, her barrier weakened and Darkseid broke free. She was thrown backwards.
Using her wings to steady her, she hovered above the ground. Anger and protectiveness fueled her will.
“You hurt and killed my friends. You will pay for that!” She yelled out.
----
“Are you sure I’m allowed?” Marinette asked her boyfriend Damian. They had started dating soon after Marinette had expelled Darkseid from the Celestial City. Marinette didn't remember what she did, and nobody there would tell her much. Apparently she had summoned enough power to level the city. Nobody wanted Marinette to tap into it again.
“Of course, my love. You are her fragment after all.”
“Yeah,” Marinette admitted. “But I still don't know what I did when fighting Darkseid!”
“And I hope you never will.”
“Ugh!” Marinette cried out as she threw her hands in the air.
They reached the palace gates. Beyond that line no normal angels could pass. Only fragments. There they would see the Kwami in all their glory. Or, in Marinette and Damian’s case, to see the two strongest. Tikki and Plagg.
They entered the palace, and entered the main hall. There, they found two angels. One with vibrant red hair that flower down her back, and one with short spiky black hair.
The Kwami Tikki wore a long white dress that opened in the back to let loose her red and black wings. The were large and instead of two separate wings, she had six. The Kwami Plagg also had six wings, but were black and neon green.
“Greetings, children,” Tikki welcomed warmly. She giggled when they tried to bow. “There is no need to bow, since you two are fragments of ourselves. And same as us, you two complement each other. Made for each other. Oh Plagg, remember the last time our fragments were here at the same time? They were so adorable!”
“Made for each other?” Damian questioned.
“Yeah, Sugarcube and I are made for each other.
Can't have one of us without the other. Makes us and you two soulmates. It's why you two were so drawn to each other.”
“And it was thanks to Marinette’s added affinity with me ontop of being a fragment that allowed this to happen. She was able to hear and listen to my subtle demands.”
“Like when?” Marinette replied, a crease between her brows.
“Like when I told you to put that mirror in Damian’s room, and how the two of you would meet again.”
The two fragments were shocked at the revelation. They both knew Marinette had placed the mirror in Damian’s room, but not why. It explained multiple things.
“Woah.” Marinette responded.
----
There was a maiden, short and fair,
whom brought joy to everyone there.
Locks of midnight, eyes of blue,
With a heart that was true.
Melted Ice,
But with a price.
They had to pay,
He was taken away.
Separated for two years
Eyes were left filled with tears.
The maiden knew they’d reunite,
Where their love would reach new height.
Melted Ice,
But with a price.
They had to pay,
He was taken away.
For even in their youth or in elderly,
Falling in love was destiny.
Daughter of Angels, Son of Demons,
Taken away when they were sleeping.