Chapter Text
Marinette stood next to the door, an unfocused gaze on what was once a bright blue wall.
It used to be louder here. Sounds of laughs, the TV always on, the thud of someone knocking their toe on the table, and the curses that accompanied it, followed by pleas to not tell mom.
Now, the sounds that filled the air were the scratch of the lasts furniture being dragged, sighs of tired men, eager to go home, and the echo of the life that once resided here.
“Marinette,” her mom called softly with a hand on her shoulder. “Some of her things are in her room, do you wanna see if you'll take something?”
Marinette looked at her mom's tired smile. The bags beneath her eyes were lighter than last week. Marinette hoped it wasn't makeup.
She worried with the bottom of her lip, looking uncertainly at the door covered in glittering stickers that she helped to put on.
“Because what screams ‘I'm a responsible adult’ more than shining dinosaurs?”
She had been stealing glances at that door since they arrived. She knew they would donate everything there, so if she wanted to take something, she should do it now.
And she also knew that taking something that was Bridgette's without having to beg or steal it was admitting that there was no one to beg or steal from.
But she would never forgive herself if she let everything go away without even looking.
She knew how Brigette loved some of her things. How precious they were for her. And not saving anything from going away forever was a dishonor to her.
So Marinette had been working herself up to enter there. For one hour. They would be gone soon and she didn't even enter there.
“You don't have to if you don't-”
“No!” Marinette interrupted her mom. “I-I-I want to.” She nodded frantically. “I'll... I'll go now.”
She walked stiffly to the door covered in stickers. Bridgette's door. Marinette gripped the handle and, with a preparing inhale, opened it.
The small room was empty save for the boxes near the wall. The floor was dusty except for the lighter squares, marking where once was the bed frame, wardrobe, and desk.
The stuffed animals were taken out of their home on the wall shelf and there wasn't a single plant on the window sill that was green and healthy. That last one hadn't changed, Brigette was terrible with plants.
Marinette's lips turned up a little only to fall again as she turned to the boxes.
She carefully kneeled in front of them, pulling the first when. It was lighter than she expected and she found out why when opening it. The stuffed animals. She took a fluffy hedgehog. Sonic. Marinette had groaned at the obvious choice and Bridgette asked if there was a better name for a hedgehog. Marinette said shadow and her sister smacked a pillow on her, yelling that she wouldn't name her baby after a brooding hedgehog.
Marinette chuckled at the memory, taking Perry out of the box. They both agreed that there was no other name for a platypus.
She rummaged through the other stuffed toys, finding the little sewn hat, and put it on Perry, making him Agent P.
She smiled softly at the two toys and blinked her stinging eyes.
Letting out a shaky breath, she pushed the box aside and crawled to the next one but something scratched her knee.
She hissed, turning to glare at her attacker.
It was a tile floor that was a little higher than the others. Marinette groaned and push it down but it lifted again.
Marinette frowned at it for a moment, then her eyes widened.
She pushed the boxes away and opened the hatch. A small white box with pink flowers covering the borders.
Marinette smiled fondly at the box. They made two of them for their diaries. Marinette's one has a simple key lock but Bridgette wanted to be more creative and made a puzzle lock for hers. She proudly showed Marinette how to solve it and got a key lock for the diary after realizing what she just did.
Marinette took it, giggling, and quickly made the puzzle.
She dropped the box with a yelp when a red light came out of it.
Something fell on the ground with a tinkling sound but Marinette was busy gaping at the red... bug... thing...
It opened its big blue eyes that brightened upon falling on Marinette.
“Bridgette!” it chirped in a high-pitched voice. “It's so good to see you again!”
The thing flew around Marinette, whose head was spinning and her breath was coming out heavy and quick.
“How much time has been? What have you been doing? Did you settle down on a course or did you change your mind, again?”
Marinette grasped the thing with two shaking hands, it made a squeak noise.
“I'm- I'm not...” she stuttered. “I'm not... Bridgette.”
The thing looked confused for a second then brightened up again.
“Oh! Then you must be Marinette! It's good to see you too! Bridgette always talked about you. And you two look so similar! Where is she? Did she tell you to- Marinette?”
Marinette hiccuped. Fighting to keep her sobs under control. But it was a lost battle. She slumped into the ground, releasing the thing that finally stopped talking.
She pressed her knuckles on her eyes, vaguely aware that the thing was calling her name.
She had been doing so good. She looked through her sister's things, reminiscing the good times they had together, thinking about her in her best moments. But then this thing had to come and talk about her like she was still here. Like she wasn't- wasn't-
“Marinette,” her maman called with a knock on the door. “It's time to go. Did you get something?”
Marinette sniffed and answered in a wobbly voice, “Y-Yes.”
She got up, hugging Sonic and Perry close to her chest.
“Wait! Marinette!”
The thing darted to her face and Marinette lifted her shoulder in front of her.
“Leave me alone.” She stepped to the side but the thing followed her movement.
“No, wait! Just listen. I'm sorry for being so tactless. I- I didn't know.”
Marinette peeked up a little at the way the thing's voice subdued.
“Look, you're sister used to protect this.” They held up a pair of red earrings with black spots with their little... hands. “She and I were companions,” they said with a fragile smile. “And if she went through all the trouble of hiding it here, then she still wanted them safe. So, please, could you help me? I promise I'll explain everything I can.”
Marinette stared at the earrings. That were locked in a box. Underneath the floor of her sister's apartment.
“Marinette?” her maman called again, knocking with a little more force.
Marinette looked into the pleading blue eyes of Bridgette's companion.
“Ok.”
~•~
Marinette sat cross-legged on her bed. Sonic and Perry safely on her desk. A pair of magical earrings on the mattress in front of the also magical being that was once her sister's companion.
Marinette didn't freak out at all.
“I know it can be a bit much,” the being—Tikki—said making a pacifying gesture. “But keeping the earrings safe and using them to balance the magic in the world-”
Oh, yeah, and there were more magical things running around.
“-with the ring of destruction is a very important role. And since Bridgette can't do it anymore...” Marinette gripped at the cloth of her shirt. “Can I count on you for that?” Tikki gave Marinette a hopeful look.
“You're right,” Marinette said carefully after a moment. “It is... a lot.” She laughed nervously, “Can I- can I think. For a moment?”
“Of course!” Tikki chirped, though there was an urgency in her eyes.
Marinette plopped down on her pillow, bouncing a little, and stared at the ceiling.
Her sister was magical. Well, she wasn't exactly magical but she had a jewel that gave her magical powers, which was basically the same. And she was responsible for protecting the world.
For seven years.
For seven years, she had been hiding that from everyone. Even Marinette. She was not mad, she knew her sister didn't tell her everything, but something like this... Tikki said it was necessary to keep them safe but still. Marinette did the math and Bridgette got the earrings when she was thirteen.
Her sister has been magical since she was thirteen years old and she never noticed.
Bridgette would disappear and just come back in the dead of the night and Marinette never asked. She just sipped smugly at her hot chocolate, knowing that she had blackmail material. She assumed it her sister went to parties, friends' house, and other things teenagers do in the movies.
But she had been saving the world.
She ran away to save people and Marinette used that as blackmail. And Bridgette whined and pouted like every other time she was caught doing something she shouldn't. She ruffled Marinette's hair and said, “Welp, you got me.” with a playful smile.
She didn't even try to defend herself.
Bridgette was amazing.
Even without the magical stuff, she always protected Marinette. She was the one that insisted that something be done about Marinette's bully, Chloé Bourgeois, as soon as she found out.
No one bothered with that before. Her teacher just said to be kind to Chloé and, eventually, she would learn. And Marinette believed her for some time, until Bridgette barged into her classroom, demanding justice for her little sister. And Marinette watched with stars in her eyes as her big sister screamed at Mme. Bustier, and the Principal Damocles, eventually, for allowing bullying in her class, their parents looking proudly at her from the door.
And when Chloé stomp her feet and whined that she would call her dad, Bridgette threatened to tell everyone on the internet about the mayor's spoiled daughter that thinks she can do what she wants just because her dad is the mayor.
She still did that even after Chloé retreated, questioning if the mayor was really competent to lead Paris when he could barely deal with his own daughter. Chloé was taken to a private school and the next election was very tense.
And she didn't stop there. She made sure that everyone knew that if they messed with her little sister, they would pay. Marinette blushed and pressed her bags on her face when Bridgette accompanied her to school, arms crossed and throwing hard glares at everyone they came across like a bodyguard, but she was also grateful.
She always wanted to be more like her sister. To stand up for others and for herself, to be more carefree and not care what others would think. To protect the world...
She sat up, hands smacking on her thighs.
“Tikki, I will try my best to...” she trailed off, gesturing vaguely.
“Keep the magical balance!” Tikki offered, perking up.
“That!” Marinette pointed at her.
Tikki squealed in delight and hugged the girl's cheek, exclaiming lots of thank you's.
Marinette giggled, cupping the being with a hand and taking the earrings in the other.
That was her chance. Her chance to protect others. Just like her sister protected her.