Chapter Text
Everything was fine. Marinette was humming along happily to a Jagged Stone song, placing the fresh baked goods out in the display case. Once she was done with her shift, she was going to go hang out with the girls in her class to relax. Although it might not be as relaxing as Marinette hoped it would be.
For the past month, everyone has been picking up talk about the new holders for the miraculous. The first few holders were already chosen, and everyone believes that it’s only a matter of time before the guardians come to Paris. This could be the case, or it could not. According to what they’re told in school, the holders aren’t picked by the guardians themselves but rather the kwamis. Apparently they chose their holders based on some spiritual and soul bond, or something like that. Marinette barely paid attention during Miraculous class, and even physics was a higher grade.
Her teachers and parents marked it up to her being overwhelmed by all the information but that wasn’t true. The truth was that she despised this whole thing. The miraculous holders are seen as partially gods, but they are merely a vessel for the true gods to use. Marinette worked to make herself the less likely candidate, after all what god would want a holder who failed a subject dedicated to them. It seemed like a perfect plan. No one knew that she hated all this. There were no rules about being against the miraculous, but considering the fact that you would be disrespecting gods it was best to play nice. Plus if Chloe found out then she would have her daddy make it a law just to get her in trouble. So Marinette pretended to be fine with this. Once the final holders were chosen, life would slowly go back to the normal she was used to.
She should have expected things to turn out badly. Marinette had finished putting the last pastiery out, and turned to leave for the kitchen when the bell rang to announce another customer. It wasn’t any of her concern though, so she began to walk towards the back. That is, until it spoke up.
“That’s her! That’s my chosen!” The voice was high pitched, and Marinette would have assumed that it was just a child goofing off if it wasn’t for the sheer power that radiated from the words. Power that could only belong to a god.
The girl paused in her moving, but didn’t turn around. There were other people in the bakery. It had to be a customer. All hope was dashed as a small, red being flew in front of her. She had red dots over her body, showing that she was the ladybug kwami. Tikki, the goddess of creation and good luck. Oh why couldn’t she be lucky? Marinette kept her grip on the tray she held. The last thing she needed was to freak out in the presence of the guardians and a kwami. The being looked so happy, probably happy to have a new body to control.
“Miss, we’ll need to discuss moving plans and training.” ‘Moving? Training?’ Marinette picked up on the words but didn’t turn to meet the owner of the voice. This had to be some type of vivid dream. There was no way she got chosen.
“We can go upstairs to talk. If you would please give us a moment to close up, we would appreciate it.”
Marinette recognized that voice. That was her mom. Marinette slowly began to unfreeze as customers walked out the doors, with the promise of returning again. She was able to move again, and almost dropped the tray in the process. Her vice grip on it reappeared and she only let it go once they were walking back in the kitchen. Without having a physical object to ground her, Marinette walked in a daze. She knew that she was sitting on the couch with her parents. She knew that the two guardians and the kwami were across from her. She knew all this at the moment, but didn’t have control over her body. It was as if she was already under the kwami’s control.
Tikki seemed content to stay and talk, but then frowned. Marinette could only watch as the being whispered something to the guardians before rushing off. The god’s missing presence did little to calm her though, and she could only listen as the guardians began to discuss the role.
“You will have to come live at the main temple. You’ll be getting training and some more lessons on the miraculous. You will be able to talk to your family, but you can’t visit them until after a year.”
This made Marinette’s mind work again. “A year?” The guardian nodded. “It makes it easier for your connection to your kwami to grow. Plus by that point you will have gained enough magic to be able to travel here and back with ease.” A whole year. Marinette wouldn’t get to see her family or friends again for an entire year. A year for a god to take over her control and “strengthen their bond.” The guardians didn’t seem to notice her fear, and instead continued.
“We are giving you a week to gather up everything you would like to bring to the temple. We will provide you with clothing, bedding, and any other things you want but people tend to want sentimental items. There are no limits to what you can bring, and after a month you can request us to go back to your home and get other items you have forgotten. Your school will be informed so that they can inform us on how far in your learning you have gone.”
Suddenly her full proof plan of failing Miraculous class didn’t seem to be working in her favor anymore. She racked her brain, but couldn’t think of a single time in history when a holder was reselected. Would she get punished for failing the class? She knew that The Order would probably make her retake several key lessons. Hopefully she could just take one giant test in the beginning and show that she didn’t need it. Questions might arise about how she tested higher than before but she can just say that she studied all week to catch up. Marinette hated liars, but gave herself an exception when it came to Miraculous stuff.
“And that’s everything we have for now. Do you have any questions?” Marinette snapped back into the conversation. She missed some stuff, but with how her parents are they will probably recite every word said here several times. “I know you said that she can’t visit until a year, but could her birthday be an exception?” They looked at each other before shaking their heads. “Sorry, but those are the rules we have in place.”
They pulled out a box and handed it to her. It was black with red detailing. The symbol showed that it was something to do with the miraculous. She opened it to find two red with black spotted earrings. No. It was too soon. She wasn’t even at the temple yet, there’s now way they just gave her the miraculous. “That’s not the real miraculous.” A guardian assured, as if hearing her thoughts. “It’s just to symbolize your status as a holder. Make sure you wear them starting from today. We’ll be off now. Someone will come in six days to double check everything with you. Congratulations, Miss Dupain-Cheng.”
The two guardians stood up and walked away, quite literally, into thin air. Marinette didn’t like that almost as much as she didn’t like the earrings she held and what they represented. Handcuffs. Chains that will keep her bound to a being older than she could even fathom. Forced to be a host for a god. And as her parents hugged her and exclaimed how proud they were of her, she realized that no one else would understand her pain.