That Day

15 - Every story has its beginning and its end

They left Adrien's room. Dusk around them gave Marinette goose flesh. It was a bit scary there. She definitely preferred her cosy flat above her parents' bakery. She hugged Adrien instinctively, and he immediately embraced her tight.

They went into Gabriel's office. Suddenly, Marinette remembered everything that had happened here a few hours ago. They fell into a perfectly laid trap. Now she clearly realised that Hawkmoth had planned everything in the smallest details, including highlighting his wife's portrait to show them the finger marks on the buttons. She shivered.

"It's over, Marinette..." Adrien whispered, but his thoughts followed the same path.

"I know... But I'm still terrified with all that. And when I think that he's... He's still there, Adrien."

"I know." He nodded.

They stood in front of the portrait. Adrien uncovered the safe and Wayzz opened it as Plagg had done some time ago. Adrien took out the spell book and the Peacock miraculous. He gave it to Master Fu solemnly, and the Guardian nodded in complete silence. Adrien closed the safe and hid it behind the portrait. He turned to Marinette and send her a warm smile. She still didn't look too confident, so he embraced her and kissed her cheek.

"Let's go back to my room, OK?" he suggested.

Unlike Marinette, he felt more confident now. He had given back lost miraculous and the spell book to the right owner. He paid his father's debts. There was nothing more to be ashamed of.

"So, what's now? What will happen tomorrow? The police will come and what should we do? Should we talk to them as us or as superheroes?" Marinette was thinking aloud, when they returned to Adrien's room.

"It will be better if Ladybug and Cat Noir disappear like Hawkmoth." Master Fu said.

"But in that case the police will never explain my father's death!" Adrien replied.

"Do you really want them to do that? To what conclusions will they come if they rule out the magic that cannot be explained logically?" Master Fu asked. "You have to disappear as superheroes."

"But... Do you mean... Does it mean...?" Marinette stuttered and her eyes filled with tears.

"Yes, Marinette." Master Fu answered.

"But..."

"You must start living your own lives." Master Fu said. "I know you can't go back to the point of your lives before you got miraculous. But you must admit that somehow your life is better now than it used to be two years ago."

"I'll miss Tikki..." Marinette whispered, and tears ran down her cheeks.

"And I'll miss Plagg..." Adrien added.

With trembling hands, Marinette took off her earrings. Adrien hesitantly pushed the ring off his finger. They both felt as if someone was taking away part of their souls. They had grown so close with their kwamis. How could they live now?

"You have to focus on the future." Master Fu advised, looking at them with compassion. "Look how your life has changed. Adrien is not locked up in the house anymore. Marinette, you've become more confident. You've found each other, you have friends. You can do whatever young people like doing without fear that at any moment an attack of super-villain will ruin your day."

"I understand all this, Master." Marinette said quietly, swallowing her tears. "I will miss Tikki for being my friend not for her ability to make me Ladybug. She's helped me so much for those two years. I could tell her everything and she always found good advice for me."

"Marinette. You have to be friends with people. And you are."

"It's not the same."

"Every story has its beginning and its end. This story has just ended. You two begin writing a new one. You have to move on."

"Master Fu..." Marinette asked shyly after a while of trying to control her tears.

"No, Marinette. You won't find me at that address anymore."

"It's not that, Master..." Marinette smiled. "I wanted to ask how to come back home, since I can't do it as Ladybug."

Adrien looked at her in amazement and suddenly burst out laughing. Soon Master Fu joined him.

"I'll help you in your return, Marinette." The old man said at last. "I'm so proud of you both. I couldn't choose better." He added at the end.

Marinette turned to Adrien.

"So... I'm going."

"It's a pity..." Adrien sighed.

"We'll see tomorrow. In the morning." She whispered, and he pulled her closer to kiss her goodbye.

"Goodnight, Marinette."

"Goodnight, Adrien."

A moment later she was gone. And Adrien was alone in his great room – for the first time in two years he was completely alone here. With stocks of stinky camembert which he hated. What should he do with all this cheese now?