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Marinette's P.O.V
"Spots off."
My transformation fell. Tikki appeared and tiredly landed on the palm of my hand. The little Kwami settled as I grabbed her a cookie for her.
We had just returned from the hideaway after visiting friends and the small darling we are temporarily caring for.
I could not help the warm feeling blooming in my chest or the never-fading fond smile on my lips even in this cold, desolate place I call my house. The time spent with the Parisian heroes always brought joy into my life...especially Chat Noir. Just thinking about him made something flip in my stomach.
"I am glad to see you happy, Marinette," Tikki said, "With everything that has happened recently, I am overjoyed to know that you are doing well."
"It is all thanks to the miraculous rebels," I replied, "But I actually owe you and Master Fu a bigger thank you. This would not have happened if he had not chosen me and you would have not convinced me."
"I appreciate the thank you but it is unneeded. My thank you is for accepting this role and fighting Hawkmoth. I do not believe I told you this, but Hawkmoth is in possession of two miraculous, the butterfly and peacock," Tikki explained.
"Really?" I said in disbelief, "How did he get them?"
"They were stolen a long time ago. An evil man who ruled Paris before the current ruler had wielded the peacock miraculous but the butterfly miraculous was active in secret. One day, the two miraculous mysteriously disappeared without a trace the very day the evil ruler was supposedly murdered. That is until years later when Hawkmoth made himself known," Tikki explained.
"We believe that Hawkmoth killed the evil ruler and the one who wielded the butterfly miraculous. Or maybe it was the butterfly wielder who was Hawkmoth and killed the evil ruler. We do not have clear details as to what happened that day. I just hope that Nooroo and Duusu are okay."
I assumed those were the names of the Kwamis that are currently at Hawkmoth's disposal. Now, a knot in my chest tightened at the thought of the poor Kwamis having spent years trapped in the clutches of terrible people.
Those poor souls but no matter what...
"How peculiar," I commented under my breath, "But it is no matter. We will retrieve those missing miraculous from Hawkmoth's evil clutches and return them rightfully where they belong. I promise you this. We will bring them home."
...we will get them back.
Tikki's whole demeanor seemed to light up like a candle. She dropped the cookie and shot up to my cheek to hug it.
"That means a lot, Marinette. Thank you," Tikki squealed. I carefully returned the hug.
Tikki has always been so kind too just like the fellow rebels. I do hope that I can meet the other Kwamis one day along with the true people under the mask.
Until then, I will fight and win this war for the sake of everyone, including the Kwamis. They deserved just as much happiness as the rest of us.
A knock came from the door. I had a funny feeling I knew who awaited on the other side. A frown replaced my smile and the gentleness that gleamed in my eyes turned into bitterness.
"Tikki, go hide," I told the Kwami. Tikki grabbed what was left of her cookie and flew behind my vanity's mirror.
"You may enter," I called out.
As much as I did not want to see mother—or whoever this woman I claim to be my mother is—it was time for the long-awaited truth to be revealed. No more secrets.
If father truly believes that mother has some sort of reason why mother's torment is justifiable, I suppose it would not hurt to at least hear her out. But it does not mean I will forgive her so easily for making my life miserable, no matter how justifiable her actions are.
Mother entered and closed the doors behind her. We locked eyes with a silent conversation going back and forth through the thick air. I made my way over to my bed's edge and patted the empty spot next to me.
"Come now, there is no time like the present. I want truthful answers and explanations. I believe I deserve some after what you put me through my entire life," I stated, venom pouring out of every word.
Mother winced. Her shoulders slumped and a frown was made evident on her lips. She looked like a kicked puppy. I suppose I did feel a bit of remorse when I noticed the redness in her eyes.
Honestly, this was probably a bad time to talk about her past. But it was her choice to continue where we left off before the Akuma attack.
Mother found her place sitting next to me, staring at the floor in deep thought.
"Oh, where to begin?" she mumbled to herself. I rolled my eyes. I wanted to make a snarky remark for such a dumb question but I held my tongue.
"Yes, a silly thing to wonder where to begin a story. It should be at the beginning," Sabine said.
"How about why you are a bad mother?" I stalely replied. Mother hummed in acknowledgment.
"It is pretty ironic. When I was younger than you, I promised myself that I would be a good mother unlike my own. That I would care for you better and treat you like a mother should. But I knew no such thing on how to be a good mother since I never received such treatment myself from my own," Sabine explained.
"For the first fifteen years of my life, my mother was nothing but cold-hearted and selfish. How do I be a good mother? What is a mother supposed to be like? Would I change into my own mother without realizing it and treat you with just as much coldness? How is a mother supposed to treat her child? These were some of the few questions I asked myself."
"Oh, so she pressured you into all this nonsense and now you think you have to drill it into me to pass on the "family tradition," I sarcastically huffed out, "That is no excuse. It is the coward's way out. You could have tried."
Mother shook her head in disagreement.
"No, that is not it. There was a...complication. One I tried to protect you from," mother replied, cryptically.
"So, I will start at the beginning I suppose. A time when Paris had three classes. The wealthy, the middle, and the poor classes. My family had been middle-class people. We moved from China to start anew in Paris. We lived here for nearly five years when the split between the wealthy and poor class became reality..."
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23 years ago...
Sabine's P.O.V
"This is an outrage! I cannot afford to live with a bunch of grimy, poor rats!" I heard mother shrill from the other side of the door.
"Your income does not suffice for the wealthy class, therefore you and your family are now deemed poor class people unless you find a way to earn a fortune," a man serving the current ruler stated, "You have a week before you are sent to the poor class."
I heard the front door shut from the man's departure before my mother spoke a few choice words under her breath in Chinese.
"We have to find a way to earn euros and quickly," father said in desperation.
"And how do you propose we do such a thing?" mother questioned, "If we did not have that little wench, we probably would have had enough to deem us as wealthy people. Why are we wasting our precious fortune on her anyway? She is not of any use to us."
I am used to my mother's cruel words about me. It did not phase me anymore, having heard them since the moment I began understanding things. I am merely used as an accessory for the family's reputation to look good.
They never wanted me. They only see me as a waste of space and euros.
Which is why I am very unsettled by Paris's new development. Splitting the poor and wealthy classes into two sections, no more middle class. If I knew my parents, they would do anything to be in the wealthy class.
Anything.
"Yes, that is true," father agreed.
A rotting feeling twisted in my gut.
"Are they planning to banish me from this house? Will I have to survive on the streets by myself? Or...would they be so villainous that they would kill me?" I thought.
I clenched the top part of my dress over my rapidly beating heart. The organ played a fast-paced beat of terror.
I am only the age of fifteen. Either way, both roads ahead would only lead me to my demise. Yet, even if they do get rid of me somehow, how will they earn any fortune within a week?
Unless-
The door I was hiding behind suddenly opened. I let out a gasp of surprise and scurried away from the door.
Mother glared at me from above. Her shadow was cast so long, it covered my small form huddled against the wall. She was very intimidating along with father, who stood not far behind her.
They stared at me for a moment and scanned my figure. I shrunk further behind my knees, wanting to know what they were planning to do with me.
"I-I apologize. I did not mean to listen in," I said. A feeble excuse—one I am sure they knew was a lie. Standing up, I brushed the dust off of my dress's skirt and kept my vision glued to the floor.
"If you will excuse me, I-I will go do my chores."
I tried to brush past them but my wrist was caught in a grip. Her nails dug into my skin, making me wince inpain. I swiveled my head around at my mother, who kept a steeled face. Fear clenched at me, making me tremble.
"Yes, you will," mother agreed, "That is the only good thing about you, after all. You make a very good slave but you will no longer be doing it in this household any longer."
"Wh-What do you mean?" I asked.
This was it. This was when they finally get rid of me for good. I am no longer useful to them. No matter what I do, I will never live up to their expectations as a daughter. However, I never believed they saw me as their kin but as a mere servant.
And that is forever what I will be in their eyes.
"It is a shame, truly. But once we have enough euros, we can buy as many servants and slaves as we need. Selling one measly servant will be worth it if it means a bright future," mother explained.
"I am no mere servant though! I am your daughter!" I shouted, "Not that you ever saw me as one."
Mother's eyes narrowed, her grip tightening around my wrist. She pulled me closer until our faces were close enough to feel the other's breath.
"You were an accident. I do not know why we bothered to keep you when you are only a waste of space and euros. I will admit you did your duty as a maid well but you are no longer needed," mother hissed in a low voice.
"Now, we shall take you to the market and sell you."
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At age fifteen, I was sold into slavery countless times. I was passed from wealthy person to wealthy person like a mere object.
I had worked under many different masters, some cruel and others who were downright evil. I do not know how I had survived through all the brutality—their foul words, the beatings, the humiliation, the nightmares, even some death...
...the violation of my body.
I prayed for an escape from such a horrid life. I wondered every night what I had done to deserve such a fate. How did I end up in this mess?
No, I did know. It was but a simple answer—two specific people.
My mother and father.
They made my life a living hell from the very beginning to the present time. They forced me to be their little toy before selling me when I lost what was deemed "fun" about me. And the cycle continued through more wealthy folk, sometimes decently bad or horrid.
I was nothing but an object to the wealthy...but I thankfully had people beside me through it all. The other poor servants had helped me through thick and thin. They worked together through the pain and treated each other with as much respect and kindness as any human deserved.
It was very refreshing and inspired me to keep going.
That was when I arrived at my final master at age eighteen.
Gabriel Agreste.
He was not like any other master I had over the years. He was a newly-wedded man and had bought his mansion about a year ago. He and his wife were a freshly new household of the wealthy society.
Yet, he was still greatly known for his bravery as an SSS officer, who was blasting through his ranks. A talented man, nonetheless.
He had an absurd theory that the ruler of Paris was a magic user and set a goal to eliminate him.
I had only been on his staff for about a month but was greatly surprised. Even with a cold exterior, he treated everyone with kindness no matter who they were. He never insulted anyone for making mistakes or tortured them for entertainment.
Never had I met a wealthy person like this.
Everyone respected him just as he respected them. I was a bit star struck and wanted to help him in his crazy plan to eliminate the evil ruler of Paris.
I trained relentlessly with a well-known fighter. She was a talented fighter and trained me. Much to my luck, I was a quick learner like I was meant for it. It came so naturally to me. I even managed to overcome my teacher.
I built my way up through the ranks quickly and earned Gabriel's attention. He offered me a chance for greatness. Of course, I accepted without hesitation.
So, he tested me with a mission to murder a wealthy man, who was buying magical items from a secret market. Long story short, I was successful and slayed the magic user.
By age nineteen, I was Gabriel's elite assassin and devoted myself to carrying out the task he required me to do.
Soon, I accomplished my goal of getting the task I had worked so hard for.
Killing the ruler of Paris, Leon Rouge.
He had been a tough opponent. I nearly died that day but I managed to pull through. While he was a powerful wizard, I defeated him with merely a sword straight through his chest. His blood spilled around him and watched him take his final breath.
I pulled off my mask, letting the office's coolness bring relief off my warm face.
Yet, that was a mistake.
I had not known that there was another presence in the room until a little female popped out from under the desk. She had tears streaming down her cheeks, having watched the bloody duel. She looked to be around ten or eleven years old.
I was taken aback by her presence, not having sensed it.
"Where had she come from?" I thought, readying my blade. As much as I hated killing children, I had no choice. I cannot let anyone bear witness to my face and give away my identity.
Gabriel would surely not need me no more and sell me off. I cannot go back to those terrible days!
I was unprepared when a monster appeared in front of me. I managed to dodge when the giant cat-like creature swung its claws. I caught sight of the girl running for the door and tried to chase after her.
It was a futile attempt when the large-toothed cat hit me away.
I had trained and studied to fight only Leon Rouge. I knew the building he worked in and his home's layout like the back of my hand. I knew his power inside and out. His schedule was memorized in detail to find the perfect time to strike.
I was unprepared for this little witch's appearance. There was no mention of any children or any family members at all. There was not anything about Leon's parents, no wife or children.
So, who was this little girl? What connection does she have with Leon?
I threw my daggers at the beast. Before my weapons could penetrate its body, the monster disappeared into thin air. I could hear footsteps approaching the office and returned my mask over my face.
"My visit has been long overstayed," I muttered under my breath. I prepared my blade for another onslaught and escaped to the safety of the Agreste mansion.
I do not know how many I killed or severely wounded but I eventually found myself in an alleyway. We decided to rendezvous here if I did make it out alive.
I held my side, having been sliced and losing blood. I removed my mask once I deemed the area clear of any individuals. My breathing was ragged. I had difficulty inhaling and exhaling air in my lungs. I leaned against a building and slid down the wall to sit on the grimy ground.
My fingers slid my shirt up enough to see how bad my wound was. It seemed more to be a flesh wound, much to my luck. Actually, I am truly lucky that I made it out alive at all.
I defeated a powerful wizard with my skills and weapons alone. Plus, I fought through his many guards. Maybe word about his power was slightly exaggerated.
But that girl...
I was unable to linger on the thought of her very long when my head spun. I groaned in protest as my injury started to burn. I suppose my adrenaline is starting to wear off.
Gritting my teeth, I removed my arm from my sleeve and cut it off of my shirt. I tied the cloth tightly on my cut, letting out a pained yelp. Hopefully, this will do until someone arrives to pick me up. I do not know if I can make the trek back to the Agreste mansion in this state.
So, I waited.
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