Lingering Magic - Chapter Four
Ao3 // Next
On the morning of Marinette’s birthday, Plagg and Trixx were conspiring in the corner of her room.
“I decided a few months ago I’d start teaching Marinette magic on her birthday and I’m considering giving her a kwagatama as well. She more than deserves it but it’s not like she’s gonna get something from my past holders.”
“She could yell at them for you?”
“Nice as that’d be,” Plagg spoke, “I don’t want her anywhere near them, even if they can’t do anything.”
“Fair enough. That all?”
“No. I- I was wondering if you wanted to help? Obviously I’m not teaching her destruction magic yet, but some little things here and there. Lights, opening doors, maybe even some more complicated stuff. Conjuring - y’know like summoning stuff from her home, storage voids, etcetera - and maybe some runic magic or even spells?”
“Oh-ho-ho. I’d love to help. She already has such great potential and just imagine the chaos and confusion if she just gets stuff out of nowhere! Bringing out a box of snacks when everyone knows she didn’t have any earlier? Or creating some sparkles around the room with light? Or-”
“Alright, that’s enough. Don’t give her any ideas.”
With a cackle, Trixx declares, “Of course not! I wouldn’t dare!”
“...Right. So, are you gonna give her a kwagatama?”
“Why, of course! I’ve only been with her for a day but she’s great. And, if she’s anything near as wonderful as you say, I’ll only grow to love her more.”
“Perfect.”
. . • ☆ . ° .• °:. *₊ ° . ☆
Later that day, when Marinette finally woke up, Plagg flew up to her. With messy hair, half-closed eyes, and immense lethargy, she gave him a half smile - too tired to bother putting in effort.
“Good afternoon, sleepyhead,” He spoke calmly. He was smiling aswell and his tiny fangs were showcased. “Happy birthday.”
Giving a sleepy groan, Marinette responded, “Morning, Plagg. Thank you. Where’s Trixx?”
“She’s having a snack on your desk.”
“Right.” Marinette was still so sleepy she wasn’t paying much attention and wasn’t even registering much of what was happening.
“Trixx!”
“Yes, Plagg?”
“So absorbed in your grapes you didn’t even notice Marinette’s up?”
“She’s up!?”
“...I’m right here.”
“Happy birthday, Marinette!” Trixx shouted, twirling around, excited Marinette would be getting her and Plagg’s kwagatamas and finally learning magic. With such a large spark and her creativity, she was very eager to see what she could do with it! Her magenta eyes were practically sparkling with joy and the only reason she wasn’t giving her her kwagatama now was Plagg’s flipper on her shoulder.
“Go get some lunch, kid. Trixx and I will be waiting here.”
With a suspicious look, Marinette went downstairs to grab some lunch.
“You treat her like she’s your child. You’re so boring.”
“That’s because she is my child. You know this. And I’m not letting her do anything that could hurt her in any way, shape, or form.”
Coming back up her stairs with her lunch, Marinette sat down and her desk and was ready to eat. Though she was still in her pyjamas, she was significantly more awake.
Plagg joined Trixx sitting on her desk. They looked at each other and Plagg spoke. “Remember how when we first met you asked if I could teach you magic?” He hesitantly paused to gauge Marinette’s reaction before Trixx interrupted.
“What grumpy-pants here is trying to say is that we’re gonna learn you some magic! We’re gonna start with some basic stuff, go into more complicated things, and eventually teach you our specialised magic - once you’ve got the rest down, of course.” Trixx was oh-so excited to teach her some magic and watch the chaos unfold. Marinette had entropy - both good and bad - following her like a lost puppy but was somehow still incredibly lucky. The havoc she caused was no match for any of Trixx’s past holders and she was thrilled.
Marinette's eyes gleamed. She was so excited to learn magic, to help people better than before - even if it was just the basics.
“We’re also gonna give you a kwagatama,” Plagg picked up. “It’s a way to communicate with past holders but you’ll learn that another time.”
“When do we start?”
One magic lesson later, Marinette was already able to create sparks of light on her fingertips and open locked doors. Unbeknownst to her, Plagg and Trixx had never seen anyone pick up magic, let alone do it well, that quickly. They were in slight shock, but didn’t want to worry her so kept it to themselves and decided to advance their lessons quicker than they had planned. Although they knew she would catch on quickly, they weren’t quite expecting this. But just because they were going to teach her more didn’t mean they were going to put her in danger - which meant not teaching her anything that could overexert her, especially because they knew she would push herself too far.
. . • ☆ . ° .• °:. *₊ ° . ☆
Weeks passed and Plagg and Trixx decided to teach Marinette unification. Although they hadn’t been focusing on miraculous magic, with how well she was doing otherwise - able to summon things to her hands from around the house, summon things to not her hands from around the house, open storage voids, and brighten and dim her fingertip light - they decided she was more than ready. Her magic spark was growing and she had been doing better than either of them could’ve expected.
After dusk came and dinner was eaten, Marinette was down in the apartment part of the bakery in the living room. It was a cosy space - not too big, not too small, but still well-used. Coasters were scattered about the coffeetable, stained with constant use. End tables with subtle scratches and dents and blankets strewn over the couch and chairs. Between rounds Ultimate Mecha Strike II, Trixx and Plagg floated in front of her.
“What’s up?” She questioned. She loved them but the float-in-front-of-face tactic was almost always employed when they had news to share. It had never been dire, though, so she wasn’t too concerned.
“So, we’ve come to a decision,” Plagg started.
“We’re gonna let you try unifying us! It’s a way to use both our powers at once, but it can be dangerous. You’ve been wilding Plagg for a while, though, and your magic is growing stronger by the day so we decided it was finally safe enough.”
“Can I test it out tonight?”
“Of course! Not sure what good it’ll do you with Plagg still holding out on his power, but still! Plus it’d be a good gauge of your magic ability - Obviously we wouldn't let you if it wasn’t completely safe but we’re one hundred percent sure you’ll do fine!”
“Actually, I’ve decided to teach her my power,” Plagg spoke to Trixx. Turning to Marinette, he said, “Kitten, listen carefully. All you have to do is say ‘cataclysm’ and there will be dark, bubbling energy around your hand with my ring on it. Touch your hand to whatever you want to destroy, and it will crumble to dust. Please be careful with it, though, it’s incredibly powerful and very, very dangerous.”
Marinette was a bit hesitant due to the knowledge of Plagg’s power, but was ultimately excited to unify them. She was confident the kwamis would only do what was best for her and if they decided it was safe, she would believe them. Plagg and Trixx were everything to her and she trusted them immensely.
Plagg picked up, “Same rules as when you first transformed with me - no doing anything stupid and get back before you detransform.”
Marinette silently but excitedly rushed up the stairs and over to her desk and picked up some of Plagg’s cheese bread and Trixx’s berries.
“Oh, shut up, Monsieur Over-Protective. You know she’ll do whatever she pleases. And she has food - she just went up to grab it, didn’t you see?”
“How are you so sure she got food?”
Trixx silently pointed behind Plagg where Marinette was standing with a bag of assorted berries in one hand and some cheese bread in the other. “You two ready?” She spoke, stuffing the food in her pockets.
“Of course, kit!” Trixx exclaimed. Despite only knowing Marinette for about a week, Trixx was wholly ready to call her his kit. She was the best he’d ever had - true holder or not.
“What do I have to do?” she spoke.
“All you have to say is invoke our names and instruct us to unify, it works transformed and untransformed,” Plagg stated. “To detransform you can say ‘detransformation’ and to divide us you say the name of who you don’t want to stay transformed with and say ‘divide’”
“Do I have to say ‘and’ or just…” Marinette trailed off, not wanting to transform without giving any warning.
“No, just ‘Trixx, Plagg, unify,” Trixx said.
“Of course you’d put your name first.”
“Like you wouldn’t do the same!”
“You ready, Trixx?” Marinette questioned, interrupting the kwamis before the argument could escalate.
“Of course!”
“Hey, why’d you ask her if she’s ready and not me?”
“Because you, sir, are a pain in the ass. Plagg, Trixx, unify!”
Her boots went up to her mid-thighs, black fading to a dark, rich brown, topped with a neon green band which also encompassed her white countershading. A light brown band circled her waist, separating her orange hips from her black torso. Her arms were a light orange fading into a darker, yet still bright, one, once again topped with a neon green band. Her bright yellow, slit eyes glowed against her orange mask, mostly bright orange fading into pale orange on the sides. Her hair was again in a long braid, starting as an unnatural blue and gradually ending in white.
Jumping out the living room window, she scaled the building next door - I should’ve gone back up to my room, she thought. It would’ve been easier than climbing a building. Reaching the top, she realised she could've just used her staff. Deciding there was no use dwelling over it or complaining, she set out to the Eiffel Tower, leaping over the rooftops neighbouring her own. It was a distance but not too far - perfect to test the unification.
She hadn’t happened upon any crime that night so she sat on the top tier of the tower for a few hours before heading home. She would’ve liked to practice with some illusions but got lost in the view; the city was lit up and dead silent despite the (surprisingly little) traffic - which might have just been because she was so far up. She wished to see the stars but only the brightest were visible among the moon. It was a waning gibbous moon that night, lighting up the sky more than the lights of the city.
Reaching home, she attempted to open her trapdoor but it wouldn’t budge. Remembering it was locked, she lowered herself via baton back to the living room window, hoping her parents hadn’t woken up and locked it. Leaping through the window, she whispered “Detransformation,” and Plagg and Trixx spun out of their respective miraculous.
“Wooo! I haven’t been unified in sooooo long,” Trixx stated.
Plagg said, “We are so proud of you, kid. You did excellently out there, staying transformed for hours with both of us and-”
“Thank you, Plagg. I appreciate it but it’s late and I’m getting tired, I’m going to bed.”
“Of course, kit!” Trixx exclaimed. With another glare from Plagg, he lowered his voice and continued, “Go to bed, Mari, we’ll see you in the morning.”
“G’night.”
“Night, kitten.”
“Goodnight, Kit.”
After Marinette fell asleep - which didn’t take long - Trixx once again pulled Plagg to the corner of the room. “Kitten?” She questioned.
“...Yeah. She’s the best, I love her.”
“I do too, Plagg, I do too.”
. . • ☆ . ° .• °:. *₊ ° . ☆
Around noon the next day, after Marinette had woken up, Trixx turned to Plagg and spoke, “I miss everyone else.”
“Like, the kwamis? Our box or the others?”
“Both, mostly our box though. We were stuck together in that boring, white void for so long with our only company and entertainment being each other.”
“Yeah, I miss them too. I’m glad I have you, though. We’ve always gotten along so well!”
“Why, of course we have, dear Plagg. You cause the chaos and I cover it up!”
“Excuse me!? You have caused just as much if not more than I ever had.”
“Coming from the kwami of chaos!”
Marinette, half-listening to them, half the news, said, “Break it up, you two. No need to bicker.”
“We are not bickering. That is below us!” Plagg exclaimed.
“Not if you’re acting like you’re four.”
“You dare mock gods!?” Trixx exclaimed, feigning offence.
“Sacrilege!” Plagg continued.
Marinette rolled her eyes, getting back to the news as Plagg and Trixx resumed their conversation.
“Xuppu quite liked to cause trouble too, wonder where he is,” Trixx asked.
“I don’t really know. Last I know of him, his holder was… fighting mine.”
“I’m sorry, Plagg.”
“Don’t worry, I’m over it. What about Mullo? She certainly liked to go along with our chaos, even if she wasn’t particularly chaotic herslef.”
Although knowing Plagg was most certainly not over it, Trixx said, “Yeah! I hope we see her again soon! Last I heard she was being sent to Greece.”
Marinette interrupts, “Greece? Was her miraculous, by chance, a coin necklace with five sections and mouse motifs?”
“...Yeah. How’d you know?” Trixx questioned.
Marinette gestured to the computer where the news was on. Flying over, Trixx and Plagg heard the story of a new museum exhibit from ancient Greece. The reporter motioned to a picture of a necklace - Mullo’s necklace.
“Mullo!” Plagg exclaimed. It had been so long since he’d seen anyone, other than Trixx, of course, and he was excited to see that Mullo was okay.
“We have to get her back, kit!”
“No, no. Absolutely fuckin’ not. I’d love to see Mullo again but we are not putting Marinette in danger stealing from a museum.”
“C’mon,” Trixx drawled out. “You’re no fun. She’ll be fine. You’ve seen what a schemer she is, she’ll just come up with a plan to get Mullo back!”
“Actually, I think I already have one.” Plagg groans as Trixx beams and Marinette continues. “I just make a fake mouse miraculous, get into the museum, and exchange them. No big deal!”
With a cackle, Trixx exclaims “Great! Let’s do it!”
“How are you going to do that, kitten? You can’t just waltz into the museum and say “Hey! That necklace is a magical artifact and I’m going to need that.”
“Well, yeah, obviously. I’m gonna make the replica perfect with Trixx’s illusion magic then transform with her, cloak myself in an illusions, and quickly replace Mullo’s miraculous.”
“And how exactly are you going to get in? I doubt they just leave the door unlocked, nor the case with the necklace.”
“You’ll see~” Marinette sing-songed.
