Description

   Marinette hears xylophone tunes under the stage at the abandoned theater every day. Is she crazy, or is there some logical explanation behind the noise?  
     

    Marinette's  POV:

     I went to my job to clean up the place.

      I do not know why I worked here at the abandoned theater.

     It was a place no one else dared venture into it.

    Not since it was hit by lightning and damaged ten years ago.

    Not since it lost money due to unforeseen circumstances.

       I  entered it daily because I was hired to do it.

      I never met my boss, and  I was told he liked to keep to himself.

      I arrived around ten am and left around two pm like clockwork. 

      I cleaned the bathrooms, backstage, the front entrance, and everywhere else except under the stage.

       I was told it was off-limits. It made me what made it so special.

        Today, I heard a strange sound coming from under the stage that sounded like music.

         Music from a xylophone.

          I tried to push it to the side because I imagined it.

           Little did I know I would start to hear it daily.

             I noticed the music started slow, reached a higher range as I finished sweeping up the last of the glass particles in the theater, and came to a close as I headed out to my scooter.

             Yes, scooter, because this princess did not have a car.

            I could not afford one.

           The next day, I came to work and heard the sound again.

           "Go away, it is not real!" I screamed.

           The music grew louder as if it knew I protested its existence.

               I  decided not to tell a soul about it.

               I was probably crazy or worse.

               "Ah!"

             I ran as fast as I could to get out of there.

>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

    Time skip brought to you by Tikki's Cookies and Plagg's Stinky Cheese!

   Two weeks later, I cleaned when the center stage trap door came loose, and I fell to the other side.

   At the end, I saw a single door with bold letters that read "Stars Corridors."

      Why on earth was the star's room down here?

      I saw a blazing candle in a post outside the room.

     What on earth?

  I felt something grab my arm.

   I  found myself too stunned to scream as I was dragged into the room.

    The door was shut.

      Oh, no, I was inside the forbidden space.

    "Who are you?"

    I stood there with my hands on my hips. I was livid that someone had the nerve to play such a prank on me.

    "Princess, welcome, welcome to the Phantom of the Opera."

     I cringed when I heard the last line.  What?

     "Who are you?"

    "Shh, enough with the questions. Now, take a seat princess."

     To my annoyance, I was shoved into a chair.

    The mysterious captor began to play a tune, a familiar tune.

    It was the sound of the mysterious xylophone. So, I was not crazy after all.

      I was going to die here, wasn't I?  Is that why I was taken here to listen to the music? It was quite frightening as you might imagine.

      "Princess, stop quivering."

      I heard the voice say in a gentler tone, "Look at me, princess."

      I turned to face the person who spoke and gasped.

     I saw a mask. A creepy mask of white and purple. It was all built into one.

     I saw eyes that had a deep green shine beneath them.

     "Sir, do you wish to kill me?  Maybe, even eat me?" 

      I heard laughter in response.

     "Princess, where do you come up with such things?"

     "I do not wish to eat you. You are the fair maiden that I seek."

       I quivered more. I was scared. I had no idea what he meant.

      "Are you afraid of me?"

   "Y-yes, very afraid. I am sorry. I d-didn't mean to be."

       I heard a small wail. I saw him stand over me.

       I saw him hold a knife in his left hand.

      I saw him use it to remove the mask.

   As it fell, I whimpered in shock at the scars.

      I saw him remove the gloves and they too had scars.

      "My sweet, princess, years ago, I was ruined because of the pain. I had to come here and swear off appearing before a live audience again. It was too painful to have the stares.  Stares from people who hated me and wished me dead."

        "Sir, I don't hate you, or wish you dead."

        "I know, but you fear me."

         I could hear the agony in his voice.

         I felt his breath not far away.

     I stood up.

     I  placed a hand gently on his face.

     "Sir, do not pull away."

   "P-princess, what are you doing to me?"  I could hear the sadness.

     "Shh, shh, my prince. It is okay, I will not harm you. I am here. "

       "I am here."

       I  saw a tear fall from his eyes.

      I  reached out and wiped it off with my handkerchief.

      "You may keep it if you wish."

      "If you wish, you may keep me."  I knew at that moment he needed me.

        I  saw the sadness. I saw the pain. I saw the heartache.

       "Who did this to you?"

        "Who put such sadness, pain, and heartache in your eyes, and soul, my darling, prince?"

         I  heard him gasp. I saw him quiver.

         I  held him close. I kissed his cheek then the other one.

         I kissed his forehead.

        Finally, I leaned in close so that our lips almost touched.

       "You are free to go, princess. Your services are no longer needed." I heard him say.

          I dared not leave him. Not now, not when I needed to know.

        I had to know.

  "Prince Adrien?"

     I was sure he was the missing prince no one had found in years.

    I was sure as I was that he needed me and I could not leave him.

   I  looked into his eyes and felt them pierce my soul.

    I  saw him lick his lips.

   I saw the blood dripping from his chin.

   I  gasped in horror when I saw blood on the tip of the knife as he dropped it.

  "Prince, oh, sweet, Prince, Adrien, what have you done?"

    "What have I done?"

        I kissed his lips.

        I could feel his grip tighten as he held me close.

        I  felt him return the kiss. It was more than I imagined.

        "Adrien, Adrien, Adrien?"

          I felt him pull away.

        I saw him wipe the blood from his chin and off the knife.

       "Don't make me leave. Don't push me away, Prince, Adrien."

        "Tell me one reason why I ought to keep you here."

         "I -I  love you," I whispered.

          "I didn't hear you."

        "I love you!"

           Prince Adrien glared at me. He shook his head. "Impossible, no one loves me. They fear me, obey me, and in the end, they all leave me. But love, ha, no one finds it in their heart to love me."

          "I love you. You know I am not like the others.  I love you, I swear it."

           I picked up the knife and held it to my face. I was about to make a tare across my cheek.

         "No, you must not harm yourself, princess."

          I felt him gently take the knife from me and place it on the counter.

           I  sobbed as he held me close in his arms.

           "Adrien, do not leave me.  Please, you don't know how long I searched for you."

          "Please, darling, I love you." 

          Adrien picked me up. He carried me to another room. He set me on the bed.

          "Love, love, what a word. Yet, it is something few have."

           He kissed me. I kissed him. He pulled away.

              I heard him play guitar that time. Where it came from I had no idea. Nor did I ask. I just listened to him play.  Play a song for me.

             My darling prince played a song for me.

   The end...

until the next one-shot Miraculous story,

bye-bye, little owlets!

  Summer out!