Cinder-Mari

A golden childhood

Once, there was a girl named Marinette, living in a small country house not far from the bustling city of Paris. To her mother and father, she was a princess. While it is true that she had no title, nor crown, nor castle; a princess she was all the same.
Her father would travel to many different lands in search of new and exotic ingredients, and then turn them into delectable sweets and pastries, beloved throughout France. Her mother would then sell them in a little shop on the property, and as a result could hardly pass up giving the extras to beggar children in the streets, despite the words that advised her to not even look at them in the face.
In fact, one of the reasons why the desserts were so delicious is, unbeknownst to many of their customers, the Dupain household kept many cows, geese and chickens. This allowed them to have fresh eggs and milk whenever they needed them, and it also gave Marinette a job to do, which would benefit her in ways that she would never have dreamed.

Although Tom and Sabine Dupain employed a few servants to do most of the household chores, they charged Marinette with feeding the animals, so she could learn compassion and responsibility. It worked wonderfully well too, for every day with out fail, she was out in the courtyard with a bag of feed. She would often talk to the animals, and though she never could know for sure, she often felt like they would try to answer her.
"There you are, Mr. Goose! You as well, Mme. Chicken! You are going to have to have a lovely breakfast, if you are to lay an egg for us this morning!" Marinette smiled brightly at all of her friends, then turned to pour some feed into the cows' trough. "Mme. Cow! Your table manners are disgraceful this morning! Let some of the little ones have their share!
Suddenly a cluster of mice ran up to her, almost all of them having coats of unusually bright colors. A red mouse and a purple mouse ran up to Marinette first, and she held out her hands for them to take a few grains of corn from. "Nooroo, Tikki! How wonderful it is to see you today!" The mice responded with little chirps and squeaks of their own, and Marinette smiled warmly at them.
Suddenly, a large black mouse ran up to her hand; frantically stuffed his cheek pouches and hurried back a few feet, where he could eat in peace. "Oh, greedy Plagg." Marinette laughed at his actions. "You don't need to take so much for yourself, there's plenty of food for everyone." Plagg ignored Marinette and continued to eat, but Sabine laughed merrily.
"Do you still think they can understand you?" Marinette walked over and sat down next to her. "Don't they, mother?" Sabine's almond-shaped eyes sparkled as she said, "oh, yes. I believe that animals are able to speak to us as well as we are to them, if we only have the ear to listen, and that is why we have been given the charge to look after them."
Marinette thought about this for a moment. "Well, who looks after us, then?" "The great guardian." Marinette smiled brightly, remembering the Chinese legend that she heard so often as a child. "You really do believe that the great guardian is real?" Sabine cocked her head and smiled widely, a smile to match her beloved daughter's. "I believe in everything."
"Then I believe in everything, too!" She said, before she heard the booming voice of Tom Dupain, who had finally come home from traveling in Spain. "Sabine! Marinette! Where are my beautiful girls!" Marinette finally reached the carriage that transported her father for the majority of his trip, just in time for the big man to exit it. "Papa!" She said, running towards him, and getting a bear hug in return. She reached in his pockets while she hugged him, and felt her fingers close around a small box.
"Papa," she said when he released her, "what is this?" He knelt down to her level, and took it from her hands. "Ah, I found that hanging from a tree branch. I think that there might be something inside. Could you help me, please?" He gave it back to the little girl, and she pulled the ribbons tied tightly around it. Suddenly, the box popped open, and a brightly colored paper butterfly flew out."
Marinette gasped, and reached out to touch the tissue-paper creation. "Oh, it's so pretty!" Her father chuckled. "That is la mariposa." Marinette nodded, and attempted to say the strange words. "La mariposa." Tom spread his arms out wide in celebration. "Muy Bien! Oh, Sabine, my darling! I found the most delicious recipe for pan dulce, sweet breakfast bread! It is sure to do very well in the shop." She hugged and kissed him, and said, "well done! I cannot wait to try it!
That was the way of things for this happy family, with every day full of light. Still though, darkness can penetrate even the brightest of days. For you see, a sickness was traversing throughout the land, and the cruelest of truths was about to come to pass.

Mama, Papa, you cannot leave me here. I am not ready to experience this life on my own." Marinette said, squeezing both of their hands with her own. Tom shuddered in another breath, and looked up at his beloved daughter. "I know. Our time will soon be up though, my little bugaboo. Simply promise me this one thing, before I leave this earth."
"Anything." She said, tears streaming down her cheeks. "Never stop dreaming, mi sonador. Dream to all your heart's content, so then you will find the way to help other people's dreams come true." She nodded, and then turned to Sabine to say goodbye. "Ma Cherie, I want to tell you a secret, that will see you through all of the trials that life has to offer."
"What's that, Maman?" "Have courage, and be kind. Marinette, you have more kindness in your little finger, than most people possess in their whole bodies. It is very important that you know this, for where there is kindness there is goodness, and where there is goodness there is magic. I am so sorry, my dearest. We are about to leave you. Could you ever forgive us?"
The tears swimming in Marinette's eyes began to overflow, and she could not find the strength to hold them back anymore. "Of course I do!" She felt her parents' hands again, but by that time they had already grown cold. She dropped them in horror, and began to sob into her hands.