PART 1:
Once upon a time, in an Enchanted Forest, there was a boy as black as night and a girl as red as the rose.
They shared a love so true and so pure, it could overcome distance, danger, dark magic... and death.
But not all fairy tale romances start out with Love at First Sight.
Not all heroes start out as noble knights.
And not all princesses start out as damsels in distress.
For these two lovers faced a great many impossible odds; many forces – both physical and supernatural – that tried to tear them apart at every turn.
Yet through all the pain and dissonance and grief, this boy and girl persevered.
Not simply because they were destined to be together...
But because they believed in their hearts they would find each other.
This is how their story began...
Chapter 1:
Look What the Cat Dragged In
Princess Marinette had been hoping for some excitement on the carriage ride to Castle Bourgeois.
She just never imagined it would appear in the form of a robbery.
It all started while the royal convoy was making their way along a rather uneven trail through the shimmering woods known as the Enchanted Forest.
Through the tall mass of trees, golden sunlight poured in and cast tiny shadows along the ground. The soft breeze made them dance, and Marinette imagined the trees were alive – watching her and putting on a performance in her honour. Perhaps the shadows weren't shadows at all, but fairies or tree spirits... or dark imps waiting to lure human maidens into their clutches. Whether or not those assumptions were true, the Enchanted Forest always had a mysterious aura which made it unlike any wood in the realm. Nothing was ordinary here, if the stories were to be believed.
Nothing fascinated Marinette more than the magical and the mysterious. She stared out at the evergreen landscape from her spot at the carriage window, having half a mind to stretch her hand outside and sway it to the rhythm of the wind.
A deep voice beside her broke through Marinette's hazy daydreams. "What do you think of the view, my dear?"
Marinette nearly groaned at having her quiet moment interrupted, but she cast a sleepy smile over to her betrothed anyway.
Prince Theo of Bourgeois was as handsome and regal as befitting a man of his stature: sleek brown hair pulled back from his sharp face, untarnished skin that seemed to tighten whenever he smiled, and deep brown eyes that always made Marinette shiver whenever they looked at her. Theo was constantly trying to get her attention, whether he asked for it or not.
It wasn't that Marinette thought the prince was being rude. She just wished she could enjoy being with her fiancé without him trying to please her every waking minute of their quality time together. From the moment their parents had introduced them to each other, Theo rarely left Marinette's side... and rarely stopped looking at her like a hunter would a prized doe.
Still, Marinette would play the respectful princess – or else earn another scornful look from the girl sitting across from her in the carriage.
Dressed from head to toe in a blue gown that matched her pale eyes, Princess Chloe waited for Marinette to respond to her brother's query. She batted her fan at her face irritably, as though the silence itself was giving her a heatstroke.
If only, Marinette thought bitterly, though she held her cheery facade.
"It's lovely," the princess finally responded, tucking a stray strand of her bluish-black hair behind her ear. "I've never seen this part of the Enchanted Forest before. Have you, Chloe?" She cocked her head at her future sister-in-law.
The golden-haired princess cast her eyes to the ceiling in a disapproving manner; a very Chloe-like custom Marinette had grown used to. "What difference does it make? All trees look the same," Chloe scoffed. She adjusted herself in her seat and smoothed out the folds of her dress. "This is taking forever," she complained, glaring at her brother. "I told you coming down the Troll Road was a ridiculous idea."
Theo seemed to squirm away from her gaze. "Apologises, sister. I thought it would be fun to take a scenic route home."
"Well, next time, pick a quicker route... with far less bumps," Chloe grumbled when the carriage unexpectedly jerked.
Marinette fiddled with the brown leather pouch in her lap, wondering if she should speak up. She had been the one to suggest to Theo earlier that they take the Troll Road. That small, selfish part of her had wanted to spend just a few more hours in the comfort of the forest – away from the looming future she currently did not have the courage to face.
Home. That's what she would soon call Castle Bourgeois, the seat of the widowed King Andre, in all its grand golden glory. It wasn't that much of a change from her own castle in Dupain-Cheng, where her mother and father ruled; where her older sister Bridgette would one day rule. It was the towering wall of King Andre's castle that troubled Marinette. From the outside, it looked like a beautiful cloistered prison with no way in or out. On the inside, the various rooms and apartments were openly spacious and lavish, yet devoid of any warmth or quiet.
Marinette would always remind herself that she would get used to Bourgeois in time, just like she would get used to the prince who would become her husband.
Get used to them, yes... but will I come to like them?
Before long, Chloe was complaining again. "Ugh, can we please close the curtains now? All this heat is attracting too many bugs!" She batted her fan again. "Marinette, are you even listening to me?"
Marinette wanted to stuff that fan right down Chloe's bodice and see if that would cool her down. Her bluebell eyes said as much, but she forced her exhausted mouth to smile again. "With your high keen, Chloe, its impossible not to," she said playfully.
Theo broke into a throaty chuckle. "My bride has a sense of humour," he said, flashing his hard white teeth. "You could learn something from her, Chloe."
The golden-haired princess merely gave Marinette an abolished look, one the latter knew she was going to pay for once they got to Bourgeois.
Suddenly, the carriage ground to a halt, almost sending Marinette and Theo over.
Chloe fell back against her cushions and displayed her trademark eye-roll. "Oh, now what? Another delay?"
Theo sighed and patted Marinette's hand with his own gloved one. "Fret not, ladies," he assured. "I'll a take look. Wait here."
Marinette knew he had spoken more to her than to both girls. Second-born princes never gave their older sisters a direct order.
Theo exited out the door on his side before slamming it shut, jarring the whole carriage. Marinette took that as an indication that he wanted to handle the situation on his own.
She heard the whinnies of horses and the murmurs of men from outside – their escort of royal guards, no doubt. Marinette poked her head out her window, but the trail ahead was obscured by armoured bodies bearing the blue and silver colours of Bourgeois.
Marinette debated staying here like Theo's good little bride-to-be, or going out there and deciding for herself what kind of situation they were in. Marinette now wished she had brought her bow and quiver of arrows along for the trip, just to feel safer, but a certain future-sister-in-law forbade the presence of weapons in the carriage.
"If I have to spend another hour in this stuffy wagon..." Chloe protested. "I mean, just look at my hair – it might as well be a bird's nest!"
Marinette made her decision in a heartbeat.
She placed her pouch on her seat and was out the door by the time Chloe called, "Hey! Are you're just going to leave me here? Marinette!"
The princess of Dupain-Cheng straightened her rose-coloured riding jacket and breathed in the sharp scent of pine and dew. Then she strode through the commotion of perplexed guards and anxious horses, two of which remained fastened to the front of the carriage. The chestnut stallions pattered their hooves against the gravel, as though they could sense the trouble and were desperate to get moving again.
Marinette finally caught up to Theo and two of his men up front, where she saw what all the fuss was about: a fallen tree lying flat upon the road, too thick for the carriage to roll across, but not too heavy for the guards to lift out of the way.
Theo barked his commands to the soldiers before finally acknowledging Marinette's presence. "Just a tree, my beloved," he said with a hard smile, as though the whole ordeal annoyed him. "My men will have it out of the way in no time. Then we'll be on our way."
But Marinette had no intention of climbing back into the carriage with her overbearing future sister-in-law. The princess surveyed the fallen tree while the Bourgeois guards scattered about it, debating whether to roll it or heave it off the road. Marinette came to the edge of the road where the tree had broken off.
Something caught Marinette's attention. She bent down over the jagged tip and ran her bare fingers over the bark. Jagged, but smooth. Unquestionably torn off, but not by natural means.
"Princess?" one of the soldiers asked as he watched her. "Is something wrong?"
Several more eyes, including Theo's, turned in Marinette's direction.
Marinette kept her own eyes narrowed on the tree trunk. She had seen enough servants chopping logs back in Dupain-Cheng to know what hatchet marks looked like. "This tree didn't fall on its own," she stated to the onlookers. "It's been cut."
An eerie feeling crept up her spine, followed by a cold realization that struck her core. Marinette instantly stood up. "Get back to the carriage," her voice rose.
Theo stared at her confusedly. "What do you...?"
Marinette snapped to him, her hair whirling. "Get back!" she shouted. "It's an ambush!"
A shrill scream erupted from the carriage. Chloe!
Marinette turned towards the carriage just as a black-clad figure emerged from the doorway – as though one of the shadows of the forest had come to life.
"Help! Thief!" Chloe shrieked. "Somebody save me!"
As though the golden princess's cries were painful, the figure hissed like a cat and climbed to the top of the carriage. He was grasping something small and brown in one hand.
My pouch! Marinette realized.
"Stop him!" Theo shouted.
Marinette was already two steps ahead of him, racing for one of the spare horses unoccupied by the soldiers.
Meanwhile, the thief leapt off the carriage in a graceful swoop and landed on one of the occupied horses. With a great shove, he sent the guard sprawling along the ground before flying into the saddle and kicking the frightened white beast into action.
Marinette had already swung her leg over her own horse by the time the thief started down the opposite way of the trail. "Hyah!" she shouted with resolve, urging her stallion forward.
Even through the pounding of hooves and Chloe's consistent screaming, Marinette heard Theo call out her name.
The princess charged after the thief, who glanced behind him as he rode on. Marinette could see the lower part of his face, swearing she caught the traces of a sly grin. Marinette nudged her horse's sides and gained more speed. The wind blew her hair behind her, leaving her face exposed to the sharp branches and leaves that threatened to skewer her on her way by.
"Come on, come on..." Marinette murmured, noting the closing distance between her and her objective. It seemed to take forever trying to shorten the gap, the thief threatening to slip from her reach any second.
But Marinette had ridden since she was six – and no horse master in Dupain-Cheng had ever had a finer student.
Finally, the two horses met each other neck-in-neck. The thief barely had time to register this new predicament before Marinette came hurdling at him.
Their bodies collided hard, but the ground was harder.
Marinette cried out as she rolled along the earth, pain shooting through her arms and back. Definitely going to have some bruises.
Spitting out grit from her mouth, Marinette scrambled to her hands and knees and crawled over to the fallen thief. He lay twisted in his black cloak, groaning.
Throwing her hair away from her face, Marinette gripped the thief's shoulders hard and pulled him onto his back. "Show yourself, you –!"
Her insult was replaced by a tiny gasp as Marinette beheld the face beneath the hood.
It was a boy.
He was possibly the same age as her, if not a bit older. Soft strands of golden hair lay plastered to the glistening sweat of his brow. As dishevelled as he was, his face had a certain glow about it, evidenced further by the way his mouth parted away in silent awe. His eyes bore into Marinette's – she had never seen a more brilliant shade of green – and they seemed to cut through her in a way that made the princess reel back. Not in fear or disgust, but shock.
Marinette almost forgot who she was dealing with and why she had been chasing him. For in that brief instant, the only thing bothering her was the strange pounding in her ears. "Who..." her voice croaked. "Who are you?"
The boy's face broke into a feline smile, teeth flashing bright. "Terribly sorry about this," he replied casually.
Before Marinette could regain her wits, the boy threw her off in a not-so-graceful fashion, sending her onto her back in a heap of dust.
Through the coughing and the tears, Marinette saw the handsome thief rise to his feet and give the princess a deep bow.
"But you may call me Cat Noir," he said, never letting his playful grin diminish.
Marinette growled and rubbed at her eyes, knowing she couldn't let him escape. But by the time she stood back up, the boy was already back on his stolen horse and speeding away down the trail shouting, "Heigh-ho, Dusty! Away!"
The way he said that – so juvenile and mischievous – almost made Marinette laugh.
Until she remembered the thief still had her pouch, and Marinette glowered in his direction. "You can't hide from me!" she called with as much fervour as she could muster. "Wherever you go, I will find you!"
The boy looked back at her once last time, and again Marinette could see traces of that cat-like amusement.
Panting heavily, Marinette kicked the ground at her feet, her shoulders sagging.
She continued to stare down the trail even after the thief had completely vanished. She continued to stare even when she heard the clatter of more hooves and a familiar voice reaching out to her.
"Marinette!" Theo cried as he practically leapt off his saddle and ran to her side. "Are you all right? Did he hurt you?" he asked, constantly pulling her face towards his.
The princess squirmed from his grasp. "No, Theo, I'm fine. Really!" she added adamantly when he persisted in looking over her. Marinette tore away and looked back in the direction in which the black-clad thief had taken off.
He took my purse...
She knew she should be devastated. She should be crying and begging Theo to hunt that rogue down and get it back for her.
Instead, Marinette couldn't help but smile through her shocked stupor. She was a princess, and she had been robbed. She was a princess, and she had caught a thief all on her own, even if it was a short-lived victory.
She had always wanted a little excitement. It seemed Fate had its own means of granting wishes.
Reluctantly, Marinette let Theo lead her back to the carriage on his horse. Her elated behaviour, unfortunately, did not go unnoticed by a certain mortified future sister-in-law.
"Where have you been?" Chloe spat. "And what could you possibly be smiling about? Can't you see I've just been vandalized?!"
Luckily, her brother came to her rescue. "That braggart will pay dearly for this!" Theo hissed as he signalled his men to get moving. "I'll send out warrants for his arrest at once. And when I catch him, I'll carry out his lashing with my own hand!"
The prince turned sharply towards Marinette as she leaned exhausted against the side of the carriage. His tone was softer this time, but it still had the steel of a blunted blade. "Did you see his face, Marinette? Who was he?"
Marinette just stared out absent-mindedly towards the far end of the trail from whence they came.
She didn't know what came over her, but the princess shook her head and exhaled, "I don't know. He knocked me over before I got a good look at him."
All the while, a small flame kindled inside Marinette's chest, and she finally understood why she told Theo that.
It was her purse that had been taken. Her property. Her problem. And she was going to settle things her way.
But first, she needed to learn more about this peculiar thief. This...
Cat Noir.
MB: Yay! Here at last is my Miraculous-OUAT crossover!
My story will be split into "parts", and every part will have about six chapters. So when you go to the list of chapters above, for example, it will say "1:1" and then the title. That translates to "Part 1: Chapter 1".
Also, every chapter title will be a funny catch phrase or pun related to the theme of the chapter. Yes, I know, that's very Cat Noir of me. I was mostly inspired by the way Assassin's Creed: The Ezio Trilogy does their mission titles.
So, yeah... happy reading!