Hello Everyone! I'm SUPER sorry about this late, but much needed update. Life got a little hectic for a while, but I'm proud to finally be able to publish this new chapter! Enjoy 3
Marinette couldn't imagine the amount of pain Wren goes through everyday, just the desire to be among people alone must be heavy on her. Without a second thought, Marinette placed her small hand on Wren's shoulder and bent down to her, looking at her with soft eyes.
"Wren…Do not believe that man for another second. You may not know this, but there are other people in this world like you." Marinette said gently, slowly rubbing her thumb on Wren's shoulder. With tears still gliding down her cheeks and her eyes bloodshot, Wren looked up at Marinette and sniffled a little. "Th-there are?", she managed to say through her sobs.
Marinette nodded, but just as she was about to speak, Adrien bent down right next to her. "Of course! And a lot of them are super heroes! Like Ladybug and Chat Noir! They protect Paris and the entire world from the darkness that tries to control it! It's because of their special abilities that millions of people are alive today!" he spoke, almost sounding like Alya giving another presentation on the dynamic duo. Wren studied the pair for a second, she had just met them and yet she felt as if she was meant to listen them and follow them. A small voice in her head kept saying to go with them, that they would deliver her to the freedom and happiness she has been seeking all her life. Hesitantly, she listened to the voice. Wren took hold of Marinette's hand that had rested on her shoulder and took one of Adrien's hands.
"Please, Marinette and Adrien. I do not know why, but I want to go with you. Take me to see Ladybug and Chat. I want to be free! I no longer want to be a "monster"; I want to be a hero!" she said practically begging the two. Blushing lightly, Marinette looked back at Adrien and made eye contact with him. They both had the same exact thought; meeting Ladybug and Chat Noir was easy, but doing so could risk their identities being revealed to each other. However, that was a small risk both of them were willing to take. The only thing that mattered right now was getting Wren safely out of Notre Dame, but how?
Just as Marinette turned to give Wren a reply, the trio heard a noise behind them. They turned around quickly to see Master Darcel standing there, his eyes wide open with disbelief and anger. Marinette, Adrien, and Wren stood up quickly, Adrien placing himself in front of Marinette and Wren as a means of protection. Anger curdled in Master Darcel's veins and pure darkness began to consume him and his heart.
"You…WHAT ARE YOU DOING UP HERE? NO ONE IS ALLOWED HERE! GET AWAY FROM WREN!" Master Darcel shouted, his voice echoing throughout the bell room and the entire cathedral it sounded like. Some of the bells began to hum lightly because of the shift in energy creating subtle vibrations. Marinette could feel the shift in energy, a small fear slowly coming over her. She saw Adrien take a small step forward, "NO! WE ARE TAKING WREN AWAY FROM THIS PLACE! YOU AREN'T HELPING HER AT ALL, YOU'RE JUST KEEPING HER TRAPPED UP HERE LIKE A CAGED BIRD!". Marinette had never seen Adrien so angry and serious before. She shook her head ignoring the thought of how much she wanted to fan-girl and stood next to him, Wren's hand in hers still.
"THAT'S RIGHT! And if you dare to try and stop us, you'll have Ladybug and Chat Noir to answer to!" she yelled back.
Master Darcel's face snapped into a deep scowl and dark energy filled the air. It was so thick that it formed a dark purple like cloud around him and created a spinning vortex. The cloud began to grow and grow until it consumed the entire room, eventually spreading out and into the rest of the cathedral. The class had gathered in the main hall to leave for lunch, but were frozen where they stood at the sight of the growing dark energy. They tried to move, but it was too late before they were consumed in the dark cloud too.
Outside, the massive cloud had begun to grow around Notre Dame, causing many citizens to halt their daily routine and watch in horror as one of their beloved icons was swallowed into darkness. Soon, the sky became gray and the sound of rolling thunder could be heard, lighting struck in multiple areas across Paris, and the dark cloud continued to spin around Notre Dame. Police drove around warning everyone to stay indoors and to avoid the area around Notre Dame, blocking it off with blockades and heavy duty police vehicles. As all of Paris bore witness to this mysterious force, Marinette and Adrien stood at the heart of it all, Wren close to Marinette's side.
The dark cloud was swirling and was quite powerful, but not strong enough to knock them down. Marinette held Wren close with her left arm and tried to cover her eyes with her right. She had lost all sight of Adrien and tried to call for his name, but a familiar voice rang in her ear.
"Princess!"
"Chat Noir?!" Marinette called, trying to keep her feet planted. She felt a gentle hand touch her right shoulder and felt her body being lightly pulled against another. Looking up, she saw Chat's eyes glowing bright green in the dark swirling cloud. She could feel Wren's arms holding onto his waist as he held onto both of the young girls. "I came as soon as I could! Don't worry, I already saved your friend Adrien. I have to get you two of here before something bad happens!"
"OH, I DON'T THINK YOU'LL BE LEAVING ANYTIME SOON." A dark hoarse voice rang into the air. Suddenly, the swirling cloud stopped, leaving the air very still and dark. It began to clear away and a figure could be seen a few feet in front of where the trio was. When the clearing opened up around them, Marinette, Wren and Chat Noir felt paralyzed and their eyes wide in shock. Master Darcel had transformed into a much taller figure, a long black robe covered his body and a blood red mask covered his face.
"IF YOU WON'T LEAVE, THEN I'LL JUST HAVE TO ERASE YOU FROM REALITY MYSELF!" Master Darcel yelled, his hands clutched into fists.
The energy emanating off of him was so strong that Marinette began to shake a little from the fear. She felt Chat's grip on her shoulder tighten as he pulled her closer to him. "Don't worry, I'll protect both of you until Ladybug arrives." Chat Noir said, his voice deep and stern, yet somehow calming. Just as Master Darcel took a step forward to attack the trio, a different kind of energy began to spin around them and increased in speed. The sound of the bells ringing sounded throughout the entire building and into the streets of Paris. Chat Noir looked up and saw that this new energy had frozen Master Darcel where he stood. He held Wren and Marinette close as the wind picked up speed, but he could hear a feint voice calling him. Chat Noir was able to hear and understand the voice, but he was confused. Chat Noir's eyes widened and he looked over at Wren, who was already looking up at him. Her bright golden eyes seemed very determined and had a fire in them.
"You heard her too?" he asked lightly. Wren, even though the wind was pushing against her heavily, nodded back to Chat. Nodding back at her, he slowly released Wren and allowed her to get swept up and away by the wind tunnel.
"ARE YOU INSANE, CHAT?!" Marinette yelled. Chat Noir grabbed onto Marinette and hugged her close to his body, "Just trust us." He whispered into her ear and finally allowed both of them to be swept up too. Marinette screamed as Chat Noir held her, the pair spinning and swirling upward in what felt like a tornado. She had closed her eyes tightly, but felt safe and comforted in Chat's strong embrace. Suddenly, she could also feel warmth and sunlight beating onto her as they neared what she assumed to be the top of this twister. At last, they stopped spinning and were floating in the air as they held each other.
"You can open your eyes now, Marinette."