Chapter Ten
-The Quiet Library-
Authors Note: Here is one of the reasons why this is rated T 16+. Warnings for mentions of blood and some cussing. I had to split this chapter and the next one up, but I'll tell you right now, the next one is all about some MariChat~ I apologize for the late upload. Please stay tune for after Halloween for the next chapter though! I celebrate Samhain, so I will be taking this time with my family and friends. Thank you again to everyone! If you would like to read chapters a day early, consider supporting me on . If you would like to leave a tip, please consider buying me a coffee?
Marinette and Alya, in thoughtful silence, made their way towards the library to meet the boys after having been prepped and fixed up by their ladies, Rose and Juleka. The two maids explained how many of the house staff have seemingly been sworn to some sort of secrecy. No one talked about Prince Adrien going to jail, how Queen Bulla was possessed, or even that Princess Chole supposedly saw everything. Rose and Juleka knew that in all of the hustle, someone on the staff must know what was going on. Marinette and Alya couldn't bare to explain to the two girls that Hawkmoth/ King Gabriel was planning on completely taking over the kingdoms in a vengeance fueled rage. Word would eventually get back into town, which would cause a panic, which would definitely lead to war.
Marinette let out a heavy sigh as her thoughts swarmed. She hated keeping secrets from her people, hated not being upfront and honest. But the need to find evidence before she accuses King Gabriel was more important then outing him. The questions swirled, as the realization that her parents might also be keeping secrets from her echoed in her mind. And this type of new magick, having some sort of connection with the divine artifacts? Marinette needed answers. She clung tightly to the book Chat Noir had left, remarking to Alya she had checked it out earlier and wanted to return it. In the commountion of the passed few days, Alya shrugged it off as coincidence that Prince Adrien was looking at the same book when they met in the library before.
The library was particularly quiet today, with no bard playing sweet melodies as you entered. Adrien and Nino were hanging by the central counter, one boy with arms crossed and the other looking off in the distance. Marinette noted how Adrien looked particularly tired, but still very handsome. But he carried a heavy weight around him that was almost too obvious to bare. He turned his head as the girls walked up, giving a warm smile directly to Marinette. A blush tried to creep across her face as she returned the gesture.
"I hope you weren't waiting long. You guys look a little more well-rested...and clean," Alya joked, giggling and pulling on Nino's very nicely pressed clean white tunic. Nino brushed her off with a wide brimmed smirk.
"Very surprising what a bath can do, you know?" he remarked back, "And no, we just got here ourselves."
Adrien butted in, his concern rippling, "Marinette, this isn't going to interfere with your studies and getting ready for the wedding, is it?"
The young Princess's heart jumped at the loving gesture with a sweet smile across her face, and she shook her head in response.
"I explained to my other tutors that I will be studying with Alya today. Besides, I am making my own dress for the wedding. Everything else apparently has already been taken care of- according to my mother, at least."
Adrien looked cautiously relieved, letting out a deep breath, "That's good." A smirk flashed across his face. "Making your own dress, uh? I can't wait to see you in it~"
Chat Noir's face came alive in Marinette's mind as Adrien said those words. Electricity flared between them in an instant, but Alya coughed to lower the mood. She stepped in between Adrien and Marinette, almost to cut the affection.
"Let's find Mylene, shall we? I will rather work with her then Madame Mendeleiev in trying to get the journal."
Marinette looked around again at the almost abandoned library, realising the usual greeter was gone as well. "She should be here." A chill brushed passed the princess, causing the hairs on the back of her neck to stand, "Something isn't right..."
The others nodded in agreement, a tense feeling drifting between them all. Marinette placed the book she was carrying onto the counter, tapping a little bell on the desk. The ring reverbated the marble walls of the library, bouncing off the shelves. Nervousness bundled in the pit of Marinette's stomach, her heart flaring up in exuberant fast-paced beats.
"Madame Mendeleiev?!" cried the Princess aloud, "Mylene?!"
A soft echo of her own voice greeted her back, then silence.
Adrien came closer to Marinette in protection, grabbing her hand in a swift, gentle motion. In another moment, Marinette would have felt lighter than air, but her gut was always right and right now it was screaming about the state of the library. She tightened her grip on Adrien's hand and looked at the others with a distraught face, "Let's go to the offices. Keep your eyes open for purple butterflies."
Holding tight to Adrien's hand, Marinette and the others walked towards the back of the library where Madame Mendeleiev's and Mylene's offices were. The erie quietness that greeted them was unsettling. Marinette never saw this place so empty before, in all her days coming and going from here. Mylene would greet her with a smile, or Madame Mendeleiev would already have ten books set aside for Marinette to read as punishment for something. Memories of her time running through the maze of knowledge and chasing after Chloe seeped into her mind, with every passing bookshelf a reminder.
Adrien gave her hand a gentle squeeze, as they both were lagging a bit behind from the others. Marinette turned her head and gave the prince a reassuring smile, "I'm okay; just lost in thought and worried."
The Prince nodded in understanding, facing forward as he continued walking, "I know that feeling all too well." He tightened around her hand, then let go quickly as if his tone shifted with his own words.
Like before, she felt an emptiness as soon as his hand left, the warmth being replaced by the icy chill of abandonment. His words were laced with a hidden meaning, Marinette noted, too. She felt complied to question him further, but the two approached the others who were crouched on either side of a wooden door. Mylene's office, so marked by the plaque on the front. Alya shushed them all quietly, pointing to the small keyhole on the door that was illuminating light. She then pointed at her own ears in representation.
Adrien and Marinette dropped down to the floor and crept closer to the door, listening in. Voices became clear on the other side as their ears pressed on to the wood.
"Where is it?! I won't ask again!"
"I-I-told you...I don't kn-know…"
"Madame Mendeleiev seemed to think otherwise…"
Instantly, Adrien and Marinette met each other with wide eyes of connection. Hawkmoth, with Mylene! The couple backed away from the door, as Alya and Nino readied themselves with a summon of magick at their fingers. Adrien drew deep to call upon his powers, the destruction howling at an opportunity. Nino flung the door open quickly.
"Stop right there, Hawkmoth!"
A human-like creature, tall and covered in almost a silver, metal like material, faced the improaching group with Mylene clenched by the throat. She was struggling, choking, her feet dangling at least a meter from the floor. It had wild eyes, a large mouth with broad teeth showing, and a purple winged brooch resting on its collar. The group stood there in stoned fear at the sight, unable to move closer. This was the true form of Hawkmoth?! Of King Gabriel? That didn't even look like King Gabriel anymore…
A single second passed, causing Hawkmoth to drop Mylene to the ground with a echoing loud thud. She began to cough repeatedly, rubbing her throat to ease the now bruised skin.
"Dark Wings, Rise!" Hawkmoth shouted, raising his arms to his sides. A cloud of white butterflies swarmed around him from out of nowhere, encasing him in a bubble of wings. The wind whipped through the room, causing Marinette and the others to cover their faces to avoid flying papers. The bubble of wings grew smaller and smaller, tighter and tighter, until it formed into a singular purple quite large, insect.
Adrien was the first to act; pushing Marinette and the others back and running up with a hand flexed full of energy. The bug was quick, zooming back and forth to avoid the death that was hunting it down. Adrien tried to block it off from the open window, but it swopped low through his legs and out into the midday sun, fluttering fast into the sky.
"Damnit!" screamed the prince, punching his fist into the wall beside the window. A ripple effect caused the stone to bow and crack under Adrien's bleeding knuckles, the red ooze dripping down the side of the wall onto the floor.
Marinette's first thought was Mylene's safety, and she crouched low in front of the girl. A hand on each shoulder, she spoke softly but quickly to the scared girl, "Are you alright?!"
Mylene nodded her head rapidly, still unable to speak clearly. Nino approached from behind to assist Adrien, closing the window and ripping a piece of his white shirt apart. He dressed the boy's wounded fist, his face solemn and unreadable. Alya acted next, summoning her magick with a whistle and producing a 3 tailed small fox by her side.
"Go get Dr. Kim," Alya commanded the creature, sending it out of the library. It phased through the walls in an instant.
Mylene coughed again, her throat skin now a combination of black, blue, and red blisters. Drawing into herself, Marinette brought her hand up to the wound. The pinkish hue of her magick glittered on contact with Mylene's skin, gliding across it to reveal it healed underneath.
"That should help you feel a little better, but I am sorry I can't really heal much more than that right now," Marinette stated, lifting herself up and pulling Mylene up with her. The young girl nodded again, this time able to breathe in deeply.
"Thank you, Princess," she finally said, turning around sharply. She walked behind her desk, back to the group, and pulled off the painting of the royal family that sat on the wall. There lied a metal safe with a combination lock and spin handle. Mylene rushed the input, opening the iron door. Marinette studied with curious eyes as Mylene turned to them with a worn, torn leather journal in hand.
"I had a feeling Madame Mendeleiev was under Hawkmoth's control, so I kept this hidden away," Mylene whispered, bringing the journal into full view.
"Master Fu's journal?" Adrien said, coming up to Marinette's side. He was cradling his hurt hand close to his chest, the emotions raging within him unable to be comprehended.
Mylene nodded, handing it out towards Marinette to grab. The Princess took extra care in handling it, feeling the rough edges of the book on her skin.
"What happened here?" Nino finally spoke up, crossing his arms over his chest and coming up next to Alya.
Mylene sighed, wrapping her arms around herself in comfort. "I came in for my shift, but Madame Mendeleiev told me to go get something from my office as soon as I arrived. I realized something was wrong when the library was so quiet. I came in here, only to be attacked by that thing that called itself, Hawkmoth. He was looking for the journal…"
Marinette's mind went full thunder, piecing together all the information. "What happened to Madame Mendeleiev?" she asked with worry laced in every word..
Tears started to form in Mylene's eyes, "I-I don't know."
A knock on the door caused the party to turn. Dr. Kim, a muscular man with a fancy haircut, greeted them. His bag of medical supplies gripped with white knuckles of fear and worry.
"It isn't everyday a fox spirit leads me somewhere," he joked, coming inside the office. He was noticeably shaken up from the tense atmosphere. Marinette turned completely and greeted him, her face soft but her tone serious.
"Dr. Kim, Mylene and Prince Adrien are both hurt. Please attend to them."
"Yes, Your Majesty," the doctor said without question, placing his bag on a nearby table and opening it up. He began to work on Adrien first, cleaning the dried blood and applying sterilization. Alya placed an arm around Mylene's shoulders as a comfort, rocking the girl back and forth slowly while she cried.
Marinette brought the book closer to herself and walked out of the office as Dr. Kim began to work, taking in deep even breaths to steady herself. So that was Hawkmoth's true form. That power though, that magick. Marinette never in her wildest nightmares could have imagined such a foe. She gazed down at the journal, feeling the leather binding with her palm. The Legendary first Draconus Lord, Master Fu. If Hawkmoth wanted this, then surely answers to the questions that plagued Marinette will be found in its pages. Chat Noir would be the next best person to discuss this with, considering his interest in the artifacts too. Maybe he knew something more? Tonight, for the first time, she wished deeply that he would visit her.