PART 4:

Chapter 3:

A Golden Opportunity

ADRIEN:

I open my eyes, and I see nothing.

Strange. Why did I chase down that shaft of light only to emerge in total darkness?

I can feel the ground – hard as rock, but smooth and thin. Everywhere I walk, my footsteps echo around me.

If only I had something to light my –

Oh!

A torch appears before me, flaring to light with orange flame. I grasp it. I turn it this way and that, looking for something.

Nothing. But at least I can see now.

I walk cautiously through the expanse. My steps and the rippling of the torch are the only sounds I hear. No voices. No screams.

I stop and call out, "Ladybug!"

Big surprise – still nothing.

Wait... A face appears in front of me, drawing closer. Finally – someone to talk to!

Hold on a second... that's... that's my face! And my head, attached to my body, holding my torch.

I'm looking into a mirror.

I back away, but then I bang into something cool and firm. I turn around to see another reflection of myself. I look to my left, and then my right. I now see eight astounded faces of me holding eight glistening torches. I am surrounded by a wall of mirrors.

But why? What are they trying to tell me?

I glance over each and every one of them. They all bear my perplexed expression...

...except the last one.

I see myself grinning, but it is a twisted grin that I find very daunting. My chin is dipped, and I glance up at myself – or rather, he glances up at me – with piercing green eyes that speak of cunning and cruelty.

I raise my hand towards it. The reflection doesn't copy me. Instead, he laughs. Do I really laugh like that, so cold and insensitive?

I narrow my gaze at my reflection. "Who are you?" I ask.

He smirks. "Isn't it obvious?" he purrs. "I'm you, Adrien. Or rather, the you you're supposed to be."

I scrunch my face with confusion, and I'm almost afraid to ask. "Are you saying you're... a part of me?"

"Now you're catching on," the reflection says with a sneer. "I'm the piece of your heart that you've been keeping at bay for a long time. That is, until Hawkmoth cracked you open and set me free."

Suddenly, I know. "You're me... when I was turned into an Akuma," I deduce.

"Bravo again, Your Highness," my dark self jeers. "Though I don't see why I'm congratulating you at all." A scowl appears on his face. "Seeing as it's your fault we're both stuck here."

I can't help but smile proudly. "Can't say I'm sorry," I tell him. "I only did what I had to do."

My Akuma groans with disgust, his eyes cast upward. "There is it again: the self-righteousness, the compassion, the valour. It makes me sick!" He glares at me through the mirror with unadulterated hate. "If you hadn't been so weak and pathetically in love, neither of us would be trapped in this curse! All you had to do was kidnap Ladybug, and instead you let her go... only for her to get captured again and used against you!"

I meet my reflection's gaze with one of unwavering focus. "Hawkmoth wanted me to kill her!" I shout, my voice ringing along the mirrors. "But I would rather suffer a thousand years of torment than let anything happen to her!"

My Akuma raises his head and laughs so freakishly loud that I step back.

"Listen to yourself!" he chortles at me. "What good are you to Ladybug now that you're asleep? What reason would Hawkmoth have to keep her alive now that you're out of the way? Don't you see? You've accomplished nothing!"

I stare at him, refusing to back down. "Like you did any better."

My dark self frowns, his eyes sharp as daggers. "I may be forced to spend an eternity down here," he says, "but at least I can take solace in the fact that you will never escape this place either."

He steps towards me... and moves right through the mirror as though it were made of water!

I gasp and back away as my Akuma emerges fully into the ring of mirrors – just as full and real as I am.

"And who knows?" he says as he grips his own blazing torch in both hands, the light enhancing his wicked sneer. "I might even get to kill you for good this time."

After several days of riding through the Enchanted Forest, Marinette finally arrived at the Troll Bridge by the fourth night.

It had not changed a bit since last she saw it. The only major difference between now and then was the undisturbed layer of snow upon the cobblestones and the leaf-less trees that stood on the other side of the chasm. The pale moon above was enough to light up the snow and allow Marinette to see.

I can't believe this is where Adrien and I fought Stoneheart, Marinette mused to herself as she observed the entire area. I never would have made it out of here alive if it weren't for him.

It seemed like ages ago when last she had been to this bridge. The Marinette who had been here then was so different from the Marinette who came here now. For one thing, the princess felt braver, wiser, and more determined to follow what she believed to be right in her heart.

For another thing, last time she had been trying to save an emerald ring. Now she was trying to save something far more precious.

Marinette reached into her pocket and pulled out the ring. The green jewel shone brightly against the silver in the moonlight.

The blunette still found it amusing that she had been able to conceal it on her person during her capture at the hands of Chloe. Apparently, the Bourgeois guards hadn't been too nitpicky about her under-things when they forced her to wear the white chemise. Besides, there was no way Marinette was going to let Chloe get her hands on this ring.

I promised Papa I would give it to the man I would fall in love with, Marinette thought as she pulled off her glove and slipped the huge thing on her thumb. And that's exactly what I'm going to do... once I wake Adrien up, of course.

Marinette urged the horse onward.

But then, her mare gave a sharp whinny and ground to a halt.

The princess inched over at the creature. "Come on," she cooed, giving the horse a gentle nudge on the side. "There's nothing to be afraid of. Just over this bridge and back into the woods, okay?"

The mare snorted, as though she didn't like that idea, but apparently Marinette's words of comfort were enough to convince her. She trotted onward, albeit more slowly and cautiously.

But the moment they reached the other side of the chasm; the moment the horse and her rider stepped off the Troll Bridge... everything changed.

It felt like a veil had been lifted from Marinette's eyes.

Instead of snow on the ground, there was soft grass and dirt along with a wide range of flowers that seemed to give off their own light. Vibrant petals of pink, blue, purple, and yellow lit up the forest floor, and tiny buzzing specks flew around them like glowing bees.

The air was much warmer now, even at night. Marinette could feel the humidity thaw her red cheeks, and there were sweet scents in the air: lavender, lemons, mint and seawater.

Up above in the forest canopy, waves of leaves danced along the wind. Hovering lights appeared and disappeared everywhere Marinette looked, as though they could sense her watching them. They reminded the princess of twinkling stars, but in all the colours of the rainbow.

And... Was that music in the distance?

Marinette closed her eyes and listened. It sounded like singing; like soft, melodic voices coming together to perform a vocal orchestra. It made her sigh... from sadness, from relief, from happiness, from love. There were too many emotions to keep track of. It was like the music had awakened everything Marinette ever felt in her lifetime.

It certainly made her horse feel less jittery. The black mare paused and listened as well, completely forgetting that she had a rider with her.

Marinette smiled. "All right," she said as she swung her leg up and over. "We'll stop for the night."

This time, the princess didn't bother to light a fire. It was so warm now that she had to remove her red, spotted cloak because she was getting sweaty. And besides, she wanted to stare at the glowing lights of the forest.

Could this be the edge of the fairy kingdom? Had she passed into another world where spring lasted forever and magic thrived in every leaf, rock and stone?

Adrien never told me about any of this, Marinette thought with a pout as she snuggled into her bedroll. I'll have to berate him for it later.

That being said, the princess knew she was in the right place. If this is where all the fairies are, she thought as she drifted off to sleep, then this is where I'll find the golden queen.

Her dreams were filled with starlight and music... and as she danced away, she felt Adrien's arms wrap around her. But when she turned around to face him, he was gone.

When morning came, Marinette woke to the sound of two voices crying out not far from her:

"Help! Somebody!" a high-pitched voice, like that of a small girl, squealed.

"Get us out here!" the second one – far raspier and definitely boyish – shrieked.

Marinette scrambled up, scooped up her bow and quiver, and ran towards the source of the disturbance.

She already had an arrow ready when she rounded a massive tree and saw three miniature, shrivelled figures playing with a tiny lantern being lifted above them by a rope over a tree branch. The creatures were the size of toddlers, but they had big feet and hands, long pointed ears, and bulbous noses. Their skin was hideously pale with patches of brown, green and yellow.

Marinette almost reeled at the sight of these creatures. They were obviously not human... so what were they? And why were they laughing and poking at that lantern?

It wasn't until the princess crept closer when she saw the two tiny figures trapped inside the lantern. No bigger than Marinette's palm, they had enormous heads and wee little bodies. One of them was red with large black polka dots bright blue eyes. The other was entirely black with pointed ears and cat-like, green eyes.

A ladybug and a black cat? How... strangely coincidental.

The black one hissed at the three hideous thugs below them. "Buzz off, you buzzards!" he shouted in the raspy voice Marinette recognised from before. "Don't make me get my claws out!"

One of the shrunken things waved his fingers at him. "Ooooohhh," he said creepily. "The little fairy has the heart of a lion. Scary!"

His partners laughed.

Marinette's mouth fell open. Did he just say... fairy?

"Leave him alone, you big ugly brute!" the little red creature shouted in her squeaky voice.

The gremlin leader banged the lantern with a stick, causing the two little fairies to jitter and fall over in their spots. "Or what, Bugzy?" he sniggered. "You ain't usin' your magic as long as you're inside that lantern."

"Yeah!" the second one affirmed with a voice that sounded like he was plugging his nose. He was the one holding the rope that lowered or raised the lantern. "Whatcha gonna do? Glow your way out?"

They all started laughing again, and Marinette didn't like the sound of it one bit.

"Hit 'em with the stick again!" the third one with a girly voice urged.

The leader bopped the lantern several times, making the red and black fairies cry out and cover their ears.

Marinette had seen enough. "Hey!" she shouted.

All three ugly heads turned to face her, looking confused.

Meanwhile, the two fairies gasped upon seeing Marinette – not out of fear, but of astonishment.

The princess glared down at the gremlins like they were rotten little children. "Didn't your mothers ever teach you to play nice with others?" she asked.

The second gremlin blinked at her incredulously. "What in the world is that?" he said out loud.

"I dunno," the leader said with a scowl, "but it's ug-ga-ly."

The third gremlin cocked his head at Marinette. "Try poking her – see what happens."

The princess raised her bow and nocked an arrow at them. "Don't even think about it," she said with a smirk.

The gremlins cried out, their beady eyes bulging. They all tried backing away as fast as they could, but ended up stumbling and tripping over each other. In the chaos, the one holding the rope let it slip... and the lantern fell to the earth with a tiny thud, taking the startled fairies with it.

"Okay, okay, okay!" the gremlin leader pleaded fearfully, raising his huge hands at Marinette as she stepped closer to the lantern. "We get your point! We're backing up!"

"Backing up! Backing up!" the second one repeated again and again as he followed his partner's lead.

"It was just a joke!" the third one squealed as he turned tail and ran.

The other two followed him and practically trampled over the green foliage as they raced away like their lives depended on it.

Marinette waited until the creatures' frantic cries faded completely before lowering her bow. Then she approached the lantern and picked it up very carefully.

The two fairies inside groaned and blinked up at the princess as she ripped open the latch. Once they were free, they both swirled up into the air and hovered beside her.

"Aw, yeah!" the black cat cheered. "That's what I'm talking about!" He turned to the spot where the gremlins had vanished and called out, "That's right... you better run! Next time you pull a stunt like that, you're going to have to go through my friend... uh..." The fairy leaned over to Marinette and whispered. "Hey, kid, what's your name again?"

The princess tried to hold back her giggling as the red, bug-like fairy flew up in her companion's face.

"Oh, knock it off, Plagg," she scolded. "They can't hear you anyway." She sighed and spun around to face Marinette with adorable cute eyes. "Please excuse my friend here. He can be very boisterous when he wants to be."

Marinette smiled at them both. She had never seen a real fairy before – much less two – and they were definitely not what she expected. "Are you two all right?" she asked. "Those... things didn't hurt you, did they?"

"The goblins?" the red fairy asked. Then she giggled. "Of course not! They were just being a bunch of bullies."

"Yeah," the black fairy named Plagg grumbled, his cat-like slits thinning with irritation. "They like to chase us, catch us, and treat us like their pets." He snarled and folded his arms. "Stupid, pointy-eared bastards – all of them!"

"Wait...all of them?" Marinette repeated. "There are more goblins out here than just those three?"

"More than you can imagine, sweetheart," Plagg replied. "Believe me; you'll sleep better not knowing."

"On the bright side," the red fairy said, "they're easily fooled... and startled." She winked at Marinette with a giggle and flew over to her. "Thanks for helping us, by the way. I'm Tikki, and this airhead with ears is Plagg."

The cat fairy bowed. "Nice to meet ya."

Marinette dipped her head with a smile. "I'm...um... Marinette," she finally said, deciding that it was too risky to let slip that she was a princess. "Just Marinette... from... nowhere."

Plagg cocked an eyebrow at her. "Well, "Just Marinette" from the land of "Nowhere"," he said with a sly grin, "what's a pretty human like you doing this far out in the Enchanted Forest?"

"Are you lost?" Tikki asked curiously. "If you like, we can guide you back to the border. It's the least we can do."

"Actually," Marinette quickly said, "I came here looking for someone. Do either of you know anything about a fairy called the golden queen?"

"Huh?!" Tikki and Plagg blurted out in unison. They exchanged a perplexed glance before turning back to the human.

"Why would you want to find her?" Tikki asked with annoyance.

"Yeah, if you ask me, she's worse than those goblins," Plagg remarked.

Marinette glanced between them. "Is... Is she really that bad?" It unnerved her to think that the one fairy she needed so badly to find was actually someone no other fairy liked.

Tikki noticed her disheartened expression and her large blue eyes softened. "Well... no, she's not entirely bad," she admitted. "She's just very cranky... and rude."

"And she's got a sore spot for humans," Plagg noted.

Marinette blinked at him. "Why?" she enquired.

The cat fairy shrugged and fiddled with his paws.

So Tikki answered for him. "Apparently, the last human who visited stole some of her magical wishing dust," she said.

The princess's eyes brightened. "That was Adrien!" she exclaimed. "He came here looking for a cure for his mother's curse!"

Tikki cocked her head at Marinette. "So you know him? Is he here too?"

Marinette's smile faltered and her eyes fell. "No," she murmured. "Actually... he's the reason why I'm here. You see..." She twirled her fingers together and glanced back up at the two fairies. "I need the golden queen's dust to save Adrien from a sleeping curse."

Tikki gasped and covered her mouth. "That's awful!"

Even Plagg looked a little sullen, his ears drooping. "Gee... and I actually liked that kid," he admitted with a pang. "In fact, I'm the one who helped him steal the dust."

"Aha!" Tikki announced, pointing her stubby hand at her companion. "I knew it!"

"Hold on a minute, Tikki," Marinette advised. "I want to hear what he has to say." She looked over at Plagg. "Why did you help Adrien?"

The cat fairy hung his large head down with a heavy sigh. "You might find this hard to believe," he said, "but I wasn't always a fairy. I was just an ordinary cat... and Adrien was my owner."

Marinette's face perked up with interest. "Really?"

"Uh-huh. I had a pretty good life – lived in a castle, all the delicious camembert I could eat, the whole sha-bang." Plagg's voice softened as he went on, "But then, about a year ago, Adrien's stepfather took over, and when the guards came and raided his room, I had no choice but to escape."

Tikki looked guilty now. "You never told me about any of that," she said.

"Would you have believed me?" Plagg asked her.

Tikki shrugged. "If you weren't so rambunctious from the start, I might have."

"So what happened?" Marinette asked Plagg. "After you escaped Castle Agreste, I mean."

The cat fairy extended his paws to indicate the forest. "I ended up all the way out here," he said. "I was hungry, so I found a really fat, glowing mushroom to chow down. Next thing I know – poof!" He twirled around and lifted his chin proudly. "I'm a handsome fairy."

Tikki snorted. "That's probably around the time I met him," she said. "He was so clueless about the fairy world that I had to practically babysit him day and night."

"Hey!" Plagg whined.

Marinette smirked and then asked, "Did Adrien know who you were when he came through here?"

Plagg shook his head sadly. "Nah. I didn't have the heart to tell him. But I didn't want him to fail in his quest. His mother, Queen Vivienne, had always been really kind to me when I lived at the castle. So... yeah, I helped him steal the golden fairy dust." He frowned. "But only because Goldilocks wouldn't let him have it, no matter how hard he begged."

Tikki sighed. "Which probably means she won't let you have the dust either, Marinette," she told the princess with a heavy heart. "It will take a miracle to convince her otherwise."

Marinette smiled with resolve. "Then I'll give her miracle," she said. "Nothing is going to stop me from getting that dust and saving Adrien. So where do I find her shrine?"

"Her shrine?" Plagg laughed. "There's only one Fairy Shrine in this entire land, and it's supposed to belong to all fairy-kind. Goldilocks just likes to pretend it's hers."

Tikki rolled her eyes smiling. "But if you're really sure about your decision," she said to Marinette cheerily, "then Plagg and I can show you where the Shrine is!"

"Bwah?!" Plagg blurted out, his fanged mouth wide open. "Me? I'm not going back there! Goldie will skin me for sure, or worse – turn me back into a cat!"

"Fine, then Tikki will show me," Marinette asserted firmly. "But I would really appreciate it if you came along too, Plagg. There's so much about this place that I don't know about... and who better to help me ease my way into it than someone who's been in the same position I'm in now?"

Tikki grinned over at Plagg. "She has a point," she sang.

The cat fairy stared blankly at the red fairy. Then Marinette. Then Tikki again. Then the princess again.

Finally he smiled and said, "You're pretty sneaky, "Just Marinette from Nowhere" – I like you." He flew up the blunette. "Fine, I'll help, but on one condition: I go back to the human world with you, and you get me a big slice of camembert."

Marinette laughed. "I think I can arrange that," she said.

"Whoo-hoo!" Plagg cheered, soaring around the princess. "Then what are we waiting for? Let's go get some dust! Come on, slowpokes!" He then zoomed into the trees faster than a dragonfly.

Tikki rolled her eyes as she floated beside Marinette. "I hope you realize what you're getting yourself into," she warned playfully.

The princess smirked. "Oh, don't worry, Tikki," she said as she went off to find her horse. "Plagg's not the first crazy cat I've had to deal with."

ADRIEN:

Only one thing comes clear to me: I can't fight myself. Even if that self is an evil, twisted maniac that keeps lashing out at me with a burning torch.

But I can't evade him either. I may not exactly be awake, but I can already feel fatigue starting to set in.

Nothing I try is working. Every time I dodge, block or hit my Akuma, he just keeps coming back at me, stronger than ever.

The flaming end of his torch comes within a hair's width of my face, practically singeing my cheek. I leap back, but I collide with one of the mirrors trapping me in this ring with my wicked doppelganger. Each glass panel reflects my startled face and my enemy's amused sneer.

Well, except for the mirror my Akuma emerged from. It sits just inches to my left. It keeps distorting itself, like a puddle on a rainy day. It was almost as if the mirror knew my reflection had left it... and it wanted him back.

I lift up my torch just in time as my opponent swings at me.

He knocks my only weapon clean out of my hands. It clatters to the ground, the fire going out with a choked stutter.

Grinning mad, my Akuma charges me.

I grab onto his torch with both hands, but he still manages to press my body against the glass wall. Not a single crack or dent appears.

I try to throw my Akuma off of me, but it's no use. The torch handle lodges itself against my throat, and now I can barely breathe. I can feel the searing heat of the burning end pulsing against my face, threatening to scorch me alive.

Then, my Akuma pushes me with amazing strength. I slide and screech along the glass... towards the rippling mirror.

I realize now what he's doing, and I struggle harder.

He finally stops and holds me firm along the edge of the shimmering glassy waves. I grit my teeth and desperately try to lift the torch away from my neck. Everything feels distorted now. Flames start dancing everywhere.

"What did I tell you?" my Akuma snarls wickedly. "You're weak. You can't even face your own demons without needing to be rescued. Well, too bad, Your Highness. No one's coming to save you this time. Not your father, not your friends... and not your pretty little princess."

I pant heavily, but I'm unable to glare at my dark self. All I can do now is talk. "You're right," I wince. "That's the test, isn't it? If I can't beat the darkness inside me, then I have no chance of beating the darkness out there in the real world." I try to glance at him in my peripheral vision. "But now I realize... I don't need to beat my darkness. I just can't... let it destroy who I am really am."

My Akuma laughs. "You truly are our father – noble to the bitter end," he scoffs. "But your philosophical banter won't do you any good. Now you'll be trapped down here in the dark, just like I was. And do you want to know the best part?" He leans right into my ear and whispers, "If by some miracle you actually do wake up, it won't be you back in your body. It will be me... and Ladybug will be all mine!"

I don't know what comes over me, or what sort of hidden reserve of strength finally bursts open and floods through my veins.

But the next thing I know, I'm reaching over blindly and grabbing the back of my Akuma's head.

With a tooth-grinding yell, I pull him towards the burning end of the torch. I hear a soft bang of skin upon metal, followed by a loud sizzling hiss.

My Akuma shrieks in agony and leaps back, and the pressure on my neck fades. I gasp and sag against the glass wall as the torch falls to the ground.

I look up at my ailing doppelganger. He's hunched over, covering his smoking face with his hands.

Without waiting for him to retaliate, I launch off the wall and grab both his shoulders. Then, I fling him behind me... straight into the distorted mirror.

His startled cry is cut off as the glass swallows him whole. Then, like the calm after a raging storm, the surface settles and flattens.

I stare at my evil reflection – now back where he belongs – as he snaps towards me.

I nearly wince.

Instead of being covered with red scorch marks, the pasty skin on my Akuma's face cracks and peels away, revealing a glowing layer of bright purple underneath.

Now I remember: Stoneheart had a purple vein in his leg. Underneath all that armour, there was all that dark magic.

And now, I had just unveiled that same magic within my own Akuma.

His vicious green eyes suddenly change to purple, but I can see panic within them. Horror, even. "You..." he stammers with a cracked voice. "You can't get rid of me! You are me!"

I straighten and my own face softens with pity and resolution. "No," I retort. "I am who I want to be."

At that moment, the mirror cracks. Veins appear and break off in all directions along the surface like branches.

My Akuma gapes at me through the broken glass, and then he lets out a blood-curdling, "NOOO!"

The mirror shatters... along with the rest of the wall.

I shield my face from the explosion, feeling the sharp grains nipping at me as they disperse.

Then... all is deathly-quiet.

When I remove my arm, there is now total darkness surrounding me once more. No torch or light or mirror to be seen – just an endless expanse of shadow.

I sigh. I'm right back where I started. Again.

Wait... There's something warm in my pocket. I reach in, grasp something long and bulgy, and pull it out.

My eyes go wide. It's Ladybug's lucky charm!

Had that really been in my pocket the whole time? Or was it just another illusionary figment of this nightmare world?

Well, for one thing, the large jade stone had never emitted a warm green light before.

Curious, I turn to the left, holding out the charm in front of me. The light fades and the stone grows cold.

I turn back to the right. The stone brightens and becomes warmer... as though this was the direction it wanted me to go.

I smile with renewed hope. Though I know it's crazy, I can't help but think that my lady is with me right now, guiding me out of this nightmare... and back to her.

So, with a confident stride, I follow the pulsing light.

It was midday by the time Marinette, Tikki and Plagg reached the bottom of the Forbidden Mountains.

This time, the princess's horse absolutely refused to go any further, leaving Marinette no choice but leave her behind and go the rest of the way on foot.

"The other fairies will look after her," Tikki assured Marinette. "They love animals. It's humans they're shy around."

Marinette couldn't argue with that. During the trip, she had caught sight of some funny shapes and heads peering out of the bushes at her before whisking away in a flurry of sparkles. Marinette wished she could talk to them, to tell them that she didn't mean any harm.

But Plagg had told her not to worry about it. "They'll figure it out eventually," he explained, "especially once they learn how you scared off a bunch of goblins. Any enemy of theirs is an honorary friend of the fairies."

Now the princess and her two tiny companions made their way up the mountain slope. The higher they went, the rockier and more unsteady it became. Marinette had to manoeuvre her way along a steep edge, keeping her hands on the stone wall while she shimmied her way across. Thankfully, Tikki and Plagg remained at her side, occasionally pushing up against her back or pulling on her arms to give her a boost.

"Why can't you just use your magic to fly me to the top?" Marinette asked once she reached the other side safe and sound.

"Fairy magic doesn't work that way," Tikki said regrettably. "It takes a lot of effort to lift something big – like a human – over such a great distance, especially if there are only two of us."

"It's not that you're big," Plagg added nervously. "It's just... we're small. And spineless. And not as powerful as royal fairies, like Goldilocks."

Marinette nodded with understanding. "Are there any other royal fairies?"

Tikki shook her head sadly. "The golden queen is the last royal fairy in existence," she explained. "Without her, the fairies have no leader."

"Which means we're stuck with her, whether we like it or not," Plagg grumbled.

Marinette paused in thought. "So she's my only chance of getting the fairy dust I need to save Adrien," she concluded. "Right – no pressure."

The sky burst open with pink, purple and yellow as the sun set beyond the mountain peaks. By then, Marinette, Tikki and Plagg finally emerged at the top of the peak, which was bordered by a ring of deadly-looking boulders. Sitting at the centre of the area was the Fairy Shrine.

It was a lot smaller than Marinette had imagined.

No bigger than a child's garden, it was nothing more than a bunch of miniature crystal pillars stacked around each other in a circle. The crystal in the centre was the tallest, but all of them were dull and white and opaque. As Marinette drew closer, she could see intricate circles carved into the stone underneath the pillars. From the top, the whole thing looked like a diorama of planets and stars orbiting around each other.

The princess frowned. "Is this it?" she asked out loud.

"What were you hoping to see?" Plagg responded with a fanged grin. "Giant statues, glittering fountains and heaps of treasure? You humans have high expectations for everything."

Marinette frowned at him before glancing around the area. "But... where's the golden queen?" she enquired restlessly.

Tikki floated up to the crystal pillars and pointed at them. "These crystals have the ability to summon any fairy to this place, lesser or royal," she said. "All you need is the right offering."

"Offering?" Marinette blinked, looking suddenly nervous. "What... What kind of offering do I need to summon the queen with?"

"Beats me," Plagg said with a shrug. "Goldilocks represents all things pure and good in this world... ironically enough."

"That's it!" Tikki exclaimed. "Marinette, you need to offer up something that represents the goodness inside your heart. It can be something as simple as happiness or friendship... or love."

Something squeezed Marinette's middle like a tight corset. "Love..." she repeated softly. Yes... she had just the thing for that.

Marinette pulled off her glove and held up the hand where her father's emerald ring hung around her thumb; the ring Adrien had stolen from her, and then tried on, and then given back. The ring that had brought the princess and her thief together.

No... I can't...

But if she didn't, Marinette's only chance of saving Adrien would be out of her reach.

With a heavy heart, the blunette slipped the ring off, kneeled in front of the Fairy Shrine, and said, "This is for you, Adrien."

Then she placed the ring on top of the tallest crystal pillar.

Suddenly, the stone flashed with golden light. The surrounding pillars did the same, and then the carved circles in the ground lit up as well. Soon, the entire shrine was glowing, creating a column of sparkling sun-coloured light that shot up into the sky.

Marinette gasped with awe. Tikki and Plagg clung to each other, their bulbous eyes enlarging.

Then, from within the depths of the golden column of light, a small figure came into view.

Marinette squinted and realized the figure was a tiny woman, very human in appearance but definitely fairy in nature. Her honey-coloured hair hung in ringlets around her sharp face. Her tanned skin gave off a lustrous glow, like it was dusted with copper. Broad, insect-like wings fluttered at her back and gave off tiny sprinkles of golden light as she flew. She wore a gown of molten gold that was far too long for her body, and the train hung off her like a ribbon in the wind.

It wasn't until the golden queen locked her deep yellow eyes on Marinette that she finally spoke in a sharp tone, "Are you the one who summoned me, human?"

Marinette's mouth open and closed several times like a fish before she cleared her throat and replied graciously, "Yes, Your Majesty. My name is Mar-"

"I know who you are," the queen interjected with a frown, which also made Marinette frown. "You are Marinette, second-born princess of the human kingdom of Dupain-Cheng, who also goes by the unappealing moniker "Ladybug"."

"Princess?!" Tikki and Plagg gasped.

Marinette giggled at them awkwardly before turning back to the golden queen with a firm nod. "Then you must know why I'm here," she stated.

The queen didn't change her annoyed expression one bit. "Indeed I do," she declared, "and I'm afraid you've come all this way for nothing. I have sworn to never again let another human acquire my fairy dust."

Marinette tried not to sound too desperate, remembering the tone Bridgette always used when making a point to the royal council. "I understand why you would choose to do so," she said with gentle eyes, "but I must ask you to reconsider. As I'm sure you're aware, an evil sorcerer named Lord Hawkmoth has put a sleeping curse on the man I love. Your dust is the only thing that can break the spell and wake him up."

The golden queen lifted her chin. "Tell me, child," she said with a bit of bite in her voice, "why should I help you to awaken the human thief who stole from me? The very same one that underhanded cat assisted, if I recall," she added with a glare at Plagg.

Marinette looked back at the cat fairy, who let out a high-pitched, "Heh-heh," and shrank back fearfully. Tikki flew in front of her friend and frowned at the golden queen, her tiny hands on her tiny hips.

Marinette turned back to the queen. "Plagg was only trying to help Adrien," she insisted, "and Adrien only did what he did so he could free his mother from the same curse that has now taken him."

"But he failed, didn't he?" the queen snapped, folding her arms over chest. "He wasted his efforts and the dust he took to save you instead."

The memory of that frightful event on the Troll Bridge came back to Marinette. She clenched her jaw and narrowed her bluebell eyes on the queen. "If Adrien hadn't, I wouldn't be here now," she argued. "More importantly, he wouldn't have saved the lives of two innocent people that Hawkmoth had sentenced to eternal torment. How can you possibly fault Adrien for that?"

Hot cracks of light snapped around the golden queen like bolts of lightning. "Do not speak to me of faults when your kind is the epitome of imperfection," she asserted coldly. "Humans claim to be a noble and honourable race, yet desire and selfishness come so easily to them. They deceive themselves into thinking their actions are the right ones, but in their hubris they fail to understand the consequences until it is too late." The queen stared down at Marinette. "So what strange force convinced Adrien into heroically giving up my dust for the likes of you?"

Marinette already had her answer ready: "True love."

The queen's eyebrows rose for a moment, but then she glanced away with a snort. "Love is an illusion," she said with something that sounded like pity. "Even if you find it, it never lives up to what you've dreamed of. And the more obstacles that obscure your path, the weaker and less real your love becomes."

"You're wrong," Marinette said.

Tikki and Plagg inhaled softly.

The golden queen cocked her head at the human princess. "I beg your pardon?" she asked, looking more intrigued and less irritated.

Marinette almost smiled at her. "Well, actually... you're right. Finding somebody to love isn't an easy path to tread," she explained. "It takes a lot of effort to push through. No matter where you go, there is always something standing in your way, threatening to tear you apart." Her eyes softened and she glanced down at her father's ring on the crystal pillar, her heart growing heavier. "And sometimes, you wonder if you should give up just to spare yourself the pain. You wonder... is love worth it?"

She caught Tikki and Plagg exchanging a thoughtful glance in the corner of her eye.

Marinette looked back up at the golden queen firmly, her throat tightening. The royal fairy simply stared at her blankly.

"And it is worth it," the princess continued. "You just have to be willing to fight for it. When Adrien fell into darkness, I fought to pull him back out. When I was taken prisoner, he fought to get me back, even..." Marinette couldn't stop the tears from coming. "...even if it meant he had to pay the ultimate price in the end." The tears fell, and Marinette took a deep shaky breath. "And now, I am fighting to save him from a fate worse than death... because I believe I can. I know I can!" She paused to wipe her face and then spoke more softly, "Because that kind of love is more real than anything in this world."

For a moment, the golden queen's mouth parted and she loosed a soft sigh. Her yellow eyes still had that sharpness to them, but they were more empathetic now... like a lion no longer sensing a threat.

Tikki sniffled a bit beside Marinette. "That was the most beautiful thing I have ever heard," she squeaked with her tiny hands on her chest.

Even Plagg looked a little watery. "Don't mind me," he said, turning away to paw at his eyes. "My allergies are just acting up, that's all."

Marinette let out a breath-like chuckle and dabbed furiously at her tear-streaked face.

At that moment, the pillar of golden light vanished, exposing the fairy queen to the evening air. She flew down to hover right in front of Marinette's face so that they were both now eye-to-eye.

Then the queen spoke again, this time more delicately. "You are... an unusual human, Princess Marinette. Your heart is the fairest and purest I have seen in many centuries." She sighed heavily. "But neither your heart nor your words will be enough to earn you a gift as rare and precious as my dust."

"Then what will?" Marinette asked in a pleading tone. "Tell me what I must do, and if it is in my power, I shall deliver."

Plagg's green eyes bulged and he shook his head. "Uh-huh! Bad idea!"

But the queen ignored him. "Very well," she said to Marinette. "If you want a share of my dust, you must bring me something just as valuable in exchange; something that we fairies cannot acquire ourselves."

Tikki let out a frightened gasp. "You don't mean...!" she breathed.

Marinette was almost regretting her promise now. "What?" she asked carefully.

"The enchanted water of Lake Nostos," the queen responded.

Plagg snarled viciously, his pupils constricting. "Why you sneaky, silver-tongued snake!" he hissed.

Tikki zoomed up to Marinette, not caring that she almost bumped into the golden queen. "No, Marinette!" she cried, her blue eyes wide with panic. "You mustn't go there! It's suicide!" Then the red fairy snapped to her leader. "Please, my queen, there must be another way!"

"Preferably one where she doesn't get her herself killed!" Plagg added sharply as he flew down beside his partner.

Marinette glanced between her two little friends before narrowing her eyes once more at the queen. "What are they talking about? What exactly is Lake Nostos?"

The golden queen hovered away from the commotion before replying, "It's a sacred place on the other side of the mountain. Its water is rumoured to have incredible healing properties, and it can even restore a person's true form."

Plagg didn't take his beady eyes off of the queen as he said to Marinette, "There's just one problem, and Goldie knows it. No living creature has ever returned from that lake alive."

Marinette rolled her eyes. "Why doesn't that surprise me?" she murmured.

"Plagg's telling the truth, Marinette," Tikki insisted. "A terrible beast resides in those waters; one that's lived for hundreds of years. Once you set foot in its domain..."

Plagg make a chomping notion with his teeth. "One minute you're human," he said. "The next, you're enchanted chowder."

Marinette tried not to shiver. Were there any strange and magical forces in this world that didn't want to try and kill you?

"Venture to a magical lake," Marinette paraphrased. "Steal magical healing water. Face off against a deadly magical "beast" that no one has ever survived." She glanced back up at the golden queen, who nodded impassively.

"If you claim to be fighting for your true love," the royal fairy said, "then nothing but the enchanted water will appease me."

"Bullshit!" Plagg snapped, startling even Marinette and Tikki. "It's like Tikki said – suicide! You're just doing this to get rid of Marinette, you traitor!"

The queen giggled at him with a smirk. "An amusing remark, coming from you. Have you ever heard of the tale of the pot and the kettle?"

The cat fairy went totally feral at that moment. "That's it!" he growled.

He tried to tackle the queen, but then Tikki was there, yanking back on his tail. "Plagg, don't!" the red fairy pleaded as she pulled.

"Let me at her!" Plagg shrieked, clawing through the air as through it would help. "I'll tear her wings off and stitch them back together!"

"Stop it, both of you!" Marinette scolded, her shout cutting across the entire mountain.

Tikki and Plagg both paused and blinked at the princess.

"This isn't your decision – it's mine," Marinette argued as gently as she could. "If this is the only way to save Adrien, then I'll take my chances with this... so-called "beast"."

Tikki let go of Plagg's tail, looking like she was going to cry again. "But... But Marinette..." she started with a croaked voice. "It's too dangerous..."

Plagg said nothing as he rubbed his sore tail, but he looked at Marinette with guilt-ridden eyes.

Marinette smiled at them both. "I appreciate the warning," she said. "You two are real good friends. But my mind's already made up, and I never go back on my word." She turned back to the golden queen with a determined nod. "Your Majesty, I accept your challenge."

The queen nodded back. "Then we have a bargain: the water for the dust," she declared. Then she affixed Marinette with a cool gaze. "For your sake, Princess Marinette, I duly hope your love for your thief is as real as you claim."

The princess put on a grin worthy of Cat Noir. "I guess we'll both find out soon enough, won't we?" she stated.

Without so much as a goodbye to the fairy queen, Marinette turned away and headed towards the path leading back down the mountain.

Behind her, she heard Plagg whispering sadly to Tikki, "Aw, cheese. And I was just starting to like this one too."