The Fox and the Turtle

Marinette's chest heaved. She ran and ran through the forest, heart pounding, vision blurring. Her body ached and the sticky, stinging pain that throbbed through her back told her that she was bleeding. But she could still hear the wings flapping. Wind ruffled the trees, made the leaves hiss. The sentimonster followed. Perhaps Mayura did as well.

She couldn't stop. She had to keep going.

Suddenly, her foot dropped—right through the forest floor. A half-strangled yelp escaped her and she tumbled into darkness, bumping and rolling down a narrow chute until light gleamed and she found herself sprawled on a floor of soft leaves and grass. She spat out a leaf, groaning.

A pair of black boots came into view. Her breath caught in her throat and her heart thudded faster. An auburn-haired goddess stared down at her, dressed in the colours of a fox. The goddess tilted her head in curiosity, her long, black-tipped ears twitching.

"Now what is a human doing here?" she asked.

oOo

Her name, or at least the one she offered, was Rena Rouge. The tunnels were her home: a warm, cosy den where she lived with her partner, Carapace. Both looked like young gods, maybe in their late teens. Both also didn't hold much love for Mayura.

"You're lucky we spotted you," Carapace said, handing Marinette a cup of water. He was dressed in casual green pants and a matching shirt. His amber eyes were reassuringly friendly. "Mayura doesn't tend to let her prey go."

"And I'm grateful for your help," she said, "but I really need to get back to the castle."

"Castle?"

"Where my—"

"Found 'em!" Rena Rouge came back into the room, waving something white in her hand. "Bandages. Let's get that back of yours fixed up."

Marinette knew better than to protest, even if she was in a hurry. She was bleeding and probably did need medical attention. So she removed the red jerkin, which shifted back into a black robe of shadows.

"Woah," Carapace said, eyes widening. "Magic armour."

She blinked. "Do you not all have armour like this?"

"Not at all." He touched the material. "For a human, you've got some pretty cool stuff. This armour is crazy rare. Someone must think you're something special if they gave you this."

"My husband lent it to me."

"Oh? Who's he?"

She didn't answer, too busy wondering if Cat was okay. He would have noticed she was gone by now. Perhaps he would think she'd changed her mind and chosen to leave him. He was always so quick to believe the worse.

"Marinette?"

She shook her head, pushing aside the worrying thoughts. "He's the god of destruction."

Carapace stiffened. Even Rena Rouge, who was normally all confident smiles, looked grim.

"What?" Marinette said.

"That god killed my predecessor," Carapace said softly.

Something heavy dropped in her stomach, settling like a cold lump. "He didn't mean to do it, you know. He was only four. It was an accident."

"So we've heard," Rena Rouge said. "The guy is still dangerous, though. I mean the council keeps him locked away."

"He's not dangerous. He's sweet and kind and funny and—"

She loved him. It was a truth that had tiptoed around her heart, whispering its way into the life-giving beat. Now, that truth burned strong and clear. She loved him. She could not imagine being with anyone except him.

"I need to get back," she said firmly. "I don't care if you don't understand. I don't care if you don't want to help me. I'll figure out where the castle is myself and walk the whole way if I have to."

Rena Rouge and Carapace exchanged a glance. He nodded.

"How about we get your wound bandaged first," Rena Rouge said, gesturing for her to turn around so she could get at Marinette's back. "Then we can talk more about how you're going to get to your castle."

oOo

"This is crazy," Marinette murmured, standing opposite an exact replica of herself. "It's like looking at a mirror."

Rena Rouge grinned. "That's because my illusions are perfect."

"But will it really work?"

Carapace emerged from the other room, now clad in heavy armour and with a round shield strapped to his back. "Don't worry. Even if Mayura and the sentimonster don't fall for the trick—"

"Which they will."

He threw an amused eyeroll at Rena Rouge. "Right. Well, on the very slim chance that they don't fall for my amazing girlfriend's magic"—his gaze shifted back to Marinette—"I'll be there to protect you."

Marinette bit her lip. She knew that they both still had reservations about Cat, but they were willing to put those doubts aside to help her. It meant more than she could express. After her experience with Hawkmoth and Mayura, she had almost given up hope that anyone in this world, aside from Cat, had a shred of kindness in their hearts.

"Thank you," she said. "I … I don't know how to repay you."

"No repayment necessary," Rena Rouge said, waving a dismissive hand. "Just try not to get hurt again, eh?"

She smiled. "I'll try."

oOo

The light was fading. What was left wriggled through the gaps in the branches and veil of leaves to illuminate a path—at least just enough to see. Soon, however, it would be too dark to go on without a torch. Marinette's heart stuttered with worry. Hawkmoth always arrived at the castle when it grew dark.

She glanced at Carapace, who ran alongside her. (Rena Rouge had headed in the opposite direction with the illusion decoy.)

"How much farther?" she asked.

"Not too far. We just have to—"

The leaves hissed and the ribbed branches swayed. Her steps faltered. Suddenly, a stream of purple tore through the trees, ripping everything apart like giant's hands. The groaning cracks and snaps were felt in every bone of her body. She blinked, frozen, as bits of bark and leafy ash flew everywhere. Nothing touched her. Carapace had tugged her behind him and raised his shield, which allowed a glowing barrier to surround them both.

His predecessor had been known as the Protector. Now it made sense.

Sharp talons shot down through the hole that had been created in the wall of trees, followed by the body of a massive, monstrous bird. It was the sentimonster.

"Looks like the plan didn't work," she muttered.

"We don't know that." Carapace grunted as the creature struck the barrier with its talons, scrabbling and screeching its terrible, glass-scraping wail. "Maybe Mayura sent the sentimonster this way while she went after the decoy."

"Maybe …"

Her gaze darted from tree to tree, but there was no trace of Mayura. Maybe he was right. That was a small blessing at least.

She removed the black staff from its holster. "So, what do we do? I've fought this thing before and managed to get it down, but it also wasn't doing that purple light thing then."

"Perhaps Mayura didn't want it to ruin the furnishings."

Her lips twitched. "Was that a joke?"

"Just trying to lighten the mood." The sentimonster rammed even harder against the barrier, and he gritted his teeth. "Although I should warn that I can't keep this up forever. We're gonna have to do something about the sentimonster if we want to leave."

"Can you fight and still maintain the barrier?"

He shook his head. "The shield is my weapon, and the barrier will break if I move from this spot."

Her brow creased. That meant they'd be exposed to the purple light. She wasn't sure her armour could take such a hit.

"What about my weapon?" she asked. "Can it pass through?"

"The barrier only blocks from one way. You could walk out right now if you wanted."

Her lips curved. "Got it."

He shot her an alarmed glance. "Wait, what are you planning?"

She held the staff grimly. "Wait for it …"

"Wait for what?"

The sentimonster flapped back with its wings, then rushed forward. Marinette counted the seconds and aimed the staff up, letting it extend in a powerful rush.

Thwack!

The tip of the staff collided with the sentimonster's chest, sending it careening back against a tree. Branches snapped off, tumbling with the creature as it landed in a feathered, graceless heap on the ground.

"Now!" Marinette yelled.

Carapace understood immediately. He lowered the barrier and threw his shield in a soaring arc, striking the sentimonster clean in the head with a satisfying crack. Black sparks burst like a violent release of spores. When the dust settled, a single black feather lay on the ground.

She blinked. "Is it dead?"

"As dead as a sentimonster can be." Carapace grabbed his shield and then beckoned for her to follow. "Come on. We better hurry."

oOo

Night fell. Marinette and Carapace left the forest and headed over a stretch of fields, hugging the rocks and shadows. He lit a torch for light, though he kept it shielded with his hand so they would not make themselves an obvious target.

"You okay?" he asked when he noticed her lagging. "We can rest if—"

"No. I want to keep going."

He frowned. "We won't make it to the castle tonight, you know."

"I know. I just …" She lowered her gaze, slowing her pace. "I hope Cat's okay."

Hawkmoth would be expecting her. Maybe he'd blame Cat for her absence.

"I know how you feel," Carapace sighed.

Right. He'd left Rena Rouge to deal with Mayura.

"But there's no need to push yourself this hard." He placed his hand on her shoulder. "You've been through a lot. I'm sure I can find us an alcove with decent cover so—"

"Thank you, but I'd prefer to keep moving."

He held her gaze and his frown deepened. She raised her chin, silently daring him to argue.

They continued to run.