Hey! I kept my promise! I hope this chapter will be a little more satisfying than the last one.
Disclaimer: We all know that I don't own Miraculous Ladybug, so don't sue me please.
Adrien stood outside the church. He really shouldn't be nervous, but he was.
The church was humble enough. It was a red brick building, four sturdy walls, and a roof coming to a point at the top with black shingles covering it. There was also a small tower with bells hanging from it. One for the start and one for the end of church, the others were wedding bells.
Adrien came to the church as Cat Noir often enough. Delivering the money to Friar Fu, and his Curate. If the Friar had any problems with where the money came from, he didn't say anything. Though he would give a small frown, and a cocked eyebrow whenever he refused to share where it came from.
But no, it wasn't the Friar he was worried about. It was Fu's Curate Plagg. Plagg was one of the best fencers in the village. He was the same age as Tikki, and trained with the Captain of the guard Armand D'Argencourt, both equally skilled.
The downside was, Plagg could get annoying. He never did anything for free, and there was a very slim chance that he would help Adrien win the tournament.
Adrien took a breath, and walked through the door. The room was mostly empty, except for the regular furniture. There was a small podium at the front, and benches along the sides of the aisle. A small, run down organ sat in the corner for playing hymns. There was even a small fireplace on one side of the room for the Winter Time. Ultimately, the only signs of life was the fact that the lanterns were lit.
"Friar Fu?" Adrien called. "Plagg? Anyone home?"
Silence.
Adrien huffed. He turned around to go ask a passerby if they knew where they were, but saw something out to the corner of his eye. Adrien smirked. "You sure you don't want to help?" he asked. Anybody who was passing by would think he'd gone crazy.
Out of the dark corner of the room, came a tall, skinny man with piercing, almost cat-like green eyes. His skin was darker, and had pitch black hair that hung long, almost covering his eyes. He was wearing a long black robe, to signify his place in the church.
"I'm not stupid." the man said bitterly. "Besides, unlike you, I have more to lose."
Adrien shrugged. "Your loss." he said. "But I really do need your help."
"Kid I told you. I'm not helping you steal. Go bother someone else." the man turned to leave.
"I'm not asking you to steal!" Adrien said hurriedly. The man stopped. "It's about the fencing tournament." Adrien continued.
"Why don't you enter yourself? You're good enough to win."
"Because I made a promise I would try to avoid it. Besides, you are my teacher, you're the only one better than me." There was silence. The man thought over Adrien's words.
The man sighed. "Sorry kid I want to help. I really do, but you're on your won." Adrien's heart sank. To him, it wasn't just about his promise to Marinette. From what he had been told, his teacher had never been quite the same since his loss to D'Argencourt 13 years ago. Both fighting for the hand of-
Adrien got an idea. "It's too bad." he said. "We've all missed having you around, and I think it would be good for you to get out of this church. Especially since Tikki would definitely be glad to see you." The man froze. He turned, and let out an angry growl.
"Don't you dare use her like that again, or I will tear your entrails out!" Adrien put up his hands in surrender. With the look in the man's eyes - one of maniacal hatred that threatened to tear him apart - anyone would be terrified. But not Adrien.
"She would tell us stories about you." was all Adrien said. The anger subsided, just a bit.
"What are you talking about kid?" the man asked. He was wary, Adrien could tell.
"She would tell us about a man who would get on her nerves. Who could never take no for an answer, and would take stupid risks that would terrify her just to make a point. A man who she loved with all of her heart, and refused to marry anyone else. She still loves you Plagg."
Plagg said nothing. Just stared at his old pupil. Adrien could sense a battle raging in his old teacher's head. Clearly, the need to see Tikki was winning.
"D'Argencourt wouldn't allow it. We had an agreement-"
"How would he know you went to see Tikki? For all he would know, you just came to fence. It would also mean that you would have to duel the sheriff."
Plagg gave an almost evil smirk. Clearly imagining the many ways he could destroy D'Argencourt in another match.
"Besides," Adrien continued. "D'Argencourt never said you couldn't challenge him again. You can have the chance to marry Tikki as an honest man. Not to mention, that my friends and I have a base deep in the woods."
Plagg raised an eyebrow. "What does that have to do with anything?"
Adrien shrugged. "We don't use it often. It's small, nothing much, and hidden well. but it's still a great place to raise a family. In a secure, private location where the Sheriff, doesn't even know it exists."
Plagg's eyes widened. "And you'd give it to me? Why?"
"You may be my teacher, but You're also my friend. That sheriff has messed with my friends one too many times. So this is a great way to give you the happy life you deserve, while simultaneously rubbing it D'Argencourt's face!"
Plagg cackled at that, and Adrien smiled. "So you in?" Adrien asked.
Plagg paused a beat before answering. "Find me some camembert, and you got yourself a deal." Adrien chuckled again. Glad to have his teacher and friend finally join in on the fun.
So I'll be honest, this is probably one of my favorite chapters! Mostly because it foreshadows an upcoming chapter on the backstory between D'Argencourt, Tikki, and Plagg. Yes! You will find out what happens! No! I will not tell you until the time comes. This chapter is also a great example of why I needed to edit this story before continuing. It was a LOT worse before. Trust me.
Fun fact(s): I based the church off of what I vaguely remember from Disney's Robin Hood. I also made Plagg a Curate, because I tried googling what an assistant to the Friar was, and Curate was the best answer I could find. Sorry if this story isn't as historically accurate as it should be.
So I hope you enjoyed this chapter as much as I did. Next chapter will probably be a short filler before we get to the actual tournament. I hope you guys aren't bored with this story yet.
Have a great Saturday my nuts!