In which Marinette catches a falling star

It was strange to return to the castle. Or maybe it was that everyone else was acting strange. Chat Noir had retreated to his bedroom. Nino lingered in the kitchen, half-heartedly doing a spell, but he kept shooting her sad-turtle looks from under his lashes. Even Plagg was subdued, his flames not quite as bright. She almost wished that Alya hadn't been called back to work. At least then there'd be one person around who wasn't acting weird.

Well, first things first. She needed to talk to Plagg.

"Hey," she said, taking her usual seat by the fire. "Why didn't you tell me that Chat Noir knew I wasn't old?"

"He didn't want me to tell you," Plagg said with a shrug.

Her lips pursed. "You didn't tell me that he'd already tried to break the curse either. Was it all a lie that he could help me?"

Plagg widened his eyes innocently. "I said that if you break my curse, I'd help you break yours. I never said Chat Noir would be able to fix everything."

Her frown deepened. "I'm not sure I believe you."

"Why would I lie to you?"

"I don't know. Maybe this was all a trick just to get me to help you."

Plagg shook his head. "It was no trick, though I admit I want you to break my curse."

She fidgeted with her walking stick, frowning at the black and red handle. "Is it really a curse? You say you can't leave this hearth and you have to do everything Chat Noir says, but I've seen the way he treats you. It seems more like the two of you are friends than anything. I can't imagine him putting you under a curse or forcing you to stay here against your will."

Plagg sighed and lowered his gaze. "You know I can't tell you the details. The most I can give is hints, but obviously that was a waste of time since you've been too busy playing old granny the cleaning witch to notice anything beyond your own nose."

"Hey, I did try! Maybe your hints just weren't very good!"

"I practically spelled it out for you."

She folded her arms. "Well, it doesn't matter because I still have no idea what you expect me to do, and frankly I doubt you or Chat Noir can do anything to help me."

Plagg's eyes widened. "Are you saying you're giving up?"

"I don't know. I don't know anything anymore."

His flames shrunk and he turned the other way, putting his back to her.

"Are you seriously going to sulk with your back turned to me now?" she asked.

"I'm not sulking. I'm admiring the wall."

She rolled her eyes and stood up. "Fine. Be that way."

It wasn't like it was her fault he was trapped in the hearth. She had tried to help him—granted, maybe not as intensely as she should have—but she couldn't shake the feeling that she had been manipulated by Plagg. Perhaps it was stupid of her to have trusted a fire demon in the first place.

She stomped over to her armchair and sat down, dragging out the bag of mending. Having something to do with her hands would be a nice distraction. Too bad Nino was still giving her those pitiful looks. It was bad enough that Plagg was sulking and acting like she was the biggest meanie to have existed, but did Nino have to keep acting all quiet and hurt, too?

After another ten minutes of this, Marinette had enough. She marched to the bench where Nino was measuring out some powder into a jar. "Okay, what's going on?" she demanded. "Why do you keep looking at me like I'm some dying woman on her deathbed? Is knowing my age really that bad for you?"

He spilt some of the powder, which puffed out in sparkly blue like a mushroom. "What? No! No, of course not!"

"Then what's the problem?"

He bit his lip.

"Nino."

Slowly, he placed the bag of powder onto the bench. It took a few more seconds before he spoke. "I just … well, I figured you'd be leaving soon, right?"

Something twisted in her stomach. "What?"

"You're not an old woman. You have a family and a best friend who cares a lot about you. Why would you stay here with us?"

"I …"

Words failed her. She supposed that he was right. There was no reason for her to stay here. Marinette was reluctant to involve her parents, but Alya would welcome her into her home. They could work together to break the curse—perhaps even have better luck.

Nino met her gaze, his expression difficult to read, but it squeezed her chest and left an awful, hollow feeling in her stomach. "I understand, of course," he said. "I'm happy you're able to be with Alya again. I'm sure it must be a relief to not have to pretend anymore."

"Nino, I …"

He smiled—a strained thing that was meant to be supportive, but all it did was break her heart. "Sorry," he said. "I kinda need to get this spell done. We can talk later, okay?"

"I—yeah, okay."

She didn't know what else to say. She didn't even know what to feel.

The awful feeling in her stomach still hadn't settled as she sat back on her armchair. The armrests' worn fabric was familiar under her fingertips, and she gripped it tight. Any desire to do mending had left her. There was no point since she knew she wouldn't be able to concentrate. Besides, she wouldn't be able to finish sewing up the holes anyway. She would have to leave soon. It just made sense. It was what she had always planned, even if she was still under the curse.

The pressure on her chest intensified. She wasn't sure how long she sat there, just staring at the furniture and little knickknacks that had become such a staple part of her life. The shelves crammed with spell books and funny little ornaments. The bench where Nino and Chat Noir worked. The rug with the soup stain. Plagg's fireplace. Her own nook with its partition for privacy. And then there were the roses that Chat Noir had given her, beautiful and at full bloom, like red moons wrapped in silk.

Her breathing sharpened. "I'm going for a walk."

Nino grunted something in acknowledgement, but she was already moving towards the closet and grabbing one of the seven-league-boots. It was dark outside, stars sprinkling the sky like diamond flames. Extra carefully, she stepped down on the boot and—ZIP—suddenly she was standing on the hills that overlooked Market Chipping.

"Home," she murmured.

Lights lit the town. Her house was just beyond the bridge, set above the bakery where her parents worked. The home where she had always intended to return. Granted, if she did go to stay with Alya, she'd have to live in Kingsbury, as Alya had moved there for work. But this was the place she called home. Had always called home.

It certainly wasn't a castle with an overdramatic wizard, a fire demon, and an apprentice wizard.

She removed the seven-league-boot and eased herself onto the ground, holding her staff on her lap. The cool, night wind played with her grey hair. Her old bones protested at the cold, but she didn't move. She felt frozen, caught between what logic told her to do and what her heart wanted.

Ridiculous. Why should she want to stay at the castle? Why did that place feel more like home to her now than the town where she had spent twenty years of her life?

A star winked brighter in the sky and then plummeted towards her. Her eyes widened and she scrambled to her feet, only to blink as the star took shape. It looked like a little flame with a face. It looked like Plagg, except it was more of an orange colour.

She caught the star, meeting its frightened eyes. It looked so small and pitiful, its light fading by the second.

"Are you okay?" she asked. "Do you need any help?"

"What are you doing?" Chat Noir yelled.

She jumped and spun to face him, alarmed by the raw panic that painted his face. He approached her swiftly. Suddenly, the star let out a little squeak and leaped out of her hands, crashing into the ground. The moment it made impact, it scattered like illuminated specks of dust blown into the wind.

Her heart twisted.

"Look what you did!" she cried, clenching her hands into fists. "You frightened the poor thing and now it's gone."

Chat Noir stopped in front of her, his gaze fixed on the spot where the star had vanished. "Better for it that it did."

"How can you say that?"

He met her gaze. "When stars fall, they're meant to die. Trying to prolong their life will not help you or them."

Her brow furrowed. Something about the sad touch to his voice suggested he was speaking from experience.

"Come on," he said, picking up her staff and the boot. "There's no point staying out here."

"How did you even know I was here?"

"Nino told me."

"But I never said where I—"

"Marinette, I know you well enough to guess where you'd go."

Butterflies stirred in her chest. She lowered her gaze, frustrated to feel her cheeks grow hot. He helped her to put on the boot and led her back to the castle. It didn't occur to her to protest. Coming back felt natural, even if her mind was troubled.

She glanced at the fireplace where Plagg burned in black and green. He really did look so much like that fallen star.

"Chat Noir," she said.

"Yeah?"

"Was Plagg a falling star?"

His eyes widened and then a small sigh escaped his lips. "Yeah."

"And you helped him?"

"I tried."

Her frown deepened. Was this the curse Plagg had talked about then? Had helping Plagg somehow backfired?

"Try to get some rest, Marinette," Chat Noir said, patting her on the shoulder. "We're going to have a big day tomorrow."

She wrinkled her brow. "What are you talking about?"

"I'm going to take you to see my old teacher. Maybe she can help you with your curse."

"You'd do that for me?"

A ghost of his old smile peeped out. "Of course. You didn't' think I'd just leave you like this, did you?"

Warmth settled in her stomach, chasing away all the hollowness and icky feelings. "I guess not."