I hung the last ornament on the tree, stretching up as far on my toes as I could. It was a beautiful ballet dancer, her dress red with black polka dots, and a tiny ladybug necklace around her porcelain neck. Christmas was my favorite holiday, and the house was practically alive with it. The parlor smelled of pine and sugar plum spices.
"Marinette, have you seen the box of gingerbread ornaments?"
I turned to look at my grandmother, pointing off somewhere in the general direction. "They should be there- by the couch."
"Thank you, Dear." She said with a bright smile. She found the box and picked it up, frowning. "Looks like the mice have gotten into them."
I raised an eyebrow and peered into the proffered box. "Have you seen Manon lately?" We shared a secret smile before edging up around the couch. Sure enough, Manon was hiding behind the back of it, frosting smeared across her face like war paint and a half demolished gingerbread man in her grasp.
I leaned over and plucked the poor cookie from her hands.
"Hey!" Manon yelled. I giggled and stepped around in front of her.
"You know you're not to eat the decorations." I said, my hands on my hips. Manon grumbled and stood up.
"Not fair."
"Go wash up before your maman gets here, please."
"I don't have to!"
"Well, you don't, but I'm sure your maman won't be too happy to see you spoiled your dinner. If she sees you've already had sweets, I doubt she'll let you have dessert tonight."
Manon gasped and darted out towards the washroom.
"Marinette." My grandmother said after she had finished hanging the gingerbread men. "I have something for you."
"Oh?" I said excitedly, rushing to sit next to her on the couch. "What is it?"
She pulled a package out from under the tree and handed it to me. "I thought you could open it tonight. I brought this back with me from my last trip." She explained as I took the carefully wrapped parcel. I unwound the light pink ribbon from it and let the paper fall away, revealing a wonderfully made nutcracker. I gasped and carefully picked him up, examining the craftsmanship of it. It was different from most nutcrackers I had seen, and I loved it.
"I know that it's not like the original nutcrackers, but this one really caught my eye."
"No, I love it!" I said, tapping the tiny, black ears atop his painted head. My grandma smiled at me.
"Well, I'm glad."
At that point Manon came peeling back through the parlor, stopping in front of us.
"A nutcracker? No way!" She cried, lunging forward and grabbing at it.
"Manon, no!" I scolded. "You're going to break-!" We fell silent as the nutcracker's arm slipped out from it's spot and broke off.
"Oh, no. Manon, give it back to Marinette and apologize." My grandmother said.
"I'm really sorry, Marinette. I just wanted to play with him…"
I frowned and took the arm back that she guilty offered up. "You should have just asked, Manon." I sighed and pulled the ribbon from the packaging and popped his arm back in, making a sling for it with the ribbon. "There. Now he's all better."
Manon sniffed. "He's not very handsome, anyways."
My grandmother laughed. "Maybe not on the outside, but on the inside, there's the heart of a prince."
I studied the wood carving, wondering how they could say my knight was plain. As I looked at the little cat themed nutcracker, I could have sworn I saw his green eyes gleam.
I stirred on the couch as the clock dinged throughout the dark room, my hand falling further off the chaise. I cracked my eyes open and frowned, searching the floor with my fingers. My nutcracker was missing. I sat up and rubbed my eyes. Now almost fully awake, I became aware of the small sounds coming from the floor. I turned to look at what was going on, only to let out a small squeak at the scene below my feet.
The carpet of my parlor had turned into a battlefield- Mice had overtaken the floor and were running around destroying things. Out of the corner of my eye I caught one standing on the arm of the couch to knock ornaments off the tree.
"Hey!" I exclaimed, reaching over and plucking him up by his little tunic. "What the…?" The mouse jabbed my finger with his tiny- was that a sword?- weapon and I dropped him. Looking around at the rest of the little battle in shock I noticed something that wasn't a mouse in the fray. There, facing off against the largest one with some sort of scepter was my nutcracker. He knocked over a stack of books from the mantle that fell on top of the large mouse. The mouse crawled out and waved his scepter towards my nutcracker, saying some silly words. They fought for a moment as I tried to wrap my head around what was happening. By the time I had come to terms, the mouse had the upper hand, and had his scepter menacingly pointed at my nutcracker.
I glanced around quickly, picking up a vase and hurrying over.
"Leave him be!" I ordered. The mouse and nutcracker looked up at me. How in the world was he moving around?
The mouse laughed at me- laughed at me! "Medaling human towering tall, let my scepter shrink you small!" Before I could even try to trap him under the vase, he fired his scepter at me. My shriek was cut off as I was hit by the red blast and dropped the vase. The world around me blew up and towered over me as I careened towards the carpet.
"This is not good!" I exclaimed, looking at myself and then at all the mice that were now larger than me.
"Not so fearless now, eh?" The mouse sneered.
"Run!" I gasped as the nutcracker grabbed my arm on his way by, dragging me behind him as he ran towards my gigantic fireplace.
"Can you make it up to the mantle?"
"There is no way-" noticing the army approaching us, I added, "I'm staying down here!"
He handed the tinsel rope to me. I nodded and began to scale it as he turned towards the King. The mice started cornering him towards the fireplace, but he climbed up the grate. Jumping from the grate to the tinsel hanging on the other side, he didn't see the king turn his scepter into a crossbow and aim at him. The first shot missed, shattering an ornament, but I doubted the nutcracker would be as lucky with the second. I couldn't let him shoot the nutcracker-
"Hey! Up here!" I yelled, kicking off one of my shoes at his head. It hit him square in the forehead and knocked him out. To my even greater surprise, the mice shrieked in fear and gathered him up, rushing off.
I let out a breath I hadn't known I was holding. But my relief was short lived as the tinsel broke from the mantle, and I swung crashing towards the nutcracker.
"Uh oh! Look out!"
We landed harshly on the floor. "Sorry!" I mumbled, rubbing my head and sitting up.
"It's okay," he said, standing and offering me a hand.
"Thank you for saving my life. And for your superior nursing skills." He said, lifting his arm that was still in the sling. And then he turned and started walking towards where the mice disappeared.
"Hey, wait! Where are you going?"
"I have to find someone."
"But I- You can't leave me! I need your help. Remember? I used to be… taller?"
He turned back to look at me. "I'm sorry, I can't do anything to reverse it. You could come with me; to find Ladybug. She's… Got special powers."
"But how would I get back?" I asked. Before the nutcracker could respond, we heard a voice behind us.
"I can help with that." I whirled around to see the owl from atop the Grandfather clock swoop towards the tree and pull something from it before coming towards us and landing on the arm of the chaise.
"Oh my-!" I gasped.
"You will find Ladybug on an island, across the sea of storms. And, when you wish to return, all you will have to do is open your locket." With that, she tossed down to me what she had grabbed from the tree. It was the little locket from my ballerina ornament. "You will return home your normal size."
"But-" When I looked back to the owl, she was already gone and back atop the clock. "Huh."
"Come on. The quicker we find Ladybug, the faster we can each be turned back to normal."
"Wait- So you mean, you used to be…?"
"Not a nutcracker." He finished.
"Oh. What… Happened?"
He shook his head and started towards the mouse hole. "It's a long story. Come on." I hurried to catch up with him.
"Are… You sure?" I eeped, peering into the dark hole.
"Yeah." He didn't sound too sure, but what other choice did we have?
We traveled through the dark tunnel in the wall for a few moments, before I spoke again.
"I'm Marinette." I said.
My nutcracker glanced at me over his shoulder before looking back to the path. "I'm Chat Noir."
We went quiet again. Before too long, the air became frigid and snow appeared at our feet.
"What-?" I shrieked as I slipped on a patch of ice, falling into Chat Noir and sending us both sliding down the spiral tunnel. Our screams echoed in the small space until suddenly we had been spit out into a snow drift.
I popped up out of the snow, taking in a deep breath. "Oh. It's not cold." I said to myself. "Hey, Chat- Chat Noir?" I looked around for my nutcracker. "Chat?!"
His arm popped up a few feet away and I scrambled up to help him. I grabbed his hand and pulled. He came free of the snow as I fell backwards, his hand still in mine. When I sat up I realized that I had pulled his arm straight out.
"Oh! I'm so sorry!" I said, handing it back to him with a blush. To my surprise there was a matching one on his face as he took it back and popped it easily in.
"That… Happens a lot, actually." We looked around the cave we were in, looking for an exit, when something flew in between us.
"A firefly?" I asked.
"No, a snow fairy!"
It began dancing around us, her wings seemingly creating a musical tune. The fairy flew straight into Chat Noir, who caught her in his palm. She stood up, dazed, before waving her hands angrily at him.
He laughed. "You should be more careful!"
"Here, let me help." I took the fairy and fixed her wing, allowing her to fly off again in upwards spiraling circles.
"Not so much as a thank you," Chat Noir teased, shaking his head.
Suddenly, more fairies appeared, flying around us in a synchronized ballet of sorts. Their voices joined in with the magical little tunes their wings created as they flew, creating a beautiful symphony. We stood in awe as the fairy from before flew around our heads, a high giggle coming from her before she joined the others once more. I watched in wonder as the little snow fairies danced around on the air, sparkling snowflakes trailing behind them. They went flying into the wall of ice, sparkles exploding around them as they created an opening.
"I guess that was their thank you!" Chat said gleefully, holding a hand up to the bright sunshine filtering in. We walked out of the cave, taking care to adjust to the sunlight.
"Welcome to Miraculeux!"
"The trees smell like peppermint; and I've never seen a sky so blue!" I exclaimed, stepping out from the cave mouth.
"Soon it will all go away if we can't defeat Hawkmoth," Chat Noir said, coming up behind me. The happy yellow light from the sun seemed to ignore the black wood he was made of.
Poor Chat Noir. Stuck as a nutcracker by an evil king.
"Are you sure this Ladybug will be able to defeat him?" I asked.
"She's our only hope."
I nodded. "Then let's go."
We walked for hours, not saying much. There wasn't much to say. But I found Chat Noir's presence nice enough, and the silence was far from uncomfortable.
Soon we stumbled upon the destroyed remains of what looked to be a happy little village. Laying in the snow was a little doll, which I bent down to scoop up gently.
"It's what's left of the gingerbread village. Work of Hawkmoth's akuma no doubt. I hadn't known things had gotten this bad." He said sadly.
We found a lone horse and walked over to it, wondering where it's rider went. Before either of us could question it out loud, snowballs came out of nowhere and smacked into our heads.
"It's an ambush! Hurry, behind the wall!" We ran to a half knocked-down wall and ducked behind it.
"It's alright. They're just children." He said, peeking up over the wall. One of the kids threw another snowball, almost hitting Chat Noir in the head.
"With very good aim!"
"Wait!" I yelled, holding up a little doll we had found upon entering the village. "We found this, is she yours?" I stood up, carefully walking towards them. Chat followed behind once he realized it was safe to come out.
"What happened here?"
"We went out with marzipan to gather berries, and when we came back, everyone was gone! It was Hawkmoth's army," The little girl cried.
"This is all Prince Adrien's fault!" Grumbled the boy.
"Who's Prince Adrien?" I asked.
"The son of the king before he died and left his kingdom to his royal advisor,"
"Hawkmoth," his sister threw in.
"Until he was old enough to become king." The brother finished.
"Let me guess," I sighed, "Hawkmoth decided he liked being King." The two children nodded sadly. "But what happened to Prince Adrien?"
"Don't know, don't care. We're better off without him." The boy said.
"It's dangerous here. You two should come with us until we can find somewhere safer for you," Chat offered.
We took the horse- who belonged to the kids, Plagg and Tikki- and started off down the trail. Before long, we came across Hawkmoth's army down below the upper ridge we were on. We crouched down to watch.
"Hawkmoth's army?" I asked unnecessarily.
"Carrying what's left of our village!" Tikki said solemnly.
Before we could scurry back, they saw us, and yelled orders for our capture.
"Run!" I ordered, helping Plagg and Tikki along. Chat Noir was only a few steps behind me. The mice tried to grab Marzipan, but she escaped them and ran off.
"Up Here!" Someone called. There was a ladder hanging from the trees, and we all jumped on and started climbing up. Once Chat had grabbed a hold, someone started pulling it up.
"Be careful!" I pleaded, ushering the children up the ladder and following close behind. Once I climbed up onto the wooden platform, however, I was met with a welcoming party that didn't seem too… Welcoming.
"Is everyone alright?" Chat Noir asked as he climbed up.
I looked around at the people surrounding us. Pulling Tikki and Plagg closer, I said, "I'm not really sure."
"What is this?" A man asked. "A new spy technique used by Hawkmoth?"
The woman standing next to him sneered. "We should use him as kindling."
"Kidnappers as well, it seems."
"No!" Tikki protested. "They helped us!"
"If you have nothing to hide, you won't mind answering a few questions," The man said placatingly.
"Come, children, Alix will take care of you," The woman, who appeared to be in charge, said as she led Tikki and Plagg over to a short, pink-haired woman.
We followed the man, who introduced himself as Captain Nino, into a meeting room of sorts. The woman followed after, shutting the door behind her.
"Let's start with who you are and what you're doing here," she said sternly.
"I'm Chat Noir, this is Marinette. We're both victims of Hawkmoth's magic."
"We're trying to find the only one who can defeat him- Ladybug," I added.
"Ladybug?" Captain Nino repeated.
"I've never heard of such a ridiculous story," his companion scoffed.
"It's the truth, told to me by Prince Adrien himself," Chat defended.
"Prince Adrien," she scoffed. "He's the reason we're in this mess! If it weren't for that reckless boy, Hawkmoth wouldn't be turning everyone into akuma!"
"Major Alya, you're forgetting that I was close friends with the Prince." Captain Nino said.
"Captain Nino, you're forgetting that I am your superior. I had high hopes for that boy, but now I've got more important things to think about. Like keeping what's left of our subjects safe."
"Well, then perhaps you should be looking for Ladybug, too!" I pointed out.
"I don't have time to search for some… Imaginary Ladybug girl."
"Wait Major. They may be telling the truth. I once heard King Gabriel telling Prince Adrien about Ladybug. The King himself believed in her magic. She may be the only thing that can defeat Hawkmoth."
Major Alya hummed. "Where is this Ladybug?"
"On an island; Across the Sea of Storms." Chat Noir supplied.
Major Alya spluttered. "I don't think-"
"We could use her help. Maybe we should be looking for Ladybug, too." Captain Nino said softly.
Major Alya grumbled and stormed out after voicing her acceptance.
We stood in silence for a few moments before Captain Nino stepped towards Chat.
"Do you know what became of Prince Adrien?" He asked.
Chat Noir looked to the floor of the tree room, his face gloomy. "Hawkmoth destroyed him."
I tucked in Tikki and Plagg that evening.
"What about Marzipan?" Tikki asked.
"I'm sure she'll be fine. And you'll be staying here with Alix until we get back."
Tikki nodded, snuggling under the covers. "Goodnight, Marinette!"
"Goodnight, Tikki, Plagg." I ducked out of the room, closing the door behind me. I caught sight of Chat Noir sitting on the edge of the wooden platform, looking out into the forest.
"Can't sleep?"
He startled, looking up at me as I joined him. "I'm a nutcracker; sleep seems kind of… pointless."
"You're more than a nutcracker... Prince Adrien." I paused, frowning. "Why haven't you told anyone?"
"I didn't want to be the Prince when I had the chance. And now, I don't deserve to." He looked down to his clasped wooden hands forlornly.
"That's not true! You're risking your life to save your kingdom. Isn't that what princes do?"
"But my subjects think less of me than they do Hawkmoth. My only hope is to find Ladybug, so she can help me restore my people's happiness. I owe them that."
We started our journey the next morning, having no trouble until we came across a tricky looking bridge.
"Maybe we should find another way…" Chat said.
"I think you're forgetting who's in charge of this expedition," Major Alya said.
We watched as Captain Nino and Major Alya hopped carefully across the floating bridge of rocks. I had an uneasy feeling in my stomach, afraid to go across.
"It'll be fine." But even as Chat said it, Major Alya slipped and Captain Nino lunged to help her. But in righting her he knocked himself off the rocks.
"Captain Nino!" All three of us yelled, rushing towards where he fell.
"Help!" He squeaked, holding onto a branch sticking out from the side of the cliff. His bag slipped from his shoulder, plummeting into the ravine below.
Chat Noir looked around for something to reach down to him, but came up empty. I watched with wide eyes as Chat pulled out one of his arms and held it over the edge to Captain Nino.
"Are you alright?" Major Alya asked as Chat pulled him over the edge.
"Yes, I'm fine."
"Sorry," Chat said. "Didn't have any rope."
We finished crossing the bridge with no more close calls.
"Now we'll be needing more supplies." Major Alya said, shooting the chasm behind us a look.
"That was very noble of you," I whispered to Chat as we followed after the two.
"Least I could do for an old friend," He replied with a wink.
When we reached the shore leading to the sea of storms, we were happily surprised to find a not-bad-off ship stranded in the sand. We hurried towards it, wondering if we'd be able to use it to cross the ocean.
"We'll fix up this ship while you two look for supplies." Major Alya said.
"Marinette, come with me." Chat said, leading the way.
"There used to be an old well somewhere around here." He said as we walked.
We came across a pile of rocks which he pushed away and dusted the sand off, too.
"Oh, here it is. Someone must have capped it." He took out his staff and pried the lid off of the well. Once it was removed, hundreds of brightly colored fairies shot out.
A smaller fairy flew over to Chat and tittered in his ear. "You're welcome," Chat laughed. "Hawkmoth's army destroyed this valley and trapped them in the well."
A few of them crowded around me, giggling and talking in their high pitched voices. Chat chuckled at their twittering.
"What?" I asked, looking to Chat for a translation.
"They say you are… Beautiful."
"Oh…" I felt my cheeks burn. "Thank you." The sprites giggled again and danced higher into the air, rejoining the swirls of them flying around the barren land and bringing it back to life. I gasped, looking around at what used to be a dead land of sand and old trees that had magically, for there was no other word for it, turned into a beautiful orchard. I laughed at the craziness of it.
Several apples fell on Chat's head from the tree the fairies were dancing around. I giggled as he glared half-heartedly up at them, his cat tail flicking in annoyance. "Well, at least now we have supplies." He said, motioning to the fallen apples. We continued to follow the dancing fairies around the now beautiful orchard as they sang their song. Just as I felt the urge to twirl along after them, there was the sound of loud thumping in the distance. We turned to see a large stone being come over the hill.
"I am Stoneheart!" He called angrily, coming towards us. I squeaked.
"Run!"
Chat Noir started running towards me, grabbing my arm and urging me to go.
"Major! Captain!" I yelled, running to the ship. Chat wasn't too far behind me as they unboarded and ran towards us. Chat grabbed my arm and pulled me behind some rocks as Stoneheart passed, heading for the ship. The other two had just joined us in hiding when he crushed it, the wood flying everywhere.
"Do you know how long I spent working on that sail?!" Major Alya yelled.
"Why don't you just invite him on over for tea and cake?" Captain Nino chastised.
The rock monster started towards us, but my eyes caught on a flash of blue light.
"Look-!" I exclaimed, pointing to where the snow faeries had appeared and turned the roaring waves into soft hills of ice. Marzipan came trotting over, being led by more fairies. She stopped near the edge of the sand, and we all took off towards her.
We all swarmed the sleigh, getting in as quickly as we could. Major Alya took the reins and snapped them, sending Marzipan into high gear.
I looked behind us, watching with fear as Stoneheart stomped after us. "He'll break right through the ice!" Captain Nino said. When this proved to be false, we realized we had a different problem to worry about.
"Seems the snow fairies did their job too well."
"I'm on it!" Chat Noir grabbed a hold of the back of the sleigh and vaulted himself over it and landed on the ice. Pulling his staff free, he started towards Stoneheart.
"That staff won't do anything for you, boy." Major Alya warned.
"You'll be pulverized!" Captain Nino cried.
"Be careful!" I yelled.
"Don't worry- wood floats, rock doesn't." Chat called back, thrusting his staff down into the ice. It cracked and splintered out, groaning as Stoneheart fell through the ice and into the water. He hurried back, racing the cracks in the ice, and jumped back into the sleigh as the water behind us finally settled.
I breathed out a sigh of relief.
We continued across the ice, traveling at a slower speed now that danger seemed far off. Unfortunately, a fog settled over the ice due to the sudden change in temperature of the surface.
"If this fog doesn't lift, we'll never be able to find the island of Ladybug."
"You battled Hawkmoth, rescued Captain Nino, and defeated Stoneheart! Couldn't you defeat Hawkmoth without some silly princess?"
"I've tried. He's too strong. Besides, we have to find Ladybug if you're to return home your true size. That is what you want… Isn't it?"
"O-Of course…" I replied, looking off across the sea of ice. Of course that's what I want.
"I say we turn around."
"Wait! Marzipan saw something, I'm sure of it." I hopped out of the carriage and steadied myself on the ice, moving slowly into the fog. I heard someone else land on the ice, and soon Chat Noir was standing at my side. I smiled up at him encouragingly as we passed through. A wonderful, color filled island came into view. And there, in the middle of it, a huge beautiful castle stood, rising towards the sky.
"No time to take in the scenery- Let's find this Ladybug."
"I think Chat Noir has earned the right to lead us." Captain Nino said.
"But- He's wood!"
"And the reason we've made it this far."
"I'm only half the reason."
"Handing the reigns to a- a stump? I've never heard of such a thing!" The two walked off, steadily bickering with each other.
"Are you coming?" Chat Noir asked, turning back to look at me.
"Oh... Yes."
But even still, I dragged my feet, unsure of what I wanted to do. I had only known Chat about for a few days but for some reason I couldn't help feeling drawn to him. I was just about to meet up with them at the castle when a loud crash caught my attention.
"No!" I yelled, watching helplessly as the castle crashed down to reveal the cage placed inside, butterfly akumas carrying off said cage they had trapped the others in.
I raced across the ground, unseen by the akumas, but there was nothing I could do to save them.
"Now what am I going to do?" I groaned. I walked back to the shore and sat down near Marzipan.
I looked down at the heart necklace around my throat. "Maybe I should just go home. I'm sure I could make some clothes that would fit-!" I sighed and looked at the little fairy floating by my face. "What am I talking about? I can't leave. I'm their only hope! Now," I stood up, determined, "how to get off this island?"
The fairy squeaked at me before flying off. "Well, she's going to be no help-" I said. Just then, she came back with more of the little fairies, carrying vines of flowers that they began to weave together into a swing. I carefully sat down on the makeshift seat they had woven. Grabbing tightly to the ropes of vines on either side of me, I worried my lip as the fairies rose up and started out over the vast ocean.
Before long a large, dark, foreboding castle rose up in the distance. I swallowed thickly and waited for the fairies to bring me to the very edge of it, touching down lightly on the edge of the cliff side. I waved and thanked the fairies before slipping inside. I walked quietly through the palace, dodging the akumatized guards that roamed the halls.
Pushing open a door, I was met with grey sunlight and a vast courtyard. I quickly ducked down below the railing as I saw Hawkmoth and all of his little akumas setting up a large stack of wood over a dry fountain.
"Bring more wood! I want this to be an unforgettable show." Hawkmoth ordered.
"Oh no!" I whispered, crawling quickly across the walkway to the next door.
I walked more halls and turned one more corner and came face to face with two guards outside a door. Thinking quickly, I stood up straight and cleared my throat.
"Oh! There you are! King Hawkmoth needs you outside in the courtyard! And he said that if you didn't get out there, right away, you'd spend the rest of your lives as house flies! Or was it… horse flies?" The two akumas looked at each other and gulped, rushing off.
I grabbed the keys and opened the door, stepping into a dark stone room that was empty. There was absolutely nothing there.
"Why would Hawkmoth post guards outside of an empty room?" Walking forward, I stretched out my hand, only for it to come in contact with some kind of clear wall. Looking around, I saw an unlit torch. Hurrying to the wall it hung from, I heaved it up and brought it crashing down on the invisible barrier. It shattered into hundreds of slivers, revealing Chat Noir, Captain Nino, and Major Alya.
"Marinette!" They cried.
"We need to hurry! Hawkmoth is making a huge bonfire!"
"And I doubt it's to warm up his palace." Chat Noir grumbled. We ran from the room and back down the halls I had taken, leading us back out to the balcony.
"Ladybug or no Ladybug, Hawkmoth has to be stopped." Chat Noir declared. He jumped down to the courtyard, approaching Hawkmoth.
"Is this any way to run a kingdom, Hawkmoth?"
"Oh! You're just in time for your party!" Hawkmoth exclaimed, waving his arms. Behind him, the giant bonfire set up roared to life, the flames licking at the sky.
"There's more to being a king than having a crown." Chat Noir said sagely.
"Oh and suddenly you're an expert?"
"You have to gain their respect."
"I don't need their respect; I don't even need them! Those peasants who do challenge me, living statuary they will be!" Hawkmoth cried, raising his scepter. Everyone in the square was engulfed in purple light. When it diminished, they all stood frozen in their states of fear.
I watched in my own fear as Chat fought Hawkmoth, wanting to help him but not knowing how. I quickly made my way down to the ground level.
"With the brawn of twenty and six, I'll smite my enemy into sticks!" Hawkmoth yelled, his power engulfing him and making him grow much larger.
"Chat Noir!" I cried as he was knocked back against the fountain-turned-bonfire.
"You're nothing but a coward, hiding behind a magic wand!" I yelled. Hawkmoth turned to look at me, a sinister smile stretched across his face.
"I obviously didn't shrink you enough, your mouth is still much too big!" He raised his scepter in the air. "To the one who vexes me, smaller, smaller! You will be!"
"No!" Chat Noir cried, jumping in front of me with his baton raised. The spell bounced back at Hawkmoth, who shrank and fell into a drain. Unfortunately, the power from it hitting his baton had knocked Chat to the ground.
"Oh no! Chat Noir!" I cried, falling to my knees next to him.
"It's okay, Mari. I'm just wood, remember."
I shook my head. "You and I both know you're much more than that." I pressed a kiss to his cheek. "Prince Adrien…"
His outline seemed to shimmer and fade away in a wash of green light, and before me lay the crowned Prince Adrien. His lemon colored hair was mused adorably, falling into his bright green eyes. Replacing the black cat suit of the nutcracker was a wonderfully embroidered white and blue uniform.
"The Prince!" Major Alya yelled happily before remembering what she had been going on about before and wincing. "The Prince."
Suddenly there was a rush of red ladybugs around the square, turning stone back to people. They looked around, blinking. As the ladybugs passed by, I was engulfed in bright pink light, my vision blurred by the sparkly blast falling around me. Left in its wake was a bright red ballet dress covered in black spots, red ballet shoes, and a mask over my eyes that I guessed to match the dress.
"Of Course, it's been you all along! You're Ladybug." Prince Adrien said in awe.
"What?" I breathed in bewilderment. "But- I can't be-"
"It all makes sense! You saved me from Hawkmoth in your parlor, rescued us from his dungeon, your bravery led to his defeat and- your kiss has broken his spell! You are Ladybug- Look!" The castle itself was washed in magical ladybugs, turning into a gorgeous palace fit for a happy kingdom. "Your kiss has broken all Hawkmoth's enchantments."
"And now you can take your rightful place as king!" I said happily.
Prince Adrien looked bashfully at his feet. "Well, that's for the people to decide."
"The Prince!" Captain Nino called, as if reading our thoughts. "He's returned!"
The square erupted into cheers and happy shouting as somebody struck up some music, and the townspeople came together once more as one.
Prince Adrien grabbed up my hands, pulling me away from the fountain and spinning me slowly. My feet moved of their own accord as we danced, as if I had done this many times before. As we danced, I felt the surge of magic I had felt before as the Ladybugs washed out all over the kingdom, bringing life back to the decimated land. I didn't notice that the rest of the townspeople had fallen silent and still until we had finished dancing. I blushed brightly as they all cheered and clapped.
"As your King, I will let the wise leadership of my mother and father be my guide!" The townspeople cheered again.
He turned back to me, taking both my hands in his. "Will you stay here? With me? And be my Queen?" Prince Adrien asked.
I looked down and lightly picked up the golden necklace still around my neck. "This locket was supposed to take me home, but in my heart, I feel I am already there."
From the sky, riding an akuma, Hawkmoth came and ripped the necklace from around my neck. Tikki shot him down with a snowball, but it was too late. The locket had already opened.
"Marinette! No!"
"Adrien-"
"I love you!" He called before I had completely faded away.
I awoke to the sound of the clock chiming.
"Chat Noir?" I looked around. The parlor was in disarray. It wasn't a dream-! The door burst open just as I jumped up from the couch and Uncle Fu came in.
"It looks like the mice had a party of their own in here last night." Uncle Fu exclaimed.
I rushed over to him, "Did you take my nutcracker?" I asked breathlessly.
"What use would I have for him? He's just a toy."
"No! He's a prince! His kingdom was stolen by an evil mouse named Hawkmoth!"
"What are you talking about, Marinette? Maybe we should get a doctor here." Uncle Fu said. Before I could argue, the doors opened, revealing my grandmother.
"Grandma, have you seen my nut- cracker…?"
"Look who I ran into on my morning stroll! Marinette, this is Adrien."
"Nice to meet you, Marinette." Adrien said, pressing my hand to his lips as he bowed. His eyes never left mine.
"Such familiarity-!" Uncle Fu chided.
"Oh hush. I've invited Adrien to have dinner with us."
"That is a-" Uncle started, but I cut in.
"Wonderful idea!"
"I guess it's not… terrible to have the boy stay for supper."
Prince Adrien and I stared at each other as my Grandmother and Uncle Fu walked from the parlor. We listened as their voices slowly faded away. He grabbed my hand and placed my ladybug locket on my palm before he held his other hand out for me to take.
"May I have this dance?" He asked softly. Placing my hand carefully in his, I replied,
"I couldn't say no to the King."