Sorry for the immensely short chapter, but this will be a couple of bombshells overall. Most of the chapters to come are longer, but after the ending of this chapter I kind of had to stop.

Also, next chapter will be up on Thuesday, because I cannot handle updating on Saturdays anymore. So from now on, Thuesdays are the new uploading evenings. I upload weekly on Thuesday evenings GM+1.

Chapter 6

Eight days left

It was still raining when Adrien had woken up in the morning to see Mari. He and Plagg had stayed at the Pub, which had a few rental rooms for travellers, and headed out early morning to the tailor to see her, but to his surprise the shop was closed. There was a sign on the door that said:

Be back in the evening! If you need a commission put a note in the basket

Much indeed there was a tattered plaited basket by the side of the door with a loose lid on top. The basket was empty and thoroughly soaked by the rain, leading him to think that the tailors and Mari must have been stressed this morning to go somewhere. He wondered where they could have gone to so suddenly and hoped they would be back in the evening.

There was a constriction to his chest as he remembered the findings of the previous night. He guessed there was no reason to stay here. The streets were almost all empty save for some few stray souls who marched from one building to another on their daily errands. At first glance it was a normal day, however something seemed off. Maybe it was the cat's instincts within him, but he knew something was wrong. He soon got his answers when he heard familiar sounds of swords and shields clink in the familiar rhythm of soldiers marching.

He grabbed Plagg, who had snuck his head in the basket, and got back to the roof. Much to his horror a squadron of soldiers emerged, but they were not soldiers that he had seen before. Their armours were pitch black and there was a green glow to them, as if there was magic involved. He wondered what had happened at the castle. Had his father taken control of everyone and everything? Was this just the start of the horrors he feared could start.

Being a prince is cruel when darkness looms and while his heart wanted to remain to find his Lady his head knew it would be of greater importance to sneak back to the castle and learn more. Plagg clung to his shoulders as he took off.

The journey was eerily quiet, but they saw more soldiers as they got closer. For once it was hard to sneak past the gates, but they managed. There was a dark cloud over the castle, as if something foreboding was soon to happen.

They found a good spot by one of the towers, where the shadows had grown so dark it was almost impossible to see them.

"Go check on what your father is up to, I will meet you back here by the gates in an hour. Don't be too long, there are a few things I have to confirm, and it will be quicker if we split. We should not linger. Stay transformed whatever you do. These clothes can protect you from your father's control."

The black cat jumped away and disappeared. Adrien saw him jump down an impossible height and land on his paws. Somehow it didn't surprise him. He followed, careful not to be spotted. He figured his father would be either in the throne room or his office and by a sheer hunch he figured he should check the throne first.

He jumped through a broken window and into a dark corridor. The splendour of the castle had quickly deteriorated, most likely done by some sort of magic. There were no lights, no servants, the hallways were mostly empty save for the occasional dark soldier. Strangely, the soldiers didn't seem to notice him even if he nearly walked in on one.

As he approached the throne room the large doors were empty. This time he was much more careful to his approach and he silently snuck in. He climbed up some tapestries to perch above the throne and the few lights that had been lit in the room. His father, and Lila, was there. Nathalie was by his father´s side. Three men had been forced down, two by their knees and one lay on the ground by the thrones. Another man stood above them, sword in hand.

As Chat Noir he felt a growl at the back of his throat. Lila perched on the throne that would belong to the queen and she looked quite comfortable on it. The man that had been forced to lay down had her shoe over his neck and Adrien knew one wrong move and Lila would easily step on him.

"Mr D'Argencourt, you have been found guilty of treason to the Crown. What say you?" the man with the sword said.

A man in a white armour, one of the men on his knees, glared at the other soldier.

"I have nothing to say, because every word I say gets twisted in your presence. You will never have my loyalty. My loyalty was and will always be to the Royal family of this land, not these traitors. All hail Prince Adrien, because his crowning will be your downfall and I believe in him. His disappearance brings us all hope."

"Silence!" the armed soldier shouted and raised his sword, but King Gabriel raised his hand to stop the swing.

"Mr D'Argencourt, your bravery is among the finest in these lands. I see now that you have been loyal to my former wife and for that you have my utmost respect. But I urge you not to be a fool."

The brooch on his chest started to shine. Adrien felt the urge to close his eyes. He didn't want to see it, but he had to.

D'Argencourt screamed. "I will not lose hope!"

The light faded and D'Argencourt gasped. He looked up and stared at king Gabriel.

"Your sorcery doesn't work on me." He hissed. Adrien gasped as well.

Lila sneered from where she sat. She removed her foot from the other man, sparing him for now, and slowly made her way over to the now gasping man on the ground. She pulled a long thin knife from somewhere within her skirt. Adrien could see the malice in her and it terrified him. He had to do something.

It was as if a barrier within him had broken. Like an instinct called to him that wanted to be let out. It filled his veins and threatened to burst from his chest. He wasn't sure what it was, but he knew it was a part of him and it needed out. It was similar to the magic that he used to transform, but unlike the hardships he had faced getting into this costume.

This was liberating.

Suddenly a euphoric rush of determination and power sought through him like as if an avalanche had hit a barricade and demolished it. He had never wanted to destroy something as badly as he wanted to destroy her that moment and that surge speared through him into his very fingertips. The grounds and walls started shaking, the floor beneath them split and in the moment of unease and confusion D'Argencourt proved why he was deserving of his ranks. He grabbed his comrades by the arm and ran as King Gabriel, Lila and Nathalie were all stunned at the sudden crumble.

Adrien ran as well, not sure what just happened, but he knew it wasn't safe to be within walls that threatened to fall down upon him. He quickly hurried back outside. He had no time to care whether anyone saw him, he would need to get out.

Slowly the shaking ceased and when it stopped completely the castle still stood, but the damage ran deep into its walls. His own legs were another story, they felt weak like they had turned to clay beneath him. It was harder to scale the walls and return to the same place Plagg and he had separated on. The cat was waiting for him, and he did not seem too pleased.

"They say that kids grow up fast, but you have to take the tuna kid. I knew it was dangerous to give you that ring, but even for your grandfather it took him weeks to figure out its true power."

"What was that Plagg?" Adrien asked, baffled to the fact that Plagg didn't even acknowledge that he had nearly brought the whole castle down and that he, Adrien, had somehow been the one to do it.

"It's called the Cataclysm. Come, I'll explain once we get out of here. We have much to discuss Kid and by now, we should head to that girl of yours soon. We need allies, and soon."

They didn't say anything until they had snuck back into the room by the Pub and made sure that no one had followed them and that no one seemed to know who he was. On their way back Adrien had tried to find out what had happened to D'Argencourt, but the man was gone, which was probably a good thing as his father would be looking for him. He had so many questions for the cat, but Plagg stayed silent and it wasn't until Adrien had drawn the curtains and made sure no one was listening by the door that he spoke.

Plagg had gotten on the bed and even though they did not want to light any candles his green eyes glowed.

"I have not told you everything, because this is quite the complicated story, but there is one more thing I need you to know. Your Miraculous, it does not just symbolise your right to rule these lands, it is also a symbol for the power that you were born with. It is not a mere coincidence as to why your family were given this ring, nor is there any coincidences why your father is now collecting every last one of them. You see, the power of this ring doesn't come from the ring itself. The ring is merely a tool to draw that power from you."

Plagg blinked.

"Every royal house of the old times when magic was common had some kind of extraordinary magic. From the beginning each royal house, was imbued by magic. Because not all people are born of magic these magicians were selected to rule and they specialised in various fields of power. Your ancestors power Adrien, was the power of destruction."

"Wait, what?" He was shocked at Plagg's words. Had the cat known all along?

"Yes, destruction, and no, it is not as bad as it seems. To create something, something has to be destroyed first. Our world is limited in resources and there is a power that can balance your power, the power of creation and fortune. This power was once said to work with your kingdom to have both nations prosper. However, many generations ago this pact broke. The powers became unbalanced. When you were born and cursed to destroy all land it wasn't just a curse, that fairy made a prediction based on what was already happening and as it stands, your father has sped up what should have taken many more generations to come."

"So, I am not cursed."

"Oh, you are, but you should stop blaming yourself for the darkness. This was bound to happen sooner or later."

"So, how do we stop it and how can we stop my father?"

"Well, first we need to find your new lady friend because I think she holds more to this that either of us have learnt. I don't know what it is about her, but there is something there with her that doesn't add up. No, I am not talking about your little love bird, I am talking for the fact that I think she is either cursed or magical, and that is very rare. She is hiding something."

"What, Mari?" he couldn't imagine Mari being evil. She seemed too nice, guarded but nice.

"No, I don't think she is evil," Plagg said as if he had read his mind. "I just a few things to ask, that's all. Scratch that, we should go see her tomorrow."

"Why tomorrow?"

Plagg took a deep breath.

"There is one more thing you must know." Plagg's demeanour changed suddenly. "I don't know any good way to break the news to you. When we split at the castle, I went to check your mother. I've been worried for a while, no one has seen her for ages, and it seemed strange. I came upon her chambers, but her bed was empty. Adrien, I am truly sorry. Your mother, she passed away this morning."

"What?"

"I have to tell you, because you must know and I suspect someone at the castle killed her, because her doctors were talking about it outside her doors. I heard them. I don't know who did it, but you have to know from today on and forward you are our King and it is a role that will be a burden, but for the sake of these lands and for the people of these lands I must ask of you to prepare. We will have to stop Gabriel's reign and I will teach you, I promise, to utilise your powers in a good way." Plagg walked over to him. As Plagg had explained Adrien's heart had broken and his arms had fallen uselessly to his side while large tears welled from his eyes. The black cat walked up and headbutted him softly by his chin, as if to show his comfort. Adrien hugged him close, his thoughts were jumbled and his life seemed so bleak. His mother was gone and that was all he could think of.

He wasn't even aware that he had somehow managed to climb onto his bed, nor that he later fell asleep but Plagg never left him and watched over him. The old cat hated what he had to do, but it was the things he needed to confirm. He had hoped beyond hope that the darkness in Gabriel wouldn't lead to this, but now he knew. Since the day he first met Adrien he knew something was going to happen and now events unfurled. He hoped that the bad luck of the black cat would eventually wear of and that this poor your man would find his happiness. But that journey would be long and hard.

As night fell Plagg carefully opened one of the windows and jumped out. There was one person whom he knew would get Adrien to come out of the shell he was building around him and by now there was no time. Quietly, while guards patrolled the streets, the black cat set of to set the wheels in motion.

Review responses:

AimeeGamieUnicor: Thank that. I have no clue where my sudden love for the word 'and' came from, but I will be extra careful from now. Sorry for this embarrassing grammatical overuse.

RebekMiraculous: It is my blessing that Adrien is so oblivious. Also, if he wasn't I doubt we'd have such a fun TV-series to watch.