CHAPTER THIRTEEN:

THE MAGIC MIRROR

As winter fully ensnared the kingdom in its icy grip, it never once touched the budding friendship between a bright young lady and a chivalrous beast.

Over the next several days, Marinette took care of Cat Noir while he was stuck in bedrest. In the morning, she personally brought him breakfast. Then, they would sit and talk with each other, sometimes for hours on end. As it turned out, Cat Noir was a sparkling conversationalist… and liked to crack jokes here and there. After checking his dressings, Marinette would let him rest for the afternoon before visiting him again in the evening.

One night, Cat Noir was still napping when Marinette walked in. She carried a dinner tray in both hands and had a book from the castle library tucked under her arm. She had recently discovered more of Shakespeare's volumes, so she decided to educate herself. Once she was assured Cat Noir's stitches were still holding, Marinette sat down on her stool and began to read aloud to herself.

She was partway through a particularly long speech. ""Love can transpose to form and dignity. Love looks not with the eyes but with the mind…""

""And therefore is wing'd Cupid painted blind"."

Marinette looked up to see Cat Noir smiling sleepily at her, his arm tucked all snuggly in a sling over his chest.

"A Midsummer Night's Dream," her new friend quoted. "Act One, Scene One."

Marinette grinned. "You know this one?"

"I know most of them by heart," Cat Noir replied, stretching as carefully as he could. "Not much to do around here but read." He relaxed and looked back at her. "The Merchant of Venice was always my favourite."

Marinette closed the book and straightened her posture. "Mine's Romeo and Juliet," she said with a sigh.

That only made Cat Noir stare up at the ceiling. "Ugh… Seriously?"

Marinette gaped at him. "Oh, come on," she complained. "It's a good story!"

"Yeah, but… it's… well, you know…" His mouth twisted as he tried to think of a good comeback, and he waved his good hand in the air. "They both die in the end! What's the point of having two people fall in love when they don't get a happy ending?"

For once, Marinette didn't have an answer for him. "I don't know," she said with a shrug. "I guess… it just makes every moment they have with each other all the more… romantic?"

Cat Noir chuckled and pulled his covers back over himself. "You keep telling yourself that, Milady," he said with yawn. Just another one of his Cat Noir-mannerisms that said, You win, but I don't want to admit it.

Marinette just smirked and went back to her reading. Cat Noir devoured his dinner while he listened, occasionally quoting a few lines whenever Marinette gave him a challenging glance. It went back and forth for a couple hours until Marinette started nodding off, and Cat Noir had to call Tikki and Plagg to get escort the blunette back to her own room.

Though it was clear they had different tastes in books, Marinette and Cat Noir found out they had more in common in other areas. They both loved the outdoors, especially when the weather was warmer. Marinette enjoyed baking desserts, and Cat Noir enjoyed eating them. Cat Noir knew how to play the piano, while Marinette liked to sing. The former promised to play a personal concert for Marinette someday… once he had both his hands back, of course.

All the while, the seven fairies would observe the pair with warm smiles and giggles. Though they never admitted it, it was clear they were happy that Marinette and Cat Noir were finally getting along. Even grumpy little Plagg cracked a smile or two at the sight of his furry, half-human friend returning to his old self again.

But no amount of talking or reading or exchanging of jokes could smother Marinette's homesickness. The more she thought about her hobbies and interests, the more it brought up memories of her old life in Villeneuve: her home at the bakery, her friends, her parents. Each time they came to mind, that little spark of delight inside Marinette fluttered out.

And it showed.

Cat Noir got concerned when he woke up one morning and noticed that vacant look in the blunette's eyes as she played with the folds of her cornflower dress. He sat up in bed. "Marinette?" he asked. "What's wrong?"

The welcoming smile she gave him was forced. "I baked croissants today," she said.

He raised an eyebrow at her. "What did the croissants do to make you sound so miserable? They jump out of the oven or something?"

Marinette chuckled a bit, glad that he was doing his best to cheer her up. "No," she replied. "They just… reminded me of the time I first made croissants with my father. I made them all so big that the whole batch ended up baking together, so they looked like a giant crisscrossed pretzel." She smiled and looked away absentmindedly. "But I'll never forget the look on Papa's face when he ripped off a piece, stuffed it in his mouth, and then said, "Oh, dear… We forgot to baste them.""

Cat Noir laughed softly, but his own smile faded as the reason behind her story washed over him. "You miss him, don't you?" he asked in a way that was more of a confirmation than a question.

Marinette felt her throat tightening. "Very much." She inhaled deeply and wiped her eyes. "If I could just see both my parents again, for one moment, that would mean the world to me." She wanted to see Alya, too, and Nino, and Madame Bustier. But she couldn't find it in her to bring them all up as well.

Cat Noir's ears fell against his head… only to lift back up while his green eyes lit up with an idea. He glanced at Marinette with a sly grin. "What if I told you that you could?"

Marinette met his stare, raising an eyebrow. "But… I thought the deal…"

"The deal requires you to stay in the castle, but it never said that you couldn't see your family again. Even… if all you could do was see them."

Marinette shook her head. "But that's impossible. I'd have to be in Villeneuve to see them."

Cat Noir's eyes twinkled. "Not necessarily." He pointed towards the glass balcony. "You see that table over there?"

Marinette looked to where the magic rose was perched inside the glass cloche in the center of the little antechamber. "W-What about it?" she asked nervously. Had Wayzz told Cat Noir that Marinette now knew about the curse? Would he get mad at her again for sticking her nose into his belongings?

Surprisingly, her feline friend didn't seem bothered at all. "There's a small object on it," he replied. "You mind fetching it for me? I want to show you something."

Marinette raised an eyebrow at him. Well, he did ask. "Oh, all right," she said with a playful groan, making him smirk. She stood from her seat and went over to the little table.

Sure enough, there was something lying on the table that she hadn't noticed that first night when she spotted the rose. Beside the bell dome was a small hand-mirror. Made from metal, it had delicate swirls encompassing the rounded mirror like wafts of hair. The handle was long and narrow with a pointed tip. When Marinette picked it up, it was astonishingly light, and the dark glass surface seemed to ripple with veins of blue and white as she peered into it.

It was beautiful, to be sure, but still... "A mirror?" Marinette murmured. "Seriously?"

"Come on over," Cat Noir called from the bed. "I'll show you."

She had her doubts, but Marinette decided to let him enlighten her. She carried the mirror over to Cat Noir, who gripped it firmly in his one good hand.

"No offence, Cat," Marinette said, trying not to sound too blunt, "but I don't see how an ordinary mirror has anything to do with my parents."

He smiled. "Ah, but I never said it was ordinary, now did I?" he asked with that flamboyant attitude of his. When Marinette only blinked at him, he sighed. "The fairies gave this to me. I like to think of it as my… window to the outside world. Basically, it's enchanted to show the viewer whatever they wish to see."

Marinette's eyes widened with awe. Is he being serious?

Cat Noir smiled at her and offered her the mirror. "Just look into the mirror, and tell it to show you what you want to see. It's simple."

With a steady hand, Marinette grabbed the handle and lifted the mirror so that it was looking directly at her face. Her expression appeared uneasy. "So… that's it?" she asked with a slight chuckle. "I just say something like, "Show me my father", and then it'll –"

FLASH!

Marinette was so startled by the blue light emitting from the mirror, she almost dropped the thing. Luckily, she steadied herself as the glass surface became a whirlwind of light and air, and her reflection faded away to reveal a very different image. A new face appeared within the frame.

Marinette gasped, and she pressed her other hand to her heart to stop it from shooting up to the ceiling.

Tom Dupain looked so much cleaner and more refined in his fancy new clothes, but there could be no doubt from his bushy moustache and dark-green eyes that he was still Marinette's father. He was sitting on the edge of a large, canopied bed with his head in his hand, staring blankly out one of the windows that was letting in a huge stream of sunlight.

"Papa!" Marinette breathed, and she gripped the edge of the mirror with excitement. "Papa! It's me! I'm here!"

"He can't hear you," Cat Noir said sadly, making her look back at him. "The mirror only shows you what's happening, but the people on the other end aren't able to see or hear you. I'm not sure exactly how scrying magic works – only that it does."

Marinette understood what he was saying, but the words still hit her like a blow to the chest. Her face fell, and she let out a small "Oh" before looking back into the mirror. She laid her fingers upon the glass. Her father seemed so close, yet he was so far out of her reach. It made her heart ache again.

She swallowed and said, "Show me… Show me my mother."

The image of Tom faded away, and Sabine Cheng appeared. She wore a brand new dress with a matching winter poncho, and she was busy calling out to a group of bakers in a kitchen. Marinette's mother looked so proud and confident, like an officer in an army. It made Marinette smile a bit, though her vision was starting to blur.

"I'm sorry I can't do more," Cat Noir said meaningfully, "but now, at least… if you ever need to see your parents' faces again…"

Marinette nodded and stifled. "Thank you," she said. "It's… more than I ever hoped for." She reluctantly offered the mirror to Cat Noir.

His furry hand reached over… and gently pushed it away. "Why don't you borrow it for a while?" he suggested, flashing a hopeful grin. "That way, you can use it whenever you'd like. Heck, you could even spy on me if you really wanted to." His eyebrows flicked up several times. "Preferably when I have clothes on."

This time, Marinette's smile was genuine, and the barest whisper of a laugh escaped her.

Then, she leaned forward and kissed Cat Noir on the forehead. The pupils in his feline eyes dilated as she pulled back. "Thank you," she said again, though her eyes and her voice conveyed a much deeper, more thoughtful message.

Clutching the mirror tightly to her chest, Marinette swept up the skirt of her dress and exited the bedroom.


The moment the door clicked shut, Cat Noir fell back against his pillows and blew out a long breath. He reached up and gingerly touched the spot where Marinette had kissed him. It felt so strange, like he had an extra appendage there. But it felt… nice.

"Well, that was unexpected," drawled a raspy voice from the top of the headboard.

"Indeed," a softer voice mused, "but intriguing, all the same."

Cat Noir nearly leapt right out of his bed, and his shoulder tensed in retaliation. He scowled up at two particularly nosey fairies above him: one black, and the other purple. "How long have you guys been sitting there?" he demanded.

"Long enough," Plagg said as he hovered down and sat on his friend's chest. "And from what I just witnessed, I'd say things are falling into place just… what's the word Wayzz uses? Swimmingly?"

Cat Noir huffed and rolled onto his good side, ignoring Plagg's meow of protest. "I don't know what you're talking about," he said.

Nooroo chuckled as he fluttered down to join his friend. "You cannot deny it, Master," he insisted. "The girl is starting to like you. Letting her keep that mirror was a sure sign of good faith. You should be proud!"

"Honestly, did you see the look on her face when she kissed you?" Plagg asked excitedly. "No tensing, no disgust, no forced smiles – just pure, unadulterated admiration." He purred softly and clasped his hands over his tiny chest. "Hmm-hmmm… It really makes you go all warm and fluffy inside, doesn't it?"

Cat Noir tried to hide his grin, but the heat creeping into his cheeks betrayed him.

The way Marinette's eyes had shined with so much happiness when she saw her father in the mirror… He wished he could scoop it all into a bottle and take a nice long drink.

Still… it was too soon to tell if Marinette was starting to fall in love with him. Or if what he was starting to feel for her was what he thought it was. "I've still got a long way to go," he said, thinking about the enchanted rose at the other end of the room, "and I don't have a lot of time left."

Nooroo plopped himself onto the pillow in front of Cat Noir's face, his violet eyes gleaming with wisdom and support. "Then, maybe it's time for you to take the plunge and dive," he said. "If Marinette really is the one who will break the spell, you must open up your heart once again. If not for yourself, then for everyone you've lost."

Cat Noir sighed, knowing the little butterfly fairy was right.

He had this one chance to make things right. He wasn't going to let it slip through his furry fingers again.


Marinette spent the next half hour in her own bedroom, watching her parents through the magic mirror.

Tom had finally stopped moping and went out to inspect the latest renovations on the bakery, which was coming along wonderfully despite the harsh weather. Marinette almost didn't recognize the old place anymore. It was a sad yet happy feeling.

Sabine, on the other hand, kept working and helping out in their new manor. Servants and maids scattered about the halls and rooms like bees in a hive, so it was a wonder the blue-haired woman could keep up. When some of them reminded her that she didn't need to bother herself with any work, Sabine would wave her hand nonchalantly and insist that she do her part to help. Even with all that newfound wealth, Marinette's mother was still as willful and determined as ever.

Marinette sat cross-legged on her bed as she gazed at her parents' faces. Though she always knew they would be all right, just seeing them again – moving on with their lives, finding ways to keep busy and stay happy – made her homesickness ebb away a little. The only thing that would make it perfect was if she could speak to them, let them know that she was safe and being well cared for… and making some new friends.

When her hands turned cold, Marinette put the mirror down and rubbed them together. As she did, she remembered how just a few nights ago, she had held Cat Noir's hand while he was suffering through those fever-induced nightmares. The first time, she hadn't realized what she was doing until she felt those fingers against her own. Graceful and soft, but with an inner strength to them; a strength that allowed Cat Noir to swing a staff like a warrior, or throw off a large wolf.

Marinette slipped back into her own reality, and suddenly she was a little too warm. She debated going out for a walk in the gardens to get some fresh air. But then, she remembered there was something else she needed to do first.

She picked up the mirror again, held it up to her face, and said, "Show me Alya."

The glass rippled like moonlit water.

Then, her auburn-haired friend appeared, wearing her work dress and holding a serving tray high above her head as she danced around a bunch of tight-knit tables. It was probably lunch hour back in Villeneuve, hence the reason why The Sleeping Fox looked packed with people begging for a good bite to eat… or a good swig of ale.

Alya served one table before heading across the room. Along the way, a couple of unshaven youths murmured something at her through tooth-gritting sneers. Alya must have heard them, because she subtly kicked one of their chairs out as she passed by.

Marinette grinned. Of course Alya knew how to take care of herself. She was the toughest girl Marinette ever knew. Nino was a really lucky man. If he didn't know that now, he soon would.

Marinette watched Alya finish up her work and then head upstairs to her bedroom to change.

At that moment, the rim of the magic mirror glowed bright-orange, swirling around and around like a spinning disk.

Before Marinette could comprehend what it was doing, the light vanished and the image in the mirror shifted. When the rippling light cleared, she saw Alya coming into her room. But the angle was off a bit, and every time Alya moved across the room, the mirror didn't move with her. The image just focused on the blank wall on the other side of the bedroom.

"What's going on?" Marinette wondered aloud.

She heard Alya cry out in alarm. Then, the redhead's perplexed face appeared in the center of the mirror… and stared right into Marinette's eyes. She stepped closer and squinted through her glasses. "Marinette?" Alya said. "Is that you?"

Marinette inhaled sharply. "Alya!" She can see me?!

"Oh, my god, it is you!" Alya beamed and gripped the edge of the mirror. "How did you get inside my bedroom mirror? What happened at the castle? Did Cat Noir imprison you? Are you under some kind –"

"No, no, Alya – I'm fine. Really." Marinette almost laughed as she spoke. "I just… I can't believe I'm talking to you!"

It made her all the more curious as to how she was doing it. Cat Noir did mention he didn't know exactly how scrying works. Maybe he just never tried it himself. Marinette couldn't blame him. No one else would want to see the face of a humanoid cat creature staring back at them in their vanity mirror.

Tears glistened in Alya's amber eyes. "It's sooooo good to see you, Marinette. This past week…" She blew out a breath. "You have no idea how boring it is around here without you. Everyone in Villeneuve is acting like you went off to visit another town… or that you never existed to begin with."

That didn't come as a surprise to Marinette. No doubt this had Chloe Bourgeois written all over it. "Yeah, well… what else is new?" she said with a playful frown.

Alya giggled. "There's the stubborn Marinette I know and love. You look great, by the way. Love the new dress." She glanced over her shoulder at the closed door before leaning in closer in a more hushed voice. "So, tell me everything: is Cat Noir really treating you well? What's he like?"

So, Marinette told her best friend the whole story, stumbling a bit with the frightening parts.

By the time she finished, Alya was leaning on her elbows as she peered into the mirror, and her sun-kissed face was alit with awe. "Wow… So, he's really just a normal guy after all?"

Marinette nodded. "The curse is slowly changing him, making him more… well, cat-like. And once it's complete, he'll remain that way forever."

"And you said someone else did this to him. Who?"

"I'm not sure. All I know is that it's a woman, and not even the fairies like to talk about her. Whoever she is, she went to great lengths to make Cat Noir's life lonely and miserable."

"Man, that's cold." Alya straightened and brushed some of her hair away from her face. "Curses, fairies, magic roses, and now talking mirrors… This is insane, Marinette. But hey, at least you get to wear fancy dresses."

"It's not just that," Marinette said, perking up. "Oh, Alya, I wish I could show you this place – it's so vast and colourful! And Cat Noir… I admit, I was angry with him at first for what he did to Papa, but he's really…" She gasped. "Papa! I completely forgot to ask you: how are my parents doing? I saw them in the mirror, but I couldn't communicate with them."

"As far as I know, they're all right," Alya answered with a hint of displeasure. "It was hard, watching them go through all that grief the first few days. Your mother's staying strong, helping to keep the business running in the manor while they fix up the bakery. But Mr. Dupain… He really misses you, Marinette. He blames himself for what happened to you. Last week, on the fourth day you were gone, he hired a group of hunters and went out into the woods to find you."

"He what?!" Marinette blurted, the last word echoing along the walls of her room. She paused and glanced around, hoping none of the fairies would come swooping in to ask what was the matter. When no colourful head appeared, Marinette looked into the mirror again and whispered, "Papa went back into the woods?"

"Don't worry, girl – nothing happened. Nino went with them to look after your father." Alya's expression hardened into something like annoyance. "And someone else joined the party as well: your charming suitor, Monsieur Barbot."

Now that came as a surprise to Marinette. Why would Theo risk going out into the deadly wilderness to find the girl who had turned him down flat? Something in Marinette's gut warned her that this sleek-haired hunter wasn't the kind to give up on his prized catch so easily.

"Apparently," Alya continued, noting the confusion on her friend's face, "a certain blonde bimbo whispered in his ear that you ran off with a woodcarver's son, or a traveling musician, or a street thief. The tale changes every day. Anyhow, Theo started believing those tales and decided to string along with the search party. Nino told me after he got back that Theo pelted Mr. Dupain with a lot of questions, but your father never told him the truth as to why you had disappeared. Only that you needed to be found." Alya glanced over her shoulder again. "Between you and me, that boy's got it really bad for you, Marinette. Like… "a rabbit caught in a snare" bad."

Marinette shuddered. She knew Theo Barbot wanted to marry her something fierce, but she never imagined just how obsessed he was with her. It made her all the gladder she had refused his advances. The man who wins my heart won't be someone who tries to catch me, she thought to herself staunchly, but someone who will let me run with the wind.

"So… what happened to the search party?" Marinette asked, knowing the answer already.

"They got caught in a veil of fog about two days in, and not even their dogs could sniff out the trail," Alya replied. "Your father had no choice but to call the whole thing off. Theo was furious, stating that a true man wouldn't give up… until Nino forced him to shut up and show some respect." She grinned. "Wish I could've been there to see that."

Marinette laughed. Maybe Alya was the lucky one. "Well, I'm glad everyone is okay," she said. "Just do me a favour and keep an eye on my parents for me, all right, Alya? I'll be in touch as often as I can."

Her best friend winked at her. "You got it, Marinette. Oh! And what was that you said earlier?"

"About what?"

"About Cat Noir." Alya's eyes gleamed like twin suns from the daylight in the room. "You were about to say something about him before this whole thing with your father. "He's really…". He's really what?"

Marinette opened her mouth, and suddenly realized she didn't know why she had said that earlier. It had just… slipped out.

So, she shrugged and answered with the first thing that came easily to her mind: "He's really… sweet."