CHAPTER EIGHTEEN:
BEAUTY AND THE BEAST
"I. Am. An idiot," Cat Noir groaned from behind the bath curtain. "I am the biggest idiot in the history of idiots!"
Wayzz, Plagg and Nooroo exchanged an amusing grin as they waited for their friend to finish bathing. The butterfly fairy held up a towel by his little hands while the other two carried a green bathrobe.
"I mean, I just wanted to do something nice and… maybe a little romantic," Cat Noir ranted on, sloshing the water as he did so. "Then, I saw the ballroom and I was like, "Hey! Maybe we should have a dance!" I didn't think she'd actually say yes!" He let out a soft moan, followed by an agitated splash. "What was I thinking?!"
"Oh, calm yourself, Master," Nooroo said in a soothing voice. "Don't you see? This is a perfect opportunity!"
There was the sound of excess water dripping. "To do what?" Cat Noir mumbled. "Make a fool out of myself?" He sighed and shook himself dry like a wet dog, rustling the curtain as he did so.
"No, stupid," Plagg snapped. "To tell Marinette how you feel."
A furry, wet hand popped out from behind the curtain, and Nooroo passed his friend his towel. Shortly after, Plagg and Wayzz tossed the bathrobe over the rod, which Cat Noir pulled down from the other side.
"I don't think I can do this, guys," Cat Noir sighed as he dried himself off. "I've never felt this way about anyone before. What if I say the wrong thing? What if I say too much? Or too little?"
Wayzz sighed. "You don't have time to be timid, my boy. Overthinking it will only make it worse. Just relax and let everything happen on its own."
The curtain slid away, revealing Cat Noir in his bathrobe. He stepped out of the tub while he finished drying off his golden hair.
"Trust me, kid," Plagg said, flying over to his friend's shoulder. "We've got everything covered: a fancy dinner, wooing music, romantic candlelight, magical scenery – everything you need to sweep that girl right off her feet."
"And when the moment is just right," Nooroo added, placing his hands over his heart, "you will confess your love for her."
Cat Noir strode up to his vanity mirror. It had seen better days, but it was still useable. His dark, mangy reflection taunted him with that pitiful frown. Cat Noir loosed a quiet growl and leaned on the dresser with both hands. "How will I know if the moment's right?" he asked, looking at his friends. "Will it just… hit me?"
Plagg shrugged. "Well, firstly, you'll feel like you're gonna throw up…"
"Plagg!" Wayzz scolded.
"What? It's natural!"
Nooroo rolled his eyes and came over to stand on the vanity. "You'll be fine, Master," he assured. "You care about the girl, don't you?"
That brought a small smile to Cat Noir's lips. "More than anything," he replied softly.
"Then you have nothing to fear! You'll know what to say and when to say it… because it will come from the heart."
Cat Noir took a deep long breath, and faced the mirror with a determined grunt. "You're right," he said. "I can do this."
"That's the spirit!" Plagg exclaimed. He clapped his hands and summoned a pair of small scissors. "Now then, let's trim off all that scraggily stuff and make you look more presentable."
"Ahem," Wayzz forcefully cleared his throat and snatched the scissors away from his little cat friend. "Perhaps I should handle these. You remember what happened with Trixx's tail, don't you?"
"Aww, c'mon, Shellhead – it was one time!"
"And one was quite enough. Why don't you file and polish those claws, seeing as you're more of the manicure expert?"
Plagg folded his arms with an adorable pout, making Cat Noir chuckle. "Fine," the black fairy grumbled.
"I'll get the suit ready!" Nooroo suggested, flying out of the bathing room.
Cat Noir sat down in the chair and half-heartedly allowed his friends to wait on him.
Well, one thing was for certain: this was going to be an interesting night.
When he came downstairs an hour later, Cat Noir stood at the top of one of the divided staircases.
The suit he wore wasn't exactly new, but it was the one he hadn't worn the longest. Besides, it had always been his favourite: a white dress shirt with ruffled cuffs and matching kerchief, a black leather vest threaded with green leaves, and black dress pants that ended at his furry ankles. To top it all off, he wore an emerald-green velvet tailcoat trimmed along the edges with gold. The split bottom made room for his tail to poke out. Of course, he didn't need any boots (he didn't have any that would fit his cat-like feet anyway).
Cat Noir smoothed out his hair one last time, which Wayzz had gelled and arranged into a sunburst of tidy, golden spikes. He felt like a prince again – the first time he ever felt like one since he had been transformed. He decided then he should wear his fancy clothes more often.
Plagg, Nooroo and Wayzz sat together on the top banister, waiting silently for their friend's guest to make her grand entrance.
Then, they all heard it: the echoing click of a door opening… and delicate footsteps tapping along the marble floor.
Cat Noir's heartrate immediately went off kilter, and the castle grew unnaturally warmer. Here she comes. Don't panic. Don't freak out. Don't say anything stupid. You can do this. You are going to show that lady the night of her life. Just be yourself, and whatever you do, do not –
Marinette appeared at the top of the opposite stairs, the female fairies trailing behind her with warm, excited grins.
Cat Noir's mind emptied of all thought, and his mouth opened in a small, breathless gasp.
The dress Marinette had chosen to wear – the one she had made with her own two hands in this very castle – was a glowing, blushing red, like the enchanted rose. Just off the shoulder, the top half was a square-necklined bodice of red ruffles adorned with golden sparkles. The dress itself was made entirely of organza, with three layers stacked on top of each other on the left and right while the middle was a threaded mosaic of sparkling golden roses and leaves. And crystals! There were tiny white crystals along the bottom, which gave off a bedazzling, star-like display.
It was simple, by royal standards… and yet… mesmerizing.
She was mesmerizing.
Cat Noir quickly caught Marinette smiling at him, and noticed that the rouge on her cheeks was natural and not done by make-up. Her lips gave off a soft red sheen, and her midnight-blue hair was done back into her favourite style: twin pigtails trailing curly red ribbon.
A ladybug. That's what she reminded him of. A beautiful ladybug.
Cat Noir smiled without restraint.
Tikki, Duusu, Trixx and Pollen hovered behind Marinette, all of them glancing between Cat Noir's astounded expression and Marinette's silent smile.
Then, Marinette proceeded down the steps one at a time, keeping one hand on the banister. Her dress glimmered as she walked – a starry rose come to life.
When she reached the next level, she kept her gaze locked on Cat Noir… and waited.
It wasn't until Wayzz cleared his throat when the boy realized he had moved yet. Drawing himself up nice and tall, Cat Noir descended the stairs until he came to the same level as his lady.
Marinette looked him up and down with an intrigued grin. Then, she sank into an elegant curtsy, her dress pooling around her. "You look very dashing, Kitty," she commented as she straightened up.
The fact that she meant it made Cat Noir all the happier. He swept into an elaborate bow and looked up at her with a feline grin. "And you look absolutely meow-nificent, Milady."
She giggled silently through her teeth and shook her head. But she didn't ask him to stop. That was a good sign.
Cat Noir stood back up. Then, he brought one arm behind his back… and extended the other to Marinette. "Shall we?" he asked.
She answered him with a glint of excitement in her bluebell eyes. Then, she gently wrapped her hand around his arm and beckoned him to lead on.
As they headed down the steps together to the dining hall, Cat Noir could feel that steady warmth smothering that cold tension in his gut. And for the first time in a while, he breathed easily.
Dinner went by smoothly, albeit quietly.
Marinette would often catch Cat Noir staring at her, only for him to look down at his plate with an apologetic smile. She would just return to her food, wondering when he would look up again.
She found out that she liked it when he looked at her with that earnest, thoughtful gaze. It told her that Cat Noir saw her not as a potential prize to be obtained, but as a young woman with whom he could talk and share secrets. It was almost as though he was seeing past all the glitz and glamour and admiring the beautiful heart within.
No one had ever looked at her that way before. It felt… good.
Marinette finished her soup and dabbed her mouth with her napkin. Across the table, Cat Noir finally stopped slurping from his spoon and set it down with a satisfied sigh. There was a small moustache of soup on his upper lip, though. Marinette tapped her own while he looked at her, and Cat Noir immediately got the message. He picked up his own napkin and wiped the mess clean off.
At that moment, soft vibrant music strummed into the room. A gentle waltz of strings, keys and horns that seemed to be coming from the very air around them.
Marinette knew who was responsible for the music… and she decided to go along with it.
She scooted out of her chair, picked up her skirts, and went over to Cat Noir. Then, with his eyes fixed on her, Marinette extended her hand to him. "You ready?" she asked.
His throat bobbed a bit, but he nodded wordlessly and took her hand in his. Then, arm-in-arm, they headed for the castle ballroom, stepping in time to the beat of the phantom music.
The twin doors opened for them on their own, revealing an enormous, glowing chamber bordered with white marble columns and glass windows that revealed the glittering night sky beyond. The giant crystal chandelier above made the whole room come alive with golden light, as though it was daytime. The center of the floor portrayed a painted montage of golden animals prancing and prowling around a field of blue, with stars and banners scattered throughout.
Six of the fairies hovered together at the far left side of the ballroom, watching the young couple with bright, joyous looks. Wayzz was busy conducting up along the top of the columns, which turned out to be a stone mural of instruments that played all by themselves. Marinette smiled with amazement. Was there anything fairy magic couldn't do?
Marinette looked at Cat Noir, and was surprised to see his face go slack with something like concealed pain. "What's wrong?" she asked him.
Cat Noir looked at her sadly when he answered her. "I haven't set foot in this room since… since I watched my mother be turned to stone." He swallowed hard. "A lot of memories were made here. Some good, but others… not so much."
Marinette grasped his furry hand firmly. "Well, then… maybe it's time to create more good memories," she said with a confident smile. Her eyes told him a different story: I'm not afraid of this place… and I'm not afraid of you.
Cat Noir's relieved smile eased the tension, and they proceeded to the center of the ballroom.
At that moment, Pollen the bumblebee fairy began to sing in time with the orchestra:
"Tale as old as time,
True as it can be.
Barely even friends,
Then somebody bends
Unexpectedly."
Marinette and Cat Noir reached the middle of the marble floor painting, and turned to face each other.
Cat Noir loosened his shoulders, though his expression still bordered on nervousness.
Marinette just smiled and took both his hands in hers. Then, she began stepping to the music. To the left, back to the middle. Cat Noir caught on and mirrored her movements. To the right, back to the middle. Twirl around. Join hands. Circle around.
All the while, Pollen sang on:
"Just a little change,
Small to say the least.
Both a little scared,
Neither one prepared.
Beauty and the beast."
Marinette's dress swished gently around her body, and Cat Noir's movements became less stiff and more confident, like he finally remembered the steps. One, two, three… One two, three… Step around, step again… Twirl, come in…
Cat Noir and Marinette smiled at each other as they came back together for the crescendo. They stood mere inches apart, and Cat Noir gently wrapped his hand around Marinette's waist while holding his other hand to the side. Marinette picked up the side of her dress in her free hand, casually letting her partner lead her through the waltz.
They never once took their eyes off each other. To them, they were just a cat creature and his lady dancing together in their own little world.
"Ever just the same!
Ever a surprise!
Ever as before,
Ever just as sure
As the sun will rise!"
Unbeknownst to the couple, Plagg went up to the chandelier and used his magic to soften all the candles to make the ballroom darker.
At the same time, Tikki, Duusu, Trixx and Nooroo unleashed a glowing shower of sparkles into the ballroom. Miniature lights of red, blue, orange and purple fell through the air like snowflakes and then froze in time, hovering like little stars.
Marinette and Cat Noir swept through the glittering kaleidoscope – stepping and twirling together, bending and dipping at the other's behest.
"Tale as old as time!
Tune as old as song!
Bittersweet and strange!
Finding you can change,
Learning you were wrong!"
Marinette let herself go limp in Cat Noir's arms as he dipped her to the floor, one hand at her back, the other caressing her face. Then, as they both came up, he grinned excitedly and lifted her off her feet with only one arm. As he spun her around on the spot, Marinette found herself laughing and beaming at him. Even when he brought her back down, they continued to fly across the ballroom – a pair of shooting stars dancing together in the night sky.
It was the most magical, most wonderful moment of Marinette's life. And she wouldn't trade it for anything.
"Certain as the sun
Rising in the east!
Tale as old as time!
Song as old as rhyme!
Beauty and the beast!"
The music and the fairy lights softened, and the couple's movements slowed.
Then, Marinette did a most unexpected thing that surprised even her:
She closed her eyes and laid her head against Cat Noir's thrumming chest, smiling with a sigh.
She felt him pause for a second. Then, he rested his cheek in her hair and continued to sway with her to the music, purring with delight.
And Pollen's sweet soprano grew quiet as the night as she finished the last of her song:
"Tale as old as time…
Song as old as rhyme…
Beauty and the beast…"
They held each other closely for what felt like a long time. Marinette didn't mind if they stayed like this all night, all year, all eternity.
She was happy to be here with her closest confidant, her friend through danger and sorrow, her brave dark knight. Her Cat Noir.
When the other fairies saw Marinette nestle against Cat Noir, they squealed and cheered and high-fived each other with triumph.
And when Pollen finished singing, the glass doors leading to the grand balcony opened up to the nightly scenery. Only then did Marinette and Cat Noir stop dancing and pause to look. The boy said nothing, but he smiled and beckoned with a tilt to his head to the open threshold. Marinette nodded and walked with him out of the ballroom.
The seven fairies let out a big, romantic sigh in unison.
"Way to go, kid," Plagg praised with pride. "Way to go."
"At this rate, he'll be human again by midnight!" Trixx whispered excitedly. "Told you she was the one."
"I never had a doubt," Tikki said with a smile.
"Moi non plus," Duusu added.
"A queen just knows these things," Pollen stated, brushing her antennae to the side. "Only a fool would doubt anything."
Nooroo sighed again. "True love really does exist after all."
"Shhh… Quiet now, my friends," Wayzz advised. "Our work here is finished. Let's leave them be."
One by one, the fairies headed for the main entrance… until only Tikki and Plagg remained behind, silently watching Marinette and Cat Noir's figures shrink away.
Then, the black cat fairy cleared his throat and said, "So, uh, Sugarcube… You… want to grab some cookies to celebrate? Just… you and me? Me and you? Us? Two?"
Tikki giggled at him with a sly smile. "Real smooth, Stinkysock." She then flew over to the doorway.
Plagg pouted and stared down at the floor.
But then Tikki called him over, "Hey! You coming or what?"
Plagg beamed with a purr. Guess Nooroo was right, he thought as he hastened after his ladybug fairy.
