LXP: Happy New Year, everybody! Hooray for 2021!

Enjoy! :)


CHAPTER TWENTY-THREE:

ATTACK ON THE CASTLE

So, here it was: the last night.

Adrien stared gloomily into the glass cloche, leaning on the little table with both hands. His new black cloak – the one Marinette had made specially for him – hung heavily off his shoulders, just barely covering his dark-green tunic and black trousers.

Outside, the darkened sky began to open up, and drizzles of rain struck the windows of the glass balcony like the dull strokes of a drum. Tap, tap-tap, tap, tap-tap-tap…

Behind him, the seven fairies hovered and watched their friend in silence. Adrien could feel their tension coming off them like a soft chill. He couldn't blame them for being worried.

The enchanted rose had only one petal left, and its faint light was starting to fade. Soon, very soon, it would fall to the bottom. Then, Adrien would remain in his beastly form for all eternity… and the enchantress would return to claim what was hers.

Adrien tried to stay strong despite the emptiness in his heart. He had made his choice. Better that he should be the one to suffer. Not Marinette, who gave everything for her family. Not his sweet, brave lady, who had begun to fill the hollow cavity in Adrien's chest in the short time she had been here.

He would cling to the memory of that feeling, knowing it would be enough to persevere through the rest of his cursed life.

A small growl sounded behind him. "I knew it," Plagg muttered grumpily. "I always knew it was too good to be true."

"Je suis d'accord," Duusu sighed. "It was foolish to get our hopes up."

"Guys, that's a bit harsh," Tikki said. "It's not Marinette's fault."

Everyone winced, and Adrien almost smiled. "No, she's right," he said softly over his shoulder. "I brought this on myself from the very beginning. The only one to blame is me."

In a flash, all the fairies were right beside him, their faces etched with pity.

"No, Master," Nooroo said, nuzzling him in the arm. "You did everything you could. That's all that matters."

Trixx snorted and brushed her tail. "Maybe it would have been better if she'd never come at all," she stated, her tone both bitter and grief-stricken.

Pollen cooed and patted her fox friend on the back. "Aww… you miss her."

"I do not!" Trixx rubbed her snout forcefully. "It's just… dust allergies."

Wayzz smiled thoughtfully. "It's alright, Trixx," he said. "We all miss her." But his green-and-yellow eyes were on Adrien when he spoke.

The feline prince nodded absentmindedly, his own eyes staring back at the wilting rose. "She was… something else," he said, his heart pouring more meaning into those words.

Plagg flew over in front of Adrien. "Well, for what it's worth," he said, trying to sound casual, "She could bake a mean soufflé. I'm definitely gonna miss that."

Tikki sighed and turned to him, a snide comment on her lips… until her blue eyes went wide with surprise. "What's that?"

Everyone looked up to see something peculiar through the glass window of the balcony: a glowing, yellow dot appeared near the castle gates, flickering like a firefly in a swamp.

Adrien straightened. "Someone's at the gate," he said with a hint of alarm. Was it the enchantress?

Trixx gasped with delight and zoomed over to the window. "Is it her?" she asked, squishing her face. "Did she come back?"

"Could it be?" Wayzz gasped.

"Let me see!" Tikki almost knocked Pollen over as she flew to get a better look.

But as Adrien watched the scene outside unfold, that single light was quickly joined by several more. Even through the rainfall, they glowed brightly. And as the gates burst open, Adrien's sharp ears picked up angry shouts and war-like chants.

It wasn't the enchantress… and it definitely wasn't Marinette.

Duusu wiped the fogged-up glass and peered through. "Sacré bleu!" she cried out in horror. "C'est une foule en colère!"

"A fool… what now?" Plagg asked.

"Invaders!" Tikki translated with dread.

"Encroachers!" Wayzz growled.

"Aah! We're under attack!" Trixx shrieked.

"But what are they doing here?!" Pollen buzzed around anxiously. "Where did they come from?! What do they want?!"

Nooroo glanced at Adrien, his purple eyes pleading. "What should we do, Master?!"

The boy continued to watch the swarm of people pour in through the gates and march towards the castle.

At first, he wondered if he should just sit here and wait for them to come – let them get it over with. But then he realized this could not be a coincidence. An angry mob storming the castle on the last night of the curse? Adrien's green eyes narrowed ferally. This had the enchantress's hands all over it.

And if that was true… all the more reason he should draw her away, and keep his little friends out of her clutches.

"Wayzz," Adrien said, turning to the elderly fairy. "Secure the castle. Give them something else to think about."

The little turtle saluted proudly. "With pleasure, sire." He then addressed his fellow fairies. "Everyone – head for the entrance hall! Let's send these ne'er-do-wells scampering!"

Plagg grinned broadly, flashing his sharp fangs. "Finally! Some mayhem!" He pounded a fist into his paw.

"If it's a fight they want," Tikki declared bravely, "we'll be ready for them! Who's with me?"

"Yeah!" Trixx, Duusu, Plagg, and Nooroo bellowed.

Together, the fairies shot out of Adrien's room like a streak of rainbow lights… but Nooroo paused at the last second and turned back to his feline friend. "Aren't you coming, Master?" he asked.

Adrien shook his head. "I'll be fine, Nooroo. You guys got this. Now, go." His command was firm but not unkind.

The butterfly fairy blinked nervously, but then he nodded and flew away.

Alone, Adrien gazed once more at the mob advancing outside.

It was his name they were chanting; his death they were calling for. "Kill the beast! Kill the beast!"

Whatever the enchantress's game was, Adrien knew it mustn't lose himself, no matter what. No one else was going to get hurt because of him… save for one.

"Let her come," he said, his tone dripping low with a year and a half's worth of contempt. "I'll be waiting."


BOOM!

The first blow of the battering ram shook the twin doors so hard that they almost broke inward.

Moving fast, the fairies gathered as much furniture as they could and piled it up against the doors: tables, chairs, a couch, some lamps, the coat-hanger… even the piano. Wayzz used his green shield to hold it all in place, but the force of the mob was bearing into him hard.

All the while, their chants sounded in tandem with their ramming:

"Kill the beast!" BOOM! "Kill the beast!" BOOM!

Wayzz grunted, and the shield flickered like a candle about to be blown out. A few bits of furniture fell out of place.

Tikki flew to the turtle fairy's side, her brow scrunching with worry at the sight of their faltering barricade. "This isn't working," she said.

BOOM! The locking mechanism on the doors groaned in protest.

"I can't hold them off forever!" Wayzz complained. "We need a new plan!"

"But they're going to break through any minute!" Duusu cried from the top of the barricade. "How are we going to hold them off? We're just tiny little fairies!"

Plagg blinked at those words. "Of course!" He spun around and addressed the whole team. "Don't panic, everyone – I have an idea!"

"Oh, that's a perfect reason not to panic," Trixx said sardonically.

BOOM! This time, the entire barricade shifted.

Tikki eyed Plagg. "It's better than nothing. What's your idea?"

The black-cat fairy grinned mischievously. "They want the castle?" He rubbed his paws together. "We're gonna give it to them."

Pollen sighed. "We're doomed."


"Faster!" Theo bellowed at the men heaving the battering ram. "Harder!"

They obeyed and drove the hog's head harder against the doors.

Then, just like that… they opened.

The men fell forward into a crumpled heap, taking the heavy log with them. When they looked up, everyone else behind them instantly stopped chanting and went as silent as the grave.

The entrance hall was dark and empty. And quiet. Too quiet.

Theo squinted into the shadows. Then, he beckoned the group onward with a wave of his hand.

The light of their torches made a large ring of orange light that slithered along the walls and floors. Their hushed whispers and tapping footsteps echoed throughout the chamber.

"Where's the beast?" Headmaster Damocles asked, gripping his shovel tightly in his hands.

"This place seems… oddly familiar," muttered Mayor Bourgeois. Beside him, Chloe and her three friends huddled together, their mallets and frying pans held high above their heads.

"Quiet," hissed the fisherman's wife. "He may be watching us."

Little by little, they all filed into the hall, some browsing around the neatly-oriented furniture.

Theo spotted the grand staircase, and he pointed. "Let's head up," he whispered, keeping one hand on his torch and the other on the hilt of his sword.

"I can't see a bloody thing in here," the butcher grumbled in the dark. "Anyone fancy a light?"

"You want light?" a high-pitched voice shouted from above.

Before anyone could cry out, the fireplace and candles erupted with flame, and the room exploded with light.

"Madames and Monsieurs!" called a raspier, disembodied voice from somewhere in the room. "Welcome to tonight's entertainment! We promise you – it'll be a riot!"

At that moment, to the stupor of all, seven colourful flying… things emerged out of hiding, brandishing an assortment of household items in mid-air.

Theo's face went slack.

Then, the little black creature lifted a ladle above him like a sword and meowed, "ATTACK!"

Bedlam broke out in the hall, with plenty of screams and grunts to go around.

Chairs went flying and crashing into the crowd. Drape ropes unfurled by themselves and either tripped them or hoisted them up by their ankles. Something green and glowing – a shell? – went bouncing between people's heads, knocking them down like pins. Drawers surrounded by orange light bashed a few men right in the face. A yellow critter went shooting through people's wigs and hair with twin pairs of scissors, leaving them with an unwanted haircut. Flying purple buckets doused several women while live mops dueled others and whacked their weapons right out of their hands. Spoons, pots and other kitchen wares zoomed around the hall in a synchronized flock, bobbing anyone in their path.

Headmaster Damocles got a large pot dumped onto his head. Two officers went sliding and crashing into a wall due to a sudden sprout of water from a flying teapot. Mayor Bourgeois went tripping and rolled along a rug and into an open chest, which a black creature snapped shut right after. One woman dropped everything she had and ran away screaming, covered in globs of cake frosting.

All the while, Theo dodged and swerved out of the way, watching the chaos with bewilderment. He had been expecting a monstrous black-furred beast, not a bunch of tiny, rainbow pixies picking off his makeshift army like a flock of partridges during hunting season!

Knowing he had to get free, Theo bolted in the direction of the stairs, avoiding a stack of books shooting over his head.

Suddenly, a shadow fell over him, and Theo snapped around… only to come face-to-face with a walking piano!

It reared up like an aggravated stallion and began its descent right on top of the hunter.

That is, until somebody barreled into Theo and dragged him out of the way just in time. The piano came down, looked up confusedly, and then pranced away.

Theo sighed and turned to face his rescuer… and was met with a pair of dark-green eyes. "You…"

The female traveler smiled sweetly at him. "Please, call me Lila," she said before her brow furrowed. "Now, go! Before Cat Noir tries to escape!"

Right. The mission. Kill Cat Noir. Save Marinette. He remembered now.

Theo nodded with gratitude and sprinted up the stairs as fast as he could. Normally, he wasn't one to leave his comrades behind in a battle, but in this case, he was doing them all a favour. For he was heading for the most dangerous battle of all.


Lila watched the young hunter race to the second level, and her face twisted up with a malicious grin.

No one else noticed their conquering hero was leaving them, or that he had been saved by the mysterious brown-haired maiden. Lila had concealed them both with her magic, so the annoying little fairies wouldn't see him scampering off to slay their precious prince.

Now that the plan was in motion, Lila was determined to see it through to the end.

With a casual grace, the evil enchantress sauntered up the steps like a queen on her way to an execution.

And what an execution it would be.


"See anything?" Alya asked, trying not to tremble too much from the excessive weight on her shoulders.

Marinette stood on top of her friend and gripped the little bars of the narrow window.

Beyond, she could see the town square ahead from the ground up. It was almost completely deserted. Not far from the window, a bunch of boxes lay stacked beside a wagon. Obviously, whoever owned it decided to stop unloading it right before the whole madness with Theo began. And to top that off, each box was loosely sealed with large, thin nails.

"Yeah," Marinette answered with a grin. "Our ticket out of here."

She easily inched her arms through the bars and reached for a box, dragging it closer to her with the tips of her fingers.

"Hurry," Alya whispered. "I think I heard something upstairs."

"This isn't… as easy… as it looks," Marinette grunted.

She tipped the box on its side, allowing her easy access to the nails. Judging from the rumbling inside, Marinette guessed the contents were some kind of fruit. Apples or oranges, most like. Marinette gripped one of the loose nails and began rocking it back and forth as she pulled. Little by little, it started to come out.

A loud bang sounded through the door at the top of the stone stairs, followed the shouting of men.

"Marinette…" Alya warned.

"Working on it!" She tugged harder. "Almost… there!" She lifted the nail proudly in her hand before bringing it inside the cell.

Once her blue-haired friend was safely back on the ground, Alya politely held out her hand. "Allow me," she offered.

Marinette handed her the nail, and watched as Alya went over to the lock and began digging the little thing inside. "When did you learn how to pick a lock?" she asked curiously.

Her best friend continued working as she explained, "Remember when we were ten? That one summer we went on a picnic with Nino, I brought that box of expensive French chocolates for us to share."

"Yeah. You said they had been a birthday gift from your father."

"Well, in truth… it wasn't. They were Chloe's chocolates. I spotted a dozen or so boxes of them from the kitchen window of her manor. I figured she wouldn't miss one."

Marinette's exasperated expression melted into one of intrigue. "Alya Césaire, are you telling me that you broke into the Mayor's house and stole a box of chocolates from Chloe Bourgeois?"

Alya glanced back at her innocently. "I like to think of it as lightening the load," she said. "Besides, I'm already in jail."

The lock groaned loudly beneath her hand, and then… Click. The door creaked open.

"Yes!" Alya cheered silently through her teeth.

Marinette beamed and embraced her friend. "You're amazing, Alya," she said. "Come on!"

The two girls slipped silently out of the cell and up the stone stairs. As they drew nearer, the sounds coming from behind the door where clearer now: the sharp twang of musical strings, the snapping of wood, and the thump of a heavy body. Marinette and Alya exchanged a perplexed glance. Was there a fight going on?

Inching the wooden door open very carefully, the girls stuck their heads out… and were amazed at what they were seeing.

The two officers on duty lay groaning and rolling on the ground, one whining about his back, and the other clutching his head. Standing over them, holding one half of his broken lute in each hand and panting through his teeth like a dog in summer, was the whimsical Nino Lahiffe.

"Nino?!" Marinette blurted, while Alya said her boyfriend's name with more frivolous delight.

The musician looked up, stared at both girls for a moment… and frowned. Actually frowned at them. "Seriously?" he whined. "Here I was, charging into the prison singlehandedly and swooping in to the rescue… and you girls go ahead and break yourselves out?"

Alya went over to him and kissed him soundly on the mouth. "You should know by now, honey – I don't like waiting around. Even for dashing rescuers." She bopped Nino on the nose, and his frown rose up into a casual smile.

Marinette then gave her friend a grateful hug. "Thanks, Nino," she said, pulling away as her relief turned into seriousness. "I need to get back to the castle and help Adrien."

"Way ahead of you, Bluebell," Nino said, grinning all the way now. "I've already procured us a ride."

"Us?"

Alya nodded firmly, her amber eyes as hard as resin. "We're not letting you go out there alone, Marinette," she said. "Not this time. We're with you all the way."

Marinette found herself smiling at these two amazing people before her… and she nodded. "Alright. We'd better hurry."

They headed back outside and made their way to the town square.

Sure enough, Adrien's white stallion was waiting for them… with Sabine Cheng holding the reins out for her daughter. Tom Dupain stood by with a familiar, red cloak draped over his big arm.

Marinette allowed her father to fasten the cloak around her. She looked up into his eyes with a look of regret. "I never said goodbye to you last time. So, I'm going to say it now."

Tom's moustache curled up, and his eyes swelled with pride. "This isn't goodbye," he said, patting his daughter's shoulders. "The things we love always come back to us in the end." He embraced her tightly. "Be careful, ma cherie."

"I'll send for you both the moment it's over," Marinette promised, pulling away and taking the horse's reins from her mother.

She then climbed up onto the stallion's back. Alya shimmed on behind her, followed by Nino. The stallion snorted from the extra weight, but otherwise didn't complain.

Marinette was about to order it to ride off when she felt a hand clasp hers. She looked down to see her mother's fervent gaze.

"If this is the life you want," Sabine murmured, "then follow it. Fight for it. Never let it go."

Marinette nodded, finally understanding those words of wisdom for the first time. "I will," she stated, knowing full well what she wanted at long last.

Her parents gave their daughter and her friends a wide berth as they galloped off into the night with the wind at their backs and courage in their hearts.


"One! Two! Three! Four!" Trixx called out, throwing a bunch of tea saucers at the villagers around her. Each one hit its target square in the face or right between the shoulders. "Five! Six! Seven!" the fox fairy shouted with each attack.

Up above on the second level, Wayzz waved his hand triumphantly at his friend. "Good show, Trixx!" he called.

"Wayzz – here!"

The turtle fairy turned to see Nooroo flying over to him, magically dragging a table stacked with books.

"Ah, ammunition," Wayzz mused. He used his green magic to lift the books, and they orbited around him like planets. "Let's teach these upstart hooligans a lesson, shall we?"

Nooroo nodded, and picked up some books of his own.

Together, the two fairies sent the heavy volumes flying at the villagers, who immediately ran for cover.

Meanwhile, Tikki leapt onto the massive chandelier with a bunch of teapots. She whistled down to a group of men as they tried to head upstairs. "Up here, scurvy scum!"

They all looked up, only to get boiling-hot water poured right onto their hands and faces. The men shrieked and slipped on the steps as they hurried back down.


Not too far away, Duusu was dueling Chloe Bourgeois. The mayor's daughter kept trying to whack her with a broom, but Duusu would simply dodge and then dust her face with her tail feathers.

"Haha!" the peacock fairy taunted. "Someone needs a serious makeover!"

But Chloe, despite being disheveled and dusty, refused to back down. Finally, she lashed out with one hand and grabbed Duusu by the head.

"Zut!" Duusu cried out. "Help! Someone! Aidez!"

Trixx was closest, and she saw the scene right away. "Birdbrain!"

Chloe let out a nasal cackle and glared at the struggling Duusu in her hand. "Let's see how brave you are without your feathers!" she declared, dropping her broom and reaching up to pluck the poor little peacock.

Trixx's purple eyes became daggers. Abandoning her tea saucers, the fox fairy flew right up behind Chloe's head. Then, she took a deep deep breath, plugged her nose, and blew as hard as she could out of her ears.

The sound that came out was like the blaring trumpet of an angry elephant.

Chloe shrieked and threw her arms in the air, sending Duusu flying the process.

When the mayor's daughter turned around, Trixx sneered at her… and then blew her a kiss. But when she did, a plume of orange dust burst out of her tiny paw and right into Chloe's face.

Chloe coughed and spluttered. When the cloud cleared, the girl was alright… but now her sheen blonde hair had turned the hideous colour of yam, and it stuck out at the back of her head like a fuzzy feather duster. Chloe, oblivious to the spell, blinked confusedly.

Until Trixx summoned a tea saucer into her hands and held the shiny flat part up to the mayor's daughter. "Viola!" the fox fairy stated exaltedly.

Chloe gasped, her pupils dilating. Then, she let out a high-pitched scream of despair and ran straight for the doors of the castle, bawling "My hair! My beautiful hair!"

Trixx snickered. "Not so brave without your cheveux, are you?" she called after the fleeing human.

Suddenly, something pulled her into a suffocating hug. "Merci, m'amie," Duusu sighed. "That was truly extraordinaire!"

Trixx groaned in her friend's arms. "Gemmoff," she mumbled.


Pollen flew through the lower halls, screaming while a band of mobsters led by Headmaster Damocles pursued her with their weapons held high.

She ducked a bunch of thrown knives and axes and slipped into the closest room.

When the doors burst open and the humans filed in, only then did Pollen turn to face them.

"Hmph," she said with a regal air. "You peasants should've known better than to break into my castle."

Damocles laughed. "Oooh, this little insect thinks she can stop us," he mused. His companions chuckled, and the headmaster turned to the bee fairy with a sneer. "You and what army?"

Pollen expanded her arms. "The queen's army!" she stated.

Just then, electric bolts of yellow shot from the fairy's little hands and went skittering around… into several suits of armour standing behind her.

Damocles and the mobsters went pale-faced as the empty suits came to life and sprang to attention like devoted knights.

Pollen giggled musically. "Surrender now, and I'll let you leave with your dignity," she said. "And your hair."

In response, the suits of armour raised their swords and lances at the villagers, their sharp blades gleaming in the torchlight.

Damocles was the first to drop his weapon and run from the room. The others followed, screaming and yelling at each other to get out of the way.

Pollen front-flipped in the air with a cheer. Then, she stopped and turned to her "troops". The fight was not yet over. "Onward, my good knights – to victory!"

Together, the suits of armour marched in synchronization out of the room.


Theo scampered further and further up the stairs, his torch lighting the dark corridors.

So far, every room he had checked had been empty. No Cat Noir in sight. No shadows lurking around the corners.

"Where are you hiding?" Theo whispered under his breath.

He eventually made his way onto one of the outdoor bridges. He leaned against the battlements and peered around with his hawk-like gaze.

That's when he saw it: a faint red light coming from the top window of the looming tower before him.

Theo's expression hardened with determination, and he headed off in that direction.

Unbeknownst to the hunter, an invisible presence lurked in the shadows behind him… and sneered with a glowing gaze of malice.


Back downstairs, the battle was coming to an end.

Plagg created a trail of gunpowder along the floor of the entrance hall, and then summoned a tiny green fireball in his balls. "Watch your toes!" he warned before touching the end of the trail.

The gunpowder ignited like a green-and-white firework show. Pop! Fizz! Skitter! Skitter! Pop! It didn't do any serious harm, but it still sent the villagers dancing and hopping out of the way.

Together with Wayzz and Nooroo's army of books and Pollen's squadron of bodiless knights, the chaos was too much. It was now clear to the people of Villeneuve that they no longer stood a chance. There was only one thing left to do now.

"Run for it!" Mayor Bourgeois cried, hopping along while still wrapped up in a roll of carpet. "Every man for himself!"

The villagers hastened to obey. The women gathered up their skirts and ran shrieking out the open front doors, while the men shielded their heads and knocked each other down in a fit of terror.

"That's right! Get out!" Plagg shouted at the fleeing mobsters. "And stay out!"

The humans filed out like ants out of an anthill, until not a single one of them remained inside the castle.

"We did it!" Nooroo cried as he did a somersault. "The castle is saved!"

The fairies cheered, sending out miniature fireworks into the air around them. Duusu and Trixx did a little dance. Wayzz sighed with relief. Pollen brushed her antennae behind her proudly. Finally, Tikki gave Plagg a whopping kiss on both cheeks, and the black-cat fairy went all misty-eyed and sighed with a dreamy smile.


The villagers rushed down the stone steps and piled out along the long, cobblestone pathway. Most of them already began making their way towards the gate, calling for their friends to follow.

None of them bothered to acknowledge the white stallion coming into the castle yard, carrying it's three young riders with it.

Marinette, Alya and Nino gazed for a moment at the absconding crowd as they slowed down to a trot. Several people wordlessly moved out of their way, apparently too concerned for their own lives to worry about them.

"Looks like their attack wasn't much of a success," Nino noted with a grin.

Alya returned the expression. "Guess we've got nothing to worry about, Marinette," she said. "It's over. Your friends won!"

Marinette wasn't so sure. Everywhere she looked, she never once caught a glimpse of Theo. Or Lila. They must still be in the castle, she thought. She explained as much to her friends, and Alya's cockiness ebbed away.

Knowing there was no time to lose, Marinette dismounted.

"Follow me," she said over the shouts of the villagers. Then, she immediately began making her way through the crowd. She knew Alya and Nino were not far behind her, but she didn't wait for them.

Adrien was in danger, and Marinette had to reach him before it was too late.