LXP: Sorry for the long wait everyone. Like I've said many times, climatic battles aren't exactly my forte. But I did my best.
Now, time for the epic showdown!
Enjoy! :)
CHAPTER TWENTY-FIVE:
MAGIC AND MIGHT
That power, that rage…
Marinette felt it all swirl before her in a cosmic flurry of light and flames; stronger than anything she ever felt before.
Yet it all paled in comparison to the razor-sharp look Lila was giving her right now.
The enchantress glowed from all that power. Her skin was luminescent, and her eyes were nothing but two endless voids of orange, so bright they appeared almost white. But Marinette could feel the anger radiating from them – all of it directed at her.
Then, just like that, Lila reined in her power. Every inch of her magic retreated back into the amulet around her neck, which Marinette recalled seeing back at Town Hall. Could that be the source of her power? she wondered.
Lila's eyes returned to their normal green, but they never lost their furious luster.
Adrien's own eyes blazed like twin pits of green phosphorescent fire as he glared at the woman who had cursed him. "Get out," he growled in an otherworldly tone Marinette had never heard him use. "You have no power here."
Lila laughed, but it was a cold, mirthless laugh that made Marinette's insides turn frosty. "Oh, Adrien darling," she cooed bitterly, "haven't you realized it yet? I have all the power."
Her amulet glowed again, and Lila's fingertips ignited with orange light.
Adrien leaped forward, only to be sent flying back by a burst of magic that was so strong, it made the bridge crack.
Marinette's heart almost stopped. "No!" she cried.
She could only watch as Adrien rolled and appeared to go right over the ledge. But at the last second, he scraped his claws along the stone, leaving him hanging off by his arms. Marinette gasped with relief.
Lila huffed and blew on her fingers to cool them off. "Stay down, Kittycat," she spat heatedly. "Monster or not, you belong to me now. It's over!"
Theo rose from his spot on the ground like a phantom in the night. His face contorted with both horror and anger as he drew the dagger out of his boot. "Witch!" he shouted. "You tricked me!"
He threw the blade at Lila with such deadly accuracy, Marinette hardly saw the thing.
But the enchantress did.
Quick as a hummingbird, Lila caught the dagger by the hilt before it struck her, the tip a nail's width away from her callous heart. She sneered at the appalled hunter.
"Finally figured it out, did you?" she asked, her voice thick with disgust. "Well, I'm afraid it's too late, boy." She lowered the dagger and secured it on the belt of her dress – a simple gesture declaring that she now claimed it as her own. Marinette wondered why she would ever need it, given all that magic at her disposal. Perhaps Lila was only doing it out of sheer spite.
Marinette glanced over the enchantress's shoulder to see Adrien trying desperately to heave himself back onto the platform. His metal staff lay out of reach.
"Your usefulness has reached its end," Lila told Theo, who was now taking the hint and backing away. She stalked towards him, her shoulders folding back as though she was getting ready to cast another one of her ominous spells.
Marinette's courage returned at that gesture, and she stepped further onto the bridge. "Stop!" she shouted.
Across the gap, Adrien's pupils dilated as his eyes fell upon his lady.
Then, like a ballerina on a music box, Lila slowly pivoted around to face the blunette. This time, fiery sparks danced around her like embers from a snapping fire pit.
"And you…" Lila snarled with damnation before her voice rose up an octave. "You've ruined everything!" Her amulet whirled to life again, and her fingers crackled with flame.
Suddenly, Marinette realized she had nothing to defend herself with. No weapons, no magic. She was just one ordinary girl against a mad witch. The odds were not in her favour. She backed away, almost stumbling over the rail-less edge.
"Marinette!"
At the sound of that desperate cry, Marinette stopped and snapped around to see Alya and Nino appearing at the threshold behind her. Their faces were flushed and their eyes were wide with terror.
"Get back!" Marinette shouted, swiping her hand at them in a frantic gesture.
Suddenly, a fireball struck the top of the open threshold, causing chunks of stone to come crumbling down. Nino barely managed to yank Alya away as the debris fell before them and collapsed the end of the bridge. Marinette gasped as she was separated from her friends by a several-foot-long gap. She was trapped!
Turning back around, she almost reeled at Lila's menacing form prowling towards the blunette, her sneer cold and lethal.
One second, Adrien hung over the ledge by his arms, watching with lung-sucking horror as Lila advanced on Marinette – deliberately slow, like she wanted to savour the moment.
The next second, Adrien's heartrate pulsed like a hammer in his throat. His mind sharpened like a sword on a whetstone. His lungs returned to normal, each breath fueling the forge of valor inside him. That cold, hollow pit that had warmed at the sight of Marinette now ignited like a pine forest engulfed in flames.
His lady was back… and she was in danger.
That was the only truth that existed to him now.
Moving faster than he ever had before, Adrien rose up onto his hands and feet. Then, he kicked his staff up into the air and caught it in one hand. His instincts were on the rise again – not to fight, but to protect.
Theo was staring at him, but he made no move to strike or flee.
Then, pinning the end of his staff into the stone, Adrien vaulted into the air with a loud snarl that made Lila gasp and stagger away from Marinette.
Adrien landed between them in a low crouch, facing the enchantress. Then, he glared up at her with a fierce, glowing gaze. He held his staff behind him, shielding his lady, while his free hand lay flat on the bridge. His claws scraped loudly against the wet rock.
A black panther waiting to pounce. A prince facing off against a fire-breathing dragon.
Adrien could hear Marinette's relieved breathing behind him, but she made no move to run. Even when her life was on the line, she chose to stay with him. It made Adrien's heart roar, pulsing more strength into his veins.
Then, he spoke with a voice as hard as the claws sharpening on the stone. "Don't. You dare. Touch my lady."
Lila stared at Adrien as though she was looking at him for the very first time: appalled, confused and agitated. Her magic seemed to flicker and tremble at the sight of this beast.
Then, with a roar that clapped through the air like thunder, Adrien pounced.
Marinette gasped as Adrien's dark form collided with Lila, and they both went sailing over the edge.
She ran over, ignoring a flabbergasted Theo, and looked down to see the two forms rolling down a slanted rooftop onto a lower bridge.
Adrien easily flipped back onto his feet and swung at Lila with his staff. Orange light shot out like a ribbon of fire, briefly igniting the dark scene before blasting a hole in the castle wall. With each burst of magic, Marinette could see that Lila wasn't trying to attack Adrien – she was fending him off and making her escape. She was fleeing for her life!
But Cat Noir knew every inch of this castle; every parapet, every tower and every shingle. He moved like a wraith, darting over gargoyles and climbing up along the rooves as he pursued the evil enchantress. He dodged every attack and came back with a swipe of his claws or a swing of his staff.
They moved further up along the castle like dancers in a furious routine. All the while, the castle crumbled in their wake. Stone cracked and toppled like giant hailstones into the abyss below. Clouds of dust fell like snow.
Marinette turned back to the gap, across which stood Alya and Nino.
She knew what she had to do. "Get ready!" she called over to them through the wind and rain. "I'm coming over!"
She undid her soaking cloak, letting it slide off her shoulders and pool at her feet. Then, she took several steps back.
Alya shook her head, her face the picture of shock. "No, don't! It's too far!"
Clenching her fists, Marinette burst into a sprint, ran up to the broken end of the bridge… and jumped.
Her outstretched hands missed the other end by inches, but Nino's strong hands reached out and grabbed onto her like twin clamps. Marinette braced her feet against the castle wall, preventing herself from crashing into it as she came to a stop.
Nino sucked in a breath and pulled his friend up. Alya wasted no time in helping him.
Once Marinette was safe and standing back on her feet, the musician stared at her incredulously. "You're crazy!" he rasped, though the corner of his mouth curled up.
"She's in love, she can't help it," Alya stated, eyeing her best friend with a look of swelling pride.
Marinette forced her frantic heartrate to steady itself before glancing between both her friends. "Go find the fairies," she said in a friendly command. "Tell them what's happening. I have to go help Adrien."
Nino's brow knitted together. "But what about –?"
"There's no time to argue, Nino. Literally. Just do it!" Marinette gave him a firm look before nodding with assurance. Then, she broke away from the pair and sped down the exposed hallway.
"Go get him, girl!" Alya called after her.
Marinette grinned, in spite of herself.
Adrien blocked an incoming fireball with his staff, causing it to explode in front of him in a burst of embers. He didn't so much as blink.
Lila crawled backwards up the coned rooftop of the tower, struggling to put as much distance between her and the raging cat creature in front of her. Her eyes still glowed like twin suns, but the features on her face had twisted into a hideous expression of rage and disbelief. Rain trickled down her brow, and Adrien imagined it as sweat.
As much as it pleased him watching the woman who had taken everything from him cower in fear, it wasn't anger or revenge that was giving Adrien the strength to fight. Earlier, he had attacked Theo with wild ferocity; pure, blurred instinct. Now, his will was like an arrow – focused and sharp, striking true. His attacks were tactical and more controlled, and he relied on his agility as well as his strength.
The beast within him had finally been tamed.
And Lila knew it.
She gripped his staff in both hands as he advanced on her, but then her foot slipped on the wet shingle of the slanted tower. Lila cried out as she went sliding down before coming to a stop on the flat, narrow edge. She looked up, her exasperated dread quickly fading as she stood up.
Adrien leapt down in front of her, twirling his staff in one hand. He made no move towards her this time, but the steely look in his green eyes made the enchantress cringe back.
Lila huffed through her teeth. Then, she created a web of sizzling yellow light between her hands like a cat's cradle. "You could've been so much more!" she shouted with dripping venom. "I could've given you everything! Power, respect… the world!"
Adrien said nothing. He just shook his head with pity, his golden hair slapping back and forth along his forehead. And I would've become something worse than who I already was, he thought.
Lila had called him a monster, but she was the true beast all along – preying on the innocent, toying with people's fears, and all for a throne that was never hers to take. Adrien had seen her true self from the get-go, and now she was seeing him for who he really was: a prince fighting for the people he loved.
The young witch snorted distastefully. "Instead, you chose a filthy peasant." She sneered with a small laugh. "But it doesn't matter. Once the last petal falls, you'll still be mine, Adrien. This castle, the crown… all of it will be mine!"
Adrien bared his teeth and pointed at his opponent with his staff. "Like I said before," he declared in a princely tone. "You talk too much."
Lila huffed… and she shot out a searing burst of magic from her palms.
Adrien blocked it with his staff, only to cry out and drop the thing when it instantly blazed like a red-hot poker. It fell, red and steaming, into the hundred-foot drop.
Lila cackled loudly, like a crazy old hag. Then, she swiped at her opponent with a blade of sizzling white light.
Adrien dodged each time, backing away with shock.
All the while, he caught sight of the glowing amulet bouncing against Lila's chest. It made him wonder. Why would a powerful sorceress who dressed so simply need to wear such a heavy, prominent jewel?
Adrien's foot stepped onto open air, and he nearly lost his balance. Luckily, he inched back onto the narrow roof before facing the evil enchantress once more, unarmed but no less determined to win.
Lila gave him a smug smile. "It's over, my darling beast," she purred. "For you… and soon, for your precious little ladybug!"
Her hands – and her amulet – glowed again, sparks flying and snapping with more ferocity than before.
At the same time, Adrien's eyes glowed and narrowed with the sharpness of cold, hard emeralds.
Then, with a suave grin… he stepped backwards.
He saw Lila's triumphant sneer melt into wide-eyed bewilderment before he emerged into open air. Adrien quickly spread out his arms and legs as he fell several feet down.
Luckily, a few gargoyles were sticking out of the tower on the level below him, each one gushing rainwater from its mouth. With acrobatic prowess, Adrien grabbed onto the head of one and used it to swing and flip himself over onto another. His injured shoulder groaned in protest, making him wince.
"Adrien!"
At the sound of that voice, Adrien looked over at a nearby battlement.
Marinette peered at him between two parapets, gasping for breath but otherwise relieved to see him.
"Milady!" Adrien cried. "Get out of here!"
A harsh laugh interrupted them, and Adrien flipped out of the way just as a bolt of lightning struck the gargoyle he was standing on. He leapt onto another before crawling on all fours onto the castle wall, using an exposed window ledge to shield him from Lila's line of sight.
"Here, kitty-kitty-kitty!" the witch sang in a childish voice that made Adrien's fur stand on end. "I'm gonna find you!"
Marinette leaned over the battlement and shouted, "Adrien! Go for her amulet!"
Adrien steadied himself before glancing over at his lady curiously. "I never thought you were the jewelry type!" he called back.
"No! It's the source of her magic!"
"Shut up!" Lila's voice cracked through the air, and a whip of light streaked out and struck the battlements. "Annoying little pest!"
Marinette ducked out of the way with a scream, but she appeared in another parapet, safe and sound. For now.
Adrien took this opportunity to peek around at Lila, who was slowly spelunking her way along the castle with help from a magical whip. Her amulet radiated with its own light.
Now that Adrien thought about it, the jewel always seemed to glow brighter every time Lila cast one of her deadly spells. His eyebrows shot up with intrigue. "Heh… That makes a whole lot more sense," he commented.
He finally had a plan.
With the nimbleness of a true cat, Adrien crawled up the tower. Towards the west wing.
And this time, he made sure Lila saw him.
"Ah! There you are," the enchantress cooed, right before she sent an explosive blast that took out a huge chunk of the wall beside Adrien.
He ignored it and kept climbing, pretending to look frightened and hurt from all the blows he had suffered from her power. Lila followed in hot pursuit, grinning devilishly as she taunted her prey with her attacks.
Perhaps if Lila had been paying more attention to him in the past, she would have remembered that Adrien had faced off against an entire pack of wolves without so much as flinching. She would have remembered that he had suffered a more-serious shoulder wound… and still managed to stand and fight.
In this case, the enchantress was just another wolf.
And it was time to show her who had the best claws.
Adrien reached the balcony of his bedchamber, which was still littered with broken glass from the window Theo had pushed him through. He glanced down at Lila, making sure she saw him go over the railing before vanishing.
And when Lila finally heaved herself onto the balcony with her enchanted whip and rose up into a fighting stance, she was surprised to see that Adrien was gone.
Lila panted heavily, squinting through the rain and shadows, twitching whenever the exposed window curtains bent and curled in the wind.
Ahead of her, in the broken threshold, the enchanted rose continued to burn, as though it was fighting to hold onto its remaining petal of life. The sight of it only agitated Lila even more.
She growled through her teeth. "Show yourself!" she shouted angrily.
A mischievous voice purred into her ear from behind. "If you insist."
The jolt of shock on Lila's face was priceless.
For in her rampaging fit, she had forgotten another very important detail: all cats were exceptionally good climbers. They could slip along any ledge or railing without being noticed.
Cat Noir was no different.
The enchantress spun around ungracefully, flailing her arms in an attempt to zap her opponent with her magic. Instead, her shot struck the railing, blowing out several tiny pillars and leaving large cracks around the hole.
Adrien, meanwhile, danced effortlessly out of her way and swiped at her exposed chest with his claws.
Or, more specifically, the amulet that hung against it.
There was a harsh cracking sound, followed by a burst of hot wind.
Then, time seemed to slow down.
The citrine crystal in the amulet cracked in several places, the veins growing larger as they spread out. And as Adrien finished his attack and swerved away, the jewel broke apart like a bubble bursting.
"NOOO!"
Lila's blood-curdling scream broke the silence, and time returned to its natural pace.
The wind receded, and Lila stood breathlessly still while the remains of her amulet fell like little glass needles at her feet.
Adrien remained crouched where he was, ready to move again if need be.
But there was no need.
Lila fell to her knees, her dress crumpling up around her as she let out a mournful keen that rose higher as it dragged on. Her long, brown hair – now soaked and disheveled – fell past her face like a waterfall.
Then, the brown strands began to turn grey.
Adrien inhaled softly, his green eyes widening at what he was seeing.
Within seconds, the enchantress's hair changed from smooth brown to streaky grey. At the same time, as Lila buried her face in her hands, her fingers became jagged and wrinkled. The skin tightened to the bones, and her fingernails grew long and yellow.
"No… no… nooo…" Lila moaned pitifully.
Then, lightning-fast, she snapped her head towards Adrien.
It was an effort for him not to cringe.
Every inch of youth and beauty on Lila's face was gone, replaced with the features of a cruel, shriveled old woman. Her jaw now stuck out farther, her cheeks were saggy, and her nose was crinkled and curved like a bird's talon. Her eyes lost their fiery luster and became nothing but dull green orbs, like summer leaves fading under a scorching sun. But that gaze remained wild and vicious, revealing the monster within.
Adrien couldn't help but pity her.
This was who Lila was all along: a wicked soul with a wicked body to match. A witch who concealed her true form with beauty and sorcery. But now, she had nothing left to hide behind. Nothing to shield the eyes of the world from her true self.
Adrien continued to stare down at her, his black cloak and tail billowing in the wind.
Finally, Lila's anger ebbed away, and she reached out a crooked, shaking hand towards him. "My power… can never be broken!" she claimed, her voice thick with desperation. "You… will never… be free!"
Adrien shook his head again. Curse or no curse, he had broken free of his chains. He had broken free of her. "Leave," he said, the word soft and low. "Leave this kingdom, and never return."
Lila gaped up at him, shuddering through exposed gums as though struggling to say something.
Just then, Adrien's keen ears picked up light footsteps coming towards him.
Then…
"Adrien."
No word had ever sounded so sweet to his ears.
He turned towards the inner chamber… and smiled.
Marinette emerged from the threshold, her relieved face shifting into one of glowing joy. Her cloak was gone, but she looked no less beautiful. If anything, she looked like an angel, untouched and untarnished by the darkness of the fading storm.
Marinette let out something like a small laugh, and then… she rushed towards her Cat Noir.
At the same tine, Adrien bounded over to his lady, his calm façade changing into sincere passion as he opened out his arms and let Marinette fall right into them.
They were a perfect fit.
Marinette sighed as she held him close, regardless of how cold and wet he was. Her fingers curled into his golden hair, and Adrien purred at the gesture. Her hot breath kissed his exposed neck, and he savored every wisp of it like the rays of the sun.
Then, she said, "Kitty…"
Adrien's mind broke, his control shattered, and he shuddered against Marinette as tears escaped his eyes. He caressed the back of her hair and smiled. "Milady," he whispered.
She pulled away reluctantly, but her smile was to die for.
Adrien stroked her cheek with his furry knuckles, his green eyes alit with awe. "You came back," he said.
Marinette opened her mouth, as though to say something. Instead, she closed her eyes and sighed against his touch, pressing her own hand against his. She never stopped smiling.
That was the last joyful thing Adrien saw… before he felt the blade.
Just when Marinette thought she could stay in this moment forever, the moment was shattered.
In the breath of a second, she felt Adrien stiffen, and when she opened her eyes, Adrien let out a roar of immense agony to the high heavens.
Marinette gasped.
That's when she saw the dark figure behind Adrien.
And the silvery gleam of a familiar dagger coated in blood.
And Lila's haggard face twisted into a wicked sneer.
Adrien gasped and fell to his knees. His face contorted in pain and his eyes squeezed shut as he clutched the bleeding wound in his side.
"No!" Marinette cried, immediately catching him in her arms before he fell over. "NO!"
At the same time, Lila let out a maniacal laugh.
For once, Marinette was dumbfounded and afraid. She didn't know what to do. All she knew was that her Adrien – her beloved dark prince – had been stabbed, and his attacker now stood over him like the Grim Reaper.
"I guess beauty isn't found within!" Lila cackled insidiously.
Marinette tried to shift around the groaning Adrien, keeping her arms locked around him so as to protect him. "Leave him alone!" she shouted furiously.
Adrien winced and tried to hold her back. "M… Mila–" he tried to say, only to gasp for breath and bend over.
Marinette glanced feverishly between him and Lila, once again unsure what to do.
The fairies! She had to find the fairies!
But the look in Lila's eyes told her that the enchantress had no intention of letting either of them leave this balcony alive.
Lila lifted Theo's dagger high above her head this time, her face the picture of triumph.
But before Marinette could do anything to save Adrien, someone else beat her to it.
A firm hand snatched Lila's wrist and yanked it away, causing the enchantress to drop the dagger. As it clattered to the ground, Lila cried out and struggled as she gazed into the heated eyes of her newest opponent.
Marinette felt all the breath rush out of her at the sight of him.
"What are you doing?!" Lila shrieked.
The face of Theo Barbot darkened as he stared coldly at the witch. "What you told me to do," he said, his tone bordering on casual. "Saving Marinette from a monster."
Lila's pupils became pinpricks… and she started thrashing like a wildcat.
Theo struggled to control her as they wrestled, and their fight took them all the way to the railing. Though he was young and strong compared to Lila's newfound frailty, the enchantress fought dirtier. She clawed and bit at him everywhere she could, until she finally managed to squirm out of the hunter's embrace.
However, both of them failed to notice they were now standing upon the broken end of the balcony… which began to crack even more from the extra weight added to it. By the time they did, it was too late.
Lila's eyes went wide and she gripped her amulet… but then remembered that all her magic was gone.
The cracking stone sounded through the air like the ticking of a clock.
Then, the stones beneath Theo's and Lila's feet gave away.
Horror filled Marinette's lungs, and she reached out towards a bewildered Theo just as he started to fall back.
Lila flailed her arms like a bird trying to take flight, her long sleeves getting her way.
Then, like a shadow from a dream, Adrien was there.
Marinette didn't see him move until he was right at the balcony's edge.
With his last bit of strength, the cat creature reached over and grasped Theo's hand in his before yanking the hunter back onto the platform, all while breathing painfully through his gritted teeth.
In the corner of her eye, Marinette saw Lila's withered mouth open up big and wide right before she vanished over the edge.
The enchantress's high-pitched scream rang through the air before fading down, down, down into the darkness below.
Then, all was quiet.
