"Come on, it's not that hard!" Chat shouted from the ground. Marinette could practically hear his giddy inpatients and the aloof grin widening on his face.

"Hold on!" Marinette responded shortly, a bit embarrassed by her inability to do this simple task of jumping out of her bedroom window. Then again, it's not everyday people jump out of tall towers. Her red hair was clasped in her fingers, ready to be held onto for dear life. It had been a solid hour after Chat had readily agreed to her terms and her hands were still shaking from excitement.

"It's just a hop, skip, and a," Chat paused, thinking about his next few words, "actually take your time." Marinette rolled her eyes, sighing a bit. She knew it would take a while to get used to her newly knighted "Partner in Crime". He wasn't exactly her first choice. She would have chosen any protagonist from the hundreds of books she had read. Sadly those protagonists didn't exist and she was stuck with the only alley cat for miles. Her toes curled as air swam between them, then stretched out, greeting the rays of sunlight that were peaking out from beyond the ravine walls. The weight of her bag lighter than a pillow on her back.

There had been so many times where Marinette had dreamed of leaving her safe haven. She was always obedient and scared of what was waiting beyond the glistening walls and the constant dull roar of the waterfall. But now she lay silent, planning her next move. The fresh breeze that flitted past her nose more inviting than a good book. The fear of leaving her home more horrifying than any monster she could conjure up in her mind. If she did this, there would be no going back without punishment. If she didn't, who knows what could become of Adrien? He was the one familiar thing she could picture, the only person she "knew" from the world outside. He could be alone somewhere in those dark woods, cold and hungry. He could be captured by bad people. There was no telling what fate would be chosen for the only Agreste Heir. She had to do this. It was the only way Marinette could know for sure that Adrien would be safe.

Mustering up her courage, the petite girl looked around her room one last time. Nostalgia crept into her mind and lingered for a few moments. The times she would read a book as dawn drew its final golden breath before falling into a deep blue slumber. The mornings Papillion would bring her breakfast in bed, simply because he wanted to. The days she would dress Plagg up in a creation of her own, just to see what it would look like on something other than her or her mannequin. Tears pooled on the sides of her eyes, her sense of adventure starting to dry up against memories that blinded her. The feeling of something against her leg jolted her back into reality.

Quickly, Marinette looked down to find her little black cat leaning against her leg. It looked as he was almost complaining that they hadn't moved and were still waiting around for nothing. Mari smiled slightly, blinking back the tears and picking up her treasured friend. Gently, she placed him on her shoulders, taking fist fulls of her hair once again. She looked down at the ground to see Chat sitting patiently, watching her intently. What was stopping her? What was keeping her here? What was she being so hesitant for?

"What are you waiting for, Princess? Afraid you won't land on your feet?" His chipper taunts and grin set her at ease. Slowly, she lowered herself down using her hair as a pully system, gliding down to the earthen soil below. As she felt herself get closer to the ground, Marinette found her answer. It was as easy as her feet touching the squishy moss beneath her. It was as simple as her plan to search for Adrien while heading to the kingdom to see strange lights. Her answer was so tiny she couldn't even see it, only the vine exit that swayed gracefully.

Her conclusion to her questions was nothing.

A King wrestled with his thoughts, bound by grief. The loss of the only remembrance of his daughter seeping into his pores, sleep long forgotten. His light brown hair illuminated by the candles that adorned the inner castle walls. Shadows flickered as he walked past each one, dancing around the sombre ruler. How could his personal been so careless with the only and final treasure he kept? The King knew not to blame his guards, almost all of them would defend him with their lives. He always left out the guards with families out of that equation, due to instinct being a top priority for a father. Doesn't matter the person, a Father will always protect the mother and child before all else. He knew that more than anyone. Yet the doubts and worries persisted through his journey.

Eventually, he made it to the highest balcony in the castle, overlooking his beautiful kingdom. He had originally expected to be alone with his thoughts, but there the queen stood. Her arms draped in cloth to accommodate for the breezy air that came at dusk. She leaned on the railing, eyes closed as she felt the cool air fan her face. The king smiled sadly and silently joined her, wrapping his strong arms around her slowly. She held onto his arms and leaned her against his chest. He was her rock and she was his calm river. He gave her a place to be herself and express her doubts, and she gave him the ability to see peacefully, even in the darkest of times.

Ever since the disappearance of their only daughter, it had become common for them to bask in each other's presence before starting and ending a day. Neither of them had to say anything for the other to understand. What had happened days ago was behind them. Now they had to continue, taking each day with caution, but also with kindness. They stood there for a long while, letting the last few hours of the day die out before either one spoke a word.

"We will find her again, Tom. I'm sure of it." She voice was soft but had the clarity of a prophet. The King could only smile in response, holding her closer to keep her from getting cold. They would make it through this okay. They had too. An entire Kingdom rested on their sanity. Luckily, neither partner was going to let the other fall into a dark state of mind.

"It's a bit nippy tonight," King Tom pointed out, the queen humming in response.

"That it is. Fall is going to be coming early this year. The harvest may suffer without the right precautions."

Tom nodded, "We will start making plans first thing tomorrow morning. No time like the present to deal with future matters." He looked at his wife and slowly began to guide her away from the railing. "We should get some sleep, Sabine. After all, we may never know what tomorrow brings, but we can make sure to prepare-"

"with a good night's rest." Queen Sabine chuckled and allowed her husband to lead them both to their bedroom. "You say it so much I can never forget it. Sometimes you even say it in my dreams." With that, the two rulers began to get ready for a long, silent slumber.

A Tavern's lights were lit up, voices murmuring and music playing in a slow, jazz-like manner. Rumours were swapped from man to man, woman to woman. Chat Noir had stolen the crown of the Princess Dupain-Cheng. He had betrayed the Kutzburg brats and was either dead or in hiding. Not many people could blame him for running off. The amount of money that he would get for the crown could pay off the debt of Miraculous and so many other places of business. To them, he was a careless idiot, but he was an idiot who had the skills to put food in everyone's mouths for a year. They just needed him to return, and they would feast like kings.

It was a quiet night in the Agreste Mansion, only the click of heels disturbed the silence. A woman floated across the halls, reaching her destination swiftly and opening a large door. A click was heard and the door was opened into a room lit by candle-light. A man with pale blonde hair sat overlooking papers. A silver mask laid neatly beside them. Quietly, he looked up and grimaced.

"Nathalie, it's time we talked about the security on my property and the course of action we are taking with the kidnapping of my spawn." Nathalie grabbed a quill from the desk and a sheet of paper, waiting for directions.

"Absolutely, Sir." Gabriel stood from his chair, explaining his plans in detail and that he didn't care about the cost. Loud pacing and swift pen scratches echoed in the large office space. Soon, the head servant was dismissed, leaving a man to his thoughts. A twisted smile crept up his cheeks.

"Chat Noir will be on every wall of the kingdom," He cackled to himself.

"Wanted: Dead or Alive."

A/N: This is the end of an arc. I am so glad to get this done, it's been so long since I have written and I feel so awful for making everyone wait. I'm thinking of making the next Chapter a Chat Noir POV, but I am not too sure. I know It's a bit lame for me to end the chapter like this, considering everything else I've done in terms of cliffhangers. But I wanted the next chapter to have a lot more things attached to it and I couldn't just fill this chapter with adventure. A good story has omniscient beings.

I am also so very thankful for all the support this story is receiving. This is one of my most reviewed stories, but it is also my second to the last story on the list when it comes to word count.

Now, Answers to questions: My father is a... troubled man. He is prejudice and prides himself on being unbiased in everything. However, he is also known for his sexist, racist and lewd comments from time to time. I'd like to think he is just tired from working graveyard shifts at a prison for 16 years but after many years of the same song and dance, I've learned not to lie to myself that much.

I am a senior in high school starting in August. I am very excited to see what this year will throw at me. Last year it was a whole bunch of theatre productions that I worked backstage on, so I'm hoping it'll be like last year but better

I have finished moving into my house (mostly) and my Brother, Logan (whom I will call Logos) is a healthy, happy child.

The next chapter will be out shortly

Stay Tuned and Thanks for Reading!

~Pheonix