As Chat Noir was making his way down one of the many dimly lit hallways of the palace, he was confronted by a guard, but the Demon wasn't trying to stop him, but instead had a letter. More accurately a small piece of folded paper.

"Your Majesty, this is for you. A visiter told me to give it to you right away." The guard explained and Chat stared at the paper before hesitantly taking it, the small smirk that crossed the guard's face unnatural and almost suspicious. Chat ignored the guard's weird expression and opened the note.

Meet me in the library. - L.

Chat stared at the note a moment longer, trying to figure out if this was some sort of trick. He had an army to lead and some mysterious visiter was handing out notes? Who was L? Out of all the questions that flooded his head, only one made it out.

"We have a library?"

The guard couldn't help but smile, an obvious struggle to keep it hidden. Chat placed the note in his coat pocket and returned his attention to the smirking Demon.

"Do you know who gave you this note? What did they look like?" Chat asked and the guard cleared his throat, straightening out as his expression returned to its normal sombre state.

"It was a woman, Your Majesty. I didn't see her face, she was wearing a hood." The guard replied and Chat let out a sigh, irritation lacing his features.

"She didn't give you her name? What, did she just walk through the front doors and no one stopped her? For godsake, we're suppose to be on lockdown!" He exclaimed as he passed by the guard, his withered wings flaring open. He was determined to find out who L was, and his curiosity only grew when he heard it was a woman.

Was it Marinette? No, impossible, there was no way she would walk right in and speak to a Demon guard. Which meant it had to be another Demon.

L...

Why couldn't he piece it together? Why couldn't he remember?

L...

It was practically clawing at his brain, but everyone he had met before the exorcism was faded, a technique his Demon-self tried to use to make it easier to erase all traces of emotions like love. Now it was backfiring on him. The only thing he could think about lately was Marinette which only made him even more infuriated.

Who else did he—

He stopped dead in his tracks, realization dawning on him like cold water. Of course. It was the girl he met in the village, the Demon who had acted nice towards him.

Lila Rossi.

He smiled as he continued on, fixing the cuffs of his sleeves as he walked towards the East Wing, the hall just outside the sleeping chambers. He was almost certain he remembered a library being there, recalling how it was closed off for a long period of time after... the accident.

He didn't pass another Demon as he made his way through the palace, the entire East Wing completely silent. All the guards were either at the gates or out in the forest setting up the ambush. He wondered if Lila knew this.

He felt his wings tremble, a chill running up his spine.

When he reached the grand library oak doors, he pushed them open with one hand and in the other, summoned a small ball of green flames. The inside of the library was dark, even darker than the hallways that were only lit by small charcoal lanterns, the violet flames casting a sinister glow across the room. He took a step inside the room and the door behind him slammed shut, his wings snapping open with alert. In that moment, the flame in his hand went out and his icy blue eyes glanced behind him at the door, feeling his nerves rise. He found it hard to believe that Lila had perhaps set him up and any moment now he was about to be assassinated. That is, if it was truly Lila.

His cat ears twitched as a noise to his side caught his attention and he whipped around, pining whoever was in here with him to the wall. He heard them grunt and a second later his night vision finally set in, his blue eyes luminescent as he took in who was in front of him. A breath of relief escaped him.

"Didn't mean to scare you, Your Majesty." Lila said quietly, a smirk on her orange lips. Chat let her go and took a step back, running a hand through his hair and brushing past the cat ears protruding from his head. A sense of familiarity rushed through him that nearly made him hiss. It was his Angelic side talking.

"You wanted to speak with me Lila?" Chat asked, cutting to the chase. She crossed her arms, leaning back against the wall as she looked him up and down.

"Yes... I have a proposal for you. By the way, did I ever tell you that black is totally your colour? You look... really good." She pointed out, smiling as she met his gaze, at this point realizing what was different about him. His eyes. He noticed how her wings behind her twitched suddenly but ignored it.

"A proposal?" He repeated, trying to get her focused. She snapped out of it and nodded with a smile.

"After you won Pro Coronam and became King, people have been talking about you. They say you're unlike any other. But of course, there are still people how remember how you used to be and they're calling you a coward for merely outsmarting your opponents instead of just killing them all." She explained and Chat placed his hands on his hips, trying to figure out what she could possibly have to say besides his own people hate him. He wouldn't be surprised.

"Okay... so?"

"They think you rigged the system or something. They think your father had something to do with you winning."

She wasn't wrong, Gabriel technically did.

"What's your point?" Chat asked and Lila stared at him for a moment, trying to read his expression in the darkness. She pursed her lips, her gaze dodging his own suddenly. Her shoulders tensed and even her wings seemed uptight. Something was obviously on her mind that she wanted to say.

Chat tilted his head slightly, his expression a facade of softness. "Lila?"

She met his gaze and let out a breath, shaking her head slightly as if brushing an idea away. "Anyways, my point is I think I might have a way to make you look more powerful."

Chat's ears perked up, blinking as he processed her words. "Really?" He finally said after a moment, "How?"

She paused, clasping her hands together tightly and glancing off to the side shyly. Then she took in a deep breath and met his gaze.

"Let me become Queen... your wife."

Marinette stayed silent the entire time the group made their way into the forest on horseback, the sound of twigs snapping under the weight of their Pegasi and Pookas, hooves clopping in rhythm. The forest was silent even as they got closer to the Demon border, there was no sign of any attack. The overcast sky created a dark atmosphere around them, only adding to their chills. When the archers finally caught up with the front lines, the archangel from before seemed stressed, silent as he thought of a plan. No one expected to be met with silence.

It was the worst kind of horror.

"Archers, set up in the trees and survey the ground from the skies. I got a bad feeling about this..." The archangel instructed and immediately they all went to work, using their wings to climb up without difficulty, others taking to the sky to get a Birdseye view. Marinette watched them, distracted by how easy they made it look. They seemed so relax, their feathers not even bristled or puffed up like her own. Was she the only one scared out of her mind?

"Healers," The archangel spoke and Marinette's attention was brought back to him, "You should all stay a safe distance back, we don't want any of you to get caught in a crossfire when it breaks out."

Marinette nearly sighed in relief, her gaze switching over to Alya beside her who had a face full of determination. Or perhaps that was just to hide the fear. As they were turning around to head back, Tikki subtly began to bring them off to the side, Plagg following her lead. Marinette's plan was underway. They were flanking off to the side to go around the battlefield, hoping to end up at the Demon gates without being spotted. They waited behind a few trees and bushes until they were sure none of the healers would notice their disappearance before heading off.

They followed the stream, a trail Marinette had used only a few times alone. The water was so peaceful and clear, a soothing sound as it flowed downhill, almost as if it was the calm before the storm. She was intending to take secret pathways that only she knew about, paths that she had found with Adrien when he was still around. At the thought, her gaze fell downcast, a sense of longing washing over her.

"Hey," Alya suddenly spoke up and Marinette's gaze snapped over to her, staring at her expectantly. The brunette glanced off to the side for a moment, gathering her thoughts. "If this... doesn't work out—"

"Don't say that. It will, I'm sure of it. Just... have a little faith in me." She interrupted, not wanting to think of what might happen if her plan fails. She was putting not only her life in danger but Alya's, Tikki's and Plagg's. And who knows who else's, even Adrien could be effected if this didn't work. She needed to believe this would work.

It had to work.

"I do have faith in you girl, it's just... Well... what if we're too late? Y'know, to save Adrien." Alya asked, and Marinette furrowed her eyebrows, a look of hopelessness flashing across her features for a moment before she shook her head.

"N-No, we're not too late. R-right Plagg?" She asked, her tone sounding desperate as she glanced over at the Pooka carrying Alya. His green eyes stayed glued to the ground below him, a small sigh escaping him.

"I hope so. He's a good kid but... everyone breaks sometimes." He answered, not meeting her gaze.

Marinette raised an eyebrow, "What do you mean?"

Before he could answer, the distant sound of a scream was heard and Marinette's wings tensed up under the cloak, her feathers even more bristled than before. Before long, more cries were heard.

"Do you think... that's our troops?" Alya asked, her voice quivering as she glanced around nervously. Marinette could only stare wide-eyed in the direction of the screams, her heart racing and her mouth suddenly dry. Without a word, both Tikki and Plagg picked up their pace, running side-by-side as they fled the area.

Marinette held onto Tikki and buried her face in her mane, closing her eyes tightly. She didn't want to think about the Angels on the front line or what was happening to them. She didn't want to think of the archers who were desperately trying to keep the Demons back as they advanced. She didn't want to think of the horror and bloodbath that would be left of them.

She heard Alya exclaim, "The Demons! They're flanking!" Marinette glanced up just as Tikki and Plagg came to an abrupt stop and brought the Angels over to a small hole-like cave on the side of some elevated ground, hidden by a single fallen tree. Alya dismounted first and quickly took cover in the hole, Plagg shifting into a smaller form to fit inside.

"Marinette! You need to hide!" Alya shouted in a hushed-whisper. Marinette wasn't processing anything that was happening, why did she need to hide? Where were the Demons? As she glanced around, she got her answer. They practically surrounded them, the only reason why none of them had noticed the four of them yet was because of their dark apparence. Marinette nearly jumped off the saddle and ducked to take cover, her heart pounding against her ribs. Tikki joined them in the hole and they fell silent, listening as the Demons raced off to the Angel front lines.

They were ambushed, the Angels didn't stand a chance against an attack such as this one. Did that mean the Demons won? Marinette didn't know anymore. Her thoughts were racing, close to hyperventilating as she tried to come up with a new strategy. They could still make it to the gates, they just had to wait until the Demons were far enough.

After what seemed like hours, the forest fell silent again, a chill running up Marinette's spine as uneasiness settled in the pit of her stomach. She began to crawl out of the hole, glancing around to check if anyone was nearby.

She felt Alya grab her wrist and she snapped her gaze over to her friend. "Marinette," Alya started, her voice quiet and her eyes wide with fear. "You shouldn't go out there."

Marinette swallowed thickly, "I know, but I need to check to make sure we can keep going."

"All of this for a Demon? Don't you see this is crazy? You're gonna get killed!" She whispered, tightening her grip on Marinette's wrist.

"I can't stand by and do nothing Alya, he means the world to me and I don't care what I have to do to save him, I'm doing this!" Marinette replied, pulling her wrist free as she finally crawled out of the hole. Perhaps Alya was right, her plan was crazy, yes, but she was too stubborn to be stopped.

Marinette got to her feet, staying crouched so she wasn't so obvious standing there and scanned the area. As far as she could tell, she didn't see any Demons, which meant they were all at the front lines. She just hoped she was right about that.

She took off running, certain that she couldn't be that far from the Demon Kingdom at this point. Just a bit longer and she'd be—

She felt a hand grab her wrist and in a matter of seconds, she was pinned to the ground. She gasped, feeling the air being knocked out of her and twisted her body around so she was facing her attacker, her hood falling down in the process. Her blood ran cold.

It was a Demon. One with icy blue eyes framed by a black mask, most of his head covered by a hood and a dagger being held inches away from her neck. His wings were spread out wide behind him, or what was left of them. They were ebony black and withering like dying branches.

Instinctively, Marinette reached into the bag tied around her waist and slammed the orb against the ground, setting off a flash-bang that temporarily blinded the Demon, enough that his grip on her completely broke off and she was able to kick herself free, getting up quickly and running as fast as her legs could carry her. She heard the blue-eyed Demon curse behind her and instead of going straight forward, she hid behind a tree, her breathing laboured and unsteady.

I'm dead, I'm dead, I'm dead, I'm so dead!

Marinette pulled out her sword from its sheath tied at her hip, the same sword given to every Angel before they left Seraphim and gripped the handle with two hands, her knuckles turning white and her palms clammy. She tried to force herself to breathe, her chest rising and falling too quickly. She could feel her pulse in her fingertips, the adrenaline rushing through her like electricity.

Marinette slowly peeked out from behind the tree, her heart skipping a beat when she found... nothing. He had just disappeared. Fear crept up on her and she whipped her head back around, a scream catching in her throat as she was found face-to-face with the Demon. Before she could attempt to run away, his hand was around her neck and the dagger in the other was being held against her stomach, the force and pure shock causing her to drop her sword helplessly.

His grip around her neck wasn't tight, but he was pushing her back against the tree and she felt like she had stopped breathing minutes ago. She stared at him with wide eyes, frozen with fear. She couldn't move, it was almost as if the icy blue in his eyes was enough to freeze her from the inside.

Then he smiled and she felt her heart drop.

"You're pretty far from the front lines, aren't you? Trying to sneak into the Kingdom?" He asked teasingly, the sinister smile not making her feel any better about the fact that he hadn't killed her yet. He was playing with her, just like those three Demons all those months ago, the one's Adrien had saved her from.

She didn't reply, her tongue frozen in her mouth. The Demon tilted his head slightly to the side, his gaze shifting down to the dagger being held against her. She swallowed hard. He looked so calm, as if nothing about what he was doing to her was wrong. She supposed not in a war, and especially not against Demons such as himself.

His hand slowly let go of her neck, although the dagger stayed where it was, and carefully with his gloved hand he took off the mask framing her own eyes. Something in his expression cracked and his eyes widened, speechless for a moment as something processed in his mind. Perhaps he knew who she was, but she found that debatable. She had never met a blue eyed demon before, though she had to admit he did give her a sense of familiarity.

Then, as if switching back to normal, he smirked and ran the blade of his dagger up her arm, moving her cloak off to the side. She felt a shiver run down her spine as the cold metal brushed against her arm, her wings twitching uncontrollably.

"I'm not going to kill you. But I've made a rule for myself," The Demon said quietly as he met her gaze, "I can only take prisoners if they've been injured."

Words were just beginning to form in Marinette's mouth before she felt a sharp pain in her wing, realizing the Demon's dagger had dug into her white feathers. She let out a pained scream, her legs giving out from beneath her and she collapsed to the ground, her right wing stuck between the tree and the dagger. She glanced up at the Demon who only grinned with amusement at her pained expression.

That's when she knew, he was downright crazy. Anyone who could find joy or pleasure in seeing someone in pain was insane.

"Y-You're a monster..." Marinette hissed through gritted teeth and the Demon crouched down to her level, Marinette flinching as he did so. He took in a deep breath, smiling ominously.

"I know,"

He pulled the dagger out of the tree, releasing Marinette's injured wing. She hissed in pain, cradling the feathers close to her. The Demon watched her carefully, something in the back of his mind screaming at him to leave her alone. He took in a sharp trembling breath, gripping the handle of his dagger tightly in his gloved hand.

Marinette glanced over at the fallen tree from before, noticing with wide eyes that Alya was peeking out, watching in fear. She needed to leave, if this Demon got her too then their plan would be ruined. They had to go to plan B.

Marinette tried to subtly wave her off, silently telling her to leave; run and get help, keep Tikki and Plagg safe. Alya shook her head, too stubborn to leave her alone. Then her eyes widened and she suddenly stumbled back, Marinette confused at first until the Demon walked past her.

Crap.

Without thinking, Marinette got to her feet despite her wing begging her to get some rest, and threw herself at him, feeling the base of his wings stabbing into her stomach. She wrapped her arms around his neck and with a grunt, pulled him back. The Demon stumbled over, digging his claws into her arm as he tried to pry her off of himself.

"R-Run! Get out of here!" Marinette exclaimed in a panicked scream, barely able to take her focus off the Demon to glance up at Alya watching in a mix of awe and terror.

"But—" She started but before she could finish, Tikki and Plagg had crawled out of their hiding spot and Marinette was just able to watch as Tikki changed into her Pooka form and Plagg who was now in his Demon shape, grabbed Alya and tossed her onto Tikki's back.

Plagg glanced back at Marinette with green eyes full of concern and guilt. She knew he wanted to help her, but getting himself hurt would only make it harder to go through with their plan.

Marinette had taken her attention off the Demon for too long and he had grabbed her by the arms and flipped her off of himself, letting her fall to the ground with a loud thump. She gasped as the wind was knocked out of her and she stared up at the vicious blue eyes of the Demon.

Her heart skipped a beat. On her way down, she had ripped off his cloak, only to show who he truly was.

That golden hair... the black cat ears that she knew no other Demon had simply because she asked him herself.

It was Adrien.

She heard Plagg's galloping footsteps as he raced after Tikki and then she was alone with Adrien— no, this wasn't Adrien anymore.

"W-What happened to you?" She wheezed out, her wings trembling in pain. He crouched down to get closer, a smirk crossing his face that was once so kind and soft, was now dark and sinister.

"Oh Marinette, I almost pity you. You joined this war to save me, no? I'm assuming that's why you had Plagg with you." He said, placing a gloved hand on the side of her face. She felt frozen in place, unable to move or even speak. This was Adrien but at the same time, it really wasn't. Not the Adrien she knew, not the Adrien she fell in love with.

"A-Adrien?"

His blue eyes narrowed and she gasped when she felt one of his claws dig into the skin of her cheek, leaving a long scratch near her lips. She bit back a hiss of pain, her body trembling uncontrollably. He only smiled.

"Adrien died in that cellar, I've taken control now as Chat Noir." He explained and Marinette stared up at him, despite having to face him upside-down, she could see how something in his expression became distant.

Taken control? He almost made it sound like he had... two personalities, each one fighting for dominance.

"What did your father do to you?" She asked, trying to get the truth out to confirm her theory. Chat glanced off to the side, frowning as he did so.

"My father... told me the truth, who I am and what I can be. After a few alterations, I've taken the throne now and he follows my orders." Chat replied and cut the conversation short, ceasing her questions as he stood back up and walked over to her side, dusting off his pants.

"Now, you can either be a good girl and come with me without any objections or I force you. Your choice." He offered, an innocent smile crossing his face that was too ominous to be real. She took in a deep breath, not planning on finding out how he forced people to come with him. She sat up, her wings aching and her back sore and tense. Being thrown to the ground wasn't the best thing to happen to her but at least it was better than having her feathers plucked. She spared a glance at her injured wing, sighing when she saw how much red had already soaked through her white feathers.

She glanced back at Chat Noir, "I'll come with you," She finally answered and he smiled.

"I knew you would,"

A/N: Another update! Yay! We're getting close guys, and yet we're so far from the end. Also, I told you guys Lila would be important.

(I might even add the new characters in later chapters) Btw I apologize for the short and poorly written chapters lately, I just really want to finish this for you guys.

One more thing! I read all of your reviews, and honestly they make me unbelievably happy when you guys say you're enjoying the story, that's why I came back to write. Love you guys

Next Time: Adrien fights for control.