MB: Now, if you reaaaalllly want to make this scene even more epic, play some haunted/evil background music. I chose "The Black Rider" and "A Knife in the Dark" from The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring, and Regina's theme from Once Upon a Time.

Enjoy (if you dare)!

CHAPTER EIGHTEEN:

THE LADYBUG FALLS

"Marinette, RUN!"

She saw the riders before she heard Alya's scream.

The bouquet of begonias fell from Marinette's hands, and she reached blindly for King Gabriel. "This way!" she cried, pulling him along without waiting for a reply.

Thankfully, the king was too horror-stricken to complain.

The pair broke into a sprint, away from the charging, black horses. All of them bore riders cloaked in black turbans and masks to conceal their faces. Marinette dared to look back as she ran, and saw the forgotten flowers being trampled in the onslaught of the horses.

Gabriel, surprisingly, kept up at a good pace with the blunette. He pointed out ahead of them. "Quickly! The trees!"

Marinette grinned, despite the fear clenching in her gut. The jungle would be too thick for the riders to follow them, and then Alya would grab the magic carpet and fly the four of them out of there.

The thought suddenly made Marinette more anxious. Where is Alya? And Trixx? She fought back the urge to stop and turn around as she and the king clamoured through the maze of bushes and thick trunks. The King of Agreste – her future father-in-law – was her first priority, and she had to get him to safety.

The jungle seemed more menacing in the cover of cursed darkness. More often than not, Gabriel kept stumbling over a spare root or a rock. Marinette made sure he was at her side before continuing on.

Thankfully, the riders stopped pursuing, and Marinette could hear someone cursing. It was a man's voice.

Alya had spoken his name, and Marinette had caught a glimpse of his armoured form beforehand: D'Argencourt... or Darkblade, or whatever he called himself now.

Marinette winced from the leaves tearing into her neck and arms as she brushed past them. The earth beneath her feet turned hard and cold as she and Gabriel emerged into a more concealed part of the vine-covered ruins, which stretched out before them like the hall of a castle with broken walls. The blunette could hear the king's heavy breathing beside her.

An eerie feeling tugged at Marinette's heart, like someone was pulling on a violin string so hard it almost snapped. If D'Argencourt was leading this attack, how did he manage to turn the sky dark and ominous?

Unless... it wasn't him...

Marinette and Gabriel were almost to the other side of the ruined hall... when a shrieking horse burst out of the bushes ahead.

Marinette screamed and skidded to a halt, holding an arm defensively in front of the king.

The horse reared, and the rider stared down at the two runaways with eyes like burning, yellow coals. He made no sound, and no words came from his masked face, but Marinette couldn't shake the feeling that she knew this rider somehow.

But before she could pull her yo-yo off her waist and fight back, the hulking horse slammed into her, knocking her aside.

Marinette cried out as she scrapped along the stones. Then, she heard hooves clapping beside her... followed by a man's plea for help. The king!

Marinette tried to get back up, but the horse had left a cloud of dust in its wake, and she bent over coughing, her eyes stinging.

The hoof-beats faded away, and Marinette squinted up to see the horse speeding off through the jungle. Sprawled across its back, in front of his captor, was King Gabriel.

"Your Majesty!" Marinette cried, reaching out to him.

"Mari!"

The blunette looked to see Alya and Trixx racing towards her. She groaned as she was lifted to her feet, knowing she was going to have a big bruise or too.

Marinette cleared her throat of the scratchy dust before gasping, "They took him! Alya, they have the king!"

Alya looked in the direction of the kidnapper. "D'Argencourt wasn't trying to get the two of us at all," she murmured, her voice thick with contemplation. "All he wanted was the king. But that doesn't explain how he knew..." She paused, her amber eyes widening. Not with shock, but with slow-burning fury. "...where he was."

Marinette's core turned as hard as iron. She knew the answer – it was floating right beside them.

Both girls snapped to Trixx, and the kwami stiffened when she realized they figured it out.

Alya was the first to reach her before she could escape, snatching her by the tail. "You traitor!" she hissed, her tone betraying the hurt surging within her.

Trixx, though upside-down, shrugged defensively. "Traitor is such a strong word," she insisted.

Marinette couldn't believe it, and she gritted her teeth with anger and despair. And Alya had been so sure. I had been so sure...

Another cold laugh pierced the air – D'Argencourt.

Marinette snapped out of it, knowing Trixx would have to wait. She grasped Alya's shoulder pleadingly. "They're getting away! We have to hurry!"

Her best friend's face contorted, as though she had swallowed something nasty, and she brought Trixx right up to her face. "I'll settle with you later," she growled threateningly.

With that, she tossed Trixx away like an old rag. The kwami went flying with a startled cry.

Then, Alya put two fingers to her mouth and gave a whistle.

Marinette almost reeled when something thin and flat came to rest at their feet. The magic carpet!

"Come on!" Alya said, leaping onto the floating rug.

Marinette stepped on behind her. They both dropped to their knees before Alya's hands glowed again, and the carpet catapulted over the trees with them.

The air whipped at Marinette's face and ponytails, and she held onto Alya's shoulders for support, knowing that letting go at this speed definitely wasn't a good idea. Within seconds, the jungle was far below them, and Marinette could see the full length of the river, all the way up to the cliff.

She scoured the ground for movement, and found it: the squadron of black riders speeding along the river's edge with their valuable hostage.

"There they are!" Marinette called to Alya, pointing. "They're heading straight for the cliff!"

"I see them!" Alya called back. "But D'Argie probably doesn't know he's trapped! He's bottlenecking himself!"

Marinette grinned. Once D'Argencourt and his men stopped, she and Alya would...

Hold on... The riders weren't stopping. They weren't even trying to slow down.

Before Marinette could question it further, something happened that made both her and Alya gasp.

Hideous, black appendages with thick, webbed membranes grew out of the sides of the kidnappers' horses - more enormous than a bat's wings, but not scaly like a dragon's. They were much more demonic in appearance, reflecting the dark, twisted souls of their riders.

The wings unfurled and fanned out just as the group reached the edge of the waterfall... and trotted right off of it!

Marinette heard Gabriel's yell as he plummeted down with his captors.

Then... the horses flew up into the sky!

Their leader's cackle of triumph sounded again, snapping Marinette out of her frozen stupor.

But Alya was still stupefied. "D'Argencourt knows magic?!" she breathed.

Marinette squeezed her shoulders and leaned closer. "Let's give them a magic trick of our own!" she suggested with a dark, mischievous tone.

Alya nodded with a look that said, I've got just the thing. Using one hand to steer the magic carpet, the redhead grasped her pendant with the other. Almost instantly, orange light streamed between Alya's fingers.

The air immediately became blurry.

Marinette looked around with awe as sheets of white mist enveloped them, growing thicker and more massive every second. She expected to go blind, but surprisingly, she could see perfectly.

But the blunette had a hunch the riders couldn't.

Marinette held her breath as Alya flew them in closer to the herd of flying horses. All around them, the white fog curled and expanded like mounds of powdery sugar. It wrapped around the fleeing attackers, and the horses let out startled whinnies.

"What?!" D'Argencourt mumbled from up front, his head snapping around. "What is this?!"

Beside him, the rider holding King Gabriel glanced around calmly, as though the fog intrigued him more than it troubled him.

Meanwhile, two young ladies flew silently amongst their group without any of them knowing. They came up directly underneath the rider and his royal passenger.

Marinette drew her yo-yo and gave it a good spin. Then, she flung it up.

The flying ball wrapped itself around Gabriel's leg, and when the king let out a gasp of surprise, Marinette yanked down on the string.

The king slipped unceremoniously off the horse's back and fell with a cry before landing right between Marinette and Alya.

His captor snapped his glowing eyes down, but no warning or cry of outrage escaped him.

"Let's go!" Marinette called to Alya, securing the frazzled king in front of her.

The three of them shot away from the brigands, and that's when the white fog thinned out, exposing them into open air.

Behind them, Marinette heard D'Argencourt bellow, "Get them! Get me the king!"

Angry whinnies filled the air. Marinette looked back to see the winged beasts turning slowly towards them. Their silhouettes struck out like monstrous shadows against the purple sky.

We have to find a way to lose them, Marinette thought feverishly.

Then, it came to her.

"Alya!" she called to the front. "Head back over the waterfall! We can lose them in the canyon!"

The former thief snapped back to look at her, auburn hair blazing wildly around her face. "That's too narrow of a space!" she persisted.

"I know!" Marinette beckoned back to the horses and their broad wingspans.

Alya finally caught on with an "Ah..." and she nodded her head. Then she smiled at Gabriel. "Hang on, Your Majesty – this going to be close!"

Her pendant flared with light, and the carpet lurched upward towards the top of the waterfall.

They burst high over the edge and zoomed over the raging rapids.

Marinette looked back just as D'Argencourt and his riders appeared over the cliff, their wings flapping. The blunette readied her yo-yo once again... until she realized that the riders were holding back.

That's when she spotted the same rider that had taken the king, his yellow eyes pulsing with light as he pointed a thin finger at the fleeing heroes.

To Marinette's shock, a jagged beam of magic – like rippling fire – burst from the rider's fingertip and slithered like a living snake... not towards the group, but towards the river.

No sooner had the beam hit the water did it begin to churn and spin. Faster, faster, faster... until it was the size of a great pit. Then, the circling wall of water began to climb, growing bigger and stretching up like a twister.

Marinette knew Alya and Gabriel were seeing this too, because both of them inhaled sharply.

The twister coiled towards them.

"Watch out!" Marinette cried.

Alya flew them out of the way, but the water devil turned with them. Alya dodged again, and the monstrous thing followed them like a ribbon.

Marinette clung to Gabriel with one hand while grasping the edge of the carpet with the other. "Faster, Alya!" Her words were almost drowned out by the roar of the angry river.

"I'm trying!" Alya bellowed with a fearful strain in her voice. Sweat beaded along on her forehead. She was panting heavily, and her hands were shaking. Not only that, but her pendant was growing dim.

She's losing power, Marinette realized with horror. Oh God, if we don't –

Her thoughts were cut off when sharp bits of water sprayed onto her back, and something bumped into the group from behind.

Marinette cried out as she almost fell overboard, her feet flailing as she curved onto her side behind Alya.

Unfortunately, King Gabriel had not been so lucky. The twister had knocked into them so hard, he slipped completely over the side. Marinette heard his scream before she saw him falling right into the mouth of the swirling vortex.

"Gabriel!" Marinette screamed, snapping back up onto her knees. How could I have lost him?! How could I...?!

"Hang on!" Alya yelled as she turned the carpet sharply around.

At the same time, the twister proceeded to slow down and remain as still and straight as a pillar. Inside, the king's small form was spinning along its middle, gasping for breath and reaching out with all his might.

Marinette's heart surged with determination... and she stood up, spinning her yo-yo.

Alya's wrapped an arm around her friend's waist. "Go! I've got you!"

The blunette waited for Gabriel to come around. When she timed it right, she launched her yo-yo into the twister.

Once again, it didn't fail her.

The yo-yo latched onto the king's arm this time, and Gabriel – realizing he was being rescued – grabbed onto the string. He gritted his teeth and looked away from the water splashing into his face, but he refused to let go.

Marinette began calling the yo-yo back to her, pulling the string along with both hands. All the while, Alya used her magic to urge the carpet away from the twister.

It should have worked. It almost worked.

Marinette saw Gabriel's arm and face emerge from the wall of water, and she reached out to him with great relief.

Movement in the corner of her eye made her turn her head.

It was the fiery-eyed rider again, and he had his finger pointed directly at Alya.

"No!" Marinette shouted, but it was too late.

Orange light zapped Alya right in the chest, and she let out a painful "AH!".

Then... the twister swallowed them whole.

Water filled Marinette's mouth, preventing her from screaming, and she felt herself flying in a broad circle. She tried opening her eyes, but it was too thick for her to see. Her lungs screamed for air.

Then, like someone spitting out a cheery pit, the twister shot her out on his own accord.

Marinette gasped before she submerged into cold water once again. This time, the current was stronger, and the blunette banged against several rocks as she tried to claw and kick her way back up. One of her legs slammed into a rock, and she cried out underwater, bubbles bursting from her mouth.

Using the last of her strength, Marinette forced herself to spread her arms out and wade up. Open, close, open, close... Kick, kick, kick...

Finally, her head popped out of the water, and she took a long, agonizing breath.

But though she was on the surface now, she was still speeding along the river through the rapids. It was taking her towards the waterfall!

Panicking, Marinette's hands flailed out as she reached desperately for something – anything – to grab onto.

Her fingers found wet stone, and she grasped it with all her might. It slowed her down, but it was still slippery. Marinette gasped for air again and snapped her eyes open to see another rock not far behind her. She spun around just as she lost her grip and, this time, reached out with both hands. They hooked onto the edge of the rock, stopping her completely.

Marinette pulled her upper body onto the exposed stone, coughing up water and shivering. She was sore and cold all over, and her leg hurt something fierce. Her mind was jumbled, as though the rapids had shaken it like the inside of a snow globe.

Tikki had shown her snow globes once. They were quite pretty, so sparkly and white and...

Marinette shook her head vigorously. Focus! You need to find Alya and the king!

A shadow fell over her, and she heard a cruel, echoing chuckle.

Heart growing still, Marinette looked up.

It was him, red visor glowing and armour gleaming from a crack of lightning above. A dark knight swooping in on his cursed stallion to strike his enemy.

And Armand D'Argencourt – Darkblade – said with a voice like a lion's purr: "Farewell, Your Highness."

Marinette saw his metal boot coming down on her.

She felt pain shooting through her skull.

Then, everything went cold and dark... but strangely peaceful, like a cleansing blanket.

"MARI!" Alya screamed, thrashing about in her watery bonds.

But try as she might, she remained suspended in mid-air, the ribbon of water wrapped tightly around her like liquid ice. Alya could do nothing but watch as her best friend fell back into the water.

Darkblade was cackling again, and it only made Alya angrier.

Just then, Marinette's head broke the surface of the river. But her eyes were closed, and she made no attempt to escape.

Alya only saw her for a split second, and then... Marinette went right over the edge.

"No!" Alya cried, tears forming in her eyes. "NO!"

Beside her, bound by his own magical bonds, King Gabriel let out a horrified gasp.

"YES!" Darkblade cheered with wicked delight, pounding his fist into the air...

... until he saw his partner – the yellow-eyed rider – lifting his finger again.

Alya went still as the man fired a beam of red magic towards Marinette's falling body. It hit her seconds before she hit the sharp, jagged rocks below... and she slowed to a gentle stop.

Alya's heart raced, both with joy and utter confusion. He... He saved her...

Darkblade's face couldn't be seen, but the redhead could tell that he was absolutely mortified. "What are you doing?!" he yelled at his partner.

The man simply ignored him, and when he raised his finger a little higher, Marinette's glowing form flew away from the deadly spikes. She was still unconscious, her arms spread out beside her like a bird taking flight. The rider directed her through the maze of rock before bringing her out over calm, open water.

Then, the rider moved his other hand, and Alya saw tiny, rectangular shapes appearing out of nowhere and coming together right below Marinette.

They were logs, and they were being plastered together with magic to make a raft.

Alya let out a breathless whimper, and tears spilled onto her cheeks... but she was smiling. She didn't care that she and King Gabriel were prisoners now. She didn't care that the same man who had relentlessly pursued them suddenly had a change of heart. Nothing mattered right now, except for one thing: her best friend was alive!

The rider lowered his hands, and Marinette hovered down onto the raft before the red glow around her faded.

Alya watched as the raft carried her motionless friend safely along the river. The redhead never averted her gaze until Marinette was a small speck of blue.

Darkblade was steaming, but when he looked back at his partner, the yellow-eyed rider ordered the rest of the group back to the jungle with an idle wave of his hand.

Alya winced as the cursed water-chains dragged her through the air towards the riders. Her resolved renewed, she squirmed harder and kicked out with her feet. Gabriel did the same, growling as he tried to wrench free of his bonds.

Below her, Darkblade and his riders flew towards the ground, their hooves clattering along the stones as they trotted to a halt and tucked in their wings.

While Darkblade scrambled madly out of his saddle, Alya and Gabriel's bonds evaporated into mist and they tumbled onto the ground. Alya groaned, and the king coughed as he lifted himself to his knees.

The redhead recovered quickly and rushed to his side. "My king," she said, her voice raw and scratchy, "are you all right?"

Gabriel took a few deep breaths before looking up at Alya. She had never seen him so distraught and so relieved at the same time. "I am... unhurt," he finally said.

Alya smiled weakly.

"You!" Darkblade hissed.

Alya glared up at the black knight, ready to make a verbal comeback, but then she saw that he wasn't venting at her, or the king.

Darkblade stormed over to the yellow-eyed rider, ripping his helmet off as he did so. His dark-blue eyes blazed with the reality his denied vengeance. "Are you out of your mind?!" he shouted even though he was standing right next to the masked man. "You saved her!" He let out a red-faced roar, his mustache jagged and stiff. He held up his thumb and forefinger, just barely touching. "She was this close to being a greasy little smear on the rocks! And then you –!"

The rider's eyes blazed with electricity, and his hand shot out towards Darkblade. Without even touching him, he sent the evil knight flying back into a tree.

Alya winced at the clank of armour against bark.

Then, all around her, the faceless riders and their horses burst into tendrils of black smoke. They vanished, one by one, until only the magical rider remained.

Keeping his curled fingers held up at the squirming Darkblade, the man stepped towards him. Then he waved his other hand over himself.

Even though they both knew they should run, neither Alya nor Gabriel moved.

Because one second, the mysterious man was standing before them.

The next second, the black clothes, turban, and face-cover peeled away to reveal a gown of flaming orange, long brown hair, and a masked face with full, red lips. But those yellow eyes remained the same.

Alya gasped, covering her mouth with frozen fingers. It can't be!

Gabriel staggered back, his face drained of colour.

Not far away, Trixx was cowering.

Volpina paid them no heed as she seethed at Darkblade with an otherworldly voice, "Look, you little –!"

Alya instinctively crawled protectively in front of the king, expecting the evil sorceress to sick her full wrath on the knight.

But then, Volpina laughed, as though her anger had been nothing but a harmless joke. "I mean... My dear Darkblade," she said sweetly, though her tone still carried a trace of poison, "do not mistake my actions for sudden sympathy. If you remember the plan, it is not yet time for the girl to meet her end."

Alya blinked at that. Not yet time? Knowing Volpina, and considering how many times Marinette had evaded death at the sorceress's hands, Alya would have thought Volpina would want Marinette wiped off the face of the earth the moment she was freed. What is she planning?

The Master of Thievery didn't look so angry and proud anymore, shaking like he was about to wet himself. He gulped and chuckled nervously. "Of... Of course, m-m-my queen," he stuttered pathetically, "I-I-I knew that."

Alya swallowed a load of bile back down her throat, and her fear melted into simmering anger. It was that witch all along! Her and Trixx both! Despite herself, she glanced over at the snivelling fox kwami.

Trixx caught the redhead's eye and winced at her heated gaze.

Meanwhile, Volpina gently stroked Darkblade's cheek with tender fingernails. "Have patience, my friend," she assured. "Soon our revenge will be complete, and you shall have your third wish."

Alya blinked again. Third wish? That's right – Volpina was a kwami now. But the redhead highly doubted Darkblade was the master of the pair, considering the way he groveled to the sorceress's every whim.

Darkblade sank slowly to the ground with a snap of the witch's fingers, and he immediately swept into a deep, back-cracking bow. "Yes, my queen," he mumbled. "I... Thank you."

Volpina mouth curled upward, and then she turned towards Alya and the king, her dress sweeping along the stones. "Now..." she purred as her reed flute appeared in her hands. "What to do with you two?"

Alya's anger flared, and she pounced.

The fox head of the sorceress's flute gleamed, and Alya jerked to a stop, her arms and legs refusing to obey her. She tried to open her mouth to curse Volpina, but not even her own voice would work. She was completely immobilized.

So she yelled with her thoughts, hoping the sorceress could hear her: Damn you!

Behind her, she heard Gabriel squirming with an angry grunt.

Volpina giggled and patted Alya on the cheek. "You have been quite the meddlesome little thief, haven't you, Rena Rouge?" she mused. "We'll have to remedy that very soon." Then she looked over to her right. "And you, Trixx...!" she growled.

The fox kwami cringed with fear, covering her face with her tail.

But Volpina gave her a dark smile instead. "You have done well," she finished with a hum.

Trixx lowered her tail, and then she looked at Alya again.

The redhead couldn't look away, or squeeze her eyes shut. All she could do was stare at the kwami who had pretended to be her friend; the little vixen who had lied and cheated so she could help Volpina get her revenge.

Some evil friendships were just meant to be.

Trixx sighed and lowered her head. "Please," she mumbled sadly, "don't mention it."

A single tear cascaded from Alya's spiteful eye, carrying all the pain in her heart with it.