I get back to the fork with a few minutes to spare, pails full of berries. I can't wait to see if Cat has actually fulfilled his promise of not eating a berry.
But when five minutes passes, then ten, I begin to feel worried. I text him, getting LOS. Loss of Signal. Maybe he got lost on the path? I wish I could just call Crumb, but I resist. He want me to figure this out on my own. I set off down the path, hoping to catch a glimpse of Cat.
"Cat!" I call out. "Kitty?" I take another few steps. Just then, I hear a small giggle, and my senses come alert. Someone is on the path near me, but its not Cat's voice. A person, or substance waltzes onto the path, their body illuminated in a green color.
"Your Cat's not here,
For Aurora made him disappear!
Tee hee!"
Anger, white hot and pulsing shoots through my veins and I lock on to my target, hurling my yo-yo forward. But it only drops to the ground, while I stand open-mouthed. This person or thing is made of light! Greenie dances and skips around me, still at its song and dance.
"Aurora Blue
Looked like his mother true,
and now Cat Noir is sobbing boo-hoo!"
"Who are you, and what have you done to my partner?" I growl. "Hee hee, I'm not telling you, Ladybug!" It dances to close, tapping me on the arm and I suddenly leave the path.
The path is now covered with flowers and plants, brilliant sunshine overhead with birds chirping in the trees. What is this place, where am I? Then, without warning, I'm jerked back upon the path, now surrounded by more points of lights, dancing in circles around me.
"Tell me who you are, now!" I use my sharpest voice.
"We don't take orders from you,
We only take orders from Scorpius true.
And since your in a crabby mood,
I think I'll tickle you!"
The pink one reaches for me, but I don't feel the tickles. Instead, I'm back in Paris with Cat, giggling and were we're being playful. Whatever these creatures are, there sending me Illusions that I can't get away from. Oh, if only Cat were here! But I'm alone, and I need to figure this out on my own. After all, I've….been...on…my...own..before. My throat suddenly feels like a berry has been lodged in my throat. The last time I felt this alone, Adrien, Cat, was Cat Blanc.
A dark red Aurora taps me on the shoulder this way and that, and now my anger is tinged with red, but in my mind's eye I see Cat looking softly at me, red rose in hand.
"Oh!" I collapse into the snow, wiping tears and snow from my cold cheeks.
But I move away from there advances, just out of their reach. "Come on, take me to Cat. After all, games are more fun with two people. And you want to be fair, don't you?"
The Auroras huddle and whisper, then a yellow one steps forward.
"We will lead you to Cat Noir,
But you must play our game fairly,
Or I will show you Jealousy!"
I follow the Auroras down the path, playing along with their games. Eventually, we get to a big hole and they point chattering and giggling to each other. "Cat is down there?" I ask, peering into the hole. Its hard to see now in the dusky gloom, and the first Aurora who I named Greenie nods.
"Your partner is down there,
and now you shall join him and despair!"
I shriek as they push me and I go hurtling into the blackness. I shut my eyes tightly, knowing I won't survive this fall or get horribly injured. But the pain never comes.
I keep my eyes tightly shut as I feel strong arms supporting me and faintly I hear a voice, a warm voice like warm honey. "Marinette, open your eyes."
Slowly I do, finding my favorite two green orbs staring back at me. "Adrien," I whisper. "I'm here, Princess," he whispers. "You saved my life, but how are you not dead? Those rocks over there are wicked!"
Cat gives one of his trademark grins and winks and I want cover his face in kisses. "You do know that cats land on their feet, right?" "But how are we going to get out of here?" "Well, if you go over to this section of the hole, its hollow. See?" I nod. "So maybe my powers can give us a helping paw. Cataclysm."
Cat is right, a tunnel yawns before us as we cough, waiting for the dust to settle. We step inside and Cat sets me on my feet, taking my hand. "Let me lead the way with my night-vision, haha!" "Cat, its not funny!" Maybe seeing the Auroras or being in this hole affected him more then I thought.
"No, love," he snorts, "My Kwagatama is glowing." he reaches into his pocket pulling out the object, but it isn't black, its blue. "Claws In." Adrien now transforms with the Peacock Miraculous. "Adrien, when and how did you get that?" I ask. "Felix gave it to me after he and Kagami moved overseas."
Oh, that makes sense. Anyway, the Kwagatama still is glowing and it seems to be leading us somewhere.
As we head deeper into the blackness, the colder it gets. I can't even feel Adrien's hand anymore. Suddenly, he stops and I run into him. "Why'd you stop?" I whisper, but Adrien doesn't answer.
For sitting in a perfect statue model pose, sits Emile Agreste. Slowly, Adrien leans forward touching his Kwatagma to the seal and a blue flash has us stumbling back.
A very different laugh from the Auroras is now heard, and I see the smiling face Emile Agreste from behind her feathered fan. "Hello, my child," she says.
"Mother?" Adrien breathes. "Is it really you?" he steps forward, wanting to know the truth.
