Miraculous Games

Chapter Sixteen

Chapter 16:

Wind. Weightlessness. Snap.

Marinette hit the ground like a sack of potatoes. Her body stung, aching in pain.

She moaned, trying to gasp in as much air as her lungs could hold. The heat had died down, but she could still smell smoke. She hadn't gotten very far, that was evident. Patting herself down, she tried to rid herself of the last bits of flame from her remaining clothes. She cried out as she moved, thumping her burned body.

Then, she heard rustling. Somebody was close.

'Oh, please don't let it be an enemy Charm... Please, I'm already in enough pain.'

"B-back off," she managed, trying to stumble to her feet. "I-I'm warning you..."

The next thing she knew, she was swept off her feet. She yelped, gripping the person tightly.

"Let me go!"

"Ladybug, it's okay. It's me."

Blinking, Marinette looked up into their face. It was Nathanael. She breathed out.

"Fox... Oh, I am so happy to see you..."

He smiled. "Same here." Around them, the trees began to catch fire. The flames were not done with Marinette.

"We need to get out of here," Fox muttered. "Hold tightly."

"Nathanael, what- Woah!"

He took off in a sprint. Marinette wrapped herself around him, her arms linked around his neck. Pain stung her arms, legs, and chest. She wanted to scream, but she knew it would only distract Nathan from his task. As a substitute, she grasped his shirt and clenched her teeth. She risked a look over his shoulder.

The fire was chasing them. It was after her.

"We need to find shelter," she rasped, her voice spent.

"I know where we can go."

Jump, dash, weave, repeat. Dozens of trees raced by them only to be caught ablaze in a few seconds time. Finally, Nathanael's grip tightened around her.

"Hold on!"

They dropped. The weightlessness returned and Marinette's grip slackened. After a second, they hit rock bottom. Literally. Nathanael screamed out in pain, Marinette slipping out of his arms. Both tumbled over the rocks, scraping themselves on the hard ground. Marinette spun onto her back, looking up at the top of the hole they had just fallen into. Flames surrounded the opening, but due to the lack of shrubbery, it couldn't come down after them. After a few minutes, the fired died into a dying smolder of ash.

Marinette swallowed weakly, pushing herself up. She winced and looked down at her right hand. It was starting to blister.

Nathanael groaned, rubbing the back of his head.

"Mari, are you okay?" he asked.

Marinette shook her head, her arms trembling. Without even saying a word more, Nathan surged forward. He rested a hand on her back. Ladybug didn't respond to his touch. Fox was cautious with his movements, attempting to touch her where she had no burns.

"Can you move?"

Marinette shifted, then grit her teeth. The adrenaline of the fire and chase had worn off, leaving Ladybug in excruciating pain. "No," she replied between her teeth.

Nathanael bit his lip, looking around at where they were. Marinette was in no shape to climb out of the hole. Putting another hand on her shoulder, he whispered, "I'm going to lay you down, okay?"