Mirror in hand, Marinette mounted up and rode Phillipe out the castle gates into the forest. The beautiful ladybug dress catching the blistering wind with enough force that their speed was slowed by mere seconds as they galloped through the trees. Mari's bangs flew wildly in her face obstructing her sight. Phillipe's hooves thundered over the ground as they approached a clearing. Mari pulled back hard on the reins causing the horse to dig his heels in to make a snappy halt. This wasn't right. Marinette had expected to see her father lying in the snow, but he wasn't there. Either their timing was off, or her father was back in the village. Regardless, Marinette hoped that the story wasn't screwed because of this. They had to get to the happily ever after. They had to break the spell and get back to reality. With a kick of her heels, Phillipe kicked into gear and galloped away from the clearing. She had to get to the village quickly. As she rode, her mind raced back to her previous interaction with Chat Noir. She tried to keep her focus on what was happening now, but the view of the path continued to disappear as she vanished deeper into her own mind. Chat Noir had feelings for her! As Marinette! On top of that, she had confessed to having feelings for him! For him! Chat Noir! The cat themed superhero of Paris! Did she really have feelings for him, or was the fairytale getting to her with all its romantic scenes and musical numbers? Marinette didn't know. Would things have been different or the same if it was Adrien instead of Chat Noir? What if she had remained Ladybug instead of detransforming into Marinette? If they had been sent into a different fairytale together, would that change anything? Her head was beginning to spin. So many questions, so little answers. Her brain began to wander again, except this time it went back to the dance. Chat had been so nervous, and Marinette had to admit she was a bit flattered that she made him nervous. It made sense giving the moment that had followed, leading up to now, but that wasn't the point. She had joyfully danced with her partner in a massive ballroom to a very famous Disney tune. She wasn't surprised by Chat's skills in dancing, she had seen him dance many a times. It was just unexpected on how well he could preform ballroom dances. It had been magical and every fiber of her being wanted to go back to it. The girl was drug back to reality when Philippe just about rammed her face into a low hanging tree branch. Thankfully, her fast reflexes allowed her to dodge the object and prevent any casualties. With her focus reinstated, Marinette clutched to Philippe as they exited the forest and galloped over an open field, the village wasn't far now. In fact, from here, Marinette could see the lanterns as they burned outside the doors of each individual house. When she got into town, she was surprised to see that the town had gathered around a cottage, the one she could only assume to be hers.
"Stop! What's going on here!?" Marinette hollered as she brought Philippe to a stop and dismounted before running through the crowd and up the stairs. There, she found her father. "Papa! Are you alright?" Marinette questioned as she wrapped her arms around Tom.
"Marinette! I'm so glad you're safe!" Tom said pulling his daughter close.
"Oh, come on Marinette! Your father was going on about leaving you in a castle with some guy that goes by....what was it....Chat Noir?" Mari turned around to see the owner of the voice. Gaston! The man hadn't been replaced by a civilian, he was still the animated character. That meant that Chat Noir had a real fight on his hands. Gaston was a big burly guy, and not like her father. Sure, Tom was big and strong, but he was mostly just a large marshmallow. Gaston was smaller in figure, but he had a muscular frame. Gaston was pure muscle. Over the years, Ladybug had begun to see where Chat Noir was beginning to develop a similar frame. One day his figure would be the same as the animated character's but it would be awhile before he did. Even so, between Chat and Gaston, Chat was the more attractive one, hands down. Adrien topped them both, but......wait a minute!? What was she thinking!? Focus Marinette. She needed to do something. Marinette had to think up a response.
"Chat Noir is real Gaston, and my father did have to leave me with him."
"Pfft." Gaston huffed chuckling as he bent back to gaze over his shoulder at the crowd. "Any man that refers to himself as a black cat is to be catastrophic failure in all forms of the word."
"Chat Noir is not a catastrophic failure!" Her ears rang violently at the accusation. "Chat Noir has done so many good things! He's saved so many people in parrel, including me!" Her heart ached, though she was spitting out the truth, she realized she hadn't ever told this to Chat. Why had she never shown him how much she appreciated him? When she saw him again that was going to be one of the first things she changed. He needed to know, he deserved to know. "Chat puts others first! Unlike you Gaston." The man huffed with disbelieve his arms crossed over his chest. She had been in this guy's physical presence for less than two minutes and she already couldn't stand him.
"You seem to know quite a bit about this fictional feline man." That was the last straw! Breaking away from her father, Marinette dashed toward Philippe and removed the mirror from her saddle. "If I'm not mistaken it seems that you have feelings for this cat! Am I wrong beautiful?" Gaston enclosed on Marinette's space, his fingers roughly framing her chin. Mari pulled her face away with a jolt.
"Purrincess." Her voice was cold and bitter as she "corrected" the villain. Wait a minute? Did she just refer to herself with the nickname that Chat Noir used for her? For all she knew it wasn't a name exclusive to her. Then again, she had never heard him use it unless he was around her and supposedly, she knew him in civilian life as well. No one she knew in her life used the nickname except Chat, so it had to be exclusive. Right? Regardless, she'd used it! Did she actually have true feelings for Chat outside of Beauty and the Beast?
"Show me Chat Noir." Instantly, the mirror began to glow. The villagers gasped as Marinette watched Chat's image come into view. Quickly, she flipped it around for the mob to see. Everyone took a gander at it, even Gaston, at least for a small moment. Mari watched as the man composed himself and his face turned into a grimace as he snatched the mirror from her hands. Clear disbelief in his eyes. Why didn't he believe her!? She wasn't a liar, well, at least not when she wasn't trying to find a way to leave and transform into Ladybug, but details. "Chat Noir is not fictional! He's a real gentlemen! He's selfless, eloquent, determined and my friend! Unlike you, he's a true hero!" She knew the words struck Gaston to the core. The intent was to strike the brute down but it seemed to have the opposite effect. Instead her words riled him up! Oops. Gaston was out for Chat Noir now.
"Do you people not understand!? These two are crazy! Chat Noir isn't the superhero they claim him to be! If he's a hero, then where was he when we needed him!? He's no hero! He's a beast!"
"No! He's not!" Marinette lurked forward in an attempt to intimidate the man, but her efforts were halted when asylum guards grabbed her arms. The claims were so outrageous, Marinette didn't understand how the mob believed them. Then again, this was how Beauty and the Beast was supposed to play out. "We all know who the real hero is around here, and who is just crazy!" Gaston's words were sharp and would easily deceive the town folk. She should have expected this turn of events, no matter what she said this would be the outcome regardless. Whether it made sense or not. "I will give you a true hero and together we will go and slay the beast!"
"No!" Marinette fought hard against her captures, but to no avail. The tears sprang to her eyes as she realized the fate that awaited her partner. Fear of the scene she knew she would find when she reached him already playing out vividly. As the town began their musical number of "Kill the beast.", Marinette felt her body giving up as it sunk into the despair of her partner's future. She had no will to fight back, the girl was drained. With her lack of fight, it was easy for the guards to throw her and her father into the back of the cart and lock the door. It was different than what it had been in the animated version, but Marinette remembered that this version of the scene had played out in the 2017 live action of Beauty and the Beast. It was still Beauty and the Beast, so it was valid for the scene to play out in this manner. Together with Tom, Marinette sat quietly as Gaston marched the towns people out of the village into the forest toward the castle.
"Marinette, my daughter. Where has your spirit gone? Where is your fire to fight for justice? We can't leave Chat Noir to fend for himself?" Marinette pulled her knees to her chest as her father finished his sentence. "He may be a superhero, but I'm sure that every once in a while a hero needs help from their community. Chat needs our help! He's never abandoned us, so we can't abandon him!" Tom spoke with passion. Her father was right, and Mari knew he was right. Yet somehow, she didn't feel the same, though she desperately wanted to feel the emotions her father was. "Marinette?"
"Papa, I can't!" The words burst from Marinette's mouth before she could stop them. The tears rolling down in fresh streams on her cheeks. Tom was shocked and confused by the sudden outburst. "I....I can't." Her voice was muffled as she buried her face in her knees, soaking the skirt of her dress with salt water.
"What do you mean?" Her dad's voice was low and full of concern as he moved his hand out toward her, wanting to wrap her up in his arms and make everything better.
"I can't do it. I don't think I can't face saying goodbye to Chat." Her heart began to speak before her brain could process the words. The waterworks freshening with each phrase as she collapsed into her father's embrace. Tom didn't say anything as he tightened his arms around her and ran his fingers through her hair.
"That's why we need to help him." His voice was calm and gentle. A fatherly love obviously swaddled up around them. Marinette took a breath. Her dad was right, well, to a degree. Chat Noir would still die, that's what happened in Beauty and the Beast, but the magic of the rose only worked if she was there to bring him back. Brushing the tears from her eyes and sitting up, Marinette composed herself. Chat was depending on her and she wasn't about to let her partner down.