Miraculous: Tales of a New Realm

Chapter 1

⊱.❀° ✿ °❀° ✿ °❀.⊰

Marinette stood at the edge of a towering Parisian rooftop. She shivered as the chilly Parisian air enveloped her, wondering briefly why she didn't grab a jacket beforehand. Below, the city lay in a deceptively peaceful slumber, but something sinister was going on in the background. She glared down into the void, breath visible in the frigid air, as she watched the shadows coalesce to a central point. There, a dark silhouette stood up, eerie purple eyes focused on her figure. "Your light..." he growled, breaking the unusual silence of the night. "It's time to extinguish it."

"Are we done playing this game?" she asked, twirling her glimmering sword with an air of boredom. The cold steel fit perfectly in her hands, even though she couldn't remember ever using it before. Marinette swung down, balancing on the edges of one of the windows. "You've overstayed your welcome, and frankly I'm getting a little tired of you." Without warning, the figure lunged forward. The darkness swirled around Marinette in an attempt to ensnare her, but she dodged expertly, years of experience under her belt. "You didn't think it'd be that easy, did you?" she teased, though she could feel her heart pounding in her chest. Encouraged by the adrenaline, she countered the shadows with a slash. Her blade gleamed in the moonlight. The figure called back his shadows, glowering at the metal object in her hand. "Nice try, but it's not going to be enough." His voice echoed ominously, and Marinette had to cover her face to avoid feeling the intensity of the new gusts of wind coming from his direction.

The figure's form split into multiple shadow clones, and they began to surround her, each jeering and taunting her loudly. Marinette's eyes narrowed with annoyance. She couldn't take on all of the clones at once... but maybe she didn't have to? Marinette looked down at her sword with the spark of an idea. Trusting her instincts, she closed her eyes and leapt forward through the shadows, pushing past the odd smack of wind and dust particles all over her body in the instance she made contact with them. She landed on the cobbled road with a grunt, and before she could give the villain any time to process she picked up her sword. Using the moon as her guide, she used the sword to direct the beam of light directly onto each clone, gripping the hilt fiercely. One-by-one, the shadows burst outward until she was left with just one figure. The original, she presumed. But before she could finish her act of heroism, the figure vanished and reappeared in front of her. He grabbed her sword with his hand, preventing her from moving it. "Night's over, darling. It's time to wake up."

"Huh?" The world around her began to fade and she blinked confusedly. "What's going on?"

"You're going to be late for school." The road beneath her was giving out, sounds of wind replaced by the familiar creaks of her...

"Marinette... Marinette!" Marinette jumped out of bed, hands flying around in vaguely threatening chopping motions. "I'm not done with you, shadow demon!" When she blearily opened her eyes, she saw, much to her embarrassment, that she wasn't alone or anywhere near the crafted world she had been in moments ago. The sunlight from her window glinted off the pins in her bedroom bulletin board, almost mockingly. Marinette frowned and rubbed her eyes, the dream still lingering. She stepped towards the other inhabitant, rubbing faster to focus the world more quickly.

Sabine Dupain-Cheng cleared her throat loudly, hurriedly setting aside the cup she had been holding. "Good morning, Xiǎo Bǎo. I'm glad to see you're using your karate lessons, but I'd prefer to not be in the line of fire." Marinette rolled her eyes playfully, before her gaze caught on the cup. She gasped indignantly, "You were about to pour water on me!"

"Desperate times called for desperate measures."

"Mom!"

"No time to argue, sweetie! I'll go and make your breakfast portable, you just get dressed quickly so you aren't late."

"La—?" Marinette paused as she remembered the words from her dream, glancing in horror at the time displayed on her analog. "Shoot!" While Sabine retreated through the trap door, Marinette dashed to her closet to search for an outfit. Marinette wanted to wake up early to pick the perfect one, maybe do some makeup while she was at it. Unfortunately, the seconds were ticking away quickly, and she resigned herself to a pair of jeans and a simple flower shirt. Before she could follow after her mother, however, Marinette caught a glimpse of her unfinished project flung over the desk chair. The jacket itself was sewn alright, but its color was uninspiring.

Marinette looked down at what she was already wearing and frowned at the worn and old look. This was supposed to be her year. Designers like Gabriel Agreste, those who start their careers late, come once in a lifetime, and even then his successful empire wasn't started by him. More often, designers were sought after in high school to give them a chance at interning before their studies started in full swing. If Marinette wanted to attract the right attention she would need to exhibit her fashionista sense; this outfit certainly wasn't going to cut it. She huffed and grabbed the jacket off the chair, flinging it over her shoulder and grabbing her clutch. At the very least, she thought. I can cover up these old clothes with it.

After making her way to the kitchen, Marinette sniffed the air and hummed with delight. "Is that what I think it is?" Her dad looked back to grin at her, secreting the box in his hands into a plastic bag. "I had just enough time to pack them before you leave. They're really hot, but should cool by the time you get to school."

"Papa, you're the best!" Her dad set the bag on the counter before hugging his daughter tightly but swiftly. "Your mother had to open the bakery, but she left your breakfast beside your bag. If you run, you could probably eat it before homeroom?" Marinette glanced at the kitchen clock as she pulled away from the hug, grimacing at the displayed time. "Running and avoiding traffic laws... I'll see you later!" Marinette picked up her bag and the packet containing what smelt like piping hot bread, but before she could make a mad dash out the door she heard her dad's throat clear from behind her. "Aren't we forgetting something?"

"Oh— oops! She smiled sheepishly, swiping the bag of macarons from the counter. "I'll text you when I get there!" Tom leaned against the counter, smiling when he saw his wife enter. "Marinette just left, she said she'd text us when she gets there. Hopefully, it's on time." Sabine furrowed her eyebrows, holding up the object she was carrying. "With the phone she left downstairs?"

"Ah." Sabine chuckled softly, gently grabbing her husband's hand to lead him down the steps. "She'll figure it out soon, but for now we really need to restock."

"We're out of stuff already? The morning rush hasn't even started—"

"We need to make extra so we have enough for Mari's bake sale. Did you remember to ask her for the list of what she wanted?"

"Ah."

"...So that's where she got it from."