The New Guardian

Chapter 8: A Fresh Start

Marinette and Mint appeared at the base of a snowy mountain in Tibet. The temple stood at the top. It looked a little shinier and more developed than the images Master Fu had showed her, but it still kept the original ancient designs and shapes. The entire thing was huge.

"Now, you can meet me at the top." Mint said, releasing Marinette's hand before wiping her own on her leg.

"Wait, can't you just teleport us up there like you did when you brought us here?" Marinette panicked. "If you can zap me from Paris to Tibet, I think we can make it up a measly mountain."

"Of course I can." Mint rolled her eyes. "But we left Paris almost immediately and you made me take a pitstop, so . . . no one is actually expecting you and this is partial payback."

"What?!" Marinette dropped her suitcase.

"Geez, you're so loud." Mint retorted. "I'm going to teleport inside and tell the council that you're here. By the time you make it to the top, they'll be ready for you." She grinned.

Marinette shivered. "I don't know if you've noticed, but I'm not exactly dressed for this snow."

"Stop whining. Think of this as part of your training." Mint backed away. "We go through far worse sometimes, so a measly mountain, as you put it, shouldn't be much of a problem for you." She smiled and waved before poofing away.

Marinette sighed and picked up her suitcase. She stared up at the temple, immediately dreading the walk. Mint was a real pain, and she assumed this training would be too.

. . .

"What does this mean, Plagg?" Adrien sat on the edge of his bed, sighing. "I don't understand . . . "

"I don't know, she seemed really emotional after the whole being forced to admit her love to you incident today." Plagg retorted. "I don't know if rational thinking is a possibility for her right now."

"But Ladybug sent me a map twenty minutes ago and . . . I have no idea why." Adrien looked down at his phone. "It's strange."

Plagg flew to the cheese drawer. "Well why haven't you followed it? Isn't she the love of your life?"

"Ladybug wouldn't do something that ominous unless something's wrong, but it's hard to say."

"Like I said, there's a zero chance for rational thinking." Plagg rummaged through the cheese.

"If she wanted to meet, she could easily call or send a text." Adrien stood and walked to the window. "But this is different. I have a feeling that this map is a message itself." He sighed and turned around. "Plagg, Claws Out!"

Chat Noir jumped on the open window and pulled out his baton. He opened the map. Upon close inspection, it led to the Eiffel Tower, but there was an x on one spot. Oddly suspicious and very creepy. He might be walking straight into another trap, but what else could he do?

Chat Noir jumped out and propelled himself across the city. He flung himself on the tower and stopped, looking around. Definitely no Ladybug, but according to the map, she wants him to find something. Chat opened the map again and scaled the side of the tower, climbing higher. He moved left and jumped to a beam. He searched the area and found a white letter across from him. Chat used his staff to push himself to that beam. He reached under and grabbed the letter off of the metal. He flipped it over. It had Chat Noir written in cursive on the front.

"This is it." He sighed, peeling it open. He leaned back.

"Chat Noir,

After today's events and a lot of thinking, I have decided to take a break. My mind feels like it might explode, but this is for the best. I did not want you to know any of my secrets, let alone my feelings, so this is in fact necessary. If need be, I will find you a new partner for the time being, but because of my recent decision, no one else will be sent to Paris from the temple. Mint has promised me that, so you should be safe. But if another villain shows up for some odd reason, do not expect me to come. I have found a new way to fix our problems and it involves the Miracle Box. Maybe a new angle on this situation is for the best. Fighting a lost cause won't do us any good either. I will stay in the shadows until I decide to return to Paris. I don't know how long I will be gone and I don't know what will happen, but do not worry about me. I will return at some point, but distance is good for now. It's best we don't see each other or communicate, so don't try to find me. I am not lost.