Everything Gets Worse Before It Gets Better

Chapter 1

"M-Mom what's going on! Where's daddy?" 9 year old Mingyu asked. She didn't know what was happening. All she could hear were battle cries of masked men, the cackling of the raging fires outside, and the clang of swords.

"C-Come on, Mingyu! We need to get your father and leave!" Mingyu's mother, Lanying, cried. Lanying picked up her daughter and held her on her hip. 

"I-Is daddy okay?" Mingyu sobbed, anxious tears pouring down her face.

"Where is Guotin?" Lanying asked her family's advisor, Jianyu.

"He's on the battlefield, your Majesty." Jianyu confessed.

"What!?" Lanying shouted. "Bring him back here! W-We need to escape." 

"I-I'm afraid we can't, your Majesty." Jianyu hung his head. "He is already too far out."

"W-What do you mean? Is daddy not coming back? Will I never see him again?" Mingyu wailed.

"I-I don't know." Lanying slumped to the ground in tears. The rug underneath her was now soaking with salty tears from both the mother and the child. 

"Your Majesty, his Majesty is strong. I am sure he will come out alive." Jianyu reassured.

"I highly doubt that, seeing as who he's up against." A new voice came from the shadows behind the fireplace.

"Who are you." Lanying asked.

"My name does not concern me. What you choose to do, does." The figure came out from the darkness. In the light was a tan boy around Mingyu's age. He had dark hair and brilliantly green colored eyes. He was dressed in all black, and had a small cut on his left cheek.

"Can you bring my dad back to us?" Mingyu whimpered. The boy sighed and looked down.

"I shouldn't be doing this, but I know how to get your entire family to safety." He bowed his head. "But your Majesties and your Highness will have to trust me."

"H-How do we know we can trust you?" Lanying questioned.

"You don't. You just have to trust that I want to help."

"I trust him, mama." Mingyu whispered.

"Then I trust him, too."

"Follow me." The boy turned around and led us through the halls towards our escape passageway. "Your father is already here, I rescued him. He has a stab wound in his left ankle, I attempted to bandage it, but it's just a temporary fix." He bowed his head again.

"Thank you." Mingyu said sincerely.

"Of course." The boy blushed. Mingyu smiled and skipped up next to him. They continued to walk side by side until they reached a small cove in the dark passageway.

"Daddy!" Mingyu cried. She ran up to her father who's arms were wide open thankful for the embrace.

"My jade! I'm so happy you're safe!" Guotin hugged his wife and daughter. "Thank you." He turned towards the boy who was just staring at the family in a mixture of stoicism and envy. "We are forever grateful for your kindness towards us."

"It was my pleasure, your Majesty." He replied. Mingyu opened up her arms as a gesture for him to join her family hug. The boy hesitantly accepted and hugged the grateful family and Jianyu. Suddenly, they heard a large bang above them.

"The war is slowing down. We need to get out of here, now!" He warned. "I do, too." He muttered. Though, no one heard him over the sounds of new gunshots.

"Let's go! We can figure out what to do once we're at the our secluded apartment." His Majesty, Goutin, yelled.

They all sprinted through the long, underground passageway. A few minutes later, they reached a small door at the end of the tunnel. Guotin opened the door, and everyone shielded their eyes from the blinding evening sun. Little did they know, the heroic boy wasn't with them any more. 

"We're safe!" Lanying cried and fell on her knees onto the soft grass. The wind blew their fair onto their faces as they brushed themselves off. 

"T-Thank you, sir." Mingyu said and turned around only to face an empty passage. "He's gone." She mumbled sadly.

"Don't worry, Mingyu," Lanying started. "I'm sure you'll see him again one day."

"It may not be for a while, Mingyu, because we're going to send you out of the country. We can't risk your life again." Guotin stated sadly.

"W-What! No! I can't leave you! Please!" Mingyu cried.

"I'm so sorry, Mingyu. But it's for the best." Lanying cried.

"We're going to miss you." Guotin cried with his wife. Even Jianyu shed a few tears!

That's how Mingyu Xìngyùn became Marinette Dupain-Cheng. How the Princess of China went into hiding. And most importantly, how my crazy story started.