The Wolves in the Woods

Afraid of the Light

We can easily forgive a child who is afraid of the dark; the real tragedy of life is when men are afraid of the light.

— Plato

***

The akuma responds to the threats against her sanctuary.

***

             Cyprian whirled the flower petals in his hand, absently switching between observing the battle happening down below and watching his blossoms work their magic. He estimated that it had been close to an hour and a half since Marinette was akumatized. And in that time, there had been a sizable crowd gathered around the Place des Vosges, for whatever reason. Were humans always this drawn to things that could kill them? It had been a riddle he never had much luck solving.

Of course, given the sheer size of the park, not every side was covered thoroughly. He spotted the Iberian Guardian on the ground level. Sneaking around to find somewhere to transform, and scoping out the akuma's threat level. The little White Cat Kwami frantically darted around, desperately searching for an opening amid the plethora of armed police officers and firefighters. The alleys were out of the question given how many people were present. And since the other two Iberian Heroes were stuck inside the labyrinth, the White Cat was on his own.

That wasn't counting the wolves that had appeared inside the maze, naturally. In their scheming to force Hawk Moth to bear his hand, they had conveniently "forgotten" that the Father Wolf would be among those trapped inside the labyrinth. Given the scope of the akuma that resulted in Marinette finally shattering, it was a good call to turn a blind eye.

She wasn't going to make it easy for them, even with the Pack on their side.

Rrrrrrumbleeee...

The three Fae turned their attention to the center of the labyrinth, where the akuma's cocoon was safely nestled away. Unseen by human eyes, the glow of the cocoon stood out among the dark pinks and vibrant foliage that decorated the maze. Before, it had a steady pulse of bright pink light. Rhythmic and unchanging. As though the akuma had finally gained control over her life courtesy of a deal with the devil.

But now it had begun to pulsate like a rapidly beating heart. In and out, in and out. The vines that gracefully fell over the walls began to twitch. Unease spread throughout the startled crowd when the guardians suddenly stood still. Like statues that populated an abandoned garden. Slowly, one by one, the bluebell eyes in the roses turned their attention to the labyrinth.

CRACK!!!

The crowd jumped, scrambling to get back as a large crevice suddenly appeared in the walls of the labyrinth. The earth continued to rumble, the empty shops and homes clattering with the shaking dishes and furniture. One by one, the corners of the labyrinth shifted and turned, transforming from a park-wide box to a more complex structure resembling a castle. The roses along the vines pulled in on themselves, shifting with the changing structure. The screams inside had subsided, thankfully, replaced by the howls of the Pack inside. Yet still, even with the hope that had sparked in the hearts of everyone present, the akuma had made it clear to everyone watching.

The battle was far from over.

"Persistent one, isn't she," Levante grumbled.

"Now now, Levante," the Wood Fae tsked. "You do realize Hawk Moth has been waiting on this one for a while." He clenched his fist, dismissing the petals summoned by his magic. "It's only natural he'd put his all into it."