A Miraculously Tangled Tale (Tangled AU) #miraculousladybugawards2019

Chapter 1

Marinette wiped beads of sweat off her forehead with her arm before grabbing a pair of oven mittens and pulling out a fresh batch of croissants from the oven. 

"Voila!" she exclaimed. "Don't they look amazing, Tikki?"

The little red bird that was perched on Marinette's right shoulder chirped in approval. 

Marinette sat the tray down and pulled off her mittens. Her croissants looked deliciously light and buttery, and she was pleased with the final results. Baking has been one of her most favorite hobbies, though croissants had been tricky to make at first. But overtime, with practice, she was finally able to get them just right. 

She picked up her list of Daily Chores and Random Fun Things to Do and checked off the box next to Baking. She then looked to see what was next on the list. 

"Looks like sewing is next!" 

Tikki gave her a look that said, Seriously? We do that almost every single day. 

"Oh, come on, Tikki. I mean, I know we do these things almost every single day but what else are we supposed to do?"

Tikki spread her wings and flew toward an open window, chirping excitedly. Marinette shook her head with a knowing smile. 

"You know I can't leave this tower. Though I wish more than anything to have the ability to fly with you and soar through those clouds..." she sighed dreamily. She held out her index finger, where the little red bird immediately landed with a fluff of her feathers. 

"Come on," said Marinette. "Let's get some sewing done, then we can do painting, then reading, then..." she sighed with disappointment while glancing at her list again. There was only so much of this repetitive schedule that one can take. Nothing exciting ever happen, nothing new ever surprised her. She was deprived of adventure and the joy of freedom from being locked up in this tower her entire life. 

Yes, that's what she was yearning for--adventure. 

Marinette walked toward her window, her long midnight hair trailing behind her. She folded her arms on the windowsill, where she rested her chin while gazing at the sky. It was such a beautiful day. A slight breeze whistled through the trees in the forest, making their branches sway rhythmically. The sun shone brightly, it's rays reaching the nearby river, making the water look seemingly silver. She could hear more birds singing among the treetops and saw others busy with their nest-building. She also spotted a deer and her fawn feeding on grass not far from the tower grounds. 

"You know what, Tikki?" Marinette asked her animal companion. "I wish I was a forest animal...or even a tree. They don't have to be locked away in a tower."

Tikki began to preen her bright red feathers, but she gave a tweet every now and then to let Marinette know she was paying attention. 

"I mean, I know Mother only keeps me here because the world is horrible, cruel, and there's so much bloodshed and monsters and all" Marinette continued. "But every singe day, I just can't stop wondering what's out there...how it would feel like to be out there. Mother is usually right about mostly everything, so I shouldn't think about this too much. But still..."

"Marinettaaaaa!!"

A familiar sing-song voice called to Marinette from down below. She peered down and sure enough, it was her mother. 

"Hello, Mother!" Marinette waved with a smile.

"Hello, my sweet fairy. Now let down your hair for me please!"