Author's Note: Yes, this is a multi-chapter fic. I have through the third already written in the notebook, though I'm not 100% sure where the story shall be going from there. And, even though Alya has been declared Volpina, I've decided to keep this fic as more AU. I'm not trying to predict the next season, just play with an idea and a few of my headcannons. Which is why I'm keeping the Fox Kwami's name as Calli, instead of changing it to the official Trixx. Trixx just strikes me as a cliche name for a fox so ... yeah. Calli is taken from the Latin "callidus" which means "clever. And, yes, I'm a huge fan of irony and I think that it'd be terribly funny if 90% of Lila's story is actually true. Just with Alya instead of Lila. So, yeah, that's why I went with the Grandmother.

Alya could only stare at the tiny orange creature that hovered over her desk. It was about the size of a mouse, but with a large, bushy tail that it had wrapped itself and tucked over its eyes. And it was floating.

Hesitantly, she poked it. It didn't feel like any animal that she'd ever touched before - not furry, feathery, or scaly. It didn't even feel like skin. It was incredibly soft, though, a rubbery softness, but not rubbery.

The creature shuddered, and the tail lifted to reveal a pointed nose and two long, drooping whiskers. "Have you finally come to beg forgiveness, Danielle? It's taken you long enough."

Alya considered screaming at the sound of that high-pitched, yet refined voice, but the desire only lasted a few moments. She did live in a city where people could be possessed by butterflies and turned into supervillains. A talking, floating, orange mouse wasn't too crazy.

"Danielle's my grandmother," she answered. "I'm Alya."

The tail finally lifted completely from the creature's face, revealing a pair of blinking brown eyes. "Oh, is that so?" the creature asked. "Can't say that I'm too surprised that Danielle would give me up like that. Unless - she's not..." The brown eyes widened, and the whiskers drooped piteously. "Did something happen to her?"

"She was still alive and well a few minutes ago," Alya hastily assured the orange mouse. "As far as I know, she didn't have a heart attack on the way down the stairs."

"Ah. Good for her. Danielle was a good girl for all her faults."

"What - what are you?" Alya asked. "A fairy or something?"

"That's an accurate description, but the proper term is kwami," the creature answered. "The Fox Kwami, to be accurate. The name is Calli."

"A Kwami?"

"We grant powers to people. I grant the power of Illusion."

"You grant - illusion. Do you mean that my grandmother was the real Volpina?"

"If your grandmother was Danielle, then yes," Calli answered. "However, since it seems that she's giving me to you, it looks like you'll be Volpina now. What did you mean by real?"

"I get to be Volpina?" Alya repeated, not hearing the question that Calli had asked. "Really? How?"

The little kwami rolled her eyes. "You won't be answering any questions until you have this out of your system, will you? Fine. Put the necklace on."

Alya glanced back down at the box. There was a necklace inside, a golden spiral for a pendant, like an upside-down question mark. She frowned. "Wasn't this a fox tail a few moments ago?"

"When I was inside it, sleeping, yes," Calli answered. "When I am not in it, it is golden like this. Now put it on."

Alya didn't need to be told a third time. The necklace was around her neck faster than she could type a text.

"Now what?" she asked, fingering the golden tail.

"First of all, a few rules," said Calli, half-closing her eyes. "As Volpina, you will have increased strength, speed, reflexes, and flexibility, as well as heightened senses, but your main power will be illusion, which is to be activated by playing your flute, your main weapon. Keep in mind that you'll have to picture the illusion in precise detail before you play, you can only use it once, and after using it, you'll have only five minutes before you turn back into Alya."

"That makes sense," Alya admitted, nodding. It was in line with what she knew of Ladybug and Cat Noir. "So now what?"

"Also," Calli continued, "Your identity must be kept a complete secret. For now, even from other miraculous holders."

"Other ... such as Ladybug and Cat Noir?"

"If we should happen to tangle with them, yes," Calli answered. "The necklace is your miraculous, the fox miraculous. To become Volpina, all you have to say is, "Tail on!"

"Tail on," Alya repeated.

The world exploded purple.