So a couple of things:

First off, up until now this story has had about ML levels of violence - lots of fighting, but not a lot of injuries/blood/mentions of death. However, going forward, there will be more violence - about typical for PJO/Kane Chronicles. That includes death, mentions of blood and injuries, but nothing graphic.

Secondly, this chapter starts the subplot that is the reason this isn't "Feast"-compliant. It also ties in the two worlds a little more - and while it will be a while before we return to this, it does have a point. Kinda.

Thirdly, because I have managed to pull it off now a couple weeks in a row, I am officially giving this fic a posting schedule. I will be posting a new chapter here, AO3, and Tumblr every Wednesday.

Last but not least, over on my Tumblr LadyOfTheWifi, I'm participating in Marinette March by posting short one-shots or drabbles once a day (theoretically) for the month. I probably won't be posting these elsewhere though, so if you want to check them out, find me on Tumblr!


Chapter 9: Alya's Dream

Trixx followed their chosen as she darted through the hallway, concern bubbling to the surface.

Smoke was filling the air, but neither kwami nor girl noticed. People were yelling, screaming, but she was long past hearing anything.

A sharp turn around a corner and she pushed her way through a door into the library. She ran head-first towards a shelf, catching herself with her arms and collapsing against the structure. Her body shook with sobs.

Trixx landed on the shelf next to their chosen, but the girl didn't seem to notice. Trixx gave her a minute to sob, before speaking.

"So you messed up."

The girl froze, and glanced up at Trixx. She sniffled loudly. "Yeah, I guess I did."

"So what are you going to do about it?"

"Do about it?" She chuckled. "What is there to do about it? It's too late." She sunk down to her knees, pushing her curly hair out of her face.

Trixx landed on her shoulder. "You're completely right. After all, you are just one little helpless girl, what can be expected of you."

The girl scowled. "I am not helpless."

"You are acting like it," Trixx countered, crossing their arms.

Their chosen stared at them in frustration. "You are annoying."

"So you've told me," Trixx countered. "Kes, you messed up. And now armies of something are marching on us, and no one would blame you if you sat this one out. That is what you're planning on doing, right? Giving up?"

Kesiah scowled. "Are you the rabbit kwami now? Going to have me go back in time and prevent this from -" She shot straight up. "Wait, where are the unused miraculous?"

"Here, in this library, I suppose," Trixx replied. "Shame there's no one around to protect it."

Kesiah shot her kwami a look. "You are allowed to come right out and say something if you need to."

"You of all people should understand the value of indirection, pup," Trixx countered.

Stomping echoed in from the halls, and for the first time, Kesiah really smelled the smoke in the air.

"Someone's coming," Kesiah stated, pushing herself up off the ground. "Where did you say the miracle box was?"

"Our miracle box is in the center of the library," Trixx replied. "Right in plain sight, even though I told the guardians that was a bad idea."

Kesiah retied her hair back out of her face, and wiped the tears of her cheeks.

"But do they listen to me? No," Trixx was still saying.

"You'll have time to complain later," Kesiah interrupted. "We have a box to protect." She walked towards the center of the library, where the miracle box would be waiting.

"That's my girl," Trixx said. "Diving in without a plan."

"Plan," Kesiah repeated. "That would be a nice thing to have."

"You don't have much at your disposal pup," Trixx added. "But I think you have enough."

Kesiah taped her miraculous as she hummed. "This is when Tikki would be useful."

Trixx made a wounded sound, and Kesiah managed a chuckle.

"You're still my favorite kwami," Kesiah said. "But we can't win on illusion alone."

Trixx clicked their tongue. "I thought I taught you better than that."

The shelves thinned out, and Kesiah walked up to the table holding the miracle box. "You're right, of course, because illusion might be the only chance we have." She jerked her head towards the hallway as a loud sound echoed. "Right. Plan. Illusion. Protect the miracle box."

"I'd transform about now," Trixx suggested.

"Trixx, let's pounce!"

The transformation washed over her, giving her the boost of strength she desperately needed. Her dress changed, and Kesiah could feel her uniform - a fuzzy, grey jacket with an orange hood and fox ears, a grey cloth over her mouth, over a white shirt, black leather gloves, and orange trousers with black combat boots. Her flute bumped reassuringly on her hip, and she picked it up and spun it around.

"Alright," she muttered. "Let's fix this."

Kesiah closed her eyes, willing her body around her to change. A little shorter, a little stouter, a little older. She willed her clothing to change - a helmet, chain mail jacket, and dark green robes. She grabbed a shield off the wall, the exact replica of the one she needed, and tested its weight on her arm. How anyone regularly handled such large weapons was beyond her, but she could fake it for five minutes.

She put the flute to her lips and played a short melody.

"Mirage!"

The mirage - green shield with red detailing - appeared just as the door to the library banged open. And in she walked, flanked by two guards.

"Agnes," Kesiah greeted, her voice low and gravelly. "I had hoped better of you."

Agnes visibly recoiled, caught off guard by the appearance of the recently killed guardian. Kesiah studied her. Her dress was different, now striped on magenta and green instead of magenta and black. A necklace hung around her neck and a bracelet on her wrist. Kesiah grimaced. Since the two had last met, Agnes had acquired two more miraculous - the snake and the mouse - to supplement her own, the tiger. She had unified the snake and tiger - which should give her an extra power or two, but Kesiah couldn't remember what power. Kesiah was pleased to see that the wear of using two Miraculous was getting to her.

Behind Agnes, Mullo floated worriedly but quietly.

Kesiah didn't recognize the guards behind her, but she easily realized neither had any miraculous. It would make for an easy victory over them. It was Agnes - and the snake - that she had to worry about.

Agnes scowled. "I thought I finished you, old man."

"I'm not so easily defeated," Kesiah replied. "What do you want?"

"What do you think?" Agnes questioned. "I want the miracle box."

"You know better," Kesiah continued. "Using two miraculous is already wearing you out."

"Then I'll finish this quickly," Agnes declared. "Lower the shelter."

"No."

"Then I'll make you lower it," Agnes decided. She grabbed her weapon - a katar, someone had called it, a type of push dagger - and fell into fighting stance.
"Stripes on," she called, activating her near-invisibility. Kesiah's hearing could still pick up her breath.

"You can't hide from me," Kesiah said, mentally tracking Agnes's position.

Agnes struck first, from the side, leaning into her attack and leading with her dagger. Kesiah blocked, pushing Agnes back towards the center of the room. Agnes struck again, and again, but Kesiah blocked each blow.

Kesiah stayed on the defensive for a few minutes, waiting for Agnes to tired out. Her attacks slowly became weaker, sporadic. Kesiah threw her body into an attack, pushing into Agnes and knocking her down. She smacked her shield onto Agnes and pushed her knee into it, using a free hand to grab the bracelet off of her wrist.

She flipped back up, grabbing the shield and falling into her fighting stance. Behind her, the shelter faulted and disappeared, and Trixx spiraled out of her miraculous.

Kesiah mentally cursed. Stupid time limit.

"What?" Agnes asked. "You're powers aren't on a time limit." She narrowed her eyes. "Who are you?"

Well, no point in holding the illusion. Kesiah shifted back into herself.

"You?" Agnes blinked. "I thought you were on my side."

"Only because you lied to me," Kesiah spat. "Did you think I wouldn't figure you out?"

"Yes," Agnes admitted. "You're only a little girl."

"You made a mistake," Kesiah warned. She tossed the shield behind her and slipped on snake miraculous. "What's the phrase again? Scales slither?"

This transformation felt cold, and a little slimy, as it washed over her. The transformation gave her trousers and a long-sleeve jacket with a slim hood, and a lyre bumped against her leg.

Kesiah places her hand over the miraculous. "Second Chance?" The bracelet hummed in confirmation of the activation of her powers, but only three bars blinked on the bracelet.

The snake kwami must be starved by now. I'll have to do this quickly.

Agnes gestured for her two guards to surround Kesiah, but Kesiah didn't wait for them to attack.

She leaned down and launched herself off the balls of her feet, shifting mid-leap to a hawk. She dove down towards one of the guards, digging her talons into his face.
Agnes whacked at her with her push dagger, but Kesiah shifted again to a small fly and the dagger went into the guards face.

Kesiah dropped to the ground, shifting into a sand fox as she did so. She darted between Agnes' legs and transformed back into a human. She kicked the second guard in the groin, and landed on uppercut on his chin.

Agnes slashed at her again, but Kesiah dropped back down into a fox, and ran back under her legs. She shifted into a hawk, launching herself up and over Agnes.

The push dagger flew by Kesiah's wing, nearly sending her back to the ground. She dodged, barely, and flew straight for Agnes.

At the last moment, Kesiah shifted back into a human, ramming her leg into Agnes' chest and sending her backwards. Using the momentum, she kicked her heel into Agnes' face, knocking her over and onto the ground.

Kesiah leaned down, reaching for the mouse miraculous, and just as she nipped it, Agnes smacked her across the face with a rock.

Kesiah stumbled backwards, cheek stinging. Agnes scrambled for her dagger as Kesiah recovered.

"One miraculous left," Kesiah taunted. She felt the mouse kwami nudge her hand and grab the necklace, before flying off to safety.

Agnes grunted.

Kesiah ran towards Agnes, grabbing her lyre with one hand and lobbing it at her face. Agnes ducked, and Kesiah swiped her feet from under her.

Kesiah climbed on top of Agnes, using her small weight to keep her down, and clawed at the tiger miraculous on her hand.

"Not... Happening!"

Agnes headbutted Kesiah, knocking her down. Kesiah shifted into a snake, striking out and biting Agnes on the shoulder.

Agnes withdrew, and Kesiah shifted into a fox, trying not to gag. She hated biting people.

Agnes strikes again, and she and Kesiah wrestled on the ground for a moment. Agnes was stronger, heavier, and her shifting was the only thing keeping Kesiah alive.

Her bracelet beeped, reminding her of her time limit.

Kesiah shifted into a cobra, twisting her body around Agnes and tightening the grip. Agnes gasped for air, and after a few seconds, fell limp.

Kesiah dropped her as she changed back into her human form, Agnes falling like a sack of potatoes.

Picking her lyre off the ground, Kesiah cautiously approached Agnes. She stepped on her chest, before bending down to grab the miraculous.

A dagger hit Kesiah in the stomach.

Agnes yanked it out, and Kesiah - acting on impulse - hit Agnes on the head with her lyre. Agnes fell limp again, and her chest didn't rise again.

The world began to spin.

"Kes!" Trixx said, landing on Agnes' shoulder. "Use your second chance! Fix the wound!"

"No," Kesiah said, finally freeing the tiger miraculous. She stood up and stumbled towards the miracle box. "I can't risk fighting again and losing."

"Please! Your wound is fatal!" Trixx said.

"I didn't notice," Kesiah said wryly. She leaned on the edge of the box, slipping the bracelet off and placing it in its place.

She reached up to grab her necklace, but her vision went dark and she collapsed onto the ground, the miraculous still in her hand.


Alya woke with a start.


I promise this does have a point...