"Finally," Heba breathed as he found where the desserts had been flung by the servants who had fled the scene and broke off a piece of honey cake for his kwami partner.

"We'll be back out there soon. I just need something to eat," Tikki promised, her tone exhausted as she took it with shaking paws. Heba just glanced in the direction his grandfather and Prince Atem had gone with a grimace. It was a little unfair that despite him being an adult in the eyes of Egypt, he had a time limit to his powers because he was not old enough to be considered an adult by the people who had made the artifact originally.

By Egyptian standards Heba had been an adult for years. By Chinese standards, he was years short.

And since the Ladybug earrings came from China, he would not be able to bypass the five-minute time limit after he activated his Lucky Charm until he either hit their age of adulthood, or grew strong enough magically to handle the full powers of the Miraculous.

He knew that it was a failsafe to prevent the incredible magic power from overwhelming its user. Knowing that was little comfort, however, since before he could defeat Hasad, it had forced him into hiding. While his identity was thankfully intact, the akuma targeted those he needed to protect. All he could do was bide his time, unable to transform, until Tikki recovered her strength.

The sounds of people rushing towards the entrance of the dining hall made Heba pale. As Shimun's grandson, he was allowed in the hall. However, if he got caught up in explaining himself to the guards, he would lose precious time.

He darted over to the doorway and pressed himself against the wall next to it before peering around. Outside, the guards were gathering, with the Pharaoh and Karim doing the organising. Heba pursed his lips, unable to help but wonder where the heck Akhenaden was since it was his job to organise the defence of the palace.

"All full." Tikki shot over and patted his shoulder, her tone much brighter after eating. "Let's go."

"Tikki, spots on!" Heba did not need telling twice and even as the power surged through him, changing him from his usual, scrawny self to someone who actually stood a chance against the akuma roaming the halls, he bolted for the hallway where his grandfather and the Prince had gone.

The sounds of metal clanging drew Kheper down the hallways and as he slid around the corner, he was confronted by the sight of Hasad stabbing his sword through a crack in the shield of green light that had been blocking the corridor and drawing the energy of it into himself.

The green-clad man on the other side staggered back, giving Hasad the opportunity he needed to lash out and strike the warrior before him.

"No, you don't!" Kheper launched his yoyo, which wrapped around the blade-wielding arm and dragged it back, putting Hasad off of his feet and giving the other transformed person a chance to recover.

"Shell-ter!" the turtle miraculous user called, only for his eyes to widen when the shield failed to form, having planned to trap the akuma within the shell-like bubble. His target got to his feet and tried to drag the Ladybug wielder towards him using the string of the yoyo.

"Get away," Kheper ground out the words as he struggled to hold his ground, yanking back on the weapon, aware that his grandfather had put on the turtle miraculous earlier in the day, so the other person fighting was most likely him, and not wanting Shimun to get hurt.

"But…"

"You don't have your powers. Go! Before he can take everything else too!" the Ladybug wielder snapped, managing to get a step backwards as the other man hesitated just a moment longer and then fled down the hallway.

"I'll just find him later." The weathered-bronze-skinned akuma snorted, having been playing with his prey. "After all, you've already failed to beat me once."

All it took to win the tug-of-war was for Hasad to grab the string with his other hand and yank. The strength he had stolen from all his previous victims allowed him to pull Kheper off of his feet and across the corridor towards him.

As he reached out to seize the Ladybug bearer, Kheper managed to get his feet under him securely enough to roll underneath the attacker and kick his knees out from behind sending the thug toppling to the floor with a massive clang.

"Now where's the…" He started as he got close enough to the akuma to try and figure out where the butterfly was hiding, only to cut off with a yelp as green light travelled up the string of his yoyo. Before it could reach him, he let go, preventing Hasad's magic-stealing power from touching him but disarming himself in the process.

It was the moment the akuma was waiting for.

With a burst of stolen speed, Hasad shot to his feet and seized Kheper by the throat before slamming him into the wall and pinning him there. The captured teen tried to pull the hand choking him away, panic settling in as Hasad's sword lit up green and the thug lowered it toward his stomach.

If the akuma stole the powers of the Ladybug, there would be no one who could purify the akuma…

But if he released his transformation and chucked the earrings away from Hasad before he could steal their power, someone else could bear the Miraculous, even if it meant he got hurt or worse…

"Tikki…"

He did not need to endanger himself as something black and green collided with the akuma, knocking it away from Kheper, who staggered, drawing a full breath as Hasad flew down the corridor, sent tumbling further by a staff of some form of silver metal that continued to push for just a little longer before its wielder turned to him.

"Are you alright?" the other young man asked, green-edged cat ears turning towards the akuma, listening for sounds of movement, tail twitching in a manner reminiscent of agitated cats.

Kheper took a moment to observe his new ally then nodded. "I'm fine, thank you for the help. I'm Kheper."

"Kem Mau, and you're welcome." The feline warrior stepped between Kheper and the magically charged thug who was getting to his feet, wielding his staff like a sword. "Any idea how to deal with him?"

"We need to find where the butterfly is hiding and purify it if we want to undo all the harm Hasad's done." Kheper's eyes narrowed for a moment, trying to think about everything he had seen.

Then it hit him. In order to steal power from others, Hasad required contact between his victim and the sword in his hand.

He did not get a chance to tell Kem Mau before the thug was on them and the feline ally was forced onto the defensive, managing to knock the sword away, rather than get locked into a struggle where his powers could be seized.

Kheper was unwilling to let Kem Mau fight alone, and he snatched up his yoyo and threw it skywards.

"Lucky Charm!"

In a flash of light, a bag made of a sack-like material, in a vibrant red with black spots, appeared in midair and then landed in Kheper's hands with a clink. Inside were a set of red and black marbles.

As he looked around, trying to work out what to do with them, Kem Mau narrowly dodged the minions who had finally caught up with their master and planted himself between them and the Ladybug wielder.

Kem Mau knew his father and that he would muster guards to counter the threat. There should be fighting in the dining hall. That there were no sounds of battle bouncing down the corridor unnerved him. It suggested that all the guards that had been flooding into the room when he and Shimun had fled were either unconscious or had been ordered to go somewhere else by the akuma who had seized control of them.

Not that he had time to worry about where they had gone as Abrax and Shada launched themselves out of the shadows of the nearby pillars in an attempt to grab him. He swung his staff and knocked them both back, before having to twist to narrowly avoid Hasad's blade.

In one smooth movement he brought his staff up and blocked the blade before lashing out with his claws, stopping the akuma from being able to focus long enough to use the contact to steal his powers.

Hasad leapt back to avoid the sharp talons then darted forward with a burst of stolen speed that Kem Mau just could not match. The akuma slammed into the Cat Bearer, sending Kem Mau tumbling across the floor and crashing into a pillar hard enough to knock it over and stun him.

"Kem Mau! His sword!"

He forced his head up at Kheper's call and watched as his ally launched a cascade of marbles across the floor. Kem Mau's eyes opened as he realised what Kheper meant, grinning slightly as Hasad attempted to dart across the room to grab him, only to trip on the tiny balls and go crashing to the floor.

As the Pharaoh, Mahad, and Karim rushed into view backed by several guards, Hasad's sword went spinning across the room.

And the black cat pounced.

"Cataclysm!" At his call the hand bearing the ring lit up in a black aura and when he brought it down on the blade, the well-made weapon corroded and dissolved into rust, allowing the black and purple butterfly within it to flutter free.

"No more evil doing for you, little akuma." Kheper launched his yoyo and seized the creature from the air, the carapace-like structure snapping shut around it as the yoyo recoiled into its owner's hand.

As a white butterfly was released from the shell of the magical weapon, dark purple bubbles surrounded Hasad and when they died down, Khafra was left behind on his knees, gazing at the world around him as if he could not comprehend what was going on.

"Freeze!" At the yell, Kem Mau looked back over his shoulder to find that his father's Millennium Item was glowing and the guard were advancing on them.

"I can fix everything!" Kheper yelped as he backed up quickly, an odd, high-pitched chirp sounding twice as he did so. "Please Pharaoh, let me."

The Pharaoh's eyes narrowed for a moment as he considered them, and Kem Mau shifted from foot to foot, torn between protecting his ally and not wanting to fight his father.

"Do it."

"Miraculous Kheper!" The Ladybug Wielder threw the bag the marbles had come in into the air and it exploded into a cloud of red beetles with black spots that shimmered as the cloud expanded outwards, fixing the pillar that had been knocked down when Kem Mau had slammed into it, along with everything else that had been broken.

Everyone who Hasad had grabbed control of was set free by the burst. Shada and Abrax, who were the closest of the possessed, stumbled to their feet, dazed and a little confused, as their Millennium Items glowed, their powers returning to them.

Kem Mau stretched out his back, relief hitting hard as the pain caused by the impact with the pillar died down. He was not a fool, he was fully aware that if he had not been using the powers of the ring, that impact would have been a lot worse. He had been prepared to just accept light bruising instead, but he was glad that he did not have to try and explain it.

As the light show died down, the Pharaoh's shoulders sank and he let out a soft huff before speaking. "Guards, seize Khafra. You two, who are you and where is my son?"

"My name is Kem Mau, and I took Prince Atem somewhere safe, my Pharaoh," Kem Mau promised with a bow, when Kheper hesitated, concern twisting his features as he glanced around.

"And I am Kheper." The Ladybug bearer bowed, his voice wavering in his relief as the guards pulled Khafra to his feet. "It is an honour to serve you, my Pharaoh."

He straightened and grimaced at Kem Mau when the same chirping noise came from the ring upon his ally's finger. "But we need to go."

"You WILL stay and explain things." At the Pharaoh's order, Kheper's expression shifted from worried to frustrated.

"We can't. Not right now. There might be traces of the one who transformed him that we can track," Kheper dared to argue with the Pharaoh, earning him a startled gasp from some and a disgusted noise from Shada. "But I can return later."

The Pharaoh considered him for a moment longer, watching as the teen's hand went to his ear as a second chirping noise rang in the silent corridor.

"Then go, but I expect you both to return, no matter what you find." The pair turned to leave. "And Kem Mau. I expect my son returned to me, unharmed."

"Of course."

The pair fled out of the window, using their weapons to swing or pole vault onto the palace roof, where the linens were drying. Kheper darted behind one of the hanging sheets as his earrings chirped again.

"You know, we should probably know who each other are, in case we need to call on each other again," Kem Mau offered as he reached for the sheet.

"NO!" At Kheper's suddenly loud objection, Kem Mau pulled back. "No… It's not safe. Not right now. We don't know who we can trust, and there's… one of the Millennium Items can read people's minds. If we know each other's identities, we could betray each other by accident."

For a moment the Prince beneath the mask wanted to order the other teen to reveal his identity, since it was clear that Kheper was high enough in the palace to know what the items the High Court held could do. Then Kem Mau sighed and stepped back, aware that Kheper had already told the Pharaoh 'no', and trying force the issue that way would out his own identity, something that the woman he had collected the Black Cat Ring from had not thought safe.

"Alright." He sighed, turning away. "I understand."

"Thank you." The relief in Kheper's voice was palpable. "Tikki, spots off."

The red flash seeped through the sheet, tempting Kem Mau further, but as his Ring chirped for a third time, he turned away. Checking that he was out of sight of the stairs that the servants used to reach the drying racks, he followed suit.

"Plagg, claws in." The transformation fell and there was a moment where Atem missed the extra strength and senses, then Plagg appeared in front of him. The Prince's hands reached out automatically to catch the magical feline as he fell. "You alright?"

Plagg stared at him, green eyes wide, like he had not expected Atem to ask. "I'm… okay. Just hungry."

The Prince patted himself down and then winced, realising he had not grabbed anything for his companion to eat from the banquet table. Then a hand emerged from behind the sheet, holding a section of honey cake.

"I don't know if Plagg can eat this…"

"He can," A quiet female voice, probably Kheper's kwami, confirmed from Kheper's side of the cloth.

"You know I prefer cheese, honeycake," the cat quietly rumbled as Atem took the offered food and passed it to Plagg, who nibbled on it with an expression that told Atem he would need to work out how to carry something dairy with him.

Then he mentally flinched as he remembered that he would not be holding the Ring for much longer.

"Once we've renewed ourselves," the teen behind Kheper's mask started, "you need to get Atem back to his father, and I'll see if I can trace Khafra's transformation back to…"

"Kheper? You alright?"

"Yes, but… how much do you know about the situation?"

Atem paused and tried to remember. "Not much, I know about the woman protecting the magical jewels, but that's about it."

There was a moment's pause and then, "Kem Mau, transform and follow me?"

"What…?"

"I want to explain things but I need her permission. We should go and see her."

"What about getting the Prince to his father? And the bad guy?"

"There's no way we can trace them right now. Once the akuma has been purified, they lose their connection, but I know who Hasad's first victims were. I can ask them questions later and see if there's any clues there. You said Atem was safe?"

Plagg gave him an amused look as Atem chuckled. "Yes, quite safe."

"Then we have time."

"Kheper… she might take the Ring from me. I made a promise I would return it when the threat was dealt with."

An unhappy noise from his ally made Atem feel a little better.

"If it helps, you are a much better holder than my last one," Plagg offered the Prince, who gently ruffled the fur between the black cat's ears.

"Thank you. Are you ready?"

Plagg grinned at the question, making Atem wonder just how awful the last bearer had been. "Let's go."

"Plagg, claws out." As the magic surged through him again, he heard Kheper transforming too. Once the glow had died down, the other teen stepped out from behind the sheet hiding him.

"Kem Mau… if it helps? I'll fight for you," Kheper offered with a smile, before launching himself off of the roof. The black cat bearer watched him go, keeping a close watch on which window he went through, before letting out an amused noise, relieved that holding back his royal tendencies had possibly earned him a friend, one who was not afraid to act like a normal person around him, rather than watching his words because Kem Mau was a Prince.

He stepped up onto the ledge surrounding the flat roof and took a deep breath.

"Okay, Mau. Time to convince her that you're needed…" As he tried to psych himself up, he launched himself off the roof, using his staff to catch himself mid-fall, adjusted his trajectory by pushing himself off the wall, and shot through the same window Kheper had swung into.

Neither of them saw that, on the ground below, Akhenaden was hurrying towards the dining hall.

But then he had not seen them either.

Author Note: Absolutely amazing art of Kem Mau and Kheper can be found here: miraculousegypt . tumblr . com