CHAPTER THREE:

HOME SWEET HOME

The sun wasted no time beating its scorching heat down upon the desert as night turned into day.

Trixx could feel her fur clumping together with sweat, and she panted heavily to try and cool off. Sadly, all it did was cause her dry, exhausted tongue to dangle from her mouth.

It didn't help that she had to lug the Miraculous all the way across the Astruc-cursed desert, or that Trixx had been flying all night. Her orange-and-black tuffed ears were droopy, and her violet eyes had dark circles under them. Her bushy, white-dipped tail flopped behind her, utterly lifeless.

Finally, the fox kwami couldn't take it anymore. With a dizzying sigh, she fell face-first through the air and plopped into a soft mound of sand.

She would've remained there to take a nice, well-deserved nap... except she suddenly realized she couldn't breathe.

Squirming like a snake in a charmer's basket, Trixx popped her head out of the dune and coughed violently, spitting granules out of her mouth. The kwami scowled. "This is terrific," she said sarcastically as she dragged her entire body – and the Miraculous – out of the suffocating sand.

Sitting up, Trixx pounded her paw against her head, causing more annoying bits to fly out of her long ears. She shuddered with a look of surprise. "I've got sand in places I didn't even know I had," she said.

Just then, a cold, female voice – almost like a distant echo – emitted from the Miraculous. "Spare me your prattling, Trixx!" the voice of Volpina shouted. "Are we out yet?"

Trixx made a dramatic, snooty face. "Are we out yet? Are we out yet?" she repeated in a high-pitched tone. She reverted back to her own voice and snapped, "Yes, we're out! We've been out for hours... no thanks to you."

She scooped up the amulet in her paws and glared into its surface. All the little fox saw was her own reflection, but she knew her old master was watching her.

"Is this the thanks I get for risking my tail for you?" Trixx asked bitterly. "If it weren't for me, you'd be stuck in a box forever."

No sound came this time.

Instead, the amulet began to glow.

Trixx blinked nervously right before a magical surge shot through her. With a painful yelp, she flew backwards and crashed into the sand dune.

The amulet had fallen from her paws and continued to illuminate with orange light. The magic it had just used to lash out at Trixx was nothing compared to the full power trapped inside it: the power to control the cosmos.

"You will now release me," Volpina stated before lowering her tone with a deep rumble, "so that I may have my revenge."

Trixx pulled herself back out and shook her fur. With a bored, haughty snort, she brushed herself off and muttered, "Yeah, yeah, revenge... I know. When I'm good and ready."

This time, the amulet was burning brightly. "Do as I say, you worthless pipsqueak!" Volpina commanded angrily.

That made Trixx's purple eyes widen.

Worthless?

Worthless?!

The kwami's face darkened, and she pivoted slowly back to the Miraculous. "That's quite a remark, coming from you," she said in a dangerously-low growl.

"What are you playing at?" Volpina said.

Trixx's eye-brows snapped up. "You need a history lesson? Okay, here's the recap: First, you allowed a street rat to snatch the earrings right from under your nose while you were busy playing "Ms. High-and-Mighty" at the Miraculous Temple. Second, you sent a couple of brainwashed idiots to get rid of Marinette when you should've grown a spine and done the deed yourself."

"You little –!"

"And third," Trixx declared, knowing she had hit a nerve, "you let that same blue-haired brat get into that soggy skull of yours, and now look where you are: trapped by your own stupidity!" The kwami took a deep breath and added, "You know something, Lila? It seems to me that I'm the only smart one here. Even now, you're nothing without me."

"How dare you," Volpina snarled.

But Trixx wasn't finished. All these years of being bossed around and beaten like a piñata had finally opened up a volcano of resentment within the kwami's little chest. "Who comes up with all the good ideas? Me!" she snapped. "Who does all the work? Me! And who keeps getting punished for your mistakes? ME!"

The Miraculous flared. "If it weren't for me," Volpina yelled, "you'd still be in a cage in the bazaar yapping "What does the fox say?"!"

The volcano erupted.

"That's it!" Trixx flung her paws against her sides. "I've had it! After everything I've done for you, after all the tricks I pulled just to help you get what you want...!"

For a moment, she felt her eyes burning. Was it tears? Was she about to cry?

Trixx shook her head. Only heroes cried. She was no hero. She wasn't even a villain. She was just the "worthless" sidekick.

At that moment, the kwami saw something not far ahead of her. It was an abandoned stone well, sitting there all decrepit and useless as the sand beneath Trixx's paws.

Trixx's violet eyes burned with something like resolve.

The worthless sidekick, heh? Not anymore.

"Fine," Trixx said firmly without a single trace of remorse. "I was a fool to let you run the show. Well now, I'm changing the entire act."

With that, she flew over and picked up the amulet by the chain.

Volpina must have felt the Miraculous move, because then she started barking, "What is this? What are you doing? Put me down! Trixx, I'm warning you!"

But the fox kwami ignored her as she carried the amulet over to the well. She stared down into the dark, bottomless pit. It seemed to go on forever – a whirling expanse with no end; no victory; no hope.

A fitting end for the foolish sorceress.

Trixx tried not to look back down as she said, "I'm cutting you lose, sister. Enjoy the rest of your immortal life alone." She sneered. "I certainly will."

The chain slipped from her paws.

Volpina let out a piercing cry as the Miraculous vanished into the darkness. The sound echoed on and on and on...

So Trixx just sat on the edge of the well and waved goodbye to it. "Arrivederci!" she called down playfully. "C'est la vie! Hope all goes well!" Then she muttered over her shoulder, "Not."

The voice of her former master eventually faded.

Trixx waited patiently, listening for the sound she was hoping for. Then she heard it: a soft splash.

Trixx had planned on cheering and celebrating with illusionary fireworks and everything. Strangely enough, the only thing that came out of her tiny snout was a heavy sigh. Whether it was relief or pain – or both – the kwami couldn't tell.

But she knew she had done the right thing. Volpina had never appreciated her, and she never would. From here on in, Trixx would take on the world with her own two forepaws. She would carve her own destiny. She would become her own villain.

"I'm looking out for me now," Trixx stated with a smile as she turned tail and flew off in the direction of Agreste.

Not once did she bother to look back.

When she finally passed through the city limits, Trixx inhaled deeply. The scents of baked clay, fresh fruits, hookah smoke, and perfume alleviated her senses. She let out a deep, happy sigh.

She eyed the hordes of peasants strolling through the marketplace. Palace guards patrolled the streets. Merchants advertised their wares. Women carried baskets of flowers, laundry, and bread on their heads. Children played and laughed on the rooftops. Performers played instruments or acted out scenes from a play. The public's favourite, apparently, was The Ladybug Princess.

Trixx huffed. And I thought Lila was boisterous, she thought as she flew on.

Soon, she arrived at the beat-down areas of the city. Thieving boys crawled everywhere and snatched whatever was in reach of their little hands. Courtesans waved and winked to men who gave them licentious grins. Unshaven types lingered in the shadowy alleys, watching passersby like hungry vultures.

Home sweet home, the kwami thought.

"Ah, Agreste," she sighed with a smirk. "A rich, golden goose just waiting to be plucked... and I'm holding the tweezers." Trixx landed on the fence to a camel stop and puffed out her tiny chest. "I'll be running this joint within a week!" she declared.

She caught one of the camels gazing down at her as he chewed his food, looking quite bored with her boasting.

Trixx scrunched up her nose and got in the camel's face. "What are you looking at, Liver Lips?" she snapped. "What, you think I can't do it?"

The camel spat at her in response.

Trixx yelped as she dodged the bullet of spit and flew away. Then she frowned. "Okay, that's how it's going to be, heh? Just me against the world." she murmured to herself. "No problem. I'll cover my own tail. I can take care of myself."

Well, Trixx was indeed smart, but she could be a little overconfident in her abilities.

She learned that the hard way in the marketplace today.

A pastry chef caught the fox kwami munching on an oversized meat pie and sent her scurrying off, waving his knife at her.

She was washing herself in a water trough, but she used a sheep's wool coat to dry herself off. The sheep didn't like that, and soon the whole flock and the shepherd were on her tail.

A jeweler was peering at a large emerald through his magnifying glass... when he saw several strange foxes adorned with rings, beads and necklaces. Looking up, the man realized it was Trixx swiping some of his wares and trying frantically to snatch her with his hands. As Trixx dodged him, her jewelry fell off.

This, of course, attracted the attention of the local fruit inspector, who picked up a rotten melon and sent it flying at the unsuspecting kwami.

SPLAT!

Trixx got hit full force and crashed into a sandstone wall. She was plastered with pink juice and her fur was now all sticking out all over.

The jeweler raised his fist at the kwami. "Steal from us again," he shouted, "and we'll strip off your fur and feed you to the jackals!"

Dizzy and disoriented, Trixx squeaked, "No problem." Then she peeled right off the wall and fell flat onto the dirty street.

Once the men had left, Trixx got back up and let out a disgusted groan.

"I don't get any respect around here," she grumbled as she tried to pry the sticky goop off her fur. "Not once!"

The thought lingered in Trixx's heart like a tumour, one that grew larger as the day went on. Everywhere she went, people closed their doors to her. Everything she tried to steal didn't stay stolen for more than five seconds. Everyone she meet either ignored her or gave her bitter, contempt looks.

It wasn't until late into the afternoon when Trixx realized that maybe... just maybe... she couldn't do everything on her own.

But who in this entire city could she depend on? She never had a friend she could trust. Volpina certainly didn't count. And judging by the attitude of the people, she doubted any of them would want to be her friend... especially if they knew who she really was.

Volpina had not just tarnished her own reputation – she had tarnished Trixx's as well.

Just then, a trumpet blew in the distance, causing Trixx's ear to perk up.

Someone important was entering the city.

Soaring quickly through the air, Trixx took shelter in the cover of a concession stand and gazed out onto the massive main road ahead. Already, a massive crowd gathered on each side.

Three figures were trotting along the street on horses, each carrying heavy sacks.

Trixx's hope fell when she recognised two midnight-blue tails on one of the riders.

It was that baker's brat, her Prince Charming, and her redheaded thief friend. They were tossing out... wait, was that treasure?!

Sure enough, coins, gems, and artefacts were being dropped at the people's feet. Children squealed and played in them like piles of snow. Women cried and beamed with delight as they scooped the gold up into their aprons. Men cheered and waved to the heroic threesome with deep gratitude.

Their smiles, their laughs, the way they called out the prince's name... and Marinette's...

Ladybug! Ladybug!

The people loved her; idolized her; worshipped her.

She had everything she ever wanted; fame, fortune, and love. She was going to be queen someday, for Astruc's sake!

Marinette had come from the wrong side of the alley... and yet she had managed to find happiness.

A strange voice whispered inside Trixx: Only heroes get happy endings. Everyone knows that.

The fox kwami's bulbous head dipped low.

How in the name of Astruc was she going to last the week in this city on her own? She had no master, no home, no friends...

Enjoy the rest of your immortal life alone. I certainly will.

Trixx sighed. "I guess the joke's on me," she murmured sadly as she zipped away into the cover of a lonely alley.

MB: Aww... poor Trixx. Somebody give her a hug.

I based the dialogue and text on lyrics from "I'm Looking Out For Me" from The Return of Jafar. (Again, I don't own).