CHAPTER SIX:

ECHOES OF THE PAST

They waited until midnight, when everyone except the night watch was safe and asleep in their rooms.

Once the palace halls were silent and empty, Alya slipped out of her chambers and carefully inched the door closed behind her. Trixx stowed away in the pocket of her guard costume.

The outfit had been courtesy of Nino: a black tunic and matching pants, leather boots, and silver gauntlets and with a matching breastplate. A silver helmet allowed Alya to tuck her hair in, and it concealed the top half of her face. Alya hadn't asked for a weapon, but Nino had given her a small sword anyway. "The other guards will get suspicious if they see you're unarmed," he had said. "Just act natural and don't speak unless you have to."

So Alya put the whole ensemble on and stuck to the plan: head down to the southwest corridor and meet Nino there after the second guard shift ended. Alya only had a few minutes, so she had to be quick.

Keeping a steady pace, she marched down the hall and kept her head up as other members of the night watch walked by. Thankfully, they didn't talk much. They just nodded in greetings and went on their way. Alya couldn't help but grin. If I had known sneaking around the palace was this easy, she thought, I would have done it years ago.

Trixx stayed as snug as a bug within her tunic, only whispering when she was getting uncomfortable. "Are we there yet?"

"Not yet," Alya hissed, being watchful of a squad of men on the far side of the royal gardens. "Just stay put."

"Well, could you hurry it up? I'm dying in here."

Alya exhaled through her nose. Why oh why did I have to bring her along? Oh, right – because I'm a good guy, and I owe her. The redhead prayed to Astruc she wouldn't regret this.

Suddenly, she heard a throaty call behind her:

"Ho there!"

Alya stifled a gasp, as did Trixx, and she glanced over her shoulder.

There was a guard behind her, but he wasn't looking at her – he was looking at another guard in the gardens.

"Keep your lantern up, soldier!" the guard called. "You're not watching for insects."

"Aye, sir! Sorry, sir!" the lesser guard called back.

Alya loosed a breath, and she quickly ducked into a dark hallway before the guard behind her could see and question her too. She leaned against a marble pillar and sighed with her hand on her vigorous heart. "Phew!"

"Geez," Trixx murmured. "Not that I'm complaining, but who enlisted that bozo?"

Alya smirked. "You think soldiers get paid because they're smart?" she quipped as she continued down the hall, which was lit by very minimal torches.

"Good point," Trixx noted. "Lila... I mean, Volpina always found them too easy to brainwash."

Alya's grin lowered. The sourness in the kwami's voice wasn't easy to miss. "Trixx," she whispered. "Is it... hard to talk about her? Volpina?"

The kwami shrugged. "Well, it's not like I miss being used by an evil enchantress. You know what I mean?"

"Well, yeah, but..." Alya picked her next words carefully. "She was the only friend you had."

"Friend?" Trixx snickered. "You forget, kid. Volpina was really good at tricking people into to trusting her – just ask Gabe. I've never had anyone to call "friend", and she definitely wasn't one of them." There was a small pause, and then Trixx added softly, "She certainly made it convincing, though, making me believe she was my friend."

Alya couldn't help but glance down at the fox kwami. Wasting your efforts to help a person who only used you for your power? Alya pitied Trixx, but it made her worry about the kwami as well. Being abused by someone you called a friend never ended really well, especially for that same someone.

"Is that why you tossed Volpina's amulet away?" Alya asked. "Because she lied to you?"

Trixx looked up at her skeptically. "Why are you so interested in my feelings?"

"Because I know how it feels to watch your best friend become somebody you don't recognise anymore," Alya replied. "Believe me; the emotions you get from that aren't easy to deal with."

Trixx blinked at her. "Oh, yeah – I remember. The princess-thing had gotten to Marinette's head and you got upset with her. I heard the whole thing."

Alya stopped in her tracks. "You heard?"

At that moment, it was Alya's voice coming out of the kwami's mouth instead of Trixx's: "You told me once that you were lucky to have me as a friend. Were you lying about that as well?"

Alya gawked. Is that what I sound like?

Trixx shrugged again. "Yes, I heard," she said in her normal voice. "It was when Volpina sent me to get the earrings. Can you blame me for eavesdropping?"

Alya sighed and shook her head. "I... You know what? It doesn't matter," she stated. "Besides, Marinette got over it. She fixed her mistakes. Volpina didn't." She smiled back down at Trixx. "That's what makes the good friends different from the bad."

Trixx said nothing more as Alya moved on.

"About time," Nino complained in a hushed tone. He was dressed in the same night guard attire, so the only thing different about him was his tanned skin under his helmet. "I was starting to worry you got into trouble along the way." He glanced down at Trixx as he said that.

Alya grinned as she joined him in the middle of the dark corridor. "Rule Number One of being a thief," she said. "You're only in trouble if you get caught."

Trixx flew over to Nino and whispered, "I'm starting to see why you like her."

The Apprentice Royal Steward went red in the face. "None of your business, Fox," he snapped.

Trixx folded her arms. "Touchy."

"Shh!" Alya put a finger to her lips. "Save it for later, you two. Trixx, are you sure this is the spot?"

"Of course I'm sure. I practically lived in that creepy old dungeon, remember?" The little fox hovered over to one of the blank walls and began listening in through the stone.

"I still don't get it," Nino said. "King Gabriel had the entire palace searched three times over, and we still haven't managed to find Volpina's lab."

Trixx grinned over at him. "You really think an enchantress would make the entrance to her secret lair easy for a mere human to find?"

Alya dipped her head in a side nod. "She's got a point."

Nino frowned at her. "Please don't agree with her. It's making me uncomfortable."

Alya rolled her eyes at him before looking back at Trixx. "How do we open it?" she asked.

"How would Volpina open it? Magic, of course." With that, Trixx flew back and waved her little paws at the blank wall.

Alya and Nino recoiled as the entire slab of stone slid to the side, revealing a tunnel of pure, endless darkness. The redhead could have sworn she heard moaning from deep within.

Trixx spun around with a smile. "Told you so," she sang.

Nino stiffened, his eyes wide behind his glasses. "Okay, little buddy – I'll give you props for that."

Alya glanced over her shoulder before whispering, "Let's get moving. Someone might have heard the door opening."

Alya and Trixx filed in while Nino quickly picked up a nearby torch and hurried after them. Trixx waved her paws again, and the entrance sealed shut behind them with a grinding groan.

All Alya saw were the faces of Nino and Trixx in the light of the torch.

The kwami looked around. "Remind me to have a chat with maintenance," she murmured. "This place really needs a fixer-upper."

Nino moved the torch around until he spotted stone steps swirling upward. "Follow me," he said, taking Alya's hand.

The former thief allowed him to lead her. She wasn't totally afraid of the dark, but the closed space and the compressed air stinking of dust and mildew made her courage falter a bit. Alya focused instead on the warmth of Nino's hand against hers, and she followed the torchlight.

The staircase went up a few levels before the group finally came to a wooden door.

"This is it," Trixx said. "Beyond this door lies the secret to our success." She spun around to face the two humans. "Do me a favour: don't touch anything unless I say so."

"Seriously?" Nino grumbled.

"Yeah, seriously," Trixx said with a frown. "Volpina kept all sorts of old books, trinkets, and artefacts up here, and some of them aren't for the faint of heart. I'm just saying it for your own good. Don't touch anything."

Alya and Nino exchanged an affirming glance before the former reached over, gripped the dusty door handle, turned it, and pushed her way through.

More darkness greeted them, along with a piercing, cold breeze.

Shivering, Alya pulled Nino inside so he could aim the torch higher.

The wind was coming from an open window above, allowing moonlight to enter the abandoned tower. Shelves and tables littered everywhere, covered with dust, and there were all sorts of strange machines with cogs covered in cobwebs. There was even an empty cauldron in the dead fire-pit.

Alya couldn't believe how enormous it was, despite being a hidden laboratory.

Nino whistled, and the sound echoed along the walls of black bricks. "We must be in one of the old southwest towers." He chuckled. "Go figure that out."

"It's a lot more dark and dreary than I remember it," Trixx claimed as she hovered around the area. "Trust me; it looked cozier with the brimstone lights on the walls. Sadly, only Volpina knew how to work those things."

Alya glanced over a nearby table and saw a candlestick. "Nino, here – give me some light," she called, picking up the cold thing and holding it out.

Nino passed on some firelight from his torch, and Alya began looking around with the now-burning candle in hand.

"So, what exactly are we looking for?" Nino asked as he surveyed the other side of the chamber.

"A jewelry box," Trixx said casually.

Alya almost laughed. "We came into an evil witch's secret, magical lab... just to get a jewelry box?" she asked.

"Laugh all you want, but these kinds of jewels are the special kind," Trixx explained as she zoomed this way and that, peering into shelves and drawers. "They're conduits for magic. Remember Volpina's old pendant? The one Marinette broke?"

Nino nodded with a smirk. "Oh, yeah. The look on Lila's face was priceless," he jeered.

"Yeah, well, Volpina always kept a back-up or two in case of emergencies like that," Trixx said. "But then she found out Marinette had the earrings, and... well, you know the rest. My point is, if we find that extra pendant, I can help Alya overpower D'Argie."

Now Alya understood. If one of those jewels could help her stop D'Argencourt, then the trip to this room was well worth the risk.

But suspicion still gnawed at Alya's core. Should she really be delving into magic? And this was Volpina's laboratory – the place where she concocted all of her evil plots and spells. What assurances, other than the word of a formerly-evil kwami, did Alya have that anything in this place could be used for good?

She thought about Marinette and Adrien, and how scared they had been when they learned about the missing Miraculous. She thought about D'Argencourt, who had come this close to sticking her with his sword. Now he was out there somewhere, plotting his revenge. He would never stop until Agreste was conquered and the royal family was finished. Alya's own skills were no match for the swordsman, or any other dangerous criminal out there.

I said I would become somebody, Alya thought with determination. If this is the only way, then so be it.

Then she remembered Nino's words: All that matters is that no matter what you do, you do it for the sake of good; to help people.

Reassured of her decision, Alya continued searching.

The throne room was on fire.

Marinette stood in the sea of treasure, staring with horror at the ring of flames entrapping her. The coins beneath her feet burned through the soles of her shoes, and her skin prickled from the heat.

Then she heard it: that deadly, wicked laugh.

Marinette tried to run, but her feet sank into the treasure. It pulled her in deeper, like quicksand. No matter how hard Marinette tried, she couldn't get free.

The treasure came up to her waist. That's when she saw the dark figure beyond the flames.

"I told you before, Marinette," Volpina purred as she casually stepped through the fire unharmed. Her dark green eyes sparkled before turning yellow. "You cannot defeat me. You're not a hero. You are nothing."

Several voices echoed in the background:

"Worthless... Vile... Baker's brat... Little fool... Nothing... Liar..."

Marinette cried out as the treasure came up to her chest, burning her alive. When she looked for Volpina again, the witch was gone.

But something else made her heart stop.

Golden statues littered about the treasure field, slowly sinking into its folds. They were statues of people; faces Marinette knew and loved: Mama, Papa, Alya, King Gabriel, Nino, Tikki…

And right beside her, an arm's reach away, was Adrien. His face was frozen in horror, like he was calling for help.

"Marinette!"

"Adrien!" the blunette cried, stretching her hand towards him with all her might.

All the while, Volpina laughed.

No... No... Please, no!

The treasure came up to Marinette's chin, and she struggled to stay up. Just a little more...

But it was too late. It was always too late for her.

Adrien slipped out of her reach and vanished into the river of melted gold.

"No!" Marinette screamed, tears flowing down her face.

Volpina's cackle was the only thing she heard as she too finally submerged. She grasped her burning throat as she thrashed around, trying to get air.

"Marinette!"

Wait... That wasn't Adrien's voice...

"Marinette! Wake up!"

She gasped awake, sitting up and kicking out with her feet through the soaking-wet sheets. She still had her hand around her throat.

"It's okay, it's okay!" Tikki reassured her, gripping her friend's chin. Something cool and soothing rushed from the kwami's little hands and into Marinette's veins. "It's over. It was just a dream."

Marinette panted, trying to control her breathing. Gods, why did her chest hurt so much? She wiped her face, the sweat mixing in with the leftover tears.

It was just a dream; another God-damn nightmare.

Marinette sighed and buried her face in her palms. She wouldn't cry again. She had shed enough tears for Volpina.

"What's wrong with me, Tikki?" she moaned.

"Aw, Marinette, nothing's wrong with you," the ladybug kwami said, patting her on the shoulder. "I think this whole thing about... She-Who-Shall-Not-Be-Named is just getting you all worked up."

Marinette frowned up at Tikki between her fingers. "It's never been this bad before," she claimed. "Normally, the dreams would come and go, and then I'd feel fine. But now..." She lowered her hands and stared out into the open night. The pink curtains of her room billowed gently in the evening breeze.

Marinette slithered off the bed and walked barefoot onto the small, open balcony. It wasn't as big as Adrien's, but she still had a gorgeous view of the gardens, the palace gates, and the sparkling city beyond it. Marinette breathed slowly, welcoming the cold. The stress from the nightmare faded away, along with the heat on her skin.

But the memory of it remained: the fire, Volpina's laugh, reaching desperately for the boy she loved...

Tikki flew up beside her friend. "Do you... want to go check on him again?" she asked softly.

Marinette smiled. Tikki always had a way of reading her thoughts, with or without the earrings. "No, it's okay. I should let him sleep," she said, looking at the kwami. "Besides, I have you."

"Aww," Tikki said as she gave Marinette a cheek-hug. "It'll be all right, Marinette. Once we find Volpina's amulet, you'll never have to worry about her ever again. Don't let those nasty little dreams bother you." She clapped her hands, and two cups of steaming tea – one large and one miniscule – appeared on flying saucers. "Camomile – gets rid of the jitters every time."

Marinette couldn't help but giggle, and she accepted the cup. "Thanks, Tikki," she said, giving the little red bug a tummy tickle, "and not just for the tea. Thank you for always being here for me... even though you don't have to anymore."

Tikki beamed and gave her friend a kiss on the head. "I'll always be here for you, Marinette. You're my friend. And you've got Adrien and Alya and all your other friends too. You're never alone."

Marinette sipped her tea and stared out at the stars. They twinkled brightly, as though they were agreeing with the Spirit of Creation.

I'm never alone.

The baker's daughter gazed off into the distance with firm, bluebell eyes.

"Adrien's right, Tikki," she said. "I've stopped her before, I can do it again. But this time, I won't be doing it alone."

And this time, she will never hurt the ones I love again.

Marinette couldn't explain it, but something was telling her that Ladybug and Cat Noir wouldn't be the only heroes in Agreste.

We are not alone.

"Alya, Trixx, over here!" Nino called from behind a large chest. "I think I found it!"

The fox kwami sighed with sarcastic relief as she popped through the eye of a bison skull. "Finally! Volpina really should have put labels on all these things."

Alya giggled as she stood up from her spot by a large, glass dome half-filled with white sand. She scurried over towards her boyfriend with the candlestick in hand.

Nino handed her the torch as he dug through the stack of robes, scarves, and gloves. Alya suspected this chest was where Volpina kept her enchantress attire. It made sense she would keep a jewelry box stashed away in here.

Trixx zoomed over to them just as Nino uncovered a large, rectangular wooden box. It was made of fine cherry-wood, engraved with runes and symbols Alya didn't understand.

"That's the one!" Trixx exclaimed. "Go on! Open it, open it!"

Nino carried the jewelry box over to a table and placed it down. Then, he pressed the red, ornate jewel latch.

Nothing happened.

Nino pressed harder. The lid still wouldn't budge.

"It's locked," he said in a defeated tone.

"Oh, right. I forgot. Allow me," Trixx droned as she hovered over and rubbed her paws together. She pressed them against the jewel.

Still nothing.

Trixx looked legitimately concerned. "What?" She tried again and again, but the latch wouldn't give. Frustrated, the kwami tried to wrench it open herself. "I thought... for sure... my magic... would... open it!"

"We could break it open," Alya suggested.

Trixx panted as she gave up on the latch. "Not happening. Volpina enchanted this thing to be unbreakable. We can't crack it... and now, it seems only she can open it."

Nino let out something between a sigh and a groan. "Great," he said sarcastically. "So we came all this way for nothing. Way to go, Fox."

Trixx flew up in his face. "Hey, at least I'm trying to do good, pretty boy," she snapped. "Don't go blaming this on me."

Alya, however, wasn't paying attention to their banter. She was more interested in the way the red jewel on the box was glowing, like a soft, red sun in a black sky.

"What's it doing?" she asked Trixx.

The kwami looked at her. "What's what doing?"

"The latch – look! It's glowing!"

In perfect synchronization, Nino and Trixx eyed the box again, exchanged an unknowing glance, and then looked confusedly at Alya.

"Aly, I don't see anything glowing," Nino said.

"You..." Alya paused and stared at the latch again. The jewel was burning brighter now. "How can you guys not see that?"

Trixx's violet eyes began to widen, and her mouth fell open. "Hey... What if...?" she murmured, glancing between Alya and the box. "Al, try touching the latch."

Alya looked at her.

Nino suddenly looked concerned. "Alya, be careful. It could be a trick."

"Hey! I resemble that remark!" Trixx snapped.

Alya turned back to the glowing latch. With her brow furrowed, she handed Nino the torch and put her candlestick on the table.

Then, she pressed the tip of her forefinger against the red jewel.

WHOOSH! CLICK!

Alya, Nino, and Trixx all reeled back as the latch came apart and the lid popped open a smidge.

"Haha!" Trixx cheered, pumping her fists into the air. "I knew it!"

"Knew what?" Nino asked flabbergasted. "This doesn't make sense. How did Alya manage to open it, but you and I couldn't?"

Trixx looked absolutely thrilled to answer that question. "Isn't it obvious? It wanted her to have the pendant inside!" She spun to face Alya with a prideful grin. "You are the next enchantress!"

Alya had never been more speechless in all her life. Me – an enchantress?

Nino made that funny look he always did whenever he was shocked. "Alya?"

"I... I... But I never..." the redhead stammered, raising her hands in self-defence. "I've never done... I can't do magic!"

Trixx placed her arm on Alya's shoulder, looking pretty cool about this whole thing. "Magic isn't born, Al. You learn it as easily as you learn the alphabet. All it takes is a little practice. You think Volpina started out as powerful as she was?" She flew up so that she and the redhead were eye-to-eye. "But that's not the best part. Some magical stones can be used by various sorcerers; passed down from one generation to the next. But a rare few are bound to one person for all eternity. Once a stone chooses its master, it will only work for that master." Trixx flashed a fanged grin. "Don't you see, Al? The stone chose you!"

Alya wasn't sure to be honoured or stunned. Me. It chose me. Why me?

Trixx must have read her mind, because then she said, "If you don't believe me, open the box. See for yourself."

This time, Nino couldn't find the strength to object. He just stood there, utterly astounded.

With a nervous shrug, Alya turned back to the box and, with unsteady hands, lifted the lid wide open.

She inhaled softly, as did Nino.

The jewel was a glistening orange diamond, with tints of red and gold. It was curved into the shape of a fox's tail, starting small at the top where it met the chain, and fanning out towards the end.

What is it with Volpina and foxes?

"Go on," Trixx coaxed. "Take it. Would I lie to you?"

Alya wasn't sure she was ready to answer that question yet.

She reached inside and picked the pendant up with delicate fingers before sliding it into her palm.

The moment it landed, the stone glowed with the soft, warm rays of a beautiful sunset.

"Wow..." Alya gasped, her amber eyes reflecting the light of the pendant.

"Told you so," Trixx sang.

Nino let out something like a chuckle. "Go figure that out," he said gently.

Alya nodded, but she decided not to.

She was an enchantress. She could learn to do magic.

Looks like Agreste has a new hero after all.