Warning: Mentions of PTSD (Post Traumatic Stress Disorder), and flashbacks

Art by LunarDelta

"En garde, Prêts, Allez!"

Kyri jabbed at her opponent with her saber, narrowly twisting out of the way of their attack. She blocked and jabbed them again, scoring another point.

"Halt! Point goes to Kyreena," The fencing instructor, Mr. D'Argencourt commanded.

A bit later Kyri sat on the bench petting Holly recalling what had happened earlier at lunch.

"Are you serious?!?!?!?" Chloe had almost yelled with wide eyes.

"Kyreena is like- the most well known American teenage singer!"

Kyri had been aware of all the stares.

"Chloé, pl-please be a bit quieter," Kyri had mumbled.

"Why?" Chloé had asked incredulously.

"There's nothing to be quiet about."

"Some people don't like announcing their achievements for the whole world to hear." Kyri had heard Evie mutter.

"Well that's just utterly ridiculous!"

"I...I'm gonna go. M-ms. Mendalev wanted me for something." Kyri had said, quickly getting up and walking away with her lunchbox

Then Mr. D'Argencourt came up to her, breaking her out of thoughts.

"Good job Kyreena."

She smiled at him.

"Thanks, but please just call me Kyri."

He nodded at her and left. The bell rang and Kyri jumped up and ran out of the room.

"Finally! School's over!!!"

Kyri burst out of the doors and b-lined towards home as her bodyguard joined her. She walked through the late afternoon air, hand buried in Holly's fur. She nodded politely at the pedestrians who waved at her. Then suddenly Marinette ran past her, and as Kyri looked back, she saw Chloé and Sabrina walking threateningly after the bluenette. Kyri winced in guilt and sorrow for the girl. Then quickly, Kyri went for a shortcut home. Soon they arrived and she burst in through the birch doors into the empty living room, boxes still everywhere. Her mom looked up at her with a stern expression.

"Kyreena Maddi Parker, do you realize you could have killed?!" Her mother scolded.

She nodded.

"Sorry," she mumbled.

"Now go to your room and do your homework, your grounded," she said, crossing her arm.

She looked down and headed for the stairs.

Kyri went into her room, a towering structure with marbled white and gold walls plus her study area and loft bed. She sat down and took out her math homework and she put in her ear buds, turning on Amethyst's music then getting started on her homework.

{~}

A rustling noise shook Kyri awake. She yawned, unsuccessfully wiping the pen ink that imprinted onto her cheek. She looked around, seeing an owl sitting on her balcony railing.

"An Eagle Owl," she thought, remembering her wildlife and science lessons.

What was an owl doing in the city?

Carefully, she took out her camera and approached the majestic animal. She clicked a Polaroid photo and looked at it. The picture had captured everything from it's white and black speckled pale orange feathers, to it's striking fiery orange eyes. Carefully she came closer and reached out to touch it's soft feathers. The owl flared it's wings and hissed. Kyri jerked her hand back as the owl flew at her wall then dissolved into amber light that was sucked into her floor. She walked up to the lose tile it had disappeared under. Then Kyri carefully lifted the tile to reveal an open box containing a silver ear cuff with a small silver feather hanging from it. She took out the ear cuff and admired it.

"This must be a dream, right?" Kyri thought.

She looked into her mirror and slowly put on the ear cuff. Light erupted around her and she flew back from the force of it. When she opened her eyes once again to see a glowing amber colored sphere of light slowly faded into the shape of an... owl? A small owl shaped thing stretched and looked around at the room.

"Ooh pretty," it said touching the marbled white and gold wall.

It talks?!

"U-u-uhh... Excuse me?" She asked.

The little floating owl turned at the sound of her voice and it's face lit up.

"Oh hi, I'm Esprit! You must be my new holder," The owl said, flying up to her and examining her puffy ginger hair.

She scrambled back, swatting the owl away.

"Wait, wait, what... are you?" Kyri asked.

"I'm a kwamii, a magical being that grants you superpowers," The ow- er kwamii said.

Kyri got up and held out her hand and let the kwamii sit in her hand so she could examine her.

"So wait, what do you mean superpowers?" Kyri asked.

Esprit looked like she had been waiting for this moment, because the owl nudged her towards the mirror. Kyri looked in and saw the ear cuff pulsating with white light.

"There is a great danger, Paris needs help!" She said dramatically.

"And, what am I supposed to do about it?" Kyri said, confused.

"Use my powers, duh," The kwamii said, lazily floating around in circles.

"What! But, I'm no hero, I'm just a shy new girl who can't stand up for herself," Kyri argued.

"Well, with these powers, you can prove yourself wrong!" Esprit said.

Kyri looked skeptically at the kwamii.

"No! I can't, I tried once and I failed, I'm to shy and scared," she said, thinking of the horrifying experience.

"It's easy! Just say, Esprit, Duskfall!" Esprit said.

"Duskfall?"

"Yeah, just like thaaaaat!" Esprit cried as she disappeared into the ear cuff.

"Wait no! I didn't mean- oh never mind," Kyri protested, turning towards the mirror.

Kyri's eyes had turned from a vibrant violet to a startling fiery orange eyes with slited amber pupils and a yellow sclera. she yelped and jumped back, looking down at her hands, that were glowing?! The glow traveled rapidly up her arms, replacing the sleeves her purple jacket with black gloved tan sleeves. 

Kyri closed her eyes as the glow engulfed her. Then, the phenomenon ended, as quick as it had started. When she opened her eyes and looked into the mirror she saw a girl with light blonde hair fading to a dusty blond pulled into a ponytail and 2 side braids wearing a black gloved cream jumpsuit with tan colored sleeves, a brown cape that looked like a bird's tail, and a tan mask with brown border staring right back at her. 

Kyri opened her mouth to scream, but before she could, Esprit poofed out of nowhere and cried, "Wait! Don't scream!"

"What is this?" Kyri asked, examining her new blonde hair.

"I gave my powers so you could stop the great evil," Esprit said casually.

As if this this was casual. She just became a magic superhero for goodness sake!

Kyri growled, then sighing, she changed her arm crossbow to grappling mode, and muttered, "Fine, let's just get this "great evil" over with."

"That's the spirit!" Esprit cheered.

Walking up to her window, Kyri opened it and loaded an arrow onto the arm crossbow, shooting it towards the nearest building, another mansion. Then pulling the rope to check if it was secure she shot through the window.

"What in the name of feathers is going on here?!" she cried as she flew through the air.

"You know, you could have just used the front door, right?" Esprit pointed out.

"Oh, hush you," Kyri said, snapping her fingers to make the little kwamii disappear.

She swung right past a window, just as a girl with a blonde bun and a moon shaped pendant on a necklace looked up at the window to see Kyri swing past. Was that Evie? Their gaze locked for split second before Kyri swung out of sight and landed clumsily on a building.

"Well, that was awkward," Kyri thought

Just then she felt and internal tugging, kind of like something wanting her to go to a specific place. She followed the pull, feeling like it was important. She landed in a surprisingly graceful crouch in front of the Notre Dam.

"Everything looks normal," Kyri muttered to herself, getting up and dusting herself off.

"Or is it..." Esprit said ominously, popping out of thin air.

Kyri snapped her fingers and the owl promptly poofed out of sight. She walked into the old cathedral surveying everything. Suddenly, the tinted glass window shattered and Kyri leaped up into the ceiling beams. 

Crouched on one of them, Kyri squinted to see two kids who looked about her age hanging upside down from a lasso. Groaning, a girl in a red and black spotted jumpsuit and a matching mask groaned, opening then promptly screamed as she realized where she was hanging from. A boy with and black leather jumpsuit and a matching mask plus a belt wrapped around his waist to look like a tail gave a smirk at the girl.

"Bonjour," he greeted in a charming manner.

Kyri face palmed at his actions just as the lasso loosened and the kids fell, the boy landing gracefully and the girl landing... let's just say in a less dignified way on her head.

Kyri jumped a bit at the voice that rang out below.

"What do you think your doing?"

"I'm..." the black and red spotted girl trailed off, confused.

"This is a dangerous place for a young lady," the voice said

The girl frowned and called out, "Excuse me, I'm no damsel in distress."

"Who even are you?"

"Name's Cat Noir," The voice responded.

Oh okay, it was the leather dressed boy.

"Do I know you?" The girl asked.

"I'm the new hero in town. Here, to save the world."

"Ha! With what, furballs?"

Suddenly the so-called "Cat Noir" popped out of nowhere.

"And what are you supposed to be, a watermelon?"

Kyri stifled a laugh as the girl glared daggers at the cat hero.

"EXCUSE ME?!"

"Guess that'll work for a sidekick," Cat Noir said.

"What?! I'm... also here to save the world... too," Watermelon Girl said.

"I can see that," The cat hero said.

He tried knocking over a vase, which Watermelon Girl just saved.

"Coming in here all loud and messy, giving away your every move," he continued, knocking over a candlelabra, causing a loud clanging.

"So much for the element of surprise!" Watermelon Girl hissed.

"Honestly in my opinion, you guys lost the element of surprise looong before this," Kyri called out, hanging upside down from the ceiling beam lazily.

The 2 heroes looked around at the sound of her voice, confused.

"Up here."

They both looked up at the ceiling beams to see her hanging upside down from one

"Who are you and what's going on here?" Watermelon Girl asked

Kyri let go of the beam, flipped upright in the air, and gracefully landed in front of the 2 heroes.

"I've honestly got no idea," she said, crossing her arms.

"Well, isn't this thrilling, now I've got 2 sidekicks," Cat Noir said smiling a cheeky grin.

"Stow it Kitty Cat, there's no way I'd be your sidekick," Kyri said, glaring at the cat hero.

Suddenly something big moved outside of the cathedral and a hulking silhouette appeared by the tinted glass window. Everyone froze.

"Not a sound," Kyri hissed.

The silhouette spread 2 giant wings then flashed out of sight.

"Do any of you have a plan?" Kyri asked.

"Pfft, do I have a plan? I've got more a plan," Cat Noir said.

Kyri and Watermelon Girl looked at him hopefully.

"I've got 9 lives!"

Watermelon Girl and Kyri groaned.

"We're going to need more then that," Kyri joked hopelessly.

"The devastating power of destruction!" He continued.

Kyri heard something.

"Um guys-"

"Night vision," Cat Noir interrupted.

"I thought I heard-"

"Razor sharp senses," he continued his stupid monologue, pulling up beside Kyri and putting an arm around her shoulder.

She promptly kicked him.

"If your senses were so razor sharp, then you'd hear the giant living gargoyle standing right behind you!" Kyri snapped.

He froze and swung his staff behind him. It ended up straight in the gargoyle's nose.

"RUN!" He shouted, running past Kyri.

The gargoyle chased after the scaredy cat, ignoring the 2 girls.

Kyri groaned and hid behind a pillar. Esprit popped out of nowhere.

"You never told me that the 'great evil' was a giant killer gargoyle!" Kyri snapped at the kwamii.

"How was I supposed to know, all I knew was it was a great evil," Esprit argued back.

Sighing, Kyri peaked out from behind the pillar. Everyone was gone, leaving a collapsed organ and an even bigger hole in the broken window.

Kyri ran out the door to see a crowd of people staring at her.

"Have anyone seen 2 so called superheroes come this way riding a living gargoyle?" Kyri asked the crowd.

The girl who had stood up for Marinette this morning pointed towards the Seine River.

"Kay, thanks."

Kyri fist bumped the girl and ran off, buying a water bottle, knowing it would be a long chase.

Kyri looked through her powers as she ran along rooftops.

"Night vision, Jump boost, Mindsight, normal arrows, explosive arrows," she thought.

Then something caught her eye.

"Tracking arrows."

She loaded a tracking arrow onto her bow with the target: Watermelon Girl. She shot the arrow, and I veered to the left. Gasping, she remembered her bow was still on grappling mode just as she was pulled off the roof. Kyri flew through the air, screaming as the arrow dogged trees when Kyri got leaves and branches in her face instead. She tried stopping the arrow, but failed. Finally the gargoyle came into sight and the arrow rushed forward, ever faster.

"For madame, A champagne, and for monsieur-"

"Just water," the man said, cutting off the waiter.

Suddenly a huge wave of water soaked the man as the gargoyle burst out of the water.

"Sorry!"

"Bon appetite!"

"Here's some water!" Kyri shouted, throwing her water at the man.

As she shot away he caught the water bottle and looked at it, dumbfounded.

The gargoyle flew under a bridge and the arrow chased after Watermelon Girl as she fell through the air. She went out of sight and the arrow jerked to a stop, hovering. It shot again as it sensed where Watermelon Girl was going. Kyri screamed as she rushed forward towards Watermelon Girl swinging along on her yoyo. They collided and fell to the ground. Groaning, Kyri muttered "I am never using that arrow again."

Suddenly a horn blared and Kyri looked behind her and saw a car heading straight towards her. Suddenly, Kyri was standing on the streets with her drenched curls plastered to her skull by the rain and the headlights drilling into her eyes.

"Kyri I'm coming! Her mother shouted.

She was suddenly broken from her trance as Watermelon Girl grabbed her arm and swung away from the car. A train horn blared and Watermelon Girl swung towards Cat Noir. (Somehow) The watermelon hero grabbed the boy while holding Kyri and the swung away from the train. They stopped right by the train tracks and Kyri stepped back several paces and dropped to her knees hands over her ears and eyes wide with fear.

"No, no, no no, no..." She muttered, tears streaming down her cheeks.

"Hatchling?" Cat Noir asked.

She felt hand on her shoulder and she scrambled away from it, jumping to her feet.

"G-go Now, I don't wanna hurt you!" She Shouted, backing away even more.

"But-"

"NO, NO, NO, GET AWAY, GET AWAY FROM ME!!!" Kyri screamed at the top of her lungs, shooting an arrow and swinging away.

She didn't look back at the 2 heroes. Running along the the roof tops, Kyri mostly calmed down but some fear still lingered. As she reached her house and entered through the window, she tore off the ear cuff and flung it to the ground, her appearance returning to normal.

"That was amazing!" Esprit cried, circling the girl.

"Shut it you stupid kwamii!" Kyri snapped.

Esprit froze.

"But- You didn't listen!"

Kyri looked back, her violet eyes shaking with anger and sadness.

"You tried though," Esprit said quieter.

"Yeah I tried and I failed," Kyri snapped.

"My mother was hospitalized because of me," Kyri said, thinking.

"I was 4, and a boy lost his ball in the street," Kyri mumbled, barely audible.

"I thought I could help, and when I got the ball I heard the car."

She paused as tears fell onto the floor.

"My mom saved me, but at a cost," Kyri finished.

"So just leave me alone Esprit, I'm not the hero you need."

"Ok."

Esprit faded away and the ear cuff's feather turned bronze once again. Kyri picked it up and put it in it's wood box. Gazing at the ear cuff, she thought, "I failed again."

She put the box in her drawer and closed it. Then, Holly close, she climbed the stairs on her bed she flopped down, not bothering to change, or brush her teeth, or even say goodnight to her mom. She just curled up under her blanket, Holly, pressed against her. The scene played again in her head and she she fell asleep she remembered herself saying, "So just leave me alone Esprit, I'm not the hero you need."

At that moment, the smallest, furthest, quietest part of her mind whispered, "Or am I?"