Yes, another project to procrastinate on. So, in this I have a theory that since Nico had control over the dead so well, then Bianca must have had more control over shadows. So, in this AU, Marinette has more control over the shadows while Nico had the undead and Bianca had more control over the earth. Marinette can still control the undead and earth and vice versa with Nico but she's the strongest with shadows as Nico is the strongest with the undead.

Marinette will be the only French demigod in this story. So no demigod Alya, Nino, Adrien, Chloe, Lila, none of those sorts. Sorry.

In this fic, I'm going to follow the episodes pretty well just with some changes here and there. I don't think there'll be any major changes until we get to season two or so. At least, plot wise. I cant say the same for character development.

Of course, I'll try to keep people in character as much as I can, but I don't think I'll be able to manage so. . . major OOC in this? Things that happen in Trials of Apollo or things revealed in Magnus Chase won't happen, at least not on purpose, since I havent read those and have no plan to, either.

I don't have any prewritten chapters for this so waits may be long.

STORYTIME!

Marinette took a deep breath. The bakery loomed above her and while it was designed to look welcoming, Marinette felt anything but welcomed. She knew that she would have to get used to it. This bakery was going to be her home for a long time. Temporary home, she corrected herself.

Realizing she had been staring too long, she grabbed her suitcases and opened the door, cringing at the loud sound. A lady looked up from the counter and rushed towards her. "Marinette!" she squeaked.

"Hello, Sabine," Marinette greeted.

Sabine smiled and then realized that her charge still had suitcases with her. "Oh, you must be tired from the long journey here. Let me show you to your room. School starts tomorrow but until then, you can explore Paris!" she explained while leading up the stairs. She talked so fast that Marinette could barely keep up, even if she was nearly fluent in French.

Sabine stopped at a staircase leading up to a trap door. "Well, this is your room! You have a free day today while Tom and I work the bakery."

Marinette nodded and smiled. At Sabine's expecting glance, she climbed up the stairs and opened the trap door. Pink jumped out at her and her jaw dropped as she climbed the rest of the steps and entered the room. Sabine popped her head up from the trap door. "Do you like it? Tom and I didn't know what to expect so we went with a general girl color. We could change it, if you want us to." She sounded nervous and Marinette turned around to reassure her.

"No, it's. . . great. I love it. It's perfect." In actuality the pink was a bit overbearing. There was just so much of it, Marinette was half convinced she had gone blind. But she saw that they had put thought in it and she wouldn't die if it continued. Could use a more bit more dark colors, but Marinette thought that her belongings and clothes will take care of that.

Breaking her train of thought she realized that Sabine had left, leaving her staring blankly in to space. Taking more time to look around she realized that it was a very spaced out room with the bed on an overhanging ledge with a ladder to it. 'Least it wasn't yellow, she thought. There was another ladder, spiral this time, go in to another trap door that lead to outside.

Unpacking the suitcases went by really fast and the only mild trouble she had was when placing them in different spots around the room. When she finished, the room looked a bit odd with all the dark objects littering around. Especially the skulls she placed on the desk. She still had enough room for all her designing stuff though.

Better start getting updated in French fashion, she noted to herself. She yawned then corrected herself, maybe later. She struggled to the bed and flopped onto the bed, nearly falling off. Dragging a blanket over her, she welcomed the darkness that came.

Chiron stared at her over the table. "I'm sorry Marinette, but you can't stay here."

Marinette took a breath to reply, but he cut her off. "It's too dangerous for you here. Your powers are growing and it's not ideal for you to stay."

"Then I could have my father give me jobs, like Nico! I don't want to go," she pleaded. Chiron sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose.

"Marinette, I don't want you to leave either, but just last week you sent an Ares child to the infirmary. You need better control and the shadows are getting too out of hand."

As they spoke, shadows at the edges flickered in response to the demigod's emotions. Chiron saw this fact and sighed. He seemed to be doing that a lot lately, he reflected.

"Tom and Sabine Dupain-Cheng, both legacies of minor Roman gods, are willing to house you in Paris. The last monster attack there, that we know of, happened over a hundred years ago. A fresh new start. You could even go to school there. Not a lot of people look at previous files too closely."

Marinette huffed. "Yeah, wait until they expell me. They always do, Chiron."

The shadows flickered more dangerously, reacting to their mistress's resentment. Chiron's tail swished nervously against his will.

"Marinette, most of the time they do it because of your records and your reputation in schools," he approached cautiously, "You're a good person, it's just that in America your kind of reputation spreads."

"What? My reputation as a druggie? How I disappear every few months for day? How I come back with scratches and bruises, so I must be in a gang?" There was no love in her tone. Her expression made that even more clear. Her druggie reputation was at least some what provoked by her since multiple people in multiple schools had seen her smoking.

What she was actually smoking was a new invention made from the Apollo cabin called ambrosia cigs. Or as they jokingly called it, healing sticks. Instead of the harmful components, it's filled with the food of the gods. It was good every now and then, but one could get addicted. Paired with the fact that if consumed to much one could combust, it was a fine line that some overstep too much.

"I'm not saying nor implying any of that."

"THEN WHAT ARE YOU IMPLYING?" The shout was loud but expected. What wasn't expected was the shadows responding and launch in themselves in the form of spikes at the centaur. Chiron launched out of the way, nearly being impaled.

A beat of silence.

"Oh my gods. . . Chiron," she reached out, but withdrew her hand at the last moment. Blue eyes filled with tears and Marinette seemed to curl into herself. She whispered her thoughts: "What if I hurt them."

"Marinette, one of the theories is that here at camp and at Camp Jupiter, there are so many powerful people that some people's powers feel threatened, so to speak. You remember how Percy had to leave."

"But he's still close. Not in bloody Paris of all places."

"Marinette. . . we asked Rachel. . . even Apollo. You have to go to Paris. Something is waiting for you there.You could still come here on the weekends or holidays every once in a while. You aren't being completely cut off."

Marinette nodded numbly. The shadows calmed down for now.

The teen's body rolled over and off the bed. Waking up mid-fall, a strangled yelp tore from her throat. Pushing herself up with a groan, she looked around the room. Even though it was still cluttered, it never feel more lonely, she glumly thought.

"Well, better get outside," she said to herself. "Still got exploring to do, and if there's something waiting for me, I'm not gonna find it in here. Probably."

Getting up proved a lot harder that she thought, since she had limited space and was tangled with blankets. When she did finally get up, she threw on a black and purple hoodie and shoved tennis shoes on. Once she was actually out the door and on the sidewalk, she paused to look at her plain orange shirt and ripped skinny jeans. Stylish enough, she decided, that she could go outside.

Style or not there was no way she was letting go of her skull ring bracelet. She looked down as she started walking, watching the amethysts glitter. It was her only physical weapon, transforming to a pair of knives, daggers really, made of Stygian Iron.

My only gift from my father that I actually like, she reflected, thinking about her powers. She stopped by a park bench and sat down. Something is waiting for me, she thought. But what is it?

Looking around she saw a few people around her age playing soccer. Football, she corrected herself. She may not change all her slang, but maybe a few major ones. Marinette debated going over there for a while then ultimately decided that anything was better then just sitting.

"Hey! Could I play with you guys?"

Playing with people her age was surprisingly hard. Marinette had to be concious of her strength and speed and on more than one occasion had to lose on purpose. Her bones felt heavy when she dragged herself back to her room after saying a tired greeting to Tom and Sabine who were in the living room.

All she wanted to do was sleep and when she sloppily changed into sweats and a sports bra and finally fell to the bed, she felt the drag on Hypnos take her into darkness.

"Tikki...?"

"Just because you're my Chosen, does not mean I have to like it." The words were quiet and resentful.

"I thought-"

"That it didn't matter? Well, it did."

The darkness shifted and showed a figure huddled on the bed. They lifted their head to reveal Marinette with tears streaked down her face with a red rock looking object held in her hand. "Oh, Tikki!" she sobbed. She curled into a fetal position and began sobbing once more.

The shadows flickered dangerously.