Sophia's Story
A Disney crossover by talking2myself
DISCLAIMER: I do not own any recognizable Disney characters. All original characters are my own creations.
CHAPTER 23 Lesson #2
Madam Leota trudged her way from her bedroom down the rickety steps to the foyer and into the kitchen. She nodded weary good mornings to the haunts that floated by her as she shuffled her way to breakfast. She felt barely more alive than her spirit housemates. Her wild curls bounced around her head and she wrapped herself in a ragged silk kimono. Madam Leota was many things, but a morning person was not one of them.
As she entered the kitchen, Mirror was standing at the stove in his usual robes. She contemplated suggesting that he find a few more outfits for himself apart from his usual flowy garment, but that was a conversation best tackled when she had a bit more energy to spare.
"Good morning, Mirror," she muttered. Mirror nodded at her and removed a kettle of tea from the kettle. Madam Leota retrieved a teacup from the nearby cupboard and sat at the ancient dining table. "I swear," Madam Leota muttered. "We might have to set a curfew for screeching. I know the haunts are mostly nocturnal by nature, but I don't think I can stand anymore late night organ singalongs."
Mirror nodded understandingly and filled her tea cup. Madame Leota blew steam away from her cup before taking a sip, letting out a sigh. "They must have kept Sophia up too," Madam Leota murmured. "Usually she is awake by now. Did you hear them last night? Caterwauling like cats."
Mirror shrugged noncommittally and Madam Leota set her cup down and eyed him. Unlike her, Mirror was typically up and about with the cheery nature of a princess around this time. "Mask, are you feeling alright?" Madam Leota asked. "You're awful quiet." Mirror gave her a thumbs up sign before returning the kettle to the stove. "Are you sure?" Madam Leota pressed. "You're awfully quiet this morning…"
At that moment, the side door that led out to the main garden and a new figure burst through. This figure was also Mirror. Dressed in his usual mask and robes, but with a ridiculous looking sunhat plopped on top of his head with the ribbon tied around his chin. He carried a straw basket under one arm filled with roses from the garden.
"Good morning all, the morning is bright!
Did you sleep well? Did you have a good night?"
Mirror swept through the dining room while Madam Leota gaped at him. He plopped a bouquet of flowers into the vase and made his way through the kitchen. It as only then that he seemed to realize the other Mirror's presence. The two Mirrors stared at each other for a moment as the second Mirror dropped his basket in shock.
Madam Leota gave the first Mirror a stern look. She wasn't sure how Mirror's typically expressionless masked face was able to look so smug. "Alright, you got me," Madam Leota groaned. "Well done."
The air surrounding the Mirror shifted and seconds later, Sophia stood there in his skirts once again. She grinned at her mentor triumphantly. "It was, wasn't it?"
"Try it again when I'm fully awake," Madam Leota muttered as she took a sip from her tea.
Sophia groaned as Mirror scooped up his flowers off the flower, muttering something annoyed in rhyme as he did. "Come on, Madam Leota," Sophia whined. "I've been transforming into different people for ages! Can you please teach me something else?"
Madam Leota glared at Sophia over her teacup with annoyance, "You want to try something else?"
"Yes!" Sophia cried. Madam Leota winced at the volume of her voice.
"You're certain?" she asked.
"Yes!" Sophia repeated, practically hopping up and down with anticipation.
"Very well," Madam Leota said. "Time for Lesson Number 2." Madam Leota snapped her fingers.
A wave of panic swept over her as a familiar feeling coursed through her body. It was the feeling of transformation and she wasn't responsible for it. Mirror jumped backwards and Sophia felt herself shrinking to the ground. A few moments later, she found herself staring up at her Mirror's concerned face.
Madam Leota smirked. Where Sophia had stood mere moments ago, a small white rabbit sat. Madam Leota lifted a spoon from the table and stirred her tea. "Lesson number two," she said. "It's one thing to transform yourself, it's another thing when someone else does it. Particularly, if they have stronger magic…"
"What did you do to me?!" Sophia shrieked. Madam Leota struggled not to laugh when Sophia's voice came out several octaves higher than normal.
"I transformed you into a rabbit," Madam Leota deadpanned.
"How could you do this?!" Sophia cried. "After what Rosamund did?!"
"Ah!" Madam Leota held up a finger. "That is precisely why we're having this little lesson. There are lots of beings who can wield magic in the Kingdom. Not all of them have scruples. As you well know, this sort of thing happens all the time and when it does you have two choices, block the spell or change yourself back."
"You didn't even give me a chance!" Sophia snapped.
"And neither did the witches," Madam Leota retorted without an ounce of sympathy. "Now, what you need to do is focus. You'll notice by now that your magic has a certain familiar flow as it moves through your body. My magic has a distinctly different feel. What you need to do is rally your magic and overpower mine."
"How exactly do I do that?" Sophia demanded, hoping around Leota's feet in agitation.
"Focus," Madam Leota ordered. "Concentrate on my magic and will it out of your system using your magic. That will break the spell."
"But what if I can't get it?!" Sophia howled.
Madam Leota rolled her eyes. "Don't worry. I'm not Rosamund. I have every intention of changing you back," she rose to her feet and added, "After I finish my tea." She looked down at the rabbit. "I will be enjoying my cup on the veranda. If you haven't worked it out by the time I get back, I'll change you back myself."
Madam Leota's skirts swished as she moved past Sophia. Sophia wanted to nip at her feet as she walked by. Mirror had poured himself a cup of tea by this point and taken a seat at the table. He seemed content to sit there and watch her struggle.
Sophia scowled, but she wasn't sure if her rabbit face showed it. She closed her eyes and tried to concentrate. Sure enough she did recognized the feeling of new magic. Her own magic seemed to flow through her live a river, but Leota's was a strange prickly feeling, like electricity in her veins. She struggled to focus on it.
Go away! Go away! Go away! Sophia thought angrily. She summoned up her magic and tried expel it away from her. For a few moments, she struggled to shake off the new magic that surrounded her. After a few moments, there was a faint pop sound. Sophia hopped about in a circle, sensing that something had changed but unable to tell what had happened.
Mirror's snickering seemed to indicate that whatever happened it didn't completely work. "What happened?" Sophia cried. "I'm still a rabbit."
Mirror managed to pull himself together and gave her a small smile.
"You did not succeed, but nor did you completely fail.
You're still a rabbit, but now you don't have a tail."
Sophia groaned and flopped onto the kitchen floor. All she succeeded in doing was making her cottontail vanish. It was a start perhaps, but it could take her all day to get herself completely back to normal. She spent the next half hour trying and failing. When Madam Leota stepped back inside, she smirked at the sight of Sophia sprawled on the kitchen floor in exhaustion.
"My what strange creature is this?" she asked with a smile.
"Just change me back!" Sophia groaned.
"Oh fine," Madame Leota sighed. She snapped her fingers and just like that Sophia was back in her usual form, crouched on her hands and knees.
She scrambled to her feet and dusted off her skirts. "Don't do that again!" she cried.
"Oh not a chance," Madam Leota said dismissively.
"What?!" Sophia snapped.
"In fact, I plan on doing it whenever the mood strikes me," Madam Leota said.
"Why?" Sophia cried.
"Because we learn knew things through practice and struggle," Madam Leota said. "Either you will become so talented at transformation that you can switch yourself back just as quickly as I transform you or you will become a fortress of defense." Madame Leota shrugged, "Either way, you'll learn and grow."
Sophia glared at Madam Leota. She felt like a petulant child, but realized that there wasn't much that she could do. "How do I block you?" she asked.
Madam Leota grinned. "Now that's more like it. What you need to do is wrap your magic around like a shawl. Treat it like your armor. You'll need to focus and keep your mind on it constantly at first, but it will eventually comes second nature to you."
"Constantly?" Sophia groaned and sunk into one of the dining chairs. It wasn't too long ago when she was in the forest, in her homey little cottage with her sister and no real worries apart from harvesting berries.
Madam Leota gently crossed the kitchen and clasped Sophia's shoulder. "Anything worth pursuing requires a bit of diligence." Madam Leota crossed the kitchen before she halted in her tracks and whirled on Sophia. "And if you try any more shenanigans before I've had my morning tea, I'll turn you into a flea next time."