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 25. New Revelations
Weeks went by. Sophia's first attempts at meditation mostly resulted in Sophia sitting on the floor of her bedroom muttering a mantra of "This is stupid! This is stupid! This is stupid!" However, after a few more attempts, Sophia was able to find it somewhat relaxing.
The transformations continued and she was turned into more and more creatures. After a while, Leota started becoming more creative changing her into a panda bear, an iguana and a dragonfly. Her crowning glory was when she shifted her into a peacock with a full tail during afternoon tea. Once Sophia was back to normal she had angrily retorted that only male peacocks had such bright colors, but the point seemed to be lost on Madam Leota and Mirror.
Despite her distaste for the practice, the meditation did seem to help calm Sophia's permanently frazzled nerves. Slowly, she began to resist Leota's spells. Until, finally she was able to block them more often than not.
More lessons followed. How to move objects, how to create objects out of thin air, how to transport herself from place to place. Every day was a new challenge. Sophia could feel herself improve. The magic felt more normal and she wondered how she had ever lived without out.
All of her training led up to one morning when she came down the steps and into the kitchen where Mirror and Madam Leota sat together, Leota with her morning cup of tea in her hands. "Morning Mirror," Sophia said. "Morning Leota. What's today's lesson?" She sat down and poured herself a cup as well.
"Nothing," Madam Leota said.
"Excuse me?" Sophia's head jerked up, spilling the tea into her saucer.
"Nothing," Madam Leota said. "You've reached the point where there's nothing else to teach you. I think The Knowing should be setting in soon. If anything, you're late. It really should have happened by now. For goodness sake Sophia…"
"Huh? Oh!" Sophia realized that she had overfilled her cup and tea was running down the sides of the cup. "Sorry." Sophia wiped up the spilled tea. "So… I have today to myself?"
"I guess so," Madam Leota shrugged. "Let me know if you feel any sort of odd feelings, like butterflies in your stomach, that could be it setting in."
"Uh huh…" Sophia said distractedly.
"Are you listening to me?" Madam Leota demanded.
"Yes, yes I'm listening," Sophia insisted.
"You're scrying in your tea cup," Madam Leota pointed out. "AGAIN!"
Sophia quickly waved her hand over the cup. "No, I'm not." The strange woman vanished. Every single time she attempted to find Giselle, she only found this strange Unreal woman.
Mirror and Madam Leota exchanged looks before Madam Leota set her cup down again. "I think it's time you told me the full story about what happened to your sister."
"What? Why?" Sophia demanded.
"Because I wonder if whatever block you have involves your sister," Madam Leota said. "I keep getting the story in bits and pieces and I think I would like to hear it in full."
Sophia sighed. "Fine, but it's kinda complicated."
"I live in a manor full of 999 haunts and if I had a guess at least 313 of them are certifiably mad," Madam Leota said. "Try me." Mirror snickered.
"Okay," Sophia sighed. "My sister and I lived in the forests of Andalasia our entire lives. Our parents were killed during an ogre attack and we were raised by our grandmother. After she passed away, we supported ourselves with sewing and selling gowns in the village." Madam Leota nodded.
"Things were great until another ogre tore through our house," Sophia continued.
"Another attack?" Madam Leota asked skeptically.
"Ogre attacks are as common as thunderstorms in that part of Andalasia," Sophia pointed out.
"Very well," Madam Leota shrugged, "Proceed."
"Anyway," Sophia continued. My sister was rescued by the idiot crown prince. He rescued her and rode into the sunset… completely forgetting about me."
"Edward?" Madam Leota asked.
"That's the one," Sophia said. "Anyway, he had intentions of marrying my sister, but somewhere between when they arrived at the palace and I got there she vanished. No one seems to know how or where she went, but I suspect his crazy stepmother had something to do with it."
"Queen Narissa," Madam Leota noted.
"Yeah her," Sophia said. "Anyway, they let me stay in the palace for a while they searched for her, but then Edward vanished too and I stumbled into Narissa's evil sorcery dungeon. She caught me and tried to have me killed. I was able to rescue a pixie named Doli that she had captured and were able to escape. We spent a lot of time running like crazy people through Pyrdain. It ended with Rosamund rescuing us from witches and I foolishly thought she would be a good mentor. Then, she actually transformed me into broom. I spent years as a broom before a confused bard name Flewddur Flam chased the same witches that I had been hiding from into the castle. They ended up changing me back to normal and I was able to use the tiny amount of magic that I had learned to fend them off. We wandered for a long time but eventually I was able to meet the good fairies who were able to get me a job with Snow White which is how I met Kelsey and the rest is history."
"Have you asked Edward where she is?" Madam Leota asked.
"He's gone too," Sophia pointed out.
Madam Leota and Mirror exchanged a confused glance. "Sure as the window outside the manor blows," Mirror stammered. "I don't think our Sophia knows…"
"Knows what?" Sophia demanded.
"Sophia," Madam Leota said gently. "Queen Narissa has been gone for years now."
"What?" Sophia cried.
"Yes," Madam Leota said. "Narissa vanished with Edward for a brief period of time, but he returned ages ago and assumed the throne. He claimed Narissa is dead."
"Edward is back?! Narissa is dead?!" Sophia had bolted to her feet, her hands slammed on the tabletop.
"Yes," Madam Leota said. "He returned years ago probably while you were still transformed and working as a broom. In fact, he brought back a mysterious woman and he is prepared to marry her in a few weeks."
"MARRY HER?!" Sophia exploded. "Why didn't you tell me?"
Madam Leota looked taken aback. "I would have if I had known that you had such an interest in Andalasian politics." Sophia blushed with embarrassment. She had a point. Sophia had not heard any news from Andalasia since her adventure with Kelsey and she hadn't asked about any news from her homeland in months. She simply assumed that Narissa was still there and that to return would me instant death.
Sophia slumped back into the chair in shock. She felt a surge of relief knowing that Narissa was gone and couldn't hurt her anymore. She was utterly confused that Edward had come back. She had assumed that he too had vanished into the ether along with Giselle. "Who is the woman?" she cried. A surge of hope swept through her body. Could it be Giselle? Had Edward actually found her? Were they going to get married?
"I actually don't know anything about her," Leota shrugged. "I don't pay close attention to those celebrity weddings." She waved a hand dismissively.
"I have to talk to Edward," she cried. She frantically gestured over her tea cup struggling to contact Edward. There was nothing. Edward was either not near a source of water or he wasn't observant enough to notice her. Either scenario seemed likely.
Sophia raced across the room, "I need to pack. What if he's going to marry Giselle?!"
"Hold on," Madam Leota cried. "Did you forget about The Knowing? All of your training?"
Sophia froze in the doorway. "No, of course not," Sophia said. "I just… I just…"
"You won't be able to ignore it once it starts," Madam Leota pointed out. "You'll be teleported immediately to your godchild." Sophia stared at Madam Leota helplessly. "You said yourself that my own emotional issues with my sister might be blocking The Knowing."
Madam Leota opened her mouth, trying to find a way to offer an explanation, but none came. She closed her mouth again. Mirror raised her teacup in a toast. "Leota, she's my sister," Sophia cried helplessly. "I have to find out what happened to her. I promise I will come back and completely devote myself to my future godchild, but I have to know."
Madam Leota sighed heavily. "Very well, I suppose your training is complete anyway. We'll get the coach ready and we should be able to get you to Andalasia quickly enough."
Sophia flung her arms around Madam Leota. "Thank you Leota! Thank you so much! I appreciate all you've done for me. I promise I will become the greatest godmother the Kingdom has ever seen."
Madam Leota tensed for a moment before smiling and returned the hug. "I can honestly say you were the best student I've ever had and I'm very proud of all that you have accomplished." Sophia beamed. "Now," she smiled. "Let's go find your sister."
"I'll pack up my things," Sophia said before racing up the steps to her room.
Mirror smirked at Madam Leota. "My dear Madam Leota, my Queen, my jewel. You're so good at teaching. Have you considered a school?"
Madam Leota glared at him. "One more crack like that and I will magic you right back into one of my hand mirrors."