2.18 – Confrontation

Despite her daughter’s clear embarrassment, Goonie walked into Leona’s room and gave her a little kiss on her forehead. “I’m sorry. I didn’t think you’d get naked until you got into the bathroom. I’ll be downstairs with Quinn if you need anything. The water’s warm and has the nice scented oils you like.”

Leona smiled as Goonie left and grabbed her towel, wrapping it snugly around her chest and waist. She popped out of her room, rounded the corner, and slipped into the bathroom. The air was thick with steam, infused with the comforting scents of her favorite mandarin orange and sandalwood oil. She inhaled deeply, savoring the soothing aroma before tossing the towel onto the sink and sinking into the bath.

The water embraced her, its heat spreading through her body in waves of liquid comfort. She let herself sink until only her nose peeked above the surface, eyes fluttering closed as the tension of the day melted away.

She stayed there for nearly an hour. The sun had fully set by the time she stirred from her daze, her fingers wrinkled from the water. The sky beyond the window was deep indigo, the first stars twinkling in the dark expanse. With a sigh, she reached for the soap and washed up before stepping out. Wrapping the towel securely around herself, she rubbed down her limbs, relishing the fresh, clean feeling settling over her.

Once dry, she slipped on her bathrobe, tying the belt snugly around her waist before heading back to her room.

A soft, cool breeze slipped beneath the robe, sending a sudden chill up her spine.

Her brows furrowed. Her window was open. Had it blown open? She stepped toward it, reaching out—but before she could touch it, an unnaturally powerful gust of wind surged into the room, knocking her backward onto her bed. She gasped, blinking up in shock at the sheer force.

Then her breath hitched for an entirely different reason.

A lithe figure slipped through the open window, platinum blonde hair gleaming under the moonlight. The window shut with a mere gesture of her hand, the air still swirling faintly around her.

Leona’s eyes widened. Her heart stopped.

Mistral.

The Mistral was in HER ROOM.

The legendary hero stood before her, her presence imposing yet mesmerizing. The cold, serious expression on her face sent a thrill of anxiety through Leona’s veins.

“Young woman,” Mistral spoke, her voice even and commanding. “I need to speak with you. Privately.”

Leona stared, her mouth hanging open as her brain tried to process the situation. The utter impossibility of it. The sheer gravity of the moment. And then—

The excitement detonated inside her like a firework.

“It’s YOU! Mistral! Is it really true? You’re here! Kyaaaaaaaaa!” Leona shrieked, bouncing up and down on the bed, her voice climbing in pitch with each second.

She was so caught up in her ecstatic outburst that she entirely failed to register Mistral’s grave expression. “I’m SUCH A FAN! I love you!” she gushed, blushing deep red as the words left her mouth. Her hands flailed, caught between clapping and clutching her face.

Her heart was on the verge of bursting from sheer joy when she suddenly realized—her bathrobe had nearly slipped open from all her excited bouncing.

With a panicked squeak, she yanked it closed, arms wrapping tightly around herself to prevent anything from slipping out or pointing at her.

“L-look by my bed! I’ve got so many posters of you! I’m so embarrassed you’re here! Kyaaaaa!” she fidgeted, hands clapping over her cheeks as she twisted in sheer, delighted mortification.

Mistral’s gaze flickered to the wall, taking in the posters and newspaper clippings meticulously pinned up like a shrine. Her hardened stare softened, just a fraction. Despite herself, she let out a small, amused smile. “I’m flattered,” she admitted, her voice losing a bit of its stern edge.

Leona practically melted at the words.

Mistral, however, quickly recomposed herself and stepped forward, her demeanor turning serious once more. She approached the bed, gaze steady. “May I sit?”

“Yes! Please!” Leona blurted, nodding vigorously. “Can I get you anything?” She practically vibrated with nervous energy, her heart hammering. “I can put on some clothes real quick and get you some tea or anything else you might like! I’d really REALLY like to talk with you!”

Mistral exhaled, the corner of her lips twitching as if fighting back another smile at Leona’s sheer enthusiasm. “Just answer me this question first,” she said, her tone shifting back to its grave nature. Her gaze swept the room one more time before returning to Leona.

She sat at the foot of the bed, still keeping a watchful eye on the younger girl.

As she moved, her skintight suit stretched over her body, accentuating her curves. “I sensed a familiar power rekindled several days ago. I teleported here and watched. I’ve seen the things you’ve done.” Mistral shook her head. “Yet, I would like to hear how these things came to pass. There is also the chance that there are things you may have witnessed that have been sealed from your mind, I would ask to use my magic to see into your memories and emotions. Is that acceptable?”

Leona flashed a sunny grin at Mistral. “Of course! I trust you completely, Mistral. You’re my hero! My role model! We were both trapped and you became strong again even though everything went wrong… you powered on. Anyhow, you don’t have to…” Leona trailed off, squirming as she bit her lip. “You probably sensed Black Angel’s return. I know about her. It’s not bad though… not exactly… see… my friend got me a present at the recent big convention… she got it because it was supposedly memorabilia from a fight you were in. The last one between you two. I thought it was a knock-off… it was a nice thought she had, knowing how I l-l- you… The tuft was kinda grey, not like her feathers at all, so I didn’t suspect it was hers at all. I thought it was probably just pigeon feathers in a glass bauble. I know what people do to make a buck and I’m not a sucker for things like that.” Leona was in full motor-mouth mode.

“Anyways, a few nights ago, I had a dream about being in this bleak cemetery. Black Angel was chasing me around through it. She was all sinister and creepy and weirdly sexy maybe? Anyway, I just wanted to get away from her. She had me all bound up and locked me away. When it seemed she’d won, her good side stepped in and saved me. A side of her that she’d tried to bury after she fell. She said she wanted to help me fight off Black Angel and was ashamed about how her powers were being used by her dark side. She asked me to become a hero to expiate her sins or something. I couldn’t get away, so I accepted her help. I knew I’d get both of her halves as passengers in the deal, or suspected it, but I feel that if I’m a good person who only wants to do good, she can’t do more than tempt me from the shadows of my mind. Well, I’m not ever going to let her do anything to hurt anyone. I have full control of it.”

Leona wiggled embarrassedly, happy to be sitting beside Mistral in her room on her bed. It was a dream come true. “I can show you her… the angel. Aurora.”

“I’ve seen her.” Mistral nodded. “Hmm, I see. I’d still like to see your history for myself, if you’re willing,” she insisted.

Leona hung her head for a moment before she smiled shyly. “I trust you, Mistral. You’re my hero, truly.” She closed her eyes and impulsively transformed. In a flash, she was Aurora again. Her wings sprouted from her back and scuffed up the blanket on the bed.

Mistral froze, looking away momentarily before leaning forward and caressing Aurora’s face. Her expression was serious again. “You look just like she did, but you’re not dark at all. You shine. I’ve watched.” She took a deep breath and stood, beckoning for Aurora to stand.

Mistral spoke again, “I’ve cast a spell to ensure our meeting is private. But too much power or commotion will cancel it. Stand slowly, please, and don’t make any sudden moves.” Her eyes narrowed.

Aurora nodded, putting her hands up. She extended her wings, then stood still for Mistral. “I won’t. I know why you’d be worried. She hurt you, I know… I’d hoped someday I could go to you and tell you that her powers had been turned to the good side. I’m glad that it happened this early too, though.”

“I’ll connect physically with you now.” Mistral maintained her sobriety, contrary to Leona, who was blushing furiously at those words while they were on her bed together. “This is so I can ensure that what you’re saying is the truth. It’s not that I don’t believe you—I’ve witnessed what you’ve been up to since—but your last outing made me question your intentions. I need to know that you’re not just deceiving yourself into believing you have control. Either way, I may be able to help you get rid of these powers if you prefer to return to your normal life,” she said.

“Mistral… if I can call you that directly… oh gosh, I’ve been doing that the whole time, haven’t I? I mean, good. I know—I understand your reasons. I follow you like crazy and idolize you. And I know about what Black Angel has done and is capable of, but I don’t want to get rid of these powers. I wouldn’t mind if she stopped leaping from the shadows like she does, but I’m not even sure getting rid of her would be completely fair to her either. That’s the same as killing or saying someone doesn’t have the right to exist.”

Mistral nodded, swallowing subtly. Her eyes didn’t change.

Aurora finished, “Anyway, I trust you… and I know you won’t hurt me, Mistral. I appreciate any help you can give.” Leona smiled warmly. “Would you ever think about becoming m… m… my…. M… mentor?” she asked in a small, shy voice.

Mistral couldn’t hold back another smile. “First things first,” she said. “You must know my magics are primarily based around the weather, but I know enough other sorcery arts that I’ll be able to connect with you mentally. Just relax, okay?” To that point, she’d been stiff and official, but now she spoke as a real person to Leona.

She chanted and reached out to touch Aurora’s forehead. For a few minutes, nothing seemed to happen. Then there was a sudden wrenching feeling, and Aurora blinked to find herself in what looked to be a gazebo in an open field. The ceiling of the gazebo was open, and an amazingly bright starfield stretched above the grass.

Mistral stood under the gazebo, wearing a bare-shouldered dress version of her costume. Beside her was Black Angel’s good form, dressed in Aurora’s costume—an older, idealized version of herself. Leona, still in her bathrobe, found herself returned to her normal form.

Mistral looked around and nodded. “Excellent… I have brought us here to see the truth of what has happened.”

The ‘good’ form turned to nod to Mistral, and Leona noticed that on the back of the good form was Black Angel’s normal form, her sly smile unsettling. She winked at Leona creepily, a shiver running down the young heroine’s spine.

Mistral gestured and cast another spell, allowing her to witness the moment when Black Angel had attempted to take over Leona. She watched as the good form intervened, aiding Leona in resisting the darkness. As the memory played out, Mistral nodded, her expression unreadable.

“You’re a very lucky girl,” she said with a sigh. “You think it was her good side that did all the hard work, but the truth is, you had to be strong enough to allow the remnant of her true self to help you. It was your heart that called to her and restored that glimmer of good in her. I can still sense her presence here…” Mistral said pensively, “but you’re right. It is very weak and submerged. I believe I can explain exactly what happened, if you’d like. Afterwards, perhaps you would allow me to take you somewhere very important.”

Leona looked at her and bounced up and down with giddy joy, thrilled to learn that her willpower was the key to keeping Black Angel from resurrecting. It wasn’t just the dark one’s power turning against itself, but rather, Leona’s own mind and emotions reinforcing that control.

“Of course!” Leona squeed, practically vibrating. “Please do share with me, Mistral! I’m so glad everything turned out okay! I beat the bad side myself!” She grinned brightly, though curiosity still flickered beneath her excitement. “That makes me feel better… like the powers are really mine.”

“Well, in a very large part, yes,” Mistral confirmed. “The down was part of Black Angel’s body which remained after her fight against me. Garou and I collected as much of her remains as we could but it’s obvious we didn’t recover everything. Anyway, whatever the material is, it is apparently very psycho-reactive. It keys into your emotions. Your dark emotions fed the darker aspects that were imprinted there, but your inherent goodness was also able to connect to her true original nature. I’ll explain more about her in a moment. But in all honesty, these aspects are more a part of you that have found refuge in her psychic echoes. Truly, your latent mystic profile was already powerful, so it’s a good thing it manifested this way instead of something more perilous.”

She walked over to the image of Black Angel’s good self, turning her physically so she could clearly see the evil and good versions both. “This representation is more part of you than her, though there are mystic links nonetheless. Honestly, you may have someone in your ancestral tree with some connection to her race. Either way, it was your psyche that made the connection, it simply needed a way to tap into the mystic potential you have. You won’t usually talk to her good side because that’s the side of the coin you are. However, her ‘bad’ side will always be more active when you are tempted to do bad things.”

“To make it a little more complex, these echoes of Black Angel are real, they do exist, so this isn’t entirely you in either fashion. However, and this may sound counterintuitive, because you are so aligned with the good side, you’ll see the dark side more easily while the reverse isn’t as true. Do you understand?”

Leona nodded thoughtfully. “I get that. Her dark side wanted out for ‘just an hour’ today when I was frustrated and angry. She said she’d solve all my problems for me.” Leona stuck out her tongue in disgust. “Yeah, right. I’m not going to let her out to do ANYTHING. I’ll never build a good superhero reputation like you if I ever did.”

She smiled, reassured by all this new information. The idea that Black Angel’s presence could be tied to her own subconscious darkness was unsettling, but knowing it was weak gave her confidence.

“If you ever truly fall to despair, you may find it difficult to resist… but seeing you… seeing this space, I am confident you will keep hold of yourself. Now, I think you should have an explanation of what ‘Black Angel’ herself is. Shall we return to the real world? I have a special place I’d like to share with you.”

“Yes!” Leona said unreservedly. “Can I tell my Mom and Sis I’ll be gone for a while?” She squirmed at the thought of going somewhere alone with Mistral, barely containing her excitement. She couldn’t help but hop up and down again.

“They know my secret. I love and trust them too. I’d be honored if you’d say hi and bye real quick with me.” Leona beamed, practically glowing with happiness.

“I’d be happy to meet the family of such a brave girl,” Mistral said with a rare smile before stepping forward and—hugging her.

Leona's brain practically short-circuited.

Kyaaaaaa!

She hugged back as tightly as she could, her mind an explosion of joy. Mistral held her a bit longer than expected—not that Leona had expected it in the first place!

When Mistral finally pulled away, she touched Leona’s forehead gently, taking a step back as the scenery faded. “I’ll wait in the hall for you to get dressed if you want to change back to normal first,” she said.

Leona returned to the real world, blinking as she readjusted, shaking her head slightly before continuing where the conversation had left off. “I don’t think it matters. My family knows me in either form.”

She was still in her Aurora form, but the memory of that hug made her blush furiously. Kyaaaaaa!

Trying to compose herself, she forced herself to speak with some semblance of ‘adult’ decorum. “They should still be downstairs. I was just getting dry from my bath, and I would have gone down to munch popcorn and watch a movie with them.” Leona giggled at the warm thought of sharing family time with two of her favorite people.

With Mistral in the lead, they left Leona’s room and went downstairs together. When Goonie and Quinn laid their eyes on Mistral, their jaws dropped. Of course, they knew who she was. Leona wouldn’t have it any other way.

“Um, family…” Leona peeked out from behind Mistral in her Aurora form. “I’m incredibly honored to introduce you to Mistral. She’s going to take me somewhere special tonight. I didn’t want you to worry, but…” Despite herself, Aurora bounced again, unable to hold her excitement behind that ‘adult’ facade for too long.

They gasped, and Mistral nodded affirmatively, smiling at Aurora’s infectious positivity.

“I apologize for barging into your home,” she said, “I was concerned for your daughter’s spiritual health and didn’t want to take the chance of a trap being set. So I took the initiative to meet with her just a moment ago.”

Quinn stifled a giggle at the mention of traps, eyeing Aurora.

Aurora’s eyes widened. Damn it, Quinn, not now!

“Ah, Mistral,” Goonie said as casually as she could manage, standing quickly. “You’re my daughter’s favorite superhero. Please sit down. I’ll get you some coffee or--”

“Please,” Mistral interjected, holding up a hand. “Don’t trouble yourself. I’d like your permission to take your daughter to my spirit circle and introduce her to some of her heroic peers. I realize it’s short notice--”

“Oh, no, please… we’re all very aware of what kind of heroine you are,” Goonie interrupted back with a broad smile. “If Le-oh… uh… Aurora trusts you, then I don't see why we shouldn’t as well… um… do you have a time when she’ll be back?”

“Well, I don’t want to keep her out too late, but it might be for more than an hour or two. Do you want her to call if we’re going to be later than, say… 9?”

Goonie nodded. “Aurora, you know your curfew is 10 PM, so just give us a call if you’ll be later, okay?”

Aurora smiled at her mom happily. “Thank you, Mom! This seems like it’s pretty important. I’m glad you understand.” She grinned. It was a little embarrassing talking about curfews with her mom right in front of her superhero idol like this, but it was inevitable in a way.

“I’ll definitely keep you notified,” Aurora said with conviction before looking to Mistral. “Should we go back upstairs, or would the front door be okay?”

“We’ll use a mystic portal to go from here,” Mistral replied, her eye half-turned to Goonie before continuing, “it won’t affect anything in your house.” She smiled reassuringly and now looked at Goonie and Quinn fully. “So don’t worry about privacy or anything like that.”

With that, Mistral deployed her perhaps most unsung power, her megawatt smile, on them. “It was my pleasure meeting the family of such a unique girl.” Mistral offered Aurora her hand. “Are you ready, Aurora?” she asked.

At Aurora’s affirmative nod, Mistral made a simple gesture with her off-hand. Right in front of the family, the portal opened. An arcane rift, swirling with the ethereal energy of space itself, stretched into existence.

Everyone’s eyes widened. It was a popular theory that Mistral had teleportation powers, but this was confirmation!

Aurora wasn’t sure her family could see the gently spiraling blue-black corridor of energy quite like she did, but they saw something. On the other side, there was a log cabin nestled in an unknown wilderness. If that was in Canada, she’d be leaving the country for the first time in her whole life! She didn’t even have a passport!

Kyaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa!!!!