Irhaboggle Pride (2023) I Saw the Signs and Symbols

Double Moon

"Are we there yet?" Kara whined, crossing her arms and pouting as she sat in the spaceship's shotgun seat.

"Do you want me to turn this ship around?" Lena deadpanned, but she was smirking and there was an amused twinkle in her eyes. For once, Kara didn't appreciate it, and her pout only deepened. Lena found it even cuter and funnier than before.

"Yeah, aren't I supposed to be the one to ask that question?" A head popped up from the backseat with a goofy grin plastered to its face. It was Nia Nal. "I am your guys' daughter, after all!"

Of course, Nia didn't mean it literally, but all anyone had to do was meet the three of them and they would agree. Nia had Lena's looks, Kara's powers, and both of their drives for justice and heroism. That was why they were flying through the galaxy at all.

After debuting on Earth as The Dreamer, Nia Nal quickly rose to prominence thanks to her good deeds and powerful connections. She broadened her horizons (quite literally, in fact) and took to the stars to continue spreading her heroism and justice, sometimes working with her old friends from Earth 38. Other times, though, her travels led her to new worlds, and one such world had a Space Ranger/Cadet training program that Nia decided to enroll in. The program was at last complete and Kara and Lena were the proud parents driving her to graduation. The only problem...

"You're sure we're not lost?" Kara sighed melodramatically. "I swear we passed that distant nebula three times already!"

"Wanna check the map?" Lena's smirk grew. "Tell me which star to take our next right at."

"I prefer asking for directions," Kara deadpanned back, but a moment later, she and Lena both locked eyes and started giggling quietly. Nia watched them from the backseat with an affectionate smile, rolling her eyes in fond exasperation.

Oh, mom, you dork. Both of you.

Lena's eyes flicked back up to the rearview mirror where she caught Nia's gaze. "Well, Kara, if you're really finding it so difficult to pass the time, why not ask Nia how she's feeling about the graduation ceremony?"

Nia chuckled embarrassedly. "I told you, it's nothing special, I passed with high marks, but we all did."

"That doesn't make it any less impressive!" Both Kara and Lena insisted fiercely, and Nia smiled back at them weakly.

As if you two don't do the same thing. But of course, her heart fluttered at their praise.

Besides, even though she wasn't receiving any unique academic honors, there was still a special award in store for her at the ceremony. Although Nia was so much more than just one side of herself, one of her most salient identities was as a transgender woman. That identity, of course, interacted with her identity as the Dreamer, and a Naltorian living on Earth sometimes disguised as a human.

Individuals from all over space and time were curious to know what that experience was like. What was it like to be trans? A transwoman? A transwoman, an immigrant, and a superhero? How were her experiences similar and different compared to those of similar identities? In particular, Naltorians were fascinated by the science behind it all. At first, everyone in Nia's family was certain that her sister would be the next Dreamer, but instead, the power manifested in Nia herself. So, it seemed as if whatever mysterious force drove the selection process was capable of discerning man from woman, but did not discern between cis and trans.

The memory made Nia's heartbeat quicken. The day she realized that she was destined to be the next Dreamer was a day of existential crisis and crumbling family ties. As scary as it was, and as much as Nia may not have wanted it in the beginning, there was something validating about the discovery. Even if the entire universe refused to accept her gender identity, insisting that because she was born a man, that was all she would ever be, the Dreamer powers apparently begged to differ.

The Dreamer Power really said Trans Rights, Nia smiled. So even though Nia wasn't going to be celebrated as the smartest of the class, there was still going to be time allocated for her to talk about her story and experiences.

"I'm excited... and nervous," she admitted, her smile perfectly fitting the description. It was her biggest dream (pun unintended) to serve as an inspiration for other trans individuals, be they human or alien or both or other.

Cliché as it is, I want them to know that they can be superheroes too! It was just about finding their niche. And for non-trans individuals, Nia wanted to show them what a transperson with a positive support system could really do!

I'm not trying to be a trans-galactic celebrity, or whatever, I just want the universe to know that we aren't the weirdos or creeps that certain people have made us out to be! We're also more than just tokens, we're people! I may not be human, but I'm a person. I have a life and a story, I'm more than just a letter in an acronym. I want the universe to see that, so it won't be afraid of us anymore. I want to show our similarities, not just our differences. If this is my chance to help jumpstart that change, then, well...

"So, are we there yet?" Nia smiled innocently. Kara laughed and Lena pretended to frown at both of them in annoyance.

"As a matter of fact, yes," she said, then she clicked a button on the ship's dashboard and the roof became transparent.

"Ha, ha, Lena! Get it? Transparent? Because Nia is trans and we're her—!"

"Yes, Kara, I get it."

"Woah!" The other two cried out in awe, jaws dropping and eyes bugging. Hanging in the void in front of them were two giant crescent moons back to back, but unlike Earth's moon, they weren't white. They were pink, purple, and blue.

"OMG BISEXUAL MOONS!" Kara gasped in delight and Lena nodded with a smile. Right before they left Earth, J'onn gave Lena the GPS with the coordinates that would take them to the location of the graduation ceremony. She intentionally concealed it from the other two, however, wishing to surprise them upon arrival. It seemed as though her mission was a success.

This week is gonna be so gay! Nia beamed as their ship touched down on the purple part of one of the moons. I can't wait!