A Leap of Faith (Part 2)

Chapter 277 - Nia talks to Isabel

"Mom!" Nia says, and quickly gets up from the chair and goes running towards her mom, taking her in for a hug.

In this moment, in this dream, Nia feels like a child again, a little girl going running to her mom, and taking her in for a hug, and at the same time, the appearance of the dream reflects that. Nia's form has now changed to that of a 10 year old, while Isabel's has changed to that of a woman in her 40s. This is a point in Nia's life when she was far too young to be allowed to be given hormone treatment, due to her being trans, but her parents made every effect to allow Nia to live as a girl, letting Nia grow her hair, and style it long, while also allowing Nia to dress in girl's clothing. This is a point before any puberty, so Nia honestly just looks like a normal young girl. As the two part from their hug, Nia looks up at her mom and realises the changes that have happened.

"What..... what is happening?" Nia asks, confused, now in her younger child voice.

"My daughter, this is your dream. You have control of it here, everything here." Isabel says.

"Does that mean..... are you not real?" Nia asks, in a sad voice.

"I am real, Nia. We are both dreaming, but I have entered your dream." Isabel explains.

"I.... I don't understand." Nia says, still in a confused voice.

"Of course you do not, my young beautiful girl." Isabel says.

Isabel then steps closer to Nia one more time, and cups her cheek, just looking the young 10-year-old Nia in her eyes. As Isabel does this, the two of them suddenly shift into their normal forms, their current ages.

"This is all my fault, Nia." Isabel says.

"What.... what do you mean, mom?" Nia asks, confused.

"I never considered that you would become the dreamer. I thought my dream, about having a daughter who would become the dreamer was about your sister, not you." Isabel says, "I spent years preparing your sister for a moment that was yours, leaving you without the preparation you need, to understand your powers."

"That doesn't matter, mom. You can prepare me now. Just, tell me where you are. I.... I have friends now...... I'm friends with Supergirl.... and other heroes...... If you tell us where you are, we can come and find you." Isabel says.

"Oh, my child, of course you have surrounded yourself with heroes, because that is who you are, and who you will become. You have always been my hero, Nia, for everything you have gone through, to just exist as you want to exist. It makes sense that you will become an even greater hero, a real Dreamer." Isabel says.

"Mom.... please.... just.... just tell me where you and Maeve are. Please." Nia says, almost in a begging voice right now.

"I do not know, my child." Isabel says, "We have been transported from place to place. Where we are right now, it looks like we are underground, but may not be. I do not know. But that does not matter."

"What do you mean it doesn't matter?! Of course it matters!" Nia says, in a desperate voice.

"It doesn't matter, because eventually you will come for us, you will find us, and save your sister." Isabel says.

"Save..... what do you mean save my sister. Why aren't you saying I'm going to save you too?" Nia asks.

"I am dying, my child." Isabel says, plainly.

"What?! No! What have Leviathan done to you! Tell me more information, so I can find you! If I find you in time, we can get you help!" Nia says, in a desperate voice, now with tears in her eyes.

"No, child." Isabel says, "These people, they have done nothing to me. I have been dying for a while now. I have a Naltorian disease that has no cure. It has only ever effected the dreamers of our people. Over the last few years, I have felt the disease progressing. I have seen that my time is short. That is why I was so desperate, and foolish, to try and help your sister access the powers I thought were hers, and we ended up in the hands of these people.... Who want nothing more than to use us, for our powers."