Squeaking, giggly and excitable "She's she's uh amazing, so amazing and not just that- she's so strong, she kept me hopeful, she fought for me even when I felt so weak and she showed me all the best parts about being human."
Continuing to speak with awe and reverence "She's my best friend... she's my light and I honestly don't know what I'd do without her."
Stroking Kara's hair timidly Alura smiled at the love and warmth emanating from her daughter when speaking of her earth family. But guilt had gently wavered at the borders of her mindscape when thinking of her own twin sister.
Reminiscing on what they once had been- so close even when they were both so young, she had loved Astra and the relationship they had shared together. Yet sadly both of their misdeeds had unravelled that blood bond and now it was highly improbable she would ever be able to make amends or reconnect-that was... if what she had originally suspected were still true about what had happened to the criminals on Fort Rozz.
She was however thankful that Kara had experienced what it was like to have a sibling, she was grateful even- to know that someone was there for her to hold her hand when facing such great hardship and tragedy- yet a small part of her, the insignificant jealous part that she was throughly attempting to tamper down and quash was oozing with envy at these humans who got to experience everything of her daughter that she never got to have, that she never would.
She had missed her child reach her age of adulthood and it broke her heart not knowing all of the details of Kara's existence throughout those years nor getting to see firsthand how they had ultimately shaped her into the woman who graced her now with a somewhat blinding presence.
They were strangers to each other.
Eyes retracting downward moving her arms away, clearing her throat "You... mentioned Fort Rozz" stopping short, throat bobbing "was-"
Immediately it clicked- just as if Kara had anticipated the trajectory of this conversation "Astra..."
Alura nodded biting her lip- looking away slightly in shame, in displeasure... she wasn't sure. Thoughts of her sister had in fact plagued her did she survive? Was she still there... in timeless space? What had happened to her?
Deep down somewhere she'd known.
No longer having the resources to go searching- all efforts were put into keeping Argo stable and Zor's work in keeping the atmosphere free from harmful toxins and essentially from killing them all.
The argument given was because they were all still prisoners. and the new council were not prepared to find out for themselves one way or the other.
So- she'd had to bite down and swallow in order to stop herself from screaming at the top of her lungs for something more to be done.
To them... Justice had been served.
Kara looked down towards her fingers twirling them, deflating- not quite doing anything other than using them as something of a distraction. Her voice taking on a darker tone "She survived... for a time." Leaning over angling her head up slightly... she could see her mother wince and frown herself deflating.
Serious... no time for kindness "What happened?"
Kara's lips curled into her mouth as she tried her best not to bear down onto her tongue- presence fierce and unyielding the influx of dread continued until she landed onto accepting of the events that had already come to pass- being hero of Earth meant she couldn't hold onto something like that, she'd forgiven Alex because there's no way in this universe that she could be here without her nor be Supergirl either "She went a little... unstable. I think her time on Fort Rozz it changed her... further hardened the woman that she was- she lost her morals and sense of conscience, only cared to uphold her views on survival. She- she and Non... they wanted to use Myriad like they had tried on Krypton."
Clearing her throat "They could see Earths mistakes and could not see past that, they allowed fear to overcome rationale. They took it upon themselves to correct our history by using their plans on earth, they did not care about what was going to happen to earths people and only about the land and the soil itself. It was more important to them than preserving what was best in humanity... their freedom, their love and right to life- they lost all compassion and almost managed to enslave the entire human race until I happened to stop them.'
Within her mind Alura withered slightly- even though she had been no better...
Resentment burning Astra had stood by and allowed that savagery. Again.
Guessing... heartbroken but unsurprised "And she did not survive." Gutted, yet another weight bared down onto a Kryptonian mothers chest.
Constricted in agony of the loss they had endured all of those years ago, of the twin she had longed to still know- now returning tenfold upon the realisation that her mirror image, her sibling, her opposite and the woman she was bonded to by face and blood was well and truly gone.
Now she knows.
I should've listened.
We could've worked through our differences and found a way... together.
El-Mayarah.
Kara however was still absorbed in the two year old colours, of green and red- the sting of Kryptonite still ever present as she watched the blood pool around her beloved aunts lifeless body in flashes of memory "No... no she did not" Nodding a twitch of hope returning, back stiffening in a odd sort of pride "but she was slowly changing, I almost convinced her to drop arms but I wasn't fast enough to save her... she died with honour- a warriors death... she was killed to save another and so we gave her Kryptonian burial rights and a ceremony to send her home... into Rao's light."
Alura nodded and blinked- Maybe there was hope for Astra after all.
Again she should've listened.
Biting back a sob and discreetly gripping at the corner of the couch cushion, dispelling her thoughts through the padding she sat on- her knuckles were becoming perilously white and her blue flowing dress crinkled slightly in a reserved type of sadness.
Would she be forgiven, by her daughter and by the gods- be sent home when her time comes?
What would Rao say considering her inaction on Krypton?
Was she deserving?
Alura swallowed... it didn't matter. She would gladly accept a fate of sleeping in such baroness, if that was the punishment for what she had done, apt considering all of the innocent souls she blindingly sent into such similar circumstances. It would be their time for justice.
Pulling her stoic mask back up, she looked at Kara and thought that maybe she was Rao's way of offering a hand, a way towards redemption showing her that he did still care by bringing her back"And It was you that lead the rites?"
The blonde glanced over, face taut with feeling like it physically pained her to see her mother in such distress let alone talk of her Aunt Astra. Gulping, herself dispelling some of that tension "I did, I recounted the prayer for the dead and watched as her casket floated into the stars."
The brunette relaxed up hearing that tilting her head "Thank you" at least Astra had found some sense of peace. She knew Rao would accept her twin no matter her path of disillusionment... she fought for Krypton, she was deserving of his warmth... she still upheld Kryptonian honour as a warrior.
Her daughter pursed her lips, looking to the floor, shuffling her feet "It's okay."
Clearly... it was not.
That's when Alura started to really notice the tension in Kara's shoulders and the flexing of her jaw, like she had wanted to say something- speak of something and it was then she knew... looking over to each other, the superhero hesitated and Alura could see the confliction deep set into sapphire crystal... more was coming.
Letting out a shaky exhale, it was now or never. Kara spoke "Sspeaking of Astra. I- I found out- um from her that you used my spy beacon to entrap her."
Flinching. She should have prepared for this- as soon as Kara had talked of Astra, she had known but... oh this was worse than she thought, the level of betrayal and disappointment simmering through Kara's cheekbones would forever haunt her memories. Watching her daughter's blackened orb's in waiting it was worse than any fate Rao might deem acceptable... in all honesty her daughter deserved far better than anything in way of answers she had to offer. Steeling herself, shakily nodding "Yess I- did."
She had to face up to what she had done. It was time... but what in Rao's name was she to say? She could not excuse her role in her sisters persecution nor lie about taking advantage of Kara as a child.
The room went eerily quiet...
Kara looked on in bewilderment with a face that said... is that it?
She could hardly blame her.
Huffing- swiping her face and turning away... a little defensive maybe "I was a fool... there's no excuse for it, at the time I thought my actions were just... she was a traitor. I had tried to talk to her, attempt to make her see sense, but she would not change her stance and she had helped kill Kara. I was too blinded by my authority, my rules and my ignorance to notice the repercussions before us, to see the sword I was wielding against any last hope our civilisation had of rescue- even if her ways were... ultimately wrong."
Sighing, turning back with tears in her eyes "By lowering myself into using you, by staying quiet. Knowing now the complicity I held in what I had been doing, I realise. I was just as bad as Astra if not worse I killed billions down to hubris, yet I could not see it. I was in denial we all were and If i'm entirely forthcoming I was too scared to do anything more. I let myself pretend and continue on like the the core's temperature was not rising, with the excuse that Jor and Zor were working on potential solutions if it were to eventually come to that... I'm so sorry Kara, I can never forgive myself and I don't expect for you to understand but either way we just ran out of time."
Defeated- clasping Kara's hands into her own, her walls trembling... threatening to break "Please Dear Daughter... I-"
Kara took one look at her- as her resolve crumbled and the anger in her features softened instead exchanged for a tragic type of sadness in acknowledging the impact that her mother had reaped. Hurt washed away and was replaced with love because there was an abject honesty reflected in Alura's eyes that unnerved her. A vulnerability that wasn't there before and that only time away from everyone she had loved had created and it was at this point she knew that her mother was overwhelmed with... anxiety... sincerity... guilt most definitely and that she had meant every single word that she had just spoken.
That was enough... for now, Kara could only hope that it would be enough in the long run, for them to rebuild upon and lay the foundations for a new relationship.
A fresh start.
She'd previously come to accept the fact that her mother likely was not the woman that she used to look up too but neither was she- she herself had changed into a different being for better or for worse and it wasn't like those sour thoughts of her moms actions were new... they'd stewed inside her stomach for over two years and now she had answers to questions she never thought she'd get to ask and so maybe in time, with the creation of new memories she could finally let some of the baggage go... eventually.