I love my sister more than anything in this life.
Right from the beginning everything had gone wrong with this mission. So it shouldn't really be a surprise that this was how it ended.
A mixed alien breed, strong but stupid, had attacked earth and everyone had gathered to fight, even Batman. They managed to kill the invaders and send a messaged to the rest, that earth would fight, but amongst all the celebration and glory Kara noticed that Alex was missing.
When she finally found her sister, she was lying in a body shaped crater with one of the dead aliens on top of her, she was barely breathing and every bone in her body was broken. She had been slammed down and crushed beneath one of those things. Kara quickly moved the alien of her and called for help.
“Kara, I’m sorry but there is nothing else I can do” J'onn informed her once Alex was lying on the bed at the DEO.
“No” Kara all but roared, “There has to be something” She couldn’t loose Alex, Alex was the one person in any universe that she needed more than anything. She had managed to come to terms with the death of her family and Krypton’s destruction, but this would break her. Wait krypton…
“Kara? I said you should call Eliza” J’onn repeated.
“No J’onn I need you to call Kal-El and tell him to meet me at the fortress” Kara said, not bothering to call him Clark. She looked in the drawer where she knew Alex had hidden a Kryptonite knife. She would need it.
She went over to where Alex was laying, so still, so broken. She wrapped her in three blankets before lifting her into her arm and hovering above the ground to move her as little as possible. The entire time she was listing to her weak heartbeat and labored breath, begging Rao to give her enough time.
The flight to the fortress was quick but felt so dreadfully long as Kara had to make sure that Alex was still alive.
When she landed softly on the ground she saw that the secret door to the fortress was open. Kal-EL must be in there.
“Kara, what is going on?” Clark asked. Both he and J’onn were there
“I’m saving Alex” Kara said shortly and started preparing.
“But how? J’onn said that there is nothing more to do…” He asked
“How good is your High Kryptonese?” Kara asked fully ignoring his question
“Okay-ish, why? Kara what are you planning?”
“For all that I’ve lost and sacrificed, Rao owes this to me” Kara said.
She laid Alex gently down on the floor and unwrapped her broken right arm.
“kara” J’onn tried
Kara went up to the controls and spoke clearly.
“Show me the incarnation for the soul sharing ritual”
“The ancient act of soul sharing is no longer in use as it was deemed dangerous and vulgar by the high council.” The robotic voice spoke.
“Show me the records anyways” Kara demanded
“Yes Kara Zor-El”
Then the screen showed a document with ancient and forgotten rituals.
“Kal-El, I need you to read that out loud.” Kara said pointing at the screen.
“Only if you tell me what the hell is going on.” He demanded, finally losing his cool.
“I am going to share my soul, my life force, with Alex in the hope that it will heal her enough to safe her” Kara said, that was the short version.
“And if it doesn't save her?” J’onn said.
“Then I die” She replied
“What?” Clark asked.
“That’s one of the reasons it was banned, if one part dies the other dies too, in a matter of minutes.” Kara explained.
“Kara, you can’t die. The world needs you” J’onn said
“The world has a whole battalion of superheroes, but I need Alex. If I don’t do this and she dies I’ll fly our bodies into Rao so we can be together in death” Kara said, they had never seen her this determined, scared or angry before.
“Okay I’ll do it” Clark said
Kara nodded.
“Read that out loud, it’s High Kryptonese, I’ll do the rest”
As Clark began reading Kara pulled out the knife and cut up Alex’s hand, using the blood she drew strange marking and wrote on her neck and face before using the knife to cut down the chest of her dress in order to draw on her chest.
Once she was finished she cut up her own hand and copied the markings on Alex’s body.
As Clark was finishing up the rites both Kara and Alex were gently lift off of the ground in a soft blue light.
They swirled together in the air before Kara took Alex’s hand and place it on her chest and likewise put her own hand over Alex’s heart.
The words Kara spoke in Kryptonese translated roughly into.
“From this day on we will be one under Rao’s light, your pain will be my pain, your joy will be my joy and your death will be my death, half of me is now yours.”
Then all of a sudden the glowing stopped and Kara had to catch Alex before she crashed to the ground.
“So, what now?” J’onn asked
“Now we go back to the DEO and hope we make it through the night” Kara said, she looked like she was about to pass out.
“Here” J’onn said softly as he took Alex from her arms. “I’ll fly her back”
Clark looked at the pale almost sick looking Kara and decided
“Come on, I’ll fly you back, you look like you need it.” He said and bend so Kara could climb onto his back.
Once they were back at the DEO both Kara and Alex were placed in the sunlight dispensers.
Clark stayed and talked to Kara while they recovered.
“So, what were the other reasons the ceremony was banned?” Clark asked.
“Sorry?” Kara asked
“You said that there were some reasons for why the High council banned the ritual”
Kara looked away-
“At first it was seen as something sacred, an unbreakable bond, but then it was abused… people realized how easy it would be to kill others by killing their mates, or manipulate them” Kara began.
“The two bonded share emotions, life force and in this case powers. But there are drawbacks, if one of us is hurt the other will feel it, if one dies the other will die too and a deep connection can lead to the sharing of memories and skills.” Kara explained.
“Oh” was all Clark said. “So what is your plan now? Either you live with her or you die”
“Can I tell you something?” Kara asked
“Shoot” Clark replied
“There is a reason why I knew the ritual. When I was 11 my parents did the soul sharing ceremony, it was illegal and I was the only one they trusted to do it, it was my mother’s idea and I remember thinking that she was so selfish, because if one of them died then would lose both my parents.” Kara said
“And now?” Clark asked
“It is still selfish, but I understand it now, not wanting to live without your mate” she explained
“You love her don’t you?” he questioned
“Of course I do, she’s my sister” Kara said, the word still left a bad taste in her mouth
“Kara, you have to stop hiding behind that… you are in love with, aren’t you?”
Kara didn't know how to answer that. Eliza had always pushed the mantra that they were sister, but it had never felt that way and they both knew it.
“I do, I love her so much” Kara replied with tears slowly falling down her cheeks.
Alex had to live, she needed her to live.