⌭ Oscar & Brae ⌭ [PART II]

Brae made her way to the pod as Oscar scooted back to his console. After a few silent taps, all the screens became a puzzle constructed of the pod's interior. Brae stepped inside after the doors decompressed. Perfectly in frame on the monitors she looked large and small all at once.

The doors closed and recompressed themselves with a hiss and a ‘schlick’ as they latched. Composing herself as best she could, Brae put on a regal face. She hadn’t known what she was going to tell the world nor how to say it. It was all so insane. Try imagining that the impending doom of creation was on its way to actually cover the world in physical darkness and end all reality.

Now imagine broadcasting it to every inhabitant, but asking no one to panic, because you’re going to DCU the problem and bestow divine abilities on as many people as possible. Exactly. Entirely nutty. More nutty though...was saying all of this to a world that knew it was your fault.

Oscar gave his cue standing in the panel of glowing runes at the chambers center now. Brae’s thoughts began to spiral into a labyrinth of worst case scenarios— none included her death. She was prepared. As much as was possible. Truthfully, the only real trepidation she felt was that, born of having to leave her brother.

He tugged at a lock of his hair, eyes focused, but not, on the floor. Her little sky. Despite his mettle he would always be such to her. Though technically bigger and stronger now, he was still small for his age. The large radius of technology he stood on didn’t help that either. He appeared so frail. She knew he wasn’t.

In actuality he was quite possibly the most formidable thirteen year old, if not person Brae ever had the delight of experiencing. What lurked in his future however frightened the woman. Something very dark was coming for him. Understanding that and realizing she wouldn’t be able to see him through it was torture. However she also understood, that his destiny was something grand and bright. She could feel it. Like every crescendo in a film's score.

Tides began to push at the backs of her eyes again, but failed to breach the shores of her cheeks. She couldn’t cry anymore—for Oscar’s sake. This was going to be difficult for him. He’d have Demlorai, but with things as they were, the two would sooner clash in their mourning, before bonding stronger in their grief. Keeping herself together was a must. Taking a deep breath she closed her eyes and let her gift flow out and around her as it had so many times before.

It bathed and dressed her in its familiar warmth and power, the bodysuit disintegrating in its wake. Responding to the pressure released by the pent up L'tharum, the pod thrummed to life. The power to save the universe was literally at her fingertips. It’d been a while since it brought her peace rather than pain. Today it was a mixture.

The pleasant sensation hastily became one of a suffocating nature. Oscar stood in the center panel now watching her with intent. She nodded in reassurance. Just like before the boy glowed. Braes energy curled with intention and streamed into the four separate tubes. Before long, the panel beneath Oscar, was aflush with the brilliance of cosmic light. Brae smiled. The colors danced as they spiraled into a column, ruffling his locs and illuminating his deep brown cinnamon tone. He’d closed his eyes now and was beginning to open them.

“Cielito?” His stare asserted his well being. She took a deep, slow breath in. Before she could finish thinking her thoughts, words began pouring out of her.

“My name is Brae Garcia Flores and this is all my fault. If you’re watching this, then that means what’s about to happen wasn’t the end. The world is safe. For now.” She took a slightly shaky breath. "I know how that sounds coming from me...of all the people to appear to you at this time… likely doesn’t do much for your ease. I’m sorry for that.” She felt herself begin to choke.

“Sigh… I wasn’t always this.” Brae gestured at her light clad self. Strange ornate ethereal clothing adorning her from head to toe. She appeared like some mystic warrior of a far off planet. "I was alone for a very long time. Lost, afraid and every kind of broken or hopeless there’s ever been.” Suddenly only the bad things that had happened to her were at the forefront of her mind, and all its pains. Tears stung her throat more than the L'tharum as is grew more unstable. Oscar seemed alright at least. He looked more focused than ever on the light pouring into him, but she knew he was listening. He always did.

“What I mean to say...is I understand your despair. To the families and friends watching that lost in the calamity I caused...I truly am regretful for the strength I did not have to keep them safe.” A single tear, like liquid gold starlight, fell from her face and dispersed into the air. Fuck. Oscar hadn’t seen it. She recomposed herself with a grace and determined subtlety, in hopes the viewers could not tell she was beginning to crack. “Forgive me, but now I must warn you of a new danger. One of true malice.”

She prayed the words made as much sense out loud as they had in her mind, but didn’t want to second guess herself in front of the people that needed her suasion the most. “This video is intended to inform you of your salvation. To pause all doubts and queries I will tell you now, that this is not a path I intend to walk with all of you....I can’t.” She sounded so proper to herself. Her godmother’s teachings, much like the power she wielded, were embedded in her. Oscar gleamed with an intensity beneath his flesh, of orange and blue energies, as Brae’s hues of pink, purple and green, funneled their way through the tubes transferring to the boy. The colors were suitable for him. Calm like the seas, but brilliant as sunlight.

“To guarantee the absolute success of my plan, I must forfeit my own light…” The next two words hung in the ethos for a moment. “...my life.” She said the words with a softness she hadn’t meant to. Before her eyes could water she spoke again.

“I’m sure anyone with eyes , can discern my situation to be less than desirable.” Through the skylight, An anomalous crackle of lightning shook the clear blue atmosphere, trembling the earth. Brae was unmoved by its foreboding as her picture wobbled on screen. With grace she continued.

“The process you are witnessing is your aforementioned salvation. Currently all the power, or L'tharum as it is called, that I possess is being funneled into a machine and with it all that I am. Upon complete collection, the device will erect a barrier of sorts, around our earth, which will— for a time— keep at bay the coming darkness.” Now for the kicker.

“You’re probably asking what happens when this barrier reaches it’s eventuality, so to put it succinctly— all will be offered an extraordinary gift, but it will change you.” Her tone turned a mild shade of grave and sincere with her next sentence.

“Please. For the sake of all and yourself— accept this. Or perish.”

“I understand the terror in your heart, but also understand that within it, lies just as much hope. You are all splendidly capable of greatness. It is not something to be achieved. It already exists within us, planted at birth and growing throughout our lives. The experiences, love and people you have, as well as lessons you learn, all serve as pail and water. Choose to sprinkle your seeds with them.”

She looked to Oscar as the sun was slowly consumed by the clouds. Arcs of gold and black laced the atmos. Though his fingers were restless by his sides now, his gaze had moved from the floor and was steady on Brae. His eyes blazed a beautiful emerald and purple like the light in her L'tharum. It was the very affirmation she needed to not falter.

“The only thing that separates us from greatness and despair...is circumstance.” Thunder boomed and lightning cracked again splitting the sky this time. The world's ceiling opened like torn fabric. Darkness gushed out in torrents of tendrils spreading in all directions. Like ink into water.

With a final look at her brother Brae beamed brightly and spoke as clearly as she could. “Your time has come and you’re going to be far brighter...than any of us could dream.” The words burned as she did. Skin lifting off muscle, muscle off bone and bone vanishing to nothing from the energies intensity. It was somehow painless. Like she were a drawing being erased away with the softest of utensils.

Completely believing she was ready, all of her thoughts came to an abrupt halt. Oscar had the largest grin on his face. All of her unclenched at once.

He waved a furious goodbye with wet streak adorned cheeks. He was shouting something , but she couldn’t hear him. Just as the light reached a crescendo she made out two words: ‘I’m’ and ‘alright’. As the last of the L'tharum drained from her, the woman dissolved into it’s light. Nothing, but tears and a smile.