Chapter Text
When Kara was a bright-eyed and bushy-tailed twelve-year-old, someone asked her to be a flower girl for the first time.
Specifically, her Aunt Astra was getting married in a highly expensive Outer Rim orb and asked her to take the position of honor as they’d slowly, tastefully circle their home planet of Krypton.
“It’s a big job. But, I can count on you. Right, my dear?”
Wanting to live up to her favorite aunt’s expectations after agreeing to them earlier, Kara excitedly nodded, clapped her hands, jumped up and down a little, and cheerily replied, “Yep, yep, yep! I’ll be the best flowergirl ever!”
Relieved to hear the news, Astra breathed a deep sigh of relief. Then, held her niece close in a hug, closed her eyes, and softly replied, “Thank you!”
Astra partly asked her darling niece because, unlike Earth or other planets, Krypton didn’t have best men, maids of honor, bridesmaids, groomsmen, or any other gender-inclusive equivalents. Just flowerpeople. Or – in smaller and high-conflict families – one flowerperson.
But, she mainly asked Kara because she was the most well-loved, people-pleasing family member. Therefore, the least likely to cause drama before, during, and after the big day.
A big day which somehow came so slowly and so soon at the same time, such that it was surreal when a gorgeous, white military robe-wearing Astra took Kara by the hand to ask her, “You ready, my special girl?”
Feeling the jitters of excitement and nerves start flooding her little body, but committed to the bit and not wanting to disappoint one of her top heroes, Kara simply nodded back. Then, tippy tapped her feet a bit, winked, and rebalanced the gorgeous bouquet of sapphire tulichids in her eager hands.
Responses which, to the lilac dress-wearing flowergirl’s unawareness, would be some of the last she’d ever give not just her aunt, but any fellow Kryptonian for quite some time.
All because, after the cheerful wedding music began and the orb’s inner doors opened to let Astra and Kara in, the orb suddenly shook hard, everyone started screaming in horror, and people started frantically running in their direction as if trying to get out.
“INVASION!!!”
“EXPLOSIONS!!!”
“SHIELDS UP!!!”
“GET TO THE CREWS!!!”
“GET TO THE PODS!!!”
“CHILDREN AND WOMEN FIRST!!!”
Completely taken aback by all the commotion, Kara completely froze in horror in the middle of the aisle. But, not for long; ever the military strategist and doting aunt, Astra swept her niece up into her arms as easily as one might sling a purse over their shoulder. Then, steadied them against another blast which hit the orb, supersped them over to a pre-programmed set of evacuation pods, and placed sweet Kara inside one.
“Bye for now, sweet girl. I love you,” Astra tearily bid her niece farewell with those words and a kiss to the head, unsure of when or if they’d ever see each other again.
Words Kara didn’t fully grasp the meaning of or have the chance to respond to before the pod sealed itself and shot her the hell out of the Outer Rim.
But, words which stuck with her when, all of a sudden, she found herself no longer in her three-dimensional land anymore, but a two-dimensional, cartoon one called Republic City.
Specifically, a cartoon version of herself who’d been dropped into the middle of a huge bisexual wedding of the ages: that between a Water Tribe kimono-wearing Avatar Korra and a Fire Nation kimono-wearing Asami Sato.
“Umm, can we help you?”
Unsure of where she was besides a podium her pod apparently crash landed onto, Kara waved to them and tried to communicate, hoping they could understand her despite how they didn’t seem to speak the same language.
“Help! Help me!! I was at Aunt Astra’s wedding when my ship dropped me here!!! My family’s under attack!!!!”
Able to tell the young girl who’d apparently popped into their comic book-like setting with the intensity of a “pow” icon was crying out for help, but unable to understand her, Korra and Asami leapt into action to try to free her. Then, unable to despite their various types of knowledge, cried out to the rather diversely-powered crowd for some help.
“Does anyone know what the hell this thing is or how to free her?!?”
At first, the understandably shocked crowd was silent and reluctant to help.
But, after a few beats of heavy, expectant silence, another little girl in the back popped her little head up. Then, cried out in Korra and Asami’s language, “I do! I can help!!!”
At first, Kara thought the same age-looking girl was from the same realm as the women she’d literally crashed the wedding of.
But, upon further inspection, she seemed different somehow. Out of place in a way which was hard to describe, yet passing as someone who also lived in Republic City based on her clothes.
“Hi! I’m Lena! I’m an Earth witch who likes cartoons! I can translate almost any language with my iPad! My parents are fighting, so I magicked myself here to get away! Where’d you come from?!?! Are you a witch?!?! Are your parents fighting, too?!?!”
At first, little Kara was so overwhelmed by the whole situation she was in that she couldn’t fully process what the butterflies in her stomach meant or answer all of Lena’s questions.
But, eventually, none of that proved necessary.
Just seconds later, the good little witch managed to use her powers to read Kara’s mind and tap into her epigenetics to figure out how to unlock the rather mysterious, sky-fallen pod. Then, did so and lifted a very confused, suddenly very flustered Kara out of it.
For a few beats, there was still a lot of awkward silence full of unanswered questions the crowd had. Silence Lena thankfully took it upon herself to answer. All by using her voice-magnifying powers, her iPad, and a town crier-type of dramatic reading.
“All hail Kara Zor El, our surprise bridesmaid from the sky! Here from the future to bless the ancient union of Avatar Korra and Asami Sato!”
To the dazed and confused Kryptonian’s relief, the crowd replied with a universal language: a roaring mix of whistling, applause, and whooping.
A warm welcome which was only outdone by how Asami and Korra scrambled to bow and split their respective bouquets out of respect, gave the godlet a mic of flowers to hold, and warmly ushered her to stand by them as a witness to the glorious occasion.
A wedding which otherwise went very smoothly, such that Kara was crying happy tears about people, land, customs, and languages she knew nothing about, but aptly felt.
A wedding which ended in a very well-received, simultaneous, heartfelt kiss-preceding, “I DO!!!”
A wedding in which both brides took a big sister-like role in shepherding their unexpected guest around, then helping her get started with their food and drink.
And, a wedding she rather enjoyed the afterparty for. All because, once Lena and she helped Asami and Korra crowdsurf atop huge, cushioned turtle shells of various shapes and colors on the dance floor, it was time for everyone to dance and get even louder.
“HAVE YOU EVER TAKEN A PHOTOGRAPH BEFORE?????”
Not quite sure what Lena was screaming at her through the blaring noise and rowdy, multicultural people dancing around them, Kara didn’t quite know how to respond. But, she smiled back because the good witch seemed to be in good spirits, too, and put sound-reducing buds inside her hardy yet ever-sensitive ears.
“TAKE ONE WITH ME, YEAH??? I WANT TO REMEMBER US JUST LIKE THIS!!!”
Now close enough to Lena to be able to read the Kryptonese, picture and video-supported translations of everything she’d just said, Kara shook her head in agreement and replied in her native tongue, “OKAY!!!”
A response Lena was thrilled to receive, such that she raised her old-fashioned Polaroid camera and counted down.
“THREE, TWO, ONE!”
Because Kara was looking down at the iPad to understand what Lena was saying, she nearly missed looking into the camera.
But, for better or worse, Lena would capture those gorgeous baby blues for two reasons.
One, she kissed Kara on the cheek, breaking the bridesmaid’s concentration in a way which made her flush and smile more deeply than the wedding punch did.
And two, the good Kryptonian found herself being involuntarily yoinked out of the Avatar: Legend of Korra series mid-roll of camera flashes, then thrust back into the very orb she’d escaped from an untold amount of time before.
Without the fun, friendly girl who’d helped her and made her want to go back.