Hope & Love - SuperFlash [1]

Chapter 10

Barry stirred to consciousness, the stream of water steadily running across the back of his body. He rose to a sitting position, and looked around at the vast mountain range. it was beautiful here, valleys of green foliage stretching into the distance and a vast blue sky speckled with streaks of white.

He couldn't focus on that, though. not when the fact remained that he should be dead. His eyes hitched upwards as hundreds of beautiful yellow flower pedals fell from above, dozens of men and woman standing on the edge of a mountain overlooked him. Before he could get a good look at any of them, a noise stole his attention

He swiveled around as the sound of a galloping horse overtook his ears, and as his eyes finally set his eyes on the crimson clad figure riding the stallion, that very figure came to a stop. Barry pushed himself up off the ground, brushing the dirt and grime off as he stepped between the rocky and muddy landscape. 

Barry stood still as the cloaked figure stepped down from the horse and stood just a few feet away from him. His hood hung low, obscuring his face from view, but Barry had a very strange feeling about this. He turned, looking up to the mountain tops to see all the distant figures extending their arms and Barry looked back to the figure standing before him.

He swiveled, heel digging into the soil, thousands if dirt particles flying into the air as he burst off into the opposite direction, lightning crackling all around him. When he came to a stop, he stood inside his Childhood home, now wearing an upscaled version of the pajamas he wore the night his mother died. Barry closed his eyes and dropped to his knees on the ground. He was tired, so very tired.   He had been running for so long, running from pain, from death, and now he was.... here, wherever here was.

"Hello Barry." A soft and familiar voice echoed in his ears. He opened his eyes and looked at his mother, or what appeared to be his mother. This was likely the speedforce manifesting a human form once again.

"Is this the speedforce?" He inquired.

"Barry." She answered and Barry furrowed his eyebrows. "It's really me Barry, its your mom." She smiled, tears beginning to creep from the corners of her eyes. Barry's eyes widened, and he immediately wrapped his arms around her, to which she eagerly reciprocated. They were crying, but they were tears of happiness as they clutched onto each other. Eventually, they pulled apart, and as Barry racked his brain, his mother continued to talk. "A lot of people want to talk to you, and you've got to make a choice. We better hurry, there's not much time."

Barry's excitement and happiness dampened a bit as dread filled his core, wondering what her words meant. He kept those worries in mind but off to the side as he followed her out the door, only to wind up in that same mountain range, in front of the same cloaked man, and in the mountains those same figures. "Who are you?!' Barry called out, but received no answer.

The figure took a step forward, but  Barry turned to look up, at those figures, and he ran. He ran up the mountain, through the continues cascade of flower pedals until he stood atop the mountainside, in front of the now distinguishable figures.

They were people he knew, people from his past. Friends, family, people he knew and loved, people he failed. "Hey Barry." Eddie welcomed.

"What is this?"

"Its either your last goodbye to us, or your first hello." Eddie answered vaguely, and Barry looked at all the people, until his eyes landed on a woman near the back.

"Nora?!" He called out, pushing through people. "Nora, is that you?!" Barry called out, and as he reached the back, his daughter stood waiting, that beautiful smile greeting him, a smile he hadn't seen in what felt like forever. Barry began to cry and he wrapped his arms around his daughter, resting his chin stop her head. She hugged him back just as tightly, and everyone else began to fade away until the father and daughter stood alone inside a manifestation of Star Labs. 'I missed you so much, I'm sorry I couldn't save you, I'm sorry that- "

"It's okay, I'm fine." She assured him. "I'm really okay." She said once more to reaffirm her previous statement. "This isn't about me, its about you, and your choice."

"What choice?" Barry inquired and Nora let out a shaky breath.

"You sacrificed yourself, your technically dead, but since you are a speedster, you don't really die you go here, the place inbetween." Nora began. "But, you fulfilled your destiny, sorta, so they've decided to give you a choice. Go back, or move forward."

"Go back? Why?" He said.

"Things aren't great Dad." Nora said, voice small. She took a step to the side, showing Barry a view into the vanishing point, at all of the survivors as they sat defeated and hopeless. Barry's stomach felt like it was in knots as his eyes landed on Kara.

"I don't understand, I- I sacrificed myself to stop the Anti-Monitor, to save Earth-One, to save them, why..." Barry's voice trailed off.

"The Anti-Monitor was expecting it, he was a step ahead of us, even the speedforce." Nora said grimly. "That's why the speedforce is giving you a choice. They need your help, the universe needs you, but they know you've lost so much and are willing to let you move forward, to be happy, with Grandpa and Grandma, with all the people you lost." Nora said.

Several streaks of lightning echoed in Barry's ears, and his mother and father suddenly appeared. "Hey slugger." Henry smirked and Barry ran forward, hugging him tightly.

"Barry, its time to make your choice." His mother said, disappointment evident in her tone. Barry looked at his mother, father, and daughter as a tear ran down his cheek, wanting nothing more than to have them back, to live happily with them, but Kara was at the forefront of his mind, the woman he loved, the woman that had changed him in the best ways possible, and he knew what he had to do.

"We love you, Barry." His parents said at the same time.

"We always will." His daughter smiled brightly, and the four shared an Allen family hug. As they pulled apart, lightning began to surround the scarlet speedster as he was being pulled back. "Keep running for us." Nora said.

Tears ran down his cheeks, wet trails falling across his lips as they stretched into a soft smile. "I love you all." Barry spoke softly.