Disclaimer: I don't own any of the characters in this chapter but I wish I did.
A/N: Well I finally got it to where I like it. Might not be as many changes as you guys thought there would be but the direction of this chapter is critical to the rest of the story. R&R
August, 2008 AD, Smallville, Kansas
A loud bell rang throughout the Kent home. The house was empty save for a precocious brunette. Lois Lane sat up in her bed and stretched. She had the house to her self every Sunday morning. Since the death of Jonathan Kent, Mrs. Kent had insisted on never missing a Sunday service at Smallville Methodist. Eventually Martha had stopped trying to get her to go with her and Clark. Once she was dressed Lois went downstairs and heated up the sausage and eggs Martha had left for her. Lois sat and ate her eggs in peace. This was the life no rush of traffic, no worrying about getting to work on time. She wished that she could stay in Smallville for the rest of her life. Looking at the calendar on the kitchen wall her hopes fell. The next week she was supposed to report to the Daily Planet to start her job as a beat reporter. The thought of the Daily Planet brought back all the heartache of the past year. Lois's cousin Chloe had been working for the Planet as an intern columnist. When Perry White the Papers new Editor announced there was an opening for a full time journalist everyone said Chloe was a shoe in. After months of prodding by her cousin Lois agreed to apply for the intern position that would be left once her cousin was promoted. A week later Perry sent her a topic to write a sample column, Lois found her self engrossed in the column so much the column she mailed back to Perry was more than a thousand words long. A week later she received word from Perry that she was far too good to be an intern. Thus nearly two months had passed and Chloe hadn't spoken to her once.
Lois had just finished cleaning of her plate when she heard the sound of Clark's truck coming up the drive. She ran outside to find Martha climbing out of the cab and Clark sitting in the driver's seat expectantly. Martha walked up to her and smiled a single tear made a streak down her face. Lois wanted to ask her what was the matter but Clark blew the horn before she could say anything. Climbing into the passenger's seat of the vehicle Clark backed out of the driveway without saying a word. They drove away from town until they reached a series of caves. Lois recognized where they were, these caves housed some sort of Kryptonian temple. Clark had shown her the caves before but she couldn't think of any reason for them to come here now.
Clark got out of the truck and headed toward the opening that led to the temple. Lois followed him until they reached what she assumed was an altar. The structure was made of some sort of crystal. Clark reached into his pocket and produced a long piece of green crystal and fit it into a long hollow tube. A door appeared in the wall and a blinding light emitted from the room beyond. Clark held out his hand and said "trust me" Lois nodded and took his hand. Clark walked to the wall where the door was located and with a quick glance to Lois stepped into the light.
Lois found her self in what she could only assume was the Arctic Circle. In front of her spread across the landscape was a large crystalline structure. Turning around Lois noticed that the area was covered in a dense fog that let in only light. Lois ran after Clark as he entered the large complex. She had never seen anything like it. The entire place looked like it had grown out of the pages of a sci-fi novel. Large crystals with perfectly level surfaces lined the floors. The distance between platforms made Lois feel like the place had been built for people who used an alternative mode of transportation then simply walking. Once she had finally climbed up to the level Clark was on she noticed he was standing in front of a series of crystals that resembled the altar in the caves. Clark moved crystals around on its surface and Lois realized that it was supposed to be some sort of control panel. She was about to ask him what all of this was when a large head appeared in front of them. She was startled when the image spoke.
"Hello Kal-El, I grieve for you my son. I wish beyond hope that your mother and I could have joined you on your quest to Earth. The council was too stubborn to listen to reason they prohibited the production of space craft to keep from starting mass riot. I sent plans of a ship to my brother Zor I only pray that he was able to get your cousin Kara off planet. I doubt he was successful he only received my designs weeks before the poisonous green rock that accumulated that the core of the planet reached the surface. People started dying by the thousands as soon as the mineral began growing out of the ground. We had become a people completely devoid of any creative thought. Anything that could not be studied scientifically was brandished as undesirable. Our blind eyes to nature and religion were our downfall. I fear that our ancient god Rao who resides in our red sun delivered the green rock to Krypton as punishment for our hypocritical actions. Maybe it was this reason that the council forbid anyone to leave the planet. Perhaps they felt that all of Krypton deserved to pay the price for our idiocy. What ever they believed I spared you this fate for the sake of Rao himself. It is recorded that the House of El was founded by a man by the same name. El was a great warrior; he freed all those enslaved to the barbarians that ravaged our planet centuries ago when our planet was nothing but a barren wasteland. It was said that he had been found by a couple that owned a water farm. The wife had been struck barren and could not bare children. They found El in one of their fields and raised him to be there own. They named him after the prosperity he gave to their hearts. El grew to be a strong young man and opposed the barbarians that wanted to take their farm. As punishment they killed El's father and took him as a slave. After days of travel they dumped El's body in an ancient shrine to Rao. Little did they know that Rao had birthed El to be the saviour of his people. While El lay dying Rao sent a ray of light into the temple that gave El strength and new life. With this gift from his father and god El set out to avenge all who were enslaved. Once the slaves were free they made El their king and gave him a queen. Thus our family lineage was born. You Kal-El are the direct decedent of El himself. I pray Rao blesses you his last son as he did his first. I was never one for religion my son. I devoted my life to science. However while I was working on building your ship I found a series of ancient prophecies one of which spoke of Rao's rebirth. The saying goes 'And then in Krypton's doom the father shall become the son and the son the father.' I believe that you are that son. They can be a great people Kal-El if they wish to be they only lack a guide to show the way. For that reason above all I have sent them you my only son."
The floating head disappeared and Lois found her gaze shift to Clark. He had sunk to the floor and sobs escaped his mouth as he cried. Lois knelt down next to him and wiped the tears from his face.
"I found this massage waiting for me when I first came here." Clark said through his tears. "I was afraid of what it might say..."
Lois cupped his face with her hand. "Your father seemed like a good man."
Clark nodded his head and continued to cry. "I wasn't expecting this. I wanted to hate him so much." He said before crying even harder. "But he risked everything to save me and did it out of the hope that I would make this world better than it was. He wanted this world to be spared of the same fate that befell Krypton." Clark stood up and wiped the remaining tears from his face. "That's why I have to leave Smallville."
"Leave, why do you have to leave?" Lois said standing up to face him. "What about your mom?"
"Regardless of what the message said I was going to leave anyway." Clark said all of the sadness had left his appearance. "Lets go I need to get you back to Smallville."
Without another word Clark touched a series of crystals in the command console and the two vanished in a blink of light. When the light faded once more Lois found that they were back at the Kent farm.
"I know you won't understand this but I need you to promise to never talk about this to anyone but my mother." Clark picked up a duffle bag on the porch and started to walk down the steps to the drive. "I don't know how long I'll be gone but I will come back to you one day." With that he walked off before Lois could say good-bye.
"Damn you Clark" Lois wept. She curled up into a ball and cried.
