Chapter Twenty-Five

"Are you sure about this, Clark?"

Clark looked at the woman beside her in awe. She wanted him to do this, he knew. She wanted him to accept his destiny and come to terms with who he was. Since the moment she had found out about his heritage, she had been trying to help him come to terms with it. And now, after everything that had happened, he finally had accepted himself. The stones were meant for him, and rejecting that any longer would only lead to even more heartache. The world seemed to fall apart every time he had gone against Jor-El. And even though he was gone, his will still lived on. And he no longer believed that that will was for him to rule. It simply didn't follow from what he had learned of Jor-El's character. Every single time he had intervened, it had been to protect, not to harm. And that was what he believed he had been sent to Earth for: to protect. And that was a destiny he could live with.

Clark Kent had accepted himself for who he was, which was just what Lois had wanted all along. Yet despite this, she still took the time to make sure this was what he wanted, not what she wanted. She was simply amazing. He was the luckiest man alive to have found her.

"Yes, Lois. I'm sure. I want to do this. This is what I was sent here for. And I'm not going to back down now." Clark placed the key in its slot on the table, just to emphasize his point.

"Good. Just know that I'll be here every step of the way."

Clark felt her squeeze the hand that was currently in his own, and he squeezed it lightly in return. "Thank you, Lois. Do you want to do the honors?"

"Sure." Lois stepped up to the stone table in front of her and placed the crystal stone in its place on the center of the table. A deep yellow color emerged from the symbol in the stone, almost as if it was flaming to life. The light faded a few moments later. Clark placed the black stone in its place left of it, and a blue light shone from the symbol in the stone, a deep blue that greatly resembled the Pacific Ocean off the coast of Honduras where it had been found. Lois then pulled out the final stone, but hesitated.

"Do you want to do this one together?"

"Do you really think that is a good idea? Remember what happened last time we touched one of the stones at the same time?"

"Oh. Yeah. Good point. Well here goes nothing." Lois placed the silver stone in its place below the other two, and each of the stones lit up in turn. Blue, yellow, and red. Water, fire, and air. The elements were together at last, and the colors of each stone began to meld together, changing each stone at the molecular level. The black faded, the silver cleared, as each stone joined into one. A final wave of light shone from the stone, forever imprinting those three colors in Clark's mind, before it faded completely, revealing a single, diamond like stone.

"Wow! Now that was cool! Have you ever..." Lois paused as the new stone began to float off the table, into the air. It hovered in front of them, spinning slowly. A very bright, bluish white light began shining from behind them, and in a move that could only be described as instinct, Clark reached out and grabbed the stone with his right hand, still holding Lois' hand securely with his left one.

The light began to envelope them, as energy began to course through Clark's body. Clark screamed, not so much from pain as from an overload of his senses. The light, sound, and information being released was overwhelming, to much for even his senses to handle. Clark closed his eyes, attempting to block all of it out. Just as suddenly as it had began, it stopped. Everything faded, and Clark opened his eyes, surprised at what he saw. As far as even his eye could see, in every direction, the landscape was covered in snow.

"Now that far exceeded cool. That was freakin' awesome!"

Clark smiled. Count on Lois to always put things in perspective. The fact that they were in the middle of the arctic paled in comparison to how great the show had been. Definitely.

Lois shivered, the current temperature catching up to her. Clark noticed it, took off his jacket, and helped her put it on. She smiled a thank you for him, then took a look around. Snow. Everywhere. For miles and miles around. They were in the middle of nowhere. Why had they been transported to the middle of nowhere? And why did it have to be so freakin' cold?

She turned to Clark, who was studying the stone intently, oblivious to the cold. But of course he would be. If he could shrug off temperatures in the thousands with ease, why not extreme cold, too? Then it hit her. Every single time he had complained about cold showers, he hadn't really been bothered by it. She was so not letting him get away with that. She was about to comment about it when she noticed Clark harden with resolve. And then he did something completely unexpected. He chucked the stone like a football, sending it flying through the air.

"Clark! What did you do that for?"

"I...don't know. It just felt right."

"Pfft. Typical guy response. Violence solves everything. Do you know how long its going to take to find it?

"Lois?"

"I mean the stone is white, and we're surrounded by white everywhere. It would take like a million years to track the stone down now. Especially with how far you threw it. I mean, gawd, what were you thinking? Were you even thinking at all?"

"Lois."

"I can't believe you just threw it like that. After all that effort to bring the stones together, you just chucked it. Now what are we going to do? We're stuck out in the middle of nowhere, and we don't even have the stone. How are you going to learn about your destiny now? I can't believe you-"

"Lois!"

"What?"

"Look."

Lois glanced towards the direction he was pointing, and her mouth dropped. Where there had once been only snow, now there stood a gigantic assembly of crystals, forming a large fortress that only could be described as magnificent.

"Holy ice cycles!" Clark laughed. "What?"

"You're amazing. Have I ever told you that?"

Lois elbowed him in the ribs, smirking in return. "You know you love me, Smallville. Now let's go check out the huge ice factory." She held out her hand, and he took it. Together, they walked towards the alien structure that had formed before them.

"Welcome, my son." The voice echoed through out the enclave, seemingly coming from everywhere and nowhere at the same time.

"Jor-El? I thought you were destroyed."

"Lois removed my connection to the caves through her actions against me, but my connection to you was never broken."

Lois' face turned red, even with the harsh conditions of her environment. "Yeah...uh...sorry about that. Things didn't exactly turn out the way I had wanted them to."

"You are forgiven, Lois Lane. Your actions were driven by love, a love that Kal-El will need if he is to fulfill his destiny."

"And what destiny is that?" Lois asked.

"Kal-El is destined for greatness. The people of Earth are weak, yet can be strong. They need a guiding light to show them the way. Kal-El's destiny fulfills that need.

"But you must be prepared, Kal-El. Strength and preparation are needed if you are to survive the trials to come."

"What must I do?"

"Study with diligence, my son." A clear beam of light enveloped Clark, and Kryptonian symbols began to hover in front of Clark's face. "Only then will you be prepared to face the trials to come."

Lois looked at Clark, who seemed to be oblivious to the world around him. So this was his destiny. To prepare himself for the trials to come, whatever they might be, and guide the human race to see its true potential. She had always known he was not meant to rule or conquer. His heart was to big and to loving for a future like that.

Lois sat down on a rise on the ground, and wrapped her arms around her. She was happy for Clark, but what of her? Was she just supposed to sit here and twiddle her thumbs while she waited for him to finish? It was cold. Very cold. She wouldn't survive very long in these conditions. Was he studying for a five point quiz, or for a final worth three-fourths of his grade? How long was this going to take?

Lois noticed some activity from a crystalline console near Clark's position, and stood up to investigate. A single crystal came out of the console and floated in front of her. She took it in her hand, and the area around her began to glow, warming her. Then she heard a voice echo in her mind, only it wasn't the voice of Jor-El.

"Welcome, young daughter."

"Who are you?"

"I am Lara, mother of Kal-El. And I am here to guide you in the journey you must now take."

"What journey? I thought this place was meant for Clark."

"Your destiny is tied to Kal-El's, just as his is tied to yours. His fate, and the fate of the world, rests in your hands. The trials ahead will be great indeed, for you and for Kal-El. Kal-El does not have the strength to endure them alone, nor do you have the strength to endure them on your own. You will need each other if both of you are going to survive."

"I love Clark. I would want to be with him whether our destinies were tied together or not. But we need more time. We barely know each other. You have to give us more time together."

"Time will be given. Kal-El's training will only occur during the daylight hours to allow time for you to grow closer, if you choose to stay. A place has been prepared for you."

A section of the fortress began to slide away, revealing a hidden room near the back. Lois went to investigate, her curiosity raised.

The room was very pleasant, and appeared to be warm. It was still of Kryptonian design, but it didn't suffer from the feeling of loneliness that the rest of the fortress seemed to radiate. Perhaps it was the warmth of the room, or perhaps it was the more traditional layout of the room. Either way, Lois felt at home nearly instantly. Then again, anywhere she was that was with Clark was home to her.

The left side of the room was filled with open cabinets, shelves, and stands. All made out of crystal, of course, but still attractive. There were places for food, pictures, and anything else she could think of to put up. Some of the shelves were even refrigerated, while the air around it was still warm and pleasant. How that worked, she had no idea.

The right side of the room appeared to be designed to be a living area. There were couches, of a sort, a round table with a round bench surrounding it, and several more smaller tables on either side of each couch. With a few personal touches, like some upholstery, blankets, or a tablecloth, and it could be really homey.

And then there was the bed, dead and center. Bed. As in singular. Great. I don't think Smallville and I are quite ready for that yet. It was a good thing there was a couch. She smiled. Just like old times.

"Is it to your satisfaction?"

"Yes. But I still don't understand my part in all of this. What am I supposed to do here?"

"That is up to you. The entirety of Kryptonian knowledge is available for your study, if you wish to study it. You are not, however, required to stay. Kal-El will be allowed to visit you once every Earth moon, if you return, and you will be allowed to visit him once during that same time period."

"How long is his training going to take?"

"Until he is ready. The period of time is unknown. It will be several Earth moons, at the very least. Perhaps a few cycles, or more."

"So basically my destiny is to stay with Clark and help him through what is to come?"

"No. The choice to be with Kal-El must be yours alone. The decision will not be forced upon you. You must remain close to him, but your friendship is all that is required. The journey that you must take must be your own. This is the choice I am here to guide you through. I will answer any questions that you may have."

Lois liked Lara a lot more than her husband. She was straightforward, honest, and caring. Honest and straightforward being the key differences. Or perhaps just straightforward. Jor-El had been fairly honest, although he was far to cryptic for her liking. It did help her understand Clark a bit more, though. He could be cryptic and he could be honest and straightforward. But however he was, he was always caring.

Lois thought about the decision before her. Stay with Clark, and abandon her own dreams in the process, or follow her dreams and live her life, and see Clark sparingly, at best. What kind of a choice was that? It was simply to much, to soon. She loved Clark, with all of her heart, and she wanted to be with him more than anything else in the world. But she still didn't know where they stood. She'd only been with him for a few hours, after all. There was no way to know how well it would work out. Sure, she had thought about and dreamed about being married to him, but those had only been thoughts and dreams. And they had all been future tense, not centered around the present. And that, truly, was what Lara was asking her to decide. Did she want to commit to Clark, today, or did she want to go home, today, and barely see him?

"Do I have to decide right away?"

"No. I realize this is a big decision. You may stay as long as you like, and take as long as you like to decide. But realize, if you decide to leave, you cannot change your mind later. Both your future and his depend on you making one choice or the other. If you leave, events will be set in motion that cannot be reversed, and you will be limited to seeing him only twice each moon.

"Also, realize that the longer you stay, the harder it will be for you to be reintegrated back into your old life. So while you may stay as long as you like, it is in your best interest to decide on one course or the other soon."

"I understand. I...uh...what would you do?"

"That, I am afraid, is one piece of advice that I cannot give you. You must decide this for yourself. You must follow your own heart in this matter.

"Do you have any more questions?"

"Not at the moment."

"Very well. If you require further clarification, simply touch the crystal again. Farewell, young daughter. May the light guide you."

The crystal then stopped glowing, and Lois placed it in one of the cabinets, then sat down on the bed. How was she supposed to decide? The choice was far to much, far to soon. Give up her goals for the future in order to be with Clark, or give up everything but a friendship with Clark in order to have a life of her own. She had time, but as Lara had said, she didn't have much time. If she did go back, it would be to pursue a career in journalism, and she needed to get back in time to take the GED test she was scheduled for and enroll in classes for fall. A month. She had a month, at most, to decide. But a month was a month. There was no reason to rush into anything that she didn't have to.

Lois lied down on the bed, exhausted from all that she had gone through. It was very comfortable, even though it lacked any blankets to speak of. But blankets were not really required, as the room itself was warm enough. She closed her eyes and drifted off to sleep, putting off any further thought of her current situation until morning.

History. Equations. Formulas. Poetry. Science. The entirety of Kryptonian research and thought, a society centuries if not millennium ahead of Earth, all compressed into slide after slide of knowledge. It was a lot to take in, even for Clark. He could spend years studying, and still not comprehend all of it. He was learning, and learning a lot. But it was slow going, compared to the amount of information there was to learn. How was he expected to learn all of this? Had all Kryptonians mastered all of this information?

The flow of information abruptly stopped, and it took Clark a few moments to slow down his mind enough to comprehend his surroundings. He was in the ice fortress that he and Lois had entered. He did not know how long he had been studying, but judging by the amount of light outside, it had been a few hours at least.

A small memory was lingering at the back of his mind. Something was not right. Something was not as he had left it. And then it hit him. Lois. Where was she?

"Lois is safe, my son."

"Where is she?"

"In a room prepared for her at the far side of the fortress."

"May I go to her?"

"Yes, you may. You will be required to continue your studies when the sun rises, however."

"I understand."

Clark looked around the cave, and noticed the room on the far side. It hadn't been there before. Or if it had, it had been concealed. When he arrived at the room, he found Lois asleep on a bed. He didn't want to wake her, but he did want to talk to her, too. His mind debated over what he should do for a few minutes, before he decided to let her be. She needed to sleep. It had been a long day, for both of them. He could use some shut eye as well, even though his mind likely wouldn't let him rest for a few more hours. It was still moving to fast for him to fall asleep.

Clark walked up to the bed and sat down, just watching her. She was so beautiful. She looked so peaceful. He was still amazed that she loved him. He still wasn't quite sure how that had happened. How had a girl as amazing as she was ever fallen in love with him, an alien from another planet with more issues, as she had said, than a kangaroo stuck in the north pole? However it had happened, he was very grateful.

Lois stirred slightly, and Clark felt the conflict inside of her, the peace that he had seen earlier disappearing. She was having a bad dream. Clark climbed into the bed and wrapped his arms around her, which calmed her down instantly. Holding her always seemed to calm her down.

Clark sighed a peaceful sigh and rested his head on the built in pillow, which was a soft as the bed. Then he took in her wonderful scent, and nuzzled his nose into her hair, all of his thoughts fading to the background. It was only him and her. Clark and Lois. Lois and Clark. The way it should be.

His eyes slowly slid shut, and he drifted off to sleep. Apparently Clark's presence wasn't the only one that had a calming effect.