i finally got this work, except i have to send it all in HTML form, so i'm just praying it turns out all right. so if it looks weird, i'm sorry about that too.
also, i kept posting on Sweet when i didn't post here, so these next few chapters are gonna come a little quicker because i want this site to be caught up with the other one. yeah so good news for you, but my readers on Sweet will have to wait :oP
i'm really sorry again about not updating. Hope you can forgive me!
Clark sat in one of the bay windows of the castle, his arms wrapped around his legs and his chin resting on his knees.
From the window he could see a huge open field filled with wild flowers and fairies. The sun shined down on everything happily and the clouds rolled by like children running through a playground.
It was beautiful, but Clark no longer cared.
He felt alone - more alone then he ever thought he'd be. In a matter of a few minutes, he'd never see Lana again. Never again get to give her that smile that made her nose crinkle up and her cheeks turn pink. Never get to hold her when she felt bad. Never get to have another chance at a relationship with her…
A single tear slipped down his cheek and he closed his eyes in pain.
Why did he always mess things up? He always had to butt in the way and take matters into his own hands. He always had to be the hero that saved everyone. Did he really care, or was he just there to get a thank you? He honestly wasn't sure anymore…
Not that it was even a factor now. With Diaba, Haras, and Amon gone, there was no need for him to save anyone here. He'd just have to live out his life solo…a long, miserable life in a exotic dream world…all by himself.
Just then, he heard muffled voices coming up the stairway behind him.
" – so sad to see you gone, Lana. You gave this world so much."
"I don't know that it was all me, but thanks. I'm happy you're all free from those creatures."
Clark quickly rushed off the window's seat, hiding behind the nearest corner. He flattened himself against the wall just as Lana and the others were heading up the stairs on the other side. As they continued to comment Lana on how heroic she was, Clark began to fight with the voices in his head.
Talk to Lana, or not?
It would hurt her a lot less if he just faded out of her life…she could live on and find what she'd been wanting in Paris - no complications made possible by him. But he would forever kick himself inside if he never got the chance to tell her his real feelings straight to her face. It'd be like living on the other side of a glass wall - he might be able to see Lana in her dreams…but never get to be there with her. Back and forth his mind went like a ping pong ball. He wished he had more time to decide.
Meanwhile, Lana entered Jake's room which looked remarkably similar to Clark and hers, only it was smaller and made for one guest instead of two.
"I suppose this is it then," Wenda said, somewhat saddened. She looked at Lana with tear-filled eyes, trying to force a smile. "I wish nothing but the best for…Earth is it called?"
Lana laughed a little. "Yeah. And thank you all so much. I think some of my happiest memories will be of this place."
Everyone took turns hugging and kissing Lana with feelings of joy that their country was saved, but also of sorrow because the adventure they had ridden was over forever.
In fact, everyone was so caught up in emotions, nobody noticed the boy in the bed groggily pull himself out of his sleep.
"Wha – what the hell is going on? Did I die!"
"Oh, Jake! We have some wonderful news for you!"
He looked at everyone in turn, still utterly lost, until he noticed Lana. He large smile appeared on his pale face.
"Lana, you're alive! How!"
"Clark…and a certain other being…saved me at
the very last second." She went on to explain to Jake all that
happened, but being careful not to reveal who the Mist was just yet.
While recalling what Clark had done for her by pushing her out of
the tigers way only to be hit himself, how extremely caring he
was…how overly-protective, yet completely unselfish. For a while
she almost began to like him again…
As she finished her account of last night, she confirmed to herself that she would definitely have a long talk with Clark when they got back to Smallville…well maybe after a week of her not speaking to him. It was the only treatment she could do that would make Clark feel bad for not telling her his secret sooner.
But then she wondered…if Jake and her were the boy and girl…would they be the only two that would be allowed to go back? She'd better make sure Jake didn't find out who the Mist was before she found Clark.
"Wow…so who was the Mist? One of the butlers? I bet it was Francis," Jake guessed, overjoyed about the good news.
"No. It was Elsu, the black stallion Clark and Lana rode to the castle," Emmet belted out before anyone else could stop him.
Suddenly, Lana noticed a shimmering glow around her and Jake that fluttered around them like a waterfall. Jake looked around in shock, then let out a loud scream as he realized what was happening.
"We're
going back! No way! Wahoo! Bye everybody! Thank you so
much!"
Lana couldn't move. Her heart was beating faster and
it wasn't because she was excited. Clark wasn't here! He wasn't
going back! How could she go back without him? Sure, she was mad at
him, but she couldn't imagine going to school…or to the
Kent's…and never seeing that gorgeous smile greet her!
Her mouth opened to try to say something, but her voice made no sound. She looked over at Jake and noticed too that his mouth was chattering non-stop, but no sound came from it.
Soon the glitter surrounding them began to cause the atmosphere to fade out. Everyone in the room was waving and crying and mouthing 'good-bye's. She opened her mouth once again to stop this from happening, but it was about as successful as the first attempt.
Just then, the door to Jake's room flew open and a determined Clark came through it. When he noticed that Jake and Lana were both slowing dissolving before him, his eyes grew big.
"What's happening!" he shrieked at the others.
"They're going back home." Viren suddenly became alarmed. "Why…you're not going with them!"
"Viren, I have to go home!" Clark reached out to grab Lana's arm, but the glimmering around her shocked him and he jumped back.
"We automatically thought that if Jake and Lana
were leaving, you would be too," Wenda explained, feeling horrible
that they hadn't checked to make sure Clark was okay.
Clark
tried to stop tears from forming as he helplessly watched Lana leave
him forever. She was also staring him, but from behind the glittery
wall, he was unable to see that she had let a tear slip down her
cheek.
"You only have one chance," Aimee said from behind Clark. He turned to see her pointing to the spot on the ground in which Lana stood. "The Old Story says that at the base of where to two humans teleport back, a small portal will appear. It'll last not but a few seconds, then it will vanish forever."
"What? Why would it make a portal?" Emmet asked doubtfully.
"Because despite what Clark believes, he was prophesied to be here just as Lana and Jake.
"You see, the Old Story was never written down, so it passed on each generation orally. There was a mention of another non-human creature – an alien if you will - accidentally coming to Sogni Dromen, but since no one could believe it, over time that portion of the story was cut out."
"Wait…you knew…that I wasn't…" Clark was lost for words.
Aimee only smiled and continued her explanation. "My grandmother's grandmother was friends with Nathin the prophet and was one of the first to here the Old Story. Our family knew exactly what was going to happen from the very slightest detail, but Nathin made us promise to keep the true Old Story to ourselves until it was finished so as to prevent it from being found in the wrong hands."
"So…I was destined to be here?" Clark wondered, feeling extremely confused.
Aimee nodded. "Another life form would come and face his toughest fears. He would do anything, even die, for the two chosen ones who were destined to find the Mist."
Clark looked down, hardly believing that he really did have a purpose here…
"I believe in your world, you would be referred to as the Knight in Shining Armor, no?"
He looked back up at Aimee and noticed a sparkle in her turquoise-colored eyes.
"Why couldn't I teleport back myself?"
"Nathin's prophecy couldn't be sure if the non-human creature wanted to go back to Earth or not since he never really belonged there in the first place. The Old Story actually gave you a choice, Clark. You can go back, or you can stay here."
Letting these words sink in, Clark turned back to look at Lana who was almost coming gone from his view. She watched him unblinkingly, unaware of any of the conversation Aimee and Clark had just had. Finally she broke down and her eyes began to gush with tears.
Just then, two small black holes whistled and swirled in the places where Jake and Lana had just been. Lana's vision was immediately cut off and she was sucked into a whipping tube of bright white light.
She was finally going home.
She was finally going back to Smallville.