I chose a name for Amara's past self of the Silver Millenium. She's sort of named after the Greek god of the winds, Aeolus.

DISCLAIMER: Pssh. Yeah. As if.

Chapter Three: Awakening

Sailor Uranus woke up with a groan. Where's the truck that hit me? she thought jokingly. She recalled what had happened, and sat up so fast it made her head throb even worse. I feel like we battled Galaxia again. Confusion and shock took hold of the warrior as she realized she wasn't in the park where she'd been knocked out, or anywhere else familiar for that matter. Instead she was sitting on the ground in a cave.

"I'm glad you're finally awake, Sailor Uranus," came a deep, male voice. Uranus looked everywhere for the source of the voice, but there was no body to be found. "You cannot see me, for I am not in the flesh, Aeolia."

Uranus sat still with surprise. How does he know my old name? I thought only people who lived during the Silver Millenium would know my name from back then.

She could hear the smile in the voice when it spoke again. "Perhaps I should introduce myself-"

"And maybe you should tell me why the hell I'm talking to a disembodied voice, while you're at it," Uranus interrupted.

"Of course. I am Jor-El, ruler of the house of El. Or perhaps I should say I was. I am dead now. The voice speaking to you is my will, my thoughts, programmed into high technology hidden in these cave walls."

"So why are you dead?" Uranus snapped.

"My home planet, Krypton was destroyed when the sun it revolved around went nova. My son Kal-El is the sole surviving Kryptonian, just as you are the sole surviving Uranian," Jor-El replied.

"Oh." Silence reigned for several minutes as all of this sank in. Finally she spoke again. "Well, Jor-El, it's been nice talking to you, but I need to find my way home."

"I am afraid you cannot go home."

"What? Why not?" demanded the mistress of the winds.

Jor-El replied calmly, "You are in a seperate dimension. Your powers still exist, but it is the first time this world has been touched by magic."

"How can there not be Sailor Scouts here?"

"Because the Fates chose a different type of fighters for this dimension."

"Okay, but if there are no Scouts here, how come my powers still exist?" Uranus persisted.

"Because your planet still exists, and being of royal Uranian blood, you draw power from your planet. Just as my son draws strength from the yellow sun," Jor-El answered.

"Okay, and I'm guessing I'm supposed to find this kid of yours, Cab-El," she ignored him when he corrected her, saying it was Kal-El, "before I can get home."

"I know not how you can get home, if at all. However it may be wise to forge an alliance with Kal-El for the time that you are here. He will understand your predicament, and provide you with food and shelter," Jor-El promised. "But perhaps it would be wise to use your human guise, to blend in."

Oops. Wall-boy has a point, she thought. Quickly she detransformed. "Now how do I find this son of yours?"

"Kal-El. All you need do is wait. He comes daily to this place."

Amara found a rock to sit on and pulled a book from her sub pocket, settling in to wait.

Two Hours Later

The sky had been the gray of predawn when Amara had first poked her head out the cave entrance. Now it was a beautiful shade of blue, dotted by a few clouds that looked as if they couldn't produce rain if they tried. It was turning into a gorgeous day. Which only made Amara more miserable as she waited for Kal-El to show up. She wanted to be out there, with her element, the wind, not here in this stuffy cave.

Finally she heard the thud-thud of heavy footsteps on the hard-packed dirt of the cave floor. Setting down the book she had stopped trying to read an hour ago, Amara looked toward the sound. Finally, she thought. It's about time! A guy walked into her view. He was tall, dark, and Amara was guessing he was hot under the baggy flannel shirt that hid his frame. His size and looks made her think for a moment that he was an adult, but his eyes gave him away. He was no older than she was.

"Hello, Kal-El," said the voice that was quickly becoming one of Amara's pet peeves. The guy froze up. Then he seemed to steel himself, and he set his jaw firmly in a look of determination and defiance. "Do not turn away, or deny who you are on the account of the young lady present."

The poor guy only noticed Amara then. His eyes went wide. He looked like someone had just announced on national tv that he wore Care Bear underwear. Amara knew how he felt. She shot him small, sympathetic smile. He turned to glare at an odd pattern on one of the walls of the cave. "Whoever she is, keep her out of this, Jor-El."

Amusement tickled Jor-El's voice as he quipped, "You do not know her name and already you care for her." Kal-El blanched. Before he could protest, Jor-El said, "I approve."

Kal-El stuttered and fumbled for a protest. At last he said weakly, "I thought you didn't like humans."

"I never said that. You know as well as I do that I once loved a human. Besides, Aeolia is not human," Jor-El informed his son. Kal-El stuttered some more, but couldn't come up with a decent comeback, so he gave up. As soon as he did, Jor-El said, "Aeolia is not of this universe. She will need your assistance, Kal-El. Do not defy me on this."

The boy swallowed whatever protest he'd been about to make as a tendril of pale multi-colored energy reached threateningly out of the center of the weird pattern on the wall. Then he turned to Amara.

"Do you even want to stay with me?" asked Kal-El.

"No. But until I find a way home, it looks like I have to," she said, glad for finally managing to get a word in.

Kal-El nodded, and the tendril of energy went back to whence it came. With it vanished the slight golden glow that had surrounded an octagonal indent in the wall. Kal-El relaxed and muttered, "He's gone." He walked over to the wall and picked up a small metal disk that was shaped like an octagon. It had fallen to the cave floor when the glow had disappeared. He pocketed the disk, then turned to Amara and asked, "So do you have another name?"

Picking up her book, she stood up and replied, "Yeah. I never go by my Uranian name. I'm Amara Evans. Don't worry about what your dad said, by the way. I have some cash with me, so unless it's different here than in my home dimension I can get myself a hotel room, Kal-El."

The boy winced. "Ah, call me Clark. And it's okay, my parents and I have plenty of room. We live on a farm," he said.

"Fine, if you're sure it won't be a problem."

"Positive. I have school today, but I think I'll be okay skipping for one day. Umm, I ran here, and it's a pretty good distance to the farm," Clark said with a sheepish smile.

She smiled back. "We can run back. I'm pretty fast."

Clark grinned.

I told you I'd put in some Smallville. Are you glad for the longer chapter? Let me know if my work needs improvement, or if I'm doing well. I luuuuv feedback. But then, don't we all?