Chapter 35
Lana was sitting up in her loft, staring off into the night sky. Life had been rather odd lately, Lionel Luthor had come back to Smallville for some reason and Lex was none to thrilled about it. Her friendship with Chloe had reached an all time low after Chloe decided to write an attack article in the Torch. The farm was finally out of debt thanks to the extra help that Clark provided with his income from the Talon and his help around the farm, in fact Lana had gotten a job working part time at the Talon and that had helped out as well. Lana and Clark had found it more and more difficult to study the caves since Lex seemed to have people in there all the time. Lana's friendship with Lex also had hit a minor roadblock since Lex seemed to be less available to talk these days.
"Are you alright?" Clark asked as he came up into the loft.
"I'm fine," Lana replied.
"No you're not," Clark said. "I can tell."
"What are you psychic?" Lana joked.
"Maybe," Clark answered. "Come on, you can tell me what's wrong."
"It's what my biological father said," Lana replied. "I think he's going to try and control my destiny."
"Your destiny is far greater than any of these people," Clark said. "You must let go of the past, I will guide you to your future."
Lana stared at Clark in horror. He tried to advance on her but she slapped him. Clark then fell forward onto the floor.
"Clark? Wake up Clark," Lana said as she jumped up to help him.
After a moment Clark suddenly sat bolt upright. "What happened?" he asked.
"What do you remember?" Lana asked.
"Last thing I remember was that I was down in the storm cellar and the ship began to glow and I heard the voice of someone named Jor-El, I think he's your father. And then I woke up just now." Clark answered.
Lana stood up and looked out across the field towards the storm cellar. There was a light glow up through the doors.
"Stay here," Lana said. "There's something I have to do."
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Lana descended the steps into the storm cellar. As she guessed the light was coming from the ship. However, she was unprepared for the voice that suddenly came from the ship.
"Fear not, Sara," the voice said.
"Who are you?" Lana yelled over the humming of the ship. "And why are you calling me Sara?"
"I am Jor-El, your father," the ship replied.
"I thought you died," Lana said.
"I am his mind, his will. I am to fulfill his promise and guide you all the days of your life. You are the last child of Krypton." The ship explained.
It began to collapse in on itself so that only the egg shaped capsule remained.
"When you travelled through the cosmos you carried the last hopes and dreams of your people with you. They now live through you Sara," the ship said. "It is time."
The capsule then changed shape into a globe of the Earth suspended in the air.
"Time for what?" Lana asked.
"Time to accept your destiny," the ship replied.
"I don't know what you have in mind for me," Lana said stubbornly. "But…"
"At the setting of the sun, so you will return to me." The ship interrupted as the globe grew dark as if the sun had set. "Your destiny will be fulfilled."
The ship changed back into the glowing yellow egg shaped capsule. Lana didn't want to hear anymore of this, she just wanted to get out of here. She turned around but saw her parents and Clark standing in front of her. But something seemed wrong.
"Your thoughts are not a mystery to me," the ship said. "But these people have served their purpose. It is time to leave them."
Lana reached out to touch Clark who was just standing there smiling at her. But as she did he began to break apart as if he were made of dust. Behind him Jonathon and Martha also vanished into dust. Lana realized that it was just an image created by the ship and she whirled about to look at it again.
"Please," she pleaded. "Everything and everyone I've ever loved is here, in Smallville."
"You must let go of your past," ship said uncaringly. "I will guide you, to your future."
"No I don't want your guidance," Lana yelled at the ship. "I want to create my own future."
"You have no choice," the ship said simply.
It then began to glow brighter and spin rapidly. Lana found that she couldn't do anything. Suddenly the ship just exploded. Creating a light so bright that Lana couldn't see, it lasted long after it should have and the just as suddenly as it had happened, it went out. Lana looked around. The ship was back where it had been and the storm cellar looked as if nothing had happened.
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Clark had assumed that Lana had gone to bed the previous night after she had left the loft. He had no idea what had happened down in the storm cellar. So he was rather surprised when he went out the loft to get his jacket, which he had left there last night, and found Lana sitting there staring at the floor boards.
"You're up early," Clark commented.
"I never went to sleep," Lana said not looking up at him.
"Is something wrong?" Clark asked.
"I sort of met my biological father last night," Lana replied.
"I think you should tell this one to your parents too," Clark suggested.
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Lana led everyone down into the storm cellar, explaining what had happened as she went, "When I heard his voice, it was coming from the ship." Lana said. "But it sounded like it was in my own head. It said it was time."
"It said it was time for what?" Jonathon asked.
"To leave Smallville and fulfill my destiny," Lana replied.
"He said that?" Martha asked worried.
"I have until sun down today," Lana replied.
"Or what?" Clark asked as he squatted down to look at the ship.
"I'm not sure," Lana replied. "It said I didn't have a choice. Why is it happening now, right before the end of the school year at such an in opportune time?"
"What ever your biological father may have had in mind for you, they're his hopes and dreams, not yours." Martha said.
"Lana, you chose your own destiny." Jonathon stated, "Nobody can choose that for you. Not me, not your mother, not your biological father."
Lana looked from the ship, to Clark, to her father and then to her mother.
"This is my home," Lana declared. "And you're my family. It's where I belong and I'm not going anywhere."
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Clark and Lana were up in the loft once again. It had become their 'place' to get away from the rest of the world and to be alone together. They were sitting on the couch just holding each other intimately.
"Are you okay?" Clark asked softly.
"Yeah I'm great," Lana replied.
"You know, I can always tell when you're being less than truthful," Clark said.
"It just that, I've waited to have a normal life like this for so long," Lana admitted. "And it's perfect. I don't want it to go away."
"Neither of us is going anywhere," Clark said.
Lana found herself leaning up towards Clark's mouth, and he found himself leaning down toward her. Before they knew it they were embraced in a passionate kiss. They were then rudely interrupted by Pete's laughter.
"Ain't this a Kodak® moment Pete chuckled.
Both Clark and Lana got off each other in hurried embarrassment.
"Pete what are you doing here?" Lana asked.
"I just thought you'd like to know that Lionel Luthor has managed to gain custodial ownership of the caves." Pete replied. "He's up to something."
"I gotta find out what Lionel is up to," Lana said.
"I'll go with you," Clark declared as she stood.
Lana pushed him back down onto the couch. "No, I'll go alone. We don't want to risk both of us getting caught."
"I dunno what he's doing," Pete said. "But he's been moving in a lot of high tech looking machinery."
"I think I've got a pretty good idea," Lana replied as she grabbed her jacket.
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Please Read Over:
But just what is Lionel doing in those caves. It can't be the octagonal slot he's obsessing about. Or is it? Well there's only one way to figure that out. Read on. Oh, and check out the forums.
Just another one of the usual reminders that if you want to talk to me about the story or Smallville in general. Go on IRC to the otherside servers, irc. (Port 7000), irc. (Port 7000), or irc. (Port 6667), then go to channel #smallville. Hope to see some people there. If you're looking for an IRC client I would recommend X-Chat although there are many other options out there. Really, please go there to discuss any questions answers will be a lot more direct. That and it gets kind of boring talking to the same two people all the time, I need fresh opinions. And if that doesn't work for you, look for the Smallville Revised Forum. I hope to see you in one of the two places.