Chapter Two: The Wishing Star
Salu snuck into the unlocked door and looked around. She was in a purple cloak to keep her warm and wore a black leotard underneath as she had run away during a stupid ballet class. She looked around and saw the prettiest clocks she had ever seen with several interesting designs and a large one that looked very life sized and high up enough that she could climb under it. When she saw that no one was there, she made herself at home and looked around. She saw several music boxes and shelf after shelf of the best toys she'd ever seen. She then turned and saw one of the most beautiful wood carvings she'd ever seen. A puppet boy that looked like he was supposed to be five, Salu's own age, and he was wearing a black shirt with a purple jacket, green gloves and tiny blue jeans. She also saw that he was a marionette with several strings and wires attached to various parts of his body with a puppet controller.
"He looks cool." Salu said aloud as she walked up to him and tapped his head. "And the wood's good too."
"Well now," a voice said, and Salu hid underneath the very large music box and saw all the gears and such that worked it underneath.
She then poked her head out to see a man and a woman come down. Both had black hair, and the man wore glasses. He wore a blue shirt with a red jacket, and it was worn in places as if he'd had it for several years and the woman wore a modest dress.
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"It won't take much longer." Clark said as he grabbed a paint brush. "Just a little more paint, and he's all finished."
"It's about time." Lois said with a smile. This little puppet her husband and she had been working on together was probably the closest thing they'd ever have to a son due to Lois being unable to have children. Krypto came up and panted as he looked at Clark and Lois.
"I'll think he'll be alright." Clark said as he grabbed a canister of black paint. "Don't you think so, Krypto?"
Krypto barked happily, and Lois smiled. Clark hummed as he drew eyebrows on the boy's head along with a smile across his face. It made him look like he was almost alive, and for a second, the fire light shining on his already dried eyes made Lois believe he was real until she sighed.
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"Cool." Salu whispered as she poked her head out and looked at the puppet. He looked like he was smiling about the fact that he was finished, the same way everyone else smiled.
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"I have just the name for him." Clark said. "Brainy. What do you think dear?"
"Eh." Lois said. It seemed to fit, but it wasn't one that she'd have chosen. She'd have gone with Jason or Chris.
"Well you like it, don't you Krypto?" Clark asked, and Krypto shook his head.
"Well I guess it's up to Brainy to decide." Clark said with a wry smile. "Do you like it, Brainy?"
Clark tugged gently on the string connected to the puppet's head, and it nodded.
"Oh, you silly boy." Lois said with a laugh. "Brainy will probably grow on me."
Lois picked Brainy up and looked at him. She and Clark both wished that he was real. She sighed and took him to the fire place to dry the new paint out before Krypto started sniffing Brainy's face.
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After Brainy was dried, Clark walked over to the music box Salu was hiding under.
"I think it's time for a little music." Clark said, and he pushed a button, and a nice song played as Clark used the puppet control to move Brainy around.
Salu however couldn't focus on that as the gears and stuff were coming down on her, particularly on her bottom, and she tried hard not to cry out and felt like she was being spanked back at the orphanage. She eventually came out, rubbing her rear and groaning as she decided to hide behind the music box and listened to what was happening.
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Clark was moving Brainy around as Lois laughed and followed with Krypto looking around Brainy and sniffing all over.
Little Brainy Kent,
Go play your part.
Bring a little joy
To every heart.
Little do you know,
And yes it's true,
That I'm mighty
Proud of you.
Little wooden feat,
And best of all,
Little wooden seat,
In case you fall.
Clark then lifted Brainy up a little and set him back down to make it look like he fell.
"Oh, what a graceful fall." Lois said as she straightened Brainy up.
Our little Brainy Kent.
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Salu had watched this and liked the song and thought the fall was funny but wondered why they were talking to Brainy like he was real. It wasn't like wanting him to come to life would make him do that. She then busied herself with looking at the music box she had been under. A conductor was leading an orchestra with one man playing a violin and another playing the accordion. The one in the middle was literally whistling the tune that was playing which was what really impressed Salu.
When she saw Clark and Lois turning around, she jumped on a small spot and did robotic versions of the simpler dances she'd learned at the orphanage, it worked and they passed her by. She then got off and went back to watching them, which she figured would be where she should really look in case something happened.
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Clark then had Brainy walk up to Lois and wave his hand.
"Brainy, say hi to your mom." Clark said with a smile before saying in a higher voice, "'Hi Mom.'"
"Oh, hello there." Lois said as she joined in with the pretending, and picked him up. "You are so cute and sweet. Oh, go say hi to Krypto. Go on."
Clark then took Brainy to Krypto and had him pet Krypto as he became nervous when he liked how Brainy's gloved hand felt on his back and stood up and panted, easily beating Brainy in height without needing to extend his hind legs, and Clark had Brainy push Krypto down, so that he fell.
"Up to mischief already." Clark said with a small chuckle as Krypto whimpered.
"Now you see what happens when you're mean?" Clark asked. He then had Brainy pet Krypto again, and he rubbed his head next to him as a sign of forgiveness.
"Up we go." Clark said as he lifted Brainy up and looked at the little wooden boy he'd carved. "You're a cute little fellow."
"And we'd never trade you for anything in the whole world." Lois added as she looked as well.
Krypto put his fore paws on Clark's leg as he barked.
"Oh, you like him too, huh?" Clark asked. "Well it's nice to agree on something like this."
Suddenly, all the clocks in the store went off, and each had an interesting motive from ducks quaking in a pond to children giggling.
"Gee, I wonder what time it is." Lois asked with a sarcastic smile.
"It's nine already?" Clark asked. "We better get ready for bed."
Clark and Lois walked up with Krypto as Brainy was set down on the table.
"Good night, Brainy." Clark said with a yawn.
"Good night, Brainy." Lois said as she took Brainy's nose and shook it gently. "You little mischief maker."
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From her hiding place, Salu yawned too, and as they went up stairs, she followed and listened to what they said.
"Good night, boy." Mr. Kent said as he got into bed.
"Good night, Krypto." Mrs. Kent said as Krypto panted happily.
"Good night, dear." Mr. Kent said with a yawn.
"Good night, Smallville." Mrs. Kent said with a smile in her voice, and Salu wondered why Mr. Kent's first name was Smallville.
Salu then yawned and stretched out on a small sofa down stairs, which was close enough that she could still hear what Mr. and Mrs. Kent said.
"Dear, you outdid yourself with Brainy." Mrs. Kent said. "He almost looked as if he was really alive."
"Yeah." Mr. Kent said with a sigh. "Wouldn't it be nice if he really was alive?"
"Yeah." Mrs. Kent said wishfully. "Well, enough dreams. I'd say it's time for bed."
"Right." Mr. Kent said.
"Dear, you forgot to open the window." Mrs. Kent said after a few minutes.
"Oh, right." Mr. Kent replied, and Salu was about to go to sleep when a shout from Mr. Kent made her jump out of the couch and land on her already sore behind.
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"Look, Lois!" Clark said with a smile. "The wishing star!"
"I think you know the drill." Lois said with a smile of her own.
"Starlight, star bright, first star I see tonight, I wish I may, I wish I might, have the wish I make tonight." Clark said. "I wish Brainy was a real boy."
"I do too." Lois said with a sad smile as she kissed Clark on the cheek. "Let's go to bed, Clark."
They went to sleep, their dreams filled with the laughter of a living Brainy Kent.
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"That's a nice thought." Salu said as she got ready to sleep again. "Even if it's impossible."
Salu was about to go to sleep when the ticking of the clocks, and the dripping of the fountain started, and she couldn't get herself to shut the noise out due to its continuous beat.
"QUIET!" Salu shouted, and everything was silent, and Salu sighed. "Finally. A girl can only take so much in one night."
Suddenly, a bright light came from up stairs and was coming down.
"Oh, what now?" Salu asked as she covered herself up and hoped that the Kents' didn't notice a large child-shaped lump on their sofa. When the light got brighter, Salu took her head out of the covers and shouted. "What's going on here?!"
Suddenly, a woman walked down with a long straight sword in her hand. She didn't carry a light, but light was coming from her, and it was reflected by the sword. She had long red hair and green eyes. She was one of the most beautiful grown-up women Salu ever saw, and she also saw that she was dressed in a long blue dress that went down to her feet, and wings came out of her back. They looked like hawk wings. She looked up the stairs.
"Holy cow." Salu whispered.
"Clark and Lois Kent, you two have given so much happiness to others through all the trinkets you give, that you deserve to have your wish come true." The, there was no other word for it, angel walked from the stairs to Brainy and starred at him like an aunt. "Little puppet made of pine, awake. This gift of life is thine."
Then, to Salu's amazement, the puppet moved! He blinked a few times and moved his arms around, with the strings seeming to have disappeared.
"Wow." Salu said. "What people can't do these days?"
"I can move." Brainy said before putting his hand to his mouth in shock and surprise. "I can talk!" The angel laughed kindly as Brainy stood up and was about to walk when he fell down.
"Yes Brainy." The angel said with a smile. "I gave you life."
"Why?" Brainy asked.
"Because tonight, Clark and Lois wished for a real boy." The angel said.
"Am I a real boy?" Brainy asked.
"Not yet Brainy." The angel said. "To make your parents' wish to completely come true will be entirely up to you."
"Huh?" Brainy asked.
"Prove yourself brave, truthful, and unselfish, and someday you will be a real boy." The angel said.
"Hooray!" Brainy said.
"That's not gonna be easy." Salu whispered.
"Who are you?" Brainy asked.
"I'm Shayera." Shayera said. "Now to be a real boy, you'll have to choose between right and wrong."
"Right and wrong?" Brainy asked. "But how will I know."
"Sounds like a real boy already." Salu grumbled. "So dumb he doesn't know what right and wrong is."
"Your conscience will tell you." Shayera explained patiently.
"What's a conscience?" Brainy asked.
"What's a conscience?!" Salu asked as she ran up. "I'll tell you! A conscience is the voice that tells people right from wrong, and that's why people can be so mean because they don't listen to it."
"Are you my conscience?" Brainy asked.
"No, I'm a girl." Salu said.
"What's a girl?" Brainy asked.
"The opposite of a boy." Salu said.
"Well would you like to be Brainy's conscience?" Shayera asked.
"Um…" Salu said. "Well…"
"Of course it is a job for a big girl." Shayera said with a smile.
"I am a big girl!" Salu protested. "I'm five years old!"
"Alright then." Shayera said with a smile. "What's your name?"
"I'm Salu." Salu said.
"Kneel Salu." Shayera said.
"Okay." Salu said as she knelt down. "Now what?"
"Now, I dub you, Brainy Kent's conscience. Lady High Keeper of the Knowledge of Right and Wrong, Chief Councilor in the Face of Temptation, and Guide along the Straight and Narrow Path."
With those words, Shayera touched both of Salu's shoulders with the flat of the sword she held, and suddenly, Salu's entire outfit turned the purest white.
"Cool!" Salu said. "Can I have a badge too?"
"Maybe someday." Shayera said with a smile.
"Can it have really cool letters like in story books?" Salu asked again.
"We'll see." Shayera said.
"Can it be gold?" Salu asked.
"We'll see." Shayera said again. She then turned to Brainy. "Now remember Brainy, be a good boy, and always let your conscience be your guide."
With that, Shayera disappeared in a slow and soft flash of light.
"Wow." The two children said.
Well… That was interesting.
Salu: I said be quiet, Doug! Don't make me ask Shayera to turn you into my next child!
Kara: Yay! Do it, Mommy! I want a little brother!