HOPE FOR A NEW KRYPTON
An AU Superman Story
AUTHOR'S NOTE: This story is set in a Superman-based fanfic series written by Kelseyalicia where Krypton never exploded, which is based on and inspired by the Justice League Unlimited episode "For the Man Who Has Everything," itself an adaptation of Alan Moore and Dave Gibbons' Superman Annual #11 from 1985. This a birthday gift for Kelsey that I'm hoping she'll find the time to enjoy. The characters of Valara-El, Van-El, Loana-El, Dev Dal, Estrid Corill, Artemisa Volnero, and Lucia Miro belong to Kelsey herself.
SUPERMAN: © & DC Comics.
In her bedroom, Valara-El, sometimes called Val, arose to the rising red sun of her homeworld, Krypton. She yawned and stretched herself out, then got out of her bed and made it up. Her sleepwear consisted of a sleeveless grey-and-mint shirt and cobalt-blue pajamas with white stars on them, and she was wearing red-and-yellow socks. She went to the kitchen and spotted a filled table of waffles, sausage, bacon, and eggs on four separate pans with a syrup bottle and an orange juice jug on opposite sides, and cups, plates, and forks and knives on napkins. She had smelled the aroma and felt genuinely pleased at the meal before her. She briefly noticed that Krypto, the Els' resident dog, was already up and eating dog food on his bowl.
"Good morning to you, Krypto," she greeted with a wave, to which Krypto let out a happy bark to Val before resuming his meal.
"Good morning, Val," greeted Val's mother, Loana-El. She was in a yellow dress with grey-blue heels on her feet.
"Good morning, Mom," replied Val. "This is a really nice meal you've cooked up."
"Why, thank you, daughter," Loana said proudly. "I'm glad you like what's on the table."
Val asked, "Will Dad and Van be joining us?"
Loana answered with a smile, "They're already up and ready to eat."
As if on cue, Val's father, Kal-El, and her brother, Van-El, entered the kitchen. Kal had on a light-blue shirt with a grey neck collar, sea-green pants, and white sneakers. Van was wearing a red-orange sleeveless shirt, purple pajamas, and dark-blue socks. Everybody sat down at the table and said a prayer to Rao before gathering their food and pouring their drinks. As they ate and drank, they began to discuss something that would forever change the whole of Krypton.
"We all know that Aldrea Estoni and Arbat Esth are competing for the title of Grand Chancellor," Kal had began. "Aldrea believes that Kryptonians should be more understanding and accepting of each other, while Arbat believes that people should be ruled by force. I'll be participating in Aldrea and Arbat's debate alongside Aldrea, while Sera Vahra will be on Arbat's side."
Loana, a local reporter for the Daily Argo newspaper in Argo City, echoed her husband's statenent by adding, "My assistant Jaxson and I will be part of the audience attending Cosmia Zelli and Darius Thrax's own debate regarding Krypton's future. Both of them will be competing for the title of Emissary. We'll be getting their viewpoints on the matter. Both debates will be televised everywhere."
"Everyone is rightfully on edge about who'll be Grand Chancellor and Emissary," Val spoke up. "Their opinions are divided, and I'm afraid they could start riots anytime. A Krypton that's driven by fear and paranoia is not the kind of future that I'd support."
Loana replied, "It's a pretty tight race between all four candidates for sure. Everybody at the Daily Argo, including myself, have been doing our absolute best to stay up to date on the election among other things. After all, the truth always matters."
Van added, "I don't believe that Arbat Esth and Darius Thrax have Krypton's best interests at heart. I mean, they must've broken so many laws to get ahead. The safety of everyone on Krypton depends on a safe and healthy environment for all of us."
"Speaking of Krypton's environment, my class is doing an assignment on it," chimed in Val, changing the subject. "We have to highlight the highs and lows of how this planet functions. It's pretty tricky, but I believe we're up for the task."
Van stated proudly, "Lyla Ler-Rol, the famous actress, is an advocate for serious issues, including protecting Krypton's environment. When she's passionate about something, she commits to it 100%. I heard she's attending a local event in two weeks that's all about keeping our planet safe and clean for everybody."
"Isn't that right?" Kal-El said in an amused tone. "I sure wish everyone else shared her passion. It's not every day that you stay focused on something huge until it's done." As a farmer he valued a safe environment for all.
"Even my mother wants our homeworld to be clean," added Loana, "as tough as it is for her to maintain her image."
All this serious talk her family was having about Krypton's future was giving Val an idea on how to properly respect the planet without sacrificing the integrity of the planet itself and everybody living on it. She simply needed to run it by the people in her life first before she could thrust into it fully. As soon as the El family was done with their conversation and their meal, they got themselves ready to take on the day, feeling pretty much inspired.
By the time the weekend had approached, Val felt that the time was right to reveal her idea to her loved ones. Her attendance at the banquet that her and Van's grandmother, Artemisa Volnero - who was also Loana's mother - had initiated was an uplifting moment for everybody gathered there, and Governess Aldrea Estoni and Cosmia Zelli's speech regarding a united front only served to further inspire Val. So it was that she related her idea to both her family and her friends: a fashion theme that honored Krypton's past, present, and future. They were impressed by how thoughtful she was being about this. She amazed even herself just by showing respect for Krypton as a whole.
So it was that Val, being the fashion expert that she was, was able to design outfits that embodied Krypton and its people with the help of her family and her friends. She made sure that each outfit represented the individuals who wore them. For now the outfits would be limited to Val, her family, and her friends because she wanted everyone else on Krypton to experience what these outfits would look like first. It was always important to build up hype in the most genuine way possible.
The adults were up first. For Kal there was a light-blue fabric sweater with matching pants to go with them, a red two-lined belt having a gold diamond shape in the middle for the pants, and burgundy-colored boots. For Loana, there was a short-sleeved red shirt with purple outlines on the top-and-bottom left and right sides, purple sweat jeans with red twinkles all around, and fuschia-colored platform heels. For Grandmother Artemisa, there was a light-purple business suit, a brown belt that contained multiple beaded colors, and beige slingback-pump heels. Lastly, for Val and Van's grandfather Jor-El, there was a white-and-green suit that was slightly armored but quite body-friendly, with the whitish part containing the planet Krypton and the House of El symbol embedded within; mahogany-colored boots came with said suit.
The youngsters were up next, as Val made sure her and her fellow youngsters' new clothes had their own spark as well. First, she made herself a dark-blue, yellow-outlined shirt, dark-purple pants with silver stripes on them, and brown boots laced with glittery stars. For Van, there was a mint-colored shirt sporting a grey-blue rocket with a scarlet-colored tip and wings on both ends being the same color, peach-colored pants, and green-and-yellow sneakers. For Val's best friend, Lucia Miro, there was a cobalt blue-jadeite green outfit consisting of a shirt with near-arm-length sleeves, knee-high shorts, a removable skirt, and tan-colored saar pump heels.
For Van's genderfluid friend, Estrid Corill, there was a grey shirt with a rainbow-like circle in the middle, caramel-colored gloves with straps at the bottom, purple pants with multicolored swirls, and navy-blue sneakers. For Val's boyfriend Dev Dal, there was a sea-green rock and roll-style uniform with bronze trim on the shoulders, buttons, and wrist collars with a gold-colored belt for the pants and beige plastic boots. Lastly, for Krypto, the Els' resident dog, there was a dog-themed bright-red shirt that would allow Krypto to move freely.
It had been a pretty exhausting time for everybody involved, but the teamwork involved in designing these new outfits was worth it. They did make sure to have something to drink and eat while they were at it, because keeping up one's strength was important always. Val and her loved ones were very much pleased with the effort they put into the outfits, and she was more than willing to have them tested out in the open for others to see. But utmost on their minds also was the forthcoming debates between Aldrea Estoni, Arbat Esth, Cosmia Zelli, and Darius Thrax about Krypton's future. Kal would represent Aldrea while Sera Vahra would represent Arbat. Things between Aldrea, Arbat, Cosmia, and Darius would no doubt heat up even further following said debates.
The following week began quite strongly for every Kryptonian, as it had a fashion theme. Despite Krypton's future being uncertain, Val was adamant that she and her loved ones would go forward with their lives. Loana suggested that the new clothing designs that Val and everyone else created be showcased while the week was still there, which Val understood completely. Kal tried out his new outfit for his farming activities, Loana used hers for the reporting world, Artemisa used her own for the business side of things, and Jor-El used his for his council meetings. Val and her fellow youngsters were able to try out their new outfits for school. Needless to say, everybody who attended got to talking about Val's new designs; it helped them take the focus off the coming two debates that would happen soon.
During free time and lunch, each student would take out their cell phones and took photos of Val and her group in their new clothing to post all across social media. A change was brewing for sure that wasn't just about the upcoming election. This change would happen in so many ways for every Kryptonian. When school was eventually done for the day, Val and her group gathered outside to process this very special day.
"I'm touched that we're getting a little traction in the fashion world," Val began with a smile. "All everyone on this planet needs is something to keep hope alive and well."
Van added, "I know, right? Thank you, sis, for allowing us to help you design our new clothes. It truly feels like we're inspiring people."
"Anytime, bro," replied Val with a thumb up.
Estrid beamed, "I feel especially happy that we've made this decision when we did. It's a reminder that we shouldn't wait for opportunities to happen; we have to create them ourselves." They and Van briefly looked at each other and nodded, their bond indicating their slight crushes on one another.
It was Lucia who spoke up next. "Your mom was right for all of us to not hold off on these, Val," she said. She admired her clothing all over for how unique it was. "There's so much fear going on right now, and the timing feels just absolutely right to do something like this."
"Everyone's gonna be talking fashion for a little while," chimed in Dev. "I know we can't ignore what's about to happen in the future with our homeworld, but it just feels good to do something worthwhile."
Val held Dev by his right arm and added with enthusiasm, "That's right, Dev. It's like Estrid said: we can't afford to wait for opportunities to happen. It's up to all of us to do our part." She kissed her boyfriend by the cheek, causing him to blush. He smirked at that.
"So will anyone be able to attend that special event featuring actress Lyra Ler-Rol in two weeks?" asked Lucia. "Despite being famous, I genuinely feel like she cares about how Krypton should function as a planet. And even though I wanna be an actress, Krypton's welfare comes first for me."
"Van and I have been thinking about going to that event, Lucia," replied Val. "Thank you for bringing it up. I'm happy that you and Lyra never let fame go to your heads, because show business can be very complicated."
"I'd sure like to go," Estrid added. "I want to mainly because I wanna enjoy myself just like everyone else, not be judged for being different."
"Don't you worry, Estrid," Van assured, putting his hands in Estrid's. "The people in your life who really care about you will support you all the way."
"It's especially important that we believe in Aldrea Estoni and Cosmia Zelli as future Grand Chancellor and future Emissary," stated Dev with pride. "Even they won't stand by and watch while Krypton gets buried deep into fear and paranoia."
"Everything about the planet we love rests on everyone's shoulders," Van chimed in, his expression neutral. "We all won't survive if nobody's looking out for her."
Val said, "I agree with you, Van." Addressing her fellow youngsters, she continued, "Caring about our homeworld doesn't end here. This fashion-themed week is gonna prove that anything is possible as long as we put our minds, hearts, and souls to it."
"Hear, hear," the others agreed. With that said, Val and her group headed straight home to their families to talk about the day's events.
The entire House of El was gathered in Kal and Loana's home to discuss how today went. Everyone was in the living room still wearing their new clothes, especially Krypto, who was obviously happy with his shirt. The adults were on a four-seated red-orange couch on the left side, while Val and Van were on a two-person lime-green couch on the right side and Krypto was right beside them.
"So I take it you've gotten some buzz on your new clothes like we did on ours?" Val asked the adults.
Kal responded to his daughter, "Sure we did, Val. No one could stop admiring us in spite of the work we did today."
"We did have to remind them that these outfits were a team effort," added Loana. "But we never stopped working because of the admiration."
Van stated confidently, "The clothes that Val, myself, and our friends wore got a ton of attention at school, and they even got shared around on social media. Change can be a good thing if it's used wisely."
Jor-El chimed in, "As citizens, it's our duty to uphold the laws and ideals that we always strive for. Krypton was built on the foundation of natural evolution. Any good thing that we accomplish will always come back to us."
"I stand firm with your grandfather on this," Artemisa said to Val and Van. "Everyone across the planet can do anything as long as they believe in themselves. This fashion week is only one example."
"There's just so much for everybody across the planet to learn and grow from," Van agreed, addressing everybody in the room. "It takes a village to do what needs to be done. As a society, we've still got much to do."
"Yes, Van," Loana said somberly. "We most certainly do."
"The debates coming up that your mother and I are attending won't pull any punches," reminded Kal to the kids. "We'll be doing our best to maintain a professional demeanor around what the contenders for Grand Chancellor and Emissary will say. So wish us both luck, okay?"
"No problem, Dad," Val replied. "Everyone's gonna be tuning in on TV, so you and Mom are in good hands with Jaxson and Ms. Vahra by your sides."
"It still grinds my gears that there are people like Esth and Thrax who want to destroy everything we've worked so hard for," lamented Artemisa, not even bothering to hide disdain for both men. "Every time we build something, others wish to tear it down."
"That's unfortunately the world we're all living in, Mom," said Loana. "It's a constant thing that we all must live with."
"I know that if Lara were alive," stated Jor-El with a hint of sadness, "not even she would approve of Krypton going backwards." He would always miss Lara with all of his heart. Kal and Loana provided comforting hands toward his father.
"It's alright that you still miss Mother, Father," comforted Kal. "We all do."
"Great Grandma is with us in mind, body, and soul," Van said as he and Val bore sympathetic looks towards their grandfather. "She wouldn't want our planet to be destroyed by chaos and despair. She'd want us to keep fighting, no matter how long it takes." Krypto barked in agreement with Van's statement.
Jor-El gave a half-smile. He knew that Van was right in that the late Lara would always watch over her family from below, making her physical absence easier to live with. "Thank you, Van," he responded.
"She was an amazing soul," Artemisa reminisced. "It did take me a while to warm up to her when we crossed paths first, but I've come to respect her. And now I'm pretty grateful that we both got to know one another."
"That's Lara for you," Loana said goodnaturedly. "She was never one who could quit on anything that life threw at her."
With true pride, Val stated to her whole family, "It feels great, you know. To be able to have healthy conversations without restraint. More and more people should be doing that instead of rushing to judgment."
"That's correct, Val," replied Kal. "The more people talk about their problems, the better it'll be to work out solutions. It takes a village come together as a whole."
"And with the coming election around the corner," Van stated, "it's much more crucial to fight for the future. We deserve a Krypton that consistently progresses and values representation of all kinds."
"You know it, Van," agreed Val. "History mustn't be allowed to repeat itself. As long as our planet exists, we'll never, ever give up hope. Right?"
"Right!" the rest of the family agreed. Krypto barked and jumped for joy over the family's resolve to look ahead instead of backwards. The family stood up and performed a group hug, feeling as grateful as they'll ever be over fighting for Krypton's future.
THE END
This story is set between The Debate and The Debate 2, with The Banquet getting a small mention. Kelsey's first five AU Krypton stories are up for viewing on FF, DeviantArt, and Archive of Our Own, but any future stories set in that universe such as The Banquet and both parts of The Debate are only on DA and AO3 because of personal reasons.