Clana - How "This Time" Will be Different (PG-13)

[ajfinn]

Originally posted by Ketchup
Isa cant be burned the next night... she has to become a witch first, and find the book, and learn a bunch of spells, and do other crap. Give her a week at least ;)

Ahh, my friend, evil sets upon our little Isa quickly. You'll soon discover how.

[SmallvilleMan]

discover soon? Like when? Next year?:p

[midnite_spark]

awwww the moment i've been dreading is near...:(

such a touching update AJ...i almost wanted to cry :(

[MOOman0618]

Originally posted by ajfinn
Wow, you guys really do beleive that EVERYONE in this fic is going to make it out alive, don't you? I've told you before, and I'll say it again, I can only change destiny for Clana.


Not everyone...but we can hold out hope for as many people as we can! Spectacular update! I think I have moved past trying to start the 'save Isa' movement, now I just really want to know what pushes her over the edge!

[midnite_spark]

i agree with MOOman with trying to hold out for as many ppl as we can :D

and i'm torn...i don't want to see Isa burned at the stake but i also want to see what drives her to such dark magic...

oh and i was close bout her switching bodies with marg..aj :p

[NYC300Z]

Post number 2500! :lol: Hoping for another update tonight! I'm not asking too much now am I? :lol:

[LoisNClark]

i'm hoping for an update too, but i'll have to read it tomorrow if you do update tonight *mumbles* stupid school

[ajfinn]

Originally posted by midnite_spark
i agree with MOOman with trying to hold out for as many ppl as we can :D

and i'm torn...i don't want to see Isa burned at the stake but i also want to see what drives her to such dark magic...

oh and i was close bout her switching bodies with marg..aj :p

Yep, you called that!!

And NYC - thanks for the big 2500 post! Go read what I said about your pics on the pic thread :D

Update coming tomorrow!

[MOOman0618]

Tomorrow is so long from now!

[NYC300Z]

tomorrow?? okay guess i'll just have to wait! and I will be waiting!!:D

[binkys711]

great update aj! that was sooo sad:( i'm waiting anxiously!!!!can't wait 'till your next update!!!:D:D:D:DPPMS!!!

[Superboy2]

Great update. Can't wait for more.

[kewl]

yay, we're getting another update!!! cool!!!!

[booze_is_me09]

can't wait!!!!!!!! great update!!!PPMS!!!

[LanasLover16]

im like on the edge of my seat!!! awesome updates!! PPMS!!!!

[LoisNClark]

can't wait for the next update!!!!!!!!!

[SpeedyKate91]

Can't wait until the next update!!

[midnite_spark]

tomorrow is today already...when u gonna update??????

[MOOman0618]

I won't be back until late tonight so hopefully I will have a nice shiney new update waiting for me!

[Clana-follower06]

I just caught up on all of the amazing updates that I've missed, and I must say that I can't believe I was missing out on all of that for the past few weeks. I would like to see a nice shiny new update tonight also... please!?

[ajfinn]

All right, guys, I'm working on this update as quickly as I can, but this is the climax of Kalabel, and I don't want to give it to you half-baked. It's killing me to write it for more than one reason. And I've had to watch Spell about ten times to pull it off :(

BUT, I will do everything possible to get it posted before I go to sleep tonight, whenever that happens. Which may mean after bedtime for many of you guys. I'm trying though, k??

Oh, it's sad to write this one. :( (Where's a freaking "weaping smiley" when you need one??)

[Shadowknight]

Dont worry aj, i'll wait. It will be sad to see Kalabel go. But you will make it worth the wait! Your an excellent writer

[itsallinthespelling]

take your time on the update aj. its the climax, which is the most important part :D. make sure this update is resplendent.

[LoisNClark]

Can't wait to read the update aj, it will be sad to see kalabel end:(, but it was awesome while it lasted:)

I'll probably read your update tomorrow then, nice little gift for after school:D

[Cardinal]

A weepy smiley? Isn't that an oxymoron, kind of like 'jumbo shrimp' or 'military intelligence?"

[midnite_spark]

awww aj...take ur time like the others said. this is an important part of the plot so it's gonna be worth the wait.

i have a 7:25 Microbiology class tomorrow...so hopefully u're bedtime will be b4 mine and i get to read an awesome bedtime story ;)

[itsallinthespelling]

lmao at cardinal's "military intelligence"

[Ketchup]

Damn, I prolly wont get to read it tonight... could you post an ETA whenever you get lets say within a half hour of posting it? Thx =) Cuz otherwise I wont know if it will make sense for me to stay up or not.

[midnite_spark]

crap man....i have to go to sleep now or else i won't b able to stay awake for my professor's lecture on protein...woot woot.....

guess i'll just have to wait til later today to find out bout Kalabel....

nite everyone!

[Ketchup]

Damn I guess Ill have to read ur update tmrw. =(

[kewl]

take ur time AJ!!!! all ur updates are worth the wait!!! :D

[NYC300Z]

I don't have class until 12:45pm tomorrow!! I hope that update comes soon though! Please?:lol: take ur time if u must i'll understand.

[ajfinn]

Who's still awake?? I have to read through it, but I'll need a buffer when I'm done :D It will be about another 30 minutes . . . anyone still going to be around?

[NYC300Z]

yeah I will! Pick me! :lol:

[ajfinn]

Umm, *looks over the crowd of waving hands* okay, you! Nyc :D

I'll hurry as fast as I can!

[NYC300Z]

thankyou thankyou :)

[ajfinn]

Part 71:

Isa opened her eyes in the morning, swollen and burning from her tears. All moisture felt to be drained from them, but as she lay there thinking of Kal and Marguerite, drops fell once again.

She rolled to her side to catch a glimpse of Madelyn and Brianna—still sleeping, and felt the stone in her pocket. She jolted straight up, having completely forgot about it last night. She then recalled Kal’s words to keep it safe. Slipping from bed and tiptoeing out of the bedroom, she stood in the main area of the small home—looking everywhere for a place to hide it.

Finding nowhere that seemed reasonable, she went out the kitchen door and into the small yard behind the home. The garden was bordered with several rocks, some of them almost boulder size—where was Kal when she needed him, she thought with a smile, then chilled when she imagined him with a limp and lifeless Marg in his arms.

Isa dropped to her knees, the sobs returning as she pushed over the largest rock she could move, and dug as deep as she could with a broken branch into the garden soil. She wrapped the stone in full green leaves, then placed it in the narrow hole.

After covering the spot again, she started to roll the rock back, but stopped when she saw something that made her shudder with warmth. A tiny snail was crawling beside her. She picked it up, smiling through her tears as she remembered the moment with her little Marguerite in the garden not long ago.

“Where do you do your cooking in that small home of yours, little snail?” she asked it, wanting to keep the snail in her hand as long as possible. She looked up to heaven. “Please, please, give my child a renewed breath of life. And bring back my sweet Kal-El, the man I have always pleaded for you to send to me.”

“Isobel,” she heard, coming from the house. “Isobel, where are you?”

Isa replaced the snail and rock quickly, then stood and brushed off her dress. “I’m here,” she said, moving to the well. “Fetching some water.” She dropped the bucket and gripped the rope.

Brianna came to the doorway. “What a darling,” she said. “Let me help you, this well can be quite stubborn.”

When the girls returned with the water, they found Madelyn searching through cupboards. “What fine hostesses we are, Isobel,” she said. “I have hardly a crumb to feed you.”

Brianna shook her head. “That’s my fault. I was unable to make it to the market yesterday, I’m deeply sorry.”

Madelyn put a hand on her hip. “It’s hard to get anything at all done with the threat of the Sorcerer to frighten us out of our minds,” she said.

Isa looked between the two of them, studying the genuine fear in their eyes. “What exactly does my mother plan to do about the Sorcerer?” she asked. “From the sound of it, she’s started some sort of a quest against him.”

“Very much so,” Brianna said. “And as horrifying as it is to witness your mother’s methods of magic—the very darkest I’ve seen—she’s our only hope against him.”

Madelyn nodded. “In order to fight evil, she says she must first understand it. She plans to rid the world of the curse of his bloodline—for as you know, a Sorcerer’s powers pass through generations of his family, only appearing every few hundred years in a chosen heir. But when one appears, common witches such as ourselves are almost driven to extinction.”

Isa nodded, having known this since she was a child. Her mother was indeed fixated upon dark magic and its source—of which Sorcerers had the greatest of all talent with. Though she did not mention it to her friends, she felt her mother was probably more interested in the Sorcerer’s secrets to magic, however, than protecting common witches. Her mother always had selfish motives, disguised in packages of kindness. Isa had learned that the hard way.

“There must be a way to bring down the Sorcerer,” Brianna said. “But I cannot imagine how. He’s taken the souls of so many witches, that it’s rumored that he is the most powerful of all beings.”

Madelyn shuddered. “Oh, stop this talk,” she said. “Make your way to the market before our dear Isobel’s tummy turns inside out with hunger.”

“Very well,” Brianna said, retrieving a satchel and making her way to the front door. “I’ll be back shortly.”

“Thank you so much,” Isobel said. “For everything. You’ve both been so kind.”

Once Brianna was gone, Isa and Madelyn sat at the table. Madelyn probed about Isa’s new husband and Isa gushed over Kal. “I never imagined being so happy in all my life,” she said. “He truly understands and loves every piece of who I am.”

“I’m so happy for you,” Madelyn said, taking Isa’s hand. “You deserve such a man. You’ve always been a wonderful person—there’s not an ounce of the devil in you.”

Isa laughed. “Well I hope not,” she said. “But still, I’m not sure how anyone can truly deserve to be loved as much as Kal loves me. And then there’s my sweet little Marguerite—it gives me butterflies at the very thought of her—”

The front door flew open with a bang, and both girls jolted in their chairs. Madelyn screamed, but the air was gone out of Isa’s lungs before she even had the chance.

Magistrate Wilkins was standing there with a huge grin, with someone just behind him in a long hooded cloak that covered every inch of them. “You were correct, Master,” he said. “Our little bird has flown to safety with her friends rather than her pitiful family.”

Isa’s blood turned ice cold as the cloaked figure stepped forward, with Wilkins shutting the door behind them. There was a shadow of evil and darkness in the room, and Isa knew right away that Wilkins was not the typical witch hunter he appeared to be—he worked for the Sorcerer, who stood at his side.

“It’s him,” Madelyn whispered, her face as white as milk.

(Keep reading below)

[NYC300Z]

BUFFER:D

[ajfinn]

Part 71 Continued . . . (from two posts above here ) :D

Isa’s heart stopped beating in her chest, feeling these were sure to be the last moments of her life—she starting sobbing at the thought of not seeing Kal and Marguerite ever again. She wanted to scream out for Kal in case he was anywhere near, but that was impossible—his journey could have only been half completed at best by now. Had he saved Marg? Were they returning already—she was determined to believe so—to live.

The Sorcerer stirred, reaching for his hood and causing yet another chill of evil to spill over Isa.

“Only ignorant fools believe those with the greatest of powers are men,” a woman’s voice said as the hood was lowered—revealing a beautiful, yet menacing woman.

“Gertrude!” both Isa and Madelyn said together. Gertrude had been their neighbor throughout their childhood years. She was known to be an blood-thirsty witch hunter—but how could SHE be the Sorcerer?

Gertrude laughed. “Don’t look so shocked, my darlings,” she said, reaching her hand forth and twisting it—sending Madelyn to the floor without coming even close to her.

Isa screamed now, terrified even more as her friend trembled, then lay unconscious. “Why must you do this, Gertrude? She’s done nothing to—” Gertrude came closer to Isa, her long fingernails within an inch of Isa’s face.

“It’s nothing she’s done, dear Isobel,” she said. “It’s what YOU have done, what YOU are that has put her life in such peril. You’re the daughter of the most powerful of all witches, yet you have the purest of all souls—I can almost taste your innocence."

“No, that’s not—” Isa tried to say.

“Your mother herself is of no good to me at all—she’s corrupted by selfishness and pride. I must admit to a little secret of mine though—I allow witches like her to live that they may continue to stir the anger of the mobs, who make it quite easy for me to find and burn those that I must. No, dear girl your mother is of no good to me, but you . . . ”

Isa swallowed, trying to look up at her. “I am of no use to you either,” she said. “I’ve never practiced magic, I can do nothing for you.”

Gertrude sniggered again, glancing to Wilkins. “Isn’t this child sweet?” she said. “She shall be the most valuable of all my prizes.”

“What do you—” Isa tried to speak again, but Gertrude cut off her voice with a mere smile in her direction.

“I shall ask the questions—and you shall give the answers,” Gertrude said, allowing Isa to breathe again. “Beginning with telling me where you’ve hidden your daughter.”

Isa shook her head, a great shower of tears falling from her cheeks. “I haven’t hidden her,” she said. “She’s . . . ” Isa took a deep breath, feeling the pain of the possible truth, “she died from the black death. Just yesterday.”

Gertrude watched Isa for a few moments, appearing as though she was evaluating her. “Perhaps she speaks the truth, Wilkins,” she said. “Which will make this precious kill of mine all the better. Her love is so pure, and painfully fresh.”

Isa grabbed onto Gertrude’s hand, feeling a shock that tipped her backward—her chair toppling over and spilling her onto the floor. “Please, I beg of you! I have nothing to offer!”

“Oh, but you do, my dear,” Gertrude said, standing over her. “You have the greatest of all gifts. The most delicate and priceless power of all is that of a witch who has fought off the temptation to use the magic within her. Once magic escapes a soul, it is of no good to me—I must take the power in its purest form. From one of innocence—one who has learned to love, which you clearly have, or you would not be wailing as you are.”

“Take my magic then, please!” Isa said. “Take it and leave me.”

Both Gertrude and Wilkins burst with cold laughter. “Oh it’s not enough to take your magic, you foolish girl,” Gertrude said, pulling Isa up by the throat—though she was still not touching her. “I must take your SOUL! I must take all that is good from you. I must rob you of life’s happiest moments. I shall take every ounce of compassion and kindness you have. You shall be left with no memory of anyone you love—for love is the strongest of all forces, one that drives even the GOOD to seek for revenge, to kill those who threaten those dear to them. Imagine what it will do for ME!” She bent over, getting right in Isa’s face. “Yes, you shall be left a cold, heartless shell of who you once were. And I shall burn that shell by fire to seal your innocence within me.”

Isa at last felt the power to scream. “Kal!” she bellowed, hoping that by some divine miracle he that was close enough to hear her. “KAL!!”

Gertrude looked at Wilkins and he nodded. “That’s the man who revealed the power of the stones to her,” he said.

She turned back to Isa. “Not only will you give me your soul, but you shall tell me all you know about the three stones of power,” Gertrude said, lifting Isa upright and speaking the spell, “Monstra.” Isobel knew that the word was Latin for ‘obtain’ which was exactly what the spell did.

A pink wisp of air left Isa’s mouth, speaking the words Gertrude commanded. Against her will, she revealed what Kal told her about the stones, and of the knowledge and power one would obtain if they united them.

Gertrude smiled, and Wilkins confirmed that it was the same information he’d overheard before. She turned back to Isa, who was pale and lifeless. “Tell me where the stones are hidden,” she said, again using the spell, “Monstra.”

The pink wisp left Isa once more. “China, Egypt, the garden.”

Wilkins perked up. “She has a garden on her country estate,” he said. “They must’ve hidden the stone there.”

Gertrude used the spell one more time to confirm that this was all Isa knew about the stones, then said, “I’m afraid, my dear, that the time has come.” She then dropped her flat against the hard stone floor.

Isa looked up, her eyes pleading for mercy. “Please, I beg of you,” she said over and over again, visions of Kal and Marguerite flashing through her mind. Their smiles, their voices—the deep love she felt for them. She thought of their future together as a family, the happiness she knew they’d have. She felt with all her heart that her daughter was alive—that Kal had saved her and was on his way back. “Don’t do this. I beg of you, please . . . ”

Gertrude’s lips slipped into a thin crooked smile, and her eyes narrowed, becoming the color of hot embers. “Sterilis spiritus!” she cried, clenching her fist above Isa.

Isa screamed like she never had before—there was a sensation of knifes ripping out her insides, tearing through her skin. All her memories since Marguerite was born, all of her daughter’s smiles, her coos, her first little steps flashed through her mind, then they were gone . . . Kal’s eyes, his soft kisses, his words of passion and promises of forever . . . were also gone as fast as they had pierced through her mind—fast as arrows.

And then she lay there on the ground, shaking, with barely a whisper of life.

Gertrude let out a triumphant laugh. “Now burn what’s left of her,” she said, “and it will be finished.”

Isobel’s eyes fought hard to open and focus. She saw Gertrude leave, closing the door behind her, then she saw Wilkins pull a rope from his satchel.

There were no more thoughts of Kal or Marguerite, no more thoughts of what better days would come to her—she thought of only one thing—getting the stone from the garden. She had a quest to begin.


(I thought this would be the last of the Isa updates, but this part took so long to tell, that there will be another -- coming in a couple of days)

[NYC300Z]

1st:D
So sad to see that happen to Isa! I wonder if when Kal returns she'll already be burned alive or if he'll have to witness her transformation? It might just be easier on him if she's already dead when he comes back....oh iono both ways are sad, but I know it's inevitable. You can't leave us hanging for too long! I'm diying to know the rest of this tragic tale!!!

PPMS!!!

[kewl]

2nd :D
poor Isa... how can she get the stone with her present situation??? i hope Kal comes back sooner!!! PPMS!!!! wanna know what happens next!!!

[linn]

iom with nyc............ppms

[LuvClana]

woo go ISA! lol cant wait for more! PPMS!

[Clana-follower06]

That was really sad, but at least there should be a happy clana ending, right?

PPMS

[dreammaster]

another awesome chapter

[MOOman0618]

That was a wonderfully sad update. Beautifully written...I could feel Isa's pain. That has to be one of the saddest things I have ever heard! She doesn't even have the happy memeories anymore. At least if she just turned bad she could still have some love left in her. I love that you made Gertrude the sorcerer...excellent touch. Can't wait for your next update...maybe we can get some happy Clana action in that one on top of the final days of Isa.

[SVsleuth]

Oh, AJ, super update! So sad, though. :( She lost all her good memories? Oh, please post the rest soon. Your writng is so awesome. Thanks for all the hard work you put into it.

Let's see, today is Sept 7, right? So I can buy SV S4 DVD's in 6 days, right? Can't wait, because I left the 1st 3 seasons home. They should not be damaged, but I wish I had brought them. Well, at least I have K-Site, and all the great writers here.

[ajfinn]

Originally posted by SVsleuth
Oh, AJ, super update! So sad, though. :( She lost all her good memories? Oh, please post the rest soon. Your writng is so awesome. Thanks for all the hard work you put into it.

Let's see, today is Sept 7, right? So I can buy SV S4 DVD's in 6 days, right? Can't wait, because I left the 1st 3 seasons home. They should not be damaged, but I wish I had brought them. Well, at least I have K-Site, and all the great writers here.

Thanks SV! I have to say though, that I'd be really truly worried about you if one of the things you thought to grap as you were running for your life was your Smallville DVD's.

But, if you're anything like me, you at least thought of it once you rounded the block on your way out. *Shoot! What if something happens to the Smallville DVD's!? Then ten minutes later ... oh, honey, we forgot the dog!*

[MOOman0618]

Originally posted by ajfinn
Thanks SV! I have to say though, that I'd be really truly worried about you if one of the things you thought to grap as you were running for your life was your Smallville DVD's.

But, if you're anything like me, you at least thought of it once you rounded the block on your way out. *Shoot! What if something happens to the Smallville DVD's!? Then ten minutes later ... oh, honey, we forgot the dog!*


LOL :lol: We all have our priorities...and for most of us posting here, I think Smallville is far too high on the list. :p

[LoisNClark]

that was such a sad update:( Poor Kal and Isobel and Marg!!
Kalabel is over, but there is going to be a happy clana ending right....right?:)

Awesome update!!!

PPMs!!!:D

[NYC300Z]

:lol: i think ur right Mooman!!

[LoisNClark]

:lol: i agree Mooman:lol:

[midnite_spark]

Oh my gosh :( that was so sad.....such horrid events happen to Isa and she's been so innocent. Not hurting or bothering anyone...life just isn't fair that way huh?

AJ...you're a fantastic writer...i saw/felt what Isa was going thru when her memories were ripped out of her. Poor Poor Isa, not noeing the love of Kal and Marg ever again.

I hope when Kal comes back with Marg from his journey...and he finds out what happened to Isa...he'll give Gertrude a punch so hard that it sends her flying across and over the moon! :mad: GRRRRRRRR!!!

wonderfully-heart wrenching-tear jerking written update AJ. And when you say u'll post in a couple of days...does that mean...tomorrow? :D plz update ASAP!

[Cardinal]

If Gertrude is the sorcerer, that would definitely explain why a witch like Isa could be burnt alive.

As you said, painfully sad. :(

I wonder what Kal will do when he comes back? :rolleyes:

[itsallinthespelling]

just got a chance to read the update, and it was great as usual. Really sad though, all happy memories stripped away. and what about marg, is she gonna make it?? ppms

[Kal-El & Me]

Eeryone's used the word sad already but that's really what it is. Kind of tragic in a way to. I mean imagine having all the good in you ripped out. *shivers*. If I weren't so tierd I would cry, but.....
PPMS.

I know there'll be a happy Clana ending and that's what's most important.

[ajfinn]

Hey ya'll, just thought I'd tell you now that the next few days are going to be nuts for me, so I'm not sure when the update will be coming.

I thought it would be today, but it just depends on how everything falls together. I'm in charge of a writer's conference and have the honor of hosting a Bloomsbury editor -- so it should be a fun (though stressful) three days.

I'll finish the update as soon as I POSSIBLY can. This one SHOULD end with Lana waking up, and Clark revealing that he now knows more about Marg & Kal's fate than even Lana does. How's that for spoilery?? Enough to tie you over? :D

[MOOman0618]

Originally posted by ajfinn
I'll finish the update as soon as I POSSIBLY can. This one SHOULD end with Lana waking up, and Clark revealing that he now knows more about Marg & Kal's fate than even Lana does. How's that for spoilery?? Enough to tie you over? :D

I think any spoilery information just makes us hungrier for the update! I mean now I have to find out how Isa gets some power back (I have a pretty good idea) and what Clark knows and how he found out, and how finally finding out the truth will affect Lana! But I will try my best to be patient and wait. :)

[midnite_spark]

Originally posted by ajfinn

I'll finish the update as soon as I POSSIBLY can. This one SHOULD end with Lana waking up, and Clark revealing that he now knows more about Marg & Kal's fate than even Lana does. How's that for spoilery?? Enough to tie you over? :D

dammit! i wish i didn't read that part! now i don't noe what to do until u update again!! gahh!!

[SVsleuth]

Arg! I guess I'll be settled in Birmingham before I get the next update. It should be spectacular, though. Can't wait.

[itsallinthespelling]

Take your time aj, i'm sure the update will be meritorious. (please hurry though, i'm running out of adjectives :p)

[LoisNClark]

Originally posted by itsallinthespelling
Take your time aj, i'm sure the update will be meritorious. (please hurry though, i'm running out of adjectives :p)
itsallinthespelling and his large vocabulary:lol::p
Can't wait for the next update!!!

[NYC300Z]

oh AJ I so hope that update comes today!! I know ur u said ur very busy, but now with that spoilery information it makes me even more curious and anxious! PPMS!!:D

[Ketchup]

Woah, finally got caught up - havent been on the boards much these past few days. DAMN! You're last update was amazing! I had no idea Gertrude (s?) possessed any powers, although the pink-glowing eyes shud have given that one away. =D Cant wait for more!!!

[LanasLover16]

This is like, the best story ever!

[kewl]

no worries AJ! just take ur time... coz all ur updates are definitely worth the wait!!! :D

[NYC300Z]

yes yes defiently worth the wait! Although I hope the wait isn't too long!

PPMS!!

[EyeluvTom]

Can't wait for the next update!

[ajfinn]

I'm baaaaacccccckkkkkkkk . . . . well, at least I'm home early tonight, so I'll have time to work on the update. I'll write as fast as possible so I can get it posted before I go to sleep. I can't make any promises to that, but I'm going to try REAL HARD! I promise :D

[itsallinthespelling]

yes, i hope you work arduously hard on this update. :p just kidding , take your time, no pressures for fanfics, remember, that why you like to write them. :D

[kewl]

yay, AJ's back!!!! and plus..... we're getting an update very soon!!!!! :D

[mysticsilver86]

coolie :D

[SmallvilleMan]

Yeah, i'm with aj, i'm sleepy too. Must be because i just re-read this story:rotfl: :p :rotfl: I had to, now i'm done.

[ajfinn]

All right, I'm done with about half of it, but my eyes are shutting every few seconds. Do you want half now, and I'll try to post the other half tomorrow?

[SVsleuth]

AJ, I'll look for the update when I get to Birmingham tomorrow - err, that is, later today. It's 12:30 a.m. here, as I catch up on updates in the hotel lobby in Jackson, MS. ;)

[NYC300Z]

which ever u prefer AJ! If it's going to be long enough than I say half today half tomorrow, but if it's too short just save it. Either way entirely up to u!:D;)

[ajfinn]

Part 72:

“You’ll make a pretty picture—roasting alive,” Magistrate Wilkins said, scowling above Isa. “Though I must admit, it’s a shame to waste such a body.” He continued with his foot on Isa’s stomach, holding her fast against the floor as he unwound his rope.

Isa’s eyes, which were scanning for a weapon to use against him, caught sight of Brianna peeking through the window. She saw her nod, her face scared, then a flash of purple light filled the room, followed by several loud bangs.

When Isa recovered from the attack, she saw that Wilkins had been blown across the room—the front door on top of him—and he was unconscious.

“I warned you, Isobel,” a voice said, causing her to feel a familiar sense of loathing for one she cared nothing for. “If you did not embrace your magic, it would cost you dearly.”

Isobel turned her head slowly, as she still lay on the floor, to look at the woman. “You haven’t changed a bit since I last saw you, Mother.”

“More than you know,” she said, staring down at her with a look of wicked malice—making Isobel think she may have preferred Wilkin’s putrid sneer instead. “My powers have increased ten-fold.”

As Isobel attempted to pull herself up, Brianna stooped beside her to assist. “I saw the Sorcerer leave and ran to fetch the only one who could help,” she said, almost sounding regretful that she had to stoop so low.

The words “thank you” didn’t even cross Isobel’s mind—she had other things to mull over as she peered around the room.

Facing her mother as she stood with a false smile of gratitude, she said, “Mother, I know of a way to defeat the Sorcerer. Come with me.” She headed toward the back door.

Her mother laughed. “I doubt you could bake bread, Isobel,” she said, her voice as hostile and demeaning as it had always been, “let alone discover a means to defeat the Sorcerer.”

Isobel glanced over her shoulder as she opened the door. “Very well, have your doubts,” she said. “But I shall seek revenge for myself.”

It did not take long for her mother to give into her mounting curiosity, and she followed Isa out to the garden, finding her pulling something from within the earth.

Isobel gripped the bundle of leaves, holding it in her hand in awe. She recalled nothing of how she gained the knowledge about the stones, only that they would give her power beyond comprehension—that she could not only wipe out the Sorcerer’s blood line, but obtain all other means of power and wealth that she so wished.

“What is it?” Isobel’s mother asked, watching as she removed the leaves one at a time.

“A great stone of power,” Isobel said. “One that will bring both angels and demons to their knees.”

Still lowered in the garden soil, she revealed the black stone, shimmering in the sun. Isobel received the precise reaction she sought from her mother—her lips parted, and her eyes widened.

“Give that to me,” she said. “You do not have the knowledge or ability to appreciate such a treasure.”

“You’re right, Mother,” Isa said, stretching out her hand with the stone in it. “I don’t.”

When her mother’s hand came within a few inches of the stone, Isobel made her move. She clasped their hands together, with the stone between them, and called upon the stone to transfer all of her mother’s powers and knowledge into her own soul.

Her mother cried out in agony, but was unable to break the bond. She trembled—her eyes rolling back as she fell to her knees, facing Isa.

Isobel stood when she felt a rush of white-hot energy spinning inside her, and placed the stone in her pocket. “Aren’t you proud, Mother?” she asked, knocking her to the ground with a shock that shot sparks through Isobel’s arm—giving her a piercing sensation of pleasure. “I’ve finally embraced my magic—or YOURS, I should say.”

“What have you done?” her mother asked in a hoarse whisper, now on her back in agony.

“Nothing you don’t deserve,” Isobel answered, then kicked dirt in her mother’s face and walked away.

When she entered the house, she found Brianna helping Madeline up. “Come, girls,” she said with an unfamiliar sense of smug confidence. “I’ve got a bit of a busy day planned for us.”

The girls looked at her with wide, confused eyes as they walked through the empty door frame that was once the front entrance. “What do you mean?” Brianna asked. “It’s not safe to be seen, Isobel! The sorcerer will find you, she’ll find all of us!”

Isobel turned and gave them an evil grin. “If you join me, you shall never have to worry about the Sorcerer again,” she said, feeling that she would need accomplices—or at least decoys, if she was to find the other two stones. “And my mother has, well, let’s just say she’s encouraged me to pick up where she left off.” Or dropped off, she thought to add with a laugh. “But we’re going to need that handy little spell book of hers.”

“Her spell book?” Madeline asked with a gasp. “But she’s never let anyone near it. It’s filled with dark magic, Isobel, you’ll get hurt.”

Isobel had led them a few doors down, to her mother’s house. “The book will cause pain for many people,” she said. “But we will not be among them.”


(Sorry this is SO short! I couldn't stay awake any longer :o But I'll try to finish up Isobel - literally - tomorrow if I can)

[Cardinal]

Another one bites the dust... :D

I look forward to the rest of the update!

[Ketchup]

2nd

EDIT:

Damn, Isa turned all evil and crap =( Cant wait for more so PPMS!

[NYC300Z]

wow so Isa stole her mothers powers with the stone! So that's how she finally got her magic powers. I wonder what's taking Kal-el so long? Can't wait to read the rest of the update tomorrow!!:D

[midnite_spark]

tricky tricky Isa...

ohh...

i guess we can't call her Isa anymore huh :(

great update!

[itsallinthespelling]

oooh, great twist, having her get here powers from her mother. loved the update. im off to work now, ppms.

[dreammaster]

awesome chapter

[smvlfn15]

Awesome, can't wait for part 4

[kewl]

awesome update AJ!!! tricky tricky isobel!!!! so that's how she got her magic!!! can't wait for the continuation!!!!
oh and welcome to the CLANA world smvlfn15 :D

[Clana-follower06]

That was an awesome update! And I like the twist you added in there. That's what makes you such a great writer.

[SVsleuth]

Hey, AJ! My guess wasn't far off! :) Loved your great update & will check for the rest later in Birmingham. (We got delayed by a flat tire this morning, so I'm killing time reading while my hubby gets a new tire).
Oh, and AJ, ignore any "Funny" references to the middle of your story being "boring" - I never found ANYTHING boring in ANY of your chapters. Always interesting, always fantastic. Thanks for the update.

[Cardinal]

I'm coming back to where I started for my 500th post.

To celebrate here are a few quotes on writing:

Writing is more than anything a compulsion, like some people wash their hands thirty times a day for fear of awful consequences if they do not. It pays a whole lot better than this type of compulsion, but it is no more heroic.

ATTRIBUTION: Julie Burchill (b. 1960), British journalist, author. Sex and Sensibility, introduction (1992).



Writing a book is like rearing children—willpower has very little to do with it. If you have a little baby crying in the middle of the night, and if you depend only on willpower to get you out of bed to feed the baby, the baby will starve. You do it out of love. Willpower is a weak idea; love is strong. You don’t have to scourge yourself with a cat-o’-nine tails to go to the baby. You go to the baby out of love for that particular baby. That’s the same way you go to your desk.

ATTRIBUTION: Annie Dillard (b. 1945), U.S. author. “To Fashion a Text,” Inventing the Truth: The Art and Craft of Memoir, ed. William Zinsser, Houghton Mifflin (1987).



I am writing for myself and strangers. This is the only
way that I can do it. Everybody is a real one to me,
everybody is like some one else too to me. No one of
them that I know can want to know it and so I write
for myself and strangers.

ATTRIBUTION: Gertrude Stein (1874–1946), U.S. author. repr. [Excerpts] Selected Writings of Gertrude Stein, ed. Carl Van Vechten, Random House (1946). The Making of Americans (written 1903-1911), originally published Paris, Contact Editions (1925).

Yay, aj...snicker, snicker...I just 'Whiz'zed on your thread! :lol:

[LoisNClark]

wow what a twist with isobel and her mother

i wonder what kal will think and do when he gets back!!!

PPMS!!!:D

[MOOman0618]

Great update Aj! I knew it! Well, part of it. I figured the stone would give Isa her powers back, but I didn't guess she would steel them from her mother! Can't wait to read the second half, it will be a sad one.


Congrats Cardinal on Whizzing everywhere!

[binkys711]

wow! i just read your updates aj! NOOOOO ISA!!! i feel so sad:( that must be awful having no feeling of love and not remembering the people you do love:( oh that's just horrible! and what about kal and marg?!:confused:

great writing aj! PPMS!!!

and Conngrats Cardinal on your Whiz apointment!:D

[CLANAobsessed]

I knew it was oging to happen sooner or later but not like that, nice twist, can't wait for the other part!

[ajfinn]

An update is coming today :D

Thanks for being patient with me this week!!

And props to itsallinthespelling for my new avi - sweet, huh?


Originally posted by smvlfn15
Awesome, can't wait for part 4

Part 4? I just wanted to make sure that was a type-o, because I know you're new to the story and didn't want you to be left wondering when "Part 4" was coming - I think we're up in the 70's right now :lol:

Thanks for reading!!

And, Cardinal, you've always been a Whiz, dude! :lol: Who else could write all that great stuff? Thanks for the quotes and post 500 honor!! It seems like only yesterday that you posted this - your very first post on k-site *sniff, it's like your first steps, or something*:

Congratulations! Your fic is absolutely fantabulous! Only a completely made-up word can properly express my awe at how well you tell this story. I usually read fanfic at another site, but somehow was referred to your fic here . . . Heck, I signed up for K-Site just to thank you . Your fic is wondermous!

[SmallvilleMan]

18 and your avatar has no clana:mad:

[ajfinn]

SVM . . . 18??

My avi is very much Clana - who do you think Clark is looking at when he gets that grin on his face?

[Ketchup]

You? =P

[SmallvilleMan]

Nope, although i just noticed it is my job, but that 18 wasn't there because of my age. It was there for another reason. 18 is the number of....... Ah, you figure it out:lol: It has to do with this thread though:D

[ajfinn]

Originally posted by Ketchup
You? =P

Well, in that case, he's looking at you too, Ketchup :lol:

But, he only gets those smirky, sexy, smiles when he's looking at Lana - so Clana is very much in my avi :D

[SmallvilleMan]

So he's checking out k-up? :eek: That's just sick.

[LuvClana]

i just read it :-D Soo sad, she doesnt remember kal oh well, at least it isnt lana :-D PPMS

[4EverSmallville]

Must....tear.....eyes.....away.....from.....aj's.. ...avi.....

[LuvClana]

lol 4ever, we've been trying, but its just too hard! :p

[binkys711]

:lol: at 4ever

[booze_is_me09]

nice avi LoisNClark


PPMS ajfinn u r doing a great job!!!!!!!!!!!

[LoisNClark]

thank you booze is me, binks, montevello, and hottietom have the same one today as well.

love your avi aj and i love to look at it!!!;)

PPMS!!:D

[NYC300Z]

so is the next part still part 74 just continued or is it part 75?? Just curious hope it comes soon!:D

[midnite_spark]

i don't really care what it's part of...has long as she updates its all good to me :D

[LuvClana]

lol i agree!

[ajfinn]

Originally posted by NYC300Z
so is the next part still part 74 just continued or is it part 75?? Just curious hope it comes soon!:D

I'm laughing because I'm not even on part 74 yet, the last one was 72, and this new one will be 73, which I'm finishing up :D

[midnite_spark]

ahhh damn...thought that u posted an update....

damn......

ehhh hope u post soon tho aj! :)

[LuvClana]

aj, we love you. its as simple as that. But we also love your updates -hint hint-

[NYC300Z]

oh ur right! :lol: u know what confused me was somebody saying they just finished part 4 and I thought they must have meant 74! :lol: okay so the next part is 73 not 72 continued got it!:D

[binkys711]

yes, I agree with LuvClana:D;)

[NYC300Z]

yes yes don't we all I thought that was a given:D;)

[binkys711]

yes, good point:p

[itsallinthespelling]

yes, we love your updates. thank you so much for sharing this thaumaturgic fanfic with us.

[binkys711]

OoOoOo.....I see aj browsing here.....will she update? *cough* she better*cough*

dam this cough...4ever, I need another cough drop:p

[4EverSmallville]

*Hands binks another cough drop* :lol:

[binkys711]

OoOo.....cherry flavor, my favorite!:lol:

[LoisNClark]

:lol:

[MOOman0618]

Update?? I smell an update coming! I need a Clana fix!

[binkys711]

wow! he's a bloodhound!...he can smell an update!:p

[4EverSmallville]

A message from ajfinn:


Originally posted by ajfinn
Oh, my gosh, you guys are ALL here? I'm almost done. I need a while longer though - like an hour, hopefully less :)

[binkys711]

Oh yay! yes....we're all here...wait...let me check:
Rollcall:
4ever! *raises her hand*
MOOman:*raises his paw*
NYC:*raises hand*
LuvClana:*raises hand*
Ketchup:*raises hand*
LoisNclark:*raises hand*
itsallinthespelling:*raises hand*
SVM:*raises hand*
booze is me:*raises hand*
midnite spark:*raises up both hands jumping up and down and whoops and hollers*
linn:*raises hand that i had not seen earlier*
binkys:*jumps up and down like a child waving hand wildly*

yes, the majority of us are here waiting an update!:D

(sorry if i missed anybody, my list is incomplete...too lazzy to update list:p)

[NYC300Z]

yay i made the list!:D Yes i'm here and waiting!!:D

[binkys711]

ok, updated list a little......still if i missed anybody let me know;)

[linn]

ur missing me im here

[binkys711]

ah!....updated list;):D

[midnite_spark]

Originally posted by itsallinthespelling
yes, we love your updates. thank you so much for sharing this thaumaturgic fanfic with us.

th...tha....thauuuumaa......??? huh???? :lol:

oh and blinkys u should change mine to *raises both hands and jumps up and down and whoops and hollers*;)

[itsallinthespelling]

thaw-ma-ter-jick :p means wonderful or magical

[binkys711]

wow! cool word:cool:......goes back do edit list:p.....edited:D

[LoisNClark]

interesting and cool word itsallinthespelling...yeah i'm on the list!!!!:D

[binkys711]

all the people who are camped out on this thread to wait for the update are on the list;)

*starts counting the tents of the people camped out*:p

[midnite_spark]

i'm gonna have one of those Harry Potter tents where its like a house inside :p

*waves wand and tent pitches itself*

ahhhhhhh

yes i'm in college guys...i swear lol

[binkys711]

suuuuurrrreeee.......:rolleyes:...j/k!:p

[MOOman0618]

Originally posted by binkys711

MOOman:*raises his paw*



Paw?? Should I be offended? :p

[binkys711]

did ya read my previous post to that?;)

and no anyways....you shouldn't be offended, I like to joke around as you can tell:D:p

[MOOman0618]

See...along with being bloodhound for updates, I am also a moron. So you see how that doesn't bode well for me.

(I knew you were joking anyhow. :) )

[binkys711]

see!.....your not a moron!:p

[midnite_spark]

Originally posted by binkys711
suuuuurrrreeee.......:rolleyes:...j/k!:p

:lol: :p

[ajfinn]

Wheewwwwww... done.

I need a buffer - who's still here?

[itsallinthespelling]

me

[SmallvilleMan]

18

[binkys711]

me!

[LanasLover16]

I can't wait to read your next update AJ!

[itsallinthespelling]

lol

[binkys711]

ehh...whoops:p

*acts cool*

nothing happened, nothing happened.......:p

[ajfinn]

Part 73: (This is posted in two sections, so keep reading)

Isobel walked through the small, cold rooms of her childhood home—searching for where her mother hides her most prized belongings. The two girls at her side were making far too much noise, and she shushed them . . . closing her eyes and extending her arms to call out to the spell book.

Her soul was as black as the most moonless of nights—Gertrude had extracted every wisp of goodness, love and mercy out of her soul . . . every ounce of happiness. Only hatred, guile and revenge remained—something all humans have within them, which can take over their very being if stronger emotions cannot keep evil at bay.

Isobel continued to meditate as the girls looked on—her eyes were closed, her hands trembling . . . as she used her mother’s tremendous powers to search the home only in her mind. At last, a section of the stone wall illuminated, and Isobel sighed, walking toward the space with a thin smile.

“Tsk tsk, Mother dearest,” she said, summoning the stones out of the wall one at a time. “It only took me but a moment.”

Isobel reached into the gap and removed the spell book, the weight of it filling her soul—becoming part of her. As she turned the cover, a life-giving breath escaped from it and passed into Isobel. She was its master now.

Madelyn and Brianna watched in awe. They glanced between one another and Isobel, wondering when she had taken on this new and mysteriously-evil persona. Wherever it had come from, they felt safe and confident with her. Isobel’s mother never included them in her plans—they were honored to be part of something so monumental and important—to rid the world of the consuming power of the Sorcerer—and not just Gertrude, but every potential heir who would follow.

“This book is all we need to find the stones,” Isobel said. “It seeks out power and embodies it within itself. It will guide us in China and Egypt—as the North Star guides tempest-tossed sailors home.”

Brianna nodded. “This is our destiny, Isobel,” she said.

“To bring an end to the persecution of our people,” Madelyn added.

Isobel smiled at their noble intentions—which she planned to uphold for her own revengeful purposes, but she had no desire to stop at something so meager. Not when the world could be her slave.

As she turned the book’s pages, looking for the Seeker’s Spell . . . her mother’s knowledge guided her and she knew exactly what to do when she found it. “Capto Dominitus,” she said, sending the stone out of her pocket and into her hand.

Brianna and Madelyn both gasped—at both the stone, and the means in which Isobel summoned it. “Isobel, your spell requested absolute power—is that what this stone will give us?” Brianna asked.

She could not resist a snide laugh. “US?” she thought. The power would be held by only her, but they were much too sweet and naive to let that trouble their pretty heads right then. “Yes, the spell put the stone right into my hands—and it shall do the same when we reach the other stones,” she said, knowing it was time to drop a few more crumbs. “When we combine all three, we shall have more power than any army. We will extinguish the bloodline of the Sorcerer.”

“We will follow you anywhere, Isobel,” Madelyn said.

“Then let us begin,” she said, catching a glimpse of her clothes as she strode past a looking glass—startled by her own mangy appearance. She gave a throaty laugh. “But certainly not in these rags.”

Most girls of Isobel’s age wouldn’t have ever considered raiding their mother’s closet—but Isobel didn’t have the typical mother. Her closet was filled with young and sultry temptations—just what every naughty witch deserves. Isobel chose a ruby-colored dress, slinky and revealing. “Much better,” she said after changing, leaving Madelyn and Brianna with dropped jaws.

Isobel sent Madelyn to peek out the back door of her mother’s home, and gave Brianna the task of finding a satchel to carry the spell book. It was good to hold all the power, she thought, sighing as she considered her future—the possessor of the most glorious gifts and knowledge the universe could offer. It would be all hers to do with as she wished.

“The back way is clear,” Madelyn said, just as Brianna was returning with a satchel.

“Just one more thing, then,” Isobel said, selecting a blood-red cloak from her mother’s closet. “I believe I may elicit a bit too much attention unless I cover up for now.” Isobel dressed in the cloak, then placed the spell book in the bag, and slung it over her shoulder.

“I can carry that for you,” Brianna said.

“Or the stone,” Madelyn suggested.

“No!” Isobel said, her tone so demanding that the girls instantly knew they should not make noise unless asked to do so.

The three of them left through the back door—they would have to make it to the docks before sunset, or every ship would already be parted. It did not matter where the ship would be sailing to, Isobel had the means of persuading the captain in another direction—first to Egypt, then to China. “Another reason to wear a great dress,” Isobel mused to herself.

After creeping through back alleys and at last reaching the docks, Isobel raised her hand for the girls to stop so she could assess what had to be done. They were hiding behind the walls of a convent—innocent nuns just on the other side of the stone. What a vast contradiction to all she was now—how she wanted to be.

Deciding that she would first try to board the boat the civil way, to avoid unwanted attention, she sent the girls to persuade free boarding passes out of the sailors.

Cloaked, and with her back against the convent wall, Isobel reached into her pocket to grip the stone. The sooner they were on that ship, the better. She knew Gertrude was much more powerful than she—she had her mother’s knowledge of magic to realize that. There would be no defense against her—no spell strong enough to protect herself or the stone from the power of the Sorcerer. Or Sorceress, she thought—finding it mildly amusing that so many had misjudged her. Women can be so very deceiving sometimes.

And so can men, Isobel soon discovered as she watched a group of them start to shout and point in Madelyn and Brianna’s direction. But, the girls were too dimwitted to use their powers—panicking and running . . . running STRAIGHT toward Isobel.

“What the bloody hell?” Isobel said. “Those STUPID girls!”

((KEEP READING BELOW))

[itsallinthespelling]

buff

[binkys711]

BUFFERING!:D

[SmallvilleMan]

1900 post, bahahahahahahhahha

[ajfinn]

((Part 73 - continued from above))

Isobel’s decision was quick, she raised her hands, ready to blast the bunch of them out to the sea behind them, but then the breath left her lungs—a hooded figure was among them, making her way slowly . . . taking her sweet time, because she knew there was no rush. She could have anything she wanted.

“Anything but the stone,” Isobel said to herself, knowing her only chance of escape was to outrun Gertrude before she was discovered. The girls would have to suffer their fate alone.

She ran along the convent wall, searching for any entrance, any crevice to sneak through, but there was nothing. She didn’t have time to climb the wall, or even use magic to propel herself over it—the mob would see her.

As she reached the front of the convent, there were nuns in black and white habits strolling through the front gardens—watching her curiously as she sprinted by them. Then at once, she had an idea—it was her only chance now that the mob and Gertrude were close enough to spot her.

“Sanctuary!” she cried, sprinting through the gardens, through the open doors and into the barrel-roofed cathedral. “Sanctuary!”

Nuns came running from all directions to assist her, but she continued to run, knowing they would at least give the mob pause before they blasted through them.

She had only one option, hide the stone, then come back for it later. If the mob was to seize her, at least the stone would be safe for her return—and she WOULD return, she’d somehow make sure of that.

Isobel’s eyes scanned for a place to hide the stone, one in which she would remember the spot, but that others would have difficultly finding it. She didn’t have much time—and she had to have some assurance of her survival.

As she continued to run the length of the cathedral, nearing the end of the pews, she grabbed the spell book out of the satchel, balanced it at the first page which opened, and shoved her hand in her pocket to grip the stone. Concentrating hard, she demanded that the stone transfer a portion of her soul into the book—that she would be immortalized, to rise again to finish her quest if Gertrude were to succeed in burning her body.

Flesh was only flesh she thought—feeling the power of the stone surge through her—but my soul shall live forever, to awaken when I call out for vengeance from my grave.

Watching as the symbol from the stone was duplicated upon the page, she slowed and turned back, hearing the noise of the mob coming through the cathedral’s front doors. She held the stone in her palm, then whispered the words, “Celo Ascendo.” The stone shot like an arrow straight up through the air, concealing itself on the top of the highest rafter—somewhere no one would think to look—for how could she have climbed that high? And Gertrude was still unaware that she had powers. Once they discovered that the stone was not in her garden at her country estate, however, they would retrace her steps here, and the stone had to be as safe as possible.

The mob was visible now, and among them was the cloaked figure—seeming to float toward her as she started into a full run again. At once, Isobel felt a shock within her—sending her sprawling across the floor, and smacking against a table of burning candles.

When she regained consciousness, she realized she was no longer in the cathedral, and that the mob was gone—but Gertrude was hovering above her. “You’re a resilient little lass, aren’t you?” she said. “You only could’ve escaped with a bit of magic—weak as your powers must’ve been, so perhaps you were able to draw them out at last. But no matter, I’ve done a bit of work on you while you rested—what magic might have been there, is now deep within me—weak and measly as it was.”

As soon as the words were spoken, Isobel knew it was true—it was gone. All but a meager portion of which she still felt burning within a small corner of her. Perhaps it was enough to do one last spell, but it would be saved for when she knew it was needed most.

She glanced around, making Gertrude laugh. “Looking for your mother’s spell book, darling?” she asked. “Don’t worry, it’s safe. Magistrate Wilkins is a bit of a book collector—those amateur spells are child’s play for me. But soon I shall have your stones. I’ve already sent off ships to China and Egypt, and have some more dear friends of mine on their way to search your garden.”

Isobel wanted to smile at the thought of them searching her garden—one she had only faint memories of pulling weeds from, but lacked the strength as Gertrude waved in a group of men with ropes. Gertrude was known only as a witch-hunting zealot to them, not who she truly was. It was obvious why she’d requested to be alone with Isobel—they’d never seen Gertrude perform magic before. That would blow the whole charade, which worked so very well for her.

It wasn’t long before Isobel was locked in an iron carriage with Madelyn and Brianna. They asked questions about the stone, to which Isobel stayed mum, then they pleaded for her to use the powerful magic they now knew she possessed—for theirs had been stripped from them by Gertrude.

Isobel wished for them to stay calm, that she may think through what was necessary. “They’ve taken the book and with it our powers,” she said, promising them there would be a way back to life if they were to fall that night—which she was now certain they would.

When the reached the fields far from the town limits, they were pulled one at a time from their cage—a mob with pitchforks and torches awaiting them. A man ripped the cloak from Isobel’s body, exposing her sultry dress and confirming for the mob that only a witch would dare be so brazen.

Magistrate Wilkins was there to greet Isobel, sneering at her with the spell book in his hand. All she needed to do was get him to open to the page where the mark of the stone had been made—and she could cast her last spell.

Wilkins backhanded Isobel when she taunted him, causing the sweet taste of fresh blood to pool in her mouth—just what she needed. He insisted she expose more about the three stones of power, saying she may yet live if she cooperated, but Isobel knew that was a lie. There was only one way to save herself from eternal ruin now, and she needed the book to do it.

Isobel claimed that the information he sought was in the book, and he opened it eagerly—giving her one last moment to fire an insult. “The three stones of power shall be mine,” she said. “And once I possess them, you shall tremble at my feet, and never again persecute my kind.” She then spit on the symbol—sealing her mortal body, to her immortal soul.

“Animom remito,” she said, using her last bit of magic to duplicate the stone’s symbol upon her back, preparing for her return—one that would be made possible as she called from the grave to an heir, chosen by fate, to release her soul from darkness.

“Demon,” Wilkins called her, making a good show for the mob. He worked for the true devil herself.

Isobel laughed this off as she was dragged into the stockpile of wood and tied to the stake, for Wilkins was more correct than he knew. She would rise a more powerful and venom-filled demon than he could imagine.

She continued smirking as Wilkins condemned her to the fires of hell. She spotted Gertrude in the crowd—watching Isobel with satisfaction.

She would pay—all of her bloodline would pay for what they’d done.

“Do you think this ends with a lick of flame?” Isobel said as the fires were lit. “I sleep but a while. And when the time is appointed, my heir will awaken me. And I will have vengeance!”

The flames rose, and Madelyn and Brianna cried with pain. But Isobel shrieked with wicked laughter, the fire searing thoughts of evil within her.

And then slowly, her laughter died, her body burned, and her mortal breath was gone.

But Isobel’s soul remained, existing in three separate vessels . . . the pages of a book, the dark pit of an evil Sorceress . . .

. . . and in the heart of a man, who held her recovering child to his chest—searching for his dear Isa in the quiet streets of Castelnau-de-Montmiral.




((Starting when they arrive at the field, much of the dialogue and action is taken from “Spell” from season 4. Just thought I’d give credit where credit was due))

[binkys711]

1st!

wow!:eek: THAT WAS AWESOME!!!! I LOVED IT!!! aww...poor Kal:( what's gonna happen to him and Marg?:confused:....and I'm sad Isa died the way she did...DAM THAT GERTRUDE!:mad:

oh and i just cracked up on this part:

And so can men, Isobel soon discovered as she watched a group of them start to shout and point in Madelyn and Brianna’s direction. But, the girls were too dimwitted to use their powers—panicking and running . . . running STRAIGHT toward Isobel.

“What the bloody hell?” Isobel said. “Those STUPID girls!”

:rotfl::lol::rotfl::lol: That was just hilarious!:lol:

loved your update as always aj! it was awesome!:D:D:D PPMS!!! and can't wait to see Lana's reaction to all this!:)

[MOOman0618]

2nd

[SmallvilleMan]

18

[ClarksGirl21]

isobel is bad =(.. but your not finn! you are better than ever! sorry i havent been on to post in ur thread for a while.. but now i'm back and happy to read ur great updates! great job as usual.

[itsallinthespelling]

great update. still wonderin what clark knows about isobel though, and i think he was going up to the north pole. i can't remeber, it's been so long since we have been in the present. :p, look foward to the clana now. :D

[ajfinn]

Originally posted by itsallinthespelling
great update. still wonderin what clark knows about isobel though, and i think he was going up to the north pole. i can't remeber, it's been so long since we have been in the present. :p, look foward to the clana now. :D

Yep, we're going back to Clana now, and Clark now knows all about what happened to Kal & Marg.

And about Klax-Ar.

And about the green crystal.

[itsallinthespelling]

oh my, i completely forgot about klax-ar and the green crystal. lol, i would reread the story, but i wouldn't be done for like a month. curse my heriditary crap short term memory.
btw, love the custom user text. goes perfect, lol, would have never thought of that.

[ajfinn]

Well, who can blame you . . . it's kind of a long story, with kind of a lot of plot points to remember . . . :D

I'll remind you of everything as we unravel & wind down now. Whew.

[MOOman0618]

Wonderful update! So sad, but it was such a good scene when she was laughing while being engulfed in flame! So is Kal now Marg's dad? Does he raise her or what? Definatly looking forward to some happy Clana!...well as happy as it can be with Klax-Ar running around.

[binkys711]

AHA! ClarksGirl is here! I knew I saw her logged on today! GET HER! .......she must update her stories also!:D

[MOOman0618]

Originally posted by ajfinn
Well, who can blame you . . . it's kind of a long story, with kind of a lot of plot points to remember . . . :D

I'll remind you of everything as we unravel & wind down now. Whew.


I was thinking about restarting it the other day...I loved your reveal scene and when Lana got her powers! I thought it would be interesting to read it again.

[itsallinthespelling]

lol, i have read the first ten chapters 6 or 7 times. i love them. :D

[ajfinn]

Originally posted by MOOman0618
I was thinking about restarting it the other day...I loved your reveal scene and when Lana got her powers! I thought it would be interesting to read it again.

Well, if anyone does that, please PM me with plot holes I've opened up and haven't filled yet . . . I'm hoping I've got everything outlined for the end, but who knows?? :D

Also, if you see type-os, please PM those to me as well!! :)

[itsallinthespelling]

lol, i'm good at finding typos. ask cardinal :p

[LanasLover16]

That was an unbelievable update!!! I loved it!!!!

[linn]

i wonder what happen when kal and marg finds out that she is dead or not there!!!!!!!well i loved it !!1ppms!!!!!!!1

[NYC300Z]

Great Update like always! As sad as it seemed before it was really cool to get a look at how Isabel died now having a complete story! Very nicely done! I wonder what Kal will do now? Will he take care of Marg or leave her with Isabel's mother? I wonder what Clark will reveal to Lana...can't wait for more!

PPMS!!:D

[ClarksGirl21]

Originally posted by binkys711
AHA! ClarksGirl is here! I knew I saw her logged on today! GET HER! .......she must update her stories also!:D

it's okay everyone, blinkys is officially stalking me now.. lol.. :lol:
just kidding blinks .. i love ya!

[itsallinthespelling]

who is blinky? :p

[binkys711]

it's me! once someone misspelled my name but I said it was ok if they called me that though;) no worrys:D

[SunniLvsSV]

. . . and in the heart of a man, who held her recovering child to his chest—searching for his dear Isa in the quiet streets of Castelnau-de-Montmiral.


SOOOO Amazing AJ!! I loved it. Your words capture everything SO well! It's awesome the way you've tied everything together!

My computer is as old as Isobel, so I cannot comment as often as I'd like to, but trust me, I am tuned in DAILY!

[midnite_spark]

oh wow oh wow oh wow :eek: :eek: :eek:

such a great update!!

aww no there's officially no more Kal and Isa...:(

that last line was a tear jerker aj...real tear jerker...

but i thought the What the bloody hell was hilarious!

PPMS!!

[Cardinal]

I wouldn't want to be Gertrude if Kal ever finds out about her. I suspect he'd be much less reticent about taking a life than Clark is.

As always, good stuff! ;)

[SmallvilleMan]

Yea, Kal is going to kick all their butts. Maybe that's how gertrude dies? Kal finds her, asks her Isa is and she tells him they killed her, then he goes off. I'm just glad kal remembered Isa when she was good.

[Clana-follower06]

Just read the update and I thought it was amazing! It's sad that there's going to be no more kalabelle, but more clana is coming soon, right?

[dreammaster]

another awesome chapter

[Ketchup]

Okay I have NOT read this update, and I will NOT read this update for the same reason I still havent read 4ever's update:

Forcing myself to finish my story before I read ur updates is the only thing that can possibly MAKE me find the time to write these days. So please dont be mad... :\

[NYC300Z]

:lol: good for u Ketchup! I hope that means we get to read ur update soon! that way u can enjoy AJ's update like the rest of us!

[ajfinn]

Originally posted by Ketchup
Okay I have NOT read this update, and I will NOT read this update for the same reason I still havent read 4ever's update:

Forcing myself to finish my story before I read ur updates is the only thing that can possibly MAKE me find the time to write these days. So please dont be mad... :\

I'm not in the least offended because this means you're actually writing and I'm VERY excited to read the rest of your fic. So, be my guest, Ketchup, ignore my updates until you finish your own. :D :D

[LuvClana]

Originally posted by ajfinn
. . . and in the heart of a man, who held her recovering child to his chest—searching for his dear Isa in the quiet streets of Castelnau-de-Montmiral.




omg that part was soo sad. :(:(:(:(

But the chapter was good :):):):)

[SmallvilleMan]

Now, this is the best avatar without A DOUBT.

[kewl]

hey aj, cool new avi! :D

[binkys711]

Yes SVM! BOOYAH!!!! I love it!:D:D:D *breaths happily at the thought of SVM's avi* HAPPY CLANA!!!:D

psh....looks like Lana is really anxious in that trailer...."Clark we've been taking it slow for 4 years"...she's right! GO LANA!:D:D:D

and good for you Ketchup, can't wait to read your update!:D:D:D

[itsallinthespelling]

oooh svm, you can't have that avy yet. the episode still hasn't aired, you have to wait one week after the episode airs before you can have images from the episode in your avy.

[SmallvilleMan]

Really?

[itsallinthespelling]

Those who are caught using spoilery or stolen images or in their avatars will be PMed and asked for the removal. If the member does not remove the image a board Administrator will. Repeat offenders will be banned.
this is str8 from the fanart forum rules. so yes, really.

[SmallvilleMan]

Thanks! Now that you told me, they now know i have it and i'm going to have to take it off. Thanks a lot:rolleyes:

Just for that i've converted to lexana.

[itsallinthespelling]

well, as hard as it is, i would rather see ya here sporting a lexana avy then not here at all., oh and ppms aj( gettin things back on topic :p)

[SmallvilleMan]

Alright, this will have to do.

[binkys711]

awww.....that's too bad! seeing his avi made me thin of happy clana and not lexana:(....oh well.....can't wait 'till your next update aj!:D

[LoisNClark]

Just read the update!!!

Awesome update!!!

Last line was really sad:( but i can't wait for more

PPMS!!!:D

[ajfinn]

If all goes well, I'll be posting another UPDATE today to make up for missing one last week :D

I'm almost done with it, but I have no idea how much longer it will be. Depends on my kids, who are acting like jumping beans right now :lol:

[binkys711]

ahhh! grab the kids!:p.....j/k

OoOoOo......can't wait 'till ya update aj! If ya need a buffer i'm here for ya;):D

[NYC300Z]

I hope ur able to get ur update done! I have class now but i'll be back to check at 9!

[LuvClana]

omg, today I talked to a friend who watches Smallville and she said she likes Lexana beter than Clana because 'Lex really cares about her' How dare she?!?!/

:p:p:p

[LanasLover16]

Wait I have a question aj... so Lana has been asleep this whole time?? Shes must've been asleep for like a week!

[LuvClana]

well that could have taken place in one night. Your just thinking of the time it took for aj to update (every like 24 hours) :P

[CLANAobsessed]

so that's how it happened. I wonder how Kal will take in all this. once again wonderful update, AJ! PPMS!

P.S. almost to 2000th post!

[linn]

i liked the chapters...PPMS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[itsallinthespelling]

an update tonight?? wahooo, can't wait.

[MOOman0618]

There should be some good happy Clana in this next update right?

[LuvClana]

clana woot woot! clana woot woot!

[midnite_spark]

Originally posted by LanasLover16
Wait I have a question aj... so Lana has been asleep this whole time?? Shes must've been asleep for like a week!

haha well haven't u ever had those really really long detailed dreams that u think u've been dreaming about for the whole nite but when u wake up its only been 5 minutes or something? i guess its kinda like that....

and to LuvClana bout ur friend who likes Lexana more....i only have one thing to say to her......

EWWWWWWWWW!!!!!!!

[LanasLover16]

Originally posted by midnite_spark
[B]haha well haven't u ever had those really really long detailed dreams that u think u've been dreaming about for the whole nite but when u wake up its only been 5 minutes or something? i guess its kinda like that....




haha well I guess so. OH by the way I second that EWW about Lexana!

[NYC300Z]

triple ewwwwwwwwww:lol:

[ajfinn]

Part 74:

Lana’s screams pierced the still of the night—she was burning, feeling the fire as it crawled up her legs, her torso, her arms and neck.

Clark lifted her into his arms, holding her tightly as he sat on her bed. “It’s okay, baby, it’s okay . . . it’s over, Lana,” he said, repeating it several times before she finally awoke. He was sure he knew what had just happened and had been waiting for the moment ever since her dreams began.

He hadn’t woken her when he returned five hours ago—at midnight, because he wanted her to get through all of Isobel’s memories—what he’d discovered in the Fortress was more connected to the story of Kal and Isa than he ever realized, and he wanted to tell her about it.

“He didn’t come! Kal didn’t come!” were Lana’s first words, clutching onto Clark and weeping. “I wanted him to save her . . . I knew there had to be something good left . . . somewhere.”

Clark just nodded, rubbing her back and kissing the top of her head. He’d let her get all her feelings out before he told her what he knew.

“It was awful, Clark,” she said, telling him everything from the time they found Stephan dying of the black death, until Isa was burned at the stake. “Gertrude took everything from her—all of her goodness, all of her love for Marg and Kal. ALL of it! I wanted so much to intrude, to scream out to her so she would remember them, but from the first moment Gertrude took away her memories, she didn’t even have a flash of them in her mind—she wouldn’t have known them, even if they’d arrived on time.”

“Perhaps it was better that they didn’t see her that way,” he said, waiting for her response before he continued. She gave a very small nod. “Kal never knew the evil that consumed her—neither did Marg. They had nothing but fond memories of the Isa they knew.”

Lana sobbed even harder, for the first time realizing that it truly was better for them to have never seen what Gertrude did to Isa—how she’d betrayed Kal by using the stone—how she planned to find the others for her own good. “How do you know this, Clark?” she asked, seeing only the outline of his face in the dark room. “Is it just a guess?”

Clark shook his head slowly. “No. I had to search as much of Kryptonian knowledge as I could this time—making it through almost all of what the stones contained,” he said. “And I saw one portion that had Kal’s memories, which included his life after he lost Isa.”

She grabbed his arms. “Tell me, please,” she said. “I knew all along that Marguerite would live, and I wanted to reveal that at Isa—to tell her to hold on, that somehow Kal could restore her soul and they could still be a family.”

That wasn’t too far off, Clark thought to say, but Kal probably couldn’t have figured out what to do to make it possible, because he wouldn’t have known what happened. However, Clark now believed that Isobel herself reversed the damage by accident—which he’d explain to Lana when the time came.

Clark smiled, which eased Lana’s apprehension. “As awful as Isa’s death was,” he said. “The rest of the story is really pretty great—I was blown away by what I saw.”

“What!?” she said, glad that he had such a big smile, but she wanted to share in the happiness with him—she needed it.

He kissed her while he had the chance. “I missed you,” he said.

She slapped his arm. “I missed you too, but get on with it.”

“Okay, I will,” he said, more anxious than even before to tell her. “Kal had an even more difficult time saving Marg than he imagined—she almost didn’t make it. But he was near enough to one of the Kryptonian portals to contact a Healing Elder and gain his help.”

“Someone else came from Krypton to help him?” Lana asked.

Clark nodded. “Yes, and it was someone pretty significant—someone who had quite a bit of experience with humans,” he said, pausing to build suspense. She finally slapped his arm again. “You’re not going to let me have any fun at all with this, are you?”

“No,” she said, even though she was extremely relieved to be smiling—it felt like she hadn’t done it for days—though she’d only been asleep for ten hours. “Who was it?”

“Well, his Kawatche name was Naman—the first Naman, that is, before I came along,” Clark said. “But his Kryptonian name was Nim-El.”

Lana’s eyes grew wide. “You mean, he was the man from the stars that the Kawatche people talk about?” she asked. “The one whose children were the first skinwalkers?”

“Yep—the very same guy,” he said. “When he returned to Krypton from being on Earth for so long, he took with him all he learned about humans. Kal thought he might be able to help him, and he was right. When he came through the portal, he used the stone to heal Marguerite, then taught Kal how to do the same.”

“Wow,” Lana said, then dropped her chin. “But he was still too late to save Isa.”

“Yeah,” he said, reliving Kal’s memories of the night he searched for Isa in Castelnau-de-Montmiral. “But, Lana, he may have been able to save her body, but not her soul. Some evil can never be undone.”

Lana nodded, feeling tears sting her eyes again. “So what happened when he returned, Clark?” she asked. “How did he find out about Isa?”

KEEP READING BELOW

[itsallinthespelling]

buffer

[ajfinn]

CONTINUED FROM ABOVE

This was the part that would be difficult to hear. “He went to Brianna and Madelyn’s house first, of course,” Clark said. “When he couldn’t find her there, he used his x-ray vision to search the homes for her, but most the people were gone—to the witch burning, I suppose.” Clark didn’t want to make that sound trivial, so he paused for a moment. “In the middle of his search, the stone called out to him, and he followed the signal to a convent by the riverside.”

“Where he found it in the rafters,” Lana said.

“Exactly—and the nuns found HIM there, too,” Clark said. “Well, at least in the cathedral, holding a sobbing baby in his arms, which didn’t sit too well with them. Kal had already found the stone before they entered, so he asked his first natural question—had a young woman with long dark hair been there earlier in the day.”

Lana put her hand over her mouth, knowing what was coming.

Clark felt the same sense of dread in telling her. “The nuns told him of a girl who came in running for her life from a mob of witch hunters,” he said. “Kal panicked, of course, saying that she was his wife—the mother of the girl he held in his arms. They felt horrible for the two of them, telling him that the mob was ferocious and blood thirsty—that Kal needed to go find her if he could—that they’d care for Marguerite. He gave Marg a kiss, saying, ‘Papa will be right back,’ then left the convent, his worst fear consuming him. By the time he learned from a villager where the mob had taken her, and reached the fields, his anger was every bit as hot the flames that took Isa’s life.”

He stopped, taking a breath that felt much heavier than any tractor. He knew there were happier things to reveal, but understood her need to know this part. “His sweetheart was gone, and all that was left was a cheering crowd—chanting that the witches were in hell where they belonged,” Clark said, swallowing down a knot of emotion—for he too had seen Isa’s remains along with Kal, and he could not help but imagine her as Lana.

It was hard for him to even explain what he saw, but he continued to try. “All this was done in super-speed mode—no one saw him, but what they witnessed would be talked about for generations. Kal scooped up the burning embers and propelled them into the crowd—they were all left with severe scars—giving them a grim reminder for the rest of their lives of the event they had been a part of. To protect herself, Gertrude started shooting spells in all directions, and Kal sensed her evil and knew right away that she had something to do with Isa’s death. Everyone witnessed Gertrude’s powers, and now knew who the true witch was. As they closed in on her, she sent people to their deaths, but not being able to see Kal as he moved so quickly around her, he picked up a blood-red cloak from the ground—holding it in his hand along with the stone of transference—then latched onto Gertrude’s arm, transferring all her power into the cloak—then casting it into the fire.”

“So she was completely powerless after that?” Lana asked. “What did the mob do?”

“Exactly what they did to other witches, they tied her to a fresh stake and charred the hell out of her,” he said, feeling the same amount of vengeance Kal felt that night. “But nothing could bring back Isa, so revenge could only be so sweet.”

Lana bit her lips, staying quiet for several moments and soaking it all in. “What happened when Kal returned to Marg?”

“He was of course distraught and lost, and the nuns did their best to comfort him,” Clark said. “He stayed at the convent, day after day, mourning the loss of Isa, and trying to give Marg the love of her mother—which he knew he could never do properly. The nuns stepped in as much as they could, caring for both of them. And then slowly, Kal started to feel the smallest light of hope as he took Marg out into the convent’s vast gardens to plant flowers, pick weeds, and play with snails. The nuns adored both of them, and more than appreciated having Kal around to do all the hard work. They offered them a permanent home, and Kal said they’d stay as long as they could. But because he worried about Krypton catching up to him, he asked if the nuns would care for Marg as their own if anything should happen.”

“How long did Kal stay there?” Lana asked, having known that her ancestor, Marguerite, was raised in a convent until she was well into her teen years.

“Fifteen years,” Clark said with a smile. “Marg was seventeen when they finally left.”

“No way!” Lana said, the light of the morning sun now peeking through the window curtains and illuminating her face. “What about his father, Zor-El—didn’t he have a fit!?”

“Of course he did,” Clark said. “But someone stepped in to defend him. Nim-El—who witnessed in Kal’s behalf, of how much he loved Marguerite, and what a good father he was to her. For the first time, Nim-El testified to the Kryptonian council of how unhappy he’d been since he came back to Krypton, and how unjust it was for him to have ever been taken away from his family on Earth. He also showed the council Kal-El’s memories of Isa, and they caved in—they allowed him to stay—under a few conditions.”

“What?” Lana asked anxiously.

“First—that he continue to keep the stones safe,” Clark said. “Second, that he return when Marg reached adulthood, and third . . . ” he paused, still trying to grasp the far-reaching concept of this “ . . . they gave Kal the charge to prepare the bloodline of the chosen one’s protector.”

“Marg?” Lana asked. “My role as your protector started with Marg?”

Clark nodded. “She was the only one who ever discovered Kal’s abilities,” he said. “But she and Kal started quite an interesting operation—they traveled the country, going on missions of mercy, they told the nuns, and healed hundreds of people with the stone—transferring his Kryptonian healing capabilities to them—learning that trick from Nim-El. The stone was always in Kal’s pocket, so no one knew where his power came from—and the two of them were always cloaked—disappearing at super-speed, of course—before anyone could even thank them. It’s possibly the reason why the plague decreased by a huge percentage in the early 1600’s.”

Kal always carried the guilt of not thinking to use the transference stone to heal Marguerite, but he hadn’t had the experience that Nim-El had with the healing properties of the stones—all three of them had healing powers he said—it was only a matter of knowing how to use them. Which again, Isobel later used, without her even knowing it. It still wasn’t the time to tell Lana that though.

“Umm, wow,” was all Lana could say. “Did Kal and Marg have anything to do with Isobel being buried as a martyr?”

“Oh yeah,” Clark answered. “The nuns heard all about Isa, and believed every word of her goodness as they remembered the frightened girl running through their cathedral—chased by an evil mob who was ‘punished by God’ that night with awful scars to mark their sins upon their skin.”

[itsallinthespelling]

great update aj. i absolutely loved it. definetely worth waiting up for. i'm gonna be miserable tomorrow, but that was soooo worth it. still, whats up with klax-ar or who ever. what did clark find out about him. also, will(or more likely when) clark and lana get married?? if so, will ya be able to match the proposal written by cardinal?? whats up with the kents? are they still up in the fortress?? how bout lex, is he still after them???

[NYC300Z]

2nd! Yay! Awesome update! That puts a bit of a better light on what happned to Isa! It's still sad, but at least we know what happened thankyou!

PPMS!!

[LanasLover16]

AMAZING!!!!!

[ajfinn]

Wow, itsallinthespelling, so many questions :lol: all that is coming of course :D Just taking a while to wind down this big monster I created.

And LanasLover16, I clarified the time that had passed just for you :D Thanks for bringing up the sleeping question. Lana went to sleep early, at 7 the night before, and she woke up at 5 AM, screaming. That's 10 hours. That makes for a pretty darn long dream - not minute for minute what Isa experienced, but flashes of the important parts. I didn't intend for those updates to be so long, but I had to get Kalabel over before moving on with the other big baddies - Klax-Ar and Lex.

[NYC300Z]

I have a question Aj how many days has it been since this fic started? 5 days 6 nights??

[Cardinal]

I'm glad to see that Kal was active in Gertrude's demise.

I love how what you've written about Kal/Isa fits in so well with what happened on the show. It explains pretty much everything.

Now if only our favorite condiment would deign to update, my day would be complete.

[ajfinn]

Originally posted by NYC300Z
I have a question Aj how many days has it been since this fic started? 5 days 6 nights??

Somewhere around there :D Not long, we've pretty much gone minute by minute :lol:

[SpeedyKate91]

that was an awsome update.
PPMS!!

[LanasLover16]

Originally posted by ajfinn

And LanasLover16, I clarified the time that had passed just for you :D Thanks for bringing up the sleeping question. Lana went to sleep early, at 7 the night before, and she woke up at 5 AM, screaming. That's 10 hours.

lol thank you very much for clearing that up for me! again, awesome update!!

[Superboy2]

I loved the update. PPMS!!!!

[MOOman0618]

That was a wonderful update. I am glad the Clark was able to tell Lana about Kal and Marg. I do love how you have so nicely pieced everything together. GREAT that Gertrude got her comeuppance!

[Clana-follower06]

Such a stupefying(funny word) and breath-taking update. I can't wait until you get the next one up.

[Cardinal]

Maybe I'll get a buffer post if I ask for it over here, since this thread has more traffic than Grand Central Station.

Please help the needy!

[kewl]

hey cardinal, buffering done! :D
AJ : awesome update!!! too bad kal was too late to save isa, but just on time to strip evil gertrude of her powers!!!!
PPMS!!!!

[linn]

wow!!!!!!!!!that was excellent!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[dreammaster]

another awesome chapter

[SunniLvsSV]

Awesome AJ! You rock my Smallville world! Happy Season 4 DVD release date everyone!!! I had to go to Walmart at 7am and make the stockers go to the back and get the DVD for me! :-) NO WAY was I leaving there without my DVD!

[ajfinn]

Originally posted by SunniLvsSV
Awesome AJ! You rock my Smallville world! Happy Season 4 DVD release date everyone!!! I had to go to Walmart at 7am and make the stockers go to the back and get the DVD for me! :-) NO WAY was I leaving there without my DVD!

HAPPY DVD DAY TO YOU TOO!! You're my kind of gal rushing off to the store like that! I'm going as soon as my kids get on the bus :D :D :D

And I'm going to watch all, umm, like 11 of episodes that I liked last season :lol:

Plus the deleted scenes that sound great! And then, I'll go watch every ep on seasons 1-3, because they were all good!

[MOOman0618]

Having no money really sucks when you want to buy things...Ahh the life of a college student. And saddly to say, even if I did have money...I would have to go buy seasons 1, 2 and 3 first!

[midnite_spark]

Happy Season 4 Release Day everyone!!

I got mine rite after my 8:40 aerobics class. Took the bus from campus back to my apartment...got into my car and drove to walmart. I couldn't find it at first and i was about to have a fit cuz i would then have to go to Best Buy. But luckily i had the common sense to ask the worker dude.

Now all my 4 DVD sets are sitting on the shelf together...all happy like their owner :D :p

but by buying this dvd u noe what it means rite? this just means i can eat for about 2 weeks lol...college....::sigh::

i'm kinda bummed that they don't have the bloober reel in this one tho but all the deleted scenes! and i really wanna watch the commentary for Spell with KK, AM, and ED that should b good! the girls of Smallville! woot woot!

Ok enough rambling bout the dvd set...back to praising AJ for the wonderfully written update ;) i'm glad Kal kicked some Gertrude's ass man! i still think that he should had sent her over the moon with an upper cut....that's just me tho....

Can't wait til the next update!!! :D

[SunniLvsSV]

Woohoo AJ! SV marathon! That's awesome! I started with the pilot in June and watched every episode in order through August. Since then I've been filling my need for Clana with your story. Now that we have the DVD, I can continue my marathon as well. (Don't worry..I still check for updates every single day!)

[LoisNClark]

Wow, aj, that was a fantastic chapter. The new information about what happened after Isobel's death made the situation better!!!!

PPMS!!!:D

[Lana_Lang #1]

Wow! This is 133 pages! I'm never gonna catch up! I started reading this story a few days ago and it's amazing!

Brillant! It's definitely Smallville episode worthy!

I'm on the edge on my seat with each cliffhanger!

But I'm only on page 50 or something give or take two so don't tell me what's happening, just keep up the excellent work!

[ajfinn]

Originally posted by Lana_Lang #1
Wow! This is 133 pages! I'm never gonna catch up! I started reading this story a few days ago and it's amazing!

Brillant! It's definitely Smallville episode worthy!

I'm on the edge on my seat with each cliffhanger!

But I'm only on page 50 or something give or take two so don't tell me what's happening, just keep up the excellent work!

Thanks!! Have fun sifting through the pages :) And thanks for reading!!

And for everyone else who may be expecting an UPDATE today, I already posted it -- last night :D

[itsallinthespelling]

oooh that is so evil, i saw update and bold and got all excited, followed by today and i was dancing. oh well, ppms. btw, i see we only 15 posts away from 2000, i wonders what we will do for this momentous achievement

[Lana_Lang #1]

I'm on page 120/Part 71 now! Wahoo! Go Jimmy and Mr. Olsen!

"If it stinks and it’s full of crap, it must be a Luthor!’”

I know this is waaay old but it made me burst out laughing! That's great!

[binkys711]

wow! aj! Ican't believe the way youve twitsed this topry and completley make sense of it! you must have done major digging! thanxz a lot for your true dedication! your story rules! this update was awesome and glad to see the clana back in action:D....PPMS!!!:D:D:D:D:D

[NYC300Z]

Yes fantastic job with making a true back story to Isabel!

PPMS!!:D:D:D

[Lana_Lang #1]

I've been addicted to Clana and fanfics for years, I just hadn't read this one yet, I was missing out big time!

I've become a fan of Cimmy (pronounced Kimmy) my name for Chloe and Jimmy!

I agree I love Kalabelle soooo much! Almost as much as Clana itself!

Okay! Part 66 is officially my favourite part, the thinking up a costume and a name thing! Hilarious!

One demand though: More Clark shirtlessness!

P.S: I'm coming to you LIVE from Canada!

P.P.S: As I'm reading I'm reading more and more, I keep editing the pages and part number at the top of my previous post so you can see my progress.

You're not going crazy the numbers are changing.

[LanasLover16]

I cannot wait too much longer aj! PPMS!!!

[midnite_spark]

i figured since my first post was in here...i should post in here for my 100th :D

and my post will consist of me....basically....begging for an update soon!!! :lol:

[SVsleuth]

Yay! I caught up at 1:30 a.m. - I should be sleeping. But this was SOOOOOOOOOgood, AJ. You are a genius! :)

[kewl]

i envy all u guys so much coz u get to grab Smallville DVD season 4 upon its release :( here in Thailand, i have no friggin' idea when it will be available......
AJ we need more updates so hope u post more soon! :D

[Lana_Lang #1]

I'm on page 120/Part 71 now! Yahoo! I'm almost caught up! And it only took me three days of between and after school reading to do it!

I'm a Superspeed Reader! Whoosh.....

I'm done!

[ajfinn]

Originally posted by Lana_Lang #1
I'm done!

Yeah!!!! I just tried to PM you, but your box is filled -- clean it out, woman :D Please, I mean :)

I'll be updating again today, everyone :D

[itsallinthespelling]

wahoo today. will it be another late nighter for us or will it come sooner?? oh who cares, its coming today!!!!!!!

[kewl]

guess i'll have to read ur update tomorrow AJ... it's already 12:30AM, sept 15 here in bangkok and i'm just too sleepy~~~~~ good nyt everyone!!! zzzzz....ngork..... :D

[NYC300Z]

Originally posted by ajfinn
I'll be updating again today, everyone :D

Yay! Can't wait!

oh and good night Kewl!:lol:

[Lana_Lang #1]

ajfinn

I have officially cleaned out my mailbox! PM me whenever you like!

[Cardinal]

2,000! :D

Yahoo for me!!!

Congrats to aj for making it to 2,000 freaking posts on her story thread!