Sorry for the delay, I finalyl got to the new stuff but had some editting I'd forgotten to do. SO I went to edit, but I got sidetracked and well, I just did it now. So here it is, hope you enjoy the new material.
from part 3
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Upon his return, Clark noticed a figure in his garden. Anger welled up in Clark at the thought of yet another thief stealing from his castle. Quickly, he swept the castle but nothing seemed to be missing. Relieved, Clark was about to let it pass when the man reached out toward one of his flower bushes. His anger returned full force as he watched. Those roses had been a gift from Star, who had told him about the curse. When he had finally tracked her down, after their initial encounter, she had given him this strange rose and told him it would lead to his freedom from Tempus' evil. Clark hadn't really believed her, but when he got home he had planted a cutting anyway. It had become his symbol of hope that someday he would be human again, or as close to human as he was before.
Now someone was messing with the rose bush. Clark couldn't take it. He swooped down, positioning himself behind the man so that the sun was behind him and would blot out his features, unwilling to let anyone see him in this form. His animal nature taking control, Clark growled a warning. As the man explained himself, Clark's reason reasserted itself. Ashamed of his outburst, Clark told the man to go and returned to the solitude of his castle. His loss of control was just a reminder of what he feared most, losing himself completely.
and now part 4
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Lois waited impatiently for her father's return. She worried about him whenever he went away, who knew what trouble he might run into on the road, especially late at night. Normally she'd tend to her roses and try to take her mind off of it, but they were beyond care now. And thinking about it just upset her all over again. She couldn't concentrate on anything, not even her writing, and spent the time watching for her father's return.
By the time the sun began to set, Lois was climbing walls. Her father should have been home hours ago. She was just about to give up waiting when he finally arrived home. "Daddy!" Lois exclaimed throwing her arms around him. "Welcome home. I was worried about you."
"Hi Princess," Sam replied, returning the hug. "Sorry I'm late, I got a little lost..." Trailing off, Sam produced the odd flower he had found to distract Lois from questioning him about getting lost. "I saw this and thought you might like it."
"Oh, it's lovely," Lois exclaimed, taking the flower, totally distracted by it. "Where did you find a rose like this?"
Sam panicked for a second, not wanting to tell her about the castle, or the hideous beast he encountered there. Unable to come up with anything, he fumbled, "Uh, just happened to see it in a clearing in the woods over there," gesturing in the general direction and praying she'd drop the subject.
Lois could tell he was avoiding the subject, but rather than pressing it and make him suspicious, she decided to investigate later on her own. To allay her father's fears though, she replied, "Oh, it doesn’t really matter. It's so beautiful, thank you. I've never seen a rose like it."
Sam was so relieved that she hadn't pressed the point, he decided not to press his luck. "Well it's late Princess," he said. "I think I should turn in. I'm tired from my journey. I'll see you in the morning."
Lois watched her father go to bed, already planning to search for this mysterious clearing tomorrow. She might not have much to go on, but she was determined to make a good try of it. Satisfied, she headed for bed, intending to get an early start in the morning.
******
The next morning, Lois sneaked out as soon as she could without arousing suspicion. Her determination to discover where the unique flower had come from had not wavered all night, and she was barely able to contain her curiosity long enough to wait. She wasn't sure where to start, but she had an idea.
First, since she had never seen it before it couldn't be very close to the village. On the other hand, it couldn't be more than half a day or so's ride, because her father hadn't been gone more than a day. Determined not to let lack of information stop her, she set off in the direction her father vaguely gestured.
After several hours of walking, Lois was getting tired. She wasn’t used to going so far, normally she just stayed in the village. It had seemed so much easier back home when she had just been thinking about it. Not that she’d let a little discomfort stop her, but she needed a rest. Only when she found a stump to sit on, did it occur to Lois she hadn’t brought any food to eat. Well, she could live without food for one day. Might even do her some good.
Hungry, but unwilling to give in, Lois continued her search. As noon came and went, Lois began to wonder if her search would prove futile, as so far not a hint of her father’s trail, nor the wonderful rose had been found. Still, Lois pressed on, ready to admit defeat.
Soon after, Lois realized she’d have to turn back if she didn’t want to be caught out after dark. Even now, she wasn’t sure if she could make it home before nightfall. But she knew that if she returned, her father would do everything he could to prevent her from leaving again. Pushing her luck, she decided to press on a bit further before heading back.
Lois pressed her luck way too far, and began to notice the shadows creeping, telling her sunset was not far off. She cursed herself for being so stubborn, and began to look around the woods a tad fearfully, wondering what creatures night might bring. Lois decided it was time to turn back, and hoped she wouldn’t get lost or worse in the dark.
When she started home, Lois thought she saw something out of place to her right. Heading to where she could see past the trees easier, she could see a tower of some sort in the distance. Thinking perhaps salvation was at hand, from the encroaching darkness, she headed towards it. As she approached, she saw the tower was part of a large castle, surrounded by a high wall. Hoping whoever inhabited the castle was friendly, or at least non hostile, she picked up the pace.
It was nearly dark by the time she reached the castle. Lois feared she might be stuck outside, but she noticed the gate was open. Hoping that it was a sign of friendliness, Lois entered the castle grounds. Upon entering, she gasped at the lovely garden she found herself in. Roses of every type, including several she had never seen before, bloomed everywhere she looked, including the one her father had brought.
She had found the source of the mysterious rose. Suddenly, she remembered her father’s fright and wondered what had been so terrifying. Briefly she considered fleeing, but when she looked back at the forbidding forest, decided she’d rather confront the imagined horrors here than what she was certain would be out there.
Putting on a bold face, in spite of the fear she felt, Lois strode toward the castle. Upon reaching the entrance, she cautiously opened the door. Peering inside, she asked "Hello? Is anybody home?"
Her voice echoed loudly in the silence and Lois cringed. After a few moments without a reply, she let herself in. Slowly, she looked around. Suddenly, Lois yawned and she realized just how tired she really was from walking around all day. Searching around quickly, Lois found a soft couch to lie on, and promptly decided to use it for her bed. She was out mere seconds after lying down.
******
Clark spent a long time brooding and berating himself for almost losing control after the man fled. Eventually, he couldn’t take being in the castle anymore and took off, flying aimlessly. If he had hoped to escape his thoughts though, it wasn’t working. Thankfully, it wasn’t too long before he heard a call for help. Donning his disguise, he raced to the rescue.
Afterwards, Clark was starting to feel a bit better. Helping others normally made him feel good about himself, as if he had a purpose for existing, even if he was a monster. He spent the rest of the day flying around and helping others in trouble.
When night approached he decided to stay out rather than going back home and possibly bringing back memories of what had transpired. He didn’t really need that much sleep anyway. He spent the night flying the countryside.
As the sun began to rise, he went to the top of a nearby mountain. He loved watching the sunrise, it was always so beautiful and invigorating. He always felt better when the first rays of the sun hit him, stronger somehow. The world was so beautiful from here, he felt so peaceful. He could almost forget the monster he was, gazing down like this.
Clark was drawn out of his reflections by a scream. 'No rest for the weary,' he thought as he raced off to the rescue. He spent the rest of the day flying around helping out as he could. This time, when dusk approached, Clark was beginning to feel tired so he decided it was time he headed home and got some sleep. Hopefully all the good he'd done would help him forget about the earlier incident. More tired then he realized, he barely made it to his bed before collapsing into a deep sleep.
He woke early the next morning and immediately realized something was out of place with his castle. At first he couldn't place the feeling, but then he realized he was hearing a soft, steady thumping noise. After a few moments, it dawned on Clark that it was a heart beat. Quickly scanning the castle, he saw a form lying asleep on a couch in his castle.
Despite his promises to himself, and his best attempts not to, the anger rose in him like a beast of its own. Storming through the castle, he approached the sleeping figure. As he neared the figure stirred.
"How dare you invade my castle?" Clark growled loudly. "What gives you the right to...?" He trailed off as the woman turned on him quickly, startled. She started backing away and tripped back onto the couch. As he looked into her terrified doe eyes, sudden recognition flooded him. It was the woman he had rescued the other day.
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