Chapter 18: A Crossroads in the Corn
The next morning at the Kent farm dawned cool and clear. The Earth's sun, so different from the artificial sun in his garden, cast an honest, golden light over the endless cornfields.
Urahara Kisuke sat alone on the front porch, in an old wooden rocking chair that squeaked softly with every rock. He had refused tea, to Martha's surprise, and instead held a steaming mug of coffee. The taste was bitter, earthy, and wonderfully simple. It was, he decided, an excellent drink for this world.
He watched Jonathan Kent in the distance, already working, fixing a fence with practiced efficiency. He saw Martha come out to the porch to hang laundry. The normality of it all was, for him, the most fascinating anomaly he had encountered in this universe.
'Fascinating,' he thought, taking a sip of coffee. 'A whole planet of stories, gods walking among men, magic rewriting reality... and this, the story of kindness and hard work, is the one that gave birth to its greatest hero. What a delicious irony. What an unexpected plot twist.'
The sound of the screen door closing snapped him out of his contemplation. Kara stepped out onto the porch. She wasn't wearing her suit, but civilian clothes Martha had lent her: worn jeans and a flannel shirt. Her blonde hair was pulled back in a messy ponytail. She looked... like a farm girl. And for the first time since he had known her, she looked completely at peace.
She leaned against the railing beside him, looking out at the same field as him. They stood in silence for a long while, simply sharing the calm of the morning.
"I'm staying," she said finally, her voice soft but firm. It wasn't a question, it was a statement.
Urahara stopped rocking. He looked at her profile, the determination in her jaw. He wasn't surprised. He had seen it coming from the moment they stepped onto the farm.
"Ah," he said simply, returning his gaze to the horizon. "Here? On the farm? I must admit, rural life, while charming, seems a bit... slow for your temperament."
Kara let out a giggle, a genuine, relaxed sound. "No, dummy. Not on the farm. On Earth. With my family. With... my life."
She turned to look at him, her blue eyes serious. "I've been running since Krypton. And then... I've been investigating with you, hiding in your shop. But this," she gestured to the vast landscape, "this is... this is my home. I knew it last night, talking to Clark. I need... to be part of it again. On my own."
Urahara nodded slowly, processing the implications. 'And so, the protagonist returns to her main stage,' he thought. 'The learning adventure has ended. The next act of her own story begins.'
"So..." he said aloud, a mischievous smile playing on his lips as he took another sip of coffee. "Is this a resignation? What a shame. And here I was about to give you a raise. Jupiter candies are expensive this year."
Kara smiled at him, relieved by his lack of anger. "Something like that. It's not that I don't want to... learn from you, Kisuke. It's that... this is my place. My story is here."
"An excellent decision, Kara-san," he said sincerely. "Every protagonist needs to reconnect with their origin story every now and then. It is essential for character development."
The relief on Kara's face was palpable. Urahara's acceptance, his lack of judgment, freed her from a tension she didn't know she held. But her relief was replaced almost immediately by a new worry.
"So..." she said, her voice now a bit more hesitant, afraid of the answer. "What will you do? Will you leave? Will you go back to... wherever you live?"
There was an underlying fear in her question. The fear that, by choosing her own story, she was closing the door on his, losing the only mentor and friend who truly understood both halves of her life.
Urahara let out a chuckle, an amused sound that seemed to surprise her. He set the empty coffee mug on the porch railing.
"Leave?" he repeated, as if the idea were the most absurd thing he had ever heard. "Oh, no, no. I couldn't dream of it. Kara-san, I have just discovered the most fascinating library in this galactic sector. And you expect me to leave now? It would be like abandoning a mystery novel just when the killer is revealed. Inconceivable!"
Kara blinked, confused. "What do you mean? Earth?"
"Of course, Earth!" he exclaimed with genuine enthusiasm he rarely showed. "This place is absolute narrative chaos. It's wonderful! You have gods walking among men, magic clashing with science, heroes inspiring and villains philosophizing. And at the center of it all, a family of farmers raising the most powerful being in the universe with kindness and apple pie. It's the best story I've read in centuries! No, I'm not leaving. In fact, I think I'll stay a while too."
The happiness that flooded Kara was as bright as a solar flare. "Really! But... what about your shop?"
"Ah, the shop," he said, and a sly smile drew across his face. "That is where you have been mistaken. My shop is not a 'place'. It is an 'idea'. And its front door can be anywhere. I have decided to establish my main 'place of business' in a discreet location. A small alley in Kyoto, Japan. It is quiet, the aesthetic fits, and my... other clients will appreciate the discretion."
Kara's face shadowed a little. "Oh. So... if I want to see you, I'll have to fly to Japan?"
"Certainly not," he said, amused. He reached into the sleeve of his haori and pulled out a small object. It was an omamori, a Japanese good luck charm, made of bright blue silk and tied with an intricate white knot. He held it out to her.
"What is this?" she asked, taking it. It was warm to the touch.
"A key," he replied. "A conceptual key, if you prefer. A standing invitation. Take it to your apartment, to your most private room. Hang this on the inside of a closet door, a pantry, it doesn't matter which. From the moment you do so, that door... will no longer be just yours. It will also be one of mine."
He looked at her, his usual mischievous look replaced by a moment of rare sincerity. "Your story is here now, Kara-san. Go live it. Become the protagonist you are destined to be. But know that the library is always open. For tea, for training, to complain about your boy scout cousin, or simply to escape a boring day."
Kara closed her hand around the small charm, feeling not just the silk, but the weight of what he was giving her. It wasn't a goodbye. It was something better. It was a choice.
"Thanks, Kisuke," she whispered, her voice thick with an emotion she didn't know how to express.
"Think nothing of it," he said, returning to his usual smile. "Now, if you don't mind, I believe Mrs. Kent promised to save a piece of that apple pie for the road. And it would be very rude to leave without it."
The rest of the morning passed with domestic calm. Urahara kept his word and delightfully accepted a generous slice of apple pie "for the road," which Martha Kent wrapped carefully. Jonathan exchanged a few final words with him about weather patterns, and Lois, with a frustrated but amused look, made him promise an interview "with the recorder on" next time.
Finally, they all met in the front yard, under the wide blue Kansas sky. The time for farewells had come.
Clark, in his civilian clothes, approached Kisuke. "Thanks for looking after Kara," he said, his voice low and sincere. "It means a lot to us that she's safe."
"She looks after herself quite well, Kent-san," Urahara replied with a kind smile. "I am simply the lucky reading partner."
Kara, now holding the blue charm tightly in her hand, turned to her mentor. The emotion of the farewell was strange; it wasn't sad, it wasn't an end, but the beginning of something new.
"Well," she said, trying to sound casual. "I guess this is my stop."
"So it seems," he said, adjusting his hat. "It has been a fascinating study trip, Kara-san. Thank you for the invitation. Your family's hospitality is... a statistical anomaly of the best kind."
He gave her a playful nudge. "Don't get rusty. And don't forget your footwork."
"Ha, ha," she replied, rolling her eyes, but with a smile she couldn't hide. "See you soon, Kisuke."
"Whenever you wish, Kara-san," he said softly, only for her. "The shop is always open."
And then, the separation occurred, a moment that perfectly defined their two worlds.
Kara looked at her family, gave them one last radiant smile, and without further preamble, rose into the air. With the grace of a rocket and the power of a star, she ascended vertically, a blue and red blur drawing a trail in the sky, heading toward Metropolis. Toward her life.
The Kents watched her departure with pride. Then, they turned to the last visitor.
Urahara Kisuke gave everyone a final, flawless bow. "Thanks for dinner," he said.
And where Kara had split the sky, he simply tore the air. With a fluid gesture of his hand, he opened a portal beside him. It wasn't a violent Garganta, but a clean cut in reality showing a simple stone alley in Kyoto, bathed in morning sunlight.
He took a step toward the opening, paused, and looked over his shoulder. "Oh, and Kent-san," he told Jonathan. "About that pest problem... try planting marigolds between your rows of corn. Trust me."
With a final wink, he crossed the threshold. The portal closed behind him with the soft sound of a sliding shoji door, leaving only the smell of hay and the gentle Kansas wind, as if the two-millennia-old being had never been there.
On the porch, Lois turned to Clark. "Okay. Officially, that is the weirdest and most fascinating man I have ever met."
Clark, watching the sky where his cousin had disappeared, nodded slowly. "Yeah. But... I think Kara is in good hands."
- - - - - - - - -
Hello, how's it going?
It's been a while, huh?
I just wanted to let you know that this novel isn't dropped.
I've just been a bit busy with this fanfic, others, and my job.
I've stockpiled some chapters for when I don't have time to write, so you'll be set for at least a few weeks.
I plan to publish from Monday to Friday; weekends off.
I'll also upload some chapters on Patreon if you'd like to support me and read advanced chapters.
Thanks for reading.
Mike.
Patreon/iLikeeMikee