//------------------------------// // Back on the farm // Story: It's a bird...It's a plane...It's Celestia! // by Cookie_Girl //------------------------------// Celestia had spent a few weeks helping Superman out with the more basic street crime, robberies and assaults mostly, and honing her skills. Her new Kryptonian DNA had not simply been added to her previously existing genes though, and this caused a few surprises. Where her father could levitate at will, Celestia could not, she instead got an increase in the strength of her magical telekinesis, allowing her to use it for lifting and throwing extremely large or heavy objects as easily as he did with his muscles. Her body had been strengthened as well, but that strength too seemed to be magical in origin and somewhat circumstantial. She could move and break any earthen material, from the hardest stone to the most resilient wood, but less natural things like steel and especially titanium were more difficult; it was almost as if the natural elements were bending to her will. Her physical speed and durability were almost a match for Superman himself, and he was positive that when fully grown, she surpass him. Unlike him, she had not developed the same extra powers, such as heat vision or X-Ray vision. Instead she had spontaneously learned how to project pure sunlight from her horn as an lazer beam; it usually takes a moment to charge before firing, but it was more versatile. And in place of telescopic, microscopic, and X-Ray vision, she had developed a more universal way a scanning her surroundings and other people with her magic; this way she could still ‘see' far away places, just without having to actually see them. And while she could use super breath, it was not as strong as his. Her wings, however, could manipulate the air as easily as a hand could a pencil. By flapping her wings at super high speeds, she could start a massive tornado or, with a bit of magical help, cool the air enough to make a blizzard. She could also shape and control the weather like an artist with a brush. Currently she was using all of these abilities to keep up with Superman while he battled several large robots...so that she could beg him to let her go see an R-rated movie. “No.” he told her as a robot's piledriver arm punched him into a building's wall. “I'll go to bed early.” Celestia promised, and dodged an energy blast. She turned on the robot that had fired at her and waved her wings to pull a powerful gust of wind from behind it, and the pushed up with her wings to make the wind flip the robot upside down. Superman grabbed the robot's arm and judo flipped it into another robot. “Before or after you stop being scared?” “It's a comedy.” she explained as she melted the armor of those two robots and welded them to each other. “Well now you are definitely not watching it.” Superman told her and put his foot down onto a robot's head causing it to crumple like a soda can. “But Jimmy is going to go see it.” she countered his argument while telekinetically used one robot as a weapon to hit another. “Jimmy Olsen is an adult. He can go see as many R-rated movies as he wants.” Superman used his cold breath to stop the last robot in its tracks and turn its body brittle. Celestia flew over and lightly kicked the frozen robot with one hoof, and the whole thing cracked apart but stayed still long enough for her to get away from it before falling. “But why can't I go see it? It's a superhero movie.” she pouted at him with big adorable eyes. “Please.” If this had still been that first week before he had come to accept her truly as his daughter, Superman would have given in to the display of cute. However, he now had a responsibility, backed up by his newfound protectiveness of her, to keep her safe, and to preserve her innocence. So he steeled himself and again denied her. “Any comedy film that gets an R rating is most likely full of vulgar humor, bad language, and references to things that you are much too young to know about.” he crossed his arms and gave her his best ‘end of discussion’ look. “You can't go see it.” Celestia hung her head and sighed. “Fine.” “Good. Now come on, we're going to be late for that charity auction that Lex Luthor is hosting.” Celestia just sighed again. “I'll bet there's cake.” Celestia reared up on her hind legs and kicked her front hooves in excitement. “What are we waiting for?” Celestia, or Tia, as that had become her secret identity, looked disappointedly down at the small piece of cake before her. She could eat it in two bites. It didn't even have frosting! “Not what you were expecting?” someone asked her. “How can they call this cake?” She glared at the lie that was not cake. “It's a high class event.” the person explained. “High class people have different ideas about food. ...Not saying I share those ideas, but I'm used to it.” “I feel sorry for you if you have stuff like this on a regular basis.” The man laughed. “To tell the truth, I'd rather have chocolate ice cream with vanilla wafers and chopped strawberries. All these stiffs care about is public image. I can't stand any of these people.” “Then why come to Lex Luthor’s auction?” she had not looked up from her uneaten strawberry flavored slice of bread. “It was my obligation as tonight's host.” Celestia looked up at the man. “Lex Luthor,” he introduced himself. “Pleased to meet you, Celestia.” “Uh...I'm not Celestia. That's Superman’s daughter. I'm Tia, Clark Kent's daughter.” she said rather quickly. “Completely different, and I'm completely normal.” Lex Luthor smirked as he looked down on the little winged unicorn standing on a chair so she could reach the food on the table. “I don't know how you have convinced all of Metropolis that there are two completely different creatures like you, of the exact same size, with the only difference being a hairstyle and a pink dress, but I'm the smartest man on Earth. I'm not fooled.” He idly ran a hand along her wing, apparently studying its anatomy. “The only thing I can't figure out,” he pulled a feather, making her yelp. “is why Superman leaves you in the care of that pathetic farmboy Kent.” “I see you've met Mr Luthor.” Lois Lane approached with an unpleasant expression. “Come on kid, you shouldn't hang around bad influences. Let's go before you get slime on your coat.” “Miss Lane, no need for that is there?” “Bite me, Lex.” He watched them go, and flashed a smile at Clark Kent before they left. He scowled. “Another alien. This one able to actually control the minds of those around her on some small scale.” He put the feather he had taken from her in his pocket. Superman and Celestia flew down to front porch of the farm house. She had squeed several times already as they saw various farm animals, baby chickens included. He opened the door and… A white furry projectile shot out off the house and tackled Celestia to ground. “Ah! Help!” She scrambled to get the best off of her, and to make it stop slobbering on her face. “Been a while since you had someone to play with, huh, Krypto?” Superman grinned and scratched the dog between the ears. “He'll be a big puppy till the day he dies.” an older woman said as she came to greet them. “Ma.” Superman hugged her. “I should visit more.” “Yes, you should. Especially now that I'm a grandmother!” she looked at Celestia who had finally gotten the dog off of her. “I had to find out from the news.” “I am not amused.” Celestia deadpanned, with dog drool on her face. Superman rubbed his neck as his mother stared him down into feeling guilty. “I had to make sure she could control herself and her abilities.” “Kept you from picking up a phone did she?” Ma Kent asked with a raised eyebrow. “Uhh...Can you keep her tonight?” “Of course I can.” “Hey! I don't need a babysitter.” Celestia stomped a hoof. “Homemade from scratch chocolate chip cookies.” Ma Kent said very simply. Celestia blinked. Than she started to prod Superman’s knee with her horn to get him moving. “Go on. Shoo.” “Thanks, Ma. I've got to do some entertainment research with Lois so the paper will have a review ready.” he gave Celestia a quick hug before flying away. “Wait a minute…” Celestia blinked. “No fair! He's going to see that movie that he wouldn't let me see!” “Yes he is.” Ma Kent confirmed. “He's going to go see a movie with Lois.” “Oh... Ok then.” Celestia was about to ask about the cookies when Krypto licked her face again. “Gross!” “Long range scan confirms that the new Kryptonian life sign detected several weeks ago was not a fluke.” a computerized monotone voice stated without emotion. The son of Jor-El seems to have found a way to rebuild his race, slowly but surely, and on a world with a yellow sun.” The thing knew no emotions, not even anger or fear, but it knew survival. And it knew that as long as even one Kryptonian lived, it's directive was in jeopardy. ”My plans must be changed. This primitive planet, Earth, may not have much knowledge to offer, but it must be taken now, before the new Kryptonian becomes too powerful.