Yesterday's Tomorrow (Part 25/25)

[hoperoy]

Title: Yesterday's Tomorrow
Author: hoperoy
Fandom: Smallville
Pairing: Clark/Lex, Clark/other
Rating: NC-17
Length: 3,970
Spoilers: Vessel
Warnings: Violence, non-con, character death
Disclaimer: I can only wish that they were mine. Sadly, that is not the case.
Notes: Part 25/25
Summary: Sometimes the best men don't always win, and even heroes fail. AU

Comments

[cinderella81]

Wow ...

I think that's all my brain can think right now ...

That was completely amazing ... bittersweet, but oh so good.

[hoperoy]

Thanks for staying with me through the whole thing! I'm really glad that you liked it.

[danceswithgary]

Lois, too, was beautiful, even with a disgusted and rebellious look on her face. Of the three, she was the likeliest to be killed, because she would never accept what was happening. Clark knew that because they were more alike than he'd ever wanted to admit.

Headstrong to a fault, they both thought in their own way. Their major difference was that Clark had learned to adapt, and while he'd had to lose a little of himself to do that, he was fairly certain he'd be able to keep more in the long run. He would never be exactly what Lex wanted, and he knew that, but neither would he be able to completely resist his influence. Lois, trying to hold on to everything, would lose it all.

I like this point, to me this is what makes what is happening to him believable - in effect he's done that all his life - adapted as needed - so it wasn't such a leap after all.

This has been a great story, exploring a dark what-if, without total destruction. Wonderful!

[dm_wyatt]

Ooh, I like the points you make...

Poor Clark will survive even though he won't be completely happy.

Isn't there some proverb about flexible grass bending in the wind and the brittle trees breaking? The tree seems to be stronger, but it is less resistant to change.

Clark's the grass and Lois is the tree: solid and unmoving so she will break before Clark does.

[hoperoy]

Exactly. Clark has learned how to blend in and adapt all of his life, and now, while the circumstances might be different, he's just doing it again.

Thanks for all your help.

[clarkoholic]

This is a refreshing ending because it's not a typical "happy ending" with everyone happy and the world right. I like that you did something different and, of course, you're writing is wonderful and insightful. I really enjoyed reading this entire thing.

That being said, I'm really not sure how I feel about Clark at the end. I loved him in the beginning and most of the way through because he was the Clark we know. He stood up and fought for what he knew to be right. He never gave up. I understand that he's lost everything and everyone, thus making it easier for Lex to manipulate him, but it still bothers me that he's come to accept what has happened so quickly. I know that a lot of Lex fans want Clark to take the blame for Lex turning evil and dark but as a Clark fan to the core, this bothers me. I suppose we stand by our guys no matter what, even in fiction.

No matter how I feel about the Clark and Lex dynamic, this was still a wonderful story. And you are a wonderful writer. Great great work!!!

[hoperoy]

That being said, I'm really not sure how I feel about Clark at the end. I loved him in the beginning and most of the way through because he was the Clark we know.

Emm, that was one of my main worries. I was thought that maybe I was being a little too harsh on Clark there at the end, because really it's ultimately Lex's fault--he was the one who made the decisions that condemned the world.

I know that a lot of Lex fans want Clark to take the blame for Lex turning evil and dark but as a Clark fan to the core, this bothers me.

I've never agreed with that argument. Lex is in charge of his own decisions, and while people like Clark may influence him, it's still Lex's decision to do the things he does. That wasn't the point I was trying to convey, though I may not have been as clear as I'd have liked. What I wanted to get across was that Clark's behavior might have been one of the factors in Lex's decisions--not the only one.

No matter how I feel about the Clark and Lex dynamic, this was still a wonderful story. And you are a wonderful

[supercellchaser]

Wow. That was great. Such a sad ending but such an appropriate one.

I felt kinda sad about Chloe and Lois loosing faith in Clark(I don't care what Lana thinks. Lmao) but it had to go that way.
I didn't really expect Lex to kill Zod but oh he soooo deserved it for what he did to Clark!

I absolutely loved this and the ending was perfect.

I hope to see more from you soon!

[hoperoy]

Yeah, I felt bad about writing Chloe and Lois like that, but with the information that they had, it would look to them as though Clark had abandoned them.

[morganichele]

That was really beautifully done. This whole story was so emotional and so wonderful. I'm sad to see it end. Thank you very much for sharing this. It was an honor to read it.

[hoperoy]

Thank you! I hope to see more stuff from you soon.