Chapter 1

**Italics means they're speaking in Kryptonian!!!

Kara is forced out of the familiar darkness of sleep when the pod she's in jolts violently. Her eyes fly open and she grips the seat beneath her tightly at the sight before her. She's made it to Earth, and it's beautiful in a different way than Krypton is... was. She tries not to think about her dead planet and her parents as the pod accelerates toward the ground.

Kara doesn't dare to take her eyes off of the planet in front of her. It's a mixture of blues and greens-well at least from she can see through the fire licking at the window. She's going too fast towards the ground. The pit in her stomach grows as she realizes she's going to crash. Kara's about to accept it, accept that her death is inevitable, just like her planet's, just like her people's when she remembers Kal-El. He's the whole reason she was sent here. She can't leave him alone on a strange planet.

"." She says desperately as she watches the ground come closer and closer.

"." The mainframe says in a monotone voice. "."

Kara breathes a sigh of relief as their descent visibly slows, but even with the Kryptonian technology, the mainframe can't slow them down enough for a smooth landing.

The pod smashes into the ground hard enough for her to nearly smack her head on the control panel. Kara stays in the pod for a moment, taking everything in. She made it to Earth. She survived.

The pod doesn't let her dwell on everything which Kara is thankful for since she doesn't want her first moments on Earth to consist of her crying over what she's lost. The glass part lifts with a hiss and she hesitantly stands. The white smoke billowing around the pod makes it difficult to see anything of this new planet.

Kara steps out of the pod onto the ground, still warm from the pod's impact. She studies her pod for a moment with a frown, knowing it will take some repairs in order for it to be able to fly again. Kara hears movement and looks up, squinting against the smoke. Her vision sharpens and she can make out a figure coming closer, walking slowly like they're cautious about approaching her.

They come close enough for her to see them and she steps back with a gasp. He was wearing the symbol of the House of El on his chest. Had another survived? She had never seen this man before.

"" Kara demands, not letting her voice waver with fear or hope.

"" The man says with a friendly smile.

"" She breathes, studying him once more. ""

" ," the mainframe interrupts, making Kara flinch at the unexpected sound. "" Kara slumps against the side of the pod, staring blankly at the green ground beneath her feet. She had lost twenty four years? She failed her family, failed to take care of Kal-El like she had promised..."

"."

A green light emits from the control panel and quickly scans the man. The mainframe speaks moments after the scan is completed. ""

The sound of the mainframe powering down snaps Kara out of her daze. She looks up at Kal-El in disbelief, unable to think of anything to say to him.

He gives her a soft smile and places a comforting hand on her shoulder. "Kal-El clenches his jaw and looks away. "

" Kara asks.

"

Kara nods, remembering how her mother warned her of that.

Kara takes a deep breath and nods to him.

Kal-El gently picks her up and holds her against his chest. With his other hand, he easily picks up the pod and Kara's eyes widen. Her mother had been right when she said they would be stronger and have extraordinary powers on Earth.

Kara yelps in surprise when she sees his feet leave the ground. She looks up at Kal-El as they slowly float up higher. "

" he confirms with a quiet chuckle. She clings to him as he starts flying faster towards wherever they're going. ""

Kara nods, not taking her eyes off of the ground flying past them. She takes in her new home with awe, seeing plants she had never heard of and animals she had never dreamed could exist. She nearly shrieks in shock when she sees a flying, winged beast flying lazy towards them. Kal-El dodges it easily and the creature seemed wholly uncaring that they were hurtling towards it.

" ?" Kara asks.

" bird

Kara breathes. "

She can feel Kal-El's laughter as his chest moves with the sound. "

" Kara protests.

"She can hear the teasing in his voice and huffs at him.

Kal-El lands near a small cave, a hole that is the perfect size to hold her pod in the side of a steep hill. He sets her down on a nearby cliff to properly hide the pod. Kara watches as he quickly hides the entrance and covers the pod itself with a thin coat of dirt and rocks to disguise it. Kara picks at the green strands sprouting from the ground, studying them intently as she waits for him to finish.

He picks her up again and flies them even faster than before. When he slows down, Kara can focus her eyesight enough to see what they're headed towards. It's an oddly shaped building on the top of a hill made almost entirely of large stones.

"

Kara nods, wondering who in there they are going to be meeting with.

He lands in front of a large wall that goes around the castle like a stone barrier. He sets her down and she walks with him on a stone path towards a break in the wall. There are two people in some sort of metal armor and sticks with points in their hands. One turns towards them as they get closer and she flinches, moving closer to Kal.