The Sparrow sings
John prowled around the sides of the room. He was going to win this fight, even if was going to take him all night. His eyes betrayed true feelings of resentment and something much darker.
Ronan watched John circling the room as he mirrored his opponents moves. He had a slightly smug smile on his face, and absentmindedly twirled the Bantos rod in his left hand, but the other was still, poised for action. He suddenly launched himself at John, and saw the familiar surprise registered in the man's face.
John leapt aside just in time, otherwise he would have been hit on the head. And don't think he didn't know where the other rod was going to hit. That's the main reason he jumped away. Head bumps he could deal with, but he might want to have children still one day!
Ronan twisted in mid-air and whacked John on the back and the stomach at the same time. Would John never learn? He went down like a ninepin, and lay on his side, in a little ball on the floor. "You," he gasped hoarsely, "you…couldn't give…me a…chance, could ya?"
Ronan leant his hand to John, who took it and hauled himself up with a mighty groan. "In a real battle…" he began, but John interrupted him. "Yeah, yeah. I know," he imitated Ronan's usual sentence "In a real battle there are no second chances. But this isn't a real battle. Couldn't you just…" he trailed off.
Ronan raised his eyebrows. "Couldn't I just what?"
John looked him in the eye. "Not hit me so damn hard?" he said grumpily.
Ronan gave a sideways smile. "Yeah."
"Will you?"
There was a long pause. "No," decided Ronan, darkly.
John made a face, and thrust his rods at Ronan's chest. "I'm going to find Teyla," he told him.
Ronan walked to the side of the room, and chucked a towel at John. "Why?" he said, placing the rods inside his gym bag.
John turned from the door. "So she can tell me how to kick your ass!" he retorted.
Teyla sat in the mess hall, warming her hands on a mug of coffee. John dropped into the seat opposite her. "Hi," he said cheerfully.
Teyla glanced up at his face. Her eyes widened as she caught sight of a bruise of his check. "What happened?" she asked him.
John stared at her blankly, until she reached over a pointed at the small bruise. "Oh!" he dropped his voice. "I've been sparring with Ronan."
Teyla nodded. "Oh, I see."
"Hey, you should see the other guy!" he lied proudly.
Teyla looked at him for a few seconds. "I did," she informed him.
John gave her a puzzled look. "How?"
Teyla smiled him, and waved to someone over his shoulder. He turned, and saw Ronan lounging in a doorway. He smiled smugly at John, who jerked his head in response.
Teyla smiled at John. He smiled reluctantly smiled back, tapping on the table with his fingertips.
"Is there something you wanted?" Teyla prompted him.
John lifted his head. "No, not really," he sighed.
Teyla nodded and got up. "We should be getting ready for our next mission."
John frowned in confusion. "Mission..."
"Our scheduled visit to M29-007," she explained, draining her cup, and making to leave.
John thought for a while. M29-007. Oh, the planet they had agreed to look around for trade negotiations. He remembered their leader; Yajoca. He was a swarmy, weasel of a man, McKay had liked him. John grimaced and pushed his chair back, following Teyla and Ronan.
They emerged from the Stargate on the other planet. It was in the middle of a park in the beating heart of giant city. John turned his stare upwards, and saw the silhouettes of the flying cars against the bright amber sky, with the sun and the moon shining brightly. This was his favourite time of day, sunset and moonrise.
Yajoca stepped forwards, wringing his hands. He was always wringing his hands. "Welcome," he gasped. He was the type of man who never spoke normally, he spoke in gasps and had a sickening smile on his wide-eyed, pale face. A slight wind ruffled his light grey hair, blowing tufts of it across his face. "Welcome, my friends," he repeated, breathily. "We must begin our tour soon, otherwise it will be very late when you leave us." He was treating them like children.
John shot a look at Teyla, who raised her eyebrows ever so slightly. Don't do anything, John, her eyes seemed to be saying.
He wrinkled his face, and looked back at Yajoca. "Sure," he said with a small sigh. "Let's go and tour," he said quietly to his back. The man had already turned and began to walk away.
Rodney followed him eagerly, like a dog chasing a treat. John couldn't see how he could like him so much.
"This is the last part of our tour," explained Yajoca after about three hours. "I'm afraid this isn't a very nice place, but if we trade successfully, then I believe that you must know everything about our community.
John blinked sleepily. "Yeah," he said absentmindedly. "Sure. Where are we again?"
Yajoca shot him a nasty look, which John barely registered. "Our...Mental Hospital." he said quietly.
John's head jerked up from staring at the floor. "What!?" He looked around at the darkened walls, dripping with moisture. Hands and face were pressed against the bars of the cells. "Looks more like a prison."
Yajoca chose to ignore this remark, and noticed that Rodney had drawn closer to John.
"You are perfectly safe..." began Yajoca, but a small voice broke in.
"Colonel Sheppard?"
He turned and saw a pale face etched against the bars of a tiny window in a cell's wood door. He stopped, and took a step nearer to the person. "Who's in there?" he said sideways to Yajoca.
"That is.." Yajoca blocked his path. "That is 24601. She is one of the our worst patients."
"Colonel Sheppard," came the sweet voice again, like diamonds tinkling into a calm pool.
John looked over Yajoca's shoulder. "I want to see her."
"That is really not necessary." Yajoca tried to persuade him, but John side stepped him, and drew closer to the rusty metal bars that separated him from the strange little figure. Two eyes emerged from the darkness, two very pale blue eyes, so pale they were almost silver. A face, framed by shimmering strawberry-blonde hair. A kind, wandering smile widened ever so slightly at the sight of him. "It is you," the girl said gently. "I knew you would come."
"Let me in," ordered John. Yajoca opened his mouth, but John turned to him and stroked him gun ever so slightly.
Yajoca unfastened the lock with trembling fingers, and the door creaked open.
John walked into the claustrophobic room, wincing at the darkness. "Hello?" he said. The girl had crept into a corner at the sound of the door opening.
"We will not harm you," consoled Teyla, who had followed John inside. Rodney shuffled in, and then Ronan.
"Yes, you won't, Teyla," agreed the strange child.
"How did you know our names?" asked John.
"Oh, I know everything about you," continued she.
"How.."
"You are John Sheppard." the girl walked calmly out of the shadows. She couldn't have been more than fifteen. "You were married, but," she tilted her head, her eyes very wide. "It didn't work out, did it." She walked in between them. "You were offered the gift, but you turned it down." She walked in front of Teyla. "Brave leader," she almost whispered. "So many lives lost from you family. You carry on." It was Rodney's turn next. "You. Dr Rodney McKay. Petty, arrogant, bad with people. That's how you friend Samantha Carter described you when you were stuck inside the sinking Puddle Jumper. You too went straight to the threshold of receiving the gift, but you turned away. Were you afraid?" She smiled, and looked up at Ronan. "Specialist Ronan Dex. That's you, isn't it. Name and Rank. Your entire planet was destroyed, your friends, family, and..." She raised her hand, running it in front of Ronan's face. "Melina. Your true love. I'm so sorry it had to end that way, Ronan. Everything has to come to an end. I did not want it to end that way, though."
John was getting a bit creeped out at this point. "Alright," he said, breaking the spell. "How did you know all this stuff, and who are you?"
"I wouldn't ask that of her, if I were you, Colonel Sheppard," said Yajoca, sternly. "The last two people who asked that of her ended up in here." He gestured at the slimy walls.
"I'll be fine."
"John!" said Teyla, but he caught hold of her arm.
"I'll be fine," he repeated, and looked deep into her eyes. She nodded, and drew away.
"What, you're just going to let him?" cried Rodney, shrilly, but Teyla gave him a look that made him shut up.
The child smiled, and laid her hands on either side of John's face. She closed her eyes, and bright gold light began circling them, entwining them together.
John opened his eyes, to see they were standing in front of the Atlantis Gate. He looked around, startled. "Do not be alarmed," said a voice from behind him. "Why are we here?" he asked, staring at the girl.
"Just watch." she replied.
John saw that they were not alone, Ancients were milling around the control room above them. As he looked, several of them came trotting down the steps towards the Stargate. They stood and waited as the Gate dialled. John leapt to his left as the kawhoosh blew past him. The girl stood behind the Ancients. He saw that someone was going to come through the Gate. He watched as two men emerged dragging with them a girl. He saw that it was the very child that was standing behind the Ancients. She was dragged helplessly in front of the two main people. He recognised them. One was the woman from the hologram, and the other was another man, he guessed was from the council. "Struthea, you have been bought back to Atlantis from your given planet to face trail for experimenting, and creating life on other worlds, without our authorisation." the woman said loudly and clearly.
Struthea lifted her head, and John wouldn't have recognised her. Her eyes were blazing with fury, and she spat blood at the feet of the council members. "I am only guilty of giving life to others who deserved it." she croaked, with an insane smile on her face.
The woman nodded at the two guards, and they drew an evil looking rod of from behind them. John saw that it was like the one's the Goa'uld used for torture back in the Milky Way. He was right. The man jabbed in into Struthea's back, and light flowed out of her mouth and eyes as she screamed. John looked away at the real Struthea, and saw that she was smiling slightly. The dream Struthea fell to the ground, but was hauled to her feet again by the burly men.
"Do you admit it?" asked the woman calmly.
Struthea looked her straight in the eyes, and simply said "Yes."
The men dragged her upwards by the armpits, and she stared at the Ancients surrounding her. "I promise you," she hissed. "I will not go down easily. I will rise again, and when I do," she laughed shrilly. "You will regret what you did to me."
The woman smiled at her, but her smile was frozen in an instant. Struthea tilted her head back, and pulsing white light flowed around her broken, beaten body, lifting her into the air, high above the Ancients. She looked down at them, with her arms stretched wide and shrieked down at them. "I will return!" she screamed and twirled away into the light that encircled her lovingly.