Disclaimer: I don't own anything, not even this PC. So don't sue me.
Author's note: My first try at English fanfiction. I'm not a native speaker, but after reading quite a lot in this fandom in English I decided to give it a try. The story's mapped out almost up to the end and I'll probably keep working on it anyway, but reviews will be greatly appreciated just to know whether I should just give up and forget about English or keep on trying... Oh, and I'd do almost anything to get an English-speaking beta. Really!
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There was always a difference between the picture the MALP sent and reality. Although the view was exactly the same as the one the screens had showed, the world hit them with its reality and strangeness. It was different from most worlds they had encountered so far, no woods that had seemingly spread along with the 'gates across the Pegasus galaxy. Only windswept grass and a fine, dark line at the horizon. And the standing stones.
It had been those standing stones that had caught their interest and made them send a team. Teyla had only remembered the world was said to have been abandoned long ago, but the first pictures the MALP sent through the wormhole had been those huge needles of bluegrey stone.
"Welcome to Stonehenge", Sheppard muttered as they stepped away from the gate. The pillars accompanied the DHD like a row of guards, silent, dark watchmen facing the 'gate, preventing any ships from coming through. Even a Wraith dart, slimmer than a puddlejumper, would not have fit in between the standing stones.
"More like Avebury" McKay corrected. "Single stones, not a whole structure." He craned his neck to make sure he was right. Indeed there were no stones behind the 'gate, only the row in front, six couples. "If Avebury had been ingraved in Ancient" he continued and walked up to the first pillar, touching its surface with both hands, tracing the lines of the words with his fingers.
"They are new." Teyla knelt down next to another one. They had guessed as much from the pictures, fresh dirt around the base and nothing of the golden grass swaying in waves from horizon to horizon.
"Just like the inscription." Rodney unclipped his datapad without taking his eyes from the Ancient words carved into the stone. "All the markings are fresh. On a world with that much wind they wouldn't stay that clear for long."
As if his words had been heard by the wind, its force increased for a moment, whipped around the stones and the team and tugged at their uniforms. Teyla's hair flipped around like a copper-colored flame and she lifted a hand to pick some strands from her eye.
"This might take some time" Rodney announced, squinting while studying the words. "This seems somehow… strange. Even for Ancient."
"What do you mean by strange", Sheppard's gaze wandered lazily across the fine line of dark at the horizon. "Can your read it or not?"
"I can read parts of it. And it's easier without anyone disturbing my concentration" Rodney snapped. Sheppard rolled his eyes and stepped away from the scientist who was already sucked into the fascination of yet another riddle to solve.
"Why don't we just take pictures and translate it back in Atlantis?" Teyla asked and Rodney's head snapped up.
"Good question" Sheppard drawled. "It's cold."
"Oh, it's cold" Rodney mimicked. "You know what this could mean? This is Ancient, but the stones have been recently carved!"
"Are you trying to say the Ancestors put up these stones?" Ronon did not seem convinced.
"Does not look like their usual architecture" Sheppard commented, leaning against one of the standing stones. The inscription marched across the cold surface and he frowned, trying to make out the few symbols and words he knew.
"Oh would you just shut up?" McKay snapped and returned to studying something on his datapad.
"Does this mean Atlantis?" Sheppard asked and Rodney moaned, leaning back to send an angry glare to the pilot.
"What?" he asked back, his tone acidic.
"Holy city." Sheppard tapped the stone where those words were engraved.
Rodney stumbled to his feet and walked over, inspecting the stone. A deep frown dug itself into his forehead, then suddenly disappeared as revelation sunk in.
"Those who come for the holy city come in vain, the gates are… closed? Guarded? That word is strange, different from the one usually used…"
"So you CAN read this?" Ronon had stepped up to them, too. Even Teyla was now drawn in by the fascination that seemed to spill off Rodney in waves.
"The symbols are a bit strange and some of the words seem to be distorted but yes! This one has a lot of words I know!" Rodneys fingers touched the cold stone lightly.
"That's definitely something that Elizabeth would want to know about" Sheppard said and stepped back to let his gaze wander over all twelve pillars. "And I would like to know about the ones who built this. Something tells me Ancients were not the type to erect monuments made out of standing stones."
"The … the hunters are among our stars" Rodney translated, oblivious to what happened around him. "The leader… king? The King of past and future sleeps."
"Are you kidding?" Sheppard interrupted him. "Since when do Ancients read T.H. White?"
"Listen, I'm just trying to translate this, so could you please…" Rodney ended with his mouth gaping. He had turned away from the inscription and now gazed over Sheppard's shoulder who lifted an eyebrow questioningly and then turned around.
Dust rose at the horizon, a faint cloud of grey against the pale blue sky. And something dark was nearing, something huge spread out over the land. They could almost feel the vibration of movement in the ground, a low rumble emanating from the thing.
"What the…" Rodney began, but was immediately interrupted by Teyla.
"Wraith!", she hissed.
"Dial the gate!" Sheppard snapped and Rodney hastily turned around while the rest of the team lifted their weapons, watching the dark mass rushing towards them. The slight vibration in the ground grew stronger as if the earth itself were growling like a huge animal.
"Something's very wrong here" Sheppard muttered. "Ancients rebuilding Avebury. Wraith in a… stampede?" He squinted against the light of the alien sun. "Those are no Wraith" he said. "Teyla are you sure…"
A high-pitched whine suddenly filled the sky at the same moment as the stargate erupted in a flash of watery silver.
"That was fast!" Sheppard turned and headed towards the gate, but stopped when he saw Rodney still glued to the ground at the DHD, one hand hovering above the activation pad.
"That wasn't me" he said.