Written for the GW Clubhouse Re-watch Challenge, episode: Rising.

Prompt: Imagine you are insert your character here and what are your thoughts as you walk through Atlantis for the first time?

Thanks to Libero and M (pisces317) for their wonderful beta work. Any mistakes are mine.

Breathtaking by GraceW

My heartbeat gradually slowed down, my breathing calmed as the 'puddle jumper' flew through the Ancestral Ring and into a large room. I could hear my good friend Halling's voice whisper "Teyla, it's amazing." A slow grin crossed my face, but I did not respond.

We had escaped the Wraith, something that would never have happened if not for these new people from the planet Earth. They had come from a great distance to learn and study about the Ancestors. Their clothing, weapons and technology were strange, but their hearts were in the right place.

The flying ship had taken them through space. The blues of the planet and the endless darkness dotted with pricks of light were an unfamiliar site. The view was breathtaking, but I had a hard time enjoying the view during that first flight. Our imprisonment, the direct contact with the Wraith, weighed heavily on my mind. It was a very close call. However, Major Sheppard had rescued them and piloted the ship to safety, a heroic feat in the face of an unknown enemy. If it wasn't for his bravery, my people and I would not be here now. Just the sight of the reunited families brought joy to my heart. These were my people, safe and together again.

The city was so beautiful, so foreign. Walking through its majestic halls, looking through the colored glass windows, it took my breath away. In all the worlds I have traveled to, I have never seen something like this before. The setting sun glinted off of the endless glass ocean, sparkling like thousands of stars.

The City of the Ancestors is many things. A story that we told to children before bed time. A legend of Ancestors long gone. A hope for my people. A past, and now the promise of a future in the hands of these strangers turned friends.

Now as I stand on this balcony and the ocean breeze rustles my hair, a sense of peace washes over me. Touching the necklace that now lay over my heart, I smile. I had a feeling that something good would come of this friendship. These strangers are the answer; our meeting was not by accident. This is the change that my people, my galaxy, need.

Thanks for reading! Let me know what you think, please review.

~~Grace :)