NOTE from the Phoenix: A few people have mentioned that they can't see the symbols so I have dropped that aspect of the story for the moment to keep the 'little boxes' from distracting people. Sorry I haven't updated this as quickly as my last story.
Chapter Two
"I don't think I can take anymore of this."
"Sssh."
"Daniel, honestly, this is painful." Jack continued to complain. "What the hell is going on?"
"I already told you, they are going to put on a play."
"When? We've been sitting on the floor for hours."
Daniel closed his eye and looked as though he was mentally counting to ten. Sam smiled to herself, it had really only been about twenty minutes since they'd been brought to the small theater. Jack grumbled again and shifted his weight on the pillow he was sitting on. Teal'c looked like he had slipped into Kel'no'reem, however he was paying full attention.
The sourceless light that illuminated the room from behind the white paper walls dimmed slightly. The stage in front of them was only elevated a few inches above the floor and had a black lacquer floor. There were about a dozen audience members all of whom had been introduced with what Jack had commented as a 'back breaking amount of bowing'. Daniel seemed to be spending a lot of his time apologizing to the natives, but at the same time he didn't seem to mind.
As the stage lights grew brighter a beautiful piece of sky blue silk fell from the ceiling and spread out as the backdrop to the stage. The blue silk fluttered as if in a light breeze and a very simple stringed musical instrument began to play. Two men in an ornate gold and green dragon costume leapt out onto the stage. All that could be seen were their legs as they danced and weaved the dragon around the stage. A young woman was sitting off to the side and began narrating the action.
"One day Dragon was flying high above the country side…" Daniel whispered.
"Daniel, what the hell are you babbling about?" Jack muttered.
"I'm translating the story for you."
"I don't care about the story."
"You're not the only person here that doesn't speak Japanese, Jack."
Jack looked to either side and saw that the action seemed to have Sam and Teal'c's attention. Crossing his arms he gave in and watched along with the rest. Trying to get a better view of the play Sam tried to take off her dark glasses, but even in the dim light she had to put them back on as the gold on the costume glinted brightly.
Dragon danced around the stage and whirled with what seemed like irritation. The pearls that made up his beard made a rattling sound as he shook his head and swooped back and forth. Coming to a rest he hung his head low in depression. Dragon jumped back up and addressed the crowd.
"What am I to do?" Daniel translated directly. "The Lord God is going to hold his banquet to determine the placement of the Animals in the Heavens tomorrow and I am not assured of my place!"
A young child jumped out onto the stage with a large flag that held a painting of a Rat.
"I am clever…" Daniel the Dragon mused. "however, Rat is also clever, perhaps more clever than I."
As the young child ran off stage he was replace by another with a banner of a Tiger.
"I have sharp claws…however Tiger has claws as well, and such handsome stripes."
The next banner carrier ran by with an Ox symbol.
"Yes, I am strong," Dragon sighed "but there are none stronger than Ox."
A young child with the silk banner of Rabbit bounced around the stage and was quickly followed by Horse.
"I am fast, but Rabbit is swift and so gentle of heart. Horse is also fleet footed and has such a wonderful flowing mane!" Dragon huffed in frustration. "Does nothing make me special? What of my scales?"
Just then a child with a banner of Snake came running across Dragon's path.
"Oh Snake, your scales are so much brighter and shiner than mine! What am I going to do? How will Lord God notice me?"
Dragon danced around gracefully for a moment and then suddenly another silk dropped from the ceiling against the backdrop of blue silk. Painted on the silk was Rooster, but not as the SG-1 team knew Rooster. This Rooster held brightly coloured shiny feathers, a magnificent comb, and most notably a huge set of golden antlers on his head. The silk painting of the Rooster fell to the floor.
"Yes!" Daniel Dragon cried happily. "Rooster! Rooster will help me! Surly he will lend me his golden antlers for the banquet, the Lord God will surly notice me if I have those wonderful horns, and I will get the best placement. I must ask him at once!"
Dragon swooped off the stage and the blue silk dropped to the floor to be quickly followed by a light green one. A man dressed in fine iridescent feathers with a huge tail and the all important golden horns came strutting out onto the stage. He danced and ruffled his feathers so that they sparkled in the dim light. A woman who was wearing a soft coat of puffy cotton joined him and bowed deeply.
"Oh Rooster, surely you will be placed highest in the Heavens." Daniel spoke for the woman.
"Sheep, you will be right at my side for your kind heart and creative mind." Rooster proclaimed.
"I would be honoured to have even the lowest place in the Heavens." Sheep blushed.
"Which is why you will have a higher standing."
"Thank you Rooster, it is your generosity that will bring you the highest place in the Heavens."
Sheep bowed low to the ground, touching her forehead to the ground with her fluffy tail facing the audience. Sam gave Jack a nudge as she caught him tilting his head to get a better look up Sheep's skirt. Jack gave her an innocent look.
Dragon came back out on the stage and the two men in the costume managed a perfect bow of respect. Rooster was shocked to have Dragon as a visitor and quickly returned the gesture. The dancers went into a dazzling display of skill before settling down again.
"Great Dragon, it is an honour to be visited by such a powerful creature." Rooster said.
"The honour is mine to be in the company of such a stunning creature such as yourself Rooster."
"You flatter me."
"Not at all." Dragon purred. "Look at your feathers! No bird boasts feathers as shiny and soft as yours!"
"Dragon your eyes are jewels on fire."
"And your comb," Dragon continued "such a royal crown for such a royal creature."
"My dear Dragon, you are royalty," Rooster blushed "you are the one who puts the moon to bed at morning and cause the rains to fall upon the land."
"It is true, I do work hard." The Dragon said off handedly. "However…I fear for my place in the Heavens, I fear I may be overlooked because I am so plain."
"The Lord God would never over look a creature as magnificent as you!" Rooster crowed.
"But I have no one trait to catch his eye…such as your stunning golden antlers."
Rooster instantly places his feathered hands to his golden horns. It is clear that he is proud of them and strokes them lovingly. Dragon gets up and curls around Rooster and strokes his feathers.
"Rooster, please, may I borrow your golden horns for the banquet?"
"My horns?"
"Yes, just for the night."
"I don't know…" Rooster balked.
"Rooster, you have feathers beyond any other, a comb any King would envy…and…and such a lovely signing voice."
"Yes, yes, true, true." Rooster nodded. "Dragon, you may borrow my horns so that the Lord God will notice us both."
"Yes! Thank you!" Dragon cried. "Call for me when I put the moon to bed in the morning after the banquet and I will return your horns to you."
The Rooster removed his horns and placed them on Dragon's head. The next half hour of the play was an amazing display of dance and costume. The banquet held two dozen different animals that displayed their traits to the audience in a bid to earn their place in the Heavens. In the end twelve were chosen and lined up in order of their place. The narrator spoke once again.
"Rat was awarded first place for his clever praise of the Lord God, Ox was next for his strength, Tiger was third for his courage, Rabbit for her heart, Dragon was awarded fifth place for his service, Snake, Horse, Sheep, and Monkey all got their place before Rooster, leaving Dog and Boar last. Rooster did not mind his place and was pleased to have made it into the Heavens and was proud of how well his friend Sheep had done."
The scene return to the light green silk of the Rooster's home. Rooster was agitated and as the lights went from the light of day to the darkness of night he became more and more upset. Three days passed and the Dragon had not returned the Rooster's golden antlers to him. As the sun rose on the fourth day Rooster threw his head back and cried to the Heavens.
"Lung-k'o-k'o-huan-wo!" The actor on stage cried in anguish like a rooster crowing at dawn.
"Dragon!" Daniel translated. "Please, return my horns!!"
The play ended with Rooster crying on the floor, Dragon never returned his horns. The narrator explained that this was not only how Dragon got his horns, but why the Rooster crows every morning at dawn. Rooster is forever begging Dragon to give him back his lost golden horns. No one knows why Dragon never return them since he is such an honourable creature, perhaps he felt he would be too plain and fall out of the Lord God's favour without them.
When the play was over the actors did not come out for adulations. The lights were simply turned up and Tsuyayaka asked Daniel if the play was satisfactory. Daniel spoke with his new friend and assured her that they all enjoyed it. Tsuyayaka smiled and excused herself for a moment.
"You know what that story teaches me, Daniel?" Jack asked.
"That even the best of people can fall to vanity now and then?" Daniel replied hopefully.
"No, it teaches me to trust no one. Can we go home now?"
"You know what is odd about it?" Daniel mused, dismissing Jack's request.
"It's a Chinese story, isn't it?" Sam answered.
"That's right." Daniel nodded. "That is a story about the Chinese Zodiac. Even stranger is that the Dragon in this story had four toes."
"You were counting the dragon's toes?" Jack asked with a raised eyebrow.
"The number of toes tells you where a Dragon is from, Chinese Dragons have five toes, Japanese Dragons have three toes. It's the Korean Dragons that have four toes. Dragons loose or gain toes depending on what direction he flies."
"So the Dragon has an extra toe…who cares?"
"I just find it odd that here we are in what at first appeared to be a pure Japanese culture, and yet they have Chinese stories with a Korean twist. Considering how war like and traditional the different Asian cultures tended to be back in feudal times it seems unlikely to find a mixture of them here."
Before the team could think about this discovery further Tsuyayaka returned and bowed deeply to Daniel. She had changed into a more simple kimono. She asked Daniel a question that caused him to pause. Jack looked around suspiciously and noticed that the rest of the audience had disappeared. Jack whispered to Teal'c to keep a sharp eye out and the silent Jaffa nodded.
"Daniel, what does Takasuku want?"
"Tsuyayaka." Daniel corrected. "She is asking if we would like to bathe and change clothing before tea."
"No." Jack said instantly.
"Ja…"
"No." Jack repeated. "Tell her we are far more comfortable in our 'native garb' and we really should be going anyway."
"Jack a tea ceremony is a very sacred event and honestly I don't want to miss a true traditional tea ceremony, they are beautiful."
"I don't like to drink liquids from strangers."
"Jack, if they wanted to hurt us they wouldn't go to the trouble of a tea ceremony." Daniel looked to Sam. "Sam, help me out here."
"Don't drag Carter into this, she's a coffee drinker anyway."
"I like tea as well, Sir, very calming." Sam said.
"Jack…please." Daniel smiled brightly. "You said we could stay one night, and it had only been a few hours."
"Fine." Jack sighed. "But I'm warning you I don't know how much more boredom I can take."
"Don't think of it as being bored, think of it as being relaxed."
"I'll relax when we are home safe and sound."
