Kage watched as her friend was taken away on a stretcher with a short woman in white yelling at the doctors around her as they hurried down the hall and out of her sight. That was when Kage snapped to her senses and the bitch came out again. "Where is she?! What are you going to do to her!?"
"They are taking her to the infirmary to try and help her!" O'Neill said with his hands up to block Kage from punching him in the face as she charged at him. "Don't make me put you in a holding cell!" he said as he slapped away at her hands.
"Colonel!" The bald man was not happy and demanded the attention of the eldest member of the team.
"Sorry, sir," the colonel apologized. "We ran into some problems as usual."
"Do you mind telling me what the hell is going on here?" The bald man turned his attention towards Kage when asking the question.
"Where the hell is my friend?!" Kage asked as she broke free from O'Neill and summoned her sword.
"Hey, hey, hey!" O'Neill quickly grabbed hold of Kage's wrist and fought for control of the sword. "There will be no gun pointing or sword fighting here!"
"Do I need to put her in a holding cell, Colonel?" The man asked.
O'Neill looked up and down Kage several times pondering the thought before looking at his commanding officer again. "Yes."
"WHAT?! Who the hell are you to lock me up?" Kage hissed.
"General George Hammond, commander of this base! I will not have visitors attacking my men!" The general said angrily.
Kage punched out at the airmen trying to take custody of her but they outnumbered her five-to-one. Time for a little black magic. She wasn't fast enough.
O'Neill remembered distinctly Kashoku referring to rings they wore that allowed them to use all of their dress sphere abilities no matter which they were wearing. That would pose a problem. The colonel swiftly moved towards Kage's neck and slipped the chain over her head that held her own ring. "Thinking of burning them like you did the Jaffa? Not on my watch."
Kage hissed as she was dragged down the ramp. "Don't even think for a moment you'll get away with this!"
"Oh, but I already have," O'Neill grinned as he twirled the necklace around his finger in satisfaction.
"In my office, now. All of you, Dr. Jackson," Hammond added as Daniel tried to escape the room and follow after Kashoku.
Daniel opened his mouth to protest but quickly decided against it and dropped his arms down in defeat. "Yes, sir."
General George Hammond of Texas was not a happy camper. His flagship team had come back from their mission early and with two strangers; one who was injured and the other who was most likely going to be doing some injuring to others. Folding his hands he let out a heavy sigh and focused directly on Colonel O'Neill. "What exactly happened?"
"Well, sir," the colonel began, "the planet is very nice with some very awesome technology we should probably get a hold of. The Goa'uld showed up because we came through and shone like a homing becon, but apparently these people had no problem with that and blew one of Apophis's ship right out of the sky. Oh and uh, Kage hates our guts."
"Sir, these people have amazing technology. We really should get to know them better," Carter added.
"And did they all react to you quite like that one woman did?" Hammond asked.
"No, no, not at all, actually. She was the only one we met that showed hostility. Kashoku, the woman in the infirmary, was actually really nice and even brought back some of their technology for us," Daniel said.
"What kind of technology are we talking about?" Hammond asked, his interest now caught.
"Well, sir, their airships are capable of an automatic locking system that tracks down any of a commanded target that they encounter. We didn't see it, but they have some gun that uses a special power that blew one of Apophis's mother ships right out of their orbit. But," Carter paused, "I think those are the technology we should pursue last…"
"Oh?" Hammond asked. "Major, what you've just said sounds very promising. What else could they have to offer that is better?"
"Oh! I know this!" O'Neill grinned. "Magic! And no, sir, that is not a joke!"
"Colonel O'Neill is telling the truth," Teal'c said. "Daniel Jackson was injured by a staff blast when the Jaffa attacked. Kashoku Yoshiko completely cured the wound within moments with her white magic."
"You saw this?" Hammond asked. He was completely shocked with what they were saying as often as they stressed that nothing was magic but rather technology. However, the fact that Teal'c was saying this….
"Indeed."
"They acquire the ability to perform these skills through dress spheres. In order to find one of these spheres you have to look for one since they are rare. Kashoku found us a sphere but we don't know if it is a dress sphere or a historical sphere… She was attacked before we could ever find out," Daniel said. "Either way I think Kashoku will really be able to help us out with all of this."
"Can we trust her?" the general asked. They had trusted people in the past to help them out that had never come through. From he had seen with his own eyes things weren't looking good with this group either.
"Yes, absolutely," Daniel said quickly with no hesitance.
O'Neill looked to Daniel and blinked, "Daniel?"
"Jack?"
"…so quick to have her back are we? You know you really are just feeding the fire here," O'Neill mentioned.
Daniel ignored him. "Sir, I know that we can trust her. Maybe not Kage – definitely not Kage – but we can Kashoku."
Hammond sighed and stood. "Alright, Doctor. I trust your decision. Head to the infirmary and see how she's doing. Hopefully we'll be able to talk to her soon and arrange some sort of treaty."
"Thank you, sir." Daniel quickly exited the briefing room and headed down the hall towards the infirmary.
"My, with such haste we leave!" O'Neill shouted as he jogged to catch up.
Daniel turned briefly but only to acknowledge to him. "I just want to make sure she's going to be okay. It is our fault that she got shot."
"As much as I heavily dislike our dear doctor and the way she shoves the needles up my ass, she is a damn good doctor. I'm sure Kash is fine."
"Yeah, well, I'd prefer to see that with my own eyes if you don't mind." Daniel rounded a corner and caught the elevator door just in time to board it.
O'Neill squeezed his way in despite Daniel's efforts to keep him out and grinned playfully. "You like her."
"Of course I like her. She seems like a really nice person," Daniel said avoiding the true meaning of his friend's statement.
"But you like her."
"Don't you?"
"Nah, she's too young…for me…You know what I mean."
Daniel sighed heavily at what the man was insinuating."I've only known her a day."
"What's wrong, Danny boy? Don't believe in love at first sight?'
"Not particularly," Daniel said as the elevator signaled he had reached his desired floor. As soon as the doors opened he was off again at a fast pace.
"Yeah, I was never really one for all that either," O'Neill shrugged as he continued in hot pursuit. The colonel loved to pick on the archaeologist and the fact that he had such a juicy reason to pick on him with just made the situation that much more satisfying; especially when Daniel denied everything.
As soon as the two men entered the infirmary they were greeted by a short woman with auburn hair pulled up into a high bun. "Oh, good. I was just about to call the General to send you all down here."
"How is she?" Daniel asked as he caught a brief glimpse of Kashoku in a medical bed, but it was quickly blocked by one of the nurses.
"She's stable for the moment," Dr. Janet Fraiser said as she placed her clipboard down on a tabletop and folded her arms. "I'm pretty sure she'll make it through alright."
"If you wake her up then she can just take care of the blast for you," O'Neill mentioned.
The doctor raised an eyebrow. "Colonel, if I could make people wake up then no one would be in a coma. And how exactly do you suppose she could heal herself?"
"Magic," O'Neill said hesitantly. It sounded cool but he was beginning to realize how dumb he sounded saying it.
Fraiser shook her head and gave a small smile. "Please, Colonel. I know we've experienced a lot of weird things around here but magic has never been one of them."
"First time for everything," O'Neill pointed out. If you really thought about it, the thought of magic really wasn't all that surprising considering all they had encountered and dealt with the past four years since the Stargate Program reopened.
"I promise to call you when she wakes up." The doctor gave a small smile before turning her back to them and turning her attention to other patients in need of her care.
"We should probably go check on Kage if she hasn't blown anything up already," O'Neill mentioned.
"I thought you took away her magic ring?" Daniel asked slightly confused.
"You don't need magic to throw things and lose a temper, Daniel," O'Neill pointed out. They headed back to the elevator to make their way towards the holding cells. He had a pretty good feeling that the woman was not going to be happy seeing them again. Sure enough, as they approached the cell, you could hear the sounds of Kage's threats and the chair and desk slamming against the wall. "At ease, Sergeant. Open the door."
"Sir, are you sure?" The dark-skinned Sergeant asked hesitantly. "She's been acting crazy in there."
O'Neill blew out some air for a moment while thinking before grabbing the airman's gun. "There. Then if she tries something I'll just shoot and have Kashoku fix her up later."
"Jack, you can't just shoot her!" Daniel quickly protested.
"It won't be fatal!"
Daniel rubbed his temple with both hands. "Jack, why don't we just go in there and talk to her?"
"Fine, but I'm still taking this with me," O'Neill waved his gun plainly for Daniel to see. "Open the door."
The black airmen shook his head in severe disagreement but did as the superior officer told him to do. Taking the key from his belt he entered it into the lock and opened the door for O'Neill and Daniel to enter. Immediately they were met with the woman's sword, but O'Neill was well prepared and already had his gun pointed towards her head.
"I'd put that down if I were you," he warned. "Bullets travel faster."
"We just want to talk," Daniel said, frustrated with his friend's way of dealing with the manner. "Please."
"Talk my ass! Are you here to fucking torture me?" Kage sneered. She could take them even without her magic. The fiends she had fought for spheres could put up a better fight than them.
"Not unless you give me a reason to," O'Neill said. The Spiran was really starting to get on his nerves. "I'll put down my gun if you put down your sword, deal?" Slowly he began lowering his gun.
Kage didn't move. "Where is Kashoku?"
"She's safe in our infirmary. She'll be okay," Daniel assured her.
"Let me talk to her before I believe that," Kage retorted.
"She's still unconscious."
"Then I guess I don't believe you." She moved to point her sword closer to O'Neill's throat but he quickly moved out of the way and had his gun up again.
"Kid, we don't want to hurt you! Just calm down!" O'Neill was really getting tired of playing games with her. He was way too old for this. "If you play nicely we'll let you out of here and prove that we don't want to torture and or keep you and Kash prisoner."
Kage banished her sword and walked away towards the destroyed bed. "As soon as she is better we are leaving."
"And you will be allowed to, but Kashoku can make her own decision on that matter," Daniel said.
"And why the hell would she want to stay here?" Kage snapped as she spun around.
"Because she, unlike you, seems to be interested in learning as much about us as we'd like to know about you."
"I don't care what the hell she wants. She's naïve in trusting the lot of you! Kashoku is coming back with me and that is final!"
"You can't make that decision for her."
"Like hell I can't," Kage growled. She walked up to Daniel; face to face. "You especially are getting on my nerves. I swear if I ever see you around her again I'll make sure you never see her again or anything else for the rest of your life."
O'Neill groaned. "Let it go, Daniel. Just…let it go." He gently grabbed Daniel's arm and turned him towards the door to emphasize his words before leaving the room and giving the airmen back his gun. As soon as Daniel was out he motioned for the door to be closed and locked once more. "Why does someone always hate us?"
"At least she doesn't threaten you every time you get within ten feet," Daniel argued.
"It's that whole…possessive thing. Don't think too much about it. Everyone always threatens you." O'Neill gave him a pat on the shoulder before walking off.
"Oh, yeah, because that's so comforting," Daniel mumbled as he headed towards his own office.
"She's awake?" Daniel asked as he rushed into the infirmary.
"Awake and fully healed, thanks to you, Daniel! I heard you were the one that came to my rescue. Arigatou gozaimasu!" Kashoku smiled. She was sitting up on the bed as if she had never been hurt in the first place.
"Oh, now we are a knight in shining armor," O'Neill wiggled his eyebrows in amusement. Daniel blushed heavily in embarrassment.
"Without my dress sphere with me I wouldn't have been able to cure the wound on my own completely, but thanks to the great work of your doctor here I was able to cure it," Kashoku said.
"And now everyone is witness that there is indeed magic!" O'Neill grinned happily. Now he wouldn't look like a complete fool saying it.
"I must say, Ms. Yoshiko, that I am very impressed. I have never seen anything like this in all my years here," Hammond said in awe.
"Well, give me my sphere back so I can change and I'll be happy to show you more," the woman said.
Fraiser walked over to a desk and pulled out two spheres. "There were two on you. I don't know which one is the right one to give you…"
"Oh! That's right! I haven't checked to see if the sphere we recovered at Mt. Gagazet is a dress sphere or not. Could you hand them both over?" As soon as she had the two in her hands she knew which sphere was hers and which was not. Placing her Gunner sphere down she looked into the glow of the other sphere. A white feather began to form in her vision of the sphere. Looking up at everyone around her she grinned. "You are in luck! White Mage." Tossing the sphere to O'Neill, who barely caught it, she picked up her other sphere. The white top and pants that the doctors had dressed her in disappeared in a rush of white feathers and were replaced by her Gunner uniform.
"Major, I can see why you stressed the issue of a treaty with these people," Hammond said with a slight shake of his head. "Ms. Yoshiko, if you don't mind, I'd like to have a meeting with you and SG-1 to discuss the matters of an alliance between our two worlds."
"Of course," Kashoku said. That was when she noticed Kage was not present. "Where is Kage?"
"She uh…she got a little violent and needed to put in a holding cell to make sure she didn't harm anyone," Daniel said.
Kashoku laughed slightly. "That actually doesn't surprise me. If you take me to see her perhaps I can calm her down a bit."
"Alright," O'Neill sighed, "this way." Time to deal with Satan again.
Upon the opening of the door the two were attacked, but Kage quickly withdrew her sword upon seeing Kashoku and hugged the woman tightly. "Kashy! You are okay! I thought that those bastards might have been lying! I was worried so much."
"I'm alright, Kage. Their healer really helped me out."
Kage snorted and pulled away. "Whatever, now we can go back home."
"Wait, what? No! We can't leave! Their leader wants to make an alliance with us!"
"That is a bad idea, Kashoku! You saw what happened when they came through the Stargate! We got attacked!"
"Which is why I stress the issue of an alliance! They know a lot about the Goa'uld and the potential enemies that are out there and can help us in defending ourselves."
"We don't need their help! We took care of those Goa'uld plenty on our own! Besides, we aren't the leaders of Spira. We can't make the decision of an alliance!"
"That's why I was going to propose SG-1 returning to Spira with us to meet with them," Kashoku said. Those words shocked Kage completely. "Weren't expecting that, were you?"
"How stupid are you?!" Kage shouted. "We can't do that!"
"Of course we can. Colonel O'Neill, I'd like to extend an invitation for you and your team to return to Spira with us. I'd love to give you a tour of our world and offer any technology that I can. Then I will return with you to help assist your healers in mastering the dress sphere they have received."
"Kashy!" Kage protested.
"Uh, well, I'll have to talk that over with Hammond but I'm all for it…I guess." He added the last part while looking over Kage.
"Excellent!" Kashoku turned to Kage and grinned brightly. "This will be fun!"
"Fun for who…?" Kage muttered while crossing her arms. This was going to suck.
"Oh, good! No one tampered with Wing," Kashoku said as she plopped down into the captain's chair of her airship.
"I'm kind of wishing someone had," Kage muttered.
"Would you cheer up?" Kashoku asked as she spun around to look at her friend. "Do it for me?" Kage showed no intentions of complying with her wishes. Kashoku took in a deep breath and sighed. "Kage, if you do this for me then I'll do something for you…"
That caught Kage's attention. "You aren't saying what I think you are saying, are you?"
"Maybe…but only if you are nice to them!" Kashoku reinforced.
Kage shifted in her seat and eyed her suspiciously. "Fine. But you better not be lying to me."
"You aren't seriously reconsidering quitting singing just to get her to be nice to us, are you?" Daniel asked.
"You stay out of this!" Kage snapped forcefully at Daniel.
"Kage! That is exactly the kind of attitude that won't get me back!"
Kage growled at Daniel but gave into her friend. "Whatever, fine. Can we just go to Besaid and get this whole thing over with?"
Kashoku shook her head and programmed her ship to take them to the beautiful island. However, nothing seemed as pretty as it should be with Kage's foul attitude. She only hoped that with her promise her friend would be somewhat more bearable to SG-1; especially Daniel.
There was mostly silence on the airship until it began to slow down above the island. Each of them departed using the teleport sphere and met up on the outskirts of the village. Kashoku took a few steps forward, crossing her arms, and looked down on the village and the temple.
"There isn't much in the village to see, really," Kashoku said.
"There isn't much to see period," Kage said under her breath.
Ignoring Kage, Kashoku continued on. "But there are plenty of beautiful places to see here. I'll take you by the waterfalls and out to the beach and then we can go into the village. Unlike the rest of Spira, Besaid never decided to really rebuild. They wanted to keep the simple machine-free life. I'm sure that you'd like to see the temple, Daniel."
"Yes, actually, I would," Daniel smiled.
"This way, then," Kashoku said as she began walking up the hill and away from the village. The sounds of waterfalls ahead began filling their ears and quickly came into view. "Sphere hunters always should take note of places such as waterfalls. Often there are things hiding behind them or around. Kage and I actually found a sphere at the top of the waterfall there."
"Yeah and it was full of useless information…." Kage sighed.
"What about that city back there? What happened to it?" Carter asked.
"The same thing that happened to every other destroyed city around here," Kage said. "Sin. Look. If you see something that is destroyed it was either Sin or Bevelle. That should save you a few questions."
"Bevelle?" Daniel asked. "That was one of the cities in the war, right?"
Kashoku nodded, "Yes. Bevelle is not very popular among the people…especially not since Yuna discovered the truth about Yevon and the discovery of the Vegnagun; the most powerful machina ever built. Bevelle is known for keeping their secrets…They just can't be trusted."
"Vegnagun would have pretty awesome if it hadn't come to life and planned on destroying the whole world," Kage sighed.
"Wait, a machine came to life?" O'Neill asked.
"The mako energy causes it. Machina fiends aren't uncommon, especially in Al Bhed territory, but the Vegnagun was one bad bitch to have come to life. Mako is essentially what causes dress spheres to exist. The mako allows us to use the specific abilities in the sphere while a person's memories are what make the outfit."
"Where exactly do you get this mako energy?" Carter asked highly intrigued.
"The Farplane." Kage laughed, "Mako energy is basically dead people which makes it highly unstable and unpredictable."
"Excuse me?" O'Neill asked. He turned to Kashoku, "Please tell me she is joking."
"Actually, she's kind of right…" Kashoku admitted. "When people die their souls do one of two things; are sent to the Farplane or are turned into fiends. The souls, which we call pyreflies, become mako energy."
"And despite what you are obviously thinking, Colonel," Kage began, "We don't kill people to make more energy. The energy naturally regenerates itself. Although at the rate we are extracting it there won't be any to regenerate."
"Sounds like back home," Daniel said. "Our energy source, oil, is being extracted at a faster rate than it can be replenished. Only thing is, once it is gone it is gone. We can't kill people and have it replenished. Well, at least not within our lifetime."
"I hope it will never come to that," Kashoku said softly. By that time they had reached the beach, which Kashoku was thankful for. No matter how many times she came there it never seemed quite the same. The only people on the beach were a group of children playing with a ball and their pet dog playing along side with them.
"I don't see why you like it here so much, Kashy," Kage said. "It is way too silent."
"That is precisely why I like it," Kashoku argued.
Kage glared daggers. "Can we please head back now? The damn salt is getting in my eyes."
"Alright, alright, Kage-chan. We can head back." Kashoku was reluctant to leave the beach and the calming aura it gave off, but she knew that an impatient Kage would only ruin the moment so it was best to leave while the moment was still good. The walk back was served in mostly silence as everyone, for the most part, just enjoyed the surroundings. "Come on, Daniel! I'll take you to the temple!"
"I refuse to go in there," Kage said sternly.
Kashoku sighed. "Fine, then you can stay in my tent until we get back. You'll be okay if Shika and her gang come…?"
Kage laughed, "Ha! Kashy, I'd be more worried about them than me. I'll be fine. The quicker you let Daniel drool over the temple the quicker we can leave. Oh! And don't even think about going into the Cloister of Trials."
"Trust me, I won't," Kashoku assured her with a small smile before turning to the rest of SG-1. "Come on; let's make it quick before she gets even more impatient." The temple wasn't but a few hundred feet away from the few tents in the village. There was no one in the temple. The silence was overwhelming. "It's odd not being able to hear the Fayth sing any longer… The temples all over Spira are empty now."
Daniel immediately made his way to the statues within the temple, carefully looking over each one with great care. "Who are all these people?"
"Those are the summoners that defeated Sin prior to Yuna," Kashoku said.
"Wait… What?" O'Neill asked in confusion. "I thought you said Yuna defeated Sin."
"I did," Kashoku said, "and she did. You see, the Final Aeon only brought on a brief calm from Sin. It lasted maybe five to ten years at most. But, Yuna and her Guardians found a way to destroy Sin for good and bring about the Eternal Calm."
"Damn you've got one complicated history," O'Neill complained.
"And we don't?" Daniel asked.
"I really wouldn't know. I slept through History," O'Neill said as he picked up some artifact and put it down after deciding it lacked interest. "So where is that Cloister of Trials thing Kage was talking about?"
"There," Kashoku pointed to a set of single stairs that led to a closed door. "Going in there would be a bad idea. It is extremely hard to get out."
"Are you done yet, Daniel? I'm with Kage on this one. It's kind of boring in here," O'Neill said.
Kashoku noted Daniel's disappointment and gave him a reassuring smile. "Like I've said, there are plenty of other temples in Spira. We can go inside another somewhere else along the way." Kashoku led them back out of the temple and found her face to face with raven hair pulled back into long braids and bright purple eye shadow framing red eyes.
"And where have you been?" The woman asked. "We were all worried sick when Yuna told us she found Lunestis destroyed in the Thunder Plains."
"We thought those weird guys had gotten you… Don't worry us like that, ya?" A man stepped up with bright red hair and dressed in yellow.
"I'm sorry, Lulu! I didn't mean to worry you and Wakka!" Kashoku apologized. "I did get hurt, but our new friends helped us out."
"Ah, you must be the warriors that Yuna told us about," Lulu said. "I must say that this discovery of the Stargate is quite interesting. What will become of it, I wonder?"
"New friends," Kashoku said with a smile towards SG-1. "And some new enemies…but they've fought these enemies before so they know how to deal with them."
"Hmm, well, hopefully they will not cause too much trouble. You should let Yuna know you are alright if you happen to catch her on your way. I know that she is worried," Lulu said.
"Don't worry, I will."
"Come and visit again soon. We miss you out here. Too busy being a big shot," Wakka gave Kashoku a playful nudge before bringing her into a tight hug.
"I'll definitely make more time to come see you guys," Kashoku laughed. As soon as Wakka let go she turned her attention back to SG-1. "I'm going to get Kage. Go ahead and head back to the transport sphere and we'll meet there."
"Kilika Island!" Kashoku grinned as they stepped onto the tropical paradise. "It used to be a port with only a few shacks here and there. Sin attacked and this place was rebuilt bigger and much better. Only problem is all the fighting that happens here…"
"Fighting? Between who?" Daniel asked.
"Youth League and New Yevon," Kage snorted. "New Yevon wants to do a bit of reformation while the Youth League says 'fuck it and move on'. They clash sometimes."
"More like very often," a deep female voice spoke up.
Kage rolled her eyes. "Great."
"What's wrong, Kage? Not happy to see me?"
"Not really. You just really annoy me, Dona. Where's that big hulk of yours? Every time I see him he's crying over you."
"He's up at the temple…" Dona responded.
"Still can't agree on a side, can we?" Kage asked. "You'd think with him being your Guardian on your pilgrimage he'd agree with you and stay away from New Yevon. If anything I'd expect you to side with them rather than him."
"Well, my faith wasn't exactly what I'd call strong. After all, I did quit my pilgrimage," Dona said. "I have things to attend to. I'd stay away from the forest unless you want to deal with a fight."
"Another friend?" O'Neill asked as the dark skinned woman walked passed.
"Umm, more like acquaintance, really… She was one of Yuna's rival summoners but quit her pilgrimage once the truth of Yevon was revealed. It is best, though, that we stay away from the forest if we want to avoid trouble," Kashoku said.
"The forest makes up half the freakin island!" Kage scowled. "If we don't go there then this is all there is to see; a bunch of whiny kids and houses."
"Then this is all there is to see. Either way I promised to show them the entire planet and Kilika is a part of it."
"But it is soooo boring here. Can we go to Luca where I can at least get smashed why the rest of you people talk it up?"
"Smashed as in alcohol?" O'Neill asked.
"On my world that is the only proper way of getting smashed," Kage said.
"Well I'm always up for a drink or two…or three," O'Neill grinned.
"Would it not be wise for you to stop at two, O'Neill?" Teal'c asked.
"Teal'c, if you were referring to the Christmas party then that was a rare circumstance. I usually hold my liquor very well," O'Neill argued. It was very apparent that the Jaffa didn't believe his words.
"Okay, okay, we'll go to Luca. However, Colonel, I would suggest that you don't let Kage touch your alcohol. She has a history of messing with things and making them more potent…" Kashoku stared at Kage who gave her an innocent look back. "Trust me."
Luca was bustling with people and boats docking at the port as usual. The only thing keeping it from being completely packed was the lack of a blitzball game or tournament. Kids ran amuck with no supervision from their parents while they spent their time playing each other in sphere break, a popular mathematical Al Bhed game that had taken the world by sweep.
"Sure is busy around here," O'Neill said as he looked around.
"Largest market place and port in the world," Kashoku mentioned. "I prefer to stay away from here as much as possible but sometimes you just can't get away. Too many people recognize me here and it can get really annoying. It isn't so bad when it is just the fans but when the paparazzi starts getting involved it makes you want to hit someone."
"Then let's hurry and get to The Blitz! Paparazzi never go there!" Kage suggested.
"No one ever goes there except alcoholics and over obsessed blitzball fans to watch games!" Kashoku protested.
"Exactly! Everyone will be either too busy drinking or too busy watching a game to pay any attention to you. Now come on," Kage grabbed hold of Kashoku's arm and began dragging her away from the crowds.
Kashoku had to admit that Kage was somewhat right. The bar was quiet with only a handful of people; mainly men watching the sphere screen. "Well I'll give you the fact that it is silent. Could you at least be nice and get us some drinks…and not your kind of drink?"
Kage rolled her eyes, "That was only once, geez."
SG-1 and Kashoku took a seat at a large round table and waited for Kage to return with six glasses. O'Neill eyed his glass for a moment before taking a sip and immediately having a coughing fit. "Whoa that is a lot of alcohol!"
Kage snorted. "Please, that is nothing. I could handle twice that in one drink." She proved her point by taking a large swig and not even flinching.
Teal'c also took a sip without a change in expression. "It is indeed quite potent, but we have worse alcohol on Chulak."
"Alcohol doesn't affect your kind?" Kage asked somewhat curious.
"No," Teal'c said plainly.
Daniel took a sniff of his drink and instantly put it down. "Uh, do you have any water?"
Kashoku laughed. "That's the way I feel. Come on, I'll get us some." Kashoku stood up and motioned for Daniel to follow her to the bar. "Two waters please." The bartender gave them their water but neither returned to the table. "So, Dr. Jackson, you know a lot about me but I'm afraid I know little about you."
Daniel laughed slightly. "There's not much to tell."
"Sure there is. Tell me anything. Girlfriend? Wife? Parents? Siblings?"
"None of the above," Daniel said with a small smile. He had had a wife... but that was no longer.
"I'm sorry about your parents, then," Kashoku said softly. "I do know how you feel."
"I imagine a lot of people on Spira do. What about you? Boyfriend or siblings?"
"Mmm, no and no. Had a boyfriend a year ago, but I threw him out the window and out onto the streets just in time," Kashoku laughed bitterly at the mere thought of her ex.
"Didn't work out?" Daniel asked.
Kashoku snorted. "You could say that. It was really all just a marketing ploy and I wasn't going to have it. Matsu thinks I'm just his little toy that he can make do what he wants, but whatever." Kashoku took a sip of her water and turned her attention towards the blitzball game on the screen. It was a rerun but she didn't care.
"What the hell could they possibly be talking about?" Kage sneered as she propped her boot clad feet up on the table. Those two had been talking for a w hile hour now and it was really getting on her nerves.
"They are just talking, Kage," O'Neill pointed out. "Does that really bother you?"
"Yes! Do you not understand that!? All of you bother me!"
"Maybe if you just got to know people better," Carter suggested.
"Maybe I don't want to!"
"Maybe you don't want to what?" Kashoku asked as she and Daniel made their way back up to the table.
"Be here with these stupid people! The only reason I am is because of you!"
"Was she mean?" Kashoku asked SG-1. "Because if she was then we have no deal."
Kage's eyes went straight to O'Neill as he pondered his answer. If he ruined her chances of getting Kashoku back on her team she was going to break his neck and make it severely painful.
"No," O'Neill said after a while. "Just annoying."
"Fine. I'll accept annoying since there is no way of getting around that. Why don't we go ahead and head up on to Mi'ihen? It'll be getting dark soon and I'd rather stay at the rest center there than a hotel here…"
"Yeah, probably not a good idea," Kage nodded in agreement.
"Couldn't we just stay up on Wing?" Daniel asked.
"We could," Kashoku shrugged, "but I don't really have enough beds for all of us. Besides, there are fun ways to travel besides airship!"
"I swear if you are talking about chocobos I will kill you! I refuse to ride one of those across Mi'ihen!" Kage growled.
"Of course I am! Come on, it'll be fun!" Kashoku pouted.
"What exactly are chocobos?" Daniel asked.
"You'll see!" Kashoku stuck out her tongue playfully. "Come on, let's get out of here." Kashoku led them to a flight of stairs near the railing towards the sea and let them up it. It was there you could tell the city ended as all the buildings disappeared to leave a barren road that seemed to stretch for miles.
"Good! All their chocobos are at the rest center!" Kage smirked.
Kashoku pouted. "Fine. But we are still riding them tomorrow." She walked up to a woman next to a hover cart and smiled. "Six to the rest center, please."
"That'll be 600 gil," The woman smiled.
Kashoku pulled out a card and handed it to the woman. Drawing out a device the woman scanned the card and gave it back to Kashoku with a smile. "All aboard!"
"So what exactly is this road?" Daniel asked as they climbed onto the hover craft and it took off.
"It's a twenty mile stretch of abso-fucking-lutely nothing!" Kage shouted through the wind.
"We'll only be traveling about ten miles to the Travel Agency where we will settle for the night," Kashoku mentioned. "There's a history about this road involving Lord Mi'ihen but I can honestly say I don't remember much about it," she apologized.
It took about twenty minutes for the craft to reach a small building at which they were dropped off. Kashoku headed to the front door and walked inside.
"Welcome to the Mi'ihen High Road Travel Agency! How may I help you?" a man asked from the front counter.
"How many rooms are available?" Kashoku asked.
"Three," the man responded.
"Then we'll take those three." She handed the man the same card she had handed to the previous woman and was given it back. "We'll have to sleep two to a room. Hope you all don't mind."
"Not like we haven't done it before," O'Neill shrugged.
"Come on," Kage said as she dragged Kashoku towards the back where the rooms were. "The quicker we get to bed the quicker tomorrow will come and the closer we are to being rid of them."
Kashoku sighed. "Good night," she waved before she was dragged into the room with Kage and the door was shut. "Don't start acting this way now. You are almost there."
"Hardly," Kage said as she let herself fall backwards onto the bed. "I don't understand why you hang out with Daniel so much! I don't like it."
"Because he's very nice and interesting. I like learning about their world through him," Kashoku said as she sat down on the other bed and began removing her white boots.
"He's too nice! He can't be trusted, Kashoku!"
Kashoku let her boots drop to the floor with a heavy sound and glared daggers at her friend. "This is about Itachi, isn't it?"
"I never once mentioned that asshole's name!" Kage hissed in her defense.
"No, but that's really what this is all about. Itachi started out a wonderful man that you came to love and he betrayed your trust. You think Daniel will do the same thing when this isn't even like that."
"I don't think, Kashy, I know! All men are the same!"
"No, they aren't!"
"Look what Ralis did to you."
Kashoku was silent at that for many moments. Kage had a valid point she had to admit. "Yes, Ralis betrayed my trust, but in truth he never really had it. You and I both know it was all just a marketing ploy in the first place. Daniel is different…he doesn't lust for money or power like Ralis and Itachi did. The only thing that man lusts for is knowledge, and that is something we should be willing to help him out with. We are just friends, Kage. Allow me to have that."
"Whatever," Kage snorted. "I'm not talking anymore about this. Oyasumi."
Kashoku sighed. "Oyasumi, Kage-chan."
Everyone was up bright and early the next morning ready to go. After grabbing a bite to eat with little talking they headed outside and were led by Kashoku to a group of cages. The woman grinned. "These are chocobos." She stuck her hand in through the bars and what looked like a large yellow chicken rubbed its head against her glove.
"And what exactly do you do with these things?" O'Neill asked as he put his hand up to the cage but recoiled quickly as the bird snapped.
"Ride them! What else would you do?" Kashoku asked with a giggle. "We are going to ride them the last ten mile stretch to Mushroom Rock Road."
"Are you serious?" O'Neill asked. "Can't we just take the hovercraft?"
"That's what I tried to tell her," Kage snorted.
"Oh come on, it'll be fun!" Kashoku pleaded.
"I think we'll stick to hovercrafts, thanks though," O'Neill said trying not to be rude, so instead he grabbed Daniel by the collar and thrust him forward, "But Daniel will join you!"
"What?!" Daniel said taken back.
"Yeah! He loves this kind of stuff!" O'Neill grinned as he shoved Daniel towards Kashoku.
Kashoku laughed, "Do they always do this to you?"
"Yes," Daniel muttered.
"You can ride one with me. Will that work?"
Daniel let out a heavy sigh with his hands on his hips. Fighting Jaffa: no problem. Fighting the Goa'uld: no problem. Riding this…thing: problem. Yes, he could admit it. He was scared. "Alright, fine. I'll ride it." He couldn't believe he was doing this.
Kashoku immediately made her way to the woman in charge of keeping the chocobos and paid to rent one until the end of the road. The large bird took an immediate liking to Kashoku and rubbed its beak across her shoulder in a lovingly manner. The bird lowered itself low enough for the short woman to board it and then stood erect again. "You ready?"
Daniel hadn't realized how large the chocobo was until it stood erect in front of it. Letting out a huge sigh he stepped forward. "As ready as I'll ever be." The chocobo lowered itself again in front of him and he reluctantly boarded behind Kashoku on the bird's back.
"How about this, Kashy? Your little chocobo against our hovercraft. If I win we skip going through Macalania. If you win we can spend as long as you like there," Kage proposed.
"There's no competition! My hovercraft can't be beat," The pilot said with confidence.
"Don't underestimate her," Kage snorted. "She has a way with animals… It's disgusting." Kage stood up straight and grinned. "Too scared?"
"I accept," Kashoku said. She had never lost a race on a chocobo before and she wasn't about to now.
"Are you kidding?" Daniel asked. "That thing will definitely win."
"The hovercraft is bound by the road," Kashoku whispered with a grin. "My chocobo is not." She took firm hold of the reigns and eyed Kage. "Whenever you are ready."
Kage smirked and took her seat on the hovercraft along with the rest of SG-1. "Hold on tight, this is going to be a bumpy ride. Although I won't be too upset if any of you die along the way."
"Thanks," O'Neill said full of sarcasm.
"On three," Kage shouted. "One, two, three!"
Both hovercraft and chocobo were off in a dash. Daniel clutched onto Kashoku's waist as tight as he could to keep himself from falling off when the chocobo initially sped off. Once he regained his balance he found that it wasn't that bad. The bird has a smooth enough gait to keep him steady. "We're losing!"
"I know!" Kashoku laughed. "But it won't be for long! Hold on tight!" Kashoku reigned in the chocobo and turned him off the trail they were following. The bird jumped from the ground onto a cliff and hopped the islands. "You see? This way is much faster than the path they are taking!"
Daniel was both scared out of his mind and impressed. The bird could jump a hundred feet easily with one jump and seemed to glide in the air. "Are you sure this is safe?"
"Safe? Nothing sphere hunters do is safe!" Kashoku laughed through the air. "Is anything you and your team do ever safe?"
"That would be a big no!"
"Then this shouldn't be a big deal! Hold on! If we clear this jump then we're home free!"
"What do you mean if?!" But it was too late. They were already making the jump. Daniel was sure they weren't going to make it. The cliff they were trying to land on just seemed to get further away with every passing second. Blue eyes shut tight as he felt the chocobo's claws slip from the land. But as they fell backwards the chocobo began flapping its wings and lunged forward just enough to steady them on the cliff. With a heavy sigh he gave a silent prayer. The worst part seemed to be over as the chocobo jumped back onto the main road in front of a large iron gate in front of the hovercraft.
"Dammit!" Kage cursed.
Kashoku giggled as she dismounted and helped Daniel's disoriented body off the large bird before handing it over to the caretaker. "I've never lost a race, Kage. You know that."
"I keep trying…"
"Daniel, are you okay?" Carter asked with concern as she took note of Daniel's color changing face.
"Yeah…I'm…I'm okay," Daniel said with a slight shake of his head to fight off the nausea.
"You'll get used to it after a while," Kashoku reassured him.
"I hope that I'll never have to do that again," Daniel breathed.
"Who goes there!?"
All heads turned to the several guards from the gate pointing arms at them. Kashoku stepped up kindly, "Please, we must speak with Maevyn Nooj. I am Yoshiko Kashoku and these are, well..." How was she going to explain the whole Stargate situation?
"They are the warriors that came through the Eternal Gateway!" The young one said in almost disbelief. "We cannot let them past! They kidnapped Lady Kashoku!"
"Wait, what?!" Kashoku asked. "They didn't kidnap me!"
"Are you sure?" The elder asked, completely ignoring Kashoku.
"I'm positive!"
"No, please, you misunderstand! They didn't kidnap me, they saved me!" Kashoku tried to explain.
"Perhaps they brainwashed you," The elder eyed Kashoku carefully, his gun ready to fire on SG-1.
"The Lady Yuna did say that she believed they were friends rather than foe…" The young soldier threw out.
"Yes, but she did not know for sure."
"True, but she is the one that saved us from Sin. Should we not trust her word?"
The man sighed heavily. "Very well, you may pass."
"Thank you," Kashoku sighed softly.
The iron gates opened and SG-1 with Kashoku and Kage in the lead walked though, gate closing behind them. The ocean could be seen across the rock formations but it didn't look like the beach on Luca. It looked very solemn and fit the mood of the rocky cliffs.
"Seems kind of spooky," O'Neill muttered as he looked over a cliff down towards the crashing waves.
"Mushroom Rock Road is filled with nothing but death. Thousands of people have died here," Kashoku said as they began walking down the path. "Many of the souls here were left unsent and have become fiends. It can be very dangerous around here."
"Then it is a good thing that we are here to guide you."
"Lucil!" Kashoku grinned as she saw the red head. "I should have known you would have been around here.
"It is good to see you, too, Lady Kashoku. Please, this way. Maevyn Nooj and the Praetor Baralai have been expecting you."
"Baralai is here, too?" Kage raised an eyebrow. It was very rare that the two leaders met with each other, even after they had pledged a truce when Vegnagun was defeated. "That has to mean Gippal isn't far behind." The thought of seeing that particular Al Bhed excited her.
"Yes. They knew that you would bring the Earth warriors with you. There is much talking to be had. This way." Lucil began walking across the path with SG-1 behind.
"So who exactly are we going to see?" Daniel asked.
"The leaders of our world. As mentioned in Kilika, there are groups that rule Spira. New Yevon in which Baralai is the leader, the Youth League where Nooj leads, and the Machine Faction lead by Gippal," Kashoku explained.
"You didn't mention the last one," Daniel pointed out.
"That's because for the most part it is an Al Bhed run group. Not many outsiders are allowed in unless they are experts on machina," Kashoku said.
"Like me," Kage smirked.
"You are actually friends with someone?" O'Neill asked in shock.
"Hey, Rikku is really the only Al Bhed I hate. The rest I can at least tolerate," Kage pointed out.
Kashoku shook her head. That was a flat out lie. The only Al Bhed Kage actually liked was Gippal. That was the main reason she had joined the Machine Faction in the first place. Those two were one in the same. Deceitful in all ways, shapes, and forms.
There was no missing the arrival to the Youth League headquarters. A large yellow tent with several others surrounding it and the bustle of people said it all. Gathered together in the near distance were three men talking amongst themselves.
The one in red with what appeared to be an injured leg spotted them first. "Ah, I wondered how long it would take you to get here." Using his crutch he wobbled his way over to SG-1, Kashoku, and Kage while dismissing Lucil. "I am Nooj of the Youth League."
"Baralai of New Yevon," the one with silver hair politely said.
"Gippal of the Machine Faction!" The blonde grinned. He spotted Kage and began to laugh. "Well, well, well. Look who finally decided to show her face on the surface. I had forgotten you were still even alive. How are things down there?"
Kage snorted, "Hell if I would know anymore. Go ask Shika if you really want to know."
"Well it's a good thing I don't," Gippal said.
Nooj gave the young leader a silencing look before turning his attention back to the group. "This has been an interesting last few days. Learning of this…Stargate…and that there are other worlds has been much to take in. Apparently not all that travel through this device are friendly, however."
"Actually, that is partly why we are here. We would like to propose an alliance between our two worlds to help each other when attacked by the Goa'uld or any other alien forces," Daniel said.
"And on what terms besides aid in battle?" Baralai questioned.
"Well, to share technology. Anything we discover on our travels to other planets we will share with you if you share your technology with us," Daniel said.
"Fair enough, I guess," Gippal shrugged.
"It is not your decision alone," Baralai said. "But I will agree to this. However, it will be difficult to find those that are willing to share the secrets of our technology with you, or that simply have the time."
Nooj laughed, "By the looks of it Kashoku has already began sharing with them, am I correct?"
Kashoku smiled nervously, "Well…yes. I was curious. I wanted to know more about them so in exchange I helped them retrieve a dress sphere."
"I have a formal document with me from our leaders if you would like to see that," Daniel said fumbling through his pack.
"No, it is alright. The first part of an alliance is trust. We trust that you will honor your word and you will need to trust that we shall honor ours," Nooj said. "I must apologize, but we really must cut this meeting short. There are more severe problems at hand."
"Looks like we've got some mako problems," Gippal sighed.
"I told you we'd run out!" Kage said.
"Hey! I never said we ran out," Gippal defended. "I just said that we were having problems with it. Shinra's extracting machine isn't working very well at the moment. For as much as he claims to be a genius his inventions aren't working so well. Dead souls have a mind of their own, you know?"
"He's young!" Kashoku mentioned.
"Are you kidding me?" Kage began. "That kid created the Comm Spheres and created dress sphere boards. Young or no, he should at least back up his claims."
"Either way, we won't be able to use the Mako Cannon if another attack comes until we can fix this problem," Gippal said.
"Damn. I was hoping we could get one of those," O'Neill pouted.
"I wish I could help out, but we have our own problems at the moment. I can give you the plans on how to build the machina but that's about it; which won't do much good," Gippal apologized.
"It's okay," Daniel began, "you've already offered much to us."
"Lucil will take you to the Machine Faction in Djose," Nooj bowed his head in farewell before turning his back to them along with the other two leaders.
"At least this trip is being fruitful," O'Neill said. "I think this is really our first big successful alliance."
"Do you not consider the alliances with the Jaffa and Tok'ra as being successful, O'Neill?" Teal'c asked.
"Don't get me wrong, Teal'c, the Jaffa have been a lot of help sometimes, but they are lacking in the ways of technology. And the Tok'ra… Just don't get me started."
Djose was not far and Lucil left them with little word. They brushed on by past the Machine Faction, Kage really not wanting to get held up even longer by having to deal with the Al Bhed. The sun was going down and the blue horizon was quickly turning red.
"Are we close by a lodge?" Daniel asked.
"Mmm sort of," Kashoku smiled. "We could have stayed back at the Machine Faction, but I really wanted to show you the Moonflow at night."
"Moonflow? Is it a river of some sort?" Carter asked.
"A river that is nothing more than another location of stupid eye candy. It has no purpose other than to be pretty. Well I'll tell you something," Kage said, "It ain't that pretty."
"Says you!" Kashoku frowned. "The river is just up ahead. Then we'll see who is right and who is wrong."
"Of course they'll side with you, Kashy! They have the entire time we've known them!" Kage said.
"Then I guess I'm right!" Kashoku stuck her tongue out and laughed.
"Whoa," O'Neill suddenly stopped as bright lights began to glow in the night sky ahead. "I'm guessing that would be it?"
"Sure is!" Kashoku grinned as they approached the water closer. Up close it could be seen that flowers in the bottom of the lake were emitting the lights. "Moonlilies. They contain pyreflies and release them throughout the day. Of course, they are most beautiful at night."
"Wow," Carter said in awe. Out of all the planets they had ever visited, this one by far had the most unique geography and the most beautiful locations. "I'd love to get one of these back to the lab."
"Yeah, yeah, whatever," Kage snorted. "They are about to have the last shoopuff crossing. If we want to sleep under a roof we better hurry up."
"Alright," Kashoku sighed. "You can actually get a nice view of the river from the top of the shoopuff."
"Dare I ask what that is?" O'Neill asked.
"That."
"All aboards ze shoopuff!" A frog looking creature shouted from atop a large elephant type animal with a curled nose.
"And the thing controlling it?" O'Neill enquired.
"A Hypello," Kashoku said. "Come on. Let's hurry up so we aren't left here for the night!"
The group climbed up onto the shoopuff's back and waited in the saddle box as the creature began the journey across the river. Kashoku leaned over the railing with Daniel next to her and pointed to the water below. "Look. You can see the sunken city all lit up."
"There's a city down there?" Daniel asked, shifting his glasses.
"Mm. Our first ancestors tried to build a city on the water, but as you can see it failed."
"Pretty dumb idea, if you ask me," Kage said.
"No one is asking you," O'Neill said. He barely dodged the fist that was thrown behind Kashoku's back.
"Interesting…" Daniel muttered. "Do you know anything about it?"
"No," Kashoku sighed. "No one has ever found any spheres that talked about it."
"That's probably because they sunk along with the city," Kage said.
"Then why don't they search underwater?" Carter asked.
"Are you kidding? The worst fiends are underwater! Only idiots would do that," Kage said. "I tried it once. It is not fun. Have you ever tried firing a gun underwater? It doesn't really work."
O'Neill nodded his head in understanding, "I guess I can see where that would pose a problem."
"Just a little one."
The ride was long enough to start putting some of the members to sleep, but not too long to not be enjoyable. All but Teal'c and Kage found themselves getting off the shoopuff somewhat lazily. There was a very short walk through the woods before they found themselves in a town that looked as if it were created from trees.
"Guadosalam," Kashoku sighed in relief. "The inn is right there. I'll be happy to show you around the village in the morning."
"Finally, some sleep," O'Neill groaned. He really was too old for this. At least in physical form.
"Kage, is it okay if I room with Kashoku?" Daniel asked as they headed towards their rooms.
"Absolutely not!" Kage shrieked.
"I didn't mean it like that!" Daniel said in his defense. "I just wanted to further talk to her about Spira! Besides, I really think that you and Teal'c would get along nicely."
"I would not mind," Teal'c agreed.
"NO!"
"Kage, please! Colonel O'Neill and Major Carter room together and I don't hear you complaining about them!" Kashoku argued.
"Because they aren't you!"
Kashoku rolled her eyes and grabbed Daniel. "I'll be happy to continue talking to you." Before Kage could stop them they were locked up safely in the room.
"That…that! Arg!" Kage grabbed Teal'c and dragged the Jaffa warrior into a room before slamming the door shut.
"Ha! That was one bold move, Danny boy!" O'Neill grinned.
"You don't think…" Carter began.
"Who cares? It wouldn't be the first time Daniel has shacked up with an alien. As long as it pisses Kage off I'm completely for it! Now let's hit the sack. I'm exhausted."
"Yes, sir," Carter smiled.
Kashoku removed her ear from the door as soon as she was sure that everyone had made their way into a room and smiled at Daniel. "You want to learn more about Spira?"
"Of course! As long as you aren't too tired," Daniel added.
"How about I show you more?" Kashoku grinned.
"Wait, we're going somewhere?"
"The Macalanian Woods."
"Macalania? Isn't that where..?"
"Where I was injured, yes." Kashoku smiled at Daniel eagerly. "So, are you up for it?"
"Yeah, of course. I'd love to see it, but… Shouldn't we get Jack and the others?"
"I'll show them Macalania tomorrow," Kashoku promised. "I'd actually prefer if it was just you and I tonight."
"Oh."
Fearing she had said something wrong by the look on his face she quickly added, "Macalania is its most beautiful at nighttime. No offense to your friends, but I thought you might appreciate it more. There's also the fact that I, well… I don't want Kage to ruin it for you," she admitted softly. "She's never liked Macalania and I'm already expecting all sorts of smart comments from her tomorrow when we go."
Daniel smiled in understanding. "Yeah, I know what that's like. When do you want to go?"
"Right now. Kage should still be too busy ranting to hear us leave, so we should be okay." Kashoku went to unlock the door, missing the look on Daniel's face as he imagined what would happen if the other woman caught them sneaking off. If she didn't outright kill him, the noise would no doubt draw Jack out and the man would never let him live it down.
Kashoku poked her head out and smiled after a few seconds of listening. "The coast is clear. Let's go."
"Right." As they passed Kage and Teal'c's room, Daniel winced at the sound of Kage's angry voice passed through the walls.
"I feel kind of bad for leaving your friend with her…" Kashoku said, noticing his look.
"Don't worry about it. Teal'c can hold his own pretty well. He should be alright. So, how far away are the woods?"
"Not far. Normally we'd have to pass through the Thunder Plains to get there, but since it's rather late I'll just get Wing to pick us up."
As they waited for the airship to arrive, Daniel took the time to get to know Kashoku a bit better without having to worry about Kage interrupting. Despite what he said to Jack, Daniel had found himself intrigued by the cheerful woman since they had first met. It had happened before on other planets with other kind women, but there was something about Kashoku that made her different. He wasn't sure what yet, but he was interested in finding out.
The conversation eventually shifted to the treaty after Wing was in place and they transported onto the bridge.
"Daniel, I know Gippal, Nooj, and Baralai already accepted the treaty, but what happens with it now?"
"Well… The SGC is going to have to return later to finalize it. This was more of a rough draft, really, to make sure that it was acceptable. There'll be another copy drafted that meets both our needs equally that everyone will have to sign… Unfortunately, those three's word of approval really won't cut it for the U.S. government."
"They don't trust us?"
"No, it's not that," Daniel said. "It's more like they don't trust anybody. Our government is ruled by politics, Kashoku. Having something signed and inked is like owning that person's soul. It's hard core proof that you agreed to honor all the points in an agreement, and if anyone tries to back out, the person on the other end of the agreement will hound the other until the day they die."
"I think all leaders become like that eventually…" Kashoku said sadly. "They may start out with good intentions, but slowly they become corrupted until nothing good comes from them."
"Well, there are always exceptions. SG-9 is personally going to make sure that Spira doesn't get taken advantage of, though," Daniel assured her.
Kashoku frowned slightly from the controls of Wing. "SG-9? You and you team won't be handling the treaty, Daniel?"
"Well, we're not actually a diplomatic team… I'll try to if you want, but I probably won't be available to visit as often as is necessary for this sort of thing…"
"I see." Kashoku looked down for a moment in disappointment before smiling at Daniel. "You will be visiting other planets, I take it?"
"Yeah. SG-1 is the flagship team for the SGC so we really don't have much time off."
"Do you encounter Goa'uld on your missions often?"
"It varies, actually. Sometimes we won't for months, but then sometimes we'll run into them on every single planet it seems like."
"Are there really that many?" Kashoku asked curiously.
Daniel nodded. "There are hundreds of Goa'uld throughout the galaxy… I don't think anyone but the Tok'ra know the exact amount though."
"How can you expect to win against them then?" Kashoku asked worried for the man and his team.
Daniel smiled. "Well, most of the Goa'uld don't pay us any attention, actually… They're too busy fighting themselves. It's really the System Lords that we have problems with. They know that we're a threat and they're willing to do something about it. As for how we deal with them… We just fight our battles as they come to us. It's all we really can do."
"I wish you luck in your battles then, Daniel," Kashoku said softly.
"Thank you."
The two lapsed into an easy silence until Kashoku called Daniel's attention to the large screen in the front of the bridge. "We're approaching Macalania now. I hope you like the view."
"Oh wow…"
Beside Daniel, Kashoku grinned as he caught his first aerial sight of the Macalanian Woods. "It's even better from the ground."
"Why am I not surprised?"
"Come on," Kashoku laughed, grabbing his hand. "I've already programmed Wing to land at the edge of the forest. Let's get down there!"
"Wait, we're not taking the transport sphere?" he asked as she pulled him away from the bridge and to the elevator.
"Nope! Transport spheres aren't the only way to get off of airships, Daniel; just the preferred way."
"We don't have to climb down a rope, do we?"
"No. I just figured we'd take the ramp down. We could still use the transport sphere if you'd prefer though…"
"No," Daniel said. "The ramp's okay."
The elevator doors opened to reveal the hull and the two stepped out as the ramp began lowering to the ground. "The trees are blue," Daniel breathed, staring out at the forest from the top of the ramp.
"Yes," Kashoku said a peaceful expression on her face. "I guess you didn't really have time to notice much the last time you were here."
"Beyond Jaffa and you getting shot, no, not much."
"Come on. There's someplace I want to show you," Kashoku said. She hesitated before grabbing his hand again, throwing him a nervous smile as she began to tug him down the ramp. "So you don't get lost."
"In a place like this, I might just," Daniel said, trying to stare at everything at once as they headed into the forest. "Kashoku, this is really amazing… I've never seen anything like this." Everything around him was blue and green; the trees, the ground, everything. There were clusters of bright blue crystals of various sizes jutting up from the ground all around the forest, lighting it up with an ethereal glow. Everything around him looked like it was sparkling.
"I'm glad," Kashoku said softly, clasping her hands in front of her as she watched him spin around to try and catch everything. "You've really never seen anything like Macalania? With all the planets you've been to?"
Daniel dragged his gaze away from a crystal that was as tall as he was and shook his head. "No. Well, actually, there was a planet where we saw crystals similar to these, but it was a desert planet and almost all of them had been destroyed by Jaffa for attacking them…"
"The crystals attacked the Jaffa?" Kashoku asked curiously.
"Yeah, they were actually intelligent beings in the form of crystals and – Actually, that's kind of a long story… You said you wanted to show me something?" Daniel changed the subject, feeling slightly nervous as Kashoku continued to watch him. For some reason, he kept feeling flustered when those brown eyes were on him.
Kashoku smiled brightly. "Yes. There's a lake a bit deeper in the forest that'll take your breath away," she said enthusiastically, starting off towards the right.
"Oh, it's already been taken…" Daniel murmured. Kashoku glanced back at him, not having caught his words, but Daniel was already looking around the forest again as he slowly followed her.
"It's just up ahead," Kashoku said, glancing back at Daniel.
Daniel pushed his glasses up on his nose as he looked around them curiously. "Do you hear that?"
"You'll have to specify," Kashoku said amused.
"That sound, all around us. It almost sounds like chimes, but… There. I just heard it again."
"Ah." Kashoku's face lit up as she smiled. "You're hearing the lake."
Daniel gave her a look of slight confusion. "The lake is making that noise?"
"Not exactly… You'll see when we get there," Kashoku told him. "Come on. We really are close." Kashoku held out her hand to him, a child-like eagerness on her face. "Let's hurry."
Daniel didn't hesitate for a moment as he took her hand and followed her. Something twinkling at the edge of his vision had him looking up as they neared a clearing and Daniel found himself staring at the many rising balls of white light.
"Kashoku, what-"
"Shh." Kashoku turned around to face Daniel, one elegant finger pressed gently to her lips. "We're here," she whispered. With a soft smile, she backed farther into the clearing and spun around. "What do you think?"
At her words, Daniel dragged his gaze away from her and finally took in the lake. Unlike the ones he had visited on Earth, the Macalanian lake's water remained still as glass, perfectly reflecting the glowing lights in the sky and around it in its crystal-like water. In the center stood a couple of the strange blue-green trees that populated the Woods, a single large glowing orange orb on each. Daniel wasn't sure, but he thought they might have been flowers if it was really petals that surrounded the orbs. Considering what he had already seen on Spira, he didn't think anything would surprise him anymore.
"It's amazing…" he breathed, turning back to face Kashoku.
"I'm glad you like it," she said. The emotion in her eyes alone told Daniel she really meant it.
"Kashoku… If you don't mind me asking," Daniel spoke up when neither of them looked away, "Why… Why did it matter so much to you? I mean, I know you brought me along because Sam, Jack, and Teal'c aren't exactly into the exploring culture, but why did my opinion matter so much to you tonight?"
"I don't know," Kashoku said softly, turning away from Daniel as she stepped up to her ankles in the lake, not caring that the water was getting into her boots.
Daniel frowned, crossing his arms for a moment as he glanced at the ground. It was only for a second though before he shoved his hands into his pockets, only to pull them out again as he took a few steps towards Kashoku. "But there has to be more to it than that!" he insisted.
"Why?" Kashoku asked. "Why does there have to be more to it?"
"Because… Look, I don't really know, but you can't have made all the extra effort to get me out here without any interruptions for nothing. There's something more to this, I know it."
"I didn't bring you out here to attack you if that's what you're thinking," Kashoku sighed.
Daniel smiled slightly despite his confusion and frustration at the moment. "I never thought that, Kashoku… I would have brought my gear if I had. I just think that… There's something here, between us, that I can't really explain. There's an attraction, definitely, but there's also a sort of connection…" Daniel stepped into the lake and came around until he stood in front of Kashoku. "I'm thinking you felt it too and that's why you decided to bring me here in the middle of the night," he finished softly.
"Daniel, it wouldn't work," Kashoku stated. There was no sense in denying his words, as they were true. "We're from completely different planets and you've said it yourself that we'll rarely see one another – if we ever see one another again at all. Even with the treaty between our worlds, there's no way anything could come of this because you'd always be on missions to other worlds that aren't Spira." Kashoku closed her eyes, feeling frustrated by their rotten luck. Daniel hadn't been lying; there really did seem to be a connection between them and Kashoku found herself wishing they had the time together to develop it into something real, if it ever would have gone further.
"I wish we could, Daniel…," she continued softly, opening her eyes to stare into his own troubled blue ones. "I truly do, but there's not much of Spira left to cover and after you return to Earth, I doubt we'll see one another alone for more than a few seconds at best in the future. And by then you'll have already moved on," she finished, smiling sadly.
Daniel frowned, clearly torn between the truth and what he wanted. "Kashoku, I'm not sure if I can just walk away tonight and forget about this, and I'm not sure you can either…"
"We don't have a choice, Daniel…"
"Yes, we do," Daniel said eyes lightened as he reached out to take Kashoku's hand. "Let's not walk away tonight."
"Daniel..?" She knew what the man was suggesting. It wasn't as if she hadn't done it before, but one-night-stands weren't usually her thing. Nevertheless, when Daniel cupped her cheek gently and brought her face back to face his, a feeling of warmth she had never felt before filling her, Kashoku opened her eyes and nodded anyway. And it was she who leaned forward to initiate their first kiss, and who led them back onto the dry land where they laid down.
~*~
A few hours later, Daniel stirred awake as his watch beeped; still set to wake him up early as if he had been on the base. Turning it off quickly, he sat up and instantly became alert. "Oh boy…"
Beside him, Kashoku's lithe figure shifted, disturbed by his movements, and the Spiran woman opened her eyes. Daniel winced slightly as he deftly grabbed his glasses from the grass and placed them on his face again. The look on her face wasn't exactly the best one to see after a night like theirs. Thinking back, he winced again as he recalled exactly how their night had been. What the hell had he been thinking when he suggested that?
Kashoku didn't say a word to him as she quickly grabbed her clothes and dressed, moving a bit away from Daniel to do so. Sighing, Daniel followed suit and took another look at his watch. "We should get back," he said. "It's still night time at least, but I'm not sure when the sun will rise here… If we're lucky, no one will have noticed we've been gone." As Kashoku nodded quietly, Daniel sighed again, already regretting that those had been his first words to her. As if the air between them wasn't already awkward enough…
"We have less than an hour before Kage will be getting up," she said softly, still not looking at Daniel. "We need to hurry."
"Right…" Daniel followed after the brown haired woman without a word, but inside he was trying desperately to think of something to say to her. For all his skills as a linguist, and his ability to negotiate in tight spots, Daniel couldn't think of anything. He wanted to try to fix the relationship between them, but he wasn't entirely sure how. Daniel sighed, squeezing the bridge of his nose. If he had known a few hours ago what would happen if they acted on their feelings, he never would have suggested anything. Now he'd ruined the one good relationship he had on Spira. He should have listened to Kage when she'd told him to stay away from Kashoku.