NEW AUTHORS NOTE: 14/06/2018
Tweaked a bit here and there but nothing major from the original upload in 2009.
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Colour the world one smile at a time.
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Episode Ten: Joyce
Yugi snagged his belts, strapping his twin pistols back into their allocated around his waist. Sighing in relief at their presence he soothed back a hand through his hair, watching as Teal'c grabbed the gear belonging to the Colonel and Major, while Yami gathered together Daniels scattered bits and pieces.
It wasn't often he watched Yami knock out random people—no random aliens, he supposed, but he had to admit, the Pharaoh made short work of his task.
The two guards who had been unlucky enough to be guarding their gear lay sprawled out on the floor, groaning slightly.
Yami stalked towards them, slamming down a swell of shadows to crush them into the stone floor once more. Yugi winced at the cracking of their armour.
"Yami...did you have to do?" He whispered, feeling a small swell of guilt rise up in his gut.
"Best they stay down for awhile aibou." Callously Yami shrugged, taking his partners hand and swinging around to call out to Teal'c.
"Teal'c? Ready?"
"Indeed Pharaoh, I am prepared." The Jaffa warrior swung his staff-weapon around before him, a small smirk touching his usually placid lips.
Yugi gave a pout as the shadows began to swarm around them, Yami's blood red eyes glittering as his strength increased, the Puzzle's glow brightening from the Pharaoh calling upon the ancient tool.
"You two enjoy this far too much." The young man sighed heavily as they vanished, the shadows sending them spiralling forward as Yami navigated in a swift movement of his hand, as though brushing through a curtain.
They came into the light, landing in a run. Teal'c fired upon the first two noticeable guards waiting, cloaked in their natural armour. The blasts of the staff-weapon knocking them flat alerted more to rush around a corner.
Yami swung up a wall, running as he skipped passed fired splattered of hot black liquid, he grinned, spreading both hands and willing up a crushing blow of shadows, the gravity of the swell digging the enemy into the stone floor. He skidded, landing back upon the ground amongst the groaning ants.
"Guys, leave something for me to do!" Protesting as Yami grabbed his hand Yugi felt himself tugged forward, thrown into a giant antechamber. He gapped for a moment in awe at a the giant burning furnace rising high into a ceiling vanished in darkness. It burned with a raging fire, steam hissing and spitting as hot water was rushed through thousands of pipes surrounding it.
"Run aibou." He heard a shout, and ducked as a blast of hot black liquid was shot over his head, and he ran, dashing towards the Colonel as he and the Major hid behind a strange machine. Teal'c threw their weapons towards them, and the Colonel caught his own with grace.
"Thank God! I thought you guys would take forever. That Fulgor guys getting a good blasting, even if the Prince is trying to keep him away. Got the C4?" Jack offered with a shout.
"Yeah." Yugi shuffled around in his pack, pulling out the yellow squares of explosive. He passed them towards the Colonel who quickly began to place them in allocated spots upon the strange machine.
Yugi crouched, gulping back saliva in his throat. He winced visibility as the Puzzle around his neck burned, crisping his jacket.
"Yugi? Are you alright?" Sam touched his shoulder.
"Yeah," gasping Yugi released his chest, "Yami's just draining me. It'll be alright."
"Draining you?" Jack paused from strapping the C4 into place. He glanced around towards the young man kneeling upon the stone floor, gasping for air.
"I'll be fine." Yugi hissed, "Just hurry up." He shuffed around and joined Daniel as the archaeologist aimed random rounds into the attacking group firing upon them.
He heard a cracking and watched as Yami swelled up, hitting the stone floor in a sonic crunch of shadows, sending the approaching army of ants into a scatter.
"I wouldn't want to be a human when he does that." Daniel whispered and Yugi gave a small wince.
"I wouldn't want to be anything when he does it..." He glanced around, watching as the Colonel and Major finished, she held out a device, setting the timer.
"We're ready." She shouted.
Yugi nodded, focusing his mental thoughts firmly into Yami's mind.
\Yami! We're done! Lets go! We've got four minutes.\
\Coming.\
The Pharaoh vanished from the centre of the hall, reappearing beside them.
"Fulgor stays the second tunnel to the right. I'll cover you." The Pharaoh motioned.
Jack nodded, grabbing Daniel's arm and yanking the archaeologist after him. The Major followed, and Yugi took a singular look backwards as Teal'c shuffled around, quickly firing off another few blasts of his staff-weapon before catching up with him in three single strides of his long legs. They made a running dash through the commotion, following the Colonel towards a looming tunnel entrance. Yami lunged down from above, smashing the pile of waiting soldiers into the floor. The shadows rushed past them and Yugi staggered on his feet, clutching his racing heart as the Puzzle around his neck took another gulp-full of his life energy, supplying the Pharaoh with the open door into the Shadow Realm.
The continuous fire reigned down upon them from behind even as they rushed into the tunnel, the black liquid being blasted from the guns at an alarming speed splattering across them. Yugi winced as the hot liquid hit a wall beside him, showering him in freckles. The awful stench and burning feel on his body causing him to stumble again. Ahead Yami jerked around, his eyes widening.
"Aibou?"
Yugi held out his hands in front, painfully aware he was about to hit the floor with a thud but the impact never came. Instead he found himself in the air, one long arm wrapped under his waist. He looked up into Fulgor's face, stained with the carbon juice. His features set hard in rage as he flew, twirling down the passages and dropping Yugi into Yami's waiting arms.
"Quick, Acyilus has a boat waiting for us. This way." His wings blushed hot air around them as he took the lead, strain obvious in his shaking body.
"Sir, we've got another minute." Sam called out as they ran, her eyes on the watch on his wrist. Jack's face contorted in concern, glancing down the tunnel, watching as they where pursued.
"Thirty seconds." Sam shouted.
"We won't make it."
"Ten."
"Five."
Yami dropped Yugi, the young man landing hard upon the stone floor as the lord spun on his heels, throwing up his hands. A wall of shadows erupted from the ground, smashing into the ceiling above as the explosion rocketed through the tunnel, the raging fire flaring and consuming all that didn't hit the floor. Hitting the wall of shadows the force of containing it knocked Yami backwards, the Pharaoh rolled, skidding on his booted feet and realigning his hands, keeping them stretched out as the fire died away.
"Done." He grabbed Yugi again, even as the young man shouted in protest at the treatment done his to body. "Let's move."
"Heck Pharaoh," Jack gave a wave, "you are one handy guy to have around."
Fulgor's pace was difficult to keep up with, but rearmed with his colour gun the Joyce was enabled to smash colour into any resistance they came across as they sunk lower into the city, coming out of a dark tunnel into a small underground river where a small boat was waiting.
As quickly and quietly as possible they piled in, watching as Fulgor grabbed a paddle, passing one to Teal'c and together they rowed silently through the deep milky water. Yami settled back, his physical body raging in fire as he clasped Yugi tightly, centring all the shadow magic he had remaining upon shrouding their small raft from prying eyes as they escaped into a dim glow of sunlight breaking in through clouds surrounding a swampy sea.
Fulgor tilted his head up, the team following his movement as they gazed at what was a giant tree-stump rotting in the damp air.
Daniel whispered, "I feel really small..."
"No, I feel like a bug." Jack muttered, "this planet's forest must have been pretty damned big once upon a time if we're this small..."
"Amazing." The Major crawled over towards them, pulling out a small camera. "Just amazing."
"Yeah...you'd be the one to say that, hey," Jack brushed past her, feeling the boat tip slightly, "Pharaoh, is the kid alright? He said you where draining him?"
"He'll be fine." Yami opened his eyes, cradling the smaller to his chest, Yugi winced, shaking his head as he painfully moved, catching the Colonel gaze.
"I just need to rest," he smiled brilliantly, "don't worry, Yami would never go so far as to knock me out completely. Though, that was close," raising a hand Yugi for a moment appeared to be able to hit the lord hard on the chin but he collapsed in a heap, all strength escaping.
"I hate you!" The young man gave a long groan and Yami closed his eyes, settling back once more.
"The feelings mutual." He grumbled.
Jack rolled his eyes, giving a smirk as he checked his p90, turning to cast his gaze back at the enormous tree-stump, watching as smoke poured from the top of its hollow insides. Whatever they'd blown up had just caused a big problem.
He sure hoped that young Prince knew how to fix problems.
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A deep dark night had fallen by the time they reached the shore of the swamp-sea. The paddling had been rough, with each taking turns every hour, apart from Yugi, the young man having curled up tightly into a small ball after the Pharaoh had vanished back into the confines of his puzzle to regain some of the shadow magic he'd extended.
Daniel had been particularly worried, fussing like a mother-hen over the young man, but Sam's firm words had put the archaeologist into a shut-up mood and they managed to convince him that all the kid needed was a good night's rest.
Their alien friend had agreed after feeling for the young man's pulse. The creature had picked up the young man with amazing ease, and carried him off the boat, leading them through what appeared in the darkness, like trees, with a canopy far above them that hid the light of the giant gas planet that Sam had noticed hovering around the horizon like an enormous half-crested balloon.
Leading them a safe distance from the shore line, Fulgor had settled Yugi down upon a padding of grass, and lain down himself.
They discussed who would remain up for first watch, and then figured out from there the turns they'd take until morning. It wasn't long before Jack found himself sitting alone, the sound of sleep all around him. Everyone was exhausted.
He just hoped the General did not send through anymore teams after them when they turned up over-due for a check up. He had no idea where the Stargate was, nor if it was even possible to get there on foot. Right now, they were stuck in an alien world, with alien creatures.
Still, he mused to himself, fingering his p90, they'd been in worse situations.
At least, he was sure they had.
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He sensed movement nearby from where he lay. At first, it seemed he was back in his bedroom, feeling the light of a new dawn sprinkling across his cheeks from the slightly open blinds but if he was indeed within his room, then the feeling of being somewhat slightly damp wouldn't have been an issue.
As it was, his skin was wet and his uniform was damp. Carefully he dared to open his eyes, giving a faint moan as his body protested against the movement of his limbs. Memories trickled in like a bubbling brook, causing him to suddenly jolt upright with a start, realising the situation they had been in.
They'd escaped.
At least, he was sure they had.
Well, considering they where no longer underground, and now surrounded by a grove of what could have been trees if the trunks hadn't been green, they obviously had escaped. From somewhere above he heard laughter and glanced skyward, blinking as his eyes adjusted to the purple glow sparkling in through the canopy of giant flower peddles. He was under a mushroom, surrounded by soft grass and moist moss. Poking over the top of the fungi Fulgor's strangely shaped head was gazing at him with his large eyes, blinking in mirth.
"Good morning."
"Fulgor?"
"Good, you remember my name, that's a start. Now, how you feeling?"
"Like I got ran over by a semi trailer..."
"Whatever that is..."
"It moves and its big." Yugi groaned, "Where is the Colonel?"
He shifted, forcing himself to stand. The Millennium Puzzle around his neck bumped his chest and he felt Yami's sudden stirring from somewhere deep within the ancient items insides. The king swelled to life in a flicker of shadows, his physical form taking a far more drained appearance than usual. Yugi stared at it for a moment, releasing his partner was just managing to keep the body, then he collapsed against it in relief.
"Yami...I thought something..."
"It's alright little one, we're fine."
"Your group," Fulgor landed upon the grass with elegant ease, "is this way...here," he handed Yugi a pile of crushed up greens, "eat that, it's alright, the Daniel guy has already tried it and he quite liked it. It will give you back some strength. We've got to keep moving, my body is starting to freeze up with all this carbon juice on it. Much longer and it will start to become toxic."
Yugi bobbed his head, noting for the first time that the once vibrant colour Fulgor had been, an almost impossible orange and yellow, had faded, giving a grey, stained appearance.
For a moment Yugi gazed down at himself, releasing he too was stained with the same liquid that had been fired at them the day before. He'd become use to the smell, but it was still foul, and the feeling of it coating his skin was unnatural as if it blocked his pores, giving his skin little ability to breath. If it was toxic to Fulgor he wondered what it was doing to him—or the others?
The rest of the team suffered the same affliction, and he felt instantly sorry for Sam as she shrugged to rid her hair of the gunk. He didn't want to know how his own hair was faring, so he decided to leave that subject alone.
"Hey, kid, Pharaoh...heck, you both look horrible." Jack turned as they approached.
"So do you." Yami muttered drily, "So don't mention it."
"Ah," the Colonel whistled, "your mood had not improved over night I see."
"No."
"Yami, enough." Yugi's firm gaze caught the Pharaoh and the lord submitted under the tender eyes, causing Jack to fight of a smile at the interaction between spirit and host.
He loved the fleeting glances that often passed between the dead and alive, how natural their inhuman interaction was. The team had begun to notice the signs of their mental communication, to the point that it was beginning to fit into their plans, having Yami in once place, meant you also had Yugi, and having Yugi in one place, meant you also had Yami. It was a two for one deal, and he was fine with that.
Fulgor gave his body a shake over, the sound of his plated armour rattling through the forest of flowers.
Seriously, none of them had been overly surprised to wake up in a forest made of looming giant flowers. The surface he walked upon was not grass, but moss, enormous mounds of moss, and Fulgor kept steering him away from things he presumed were dangerous. The colours were a nice change, creating splashing hues all around, reflecting the sunlight from the distant sun hidden behind the looming gas giant that always caught the horizon.
Sam had theories, when didn't she.
Jack shook his head as they started to walk in silence through the grove of ever changing plant-life. The smell was fresh, it tasted sweet to his tongue, and he could drink in the dampness of the air like water. Everything was dribbling with the sensation of being alive, he wished suddenly that earth had retained more of is wondrous forests full of green, lush, alive life.
This entire planet was beating with a heart.
A large water droplet splashed down in front of him. Jack paused as Fulgor dropped, gathering up the water in the palms of his hands and gulping it down, the Joyce then rubbed it over his face, scratching at his plated armour in despair from the toxic covering that coated him.
"You going to be alright?" Daniel broke out, offering a hand to their alien guide.
Spinning his large, flickering eyes in the direction of the archaeologist the alien slowly nodded, "The sooner I'm home the better."
Suddenly every head jerked.
Yugi's voice went up a notch as the young man threw his arms wide in sudden glee.
"Oh my gosh," Yugi squealed, causing Yami to wince painfully as the young man dashed through the grove of flowers, he laughed, folding his arms around the stem of a looming daffodil.
"I love daffodils."
"Yugi," The Colonel bellowed, "try to act like a male once in awhile! You know, with lots of maleness and manliness. Your freaking voice was like a two-year old girl on a sugar-high."
"Shut up sir!" Yugi returned the call, trying hard to pull himself up the stem of the giant flower.
"Oh yeah, he's a Joyce alright." Fulgor laughed, clapping an arm around Yami's shoulder, "you're a strange lot, I've never seen creatures like you. Your skin's all soft and swishy."
"Our skeleton's in the inside of our bodies." Sam offered, "Yours is on the outside."
"Skeletons hey, you'll love to talk to Papa. Come on, the Great Flower's were we're heading." He pointed through the coloured canopy of flower tops. Jack titled his head back, shielding his eyes from the glare of the sun. He whistled at the sight of the looming flower towering like a sky-scraper high into the clear blue sky. It had coved itself into a cone shape, with visible windows and arches cut into the green stem and soft pink petals.
"It's a city?" He asked.
"Yeah, it is. Its Flower City, very original name, the founders fault apparently." Fulgor grinned, "but it also houses our most prized treasure; the treasure that gives us our colour."
"It's beautiful." Yami smiled, breathing in deeply, "kind of reminds me of the Pyramids when they had their marble covering on them...its not a real flower is it?"
"Nah," Fulgor laughed, "its built, took almost fifty rotations...according to the archives. Originally," he pointed across the colour filled horizon, "our civilisation lived over there, the old ruins of the city are still around, I'll take you later if you like, but the Yuks are ground dwellers, their attacks drove our ancestors to consider something above ground."
"Ah," Jack nodded, "that explains it. So you guys are divided by more than just colours."
"Indeed." Fulgor nodded, he twisted slightly as they heard a squeak and Yugi took a tumble down from the daffodil he was trying to conquer. Yami's eyes flared suddenly, his hand flinging out, catching his partner a meter above the ground in a swell of shadows.
"Aibou!" The Pharaoh shouted, "Careful!"
"Sorry, I lost my grip." Yugi whined, frowning at the floating sensation around him as he was slowly settled back upon solid ground. He watched as Yami stomped over, the shadows returning to their lord and master.
"Why are you climbing it in the first place aibou."
"I wanted a better view. This place is just fantastic!"
The Colonel snorted a laugh, passing by and clapping Yami's back firmly, "I pity you Pharaoh, I have no idea how you live with the kid."
"We're the same person, I don't have a choice."
"I just got the better looks." Yugi kicked him sharply in the shins, "you where left with all the grumbling, sourness."
"I am not grumbling." The Pharaoh protested with a royal snort.
"Oh, sorry, what did you say, I couldn't hear you." Yugi pelted in a swift dash, laughing as Yami's hand near caught his shoulder in his mad rush to flee, squealing as he caught the Major, ducking behind her for protection.
She sighed, "Yugi, you make these off-world missions such a delight."
"Thanks."
"And your Pharaoh makes life so much easier." Jack motioned with a wave of his hand, "even Teal'c loves him."
The silent Jaffa raised an eyebrow, glancing to the Pharaoh who gave a snort, begging the heavens with his red eyes for peace.
"I honour the lord, that is all Colonel O'Neill. He is of great importance."
"Teal'c," Yugi's voice called out from behind the Major, "he doesn't need any more ego boosting than he already has...please..."
"Aibou," Yami gave a sigh, "I'm counting to ten..."
"Oh crud. Major, run!"
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The height of the flower city put to shame the highest building on earth. Yugi felt like he was climbing Mt. Everest. It towered above all else, reaching high into the freckled clouds that lingered in the moist air. They'd been lifted upwards by a platform that Fulgor had manipulated with ease. Even as it climbed higher and the wind began to pick up, the awing sight of the world stretching out before them took away all horror of the height.
The land of the Joyces was an expansive mass of colour stretching far into the horizon. Layers upon layers of different species of plant life, flowers and trees ignited the world, running up the mountains that surrounded them to the east. Other smaller flower cities where visible, smaller than the enormous one they were now travelling up to, but of the same shape and had to be where the Joyces resided.
Daniel sneezed.
"Oh blast," he coughed, "my allergies." He ruffled around for a tissue as Jack glared down at him with a sour look.
"Geek." He grumbled.
Yugi sighed, "Leave up to you both to ruin the moment."
"What moment?" Jack blinked at the young man.
Yugi rolled his purple eyes, waving at their leader to leave the question hanging. If the Colonel was not going to enjoy the moment of being in a completely alien civilisation, then that was fine. Smiling Yugi breathed in the air, filled with the amazing scents of perfumes.
"This..." He titled his head, feeling the wind pick at his strands of tainted hair, "is total paradise."
"To that," he sensed Yami behind him, "I agree."
Fulgor settled the leaf they stood upon down upon a platform, and all around small buzzing bees kissed the air, pulling at Fulgor and aiding them to descend carefully.
Words passed between Fulgor and the creatures around them, for the swarm suddenly took off in a swell, leaving only a few behind to tend to the leaf, strapping it down.
"I wonder what kind of technology this is. Anti-gravity?" The Major mused, "Teal'c? Have you seen this kind of stuff before?"
"No." The Jaffa Warrior shook his head, but his fleeting gaze rested upon the Pharaoh for a brief moment, and the lord gave a single, small shake of his head. "No, I have not Major Carter."
"Hmm," Sam shrugged, "well...it's not coming up on my screen as any kind of power source. Whatever it is, its natural."
"Hey, guys..." Fulgor was waving from where he stood under the shade of an open arch, "this way. Careful, don't fall off when you walk over here."
"That's really good advice." Yami shot back to the team as he wandered easily towards the alien, "don't fall off, because I am not sure I'm in the mood for catching idiots."
"Really," Jack hissed aside to Yugi as they followed the ancient lord, "is it just me or is his mood getting worse."
Yugi shrugged, "he's living on drained energy, just...don't say something smart-ass at him, I can't grantee I'll be quick enough to stop him."
"Okay..." Jack whistled softly, "keep away from the Pharaoh."
Fulgor's walking pace had defiantly slowed; in fact, the Joyce was almost looking as though he was in agonising pain and Yugi was in half the mind to rush to him and offer his own shoulder but thought better of it. Though alien, Fuglor came across as one of those young men who tried to do everything himself, whether it hurt or not. He had an ego, and offering a shoulder would possibly crack it.
His worry for their alien friend gnawed enough in his gut for him to forget about where they were and the beauty of their new surroundings.
"Head's up," Fulgor muttered suddenly, lifting his head towards the Colonel, as a bee rushed passed them, delivering a swift message to the Joyce warrior, "it's my sister."
"Sister?" Jack perked up and eyebrow. They stalled for a moment in their stroll as a high pitched voice called out through the open hallway.
A butterfly appeared through an arch. Fulgor grinned, giving a motion of his hand. "My sister."
"Where have you been Fulgor, two nights Fulgor, and no word!?" The butterfly swelled towards them and Yugi breathed in sharply at the sight of the shimmering purple wings fluttering swiftly through the air. She was elegant, with a dress belled out over her armoured body and he instinctively knew he never wanted to meet her when she was angry. The glare in her eyes revealed something strong and defiant. She'd grown up amongst a war between two divided factions.
"Oh, hey sis. The Yuks found me when I was out picking up that pollen for you, I'm sorry, they kind of stamped all over the desert flowers, threw my pack away and dragged me off. These guys got caught up in the fight. Where is Pa? I want to tell him they came through that big round arch thing in the wastes."
She apparently, was not listening.
The team watched as Fulgor sighed, rubbing his armour as the female burst into a rant.
"You know one day Acylius isn't going to be able to pull you out of there. You're going to get yourself killed!"
"Yeah, because one day he's going to be King and he won't have to, Aelia."
"His mother is not on her death bed or anything, for all we know, she could live longer yet."
"Acyilus is just going to have to come to terms with the fact that he needs to make his move...he can't claim that throne just by waiting for her to cark it. Plus, Lord Krabo in all his mightiness might someday get a brain and try to actually have him murdered so he can take the throne."
The butterflies face darkened, "Don't say that Fulgor."
"Sorry sis." Suddenly giving a reproached look, Fulgor glanced behind him at the team, he motioned with a hand, "Ah, sis...these guys helped get me out. Like I said, where is Pa, he really should meet them?"
"This way," she gave a wave in the direction of the SG team, "I believe he was studying again." Her wings fluttered, lifting her off the ground with ease and carrying her through the air, down the corridor.
Fulgor did not spread his own wings, and Yugi furrowed his brow in concern, noticing even more colour had faded from their alien friends beautiful armour. Why hadn't his sister inquired about it? Was it normal? Or was she far too preoccupied to notice.
The corridors of the flower city where riddled with amazing holes and rooms, aliens that they passed by appeared to be from a verity of different kinds of bug like beings, each busily rushing around like clock-work. Worried looks where passed their way, like fleeting glances of people quite unsure of what they were seeing.
Soon they entered into what seemed like a private area, for the hallways became empty, and the sound of beating wings and muffled voices died away.
The butterfly, Aelia twirled around a corner and they followed, coming up directly in front of a slowly walking, aged butterfly. Thought their colouring was different, the older male having a soft creamy suite of armour, layered in shimmering textures of royal markings, with wings tinted brown and a freckle of yellow, he was obviously the father to the beautiful female that landed upon the floor in a graceful swell of her dress.
"Father?" She called out, quite loudly as though the male muttering to himself was deaf.
He didn't appear to be, for his face contorted in annoyance at the treatment as though she did it to him often enough for it to make some strain in their relationship.
"Aelia," the aging bug sighed heavily, looking up from the books he bore in his long, spindled arms, "please stop-."
The beautiful large eyes of the weary and worn old man widened in their brilliance at the sight he was beholding him.
"Oh holy Prism!" The Great Pyro dropped the books in his arms, stepping back a pace as he breathed in sharply, the movement obvious as his armoured chest shifted slightly, the milky underskin flexing.
"Humans! Fulgor, were did you find them!" He blurted out in a raspy voice.
"Um...out in the wastes Pa, they came through the big circle thing. The Yuks kind of ambushed me-."
"The Yuks, my goodness boy, have you any idea...what if Queen Bakrakra got hold of them...or worse, she could have killed them. Humans, in my life time too...this is..."
"Dad...did you remember to take your medication-."
"Aelia! Don't patronise me." The aging butterfly strolled forward, holding out one of his hand's to Jack and the Colonel reached for it, carefully shaking it as he considered what could possibly be holding the kindly old bug together other than his outer skeleton. He had a young appearance in the sense there were no wrinkles upon his face, nor did he slouch or give the impression he was weak, but the age was defiantly there. In the crescent shaped spectacles perched upon the tip of his rounded snout and his movements were carefully planned as if it took effort for him to make the steps.
"Greetings human, I am the Great Pryo, leader of the Joyces."
"Colonel Jack O'Neill, of Earth."
"You know about us?" Yugi stepped forward, "how do you know?"
The butterfly chuckled, tipping his head to one side and gazing at the young man. Yugi blushed from the careful eyes that studied him.
"Ancient writings, I read. My two children could learn a lot from their father if they both decided to shut up and listen for once."
"You have a library?" Daniel's interest perked up and Yugi snuffled a giggle as the archaeologist's eyes gleamed.
"Ah, a kindred spirit." The Pryo chuckled, folding his lean arms across his chest, the armour clinking together in a singing sound.
"You bet." Daniel flashed a smile.
"Well, I'll take you there if you wish, but later, young one, all of your are covered in carbon-juice from head to toe! Aeila, you should have rushed them off to the spring immediately, who knows what carbon-juice could do to a flesh-life." Reaching out as he walked past the Great Pyro snagged Fulgor's hand, dragging him down the corridor, "And you, young man, are filthily. How many times have I told you not to take direct hits, your wings will get damaged, or worse, the carbon-juice will seep through your armour and you'll be contaminated!"
"Pa, I know."
"Don't interrupt me when I'm speaking to you."
Yugi smirked, glancing up at Yami before sliding his fingers between the Pharaoh's, "Remind you of someone."
"Grandfather."
"Yeah."
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"You blew up the Krud-o-Pod?"
The young female butterfly, despite how pretty she was, had a voice he never wanted to have yell at him. Yugi winced as it squeaked out, and he forced down a laugh as Jack twirled a finger around his ear, indicating insanity on the alien's behalf.
"It was the Princes idea." Yami offered, throwing the words back at her, "bring it up with him, he is your betrothed after all. A very, very interesting, enlightening fellow. I wish you both well on your path...you have a difficult road to walk..."
"Yes," she seemed to quieten down for a moment.
"Well, I for one," Fulgor snorted, still be dragged along by the Great Pyro who had not released his adopted son's hand, "am grateful it's gone. That 'thing' won't ever be able to brain wash me again."
"Now, now Fulgor, careful...we're almost to the spring, the sooner you get that carbon juice off you, the better you're going to feel. Just quieten down, my child...Aelia, do me a favour and don't spur your bother on at the moment. He is in a delicate state."
"Yes Father." She nodded.
Were they where was still in a private area, a place that must have been considered holy, or by chance it was the royal chambers to the royal family that they must have been. Certainly the Great Pryo acted lordly enough, in a grandfatherly manner, and Fuglor defiantly had the grace of a prince when he tried but it was Aelia that had the slightly snotty upbringing of a princess.
"We're almost there," the Pryo called back in his weak voice, "I'm so sorry, all of you, that your first experience amongst us was a race was to be thrown into a prison and covered in carbon juice."
"Hey," Jack gave a shrug, "we've had worse welcoming. Trust me...this is...kind of normal for us. We're explorers you see, so, step through the Stargate and we have to expect something."
"Stargate, so..." The Pryo paused before a looming double doorway, its arch reaching high above them, the ebony coloured surface riddled with intricate carvings of a story that played out in pictures.
Daniel and Yugi both gaped, grinning from ear to ear as they scanned the pictographs with interest, taking note of a Stargate like structure hidden somewhere within.
"That is what you're calling the arch. How interesting. I've never bothered working out how to use it, considering its out in the wastes...can it be moved? We never tried?"
"Yes it can be moved," Sam offered, "our own Stargate has been moved on occasions."
"Interesting," the Pryo grinned, "maybe it is time it was shifted to a...safer place."
"Pa, can we just...go in, I'm getting really itchy." Fuglor was beginning to squirm, a pained expression across his face. In that moment even the young female butterfly fluttered towards him, carefully laying her hand tenderly upon his armoured shoulder. The Pryo turned towards them, his eyes igniting.
"This is our treasure, it is helps us create our colours. It is our source of power, and our source of life."
The Major's knuckles turned white with excitement as the large double doors where eased open, only needing a small gap to be cracked for them to get through. They started to move towards the hall that was behind the amazing structures but a voice stalled everyone's steps.
"Aibou," Yami called out, causing Yugi to jerk around in surprise at finding the pharaoh was no longer at his side.
"Yami?" He stared back at where the Pharaoh remained, standing a fair distance from the slightly open door. "What are you doing?"
"I can go no further aibou, whatever is in that room, I cannot go near."
"What?" Yugi frowned, looking towards the Pryo, "What is in that room?"
"I imagine the answer you'd be looking for, is light." The aging butterfly raised an eyebrow, "your partner cannot enter, for there is only light therein. If he was to face the Great Prism, I am unsure of what would transpire."
"It's alright aibou, I'll just say here." Yami smiled, giving him a wave, "you go in, you are light, therefore it is made for you."
"I don't like leaving you-."
"Come on kid, he's the Pharaoh, what's gonna happen to him, he can even fly, so he can't fall off the giant flower..." Jack cracked a grin, touching the young man's shoulder and pulling him forward.
"I suppose. Yami...stay out of trouble."
"I'm just going to stand here aibou, it's not like trouble comes to me."
It was Teal'c who snorted at that comment, causing Yami to glare in the direction of the Jaffa Warrior.
Slipping through the crack in the giant door, they entered into a looming hall, windows opening free into the sunlight outside, revealing in a panorama of Joyce land. Yet the view was nothing compared to what stood in the centre of the round, pillared hall of sparkling colours rippling over the walls.
It was lifted high on a pedestal, floating as though gravity meant nothing to it, twirling out shines of brilliant colours as it bathed a fountain of water in the cascading ripples of rainbow droplets. It was squared, with carvings engraved into its smooth surface, the same cravings, Yugi noted off-handily, that where carved into the Great Pryo's armour, and into Fulgors, and Aelias, confirming further that they were, indeed, the Joyce's form of royalty.
The air smelt full of sweet scents, kissing at his cheeks as the sparkling water splashed up, catching him off guard from its cool spray that littered the floor.
It was light.
Yami was right, the Pharaoh could not, under any circumstances, come near the beautiful, radiant cube as it spiralled out the rays of shimmering colour across the hall.
"This," the Pryo's voice spoke out softly as he lead Fulgor to the side of the pond under the pedestal, "is the great Prism." The leader turned his head towards them, giving them a wave, "it gave us colour, and we, in turn, give it a reason to shine."
"Its...beautiful." Sam whispered, her tech-tools forgotten, all thoughts of trying to figure out the technology dashed aside as they stood mesmerised by the slowly turning prism.
"Each of you will wash in its spring," the Pryo continued, it will take awhile, for you're covered in carbon-juice and all of it will have to come out, even out of your clothing. We don't want you getting any more contaminated than you already are."
"A bath." Yugi sniffed at his clothing, "that really goes down well with me."
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He'd never felt more refreshed in his life.
After washing alone in the spring connected to the majestic prism he'd been given clothing. A long white robe, tinted with a range of amazing colours when he moved. It felt like silk to his skin as he draped it over his limbs. Gone was the muck and painful carbon juice that had plagued him. He was left feeling light headed and baptised in colour.
Padding with bare feet out into the corridor Yugi paused, feeling a cool breeze brush past him from the open windows of the flower city. Yami was waiting him, he saw the Pharaoh, whose dark shadow was so out of place amongst the beautiful light surrounding them. He stood beside an arch, gazing out across the running fields of green and flowers. The Pharaoh had also changed, now appearing in a robe, a replica of the one he'd just put on. No doubt to fit in amongst the Joyces. From across their link he could sense apprehension, a tiny bit of embarrassment radiating from his usually calm and collected partner. Carefully Yugi approached his other half, smiling when the Pharaoh turned to look at him.
"Good bath?"
"The best I've ever had in my entire life!"
"The Pryo told me to meet him in a hall," Yami pointed, "dinner is being served. The others are awaiting us."
Yugi nodded, linking his arm with the Pharaoh's and clinging to him tightly as they passed by the awing heights of the great city. Outside creatures buzzed in activity, moving in the wind, bringing in pollen, food supplies. He could imagine the work they had to do to keep their beautiful world ever-green and ever alive with its coloured glory; all the while keeping their borders safe from invasion. Yami brought him to double doors and eased them open, they stepped into a twilight bathed hall and Yugi cracked a grin, sighting the others around a table. They too had each changed into new robes, all their old gear being washed in the Prism's water to be freed of the carbon juices they'd been sprayed in. Out of all of them, he was sure only Jack looked out of place in his robe, and only the Major truthfully suited her hazy blue gown. He had to admit, there were times when she shone, and with some hope, the Colonel would notice it.
"Ah, Yugi," the Pyro assured him inwards, "come join us. We are about to begin evening meal."
"Thank you." Yugi beamed, giving Yami's hand a tug and together they seated themselves upon cushions laid out upon the floor. The table was spread with an array of interesting looking food, all he saw looked like vegetables and it truthfully shouldn't have come as a surprise.
The Pyro raised his hands to the clear sky shining through the ceiling above them, "great maker of the light, thank you for bringing Fulgor home safely, and for the presence of new friends. Bless this meal."
"Brilliant, let's eat!" Fulgor made a mad dived for a plate, and beside him Aelia clicked her tongue in distain at his manners.
Dinner, for a time was mostly eaten in silence, the team to hungry to bother with small-talk. Considering they'd missed a couple actual meals it was no surprise.
"Well," Daniel broke the silence, "thank you for your hospitality."
The Pryo gave a small laugh, "it's quite alright, having humans at my table is an event I've often thought about. I am sorry, again, that you had to face the Yuks your first time here. Tonight, I will journey out to the wastes with a group of our extractors and remove the Arch, no sorry, the Stargate. I think I've read enough on it to be able to figure out that the..." he moved his hands in a cercle, "device with it is also important."
Sam nodded, "that would be the dial home device, yes...you need it to dial the Stargate. Inside is a-."
"Crystal," The Pryo nodded, breaking off her sentence, "which powers the device, yes...I know."
Sam smiled, placing down her plate, "you...you're all a lot more intelligent than you come across."
"What you see," the Pryo spread his hands wide, "around you is a covering."
"Like your armour." Sam smiled.
The Pryo laughed. "I suppose so."
"Yet the Yuks," Daniel shuffled forward from where he sat on his large cushion, "don't seem as advanced as you?"
"They do not have the Great Prism," Fuglor muttered through a mouthful. The Joyces vibrant yellow and orange colouring had finally returned after a bathing in the fountain of the Prism, yet patches of pale colour still remained splotched here and there.
"They are stilled in their technological growth because they refuse to open up to other ideas. We have come a lot further then they have simply because we devote ourselves to a peaceful living, not war. One must have an open mind to be enabled to see new possibilities."
"The Yuks have no idea." Fulgor snorted, "What we're capable of."
"And hopefully they won't ever know." The Pryo shot his son a glare. "We let them live in their ignorance for their own safety."
"Couldn't you learn to get along? I mean, obviously they need wood to fuel their city, and you need pollen to fuel your technology." Sam offered, "On earth we too have had to learn to get along with people who wish to preserve nature. We've had to plant groves of trees that are grown just to be cut down, instead of cutting down the naturally grown forests."
"You could offer to teach them to grow their own flowers?" Daniel added.
The Pryo shook his head, holding out a hand to stall Fulgor's retort.
"You must all understand, we have offered such alliances to the Yuk's before and they have refused. They are a warring nation, brought up to fight, even amongst themselves. Fulgor is of their stock, thus he is far more inclined to rage, and abashed decisions."
"Pa!" Fulgor hissed and the Pryo shrugged, touching his shoulder, "you know this to be true my son. Even your father admitted it to you. Yuk's are born with an inward desire to conquer...it too, still lives within the Joyces hearts but we have learnt, over time, to control this mannerism within us. We do not let it control us. Though at times, we do fail this task."
"As my friend Bakura once told me, 'our inward nature is often far more difficult to control once we have seen the light'." Yami titled his head up from the meal before him.
"He said that?" Yugi raised an eyebrow, glancing at the Pharaoh, "when?"
"One of our many discussions. He was speaking of our struggle to control our darkness, however, the same applies, does it not, Pryo?"
"Indeed, we are all born with a nature that wishes destruction, not of just our world, but the destruction of our souls through corruption. You," the butterfly pointed towards Yami, "know this more than anyone, though your partner does not." The Pryo turned to Yugi with a small smile and the young man blushed, finding the aging butterfly's strange, knowledgeable stare unnerving.
"You, child, will find a time when you will be forced to make a decision."
"A decision..." Yugi whispered, "what kind of decision?" Daring to look towards the Colonel, Yugi gulped, noticing his commander officer was leaning forward, listening intensely, along with the rest of the team.
"A decision that will call on you to not follow your selfish, inward impulse, instead, one that will require you to put your natural nature aside."
"And you know this how?" Jack pounced.
"Simple," the Pryo threaded his fingers together, leaning back slightly, "we are not ignorant of the world outside our own. I know of the Goa'uld...they have come here before, but we are incompatible with their kind, we wouldn't make very good hosts," he tapped his head, a loud clipping sound echoing through the hall, "also, our world is far too small for them to bother with."
"You're right," Sam offered, "this is a small moon circling a large gas giant..." she pointed to the horizon out side a window, showing a faint outline of a giant globe cresting the sky. It was a soft purple haze, unlike Jupiter's bright oranges, but its swells of storms could be just seen.
"So, the Goa'uld have left you guys alone?"
"Oh, I wouldn't say that...we've been bothered by them," Fulgor snorted, "but lets just say, we've discouraged their visits with a few good, well aimed shots from our canons-."
"You guys have weapons! Space guns."
"We have ships also, Colonel," the Pryo laughed aloud, "you do not see them...they are not easy to spot when coloured the same hue as the sky...they are used only for defence, never offence. Like I said, we are not a warring people, but war comes to us, quite often. One day Fulgor will take my place as Pyro and hopefully Aelia and Acyilus will be able to bring about a new age to the Yuks."
"Wait, but Acyilus is a Yuk? How is he different from the others?"
"He is a Joyce at heart." The Pryo chuckled. "That is what counts; it is why he can use his wings. He was born again into a new kind of existence. As a child he knew there was something more outside of his own dark and damp world, he searched for it and found it."
"But he's not colourful?"
"What is colour?" The Pyro thinned his lips, pointing a thin finger to Jack, then to Teal'c, and then towards Yami, "You have colours also? It is not the colour that makes us, but the soul inside. I am sure, one day, the Prince will find his colours, just as my daughter will find a clamp for her tongue, and my son will discover there is more to life than war."
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The night time was cool, but not so cool that it was chilly, it was pleasant coolness that tickled his bare toes as the soft wind through the window of his room brushed past. Another night under the stars of a distant planet, he really couldn't have wished for a more wonderful experience in his life. Carefully Yugi padded out onto the balcony, breathing in deeply the beautiful scents upon the air. Even at night, the fields of flowers below glowed in a heavily radiance of colour, cast by the ever present shine of the gas giant in the sky, clearing half the horizon.
\Aibou? Cannot sleep?\
\This place...\ Yugi whispered mentally in reply to Yami's thoughtful inquiry, \is so breath-taking...this is what makes travel worth it Yami. This is what makes the Stargate a good thing!\
\I believe so too little one.\
Yugi closed his eyes for a moment as he sensed Yami's arms folding around his shoulders, pulling him gently into the soft cotton of the Pharaoh's robe. Even then, the clothing was tainted with the usual smell of mummification oils and herbs. A scent he'd become so accustomed to over the years.
\Yami...\ Yugi glanced up, tipping his head back to look into the Pharaoh's face above his own.
\Yes?\
\What do you think the Pyro meant when he said I'll have to make a decision?\
\I am unsure aibou, it troubles me, you, of all people, I would consider to be the least selfish person in the universe...\
\You sure about that? I think I am very selfish.\ Yugi glanced away, turning his attention to the stars, \I asked you to stay, that was a selfish impulse.\
\It was my choice aibou. I would be nothing without you, you eventually would have had to have returned to me and I for one, liked having my lighter half separate from my dark. It may seem odd to have a split soul but...I would have it no other way.\
Yugi gave a small smile, tilting his head up to look into the Pharaoh's face, his usually dark skin shimmering the strange over-light of the gas giant's glow.
"When did you get taller than me?" He mused aloud; reaching up to touch the lords cheek and hold it firmly.
"I have no idea aibou." Relishing in the tactile touch Yami chuckled, before sinking into a deeper train of thought. "Yugi, do you regret what I did?"
"What do you mean?" Yugi raised an eyebrow in confusion, "what did you do?"
"As a Pharaoh, when I sealed the shadows with own soul, I created you and I made you live a life that was a lie until you solved the Puzzle. You must have had dreams and aspirations-." He flinched as Yugi's fingers touched his lips; the young man gave a heavy shake of his head, sighing loudly before smiling.
"Yami, how can I regret existing? Yes I had never imagined this to be my future, and you never factored into my childish fantasies, but that doesn't matter anymore, please...Yami, stop thinking that I'm going to regret my own existence. What you did as a Pharaoh saved humanity, and I, for one, thank you for that."
Slowly Yugi sunk to his knees, giving a smirk, "Pharaoh, you really need to rest"
Yami joined him on the floor, "I must return Puzzle, you are right...I am so tried." The lord's brow furrowed in confusion. He took a moment to shift, hoisting Yugi up into his arms and carting the young man towards the bed, he placed him on it, throwing the cover across him before kneeling down and sitting on the edge of the futon.
"Sleep, little light, tomorrow we adventure home."
Closing his eyes Yugi snuggled into the bed, smiling as he felt Yami's physical presence die away, the lord returning to his natural home, within the confines of the Puzzle. Rolling around the young man curled his body up.
Though he was on a strange and distant planet, surrounded by aliens, lying in the light of a gas-giant that never set, he fell into a peaceful, deep slumber of total and utter oblivion.
Life had never been more wonderful in that brief, singular moment between sleep and awake.
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He'd never seen the Stargate in a place better suited for its alien appearance. Overnight the Joyces had shifted it from the wastes into their city, where it now stood in a hall lined with pillars. The Pryo was rubbing at the dial home device, seeming to be cleaning off grime carried in from the wastes.
Yugi smiled, shaking his head in wonder. He glanced behind, watching as the Colonel strapped his G.D.O to his wrist, ready to type in their code that would tell Stargate Command to open the Iris. Unfortunately their uniforms where ruined.
Completely and utterly ruined by carbon juice, and no amount of washing was going to do anything about it. Therefore, SG1 stood in their cotton robes, each smirking at the other as they waited for the Pryo to finish his cleaning. The aged butterfly was muttering to himself, quite in his own little world.
"He's very, very excited about seeing it work," Fuglor wandered over, giving Yugi a smile, "Pa gets giddy about new things. Now that he knows it can work, he'll be lost reading about it for days."
"He's so much like my grandfather," Yugi gave a laugh, picking up his pack, "you sure its alright for us to keep these robes?"
"Yes," Fulgor nodded, "it's quite alright."
"They're so lovely." Yugi rubbed his fingers over the marital. He paused, a small smile covering across his face, "hey, Colonel...I'm proposing a bet."
"Sweet." The Colonel glanced around from where he watched Daniel starting to dial the dial home device, offering advice to the Pryo. "What you proposing kid?"
"If the General asks us what we're wearing first, I pay for drinks, if he asks where we've been first, you pay."
"You're on kid."