-2 days later-
Janet woke early, the butterflies dancing excitedly in her stomach. She knew she shouldn't be nervous; there was nothing to be nervous about. Yet, what she and Aerin had planned…the blood had never boiled in her so fiercely, so strongly.
This feeling had been building constantly during the past couple of days and she felt like she was going to explode if she didn't get a release soon. But, she knew she needed to be calm if she wanted to come out on top.
Janet took in a deep breath before sipping the falano in her mug. She had been sitting on her balcony for a few hours, since the sun rose, just enjoying the morning and trying to rein in her excitement.
A knock on the patio door drew Janet's gaze away from the view and she smiled as she spotted Sam standing in the doorway, a gentle smile on her face. "Good morning, Sam," Janet said softly.
Sam stepped out onto the balcony. "You look like you've been up for a while," Sam observed.
"Couldn't sleep," Janet said as she indicated the seat next to her.
Sam took the seat. "Any reason why?"
Janet smiled secretly. "Well, the exhibition match is today," Janet said, "I always get excited for that."
Sam missed the secrecy in Janet's smile. "Yeah, Nyla was telling me about it last night," Sam said, "She said the Mages always put on a good show."
The comment made Janet's smile broaden, but not for reasons known to Sam. "They do," Janet said, "Some of the most amazing pyrotechnics I've ever seen, to be honest with you."
"I can't wait to see it," Sam said.
Janet glanced over at Sam. "So, are you the only one up?" she asked.
Sam shrugged. "Don't know. But none of the other have left their rooms yet," Sam said before a thought came to mind. "Oh, hey, how was that party you and Aerin went to last night?"
Janet sighed. "Rather boring, if you ask me. These high society functions are short on substance, but high on show. I think Aerin and I were the simplest dressed of them all, everyone's outfit more lavish than the last."
Sam smile sympathetically. "Well, it could have been worse, I suppose."
"Not by much," Janet said, "It was an entire evening of fake smiles, simpering compliments, and empty conversation. I think my face still hurts from the perpetual smile I forced on my face." As if to prove her point, Janet rubbed at the muscles on her jaw.
Sam chuckled. "Well, that's what you get being such an important figure," Sam said pointedly.
Janet sighed dramatically. "Don't remind me."
"So, what else do we have planned for today?" Sam asked.
Janet leaned back in her seat to think. "I'm not sure," Janet said, "The exhibition match always takes a few hours, so it'll end in the early afternoon, but I think we're free after that. Why, anything you wanted to do?"
"No, not really," Sam said with a shake of her head, "I'd be just fine if we came back here and relaxed. We haven't had too much of that in a while."
"Agreed," was Janet's response. The two were quiet for several moments, each lost in their own thoughts until Sam issued a small chuckle.
Janet looked over at her friend, an eyebrow raised in confusion. "What's so funny?" she asked.
Sam shook her head disbelievingly. "I just never imagined we'd be sitting together, talking ever again."
Janet's face fell. "I'm sorry," she whispered.
"It's not your fault," Sam said, "How could it be?"
"But I caused you all so much pain," Janet said, "If only I could have found a way to get home, to let you know what had happened to me…"
"It doesn't mater now," Sam said, reaching out to squeeze Janet's arm in a comforting motion, "What matters is that we found you again." Janet smiled, but said nothing, finding that she couldn't make her voice work.
Silence descended upon them once again and they were content to just share it, neither of them wanting to break the moment with speaking. Janet gave an inaudible sigh, a blanket of happiness spreading over her. Her friends had found her again. Even if she could never leave Zimmeria for good, Janet knew she would never lose them ever again.
Nyla couldn't help the soft smile on her face nor the pounding of her heart as she lay in bed with Aerin, watching him sleep. Slowly, gently, her hand came up to caress his arm and, in response, his arm moved to encircle her waist, pulling her close. Her bare skin pressed up against his and she shivered at the sensation, recalling the events of the night before.
She had always said she would wait until marriage before consummating the relationship, but the evening before with Aerin had been so undeniably right that she couldn't feel bad for going back on her word. And it had been magical. Nyla had always heard that such relations between two mages were beyond description and those words had been proven to be right.
Nyla barely contained her giggle as Aerin nestled his head in the crook of her neck and the thought that he had done that unconsciously in his sleep was quickly corrected when she felt his lips brushing against her neck.
Nyla gasped in surprise. "How long have you been awake?"
Aerin lifted his head, a quirky, mischievous grin on his lips. "A couple of minutes," he whispered, his voice husky with sleep, the effect sending tremors down her spine.
"Well you could have said something," Nyla chastised playfully.
"What, and ruin my fun?" Aerin grinned, "I think not." Leaning over, Aerin captured her lips with his own, losing himself in her kisses. Nyla hooked one leg around his waist, pulling him closer, while she threaded her fingers in his hair, kissing him all the harder.
Aerin moaned into her lips, pulling away to look down at her with passionate eyes. "I love you," he murmured.
Nyla could feel the emotions that went with the words and it nearly brought tears to her eyes. "I love you, too." Overwhelmed with emotion, she pulled him in for a passionate kiss, one that engulfed the two of them completely. They lost themselves in each other, aware of only a world that contained them and them alone. They were so absorbed with each other, with the feelings of their connected lips, their hands on each other's skin, that they didn't hear the knock at the door.
Knocking at the door and getting no response, Janet opened the door and poked her head in. "Aerin?" she called out. Immediately, her gaze zoomed in on the bed and an embarrassed flush covered her entire face as Aerin and Nyla parted in shock.
"Oh god," she breathed, covering her eyes, "I'm sorry, I didn't know, I-"
Caught off guard and angry at the interruption, Aerin glared at Janet. "Dammit, Janet, get out!!" Anger flared in him and, at the moment, he had never despised anyone more.
Janet froze mid-apology, her mouth hanging open in shock; Aerin had never spoken to her in that tone, never yelled at her like that before.
Her back stiffened; wounded and angry all at the same time, Janet schooled her expression into one that betrayed nothing, not wanting to let Aerin know just how much she hurt, but knowing that he could sense her emotions as plain as day. "I'll be leaving you, then. Just wanted to ask if you wanted to join us for breakfast. I guess you won't want to." With that, Janet turned and slammed the door behind her, leaving Aerin and Nyla alone once again.
Nyla watched in silent shock, the thin blanket clutched protectively to her chest to cover her nakedness. Her eyes turned slowly to Aerin and she couldn't help but look at him with a little bit of fear. "What was that about?" she asked in a hushed whisper.
Aerin turned to her, a confused look on his face. "I…I don't know," Aerin said, "I'm sorry."
Nyla eyed him, sensing his genuine confusion. "I'm not the one you should be apologizing to," Nyla said, "You really hurt her."
"I know," Aerin sighed, "I don't know what came over me."
Nyla felt his turmoil and reached out to cup his face in her hands. "It'll be alright," she whispered, leaning over to kiss him, "Let's just get ready for the day. You can apologize to her after." Aerin nodded and let Nyla lead him to the bathroom, wondering just what had happened only moments before.
Janet marched back to her chambers, hurriedly wiping away the angry tears that threatened to spill down her cheeks, trying to get rid of them before anyone could see. She stopped in front of the closed doors to her quarters, bracing herself against them with one hand as she composed herself.
Why was she letting this get to her? She barged into his room without making sure he was prepared; of course he had the right to be angry with her…but why didn't she feel that way? An angry wave of emotion swelled in her chest and she clamped down on it harshly, forcing it to bend to her will.
//Janet, are you alright?// Rhianna's concerned voice asked//You seem very…disturbed.//
Janet released a shaky sigh. //I'm fine,// Janet responded. //Really,// Janet added as she sensed Rhianna's doubt.
//If you say so,// Rhianna said, her tone clearly not confident, but Janet didn't have time to further reassure Rhianna as the zimmerian retracted her mind, cutting Janet off. Janet swallowed the lump that had lodged itself in her throat, overwhelmed by the emotion that surged through her. Where was it coming from?
Janet took in a few deep, steadying breaths before straightening herself. She was under control, she really was. Taking in one last deep breath, Janet pushed open the doors, proud of her ability to rein in her emotions, and walked in. Everyone else was sitting around the coffee table, casually eating breakfast. All eyes flew up as the doors opened and immediately noticed Janet's stiff posture, despite the control she had over her features.
"Everything ok?" Jack asked, raising an eyebrow in an almost perfect facsimile of Teal'c's trademark expression.
Janet smiled, though it was tight. "Everything's fine." No one dared question her further and an uneasy silence blanketed the room. Everyone eyed each other with curious, concerned looks, but no one could puzzle out exactly why Janet's mood had taken a drastic turn.
A knock at the door interrupted the quiet and, before anyone could say anything, the door opened to reveal a fresh-faced Christos on the other side. "Good morning, all," Christos said before noticing the mood that had fallen over the room, his expression sobering immediately.
He eyed everyone in the room carefully, trying to pinpoint the source of the negative emotions. He zeroed in on Janet after only a few seconds and went over to grab her by the arm.
"Christos?" Janet questioned, a curious quiver in her voice. Christos merely smiled down at her with a gentle smile before pulling her out of her seat and out to the landing. He shut the doors behind them, leaving a very confused SG-1 and Cassie alone in Janet's quarters.
"Christos, what are you doing?" Janet asked.
Christos responded by pulling Janet into a hug. "You looked like you could use a hug."
Janet stiffened at the immediate contact, but soon relaxed into the hug, drawing strength and peace from Christos' larger body. "Thank you," she whispered into his chest, sniffling quietly as tears welled in her eyes.
"Any time," Christos replied. They stood like that for several minutes, Christos helping Janet soothe away the turbulent emotions that assaulted her. The sound of Aerin's door opening broke the calm moment. Christos felt Janet tense in his arms and knew without her having said anything that Aerin was the source of Janet's emotional discomfort.
Gently, Janet extracted herself from Christos' warm embrace and turned to look over at Aerin and Nyla, who stood frozen in the middle of the landing, not too far from where Christos and Janet stood. Christos and Nyla shared a look before swiftly and quietly leaving Aerin and Janet alone to work things out. Janet stared at Aerin, every angry emotion she had been feeling melting away in the instant she looked at him. "I…" Janet started, but found herself unable to finish the sentence, unsure of what exactly she wanted to say.
Aerin found himself wondering how he could have let his emotions get out of under him as he looked at Janet's face, every vulnerable emotion reflected poignantly on her features. In that instant, he wondered why he had even been angry with her to begin with. Words suddenly useless, Aerin and Janet moved towards each other, meeting halfway in a hug.
"I'm sorry," Aerin said several moments later, "I was out of line."
Janet shook her head, looking up at him with an apologetic smile. "No, I should have made sure you heard me before I barged into your room."
Aerin chuckled, realizing that they could spend all morning arguing why they were each in the wrong. "How about we just accept the fact that we're both sorry and leave it at that?" Aerin asked.
Janet let out a small laugh. "Deal," she bargained.
Aerin smiled. "Are we good, then?"
Janet gave a curt nod. "We're good."
"Well, I'm sure we have people in there wondering what's going on out here," Aerin said with a smirk, "Shall we go allay their fears?"
Janet smiled, a happy twinkle in her eye. "Yes, what an excellent idea," Janet agreed.
The rest of the morning went without a hitch. Everyone, sensing that the tension from Aerin and Janet had left them, happily enjoyed the rest of their breakfast before it was time to claim their seats for the exhibition match.
The excitement was mounting as the event fast approached, but for Aerin and Janet, the excitement was unparalleled. They had been waiting for this day for months and nothing could deter them now.
The exhibition, as it had in years past, was to be held in the University's Arena. Nothing seemed more fitting for the structure that had been built for War Mages to practice their deadly art. And nothing could prepare SG-1 and Cassie for the change that the Arena had undertaken since they had last been there. It was as if the Arena had been separated from the University itself.
The entire half-dome that served as the roof and walls had disappeared to make way for the rows upon rows of bleacher seats that were already half full when Janet and the others arrived. The private balcony that seated the royal family and guests was directly across from the entrance where the fighters would enter onto the stage.
The stage, a good 200 square feet in area, rose 6 feet above the ground, its white marble surface polished to perfection. Surrounding the stage, rising a good 50 feet above the ground, sat a clear, glass-like half-dome. It was as if a giant glass bubble had been placed over the stage to keep things from getting in, the sunlight reflecting off of it gently as protected and guarded the stage from outsiders.
"What is that?" Sam asked as they walked along the walkway atop the bleachers that led them to their private balcony.
"What is what?" Janet asked, looking over at Sam with confusion.
"That…glass thing," Sam said, her normal eloquence leaving her as she gestured in the direction of the stage.
Janet looked over in the direction that Sam indicated and she couldn't help but smile. "Oh, you mean the shield," Janet said, "That's to protect the audience from whatever goes on inside.
"Protect the audience from what?" Jack asked.
"From the magic that will be thrown around inside," Aerin said, "As the day goes on, stronger and stronger mages will be fighting inside. The shield is to make sure none of that magic accidentally hurts people in the audience."
"It'll do that by absorbing any magic that hits it," Janet continued to explain, "And trust me, it's safe. Aerin and I have been working on it for days."
"So that's what you two have been doing late at night all this week," Nyla realized, "I had wondered why the two of you were always sneaking off, but I figured it was something important."
"I would say that this is important," Janet said as they approached the door to the uppermost balcony, "We really don't want people getting hurt on accident. Remember the shield failure during the last exhibition match?"
Nyla cringed at the memory; 4 people had died and several others were severely injured when the shield failed during one of the final matches of the exhibition, letting through a stream of fire that could have been stopped by the shield easily. There had been no one to blame; neither the mage who conjured the flame nor the builders of the shield were directly responsible. The people had been very wary of mages for quite some time after that, even more wary when it was revealed to the world what Lorin had been doing to Janet.
Nyla sighed sadly. That hadn't been a good year for the society of Mages. But, luckily, they had moved past it and now people barely remembered the incident, though the Mages, particularly Janet and Aerin, took great care to make sure a repeat of the past tragedy didn't happen again.
Janet and the others moved past the doorway and into the private balcony where they would be watching the exhibition matches from. Plush seats and trays of delectable finger foods littered the open balcony. Karise, Tanith, Callista, and Omar had already taken their seats, enjoying the shade as a warm breeze filled the alcove. With nothing to separate them from the outside air, everyone on the balcony enjoyed the feel of the warm sea air hitting their faces.
Karise spotted the newcomers and her face brightened as she smiled broadly. "You're just in time," Karise said, "The exhibition is scheduled to start in only a few minutes."
Janet looked out at the bleachers, noting that they were now almost full, packed with people anxious to get on with the festivities. There was an air of excitement that swarmed around them and Janet felt her heart rate increase as she, too, was affected. "It does seem we made it just in time," Janet agreed as she took the seat closest to the door, Aerin right next to her. They shared a smile before focusing their attention forward, the others milling in around them.
Janet noticed that Daniel took the empty seat next to her and she smiled over at him. He smiled back, but couldn't say anything as the exhibition's announcer walked out into the center of the Arena, drawing raucous cheering from the crowd as they sensed the start of the matches nearing.
Janet looked down at the stage as the announcer began his opening speech, the butterflies beginning to regain control of her stomach. Her smile turned anticipatory as she awaited the beginning of the matches. This was going to be an exhibition match that the people of Zimmeria would not soon forget…
The crowd gasped as Tranell flew through the air and hit the shield with a loud cracking noise as the shield crackled with displaced energy. Tranell fell down to the stage's surface harshly, causing Christos to tense up with fear at the sight of his lover crumpled on the ground.
Without warning, Tranell got to his feet and launched tendrils of fire at Byard, his opponent for the last match of the exhibition. It was clear from how the fire wavered in the air that Tranell was tiring. Byard was probably the hardest opponent he had ever faced, with decades of experience that Tranell couldn't hope to match.
Byard smirked in satisfaction as he saw how Tranell was tiring. They had been at each other for nearly an hour, giving it almost all they had, trying to force the other to yield. As the fire approached him, Byard reached out for it to bend it to his will. It yielded easily, betraying just how tired Tranell was. Byard himself was nearing exhaustion, but he clearly had more energy than Tranell who had wasted much of his energy early on in the match.
'Ah, the exuberance of youth,' Byard thought as he sent the tendrils of fire back at Tranell, adding a little of his own power into the attack. The ribbons of fire wrapped around Tranell, lifting him into the air, keeping him suspended about two feet above the ground.
"Do you yield?" Byard called out. Tranell struggled in the grasp of his own fire, but he couldn't escape its clutches and he only managed to force it to tighten around his neck. From the feel of the heat, Tranell knew he was going to have burns around his neck when the match was finished.
After struggling for a few more moments, the crowd holding their breath in anticipation of what was going to happen, Tranell went limp in the fire's hold, his head slumping down onto his chest. "I yield," he forced out in a choked whisper. Immediately, the fire disappeared, leaving Tranell collapsed onto the ground. He forced himself into a kneeling position, the stance taken by the person who yielded the match to his opponent.
In that moment, the crowd knew the match was over and they cheered loudly for Byard, though they would have cheered with equal fervor had Tranell been the victor. It was the glory of the match itself they cheered over, the crowd just happy to see such a match between such strong and accomplished Mages. Byard and Tranell faded from the stage, the advanced transportation system that allowed competitors to enter the stage directly from the waiting room taking the two tired Mages away from curious eyes.
Once Byard and Tranell had exited the stage, the announcer stepped up once more, his magically magnified voice reaching the ears of the crowd as he extolled the fighting skills of the last competitors. Just as he was winding down his closing speech, the exhibition's organizer ran out onto the stage and began frantically whispering something in his ear.
The announcer's eyes widened as he registered the organizer's words. "Do you mean…" the crowd heard the hushed tones of the announcer, audible to them through the spell that magnified his voice. The organizer nodded at the announcer's uncertain words and whispered a few more words in his ear before running off the stage and out of the Arena, presumably to return to his own seat.
The announcer stood there in mute shock for only a few moments more before clearing his head and his throat. "Ladies and gentlemen!" the announcer called out, his voice quivering with excitement, "It appears that the exhibition match is not yet over!" The crowd began murmuring furiously. They all had their programs laid out in front of them; the papers clearly stated that Byard and Tranell were the last competitors of the day. Yet, if this were a surprise…
"Yes, my fellow observers, it seems we have one more match for your viewing pleasure today. Even I am surprised!" the announcer said with a smile, "So, may I have the extreme pleasure of announcing today's final competitors…"
Up in the royal family's private balcony, everyone watched with bated breath as Tranell and Byard battled it out on the stage. Christos couldn't help but gasp as Tranell found himself trapped by his own attack and he later felt the overwhelming wash of emotions as Tranell yielded to Byard, a move Christos could tell cost Tranell greatly.
Christos knew he would be comforting Tranell once they were alone, the only time when Tranell could let down his stern, outer shell and show his true emotions. Christos felt Tranell's disappointment; it would take much soothing before Tranell would be able to look past his "failure".
"Man, I thought Tranell almost had him," Jack sighed.
"It seemed pretty close," Nyla said, "But you have to remember that Byard is much older and more experienced than Tranell. It was that which gave Byard the edge he needed to win the match." Nyla smiled over at Jack before she realized that something, or rather, someone, was missing from the room.
Looking over at where she knew Aerin to be sitting, she blinked in surprise as she noticed that not only Aerin, but Janet too, had disappeared. "Has anyone seen Aerin or Janet?" Nyla asked, her voice full of confusion.
Daniel whipped his head over to look at the empty seat next to him and he wondered just how and when Janet had slipped from her seat. He had been able to see her from the corner of his eye throughout the entire exhibition and he could have sworn that Janet was still there only moments before. "She…she was just here a couple of moments ago," Daniel said quietly as everyone else turned to look over at the two conspicuously empty seats.
The whole room was silent as they all wondered where Aerin and Janet had gone off to, all of them wanting to know what had happened to them and what they were up to. Daniel was still struggling to wrap his mind around the fact that Janet had disappeared from right under his nose when the excited voice of the announcer reached his ears. He turned his head to look down at the man standing on the small platform to the side of the main stage.
For a minute, Daniel couldn't believe the words coming out of the announcer's mouth, but he couldn't doubt the truth of them when he saw two flashes of light in opposite corners of the stage. When the light faded, Daniel felt his jaw drop as he saw the two figures facing each other from the corners they stood in and he wondered just how they could have kept it a secret.
Having successfully slipped away from their friends and family, Janet and Aerin took little time in making their way down to the Arena's makeshift waiting room, where all the other participants of the exhibition had stood and waited for their turn in the ring. It was empty when they finally and silently entered the room, no other competitors needed to wait for their turn.
"I wish we could have seen the end of Byard and Tranell's match," Janet said softly as they closed the door behind them.
The room itself was plain with only a few benches strewn about for the competitors to sit on. The small antechamber beyond the waiting room was where competitors were teleported onto the stage. The magic involved was the only remnant of a time when Mages were able to teleport themselves halfway around the world with a single thought. The small pedestals, crystalline and slender, were the only devices left that could teleport someone and only short distances.
"You know Byard is going to win," Aerin said as he went over to the far wall and pressed down on a small tile. A larger panel shimmered into non-existence, revealing two, neatly folded sets of clothes hidden in a small niche.
"I know," Janet responded as she took the pile of clothes Aerin handed to her and turned around to change, "I still hold out hope for Tranell, though. He's going to do it, one of these days."
Aerin pulled out the remaining set of clothing before pressing down on the small tile again, watching as the hole in the wall was covered up once more. "Not if Byard has anything to say about it, he won't," Aerin responded as he stripped off the thin shirt he was wearing, unconcerned that he and Janet were changing in the same room.
They were back to back, no sound but the rustling of clothes filling the space around them.
Janet quickly and expertly laced up the front of her fighting vest, feeling the material tighten around her comfortably. The leather was worn, fitting her form perfectly. To Janet, it was like slipping on an old pair of sweats or her favorite shirt. Janet slipped on her boots before straightening, her hands going to her hair.
As she began braiding her hair, she turned to see Aerin finishing with the laces of his own vest. He had already pulled his hair back earlier that day and, finishing with his vest, Aerin had finished dressing. He turned around, watching Janet finish with her hair, and he smiled.
Janet's eyes narrowed. "Care to explain that smile?" she asked.
"Oh, I'm just thinking about how much I'm going to enjoy beating you out there," Aerin said superiorly.
Janet raised an eyebrow skeptically, folding her arms across her chest? "Oh really? I was under the impression that the one who was going to get their ass handed to them on a platter was you."
Aerin, who had gotten used to Janet's euphemisms, scoffed. "We'll see. Just don't forget who's the teacher…and who's the student," Aerin taunted.
"Ooh, is that a challenge?" Janet breathed, feeling her blood beginning to pump in her veins from excitement.
Aerin only smiled. "You better believe it." At that moment, a small crystal that had been placed above the entrance to the antechamber glowed brightly and briefly, filling the room with light.
Janet and Aerin looked at each other excitedly. That was their cue; it was time. Moving into the antechamber, Janet and Aerin took their positions by the teleportation pedestals, facing each other from opposite corners of the small room.
"See you out there," Janet said, "And may the best one win."
"Good luck," Aerin grinned as a bright light engulfed both of them, whisking them from the room, the whispering of an accompanying breeze seeing them off.
In their private booth, the royal family and their guests couldn't suppress their gasps of shock at seeing the two of the most important people in Zimmeria stood opposing each other on the stage beneath them.
"How…" Karise breathed, unable to believe the sight in front of her.
"I don't know," Tanith answered.
"You mean you didn't know?" Daniel asked, turning to the queen and her brother.
Karise shook her head. "No one knew," Karise said, "And I think they meant it that way."
"I've suspected that they've been planning something," Christos spoke up, "But I just couldn't figure out what. I never expected…"
"None of us did," Nyla interrupted. The crowd, having gone silent from shock at the sight of the Queen-in-Waiting and her Lord Protector out there on the stage, suddenly erupted into deafening applause, excitement beyond all believe sweeping over the audience.
"They obviously were going for the shock factor," Sam said, "I just hope they don't hurt each other too much out there."
"Don't worry," Omar spoke up, "They know what they are doing."
Janet and Aerin smiled at each other from across the stage, each of them feeling the power of the shield shimmer around them. The shield, having its creators standing beneath it, glowed; it was connected with both Aerin and Janet, responding to their keyed up emotions. The crowd murmured their awe as a ripple of light moved across the shield.
"Fighters, step forward," the announcer called out. The crowd was still hushed, with the exception of their shocked and awed murmurings, as Aerin and Janet approached each other from their respective corners. They stopped, about 5 feet separating them, and bowed to each other, the traditional sign of respect among opponents. Every muscle in their bodies tensed as they waited for word from the announcer to start their match. Tension radiated throughout the Arena; it seemed the whole of the audience was just as tense and anxious as the two fighters on the stage.
The announcer, sensing that this was his moment, his call, paused for dramatic tension. He looked around at the people above him. The anticipatory, excited looks on the faces in the audience looked down at him in return, their impatience filling the air around him. They were just as anxious to see this match as he was himself. The announcer smiled; no more waiting. "Fighters, you may begin!" And the crowd went wild.
Upon hearing those four magic words, there was a breath of time where neither Janet nor Aerin moved; it was as if they were frozen in time. Eternity seemed to pass before they lunged for each other, starting what would be the most talked about match in the history of the Santsuki festival. Janet and Aerin both decided, without words, that the beginning of their match would be purely physical attacks, no magic involved, as if they were warming up.
Janet tilted her head to the side as Aerin's hand jabbed out at her. She slapped his hand aside and executed a perfect roundhouse kick, catching him in the side of the head. Aerin flew a few feet through air, but managed to turn himself in the air so he landed gracefully on his feet. Janet flashed a cocky grin in his direction; she had landed the first hit.
Annoyance flickered over Aerin's expression for the briefest of moments and something inside Janet worried at the occurrence. She worried that, perhaps, he was taking this match a bit too seriously, but she dismissed the thought quickly as their match resumed with greater intensity.
Aerin cursed under his breath as the side of his head exploded in pain from the force of Janet's kick. Luckily, he managed to land on his feet, but it still didn't excuse the fact that she had kicked him harder than was strictly necessary.
He turned to call her on it, but instead stopped as he saw her flippant little grin. Annoyance flooded him. What was Janet thinking, looking so proud at the fact that she had hit him so hard? Didn't she know that this match wasn't serious?
Nyla couldn't help the shiver that ran down her spine and she gasped.
Christos turned to her, able to draw his eyes away from two of his closest friends fighting each other on the stage. "Are you alright?" he asked, his voice barely a whisper.
Nyla shook her head, her color paling. "Something's wrong," was all she would say.
"What's wrong?" Christos questioned, now worried about Nyla.
"I don't know," she responded, her voice quivering with fear. Christos eyed Nyla, her own gaze unwavering as she stared down at the stage below. Taking Nyla's words to heart, Christos vowed to watch for anything strange, not knowing what was going on as the same feeling that had overtaken Nyla suddenly invaded him as well.
Aerin knelt down to kick Janet's feet out from under her. Janet had raised her foot to execute another kick, but instead landed hard on her back as her other foot came out from under her, the wind knocked from her.
She gasped for breath as she struggled to her feet. She wasn't given the chance to catch her breath as Aerin's foot caught her solidly in the stomach, with more force than necessary. Janet felt the bile rise up in her throat as she flew through the air, but managed to swallow it back down as she landed on the ground once more, rolling several feet before she finally slowed to a stop.
She pushed herself back up, gasping for breath, and saw Aerin marching towards her, an indescribable look on his face. Fear flooded her and she couldn't for the life of her figure out just what was going on. The fear fled quickly to be replaced, instead, by anger. Just what was Aerin doing?
Without any warning, Janet sent out a strong gust of wind that lifted Aerin off his feet, sending him crashing in the shield. He cried out in pain before hitting the ground, giving Janet just enough time to catch her breath and regain her footing. As he stood up, Janet glared at him, wanting to see him recoil at the anger in her gaze.
Instead, Aerin walked towards her as if nothing were wrong, the same determined expression on his face. He clearly wasn't going to give up…and Janet wasn't going to give him the satisfaction of being an easy target.
Aerin could feel Janet's anger from across the stage. She was angry at him? Why? What had he done?
The whole of his back still tingled from coming in contact with the shield. Despite her anger for him, what she had done, throwing him into the shield, was unacceptable. He couldn't believe she would do something like that, especially knowing just how dangerous coming in contact with the shield could be.
Aerin growled under his breath as he saw her glare and he marched for her. He didn't know what was going on, but he was going to stop this match while he could, while both of them were still relatively unharmed.
"Why stop now?" a voice whispered, a voice that sounded much like his own, "Teach her a lesson." The voice was so seductive, its words so very appealing. Aerin couldn't help himself; he grinned manically as he held out his hand. It was time for the real match to begin.
Daniel would never, for the rest of his days, be able to say when exactly the atmosphere surrounding the match had changed, but once he noticed it, he couldn't help the sense of dread that came over him. The stakes were suddenly higher, the whole point of the exhibition gone.
Daniel had seen this before, been in situations like this before. Where as before Aerin and Janet were only fighting for sport, it suddenly seemed like they were out to hurt each other. The crowd noticed the shift in mood and fell into a hush, suddenly very confused as to what was happening.
It was due to the silence in the Arena that Daniel could hear Janet gasp as her back landed solidly on the hard, marble floor. His heart clenched as Aerin kicked her in the stomach and she flew threw the air, rolling on the ground as she collided. He could hear her struggling for breath as Aerin flew across the ring to come in contact with the shield.
Nyla rushed to the railing as she heard Aerin's cry of pain and Daniel got up to join her, placing a hand on her shoulder as she covered her own mouth to hide her panic, her fear. Nyla looked over at him, despair in her eyes, and Daniel knew something had gone dreadfully wrong. His questioning, hopeful gaze must have penetrated through her fear and Nyla shook her head; there was nothing they could do.
Daniel turned his attention back to the stage, where both Aerin and Janet were back on their feet, glaring daggers at each other. Their anger for one another was palpable and Daniel saw the crazed grin take over Aerin's face and knew, just knew, that this day was going to end in disaster.
Janet threw her arms over her face, quickly raising a shield as Aerin's fire surrounded her. The fire flowed past the shield, safely keeping Janet from harm. But it was only a ruse, leaving Janet vulnerable. The next thing she knew she was flying through the air. She stopped mid-flight, only to feel herself coming crashing to the ground a moment later, her body being hurled to the stage floor at tremendous speeds.
Janet cried out as her body impacted on the stone, shards of white marble being tossed up into the air with the force of her collision. Janet could feel several small pieces embedded in the flesh of her back, having pierced through the thick leather of her vest.
Janet ignored the pain, cursing herself for not being more diligent, and rose quickly to her feet. She snarled at the smug look on Aerin's face and vowed to wipe the disgusting look from his features.
"Get him," a soft voice murmured from the deep recesses of her mind, "Don't let him win. This is your victory."
"Yes," Janet whispered, letting the voice wash over her. She launched herself through the air, interrupting any attack Aerin had planned. Her arms wrapped themselves around his midsection as she dragged him to the ground, landing atop him. Rolling them over, she used her legs to thrust him up and over. She heard him land behind her with a harsh grunt and she got to her feet, taking advantage of Aerin's momentary pain to gain the advantage.
Rushing over to him, she grabbed him by the foot, lifting the limb off the ground. Rotating in circles, like a discus thrower, not caring that she was dragging Aerin's lower half on the ground, Janet released him, unaware that Aerin had grabbed a hold of her, too…
Aerin felt his body being dragged in circles on the ground and he felt his blood boil with anger.
"Are you going to let her get away with this?" the voice asked.
"No," Aerin whispered, taking advantage of Janet's victory high to reach up and grab for her long braid. He held on tight, even as Janet released his foot. Her cry startled everyone in the Arena as she flew through the air after him. His grip slipped, taking the band that kept her hair tied together, and she fell from his grasp, landing several feet from him. Aerin wasted no time in going on the offensive.
"Yes, yes!" the voice rejoiced as Aerin launched a complicated series of attacks, "This is your revenge for all the times she's used you!"
Aerin nearly faltered in his attacks. 'Wait, used me?' he thought frantically.
"Yes…" the voice cooed, "A foreigner to this world, who becomes heir to the throne, only to have her people show up? She stole your rightful place as heir to take over your world! She's been using you to steal your world, your life."
Aerin paused in his attacks, giving Janet time to recover. 'That's not true!' Aerin yelled at the voice, not able to reconcile the image of his Queen, his best friend, with this woman who was only after the throne of Zimmeria, this witch of a woman the voice described to him.
"Oh, but it is. See how she looks at you? She despises you!"
Aerin's heart fell at the look of utter hatred written on Janet's face, unable to deny the emotions he felt coming from her. He had been played for the biggest fool. "No…" he whispered in disgusted shock.
"Yes! Don't let her get away with it!"
Aerin's fists clenched at his sides. 'I won't.'
"Make her pay. Make her see that you're no longer fooled by her."
'How?' Aerin asked, needed to know.
The voice chuckled gleefully. "Kill her."
Janet was finally able to catch her breath as Aerin let up on his attacks. Janet stared at him, stunned. Was he finally giving up?
"He's fooling you, Janet. He's always been fooling you."
'What?' Janet asked the voice, her mental voice a shocked whisper.
"He's just pretending to give up. He's trying to draw you in, to make you trust him," the voice spat, "He's made a fool out of you. He's just using you to make himself look better. All those times he's helped you, saved you? He's behind them all. He put you in danger."
'No, I can't believe that,' Janet thought firmly.
There was a long pause before the voice spoke again. "He knew about Lorin."
Janet's heart stopped at the mention of that name and she began trembling with fear and rage. 'He what?'
"He knew the entire time that you were under his control. He only stopped what Lorin was doing so he could look like the hero, to draw you in further."
'No, he saved me! He cares about me!'
"Look at his face. Does that look like a man who cares about you? Does that look like a man who would save your life if he didn't get something from it?" Janet felt the tears well in her eyes at the murderous look on Aerin's face. All this time...she couldn't believe it. He…he hated her.
"Make him pay," the voice hissed venomously.
'How?' Janet begged.
Another pause. "Kill him."
Karise couldn't help the tears that spilled down her cheeks as she saw the fighting below. Tanith had wrapped his arms around her, but his presence did little to sooth her. Karise could feel the murderous intent of both her nephew and her heir; there was no mistaking what they were trying to do. "Stop them!" she cried out.
"We can't!" Omar exclaimed as several Mages tried to breech the shield, watching helplessly as Janet and Aerin began their assaults, "We can't get into the shield while there are two people still in there. Besides, the shield won't let us get close; it's too tied to Janet and Aerin."
"What can we do?" Tanith asked as everyone else sat in shocked silence.
Omar sighed, feeling his own tears rise in his throat. "Wait and hope."
Janet grinned maliciously as she used thin streams of air to slice Aerin's skin. He cried out in pain as blood began trickling down his arms and Janet triumphed in the sound. She heard his growl of anger, but was unprepared for his lashing out.
Gusts of air swarmed around her, throwing her loose hair every which way. Janet had been effectively blinded, her hair tangling in front of her face. She was suddenly assaulted on all sides, not able to keep up with the onslaught of attacks. Fire and ice burned her, causing her to cry out in pain. Yet, every attack only bolstered her determination.
She pulled into herself, concentrating on sensing Aerin through the link that connected him. Sensing him coming from the left, Janet held out her hand, letting loose a storm of icicles, hoping that they would connect with their target. Janet could hear the sound of something sharp penetrating flesh before Aerin cried out in pain.
Janet felt the wind disappear and pushed her hair out of her face to see the results of her attack. One of the icicles had caught Aerin directly in the shoulder, disappearing into his flesh before reappearing on the other side. Janet grinned victoriously, but she realized what a danger her hair posed and she tried to think of way to contain it.
The voice, apparently, had a better idea. "Cut it off," the voice whispered.
'But…'
"Cut it off!" the voice repeated, this time in a yell. Janet nodded, watching Aerin carefully as he extracted the icicle from his shoulder. She held out her hand, not removing her eyes from him, as she conjured up a knife. Holding it in her fist, she gathered her hair to one side and, in a decisive stroke, sliced it off with the knife.
The crowd gasped, unable to believe what she had done, and several people cried out as she incinerated the collection of hair. The symbol of her power, of her status, destroyed before their very eyes. The smell of burnt hair filled the Arena, a testament to what she had done.
"Good, now get him!"
'With pleasure.'
Sam nearly choked as she watched Janet cut off a good two feet of hair, leaving only uneven ends that barely reached her neck. "What is going on?" she asked, her voice panicked, "Why are they trying to kill each other?"
"I wish I knew," Daniel responded.
"Well, can't anyone do anything?" Jack asked, demanded to know.
"It is impossible," Omar responded, his voice weary with resignation. Daniel looked over at the old man, seeing the sadness in his eyes, on his every feature, and nearly lost all hope.
The carnage continued for nearly an hour. Every time one would get the upper hand, the other would be there to quickly take it away. Blood had spattered everywhere on the pristine marble and both Aerin and Janet bled from numerous injuries, Janet unable to heal them and Aerin not willing to sacrifice the time and energy.
Aerin flew through the air once more as Janet threw him over her shoulder, not waiting for him to hit the ground before executing her next move. Janet growled as she held out her hand, a thin line of fire appearing in front of her. She wanted to end it and end it quickly.
She held out her hand until the fire had grown 6 feet in length. Shielding her hand against the pain of the fire, Janet grasped one end of the fire thread, brandishing it like a whip. With Aerin still on the ground, she stalked over to him and lashed out with the whip. It wrapped around his ankle and Janet pulled, tossing him up into the air.
Aerin cried out as the fire burned through his boot. Janet untangled the fire whip from Aerin's ankle, only to lash out for him again, jerking him down to the ground so harshly that he left a small crater in the marble stage. Aerin groaned, but was given no respite from Janet's rage as she ravaged him again and again with the fire whip.
"Good," the voice murmured into Janet's thoughts, "Let him feel pain!"
Aerin struggled to regain equilibrium as he felt himself being tossed about harshly by Janet's weapon, his flesh burning with every strike of her fire whip. As he flew through the air, Aerin didn't register the horrified cries of the audience as their heroes slowly killed each other, trying to prevail over the other in this death match.
After several minutes, Aerin lay on the ground, moaning in pain. He felt more than saw Janet's shadow fall on him and he realized he was losing.
"Are you going to let her win?" the voice cried out, "After all she has done to you?" The voice bolstered his determination and Aerin used the brief moment while Janet gloated over him to show her that he wasn't to be beaten.
Using a swift, yet strong, gust of wind, Aerin knocked Janet off her feet. He heard her crash down to the ground beside him as he pushed himself to his feet. He didn't give Janet to react as he went over to her and picked her up by the neck, his hand easily wrapping around her throat.
"Yes, yes!" the voice exclaimed, "Kill her!" Aerin tightened his hold on her neck, hearing her struggle to breathe. Janet tightened the muscles in her neck, trying to prevent him from completely cutting off her airways.
Grabbing on to the hand that held her with one hand, Janet slammed her other elbow into his forearm. She heard the cracking of bone as she broke one of the bones in his arm, but Aerin still didn't let go. Only his grunt of pain told her that he felt it at all.
As she struggled in his grip, still beating his arm viciously in hopes that it would make him let her go, she hoped that his focus was all on her and not on the sky above them. She had one hell of a surprise for him and she was damned if he was going to see it before it was ready.
"Oh my god," Cassie whispered as she saw what was happening down in the Arena, Aerin choking her mom and Janet pounding down on his arm. The entire audience could hear the constant crunch of bone as Janet's elbow contacted again and again with Aerin's forearm.
"What's that?" Sam asked, her voice quivering with fright.
"By the Gods," Christos whispered, "Why?"
"What is it?" Jack repeated for Sam, unable to tear his eyes from the huge ball of light that hovered just underneath the top of the shield.
"Janet's trying to destroy Aerin…but she'll end up destroying herself, too," Christos continued.
"It's Light magic," Nyla explained for the confused Earthlings, "The most volatile of elements. That amount of light could level the whole Upper City in an instant." Everyone kept their attention on the stage in front of them as the audience cried out in panic and horror at the growing threat in front of them, several audience members struggling to leave the Arena in an attempt to save themselves. All everyone else could do was pray…
"Yes, you have her!" the voice exclaimed, "Just a little bit more!" Aerin felt victory surge through his veins. Once and for all, he would be rid of this witch of a woman, this woman who had fooled him for five years and stolen what had been rightfully his.
Suddenly, as he stared into Janet's bluing face, she laughed, a weak smile coming to her blue-tinged lips. He nearly loosened his grip from shock, but he was determined not to be fooled by any of her tricks.
"I win," she whispered and Aerin looked up just in time to see the Light descend on them, exploding with such tremendous force, everything instantly went black.
The entire audience screamed in horror and pain as the brightness of the light assaulted their skin, everyone shielding their eyes from the blinding light. Amazingly enough, the shield held, keeping everyone in the audience safe, but that fact did nothing to reassure the people on the upper balcony of the safety of their loved ones. The sound of the explosion sent shockwaves through the Arena and no one was safe from the overwhelming force.
Eventually, it died down, the blinding light and deafening sound disappearing as the magic dissipated. Everyone uncovered their eyes, quiet with shock as they stared at the sight in front of them. The shield was all but gone, having given most of its energy in combating the force of the Light explosion.
On opposite sides of the stage, two bodies lay deathly still, limbs strewn about by the force of the explosion.
Daniel felt his heart stop in his chest as Nyla cried out beside him. She collapsed against the railing, only to be caught by Christos who had tears streaming down his cheeks. Sam held Cassie, both of them crying at the sight in front of them.
Daniel felt oddly numb as he stared unblinkingly at the two bodies on the stage, the bodies of the woman he loved and the man who protected her. Karise had dissolved into tears and even Tanith's eyes weren't dry. He had lost his true love many years ago; now it appeared he had lost his son as well. Suddenly, despite all the odds, despite how bad the situation looked, Janet's hand twitched.
She groaned as consciousness came back to her slowly and her return to the world of light was full with pain. Her throat hurt ferociously and every surface of her skin burned in pain. She struggled to open her eyes and she wondered just what had happened, why she was in so much pain.
She managed to open her eyes just a crack and she spotted Aerin lying across from her. His fingers twitched as he started to move his arm. Janet tried calling out to him, wondering what was going on, but found that her voice was all but gone. Tears of pain dribbled down her face and, despite her attempts to ignore the pain, it nearly overwhelmed her.
She watched as Aerin managed to lift his head from the ground and look over at her. In that instant, everything returned and Janet gasped from the memories that assaulted her. The memory of what she had almost done caused more tears to fall and, despite the pain, Janet slowly pushed herself into a sitting position, watching as Aerin did the same.
Aerin couldn't help, couldn't mend the pain in his heart as he realized what he had almost done. The vivid, dark purple bruises on Janet's neck bore testimony to what he had done, to the thoughts he had had. Looking at her, Aerin couldn't imagine wanting to kill Janet.
He loved her with all of his being. She was his best friend, his sister, his Queen. He deserved death for what he had tried to do to her. Their eyes met from across the stage and, not relinquishing their gaze from one another, Janet and Aerin made it to their feet, the sound of the audience cheering in relief around them.
From their balcony, the royal family and guests watched in shocked silence as Aerin and Janet approached each other. Blood oozed from nearly every surface of their skin, their clothes torn and stained beyond recognition. And, as Janet and Aerin approached each other, everyone on the balcony tensed, hoping fervently that they weren't going to continue trying to kill each other.
Much to their relief, Janet and Aerin merely collapsed against each other, engulfing each other in a tight hug. Light surrounded them and they disappeared from the stage, teleporting straight back to the waiting room.
Nyla didn't even wait for the light to fade before she dashed from the room, everyone else following her hurriedly, hoping to find out answers for what had just happened.
Aerin and Janet appeared in the small antechamber attached to the waiting room; it felt like a lifetime since they had been there, anxious for the match to start, unknowing of the tragedy that would befall to them that day. They still clung to each other, both of them crying uncontrollably at the knowledge of what had happened.
"Let me heal you," Aerin rasped. Janet nodded, unable to speak. Aerin's choke-hold on her throat combined with the force of the blast from her attempt to kill Aerin had ravaged her throat, leaving her without the ability to speak. Aerin's gentle healing magic flowed over her body like a soothing balm and, gradually, the pain disappeared, along with all the blood, cuts, and bruises.
Janet lifted her head to look at Aerin, his blood-soaked appearance bringing a fresh wave of tears. "Here," she said, cupping his bloody face with her hands, "Even though I can't heal you, let me give you the energy to do so. It's the least I can do." Her voice was nothing more than a whisper as she let most of her remaining power flow into Aerin. He sighed in relief as he concentrated on healing himself and, within moments, all of his physical hurts had disappeared, leaving only the emotional ones behind.
"What did you do to your hair?" Aerin whispered, raising a hand to finger the jaw length strands.
"I cut it," Janet stated obviously through her tears, laughing though it wasn't funny.
"Can I fix it?" Aerin asked, "It's wrong, all wrong." Janet nodded wordlessly and, suddenly, Janet's hair began to grow, reaching the length it had been earlier that day. "There, all better," Aerin continued.
Janet sniffled. "It's not all better, Aerin," she said, folding her arms over her chest, "I tried to kill you out there. What happened?"
Aerin shrugged helplessly. "I don't know. All I know is that there was this…voice, telling me what I should do."
Janet gasped. "You heard a voice too?" she asked, staring up at him with wide eyes.
Aerin gaped at her. "Someone was controlling us," Aerin realized with startling clarity, "It all makes sense: the voice urging me on, telling me awful things about you, convincing me to kill you."
Janet stiffened. "It…it told you bad things about me?" At Aerin's nod, Janet asked, "Like what?"
Aerin looked away, a blush forming on his face in remembrance of how easily he had been fooled. "It told me you were just using me to invade Zimmeria, that you stole my place as heir to the throne for your conquests. I…I didn't want to believe it! But it made so much sense at the time," Aerin said, floundering in a sea of unfamiliar emotions.
Janet reached out and grabbed Aerin's hand. "Don't worry," she said, trying to sound more calm than she really felt, "The voice tried to do the same thing to me. It told me that you were just using me to make you look better, that all those times you had tried to save me, you were really behind it." Janet paused, laughing bitterly. "It even told me you knew about Lorin. Can you believe that?"
Aerin froze in fear at Janet's words, aware of just how true those words were. It was the one secret he had kept from Janet at all costs, the one thing he didn't want her to know; but there was no denying it when confronted with the words.
Janet saw Aerin's fearful expression and warning signs immediately flashed in her mind. "You…you didn't know about Lorin, did you?"
"I…" Aerin choked out, unable to say the words.
Janet felt the ugly sensation of betrayal wash over her and she took several steps back. "You knew," she whispered accusingly, forcing the unthinkable words from her mouth. The look on Aerin's face said everything; he didn't need to deny it. Janet, unable to look at him anymore, turned to leave the room.
"Janet, wait!" Aerin called out as he followed her out of the waiting room and into the hallway, "It's not what you think!"
Janet spun on her heel, turning to face him, fresh tears flowing down her cheeks. "It's not? Then, tell me Aerin, what was it, huh? Did you know and were you too scared to do anything about it? Or were you in on it? Did you enjoy seeing me suffer, did you?"
"It's not like that!" Aerin exclaimed, unaware that they had gained a rather large audience.
Everyone followed Nyla down an elaborate set of stairs that led them to a long hallway. Nyla ran down it, only to stop suddenly as she spotted Aerin and Janet in the hallway. The emotions coming from them, the guilt from Aerin and the immense betrayal from Janet, shocked Nyla into stillness. SG-1 and Cassie, who had been right behind Nyla, ran past her, earning them front row seats to the shock of their lives.
"It's not like that!" Aerin yelled.
"Then tell me what it was," Janet yelled back through her tears, "You knew!"
"Not for the entire time," Aerin said in his defense.
Janet's jaw dropped. "How long did you know?" she asked, her voice a dreadful whisper. Daniel longed to reach out for Janet, seeing her emotional distress, but he was frozen in place. Something important was happening, something monumental, and Daniel found that his ability to move had been taken from him.
Aerin's eyes dropped to his feet; he couldn't look her in the face. "Two months,"
Janet straightened, trying to swallow her tears and failing horribly at it. "Two months? You knew for two months and you didn't do anything about it?" Janet accused. "Two months," she whispered to herself before looking up at him. "For seven months," she spat, disgusted at that number, "That bastard had me. I was under his control, helpless to do anything to free myself. I remember hoping, praying that you would come to my rescue, that you would see that something was wrong and save me from my nightmare. And those two months that you knew about, those were the worst. He used me, Aerin!"
"Janet, I-"
"No!" Janet exclaimed, "Don't you 'Janet' me." Janet's face crumpled as a fresh wave of tears assaulted her. "Lorin raped me, Aerin, body and mind, for 7 months." Janet didn't even hear the shocked gasps of SG-1 and Cassie standing nearby. "And now you're telling me that, for two months, you knew and you did nothing. I trusted you, Aerin. I believed in you," Janet whispered. Aerin had nothing to say; his excuses were useless. To tell her that he had waited in order to avoid criminal charges himself seemed hollow and he had no other excuses to give her.
There was a long, pregnant pause, before Janet spoke again, her tone low and final. "Get out of my sight, Aerin. I don't want to see you for a long time, if ever."
Aerin chanced a look into her eyes, though the emotions he could feel were torture enough. His heart nearly died in his chest at the tears that flowed freely down her cheeks, the broken look in her eyes. He had been her Lord Protector; it had been his job to keep her from harm and to save her as soon as possible. He had failed in his duties. Head hung low, Aerin left, moving past their crowd as if they weren't there.
Janet didn't even register that her whole outburst had been witnessed by nearly 10 people as she turned and strode off in the other direction, obviously needing to get as far away from Aerin as possible.
Nyla, torn between comforting her best friend and comforting her lover, made one of the hardest decisions of her life as she turned to run after Aerin, a look of pain on her face as she peered over her shoulder to look at Janet's defeated posture. She paused, turning back to Karise, her mouth open to say something in apology.
Karise shook her head, interrupting Nyla before she could even speak. "Go, he needs you," Karise said quietly, "I can explain about Lorin." Nyla threw Karise an appreciative look before taking off in the direction that Aerin had disappeared off to.
For his part, Daniel, along with the rest of SG-1 and Cassie, stood frozen in shock. Of all the things Daniel thought Janet had been hiding from him, of all the embarrassing things he knew she was keeping from her friends, Daniel had never imagined, never even considered that it was something traumatic. Though he was very confused over several details, such as how someone like Janet would allow herself to be subjected to that kind of torture for seven months, Daniel knew there was much more to the story than he had heard from Janet's outburst.
Karise looked over at Daniel, watching him stare off into the direction Janet had gone and she smiled, walking up to him. "Go to her, Daniel," she whispered soothingly, "Don't let her be alone for this." Daniel turned to look at Karise with a shocked, confused look on his face before he understood.
Nodding once to her and despite the strange looks his teammates were giving him, Daniel ran after Janet, hoping that he would be able to find her. Luckily, the hallway that ran past him went one way with little chance of getting lost.
Daniel ran for several moments before he saw the hallway turn up ahead and he turned sharply, skidding slightly on the smooth floor. The sight that greeted him around the corner made him stop so suddenly, he nearly fell over.
Only 5 feet away from where he stood, a sobbing Janet Fraiser had collapsed against the wall. She had pulled her knees up to her chest, wrapping her arms around them, as her shoulders shook violently with uncontrollable sobs. She looked so small, so vulnerable; Daniel had never seen her so defeated before and the sight broke his heart, wrenching it painfully in his chest.
Immediately, he rushed over to her and knelt beside her on the floor, ignoring the protests of his knees as he did so. Only inches from her, Daniel reached out to push her hair away from her face, gently tucking it behind her ears.
Janet stiffened at the gesture and looked up. "Daniel…" she breathed, her voice a tortured sob.
Despite the awkwardness of the position he was crouched in, Daniel pulled Janet into his arms. "Shh, it's ok…I got you." Janet went into his embrace willingly, burying her face in his chest as she clutched at his shirt with tight fists like she never wanted to let go. "Do you want to get out of here?" he whispered into her ear, wanting to get them somewhere more private and somewhere where he wouldn't have to be crouched on the floor. Janet nodded against his chest, wanting somewhere private, somewhere where they couldn't be bothered. There was only one place that stood out in her mind.
"Where do you want to…" Daniel started, his words trailing off as darkness briefly surrounded them. Daniel's jaw dropped at the extreme, sudden change of scenery. They were in a large, open courtyard, silent except for the gentle sounds of running water.
Daniel turned his head to locate the source of the noise and found a fountain bubbling softly in the center of the courtyard. All around the courtyard, vines and plants had been allowed free reign, crawling up columns and spreading most available stone surface. Daniel nearly gave into the overwhelming urge to ask Janet where they were, but, for the moment, Daniel wanted to keep all his attention on Janet, who still held onto him as if she'd never let go. Tightening his hold on her, Daniel rose to his feet, pulling her up with him.
Janet took the opportunity to move closer to him, pressing her body up against his as she let herself go in the protection his arms offered. "It hurts so badly," Janet whispered through her tears.
"I know, I know," Daniel soothed, running a hand up and down her back gently, feeling her tremble in his arms. They stood there for what felt like forever, Daniel letting Janet's tears run their course.
Eventually, Janet's tears slowed and, sniffling, she pulled her head away from his chest, looking on with embarrassment at the large wet spot on Daniel's shirt. She looked up at him sheepishly. "Sorry about your shirt," she whispered.
Daniel looked down at his shirt. "It's ok," he said, "It's just a shirt." He looked back up at her, taking note of her embarrassed expression. "Do you…do you want to tell me about it?"
Janet looked up at him, wide eyed with fear and apprehension, before pushing herself from his arms; there was no mistaking what he was talking about. Bereft of the feel of Daniel's arms around her, Janet went over to sit on the edge of the fountain, her own arms wrapping around her middle. "It was two years ago," she began softly, seeing Daniel move to sit next to her out of the corner of her eye, "I was still attending the University, only a 5th level Mage at the time. When I met Lorin, it was like…" Janet let her sentence trail off, unable to think of the words.
"It was like what?" Daniel asked, looking at Janet intensely. His eyes begged her to look at him; he could tell she was embarrassed, ashamed, but he didn't yet fully understand why.
As if Daniel's wish had been granted, Janet turned her head to look Daniel in the eye. "It was like meeting you for the first time," she whispered, then flushed red at her words, looking down at the ground again. Daniel felt his heart pause in his chest at her admission. "There was this connection between us, this chemistry that I couldn't ignore," Janet continued, "We kept running into each other, quite literally, and he eventually asked me out on a date. He charmed me with his modesty and the attention he paid me, treating me like I was the most cherished person on the planet. Slowly, I fell in love with him and I felt like I couldn't live without him. Only I didn't know it was fake, an emotion I was made to feel."
Daniel's brow raised slightly in confusion. "Fake?"
Janet let out a humorless chuckle. "Lorin was a master at Manipulative Magics. He used a special type of Manipulative Magic on me, what we call Blood Magic. It's been outlawed in Zimmeria for thousands of years. He…somehow got a hold of some of my blood, probably from the Academy after one of my sparring session with Aerin, and he used it to force me to have feelings for him."
"Is it that powerful?" Daniel asked, shamefully relieved she hadn't truthfully fallen in love with someone else.
Thoughts of just how powerful Lorin's magic over her had been brought tears back to Janet's eyes. "The more it's used, the longer someone is under the control of someone else, the more powerful it is," Janet explained, hoping her voice didn't reveal just how shaken up she was; Daniel wasn't fooled. "In the beginning, it wasn't so bad. It really felt like I was attracted to him, like I had developed a crush on him.
"But, the longer I was with him, the more the true me was suppressed. I can remember trying to fight against it, not realizing what it was. But, eventually, it was too much for me and, lacking the power to fight, I gave up, praying for someone to rescue me. But no one did and, eventually, Lorin's power over me grew so much that I no longer could resist him anything, not even my body."
"He raped you," Daniel said, spitting out the words venomously.
Janet sniffled. "Physically, for two months," Janet said, "But Blood Magic is a rape of the mind. For seven months, I was forced to feel things, to do things that I didn't want to at all. It's…it's the worst thing that's ever happened to me and I'd give anything to make it un-happen. If only…." Janet stopped suddenly, rising to her feet as she grew increasingly agitated.
Daniel rose to his feet as well, following her as she slowly moved away from the fountain. "If only, what?"
Janet spun around, surprising Daniel with the tears that glistened in her eyes. "If only he hadn't reminded me so much of you," Janet choked out.
"Me?"
"Lorin…he looked into my mind for what I was attracted to and used it to draw me to him in the beginning, when the magic wasn't quite so strong, so I wouldn't turn him away. He was so much like you, so sweet and charming. Hell, he even looked like you. Maybe if I hadn't fallen in love with you, I-" Her words stopped suddenly and, shocked by what she had just revealed, Janet turned to walk away, to hide herself after her blunt admission.
Daniel's heart started pounding in his chest. How often had he wished to hear those words from her, to know for sure that his feelings were returned with the same ardor he felt for her. He couldn't let her walk away from him, not after what she had just said, not after all the pain and suffering he had felt from losing her once; he was damned if he was going to lose her again.
Seeing her back turned to him, Daniel did the only thing he could think of, the one thing he had been dying to do for years: he reached out for her, spun her around, and kissed her. The second his lips touched hers, his whole world disappeared; the only thing that mattered was the feel of her lips pressed against his.
Janet had been just about to pull her arm away from Daniel's grasp when he kissed her. She froze at the sensation. Of all the things she had been expecting him to do, kissing her had been towards the bottom of that list.
She let herself melt into the kiss, finally knowing what it felt like to have his lips on hers after 11 years of wondering, but knew it couldn't happen, couldn't last. There were bigger things than her and him, things that she knew would put him in danger just by being with her.
Her soul breaking in two, Janet pushed Daniel away, using all of her resolve to do so. "No, I can't," she said in a tortured whisper as she turned away from him once more, wanting nothing more than to kiss him again, but dreading it at the same time; if his lips touched hers once more, Janet didn't know if she could ever push him away again.
Daniel felt his slice of heaven pulled away from him roughly as Janet pulled away, denying him the moment he had waited for, yearned for, for years. "The hell you can't," he all but growled as he pulled her back for another kiss, this time determined to hold on to her. He had felt the sparks that lit up between them, knowing from how she reacted to his kiss that she felt the same thing; there was no denying they were made for each other.
This time, like Janet knew, she couldn't resist and she didn't want to. She greeted his kiss with an enthusiasm that surprised them both, wrapping her arms around his neck, pulling him closer. Daniel responded threading his fingers in her hair, marveling at its silky texture. The knowledge that she was still dressed in torn up, bloody clothes made no difference to him; she was finally in his arms and he wasn't going to let her go.
Janet's heart raced like it had never before and every fiber of her being hummed with energy. Her magic, normally not making itself known in such a way, sung in response, reaching out for its partner in Daniel. Something in him called out to her and Janet reached for it selfishly, unable to let go of the perfect feel of his lips on hers, his hands caressing her back in ways she had only dreamed of.
She wanted to be surrounded by him, engulfed in everything he had to offer; she pulled him in closer, physically and mentally, grasping that special something that called out to her. It begged her to be set free and Janet knew she couldn't deny it; her magic so desperately longed to merge with this force that she had stopped paying attention to what she was doing.
Suddenly, during one of the most beautiful moments of Janet's life, Daniel froze and Janet felt something in him start to slip away. "Daniel?" she asked, breathless from their kiss, her voice thin with worry. When he didn't respond, didn't even seem to register her worry, her presence, Janet knew what had happened and she panicked.
Hurriedly, scared because of what she had done, Janet put her hands on his head, her fingers at his temple, and entered his mind. Janet's heart sunk with disappointment as she saw what she had done. The thin wall that had held back the tremendous magical power inside Daniel's mind, the barrier that prevented him from realizing his full potential, had been torn down by Janet's foolish actions. His magic had been reaching out for her, employing her to set it free. And Janet had done so unknowingly.
Hurrying, knowing the magic of Cerac's castle to be overwhelming even to the most experienced of magic users, Janet anchored his power to her, extending her control to his; in that instant, she had become his sponsor and tied him to Zimmeria in a way he couldn't escape. There was no locking up magical power once it had been set free.
Slowly, but surely, Daniel came back to her, regaining awareness. He looked down at her with breathless wonder. "What happened?" he asked, "We were kissing and then…" Daniel trailed off as he saw the speechless expression on Janet's face. "Janet?"
Janet couldn't speak; she just stood there dumbstruck as Daniel's magic transformed him. It was the same transformation she had gone through. In an instant, Daniel's lifespan had been lengthened considerably and it showed in his face. All signs of aging: gone. Everything about him was more intense. His eyes sparkled with a deeper blue, his hair reflecting a little more of the golden highlights that were naturally in it.
His was more than he had been before, but still undeniably him. In a word, he was magnificent, absolutely breathtaking to behold. "I, uh…" Janet stammered weakly.
Daniel suddenly blinked rapidly, noticing something most perplexing: his vision was quite off. Pulling off his glasses, thinking to inspect them, Daniel realized that his glasses were, indeed, the problem, just not in the way he thought. Looking around the courtyard, for the first time in a while, he could see things clearly. Everything was crisp and clear. But there was something different, something more undeniably alive about the place. Every sense had been magnified, everything just that much more intense.
He looked down at Janet again, who had finally managed to get rid of the shocked expression. "What happened?" he repeated, this time his voice a whisper.
"Oh gods, I'm sorry," Janet whispered, "I just want you to know that I didn't mean for this to happen. You didn't consent and I should have known better. I-"
Daniel cut Janet off short by placing a finger over her lips, her quite swollen lips, Daniel noticed with pride. "What are you talking about?" He tried not to notice how his finger tingled when coming in contact with her skin.
"I released your magic," Janet breathed after Daniel pulled away his finger.
Daniel froze. "You what?" he asked.
"It was an accident," Janet rushed to say, "We were kissing and it reached out for me…your magic, I mean. I wasn't fully aware I was unlocking your powers. And, when I noticed what happened, I rushed to bring you back." Janet paused. "I almost lost you. Your mind was nearly overwhelmed by the magic of this place. In order to save your mind, I had to anchor you and extend my control to you. I've…I've become your sponsor."
"My sponsor? Like how Aerin was your sponsor for the University?" Daniel questioned.
Janet nodded. "I'm so sorry. Especially since it wasn't with your permission."
"Is that bad?" Daniel asked.
"I could be brought up on charges," Janet informed him, "Technically, I took advantage of you by not giving you a choice in deciding whether you wanted to unlock your magic or not. Zimmeria is very strict about how Mages treat non-Mages since Mages can easily manipulate other people by overpowering them."
"Well," Daniel said slowly, "We'll just say I wanted it to happen. It's not too far off from the truth. I had been curious about what it would be like to be able to use this power I was said to have."
Janet smiled. "Well, there are several upsides to this," she said.
Her smile was contagious as Daniel found himself grinning as well. "Such as?"
Janet ticked the reasons off on her fingers. "Longer lifespan, youthful appearance, the ability to manipulate the world around you, and better reflexes and senses."
"So that's why I can see better?" Daniel asked.
Janet nodded. "Among other things, actually. Magic repairs any imperfection. It's why I look so young and why you do, too. Here, take a look." Feeling nostalgic as she conjured the small mirror, as it was what Aerin had done for her, Janet handed over the small, hand held mirror to Daniel, who took it with awe. Janet watched Daniel's face as he looked in the mirror, seeing the shock that she was sure had been on her face when she saw how her own powers had affected her.
"I look…young," Daniel breathed, unable to believe it.
"And you'll look that way for quite some time," Janet said, "Mages don't usually start aging until they're about 100, 120 years old, especially Mages who are stronger."
"That's amazing," Daniel remarked. "So, you're my sponsor, huh?" Daniel said after several moments, handing Janet back the conjured mirror.
"Yep," Janet responded, "And believe me when I say that's an honor. You'll be the first person to be sponsored by me. Everyone had always been competing to earn my sponsorship, but now I'm off limits for at least a couple of years." Janet paused. "That is if you decide to study at the University. I can always teach you enough so that you can control your power and you wouldn't have to study at all."
"Unlocking power is irreversible?" Daniel asked.
Janet nodded. "Completely irreversible. So, think about how much time you want to devote on this planet. If you decide to study at the University, you'll have to stay on this planet until you've reached your full potential."
Daniel smiled as he reached out for Janet. "Does that mean I get to stay with you?" he asked as he pulled her into his arms, not even wanting to restrain his feelings for her any longer.
Janet shivered as she felt his arms wrap around her. "If you like," Janet said softly.
Daniel only held her closer, unable to keep the smile off of his face. "I've wanted to hold you like this for so long," Daniel whispered in Janet's ear.
Janet pulled away slightly to look up at him. "You have no idea how many times I wished you were here with me. Being separated from you, from Earth, was painful."
"But we found each other," Daniel said, "That's all that matters." Daniel paused. "Just one question, though."
Janet giggled. "Yes?"
"Where is this place?"
Janet nearly fell over; she hadn't been expecting that. "What?"
Daniel smirked. "Where is this place?" he repeated.
It was Janet's turn to grin. "It's nowhere," Janet chuckled.
"Ok, seriously," Daniel said, pushing a strand of hair out of Janet's face.
"I am serious," Janet said, "This place isn't on a map, doesn't even exist in the same dimension as the world we're used to."
"Say again?" Daniel said, an eyebrow raised in confusion. Janet explained the long history of Cerac's castle as she led them back over to the fountain, that it had been home to the legendary prophetess who had removed her castle to a different dimension, where only those who knew how to get there could find it, rather than let it fall into the hands of those who would use the knowledge inside, and the Twins who resided within, for harm. "So you're saying this castle is 10,000 years old," Daniel repeated with awe.
"That's exactly what I'm saying," Janet said, "Most think that castle was destroyed. Only a select few know about the existence of this place: you, me and…" Janet choked on the last name.
"Aerin," Daniel whispered, saying it for Janet, "Will you ever be able to forgive him?" Daniel now understood the betrayal Janet felt at the hands of Aerin.
Janet sighed and nodded. "Eventually," she said finally, "It'll take a while, though. It hurts to think about it, you know?"
Daniel nodded in understanding. "I have to admit, I'm a little angry with him, too, now that I understand what was going on," Daniel said, "That he could have done something sooner, but didn't."
"Yeah," Janet agreed, "He's supposed to be my Lord Protector. He's not supposed to hurt me like that."
At that, Daniel realized he had another question. "What happened out there today?" Daniel asked tentatively.
Janet froze at the question. "I don't know," she admitted, hating that she didn't know more, "At first, everything was going fine, but then something changed. I started hearing this…voice during the match, telling me that Aerin was just using me. It-it managed to convince me that Aerin needed to be punished, that he needed to be killed. I really wanted to kill him, Daniel. I've never felt like that before and it scared me."
Daniel pulled Janet into a one-armed hug, holding her close as she laid her head on his shoulder. "It sounds scary, but it's not your fault, Janet," Daniel said, "From the sounds of it, you were manipulated by someone who wanted either you or Aerin dead."
"Or both of us," Janet said ruefully, taking comfort from Daniel's warm embrace.
Daniel pressed a kiss to the top of her head. "Everything will be ok," Daniel said, sensing Janet's unease and wanting to help calm her down, to make her feel better.
Janet lifted her head and smiled at him. "Thank you," she whispered.
The look in Janet's eyes was too much for Daniel and he leaned down to capture her lips with his own. Janet sighed softly as she let herself be swept away by the sensations. They sat there, trading gentle kisses while the world went out without them. Several minutes later, though neither of them could be sure how long the sat there, Daniel and Janet pulled away from each other, each of them unable to contain the silly grins on their faces.
"I don't know how I'm going to be able to explain all of this to Karise and the others," Janet finally said.
Daniel cupped Janet's cheek gently, kissing her on the nose; he couldn't get enough of touching her and knew Janet felt the same from the gentle caresses he felt on his arms. "They'll understand," Daniel said.
Janet gave a tiny smile. "I only hope Jack and the others understand about what I did to you," Janet added.
Daniel gave Janet a quick kiss. "Everything will be fine," Daniel said, "Trust me."
Janet's smile widened. "I do," she said, "Always."
