Dacaen's Story
Written by EdenAdvance
Disclaimer: Farscape belongs to O'Bannon, Henson, and various others. I don't own them. However, Dacaen is entirely owned by me, and so is the story idea. (Trust me, I still own my braincells)
Notes: This is the last part I'm doing. No more blackmailing and bribery. Anyways, this is the sequel to Darkness, Lightness and Between Worlds. It's a bit dark, though, and you might not like what's happening.
Rating: PG-13 (we, me and my muses, vote for it and this was the average rating)
Archiving: Nat's site, Redbeard's Archive, My site. All others please ask before you take it, and please, leave my name with the story.
Summary: Remember Dacaen, the old guy they found on the planet? Well, here is his story...
FeetBack(TM): Yes, please. I love feedback, and around here, feedback is considered a very good way to get my braincells working. Edenadvance@yahoo.com is my regular addy, the one I check daily to hear from all the people who read my fics.
As John entered Command, he took a moment to observe the former Peacekeeper. On waking up, he had missed her warmth beside him and had gone to search for her. Silently, he snuck up on her and softly whispered "Boo..." in her ear. Before he had any chance to react, he was lying flat on his face on the floor, her hands pressing his head to the floor.
"Aeryn..." he squeaked, trying to get oxygen.
She applied a little bit more pressure before she let him go. She looked at him and quickly got back on her feet. Instead of helping him, she turned around to watch the viewscreen. John watched her from his position on the floor, admiring the beauty in front of him. Then, remembering her reaction a few seconds ago, he shook his head, got up and moved to stand next to her.
"Aeryn, what's wrong?" he asked.
"Nothing." she snapped, avoiding his gaze.
"No." he said firmly, and turned her chin towards him, forcing her to look at him. "There's something wrong here." John remarked. "First, D'Argo's supposed to be watching Command, you were on watch last night. And second, did you just tried to kill me a minute ago?" He watched her closely, trying to gauge the emotions that flashed in her eyes while he was talking to her. He wasn't sure what he saw there.
She turned towards him, laughing. "I didn't try to kill you. If I had, you would be dead." He tilted his head, conceding her point...
"And I couldn't sleep, and I didn't want to wake you and that's why I went to Command. D'Argo wanted to sleep and I was awake, so we switched... " she was beginning to ramble. It was something she didn't like.
He shrugged. "So I guess that means you're not coming back to bed with me?"
Aeryn shook her head.
"Oh well, your loss, 'cause it's my turn tomorrow night." He muttered as he exited Command.
Aeryn watched his retreating back, absently lifting the puzzle-ring John had given her a few weekens ago. She stared at it for a few microts, before letting it slip from her fingers again.
*Arns Later*
Rygel floated towards the Center chamber, when Aeryn suddenly rounded the corner and collided with him.
"Rygel! Watch out for once!" Aeryn snapped as she pushed him off of her.
The small Hynerian climbed back on his throne and looked at Aeryn's retreating form until she disappeared around the next corner. He muttered an Hynerian curse and then proceeded to his destination. As he entered the Center chamber, he noticed Crichton sitting at a table. He grabbed a full plate and munching on a foodcube, he hovered towards the human.
"Your woman attacked me in the hallway. Is there something wrong between you two?" Rygel asked.
John only glared at Rygel and then resumed staring at his nearly empty plate. After a few microts of silence, Rygel shrugged, if you could call it shrugging, and floated off to a nearby table.
"She's not my possession. Not on my world. Not in my culture..." John said absently.
He stood up abruptly and left the room, his plate still on the table. As soon as he was gone, Rygel hovered over to Crichton's plate, and emptied the leftovers onto his own.
"It's a shame to waste good food..." He said and let another cube disappear in his mouth.
*********
John walked towards Zhaan's quarters, hoping he would find the Delvian there. He was worried about Aeryn's strange behavior lately. He had tried to talk to Aeryn, but she just yelled at him, telling him that he should just stay out of it. It was mostly followed by one of her usual bad mood-insults. Now, he was determined to find out what was wrong. He hoped Zhaan could help him, since he was sure she would know more about Sebaceans and moods. Finally, he reached Zhaan's quarters. When he had asked Pilot where Zhaan was, he had told him that the Delvian was in her quarters. A quick look inside proved that Pilot had been right and that the priestess was still in the room.
"Zhaan? Can I come in?" he asked, politely waiting at the door.
"Of course, John." she answered.
He looked around the room for a moment, until Zhaan motioned to a chair, offering him a place to sit down.
"What is it John?" she asked when it became clear that he wasn't going to start the conversation.
Crichton sighed. "Have you noticed anything... strange about Aeryn lately?" he asked.
Zhaan contemplated her response for a moment. "She seems tense, agitated..." Zhaan noted.
He nodded. "Yeah, I noticed that too, and I'm not the only one. According to Rygel, she attacked him a quarter arn ago. I noticed that she hasn't been sleeping much lately... it's just that I'm worried about her. Is it something I did?" he looked at the Delvian, hoping she would have a clear answer. He had considered that option, and thought about it repeatedly, but try as he might, he couldn't think of anything he had done wrong lately.
"I know I don't know much about Sebacean culture or habits or anything, but she doesn't want to tell me what is wrong." John said. He held his head in his hands, gazing at the floor.
Zhaan laid her hand on his arm and he looked up at her. "I'm sure you have done nothing wrong. And it may very well be that we'll find nothing to be wrong with her either," she said, smiling at him.
He nodded. "Yeah, I guess you're right. Maybe it's just some woman thing, hormones and stuff. Sebacean Hyper-rage... I'm going to try and talk to her, maybe we can do it without yelling at each other." As Crichton stood up, he noticed a familiar blue mask on a shelf.
"Isn't that..." he pointed at the mask.
"The mask you broke a while ago, yes. D'Argo was kind enough to repair it for me. He is very good with his hands, I must say," Zhaan answered.
*********
Aeryn stormed towards the cargo bay. She was still furious with Rygel for hovering into her and the cargo bay always gave her a peaceful feeling. The Peacekeeper symbols gave her back a bit of the feeling of control she had lost when she joined Moya's crew. Once she was fully at ease, she started her daily workout. She had performed it innumerable times and it had become a part of her life. She didn't notice the two dark shadows that were watching her from the recesses of the room.
"I feel much strength in her..." Dacaen, the old Peacekeeper spoke softly, watching the ex-Peacekeeper go through her daily ritual. Next to him stood an old man, who simply nodded in return.
"Is she ready?" the old man asked.
Dacaen nodded.
"She seems restless..." the old man continued.
Dacaen turned to the old man.
"I assure you Master, I can teach her. All I need is your approval."
"You have my approval, Dacaen. You will train the Young One as I trained you so many years ago. Now, I must leave, my time here is almost passed."
Dacaen bowed before his Master, and when he looked up, the old man was gone. Dacaen watched Aeryn finish the remainder of her exercise and then he left as well.
*******
Dacaen wondered through Moya, thinking about his conversation with his mentor, the old man. It had been a long time since he had seen his Master, not since he left for Ikron IV, where he joined the Peacekeepers. Within a few cycles they had betrayed him and ran like cowards from the existence of unexplainable things.
Suddenly, as he turned a corner, he came upon Aeryn. He stopped and looked at her questioningly.
"Why were you watching me?" she asked when the other Sebacean didn't question her presence. He smiled.
"I was admiring your skills," he replied as he circled her. "Your strength. You would've made an excellent commando..."
"Thank you." Aeryn looked at Dacaen warily. "Would you... spar with me perhaps?"
Dacaen nodded. "It would be my honor."
Together they walked back to the cargo bay, where they found Crichton, who had been searching for Aeryn. Much to Aeryn's dismay, Dacaen invited him to watch them spar, and she was happy when he declined quickly. She didn't like spectators, especially Crichton. He left, saying he would speak with her later.
John waited until the door had closed behind him, before walking towards Command, where he found Zhaan and D'Argo, who were talking to each other. They looked at him, abruptly stopping what they had been discussing. Noticing he was interrupting their conversation, he told them that, should they need him, he could be found on the Terrace.
*Two Arns later*
John looked up as Aeryn and Dacaen entered the Center chamber. Aeryn sat down next to John, while Dacaen sat down opposite to them.
"I hope you two had fun." John said as he brushed a strand of Aeryn's hair behind her ear.
Aeryn, knowing what Crichton meant by fun, answered before Dacaen could. "We did. Dacaen is quite a formidable opponent."
Dacaen laughed at that. "Even if I had trained in hand-to-hand combat all those years, I wouldn't be able to defeat such a skilled soldier as you."
"Crichton," Aeryn said, stopping the discussion, seeing that John was looking at Dacaen rather strangely. "You said you wanted to speak with me."
John looked at Aeryn and nodded. They excused themselves, and John led Aeryn towards their quarters.
When John was sure that they were alone, he looked at her. "What's wrong with you lately?" he asked. "You've been tense and you yell at me for no reason." He tried to hold her, but she stepped out of his reach.
Aeryn glared at him and started to pace. "There's nothing wrong with me. I'm fine, stop asking me all the time," she replied.
John followed her with his eyes. He knew that she didn't like it when she was pushed, but this had been going around long enough already. He wanted answers and he wasn't going to stop until he either had them or Aeryn knocked him out cold.
"No." He said persistently. "There's something not right here. You're hardly getting any sleep. It all started after we got back from that weird planet, where we found Dacaen," Crichton said. He cocked his head at Aeryn. "Does Dacaen has anything to do with it?"
Aeryn laughed. "Are you jealous?" she asked teasingly.
John shrugged, not returning her teasing. "Why should I be jealous? Dacaen is old, besides I hardly ever see him around the ship." He walked closer to Aeryn. "If something is wrong, you can always tell me. I'm here for you, I won't ever let you down." He spoke, his voice not more than a whisper.
Aeryn tried to avoid his gaze by looking down, but Crichton lifted her chin with a finger.
"Tell me what the problem is," he pushed further.
Aeryn turned away from John, her back to him. She stared at the stars, seemingly pondering whether to give him what he wanted or not.
"Since we got back from the planet, I've been having these dreams... nightmares. I don't understand them... the images are blurred... but the screams..." She stopped for a microt, watching the ceiling, taking a deep breath. "A few cycles ago, I was sent on a mission. We had to stop a group of rebels who were terrorizing a local village. When we arrived in the village, I discovered that the rebels weren't terrorizing the village, it was the Peacekeepers. I... I couldn't do anything but follow my orders. We killed everyone, the entire village, regardless of their loyalties. We didn't even give them a chance..." She tried to hold back the tears that were threatening to fall.
John came up behind her and embraced her, trying to give her some comfort.
"It's okay... I understand. You did what they had ordered you to do. You couldn't have done anything else." He said softly. "We all have dark places in our past."
She turned around in his arms, pressing her face in his shoulder. "In the dreams, I'm back in that village, and all I can do is watch."
"Is Dacaen involved in all this?" John asked.
Aeryn shook her head. "Not that I know of. I hadn't met with him before we were on that planet," she said.
He nuzzled her shoulder. "It's okay, we'll get to the bottom of this. Let's go see Zhaan, I'm sure she has something that can make you sleep for a few arns." John said as he led her to the doorway.
Aeryn pulled back. "No! I don't want to be sedated," she started to object.
John pulled her close to him. "Don't worry." He murmured. "I'll be right beside you."
*********
Crichton watched as Aeryn finally drifted off. Zhaan had given her some herbs that would let her sleep peacefully for at least several arns.
'Enough time to ask Dacaen what's really going on around here.' John thought. He looked at Zhaan and she nodded at him.
"I will watch over her until you return," she said to him.
Crichton had only told Zhaan that Aeryn had trouble sleeping and he suspected that their guest had something to do with it. He took one last look at Aeryn's sleeping form before he left the room, and headed for the Center chamber, hoping he would find what he sought there.
*********
He found Dacaen where he had hoped he would find him, in the Center chamber. There was no one else present and Crichton was glad about it. He didn't want the others to know what was wrong with Aeryn, or what she had done in the past. It would give the others a reason to hate her for her actions in the past. Crichton knew that they didn't really hate Aeryn, but they still saw her as a Peacekeeper from time to time, one of those that imprisoned them.
He sat down in front of Dacaen, and the old Sebacean looked up from his plate of foodcubes. "We need to talk. About who you really are and what was really happening on that planet where we found you. " John said as he pushed Dacaen's plate away from him.
"Alright. Ask me anything you want." Dacaen replied.
"Who are you? What are you?" Crichton began.
The old man sighed and nodded. "My name truly is Dacaen, and I was a Peacekeeper once. I didn't lie about that. The rest is a very long story..." he replied.
"I have the time, so start," Crichton returned.
"The Peacekeepers wanted to build a base on the planet you visited a weeken ago, but we soon realized that there was something horribly wrong there. People started to disappear or go mad. It affected almost all of us before we discovered a group of banished people living on the planet. The Peacekeepers had driven them from their homeworld a long time ago, but they still hated us for our acts against them. It was just a small group, but it was enough to make the entire base go insane... " Dacaen watched Crichton quietly, trying to gauge his reaction.
"That still doesn't explain what happened to us on the planet." Crichton remarked warily.
"They are telepathic. They use their gift to create illusions and that is what they used against us. Those people on the planet are angry, they want revenge for what the Peacekeepers did to them. Nothing there is what it seems. It's their reality, and they can do anything they want." Dacaen explained.
Crichton thought about this for a while, then asked another question. "How do we know we're not on the planet anymore?"
"When you're in their reality, you're dreaming. When you dream, there's always something wrong in a dream, no matter how real they are. Small things, like an object which isn't supposed to be there," he replied.
Crichton nodded and stood up.
"One thing. Do you have anything to do with Aeryn's nightmares?" Crichton asked.
"No, I don't have anything to do with it. They must be an aftereffect from the planet," he replied. "Where is Aeryn now?"
"Sleeping. Zhaan's with her, but I promised I would stay with her," Crichton said, and turned to leave.
"There's a lot more I have to tell you. I'll wait until Aeryn has awakened from her sleep." Dacaen said.
"Sure..." Crichton answered, shrugging.
********
John walked back to his quarters, thinking about the story Dacaen had just told him. He didn't know whether to believe it or not, but he had seen a lot of strange things out here in the Uncharted Territories. He reached the doorway to the room he and Aeryn shared and looked inside. Zhaan was in some kind of trance, and Aeryn was sleeping peacefully.
He stepped inside, startling Zhaan.
"It's okay, Zhaan," he said and sat down on a chair next to Aeryn.
"Did you talk to Dacaen?" the Delvian asked as they both looked at Aeryn. John nodded.
"His story could've been an episode on the 'Outer Limits', it was that weird. But somehow it explains a lot about that planet, Zhaan." Zhaan didn't say anything in return, so they just sat there, watching Aeryn.
John suddenly spoke up. "I've been thinking...What if there are more people like Maldis? A whole race of vampires. We could've encountered them on the planet. Which means, they could be trying to get to Aeryn right now." He looked at Zhaan.
A look of worry and fear crossed her features. "If your theory is true, may the Goddess protect us."
*********
Dacaen was worried. He knew that he needed to return to the planet to complete the mission given to him by the Elders. But that wasn't the only reason. He had to do it for Aeryn and Crichton, and for all the other innocent people who had suffered on the planet for ages. He nodded to himself and made his way to Crichton's quarters. It was time he told the crew of Moya what he really was. Arriving at his destination, he looked inside the room. Crichton was seated next to a sleeping Aeryn, silently watching her, his hand stroking hers. The Delvian, Zhaan, was also there.
When Dacaen stepped inside, John looked up. "Dacaen..." he said and stood up. "Aeryn's still asleep."
"I know. I've come to tell you that I must return to the planet." He said.
"Why?"
"I was sent there by the Elders to kill the beings that are doing this to Aeryn. I nearly succeeded, until they captured me. Now that I am free again, I must complete my mission." It was only part of the truth, but it would be sufficient for now.
"Then I'll go with you." Crichton spoke up.
Dacaen shook his head. "No. You cannot go with me. You must stay with Aeryn. You can't destroy those who are doing this to her."
"They're vampires, right? We encountered one before. He's dispersed. So why can't we do it again?" he asked.
"Because... I can do what they can. I'm one of them. At least, for a part." There, he had told them his secret.
"You're... a vampire?" Crichton asked after a few microts of stunned silence. It had come as a surprise for him.
"Yes and no. My mother was one of the old ones. She was born on their homeworld, before the Peacekeepers banished them. My father was a Peacekeeper. The Elders are a group of 'vampires', as you call them, but they took a vow never to harm a living being. They use their powers to do good. I took the same vow," Dacaen explained. He looked at Aeryn. "I can save her. Let me go back to the planet."
Crichton nodded. "I'll bring you there, in a pod. I'll wait until you're done, then I'll..."
Dacaen interrupted him. "No. It is not safe to stay there. You will bring me there, but you must immediately return to Moya."
"How will we know when you've completed your mission?" Zhaan finally asked.
"Aeryn should wake up."
Crichton looked at Aeryn. She wasn't breathing anymore. "Zhaan!" he cried as he moved to Aeryn. "Do something!" He frantically searched for a sign of life, but he found none.
"Don't worry. I will complete my mission. There are only three of them left," Dacaen said smoothly.
"Pilot! Reverse course! We're going back to the planet!" Crichton yelled through his comm.
It took them three solar days to return to the planet where they had found Dacaen. Meanwhile, John never left Aeryn's bed, Zhaan never stopped praying and none of them saw Dacaen, but when they reached the planet, he was suddenly standing in the doorway of John and Aeryn's quarters.
"It is time," He said and turned around, walking in the direction of the docking bay.
They had agreed that D'Argo would take Dacaen to the planet and return to the ship immediately. He had explained his story to D'Argo and Rygel, and although Rygel had protested when John told the others of his plan to return to the planet, no one had paid much attention to the Hynerian.
*******
The entire crew, minus Pilot and Aeryn, had gathered in the docking bay, waiting for Dacaen. He was collecting his meager belongings, before he would leave for the planet he had been stuck on for many cycles. There was a big chance that this would be his last journey. He sighed as he looked around in his quarters one last time, before picking up his bag and heading towards the docking bay.
When Dacaen was halfway there, he was stopped by Crichton.
"What are you doing here?" Dacaen asked, already knowing the answer.
"I can't... no, won't let you go alone to that place." He said, watching the older alien.
"I won't be going alone, Crichton, but you must stay here to take care of Aeryn." He said and continued towards the docking bay. "Besides, you wouldn't be able to defeat them. It takes years of learning and training to be able to fight those monsters, and we don't have time to educate you."
"I need to help Aeryn, Dacaen. I can't just let her die here..." He started to follow Dacaen.
"You can do nothing else than sit by her side, Crichton. I will do everything I can to save her, this I promise you. Aeryn is not going to die today."
Dacaen turned the corner and walked into the maintenance bay. He handed over his bag to D'Argo, who carried it into the transport pod. He turned to Zhaan.
"Watch over Aeryn and Crichton, Pa'u Zhaan." He said, and turned to Rygel. "Dominar, I hope that you will one day return to your throne." Having said this, he looked at Crichton.
"Don't say anything Dacaen, just bring her back to us." John said, taking Dacaen's hand and shaking it. "Humans say good-bye this way."
Dacaen nodded to all of them and boarded the pod, taking place next to D'Argo.
*******
He looked at the blue sky, where he could faintly see the transport pod returning home. As he turned around, he noticed the black clouds hanging over a nearby village; the portal he was looking for had to be located nearby. He could feel the evil force of the few remaining vampires, and set out to destroy them, but first, he needed help. Help he could only get from one person. That person was located near the portal. When he reached the edge of the village, he could feel her presence, calling out to him, to anyone, asking for help.
"Aeryn!" He called, dropping the bag he was carrying and gathered the necessary weapons. When he looked up, he saw her standing before him, a confused look on her face.
"Where are we?" she asked, looking around her.
"You're back on the planet where you and Crichton first found me." He replied. "The people who were holding you prisoner here, they're different from you and the others aboard your ship." He handed her a bottle of fluid. "I need your help to fight them."
She looked at the bottle. "Fight who, Dacaen? What's going on here?"
"The beings that captured you when you and Crichton visited this planet... they are trying to kill you now, by holding your spirit here." He said, hoping that she would understand it. "I promised Crichton that I would kill them, and return you safely back to Moya."
She seemed to think this over. "So, you're saying that I'm on Moya, but yet I'm here... You're starting to sound like Crichton."
Dacaen sighed, it seemed that she didn't fully understand the situation. "Aeryn, listen. How do you explain everything that happened the last time you were here?"
"I don't. I try to forget it, that it didn't happen." She replied.
"I'll explain it to you then. Those beings, they can't be killed if you shoot at them. They destroyed a whole peacekeeper base. If we step through that portal," he pointed at a small bridge that would lead them to the dark side, "we can destroy them, by using these weapons." He took a sword out of the bag that was lying at his feet.
"And what will this do?" she held up the bottle he had given her.
"It will serve as protection, and it's supposed to bring you back once this is over." He answered, picking up the bag and proceeding towards the bridge. Aeryn followed him with her eyes and then followed him towards the portal.
********
Crichton stood up as he heard footsteps approaching him, but when he saw that it was D'Argo, he sat back down.
"How is she?" D'Argo asked, looking at Aeryn's sleeping form.
"Still no change. Dacaen better hurry up, because this can't be good for Aeryn. It can't be good for anyone." John replied.
D'Argo sat down next to John. "I have seen this before with Peacekeepers..." he said softly.
"Living Death?" John asked.
D'Argo nodded. "A sort of Living Death. It was on a planet, a long time ago. It was strange, because it was freezing on the planet. It couldn't have been Heat Delirium."
"What happened?" Crichton asked, looking at him.
"We fled, afraid for whatever had done this to our enemies. I never heard if anyone dared to go back to that world."
"She'll be alright. Dacaen will save her and kill those... things that are doing this to her." Crichton said. "Or otherwise, I'm going down there myself to finish it, no matter what Dacaen said about staying here."
D'Argo looked at his friend. "I'll go with you John. I will never let you go alone into a battle."
*******
After a short hike, Aeryn and Dacaen reached a familiar looking castle.
"We won't be able to undo whatever happens next." Dacaen said to Aeryn, who nodded in return. He handed her a sword similar to the one he was holding in his other hand. "These swords were made on my homeworld, which has been destroyed by the beings we're about to fight, some centuries ago."
"This is the only way to kill them?" Aeryn asked.
"No, there's another way, but there are too many sacred rituals involved. It would take to long." He replied. "Follow me, and stay close." He said, starting to walk towards the castle's entrance.
"Dacaen, wait... I have a question." Aeryn said, stopping him. "Why me?"
Dacaen looked at her for a moment before answering. "You're special, Aeryn. You're not like other Peacekeepers or Sebaceans for that matter. I could feel it everytime I saw you. You're like me, half Sebacean, half of those beings that live in that dwelling."
"No that isn't true. I'm a Peacekeeper, a Sebacean..." Aeryn spoke.
"Do you believe that dren? I know that deep inside you, you have the knowledge to destroy these beings, because you can understand them." Dacaen replied.
"How would you know?" Aeryn asked.
"Because they trained me for it. Years ago, when I was still living on my homeplanet, in the village where I was born, one of the Elders taught me how to sense others like me." Dacaen explained. "I can teach you how to do the same. At least, if you'd want me to." He said. "Now, we must go." He walked towards the giant door. Aeryn eyed the sword she was holding, then followed Dacaen warily.
When they entered the building, the door closed behind them automatically. Both of them turned around at the sound of the door closing, which resonated throughout the long hall. After the sound had died out, Dacaen looked at Aeryn.
"Are you ready?" He asked the ex-Peacekeeper.
"I am..." Aeryn answered, but when he turned around, she laid her hand on his arm. "Dacaen," she started, "when this is over, I want to come with you. I want you to train me..." she said.
"Are you sure? Are you ready to leave Crichton? To leave Moya and your friends?" Dacaen responded. "Think this through and when we've accomplished our mission, tell me what you want again." He said.
********
They encountered the first being sleeping peacefully in the hallway. Dacaen moved forward, sword in his hands. The being, sensing movement, opened his eyes, just as Dacaen was about to strike. It hissed at his assailant and then let out a howl of pain as the sword connected with his skin, then bone.
Aeryn watched as the now dying vampire vaporized. Where it had stood, a small pile of dust-like substance remained.
"What happened?" she asked, staring at the being's remains.
Dacaen didn't answer the question and took a torch out of the wall instead. He kneeled next to the remains of the killed vampire and held the torch near it. It burst out in flames, leaving the floor charred.
"When they are dying, they turn to dust, but their essence, their spirit remains behind, lingering until it can return to another body. By destroying the ashes, their spirit is destroyed." He said, turning towards Aeryn. "It is important that you remember this." He continued. "Come now, there are only two more left." He said, turning around and jogging to a large door. Aeryn glanced once more at the burned spot, before she followed Dacaen through the door.
Aeryn and Dacaen had walked for about five minutes when they reached a stairway. They could hear some sort of incessant wailing coming from above. Aeryn looked at Dacaen questioningly.
"It's one of the vampires. They know we're here and that we killed one of them. We have to be even more careful now, if we want to succeed." He said and proceeded to go upstairs.
When they reached the first level, Aeryn looked around. When she saw nothing, she signaled Dacaen, who came to stand next to her.
"There's nothing here." She whispered to him.
"Are you sure? What do you instincts tell you?" Dacaen asked.
"That there's nothing here. I didn't see anything, so there's nothing here." Aeryn replied. "Let's go." She said and moved to go to the next level. When she saw that Dacaen wasn't following, she moved back to him. "What are you waiting for?" she asked impatiently.
"There's something here." He said, not looking at Aeryn. "I'm sure of it, I can feel it." he said.
"Dacaen, the sound is coming from above us. I say that we go upstairs and we kill the source of that irritating sound." Aeryn said, moving back to the stairs. "We can always come back later. It's not like we have much choice anyway."
Dacaen nodded and followed Aeryn upstairs where the second being was mourning for the loss of the killed vampire. When he saw the two aliens entering his room, he became angry and his wailing turned into roaring as he jumped upon Dacaen.
"Aeryn!" Dacaen called as he fought desperately to get the vampire off of him.
Aeryn moved towards Dacaen and the vampire to help her friend. She struck the vampire with her sword, but it did no good. Then she remembered the bottle Dacaen had given her after they went through the portal. She tried to open the bottle, but when she didn't find a way to open it, she threw it on the floor, shattering the glass. Luckily, it had the desired effect, because the vampire drew back as far away as he could. Aeryn kneeled down next to Dacaen, who was bleeding heavily.
"Dacaen..." she said, but Dacaen silenced her.
"Aeryn, it's up to you now. I'm not going to live much longer." He spoke softly.
Aeryn shook her head. "No, you can't abandon me here. I don't know what to do, how to kill these beings." She said.
Dacaen handed her his sword and reached for his bag. "You have the knowledge to destroy them. Deep inside, you know how to do it. In the bag is everything you need." He said, coughing up some blood.
Aeryn was silent for a moment.
"Dacaen, how do I get back to Moya? The bottle is broken..." she asked the dying man.
"The portal..." He said, "when you have killed the last being, their world... their reality will collapse. You have to get to the portal before this happens. When you go through the portal, your spirit is free and will find its way back to Moya." He explained. He coughed a few more times, before he closed his eyes. Immediately, Aeryn listened if he was still breathing. When she was sure that he was still breathing and had just lost consciousness, she stood up, picked up Dacaen's sword and moved towards the vampire.
The vampire was still in the same corner as it had been after Aeryn had thrown the bottle on the floor. When Aeryn advanced on it, it let out a hissing sound and leaped towards her, baring its fangs. As they tumbled to the floor, the vampire let out a howl and jumped back. When it was on a safe distance from Aeryn, it observed the cut she had made in its abdomen, which was bleeding heavily. Seeing its injury only made it angrier and with its last power, it jumped forward and slashed Aeryn's arm. Then, it stumbled back and fell against the wall. It sat there, staring numbly at its assailant. Then, it turned to dust, similar to the other vampire.
Aeryn picked up the torch Dacaen had dropped when he was attacked, and lit the dust, like Dacaen had shown her. She waited until the fire had died out and a burn mark remained, before turning back to Dacaen. When she had reached the dying man, she kneeled down. Then, she looked at the gash on her arm, where blood was swelling up and slowly trailing down towards her hand. She examined the cut, and seeing that it wasn't life threatening, she turned back to Dacaen.
"Dacaen," she started, "there's only one left." She said. "I'm going to get you back to Moya safely..." she continued. Then, she picked up the bag and the weapons and with one hand, she began dragging an unconscious Dacaen towards the stairs.
********
Back on Moya, Crichton and D'Argo had remained vigilant.
Crichton was sitting next to Aeryn, while D'Argo was dozing off on the other side of the bed. Suddenly, Crichton shrieked when he saw a gash appear on Aeryn's arm, and woke D'Argo.
"What is it?" D'Argo asked his human companion, trying to calm him.
Crichton pointed at Aeryn. "She's injured. We have to go down and help her."
D'Argo's eyes followed Crichtons outstretched arm and saw the wound on Aeryn's arm.
"I'll go and find Zhaan. You stay here and look if there are any other injuries." D'Argo said, already running out of the room.
Crichton watched D'Argo's retreating back, before turning back to Aeryn.
It only took D'Argo a few minutes to find Zhaan and they quickly returned to John and Aeryn's quarters.
When Zhaan had examined Aeryn and had found no other injuries, John spoke up. "I'm going down to the planet." He said. "Obviously, Dacaen is failing and Aeryn is injured. I'm going to help them."
"I will go with you, John." D'Argo said.
John nodded and grabbed a pulse rifle. Together, they left the room and headed towards the maintenance bay...
************
Aeryn descended the stairs as quickly as she could, with Dacaen in tow. When she had reached the first level, she abandoned Dacaen's body and began to search the rooms for the remaining vampire. After a quarter arn of searching and not finding anything, she returned to the stairs, where she had left Dacaen. As she rounded the last corner, she saw it.
The last vampire, the leader, had watched as Aeryn had left Dacaen, its old enemy, alone and disappeared in a room, not noticing it watching from the darkness. As soon as it was left alone with its enemy, it leaped forward, towards Dacaen. There it waited for the other to return, so they could be destroyed. It would avenge the others' deaths slowly and painfully. It turned his head around when he heard soft footsteps approaching...
***********
Crichton landed the pod near the location Pilot had given him. He had asked Pilot if he had the last known position of Dacaen on the planet, and luckily, Pilot was able to give him detailed information on his whereabouts.
As soon as he and D'Argo exited the pod, they saw a lifeless form lying on the ground near a bridge. Crichton ran towards it, followed closely by D'Argo. When he was still a few metras away from it, he saw that it was Dacaen, lying on the ground. Quickly, he felt for a pulse. When he didn't feel any life signs, he turned to D'Argo.
"Stay here with Dacaen and guard over his body. I'm going to that building to see if I can find those beings who are hurting Aeryn." He said and when D'Argo nodded in return, he turned around and crossed the bridge.
When he was on the other side of the gap, he felt strange. Turning around, he saw what the problem was. His body hadn't followed. He saw D'Argo say something, but the sound seemed to be blocked by some sort of force field. When he tried to go back the same way he had gotten here, he was held back by the same field that must have been blocking the sound. Seeing that he was captured here, he signaled D'Argo that he was okay and followed the road to the building.
************
Aeryn and the vampire circled eachother, each having their own weapons. Aeryn was holding the sword Dacaen had given her, while the vampire was showing it's shining white fangs and claws. Suddenly, the vampire leaped forward, trying to wound Aeryn with his clawed paw. She jumped out of the way, the claws barely missing her stomach. When the vampire wasn't balanced, she thrust her sword towards it, hitting him near its lungs.
It smiled in response. "Dacaen hasn't trained you well, has he? Did he forget to tell you that my lungs have no function? It's not a fatal wound." He said. He started circling her again, this time keeping a greater distance.
********
John entered the castle the same way Aeryn and Dacaen had done little over an arn before him. As he walked through the main corridor, he could smell burned matter in the air. Soon, he reached the charred floor where Dacaen had vanquished the first being. He looked at it for a few microts, before continuing towards the next door. When he opened it, he entered a large room with little furniture. Unknowingly, he was following Aeryn and Dacaen's earlier path.
As he reached the stairs, he could hear a menacing voice coming from above. He figured that it had to be one of the vampires, so he followed the stairs, going upwards. When he reached the next level, he saw Dacaen's body lying motionless on the floor. He kneeled down, and felt for a pulse. This time, he felt a faint, but steady pulse. Hearing more sounds coming from an adjacent room, he stood up and approached the room. There, he saw Aeryn and one of the vampires, which was circling her.
When John took a step forward, the vampire turned around and hissed. It observed his new threat for a moment, before turning back to Aeryn.
**********
Aeryn watched as the vampire circled her, while paying attention to Crichton's movements. Seeing that it was distracted, she lunged forward, sword ready. The being saw this in time and attacked her while she couldn't defend herself. In the meantime, Crichton ran towards the fighting pair and jumped on the vampire's back, pulling it away from Aeryn. This gave Aeryn the chance to impale the vampire with Dacaen's sword. It turned to dust, leaving Crichton to fall on the floor. Quickly, Aeryn took a torch and walked towards Crichton, who stood up and dusted himself off.
"I have to burn it." she said and he nodded. Immediately, she lit the dust, watching it burn until nothing was left.
Almost instantaneously, the world began to shake.
"We have to get back to the portal." Aeryn told Crichton and together they carried Dacaen out of the castle.
When they reached the portal, they saw D'Argo, who was still waiting for John to return. He was signaling them to hurry up. Behind them, the building vanished in thin air. As they rushed through the portal, the other reality already crumbling, D'Argo saw them disappear. A microt later, a moan escaped from John.
"D'Argo, tell me you saw which Prowler hit me." He said as he sat up, clutching his head. "What the frell happened?" he asked.
D'Argo laughed. "I thought that I had lost you, John. As soon as you went through the portal, your body seemed to split, leaving one of you behind, unconscious." He said, kneeling next to Dacaen. "I'm afraid that our friend isn't in such a good condition. We have to get him back to Moya."
John stood up. "Where's Aeryn?" He asked, looking at D'Argo.
"She disappeared like you did." D'Argo answered.
John contacted Zhaan. "Zhaan? Tell me Aeryn is with you." He said as soon as he heard the Delvian answer his hail.
"Yes John. There hasn't been any change since you left to the planet." Zhaan answered.
"She hasn't woken up yet?" John asked.
"No, I'm sorry. John, what is going on down there? Pilot has found all sorts of unexplainable things happening on the planet." Zhaan asked.
"I'll tell you later. D'Argo and I are returning to Moya, with Dacaen. He's injured and dying." John said and turned off the comm. He turned to D'Argo, who had already lifted Dacaen in his arms. "Let's go."
**********
They reached Moya in record time. While John rushed towards his quarters, D'Argo carried Dacaen to the infirmary. He was met by Zhaan, who began examining the injured Dacaen. In the meantime, John had reached Aeryn's bed. He sat down next to her and held her hand in his. With his other hand, he wiped away a loose strand of hair. As he looked up, he saw D'Argo standing in the doorway.
"Zhaan told me that Dacaen won't live much longer. She also told me that she is convinced that Aeryn isn't dead." D'Argo said.
"Thanks, big guy. I know she's out there, finding her way home." John replied.
"I'll ask Zhaan if she can do anything." D'Argo said and he left John alone with Aeryn.
**********
Aeryn opened her eyes and saw the familiar surroundings of Moya. She moved her head to the left and saw Crichton snoring softly next to her. She looked in the direction of the door when she heard footsteps approaching. After a few microts, Zhaan appeared in the doorway. When the Delvian noticed that Aeryn was awake, she approached her.
"It's good to see you back with us." Zhaan said.
"How long have I been gone?" Aeryn asked, sitting up.
"Nearly a weeken. We all were very worried, even Rygel." Zhaan answered.
Aeryn seemed to think for a moment. "I don't remember much, it's all very vague, but I do remember Dacaen. Where is he?"
"In the infirmary. John and D'Argo found him on the planet." Zhaan answered.
"I want to see him, can you take me to him." Aeryn asked, already getting out of bed before Zhaan could protest.
"Only for a moment. You're both very weak and you must rest." Zhaan answered.
Aeryn smiled. "I've slept for nearly a weeken, I don't need more rest." She said as they walked to in the infirmary.
As they reached their destination, Zhaan left Aeryn alone to speak with Dacaen. She said that she would return in ten minutes.
Aeryn walked towards the bed Dacaen was lying upon. When she halted next to him, he opened his eyes and coughed.
"Aeryn..." he said with a raspy voice. "I don't have much time left in this world..."
Aeryn interrupted him. "You will live, Dacaen. You still have to teach me a lot of things, remember?"
"We're on Moya, which means that you finished my mission and that the beings are dead." Dacaen returned.
"Crichton helped me. If it wasn't for him, I wouldn't have been able to destroy the last one and we both would've died there." Aeryn said.
"Crichton..." Dacaen said. "He knows how to protect the ones he loves. You should stay here, with him." Dacaen continued. "But if you want to learn more, you have to find my Master, the one who trained me years ago."
"Where does he live?" Aeryn asked.
"He lives on a planet called Capres II." Dacaen answered. "You know how to find it, if the time is right." He explained. He coughed once more. "My time here is finished..." he finished.
Aeryn looked up as Zhaan walked in and came to stand next to her.
"He's dead." Aeryn stated.
At the same time, his body vaporized and was replaced by a pile of ash.
"We will bury him on the planet." Zhaan said as she placed the ash in an urn. Aeryn nodded her approval.
***********
Epilogue:
Aeryn stood on the terrace, watching the planet where they had left Dacaen on, becoming smaller and smaller as their distance increased. She sensed John coming to stand behind her, rather than hearing it. He embraced her, still standing behind her.
"We'll all miss him." He said as he held her in his arms.
Aeryn turned around in his embrace.
"He asked me to come with him, before he died, when I was on the planet." Aeryn said.
"What was your answer?" he asked.
"I wanted to come with him, to learn more about his people. He was like I was, without a home. Though a part of me wanted this, another part of me wanted to stay with you and the others." She replied.
"Seems like quite a conflict. What are you going to do, now that he's deceased?" John queried.
"Dacaen told me where someone like him lives. When the time is right, I'll search for him, but not now." Aeryn answered. "Dacaen said that it was wise to stay with you." She added.
"Then he was very wise..." John replied and kissed her.
Together, they looked at the planet until it was nothing more than a shining dot in the black space...