Raistlin's main concern was that he could not grasp what had happened. Daniel had cast an amazing spell, something that he could not associate with anything he had ever read. And what had been the meaning of that dark being? It had been immensely powerful, Raistlin had felt it clearly. But it had not been there entirely, otherwise it would have won the battle before it had begun. It had only been a strong projection of some sort, and it was obvious that the continuous prayers of the draconians had something to do with it. Had he just witnessed one of the true gods? The god of the draconians?
The entire group seemed to be headed towards Daniel, and Raistlin moved along with them, determined to get the answers that he'd need to solve this mystery. He was patient enough to wait a moment longer, as SG-1 met with their missing member and asked some questions of their own. Still, he had no patience to offer to Tasslehoff Burrfoot, who suddenly appeared at his feet, tugging at his robes.
"Raist! Raist, look what I found! I wonder if it's magical? Won't you take a look at it?" Tas demanded. He was holding a grayish something that he was waving about wildly. It was nothing more or less than a gray hat. An old, tattered, pointed hat.
"Tasslehoff Burrfoot. Once again, you surprise me with the amazing mental capacity of kenders. It is an old hat, and there is absolutely nothing magical about it – but I will show you magic soon enough, turning you into a snail if you will not leave me alone!" Raistlin replied, completely aware of the theatrical quality of his words. He knew that nothing less would take the point across to Tas.
"Awww, that's not nice! I know it's a very magical hat, since it just appeared out of nowhere, I found it there, near the stargate, but no one could've dropped it, I would've seen them! I'm going to keep it anyway," Tasslehoff babbled, and walked away, striving to place the hat on his head, the task made rather difficult by his high topknot of thick dark hair.
When Tas fell silent and left, Raistlin was able to catch some of the first words SG-1 exchanged.
"So, Daniel. I see you've been busy," Colonel O'Neill began cautiously. Raistlin could see he wasn't quite sure what to think about Daniel now. "And you look like hell. Which is pretty good, compared to that goa'uld," he gestured at the remains of the dark-mailed lady. Actually, Raistlin noted to himself, the corpse was in as good a shape as possible. He could not see any injuries of any kind.
Daniel glared at Jack silently for a moment, as did Sam. But where Sam's look was inquiring and perhaps even slightly reproachful, Daniel's was almost completely blank. "Gee, thanks, Jack. I guess you could say the same about me compared to all those Jaffa that I killed, too. And that five- headed dragon."
"Five-headed dragon?" Jack repeated, and Raistlin thought he could sense some concern in his voice, hidden underneath all the sarcasm. "Where was that?"
"Don't tell me you didn't see it, Jack, it was right behind me," Daniel replied, appearing completely unenthusiastic.
Raistlin, however, was far from indifferent upon hearing these words. They confirmed his beliefs. The dark thing that he had seen had been a projection, one that had been completely visible only to Daniel, and probably the now-dead dark lady.
"There was no beast such as you describe, Daniel Jackson," Teal'c noted in his usual, infallible way. "Although there was a cloud-like dark being that I deemed threatening."
"Care to tell us what really happened, Daniel? How'd you become a dark mage?" Jack asked, only half-jokingly.
"Jack, I'm not a dark mage... But I really can't explain it myself – or I can try to, but I know I won't even believe it myself."
Raistlin was listening very closely now. Perhaps he might get all the answers he wanted without needing to ask anything at all.
"All right. We've been to numerous worlds and met many goa'uld system lords, but they all have one thing in common. They choose the local deity most appealing to them, and impersonate them. Since they're technically far more advanced than their subjects, they really look like gods to them. But suppose, just suppose, that in one world, the original, real gods actually exist. I'm not taking God-god into this debate. Just suppose that there is some alien race so alien and so powerful that they look like gods even to us, and even to the goa'ulds. And then there is a goa'uld who has chosen to play the role of one of these gods, or rather, a goddess."
The three other members of SG-1 eyed Daniel with disbelief, but Raistlin was nodding to himself. It did make sense, and offered quite a few of the pieces that he had been missing.
"But no matter how amazingly godlike these beings appear, they still have some very human traits, and they have their grudges. Like in the ancient Greek pantheon. So, there are 'good' gods and 'evil' gods fighting each other, or driving their own agendas. The five-headed dragon goddess was clearly enough one of the bad ones, so it's not surprising that the goa'uld chose her. As for the good ones, I think I met them. I think they're the ones who gave the magical powers to me."
"None of that explains what the draconians were doing when they first came, or what that muttering that they kept on a moment ago was all about," Sam said.
"But it does!" Raistlin finally spoke up. "These ruins and the stargate prove that there has been someone here before. And these ruins certainly do not look like something built by the draconians, indeed, they do not remind me of anything on Krynn. Perhaps this false goddess has been here before, and has been driven away once. Now, she was planning to return, but somehow, the true goddess learned of it. Although I know not how this happened."
"It is quite normal for a goa'uld to send out a party of Jaffa in advance, to observe the situation in the target world," Teal'c offered.
"Ah, then that part is solved as well. This goa'uld sent through a party of her guards, who were seen by the true goddess, or some of her minions. So, she sends the draconians here, to prepare the site."
"Prepare the site – for what? Certainly not for battle," Sam wondered aloud. "They were not building up defenses, they were setting up flags, fixing broken walls and statues, cleaning up."
"They were preparing it for the return of their own true goddess, who would come and drive the false imitator away for ever. They were not fixing anything, they were rebuilding. They even carved new symbols into the walls. But the Jaffa came too soon and drove them away, and when the encounter of the two goddesses took place, their work was unfinished. So, the true goddess could not appear in flesh, or in any tangible matter. Even though the draconians were praying all the time, offering her all their faith, she was only able to show up as a vague projection. I think she would not have been able to harm you us that incarnation, except mentally."
"So that is why she used me! That's why she tried to force me to kill the goa'uld instead of doing it herself," Daniel uttered. "I was the perfect tool for her job – she must have enjoyed the irony of it. The good gods, her enemies, wish to use me against her, but as the good guys, they don't guide or command me too strictly. And she sees through their plans, and uses me for her purposes instead."
"But the good guys won, right? That's why you're still there, and the draconians are gone?" Jack asked.
"Right. Although the bad guys got away well enough too. I don't think the dragon-goddess was harmed at all. And the goa'uld is dead. I guess that's what everyone wanted."
"Are you really so sorry that she's dead, Daniel? She's not Sha're, after all. She wouldn't have done any good to anyone alive."
"I'm sorry for all those Jaffa, and I'm sorry for her. Now we'll never know who she really was. She must have been a very minor goa'uld, if Teal'c doesn't know anything about her. Maybe she wasn't too evil at all. We'll never know..."
"Can you still do magic? Would you show me some? Raistlin never wants to show me any tricks, except when he threatens to turn me into something awful! That really huge big spell that you did was really wonderful!" Tasslehoff had emerged again, as annoying as ever, and completely oblivious of the situation.
"I don't know, and I don't care," Daniel replied wearily. "I'm not going to try. Nothing good ever came out of it."
"But you must tell me what that last spell was," Raistlin stepped to face Daniel directly, pushing Tas away. "It was unlike anything I have ever seen!"
Daniel shook his head. "How should I know? Most of the time, someone was there to tell me what to do. But that last time, there was no one. I didn't know what to do. I only knew that I had to do something soon or I would loose it. So I just desperately called out for help. And then... I don't know. This is as much of a guess as everything else I've said, but I think the good gods finally stepped in to the scene."
Jack made it clear that he wanted his team back on Earth as soon as possible. It only took them a while to find the few remaining Jaffa and solve the matters concerning them. Some of the Jaffa that Daniel had attacked had actually woken up as well, not that badly hurt, although some never did. They were offered the options of either following SG-1 through the gate and then being sent to some safe world, or returning to where they had come from. It was not surprising that they all chose the latter.
After the Jaffa had left through the stargate, it was SG-1's turn. They took their time saying farewell to the companions. They advised them to bury the stargate, although they were pretty certain that it would not happen. Daniel insisted on it that they should have means to contact the SGC in case something happened, and it was decided that they would arrange this with General Hammond once they were home again.
This time, there were no draconians clawing at Daniel as he walked to the DHD and punched the series of symbols that opened the wormhole to Earth. No matter that almost everything had went wrong on this mission, and numerous bad things had happened, he felt almost reluctant to leave Krynn. He would have to return some day, and learn more of their ways, their culture, their magic – and their gods.
Flint had to hold Tasslehoff in his place to keep him from following SG-1 through the stargate. Especially after what Caramon had told him about Earth, Tas was convinced that he would have to go there one day. Well, there were quite a few other places where he would absolutely have to go, too.
As Raistlin watched the struggling kender, and then the team departing through the gate, he thought that his feelings were not that different from the kender's. He was pleased that, if SG-1 would keep their promise, he would actually be granted the means to return to Earth one day. Although he would definitely not take Tas with him.
The rippling surface of the open portal dissolved, and after one last look, Raistlin turned his back to it.
Aside from Tas's babbling, the company walked in perfect silence. Everyone's mind still lingered on what had happened during the last few days. Slowly, they made their way to the thicket where they had left their heavier belongings, and thence, towards new adventures.
The end – but not quite. There's one chapter left, butit'sentirely about SG-1 and what happened after they returned to Earth, since, as I hope someone has noticed, there are still some unresolved things left. Aside fromsome explanations, it's pretty basic hurt/comfort.You've been warned...