A/N: Okays, I'm back. Well, I never really left. While I was writing this, my Internet died ::gasp:: so I wasn't able to put it up right away. (Note-is talking while Internet is still down) Anyways, I'd love to answer reviews, but as I can't... well, I'll do it in the next chapter. (Maybe)

And I have a question. Why do people only ever review chapter three (Chapter II)? I find it odd and feel like someone is conspiring against me. ='(

Chapter Seven: A Shadow in our Midst


Carson curled up against the red stomach scales of Bahamut and closed his eyes tiredly, and the dragon looked down at him with a look of deep confusion as it lay on its side.

After a moment, the doctor opened his eyes again and folded his hands behind his head and sighed, looking at the stars above them.

They were so clear here, like in the country. Where there were no lights to interfere with the way the stars glowed.

White pinpricks in the large black quilt... So peaceful, beautiful even.

But he found it strange to see no constellations he recognized, no Orion or Andromeda... these were just stars, without constellations to him.

What, are you dying? The dragon asked, half truly caring.

No, I'm sleeping, the doctor replied.

Sleeping?

Yeah... Its like... I don't know how to explain it.

You look like your ready to die to me.

Well apparently I don't have your great body and mind, so I guess I need to sleep.

Waste of time if you ask me.

I figured as much.

The dragon didn't reply and curled its tail around its self, probably wondering how long it was going to have to lie out here in the crater at night, when its sight was best.

But the human seemed quite content with "sleeping" and looking at the stars. So the dragon rested its head on a tail and ended up being curled up like a cat, Carson lying between its large claws.

And he closed his eyes and the dragon was sure the human was using "sleep" as an excuse to die on him.

XOXOXOX

"Well, at least when Beckett isn't here, he can't hurt anyone," Rodney kindly pointed out to Weir who looked ready to strangle the man, who backed up and said, "I guess we are lucky you aren't the one with Bahama in their head."

"Bahamut," John corrected, pacing the small room, "But that isn't the problem."

"Then what is?" Rodney asked, moderately confused.

"While Beckett can't hurt us, he can still get hurt himself," Teyla pointed out, "And I am sure that Bahamut would not easily heal him."

"It would," Aerith spoke up, "As long as Carson's alive, the dragon will live. And vice versa. Bahamut will protect Carson at all costs."

"So he won't get hurt, but if there are others..."

Weir left that thought to hang and they all thought of what could happen if the dragon wasn't put under control. Bahamut would protect Carson, so it wasn't sent back into the red sphere.

But why would the dragon risk it? If it died, then Carson would surely die. Or, at least that was Rodney's current line of thought as he looked at Aerith half paying attention.

He never really realized how oddly pretty the woman was, with her long brown hair and green eyes. The way her pink dress was so tight, yet she could move around in it like it wasn't there.

That was an interesting thought for him, what she would look like if her dress wasn't there... But he shifted his gaze to Weir, a wide smile forming inside his head.

The words that were said were words that he already had heard, and he didn't fancy hearing them again. But he pretended to half pay attention as Aerith once again recalled the destructive force of the dragon.

"Why does the dragon protect Beckett?" He half heard Ford ask, "What if it dies?"

"It can't die," Aerith replied, "It is a part of him, like he is a part of it. Carson will always be able to summon it again."

"Oh... that is bad," Ford whistled, a long slow note.

"Very," the Cetra agreed.

XOXOXOX

He didn't know what had awoken him up, only that the fact that Bahamut's muscles were tighter then they should have been. He lazily scratched one of the scales and the dragon looked down at him and picked up the tired man with his teeth.

But this time he didn't put the man on his back, instead he carried him, holding the jacket between two of its rather sharp and yellow teeth. And its breath was no sweet thing, worse then some of the Athoisans who had never heard of toothpaste.

The dragon trotted over the ground in the early morning, its eyes fixed on something very far away, but why it simply didn't fly over to it was beyond the human doctor.

So for about an hour, the dragon walked over the vast distance of the crater carrying Carson in its mouth as if he was some sort of chew toy. Beckett grimly wondered if the dragon's breath would kill him before they reached their destination.

But as Bahamut lay Carson down, and turned to a spot of the crater with nothing there at all, he wondered what this really was all about.

The dragon began to dig quickly, like a dog, the sand and dirt flying all over the area they were in and Carson hid behind one of the tall back legs hoping not to get buried in the dirt in the process.

Come dig, human. The dragon instructed, sitting down like a cat, its tail wrapped around it.

Why? The confused man asked, looking at a hole bigger then the briefing room back on Atlantis base.

Because I can't dig anymore, I might lose it.

Lose what?

I'll tell you if I see it.

And carefully picking up Carson by his jacket with two claws he lowered him into the large holed in the ground and watched as the human began to dig exactly where the dragon instructed him too.

XOXOXOX

'Come to me, my child,' a voice called into his head, soothingly, 'I can help you.'

"Help me with what?" he questioned, his hands on the edge of the sanitizer, gripping it so tightly his knuckles were white, "And why me?"

'Because, you are my child,' the voice replied, 'I can make all of your dreams come true if you help me.'

"And what is it that my dreams consist of?"

'I can make you a member of Gate Team: 1, so you can help Major Sheppard and Teyla.'

"But what if I don't want that?"

'You do, you can not lie to me my child, for I know all.'

"So why do you need my help?"

'Because, my own body is to weak to do this on my own, and this way we both benefit.'

"I suppose, but why didn't you ask me before? When Aerith first came?"

'I needed to know if it was her, and we don't want anyone to suspect you of any wrong doings.'

"I see. What do I have to do exactly?"

'First order of business is to bring Sephiroth to the Living World, do you think you can summon him for me?'

"What is it that I'd have to do?"

'Imagine, power beyond all belief in a single human, with blue-green eyes, and a sword that can cut through anything.'

"What if it doesn't work?"

'You will have plenty of time my child, and in the mean time while you are trying to do that, make sure the Chosen One gets this sphere.'

A small black sphere appeared in the air before him, and he reached out and grabbed it with one pail hand. But as soon as his hand came in contact with it, images of pain filled his head and he fell to the ground and let out a scream.

Hundreds of people lay dead, sprawled all over the ground, blood puddles under each person.

Blood dripped from the body of a man crucified on a tree.

Children lay, deep cuts on there arms.

Parents hugged little babies, even in their death.

And the whole village was in flames, and a figure dressed completely in black walked away from it all as if he hadn't noticed, blood gleaming on the blade of his sword.

XOXOXOX

Teyla leaned up against the railing on one of the balconies over looking the ocean around Atlantis. She sighed, and looked down at the water gently lapping up against the cities edges.

The Athosians were getting restless, saying that they could feel an evil spirit among them. Something that had been asleep for many years, which was recently awakened.

They hadn't been wrong the first time they believed such a thing, and the possibility was still high... but she herself couldn't feel some unworldly evil presence.

And there was no way that it could have awakened, there was always someone watching over where all the people were. But still, if there was something...

She was sure John had heard the rumors, as he spent so much time playing with the children, him and Ford both.

But if they had heard the rumors, then why weren't they acting about it? Thinking it was some result of lack of sleep and the 38-hour 24-hour time difference?

No, she thought grimly, that was only for the ones from Earth. She herself was used to 38-hour days and she wasn't surprised or worried about them. It was just a fact of life to her...

She heard the door slide open to let someone outside but she didn't turn to see who it was, just kept looking out over the ocean and enjoying the fresh sea breeze.

The person was standing next to her, a slight bored expression to his face, but she was used to it. Without thinking she rested a hand on his arm and he turned to her.

"What brings you here, John?" she asked, turning her gaze to him without moving the rest of her body.

"Ah, fresh air, ocean breeze, you," Sheppard shrugged, a sort of half-hearted smile on his face, "What's wrong?" he asked.

He turned around so that his back was pressed up against the railing and he had his head turned in Teyla's direction as she returned to watching the water.

"I was just thinking about what the others were saying," Teyla folded her arms and rested them on the railing, "About a dark spirit being around here somewhere."

"Personally, I think they've heard one to many of my stories," Sheppard sighed, folding his own arms behind his back to rest on the railing, "and anyways, we would be able to track it- unless someone ate it."

Teyla sent Sheppard a weird look, one she usually reserved for when his American sense of humor kicked in and he just sent her a fake charming smile, waving his hand at her.

And she couldn't help but giggle, and smile back, waving her hand also. John's smile faded and he turned to look at the water, chewing on the inside of his mouth.

This time, Teyla gave him a quick nervous glance, wondering what he was thinking about. She studied his features and decided he was worried about something.

"What is wrong?" She asked, inching closer to rest her head on his shoulder.

He looked at her sort of confused, and smiled faintly and ran his fingers through a lock of her hair, liking the way it slid through them like water.

"I find it kind of creepy how Carson is over there somewhere," John started slowly, "with a dragon and looking for two more."

"I pray that he is all right," Teyla shook her head slightly, "And that Atlantis will be all right."


A/N: XD I'm trying to ship Teyla and John without... well, shipping them. I guess I'm not doing to well. .; LOL. And I was aiming to get it away from being just Aerith and Carson centric.

So I'm sorry if it skipped around a bit, but I already have this story planned in my head.

Next chapter I think has (or mentions) a Brother, Crisis of the Sky, and the so-called dark spirit.

-Cailean