Chapter 15 The City of Light

Carter and Mitchell had no problems with getting the wheel barrow through the Stargate. They'd gone as far as the market place, paused, then just kind of meandered on their way – hoping that nobody thought it was odd that they were taking Sonel's vegetables away from all of the market stalls. If anybody had thought it strange then they hadn't mentioned it, and the two Colonels' dialled the DHD and took their precious cargo through without a hitch.

Daniel and Vala were still out at the mine – it was mid-afternoon before they came back.

Ms Mal Doran wasn't happy. Riding out six miles and back had made her side ache and she'd snapped and griped most of the way home.

This in turn made Daniel cross with Vala, firstly because she kept biting his head off, secondly once he realised she was moaning because her side hurt.

"You should have thought!" he growled at her. "You've already had one of those wounds open up again. Why don't you ever think ahead, Vala? Why is it always up to me to think these things through for you?"

"Shut up Daniel!" she shouted at him. "Sorry for wanting to help, and sorry for wanting to come with you, and sorry for just being generally annoying and getting in your way!"

The archaeologist sighed. His head dropped to his chest and he pinched the bridge of his nose. His horse, feeling him loosen the reins tossed it's mane and skittered across the path.

"Whoa there!" Daniel jiggled about in the saddle for a few moments before regaining control.

Vala couldn't help it – she laughed.

Daniel grinned wryly back at her. "C'mon," he reined his horse in and caught the bridle of hers' as she came alongside. "I'm sorry. Really. It's been a long day. Friends?"

"Friends." Vala patted his hand. "I'm not kissing you though darling, these horrible creatures move when you try to do anything. And if I lean too far I'll fall off and I'll hurt myself again, and then you and Carolyn will just moan more than ever. Which is unfair, especially as I told you about that ridiculous Lignum In Lucem thing in the first place."

Daniel smiled. "Let's just get back before either of us land on our butts from falling off of these things!"

When they arrived back Sam and Mitchell were already at work in the smaller square – the Lignum In Lucem was in two pieces on the ground and the forty five jewels lay spread out in rows on a sheet next to it. Two local men were assisting with arranging the naquadah in the bottom of the hole as Daniel came up and peered in.

Vala plopped down next to Samantha.

"Tired?" asked the blonde Colonel.

Vala nodded, wrinkling her nose. She lay down carefully on her good side next to the jewels. "Will these make it work?" she asked, picking one up and playing with it.

"We think so. It just can't be a coincidence that there are forty five of these and forty five places on the artefact itself. Plus – look over there!"

Sam pointed to where various people were hanging their necklaces and other pieces of jewellery on the walls and fronts of their houses. Every dwelling in the little square was festooned with the Aureoques.

"They've put them up all over the city," Sam told her friend. "If this thing works, then we're really going to know about it."

"Of course it'll work, I have ultimate faith in you," said Vala, rolling carefully onto her back. She closed her eyes. "Wake me up when Daniel stops talking."

- o – o – o -

Dr Jackson didn't stop talking for some considerable time, by which point Vala had fallen asleep on the cobblestones, one hand tucked behind her head and the last of the jewels held loosely in her lightly clasped fist.

Daniel crouched down next to her and smiled, gently pushing some stray strands of fringe out of her eyes.

Vala sighed in her dream and turned her head to the other side, not waking.

Daniel carefully took the Aureoque from her palm and slipped it into his pocket, for use later. He ran his finger softly down the side of Vala's face – her eyes flickered open.

"Sorry," he whispered, apologetically. "Didn't mean to wake you."

Vala smiled sleepily. "Come down here and go to sleep too," she told him.

"Not a hope!" Daniel grinned down at her. "You want my jacket for a pillow?"

"Mmm." Vala leaned up on her elbow briefly while Daniel slipped his jacket off, tucking it underneath her head as she flopped back down again.

"Only you could fall asleep in the middle of a busy cobbled square," he told her.

Vala didn't hear him. She'd turned onto her side and gone back to sleep.

Daniel grinned, kissed the tip of her ear – it was the easiest part of her to reach – and left her to rest.

- o – o – o -

When Vala awoke Teal'c was sitting cross legged close by.

"Muscles!" smiling in delight, she sat up awkwardly.

"ValaMalDoran," he acknowledged her, "It is good to see you."

"Has Daniel finished yabbering on yet?" Vala ran her fingers through her hair, trying to make it look half way neat.

"I believe so. The artefact from your home world is in place, and all is now ready for sundown."

Vala paused, eyeing her Jaffa friend speculatively.

"You think it'll work?" she asked him.

Teal'c raised one eyebrow but did not look unduly concerned. "DanielJackson and ColonelCarter have followed all of the instructions perfectly, in their restoration of the Tree of Light. If it is the correct artefact, and it is in the correct place, then I do not see why it will not work."

His fellow alien nodded slowly. "How long until sunset then, Muscles?"

Teal'c looked upwards at the sky. "I would say less than thirty minutes," he told her.

"Then let's go and see if we can find some chocolate first," Vala flashed a grin. "I'm starving!"

- o – o – o -

Aproximately forty five minutes later SG-1, minus young Redwell but plus Sam Carter, stood around the Lignum In Lucem, glancing nervously yet excitedly at each other. About two dozen local people had gathered around the edges of the square to see what was going to happen.

"If this doesn't work," Mitchell whispered to Sam, "then we are going to look beyond stupid!"

She grinned. "It'll work."

All of the dusky gold crystals were in place, except for the central one.

Vala pointed."Where is it? I didn't steal it! I haven't stolen anything from here. Yet. Daniel took it from me – Daniel's stolen it!"

"Hush!" he frowned at her. "Nobody's stolen it. It's right here." Taking it out of his pocket he waved it at her. "I was waiting for you."

"Me?" Vala looked genuinely surprised. "Why?"

Daniel leaned across the artefact and handed the jewel to her. "Because you should be the one to put the last stone in place. It came from your home, and you put up with the most to get through this mission and make it a success. It's your call, Vala – you put it in."

Daniel smiled with such a tender expression on his face that Vala almost fell apart.

She tossed her head and rubbed her eyes with both hands, smiling tremulously back after a few moment. One small, silvery tear escaped and slid down her cheek.

"Well," Vala cleared her throat. "If you say so." She leant forward and placed the gem precisely in the central indentation.

A few seconds passed, then –

"Do you hear that?" asked Mitchell.

There was a low humming sound coming from directly below the Tree of Light. It increased in intensity but did not become unpleasant.

"You don't think it's going to blow up, do you?" whispered Vala to Sam, who pulled her mouth down slightly in a grimace.

Before the Colonel could reply, without any sparks or flashes or preamble of any kind, the entire artefact lit up. The brightness of the jewels made the team all step back and shield their eyes, but it was not an unpleasant light, and after awhile they found that they could look at it without ill effect. The light from the Aureoques rose up, creating a large arc, a dome of white, lustrous, sparkling beauty which stood out above the artefact itself by about three feet.

"It's beautiful," whispered Sam, awestruck.

"Indeed," added Teal'c, smiling.

"Look!" Vala pointed to the houses around the square. "Look at them all!"

The Aureoques that the local people had hung against the walls of the houses, all over the town, were alight too – glowing as white as diamonds, but as soft as snow. The whole place was ablaze – it was almost as bright as daylight. Every street and alley, every small cobbled square danced and sparkled with the glorious, wonderful light from the crystals.

"How is it doing that?" asked Cameron in awe.

"The naquadah." replied Sam. "The city is built on a vein of the mineral. Nearly every house must be connected to it – the energy runs down into the ground from the crystals and out through the naquadah to the houses."

"The City of Light." Daniel was smiling, grinning from ear to ear.

Vala rushed around the glowing table of jewels to throw her arms around him. "I love you," she whispered to him, overcome with the emotion of it all.

Daniel held her tightly and swung her, forgetting about wounds and stitches and plasters. Vala didn't appear to care – five seconds later and he was kissing her wholeheartedly right in front of the entire town.

The sound of Mitchell laughing broke them apart eventually.

Vala looked like the cat who'd had the cream.

Daniel looked rather embarrassed but made no effort to let go of his girlfriend. If anything he held on to her even tighter.

"So…" Sam was nodding and looking pleased. "The jewels certainly behave differently with the naquadah, as opposed to naquadria. It must be something to do with the way that the mineral has been altered artificially by the Gou'ald in the past. Subsequently, discoveries have been made which enabled the evolution of some kind of weapon, as opposed to the original, and if you like correct, use of the jewels. Now that was obviously to maintain a light source here, and possibly to harness other kinds of energy as well. Hopefully they'll allow us to to perform a whole range of tests not only on the crystals but the naqua…"

"Ach!" Mitchell did an excellent impression of General O'Neill. "Stop your yabbering Carter and just – just enjoy the moment!"

Sam grinned apologetically and stopped her excited babbling. Sitting down on a nearby bench she looked around at her fellow team members.

Teal'c was pacing slowly, hands clasped behind his back, face upturned to look at the jewels hanging on the walls.

Daniel and Vala were standing with their arms around each other, oblivious to anyone else nearby.

Mitchell was gazing at the Lignum in Lucem – as Sam watched he actually touched the edge of the dome of light with his finger tips. He looked stunned. "Not hot," he told her, awed. Gently, he tapped one of the jewels – it was cool. He shook his head in wonderment.

The locals were overjoyed – people were laughing and singing, shaking hands and clapping shoulders.

SG-1 had managed the near impossible – they had restored the City of Light.

TBC

You've nearly reached the end! Well done for sticking with the story! Just a short epilogue which I'm going to post immediately. Thank you for following!