Chapter Four
After the rest of the group came through the mirror, Jack decided to take a look into the hall. Once again, he found himself impressed and amazed. It looked as though metallic panels had been violently torn from the walls and then wrapped around the bodies of three Jaffa. Even with the armor that they had equipped, they would have been completely crushed if the process had not been so precisely controlled. He reminded himself to go back and check the security camera footage after all of this was over. "Kid, you are something else."
Jack pulled his head back into the room and shut the door. Aang spoke up, "Everyone listen. We can save everyone here, but I don't know how tough these guys are. Just incase, I am going to give you each the ability to bend an element."
Daniel's eyebrows rose. "You can do that?!" he asked, his voice a bit too loud for the situation. Everyone let out a sharp shush simultaneously.
Aang continued in a whisper, "Yes, but I am going to give you an element that best fits your personality." As Aang explained he seemed older and wiser than his appearance would suggest. "This will make it easier for you to control your bending and you won't really need too much training to get the hang of it."
As Aang spoke, Daniel's excitement grew almost tangible, though he didn't dare make a sound. He knew all too well that a single word out of place could change a monk's way of thinking on an issue. Aang, being an insightful person, could sense Daniel's excitement as easily as if his thoughts were written on his forehead.
Aang first approached the giddy archeologist and placed his two thumbs on the man. His left on Daniel's forehead and his right on his chest near his heart. Daniel felt his mind and his body surge with foreign energy. He had been exposed to countless sources of power and strange sensations on his journeys, but nothing came close to this feeling. A feeling of strength washed over him, accompanied by a deep tranquility that seemed almost impossible to attain naturally. When his mind was finally calm, he noticed that he could not see. His eyes were closed, but he did not remember closing them. As Dr. Jackson opened his eyes, he found himself standing on what seemed to be and endless, mirrored floor that extended in every direction. He could not see the end, but for some reason, he knew that there was no end.
Daniel took a step forward and the mirror rippled under his feet. This drew his attention closer to his feet and when he looked straight down, he realized that he was not standing on a mirror. He was standing on the surface of an ocean. As soon as he was aware of his situation, the water began to swirl directly in front of him. A column of water rose from the surface in front of him and took on a humanoid shape. Little by little, drops of water fell from the figure until it was a perfect copy of Daniel made of water.
"You have kept me waiting for so long, Daniel," said the figure as his hardened into ice. Its voice was calm and cold and filled him with an overwhelming fear. As he took a step back, it spoke again. "Why are you afraid? Do you doubt your own strength?" An amused smile formed on its stolen face.