Chapter 11
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"Don't leave me here, please! I promise to be good." The little girl threw herself in her mother's arms.
"You've always been good. You were always perfect." Her mother pulled away from her, choking up a sob.
"Please, don't leave me here!" The little girl clung to her mother as though her life depended on it. Her father stepped in and pulled her away from her mother.
"That's enough!" He snapped. He forcefully grabbed her arms. "Listen! You don't go near the Ring. Never go near the Ring. You stay here."
"Father, please!" She wailed, gripping onto his arm.
"Let go! Let go!" He pushed her away from him and she landed on her back.
"Aria!"
Her eyes snapped open and immediately, she let out a sob. It had been twenty years since that fateful day. And yet, her body remembered the heartbreak as though it happened the day before. There was a gaping wound in her chest that she had learned to live with. And more often than not, the wound loved to remind her that it was still here. That it had not healed.
Not entirely.
"Why do you have to park so far away?" McKay complained as the team trekked through the woods.
"The ridge was a little further away than it looked." Sheppard retorted. "You can't just land a jumper anywhere, Rodney."
He groaned as he jumped over a log. "It doesn't matter now; I think we're almost there."
"Rodney!" Teyla called. "Do you even know what it is, we're looking for?"
"Yeah, well, whatever it is, it's around here somewhere."
"What's around here?" Ronon asked him.
"Whatever it was that was causing the energy spike we detected from the Puddle Jumper."
"We don't even know what it looks like," Aria said as she closed the march.
"I'll know it when I see it—and I see it."
Ronon pushed away the curtain of leaves, to reveal what looked like a doorway. "Looks like a door." He stated.
"Yes, it is remarkably door-like." Rodney threw back sarcastically.
"Well, looks like the only way through the ridge anyway," Sheppard remarked. "It runs for miles." He walked closer to the doorway. "Alright, let's check it out."
Aria grabbed his vest to pull him away from the archway. "How about we don't?"
"There's something there," McKay said quickly.
"What?" Sheppard asked.
"Some kind of an energy barrier around the threshold," Rodney told him.
Sheppard walked away from the door; Aria let go of his vest. He grabbed a rock and threw it through the entryway.
"It disappeared," Teyla stated.
"Or it went right through a cloak," Sheppard replied.
"It has many of the same properties as a cloaking field," Rodney said.
"Yeah, and the Ancients did tend to hide all the really cool stuff." Sheppard retorted as Aria moved to the closest wall to the archway.
There was an inscription written in the language of Ancestors. After twenty years spent in the outpost she grew up in, she was able to recognize more than a few words. Her knowledge allowed her to decipher the words on the wall.
"You got tape?" She heard McKay ask. And pulled the tape roll of tape she kept in her duffel bag. She handed it out. "Because—I got a camera."
The words on the wall mentioned a sanctuary protected by a field, against the Wraiths. But mainly, there were mentions of ascension. A word or a notion, she was not familiar with.
"What's ascension?" Aria asked no one in particular.
"Ascension to a higher plane of existence," McKay explained as he held a stick with the camera taped on the end of it. He pushed the stick through the threshold. "The race of people who built the Stargate, they eventually evolved to a point where they ascended to a state of pure energy."
"That'd be great!" Ronon commented.
"Yeah, well, sadly it's a matter of—evolution." Rodney retorted.
"Rude." Aria looked down at McKay.
"Anyway, I'm sure we've got more than enough now." He pulled out the camera of the forcefield. "Here we go—and—have a look, shall we?" He replayed the recording of the last few seconds.
Aria got closer to her squad as they huddled around Rodney. The last few seconds that played only showed a bare room or something that looked close to one. It seemed safe.
"Okay, then! Any volunteers?" McKay asked.
"I'll go." Sheppard got up and gave Aria her roll of tape back.
"I'll go with you." She said as she put the roll of tape in her duffel bag.
"Just—back out if you encounter anything problematic," McKay instructed them.
"Problematic?" Sheppard repeated.
"Yeah, like poisonous atmosphere, acid atmosphere, no atmosphere." McKay listed. "Hey, it's a MALP on a stick, only shows you so much."
"Okay." Sheppard was growing anxious. He looked down at Aria. "I'll go first and I'll give you the go, once I'm on the other side."
"Copy that." Aria nodded. "And there's no need to worry about the nature of the atmosphere. It's supposed to be a sanctuary, so I'm guessing it's safe."
"Still, I'll go first." She nodded. "Here it goes." Colonel Sheppard pushed through the field with his weapon first. "Weird."
"What is wrong?" Teyla asked him worriedly.
"Yeah, it's kinda hurting my hands a little." He replied.
"Okay, so get outta here," McKay suggested.
"I'm trying to, but it's pulling me in."
Ronon grabbed his vest to pull him back. "I got you."
"Ok, come on, guys, get me outta here."
"I'm trying," Ronon told him as Teyla and Aria rushed to help pulling him back.
"Well, try harder," Sheppard grunted.
Aria's arm went around his waist in an attempt to pull him back. "No, we proved this. It shouldn't be happening." McKay argued.
"Well, it is!" Sheppard groaned. "It's pulling me in!"
Aria started to feel a slight pain on her forearms before she started to feel the pull.
"It's too strong!" Teyla said.
"Don't touch the barrier!" McKay yelled as Sheppard completely disappeared through the field.
"Too late for that!" Aria grunted as Ronon grabbed her vest to pull her out. But to no avail, she too quickly disappeared through the field.
Aria landed on the ground with a huff. She looked around her, the place looked exactly like what she had seen on the camera. Colonel Sheppard was nowhere to be seen. She tried to stand up but her body was hurting. Her muscles and her joints groaned in pain as she pushed herself up.
"Keelah!" She grunted as she moved to her knees.
"Aria?" Sheppard approached her. "I asked you guys to stay put."
"Yeah, well, I didn't get that," Aria answered, Sheppard pulled her up to her feet. "I got sucked in while trying to pull you out."
"Impossible. I've been here for at least ten minutes." Sheppard frowned looking over her shoulder.
She looked at him confused. "It's barely been seconds for us." Aria looked back at the threshold. "That's weird."
"Yeah, tell me about it." He grabbed his radio. "This is Sheppard, can you hear me now?" He waited for an answer that did not come. "Aria just arrived. She's alright." He shrugged after giving her a quick once-over. "I've taken a good look around the area. The cave opens up to the other side of the ridge. There's not much there, so—We're just gonna—wait here—and give you guys a chance to figure this one out."
Aria was confused. How could it have been minutes for Sheppard and merely seconds for her? Was time going faster behind the barrier? She would have loved to find out more about this portal. She, unfortunately, did not have the proper tools. And there was a more pressing matter; their survival.
"Now would not be a good time to throw that rock I asked you to throw a few hours ago," Sheppard said on the radio. "I'd never see it coming, this side is as black as oil." Colonel walked closer to the barrier and punched it. He flinched back in pain. "There's one thing I haven't tried, so if you can hear me—stand back." He looked back at Aria as he pulled out his gun. "Stay back."
Aria took a few steps back. John took a few deep breaths and aimed his gun at the barrier. But the bullet did not go through. On the contrary, it bounced back and almost hit him. Aria shrieked in surprise and covered her ears.
"Good one, John!" John scolded himself angrily. "Shoot, yourself!" He grabbed his radio. "This is damn right problematic, Rodney!" He took a few deep breaths before turning to Aria. "You okay?"
"Yes, I'm good." Aria took a step forward. "So, we can get in but no way out. That's great."
"Yeah, terrific," John grumbled.
Aria had shown herself patient. They remained by the barrier an entire day. Colonel Sheppard had not stopped contacting the others but she did not think her friends on the other side, could hear his calls.
"We have to move," Aria suggested quietly as she started a fire. "We are running low on water."
"I know." Sheppard looked down at her. "Let's give them a little more time to figure this out."
"I'm sure they are working on it." Aria retorted. "But chances are they cannot risk walking through the barrier and it may take longer than you think to figure it out." She paused. "It's already been a day, John."
"I know." He sat down next to her. "I know."
Aria knew what it felt like. To be alone and hope for someone to come. She knew how it felt like. She did not want to take this away from him but they did have to move away from the ridge and the barrier. Soon, their water supply would be gone and the food would soon follow. They couldn't remain by the barrier. They would have to move soon.
"That's day two and we're out of water," Sheppard said into the radio. His voice startled Aria, waking her up. "We don't leave our people behind—right?"
Aria looked up at him as his tone grew more frustrated as the hours ticked by. Hair was starting to grow on his face. Barely visible. But Aria could see it in the dim light.
"Rodney. Teyla. Ronon. Come in." He sighed into the radio.
"I don't think they can hear us," Aria said. "They would have answered by now if they could."
"Yeah, I figured that much." Sheppard hung his head low.
"We need to find water and food to survive," Aria told him again. She stood up. "You can stay here if you want but I'm going."
As Sheppard was about to protest when the cave around them started to shake. Groaning and moaning. A bag came through the barrier and landed at Aria's feet.
"What took you guys so long?!" Sheppard exclaimed before he started to go through the bag.
He handed her a canteen full of water. "Alright, we can stay a little longer." Aria sat down next to him. "But we will have to move."
"I'm the one who gives out the orders." Sheppard reminded her.
"Not when it comes to survival." Aria countered.
Another day went by with the two of them waiting in the cave. They rationed their supplies but it was not enough for the two of them. Aria checked the contents of her bag while Sheppard was talking through the radio, letting the rest of their team know of their plans. He was growing frustrated with the situation whereas Aria seemed to remain calm. She did not believe that the others would give up on them but she did not truly hope they would come find her.
Once on the other side of the ridge, Sheppard and Aria ended up in a clearing. Her priority was to find water. They could survive without food for a while but without water, they would not.
"Here!" Aria turned to Sheppard and handed him some redberries.
"What are those?" Sheppard asked her, taking the handful in his hands.
"Don't have a name for them. Just know you can eat them." Aria shrugged popping some in her mouth. "They're slightly sour but it should be enough until we can find some water."
Sheppard's face contorted into a puckered expression. "We don't have the same definition of slightly."
"Yeah, well, as long as it's not poisonous, you should be fine." Aria shrugged again.
A loud growl erupted suddenly. They both aimed their weapons at where the sound seemed to be coming from. When they heard it again, the source of it seemed to have moved.
"Well, you're either gonna eat us or—we gonna eat you." Sheppard taunted the creature.
Aria just glared at him and shook her head, annoyed. "This was not smart, Colonel."
"Well, I was trying to scare it away."
"Or provoke it."
Aria did not wait for an answer and just kept on; her arm raised in front of her. Once out of the woods, they ended up in a large and open field. The creature, whatever it was, did not seem to have followed them. They had yet to come across a body of water. But Aria was not too worried about it. A planet this green, can not be without a body of water. And while flying over the planet, they had seen plenty.
"Help!" They heard a man shout before they saw him run toward them. "Help me, please!"
Aria and Sheppard had their weapons at the ready. A loud growl was heard again. "Where is it?" Sheppard asked the stranger.
The man pointed to where he came from. "Just there! In the trees!"
But Aria could not see anything. "What is it?" Aria asked him as she heard the growl again.
"The Beast!"
"Alright, is there a safe place for us to go?" John asked him.
"No, no, the Cloister is too far." The man shook his head quickly. "It's upon us!"
The Beast's growls got louder. The three of them crouched down. "Stay down. And stay behind us."
"You can't fight it." He told them.
"Maybe we can't scare it away," Sheppard said before he and Aria started firing at the dirt road.
There was nothing there but Aria wasn't against the idea of scaring the Beast away. Whatever it may be. Scaring it away was a far better strategy than to fight it.
"Hold your fire!" Sheppard ordered and they stopped firing. They both stood up, keeping their eyes on the small dirt road. The Beast growled again but this time it came from behind them.
"How is this possible?" Aria exclaimed after they had turned towards the sound. Again, she saw nothing.
How did this Beast move so fast and remain unseen? A shadow or more a reflecting surface allowed them to locate the Beast. It was closer to them. Aria and Sheppard opened fire once again. The Beast attacked them and sent them flying in the air. Aria landed with a thud; the air got knocked out of her lungs. She rolled on her stomach, reaching for her side gun. Colonel Sheppard was firing his sidearm at the creature. It attacked him and sent him flying in the air. Aria shot in her turn, aiming at it. It growled in anger and rushed to her. She threw the gun to the side grabbed her collapsible Bo staff and got on her feet. She twirled her weapon above her head before it landed on the creature's chest. It had barely made contact with the Beast while its claws slashed across her chest. Leaving three deep wounds. Sheppard jumped on its back, as Aria landed on her back. Yelping and clutching at her chest. She caught a glimpse of the monster fighting off Sheppard, flinging him once more through the air, before darkness took over her.
"That's enough!" He snapped. He forcefully grabbed her arms. "Listen! You don't go near the Ring. Never go near the Ring. You stay here."
"Father, please!" She wailed, gripping onto his arm.
"Let go! Let go!" He pushed her away from him and she landed on her back.
"Aria!"
Aria opened her eyes to a bright light. A wet cloth was being dabbed at her face by a little girl. She grabbed the little girl's hand, stopping her.
"Where am I?" She croaked out.
The girl smiled at her "At the Cloister." She turned around as Aria let go of her hand. "She's awake again!" She yelled at the door.
A young woman walked in. "I am Teer." She introduced herself, smiling down at her.
"Do I know you?"
"We first met when Avrid brought you and your friend here." She explained. "You were both injured from fighting the Beast."
"Where's my friend?" Aria asked her trying to sit up. "Is he alright?"
The door was pushed open to reveal Sheppard as he walked in. "Hey!" He smiled at you. "You look better."
"I feel better too," Aria replied.
"You have Hedda to thank for this." Sheppard pointed to the little girl at your bedside. "She healed you."
"Aren't you too young to be a doctor?"
"Hedda is one of the few among us who possesses the healing power," Teer explained.
"Thank you, Hedda." Aria smiled at Hedda.
"It's we who should thank you—" Teer turned to Sheppard. "Both of you, for saving our brother from the Beast."
The stranger they had met on the dirt road entered the room. "It's good to see you awake and well again."
"The Beast didn't go for you?"
"No. Only the Ascended know why." Avrid answered.
"The Ascended?" Aria repeated confused.
"Are you hungry?" Avrid smiled at her.
"Yeah, very much." He placed a plate by her side.
The Cloister was a small village filled with people possessing incredible gifts. Gifts they acquired through meditations, mostly, on their paths to ascension. This was what the Sanctuary had been designed for. It provided the people in the Cloister with food, water, and everything they needed for their survival. Life in the Cloister was comfortable and peaceful. Except maybe for Colonel Sheppard.
Aria knew she should be as anxious as him about her friends coming to her rescue. She should be worried that she was left stranded on a strange planet, in a strange environment. She should be but she wasn't. It wasn't her first time. She had been left behind before today and her conditions and chance of survival were far worse.
There in the Sanctuary, she considered herself lucky. As long as she didn't cross paths with the Beast. As long as she avoided it, she would be safe. And she was, there in the Sanctuary. Colonel Sheppard did not share her feelings. He felt as though the rest of his squad had abandoned him. He felt as though they had given up on him. And yet, he still hoped. He still had hopes that they would come to rescue him and Aria.
"It was about time you got out of your room," Aria said as she and Sheppard were taking a stroll in the fields near the Cloister. "You've been locked up in there for so long."
"I'm being depressed," John told her.
"Come on, it's that terrible here." Aria snorted. "It's quite agreeable."
"And it is." Sheppard agreed. "It's just—" He stopped walking. "Why aren't you depressed? Not that I want you to. You're just taking this much better than I do."
She stopped and turned to him. "I've been stranded on a planet before, remember? In worse conditions than this." She explained. "I was eight years old, alone and I had no means of survival. This is an upgrade." She sighed and resumed her walking. "You said it yourself; no one gets left behind. I'm sure they're coming for you."
Sheppard frowned at that. "Us." He corrected her.
"What?"
"If they're coming, it's for us." Sheppard walked up to her. "You and me."
"Okay. They'll come for us." She smiled at him. "Feeling any better?"
"A little."
"Good."
Aria was not entirely expecting anyone to come back for her. No one had ever done it before. Her parents had promised to when they left her but never did. She had waited for years and no one had come. Now that she was stranded on a foreign planet, once more, she was not entirely expecting the members of her team or of the expedition to come for her. They would come for Sheppard. He was a valuable member of the expedition. Unlike her, who was not as valuable as him. They would come for him but not for her. Never for her.
Days had turned into weeks. And the weeks had turned into months. Aria was adapting to life in the Cloister. She took part in the meditation seances. Those were many. She did not think it was disagreeable. She had seen Teyla do it a few times and had even participated in it. But she did not see its utility. Supposedly, it was helping them on their paths to Ascension. A way to center themselves.
"Hey!" John sat next to her.
"Hey!" She retorted to him. His beard had grown thicker in the months they had been there. "So—what's your program for today?"
"Same as usual." He replied with a shrug.
"Not much, then." She smirked at him. "Wanna come with me?"
"Where?" He said eager to do something other than meditating.
"Fishing." She replied. "Avrid showed me a small clearing, not too far away from the Cloister. There's a small river running through, I thought I may fish a little. You know, practicing another form of meditation. Wanna come?"
"Yes, please."
Sheppard had his feet into the cold water, sitting on the rocks. Aria was lying next to him, an arm thrown over her eyes.
"Aren't we supposed to be fishing?" Sheppard asked her after a few minutes.
"There's no fish," Aria answered simply.
"But I thought—"
"I just needed to get away from the Cloister." She looked at him briefly. "I thought I'd take you with me."
"Ah." Sheppard snorted.
"Yeah." Aria chuckled sitting up. "It's been three months; do you still think they're coming for us?"
"Yeah, I still do." He sighed deeply. "Although, they're taking their sweet time." Sheppard got up and walked closer to Aria, before taking a seat next to her. "How did you do it?"
"What?"
"Survive on your own." Sheppard clarified.
"I adapted." Aria exhaled through her nose. "I mean I didn't have much of a choice. It was either surviving or dying. I chose to survive." She turned to face him.
"It must have been tough," Sheppard said.
"It was."
"I'm sorry you had to go through that," Sheppard said looking over at the water.
"Yeah, me too." The corner of her lips turned up. "At least, this time, I have you." Aria bumped her shoulder against his.
"And I have you." He bumped her shoulder with his.
Aria gave him a timid smile. It did bring her comfort to know that he was there with her. And maybe, she was doing the same for him too. They were there together. It had been an accident that she had been sucked in with him but in this moment, neither regretted being stranded together.
"Let go! Let go!" He pushed her away from him and she landed on her back.
"Aria!"
Aria woke up with a start. There was a scream followed by a growl. The Beast was back and this time, it had come into the Cloister. Aria bolted out of her bed and rushed outside. The scream had come from Hedda. Aria was barefoot as she stopped next to Sheppard and Teer.
"It's very close." Teer had said.
The Beast made its presence known by appearing in front of them. "It's here." Sheppard breathed out.
"It's never come inside the Cloister." Teer shook her head.
John pushed Hedda into Teer's arms. "Take her inside."
"John?"
"Do it."
"What does this thing want?" Aria asked as she pulled out her collapsible Bo staff.
"Don't know and don't care," John said as he pulled out his knife. The creature growled again. "Ok, I'm warning you, I've got a knife!" Aria heard slammed shut behind her. Teer had come back to stand with them. "Now there's three of us!"
Aria stood by the door as Hedda was healing Colonel Sheppard. The Beast had attacked them again and won. Sheppard had been injured during the fight. But Aria saw it. The Beast had left Teer alone. The young woman had stood with them against the creature but it did not attack her. And it intrigued her.
"We thought we lost you again," Avrid said as Sheppard came to. Relief washed over Aria in waves.
"What happened?" Sheppard asked quietly.
"I've never seen such bravery." Avrid smiled at Sheppard. "Were it not for you, all may have been lost."
"I don't remember winning this time either."
Hedda reached out to him. "He's not fully healed."
"I'm fine." Sheppard stopped her before she could heal him further.
"You've done enough, Hedda. Come on." Teer said. "Let's get you some rest." She led Hedda out of the room. Aria moved to Sheppard's bedside as the latter sat up in his bed.
"What the hell's the matter with you people?" Sheppard groaned, frustrated.
"I don't understand." Avrid shook his head.
"I'm talking about letting her stand out there alone against that thing." Sheppard clarified.
"Violence is not the path of ascension." Avrid retorted.
"There's a difference between violence and self-defense."
"We are very close to ascension, John. All of us. If we leave the path, it may be lost to us forever."
"Everything may be lost to you forever unless you stand up to that damned thing."
"I must join the others in meditation."
Avrid left the room, upset with John. But John was only telling the truth. The Beast did not come after Teer or Avrid but they needed to face the Beast still. These people were living in fear of the Beast.
"Teer?" Aria called the young woman.
"Aria? Is everything alright?" Teer took in the worried expression of the redhead.
"I was wondering if you knew where Colonel Sheppard might have gone?" Aria asked her quickly. "He left this morning and hasn't come back—"
Teer rested a hand on Aria's shoulder, in an attempt to appease her. "He will come back. He hasn't left you."
"What?"
"I have been with him since he left the Cloister." Teer led Aria to a table and both of them sat down.
"How?" Aria frowned at her.
"I've been with him each time he's searched for means to leave us." Teer explained. "As I have been with you, each time you've done the same. As Hedda has the power to heal, I can see images in my mind. It's not uncommon for those on the path to ascension to gain such abilities."
"So, you know he's coming back because you can see it in your mind?"
"Yes." Teer took Aria's hand in hers. "You do not need to fear his leaving you behind. He will always come back to you, Aria. Always."
"I'll take your word for it."
Aria had not been convinced by Teer's words. When Sheppard left that morning, he had only mentioned to go look for their weapons. And she was off to the river, once more. When she had gotten back that evening, Sheppard was nowhere to be found.
Teer may have told the truth. Maybe Sheppard was coming back. Yet, Aria could not stop the fear and worry that crept into her chest. What if the Beast had got to him? What if he was out there, alone and hurt? What if he had left her behind? She stopped her pacing. What if he had found a way out and had left her behind?
"You don't have to wait up for me." John walked in carrying their weapons and a bag.
"Where have you been?" Aria turned to him, her voice shaking and thick with emotions. "You've been gone over a day. I thought something had happened to you. I thought you've—"
"Hey, hey—" Sheppard grabbed her arms to stop her ramblings. "I'm okay, I'm fine." He was rubbing her arms now. "I'm here."
Aria wiped the tears that had fallen down her face before pulling away from him. Embarrassed by her outburst. "You're here." She walked away from him and dropped down at the foot of his bed.
John cleared his throat. "Once I found our weapons, I ran back to the portal, and look what I found." He grabbed the bag he had brought back with him. "I don't know what took them so long, but they finally sent some supplies through."
Aria sniffed and took the candy bar he handed her. "Good, I guess that means they're still trying to get to us, right?"
"Yeah—" Sheppard hesitated at first and gingerly put an arm around her shoulders. And when she did not shrug it off, he pulled her into his side. "Aria—I'm sorry—"
"No, I am." Aria cut him off. "I don't know—You've never been gone for so long since we've been here and I panicked, I guess. I thought that maybe you've—"
"You thought I would leave you behind?" Sheppard finished for her.
"The thought crossed my mind, yeah." She confessed.
"Aria—" John let out a deep sigh. "No one gets left behind. Not on my watch. And if for some reason it does happen, I'll come back for you."
"That's what they said too." She scoffed in disbelief. "And they never did. No one has ever come back for me. So, why should you?" Aria held back the tears that threatened to spill out.
"Because you are a valuable member of my team," Sheppard replied. "And you're my friend. Also, McKay is more tolerable with you around."
She chuckled. "My father pushed me on the ground." She looked up at him. "That day, when I tried to hold onto him, he pushed me on the ground and forced me to let go of him. He was my father and he forced me to stay behind."
"I'm sorry." He tightened his hold on her before resting a kiss on her temple.
John Sheppard was not one to show his affection to the people he cared about. It wasn't that he didn't know how to show affection. He did. But a show of affection did not come easy for him. He trusted his team on the field with his life, he trusted them more than anyone else. However, when it came to his affections and more precisely to his heart, trusting people was the hardest thing he could do.
And yet, seeing Aria so vulnerable. On the verge of a panic attack, he knew he had to show her some comfort. It did not feel awkward. It came easily. Maybe because they both needed it at that moment.
"Haven't any of you seen a thunderstorm?" Sheppard asked during lunch. Aria was sitting right next to him.
"The Sanctuary provides rain for the Orchards," Avrid answered.
"He's talking about thunder and lightning, Avrid." Aria clarified for him.
"Yeah, I'm talking giant bolts of electricity shooting down from the sky."
"Sounds scary," Hedda commented.
"Well, it is scary, but it's also very cool." Sheppard agreed. "It's okay to be scared, it's part of life." He continued. "You know, when I was a kid, we used to have storms that shook the house. Scared me half to death."
"When we are ascended, we will experience such things." Teer retorted.
"Hell, if you're ascended, you can make thunderstorms!" Sheppard countered. "I'm talking about actually experiencing life."
"We contemplate on the experience that is life each day," Avrid said.
"Contemplating life is not living it," Aria argued.
"Haven't any of you got things you wanna do as flesh and blood human beings first?" Sheppard questioned them. "I mean, you—you talk about—moving on to a plane of existence beyond your mortality, but you haven't even really lived."
"Our lives are full." Teer shook her head confused.
"Well, I've spent a long time with you folks, and I don't think full means what you think it means."
"To ascend, one must meditate," Avrid argued.
"You're not meditating, you're hiding."
"From what?"
"From the Beast," Aria told Avrid.
"Now, I don't know how any of you expect us to feel like we belong here, but every time that thing comes around. It's just the two of us against that thing." Sheppard waved his thumb between him and Aria.
"It's not just the two of us," Teer said.
"I know, you were out there too."
"No, I mean your friends have come." Teer shook her head. "They number five. They've come for you."
Aria and Sheppard glanced at each other. "They have? Are—are you sure? That's the best news I've—"
"No, John, I sense something more." Teer cut him off. "The Beast is nearly upon them."
Both John and Aria bolted from their seat and ran as fast as they could to their friends' aid. On their way to their friends, they heard the familiar growls of the Beast. Sheppard was running ahead of her. As soon as they reached the field, Colonel Sheppard jumped onto the Beast's back before it vanished from under him.
"What the hell took you so long?" John snapped as he got back on his feet. Aria joined his side. They did come at last. Colonel Sheppard had been right. They had come to get them back.
"Believe it or not, you were only gone a couple of hours." Dr. Weir told him.
"A couple of hours?" Aria repeated. "It's been months."
"Six months," Sheppard added.
"You don't understand, you've been trapped in a time dilation field," McKay explained.
"What was that bloody thing?" Dr. Beckett asked them.
"I don't know," Sheppard replied quickly. "What's a time dilation field?"
"Can we talk about this somewhere else?" Elizabeth suggested.
"No, it is still close," Teyla informed them. The Beast let out a low growl. It then appeared behind them, above their heads.
"You've fought this thing before?" Ronon asked them.
"Twice," Sheppard answered.
"How did you beat it?"
"We haven't." Aria shook her head. "Still need to figure that out."
"Now'd be a good time," Ronon said.
"Yeah, well, what'd you say we just fight it and see what happens?"
"Doesn't sound like a good plan," Aria remarked.
"John? Aria?" Elizabeth called them. "Friends of yours?"
As they turned around, they were surprised to see Teer, Avrid, Hedda and the rest of the people in the Cloister had joined the fight.
"We've come to stand with you, whatever happens," Avrid said to them.
"No," Teer said firmly. "We've come to fight. And we are not afraid of you." She said to the Beast. "The Beast is of our own creation, and it is long past time we sent it away."
Teer and her people stepped closer to the Beast, surrounding it. The Beast let out growls and groans. And a final cry, as it vanished completely.
"What?" Aria exclaimed baffled.
"That's it? That's all it took?" John was as baffled as she was.
"You were right, John." Teer turned to him. "We were afraid. The Beast was the final burden we had to shed, manifest from our own fears. You gave us the courage to face it." She extended her hand toward John.
He glanced down at Aria. "I'm not ready for that yet. I'm not sure I'll ever be."
"One day, perhaps?" Teer said hopefully.
"Yeah, one day." John agreed weakly.
"I'll look forward to it." Teer smiled at him. "There'll be no need to destroy the Sanctuary, Dr. McKay."
"What? No, no, no, I wasn't thinking that—I was—" Rodney started to defend himself.
"We will keep the portal open for you until you are gone," Teer informed them.
"At which point the ZedPM which undoubtedly powers this beautiful place will be—" McKay continued and Aria glared at him.
"Sanctuary was left by those who came before us," Teer said sternly. "For those who may seek it out and follow the path. And it will continue to remain after you are gone."
"Yeah, but—" McKay tried again before he reluctantly agreed. "Absolutely." And Teer and her people all disappeared into beams of light, vanishing right before their eyes. McKay walked up to stand next to Aria. "What is it with you and ascended women?" He questioned John.
"Well, the beard is interesting," Elizabeth commented.
"First thing to go when we get home." John retorted. "Never thought I'd see any of you again. Kind of even—missed you a little."
"Yeah, well, it was only a couple of hours for us, so—"
"Ronon." Teyla scolded. "We were all quite worried about you both."
"Of course, we were," Beckett added quickly.
"We're just sorry we didn't get here sooner," Elizabeth said.
John looked around him quickly, not quite comfortable with these shows of affection from his people. "Let's get outta here." He suggested as he took the lead.
Six months in the Sanctuary had merely been a couple of hours for the people outside of the portal. It was a strange feeling. For the people on Atlantis, they had been gone merely hours but for Aria and John, it had been six months since they last saw Atlantis. Aria had missed the city. Terribly. She thought she would never lay eyes on it ever again and yet, there she was. They had come back and did everything in their power to get them back. To get her back.