[Stargate: Fiction] "Total Eclipse of the Heart" [John/Rodney, G]
Title: Total Eclipse of the Heart
Author: Ami Ven
Prompt: 100_tales prompt 005 sun
Rating: G
Word Count: 3,133
Fandom: Stargate Atlantis
Pairing(s): John Sheppard/Rodney McKay
Summary: Rodney, the Voice of the Sun, and John, the Voice of the Moon, celebrate the solar eclipse with a slight alteration to the standard ritual.
Total Eclipse of the Heart
Rodney had never cared about clothing until he was brought his robes for the Eclipse Ceremony.
The rest of his clothes - homespun tunics and sturdy sandals for his daily work in the Sun Forge, an oiled cloak for going out in bad weather, even his formal robes for the Solstice and Equinox ceremonies - were functional rather than fashionable, and Rodney didn’t waste valuable brain power thinking about them.
But this costume…
The fabric of the tunic was so tightly-woven that he could barely see the tiny threads used to make it. It would fall almost to his ankles when he put it on, so he could wear the golden sandals he usually wore for formal ceremonies and could be spared the pain of new shoes.
Over the tunic was a long cloak, thin enough to be nearly transparent, of fabric that shifted from bright gold to deep crimson, depending on the angle from which it was viewed - it looked like burning fire, even when it was just hanging up in Rodney’s sleeping quarters.
On the table beside his clothes press were the other pieces of his new ceremonial regalia - a wide belt and wrist cuffs of polished gold set with rubies and topaz, sitting beside the small pots of gold powder to gild his skin and hair - but the most impressive was the new headdress.
The headdress he had used for the previous Solstice and Equinox festivals was heavy and cumbersome and always threatening to fall off. Rodney had never had much regard for Grodin, the ‘lesser’ smith who used gold and silver to make jewelry and other useless decorative objects - but this new headdress might change his mind.
It still represented the sun, as his old one had, but instead of a large engraved disk, it had a radial of squared points, alternating straight and gently curved spines. It had weight to it, but had been made to the exact measurements of his head, so that it stayed firmly in place with only a few pins in his hair.
An outfit like this could make even Rodney look like a god.
“Ah,” said a sudden voice from the open doorway. “Are you again pondering if your new ceremonial clothes will make a certain other divine attendant finally declare his undying love for you?”
Rodney whirled, “No,” then frowned, “And shouldn’t you show more respect when you address me?”
Radek rolled his eyes and said, deadpan, “O Voice of the Sun, allow me to humbly remind you that while you stand around daydreaming, your forge fire is going out.”
“What?” said Rodney. “So go and stoke it! We have a million things to do today, like we do every day. What do I pay you for?”
“Technically, it is the people of Lantea who pay me,” said Radek, letting Rodney lead them back into the main room of the Sun Forge.
Through the high arched window openings, meant to release the heat and smoke of the forge, Rodney could see the gleaming white roof of the Moon Tower only a dozen meters away. He stopped to look for a moment, then turned to find Radek grinning at him. “What?”
“I wonder, did the Voice of the Moon also receive new ceremonial robes?” he asked.
The thought distracted Rodney for a beat, then he scowled. “What John wears at any point is none of my concern.”
Radek looked at him for a long moment. “It is fitting that you were chosen as the Voice of the Sun, my friend.”
“What?” said Rodney. “Why?”
“Because, like our divine master, you can be dangerous to one’s health after too much exposure.”
“Hey!”
*
John ran a cleaning cloth along the length of his bow, wiping away the last trace of dirt from the night’s patrol.
Lantea was an island and well-defended, but that was no reason to let down their guard. Plus, it was part of John’s duty as the Voice of the Moon to see to Lantea’s safety.
Especially with the upcoming Eclipse.
His cloth slowed as his eyes drifted toward the new costume he’d been made for the ceremony.
The tunic was knee-length, like his everyday ones, but of a fine material so pale blue it was almost white. It had a belt of silver, polished to shine like a mirror and set with moonstone and opal, with a single matching wrist cuff. Over it would go a cloak of a softest wool he’d ever felt, dyed dark like the night sky. It fastened with a large silver clasp, a disk that fit over the single shoulder of his tunic. Braids of black silk connected the clasp to the belt, anchoring the cloak to fall behind him in soft folds.
And on top of that would go his new headdress. It was more elaborate than the simple silver circlet he’d always worn to the Equinox festivals. This one still had the circlet, also polished to a mirror shine, but now it anchored the outline of a crescent moon, rising above John’s head like gleaming horns.
John had set the belt and headdress on the small table in his living quarters, and they both threw spots of dancing light across the far wall as they reflected the light of the rising sun.
“Do you plan on polishing those, too?” asked a voice from the doorway. “Because I don’t think they need it.”
John’s cloth slipped on his bow. “No,” he said. “I just didn’t want to put them away and have them get scuffed before the Eclipse Ceremony.”
Evan, his second-in-command, nodded knowingly. “Of course. Because I’ve never had to pick up your usual ceremonial gear from where you’ve dumped it on the floor after an Equinox.”
John felt his ears turn pink. “That’s different.”
“Oh, I see,” said Evan. “The Eclipse Ceremony involves the Voice of the Sun. I’ve read the ritual, John, there seems to be an awful lot of hand-holding and… Hey.” The other man dropped his teasing, moving to stand next to John’s work table. “You know I’d be happy for you both, right?”
“I know,” said John. “But that’s not something I can have. The Voice of the Moon… we don’t have families. Even if - even if there was someone.”
“Just because things have been one way, it doesn’t mean they always have to be,” Evan said, then he smiled. “I mean, before you, the Voice of the Moon had been a woman for the last three hundred years.”
“That explains a lot about the Eclipse Ceremony, actually,” said John.
*
The Voice of Lantea spoke for all the people of their island. As much as the Lanteans honored the Voices of the Sun and Moon, of the Land and Sea, of Healing and Change, it was Elizabeth who lead every major festival and ritual.
Including the Eclipse Ceremony.
“All right,” she called. “Let’s go through the whole thing once, to see where we might need some work.”
The other six Voices, along with most of the aides from their temples, had gathered on the highest point of Lantea Island, the broad hill where all important ceremonies were held. The wide lawn below, leading back toward the main city of Atlantis, was empty now, but for the Eclipse Ceremony, all the people of the island would gather to watch them.
“Now,” Elizabeth continued, “Rodney, you’ll come up the stairs on the east side, then you’ll stand here-” she pointed to a chalk mark on the flagstone platform. “You have the easiest part, you’ll walk to this spot before everything begins and just stay right there the whole time.”
“But that’ll be hours,” Rodney protested.
“The sun is constant, Rodney,” she said, completely unsympathetic. “And an eclipse only happens every four hundred years. If you’re still the Voice of the Sun then, you can sit for the entire ceremony.”
Rodney scowled, but didn’t argue.
“Then the four corners,” Elizabeth continued, “Teyla and Ronon, you’ll come up the west stairs, Carson and Laura, on the east. Walk up together, then separate to your places. Teyla, Voice of the Land, you’ll be here, because this corner is closest to the main island. Ronon, Voice of the Sea, the farther corner, there, closest to the ocean. Carson, Voice of Healing, the near corner on this side, opposite Teyla for balance. Laura, Voice of Change, the far corner, so no one can see you fidgeting.”
“I will be on my best behavior,” Laura promised, as they all moved to stand where she pointed.
“Thank you. Excellent. Once you’re in position, you don’t move, either. Try not to look too bored, please. Then - John.”
“Me?” he said.
She narrowed her eyes at him. “You did read the ritual instructions, didn’t you?”
“Yes, ma’am. I just-”
“Good,” Elizabeth interrupted. “John, you will wait just below the platform, until the moment right as the eclipse begins. Keep an eye on the movement of the sun and moon - carefully, don’t hurt your eyes - and match your speed to theirs. You’ll walk across to Rodney and stand beside him - yes, like that, facing the people - then take his hand.”
Rodney resisted the urge to fidget, standing in the middle of the platform with both arms raised at his sides, as John’s cool fingers slid into his own. The Voice of the Moon had calluses from sword and bow work, and they caught against the ones on Rodney’s hand from working the forge.
“Then,” continued Elizabeth, “John, keeping hold of Rodney’s hand, slowly pivot to stand in front of him, so you’re facing each other, and take his other hand, too.”
John walked the few steps around, keeping their joined hands raised, and took Rodney’s other hand. They were about the same height and Rodney found himself looking into hazel-green eyes. He didn’t think they had been this close to each other since they’d been boys, when they’d only just begun their training to become the Voices of the Sun and Moon.
“Hey,” said John, softly.
“Hey,” Rodney said.
“And you stay like that for as long as the eclipse lasts,” said Elizabeth. “Then, when the sky begins to lighten again, John, release the first hand - your left, Rodney’s right - and slowly back up until you’re next to him again, both of you facing the same way. Then you let go, and cross to the opposite side you came from. Rodney, now you move, and cross the other way. You both stay there, between the other two Voices on your side, until I make my speech - it will be short, I promise - then it’s over, and we’ll all leave the platform.”
Elizabeth paused, looking between them. “Can you both manage to remember that for tomorrow night?”
“Of course we can,” said John. “Right, Rodney?”
“What? Oh, yes, of course. We’ll be fine.”
“Good,” said Elizabeth, and moved to speak with Teyla.
John bumped Rodney’s shoulder, startling him. “Hey, you okay?”
“What?” Rodney said again. “Yes, yes, just… I never cared for any of this ritual stuff, you know.”
“I know,” agreed John, then nodded over to where their aides were talking together. “You don’t think they’re talking about us, do you?”
At that moment, Radek looked up and smirked. “Absolutely,” said Rodney.
*
John tried his best to hold still as Evan applied kohl to his eyes, then fussed with the folds of his cloak.
“There,” Evan said, finally, taking a step back.
For the first time, John wished that he had a mirror, so he could see if he looked as much like the Voice of the Moon as he felt.
Judging by Evan’s expression, he did.
“Wow,” his second-in-command said. “Now, don’t mess it up before we get there.”
“I’ll be careful.”
“And, John,” Evan added, more seriously, “The eclipse is… Sometimes the things you think are impossible can happen, sometimes they just need a little help.”
John frowned. “Should I be worried about you saying things like that?”
“No,” Evan smiled. “Just be ready. C’mon, it’s time.”
Other than the Sun Forge and the Moon Tower, the residences for each of the Voices were on different parts of Lantea, and their arrivals at Ritual Hill had been planned so that none of the people or other Voices would see them until the ceremony began.
John was the last to arrive.
“You look wonderful,” said Elizabeth. “Wait right here.”
The Voice of Lantea was wearing her usual ritual gown, gray with an embroidered border of bright blue, beneath a sheer cloak like rippling water.
Teyla, the Voice of the Land, offered John a reassuring smile. Her skirt was the dark brown of freshly-turned soil, embroidered with vines and flowers in vibrant green, twining up onto the bodice that left her arms and midriff bare. Her jewelry was all in bronze - bracelet, earrings and circlet formed into more leafy vines, set with green stones.
Ronon, the Voice of the Sea, stood beside her. His sea-green knee-length tunic, with embroidery of waves and fish, showed that he was barefoot as well as bare-armed. His wrist cuffs and armored chest plate were bright-polished copper set with aquamarines.
Carson, the Voice of Healing, fiddled with the edge of his long white tunic, re-straightening the folds beneath his blood-red cloak.
Laura, the Voice of Change, reached over to take his hand. She was a contrast of colors - pale skin and blonde hair against the silver-edged black of her gown and veil.
Around them, the wind began to change, and everything went still.
“It’s time,” said Elizabeth, appearing again. “Wait for your cues.”
She straightened her skirt and headed for the steps up onto the platform. “People of Lantea…”
As Carson and Laura hurried around to the other side of the platform, Teyla moved to touch John’s shoulder, gently. “You look wonderful, John,” she said. “Remember, today all things are possible.”
He frowned. “That sounds a lot like what Evan said. Is there something I should know?”
“Yes,” she said, with a smile. “But not yet.”
“The Land!” called Elizabeth.
Teyla smiled again and went to take her place on the platform.
“The Sea!” Elizabeth continued, and Ronon followed her. “Healing! Change!”
John peered above the top of the platform to watch the other Voices take their places.
“The Sun shines bright for all to see,” Elizabeth continued, “But all light must sometimes dim. Yet we do not fear the dark - we celebrate the celestial dance.”
That was John’s cue.
He walked up the rest of the steps onto the stone platform, completely missing the impressed murmuring from the crowd below as he got a full look at Rodney.
If John had thought that his new finery made him look like a true Voice, Rodney’s ceremonial robes made him look like a god.
The breeze was picking up, catching the edges of Rodney’s cloak and making it dance like fire. John shivered - he didn’t think that was the wind - and began to walk slowly across the platform toward the Voice of the Sun.
*
Rodney felt like he had been standing out in the middle of this platform for hours.
The sun was bright overhead, making him feel a little warm, even in his new lighter ceremonial robes. His arms were starting to get tired from holding them up at his sides, when he heard an appreciative murmur go through the crowd - he hadn’t been listening to Elizabeth’s speech, but that could only be John’s entrance.
Rodney resisted the urge to turn and look, knowing how much the sun headdress telegraphed his movements, until a cool, callused hand slid into his own.
John was beautiful.
Not that John wasn’t always beautiful, even his is usual rumpled hunting gear, but now, dressed like that, he was almost enough to make Rodney believe in the ancient moon goddess John was supposed to represent.
Above them, the sky darkened, and John moved slowly to stand in front of him, taking Rodney’s right hand in his left.
“Hey,” said John.
“Hey,” Rodney replied.
Even with the entire population of Lantea watching them from the hill below, this felt more intimate than it had at practice the day before. The dim light made John’s skin glow and his hazel eyes seem more green.
“Rodney, I…” John began, then said quickly, “You can just pretend this was part of the ceremony.”
There was a sudden silence and everything grew dark, as the sun was fully eclipsed - and John leaned in to press his lips to Rodney’s in a brief kiss.
Then, the sky began to brighten again and John pulled away, releasing Rodney’s left hand and walking slowly backward to stand on his other side. He squeezed Rodney’s hand, then released him and moved across the other side of the platform.
*
John turned away, quickly working to keep his expression blank as he walked to stand at the side of the platform, between Teyla and Ronon.
Elizabeth crossed to stand at the front of the platform, as the moon slid from sight and the sky turned a clear blue.
“And so ends this celestial dance,” she said, “The sun and moon will not come together again for many hundreds of years. But we on Lantea are much more blessed.”
There was another murmuring from the crowd, confused this time, and John frowned - the ritual he’d read had ended a moment ago, so what else could Elizabeth mean?
She gestured for John and Rodney to join her, and they did. Rodney frowned at Elizabeth, who just smiled.
“The sun and moon take their separate courses through our sky,” she said, still addressing the crowd. “But here on Lantea, the Voice of the Sun and the Voice of the Moon have chosen to walk the same path, together.”
“Elizabeth…” said John.
“It can mean whatever you both want it to mean,” she said. “But your friends know how much you care about each other, and we didn’t think anything should stand in the way of that. Including the two of you.”
“I don’t…” John began, but Rodney held out a hand.
“You kissed me,” he reminded John.
The Voice of the Moon ducked his head. “I thought it was my only chance. And now you want to get married.”
Rodney wiggled his fingers. “To you? Of course I do.”
John smiled and took his hand. “Okay.”
“By the witness of us all,” said the Voice of Lantea. “Rodney, the Voice of the Sun, and John, the Voice of the Moon, are now joined upon the path of life. May they be happy and prosperous together.”
Cheers and applause rose from the crowd, and John couldn’t keep control of his grin. “Married.”
Rodney smiled back. “You’re not going to wait for another eclipse to kiss me again, are you?”
John didn’t.
THE END
Current Mood:
sore
Author: Ami Ven
Prompt: 100_tales prompt 005 sun
Rating: G
Word Count: 3,133
Fandom: Stargate Atlantis
Pairing(s): John Sheppard/Rodney McKay
Summary: Rodney, the Voice of the Sun, and John, the Voice of the Moon, celebrate the solar eclipse with a slight alteration to the standard ritual.
Total Eclipse of the Heart
Rodney had never cared about clothing until he was brought his robes for the Eclipse Ceremony.
The rest of his clothes - homespun tunics and sturdy sandals for his daily work in the Sun Forge, an oiled cloak for going out in bad weather, even his formal robes for the Solstice and Equinox ceremonies - were functional rather than fashionable, and Rodney didn’t waste valuable brain power thinking about them.
But this costume…
The fabric of the tunic was so tightly-woven that he could barely see the tiny threads used to make it. It would fall almost to his ankles when he put it on, so he could wear the golden sandals he usually wore for formal ceremonies and could be spared the pain of new shoes.
Over the tunic was a long cloak, thin enough to be nearly transparent, of fabric that shifted from bright gold to deep crimson, depending on the angle from which it was viewed - it looked like burning fire, even when it was just hanging up in Rodney’s sleeping quarters.
On the table beside his clothes press were the other pieces of his new ceremonial regalia - a wide belt and wrist cuffs of polished gold set with rubies and topaz, sitting beside the small pots of gold powder to gild his skin and hair - but the most impressive was the new headdress.
The headdress he had used for the previous Solstice and Equinox festivals was heavy and cumbersome and always threatening to fall off. Rodney had never had much regard for Grodin, the ‘lesser’ smith who used gold and silver to make jewelry and other useless decorative objects - but this new headdress might change his mind.
It still represented the sun, as his old one had, but instead of a large engraved disk, it had a radial of squared points, alternating straight and gently curved spines. It had weight to it, but had been made to the exact measurements of his head, so that it stayed firmly in place with only a few pins in his hair.
An outfit like this could make even Rodney look like a god.
“Ah,” said a sudden voice from the open doorway. “Are you again pondering if your new ceremonial clothes will make a certain other divine attendant finally declare his undying love for you?”
Rodney whirled, “No,” then frowned, “And shouldn’t you show more respect when you address me?”
Radek rolled his eyes and said, deadpan, “O Voice of the Sun, allow me to humbly remind you that while you stand around daydreaming, your forge fire is going out.”
“What?” said Rodney. “So go and stoke it! We have a million things to do today, like we do every day. What do I pay you for?”
“Technically, it is the people of Lantea who pay me,” said Radek, letting Rodney lead them back into the main room of the Sun Forge.
Through the high arched window openings, meant to release the heat and smoke of the forge, Rodney could see the gleaming white roof of the Moon Tower only a dozen meters away. He stopped to look for a moment, then turned to find Radek grinning at him. “What?”
“I wonder, did the Voice of the Moon also receive new ceremonial robes?” he asked.
The thought distracted Rodney for a beat, then he scowled. “What John wears at any point is none of my concern.”
Radek looked at him for a long moment. “It is fitting that you were chosen as the Voice of the Sun, my friend.”
“What?” said Rodney. “Why?”
“Because, like our divine master, you can be dangerous to one’s health after too much exposure.”
“Hey!”
*
John ran a cleaning cloth along the length of his bow, wiping away the last trace of dirt from the night’s patrol.
Lantea was an island and well-defended, but that was no reason to let down their guard. Plus, it was part of John’s duty as the Voice of the Moon to see to Lantea’s safety.
Especially with the upcoming Eclipse.
His cloth slowed as his eyes drifted toward the new costume he’d been made for the ceremony.
The tunic was knee-length, like his everyday ones, but of a fine material so pale blue it was almost white. It had a belt of silver, polished to shine like a mirror and set with moonstone and opal, with a single matching wrist cuff. Over it would go a cloak of a softest wool he’d ever felt, dyed dark like the night sky. It fastened with a large silver clasp, a disk that fit over the single shoulder of his tunic. Braids of black silk connected the clasp to the belt, anchoring the cloak to fall behind him in soft folds.
And on top of that would go his new headdress. It was more elaborate than the simple silver circlet he’d always worn to the Equinox festivals. This one still had the circlet, also polished to a mirror shine, but now it anchored the outline of a crescent moon, rising above John’s head like gleaming horns.
John had set the belt and headdress on the small table in his living quarters, and they both threw spots of dancing light across the far wall as they reflected the light of the rising sun.
“Do you plan on polishing those, too?” asked a voice from the doorway. “Because I don’t think they need it.”
John’s cloth slipped on his bow. “No,” he said. “I just didn’t want to put them away and have them get scuffed before the Eclipse Ceremony.”
Evan, his second-in-command, nodded knowingly. “Of course. Because I’ve never had to pick up your usual ceremonial gear from where you’ve dumped it on the floor after an Equinox.”
John felt his ears turn pink. “That’s different.”
“Oh, I see,” said Evan. “The Eclipse Ceremony involves the Voice of the Sun. I’ve read the ritual, John, there seems to be an awful lot of hand-holding and… Hey.” The other man dropped his teasing, moving to stand next to John’s work table. “You know I’d be happy for you both, right?”
“I know,” said John. “But that’s not something I can have. The Voice of the Moon… we don’t have families. Even if - even if there was someone.”
“Just because things have been one way, it doesn’t mean they always have to be,” Evan said, then he smiled. “I mean, before you, the Voice of the Moon had been a woman for the last three hundred years.”
“That explains a lot about the Eclipse Ceremony, actually,” said John.
*
The Voice of Lantea spoke for all the people of their island. As much as the Lanteans honored the Voices of the Sun and Moon, of the Land and Sea, of Healing and Change, it was Elizabeth who lead every major festival and ritual.
Including the Eclipse Ceremony.
“All right,” she called. “Let’s go through the whole thing once, to see where we might need some work.”
The other six Voices, along with most of the aides from their temples, had gathered on the highest point of Lantea Island, the broad hill where all important ceremonies were held. The wide lawn below, leading back toward the main city of Atlantis, was empty now, but for the Eclipse Ceremony, all the people of the island would gather to watch them.
“Now,” Elizabeth continued, “Rodney, you’ll come up the stairs on the east side, then you’ll stand here-” she pointed to a chalk mark on the flagstone platform. “You have the easiest part, you’ll walk to this spot before everything begins and just stay right there the whole time.”
“But that’ll be hours,” Rodney protested.
“The sun is constant, Rodney,” she said, completely unsympathetic. “And an eclipse only happens every four hundred years. If you’re still the Voice of the Sun then, you can sit for the entire ceremony.”
Rodney scowled, but didn’t argue.
“Then the four corners,” Elizabeth continued, “Teyla and Ronon, you’ll come up the west stairs, Carson and Laura, on the east. Walk up together, then separate to your places. Teyla, Voice of the Land, you’ll be here, because this corner is closest to the main island. Ronon, Voice of the Sea, the farther corner, there, closest to the ocean. Carson, Voice of Healing, the near corner on this side, opposite Teyla for balance. Laura, Voice of Change, the far corner, so no one can see you fidgeting.”
“I will be on my best behavior,” Laura promised, as they all moved to stand where she pointed.
“Thank you. Excellent. Once you’re in position, you don’t move, either. Try not to look too bored, please. Then - John.”
“Me?” he said.
She narrowed her eyes at him. “You did read the ritual instructions, didn’t you?”
“Yes, ma’am. I just-”
“Good,” Elizabeth interrupted. “John, you will wait just below the platform, until the moment right as the eclipse begins. Keep an eye on the movement of the sun and moon - carefully, don’t hurt your eyes - and match your speed to theirs. You’ll walk across to Rodney and stand beside him - yes, like that, facing the people - then take his hand.”
Rodney resisted the urge to fidget, standing in the middle of the platform with both arms raised at his sides, as John’s cool fingers slid into his own. The Voice of the Moon had calluses from sword and bow work, and they caught against the ones on Rodney’s hand from working the forge.
“Then,” continued Elizabeth, “John, keeping hold of Rodney’s hand, slowly pivot to stand in front of him, so you’re facing each other, and take his other hand, too.”
John walked the few steps around, keeping their joined hands raised, and took Rodney’s other hand. They were about the same height and Rodney found himself looking into hazel-green eyes. He didn’t think they had been this close to each other since they’d been boys, when they’d only just begun their training to become the Voices of the Sun and Moon.
“Hey,” said John, softly.
“Hey,” Rodney said.
“And you stay like that for as long as the eclipse lasts,” said Elizabeth. “Then, when the sky begins to lighten again, John, release the first hand - your left, Rodney’s right - and slowly back up until you’re next to him again, both of you facing the same way. Then you let go, and cross to the opposite side you came from. Rodney, now you move, and cross the other way. You both stay there, between the other two Voices on your side, until I make my speech - it will be short, I promise - then it’s over, and we’ll all leave the platform.”
Elizabeth paused, looking between them. “Can you both manage to remember that for tomorrow night?”
“Of course we can,” said John. “Right, Rodney?”
“What? Oh, yes, of course. We’ll be fine.”
“Good,” said Elizabeth, and moved to speak with Teyla.
John bumped Rodney’s shoulder, startling him. “Hey, you okay?”
“What?” Rodney said again. “Yes, yes, just… I never cared for any of this ritual stuff, you know.”
“I know,” agreed John, then nodded over to where their aides were talking together. “You don’t think they’re talking about us, do you?”
At that moment, Radek looked up and smirked. “Absolutely,” said Rodney.
*
John tried his best to hold still as Evan applied kohl to his eyes, then fussed with the folds of his cloak.
“There,” Evan said, finally, taking a step back.
For the first time, John wished that he had a mirror, so he could see if he looked as much like the Voice of the Moon as he felt.
Judging by Evan’s expression, he did.
“Wow,” his second-in-command said. “Now, don’t mess it up before we get there.”
“I’ll be careful.”
“And, John,” Evan added, more seriously, “The eclipse is… Sometimes the things you think are impossible can happen, sometimes they just need a little help.”
John frowned. “Should I be worried about you saying things like that?”
“No,” Evan smiled. “Just be ready. C’mon, it’s time.”
Other than the Sun Forge and the Moon Tower, the residences for each of the Voices were on different parts of Lantea, and their arrivals at Ritual Hill had been planned so that none of the people or other Voices would see them until the ceremony began.
John was the last to arrive.
“You look wonderful,” said Elizabeth. “Wait right here.”
The Voice of Lantea was wearing her usual ritual gown, gray with an embroidered border of bright blue, beneath a sheer cloak like rippling water.
Teyla, the Voice of the Land, offered John a reassuring smile. Her skirt was the dark brown of freshly-turned soil, embroidered with vines and flowers in vibrant green, twining up onto the bodice that left her arms and midriff bare. Her jewelry was all in bronze - bracelet, earrings and circlet formed into more leafy vines, set with green stones.
Ronon, the Voice of the Sea, stood beside her. His sea-green knee-length tunic, with embroidery of waves and fish, showed that he was barefoot as well as bare-armed. His wrist cuffs and armored chest plate were bright-polished copper set with aquamarines.
Carson, the Voice of Healing, fiddled with the edge of his long white tunic, re-straightening the folds beneath his blood-red cloak.
Laura, the Voice of Change, reached over to take his hand. She was a contrast of colors - pale skin and blonde hair against the silver-edged black of her gown and veil.
Around them, the wind began to change, and everything went still.
“It’s time,” said Elizabeth, appearing again. “Wait for your cues.”
She straightened her skirt and headed for the steps up onto the platform. “People of Lantea…”
As Carson and Laura hurried around to the other side of the platform, Teyla moved to touch John’s shoulder, gently. “You look wonderful, John,” she said. “Remember, today all things are possible.”
He frowned. “That sounds a lot like what Evan said. Is there something I should know?”
“Yes,” she said, with a smile. “But not yet.”
“The Land!” called Elizabeth.
Teyla smiled again and went to take her place on the platform.
“The Sea!” Elizabeth continued, and Ronon followed her. “Healing! Change!”
John peered above the top of the platform to watch the other Voices take their places.
“The Sun shines bright for all to see,” Elizabeth continued, “But all light must sometimes dim. Yet we do not fear the dark - we celebrate the celestial dance.”
That was John’s cue.
He walked up the rest of the steps onto the stone platform, completely missing the impressed murmuring from the crowd below as he got a full look at Rodney.
If John had thought that his new finery made him look like a true Voice, Rodney’s ceremonial robes made him look like a god.
The breeze was picking up, catching the edges of Rodney’s cloak and making it dance like fire. John shivered - he didn’t think that was the wind - and began to walk slowly across the platform toward the Voice of the Sun.
*
Rodney felt like he had been standing out in the middle of this platform for hours.
The sun was bright overhead, making him feel a little warm, even in his new lighter ceremonial robes. His arms were starting to get tired from holding them up at his sides, when he heard an appreciative murmur go through the crowd - he hadn’t been listening to Elizabeth’s speech, but that could only be John’s entrance.
Rodney resisted the urge to turn and look, knowing how much the sun headdress telegraphed his movements, until a cool, callused hand slid into his own.
John was beautiful.
Not that John wasn’t always beautiful, even his is usual rumpled hunting gear, but now, dressed like that, he was almost enough to make Rodney believe in the ancient moon goddess John was supposed to represent.
Above them, the sky darkened, and John moved slowly to stand in front of him, taking Rodney’s right hand in his left.
“Hey,” said John.
“Hey,” Rodney replied.
Even with the entire population of Lantea watching them from the hill below, this felt more intimate than it had at practice the day before. The dim light made John’s skin glow and his hazel eyes seem more green.
“Rodney, I…” John began, then said quickly, “You can just pretend this was part of the ceremony.”
There was a sudden silence and everything grew dark, as the sun was fully eclipsed - and John leaned in to press his lips to Rodney’s in a brief kiss.
Then, the sky began to brighten again and John pulled away, releasing Rodney’s left hand and walking slowly backward to stand on his other side. He squeezed Rodney’s hand, then released him and moved across the other side of the platform.
*
John turned away, quickly working to keep his expression blank as he walked to stand at the side of the platform, between Teyla and Ronon.
Elizabeth crossed to stand at the front of the platform, as the moon slid from sight and the sky turned a clear blue.
“And so ends this celestial dance,” she said, “The sun and moon will not come together again for many hundreds of years. But we on Lantea are much more blessed.”
There was another murmuring from the crowd, confused this time, and John frowned - the ritual he’d read had ended a moment ago, so what else could Elizabeth mean?
She gestured for John and Rodney to join her, and they did. Rodney frowned at Elizabeth, who just smiled.
“The sun and moon take their separate courses through our sky,” she said, still addressing the crowd. “But here on Lantea, the Voice of the Sun and the Voice of the Moon have chosen to walk the same path, together.”
“Elizabeth…” said John.
“It can mean whatever you both want it to mean,” she said. “But your friends know how much you care about each other, and we didn’t think anything should stand in the way of that. Including the two of you.”
“I don’t…” John began, but Rodney held out a hand.
“You kissed me,” he reminded John.
The Voice of the Moon ducked his head. “I thought it was my only chance. And now you want to get married.”
Rodney wiggled his fingers. “To you? Of course I do.”
John smiled and took his hand. “Okay.”
“By the witness of us all,” said the Voice of Lantea. “Rodney, the Voice of the Sun, and John, the Voice of the Moon, are now joined upon the path of life. May they be happy and prosperous together.”
Cheers and applause rose from the crowd, and John couldn’t keep control of his grin. “Married.”
Rodney smiled back. “You’re not going to wait for another eclipse to kiss me again, are you?”
John didn’t.
THE END
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