A Child’s Innocence, Chapter Two: Katagaria and Arcadian Explanation
Dr. Elizabeth Weir, seeing Major Sheppard walking into the Gate Room with a young child, an apparent native of the Uythosians, Zelenka, and Ford, groans to herself. It was too much to hope that they would stay out of trouble. Not seeing McKay, Elizabeth’s eyes narrow and she waits for them to enter her office. As the door shuts behind them, giving them the illusion of privacy, she doesn’t miss Aidan’s or John’s protective postures over the seven-year-old. The Uythosian just stands behind John submissively, as if awaiting orders. Radek leans against the wall, his posture uncaring but his eyes betray his façade, as evident by the concern in his eyes everytime he looks at the child.
“Major?” Elizabeth asks coolly, her eyes taking in everyone’s reactions in a spilt second.
”Weir.” John replies. Aidan and Radek tense while the Uythosian grabs his staff tightly.
“Would you care to explain what happened with the Uythosians?” asks Elizabeth.
”We were in the middle of negotiations for food and water when Relina, their Head Priestess, handed us McKay and told us it was punishment for trespassing upon their Sacred Temple,” says John. “The child in my lap is Rodney McKay as a seven-year old.”
”WHAT?!” roars Elizabeth, leaping to her feet, uncaring of the fact she was most likely heard by all of Atlantis. “Why?!”
”Jealousy,” says the Uythosian quietly.
”And you are?” asks Elizabeth a bit coldly as her office doors open and Teyla walks in. She immediately places herself beside Elizabeth, not to choose sides, but to keep her lover calm.
”I am Reke, High Priest of my Village,” says the Uythosian quietly. “I voluntarily left my homeworld when I learned about their corruption.”
”Corruption?” asks Elizabeth, John, Aidan, Radek, and Teyla together. Little Rodney is quiet, holding onto John’s shirt tightly but watching everyone except Teyla and John warily. He knows Teyla and John mean safety, they proved it to him. The others haven’t.
”The Soul-Eaters,” clarifies Reke.
”The Wraith?” asks Radek.
“We call them Soul-Eaters. Almost all the villages are their allies and thus the Soul Eaters leave them with enough people to keep their villages sparsely populated. Those that don’t become allies are wiped out of existence.” Reke says. “Of my village, I am the only survivor.”
”How do we go about reversing McKay?” asks Aidan.
”The good news is that Relina’s particular spell won’t last longer than three weeks. The bad news is that he won’t remember anything the day took place. He will never remember this particular day when he becomes an adult again,” says Reke. “That safeguard was put in place to keep others from attempting the spell on their own.”
”He won’t remember ANYTHING about today?” asks John quietly.
”Not to my knowledge.” Reke says apologetically. “No one else has.”
”No one else is Mated,” says John before gasping as a burning sensation is felt on his palm. Holding up his hand, he sees the Mate Mark on his palm, giving his heritage and status among his own clan on Earth, and his clan here on Atlantis.
”It showed,” says Aidan. At only 100, this is the first Mating he has seen that has been chosen by the Moirae, or the Fates.
”Major, what is that?” asks Elizabeth.
”A Mating Mark,” says Radek before John or Aidan can explain. “Major Sheppard and Rodney are Soul Mates. That Mark basically tells everyone who knows how to read it that they’re destined.”
”How would you know?” asks Aidan shrewdly.
”Child, I am 300 years older than you,” says Radek a bit coldly. “I am a Katagaria Sentinel.”
”Which Clan?” asks John.
”The Leopard Clan,” says Radek.
”I am the Katagaria Aristos of the Drakos Clan,” says John.
”*WHAT* is going on?!” yells Elizabeth, her patience at it’s end.
“We’re were-animals,” says Aidan simply. “We have the power to transform into a chosen animal and during the Full Moon, we can time travel if we want.”
”We can also use magic,” says Radek. “Some are better than others, and some are a lot more powerful.”
”Major Sheppard is the strongest,” says Reke softly.
”I’m a Dragon,” sighs John.
”Dragon?” asks Rodney near silent, but John, Aidan, and Radek easily hear.
”Yeah, a dragon,” says John looking down at Rodney. “Maybe I’ll show you one day.”
”And you two?” asks Teyla intrigued.
”Wolf,” says Aidan.
”Leopard,” says Radek.
”There are about six more on Atlantis. Four Arcadians and three Katagaria,” says John.
”Arcadians? Katagaria?” asks Elizabeth.
”Arcadians are were-animals ruled by their human side, Katagaria are were-animals ruled by their animal side,” says Aidan.
”Alright,” begins Elizabeth. “Lemme get this straight. Somehow, humans and animals merged and became were-animals. Some ended up becoming ruled by their animal side, and others by their human side?”
”King Lycaon married a woman who would end up dying on her twenty-seventh birthday. Because he didn’t want to see his children suffer through that, he spliced their genes with animals-wolves, panthers, tigers, dragons, etc, thus causing them to live for nearly a thousand years. The Arcadians consider themselves humans while the Katagaria consider themselves animals,” says Radek. “Instead of being allies, as they should’ve been, the Fates sent Eris, Goddess of Discord, and had her sew the seeds of distrust between them. It worked. To this day, the Arcadians consider themselves better than the Katagaria and will kill any Katagaria they see.”
”Is this a problem?” growls Elizabeth.
”Not on Atlantis,” grins Aidan. “Due to necessity, Arcadians and Katagaria here joined to form one weird Pack. John here is the Alpha male, per say.”
“Mainly because I’m the only Dragon here,” drawls John.
”Ise wanna see,” whispers Rodney heartbroken. In a spilt second, Aidan becomes an arctic wolf while Radek turns into a black leopard. Walking up to Rodney, Aidan licks his hand and to everyone’s shock, Rodney giggles. Hopping onto the chair that Aidan vacated, Radek nuzzles Rodney’s chest carefully.
”Were-animals,” sighs Elizabeth as Teyla grins. “I’ll deal with that later. The most pressing engagement is Rodney.”
”He stays with me,” says John, his tone brooking no argument.
”Get him checked by Beckett,” says Elizabeth. “And Major, I want you and all these…Arcadians and Katagaria in the meeting room in five hours. Find someone to watch over Rodney during that time.”
”I will be honored,” offers Teyla before John can protest. Radek and Aidan quickly switch back.
“And you,” says Elizabeth turning to Reke. “Will stay with Lieutenant Ford after you get checked by Beckett. Dismissed!”
”Well…that went well,” remarks Aidan after he, John, Radek, and Reke leave, Rodney in John’s arms. Teyla has stayed behind.
”Who is this ‘Beckett?’” asks Reke curiously as they head down to the Infirmary.
”Our doctor,” says John. “Radek, go get Kavanaugh, Heightmeyer, Bates, and the others and have them meet us in five hours. Aidan, from this point on, you are going to be with Rodney when I cannot be, understand?”
”Yes, sir,” says Aidan as Radek switches forms and runs down the hallway. As they reach the Infirmary, they see Beckett looking into a microscope.
“Hey, Beckett, we got people you need to check,” drawls John. Beckett looks up and blinks at seeing Rodney.
”And who’s he?” asks Beckett.
“Rodney, meet Dr. Beckett. Beckett, this is Rodney.” John says bemused. Rodney clutches John’s shirt tighter as Beckett passes out, landing on the floor with a thud.
~TBC~
A/N: If the Arcadian/Katagaria explanation confuses you more, email me privately and i'll try to explain it better.
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Author's Chapter Notes:
Dedication: To Ellie and Brooke, the only two people I can count on when RL sucks.