D

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The darkness pressed him from all sides. His head ached: a steady, thrumming beat that drowned out thought, reason, hope. Failure settled on his heart, a familiar, hated old friend. He drew his knees up tighter to his chest and ground the heels of his hands into his eyes.

Think. There must be a way out of this.

As soon as the thought formed he felt the power rise inside him. Enticing, beckoning, it curled around his nerves and set his skin afire with barely controlled energy.

Not helpless. Unleash it.

He cringed, shook his head, sought another way. But there was none. There never was. Ever the child of fate, he was destined to stand by and see all whom he had granted access to his heart be torn from him, cast down, never to rise again.

No. They made it.

Didn’t they?

Flutters of power licked at his mind. For a moment he wondered just what it would be like to unleash it completely. He’d used it once, unthinking, desperation becoming action in the blink of an eye, and it had left him drained to the point of unconsciousness. Would it kill him, if he let it out to play again? Could he control it if he thought his actions through first? He could imagine what Jack would say—‘Daniel, forget it. You don’t know what that stuff could do…’ He forced his friend’s persnickety voice away, under the pounding noise of his brain.

He was so far from home he doubted he’d ever get back.

What have you got to lose?

In a flash he was standing outside his home, staring at Sarah. He raised his hand and the parasite within her was suddenly out, writhing on the ground. A twist of his fingers set it on fire and it flamed to ash, its reign of terror ended. Sarah – the real Sarah – smiled at him…

And turned into Sha’re, eyes glowing with alien evil. He felt such a surge of love for her as he raised his hand, and pulled the Goa'uld from her, left it a scorched memory on the tent floor as he wrapped his wife in his arms and wept…

            And then he was flying, through time and place with the ease of a thought. He stood on the apex of Abydos’ pyramid and turned Anubis’ weapon back upon him. The explosions lit the bright sky and his people cheered…

                He soared above frozen ice, deflected the fatal shot and let Cameron fly on to victory…

                    He hovered in an alien court, marvelling at the beauty of the woman that still shone through the arrogance of the Goa'uld, and raised his hand to free Vala…

                        He stood on a shore between two opposing armies, turned deception to amity, freed the Jaffa from their lifelong servitude, and watched the wonder on the faces of Teal'c and Bra’tac…

                            He smiled fondly at Jack, the deceptively bland expression on his face hid the turmoil of the Ancients’ knowledge teeming in his mind. He touched that weathered face and stilled the crippling expansion within…

                                He knelt by Jacob’s side, hands directed healing energy into the failing body, and sent Jacob and Selmak into Sam’s arms; he shared her joy for a fleeting moment before turning to Jack…

                                    laying so still in the survival pod. A moment’s surge of power was all he needed to bring his friend awake, no longer needing the Tok’ra’s strength to stay alive…

                                        He strode across the battlefield, the Jaffa’s weapons failing in his wake; he knelt by Airman Wells and healed his wounds, reached out to Janet and brushed her warm, alive cheek…

                                            He walked through the Stargate onto Chaka’s world, took Robert’s arm and steered him toward a truly remarkable first contact…

                                                He cornered Nirti in her lair on Hanka, obliterated her experiments before extracting the snake and leaving Cassie’s world alive and free…

                                                    He stood on the ramp gazing up at the Stargate, its shroud beginning to billow in an unseen wind. A gold-clad alien stepped through the event horizon and met the fate he so justly deserved…

                                                        He stood in a home filled with love, watched a child curiously examine his father’s gun. With a gesture he made the gun vanish and sent Charlie out to play ball with his dad…

The granite slab creaked…

the chain groaned but held firm as the temple roof settled safely on its supports…

he ran…

and flung himself into those arms so long missed…

Light flooded the room, chasing away fantastic moments of success. The weight of his doom fell over him once again. The power within fluttered and died – like a butterfly too long in the sun.

She glided into the room, naïve evil placing a moratorium on his hopes. For a moment, it had all seemed so real, so attainable…

‘Daniel? It’s time to go.’

He clambered to his feet, and followed Adria from the room.

~The End

              Or

                  The Beginning~

Written in answer to a challenge on the Stargate Legends list: Geek Day - Put your geek in a position to save the day/world/galaxy/universe/other dimension/alternate reality.  If you want that extra bit of a challenge you can include the word - Moratorium - in your story.

Or!!!  You can be extra cunning and add Denny's evil word - Persnickety

Title pinched from Star Trek. (The original one).

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