The morning of the Festival was gray and silent, all was hushed as if the very planet held it's breath. Jack and Teal'c strode slowly through the strangely empty streets, speaking in hushed whispers, if at all. Daniel and Sam were still asleep, having stayed awake for half the night studying their various finds after being informed that they would be unavailable during the celebrations.

"So, find anything interesting?" Jack ventured.

"No, O'Neill. This planet is like many others. I have discovered that the oasis stele is used much the way Cimmeria used Thor's Hammer."

"Ah. Protection?"

"Precisely O'Neill. Although in a limited form. Rendering us unconscious so that the inhabitants could investigate." They rounded another corner and headed for the edge of the village.

"Have the boys mentioned anything to you about the 'ghosts' they talk to?"

"No, they have not. I have not seen evidence of the spirits they contain since we were at the oasis."

- - -

When Marik had entered their tent yesterday, he had found Yuugi and Ryou already there. Finding they had all had similar encounters with a white-burnoose clad figure. Heart racing, breathless moments of Deja-vu as they'd stared, immobilized by inter-locked gazes.

"There's something going on. I've never felt like that around anyone on Earth. Only..." Marik trailed off… they each knew of someone.

"Our yamis..." Yuugi spoke in a whisper, before voicing his questions loudly. "But how? And why?"

"I guess some of our questions will be answered tomorrow night." Ryou also spoke quietly. It just seemed right to do so.

The room seemed to fade, his mind dragging him away and into a dream. This one steeped in seductive darkness, the chill desert air contrasting sharply with the warm sands beneath him.

Clouds concealed Nut's blanket of stars and not even her pale eye was visible. He lay on the still-warm sands, wearing only a knee-length linen tunic. He was a pale form, a ghost upon the midnight sands, and felt, rather than saw the darkness coalesce beside him.

Somehow, he knew he was safe, that this being was not here to harm him. His skin tingled as the ebon figure leaned over and kissed him, gently but soundly, full on the lips. Their tongues brushed as he gasped, it was akin to being kissed by Night itself.

He gasped again, breaking away, as he arched back in overwhelming pleasure. Skillful hands slid beneath his tunic, darkness caressing light; and he saw, that despite the soft glow radiating from his pale skin, it could not penetrate the cloak of darkness shrouding the other.

Ebon hands held his hips firmly, he flushed, realizing just how he was exposed- the tunic bunched at his waist making him all the more aware of his partial nudity.

Chill night air caressed him a moment before he gasped loudly, arching again at the sudden intense heat wrapped around...there... He moaned.

"Ryou? Are you all right?" Yuugi asked worriedly. "You zoned out..."

"I'm fine. Just a little tired."

"We all are. Let's get some rest, there's nothing we can do until tomorrow anyway." Marik put words to action as he settled onto the cushions he'd claimed as his area. The three swiftly fell asleep despite the early hour, and were soon lost in a maze of sultry, heated, desert dreams…

---

But this day, all gray and still, lent itself to hushed contemplations. The three moved slowly, performing their morning ablations meticulously, despite the fact that it was already after noon. Listlessly, they joined the others gathered in the Governor's tent, ignoring their attempts to begin conversation.

"Don't everyone talk at once now!" Jack spoke tersely, frustrated at the monosyllabic, stilted conversation.

"We are not talking at all, O'Neill."

"Exactly my point." Jack jabbed his finger toward Teal'c as he spoke.

"Neilu-san, this is not uncommon behavior. As you have doubtless noticed, many of us are also preoccupied this day." Mou-san spoke sternly, but quietly. His hushed voice matching the overall tone of the day. "It is an auspicious time for those who will participate in the ceremony tonight. Their mind is so full of thoughts that it is difficult to speak. I, myself have experienced this. They will become themselves again by Festival's end."

"So, Mou-san, what exactly is going to happen during this Festival?"

"They will receive a most precious gift..." It was as Mou-san spoke that he and Yamou locked gazes across the low table.

"Oh-kay..." Jack had been just as curious as Daniel. Now he looked a little uncomfortable as he watched their hosts exchange a heated look. He glanced over at Sam, receiving an amused smile and a shrug in return.

Yuugi, Ryou, and Marik all looked to the door simultaneously a second before it was swept aside. Several of the burnoose-clad figures entered, bearing large trays nearly overflowing with fruit. Three of them hesitated in the doorway, blocking the remaining temple functionaries from entering. Chaos nearly erupted before the shortest of the three startled as if coming out of a trance. That one nudged the other two, and they proceeded to wordlessly place the items carried onto the low table.

One of the temple priests stepped forward and addressed Mou-san. "Sir, Lords Hu and Sia ask that you and your guests attend tonight's ceremony. They specifically mentioned the three youngest, as they would like to finally meet the ones they have heard so much about."

"We would all be honored to attend. They are searching for friends." At this Mou-san smiled knowingly. "I think they shall be successful..."

"...Yes, Mou-san." The blue-robed functionary bowed, then ushered the line of 'servants' silently back outside. Yuugi, Marik, and Ryou were entranced by the slowly exiting figures, staring at them until the tent 'door' was flipped closed once more.

"All right, what's going on?"

"Nothing Neilu-san. They leave to make preparations for tonight. We will be attending a banquet held inside the temple. The ceremony is later, for those involved." Yamou answered, speaking softly as always.

"Please, sit. Remain here, and I will tell you more about our people." The remainder of the afternoon was spent in Mou-san's pleasant company. The few hours before dusk fleeing swiftly on silent wings, pulling Nut's blanket of stars behind them.

- - -

"Pharaoh, it was them! He was there!" He was pounced on by his exuberant blonde friend, then into the pale thief, the three of them winding up in a tangle of cloth in the center of their shared room.

"Hey! Leave me out of this! I told you they'd be there!" The pale-haired one protested as he scrambled to disentangle himself.

"Hold still!!" Atemu surprised himself by roaring. "For Ra's sake… we'll get out of this quicker if we don't struggle so much!"

They managed, with some difficulty, to extricate themselves before three attendants swept into their room. "You will be made presentable. Now."

The plump matrons of the temple gave them no choice or quarter, going even so far as to sit on the struggling thief as they washed and combed his matted hair. They were thoroughly washed, rubbed down with scented oils, and after their hair had been dried, oiled, and styled; they were made to sit perfectly still while kohl was liberally applied to reluctant faces and hands.

"You'd better not make me look like a fool." The pale-haired thief growled at the matron daubing kohl over a paper template placed on the back of his hand. She huffed at him, clearly unimpressed.

Atemu sat through it all with silent stoicism. He'd endured daily such sessions when he'd ruled Kemmet.

Their blonde friend was lost in a haze of blissful happiness, he allowed the matrons to do as they wished, remaining fairly apathetic during it all. "I saw him!" was all he quietly murmured, like a sing-song mantra.

It was late afternoon, nearly dusk when the matrons showed them their faces. Each was astonished at the changes wrought...they were almost beautiful! Speechless, for the moment, they looked up as one of the priests entered and looked them over. "Good, finish dressing quickly. You will not need the white robes after tonight."

The three hastily complied, the air, charged with quiet anticipation. All knew of the importance of this day.

"Your Ka must accept you within the first two days."

"If the bond is not re-established, you will remain separate and alone until death reunites you..."

"In preparation for your next life." The two minor Goa'uld Lords had spoken plainly in answer to the blonde Egyptians worried questions.

"The Y'moi tribe is where we will send you early on the third day."

"It is where all displaced Ba reside while they await death..."

"Or the chance that their Ka will relent and accept them."

They gathered outside a pair of elaborately carved doors, there were at least fifty other white-robed figures, possibly more. The white burnooses they wore tonight were made of heavily embroidered brocade, the only alteration being the removal of the one-way mesh concealing their eyes. Every possible shade of red was now visible--from palest pink to such a deep crimson they were nearly black. All were lined with kohl, all glowed with barely suppressed excitement. Some would be meeting their Ka for the very first time.

A collective inhalation could be heard in the spacious hallway as the large doors slowly opened...

A.N.--> As you all know, I haven't been happy with several chapters, this was one of them. So, I've taken some extra time to go back and examine what I've already written and where I'd like the story to go. I've also watched some of SG Season 9 that just began. We're still waiting for Season 8 to come out in the boxed set to match the rest of our collection, but where we'll put it we're still not sure…

While I reviewed what I'd written, I realized that in almost every single case of Yuugi speaking in Japanese I provided either a direct translation via one of the other characters, or an explanation in the text as to what he had said.

I've had some really interesting reviews lately, complete with suggestions/comments on things that I hadn't caught yet! There are errors there, so keep looking, keep 'em coming. I crave constructive criticism! And suggestions are always welcome, and who knows, if they work well with what I have planned, I just might use them. I do need a name for the planet that they're on, something that the natives would use! Arigatoo gozaimasu!