Chapter 4

Daniel and Carter were met by another group of Priors brining Mitchell, Teal'c and Abigail. Silent looks of concern and worry were exchanged, but they kept silent. Daniel glanced at Abigail beside him. If she was scared, she was hiding it well.

'Even when her mother died she never showed fear. She's a brave little girl.'

Daniel looked at the floor. He didn't want to remember that day, but Frank apparently did.

He remembered how seven-year-old Abigail stood quietly as he told her that mom was gone, her sickness had taken her away. She looked her father in the eyes, reached up and wiped his tears away. In the softest voice she told him, "It's okay poppa, I'll take care of you for mommy. I promised her I would last night."

Daniel smiled. Frank was right about her being brave.

"What the hell is that?" Mitchell asked.

Daniel looked up. Frank didn't have to be scared. He felt enough fear for the both of them. A fence with an ornate gate stood between them and a raging inferno of fire roaring from a chasm – the Flames of Enlightenment. Despite their intense appearance, the flames didn't heat the room. Instead they danced with great light and Daniel knew that in the flames were the Ori. Standing at the gate was the Doci that had met with Daniel before.

'Oh God. This is where the Ori come from, Daniel? These assholes tried to burn you to death last time! This can't possibly be worse, can it?'

"This can't be good," Mitchell muttered.

"It's worse than you think," Daniel told Frank and Mitchell.

The Doci turned and approached them. "You are the ones that have spread word that the Ori are false gods."

"You are," Mitchell retorted.

The Doci smiled, but it was as cold as the flames behind him and it terrified Frank. Daniel could feel that he wanted control of the body to run. Daniel opened his eyes, looking at Abigail. That calmed Frank's fear.

'That's not fair,' Frank told him, 'but you're right. I can't leave her.'

Daniel turned his head, looking right into the eyes of the Doci. He moved to step back and a Prior moved close behind him, stopping his retreat.

"When you were before me you questioned our faith. Through cleansing I would have thought you'd have understood the power of the Ori and ascension, but you have not. For this, you will be the first."

"First... For what?"

One of the Priors grabbed his arm and pulled him forward.

"First for what?" Daniel demanded, holding the Doci's gaze.

He turned his head, seeing he was being led toward the gates. As they approached the gates opened.

"As Priors you five will spread the word," the Doci said.

"The hell we will!" Mitchell said, lunging to grab Daniel.

A Prior turned to him, setting his staff on the ground. Mitchell hit an invisible barrier and fell back. Carter and Teal'c helped him back on his feet, the three watching helplessly as was pulled away.

'WHAT?' Frank screamed.

Daniel struggled to stay calm.

"Calm down. You have to calm down!" he told Frank.

They passed through the gates and were stopped at the edge of the cliff.

'ABIGAIL!' Frank screamed.

"Abigail," Daniel whispered.

He suddenly realized Frank's fear wasn't for himself; it was for Abigail. He didn't want her to suffer whatever fate was about to consume them and he wanted to get back to her and run. Daniel tried to pull away from the Prior, to do what Frank wanted. Frank took control of the body, determined to save his daughter.

"NO!" Frank screamed. "I'LL KILL ALL OF YOU!"

The Doci walked forward, attracted by the sudden change in Daniel's voice.

"This isn't going to be good," Carter muttered, watching the Doci.

Abigail looked back when Teal'c grabbed her arms and pulled her behind him to protect her. Mitchell moved closer to her.

"What's going on?" Abigail asked.

"Daniel is... Well..." Mitchell looked helplessly to Carter for an answer.

"Special," she finished. "He got really sick and the cure made him different."

"How different?" Abigail quietly asked.

"We're about to find out," Mitchell answered.

The Doci glanced at them as if he'd heard the quiet conversation. He turned back to the Prior.

"Stop. He cannot accept the change!" he barked.

The Prior turned back to him and Frank took advantage of his lack of attention. He threw his arm back, clenched his fist. The Prior turned back as his fist landed hard in the Prior's face. The Prior fell back a step, one foot landing on the edge of the cliff. It crumbled under his weight and he toppled into the chasm, dropping his staff at the edge of the cliff. Frank reached for it at the same time an Ori left the flames and slipped into body.

He gasped, falling onto his hands and knees. Daniel and Frank both felt the Ori starting to change Daniel, converting him into a servant and Prior. It turned to his mind and they felt its intention. It would erase all that Daniel was and make him 'understand' what it was to follow the faith -- a mindless drone with no will.

'Frank!' Daniel whispered.

The Ori seeped into Daniel's mind, starting to erase childhood memories.

"You can't have us!" Frank hissed, closing his eyes.

The Ori suddenly sensed Frank. It stopped, it was confused. They both felt it. It didn't understand what it was sensing or feeling.

'It has a consciousness, Frank,' Daniel gasped.

Frank slowly sank to the ground. The Ori was going to try to convert them at the same time and the pain it caused!

'Stay with me, Frank'

The Ori's progress slipped. It attacked them with force, slowly eating away for their memories. It found memories of Abigail and began to slowly consume them.

"Abigail," Frank whispered.

Frank turned his mind to her. He remembered her birth. Her mother had been in labor for nearly eighteen hours and she was so weak and tired. She had one more push to get Abigail out. Frank wanted to do it for her. He wanted it to be over. His wife bore down and she pushed. He held her hand, kept his hand in the small of her back, whispered to her that their beautiful daughter would be there soon. And she was. The doctor was the first to hold her and Frank saw his smile -- did he always look so proud on the babies he delivered? A nurse took her away to weigh her, clean her nose and lungs, and swaddle her. And then she was being carried back. Frank's heart burst with love at their beautiful daughter.

The Ori's hold slipped.

The tiny human was placed in his arms and he stared lovingly into her black eyes. Even then she had this intense stare that looked right into you and saw everything. He loved her as much as he had any child, he would die for her if he had to. And that may be the case now, because he wasn't going to let these things take her away from him. His love was too great to let that hap--

The Ori lost more ground.

Frank gasped. He felt Daniel's own awe.

'It can't hold on if we won't let it have our memories,' they told each other.

Frank looked at the flames. "I'll kill every single one of you to save that little girl."

'Then let's do just that, Frank,' Daniel encouraged.

Frank fought back. Daniel fought along side him. The Ori was afraid. It couldn't hold onto their minds. It let go of Frank and tried to keep a hold of Daniel's. In doing it, Frank suddenly gained the knowledge of how to use a Prior's staff. He smirked at the fire.

"You will leave or you will die," Frank hissed.

Daniel suddenly found himself in control of his body. The sudden switch in consciousness ripped the control the Ori had on his mind. It knew that their minds were too integrated for it to try to separate them, and too separated for it to try to take them over together. With vengeance it turned to converting Daniel's body. He screamed, rolling onto his back. The pain of it was excruciating.

'I don't think so asshole!' Frank snarled.

Daniel closed his eyes. Frank focused on healing his body everywhere the Ori tried to change it. The two of them raced across Daniel's body with infection and healing, driving needles of pain through him. The Ori may have begun ahead, but Frank quickly beat it. Daniel's eyes flashed and with it the Ori flew out of the body back into the flames. Daniel rolled onto his side, staring at them.

'They're going to come after us. One we can handle, Frank, but more than that...'

Frank reached out and grabbed the Prior staff. He climbed to his feet, still facing the flames.

"Take us home, Danny Boy." And he gave Daniel control again.

Daniel turned, walking toward the group. The Doci tensed.

"Destroy him," he ordered.

A Prior moved forward, setting the end of his staff on the floor. Daniel's anger boiled in him; Frank's hate was his fuel. He slammed the end of the staff on the floor. A wave of energy burst from the staff, controlled by their will. It slipped through SG-1 and Abigail harmlessly, but in the Doci and Prior, it snatched their breath away and threw them to the floor. Daniel walked up to the others.

"Grab the staff," he ordered.

Mitchell asked, "What happened?"

Daniel looked at the flames. An Ori was separating and he could see at least three more forming behind it.

"We're don't have time."

They looked up, seeing the Ori and quickly grabbed the staff. Daniel raised the staff up and slammed it to the ground. In a flash they disappeared. The Ori scattered around the room from the shockwave that was left behind. An unearthly scream erupted from the room, spreading through the City of the Gods.