AN: Thanks so much for your reviews! And I'm so sorry for the long delay in posting—winter break, holiday season and being snowed in (with only a dozen of ski-trip bruises for company) for good measure weren't exactly conducive to writing… but now I've got the next few chapters ready and will be posting them daily! Enjoy:)!

Chapter IV: The Reunion (part 1)

and

The Decision (part 2)

(1)

"Adria."

Vala spoke the name in a low tone, biting her lower lip with an uncomfortable smile. She was not entirely surprised.

"Fancy meeting you here…"

The Orici arched her eyebrows.

"Why would you be surprised?" she asked frostily. "I have the ultimate knowledge. It is natural that I should ascend."

Vala shook her head.

"Well…don't let me stop you."

For an insane second, she had hoped…but no, her daughter was beyond listening to reason. Better to let things take their natural way. But Adria came closer, stopping right in front of her. Cold ire burnt in her golden eyes.

"You killed me, mother."

"Us, darling," Vala pointed out, "I killed us. I'm not just visiting here, you know."

"Why would you do such thing? Do you not love me?" Silence was the only reply. "I could have shown you the way to the light."

Vala sighed.

"Yes, well, your old mother found the way herself, as you can notice."

Knowing better than to try and change Adria's mind, she turned to the Ancient, who stood aside watching their exchange with apparent disinterest.

"Erm, can we ascend now please?"

Her tone was flippant, yet there was a subtle note of urgency in her plea. Being there, facing Adria, Vala felt as though her failures were being cruelly thrown in her face. Her daughter was the quintessence of the vicious game that the Ori had played on the manipulative, facetious but ultimately ingenuous swindler who roamed the galaxy trying to win back the pieces of her shattered puzzle.

Vala loved and hated her daughter with almost the same intensity that she loved and hated herself. But of course, none of that showed in her demeanor or her words, as she directed a questioning look towards Morgan, still waiting for an answer. The Ancient shook her head and spoke calmly:

"You must make the decision."

"I already did!" the woman protested. "I want to go…you know…there" she pointed upwards with a meaningful expression. "Come on…!"

"It's not that easy, mother," Adria commented condescendingly.

"What a shock…" Vala muttered, just as her daughter continued in the same knowing tone.

"Because of the link between us…we must make the decision together."

Vala sighed again. She made a mental note to stop doing that, lest she should start hyperventilating. If that was even possible anymore…

"Wonderful." She clapped her hands together and turned to her daughter, trying to look as impassive as she was sure the other felt. "Well then, Adria. Considering that our options are, ascending, or dying…"

Much to her surprise, the young woman nodded in agreement.

"Yes."

But then Adria frowned, and her tone grew spiteful.

"Before that…I want you to know that your little trick got you nowhere. I will regain my human form, strengthened even more by my Ascension, and shall bring light to all in the unive—"

"Don't make me ground you, young lady."

It was probably surprise that effectively shut Adria up, but Vala took the chance to turn to Morgan once more. The Ancient was looking at them, her eyebrows raised expectantly.

"You have decided then."

It was Vala's turn to nod at Morgan, and she did so with some irony.

"Yes. We both agree to ascend."

And much to their surprise, the Ancient shook her head.

"That is not an option." As they both regarded her in confusion, Morgan proceeded to explain. "You" she said placidly, nodding towards Adria, "can not ascend."

"What?!"

"What?!"

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx(Part 2: The Decision)xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Adria stomped to the Ancient and gave her a withering glare.

"I have the ultimate knowledge of the Ori. What do you mean," she practically bit out the resentful question, "I cannot ascend?"

But the glare that had made hundreds of village leaders and great warriors cower in fear had no effect whatsoever on Morgan le Fey. She merely returned an expression of mild disinterest and replied in a placid tone:

"You cannot."

"You're lying," the Orici said through gritted teeth. As the only response she got was the other's blank expression, she erupted in rage. "I demand to ascend! It is my right! I possess all your knowledge! You can not keep me from my rightful position!"

"You cannot ascend," Morgan repeated, using a patient tone and slowly shaking her head, as though she were addressing a stubborn child.

And Adria was not far from that, as she all but stomped her foot in frustration.

"You can't do that! I am ready! I have the knowledge!"

Vala moved away from the dusty counter she had been leaning against, and came closer to her daughter.

"Darling…maybe it's not only the knowledge that matters. Maybe it's not about knowing everything…but understanding what you know. About using what you know to do good."

"I bring light to the people!"

"Yes, I think the millions that your priors kill might argue that."

"They are nonbelievers!" Adria spat out in disdain, causing Vala to shake her head in exasperation.

"And for good reason. Look where your belief got you."

But her words reached deaf ears, as her daughter turned to Morgan once more, the same menacing expression on her ageless face.

"I will destroy you!" She held up a warning finger. "You are afraid. You are evil!"

The shouts resounded in the silent, shadowy tavern. Vala pulled a stool from under one of the wooden tables, and sat down in defeat. She wasn't getting anywhere with Adria. Morgan seemed to share the belief, as she faced both of them again, with the same neutral expression.

"You must make your decision."

From her shaky stool, Vala frowned.

"Well…I don't understand. If she can't ascend, what decision do we have to make?"

The Ancient smiled, and Vala knew she had asked a good question.

"You can still decide to ascend…" Morgan said to her, and the raven-haired woman was instantly suspicious.

"What will happen to Adria if I choose that?"

One right question after the other, the others' reactions told Vala. Adria was livid with powerless fury, while Morgan had lowered her eyes. Eventually, Vala answered her own question.

"She'd die…", she whispered in shock. A bitter smile came to her lips. "I didn't think my plan would actually work…"

"That is a lie! Those worthless trinkets could never defeat my protection barriers!" Adria shouted. "The Orici cannot be defeated by such an inferior technology!"

Vala opened her mouth to retort, and found herself at a loss for words. Endless arrogance and illusions of grandeur aside, her daughter was most likely right. There was just no way Goa'uld technology would work against an Ori child with godlike power…

Puzzled, she rubbed her forehead…and that was when she caught Morgan's eye. There, behind the guarded look, beyond the wisdom and the understanding in the Ancient's timeless gaze, lay her answer. Vala's eyes widened.

"You…" she said in a strangled whisper.

Morgan lowered her eyes and shook her head almost imperceptibly. A message as obvious as her earlier silent confession. She then spoke quickly, urging them once more.

"You must decide."

Vala swallowed hard. Once she had understood the extent of the Ancient's involvement in their current situation, the rest of the pieces fell into place easily. The Goa'uld cufflinks had—naturally!—not worked…but they had given Morgan—and who knew how many other Ancients were in on it?—the perfect cover to do some cheating of their own.

Now all Vala had to do was decide to ascend…that would put an end to the Orici—and the reign of the Ori…and she could then go back to her friends. Just say the words…

As if reading her thoughts, Adria huffed contemptuously.

"Go ahead, Mother. You've already killed me once. What's keeping you this time?"

"Hush, baby. Mother's thinking," Vala replied in a harsh tone.

"You cannot stop the Ori! They will rise again, I will come back to them, even if I were to die now, I—"

"Alright that does it." Vala pushed herself up from the stool and crossed her arms. "Then we'll both stay here."

That effectively shut Adria up.

"What?"

Morgan seemed equally displeased. She shook her head, but when she spoke, her tone held some emotion and a small smile graced her lips.

"That is not a decision, Vala. That is a non-decision, avoiding the decision."

The dark-haired woman shrugged innocently.

"Why? I happen to like this place." She pointed to the muddy floor, with half the planks missing, then to the rundown walls and the chipped beer mugs on the counter. "It's…cozy."

AN: Next chapter will be up tomorrow! I hope you're still enjoying the story! Any comments, questions, suggestions are welcome! Like the story? Hate it? Review and let me know!

Myosotis