Chapter 8

Ledger

Ledger had taken to hiding in his rooms after the invaders had left. Robin was still sore from her wounds after taking down the Bards guild. Robin was not good company at the moment. His one attempt to cheer her up had his ears ringing for the rest of the day. The lab and shop were doing well. The people he had working on the power transmission problem had made a breakthrough. The copper wire held up the best when the power of the Weave was running through it. They had tried several different thicknesses of wire. It was discovered that thin wire would melt and burn when powered. If the wire was too thick, the energy required was too much to handle. Experimenting had finally found a medium that worked, for the most part. He felt sure the crew would find a way to make things work.

Ledger sat on a bench on the widow’s walk atop the hotel. He figured nobody would bother him up here. Hearing light footsteps behind him while looking across the hazy distance toward the Rampart Range, he glanced back and saw Aco on the roof with him. “Hello, Aco,” Ledger said without looking up. “What can I do for you today?”

Aco paused to look out across the lands for a moment before answering. “I’m bored and somewhat lonely,” Aco said. She joined him on the bench. “Aston has been sent out on patrol to cover the northern ranges. I just wanted somebody to talk to.”

Ledger turned to look at Aco. “What can I say? Normally, you are not interested in what I have to say.”

Aco grinned and blushed. “Normally, that is true.” Aco turned away to look out towards the ports. “I have a favor to ask of you.” She turned back to him and looked Ledger in the eyes. I, no Claw, and I need your help with something.”

Now, Ledger was interested. “What can I do to help you, Aco?” Ledger asked.

“Claw and I want you to watch what happens to us as we switch back and forth,” Aco said.

“Watch, as in look at your Weave energy when you switch control,” Ledger said. Now he was really interested.

“Yes. We want to know how we are linked. We are both also worried about being healed by Brena. Would it kill one of us?” Aco sat on the bench, looking pensive now. She and Claw were both worried.

Ledger stood to stand in front of Aco. “I need you to stand up, please.” He directed Aco to spread herself eagle so he could see her body’s energy without overlapping areas. Aco spread her legs wide and held her arms out, away from her body. “Now, I will look at you as Aco first to get a baseline of what I see.” He stared at the woman, his eyes going distant in his staring.

Ledger studied Aco as closely as he could without touching her. He knew not to ask; she would need to be unclothed if he went to that depth of a study. At first, her energy lines were blurred and wavering. The energy settled into a pattern that flowed through and around her body as he focused. He noted a point where the energy line leading from the front of her brain to the spine seemed broken. His first impulse was to fix it right then, but he restrained himself. He would need to talk to her about it first.

“Ok, Aco. I have the basic pattern. Bring up Claw slowly, if you can. I want to see if there is a change.” As he watched the Weave, the energy rippled for a second. The only place he could see that had changed was at the break. It now had a line running to her spine. “Switch back, ladies.” The ripple happened again, and the break was back. “Interesting,” Ledger said quietly.

“What’s interesting,” Aco asked.

“Aco, can you and Claw be up simultaneously?”

Aco closed her eyes and concentrated. When she opened them, she spoke in a fast, raspy tone. “We are here, kid. Be quick; this is painful.”

Ledger studied the combined patterns. They overlapped perfectly except in the one spot where he had noticed the break. He traced the line from its source to where it terminated. The line ran to Aco’s spine. He could see the link and what it did. “Claw? Are you inherently faster than Aco?”

Ledger could see the struggle for the two minds to speak together. “Yes, I have a somewhat faster reaction and strike. Aco is actually more skilled than I am.” “Claw, that may be the difference. What do you see, Ledger?” This was Aco speaking now.

Ledger considered his answer carefully. “I can see a breakpoint before the spine when Aco is in control. When Claw is in control, the link is complete. Right now, it is fully linked. I can see the different connections now.” Ledger paused again. “I can fix the break, but I am not sure what might happen to the two of you. It might put Claw as the dominant, or it could force the two of you to fully merge into a single mind.”

Aco’s eyes widened, “If Claw has full control, it would be horrible. As to merging us into a single mind, I am not sure. Claw and I need to discuss this possibility for a while.” Aco shook her head, and her expression cleared. Ledger watched as the Weave settled back into Aco’s pattern, mostly. The break was flickering now. Before he could say anything, Aco had turned away and entered the stairwell to the suites. He shrugged, knowing it would be hard on her, no matter the outcome.

Aco/Claw

Down in her suite, Aco stripped and took a hot soaking bath. The strain to have both minds up at once had hurt her both mentally and physically. As she rested, she spoke to Claw. “Sister, could you handle being the one in charge full-time? If you went on a rampage, Andrew would have to kill us, you know that.”

“Yes, I am aware of that outcome, sister. Then again, the other option has its appeal. Could we be merged as a single mind?” Claw asked.

“That, I think, would be the best outcome for us both. Yet how would we merge, what part of our minds would be in charge?” Aco said.

It could be something different. Maybe the merging would create someone entirely new,” Claw said.

“That is a scary thought, sister. We could both be lost,” Aco said.

“Think about it, Aco. We are both broken beings,” Claw said.

“Would we die then when it happens?” Aco asked.

“Maybe, maybe not. It can’t be any worse than what the dragon had planned for us,” Claw said.

Aco was startled. “Claw, could that creature’s actions have resulted in our creation? Could one of us have been implanted by the beast so it could take control when the time came?”

“I don’t see how Aco. I was part of you when the acid burned us,” Claw answered. “Then again, it may have been linked to us when we were conceived. Our father had the bit of scale from the battle.”

“Claw, I think we have been duped. That scaled bastard is still alive and part of us somehow,” Aco said.

“No, it is gone. That I am sure of,” said Claw. “The Judge and Bloodrend saw to that. No, It would be in the void if it still lives. We shouldn’t have any more problems with the dragon. The idea that one of us was planted does have merit. Aco, I am the one that would have been planted. You are too human, and I am not human enough.”

Aco smiled and reached inwards to touch Claw. “We are both products of the pain. If we let Ledger fix the break rather than fight the change, we must be together. We must be willing and wanting to be one. Could you see yourself with me in that manner, a single mind?” Aco reached deeper and joined Claw in the conference chamber. Claw cringed away at first, fearing Aco would drive her down again.

Instead, Claw was stunned when Aco pulled her into her arms and held her. “Sister, this is long overdue for us both. We are the same being, just split from the pain. We need to be whole once more to survive the coming wars.” Aco lifted Claw’s chin and gently touched her lips to the other. Both their eyes flew open at the touch. They had both felt the kiss from the other. They kissed again, the feeling growing more intense by the second. Claw reached around and pulled Aco closer, squeezing her butt cheeks and kneading them. Claw felt her own hands on herself at the same time. Aco reached around and began doing the same to Claw. The effect and feeling amplified, both moaning in each other’s mouths. After a minute, they both pushed away from the other.

Aco spoke first, “That is dangerous. We need Ledger to fix the break so we can be one being, as we were always meant to be.”

“Agreed, sister. Though it would be interesting to know what it would feel like to make love to ourselves,” Claw said wistfully.

“Yeah, but think of the danger as well. We may never be able to love our man again, at least as we currently are.” Aco sat in one of the chairs of the imaginary conference room. “The only reason we are thinking about this is to survive a healing from Brena. Is that reason enough?”

“Aco, we have to avoid being wiped away by her healing. Everything we are comes from that bastard acid-burning us. I personally don’t care for the thought of being erased in a-healing,” Claw said. Claw sat next to Aco and held her in her arms. “Sister, if we are to live and be with Aston as his mate, we must be joined into a single mind.”

Aco looked Claw in the eyes and stared. She could see herself looking back out at her. “Claw?”

“Yes, sister?”

“Look in my eyes, look hard, and tell me what you see,” Aco said.

Claw looked into Aco’s eyes. After a minute, she turned away, tears beginning to flow. “Are we really that much a single being with two minds? I see myself in your eyes. Do you see yourself in mine?”

“Yes, Claw. We are a mirror looking at each other.” Aco paused, “Ledger can fix us, make us whole. Imagine both of our skills combined. Maybe we will be able to speed-jump easier as well.”

“Yes. That would be possible. Let’s get the kid and have him fix the broken point in our energy. We will have to be together for him to do it.” Both faded, and the room vanished. Aco stood, dressed, then returned to the roof. Ledger was still there, standing at the rail, looking out over the city.

He turned when he heard the door to the stairs open. He could see that Aco had come to a decision. He waited for Aco to say something. She smiled at him. “Ok, kid, fix the broken Weave in us. Make Claw and I whole.” Aco closed her eyes, and Claw joined her in the waking world. Aco felt a faint stroking of a hand across one cheek.

Ledger just nodded and focused on the woman standing before him. As he watched, she disrobed so he could see her clearly. Ledger saw that both were awake, and the two Weave patterns overlapped. Ledger stepped to them and touched Aco’s forehead on the spot the break occupied. He began to weave a new connection in the place of the break, joining the two patterns as one. As the last connection was woven in place, Aco screamed, falling to her knees. Ledger watched her closely, ready to undo what he had done in case the repairs turned fatal.

Aco was on her knees, her head bent down to the walkway. Her breathing was fast and ragged. In her mind, she and Claw held onto one another. As they held on, they both cried out as their minds began to merge. Aco felt what was wrong and spun Claw around to face away from her. Aco then did what was needed. She stepped into the image of Claw, merging her body and mind into the other. Both voices said, “Is this what we have to become?” As they merged, a new voice spoke, “It is time; with your merging, I am born, and you are me.” The new voice was gentler than Claw’s but rougher than Aco’s. All the memories flowed and became a solid chain in the new mind. “What should we call ourselves now,” Aco asked.