[Fiction] Reconnection

[Long]

"Accept your sister as an equal, submit your power to her, just as she will to you. Drop the barriers between you and her, and allow yourselves to merge into one. only then will you both survive this ordeal. Otherwise you will die here in a foreign mind, without a fight, without honor. Is that really what you want? do go out like some whimpering, mewling cub?"

The tiger nods, never once breaking his soulful gaze. "You're strong, with great potential, you have pwoer, but you can't really tap into it yet. Here, now, you have a chance at it, but this power requires a sacrifice. Whether or not you pay it is between you and your sister, but from the way your wounds are worsening you do nto have any time left."

[Silvertalon]

Talons eyes narrow slowly more so as the tiger speaks. She growls softly at him as they are only inches from each others throats but their eyes remain tightly locked in a battle of wills. Even though is words are true they anger her, knowing that doing nothing is giving up. She'll be damned to give up to roll over and die so easily. A snarl escapes her lips as her fangs bare as she has some trouble with her reply, disliking the idea she'll have to give up her strength so readily to her sister. As one word escapes her lips as the tiger can sense her rage and anger building with in as she is forced by means out side of her own control to his suggestions.

"How...." Talon almost spits the words out having no choice at the moment but to do as tiger says.

Silv watches with an astonished look, surprised to see the two locked in such a gazing battle speaking softly to one another. She can hear the tigers words barely and the soft snarl from her sisters lips. She smiles slightly and turns to Ryu with a coy smirk, "I dunno... It seam's my sister might be taking a fancy to your tiger friend. Anyhow, at least they aren't at each others throats right now thats a good thing, but my sis isn't one to give up power so readily, much less figure out what you two desire us to try. I am still a little unclear how all this works..."

The tiger and Talons eyes remain tightly licked into a staring contest. As talon growls softly with a soft snarl of sorts. As the two are completely focused upon one another in a stare down.

[Long]

The Tiger nods. "Now we're talking. First you mus aline your energy signature with hers. Then the two of you must think about the same exact thing to align your minds. Then you must bring down all the barriers tat separate the two of you,open yourself to her, and she will to you.Then, when the two of you are there unite your thoughts and bodies in the form of fusion that Ryu and I have used."

Ryu turns to SIlv meanwhile and explains the procedure in the same fashion to Silv. "I realize you were only just freed, but you're going to have to trust Talon. She needs your control, your mind, and you need her passion, her power. Align your body, mind, and soul with hers and believe in her, believe in the fusion. ONce you align your signatures and then lower your own barriers, it should begin. Focus on one thought to align your minds and then focus on the Fusion to align your souls. Then the actual merger is painless, and should result in the healing of your wounds and allowing you to return to your own body."

He smiles and nods to the Tiger. "We can show you again, but then you will have to try it."

[Silvertalon]

Silv nods slowly for a few moments listening to his explination, in return the Tiger starts to tell Talon in a way she can understand as well. The two look quite confused when they speak about seeing an engery of some sort. Silv looks at Talon noticing a slight confusion as she clears her throat.

"What do you mean... Seeing and sensing the engery... I don't think that is even possible to see engery thats completely invisible or even sense it.."

[Long]

Ryu stands there somewhat in shock. "You mean you cannot sense my quantum signature at all? You're completely blind to that spectrum?" He and the Tiger share a look of dismay. The perfect alignment of their powers was essential to the fusion. He didn't know if it was even possible to do this without that key skill.

"This just became next to impossible. I suppose you could do it without the skill, but chances are slim to none. There's no time to teach you how to sense signatures either. "You're just going to both really want this to work, and be perfect in your acceptance of each other."

He shakes his head and the Tiker sits back on his haunches. "It is the only way left to us now." They both speak as one.

[Silvertalon]

Silv slowly nods listening to Ryu talk about the problem. Her ears droop a little watching his expressions to her comments, as her eyes look towards her sister. Talon seams to be resting quieter then normal her eyes lowered as her breathing shortens, somewhat glaring at the tiger before her. Her ears twitch as she can feel Talons growing much weaker each passing moment. She herself can feel a very strange feeling growing with in her. A shiver runs though her body, her arms coming up to hold herself as if she was cold.

"I..I think its possible you can teach us..." Silv looks towards Ryu... "We are in your mind or in between I know not were we are exactly. Since we are still connected though a mind link, the physical laws of touch, sight, sound, feeling and taste do not truly apply here unless you be leave they do.."

A sly grin plays across Silvs muzzle, as she trembles, looking as if she is cold. "S...ss..so... The natural order of how things are done do not truly apply here. We are directly linked to one another thus it does provide a way to tap into another. In theory you would be able to teach us in a few mere moments to a few minutes, apposed to days or even years."

Silv rubs herself slowly with a growing shiver, "I.. is it getting cold in here?" her eyes look around trying to see if there is snow or something in the room. "S..s.. so.. Talon has no other choice to allow one of you to enter her mind as it were to teach her directly.. An myself I will allow one of you to teach me. As risky as it is for Talon and myself, the odds of survival are better compared to attempting such a feat blind as a bat."

[Long]

Ryu reaches out and places a hand on each of Silv and Talon andconcentrate willing the information on sensing quantum energy into their minds. It takes a few moments, but he also explains to them how to do it.

"Now use what you were told reach out at the quantum level, and try to sense my power."

[Silvertalon]

Ryu smiles a little with a nod, "There might be away but you both must trust us, allow us to do what we need to do to help." His voice comes softly as he reaches out slowly towards Silv. Silv nods slowly as she takes a deep breath not sure what to expect but trembling slightly still feeling very cold. Her eyes slowly close, as his touch seems very warm and gentle. Slowly Ryus fingers slide into place holding her head comfortably in his hands as his eyes close as well in focus. Her ears turn a slight crimson color as she can not help to blush a little bit with a soft mirrr.

Talon and the tiger seam to be looking directly at one another for several moments seemingly staring one another down. It is Talon whom gives in with a soft growl as the tiger approaches. The tiger rears up slowly placing one massive paw against the pillar as his claws digs into it, Talons ears flicker catching the sound. She looks up to be greeted by the tigers eyes peering directly into her own. As no words are exchanged Talon closes her eyes knowing what she has to do, as the large tigers fore head gently rests upon Talons.

What seams to be minutes, hours and days seam to pass in a very direct approach. As both Ryu and his tiger teach Silv and Talon the skills needed. Each one learns in a different way then the other, as the tiger keeps to his feral ways teaching Talon in a school of hard knocks so to speak of. All the while Ryu's and Silvs seams to be vastly different as if one was the teacher and the other was a student.

Only a few moments actually truly pass in perspective as both Ryu and the tiger step back allowing Silv and Talon to regain their senses. A slight disorientation seams to pass quickly as it came as Silv blinks a few times looking over to Talon whom is just coming out of the trance like state. The tiger is sitting back on his hunches with a cat like smirk of some sort. Her ears perk as Ryu and the tiger speak again.

"Now use what you were told reach out at the quantum level, and try to sense my power."

Silv and Talon nod slowly as they close their eyes taking a few moments to sum up the strength to preform the ability. First Silv opens her eyes at first not seeing a thing, but slowly something seams to catch her attention at first. She squints a little bit looking harder towards Ryu, as she sees a pulse of blue energy then it is gone. She watches more and more carefully as she seams to be looking over Ryu very carefully, "I.. I.. see pulses of something blue.." She murmurs softly, as the pulses become stronger and stronger until she can finally see a steady rythem. "W... wha... Is this.... quantum?"

Talon opens her eyes slowly seeing the tiger sitting there with such a smug look. She does in deed remember her training and what happened and yet she doesn't growl at him this time as she does as he tells her. She focus on him as it seams much easier to see the same pulsing blue light Silv has seen. She nods slowly, "I.. see it... You to have the same thing around you as the human..."

[Long]

"As well I should now that you can see it, watch us one final time. Open your senses to your surroundings. Feel the fusion and then use that knowledge to do it yourself."

Ryu and the Tiger nod, and repeat the same fusion frocess. They align their minds and energy signatures, the speak the words that united them.

The world flashes again as Long emerges from the light, the perfect fusion of his two halves. "Now, it is your turn my friends. But the knowledge you've been given to use, show me that you can do it, that you're strong enough to do it.

[Silvertalon]

Silv nods slowly, while Talon watches the Ryu and the tiger closely the two keeping their senses open to see the flow of quantum build. The two continue to observe Ryu and and his tiger companion align their energy signatures making it impossible to tell whom is whom as they focus. As they speak both as one at the same time. The world flashes around them as Long reemerges from the light another perfect fusion of the two halves have taken place.

Both Silv and Talon nod slightly as each takes a breath the two seam worried. Talon slowly rises to her feet in pain, from her chest down to her legs blood has stained her fur and scales. She growls softly wincing as she stands wobbling slightly side to side. Her eyes look towards Silv seeing her shivering as if cold. Both of them close their eyes taking a few moments to steady themselves. Pushing out the pain in their minds and all of the normal sensory inputs focusing on finding the proper signature to align with.

Both growl softly in unison, as their quantum fluxes rapidly in between them giving Long quite the light show. Long notices the chaotic shifting taking place of their quantum levels rapidly being cycled for a several long moments. Slowly the shifting comes to an end as both Silv and Talon find true alignment. The soft growling seams to flow in union with one another with such grace. The words come softly off each others lips, much differently spoken that of what Long used by so natural to the two as both forms seam to fade from existence before Longs eyes. But upon a closer look the two forms seam to merge with one another. As a small light beings to grow from the center of the two merged forms, as changes take place the light grows bigger and stronger. Until a very overwhelming light fills the room as blinding as the son itself for a few brief moments.

Long is left wondering which half is in control?... Was it a true fusion?... In the next few moments all will be known to him what he has unleashed upon this world. As tension builds in the air thickly the light slowly beings to fade letting him see the out line of a much larger creature almost twice is current height.

[Long]

Long prepares for anything, every layer of his defenses brought up, just in case. What ever happens, he'd be ready for it. His voice spoke the only word heard in his mind. "Silvertalon." He said the name he knew the creature by and hoped things had gone well.

[Silvertalon]

The light beings to slowly fade, the out line of a much larger entity beings to take shape a bi-pedal the out line is very vague not surely creature like when Long was greeted by talon when he first entered. Although the form moves looking more humanoid but yet not truly. A feeling of wind seems to flow though the room softly, as two wings shrouded by the light spread out upon its back with a few flaps. The large head seams to turn in his direction as more detail becomes known before long. A gleam seams to pass across what could be eyes hidden behind the light as it seams to be looking directly at Long for several long moments.

What stands before Long is quite a sight to be seen, an exotic mix fox and dragon, lithe and slender much like a cross between Talon and Silv but more. The creatures scales are a soft white, while the fur itself is platinum in color. A very sleek famine build but yet under the fur and scales, he can sense raw strength. The creature leans down eye level to Long, her eyes look directly into his. The silvery draconian looking eyes look directly into Longs for several long moments with out a sound. Her warm breath slowly washes over his smaller form.

While Long peers into into the creatures eyes he can sense animal like nature radiating from her. Still the creature has made no move or threat towards him in any way. Not even a sound which is even more puzzling to him. Long takes a few moments to look over her form, noticing the smaller talons yet most likely deadly sharp, the build of her body and scent. Once Long's eyes meets with the creatures again the eyes themselves change before his eyes, becoming normal no longer reptilian in nature. He can see for a split second intelligence hidden behind those eyes, not that of a feral creature but something much more then that.

Slowly the creature rises to its full hight of nearly fourteen feet tall with a slight crouch to prevent its head from hitting the ceiling. It's attention is drawn towards the a door, its eyes shift again as its lips draw back bearing some of its sharp teeth. Each step the creature takes towards the door, it beings to shake, rattle as if an unseen force was forcing the door to open. Long knows this door severs the connection between him and the creature which will allow it to go back into Silvertalon's body. Each step the door rattles louder, as the wood beings to splinter and crack. The creatures hand and arm goes though the door as if it didn't even exist, but the door beings to fade away vanishing from sight. The creatures talons seam aglow. The path to Silvertalon's mind becomes open as the two can see the damage that has been taking place while Silv and Talon has been away.

The creature stops with a soft growl, its head turns keeping its muzzle hidden by the shoulder only her right eye looks towards him slightly aglow, "You can not follow and shall not follow..... We will meet again..." The voice doesn't sound like either Talon or even Silv leaving Long with more questions. The creature turns towards the small door before it and then passes though. The exact moment she steps though the door it is slammed shut and sealed with such force behind it. Leaveing Long standing in his own mind with neither Silv or Talon left behind but something else has taken their place. Only a few questions remain, the most important questions that was left unanswered or were they?

[Long]

Long returned to the real world to find Silvertalon bleeding from the mouth and nose. Obviously her body had been conditioned to react in amanner akin to self-destruction for whatever had attacked her. A cursory evaluation showed that mer musculature was badly damaged, though since the mental fusion, it was starting to heal.

Long made several calls, but to no avail. "Fine, I'll just bring her to Thoughtwave, there at least she can be tended by someone she knows until one of these people returns my call."

Long shifted into his Four-armed "war" form and carefuly lifted Silvertalon's broken body up in his arms. His Blue Eyes flashed as a warpgate large enough for them to enter opened back to Wakinyan's lair. He called out for her from the mouth of the cave. "Ptesan-wi, come out, I have a mutual acquaintance who needs your help." He stood there holding Silvertalon's limp form, hoping that Wakinyan's first wife could help his second.

[Ptesan-Wi]

"Bring her in." The thick buffalo hide 'door' hadn't budged, and the voice came from well within the cave-home high up the side of Inyan Kara. How she knew that he was there, Long was uncertain; his mental defenses were as solid as ever, and he had not felt the tell-tale static of her mind trying to touch his own.

As Long pushed aside the pelt and carried the wounded nova inside, he could see Ptesan-Wi already bringing thick pelts down from high shelves - without a touch - and directing them into a side chamber. "Bring her in here," she said, following the soft bedding into the 'guest room'.

Long followed her, stepping sideways through the opening with his burden. Ptesan-Wi lit candles as the huge tiger-man gently laid the unconscious form of Silvertalon upon a soft sheepskin pelt. As she stepped back, the Lakota woman's small form lithely stepped around him and knelt beside Wakinyan's second-wife. Motion behind him made Long swivel, ready for whatever it may be; as it was, a bowl of water came floating in from the main chamber, a soft cloth draped over the edge.

Ptesan-Wi took the cloth and, after soaking it in the warm water, began to dab at Silvertalon's wounds. "How did this happen," she said without looking at Long. "Who attacked her?"

[Long]

"I honestly don't know. She called to me and the line went dead. I entered her mind and then we were attacked again by something within. I brought her two consciousnesses to my mind and taught them how to unite themselves so they could return to their mind strong enough to fend off whatever was within and causing so much fear."

He reverts to his normal form and looks down at her. "She was out cold when I got there, and near as I can tell, her musculature is actually tearing itself to shreds. Obviously there's some sort of chemical agent at work, but I have been unable to reach severa healers I know."

[Ptesan-Wi]

"Wait... did you say that you were attacked by something in her mind? Because if so..." The rest was left unsaid, but Long knew well enough what was meant. Ptesan-Wi's main skills were in the realm of telepathic contact; if something inside Silvertalon was attacking mental visitors, that path of intervention was closed.

[Long]

"IT went after them, not me. Independantly they were too weak. I taught them how to properly unite and then they returned to their own mental domain."

[Ptesan-Wi]

Ptesan-Wi considered the situation. The brief touch she had attempted to Silvertalon's mind had been... disturbing. Whatever had happened, this was not the same person whom she had known a short time before; she had changed somehow, and it remained to be seen if that change would be for good or for ill. Whatever it was, the doors to her mind were sealed... and battering down those doors did not seem like a particularly helpful thing to do.

"Alright, Long. Whatever is going on with her mind, she is going to have to sort out. There's been some... changes there, but frankly, I'm not going to stick my metaphysical fingers into her head and start rooting around.

"That said, she does need healing. Badly. I can feel her body trying, but a lot of signals are pretty jumbled in her nervous system right now; it looks like she was more or less tearing herself up from the inside out. There's lots of trauma, lots of pain, and it's overwhelming the pathways."

A look came to Ptesan-Wi's face. Consideration and doubt came together, playing across her features until they transformed into, if not resolve, at least hope.

"I... I think I might be able to do something for her. Maybe."

[Long]

"That's why I brought her here to you. Her mind is a mess, but I figured you might be able to help her body instead. Healing others is one of many things I simply cannot do."

He smiled and laid a hand on her shoulder. "Do what you can."

[Ptesan-Wi]

Ptewan-Wi nodded. She took a deep breath, let it slowly whisper away, set her hands upon Silvertalon's battered torso, and focused.

Touching a mind is one thing. A mind, no matter the source, has a certain order about it. Even when one is hopelessly insane, there is a regimented method by which the organ carries out its tasks. The blood pumps... the lungs breathe... a thousand tiny processes grind away at their work.

Touching a nervous system is something entirely else. Stimuli and response run like wildfire through miles of biological wires with no rhyme or reason other than reaction. And the nerves into which Ptesan-Wi reached were reacting in ways never designed into the system. Something had flooded the body with false stimulus, she could feel; that stimulus had, in turn, thrown muscles into chaotic movement, tearing themselves – and the tissues around them – apart. Whatever the stimulus had been was gone… but the reactions needed to heal the body were getting no assistance from a mind that had changed in fundamental ways, faster than the body could keep up.

Carefully, Ptesan-Wi ‘looked’ through the system, finding the worst of the damage… and found it, in the muscle of the heart. The muscular organ, still beating by some miracle, was torn by half a dozen tears, as it had wrenched against itself in what must have been agonizing spasms. Control of the healing process was needed… and control is what Ptesan-Wi provided. Her mind touched the frenzied nerves leading to the organ, calming them at first, then directing them with care and precision. Energy flowed through the connection as well; there was impedance – as always happened when she worked with a nova – but by dint of sheer will, the energy did flow along those nerves.

Within Silvertalon’s battered chest, her heart was made whole once more.

With the feral nova’s color visibly improving from the pallor of a moment before, Ptewan-Wi sighed, withdrawing her hands from Silvertalon’s chest. Turning with a tired smile to Long, she said, "It’s going to take time, but I can fix her."

[Long]

"Do what you have to do. She'll heal quickly enough as all novas do, but every extra thing you can do will make it easier for her. I'll leave her under your care. When she awakens she won't be the Silvertalon you've known. Her mind will be different than before. If there are any complications there are a multitude of novas you can call for assistance."

He turns to leave and the calls back to her. "Wakinyan would be pleased by this in a way. It shows great strength of character for you to tend the wounds of another of his wives. You've always been strong my young friend. It's good to see at least that has always remained static."