Miho Chan
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TxT: Twins Sharing a Sacred Gear, Chapter 1: One Gear, Two Girls, No Hesitation
🕑 Added 2024-05-16 00:03:47 +0000 UTCHello everyone! It's Miho here! Apologies, but the Eevee Therapy update will be delayed on account of our editor having not gotten back to us quite yet with the next update. In exchange, and in the interest of fairness and fuilfilling my promises as a content creator, Tale and I will be posting the first chapter of another fic we've been slowly plugging away at in the background. No word on if we'll continue to upload this so far, but for now, please enjoy.
The next update of Eevee Therapy will be uploaded ASAP as well, so please look forward to that!
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“Well, Mr. Weber, I can confidently state that your children aren’t being possessed or harmed.” The older man set down his clipboard, then reached up to adjust his glasses, allowing light to splay through the lenses.
The tall man looked to his wife and the two girls sitting beside her. The twins looked back at him, smiling, before pivoting back to face a person he could not see. He breathed a sigh as the two girls resumed speaking to thin air. “If that’s not the case, then what is going on, sir?” His lips pursed. “Natalie and I- neither one of us are active in the… community.” He waved his hands, wiggling his fingers. “I’ve had no relation with magic at all.”
“Most people don’t.” The chaplain shook his head, spinning his clipboard around. “But sometimes strong magical affinities just pop up in people; the start of new bloodlines. A gift from God.” He shook his head. “Alternatively, it could be a Sacred Gear.”
“Sacred Gear?”
“Weapons, given to humanity in ages past to defend them from monsters and demons. They integrate into the souls of the newly born.” The chaplain shrugged. “These days, they pop up wherever they wish. I think that’s less likely, though. They’re given to one soul, not two. And both Crystal and Melody can talk to these ghosts.”
Stephen Weber nodded as he looked at his two little girls. “And these spirits…”
“If they meant any harm to your girls, they couldn’t have crossed the threshold I set up when I heard they were coming.” The chaplain shrugged. “And they might know more about how to use their powers than I can teach them. Lord knows finding a proper teacher is going to be difficult.”
“And you can’t-”
“I can give guidance. But I don’t dare try and send any reports to the Vatican, even if I thought it would help.” The older man shook his head. “If the Church responded first, they might try to take the girls on as devotees, for their own protection. If the message got intercepted, then the Devils might come to snatch them up, or the Grigori.”
“...Devils? Grigori?” Stephen swallowed. “What-”
“You shouldn’t worry overmuch.” The chaplain said softly, setting a hand on the father’s shoulders. “Your daughters are barely a blip on my sensors right now. So long as they don’t go showing off near a major population center, they should be fine until they’re older.”
“Mr. Obi Wan and Miss Shepard say we need to get stronger,” Melody interjected, smiling softly. The young girl stood up, dusting herself off, and nodding to the unseen individual, “They say they’re only the first to come to us. Something’s drawing them in. If we let them, they can help us. We’re… con-doo-its. Is that right Mr. Obi Wan?“ She looked to one side, then nodded. “For spirits like them. We can pull on them, then have them use our bodies-””
“They can possess you!?” Natalie, their mother, interrupted, covering her mouth at Melody’s annoyed look, “Sorry dear. I should have let you finish.”
“It’s okay mom!” Melody chirped, “They’re glad you’re worried.” Her face turned serious, as serious as a seven year old could, at least, and she continued, “We get something from letting them use us, but there’ll be… bleed over?” She pouted. “I don’t know how I know some of this… But we get their strengths, and they’ll leave as soon as we can’t hold them any longer. Safety mechanism.” She sounded out the words slowly.”They influence us a little, but…”
“But we get super powers!” Crystal grinned. “I think I’ll get to use Shepard’s gun.” She paused, then frowned, tilting her head. “Dad, what’s range safety, and why is she yelling about it?”
“Because it’s very important Crystal,” The father replied automatically, in quite a daze, “Reverend, I suppose that things not making much sense is normal with the supernatural?”
“Yes.” The older man quipped, quite clearly amused, yet, also thinking quite deeply, “Young ladies, would all spirits be drawn to you, or just some?”
“...important ones. The ones who made a mark.” Melody tilted her head. “Heroes. Bad guys. From all over.” She pursed her lips. “Like, really far away. Both of them came from space.”
Crystal shook her head. “I don’t think we have space stations yet. Or a Systems Alliance.” She paused. “Did I sleep through that history lesson?”
“No dear, we don’t have a Systems Alliance yet. But we do have a rather small space station.” Natalie said, her mouth moving almost automatically, “I’d imagine it’d be rather hard for you to miss a lesson, seeing as I don’t ever remember the two of you taking time off from school, from illness or otherwise.”
Crystal paused, eyes lighting up. “Does our power give us super-health? Can I play in the creek-”
“Not in winter, dear. We’ve gone over this.” Natalie sighed. “I wish we could talk to these people. It’d make me feel better.”
The Chaplain coughed. “We might. It’d take a little ritual, but it is possible.” He raised his hands. “That said, if this is a Sacred Gear, it’s doubly important that you keep this quiet. All four of you. Sacred Gears can be stolen. It’s not good for the host, though. At all.”
The twins nodded in unison, making a motion of zipping their lips. “Mr Obi-Wan knows a lot about hiding. He says he hid from the empire for twenty years.” Crystal paused. “Empire of what? Everything? That’s bad…”
“And Shepard said something about Awp-seck.” Melody nodded. “They’ll keep us from messing up.”
The chaplain nodded. “I’ll come with you, and show your parents how to set up the ritual of revealing.” He paused. “And how to set up basic privacy wards.”
Melody and Crystal grinned in tandem.
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“Right, that looks good.” Stephen murmured, glancing over the small circle carved into hardwood. It had been easier to carve the ritual circle into the underside of the kitchen table, then activate and replace the tabletop then have a permanent setup elsewhere. He and Natalie would spill a few drops of each of their blood into the circle, which would link the effects to them alone, and would then activate it off of their own energy.
Natalie stood nearby, a sterile needle ready for use. “I hope this works.” She murmured.
“Scared for them?” Stephen grimace. Having strangers they couldn’t even see in their house was a bit nerve-wracking. He’d be glad when they were visible.
“No. Though, I do want to be able to talk to Miss Shepard directly. I think she might have taught Crystal some… inappropriate words.” the woman sighed. “From everything I’ve heard, these people won’t hurt our girls. But I will feel better once we know.”
Stephen nodded, taking the needle and jabbing the back of his hand, letting the blood seep and drop onto the blackened grooves of the circle. “I agree.” Moments later, as his wife’s blood touched the circle, it began to glow, before a subtle pulse ran through it. As soon as it faded, words previously cut off echoed in their ears.
“Seriously, I don’t know how you dealt with them, Obi-wan.” A feminine voice growled, “Even after the whole Relay network got destroyed, they’re still arguing about inane things rather than coming together with the survivors to rebuild!”
“I wouldn’t say the Jedi Council was as bad as your Citadel Council appears to have been, but there have been times prior to our Jedi Council in which… they did some questionable things.” A pleasant baritone voice answered the first, tone mild and voice steady, in contrast to the female’s unbridled anger.
The two living adults pivoted to take in the two translucent figures hovering in the kitchen. One was a woman in the prime of her life, red hair reaching the base of her neck. She was dressed in black metal armor, covering every inch of her frame, while a pair of boxy objects were snapped to her waist, a third hanging over her back. The man, on the other hand, was much older, grey hair and beard accompanying a simple tan tunic and breeches, accompanied by a brown cloak. A metal cylinder hung at his waist.
As the woman opened her mouth to continue, Stephen cleared his throat. “Excuse me, both of you.” Both spirits started slightly, turning to face the two living adults. “You would be Shepard, correct?”
The woman nodded slightly. “So it worked? Magic. What the hell.” She shook her head, then snapped to attention in midair, putting up a sharp salute. “Commander Jane Shepard, Alliance Navy. Pleased to finally meet you both.”
“And I am Obi-wan Kenobi, Jedi Master. Formerly. Of sorts.” The man tilted his head. “I am dead, and the order I served has been dissolved. Do I still hold rank?” He mused, stroking his chin.
Shepard shrugged. “No clue.”
Natalie coughed. “Pleased to meet you both. What are you two doing away from our children?”
“Well, they’re sleeping. It’d be a bit creepy, hovering around them while they were asleep.” Shepard muttered.
“Without purpose, I suppose it could come across like that.” Obi-wan mused, before the seemingly jovial old man focused his attention properly on the parents, “I assume you have some questions for us? As well as somewhat of a scolding to give Commander Shepard for her… uncivilized mouth?” Beside him, Shepard scratched the back of her neck, grinning sheepishly.
Natalie frowned. “Shepard- Jane? Do you have a preference?”
“Jane is fine, Ms. Weber.” The Commander replied, her tone mostly neutral, yet containing just a hint of warmth in it, “I’ve had enough of being called “Shepard” to last a lifetime.”
“I suspect there’s a story there. Please, call me Natalie.” She turned to Obi-Wan. “And do you prefer Obi-Wan, sir?”
“That would be lovely, Natalie.” The old man gave a wry smile.
“Good. Now, Jane, you mentioned the current status of your Council. How are you still connected to them, if you’re here?” Natalie asked.
“That would be because I have one foot in the spirit world, one foot in the living,” The frown on Jane’s face was rather evident, and she sighed as she continued to explain, “I was quite literally brought back to life after having died, so I have the privilege of being called here while I’m asleep. Since it’s only my soul here, I still get a restful sleep, and it does make the time go by faster.”
“...ah. So you won’t be here all the time.” Stephen summarized. He turned to Obi-Wan. “And you-”
The older spirit shook his head. “I may have a few links to my old world, but a living body is not among them. If I do step out, it will be very infrequent.” He smiled sadly. “I can only hope I can teach your children better than I taught my own apprentice.”
“You’ll have help, old man.” Shepard punched the Jedi in the shoulder. “No need to worry.”
“Next question,” Natalie quickly stated, “what exactly are your intentions with our daughters. We know you wish to train them, but why?”
Obi-wan shrugged, “Do I need a reason to train a pair of promising young ladies? Especially to combat a burden they did not ask for.” With his piece said, he returned to stroking his beard, pondering.
“Pretty much the same reason as the Old Man, Natalie. I’m a part of their life now, whether I like it or not, so I mind as well make our relationship productive and healthy.” Shepard added, scratching her cheek, “It’ll be good practice for when, or if, I have children of my own, as well, I suppose.”
“So the girls will have you with them at all times, Obi-Wan.” Stephen clarified. “And you’ll be able to merge with them. Well, what can you both do?”
“I was, and still am, a Jedi. I will teach them meditation and diplomacy, at the very least, and combat forms.” Obi-wan answered. “I do not know if they will be able to touch the Force, which was the primary means of accessing higher powers in my universe. If they can, I will instruct them in its uses; if not, I can also teach them the basic tenets of combat awareness and strategy.”
“I’m in a similar boat to him.” Shepard tapped her armor. “I don’t know if you have Eezo here, which is what most of my tech is based on. At the very least, I can teach them how to handle firearms, unarmed combat, and some computer stuff.” She grinned as a thought passed through her head. “I can probably talk to Liara, have her put together a lesson plan. If my data stores carry over when merging, I could probably upload the schematics for some obsolete stuff, too.”
“I assume Liara is someone you know back in your universe, Shepard?” Stephen inquired, receiving a nod in return, “Would they-”
“She wouldn’t question it much, and even if she did, she’d be fascinated more than disturbed or weirded out.” Shepard replied quickly, a fond smile on her face, “She’s a rather amazing woman.”
“Well, you both seem fine. So long as-” There was a quiet thump from beside the four adults. As one, they all swiveled, looking at the third translucent figure that had somehow appeared out of thin air.
The boy, only a few years older than the adults and dressed in a blue-and-black outfit, rubbed his stomach where he’d fallen on it. “Ouch… didn’t think I was going to die this time…” He looked up to see the four people staring at him. “...where am I?”
“In my house.” The Weber patriarch deadpanned, “Wonderful, there’s the third. I suppose this is our life now, dear.” He continued, the long suffering tone in his voice quite clear.
“Our daughters’ lives. Our family’s life.” The wife replied, neutrally, “At least our girls probably won’t ask for pets or entertainment with this much company!”
“Hey, could you answer the question, please?” The young man rolled to his feet. “What’s this about kids? And where am I?”
Shepard grimaced. “Kid, you’re dead.”
“Yeah, not the first time. But why am I here? Darkrai and Arceus have dibs on my soul…” He brushed off his legs. “Whatever, got to get back soon. Mewtwo’s finally coming to his senses, gonna need to let him know it’s okay…”
“Kid-” Shepard stopped as Obi wan put his hand on her shoulder.
“He’s being pulled back. I can feel it.”
“Oh, so he’s like me.” Shepard looked over at the young man. “Got a name to call you next time?”
“Yeah, it’s Ash. Ash Ketchum.” The boy grinned, then vanished.
“...strange life indeed.” Obi-wan muttered. “I wonder how often he’ll appear? And why was he so blase about passing?”
“We can ask him later. For now, I think I’m waking up. Nice meeting you both.” Shepard saluted a second time, then vanished.
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“Ooooh, I’m so excited…” Melody sang, fidgeting as the Reverend finished putting wards around the circle she sat in, “Gonna merge, gonna merge…”
“She’s like a kid with a candy- You know what, poor analogy. She’s like a kid about to get super-powers.” The Reverend deadpanned, even as he continued to draw on the floor with a specially prepared piece of chalk, drawing an intricate ward that would expel the spirit from Melody should he prove hostile after all. All parties involved, including Obi-wan, had agreed to the precaution, and now, everyone was ready to do their part.
Crystal was the only dissenting voice, but for an obvious and irrelevant reason. “Why does she get to go first?” She whined, sulking at the edge of the circle.
“Shepard isn’t here right now, honey.” Natalie said, watching from nearby. “So Melody gets to try out the merging first.”
“Hmph.”
Melody frowned from inside the circle. “Don’t worry, Chrys! She’ll be back soon, she promised! She just needed to check on her partners.”
“Partners?” Natalie asked.
“Shepard mentioned having alone time with her partners.” Crystal muttered, tilting her head and moving out of her funk. “Why was she nervous when she said it?”
“Various reasons, youngling,” Obi-wan stated idly, “We’ll likely inform you when you’re older the true reason, but for now, just know that Shepard is just spending time with those she loves.”
“Okay.” Crystal murmured.
In the circle, Melody grinned. “Mr. Obi-Wan, get over here! We’re gonna do the thing!”
“Yes dear, I suppose we are.” The Jedi Master replied, slowly making his way towards the impatient young girl, who, of course, pouted as the Jedi Master took his sweet time.
“So slow…” Melody complained, directing a pouty look towards the Master Jedi.
“Patience, young one.” Obi-wan said kindly. “If your sister can wait, so can you. And haste can cause more tragedies than you can imagine.” He shook his head, coming to hover right before the girl. “So…”
“Now I chant a really long spell!” Melody chirped, “How did it go again…”
If thou asks, thou shall receive
Melody froze, before moving again, slightly robotically. And, as she spoke, a slightly ethereal note tinged her normally cheerful voice,
“I hereby propose,”
“I offer up my body,”
“And thine sword shall be mine to wield.”
“Abiding by the mandate of the divine system, if thou does accede to this will and reason, answer me!”
“I hereby swear.”
“To fight as one for the furtherance of both.”
“To move in fulfillment of the dreams of many.”
“Thou, ally from across the dimensional gap, come forth from thy rest.”
“Spirit of a Fallen Hero…”
“Unison!”
A flash of light covered the girl for a split second, before, as those blinded by the light looked back, she emerged, different. She, now clad in an unfamiliar robe and tunic, had changed significantly. A Braid, small and almost unnoticeable, hung from her bangs, signifying something none in the room save for the one who bore it could understand. At her side, a cylinder hung, the weapon, for it could not be something else, emanating a sense of peace and serenity. And, the most startling of changes; Melody was not chattering away about how cool she looked. Instead, she smiled serenely at her parents and sister, waving almost shyly.
“I suppose it worked!” She whispered, though her voice projected across the room, “Wow, I’m talking a lot more eloquently than I really should be. Must be Master Kenobi’s influence…”
“Master Kenobi?” Stephen murmured. “I know and you know he prefers Obi-Wan.”
“But-” Melody blinked, then her brow furrowed. “I’m his… Padawan? His apprentice. And that means I call him master.” She blinked. “It’s like I’m… him but younger? This is what he was like when he was in training.”
“Cool!” Crystal called, “Now I wanna do it even more!”
“You’ll get your turn soon, sis!” Melody replied instantly, smiling, “It’ll be interesting to see what you and Shepard look like together~”
A cough interjected, the Reverend looking at everyone with a stern eye, “Melody, based on your incantation, I’m guessing this state is temporary?”
Melody nodded, “Yes, Reverend. I can only hold it for so long before Master Kenobi would overwhelm me. He’ll withdraw before that happens, so there’s nothing to worry about there. Master Kenobi also says that as I grow into my own ego more, it’ll last for exponentially longer.”
“Huh.” Crystal looked to one side, noting her big brother watching the events. Ash grinned back at her. “Trying out the merging thing, right?”
“Yup! Hey everyone, Ash is here!” She pointed at the infrequent visitor.
“Hello again, Ash.” Natalie said, smiling at the young man. “Are you doing well?”
“Yeah, me and my friends are about to head to the League for a battle.” He clenched his fist. “I’m gonna win it this time!”
“...one of these days, I’m going to get a full explanation on how your world functions.” Stephen mused. He turned back to his Padawan daughter. “So, do you know how to use the… Force?”
Melody’s brows furrowed, “Master Kenobi is saying that he’ll teach me how to use it. I have some of his knowledge, but it's… fragmented? I think that’s the right word, at least.” She paused, cocking her head to the side, “He says there’s a chance that I’ll permanently gain access to the force if I merge with him enough. It’d start out pretty weak though, especially since it's not infused in everything in our world. Different universal laws, and all that.”
“But what can the Force do?” Natalie asked. “Obi-Wan was quite vague about that.”
Melody spread her hand. “All things are possible through the force.” She paused, wrinkling her nose. “But some stuff is beyond any mortal. The basics are combat precognition, telekinesis, energy absorption and redirection, creating a shield centered around myself, and the ability to center one’s emotions. Not ignore or purge them, but accept them, accept that they don’t always matter, and release them into the force.” She paused again, cocking her head to the side once more, “Obi-wan says there’s more, but I’m getting the accelerated course.”
“...aww.” Crystal muttered, ignoring the shocked looks her parents directed at her twin. “That sounds cool.” She pouted slightly. “...dunno if Shepard’s gonna give me as much cool stuff.”
“It’s not a competition, sis.” Melody said, a frown crossing her own face. “Obi-wan is willing to-”
“Nope!” Crystal said, coming to her feet. “He’s gotta train you, right? He said it takes years to train a good Jedi. And I wanna try out a lot of other stuff.” She grinned at her sister. “So you do the cool monk thing. I’ll just have to get really good with other stuff!”
“...not entirely genuine, but you do want to mean that.” Melody eventually responded. “I suspect you’ll be just as strong, in your own way.”
“And I’m going to help with that.” Shepard blinked into existence beside Crystal, grinning. “So, other than a bit of envy, how are things going?”
“Pretty good!”
“Pretty well, dear.” Natalie looked to one side as she corrected her daughter. “Reverend Jacob has almost finished the second circle. You can go stand inside, Crystal.”
“Right.” She took a deep breath, a forced smile crossing her face. “Let’s do this.”
“Right behind you, kiddo.”
A few minutes later, the chant was repeated. The resulting figure was very, very different however. Black metal armor, reminiscent of Shepard’s own, covered Crystal’s torso, arms, and legs. A single pistol was tucked into the small of her back, oversized compared to her own stature, while an orange wire-frame construct flickered into and out of existence around her hand. Crystal’s hair had lengthened slightly, handing all the way to her shoulders and done in a ponytail. Whereas Melody let off a feeling of peace and harmony, Crystal was bouncing on the balls of her feet, grinning as she bobbed in place. “Oh yeah, this feels good. So much strength, so little scars. Energy for days!”
“Crystal, are you alright?”
“Hmm? Yeah, I’m fine.” The armored girl froze. “Sh- I’m gonna need to watch my language. I know so many curse words now, it’s not even funny. In like, seven languages.” She paused. “Also, why do I know French?”
“Bleedover from Shepard, I’d imagine, dear sister.” Melody said dryly, a small smirk on her face, “I can speak a few languages, but… No one here would understand me. Period. Besides Obi-wan.”
The Reverend coughed once more. “Ladies, I understand you wish to talk, but remember what we’re here for. Documentation, please.”
“Right. So, skills.” Crystal clapped her hands. “Besides languages, Shepard knows a lot about computer systems, has an in-depth understanding of small unit tactics and vehicle driving, is an expert marksman, and can use her tech to turn invisible.” She blinked, then looked down at her arm, deploying the orange device briefly seen. “Wait…” Tapping it, she faded from sight. “Eee, so cool! What else can it do?” She paused, still invisible. “Right, so this lets me shock people from a distance, this lets me set them on fire… deploy a drone? Huh. Ammo mods, useful. Energy drain is less so, since no one is going to be using tech-based shields.” She continued humming as the cloak failed. “Shepard also is a master of hand-to-hand combat. And apparently headbutted a Krogan once.”
“Cool~” Melody singsonged, prancing over to her sister and looking her up and down. “You look great Crystal~”
“...great? Great?!” Crystal slammed her fists into her hips, standing a few inches taller. “I am AWESOME.”
“Heh, that would require you having space magic~” Melody retorted playfully, curtsying mockingly.
“Now girls, you’re both very awesome.” Stephen interjected, a rueful smile on his face, “As fun as it may seem, I don’t want you using your powers without supervision, alright?” He looked back and forth at his daughters, shaking his head at Melody. “Although I think it was safe, you shouldn’t have left the circle without permission. Sir, is everything alright?”
“As best as I can tell, there’s nothing wrong with either of them. The spirits aren’t overriding your daughters.” The chaplain looked down at the paper in his hands. “Sacred Gears usually aren’t dangerous to the wielders, so long as they can control them. Melody and Crystal seem fine.”
Crystal turned towards her mom. “Mama, can we-”
“We’re not doing anything here today, dear.” Natalie cut her daughter off. “Shepard was very clear that you both would need training before you did anything… at all, really.” She held her poker face at her daughter’s pout. “No. No guns, no magic, no explosives. Nothing that could draw trouble to this place. We promised, remember?”
“We did sis.” Melody added somberly, “That doesn’t mean that we can’t practice when we get home~”
“Only the practice that won’t wake the neighbors. Or damage the house.” Stephen specified. “We’re gonna need to work out a place for you all to practice.”
“We’re on a military base, right?” Crystal came upright. “Can’t we-”
“And how do we explain the railgun rounds embedded in the walls?” Stephen cocked an eyebrow. “We’ve a long way to go before you can start using your weapons. Either of them.” He eyed a glance at the lightsaber on Melody’s hip.
Melody shrugged, “Okay dad~ Whatever you say~” The young girl, quite clearly putting on an air of innocence.
“No using your weapon without permission at all dear.” Stephan stated strictly, “I will not have you swing a blade of superheated plasma around in my house.”
Melody’s smile held a moment longer, then dropped. “Obi-wan says the same thing…” She muttered petulantly. Beside her, Chrystal frowned, obviously receiving similar words from her own install.
“Let the ghosts go, and then we can go get ice cream.” Natialie offered, smiling internally as both girls perked up at the mention of frozen treats. “And then we can start looking for good places to practice.”
“Mkay~” The twins replied in unison. With a pair of flashes, both girls returned to normal. As one, the two disembodied spirits looked at each other.
Shepard smirked. “Yanno… this could be pretty fun.”
Obi-wan smiled back. “Perhaps. At least they’re eager students.”
