Hand in hand, then, down they sink.

Ellyn pulls Gideon into their bubble she's constructed. Instead of the marshy reeds of her last visit to the River, this place looks a lot like the inside of the Locked Tomb.

Appropriate, for what they're doing - the core of the Ninth, and of their own histories. Where they first truly started to trust each other and work together. 

That's what she thought. Though the appearance can be changed if they concentrate on changing it, if they decide they want something different.

She likes this one. 

Good. Then they're free to move on to the difficult part. They'll each have to cut out a part of their soul so Ellyn can commingle them here. Like the appearance of their surroundings, at this level of reality the process is going to be more metaphorical than anything else, the symbolic meaning of their actions reflecting the effects.

Ellyn already has a lot of her - and Gideon's spent a lot of her exercise time lately thinking about what parts are most Ellyn's.

She holds her hands out to Ellyn, a paper book - like the ones she would smuggle to her friend when they were small - appearing in her hands, all of her love for Ellyn, all of their entangled history, written in its pages. 

She takes it reverently, sets it on an altar beside them.

From her own chest she draws a blood-red sword, because her love for Gideon has always been a thing that cuts. This she holds point down over the book of Gideon's soul.

"By this act, our covenant sealed." The words, loosely adapted from a Ninth marriage ceremony, are not necessary, strictly speaking. They are an aid to Ellyn's concentration as she constructs this theorem, a reminder and surety of what it is she does. "Let none who is not thee nor I wrest asunder what here is joined, our bond imperishable as She Who Sleeps. For herein we proclaim our truth. One flesh, one heart, one soul. One end." And Ellyn plunges down her sword into Gideon's book-

-and their minds blossom open together.

Gideon loves her, with a love imperishable, burning bright - cherished like the greatest of secrets, worn proudly like the finest of swords - she crawls into Ellyn's soul like she's coming home at last -

She cradles Gideon, holds her close like the last candle before dawn, slips into her skin like the premonition of an opponent's attack in a duel. You are mine and I am yours, together they die, together they live.

The pull of their bodies tugs at the souls, though a part will always remain in this place at this moment.

Their own secret Tomb.

Yeah.

Let's go back, Ellyn wants to kiss her for real.

An excellent idea. 

She leaves the space alongside her necromancer, hand in hand. 

And when they're physically co-located again, kiss!!

Kisses!!!!!!!!!!!!

...Seems like they worked it out?

Yesss!!!

"Congrats!!"

"Thanks." Though she really wants to go privately celebrate with her Ellyn. (And test if she has necromancy!!! But privately.)

Good idea. "Thank you all for your assistance. We will reconvene later."