She had been unconscious. That much she knew. It was a given, seeing as how much damage Garmr had done to her. Yet even despite him beating her to this extent or nearly killing Yang, she couldn't bring herself to hate him.
In his last moments he seemed to pitiful. Like he had been carrying something for so long without realizing it. And he was grateful he got to set it down.
It was strange. Though she knew if he had actually killed Yang, she would feel different. Hate would be too light a word to decribe the feeling that would overcome her in that instance. Not even she knew what she would turn into should Yang disappear.
Her feelings toward Yang had breached the threshold one would have for a sibling. Even an identical twin. Even ignoring the special 'balance-related' bond they shared, she knew one thing.
Yang was her soulmate.
Yang felt the same way too. She could tell. The subtle glances, the shared excitement and contentment they had in each other's presence. The only thing stopping each other from completely showing their love was age. Yang hadn't gone through the maturity metamorphosis.
When one understands Lust, one can glimpse love. When one understands love, they glimpse lust. And the thought of taking her sister's virginity was extremely appealing to Yin.
And so, she decided when Yang's time came? She would show up and help her through her heat cycle. Better her than Jaune, right?
As she thought about that, she heard distant voices nearby.
"....eed to kno... ere the core.... ngerous.." She caught a male voice, older, calm and refined.
"....them rest for now. They... on't wanna be famous. Keep the... dia outside. Hell, tell 'em a meteor..." Another male voice, gruff, casual yet caring.
She almost felt like waking up completely until a warmth enveloped her arm and settled in the crook of her neck and wrapped around her torso. A safe, comforting feeling she attributed to one person.
'Well.. a little more rest wouldn't hurt.'
Once again, she drifted off.
-???-
She had only ever come into being once. It was during a fight. Against a Devil. A relatively 'good' one but that hardly mattered. What mattered, was the necessary danger and luck that perfectly set up her appearance.
It wasn't supposed to be this fast. Her arrival, her 'birth' was intended to be later, when they two were equal in power and maturity. Yet here she was. Lingering in the back of their minds in separate pieces. But now? Perhaps due to their proximity, she found herself aware once more.
Looking around, she saw six doors she was intimately familiar with. Her hands sliding across the flame doors. One blue, one yellow. Then, the doors to Light and Darkness, the sounds of beating hearts on the other side. Finally, she stopped on the last two doors.
One radiating the golden light of creation. One emanating the eerie darkness of annihilation. She briefly lingered on the doors before pulling away. Beyond these doors, nothing else was here.
"It's too empty here.. It's too lonely." She sighed, speaking out for the first time.
She looked out at the nothingness that these doors existed in and had an idea. She opened up the golden door, seeing the golden light of creation spiral out from its source.
*Ksssh*
Guiding that very energy, she created a place from her memories. A cabin near the woods, filled with all the amenities a family could want. When she was done, she looked at her work appreciatively. The home was only missing people.
"Should I.. create people in this dreamscape too?" She asked herself as she looked outside the cabin, seeing the nothingness once more.
"...No. They might influence the separate two with their presence. Still.. this feels too lonely." She mused, guiding the energy once more to create the surrounding forest, town, waters and smaller archipelago.
But even then, it didn't feel right yet. She looked up and realized. There was no sky. No sun. Not even darkness. So she opened more doors, hung the sun in the sky and created light. Then, she created darkness to contrast it.
When her work was done, she sat down on the couch of her home with her legs tucked in. She began to close her eyes once more but kept reiterating one fact.
"I am Equinox.. I'm alive. I am Equinox... I am Equinox... I... am..."
-Vale, Branwen PMC branch-
Yin woke up, nearly flying out of her own bed with wide eyes.
"...What? Where?" She asked, before noticing Yang laying next to her, still asleep.
She was breathing heavily, like waking up from an intense dream. But seeing as how there was no immediate danger nearby and Yang was resting next to her, she calmed down and leaned back.
"Nnngh.. ugh.. Sis. You're up.." Yang groaned, slightly startled herself, though it seemed like she too had no idea why.
Yin nodded, brushing the blonde locks from Yang's face.
"Yeah.. I felt like I had a dream. But I can't remember the contents of it.." Yin admitted, feeling Yang's body move against hers until both were seated upright.
"Me too. But I feel... kinda sad? Or empathetic? I dunno how to accurately describe it." Yang stated, scratching the back of her head.
Yin briefly thought back to the sight she witnessed just before destroying Garmr. Those doors depicting her powers. Though they didn't exactly give her the same feeling she had in that dream, it was somewhat similar. She shook her head and dismissed the dream. Thinking about it wouldn't help if they both couldn't remember.
"How're you feeling? Any injuries?" Yin asked, looking over her sister's bandaged arms and torso with concern.
Yang hummed and lifted her bandages, exposing her flawless skin and muscles, completely in tact.
"Lookin' good, feelin' good! You?" Yang asked, noticing Yin had looked away as soon as she exposed her chest.
"I feel fine too-" Yin answered but was interrupted by Yang, who peeled off her bandages and exposed her body for her to see.
"Yup. Lookin' good! Light pink in all the right area-Hbbff" Yin squeezed Yang's cheeks together with a twitching smile.
"Whuh?" Yang asked, face still being squeezed by her twin.
"Don't go exposing yourself OR me like that. What if someone had hilarious timing and saw everything?"
At her question, Yang made a particularly funny contemplative expression before answering.
"I'd cover your chest up with mine!" Yang exclaimed confidently.
'You haven't secretly matured yet, right? What kind of answer is that? Are you an ecchi protagonist, Yang?' Yin sighed helplessly and shook her head.
While they were discussing what to do in case of spantaneous nudity, Qrow and Ozpin entered. Seeing as how they were awake and recovered, both of them looked relieved and a bit bewildered.
Ozpin coughed, getting the twins' attention before speaking, "Good to see you two have recovered. Congratulations are in order. You've killed not one but two Mythic-Class Grimm today. A feat not even Atlas' army has achieved yet."
Yang beamed with pride, her arm slung around Yin's shoulder as she basked in the accomplishment. While Yin remained contemplative, her reaction more subdued than Yang's.
"Yeah, it's one hell of an achievement, honestly. You two did amazing out there. And thankfully the destruction was limited to Mountain Glenn.." Qrow added, leaning against the wall.
"How long were we out and what's happened since?" Yin asked, immediately cutting to her concern.
Qrow and Ozpin looked to each other with a half smile before Ozpin replied.
"Six hours. You were heavily injured when you came in. But due to your aura and.. physiology, you recovered remarkably fast. Vale's currently celebrating, as we've had to come out and address the commotion your fight brought about. The public know two Mythic-Class Grimm were destroyed but the details we've kept hidden. Overall, we're in a very good position now. The war with the Criminals is over and we've taken care of the Atlesians. Things will eventually die down but it's quite.. festive outside. Almost like the Vytal festival, really."
Yin sighed in relief and leaned her back against the bed's backboard. Roman and Neo were probably taking care of things for now. The situation with the gangs can be settled easier. All that needed to be done is to have a few meetings and hash out what the criminal underworld will be like moving forward. The only minor headache she could think of was Adam Taurus but with how strong she was and how outnumbered the White Fang gang now was, it wouldn't be too difficult to kill him off should he try to overreach.
"While things turned out well in the end.. we do have a concern." Ozpin added, grabbing Yin's attention.
"The cores of those Mythic-Class Grimm. Upon their deaths, they leave behind a crystallized essence akin to Dust. Do you have any idea where they could be, Yin?" Ozpin asked, his posture and tone relaying his seriousness.
Yin and Yang briefly thought back to that one husk Garmr called to him from Carmilla's body. The thing he absorbed to gain her lightning ability.
"Garmr, the wolf guy absorbed the lightning one's core. He got stupidly strong after he did too." Yang answered.
Ozpin's eyes widened. He nearly dropped his cane after hearing Yang's answer.
"They can do that..? Ah.. okay. And what of this 'Garmr's' core?"
This time, both Yin and Yang shrugged. They actually had no idea what happened to it. If it even survived that last attack.
"It was probably destroyed. My magical attack sorta annihilated everything. I didn't see anything like that on Ifrit either." Yin admitted truthfully.
Ozpin looked at Yin carefully before slowly nodding, accepting her explanation. He would have preferred to take the core but having it destroyed wasn't too bad either.
"Well, I'm sure you'd like to talk to your friends and subordinates so I'll get out of your hair. Just one more thing, before I go though. Would you like to teach at Beacon Academy?" Ozpin asked, surprising not just Yang and Yin but Qrow too.
"Damn.. didn't think you'd offer a position to a teenager. Even one that's killed Mythic-Class.. still.." Qrow muttered.
"I'll definitely give the offer some serious consideration. I have plans for these next.. two? Yeah, two years. But after that, I'll give you an answer." Yin replied after a few seconds of thinking.
"Haha! Hey you think you'll be my teacher, Sis? I've only got like two years until I enter Beacon myself." Yang asked, playfully nudged Yin's shoulder.
Yin gave her a noncommital shrug. But in truth, that was exactly the plan. Joining team RWBY or JNPR wasn't really necessary. Yang herself wouldn't necessarily need team RWBY. But Yin had an idea regarding both teams. Turning them into formidable Dragon warriors and purging Remnant of Mythic-Class Grimm and Salem while her and Yang shared in Remnant's wealth. That was the grand goal. Dragons hoarded treasure and to Yin? That treasure was riches, companions and Remnant's very civilization.
"Guess we'll see in two years eh?" Yin smirked at her sister.
.
.
.
Later that night, Yin restlessly stirred awake. Rolling off her bed, she passed the sleeping Shia, Nora, Emerald and Ren, all who insisted on a 'celebratory slumber party' in her room after Qrow took Yang home.
Yin stepped out and opened the curtains to her window before opening the system's panel. She had no idea when it appeared but she had received a new quest.
[World Quest: Like a true Dragon.
World: Fairy Tail
Age: X375
Quest chain- 1: Meet the Dragons and their children and learn from them.
2: ???
3: ???
Time on Remnant will halt until your return.
Do you accept?]
It was a quest that tackled her greatest concern. Recently, Yin felt as though she hit a plateau. Even in her Dragon form, she was barely able to contend with Garmr. Yang's presence was needed during that fight. And as much as she loved fighting with her sister, she wasn't content with her current strength.
There would be increasingly difficult challenges ahead. Any opportunity, she must seize. After all, it wasn't just Remnant she wanted to take. As a Dragon, she desired challenge and treasures.
"I accept."
Her body flickered, transforming as she appeared before a large stone door. When she opened her eyes again, she was flying high above the ground. Her black wings stretching out as she observed the ambient magic in the air.
She could feel it. Another presence locking onto her as soon as she appeared, radiating that potent mana with every beat of her heart. Then, she heard it. A distant, rage-filled roar.
"Damn.. so impatient." Yin clicked her tongue.
Acnologia had detected her.
[AN: Sorry bout last week. Got sick. Still a bit sick now but I can write well enough. Hopefully no typos made it in. Anyway, the Rat chap came out and it's a ZZZ/RWBY fic. I wanna see what ya'll prefer I work on, that or Apex.]