*Drip* *Drip*
Once again, she woke up in her own mental space. Since Yang and Yin had been so close for several years, fighting, fucking and training their magics, she had been conscious here more and more. Now, it felt like every day she woke up and processed the memories of the two. Today, she looked at the replica cabin home that she created from their shared memories and sighed.
"They'll separate again. After they get back to Remnant." She said to nobody.
"And I'll go back to sleep..."
The admission made something resembling discomfort twist in her gut. She hadn't felt strongly about it before, but as the years went on, she developed into a unique person all on her own. She had personality now, her own wants and desires, principles borrowed from the two halves of herself.
Yet even despite her wishes, she couldn't bear push for something like permanently merging the two. She loved them. Both of them. And they loved each other.
"....Just a little bit. Just a little should be fine. Yin, you can't beat Acnologia by yourself yet. He knows about Ruin now. I felt it. He's awake. He's been awake ever since you fought him." She muttered, looking at the partially opened door that represented Ruin.
"Besides.. the whole reason why he lost was because they beat Acnologia together. So, when the time comes... Let's beat him together. As one." Equinox stood and looked at the half visible Taijitu symbol etched at the very end of both rows of doors that symbolized the twin's inborn powers.
-Edolas, Town of Louen-
The trip to the Capital was relatively far on foot, but even faster in the Humvee. Though Wendy had to keep casting her magic on Natsu and herself to stop the motion sickness, it was only for about an hour and thirty minutes. The group stepped out as soon as they entered Louen, a town on the way over to the Capital.
The main difference was that Edolas Lucy hadn't joined them because as long as they were around Yin, Yang and Irene? Everyone could use the Ethernano their hearts were steadily pumping into the atmosphere.
"Ahh! The ground! Sweet, sweet ground!" Natsu leapt out of the humvee and started kissing the ground while Wendy stumbled out, sweating from all the casting she was doing.
"I don't get it.. Why didn't we just use the jet if our goal is the Capital?" Irene asked, stretching out as soon as she left the humvee.
Yin hummed and shook her head, "We need to pick up Lucy here. Closest town to the Guild is where Mystogan sent her, if I remember correctly.."
"Where'd you even get the memories from, Sis..?" Yang whispered.
Yin paused before trying to explain it away. But the fact was, her memories were pretty random and only ever included hobbies, certain wisdom gained and a lot of games and anime. Long ago, Hecate told her the memories from her past life would only ever include these things, never of her parents, friends or the relationships that made her a distinct, unique individual. But for a long time now, she had begun to question even that.
Instead of memories she had previously, the knowledge felt more like it was just implanted in her and stored away for future use. Yet even as far back as when she was a baby, she accepted that regardless of who she was or wasn't, this life was the only thing that mattered to her. She was someone else now, with core memories and a likely very different personality carved by trials and triumphs.
"Hecate, I guess you can say." Yin replied after a moment of thinking.
Quietly, she had begun to come up with her own theory about her memory. Yet she never spoke it aloud.
'No. It wouldn't change anything, even if I was correct. This.. is the only thing that matters.' Yin thought, watching Yang pat Natsu and Wendy's back as they recovered.
After a few moments of recovery, Irene broke the silence.
"So what's the plan here? Let them handle it again? This involves the entire population of Magnolia and the Guild itself."
"Some things must happen. We can easily free the people of Magnolia and Fairy Tail with our Dragon magic. But we need to go to Extalia first." Yin replied, her words making Carla, Wendy's Exceed partner freeze before slowly turning to her.
"Y-You.. you know even this much..?"
Yin shrugged off her shock and fear. She could probably explain it all right then and there but she probably wouldn't believe her until she heard it from the Queen of Extalia herself, Carla's own Mother.
She knew Carla was currently struggling internally. That she thought both her and Happy were sent to Earthland to kill the Dragonslayers. In truth? The Queen sent her unborn daughter and over ninety-nine Exceed eggs to Earthland because she foresaw Extalia's destruction. So she 'Superman'd' them to Earthland, hoping to secure their species' future.
The Island of Extalia would only have been destroyed should the King of Edolas secure Dragonslayer magic. And Yin had no intention of letting any of them be captured.
"Mn. We'll go to Extalia and see the Queen. I'm sure Carla has questions for her. Then, we'll hit that big ass lacrima holding everyone, beat the piss out of the corrupt King and wait for Jellal-stogan to send us home. Hell, just us being here will supply Edolas with enough magic for a few decades, so they shouldn't have much of an issue.."
"Aye!" Happy chimed in 'helpfully'.
"I wanna beat that bastard up myself for kidnapping our Guild like that!" Natsu shouted, once again in high spirits.
"Aaah! Hey, let me go!" A familiar female voice cried out from down the street.
"Oh good, Lucy did end up here." Yin hummed, storing the Humvee as the group walked (or in Natsu's case, ran) over to the commotion.
A group of magic knights had caught Lucy and were trying to restrain her by force. She was struggling decently well, pulling out a golden key to summon Aries, but Natsu had already leapt in with a flying dropkick.
"WHO THE HELL TOLD YOU THAT YOU COULD TOUCH MY FRIEND!?" Natsu shouted as the knights flew down the street, armor smoldering from the miniscule amount of fire magic he added to his kick.
Though even miniscule in amount, it was enough to warp the metal armor they were covered in. Some of them were yelping as the heated metal pressed against their skin and sensitive areas, like the two knights clutching their balls.
"AAAAAAH! It's like dipping them in BOILING WATER!!"
Yin ignored the Knight's agony and saw Lucy hug Natsu.
"Thanks, Natsu. Are you guys okay!? Mystogan sent me here after Horologium saved me from that crazy space warping magic.."
"It's alright. Sis is gonna take us to Extalia to see their Queen. Then we're gonna send our town and Guild back and I'll punch the King.." Natsu declared, wrapping an arm around Lucy's lower back.
Something that made the blonde blush, though Yin was certain Natsu didn't even realize he was doing it. Both her and Yang shared a look of approval.
"Where's Extalia then?" Irene asked, looking at Carla and Happy.
"I'm... I'm not sure myself? I believe I saw.. a flying Island? And a large Castle.." Carla muttered, holding her head while Wendy pat her back and gave her the best reassuring smile she could muster.
"Ooh cool.. so we're taking the jet?" Yang grinned, watching Natsu and Wendy suddenly deflate in despair.
"No. There's no real reason not to use our Dragon forms here. Let's go." Yin shook her head and gave Yang a particular look before walking forward, closer to an open space.
"Eh..? Dragon forms?" Lucy echoed in confusion as Natsu and Wendy's eyes shone.
"It's been so long since I've seen it.." Wendy muttered, picking up Carla.
And right in front of their eyes, both sisters' bodies glowed and an immense amount of magical energy radiated outward from them. White and Black scales, Purple and Gold details, two Dragons appeared before them. From horns to tail, they were about thirty meters in length, horns to feet, they were twenty meters tall.
Lucy, Carla and Happy nearly fell back as crimson and lilac serpentine eyes narrowed onto them. But Natsu and Wendy immediately leapt onto Yin's stocky arms.
"Sis you look awesome!" Natsu climbed up her arm while Wendy clung to her smoother chest, covered in lighter grey scales.
"Did you miss this form that much? Noted. Next time we spar, I'll do it like this~" Yin teased, her voice more husky but still undeniably her own.
"Heh! Hell yeah! I'm all fired up!!" Undaunted, Natsu got excited at the prospect.
Meanwhile, Wendy submerged herself in nostalgia, remembering how she used to cling to Yin and Grandeeny like this.
"You.... You weren't kidding, Natsu.. They're actually.. really Dragons...." Lucy said, still clearly in shock.
"Heh~ Yeah, but now nobody back at the Guild will believe you too." Yang teased, her own voice husky and deeper.
"Now now.. If we're all done freaking out, we have a Queen to see, no?" Irene brought the attention back to the task at hand and leapt onto Yin's back, caressing her curved horns with a small smirk.
"Mn. Hop on, everyone. We'll get there in no time." Yin stated, her wings spreading out and lowering so Happy could climb on, while Lucy, Wendy and Carla jumped onto Yang's back.
*FWOOOSH!*
And just like that, they quickly flew out of town. Unaware they scared the Hell out of the entire town when they suddenly turned. News traveled extremely fast, and the King of Edolas started to hear reports of two actual living Dragons flying over their country.
His response was to immediately mobilize his Knights and Knight Captains, scouring the skies on their winged beasts to try and capture the Dragons.
.
.
.
.
▂▂▃▃▄▄▅▅!
Blue and Golden flames burned the clouds. Falling Knights and their poor imitations of Dragons called 'Legions' had been incinerated as soon as they attacked Yin and Yang, scattering over the land as ashen remains. But even after a dozen had already died, more kept coming.
"Mmgh.. fucking locusts." Yin cursed, swatting away a Legion that dove at her, crushing its skull, wings and arm with a casual swipe of her claw.
"Unlimited magic..." The knight riding atop the Legion cried out, reaching desperately at Yin as he plummeted.
It wasn't the first desperate cry they heard, but it still unsettled everyone but Yang, Yin and Irene. The desperate, frenzied desire to retain their world's magic outweighed the desire to live. It wasn't just the King who was taken in by the reality of 'unlimited magic'. Many people relied on even basic lacrima for power, transport and healing.
"Sis..." Natsu called out softly as they flew through the clouds to try and lose their pursuers.
Yin didn't care if they died, but controlling her strength in her Dragon form was hard. Even casual swipes turned people into bloody chunks of viscera. It's why she incinerated them instantly, so Natsu, Lucy, Wendy, Happy and Carla wouldn't get traumatized.
"Is magic really worth throwing their lives away like this?" Natsu asked, sounding more unsure than he's ever been.
"Lives are more important. Some people can't let go. Can't face that their power might slip out of their grasp. But power isn't an endgoal. It's something you harness to overcome."
Natsu paused for a moment and regained his smile, nodding in agreement.
Soon, they reached the Capital. Coming down from the clouds, the Dragons and Dragonslayers heard a few screams of terror as soon as they were spotted. Though the Capital itself looked like there were already a few people fighting. In the air, Yin saw Gajeel laughing like a maniac while fighting a black Exceed in armor. On the ground, she saw Erza absolutely beating the Hell out of another Erza while Gray and Ultear fought the other Knight Captains back.
And just above Edolas, the floating Nation of Extalia, where Exceed were very likely watching the battle and the sudden appearance of Dragons with a growing sense of fear.
"Alright.. let's get started~"