It was done. Both sisters realized it as soon as they split off and nearly fell into the ocean. Thankfully, Irene had turned the surface into ice as the Guild members practically tackled the two.
"You never told me you could transform! It was awesome! Like FWAAAH!!" Natsu exclaimed, his excitement more or less shared by everyone besides Yin and Yang.
The two were bombarded with questions, compliments and excited rambling. But their eyes found each other and conveyed a certain understanding between them. Both had come to a realization about Equinox.
'She's not just a combination of the two of us. She has personality traits, desires and fears of her own.' Yin thought to herself as she smiled at the usually boisterous crowd.
'Poor girl.. she can only exist in short bursts. Maybe we can give her some time out when we get back to Remnant? Oh.. speaking of...' Yang blinked as the both of them glowed.
"Hey, sorry to cut this short but.. We do have to return to our home." Yin stood up, helped up by a wistful Erza, who seemed to be expecting this.
"W-Wait.. what? Sis?" Gajeel studdered, him, Natsu and Wendy looking particularly shaken.
"We won't be gone forever!" Yang clarified, her arms wrapping around the three Dragonslayers.
"Hmph.." Yin folded her arms and snorted, "You're acting like I'm ditching you. Consider this like your graduation. No more babysitting is needed... You're all splendid mages now. I'm proud of you. Of you all."
She added as she looked at the small crowd of concerned Fairy Tail mages. Ultear, Erza and Irene were more composed, yet still wore saddened expressions.
"We'll come back, okay? And not much time will have passed for you. So this isn't goodbye.." Yin paused.
"It's 'see you later'!" Yang added with a small smile before pulling Yin in for a hug, "Now come on in and give us a hug while I restrain her~"
Immediately, everyone, even including Gray and Laxus had hugged the twins. There was a lump in Yin's throat that she refused to name, but Yang had happy tears in her eyes, so she quietly accepted the emotionally charged group hug.
"You better come back.." Irene whispered to them both, lightly nibbling on their ears before pulling away.
"We'd be crazy not to.." Yang muttered back, her face a light red.
"We will." Yin replied, giving Irene, Erza and Ultear a pointed look- before they vanished from Earthland.
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The return was uneventful. Both of them appeared back in Vale. The city at night was still celebrating the death of a Mythic Class Grimm. Something that happened yesterday in Remnant but to Yin and Yang? That was several years ago.
Yang looked up at the sky, lit up by fireworks and smiled.
"You know.. I did miss this. The Guild is really special to me, don't get me wrong. I spent seven years there building bonds and making up for lost time with you. But this is.. a breath of fresh air. Sure, we got the run-of-the-mill Grimm and giant Demigod Grimm but this place is ours."
Yin nodded, as she couldn't agree more. That, and she'll admit to missing Shia, Emerald, her Mother, Ruby, Neo, Ren, Nora.. There were so many people in her life she had been missing for a few years now.
"Maybe in the future we can set up easy travel between the Guild and Remnant? I think Ruby would adore a few places we've been to." Yin stated, patting Yang's shoulder as they watched the fireworks.
"She absolutely would. Like that Cyber-place you told me about."
Yin hummed, idly pulling out the Nekomata rifle from her inventory. She had quite a few, thanks to having Shia gather so many all those years ago. Wordlessly, she put the rifle in Yang's hands, then gave her a small vial of her blood.
"She'll love this.. Oh-you think it's time for her to turn?" Yang raised her brow.
Yin nodded, "Given how much we learned about our blood while we were in Earthland? We both know she can withstand it."
Yang laughed and shook her head.
"I was thinkin' more along the lines of her being mature enough to handle it. She gets hyped over regular weapons.. What do you think she'd do if she turned into... like a Jet Dragon or something?"
"Hm... I'll leave the decision of when to give it to her up to you then. You deal with Dad and Summer more than I do.." Yin shrugged.
Yang rolled her eyes, "Oh suuure.. shove the responsibility onto me~. That reminds me.. you really should visit them. I know they'll probably pester you about being a mercenary or something but they do care."
Yin sighed, "I know. I will... eventually. Before I do my next thing in Atlas. I promise."
Mwah~
Yang leaned in and kissed Yin on the lips, finger curling through her hair as she smiled.
"Thanks~. I just don't like watching them worry. Speaking of... their sixteen year old daughter just disappeared from her bedroom.. So I should probably hurry back." Yang laughed nervously.
"Good luck explaining your current twenty-ish year old appearance to them, Sis." Yin smirked, waving Yang off as the blonde blew her a kiss and ran into a nearby alley before flying straight up and away in her half Dragon mode.
Yin watched her go with a smile and started walking back to the Branwen branch, passing by multiple people still celebrating into the night on her way.
"Aaah... I'll have to explain the sudden look of maturity to them too, won't I?" Yin muttered in amusement.
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-Branwen PMC Vale Branch, the next morning-
"Yin! You look a little different! Did you put makeup on? For a second I thought you were your Momma!" Nora pointed at her leader while squeezing an entire bottle's worth of syrup over ten pancakes.
"Nora.." Ren called out.
"No. I only use that for the Ryuko disguise." Yin denied, letting Shia, who sat next to her, feed her strawberries.
"Then you AGED! Hundreds of years spent in the Digital World, fighting beasts and devils! Gasp!" She pointed her fork at Yin, still squeezing the maple syrup bottle.
"Nora!"
"No but I did spend years somewhere else, so it's not that far off.." Yin admitted, surprising Shia, who dropped the strawberry in Yin's cleavage.
Though she wasn't the only one. As Ren, Nora and Emerald, who was just sitting down, all looked at her with widened eyes.
"Wait.. years?" Emerald quietly asked.
"Nooooo...! I missed it!? What kind of world was it, Yin?" Shia pressed close and asked impatiently.
"A magic one. Lots of yelling about friendship.. yelling attacks... but I did pick up some good rewards. I can bestow magic. I can create crystalized magic to give you all magic that you can freely use now."
The table quieted at that realization. Nora's hand squeezed the bottle harder, emptying it completely. But this time, Ren hadn't chided her.
"You mean like... your Mom? And you? We can do magic like you if you gift it to us?" Ren asked, his brows furrowed.
Yin nodded, focusing ethernano within her into her palm. Held within was something akin to Laxus' Dragonslayer Lightning magic. After it condensed, she tossed the crystalized magic orb to Nora, who sqealed and caught it quickly.
"This.. This feels like Lightning Dust! But a HUNDRED times more powerful!!" Nora gaped, holding up the crystal like Simba.
"I can make these for all of you. Though you should stick to one magic and try to incorporate it into your combat style. Like for Ren... I'm thinking maybe Speed magic? There was a guy who simped for one of the few girls in my Guild who had magic like that."
Ren blinked, seeming to think it over. But before he could voice his opinion, Yin tossed over a light green lacrima at him.
"What about me!?" Shia mounted Yin's lap, vibrating in excitement.
Yin hummed before focusing the specific magic into her hands. From what she understood from Ultear's magic, she called the Ethernano into her palm and created a lacrima, using a huge portion of her own mana. And in her palm lay a limited yet still working version of the magic 'Arc of Time'. A silvery white colored fist-sized crystal that sat in her palm.
"Never say I don't do anything for you." Yin muttered, putting the lacrima in Shia's hands as the rabbit girl's eyes sparkled with joy.
"Thankyouthankyouthankyou!" Shia said repeatedly while kissing Yin's face.
Yin let her express her gratitude and gave Emerald a look.
"I'll need to recover my mana first, but I do have a good idea for what magic would help you."
Emerald smiled, shyly looking away and coughing into her fist to regain her composure. Yin pretended she hadn't seen it, though secretly snapped a few pictures of Emerald being cute with her scroll.
"How do we use it!? Do I.. eat it?" Nora asked, licking the crystal.
Yin shook her head, chortling.
"Let your aura cover it and start drawing the energy into you. It acts similarly to Dust. Only this you can incorporate into your body, not just your weapon. Though you can 'Enchant' your weapons by incorporating lacrima into them. I'd recommend doing so after you attain your magic." The news only excited them further. Yin observed Ren immediately activating his aura and surrounding his lacrima with it.
It wouldn't be an instantaneous process, as the people of Remnant were stripped of their natural magic by the God of Darkness. But as Dust was crystallized magic, the people still utilized it in a different, more roundabout way. And it was very much possible for them to use magic by becoming a Maiden, so this wasn't going to take very long.
"As you absorb your magic-" Yin turned Shia around in her lap and rubbed her ears affectionately, "tell me where we are in terms of getting contracts by the people in Vale?"
"We've had a Senator contact us since the Underworld war reached its conclusion." Ren answered before continuing.
"Senator Winchester is on the Vale council. Known for employing Chrollo PMC to handle certain situations outside Vale's walls. Settlement disputes, mining shipment security.. He's looking into hiring us because the Chrollo are obviously in disarray at the moment. In Vale specifically, I mean. In Atlas, they're still strong."
Yin nodded in thought. Given what she knew now about them, it'd be stupid to expect them to be out of commission. Not when the SDC and Atlas Councilmen backed them in their home turf. That said, their hold on Vale was pried open when she killed Carmilla.
All she had to do now was prepare for Atlas, solidify her foundation in Vale and grab the corrupt Valean council by the balls before Ozpin could. And with her connections as Ryuko? She had direct access to them.
"Ha! April's been taking calls all day too. A bunch of nearby settlements are coming to us. So big boss lady Raven is sending some people over to help. Also! We got some people coming in to apply. Even a scrawny blond boy in a black sweater and hand-me down armor." Nora added as she dug into her pancakes.
'Jaune huh? Did he run away already? Well April IS a bit overwhelmed...' Yin thought, internally debating if she should hire Jaune or not.
"Emerald, I'd like you to help interview a few people today with Ren and Nora. That blond guy? Should be a boy named Jaune. Hire him on and see if he can work with April. Offer him training and a place to stay." Yin said, then looked over at Ren and Nora.
"You know my criteria for who should enter. Screen them carefully and send me the backgrounds of any interesting applicants. Yes, even attempted moles. I'm pretty sure Ozpin will send at least one."
Then, she stood up and playfully squeezed Shia's ass as she set her down.
"I have to talk with Neo and Roman now. It's time to wrangle those Councilmen before Ozpin can.."
[AN: Long time coming but Atlas arc is upon us! And maybe some Monster Hunter dungeon shorts too? (oﾟзﾟo)]