Zeref sat in his study with a look of ibtense focus. Having gotten Yin's shed scales to test with, he was observing the ethernano almost lovingly clinging to the sleek black surface. After a few minutes of exposure the raw ethernano he saw cling to the scale became tiny wisps of fire magic and darkness magic. Often he had to open a window to let the elementally converted magic power out lest his study catch fire or corrode.
But there was still one element he was studying feverishly. Ruin. There were trace amounts of it hidden within the scale but it was too small and in such low quantity that he could only make a few observations. It wasn't until he had his own magic destroyed while probing the scales did he get extremely excited.
"This.. This changes everything..! Ruin.. It can destroy the curse. It can destroy everything.." Zeref felt his heart race as he said those words aloud.
For the first time in years, he felt jealous. Fire and Darkness magic he could learn and replicate. But Ruin was a power that one could only imitate. Destruction magic and even Crush magic couldn't do what it did. And when he tried to observe those microscopic traces of Ruin, he couldn't comprehend them.
"They don't act like Ethernano. They call carry this almost.. invisible pattern. A spiral.. But what does that mean?" Zeref asked himself, hunched over his desk as he set aside the magic microscope he created.
Finding no answers for himself after thinking for several hours, Zeref decided to take a walk, where he saw Yin talking to Igneel and Grandeeny while the Dragonslayers practiced their magic on boulders and trees. Zeref nodded respectfully at the three Dragons before turning his gaze on Yin.
"Hello, Yin. Acclimating to the group well?" Zeref asked.
"I'm the babysitter they dump their kids on in exchange for training. So.. I guess I've just accepted it." Yin shrugged before Igneel and Grandeeny chuckled.
"You say that like you haven't grown attached to the little ones." Grandeeny smiled, instantly seeing through Yin's fake complaining.
"You're doing us a solid too. We've had more time to talk about our plans regarding the seeds." Igneel added.
Yin shook her head in disappointment, "You worry about strange things. Even if they became Dragons, does that guarantee they'd be cruel? Does it guarantee they can't switch back to human form? I get Acnologia's a concern but once they grow strong enough as Dragonslayer mages, he'll come for them regardless."
Both Dragons plus Zeref looked at each other with varying reactions.
"There are.. physical differences that are hard to overcome. Such as taste and touch being different than a human's." Igneel clarified after a few moments of silence.
"Maybe I can help with that then. I might be able to condense lacrima of my own or give some of my blood. I've noticed no bad side affects from humans I've given blood to." Yin stated, instantly getting Zeref's attention.
"Do you think I could have a vial of your blood, Yin? Not to use for myself, of course. But to help the kids." Zeref asked hopefully.
Yin thought about it for a minute, looking over to Natsu, Wendy, Gajeel, Sting and Rogue before exhaling through her nose and nodding.
"One vial. And I'd rather hold off on giving them any of my blood until they at least reach twelve years old.." Yin stated, remembering how painful it was to go through her own awakenings as a child.
Igneel and Grandeeny gave each other a look while watching Yin prick her finger and give Zeref a little vial of her blood. It wasn't that they wanted to preserve their children's status as humans above all else, it was the concerning pattern of human-turned Dragons becoming unstable after their transformation. Though for Igneel there was another worry. The other seed within Natsu would need to be taken care of. So regardless of whether Yin's blood could help fix any transformation issues, the original plan would stay on track.
"Say, kid.." Igneel started talking, looking over at Yin as Zeref sealed the vial of her blood. "It's a big ask here but.. if we were ever unavailable to watch over our children, could we count on you?"
Yin looked at the Fire Dragon King and slowly nodded.
"The buggers have grown on me. Whatever you have in mind, I'll make sure they're safe. Just don't slack on teaching me magic eh?" Yin replied, looking back at the kids with an aloof expression.
"""PFFT""" Zeref, Igneel and Grandeeny started chuckling at once.
Yin's tail flicked out as she pretended not to hear them. Though her face took a slightly red hue when Igneel started to wheeze.
"Oh fuck you guys.. I'm going to practice." Yin huffed, standing up and strutting off.
"Eh? Hey, big sis! Teach me how to make those super hot blue flames!" Natsu, seeing Yin walk away started chasing her.
And of course, that made all the other kids follow her. Igneel stopped wheezing long enough to look offended.
"This brat.. My flames aren't good enough?"
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"Sky Dragon's Roar!" Yin cried out as she unleashed a somewhat powerful gust of wind that snapped a few tree branches and made leaves scatter.
"Incredible.." Zeref muttered.
Yin scratched her head in embarrassment, "I wouldn't say that. That was far weaker than my Fire or Darkness magic."
Zeref shook his head and sat on a tree stump.
"The very fact that you can do other magic is.. a bit unprecedented. Mages and Dragons typically have one type of magic they can reliably use. More so for Dragons, due to the very type of Dragon they are. You won't see Igneel using water magic, after all." Zeref clarified.
In the first week Yin had stayed with the Dragons, she displayed her magic. Fire, Darkness, Ruin, Mana platforms and Gravity. And so, curious about her potential, Zeref asked the Dragons to teach her like they were teaching their kids. The result? In the following weeks she began learning other elements and spells were possible, they were learned slower than her original magic.
Though there was one magic she absolutely could not learn. Weisslogia's Light attribute clashed with her Darkness attribute. As of now, though her newly learned magic was still weak, she could use Metal and Wind magic thanks to Metalanica and Grandeeny, while her Fire and Darkness magic improved while training under Igneel and Skiadrum.
Gravity, she would need to develop on her own but Hajime could probably help her with that.
"I think soon, we'll be going ahead with the plan. Acnologia's busy with a Dragon named Belserion far up North. It's the perfect opportunity and my friend Layla is willing to help with this plan." Zeref stated, looking up at Yin with a somewhat sad and uneasy smile.
Yin nodded. She had been there for a month and going by how old the kids were, she figured the trip to the future was coming soon. Only, she hadn't expected to form any attachments over a month. She faced Zeref again, sensing he was going to ask her something.
"I have two requests. Will you hear them?"
Yin nodded. Zeref had taught her to improve her magic and was studying Ruin and her own blood. Of course, he had his own interests in the research but she also wanted to figure out how to utilize her blood and Ruin power properly.
"I'd like for you to accompany the kids as we send them into a future. When magic in the atmosphere has risen and a new age of mages rises. It's in that time that they'll have the best opportunity to grow truly strong." Zeref explained.
Yin hummed, already knowing some of Fairy Tail's plot. The Eclipse Gate, Anna Heartfilia and a wish for Natsu to become strong enough to destroy his older brother. She looked at the future dark wizard with pity.
'I can't imagine having to force Yang to kill me..' Yin sighed and looked at Zeref.
"I'll go with them. I know the others will be inside them and won't be able to take care of them. So I'll do it." Yin agreed, making Zeref's shoulders drop in relief.
"Thank you. And so comes my last request. This.. is a bit difficult to ask but.. I don't want this to fall to Natsu. With what I've discovered about Ruin, it's given me hope that my eternal life can finally come to an end. I want you to destroy me in the future." Zeref asked earnestly.
Yin shook her head.
"Do you know what you're asking? It's not as simple as killing you for good. Ruin will destroy everything about you, Zeref. Your mind, body and soul. I may be able to destroy Ankseram's curse when I learn to fully control it."
Zeref smiled and pat Yin's arm, "There's that too, of course. But that requires a certain degree of control you just don't possess at the moment. As much as total annihation scares me.. losing myself in this curse scares me more."
Hearing Zeref's admission and seeing his shaky, scared smile ignited an anger within Yin. Her teeth gnashed as she thought about Ankseram. A God punishing a mortal for a very human wish, to bring back their loved one. Though it wasn't enough to make Zeref immortal in his case, he had to curse him with killing anyone he grew to love. The less love he felt, he less his curse would kill those around him.
It was a special kind of lonely hell that only someone like Salem could relate to. Still, she found Zeref far more tragic.
"I'll try my best to develop Ruin. But, if in tge future we meet again and things are truly too much for you? I'll destroy you." Yin promised, seeing Zeref's relief wash over him.
"Thank you... You're a kind girl, Yin. Heh.. though I know you well enough by now to know you'd deny such a thing." Zeref teased.
Yin huffed and tilted her chin up, "Oh please. I know I can be nice. All I need to do is think 'what would Yang do'."
"Oh? Another session of bragging about our siblings is it? Okay. I could use the break anyway. Studying your blood's been arduous." Zeref admitted.
They then spent the next two hours talking about Natsu and Yang. Of course, neither backed down when it came to hyping up their sibling's potential and personalities.
Time, as always, moved forward again. Zeref introduced a blonde girl who looked a lot like Lucy. As it turns out, she had spent a whole month gathering Celestial Keys for the send off. And when she came back, Yin knew it was time.
"Yin." Skiadrum called out, waking her up from her somewhat comfortable sleeping position beside a tree.
"Mm.. It's time?" Yin asked, getting up and stretching her wings.
"Yes. We've had to alter some of the kids' memories but they'll remember their parents and big sister. We thought it better this way. Actually, Weisslogia and I.. well, nevermind. I just wanted to thank you for agreeing to look after our children." Skiadrum said after thinking over his words.
Yin snorted, already guessing they altered Sting and Rogue's memories to make them believe they had slayed their Dragons. Personally, she thought it stupid. After all, they were like their parents, why would they feel happy about murdering their parents? She just wondered how they altered their memories of interacting with herself.
After following Skiadrum, she saw the other Dragons standing over their sleeping kids while a gate sat in the background. Zeref and Anna stood off to the side, ready and waiting.
"You're finally here. Truthfully, I wish you'd taken longer.." Igneel muttered, looking from Yin to Natsu.
*Cough*"Tsundere"*Cough*
Igneel huffed but ignored Yin's teasing.
"Thank you, Yin. Though I could not teach you anything, I left a notebook of my knowledge of Light Magic for that sister you brag so often about. Zeref has it. Farewell." Weisslogia bowed his head and turned into an orb of light that sank into Sting's chest.
"I thank you as well, Yin. I enjoyed teaching you how to expand your Dark Magic. Please, take care of yourself too. I'd hate for Rogue to cry because his big sister was hurt or worse." Skiadrum stated with a smirk before turning into a shadowy orb and sinking into Rogue's chest.
"Gajeel's kinda stubborn and hardheaded so I don't envy your future troubles. Gahaha! But you and I know under all that? He's a good kid. Make sure he doesn't forget it. Oh and work on your Metal Magic more eh? Sure, Fire and Dark's flashy but nothing beats hitting someone with a tail made of tungsten." Metalanica snickered before turning into a silvery orb and sinking into Gajeel's chest.
"You dote on Wendy almost as much as me, Yin. Though you never admit it. I hate the thought of her being sad and looking for me.. so please, keep telling her stories and encouraging her. Though the children haven't known you long, they all care for you. Know that I'll be cheering you all on from within Wendy. Take care of yourself, Yin." Grandeeny bowed her head with a bittersweet smile before turning into a near transparent orb and sinking gently into Wendy's chest.
Finally, Igneel looked at Yin and sighed wearily. As the last one to go, he felt like he could let his pride go and talk from the heart.
"Yin. I love Natsu. The little twerp wormed his way into this old Dragon's heart and made me care like I..." Igneel stopped and shook his head before continuing, "What I mean to say is.. Teach him well, don't coddle him, smack him around if you have to and.. make sure he finds a place where he won't be lonely, okay?"
Yin nodded with a small smile.
"I will."
Igneel looked down at the pink haired boy and smiled proudly before turning into a fiery red orb and sinking into his chest.
Yin then scooped the children up and faced Zeref and Anna as they opened the gate.
"Here. Weisslogia's notes and some of my own. Plus, that vial of your blood. I trust myself now but in the future..." He shook his head.
"Anyways.. I've copied my research about your blood, heart, magic power and Ethernano interactivity in there. I believe when the kids turn fifteen, their bodies can withstand your blood. Good luck and.. I hope I'm stable when we meet again." Zeref said emotionally as Yin held out her fist.
"Try your best, Zeref."
Then, she stepped in.
[Ding! Sequence one: complete! Sequence two: initiating]
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*Drip* *Drip* *Drip*
A lone woman sat within a cave atop a steep mountain. Here, she was far enough away not to risk returning to her daughter. But now, without the warm comfort of having her daughter in her womb, she felt lonelier than she had ever felt before.
Even in prison, she felt better.
"Better this way... what if I enchanted..." She let her thoughts trail off until she felt something peculiar outside.
The woman peered out of the cave and saw a sight she had once seen four hundred years prior. A Black Dragon in the sky, spreading its dark wings and looking over the land.
"Acnologia..?"