Irene sat on a comfortable chair, watching the two enigmatic Dragon twins fight once more. Every day for a whole month, they would go at it in the name of training. But to Irene, it looked like the very act of fighting each other held a far deeper meaning than it should have. If she had to describe it, she'd call it a love language.
Each punch and kick a gesture of affection. And they were loving every second of it. Magic clashed and two seemingly opposite women kept fighting each other. All while she, Ultear and Erza watched.
Ultear and Erza were being trained by her in their use of magic. Ultear's Arc of Time and Erza's Requip, plus her own enchanting she was teaching to her daughter. Irene was there to make sure the terrain didn't become a hellscape full of flaming craters and the girls were there simply because they looked up to Yang and Yin.
Irene had realized that, her life, previously so chaotic that she never settled in one place for very long (besides that cave), was becoming what she had dreamed about back when she was Queen. And it was all thanks to the black haired woman getting punched in the face with a smile that looked weirdly dazzling for such a violent-looking fight.
"...I still have so much to learn about her. Hmph.. it's unfair how much she knows about me." Irene muttered, hearing Erza grunt in exertion beneath a sofa-sized boulder.
"Learn.. about who?" She asked, doing her ninety-fifth pushup.
"I think she's talking about Yin." Ultear added, reversing time for three separate falling leaves and reconnecting them onto the tree above her. The sweat on her brow a testament to her willpower and focus.
"I am indeed. But how should I figure her out? Perhaps set up a few tests to see how she reacts in different scenarios..? Or perhaps-"
"Or you can ask her. I talk to Yin all the time, Mother." Erza interrupted, finishing her one-hundred weighted pushups with a relieved sigh.
"Do you want me to tell you about her?" Erza added with a cute little tilt of her head that made Irene smile.
"No.. No, I think getting the information myself would be more rewarding. I owe her much and I hate the thought of her thinking I don't care enough to know her. I refuse to let her think I'm using her. I've just never been good at... touchy feely things myself. Magic? Easy for me to grasp. Opening up and bonding? Completely foreign to me."
Erza nodded sympathetically and hugged her Mother briefly. She may not know much about her Mother's past or why she only just now reconnected with her but she knew Irene had to have been dealing with a lot. Irene smiled softly and hugged her daughter's head before she pulled away.
"I'm sure you'll do fine, Mother! Feelings must be faced head on. Simply state yours and I'm sure Yin will understand." Erza stated, arms folded with a stoic yet childish expression on her face.
"I can't say for sure if I love how mature you are or lament that you never got to be a child.." Irene muttered silently, patting the top of Erza's head.
"Hm? What did you say?"
"Nothing. Looks like they've wrapped up. Good.. only four mountains were destroyed this time!" Irene cheerfully exclaimed, looking over to both sisters, who were laying on the ground opposite of each other.
Erza and Ultear looked at the scale of destruction, eyes gleaming with admiration and envy. It was the kind of admiration one had for S-ranked mages. In their Guild, only Yin, Yang and Gildarts had that kind of ability. Both kids immediately dove back into training, having their ambitions reignited by the display of skill and power.
*Sigh~*
"Just don't overdo it again. Or I'll drag you two to Porylusica and tell them you overdid it instead of healing you myself.." Irene threatened before starting to fix the environmental destruction.
"Urgh.." Ultear grimaced, sharing a look with Erza and slowing down. They had both been whacked upside the head by the old woman for pushing themselves past their limits, then lectured. Going through that again should be avoided at all costs..
Meanwhile.. Yin and Yang were lying on their backs, both panting.
"You're a stamina demon, Yang.." Yin stated with a snicker, the Witchblade armor retracting to her bracelet.
"You're one to talk.. I saw you use Accelerate over fifty times, you spammer!" Yang retorted with a laugh, her own Witchblade retracting as well.
The sisters both snorted, laying there in an afterglow of euphoria. Of course, all they did was fight all-out for eight hours. It was fulfilling and both of them improved with every fight. Yang had begun to grasp the essence of Creation. That door began to open, just a sliver. All she had to do was keep pushing.
"Haven't improved this much since our fights back in DxD! But now that I think of it.. you really held back, back then huh?" Yang asked, sitting up and shooting her dear sister an accusatory glance.
Yin rolled her eyes but otherwise remained lying down.
"Yeah. You weren't at the level where you could go all-out with me yet. You had just unlocked Dragon form, remember?"
Yang hummed, scratching the back of her head and tousling her golden-blonde hair. She couldn't exactly deny that but at the same time, it hit her right in her Dragon pride. So, she decided to crawl over to Yin and straddle her lap. She couldn't truly blame her sister but she could be petty and make her embarrassed by getting all touchy, right?
"I remeeeember.." Yang admitted, sticking her tongue out brattily at Yin, whose cheeks took on a light pink hue.
"Just... be happy we get to go all out now, 'kay?" Yin sighed, pushing down the pleasant feeling of her sister's skin on hers.
"Aw fine. Only since you're all flustered now and we get to REALLY throw hands.. Hmm... you know this is familiar. We always fought in front of Akeno, Kuroka, Shirone and Yasaka too. Then we snuggled. Don't tell me..!" Yang gasped.
'Wait.. is she figuring out what kind of effect she's having on-' "That you think you're too old and cool enough to cuddle with your Sis!? No no.. this won't do.." Yang continued, coming to a strange conclusion all on her own while hugging Yin's head into her breasts for maximum skin contact.
"Hugs and cuddles ARE MY RIGHT, Yin! You can't take that away from me just because you're getting older and prettier and trying to aura farm..! Edginess isn't cool!" Yang continued, holding Yin's face in her chest as she stood up, still holding onto her twin.
"Hmmm... you know if you keep holding her face in your chest like that, she'll pass out from the lack of oxygen?" Irene said, having walked over after finishing her spell.
"Huh..? Oh! Whoops. Hehe.. sorry, Yin. I do that to Rubes alot too.." Yang smiled sheepishly and pulled Yin's head away.
Though compared to Ruby, who always gasped for air and pouted, Yin looked absolutely content to be there. Her expression was weirdly serene, in Yang's eyes.
"...What were we talking about again? Hugs? Feel free to hug me all you want, Yang. No.. I encourage it, even.... Oh hello, Irene." Yin finished, then turned to greet Irene as Yang smiled triumphantly.
Irene chuckled to herself and lightly coughed into her fist, "Well forgive my bluntness but.. It occured to me that I have no real idea of... well, who you truly are, Yin. As someone whose saved me, reunited me with my daughter and is providing us with a place to live.. I feel like a stranger. Yes, I am teaching you magic but I would like to..."
Irene paused for a moment, her fingers twiddling from the nerves and mild embarrassment.
"I would like to know you better."
Yang cooed instantly.
"Aww... man that was a lot of build up for a request that cute.. and kinda basic."
Yin nodded at Yang's assessment but couldn't deny she felt happy at Irene's earnest request. From a woman like her, connecting to others is something that comes extremely difficult to her. Especially considering her country and her own husband betrayed her and wanted to kill her, after all she sacrificed.
"I'd be happy to, Irene." Yin replied, seeing Irene's shoulders untense immediately after.
"How 'bout we all ask and take a seat? I'm still recovering from that fight so we can just relax and talk. And if ya don't wanna answer, you say 'skip', sounds good?" Yang asked, looking at Irene and Yin.
"That's okay with me." Irene replied, creating three chairs for them with a campfire in the center.
"Oh! I'll start us off. How abooooout... who do you love most?" Yang asked them both, brows wiggling with a mischievous grin, expecting some embarrassment.
"Yang"/"Erza" Both answered immediately and matter-of-factly.
In the end, Yang was the only one who ended up blushing.
"Ehe..he... yeah I love Yin most too... Okay! Irene's turn!" Yang muttered before directing focus onto the redhead.
"Hm... who is the person you look up to the most?" Irene folded her legs, looking at Yin intently.
"Oh I look up to.... hm... can it be fictional?" Yang asked.
Irene nodded, though Yang kept humming and grunting, thinking aloud.
"Like a hero? Or someone I admired?" Yin asked this time.
"Someone you admire. Lots of people admire heroes but not all people admired are strictly 'heroic'. Like Zeref, for example." Irene stated.
"Oh! Then I admire Summer the most. My Mom. She's like.. a super Mom, basically. Weapon-nut but man.. she can cook, kick ass, keep Uncle Qrow and Dad out of trouble. Yeah, I admire her a lot." Yang gave her answer, then looked over at Yin. "Is yours Mom too? Raven, I mean. Since she raised you and all."
Yin shook her head but gave a complicated expression, "I do admire her but it's more that.. I admire the changes she's made to herself. She used to be ruled by fear. Fear of Salem, of losing us to Ozpin, of losing Summer, Dad and Unc. But she's gotten better. I think I took that burden off her shoulders when I started taking the clan in a different direction. I love and respect her and even admire her skill and mental fortitude but.. I feel like she comes second to a... I guess... personal 'hero' to me?"
Both Yang and Irene leaned in, listening intently. Irene had been listening to the extra details but decided to file away those names and details for later.
*Cough!*
Yin coughed into her fist and fought a small blush away, "Okay look.. I don't really 'glaze' or anything but.... Sebastian Yarrick. He's a bad motherfucker who lived a long time, learned a language his hated enemy spoke, fought in apocalyptic battles, KILLED an enemy that could easily fuck up a super soldier in power armor and grafted its fucking mecha crab claw to his bloody stump using only his enemy's belief that he could do it. Now I don't really glaze but... fuck! That is the baddest shit I've ever fucking heard a human do."
[♾️ affection with Hecate!]
'Someone gets it..' Yin thought to herself as Yang and Irene gave her amused looks.
Though Yang grinned and bumped her shoulder, "You gotta tell me more about this guy. That sounds cool as hell."
"Er-Yeah.. A-Anyways, it's my turn to ask." Yin fought away the heat in her cheeks and cleared her throat.
"What are your biggest goals? Or THE biggest goal?"
Irene paused for a moment and looked over at Erza, still training with Ultear under a tree. It was an easy answer.
"I want to live my life. I want to live it with her, watch her grow, help her become better than me. To be a splendid Mother. That's my greatest goal." Irene smiled.
Yin nodded, already somewhat expecting that answer. Then, she turned to Yang and froze for a moment. There was a gleam in her lilac eyes as she stood up.
"I wanna help our world, sure. Bring down Salem and the Mythic Grimm so people don't need to worry about world-ending danger. But you know what? Above all? I want to explore infinity with you, Sis. I wanna be right by your side as we go to different worlds, creating and destroying what we will. That's my great ambition." With those words, Yin felt her heart race, an excited grin making its way on her face that matched Yang's.
Because that was her ambition too.
[AN: Got the WIP Drago Yin art from Lainart. Wooo boy it looks GOOD. Also, get this to 200PS and I'll give ya another chap this week. And guess what? Their birthday comes next chapter.. ;P]