Chapter Text
It felt as though it had been an eternity since that time.
With the defeat of the Earthbound, things started on the path toward normalcy once again. The human kingdoms worked to recover what they had lost; Fusionia's people had become divided, and they needed a firm hand to guide them, while Synchronia's division had started to heal with the toppling of the walls separating the Heartlands from the Outlands. Exyzia rose up from its ashes as its people returned, forming an even greater nation atop that which had been lost.
In the midst of it all, a dragon traveled, monitoring the progress of the humans. For ten long years, he'd had no home, dwelling in the wilderness or in borrowed shelter; he saw how the royals ascended to their thrones, replacing the fallen monarchs - and in the case of Penduluma, the king simply stepped down, allowing his daughter to reign in his place. The one who had once been a king himself found this amusing, and he favored Penduluma over the other three human nations.
This time, however, the fallen Dragon King was in Fusionia. He'd heard of a new development between the queen and her consort, and curiosity called him forth; he brought with him a guest, who had been reluctant at first, but she understood the significance of the occasion. There was nothing more beautiful than a miracle made flesh, and now...
As Zarc stepped into the throne room, Queen Celina approached him, carrying a tiny bundle in her arms. She seemed tired, and she struggled to hold herself upright - but in a flash, the mutant guardian was there to take the bundle from her, cradling it as if it meant more than life itself.
"Hey there, Zarc." Celina had never been one for formalities, and even in her new position, that hadn't changed. "...You heard, huh?"
"Yep." Zarc gave a quick nod. "Ray really knows what's up when it comes to her descendants... so, is that what I think it is?"
"Why don't you see for yourself?" Yuri grinned as he unwrapped the bundle, revealing the tiny life within. On the surface, the boy looked like a human infant, but there was an unmistakable power within his soul, and when he opened his eyes, Zarc saw his own reflected in them.
A half-human and half-dragon child - something that was supposed to be impossible. With the Crimson Dragon's blessing, though, any life could be made possible.
"What's his name?" Zarc inquired, and he held himself back from reaching out to the child. One so small was very delicate, and it wouldn't do to spook him.
"Aster," Celina replied. "He was named after a Fusionian general who died during the war."
"Honoring your father's most loyal subjects, I see..." The thought brought a smile to Zarc's face. "Thanks for trusting me with him."
"Who said I trusted you with him?" Yuri sounded amused. "Just kidding, of course. Would you like to hold him?"
"Nah, I'll pass." Zarc shook his head. "I don't know if he'd-"
On cue, the baby started crying, and Yuri breathed a heavy sigh. It appeared he wasn't quite prepared for the burdens of parenthood...
"Pardon me." Yuri hurried off, holding Aster close to him. Zarc turned his attention to Celina, unable to keep the grin off of his face.
"...You didn't have any kids, right?" Celina seemed a little frustrated. "You probably wouldn't be any help here..."
Zarc laughed. "No, but Ray did. If you want a break from your royal duties, we can help out for a bit." He paused, recalling his last visit to Penduluma. "After all, it isn't like I don't have any experience with kids."
It was the best way he could think of to atone for what he had done in his first life. Ray wasn't quite as keen on caring for the little ones, but she did so with the knowledge that her experience as a mother was a great asset.
"That's right... you've been helping the others." Celina averted her gaze. "...How's Ray doing, anyway?"
There was another, unspoken question beneath that - an inquiry about how Zarc's relationship with Ray was going. The answer to that was complicated, but if nothing else, things had improved a lot since the end of the war.
"You know we're living together now, right?" Zarc thought back to the home he and Ray had made for themselves, just a little cabin in a place no one had been before. "She hasn't tried to kill me again. I count that as a win."
"So... better than before." Celina hummed and nodded. "Good to know." She returned her attention to Zarc, staring him down. "...I can tell you aren't telling the whole story, though."
It was strange that Celina was so adamant about this of all subjects. Perhaps it was because of how her new child had affected her body?
"Well, I don't know if the kid can still hear me." Zarc grinned. "I probably shouldn't expose his delicate ears to that kinda talk."
"...And now I regret asking." Celina groaned. "At least... you two have made up?"
"Yeah, she's forgiven me," Zarc confirmed. "Quite spectacularly at that." He gave another laugh, and then his tone became somber. "...But I'm not done atoning. I..."
"You have a lot to make up for." Celina gave another nod, and then offered Zarc an awkward smile. "I get that... but... when you're around me, you don't... have to..."
She seemed embarrassed, and why was beyond Zarc's ability to understand. Was she actually trying to cover up her contempt for him, or did she truly mean what she'd said? He couldn't tell, but for the time being, he tried to remain positive, reminding himself that the humans of the modern era had not seen the full extent of what he'd done.
"Thanks." Zarc answered Celina with sincerity, as that was what he hoped for between them. "The next five thousand years are gonna be real lonely, so I'm glad I at least have some friends for now."
"Five thousand years..." Celina fell silent for a moment as she considered this. "...I can't even imagine what that's gonna be like. I don't envy you, though."
"I don't envy me, either," Zarc remarked, and this time, he couldn't bring himself to laugh. "At least I'll have plenty of time to... well, not do what I did before."
"Just don't screw it all up again." Celina sounded doubtful - but for what, Zarc couldn't tell. "You aren't spending that time completely alone."
Just as she said that, Ray stepped into the throne room, carrying the little bundle of half-dragon that had been previously presented to Zarc. The child had been quieted, and Yuri stood behind Ray as if trying to hide himself - quite the comical scene, all things considered.
"Hey there, Ray." Zarc greeted the one who had once been called the Queen of Light with a tentative smile. "Sorry about-"
"I told you not to worry about it," Ray interrupted him. "...Now that I can, I want to guide my descendants... so they don't end up like Rex and Roman."
Though it had been twelve years since her father's final death, Celina still hung her head at the reminder of her loss. Zarc wanted to admonish Ray for bringing that up, but he knew that he would've done the same in Ray's position.
"How very noble of you." Yuri crept over to his mate's side, sliding his arms around her. "I hope your descendants don't mind the attention..."
"I, for one, appreciate it." Celina straightened herself out. "...I still have no idea how to handle this kid."
"He's one of the first of his kind," Ray pointed out. "We're still figuring things out ourselves."
One of the most prominent things that came to Zarc's mind was the dietary requirements of the little ones. They needed something that was somewhere between that of a human child and a dragon hatchling-
"Are you having trouble stomaching it?" Yuri said out of seemingly nowhere, and his tone was as smug as it ever was. "I can assure you that dragon hatchlings are far messier than little Aster. Why, there was a time when we didn't have blenders, and so the only way to process the meat was-"
"Do you want me to throttle you?" Celina snapped, cutting off Yuri before he could finish providing his unnecessary explanation. "I told you that it isn't relevant, so I don't want to hear about that!"
...It seemed that the issue of how dragons fed their children was a contentious subject between the couple. Given their inexperience and Celina's very different bodily structure, that wasn't surprising.
"Hey, let's try not to wake Aster up," Zarc warned. "Human babies are even scarier than dragon babies... and he's both!"
Sure enough, those very words caused Aster to start crying again, and as Yuri and Celina watched in blank horror, Zarc sighed and pressed a hand to his forehead. He wondered for a moment if it was because the kid didn't like him, but he didn't have time to ponder that - Ray shot him a look which paralyzed him on the spot.
"He isn't scary at all, you idiot," Ray insisted, and she began channeling some sort of spell. "He's just unique."
...No, that wasn't just any spell - it was one used by more magically adept dragons to calm their hatchlings. Where had she learned that spell?
"Yeah... sorry." Zarc attempted to laugh it off, but he mostly just felt awkward now. "I just..."
"...No, he's right." Celina quickly came to Zarc's defense. "This kid is terrifying."
"He really does have the soul of a dragon," Yuri agreed. "I hope I can keep up with him as he grows..."
From what Zarc had seen, these mixed-blood children did, in fact, become even more troublesome as they aged. Still, the others had handled their children just fine, and there was no reason to believe that Yuri and Celina wouldn't eventually figure things out for themselves.
"Well, just remember that if you need help, we've got nothing better to do." Zarc looked back at Ray. "And hopefully it'll be a while before we do have something better to do."
"I pray for peace and quiet every day," Ray added with a nod, and then she looked down at the little miracle in her arms. "Right now... I'm glad that this is the worst we have to deal with."
It was, indeed, a blessing from the Crimson Dragon in more ways than one. The gap between humans and dragons had already closed partway with these new heirs - their lineage would serve to protect the human kingdoms well into the future, and the wisdom of dragons would surely help to guide their children when they came. Their existence alone was proof that the guardians had accomplished what Zarc could not, and he was relieved that his struggles had not been in vain.
Now, the only thing that worried him was that he didn't quite have a proper grasp on human diplomacy... though Ray could teach him that when the need arose.
The one who had once been called the Queen of Light had not yet settled into her new existence, but she had come to terms with it, and she knew that she wasn't alone.
She thought often of the day that she'd turned down the man who loved her. No one could have predicted what followed, and after all these long years, she had finally found closure - something she would never have had if she hadn't returned to life.
While she had refused her purpose at first, she was able to forgive herself for that now... and more importantly, at least in her eyes, she was able to forgive Zarc as well. She hadn't been able to tell him for a long time, but when they met again for the first time since the end of the war and he had tried to apologize for the schism again, even though he was already on the path to atonement-
Well, that mattered little now. Their stay in Fusionia had ended after only a few days, as the queen of Penduluma had called for her hallowed ancestor, and Ray had answered that call, though she knew not what it was for - Yuzu had only specified that it was important, and this was part of Ray's own personal goal.
On the wings of a dragon, the trip to Penduluma only spanned a few hours, and the flighty father of the new Fusionian heir had elected to join Zarc and Ray on their trip. He'd had to get the queen's blessing, of course - and that only led to their group expanding further, as Celina promptly placed her most trusted advisor in charge of affairs until her return. It was comical, really, how quickly Celina jumped at the opportunity to meet with one of her fellows; she hadn't been like this at first, but once her relationship with Rin had warmed, she'd decided that the others mattered just as much.
As they touched down at the edge of Penduluma's border, a dragon approached to greet them - one much smaller and more colorful than Zarc, though his power was a near-perfect reflection, laying dormant within his soul. His mismatched red and green eyes lit up as he sniffed out the mixed-blood child, and he lowered himself to the ground, shifting into a human-shaped form that had not been used much before his regular visits to the human realms.
"Greetings, and welcome to Penduluma." The dragon bowed to his peers, then watched as Zarc assumed a human form as well, letting the others disperse. "What brings the queen and her consort here?"
A phrase with a double meaning, though Ray chose to disregard that for now. If the father was here, that meant the son wasn't far, and all they needed to do was wait.
"Yuri felt like coming over," Celina responded, and she sounded a little exasperated. "And I still don't trust him to behave himself in another country."
That was an excuse, and a flimsy one at that - Ray was sure that everyone could see through it. Fortunately, the dragon formerly known as Advancer understood, and he turned his attention to Aster instead.
"I see you've brought a gift with you." Yusho - as he called himself now - approached Celina, who was carrying her son in her arms, and a broad smile appeared across the dragon's face. "Why, he's almost as adorable as Yuya was at that age!"
"Hey, what was that about me?" Just as expected, the guardian of Penduluma ran over, followed closely by his beloved queen. Three others followed as well - the twin Signers escorted a girl who looked to be only five years old, and her heterochromic eyes mirrored those of her esteemed lineage.
"It's getting to be quite the family reunion here," Zarc remarked, grinning from ear to ear. "Hey there, everyone! What's crackin' and lackin'?"
"Zarc, please," Ray admonished him, and then she turned her focus toward Yuzu. "...What'd you need?"
"Well... it's a bit complicated..." Yuzu breathed a small sigh as she stepped up to Ray. "It has to do with... well, the human kingdoms. Leo and Luna had an idea, but they... kinda need some help with it."
Now this was an interesting development. If the twins had devised something that they needed Ray's help with, that meant their mentor had taught them well - perhaps a little too well.
"Hey, it was my idea!" Leo insisted. "I wanted a way to visit everyone in Synchronia easier!"
"And I was the one who suggested a teleporter." As always, Luna did her best to keep her brother in line. "So if you want to get technical, Yuzu's right - we both had an idea."
"A teleporter is quite the ambitious project," Yusho noted. "As far as we know, not even dragons can use such magic consistently. It would be remarkable if we could make this dream into reality."
"So we wanted to get the opinion of an expert," Yuya finished for his dad. "Sorry to pull you around like this, Ray."
"I would've been more worried if these three hadn't come along." Ray gestured to the Fusionian royal couple and their child. "At least this way..."
"May I hold him?" Yusho seemed laser-focused on little Aster, who had remained mercifully tranquil during the trip. "Or is he shy?"
"Well, he doesn't like me very much," Zarc quipped. "Maybe he thinks dragons are scary?"
"Isn't his dad a dragon?" Yuya eyed Yuri, who was doing his best to hide behind Celina. "I think he's just scared of you, Zarc."
"You can give it a try." Celina held out Aster to Yusho, though she was clearly apprehensive. Her son was a fussy boy, and even Ray had some trouble handling him.
"There, there." Yusho took Aster from Celina as gently as he could manage, and he cradled the child in his arms. "There's no need to cry, little one. Why don't you smile instead?"
Sure enough, Aster remained silent, and the tension gripping everyone loosened. It seemed that there was at least one experienced parent who could handle this wild child.
"Ummm..." The odd-eyed girl spoke up, drawing attention to herself, although she seemed hesitant. "Do you wanna hold me, too?"
"Why, if you don't mind..." Yuri responded before anyone else could, swooping in to catch the girl in his arms - an amusing contrast to how he behaved with his own son. "What's your name, if you don't mind telling?"
"I'm... I'm Skye," the girl answered, after a brief pause. "Are you Uncle Yuri? Daddy told me about you..."
Yuri shot a glance at Yuya, who gave a shrug in response. Ray chose not to worry too much about what that exchange meant - now that the children had been dealt with, she was more interested in the Signers' plight.
"So, Leo, Luna." Ray addressed the twins, turning her focus toward them. "You want to build a teleporter for faster transport between the human kingdoms, right?"
"Yup!" Leo shouted a bit too loud in his enthusiasm, drawing everyone's attention briefly; fortunately, there was no response from either of the children, so he went on as planned, putting more detail into his previous explanation this time. "I came up with the idea because even though we've graduated from Akiza's mentorship, we're still friends with the crew over there. I didn't wanna bother our dragons too much since they're the most important ones, so..."
"...And I was the one who specifically came up with the teleporter idea," Luna repeated herself, correcting her brother a second time - it seemed things hadn't changed much, even though the twins were adults now. "I saw what you did, Ray... I kept thinking that it was something that would make life much easier for a lot of people, but since I was still an apprentice..."
"You never stop learning magic," Ray reminded Luna. "Even if your apprenticeship is over... it's a lifelong pursuit. You'll always learn new things and become stronger over time."
Thinking about that made Ray wonder how things would change for her over the course of the next five thousand years. She decided not to think too much about it - now was not the time.
"Yeah, that's a good point," Luna conceded, smiling. "Even now, I'm still learning new things..."
"And you can learn how I used that spell, too." Ray responded with a smile of her own. "Once you learn that, you can apply it to your research on magic technology. I'll give you a warning, though... my version of the spell only works with people who have some sort of relation to me - people who share my power and heritage."
"That just means we'll have to fine-tune it so it'll work with everyone," Leo proclaimed. "And then we'll have surpassed the great Queen of Light!"
Some would have been offended at that, but Ray honestly hoped that these aspiring young prodigies would someday be able to surpass her. It meant a step toward accomplishing the mission given to her by the Crimson Dragon, and if enough people learned how to take her magic and make it even stronger... there were risks for certain, but none so great that this pursuit lacked worth.
"Just let me know when you want to start your lessons." Ray gave both the twins a nod. "The sooner, the better. I hate wasting time."
"Oh, so that's where Shay got it from." Luna laughed, then nodded back at Ray. "Okay, then... how about now?"
"Yeah, now sounds best," Leo agreed. "I want to learn from the Queen of Light herself!"
While that title had become obsolete and quite tiring, Ray accepted it from these two - it seemed that while they had reached adulthood, only one of them had properly matured. She supposed that was just how Leo was, and she prayed that he would never lose that innocence.
His bond with the dragons' heir was more than just a symbol of the Crimson Dragon's blessing now. Life-Stream would learn more about humans through the one he bonded with, and to that end, Leo needed to show him more of what humanity was like, to ease relations between the races so that the dream of a bridge across the chasm would someday become reality.
These young ones, both human and half-dragon, were more important than anyone in the grand scheme of things. To atone for the sins of their predecessors... it seemed impossible at a surface glance, and yet they had already set that brilliant future in motion.
Rin, queen of Synchronia and consort to a mighty guardian dragon, had come across a very unique conundrum.
That conundrum was that one of her four children had come across the motorcycle she'd built together with her consort and the aid of a few others. The machine had stopped functioning properly, and while it would have been a quick fix normally, her son had decided that the motorcycle was his treasure, and he wouldn't let anyone near it. The ones who usually helped with these sorts of situations - Yusei and Akiza, the Signer couple - were away in Fusionia, visiting the one who had risen as Cusillu's Dark Signer during the war. A dangerous prospect on its own, as that man had not changed one bit since his incarceration, and it threatened to destabilize Rin's sanity now.
Yugo was relentlessly aggressive toward those who threatened his queen, but when it came to his own children, he had developed a peculiar habit. That habit was to allow them to run rampant, never scolding them himself no matter how much trouble they got into, and while it didn't surprise Rin that Yugo was like that - he had always been overly affectionate toward his loved ones, after all - it was more than a little frustrating.
Turning these royal brats into royal heirs was a job that required multiple people, and if Yugo wouldn't cooperate, someone else would have to step in. There was no choice - only one option remained, and that was to call upon the former interim king of Synchronia... who was also the former king of motorcycle racing in Synchronia, though he'd long since hung up his helmet and track suit.
After delivering the message, Rin paced back and forth in her room, massaging her temples in an effort to soothe the headache that this situation had caused her. Hopefully, Jack wasn't too busy, and he would be able to bring his wife with him - Rin liked Carly, as the two often talked about their difficult husbands and the similarities between them.
Less than half an hour had passed when Rin received a knock on the door to her bedroom. She went over to the door and opened it, and the person who greeted her on the other side was none other than the man she was currently frustrated with.
"Hey, big news!" Yugo announced without being prompted, as he often did. "Yusei and Akiza are back!"
...That was a fast trip, though Rin supposed there was only so much that could be said to Sayer. It also meant that Rin's request for aid from Jack had been a meaningless disturbance, and she didn't look forward to the earful that would inevitably follow.
"Already?" Rin raised an eyebrow. "Well, this is gonna suck..."
"Huh?" Yugo expressed his confusion. "What's gonna suck?"
"I called Jack over to help with things." Rin slipped past Yugo to leave her room, and she glanced back to make sure he was following her as she made her way down the hall; as always, he did, and the sight made her breathe a sigh. "Except now we don't need him, and..."
"I'm sure it'll be fine," Yugo insisted. "Just tell him you didn't know Yusei was on his way."
That was an option for certain, but not a guaranteed fix. Rin decided to place her faith instead in the fact that Jack enjoyed helping with her kids - a way to compensate for the fact that he and Carly couldn't have their own.
Though, thinking about that raised a curious question. Why hadn't they just adopted instead? Was it because of Jack's pride, or was there some other reason?
"Sure." Rin dismissed both Yugo's advice and her own rampaging thoughts in a word, and then she made her way toward the garage, where Shura still held the precious cargo hostage. That was where Rin had directed Jack toward, and it was also where Yusei was most likely to come looking for her - he had been part of the construction team, after all.
Upon arrival, the scene was just about what Rin had expected. The Signer brothers were there, and Shura had backed up against the motorcycle, hissing at the intruders like a mad cat. Why he was so defensive of a machine that wasn't even his baffled Rin, but for the time being, she chose to brush it off as him getting in touch with his dragon heritage.
"Hey, settle down." Yusei attempted to placate Shura, using as gentle a tone as possible. "It's broken, and we need to get it fixed. We'll let you have it back after that, okay?"
"No!" Shura shouted back, and he clutched at the bike with both hands. "I'm not letting any of you put your hands on my treasure!"
"This is absurd..." Jack sounded every bit as exasperated as Rin felt, and he took a few steps toward the little half-dragon, channeling energy into his right arm. "Are you going to cooperate, or am I going to have to knock you out?"
That had been necessary a few times in the past, unfortunately. Rin hated to see her child harmed like that, but sometimes he just wouldn't listen any other way-
"No!" Yugo jumped in front of Shura, holding out his arms in a protective stance. "If you wanna hurt him, you'll have to get through me first!"
"Yugo..." Rin placed her hands on her hips, staring down her mate. "You really aren't helping. We need to talk him down, not let him get away with this."
"I wasn't planning to let him get away with this." Yugo turned around - turning his back to Jack - and grabbed onto Shura's shoulders. "Look, I know you love this bike - it's a pretty sweet ride, and I can't blame you one bit, but you gotta stop being like this. Why don't you find some other treasure to guard while we get this little fella all fixed up? I'll take you for a ride when it's done!"
Rin's jaw dropped as it registered in her mind what had just happened. For the first time ever... even if it was through a bargain, Yugo had actually tried to get one of his kids to stop misbehaving. It was a true miracle bestowed by the Crimson Dragon, a blessing that Rin had not anticipated, and it seemed to be working. Shura's arms went slack and he let go of the motorcycle, blinking up at his father with tears in his eyes.
"Y-you..." Shura spoke slowly, and the pain in his tone was clear. "You always... why... why did you...?" He growled suddenly, then lunged at Yugo. "Why did you betray me!?"
Fortunately, Yugo had quick reflexes, and he was able to block Shura's attack; he gripped his son's wrists, growling right back at him, and Rin was once again astonished by Yugo's behavior. What in the world had made him decide to change his mind on disciplining his children? Was this a temporary thing, or...
"No more Mr. Nice Yugo," the guardian hissed, and then he moved lightning-quick, one of his hands going from Shura's wrist to his shirt. "If you wanna scrap, I'm taking it outside. No one touches my treasure and gets away with it."
...Oh, it was a dragon thing. Rin breathed a heavy sigh as she watched Yugo drag Shura out of the garage, and she braced herself for the angry tirade that she knew would follow from one or both of them... but at least the bike was no longer being guarded.
"I don't think I'll ever understand dragons," Jack muttered, and the magic he'd been channeling faded; he glanced over at his brother, who actually looked a bit surprised as well. "So, are you fixing it, or...?"
"...Yeah." Yusei shook his head as if trying to clear it, and then he gave a single nod. "I just... wow. I didn't expect that."
"I didn't, either," Rin admitted, and she pressed a hand to her forehead. "Geez... I hope he doesn't hurt Shura too badly."
"This is pretty standard dragon parenting." Yusei made his way over to the freed bike, kneeling beside it so that he could inspect it. "At least, according to Stardust. They'll be fine."
"Yeah, but Shura isn't all dragon..." Rin stepped over as well, though she didn't get up close and personal with the motorcycle yet. "He's half-human, and-"
"Has the blood of the Queen of Light," Jack reminded Rin, interrupting her. "I wouldn't be surprised if Yugo's the one stumbling in all bloody and broken after this. You should worry about yourself, Rin."
That was a good point. While the full potential of the half-dragons wasn't yet known, they'd demonstrated remarkable physical and magical strength, and the oldest of the royal heirs had already surpassed her parents in a few fields. Yugo had also been slacking off in his training as of late, so with that in mind, Rin was inclined to agree with Jack - there was a chance that Shura would come out the victor, though hopefully not before they got this thing all fixed up.
"Mind if I help?" Rin offered. "It's our bike, after all."
"I could use the help," Yusei answered her with a smile. "Thanks. Between us, we'll have it fixed in no time."
Rin didn't doubt that - she'd seen how skilled Yusei was in her time working alongside him, and she was grateful to have him on board. More than once, she had considered hiring him as her personal mechanic, but she knew that wasn't what he wanted; he preferred to work on a local scale, taking on odd jobs around the modest house where he and Akiza lived, and it would have been cruel to take him away from that.
This arrangement was fine, as long as he didn't mind helping the queen out every now and then...
Exyzia was not quite the same as it had been before its fall, but its former prince had something now that he had lost during the war - hope.
Shay had put everything he had into restoring his country, spending his time alongside the menial laborers to make sure every brick was set properly. It was beneath what most would consider appropriate for royals, but Exyzia's throne had been turned over to a different person now, and Shay wouldn't have cared either way. He was content where he was, doing what he could to help his sister and her mate... and that included caring for their children from time to time.
When Lulu had given birth to her first set of twins, it had come as a surprise for everyone. Dragons and humans weren't supposed to be able to have children together - and yet similar things had transpired in Penduluma and Synchronia at around the same time, giving rise to a new and powerful royal generation. The second set of twins came as less of a surprise, though there was some humor to be had in the fact that Yuto and Lulu's children came in pairs.
More importantly, at least to him, Shay had noticed a different sort of phenomenon involving himself and his sister. They had both reached a certain age, and then it was as if they were locked in stasis all over again; their bodies did not advance as they should have, and consultations with the other royals revealed that the same was happening to them. It was both strange and concerning, and Shay wondered if it had something to do with the one who had taken the throne in Lulu's stead.
While he was yet young and naive, Yuto was a strong and compassionate ruler, guiding Exyzia better than anyone had imagined. There had been a few threats to the peace, and he had handled them the only way a dragon knew how - by shifting into his true form and demonstrating to the miscreants that such behavior would not be tolerated. That had been enough to settle the unrest for now, but Shay knew that it would likely continue in the future... perhaps enough to warrant him calling upon his flock once again.
As he stood outside the Keystone Tower of Exyzia, one of the few places that offered him any semblance of peace and quiet, Shay felt a tingling in his back - his crest was responding to something, and he looked at the horizon, searching for whatever was approaching. A shriek resonated through the air, and then a beast that was somewhere between a bird and a dragon became visible, cutting through the air on jet-black wings; Shay glimpsed a mess of orange hair on top of the person riding the creature, and he had it in him to be surprised by this new development.
"Hey there!" The Signers' brother greeted Shay with a call and a wave before he leaped off of the dragon's back - a bit of a distance from the ground, but he landed in a way that would minimize the damage he took, and then stood back up like it was nothing. Even though Crow lacked any sort of magical capabilities, he was skilled enough in other fields to compensate, and Shay had seen that firsthand when he came to help with the rebuilding of Exyzia.
"I wasn't expecting you this soon," Shay observed, and a smile crossed his face as he made his way over to his friend. "Who's that?" He gestured at the dragon, who made itself comfortable at the base of the tower, curling up on the ground as it watched the two humans.
"Just a guy I met in the realm of dragons." Crow gave a nonchalant shrug. "Stardust and Archfiend introduced me to him... said he was an old friend of theirs. He calls himself Black-Feather in the human tongue."
"Black-Feather, huh..." Shay scanned the dragon's form, then nodded. "I can see why you two get along." He gave a short laugh. "How's everyone back in Synchronia?"
"They're doing great." Crow sounded amused. "Yusei's in full dad mode. He isn't just taking care of his own - he's also taking care of Rin's kids. Jack's just spoiling 'em all... I never expected that from him. I thought he'd hate them."
Shay thought back to his own experiences as an uncle, and his smile broadened. "You'd be surprised." He turned his gaze toward the pinnacle of the Keystone Tower. "...How about Carly?"
"...Just between you and me, I think she's a bit bummed out." Crow spoke in a quiet tone, as if anyone other than Black-Feather was around to hear. "But she loves spending time with the kids... guess she feels like the mom she'll never be when she's around 'em."
"Blood doesn't make family," Shay reminded Crow - something he should've considered already. "...She can still be a mother."
"Guess you got a point there," Crow conceded, and he scratched the back of his neck with his hand. "But that also depends on Jack... you know how stubborn he is."
"I could never forget." Shay closed his eyes, lowering his head. "...He's a lot like Kite."
"Kite, huh..." Crow hummed. "I can see it. How's he doing, anyway?"
"He's an Exyzian, through-and-through." Shay opened his eyes to look at Crow again. "The only thing better than having one dragon to help you rebuild is having three. Kite and Hart... Yuto is part of their family now, too."
In truth, Shay hadn't known what to expect from the relationship between Kite and Yuto. He'd been skeptical of the idea that brothers separated at birth - or before birth - could ever be as close as if they'd grown up together, but the two of them had gone and proven him wrong, a fact he was grateful for.
"So he's definitely staying in Exyzia..." Crow grinned. "Guess that gives me another reason to visit, huh?"
"I can give you another." Shay considered the incorrigible behavior of his young nephew. "Yuma is giving Yuto and Lulu a lot of trouble. You're welcome to come and help out whenever you can."
Crow laughed hard, and his grin became even wider. "...That a request? You better tell his parents first!"
"Don't worry, I'll let them know." Shay focused on the emblem etched across his back, calling out to his favorite falcon - the last of his flock that remained awake. "Want to come with me?"
"Sure." Crow glanced briefly at Shay, likely taking note of the light that the Raid Raptors' crest gave off, and then he turned his attention to the feathered dragon. "Hey, buddy, you wanna see who we're talking about?"
"Dragons who've chosen to live among humans..." Black-Feather spoke, projecting his voice to both Crow and Shay. "And the child of a dragon and human... I'd love to meet them."
As if on cue, Shay's raptor announced its presence with a shriek, and the former prince of Exyzia waited for his mount to come close before he climbed atop it. He watched as Crow boarded Black-Feather again, and then they were off, rocketing toward the royal castle of Exyzia.
Perhaps he hadn't gotten much quiet time, but Shay couldn't complain - after all, it wasn't every day that he got to talk with Crow.
The chasm between humans and dragons grew narrower every day, and the Crimson Dragon was greatly pleased by this fact.
As was intended, the children of mixed blood drew both intrigue and affection to them, though their latent potential would not be unlocked for some time yet. The stars shone favorably upon these heirs to the new era, and yet the Crimson Dragon did have one concern - not all had taken well to the closing gap, and a new threat loomed on the horizon of the mortal world, still unseen by those who lived upon it.
It was not a threat on the same scale as the Earthbound Immortals, yet it was a threat to the future that the Crimson Dragon had planned regardless. The bridge across the chasm was fragile, and it would only take a strong breeze to topple it; these adversaries would come with the force of a gale, and they would not stop until every last plank and rope was burned to ashes, leaving the two races forever separated.
For the time being, the Crimson Dragon's intervention in mortal affairs had come to an end. If its chosen could not stand up to the task that awaited them, it would have no choice but to intervene again, and it hoped that its faith in those humans and dragons was not misplaced.
They had defeated six of the seven Earthbound Immortals and convinced the last to concede quietly, so there was no doubt that they were capable of protecting this promised future, but would they stand and fight, or would their strength prove to be a fluke? Only time would tell, as the Crimson Dragon had chosen not to see into the future, just this once...