Zeref's Sister

Chapter 22: Twin Dragons

The fight against the Oracion Seis was over and done with before anyone could think. Wendy was now a part of Fairy Tail and everything seemed to be going slowly back to normal. That was until Zinnia received a letter. Skia came racing into the guild hall with the letter clutched in his hands almost knocking Gajeel and a few other members over with how fast he was flying.

"Zinnia!" The exceed shouted as he came to an instant stop in front of his friend.

"What is it Skia?" She asked giving him a worried look.

"You got a letter." He said handing her the paper taking a seat on the table trying to catch his breath.

"It's just a letter Skia. Why were you flying in here so-" Zinnia stopped herself seeing who the letter was addressed from. "We need to go." She stood to her feet running to Master Makarov's office to explain to him that she would be leaving for a short while before she and Skia were racing out of the guild.

"Sis Zin! Where are you going?" Natsu asked as he and the rest of Team Natsu were coming back from Wendy's first job.

"I have some business that I have to take care of." She said trying to not stop.

"Let us come with you, we would love to help," Erza said giving her friend a smile.

"No, no it's okay. Skia and I can handle it. We won't be gone long. Maybe a few days." Zinnia smiled. Lucy and Happy shared a look before looking to Zinnia who nodded. 

"I'm sure it's nothing that she'll need our help with you guys. Don't worry." Lucy said trying to push her friends to the guild. Zinnia mouthed a thank you to her before continuing her way out of Magnolia.

"You didn't even read the letter, why are we rushing there so fast?" Skia asked as they flew through the sky.

"I just have this feeling. Rouge doesn't write unless something happens, I don't care what the letter says I just have to make sure that he's alright." Zinnia says looking to the letter that still clutched in her hand.

"I'm sure he's fine Zinnia," Skia says moving around a flock of birds. "I don't know how much longer I can fly for like this." 

"It's okay, take us down. We're almost there, I can walk from here." Zinnia smiled at him as she was slowly taken down to the ground.

"It's been a while since we last saw Rouge, how much do you think he's changed?" Skia asked flying next to his friend.

"I know. We've been so busy with the guild, it's been one thing after the other. I hope he's still my little Shadow." Zinnia sighed as the small town came into view. "We're here, let's see if we can find Rouge." She grinned beginning to run.

They entered the small town smiling at people who remembered her. She was given a little bit of direction on where Rouge would be, the edge of the forest of town. That's where he always was, he liked it there away from everyone else. She followed the familiar path that led to the little hut that Rouge lived in with Frosh. She knocked on the door waiting for him to answer.

Slowly the door opened showing a very tired looking Rouge. "Sis Zinnia?" His eyes lit up at the sight of her.

"Rouge! My little Shadow!" She grinned pulling him into a hug. She had missed him so much.

"What are you doing here?" He asked with a large smile on his face.

"I got your letter and realized that I haven't seen you in so long. I wanted to come and see you." Zinnia smiled.

"Did you read my letter?" He asked.

"Uh, no." Zinnia chuckled scratching the back of her neck.

"It's okay, I can tell you about it now that you're here!" He grinned. "I met someone else who uses the same magic as I do!" 

"Really? Who is that?" She asked. She had told him about other people having Dragon Slayer magic, she knew that one way or another that he would run into another one of her children. Which one she wasn't sure about.

"I'll take you to him! Let me wake Frosh up." Rouge ran back into his little hut. She could hear Rouge fighting Frosh awake, laughing as he was having a hard time. Finally, Rouge walked out with a still sleeping Frosh in his arms.

"Didn't want to get out of bed yet?" Zinnia giggled taking the green to exceed from the boy's arms.

"No. He does this every morning." Rouge sighed leading Zinnia through the forest.

"Well, you have to remember Rouge, he is just a child himself. Don't act like you don't sleep in all of the time too." She laughed following behind the boy. She looked to Skia who was smiling fondly down at Frosh, he took a strong liking to the green cat when they met. Skia felt like he had to help look after the other exceed and teach him, he felt like he had to protect Frosh.

Slowly Frosh began to wake up and Zinnia was grinning who he opened his eyes and he had a large smile on his face. "Sis Zin!" He exclaimed. "Fro has missed you!" He hugged her like no tomorrow causing her to laugh. 

"I missed you too Fro. Look who's with me," She grinned as Skia flew around hugging Frosh who hugged him back.

"Fro missed Skia too!" The green cat exclaimed. Zinnia and Rouge laughed at their friends who followed behind them. 

"So how much longer?" Zinnia asked Rouge.

"We're almost there. He's been staying by the river. He has a talking cat too you know." He. Talking cat. Sting. There was no one else who it could be, she had the other three back at Fairy Tail.

"Oh, how funny." Zinnia smiled. She had to hide it. Somehow she was going to have to figure out how to keep most of it from the two of them. Natsu and Gajeel are a little too idiotic to try and say anything, Wendy was too little to remember much. Rouge and Sting were younger as well, but she visited them more than she did Wendy.

"We're here! Sting! Where are you?" Rouge shouted as the made it to the river bank. There was a tent set up along the tree line. Soon Sting slowly climbs out of the tent while rubbing his eyes, Lector right behind him. "I brought a friend." Rouge ran up to Sting giving him a hug. Just like when they were little. Maybe those memories or the feeling that they shared are still there. Their fathers did raise like like twins.

"Zinnia?" Sting asked catching sight of her.

"Hi, Sting." She smiled pulling him into a hug. "I've missed you. My little light." He could always make her smile even when she was upset. Rouge was her little Shadow, he followed her no matter what, Sting was her light showing her the way. They were the perfect team.

"Wait, how do you know each other? What's going on?" Rouge asked looking between them.

"How do you know each other?" Sting asked looking to Rouge. "Zinnia I want an answer." He was going to lose his temper. He was almost as hot-headed as Natsu, though Sting did look up to the fire dragon slayer.

"Well boys, you both know my story. I knew all of the dragons, your fathers were my best friends. They entrusted you to me if something ever happened to them. When they vanished I did my best to take care of you, but there were other's who I had to take care of. I jumped around trying to care of all of you." Zinnia sighed looking at the two young boys.

"Why didn't you just bring us all together?" Rouge asked. He was hurt. He felt like she picked someone else over him, her little Shadow.

"I couldn't do that. It was dangerous to do that. The dragons also asked me to let all of you find each other on your own." 

"Like Gajeel and Natsu?" Sting asked. Gajeel and Natsu, these two boys idolized them and Zinnia sometimes wished they wouldn't. 

"Like Gajeel and Natsu. Now you two have come together. Please understand what I was doing what was asked of me." Zinnia looked away from her two youngest boys looking at the exceeds playing in the sand by the river. Skia was making sure that Frosh didn't get too close to the water and that Lector didn't push Frosh into the water.

"Okay. But no more secret alright?" Sting grinned.

"Yeah, no more secrets!" Rouge agreed and jumped on Zinnia in a hug. Sting followed behind causing Zinnia to smile.

"No more secrets. Thank you, boys. Now tell me what you've been up too. You haven't been causing any trouble right?" Zinnia grinned at the two as they began a story.