The main hall of Fairy Tail buzzed with excitement as Kai stepped in alongside Makarov. All around him, guild members laughed, drank, sparred, and even argued—a chaotic but strangely welcoming scene. As Kai's eyes roamed the crowd, they landed on a familiar spiky-haired boy sulking near the bar counter, looking younger and a little lost compared to the others.
Natsu Dragneel.
Natsu squinted at Kai and asked, "Who are you, and how do you know me?"
Kai smirked, approaching him from behind. "So, this is the guy who doesn't even remember his own cousin, huh?" With a playful grin, Kai balled his fist and lightly bonked it on top of Natsu's head.
Thunk.
"OW! What the hell?!" Natsu yelled, spinning around with an incredulous look.
"You little—!" Kai growled, grabbing Natsu by the scarf and shaking him playfully. "How can you forget your own family, you flame-brained idiot?!"
"What do you mean by my family?" Natsu retorted.
Kai thought inwardly, "I guess Natsu has some memory issues too. Something definitely interfered with our memories. Let's remind him about me, then."
Kai spoke again, grinning mischievously, "Did your stupid brain forget? I'm your cousin! Guess I have to beat it into you to get through."
The commotion around them caught the attention of nearly everyone in the guild. People gathered, forming a loose circle. Someone shouted, "Fight! Fight! Fight!" Makarov sighed and took a seat on a nearby barrel. "Well, might as well see what this kid can do," he muttered, stroking his mustache.
Kai released Natsu and stepped back, cracking his knuckles. "Alright, Natsu. If your head's too thick to remember, maybe I'll just beat some memories back into you."
Natsu grinned wildly, the fire in his blood responding to the challenge. "Sounds fun to me!"
Natsu charged in first, throwing a fiery punch. Kai weaved aside effortlessly, his body relaxed, eyes half-lidded. "He's gotten stronger... but not strong enough."
Natsu inhaled deeply and roared, "FIRE DRAGON'S ROOOAR!" The massive blaze surged toward Kai, but he simply opened his mouth and devoured the flames.
A hushed silence fell over the guild.
Only Dragon Slayers could do that.
The ground shook as Kai released a burst of heated wind from his nose. His aura shimmered with molten energy—a wild blend of fire and something deeper, heavier. Gray's eyes widened. "He's another Fire Dragon Slayer...?"
Erza crossed her arms, thoughtful. "No... he's something more."
Kai grinned as flames licked around his fists. "Come on, Natsu. You're not the only one trained by a dragon."
In a flash, he blurred forward, his punch connecting cleanly with Natsu's gut, sending him crashing through three tables. Natsu suddenly had flashbacks of being beaten to a pulp by his younger cousin. The crowd cheered and hooted. Dazed but grinning, Natsu stumbled up, his eyes sparkling with excitement.
"I remember now... those punches... they hurt just like before...!"
Bruised but happy, Natsu finally accepted it. "You're Kai! My cousin! Damn, I thought you were just some crazy kid!"
The guild erupted in laughter and applause. Makarov chuckled under his breath. Two Dragon Slayers trained by dragons... it couldn't be a coincidence anymore.
Natsu wiped his nose, more serious this time, and asked, "Hey... any idea where Igneel is? I've been trying to find him for a while."
Kai paused, and for a moment, the hall felt heavy. "...My dragon, Ignarax, disappeared too," he said carefully. "Same day... July 7, X777. I... don't know why. I ended up in Bosco after that."
It was a half-truth. Kai thought back grimly; his Eye had seen something sealed within Natsu—probably Igneel—and also a curse, dark and coiled, like smoke trapped in his soul. E.N.D... Demon energy.Just how much have we forgotten, Natsu? Kai wondered silently. But now wasn't the time for such thoughts.
Later that evening, Makarov stood proudly atop a table, guild mark stamper in hand. "Kai! From this moment onward, you're a member of Fairy Tail! Now, where do you want the mark, and what color?"
Kai thought for a moment. His life had been built on fire and stone. Heat and earth. He raised his arm and pointed to his left shoulder.
"And the colors...?" Makarov asked, arching a brow.
"Red, brown, and orange," Kai replied, grinning. The crowd murmured in interest; no one had ever mixed colors like that before. The stamp burned into his skin—and just like that, Kai was one of them.
The next few hours were a blur of introductions.
Levy handed him a stack of books on magic theory, and he promised to read them.
Gray scoffed from the corner, muttering, "Another fire freak, great."
Erza offered a rare smile, saying, "I look forward to training with you."
Macao and Wakaba, who had just returned from their mission, bragged about their adventures in front of him.
Kai laughed and accepted it all—the chaos, the energy, the family. "It's noisy... it's messy... it's warm. This... could be my new home."
Later that night, Makarov called Kai to his chambers at the guild for a private talk. The old master leaned back in his chair, steepling his fingers. "You fought well today. Now... tell me, how did a kid like you end up wandering alone through Bosco?"
Kai shrugged and gave a summarized version of his life—raised by Ignarax, trained to learn Magma Dragon Slayer magic, losing him suddenly, and wandering into Bosco, learning to fight to survive.
"And that Eye of yours?" Makarov pressed gently.
Kai tapped his temple. "I was born with this eye; it allows me to see magic within people and predict attacks to a certain extent. I'm still figuring out what all it can do."
Makarov sensed that the boy was hiding some parts of the truth, but he also sensed no evil, no malice. Another lost dragon cub, eh... he thought, smiling fondly.
"You'll be staying at Fairy Hills for now. Normally it's for girls, but we'll make arrangements. Free stay for a month. After that, you can earn your keep with missions."
Kai stood and bowed lightly. "Thank you... Master."
Makarov's eyes twinkled. "Welcome to the family, Kai."
As he sat outside Fairy Hills that night, gazing at the twinkling lights of Magnolia, Kai touched his new guild mark, feeling the warmth lingering under his fingertips. "Ignarax... I hope you're watching. I'm not alone anymore."