Kai couldn't deny it. The memories that simmered in the back of his mind surged forward, and he recognized that face. He'd been young, maybe an infant, when last he saw his father. But that was the same man, if not a bit more burly, a bit stronger.

"How?" Kai asked.

"Well, won't give you all those details," Ichigo said with a wry smirk. "I think you're asking more how am I here, how'd I find you?"

Kai nodded, slowly. He remembered his mother, too, but even more vaguely. He had no memory of Ichigo and Kairi together, though.

"Like I said, I came here when I knew Zeref was here," Ichigo said. "But I'd caught wind that Fairy Tail would be coming here as well. It's not hard for me to get across large bodies of water, believe it or not. I just had to hold out hope you were here, and when I saw you running around, I had to get your attention somehow. Just to see you again." Ichigo rested his hands on his hips. "And to see how much you've grown! Wow! A guild wizard! It's incredible."

Kai stood at a loss for words. His father…returned after years.

"Mom?" he asked.

Ichigo pursed his lips. "You don't remember, then." Kai shook his head and Ichigo let out a long sigh. "I should've known, you were oh so young when it all happened and we met Kairi. There was a blizzard, Kai, a nasty one. It took out our entire village, killed almost everyone. Only two people survived."

"You and mom?"

"Me and you. Your mother died, froze to death protecting you. I didn't think I had much of a chance to save you. Hell, I thought I was done for as well. I could barely move. Couldn't eat, couldn't sleep.

"Then, Kairi came. Turns out it'd been another ice dragon not that fond of humans who summoned the blizzard, and she was too late to save the humans she cared for. I didn't even have the strength to ask for help, she just jumped in and did so, granting you Dragon Slayer magic to help your body contend with the cold. She took you away to train you. I saw you a few days later to make sure you were okay then I…I had to go."

"What happened? How did you get better?"

Ichigo rubbed his head and just chuckled. "Now that is a bit complicated. Lets just say it involves a fair bit of magic you wouldn't want to get yourself involved in."

"Magic that Zeref knows about?"

"Looks like Kairi made you a smart one."

"I haven't seen Kairi in years. She vanished in the year 777."

Ichigo's gaze went a bit distant. "777. She did indeed…Guess she thought you'd be okay with your training, eh?"

"I've picked up a few things on my own."

More sounds of battle broke out over the island, catching Kai's attention. Ichigo did not seem all that bothered by it all. He had an unwavering, content gaze cemented on his face.

"You really care for these people, don't you?"

"They're my family. I have to protect them."

"Grimoire Heart is no joke. Their Master, Hades, is a crackpot old fool. Can't believe he was once Fairy Tail's Guild Master."

Kai's heart sank. "What?"

"Before your current master, yes. Precht was his name. A resourceful wizard, always striving to know more. Reminds me a lot of Zeref."

"It's unsettling how well you know Zeref." Kai realized he was easing up on his offensive stance, then shifted to hold firm. "How?"

Ichigo waved him off. "Trust me, it's a whole thing you don't need to worry about."

"I've seen a lot of people do terrible things in his name, if he's involved with you, I would like to know how."

His father grunted. "I think you may have larger problems right now."

"What lar—"

Something tore in Kai's body and all his strength faded. He dropped his sword and fell to his knees, hardly able to breathe for a moment. His muscles failed him. Ichigo rested his hands on hips. The entire ground rumbled on the island, bits of dirt flicking and flaking all over the place.

The rumbling turned to a vicious roar and groan as the island's weight and gravity shifted. Kai turned his attention to the massive roots uplifting from the ground as the humongous Tenrou Tree splintered and toppled over part of the island, settling in massive heaps of dirt and debris.

Color drained from Kai's face. He managed to just grasp his sword and use it as a crutch to get back on his feet. However, he had no sense of magic.

"Oh dear," Ichigo muttered.

"My magic is gone."

"That tree likely gave Fairy Tail protections and boosts," he said. "And someone from Grimoire Heart thought it a good idea to make it a little easier to defeat all of you."

"Cowards."

Kai raised his head to his father. "I need to go. I need to find Erza."

"Erza?"

"My girlfriend," Kai said, and barely took a few steps, seriously leaning on his sword as a crutch. "The reason my heart beats."

"Oh poetic." Ichigo nodded and turned away from Kai. "You won't be of much help so long as that tree has fallen. She may already be dead, son."

"Not as long as I live will she die."

His father nodded. "I see. There is a great exertion of magic power not that far from here. Maybe it's her, maybe it's your Guild Master, I don't know."

"Come help me."

"I'll hunt down the rest of Grimoire Heart," Ichigo said. "And when I'm done, you had better be off this island, too."

"I have to defeat…Master Hades." Kai almost slipped while using his sword as a brace. Ichigo laughed.

"Don't be a fool, Kai! Come on. He's a current Guild Master. He's been alive studying the finer arts of magic well before even your Guild Master was born."

"And he attacked me home."

Ichigo's voice went low, cold. "This isn't your home, Kai."

"Fairy Tail is where my home is!" Kai exclaimed. "And right now, Fairy Tail is under attack, by him! He embarrassed me once before, almost used me as a pawn in his games. I won't let it happen again, and I won't let him hurt anymore of my family."

Kai stepped back and turned away as Ichigo moved to face Kai. "You can't win."

"As long as that tree is broken, yeah, maybe not. So I'll have to fix the tree."

"How, you use Ice magic?"

"It doesn't matter!" Kai managed to get over a large root jutting from the ground. "I'll find a way. Fairy Tail always does!"

He took another step but the ground gave way beneath him and he tumbled forward, unable to catch himself. He bounced off the hill and came to a stop at the base of it, then stabbed his sword into the ground and pulled himself forward.

All of his muscles begged for him to stop, to just give up and rest.

"Kai!" his father's voice cried from above.

"You said you'd go take out the rest of them!" Kai at last got to his feet, blood seeping down the cut in his chest through the tear in his shirt. "Please!"

"But you'll die."

Kai sighed and trudged forward, the weight of each step increasing and trying to tug him into the ground.

Explosions and the loud cacophony of battle erupted in front of him. He passed through one final struggle of bushes and trees before he came to a large opening, one that had probably not been there before. Several branches, bushes, large and small trees were all toppled to the ground, both uprooted and decayed.

Among it all stood Azuma, arms crossed, some weary signs of battle etched across his body. Across from him, already down on one knee and huffing, was Erza. Kai balled a fist.

"Azuma!" he roared so loud the Dark Wizard glared his way.

"What are you doing here?" Erza exclaimed.

Kai gripped his sword tight in his hand. "I'm here to help."

"You're here to die, Fairy," Azuma said. "Stay out of this fight."

"There's nothing you can do, Kai," Erza said. "You don't have any magic. It…it's up to me!"

Kai sighed and bowed his head. "Yeah, maybe. But it doesn't mean you have to completely do it alone, Erza."

He flashed his sword in the sunlight that splintered through the canopy, and Erza's eyes came alight with understanding. Azuma sneered and the wood around Kai momentarily splintered before several vines shot out and caught Kai by the ankles, wrists, neck and slammed him against the tree, his sword stabbed into the bark below.

Tiny stars dazzled in front of his face. Azuma glowered back at Erza, who held her hand out. The sword momentarily quivered, then zipped into her grasp, flashing alight with magic.

"Another blade, Titania?" Azuma asked.

"My final blade," Erza said, and a brilliant light flickered around her before armor attached to her, but one that Kai had never seen before.

It was dark blue and rather than normal steel armor, it looked like scales lined her. Sharp wings protruded out and she wore a helm that most definitely resembled a dragon.

"Dragon Armor!"

"What the hell is that?" Azuma shrieked.

"Apologies to you, Kai, but each time we've sparred I've made sure to take tiny bits of your magic power with the hopes of one day harnessing it into an armor of my own for the day we would fight Acnologia together," Erza said. "Azuma! This is no longer just my armor! I wield my power and the power of Kai! And with the sword I've forged for us, you will be slain."

The sword glowed once and Erza blasted at Azuma, easily weaving through the tree tendrils he fired her way, slamming into him and kicking him away. He vanished into one of the trees and reappeared, launching at her.

Erza turned on a dime and held the sword aloft.

"Frozen Sword Formation: Frozen First Layer!"

The magic circle that Erza made was far larger than any Kai had generated with the spell. A blue glint shone in her eye as the spell was cast, completely freezing the limbs in place. Erza blasted forward, kneeing Azuma out of the trees. He bounced off and collided with Erza, who surged through the punch.

Kai's mouth dropped. He'd completely forgotten how exhausted he was supposed to be. Erza moved with the grace, power, and speed of a dragon, darting around Azuma. And it was no wonder she could: she's managed to combine her own already incredible power with that of Dragon Slayer magic. Plus, there was tons of magic power waiting to be used in the sword.

Erza was unstoppable.

"I studied all your magic, your strengths!" Azuma roared, and a huge tree limb jutted out and blitzed Erza, who cleaved it in two and with a mighty roar held up another trunk that threatened to crush her under heel. Azuma then dashed at her.

"Dragon Roar!"

The helm lit one and a pure beam of magic shot from the eyes at the top of the helm, knocking Azuma away as Erza flipped away from the trunk. Azuma reappeared in the trunk and managed to at last score a hit on Erza, punching her hard across the face, but Erza spun it back around and elbowed him just as hard across the face, sending him flying into a tree, where he once more reappeared but Erza froze him in place.

"What, no!"

"Finish it, Erza!" Kai shouted.

"You thought you could finish off all of Fairy Tail in one stroke, Azuma?" Erza exclaimed, the sword glowing brighter by the second. "You never had any idea just how strong Fairy Tail is when we work to protect one another, when we struggle and fight through adversity to stand alongside one another!"

In a mad blitz of blue magic, Erza charged, holding the blade aloft.

"Dragon Blade Secret Art!"

She slashed down and a huge slice of magic obliterated the tree Azuma was on, sending him hurtling way down into the ground below. Erza landed where he'd been and the Dragon Armor vanished instantly. She sighed one last time, barely able to keep herself up.

"Just as I protect Fairy Tail, they protect me," Erza said. "That is the truth behind our strength, one you'll just never understand nor defeat."

"W—wrong."

The hold on Kai broke and he dropped to his knees. A bright glow came from where Azuma had fallen. Kai just managed to make his way to overlook him on a ridge. He was sprawled, broken on the ground near the base of the toppled Tenrou Tree.

"I understand now what it is that will always separate Fairy Tail from other guilds," Azuma said. "Your strength. Your conviction. It shatters boundaries and forges bonds that are truly unbreakable."

He closed his eyes and the glow continued, though it only seeped into the tree the more the glow continued.

"It pushed me beyond my limits. And now, you'll have your power back." Azuma opened his eyes, glowing too with that brilliant light. "The power that transcends life into something greater."

The dark wizard held his head back and his body melded into the base of the tree, becoming something of a statue as the light faded and then erupted out from the tree as limbs climbed upon themselves and large tumbles of green once more returned. The Tenrou Tree, somehow, pulled itself from its shattered position into its rightful place.

As it did so, strength returned to Kai. He held out his hand and snagged the blade from the air. He leapt over to Erza and gave her a huge hug before planting a nice kiss right on her forehead.

"You were amazing. You're definitely queen of the Fairies."

Erza smiled faintly at Kai and braced herself against him. "It was our strength, Fairy Tail's strength, that won the day."

Kai wished he could smile and acknowledge that, but something lingered in the background, behind Erza, through the broken foliage. A great airship had landed on the very shores they'd arrived on initially. Erza followed Kai's gaze and steeled herself, Requipping into her Clear Heart armor, holding her own katana tight in her right hand as the left clutched Kai's shoulder.

"Hades," Kai muttered.

"If we stop him, we'll send Grimoire Heart packing," Erza said. "We'll save our home."

"We might be all that's left."

"It'll be enough."

Kai turned to Erza, whose hard expression still eked out a grin. "It has to be," she said.

They laced their hands together, and dashed through the forests of Tenrou before leaping out into the clearing. Erza landed a bit rougher than Kai, who helped her stay on her feet.

A few scents became clear to Kai even through the rain. Natsu and Happy and Pantherlily.

Lucy and Wendy and Carla.

The six of them weren't in great shape, but still walked with their shoulders back, confidence on their face.

One last presence came forward: Gray, blood staining his arms but no such loss or despair in his face.

The group gathered before the airship.

"Are we all that's coming?"

"We're all that's left," Natsu said.

"And Hades is the all that's left, too."

Ichigo's warning rang in Kai's mind. He still remembered the daunting power the Dark Guild Master held.

"This is a foe unlike anything we've ever faced, including that bastard Jose," Kai said.
"He overpowered Master Makarov," Lucy muttered.

"Everyone else in Grimoire Heart is afraid of him," Wendy said.

"And he's going down."

Kai held up his hand. A blast of ice shattered the door barring their entry, met with no resistance. With sword in hand, and friends behind him, Kai walked into Grimoire Heart's airship, toward Hades.