Irene the Sage Dragon stood as tall and mighty as any Dragon that Kai had ever seen, maybe even bigger than Kairi. She didn't have the pure muscle mass of someone like Acnologia but she had a firm build and humongous wings.
Searing red eyers glared down at the minuscule forms of Kai and Erza, both positioned in defensive stances as if they would even help against a dragon.
"This will be incredibly difficult without Wendy to enchant my magic," Erza said. "I only have one trick up my sleeves, and it's a long shot."
"At this point everything is a long shot," Kai said. "Do what you need to do."
He couldn't get Iggy out of his mind, though. Nor could he come to terms with killing Irene; not out of a desire to spare her life, but the Enchantment she placed on Iggy intwined their lives. If Irene should fall, Iggy would die.
Wendy was doing her best to undo the enchantment, or curse, or whatever it was. Until that time they had to defeat a dragon, but not kill it.
Kai adjusted his stance.
"I'll do the first few attacks against her," Kai said. "That'll buy you some time to do what you need to do."
"Be careful," Erza said. Kai nodded and winked at her.
Irene slammed her foot down and the ground broke beneath Kai. He propelled forward, turning his arms to icy wings to gain more speed as he closed the distance between himself and his mother-in-law.
Irene laughed at his attempt, and perhaps just at how small he was in comparison. She swung a surprisingly fast talon at him. He leapt over it and shot into the air toward her.
"Ice-Make: Copy!"
Irene almost clamped down on Kai but he created a perfect clone of himself and leapt over the attack again, not almost level with her face.
"Ice Dragon Scattering Strike!"
He cupped his hands and then launched a beam at Irene that she blew apart, but the magic coalesced and sliced down at her, though it appeared to inflict minimal damage. Kai flipped back to avoid her strike. It held enough power to easily shatter every bone in his body.
"I know the secrets of your Dragon Slayer abilities, yet you continue to use said magic against me? You're nothing but an arrogant, little fool!"
Irene prepared a dragon breath to obliterate Kai, who was essentially prone in mid-air.
"Stay out of this family's business!" Irene roared, and launched the attack.
From beneath, though, a blur flashed through the sky and slammed into her lower jaw, veering the attack far off-course. Irene snarled and glared down at the ground.
Erza stood in her Giant Armor, her great lance that shattered the skies above Galuna Island still ripping through the skies above. Irene snarled.
Kai adjusted himself and used the winds to fall down toward Irene, dropping right onto her back.
He summoned swaths of magic into his hands, slamming them together over his head.
Irene spun around to try and shake him off but he locked himself to her back with his magic.
"Ice Dragon Storm!"
Kai leapt back and launched the attack at her. Thunder brewed in the skies above before the magic struck Irene hard in the back. She roared and ice slithered all across her back.
Something hissed in the wind behind him and he wasn't fast enough to dodge her tail that struck him in the arm and sent him flying to the ground.
He slid hard against the ground, tumbling to a stop against some rubble. Kai punched the ground and managed to get to his knees again.
Irene visibly shivered from his attack. Erza sprinted toward her, a black aura consuming her before the Purgatory Armor appeared. Certainly that wasn't part of her plan, right?
Erza's assault distracted Irene enough from Kai to let him get back to his feet. If his arm wasn't broken it was certainly fractured, and definitely useless. He couldn't even feel his fingertips and it was a struggle enough to just roll his shoulder.
Erza slammed her mace down on Irene's talon that stretched out at her, spewing dark dragon blood into the air. The force of the blow also shattered the ground beneath Irene. Erza was hitting Irene with everything she could and yet even that wasn't enough to do significant damage.
Or, at least, it looked like she was hitting her hard as she could.
Irene summoned some magic to her own fist, the shadowy one, and swiped at Erza, who did manage to block that attack but was sent shooting back almost toward where Wendy and Iggy were still hiding.
Kai approached Irene as Erza at last stopped. Irene the Sage Dragon shifted her attention from one to the other.
"How are you both still standing? Is it this unstoppable willpower that Fairy Tail possess? Is it love?"
"I don't know what it is," Kai said. "But I just know I won't lose here."
"You can't even use your arm."
"I have a spare."
"For now."
Irene launched at Kai with blazing speed and power. Kai stomped his foot in the ground, making momentary eye-contact with Erza before diving to the side of Irene's furious yet foolish attack, and only just managing to dodge her tail.
Irene swooped into the air, holding her hand aloft for another attack.
"It's now or never, Erza!" Kai shouted.
"I know, I just needed some distance!" Erza exclaimed. "Here goes! Requip Externa: Dragon Armor!"
Kai turned to watch Erza's new, surprise spell, and though a magic circle appeared around her feet and an aura exploded about her, she did gain any magic.
Instead, Kai felt a surge, a sudden one, of ether nano around him, and thin sheets of dragon scales coated his entire body.
"An external Requip? Erza, you continue to impress me!" Irene exclaimed. "It'll be a shame to see you die."
"Kai, go, now! I'm right behind you!" Erza exclaimed. "Requip: Flight Armor!"
"That armor must have been specially designed for him." Irene summoned more power to her shadow hand. "But it doesn't matter!"
"It does! Kai and I share an unbreakable bond, one that allows us to share magic, even! And if he has my magic, he can use it!"
"And you mine!" Kai shouted, and flicked his wrist, shooting his sword toward Erza, who caught it and charged behind Kai as he took flight like a dragon.
Irene swung her arm down at him and shadows engulfed the world around him.
But the ethernano in the armor charged up just as he needed to usher forward some more magic.
"Ice Dragon Talon!"
Kai clawed his way through the shadows and appeared out the other end, some of the armor having fallen away. Irene smiled at it and swung her normal talon down at him.
Kai tried to block with his own magic but it was just too weak. However, that's where Erza came in, and using her incredible speed, head-butted Irene's hand away and sliced up, cutting through one eye and partially blinding her.
"Ice Dragon Roar!"
The blast hit Irene dead in the face, knocking her snout and head back,. The blast also came out incredibly strong, almost as strong as—
WHAM!
The shadow talon came out of nowhere, as if it'd extended, and slammed into Kai, shooting him off to the side and sending the little bits of armor off of him.
"Kai!" Erza exclaimed.
"Your plan is doomed for failure, my daughter! Your destinies are to die here, at my hand! You have no power that can save you anymore!"
"I still have hope! And that won't get stolen from me."
Kai opened his eyes while the armor started to fade into tiny particles. Erza once more Requipped, this time into her own Dragon Armor, as she floated in the air. Her magic was still as high as ever.
She stared down the Sage Dragon without fear in her eyes, prepared to take it down. Prepared to do whatever she had to in order to save everyone.
And Kai was just going to let her down?
The ether nano swirled around Kai, and like Natsu at the Tower of Heaven, he absorbed it, taking in a great gale of wind and summoning all of the magic into him.
Coursing and hot pain writhed and lanced through his body. He hurtled toward the ground at top speed, yet, with that new power, he welcomed the winds. His bones froze over and ice crept along his body.
He balled a fist and before he hit the ground let out a mighty roar that even stole Irene's attention, at least enough for Erza to lay down a powerful attack on her mother.
"I won't lose here!" Kai shouted, and hit the ground, but did so standing, and wreathed power off of his aura. "Not until I've saved my guild! This is the power to defeat Acnologia, the power to save Fairy Tail!"
"Dragon Force?" Irene spun toward Kai, little sparks of fear flicking in her eyes. "Wh—what?"
"Erza has given me the strength to do the impossible," Kai said. "So I won't let her lose here, not to you, not to anyone!"
Irene dodged away from Erza's next attack as Kai summoned even more magic.
"You've really done it now, children," Irene said. "I'll destroy this entire continent if I have to! You think you're so great now that you've attained Dragon Force? It's still nothing!"
Irene held her hand up but a roaring wind preceded Kai before he reappeared at top speed in front of Irene and punched her hard across the face, followed up by Erza's attack that significantly wounded her.
Kai spun around, feeling the fringes of his magic ready to give out. That ether nano, as helpful as it was, also ate away at him. He didn't have long.
Irene shot shadows down at both of them that Kai swooped and intercepted, casting an Ice Dragon Shield to block them for Erza to flip over.
"Dragon Roar!"
Erza slammed her hands together and from a magnificent magic circle, a huge beam of semi-draconic energy hit Irene square in the chest and barreled her closer to the ground. Erza held her hand and Kai's sword flew into it.
Kai bounced off the shield that he'd summoned, and was plummeting toward the ground, toward Irene with Erza.
"Deus Sema!"
The skies above rumbled, but neither Kai nor Erza took notice.
Erza flicked the blade toward Kai.
"Dragon Slayer Secret Art: Hail of the Azure Blade!"
A massive beam of Ice Dragon Magic shot down at Irene and pierced through her hand before shattering and blowing her aside. Whatever was in the sky dissipated and the magic faded away.
The Sage Dragon looked horrified to her hand before Erza came flying down, still in her Dragon Armor.
"Dragon Meteor!"
Heat generated from the impact of Erza's attack that shattered Irene upon impact, sending her right into the ground, creating a massive crater that formed beneath her.
Kai and Erza both dropped through the sky at an uncontrollable and likely fatal speed. Kai's eyes drooped as the winds sucked out all his breath.
Below, the draconic form of Irene faded and gave way back to her human body that managed to only just get back to her feet.
Kai held his hand out for Erza, who couldn't even move; they'd both spent all their magic defeating the dragon. Yet, Kai couldn't help smiling; he and Erza defeated a dragon! A powerful one at that, too.
They closed in fast on the ground, and Kai couldn't even summon the words to call out to Erza before a tiny pink blur in the distance grew larger and larger, catching Erza first and then Kai before skidding to the ground not that far from Irene.
Kai and Erza tumbled away. Kai couldn't even get up on his elbows or knees to help.
Carla stood before them, all alone in front of Irene, who stood bent and broken before the three of them. One of Erza's swords lay before her.
"Y—you…" Irene muttered.
"Don't try anything," Carla said, falling into a fighting stance.
Irene snarled and held her hand out. Carla stiffened, unable to move at all.
"Wh—what are you doing?"
"Give me your magic," Irene snarled. "I've had enough embarrassment today. Insignificant though your power may be, with my Enchantment, I'll have plenty to finish this fight!"
A dark red aura appeared around Carla before she too dropped to her knees, crumpling to the ground.
Irene stood straight, checking her shadow-like talon, then glaring at Kai.
"You first," she muttered, and a crackling red orb appeared before another pink blur took to the scene and kicked it away.
Irene slid back from the force of it as the attack swung back around.
"Sky Dragon Roar!"
"Wendy!" All three defeated Fairies tried to see her.
She was already in the sky, blasting down on Irene, who could only just block the attack.
Irene jumped away, clearly landing with some difficulty. Wendy soared at Irene, who enchanted the blade and swung down at Wendy.
Wendy dodged with graceful ease, moving with the winds themselves.
"Sky Dragon Wing Attack!"
The spell slammed down on Irene once more, who could hardly bare to do anything but take the hit.
She screamed, not a painful but furious yell, until the spell subsided and then her arms dropped to her side and she let the sword go.
Wendy dropped behind her.
Iggy, thankfully, approached from behind Wendy.
"It's over," Wendy said. "I broke the Enchantment. You won't win this fight."
Irene bowed her head.
Erza managed to get to her knees. The movement caught Irene's attention, who glanced over at Erza, tears sliding down her face.
"I never had a family," Irene muttered. "Despite how desperately I tried to save mine. I was abandoned for being a monster, for being someone that just wanted to help. In truth, I thought family wasn't just a weakness, but something only for good people. That meant I was not a good person."
Nobody spoke in response as Irene turned fully toward Erza and marched toward her. There was no way she'd have speed that outmatched either Wendy or Iggy, so any attacks she would try to pull off wouldn't go through at all.
"My sweet child," Irene muttered, her words falling upon a still solemn Erza. "Will you forgive me?"
"No," Erza said, her voice soft.
Irene stopped and smiled.
"I suspected as much. I don't deserve your forgiveness. Perhaps I only deserve to have died all those centuries ago, now, when my family tried to kill you."
"Then that wasn't your true family," Erza said. "My family surrounds me now. You…what you did to Master Makarov…He was my parent! He raised me!"
"And loved you as I never could. I wanted you to be a monster like me, Erza, I hoped you to be. But you…when I see you speak of family, I know now why I couldn't kill you back then, and why I truly don't have the strength to kill you now. Because of your happiness, Erza. I carried you for centuries, I birthed you. I am your mother. And I seek nothing but your happiness."
Irene dropped to her knees.
"I am happy," Erza said, rising to her feet. "Fairy Tail has given me a home and a life."
"That I never could or will," Irene muttered.
Erza moved toward her mother, summoning just enough magic to Requip a sword. Irene closed her eyes.
"But I do deserve this."
Erza raised the blade. Nobody moved. Kai's heart pounded. This wasn't Erza. Was this an Enchantment of Irene's? Kai almost called out to his wife before she swung the blade down and split the ground next to Irene with such force that even the blade broke a bit.
"You don't deserve forgiveness or love at all, but that doesn't mean you need to die!" Erza shouted. "So live! Live a life that you were robbed of! Live a life where you can make find happiness! Go live…mother!"
The sword clattered to the ground. Irene shook and little tears dropped from her eyes.
"I will," Irene muttered, and at last dropped to the side, away from the destroyed earth, atop a small bed of flowers.
Kai sighed, able to breath once more. Erza stumbled back. Iggy sprinted across the way and caught her before she could hit the ground.
Wendy moved over and helped Carla up as well, who'd transformed back into her Exceed state. Then, she helped Kai get to his feet.
Kai and Erza moved to one another, embracing and squeezing each other tightly before using one another as a crutch while Iggy hefted Irene over her shoulders.
The world glowed red momentarily, just as it had before, and when the flash ended, they were once more moved, but this time quite a ways away from the heart of Magnolia and toward the Fairy Hills home at the edge of town.
"Somewhere to rest," Iggy said with a smile. "I'll put her inside."
"I have enough magic to heal everyone up," Wendy said. "If that's okay."
"More than okay," Kai said.
Iggy headed inside with Irene's body while Wendy grunted and moved into Dragon Force rather effortlessly. She held her hands out, muttering some incantations. She first Erza, who'd sustained quite a bit of magical damage.
She turned her attention to Kai and started healing him. Thanks to her move into Dragon Force, his arm healed quite quickly.
He couldn't help staring back at the house, where Irene rested. What would she do after the war? Where could she go? Kai couldn't help wondering if, in some way, she'd hoped to die in the fight, that Erza would kill her, or that she could somehow escape all of this.
In truth, Irene needed the fight. Kai was sure of that. She needed to go up against her own goals and aspirations and realize that, all along, she'd been more than enough.
Erza summoned Kai's sword and handed it back to him. The familiar grip welcomed him, but also the eternal Ice magic coursing through the blade expedited the healing process.
It took Wendy only a few minutes to finish up.
"We should go in and check on Irene," Kai said. "Just to see if—"
A shiver ran through his spine.
The winds shifted. The skies opened and the clouds parted. He almost dropped his sword. His eyes widened and something from deep inside gripped his heart.
"Kai?" Erza asked.
The Ice Dragon Slayer turned around toward the rest of the world, where he swore he saw a shadow for a split second before it plummeted and broke the ground before them in a crater, dust blowing up everywhere.
Wendy and Erza covered their eyes.
A silhouette strode forward, blowing their cape back. Kai adjusted the grip on his blade.
"Get her out of here, right now," Kai said, squaring his shoulders.
A low-laugh filled the air.
"Who…who is this?" Wendy asked.
"You know exactly who I am, little one. I am that which gives your nightmares something to fear. I am the end."
"It's Acnologia," Kai said.
The Dragon of Acocalypse appeared from the debris that'd kicked up everywhere.
"The former Dragon Queen slumbers in there," Acnologia said. Kai wasn't as accustomed to seeing his human form, but from the recesses of his memory, knew he'd seen it before with Kairi. "Step aside, nephew."
"You won't lay a hand on her," Kai said.
Acnologia looked to Erza, then to Wendy, and back to Kai.
"You wish to do this here?" Acnologia asked. "Are you ready?"
"Get Irene out of here," Kai said. "Make sure she's far enough away."
"What about you?" Erza asked. "Kai! You said you wouldn't face him alone."
"I won't," Kai said, and flashed his sword in front of Erza. "When she's safe you come back, got it? Then we'll kill this one."
Acnologia brushed his cloak back a bit. "I sought the Dragon Queen, but my nephew will prove more than enough for now. Another Dragon off my list is no matter, even if he is family."
Kai shifted his blade, the one forged with the intent to kill Acnologia, and the winds billowed around them as at last Kai stood in front of his prey, the dragon who could end the world.