A/N: Edited on August 14, 2021

Chapter 2: Slaying Moon and Weaving Maiden

"Kazui Kurosaki."

The boy responded before that bright, caring face turned into a deathly glare aimed at the beast that roared at him in defiance. He raised his blade and released a large amount of energy, causing the air around him to become heavy.

The mages were dumbfounded at the amount of power the boy was releasing. For Wendy, this was an even bigger surprise since the pressure she felt was thought to come from the creature they were battling. Who knew that this kid was the source?

"The pressure I felt earlier, was it you?" Wendy asked the boy, now identified as Kazui.

Kazui looked at the girl. He scanned her for injuries which made Wendy blush even more. "No," he finally answered. "What you felt earlier was probably my dad. Although, the pressure around him is always heavier since he constantly leaks spiritual energy. He just has too much of it." He finished answering with a grin.

"But this pressure…?" Wendy asked, still baffled that Kazui wasn't the source.

"…Was just a signal for mom and dad to find me. Trust me, my parents have more power than I could muster, especially dad. If you were anywhere near him, you'd feel like a boulder was pressing on to you. It'll be a while, but they'll eventually get here, and when they do, this fight is finished."

The Sky Maiden couldn't comprehend what she just heard. How could anyone have that much power? Wendy then saw Kazui point his katana towards the monster.

"We've been tracking you for months, hollow," the boy revealed.

"A Soul Reaper?" the hollow said in surprise.

"Yep."

"Then I'll enjoy killing your kind into extinction!"

"Try it then, you overgrown gorilla!"

Insulted, the creature charged at the orange-haired boy in contempt. Said boy quickly sheathed his sword, and while tightly holding the blushing Wendy, he vanished in a blink of an eye and appeared beside the injured mages. Kazui put her down before turning back to face the monster. Disappearing again, the young Soul Reaper appeared behind the creature and delivered a series of slashes that caused the beast to bleed. The mages, Wendy above all else, was amazed at the skill this boy demonstrated. For someone so young, he was quite adept in swordsmanship. They also noticed that the wounds he was inflicting took longer to regenerate.

The monster jumped back from the barrage of slashes and charged another crimson attack aimed at the boy. The mages had looks of concern since they knew all too well the power behind that red blast. However, they didn't expect Kazui to stretch out his right hand, palm open, and began charging the same energy attack the monster was preparing.

"No way!" they all exclaimed in their thoughts. "He can do the same attack?"

"I hope this works! Cero!" Kazui finished charging the red ball of energy in his hand and blasted it towards the hollow. The creature unleashed its attack simultaneously, and in a spectacular display of crimson, both energies met in the middle and began overpowering each other.

The hollow and the Soul Reaper were putting all of their energy into their attacks in a bid to eliminate the opponent. Sadly, Kazui was still inexperienced in using the Cero, so his blast was slowly being overwhelmed.

"What's the matter, boy?" the hollow taunted. It began putting more energy into its own Cero that it completely dissipated Kazui's.

"Crap!" the orange-haired reaper instinctively dove out of the crimson beam's way. He looked behind him to see the path of destruction the hollow's Cero caused. "That was close."

"Kazui, watch out!" Wendy yelled at the boy.

Kazui looked back and saw the gorilla hollow towering over him with a fist cocked and readied.

"DIE!"

The punch came, and the young Soul Reaper took a direct hit, but not before crossing his arms to block it. He got pushed back by a good ten feet, but the boy remained standing.

"He took that punch head-on!" Erza thought. Whoever this boy was, he was durable enough to take a punch that could send even Natsu away like a ragdoll. That's when she and the rest of the guild saw something appearing on the boy's skin. Blue lines began to form on Kazui. The Fairy Tail mages were puzzled by the strange markings that emerged from the boy, but the hollow was surprised by this revelation.

"Blut Vene!"

"Blut Vene?" were the confused words of Lucy.

"But how!?" roared the hollow in surprise and confusion. "Only Quincies have that ability! Not only that, but you can also do a Cero!"

Kazui smirked at the beast's confusion before answering, "Lucky me, I guess. I have Quincy blood in me. As for the Cero, I got it from my dad."

"ABOMINATION!"

"Look who's talking," the boy quipped. Kazui took his sword and charged at the monster. Right before reaching the hollow, he vanished and appeared on its side and slashed the forearm.

The creature growled in pain and retaliated with a back fist. Kazui saw this and jumped upward. He didn't fall, however. He just stood in thin air like there was some platform supporting him. The hollow looked up and saw the boy staring over him and roared in a fury. As if to answer, the carrot-top kid plummeted down to the monster with a determined look. The creature tried to fire a quick energy projectile, but the boy saw this. He vanished again and reappeared behind the hollow and plunged his sword into its leg. Screaming in agony, it tried to fight back, but Kazui simply repeated the process of disappearing and striking the creature in its blind spots.

"No way!" Gray muttered.

"H-How?" Lucy questioned.

"He's actually doing some damage," Erza said, still trying to process what was happening.

On the other hand, Wendy was contemplating whether she would join in and help the soul reaper. "Maybe I can cast some enhancement spells on him." With that idea in mind, the blue-haired girl summoned her magic and recited her enhancement spells. "Vernier! Arms! Armor!"

Kazui paused his assault when he noticed that his body suddenly felt stronger like energy poured into him. He tried to look for the spell's caster and found the girl he saved earlier with glowing hands. "She must be the one giving me these boosts," he concluded. "Thanks!" the boy said to Wendy while giving her that bright smile from earlier. This caused the young Sky Maiden to blush, which didn't go unnoticed by Happy.

"Wendy has a crush." The blue cat said before giggling.

The girl's blush further intensified at the allegation. The once pink color on her cheeks darkened into bright red that could rival Erza's hair. "Stop it!"

While the teasing was going on, the hollow was becoming restless as the orange-haired boy seemed to become faster and stronger. It tried to fight back, but the boost from Wendy gave Kazui a massive advantage against the creature.

"How is this boy so much faster than before!?" the hollow screamed in its thoughts. "Someone must be giving him these enhancements!" It scanned the area, looking for the one who was aiding the Soul Reaper. Finally, the hollow's eyes landed on the blue-haired wizard from earlier. "Found you!" It stretched out its hand and launched a high-speed energy attack in Wendy's direction.

"Oh no! A Bala!" Kazui yelled before dashing to intercept the blast.

Wendy could only stare at the crimson orb heading her way. She closed her eyes and braced for impact. There was an explosion. The Bala did hit someone, but it wasn't her. She opened her eyes and, to her surprise, saw Kazui facing her. Blue lines covered his body like earlier. The boy's back was smoking, a clear sign that he took the blast for her.

"Oh no! Are you alright?" the blue-haired mage asked with worry.

"It's ok," Kazui answered. "I'm going to try something different. Distract him for me. This won't take long."

After that request, the orange-haired boy turned around, pointed his katana at the hollow, and charged another Cero. This time, it wasn't red but bright orange with golden streaks. Wendy gathered her remaining magical energy and unleashed the most powerful attack she could muster.

"Sky Dragon Roar!"

A blast of concussive air engulfed the hollow. She poured all of her remaining power into the attack and pushed the corrupted spirit back. As the winds died down, Wendy dropped to her knees, severely weakened from overexertion. Fortunately, this gave Kazui just enough time to charge a unique Cero.

"What's your name?"

Wendy looked at Kazui in confusion. She had a faint blush on her cheeks since the boy who saved her asked for her name. "It's Wendy. Wendy Marvell."

He turned his head to face the girl and smiled. "Thanks, Wendy," he said before facing the hollow who was just recovering from the magic attack. "This is a special Cero I made that's unique only to me. Corte Ligero Cero!"

The attack beamed through the forest and went straight to the hollow. The target took a direct hit. A bright flash of gold and orange enveloped the creature as a massive explosion followed. The image of the hollow disappeared in the attack as debris flew everywhere.

Kazui fell backward. Unknown to everyone, Kazui created the Cero he just fired in the heat of the moment. In other words, it was untested. The attack took a lot of energy from him that his legs gave out. He collapsed, but luckily, Wendy was behind him to break his fall.

"I don't know how many times I'm going to thank you, Wendy," the young reaper said with that bright smile of his.

"I'm just glad I could help," Wendy replied, giving him the same smile, caring smile.

"What happened?"

Everyone, including Kazui, looked towards Natsu, who was slowly regaining consciousness. He opened his eyes and looked around to see everyone was injured but ok.

"Did we win?" the Fire Dragon Slayer asked.

"Yeah," Gray replied, "…and it's all thanks to that kid."

Natsu curiously followed where Gray was pointing and saw an orange-haired boy in the arms of Wendy. "That kid saved us?"

"Aye, sir!"

"He was amazing," Erza commented. "He's a skilled swordsman for his young age. He also exhibited strange techniques we haven't seen before."

"What was that creature, anyway?" Lucy interjected.

"It was a hollow."

The mages turned to the black-robed reaper.

"Hollow? What's that?" Wendy questioned.

"They are creatures born from emptiness. They were once human souls that were so foul that they weren't able to move on, becoming corrupted and turning into what you saw before. The white mask represents the despair it experienced when it was once human, and the hole represents the emptiness it felt."

"How come you were able to do the same attacks it used?"

"You mean the Cero?" Wendy and the rest of the mages nodded. Kazui smiled sheepishly before answering, "I don't know how to explain it. I just learned it from my dad not long ago."

Their conversation got interrupted when a screeching roar boomed from the blast site. The sound was so powerful that the dust cloud that covered the beast disappeared, revealing the injured monster that was barely regenerating.

"You damn Soul Reaper!" the hollow yelled in anger. "I'll enjoy killing you and that girl with the rest of her friends."

"I'm all out of spiritual energy," Kazui muttered. "I used it all up with that last Cero."

"I also used up my magic with that breath attack," Wendy added.

The rest of the team was still too injured to be in any fighting shape. So instead, they growled in frustration at their helplessness.

"TIME TO DIE!" The hollow charged at the Soul Reaper and the wizards. Its massive fists were ready to deliver a crushing blow.

With magic running on empty, all they could do was hope that someone would come to their rescue. Wendy, becoming more and more afraid, clung to the young soul reaper as if her life depended on it. Said soul reaper blushed at the proximity between them. "This is kind of nice." Kazui didn't share the same feeling of dread as the wizards. He was confident that someone would come.

And sure enough, they did.

"Santen Kesshun!"

As the hollow went for the kill, three light beams emerged and formed a triangular shield that blocked the attacking beast.

On cue, a massive pressure wafted the entire forest. All the mages felt the intensity as if someone dropped the weight of the world on their shoulders.

"They're here!" Kazui rejoiced in his thoughts.

"What the heck is this?" Gray questioned as he kept gasping.

"This is too much," Lucy added in labored breathing.

"What the hell!?" Natsu exclaimed while trying to catch his breath.

Erza and the two Exceeds tried their best to resist this massive weight, but the more they struggled, the harder it became.

The mysterious pressure further intensified, proving that whoever this boy's father was, he was getting closer. Wendy, on the other hand, can feel the massive weight, yet she was not overwhelmed. Instead, she looked at Kazui, who was also unaffected. "Why are we unaffected?"

"I'm using what's left of my spiritual energy to counteract my dad's spiritual pressure."

A gust of wind ran past Wendy and Kazui. Looking ahead, they saw two individuals standing in front of them.

One was a woman wearing an elegant white dress that exposed a bit of her cleavage. The top emphasized her impressive bust as the upper clothing had bright blue lines racing from the neck down. The collar and the ends of her dress, and the waist of her skirt had a bright blue lining. The most distinguishing feature was the same round eyes that Kazui had, the slightly darker shade of orange hair, and the glowing hairpins.

Beside her was a man wearing an outfit similar to Kazui, except that this one had protective pads covering his shoulders whose straps form an "X" pattern on his chest. The left shoulder guard and right waist pad had red dragon-like scale patterns. That armor extended to the bottom with a large white cloak with black markings. His most notable feature was the bright orange hair that Kazui had and two swords. He strapped one to his waist while the other was strapped behind his back. Both weapons were black and were covered in cloth.

"Mom! Dad!" Kazui yelled with glee as his parents finally arrived.

"Are you alright, Kazui?" the woman, who was Kazui's mother, asked. She had a caring, motherly voice that would make you feel at ease.

"I'm a little bit banged up but I'm alright."

Kazui's mother approached the two children. She knelt and patted her son on the head. "You did good, Kazui. You protected these people from the hollow, but please don't be reckless like your father."

"I heard that Orihime!" the man in black robes, which was Kazui's father, replied in annoyance.

"I'm sorry, Ichigo. He just reminds me so much of you when you were younger."

"Remind me again where he got his weird food preferences?"

"Spoilsport." Now identified as Orihime, the woman turned her attention to Wendy, who held her son. She gave the Sky Maiden a warm, caring smile before patting her too on the head. "Thank you for taking care of my son. What's your name?"

"Wendy Marvell," she replied shyly.

"That's a wonderful name. Let me take care of your injuries while my husband deals with the hollow. Ok?" Earning a nod from the blue-haired girl, one of her hairpins began to glow bright gold. "Sōten Kesshun!"

From her hairpins, two streaks of light emerged. The two light-emitting objects then joined together before separating, forming a massive dome covering her son and the injured mages. The unbearable pressure they felt earlier was now gone.

"I reject!"

And then, something amazing happened. All of their injuries were quickly healing. The cuts, bruises, burns, concussions…all of it were disappearing quickly at an alarming rate. However, that wasn't the only effect, as they all felt their magical energies restored to full capacity. Heck, even their clothes were being repaired!

The mages of Fairy Tail were surprised at the speed of their recovery, none more so than Wendy. Healing magic was her specialty, but even then, her powers can only do so much. What Orihime demonstrated was nothing short of a miracle. To be able to restore someone to their peak this quick was just unheard of.

"How?" Wendy asked with a tone that infused both surprise, confusion, and amazement.

With that same smile, Orihime replied, "I'll explain later. For now, rest…all of you. Ichigo will handle this quickly."

Meanwhile, the orange-haired soul reaper stared at the injured hollow. He got a good look at his son's handiwork and was impressed. From the looks of it, Kazui fought a Menos Grande, possibly an Adjuchas class Menos. Still, it did not escape the fact that this hollow hurt his son.

"You've got a lot of nerve hurting my son," Ichigo said with venom in his voice.

"The only good Soul Reaper is a dead Soul Reaper," the hollow taunted.

It was fast; too fast for anyone to see, even for Orihime, who was the closest one to match Ichigo's power. The orange-haired adult barely moved, but they all saw he was holding something in his hands. On his left was his sword that looked more like a trench knife with an enclosed handle. Blood covered the weapon that was still dripping from its tip. On his right was the arm of the hollow, its severed end bleeding profusely.

"Poor choice of words," Ichigo said flatly.

Right after Ichigo said those words, the hollow cried in agony as the painful sensation began to course through its body. It flailed its severed limb around and splattered blood everywhere. The mages had wide eyes after seeing what just happened. None of them were able to register the adult Soul Reaper's movement.

"Preying on weak. Terrorizing a peaceful town. You sicken me. That's not even the worst part, however. You want to know what truly made me angry?" the reaper asked as he flared his spiritual energy. A column of bright blue power was swirling around his form before the raging energies converged into his blade. "You threatened my family."

The hollow shook at the display of power. It had fought Soul Reapers before, but never someone with this much energy. Its body shivered in fear as it backed away from the enraged swordsman.

"Getsuga…"

Ichigo made a small slicing motion with the short blade.

"…Tenshō."

A large arc of condensed blue energy blasted from the black sword. The hollow, frozen in fear, was hit by the attack. The massive energy engulfed its image, and a large explosion followed. Dust, rubble, and other debris flew everywhere from the impact zone as a shockwave tore through the forest, uprooting trees from the ground.

As the dust subsided, the figure of the hollow became visible. It was standing there, motionless and weakened, while staring at the Soul Reaper. Then, suddenly, its mask began to crack. A small line emerged from the base of its mask that slowly grew and extended towards its forehead.

"Damn…y-you…So-Soul…Reaper."

As the hollow cursed for the final time, its body began to disperse like dust. Slowly, its very form disintegrated along with its severed arm, leaving nothing of its existence. With a sigh, Ichigo wrapped his blade with white cloth and strapped it on his waist. He then looked at his wife and gave her a nod. Orihime understood what her husband meant and nodded before deactivating the shields she erected. The orbs of light that formed the corners of the barriers all converged into her head, transforming into the very hairpins she was wearing.

Everyone who fought earlier stood up, all recovered from the injuries and exhaustion. Even their clothes looked brand new. Ichigo approached the mages and asked them if they were alright. He noticed that the blue-haired girl of the group was clinging to his son. It got his curiosity, and he decided to approach the girl.

"What's your name, young lady?" Ichigo asked.

Wendy looked at Kazui's father and noticed something. His eyes. Ichigo had the eyes of a protective man, yet she could also see a hint of fatigue. His gaze was like a fatherly figure who has seen unimaginable tragedy. Snapping out of her momentary daze, she quickly answered the elder Kurosaki. "Wendy Marvell."

Ichigo smiled before placing his hand on the young girl's head. "Thanks for helping Kazui earlier." He then turned his attention towards the other mages. "You must be wizards from Fairy Tail."

"We are," the redhead Erza answered for her team. "Thank you for helping us, mister…?"

"Ichigo. Ichigo Kurosaki. You've already met my son, Kazui." He then gestured for his wife to come forward. "This is my wife, Orihime."

"It's a pleasure to meet all of you," the redhead acknowledged. "My name is Erza Scarlet."

"I'm Lucy Heartfilia."

"Gray Fullbuster."

"My name is Natsu Dragneel."

"I'm Happy and this is Carla. Want some fish?"

Orihime and Ichigo looked at each other, trying to comprehend what they just saw. Then, after a few seconds of silent communication, they shrugged like this wasn't out of the ordinary. After all, they both dealt with a mischievous cat-transforming woman who trained them when their powers were still in their infancy. It was then that Orihime recalled something.

"Karin and Yuzu are on their way," she informed her husband.

"Are they done with the rest of the monsters?" Ichigo inquired.

"Yeah. I can feel their spiritual pressure closing in on us. They'll be here right about…"

Suddenly, a quick gust of wind brushed through them as two figures appeared.

"…Now," Orihime finished.

Two individuals appeared. Both of them were women in their late twenties. One had black hair tied in a messy bun atop her head, dark grey eyes, and ample chest size. She was wearing the same black robe Ichigo and Kazui had, with the addition of a white sash tied around her right shoulder. Like Ichigo, she, too, had a sword strapped to her waist. The other woman had short light brown hair with bangs hanging over the right side of her forehead. Her eyes are dark brown and appear to be much softer compared to the woman she came with. The most distinguishing trait of this newcomer was her attire. Unlike Ichigo, Kazui, and the black-haired woman, she wore a white slim-fitting tunic, knee-length skirt, and white shin-length boots with blue lines forming a cross motif on the attire. Over the tunic was a waist-length cloak with a five-pointed cross embroidered on the back. Finishing her outfit was a white glove worn on her right hand and a five-pointed cross hanging around her neck.

"Aunt Karin! Aunt Yuzu!" Kazui cried with glee as he ran towards his two aunts. The women were then found in a tight embrace which they reciprocated.

"What's up tike?" asked the black-haired woman.

"We just beat a hollow, probably the strongest in the area, Aunt Karin."

"How'd you handle it?"

"I was trying to weaken it by using Flash Steps and striking at its blind spots."

"That's a very smart tactic, Kazui," the woman in a white tunic commented.

"Thanks, Aunt Yuzu. Although I did get banged up a bit."

"Well, you're fine now." The brunette then looked towards the group of mages and immediately recognized their guild marks. "These are wizards from Fairy Tail. They're the ones who took the mayor's request?"

"Yeah. Why don't you guys come with us for dinner?" Ichigo offered to the mages.

"Oh! We don't want to impose," replied Lucy with a bit of shyness.

"We insist," Orihime added. "You took most of the monsters under the hollow's control and fought said hollow despite the exhaustion. It's the least we could do for doing most of our job."

"Your job?" questioned the mages.

"Yeah…," Kazui replied sheepishly. "It's kind of a long story."

"We'll tell you all about it at our cabin," Karin suggested. "For now, I suggest you collect the reward for this quest from the mayor then look for us. We live just further north from here."

"Ok?" was the collective reply of the mages. Confusion can be seen in their faces.

With that, the Kurosaki family all vanished from their sight. The mages stared into each other with looks that said, "What the heck just happened?" They were confused as to what transpired. One moment they were fighting for their lives against a beast unheard of, and then they were invited to dinner by people with strange abilities. What the family demonstrated wasn't any kind of magic they've ever seen. If they're ever going to get an explanation, it was best to head to the said cabin of their rescuers after claiming the reward.

"It's this way."

Natsu and Wendy led the search for the family that saved them earlier. After receiving the reward from Mayor Bellamy, the team of wizards immediately began searching for the said cabin. It was a good thing the two Dragon Slayers managed to identify their scent, especially Wendy since she was the closest one to Kazui. With their sensitive noses leading them, it wasn't difficult locating the place.

"We're here," the two Dragon Slayers said.

The Fairy Tail mages stumbled upon a modest cabin. The entire house was made of hardwood that the family took from the forest. It was two stories tall and had four windows letting in the fresh air. The house was just big enough for the family of five. Just next to the home was a long wooden table with two long benches on the sides. There was also a well nearby that served as the family's source of water. All in all, the atmosphere around the area felt refreshing and quaint, in stark contrast to the bustling cities like Magnolia.

Ichigo was already there on the table beside Kazui and Karin. Orihime and Yuzu were busy preparing the food and setting the table. The hairpin-wearing mother saw the mages appear into view and quickly waved her hand at them.

"Over here!" Orihime called. "We're glad you made it!"

As the mages approached the Kurosaki family, Natsu managed to smell something pleasant to his nose.

"FOOD!"

Making a mad dash to the table full of food, the pinkette was stopped by a metallic hand that grabbed his scarf.

"Be respectful, Natsu," Erza scolded. "Show some manners. We're guests here, therefore we should be on our best behavior."

"Fine…" Annoyed, Natsu conceded.

Orihime and Ichigo chuckled at the funny sight. It reminded them of their friend Keigo and his antics. It was a memory the couple wished to experience again.

"Glad you could make it!" the elder Kurosaki remarked as he stood up and ushered the mages to take a seat. Not surprisingly, Ichigo managed to spot one specific Fairy Tail mage that he owed for helping his son. "Wendy! Kazui's been anxious to see you again."

Wendy perked up after hearing her name. Hearing the adult Soul Reaper say that his son was eager to see her made her cheeks heat up and redden. "He is?"

"Yeah! He's interested in the magic you used on him earlier," Karin said while slyly smirking. She then turned to his nephew, still smirking, started elbowing Kazui before adding, "…Among other things, right?"

"W-What…are you…i-insinuating!?" Kazui stammered. His face began changing color to a pinkish hue at her aunt's subtle joke.

"Stop it, Karin," Yuzu scolded, just arriving with a full plate of grilled fish that got Happy giddying with excitement.

"We appreciate you inviting us over for dinner," Erza remarked.

"It's nothing, Miss Scarlet," Orihime replied. "This is just our way of saying thanks for helping us."

"The way I see it, you helped us by rescuing our asses from that hollow monster," Gray remarked after taking a seat. "What was that thing, anyway? I didn't sense any magic from it."

"Come to think of it," Lucy interrupted, "I also didn't feel any magic from that creature. Aren't living things supposed to possess magical energy, even if it were just trace amounts?"

"That's because a hollow isn't technically alive," Ichigo answered, which got the attention of the mages.

"What do you mean?"

"Kazui explained it to you earlier, right?" The mages nodded. "Hollows are corrupted, wayward souls. If you like a simpler term, they're evil spirits."

"Evil…spirits?"

"Wait, back up!" Natsu exclaimed in confusion. "If it's an evil spirit, isn't it…I don't know, invisible?"

The mages, save for Wendy, looked at the fire-breather in surprise. This was a pretty good question he posed.

"That's because what you fought was a hollow of a higher tier. Higher tier hollows have greater spiritual energy, which means they can make themselves visible to anyone they want." This time, it was Orihime who answered. Setting the last meal for dinner, some vegetable salad, she tenderly sat down beside her husband. "Alright everyone, dig in."

As everyone began to dine in, Erza can't help but ask the family about the strange abilities they demonstrated earlier.

"Mr. Kurosaki."

"Just Ichigo, please," he requested. "The way you say it makes me feel like an old man. My wife and I are only thirty-two years old."

"Of course. Mr. Ichigo…"

Ichigo sighed. It seems that he'll be stuck being called "mister" for a while.

"...You mentioned spiritual energy earlier. It's the first time I've heard of it. Care to explain what it is?"

"What do you think, Orihime?" Ichigo asked his wife, turning to her and meeting her gaze.

"I don't see why not," she replied while happily feeding Happy some fish.

Ichigo considered his wife's words. He then looked to his sisters. "Yuzu? Karin?"

"Sure!" Karin nonchalantly replied before continuing to tease her nephew.

"Karin!" Yuzu yelled at her twin before facing her older brother. "We did promise to explain everything. So, go ahead."

"I guess that settles that," the orange-haired adult remarked. He then faced the mages in front of him, who were now sporting eager faces. "Spiritual energy is the power of the soul."

The Fairy Tail mages fell silent for a moment, trying to comprehend the short answer the dinner host gave them.

"I'm not sure I understand," Natsu replied, his mind trying to turn the cogs that make up his mental faculties.

"Of course, you won't, flame brain!" Gray yelled at the fire mage for being clueless as ever.

Then fists started to fly. Even when they're in someone else's house, they'd still settle their petty arguments like children. Their brawl got them a good fifteen feet away from the dinner table.

Erza, now starting to get annoyed, stood up to teach the two idiots a lesson before Ichigo told her to let him handle it. She shuddered to think what kind of punishment the adult Soul Reaper would dish out.

"Yuzu!" Ichigo called to his light brown-haired sister.

"What it is, big brother?"

"Can you shoot some arrows at those two knuckleheads over there," he pointed to the brawling mages.

"Isn't it kind of…I don't know, horrible to hurt our guests?"

When Erza heard arrows, she calmed down because arrows would be harmless to the two loons since they've already dealt worse. "I don't mind. We beat them up just so they could stop fighting."

"Are you sure about this, Miss Erza?" questioned Yuzu in concern.

"I'm sure," the redhead replied.

"Ok then," the younger twin muttered under her breath. She stretched out her right arm, her hands pointing to the two rowdy mages. On her wrist was a bracelet with a small five-pointed cross. That cross glowed bright blue with energy before it began growing. That energy gathered and condensed, taking the form of an object. After she gathered the energies, Yuzu now held a large bow, complete with both the body and the string. She pulled the string-like projection with her free hand, and an arrow materialized, fully pulled back and ready to fire. Letting go of the projectile, it fired at quick speeds, and to the mages in the table's surprise, it scattered into twenty smaller arrows.

The two mages duking it out, saw multiple lights flying towards them. They stopped mid-punch before realizing that what was coming was going to hurt. Not a moment too soon, the arrows rained on them like bad weather, and they were quickly covered in a dust cloud. After it subsided, they emerged lying flat on the ground, unconscious with a few bruises to boot.

There was it again. That strange energy that Wendy felt earlier when they were fighting in the forest. The blue-haired girl was listening to the others talk about Kazui and his family and the strange energy they and the monster from earlier can harness. The little demonstration Yuzu just displayed caused her curiosity to reach its peak.

"Ummm…Kazui?"

The orange-haired boy looked at the girl, his dark orange eyes meeting Wendy's brown glistening orbs. None of them realized that they were staring at each other for who knows how long before the kid Soul Reaper felt an elbow hit his side.

"Like what you see?"

Kazui looked to his elbowed side to find his aunt Karin giving him a mischievous smirk. After remembering the question and letting it sink in, he immediately blushed but decided to brush it off. Sometimes he wondered why his aunt Karin would tease him like that ever since first meeting Wendy. Then, returning his attention to the Sky Dragon Slayer, he finally talked to her.

"What's up?" he tried to sound less flustered as possible.

"What your aunt Yuzu did, was that spiritual energy?"

"Yup."

"What makes it different from magic?" she asked the boy.

"Well…," Kazui tilted his head up and began tapping his index finger on his chin. "Unlike magic that uses ethernano as the source, spiritual energy is powered by one's very soul. You could say that it's the essence of life. Certain individuals can absorb spiritual particles from outside sources. Aunt Yuzu is an example of someone who can absorb spiritual particles, but you need to have a powerful soul as a primary requirement to be able to use spiritual energy."

"Does that mean that you have a powerful soul?"

"Yeah! Mom, Dad, Aunt Yuzu, and Aunt Karin also."

"Amazing!" the Sky Maiden exclaimed in fascination.

"I'm curious," Carla came in and began questioning the young Soul Reaper. "If you use a different source of power compared to mages, what does that make you and your family?"

"Yeah. I'm curious too," Lucy voiced her curiosity.

"Same here," Erza added.

"I can answer that for you," Ichigo remarked. "Orihime is what you call a Fullbringer. My sister Yuzu is called a Quincy. Karin, Kazui, and I are called Soul Reapers. Death gods if you will."

The wizards focused their attention on the orange-haired adult. Their eyes were wide at the very statement they just heard. Even the unconscious Gray and Natsu suddenly stood up and looked at Ichigo like he grew a second head. Wendy and Carla stared at each other before looking at the adult reaper. Happy even dropped the fish he was nibbling on.

"You're…death…gods?" Wendy stammered. She, along with the rest of her guildmates, couldn't believe what they just heard. Death gods? If that was so, then aren't they the ones who take your souls when you die?

"Ichigo," Orihime called her husband.

"Yeah, dear?"

"Maybe dropping something that big wasn't the best approach."

Ichigo had a confused look at his wife in confusion before turning to the mages. "Oh. I guess I could've broken that down a lot smoother."

Getting a grip of herself, Lucy managed to bring out a question. "If you're death gods, then aren't you supposed to take the souls of people going to die? Are you going to take my soul!?"

"What the!? Why would I do that!" Ichigo answered before adding, "Our job is more like exterminating hollows. We do sometimes talk to spirits; convince them to move on to a better place."

"We're not the kind of reapers that you think of," Karin commented, getting the attention of the mages and the cats. "We're more like guides. We don't take souls. We simply give them the help needed to move on from the world of the living."

"I see," were the collective words of the mages.

It was still hard to swallow that these people had these kinds of abilities. From the looks of it, they weren't lying. The power they demonstrated earlier, the strange abilities, and the overwhelming power the mages felt from the family's father. Still, something like this would turn the heads of every leader of every major faith that exists in the world. Who knew that gods were walking among them?

"Kazui?"

The orange-haired boy turned to Wendy. "Yes?"

"Does that mean you aren't human?"

"We are still human, Wendy." Orihime came to the girl and placed a pair of gentle hands on her shoulder. It was clear that this revelation made her uneasy. "Much like what Kazui explained before, we have these powers because we have strong souls. Having a strong soul does make us special, but it doesn't make us any less human."

Somehow, those words from the gentle mother put her at ease.

"This is a lot to take…" the blonde Celestial mage remarked. "I wonder what my Celestial spirits can make of this?"

"Hey!" Happy flew to the blonde. "Why don't you call Loke and ask for his opinion?"

"That's a great idea! Although, I think it's best to let Loke explain what he knows in front of the master."

"I agree," Gray said after recovering from the arrows.

While the discussion was going on, Wendy was thinking of something else, or rather, someone. Ever since she met Kazui, there was this nagging feeling in the back of her mind. Maybe it was because he saved her from certain death, or maybe because he was the first boy her age that she feels comfortable with. Whatever reason it may be, only one thing is certain...

She doesn't want to be separated from him.

Making up her mind, Wendy stood up from her seat and slowly approached the man of the feast. If she were going to ask someone, Ichigo would be that person. As she made her way to the orange-haired adult male, the rest of her guildmates looked at the blue-haired girl in confusion. "What is she going to do?"

Ichigo caught sight of Wendy, and he, too, was confused. When the girl was finally in front of him, he couldn't contain his bewilderment anymore and decided to ask her. "Is something wrong, Wendy?"

There was a bit of hesitation in Wendy's movements. She tried to open her mouth to answer, but the words got stuck mid-way. She took a deep breath and looked at the Soul Reaper with bits of determination before saying what was on her mind. "Nothing," she blurted out before regaining some composure. "Nothing's wrong. It's just…Would you and your family like to join Fairy Tail?"

That caught everyone off guard. None of them expected her to invite the Kurosakis into the guild. They can see Natsu doing it since he'll just keep pestering Ichigo for a fight. But Wendy? She was the last person to do something like this. So if she went out of her way to ask, there must be something that she wants.

"Hey Dad, can we?"

From behind the Sky Dragon Slayer, Kazui popped out and scaring the poor girl into a furious blush. The girl squeaked at his sudden appearance.

"I don't know, Kazui," Ichigo answered his son.

"Come on, Dad," his son pressured him. "It'll be fun."

Still not convinced, Ichigo looked towards Orihime for her opinion. The woman looked at her husband and saw some hesitation from him. After that, she looked at her son and saw a cloud of disappointment hanging over him. Then, deciding to clear things up, the hairpin-wearing mother took the arm of Ichigo and pulled him towards the front door of their house.

"We'll be back in a moment," she told the mages while dragging Ichigo. "Karin, Yuzu, Kazui…you should come here as well."

"I think we should join them, dear," Orihime said after pulling her husband to the front door.

"I'm still not sure, honey," Ichigo voiced out. He was still a bit hesitant in joining a wizard guild. However, they've been living in Fiore for fifteen years, and they've been fine since the incident.

"I know, Ichigo," Orihime said while caressing her husband's face, effectively easing him. "I know you only want what's best for our family after everything we lost, but we shouldn't forget what Kazui also wants. Isn't that right?"

"We know you've been protecting us since we got here years ago," Karin expressed, "…but eventually, we need to stop isolating ourselves."

"She's right, big brother," Yuzu agreed to her twin. "It's time for us to be part of this world. Mr. Urahara and Dad didn't waste all that time sending us here just so we could separate ourselves from the world. They wanted us to live and move on."

"Dad?"

Ichigo looked to his son. He protected his love and his sisters from everything that could harm them. When his son was born, that urge to protect him became stronger. Isolation was the only way for them to live since they were in an unfamiliar world.

"Can we join them, please? Wendy is the first friend my age that I've made. I don't want to be separated from her."

"If anything, Ichigo," Orihime called to him with a reassuring tone, "Do it for Kazui. He needs friends."

Letting their opinions sink in, Ichigo sighed. "I guess that settles it then."

With those words, Kazui beamed at his father while Orihime, Karin, and Yuzu smiled. This was a welcome change for them.

"Why did you invite them to the guild?" Erza asked the young Sky Maiden.

"I…umm…it's because," the poor girl can't make any comprehensible answer.

"I know why," Happy proclaimed while giggling.

"This will be good," Lucy remarked at the cat's antics.

"Wendy has a crush on Kazui!"

"Wha-…?" Wendy gasped at the mischievous cat's insinuation. "It's not like that!"

"Then what is it?" Carla questioned her partner.

"It's just, I get the feeling that they secluded themselves for a long time."

"What do you mean, Wendy?" Gray asked.

"I feel a sense of isolation from them, especially Kazui. It's like he wants to be with people because he hasn't made any friends his age."

The Fairy Tail mages understood what the young girl said. Although, they also knew that it wasn't the only reason. Even Natsu understood his fellow Dragon Slayer's hidden intention since he was smelling some pheromones from her. The pinkette just decided to keep it to himself. They all did. That said, Happy was still up for more teasing.

"You like him," he whispered to Wendy's ear, emphasizing the word like.

"It's not like that!"

The rest of the guild, even Carla, chuckled at her little outburst. But that's when they noticed the family approaching them.

"Well, what's your decision?" Natsu asked Ichigo. If they ever joined the guild, not only will a family of powerful individuals become his guildmates, he'll also get the chance to fight Ichigo, even though it was clear he'll lose.

"After some convincing," Ichigo began, "…we accept your offer."

"Really!?" Wendy asked, her joy trying to overwhelm her.

"Yes. We'll leave tomorrow. For now, we'll pack everything we're going to need."

The mages rejoiced at the prospect of new guildmates, none more so than Wendy. The girl looked at Kazui, who, coincidentally, had his eyes on her too. They both blushed a bit, but like usual, the boy flashed a bright, earnest smile to which she returned in kind.

Things will change in the guild once they come back.

A/N: The second chapter is finally finished. I must say, it took me a bit longer producing this with all the real-life stuff I had to deal with…mainly work. For the first six users who gave me positive comments, I'd like to thank you for seeing my new story as something with potential. I also want to thank you for pointing out the difference between a swastika and a manji. I have already made the necessary corrections to the word usage and iron out a few kinks in the first chapter. Still, I will require the assistance of a beta reader to improve the grammar of this story. I've only been using the free version of Grammarly, so the corrections are only minimal. That said, I appreciate that some of you give me their honest opinion that my writing is good, only needing a few minor adjustments to become better.

As always, leave a like and comment if you find the story interesting. If you have some suggestions to improve this, don't hesitate.

Until next time.