Time passed quietly after Kai's first A-rank mission. The battle with the Sand Serpent had become a favorite retelling among the younger guild members, especially the part where Kai was swallowed whole only to casually detonate the creature from the inside. It had earned him a new nickname—"Lucky Zero"—thanks to his deadpan complaint: "I have zero luck." The guild had a good laugh over that for days.
But as the excitement of that adventure faded, the rhythm of life in Fairy Tail returned. Kai, now permitted to take A-rank missions solo, began devoting more of his free time to refining his magic. He explored the interactions between Magma, Earth, and Fire with scholarly focus, constantly testing new concepts with sparring partners like Erza, Gray, and the ever-losing Natsu. His mastery of battle had earned respect, but it was his composure and insight that had begun to define his reputation.
Then came the announcement of the internal S-Class promotion exam. Macao, Wakaba, and Laxus were chosen to participate. The results? Laxus became S-Class—and promptly let it get to his head. His smirks became sharper, his words a little colder, and his glances more dismissive. It didn't bother Kai. Not yet, anyway.
It was on a quiet afternoon in the East Forest when something unexpected kicked off the next series of events.
"GRRRRAAAAYYYYYYY!"
"YOU WANNA GO, FIRE-BRAIN?!"
A familiar explosion of voices echoed through the trees. Kai, perched on a low branch and reading through an old scroll on magical fusion theory, sighed and looked down.
"They're at it again," he muttered. He didn't intervene this time.
Down below, Natsu was fuming—literally—and Gray already shirtless, fists clenched. But before the punch could land, something odd happened. A large egg, with strange dragonic markings, tumbled from the canopy above and bonked Natsu square on the head.
"OW! What the heck?!" Natsu yelled, catching the egg before it fell.
"Looks like an Egg," Kai called down, eyeing the pattern on the shell.
"REALLY?!" Natsu's eyes sparkled with stars. He clutched the egg tightly and ran back to the guild without another word.
The guild hall buzzed with curiosity as Natsu plopped the egg on a table.
"I'm gonna raise this egg and hatch it myself!" he declared.
Master Makarov chuckled. "There's no magic that can force an egg to hatch. You'll need to keep it warm and cared for. That's the only way."
"Sounds like a job for me!" Lisanna chimed in. "Can I help, Natsu?"
"Sure! We'll hatch it together!"
Erza nodded approvingly. "It'll be a good experience for Natsu. He only knows how to destroy things."
Kai leaned on the railing above, watching. "Don't use flames directly. Body warmth is more stable. Lisanna's Transformation Magic is your best bet."
Lisanna gave him a grateful smile and transformed into a giant bird, cradling the egg gently in her wings.
Downstairs, Elfman watched solemnly, lamenting that he couldn't do a full Take Over yet. Even the egg seemed to prefer Natsu's warmth, bouncing gently whenever he got near.
Soon, Natsu and Lisanna built a secret shelter in South Gate Park. They watched over the egg like it was their own child.
"We're like a family," Lisanna said one night. "You're the dad, I'm the mom, and the egg is our baby."
Natsu blushed redder than his flames. "Y-yeah... totally."
Kai, who had discreetly checked in a few times, made sure the shelter had minor protective wards. He never told them.
Back at the guild, Wakaba and Macao chuckled over Natsu and Lisanna growing close.
Then the table exploded.
Mirajane stood there, furious. "Natsu and Lisanna are getting close?! What is this nonsense?!"
Kai, sitting calmly nearby, sipped from a steaming cup. "You're literally the one who always pushes people to 'open up'."
"SHUT UP, KAI!"
He shrugged. "Just saying."
One day, while returning to their shelter, Natsu and Lisanna were ambushed by a Vulcan.
"Lisanna, take the egg and run! I'll deal with this guy!"
"Be careful!"
Natsu fought fiercely, eventually knocking the beast out with a flaming headbutt. He slumped down, exhausted, and Lisanna bandaged his wounds. It started to rain, and they huddled in the shelter, quietly talking until they fell asleep.
Kai, who'd seen the fight from afar, made sure no more threats approached. Behind him a dozen more Vulcans were beaten up . He placed a weak earth barrier over the shelter to keep the rain out.
The next morning—the egg was gone.
Natsu panicked. He raced to the guild, yelling, "WHO TOOK MY EGG?!"
Chaos erupted as accusations flew. Even Erza looked confused. Just as fists were about to fly—
"Wait!" Elfman stepped forward, holding the egg. "I saw it was cold last night... so I kept it warm. That's all."
Relief flooded the room. Natsu gently took the egg back.
A moment later—crack.
The egg split open, and a tiny blue cat with wings popped out.
"AYE!"
Everyone stared.
"IT'S A FLYING CAT!"
"He's... kinda cute," Erza admitted.
"He's Happy," Natsu said softly. "Because everyone was happy to see him."
Reedus instantly began sketching a portrait of the moment. When he revealed it—there was a fierce dragon, wings wide, Happy atop its head, and the entire guild posed around it.
"You drew a dragon?" someone asked.
"To make Natsu smile. But look—I added everyone."
Lisanna, Natsu, Gray, Erza, even Mirajane...
And standing near the back, smiling quietly—was Kai.
Later that evening, Kai found Natsu feeding Happy a mountain of grilled fish.
"You two will be a good team," Kai said.
"He's family now," Natsu grinned.
Kai nodded. "Make sure you never forget that."
As the sun set, the guild echoed with laughter. A new chapter had begun, not in fire or fury, but with warmth, care... and one very blue, very loud cat.
"Aye!"