— Year X772, (12 years ago)Magnolia Train
The rattling of the train had settled into something almost rhythmic.
Metal clattered softly beneath them, wheels grinding against tracks in a steady, unchanging tempo. Outside the window, the landscape blurred into streaks of green and brown, broken occasionally by distant hills and flickers of sunlight through passing trees.
Inside the compartment, things were quieter.
Not silent—but softer.
Cana sat back in her seat, hands still faintly trembling from earlier, though she tried to hide it by adjusting the last fold of cloth around Kai's arm. The bandages were no longer loose and sloppy—they were firm, clean, properly wrapped.
For the first time since he'd entered the compartment, Kai actually looked… put together.
Well. Less like he'd just crawled out of a battlefield.
He flexed his fingers slightly, testing the tension.
"…yeah," he muttered. "That's way better."
Cana leaned back, exhaling. "You're welcome."
Kai glanced at her, then nodded once. "Not bad, brownie."
She blinked. "…Brownie?"
He smirked faintly, leaning his head back against the seat. "Yeah. Brown hair… and you're sweet."
Cana froze.
"…I'm not—!" she started, then stopped midway, heat rushing to her face. "…that doesn't even make sense."
"It does," he said casually. "I'm very logical."
"You're not."
"What makes you say that?."
"You just called me a dessert."
"Exactly."
She stared at him.
He stared back.
Then she huffed and turned her face away, crossing her arms. "…You're weird."
Kai grinned slightly.
For a while after that, the conversation came easily—surprisingly so.
Or rather…
Kai talked.
A lot.
He spoke like someone who didn't really filter what came out of his mouth, jumping between topics without warning—random stories, strange observations, bits of his daily life thrown together like scattered puzzle pieces.
"…and then he tried to sell me that broken tool like I wouldn't notice," Kai was saying, gesturing lazily with one hand. "I mean, who buys something without checking inside first? That's just asking to get scammed."
Cana blinked slowly. "I don't."
"Then you are stupid."
"That's not how that works."
"It is."
"…It's not."
Kai shrugged. "You are free to disagree."
Cana let out a small sigh—but there was a faint smile tugging at her lips now.
He was… easy to talk to.
Not in the usual way. Not warm or comforting.
But strangely steady.
Like no matter what she said, he wouldn't react too much. Wouldn't judge. Wouldn't make things heavier than they already were.
And maybe that was why—
"…what kind of training were you doing?" she asked suddenly, glancing at his bandages again. "To end up like that?"
Kai paused.
Then—
A slow, exaggerated smirk spread across his face.
He leaned back, folding his arms like someone preparing to tell the most dramatic story imaginable.
"Ah…" he said, voice dropping theatrically. "So you want to know."
Cana blinked.
"…yeah?"
He tilted his head slightly, eyes half-lidded.
"Keep it secret," he began, lowering his voice even further, "up in the mountains… hidden beneath mist and treacherous terrain…"
Cana leaned in slightly despite herself.
"There lies a place unknown to most," Kai continued, one hand lifting as if painting the image in the air. "A place where the weak are crushed… and only the ruthless survive."
"…Okay…?" Cana said slowly.
"The home of killers," he went on, completely serious. "Assassins. Ninjas. People with darkness in their hearts."
Cana's eyes widened just a little.
"And," he added, tapping his chest lightly, "after various efforts and connections… I joined that place."
She stared at him.
"…You're joking."
He ignored that entirely.
"This time," he continued, "I was tasked with traversing the entire journey from Magnolia… to the cliffs… and into the mountains… in a single day."
Cana swallowed. "…That sounds impossible."
Kai nodded once.
"It was."
A pause.
Then he shrugged.
"…I failed."
"…What?"
"I failed," he repeated simply. "Fell off a cliff."
Silence.
The train rattled on.
Cana stared at him—really stared this time.
Trying to figure it out.
His face was calm. Too calm.
There was no obvious sign he was lying.
But…
"…that sounds scary" she said slowly.
Kai shrugged again. "It is."
"…You're not bothered?"
"A bit."
"…Did you really fell off a cliff ?."
"Yeah."
"…Are you lying?."
"Some parts."
She opened her mouth—
Then closed it again.
Because somehow… that felt like the most honest answer he'd given so far.
"…what about you, brownie?" he asked suddenly, tilting his head toward her.
She blinked. "Can you stop calling me that?"
"No."
"…why?"
"Because it fits."
She sighed. "…you're impossible."
"Thanks."
"…that wasn't a compliment."
"I take it as one."
She looked away again, fingers tightening slightly in her lap. He was still watching her.
Waiting.
"…I'm going to Magnolia," she said after a moment.
Kai nodded. "Yeah, figured."
"To meet my father."
That made him pause.
"Your dad lives in Magnolia?"
"…I think so."
Kai frowned slightly. "You think?"
She nodded, gaze dropping. "I've… never met him before."
Silence.
"My mom…" her voice tightened slightly, "she just… passed away."
Kai's expression shifted—subtly, but enough.
"…she told me to find him."
The train seemed louder now.
Or maybe it was just the silence between them.
Kai looked at her for a long second.
Then nodded once.
"Alright."
She blinked.
"…that's it?"
He nods. "We'll find him."
Cana froze. "…we?"
"Yeah," he said casually. "I'll help."
Her eyes widened. "Really?"
He nodded. "Consider it repayment for patching me up."
"…You don't even know who he is."
Kai shrugs. "Then tell me his name or what he looks like maybe i know him or at least gramps might."
She hesitated.
Then—
"His name is …Gildarts Clive, mom said he is a mage in fairy tail guild."
Kai choked.
Actually choked.
He doubled forward slightly, coughing hard into his sleeve.
Cana jumped. "What happened?!"
He raised a hand, trying to wave her off as he struggled to breathe.
"…did you just say—" he coughed again, "—Gildarts Clive?"
She nodded, now looking nervous. "…yeah…"
There was a beat.
Then—
Kai started laughing.
Not normal laughing.
Not quiet.
Not polite.
He burst.
"THAT LOUSY DRUNK GEEZER HAS A DAUGHTER—?!"
He leaned back too far in his seat—
—and promptly tipped over.
THUD.
"…Damm—" he groaned from the floor, clutching his side. "That hurts…"
Cana stared down at him, completely lost. "What is wrong with you?!"
Kai pushed himself up slowly, wincing.
"…I know him," he said.
"You do?!"
"Yeah," he nodded. "I'm from Fairy Tail."
Cana's eyes widened. "You're a mage?!"
"I don't like how you said it." kai mutters.
"…What's he like?" she asked quickly. "My dad—I mean—Gildarts—what kind of person is he?"
Kai hummed, thinking,
"Well…"
"A drunkard."
Cana's face fell.
"A pervert."
"…what?"
"Irresponsible."
"…stop."
"A geezer."
"KAI—!".
"But—" he added casually, "he's also really strong."
She blinked.
"Like… really strong," he continued. "Probably the strongest in the guild."
Hope flickered back into her eyes.
"…and he's… fun," Kai added after a moment.
Cana looked at him carefully.
"…really?"
He nodded once.
"Yeah."
—
By the time the train pulled into Magnolia station, the sun had shifted higher in the sky.
The town buzzed with life—voices, footsteps, movement everywhere.
Cana followed Kai through the streets, her heart beating faster with every step.
Fairy Tail.
She was almost there.
Almost—
They stopped in front of the guild hall.
The doors stood tall, slightly worn, but alive with noise from within—laughter, shouting, something breaking, someone yelling louder than everyone else.
Cana froze.
Her feet wouldn't move.
Inside—
That was where he was.
Her father.
Kai took a few steps forward before realizing she wasn't following.
He turned. "…what happened, brownie? Come on."
She shook her head.
"I… I don't know if I should…"
Kai frowned. "What?"
"I'll just… come some other time," she said quickly, already stepping back.
Then she turned—
—and ran.
Kai blinked.
"…huh?"
Then he chased after her.
"Oi—HEY—!"
He caught up quickly, grabbing her wrist and pulling her to a stop.
"...Why are you crying?" he asked, awkwardly.
Cana shook her head, tears slipping free despite her efforts.
"What if he doesn't want me?" she whispered. "I don't have proof… I don't have anything…"
Kai sighed.
"…he won't."
"How do you know?"
He hesitated.
Then—
"…because he's my uncle."
Cana froze.
"…what?"
He nodded. "Yeah. So I know."
Her eyes widened.
Before she could question it further, he grabbed her arm again.
"Come on."
And dragged her back toward the guild.
—
The moment they stepped inside—
Chaos.
Voices. Movement. Energy.
People greeted Kai loudly, asking where he'd been, commenting on his condition.
Then—
"…who's she?" someone asked.
Kai didn't hesitate.
"She's here to join."
And just like that—
Cana was pulled into it.
Welcomed.
Given a mark.
Celebrated.
Kai asked the master about gildarts whereabouts only to learn the man was on a mission.
—
Months passed.
Gildarts didn't return.
But Cana stayed.
With Kai in his small apartment.
Missions. Training. Life.
Until one day—
He did return.
And when Cana saw him—
Surrounded. Loved. Larger than life—
She stepped back.
"I can't," she whispered.
Kai sighed having understood the girl in past few months. "Suit yourself, i completed my promise of finding him."
—
Just then—
"…you got yourself a cute girl, brat." Gildarts arrived behind kai smirking.
Kai's eye twitched.
"Not everyone is a pervert, you old fart."
CRASH.
Kai was sent crashing into the next table by Gildarts.
Cana stared in horror.
"…is he okay?!"
"He'll live," Gildarts said casually.
"…why would you hit your nephew like that?". Cana asked horrified.
"…my nephew that brat ?" Gildarts stared confused before laughing. "No way that brat is my nephew."
Silence.
Cana turned.
Kai stood up from the rubble, laughing awkwardly.
"…hey brownie I was about to tell you—"
She threw a mug.
—
"…you lied to me."
"It wasn't a lie he is like everyone's uncle beisdes it was strategic motivation."
She raised her foot—
"Your underwear is visible." kai quickly spoke looking up.
She shrieked—
Then froze realising.
"…I'm wearing pants."
Kai smiled.
"…yeah."
Cana's face burned.
And for some reason—
She wasn't as angry anymore.
—
— PRESENT —
The ruins had gone quiet again.
Not the kind of quiet that brought relief—but the kind that pressed in from all sides, thick and suffocating. Dust drifted slowly through the air, catching the faint glow of the small flame Kai had left burning near the wall.
Broken stone framed their makeshift pocket of safety, jagged edges sealing them in from every direction.
Cana sat across from him, her back against a slab of fallen rock. The warmth from the flute had faded, but its effects lingered—her breathing steadier, her body no longer screaming in protest. The exhaustion was still there, just… dulled. Manageable.
For now.
Kai sat opposite her, one knee raised, the leather-bound journal resting against it. His posture had shifted again—back to that familiar state. Focused. Detached. Like everything else dimmed when there was something to understand.
Pages turned under his fingers. Slow. Careful.
Cana watched him for a moment before speaking.
"…You tricked me for months saying gildarts was your uncle."
Kai didn't look up.
"Hm."
Her brow twitched. "That's it? That's your response?"
Another page turned.
"I told you before," he said calmly. "Strategic misinformation to give you courage."
Cana stared at him.
"…You're unbelievable."
"Complex," he corrected.
She exhaled sharply, dragging a hand through her hair before letting it fall. For a moment, she said nothing—just listened to the faint settling of stone somewhere beyond their little pocket.
Then—
"That's why I need your help, because you know."
That made him pause.
Just slightly.
The page stopped mid-turn.
Cana leaned forward, elbows resting on her knees, fingers clasped together as if holding something fragile.
"You know how the S-Class trials are going to go," she said quietly. "You've seen it. You've been part of it."
Kai didn't interrupt.
So she continued.
"Erza. Mira. Mystogan… they all came after me." Her voice stayed steady, but the weight behind it was unmistakable. "Even Laxus."
A faint flicker crossed Kai's expression at that name—but he stayed silent.
"They all moved forward," Cana said. "They struggled, yeah—but they broke through. They became something else."
Her gaze dropped.
"Laxus barely even slowed down. Erza just kept going no matter what was in front of her. Mira…" she exhaled, "…she was already ahead of most of us before she even stopped fighting seriously. Mystogan…" she shook her head slightly, "…he was always out of reach."
The silence deepened.
"And you…" her eyes flicked up to him. "You don't even try."
A faint smirk tugged at his lips.
She ignored it.
"I'm the only one left," she continued. "And it's not because I'm being patient."
Her fingers tightened.
"It's because I can't keep up."
That landed heavier.
"I'm not talented like you guys," she said, more firmly now. "Even Natsu and Gray—they've already caught up. If it comes down to a fight in the trials…"
She trailed off.
Then finished it anyway.
"I'll lose."
No hesitation. No dramatics.
Just fact.
"And I've already failed so many times…" she added, quieter now, "…that I don't think I'll have the courage to try again."
The ruins seemed to hold their breath.
Kai didn't respond immediately.
He stared at the journal in his hand—but he wasn't reading anymore.
Then, slowly—
He looked up.
"…You really think I'm talented?"
Cana blinked.
The question threw her off balance.
"…What?"
Kai leaned back slightly, resting the journal loosely against his knee.
"Talented," he repeated, like he was testing the word.
A small huff escaped him.
"I started training before I even understood what I was doing," he said. "First shadow arts. Assassin stuff. Movement, concealment, killing techniques."
His fingers tapped lightly against the leather cover.
"Then monk discipline. Body control. Internal flow. Breathing. Structure."
Cana stayed quiet now.
Listening.
"It wasn't enough," he continued. "So I combined them."
A slight tilt of his head.
"Shadow Monk Arts."
He paused.
"It works," he admitted. "Lets me fight. Adapt. Survive."
His gaze drifted slightly, unfocused for a moment.
"But…" he added, quieter, "…it doesn't go far enough."
Cana frowned faintly.
Kai's fingers tightened just a little.
"So I kept going."
A beat.
"I found something else," he said. "Not a system. Not a teaching. Just… fragments. Pieces of something older. Broken magic with no structure."
His voice remained even—but there was weight underneath it now. "I had to build it myself."
Cana's breath caught slightly.
"There was no guide," he continued. "No one to tell me if I was doing it right. Every time I tried something new, it either worked… or it nearly killed me."
A faint, humorless smile crossed his face.
"Usually the second one."
Silence.
"I went to ruins like this," he added, tapping the stone lightly beside him. "Places no one else wanted to go. Dug through whatever I could find. Artifacts. Remnants. Anything that gave me a clue."
A small pause.
"For years...well lost count for a while now ."
Cana's grip loosened without her realizing.
Kai finally looked back at her.
"And after all that…" he said, "…I'm still not as far ahead as I should be."
That landed differently.
Not denial.
Not self-pity.
Frustration.
Measured. Controlled. Real.
"I can fight," he continued. "But I hit limits faster than I want to. My body can't handle everything I try to push through it."
A faint glance at his own arm.
"I still can't use my original arts properly without wrecking myself."
He exhaled slowly.
"I'm not built like them , you all have so much more space to grow and i am hitting limits again..it gets annoying sometimes."
No bitterness.
Just fact.
"No dragon. No demon. No absurd reserves."
He tapped his chest lightly.
"Just this."
Then—
A small smirk returned.
"And my unparalleled genius, and handsome face , obviously."
Cana almost snorted—but stopped herself.
Kai leaned forward slightly.
"Meanwhile…" he said, "…you're sitting there thinking you're the one without potential."
She stilled.
"Your magic isn't normal, Cana."
His tone shifted—subtler now. Less like explanation. More like observation.
"Those cards?" he gestured lightly. "They're not just tools."
A small pause.
"They're structure."
Cana frowned faintly.
"You build effects through them," he continued. "You define outcomes. Not just release power."
He tapped his temple.
"That kind of magic doesn't follow the same rules."
Another pause.
"It changes based on how you understand it."
Cana's breath slowed.
"You've been using it like a standard casting system," he said. "Pick a card. Trigger an effect. Done."
A slight tilt of his head.
"But that's not all it is."
Silence stretched.
"If you actually push it," he added, quieter now, "you won't just be throwing spells."
His eyes met hers.
"You'll be deciding what happens."
Cana's chest tightened.
"You've got more reserves than me," he continued. "Your body handles it cleanly. No backlash. No strain like mine."
He leaned back again.
"You don't have my limitations."
The words sank in slowly.
"…Then why does it feel like I do?" she asked quietly.
Kai didn't answer immediately.
Then—
"Because you stop."
Cana flinched.
"You pull back before you hit the edge," he said. "You don't test it. Don't break it. Don't force it to change."
His gaze stayed steady.
"You play safe."
Silence.
"You don't need me for the trials," he added.
She looked up.
"You need to stop holding yourself back."
A faint smirk.
"You don't need to be Gildarts."
That name still carried weight.
"Just figure out what your magic can actually do ."
Cana stared at him.
"But..what if there is nothing ?, what if i fail again?."
Kai shrugged. "Then accept it and find another way, if it's really important to you then you won't really give up."
Something in her chest shifted.
Not erased.
Not fixed.
But… moved.
"…You're really bad at this, you know," she muttered.
Kai raised an eyebrow. "At what?"
"…Encouraging people."
He thought about it.
"Yeah."
A beat.
"I know."
For a moment—
It was quiet again.
But not as heavy.
Not as suffocating.
Then—
A faint tremor ran through the stone.
Subtle.
But real.
Cana's head turned slightly.
"…You felt that?"
Kai's eyes shifted toward the darkness beyond the rubble.
"Yeah."
Another vibration.
Closer this time.
Dust trickled down from above.
A low, distant scrape echoed through the buried corridors.
Cana's fingers tightened.
"…It's digging."
Kai stood.
Smooth. Controlled.
Like nothing had changed.
"Well," he said lightly, picking up the flute and adjusting his grip, "there goes our break."
Cana pushed herself up quickly. "So what's the plan—"
She didn't finish.
Because Kai stepped forward.
Then—
Vanished.
A flicker of shadow—
—and he was behind her.
Too fast.
Too sudden.
Her body tensed—
"Kai—?"
Thunk.
The strike landed clean at the base of her neck.
Her vision exploded white.
Sound cut out.
Her legs gave out instantly.
The world tilted—
—and she hit the ground.
"…Kai…?" her voice barely formed.
Blurry. Distant.
He stood over her, looking down.
For just a second—
There was a pause.
Small.
Barely noticeable.
Then he exhaled slightly annoyed.
"..The plan is that I will knock you out and then have pixie take you away while it's distracted,so i can deal with that thing." he muttered.
Cana's fingers twitched weakly against the stone."…why…?"
Kai adjusted his grip on the flute.
"Because I work better alone," he said.
A beat.
Then, more quietly—
"And because you're not ready for that thing like this."
Her eyes struggled to focus.
"You just told me… I am strong," she slurred faintly.
"Yeah," he said. "You are."
Another pause.
"But not like this."
He gestured slightly to the side.
The small mechanical spider—Pixie—clicked faintly, its dim glow flickering.
"I left you a guard."
Cana's lips barely moved.
"…that's not funny…"
"It is."
He turned away, shadows already beginning to gather at his feet.
Then—
"…In exchange," he added, glancing back once, "I'll help you with the trials."
Her breath caught.
And before she could respond—
The shadows folded inward.
—and he was gone.
Cana lay there, barely conscious, her hand still reaching toward empty space.
The ruins trembled again.
Closer.
Louder.
Her fingers curled weakly.
"…You idiot…" she whispered.
No anger.
Just frustration.
And something deeper.
Something unresolved.
Something that hadn't ended yet.
Somewhere beyond the rubble—
The hunt had already begun.