Oh look, another story. One that is being written before Heaven's Heart has its second chapter written. My excuse? First semester of college is hectic. Don't worry on that story, I know what to write, I just barely have enough time to write it. I'll alternate writing chapters for that and this story to keep things fresh.

Now, a warning. As I stated on my profile, some of my stories may contain an OC who is essentially a self-insert. This is one of them. However, depending on the story effects how the OC/SI is written. Also, I'm kinda lazy when it comes to naming the character for this kind of story, so it would boil down to either my account name, real name, or something similar to both.

Please understand, I'm writing these types of stories to make myself feel better. If you don't like, then don't read.

Without further ado… Let's Begin!

The Empty Boy

Looking out the window, Porlyusica can't help but frown at the downpour happening outside. It's been raining since the middle of the night, and it is currently the middle of the afternoon. 'Oh well, at least the rain keeps people from going outside, and potentially visit me.' The hermit thought to herself. Breaking out of her thoughts, she sensed something nearby her home. It felt like some type of magic, but it felt dark. Narrowing her eyes suspiciously in the direction of the darkness, she slowly reaches out to grasp a nearby broomstick. When Porlyusica has that broom in her hands, even the great Titania cowers in fear from her.

Opening the front door of her home, Porlyusica slowly scans the surrounding forest for any signs of life. She was about to head back in when she heard a splash. Quickly turning around she shouts, "Whoever you are, GO AWAY!" Despite her warning, she kept hearing the splashes. The sound got close enough for her to see who was making them. As it turns out, it was somebody wearing a long black coat with his hood up.

"I said GO AWAY! Don't make me hit you with my broom!" Porlyusica once again warned the stranger to leave, but he ignored her. He kept walking the same direction past her house until he finally collapsed. While Porlyusica may hate humans, it does not mean she won't turn down a person in need of medical attention. Quickly running to the stranger, Porlyusica picks him up and takes him inside her home. Oddly enough, the person was very light; despite being almost six feet tall.

After getting her patient to a bed, Porlyusica starts to find out what is wrong. Firstly, removing his hood, she gets a look at her patient's face. It's revealed to be a boy, looking around the age eighteen. He has brown hair that when put in light has a bronze sheen to it. He is wearing a pair of thick glasses. Opening his eye, to make sure that he is still responsive, she notices that the irises are a crystalline hazel. Taking off the coat to see if he has any wounds on his torso, only to find none, she sees that he has a medium build; and has slightly pale skin.

Checking his breathing, seeing that is fine, Porlyusica then listens to his hea- Nothing. She can't hear his heartbeat. Double checking everything, the healer concludes that the young man is fine. Only exhausted. Except, he has no heart and is somehow still alive. The situation is so strange that she needs some help figuring this out. Making sure that the boy is stable, Porlyusica heads out to see one of the very few people she tolerates. The current Master of Fairy Tail, Makarov Dreyar. She was so lost in her thoughts that she did not notice that it has stopped raining.

It's a slow day at the guild hall. Mostly due to the rain that has now cleared up. Natsu has been gone since yesterday once he heard about a rumor of someone seeing a Salamander at Hargeon Town. The rumor is most likely about someone impersonating Salamander, who is coincidently Natsu himself; but he was so gung-ho about finding his foster father that he didn't bother realizing this fact. Erza and the guild's other S-Class wizards are out on jobs. Really the only notable members that came were Mirajane, Elfman, Cana, and Gray. Sitting on the bar, drinking some ale, was Master Makarov. "Huh, nothing interesting happened lately. I wonder what would change that."

Putting down her keg, Cana turns to the small master, "I can try a prediction with my cards." Thinking it over for a moment, Makarov nods his at the drunk. Really there is nothing to lose with just a simple prediction. "Okay! Let's see what the future holds!" She exclaimed, failing to sound mystic due to her constant drinking. She then throws down several cards on the table in front of her. The first card she flips over is The Fortune, "It appears that we will be getting two new members soon." Cana said aloud. This caught the attention of those around her.

"Oh really, do can you be a bit more specific?" Asked Gray who, for once, was distracted enough not to start stripping.

"Hold yer pants on, heh hehe heh, I'm getting to that!" Clearing her throat, Cana flips over the next card. On it reveals The Star. "Ah, one of them will bring a lot of hope to the guild. In fact, they are going to be brought in by… Natsu!" The card next to The Star is The Magician, who Cana said is supposed to be Natsu.

"Oh great, hope flame-brain won't bring someone as stupid looking as him."

Meanwhile on a train to Hargeon Town is a very motion-sick Dragon Slayer and his feline companion. Suddenly, Natsu went ramrod straight and shouted, "SAY THAT AGAIN TO MY FACE ICE PRICK, AND SEE WHAT HAPPENS!" And just as fast as he got over his motion sickness, he succumbed to it again. Happy just kept eating his fish, knowing that Gray must have insulted Natsu right now.

"Achoo!" Sneezed Gray.

"Careful Gray, you might have caught a cold from all this rain." Smiled Mirajane.

"I don't think ice-wizards can catch colds Sis…" Elfman said to his sister.

"Can we please get back to Cana's prediction? I am curious as to see who our other new member may be." Makarov asked nicely, even though he got some amusement from the conversation. There were a collection of "sorry Master" and "Aye Sir" heard throughout the guild.

"Okay then! The next is, huh, The Fool." Cana said with mild surprise.

"So, we are getting an idiot after all…" That earned Gray a bump on the head from the Guild Master.

"No Gray, The Fool means the beginning. It is represented by the number zero; meaning that it is empty, but filled with infinite possibilities." Makarov said in a sage-like voice.

"Couldn't have said it better Master." Said the fortune-teller, "Now, they will be brought in by two people. The Hermit, and… Hierophant?"

"What's wrong Cana?" Mirajane asked warily.

"It's just that, The Hermit is Porlyusica," Everybody slightly cringed at her name because they are all thoroughly acquainted with that woman, and her cleaning supplies. "and The Hierophant, is you, Master." She said, pointing at the old man.

Now this confused everyone. Not only was that old hag bringing in a new member, but somehow this also involves Makarov himself. "Well then, I better go and pay her a visit. Hopefully she will be in a listening mood."

"There is no need to do that Makarov, for I am already here." Said Porlyusica herself as she just entered the guild. Going up to the bar, slightly grateful that all the members in her path gave her a wide berth out of fear, she looked dead into Makarov's eyes and said, "Earlier today, a young man walked past my home and collapsed. I took him in to see what is wrong, which turns out to be a case of extreme exhaustion. Both physically and magically."

"Why am I sensing a but?" The Master said grimly.

"He is fine, stable and resting. Is in no immediate danger, but" Everyone unconsciously leaned in during her pause. "he has no Heart." Silence greeted her. Now most people would outright laugh at such a claim, but since they live in a world of magic, anything is possible. Also, nobody wants to challenge the healer's claim because even though they are not particularly fond of her, but neither do they actually resent her. They know that when it comes to medicine, she is a professional, and would not make a joke; even though nobody has ever heard her make one.

"Let me see him." Makarov said as he got off the bar top and headed out the door. Porlyusica silently following behind him. As they left, everybody went back to their business. Cana was also retrieving her cards.

"Huh." She said aloud.

Being nearby, Mirajane asked, "What's wrong Cana?"

"Oh, nothing important. I'm just missing a card from my tarot deck. Probably lost it on a job." She said with a wave of her hand, and went back to her keg.

What nobody realizes is that Cana did not lose her card on a job. In fact, it was one that she drew to make her prediction. It just fell off the table, and is currently on the ground. And if anyone saw that card, they would see it showing The Tower.

Darkness, that is all he felt. What was he doing in the darkness? Did someone put him in there, or was he always a part of it? All he knew is that he was connected to the darkness is some way. For he felt its presence for a long time. Then, the darkness subsided. He did not know where he was, or how he got there. He can only remember the darkness at the moment. He couldn't even register that it was raining, or that he was walking forward like a zombie. Tired, he felt so tired. Sleep, he needed to sleep.

Slowly opening up his eyes, followed by shutting the again due to the harsh light. He tried to gain his bearings. Sitting upright as slow as possible, he finally managed to adjust to the light. Looking around, he noticed that he is alone in a bed. The room he is in does not ring any bells to his memory. In fact, he cannot remember a thing. Slowly getting out of bed, he notices what he is wearing. A long black coat with a hood, with matching pants and shoes. These must be his, they fit him perfectly, even though he has no memory of how he got them. Finding a mirror he looks into it and sees a face. His face, a face that he doesn't recognize.

Turning away from the mirror, he heard the door open. In came two people; a short man and a tall woman with pink hair, both of them look old. "Ah he is awake." The woman said. "Please return to the bed, so that I can make sure you a rested enough to walk around." Figuring that this woman must have helped him, he followed her orders. Noting that the man has not looked away from him.

'This child,' Makarov thought to himself, 'his eyes are empty. His overall presence feels like some sort of spirit existing in the physical world. What is he?' Watching the boy sit down on the bed, and Porlyusica check over him again.

"Okay, you are perfectly fine now. You were just suffering from major exhaustion. No other ailments, except…" She paused, unsure how to explain his situation. He looks at her stoically, which unnerves her a bit. Not sure of how to word this, she decides to address it bluntly. "Except you have no Heart." Her only form of response from the boy was just a blink. No bombardment of questions. No mental breakdowns. Not even a change in his facial expressions. This worries her greatly. If he has no heart, does this mean he has no emotions too? Before she continues her train of thought, Makarov speaks up.

"Hello there child, my name is Makarov, and this is Porlyusica. Could you please tell us your name?" He asks in a fatherly tone. The boy slowly turns his head to Makarov and continues to look at him. Almost a whole minuet passes by before they hear him speak.

"I, I can't remember."

Hoarse, that is the first thing they notice about his voice. Prompting Porlyusica to give him a glass of water. Deep, at least a bit deeper than anyone else his age. Finally, hollow; his voice is completely hollow. No emotion came from that voice, even though he just said he can't remember his own name. This boy's case is becoming more and more strange.

"Is there anything you do remember?" Asked Makarov.

"Darkness, all I remember is darkness." He answered after a couple of seconds.

"So you have no other place to go?" The boy shook his head. "Hmm…" Makarov pondered for a minuet before coming to a decision. "How about you join Fairy Tail? You can go on jobs to earn money, and who knows, you may come across something from your past?" The boy looked at Makarov for a moment, most likely weighing his options. Soon, he gave a nod in confirmation. This made the small Master give a big grin and extended his hand. "Great! Then I'd like to welcome you to Fairy Tail!" The boy then extended his hand and shook it with Makarov's. "Well then, let's go back to the guild! Oh, and thank you for your help." Saying that last part to Porlyusica. Who gave him a curt nod. The two males then exited the house and headed back to the guildhall.

The walk back to the guild was silent. The only noise that can heard was their footsteps in the wet ground. Just from the conversation back at Porlyusica's house, Makarov could tell that the boy doesn't like talking. He only speaks when he needs to. He also noted that he put up his hood once they stepped outside. Most likely due to either him being sensitive to sunlight, or just shyness; or maybe both? Who knows? After ten minutes or so, they made it to Fairy Tail.

"Welcome to your new home and family!" Makarov said cheerily to the boy. Once he said that, the boy stopped almost abruptly, and was looking at him. 'Geeze, with that hood up, I can't see his face at all. Kinda creepy when you think about it.' Breaking out of his thoughts he said, "What I mean by that is that everyone in Fairy Tail considers each other family. Even if we are not related by blood. If one of us is down, another will bring them back up." He then continued walking, and opened up the front doors.

When the front doors opened, everyone looked at them to see the Master and person wearing a black coat. "Listen up!" Bellowed the small Master. "We have a new member joining us today! I want all of you to treat him well because he has amnesia, so don't be asking him too many questions!" Everyone then looked at the mysterious figure with sympathy. "But we cannot let that get us down! We have to show him how fun it is in our guild, SO LET'S PARTY!" Makarov said even louder, prompting everyone to shout in joy and basically go wild. Makarov then looked at the boy, "Enjoy your time here." He said with a smile, and retreated to the bar.

The boy looked around the guild and saw many colorful characters drinking and having a great time. He then noticed a white hair woman approaching him with a radiant smile on her face. "Hello! My name is Mirajane, but everyone calls me Mira! What's your name?" She asked sweetly.

"I can't remember my name." He said in his monotone voice. With that sentence, the part abruptly stopped; and everyone was looking at him. Mirajane looked surprised and worried.

"Oh! I'm so sorry! I didn't know!" The boy then waved his hands to show that it was okay. This eased the barmaid a bit, but she still felt a bit guilty. The others went back to their festivities, but they were not as energetic as before. "Okay then. If it doesn't really bother you, then I guess its fine then. Anyways, since you're now a member of our guild you need a guild mark!" She said while pulling out a stamp with the Fairy Tail emblem on it. "Where would you like yours, and what color should it be?" He was then looking at her, trying to decide where to have his guild mark. He eventually gave a shrug. Causing her to slightly deflate. "Um, well…" She said awkwardly. Clearly never being in this situation before. Then, she suddenly got a devious look on her face. "How about I decide for you? Because I have a perfect idea in mind!" Figuring that it wasn't a bad idea, he nodded his head. "You don't talk much, do you?" His only reply was him shaking his head. Causing Mirajane to sweatdrop. "Okay then, now hold still." She said, after recomposing herself. She then reached for his coat zipper, stopping at looking at him silently as if she was asking if she can go any further. She then unzipped it down below his chest once he gave no indication for her to stop. She then took the stamp and put it on the left side of his chest. When she removed the stamp, the Fairy Tail logo was there in a light-red, but not exactly pink, color. "There you go! It looks perfect right there!"

Makarov was watching the entire scene from the bar. He was glad that nobody brought up his condition. 'But it seems that Mirajane is trying to make him feel better already. Yes, let Fairy Tail become your new Heart. So that you may feel again.' He then went back to drinking, while also trying to cop a feel with some of the female members. By the end of the day, Makarov had a massive headache from both alcohol, and the beatings from all the women he tried flirting with.

It was nighttime already, and people were leaving the guild. Just about all of them were tired and or drunk from all the partying. Surprising to some, the person the party was being thrown for barely socialized with anyone. He mostly kept to himself in a far corner of the guild. Some people tried to get him to talk, but all it came to was one-sided conversations. The only person who got some sort of conversation out of him was Mirajane, but all that amounted to was him ordering a sandwich with potato chips and some water. And all he did was point at the menu she gave him. Another thing people noticed was that he never took off his hood. He is probably shy as someone said. Elfman tried to get him to take it off, saying that "A true Man never hides his face!" He was then scolded by his sister saying that if he doesn't want to show his face, then he doesn't have to. In all honestly, this behavior of their newest member reminded them of when Erza first joined the guild. This made people hope that he would not become another Erza. The very thought of two Erzas made everybody's spine shiver.

As some of the last people went out, Makarov noticed the only one left beside him was the boy. 'We really need to figure out a name for him. Can't keep calling him by nicknames that amount to boy or new guy.' "It seems that everybody left for the night, and you have no place to sleep." He said sardonically. If only a good Samaritan came by and offered for you to stay at their place. Just then Gray came out of what was probably the bathroom. Makarov quickly took advantage of this opportunity. "Ah, Gray! How kind of you to allow our newest member to stay at your place until he gets his own!"

It took a second for Gray to realize what the Master said to him before replying. "Wait! What! When did I-!"

He was then cut off by Makarov who all but ran out of the guildhall saying,"Thanksagainfordoingthis,seeyouguysinthemorning!" And he disappeared over the horizon.

Gray then looked at the retreating for of the Master before letting out a sigh. He then looked indifferently at the new member. "Well, I guess I don't have a choice in this. Name's Gray Fullbuster." He then started to walk out the door, figuring that the guy would follow.

"Pants." He heard the guy say.

Gray, at first thought he remembered his name, but that was before he looked down and notice that his pants were missing. "CRAP! NOT AGAIN!" He then rushed back into the bathroom and retrieved his missing clothes. He then met back up with the boy, who has not moved from his place, and started walking again. Their walk went along quietly until Gray could not handle the silence for any longer. Trying is luck, he started a conversation. "I don't think you're an idiot." Stopping himself, followed by face-palming at such the stupidest thing he could have ever said to the guy. Luckily, the silent member said nothing, only looked at him. 'Geeze, with that hood up, it makes it look like it's just a mouth. I can't even see his face under there.' Awkwardly coughing into his fist, he tried again. "Um, let me try again. Uh… Is it true that you don't have a Heart?" 'Dumbass! You just put your foot in your mouth again! If Erza was here, she would kick your ass for being insensitive!' Looking over to the boy again, he was slightly relieved that he did not take any offense to his statement. Instead, he nodded in confirmation. Trying not to derail the conversation again, Gray said, "Wow, not really sure how that works. The Heart is one of the most important organs of the body. But since we live in a world full of magic, I guess anything is possible." He said wistfully. "I say were Mira put your guild mark. I guess that's her way for you to realize that Fairy Tail can be your Heart now." Gray said with a smile. The boy slowed down a bit in their walk, and put his hand over were his guild mark is. Gray looked at this, and figured that maybe it reignited a light in the guy. "You know, you kinda remind me of when Erza first joined the guild. She kept to herself until I challenged her to a fight. Because of that, she opened up more. Although, she now beats me and that pyro up whenever the both of us get into a fight. I swear, she enjoys that." He then notices the stare he is receiving. Realizing that he probably needs to explain a bit more. "Oh, you don't know who I'm talking about huh. Well Erza is an S-Class wizard, as well as the strongest woman in the guild. And the pyro I mentioned is Natsu. A slanty-eyed idiot who has no restraint when it comes to his magic." Although he just insulted his rival, he held no real malice for him. "The idiot thinks he's hot shit, but he's jealous that I'm cooler than him." Giving a small chuckle at the pun he made. Looking back at his companion, he was greeted by that oh so unnerving stare. "Oh, you probably didn't get the joke. The thing is is that Natsu's a Fire Dragon Slayer, and I'm an Ice-Make Wizard." He then demonstrated by creating an ice-key to open the door they just walked up to. Which just so happens to be Gray's house. "Well, this is my place. Make yourself comfortable, and the guest room is down the hall; first door on the right." Gray then went to the kitchen to grab a glass of water, before turning again to his guest. "Hey, you're a pretty good listener. Well then, 'night." He then retreated to his room to sleep. Unconsciously taking off all his clothes before even placing his hand on the doorknob.

He was still standing in the living room as Gray shut the door to his room. The people at the guild were strange, he thought. All of them were displaying various emotions. He knew what emotions were. It's just that, for some reason, he can't feel them. He understands what they mean on other people's faces, but he can't apply that to himself. He then walked around to find a mirror. He actually found one in the room that he is staying in. Closing the door, and taking off his hood, he looks into the mirror. The face staring back at him is still unfamiliar in his eyes. He then proceeds to make faces. Well, at least he is trying to make faces in the mirror like a child. What he is trying to do is to replicate all those emotion he saw today. Sometimes, he used his fingers in order to help. After a half hour, he gave up, and turned into bed.

He hears the ocean's waves right next to him. The world around him is dark, but there are some parts that illuminate a bit. Just enough for him to see. While some people may not like the overall feeling of this place, he doesn't mind it at all. It's very tranquil. He would not mind if he was here forever. The presence of this place doesn't bother him at all. It just feels natural. Almost as if he belongs here. He feels a presence next to him. It feels empty, like him. Turning around, he sees what is most likely a man who is wearing the same coat as him. He is clearly saying something to him, but he cannot hear a thing. His vision is suddenly filled with static. When it clears, he now sees a word, no, a name floating in front of the man. The name feels familiar, but not exactly right. The name is…

Gray wakes up in his bed and looks at the time. It's actually a little bit past the time when the guild opens. Figuring that he can go on a quick job today with the new guy as a way to see how good he is; Gray gets up to get ready for the day. One he makes it to his kitchen, he sees his guest sitting at the table, finishing off an orange. "Yo, was just about to check if you're up. Guess I didn't have to." The boy looked his way before throwing out the peels. "C'mon newbie, let's go to the guild and take a job. I want to see how good you are." Gray was halfway out the door when he heard,

"Xian."

Gray stopped in his tracks, comically having one leg up and out the door. He puts it down and slowly turned towards his guest. "Did you just say Xian." He nodded. "Is that your name then?" Another nod, but Gray noticed that he hesitated a bit before doing so. "Well then, that makes it much easier for everyone else. Let's get going Xian." And with that, Gray and Xian went to the guild.

Like their walk last night, it was relatively silent. The silence was only broken once when Gray asked if Xian remembered anything else. In which Xian shook his head. When they got back to the guild, Gray was slightly relieved that Natsu hasn't come back yet. And even better news was that Erza wasn't there either. The guild was more packed than it was yesterday due to the nice weather today. Figuring that it would be best to give the guild some good news about their newest member, Gray shouted," Oi! Everybody!" Everyone stopped what they are doing and looked at him with confusion. "Guess who just remembered their name!" He said, pointing a thumb at Xian. Now everybody was looking at Xian, waiting for him to say his name.

"Xian." He said after a couple of seconds. Nobody said anything for a while, until it was broken by Elfman.

"Xian, eh… Now that sounds like the name of a real Man!"

After that, the guild exploded in cheers and congratulations. It seems that this guild would take any excuse to party. Some people walked up to Xian to greet him properly. Most where nice like Mirajane, and a young woman named Levy; who was out on a mission with her team yesterday. Others were a bit goofy with their introductions; one guy did his in interpretative dance. The weirdest was Cana, who all but molested him with hers. But it was expected of her to do that, she was already drunk; and was starting on her sixth barrel already.

After re-greeting his guild mates, Xian went up to the request board with Gray to go out on a job. Next to the board was a man named Nab, who according to Gray, barely goes on jobs saying that he only takes ones that are best suited to his abilities. How he ever pays his bills on time, nobody knows. "Alright man, since you probably forgot your magic as well, let's take something not too hard. Maybe it would come back to you in the heat of battle, or something." Gray said to him. Looking over the board, he sees a wide variety of requests. Each with different rankings and reward payouts. From escorting caravans, to demon subjugation. His eyes wanders until he looks at one that catches his attention. It's marked as a C-Class request, and it says:

Monster Extermination

Black creatures with yellow eyes have been appearing near our town. When somebody tried to fight them, the creatures fought back and turned the man into one of them! Please Help!

Reward: 350,000 J

When he read the description of the monsters, he though he remembered seeing something like that before. His suspicions were confirmed when he noticed the small drawing of the creature on the request. In his mind's eye, he saw the creature as if it was standing in front of him. The way it looks around with its beady eyes and twitching antenna causes him to unconsciously clench his fists. He starts to remember something, but it when away when Gray shook his shoulder.

"Hey man, you just spaced out for a second." Gray then notices the job request that Xian was looking at. "Hey, do those creatures have anything to do with your amnesia?"

"Maybe." He replied. Noticing that his tone was slightly different than how he usual talked. It still sounded hollow, so Gray didn't noticed.

"Well then, only one way to find out." He said cockily. Tearing off the request to show it to Mirajane so they can go out. "Hey Mira! Me Xian are going out on a job."

"Okay, let me see which one it is then." Looking at the request, her face falters a bit. "Um, Gray? Don't you think you should take Xian on an easier job?"

"I know you're worried, but he choose this one specifically."

"Why's that?" She asks while tilting her head to the side.

"Cause he thinks these monsters may have caused his amnesia."

She then looked between Gray and him wide-eyed. She then nods her head, knowing that this is his only clue to his past. "Okay then. Be careful you two."

"Don't worry about it. If things get too hairy, I can bail us out" Gray said confidently.

With that, Xian and Gray went out on their first mission.

It took them a couple of hours by train to get to the town, and they were greeted with absolutely nobody when they arrived. "Where is everyone?" Gray asked aloud. Xian then noticed that some people were peeking from their windows at the two of them.

"Scared." Xian said to Gray.

"Man, this must worse than we thought. We gotta help these people so they can go outside again." He was then given a hum in confirmation from his partner. They then walked to the mayor's office. Banging on the door, Gray yelled,"Oi, open up! "After hearing a bunch of shuffling from behind the door, as well as the unlocking of many locks, the door opened up a tiny bit. In the crack between the door and the frame is a singular eye.

"Mmmayy I-I hheellpp yyou?" A shaky, female voce said from the other side.

"Were the Fairy Tail Mages who came to help your town lady." Gray said, crossing his arms in front of his chest.

There was a surprised gasp coming from the woman. "Please, wait a moment!" She then closed the door. Both mages then heard the sounds of even more locks being undone. This made Gray quirk an eyebrow at Xian. The door then opened up again; with the woman grabbing the both of them by their collar and threw them inside.

"Hey! What the Hell! You could have warned us you were going to do that!" Gray protested. The woman simply ignored him. Focusing on relocking the door, which had forty-seven locks on it as well as a wooden barricade.

When she finished locking back up, she breathed a sigh of relief and slid to the ground with her back to the door. "Sorry about that. Those creatures made everyone so paranoid. Locking our doors makes us feel safe, but they are able to pop up from anywhere it seems."

That statement seemed to put Gray on edge. He put his two hands together and an icy mist came from them. "So…" He said slowly, "are we currently in any danger?" Glancing around the room.

"I'm, I'm not too sure. Just, please, keep your guards up. We don't want any more people to be turned into those creatures."

Both mages nodded at her. Gray relaxed his stance a bit, and Xian was occasionally glancing around the room; not that anyone could tell that. "Please follow me; I'll take you to the mayor." The woman said, leading the both of them to the main office. When she opened the doors, she addressed the mayor, "Sir, the two Fairy Tail Mages are here."

The man at the desk practically jumped out of his seat and ran over to them. "Oh! Thank you two for coming to our aid! We desperately need help!" He said with tears in his eyes while shaking their hands furiously.

This stunned Gray for a moment, but he quickly recomposed himself. "Yeah, you're welcome, but let's get down to business." Gray said seriously.

The mayor then blinked in surprise before reordering himself. He coughed into his fist then spoke, "Ah, yes. Let's get this problem of ours dealt with as soon as possible." Both Gray and Xian nodded in agreement. Sitting back at his desk the mayor started explaining. "You see, our town was pretty peaceful. Not even the local wildlife came into our boarders. That was until a little girl who was playing by the edge of town spotted one of the creatures. She said it looked like a cute, giant ant and thought it was friendly." He said that last sentence grimly, causing Gray to grit his teeth. "The creature attacked her when she got close to it. Luckily, it only scratched her back. She quickly ran home before it could hurt her again. When her father found out, he went out to kill the creature. Some of his neighbors went with him in case there were more." He paused again, trying to keep his emotions in check. "There were a lot more of those creatures. They easily overpowered the group, except the one who ran away at the first sign of trouble."

"I get it, but the pamphlet, and your secretary also said that they were turning people into more of them. Are these creatures using Take-Over Magic?"

The mayor's face darkened. "No, they are not using magic to transform people into more of them." He then looked at the two mages in front of him. "They rip-out their Hearts."

"WHAT!? YOU CAN'T BE SERIOUS!" Gray shouted

"I am. The one who got away first reported this. Like fools we ignored him, thought that he left those just to save himself. We were proven wrong not too long after."

Gray was now way-beyoned pissed. These creatures are true monsters, just like Deliora. Which now reminds him of Xian, and his condition. He has no Heart. Was he somehow a victim of these creatures too? If so, then why does he still look human? 'I'll have to ask him later about this. We have bigger fish to fry.' "Don't worry sir, we won't come back until we kill every single last one of them. You have our word as Fairy Tail Mages." He said pointing to his guild mark. Speaking of which…

"Clothes." Xian said motionlessly. The mayor now had a huge sweatdrop on his head. While his secretary's face was completely red.

Gray looked down and saw he was in his boxers. "DAMN IT!" He just had to ruin the moment with his stripping habit. Thankfully, Xain handed back his clothes; which were neatly folded in his arms. 'Guess he picked up on my habit and is trying to be nice about it.' "Thanks." Gray grabbed his clothes and put them back on.

The mayor coughed again to get their attention. "Anyways, we thank you for this. Please, come back alive."

"Didn't plan on dying today anyways." Gray said coolly. They were then escorted back outside after being pointed in the direction of the creatures. As they were walking, Gray explained their game plan. "Since you can't remember your magic, I'll be the one to take them out. You act as a second pair of eyes for me. Try not to get hit too. If something combat-related comes back to you, then use it."

"Roger." Xian said, trying to imitate Gray's seriousness. It still came out as his hollow voice though.

Gray smirked, "You seem to be talking more often now. Maybe soon I can see your face." He joked. Not realizing that Xian was trying to show his seriousness of the situation.

Xian then grabbed Gray's shoulder as they entered a medium-sized clearing in the forest. Gray was about to say something before Xian interrupted him.

"Ambush."

Just then, the creatures they were sent to exterminate surrounded them by coming up from the ground like shadows.

"Crap! I didn't think these bastards were that smart!" Gray shouted and put his hands together. "Ice-Make: Dome!" A large dome of ice surrounded him and Xian. The ten creatures jumped at the ice, but all they did was bounce off of it. He quickly dissipated the dome and followed-up with an attack. "Ice-Make: Lance!" Several spears of ice shot out of his hands and skewered the shadows. However, some of them went flat to the ground, causing some of the spears to miss. More of the creatures started popping up from the ground and lunged at Gray.

When the shield went down, Xian went to the edge of the clearing. He saw how Gray was taking out the creatures. He noticed on thing about the creature's behavior. They were ignoring him, and only went after Gray. Could this have to do with him having no Heart? He then saw one of the monsters sneak-up from behind Gray, ready to attack. Xian then rushed to the creature and kicked it. Some of the creatures saw this, and now went after him as well; recognizing him as a threat. Xian tried to fight them off, but there were too many of them. They all dog-piled him; his vision went dark.

Gray turned around at the last second to see Xian get put under a pile of those creatures.

"XIAN!"

Darkness once again. It still feels cool and comfortable to him. He doesn't mind being here again. He feels his eyes close, about to drift to sleep. Sleep. He remembers that he likes to sleep. In his sleep, nobody can hurt him. At least, that what the memory is telling him. Now another one is coming to him. Someone who looks like him is angry at three people who are laughing at him. He can feel his own face contort like the boy in his memory. He blocks that memory now, focusing back on the darkness. That is, until he saw a light. It feels warm and welcoming, more so than the darkness. "What the Hell do you think you're doing!" It shouted at him. The voice it has sounds like his own, but he can hear that it is angry with him. "You just left your new friend to die while you take a nap! How pathetic!" He felt his face contort like it did before. "Yeah, don't like being called pathetic? Don't like being called weak? Then get your ass in gear, AND DO SOMETHING!" He knew the voice was right, he couldn't die now; he still needs to remember who he was and what happened to him. He grasped the light with his hand, and was suddenly blinded.

He can't believe it; he turned around for one second and his partner just got killed. It's his entire fault that Xian got killed. His distraction costed him a couple of nasty scratches from the creatures. His shock turned to rage, and glared at the hoard of monsters in front of him. "You bastards! You'll pay for what you did!" Gray put his hands together to unleash a powerful spell before a bright light appeared behind him. Looking back at the pile, he saw that it exploded into a burst of light; scattering the creatures. What he saw left him speechless. Standing right there was Xian with his hood down. He looked absolutely pissed at what happened to him. He then swung his right arm to the side and a weapon appeared in his hand. It looked like a giant key that was used as a sword. It had a guard around the handle, and a keychain connected at the bottom with some sort of upside-down heart as a charm. The entire thing was colored gray. Xian then got into a stance and spoke in an angry, but still hollow tone.

"I'll show you I'm not weak."

He then lunged at the nearest creature with his blade.

Next Time: Keyblade

Well, here is chapter 1. I'll go back and forth with this and Heaven's Heart. Please be patient for chapters. I am halfway with first semester in college, so I'll get more done in-between semesters. As always, tell me what you like, don't like, or ideas for the future. Thank you and have a nice day.