Blood. Blood and steel. It was all he could see, all he knew, all that was left of her. They took everything from him, in return, he would rip that beating Grimoire Heart from his chest.

Author's Note

Hello to anyone who finds this, thanks for taking the time. This will be an OC-centered fanfic following the main Fairy Tail storyline. The first few chapters will be backstory but interactions with popular characters will be prevalent during those chapters as well. The idea for this story is to do a slow burn through the arcs and actually learn how to develop an interesting character. Bare with me if you see mistakes but feel free to point them out, the main reason I'm doing this is for my own enjoyment but I also wanna make sure the story is something you guys enjoy reading as well so any comments intending to better the story as a whole are welcome.

This is my first real attempt at writing so let me know if you guys notice any plot holes or other errors (anything from Grammer issues, to 'this character development feels unearned' etc.) Also, be warned these chapters are pretty long.

"Speech"

"Thoughts"

"Internal conversations/ messages"

"Spells or Important Items/Spells"

The Greyhound chapter 1.

Fiore was a colorful place, a land rich in magic. Filled with both bustling cities and uninhabited wilderness, this country was truly a young boy's playground.

X779

Running through the main street of a small village, a child no older than 10 called back to the girl who'd chased him around the town square all morning.

"Give up Gina, you'll never catch me I'm way too fast!" His brown hair bouncing as he ran, amused and self-confident.

At least he was until a blonde girl around the same age dove forward, barely grabbing his foot as she fell. It was more than enough to send him tumbling.

Surprise and panic flashed across his face as he began to endlessly roll. The landing was graceless, something which didn't go unnoticed by Gina.

"Ha take that Blake, maybe next time you won't pick on someone faster than you. Remember what mom says, 'Pride comes before the Fall'" A victorious grin never leaving her face.

It seemed like the boy would start arguing but the irritation soon melted away, replaced with amusement once more "You sound like an old lady!" he shouted, and once again took off down the dirt path. Gina following close behind making playful threats as they went.

The scene was an amusing thing to many of the onlookers. The baker, the blacksmith even merchants from outside the village looked on fondly at their antics. All but one.

Sitting on the bottom step of the black smith's forge was a boy. With a glance one could tell, he was bored. His spiky unnaturally black hair covering his right eye and the slightly tanned skin of his arms pressing against the back of the stair.

Wearing a black T-shirt and simple black cargo pants, there was nothing particularly special about his appearance. The only other apparel shown on his person being a silver ring on his right index finger. But if you managed to look when the light struck his hair just right, you'd see small bits of metal woven into it. A strange bit of fashion indeed.

"haaaah, must be nice. Not a care in the world" he mused. Sadly, those thoughts were brought to an abrupt end as someone kicked the side of his shoulder "Get that dull look off your face."

A relatively tall woman wearing a disapproving expression stared down at him. Sporting a fitting pair of black Capri style pants and grey tank top, with a short black fur cape falling over her right side. An identical silver ring on her hand as well, and a holster attached at the hip, though whatever it held was hidden from sight.

She seemed middle-aged with more than a few scares visible along her face, neck, and what was revealed of her shoulder. The same black hair covering her head, and high bangs framing her face. In the back, half-formed a ponytail while the rest lay unattended. Much the same as the boy before her if one were to look closely, they may see metal fragments hidden inside.

"You were so distracted by nothing that I was able to sneak up on you." were her next words, that tone never letting up.

Of course, that wasn't true, and she knew it, she'd trained him after all.

When her jibes went unanswered, she relented with a sigh "huuuuh, Kinzo stop staring off into space. It's time to go."

Seeming to react to his name the boy rose with a yawn and stretched. "Did you find what you wanted?"

Holding up a thin sack, a simple "yup" was the only response he got before she chucked it at him. Not missing a beat, he caught the surprisingly heavy package and looked inside to find a number of oddly shaped yet normal looking… rocks? metal slabs? He couldn't really tell.

The bored look in his eyes turned to mild curiosity "what is it this time? Do they have crazy high flexibility, low magic consumption to forge, maybe they're stupid sharp?"

His mildly interested chatter was brought to a swift end by the women's response "it's impossible to use magic on them, it's just absorbed. And their melting point is so high they can't even be used in smithing."

Kinzo's face flashed between both bewilderment and fascination. "Ok mom I don't wanna question your judgment on this one, but if magic has no effect and they can't be forged what good are they to us?" was his sarcastic reply.

"Just because a blacksmith can't break it down doesn't mean that we couldn't just make it in whatever shape we want."

After hearing his mother's comment, the gears started to really turn in his mind. A weapon made from material immune to magic and impossible to melt, the versatility was staggering to think about.

"Alright head back to camp, we'll be leaving in a few hours." The commanding tone clear in her voice.

"Come on we've barely been here two days and you already wanna leave again? Why can't we ever just stay in the same place for more than a week ya old hag?"

The insult escaped his lips before he really seemed to register what was said. His mother's response was nearly instantaneous.

"What was that?" an ominous aura surrounding her.

"Nothing ma'am, I'll head back to camp first!" taking off and leaving only a dust cloud where he once stood.

"…What am I gonna do with that boy?" a soft chuckle escaped her lips as she thought of the strange personality her son possessed and knowing it could have only come from his time spent with an old friend of hers and those two boys she was raising. "He used to be so well behaved too."

"You sure turned him into a snarky brat but at least he didn't pick up any of your other bad habits, Ur."

Taking her eyes away from the dust trail her son left behind, she started to turn before noticing a number of unsavory individuals looking in the direction he'd just gone. Focusing her senses, she started to pick up on what they were saying.

"brat just left with a bag, probably has something valuable in it."

"Even if it doesn't, that kid's been comin to town for a couple days, may have a camp set up nearby."

"Wanna check it out, see if there's anything worth stealing?"

"Ya lets, and we may even be able to make a pretty penny off sellin the kid. I hear there's people lookin for slave labor towards the south east, loadin people up on ships".

As the conversation ended the three men began making the trek north towards her camp and more importantly her son.

She brushed a hand against her holster considering just dealing with them now but deciding against it. There were other errands she needed to take care of while in this little town, and besides Kinzo could handle it. He was 14 after all, she was already a seasoned assassin by that age.

Honestly, she was too soft on the boy. concluding her thoughts before carrying out the rest of her business.

The walk back to camp wasn't a particularly long one, and it had nice scenery so Kinzo wasn't really against the short journey. It gave him time to relax and think a bit. Well, at least it had the last couple days he'd been here. The only thing he could focus on at the moment was the piss poor attempt at stealth the three idiots behind him were trying to pull off.

"Why do I always get the stupid ones?" he mumbled to himself.

As a dense set of trees approached, he brushed the trunk of one to his right. Whispering to himself before stopping.

Spinning around to stare directly at the bit of thick foliage the men were hiding behind, he called out "Ok idiots are we doin this or not? I ain't got all day."

Two of the men exited from cover and started to take positions on opposite sides of their target, maybe 5 meters away. "Not bad kid you found us out, and I respect the confidence, but false bravado won't help you here."

One to the right, one to the left, and one still hidden in the brush, ya these guys were amateurs.

"What's wrong boy, nothin to say? Tell ya what, give us what's in the bag and take us to your camp 'n maybe we'll let ya go."

Yup definitely amateurs, they even talk like the throwaway villains.

"If he says another cheesy bad guy line, I'm just gonna kill 'im".

"You see that Jay he's scared stiff, haha. Oh, don't worry little guy we'll go ea-" He didn't get to finish as Kinzo's knee made contact with his face, and the near-invisible glow of a magic circle faded from his previous position.

"Ok, fodder bad guy number 1 is down, cue stupid comment from fodder bad guy number 2."

"You brat, you're dead!" Pulling two knives from a holster the man threw, only to find them caught and immediately sailing back towards his own person. "Shit!" he cried barely dodging as he fell to the ground.

"Alright, that's It! Fire Bullet" The attack quickly manifested as a small orb coming from the man's hand, yet Kinzo stood unmoving. It seemed as though the attack would land until those calm words were spoken, practically inaudible.

"Metal Make Shield." Instantly iron protection appeared on his left arm, a half-circle missing from both sides making the shield appear almost like the head of a battle-ax.

The fire ball's advance was halted and sent rocketing away.

"You Y-you're a mage?" His question went unanswered as the dark-haired teen approached. His face giving away nothing.

"But, but that's impossible. I couldn't even feel your magic container! That shouldn't be…ugh!" For the second time that day a pointless monologue was stopped.

"Jezz you guys sure like to talk."

"Frickin prick, I already know my container is tiny I don't need reminding!" Removing his foot from the man's gut Kinzo mentally prepared himself. The third stooge would likely make his move soon while his back was turned.

Just as the thought passed, the goon acted taking a quick step out of the brush and swinging down with a short sword.

"Metal Make Needle." The sword fell from the man's hand, confusion clear on his face. Why couldn't he move?

He answered the question himself. Looking at his shoulder revealed that a long thin piece of pointed steel had pierced it. But what really caught him off guard wasn't that he'd been stopped but that the attack seemed to have come from behind him.

He could just barely make out a silver magic circle on the surface of a tree, and from it the needle projecting out.

"! When he touched the tree before the fight even started?"

He wasn't allowed to think much longer though as this boy who he'd severely underestimated sent him into unconsciousness much the same way he'd sent his friends.

"Well now that that's over." Kinzo was… unimpressed to say the least, though what else could he expect. They were thugs from a tiny village.

"oh well, at least I got to use some magic. Not that it was really necessary."

"And irritatingly exhausting."

While the comment from the previous assailant may have seemed strange it was actually quite accurate. Kinzo's magic container was a fraction the size of a normal mage's. And as a result, he was far more reliant on physical combat, which thankfully his mother had drilled into him from a young age. Most minor spells like the ones he'd used were fine. After all he was just making a one-time item, not some crazy explosion.

He loved his magic and the versatility that came with it, but he had next to no room for error when it came to magic expenditure.

He had often stayed up thinking about the optimal ways to use his small reserves in combat which had led to many sleepless nights. Few things really interested Kinzo, which was obvious to anyone who watched him for more than a couple of minutes. But magic was one of those things that actually held his attention.

"Seems like the second guy knew a really basic fire spell, but it was so weak. I mean it just bounced right off my shield. Not that that's really a fair comparison Metal Make Magic is pretty strong in its own right."

His musings continued on until he reached camp and long after he finished packing it up. Thinking back on how his mother had taught him magic and forced them to travel across the country all his life.

Always training but never telling him why or what they were running from. Thinking of his time with Ur and those two boys that lived with her. The thoughts eventually lead him back to before he was a mage at all, to the grueling physical training his mother had put him through.

"Ahhh, so glad those days are over." Indeed, they were over but perhaps it would be good to remember them more fully.

3 years earlier - X776

"Come on Kinzo! You'll be no help to anyone with a weak body like that one!"

That was the bellow of his mother as he carried a pack filled with 45 lbs. of stone up a hillside a few paces behind her.

It was training, training, always training. When it wasn't physical strength or endurance it was weapons training. Spear, sword, shield, gauntlet, ax.

Stab, block, slash, parry, close the distance, make space, dodge, don't think, react, don't react think it through. Body positioning, leverages, tactics, battle strategy. It was all hammered into him. Day in and day out for the past two years from the time he was nine till now.

He knew what he and his mother did wasn't normal. Watching other kids in the towns they stopped by was enough to notice that. A part of him was envious of the easy lives they were living in comparison. It looked fun, it looked easy, it looked… well normal. But his mother had always stuck by him, the only true constant in his life because of all the moving around they did.

Of course, she was the reason they kept moving and refused to tell him why, yet he couldn't bring himself to really dislike her.

Ya she was a hard woman and made him do a lot of difficult stuff, but she was still his mom. And sometimes when he finally got something right in practice or did better than she was expecting, he saw her smile.

Not a grin, not that smirk she always gives when he makes a fool of himself, but a real genuine smile. Almost like the ones he saw the kids in the village use.

He wanted that warm inviting look. Too often it was shouting and narrowed eyes. It was clear, she was just trying to push him, but he definitely preferred the softer side of his mother's personality.

"Alright good work you made it to the top."

"Haaaah finally!" heavy breathing would have been easy to hear from meters away as his exhaustion finally began to subside.

"Kinzo what did I tell you?" He paused for a moment before realizing his blunder.

"Never show fatigue, the enemy will see your weakness and capitalize." He responded in a disappointed voice, forcing himself to stand up straight and breathe normally.

"You're not a child anymore Kinzo, you're already 11. If you wanna make it in this world you need to be better than that."

The slightly depressive atmosphere was palpable, and Kinzo was feeling like a fool for forgetting his mother's most recent teaching.

"But, other than that nice job. Head back down and meet me at camp. Despite that slip up I think it's time you started learning magic." The woman instantly turned and started trekking down the small mountain before the boy could even register what was said.

"I'm gonna learn magic? I'm gonna learn magic!" He would have shouted those thoughts out loud if it wouldn't have broken one of his mother's other teachings "Always stay quiet, never give away your position."

He immediately started racing down the mountain passing his mother in under a minute. Excitement was radiating off him, and if he had taken a moment to look back, he would have seen the most beautiful smile.

It had been two weeks since the start of his magic training. He had the theory of Maker Magic down pat. The concept of Imagining a specific item in your mind and then molding your magic into that shape made perfect sense. Plus, he liked the potential for versatility that came with it.

After that, it was learning to call on his magic container. This had taken significantly more effort but after being instructed as to where the organ was (just to the right of the heart) he managed to manifest a small amount of un-molded magic. Though the amount was minuscule compared to what he had seen a lot of the mages in cities use.

When questioned about why his was so small, his mother told him the reason was in part because he was still growing but primarily it was caused by her. At his confused expression, she decided to elaborate.

"A person's magic container size is primarily determined by the size of their parent's containers, and because mine is so small so is yours. Of course, the reason mine is small is because of my parents, so on and so forth."

"One of the reasons I focus on training you physically so much is because I knew you would have the same issue regarding magic use. But it's not all bad having my blood, because in addition to the setbacks you'll also gain our families physical and sensory abilities."

At hearing that the boy perked up "Family?" Seeing his interest, she continued

"You and I are the last of our kind, the last remnant of a long-dead people. The Haka, former natives of a country across the sea. They like us were not blessed with overbearing magical abilities, instead having greater physical strength and enhanced senses."

"They acted as assassins for hire throughout most of Ishgar, but once the magic council came to power, they were crushed. Subdued by people with less skill, but more magic."

"Kinzo our family has a kind of 'curse'. Our skill in combat is unmatched, but this world is swayed by magic alone. You will be discarded because of what you don't have, and what you do have they will disregard."

"My greatest gift to you will also be your greatest weakness."

Ok, wasn't really expecting to get a family history lesson today, but he wasn't complaining. Mom so rarely talked about family, plus this explained why he could hear and smell a lot of stuff in town that other people just couldn't. It didn't seem like too bad a trade to him, increased sensory and physical abilities in exchange for less magic. That seemed alright to him, but clearly his mother thought differently.

Was the world really so ruled by magic that a normal warrior couldn't make an impact? He wasn't sure but it didn't matter at the moment, there were other more pressing questions he wanted to ask.

One in particular that he so wanted to voice, but knew not to "What about dad?"

Talking about his father was taboo to say the least and asking about him at all was sure to put his mother in a bad mood for at least the rest of the day. All he really knew about the man was he meant something to his mother, nothing else. No name, no pictures, honestly his mother wouldn't even say if he was alive or dead. It really did seem like she just wanted to forget about him altogether.

Anyway, after managing to manifest magic for the first time his mother actually decided to try teaching a form of magic other than Metal Make. He wanted to protest but decided against it as he was sure to learn it eventually.

She ended up explaining something called Potential Energy Magic A subset of Speed Magic. The basic idea was to form a magic circle at some point around the body and as more time passed or more magic was pumped into the circle it would convert into potential energy.

Once released, in an instant all that potential energy would shift to kinetic and send the user off with a burst of speed.

The most basic spell was called Conversion Leap. This worked out great for him because the circle itself took minimal time or magic to set up and once it was up it was self-sustaining on the Ethernano in the atmosphere.

It was useful and added a whole new dynamic to his combat capabilities. Plus, the circle could even act as a solid object to push off of. It wasn't particularly sturdy, so blocking attacks wasn't an option, but it could support his weight.

Becoming proficient with this was relatively easy. He understood how to cast the circle, now the only thing left to do was drill the movement in combat situations until he had mastery.

Seeing the progress, it was agreed that Kinzo would train mastery on his own and instead move on to the second basic magic his mother wanted to teach him Telekinesis. A low-level form that allows the user to move things without actually touching them.

Items could be moved depending on the amount of magic used and the weight of the object in question. Pretty basic so naturally Kinzo picked up on this quickly… but only smaller items. Anything above a few pounds was near impossible to move at the moment.

His mother told him the weight limit and fatigue would get better as he aged and practiced the technique, but not to expect to be able to move anything heavier than a sword without getting tired.

With yet another success under his belt, Kinzo attempted to learn his mother's signature style Metal Make Magic. Already knowing the theory surrounding it and how to mold magic adequately he set off.

That was 11 days ago. Nothing was working, he couldn't use it at all. It wasn't a lack of understanding he knew the concept of Maker Magic like the back of his hand. It wasn't incorrect molding, his mother said he was doing it right. Even so, he couldn't do anything, and it was starting to frustrate him.

Oh who was he kidding? He was frustrated 10 days ago when it didn't work the first time, but now even his mother was getting anxious and showing signs of real concern.

They had pressure tested every piece leading up to the completion of the actual spell, and it all checked out. But, for some reason it just, wouldn't, work! And it continued like that for another week before his mother put an end to it.

"I'm sending you to a friend of mine for more in-depth training."

Wait what, she was just sending him off to someone else? Was the problem really that bad, was he that much of a screw-up? Before he could voice any descent, she cut him off "Pack up we're moving out in 20 minutes."

As they traveled Kinzo desperately wanted to ask the question that had been plaguing him since his first mishap in learning Maker Magic, "Am I a failure?"

He wanted to ask but the possible answers scared him. Never had his mother told him to do something that he couldn't actually do. It was always difficult but never impossible. What if he never learned how to use it? Would she leave him? would she begrudgingly keep him around? The fear haunted him and in the end, it won.

He wouldn't ask, too paralyzed by the idea of his mother hating him for his weakness. The trip continued like that, in painful silence for another two days.

Finally, they reached the base of a mountain range. It was cold, far colder than Kinzo had ever experienced. And only being clothed in his day-to-day dress it was uncomfortably chilly to say the least. "Start climbing."

"huh? But there's a blizzard going on up there."

"There's always a blizzard up there. Your tutor is at the peak so better start climbing."

Flabbergasted didn't begin to cover just how confused he was at the statement. He wanted to talk back, he wanted to say something witty, tell her to go up there and freeze by herself. But she was his mother, and he would respect her.

Besides, if he ever said anything like that, she would 'beat' him, tell he couldn't sit, and then insist he go up the mountain anyway.

He took his first step up the snow-covered slope, then his second, and his third. After a few more difficult steps he looked back and realized his mother hadn't moved.

"You're not coming, are you?" the disappointment and discouragement plain to see.

"At the mountain's peak, you should find a cabin. Once you're there ask for a woman named Ur who uses Ice-Make Magic. She should be able to help you."

It seemed that was all he'd be getting out of her, so he turned around. Tears threatened to invade his eyes, but he wouldn't risk showing weakness in front of his mother and began walking.

He didn't make it two steps before she called out to him again. "Kinzo" he whirled around once more and was greeted by a graceful smile.

"Tell her Victoria sent you. And make sure she knows you're my son."

He'd needed to hear that more than he realized. The way she said 'my son' had helped something click for him and while it didn't absolve him of all his fears it was at least enough to keep him moving through this. It seemed like maybe she did love him after all, and he loved her.

He hated her no question about it. It had been a day and a half since he started up the mountain. On the first day, he'd made great time. Clearing at least three-quarters of the total distance. Stopping only to sleep in a cave he found. But the good news stopped there.

Within a few hundred meters of starting on day 2, the constant snowfall picked up, turning into a real blizzard. It stole most of his sense of sight and chilled him to the bone, though he was already freezing.

After stumbling through the blizzard for another half hour, hating every moment, the wind finally broke. Only to reveal a sharp cliff heading straight up.

Looking around he saw no other way. At least from this side of the mountain, and he wasn't sure how much longer he would last out in the cold like this. So, he started to climb.

It wasn't so bad at first, making it about halfway with little incident. But then that wind, that damn wind started to pick up again. Causing him not only to lose more body heat but also to begin losing some of the grips he tried to take.

"Who builds their house at the top of a fricken mountain?!"

Despite the continued struggle, he neared the edge of the cliff, but a problem emerged. It was all smooth for at least the next ten feet. No grips, no holds, nothing to help him, just flat rock.

"Are you kidding me!"

Exhaustion had started to set in a while ago and seeing the hopeless obstacle before him only worsened the situation.

Realizing he may very well die here never having learned Maker Magic, he thought about his mother and how he was glad he got to see her smile one last time. In this kind of situation, he was even grateful for all the crazy physical training.

He would be grateful for everything she taught him and cherish it forev-… wait a second, everything she taught him.

"Conversion Leap could boost me that far, right?" pondering would do him little good now, so deciding to bite the bullet he channeled the little magic he had into a basic circle at his feet.

For a jump that big against gravity he would need at least 10 seconds of charge which wouldn't have been an issue under normal circumstances, but he had been hanging for the last 15 minutes in frigid temperatures and now he was also using his limited magic reserves.

Fatigue was setting in even faster barely 2 seconds had passed before his fingers started to slip.

3 his left pinky and ring finger gave out.

4 right thumb was gone.

5 He could feel himself slipping farther away from the wall, lacking the strength to stay close.

6 he fell…

About two inches, landing on the circle he'd constructed. Disbelief overtook him until he realized his mistake. The magic circle for conversion leap was a solid object for all intents and purposes. He could have just rested on it from the beginning.

"Hahaha, oh this just makes it too easy, and that's 10 seconds. Other side here I come!"

Racing uphill felt amazing compared to hanging on the wall, and hitting the soft snow at the top felt like heaven. In fact, our boy was practically asleep by the time he hit the ground, his craving for rest seeming irresistible. Labored breaths softened as his body relaxed.

"You know if you stay here, you'll freeze to death, right?" His conscience chastised him.

"Ya I know, just give me a minute. Some sleep sounds really good right about now, and it doesn't even feel cold anymore, heh heh."

Delirious and tired, sleep all but had him until he heard something, a boy calling out to someone else "H y, Hey. Com on Ple se. UR!" That riled him and gave reason to rise from the snow listening more intently.

"Ur enough we've been training all day please can we just go inside?"

"I sure picked a couple of lazy disciples… fine let's go."

Looking towards where he'd heard the voices, three figures came into view. One tall two short entering into some… thing in the distance, he couldn't make it out.

But then the snow broke and he saw it. A cabin with a lantern light hanging out front and a fireplace visible through the window. He was here, he'd made it.

"Move Kinzo, Move!" it felt like ages forcing each tired limb to rise again and again. The fact that his body had stopped shaking from the cold was concerning, and his movements were becoming even more sluggish.

Finally, he reached the door and with the last of his strength tried to open it. "Locked, no please, I'm so close, please!" He couldn't raise his arms anymore, he couldn't do much of anything anymore… but he could fall and fall forward he did, knocking his big brain against the door and getting a response from inside.

"Did someone just knock?" A young boy with raven hair, wearing only boxers asked.

"Don't be ridiculous Gray who would be up here right now, we're in the middle of a snowstorm… and put your clothes back on." A similarly aged boy sporting spikey white hair responded.

"I'm gonna check just in case," the now-named Gray said, seemingly ignoring the comment about his lack of clothes.

"Do what you want."

Outside Kinzo heard footsteps approach him, and finally, the door clicked open revealing light. After such a harsh journey it was comforting to find safety and as the heat from the house rolled over him he truly felt at peace.

"HOLY SHIT! Lyon, there's a person out here!"…The peace didn't last long.

Author's Note

Thanks for taking the time if you made it all the way through, hope it was enjoyable. This Chapter is kinda lacking in action scenes, but it starts to pick up more in the next few chapters. Let me know what you thought.