Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter or Fairy Tail, if I did Gale would have happened a lot sooner (the manga though)

It has been almost ten years have passed since the Lates family had woken up to find their nephew on their porch, but Christina Drive has hardly changed at all. The same tidy front lawn, the same living room that Mr. Lates had listened to the news report about the flying cats. Only the photos on the mantel showed the amount of time that passed.

However, the photographs only showed the Lates son Jose, there was no sign of another boy in the house. Yet Metalicana Redfox was still there, fast asleep, but not for long. His Aunt Jenny was awake and her voice made the first noise of the day.

"Up! Get up! Now!"

Metalicana woke with a start. His aunt bagged on the door again.

"Up!" she screeched.

Metalicana heard her walking toward the kitchen and the sound of the frying pan on the stove. He rolled onto his back and tried to remember the dream he had been having. It had been really good. There was a flying motorcycle too. He had a weird feeling that he'd had the same dream before. His aunt was back outside the door.

"Are you up yet?" she demanded.

"Almost," said Metalicana.

"Well, get moving, I'm putting you in charge of the bacon. Don't you dare burn it, everything has to be perfect for Jose's birthday."

Metalicana groaned.

"What did you say?" his aunt snapped through the door.

"Nothing…"

Jose's birthday, how could he have forgotten? Metalicana got out of bed slowly and banged his head on the ceiling. He rubbed his head and got over it. He was used to it, because of the low ceiling of the room under the stairs and his height. He hunched over a little, got dressed, and walked to the kitchen.

The table was covered in all the presents Jose got. There was a new laptop, a second TV, and a racing bike. Why Jose wanted a bike was beyond him, Jose hated exercise, unless it involved punching someone. Metalicana was Jose's favorite punching bag, but Jose had a hard time catching him. Metalicana's height helped make him one of the faster kids, even if he didn't look like it.

He got lucky in the height department but everything else was lacking. He was thin, with almost no muscle, and the taller he got, the skinner he looked. He had a messy head of jet black hair, with ruby red eyes, making him look like one of those depressing goth kids.

The only thing that Metalicana thought looked even a little cool about him was an interesting scar on his right shoulder, which was usually covered up by his shirts. He had for as long as he could remember, he still remembers asking his Aunt Jenny about it.

She just said, "You got it in the car crash that your parents died in."

Uncle Hibiki entered the kitchen while Metalicana was turning over the bacon.

"Comb your hair!" he barked.

About once a week, Uncle Hibiki would say that Metalicana needed a haircut. It wasn't that long, it gets past his shoulders, but it was kinda of wild and all over the place. The constant haircuts made no difference.

Metalicana had started frying eyes by the time Jose walking it the kitchen with his mother. Jose didn't look much like either of his parents. He was only about three inches shorter than Metalicana, with the same colored hair, but grew at a normal pace and had natural red highlights. His ears are slightly pointed, matching his sharp face and other features, as well as green eyes.

Aunt Jenny said that he looked like an angel, Metalicana said he looked like a shaved, constipated Chihuahua that won't shut its trap.

Metalicana was getting breakfast on the table, trying to work with the little room he had. Jose was busy counting his presents, looking disappointed.

"Thirty-six, that's two less than last year." He said, looking up at his parents.

"Darling, you haven't counted Uncle Ichiya's present, see, it's right under the big on from Mommy and Daddy."

"All right, thirty-seven then," Jose said, as his face started to turn red.

Metalicana saw a huge Jose tantrum coming, so he began to eat as much bacon as possible in case the table got flipped over. Aunt Jenny obviously saw the danger that was coming too.

She said, "And we'll buy you two more while we're out. How's that sound pumpkin? Two more, is that all right?"

Jose thought for a minute. It looked like he was trying to take a calculus test.

He eventually said, "So I'll have thirty… thirty…"

"Thirty-nine sweetheart," said Aunt Jenny.

"Oh."

Jose then sat down and grabbed the nearest package.

"The little tyke just wants his money's worth, like his father. Atta boy, Jose" Uncle Hibiki said, after he ruffled up Jose's hair.

He started ripping the paper of the gifts, reveling video games, remote controlled cars, a video camera, a new blue ray player, and more. He was unwrapping the latest I-phone model when Aunt Jenny came back cell phone in hand, looking angry.

"Bad news, Hibiki," she said. "Mrs. Heartfillia's broken her leg. She can't take him."

She jerked her head in Metalicana's direction. Jose had a look of horror on his face, but Metalicana was as happy as could be. Every year on Jose's birthday, his parents took him and a friend out for the day. Every year, Metalicana was left behind with Anna Heartfillia, a crazy old lady who lived two streets away. Metalicana hated her. The house smelled like animal waste and Mrs. Heartfillia made him look at pictures of her cats.

"Now what?" Aunt Jenny said furiously, looking at Metalicana as if it was his fault.

Metalicana knew that he should feel sorry for Mrs. Heartfillia because she broke her leg, but he also knew that meant he could go one year without seeing Leo, Aquarius, Taurus, and Plue.

"We could call Ichiya," suggested Uncle Hibiki.

"Don't be silly, she hates him"

They often talked about Metalicana like this, as if he wasn't around.

"What about what's-her-name, your friend, Karen?"

"On vacation in Onibas."

"You could just leave me here," Metalicana said hopefully, he could watch the TV all he wanted and maybe go on Jose's computer.

Aunt Jenny just gave a sour face, "And come back to find the house in ruins?"

"I won't blow up the house," Metalicana tried to argue but they weren't listening.

"I suppose we could take him to the zoo" Aunt Jenny said slowly, "… And leave him in the car…"

"That car's brand new, he's not being left alone in…"

Jose began to cry loudly, well fake cry anyway. He hasn't cried in years, but he knew that his parents would give him anything he wanted if it would make him happy.

"Don't cry Jose baby, Mommy won't let him spoil your special day!" she cried, flinging her arms around him.

"I… Don't… Want… Him… T-t-to to come!" Jose said in between fake sobs. "He always sp-spoils everything!"

He shot Metalicana a nasty grin while his mother and father was too busy crying to comfort him.

Then the doorbell rang, "Oh no, they're here," Aunt Jenny shouted.

Jose's best friend, Aria, walked in with his mother. Aria was a larger boy with dark skin, known for his bright neon shirts, olive green pants, and having a white, medical eyepatch. He was usually one of the people who would hold down the person Jose wanted to beat up. Jose stopped fake crying at once. Half an hour later, Metalicana, still couldn't believe his luck. For the first time in his life he was sitting in the back of the Lates's car, with Jose and Aria, to go to the zoo.

Alright, so Metalicana is not going to be a carbon copy of Gajeel like in many fanfics he shows up in. He has normal length hair for boys, and no piercing (I mean, he is supposed to be eleven now, so I might add some in later). However, that isn't what I wanted to talk about, I would really appreciate it if you could leave a review telling me how to improve. I'm always welcome to advice, and would love to hear your opinion on the story so far (even if it isn't what I would like to hear).

-Smiley