Ugh, it's almost time for me to go back to class. Finally, though, I managed to get this done. The idea had been in my head for a while, now I can give it life.

Disclaimer: Wolf doesn't own anything related to Blue Exorcist or Fairy Tail.

Chapter One: The Fairy's World

No one realized it, but Rin was actually an emotionally fragile person.

Everyone thought he was strong, that he would just laugh it off or get angry if he really couldn't take it. In reality, he was just as emotionally vulnerable as anybody else.

It just took a lot to reach his limit. And now, he'd hit that limit.

Too much had happened in a short time

One minute, he was in the forest on a training assignment, laughing with his friends around the campfire. The next, his friends had found out his secret, and they hadn't taken it well.

He had finally known what it was like to have friends, and he was happy. Now, he had lost that.

And the loneliness hurt ten times worse than it had before. It was like he was drowning or suffocating, and either no one saw it, or they just didn't care.

Rin didn't quite remember when he got back to his room.

He remembered leaving to find the Exwires. He had gotten into a fight with Suguro, and words had been said.

Words that had really hurt.

He remembered Yukio coming in and stopping the fight. After that was a blur, he must have finally lost his cool and ran back to his dorm.

He vaguely remembered people, probably Yukio, Shura, or both of them, knocking on the door, trying to get him to open up.

Eventually, it stopped, and he was left alone.

At some point, Rin had got up and moved to his bed.

He laid down, and the dam burst.

He started crying, and he couldn't stop. The last time he cried this hard was when his father died.

At some point, he knew Kuro was there, too. By then, he didn't care.

Eventually, the tears slowed, and he fell asleep. It was a restless sleep, but at least he had calmed down.

When he woke up again, it was already dark out. He looked around and noticed that Kuro was asleep next to him. Yukio wasn't there.

Taking a deep breath, Rin decided to go for a walk. He needed to get some air to think.

Getting up, he slung Kurikara over his shoulder and looked for his shoes and jacket.

The movement must have 'roused Kuro because the Cait Sith got up and walked over to him.

"Rin, where are you going?"

"For a walk. I just need to get some air."

"Are you sure you don't just need more sleep?" Kuro asked. "I know you slept most of the day, but still sound tired."

Rin looked over at his familiar and smiled, though the smile didn't reach his eyes. "No. I've been cooped up all day, I need to go outside."

Kuro hesitated but then asked, "Can I go with you?"

Rin stopped, the nodded. "Okay."

Kuro climbed up on Rin's shoulder, and they headed out. He didn't leave a note for Yukio, his brother probably wasn't going to be back until morning.

The duo walked for a while, just taking random directions. It was a full moon that night, so there was light to see.

They kept going until they came across a park area, with some benches and a small lake. Rin sat down to enjoy the peace while Kuro went to explore.

Now that he was outside, the night air was helping his nerves. It was calm and soothing, and there was a gentle breeze.

This was a nice spot, he'd have to remember this place if he ever needed time to himself again.

At that thought, Rin became somber again, knowing that was going to be happening a lot.

Now that everyone was avoiding him.

He should have known this would happen if the secret got out.

"Rin?" Said person looks up to see Kuro sitting in front of him. "Are you okay?"

Rin sighed before he shook his head. "No, not really."

"Is it about what happened in the forest?"

"More like what happened after."

"Oh."

Rin looked down at his hands, which were clasped in his lap, his bangs falling over his eyes. "I just don't get why it hurts so much. I've been alone before, but this time it feels even worse."

"You still have Yukio." Kuro pointed out, trying to cheer him up.

"That's just it, though. Lately, Yukio doesn't even act like my brother anymore. It's like we're strangers," Rin confessed, his body beginning to shake from emotion. "He doesn't say it, but I know he blames me for our dad's death."

'And deep down, I blame myself, too.' He added silently, starting to cry again.

Kuro wasn't sure what to say to comfort his master, but before he could try anything, he felt a strange wave of power.

Rin must have sensed it, too, because he stopped crying and jumped to his feet. He had his sword at his side, right hand on the hilt.

"Rin, did you feel that?!"

"Yeah, I felt that." He whispered.

They looked around. The duo felt the energy, yet they were the only ones there.

Suddenly, the area around them was lit up by a bright, golden light, stronger than moonlight.

By this point, Kuro freaked out and jumped into Rin's arms. "Rin! Something's happening! I'm scared!"

"Don't worry, we'll be fine." He tried to reassure his familiar, but even he was panicking inside.

The light was slowly getting brighter, to the point where the duo had to shut their eyes.

Rin couldn't see what was going on, but it felt like something was trying to tug him along. Trying to lead him somewhere.

As quickly as it came, the light faded. Everything was quiet and still.

However, Rin and Kuro weren't there anymore.

Earthland, Continent of Ishgar, Kingdom of Fiore, Forest south of Magnolia

Cutting through a forest, because there was a shortcut back to Magnolia Town, was a group consisting of two boys, a girl, and a strange cat.

Lucy, Natsu, and Happy had just finished a job and were on their way home when they ran into Gray, who was going the same way.

After they filled each other in, they were about to get moving again when suddenly there was bright light behind them.

"What's going on?!" Lucy asked, surprised.

Natsu and Gray both got into fighting stances while Happy hid behind Lucy.

When the light died down, the group saw a boy around their age lying unconscious in front of them.

He had messy, jet-black hair that swept down on his pale skin. He had slightly pointed ears and a long, black, fur-tufted tail sticking out of his back. As far as clothes went, he was wearing some kind of uniform, and he also seemed to be carrying a sword in a red sleeve on his back.

Next to him, also unconscious, was a strange-looking cat with black fur, two tails, and small horns on its head.

"Who the heck is that?" Natsu asked, not letting his guard down.

A groan from the boy told them that he was waking up. Sure enough, blue eyes opened, he sat up and looked around.

"Where am I?" He asked, looking disoriented.

"Are you okay?" Lucy asked, taking a step closer.

Rin turned to the voice and saw two boys and a girl looking at him. "Who are you?"

"That's what we were about to ask," Gray said.

The newcomer looked at them a moment before answering. "Rin Okumura."

"I'm Lucy, and this Natsu, Gray, and Happy," The blond explained, gesturing to her guildmates. "We're from the Fairy Tail guild."

Rin blinked, confused. "What's a guild?"

There was a brief silence before Natsu, Lucy, and Happy gave a loud cry of, "WHAT?!"

"How do you not know what a guild is?!" Lucy asked exasperated.

"Calm down, guys," Gray said, getting hold of the situation. "He might be from a continent where they don't have guilds."

"What do you mean, Gray?" Happy looked at him.

"Oh, yeah, I read about that," Lucy understood. "There are some parts of the world where magic isn't practiced regularly, so they don't have guilds."

She dug into her bag and pulled out a map, showing it to Rin. "Do you see your continent?"

The half-demon looked at the map for a good few minutes before shaking his head. "No, I don't see Japan on here anywhere."

"Well, do you know how to get back?" Lucy asked, determined to help.

When Rin shook his head again, Natsu spoke up. "Then why don't you come with us to Fairy Tail?"

"Really? Are you sure?" The newcomer blinked, surprised.

"Yeah, it's cool, we don't turn our backs on anyone." The other boy smiled.

"Plus, Gramps might be able to help you figure out how to get home," Gray added.

Rin went silent for a moment, thinking the situation over. Knowing he didn't have anywhere else to go, he agreed.

"Alright, let's get moving!" Natsu said, ready to go.

However, before they could move, Rin sensed a presence behind them. Before he could react, though, everyone was caught in an explosion.

When the dust cleared, the group found themselves in a small crater full of sand.

Rin bounced back quickly, shaking off the sand as he stood up. "Everyone okay?"

Lucy's only response was coughing.

"What now?" Gray groaned, buried up to his chest.

"Happy!" Natsu cried, sand spilling out of his mouth.

Realizing the blue cat was gone, Rin then remembered his own cat. "Oh no, Kuro!"

Said cats were currently tied up by their paws on a stick over a pile of wood meant for a fire. They were surrounded by another group of wizards. This motley crew consisted of a goblin-like creature, a pair of twins, a guy with an orb, and an oversized chicken.

They all looked ravenous, understandable since they had been out in the woods for several days.

"We're finally going to get some real protein." One twin drooled.

"No berries for us tonight." The other twin added.

"Meat!" The chicken man squawked.

"Our future holds a feast." The other male said.

This whole situation had Happy shaking, which didn't go unnoticed.

"Wow…"

"Look at him shaking. Geez." The twins spoke, finishing each other's sentences.

"Relax. You're gonna be in our bellies soon enough, so there's no reason to be scared." The goblin said.

"Actually, I'm not shaking like this because I'm scared," Happy admitted, making the goblin glare at him. "I gotta use the bathroom really bad."

The other wizards looked at him funny. "I can't hold it much longer. And I betcha it's gonna make me taste weird."

"Who cares," The goblin responded, not buying it, looking to the chicken. "Now, cook him."

"Meat." It responded, activating a staff that seemed to use fire magic.

"I'll take mine medium, please." The guy with the orb requested.

Before anyone else could say anything, there was a poof of smoke and a force that sent them all back a few feet. The wood for their barbeque pit flew in different directions.

When the smoke cleared, they found a very awake, angry, and bigger Kuro, green eyes blazing.

"What's the big idea?!" Kuro demanded, even though he knew they couldn't understand him. "And what's going on here?!"

"Holy-!"

"What is that?!" The twins gasped.

"Who cares?! We take it down, and we'll have more to eat!" The goblin responded.

"I'd like to see you try!" Kuro growled, ready for a fight.

"Hold it right there!"

"Kuro!"

Everyone turned to the ridge behind them and saw three wizards and an exorcist standing there.

"Happy!" Lucy called down.

"Thank goodness!" Happy cried from the tree had gotten stuck in. "Now, I'm not gonna taste weird!"

"Pipe down!" The goblin snapped.

"Kuro, are you alright?" Rin yelled to the cat sith.

"Rin! These guys tried to eat me!" Kuro called up to him

"No kidding, what does demon cat taste like?"

"That's not funny!" The demon cat snapped at his master.

Lucy gave him a weird look since she couldn't hear Kuro, but the others ignored it.

"That's our friend you're trying to roast, buddy! Sorry, but you guys are going to have to make other plans for dinner!" Natsu said, cracking his knuckles.

"You're all wizards, aren't you? What guild are you with?" Gray asked.

"I'm not tellin'," The goblin sneered, before the other four lept into action. "Get 'em!"

"Gray, let's do it," Natsu said, ready for a fight.

"Alright, but don't go telling me what to do," Gray responded.

"You got room for one more?" Rin asked, smirking.

Natsu returned the smirk. "Sure you're up for it?"

"Worry about yourself, man, I know how to fight back."

"Alright, just follow our lead." Gray nodded.

All three then jumped down from the ledge, springing into action.

The twins and the chicken met them first.

Each wielding a sai, the boys set their sights on Natsu. However, the pink-head was able to slip through the gap between them.

At the same time, Gray and Rin jumped up and over the swing that Chicken-Man took with his staff.

The goblin punched the ground beneath him, and a golden-brown magic circle appeared. "Sand Bomb, go!"

When Natsu moved to attack the rogue wizard, he was suddenly surrounded by walls of sand, trapping him in a sphere.

"Natsu!" Lucy cried.

"He's fine!" Gray reassured her. "Go and help Happy!"

"Right!"

The twins came back for round two, but their sights were on Gray this time.

Meeting the duo halfway, the dark-haired boy knocked the first twin's sai away before kneeing him in the jaw. He then twisted around, kicked the other boy's weapon out of his hand, jumping over him and then giving him a backward kick.

All of which took place in midair.

Meanwhile, Lucy got to Happy's position and was working to untie him.

"Help! Lucy's gonna eat me!" He cried.

"Shut up, cat!" The blond snapped at the furball.

However, they were soon confronted by the chicken man. He gave an angry squawk and held his staff up threateningly.

"Please don't kill me, Mr. Chicken!" Lucy screamed.

Before the rogue mage could try anything, Rin jumped in between the two parties.

Taking a page from Gray's book, the exorcist-in-training opted out of using his flames and gave taller one a well-placed kick. While not formally trained in hand-to-hand combat, Rin's enhanced strength was enough to knock chicken-man off his feet.

His interference was enough time for Lucy and Happy to make a getaway.

"Okay," Rin huffed, catching his breath. "Three down, two to go."

A few feet away, Gray was squaring off with the guy with the orb, waiting for him to try something.

Magic gathered into the man's object, causing it to glow a bright, lavender color, as he said… "I see someone special, but the stars point to great trouble with water and women."

"You tellin' my fortune?" Gray asked, annoyed.

"You're kidding, right?" Rin sweatdropped.

Having enough and officially annoyed, the dark-haired wizard decided to just end it by elbowing the fortuneteller in the face.

"He's not using magic," Lucy breathed, amazed by his strength. "Wow."

"Why is he in his underwear?" Rin suddenly asked, noticing that Gray was now only in his boxers.

"Put some clothes on!" The blond cried.

"Crap!" Gray cursed.

"Where'd these brats come from anyway?" The goblin wondered aloud.

His moment of distraction was when Natsu burst out of the sand ball in a blaze of fire.

"Uh, oh." He muttered as the fire wizard landed in front of him.

"Jerk! Now I've got a mouth full of sand, and it's all 'cause of you." The pinkette growled, spitting out some of the offending substance. He then brought his fists together, and a fiery-orange magic circle appeared before him.

"Fire Dragon Iron Fist!"

His hand engulfed in flames, Natsu jumped forward and punched the rogue wizard hard enough to cause an explosion.

"Wow." Rin breathed, amazed by how Natsu looked so at ease with using his flames.

Once the dust cleared, the nefarious five was tied to a tree to keep them from running off.

With the battle done, Rin finally had the chance to go check on his familiar. "Hey, Kuro, you alright?"

"I'm okay," Kuro assured his master, changing back into his small form.

"Don't ya think you might have gone overboard, Natsu?" Gray asked.

"So what if I did, I got the job done, right?" The fire user argued.

"Grow up already! You're an embarrassment to the guild!"

"What? Shut up!"

"These two remind me of you and Suguro when you guys fight," The cait sith commented, taking his usual spot on Rin's shoulder.

"Were we really this bad?"

"Lulla-"

"Huh?" Rin glanced over at the goblin, thinking he said something.

Lucy must have heard it too because she crouched down in front of him to hear a little better. "What's lulla?"

"Lullaby…"

This got the attention of the bickering duo because they stopped arguing for five minutes to hear what was up.

"Huh?"

"Lullaby?"

Before anyone could ask for details, they were hit by a surprise attack again. This time they seemed to be knocked down by moving shadows.

Rin was able to dodge the attack, but the others weren't so lucky.

"Watch out!" He called.

"Incoming!" Happy added.

However, it seemed whoever or whatever it was wasn't interested in them.

Before the group could regain themselves, the shadows grabbed the rogue wizards and pulled them in, along with part of the tree.

As quickly as they came, they were gone.

"What was that?" Lucy asked.

"Who was that?" Natsu added.

"Well, whoever it was, their fast," Gray said, getting up. "I can't even sense their presence anymore."

"But what could this mean?" The pinkette wondered.

"Lullaby…" The blond repeated what one of the wizards had said, thinking it was important.

The demon duo looked at each other and then in the direction everyone else was staring at.

Regardless of how they got there, Rin had a feeling that his life was going to change once again.

Well, that's the first chapter.

For those who aren't sure where this is starting, it's taking place after the forest training incident in Blue Exorcist and right before the Lullaby Arc in Fairy Tail.

Rin's going to be in for a heck of a ride.