a/n: I can finally post this now! Which means I'm currently on the road for a ten hour drivelol some1 help. Hopefully 3G doesn't suck and I'll still be able to talk to you guys, but it just depends on mobile and it's not always so reliable/: but without further ado, and enough of my rambling, I hope you guys enjoy this! I've had so much fun putting it together3

Chapter 1

…and so, the boy found himself in quite the predicament. The blade of his knife was buried deep into the floor of the ship, having been knocked from his hands not long into the battle. He was stuck without a weapon as he found himself cornered, and with his friends tied up by the rest of the crew, it seemed as if he were severely lacking in backup.

But this boy was not easily deterred, and kept the playful grin on his face throughout the fight, much to Hook's annoyance. The captain snarled and swung his sword, bringing it down heavily on the spot where the boy had just been standing, but his sword swung at the air.

The boy was fast.

Hook whipped around, reaching up to rip the feather from his hat that had fallen in front of his eyes. "Listen here, you little brat!" The captain hollered, but he was cut off by the boy's laughter, and the man's eyes widened in panic at the sight of the new weapon he was holding.

The boy had ripped one of the lit torches from the wall, holding it dangerously close over a barrel of gunpowder that was used for the cannons.

He didn't need his knife to fight the captain.

Fire would work just as well.

The young girl trailed off, yawning into her hand before wiping away a salty tear from the old book before it could stain the page. It was late, and her voice was becoming hoarse from reading aloud for so long.

Her nanny would no doubt scold her for it in the morning, she knew. After all, it wasn't proper for a child to stay up past her bedtime.

Sleeping schedule aside, Lucy couldn't help but read aloud- even if some nights it was only just above a whisper.

Every other book she could read in her head, but not this one. Her mother used to always say that the boy's story deserved a voice, so when the young girl read from the book that's exactly what she did.

Also, she'd be lying if she said her own voice didn't keep her company at times.

Rubbing at her tired eyes, the young girl reached over and blindly searched the surface of her nightstand for anything that would work as a bookmark. Carefully setting the old novel to the side, she picked up her sheets to use as a handkerchief, wiping at her damp cheeks.

It was an old story, the novel, one that she remembered her mother reading to her often before she passed away. Lucy could never help the tears that would sometimes fall, especially during the parts that had been her mother's favorite.

With her face pressed into the fabric, she heard the window to her balcony click open.

Probably just the wind again, she thought, brushing it off since it wasn't that uncommon. I'll just leave it be until morning, since it was getting a little stuffy-

"Why did you stop reading?"

The girl stilled, freezing with her face pressed into the fabric as a new, unfamiliar voice made itself known in the heiress's room.

Scream, she told herself, trying her best to keep from panicking. Just scream…Why aren't you screaming?One loud shout and all the staff would come running!

"Uh, hello?" The voice called, and Lucy noted that it sounded like a boy's- not quite deep enough to be mistaken for a man. "Did you fall asleep under there?"

Slowly, ever so slowly, Lucy lowered the sheet, peeking one eye open and then the other as she took in the sight of the child- possibly around her age, maybe a little bit older- in the center of her room.

A scream would be great about now, she told her brain, and didn't quite understand when it didn't comply. Possibly, it was because the sound became stuck in her throat when she realized the boy wasfloating.

He cocked his head, looking at her expectantly as he seemed to be waiting for an answer to his original question. "Well?" He asked, gesturing to the novel on her nightstand. "You were just getting to the best part!"

Lucy still didn't answer him, however, as she was too distracted by her eyes following the blue blur that was flying in circles about his head, leaving behind a glittering trail of dust as it did so.

"I don't remember falling asleep," the girl mumbled faintly, pinching the back of her hand as the boy laughed.

"Because you're not asleep, silly!"

She ducked her head, shielding her face as he flew closer.

"What's wrong?" There was curiosity in his voice as she felt him poke her arm. "Are you okay?"

The girl's ears perked when she heard another, much tinier voice speak up. "She's kinda weird, don't you think, Natsu?"

Natsu? What a peculiar name.

"A little," was the boy's hushed response, and Lucy puffed up her cheeks in annoyance, momentarily forgetting that she was supposed to be scared out of her mind in this situation.

"I am not weird," she insisted, throwing the covers aside to cross her arms and glare at the snickering stranger. "After all, I'm not the one who's flying!"

"What's wrong with flying?" The boy- apparently named Natsu, if the other voice Lucy had heard was a reliable source- asked. He used the edge of her bed to kick off, pushing himself higher into the air. "Everyone does it where I'm from!"

Where he's from? Nothing was adding up in this situation. Lucy wasn't quite sure what to make of the boy, and noticed that his clothes were a bit strange as well.

Around his torso was a deep green tunic made from an odd material- as if it were a bunch of leaves that had been sewn together. It was hard to tell in the light, but the stitching didn't appear to be sloppy, and might possibly be better work than anything the girl had managed herself in the finishing school that Father sent her to.

On his legs were trousers that stopped just below the knee, worn and frayed around the bottoms and- was that a scorch mark across the left leg?

He wore his short boots in an odd fashion as well- she noticed, with a tinge of annoyance- one flap up and the other folded down.

And his hair, she realized with a gasp. It was pink!

"So?" He asked, waving his hand in front of her face, crossing his arms while she shook herself from her daze. "Are you going to ask where I'm from?"

She blinked up at him, complying only when she saw the holstered knife that was held on a piece of leather wrapped twice around his waist as a belt. "Whe- where are you from?"

"I'm from Neverland!" He exclaimed, face breaking into a smile so wide that she wondered how a child such as himself could ever carry a knife.

"What is a Neverland?"

"Not a what," he corrected, "a where. It's a place for kids who never have to grow up!"

Lucy laughed. "That's impossible," she said, giggling behind her hand much to the boy's annoyance. "Everyone has to grow up."

"Not in Neverland they don't." He grinned smugly. "I should know," he spread his arms wide, swooping lazily around her room. "I'm its protector!"

"Protector of what?"

He stopped, hovering in place as if he'd never really thought about what his role consisted of before. "I dunno," he admitted, scratching the top of his head. "Whatever it needs protecting from, I guess."

Lucy sighed, deciding to humor the boy as she kicked off the covers and drew her legs to her chest, wrapping her arms around them as she laid her chin atop her knees. "So, how would one get to this place? This Neverland?"

He grinned, as though relieved that she had asked. "It's easy," he said. "All it takes is a little faith, trust, and Exceed dust." Natsu tapped his chin in thought. "Although, I think there could be a better word to use, but I've always said Exceed."

"An Exceed?" The blonde cocked her head, frowning at the boy. "What is that?"

"It's what I am!" The tiny voice made itself known once again, sounding excited as a tiny, shining blue ball of light flew down from where it had been resting atop her dresser. It crossed her room, leaving behind a glittering trail of dust before landing in her palm.

It was tiny, about as tall as the girl's pointer finger.

It's a cat, she realized with some surprise, bringing up her hand to gingerly touch the angelic wings that were protruding from it's back. She laughed as the small cat began to purr.

"I'm glad you two are getting along," the boy said, grinning as he watched the pair with his arms across his chest. "That's Happy, and I'm Natsu by the way."

The blonde smiled. "Lucy."

"Well Lucy, does that mean you're coming?"

"Coming where?" She asked, continuing to stroke the tiny creature's wings. The 'Exceed' barely weighed more than a bird, feeling light as a feather in the palm of her hand as it nuzzled against her thumb.

"To Neverland, of course."

"Oh," she laughed, shaking her head. "I can't go there."

Natsu drifted closer, now hovering beside her bed and crossing his legs. He was sitting in the air! Did the boy ever land?

"Why not?" He asked, and if Lucy didn't know any better she would have thought he was pouting; much like a young child would.

"Well," Lucy started, surprised that he was pushing it. She wasn't used to children her age asking twice. Though, to be fair, all of the kids she knew were children of her father's customers, and it was possible they had been warned by their parents not to upset the young heiress. "I uh," she fumbled for some sort of excuse. "I have responsibilities here!"

"Responsibilities?" Natsu echoed, turning his nose up at the thought. "Yuck! Those are for adults!"

Lucy had to bite her tongue to keep from lashing out with the first sassy remark that came to mind. It would be childish of her to not keep her cool in this sort of situation. "Well, Father says-"

"Exactly!" He snapped his fingers, cutting her off and sounding as if he had just proved a point, though Lucy wasn't so sure that he had. "Who's doing the talking here?"

"Not Lucy!" Happy piped up, leaving the girl's hand to flutter over the top of the boy's head, landing in the midst of the rosy curls that were in desperate need of a trim.

The young girl gritted her teeth. "Everyone has to grow up at some point! It isn't exactly a choice now, is it?"

"It is for me!" Natsu proclaimed proudly, taking advantage of her high ceiling to do a quick somersault in the air.

Show-off, Lucy grumbled to herself, following his figure with her eyes as he twisted and twirled while the tiny Exceed held on for dear life. "What do you mean?"

For the first time since he had entered her room, he landed beside her bed with a soft plop on the ground, holding out his hand for her to take. "Come to Neverland with me," he said, his eyes shining in excitement. "Instead of telling you, let me show you what I mean."

"Th- that's ridiculous! I can't just leave!"

She protested when he rolled his eyes at her words, taking ahold of her wrist and pulling her to her feet so that they now rested on the rug. Lucy pulled against his grip, planting her feet firmly on the ground when he started for the window. "A-at least let me change first!"

He dropped her hand, scratching the top of his head while exchanging a confused look with the Exceed. "What's wrong with what you're wearing?"

She stared straight at him, her cheeks flaming when she realized that he wasn't kidding. "I'm in a nightie!" She exclaimed, as if it were obvious, pulling at the thin cotton material despite that it was already brushing her knees. "I can't just leave in my night gown! It isn't proper to-"

Natsu repeated her words in a higher, mocking sort of pitch as she stood there, affronted.

He complied, however, suddenly pushing himself off the ground once more and taking flight, ducking into her closet before she could protest and leaving behind a trail of that same, glittering blue dust as he did so.

Lucy's mouth fell open when he came back out not too long after, his feet squished into her favorite leather boots.

"Mind if I borrow these?" He asked, turning in front of her full-length mirror. "Mine are getting a little worn.

"On second thought," he continued, disappearing into her closet before Lucy could cut him a new one for stretching her best pair of black boots. He reappeared, clad in his own short boots once again- one flap still folded down while the other stood tall and proud. "I like mine more." Natsu returned his attention to her mirror, tapping his feet together. "I think brown looks better on me."

She repressed the giggle that was threatening to slip past her lips, instead opting for a long sigh as she deemed "play time" over. It was time for reality to make itself known again.

"Honestly, you can't really believe you'll stay a kid forever. Everyone grows up at some-"

"Listen to yourself!" The boy wrinkled his nose. "You need this even more than I thought." He darted forward, recapturing the startled girl's wrist as he began to pull her towards the window. "There's no time for you to change, I need to get you to Neverland as soon as possible!"

She swatted his hand. "You've still not told me exactly what this place is," she said, annoyance clear in her tone as she grabbed ahold of her footboard, effectively keeping her in place.

He grinned, as if excited that she was finally showing the tiniest bit of interest. "It's the greatest place not on Earth!" He used his arms as his talked, his amount of energy proving to be just the slighted bit infectious as Lucy soon felt a grin tugging at her lips. "Second Star to the right, and straight on 'till morning."

That part brought on a few questions to the girl's mind, but before she could voice them Natsu snatched a fluttering Happy from the air, holding the tips of his wings as he shook him gently over Lucy's head.

"Natsu!" The Exceed protested, crossing his arms as some of the blue, shimmering glitter fell around the girl, collecting in her palm like tiny raindrops before fading away. "I'm not a salt shaker!"

Lucy suddenly felt lighter, but didn't realize why until Natsu landed in front of her and- a little more gently this time- reached down to hold both of her hands, ever so slowly kicking off from the ground. "Just believe that you can," he told her, a sheepish grin on his lips as he added, "Also, a little jump might help."

So she did, and Lucy Heartfilia gasped so loudly that Natsu erupted into laughter once more as she realized that she was flying.

"Come on," he said, keeping a hold on her hand as he led her towards the open window.

"No!" She began to panic, gripping the hand tightly that was holding hers. "I'm not used to flying! What if I fall?"

Surprisingly, he didn't roll his eyes and grow impatient with her, like she had been expecting. Instead, he shrugged his shoulders before rubbing the back of his neck in thought, snapping his fingers when he came up with a solution.

"Grab onto my back!" He said, turning and backing up so that he was right in front of her, and Lucy was winding her arms around his neck before she could really stop herself.

Since when did she give into any sort of impulse?

"You can hold on for now," he told her, starting for the window again while Happy flew in excited circles around them. "Then, when you feel comfortable, I'll let you go so you can fly by yourself!"

They left through the window and he landed gracefully on the ledge of the balcony, his hands supporting her legs even though she still had the Exceed powers and was practically floating in place. She was basically using him as an anchor so she wouldn't float away in the meantime.

However, she shied away from the drop, not liking how far away the ground seemed. "You won't let me fall?"

She couldn't see it, but he frowned. "Let you fall? Now that wouldn't be very fun, would it?"

It wasn't entirely the reassuring answer Lucy had been looking for, but at the same time she didn't find her grip on the strange boy loosening at all.

In truth, she was a bit surprised to find that she was excited. She wanted to go to Neverland, to see what it was like.

Maybe there wouldn't be so many nights staying up late, having to read aloud for company.

"Okay," she said softly, her eyes squeezed shut as she felt Natsu bend down, waiting for her word before he kicked off. "Let's go."

And so they did.

It wasn't until they were over the Kensington Gardens- not far from the Heartfilia Mansion- that Lucy began to slowly loosen her grip.

"You sure you're ready?" Natsu asked over his shoulder, but his smile was so wide as he spoke against the wind that it excited Lucy, and she nodded her head in anticipation as Natsu sped up at the same time the blonde let go, and she laughed.

She was flying.

She spread her arms, feeling giddy as she twirled in the air above the lights of the city below. The draft from being up so high erupted goosebumps across the girl's skin, but she easily dismissed them, as she was too busy taking in the sight of her town from a bird's eye view.

Natsu began to pick up the speed, not noticing that Lucy had fallen behind until Happy started to swarm in circles around his head.

"Happy," he sputtered, coming to a halt while glaring at the Exceed, having to speak around a mouthful of glittery dust that he was now wiping from his tongue. "What's the big idea?"

The tiny cat pointed behind the boy, gesturing to the blonde who was clumsily gliding through the air, too distracted by the act of actually flying to realize that the two had gone ahead.

"Oooh," Natsu drawled out the word, giving his little buddy a thankful wink before doubling back for the girl.

"Grab on," he said, a grin on his face as he suddenly appeared right in front of her. Lucy, startled and thinking they were going to collide, held out her hands in front of her to brace for the impact. It never came, however, and when she peeked open one eye, she saw him laughing.

"It's not very smart to fly with your eyes closed," he grinned, turning in the air to shake one of his boots in her face. "Now grab on," he repeated, winking over his shoulder as she complied. He began to pick up speed, and now Lucy knew why he had told her to grab on. There was no way she could fly this fast by herself. "And whatever you do," he called over his shoulder, giving an excited whoop as they flew higher and higher over the city of Magnolia. "Don't let go!"

Lucy remembered what Natsu had told her about the Second Star to the Right, but at the time she had only dismissed it as nonsense.

He didn't actually believe they could fly into a star, did he?

Did he? Lucy squeezed her eyes shut, the wind now too strong for her to keep them open without watering.

Though, then again, she was flying right now… who's to say it wasn't possible?

As they flew higher and higher towards to the star, Lucy had to shield her eyes away from the blinding light as she tightened her grip on Natsu's ankle.

There was suddenly a blinding light, and even with her eyes were shut tight it still gave the after effect of staring at the sun for too long. Her stomach was doing somersaults, leaving her the slightest bit nauseous as her ears popped, but it was all worth it for the sight that met her when she heard Natsu's soft voice telling her to open her eyes.

In her mind, she tried to rationalize what she was seeing, but was coming up short. It was unlike anything she'd ever read about in books, and none of the fictional worlds she'd spent hours imagining even came close to this.

She released her hold on the boy's ankle now that they'd slowed to a tolerable speed, and Natsu did an excited flip in the air at the sight of his home.

As they flew just below the clouds, he reached out for her hand to bring them to a slow stop, and he looked at her with a smile that was nearly as bright as the star.

"Miss Lucy," he bowed in the air much to the blonde's amusement, and gestured to the island below. "Welcome to Neverland."