The hoofbeats clattered against the cobblestone, but much to Lucy Heartfilia's relief, none on the dark streets of Penzance opened their windows. Even if they had, however, she wouldn't have stopped - she was leaving tonight, after years of longing, and even her father couldn't stop her now.

The sharp sting of the frigid rain made her gasp and shake the water from her golden hair. She only gripped the reins of her bay stallion ever the tighter, squinting through the night wind, the racing sounds of the other horses huffing with strain behind her.

"Faster, Sagittarius," she muttered, leaning down to his ear. "We must make it to the docks before sunrise."

As if he understood, he let out a huff through his nose and galloped with new fervor. Her companions said nothing as they followed. Goodbyes could wait for when they came to the sea.

It was a near half of an hour later when they finally made it to the shore, where they veered right to a ramshackle boathouse. Jumping off fast enough so that her skirts would not get caught on the saddle, Lucy snatched up her heavily packed saddle bag.

When she turned to the door, she was met with her always-smiling butler, Loke, holding out a bundle to her. "Dress quickly, m'lady; I see the ship upon the docks."

"Thank you," she whispered, taking the cloth from him. "Levy, Virgo?"

"Coming, Lucy," her friend responded, gripping her own pile with white knuckles. Pushing her spectacles further up her nose, Levy tucked some blue hair behind her ear. "No turning back now."

"Yes, princess," Virgo said sincerely. "I shall assist you one last time."

"Not a princess," muttered Lucy under her breath. "Thank you."

"And hurry up, will you?" grumbled Aquarius, folding her arms over her servant dress. "You take a lifetime to get ready and we must return to be in bed when the master awakens."

"Yes, of course," Lucy assured her, hurrying inside with her closest friend, Levy, and maid, Virgo. The shack was dingy, a light smell of salt and must lingering among boxes and boats, but Lucy ignored this as Virgo helped Levy and her strip down, throwing the dresses aside. As she'd done hundreds of times, Lucy turned around so that Virgo could expertly unlace her corset.

She breathed in deeply, feeling her waist unrestrained. With a ferocity she knew not that she had, Lucy snatched up the corset from her maid and tore it in half. "Never again…" she said with a grin.

"We still must find a way to bind you, princess," Virgo warned, holding up stretchy, wide strips of cloth.

"Oh...yes." Lucy grimaced, but let her wind the cloth around her bosom until it was tight to Lucy's chest. It was nearly impossible to downsize her generous bust, but Virgo managed to make it look flat enough.

Levy was going through the same process, though she didn't need nearly as much cloth. Soon, Lucy held out strange clothing that made her feel very awkward...but this had to be done.

"Okay…" she whispered, "so I just put my legs in and… buckle this?"

"Here, princess," offered her maid, helping Lucy into the trousers and the loose shirt, next buckling up leather boots.

"I feel strange," said Lucy, frowning and tugging at her pants. "Very exposed… but it's surprisingly comfortable. Men have such freedoms."

"I quite like it," Levy chirped cheerfully, pushing up the sleeves of her small, white shirt.

Hearing a snipping sound, Lucy turned to see Cancer enter in his red jacket. "It's time, love."

Gulping, Lucy sat on the nearest crate, wincing as she heard the scissors slice off her hastily made braid. The shimmering weave golden hair was carefully set aside, which she stared at while Cancer quickly cut more to make the short haircut more presentable. Due to his expertise, this only took five minutes, after which he brushed the excess from her shirt and moved on to Levy. Virgo handed over a floppy hat, which Lucy jammed on her head.

Levy hid her newly short hair under a similar hat, sliding her bag that was probably mostly books onto her shoulder. "R-ready, Lu?"

"I'm Lawrence for now," Lucy reminded her.

"Right, sorry, Lawrence," giggled her friend. "Levy is unisex, so I'll keep it."

Knowing everything had begun to change, Lucy stepped from the shack and to her waiting friends.

Loke raised his eyebrows at her when he saw her new attire, and Lucy laughed quietly at his expression. "How do I look, good sir?"

"Like a boy," he said, impressed. "A pretty boy, at that."

"And I?" Levy queried.

"Likewise," her butler offered graciously. "A tiny boy. But both of you should work on using deeper voices."

"Oh, good point," Lucy agreed, then cleared her throat. "Well… So… this is it?"

"I suppose so."

Lucy closed her eyes as Loke wrapped her in the tightest embrace. She felt his reddish hair tickle her cheeks. "You write to me, okay? Let me know that you're safe."

She only nodded quickly, trying to keep the tears under control. His hug was followed by Virgo, Taurus, Cancer, Aires, and lastly, Aquarius, the woman that was previously her mother's maid.

"Don't be stupid," Aquarius instructed crossley, glaring as she always had. "Use whatever wits you possess in that silly head of yours. Remember your defense and that knife is in your bag. I hear American men can be crude, so don't be afraid to fight for yourself. You'll have to completely fend for yourself from now on. You're no longer a lady. No one will be spoon feeding you anyone so woman up and prepare to act like a man."

For years, Lucy would get irritated or offended by the maid's cranky attitude, but now she only smiled. "I will. Thank you."

"Are you certain that you would not like us to come along?" Taurus gripped her shoulder. She felt his hand shake.

"Levy and I must do this ourselves," Lucy said firmly, Levy nodding beside her. "You all have families, lives, independence here… we must seek seek out our own ourselves."

"I wish you all the luck in the world," Loke whispered, squeezing her hand momentarily before putting an arm around his wife. "Once Aires and I gather up enough money, we'll join you. Perhaps you'll have a few little ones by then…"

With a laugh, Lucy waved him off. "I am not escaping to a new country to look for a man and to have children - I am doing so to get away from most of them."

"There are males in America." He shot her a teasing grin. "The ladies of the court have mentioned how charmingly honest they are."

"I'll be plenty happy if I grow to be an old maid and write stories for the rest of my days," said Lucy dreamily.

"And I if I get to work in a library," Levy added, and gripped her bag of volumes ever the harder. "It seems they are loading up, Lawrence."

"Yes, we must not be late and create a bad impression," Lucy muttered. "And you all must get back by sunrise."

Her faithful friends from her fading life as the daughter of the Duke of York stood all back in a row, smiling, several crying, as she waved and turned away. Turned her back to them, so that their last view of her could be one of strength and not the tears that she was roughly wiping away.

After all, she was supposed to be a man now, and crying among men was not tolerated.

When her and Levy stepped onto the loading plank to the great steamship The Christina and had their names (brothers Levy and Lawrence Thatcher) checked off by a fellow sailor, they dropped their things off in their assigned cots before heading above deck.

Lucy gripped the railing at the bow, breathing in the wafting tang of the salt mixed with the metallic makings of the ship. Beside her, Levy's face looked as eager as she felt, though there was a twist of nerves that remained knotted in her gut. A noble woman dressed as a boy, escaping to a new land, all terrors and adventures coming their way that Lucy was unsure she'd be able to handle… She pushed it aside-she'd thought of this for so long that there was no doubt about it being the correct decision, and all the waiting world they'd see was calling.

It wouldn't be long before the ship set off for the United States. It wouldn't be long before they were enveloped in the beckoning, red horizon. It wouldn't be long before Lucy was completely free.

Oh, how she'd always yearned for something… new.

Natsu's heart rushed like hummingbird wings. His breath low and deep as his horse while he waited alongside his brothers, crouched behind the boulder.

"Be still," Laxus whispered harshly in their native Faetaye language, searing sunlight glinting off the scar over his eye and yellow hair as he addressed Romeo's shifting feet. "Quiet."

"I know, I know..." muttered the younger boy. Laxus dealt him another sharp look for his further speech, and Romeo pressed his lips together as if that would keep him from ever making a sound again.

The rumble was barely noticeable at first, and then it grew to shake the pebbles on the ground. Swallowing with widening eyes in anticipation, Natsu gripped the stone more tightly. The brazen heat of the golden plains reflecting from his bare skin made sweat accumulate to cool him, but he paid it no mind. The waves of warmth from the earth created a sort of ripple across the horizon, blurring the large, brown shapes approaching closer by the second.

"Ready yourself," muttered Laxus, fingering his bow strapped to his back.

Natsu had been born ready. Born for this.

The bison made the very earth tremble. Natsu stared in abject awe-all of them working together to create a movement that shook him to the core. This was true power. Natsu slowly drew an arrow from his quiver, pricking his finger on the tip. Only the sharpest in respect. Hopefully a quick, clean death.

It was perhaps dozens of bulls and cows that rushed towards the cliffs, several other boys from the Faetaye tribe whooping and galloping behind. Much less bison that his father had told him used to roam the plains, but quite a few more than usual, nonetheless.

"Now!" shouted Laxus, jumping up from the rock. Natsu followed suit, leaping up onto the bare, gray back of his horse, Natai, back in one fluid motion and jarring him into a run while drawing a spear rather than an arrow to prod the bison forward. He'd never been faster, rushing from right and left to keep the herd going in one direction.

One by one, the bison fell from the cliff, down to the drop of over one hundred feet. With the other boys at his side, Natsu spurred Natai forward, down the slope at the side of the cliff to reach the bottom. It was bloody indeed, but Natsu had seen it many a time before. From here, he drew his bow, shooting into the hearts of the bison as they fell, wishing them a more merciful death than that of terror. Some boys took out rifles, and though Natsu's own gun resided in its case on his back, he preferred his bow.

When the thunder was over, the boys leapt from the horses' backs, drawing knives. With a sigh and frown, Natsu knelt beside a barely breathing calf. He gently stroked its fur, killing him swiftly and murmuring, "Thank you." Placing his forehead against his prey's, he added softly, "May Great Spirit guide you safely to the heavens."

Natsu stood. Tonight, his tribe would feast.

While the other boys finished with the kill, Natsu faced the fading East. His soul remained restless; they'd been in the same place for camp for nearly a month. He felt they should move.

Something was shifting in the wind that tumbled through his rose-colored hair. Natsu could feel a change coming in his very bones. Perhaps others would feel frightened, but he…

He grinned.

He yearned for something… new.

Hallo everyone!

So, a new multichapter story I'm starting. First time working in the historical fiction genre. It won't be nearly as long as The Keys of Fire, but I'm excited all the same. Nalu and all my usual side ships! I'm very invested into my own Native American culture and often teach about it at reenactment events in which I wear full Native garb. I felt that this story idea would be a good opportunity both for a unique storyline and a way to teach more about my heritage. Should be fun! In each AN, I will add a historical note.

*I will not update this for two to three weeks because I'll be gone and tutoring - I just wanted to get this out to assure that I'd be writing more, and because I already gave you half of the prologue. Well, I've edited it since, but still.

Historical Note:

While Lucy is set up as a daughter of the late 1870s Duke of York, I'll later explain how she was at an event in Penzance, close to the coast, where she could have made her escape.

The tribe in this story is a combination of many different tribal components. It is mostly based from my own tribe, Lakota, and several tribes from the midwest. You probably know Lakota under the name 'Sioux', but we do not like to be called by this. Sioux was actually a derogatory name from an enemy tribe that means 'snake people'. Lakota is the proper name, meaning 'friend'. You'll recognize this tribe as the one from the Kevin Costner movie, Dances With Wolves, and the Disney movie, Spirit. The hunt of the bison shown here was known as a bison/buffalo jump, where the bison were made to stampede to a cliff where they'd fall and be used by the tribe. The Natives did thank the animals for their sacrifice, recognizing that they needed them to survive, but also holding enormous respect for all creatures.

I hope you enjoyed, and see ya later!

Mizpah,

~LoneStorm