Lucy's clammy fingers clenched on the elaborate handle of the eighth key, Sagittarius, as she managed a victorious smile.

Sure, the temperature was torrid despite being well past noon, and sure, Natsu's presence only made the heat worse, but it was a triumph nonetheless! The blonde felt her lips part in a laugh as Natsu crowed his mirth.

The moment was broken quickly when Natsu became aware that her shoes had somehow caught on fire, and pounced at her feet; she screeched when he attempted to eat her shoes.

After several moments of flailing, awkward disentangling of limbs (and Lucy's face was so hot that the heat of the day had nothing on her), and some squeaks whenever Natsu so much as tried to lick her shoes, they managed to leave the forest clearing they had stumbled across.

Natsu ran ahead as soon as the fire was extinguished, happily babbling about the food he would catch when they met up with the rest of their crewmates and debating on whether or not he would take a nap. Lucy trailed after him, absently fingering the keys they had collected so far.

Natsu had immediately attacked Sagittarius the moment they encountered him, only to have Sagittarius surrender himself with no qualms. Lucy felt as if they still hadn't gotten to the hard part yet. Sure, Aquarius had mentioned that the keys themselves weren't a part of escaping the chapter, but that was the only plot point that had presented itself to them so far, and otherwise, the two were out of possibilities for escaping the Sinbad chapter.

And Natsu, well... since her sudden eureka moment, she hadn't had a chance to be alone with him without Wendy fawning over his motion sickness (and who cared if it was out of sisterly affection?), Erza inquiring about various battle strategies (it was still hard to digest that Natsu was on par with Erza in this world), Lisanna chatting him up (which she refused to take lightly), Mirajane trying to kick her ass ( Lucy was starting to understand Mirajane's old nickname of 'Demon'), or...

...or Lucy herself chickening out at the last second, unable to form words what with her thoughts being so jumbled.

She looked up at Natsu as the sea came into view. He was wearing his regular, tattered clothes proudly (which, oddly enough, fit extremely well as pirate attire) as he turned, beckoning at her to hurry up.

"What's taking you so long, Lucy?" He pursed his lips and snickered when she sent him an irritated glance. "Let's get back to the ship already! We have to head out, or we won't be able to reach the next island before tomorrow morning!"

"Since when were you actually eager to get on a ship?" Lucy sighed, and Natsu considered her words before shrugging.

"Wendy is sure helpful no matter the universe," he said as they stepped onto the sand. He said her name gratefully, almost reverently- no. The blonde shook her head at her own reaction. There was no way that Natsu of all people would be attracted to anyone, much less have her on his mind like she had Natsu on her mind...

That thought alone was enough to depress her as they clambered up the ship and found themselves surrounded by the rowdy members of Natsu's- Sinbad's- crew.

"Party?" Natsu beamed, no doubt eager to bring the ship down in flames. Lisanna, who was unfurling the sails, rolled her eyes.

"As long as you minimize the damage, Sinbad," she shrugged, and gave him a blinding smile (that immediately had Lucy gritting her teeth). "We're just celebrating getting so many of the treasures in a week after searching for them for so long."

"Lucy's my good luck charm," the flame mage winked, and Lisanna sent Lucy a coy smile that had her flushing from head to toe. The white-haired girl laughed when Lucy ducked out from under Natsu's arm as he attempted to sling it casually over her shoulders.

"Oi, Princess!" Cana called from behind a group of barrels on deck. She and several others were drinking feverishly from them while casually throwing cards into the center of their circle. "Wanna share a drink or two?"

"I don't drink," was Lucy's immediate response as she gave an awkward smile. The crew members had certainly grown more accustomed to having Lucy around. Despite the fact that they were the same people she knew and loved back home, she couldn't help but feel like an outsider in comparison to Natsu. The blonde was only comfortable around a select few, such as Cana or Erza.

"Well," Cana persisted in a carouse, "why not join us for a game of strip poker?" She waggled her eyebrows suggestively. Lucy stammered, vehemently denying the offer, resulting in loud guffaws from Cana's drinking buddies.

The blonde girl settled for sitting on the sidelines as Natsu swung around the masts and shrouds, hopping about the swing guns like they were toys (Mirajane uttered feral snarls as she attempted to get Natsu to stop messing with the weaponry). The rest of the crew were getting drunk and playing music, dancing around boisterously.

Lucy gave a wistful smile. The atmosphere was just like Fairy Tail's, and yet she couldn't just naturally fit in like she did back on Earthland. It made her wonder how Natsu was able to act so at home, no matter the circumstances.

Light thuds alerted Lucy to someone approaching her- she looked up to meet the serious, ashen eyes of Erza, who gave Lucy a tentative smile and seated herself beside her.

"Are you alright, Princess?"

"Just call me Lucy," Lucy muttered to her hands, fiddling with the keys again. "'Princess' is too formal."

Erza was silent for a moment, analyzing Lucy's face. The spirit mage scrunched up her features and ducked her head in response, avoiding eye contact. "Lucy," Erza finally said with a small smile, "You don't need to be so detached from the rest of us. I've seen how you've interacted with Sinbad, and you're not as stiff as everyone seems to think you should be. I'm sure Lisanna and Wendy know that, too."

Lucy blinked slowly, and gave a sigh. "I'm just... homesick, I guess." It wasn't exactly a lie, per se- she knew that she wanted to escape the book and return home, but another part of her was enjoying that she was able to be with Natsu like this, and was bitter of the fact that she had to share him with others...

(Wait, since when was he hers to share to begin with?)

Erza laughed as Lucy huffed in frustration, and grabbed the smaller girl's hands, pulling her to stand upright. "We're celebrating success after having countless unsuccessful searches, you know, and it's all thanks to you. It's only right that you join in on the fun."

"I have a feeling you guys would have gotten along just swimmingly without me," Lucy grouched, glancing at Natsu, who danced an odd jig with Wendy as Lisanna and Elfman played large, hefty instruments that she didn't recognize. They were happy, they were free-spirited, and for some reason, Lucy couldn't bring herself to stop being so... so petty! It was so unlike her to even think these kinds of thoughts...

The scarlet-haired woman smiled mysteriously as if she could tell what the girl was thinking- and knowing Erza's surprising insight, it was entirely possible- and pushed the girl (albeit a bit roughly) towards her merry friends, who were happily chattering. "Enjoy yourself, and lighten up. It doesn't suit someone like you to be jealous."

"I-I'm not jealous," Lucy sputtered, feeling the lie burn on her tongue. Erza rolled her eyes; Lucy babbled incoherently, coming up blank for an excuse, and decided that now would be a good time to make her escape. She'd have to face the music sooner or later, anyway (and besides, anything was preferable to Erza being sadistic).

The second she entered the midst of about thirty, someone grabbed her palm and swung her about in a whirl.

"Ma-Macao!" Lucy gasped out as the aged man smiled fondly, linking arms with her and raising a mug that was sloshing its contents over its sides.

"It's my pleasure to dance with you too, Princess," he laughed merrily, and she returned the favor with a giggle. Lisanna and Elfman changed the tune into an even faster-paced, jolly tempo, and Macao twirled her around in time with the music. They danced jovially for a moment as the people around them did the same, occasionally jostling them in the rush of movement. After a moment, Macao yelled over the flurry, "I'm sorry for being a bit stand-offish when we met!"

"It's okay," Lucy replied absently, voice barely rising over the noise, "I... I didn't really mind." She could see Natsu with Mirajane now, who, despite her hostility to Lucy, seemed almost arrogantly comfortable dancing with her captain.

"Ah, I see," Macao said, his voice taking on the same lilt as Erza's had. "A thing for our Sinbad, eh, Princess? Didn't think he was your type."

Lucy bit back the denial threatening to burst (if she couldn't face the truth with someone who wasn't even from her world, how could she possibly confess to Natsu himself?), and sullenly intoned, "So what if he is?" She couldn't deny that she liked him because, oh, did she ever. Too freakin' much. She suppressed a groan- the idiot was just as endearing as he was dense.

A curious glint suddenly shone in Macao's eye as something dawned over him. His grip on her fingers tightened, and his body straightened to align with hers as they came to a stop. Lucy blinked in confusion as Macao leaned closer, his mouth curving upwards in an amused arc as his hot breath blew uncomfortably across her face-

"Move," an irritated voice broke in.

The two looked up (Lucy, surprised; Macao, expectantly) to see Natsu, his brow twitching almost infinitesimally (but Lucy knew him well, and she caught it), his muscular arm already pushing the older man aside. "Go dance with Wendy or something, Macao. The Princess is off limits for you."

"I understand, I understand," Macao snorted, raising his hands. "Private property, eh?"

"No!" Lucy spluttered at the same time Natsu snarled, feral.

Lucy gaped in open surprise; Macao chortled, waving it off to join arms with a drunk-past-coherent-speech Cana, who was laughing maniacally as she danced (while trying to strip off her clothes; Gray was as well, though he wasn't half as drunk nor conscious of doing it).

"Natsu?" Lucy tried vainly to squash the hope that threatened to present itself. Natsu, jealous? That wasn't possible... unless it was of something stupid, like horns (the memory of Garuna Island came to mind), or of someone having more power than him.

"We've been here for a week," Natsu stuck out his tongue childishly at Macao's retreating back as he took Lucy's hands (she couldn't help but stare in trepidation at his fingers, laced with hers). "The Macao here is even pervier than the one back at Fairy Tail, and that's saying something, the freak."

"He's not a freak," the blonde shot back defensively; Macao was actually quite nice to her (especially in comparison to some of the other crew members). "You breathe fire, and he drinks alcohol. Which one is stranger?"

"Obviously him. That stuff is nasty compared to fire," Natsu spat out as Lisanna and Elfman changed the melody to slower one. "C'mon, Lucy. This song sucks." The fire mage pulled Lucy away from the dancing people to stand by the edge of the railing, hand warm on hers.

She bit back a surprised squeal and tugged her hand from his ever so slightly, earning herself a curious glance from Natsu. He shrugged and looked away, staring out at the rippling waves. From behind them, Mirajane loudly ordered for the food to be put away, as they were about to set sail.

"So why did you interrupt us?" Lucy wondered aloud, casually throwing her arms over the wood to lean on the railing. Perhaps jealousy was too much to ask for... maybe he had felt a surge of protectiveness? That would be better than nothing, really. Especially when it came to Natsu, who always alternated between a surprising seriousness and dense idiocy.

"Just cuz," Natsu groused, turning to face away from her.

Irritation welled in her gut. She bit down on her lip, leaning over to try to get a good look at his face- he ducked away stiffly. "What's up with you, Natsu? Normally you'd be saying absolutely everything on your one-track mind."

"Almost everything," Natsu corrected, not even bothering to be offended, before tacking on, "and I only did it cuz Macao is a disgusting old pervert."

Lucy wasn't dense; she'd read plenty of romance novels, and this scene seemed quite familiar to her. A smile threatening to stretch over her cheeks, she asked slyly, "Are you... jealous?"

The word made Natsu turn to look at her, an odd expression in his eyes. She stared back with a frown, wondering exactly what the idiot was thinking (though no one had ever known what the loudmouth was thinking anyway). "Natsu?"

"Lucy," Natsu began, uncharacteristically serious. A blush bloomed over her cheeks despite herself at the implications of his deep baritone. If he were jealous, then how would she react? What if he were to actually like her back even a little...? She stared intently, completely aware of her heart (the cursed thing was beating faster and faster) as Natsu continued, "Look, it's just-"

The lovely anticipation of the moment was broken abruptly when Natsu suddenly clutched his stomach (apparently, the herbal medicine had worn off), and the boat gave a lurch as it groaned into motion, beginning its departure for the next island. Natsu heaved and gurgled, throwing himself over the side of the ship miserably, already starting to make puking noises.

Lucy quickly backed away before he could start retching everywhere, sighing at the lost opportunity as she retreated down into the crew's quarters.

___________________________

The blonde spirit mage tossed and turned in the covers, but she just couldn't sleep. It hadn't been easy adjusting to the constant rocking of the large ship while sleeping, but she had managed it; tonight, however, she was feeling uneasy (and it wasn't only because of Natsu's queasy moans, loud enough that they traveled all the way across the ship from the captain's quarters).

For god's sake, Natsu was so frustrating! And to make it worse, she was always coming to insane, embarrassing conclusions (Lisanna was understandable, sure, but Erza and Wendy and even Mirajane? She had to be going insane).

Liking Natsu was the hardest thing Lucy had ever done in her life.

She irritably snuck a glance from under the covers out a porthole- all that was visible at the moment was the dark, vast sea. It was otherwise empty (like Natsu's head).

The door gave a loud creak as it squeaked open, and Lucy turned her head to see who it was. Wendy, in all of her lovely buxom glory, gave a little apologetic smile.

"May I come in?"

"Sure, I guess," Lucy returned the smile, doing her best to shove away any petty thoughts she might have (mostly regarding Natsu, and would he please get the hell out of her mind?) and sitting up on the bed. "I wasn't sleeping, anyway."

Wendy chuckled and stepped in, closing the door behind her. The candlelight flickered against her face, and Lucy couldn't help but stare at her features. So pretty... how could she possibly compete with that?

"Princess." Wendy cleared her throat. "I've noticed that you seem to be troubled."

"Maybe," Lucy hedged. The dark-haired woman gave the blonde a stern look until she cowered and conceded: "Okay, a little."

"Regarding our Sinbad," Wendy said matter-of-factly, and Lucy's jaw dropped open.

"I-I-I, well, i-it's not that, I mean, I don't-" Damn it. She hadn't been that obvious, had she?

As if picking up on her thoughts, Wendy laughed. "It's obvious, Princess," the healer continued gently, and Lucy snapped her mouth shut, forcing back any mordant comments she had. Wendy was obviously trying to help.

"Obvious to everyone but Natsu, I guess," she grumbled, throwing her head back on the pillows.

"That's what I came here to talk to you about," Wendy said soothingly. "Sinbad is loud and dense, I know, but you're just the kind of person for him."

The spirit mage peeked out from under the covers timidly, almost afraid to ask: "W-what makes you say that...?"

"I mean," the older woman laughed, waving a hand. "You're sensible and you put up with Sinbad's antics as if you've known him for years-" (at this, Lucy barely bit back an "I have!")- "You're kind but you hold him back from things that are overly stupid. And you're a very pretty girl, might I say."

Lucy flushed with pleasure that someone like Wendy could compliment her like that, but her thoughts quickly spiraled back down. "I-I don't know... I mean, I like him, but... the dunce never gets it! He wouldn't know it if it hit him in the face."

She would know- she had hit his face. Many, many times... (multiple situations involving lingerie and nachos came to mind.)

Wendy offered yet another gentle smile. "That's just it, Lucy- may I call you that?" Lucy gave a nod, and the older woman continued, "You'll have to be patient with Sinbad. He'll come into realization of his own feelings in time, but you, you have to wait it out. Continue to love him unconditionally, and he'll eventually recognize and reciprocate it."

"Love?" Lucy felt her face heat up past normal temperatures again, and curse the fact that Natsu could make her feel like this! "I- I don't know if I, well, I mean, 'love' is an awfully strong word-"

But Wendy only winked and stood up to leave. "You'll see, Lucy. Get some sleep, dear. You'll need it for when we reach the next island."

The door shut as Wendy left, leaving Lucy to her own jumbled thoughts once more.
___________________________

It was a loud crash, followed by panicked shouts and more bangs that awoke Lucy. The entire ship shook violently. Lucy shot up, threw aside the covers and tossed on the clothes she had worn yesterday, courtesy of Erza.

The floor tilted under her feet and quivered violently again before Lucy managed to regain her balance and slam the door open, racing to the top deck.

The racket was much louder out in the open, and the panic she'd felt the second she awoke suddenly increased tenfold at what she saw.

Splinters and planks of wood were scattered amidst a frenzy of movement; Natsu was shouting orders as the crew assembled around him, moving about the deck and protecting the important parts of the ship. The air reeked of magic.

Lucy's hand trailed down to her side, her fingers reaching towards the gate keys. Cana raced by, gnashing her teeth as she drew out her cards.

"Cana! What's going on? We haven't even reached the next island yet!" Lucy fell in step with the brunette, who didn't slow down.

"Look for yourself, Princess," the woman huffed. They came to an abrupt stop, and Lucy realized that they were standing by one of the few canons that hadn't been destroyed yet. Cana lit the weapon and there was another bang and a flash of smoke.

Lucy's eyes trailed the canonball's path up into the sky, and it seemed as if her keys were tingling, itching for a battle at her side at the sight.

A goat-like humanoid, with darkly tinted shades and attire that did little to conceal the lean, hard muscle underneath hovered above the ship, hands outstretched.

"Capricorn," Lucy whispered hoarsely.

Floating in midair with a statuesque presence, Capricorn was issuing commands, hands lighting at random intervals. Lucy jerked her head and surveyed the deck; the blonde spotted several people who were out of place among the fighting crew. Toward the bow of the ship, close to the bowsprit, was Natsu, fighting off multiple enemies at once with his fists ablaze.

Next to her, Cana gave another shout and lit another canon; Capricorn didn't bat an eye. His hand gave a small, unnoticeable twitch. A strange, fluxing light suddenly overtook the cannonball, and its path was averted to the side of Capricorn, splashing harmlessly into the waters.

"Lucy," Cana rasped, "Sinbad. Go. At this rate, he'll set our ship on fire."

Lucy acquiesced, pulling out one of the keys from the shared ring with a determined nod, glancing at the key before opening her mouth.

"Open! Gate of the Lion!"

A flash of light, and Loki was there by Lucy's side, jaw taut.

They didn't speak a word; no commands, just mutual understanding- Loki had explained Capricorn's magic to her outside of the book, during the S-Class trials. Lucy knew that the spirit's magic was nothing to laugh at. Loki easily overtook any enemies that tried to block her way with Regulus as she raced towards the captain of the ship, painfully aware of the absence of her whip.

Capricorn's subordinates were swarming Natsu- one, a muscular hunter; another, an oriental warrior. Sinbad's pirates were likewise being cornered as more and more unfamiliar humans flocked onto the ship as Capricorn spat out commands.

Lucy wasn't nearly as strong as her guild mates, but her physical aptitude wasn't necessarily shabby, either. She gave a great leap just as the oriental warrior's spear launched. With a sharp movement, she kicked the spear aside and landed lithely behind Natsu, who laughed appreciatively.

"You finally woke up!" Natsu cackled as he blasted another enemy, "You're late, but thanks for getting my back anyway. I guess it should be too 'dangerous' for a frilly Princess, but-"

"-you know we're partners," Lucy finished, settling into a comfortable fighting position. Thoughts from the previous night flooded into her at their proximity- but wait, no, it wasn't the time to be thinking about that. 'Team' wasn't necessarily a romantic term...

"Lucy, pay attention!" Cana's voice broke into her thoughts. Lucy barely evaded an attack from what appeared to be a Mongolian warrior. As she ducked down, Natsu's fist shot above her head, already alight, and landed square on the enemy's chest, knocking him clear off the deck.

"Sorry, Natsu," she murmured before the irascible dragonslayer could say anything, and gave a start when a hand took hers. Lucy turned to see Cana's eyes boring into hers.

"Here," Cana said breathlessly, holding up a card and summoning a whip. "I was told you would need this." The weapon was pressed into Lucy's palm, and the weight was comforting. Lucy gripped it and sent a grateful smile at the brunette, who grinned back and turned to rejoin the fray.

From the corner of her eye, she saw Loki wink at her. She laughed and recalled him, and he vanished, easily unnoticed amongst the chaos. Her keys glowed at her side, and she made a mental note to thank him later.

With her whip in hand, it was much easier to fend off attacks. The only problem was the ship, constantly tottering as more and more of Capricorn's subordinates piled onto the top deck, destroying the sails and shrouds.

Natsu's breath was becoming a little ragged, as was hers. Her head pounded as the heat of Natsu's flames steadily increased.

"Don't set the ship on fire," Lucy gasped out laboriously, snapping her whip. Natsu merely laughed as he turned to aid her, kicking aside another opponent.

Suddenly, his onyx eyes widened, and his teeth clacked together as he prepared to launch upwards. Lucy, blinked, confused, and whirled around, sweat beading on her temple as she drew back her whip. An enemy-

She wasn't fast enough.

In the sudden rush of movement, all she was able to see was coarse alabaster hair before a muscular limb scooped her from the deck, her breath hitching as her keys jangled. "LUCY!" Natsu's hand stretched out towards hers, and their fingers brushed before Lucy was yanked upwards, the arm tightening uncomfortably around her waist.

Below her, Natsu roared his fury, knocking down anyone in his path towards the center of the main deck, his entire body starting to ignite as Capricorn rose steadily into the air. Erza slid to a stop in front of Natsu, large dual swords brandished as she tried to calm him down, but to no effect. Lucy craned her neck to get a good look at her captor.

"Capricorn," Lucy hissed painfully. "Why are you- why are you doing this?"

The urbane goat spirit said nothing, only giving her a patiently exasperated look. Without any warning, without any shift in position, he suddenly punched her- her neck snapped back painfully. The blonde cautiously brought her head back, biting back any comments that could pique the spirit's anger. He held her tightly, and with immense force; her fingers clenched and unclenched, trying to grasp at one of her stellar spirit keys, but the most she could do was lightly brush at the metallic top.

"Lucy! LUCY!" The entire crew clamored under her and Capricorn, and Lucy couldn't help but wonder why it was exactly that they were reverting to her name rather than calling her by her title. Even more surprising was that even from up in the air, she could see that their features were creased with worry.

And Natsu... every single fiber of his being was incensed. His eyes never left hers for a second, even as Capricorn tightened his hold once more and slapped her.

Lucy choked on tears- Capricorn's strength was much more than she was used to taking, and the blow stung. A shocked hush momentarily fell over the entire crew before the fighting resumed, much more violent and enraged than ever.

"ENOUGH," Capricorn bellowed, and the human subordinates seemed to give off an irradiant light before fading away. Her friends halted, surprised at the sudden retreat; underneath the ship, the waves churned ominously.

Above the rest of the crew members' voices was Natsu. "GIVE LUCY BACK, YOU BASTARD!"

Capricorn huffed bemusedly and suddenly released Lucy- shock and panic overwhelmed the blonde in a rush for a split second before he grabbed her left arm. Pain quickly replaced fear when there was a painful yank and a loud crack as the limb clenched in his rough hand broke under the pressure. Lucy choked on a scream, blinking back hot tears.

"LUCY!" There came Natsu's voice again, enraged and frantic. She would have smiled under any other circumstance.

"Silence, humans," Capricorn spoke monotonously, his voice booming out into the air. "You will heed my warning: The Princess is mine, and you will not pursue the Twelve Treasures any longer. Any sign of defiance will be reflected upon her." The goat spirit yanked on her broken arm for emphasis.

It was so... so unfair. Lucy's breath came in harsh gasps and pants. She had been useless in the previous chapters. She was tired of it! She was Lucy of Fairy Tail, and there was no way that she was going to sit back and be some damsel in distress when the rest of her friends were worrying, alternate universe or not!

Back on the ship, the crew was alternating between murmured discussion and confused shouts, and it struck her that they hadn't seen any of the spirits before. It had always been her and Natsu seeking the 'treasures', going on all sorts of queer adventures and finding the keys...

Her eyes opened blurrily, and the blonde spotted Natsu, his expression livid- he was concerned for her. How very like Natsu.

And just like that, it hit her: Wendy might have been right after all. It was still unclear, but yes, Lucy liked him- whether it was as strong as 'love' remained to be seen- but the feelings were there, and more than that, it was just as much of a part of her character as her magic and will to fight. There was no way she could give up here.

Her mind hazy with pain, Lucy forced the arm that was still mobile to pat at her side- the keys were burning, as if her spirits were enraged at the pain that had been inflicted on their master. Her fingers clenched around one, and she recognized which key from just that contact. It was familiar to the touch.

"Open! The gate of the Bull!"

Capricorn gave a jolt of surprise and released her, even as Taurus passed through the gate and sent Capricorn crashing into the water with a well-placed blow from his axe. Lucy plummeted down towards the ship at a frightening speed.

It wasn't frightening, for some odd reason. Her body was resigned, exhausted and slipping into unconsciousness, but within her chest, anticipation coiled. Natsu-

The breath was knocked out of her, but the immense pain that she had been anticipating never came. Rather, Natsu's familiar heat told her of his arms, pushing forward to wrap around her, and they slammed forward and into a cabin, crashing a hole in the ship. Her ribs ached at the contact, and there was a painful jolt that stunned her for a moment, but she was alive.

He had leapt to catch her again.

In her mind's eye, the blonde could see his face; the way he had looked at her so confidently in the Rapunzel chapter, and told her to trust him. It'd been so silly to doubt him, even in a different chapter. Lucy laughed; Natsu, bewildered, looked at her as if she was crazy.

The entire crew rushed to surround them; not a single one of them complained about the damage done to the ship. Rather, each and every face was streaked with worry and relief. Even the hostile Mirajane and jocular Cana were peering at the two, smiles etched onto their faces.

"Lucy, are you okay-?"

"-that was reckless-"

"-nice catch, Sinbad-!"

"Lucy, you idiot," Natsu sat up, still holding her close, careful not to jostle her broken arm. "What the hell was that up there? If he'd noticed, he'd probably have killed you! You're so stupid!"

Lucy burst out laughing again. She couldn't even bring herself to be embarrassed at the contact.

Was it possible that she loved Natsu?

The idea was a lot easier to digest now, staring up at his face, full of sharp, familiar angles and curves. She'd been foolish to over-think it earlier. His features, holding a sort of roguish charm, beamed back down at her, impetuous in his smile. She sat up, wincing a little when pain shot through her arm, and just giggled. "It's ironic, coming from you."

Natsu looked at her once, and the two immediately dissolved into their typical bickering. The crew was bustling around them eagerly as Lucy recalled Taurus. True to their natures, Cana began to generously pass around beers in an attempt to get people drunk while Erza issued commands to the people around her to clean up the mess that had been made.

The welcome whimsicality of the atmosphere vanished when Capricorn shot from the sea with a loud splash, seething.

Natsu twitched and his eyes narrowed as he made to stand up. Lucy grabbed him with her arms to stop him from doing something inane or reckless, flinching when her left arm twitched violently from the movement. It was this motion that made Natsu hesitate- he looked back down at her, worry reflected in his eyes.

Capricorn's voice echoed in the vast space of the sea, reaching their ears threateningly. "If you do not cease your search, you will pay dire consequences upon setting foot on the next island-"

"Did you hear that?" Mirajane interrupted, snickering loudly. "He said 'dire consequences'. No modern day villain ever says that anymore, ever! That fart has to be at least a million years old-"

"Fools," Capricorn spat out, rising above the surface of the water to glare at Sinbad's crew, even as Mirajane was enveloped in a demonic hue (she was still snorting that Capricorn had called them 'fools', and who did that nowadays?), and Erza whipped out her broadswords. Lucy watched in surprise as Cana drew her cards and even Gray and Juvia shifted into threatening stances.

These people who had mocked her were willing to protect her.

Capricorn seemed to consider the crew, who, one by one, were standing up and preparing to attack. "He's out of magic," Lucy realized with a rush as he widened the distance between himself and the ship. "He's... retreating?"

Lisanna let out a loud whoop as the goat spirit's figure dwindled slowly into the horizon until his entire presence diminished to nothing. Cana was the second one to break the silence, grabbing Gray and Juvia and calling out for beers yet again. Erza looked at her, an odd expression on her face, and began digging through the ship's supplies for some cake.

"You know, Princess," Macao said, sauntering over with a wink, pushing through the crowd to approach Lucy. "We'd be glad to have you join our crew."

A few feet away, Mirajane began to protest hotly, but was silenced by Lisanna, Erza, and Wendy, who looked between Lucy and Natsu with hungry eyes (Lucy suddenly felt very, very flushed and uncomfortable).

The atmosphere was so like Fairy Tail that Lucy couldn't help but feel right at home. She couldn't ignore the smile that was stretching her cheeks so much that it hurt but she couldn't stop, because if she and Natsu were to be stuck in this chapter, at the very least she was able to have friends.

Lucy was so lost in her thoughts that she overlooked that Natsu had remained silent the whole time.

The spirit mage didn't realize that she was still seated in Natsu's lap until he stood up abruptly, jaw taut. Lucy toppled onto the deck rather ungracefully with a thud, surprised at the sudden movement, and even more so when she saw that Natsu looked absolutely furious.

"No fucking way is she joining our crew," Natsu grit out through gnashing teeth, acerbity in his voice. "I'll never allow it."

The entire ship fell silent at the sudden change of atmosphere, and the tension only grew as Natsu stalked over to Erza, his entire figure ramrod straight and tight. He refused to glance in Lucy's direction.

"Erza," the dragonslayer rasped. "Take us back."

The scarlet-haired woman had to take a moment to find her voice again, and when she did, the surprise was enough that she stuttered. "B-Back? Where are you talking about, Sinbad?"

"Back," Natsu said with a jerky nod. "To the Princess's kingdom."

"We're giving up the treasure hunt?" Lucy blinked. What had gotten into Natsu so suddenly? Driving off Capricorn was a good thing, wasn't it? And why so serious?

"No," the pink-haired mage shook his head, turning to look at her with an unnaturally wintry gaze. "You're giving up the treasure hunt. You're going back."

He turned and walked away stiffly. Lucy stared after him in shock, still sprawled uncomfortably on the floor.
___________________________

The islands were arranged loosely in a scattered pattern; it was just as well that they had gone in a circle. Eight out of twelve islands had been visited, and because of their route, it was only a short way to return back to the kingdom Lucy had apparently been kidnapped from. At most, the journey would only take a few days, which was remarkably short, and with help from some of the specialized magic users on board, the journey would no doubt be faster than estimated.

Not like the thought comforted her. At all.

Just minutes after Capricorn's sudden attack and just-as-sudden departure, Natsu had stormed to the captain's quarters and refused to come out for hours. Only Wendy was allowed, and only once; she had given him the herbal medicine and slipped out again, and she refused to say a word about his condition. He even skipped meals.

And Natsu never skipped meals. EVER.

Lucy had spent those confused hours staring towards the back of the ship, unable to think coherently. Natsu's reaction to their victory made no sense. She remained in a dazed silence even as Wendy tended to her arm, placing it in a loose sling and feeding her various herbs.

Cana was using her cards to blow strong winds in the needed direction while Juvia with her powerful water magic was able to guide the ship easily. Lucy found it hard to walk on the deck at the speed the vessel was going, but she pushed her way towards the back of the ship. With some effort, she managed to grab hold of the door of the captain's cabin with her good arm and give it a yank.

It didn't budge.

Pressing her back against the ligneous planks, Lucy slid down to sit against the outer wall of the cabin. "Natsu?"

The only response she received was a stubborn, muffled "Mmmf."

"Natsu, let me in. If you don't tell me what's going on then we'll never get out of the chapter. Do you want that?"

A moment of silence; the door clicked and opened.

Lucy peered in curiously- it was the first time she'd bothered to look in the captain's quarters- and saw with mild disdain that the small room was just as cluttered with various junk and scraps of food as Natsu's home back on Earthland.

Natsu sat on the small mattress, eyes boring into hers with an unreadable expression. The sheets had been incinerated; all that remained was a pile of ashes.

Wendy's words from the day before rang in her ears: Be patient with him...

Lucy honestly preferred the previous chapters to this one; seeing Natsu so estranged was disconcerting. Drama simply wasn't his thing. She knew it, and he knew it, so why was he alienating himself? Still, at the very least, she knew how to fix it.

Closing the space between them, Lucy took a couple of long strides and slapped him across the face. Hard.

Natsu blinked several times, opened his mouth and closed it as if to shout at her or allow his temper to take advantage of him and hit her back, but they both knew he wouldn't.

"Natsu, I know that talking isn't always your thing, but talk to me. We're in this together, and- and I'm your best friend, aren't I?" The words were coming out in a rush now. She was choking on them. "A-and why the drama? There's nothing to-"

"Yes there is," Natsu interrupted, standing up suddenly, his chest bumping against hers. Why did he have to be so much taller than her? He easily towered over her, his gaze frightening as he turned on his heel and strode out the door.

Lucy followed Natsu as he approached Erza, who was at the steering wheel, just as he had commanded. Erza turned in surprise, even as Natsu stalked past her and jerkily raised a finger to point at the horizon. Lucy squinted in the direction.

"Land, so fast?" She gasped. "How-?"

"It's probably part of the story," Natsu grumbled listlessly. He turned once more and shoved Erza aside, who for once took the rash gesture in bewildered silence. It was even more confusing was when he moved across the main deck and hopped down the side of the ship, grabbing hold of the railing and dangling freely under it.

"Natsu, what are you doing? That's dangerous!"

"Pfft," Natsu snorted. "Dangerous, my ass." Raising a hand, he sucked in a deep breath, and to Lucy's amazement (but really, she should have expected it), released a gigantic jet of flame that threatened to conflagrate the ship. He hissed nearly imperceptibly, exerting just a little more force. The ship's speed increased tenfold.

"Natsu!" Lucy leaned over the rail to shout at him. "What are you doing? Why can't you just stop and explain things to me?"

"Since when have I ever explained anything to you?" Natsu hollered back up at her.

"Now would be a good time to start!" She struggled to raise her voice over the din of the flames.

"No, it wouldn't!"

"Would too!"

"Not!"

"Bullshit!"

Silence.

This was absolutely ridiculous. How in the world could Natsu be so infuriatingly serious one second, and frustratingly Natsu the next? How the hell could he make her want to smile when she had been on the verge of tears just moments ago, anyway?

Here she was, pissed off like nothing else, leaning over the side of a gigantic ship to have a childish argument with her idiotic best friend who was propelling the ship forward with his magical fire after they had encountered a flying goat.

Put that way, everything that had happened up until this point seemed very silly.

"Oh, for crying out loud," Lucy groaned, burying her face in her hands.

"You're not crying, though," Natsu said in a strangled voice, and then added, "Yet, anyway!"

"I know that! Now stop whatever you're doing! Are you trying to get rid of me or something?"

The flames died down the moment the last word left her mouth. Natsu looked up at her, shocked, and she almost regretted saying the words at all. He seemed hurt that she had even suggested it.

"Well, shit, if that's what you think, then..." Natsu groaned out, exasperated (as if he had any right to be exasperated when he had been the one to be so unclear with her!). "Fine."

In one easy swing, he flung himself over the edge of the railing, and fixing her with an intense stare that had Lucy squirming, he blurted, "It's not safe."

She blinked once, then twice. "Excuse me? I've thrown myself off a tower, been through countless battles with the rest of you, and I have the guts to stay with you- and you're a fire-breathing freak-" Her voice rose steadily with each word.

"Damn it!" He bellowed, fists clenching. "Don't be fucking stupid! I'd never hurt you on purpose, you idiot-"

"How am I stupid? You're the one-"

"It's because it's my fault!" Natsu roared, coming towards her in a rush, hand raised. Lucy flinched; he halted immediately. The two stared at each other, breathing heavily.

"What's your fault?" She asked quietly, refusing to take a step back.

"You got hurt. You were right there, right there under my fucking nose and I let that stupid goat bastard take you! You were so close I could have grabbed you!" He ran a hand through his tousled hair, and eyed the railing as if he wanted to bang his head against it in frustration (Lucy could tell- she knew the feeling well).

She felt her hackles rise at that. "I'm not some damsel in distress! I can take care of myself and you know it!"

"Look where that got you," Natsu hissed, gesturing at her broken arm. "That could have been prevented if I had been faster. This is different, Lucy! If you die, I don't think we can get out of the book!"

They were turning a few heads at the context of their words, but neither of them really cared.

"So it's about getting out of here, and not my well-being or anything?"

"Of course it's about your safety, Lucy, you weirdo-"

"We've been in millions of life or death situations before! What's so different about this one? We faced off against Brain and came out alive, we faced Oracion Seis and Grimoire Hearts-"

"It's different, damn it!"

They were stepping closer to each other with each retort as the tension heightened. Their faces were red from fury- well, perhaps it was from the wind that buffeted and whipped at their skin- but either way, they were clearly incensed.

"How," she grit out, "is it different? Natsu, thank you for saving me, but it's not your fault that I got hurt! We've all broken limbs before!" The blonde poked his chest with a finger, jabbing him with each word: "It's. Not. Your. Fault!"

"It's different because... Argh!" Natsu threw his hands up in the air. "I don't know! Something changed! You've changed, damn it. You're being all weird and messing with the fucking way I think-"

"Excuse me," Wendy's calm voice interrupted her captain mid-sentence. Said captain and the blonde he was arguing turned their attention to her, mouths open to say something, but the woman cut them off with a sharp shake of her head. "We've arrived, Captain."

Lucy looked up and saw that indeed, they were approaching the berth. She turned her head in Natsu's direction to hiss, "We'll finish this later," but he had already walked towards the center of the top deck, issuing commands to his crew as if it were as natural as breathing.

Lucy let out a huff and slumped to sit on the deck, suddenly exhausted. Wendy smiled benevolently and sat next to her, feet sprawled out in front of her.

"Can you tell the difference?" The long-haired healer asked gently.

"What are you talking about?" Lucy grumbled, bringing her feet closer to hug them to her body.

"He's starting to realize it, even if he doesn't understand it," Wendy pressed blithely despite Lucy's sour tone. "That he cares for you in a different way than he did before."

Lucy pursed her lips. 'Something's changed! About you...' Natsu had said that, but he hadn't been clear at all about what had changed. "I doubt it, Wendy." All she knew was that Natsu had been uncharacteristically serious about the whole thing. She'd never seen him so worked up before, and he'd only shouted at her like that once or twice, and never at that level of rage.

Wendy only shrugged and stood up again, smiling that little mysterious smile of hers as they neared the docks. "You know, Lucy," she said, "You do realize that Sinbad is taking a risk, right?"

Adjusting her broken arm in her sling and looking up, squinting at the rays of the sun beat down on her, Lucy only frowned. "What do you mean?"

"We're pirates," Wendy said slowly, her wide eyes glinting curiously. "And we kidnapped you. It's obviously the middle of the day right here, and we're out in the open. Don't you think that what we're doing right now is a little rash?"

The older woman waited for it to dawn on the blonde; when it did, it hit Lucy hard and fast. "You could be killed," she rasped. "Maybe even worse. What is that moron thinking-?"

"He's thinking of your wellbeing, obviously," the healer shook her head. "I'm telling you, that kind of concern is more than just-"

But Lucy had already shot up and towards the pink-haired Captain in the crow's nest. Wendy shook her head again, her lips curving upwards.
___________________________

"Natsu! Natsu!"

Lisanna turned to raise a questioning eyebrow at Natsu, but Natsu's only response was a clenched jaw.

"Natsu damn it, stop being such a drama queen-"

That got him. "I am not a drama queen!" Natsu leaned over the side of the crow's nest to scowl at his blonde friend. "I'm a guy."

Lisanna snickered behind him- he turned to glare angrily at her, but she only looked away and whistled innocently. Psh. Women.

"Whatever!" Lucy scoffed. "I can't climb up the shrouds, so could you please come down here?"

"No," Natsu shook his head sharply, sticking out his tongue childishly. "Make me."

"Natsu- urgh, fine! But it's really embarrassing to say it like this..."

"Too bad."

She fell silent, and for so long that he took a peek to check that she was still standing there, under the mast. It was mildly surprising to see that she was fiddling and looking down at her slung arm. Lisanna was giggling behind him again, and it was irritating, damn it! What was she laughing at, anyways?

"Natsu," Lucy began heavily, "I'm sorry."

He felt his eyes widen in surprise. She was... apologizing? He turned to look down at her again, and their eyes met. His mouth opened.

And then: "Well, I don't accept."

Lucy's jaw dropped, her brow twitching. "What the hell? I apologize for shouting at you and you refuse it?"

"What part of 'I don't accept' don't you get?" He made a face. "You're not supposed to be apologizing. You didn't do anything."

She blew a raspberry at him. "Then you apologize!"

Natsu cringed at the thought. Goats that flew around shooting lasers? Sure. Eight different magical spirits that could fight and/or talk him to death? No problem.

But apologizing? Urk.

"Look, I'm not going to apologize because... because I can't." In any case, the words he had said, about something having changed about her... he didn't even know what he meant by that. Was he changing because of her? Damn it, he didn't want to think about this! The words had just flown out of his mouth in the heat of the moment, like all those battle tactics in the middle of a fight always did, or-

"What kind of excuse is that?"

Natsu glanced aside- they were a little less than a mile from the port. Nothing worrisome, and plenty of time. "Okay, fine, fine." He hopped over the edge of the crow's nest and slid down the shrouds, feeling like a little kid who was being coerced to do some random shit by his mom. Above him, Lisanna gave him a reassuring wink. He groaned.

He landed easily next to Lucy, who was half-glaring, half-pouting at him. Well, two could play at that! He scrunched up his features into the most displeased face he could make.

The only thing he achieved was Lucy's lips twitching upwards, trying hard not to laugh. Okay, well, fine. Screw it.

"I'm waiting," Lucy encouraged. He shot her a glare.

"I'm sorry," he spat out, staring at his feet. They were really quite interesting.

"For...?"

"For..." It took a moment to search for the words, but when he found them, they burst out in an uncontrollable flood. "For being too slow! I'm sorry I wasn't fast enough to stop him from taking you from me, I'm sorry I couldn't prevent him from breaking your arm because I bet it hurts like a bitch! I'm sorry that I'm worried over your broken arm way more than I should be! I'm sorry that everything seems so fucking confusing!"

He inhaled deeply, trying to ignore the incredulous, shocked stare that Lucy was giving him. Where in the world had that come from? It wasn't... false, really. Whenever it came to Lucy, his thoughts were always in a jumble- no. She was his friend, and only that. That was how it had always been.

Either the damned book was messing with his head, or Lucy was. Or maybe he was changing, and something had become severely screwed up. Either way, it wasn't a feeling he was used to.

Lucy held the awkward silence much longer than necessary, and it made even him feel uncomfortable. When she finally opened her mouth to speak, it wasn't words that resulted.

Instead, the two were suddenly bathed in a warm, golden hue.

"W-we're moving on to the next chapter?" Lucy blinked, startled. "Wait, why? What happened?"

"Why are you asking stupid questions?" Natsu retorted, feeling oddly irritated- damn it, he had wanted an answer. "It's not like I know the answers."

Instead of countering, Lucy suddenly smiled, and to his great astonishment, all traces of anger vanished.

"I'm sorry for getting mad," she gently chastised, "but you have to remember I can take care of myself."

"...yeah." His face was uncomfortably heated, and whatthehellwasheblushing? He was Natsu, and he did not blush, damn it. He stubbornly tried to convince himself that the heat spreading across his face was just as a result from the sun.

The entire crew stared in shock as the two shined even brighter until they vanished altogether. It took a moment for the fact that their captain and the hostage Princess had suddenly disappeared to sink in.

There was a moment of awkward tittering.

Then, "Quick! Turn the ship around before we get caught!"
___________________________

In the Spirit World, Loki was busy trying to pummel Capricorn into the ground- er, sky.

"You broke her arm!" Leo snarled. "You said you wouldn't hurt her! You swore you wouldn't!"

"I had no choice!" Capricorn dodged the attacks effortlessly, much to the amusement of the other spirits who were watching the scene (Aquarius called for popcorn as Gemini giggled. Aries was fretting over her friends' safety). "Nothing else would serve as a proper catalyst for the boy! He is as dense as the night is long! They would have been stuck in the chapter for eons had I not harmed her, and believe me, I regret doing so!"

Loki took a moment to consider (because Natsu was pretty slow), and forced himself to relax. Still, the idea of socking Capricorn's face was tempting..."You guys never told me... what was the plot of the chapter, anyway?"

"Oh, nothing important," Aquarius waved a hand, just happy to be able to relax in the Spirit World with Scorpio. "Just some crap about morals and recognizing the beginnings of 'true love'. I had to ask for Capricorn to help; those two are so slow when it comes to stuff like that."

Meanwhile, in the next chapter, Natsu and Lucy simultaneously sneezed.