Chapter 1

Disclaimer: I do not own Fairy Tail. it belongs to Hiro Mashima.

A/N: So, I'm a huge fan of NaLu. Which is why I'm making this fanfiction! Enjoy! :)

It started with a coincidental meeting at the beach. A girl was watching the waves as she stood on the stone pathway next to the road. She was not planning to go down to the beach. The breeze was strong, so she held the ends of her dress in a very lady-like manner, although she did not see anyone around. It was out of habit.

As she let her thoughts wander off to what had happened a few moments earlier, she let out an exhausted sigh. Her father had announced out of the blue that she was going to attend Akiba Girls' Academy, a high-class and prestigious school that accepts only noble ladies. If they did not have what it took to be a noble lady, they would force the basics of being a noble lady into them, or so the rumors said. That was not quite why she objected to attending the academy so strongly, though.

A muffler flew past her and she noticed someone sitting on a thick tree branch on the tree at her left. She reached out and took the muffler, and walked over to him. "Does this belong to you?" She asked politely. He reached down and took it from her with a grin on his face.

"Yeah, thanks!" He replied cheerfully. He wrapped the muffler around his neck once again and stared at the sky. She slowly began to walk back to her previous spot. "Hey... Is something bothering you?" He suddenly asked, looking back at her. Surprised, she stopped walking, and looked into his eyes.

They seemed to give her the urge to want to spill all her troubles out, but she knew better than to do that to a stranger she just met. "Thank you for asking, but I am feeling fine."

He hopped down from the tree. "If that's true, why did you just sigh? That wasn't the first one, too." She could not answer for a few seconds, and there was a silence.

"...I could tell you what the large portion of my troubles are, if you do not mind, that is," she mumbled. She was not used to speaking so openly to people. Who could blame her for being so self-conscious?

"Of course I don't mind. You can tell me whatever's on your mind, really. Trust me, 'Kay?" He said, walking over to stand beside her.

After a few moments of hesitation, she vaguely explained that her father wanted her to attend a school she did not want to go to. "...I cannot tell you the reason, but... I really can't."

He nodded his head. "Hmm... I see. Come to our school then!" He said. She could not believe her ears when she heard him. She had just gathered her courage to spill her troubles to a stranger and he brushes it off like it was nothing?!

"Excuse me?" She said, making sure that she heard him right. She was sure she did, though.

"Come to our school, Fairy High. You can't make it work things out with your father, right? You can just tell him that once you graduate, you'll listen to everything he says. I promise you that you won't regret it. I swear. If you really happen to not like our school, I'll convince him to let you attend a school other than Fairy High and the school you don't want to attend."

She knew. She just met him, it would be foolish to just believe him like that. But she felt as if she could trust him on this. Whether trusting him would be worth it or not, she can decide that later. Right now, she had to tell him what she is thinking. "...I trust you," she said. He smiled, and held up his fist.

"I'm Natsu Dragneel. To make sure you don't take back what you said just now, bro fist me," he said. She had seen people do it before when she was looking out the windows of mansion. It was usually done between guys, but she did not think twice to bro fist him back. She could trust him, right?

"I'm Lucy Heartfilia. Thank you for everything..." She said.

"No problem!"

Lucy's father agreed, much to the relief of Lucy. Jude Heartfilia decided that if Lucy promised to listen to everything he says when she was an adult, perhaps she would accept things easier, without being so stubborn.

He knew the reason why she did not want to attend Akiba Girls' Academy, but he thinks that the reason was a matter in the past. That was not important now. Yet, his immature daughter refuses to listen and continues to think back about something that happened years ago.

He stopped doing his paperwork for a second, before continuing again. He just had to wait till she gets over it. He knew it would not be long before then.

As Lucy nervously walked down the stone pavement to Fairy High, she saw Natsu and people she assumed were his friends laughing together. She pretended not to have seem them, since it would be rude to disturb their bonding.

However, Natsu noticed Lucy briskly walking away. "Lucy! Over here!" He yelled, waving her over. Students started to stare at Lucy. Feeling uncomfortable for all the attention, she turned and walked over to join Natsu's group, hoping the students would go back to doing what they were doing before.

A blue-haired girl with a yellow headband did not, however. "Are you the girl Natsu was talking to us about? It's nice to meet you! I'm Levy McGarden, but you can just call me Levy-chan!" Levy said with a kind smile on her face.

"Yes, I am... I'm Lucy Heartfilia. It's a pleasure to meet you too, Miss Levy," Lucy said. Then, her cheeks turned pink. "I'm sorry, it's just a weird habit of mine..."

Levy giggled. "Don't worry about it! You'll get used to talking to us casually soon. Fairy High is full of friendly people. I'm sure you'll make tons of friends and have tons of precious memories!" Levy said soothingly. Lucy thanked her. "...Hey, is that book you're holding the one about the magic guild Fairy Tail? Oh my god! I thought no one read it! Do you like reading?"

"I love reading! In fact, I'm currently writing a novel... It's a secret, though."

"What? Let me read it, please! I promise I won't tell anyone else about it! Not even my other friends!"

"Okay, but I'm still writing it. I'll show it to you when I'm done."

"Then promise me I'll be the first one to read your novel! I'm already excited!"

From that moment, Lucy knew that her decision wasn't wrong. Natsu had just opened the doors for her to the world outside the cold and silent mansion, where she had been imprisoned in ever since she could remember. Little did she know, very soon, everything would fall apart.