Second star to the Right

"No rancher has the right to sell, or own, what God meant to be free. The Range must always remain open." Western AU

Disclaimer: I do not own Fairy Tail


i.

From The Diary of Lucy Heartfillia, 1848

I came to the West looking for an adventure. What I got was two pounds worth of sand in my shoes, a fly that won't stop buzzing around my head and an empty water canister covered in filth. Adventures aren't quite what they used to be.

The year is 1848, the sun still rises in the East, and gold is the only thing on people's minds. Not on mine though. What I've always longed for is the freedom of the wide open plains, the babbling of a tiny river and the soft crush of grass underneath my feet. Especially since all I've seen since I was a child is glass and metal and stone. And gold. God knows I'm sick of the stuff.

Sacramento looks like a tiny dot on the edge of the horizon, and all around me is grit and scrub. For the first time since I left, I feel -

Scared. Lucy tucked her diary into the open fold of her knapsack and stood up, ignoring the tiny spike of pain the motion created in her feet. Night was falling fast, and the air swirled mockingly.

Alright, she thought, I'm just a little lost.

The stars were beginning to show, sprinkled over the night sky like molasses on a layer cake. Layer cake. Lucy's stomach grumbled.

What was it that her nursemaid would always tell her? Follow the second star to the right. Staggering slightly, Lucy stared at the stars. The second star to the right was rather conspicuously absent, but is situations like this, compromise was necessary. Weaving, walking, Lucy made her way over the tiny scrub dunes towards the East.

Night dropped like a wedding veil, the air felt cool and sweet. The sky and ground began to blur, till everything around her felt like one big Ferris wheel, like the ones she was fond of when she was a child-Spin me again, Daddy, spin me again! - and it was dark and she was dizzy and dehydrated, but just before she fell, she thought she saw the second star, winking sadly, and a head of wild pink hair.


Lucy woke up in a hospital bed. Woke up, actually is putting it lightly. She screamed and thrashed and waved her hands around, and it was only when the nurse at the door handed her the diary that she fell silent.

The nurse, a pretty young woman with pale silver hair and blue eyes, studied Lucy critically.

"You took quite a tumble there, ma'am." Her voice was soft, but with an unmistakable Western drawl.

Lucy sat up slowly. "Where am I?"

The nurse smiled, and pushed open the blinds. Sunlight tumbled into the room.

"Welcome to Fairy Tail."


A/N: Western!AU Fairy Tail! Alright!

I really shouldn't be starting a new project, but I couldn't resist.

Enjoy! And don't forget to review!