Thanks so much Everlight18 for your review! It's nice to hear from someone who isn't in my head about this story and what it's about and where it's going. I think that people are more frightened by what Luffy represents than him as a person. The story takes place during the Edwardian era, when people were expected to fit in a very specific mold. This chapter is fairly short, but then the story will progress quickly. R&R Enjoy!


Chapter 3: Come Away With Me

Traveling to Neverland, is as much about following your heart as it is about following the directions.

Stars are beautiful, but they don't take an active part in anything. It is a punishment put on them for something they did in ancient times, as such that no star now remembers what it was. So the older ones have become glassy-eyed and seldom speak, but the little ones still wonder. They are not really friendly to Luffy, who had a mischievous way of stealing up behind them and trying to blow them out; but they are so fond of fun that they were on his side tonight, and anxious to get the adult out of the way. So as soon as Makino was sound asleep there was a commotion in the heavens, and the smallest of all the stars in the Milky Way screamed out:

"Now, Luffy!"

Then one night, as I closed my eyes
I saw a shadow flying high
He came to me with the sweetest smile
Told me he wanted to talk for awhile
He said, "Monkey D. Luffy, that's what they call me

There was another light in the bedroom now, infinitely brighter than the night-light. It was not really a light; it made this light by darting about so quickly, but when it came to rest for a second you saw it was a fairy, no longer than your hand. It was a girl called Nami Bell exquisitely gowned in a skeleton leaf, flitting about the room investigating the new and wondrous things.

A moment after the fairy's entrance the window was blown open by the breathing of the little stars, and Luffy dropped in. He had carried Nami Bell part of the way, and his hand was still covered in fairy dust. Luffy could be heard singing part of a song he had made up over the years, "The islands in the north are snowy, and their heads get really cold, they're very chilly-chilly, they're all willy-nilly…and they're idiots!"

Robin had been awoken by all the ruckus and proceeded to sit and stare at Luffy and Nami for a few moments before furiously rubbing her eyes, pinching herself and then blinking at them several times before she accepted that they were really in her room. She climbed out of bed and circled around Luffy a few times before Nami became upset at her proximity and flew in her face. This halted Robin in her inspection and she quickly became enamored with the small flying fairy.

"Hello, Luffy. My name is Robin Nico. Who is this?"

"Oh, that's Nami Bell. She's a treasure fairy."

Robin was very interested in Nami and the other fairies of Neverland. Never having seen one before, she asked Luffy many questions…so he decided to tell her a bit about them.

"You see, Robin, when the first baby laughed for the first time, its laugh broke into a thousand pieces, and they all went skipping about, and that was the beginning of fairies."

"Oh, that's simply fascinating. Could Nami be my fairy?" Robin looked hopeful as her gaze drifted between Luffy and Nami.

A sharp tinkling noise was the response to which Luffy translated, "No, she refuses as she says that she is my fairy. Though I wouldn't say she is my fairy either. She gets angry with me quite often and hits me." Robin could tell that Nami was not pleased with the question as her soft yellow glow had tinged a bit red. "She's our navigator actually, since she has lived on the island so long...she knows the oceans much better than any of us. Nami makes sure that we never get lost...well all of us except Zoro," Luffy laughed at his inside joke.

Nami was not truly mad and sometimes, she was nice. Fairies have to be one thing or the other, because being so small they unfortunately have room for only one feeling at a time. They are, however, allowed to change, only it must be a complete change. At present she was full of anger towards Robin. What she said in her lovely tinkle Robin could not of course understand, and I believe some of it was bad words, but it sounded kind, and she flew back and forth, plainly stating "I will never be yours."

"Okay then Nami," I hope we can still be friends though. Nami responded with a noncommittal tinkle and continued to flutter about the room in search of anything of interest. Robin suddenly had an idea and dug around a bit in an old jewelry box that sat on her nightstand. She pulled out a pretty pair of earrings that twinkled in the moonlight. "Nami Bell? I'd really like to be friends with you, so I have a gift." Nami fluttered over to Robin, landing on her outstretched hand to appraise the earrings in her palm. They were simply lovely! Nami quickly stuffed them into her satchel, then tinkled happily in the air around Robin's head.

"I'm pretty sure you've won her over now. Anyway, we should get going, Robin."

"Where? To Neverland? How am I supposed to get there? I can't fly like you and Nami Bell."

"I'll teach you."

"Oh, how lovely to fly."

"I'll teach you how to jump on the wind's back, and away we go."

"Ooh!" she exclaimed rapturously, "I've always dreamed of seeing Neverland."

"And, Robin, there are mermaids."

"Mermaids! With tails?"

"Such long tails. With glittering scales."

"Oh," cried Robin, "to see a mermaid!"

"And you will go on fantastic adventures with us. Discover all the treasures that Neverland holds."

How could she resist. "Of course, it's so very fascinating!" she cried. "Alright then, let's go." Luffy sprinkled Robin with pixie dust and they were quickly out the window and into the sky.

"Second star to the right, and straight on till morning," Luffy instructed.

That, Luffy had told Robin, was the way to Neverland; but even birds, carrying maps and consulting them at windy corners, could not have sighted it with these instructions. Luffy, you see, just said anything that came into his head.

He sprinkled me in pixie dust and told me to believe
Believe in him and believe in me
Together we will fly away in a cloud of green
To your beautiful destiny

As we soared above the town that never loved me
I realized I finally had a family
Soon enough we reached Neverland
Peacefully my feet hit the sand


ORIGINAL POSTING DATE: July 12, 2016

WORD COUNT: 1,084