Our story begins in Lazan City, where a man named Igneel lived in such poverty that he struggled to provide for his family—his wife and their son, Natsu. Igneel was a hardworking man whose only desire was to support them. Tragically, one fateful day, both he and his wife fell victim to a dreadful epidemic, leaving Natsu an orphan.

In his quest for survival, young Natsu sought honest work, just like his father had. However, his efforts were met with failure, as employers were often too impoverished to hire him or dismissed him as a dirty, good-for-nothing who would steal from them if given the chance.

Those with wealth and status looked down on him, treating him like loathsome vermin that needed to be squashed or driven away. Each day, he endured curses and spitting, never given a chance to rise above his circumstances. Eventually, Natsu concluded that if he couldn't survive through honest means, he would have to resort to stealing. Though he disliked the idea, he felt he had no choice; he only stole food, never taking anything else.

Over the years, he matured into a clever and resourceful man with a kind heart and a strong, muscular build. Optimistic, friendly, and often euphoric, he also grappled with deep insecurities. Many would describe him as a diamond in the rough; beneath his ragged clothes and humble appearance lay immense potential for greatness. All he needed was the right motivation to unlock that potential, and that's the focus of the first part of this story within a story.

"Get out of here, you rotten thief!" a vendor shouted, roughly tossing Natsu onto the street. "If I ever catch you stealing from me again, you'll pay with your life!"

"Hey! Take it easy!" Natsu quickly picked himself up. "I wasn't doing anything wrong."

"Oh, so you're not just a thief, but a liar too!"

"You know, if this is how you treat your customers, I'll take my business elsewhere!"

"Business?! Ha! What a joke!" The vendor cackled. "You don't have a dime to your name, and you never will! You're nothing but a thieving, flea-bitten street rat!"

Natsu flinched at the insult. Street rat. That was the one name he despised above all.

"Get out of here, you filthy lowlife—Ow!"

Suddenly, the vendor felt a sharp bite on his ankle—Natsu's only friend, a blue alley cat, had struck. Natsu had discovered this feline as a kitten, abandoned and half-starved in the alley. Empathizing with the orphaned creature, he nursed the cat back to health and raised him into adulthood. Once the cat was fully grown, Natsu let him roam free, believing in the saying, "If you love something, set it free." But as fate would have it, the cat returned, having grown so fond of Natsu that he couldn't bear to be apart. Overjoyed, Natsu named him Happy, and from that day on, they were inseparable—thick as thieves.

"Perfect timing, Happy, as usual," Natsu said with a smile.

Happy purred in response, basking in the compliment.

"Wretched little beast!" the vendor shouted, kicking Happy away. Natsu's anger flared.

"Hey! No one treats my pal like that!"

In a flash, he punched the vendor in the face, scooped up Happy, and sprinted away. He needed to escape before the vendor could recover, call the guards, and impose the harsh penalties for petty theft. In Lazan City, such punishments were notoriously brutal—sometimes even downright unreasonable.

"Are you okay, Happy?" Natsu asked, examining the cat for injuries.

Happy nodded in response.

"Good, because you got hurt on the job." Natsu reached into his pocket and pulled out a loaf of bread he had swiped from a vendor's stand, breaking it in half. "You get the bigger piece for breakfast."

He handed Happy his share, and the cat eagerly began to devour it. Just as Natsu was about to take a bite of his own half, he noticed an elderly beggar woman struggling in the city square. She trembled with every step, her frail eyes filled with hunger. Clutched in her arm was a basket of items she was trying to sell to passersby.

"Excuse me, sir," she called out softly to a passing man. "Would you be interested in some brass pots? Perhaps a fine brooch or a necklace for a special lady?"

"Go away, you wretched old hag!" he scoffed, his tone harsh. "I don't want your filthy, old rubbish!"

He waved her off, and she continued her search for potential customers, disappointment etched on her face.

Natsu's stomach churned with acute hunger, each growl a reminder of his empty belly. Yet, despite his own needs, his compassionate heart urged him to help the beggar woman. For a brief moment, his stomach and heart debated what choice to make. In the end, his heart prevailed.

"Here," he said, offering her half of his bread. "Take it."

"No, a growing boy like you needs nourishment far more than an old biddy like me," she replied, her voice filled with concern.

"I'm grown enough, ma'am. Besides, I wasn't that hungry anyway," he lied.

The old woman offered him a gentle smile as she accepted the bread.

"Thank you. Please, take one of my treasures," she said, opening her basket.

"That's alright; the bread is free of charge."

"Nonsense! An act of kindness deserves a reward. Take anything, please. I won't be able to enjoy my meal unless you do."

Natsu decided to humor the beggar woman. He peered into her basket, contemplating which item to choose. It was filled with a large collection of dusty, rusted antiques—centuries old, no doubt. With a little cleaning, they might even be worth something. He examined a pot, a brooch, a hand mirror, a bracelet, a plate, and finally settled on a peculiar ring shaped like a dragon, adorned with an amber gemstone.

He plucked it from the basket and slid it onto his finger with ease. An astonished look spread across the woman's face.

"Incredible," she marveled.

"What?" Natsu asked, puzzled.

"I've been trying to sell that old ring for years, but it never fit anyone. Just this morning, I thought about tossing it into the sand, convinced it would never find a match. Apparently, I was wrong."

"Do you want it back?"

"No. I have a feeling this is an omen from he who rules above us all. I pray it brings good fortune."

She bid farewell to Natsu and continued on her way. Natsu glanced down at the ring on his finger and shrugged.

"Probably not worth much," he thought. "I guess I'd better find another meal or a place to starve."

As he wandered down the street, the crowd suddenly parted for the royal guards escorting a richly dressed gentleman toward the palace. Natsu recognized him from the whispers he'd heard: Prince Dan of the Eastern Isles—a wealthy, refined, and eligible suitor for the sultan's daughter, who had recently come of age.

"Out of the way, fool!" one guard barked, shoving Natsu into the dirt. "Prince Dan approaches! We cannot allow him to be delayed in courting the princess!"

"Oh, then he's the fool," Natsu muttered under his breath.

"What did you say?!" The guard had caught his remark and yanked him up by the arm.

"I'm just saying, what makes the prince think he's better than all the other suitors she's rejected?"

The guard forced Natsu to his knees, pressing a sword to his throat.

"Should we kill him for his disrespect, Your Majesty?" the guard asked the prince.

Natsu quickly shifted into a desperate act of pleading for mercy. It was a pathetic tactic, perhaps, but in a place like this, survival often required sacrificing one's dignity.

"Please, Your Majesty, forgive me!" Natsu begged. "I only meant to point out that no one has successfully wooed the princess before you. I'm just a nobody from the streets! What good would killing me do?"

The prince erupted into laughter.

"He's right! He's too insignificant!" The guards released Natsu, but Prince Dan delivered a hard kick to his back. "You are an embarrassment to humanity and, most likely, your family! I can't imagine the shame your parents must feel having vermin like you as a son."

That struck a nerve with Natsu.

"Why, you pompous son of a—Ow!"

Happy nipped at Natsu, just hard enough to send a clear message: keep quiet or risk losing his head.

"You are a worthless street rat!" Dan continued. "You were born a street rat, and you'll die a street rat! Only your fleas will mourn you!"

If Happy hadn't been there, Natsu would have gladly knocked Prince Dan off his high horse and shoved his face into the ground, knowing it would cost him his life. But with Happy at his side, Natsu held his tongue, silently watching the arrogant prince until he and the guards were long gone.

"I'm not worthless!" Natsu snarled, fists clenched at his sides. "And I don't have fleas!"

A chilly darkness settled over Lazan as Natsu and Happy returned to the hovel they called home. The place was drafty and crumbling, with leaky roofs and no doors, relying on old rags and tarps for bedding. It was a poor choice of shelter, but where else could they go?

"Hey, Happy," Natsu said, gazing up at the starry night sky. "I know that prince was a jerk, but do you think he might have been right about my folks being ashamed of me? Mom and Dad never wanted me to be a thief. Dad always said that theft was no way to live, that there was no honor in it."

Feeling guilty and ashamed, he slowly sank down to the hardwood floor. Happy climbed into Natsu's lap, purring softly against him.

"I don't want to steal, Happy, but I don't know how else to survive. I doubt my parents would be proud of me if they were here," he scolded himself. "What kind of son am I? They didn't deserve a kid like me."

Yet Happy knew those words weren't true. Animals can sense things that humans often overlook, and Happy could feel that Natsu was far from a source of shame. He had his flaws and made mistakes like everyone else, but there was so much more to him beneath the surface. If only the world would give him a chance.

"Well, we better get some sleep, buddy. We've got a busy day tomorrow."

Happy yawned in agreement and curled up in Natsu's arms as they both quickly drifted off to sleep.