Once upon a time, there were two families: the rich, golden Heartfilia Clan and the poor, but fiery Dragneels. They were very different, in status and way of life. The Heartfilia Estate sat snug on the top of a large, grand hill. The mansion was ginormous and almost as beautiful as the lady of the house, Layla Heartfilia. Marble and magnificent, it was truly a sight to see. It was the exact opposite of the misshapen hovel that the Dragneels lived in.
The house sat the end of a long spindly road a little way away from the Heartfilia Estate. A huge oak tree leaned against the fragile home for support. There were two floors, and the second one looked as if it had been stacked on top of the first by a monkey. It leaned quite a bit to the left, and the door was half way broken. However, the Dragneels loved it just the same. Sadly, that couldn't be said for the Heartfilias; it never seemed enough to Jude, the master of the house. He wanted more. And in the end, that ultimately lead to his demise.
After seven years of living completely differently, the two families never interacted. That was, until the day two joyful bundles were born. Their names were Natsu Dragneel, a laughing babe with unruly pink fuzz and dark onyx orbs, and Lucy Heartfilia, an observant infant with wide brown eyes and wisps of thin blonde hair. From that moment on, the two families' fates were intertwined.
It was a sunny, cloudless summer day, perfect for a family outing. The Heartfilias, ever prim and proper, took a carriage to a nearby park. The Dragneels, however, decided that walking was the best way to go. Carrying a big, rather intimidating picnic basket, the family of three settled down under a tree. Little Natsu was celebrating his third birthday, and his parents, Igneel and Grandine, were absolutely ecstatic. Grandine began to unpack the food, and Natsu grinned in anticipation and joy. He clapped enthusiastically, and Igneel chuckled at his son's antics. It was at that time, that the Heartfilias arrived.
The butler, a tall, well-groomed man, opened the carriage doors and the rich family stepped off. Igneel scoffed, rolling his eyes a little. Damn rich snobs, he thought. He never like those pompous fools who paraded around thinking they were better than everyone else.
Jude regarded the area for a moment, and then his dark eyes found the Dragneel family. He scanned them over for a second, before deciding that it would be best to ignore them. After all, they weren't doing anything wrong. Yet.
Despite her husband's demeanor, Lady Layla smiled, and the whole world seemed a little brighter. She was always a warm, kind-hearted soul. Two year old Lucy clung to her mother, and even though she was still very young, their resemblance to each other was striking.
The butler quickly made his way to set up a small round table, three chairs, and a fine lunch consisting of well-done steak and chocolate strawberry cake for his master and mistresses. The meal was topped off with a gorgeous yellow rose with crimson tips.
Silence filled the park for a few moments, before Igneel and Grandine began a conversation, talking about adding another room in their home. Layla, Jude, and Lucy began to eat, quietly exchanging polite words. All was peaceful, until Igneel and Grandine were too busy conversing to notice that their little birthday boy was sneaking off, heading straight for the Heartfilias.
Author's Note: I'm going to start a multi-chapter story, not a one-shot like my other stories. Do you guys know what a yellow rose with red tips means? Heehee.
I'll try and update soon. Thanks for reading!