Pain is a way of life. It is constantly present, digging in and making good men suffer. It is beaten into people, until they finally crack under its pressure. It didn't matter who you were, it would eventually get to you.
It hardly mattered though, because this world was also full of happiness. There would always be someway to combat the pain that existed in this world.
People took to disguising their pain, hiding it behind smiles and their own acts of love. But love always caused more pain.
Because of love, people waged wars, and because of those wars, more people experienced pain. What used to be a prosperous world, soon succumbed to the pain of war.
War soon became a way of life, quickly taking over like a black plague of pain. As these wars were waged, special humans became more prominent in the world. These people were dubbed "wizards" and soon became tools of great pain.
Wizards quickly saw they were better than the humans that controlled them, so they uprised against their superiors. In the second most bloody war their world ever see, wizards became the predominant species.
For some years there was peace. Wizards lived harmoniously with each other, and with their powerful magic created all kinds of creatures. Soon Wizards, Dragons, Fairies, and and all other beasts flourished in harmony. But that peace would not last. One wizard suffered a great ordeal at the hands of dragons, and was drove to insanity. He alone delved into the darkest corners of magics thought to be gone, and thus became a god among men.
With his powerful magic, the lone wizard created a race of demons so powerful that the world cowered in fear. The Wizard created a demon that he dubbed "E.N.D", a name fitting for a demon created to slaughter the dragons. And slaughter he did. The remaining dragons soon fled north, disappearing into the brutal snow where the demons would not follow.
So thus pain ruled for seven long years. The dragons, thought to have died out, rallied with human wizards. With their combined strength, the wizards and dragons fought against the demons and their master. Pain once again reigned supreme in the world, as the bloodiest battle the world had witnessed raged on. At the climax of the battle, the Fire Dragon King faced off against the Lone Wizard and his E.N.D.
At last, the war ended. The dragons retreated back into the north, fading into mere legend. Many speculate about what happened that fateful day, but none know the truth.
Thousands of years passed, as the wars fell into legend, soon to be forgotten. That was until one day, when a little piece of history fell into the arms of the present. And with that, the ancient cycle of pain started anew, beginning with the love of a father.
"Natsu…" A voice rumbled deeply as a boy with vivid pink hair, and even brighter fangs rose from his sleep. "Y-yes dad? I was having a good dream about flying!" Igneel rumbled with laughter, his great laugh booming around the cave the were in. "Come now Natsu. There are many more important things than dreams." The little Natsu stood, rubbing his eyes. "But I was flying dad!" Natsu's emerald eyes flashed with happiness.
Igneel laughed as he picked Natsu up, settling him on his back. "Hold on Natsu!" he warned, as he walked out of warm cave into the chilly night air. With a great flap of his mighty wings Igneel rose into the sky, Natsu's hair visible even on his back. "Where are going dad?" Natsu's voice questioned, as snow fell softly around him. "Hush now Natsu. Everything will be ok."
Natsu woke with a start, rubbing his eyes tiredly. Careful not to awake his little buddy, he left the bed, climbing out his window to lay on his roof. Emerald eyes gazed up at the magnificent sky before him, the stars twinkling mischievously in their home.
A sigh left his lips as he ran his hands through his tangled hair, a soft breeze dancing across his body. He hadn't meant to dream about his father. It had been a long time since he had last seen him, in fact, it had been about seven years.
His fingers idly played with the end of his scarf as he pondered where his father had gone. "Just you wait Dad" he whispered, "I will find you."
Unbeknownst to Natsu, his very life was about to change, perhaps for the better, as a girl with golden hair, and the scent of the stars, stepped into Magnolia.