Back in the Hakuna Matata Jungle, Natsu was blissfully unaware of what's going on back in the Dragon Lands, all because he spent most of his time hanging out with his new friends, Happy the Exceed and Romeo the Rainbow Lion. That night, after enjoying a large feast of delicious fish and scrumptious insects, they all lay down upon the grass and stared upward to the night sky, their stomachs full. The sky was clear and filled with sparkling stars.

Just then, Natsu lets out a monstrous belch that reverberated across the landscape. Happy commented, "Whoa. Nice one, Natsu."

"Thanks," Natsu smiled, touching his belly. "Man, I'm stuffed."

Romeo added, "Me too. I ate like a cat!"

Natsu pointed out, "Uh, Romeo, you are a cat. Cats are lions."

"Oh, right," Romeo nodded. The gang then sighed together in contentment, and for a few seconds, they remained silent.

Romeo spoke, "Well, the one good thing about relaxing in the night sky is that we get a nice view."

Happy replied, "Tell me about it."

Romeo contemplated, "You know, I always wondered what really made up all those stars in the sky. My dad used to tell me stories about how magical spirits would fly up to the sky and got stuck up there, turning into things that twinkle."

Happy interjected, "Romeo, why would magical spirits want to fly up there and turn into sparkly dots? My theory about stars is that they're fireflies that got stuck up on that big bluish-black thing."

Romeo admitted, "I know it's kinda silly, but I always enjoy hearing that story when I was a cub. It made looking at the stars much more interesting. I mean, some cubs my age always thought that stars were just balls of gas burning billions of miles away."

Happy chuckled, "Good one." He turned to Natsu, "What about you, Natsu? What do you think they are?"

"Well, I don't know… I…" Natsu admitted sheepishly. "Actually, never mind. It's stupid."

Happy pouted, "Aw, c'mon, Natsu. Can't you tell us?"

Romeo begged, "Yeah, come on!"

The two continued to clamor, wanting Natsu to confess what he thought the stars were. They concluded with a simultaneous plead, "Pleeeeeeeease?"

Natsu sighed reluctantly and said, "Well, when I was a little dragon, somebody once told me that the stars make up the great kings of the past. They're up there, watching over us and giving us help when we needed it most."

"Really?" Romeo asked in awe, but it was pretty hard to tell if it was genuine or mockingly.

Happy asked skeptically, "You mean a bunch of royal dead guys are watching us?"

Natsu nodded, "Pretty much, yeah."

Happy paused for a moment before he bursts out laughing, "Wow! You were right, Natsu! That story was stupid! Dead kings watching from the sky? Seriously, what dopey-head made that up?"

Romeo chuckled, "Yeah, it does sound kinda dumb when you put it that way." He then shared his laugh with Happy.

Natsu joined in, albeit a bit half-heartedly, "Yeah, pretty dumb, huh?"

Happy chuckled, wiping a tear from his eye, "Aw, you're whisking my whiskers."

As the laughter subsided, Natsu felt a pain building up in his chest. Needing some air, he stood up and left, much to Happy and Romeo's confusion.

Happy asked Romeo, "Was it something I said?"

Natsu kept walking away until he was well beyond Happy and Romeo's reach. He didn't know where he was going, but all he knew was that he wanted to spend some time alone as much as possible. He wasn't sure why Happy and Romeo made him feel so depressed when they mentioned the "great kings of the past", the same story Igneel told him when he was a young dragon. After all, they didn't know any better. He never told his friends about his father and wanted to keep it that way. Yet despite the many years that passed since Igneel's death, Natsu could not shake the pain and memories that continued to haunt him since that day. He just wanted it to go away so he could finally move on and forget.

Soon, Natsu came to a stop on a ledge that overlooked more of the jungle. He had another clear view of the starry sky, and once again, the same aching pain had returned. Unable to hold on, Natsu collapsed in exhaustion, causing a floss of milkweed to stir and blow away into the gentle breeze.

The milkweed blew all across the desert until it reached the top of Makarov's baobab tree. Sensing the milkweed from a mile away, the old mandrill quickly snatched some of it out in the air. Sniffing it, Makarov realized that it represents someone of familiar air. Someone he knew very well.

Climbing down the branches, he retreated back inside the tree. Pouring the sample of the milkweed he retrieved into a turtle shell, he sifted it around. Curious to what the milkweed contains, Makarov took a melon and split it in half, taking a bite. At first, the wise mandrill was skeptical, but when he looked closer and closer at the milkweed in the turtle shell, his eyes widened with dawning realization.

"Natsu?" Makarov exclaimed with beaming hope. He then turned to the smeared painting of Natsu, "He's-He's alive? He-He-He's alive!"

Makarov danced merrily around his study, laughing manically all the while, until he was in front of the wall containing the royal dragon family tree. Sticking his finger into coconut juice, Makarov crazily sketched Natsu's body, symbolizing that the young dragon was still alive and was all grown up.

"It is time!" Makarov said confidently, staring at the picture of Dragon Rock's new and rightful ruler. "Wait till Mirajane and the others hear about this!" Laughing, he exited his room, for he can't wait to tell his apprentices of Natsu's fate.