Chapter 5: The Blue Cat in the Box
The sun had begun its descent, painting the sky over Musutafu in deep shades of bruised purple and burning orange. It was the kind of sunset that usually signaled the end of a triumphant day, but for Natsu Dragneel, he was just hungry.
He dragged his feet along the pavement, his hands stuffed deep into the pockets of his track pants.
He reached his front door and sighed, the sound heavy with exhaustion.
"I'm starving..." he groaned, turning the handle.
He pushed the door open. The house was warm, smelling faintly of roasted fish and miso, but before Natsu could announce his arrival, he paused.
Voices were drifting from the living room. A hushed, excited whispering.
"We can't just abandon him, dear," his mother's voice said, sounding soft and cooing. "Look at him. He's absolutely adorable."
"I know, I know," his father replied, sounding amused but hesitant. "But let's wait for Natsu. I want to see his reaction first. It might cheer him up after the exam."
Natsu kicked off his sneakers, leaving them in a messy pile in the genkan. He tossed his bag onto the floor with a thud and walked down the hallway, putting his hand on the wall. His stomach gave a loud, protesting growl.
"What are you two whispering about?" Natsu asked, his voice rough. "Is dinner ready?"
He rounded the corner into the living room.
His mother turned immediately, her face lighting up with a gentle smile. "Natsu! You're back? Welcome home, honey."
"Welcome back, son," his father said, turning around from the sofa.
Natsu blinked. His fatigue momentarily forgotten, his eyes locked onto the bundle in his father's hands.
It wasn't a newspaper, and it wasn't a gift box.
It was a small, blue creature.
"A cat?" Natsu frowned, stepping closer. "I'm starving to death here, but... what is that? That's a weird-looking cat."
It was definitely feline, but the color was bizarre—a vibrant, sky-blue fur covered its body, with a stark white belly. It had large, oval eyes and sat comfortably in his father's large hands, looking around the room with an innocence that seemed almost practiced.
"Your father found him in a cardboard box right in front of his office building," his mother explained, clasping her hands together. "It had a sign that said 'Please Adopt Me.' Isn't he just the cutest little thing?"
"I brought him home specifically for you, Natsu," his father added, grinning. "I thought a companion might be good for you now that you're aiming for high school."
Natsu walked right up to his father. He leaned in, bringing his face inches away from the blue cat's face.
The cat blinked. It tilted its head, letting out a soft, high-pitched "Mew?" It curled its tail, trying to look as endearing as possible.
But Natsu didn't buy it. He narrowed his onyx eyes, staring intensely into the cat's pupils. He didn't blink. He just stared, searching for something, his dragon-like instincts tingling.
The cat's smile faltered. A bead of sweat seemed to appear on the animal's forehead. The cat looked left, then right, then back at Natsu. The intense scrutiny was becoming awkward.
Finally, the cat's patience snapped.
With a speed that defied biology, the blue cat raised its hind leg.
WHACK!
He kicked Natsu square on the nose.
"Ow!" Natsu recoiled, stumbling back from the surprise.
The cat crossed its small arms over its chest, its expression shifting from 'cute pet' to 'annoyed middle-aged man'.
"What's wrong with you?!" the cat snapped, its voice distinct, slightly high-pitched, and undeniably human. "Staring at me like that... give me some space, man! You're creeping me out!"
Time stopped.
The living room fell into a silence so profound it felt heavy.
Natsu stood frozen, rubbing his nose.
His mother stood frozen, her hands covering her mouth.
His father stood frozen, looking down at the creature in his hands.
One second passed.
Two seconds passed.
Then, pure chaos erupted.
"WAAAAAAAAAAHHHHH!!!"
The scream was collective. It was a harmonious trio of sheer terror.
"IT TALKED!" Natsu screamed, pointing a trembling finger. "THE CAT JUST TALKED!"
"GAAAAH!" His father, reacting on pure instinct and panic, reflexively threw the cat away from him as if it were a burning coal.
"Oh my goodness!" his mother shrieked, hiding behind the sofa.
The blue cat spun through the air. "Hey! Watch it!"
Just before hitting the floor, a soft white light enveloped the cat's back. Two feathered white wings sprouted from his shoulder blades.
FLAP. FLAP.
The cat stabilized himself in mid-air, hovering effortlessly above the coffee table. He dusted off his fur, looking indignant. "Careful! I almost fell! What is the matter with you people?"
The screaming intensified.
"HE FLIES!!"
Natsu's eyes were popping out of his skull. "IT HAS WINGS! DAD! YOU BROUGHT HOME A MONSTER!"
"I DIDN'T KNOW!" his father yelled back, backing away until he hit the wall. "IT WAS IN A BOX! IT LOOKED NORMAL!"
"There is nothing normal about a talking cat!" his mother cried.
The cat hovered there, looking at the three terrified humans. He sighed deeply, a long, exasperated sound, and placed a paw on his forehead.
"Aye..." the cat groaned, shaking his head. "Can you guys stop screaming? My ears are ringing. Seriously, keep it down."
.
.
.
The screaming in the Dragneel household eventually subsided, replaced by a tense, inquisitive circle formed around the coffee table.
In the center sat the blue creature, munching on a raw fish that Natsu's mother had hesitantly provided as a peace offering. He ate with surprising manners, wiping his mouth with a paw when he wants to speak.
"So," Natsu's father started, adjusting his glasses and leaning forward. "Let's get this straight. You are a cat?"
"Aye," the creature replied, nodding sagely.
"But you talk," Natsu pointed out, poking the creature's cheek. "And you fly."
"I'm a talented cat," the creature said through a mouthful of fish. He swallowed and looked up at them with big, round eyes. "My name is Happy."
"Happy?" Natsu's mother smiled involuntarily. "That's a lovely name."
"And how old are you, Happy?" Natsu asked, crossing his arms.
"I am three months old!" Happy declared proudly, puffed out his small white chest.
Natsu blinked. "Three months? You're just a baby! You're basically a kitten."
Happy's eyebrow twitched. He pointed a paw at Natsu. "I am not a baby! I am a full-grown three-month-old! This boy is weird."
"Actually," The father interrupted. "In this room, I think you are definitely the weirdest one, Happy."
"Aye..." Happy slumped slightly.
"But why are you like this?" Natsu pressed, leaning in. "Is it a Quirk? Did you come from a lab? Or maybe... another dimension?"
Happy stared at him blankly. He tilted his head to the side, his expression completely vacant. "I don't get what you're saying. I'm just a cat. Why do you guys ask so many questions?"
Natsu stared at him. His parents stared at him. The logic—or lack thereof—was baffling. But in a world where people had engines in their legs and could turn into cement, perhaps a blue talking cat wasn't the strangest thing to happen on a Tuesday.
"Well," Natsu's mother said, clapping her hands together decisively. "He has nowhere else to go. And he seems... polite enough. We can't just throw him back out on the street."
"He's staying?" Natsu asked, looking at Happy.
"He was a gift for you, wasn't he?" his father chuckled. "Consider him your first sidekick."
Natsu looked at the blue cat. Happy looked back at Natsu.
"Nice to meet you, Natsu!" Happy chirped.
"Yeah," Natsu grinned, a genuine smile forming. "Nice to meet you, Happy."
Several hours later, the house was dark.
Natsu lay in his bed, staring at the ceiling. His body was exhausted from the U.A. exam. The adrenaline had finally worn off, leaving him desperate for sleep.
"And then," a high-pitched voice droned on from the pillow next to him, "I saw a really big fish in the river, but I couldn't catch it because my paws were slippery, and then I thought, maybe fish are slippery on purpose?"
Natsu's eye twitched.
"Hey, Natsu, do you like fish? I like fish. Raw is best. But cooked is okay too. Do you eat fire because you cook the food in your stomach? That sounds convenient. Hey, Natsu. Natsu? Are you listening?"
"Shut up..." Natsu groaned, pulling the blanket over his head.
"But I'm not tired yet!" Happy complained, hopping onto Natsu's stomach. "Let's talk about tomorrow. Are you going to be a Hero? Can I be a Hero? Is there a Hero costume for cats?"
The vein on Natsu's forehead pulsed. He couldn't take it anymore.
In one fluid motion, Natsu sat up, grabbed Happy by the tail, and marched to the bedroom door.
"Hey! What are you doing?! Put me down!" Happy flailed.
Natsu opened the door, tossed the blue cat into the hallway, and slammed the door shut.
"Go sleep in the hallway!" Natsu shouted. He dove back into bed, burying his face in the pillow. "Finally. Silence."
He closed his eyes. Peace at last.
Tap. Tap. Tap.
Natsu opened one eye. The sound was coming from the window.
Creak.
The window slid open. Happy flew in, hovering in the center of the room with his arms crossed and a look of deep betrayal on his face.
"Is that how you treat a friend?" Happy demanded.
Natsu sat up, rubbing his messy pink hair. "We're friends?"
"Aren't we?" Happy asked, tilting his head.
"I thought you were a pet," Natsu replied bluntly. "You know, an animal I own."
Happy gasped. The look of betrayal turned into one of shock, then one of anger. He flew over to the bed, landed on Natsu's arm, and—
CHOMP.
"OWWW!" Natsu yelped, shaking his arm. "Why did you bite me?!"
Happy released his arm, looking at him with judgment. "Don't look at me with those perverted eyes, Natsu!"
"Perverted?!" Natsu shouted, nursing the bite mark. "Where is the perversion in calling you a pet?! That's normal!"
"It's a twisted way of thinking about our relationship!" Happy argued. "I am not a possession! I am a partner!"
"Okay, okay! Fine! Partner! Just stop biting me!" Natsu sighed, defeated. He looked at the small cat. "So, what do partners do, then?"
Happy's expression brightened instantly. "We help each other! Come here."
Happy flew toward the open window, gesturing with his paw. "Come to the window."
"Why?" Natsu asked, suspicious.
"Just trust me!"
Natsu sighed, climbed out of bed, and walked to the window. The cool night air hit his face. Below, the neighborhood was sleeping, the streetlights casting long shadows.
"Okay, I'm here. Now what?"
"Hold on tight!" Happy said.
Before Natsu could react, Happy flew behind him. The cat grabbed the back of Natsu's t-shirt collar with his small paws.
"Max Speed!"
"Whoa!"
Natsu's feet left the floor. He was lifted out of the window, dangling in the air.
"Happy! Wait! I'm gonna get sick!" Natsu panicked, squeezing his eyes shut. Whenever he was on a vehicle—a bus, a train, a car—he got motion sick. Being carried through the air should be the same. He braced himself for the nausea.
He waited.
And waited.
... Nothing happened.
"Huh?" Natsu opened his eyes.
He was floating fifty feet above the ground. The wind rushed past his ears. The moon was big and bright above them. He looked down at the rooftops of his neighbors' houses.
"I... I don't feel sick," Natsu whispered, stunned.
"Aye!" Happy chirped, straining slightly under the weight but holding firm. "That's because I'm not a vehicle, Natsu. I'm a friend!"
Natsu looked up at the small blue cat flapping his wings with all his might. A vehicle was a machine, a cold object of transportation. But Happy was living, breathing... a comrade.
For the first time in his life, Natsu Dragneel was flying, and he felt nothing but freedom.
"This is amazing, Happy!" Natsu laughed, swinging his legs in the air. "Look! I can see the whole town! It's incredible!"
"I told you!" Happy grunted. "I'm... pretty... strong... right?"
They glided over the street, the bond of friendship forming in the quiet of the night. It was a perfect moment.
Until physics intervened.
"Natsu..." Happy's voice strained.
"Yeah?"
"You... you've put on a lot of muscle..."
"Thanks! I've been training hard!"
"No... that's not a compliment right now..." Happy's wings began to tremble. "My energy... running low..."
"Happy?" Natsu looked up. The flapping was getting slower.
"I can't... hold... it..."
"Happy! Don't let go!"
"Oops."
Happy's paws slipped.
"WAAAAAAAAAH!"
The duo plummeted from the sky. They fell past a tree, crashing through the branches—snap, crack, thud—and landed heavily in the soft grass of a backyard three houses down.
Natsu groaned, sitting up and rubbing his head. "That was a rough landing."
Happy fell out of the tree and landed on Natsu's head. "Aye..."
Suddenly, a low, menacing growl emerged from the darkness of a doghouse a few feet away.
Two glowing eyes appeared.
A massive, muscular Bulldog with a spiked collar stepped into the moonlight. It bared its teeth, drool dripping from its jowls. It did not look happy to have intruders.
Natsu and Happy froze.
"Happy..." Natsu whispered.
"Aye..."
"On the count of three."
"ONE!" Happy screamed.
"HEY! YOU SKIPPED TWO NUMBERS!"
The dog barked—a loud, thunderous sound—and charged.
"RUN!!" Natsu yelled.
"WAIT FOR ME!" Happy cried, flying frantically after him but too tired to gain altitude.
They scrambled over the fence, the snapping jaws of the dog inches from Natsu's rear, running into the night, united by fear, flight, and the beginning of a beautiful, chaotic friendship.