When Noah and the others entered the guild, they greeted everyone inside. Instantly, all eyes turned to the incubator Wendy was holding.
"Isn't that Natsu's egg in Wendy's arms? That thing's supposed to be precious! How did she get it?"
"Are you blind? Look at the patterns they're different. That's not Natsu's egg."
"Yeah, the markings aren't the same. But then… where did Wendy's egg come from?"
"Why don't you just ask her directly?"
Gray turned toward Wendy, who had just set the incubator down on the table, and asked,
"Wendy, where did your egg come from?"
"This was given to me by an old man Noah and I know."
Gray nodded, about to follow up, when a furious voice suddenly boomed from the guild entrance.
"Who is it?! Who stole it?!"
Everyone turned to see Natsu storming in angrily.
"The egg's missing?" Gray asked quickly.
"It wasn't me," Ultear said calmly.
"Not me either," Lyon added.
Without listening further, Natsu charged straight up to Laxus, who happened to be resting at the time.
"Laxus, was it you?!"
"Not me."
Laxus shook his head. Natsu immediately spun and rushed at Erza.
"Erza!! Hand it over right now!!"
"Hey… don't you think you're getting a little carried away?"
Erza stared at him speechlessly as Natsu fumed in front of her. Then his eyes caught the incubator in Wendy's hands. He dashed over and shouted,
"That's my egg!!"
Before he could grab it, Noah stepped forward and floored him with a single punch.
"Look properly. The markings on Wendy's egg are different from yours."
Natsu groaned, picked himself up, and finally looked closely. Sure enough, the pattern on Wendy's egg was not the same as his own. There wasn't even a dragon's claw-like design on it.
At that moment, Lisanna, who had come in with Natsu, turned to her sister.
"Sis, you don't know anything about this?"
"How should I know? Don't tell me you ate it yourself, Natsu."
Mirajane smirked, her voice laced with teasing malice. Already frantic, Natsu was instantly pushed over the edge.
"What did you say?!"
He lunged at Mirajane with a punch.
"You want to fight, Natsu?! Don't expect me to go easy!!"
Mirajane caught Natsu's fist, and the two immediately clashed.
Their brawl spilled over, and Gray, who was standing too close, was struck and sent flying.
"Natsu!! You idiot!!"
Gray shouted angrily as he scrambled back to his feet, then charged forward to join the fight.
"Stop it, all of you!"
Erza rushed in, determined to break them apart.
"It looks fun. Maybe I should join in too!"
Sorano's eyes gleamed with excitement as she prepared to leap forward, but Yukino yanked her sleeve tightly to hold her back.
"Don't go causing trouble, sister!"
The four fighters tangled fiercely, their scuffle shaking the guild hall.
Macao and Wakaba watched from the sidelines, their expressions full of mixed emotions.
"There they go again, fighting."
"This new generation is terrifying. I can't imagine what this guild will be like in a few years."
Makarov, however, sat back with a smile as he observed.
"It's fine. They fight because they recognize one another's strength. The more they clash, the better they'll understand each other. There's nothing to worry about."
"Master, aren't you concerned about the future?" Master Fanoa muttered quietly beside him.
Makarov's smile froze. His mind drifted to thoughts of what Natsu and the others might become when they grew up. His face twisted with pain.
"Don't remind me of such things… Let me enjoy a few peaceful years first!"
The smile that had vanished from his face appeared instead on Noah's.
At last, Erza forced Natsu and the others apart. Natsu stood aside with his head hanging low, tears threatening to spill from his eyes.
"My egg… Where's my egg?"
"Don't cry, Natsu. You're so cute when you do," Mirajane teased with a smirk.
"I'm not crying!!"
Natsu snapped, instantly worked up by her words.
"Stop mocking him, Mira," Erza scolded her firmly. She then turned to Natsu and said gently,
"Alright, alright, Natsu, don't cry."
"I told you, I'm not crying!!"
Natsu protested heatedly, his face flushed.
Erza turned back to Mirajane, her expression sharp.
"Enough. Hand the egg back to him already."
Mirajane narrowed her eyes unhappily.
"I told you, I didn't take it. Maybe you're the one who stole it and ate it?"
"What did you say, you witch?!"
Tension thickened again, and Lisanna, who had been standing silently, couldn't hold back her tears.
"The egg…!"
Her voice cracked as she sobbed.
"Natsu, Lisanna, I'm sorry!"
At that moment, a voice came from the side. Everyone turned in surprise to see Elfman walking slowly toward them, holding Natsu's egg in his hands.
"The egg!!"
"Elfman?!"
Natsu reacted first, then everyone else followed.
"I didn't steal it. I just thought it must be hard for you two to take care of it. Nights have been cold lately, and with Natsu's terrible sleeping posture, he left the egg off to the side."
"Then… could it be that "
"Yeah. But since I'm not good with magic, I felt embarrassed, so I did this secretly."
"So that's how it was!!"
"Thank you, Brother Elf!!"
Elfman handed the egg back. Natsu took it with a face full of relief and joy.
"Elfman, you're a real man!!"
Elfman smiled shyly, while Mirajane gave Erza a sharp look.
"See? You doubted me just now."
"You were doubting me too."
Suddenly, the egg in Natsu's arms shifted. Fine cracks began to spread across its shell. Startled, Natsu quickly set it down on the ground.
The sound drew everyone closer.
"It's about to hatch!!"
"Ohhh!!"
The egg shook more and more violently. Cracks spread wider, bits of shell falling away one after another.
"Hey, give me some space!!"
"Idiot, stop shoving!!"
The guild members at the back all tried to push forward for a better look, crowding and bumping into each other in excitement.
Finally, with a loud crack, the egg split open completely. A burst of blue light shot out, rising into the air.
As the light faded, a small blue cat with white wings appeared, fluttering unsteadily in the middle of the room.
"A cat?!"
Macao and Wakaba shouted in shock, their eyes wide.
"Wow!!"
Natsu and the younger members stared up in wonder.
The blue cat wobbled through the air like it was tipsy, then drifted downward and plopped right onto Natsu's head.
...
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