Raizel hadn't expected Elfman to be so stubborn.
The training plan had been grueling.
Raizel himself hadn't eaten lunch for four consecutive days to maintain his teacher's integrity.
Ultear and the others had followed along with some interest on the second day, but by the third day, they had given up completely and returned to their own training, leaving the stubborn duo to their hunger strike.
Some residents, unable to bear watching the poor boy suffer, tried to give food to Elfman out of pity.
However, Raizel played the villain perfectly.
Unless Elfman could hold a conversation that satisfied Raizel's standards, Raizel would intercept the charity, refuse the food, or buy it himself—and still not let Elfman eat it.
Finally, on the fifth day, a breakthrough happened.
Elfman, trembling and sweating, managed to successfully haggle for a bag of apples.
It wasn't eloquent, but it was loud and firm.
Raizel nodded approval.
He bought the apples and they finally ate.
Lisanna was nearly moved to tears when she heard the news—though Raizel suspected her dramatic sobbing might be fake.
She was quite mature for her age, often teasing Natsu until he turned red.
Speaking of Natsu...
This morning, after being scolded by Erza yet again for picking a fight with Gray, Natsu had stormed off into the deep forest.
He pinned a crude drawing of Gray (with droopy eyes) and Erza (with devil horns) to a massive oak tree.
"Take this! And this!"
Natsu punched the tree relentlessly, venting his anger.
Leaves and bark flew everywhere.
"Someday, I will defeat Gray and Erza!" Natsu panted, stepping back. He wiped sweat from his forehead.
"And after them... it will be Raizel and Laxus's turn!"
He pushed off with his right leg, putting his entire body weight into a final, devastating punch.
THWACK.
The tree shook violently.
"AHHH!!!"
Natsu's fist turned bright red.
He hopped around, clutching his hand.
"It... it doesn't hurt at all! I am tough!" (He was lying).
Suddenly, something dislodged from the branches above.
BONK.
A large, heavy object fell from the sky and hit him squarely on the top of his head.
"Ouch!"
Natsu rubbed the large bump forming on his skull.
He frowned. "What was that?"
He looked down.
Lying in the grass was a large egg. It was white with strange blue swirl patterns.
"An egg?" Natsu blinked. "It fell from the sky?"
He picked it up.
"IT'S AN EGG! RAIZEL!"
Natsu tucked the egg under his arm and sprinted toward the lake where Raizel usually trained.
"I FOUND A DRAGON EGG!"
Natsu was shouting from afar.
Raizel, Ultear, and Erza stopped their sparring session as the pink blur approached.
"Look at this!" Natsu held up the egg triumphantly.
The bump on his head was throbbing, but he didn't care.
"What is this?" Ultear furrowed her brows.
She walked closer, pinching her chin in thought. "It's huge. And these patterns... I've never seen markings like this in any biology book."
"What kind of animal laid this?" Kagura rushed over, poking it gently.
"It must be a dragon egg!" Natsu declared with absolute certainty. "Look at the swirls! They look like dragon claws!"
"How could it possibly be a dragon egg?" Ultear countered logically. "It's far too small. A dragon egg would be the size of a boulder."
"Ultear!" Natsu ignored her logic. "Can you make this egg hatch faster with your time magic?"
"No," Ultear shook her head firmly. "An egg is a life form. My magic works on inanimate objects. I cannot interfere with living time. That is the domain of gods."
"Such magic is forbidden," Raizel added. "Even if it were possible, forcing a life to age unnaturally usually has consequences."
"Aww..." Natsu's shoulders slumped. He looked devastated.
"An egg needs to hatch through its own strength," Erza said, placing her hands on her hips.
She spoke with the confidence of an expert, though she had zero experience with eggs.
"You have to help it."
"Help it? How?" Natsu looked utterly confused.
His brain capacity was filled with Fire, Food, Fighting, and Igneel.
There was no room for Parenting.
"By warming it, of course," Kagura sighed.
"Warming!" Natsu's eyes lit up.
He flexed his bicep. "I'm the best at warming things!"
He took a deep breath. Magic circles appeared in his mouth.
"FIRE DRAGON'S ROAR!"
A torrent of flames blasted toward the fragile egg.
"ICE MAKE: SHIELD!"
CRASH.
Ultear reacted instantly.
A thick wall of ice materialized between Natsu and the egg, absorbing the flames. If she had been a second slower, the egg would have been a roasted appetizer.
"ARE YOU INSANE?!"
Erza cracked her knuckles, a dark aura flaring around her. She was seriously considering beating him up again.
"Who warms an egg with a breath attack?!" Ultear shouted, her usual calm demeanor cracking.
"You're trying to cook it, not hatch it!"
"Then how should I warm it?" Natsu tilted his head, blinking innocently.
He genuinely didn't understand the problem.
Ultear took a deep breath to calm herself.
"Body heat, Natsu," she explained slowly, as if talking to a toddler. "Like a mother bird. You have to keep it close to you. Put it under your blanket at night. Hug it while you sleep."
"Oh!" Natsu grinned. "Got it! Thanks, Ultear!"
He grabbed the egg and dashed off toward the guild.
...
Later that day, Laxus and Cana returned from a mission.
They walked into the guild hall and saw a strange sight.
Natsu was sitting cross-legged on a table.
He was hugging the large egg protectively. He stared intensely at anyone who walked too close, growling like a guard dog.
"What is he doing?" Laxus asked, raising an eyebrow.
"He thinks it's a dragon egg," Macao whispered, snickering. "He's 'incubating' it."
"Hah?" Laxus scoffed. "Dragon egg? As if."
But he watched Natsu.
The boy's cheek was pressed against the shell. His hands were stroking it gently.
His expression was soft, full of anticipation.
"When will you come out, little guy?" Natsu whispered to the egg.
Laxus crossed his arms and leaned against a pillar.
A small smile tugged at his lips.
"He's still such a child," Laxus muttered.
Then he paused.
'Wait. Didn't Raizel say that exact line about me a long time ago?'
"Heh." Laxus shook his head, chuckling softly.
"Why are you putting on such a grown-up expression, Laxus?" Cana teased, poking his arm. "You're barely older than him. Stop acting like an old man."
"Shut up," Laxus retorted without any heat.
...
Two days passed.
Mira and Lisanna returned from their job.
The guild was lively again, with almost all the core members gathered.
Natsu was still inseparable from his egg. It was moving frequently now, rocking back and forth on the table.
It was close to hatching.
Meanwhile, Raizel had his own secret.
Using his Archive magic, he had searched the continent for "Exceed Eggs."
He found one.
It had fallen from the sky and crashed through the thatched roof of an abandoned hut in the wasteland of Cait Shelter.
Raizel had teleported there instantly.
He found the white egg with pink markings lying in the debris.
Carla.
He examined it. Unlike Natsu's egg, this one was dormant.
It hardly moved at all.
'She's not ready yet,' Raizel realized.
He carefully hid the egg in a safe location near the guild.
He planned to give it to Wendy in a few days, once the timing was right.
She needed a companion too.
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