Whenever they met, they fought, leaving Finn to awkwardly avoid taking sides. He'd brought them both to the guild, so he decided to feign ignorance whenever they clashed.
As long as the fighting didn't involve him, he was fine.
With a frown, Finn quietly slipped behind the others.
"We didn't finish our last fight, did we?" Erza turned to Mirajane, hands on her hips, confident.
"Damn Erza!" Mirajane roared, charging at Erza.
"I'll beat you until you cry, Mira!" Erza retorted.
"Bang-bang-bang!" Mirajane's strength had increased dramatically after mastering Satan Soul. She was now almost equal to Erza.
"You skinny stick!"
"You stubborn stick-in-the-mud!"
Elfman and Finn sweated nervously, praying they wouldn't be dragged into the fight.
They glared at each other.
"Crop-top girl!"
"Stiff woman!"
"Fatty!"
"Delinquent!"
…
"They're so childish," Gray muttered.
"They told us not to fight, but I'll beat both Erza and Mirajane someday!" Natsu said, imagining defeating all the strong members of the guild.
He looked excited.
"What's he thinking?" Cana whispered to Gray, looking at Natsu's strange expression.
"Natsu, can I help you hatch the egg?" Lisanna, in a red dress, approached.
"You'll help? Great!" Natsu was happy. He didn't know how to hatch an egg.
"But do you know how to hatch an egg?" Natsu asked.
Lisanna thought. "You need heat!"
Natsu's eyes lit up. "Heat? That's my specialty!"
He roared, startling Lisanna. Gray kicked Natsu away and grabbed the egg. "Idiot! You'll cook it!"
"How do I heat it then?" Natsu sat down, dejected.
"I'll use my magic," Lisanna said confidently.
"Take Over." She snapped her fingers, a pink magic circle appearing, and pink pixels enveloped her. She transformed into a large bird.
"Whoa!!" Natsu exclaimed.
"This will work," Lisanna used her wings to warm the egg.
Meanwhile, Erza and Mirajane's fight continued, escalating, making everyone sweat nervously.
"Finn, what are you doing sneaking around the door?" Wakaba asked, noticing Finn trying to escape.
Finn jumped, gesturing towards Erza and Mirajane, trying to leave.
But Wakaba's voice attracted the two girls, who turned to Finn.
"Where are you going, Finn?!" Mirajane appeared behind Finn, glaring at him.
"Yeah, it's still early. Aren't you going home?" Erza approached.
"Um, haha, I suddenly feel unwell. I want to rest at home," Finn stammered.
"Feeling unwell is a minor issue. Since you're here, I'll ask you. Is Erza a stubborn stick-in-the-mud?" Mirajane put her hand on Finn's shoulder.
Her nails were sharp.
Erza's forehead twitched. Finn felt a hand on his waist, pinching his flesh.
"Heh, you think it's funny too, this delinquent girl!!"
"Only Finn can stop these monsters," Wakaba said, admiring Finn's ability to calm them.
"They might have something going on…" Macao thought.
"Why are you talking with a lisp?"
…
The next day, Finn peeked outside the guild.
"What are you doing?" Cana asked.
"Shh! Cana, are Erza and Mirajane here?" Finn whispered.
Cana thought. "They're not here yet."
Finn relaxed and entered.
He ordered milk and sat beside Cana, sighing in relief.
Cana asked, "Why are you so afraid of them? How will you stay in the guild?"
Finn sighed. "It's not fear. When they fight, I'm always involved. Yesterday, they parted on bad terms, so they'll probably fight again today."
"And I'll be the one who suffers. I can't take sides!"
"Maybe they like you and are jealous?" Cana teased.
"What are you talking about?" Finn waved his hands.
"They're just kids."
Cana sighed. "Why do you act so old?"
The guild door opened, and a yellow-haired man in a yellow shirt entered.
"Laxus, you're back," Finn greeted him.
Laxus nodded, went to Makarov, handed in his mission, and went to the mission board.
Finn pulled him over. "Rest! You're working yourself to death! Have a drink."
"I don't drink with milk-drinkers," Laxus refused, but he took the drink Finn offered.
"Hey, Natsu found a dragon egg yesterday," Finn said, knowing Laxus was a Dragon Slayer.
Laxus took a sip. "A dragon egg? Impossible."
Finn continued, "It's huge, with strange patterns."
"Maybe it's another monster's egg. A dragon egg is unlikely," Laxus shook his head.
"Probably. Cheers!" Finn didn't argue. The important thing was that Laxus was talking.
Makarov had asked Finn to spend time with Laxus. Finn was one of the few who could talk to Laxus. Makarov had asked Finn to help Laxus become less withdrawn.
It seemed to be working.
They chatted, and soon it was noon. Erza and Mirajane arrived, but they only argued briefly before separating, relieving Finn.
But Erza and Mirajane's initial meeting had been tense. Was it jealousy, as Cana suggested?
Finn shook his head, dismissing the thought. They were just kids.
"Who stole my egg?!"
Natsu ran in, shouting.
"The egg's gone?" Gray asked.
"I didn't take it," Cana shook her head. "Gray, your clothes!"
Gray was startled. "When?"
Mirajane teased Natsu. "Did you eat it?"
"No way," Natsu denied it, looking at Finn. "Finn, did you take it? You said you wanted to eat it."
"I didn't."
"Laxus, was it you?"
"Boring," Laxus scoffed.
"My egg~~" Natsu sat down dejectedly.
Erza looked at Mirajane. "Mirajane, give it back."
"Huh? You suspect me?" Mirajane wasn't backing down. She slammed her fist on the table, confronting Erza.
"Isn't it obvious?" They glared at each other.
"This generation is a mess. I can't imagine what this guild will be like in a few years," Wakaba said, flicking ash from his cigarette.
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