//------------------------------//
// Cursed Egg 
// Story: Bound Snow 
// by notaproxy 
//------------------------------//

995 CE
(Rarity)
I had never, in all the years I have known her, heard Fluttershy yell. Not when Angel Bunny's parents died, not when bureaucracy caused her veterinarian's license to lapse, not even when she stubbed her hoof. So it didn't take a mystery (novel) expert like myself to conclude that something was very, very wrong. Working purely on my incredible and ladylike instincts in those few seconds, I closed my eyes and used my magic to grab the one thing that seemed to be the cause of all this commotion, the egg. 

It was all over just as quick as it had begun. With my eyes tightly closed, I could hear Pinkie mep as Fluttershy tackled her, followed by the sound of a hard impact and pots and pans raining down on the floor. I reluctantly opened my eyes to see the damage. The kitchen was a mess, almost as bad as the time Sweetie Belle tried to make boxed brownies. Almost. Half risen bread dough was splatted across the walls and floor. There was so much flower on everything, it looked like it was the night before Hearthswarming. Fortunately, none had gotten on me. In the middle of the room, the egg floated peacefully, held safely by my magic. Pinkie Pie and Fluttershy were tangled together on the far side of the room, amidst a small pile of pots and pans that had previously been hanging from the ceiling. The batter that Pinkie Pie had been working on was dripping into her mane and across her face, highlighting her shocked and angry expression.

"What the hay Fluttershy! What was that for!"

"What were you doing!?"

Seeming to forget that her back was still in the dent made when she impacted the counter, the batter plastered, pink pony patisserie perked up. "Oh. This morning my pinkie sense told me there was going to be a new griffin in town! it's different than the pinkie sense for when there is a new pony, both ears flop instead of just one. so I was like 'Wow, we don't get many griffins around here, so I will have to make their welcome party extra special' and then, wouldn't you know it but the ostrich egg I had ordered arrived a few days early, so I was going to make some ostrich egg cupcakes." Pinkie beamed brightly, despite her anger a few seconds ago.

"Pinkie," Fluttershy pointed to the egg, still held off the counter in the soft glow of my magic, " That isn't an ostrich egg. That's a griffin egg!"

"..."

"..."

"..."

The temperature in the room dropped as Pinkie and I processed what Fluttershy had just said. I felt like my stomach twisted itself into a knot as I suddenly became hyper-aware of the precious cargo currently held precariously in my magic. Across the room, I could see Pinkie pale and her mane deflate as she realized what she had almost done. 

"So.... so you're saying I was just about to bake that little guy into his own 'Welcome to Ponyville' cupcakes. Heh," Pinkie laughed dryly. "Grif cakes."

She then slowly took the bowl off her head and preceded to revisit her standard morning three-tiered pre-breakfast chocolate cake right into it. Any rumors that I joined her and emptied my stomach as well are just slander and hearsay. A lady does not vomit, despite what a large number of my peers might think. I was brought back to reality when I heard Fluttershy let out a quick yelp. She had already untangled herself and was holding her right forehoof as she inspecting the egg still suspended in my magic. 

"Is something wrong dear," I asked with trepidation. Hopefully nothing had happened to the egg!

"Oh, no. It's nothing. I think the egg just shocked me a little. Rarity, if you would like, you can put the egg down. It doesn't appear to have been damaged. That was some quick thinking." 

There was a collective sigh of relief once we knew no permanent damage had been done. "It's nothing dear. When in working with sharp needles and fragile, expensive, clothes all day, one develops an instinct for catching falling objects."





(Rainbow Dash)

Me and Applejack had just arrived at Sugarcube Corner. We were running late because we ended up having a staring contest on the way. I would have won too if it wasn't for that stupid tree. Anyways, the party was going strong, with everyone talking about how surprised they were that the Princess had chosen Ponyville to host the Summer Sun Celebration. I wasn't really surprised, I mean, Ponyville is awesome, that is why I lived here, which is what makes Ponyville so awesome, perfectly logical. We had just started looking for Pinkie Pie and the others when there was a yell from the back room followed by a bang. I thought it sounded like Fluttershy, but that was impossible. Fluttershy is never that load, not even when cheering my most awesome tricks, or when she lost the Ponyville Regional Quite Game Competition. Derpy had won that championship in a big upset, nopony had expected that that mare could be so quiet. Anyway, everypony just assumed that it was just Pinkie being Pinkie, so they didn't bother investigating, although the Cakes looked a little worried. 

"Well, ah reckon we should see what all that hubbub was about," Applejack said with a sigh.

"It's probably nothing. Maybe Pinkie is just trying to make lava cakes again." We both shudder at that memory. Fire insurance in Ponyville went up thirty bits that day. The cakes turned out good though. Pushing through the crowd, me and Applejack went into the kitchen. It looked like someone had tried to do a sonic rainboom in there, with goop and dust all over the place, and an unpleasant smell in the air. Rarity was by the doorway looking ill and trying to hide a garbage can behind her back. Pinkie Pie was across the room acting ill with her head in a bowl, and Fluttershy was in the middle coddling a giant egg like a mother hen.

"Okay, what's with the griffin egg Fluttershy. You egg sitting or something?"

The three girls look at me with weird expressions on their faces, having only just noticed me and Applejack come in.

After about 10 minutes of catching up, we all had a pretty good idea of what was going on. Applejack volunteered to find the nearest guard, Pinkie Pie decided that she should lay down for a bit and Rarity went with her to keep an eye on the flat-haired pony. I would have never guessed Pinkie could look that sad, but given what almost happened... That just left me and Fluttershy in the kitchen, neither of us really feeling like partying anymore. She was still clinging to the egg like its life depended on it.

"So... Where have you seen a griffin egg before." My fellow pegasus asked, breaking the silence.

"Oh, well, you remember my griffin buddy back in flight school? Turns out she has a younger brother, or sister, or something. I wasn't around when they hatched. Anyways, her parents needed an egg sitter and I needed some cash. Easiest twenty bits of my life."

"Hum," Fluttershy responded with obvious disinterest. "I wonder how this little guy got here."





(??)

I found myself in, well, it is hard to describe. I would call it a void, but even that seems like more than whatever the place I found myself in was. I couldn't feel anything, it was like I was just a head and not even that. It was incredibly strange. You don't notice the feeling of your own body, but when it is gone, it is unnerving.  Whatever, it was better than where I was before. I could tell that the figure that had brought me here was in front of me, kinda, direction really didn't have meaning in this place, but that's beside the point. 

"That's better," The figure said. "Now we can talk without any inconvenient things like bodies getting in the way. Anyway, our agreement."

"The core of the deal is quite simple. You will be reborn in a new world, as one of the natives," The figure begins to recite, almost as if reading off a script. "The species you will be reborn as has a lifespan of about one hundred and fifty of your human years, opposable thumbs, and can fly. A pretty good deal if you ask me. As you will start as an infant, you will be given to some caregivers who will look after you until you come of age. You are not to leave your caregivers, nor are you make them, or any other creature aware of your origins. If you do, the contract will be void and you can go back to where I found you. In exchange, you only have to help me with a certain task in a few years. Are you interested?"

I didn't really have a mouth to answer, but apparently just thinking was enough. Despite not being able to see, I could sense the figure's smile. It sent a chill down my non-existent spine.

"Good. Let us go over the details then. I think this could be the beginning of a beautiful friendship."





(Fluttershy)

I had slept incredibly well last night. After all the stress around that poor griffin yesterday, having everything taken care of felt like Harry had gotten off my shoulders. After Applejack had returned with the guard, they had taken us to the town hall to ask a lot of questions. It was pretty scary being interrogated like that, but the guard had been nice, so it wasn't too bad. After taking most of the day answering questions and talking with the mayor, and the local guard captain, it was decided the egg would head off to Cantorlot, where it would be given to the Griffonian embassy until the parents could be found. If the parents couldn't be located, then the poor little grif would be taken back to Griffinstone to be raised by its own kind. No matter what happened, I did my part and didn't have to worry about it ever again. 

I could tell all the girls were relieved too when everything was settled. Applejack had been pretty upset about an abandoned chick, which was not a surprise considering the importance of family to her. Rainbow Dash and Rarity both offered to help with the search, but the guards polity declined their offer. Pinkie Pie had been taking it the hardest, and I could tell she still felt bad about what had happened, but nopony was as determined as her to make sure the egg found a good home. By the time we had all split up, it had looked like everypony had started to get back to normal.

Coming downstairs, I knew this would be a wonderful, calm, normal day. All my little animal friends were waking up and saying their good mornings as I went around getting breakfast ready for all of them. I even got to see a sleepy Angel Bunny! He is always cutest just after he has woken up from a nice sleep and hasn't had time to be angry yet. After I made sure all my animal friends had something to eat, I sat down for my own morning meal, haybacon, and eggs. I know that haybacon is bad for you, but with the fresh eggs the chickens are willing to give me, there is nothing better for a special occasion. Oh, I was so looking forward to today. We had convinced Pinkie to through a private party to wish the egg a good life and make up for missing the party yesterday. Hopefully, that would be enough to get the pink party pony back in good spirits. And, although I would never complain, I actually thought the party would be more fun without everpony in town there. With a smile on my face, I open my door and head out to face the day. Then I see something resting innocently on my front porch.

A perfectly shaped, black-spotted, white egg.