//------------------------------// // Scrambled Egg Surprise | Parts 43 - 50A // Story: BuggyCYOA // by Equidaeon //------------------------------// You wake up at some point in the morning, prompting you to toss and turn for several minutes as you work up the energy to get out of bed. When you look over at your bedside clock, you see that it's about 40 minutes past sunrise. Gathering up your energy, you throw the bed sheets back and climb out of bed, stretching and breathing in deeply as you stand up. You then put on your pants and open the door to your room, making your way out into the hallway where you then make a stop at the bathroom. As you make your way into the kitchen, you are greeted by the sight of Notaulix reading his book on the sofa. Upon noticing you, Notaulix looks up and smiles at you. "Good morning Anon!" He says. "Morning... Did you sleep alright?" You ask the changeling as you get yourself a glass of water. "Mhm. I did." Notaulix replies. "Well that's good." You say as you lean on the counters and drink your glass of water. "What are we making for breakfast today?" Notaulix asks in an excited tone. "Hah! You're eager today, aren't you? I didn't have anything planned for today, so... What would you like to eat?" You ask him. "What I want to eat...? I... I don't know." Notaulix says as he raises a forehoof to his chin in thought. "I don't know of all the different things to eat, Anon. The... mushy stuff with the fruit was delicious, and the pancakes, and the scramble, and... and the pie too!" He adds. You smile as you nod your head slowly in understanding. "I see... Well, we'll fix up something good in a moment." You say as you fill up your glass with water again. "Okay!" Notaulix enthusiastically says. While leaning on the kitchen counter, you down the contents of your glass as you begin to ponder both what to do today, and what sounds good for breakfast. Setting your now-empty glass down on the counter, you walk over to the fireplace and begin preparing a new fire. You start by scooping out most of the ash from the firebox into a container. Next, you spend the next few minutes building up the fire by igniting some tinder, then kindling, and finally full size wood pieces. With a nice crackling fire burning in the fireplace, you move over to where Notaulix is resting, who in turn looks up at you as you approach. "How does some scrambled eggs and fruit on the side sound for breakfast?" You ask Notaulix. "That would be nice, Anon. Can I help you make it?" Notaulix asks in response. "Sure, I'll have you cut up the fruit. Let's go." You say as you begin to move towards the kitchen. However, a thought crosses your mind, causing you to pause. "Actually..." You begin as you turn around to face Notaulix again. "Do you mind if I ask you a question real quick?" You ask him. "Oh? Of course." Notaulix says with a smile as he changes his position to sit on the sofa. "It's just... Are you really okay with eating egg? You seemed really upset when I mentioned it the other day... I've just been wondering what that was all about." You ask him. Notaulix's expression turns to a frown as he looks away from you, ears drooping slightly. "I'm sorry about that, Anon. I was just... worried." He says. "Worried about what?" You ask. "I was worried that you might be an egg thief too... I have heard stories of certain griffons sneaking into our hives to steal our eggs." Notaulix begins to explain. You can only stare in shock as the changeling begins to speak, your mind racing to process what he just said. "They steal them for sport, like a game of bravery... I don't want to imagine what they might do with them, if they break them, o-or... or e-eat them..." Notaulix continues. "...so that's why I reacted that way, Anon. I thought you wanted to cook changeling eggs... I'm sorry." He concludes. "No, no, you don't have anything to be sorry for. Wow, I..." You trail off as you struggle to think about how to respond. "Your... Your kind; changelings, lay eggs?" You ask in confusion. "Yes. All changelings are born from eggs." Notaulix answers in a matter-of-fact way as he looks back up at you with a neutral expression. You return to staring at Notaulix once again as you practically feel the gears grinding in your mind as you struggle to figure out the biology at play here. In an effort to check your sanity, you take a quick glance between Notaulix's hind legs again, where you confirm that he does indeed appear to have mammalian equipment. As much as you want answers to the questions that have filled your mind, you know that this isn't the time for them as you push them to the back of your mind. "That's... really awful, Notaulix. About the griffons and the eggs. I had no idea... Are you really okay with eating chicken eggs? Please be honest, I won't be upset if you don't want to eat them." You ask him. "Thank you for understanding, Anon. Yes, it doesn't bother me to eat the chicken eggs. I think they taste very good!" Notaulix responds. "Really?" You ask again. "Really." Notaulix reassures you with a smile. You take a deep breath and let out a sigh as you release a tension that you didn't realize you were holding. "Well, alright then..." You say. Looking down at Notaulix, you can't help but feel more and more pity for him and his kind the more you learn from him. Unconvinced that things are really okay, you do the only thing that you can think of for him by kneeling down in front of the sofa and embracing Notaulix in a comforting hug. "A-Anon..? Why?" Notaulix asks in surprise. "I just feel like you need a hug. I don't even know what a changeling egg looks like, but I can promise you that I've never seen an egg around here yet that wasn't a chickens." You say reassuringly. "Thank you... That does make me feel better." Notaulix says as he presses the side of his head against your own. You maintain the hug for several more seconds before letting go, prompting Notaulix to look at you with gratitude in his eyes. "Come on now, let's make some breakfast!" You say as you give Notaulix a firm pat on his withers. "Okay!" He happily says as he follows you over to the kitchen. You go through the usual routine of lifting Notaulix up onto his spot on the kitchen counters, where you quickly instruct him on how to quickly cut an apple into slices without the core bits. Following that, you begin heating up a pan on the stove as you beat several eggs together in a bowl, which you pour into the pan once it's hot. Soon enough, you and Notaulix are both enjoying a simple breakfast of scrambled eggs seasoned with salt and pepper, apple slices, and some toast. You are both about halfway through eating your breakfast when there is suddenly a series of loud knocks at your front door, startling you both. Notaulix stares at you wide-eyed with fear, waiting to see what your direction is. "Uh... Ca-Can you transform? Is that too much for you right now, or...?" You loudly whisper to Notaulix as you lean in closer. Notaulix simply shakes his head in response, still looking fearful. "Okay uh... Quietly go to my room and hide there, alright? Go! Go!" You urge him in hushed tones as you stand up from your chair. You watch as Notaulix immediately gets off the sofa and carefully makes his way towards your room, being careful that his hooves don't clop against the wooden floors too loudly. However, you then notice a problem with the fact that there are two sets of dishes with half-eaten food on both. Quickly, you begin scraping the rest of the food onto one plate as you hear a series of knocks at the door again. "Just a moment!" You yell out as you carry over the now clear extra set of dishes to the kitchen sink, which you then deposit them at. Finally making your way over to the front door, you check behind yourself in the hallway and see that the door to your room is now closed. You then unlock the front door and open it... ...where you see none other than Twilight Sparkle beaming up at you with a big smile, who is wearing a scarf of alternating pink colors along with a saddlebag. "Hi Anon!" She cheerfully greets you. "Did I catch you at a bad time?" She asks. "Hey Twilight. I was... just finishing making some breakfast." You answer. "Hehe! Sorry to knock on your door right at that moment, Anon... Anyway! Do you mind if I come in for a moment? I have things to tell you!" She says in an excited tone. "Yeah sure. Come on in." You say to Twilight as you step aside while holding the door open for her. "Thank you!" Twilight says as she trots into your home and into the living room, where she then decides to sit by the warm fireplace. "Can I get you anything, Twilight?" You ask as you join her in the living room. "No thank you, Anon. I won't take too much of your time. I just wanted to let you know that I received a letter back from my brother this morning!" Twilight says. "Oh yeah? About my boots, right? What did he have to say?" You ask. "He thinks that one of the armorers for the Royal Guard will have no trouble making a pair of boots for you. In fact, he's already obtained the permission for you to go visit him!" Twilight answers. "Really? That's great! When can I go see this armorer?" You ask her. "You can go see him anytime you want, but...!" Twilight pauses, her horn glowing as she opens up one of her saddlebags with her magic. You watch as she levitates a small piece of paper out of it before moving it over to you. As you take hold of it and her magic dissipates, you immediately recognize it as a train ticket. "...I got us some train tickets to visit Canterlot today! You can visit the armorer, and I can go visit with Princess Celestia! It's been almost two months since I last got to visit with the Princess!" Twilight excitedly continues. "We could even stay at the castle overnight! It'll be a lot of fun, Anon!" She adds. "T-Today...?" You stutter as you look at the departure time on the train ticket. "In... In about an hour?!" You exclaim in surprise. "Well, yes... Is there something wrong, Anon? Are you not able to go today?" Twilight asks you as she begins to look disappointed. You feel like you're suddenly caught in a trap. Normally you wouldn't mind the short notice of Twilight's plan, but you realize that even a brief trip to Canterlot would mean leaving Notaulix alone for at least a day or two. And yet, you cannot think of any good reason to give Twilight as to why you would not be able to go today. Not without seeming suspicious. She knows that besides the days you are in the Everfree, you almost always have a very open schedule to do things with. "No, nothing's wrong. I was just... surprised, is all. That was very nice of you to buy us the train tickets, Twilight. Thank you, it'll be a fun trip." You say to her with a reassuring smile. "Great!" Twilight happily says as she clops her forehooves together in excitement. "And with that, I should head back to the library and finish my preparations." Twilight says as she makes her way back to the front door. You walk with the bookworm and open the door for her, which she thanks you for as she trots on back outside. Once out onto the dirt road, Twilight turns around to wave at you with one of her forehooves. "See you later at the train station, Anon!" She calls back at you. "Yep! I'll be there." You say as you wave in return. You watch Twilight take off down the dirt road for several seconds before closing the front door, letting out a loud sigh as you hear the loud clunk of the door lock moving back into place. Walking back down the hallway, you arrive at your bedroom door, which upon opening yields no obvious sign of Notaulix. "Notaulix? It's okay now." You say as you walk around to the other side of your bed, followed by looking underneath it. Finally, you open the door to your closet, where you immediately find Notaulix looking back up at you with a frown on his face. "Come on out, it's just us again." You say reassuringly as you begin making your way back to the living room. "O... Okay..." Notaulix says as he follows you out. Once back out in the living room, you take a moment to put another piece of wood in the fireplace while Notaulix climbs back up onto the sofa. "Who was that, Anon?" Notaulix asks as you walk back over to him. "And what happened to my food?" He adds, slightly confused. "That was Twilight Sparkle, a friend of mine. I put all the food onto one plate, the rest of it is yours." You answer Notaulix as you pass the plate over to him. "A-All of this, for me? But what about your breakfast Anon?" Notaulix asks you as he slightly tilts his head, now even more confused. "I've had enough, really. Besides, I don't really have time to eat any more now." You answer the confused changeling. "You don't have time? Why?" Notaulix asks. You spend the next few minutes briefly explaining to Notaulix what Twilight's visit was all about, and why you need a new pair of boots. "I understand the importance of this... Your soft, squishy feet need the protection. I'll be fine here, Anon." Notaulix calmly says in response as he munches on the scrambled eggs, which surprises you. "Really? You're fine if I leave you alone here for a day or two?" You ask him. "I don't want to be alone, but I feel safe here. You've only done kind things for me since you rescued me, Anon. I know you will be back, I trust you." Notaulix answers with a smile. You can't help but feel your heart warm at Notaulix's answer, making you smile in return. "Thanks, I appreciate that... Anyway, you keep eating your breakfast, I need to get prepared real quick." You say as you make your way over to the front door where your boots, backpack and bit bag are. Grabbing your backpack and bit bag from their spots by the door, you walk back into your bedroom where you quickly pack a change of clothes. Next, you kneel down by the side of your bed and reach underneath, pulling out a simple wooden box, approximately the size of a shoe box from back home. You undo the two latches on the box and open it, revealing it to be about halfway full of bits. Taking your bit bag, you open it up and fill it full of bits before pulling the draw string tight and tossing it on your bed. After closing the box of bits and shoving it under the bed again, you then make your way to the pantry to check what sort of easy to eat things you have. You determine after a quick examination that there is more than enough food Notaulix can eat without cooking for a couple days. Following that, you take your two glass pitchers and fill them both up with water, after which you set them down on the small table in front of the sofa. You then take a few minutes to explain to Notaulix everything you're setting up for him, along with what sort of food is ready to eat. "...and you can go ahead and finish off the pie while I'm gone. There's a little paper bag next to it that has these things called cookies. Enjoy those too. Sound good?" You ask Notaulix in conclusion. "R-Really?! I can eat the rest of that delicious pie?" Notaulix asks, now seemingly excited about the situation. "Heh... Yeah, it's all yours." You answer him. "Thank you Anon!" Notaulix says. "Yep. By the way, let the fire go out and don't start it up again. Some pony might notice the smoke when they know I'm away, right?" You say to Notaulix. "Oh... I... I didn't think of that." Notaulix says as his ears droop slightly. "Don't worry, it shouldn't be particularly cold. There's extra blankets if you do start getting cold. Also, feel free to rest or sleep in my bed while I'm gone, it'll be much warmer." You say. "Your bed?" Notaulix questions as his ears perk back up. "You really don't mind?" He asks. "No, I don't really mind. I just want you to be comfortable... Oh, you can also use that toothbrush if you really want to. I'll buy new ones while I'm out there." You answer. "Thank you Anon. I'm sure that I'll be just fine." Notaulix says. "I'm sure you'll be fine too, though... What about your love magic reserves?" You ask him. "Hehe... You don't have to worry about me that much, Anon. We can go without for a long time as long as we do not use any magic needlessly." Notaulix reassures you. "Well, alright then, just making sure. I'm going to go finish getting ready now." You say as you begin making a trip around the house, drawing the curtains over the windows for more privacy. You end up back at your room, where you put on a pair of socks after drawing the last curtain. Placing your bit bag on your belt and donning your backpack, you walk back to the front door where you put on and lace up your boots. After placing one last piece of wood on the fire, you walk over to Notaulix who looks up at you expectantly. "Well, I'm going to head out now." You say to him. "Okay Anon. Thank you for everything, I will be fine." Notaulix says to you with a smile. You nod your head a few times as you stand in place awkwardly. It doesn't feel quite right to leave him yet... You then kneel down, much to Notaulix's surprise, and embrace the changeling in another hug, which he quickly accepts. Releasing the hug after several seconds, you rise to your feet, where you see Notaulix's expression filled with appreciation. "Thank you..." He simply says. "Right. See you soon." You say to Notaulix as you begin your departure, making your way out the front door and locking it once outside. With everything you may need on you, you begin the walk down the familiar dirt road towards Ponyville and its train station on this beautiful, sunny autumn day. The trip to the train station is uneventful, and you arrive there with time to spare. Eventually, you see the familiar purple unicorn approaching, wearing the same scarf and saddlebag from earlier. "No Spike for this one?" You ask Twilight as she draws near, noting the lack of her usual dragon helper. "He had promised to help Fluttershy with something this afternoon, so Spike couldn't come along with us, unfortunately." Twilight answers. "Ah, that's too bad... Well, are you ready to get going? Train should be leaving in a few minutes." You say to her. "Of course! Let's go Anon!" Twilight says with excitement in her voice as you both make your way over to the train platform. You both present your tickets and board the train. You let Twilight make her choice of seating as she plops herself down on one of the passenger car benches. Removing your backpack and setting it on the floor by the nearby window, you then sit down on the bench opposite of her own. You then sit in silence together as you await the trains departure while a few other pony passengers board the train. "All aboard!" You soon hear the train conductor yell from outside. Not long after that, you hear the trains whistle blow as it slowly begins moving forward out of the station. Minutes later, you and Twilight find yourselves staring out the window at the scenery rolling by as the train speeds down the tracks, towards its destination at Canterlot.