A mother phoenix sat at her nest in silence, ruffling her feathers as she waited patiently. It had been days since she had seen her mate who had left on a hunting trip days ago; she awaited his return eagerly.
To the phoenix’s delight, she didn’t have to wait for long before the fiery plumage of her mate could be seen in the sky. She sat up a little taller and cooed to him as she watched his approach; when he landed by her side, she wasted no time in embracing him. The pair’s delight, however, was soon destroyed when something rustled in the bushes.
"Dragons," the mother uttered. She only had to glance at her mate before both nodded resolutely. As they flew out of the nest to protect their eggs, though, they didn't notice that one had fallen out. Its fall was cushioned by the leaves of its tree and, when it touched down on the ground, it rolled a few meters away. Its escape was blocked by the rear leg of a young alicorn filly.
"Ow!" she cried, but when she saw the egg her complaints ceased. As she picked it up, she felt her awe increasing—until she heard the distinct roar of a dragon when its eyes landed on her.
"Uh oh! I gotta get out of here!" she uttered. With the egg held in one hoof, she ran. Her horn glowed as she shot a blast of her magic at the dragons, but her attack missed and did nothing to deter her attackers. When she shot another beam at the dragons, though, her aim was true and they were flung into the air. The filly, gasping as she collapsed to the floor, took a moment to catch her breath.
"That was close," she said with a sigh. "I'd better get home."
As she transitioned into a gentle trot, she let her thoughts wander to what she was going to do now with the egg. With its fiery, magnificent shell, it was surely something impressive. Hence, when she finally approached a large castle, she hurried inside quickly and grabbed a pillow on which to set the egg.
"There," she whispered. "Safe and sound." As she turned, however, she heard a crack and quickly turned back. She watched with bated breath and fidgeted as she waited, wondering what was inside. When it at last cracked, something small and orange tumbled out with a little chirp.
"A baby Phoenix! Wow!" the filly uttered. "I'm going to call you... Philomena! Hi Philomena, I'm Princess Celestia, and I'm going to take care of you." The filly picked up the phoenix and hugged it, drawing another chirp from the bird. To Celestia’s surprise, Philomena then smiled.