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// That Slender Riotous Island 
// Story: The Remarkable Rarity 
// by Zelderon 
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When I returned to Whinnyapolis after the Great War, I felt that sense of stormful restlessness that often besets young mares. I yearned for red-blooded action and something more than just inheriting the family hardware business as my mother had. I decided to head east, to Manehattan, to try out my luck in the bonds business. I always had a knack for numbers so I figured I might as well try my hoof at it.

My relatives debated amongst themselves which company I ought to work for until finally settling on one they found satisfactory. My mother made a quick phone call and then sent me on my way with a firm hoof shake and enough bits to cover my living expenses.

After I got off the train on the outskirts of the city, I ended up finding my way to a most peculiar geological location, nestled in the embrace of Horn Island Sound. It was as if Celestia herself had taken two hooffuls of earth and plopped them down next to each other and smoothed them out, so that the place where they connected to the existing land was undistinguishable.  

The western projection known creatively as West Egg housed many rich and upcoming families such as the Riches and the Oranges. The easterly one was home to the summer houses of the old unicornian nobility. Pegasi weather teams flying above noted the oddly uniform shape of the two eggs, but on closer inspection the two ovals were far from perfect. Each had their rough edges, of rocks and such jutting out into the sound for those near enough to discern. There had not been enough time for erosion to take its natural course and smooth over the imperfections.

Before arriving, somepony in the company had mentioned a small cottage was available for rent in West Egg. It looked sorely out of place amongst the ostentatious, glittering mansions but it was only 80 bits per month which I found it quite agreeable.

With my bookshelf brimming with newly purchased tomes on finance and banking, and winter wrapped up, I felt a nervous excitement for the coming year. The trees and flowers were recovering in full force from the cold winter and there was a tangible sense of opportunity in the air. 

I sat on my porch as my draconic servant dusted out all my rooms and cooked breakfast. I soaked in the sunlight as spring passed the torch on to summer, opening my first book in my new home: Banking 101: All You Ever Wanted to Know About High Finance But Were Afraid to Ask.