The Oocyte Squad

Kyungwon planned Jieqiong’s induction ceremony. One thing led to another and Eunwoo’s been imprinted on. Where else can you find such immature eggs?

Eunwoo, Siyeon, Yewon, Kyungwon, and Jieqiong of Pristin's Egg Line

A/N: Um, stage names... Hmm... Eventually, maybe.

“Eunwoo, are you sure about this?”

“Of course! Why? Gettin’ cold feet?”

“No. Maybe. I mean, it is your gang. I feel like I’m trespassing… socially.”

“Let’s be honest, they’ll probably dethrone me and instate you as their queen.”

“Weren’t you the original though?”

“Yes… That’s my point. Loyalty is rare these days,” scoffed Eunwoo jokingly. She glanced to her right at the sound of a tinkling giggle. A small smile crept onto her companion’s face.

“You really think they’ll like me?”

They stopped before a wooden door at the end of an empty corridor on the fifth floor. Eunwoo unlinked their arms and took her friend’s hands into her own. “I’m absolutely positive they’ll love you. They’re a great bunch despite my flood of complaints. So, you ready?”

With a nervous nod from her friend, Eunwoo grinned and slipped her wand out of her sleeve. She flicked her wrist in a snakelike motion and muttered, “Alohamora.” The lock clicked open from the inside. Eunwoo concealed her wand and pushed open the door.

“Was the fire really necessary?!”

“Why are you upset? Those socks were horrendous. If you’re going for the title of Fashion Terrorist of Hogwarts, I’ll buy you another visually obscene pair from Hogsmeade.”

“Whether they’re stylish or not, you can’t just ignite people’s clothes when you feel like it!”

“For the last time, it was an accident!”

“And for the last time, don’t fiddle with your wand if you’re spaced out, imagining all the rated things you’ll do with your girlfriend! Merlin knows why you’d cast Incendio at such a time. Are you into that stuff?”

“Excuse you! Don’t taint the child!”

“Wha— I’m the youngest one here!”

“Pfft, not with that mind.”

“Look who’s talking!”

“Hi Eunwoo!”

Eunwoo stared at the trio with a grimace, still frozen in the doorway with her friend peering over her shoulder into the room. She crossed her arms with a sigh.

“Why is Siyeon barefoot? And why did Kyungwon conjure a pair of earmuffs on Yewon’s head?”

“Because somebody can’t keep it family-friendly,” sang Kyungwon accusingly.

“That ert incinerated my socks because for some reason, stripes offend her,” sneered Siyeon. She padded over to the corner and prodded at the pitiful pile of ashes with her wand.

“They were an eyesore and that’s putting it lightly,” shrugged Kyungwon.

“Everyone wears stripes! It’s on our ties and scarves! I don’t see you burning everyone’s clothes at Quidditch matches,” whined Siyeon.

“But I actually care about how you look in public,” said Kyungwon impatiently, as if explaining the obvious to someone very dim.

Siyeon’s eyebrows rose at the oddly affectionate comment, but she still blamed the walking tree for her now freezing toes. Not knowing how to respond, she just sat in a chair and pulled her legs close to her chest, curling into a ball with a sulky expression. She wiggled her pale toes before covering them with her hands, which were only slightly warmer.

Eunwoo restrained herself from running up to Siyeon and hugging the living daylights out of the girl. Instead, she gave Kyungwon a stern look and jerked her head in Siyeon’s direction. Kyungwon sighed dramatically but didn’t hide the giant grin on her face.

“Oh fine, Princess. Here.” Kyungwon pointed her wand lazily and muttered an incantation. A brand new pair of fluffy, clean, white socks materialized over Siyeon’s feet.

Siyeon lifted her head and grinned back at the tallest girl in gratitude. “Don’t let Minkyung hear you call me that.”

Kyungwon scratched Siyeon’s chin. “You’re an exception. I got permission,” she cooed.

“And how were you involved?” Said Eunwoo, removing the gigantic pair of earmuffs from Yewon’s head. She combed through the loose strands of hair and squeezed Yewon’s shoulder.

“I’m not really sure,” said Yewon brightly with a clueless smile. “But hi! Who’s your friend?”

The girl accompanying Eunwoo jumped at the sudden acknowledgment of her presence. Her practiced greetings knotted into a ball somewhere in as she met Yewon’s curious gaze. She settled for waving meekly at Eunwoo’s friends.

Eunwoo smirked and hooked her arm around the girl’s neck. “Everyone, this is Jieqiong. She’s our newest member!”

“H-hello,” said Jieqiong shyly. She relaxed when everyone greeted her enthusiastically. She really wanted to make a good impression. They were Eunwoo’s closest friends after all.

“Freshly laid, huh?” Said Siyeon, circling around Jieqiong and inspecting her from head to toe.

“Leave it to Eunwoo to round up a carton of beautiful chicks,” said Kyungwon appreciatively, flipping her hair over her shoulders.

“What’s your yolk status?” Chirped Yewon, her cheekbones rising and her eyes disappearing into crescents.

This was a strange way to break the ice. Jieqiong was ninety-nine percent sure she was born and not laid; she didn’t reside in a carton (but she was satisfied with her appearance); and her body was composed of flesh, not yolk. The one percent of uncertainty fought its way to the forefront of her thoughts, knocking the others aside with its large flightless avian body. She shunted it to the back of her mind.

“Um, pardon?” She said, tilting her head in confusion.

“Your position. Everyone’s got a position in the Oocyte Squad,” said Siyeon, sitting back down.

“The what now?” Jieqiong shot Eunwoo a questioning glance.

“The Oocyte Squad,” repeated Eunwoo proudly. She thumped her chest and proclaimed, “I, Eunwoo Jung—”

“Julia!” Coughed Kyungwon obnoxiously. Siyeon and Yewon snickered.

Eunwoo ignored them. “—am the founder and leader of the squad. Isn’t that right?”

“Yes, your royal Baldness,” laughed Siyeon.

“No respect,” Eunwoo muttered under her breath and clicked her tongue. “I wear a pink hoodie one time when all my robes were in the laundry and that cements my image forever…”

“You mean my hoodie?” Jieqiong raised an eyebrow.

Eunwoo’s scowl dropped and her eyes shifted nervously between Jieqiong and Kyungwon, who smirked suspiciously. “Um, maybe. I put it back,” said Eunwoo quickly.

“I don’t mind you borrowing my clothes,” said Jieqiong casually, wrapping an arm around Eunwoo’s waist.

“Pfft, so this is a usual thing? Eunwoo, I didn’t know you told—”

“Shut up, Kyungwon!” Eunwoo gritted through her teeth, her eyes bulging out of their sockets.

“Anyway, I’m Siyeon and I’m the DdiDdi Egg.”

Jieqiong turned her attention to the girl in the chair, successfully distracted from Eunwoo and Kyungwon’s bickering. “Why are you called DdiDdi?” She said in an amused tone.

“Because, I’m like DdiDdi! Ah…” Siyeon slumped over in her chair. A second later, she popped back up with a soft cackle and looked at Jieqiong for approval.

Jieqiong thought the girl was fatally adorable. She pinched Siyeon’s cheeks, squealing as she did so. Siyeon happily wrapped her arms around Jieqiong’s waist and snuggled into her stomach. Another pair of arms wrapped around them and they both looked up.

“I wanted to join the hug too,” said Yewon slowly, beaming at Jieqiong and Siyeon.

Jieqiong smiled back. “Aww you guys are so cute. Yewon, right? So what egg are you?”

“I was originally the Oni Egg, but they dubbed me the Luminous Egg instead,” said Yewon. She puffed out her cheeks unconsciously. Jieqiong resisted the urge to poke them.

“See, a strange phenomenon occurs with Yewon,” said Siyeon seriously.

She reached into the depths of her pockets and pulled out a crumpled piece of parchment. Jieqiong could barely make out the lines of Charms notes scrawled across the sheet. The sun was beginning to set on the other side of the castle, shrouding the classroom in darkness.

“Lumos.”

The tip of Siyeon’s wand glowed a bright blue. She held the parchment up for Jieqiong to read. The first few lines were visible, but the Illumination spell had an odd quality about it. Its light was much too concentrated at the center. It was so bright, Jieqiong couldn’t see anyway. Its blinding beams didn’t reach the next section. Lumos would be great for venturing outside in the dark, but it was awful to use as a reading lamp.

“Nox.” Siyeon extinguished her wand light. Jieqiong’s eyes followed the parchment as Siyeon held it up to Yewon’s face and said, “DdiDdi loves Yewonie’s voice!”

Yewon burst into a giggling fit and hugged Siyeon around the neck. To Jieqiong’s surprise, a strange glow fell onto the parchment. The light was warm and evenly spread, making the entire page visible. She wasn’t sure what the source of the light was. But based on Siyeon’s previous words, it seemed they all suspected it came from Yewon herself.

“We think she’s part Fairy or something,” whispered Siyeon conspiratorially.

“How would her lineage even incorporate Fairies?” Eunwoo piped up. Apparently, she was done bickering with Kyungwon and wandered over to check on Jieqiong.

Siyeon shrugged. “I don’t know, blood sacrifice?”

“Well that escalated quickly,” said Kyungwon. “Moving on. You’ve saved the best for last.”

“Why do I have a bad feeling about this?” Jieqiong gave Kyungwon a lopsided grin. She’s heard more stories from Eunwoo about Kyungwon than the other two combined.

Kyungwon leaned against the stone wall with one long arm held high above her head. She raised one leg so that her foot rested against the jagged surface. “I, Goddess Kyungwon, am the Smokin’ Egg.” Living up to expectations, Kyungwon bit her lip and shot Jieqiong a seductive wink. She then her index finger and tapped her right buttocks with a sizzle.

“Seriously?” Whined Yewon, covering her eyes with the extra long sleeves of her robes.

Eunwoo guffawed. “Smoked is just a euphemism for burnt and crusty!” She shouted in Kyungwon’s face, barely managing not to spit as she laughed.

Siyeon slapped her knee hysterically and rolled out of her chair onto the classroom floor. “I’m telling Minkyung you’re flirting with Eunwoo’s cru—”

“No you’re not!” Screeched Kyungwon as she barreled across the room to Siyeon.

Jieqiong furrowed her eyebrows in confusion. She could have sworn she heard, “No she’s not,” but that didn’t make sense. And Eunwoo was being weird, standing extremely still with her tiny hands clamped over . Jieqiong was about to ask if Eunwoo felt nauseous when another strangled cry distracted her.

“Ah! Pwease DdiDdi, don’t tell Minkyungie! I was onwy joking! I wuv you!”

Jieqiong snorted and cringed at Kyungwon’s exaggerated squealing that had increased by an octave. Kyungwon also seemed to have lost all functionality of her tongue the longer she babbled excuses to Siyeon and groveled at the girl’s socks.

“Boss Park, twenty-seven. Wannabe Zygote, two and one-tenth,” announced Yewon. Noticing Jieqiong’s puzzled look, she explained, “Siyeon’s a backseat leader. She low-key runs this Squad, but let’s Eunwoo take credit. And Kyungwon always reverts to being a toddler. Age privileges are nonexistent here.”

For a second, Jieqiong had zoned out. Was it possible to be audibly cuddly? Yewon sounded as if her cheeks were stuffed with berries and nuts, and she was overjoyed at the fruitful yield of her foraging. With a soft smile, Jieqiong turned back to the scene before her.

Eunwoo heaved Kyungwon off the floor and reprimanded Siyeon for teasing them—Kyungwon. She meant Kyungwon. Of course. Totally. Also said with nervous laughter. Siyeon nodded, permitting Eunwoo to take charge before chaos ensued. Nobody wanted a wailing six-foot tall witch making a ruckus in an empty classroom. And nobody wanted her six-foot tall girlfriend to barge in, sparkling white canines bared, to clean up her mess of a lover.

It had only been ten minutes since Jieqiong walked into a room full of strangers, of familiar names and personalities, but still only characters of tales spun by Eunwoo. It had only been ten minutes, but Jieqiong felt like this would be a great group of people to… nest with. Innocently.

“We have to go! Everyone will be at dinner so now’s our chance!” Kyungwon exclaimed.

“Go where?” Jieqiong asked. She thought they would just be hanging out in the classroom.

“Wait. Eunwoo, you didn’t let her—” The words caught in Siyeon’s throat as a wave of dread washed over her.

“It… can’t be that bad. Please tell me it’s not that bad,” whimpered Yewon like a kicked puppy.

“It’s tradition?” Eunwoo said quietly, experiencing belated regret.

“What’s tradition?” Jieqiong wished someone would tell her why they were on edge.

Kyungwon grinned at everyone before locking eyes with Jieqiong. ”As the member preceding you, I, the fetus of the Squad, have planned your induction ceremony.”

It had only been ten minutes, and Jieqiong could already feel her eye twitching.

~|~|~|~

An owl soared under cover of the forest canopy before landing on a thick leafy branch. It watched curiously as five shadows broke through the shrubs and stumbled over entangled roots. They were much too large to be eaten and were making too much noise. Dinner would have to be found elsewhere. Perhaps that overgrown pumpkin patch by the lonely hut had a few mice to offer. The owl hooted indignantly at the troublemakers before taking flight.

“Ah!”

“Be careful!”

“Watch the rocks!”

“Are you okay—Oomph!”

“What the bloody hell is going on back there? Pick up the slack!”

“May I remind you, we don’t all have stilts for legs,” groaned Eunwoo.

She was pinned against a tree trunk, struggling under the weight of three bodies. Yewon had shrieked at the owl’s sudden appearance, its hoot still echoing through the Forbidden Forest. Siyeon caught Yewon when the girl jumped back in fright, but jammed her foot in the crevice of a shattered boulder nearby. Jieqiong had grasped onto Siyeon’s robes to keep her and Yewon from tumbling into a thorny bush. Eunwoo had instinctively reached out to hold Jieqiong steady, pulling all of them backwards to safety.

Observant and caring as always, Kyungwon was already twenty feet ahead and hadn’t looked back once since setting out on their trek. She peered over a mound of dirt to investigate the party’s traffic jam. Within two seconds, she had leapt over the uneven ground and helped everyone up.

“I’m sorry genetics were in my favor?” Laughed Kyungwon, dusting off pieces of bark from Eunwoo’s robes. “Come on, we’re not too far now.”

“I don’t mean to be rude, but…” Jieqiong trailed off, eyeing Kyungwon’s back as the sixth-year led them deeper into the forest.

“I’m sure whatever she has planned won’t kill us,” said Eunwoo.

“You sure about that?” Said Jieqiong skeptically.

“No,” Eunwoo deadpanned, not bothering to defend Kyungwon’s judgement any further.

“But we should trust her! Live life with a positive lens!” Cheered Yewon as she helped Siyeon over a small stream.

“Yeah, that,” said Eunwoo lamely, supporting Jieqiong as she crossed to the other side.

“Where did that Yeti run off to?” Huffed Siyeon. Mustering up her strength, she latched onto a short wall of gigantic roots and began to climb. Just as she reached the top, she froze with one foot in the air and her body halfway over the ledge to the ground above. Slowly, she turned her head and stared down at Eunwoo with a panicked expression. “We have a lunatic in our ranks.”

“That’s not exactly a revelation,” said Eunwoo impatiently, making a shooing gesture with her stubby hands. Siyeon flicked her head to the side in uncertainty before pulling herself up.

When Yewon, Jieqiong, and Eunwoo had all scaled up the wall, Siyeon led them through a thicket of bushes and pointed ahead at the clearing. Yewon gasped, then quickly covered and searched the area for movement. Siyeon muttered a string of colorful curses while Eunwoo groaned softly. Jieqiong stepped out behind Eunwoo and examined her surroundings.

The clearing was expansive, guarded by a ring of high trees. There was a warm breeze indicative of the arrival of summer. Scattered around the forest haven were large circular structures as tall as the girls, constructed with branches and littered with white fragments. Jieqiong weaved between them to the center of the clearing where Kyungwon was lying inside the largest one. She smiled lazily at her friends peeking over the edge.

“Is that an egg? A real, incubating egg?” Said Jieqiong in fascination, staring at the oval object clutched in Kyungwon’s arms.

“You idiot!” Siyeon whispered harshly. Her head whipped around constantly, scanning the area.

“We really shouldn’t be here,” said Yewon softly but not exactly demanding them to leave. She never demanded anything.

“The one time I give you responsibilities…” Eunwoo slapped her forehead in frustration.

“What happened to staying positive?” Beamed Kyungwon. She crawled over to the edge while cradling the egg, looking mighty proud of herself.

“Kyungwon, we can’t just invade a Hippogriff nesting ground and steal an egg! What kind of induction ceremony is this?!” Eunwoo gestured frantically at the vacant nests all around.

Jieqiong stared at Kyungwon with wide eyes, suddenly very alert. She didn’t take Care of Magical Creatures with Eunwoo, but she knew Hippogriffs weren’t to be trifled with, especially nesting mother Hippogriffs.

“I don’t hear Jieqiong complaining,” said Kyungwon.

“She’s in shock from your grandiose display of stupidity!” Snapped Siyeon.

“W-we’re not actually stealing the egg, a-are we?” Yewon stuttered, shrinking with every word.

“Of course not!” Kyungwon cackled at the ridiculous idea. She whipped out a camera from her robes. “We’re talking a selfie with it. The OG egg has to be, well, an egg. Duh.”

The others were not amused. There was a collective urge to claw Kyungwon’s eyes out and offer her body to the Merpeople. But the more pressing matter was escaping the nesting ground alive. They all knew it was best to just take the damn picture so they could scram as soon as possible. With a reluctant glance around the group, Jieqiong, Eunwoo, Yewon, and Siyeon clambered into the nest and squatted in the center. Eunwoo yelped when the egg was into her arms as Kyungwon stood up to set the camera on the rim of the nest.

There was a faint, dull tapping. Eunwoo stared down at her arms, where something had vibrated against her palm. “Guys… Guys! I think it’s—”

“I’m taking it!” Kyungwon shouted over Eunwoo. Everyone flinched as Kyungwon’s voice echoed across the clearing. She ran over to the group, the branches crunching beneath her feet. She draped herself over Yewon’s and Siyeon’s laps, threw out her long arms, and yelled, “Jieqiong! Welcome to the Oocyte Squad!”

There was a loud click. Then a blinding flash. The whirring of the camera gears was suddenly drowned out by the stomping of a hundred feet. The nest shook as the stomping grew louder, now coupled with high-pitched squawks and caws. The girls stumbled over each other’s limbs. Eunwoo curled her body around the large egg as she fell over. The twigs poked through her robes and dug into her side. The other girls screamed. The wind blew ferociously at their faces. Clumps of soil flew into the air and rained down into the nest. There was a storm of loose feathers and a chorus of feral screeches. Then all became silent.

Eunwoo was breathing heavily. Her heart pounded against the egg held securely to her chest. The twigs were really annoying. But if she could feel pain, she must still be alive. She was about to call out to the others, but someone else spoke first.

“Eunwoo…” Jieqiong whispered in a strained voice. “Eunwoo, let go of it.”

“What?” Eunwoo uncurled her body and lifted her head from the floor of the nest.

She choked at the sight of twenty or so adult Hippogriffs glaring down at the nest occupied by humans. The fading sunlight framed their feathered crests, giving them the appearance of fiery demons from hell. Eunwoo glanced around the nest. Kyungwon was lying very still, her height taking up the whole diameter of the nest and her feet sticking up slightly over the rim. Siyeon and Yewon were huddled in the center trying to look as small as possible. Jieqiong was crouched nearby. She repeatedly tapped Eunwoo’s foot, telling her to let go of the egg.

“W-we don’t want t-trouble. It’s s-safe,” said Eunwoo, shaking like a leaf. She slowly set the egg down and scooted towards Jieqiong.

A booming squawk ripped through the air. The four girls ducked even lower, shielding their heads with their arms. Kyungwon closed her eyes and clenched her jaw, pretending to be one with the bed of branches. There was a rustle of feathers and soft but heavy footsteps. Eunwoo peeked through the gaps between her fingers. The beasts shifted to let one more into their circle. Eunwoo felt the blood drain from her face.

A single Hippogriff stepped forward into the ring, its head held high. It was the largest Hippogriff Eunwoo had ever seen. The entire nest was engulfed in the shadow of its vast wingspan. It was nearly twice her height. Its flanks and haunches were taut, its muscles twitching in agitation underneath the skin. Eunwoo’s eyes raked over the beast. Its midnight black tail swished back and forth silently. Its enticingly dark body blended smoothly from feathers to hair. The wings had silver tips, resembling a pair of arched scythes. Its neck was thick and well-groomed, its crest sharp and high. Its eyes glowed a fierce orange, its gaze locked on Eunwoo. It clicked its steely beak harshly at the humans.

The girls yelped, resulting in a chorus of squawks from the Hippogriffs. Eunwoo recoiled and her right leg flinched. She watched in horror as the egg rolled over onto its side in slow motion, as if she were watching the Astronomy Tower crumble to the ground. For a moment, the silence was deafening. Then, Eunwoo heard a very distant scream. Her eyes caught Yewon yelling in her direction and pointing in front of them. A piercing cry seemed to electrocute Eunwoo’s eardrum. She whipped her head around to see the largest Hippogriff rear up on its hind limbs, displaying its razor sharp talons at eye level. Its wings beat the air with such force, it ruffled the feathers of the nearby Hippogriffs and created a whirlwind of fallen leaves. It pounded its front limbs on the ground so close to the rim of the nest, some of the branches splintered. Kyungwon screeched and rolled out of the way just in time to avoid having her legs amputated on the spot.

Realization dawned on Eunwoo. The Hippogriff wasn’t an it, but a she. “She’s the mother,” Eunwoo gasped. The other Hippogriffs clawed at the ground restlessly when she spoke.

“She’s not just the mother, but the Alpha of the flerd,” whispered Kyungwon.

“What the hell is a flerd?” Snapped Siyeon, barely moving her lips.

“A flock-herd. They’re part eagle, part horse. So of course a group of them is part flock, part herd. A flerd,” replied Kyungwon as if Siyeon had asked the dumbest question ever.

Eunwoo rolled her eyes. “Who cares? How are we going to get out of here?!”

“Can we distract them? What do they eat?” Asked Jieqiong, searching for fruits among the trees.

“Insects? Birds?” Eunwoo sifted through her memories and inhaled sharply. “Ferrets! Hagrid fed them ferrets when we studied them during our third year!”

“Of course, I always carry a stash of dead ferrets in my robes,” growled Kyungwon sarcastically.

“I don’t know! Other small mammals?!” Said Eunwoo in a raspy voice.

“Sorry Yewon, you’re gonna have to take one for the team.”

“What?!” Yewon squeaked.

Siyeon cradled a terrified Yewon in her arms and glared at Kyungwon. “Taller people have more muscle and bone mass. Ahem,” she said pointedly. “I’ll give Minkyung my sincere condolences.”

Eunwoo shushed them and said, “We’re not feeding anyone to the Hippogriffs! Let’s think about this calmly. As long as nobody makes any sudden movements, we should be fine.” At least she sorely hoped so. Pains in the or not, she was the trusted leader of this band of eggs.

“They’re pretty smart creatures, aren’t they? Didn’t you say they’re big on etiquette? Maybe if we just show them respect and crawl out slowly, they’ll let us go,” suggested Jieqiong.

“Y-yeah, let’s do that,” agreed Eunwoo. “Everyone come here and bow together. Keep your eyes on theirs. Do. Not. Blink,” she emphasized.

The girls shifted inch by inch until they were gathered in the center of the nest, a good three feet from the solitary egg. They bowed low with their noses deep in the porous branched nest while maintaining eye contact with the Alpha female. Eunwoo could feel her eyes watering but persevered. A flood of relief washed over the girls as the Alpha female stared back and began to lower her head after an agonizing minute, the rest of the flerd following suit. Then, her head stilled halfway into the bow. The girls stopped breathing.

“What did we do wrong?” Whispered Jieqiong out of the corner of . Her hand clasped Eunwoo’s tightly for moral support.

“I swear that was all we had to—”

“To…? To what?!” Said Siyeon urgently. But nobody replied. She dared to glance over at Eunwoo, but the older girl was no longer looking at the Alpha female. Siyeon looked to the Hippogriffs, anticipating an attack. But they weren’t staring at the girls either. Siyeon followed their eyes to the center of the nest where the egg was wobbling on its own.

“Merlin’s beard. Is it… Is it hatching?” Asked Yewon, eyeing the other nests with cracked shells.

“I think so,” said Jieqiong breathlessly.

With a resounding knock, the eggshell cracked along the midline. Another tap. And another. The shell chipped, a piece flying away and revealing a hole. A tiny steel-colored beak poked through the opening—that is if you could call something the size of a Sneakoscope, tiny. A feeble croak originated from the egg, but there wasn’t enough room for the beak to open fully. It drew back into the egg and there was another series of hard taps. The top fourth of the shell chipped off. Then the rest of the top half shattered and two skinny, taloned feet popped out. A head of matted feathers emerged from the shell fragments, its bright orange eyes contrasting with its charcoal gray body.

“Aww!”

There were four loud gasps and eight hands clamped over Eunwoo’s mouth. Her own hands flew up and slapped themselves on top of the pile. The flerd of Hippogriffs snapped their heads towards the girls and squawked loudly. The beasts closed in on the nest ready to pounce on the offensive trespassers. The girls immediately crouched down on their hands and knees in a position of extreme humility, silently praying for their safety. As soon as it had begun, the flerd halted their advances. A small voice broke through the silence.

“Uh guys… Help.”

The girls cautiously uncurled their bodies and pushed up onto their knees. They stared with wide eyes at the person at the right end of the row, still crouched low with her hands flat on the nest floor and her head resting on her knuckles. Eunwoo mouthed for someone to help her. Nobody dared to move. There was nothing they could do.

Eunwoo closed her eyes in resignation. The weight on her back shifted slightly, probably to get more comfortable. Her robes were as soft and smooth as silk. Apparently, the newborn Hippogriff thought so as well as it perched on top of Eunwoo. One of its floppy wings was draped over Eunwoo’s head while the other was folded over her rear. Luckily, the… chick-foal’s (as Kyungwon labeled it on her O.W.L.s) talons were still blunt and short.

Eunwoo’s eyes rolled up as far as they could go when the infant squawked weakly. The Alpha female squawked back much more sharply. Eunwoo furrowed her eyebrows as the wings on her head and twitched, as if petting her affectionately. She felt the hatchling shake and its mother stomped the ground once authoritatively. Eunwoo guessed the baby refused its mother’s order to move off the human’s back.

“I think it imprinted on you,” said Siyeon, intrigued.

“But it can’t! I’m not its mother! That just gives the real one incentive to debone me!”

“Maybe you’re a secondary imprint,” added Jieqiong.

“Like a father?” Asked Yewon innocently.

“No, like a pet,” came a voice from the other end of the row.

“Screw you,” Eunwoo snarled at Kyungwon, careful not to tip the infant off balance.

“Now, now. Let’s keep it PG. There are fetuses here. Namely the one on your back. And me.”

“You are so useless right now,” groaned Eunwoo.

She heard a smack and someone whining, “Why would you do that, Princess?” Eunwoo mentally thanked Siyeon. She felt movement from her left.

“Come on baby, don’t you want to see your mum?” Said Yewon softly. Eunwoo could hear her smile in her voice.

“Let’s go, sweetie,” Jieqiong clicked her tongue in an attempt to attract the Hippogriff’s attention and coax it off Eunwoo’s back. She moved to lift it up.

At the slightest nudge, the hatchling began bawling. It wailed loudly and dug its head into a bunched up clump of Eunwoo’s robes. The Alpha female reared up again and stomped on the ground in fury, inciting the rest of the flerd to beat their wings and squawk threateningly. The girls only added to the chaos by arguing about whose fault it was.

“You made the baby cry!”

“It’s not even human!”

“So?! It still has feelings!”

“Put your wand away! You can’t attack it!”

“By Merlin’s polka-dotted drawers, will you all please shut up! A whole flerd of Hippogriffs is ready to pounce on us for disturbing the Alpha infant!” Eunwoo cried. “Please, I just want it—”

Eunwoo was interrupted by an odd hiccuping sound. She inclined her head enough to glance over her shoulder and the other girls all stared down the row at Eunwoo’s back. The baby was laughing. It threw its feathered head back with its beak opened wide, a series of punctuated squawks emanating from its small body. Noticing the silence, the baby’s breathing slowed as it stared up at the girls. It squawked once with a curved beak, as if egging them on happily.

Siyeon experimentally raised a hand and whacked Kyungwon on the back between her shoulder blades. The sixth-year whined and whipped around to fight back, but paused as the hiccuping resumed. The Hippogriff broke into a new fit of laugher. Its wings flapped joyfully, but no longer steadied its weight. It rolled off of Eunwoo’s back and fell onto the floor of the nest a foot below. The flerd of adult Hippogriffs moved to check on the baby but remained outside of the nest’s boundaries, confused at the hatchling’s seemingly uninjured state.

“Smack her again!” Shouted Yewon.

“What?! No! Don’t—”

All of the girls crawled over to hit Kyungwon, ruffle her hair, and poke her in the ribs. She squealed with a mix of laughter and cries and rolled around with her long limbs flailing about. The girls looked back at the Hippogriff who was thoroughly enjoying the show. Kyungwon grew exhausted and breathless. The Hippogriff also seemed to have its fill of fun. It stood up on trembling legs and stumbled over to its mother by the rim of the nest.

There was an exchange of squawks. The Alpha female glanced around the flerd with her stern blazing orange eyes. She opened her beak but instead of a sharp caw, a soft twittering purr resonated from . The circle of Hippogriffs broke apart and began wandering out of the clearing. The Alpha remained near the nest, staring at the five humans.

To Eunwoo’s surprise, the mother approached her and reached one taloned fore limb into the nest next to her offspring. Eunwoo’s eyes locked with the Alpha’s, this time in awe and respect rather than fear. The girls watched the interaction with bated breaths. After an excruciatingly long minute, the Alpha bowed her heavy head. Eunwoo immediately fell to her hands and knees again, the twigs of the nest nearly lodged up her nostrils.

She glanced up to see the Alpha raising her head and her baby trotting forward. With an adorable squawk, the infant clunked heads with Eunwoo and fluttered its wings. Eunwoo tentatively reached out to its head. It immediately ran back and forth under her outstretched hand, petting itself in delight. With a final click of its beak, it scampered off to the edge of the nest where its mother helped it down to the ground. The pair trotted off after the rest of the herd and left the five girls in the deserted nesting ground.

~|~|~|~

“It’s a relief we got out of there unscathed,” breathed Yewon as she stepped out of the Forbidden Forest. Siyeon linked arms with Yewon and nodded in reply.

The sun was just above the horizon now, casting a soft glow on the west side of the Grounds. The surface of the Black Lake shimmered like the inviting fires of their common rooms.

“Hey,” said Jieqiong. She shook her hand intertwined with Eunwoo’s.

Eunwoo smiled at Jieqiong’s soft tone. “Hey yourself.”

Jieqiong giggled and leaned her head on Eunwoo’s shoulder as they walked towards the castle. “You were great today.”

“I didn’t do anything. I was the helpless one with the Hippogriff on my back,” said Eunwoo.

“But you didn’t freak out. You only thought of how to get us out of there safely without hurting the Hippogriffs. I thought you were really brave. And you make a wonderful leader.”

Eunwoo dipped her head down, suddenly bashful at the way Jieqiong was beaming at her. Jieqiong pulled her closer by the arm. Eunwoo glanced to her right when she heard two muffled laughs. Siyeon and Yewon gave her a knowing look. Eunwoo smiled back easily and they let it go. Another time, they supposed, with a bit more privacy. They finally reached the castle, the sound of students chatting in the Great Hall drifting out through the large oak front doors.

“So,” Kyungwon’s voice rang across the empty lawn. She her heels and stood before the group at the top of the stone steps. She gestured grandly to Jieqiong. “For valiantly and elegantly enduring the Trials of the Hippogriffs, I formally induct Jieqiong Zhou into the Oocyte Squad. Welcome to the gang, our Ostrich Egg!”

“What.”

A/N: This crack shot is what happens when I’m dying from schoolwork, yet obviously refuse to study for my midterms and opt to write fanfiction instead. Here’s to procrastination! Also, bless Pristin the vloggers and bless the subbing teams. As Jung Julia says, “Ah cheers~”