A lot of things seem strange to butterflies. The sun appears and disappears once a day. Winter comes once a year. But these things always happen, whatever the explanation, and this makes them seem normal after a while.
Arram the butterfly was used to a variety of strange things, but a silver-grey egg in the middle of the forest clearing was not one of them. Arram was sure the egg, which stood about one foot tall, had not been there last night, and the strangeness of its overnight appearance made him reluctant to investigate further. However, he had a duty to see if the strange egg would or could cause his wife and children harm, and with this noble idea in his mind to give him courage, he flew towards the egg, slowly but surely.
A deafening crack spilt the air, followed by a high-pitched shriek. Arram almost fell out of the air in shock, but caught himself just in time. He noticed that the egg had a long, twisting crack down one side. Closer inspection revealed the egg to be steadily glowing a dull blue. The butterfly wheeled around and fled. He most certainly did not want to be around to witness the hatching of whatever strange creature had grown inside that egg!
There was silence in the clearing as a tiny hand emerged from the hole it had made in the crack, Once this hand was free, the other hand punched a hole in the other side of the shell.
The strange creature shrieked again, and threw the top half of its egg to the side. It lost its balance and fell over, but it braced itself with its tiny arms, and crawled out of the shell.
Its skin was the same silver colour as the discarded eggshell, but this was not the strangest thing about its appearance. It had a tiny pair of red and yellow butterfly wings on its back, far too small to carry the creature in flight, assuming it even knew how to use them.
Even this was not the strangest thing about that summer afternoon. No, the strangest thing was simply the creature's presence.
It was the first sparkeling to be seen in the forest in over a thousand years.