Before i start, i would like to note that any reference to real people or places are completely fictional and either permitted or coincidental. That said, let's get started, shall we?
Chapter 1: Birthday Bash!
It started so long ago, now. Yet I remember it like it was yesterday. My name is Winter Fields. You might have guessed this already, but, surprise surprise, I am a pony.
But I wasn't always that way. Oh no.
It all started with my 29th birthday, as well as that of some of my friends....
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It was late. I had just gotten off of work. I had a job as an actuary. In other words, I calculated possibilities of damage so the guys slightly higher up could set a “““proper””” insurance rate. Everything was typically okay, except for ONE of the other employees who would take every possible chance to troll the others. I HATED that guy. He really-
I digress.
For $20 an hour it was a pretty sweet deal. it wasn't BAD, just... tedious.
My one escape at night was the Brony community. Oh yeah. I was a die-hard fan of MLP, even though it had ended in season 5, 'round about five years ago, I still watched it. And when I found out that some of my childhood friends were Bronies too AND looking for a house, well, in the words of Princess Luna, “Ha ha! The fun has been DOUBLED!” Twice! Universe's funny like that, isn't it?
Anyway, like I was saying, I had plans with my friends/new housemates Aaron, Laurel, Zack, Ralph and Ashlyn.
Perhaps I should mention what they did for a living.
Aaron was an employee in a knife store, but often made his own in his spare time.
Zack was an actor of sorts, but loved the arts in general (he also had a side job as a bartender every Wednesday, but that's not important).
Laurel was a professional therapist, who wanted to be a singer, but never got on with the masses. And like they say, if you don't sell the merchandise...
Ralph was a martial arts instructor, but also enjoyed inventing things. Of the lot of us he was the closest to having his dream job.
Ashlyn was studying to be a chef, but that left her JUST enough money to pay the bills and... etcetera. She had to call on Aaron for help, which she HATED doing. It should also be noted that Ashlyn once was a vegan, but, when she found that the carbohydrate-laden diet was not only unhealthy, but also packing on the pounds, she stopped. She now WOULD eat meat, but wouldn't cook it herself, usually. Seriously, veggies are usually lacking in protein or fat. What do you THINK such a high carb diet would do?
Anyway, we had been the best of friends, way back, and were overjoyed to see each other again. And when we found that we were all born on May 5th, it was so much the better! Again, the universe is funny like that.
A year had passed since then. I entered my house, took my shoes off and walked into the living room. I turned on the lights and my friends yelled “SURPRISE!!”
I rolled my eyes and said, “Oh, come on, it's your birthdays too.”
Aaron piped up “Yeah, but remember, this is also the day that you united us. So you could say it's our... our...” with that he sat down in the Thinker position.
“Birth-iversary?” I suggested.
“YEAH!”
Ralph said, “Really? A reference to Pinkie Pride?”
“And to celebrate...” Aaron motioned to Zack, who went into the kitchen and brought out a wrapped bottle.
“Oh, no, no, no, no, no!” I objected “You guys KNOW I don't do that kind of stuff!”
Ralph calmed me down, “Relax, man. It's cider.”
Ashlyn threw her hands in the air. “Dude! Spoilers!”
“Well, now that I know what it is...” I said, unwrapping the bottle and pouring us each a glass. Then I raised mine and started what had become our cheer. “Friendship?”
“Is magic!” my friends chorused, as we clinked our glasses.
Yeah, we liked the show that much.
Later, we handed out the presents. We each received the following
Aaron gave us each a customized replica of one of the “Swords of the Ancients” collection, recently expanded. Ashlyn got Valernos, (sword of fire) which fit her fiery spirit. It was tinted silvery blue and red-gold, like it could actually be frozen fire.
Zack got Ventas (sword of wind), since he was a quick thinker and always landed on his feet, figuratively, and almost always had a dream of flying. It was orange-y and light green, to show both sides of Wind itself.
He gave Ralph a reformed version of Kilgorin 2 (sword of darkness, now turned to life.) It was jet black for the most part, like the previous versions, but when you brought it into the sunlight it became a vibrant green, like dead fall in the forest and the new life that comes from it. Profound!
Laurel (being cheery and bright) got the dagger Ciaela (sword of the sky), which was sky blue and white gold, like the sun shining in the sky.
Since I was the one who brought them together, their.... Light bringer if you will, I received Luciendar (sword of light.)
Aaron himself (being flexible in both mind and body) bought Aquavar (dagger of water).
The bottle of cider was a shared present from Laurel, there was a chocolate cake (which, again, we all shared, of course) from Ashlyn, Ralph gave us each working shield bracelets (I told you he was good at this stuff, didn't I?) which when activated became isomorphic. (for those of you who don't know, that meant that now only we could use them.) and from Zack we got a beautiful painting of the lot of us doing a group bro-fist.
That was an awesome night. Little did we know that things were about to get... interesting.
The next morning I woke up with a slight headache. Was the cider aged? Nevertheless, I got up to have a shower.
As the warm water washed over me I had visions of tropical locations, waterfalls flowing, and sweet scents of flowers. Overactive imagination, I know.
As I scrubbed, cleaning every inch of myself, I noticed something. My leg was warmer than it should be. Looking down I saw an image of a blueberry laid over a snowflake. I tried scrubbing at it, to no effect. With that, I turned off the shower, dried off and dressed, then I got out of the bathroom and shouted, “Okay, who's the wise guy?”
My friends got up slowly. They each came out of the guest rooms and to the hall. I had my shorts pulled up enough to show the mark and I made sure to look displeased. Ashlyn was the first to speak.
“Dude, when did you get that tattoo?”
“I have no idea. So I reiterate, WHO'S THE WISE GUY? You might want to check yourselves too, by the way.”
One by one, my friends checked their thighs. Sure enough, on each of their thighs was a mark. Ashlyn had one of some kind of chocolate, Aaron had one of a rounded grey cloud with a thunderbolt. Ralph had one of a shuriken with a pair of nunchaku on them. Zack had one of a jewel that sparkled as if it reflected the sunlight juuuust right with a light blue swirl on one side and a darker swirl on the other. Laurel had one of a treble clef with wings on it.
Zack said, “Uh... What's going on? This is beginning to remind me of a fic I read once...”
Aaron silenced him. “Ssshh! You leave the fourth wall alone, you.”
Ignoring that, i said, “Maybe it's nothing?”
They all gave me a deadpan look.
“Well after all, there's a chance that you'll roll a seven on a six sided die. It's an astronomically low chance, (we're talking 11, maybe 12 decimal places at the very least) but it will happen eventually to someone.” I finished with a joke. “But it's still a hundred times more likely than winning the lottery.” Man, I love logic.
My friends guffawed at my joke.
“How can you even figure that stuff out?””
“I'm an actuary. It's my job. Anyway, even if it isn't a coincidence, we won't know what it is today.”
My friends nodding in agreement, we all went our separate ways for the day.
After a relatively slow day I returned, to find the house empty still. This was not unusual, because barring unforeseen circumstances, I was usually home first. But I knew that everyone would be home soon, so I started on dinner. Soon they all would come to taste the fine cuisine.
I made a simple dinner of sausages, potatoes, mixed vegetables and ramen noodles. Easy-peasy, but delicious!
Ever notice that they have shrimp flavour, beef flavour, chicken flavour, but no pork flavour, usually?
Anyway...
When everyone came home they could immediately smell the delicious dinner I prepared.
Aaron responded first, drooling slightly, “(sniff) Mmm! That smells great! Since when could you cook so well?”
I rolled my eyes, “Duh! Since always? Remember Home Ec?”
“Oh yeaaaah... Like that one time you accurately measured a cup of sugar.”
“I never heard about that one!” Laurel said.
“I was pretty much the king of the kitchen.” I thumped my chest proudly. “You guys just never leave me the chance to cook for you because you nearly always come home with fast food or something. Now come on, while it's still warm!”