The big day has gone! Today is my 18th birthday and I wake up with a goddamn start. Sorry if I'm too over enthusiastic, but too bad, I'm fucking excited! Anyway, I wake up with a start and get dressed. I run downstairs while getting my shirt on to see my dad watching morning news on the TV while mom is making breakfast.

"Morning mom and dad!" I say with happiness in my voice and a jump in my step.

"Morning." They both say.

"So guys, guess what day it is?" I ask with a smirk.

My mom looks up at me confused and my dad looks up to me with a raised eyebrow and says, "I don't know, isn't it Monday dear?" He asks towards my mother.

"Yes, I think so." She says with confusion riddling her tone.

"Oh haha guys." I tell them with sarcasm in my voice yet still have a smirk on my face.

A long silence falls between us three to see who will crack first but eventually....*laughter*, we all break at the same time laughing up a small storm.

*chuckles* "So it's finally that day, huh dad." I say, more making a statement then a question.

"Yes so it seems, but let's not start that until later. Right now, your mother has made something for you." My father says, pointing in the direction of my mother who's still cooking in our little walk-in kitchen.

I turn towards my mother who's walking out of the kitchen with some pancakes on a few plates.

"Yep, and it's just now ready so eat up." She says as she pulls out a chair for me, dad, and herself.

"Sweet, thanks mom." I say as I hug her and then take a seat.

"It's my treat sweetie, besides it's your birthday today so I made it a very special treat for you today." She says as she gives me a plate with....MOTHERFUCKING CHOCOLATE CHIP PANCAKES!!!! YES!!

"OMG MOM YOUR THE BEST!!!" I scream as I stuff an entire pancake in my mouth.

............OMG MY MOUTH IS SO FULL OF BLISS!!!!!

".......um honey I think you broke him." My dad says as he pokes me in the side of the head.

".......uh oh." My mom says. Thankfully I wake up from my bliss like state and continue to eat my pancakes, making both my parents sigh.

"Aaron, after breakfast we're going to the dojo to prepare you for the sword trade-off." My dad says making me look over to him and nodding because my mouth is still full.

My mom, dad, and me eat in peace before heading off the the dojo.

THE DOJO

"HAPPY BIRTHDAY AARON!!!" Everyone says as blow out the candles on my cake.

"Thanks everyone." I say as I smile at my parents, teacher, and fellow dojo peers.

"Now my student, it's time to open your 'present'." Emanuel says to me, motioning to a long box in a corner of the room.

I can instantly tell it's a sword case with straps on it and it has my bow with a quiver of arrows next to it.

"Is it..." I ask but Emanuel already has me beat, cutting me off by saying,"Yes, Aaron, it's time."

My first instinct was to run over there and grab it but instead I calmed myself and walked over to it and picked it up. It felt so light yet my excitement made my body seem weak making it feel heavy.

I bring it over to the table and place it down. The bag making a clearly audible 'thump'. I slowly but surely start to open the bag, the silence in the room making the sound louder than what it should be. I know what some of you are thinking, 'Aaron, why are you taking your time? You've seen what the sword looks like already.' Well too bad! This is an important moment of my life and I want it to be dramatic.

Anyway, I finally open the bag and..........HUH?!!?!?

It's just full of money!

Where's my fucking sword?!?!?

"I know what you're thinking Aaron, but we needed to give you the money so you could be prepared for your journey." Emanuel informs me.

"But I have been saving money up for years now! Why did you give me more?" I ask. It's not that I don't appreciate the money. It's just I've been waiting for years and to be cock blocked like this is just a dick move and I'm not in a good mood.

"So that way you can actually live a better life. I know you only have about 700$ saved up so I gave you an extra 1300$ so you'll have about 2000$ on hand for your travel. And you could just earn more from tournaments in other cities." Emanuel says and his words actually make sense to me so I quickly respond with a bow.

"Sorry sensei, I jumped to angry conclusions and directed them at you. Please forgive me." I say quickly yet surely so he could understand.

"Of course I forgive you my student. You're actions were understandable and it's ok." Emanuel tells as he puts a hand on my shoulder which makes me straighten up.

"And for your information your sword is right behind you." He says with a smirk.

I instantly go wide-eyed and spin around quickly to see both my parents next to each other, bowing their heads to me and offering me the sword with the upper have held by mom and the lower part by dad.

"Here you go our child." They both say simultaneously as if they rehearsed it.

It mattered very little to me and I quickly take the sword from their hands and I start bouncing in glee. Unsheathing it was SSOO fucking satisfying as the blade practically shines in and I could see my dark blue eyes in the reflection and to my surprise, I'm actually crying a little.

My parents see this and start tearing up as well and comes over to hug me which I happily return. We only stop hugging when I feel Emanuel tap me on the shoulder and when I turn around, I'm greeted with another surprise of my own sensei bowing to me.

"Um, sensei, what are you doing?" I ask awkwardly. He looks up at me with a kind, warm smile.

"You have matured so much throughout the years and have become a great warrior.." I smile at that part "...and for this, I truly believe that you are no longer in need of teaching my stu... Aaron." He says as he hugs me which brings me out of my shocked state from hearing that.

"Thank you sen... Emanuel." I say as I get water in my eyes again. When we let go of each other, I ask the question on presumably everyone's mind.

"So what now?"

"Now, my son, it's time for you to go out into the world and do great things." My dad says as he puts a hand on my shoulder and giving me hug, whispering 'I'm so proud of you Aaron' into my ear.

I pat him on the back as my answer and my mother hugs me as well saying, "My baby boy has now grown up" in a very sad voice.

"It's ok mom, I will be fine." I say as I wipe a tear off her cheek.

"I know you will my boy." She says as she kisses my cheek which makes me blush and her chuckle.

I go grab the sword case and take the money out and put it into a duffle bag which has my own money in it, while putting my sword in the case. Putting the sword case over my shoulder and grabbing my bow and arrows as well an my money. I walk out of the dojo before looking back at my parents and Emanuel before giving them a thumbs up.

'Well, lets see what you can throw at me world' I think before walking off into the countryside and into a new beginning.

Author's Note

Next chapter, Aaron will be meeting our friends in Equestria.