THE 100 X READERS

BIRTHDAY SUN [RAVEN REYES]

Summary: You get to tour the Ground for the first time on your birthday.

Spending your very first birthday on the Ground was weird - you had been used to sitting beside the large window in the Ark, watching the stars and the home of your ancestors glimmer as the Sun descended behind it. But now it has switched to feeling the wind on your skin, hearing birds singing - actual birds, running in the forest with your best friend and playing hide and seek like children. There was so much exciting and new, and being there with Raven, getting to see the waterfalls with a rainbow forming into the rapid, rivers with sun glimmering on the surface, feeling and hearing how leaves rustled under your feet, feeling like you were in a fantasy world - it was the most incredible birthday you'd ever had.

You didn't need a cake when there were a dozen different berries, coated with flavours you had only tasted as artificial. They were more vibrant, and you already dreamed of a berry pie made out of real berries. Raven was there to watch you swirl around like an excited child, and she was happy. She loved you more than anything, her best friend, and seeing you smile so much made her heart flutter. It was the first time she saw you smile so much in a very, very long time. She wasn't even sure if you had ever been this happy. Things had been tolerable in space, anyone hadn't even known of anything better - but your generation had gotten a new chance. You had gotten to be on the Ground. It was like you had travelled back in time.

It lasted all day. You stayed outside of the Arkadia, on the fields, forests and near the waters, and after the dark came, you laid on the field watching the stars - the sky looked so different down on the Ground. You searched for constellations and talked about nothing in particular - though you were babbling about the wonders of the Ground for most of the time, and Raven was happy to listen. You being so excited made her happy too. You deserved this, you deserved to have the most amazing birthday in your life.

And when it was finally time to go back after a long day running around, to get to know this new world - you snuggled into your bed, Raven going to bed which was right beside yours and took your hand.

"Happy birthday," she whispered, and you smiled as an answer, squeezing her hand back.

"Thank you for making it amazing."