The Purpose of Life

by Ps3luver

The Purpose Of Life

As we emerged from the thickest of the leaves and foliage, we entered a small clearing. I saw a small house that looked very similar to a tree with the vegetation growing on the outside. There was also a calm little stream running under a small bridge, and there were small animals scurrying around in and around the trees. There were also many bird houses hanging from the branches that didn't already have a naturally-built nest resting on top of them.

"Wow Fluttershy, this place is so, peaceful." I said.

"Thanks Mist- Dan, I'll show you inside, and then I'll get right to work on making you some clothes to the best of my abilities." she said shyly.

Before I could respond, we were inside of the living room. The place had a warm feel to it, and I saw several small rabbits and mice looking uncertainly at me from small holes carved into the walls, just for them. One of them, a white rabbit was shaking his small head.

"Angel! Treat our guest kindly. I know he looks different, but that doesn't give you any reason to be mean to him!" Fluttershy said firmly.

Angel just turned stuck out his tongue and went back into his hole.

"I.. I'm sorry you had to see that, I've just been told that I have to be, more assertive." she said instantly returning to her previous shy attitude.

"Oh, that's quite alright with me." I said with a soft smile.

"Ok, Dan. Oh! I almost forgot, I need to show you where you'll be sleeping!" she said.

Fluttershy lead me upstairs and showed me to what looked like a spare bedroom.

"This is where I usually sleep, but you can sleep here while you're staying with me. I'll.. I'll just sleep on the couch." she said kindly.

"Oh, I wouldn't want to cause you to have to do that." I said, just as kindly as her.

"Please Dan, I insist." she said.

Before I could say otherwise, she was walking back down the stairs, telling me that she'd make my clothes as she was doing so.

About an hour later, Fluttershy returned with a pair of smoothly-sewn brown pants and shirt in her mouth.

"I'm not used to making outfits for animals your size, so I'm dearly sorry if it doesn't fit." she said apologetically.

I smiled as she handed me the clothes and I put them on. They fit perfectly, and now that I was covered up, I didn't feel so embarrassed.

"Oh thank you Fluttershy, you're so nice!" I said happily.

"You're welcome, Dan." she said softly, blushing.

She then looked out the window in the room.

"Oh, I didn't realize the time, you should really get ready to go to sleep. I can even try to ask my friend Twilight help you find your family, since you aren't from around here and she is very quick to find solutions to problems like these." she said quietly.

My family. In the recent turn of events, I had almost forgotten. A small tear rolled down my face as the pain returned.

"Dan, what's wrong? Is it something I said?" she asked innocently.

I didn't want to ignore her or lie to her, and I felt that she should know, so I told her.

"Fluttershy, I don't have a family." I said painfully.

"Oh my. Wha, what happened?" she asked, with a small strain in her voice.

"My parents were killed in an accident years ago, and my brother, Alex, who was only thirteen years old, died of a slow and painful illness." I said, feeling a soreness in my throat as I cried even more.

I fell onto the bed, not able to stand as this new wave of sadness fell over me.

"I'm, I'm so sorry, Dan." she said, tearing up herself.

I looked at how sad I had made her, and through my tear-obscured vision, I saw how a creature as kind as her was so rare to come by. She had hardly known me, and was crying with me over my parents' and brother's deaths. Before I knew it, Fluttershy embraced me, her wings wrapping around me as she cried with me. This is what I hadn't experienced since my brother died. Someone who actually cared about me. We pulled away from each other.

"Thanks, I needed that, Fluttershy."

"You're welcome, Dan, and if you ever need to talk to me about something, I'm here." the natural shyness in her voice was still audible, but she talked to me as if she'd known me for a longer time than she actually had.

"Goodnight Dan." she said as she slowly closed the door behind her.

"Goodnight." I said as my eyes slowly shut.
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I woke up to the humming of Fluttershy downstairs and the scent of something very sweet. As I made my way downstairs, the smell grew stronger, and I saw Fluttershy at a stove, cooking.

"Good morning Dan, I wasn't sure what you liked so I boiled a lot of edible vegetables together in a homemade sauce." she said as she put the food onto a wooden plate and motioned for me to sit at a small table.

As I waited for the vegetables to cool off, I thanked Fluttershy for her kindness and hospitality.

"It's nothing, really. I'll always help an animal in need!" she exclaimed.

After I finished my unbelievably tasty breakfast and thanked Fluttershy, I felt like I owed her something.

"Um, Fluttershy? I feel like I need to repay you after all of the help you've provided to me. Is there anything I could help you with?" I asked.

"Well, I could use some help with hanging up some of my newly painted bird houses." she offered.

"Okay, that sounds simple enough." I said as I accepted her offer.

We went outside to one of the many trees surrounding her house. I was placing one of the birdhouses on a branch when I heard Fluttershy gasp.

I turned around quickly, and saw her looking at something, as I peered closer, I realized that it was a dead bird. I was relatively unaffected by it, because I had seen so many birds dead on the street back home. However, I knew that Fluttershy would be upset because of her care for animals.

"Oh what a shame." she said sadly, digging a small hole and placing the bird in it.

As she buried the bird, I could hear others singing.

Her blue eyes lit up.

"The birds are singing? But one of them just died." I said, not understanding how these birds could possibly be happily singing when one of them had just died in front of them.

"Yes, but they, like all creatures, they continue to live happily for the rest of their lives even if they lose someone dear to them." she said.

Then it dawned on me. These birds had lost someone they loved, yet they weren't going to be miserable for the rest of their lives. They accepted the fact and moved on.

I couldn't do anything to go back and stop my parents or brother from dying, and being so sad about it that the misery ruled my life was pointless. I was actually happy to be alive, no matter what tragedies I had faced in the past. The purpose of life was to happily live on, not being hindered by tragedies forever, and to enjoy it.

I was so glad that I was free of this misery that I thought would last forever. I turned to Fluttershy, smiling and said, "So, about the birdhouses."

She smiled as she had realized I had overcome my devastation.

The End

Comments

[Ps3luver]

Thanks guys, and do you think that I should write a sequel to this or just start a new story?

[rome33]

Sequel please. This is a little short to just end the story I think. There is a lot more healing that could be done.

[Ps3luver]

>>rome33 I would like to write a sequel but I don't have any idea what it would be about. I may have a few ideas, but I would want the sequel to be enjoyable and not feel like it was rushed. Thanks for the comments.

[behindcds]

763138

I personally think you should start from scratch. The concept here is good, but the way you wrote it I do not think you could go anywhere with this without it feeling like you are doing it just for the sake of writing a sequel. Also, there are several major problems with this story that I think if you could do better with in your next story it would come out much better. If you want, I can give you an in depth review of what I thought. Please tell me if you want a critique of this story because I do not want to waste time writing one if you are not going to do anything with it.

[Daxisle]

I'm typically not not one for comment, but i'm with "behindcds" a sequel sounds like it would be a little forced. (but then again, i can't really judge, seeing as this is the only piece of writing i have seen from you) A great concept for a fanfic and i would like to see said concept expand into a greater story.

[Just a Brony]

Just do what you feel like man.

[JaydexTheShadowKnight]

763138
I just read your fic. While it's a bit like most HiE fics (The human has everyone around him die and has basically hit rock bottom), your writing style isn't half bad. I'm not sure I would have written the story in 1st Person, as it can be limiting. BUT...I enjoyed it overall. And sadly stories like your main character's aren't uncommon to Real Life. I must say I got interested once he awoke in Equestria and met Fluttershy, but then she is my favorite of the Main Six.

I would enjoy it if you did a squeal. Though I hardly see how it would seemed forced, like behindcds and Daxisle said. While your story was a bit bittersweet, it has potential! And you left us hanging! Is Dan going to have fun hanging birdhouses with Fluttershy or not? Plus how's he going to adjust to life in Equestria? Will he ever discover how he got there? As you can see there is plenty of potential for a sequel. But like 771794 said, "Just do what you feel like man." If you want to leave this completed and work on another story, that would be fine as well. There are plenty of pony stories just waiting to be written! You have potential as writer, so no matter what, don't give up! That's my advice to you!

[Ps3luver]

1238203
Thanks, even though I too believe this is good, I think my other fic outshines it by a lot!
And that was purely coincidence, at the time of writing this fic, I had never played Amnesia, so I wasn't making a reference or anything!
Anyway, thanks for taking the time to see my early work and how much it's improved,
-Ps3luver