//------------------------------//
// Paradise 
// Story: Clarity 
// by FallenShadow000 
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My two weeks in Montreal were nothing short of incredible. Even though the snow and freezing temperatures kept me indoors at my Mom's place, it was the best Christmas I'd ever had. I loved my Mom's new puppy: A Bernese mountain dog by the name of Mindy. She was a big cuddle-bug, and it was good to see my cat again too after I had to bring her there on emergency the year before. I also had an authentic Italian Christmas dinner with her husband Tino's family, and I don't mean lasagna and meatballs. Smoked salmon, fall off the bone turkey and peas with smoked prosciutto were among the offerings, all of which were exceptional.

My mind had also opened up in ways I had never expected. I had profound thoughts that would make the heads of normal men spin, and began waxing philosophic while reading books such as "Rules for Radicals." I also started to become incredibly faithful: I prayed a lot, meditated and even managed to establish a link to Fluttershy, my guardian angel. I began asking her questions, and she would always be watching me. Our bond had grown incredibly strong, and her love continued to course through me, always amplifying and becoming greater.

Soon, it was time for me to make the long trek back to the States. My Mom had bought me a bottle of wine, along with various sauce mixes, gravies and other treats you can't get stateside. After a 12-hour train trip, I made my way back to stay with a friend of the family. While I was there, my angel had finally shown me her humanoid form:




We were allowed a simple time of reprieve: We laid together in a field of white tiger lilies, simply enjoying one another's company. It was a wonderful escape, and allowed me to recharge my batteries for the long trip home. After 12 hours on a train and a seven hour bus trip across the state, I finally made my way home, and crashed.


A few weeks later came New Year's Eve. I stood at the bus stop on a terribly cold and windy afternoon; I could barely see up and down the street. Over the last weeks I had taken to imagining what the world was like before men, machines, pollution and corruption. I looked long and hard at my surroundings, and all I could think was, "We were given the greatest gift of all in the form of Mother Earth, and look at what we have done..."

I cried... I cried for the Earth itself. As I wept I felt a warm embrace in the chilled winter air. Fluttershy held me, and cried alongside me...

Sometime after the ball had dropped and my friends and I had dinner, it was around 2 AM. I began to let my mind wander as I tuned out the TV after one of my friends I was staying with that night went to bed.

I began to imagine myself and Fluttershy together, in conscious thought. We were bathing quietly in a pond; her head leaned on my chest as I washed her hair with a ground mixture of flower petals and soap root. I rinsed her hair carefully to ensure the mixture did not enter her eyes. I wrapped my arms around her chest, and as I leaned my head on her shoulder I saw a bright flash.

It took forever for my eyes to refocus, and I knew I wasn't in control anymore. After a lot of blinking and readjusting, I realized I was staring into a clear blue sky. The Sun was bright, and there were no clouds.
However, it was NOTHING compared to what lay before me.

I was standing in a massive jungle at first appearance. Animals of every kind, tall grasses, exotic plants/flowers, and fruit on every tree. I saw Fluttershy off to my right: She was completely naked, and in her human form. I was not sure if I was bare as well... then it clicked.

I was standing in the Garden of Eden...


There were two things absent however, which made things even more astounding: The Serpent and the Tree of Knowledge were nowhere to be seen. A Garden without Sin... sadly, as I ran to catch Fluttershy the vision faded, and (rather violently) I snapped back to reality. It took me a minute to realize I was crying, but I was unsure for how long.