Afterlife

by Star Sparkle

Fluttershy’s Cottage:

After we had walked for about ten minutes, I saw a small two story cottage with grass as it’s roof and several birdhouses, there was also a thin tree with a couple of bird nests and even more birdhouses.
On that left from the tree was a small bridge over the small river that separated us and the cottage, under the bridge there was a small hole, to where I guess some sort of animal must live, there was maybe a dozen of bunnies running around and even closer to the house there was more bunny holes.

As we crossed the bridge, a couple of birds flew over to Fluttershy and landed on her mane or flew in front of her face as they chirped and to my surprise Fluttershy responded ‘’Oh my… Will you tell him to come as soon as possible?‘’

After the bird flew off I asked, still confused ‘’Did you just talk to that bird?‘’

She giggled before saying ‘’Why of course, how else will I know what’s wrong.‘’ That only left me with more questions than answers, but we walked inside her cottage before I could make sense of anything.

Inside the cottage there was a green couch and chair, for some reason it seemed to belong to the human world, but whatever, there was also a small coffee table, some rugs, a fireplace, a staircase that led upstairs, an opening to another room, maybe the kitchen. The thing that was not to miss was the birdhouses, there were more birdhouses at Fluttershy’s home than in most places I’ve been in my world.

Fluttershy came over to me with a basket that had a blue-green-ish fabric in it, placed it beside me and whispered ‘’Here’s your bed Angel.‘’ I felt the bunny being lifted off my head and looked as he was placed into the basket, Fluttershy then took him upstairs and shortly after came back down.

At the bottom of the stairs, Fluttershy asked ‘’Would you like some tea?‘’

‘’Um… Sure…‘’ She smiled and flew towards the opening to the next room, I followed and saw that I was correct, it was the kitchen, but before going back to the living room I asked ‘’Need some help?‘’

She looked around, thought before she said ‘’No thank you Star, I got this, why don’t you make yourself at home on the couch and I will be there shortly.‘’ I walked back to the couch and tried to get up, I got my front hooves up, but my rear legs wouldn't, so I just sat on the floor, just like on the train station.

I looked around and the books on the book shelves definitely had the focus on animals and little else.

Shortly after Fluttershy came into the room and as she saw me on the floor she asked ‘’Is everything okay?‘’

‘’Yeah, I just can’t get up on the couch.‘’ I answered.

She smiled softly, but before she could say anything, I believe that the bird from earlier, came back and in front of her and chirped , when the bird became quite Fluttershy nodded and said ‘’Sorry Star, a friend of mine is hurt and I really need to help him. Do you wanna come with me, he’s in the backyard.‘’

‘’Umm… Why not.‘’ I answered a bit unsure why the friend didn’t just go to the hospital, if they even had one of course.

I followed Fluttershy to the kitchen's backdoor and as she opened the door, I walked out and in front of me was a HUGE brown bear, with its mouth open and teeth showed, it roared right into my face. I felt as my ears closed in on my head and I let out a huge, high pitched, scream before I ran back inside and hid under the couch inside the living room, only then I noticed Fluttershy wasn’t with me.

As I lay under the couch and my adrenaline passed away. As I felt my body shake, tears slowly ran down my face.
Seconds later she flew into the living room as she called with much worry in her voice ‘’Staaar? Staaar? Where are you?‘’ The moment she saw me she flew over to me and took me up and I grabbed her as tightly as I could and still shook. While she held me, she began to stroke my mane as she tried to calm me down.

After a couple of minutes, I felt my heartbeat as it slowed down and I loosened my grip on Fluttershy who still held me and whispered ‘’Do you feel better?‘’

‘’Uh-huh, thanks Fluttershy.‘’ I answered as I felt safe and relaxed.

She then let me go completely and asked ‘’Do you feel okay to go with me back outside, I still need to help my friend.‘’

‘’But, but, what about that huge bear that’s outside?‘’ I asked in a small state of panic.

She held me again with her wing and said ‘’The bear is my friend and is called Harry, he didn’t mean to scare you, he was just calling for me the moment you stepped outside.‘’ Still afraid, I was reluctant to go and just lowered my head, Fluttershy then gave me a nuzzle before she asked ‘’If I promise it’s safe, would you then go with me?‘’ I thought before I nodded weakly, we rose to our hooves and walked back to the kitchen.

As we walked towards the door to the backyard I placed myself right behind Fluttershy’s tail and I was ready to run back inside.

As I again was outside again, I saw in the garden there lay the big bear as it moaned, Fluttershy then called ‘’Okay Harry, I’m ready now and my friend is here with me.‘’ The bear looked to acknowledge Fluttershy as she talked and slowly came over.
The closer it came, I felt myself freeze more and more, right up until it was only a few meters away, I began to cry. Fluttershy noticed and walked back next to me, even though my sight couldn’t leave the huge bear.

I felt Fluttershy’s wing over me as she said ‘’It’s okay Star, there’s nothing to be afraid of, everything is safe.‘’ I couldn’t move as I was still frozen in fear, Fluttershy then asked ‘’Harry, will you let Star sit on you just for a few seconds? Then I’ll help you.‘’ The bear shook its head and showed it’s paw, to where a thorn was stuck, Fluttershy then moved her muzzle over to its paw and if he closed his paw, Fluttershy was gone for good, but he didn’t and the moment Fluttershy removed the thorn the bear roared very much louder than before.

That roar caused me to scream and take cover on the ground as I held my hooves over my head and I sobbed as I feared that the bear would eat me, but instead of sharp teeth, I felt Fluttershy as she whispered ‘’It’s okay Star, there is nothing to be afraid off, I promise you’re safe.‘’ Slowly I removed my hooves and in front of me the huge bear was down on all fours looking at me with a smile, Fluttershy then spoke again ‘’Harry is very sorry that he scared you again and he will let you ride him, if you want to.‘’ I couldn’t stop shaking and I didn’t know what to say, so Fluttershy asked ‘’Will it help if I sat behind you?‘’ Still afraid, I nodded and Fluttershy lifted me from behind and flew over to the bear's back and placed me on its back.

After she sat me down on it’s back, she slowly released me, but by instinct I yelled ‘’No!‘’ But more quietly and with a few tears coming out I said ‘’I mean.‘’ I sniffed ‘’No, please, don’t let go.‘’ I guessed she heard me as she tightened her grip on me and the bear walked slowly around Fluttershy’s garden.

After a few minutes the bear stopped and as Fluttershy got me down on the ground she asked ‘’How do you feel Star?‘’

‘’A little bit better, thank you Fluttershy.‘’ I said as I was still mindful of where the bear was.

The bears head then came over next to me and I immediately jumped over to Fluttershy and hid behind her and again Fluttershy said ‘’It’s okay Star, he’s not gonna hurt you.‘’ Fluttershy walked a little bit backwards so the bear's head could reach me and with Fluttershy on my left side, while she kept her wing over me, to get me to relax, but my heart was beating so fast I thought it would jump out of my chest.
After the bear had sniffed me he licked me from my hooves to my head and left for the forest.

After he left, I looked at Fluttershy who giggled as she saw me and said, ‘’Hehe… He likes you, now let’s go back inside and get you cleaned up before I walk you home.‘’

‘’Yeah, I don’t think Twilight would like it if I came back smelling like fish.‘’ I said, that got a small laugh out of her as we walked inside and towards her bathroom.

Up in the bathroom there hung two more birdhouses and on the ground there was a wooden tub and as we walked over to and as I stood in front of it, Fluttershy offered ‘’Do you need some help getting in?‘’ I nodded as I had stopped trying, Fluttershy scooped me up and placed me down in the tub and turned on the water as she said ‘’Let me know if it’s too warm or too cold.‘’

As I felt the water I said ‘’This is fine, thank you.‘’ As the water kept on, she flew over to a shelf and got some sort of bottle and dropped something that smelled like soap in the tub.

When the water was a bit over my chest, Fluttershy turned the water off and got in herself, she sat down and took a sponge out and scrubbed my mane, tail and fur. When she was done with me, she didn’t begin on herself as I asked ‘’What about yourself?‘’

‘’I didn’t need one and besides, it’s just easier to give you a bath if I’m in the tub as well.‘’ Fluttershy said.

As we sat in the tub so the soap that was sitting in my mane, tail and fur could work, I thought back on the moments where Fluttershy had communicated with the birds and the bear Harry I asked ‘’Um… Fluttershy?‘’

‘’Yes?‘’ Fluttershy asked.

‘’How did you talk to those animals before?‘’

‘’Well, you see Star, like Twilight and every other pony, I too have a unique special talent, my talent allows me to communicate with animals on a different level than other ponies.’’ She said.

‘’So playing an instrument could also be a special talent?‘’

‘’Precisely, but it can be anything really.‘’ She said.

‘Anything?’ I thought before I asked ‘’Is that why you have so many birdhouses?‘’

That question got her to laugh a little, she looked around the room before she turned to me and said ‘’It’s true that I do have many birdhouses, but I really love that my little animal friends are able to stay with me, as it is also my job to take care of the wild animals around Ponyville.‘’

‘’So… You get to do what you love the most for a job?‘’ I asked, a little bit jealous.

‘’Hehe, I guess you're right, that was also why I wanted you to go out with me, after you were scared.‘’ I became embarrassed by that fact so much that I also felt my blood going to my head and Fluttershy commented ‘’You don’t need to be embarrassed, I think many fillies your age would be even more afraid if a bear was roaring at them too, but you were very brave to go outside again.‘’

But even though Fluttershy told me I was brave, I didn’t feel it, I cried like a baby on multiple occasions.

A short time later Fluttershy said ‘’It’s time to wash you again.‘’ As she began on my mane, tail and fur she said ‘’The reason I wanted you to go out to Harry again, was because I didn’t want your first time being here to be a bad experience.‘’ As she was done with my mane I turned to face her again and said

‘’To be honest, all in all, I did have a good time today.‘’ I said.

Fluttershy smiled and hugged me as she said ‘’Me too Star.‘’ As she released me, she turned me around and took my tail and washed the soap off.

After Fluttershy was done with me, she lifted me out of the tub and onto the towel on the floor, she then came out and sat down next to me and dried me with a really soft towel.

As she dried me she asked ‘’Star, can I ask you something?‘’

With my head under the towel I answered ‘’Of course Fluttershy, what is it?‘’

As she dried me more she asked ‘’Are you afraid of bears?‘’

I thought it was a weird question, but answered ‘’Well, yes and no really. I guess that I’m afraid of any animal that is bigger than me or if I think it wants to hurt me. But bear’s specificity, I guess I’m still afraid of those, if I’m alone, but if you’re there and aren't afraid, then I guess I’m not as much afraid. Why do you ask?‘’

Her voice cracked she said ‘’I was afraid, that I had given you a fear of bears.‘’ I could hear in her voice, she was close to tears.

As I was still buried in the towel, I tried to find her and as I wanted to hug her, when suddenly I felt two hooves from behind, I quickly turned around and hugged her, looked up and said ‘’You didn’t.‘’ As Fluttershy hugged me back.

After I had been completely dried and Fluttershy had combed my mane and tail, which was so relaxing, she must have looked at the clock as she said ‘’Oh my, look at the time, we must better get you home now, before you get in trouble.‘’ I agreed and we went on our way back to Ponyville and the library itself.

Comments

[Feynna]

After we had walked for about 10 minutes, I saw a small 2 story cottage with grass as it’s roof and several birdhouses, there was also a thin tree with a couple of bird nests and even more birdhouses. On that left from the tree was a small bridge over the small river that separated us and the cottage, under the bridge there was a small hole, to where I guess some sort of animal must live, there was maybe a dusin of bunnies running around and even closer to the house there was more bunny holes.

There are a few more mistakes in that paragraph and I suggest reading through it again. The 'dusin' spelling error wasn't the first time I have seen it in your story, so I would also suggest looking through the previous chapters, I don't exactly remember where it was.

As we crossed the bridge, a couple of birds flew over to Fluttershy and landed on her mane or flew in front of her face as they pipped [...]

I... don't think you meant that word, dear.

She held me again with her wing and said ‘’ The bear is my friend and is called Harry, he didn’t mean to scare you, he was just calling for me the moment you stepped outside. ‘’ Still afraid, I was reluctant to go and just lowered my head, Fluttershy then gave me a nuzzle before she asked ‘’ If I promise it’s safe, would you then go with me? ‘’ I thought before I nodded weakly, we rose to our hooves and walked back to the kitchen.

Sure, Flutters. He was calling out for you by roaring right into the face of a little filly...

After he left, I looked at Fluttershy who giggled as she saw me and said, ‘’ Hehe… He likes you, now let’s go back inside and get you cleaned up before I walk you home. ‘’

I feel like I'm missing something here... What was the point of the Harry the Bear scene?

‘’ Hehe, I guess you're right, that was also why I wanted you to go out with me, after you were scared. ‘’ I became embarrassed by that fact so much that I also felt my blood going to my head and Fluttershy commented ‘’ You don’t need to be embarrassed, I think many fillies your age would be even more afraid if a bear was roaring at them too, but you were very brave to go outside again. ‘’

Fluttershy does know that Star was an adult, right?

As she dried me more she asked ‘’ Are you afraid of bears? ‘’

After getting roared at by one of them? Heck, I would develop a phobia right after that.

[Luckyfanisaac]

came back and in front of her and chirped,(—— when the bird became quite Fluttershy nodded and said

I too have a unique special talent,

I didn’t want your first time being here to be a bad experience.‘’

[Chrome Masquerade]

Her voice cracked she said ‘’ I was afraid, that I had given you a fear of bears. ‘’ I could hear in her voice, she was close to tears.

That would be Arkoudaphobia.