Fluttershy walked outside balancing a platter on one of her hooves. She set down the platter, teacups and a teapot balancing on it. She sat down next to a great cherry tree sitting near a river at the edge of her yard. Her koto was balanced against the trunk of the tree. She grabbed it and started to play a familiar tune called Sakura, or Cherry Blossoms. Angel, her rabbit, sat down next to her and grabbed one of the teacups.
"Kino mi-wa moto-he otsuru. The apple does not fall far from the tree."
Angel had learned that Fluttershy spoke many words of wisdom. Her proverbs always meant something that would help him to become more respectful and stronger. He placed the teacup back onto the platter and Fluttershy nodded her head. He new the proverb because she said it quite often. It meant that children watch their parents and learn from their example. Fluttershy took a teacup and Angel did as well. Fluttershy poured him a cup of tea and then one for herself. Fluttershy slowly sipped her tea as Angel guzzled his.
"Tatsu tori ato-wo nigosazu. A foolish bird fouls her own nest."
Angel lowered the tea cup away from his mouth and drank slower. Fluttershy set down her tea cup and went back to playing her koto. Angel swayed to the slow, smooth beat of the song. After a few versus, Fluttershy set down her koto and walked over to the river and looked at her reflection. Angel walked over and looked up to Fluttershy, a look of desperation on her face. Angel set his tiny paw against her leg and she turned away, shielding her face behind her hair.
"Fukusui bon ni kaerazu. Spilt water will not return to the tray."
Fluttershy had planted this cherry tree in memory of her friends, the only ponies that really understood her, and she came out here everyday to show respect to them. She tried to cover up her mourning, but Angel could tell. He motioned for Fluttershy to sit down.
"Keizoku wa chikara nari. Continuance is strength."
Fluttershy went inside her house and sat down at the table in the dining room. She opened her satchel and pulled out a book called The Heart's Yearning. She opened the booked and ran her hoof down the column that had the chapters listed. She found the one she was looking for and turned to the correct page. The name of the chapter was Your Losses. She read as Angel curled up in front of the fireplace and took a nap on the love seat. After a while, Fluttershy closed her book and went into the sunroom. She sat in a rocking chair as she watched the sun set behind the trees. After sunset, she sat and grabbed her tea towel and embroidery string and needle. She was sewing an image of her cherry tree and herself sitting under it. An hour after dark, Angel came into the sunroom and tugged on Fluttershy's tail.
"Saru mo ki kara ochiru. Even monkeys fall from trees."
Angel smiled, realizing that he had helped Fluttershy. She looked down at Angel and patted him on the head. They left the sun room and went upstairs to Fluttershy's bedroom. Angel sat in his bed and Fluttershy crawled into hers. They woke up to the sound of crashing thunder and bolts of lightning illuminating the room.
"Seiten no heki-reki. Thunderclap from a clear sky."
Fluttershy was obviously surprised that a storm had come overnight. Angel sunk down into his bed and then immediately bolted out of the room and down the stairs. Fluttershy calmly got out of bed, grabbed her satchel and walked downstairs to the sunroom where Angel was curled up in her rocking chair.
"Kishi kaisei. Wake from death and return to life."
Angel hopped out of the chair and started to return to his normal daily routine of lounging around at Fluttershy's side. Fluttershy continued to embroider her tea towel and Angel continued to nap in front of the fireplace. A clap of thunder startled Fluttershy and she poked her hoof with her needle. She set down the tea towel and went into the kitchen and washed the blood off of her hoof and made a pot of tea. Angel woke up to the smell of the warm tea woke him. He hopped into the kitchen, rubbing his eye, and Fluttershy poured him a cup of tea.
"Kaeru no ko wa kaeru. Child of a frog is a frog."
Angel was taking after Fluttershy's example and she showed her pride without gloating. He smiled and continued to sip his tea. When they were done, Fluttershy grabbed an umbrella and headed outside to her tree. When she got there, the tree was gone. It had been struck by lightning and branches were scattered all around a short stump. Fluttershy walked slowly through the fallen branches and sat down on the stump. She grabbed her koto and started to play Sakura as she did everyday. When she was done, Fluttershy gathered the fallen branches in her arms and took them inside her home. Angel gave her the empty tea pot and she washed it out and filled it with water. Fluttershy set the branches in the water and set it in front of the window, hoping sunlight would reach the tree limbs. Fluttershy left the kitchen and sat down on the love seat and watched the fire in front of her glow steadily. Angel sat down next to he on the love seat and they fell asleep there. Fluttershy was woken by the sunlight shining through the window. She sat up and saw that Angel was still asleep. She tiptoed into the kitchen and took the branches outside. Fluttershy shoveled dirt from a spot near the stump of the cherry tree and placed the branches in separate holes forming a ring around the stump. Fluttershy went back inside and as she did so, the rain lightened and stopped. Angel smiled because he knew that Fluttershy had replanted the tree limbs and he hoped they would grow. Fluttershy looked over and saw the look in Angel's eyes.
"Toranu tanuki no kawa zan'you. Count the skins of badgers which haven't been caught."
Fluttershy was trying not to get her hopes up. It was very unlikely for these trees to survive. She beckoned for Angel to go to bed and did so herself. In the morning she ate an English muffin with jam before leaving to go to her trees. To her surprise, the trees had grown overnight. Fluttershy stood awed in front of the trees forming a ring around the stump. She sat down on the stump, shaded by the canopy of the trees. She grabbed her koto and played a more joyful tune than Sakura. She remembered the song she used to hum as she worked. The music surrounded her, wrapping her in a feeling she hadn't felt for a long time. A feeling of peace among all beings. At that point, all of her worries blew away in the gentle breeze that rustled the trees. She set down her koto and started to examine the trees. She looked at the five trees that towered above her. The blossoms started to fall and she watched them slowly cascade to the ground. She saw something peculiar on one of the trees. One of the blossoms was darker. She walked up to the trunk of the tree and it looked like it had been carved. This made Fluttershy slightly angry. She looked at what had been carved into the trunk. It was a symbol similar to a star, but had too many points. She looked at the rest of the trees. Each had something carved into the trunk. The others had a diamond, a lightning bolt, a balloon, and an apple. Each also had a different colored blossom. The diamond's was purple, the lightning bolt's was red, the balloon's was blue, and the apple's was orange. Fluttershy realized these represented her friends and their Element of Harmony. She gasped and lowered her head. The stump was carved with a butterfly, representing her Element of Harmony, and many cherry blossoms were scattered everywhere around it and some on it.
"Keizoku wa chikara nari. Persevere and never fear."
Fluttershy was a bit startled by all of this, but her happiness overcame it. Angel saw the trees and the same expression was plastered on his face. He couldn't seem to close his mouth. It hung open and a cherry blossom flew into it. Angel spit it out and started to wipe his tongue with his hands. Fluttershy covered her mouth and quietly giggled at Angel. She went back and sat down on the stump as she played her koto.
