I am; a tree.
I pretty, pretty tree.
Behold my pink blossoms as they sway gently in the breeze, so beautiful.
See my yellow bark, gnarled, pitted, split, protecting my delicate soul.
I am a tree.
A faint shuffling of leaves is heard, and I see a brown squirrel jump out of a nearby bush. He scampers across the ground and stops at the base of my trunk. He cranes his neck and looks up to me, his tiny black eyes blinking and his squirrely nose twitching.
Hello, little squirrel, what are you doing here? Are you here to keep me company as I stand sentinel over this darkening forest?
The squirrel grabs a nut lying on the ground, near the base of my roots, and scampers away once more.
No, you simply wanted my nut, to take it back to your burrow where you might squirrel it away for the coming months.
A cold breeze runs through my branches, making them shiver and squeak. I can feel the winter, breaching on the edge of fall.
Soon my pink blossoms will be no more.
But that does not bother me, for I am a tree. Come spring the blossoms will return anew. A new I will spring forth from a nut such as that one the squirrel took.
Such is life.
It does not bother me for I am a tree: a stoic, timeless, never ending tree.
~ ~ ~
“Fluttershy?”
A crackly voice sounded behind me, breaking me out of my reverie. I realise I’d been standing there in the clearing for who knows how long. It was getting dark, and cold. I shivered.
“Fluttershy, what are you doing out here?” The voice came again and a cyan wing was draped over my side, bringing with it the hints of warmth. Rainbow Dash stood next to me, frowning with a look of concern.
“H— How long have you been there?” I ask, little over a whisper and with a faint shiver in my voice as I speak.
“I just got here, is everything okay? You were just standing there staring into the distance.”
“Y-yeah,” I nod, “I’m okay.” And allow myself to be lead away out of the clearing.
“Come on Flutters, let’s get you inside.” Rainbow Dash leads me out of the clearing, out of the edge of the Everfree and back to the warmth of my cottage.
Yes.
I am; but a tree.