Early morning was starting for the country of Equestria. The sun was beginning its ascent over the horizon and many animals began to wake from their slumber. Many of the citizens of Ponyville were returning from their trip to dreamland. In a cottage near the Everfree Forest, the owner was hard at work. Her and a small group of birds were cleaning the cottage. While a mundane activity, it held meaning beyond having a clean home for the owner given what day it was. Fluttershy stood outside with a bucket and a stone statue sitting with her. The statue depicted a pony sitting with his hind legs crossed over each other. The ends of the statue’s forelegs were pressed together at its chest and what looked like a robe was etched into it. Fluttershy took the bucket and gently poured its contents over the statue. Water gently flowed over it. The bucket was tilted back, leaving the statue to dry. The smell of perfume came from the statue as it dried. Six birds flew out of a window and waited in front of Fluttershy.
“All done with the cleaning?” she asked. The birds nodded. “Thank you, friends. I have one more favour to ask: can you make sure that this statue doesn’t get dirty while it’s drying?” Again, the birds nodded.
“Thank you again,” a pot being banged three times turned Fluttershy’s attention to inside her home. “I think Angel wants to see me. I’ll see you later, and I’ll award you all tomorrow.” The birds happily chirped as Fluttershy walked inside. She followed the sound of the banging to her kitchen table. Sitting on top of it was a large pot, a white rabbit wearing a chef’s hat, and two bowls. Inside each bowl was a thick porridge made out of rice with green onions and shredded white radish on top of it.
“Angel, you made chok?” the rabbit hopped to one of the bowls and nodded. “That was very considerate of you, thank you.” Fluttershy sat down. Before she could start eating, Angel made gestures with his paws.
“Plans for today?” Angel nodded. “Well, after breakfast, I was going to go visit my friends.” His paws again moved around.
“Of course I was planning to do that. It wouldn’t be Songkran if I didn’t,” Angel’s eyes gave Fluttershy a pleading look. “Yes, you can come with me, Angel. After we eat breakfast.” He happily hopped in place before bowing to her.
“สุขสันต์วันสงกรานต์ to you too, Angel.”
*
Fluttershy was carefully flying to Sweet Apple Acres with a bucket in her mouth and Angel on her head. Like Fluttershy, he was carrying a small bucket full of water. The water was important, and not a single drop could be wasted. As soon as the empty fields turned to apple orchards, Angel tapped his foot. Fluttershy landed in the orchard before looking around. A tree in the distance shook and lost its apples. She walked towards the tree, hearing hooves making contact with wood as she moved forwards. After a few moments of walking, she saw an orange earth pony mare with a stetson on her head. Her hind legs were in the trunk of a tree and apples were falling into baskets. She took off her hat and wiped her sweaty brow.
“Hello Applejack,” Fluttershy said. Applejack turned around. She placed her stetson back on her head with a smile on her face.
“Howdy Fluttershy,” she said. “What brings you here?”
“There’s something that Angel and I have to do today,” Fluttershy placed the bucket down. “And we decided that you’d be the first one we do it with.”
“What exactly are you planning to…” a splash of water to the face stopped Applejack’s sentence. Angel had his bucket out in front of him with a smirk on his face. “Granted, I needed something to cool me down, but that was uncalled for you little…”
“สุขสันต์วันสงกรานต์,” Fluttershy said with a smile. Applejack blinked.
“Songkran? Today is Songkran?” both Fluttershy and Angel nodded. “Alright then. I guess I can’t fault the little varmint. Happy Songkran to you too.” Applejack grabbed Fluttershy’s bucket and threw a small portion of its contents at the pony in front of her. Both Angel and Fluttershy were drenched in water. Angel looked to Applejack with a disgruntled expression while she smiled. Fluttershy’s smile stayed in its place. She took the bucket from Applejack, waved goodbye, and flew to town.
*
“What do you want to do?” Pinkie asked. She and Rainbow Dash were walking through downtown Ponyville. The two of them had planned an outing together but forgot to plan actual things to do.
“I have no idea,” Rainbow answered. “We can always go pranking, but we don’t have any new pranks to pull. The old ones are starting to get stale. Maybe we could go to the library to get some pranking books.”
“All of those books are garbage,” Pinkie deadpanned. “None of those pranks are creative. They’re mechanical, it feels like they were made by somepony who’s never pranked a pony before. You won’t learn anything substantial by reading those…” Both Pinkie and Rainbow were splashed by water. The two of them stopped in their place.
“Wow!” Pinkie shook herself. “That felt good. Thanks whoever splashed us with… Fluttershy?” Fluttershy had her bucket out in front of her. Angel stood on her head and like her, had his bucket out in front of him. Rainbow pushed part of her mane out of her eyes.
“Hey Fluttershy, hey Angel,” she said. “สุขสันต์วันสงกรานต์.”
“สุขสันต์วันสงกรานต์ to you too, Rainbow,” Fluttershy put her bucket down. “สุขสันต์วันสงกรานต์ Pinkie Pie.”
“Suk san what now?” Pinkie asked. “What does that mean? And why are you throwing water at us?”
“It means Happy Songkran, Pinkie,” Rainbow answered. “Today’s Songkran. It’s a holiday that’s essentially…”
“Whoa, whoa, whoa,” Pinkie pushed her hooves in front of herself. “Back up. Today’s a holiday? How come you know about this, and why was I not informed about it?”
“I grew up with Fluttershy,” Rainbow shook herself. “She and her family celebrated it every year. I asked her what Songkran was, and she showed me how to celebrate it when we were younger.”
“It’s a religious holiday, I don’t think anypony who isn’t a practitioner celebrates it on a regular basis,” Fluttershy said. “Like Rainbow was saying, it’s like New Years. Splashing water on others is a way to celebrate it. It’s a sign of cleansing and renewal as well as respect.”
“So basically, ponies go around splashing water at each other and nopony gets angry?”
“Well, there’s more to it than that, but yes that is part of the celebration.”
“Dashie,” a wide grin appeared on Pinkie’s face. “I know what we can do today.”
“Way ahead of you,” Rainbow launched herself into the air and flew away. Pinkie happily hopped in the direction that the cerulean pegasus was heading. Fluttershy looked into the bucket.
“I only have a little water left,” she said. “Angel, who do you think we should visit before refilling?” Angel pointed to the library. Though off in the distance, Fluttershy could see an empty gold chariot take off beside it.
“The Royal Chariot,” she picked her bucket up and moved towards the library. “That means that Princess Celestia is here. I’m sure she and Twilight won’t mind celebrating.”
*
Twilight and Celestia walked out of the library with smiles on their faces. Despite the fact that she had made several errors that most would notice, the solar princess either didn’t notice or smiled despite them. Twilight believed it was the latter.
“Princess,” she said. “Where would you like to go first?”
“You’ve told me so many wonderful things that you and your friends have done,” Celestia replied. “Do you think we can visit them?”
“I don’t see why not,” Twilight looked up. She could see a butter yellow pegasus with a white rabbit on her head approaching them. “Actually, I don’t think we have to visit, one is coming to us.” As the pegasus got closer, Twilight noticed that she and the rabbit were holding buckets.
“Hello Fluttershy,” Celestia said. Fluttershy in response bowed.
“Hello your Highness,” she said. “Hello Twilight.”
“It’s good to see you, Fluttershy,” she looked at the bucket. “If you don’t mind me asking, why do you have a bucket?” Water to the face answered her. Twilight looked to Celestia. Like her, she was drenched in water. Her normally flowing ethereal mane was flattened against her head and on the ground. Both Fluttershy and Angel had empty buckets in front of them and smiles on their faces.
“สุขสันต์วันสงกรานต์,” panic grew in Twilight.
“Fluttershy!” she screamed. “You can’t throw water at Princess Celestia! You’ve literally assaulted royalty!” Twilight turned to Celestia.
“Princess, I am so sorry that Fluttershy did that. I’ll find a way to punish…” Celestia raised a hoof stopping Twilight.
“Songkran?” she asked. Her horn glowed and the water came off both her and Twilight. Each droplet merged together in front of her forming a ball of water. “I didn’t think anypony here would celebrate that.” The water was thrown onto Fluttershy and Angel. Both of them were pushed back by its force. Fluttershy’s mane covered her face while Angel’s ears were flat against his head. Celestia giggled.
“สุขสันต์วันสงกรานต์ to you too, Fluttershy.”