Rarity awoke to a loud THUD at her bedroom window, and her first thought was of a home invasion. Someone was out there, trying to get into the Carousel Boutique and steal something. What they wanted, she did not know—a family heirloom? one of her prized creations?—but she would not let them take it without a fight.

She immediately leapt from bed, her horn already aglow and washing the room in ethereal blue. And that's when, her gaze already trained on the window and the inky blackness that lay beyond, she began to have second thoughts. A home invasion? Really, Rarity, how could you be so silly—who would do that? Ponyville was one of the safest towns in Equestria and she knew everypony in town.

Still, if it wasn't that... then what? What in Celestia's great green Equestria...?

She stepped forward, up to the windowsill, her muzzle grazing the cold glass surface. She peered through the dark, trying to make out anything through the dim light of the streetlamps.

“R-Rarity!” cried out a very familiar voice from below, and Rarity suddenly knew exactly what had happened.

“Coming!” she shouted in reply, though she had no idea if it would be heard. Rarity didn’t dwell on this, though, instead throwing on a nightgown and trotting quickly down the stairs. Almost without a thought she flipped the light switch as she passed through the hall to the front door. “Where are you?” slipped out as she slipped out into the crisp night air.

“Over here,” came the forced reply somewhere off to the left, and the white unicorn stumbled that way until she saw exactly who she expected.

“Rainbow Dash!” Rarity raised an eyebrow. “What's going on, are you alright? Was that you who crashed into my window?”

There was a groan. “I didn't crash into it. I just, uh, bumped it.”

“Right. Well, do you need any help getting up?”

“Shooould be good,” the other mare intoned, swinging herself up into view, into the streetlamps’ glow. Rainbow didn’t actually look too bent out of shape—her mane was a mess, but it always was, and her goofy grin was as toothy as ever. She leaned over, stretching out her neck, before stepping over toward Rarity. “How’re you doing, what’s up?”

Rarity blinked. “Er, well... I was asleep, darling, it’s three thirty in the morning. What are you doing out so late, flying into my window no less?”

Rainbow rolled her eyes, but she smiled too. “I just told you, I wasn't flying into it. I just, uh, took a bit of a wrong turn on the way home.”

Rarity tilted her head. “Where are you coming back from? Surely the Wonderbolts’ show ended ages ago? Was it really that far away?”

At this, Rainbow's smile faltered. “Uh, no, it was just in Whinnyapolis. Bit of a chilly flight, but not too long. Just went flying for a bit afterwards, had to clear my mind.”

“Did something happen, then?” Rarity asked. Rainbow Dash wasn’t usually so candid as to explain if something was, but then again she wasn’t usually out this late bumping into windows, either.

“Uhh, no?” She paused. “Not really?” She sighed. “I don’t know. I should probably get home, I guess.”

“If you like,” Rarity replied, “though I must confess, I’m not particularly sleepy anymore. If you wanted to come in and chat...” She trailed off, gesturing with a hoof to her front door.

“Actually, that'd be great,” Rainbow said quickly. “Should I be quiet? I don't want to wake up Sweetie Belle if she's here.”

Rarity turned to walk through the door. “Oh, no, she's with our parents right now, make all the noise you like.”

“Perfect.”

Rarity could hear Rainbow behind her, wiping her hooves on the doormat as she shut the door (probably with a wing), but she was already breezing through the hallway and towards the kitchen, in the back. “Would you like something to drink?” she called.

“Yeah, that’d be great,” Dash’s scratchy voice came echoing right back. “Feeling thirsty after flying so long, you know?”

“Well, I don't have much experience with that sort of thing, I only got that one chance to fly years ago,” Rarity hummed as she walked into the pantry. “Red or white?”

“Huh?” Rainbow stepped into the doorway. “Red or white what?”

“Wine, Rainbow,” Rarity said. “I've got a bottle of merlot unopened here, and as for the whites there's a lovely chardonnay I only just had a glass from a few nights ago.” She held up one of the bottles in front of her with her magic, the blue glow illuminating the liquid inside and giving it an odd unreal quality.

Rainbow Dash blinked, and then cracked up. “I meant, like, water or something, Rares. Don't know if I could stomach alcohol right now, honestly.”

“Oh, silly me.” Rarity smiled and slid the bottle back on the shelf. “May I get you a glass of water then? I also might have some grape juice if Sweetie left any, or some milk...?”

“Milk would be perfect,” Rainbow said, stepping back to let Rarity out of the pantry. “And, um, if it's not too much trouble... could you heat it up?”

“Oh, yes, of course.” Rarity got to pulling the pitcher from the fridge, and pouring a glass. “So, why so late?”

“Oh, um...” Rainbow Dash scratched her head. “I don’t know, really. I was just taking some time to fly and clear my head, and I guess I lost track of time.”

Rarity’s eyes narrowed, but she didn’t say anything before slipping the glass of milk into the microwave and replacing the pitcher in the fridge. “Well, if you insist, but I’m always happy to talk about anything. And I do mean anything.”

“Somehow I don’t doubt it,” Rainbow said with a snort. “Yeah, I don’t know, there’s no reason not to. It’s not, like, a big deal, anyway, I just... I was in Whinnyapolis after the show, just kinda walking around in the neighbourhood, and... it just hit me how much I miss you guys? Like, we don’t see each other as often anymore, you’re busy with your shop and Fluttershy’s got all her animals, AJ’s always got a ton to do on the farm, and Pinkie...”

“Pinkie’s actually pretty free these days, isn’t she?” Rarity asked, tapping a hoof on the counter.

“OK, yeah, she is.” Rainbow smiled. “We do still get to go pranking every so often. I dunno. I just felt like, when I was flying home, that I take you guys for granted a little too much.”

Rarity smirked. “Rather sappy for the Rainbow Dash I know.”

“Yeah, yeah,” Rainbow said, waving a hoof. “I dunno. I was just coming by to see if you were up since I know you’re up working on stuff sometimes, but—well, you know what happened.”

The microwave buzzed, and Rarity removed its contents, carefully dropping the glass into Rainbow’s hooves. “Be careful now, it might be a little too warm.”

“Meh, I’m hot stuff, I can handle it.”

Rarity laughed and watched as her friend took a sip.

“Aah!,” Rainbow squeaked. “Okay, yeah, maybe a little too hot...” She set the glass on the table beside her. “Thanks, though, and thanks for talking. Means a lot.”

Rarity smiled. “Of course, dear—what are friends for?”

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