The sun shone brightly through the window, a bright warm blanket of light draped over the table in the kitchen of Carousel Boutique. To one side sat the alabaster unicorn who lived there; on the other side, the buttercream pegasus who was her best friend. As they sat, they sipped from their cups.

“Sometimes it seems like Rainbow Dash might never come back,” Rarity said.

“It’s only been a couple months. She’s doing good work, give her time...” Fluttershy smiled.

Rarity let out a little sigh. “I know she is, and I know so many ponies are alive solely because of the good work she’s doing. But still somewhere, deep down... I’m so afraid that, for whatever reason, she’ll be in danger.”

“She’s been in danger before, plenty of times. It might not be her real middle name, but she’s got plenty of experience with handling sticky situations.”

“But even with her skill, won’t her luck run out eventually if she keeps doing this?” Rarity asked.

“...It’s possible, Rarity. I don’t know the statistics. All I can do is trust in Rainbow to bring herself home... and that’s really all you can do, too.”

Fluttershy scooted her chair out from the table and stood up, trotting over to the kitchen counter. From the stovetop, she picked up a teapot—an ornate, ancient thing—and started to walk back to the table with the thing between her teeth.

Suddenly, there was a very loud noise. HORTZL!

Fluttershy jumped, startled, dropping the teapot in the process. Time seemed to slow down as the antique china spiralled towards the ground, and—

“I’ve got it!” Rarity exclaimed. Fluttershy opened her eyes—which had instinctively snapped shut—to see that, miraculously, the teapot hadn’t fallen to the ground and shattered; it was suspended aloft by a shimmering blue magical aura. Yet even though the teapot was saved, a pool of the liquid had spilled onto the floor, soaking Fluttershy’s hooves.

“Good work, Rarity,” Fluttershy said wearily. “See, that’s probably how Rainbow Dash is handling things—just perfectly, just well enough.”

“But with just one slip-up, one mistake, that would have gone careening off the rails. And my great aunt’s treasured china... would be gone. And, as you know, Rainbow Dash is much more valuable to me than something like this.” Rarity set the teapot down on the table, and then picked up a cloth rag from the counter in her magic. She moved as if to wipe up the liquid, but—

“Did somepony say Rainbow Dash?!” another voice exclaimed. The cabinet beneath the kitchen counter burst open and a smiling pink pony popped out, her mane floofing up as she stood up. “I just got a letter from that gay skyhorse!”

Rarity facehoofed. “Pinkie, what are you doing in my—wait, she sent you a letter? Recently? She hasn’t sent me anything in more than a week...”

“I... I also received a letter, just yesterday,” Fluttershy remarked.

“Yep, mine came today.” The pink pony leapt over to the puddle on the ground, and started licking. “Did yours include a secret super-special surprise, Flutter-Butter?”

Rarity grimaced; Fluttershy just stared.

“What sort of surprise do you mean, darling?”

“If ya didn’t get a letter, I can’t tell ya,” the pink pony said with a grin. “That’s what Dashie said and I don’t go against what Dashie wants, no, no, no.”

“Are you sure?” Rarity said, skeptical.

The pink one smirked. “Sure as Sherman’s March to the Sea!”

A beat. Then, all three of them laughed, uproariously.

“Do you think our friend Rainbow doesn’t care for me anymore?”

“Probably!”

And, much as the sun kept shining on down through the window of the Boutique, life went on.