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.

“Soooo... you know what I’m thinking?” Rarity said.

“What are you thinking, Rarity?” Fluttershy smiled.

Rarity let out a little sigh. “Oh, I was hoping you knew. I don’t know either, honestly. I wish I did.”

“Something about the upcoming winter, I’m sure? Do you have your winter fashions planned out?”

“Do you know what all your animals will be doing with regards to hibernation?” Rarity asked.

“I do, in fact... but hold on, let me get more tea. I can explain, though.”

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. PORDGE!!

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

“You did it, girl, you did 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.

“I guess I can do something after all,” Fluttershy said wearily. “Who knew?”

“I did, my darling.” 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—

“But what is knowage?!” 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. “Don’t tell me you can definitively say what it is to know!”

Rarity facehoofed. “Pinkie, what the h—?”

“Tartarus. She means Tartarus,” Fluttershy remarked.

“It’s fine either way, I really don’t mind.” The pink pony leapt over to the puddle on the ground, and started licking. “The thirst for knowledge will never be sated, you know? That’s just how it goes.”

Rarity grimaced; Fluttershy just stared.

“I’m not so sure about that, darling—you definitely can learn enough.”

“Learn enough... ha!” the pink pony said with a grin. “There’s so much out there!”

“Sure, but not all of it could possibly interest you,” Rarity said, skeptical.

The pink one smirked. “Interest? I hardly know ’est!”

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

“Seriously, that one again?”

“You know me—I never fail to disappoint!”

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