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.

“I feel like I’ve been off the dating scene too long. I just really don’t even know where I’d start,” Rarity said.

“I know how you feel... but I believe in you. Who wouldn’t want that hot piece of ass?” Fluttershy smiled.

Rarity let out a little sigh. “Anypony, if my luck is to be trusted. I may be attractive as all get out, but if anypony agrees, they just aren’t showing it.”

“Well I think you’re hot. I’d ask you out myself if I weren’t...”

“Wait, you’re dating somepony?” Rarity asked.

“Welllll... maaaaaaaybe.”

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. JORPK!

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

“Is it Big Macintosh?!” 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.

“If it were, I’d have already told you,” Fluttershy said wearily. “No, it’s actually a psychological construct of my own invention. It’s called a tulpa. Her name is Smokey Eye.”

“A psychological construct of your own invention, huh? Maybe I should try doing that.” 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—

“I heard somepony talking about me!” 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. “Fluttershy! My dear baby girl! I love you so much!”

Rarity facehoofed. “Is this Smokey Eye? How come her coat isn’t, like, smokey-coloured?”

“She was going to be, but my mane fell into my eyes when I was designing her in my mind and I got distracted,” Fluttershy remarked.

“Oh, Fluttershy, you’re such a silly filly. That’s why I love you so much!” The pink pony leapt over to the puddle on the ground, and started licking. “Ooh, is this punch? Who the hell just sits around on a Saturday morning drinking punch?”

Rarity grimaced; Fluttershy just stared.

“I happen to think punch is quite delicious.”

“So do I, honey!” the pink pony said with a grin. “I’m just calling you a wacko, wacko.”

“You say this like you aren’t one as well,” Rarity said, skeptical.

The pink one smirked. “At least I don’t actually exist.”

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

“So, how did you two meet? I mean, where did Fluttershy create you?”

“Welllll, it all started back in Cantercún...”

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