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.

“No one ever told me life would be this long,” Rarity said.

“I know, isn't it wonderful? So much time to do everything you want. I don't have to worry about running out of time; I can set my own pace.” Fluttershy smiled.

Rarity let out a little sigh. “I didn't quite mean it in a good way, darling. I mean, you're right, plenty of time to do things... but it is rather exhausting, isn't it?”

“I guess I've never thought about it that way.”

“Really? Not ever?” Rarity asked.

“No... I just find it so nice and calm.”

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. HMMPH.

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

“Well this isn't quite calm, now is 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.

“Well, sure,” Fluttershy said wearily. “And I get anxious in these moments... but I remind myself that they pass, eventually. And time goes on.”

“Go on it does. For better or for worse.” 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 not uninterrupted!” 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. “Variety is the spice of life, sillies!”

Rarity facehoofed. “As is scaring your friends?”

“I didn't find it scary,” Fluttershy remarked.

“Scary, but fun!” The pink pony leapt over to the puddle on the ground, and started licking. “And delicious... like this tea! Mmmmmm...”

Rarity grimaced; Fluttershy just stared.

“It is good tea, Rarity.”

“And how!” the pink pony said with a grin. “And that's what makes everything worth it!”

“Good tea makes the monotonous drone of life more bearable,” Rarity said, skeptical.

The pink one smirked. “As I said: varie-tea is the spice of life.”

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

“Are you convinced yet, Rarity?”

“Well, not for the tea. But perhaps it's the jokes that make it all worth, my dear Element of Laughter.”

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