Windy stared at the floor. Twilight’s words pounded on her like a hammer, relentless. The smell of spoiled apples made her sick and hungry at the same time, but she fought to keep her eyes away from the incriminating heap of food. What was so bad about it, anyway? That food wasn’t hurting anypony. Twilight shouldn’t have been snooping anyway, she had no right to do that.
Twilight rummaged through the pile. “Half of this is from our own kitchen. It’s already your food. You can just walk down to there and fix yourself something to eat whenever you’re hungry. And is this garbage? Why were you digging through other ponies’ trash cans?”
The spinning world suddenly came to a stop when Twilight put her hooves on Windy’s shoulders. “I love you, Windy. I would never, ever let you go hungry. Don’t you believe that?”
The words echoed in Windy’s ears and swirled around in her head like a blizzard. There were so many things she wanted to express, but none of the words could leave her mouth. She just sat there, clenching and unclenching her jaw, running through scenarios where this hadn’t happened. She kept her stash somewhere else. Twilight minded her own business. Twilight understood how important food was. Twilight was frozen in a giant block of ice.
Windy shook her head and wiped the tears off of her face, then looked up at Twilight. She didn’t look angry, just hurt. “Don’t you trust me to take care of you?”
Without a word, Windy pinched her eyes closed and leaned forward into Twilight’s chest. The hug she got in return was almost mechanical.
“Windy, I want you to feel safe, but I don’t know what else I can do for you.” Twilight took a step backward, then levitated a garbage can from the corner and set it next to the pile. “You’re going to sort through this food. Throw away all of the garbage, and any food that has spoiled. Any food that is still good enough to serve a guest, you’re going to put in this box and take it to the kitchen and clean it up. Then you can clean the rotting food out of your bedroom. Try not to take too long, because you’re getting up early to find some needy ponies and give them the food you’ve been hiding.
“I’m going to go talk to Rarity, but I’ll be back soon. Talk to Spike if you need anything.” Twilight wrapped Windy in her wings and kissed her forehead. “I love you, Windy. I know it’s hard, but you’ll get through this, just like I did when I was your age.”
Cold air rolled across the floor when Twilight opened the balcony door and stepped outside. Windy remained motionless long after the sound of Twilight’s wings had faded. Finally, she turned to evaluate her task. She wrapped a few rotting apples and half-eaten sandwiches in her pale blue magic and levitated them into the garbage can. A box of dried pasta fell at her hooves.
Windy reached out and picked up the pasta in her hooves. It was enough to feed a hungry family. She let it fall to the floor again, then stepped on it, slowly crushing it under her weight. Harder and harder she pounded it with her hooves until the pasta was reduced to crumbs spilling out of the shredded cardboard.
“Are you alright? I heard you screaming.”
Windy wiped the tears off of her face and turned to face Spike. “No. But thanks for asking.”
Spike stepped into the room and grimaced when he looked at the mound of stinking food. “You know, I don’t think there’s a pony in ponyville who wouldn’t give you a meal if you knocked on their door and told them that you’re hungry.”
“Except for me.” She kicked at the crumbs, scattering them across the floor. She’d have to sweep them up later.
Spike yawned. “You’ll get there, as long as you let your friends help. Remind me to tell you some time what happens when a dragon gets greedy. I’m going back to bed. Wake me up if you need something.”
Windy turned back to the pile and started sorting, forcing herself to let each morsel fall out of her possession. Every bit of food she picked up reminded her of the pain in Twilight’s eyes when she had asked, “Don’t you trust me?” She had a long way to go.
Princess Celestia nodded and sipped her tea. “But she is making progress?”
Twilight set down her teacup without taking a sip. “I thought she was. But now I find a hoard in her room? She’s lying to me, and I don’t know what to do about it.”
“What did I do when you were being particularly stubborn?”
Rings formed in her teacup as Twilight tapped the table. She looked up at her mentor. “You let me learn it on my own. But I have no idea how to do that.”
“It’s not so different from what you’re doing already.” Celestia lifted the teapot and poured herself another cup. “Sometimes, a pony needs a gentle nudge in the right direction. I think that having her give the food to less fortunate ponies was an excellent idea. But she also needs to combine generosity with something she enjoys.”
“She’s going back to Sugarcube Corner to learn more of whatever it is Pinkie does. Hopefully she’ll be able to give away some food without having a meltdown.”
Celestia beamed. “See, you’re doing it already.” She took one last sip, then stood and turned back to Twilight. “It was lovely to talk to you again, Twilight.”
Twilight giggled and said, “Well, I suppose I’d better check downstairs to see what kind of trouble Windy and the Crusaders are getting themselves into. Thanks for listening to me.”
“It’s my pleasure.”
Celestia turned to leave when Twilight walked in front of her and wrapped her hooves around Celestia’s neck. Celestia returned the hug, and they both sat there for over a minute. Finally, Twilight pulled back with tears in her eyes. “Thank you. For everything.”
“It really has been my pleasure. I’m sure you understand now.” Celestia used a wingtip to gently wipe the tears off of Twilight’s cheeks.
Twilight nodded and watched as Celestia gracefully lifted herself off of the balcony. She rubbed her face and put on a smile before she trotted downstairs.
Open books were scattered across the floor, and the four fillies were lying on their stomachs, reading passages to each other. After each passage, a debate would begin as the fillies discussed the relative merits of… some process Twilight didn’t understand. She rolled her eyes and stepped into the library.
“Hey, girls!”
The Crusaders greeted Twilight while Windy stood up and plodded over to her. Windy spoke in a quiet voice. “Twilight, I’m sorry about yesterday. I should have been nicer about giving away the food, and I should have apologized last night. But, can I still go to Pinkie’s this afternoon? I promise that I’ll give away everything I make.”
Twilight couldn’t help but smile. “Yes, you should have, and I’m glad you realized that.” She pulled Windy into a hug. “Of course you can—” Twilight felt Windy stiffen in her grasp. She pulled back and looked at Windy’s wide eyes, flattened ears, and rapidly heaving chest.
Windy pushed away from Twilight, stumbling backward until she tripped over a small pile of books. She jumped upright and squinted at Twilight, her mouth twisted in confusion.
“Sweetie, what’s wrong?”
Windy backed up as she snarled, “Thy odor, tis a foul wind that burns.”
Twilight’s heart caught in her throat. “W-what books have you been reading?”
As Windy turned to gallop out the door, the three Crusaders grabbed her in a big group hug. Apple Bloom pressed her cheek against Windy’s side and said, “I don’t know what’s wrong, but Granny says there ain’t much a hug don’t fix.”
Windy shivered in their embrace, then began to sniffle. Twilight leaned over and sniffed herself, then called out as she backed toward the stairs, “Girls, can you take Windy to Sugarcube Corner? I think she needs a cupcake.” She turned and galloped up the stairs.
Twilight twisted up the corner of a towel and stuck it in her ear. Satisfied that her ears were dry, she wrapped the towel around her mane and trotted out the door, letting the steam roll out along the ceiling of her bedroom.
She opened a drawer, pulled out a scroll, and unrolled it on the desk. She dipped a quill in the inkwell, brought it over to the scroll, and froze. The tip of the writing instrument hovered over the sheet of paper for a long time, then went back into the inkwell. Twilight sighed, and tossed her towel onto the bed before shuffling out the door.
“I dunno. It was like a bad dream or something. Is there something wrong with me?”
Pinkie nodded sagely as she stroked the gray beard attached to her chin. After a moment, she said, “Absolutely!”
Sweetie Belle and Scootaloo waited with wide eyes as Apple Bloom wrapped one foreleg around Windy’s shoulders. Windy’s lower lip started trembling as she looked at the bearded mare and waited for her diagnosis.
“You don’t have enough cupcakes!” Pinkie announced. She lifted up a breadbox and hoofed out four cupcakes with blue, orange, red, and pink icing.
Windy chewed on her cupcake, crumbs jumping off of her lips as she spoke. “So, you’re saying that if I eat enough cupcakes, I won’t freak out for no reason? I find that difficult to believe.”
Pinkie started piling things onto the counter as she talked. “Just because you’re not perfect doesn’t mean there’s something wrong with you. We’re going to try something special today. Something that has never been done before.”
Several jugs of cream sat on the counter, along with sugar and vanilla, but also flour and eggs. Windy said, “Okay, I give up.”
“We’re making—” Pinkie took a deep breath “—deep-fried ice cream! It’s the perfect food!”
Apple Bloom asked, “How’s that even gonna work?”
Pinkie picked up Windy and turned her around, then threw a foreleg over Windy’s shoulder. “After we batter each scoop, Windy here is going to keep the ice cream frozen while we deep fry it.”
“Can I do that?”
Pinkie giggled. “I guess we’ll find out!” She turned to the Crusaders. “I need you three to run around town and tell everypony that they need to come get top secret experimental fried ice cream.”
The three fillies saluted and turned to gallop out the door when Windy called out, “Wait!”
They turned back around. Windy shuffled her hooves, then looked back up. “Don’t take too long. I think I’m gonna need your help to give it away.”
Sweetie Belle said, “That’s what friends are for!”
Apple Bloom and Scootaloo nodded, then the three turned and raced out the door.
The last of the ponies in the dining room thanked Windy again and trotted out the door. The Crusaders fell into a lean against each other while Windy rested her head on a countertop. Windy licked her lips. “Pinkie, how many fried ice creams did we give away?”
Pinkie hopped up and down with a giant grin on her face. “Three hundred forty seven!”
Windy smiled. “That was kinda fun, seeing everypony smile. But my horn hurts, I’m ready for bed, and I really need to apologize to Twilight.”
Pinkie dumped a large pile of dishes into the sink and said, “Thanks for everything! Unless you want to do dishes, the door is that-a-way.” She started sweeping off the counter with her tail, cleaning off the flour and melted ice cream as she hummed an unfamiliar tune.
The four fillies bumped into each other as they rushed out the door. Once outside, they stopped to giggle in the snow. Scootaloo turned to Windy and said, “Hey, are you going to the Hearth’s Warming play in Canterlot tomorrow?”
“No, why?”
Apple Bloom said, “My big sis is takin’ all of us on the train. I think you’d love it!”
“Yeah,” Sweetie said. “It’ll be great!”
Windy smiled. “That sounds like fun. I’ll ask Twilight.”
“Train leaves at nine,” said Apple Bloom. “See you there! Goodnight.”
Windy waved goodbye and spent the rest of her short trip home looking up at the stars. After climbing the stairs, she peeked into the fireside room. Twilight was curled up under a blanket, reading a book. “Twilight?”
Twilight set her book down and smiled. “Windy, come here.”
From a respectful distance, Windy said, “I wanted to say that I’m sorry about freaking out earlier. I want a hug, but I don’t want to freak out again.”
Twilight held out her forehooves and said, “I think it’ll be okay.”
Windy ran forward and jumped into Twilight’s embrace. After a few seconds, she looked up and smiled. “Thanks.”
The blanket rose up in a haze of purple magic and wrapped around both ponies. Twilight said, “How was Sugarcube Corner?”
“It was great! I made deep-fried ice cream, and gave it away to almost three hundred fifty ponies!”
“That’s really impressive. And you gave it all away?”
“Well,” Windy said with a grin. “I did eat one.”
Twilight giggled. “You had to make sure it was good, right?”
Windy yawned. “I’m super tired. Oh, by the way, can I hang out with Applejack and the Crusaders tomorrow?”
“I don’t see why not.”
Twilight squeezed Windy one more time before the filly ran off to bed.