• Published 20th Apr 2014
  • 7,171 Views, 175 Comments

Insufficient - Subsolar Drift



Twilight just hasn't felt right for the last couple of weeks, and Pinkie wants to help.

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Feeling

It was the perfect day for reading. The skies of Ponyville were grey, the clouds letting a light drizzle cover the town. It was ever so slightly chilly, but a crackling fire kept the chill at bay and filled the Golden Oaks Library with a cheery warmth. The smell of hot chocolate wafted through the air, almost rich enough to taste. On days like this, Twilight would curl up with a blanket and book, her mug of hot chocolate beside her, and whisk away into another world.

Today, her book of choice sat unopened on the ground. She sipped gently at her beverage and stared into the fire blankly.

Twilight shook her head, quickly taking the last swig of her cocoa. She winced as the hot liquid burned on its way down. She stood up and shook her blanket off, picking up the untouched book and returning it to its place on the shelf then heading into the kitchen.

Her brow remained furrowed as she washed the mug. The sounds of the rain and the running sink didn't quite cover the thick silence that hung in the library.

The clean mug was put away and Twilight sighed. Time to clean. She opened the closet, grabbed the feather duster, and returned to the living room.

Her horn glowed and the duster flew around the room eliminating the dust that marred the surfaces. Twilight's war for cleanliness was swift, brutal, and effective, eliminating every trace of dust in the room. She tried to smile at the job well done, the corners of her mouth twitching slightly.

Twilight returned the duster to the closet and looked around. A moment later and she was on her way back to her room.

Books, papers, and blankets covered most of the floor. Twilight's horn began to glow and with a sigh she began to clear the clutter. Blankets folded, books returned to their various shelves, and papers stacked neatly on her desk.

She seated herself at her desk and pulled out some blank paper and an inkwell. Setting those aside for a moment, she levitated over an envelope sealed with her brother's cutie mark. Though she had already read the letter, she took the time to read it once more.

Finally ready to pen her response, Twilight dipped her quill in the ink well and began to write. The address and recipients present, Twilight's brow furrowed. The tip of the quill hovered over the paper but didn't move.

After a minute, Twilight shook her head and put the quill back in the inkwell. She sat and stared at the blank parchment in front of her, tapping her hoof against the floor. The longer she stared, the faster she tapped until at last she stopped. With a sigh, she crumpled up the blank reply and threw it towards the trash where it landed among several other equally blank papers.
Twilight let out a groan and flopped down onto her bed. The rain pattered on the window. The only other sound was the sound of her own breathing. After a few seconds, Twilight shifted, curled up, and pulled a blanket over her. She stared out the window, watching the clouds and the rain.


The smell of bread and sugar filled the warm air in Sugarcube Corner. The shop was filled with the sounds of customers taking shelter from the rain and having something warm on the brisk day. Every now and then a bell could be heard tinkling over the sounds of conversation, invariable accompanied by a blast of cool, damp, air.

Pinkie didn't mind. She hopped around the tables taking orders and refilling coffees while she chatted with the patrons.

Pinkie whistled an upbeat tune as she made her way back into the kitchen, empty coffee pot in hoof. She came to a sudden stop, her body beginning to twitch.

"Ohh, itchy mane, floppy ears, shaking hoof!" she squeaked. Leaving the empty pot on the counter, Pinkie bounced back out into the shop just in time to see Rarity and Fluttershy close the door behind them.

"Oh my gosh! I'm so glad you made it." Pinkie smiled, practically shaking with joy. "Do you want something to eat? I could get you some cupcakes or some cinnamon rolls-"

"I think a little coffee would be perfect for today," Rarity cut her off.

"You betcha. I saved us our usual spot." Pinkie bounced away, pausing to check out of her shift then continuing on into the kitchen. The empty pot was refilled and balanced on Pinkie's head along with three mugs.

One balancing act later, the three mares nursed steaming mugs and chatted at their table.

"When are the others getting here?" Pinkie asked, taking a swig of her coffee.

"Well Rainbow Dash is busy with the weather and Applejack is doing some last minute work before the first snow next week," Rarity answered. "As for Twilight, I have no idea. It's not like her to be late."

"Oh dear, I hope she's alright." Fluttershy said.

"Come on, she's like the most powerful unicorn there's been in forever and she's super smart. I bet she's just busy with some crazy, sciencey experiment," Pinkie reassured her. Fluttershy frowned, not entirely convinced. Before she could open her mouth to protest Rarity began to talk.

"Well, Since the three of us are alone we could head to the spa. Normally I wouldn't suggest it, but since the two who would usually protest are absent, why not?" Rarity suggested.

"But what about the rain?" Pinkie asked. "We shouldn't go to the spa if we're just gonna get all muddy and nasty afterwards."

Rarity laughed. "Of course not, darling. Rainbow Dash and I were talking the other day and she told me that the rain would be sure to clear up by late afternoon, and if we walk carefully we shouldn't have to worry about the mud."

"Okie dokie lokie!" Pinkie said with a smile. "I think a spa trip would be just peachy today! We can soak in the hot tubs, and relax in the sauna, and get a hooficure, and-"

"And everything else the spa provides," Rarity cut Pinkie off. "Now I'll just have to pick up a few bits at home, and I'll meet you two there."

"Rarity," Fluttershy began before Rarity shook her head.

"No need Fluttershy. This trip will be on me." With that she finished the last sip of her coffee and made her way to the door.

"Umm, Pinkie," Fluttershy said as the earth pony took another swig of her coffee.

"Yeah, Fluttershy?" she replied.

"I know you said that it's nothing, but I'm still kinda worried about Twilight." Fluttershy lowered her head so that her bangs hid most of her face. Her eyes stayed trained on her hoof as it held her mug.

"Well, If you want we could go check on her." Pinkie offered, a warm smile on her face. Just as she'd hoped, Fluttershy looked up.

"But what about Rarity?" the pegasus asked.

Pinkie chuckled. "Well, you can go with her and I can check up on Twilight. I'm sure Rarity won't mind and I bet you'll have a lot more fun at the spa than I would."

"Well, only if you're sure," Fluttershy said, smiling again.

"It's no problem," Pinkie replied with a smile. The rest of the conversation went on uneventfully and soon the two finished their coffees and said their goodbyes. Pinkie took the mugs back to the kitchen and quickly washed them before grabbing a scarf and heading out.

Pinkie loved the rain. Rainy days meant hot chocolate, coffee, and warm treats. Rainy days meant the perfect cool temperature and nice warm fires. The only thing better than rainy days were snowy days. Her thoughts drifted off to the upcoming winter as she walked.

Before she knew it, Pinkie Pie arrived at Golden Oaks Library and knocked at the door. She waited for a minute but there wasn't an answer. A slight frown on her face, she knocked again. There was still no answer.

"Twilight always answers the door during library hours. If she's not home she at least leaves a sign out." Pinkie Pie frowned. "Maybe Fluttershy was right." After a moment's debate she decided to go in to check on Twilight.

Pinkie opened the door slowly, not sure what to expect on the other side. Everything was just how it usually was. The shelves were neatly dusted and everything was organized.

"Twilight?" Pinkie called out, making her way to the kitchen door. "You here?" The kitchen was empty so she turned back to the main room. The door down to Twilight's basement was open but there weren't any lights on.

"Twilight, it's dark down there so I'm just gonna assume you're not there, okay?" Satisfied by the lack of response Pinkie closed the door and went upstairs. She walked along the hallway, checking each room along the way. Finally she reached Twilight's room.

She pushed open the door which was slightly ajar and walked into the room. Pinkie let out a small sigh of relief as she saw the pony wrapped in a blanket on the bed. Twilight's chest rose and fell evenly with her breaths. Pinkie moved quietly around the bed.

The smile fell off her face. Twilight wasn't sleeping peacefully. Every few moments she would wince and whimper, a frown plastered on her face. Pinkie Pie paused before moving closer.

"Twilight," she said in a soft voice, causing the lavender mare's eyelids to flutter. "Hey, Twilight," she repeated a little louder.

Twilight's eyes opened, and in a moment she made eye contact with an unusually somber Pinkie Pie. As quickly as she could manage, Twilight rolled over and sat up. Finally, after a silence hung in the room for a few moments she spoke.
"Hey Pinkie," Twilight said, her voice dripping with false happiness. "What brings you around?"

"Well, uhh..." Pinkie trailed off as she cocked her head before continuing, "I guess, you missed the get together with the girls and Fluttershy was worried so I offered to swing by and see if you were alright, but you didn't answer when I knocked, so I decided to come inside to check if you were okay, and I found you here."

"Oh," she replied lamely. "Well, you stopped by. I'm okay. Sorry I missed the girls, I was tired and stuff." Twilight's hoof twitched anxiously by her side.

"Twilight," Pinkie began, but stopped herself. She took a deep breath then continued in a happier tone. "Okie dokie lokie, that's good to hear. See ya later, Twi!"

Confused, Twilight looked up and met eyes with Pinkie Pie who had made her way to the doorway. The earth pony wasn't smiling. "Twi, when you feel like talking about it. Your friends are here for you," she said simply before turning and trotting out of the room.

Twilight sat quietly, rubbing her foreleg as she looked after her friend. A war waged itself inside her.

"Wait," Twilight finally called after the pink mare, bringing her to a pause at the top of the stairs. Pinkie trotted back to the doorway and stood there waiting. Twilight seemed to struggle for a moment before she could say anything more. No matter how hard she tried, it seemed there was nothing more she could say.

Without a word Pinkie walked back and pulled herself onto Twilight's bed. She placed a hoof on Twilight's back and pulled the unicorn closer. They didn't need any more words; the hug was enough.


"Check!" Pinkie giggled around a mouthful of bishop. She released the piece careful not to disturb the rest of the board and looked over her situation. Things were going well. She was up a knight on Twilight, but the unicorn could never be counted out.

Pinkie's adversary sat across from her, wrapped loosely in a blanket and looking over the chessboard carefully. Knowing that it'd be a while before Twilight decided on a move, Pinkie closed her eyes, soaking up the warmth from the fireplace.

After hugging for a few minutes Twilight still hadn't felt like talking, so instead Pinkie suggested they play a game. Pinkie opened her eyes and looked over the board happily. It'd been too long since she'd played chess. She really enjoyed the game but hardly played it anymore. Her expression softened as she thought about all the afternoons she'd played games with her Granny Pie, chess chief among them.

A glow from Twilight's horn drew Pinkie from her revelry as Twilight lifted one of her pawns and moved it forward two spaces. "Check," Twilight countered, blocking Pinkie's attack while revealing one of her own.

"Wha?" Pinkie squeaked, looking over the pieces and groaning at her mistake. "Aww, shoot. You got me, Twilight. Nice move," she conceded and moved her king to a safe square.

"Thank you," Twilight chuckled as she captured Pinkie's bishop, placing it with the other fallen members of the earth pony's ranks.

From there the game went quickly downhill for Pinkie. Despite an extremely evasive knight and a dangerous rook, Twilight finally took down Pinkie's king.

"Wow, Twilight," Pinkie began as she returned the pieces to the board. "That might've been the best game of chess I've played in a long time."

"It was a lot of fun, Pinkie." Twilight replied. "Where'd you learn how to play chess?" She asked as she set the chessboard back on it's space on the bookshelf.

"Oh you know me. I know all sorts of games," Pinkie answered with a laugh. "My Grannie Pie actually taught me chess. We didn't have many other games on the farm so I got to play a lot."

"Well," Twilight began, swallowing thickly before continuing. " Thank you. You have no idea how much I appreciated it." Twilight blinked, trying to stem the flow of tears that threatened to leak from her eyes and hide them from her friend. Pinkie pretended not to notice.

"Any time, Twilight." Pinkie drew Twilight into another strong hug. "I'm always up for a game of chess." Pinkie gave Twilight another squeeze. "But I gotta hurry on back home. Mr. and Mrs. Cake are having a date night tonight and I'm foalsitting." With that she hopped towards the door.

"Pinkie," Twilight said as her friend reached the door, but she wasn't quite loud enough for the earth pony to hear her.


The sky had cleared leaving the air filled with the clean smell of the rain. Pinkie trotted through the streets, carefully avoiding the mud puddles that dotted the ground. She made her way to the spa, hoping to catch Fluttershy and Rarity. As luck would have it, she made it just in time to catch her two friends on their way out.


"Oh, hello again, Pinkie," Rarity greeted her. "The spa was simply lovely as always, though it wasn't the same without you. You'll have to come with us on another day."

"Cross my heart, hope to fly. Stick a cupcake in my eye," Pinkie promised.

"Pinkie, did you see Twilight?" Fluttershy asked.

"You betcha! She was super sorry she missed out get together, she was feeling really under the weather so she headed back to bed."

"Oh the poor dear. I do hope she feels better soon. Wouldn't want her to get any worse, especially with Spike away."

"I should make her some soup," Fluttershy added.

The conversation lulled as the three kept walking. They reached a fork in the path and Rarity said her farewells, heading back off to Carousel Boutique. Fluttershy thanked Pinkie again for checking on Twilight and then departed as well.

Pinkie headed towards Sugarcube Corner at an easy trot, mind not really focused. Her thoughts trailed back to the look on Twilight's face when she slept. The discomfort and unhappiness. A frown grew on her face. Twilight shouldn't be unhappy. A part of her just laughed it off, saying she was just sick. The rest of her wasn't convinced.

Pinkie was so caught up in her thoughts she failed to notice where she was. The next thing she knew she was on the ground, slightly dazed. She shook her head clear only to see that she'd made it to Sugarcube Corner already.

With a giggle she got to her hooves and headed inside. A few customers sat at the tables, but the vast majority of the store was empty. After saying hello to a few of the patrons, Pinkie made her way upstairs. She chatted for a while with the Cakes who had already set their foals to bed, until it was their reservation time. After quickly checking on the two foals, and headed to her room.

She stepped over the various games and other party debris that was scattered over the floorboards and leaped onto her bed. She let out a contented sigh as she looked over the familiar room.

Twilight's face came to her again and she frowned. Her stomach sank. The bed creaked as she rolled over to face the reptile tank that rested against the wall. Gummy was asleep on his rock under the heat lamp. Disappointed she couldn't talk to her pet, Pinkie flopped onto her back.

"I hope Twilight's gonna be okay." she muttered under her breath. "Maybe, I should make her some cupcakes tomorrow." Pinkie's mouth began to water at the thought of cupcakes. She shook her head. "No, I should make Twilight's favorite treat."

She paused, trying to remember what Twilight's favorite was. Nothing came to her. "Oh come on you silly filly!" she growled herself. "She's one of your best friends. How can you not know her favorite type of dessert?" Still, nothing came to mind.

Pinkie sat in stunned silence. Her body began to droop and her mane lost some of it's puffiness. "C-come on Pinkie, it's okay you don't know her favorite dessert. You just gotta think of something else she might enjoy," she stammered.

"I could get a new book for her, or take her to see a movie," she mumbled. "But where would I even begin with books? Does she even like movies?" Pinkie asked herself, trying to remember if Twilight had ever mentioned going to see a movie. Pinkie couldn't remember for the life of her.

Her hooves began to tremble. She slumped back onto her pillows, her mane slowly straightening out. "Come on Pinkie, you've known Twilight forever. You know more about her than she likes books and magic. I mean sure, you didn't know she had a brother until just a few months ago, but that doesn't mean anything, right?"

Pinkie bit her lip. "You must just be fretting right now, Pinks. That's it," she said in a forced chuckle. "Just a little bit of forgetfulness. All those little details you know about all your other friends will come back to you. Just gotta wait." She sat down and waited, willing for something to come to her anything. Nothing did.

Tears welled in her eyes and her body slowly slumped to the ground. "What kind of friend am I?" she asked herself in a half sob. She closed her eyes, struggling to keep the tears at bay. She took a deep breath. "It's okay," she muttered to herself. "Don't blow things out of proportion. You've just made a mistake. Twilight won't hate you for it." Her heartbeat slowed and her breathing evened out again.

"I'll just have to spend more time with Twilight," she decided, straightening up. "I'm gonna be such a good friend, Twilight won't know what hit her! I'll just head over tomorrow and spend the day with her! What better way is there to get to know someone better than spend time with them?"

With that decided, Pinkie rose to her hooves, feeling a little bit better. She got ready for bed, and quickly fell asleep, ready to make amends the next day.