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From the question, "What is real?" by Tumblr user drumblastingquilava.

***

Twilight took a mouthful of water from the glass next to her. She let the liquid roll around in her mouth, wetting her dry tongue and the insides of her cheeks. She swallowed, relishing the feeling of cool water in her parched throat. It was eleven o’clock on Tuesday morning, and she hadn’t slept since Saturday.

“Hello, Twilight! How ya doing?” The unicorn tried to turn towards the voice and gasp in shock, but her exhaustion-addled brain screwed up the signals somewhere along the line. Her head twisted one way and her body jerked another, and Twilight fell over flat on her face. She let out a low groan as the pink pony who had appeared so suddenly let out a snort of laughter.

“How do you do that?” Twilight said as she struggled back up to her hooves. She took another drink of water and then put her face down on the table. In truth, Twilight couldn’t really bring herself to care how Pinkie could pop up like that. She needed a huge helping of sleep and food right now, and Sugarcube Corner was the best place to get one of those.

Pinkie grinned widely, closing her eyes and showing bright white teeth. “Magic!” she said, still chortling at the joke. “Wait,” she said, calming down now. “You don’t look so good.”

There were no mirrors immediately accessible, but Twilight knew Pinkie was right. Her mane and coat were hopelessly disheveled, her tail was sticking out in all directions, and there were bags under her bloodshot eyes. If she weren’t starving, and if Spike weren’t asleep from staying up late to help her, Twilight wouldn’t have gone outside at all.

“Why do you look so sleepy?” Pinkie asked, eyebrow raised.

“I’m making a spell,” Twilight said. “I’ve mastered a lot of spells, but I’ve never actually created one before.” She winced as she remember the explosion from the previous night. After this was over, she was going to have to do a lot of cleaning. “I’ve been working on it for three days straight and I’m nowhere near close to finishing.” She groaned. “I don’t know what to do. Every single thing I try blows up in my face. None of my books are the slightest help, and even the Princess’s advice is confusing to me. It’s like everything I thought I knew about magic was wrong. I don’t even know what’s real and what’s not anymore.”

Pinkie Pie smiled down at her friend. It was a warm smile this time, not coming from the burning fires of passion that Pinkie kept stoked at all times for impromptu party needs, but from the part of herself that remembered her friends’ birthdays and favorite colors and foods and told her when somepony close to her needed a hug. And such a time was now. Pinkie wrapped her forelegs around the unicorn and squeezed her tight. “I’m real,” Pinkie said, “and you’re real, and our friendship is real.”

Twilight didn’t say anything, just smiled blearily into Pinkie’s fur. The earth mare smelled like flour.

“And…” Pinkie Pie brought up her hoof with a dramatic flourish as she pulled away from the hug, “this muffin is real!” She placed the pastry in front of Twilight, who unwrapped it and immediately dug in. “I put a couple more in this bag here. After you finish that one, you’re going right to sleep.”

“But, but I have to finish my work,” Twilight mumbled through a mouthful of muffin.

Pinkie narrowed her eyes. “I’m going to take you back home and tuck you into bed myself!” she said. Twilight stared into her eyes for a moment, until she was sure Pinkie was steadfast, and then nodded.

“You’re right, Pinkie. I’ll go to bed.”

“Great!” Pinkie jumped up and bounced her way to the counter to talk to Mrs. Cake about taking a short break.

Twilight took the bag of muffins and tucked it into her saddlebag. “Friendship really is real, isn’t it?” she said, to no one in particular.