//------------------------------//
// Chapter 8 ~ The Matter Of Friendship 
// Story: The Matter Of Friendship 
// by HeartShieldFiM 
//------------------------------//

Left. Right. Left again.
Pinkie didn't really look where she was going. All she did was avoiding the branches and rocks, so she wouldn't get hurt.
Where would she go? She couldn't think of anything else than to just keep on running. So she did.

After a while, she found herself sitting on an old tree-trunk. She plucked a bit on her hair, which felt pretty soft for some reason. She sighed and thought of Discord, growling. Pinkie bit her lip to keep the tears inside.
Since she was helping Discord, she's been nothing like the old Pinkie Pie, only thinking of good things and bringing them to others. Now all that went on in her head was to keep the draconequus sane, not knowing she'd almost kill herself with it.
Well, at least it's pretty much better than when Discord stole the Elements, she thought. Nopony could blame her for this, she was just trying her best.
She sat there for a while, in silence, when she suddenly noticed a rainbow above her head. She looked up and saw Rainbow Dash, flying in zig-zags over the Everfree Forest, shouting: 'Nope, no sign of Pinkie here!'
'We'll look from the ground,' the voice of Rarity said, and Pinkie really didn't know if she should stay and wait or just run away from the others.
Before she could make a decision, she heard: 'Ah, so you are here!'
Pinkie looked up and saw Rarity, together with Dash and Fluttershy.
'We've been looking for you for, like… hours!' Dash said, and immediately bumped into Pinkie to hug her.
Pinkie didn't react to the hug and Dash looked confused. 'Eh…'
'Oh, dear! What's happened to your HAIR!?' Rarity shouted, saying what everypony else was thinking.
In the corners of her eyes, Pinkie saw her always so curly hair, now hanging in straight strands from her head. She shrugged, but she knew what it meant. It meant trouble.
'Come on, dear. We have to get back to Ponyville. See, it's quite late already!' Rarity turned around.
Pinkie sighed and decided it would be the best to follow her friends. Dash and Fluttershy each wrapped a wing around Pinkie's shoulders, as to console her. Sometimes, it came in handy to have wings, since walking on two legs is quite hard for ponies (and because of the flying, of course. But that doesn't really matter now).
It took a long time to get home, partly because Pinkie ran away very far and partly because she walked very slow. All that time, Dash and Fluttershy walked next to her, their wings on her back, following Rarity who led the way with her glowing horn.
'Ah, finally, there we are,' Rarity said, when they saw light in the distance. 'That's Ponyville, honey.'
'I know,' Pinkie muttered, but it didn't sound anything like the Good Old Pinkie Pie.
Since everything seemed to go wrong, Rarity decided to take the lead. 'You,' she said, pointing at Dash and Fluttershy with her still glowing horn. 'You two should go home. You really seem tired and you've done enough for today.'
Dash and Fluttershy nodded in silence and slowly backed away.
'And you,' Rarity pointed at Pinkie. '… just go with me, okay?'
'This is a day that a shrug is the answer to anything,' the pink pony replied, and followed Rarity.

At her house, Rarity dug up a lot of hair-stuff and… such. Things like curlers and blow dryers and other things I don't even know the name of, so I just have to describe them I guess.
'Sit down,' she said, and pulled out a chair. Pinkie decided to just let Rarity do whatever she wanted, however she was aware of the effects of Rarity's actions.
'You know, it won't help,' she tried, but Rarity gave her a 'Tsssshh!' and attacked her hair.
After almost two hours, Rarity gave up. Pinkie's hair didn't want to be curled again.
'I told you,' Pinkie, no, Pinkamena said. 'This is what happens after something bad happens to me.'
Rarity shook her head. 'Well, I guess we just have to fix whatever has happened, then?'
'No,' Pinkie said, and jumped off the chair. 'I'll just go now. It's close to midnight and I don't want to bother you for a minute anymore.'
As she walked home, she saw that Discord was awake. The light in the room upstairs was on and she saw his silhouette, he seemed to be talking to Screwball.
She took a deep breath, knocked on the door and was surprised to find Twilight opening the door.
'Oh, hello Pinkie… wait…'
Pinkie sighed. 'I know, my hair. Rarity tried everything to fix it.'
Rarity actually DID fix something, but it was way too small to notice. It was the small piece of hair in her tail curling again.
'Well, come on in!' Twilight said. 'We actually have been waiting for you.'
Pinkie shrugged – again – and decided it wouldn't do any harm to get in.
'Hey, Auntie!' Screwball said, happy as always. Pinkie couldn't help but smiled, as she saw the pony almost her age, but being as nuts as Derpy. She found out she really loved the crazy daughter of chaos.
What she didn't notice was the small strand of hair on the back of her head, starting to curl again.
'Daddy wants to speak to you,' Screwball continued. 'Really. He is very sorry for what he's done.'
'I'm sure he is,' Pinkie muttered, trying to sound angry. It didn't work out at all.
'Sit down,' Dash said, who seemed to be in Discord's house as well. Pinkie also saw Fluttershy and Applejack, but Rarity seemed to be at home.
Of course, she just left her.
'Dáááááddy!' Screwball yelled. 'Somepony important wants to speak to you!'
There was no response.
'Would you like… a cup of tea?' Fluttershy asked. 'Because I just made some and I thought you'd like…'
'Yes please,' Pinkie said, and now actually felt a strand of hair in her tail curl up again.
'Are you going to talk to Discord?' Twilight asked, while Pinkie sipped from her tea. Applejack was doing the washing up and Dash cleaned the windows.
Pinkie wanted to shrug again, but then she said: 'Fine. I'll try.'
'Good,' Twilight said, and smiled. Then she turned to Dash. 'Done?'
Dash nodded. 'Yup. Gonna help AJ now with the dishes.'
'Dishwasher Dash,' Applejack muttered, and both grinned as she gave Dash a towel.
After a short moment of silence, Screwball said: 'I can get Daddy here if you want.'
Pinkie shook her head. 'No, thank you. Auntie Pinkie just has to calm down a bit. But I will talk to your father.'
'Fine,' Screwball said, and grabbed a cookie from the jar that was on the table.
'Hey, Pinkie, can ah talk to you for a moment or so?'
Pinkie turned to AJ. 'Of course, go ahead.'
'In private, please.'
Pinkie followed AJ to the hallway.
'Well, ah think Discord's being allergic to order,' AJ immediately said.
'Really?' Pinkie asked. It could explain quite a lot.
AJ nodded. 'Yeah. And to be honest, ah really think you should talk all this over with him, y'know. Since that whole hugging-thing and such…'
'I should, indeed,' Pinkie said. 'But I'm afraid that he'll try to hurt me or so…'
This time, AJ seemed to be surprised. But then she smiled. 'He won't, okay? Don't worry, sugar cube. Ah know him long enough now to know he'll try to make it up to you.'
At first, Pinkie doubted it. But then she looked at her friend again and thought: she has got the Element of Honesty not for nothing.
As Pinkie forced a smile and said: 'Okay, thanks,', another strand of hair jumped up to join the others.

'Oh, sorry Pinkie!' Dash said. She made a crash-landing on the dining table and accidentally broke the empty cup in front of Pinkie.
'No problem,' she replied. 'I mean, I'm sure Discord will forgive us for breaking down his whole house.'
Dash laughed. 'Ha, I'm sure he will. By the way, you won't forget that with every problem you can count on me, right?'
When Pinkie didn't reply, Dash bumped her on her shoulder. 'Because we're friends. And I'm here for you. Now I just have to… ah!'
'Well, ehm… there's sticking a part of a teacup out of your leg,' Twilight said. Dash nodded and tried to get it out.
'Let me do this,' Pinkie said, and carefully pulled out the soft orange piece of porcelain. 'There you go. See? It doesn't even bleed.'
'Thanks,' Dash muttered. 'You're an awesome friend, just to say.'
Pinkie's tail started to curl again.
'Oh, dear! How will I fix this!?' Twilight shouted, as she found out that Fluttershy accidentally broke a vase, Applejack had clogged the drain, Dash broke a painting and Screwball was drawing on the walls.
Twilight sighed. 'Well, there I go then…'
Her horn started to glow and just in time she fixed everything, because at that very moment, Discord came down the stairs.
Pinkie froze as she saw him, however, there was one part of her still moving pretty much. The three strands of straight hair left in her tail were bouncing up and down, trying to curl up again.
For a moment, nopony said a thing. Then, AJ sent Pinkie and Discord up to Discord's new room to talk. 'And don't you DARE to come down before it's fixed!'
Pinkie was the first to speak. 'Well, you must be pretty happy now…'
'Why?' Discord asked, being really surprised.
'Since you officially seemed to have destroyed the Element of Laughter, it can't be long before the world falls back into its good old chaotic state again.'
'That definitely IS true,' the draconequus replied. 'Well, only the first part. I. Destroyed. Laughter.'
Pinkie could feel her hair getting straight again, which meant trouble. But she also felt a claw, softly pulling at her straight strands.
'Well, well… so this is what I have done,' Discord muttered. 'It looks good on you, you know. But I like the curls better.'
'I wasn't the one straightening my hair,' Pinkie shouted.
Discord shook his head. 'Look, Pinkie… I always told you you were my personal favorite. And that still is true. I…'
'Then WHY did you GROWL at me?' Pinkie asked.
Discord sighed. 'It seems I really can't stand order, you know. I'm allergic to it. I need chaos!'
'You should see my hair every morning,' Pinkie said, and immediately covered her mouth with her hoof. She made a joke. On a moment like this.
Discord smiled. 'Yup, and that's one of the reasons I like you most.'
'Well, good for you,' Pinkie muttered.
Discord sighed. 'This won't get us anywhere.'
'It won't, indeed.' So Pinkie stood up and walked to Discord. He was at least twice as tall as she was, and only lying on the floor, leaning on his elbows. She doubted the thing she had in mind, but hey, Laughter and Chaos actually combine pretty great together (and as the writer of this story, I experienced that myself!). So she stretched her front legs and wrapped them around the draconequus' neck once again. He buried his face in her almost curly mane.

As Pinkie looked in the mirror the next morning, she found something on her head that looked like cotton candy. Well, except for two or three strands at the side.
She knew it wasn't all fixed, but at least the most painful part was over. Now she just had to find a way to let Discord create chaos without causing any harm, and that couldn't be that hard. Right?