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// Chapter 9 ~ Sweet Cupcakes, Sweeter Names 
// Story: The Matter Of Friendship 
// by HeartShieldFiM 
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Pinkie thought a whole lot about a way to make chaos safe for Discord. He could go to the Everfree Forest, but whatever he created there would finally end up in Ponyville as well. The lanterns, for example. If he'd hang them up there, they would fly all over to… everywhere.
Somewhere far away was no option – Pinkie had to stay close to Discord all the time and she didn't feel like moving out of Ponyville at all.
'Hey, thought of something yet?' Dash said, as she landed in front of Pinkie.
'Nope, not yet,' she replied, and scratched her neck. 'I have no idea where I can put a huge draconequus without disturbing anypony…'
'Maybe the mountains would be a good idea,' the blue pony said, and smiled. 'Close to Canterlot.'
Pinkie squinted. 'I don't think Discord would like that,' she said. 'But at least I can try…'

'What!? WHERE do you want me to go?'
Pinkie shook her head. 'Well, I'm terribly sorry Discord… I just can't think of another place where you could create chaos…'
Discord snorted. 'Pfft, sure. You all just want me to leave, eh?'
Pinkie put her hoof on Discord's lion-claw and smiled. 'You leaving is the last thing I'd want,' she said. 'But it's dangerous for you to stay!'
'Because I could…' Discord didn't finish his sentence.
Pinkie nodded firmly. 'Indeed. Because you could.'
'And what about Screwball, then?' the draconequus continued. 'If I leave her here, she'd die of missing me… and if I took her with me, she'd be way too lonely.'
The pony squinted. 'I have no idea…'
'I won't move as long as I don't know what to do with my daughter,' Discord said. 'Really. And if you dare to…'
'I won't dare, okay?'
Discord shook his head. 'I know you won't…' he muttered. 'But there are enough ponies who want to get rid of me…'
Pinkie didn't reply. She know it was true, but why would she confirm his sadness?
The draconequus sighed. 'Why, why me…'
The pink pony giggled. 'Oh dear, don't act so… well… depressed. Good for nothing, really.' She stomped him on his shoulder, something that seemed to have become a habit. 'C'mon. Let's go find a place where you'll fit.'
Discord smiled. 'Thanks, Pinkie. I'm glad you're helping me…'
'You're really welcome!' she replied. 'Oh, I have to hurry… I have to deliver a dozen of cupcakes to my friend at the edge of town…'
'Could I come with you?' Discord asked. 'It would be nice to…'
But before he could even finish his line, Pinkie already grabbed his claw and dragged him with her.

'So… then this would be the famous Mr. Discord?' Ice Cube asked. 'How great to meet you, finally!'
Pinkie nodded. 'Yup. You have heard of him?'
'Oh, of course!' the other pony replied. 'My brother SnoCone told me!'
Ice Cube was a white unicorn with really, really blue hair. There was one strand of her hair a bit darker, she always braided that to the side of her head. She knew Pinkie from the Sugar Cube Corner.
'Somepony told me about him,' she continued. 'Your blue rainbow friend, her name was Dash?'
'Indeed,' Pinkie said. 'Well, I got you the cupcakes!'
'Cupcakes?' Ice Cube asked surprised. 'Oh, yeah, I ordered them.'
Pinkie smiled. 'I used another kind of icing this time. Look!'
The other pony opened the box and found twelve small cakes, each with a rainbow of icing on it. 'Ooh…' she said. 'They look delicious!'
'You like the colors?'
Ice Cube nodded. 'I love them!'
'Me too!' Pinkie said. 'You, Discord?'
The draconequus smiled. 'They are lovely, Pinkie. Honestly.'
'I knew you'd say that,' the pony replied. 'Ice Cube, you say hi to your brother from us, right?'
'I will!' she said. 'Bye, and thanks for the cupcakes!'

'Why was she being kind to me?' Discord asked as the two walked home. 'She didn't even know me!'
Pinkie shrugged. 'More ponies are like that. If you meet somepony for the first time and you're nice to him or her, the bigger is the chance they'll be nice to you as well.'
'I haven't been really kind to you and your friends the first time, eh?' Discord continued.
Pinkie shook her head. 'Except for the fact you told me that I am your personal favorite, not really.'
Discord thought about this for a short time. 'Hm, but why are you kind to me then?'
'Because you are kind to us as well,' Pinkie said. 'You know, what you give is what you get!'
'Never heard of that. Explain.'
'If you give love and friendship and such, you'll get that back in the end. Even if you don't really expect it, like when I tried to befriend that donkey,' the pony said. 'And if you… you know… turn somepony's world upside down, change the grass into a chessboard, and turn everypony gray…' Pinkie thought about how to continue. 'Well, then they'll change you into a statue, eventually.'
'I see, I see,' Discord muttered. 'So… you did that because you hated me?'
'Pfft, nope,' Pinkie giggled. 'I kinda liked you, I mean, I'm not really normal myself, but you made a couple o' monsters of my friends and me so… yeah, I had to help them. Like they helped me.'
'And they helped you…'
'…because they're my friends!'
Discord bit his lip. He had no idea what to say, but Pinkie didn't really seem to mind. She just walked next to him, in silence, sometimes waving at a bypassing pony.
Finally, she was the one to say something. 'So… anymore questions?'
'Well,' Discord tried, but then stopped.
Pinkie tilted her head. 'Well?'
The draconequus sighed. 'I was just wondering… how do you make friends?'
Pinkie smiled. 'That's what I have been trying to teach you all the time! Be kind, say hi, maybe you could bring a small present…'
'I see,' Discord said. Then he said with doubt, 'Pinkie… do I have any friends?'
'Counting Screwball?'
Discord shook his head. 'No, she is supposed to be my friend, so it doesn't really count.'
'Well, you got me,' Pinkie started. 'Applejack seems to like you as well, and Rarity, of course… But Fluttershy and Twilight are quite afraid of you and Dash… well, you know about Dash.'
'So, I only have one friend? Since AJ and Rarity don't really count, they ain't really my friends.'
Pinkie shrugged. 'I think so,' she said. 'Why?'
'You got so many friends, how do you do that?' the mashed up creature asked. 'I mean, nopony really likes me…'
'I do,' Pinkie said. 'And Screwball does too. But it takes time to make new friends. And the hard thing about making new friends is that you still have to give attention to your óld friends.'
'That wouldn't be a big deal,' Discord said. 'I mean, I only have one friend.'
Pinkie gave him a head-butt and said, 'Good thing. I love getting attention!'
Discord couldn't help but smiled. 'Then prepare, honey.'
'WHAT did you call me?' Pinkie said, hysteriously laughing now (is that even a word?). 'Should I call you… bunny or something?'
'Why, what a good idea, fluffy paws,' Discord replied, trying so hard not to laugh as hard as Pinkie.
'Excuse me?' the pony said. 'YOU are the fluffy paws here, my rosy cheek!'
Now Discord exploded in a laughter-attack as well. For a moment, the two couldn't say anything. They couldn't even look at each other, or it would cause another attack.
'Oh,' Pinkie said, wiping the tears from her eyes. 'I haven't had a laugh like this in days! No, weeks!'
'Me neither,' Discord said. 'You could say months! Not since I let it rain chocolate milk! By the way… something completely different… have you ever flied?'
Pinkie nodded. 'Yup, twice. In Twilight's hot-air balloon.'
'Did you like it?'
The pony shrugged. 'Nah, it was quite slow and such. I wish I could fly like Dash…'
Discord kneeled to the ground. 'Want to take a ride?'
'I can?' Pinkie asked, completely overwhelmed by this sudden action.
'Why not?' the draconequus asked. 'I mean, I have wings and such…'
'Yes PLEASE!' Pinkie shouted, and immediately jumped on Discord's back. 'Where are we going?'
'I have no bloody idea, dearest.'
The pony bit her lip to prevent another attack. 'Well, let's start flying and see where we end up!'