Once they’d both returned home, Fluttershy filled Discord in on the parts he’d missed, and Discord explained what he’d been doing the whole time.
“So the tree just grew a random chest?” Discord asked. “How very… odd. I like it.”
“Oh, but I’m sure Twilight will figure it out!” Fluttershy said. “And we’ll all be there to support her!”
“Hmm,” Discord hummed in agreement. “You know, Celestia said something that got me thinking.”
“Oh? What is it?” Fluttershy asked.
“She asked if it wouldn’t simply be easier to tell your friends about everything,” Discord said.
“Oh… um…” Fluttershy said, frowning slightly. “I suppose it’s your decision, it’s just…”
“Oh, I don’t plan on it anytime soon,” he assured her. “I’d hate to cause trouble. For you, anyway. I was just thinking that maybe I ought to put in appearances more often, let them get used to me, try to make friends. If we tell them then, they won’t be as likely to overreact.” ‘ As much as I would love to see them overreact to this, waiting may offer up the opportunity for more friendly messing with them later...’
“Oh, that would be wonderful,” Fluttershy agreed. “I do hope that you could all get along someday. It feels so odd that my best friends don’t all get along.”
“Best… friend?” Discord asked, freezing. Fluttershy blushed and kicked shyly at the ground.
“Well, um, yes,” she admitted. “It’s just, we’ve spent so much time together, since you live here and all, and um, I really do enjoy your company, more than I ever thought I would, and… um… Oh, but I completely understand if you don’t feel the same way! I don’t want to put any pressure on you or make you uncomfortable! Oh, I shouldn’t have said anything!” ‘There’s that adorable panicking again...’ Discord snapped out of his daze, felt elation bubble up inside him, and pulled a surprised Fluttershy into a tight hug.
“Nonsense, Fluttershy,” he said with a grin. “You’re my best friend, too.” She returned the grin. “We need to celebrate this momentous occasion!”
“Um, okay,” Fluttershy replied with a giggle. Discord dragged her to his haven and used his chaos magic to create an entire indoor carnival that would never have really fit inside Fluttershy’s home. Of course, the carnival had a Discord-theme and was extremely random, but Fluttershy wouldn’t have it any other way.
“Oh, Discord, it’s wonderful!” she said happily.
“Only the best for you, my dear,” he said with a bow. “Cotton candy?” He offered her a puff of cotton candy that changed color every three or four seconds.
“Alright,” Fluttershy agreed.
“Say cheese, Fluttershy!” he said happily, summoning a picture and taking a picture in which an amused Fluttershy was holding her cotton candy and watching him grin like a maniac. It was a Polaroid, so the picture popped out, the cotton candy in the picture changing colors, too.
“Ah, this one’s going in the scrapbook!” Discord declared, summoning an empty scrapbook and placing the picture in a place of honor on the cover.
“Scrapbook?” Fluttershy asked.
“Why of course!” Discord scoffed. “What better way to capture our first moments as best friends?”
“You’re right, it’s a lovely idea,” Fluttershy said with a smile.
When Discord was finished thoroughly documenting their adventures in what he lovingly referred to as ‘Crazy Chaotic Fun Land’ the two headed back to Fluttershy’s cottage to work on the scrapbook, which, since they took turns putting pages together, became very eclectic, very fast.
When bedtime had been announced and Discord went back to his haven to sleep, Fluttershy took the scrapbook back to her room. She smiled softly at Discord’s goofy faces in the pictures. ‘I wish the others could see him like this,’ she thought. ‘He really is a big sweetheart once you get to know him. I haven’t had that much fun in ages...’ She fell asleep with a smile on her face and a scrapbook under her pillow.