It was according to Princess Celestia, the most fun gala in years. For 1,000 years, the Princess of the Sun had thought of the Gala as nothing more than a boring event where the highest ranking ponies of Canterlot would come together for a night of nothing more than just socializing and dancing to slow waltzes. When her former student and youngest equal, Princess Twilight Sparkle came to the Grand Galloping Gala for the first time with her friends, she had thought of them as a way to liven up the event and she certainly succeeded in doing so.
Now, here was Celestia, reveling in the knowledge that she had finally topped the previous gala and it was thanks to her former arch enemy turned ally, Discord, the creature of chaos who had retired from his villainous ways. For some time, she had started to develop feelings for the ex-master of chaos, ever since he gave her flowers at Twilight's new castle following the re-imprisonment of Lord Tirek. With the gala drawing to a close, Celestia thought that now would be a good time for a nightly stroll in the Canterlot Gardens.
However, Discord was nervous, thinking that Celestia would be upset with him for allowing his friend, the Smooze, to spread his slime all over those who were in attendance.
"I just hope Celestia isn't too hard on me," he whispered nervously, twiddling his eagle claw and lion paw nervously. "I was simply doing what Twilight asked me to do, which was to keep the Smooze under control.
In fact, Discord didn't come to cause chaos, but rather get the attention of Fluttershy, who had a plus one in Tree Hugger, a pony that she had met on her visit to see the Breezies a few months back. Sure his attempts weren't very subtle, but at least he learned that it was okay to have more than one friend. Taking in a heavy sigh, Discord walked outside where Celestia was out looking up at the moon that her sister, Princess Luna, raised and lowered every night.
"I thank you very much for a fun evening, Discord," Celestia said as she looked up at the moon with a small twinkle in her eye much to Discord's surprise. "You were just the one that would liven up the most boring night of the year."
Discord could not believe what had just been said from his former enemy and supposed lover. As far as he was concerned, Discord was a creature that was born to cause chaos and even though he was no longer an enemy of Equestria, he still had chaos in his mannerisms.
"Did I hear you right, Celly?" asked Discord, confusingly enlarging one of his ears. "Did you say that you enjoyed the chaos I caused?"
"Yes, I did," replied Celestia as they walked into the gardens. "I wanted you to enlighten the Grand Galloping Gala. Tonight, you proved to me that you can cause chaos as long as it doesn't hurt anypony. Besides, I couldn't help but laugh at the joke about Twilight's wings."
"Well, she is young and still can have difficulty flying," remarked Discord, who transformed his wings into Twilight's wings, taking flight for a second before crashing to the ground. "You get my drift?"
As Discord spoke, Celestia was beginning to think of how far Discord had come in his reformation. In her mind, Celestia knew that she had succeeded, supposedly Tirek betraying Discord was a sign that, although painful, taught Discord that friendship was more valuable than anything, even power and freedom.
"Hello? Princess?" he asked, waving his lion paw in front of Celestia's face as she closed her eyes in thought. "Do you get my drift?"
"Oh, oh, yes, Discord," stuttered Celestia, breaking out of her trance. "I do understand what you've said."
"Um, if you don't mind my asking, Celestia," remarked Discord as they came up to where Discord's statue used to be. "Have you…I don't know how to say this, but…"
The ex-king of chaos took in a heavy sigh as Celestia carefully looked down at him, waiting for what he had to say. Discord was silent for a minute and then said his peace while head was blushing bright pink.
"Do you love me?" he asked and waited for Celestia to respond. After a few brief moments, she smiled and was supposedly leaning towards Discord for a kiss. "Um, I'll think I will take that as a yes, if I do say so myself."
"But, not in the way you expect me to think," replied Celestia, realizing what she was doing and hastily backing away. "I love you as a friend, Discord. Our past dictates the present and we both know that there is no future for us in terms of getting…"
"Married?" finished Discord, producing a black tuxedo with a wedding ring in his lion paw, before snapping away the wedding getup. "I certainly wouldn't think so. I'm a creature composed of several other creatures and you…are the ruler of Equestria along with Twilight, Luna and that lovebird of a niece, Princess Cadence."
Discord then snapped his fingers and produced a suit that was previously worn by a Trottingham rock start with a blonde pompadour and a pair of glasses that hung on his nose.
"Hey, all you need is love," he remarked, talking in a Trottingham accent, before snapping it away. "At least in her mind. We can't be lovers, but we can still be friends again, right?"
Celestia thought of what Discord had said for a moment and then she decided that he was right. Just then, a cold breeze came through the Gardens and Celestia could feel herself growing tired. She knew that the stroll was to end soon and that she needed her sleep.
"Of course we can," she said as they started to walk back towards the castle. "What is done is done, Discord and we need to move on. Let us worry about the present and not about the past. Tonight was just the first step of many peaceful nights together as friends. Good night, Discord."
Discord watched as Celestia walked back into the ballroom and out of sight, thus ending the night. Once Celestia was gone, Discord fetched the Smooze who was lying flat on the ground from exhaustion caused by dancing with Pinkie Pie before snapping his fingers and returning to his house in the chaos realm.
"We are just friends," he thought as he went to sleep that night. "Just like me, Fluttershy and all the other ponies that I am friends with. Still, I can't help but wonder…."
Discord was about to have a fantasy with him and Celestia being married, but he stopped himself before he could think any further and soon, he went to sleep and the biggest night of the year had come to an end.
