Spike wandered through the halls of Canterlot all by himself. In his claws, he held a note sent to Twilight from Pinkie Pie. He was headed towards the dimly lit room where Twilight could most likely be found napping. It was the only room that she had been occupying for the last two and a half days. To put things mildly, activities within the palace hadn't been favorable ever since Cozy Glow's release.
Firstly, Twilight began gradually slowing down on her daily tasks, and eventually, about a week later, she started passing on the less important duties to others. Following that, Spike found himself bringing Twilight all sorts of books. Books on history, and books about spells. Normally, this didn't bother Spike, but every once in a while, Twilight also had him bring her back the old copies and transcripts from the School of Friendship. Now, she only ever raises and lowers the sun and the moon.
Things started to add up in his mind at that point, but just when he was about to confront Twilight about it, before he could get to her, Twilight locked herself within the library and refused to come out, or hardly talk to anypony. To make matters even more questionable, and downright bizarre for all of the servants, guards and assistants working within Canterlot, she had locked herself in there with none other than Discord. Neither of them had left since Discord had arrived a few days earlier wishing to speak to Twilight.
Spike waywardly pushed forth the wooden surface of the door to see if it would open, and when it did, he came in slowly, and steadily. He was surprised to find out that Twilight had forgotten to keep the barrier up that night. A familiar purple figure could just barely be seen by Spike from beyond the silhouette shadows that painted the library walls. An ominous ray of moonlight shined downwards from the window, and the closer Spike got, the more he looked around, scanning his environment nervously. "D-Discord?" he whispered.
Twilight snored suddenly, catching Spike's attention. He glanced her way, and saw her barely wrapped in what appeared to be a blanket, and her head dangled uncomfortably from a single pillow. There was also a book left wide open lying on her torso. Despite her position, Twilight was definitely fast asleep, and by the looks of it, she wasn't getting back up anytime soon.
She was also resting on a few other opened, and unorganized books. That's when Spike took another look around the room, and realized that beyond all of the darkness coaxing the library profusely, there was a heaping mess of books littering the floor. They were practically all over the place.
Spike then heard a bleak sob coming from beyond the book cases behind Twilight. He began walking around them, his claws scratching at one another timidly while he held onto the scroll, but upon finally seeing Discord nearby, he'd stop. It would take Spike a few seconds to recollect his thoughts given his petrifying situation, but he had to know what was really going on with the two of them.
He asked, "What did you and Twilight talk about that day?"
Discord shook his head disappointingly. He sat on a bench alongside another one of the library's windows looking out at the shimmering and majestic city below, and said, "I told her... I finally told her the truth, Spike." He looked the dragon in the eyes as he began crying, and said, "There's just no way... I just... don't really know why Cozy lost her memory, and it..." He sobbed, "A-and it is not... because of my chaos, but Twilight didn't believe me."
Spike hiccuped sharply at this revelation. He just gawked in Discord's direction, unwilling to believe what he had just heard Discord say. "You... said that it might've been because of your magic. You were... making it up?"
Discord released a prolonged sigh, and said, "Twilight was just as shocked when I told her. I was making up a lot of what I said that day. I know... that I had told everypony something completely different earlier, but I had to lie. Don't you see? Why doesn't Twilight get it?" He blinked, and said, "Cozy Glow somehow lost her memory... I had to say something! Spike?"
The dragon folded his arms in anger, but asked Discord, "Yeah? What else have you lied about? Did you make all that stuff up about Twilight's mane, too? About how whenever it shimmers, it means she's done a really good deed? Or are you just guessing?"
More tears escaped with him not saying a word at first. He just stared at Spike in defeat, and then nodded. "Twilight was about ready to banish me when I told her... that I had lied about practically everything. I know it might seem... selfish, but wh-what do you think... that little filly's going to think of me when she finds out that I..." A sudden strike of lightning crashed loudly from behind the glass, startling the two of them. After a few seconds of waiting, though, Discord would finish asking, "That I caused her to be trapped in stone?"
Spike blinked as well, but his eyes were more sunken by now rather than teary. "What do you think?" Spike asked boldly.
Discord didn't answer at first. Instead, he stared off towards the direction where he had seen the lightning strike. "I don't just mean offering that as her punishment to Celestia and Luna, you know..." Again, Discord sighed with deep regret. "I impersonated Grogar, and encouraged Cozy Glow to continue her evil ways in doing so."
Spike's arms unfolded. "You... did..."
"For all I know, her staying in Tartarus might've been the better option. Twilight might've given her a second chance, and then something else might've happened, but... not something like this, I don't think."
Spike felt himself clenching his fists with every word that left Discord's mouth. "Uh-huh..."
"And now," Discord said, hoping that Spike would understand. "It's come to this... I've lied, and got in the way, and... I think I've just confused everypony, and made matters worse!" He shook his head in self pity, and finished, "I just... wish we could find out why she lost her memory." Spike's fists stopped clenching so tightly. "That's what's kept Twilight from leaving this room, Spike. She doesn't want ponies to know that she doesn't really understand what's truly happened to Cozy Glow." He furrowed his brow in anger, and commented, "She was so sure that it was my chaos that caused it..."
Spike stared at Discord, but said in agreement, "If it's a huge mystery, she's scared that ponies might stop trusting, and accepting Cozy Glow, and I can kind of understand that."
Discord then said, "I just can't imagine what I'll say to Cozy to try and explain what was running through my head the day I busted her out of-"
Spike mumbled as Discord spoke, "Wasn't too long ago that you did that little stunt right under our noses..." Suddenly, he felt his blood boil, and cutting Discord off, Spike first yelled at him, "And then, you go and lie to Twilight, and Starlight about her! Which was just recent, too!" Second, Spike did something that nopony could've seen coming.
Spike punched Discord right in his leg, although it was hardly felt by the all powerful draconequus. Still, to see the tiny dragon blow up like that made Discord feel odd, and more like he had just been put in his place. He looked at Spike with surprised eyes for a moment, but soon, he looked down at the floor, knowing that he deserved it. Spike huffed, and shouted, "Don't... Do that kinda stuff!"
"A-alright," Discord stammered.
"No!" Spike persisted, "I'm being serious here! You made this, like... A whole lot worse for us! How do you think we're supposed to explain all of this to everypony when it actually does come out? You've been so vague with everypony!"
Discord once again stammered, "I d-don't... I don't really know. At the time, I suppose that I didn't realize what I was really doing! Spike, you have to believe me!"
"It's already been a wild goose chase for everypony trying to track down her true whereabouts, which still, nothing has come up... Look, Discord," Spike voiced with a calmer tone. "I know your heart was in the right place..." Discord saw Spike smiling for a change. He smiled back, but then saw Spike start to scowl at him again. "Unfortunately, as usual, your brain was all over the place."
Discord frowned back, and said, "Ouch..."
Spike took a second to consider his next choice of words wisely. "Stop doing things like that. You might think that you're making friendship magical, but this, Discord? This didn't help."
Discord would take the advice given to him seriously in time. For now, all Discord could do was frown again, and look at Spike with apologetic eyes. That's when they heard Twilight coming around the corner. She stood a fair distance away from Discord with an unbalanced posture, and brought up a hoof to rub the back of her neck.
Soon, she'd ask, "Discord? You're... really that sorry about what you've done?"
She looked from Discord to Spike, and then back towards the dreconequus. He stared back at Twilight, unsure as to how he should respond. So, he simply said, "Of course I am."
Twilight kept looking in Discord's direction, but then, she soon trailed downwards, and stared at Spike again. "You... know you're not supposed to be in here, right?"
Spike seemed worried at first, but he stood his ground, and said what needed to be said. "Twilight?" He voiced nervously. "Cozy Glow... needs you." He saw Twilight's lips part as he spoke. "Pinkie has just lettered me. It's been over a month since Cozy Glow has seen you... And... well... Here."
He offered her the scroll which he had been holding onto the whole time, and as Twilight opened it, and read to herself, she hoofed for Discord to come near her. As he did, Twilight finished reading. She then gave Spike back the note, and looked into Discord's eyes with ferocity. "You..." She inhaled sharply before telling him, "You will not... lie to your friends like this ever again. Got it?"
He responded fairly hastily, "You have my word, Twilight."
He nodded obediently, and then was embraced by Twilight. She rested the left side of her head against his shoulder while she held onto him. "Promise?"
Discord nodded, and said, "I promise, Twilight..."
Releasing Discord softly, Twilight told the two of them, "By the way, Discord... you must've made a really lucky guess about why my mane started to glow. I asked Celestia and Luna about it. I was really caught off guard, though, when they wanted to know how you knew about that!"
She giggled slightly, and Discord asked her, "They... what?"
"Anyways," Twilight quickly said. "I'd better be off to Ponyville. If I leave now, I'll arrive just at sunrise... I just hope Cozy Glow is alright."
Twilight summoned a tissue for Discord before leaving the room, and told him, "I'll be back by tomorrow... If you want, you could come along."
Discord shook his head narrowly, however, and said, "Not yet, Twilight... I'll talk with her when I'm ready, and when I know what I should say to her."
Twilight nodded to him as she headed out the door, and with Spike following the princess closely behind, Discord was left to his thoughts, and to think about the mistakes he had made. More importantly, though, he'd consider what he could possibly do to make things right again for Cozy Glow.