Twilight dodged the last ray fired by Magic Silver and she threw to the ground panting of exhaustion. Magic Silver approached to her and said:
“Well that finishes the day.”
He then touched Twilight curing her from her exhaustion and then proceeded to transport both of them to the normal dimension right back in the library.
“Well that was a ton fun” Magic Silver said with optimism
“Yes… too bad it only lasted one week!” Twilight said with exasperation. She was tired not physically but mentally, she really didn’t sleep in all those days and all she did was basically fighting for her life. She needed a break from all of this
“Oh Twilight, but why don’t you look at the bright side? You are now an impossible target, you have an exceptional physical condition and I dare to say that no trap conceived by a mortal mind can catch you!”
“Yeah but this was just too…” Twilight couldn’t find the words, she was too tired or she didn’t want to remember all those exhausting, restless and dangerous days
“Magic Silver… I need to take a break…”
“That’s fine; I was going to give you a break anyway.”
“But I mean from all of this. I need a vacation, even if it’s little.”
“Ah… but of course!” Magic Silver said with enthusiasm and a big grin on his face
“Where would you like to go? I can “arrange” you a cabin in the most beautiful mountain of equestria with all the luxuries and supplements you could need, or maybe a beach house?”
“Thanks, but all I need is a couple of days maybe three on Canterlot. Go and visit Princess Celestia, spend time in the rooms that gave so many memories and maybe see my old schoolmates one more time.”
Magic Silver looked at Twilight with a look of calmed surprise, but he nodded and asked:
“Are you sure that’s all you need?”
She nodded”Yes, in fact, I think I still have time to gather my stuff and take the train. I’ll notify Spike, tell him to take care of the library for a few days.”
“Hey, you’re going to visit princess Celestia? I’d like to go too!” Said Magic Silver with eagerness in his voice
“Why would you want to do that?” Twilight asked
“Well it’s just that I’ll like an audience with the princesses, there is something I want to ask them. That’s all, and since I am a friend of yours you can facilitate me that, right?
Twilight had a suspicious look, but then remembered that at this point, it was impossible for him to have bad intentions, but, considering who he was she still asked one petition:
“Okay, but on one condition, please don’t make any attempt to disrespect them.”
“You have my word. Now I’ll go and wait at the station.” Magic Silver said exiting the library.
Twilight just stood there, not wanting to think about what just happened seven minutes ago in real time, she decided that the best thing she could do was to distract herself with these vacations even if they were short, she would have time to worry about the world’s fate later .
After gathering her stuff and instructing her dragon assistant to watch the library, she headed to the train station where Magic Silver was expecting her just like he said.
“Isn’t this a beautiful day to meet with the royalty? Come on Twilight, after you, madam.”
Twilight couldn’t help but raise an eyebrow at him; she shook the head and entered the wagon which was surprisingly empty. At first the ride was really quiet with Magic Silver looking through the window. Twilight was still wrapping her head around the fact that she was right next to the spirit of chaos… or at least he used to be, that was another thing that bothered her: why he said that “Discord” was only a role and if that was the case then why he chose to be the incarnation of chaos and disharmony, she thought about these questions for a while in awkward silence until she decided to finally ask.
“Disc-I mean Magic Silver--.“
“Please now, call me Silver.”
“Silver, you said that the identity of Discord was only a role, what did you mean by that?”
“That, Twilight Sparkle is a question for another time because when I answer it will teach you many things that you probably never wondered.”
That peaked Twilight’s interest, but she knew she wasn’t going to get an answer for that question, so she decided to ask the other thing.
“Silver?”
“Yes, Twilight”
“Why you decided to adopt the identity of the spirit of chaos, I mean, why chaos?
Magic Silver seemed to think about this question for a minute and then he answered:
“Because chaos… is liberty and freedom of thought at its finest.”
“How is that?” Twilight asked puzzled by that particular description of the chaos.
“Because, you see, I saw chaos as an expression of imagination nothing has to make sense, everything is up to your creativity. Chaos is unlimited and without boundaries imagination manifested in a physical way, the imagination is superior to intellect because whereas intellect is just the capacity to execute ideas, the possibilities of imagination have neither limits nor restrictions, and its ultimate expression is the chaos. Ponies usually see chaos with bad connotations and they often confuse it with madness but that’s because ponies always seek to have things under control and chaos is the exact opposite, heck, I don't even have control over the things I create, sure I can always undo what I create but other than that they can do anything, be anything because they’re free. In the worst of the cases chaos is imagination executed with an… unusual sense of humor.”
“But, what about your mandate? You couldn’t expect the people to just cope with the constant chaos.”
“And that’s another reason why I accepted to leave when Celestia and Luna ‘persuaded’ me.”
Twilight stood silent and pondered over this for several minutes and then finally came to the realization that despite everything that she knew about Discord and what he seemed to be, he was someone centered and mature, he knew that there is always a proper time for everything.
From there the trip was quiet though it didn’t have the tense atmosphere as before. When the train made it to Canterlot and both of them exited the wagon they noticed that very few other ponies were in the other wagons, this was kind of odd since Canterlot is the capital city, but it wasn’t a big deal so they ignore it. However once they left the station with Magic Silver helping Twilight with her baggage. they got further into the city and Magic Silver noticed that something was not quite right with the ponies, though the rest of the city seemed just as normal the citizens seemed off to the entire picture; of course Twilight wasn’t noticing any of this.
“Hey Twilight, I thought Canterlot was, you know, a bit noisier than this, I mean, don’t you think that the city is strangely idyllic today?”
“Hm, that’s true, but why is that important?” Said Twilight not really understanding what Magic Silver meant.
But he remembered that Twilight can’t sense things like he does, the city was quieter than usual but that was only in a relative way: a slight combination of day after New Year’s Eve and a normal weekly day. But when they arrived to the market district the suspicion made more obvious to Magic Silver they passed through a farmers market possibly one of the noisiest places on a town or city and yet this one was almost quiet with the exception of a few customers setting business with farmers at their stalls and there’s he decided to fully explain his suspicion to Twilight.
“Twilight… don’t you think that something really strange is going on with these ponies?”
“Well it’s been a few weeks since the changeling invasion don’t expect them to…”
Twilight looked around her, she had passed through this market in the past and back then it was full of voices and announcements from the farmers promoting their products, yet now was almost silent, it was strange yes, but it wasn’t a matter of concern for Twilight, at least not much.
“This can only be my own paranoia...”
“What do you mean?” Twilight said with an intrigued and nervous tone
Magic Silver didn’t gave her an answer and continued
“But I will conduct a simple experiment just to be sure. Twilight watch all around you, watch the ponies and pay attention to their reactions, I’m going to test their awareness.”
He then approached to one of the vendors; Magic Silver violently dragged him out of the stall, pounded him on the ground, his reaction was also odd, sure, he seemed surprised enough and almost panicking by the sudden aggression, yet he wasn’t talking and with one punch from his hoof rendered the guy unconscious. Luckily there wasn’t any guard to attempt an arrest, though that wouldn’t be a concern for Magic Silver. Twilight almost gasped at this and almost yelled:
“Why did you do that!?”
“Look around you.”
Twilight looked all the ponies around and not a single stare was found, not one pony was looking at them, in fact their faces didn’t even flinch, everypony kept with their business without noticing what just happened like if the whole scene had been rendered invisible . Twilight remained astounded by this; she still couldn’t say anything when Magic Silver spoke.
“Can you see it now? Something really disturbing is going on here”
“A-and-and what do you think it is?” Twilight said stuttering due to her astonishment
“As far as I can tell, these ponies--maybe all the ponies in the city are under some sort of illusion; they won’t notice anything outside of what they are allowed to see... Or at least that would be a theory.”
“Do you think is some sort of spell?”
Magic Silver thought about that question or at least he seemed to do and then he said:
“Most likely, but if it is the case then it’s no use wasting time here, we shall go and warn the princesses, let’s just hope that they’re not under the same illusion.”
“Right.” Said Twilight with a hint of fear but also with determination
Speeding their pace they both headed to the castle where the guards seemed to recognize Twilight letting her and Magic Silver pass one of the castle employees offered Twilight to carry their baggage to her former room on the castle.
“That was convenient, don’t you think?” Said Magic Silver pointing out the fact that that employee saved them a lot of time they can use now to go and see the Princess
“Well they always stick around every now and then, though they always remain inside the castle. It’s not usual to see one of them so close to my room.”
Magic Silver frowned with suspicion and walked alongside with Twilight to the throne room and when they approached the door one of the guards greeted Twilight saying
“Ah, good evening, Ms. Sparkle, the princess is waiting for you inside.”
Magic Silver was taken aback by this, if the rest of the day seemed strange this was downright supernatural.
“Wait, what? She is waiting for her? How the heck did she know? And why this guard suddenly talking, they aren’t supposed to talk!”
But he couldn’t tell this to Twilight she got ahead of him and before saying anything else the door was shut behind them.
“Is she so happy and eager to see the princess that she is not noticing out of normal at all?”
“Princess Celestia!” Twilight yelled with as much concern as expected from a pony that has been practically a daughter for Celestia
But Magic Silver noticed something that nearly stunned him: the two royal guards of the throne room, they weren’t there, he tried to warn Twilight.
“Twilight--!”
He was interrupted by Twilight starting to tell to the princess what they just witnessed in the streets
“Greetings my dearest disciple” Said Celestia with too much calm
“Princess Celestia, I am happy to see you again, but I came with something extremely important. This is an emergency! There is something terribly strange with the ponies in the streets; they seem to be hypnotized to live their normal lives no matter what happens--a murder could be committed in the streets and they wouldn’t notice!”
“It is already of my knowledge, Twilight Sparkle, and I am already working to seek the solution to this abnormal condition of my subjects, though I assure you, everything is under control.”
“Under control, huh?” Magic Silver though not surprised by the realisation.
Twilight was about to ask for information about what the princess knew, but the princess closed her eyes and spoke first
“However I need to work on the solution of a bigger problem…”
“Is there a bigger problem!? And what could be??” Twilight asked with disbelief
“To terminate your life of course” she said with so much casually as if she was talking about a minor maintenance problem in the castle structure, one second after saying this she performed a transformation too familiar for Twilight revealing herself as the Queen Chrysalis
Twilight’s face filled with a mixture of utter shock, how it was possible, here and now!? but despite her now dried mouth she managed to ask with a yell:
“Queen Chrysalis! Where are Princess Celestia and Princess Luna!!??”
“Ah they and I… solved our differences… so much that you could say that we are like family now!”
“What did you do to them!!??”
“That is not important now what matters is what I am going to--“
“You are a damn bad actress, Chrysalis, I didn't buy your performance nor for one second!”
“And who is this foolish new friend of yours?”
“Me? Don’t mind me; I am just an unknown factor, but I have to admit: this is a pretty good plan hypnotizing all the ponies in canterlot, somehow subdue the princesses, take over the castle and kill the most important element of harmony. Hmmm that doesn’t sounds like something you would come up by your own, are you sure nobody helped you do your homework? You’re going to get bad notes in the future, dear.” Magic Silver said with as much mockery as he could trying to either outrage her or incite her to reveal more of her scheme.
“A Queen has no need of assistance to create a scheme as perfect as this one; this time nothing will stop us from taking what is ours by prophecy! One correction though, only half of those ponies are under mind control the other half was replaced by my children.”
That revelation shocked Twilight
“Still not buying it, not after seeing how good turned out your last plan, I mean, come on! You let Twilight and her friends unattended and without any guard and then you gave them your back like saying, ‘I’m going to turn around for I don’t know, three minutes and I hope none of you tries to escape.’”
Chrysalis was clearly irritated by the acknowledgement of her mistakes and with venom in her voice said.
“Your identity doesn’t matter now, for none of you is going to get out of here alive!”
“Hey don’t count me in, I’m leaving right away.”
“What!?” said Twilight with surprise and fear but Magic Silver quickly responded:
“Don’t worry, the princesses are still in the castle, I’ll go and rescue the princesses! Damn that sounded horribly cliché.”
“Hey but what about me!?” Twilight frantically said and Magic Silver placed a hoof in one her cheeks and looked her in the eyes, he knew too well that she liked very much looking at those golden eyes.
“Hey I trained you, I trust in you, besides I will always have your back, understood?”
Twilight automatically nodded at this. She had to admit that that was an excellent way to raise her spirits. And with this Magic Silver teleported out of the throne room.
“What!? How could he do that!? I placed several anti-teleportation spells and seals all around this room--but that doesn’t matter he won’t succeed and I just need to kill you to end all hopes of keeping us from what belong to us!”
“Anti-teleportation spells… great, just great.” Twilight said with nervousness and embraced for an immediate attack from Chrysalis.