Morning came, as it always did, bringing light and warmth to every single...
"WAIT!!!"
Twilight leapt out of her bed, eyes wide open, alert and very much awake. Her head darted from left to right, taking in everything in her room, from her furniture to even the decorations around the place. Beads of sweat were now falling off her brow, and as she took a step away from her bed, her eyes narrowed.
"A pleasant morning to wake up to..."
She rushed over to her window, peering outside to look at Ponyville. All was well there, with everypony just getting up and starting to go about their day.
"...everything normal in town..."
She turned, looking over to the large mirror by her dressing table. As she leapt over to it, she glanced at her reflection, examining her wings, which looked as normal as they ever did.
"...and...I seem to be exactly how I was when I went to sleep."
For a moment, she paused, just allowing the peace and normalcy of the moment to sink in for her. But, soon afterwards, she frowned, shaking her head.
"No...it's a trick! It has to be! He's up to something, I just know it!"
Charging forward, Twilight used her magic to make her wardrobes burst open, followed afterwards by her looking through everything she had in there.
"Okay...nothing out of the ordinary...yet."
Backing away from the thing, she scoured the room yet again, walking up to her bed and taking a look underneath it.
"No monsters under the bed conjured into being all of a sudden."
Standing tall again, she pondered her situation for a moment, before finally widening her eyes with fear. Her head turned in the direction of the nearby door leading out to the hallway.
"Spike!"
The moment she'd spoken those words, she rushed out of her chambers, galloping as fast as her legs could carry her. On and on she charged, until, finally, she burst into her assistant's room. The sound of her arrival caused the young drake to bolt upright in his bed, looking around in a panicked manner until he finally caught sight of his friend.
"What...Twilight?! What is it?"
The young alicorn rushed over to his bedside, before, rather unceremoniously, using her magic to throw the covers right off him. Naturally, the youth was none too pleased with this, instinctually covering himself up with his claws.
"GAH!!! Twilight! What the heck?!"
The alicorn frowned to this.
"Spike...you're always naked."
In response, Spike gave a frown of his own.
"Yeah...but still..."
Twilight rolled her eyes, but then got right back down to business, looking her assistant over. From the looks of things, everything about him seemed to be normal. His scales, his colours, his claws. Everything was as he'd always been, which, at first, was a relief for her.
"Phew! You're okay!"
Looking down to himself, then back to her, Spike spoke up with confusion in his voice.
"Um...yeah? I mean, is there some reason I shouldn't be okay?"
Letting out a sigh, Twilight raised a hoof and rubbed her temples slightly.
"I don't know, it's just...all this business with Discord has got me on-edge. I just can't help but feel like he's planning something again."
Hearing that, Spike calmed down from what he was like before, hopping out of his bed and walking beside her in earnest.
"Twilight, you know Celestia talked to him about all that stuff. He's not gonna be stupid enough to do anything a third time."
Twilight nodded, but then, ever so gradually, started to look up.
"But...what if that's what he wants me to think?"
Spike raised an eyebrow.
"Um...what?"
Turning to him, Twilight pressed her nose against his, looking right into his eyes.
"Don't you see, Spike? Discord is chaos! His mind works in ways we can't even imagine! What if he's done some super-subtle chaosy thingy that we just can't recognise?!"
Spike frowned slightly.
"Twilight...I think you might be taking this a little too seriously."
But Twilight, taking a step back from him, shook her head.
"No, Spike. I'm not taking this seriously enough! I see it all now! He's been playing a long game since day one! Plotting and scheming."
Placing his claws against his forehead, Spike sighed.
"Plots and schemes are the same thing."
Ignoring him, Twilight continued.
"I'll have to be more vigilant than I've ever been before!"
Spike's eyes widened at that.
"Now there's a terrifying statement."
Afterwards, Twilight began to pace up and down the room, bearing that look on her face that Spike knew from experience was her making mental check-lists about everything.
"I'll need spells. Lots of spells. And I'll need to check up on my friends and have them establish some kind of neighbourhood watch. No! Better yet! I'll form my own anti-chaos taskforce!"
A look of giddiness crossed her face.
"Can't you see, Spike! I could usher in an age when Discord won't be able to make a Princess of Friendship ever wake up to strange and ridiculous things ever again!"
Letting those words sink in, Spike let his shoulders slump in defeat.
"Right...I'll go get the others."
Looking to him, Twilight bore a proud smile.
"Ah, getting the taskforce assembled early, Spike?"
"No...just warning them ahead of time."
"Discord!"
The regal and angered voice woke Discord immediately from his slumber. As the ancient spirit of chaos stretched out on his sofa, an exact replica of Fluttershy's like everything in his home, he turned to the door. Sure enough, moments later, it burst open, and the infuriated face of Princess Celestia marched within his home.
"You have some explaining to do!"
A chuckle escaped the spirit.
"I won't ask how you got in here, my dear Princess. But I will ask what you're talking about."
Celestia narrowed her eyes and took a step forward.
"You know exactly what I'm talking about! Twilight! You gave me your word that you would no longer interfere with her daily routines!"
Discords laid his head against the pillows of his sofa.
"And indeed I haven't. I haven't gone near your precious little student since our little talk."
Staring at him, the Princess raised an eyebrow.
"Then perhaps you would care to explain why she's going about Ponyville, practically tearing her mane out over something you've done?"
Discord smirked.
"Oh, Celestia...it's not what I have done...but what I haven't."
A sigh was heard from the mare at that.
"What?"
Getting up, Discord began to explain.
"There is one important thing you need to learn, Celestia. Sometimes...people can cause themselves trouble without any interference from the likes of me."
Looking away, his face was that of utter glee.
"After all...surely Discord, the master of chaos, would be up to something. Why wouldn't he be?"
Celestia frowned.
"So...you planned to have Twilight driven mad with paranoia...by doing nothing?"
Discord pointed to her.
"Ding-ding! We have a winner, folks?"
Letting the words sink in, Celestia scowled at him in her usual manner.
"You...truly are a twisted creature sometimes, you do know that, don't you, Discord?"
Leaning back into his sofa, the spirit smiled to himself.
"Flattery, my dear, will get you nowhere."
