53.
Lilly was starting to get worried, hungry and cold. She stood up and stretched as she looked around the seemingly abandoned ruins. Her stomach growled as she opened her bag and started to eat an apple. She walked over to one vine covered wall and placed her hoof on it. A door suddenly appeared. “What?” She tried the handle but it didn’t budge. “I wonder where it goes.” She moved her hoof and it suddenly opened. Lilly walked into the room and the door shut behind her the hearth came to life as a fire started to burn; a table appeared with food on it. She blinked in surprise then smiled. “Thanks Dad.”
Discord’s ears perked up. “Some pony is in my castle.”
Twilight looked at him. “How in Equestria do you know that?”
He shrugged. “Oh. Well. I was worried for nothing, it’s just Lilly. I hope she finds it accommodating.” He then grinned at Twilight. “My castle and I, we are best buds. We tell each other everything.”
“I don’t think I’ll ever understand you.” Twilight muttered.
“It’s not in my nature to be understood.” Discord replied. Twilight glanced at him, but he wasn’t looking at her as he seemed more interested in another stalactite that was dripping red water.
Silver walked over to Twilight and whispered. “You know, I am beginning to think that you do like him.”
Twilight scoffed. “Oh… please. He’s just an annoyance. I want this over with so we can help Princess Celestia and get her back on the throne and get Equestria away from his grasp.”
“He’s not that bad of a ruler.” Silver muttered. “So what we get unusual rain and we have odd crops, it’s just part of chaos isn’t it? You cannot go through life without a little bit of disarray. Nothing is perfect.”
Twilight thought about it for a moment. “Hmph. You don’t understand; he’s pretty much the epitome of Chaos.”
Silver smirked. “Be glad he is on our side then. As I said, he isn’t that bad of a ruler.”
Twilight just shook her head and didn’t continue to talk about it as she watched Silver walk over to Discord.
“Um…” Silver said to Discord.
Discord’s looked down at Silver. “Yes?”
“When we find out the source of the water… What will we do with it?” Silver asked.
He smiled. “Well, I am hoping to get enough water to…” He paused as if he just didn’t want to tell Silver what he really wanted to do with the water. “I’m sorry; I just cannot tell you my intentions. Now, Twilight is intending to save her mentor Celestia, and I am not so sure even the Spring of Eternity will help her.” He looked sad then he smiled. “Hopefully, when we find the source we’ll be able to fix the problem.”
Silver watched him as he made a vial of water disappear as he strolled casually down the cave. She walked beside him as Twilight walked a couple paces behind taking a book from her side pack and was paging through it.
“So…” Discord said breaking the silence. “Silver, indulge me. What makes you interested in Paradox?”
Silver started to blush as she stumbled slightly at his question and she looked at her hooves. “I… I love him.” She felt her cheeks burning and she looked up at Discord. “I always wanted to be with him, we grew up together, but he was always fawning over other fillies so I… resigned myself that he and I were never meant to be… Until … the night he and I met on the training field near the barracks.”
His ears perked up. “Oh? Do tell.”
“Well, I thought he was a unicorn that had fallen down drunk and I offered to help him up and… he turned into Paradox and he told me… That I was beautiful.” She blushed as she flapped her wings. “He then asked me an odd question.”
“What question was that?” He blinked as they turned a corner and he looked up slightly.
“He asked me if he looked like a monster.” Silver said.
He glanced at her. “And your answer?”
“I… I told him no… and he hugged me and thanked me.”
Discord smiled. “Thank You.”
Silver blinked and looked at Discord. “Why are you thanking me?”
He shrugged as he was staring suddenly at something ahead of them she looked ahead too and stopped in her tracks. Looming ahead of them was a large barricade made of a fine crystal beyond the barrier was the water for the Spring of Eternity. It was backed up but in a few spots the barricade spouted little trickling leaks.
He smirked and made like he was cracking his knuckles as he strode over to it but stopped suddenly and fell over as if he fainted.
Silver gasped and ran forward, but fell too. Twilight frowned not knowing what was going on, carefully she approached the barrier felt her ears start to ring loudly she shook her head and stumbled forward only to fall as well. Knocked unconscious by something.
Paradox and Zero walked around the bend not even twenty minutes later and noticed the large crystal barrier then noticed Discord, Twilight, and Silver on the ground seemingly asleep.
Paradox saw Silver and was going to run to her side when Zero grabbed his tail.
“Wait, that isn’t normal. It’s an enchantment; I don’t think it’s safe to run over to them.” Zero stated. “It’s so strong that it even got Twilight and your father.”
“So, what do you suggest we do?” Paradox asked. “I don’t know anything about enchantments; Lilly is the only one that studied them.”
“Can you send Lilly something that would hint on the fact that we need help?” Zero asked.
“Maybe.” Paradox said.
Turning to look at the stalactites she suddenly saw a cricket looming above her. Its long antenna was moving over her slightly and it moved toward her. She saw its jaws and mandible working in tandem as it drooled. She physically shivered in disgust and fear. She started to move slowly away from it and it moved with her.
