A lil bit of headcanon below
 
I really miss the early seasons of MLP. Not to say the newer ones aren’t bad, they’re not at all, but I just remember the charm of the old seasons and can’t help but smile (: My favorite seasons are 2, 3, and 5, for their own reasons. Season 2 because it introduced Discord! I really liked seeing how he slowly drained the Mane 6 of their magical abilities, defeating them and eliminating his enemies by making them give up on each other.
 
Sooooo, I decided to draw my own interpretation of the scene where Twilight finally loses faith in her friends </3 In the show, she simply just gave up on her own, but I’d like to headcanon that Discord specifically enjoyed hers the most. She was the biggest obstacle standing in his way, so when she finally gave up he was overjoyed.
 
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Discord, similar to Tirek, can “feed” off of chaotic energy. Despite already being an unnaturally powerful being, chaotic energy, including disharmony, helps his power grow. He is a producer of his own energy, but before reformed, he commonly fed on the energy of others. If he stops performing chaotic feats, his existence slowly drains (sometimes so drastically that he can even fade away into nothing). It’s not just a “Discord thing” to randomly perform chaotic magic, but it’s a literal way of life.
 
In Twilight’s case, her defeat was very plentiful to him. She practically has the roots of harmony thriving inside of her. She can only take so much, and she unfortunately succumbs to Discord’s methods, supplying him with powerful negative energy.
 
Without her harmony, there is practically no internal magic inside of Twilight. This is why bodies become completely grey. All pony races rely on the magic within them, whether it’s for fur color, happiness, or mental stability.
 
This is why it’s common to see ponies with dull coats when they are stressed, unhappy, angry, or feeling any other negative emotion. However, completely grey scaled coats are a rarity, and very dangerous. It is extremely difficult to come back from the “Grey Zone” as most call it.
 
 
In the above picture, Twilight maybe wasn’t 100% ready to give up. Maybe. But weakened by her lack of strength and magic, Discord finished her off, absorbing her magic and nearly destroying her presence.
 
Most ponies when entering the Grey Zone are documented to have become so absorbed in their own chaotic messes that they forget to eat, drink, and… well, live. Many Grey Zoners die of starvation or dehydration. The Grey Zone is similar to a parasite.
 
Twilight was able to recover from the Grey Zone, and it may be because she hadn’t truly given up. Not completely, at least.
 
 
-The Greying process is much slower and much more painful than depicted in the show. Twilight here is seen with her flank slowly fading its color. The cutie mark is the last to turn grey.
 
-Discord can’t just give back the magic he took from her. Twilight has to rediscover it for herself, or ignite it so its power can return. This is extremely difficult to do, as most Grey Zoners have completely given up and don’t have the mental strength to save themselves.
 
-There are bodies scattered everywhere throughout Equestria once Discord strikes. However, they’re not dead bodies, just ponies who have given up hope.
 
-While Discord’s fatal enemy is pretty much the whole concept of harmony, his friendship with Fluttershy doesn’t destroy him, nor even hurt him. While it might seem harmonious, the friendship is unlikely. It’s considered “unnatural.” Similar to how changelings can thrive positively on the love of others rather than taking it, this chaotic relationship helps Discord more than he knows.
 
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I didn’t think I’d have that much to write xD This was really just an experimental doodle that turned into a whole project. I was experimenting with lighting, shading, and color usage. The line art is ugly and all over the place, but I still had fun making this! I’ve been thinking a lot about Discord and his role/purpose, and this messy scribble turned up
 
Tl;dr: Discord can absorb Twilight’s internal magic when it’s a specific type of “ripe.” It helps his chaotic energy grow, while the effects on Twilight are very negative.
 
If anyone’s wondering what specific scene this is based on, it’s when Twi finally goes grey: www.youtube.com/watch?v=mKRFhF…
 
Thanks for stopping by to take a look!