It was odd.
That night it had appeared to be as if it had came out of nowhere.
I jolted upright in my bed in a half-asleep state. I felt momentarily blinded, and to be honest a little scared. Everything was shaking: the walls, the shelves, even most of my books ended up on the floor. I was looking left and right, trying to see. Trying to open my eyes. But even when I did all I continued to see was darkness.
It still seemed to be nighttime in the sleepy town of Ponyville. My eyes finally adjusted to the darkness as I felt the shaking stop. It had almost given me a heart attack when I first realized that I could have easily been killed by such a strong earthquake. As soon as my legs stopped trembling, I hopped out of my bed, instantly tripping as I landed on one of my books and face planted on the hard wooden floor.
I lied there stunned for a good minute or so before the pain registered itself into my throbbing head. I groaned as I rubbed my cranium, specifically my horn, as it had been the one body part to take most of the damage.
"Agh!" I hissed, before picking myself off the ground. So far this day seemed to be going great in my book.
There was a single, unmistakable knock at the door. I ignored the stinging pain and made my way for the stairs, while at the same time looking for Spike.
"Spike!" I called out. Spike usually slept pretty close to the library books at night, so I was pretty shocked as I made my way down the stairs only to find out that he was nowhere to be seen. "Spike?" I called again, more meekly. This was really starting to creep me out.
Another knock at the door. Who could be at the door at this hour? Well, maybe the earthquake woke them up as well. Maybe someone's injured and in desperate need of assistance!
"I'm coming!" I yelled as I trotted up to the door. I used my magic to quickly open it, half-expecting to see the worst like a foal covered in blood. Maybe even a mother with a crying child in her hooves, speaking about her home which has just been destroyed. When the door opened and I peered out, much to my astonishment...
No one was there.
"What...but...how...?" I contemplated outloud. I could have sworn I heard knocking. I walked out the door, just to make sure that the visitor may not have just gotten scared and ran off, or assumed that I wasn't even coming. I looked left and right, but the streets was dead silent. Even the crickets had stopped chirping for an instant. "Huh..." I said, as I turned around. I was about to close the door when a bright flash caught my eye, strangely on the outside of it.
On the outside of library front door was, a necklace? I stared at it, almost immediately awestruck and baffled. It simply hung there on a nail, and as far as I remembered there were no nails in the door before.
It was of a bright golden hue. Even though it was dark it flashed immensely under the moonlight. The medallion itself was quite a sight. It looked like a large, head-sized coin. It was like a pancake, since it was very flat, and it looked very fragile itself.
What intrigued me the most was the azure colored jewel in the middle of it. The more I stared at it, the more queasy I felt, for some reason. After a few moments, my vision began to blur, so I decided to look away from the medallion all together. I grabbed it and curiously put it around my neck.
For being quite flat and fragile, it was VERY heavy. When I put it on I wasn't really expecting it to weigh that much. I expected my neck to be able to take such a weight without a problem so it was unprepared, and thus caused my head to droop to the ground along with the medallion in what was a joyride with gravity. I quickly took it off, and rubbed my neck in pain. I felt as if I had just gotten whiplash...great.
I (somehow) picked up the strange medallion and took it inside, closing the library doors behind me. I didn't have to think about it twice as I immediately went to my shelves, searching for a book that may give me some information on what the hay was going on! First, an earthquake, and then a golden medallion just appears on my doorstep out of nowhere? This can't be a coincidence.
"Twilight?"
"EEP!" I squeeled in shock at the sudden voice behind me, dropping the medallion on the floor with a crash and doing a massive double take. I was relieved to find that it was only Spike, with a glass of fresh milk in his hands.
"Oops! Didn't mean to scare you!" He sleepily chuckled, letting out a loud yawn. Even when he's half asleep, he's still as inquisitive as ever as he stared at the weird necklace on the ground. I followed his gaze and hid the medallion behind my back.
"What was that?" He asked, taking a drink of his warm milk. I shugged, playing dumb.
"What was what?"
"That think you just dropped. It looked a little like a record-"
"I have NO idea what your talking about!" I spoke, a little bit too early. Spike and I stared at each other for a few good minutes before he gave up and began walked back into the kitchen for some more milk.
"Alrighty then..."
"Hey Spike?" I asked, he stopped walking and looked at me. "Did you feel all that shaking earlier?"
Spike simply shook his head as a "no", and continued walking into the kitchen, looking as if he was about to fall asleep standing upwards.
I sighed. I didn't want anyone finding out about this yet. It could be some sort of rare artifact! Maybe even some sort of magical tool! It definitely looked magical, if not a little...weird looking. It could be very important for all I knew. I can't just go showing it off! Also, was it me, or am I the only one that felt all that shaking earlier?
I must be losing my mind.
I went back to poking through all my books, ripping them off the shelves, glancing at the cover, and then setting it down in a pile next to me for an easy clean up. It took way longer than I would have hoped for, and I was quite close to calling it quits and going back to bed, which I desperately wanted to do at this point.
Eventually, my gaze finally landed on the book I was looking for: "Ancient Jewelery, and Other Fun Findings!", it read.
"Aha!" I exclaimed.
I, once again, used my magic. This time to flip open the book and quickly scan through it, looking for anything similar to what I had recently found nailed onto the outside of my door.
My luck seemed to be on my side, as it truly didn't take me that long to find it, as on beloved page 47, a large picture of the exact medallion was staring back at me. I couldn't help but smile and feel a little bit of self-satisfaction. I read the entry out loud.
"The Medallion of Seven Sins..." I read. Odd name. "Long ago, this large and golden medallion was crafted and used in many difficult tasks, such as curing the sick, stopping wars, and providing nourishment."
Wow! A medallion that can bring world peace! I could barely believe it!
I continued to anxiously read. "It is said that in this world, there are seven ordinary ponies, each of whom harness the attributes of each of the deadly sins, and have the ability to control the medallion's power."
Wait...Deadly Sins?
"The attributes include Gluttony," The illustration next to it showed a very chunky earth pony munching on some sort of snack, getting drool and food everywhere. He was surrounded by piles upon piles of food and other delicious treats, ones that
"Greed," In the next illustration was a pony literally surrounded by bags of money, and it seemed to fall from the sky around him. His eyes pierced me as they seemed to be looking deep inside of me...
"Lust," the next picture was nothing special. A pony that was shining, and showing off her long and dazzling mane and tail, giving me what looked like seductive eyes. there were tiny hearts scattered throughout the picture.
"Wrath," The next picture was a little more unsettling. It was a pony that was completely surrounded by nothing but fire. A wall of flames on each of his sides. His evil eyes burned.
"Sloth," Next was a picture of an earth pony just lying on the ground, appearing to be doing nothing. Glossy yellow eyes staring off into the distance. The illustration itself was very bland and it lacked various amounts of color.
"Pride," Next, was another mare. Much like the illustration for Lust, she was dazzling. Sparkles everywhere. She appeared to be looking in a mirror, a gigantic smile on her face.
"and Envy." The last illustration on that page appeared to be a mare with an angry look on her face as she stared at a different mare in the background, who appeared to be laughing with another pony. It looked like nothing but pure jealousy was coursing through the mare's veins. Skull and crossbones were scattered all throughout the picture. Her eye's burned with desire.
I wasn't sure if I liked where this was going.
"When all these attributes gather around the medallion, it's power will be unlocked." I finished reading. Well, I was truly surprised that I didn't know any of this beforehand. Well, the only thing I knew from the beginning was that it was some kind of artifact, and I was proved to be correct.
I closed the book and put it on the shelf just as Spike came back from the kitchen with a brand new glass of milk. I assumed he wanted to go back to sleep, so I stood up and made my way for the stairs, levitating the medallion out of Spike's view.
"Night Twilight." He groaned as he plopped into his bed. I just barely giggled.
"Actually, it's technically morning." I corrected. Spike waved me off, obviously too tired to listen to me at this point.
I decided that I would research a little more about the medallion later, right now I needed my sleep.
***
But that was about a week ago. Even still, I haven't found out much. Truth be told, I have forgotten about it entirely until just now. I decided to put the research on hold for now.
Right now I was on my way to Canterlot. I have heard from Cadence that my older brother's job as the Captain of the Royal Guard has been very troubling and stressful for him. So I thought maybe if I brought him a few of Pinkie Pie's home made cupcakes, that maybe that would make his day just a little better.
I really enjoy how quickly it takes me to get to Canterlot. By train, it only takes me about 30 minutes, whilst by hoof, it would most likely take all day, if not longer. Even though it does cost quite a bit of money, I usually don't mind.
By noon, I was at the Canterlot Castle, taking in the wondrous breeze and warm air, and staring at the large wooden doors once again. Once again, Royal Guards who(Who could have guessed?) guarding the castle aimed their various weapons at me, shouting things such as "Who goes there? State your name!"
"My name is Twilight Sparkle, I-"
They didn't need to hear the rest. That was all they needed to know, apparently, and the wooden doors began to open up for me. I give a smug grin as I kindly thanked them and walking inside with my container full of pink frosted cupcakes.
Upon entering, I was met with the same usual hallway that leads to Celestia's throne. After the King Sombra attacks, the new windows were utterly gorgeous as the sun's rays gallantly shone throughout the building. I always smiled at myself every time I saw the window that had Spike painted on it. Oh, it was definitely one of his best moments for sure. Everyone's STILL calling him a hero after that. But hey, let him soak in all his glory. It'll run out eventually, just like ours.
"Shining Ar-OOMPH" I was suddenly on the ground. I glared up and saw a very bulky member of the Royal Guard running down the hallway in a full sprint. I couldn't help but growl angrily to myself as he was shouting urgently towards the Princess who what standing in front of her throne.
"Princess! I come bearing news!" He panted as he knelt in front the Princess. Celestia nodded and the stallion stood up from his position near the ground.
"Yes, Odysseus?" She asked, raising an eyebrow. I could tell that this was going to be interesting...
"I come bearing new about the Changelings!" He shouted, even though Celestia was only 15 feet away from him. Celestia scrunched her brow and gave Odysseus a long, yet hopeful glance.
"Well?"
"We have learned that they plan on attacking! Their army has almost doubled in size, and they have changed their strategies! They plan on taking over all the major cities in Equestria!"
I silently gasp. Queen Chrysalis is back? Well...I guess it was only a matter of time. She looked to be that of the persistent type, considering that she pretended to be Cadence for...who knows how long?
"Humph. Stubborn Changelings..." She stated, looking up at the ceiling.
"No matter, my dear Princess!" Odysseus boldly stated, smugly closing his eyes and standing tall. "I'm sure we can take them out the same way we did last time!"
Celestia only shook her head at the stallion. "No...we can't."
The green stallions confidence instantly dropped. "How come?"
"Cadence and Shining Armor are strong, but they are not going to be able to keep the Changelings at bay. Especially from every major city in Equestria." She explained, deep in thought. Odysseus puffed up once again.
"Well, with Cadence and Shining Armor, and the Elements of Harmony, that should take care of it!" He concluded, a prideful smile on his lips. Celestia shook her head again, causing Odysseus' ears to droop.
"Even still, the power would not be that enough. The Changelings would overtake us in mere hours." She explained. "We need something more powerful. Something that can save the whole nation. We need a certain medallion-"
Well, that was enough of a hint for me. At that moment, I knew exactly what I had to do.
I quickly dashed out of the still-open wooden doors, exiting just before Odysseus and Celestia had turned their heads. Unfortunately, I left the cupcakes behind, but I really didn't mind. At least the pony that finds them will be happy about it.
I couldn't believe what I just heard. the Changelings? They're actually coming back. But this time, they will attack mercilessly. They know what us ponies are capable of. And they've adjusted their tactics to what they find suit.
Needless to say, everything was in their favor at this point.
It took a lot of concentration(And a few screw-ups) until I finally teleported back to the library. Safe and sound, for once. It was a gorgeous day in Ponyville, as usual. Celestia's sun was shining, and there wasn't even a cloud in the sky. The birds were singing their daily songs of peace.
I tried to think about what I should do first. What seems to be the most logical was to gather everyone and explain the situation. But what I really need to do first is get the medallion in question. I trotted inside of the library and was first greeted by a cool breathe of air, and secondly from a frowning Spike, who was across the room with his arms folded.
"Hey Twilight..." He said, raising an eyebrow. "Where did you go?" It was at this point that I realized that I had forgotten to tell Spike where I was going. Then again, Spike wasn't my father. It was more like the other way around. But both he and I know that we both worry and care for each other.
"Oh, sorry Spike. I went to give..." I trailed off for a bit as I walked around the room, looking for the Medallion. I know I put it somewhere..."Uh, Shining...Armor some of Pinkie's..." I started to look through the bookshelves, eagerly and unnecessarily tossing books to and fro. "...Home made cupcakes."
Spike didn't know how to respond. He was more focused on watching what I was doing than trying to solve him own questions. "Alright...?"
Spike shook his head rapidly as to shake all the unneeded thoughts out of his head before glaring at me again. "Twilight what are you doing?"
I jerked my head up and desperately thought about what I could say, without exactly lying. "Uhm, something important." Success?
"Oh. Well I can help you look for it!" I mentally groaned. "I'm good at finding things." He exclaimed before running over to me.
"No!" I shouted, a bit too loud. I cleared my throat sheepishly. "I mean...no, I'm good. I can find it on my own." I assured him. He furrowed his brow at me, almost looking like he was pouting.
"You sure?"
Suddenly, an idea. I just hoped he'd forgive me for this.
"Fine, you can help." I mocked exaggerated. Spike laughed before giving me a playful salute.
"Don't worry Twilight! Spike's here to help!" He recited before he, strangely, went into the kitchen to search.
I utilized this priceless opportunity to bolt up the stairs. Now that I think about it, I can remember taking the artifact upstairs just last week. I ran into my room, frantically trying to remember.
"Think Twilight, think..." I told myself, hitting my hoof against my head. It didn't seem to work, as I continued to stand there, clueless. I plopped purple sheeted bed, completely lost in thought.
I must have put it somewhere! I wiggled around in my bed out of frustration, before my head hit something hard, and also making a slight ting noise. I overturned my pillow, only to find the medallion.
Why did I think that that was a good place for it? I have no idea.
"Gotcha!" I shouted. I quickly grabbed my saddle bag that was hanging on a hook near my door and put the medallion inside. The saddle bag was just big enough to fit the whole gold necklace in there, to my amazement. I walked down the stairs only to find that Spike is still searching. I was going to tell him that I found what I was looking for, but to avoid raising questions, I didn't.
"Don't worry Twilight! When I find something that looks important, I'll be sure to let you know!" He declared, before going back to searching through the bookshelf. I smiled sheepishly.
"Thanks Spike." I said as I quickly exited the library.