Sitting at home, on her front porch, Swifty sipped her lemonade. Her life was cozy, warm, and reletively uneventful. She had many friends, and loved ones who lived the same happy and cozy life. Ponyville was the place to be in Equestria. No one knew what sadness was. This was the kind of life she was looking for 3 years ago when she set out on her adventure for a stable life. She was originally from Hoofington, but knew she didn't want to live there forever.
She snapped back to reality after slipping off into her daydreams of her past life by the sound of thundering hooves in the distance. Curiously, she sat forward and looked down the road to see what was making all the commotion. Her ears perked as the sound came closer. She didn't even notice when a certain derpy eyed mail mare landed on her porch and stood next to her. "Hey Swifty... What's goin on?"
Swifty jumped and tripped backwards over her chair she was lounging in. She looked up to see Derpy standing there, her saddlebags full of mail and a package under her wing. "Oh... be careful when you sneak up on somepony, Derpy!" She stood up and laughed, giving Derpy a warm smile. "Did you happen to see what was going on down the road on your way here?"
Derpy thought hard for a moment, one eye closed in thought. "Now that you mention it, Swifty... There was a pack of Royal Guards clambering though the forest a couple minutes ago. They were loud!" She made a face as if she were proud to have remembered something. "I'm sure it's them making the noise you're hearing!"
Swifty made a puzzled face, and trotted off her porch and to the side of the road. She could see shapes coming towards them in the distance at a fast pace. "I wonder..."
The Guards galloped by quickly, but Swifty was able to asses them before they disappeared over the hill. They were all pretty beated, most of them bloody and limping. Her heart raced as she looked at the wounded guards. Nothing good could come of their visit. She turned around and looked at Derpy, who was still standing on her porch. "You wanna come with me to see what all the commotion is about?"
Derpy nodded and set down her bags and packages. "This is too exciting to miss!"
The pair quickly ran to Town Square, and saw many ponies gathering around the Guards. The mayor was talking with them, a shocked expression on her face. Ponies were talking hushed voiced to one another, all looking very disturbed and wary. Swifty weaved her way through the small crowd, making her way to the Guards. She looked behind her and saw Derpy following Closely.
"... And then the Princesses fell."
Swifty's ears perked up as she walked into earshot of the conversation. The Guards looked up in her direction, obviously startled. Swifty stood there, saying nothing and Derpy by her side. She looked from the Mayor to the Guards, then back to the Mayor. "Anypony care to fill me in?"
The guard was about to protest, but the Mayor interjected before he could say anything. "We can trust Swifty. She will keep it quiet for the time being til we come up with a plan..."
The guard gave her an unsure look before turning to Swifty. "You ready to hear the worst news ever to happen to Equestria? The Princessess and the Elements of Harmony are missing. Discord is back, and whats worse, he brought with him the 7th Element. The Element of Chaos." The Guard closed his eyes, taking a moment to collect his thoughts. "Discord... Killed many of my fellow Guardsmen, family, and friends. I watched them all die... Canterlot...is..." He choked up, his body shivering with adrenalin. "Canterlot is gone. The Princesses tried to save us... but Discord has this necklace with dark gems on it. It was made of a dark colored gold. The necklace looked evil. It FELT evil. When the Princesses attacked him... the necklace was ripped from his neck. I seized the opportunity to snatch it up. There was a blinding light and the sound of Discord roaring angrily. I took the necklace and hid... I hid like a coward!"
The guard burst into angry sobs, tears streaming down his cheeks. Swifty trotted to him and put a hoof on his shoulder, looking him in the eyes. "You did what you needed to do to survive. You were not a coward."
The Guard looked up at her and swallowed hard. "Yeah...." He let out a sigh and continued with his story. "Discord didn't find where i was hidden amongst the rubble of the castle. He was so angry that I had taken the necklace... He thought the Princesses did. He demanded that they give it back to him... But they said no! They knew one of us had taken it! If i would have just hoofed it over..." Again, he burst into angry sobs.
"If I would have hoofed the necklace over, the Princesses would be here now... instead of wherever he took them..." The Guard reached into his saddlebags and pulled out the most beautiful, yet eeriest necklace Swifty had ever seen.
Derpy took a hesitant step up and looked at the necklace with one eye, the other seeming to be looking over at Swifty. "Swifty... I hear things coming from it. Whispers sorta! Come listen! They know my name!" Her wings fluttered happily as if she had made a new friend.
Swifty trotted closer to the guard and put her ear to the necklace and listened. Sure enough, It knew her name and all her desires. It whispered them to her. She shuddered from her ears to her hooves and backed away from the necklace. "What in the name of Celestia... What is that? How could something like that even exist! It makes no sense! Jewelry can't talk!"
The guard sighed and shook his head. "I don't think its supposed to follow any sort of logic... it is the Element of Chaos after all..."