This time, it was the light that woke Cicada up. It was pretty late in the morning, but it seemed reasonable to the queen after the night she had. Looking around, Cicada could see Lila was already awake and most likely downstairs.
After a few stretches, the changeling made her way to the bathroom. She washed up and brushed her teeth, though to her the toothpaste tasted weird. After her wings felt dry enough, Cicada started downstairs to the kitchen.
“Morning Lila! Sorry I woke up late.” Cicada apologised. “Need me to get you anything or… okay, never mind.”
Lila had already gotten herself some breakfast. She had found some granola and managed to put in in a bowl which she was eating out of.
“Well, after I finish breakfast, I’m going to go to Moon Dancer’s to see if I can find anything that will tell me what the medallion we got from that thestral means. If you want to, you can come as well.”
Cicada knew she didn’t really need to ask. Lila was going to come along anyway. The phoenix nodded her head before going back to her granola. Cicada went with her usual breakfast and just made some toast.
When the two of them finished up, Lila flew upstairs to get the medallion for Cicada. She came back down with it in her beak and perched herself on Cicada’s horn as she disguised herself as Fireworks.
It didn’t take too long for the two of them to reach the library. Apparently Moon Dancer was out at the time, but she had been kind enough to give Cicada a copy of the key to the place right before the queen left.
The pair started to look around the library for books that might help them figure out what the picture on the medallion meant if not the medallion itself. After about an hour of looking, neither Cicada nor Lila had had any luck.
“How are you supposed to find anything in this place?!” Cicada exclaimed. “Why would anyling put a book about plants next to one about gems? They literally have basically nothing to do with each other. They aren’t even in alphabetical order! This one starts with an M and this one starts with a G. And the G book comes second!”
Cicada threw the books against a nearby wall. The fell against the floor just as the front door opened. “Oh! Fireworks! I didn’t expect you’d come back here so soon!”
Cicada was happy to see the unicorn. “Please! Help me! We have been looking for the past hour for some sort of-”
“Wait, What do you mean ‘we’?” Moon Dancer interrupted.
“Me and my pet Lila.” Cicada said pointing to Lila. “But that’s besides the point, We’re trying to find a bo-”
“You have a pet phoenix?!” Moon Dancer exclaimed. “And not just any kind! It’s a nightshade phoenix! Do you know how rare these are?!”
Cicada was starting to get a little annoyed. “Yes! I realise that all! But can you please just help us find something that will tell us was this is?” She asked, holding out the medallion.
Moon Dancer shifted her glasses to get a better look at the medallion. After a few seconds, she asked Cicada, “Where did you get this?!”
“There was a thestral who broke into my house last night. I took him to the police station and grabbed his bag for myself. This was the only thing in it which wasn’t mine. Why? Is something wrong?”
Moon Dancer looked at Cicada like she was crazy. “This is the Golden Balance Medallion that disappeared for the Canterlot museum last year! Didn’t you know that?!”
“No, I didn’t. I only just came to Equestria about two days ago. What should I do?” Cicada asked almost nervously.
“Take it back to the police or somepony! Who knows, for finding it, you might get a reward!”
“But, I don’t really need anything for finding it. I’ve got basically everything I need. What would I do with it?”
“If you want to, you could just go and donate it so you won’t have to bother with the reward.”
“Alright, thanks! C’mon Lila, we should go do th- wait! I never found out what it actually is. And I mean besides the name.”
“Oh! Each of the symbols is supposed to represent a different race.” Moondancer pointed to the medallion. “The horseshoes is for ponies, while this feather is for griffons. There are also symbols for deer, buffalo, breezies, and seaponies.”
“Wait, what about that paw symbol?” Cicada asked, pointing to the symbol in question.”
“No one’s entirely sure. We think it might be a race no pony has found yet.”
“And where are all the other symbols? Like for minotaurs?”
“There’s supposed to be a second medallion that represents the others. The pony who discovered them found that this one is older than the second, so the races shown on the other one are probably races ponies found later on.”
“Huh, I guess that makes sense. Anyway, I’m going to go turn this in. See you later!”
It didn’t take Cicada and Lila too long to get to the police station again. When the two entered, the changeling could hear two of the officers talking.
“They sent in Officer Ride Along from Fillydelphia. I hear she aced the test to become an officer.”
“Yeah, But she’s the one who just wanted to be the siren.”
“Wait? That’s Ride Along?! Great, We’re doomed.”
Cicada eventually decided that she should speak up, and interrupted their conversation. “Excuse me?”
One of the officers looked up at Cicada. “Hey, Weren’t you the unicorn who came in last night?”
“Actually, it was very early this morning. Early enough it was still dark. Anyway, you remember why I came, right?”
“Yeah, you brought that thief in that broke into your house. Why? Did he destroy something in you house?”
Cicada shook her head. “No, I took the bag he put my stuff in after I brought him here. For the most part everything in the bag was mine, but in the bottom of the bag, I found this medallion.” The changeling finished by showing them the golden medallion.
The two officers were stunned. Both of them recognised the medallion. After about a minute of just staring at the artifact, one of them went over and picked up a phone and called somepony. As soon as the officer hung the phone up, there was a flash. Cicada covered her eyes and Lila shielded her face with her wing. When the two looked again, they saw Celestia standing in front of them.
“Who found it?” was the first thing Celestia said, not even looking at Cicada yet. When she finally did look at the changeling, she almost let the secret slip. “Ah, Que-”
“I did princess. I found it in a bag of some items that were almost stolen from me. My name is Fireworks.”
One of the officers looked at Cicada strangely before Celestia replied to the changeling realising what the pony had been thinking. “Ah, that’s right. You must forgive me. You came in early enough yesterday your name had slipped my mind.”
“Well you must normally meet with hundreds of ponies everyday, so I can understand. I know I still never learned the names of some of the ponies on the street of my old home.”
Celestia finally went out with Cicada so they could talk in a more private manner. Cicada gave her story on how she found the medallion one more time. “But I have to admit Celestia, it’s a little strange that I found it last night. I was reading something recently that seemed to go along with it.”
“Was it the story about Lucia and Umbras?” Celestia asked.
“Yes, how did you know?”
“It’s fake. They don’t exist. It was actually created after these two medallions were made. Unfortunately, since they were found after the story was made, there are ponies who still want to think it’s real.”
“But what about Faust? In the book she was an alicorn, but where I’m from, she’s a changeling.”
“And to the griffons here, she’s a griffon. And to the minotaurs she’s a minotaur. No one knows what she really looks like, so they all picture her as their own kind.”
Cicada pondered about it for a few seconds before replying. “Still, it can’t be just coincidence they all picture her the same for the most part. She always has blue eyes and a red mane. Or maybe a crest for the griffons.”
Celestia explained how there could be the possibility that she was real, but it could also be that those features were a favorite of the races when they made her over time. Cicada wasn't fully sure, but it almost seemed as if the alicorn wasn't telling her something.
"Celestia, tell me the truth. I can tell when someone isn't saying everything."
The process looked somewhat nervous. "I don't know what you mean."
"Listen, if my sister were here, I wouldn't need to ask, but seeing as it's just me, I'm asking."
Celestia sighed. "If you don't mind, it's not something I like to bring up. Last time it was mentioned, it was the original reason Luna became Nightmare Moon."
Cicada's eyes widened. "Fine, I don't need to know now, but if I ask again, I want to know."
Celestia agreed with Cicada, only asking that she at least wait a while. Cicada agreed to that as we'll and gave the medallion to the alicorn. The two short departed after they exchanged goodbyes, leaving Cicada and Lila to go home.