I awoke. My lower back burning. My injury from the assault course yesterday was taking its toll on me, but I still managed to crawl out of my warm sheets onto the marble floor below. I made my way towards my bathroom and slid the glass door open. My eyes immediately gazing at my custom bathroom that was extremely overpriced for what it was, but it was still satisfying to see the shine of the chrome wallpaper every morning. I stepped into the shower and cleansed myself of any leftover feeling of fatigue that had overwhelmed me the night prior before putting on my usual outfit of a navy suit and black tie. I almost left the house before realizing I had left my signature shades on my dressing table. After I had sat through my routine twenty minute carriage ride the Equestrian Bureau of Investigations HQ I stepped inside the elevator and was elevated 18 floors before the lift stopped and the doors departed allowing me to walk through the hall down to "Office #467". This wasn't my office but I had been sent an email specifically requesting I report to this office instead of my usual office "Office #20".

This was the building I had spent most of my working and free time in for the last five or six years after I graduated (to say I was loyal to the investigative service was an understatement). The main reason I hung around the building while not on shifts was the simple fact that the Wonderbolts had their own little courtroom agreements to settle every day, yeah we were that professional we had a mini courtroom installed. Personally, I never saw the point of installing a courtroom, even though we were a law enforcement association. The main disputes that were debated in the courtroom were just petty things like let's say they get a raw brand deal, then they can settle that in our courtroom, of course it occurred to me that these were things that could be settled around a desk not in an EBI courtroom, but I kind of enjoyed the company especially because I had lost touch with the team ever since I graduated so it was always good to catch up. By now I had reached my assigned office. The blinds were closed but it looked like the silhouette of a figure was sitting in the chair behind the desk. I must admit, I opened the door with such caution that the creaks of the wooden door could be heard down the hall, so pretty much effectively defeating the purpose of my stealthy approach so much I decided to just waltz in. Inside was Detective Blackhoof spinning on chair until his gaze met mine and he quickly composed himself, sitting up straight and putting his hooves together. "Ah, Rainbow Dash. I've been waiting for you." He said.

"Waiting?" I replied in confusion. "You told me to meet you here at 10:30 and it's.....10:32 now." I continued suddenly envisioning Blackhoof spinning on that chair for hours on end.

"Well..I..never mind, time is of the essence." He said brushing off my statement.

"Of course sir, what do you need?" I asked.

"A latte would be nice." He said with a smirk.

"Right on it sir." I sighed before walking out and towards the coffee machine. Recently, I'd been trying to hide it, but I had been getting extremely bored and feeling incredibly worthless, because as of last fall I had been getting a considerably low amount of cases and was usually just being assigned to bring lattes, return paperwork and sit watching a limited seven channel TV in a blandly painted office eight hours a day. After the first few weeks of this I felt as if the agency had in a way put me on the shelf, like a toy a child had fallen out of favour with, except in this case. This toy wasn't given a valid reason.

I left the building with the swift turn of a turnstile and a push of a glass door, I was still annoyed with Blackhoof although I didn't really know who was to blame for my lack of cases but at the moment, plus the way I was being treated it seemed as if all fingers pointed at Blackhoof. He was at the peak of the EBI, and although I may have been their best detective Blackhoof still held a more prestigious position which he constantly teases me about even though the reason for that is because I've refused over fourteen promotions on the simple fact that I might not of been able to investigate as many cases as the position I hold now allows me to, or at least used to. I had decided to walk home as I came to the conclusion my physical fitness is not what is once was and doing the training courses were out of the question, and I told myself that I have to change that as I don't see how not getting a couple cases in a while is an excuse to not still do my high intensity cardio exercises. While on the way home I saw Twilight and greeted her formally which somehow suprised her as in these six years she still hadn't got used to the Rainbow Dash who doesn't say "Hey, what's up guys?!" with an overly beaming smile and shades fitted on. But in all fairness that might be the only thing that hasn't changed. My love for sunglasses. I had to change my personality to fit the job that I had. I thought most people would understand since people are bound to change when they spend most their time around corpses, psychopaths and crime scenes. "So, Rainbow Dash. Haven't seen you in a couple days." She said.

"Well, when duty calls I guess." I said seemingly to the suspicion of Twilight.

"Are you okay?" She asked.

"Yeah. Just stressed from work you know." I replied with just seemed to feed Twilight's suspicions further.

"You're not getting any cases are you?" I sighed. Was it really that obvious. I thought I was keeping my feelings on the low down, I had no idea that even Twilight could detect that something was aput. When you work for the EBI you're well paid, nine times out of ten given the job you apply for, and tend to get along with most people so when someone is upset while working for the EBI it's either something outside of work or your being give no work and feeling out of place, funny enough that's exactly how I felt so now that I think about it maybe Twilight not such a master of deduction after all.

"No I'm not. I feel so out of place." I confessed.

"I told you there would be risks when joining law enforcement didn't I?" Twilight said

"Yes. Yes you did." I replied reluctantly.

"Listen, things will get better I promise." She assured me.

"Okay. Thanks, it was good catching up."

"Hey, no problem Dashie." I smirked at my childish nickname. I hadn't been called that in years. I waved goodbye and continued through Ponyville when about three hundred feet from Twilight's library I caught sight of a familiar orange pegasus scoot speedily towards me before she skidded at my hooves coming to a complete stop and latching her hooves around me in a tight embrace. "Where have YOU been?!" She shouted, demanding an answer.

"Woah, hold up Scoots. You know I've been working." I replied quickly before she crushed my ribcage with the bear hug that she was still locking me into.

"Oh yeah, I forgot. You're a big time crime fighter now right? Shooting bad guys!" Her enthusiasm rocking me.

"Not exactly. But yes I'm helping put the bad guys in jail, and that's about all I do." I paused before realising I should probably clarify something "By the way I haven't shot anyone. Just saying."

"It doesn't matter, you're still my hero. The same one you always have been." I gave her hug and felt a tear run down my cheek. Why was I crying? This was the same thing she'd been telling me for years, but for one strange reason it felt more meaningful, more. Real.

"Okay Scoots I got to get home and by the looks of the time so do you." Scootaloo looked at her watch.

"Crap!" She exclaimed before zooming off. I started walking as I heard a faint ""Bye Rainbow Dash!"I flew up to my house and opened the door. I strolled across the hallway before dropping my briefcase and laying on my bed in fatigue knowing better than to expect anything different tomorrow. I undressed and trotted to my bedside table where my sunglasses lay next to the framed photo of my friends. The caption read "The Elements Of Harmony" I must admit, deep down I miss those days where we would have fun, go on adventures, defeat Discord and party. Those were the days. Those were the days I left behind to be put on the shelf by Equestria's top law enforcement agency. I always felt I left for law school on rather bad terms, I just packed my bags, and few goodbyes later I was off, and how about it, six years later I'm thinking about it, how ridiculous. I layed in bed facing the ceiling until I finally dozed off into a deep sleep.

*BEEP* *BEEP* *BEEP*

That clock was the bane of my life. It started and also somehow ruined my day all in the space of 20 seconds of beeping. After waking up to a burning in my back again I followed my routine. I showered, I dressed, I left for work but forgot my sunglasses so I went back and then realised I forgot to have breakfast today. And yesterday! No wonder why I was cranky. I took out a bowl and filled it to the brim with oats before pouring milk over the nutritious but very basic cereal snacks, when a loud bang on my door made me jump causing milk to spill on my wastecoat. I'd have to clean this and whoever was at the door would have to wait. CRASH! Or maybe not. The sound of my door bursting open caused me to run to the front room where on the floor lay Clipper. Clipper was an informant for the EBI. He usually handed out cases and got information through the digital world to help us with our cases. Think of him as a virtual egghead.

"R-R-R *huff* Rainbow Dash?!" Clipper said, seemingly exhausted.

"Yes Clipper. Would you mind telling me what is so important that you have to burst through my door and- Oh dammit! You've busted the lock!" I was clearly annoyed. And showing it.

"Listen Dash. You're gonna wanna hear this." I looked at him confused, a sense of worry had suddenly become presnt within me.

"What. What is it?" I demanded

"You know you wanted a case. An exciting one?" I looked at him intrigued.

"Yeah!" I said. Barely holding my excitement.

"Well, I've got one. A murder case."

"Great!" I shouted realising what I said could be taken out of context. "I mean not great. But I've got a case!"

"Um-D-Dash" He struggled, now I was concerned.

"What is it?" My statement cold and expressionless.

"I-It's the v-victim" It hit me like a bullet. A bullet straight through the heart. It couldn't be. Not one of her friends, the ones she had been pondering about last night. The timing was impeccable, the universe killed one of my friends just as I start to see how much they really mean to me. It was too scripted. Then I saw the files in his hand, the room went silent except for my single tear drop splashing on the marble floor. Clipper started to break down, I could tell he didn't want to be here as soon as I saw it the photo on the file. An orange pegasus with a purple mane and tail.

Author's Note

Thought I'd try my hand at a Crime/Thriller type story and those are what I enjoy reading the most so the idea of writing one was sure to come up at some point and well. Comment for more and I hope it pleases the great minds of this fandom. (This is NOT the final edit, little to no editing has been done to get this out as quickly as possible and try and get early feedback to know if I need to write more.)