Dreamquake

She tosses and turns fitfully underneath her thick white blanket. The first golden rays of daylight have pierced through the window in her room, making sleep quite difficult. She groans loudly, finally giving in, and throwing the blankets of herself sharply. She springs upright, her dark purple and pink striped mane a disheveled mess, and an irritated look on her face. She sits in a large regal white bed, at the end of a large suite. The walls of this room are a royal blue color with white trimmings, all across the grey carpeted floor, garments of clothes are strewn, mostly her own. Directly in front of her is the gilded, double doors to the chamber, to her left the large accursed window spilling in Celestia's light, and to her right a small closed door to the suites wash room. The sound of rushing water, probably from the shower, can be heard from behind the door. Twilight looks back to the window, the device of her rude awakening. She notices the thick curtains, specifically designed to shut out all sunlight, pulled back.

"I thought I closed those last night." Twilight grumbles to herself annoyed. Suddenly the water rushing in the other room ceases it's downpour. A soft, masculine voice emanates from the bathroom.

"You did, but I opened them for you." The voice says followed by a chuckle.

Twilight growls in annoyance "Ugh... Why?" She groans, falling back down into the embrace of her bed, letting her fore limbs rest of her violet chest. More water begins rushing from inside, softer this time; the sink, Twilight concludes.

"First day with your new promotion, and you want to sleep in. I thought you were a bit more punctual than that, Twilight." The voice stops after that, and is replaced by the swishing/scrubbing sound of somepony brushing their teeth.

"I had a really weird dream last night," she ignoring the comment, hoping to dodge the topic of her laziness as much as possible.

"Oh?" the voice questions, obviously muffled by a brush.

"You were in it, but we couldn't remember anything, or each other. I was in Ponyville, and there was this thing..." She shudders at the thought of it, all dreams were fuzzy memories, but that one stuck in her mind "I guess it was more like a nightmare."

"That doesn't sound like a very good time." The voice states nonchalantly "But, it was just a dream." It reassures

"Of course I know that." Twilight responds

The definitive sound of spitting is heard from the other room, before the sink shuts of.Twilight sits up once more, less groggily now. She swings her legs off of the bed, and lowers herself to the floor. Her legs wobble a bit when she puts her weight on them. She gives a drawn out yawn, and twists her neck sharply to the side, eliciting a satisfying series of cracks.

"Why did you want to sleep in late this morning Twilight?" The voice inquires, in a slightly worried tone "I know you, and the only way you'd ever be late to something like this is if you wanted to be. So, what's up?"

Twilight solemnly makes her way to the window. She looks out upon the city where she was born: Canterlot. It's shinning white towers reflect the early morning sun brilliantly. Banners of red, blue, and gold flutter in the breeze. From this height she can see out across the whole of the regal city. Every pearl white building, and all the well dressed, pony folk down below in the streets. Beyond the city, the mountains stretch up towards the sky, light forests pepper the landscape, and she can just barely make out the tiny form of Ponyville. Even though she had been born in Canterlot, and lived the majority of her life here, she would always consider Ponyville to be her true home. She sighs, lost in nostalgia. She hears the door behind her creak open

"Twilight?" The speaker behind her says, she hadn't realized how long she had been zoned out.

"I guess it's because I'm nervous. It's such a big change, moving to Canterlot for work. What if something happened to Ponyville, the girls would need me." Twilight states, her voice swelling with worry "What if there's a problem that requires magic, like the Ursa minor, but none of the unicorns there are powerful enough to fix it? Or Spike has troubles with the library, or Cheerilee would like me to teach her class something, or I need to take care of someone's pets while they're away, or, or, or..." She trails off, beginning to hyperventilate thinking of everything that could go wrong.

As he comes into view beside her, the dark indigo stallion chuckles. "Twilight, it's alright. Ponyville survived for a long time without you around, besides there hasn't been anything... supernatural going on in years." Stardust states with a smirk, looking at her with cold grey eyes.

"But, they said it themselves, I was one of the best investigators in all of Equestria. I solved hundreds of cases, some of which would have been hard on them to figure out, while for me it was easy. Being good at something like that dictates using it to benefit all. And, maybe if I just turned the job down now, I wouldn't miss anything important, I could be there." Twilight stammers out quickly, still not looking at Stardust, recalling her recent past.

Ever since her brothers wedding, the incident with the changelings and their queen, Twilight had vowed that it was her duty to protect the weak. She soon became a police investigator, operating out of Ponyville, traveling all across Equestria. She fought crime, uncovered secrets, and made a name for herself in a short few years. Many had called her paranoid, but she claimed that she was simply prepared for anything. This thinking had paid off, she was a world renowned detective. Sometimes it was fun, she had felt like she was living one of her cheesy crime novels, other times it was tragic. She had witnessed some things a single pony should never witness. But, she always brought the perpetrators to justice. She had solved so many cases that they began to swim in her head, memories became fuzzy when she tried to recall specific events. Only one could truly come to mind clearly, though it was no surprise. That had been a special day.

Stardust nuzzles her mane affectionately, she accepts the treatment somewhat absent minded "It will be alright, you hear me? You left a capable replacement behind, and now you can use your skill to benefit even more. Canterlot's a big city, and I hear with a lot of shady organizations. This city needs you more than Ponyville ever did." He reassures her softly.

It had been in Manehatten, she was tracking a thief around the city for sometime. She tracked him to the Manehatten School of Astronomy, a place she had always wanted to visit. Inside the school was deserted, all but her, her prey, and a young astronomy student staying late after. The criminal would have escaped, had the youthful stallion not broken an expensive telescope over his head. She owed that case to the student, to Stardust. After that she came to visit him, and even help in his studies. She had grown infatuated with him quite quickly. And, one shinning day, they were married. Stardust soon after got a job with her father, at the Canterlot observatory, and consequently was gone most of the time. So, when a big promotion had been offered to her by the Canterlot justice department, to act as one of the cities highest ranking investigators, "the Justicars" and live there for her time serving, the choice had been simple. But, now today was her first day on the new job, and she was feeling a bit regretful.

"yeah, I guess I'm just feeling a little homesick. And, I've never held a higher position over officers and detectives. They're all required to show me the highest respect now, and I have almost maximum authority within the cities justice department." She says looking at him, her large eyes filled with worry "I've never had to deal with a real position of leadership before, and..." She stops, a pang of guilt striking her, like she had just lied to him.

"And?" He inquires, with a raised eyebrow

"Nothing, I... just lot my train of thought." She says looking away, shaking her head slightly

"Well a position of power is a little daunting at first, but you're a natural leader." Stardust states with a warm smile "You'll do fine, I know you will."

"Alright, thanks." She looks up at him smiling " Well... we had better get a move on. Don't want to be late on the first day." She says motioning towards the exit of the room "Oh my gosh!" She cries, realization striking her "I still need to get ready!" She rushes past Stardust at a speed he had rarely ever seen. The bathroom door slams shut behind Twilight, and the sound of water rushing from multiple sources can be heard immediately.

Stardust lets out a heavy sigh, he stares at the door to the bathroom with narrowed eyes. He looks as though contemplating or analyzing. He simply looks at the door fro a long while, until Twilight returns. He smiles as his wife exits the bathroom, her mane and coat well groomed. "Ah, that's better." She says, sounding refreshed. "Now, I just need something appropriate to wear."

"Oh, that reminds me," Stardust says making his way to the wardrobe near the door. "you're friend Rarity had this dropped this off yesterday while you were out shopping." He finishes, using his blue-white magic to open the wardrobe. He extracts from the large wooden container, a sleek blue outfit.

The well designed outfit looks like a cross between a sorcerers robes, and a spies body glove. The 'dress' is sleek, tight fitting, and it's deep blue color would complement her excellently. The collar rises high up, it's crest is held together by a gold chain, emblazoned with a large ruby, and an ornate replica of Twilight's six pointed star cutie mark is sewn beautifully into the flanks. The stunning piece of work looks as arousing as it does terrifying. Twilight's eyes widen slightly, and she gulps down audibly at the sight of it. It certainly looks fitting for a mare of her rank and status, it reminds of some sort of ancient inquisitors uniform. But, it is slightly revealing for her tastes.

"It's... um..." She stammers unblinking, lost for words.

Stardust grins, trying to hold back laughter "Well...I like it." He states, nearly cracking up

Twilight hangs her head in defeat, letting out a long breath "Oh, Rarity." she groans "It'll have to do." She takes the outfit from Stardust, and after numerous attempts, manages to squeeze into the tight fitting glove. She looks at herself in the mirror, she can't help but give Rarity credit, the design does an excellent job of showing an air of power, yet at the same time, doesn't restrict her movement in any way. She even can feel padding in the hooves, to muffle the sound of her movement.

"You know, it's actually not so bad." She credits "Both visually appealing, and functional. Rarity really out did herself with this one." She says turning away from the mirror "let's go or we're gonna be late."

With that the two left their royal suite, making their way to a new life in the prestigious city. And, as they trotted briskly down the hall, away from their room, neither of them noticed the hooded figure hiding nearby. The tall figure, bathed in dark shadows, and wrapped in an even darker cloak, slipped into their suite easily after they had disappeared from it's sight. There was little conversation between Twilight and her husband during the short walk, only passing remarks at well dressed ponies and beautiful scenery. After a time of traversing the cities busy streets, they came to their parting. With a quick kiss, and a farewell, they left in opposite directions. Only Stardust looked back, with silver, calculating eyes he watched Twilight, before himself leaving.

Twilight nearly sprints to her destination just barely managing not to actually start running, unknowingly to her, she pulls off the look of a Justicar expertly. Moving swiftly like she has purpose, but slow enough, with her head held high, and a somewhat angered looking face. Her demeanor screams "I am busy, but I wait for nopony." she carries the presence of royalty. Coupled with her already head-turning outfit, and she draws many stares, as well as silent whispers. She notices the other ponies looking at her every so often, but she pays them no mind, her thoughts are drawn to trying to predict how her first day will go. Ultimately thought she has very little information as to her current work life, she knows that a schedule, case files, work load, accommodations, and anything else she'll need will be given to her upon arrival, so information at the moment is a little scarce.

Her thoughts on the work ahead slowly diminish, replaced by crystal clear memories of the nightmare she had last night. She knew it was just a dream, it was irrational to believe anything else, but it had seemed so real. She remembered everything perfectly, that creature, Stardust, Fluttershy's cottage, she could even remember not being able to remember anything. The utter confusion, the terror. She rolls the memories around in her head for a time, it is not uncommon for her to analyze her dreams. All dreams had subconscious meanings behind them, and she liked to figure hers out. The answer was simple, and came to her quickly: she was homesick, she had simple nightmare about home, and she had forgotten it was her home. It was simple, and knowing that seemed to give her an edge of confidence.

When she returned from the shelter of her thoughts, she could see her destination close by. The small, local Canterlot police station sat nestled between a pair of large shops, like a foal between it's parents. It was by far the smallest station in the city, and normally a Justicar would be stationed at a much larger, but there had been a serious case that the investigators at this particular station were charged with solving. And, evidently they weren't doing a very good job, so they had requested a royal investigator to temporarily aid them. Luckily Twilight had just gotten the job, or their request would have been denied. Three blue uniformed stallions were laughing out front, joking amongst one another. As she approached however, they each took their turns noticing her, and their laughter seemed to die down. Their stares were not just out of interest for her outfit or demeanor, they knew who she was. By the looks plastered on their faces, she could tell that two of them were terrified, and the third's grin told her that he was either an idiot, happy to be receiving help, aroused, or all of the above. Twilight decided to act like she knew what she was doing. She gave them her coldest, most intellectual, "I know something you don't" stare as she passed by. She kept her unflinching gaze level with them, as her magic pulled the door open to the building quickly.

She entered into the sweltering, poorly air conditioned building. She took her sights off of the three slowly, but she could still feel their own eyes on her as she entered. The small place was filled with a couple offices, eating area, printers, but no police ponies. Other than the three out front the place was completely deserted. "Hello, anypony here?" she called out

"Yeah yeah, don't get your panties in a-" The gruff response came from one of the offices nearby. A large, aged stallion, with a sandy colored coat, and a comical looking cigar in his mouth stepped out. His slightly rude response was cut off when he saw who he was addressing, and she could see he instantly regretted uttering a word it. "Oh, you must be miss Sparkle. My sincerest apologies, miss. But, I wasn't expecting you so early." He said in a much kinder tone, giving a slight, awkward bow as he did. Early? She must have been rushing much faster than she thought.

"It's alright," she waves off nonchalantly, the stallion lets out a breath of relief "you're police chief Booker, correct?" She asks, easing her cold stare off of him slightly.

"Yep... um... yes miss, that'd be me. What can I do for you ma'am?" He asks, still a bit flustered.

"I was told that I would be receiving all of my paperwork on arrival. I hear you guys have an interesting case on your hooves, and I'm eager to get started."

"Oh yes of course, miss. One moment please." He says respectfully, he vanishes back into his office. She can hear him grumbling from inside, and shuffling about. Soon enough he returns walking shakily on his hind legs, his fore hooves clutching a oversized stack of papers, too big for his mouth. " 'ere you are, miss Sparkle, everything you'll need." He says somewhat strained.

"Here, let me get those." Twilight responds kindly, taking the stack from him with her magic, a soft magenta aura enveloping it. He lowers himself back onto all fours, thanking her genuinely. "And, I was told something about my own office space." She inquires

"Yes, right this way, ma'am." He replies and begins heading off in towards one of the few rooms in the building, Twilight follows closely carrying her paperwork. He pushes the door open, stepping aside to give her a good view. "It ain't much, but it's the best we got." He sighs, as though wishing he could have provided better. The room is a simple beige brown, with a filing cabinet in one corner, and a brown desk dominating the center of the room. It looks similar to her office in Ponyville, but it was a little larger.

"It's perfect. It'll be fine." She says smiling "Now, if you don't mind, I have a lot of organizing to get done." She says politely. She lays the stack of work on the desk.

"Oh, of course, miss. I'll be just in the other room if you need anything." Twilight nods to him before shutting the door firmly. She turns back to the table

"Time to get to work." She lifts the first dozen papers from the top individually, and begins examining them.

With the halls lit by candlelight, Stardust trots slowly toward his and Twilight's suite. Outside the windows the stary night sky can be seen behind the dark, silhouetted towers. The hall is empty other than himself, an eerie quiet creeping over the place. He savors the silence, preferring it over the company of others. He begins humming a tune, his soft tone echoing down the halls, only adding to the gloom settling over the place. His hoofsteps creating dull thuds as he walks. He stops suddenly, walking and humming, sensing a presence behind. His eyes go wide with confusion, and he rotates slowly to look behind.

Far down the hall stands a tall pony, wrapped in a black cloak. He blinks, unable to comprehend it. It's form seems to twist and warp, as though it is made from black fire. Any placed exposed from it's cloak is equally black as the fabric. It simply stands, starring at him, he can hear it's breathing, deep and monstrous. His jaw goes slack as he searches for words. The figure seems to absorb the light around it, the hall grows darker around it. He takes a step back ward, keeping his gaze on it.

"How the hell did you get in here?" He breathes in terror, the figure gives a bellowing monstrous laugh, impossibly deep.

The front door not good enough for you? It's voice invades his mind, a horribly deep bass tone, attacking his conscious. It mocks him with another laugh. He grits his teeth in pain.

"You know what I meant." He spits "Who are you?" he asks through his teeth

I visited your wife today. It speaks maniacally, ignoring his question She's good at what she does, she's found more clues to the game than even I suspected.

"Twilight." He breathes "You stay away from her." He says menacingly

Oh, I intend to keep my distance. But, it is not so much what I can do to her, but what she will do for herself. It's voice pounds in Stardust's head

"Then I will watch over her more closely, it is almost time for her to dream." He states fiercely.

That it is, but how long will she dream of you... It's booming voice fades like the wind, as the figure's slender body dissipates into the air. Like dust on the breeze, it's shadowy form blows away, evaporated. Light returns to the hall. Stardust turns and quickly makes his way back to the suite

"For as long as I wish." He answers to the wind.