Chapters "Keep moving Twilight, we have to hurry,"
"This doesn't make sense, what was that thing?"
"It is known as the darkness by those who have seen it,"
"Well I gathered that its dark, but what is it?"
"Keep moving don't stray,"
Tossing and turning, lost in a nightmare that was, ultimately, her own faltering memories. Ruffling the maroon sheets of her small bed. Cries of terror and fury, reduced to silent mumbling, escaped her lips. Her muscles shook violently, every few moments brought about more spastic convulsions. Her body was burning from the exertion. Her memories deteriorated rapidly, like sand falling through the hourglass, images and voices from her past surged around her before being lost to an endless void.
"M-my head it hurts... So bad, why... Agh!"
"Twilight focus, we're almost there. Have... To... Keep moving!"
"W-wait, where are we going? Who are you?"
"No, damn it, it's seen us! Twilight you don't remember me, and soon you won't remember yourself. But you have to trust me."
Soon her movements began to slow. Her body settled, and her groans were silenced. Sweat beaded on her forehead, the rise and fall of her purple coated chest slowed. Her breathing returned to normal, her heart rate dropped back to that of somepony enjoying a peaceful sleep, and the nightmares halted. The salty tears streaming down the side of her face, and the drop of scarlet blood leaking down from one of her nostrils were the only signs left of her recent pain.
Twilight's eyes snapped open, the dark ceiling above filled her vision. Her body ached, and her mind throbbed. The room felt as though it were spinning. Where was she? Laying there for a long while, she tried to get a grip on what was happening. She couldn't seem to be able to hold a thought in her head for more than a few moments. Her body felt like it was tearing itself apart; her limbs, head, and stomach all felt like they were trying to escape from her. She tried painfully to raise herself up, but the protesting of her muscles defeated her. The spinning eventually slowed, and she felt some measure of strength returning. Finally she was able to sit up. Blinking a few times she took in her surroundings, which were completely unfamiliar. She was in a small, dark room that was barren, save for the bed and a small table just to her right. A cluster of writing quills, ink wells, note cards, and scrolls scattered across its surface. Across from the bed was a closed wooden door, dim light could be seen from beneath it. Her breath came out as a white mist, disappearing after a few moments and causing her to notice the chill. A musty scent clung to the air, and the silence was deafening.
Her head was pounding, pain reverberated through her skull with every beat of her heart. Where was she? She thought hard, trying to remember where she was or how she had gotten there. Her mind was swimming in an ocean of confusion, she couldn't recall anything. Fear gripped her heart, something was wrong though she couldn't remember what. All her thoughts seemed to slip through her grasp like water, all except one thing: Twilight Sparkle, she knew it to be her name somehow. Though she could not recall anyone ever using it, and wasn't even sure who she was beyond that. A deep curiosity burned in her. She had to find out what was going on, where she was, who she was, and she had to find out now. She swung her hind legs off of the bed, and lowered herself to the floor. She landed on four shaking legs, it felt like she hadn't got out of bed in a year. She made her way to the door, her hooves clicking lightly on the wooden floor.
Upon reaching the door a strange sensation took hold, a tingling in her forehead. It felt... Good, like the purpose of her existence was physically manifesting itself. But what was it? Soon enough the horn on her head began glowing with soft magenta light. The door handle was similarly coated in a aura as Twilight instinctively used her latent magical powers, pulling the door wide open. Soft, flickering candle light from a hall way poured into the room. Twilight scoffed tapping the pointed object jutting out of her head. "I didn't know I had a horn!" She exclaimed excitedly. "Or, that I could use magic." That word: Magic, it meant something to her. She couldn't say why, but it sparked mixed emotions of pride and sorrow within her. The new feelings startled her, but her head only throbbed when she tried to remember what would bring up these emotions. She decided it better to not dwell on what she couldn't remember, so she slowly made her way into the hallway. Unknown to the purple pony, the candle light flooding into the room was just bright enough to illuminate something above the bed she awoke in. The word: Goodbye, scrawled in the dark crimson of dried blood on the wall.
As she entered the hall, the sound of wind howling and the heavy drumming of rain on the roof assaulted Twilight's ears. She looked to the ceiling "That's strange," She said aloud, the sound of her voice was unfamiliar to her. " I would've been able to hear that from my..." She trailed off as she turned back to face the room, and found the door gone. The frame filled now with weathered bricks, as if it had been sealed off for years. "How?" she breathed, her breaths becoming more heavy as fear set in. She began backing away from the entrance to the room. She turned and set off at a quick pace down the candle lit hall. The passage continued for a long while before ending in a long, winding staircase. The sound of the storm grew louder closer to the stair well. Twilight stood at the top of the stairs. She took a deep breath and placed a shaking hoof on the first step, which creaked loudly.
She slowly made her way down the groaning steps. Her muscles burned, and pain throbbed dully behind her eyes. The air grew colder and more humid as she approached the bottom of the winding stairs. Finally her hooves touched the wooden floor. In front of her was a doorway, and beyond it: darkness, the sound of hammering rain, and a shrieking gale. A large lantern hung from an iron hook on the wall by the door. Twilight clasped her teeth around the lanterns handle, and slowly raised it off its mounting.
Lantern in mouth, Twilight made her way slowly into the next room. The icy breeze assaulted her face as she passed into the darkened place. Her light illuminated a large aura around her, revealing the chaotic mess of what she assumed was a living room. The wooden floorboards groaned with each of her steps. The floor was scattered with shards of broken glass, and wooden splinters. Drips of rain water seeped down from above, in some places it poured openly through holes blasted in the ceiling. Twilight carefully traversed the destroyed room. Soon her lantern cast its light on a door. The slab of wood was opening slightly and slamming back in place rhythmically, and it hung lazily on only one of its twin hinges.
Twilight tugged the door open wide, inviting in the full force of the storm. The wind and rain blasted her face, whipping her mane up around her. She clenched her eyes shut, and covered her face with a hoof. The sound of papers scattering resounded throughout the room. Twilight wearily made her way out into the furious night. The atmosphere of the place she found herself in was the deepest gloom she could possibly imagine (though she could not recall anything to compare it too.) A full moon hung high in the sky, piercing a haze of dark gray storm clouds that wept freezing tears down upon her. The area around her was doused in soft silver light. A strange fog blanketed her surrounding; the mist was light enough to see through, but it seemed to distort the forms that were viewed behind it. Trees and what appeared to be small one or two story buildings in the distance seemed to move, growing and shrinking ever so slightly with every blink of her eyes. Her hooves clacked audibly above the wind on a slick, moist cobblestone pathway.
She made her way onto a dirt road, turned to slick mud from the relentless downpour. Scanning back and forth she took notice of many buildings lined up against one another. All the windows of the buildings were dark, and most of them had been shattered. This was a city, or a village, she couldn't be sure how big it was. Twilight explored the streets of the unfamiliar town, searching for signs of life. The light of her lantern illuminated the path before her. By now she was shivering from the icy assault, and her body was thoroughly soaked. Soon a large tree came into view breaking the fog, it sat in the middle of a large clearing. Suddenly overwhelming joy exploded inside of her heart. Pride and happiness swelled her chest at the sight of the tree. Why? Her pace increased and she headed toward the odd landmark. Whatever it was, she knew it. She couldn't remember why, but it was the most important thing in the world right now. And then something happened she would never have guessed. Several spots on the massive tree lit up, as thought they had caught fire.
Fear attacked Twilight, and she began running frantically toward the tree. Pain surged through her muscles as she sped nearer, and nearer. But as she got closer she saw the lights were not fire, but windows. Glass windows, in the tree, like it was some sort of house. Which meant someone was inside. Twilight continued running, fear replaced by eagerness at finding somepony else. One of her hooves crashed against a rock, causing her to tumble down onto the road. She landed hard in the sticky mud. The lantern in her teeth slipped out and went sailing through the air ahead of her. The bright light smashed against the ground, causing it's mostly glass form to shatter. The rain quickly quenched the flame. Twilight cursed herself for being so clueless. Now, with only moonlight to guide her, Twilight picked herself up wearily. She was frigid to her bones, which ached dreadfully.
With mud clinging to her coat Twilight slowly resumed her walk to the tree-house ahead, taking extra care not to step on any glass from the broken lantern. Twilight finally found herself standing out front of the huge structure. A sign hung on the trunk near a large door, reading: Golden Oaks Library. The door itself had a lit candle carved into its surface. But Twilight's attention was pulled toward a symbol on the door. Marked in what appeared to be red paint, was an hourglass at the center of a large X and at the canter of it all: an eye. Twilight tapped the door three times with her hoof before calling out "Hello, anypony here? I'm sorry, I know it's late, but I need help," for a moment she thought her voice had gone unheard, and she raised her hoof to knock again. Suddenly the door gave a loud creak as it slid open slightly.
"Come in little one." A deep bass voice said from within the house. The voice was soft and soothing, but she felt a strong mistrust brewing. She pulled the door fully open slowly. The warmth, and the light flooding out were so inviting. She wasted no time in entering the library. The door slammed shut behind her, causing Twilight to jump and give a startled shout. Once inside she felt like she would soon regret her decision to enter. Something was wrong with this place.
The fist room was very bright, each wall was home to dozens of books, tomes, and scrolls held on shelves. Everything was organized to perfection, not a book out of place, or a single ruffle in the rug on the floor. Even the roar of the storm was silenced by this place. It was heavenly, welcoming, and warm. It was perfect, too perfect. A tiny voice in the back of Twilight's mind begged her to turn back and run from this place. But her curiosity was piqued, and she was going to get the answers she needed.
"Hello. Please, I don't know where I am," She called out. She was starting to get nervous, who had spoken earlier?
"Down here," the deep voice said. She turned to face the sounds origin. A tunnel was built into the eastern wall, with a flight of stairs running downward through it.
"Oh, thank goodness. I just need somewhere to sleep tonight, until this storm blows over," she said with a shaking voice. As she started taking the flight of stairs downward, the voice in her head was now shrieking at her to leave this place and never return. Twilight was shakily making her way down the winding steps that seemed to never end. When the voice responded
"Of course my dear, yes just a little closer," a humorous tone could be heard in it's voice. Twilight slowed, she didn't want to be here anymore. "There's nothing to fear, Twilight," her blood turned to ice, and she stopped dead in her tracks.
"H-how d-d-do you know my name?" She spoke in a horrified whisper. The air was split by a deafeningly loud roar, a noise that sounded like it came from ten ferocious predators at once! The entire building shook violently as the creature sang out. All the lights in the house were blown out suddenly. Twilight screamed in terror. She turned and began sprinting up the stairs as fast as her weary legs would carry her. She risked a quick look over her shoulder at the top of the stairs. The whole library had become dark, but downstairs; it was blacker than pitch. Hovering in the center of the blackness were two, blood red eyes. The menacing slits bore into her as they made their way up. Twilight's heart was beating faster than she thought possible, her eyes shrunk to the size of pinpricks with fear.
Turning away from the horror, she hurried back into the main room of the library. The building continued to quake, an angry red glow that seemed to seep outward from the walls bathed the room. The once overly peaceful library was now a blasted hell scape! Spires of rock ripped upward through the now rotting wooden floor. Books leapt from shelves on their own, catching fire and incinerating themselves before they struck the ground. All across the walls, that strange symbol on the front door was printed. The runes pulsed with light like the rhythm of a heartbeat. Twilight frantically searched back and forth for the exit. A horrific, searing pain burned in her skull.
Twilight located the door on the other side of the chaotic room. She ran as fast as she could, ducking and dodging the earth spikes erupting from beneath her, and the occasional burning book sailing through the air. Tendrils of black smoke appeared along the walls, slithering and snaking their way toward her. Two massive tentacles emerged beside the door, they coiled around each other forming a wall of shadow. Twilight skidded to a halt, her exit now blocked. Another terrible growl assaulted her ears. She turned to face the beast that had emitted the sound. A black cloud now streamed openly from the stair well, at its center were the bloody red eyes, and a gaping maw filled with gleaming silver teeth. The pounding in her head became to much to bear. Her legs grew weak, and tears streamed down her cheeks. Her knees quickly gave out, and she toppled to the ground. All the terrible forces in the room began moving towards her. Her vision blurred, and her hearing began to falter. Her ears were filled with a high pitch ringing as all other sounds were drown out.
Maddening fear and swirling confusion were all she could feel. Why was this happening? Why did she have to come into this nightmare? She couldn't move, or close her eyes, all she could do was watch. Watch as the Shadowed monstrosity glided towards her, blood dripping from its enormous maw. And the more she looked at it, the more she could feel her mind burning. She managed to give one last, pained shriek of terror, as the creature lunged forward. Taking her life in one swift stroke.
The beast lunged forward, teeth bared, and eyes burning with hunger. Twilight let her eyelids slam shut, not wanting to witness her approaching demise. Her tears flowed, her skin burned, and she could smell the stench of decay heavily upon her demonic executioners breath. But the pain of jaws enclosing around her head did not come. Instead, the sound of glass shattering filled her ears, and a glittering cascade scattered about the room. Suddenly a huge weight was lifted from her body. The agonizing paralysis faded abruptly. Her eyes flew open. The horror was still merely a few feet ahead of her, but it's gaze was no longer trained on her. Now, it glowered menacingly at something behind. She craned her neck, wordlessly rejoicing in being able to move freely once again.
Now, standing in front of a newly destroyed window, surrounded by fragments of glass, was a pony. A stallion to be specific, just slightly taller than herself. His dark indigo coat shimmered in the moonlight streaming into the terrible place. His long unkempt mane and tail were both a deep sea green, with icy blue streaks in color. His flank was marked with a wand; a moon on it's top and a star at it's base, all surrounded by a light blue cloud. A rigid horn, like her own, extended from his forehead, and his large flint grey eyes shot daggers at the nightmare threatening her life.
The creature roared out deafeningly at the newcomer. Twilight could only gape at the stallion who so boldly stood up to the abomination. The hero leapt forth, moving to Twilight's side in one large bound. As he landed, his horn flared to life, a sphere of light appearing around the bony appendage. Emanating from his horn a wave of violet energy flooded through the room. As she was bathed in the heavenly glow Twilight felt the ache in her bones, the weariness in her legs, and the horror in her mind being soothed. Twilight's eyes grew heavy with a thick drowsiness, staying conscious under the cascade of magic was becoming more difficult each second.
The monster however gave a much different reaction. The horrid beast gave an agonized shriek as it's shadowy form began to dissolve away like sugar in water. It reeled away from the pair of unicorns, it's nightmarish red gaze burned with hatred and frustration as it was pushed further and further back from them. The rest of the terrible forces haunting the library, the black smokey tendrils, and pillars of jagged stone, all shrunk away from the assault; the light burning them from existence. The stallion wielding the consecrated light gave a push forward; the sphere of light projected from his suddenly pulled itself together, condensing into a solid white beam projected at the monstrosity, The beast was thrown backward, its slowly diminishing form sent crashing into a far bookshelf. The tree house quaked violently with the force of the impact. Under the focus of the beam, the creature's dark form was burned away at a greatly increased rate. It gave a pained howl as it's body seemed to split apart, forming a rift at it's center around the beam of light.
The now fragmented cloud of shadows quickly bore down on the two, it's dark form regaining strength once free from the embrace of the light. The stallion wretched his head to the side, dragging the beam with it; burning a trench in the bookshelves and walls in an attempt to hit the attacking beast. But, the creature was too agile for them, it easily dodged around the attack. The stallion continued firing his beam at the target, even as it closed into it's own attack range. Twilight saw the bony tentacle materialize out of the beast and lunge for a deadly attack before the stallion could. She swallowed hard and with renewed strength leapt forth, tackling the stallion down, just as the tendril whipped the air where his head was moments before. The two rolled away from the beast, who tracked their movements with angry red eyes. They came up to their hooves a few feet away. This close Twilight heard the stallions raged breathing, and saw the shake in his weakened legs. His spell had rejuvenated her, but sapped all of his own strength, she realized.
"We've got to get out of here!" She shouts to him, her voice shaking slightly. His eyes seemed glazed over, he simply stared at nothing for a moment. But, after a precious few seconds he turned his head to her, nodding.
"I can unbar the door but-" He began but was cut off, as a shadow wrapped tendril lashed past his head. He turned to face the door to the library, now blocked by a wall of darkness. "Just keep it off me!" He shouted forcefully.
Twilight swallowed hard, her eyes locking on the shadowy monstrosity, which now had it's own gaze tacking the stallion. She nodded fearfully, but stepped forth "Hey you, over here!" She yelled at the demon with a faltering tone, to no avail however. The stallion raised his horn, a sphere of light once more surrounding the appendage. The beast brought a pair of it's tentacles to bear, ready to slay the hero. Twilight clenched her eyes shut, once more feeling the swell of power flowing through her body. She struggled to maintain balance within herself, focusing the energy into her own horn. It was a difficult task, one strangely unfamiliar, but unpracticed all the same, as she felt much of the power dissipating like air. She opened one eye slightly, noticing the horn on her head swathed in an aether glow. She took aim on the unsuspecting beast, and let loose the force pent up in her implement.
A beam of brightly colored energy streaked towards the creature, letting loose a loud hissing noise. The attack slammed into the beast, just as its tentacles lashed out. The monster howled in pain as it was thrown backwards, and it's assault thrown off-course. The stallion had let loose his own beam of energy, the focused laser burning into the shadows covering the exit. The shadowy beast turned it's hulking form now on Twilight, with it's burning eyes once more directly upon her she could feel the burning under her skin, the paralysis, and the throbbing in her skull returning. It was weaker this time, but it was draining her resolve quickly.
"Is that... the best... you can do?" She taunted through gritted teeth, the creature snarled in anger. The glow in it's eyes seemed to intensify, as did the agony searing Twilight. "Agh!" She shouted, falling forward. She risked a glance over to the stallion: his magic had burned through most of the barrier. She looked back at the beast, grunting as she pulled herself back to her hooves. The creature seemed surprised at her sudden pain tolerance, rightfully so, even she was surprised by it. The howl of wind flooded into the place, drawing the attention of both Twilight and her demonic foe. She felt the searing pain lifted with the beasts gaze.
The door to the library was now held open, freezing wind and rain now pouring in freely. The stallion merely stood there, on the verge of collapse from exhaustion. Running purely on reserve energy and hope, Twilight sprinted forward. As did the beast, it's shadowy form rocketing towards the helpless stallion. But, Twilight was faster, she brought her body into the stallions, tackling him out of the doorway and out into the icy elements. The two rolled out into the grassy lawn outside, tumbling end over end. The wind and rain chilling her to her bones, the feeling was intensified by the cold sweat matting her fur.
Twilight's eyes flashed to the doorway as a cascade of shadowy limbs ripped through after them. She gave a shout and rose to her hooves, but before she could escape a voice called to her
"Wait!" The stallion said from the ground, Twilight looked at him confused. "It can't follow us out here." She looked back to the doorway. As the shadowy forms exited the library, and the rain began striking it's dark flesh, it screeched in pain. Tendrils of smoke rose up from it's form, where the rain had burned into it like acid. It spent only a few moments in the agonizing environment before slinking away back into the dark. When the creature had fully retreated back into it's den, the door to the place slammed shut behind it. And, Twilight was left staring at the strange red symbol branded into the door.
The stallion chuckled slightly, relieved to have escaped that place. Twilight could only stare and listen to the thunderous beat of her own heart. The stallion stood slowly, rising up next to her. "Are you alright?" He asked her in an exasperated tone. She looked at the stallion, and he saw the tears running down her cheeks, mixing with the downpour already set upon them. He looked up to the weeping dark grey sky, and then around to the gloom and fog. "Let's find some shelter, there's a little cottage on the outskirts of the town that's safe." He said solemnly, Twilight nodded.
The two trekked through the village slowly, their aching bodies preventing them from moving any faster that a slow trot. They passed by dozens of buildings, some with great gashes torn in their roofs and some missing entire chunks of the building all together. Twilight noticed some of the buildings with the same red marking on their doors as the library. Most notably a tall building painted a lovely violet, with a sign that read "Carousel Boutique" in marvelous curving letters. She didn't need any encouragement from the stallion to not go near that building even though it had seemed so familiar to her. The relentless downpour and rending gale had not let up in the slightest, and soon enough the two began to leave the town behind. The rows of buildings began to grow thinner, replaced by rows upon rows of tall trees. Some of them had been blasted apart by lightning strikes, others simply clawed at the sky with dead, leafless branches. Mud from the beaten path was now well caked on the bottom of Twilight's hooves, and her eyes were growing to heavy to bear.
But, after a time Twilight could spy their destination. Resting on a hill, across a small bridge, was a two story cottage. Hedges and a dark green roof made the home look like another tree house.As they approached she noticed that the door was free of the red marking, she was still wary of entering though. The stallion's horn began to shimmer, as did the handle to the cottage, the door slid open with a loud creak. The stallion motioned for her inside with his hoof. She entered hesitantly. Inside the sounds of the storm were muffled, but the rain pounding on the room and windows was still audible.
Inside the cottage was much less damaged than the place where Twilight had first awoken in. It was dark inside, but a fireplace in one of the walls was lit, and the dancing flames served to illuminate the room just enough to see. The roof and floor was free of holes, even the rain was unable to get in. The majority of the furniture was intact, a large sofa and small table at the center of the room. A slightly battered rug coating the wooden floor. On the far side of the room was an entryway into another room, and beside it a staircase leading up. The only real damage that could be visible was the large collection of cages lining the room. Varying in many different sizes , but all of them had been destroyed, all appeared to have been ripped open by some outside force. As she looked at them Twilight felt a chill run up her spine, there was a pattern amongst them, none of them had claw or sharp teeth marks, but rather blunt objects and flat teeth had been used; she was not mistaken however, they were all ravaged by one larger creature.
The stallion slipped into the home beside her, while she was simply staring uncomfortably at the litter of cages. "Well," he started "make yourself at home." He finished in a tone like he didn't know what else to say. Twilight had no response. "You know doubt have questions." He said looking at her, a stern look on his face. She nodded slightly. "As do I." He motioned to the sofa. Twilight made her way to the couch, letting her weary body crash down upon it. She sank into the fluffy cushions, her eyes felt heavy, sleep beckoned to her. But, she needed answers, and she wasn't going to rest until she got some. She puled herself up sharply, into a lazy sitting position. She noticed that the stallion was no where to be seen.
She looked around for a moment, then saw him emerge from the far room carrying a tray covered in randomly assorted items in his teeth. His blunt, flat teeth, suspicion brewed and Twilight's eyes traveled downwards. Hooves, not claws, perfect smashing tools, her eyes slid back to the cages.
The stallion set the tray down gently on the table, it was covered with a number of bowls filled with oats, hay, vegetables, and fruits. Twilight noticed her hunger for the first time, she almost doubled over from the wave of painful nausea that struck her guts. She eyed the food intently. "Go ahead, you need to eat." The stallion said letting his own body fall limply onto the couch next to her. Twilight looked at him, he had a warm look behind his steel eyes, but also weariness, greater than her own she could see. After a time of studying his features, his soft almost feminine cheeks and jaw, his deep indigo coat that seemed nearly black in the firelight, and his dirty green and blue mane, she reached out and took a bit of fruit in her hoof. Still starring at him, she brings the food to her mouth slowly. He stares back, an amused look on his face, as she takes a bite. Juice and flavor floods her senses, she swallows hastily, her eyes turning madly from him to the food. She begins take hoof fulls of anything within reach, and devouring them hastily, she had no memory of ever tasting food. She knew she had, but it tasted so much sweeter than she could have imagined.
For a few moments of ravenous feeding, and nearly choking twice, the food on the tray was gone. Twilight breathed deeply, savoring the feeling of food in her belly, she felt much more tired now. "Do you know your name, where you are, what's going on, anything?" The stallion asked nervously, Twilight had forgotten he was there. She looked at him surprised.
"No," She finally answers "I mean I know my name but not much else, I was hoping you could fill me in on that." She corrects, her voice equally as nervous as his. A pained look is plastered on the stallions face when he hears her words.
"Then you're the same as me." He looked away from her.
"But, you know about this place, you seemed to know your way around. So, you must know more than me."
"I didn't just wake up." He said looking back to her "It was a great many sleeps ago that I awoke. I was alone, I thought I would always be alone. I've had some time to learn a few things, but I still don't remember anything before I woke up that fist time." His voice was thick with sadness.
"But, you remember your name right?" Twilight asked , he nodded "Then what is it?"
A slight smile parts his lips "My name's Stardust, it feels strange to say it. I never have, but I've always known it." He stares into the fire like he had forgot about her, a look of nostalgia in his averted gaze. "What about you?"
"I'm Twilight Sparkle, and... it's a pleasure to meet you, Stardust." She doesn't know why but that felt like the right thing to say.
Stardust chuckles a bit to himself. "Twilight Sparkle," he said, as if testing the taste of the words in his mouth "two names? That's strange, should I have two names?"
"Aren't Star and Dust two names?"
"No I don't think so, I'm pretty sure it's just one name." He laughs. Suddenly his expression turned grim "I'm sorry Twilight Sparkle, but I have to do this." He said turning to her, she looked at him confused. "Shadows, darkness, the library," He began saying softly, Twilight's heart started to beat rapidly, terror wracked her mind, but she couldn't explain why. "eyes of red, monster, the symbol... the symbol!" His voice picked up volume. Twilight was thrown into a panic, she was sweating bullets. Her mind was invaded by images of the hellish nightmare in the library, of the beast, the shadowy demon, and that burning rune in the door. She screamed, and tried to pull away from the couch. That creature was here, she knew it, she could feel it. Stardust threw his hooves around her, preventing her from escaping.
"No, let go! It's going to find me!" She shouted, feeling tears well up in her eyes.
"Twilight, it's okay! It isn't here, your safe." Stardust said soothingly. She still struggled, her heart beating rapidly. "I'm sorry, I know it's frightening, but you're safe now. That creature, it makes you forget... about it." He said, she looked at him, wild fear and curiosity burning behind her eyes.
"What?" She asked, in a terrified yet amazed tone.
"If you're not around it, you start to forget. That's how it gets you, if you escape the first time, then you're bound to forget it, then you end up stumbling back into it's trap." He explained with venom in his words
"How do you know that?" She asked still in disbelief.
"It happened to me." He said silently "The first time you remember it, as you can tell, it's paralyzing. And, I almost didn't make it out alive."
"I see, I'm sorry." She said remorsefully, not knowing what else to say. Her fear had all but dissipated now. She was distrustful of this, but she couldn't help but believe it. She had forgotten all about her encounter with the nightmare almost immediately after leaving.the place. The memory had not left her completely, it was just pushed to the back of her mind, like it was the least important thing to her when it should have been the most. Twilight looked down, and was startled to see Stardust's hooves still wrapped around her, holding her in place. He followed her gaze, noticing as well. He gave a startled gasp, letting go and sliding away quickly. Twilight too slid away, her cheeks flushed crimson. The two kept their eyes averted for a time. They sit in silence, with only the storm outside offering to the conversation.
"I... go into town sometimes, just to look at the symbols on the doors. So I don't forget again." Stardust continued trying to move the discussion.
"What does it mean... the symbol?" Twilight inquired
"It's how it marks it's territory, or how they do. There's one in every house marked with that symbol." He said bitterly. "Or, maybe it's just one, but it can move between the places, I don't know..." He answered, trailing off. Twilight yawned noisily, and rubbed her eye with a hoof. "Tired?" Stardust asked, looking at her and raising an eyebrow.
"Very, is there a bed I can use here?" She asked smiling
"Yes, upstairs, past the large bed in the middle of the room. It's a guest bedroom, branching off of the main room, I think." He replied with a chuckle. She nodded wearily, and rose from the sofa.
"Then I think it's time for me to... sleep." She said, a yawn breaking her speech.
"Agreed, I'm quite sleepy myself. It's been a long day. We'll talk more tomorrow." The two shared silence, as they both recalled the events of what had happened. After a while, they made their way up the stairs. Twilight's eyes felt too heavy to keep open, and her aching limbs too sore to carry her. The upstairs was dominated by a wide window just above a large bed. At the far side of the room rested the slightly open door to the guest bedroom. Twilight wasted no time in reaching the place of rest. She heard a cushioned crash from behind. She turned quickly to see Stardust sprawled out on the large bed, the sound of his light snoring already reaching her ears. She turned back and pushes the door open softly.
She entered into a barren room, decorated only by a small bed, and a desk. The desks surface was covered in a scattered assortment of paper, scrolls, ink wells, and writing quills. The room looked familiar to her. Too familiar. It took a moment, but Twilight soon realized it's identical to the room she awoke in. Even down to the chill of the place. She came to the conclusion that all bedrooms must just look the same. She shut the door quietly behind her, and made her way to the bed swiftly, her hooves clicking eerily in the sudden quiet. Just as before the sounds of the storm were silenced in this dark, windowless place. She created a soft red light with her horn, the task of which was child's play compared to the other spells she had cast today. She used the magic light to navigate to the bed.
She let her body slump down raggedly unto the bed. The scarlet blankets and soft sheets embraced her. Just as she was ready to put out her light and sleep she noticed something odd. On the desk, one of the letters had writing on it. She squinted her eyes trying to decipher the writing from her, but eventually uses her magic to levitate the closed envelope over to her. Bathed in magenta light she could make out the words written on the front of the envelope: Twilight, the word was written in dark in, and curving letters. She quickly peeled back the fold with her spell, inside was a piece of parchment. She drew out the paper, it had been folded neatly. Her burning curiosity gave her no other choice but to unfold, and read the note. But, on closer inspection of the paper, she only became more frightened, and confused.
find the gate find the gate find the gate find the gate find the gate find the gate find the gate
find the gate find the gate find the gate find the gate find the gate....
Twilight placed the parchment back on the desk, realizing it was the same phrase running down the entire page. The words swam in her exhausted mind. She kept thinking of how hastily they had been written, it was obviously written by someone not normal, or in trouble. But, what frightened her most was the fact that it was addressed to her. Stardust couldn't have written it, he only just recently found out her name. Ideas that made little sense, and only helped to confuse her more dance about like the rain in her head. Her mind continued to run through endless possibilities, until the stream of thought stopped. Her violet coated chest rose and fell rhythmically, letting a haze of silver mist escape her lips as her breath was visible in the cold, and the purple mare slept troublesomely.
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.