This story is a sequel to Ponyville Noire: Misty Streets of Equestria

Daring Do and Phillip Finder have faced many foes since they partnered up. They have defeated the blackmailer Silvertongue, the pirate Whitestone, the femme fatale Scarlet Letter, and the monstrous Zugzwang.

But now another foe comes to haunt Ponyville. Many thought that the Plague Doctor was nothing more than a myth born of the horrors of the Crystal War. Others know better, fearing the name of Sombra's most dangerous assassin.

And now he's in Ponyville.

While they are stalked by the assassin, Daring Do and Phillip Finder must also unravel the thefts of magical artifacts masterminded by the archeologist-turned-mercenary Doctor Caballeron. And worse, enemies from their past return to torment them and their friends. Who is guiding them? What is their goal?

And what ancient evil is waiting in the Everfree Forest?

Updates every Saturday. Proofread by Eagle—Paladin of Shadows

The fourth story of the Noireverse.

Sex and Gore tags for suggestive content and graphic descriptions.

Check out the theme music by The L-Train by clicking here!

This story is a sequel to Ponyville Noire: Kriegspiel—Black, White, and Scarlet

Zugzwang is dead, Scarlet Letter is in prison, and Ponyville is safer than it has ever been before, the once invulnerable crime syndicates in fragmented disarray. But Daring Do and Phillip Finder still dream of the red sky and the empty black eyes; Trace's dying scream echoes in their ears when they try to sleep, and they feel Zugzwang's ghost haunting them.

But even as they struggle with their demons, more cases come to the doorstep of 221 Honeybee Bakery. And as hard as it is, Phillip and Daring cannot turn away from those in need. Dragons in Canterlot, changeling intrigue in their own hometown, murder in the Crystal Empire, and treasure hunts in the Aushaylian Outback: these new, fantastic cases will take the detectives on strange journeys across Equestria, introducing them to new allies and friends. And maybe they will find peace along the way.

The third story of the Noireverse, this smaller series is intended as a sort of coda to the previous story, Kriegspiel. As I prepare to plan out the next major story of the Ponyville Noire series, I decided to write a few shorter cases to keep the gears greased. The purpose of this story is primarily to introduce some new characters and locales to the Noireverse, but also to show Phillip and Daring dealing with the trauma of what they went through in the last story: all things I wasn't confident I could do well in the next big story, considering what I have planned for that.

I hope that you enjoy this work!

Featured on April 2, 2021! Thank you all!

Updates every Saturday. Edited by Eagle--Paladin of Shadows!

Click here to check out the theme music by The L-Train!

When the citizens of Ponyville's Everfree District need their animals cared for, they turn to Doctors Fluttershy and Tree Hugger, veterinarian and herbalist. The two are famed for the kindness and care; something of a rarity in the Everfree District, where poverty and drugs have infiltrated every street.

So when the two notice that Lightning Dust is struggling with a drug addiction, they decide to help; it's their job, after all. But helping the proud mare with a problem she doesn't want to admit she has is not going to be easy, especially since there's more to this diagnosis than simply addiction.

There is no straightforward cure for all hurting mares. But with a bit of love and care, perhaps Fluttershy and Tree Hugger can help Lightning Dust get what she needs.

A side story of the Noireverse, this mini-project of mine is intended to focus on Fluttershy and the lives of the ponies in the Everfree District, as well as introduce my version of Tree Hugger and Lightning Dust to the series. Plus, Flutterhugger is a personal favorite ship of mine, and I wanted to write something about it.

This contains several references to the Noireverse at large: it's best if you're familiar with the Ponyville Noire series before reading this.

Edited by The Red Parade!

Cover art done by Anxiousshadowpetals!

Ponyville is a massive city with its own long history interweaving with the lore of Equestria at large, and each of its four hundred thousand inhabitants has their own stories to tell. Sadly, only a few of them get a chance to tell their tales of hope, tragedy, loss, and love.

Here, they shall get their chance. In this collection, history will be uncovered and many stories will be related where they might never have been told.

The Noireverse has a wide cast of secondary characters, each of which has their own history, personality, and background. Unfortunately, I would never have enough time to cover them all in the main Ponyville Noire series. This collection of short stories allows me to expand the universe "vertically," in a way, by adding on other details and exploring parts of my world that would otherwise never come up. Also, it gives me a chance to write down short story ideas that pop into my head from time to time. I hope you enjoy!

Warnings for profanity and some possible suggestive content.

This story is a sequel to Ponyville Noire: Tails of Two Private Eyes

When reformed thief Daring Do and private detective Phillip Finder took down Silvertongue, the reigning king of Ponyville's underworld, they hoped that things would get better for their city, and for each other. And with the dawn of a new year, and the honest if harsh Cold Case as the new chief of the Ponyville Police Department, that hope seems fruitful.

But nature abhors a vacuum. The throne that Silvertongue vacated has been taken by his former associate: Zugzwang, a cold, bloodthirsty sociopath who harbors a chilling obsession with Phillip Finder. But not all meet his rule willingly: the griffon Whitestone declares war on Zugzwang and his allies, and Phillip and Daring are caught in the center. Amidst the chaos, the mysterious Scarlet Letter manipulates all three sides as part of an unknown plan.

Ponyville is burning all around them. With a few friends at their side, Phillip Finder and Daring Do fight to restore order, but they and the city might not survive without a few scars.

Updates weekly. Proofread by Eagle—Paladin of Shadows

The second major story of the Noireverse.

Sex and Gore tags for suggestive content and graphic description.

Click here to check out the theme music by the L-Train!

Prison time is hard time. This is true for everypony in Frostback prison, and not just for the inmates.

Gentle Guide tries to put some pride into the uniform, reminds himself every day that his position as a correctional officer means something: that he is more than just a guard, he is a guardian and an arbiter, keeping order in the little community that is the prison. But when he spends every day surrounded by fear, predators, and hopelessness, it can be difficult to keep up his own spirits.

This is the day to day reality for Officer Guide. This is a day in Frostback.

Part of the Noireverse.

Once, she was the Countess, the most famous lounge singer in Manehattan. Once, she spent her nights singing in the classiest bars and lounges, and her mornings dragging herself through hangovers and depression.

But that's all in her past. Now, she is Rara, tenant and helping hoof on Sweet Apple Acres, and the head of entertainment at the Apple Pie In Your Eye. Now, she has Applejack and the Apple Family to lean on for support. And now, she has a community and a family.

This is the life of Rara in Ponyville.

Part of the Noireverse, this story is intended to explore more of Coloratura's character within the series and universe. Rara is one of my favorite side characters in the Ponyville Noire stories, and there was a lot to her that unfortunately just wouldn't fit within the Ponyville Noire stories. I wrote this side story to give her and Applejack the spotlight for a while, as well as give some of the Noireverse's other side characters some more development.

I hope you enjoy!

Ponyville is one of the largest cities in Equestria, a center for trade and finance, a melting pot of many races, tribes, and cultures. It is also a place where corruption is a way of life. Here, the cops that aren't on the take are forever chasing their own tails, citizens live in fear, and gangs battle for control of the streets.

Daring Do has just been released from prison after a year-long sentence for thievery, and no one is about to let her forget her place. Phillip Finder is a local private detective and the bane of the Ponyville Police Department. The new partners quickly find themselves at ground zero of a city-wide gang war; surrounded by dirty cops, mobsters, assassins, and bizarre crimes, they can only rely on each other and a few honest ponies for aid.

They're hardly heroes. Which means they may be exactly what Ponyville needs.

Updates every Wednesday. Proofread by Eagle—Paladin of Shadows

The first story of the Noireverse.

Sex and Gore tags for suggestive content and graphic descriptions.

Check out the theme music by The L-Train by clicking here!

Featured on 1/29/18! Thank you all so much! <3

A bit of background...

Three years ago, I introduced Phillip Finder in my first fanfiction, "The Pony in the Gray Trilby." Over the next many months, I kept writing and eventually turned my first work into a twenty-story series. I learned much and enjoyed the stories' moderate success, but unfortunately, I became dissatisfied with them over time. I realize that it's perhaps a bit of a cliche that many artists end up hating their own work, but for both Tchaikovsky and myself, it is the truth.

I initially planned to write this story as a prequel to the series, focusing on Phillip Finder and Daring Do. But the more I thought about it, the more I realized that I wanted to improve upon my work, but felt as though I was being held back by the original series. While I am proud of my first stories for what I learned and gained through them, I decided that the best course of action for me, what would make me the happiest, would be to wipe the slate clean and start again from the basic foundations.

That's where this story comes in. A semi-reboot of the original series, the adventures contained herein, set in a vastly different alternate universe and replete with a mixture of reinterpreted and original characters, are the culmination of all the experience that I gained writing the original series. This is Phillip Finder and company as I meant them to be.

I hope that you enjoy reading this story as much as I enjoy writing it!