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Starlight Over Detrot: A Noir Tale

by Chessie
In the decaying metropolis of Detrot, 60 years and one war after Luna's return, Detective Hard Boiled and friends must solve the mystery behind a unicorn's death in a film noir-inspired tale of ponies, hard cider, conspiracy, and murder.

Monster attacks. Crime. Illegal hallucinogens made from electric fruit.

They say things didn't use to be like this. They say things were different, before Luna came back 60 years ago, but Detective Hard "Hardy" Boiled of the Detrot Police Department has never known any world other than that demarcated by the seedy streets of his beloved decaying metropolis; a world in which the coroners sing and dance, surveillance bugs have personality disorders, and the Chief of Police is a scarier entity than most of the eldritch things the city attracts.

The grey unicorn who turned up dead outside the posh High Step Hotel seemed like just another case, but her missing horn is the pointy tip of a very large and nasty iceberg. It's up to Hardy and his friends - a rejected monster hunter, a psychic cab driver, and an underground antiques heir - to find out what’s going on in an investigation that promises to stick more than a cupcake into the very eye of Detrot.

Especially if Hardy has anything to say about it.

By Popular Demand, there is now a Patreon


Additional editing by coandco Sig_Awesome, Hinds, Clint, and Raccoon!
Featured on EQD - 5 Stars!
Cover art by MisterMech (http://mistermech.deviantart.com/)
Now with TVTropes page here!

Teen
Complete
My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic
Dark
Mystery
Adventure
 
O

1437427 words: Estimated 5 days to read
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158 Chapters:

  1. Chapter 1: Welcome To Detrot 2012-11-04 13:06:33 UTC
    6869
  2. Chapter 2: Your Princess is in Another Castle 2012-08-18 11:48:48 UTC
    14555
  3. Chapter 3: Griffin the Third Degree 2012-08-18 12:57:35 UTC
    10267
  4. Chapter 4: Daisy, Daisy, Give Me Your Answer, Do 2012-08-18 12:58:24 UTC
    9771
  5. Chapter 5: The Best Little Whorehouse in Equestria 2012-08-25 21:34:00 UTC
    11371
  6. Chapter 6: Happiness is a Warm Gun 2012-08-31 20:32:13 UTC
    10502
  7. Chapter 7: Guesses, Gripes and Grease 2012-09-08 02:15:59 UTC
    5354
  8. Chapter 8: Morgue Party 2012-09-27 23:58:38 UTC
    10218
  9. Chapter 9: Not That Kind of Shipping 2012-10-06 13:16:55 UTC
    12282
  10. Chapter 10: The Spy Who Wubbed Me 2012-10-24 01:30:40 UTC
    10643
  11. Chapter 11: Ponies Will Pay You to be InhuMane 2012-12-15 05:34:13 UTC
    10711
  12. Chapter 12: Gentlecolts, You Can't Fight in Here! This is the War Room! 2012-12-22 03:53:45 UTC
    5654
  13. Chapter 13: Mental Mind Buck Can Be Nice 2013-01-09 00:56:49 UTC
    10109
  14. Chapter 14: It's a Black Bag Affair 2013-01-21 01:14:08 UTC
    9661
  15. Chapter 15: Home Is Where The Heart Is 2013-02-04 05:39:19 UTC
    10547
  16. Chapter 16: But Why Will You Say That I Am Mad? 2013-02-20 21:40:28 UTC
    10424
  17. Chapter 17: Meet the Gang 2013-03-08 23:54:12 UTC
    10841
  18. Chapter 18: School Dance 2013-03-23 00:15:14 UTC
    11432
  19. Chapter 19: The Cruel Tutelage of High Spirits 2013-04-12 23:02:40 UTC
    9829
  20. Chapter 20: Rolling in the Aisles 2013-04-29 20:06:28 UTC
    12057
  21. Chapter 21: Can You Tell Me How to Get... 2013-05-12 02:47:45 UTC
    8524
  22. Chapter 22: So We Come To It 2013-05-17 18:38:18 UTC
    6051
  23. Act 2, Chapter 1: Wake Up, Detective 2013-06-08 04:14:32 UTC
    10941
  24. Act 2, Chapter 2: Hush Now, Quiet Now 2013-06-21 23:45:12 UTC
    9782
  25. Act 2, Chapter 3: Can You Say 'Aaaah?' 2013-07-05 22:09:21 UTC
    12393
  26. Act 2, Chapter 4: Tell Me, Exactly How Could Things Be Worse? 2013-07-20 02:43:49 UTC
    10647
  27. Act 2, Chapter 5: Home, Home on the Mange 2013-07-29 03:27:34 UTC
    6339
  28. Act 2, Chapter 6: All Quiet in the Library 2013-08-17 00:07:07 UTC
    10237
  29. Act 2, Chapter 7: Executor of the Estate 2013-08-30 22:54:30 UTC
    10069
  30. Act 2, Chapter 8: If Only You Had Been There 2013-09-13 23:01:13 UTC
    10826
  31. Act 2, Chapter 9: It's Not Suicide if it Works 2013-09-22 02:55:10 UTC
    7585
  32. Act 2, Chapter 10: Police Do Too Have Balls 2013-10-05 01:53:49 UTC
    10009
  33. Act 2, Chapter 11: On With the Show 2013-10-18 22:09:12 UTC
    10227
  34. Act 2, Chapter 12: Sneaky Sneaky Sneaky 2013-11-02 02:28:30 UTC
    10379
  35. Act 2, Chapter 13: We're All Ears 2013-11-16 04:40:51 UTC
    11164
  36. Act 2, Chapter 14: Champion of Right, Swoops out of the Shadows... 2013-12-01 02:10:03 UTC
    10300
  37. Act 2, Chapter 15: Right to Remain Silent 2013-12-14 03:44:50 UTC
    9468
  38. Act 2, Chapter 16: Devil's Deal 2013-12-28 02:29:37 UTC
    6301
  39. Act 2, Chapter 17: Hunka Hunka Burning Love 2014-01-05 04:31:47 UTC
    10864
  40. Act 2, Chapter 18: Next of Kin 2014-01-17 22:24:20 UTC
    6251
  41. Act 2, Chapter 19: The Diary of Ruby Blue 2014-01-25 00:06:27 UTC
    9770
  42. Act 2, Chapter 20: Scary Questions, Scary Answers 2014-02-08 03:20:26 UTC
    11081
  43. Act 2, Chapter 21: The Big House 2014-02-22 04:47:08 UTC
    9712
  44. Act 2, Chapter 22: Heartburn 2014-03-08 01:31:39 UTC
    9810
  45. Act 2, Chapter 23: Flowers that Bloom in Dark Places 2014-03-21 22:52:07 UTC
    10488
  46. Act 2, Chapter 24: Blood and Family 2014-04-06 23:18:20 UTC
    9919
  47. Act 2, Chapter 25: Unearthed Facets 2014-04-12 00:06:46 UTC
    5195
  48. Act 2, Chapter 26: Daddy 2014-04-28 22:32:45 UTC
    9218
  49. Act 2, Chapter 27: Sweet Shine, My Only Sweet Shine 2014-05-11 03:45:36 UTC
    5487
  50. Act 2, Chapter 28: Dog Day Afternoon 2014-05-20 01:55:29 UTC
    9816
  51. Act 2, Chapter 29: Shadows With Teeth 2014-06-05 07:17:46 UTC
    9565
  52. Act 2, Chapter 30: A Machine for Ponies 2014-06-21 03:22:07 UTC
    9117
  53. Act 2, Chapter 31: Foal's Play 2014-07-06 01:45:46 UTC
    10208
  54. Act 2, Chapter 32: For The Good Of All Of Us, Except The Ones Who Are Dead 2014-07-22 03:05:10 UTC
    9394
  55. Act 2, Chapter 33: "We never burned and tortured and ripped one another apart and called it morality." 2014-08-08 06:12:56 UTC
    10363
  56. Act 2, Chapter 34: Temple of Lost Souls 2014-08-27 01:51:31 UTC
    10696
  57. Act 2, Chapter 35: Up in Holy Smoke 2014-09-10 07:20:38 UTC
    7818
  58. Act 2, Chapter 36: In The Dark Of The Night 2014-09-27 02:39:08 UTC
    10543
  59. Act 2, Chapter 37: Benefits Package 2014-10-14 05:32:38 UTC
    9643
  60. Act 2, Chapter 38: New Boss in Town 2014-10-29 01:52:10 UTC
    9616
  61. Act 2, Chapter 39: Bringing Up the Rear 2014-11-17 03:37:46 UTC
    7198
  62. Act 2, Chapter 40: Could be Worse, Could be Raining 2014-12-06 19:18:44 UTC
    9823
  63. Act 2, Chapter 41: Alcoholism for Fun and Profit 2014-12-25 03:17:00 UTC
    10323
  64. Act 2, Chapter 42: Steps of Grief 2015-01-14 06:12:38 UTC
    10456
  65. Act 2, Chapter 43: The Screaming Tells You It's Working 2015-02-04 04:15:00 UTC
    9838
  66. Act 2, Chapter 44: Crazy Talk 2015-02-15 01:31:08 UTC
    9472
  67. Act 2, Chapter 45: Going Trench Coat 2015-03-07 08:53:07 UTC
    9442
  68. Act 2, Chapter 46: I'm Drunk, and Don't Call Me Shirley 2015-03-30 03:05:31 UTC
    9674
  69. Act 2, Chapter 47: Unauthorized Psychiatric Experimentation Test #1 2015-04-22 18:13:12 UTC
    10290
  70. Act 2, Chapter 48: Shotgun Diplomacy 2015-05-05 10:02:13 UTC
    9976
  71. Act 2, Chapter 49:Doom Doom Doomie Doom Da Doom 2015-05-26 04:58:35 UTC
    10356
  72. Act 2, Chapter 50: Ring Around the Rosie 2015-06-11 03:49:42 UTC
    10068
  73. Act 2 Chapter 51: Hanging By A Thread 2015-06-27 07:19:17 UTC
    10159
  74. Act 2 Chapter 52: Rain, Rain, Go Away 2015-07-11 04:52:13 UTC
    10417
  75. Act 2 Chapter 53: Ride Into Darkness 2015-07-21 00:29:11 UTC
    7413
  76. Act 3 Chapter 1: When It All Goes Wrong 2015-08-09 05:32:21 UTC
    9423
  77. Act 3 Chapter 2: Best Laid Plans Of Stallions And Hamsters 2015-08-22 08:57:50 UTC
    9393
  78. Act 3 Chapter 3 : A Scientist Should Be The Happiest of Stallions 2015-09-06 08:59:25 UTC
    9512
  79. Act 3 Chapter 4: Lets Get Ready To Rumble! 2015-09-25 05:25:04 UTC
    9151
  80. Act 3 Chapter 5: Is Fame To Blame? 2015-10-12 03:53:13 UTC
    9450
  81. Act 3 Chapter 6 : Two Griffins, One Stone 2015-10-28 12:50:01 UTC
    11367
  82. Act 3 Chapter 7 : Truth And Justice 2015-11-18 03:17:48 UTC
    8976
  83. Act 3 Chapter 8 : Weathervane of Doom 2015-12-09 00:56:00 UTC
    12898
  84. Act 3 Chapter 9: Kiss Kiss, Bang Bang 2015-12-29 10:20:15 UTC
    9685
  85. Act 3 Chapter 10 : This Is How We Run Away 2016-01-16 18:13:04 UTC
    9085
  86. Act 3 Chapter 11 : Sentient Hyper-Optimized Tourniquet Amusement Network 2016-02-07 01:55:00 UTC
    9354
  87. Act 3 Chapter 12 : She's Got A Ticket To Ride And She Don't Care 2016-02-23 10:01:48 UTC
    8911
  88. Act 3 Chapter 13 : Life On Rails 2016-03-11 07:42:09 UTC
    8663
  89. Act 3 Chapter 14 : A Long Awaited Party 2016-03-23 08:20:17 UTC
    7448
  90. Act 3 Chapter 15 : Your Princess Is In This Castle 2016-04-12 03:04:01 UTC
    9437
  91. Act 3 Chapter 16 : Scary Stories To Tell In The Dark 2016-05-12 04:35:14 UTC
    15222
  92. Act 3 Chapter 17 : In Her Majesty's Equine Service 2016-05-30 07:59:03 UTC
    9275
  93. Act 3 Chapter 18 : Let's Break It Down 2016-06-14 22:56:09 UTC
    8032
  94. Act 3 Chapter 19 : Dying To Live 2016-07-01 06:01:31 UTC
    6731
  95. Act 3 Chapter 20 : They Are Rage, Brutal, Without Mercy, But You Will Be Worse 2016-07-19 04:39:53 UTC
    12647
  96. Act 3 Chapter 21 : Guess What I Did Today! 2016-08-08 23:11:59 UTC
    9693
  97. Act 3 Chapter 22 : Detrot Confidential 2016-08-28 08:28:21 UTC
    8386
  98. Act 3 Chapter 23 : Sit By The Fire And I'll Tell You A Yarn 2016-09-21 06:13:05 UTC
    9659
  99. Act 3 Chapter 24 : I Love My Computer, You Make Me Feel Alright 2016-10-10 02:10:25 UTC
    9346
  100. Act 3 Chapter 25 : There's No Need To Fear! 2016-11-01 07:04:19 UTC
    9482
  101. Act 3 Chapter 26 : Take A Note Please 2016-11-21 23:30:52 UTC
    8193
  102. Act 3 Chapter 27 : Stormy Weather 2016-12-01 10:43:57 UTC
    5605
  103. Act 3 Chapter 28 : All's Well As Long As No One's Been Shot 2016-12-30 03:17:43 UTC
    10424
  104. Act 3 Chapter 29: The Chains of Leadership 2017-01-20 21:09:30 UTC
    10238
  105. Act 3 Chapter 30 : The Siege 2017-01-31 08:12:00 UTC
    7512
  106. Act 3 Chapter 31 : The Hangover Won't Kill You, But You'll Wish It Had 2017-02-24 07:15:01 UTC
    8915
  107. Act 3 Chapter 32 : A Road Trip With Iris Jade 2017-03-19 21:03:49 UTC
    6555
  108. Act 3 Chapter 33: In The Dead Hours Of The Morning 2017-04-15 00:52:33 UTC
    10492
  109. Act 3 Chapter 34: Those Are Brave Ponies Knocking At Our Door 2017-04-28 23:26:39 UTC
    4298
  110. Act 3 Chapter 35: Let's Go Kill Them 2017-05-18 09:24:08 UTC
    8519
  111. Act 3 Chapter 36 : Dirt On Our Hooves 2017-06-12 06:30:04 UTC
    8641
  112. Act 3 Chapter 37: Lay It Out For Me Again 2017-07-06 08:23:00 UTC
    9444
  113. Act 3 Chapter 38 : Instructions Unclear, Detective Caught In Meatgrinder 2017-07-31 05:23:23 UTC
    9402
  114. Act 3 Chapter 39: Or, How I Learned To Love The Cliffhanger 2017-08-29 01:43:45 UTC
    5500
  115. Act 3 Chapter 40: 404 Mind Not Found 2017-09-28 15:16:52 UTC
    10435
  116. Act 3 Chapter 41: Nightmares All The Way Down 2017-10-21 08:16:13 UTC
    8413
  117. Act 3 Chapter 42: Beer 2017-11-12 23:17:25 UTC
    5225
  118. Act 3 Chapter 43: Bang, Bang, He Shot Me Down 2017-11-30 11:13:06 UTC
    9109
  119. Act 3 Chapter 44: See Hardy Run. Run, Hardy, Run! 2017-12-30 11:06:28 UTC
    8956
  120. Act 3 Chapter 45 : What part of 'Secret' do you not understand? 2018-02-02 02:59:13 UTC
    9270
  121. Act 3 Chapter 46 : Battlestations! 2018-03-06 05:13:07 UTC
    8046
  122. Act 3 Chapter 47: The Reasons We Kill 2018-04-05 20:47:38 UTC
    8913
  123. Act 3 Chapter 48 : Death At Work 2018-05-04 13:07:08 UTC
    8503
  124. Act 3 Chapter 49: I'm Going To Need You To Come In On Sunday 2018-05-31 20:32:19 UTC
    7635
  125. Act 3 Chapter 50: Work Is A Real Nightmare 2018-06-28 16:30:54 UTC
    7277
  126. Act 3 Chapter 51 : Running About With Our Tails On Fire 2018-07-20 09:16:51 UTC
    5464
  127. Act 3 Chapter 52 : The Dead Working 2018-09-01 05:48:34 UTC
    7187
  128. Act 3 Chapter 53 : An Excellent Weapon 2018-10-04 20:48:01 UTC
    8132
  129. Act 3 Chapter 54 : A Moment In The Sun 2018-10-21 23:59:40 UTC
    5991
  130. Act 3 Chapter 55 : Ride Home, Gentle Son 2018-11-28 18:00:39 UTC
    7186
  131. Act 3 Chapter 56 : In The Garden, The Snake 2018-12-31 22:53:12 UTC
    7842
  132. Act 3 Chapter 57 : Sleeping With Monsters 2019-02-02 02:57:06 UTC
    7124
  133. Act 3 Chapter 58 : Ships Passing In The Night 2019-02-27 21:38:06 UTC
    7104
  134. Act 3 Chapter 59 : Home Again 2019-03-26 10:55:34 UTC
    8457
  135. Act 3 Chapter 60 : Death Takes A Coffee Break 2019-04-10 18:34:14 UTC
    5182
  136. Act 3 Chapter 61: A Grand Trick 2019-05-08 06:04:14 UTC
    11774
  137. Act 3 Chapter 62 : Live, From The Fortress Everfree 2019-06-09 22:03:38 UTC
    6558
  138. Act 3 Chapter 63: Detrot Rises 2019-06-19 12:45:33 UTC
    2695
  139. Act 3 Chapter 64 : At The Gates 2019-07-21 23:33:28 UTC
    7847
  140. Act 3 Chapter 65 : Below The Murder Hole 2019-08-26 22:51:53 UTC
    9118
  141. Act 3 Chapter 66 : Open Sesame 2019-09-26 17:53:32 UTC
    9467
  142. Act 3 Chapter 67 : The Charge 2019-10-25 17:40:06 UTC
    8263
  143. Act 3 Chapter 68 : Leadership Crisis 2019-11-23 10:03:01 UTC
    8560
  144. Act 3 Chapter 69: Dog Fight 2020-01-01 21:12:22 UTC
    8057
  145. Act 3 Chapter 70: Rain of Blood 2020-01-09 04:15:14 UTC
    4564
  146. Act 3 Chapter 71 : Taxi's Day 2020-02-14 07:54:30 UTC
    9283
  147. Act 3 Chapter 72 : Taxi's Ride 2020-03-15 20:32:31 UTC
    9146
  148. Act 3 Chapter 73: Taxi's Battle 2020-05-05 01:34:00 UTC
    9635
  149. Act 3 Chapter 74 : Taxi's Death 2020-06-25 19:38:59 UTC
    9840
  150. Act 3 Chapter 75 : Anger Issues 2020-08-07 01:23:56 UTC
    9189
  151. Act 3 Chapter 76 : Last Orders 2020-08-19 15:15:00 UTC
    9583
  152. Act 3 Chapter 77 : Last Battle 2020-09-04 22:58:13 UTC
    10072
  153. Act 3 Chapter 78 : Last Night 2020-10-25 01:15:36 UTC
    7427
  154. Act 3 Chapter 79 : Last Dream 2020-12-30 04:31:44 UTC
    11577
  155. Act 3 Chapter 80 : Last Rites 2021-02-26 06:48:20 UTC
    10135
  156. Starlight Over Detrot Epilogue Part 1 : Rescue Mission 2021-03-13 03:47:11 UTC
    5285
  157. Starlight Over Detrot Epilogue Part 2 : The Hard Part 2021-03-21 21:31:33 UTC
    9493
  158. Starlight Over Detrot Epilogue Part 3 : The Sun Rises 2021-03-29 08:54:59 UTC
    9626