The Ardman Files

by The_Pariah

A Stolen Lyra: Chapter Four

Chapter Four

I sighed. As it turns out, Ponyville doesn't have a restaurant that meets my high expectations. I turned slowly, looking for something even slightly appetizing. "Get yer fresh apples here! Straight from Sweet Apple Acres!" I spun to face the source of the shout - a stall adorned with a huge sign reading 'Sweet Apple Acres' and staffed by an enthusiastic filly with a yellow coat and red mane. Nopony was approaching the stall, instead shying away from it whenever the filly turned in their direction. As I neared it, I heard her mutter, "I guess nopony wants apples today."

"I'll take an apple." She looked up at me hopefully, then back down again.

"Nah, yah just wanna make me feel better."

"No, I really do want one of your apples!" I exclaimed, and my stomach growled affirmation. I licked my lips; the apples smelled so good...

"Really? Oh, well they're three bits each."

"Just one for the moment." I tossed the three bits over and she deftly caught them in her hoof, tossing me an apple in return. I stared at it and sniffed it once, drawing in its intoxicating aroma.

This better taste as good as it smells. I took a bite, and stopped breathing. The juice spilled down my chin, but I just sat there. The flavor ran through me, its unstoppable deliciousness racing over my tongue. A single tear ran down my cheek.

I raised the apple and took another bite. The succulent fruit- wait, this is getting weird. Oh, who am I kidding? The succulent fruit was the most delicious thing I had ever tasted.

"Hey, hey mister. Are you OK?"

I shook myself out of my reverie. "Wha - oh yes, yes I'm all right. It's just that I've never had such a delicious apple before. Tell me, what's your name?"

"Ah'm Apple Bloom. Ah'm trying to get mah cutie mark in selling apples."

"Really? Huh, to each their own I suppose."

"What do you mean? Ah need mah cutie mark."

"Why are you so desperate to get your cutie mark?"

"Why am Ah so desperate? ‘Cos yer cutie mark is the most important thing ever!"

"I wouldn't say that. A cutie mark restricts you, forever marking your path in life. I would enjoy your time without it, make the most of it, then enjoy your life even more when you get it. Don't try and force it, and in the process forget to enjoy life." I smiled and took another bite of the apple.

"What gives you the right ta be so cynical?" a new voice interrupted me. Swallowing, I turned to face an annoyed earth mare with an orange coat and yellow mane. A stetson rested on her head.

"Well Miss..."

"Applejack."

"Well Miss Applejack, I'm not being cynical, I'm telling her the truth. Besides, it doesn't seem to have diminished her spirit any." I went to take another bite, only to have the apple snatched out of my magical grasp. "Hey! That's my apple."

"Just who are you? And why is there an invitation in yer mane?"

I reached up and pulled a bright pink envelope out of my mane. "I - what - how did she...?” I paused to shake my head in bafflement. “I'm Ardman. As for the invitation..." I opened it to find an even brighter pink card inside, inviting 'all ponies' to a party for me. "It appears to be for my party, thrown by Pinkie Pie." I stared at the invitation, perplexed. "There seems to be something stuck to it." I grunted as I attempted to pull off whatever was stuck to the back of the invitation, which stubbornly refused to budge. Glaring, I gave it another tug and with a small pop, the note came free.

Ardman,

Go see Twilight. Now.

Pinkie.

•••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••

Spike sprinted up the stairs and into Twilight's bedroom. He stood there, gasping, a scroll clenched in his claws. "Twilight. I-I just got this letter. But - it's not from Princess Celestia." He tossed her the letter and she caught it easily in her magic. Running her eyes over it, she stared at the seal. It was a simple 'J'.

"No way." She muttered softly as she opened the scroll. "Jake?"

To my old ally Twilight,

I hope the path we opened through Spike still works. Assuming you have received this letter, I have a few things I need

you to do. The first is to pass the accompanying information onto Ardman. It is imperative that he receives it with all due

haste. Second, I need you to be on your guard. The pony that most likely kidnapped Lyra has good connections. I'm

doing all I can on this end to interfere, but some might still slip through. And finally, tell Ardman ‘the sparrow flies south

for the winter’. He'll know what I mean. Good luck.

Jake.

The purple unicorn's eyes flickered over the words, re-reading them to ensure she had understood them correctly. "’The sparrow flies south for the winter’? What does that even mean? And who's this pony that has good connections?" She held the sealed report in one hoof and the letter in the other. "Do I take a sneak peek? Or do I trust Jake's judgement?" After a further moment’s indecision she moved to open it, but was interrupted by a knock at the door.

Puzzled, she trotted down the stairs and opened the front door. Three tough-looking stallions stood outside, dressed in dark suits and hats. "Miss Sparkle?" The lead stallion inquired.

"Depends who's asking."

"Our employer has... an interest in your work."

"My work? But I'm simply a normal librarian in a normal town."

The stallion leaned down and glared at her. "You are not a normal librarian and this is not a normal town. So I'll ask nicely once. Will you let us in? Or will we have to force our way in?"

Twilight grinned a childish grin, one normally seen on a foal who finally got to do something new and exciting. The words she uttered next were words that held a certain power, words used by a pony in only the best of opportunities, words she had heard from one particular pony, a pony she had looked up to for years, and words he had said many a time.

"Come on then, if you think you're hard enough."

•••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••

I ran through the streets, as fast as my hooves could carry me. It's true I held no love for Twilight, but I felt I could trust Pinkie; for whatever reason she thought I should see Twilight, and so to see Twilight I went.

I rounded the corner just in time to see huge stallion go flying into a wall. I ran my eye over his clothes, instantly recognising them as those of a Mob thug. The Mob were one of the largest criminal organizations in Equestria, their main base of operations residing in Los Pegasus. Why would a mobster be - oh. I stared at the gaping holes in the 'Treebrary' as Twilight had called it. Through the huge dust cloud that had somehow gathered inside the Treebrary, I could just make out purple and red magic blasts being exchanged.

I sighed. Trotting slowly forward, I muttered, "What did you go and do now, you arrogant little -" Another mobster went flying past me, cutting off the rest of my sentence, before he crashed into a wall.

From inside I heard a deep voice exclaim in triumph. "Gotcha now. Nowhere left to go is there?" I stepped through one of the many holes and blinked at the scene in front of me.

The target of my hate for the past six months lay battered and bruised, her usually immaculate coat stained with dirt and small amounts of blood. Above her loomed the third mobster, his horn ready to deliver the final blow. “Now then, what do you think you’re doing?” I stepped past the startled thug and up to Twilight. “What happened here?”

She sniffed. “These three attacked me, and I thought I could take them.”

I raised an eyebrow as a single tear rolled down her cheek. “Don’t cry now, it’ll be alright.” I let a little warmth flow into my voice and held up a hoof, which she took. Lifting her to her hooves, I turned to face the mobster. “Now, as much as I hate Twilight here, I cannot stand to see a mare cry.” I lifted a hoof to my hat, and tipped the brim down. “Do you know who I am, good sir?”

The mobster shrugged. “You don’t look familiar.”

"What a shame. I thought the biggest enemy of your organisation would provoke some sort of memory. Ah well."

The mobster looked at me, confused. "Biggest enemy? Who are you?"

I tilted my hat up, and grinned manically. "My name is Ardman. Also known as the Demon Detective, the pony without a soul, the Creature Born of Darkness. Do any of these names ring a bell?"

The mobster's eyes widened. "The Demon D-d-detective? What are you doing here? I thought you died."

I frowned. "It takes more than seventeen-point-five percent body lacerations and several blunt force trauma wounds to kill me."

Twilight gasped. "You suffered all that?"

"Because of you, yes. Anyway, little stallion, now you know what you face: the Demon Detective and the Element of Magic. You still want to fight?" The mobster shook his head, turned and ran. My voice echoed behind him. "Tell your boss that no amount of wounds or rumours will keep me down."

I turned to face Twilight, wiping the tears from her eyes. "It's all right, they're gone now." She sniffled, and I chuckled. "Really? You faced a goddess and didn't flinch, but three mobsters and you're terrified?"

She blinked fresh tears out of her eyes. "That last mobster, before you arrived, threatened to do things. Bad things."

I stared at her. "You mean?" I pointed down, and she nodded. I swore. "Listen Twi, we both know I don't believe in revenge, or vengeance, but there's a reason I continue with this hatred. I can't tell you why though." I turned away from her, and my eyes slid closed. "Twilight, I've spilt so much blood, so much it's stained my soul."

I snorted. "Ponies call me the pony without a soul, but I have a soul, I just buried any sign of it." I paused. "And now I've said too much."

I looked over my shoulder at her. "Twilight, for your safety, I have to maintain that I hate you, and you must maintain your ignorance of me. I beg you. You have anything else to say?"

She stared at me, and I could see her mind working. Finally she nodded. "I got a letter from Jake." She pulled out a file and hoofed it to me.

I flipped through the pages of the file, before coming to a stop at the message at the bottom of the letter. "The sparrow flies south for the winter..."

"Yeah, I don't know what it means, but it seems pretty important."

I shrugged. "Hmm... it does have a special meaning. You know, I'm almost sorry for what I have to do next."

"Wait, what?" She looked at me in confusion, before my hoof connected with her muzzle.

Author's Note:

Right... well. This chapter took longer than I thought it would, due my inability to get anything done on time. Also, I would like ot thank Starfall for editing all the chapters so far, and for the patience shown.

Pariah out.