//------------------------------// // Chapter 4 // Story: The Anthro-Phantom // by JesterOfDestiny //------------------------------// We were back in our own hotel room, preparing for our departure the next day. It was getting pretty late now, but we still haven’t solved the puzzle yet. I was also a bit worried about Lyra, she hasn’t said anything for quite some time now. She was motionlessly sitting on the edge of the bed and putting her stuff back inside her bag, using her horn’s magic. I could understand it. Getting bad news so suddenly, then getting accused of deceiving the community she grew up in, all after an incident that just might ruin everything. Must have been pretty tiring. Suddenly she stopped packing and muttered something.  “What was that?” I asked back, since I didn’t understand what she said. She slowly looked up from her luggage and turned to me with a puzzled expression. “It just doesn’t add up.”  “What doesn’t add up?”  “The suspects, they all have their own reasons to fake a ghost, even me. But it doesn’t make sense, none of them seem good enough reasons.” I walked up to her, as she thought out loud. “Persy’s got the most obvious motivations; he’s been against anthropology since he first heard of it. Hazel and Marge practically told us their motivations. Franz wants to retire and I could want him to retire faster, so I can take his place already.” I picked up and looked at our collection of evidence, while she talked. “And if we’re going to be really cynical,” she flopped down onto the bed, “we could even say it was you, so I would shut up about humans already.”  “I think you’re looking at this the wrong way.” I said. “You’re looking at motivations. But that doesn’t really matter, since a lot of ponies do questionable things for questionable reasons. You should look at the evidence, since that cannot be argued with.” I put down the evidence next to her, on the bed. “Don’t be like Persy and find holes between the lines. Be like Lyra and find the connecting lines themselves.” She levitated the evidence above herself. You could see the thought strain her entire body. She hummed, put her hoof onto her chin, narrowed her eyes. Suddenly, we heard knocking on our door and a mare walked in. It was none other than Maud. She was staying here for a bit longer than us, since she had another conference of her own. You could tell she was really worried about something from her blank expression.  “I think you should come.” She said, with the anxiety straining her voice.  “Why? What happened?” I asked nervously.  “The handymare’s key to the projector room was stolen.”  “Stolen?”  “Yes.” The words practically flooded out of her mouth in her excitement. “She says somepony took it out of her pocket with magic.” I looked at Lyra and her back at me. We then ran for the door.  “I’ll get Franz, you go straight to the projector.” I ordered.  “And another thing.” Maud stopped us. “Twilight let me borrow her camera before she left. I think it’ll be useful for you.” She then gave it to Lyra, who acknowledged Maud’s idea with a nod and ran off. Franz, Maud and I arrived at the conference hall, there were large rock shaped set pieces on the stage for Maud’s show. Lyra and Marge ran out from backstage.  “Somepony locked themselves in the projector room!” Lyra exclaimed.  “They wanted to use the projector again for the next show, but then somepony stole the handymare’s keys.” Marge added.  “I think they’re trying to-” Lyra tried to say something, but a familiar loud booming voice cut her off.  “LYRA HEARTSTRINGS!” It said and the anthro-phantom has appeared again. “YOU PREVENTED ME FROM GOING BACK INTO MY RIGHTFUL PLACE! THIS IS MY FINAL WARNING! RETURN ME TO MY SLUMBER, OR ELSE FACE THE CONSEQUENCES!” Lyra however, wasn’t scared of it at all. She took the camera and levitated it high up in the air and took a picture of the window to the projector room. After the ghost disappeared in a bright flash of light, Lyra looked at the picture taken. I didn’t manage to see it, because right after the ghost disappeared, Hazel appeared backstage with the keys.  “I’ve found the keys!” She waved said keys at us. So we went up to the projector room, Hazel opened the door and Persy was standing right behind the door, with an extremely displeased expression and the images for the second appearance levitating next to him. We all gasped at the sight, but he barely even reacted.  “I do believe you’ve got an idea of what happened Heartstrings.” He said in monotone voice.  “Yes,” Hazel scolded him, “I think it’s quite clear what happened here!”  “I decided to investigate the projector,” Persy said dryly, “then the door closed and the projector turned on.”  “You were the only one in the room, who else could have turned it on?” Hazel accused him further.  “I think you all should look at this picture.” Said Lyra, finally revealing her photo. “I’ve made it when the anthro-phantom appeared.” She then paused and put her hoof onto her face, because she realized what she just said. “I knew I was going to say that at some point... Anyway,” she levitated the picture so everypony could see, “as you can see, Persy is standing right there in the projector room, in front of the window.” Surely enough, Persy was there on the photo, staring solemnly outside the window.  “Exactly,” Hazel declared, “it’s pretty clear who did it!”  “Except for one thing,” Lyra continued, “he is clearly not using his horn.” She pointed at the serious lack of magical auras around Persy’s horn. Everyone was surprised, but Hazel was still unimpressed. “How can you tell that? A horn’s aura doesn’t even appear on most photos.”  “Except it does.” Lyra asserted. “In the other picture, Twilight made,” she was referring to the blurry crowd shot, “you can clearly see magical auras on several unicorns. Even though the image is much worse than the one I made!”  “So you don’t think I did it?” Persy asked rather surprised. Lyra just stood there with a hoof up to her chin, not saying a word.  “But...” Hazel looked around. “...But who else could have been?” Lyra looked up. “I think I know. By tomorrow morning, I want everyone here in the projector room. I’ll have all of the answers you need!”