The Phantom of Canterlot

by Azure Drache


Domino effect

The mumbling of a few voices drifted past Twilight’s ears. She subconsciously spun them around towards the source of the sound. There were some ponies talking, but she wasn’t able to understand what they said. She raised her eyelids slowly, groaning.

The voices of the other ponies seemed to draw nearer and changed from simple common chat to a more serious tone as she slowly woke up. Twilight moved her head up and gave the ponies a look, but her view was blurred. She blinked and rubbed the sleep out of her eyes.

One of the voices was now right in front of her, speaking to her.

Reopening her eyes, Twilight looked into the face of a mare. It took a moment till the colours and shapes got in the right place.

“Ple…” Twilight shook her head slightly. “Pleasant Smell?”

The other mare smiled. “Yes, oh I am so glad that you are awake! You really got us worried.”

Wiping a hoof over her face, Twilight groaned.

“Are you alright, Twilight?” Pleasant Smell placed a hoof on the side of the bed.

“Where am I?” Twilight inspected the surroundings, but her vision became blurred again by the motion and refused to clear. “And how did I get here?”

“Well, Your Highness,” a new voice entered the conversation, “you are in the infirmary of Castle Dragonbite, we found you lying unconscious near the entrance of the crypt. You almost made it out before you collapsed.”

Next to Pleasant Smell, Climber’s face showed up.

“With all due respect, Your Highness, leaving me alone in the dark was not a nice act of yours, what were you thinking?”

Twilight pushed herself a bit back against the pillow into a sitting position. “I did not do it on purpose. I fell through a secret door!”

“A secret door?” Both nobles moved a little bit closer, their faces curious.

“When I placed my hoof on the wall, it flipped suddenly and kicked me in.”

Climber raised an eyebrow.” I didn’t hear anything and I just trotted a few steps next to you.”

“Shhh,” Pleasant Smell turned to Climber, silencing him. Turning her head back to Twilight, she asked, “What was behind it, Twilight?”

“Some kind of,” she thought about how to describe it correctly, “living room, mixed up with a study.”

“There was a furnished room behind the door?” Climber asked with surprise and upcoming enthusiasm, his annoyance already forgotten. “Describe it and don’t miss out on details!”

“Don’t be so intrusive, my lords!” a third, very soft and melodic voice raised up. “Give her some space. She just woke up and still needs to recover.”

The voice belonged to a small red pegasus mare, standing a few steps behind Climber and his wife. She had a light-brown mane and tail and on her head was the sign of authority, a nurse cap.

“Of course, Nurse Licorice,” Climber said, but didn’t move his head back.

“Just a second, Licorice,” Pleasant Smell added and leaned a bit closer to Twilight. “So, what was in the secret room again?”

“Well,” Twilight focused on her memories, “behind the door was a staircase, leading deeper down.”

“Aha,” Climber and Pleasant Smell made together.

“I fell down, and-” A gasp escaped her and she looked down at herself. “I ruined your dress Pleasant Smell, oh I am so sorry! Wait, where is the dress?”

“I removed it,” Licorice said from her place at the table next to the wall. She kept her attention at a little mortar on top of the table, grinding a few ingredients as she spoke. “I had to check your body for injuries. We couldn’t know if you passed out by yourself or if you were hurt.”

“Shh, don’t fret your head over the dress now.” Pleasant Smell waved it off with a hoof. “Tell us more about the room that you found.”

“I didn’t pass out by myself,” Twilight said. “I… I... well I may had passed out by myself but not near the entrance. There was also the dragon that chased me!” She tilted her head. “Or helped me... maybe?”

“A dragon?” Climber’s eyes got wide. “You met a dragon down there?”

Met is the wrong word.” Twilight shook her head slightly. “He tried to sneak up on me while my attention was focused on some scrolls I found.” Her mind trailed off. “Actually these scrolls were very interesting.”

A little shake of the bed brought Twilight's attention back to the nobles in front of her.

Twilight’s eyes were focused on Pleasant Smell, the baroness’ hooves still gripping the hoofboard tightly. “You wanted to tell us more about the dragon and why he snuck up on you.”

“Don’t shake the bed!” Licorice placed the mortar back on the table and faced the two nobles. “She just woke up, give her some space.” Licorice growled and returned her attention to the mortar, a little cloud of light blue raising from the bowl. “If you not let my patient in peace, I will have to throw you out of the infirmary, both of you!”

“Don’t worry, Licorice,” Climber said, giving the nurse a calming smile. She just snorted, blowing the blue dust away and adding more ingredients into the mortar. Climber continued, “So, the dragon, Your Highness, if you’d be so kind to tell us?”

“Well, as I rummaged through the scrolls, a strange noise from the stairwell caught my attention. I wanted to investigate, but my only light source began to flicker, threatening to go out.”

She stopped, a ragged cough escaping her throat. “I tried calling out to the stranger, but there was no answer.” By the memory of what followed she blushed, a bit ashamed. “There was also the cockatrice we met previously, guarding the chests in the room.”

“There he went?” Climber interrupted. “So it was the dragon who called out for him?”

Twilight nodded. “I think so… And actually, I’m not very proud of it, but… I tried to use the little one as a weapon.” She gave the baron a sheepish smile. “I couldn’t hold it longer, so I threw him into the room where the dragon was. ”

“That's not how to treat an animal!” Licorice scolded her with a raised hoof. “That little one couldn’t defend itself against a big pony, how mean of you!”

Twilight lowered her head a bit. “I know, but I was afraid and it was the first idea I had. I didn’t think it through.”

The nurse snorted. Before she could say more, A stomp of Climber’s hoof silenced her. “That's enough, Licorice. The princess tried to protect herself.”

Licorice shot Twilight an angry gaze, then went back to her work, mumbling.

Returning his attention back to Twilight, Climber said, “My apologies, Your Highness, Licorice is a bit protective about animals, especially about birds and critters.”

Twilight shook her head. “She is right, baron, I shouldn’t have thrown him.”

“Maybe not,” Pleasant Smell said, tapping softly on the bed, “but you did what you thought would be best at that moment to protect you, it is useless to think too much about spoiled cider. Better tell us what happened after you threw it.”

“I created myself some kind of a torch and shortly after that, the dragon showed up. In my fight with him, I accidentally found a secret passage and ran away, till I reached a crossway. I think it led to the source of your Castle’s phenomenon.”

“You found it?” Both nobles leaned forward and nearly pressed their faces against Twilight’s.

Backing deeper into her pillow, Twilight said, “I am not entirely sure,” Climber and Pleasant Smell raised an eyebrow each, “but it affected my magic enormously.” She shivered at the memory. “Oh, it felt like my horn was on fire.”

After exchanging a confused look with his wife, Climber asked, “Your horn hurt?”

“Not only my horn, my whole head had felt like it boiled. I fell to the ground and the next thing I can clearly remember is the dragon pulling me away from the crossway. It was strange, he had hooves instead of claws and on his back sat the cockatrice.”

“The dragon… saved you?” Climber tilted his head. “And he had hooves? Are you absolutely sure he had hooves? You didn't hallucinate or something?”

For a moment Twilight seemed to stare into nothing, then she replied, “Yes, he had hooves, I didn’t pay attention to it when he entered the room, but when he pulled me out of the crossway, my gaze hung on them for a moment before I passed out. It surely were hooves.”

A loud scream of joy escaped Climber, the baron dancing on the spot and screaming like a little filly that was just given a new doll.

Twilight was baffled by this unnoble outburst, her mouth hanging agape at the bizarre sight. “Are you alright?” she asked. “What is it you are so happy about?”

He stopped his dance for the reply. “You must have seen her! No dragon has hooves, they have feet and claws, but no hooves!” Another scream of excitement escaped him. “You are the first pony who saw her at Castle Dragonbite for over… well, ahem,” he thought for a moment, “over seventy years!”

“Uhm, you heard me say, he?” Twilight asked. “I mean it was a male dragon.”

He laughed happily. “Male, female, it doesn’t matter for a shapeshifter! She has taken shapes of royal guard members and also of some other male characters when necessary before.” He started to dance around again.

While her husband has gone crazy, Pleasant Smell on the other hoof fell very quiet. She had taken a seat before the bed, deep in thought.

“Are you alright, Pleasant Smell?” Twilight asked. “You seem to not be so happy about your husband's ancestor possibly staying here.” She looked at Climber. “I mean, if he is right at all. I wouldn’t be sure about that just with the information we have, but... well, he seems to believe it.”

Pleasant Smell’s eyes wandered to Twilight till she met her gaze. For a moment she just stared at her. Twilight opened her mouth, but she was cut short before a word could leave her lips.

“What else was in the secret room?” the baroness said in a serious tone, her gaze locked with Twilight's. “Any evidence somepony was there lately?” She stood up and moved closer to her, placing her hooves on the edge of the bed. “Ignore the dragon for a moment.” What else was there of importance? Was the place dusty? Was there fresh food? Some newspaper of modern date? Anything?” The baroness leaned closer, her muzzle almost touching the princess.

Twilight backed into the pillow even more, trying to conserve what little personal space she had left. “There… there was some food. Also some cider, still good,” she answered with some reluctance. “Why are you so intrusive all of the sudden?”

“Don’t change the topic, it is important. What kind of food, perishable?”

“Sweets, they were fresh, I ate two of them. But what is this questioning about? Pleasant Smell, you are making me feel uncomfortable.”

“I need to know, Twilight, it is very important that you tell me, what else did you find in that room?” She moved her head a bit back but let her hooves stay on the bed. “You mentioned a chest, what was in it?”

Twilight shot a gaze at the still dancing and celebrating baron as well as over to Licorice, she was keeping an eye on the baroness but didn’t interfere.

“The cockatrice didn’t let me open it, whatever was inside, it didn’t want me to go near it. It pecked me.”

Pleasant Smell wished her explanation away with a hoof. “Were there other chests?” She looked away for a second, thinking, “Or a wardrobe?” Her voice turned a bit more serious. “Maybe a weapon stand?”

“No, there was no weapon stand, why do you think that?” Twilight’s confusion raised even more. “A few other chests, yes, there were some random things in them, like something that seemed to be some kind of clothes.” She shrugged lightly. “A small twin glass bottle and some crested clasps in shape of a Snowflake, together…”

“Crested claps?” Now a hint of upcoming panic as well as excitement mixed in Pleasant Smell’s voice. “How many?” she nearly yelled. When Twilight didn’t answer at once, she shook the bed heavily. “How many, Twilight?”

Now the baron noticed what his wife was doing, calming down his excitement. “Darling, what are you doing?”

She only gave him a ‘shh’ and focused on the princess.

“I guess, it was eight, maybe nine?” Twilight said, unsure. “Could have been ten, but two were a bit ruffled I think.”

Without warning, all the energy left Pleasant Smell and her face went pale. She took a step back and her legs were shivering.

Swiftly Climber rushed over to her and extended a hoof to hold her steady. “Darling, what is with you? Are you alright? You turned pale!”

“I…” she moved a hoof to her head, “I will be alright in a second.” She shored herself on his arm. “Just a second.”

“Licorice!” Climber shouted. “Come here!” He guided his wife to the next chair and let her take a seat. “Pleasant Smell needs your help!”

Planting the bottle she held back on the table, the nurse quickly trotted over and gave the baroness a look. “Hmm, clear case of shock.” She placed a hoof on Pleasant Smell’s head, and the other on her neck to examine the case further. “Don’t worry, I can fix that.”

“I don’t need help,” Pleasant Smell declined, but her voice had lost a bit of its vigor.

“Nonsense,” Climber decided. “Licorice, do what you can.”

Ignoring Pleasant Smell’s resistance, Licorice headed back to her table and took the potion she had just made for Twilight. “Here, drink that, Milady,” she ordered. “I will make a new one for Her Highness.”

“That isn’t necessary,” Pleasant Smell tried once again, but her husband insisted. So she drank it while he watched her worriedly and stroked softly over her back. When she lowered the empty bottle, Licorice took it away.

Under the gaze of the nurse and her husband, the colour came back to Pleasant Smell’s face within a minute and she stopped to shiver.

“Better?” Climber asked.

She nuzzled him. “Better,” she rose and massaged her temples with a hoof, “but I assume it would be for the best if I took a little walk to bring my blood back in motion.”

“My dear,” Climber placed a hoof under her chin and with a soft fondle, he turned her face to him, “are you sure it won’t be better if you lie down and take a rest instead?”

“I am fine.” She nestled herself against his hoof. “A short walk will do me good.”

“Then I shall come with you to make sure it does.” He was going to turn to Twilight to make an apology, but his wife was quicker.

“No, Climber, you keep Twilight’s company,” Pleasant Smell said, then whispered, “She is a princess, darling, how would it look if we both just let her lay here?”

“But you can’t just walk around in your condition,” he whispered back. “What if you get dizzy again or worse?”

With a little smile, she said aloud again, “Licorice, you shall come with me and you,” she placed a hoof on Climber’s chest, “make sure Twilight got company while she is recovering.”

He opened his mouth to protest, but was interrupted by Pleasant Smell, “Why don’t you carry on with Burning Snowflake’s story? I am sure Twilight would love to hear more of it.”

“Oh don’t worry about...” Twilight started, only to be cut off by Licorice.

“I don’t think that is the best idea,” the nurse said.

After a short exchange of looks with the princess, Licorice gave Twilight the precedence.

“You can take the walk with your wife,” she said to Climber, “while I will get myself something to drink and eat. I am kinda hungry to be honest.” Moving swiftly, she threw aside her blanket and tried to stand up.

“You should stay in bed!” Licorice said emphatically and moved over to her side. “You are not ready to leave the bed yet. After somepony falls unconscious because of exhaustion or in your case magic impact, she should stay in bed for at least twenty-four hours.”

“I am already feeling good again, just hungry,” Twilight averted and hopped out of the bed. “See I am…” she started, but drifted away to the side when her legs wobbled under her. Licorice lunged forward, grabbing her to prevent her from falling on the ground again.

“Yes, I see,” Licorice said ironically, “you stay here till tomorrow. And,” she pushed Twilight back on the bed, “rest.” She turned to Pleasant Smell, who had moved a bit to the exit silently. “And you should know that walking around is not good for you at the moment. I insist that… “ She felt silent for a moment. “Well, actually I changed my mind, maybe it does you good.”

Climber, whose attention had hung on Twilight for a moment, turned around and threw a confused look between Licorice and his wife, then another. “Shouldn’t… wouldn’t it be…” he started, unsure what to say exactly.

Licorice steadied herself so her head was on the same level as his shoulders and filled her voice with the authority of a nurse. “I will go with the baroness and make sure she is alright. You,” she pointed at him, “should take care of Her Highness, while you,” she now pointed at Twilight, “stay in bed till I return, then I make you another potion that will help you regain your strength and also put you to sleep.”

Both Twilight and the baron were going to argue about that, but a look at Licorice silenced them.

“Good,” Licorice said after she was sure both would follow her orders. “I will also make sure you two get some food and drinks up here.” She turned to the door and followed Pleasant Smell outside.

Twilight's gaze hung on the door for a while after the two had left. “Am I wrong or was that a bit strange?”

“Actually, yes,” Climber agreed. He walked over to the chair his wife had sat on and placed a hoof on the back of it. “I have no clue why my wife was suddenly so interested in the content of the room, nor why she was so shaken by what you found.” He picked the chair up and placed it next to the bed. “Well, my apologies, Your Highness,” he said while taking a seat, “I hope you don’t feel like you have been treated rudely by this sudden incident.”

Twilight waved him off. “Don’t worry about it, I wasn’t so eager to drink that potion anyway. I am sure I will be alright with just a bit of relaxing anyway. I am more curious what you know about those crested clasps, it seemed your wife was very concerned about them. Did they have a special meaning in the story of your ancestor?”

“None that I know of.” He thought about it and his lips curled into a little smile. “No, I can’t remember that they were mentioned in any special way. Of course, there were one or two times when a piece of jewelry that fits your description was mentioned, but there was nothing special about it.” His smile got brighter. “Oh, I am still excited that she is here again.” His hooves minced on the ground. “Do you mind if I ask you to tell me what else you found in the room?”

With her mind still focused on the baroness and her strange behaviour, Twilight just nodded. “Sure… “ After another look over to the door, she shifted her attention back to Climber. “Actually there are two things I want to ask you about the things I found .”

Now he was a bit surprised and gave her a questioning look. “Sure, ask right away, Your Highness.”

“I found some scrolls down there with very…  apprehensive content.”

“Oh? What were they about?” He leaned in closer again.

“They were reports of activities of Celestia's secret service, it was strange enough that they were there anyway, but more so… “ Now she hesitated. It came to her mind that by telling him what the secret service was doing at Castle Dragonbite and what happened in the end, she could cause a political crisis. She couldn’t know how the baron would react if he found out his home was spied on.

He tilted his head. “Yes?” he asked. “What was within them?”

She hesitated, raising his confusion.

“Your Highness?”

“I am not sure if I should tell you to be honest. I am afraid you wouldn’t approve the content,” she said, uneasy.

“Hmm, now you got me even more curious. What could be in the reports that could displease me?” He tapped his chin and thought about it.

Twilight covered her mouth with both hooves. “Oh I hope I didn’t said too much already!”

He caught her gaze with his own. “Let me guess.” He folded his front hooves and crossed his eyebrows. “Her Highness' secret service was acting in Castle Dragonbite?” Twilight’s eyes widened and she turned pale a bit. “That is answer enough, isn’t it?” he said in a grumpy tone.

“Ohhhh, please don’t be mad,” Twilight said, pleading. “I am sure there is a logical explanation to this.”

Climber rose and stomped his hoof. “I bet there is and I will get it, I will write a letter to Her Highness right now! See what she has to say to this! Spying on her own barons, what an effrontery!”

“Pleeeeaaseee don’t, don’t do it!” Twilight begged, starting to climb out of the bed. “I am sure this all can be cleared without starting a strife!”

He raised a hoof and stopped her attempts to rise. He held her gaze for a moment and gave her his best annoyed look. When Twilight had sat back on the bed, one of his lips curled a bit upward, then the other side till he smirked completely, just before he burst into laughter.

“What?” Twilight asked, worried. “What is so funny all of the sudden?”

“You should have seen you face, Your Highness,” he said, still laughing. “Priceless!”

Twilight’s jaw dropped.

“You really thought I could be angry about the secret service acting here?” His laughter intensified. “With my ancestor literally making a home in Celestia’s own castle without an invitation and staying there for a few hundred years, messing up so many of her events and taking judgement into her own hooves, well,” he wished a tear of laughter out of his eye, “I think it is alright if she tries to stay up to date on my family to a degree.”

Twilight’s left eye began to twitch.

Climber covered his mouth with a hoof to suppress his laughter a bit. “Normally, my ancestor takes care of them of course, or at least that's what I was told.” He tried to give her a smile. “She caught the spies, and after a month or two, Celestia got them back, wrapped up with a bow tied in their manes and placed somewhere in Canterlot Castle. Or,” he raised both his hooves, “in some other place if Burning Snowflake didn’t have the time to bring them all the way over to Canterlot.”

He saw Twilight’s distraught gaze and his smile faded a bit. “Well, that's what I was told of course. I never found a spy lying in my family’s castle myself.”

Shaking off the stun, Twilight regained her composure. “She caught them and then let them free a while later? Are you sure about that?”

“That’s what I was told, so yes, I think so.”

Twilight let out a sigh of relief. “I am more than happy to hear that, you know, in the reports it was written that two agents were missing. That got me worried.”

“And you thought she had done something to them?” Now he looked reproachful.

Twilight blushed. “I was a little bit in a stressful situation, alright? And you told me she sometimes… took drastic measures to handle things, especially to protect her family.”

Climber shook his head slightly. “Alright, I’ll give you that, but still you shouldn’t assume her as that extreme in the first place. I don’t think she considers members of Celestia’s secret service as evil enemies.”

“Mhh, you are probably right about that,” Twilight agreed. “I just wonder where she hid them in the meantime then?”

Climber raised his hooves. “I don’t know. I didn’t even know about the room you found. I assume she has several more hideouts around and in the Castle where she could hide herself and somepony too.”

“And that didn’t worry you a bit?” Twilight asked.

“Why should it? I don’t see your point.”

“You have an immortal, shapeshifting mare hiding in your castle,” she slowed down her pace a bit to give the words more weight, “catching spies in her free time and all of that without your knowledge.” She took a deep breath, and moved her hoof through the air, trying to include the whole castle in her gesture, “That doesn’t make you worry? Not to mention what else she may do?”

“I am part of her family, remember? It is even better than a full metal armour from back in the days.” He smiled. “She may twist my ear and slap my hooves if I act wrong in her opinion, but besides that, I am safe. I would say even more safe with her around in the Castle than without her.”

Thinking about it, Twilight was not convinced completely, but she let it go.

“If you are now calmed down about the matter of her and the secret service, do you mind  telling me more about the scrolls and what else you found?”

Twilight nodded, shook up her pillow once more and moved into a more comfortable position. Then she told him about the report she found. He was a bit surprised by the wounded ponies in it, but meant it could be an accident. After all, there was no word that they found ‘The Phantom’ at all. He giggled at the mention of her nickname.

Their conversation went on, containing a few more words about the cockatrice, the things she found in the chests, including the ‘thing’ with the rings and rubber the baron deemed to be Burning Snowflake’s armour, and finally reached the discovery of the photo album. There his excitement got another push, he asked Twilight to list the ponies from it for him.

He mostly nodded and smiled at the mentions of heroes from the past, probably comparing them with the list he had in his head already. The same for the artists and musicians, only a few times did he get surprised by a name he didn’t expect.

“And there was a very big picture of Burning Snowflake with Sherlay Hays at the first page,” Twilight said, giving him a questioning look. “You never told me they were friends.”

His gaze froze for a moment, then he pulled his head up, rubbing over it with his hoof. “Uhm, yes, of course, how could I forget to tell… indeed they were good friends.” He gave her a forced grin, his eyes ticking from side to side rapidly. Applejack under Discord’s influence couldn’t manage a more obvious expression. So it was up to Twilight to raise a questioning eyebrow this time.

Shrinking under her gaze a bit, he gave her his best innocent smile. Her eyebrow raised even higher, bidding him to continue. “Well, maybe I have held this information back on purpose,” he confessed sheepishly. “You know, this is connected to the question regarding why her parents outcast her.”

“Huh?” Twilight asked, confused. “How so, Sherlay Hays lived several hundred years after Burning Snowflake’s birth, her parents were already dead when Sherlay and Burning Snowflake met each other, or am I missing something here?”

“No, you are absolutely right about that.” He bit his lip. “It was more about a general error of Burning Snowflake that her parents were angry about. An,” he set imaginable quotation marks in the air with his hooves, “error in her personality that lasted through all the centuries of her live.”

With narrowed eyebrows, Twilight thought about it. “Hmm,” she made while she analysed the information she had and combined what it could mean in the end.

With a still sheepish smile, Climber watched her mind work, not willing to interrupt the princess in her thoughts. It took nearly a full minute till Twilight’s gaze returned to him.

“I don’t get it, was she some kind of troublemaker or something? I have never read about her in the Sherlay Hays books, so I assume she didn’t play a big role in her adventures, but there was a book, or better said, three books in the secret room called ‘Sherlay Hays and the Phantom of Canterlot’, volume one till three with a personal note from Dr. Oatsen. Oh, there were a lot of books, actually they all came with notes from the original authors... “ Her mind drifted off a bit.

“You found an original exemplar written by Dr. Oatsen himself?” Climber shouted out, curious and rapturous. “Mentioning Sherlay Hays’ time with Burning Snowflake! Do tell! What was written in it?” He leaned closer again and hung on her lips.

Twilight’s brow furrowed, the sudden change of topic irritated her. .“I hadn’t much time to read it, I just read the personal note Oatsen wrote to Burning Snowflake. I wanted to take the books with me, but didn’t have the chance to do so. Not that the dragon would let me have them anyway, I assume. Be it your ancestor or not.”

“Can you repeat the personal note for me, please?” Climber clapped his hooves together in excitement.

Doing the best she could from her memory, Twilight repeated the text for him. When she finished, Climber nodded silently and calmed down again. He sighed. “It is a shame it ended this way between them, even if it was more or less predictable. I knew that Oatsen and Burning Snowflake weren’t good friends all along but,” he sighed again, “I wished they had overcome their differences after Sherlay was gone.”

“I have two question about that, if you don’t mind?” Twilight said.

“Of course, Your Highness,” Climber agreed. “Just ask.”

“How did Sherlay Hays die? I read the books about her, including the last tome mentioning her death, but I assume there is a different version your family tells, isn’t there? Oatsen wrote that he blamed your ancestor for it, that didn’t make sense with the official end of her story. And the second question is, you say they didn’t like each other from the start, Oatsen and your ancestor, not Sherlay Hays and her, of course. Why?”

He took a deep breath and placed himself back on the chair, sinking heavily against the back of it. “Well,” he said and slowly exhaled, “I think it is the moment for when I said to let yourself be surprised. Your second question is easily answered if you figure out what my ancestor’s so called problem with her parents was. A little hint to put you on the path. She and Sherlay Hays were more than just friends, Your Highness.”

“Good friends?” Twilight asked.

He sighed again. “No, one level higher than that.”

“Best friends?” Twilight tilted her head to the side and looked unsure.

“Urgh.” He facehoofed in frustration, but quickly shook his head and started to laugh, just a little at first, then louder and louder.

“What is so funny?” Twilight was now confused even more.

He stifled his laughter to a giggle. “Your innocence, Your Highness, just your sweet pure innocence.” He gave her a smile. “I wonder if the thought of what her issue is could ever cross your mind if I don’t tell you about it.”

It followed a moment of silence between them, where Twilight didn’t know what she should say about this statement, nor did the baron say anything further about it.

“The problems they had with each other,” Climber finally started to explain, “to come back to your question, can be broken down to a simple question of ‘mine’. Sadly, in this case my ancestor is to blame alone. Oatsen did nothing wrong, he was just a constant threat in  Burning Snowflake’s eyes.”

“A threat to what?”

“Burning Snowflake saw Sherlay Hays as a ‘property’ of some sort. This is most likely due to a different part of her than what we are speaking. Don't worry, it isn't as you might think. I will say quickly, as I am starting to diverge, that you may have knowledge of this subject with a close friend of yours, more specifically, your dragon assistant. In Burning Snowflake opinion, Sherlay Hays belonged to her and her alone. Oatsen was just a close friend of Sherlay’s, but close enough that it made my ancestor jealous.” He caught Twilight's gaze and spoke clear and slow, “Burning Snowflake and Sherlay Hays were not friends, or good friends, not even best friends, Your Highness, they were a couple. My ancestor always was, is and with high probability, will ever be, a fillyfooler.”