//-------------------------------------------------------// Of Death and Deception -by WheretheMildThingsAre- //-------------------------------------------------------// //-------------------------------------------------------// An enemy emerges //-------------------------------------------------------// An enemy emerges The snow crunched underhoof, small animals scurrying away in fear as she ascended the many steps leading up to her throne. A faint glow from her horn illuminating her path. It had been three months, and at last she was here. Any normal pony would have died from such a journey, but this was no normal pony. This was Trixie. As she arrived at the top, an immediate sense of relief and comfort came over her. This was where she belonged. Almost invisible from below, the secret hideout hidden in the snow topped mountains was the place she, and those before her, went in times of need. She approached the stone throne, marveling in its glory. Although covered in snow, the runes and marks were still visible on the stone. The closer she got, the more visible they became, until they were practically glowing. Using magic, she cleared the snow from it and sat down. The room  was nearly empty. Consisting of only one wall in the back, the rest was open to the mountainside. She reached under the armrest and touched a secret rune on the throne. With a sharp crack followed by a low buzz, the room began to change. All the snow melted, and what was previously a sheer cliff  on the mountain became part of the translucent bubble that surrounded the room. From the outside it looked just like the rest of the mountain, but from inside there was almost a 360 degree angle of visibility of the land beyond. As reluctant as she was to leave the comfortable seat she was in, she got up and headed towards the wall. As she got closer, runes, not unlike those on her throne, began to appear all over the wall. Searching, she found the one she was looking for. Taking in a deep breath, she touched the rune with her horn. Immediately she heard noise. It was the most evil noise she had ever heard. A million voices screamed out tales of agony and suffering. Voices lost to time. chunks of the wall began to break off. As they fell, they combined with other pieces, forming ghostly images of ponies who once lived. They stood, eyes empty, expressionless. "And so it begins."