//------------------------------// // Issueing a Subpoena // Story: Death's Final Verdict // by Jaycren //------------------------------// Sunset and Trixie made their way towards Twilight's lab. The silence of the Crystal Castle hanging over the two mares as they made their way through the labyrinth of corridors. Trixie let out a snort, then a laugh. Covering her mouth as she began to cry tears as the laughter didn't stop. "Trixie!" Sunset moved to the mare, but Trixie shook her head. "Trixie is fine Shimmer, She just remembered that you and I have no problem navigating the castle." "Why is that so funny?" "Because Starlight lives here and still gets lost!" Sputtering Trixie lost it again, as Sunset herself began to snort. After a couple of minutes, the laughter faded, and the two friends went forward once again. Reaching the open door to the lab, they entered. Sunset glancing around, took stock of her surroundings, the bacon haired unicorn considering where to start. "If I know Twilight, those Genalogy records would have to be over there." Shimmer pointed to the far side of the room, behind the glowing portal. "Sunset should the portal be open like that?" Sunset smiled at Trixie, "Twilight kept it open so that I could visit as I pleased. When I came through this last time, it didn't feel right to close it." Trixie nodded as the two girls made their way to where Sunset had pointed. Looking at the tall case, scrolls packed into neat and orderly rolls. Both girls stared for a moment. They both knew the system that Twilight had used, as both had assisted the Alicorn on more than one occasion. Trixie shook her head. "It seems almost wrong to disturb this." The Powder Blue Unicorn whispered, the last bit of Twilight in existence that was undisturbed. That hadn't had investigators eradicating her organization. Trying to understand what would make Tempest and Flash do what they did, why they murdered the princess of friendship. And what had happened to Tempest's Purple Hedgehog Assistant. Where had Grubber gone? Why was he not at the castle that day? A voice echoed out behind them, gravelly and rough. "Then maybe you should just leave it." Both mares turned to see Grubber standing at the Mirror, much thinner, but with that same smile he always wore. Speaking again, he addressed them both. "I go through this gate to a new world to leave that which has taken all from me. I go to escape from the justice of the ignorant. For there is no justice for me here." Bowing the Hedgehog darted through the portal, laughing. Sunset shreiked in rage. Running for the portal, she went through only seconds behind her escapeing prey. He had to have the answers to why his boss did what she did, and how she turned the Equestrian Flash to her cause. Vanishing into the portal herself, leaving Trixie behind. Trixie moved towards the portal to pursue them both but a flash of light knocked the book from it's pedastal, breaking the connection. Cursing she moved forward. As much as she hated to admit it the replacemnet of the book and the working of the controls for the portal were beyond her. She didn't have the training or the knowledge. Kneeling down she retreived the book and brought it over to Sparkle's desk for safekeeping. When Starlight returned the book could be returned and the portal reopened, but in the meantime the book would be kept safe. "The Mare that helped defeat our mother, she is alone, we see." came a voice of many speaking as one. Trixie turned, trying to see beyond the door to who was talking, "Hello, who's there?" She called A black cloud began to make it's way into the room. The forms of chnglings in various states of suffering and decay plain within it. Shifting and rolling the amourphous cloud answered. A hundred dead changlings all whispering to Trixe at once. "We are Legion, for we are the many, the 100 uncounted. We are the forgotten. The ones that died but were never found." Trixie shuddered, standing tall she answered Legion, "I am Trixie Lullamoon, what is your business in this place?" Laughter made up of the voices of 100 damned souls filled the room, before that echoing voice spoke. "We come to make sure that all the works of Twilight Sparkle come to naught. That all she helped shall fall. We come for vengeance for ourselves and our mother. We come to kill thee." The ephemereal changelings moved forward as one, in death gaining the legendary hivemind of their kind. Trixie backed away, she had no defence against a being like this. There was not a trick or a spell that she new that worked her. It was then that she heard the noise. It began as a low hum and as whatever it was got closer it grew into a roar, Trixie smiled, she new what was coming. Green flame arced around the Dark being, driving it back, as the most powerful of the warrior caste to ever have lived, the master shapeshifter, Pharynx himself landed oin front of Trixie, Green flame arced from his body as he rose, his eyes blazing red with rage. Looking upon those before him, he snarled. "You that have lost your lives, you have no right to take her. She is MINE! You are nothing more than a memory best forgotten, a memory called forth to stab at what we have become. Begone lest I show my wroth to thee." Trixie smiled, this was her stallion, kept a secret so that she had one thing she didn't have to share with the stage, one thing he didn't have to share with his brethren. Something that was there own. The darkness before them spat back. "We will not be denied. You who were are commander stand with her? You have betrayed us! It is you that should beware our wroth, beware our rage, our PAIN!" Pharynx smiled, "You have made thy choice, now live with the consequences."