//------------------------------//
// Chapter 2 
// Story: Sinister Lenses 
// by Osper 
//------------------------------//

	
Chapter 2


“Ya, you’ll have to cancel my appointments for de next few days. Maybe the week, I don’t know. Just do it.”
Scratch had followed, or rather had been allowed to follow Finish all the way home though the few times she’d tried to speak after Photo's revelation, Photo had quieted her.
The blue pony was seemingly annoyed on the surface but, truthfully, Finish couldn't have been more glad to have a comforting friend around. She just didn't know what to say or do in this situation. The topic of her family made her nervous.
At home she’d made a dozen calls breaking appointments left and right, some with very important clients that had been very angry in the loudest way possible. Scratch was pretty sure that the loudest yelling had come from Sapphire Shores who had forced Finish to hold the phone away from her ear until she explained that there had been a death in the family. There was no more yelling to hear and Finish responded as if accepting condolences and hung up.
Finally she was done with her calls and looked at Scratch who had been waiting patiently on the barely used and uncomfortable white couch. If her mane hadn’t been blue with the splash of purple her glasses added she would’ve disappeared completely.
“You gonna be okay?”
Scratch had noticed that harried look and knew she needed to say something before Finish got busy again. 
“Ya. Vish it hadn’t been right in de meedle uf a busy vork veek. Ugh, that stupid bastud.”
It took a moment for Scratch to realize what a bastud was and then who her friend was talking about.
“You mean…your dad?”
Finish nodded her head, clicking her tongue in irritation.
“Ya. How dare he go und die just to get my attention.”
Scratch pawed at the couch, her eyes shifting confusedly behind her shades.
“So, you don’t like your father?”
“Goodness, no! I hate him! I'm ashamed to even be related to him!”
“Hang on, you're only mad because you have to go to his funeral? You're not, I dunno, sad? At all?”
Finish sat down on the couch next to her friend wondering just how much it would take to satisfy Scratch's curiosity. 
“You luf your papa, don't you Scratch?”
Scratch didn't know what that had to do with anything but nodded and shrugged.
“Yeah. I mean, we argue about music but we’re cool. He wanted me to be a classical musician and I wanted to DJ but we still get along. He doesn’t even ride me about my career any more since I make a decent living.”
Finish nodded as the expected contrast backed up her story.
“Vell, I'm glad but you must know zat some ponies aren't so lucky. Some ponies vere forced to move all over Equestria und beyond on stoopid errands and not allowed to attend school or get to make any friends. Und mama stayed all alone und vorked until she had a house for us to settle down in.”
She was talking faster than normal and her accent was making it hard to understand her. Scratch put a comforting hoof on her friend's shoulder until she calmed down.
“So, what is your mom asking you to do?”
Finish threw her head back on the couch and looked up at her ceiling. The ceiling fan needed dusting.
“I haf to go dere and make sure he gets buried.”
“But you hate him.”
“I know! And she knows zat but she vants me to visit her too. I shouldn’t haf gotten so bizee dat I forgot her.”
She threw her hooves up, draping one over the couch and the other over her glasses. A halo of light spilled in around the edges of her arm.
“In my culture, family und parents are de most important aspects uf life. Vhile I luf mama und hate papa, I must respect dem both equally. My father did not let me go hungry or unclothed vhile ve traveled but he vas cold und uncaring. Distant. Like living vith a stranger. I don't know how mama ever luffed him”
She spit a little when she said stranger, most of it coming out as a growl. Saying it a couple more times produced similar results until she just gave up.
They sat there quietly, Finish ticking off a list of what she was going to pack and Scratch running a plan through her mind before putting it out there. Her friend didn't seem eager at all to go and if just the thought of her dad got her this worked up, she didn't want her having to shoulder it alone.
“I’ll go with you. Keep you company.”
Finish turned her head to the side and looked at her friend with one eye, her glasses coloring the unicorn pink.
“Dear, you can’t do zat. You’ve got shows coming up.”
“Some DJ friends owe me some favors. And you didn’t say you don’t want me to go.”
“Vell…I vouldn’t mind…”
Scratch got off the couch and headed for the door. She knew it wasn’t supposed to be a fun trip but she hadn’t been anywhere in a while and a little travel sounded good.
“Then I’m going to pack. Be back in a while.”
When the door closed, Finish thought just how glad she was to have the young mare around.