//------------------------------// // Chapter 11 // Story: Sinister Lenses // by Osper //------------------------------// Final Chapter Her new found anger carried her swiftly through the building and having a certified ghost slayer around her neck didn't hurt either. The library had gone on quite a ways and she'd been careful to listen at every cross-aisle, hoping to avoid any new conflict as she slipped through. If she could have asked one of the spirits she would have but their intelligence had been stricken down to animal levels when they'd lost their Equinity. Every time she heard them call out, she listened, wondering if she'd hear Scratch. It was the only way of knowing if her friend had passed through the area. The center of the library widened into a massive roundabout encircled by shelves. The glowing forms sat perched on the high places as though resting, waiting for their next meal. The central fixation of the library was an enormous statue of an earth pony, it's powerful body rearing back and it's eight legs clawing the air. Finish had no idea who it represented or why they had eight legs but it would have been a magnificent bit of sculpture if the ghosts hadn't draped themselves over it and begun using it as a glorified roost. “Let me go!” Finish snapped her head to the sound. One of them had used Scratch's voice. She dimmed the light with a hoof and peeked out from her hiding place. One of the ghosts flitted about in a small group, playing Scratch's voice over and over. Finish flinched every time the recording cried out. “No! Don't do this! What are you going to do to me?!” The others released their own sounds, numerous screams and cries that had been collected from years of haunting and stalking those foolish enough to come to the college. The way they played the anguished noises appeared to be their replacement for laughter. “Where are you taking me?!” Scratch had been crying in that clip, hics breaking through every other word. Finish had heard enough. She slid out of her hiding spot, circling until she could see each of them in her viewfinder. She flipped the camera to non-flash mode and let it focus on their luminescent bodies. It briefly occurred to her to wonder how she could see the ghosts through a lens that had blocked her from seeing spooks for as long as she'd owned them. But the only thing that mattered was that it worked, not how. Click. The new lens actually caused the camera to recoil in her hooves but she held steady. The small group of spirits exploded as though a bomb had gone off, their bodies scattering about and melting in mid-air. Their stunned brethren looked around and took off when they couldn't see where the sudden attack had come from. Soon the room was quiet, leaving it safe for Finish to leave her hiding spot. Her hoof shielded the flash lantern as she crept down to the base of the statue. What else could Scratch have dropped? Her music player and glasses were already with her. What other clues could their be to lead Finish on? The light of her flash lantern fell down into a jagged hole in the floor at the base of the statue. Spiraling steps flowed down into the darkness, leading deep underground. She stared down, wondering just what was going on. Where had they been taking Scratch? She'd never seen spirits keep ponies alive for any reason and whatever reason they could have could only have disastrous implications. The thought of what they could do sent a chill down her spine. She eased her hooves down into the hole and descended, stopping only briefly to pull her father's journal from the bag she carried. Surely he knew what was coming. She walked slowly, keeping one eye forward as she flipped to the back of the journal, almost dropping the shards of broken lens she'd stored there. A quick flip of the page pressed them firmly into the center as she kept glancing over the scribbles that made up her father's handwriting. The last entry provided only the vaguest revelation, dated only days before Finish had gotten the news of her father's death. <40 years of plotting and planning have all come down to this. Years worth of research have gone into the camera, research into the rare Moonstone that I had to beg, borrow and steal to craft lenses for my weapon. The stone will eat and store spirits, trapping them forever. It's the perfect weapon and yet...I'm still scared. HE's been sitting there ever since the beginning, waiting for me to come back, growing stronger as he entices more victims into that place. In only a few hours, I can make up for what I did 40 years ago.> It made little sense to Finish who only understood the basics of spirit types but it seemed that whatever was down there had been claiming souls for even longer than she'd been alive and...Scratch was next. Finish wouldn't let that happen. She put the book away and hurried down the steps, feeling a slight tremble in the walls. For a moment the whole stairwell swayed and small stones burst from the wall, skittering down the steps. It was soon over, as though something had merely pushed the whole college and let it settle again. It was impossible to tell how deep down the stairs went but the cobble walls soon gave way to uncarved stone and the steps were little more than chiseled earth. The stairs ended in front of a stone archway over which hung a tattered bit of parchment with arcane symbols written over the entirety of it. A ward to keep whatever was beyond from leaving the confines of this improvised prison. Surely whatever was beyond had been the 'Him' her father had kept here. And whatever it was, it had wanted Scratch brought to it. Her steely nerve and grim face cracked as soon as she set foot beyond the ward. It was like stepping into an all new world. The air was thick and every step was labored as though it were trying to crush her into the ground. Her breath came out in frosty white puffs and her body shivered as the extreme cold pierced her coat. The only sound as she looked around was the chattering of her teeth An endless underground cavern opened up all around her, the walls too far away to catch any of her tiny light and a path that led straight ahead. The sides dropped off into a dark chasm with a bottom too deep to see. The further in she went, the heavier her body became as the oppressive atmosphere pushed down on her. Each step became a momentous effort that drained her strength as she peered ahead, her eyes flitting about for any sign of a white coat or blue mane. She stopped. Something was there. It wasn't Scratch and it wasn't anything she could see but the air squeezed her from all sides as some unknown force seized her body rolled over it. She could feel her resolve melting, terror besides her own invading her body and whispers of past victims passing through her ears. Her father had often said that nopony knew what evil truly was. He'd said it was indescribable, something to only be experienced and known by those unlucky few who could be so violated. This was evil. She thought of Scratch and set one hoof in front of the other, forcing her body to keep moving until she stood at the end of the path, sweat spilling from her brow and freezing on her face. A giant crater spread out before her and even in the darkness, she could see something roiling and twisting in there. The booming voice came down on her, physically pushing her back several feet. Far above her, wide blue eyes slowly opened and looked down on her. Finish could see the source of the whispers as hundreds of souls swirled in the pools of it's eyes. It was impossible to tell what the thing was, what HE was, but it was impossibly huge. It's presence filled the cave and threatened to stop Finish' heart through sheer force of will. It's gaze focused on her. Finish felt her mind being overpowered, her fear and anger slipping away and being replaced by a presence not her own. This thing was seeping into her. While she could still think, she called out to the impossible thing. “I just vant my friend back! Please...ve just vant to go home.” Something parted in front of the being and Finish's frail light inched forward. “Scratch!” Finish could barely lift her hooves but she slid them along the stone, grimacing as every one of her muscles strained to take her to her friend. Scratch lay there, her body periodically twitching. Her eyes were wide open but blank, staring at nothing as Finish desperately tried to force her way through the thick air. See...? “She can't see them like I can!” HE groaned and rolled his face closer. Finish looked at Scratch's body, her thoughts racing. How could it be? Scratch had never said a word if she had even known. Despite the pressure, the fear, the cold and the tears freezing on Finish' face, she stared up into those blue orbs. A frail, weird pony looked into HIS eyes and spoke and told HIM what he could do. “You can't take her.” Her hooves rose with the slaying camera, HIS eyes squarely in the viewfinder as she pressed the capture button. The intense pressure held her down as whatever force erupted from the camera and surged forward. A great cry went up, thousands of voices howling in unison as his spirit sizzled from the attack, HIS eyes going wide at recognition of the device. Again, she had to do it again! The camera steadied in her hooves as HE came into view again but a rush of force crashed into her, sending her flying through the dark. Up and down lost all meaning as she spun and dark swirled around her. Her back struck the ground and she knew where she was again, bouncing along the path, scrapes and nicks appearing as the rough stone cut into her. She struggled to get upright, her limbs trembling with exhaustion from moving through this world, but she couldn't stand. Her body collapsed, hooves shaking back and forth as she tried to put some life into them but failing. It was quiet save for single sound coming closer. Tap. Tap. Tap. She twisted her head, looking back towards the monster. Her camera was in the way, sitting on its side directly in front of her face. Only a faint halo of light came around it, slowly getting closer. Tap. Scratch stood over her, a slight glow coming off her horn to light the way. She smiled at Finish, her teeth practically fangs as she placed a hoof on the camera. “I was ready to give up and sleep for another decade after I killed your father, considering the damage he caused me with this. I can't possess a body like the others I command. I've devoured so many souls that a normal body can't contain me and ends up exploding. Your kind are the only ones I can safely take.” HE smashed the camera, stomping on it repeatedly but carefully avoiding the pink lens. A kick sent it over the edge, no sound of it striking anything as it fell and the only weapon HE ever feared disappearing with it. Scratch's face knelt by Finish's as HE whispered in her ear. “She's scared Photo Finish, and she's weakly thrashing her will around in here. She's crying. But she promises to behave if I just let you live.” Scratch's tongue darted out and licked her lips as though trying it out for the first time in a long time. Finish couldn't muster the strength to feel anger as her heart started to beat slower. Perhaps it was HIS presence that was killing her or perhaps her will to live was dwindling, but she could feel herself dying. Darkness crept into her vision as Scratch blurred in front of her. “I've been watching you ever since you came in. Fear didn't save you by letting you run away. The courage you found when you wanted to protect Scratch didn't get you very far. The rage your father, Silver Salt, gave you didn't last very long. You tried so hard, child. Sleep now.” HE stood and walked past Finish, leaving her broken body and fading mind behind. HE wouldn't kill her. Her last few thoughts turned to her mother, waving her to a warm kitchen. Scratch was there too and they would sit together and the three of them would talk in that cozy room forever and laugh. The beats of her heart were irregular now, slower. That's what heaven was. That's what death would be like. To be together with those who'd loved her. The place she'd been happiest. A new vision rose from the dark in her mind, a new thought. She remembered the swirling eyes HE had. Howling, angry and sad souls trapped forever behind blue orbs that would use them as fuel to take more souls and reap more ponies. There would be no heaven for them. Her mother would never be with her if she were taken and Scratch would never be free, forever the host body of that Revenant. There would be no one in Heaven to greet her. Her hooves curled weakly around the satchel at her side. Her heart pumped again. She could feel her will to live return even as her body cried out in pain at being forced to move. One hoof up, another, then her back legs. Her back was in agony where she'd landed on it. “Vait.” HE stopped, glancing back at the miraculous recovery. Scratch's eyes looked at the bruised, panting, freezing pony and waited. “I was being generous, Photo Finish.” Finish looked down at the bag and slapped it open, knocking the flap back and sliding the journal free. “If I let you go, you'll take everyvun I ever cared about vith you. Even if I die here und go to Heaven, it'll be vorse dan Hell vithout my family und friends.” She took the journal in her mouth, limping towards Scratch's body. She could see HIS aura surrounding the body, a great black energy that snapped back and forth like wild fire. HE walked closer, meeting her halfway. “Is that what you really want? Eternal torment is fine as long as you don't have to be alone? You're willing to give up and die?” She looked up at Scratch. Finish swayed, barely able to stand under her own power. There was no way to know if it would work. Did light have to pass through the Moonstone to make it deadly? Did the Moonstone have to physically touch her enemy? “I didn't say I vas giving up.” She bit down on the journal and sealed the pages together. She swung her head, weakly slapping the side of Scratch's face with the journal. The flickering aura around Scratch was blasted to the side as a beastly screech erupted from her throat, a cry worthy of the most tortured souls in hell. Scratch's body fell back, eyes wide in shock and pain. Finish had hurt HIM. Finish gripped the book in her teeth harder, biting into the soft cover. “I may have lived a hard life. I may have shrunk back und cowered und cried my vay through de hard times. But I never gave up!” Finish stumbled forward and brought the book down again, slapping the top of Scratch's head. Another shriek filled the air as the moonstone in the book reacted to the presence of HIS strong spirit, tearing and ripping at it, trying to pull it from Scratch's body. “You couldn't understand how far I'd go for Scratch! You couldn't know how miserable I vas in Canterlot before she showed me real kindness! You don't know much I love her!” Scratch's face twisted in a snarl as HE tried to put distance between Finish and himself. Black tendrils sprang from his aura, diving at Finish and grasping her legs, forcing her to the ground and dragging her forward. “I wouldn't understand loneliness!? I can't know your pathetic misery!? I've been trapped here for forty years because of what your father did when I was alive! We were friends and he betrayed me! He made me what I am!” HE stood over her and Scratch's aura coated hoof readied to crush Finish's skull. “I hope you enjoy your private hell Finish. Maybe you'll learn what true torment is.” The hoof lanced down and...stopped. It trembled, shaking as it tried to dive through Finish' face. A single tear dripped down Scratch's angered face, spilling from her chin and landing on Finish cheek. Was it Scratch? Was she actually slowing the control of the mental titan in her own body? “Do it...Finish.” The words were Scratch's and a shaky smile half formed on her friends face. If she were going to save her, now was the time. Finish rolled, swishing the book through the tendrils and breaking them as she got to her feet. Black tendrils floated over her body as it jerked, Scratch fighting inside as Finish fought outside. Finish twisted her neck, mustering whatever strength she could for a last blow. The book careened through the air, Finish mustering a real hit for the first time that surely even Scratch felt. It slammed into her cheek and her body fell back, the greatest roar of pain from HIM echoing through the cavern and bouncing off the walls repeatedly. Finish collapsed as every bit of strength left her. The book fell from her mouth and the bits of pink moonstone fell too, now black as pitch. The scream faded and with it the oppressive atmosphere. The pressure and cold lifted as suddenly as Finish had encountered it, real air traveling deep into Finish lungs as she took her first deep breath in a while. “scratch?” She called out weakly, unsure if Scratch would even hear her, and waited for a response. She listened in the quiet dark and heard nothing. Without the glow of Scratch's horn, Finish couldn't even see her. She prodded her muscles along but could only crawl very slowly, pulling herself an inch at a time every minute. There were Scratch's hooves. Her legs. Her stomach. Her hoof stayed on Scratch's chest as she rested from the effort of crawling. Something was wrong. There was no rise and fall of breath. No gasp for air. Finish couldn't muster the energy to be terrified. There was no emotion left to feel as she pulled herself further along, taking Scratch's head in her hooves. Her flesh was cold. “Scratch...Oh, Scratch...dis is...it's all my fault.” She nuzzled Scratch's neck, burying her face in the electric blue mane. Her grip tightened on the body. “I'm so sorry. Don't hate me Scratch. Don't hate me.” A cold hoof touched her back but she refused to look up. Whether her father or, possibly even Scratch herself, she didn't want to see. “Don't hate me...” A sudden violent gasp shook Scratch under her, her body jerking upward as air filled her lungs. Finish stared in amazement, wonder and joy but her mouth couldn't make up it's mind what to say. “Scratch...oh...! Wha... It's...you're alive!” Scratch sat a moment, stunned and looking down at her hooves with Finish wishing harder than she ever had in her life that she could move and give her friend a great big hug. A slight horn-glow illuminated them both as Scratch's mouth hung open. Her stupefied look turned to Finish but she could force no words to come out. She looked around but Silver Salt was gone. Only a moment ago he had grabbed her out of the air where she had been watching Finish crawl up her length and pulled her down, taking her closer to her own body. He'd whispered and Scratch was scarcely sure she heard him correctly before she was thrown down and pulled back into her own body. She leaned down, taking Finish' hoof in her own and settling her forehead against her. Those last few words had surprised Scratch considering everything she'd heard about Silver Salt. --- -One Month Later- “Okay, take down dese lights und pack up everyvun. Photo Shop, please send de photos to Sapphire Shores und Rarity und sit vith Fleur vhile she looks hers over.” Finish handed out assignments to her assistants, making sure they knew just what to do before she took off for a long weekend. It would be her first vacation since her return and, just as throwing herself into tons of work had healed her mind (as well as several visits to a therapist), she still needed to heal a weary heart. “Pardonne moi, Finish?” Fleur de Lis approached, putting on her most charming smile. For some reason Finish' assistants kept glancing over at the two, as though they expected something interesting to happen. “It's about those new glasses. Your tres lache assistants wanted me to tell you that they think your new glasses are a little garish. I happen to like neon blue but it clashes so with my mane.” The working assistants all turned away, sweating bullets as they tried to pretend they weren't there. But somepony had to say something! The color was simply garish. Finish merely smiled a little bit and adjusted them to sit straighter on her nose. “I know. But dey vere a gift. You know how dat is.” Fleur nodded and shrugged at the assistants. Oh, she was here. “I'll see you next time Fleur.” Finish left her team to clean up and walked over to Scratch who had come to meet her at the shoot in Canterlot. Despite the mid-summer night heat, she wore a blue hoodie that would have given anypony else heat stroke. Ever since the incident she'd had trouble staying warm. “Hey. Long time no see.” “Ya. I'm sorry about dat. Just...just had to get some distance from vhat happened.” They had barely spoken since they'd returned to Canterlot. Scratch and Finish had both gone to the Royal Guards office when they'd returned and made reports. The guard working the front desk had almost told them to get lost as they told their story until Princess Celestia herself had shown up. A simple magical alarm was set up to detect key words that would call her at a moments notice. Sleipnir's Rest had been a high priority disaster area and Silver Salt had been the one in charge of the area ever since the original incident. Surprisingly to Finish, he'd been one of the most highly respected members of the Royal Guard Paranormal Task Force. Celestia had been devastated at the news of his death and terrified at the two girls tale, immediately dispatching a large group of her best guards to check the area. The building had proven mostly safe except for the crumbling infrastructure and the shards of lens had been just where they'd been left. The general public would never know the truth though as Celestia liked to keep the huge disasters under wraps. Of course, the offer of a private photo shoot in exchange for silence had made the deal an easy one to accept. They said nothing as they walked down the street heading towards the club district. Scratch had invited Finish to another big show and, after a few weeks of rejection, she'd finally agreed to come. It was time try to put the past in the past. “How's your mom?” “Good. The pills knock her right out. I suppose dat's vhat magic vill do dough. I vas going to visit her next veek...and she keeps asking about you...and she vanted to know if, maybe, you could come.” Scratch levitated her glasses off and tucked them into her neckline. Things had been weird between them. In truth, each was miserable without the other. “I'd love to.” The formal chatting, the stiffness in their greetings, it all felt so weird and uncomfortable. Finish stopped in the middle of the sidewalk and tugged on Scratch's hoodie. They had a hard time meeting each others eyes but they finally drifted up to one another. “S-scratch...um..about vhat happened-” Scratch tackled her, wrapping her hooves around her neck in a tight hug that was almost choking. “I missed you so much! Don't you dare try to blame yourself for what happened, Finish. I love you no matter what.” Finish closed her eyes and hugged her back, equally tight. She had missed the DJ but she'd almost gotten Scratch killed. She'd barely had the nerve to face her this time. But as tightly as she was being held, all the fear melted away. “I love you too Scratch. I'm sorry, I vas just so scared uf vhat vould happen.” It was as if the curtain lifted and they were themselves again. They trotted down the street, talking excitedly about the entire month they had spent apart. Scratch had a brand new style she had dubbed “Ghostcore” and was eager to see what the reception to it would be. Finish had her new gallery show coming up with a surprise royal model. They stopped and stared a moment when a lonely blue shade floated by on the other side of the street, each quiet as their necks craned after it. Finally fading from sight, they instead turned to look at one another. “I've been seeing those a lot more lately. Do you know how many dead ponies come to my shows?” Finish chuckled out loud. Even if she weren't 'normal', she didn't need to be. The ponies who truly loved her, loved everything about her and she loved them even if they were a little weird themselves. That's what friends did.