A Different Kind of Music...

A Different Kind of Music...
Chapter 11
Dinner With a Side Order Of…

****

Photo Finish couldn't stop herself from smiling broadly. She would just have to persuade that daughter of hers to come to a photo session together with her fillyfriends again, but this time with her, Photo Finish, behind the camera. Now that she knew how far she could push them, Photo Finish would take pictures that will be plastered across the covers of every magazine in the world! The photos they had taken by themselves were passable for amateurs, but what she, Photo Finish, could do with these ravaging creatures! Photo Finish actually shivered at the thought of capturing their beauty and perfection on film for the world to see.

And thoze two girlz Vinyl znagged for herzelf certainly don't zeem afraid to… expoze themzelvez either, Photo Finish thought with a giggle as she looked at a few rather provocative pictures with just the two sisters in them. They were certainly meant to drive the onlooker crazy with desire, and who the intended onlooker was, Photo Finish thought, to her great satisfaction, she was quite assured of who that was.

Knock!

Knock!

“Madam, Miss Lyrica is currently waiting for you in the foyer,” Impeccable’s voice informed from the other side of the dark room door.

“Wonderful! I juzt finizhed with the picturez; tell her I will be right out!” Photo Finish answered enthusiastically, grabbing a hold of one of the pictures the two sisters had taken of themselves.

Thiz one iz definitely the bezt of the two of them in thiz zeriez of picturez. I'll give it to them zo they can prezent it az a gift to my preciouz honeybun at their earliezt convenience. Photo Finish thought with a mischievous, little smirk on her face while she put the picture in a silver frame and wrapped it up as if it were a foals first Hearths Warming present, to make sure no pony but the intended would see what lay within.

Photo Finish gave a happy little snicker. She was, after all, only doing them a favor by bringing the picture to them as soon as possible. It definitely had nothing to do with her wanting to see the look on their faces when they realize Vinyl's own mother has seen all the pictures they thought they were taking in secret for Vinyl's eyes only.

Nope… nothing like that at all! Photo Finish affirmed with a laugh as she headed out of the darkroom to greet Miss Lyrica.

****

When Photo Finish was halfway to Lyrica she suddenly stopped in her tracks when a thought struck her. She looked dubiously at the wrapped photo she was caring. It might not be the best idea to present this picture to the three younger mares with Lyrica present at the time. But Photo Finish so wanted to see the looks on their faces when they opened it, and the sooner the better! So with determined steps she alter her course, heading off towards the intended dining hall for the evening. Vinyl Scratch was after all not the only member of the family to act on a whim and sudden inspiration.

As Photo Finish entered, she saw the medium-sized round table for more intimate gatherings in the center of the dining hall, beautifully decorated and prepared for the dinner to come. The three mares she was looking for sat together, talking and laughing while they awaited Photo Finish and Lyrica’s arrival.

With a smile, Photo Finish quickly approached the three of them. When the trio finally noticed her, the mares immediately quieted down as they saw the smile across Photo Finish's features.

“Oh boy… This can’t be good,” Vinyl Scratch said ominously.

“Don't be like that darling! I come bearing giftz after all!” Photo Finish said, still smiling widely.

“Okay… I know I'm going to regret this, but… what is it?” Vinyl answered. Photo Finish merely giggled as she put the present in front of her daughter before turning around heading back the way she came.

“What is it?!” Vinyl called after her mother, not really trusting her notoriously mischievous parent. “If it blows up, I’ll be coming after you with a vengeance!”

“Oh! You will love it darling, I promize; alzo, in the future, you might inform your filly friendz that I, Photo Finish, iz the only one allowed to develop film in thiz family,” she called back from just in front of the doorway where she stopped and looked back at the three young mares.

One mare looked questioningly back at her mother, not really getting it. Wasn't it obvious that if one had one of the world's greatest photographers in the family it was fairly certain the she would be the one to develop film in said family?

However, the other two mares sitting on either side of Vinyl looked positively mortified, both their faces were bright red as their gazes were locked straightforward in shock, with eyes wide open when the implication of what Photo Finish said sank in.

Fiddlestick’s slowly looked to the brightly wrapped gift, knowing full well what was in it. “Octavia, I am begging, please tell me that’s not what I think it is... Please.” But the gray mare was barely able to breath let alone speak.

Octavia had not thought this would be brought to light until tomorrow at the earliest, and definitely not at the dinner where her mother would soon be attending.

After hearing the tremble in Fiddles voice, Vinyl Scratch wasted no more time to open the present and withdrew what lay inside, only to immediately freeze in place as her mouth fell open. In the picture both Octavia and Fiddlesticks were looking back at her, both mares giving Vinyl the most hypnotic bedroom eyes she had ever seen. They had their cheeks pressed together as they gazed out at Vinyl while they lay ensnared in each others hooves, their plots were also quite exposed in the shot. Fiddlesticks tail was covering her flower… mostly anyway. Octavia’s was however on wide display for her intended audience of one. And to make it all even better, they were still in their filly scout uniforms… mostly.

“W…. I…Ummm….Ok……. what???” Vinyl stammered out as she looked back and forth between Octavia and Fiddlesticks, who were both blushing furiously.

“Yes… hehe… Well, you see…” Octavia swallowing her nervousness as she was finally able to look up at the still stunned expression on Vinyl Scratch’s face.

“Fiddles and I were talking a bit earlier…” Octavia began to explain, smiling back at her marefriend. Over at the door, Photo Finish gave a little laugh before she disappeared off to meet Miss Lyrica.

****

Lyrica stood nervously just inside of the entrance, awaiting to be greeted by the famous Photo Finish. She was not completely certain of what this sudden invitation meant, but she hoped it had something to do with Octavia or Fiddlesticks. If she was lucky, one of them had caught the eye of Photo Finish and now she wanted to discuss the possibility of acquiring their services as models.

A prospect Lyrica found to be very pleasing indeed. If it was Octavia, she would have a daughter that was both the lead cellist in the Canterlot Orchestra and now possibly also famous model as well. If it was Fiddlesticks, than it would finally give her something to be proud of her other daughter for, so both prospects made Lyrica very happy.

She had been dressed to the teeth when she was about to leave, but a late note informed her that the dinner was informal, with only family attending. In spite of this, she had still kept all the ornaments on and only removed her dress.

Around her pale lavender neck hung a beautiful, and expensive, pearl necklace. In her ears hung a matching pair of pearl studded earrings with amethysts cut in the form of feathers hanging down from the ears. Around her shoulders, she also had a white silk sash with a fresh rose adorning it. To top it all off, in her newly groomed curly blonde mane she had a purple amethyst flower brooch securing three extremely expensive phoenix feathers to her mane. It all gave off a very refined and rich looked that just screamed money. So when she finally heard hooves approaching, Lyrica immediately shone up in a very satisfied and self-important smile.

“Ah, there you are! Welcome, darling! Welcome!” Photo Finish exclaimed exuberantly as soon as she saw Lyrica, quickly trotting up to greet her.

“I have to thank you so very much for inviting me this evening, Miss Finish. I can't describe what a delight it is to finally meet you,” Lyrica answered, a bit shell-shocked by Photo Finish’s boisterous greeting. Lyrica also noted that the ice blue Earth pony was completely bare except for her trademark purple shades with the black rims, which contrasted stunningly against her white mane and tail.

“Oh think nothing of it my dear! Now come! Come! The girlz are waiting for uz in the dining hall!” Photo Finish immediately snapped around to lead the way back to the girls, who had hopefully gathered themselves from their little surprise by now.

As they walked through the mansion, Photo Finish could see clear signs of the usual bamboozled expression on Lyrica’s face, clearly proclaiming she could not believe the interior design of the place. But Photo Finish paid it no mind, since not every pony was blessed with her above-reproachful sense of taste and style. There was, after all, a reason their only existed one Photo Finish in the world.

As the pair drew closer to their goal, both Photo Finish and Lyrica started hearing happy laughter echoing down the halls of the mansion. Lyrica looked a bit perturbed since she recognized the laughter as her daughters, and a breach in protocol like that was certainly not what she had taught them. Furthermore to do it here in front of Photo Finish of all ponies!

As they finally entered the dining hall, Lyrica was just about to correct her daughters’ behavior when the site of a third mare sitting with them almost made Lyrica shriek in horror. She froze in place, gawking at the ruffian she had met in Octavia's apartment. They had brought that horror with them to Photo Finish’s dinner invitation?

“Octavia! Fiddlesticks! What is the meaning of bringing that with you?!” Lyrica asked in a calm voice, but it was positively seething with malice that was directed at her idiotic daughters.

Unseen by Lyrica, Photo Finish raised an eyebrow at her, and decided on the spot not to introduce Vinyl as her daughter and see what happened. Many insights could possibly be gained if Lyrica didn't find out that Vinyl Scratch was her daughter until a little later.

“Oh, hi again! Fancy bling you got there, Lyrica. It looks snazzy! Why don't you two come and join us already! We're having a blast over here!” the white unicorn menace with her spiky two-tone blue main and damned purple sunglasses shouted over towards the now approaching Photo Finish and Lyrica.

Lyrica couldn't help but grind her teeth and glare at her daughters for this incomprehensible breach of etiquette and their part. Bringing along such a hoodlum to a refined and important dinner with a high celebrity figure like Photo Finish. The white unicorn might or might not have saved Octavia earlier, but that was still not an excuse to bring her along here!

Are they mad?! They are surely trying to embarrass me like the other day. Well, they'll have another thing coming to them! Lyrica thought while she studied the three mares already sitting at the table.

I'll have to make sure Photo Finish knows Octavia and Fiddlesticks have nothing to do with this creature, or else all might be lost! Lyrica thought desperately while she moved over and sat down at the round table between Photo Finish and Fiddlesticks. On the other side of the table from her sat Octavia and Vinyl Scratch.

They were also sitting a little too close together if she had any say in it, which she most certainly did. Why… the way the two of them were leaning towards each other somepony could get the wrong idea!

“Octavia, sit up straight, you're not a sack of potatoes are you? What in the name of Celestia has gotten into you, young lady? You were holding a better posture when you were five,” Lyrica scolded her daughter while she undoubtedly looked at the cause of the problem.

“Don’t mimic this uppstart! I can understand that thing not sitting properly with her lack of refinement, or proper parenting, but that still does not give you an excuse to follow her bad example,” Lyrica snapped. Both Octavia and Fiddlesticks looked on in horrified fascination while Lyrica continued digging a proverbial pit to fall into. Finally, Octavia managed to gather herself.

“Mom, Vinyl Scratch is-”

“Zuch a delight to be around! Don't you agree Octavia, my darling! Why, I think even Fiddleztickz iz a bit taken with her if I'm any judge of zuch thingz. Zo, don't you two worry none, I am very grateful that you brought Vinyl here with you earlier. It haz, after all, been a very long time znce I zaw her lazt,” Photo Finish interjected.

Both Octavia and Fiddlesticks looked at Photo Finish, not understanding what was going on, but Vinyl couldn't help but smirk as she understood her mother's little game.

“You…” Lyrica looked apprehensively over towards the white unicorn. “You know Miss Vinyl?”

“Oh yez, certainly! I've been keeping an eye on her for quite zome time,” Photo Finish answered, grinning over at Vinyl who snorted.

“No matter if I wanted you to or not,” Vinyl answered shortly while tapping her hoof against the table.

“I see. Well, than I guess it was no problem that my daughter’s brought their new friend along,” Lyrica lamented, still not looking too happy. “But if you would not mind me asking, what has brought this little impromptu get-together into being?”

“Why, zurely you know? Thiz iz about the problem we are all having with thoze mizerable Von Trot’z. Thinking they can do anything they want and get away with it juzt becauze of their ‘nobility’,” Photo Finish stated while making certain that the others at the table knew exactly what she thought about said nobility. Lyrica looked absolutely stunned.

“You've already heard about that? But, but, but I thought I had taken care of that?” Lyrica said in dismay as she thought Photo Finish had heard about the incident from the gossipmongers. “I’ve been working almost non-stop trying to keep this under wraps all day!”

“Wait. You thought you were going to keep this thing quite?” Vinyl said, looking quite perplexed by the sheer belief that Lyrica apparently thought she could do something like that.

“Octavia was almost raped, you do get that right? Shit is going to hit the fan no matter what anypony does, but if you're trying to keep it quiet, than it looks like we are guilty!” Vinyl said accusingly while pointing at Lyrica with one hoof.

“Well, unlike you, I have a reputation to uphold!” Lyrica sneered back.

“YOU HAVE A REPUTATION! How the fuck do three creeps trying to rape Octavia make YOU look bad!!!” Vinyl shouted in absolute fury while she stood up and leaned as far over the table as she could while glaring at a now clearly very frightened Lyrica.

“Darling, we here to find a zolutionz, not create more problemz,” Photo Finish said motioning for Vinyl to sit back down again. Grumbling, her daughter complied while still staring daggers at Lyrica.

“Why I never… Octavia! I forbid you to spend more time with this ruffian! She may or may not have helped you once, but she is clearly a bad influence on you!” Lyrica shrieked out in horror at Vinyl's behavior.

“Mother, I will not leave my marefriend just because you say so. I love Vinyl more than I have ever loved anyone before. She is the most caring and wonderful pony I have ever met, even if she is a bit rough around the edges… I kind of like that, because it's honest,” Octavia said defensively while leaning in to nuzzle Vinyl’s neck lovingly.

Lyrica now sat completely stunned, looking with wide eyes while Octavia and Vinyl snuggled up towards each other before ending all pretences with a quick kiss on the lips.

“Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!” Everyone around the table flinched while Lyrica screamed.

“No! Nonononono! My daughter is not a fillyfooler! Get your filthy hooves of my daughter this instant! You are most definitely not on the list!” Lyrica screamed horrified. She was met by several blank stares around the table.

“What? What list?” Octavia asked apprehensively.

“The list!” Lyrica screamed, frantically waving her hooves around. “I have painstakingly made a list of all acceptable stallions for you Octavia, and this drugged up white horror is definitely not on it! I most certainly will not allow these crimes against all decency to continue! You will walk straight home right now, young lady, and then we will have a serious talk about your choices in life!” Lyrica continued to shriek while the rest of the occupants around the table just looked at her with blank expressions.

“Damn… You really got a screw loose, lady,” Vinyl finally said with ill hidden contempt. “And I already told you, I’m not on Redeye, I’m albino.”

“You shut up, charlatan! You have corrupted my innocent Octavia! I don't know what you did to make her like you! But I will undo it if it's so is the last thing I do!” Lyrica continued to shout.

“Mother for once in your life shut up!” Fiddlesticks suddenly screamed at the top of her lungs obviously having reached the end of her patients. “For Celestia’s sake, Octavia is a full-blown lesbian! I'm bisexual! And Vinyl is Octavia's new, and might I add wonderful, marefriend! So for once in your miserable life be happy for her and shut up!”

In the silence after Fiddlesticks proclamation, Lyrica just sat quietly staring from Octavia to Fiddlesticks to Vinyl, over and over again.

“Very good darling. Now, if all the zhouting iz done, maybe we can bring in zome drinkz to water our throatz and cool uz off a little, yez?” Photo Finish suggested calmly.

“I'll have a beer, thank you,” answered Vinyl Scratch.

“Yez, I know darling. And what of the rezt of you lovely marez?” Photo Finish asked.

“Red wine would be lovely for my nerves,” Octavia said hesitantly.

“I'll have some hard apple cider if you have any,” Fiddlesticks continued, to which Photo Finish nodded in confirmation.

Lyrica just sat quietly trying to once again compose herself after the shock from Fiddlesticks quite loud proclamation.

“I… I would love a glass of champagne,” Lyrica finally managed to croak out.

“Yez, that'z a lovely zentiment,” Photo Finish said happily. “After all, it izn't every day we get to cheer our daughterz, and especially not on zuch a happy occazion as finding true love,” Photo Finish said and clapped her hooves together excitedly.

Immediately, Impeccable came to the table with several different type of glasses suspended in his magic. He sat down one filled with frothy, cold beer in front of Vinyl Scratch.

“Oh yeah! Is it…” Vinyl Scratch said hopefully gesturing towards the tall glass brimming with amber liquid inside.

“Weissbier, you’re favorite if the information I have is correct,” Impeccable said with a smile and a small nod.

“Impeccable, pleaze, you'll zpoil my daughter rotten again, and that'z zomething only I’m allowed to do!” Photo Finish said teasingly, to which Impeccable only raised an eyebrow.

“Of course, madam. I will try to control myself in the future,” Impeccable said while he put the orders of the other mares on the table. “Although I'm quite certain I will fail in that endeavor quite catastrophically,” he then added as he walked away, shooting Vinyl a mischievous smile which she returned.

“Oh, you bad ztallion you! I zhould never have hired you on to teach my preciouz little Vinyl about all that magic stuff you unicornz uze to cauze zo much mizchief!” Photo Finish countered in friendly banter.

“Wait!” Lyrica suddenly yelled as her brain finally caught up with everything happening around her. “Your daughter?!”

Photo Finish turned to look over at the now clearly flustered mare.

“Why yez. darling. Lazt I checked, Octavia and Fiddlestickz are your daughterz, and quite lovely daughter’z they are, while Vinyl iz mine,” Photo Finish said while looking at Lyrica, whose eyes were quickly turning into pinpricks.

“But, but, but, but, what?” Lyrica finally said, sinking down in utter disbelief.

“Okay, I’ve had just about enough of this charade. Now, you are going to shut your trap for a while and stop sucking the life and fun out of everypony and you're going to listen carefully,” Vinyl suddenly cut in. Lyrica looked ready to protest when Vinyl took her glasses off and looked her right in the eyes.

“I said shut your trap. Now, whether you like it or not, you are in my family home. Yes, Photo Finish is indeed my mum. You know what a mother is, don’t you? A mother is a pony that loves you no matter how much you fuck up in your own opinion!” Vinyl then pointed a hoof at a Fiddlesticks, who looked surprised at the gesture.

“A mother does not toss out, or shun, her daughter just because she did not marry the stallion you wanted her to, or for doing what she truly loves for a living. Fiddle’s here is a great mare, and even though I only just met her, she is already one of the the best friends I could ever ask for! But you throw her out completely, saying she could only come back if she broke it off with her stallion and started playing the fiddle as a classical musician instead of country-western, you know, the way Fiddlesticks loves to play it! You did all that only because she did not turn out the way you wanted so you could show her up like some doll you’ve created! Well, here’s a newsflash for you: Fiddlesticks turned out better then you could ever dream of her becoming!”

Fiddlesticks herself was beyond words at what Vinyl had just said. Nobody outside of her sister had ever defended her in front of their mother. A few tears of joy threatened to break through as she looked on in open-mouthed astonishment.

Octavia, in the meantime, was reaching a hesitant hoof towards her marefriend. Fearing what might happen, she was thinking about pulling Vinyl back. A hoof on Octavia’s own shoulder stopped her. Looking back the other way, she saw Photo Finish shaking her head.

“Onze my honeybun getz goinz, there iz no stoppinz’s her my dear,” Photo Finish whispered as they turned their attention back to Vinyl.

“And I will be damned to the sun before I let you do it to Octy. I saved her from a fate no pony should ever face!” Rage was now filling her eyes as memories from that night filled her inner vision.

“Have you ever known anypony that was raped? Have you ever dealt with picking up the shattered pieces left behind? Knowing you, I doubt it! I saved your daughter from being raped by those asshole nobles, the same ones you're trying to please, the same ones you want Octy to apologize to in order to save your precious reputation!” Vinyl yelled before taking a deep breath to calm herself, she wiped her eyes and turned smiling to her mare friend.

“But in all honesty I am glad for your close call, even if that’s selfish of me. If not for that I would never had met you Octy, and I never would have fallen in love with you.” All Octavia could do to answer was smile lovingly up at Vinyl. Vinyl placed a hoof on Octavia’s shoulder before leaning in kissing her deeply. As they separated, both mares turned back to the still completely dumbstruck Lyrica.

“So, my little prissy miss succubus, let me lay this down for you, easy like. I'm Photo’s kid, Octy and Fiddle are yours. I saved Octy from three noble assholes at the Royal wedding. We fell in love and now we are screwing each other's brains out!” Vinyl Scratch said, glaring back at Lyrica, who only looked horrified by Vinyl's explanation.

“Honey, that last part was unnecessarily crude of you,” Octavia reprimanded, taking a careful sip of her wine.

“Oh, come on! She deserves it; she's been nothing but short and snooty with me since the second we met. It doesn't matter to her that I saved you, or that we are in love! All she cares about is that she looks good in front of her stupid noble buddies!” Vinyl said angrily, making Lyrica cringe at the harsh words.

“Look, I'm just trying to do what's best for my children,” Lyrica said defensively.

“Yeah, keep telling yourself that. Nothing you say makes it true though, and you know it…” Vinyl muttered irritably.

“Now, now, let's all calm down,” Photo Finish said, raising her champagne glass towards Lyrica. “I propose a toast for the welfare and happiness for the budding relationship between our families.”

After a bit of a hesitation, and quick calculating in her head, Lyrica raised her glass as well responding to the toast.

“Yes…” she said hesitantly. “For the budding relationship between our families.” Lyrica mirrored and all present around the table echoed the toast, but it was quite clear she was having trouble pulling herself together.

Grinning, Photo Finish clapped her hooves together and, once again, Impeccable trotted up to the table pulling a cart laden with dish upon dish of delicious looking food behind him in his magic. All through dinner, Photo Finish managed to keep every pony much more polite and non-confrontational. Most cunningly done by Photo Finish through simply keeping Lyrica’s concentration mostly on herself, while the three younger mares talked adamantly with each other. Although the way Vinyl and Lyrica kept looking at each other every now and then didn't escape anypony around the table. Finally, as Impeccable rolled out the empty desert plates, it was time to get down to the matter at hoof.

“Zo, the Von Trot’z are currently blocking of accezz to any noticeable defenze lawyerz in Canterlot. I, however, have zeveral connectionz in Manehattan we could utilize, but getting them here for tomorrow'z prehearing will not be pozzible,” Photo Finish said forlornly, absentmindedly tapping her champagne glass for Impeccable to refill. With a smirk, Lyrica turned towards Photo Finish.

“Oh, don't worry about that. I have already secured a defense lawyer for tomorrow. You see, my family has been in close cooperation with the Studious Mares Law Firm for quite some time. And even though they had received the same threat of reprimands if accepting our case from the Von Trots, they are standing firmly behind us because of our long-standing business relations,” Lyrica said, looking smugly at three very surprised mares on the other side of the table. They had, after all, been to that law firm themselves, but had been turned away there just as promptly as everywhere else they have been. Photo Finish, however, just gave a little grunt in response, prompting Lyrica to glance over at her questioningly.

“You don't approve? I thought it would be a welcome breakthrough for us. They may not be the biggest firm in Canterlot but they are loyal to me and my family. You shouldn't feel bad about not being able to procure a lawyer of appropriate standard at such short notice,” Lyrica said, looking back at the others even more smugly than before.

“Come now, darling. Thiz haz nothing to do with their loyalty to your family, they are buzinezz marez and you juzt turned into a golden gooze for them,” Photo Finish said and raised her newly filled champagne glass to take a sip.

“What?” Lyrica said, looking a bit perturbed. “They assured me they took the case solely because of their loyalty to my late husband and I, nothing the Von Trot’s could do will make them break that loyalty.”

“Come now. It'z quite eazy to zee my dear. What would happen if they win thiz caze?” Photo Finish asked and looked over towards Lyrica.

“Why it would be a very big success story for them. Going up against Von Trot’s army of lawyers and coming out on top? It would give their firm a big boost I do believe,” Lyrica answered, not really seeing where this was going.

“Quite right, now what would happen if we loze?” Photo Finish asked.

“Well… I don't know. Nothing I guess, except maybe suffering a few blows to their firm's name for a little while,” Lyrica answered.

“Wrong. Ztudiouz Marez Lawyer Firm will come out on top whether we win or loze. Although that doezn't mean we zhould turn away their help, of what I've heard about them, they are quite good. Having them at our zide will most definitely improve our chancez. Juzt don't go thinking they're doing it out of family loyaltiez or zomething like that,” Photo Finish said assuredly.

“Of course they're doing it out of loyalty to me! They've even been threatened with being hampered quite severely by the Von Trots of all families. That's not a threat to be taken lightly,” Lyrica said, raising her voice slightly at having her moment to shine in front of Photo Finish promptly being diminished by the very same mare.

“No, it mozt certainly is not, but at the zame time look at what they ztand to gain. If they win, then there name will become quite highly zought after amongzt the high zociety poniez. And if we loze, than they will be able to zhow juzt how loyal they are to their future clientz, even in the face of zome poniez az powerful az the Von Trot’z. That iz PR no amount of money could ever buy for them. They would quite frankly become untouchable no matter how thiz turnz out. Win, and they are untouchable becauze they won againzt overwhelming oddz, zo to zpeak. Loze, and they are untouchable becauze they ztick to their clientz well-being no matter what it may cozt themzelvez. Zo, no matter how thiz turnz out, they will be highly zought after when thiz trial iz finizhed,” Photo Finish explained to her very captivated audience.

“I… I didn't think of it like that,” Lyrica said looking a bit hurt.

“So, why are we accepting their help then if they don't really have to care what happens to us?” Vinyl wondered apprehensively.

“Now, now, I told you girlz before. We are ztill lucky to have them on our zide; they are a well-rezpected and quite knowledgeable group of lawyerz. Zo just becauze they will come out on top no matter what happenz, it iz ztill a boon for uz to have them. I juzt wanted you to underztand they are not here becauze of any zenze of loyalty, but becauze it iz juzt zimply an opportunity they juzt can't afford to mizz,” Photo Finish informed them all while she tapped her hoof against the table in deep thought.

“Well, that's still a weight of my shoulders, Mother. Having a good lawyer at our side tomorrow will definitely make me feel more at ease,” Octavia said, trying to reassure every pony around the table, her mother most of all. She might not be the mother of the year by any stretch of the imagination, but she had still pulled through in regards of securing a lawyer for them, and she felt more grateful for that then Octavia would actually care to admit.

“Man this sucks! I was really upbeat about our chances against these assholes. But now you've gone and made it all sound like they could actually get away with this hogwash!” Vinyl Scratch said, grumbling while she sat with her forelegs crossed over her chest, looking positively miserable.

“Well, we have always known that the Von Trots have a lot of old money and influence to throw around if they want to, and say what you may, but old money has a way of speaking quite loudly,” Fiddlesticks followed up, also looking a bit nervous.

“We'll have none of thiz moping about now!” Photo Finish suddenly exclaimed rather heatedly. “After all, we do have more or lezz the only thing old money fearz,” she followed up with a grin.

“What's that?” Lyrica asked.

“Why, new money of courze! New money!” Photo Finish proclaimed happily as she waved her hooves around, indicating that they were all sitting in one of the finest and most expensive house is in all of Canterlot.

****

Syvvak - pre-reader/editor
Mikemeiers - pre-reader/editor
Fox-Sama - AKA flowmaster
Angel_Bunny - bonus editor