Trial and Error: Second Edition

Chapter the Eleventh: Beneath the Surface

Kai rolled out of bed when he heard steps in the hallway. He hadn't slept that night, the memory of the encounter repeating in his mind endlessly. He had almost taken a life. He was only the drop of a mace away from being a murderer. That he had even considered the option turned his stomach.

Fluttershy was on her way down the stairs when she heard Kai behind her. "Good morning," she said, uneasy from the night prior. She had suffered issues sleeping, too, though to a lesser degree. "I was just on my way to make breakfast. Did you want to join me?"

Kai nodded. "Do you have enough for three? Remember, there's one more pony here today."

"I do, but do you really want to feed him the same menu?"

Kai sat down at the kitchen table. "I don't know. I don't want to let him starve, but I also don't want this confinement to be easy for him. I want him to interpret this as a punishment, because that's what it is. If I'm too nice to him, he'll just go back to killing ponies. After all, if there's no consequence, then what does he have to fear? On the other hoof, if I'm too hard on him, he may develop a personal vendetta against me. I think that for now, it's just business for him."

Fluttershy pulled out a small frying pan. "What would make you say that?"

"Just a feeling I have. I can't back it up with evidence, and I can't ask until he wakes up."

"I suppose you'll just have to ask him what his motives are. Though, if it's business, I'd guess that whoever sent him will send somepony else."

"What's your opinion on the matter?"

"Which part?"

"What do you think we should feed him? You were exposed to my cooking from inside a cell. Do you think he deserves that?"

Fluttershy transferred two eggs over easy and two slices of toast onto a plate for Kai. "I'm not the pony he tried to kill, so my opinion may be askew. It may not be what you want to hear, but I think I should be the one feeding him. I mean no offense by this, but I don't know if you'd be able to contain yourself if a fight broke out between you two."

Kai bit into the toast. His nerves began to calm down. "I suppose you're right. It would be best if I kept our interactions to a minimum, to keep tempers low."

Fluttershy sat down with her own breakfast. "Also, if we're nicer to him, he might reconsider his actions, and decide that you're worth keeping alive."

Kai said nothing, but started in on his eggs. He wasn't happy with the idea, but it sounded reasonable. Moreso than that, he trusted Fluttershy's opinion. She was far more experienced when it came to dealing with other ponies.

"I'll wait to feed him until you've left for the day. But while you're out, could I trouble you to pick up some more items? If we're feeding him as well, I'll need more than what I have.

Kai quietly entered the Carousel Boutique. He had already done all of the shopping Fluttershy had asked of him, and had also finished her chores. All the while, he hadn't seen a single guard, and nopony else had assaulted him. Still, he wasn't about to take the risk, especially considering his exhaustion. He very much wished he had found a way to sleep last night.

"Can I help you?" Rarity's voice called to him from behind. He turned to face her. "Oh, it's you! I never did catch your name."

"Kai is fine. You asked me to come by today?"

"Yes, I did. I wanted to give you something. Come, come." She waved him into the back of the store, behind a privacy screen. Seeing nopony back there and no windows, he breathed a sigh of relief. At least in here, nopony could see him except her.

"I want to reiterate that I have no means with which to pay for these clothes, regardless of discount."

"This is meant as a gift. I said as much yesterday, before you took off."

"I'm sorry. I must not have caught that part. I was in a bit of a rush."

"Why did you leave in such a hurry, anyway?"

He froze for a moment. He was trying to think of a fabrication, but he couldn't concentrate.

"I told the guards that you'd helped me. They're out right now, looking for those other three stallions. They have no reason to suspect that you were the one responsible for my poor condition."

That was enough to go off of. "The visual they had arrived on was far outside of my favor. I was certain that they'd falsely accuse me of assault, and I didn't want to wait for them to realize I was innocent. I had an urgent matter that needed tending to, and it wouldn't wait for due process."

"You could have waited there. They saw you running, and instantly guessed that you were guilty. I don't know where you come from, but fleeing is seen as a sign of guilt around here."

"I'll remember that advice in the future." He likely wouldn't follow it, though.

"See that you do. Now then, I'll need your measurements. Step up on the platform and disrobe."

Kai set the saddlebags by the privacy screen. He didn't know what measurements she would need, but for now, he would comply. He tossed his cloak over the back of a chair, only for Rarity to hang it on a peg protruding from the wall. He stepped up on the platform and took a deep breath. "Why am I disrobing?"

"Stand up straight. I need to make sure all of my measurements are accurate."

Kai was quite embarrassed. He hadn't bathed in some time, and dirt was coming off his coat every time her hooves touched him.

"You really should clean yourself more often."

"I know. Had I known you were going to have me disrobe, I would have washed before coming in."

"Your mane and tail require a good brushing, too. They're all tangled and knotty."

"I'll try to keep that in mind."

"Those tips should keep ponies from thinking you're homeless. You may garner more respect, but I think part of the reason those other two didn't attack you is because you looked so scary."

Kai turned to look at her. "Do you think I look scary? You're the second pony to tell me that."

"I do. You're quite intimidating. But underneath that is a good heart, and I'd like to bring that to the surface."

"I'm not as kind as you may think. I've spread quite a bit of ill will in my past. It's recently become worse, and I can't seem to stop it."

"My fine fellow, we've all done something in our past that we would like to take back. But we can't go back and do them over. We can only look to the future while righting the wrongs of the present. I'm sure you'll be just fine."

"How can you be certain? I may have stopped a robbery yesterday, but you're the only pony who saw it. Granted, I didn't do it for the recognition, but even if I had, nopony hurt by my actions prior would believe that I'd changed."

Rarity wrote down the final measurements. "You're right about one thing. A single act of chivalry seen by nopony will do little to help a reputation in tatters. Once a reputation is destroyed, it takes a lot of effort to rebuild it. If you want forgiveness from those whom you've hurt, you'll need to perform countless acts of selflessness, whether they're seen or not. Eventually, they'll believe you."

Kai smiled. "Thank you. You've given me much to think about."

"My pleasure. Now, is there any sort of theme you're fond of? I'd like this gift to match you perfectly."