Trial and Error: Second Edition

Chapter the Twelfth: Truths and Lies

Fluttershy placed the prisoner's breakfast on a tray and carried it up the stairs. It had been almost half an hour since Kai departed, and she had made sure to clean everything in the kitchen that she had used, as she wasn't sure if she would have time to do so later. She had told Kai that she would feed him a normal meal, but she hadn't promised that it would still be hot when it arrived. She thought this an apt way of punishing his actions without being too rash.

When she reached the cell, the stallion was awake and waiting for her. He sat up straight and stared at her. Something about his face looked somewhat familiar, but she couldn't place it.

"I need you to give me my sword." He scowled at her. "Now."

"I'm not going to do that. I can't let you hurt anypony."

"I don't want to hurt anypony. I promise, it will be quick and painless."

"I said no." Fluttershy stamped her hoof, almost losing balance with the tray.

"Why do you protect that waste of life?" He stood and grabbed the bars of the cell. "Isn't he keeping you here as a hostage? Didn't he wrap that demeaning collar around your neck? I'd bet he even has you cooking and cleaning for him. I'd also guess that he only ever interacts with you when he wants to feel you up. Wouldn't it be nice if you were a free mare?"

Fluttershy stepped back. Much of what he said was true, at least in part. Kai definitely wasn't anywhere near her idea of a nice pony. He was her captor, after all. He was the reason she couldn't be at home. He was the reason she was wearing a collar like some sort of slave. He had also brought her here for the sole purpose of looking over her body.

"Do yourself a favor and let me out of this cage. I promise, you'll never see him again. Unless you want to kick him after he's been taken down, of course."

"While it's true that he may be harsh at times, underneath it all is a pony who has suffered. I'd like him to have something good happen to him. He deserves that much. Besides, he's promised to let me go when he's done with his project."

"A promise means nothing if it's empty. He has no intention of ever finishing his project, and no need to let you leave his service. You want to protect him, you'll end up living the rest of your life down here, tending to his every whim."

"How would you know? You say these things like he's done all of this before."

"He has. With countless other mares. And when he tires of you, he'll dispose of you the same way he disposed of them."

Fluttershy was horrified. She didn't want to believe that Kai had done this before. She didn't want to think that she was the latest in his string of mare slaves. She especially didn't want to think that he would just snap and kill her one of these days.

"Your only hope now is to let me out of this cage and return my weapon. I promise, it'll be quick."

She didn't know what to think anymore. Kai had almost killed this stallion last night. He had been ready to do so with such ease that it made sense that he had done so in the past. Had she been right to call him a monster before? Against such an aberration, she stood no chance.

Then again, this prisoner could be lying to her. He wanted his freedom, an idea she was well inclined to sympathize with. He could say anything, and likely would if it meant she would let him out. His entire speech may be nothing more than a ploy to appeal to her. She would have to decide for herself. She stood up straight, filled with determination.

"I'll have you know that doing the cooking was my decision. As was my cleaning this place up. So too was my decision to feed you while you were here, and even to spare your life. You are in my hooves now, and I'm responsible for your health from this point forward. I was going to be kind to you, but I can't take you at your word. If I can't trust you, then I'll leave you in his care." She placed the tray on the floor and pushed it within reach of the cell. "Enjoy your breakfast."

Kai walked back to the castle through the woods. Rarity had her measurements and design idea, and told him that his gift would be ready in a few days. He would make sure that he bathed and washed his cloak before he returned to pick it up. He didn't even know what she was making for him. He had expressed his desire not to stand out and not to draw attention. Judging by the clothing he had seen in her shop, he wasn't sure she would impress him, as they seemed to grab his attention. Still, it was a free gift, and he would rather she didn't try to track him down to deliver it.

Upon his arrival, he expected Fluttershy to be outside. There were a few birds in the courtyard, most noticeably a bright red cardinal. She had expressed her desire to be outside, so where was she?

He found his answer as he came to the second basement. From her room, he heard a quiet sobbing. He slowly cracked open the door to find her on the bed, curled into a ball. He walked in and sat down next to her, gently placing a hoof on her shoulder. "Is something the matter?"

Fluttershy looked up at him and wiped her face. "H-have you e-e-ever had any other m-m-mares here?" she said between sobs.

"No," replied Kai trying to put on a soothing voice while gently brushing her shoulder. "What would give you that idea?"

"Th-the stallion in the c-c-cage. He s-s-said that you d-do this with other m-mares and k-kill them when you're d-d-done."

"It's not true. He's only saying that because he wants to build distrust between us. He's a killer. It's safe to assume he's not above lying."

"B-but your a k-k-kidnapper. How can I b-be sure y-y-you're not above l-lying?"

Kai paused for a moment. "I suppose you can't. However, I would have hoped that this would have bought me some amount of trust." He pulled out the list of chores she had given him. Every day except the first had Twilight's signature on it, as well as the date. The first day had Pinkie's signature and the date. "If I'm not lying about this, mayhaps I'm telling you the truth now, too. I realize that you only put any faith in me because you had no choice, but now it's up to you to decide."

Fluttershy took the sheet of paper and held it close to her chest. She might not be able to trust him completely, but he had been earning it up to this point. He had let her out of her cell and allowed her to walk freely through his home. He had expanded that area and let her go outside. On top of that, he had been effectively taking care of her animal friends every day.

"I can see that you have a lot on your mind right now. I'm going to go lie down for a bit while you think about how you wish to proceed. If you still feel okay to help with my project tonight, feel free to wake me up. The same goes for if you need anything. Okay?"

Fluttershy nodded. As he stood up, she grabbed his hoof. "Thank y-you."

Kai shook his head. "I'm the one who needs to be thanking you. Had you not stopped me last night, I might not be okay to continue on. I owe you much for that."