Trial and Error: Second Edition

Chapter the Nineteenth: Hurt

Kai awoke in a strange bed. He sat up, his head throbbing. He had lost his depth perception, as his left eye was sealed shut. His left foreleg was wrapped in new gauze, as well as most of his chest. His whole body hurt.

He looked around the room. It was expertly decorated, with every aspect chosen specifically for their color temperature and size. While each individual item was interesting in its own right, you had to view it all at once to appreciate the whole effect.

The door opened and Rarity strode in. she had hoof-shaped bruises around her neck, and her left hind leg was wrapped in bandages. She had a bit of a limp, as well. "You're awake! How do you feel?"

Kai rubbed his head. "I've been worse. How about you?"

"I'm just a little worse for wear," she blushed. "Thanks to your intervention. I might have ended up a lot worse if you hadn't come back." She sat down next to him. "Why did you come back, anyway?"

"I saw one of the stallions en route. I thought they might come after you, so I came to warn you. When I arrived, they had already blockaded the door."

"You think they were specifically targeting me?"

"I only thought that because they had targeted you before. I feared for your safety, so I came to make sure you were alright. And I promise you, I'll find some way to replace your window."

"Oh, don't worry about that, Darling. It's already taken care of. Some lovely young stallions are coming by tomorrow morning to repair it."

"I'll reimburse you the cost, then."

"It's insured."

"Surely there's something I can do to make up for it?"

"Kai, you're under no obligation to pay for my window. Even if you were, I'd waive that because you kept those brutes from taking me hostage. You did the right thing. Nopony should be punished for that. There's even an exception written into Equestrian law that keeps ponies safe from that sort of thing."

"Really?"

"Yes. If you see somepony choking, for example, and in performing the Heimlich maneuver, you broke one of their ribs, they can't sue you for damages without proving malicious intent."

"That's interesting." Kai looked through the window and saw the moon shining down through it. He stood up. "I thank you for your hospitality, miss Rarity, but I must be going home now."

Rarity stood up and blocked his path. "You're injured, and those horrible stallions are still out there. I cannot, in good conscience, allow you to leave without a guard escort. I must insist that you stay until morning, at least."

"You've helped me more than enough already. You bandaged my wounds, you didn't have me arrested for breaking your window, and you allowed me to recover in your bed. I can't ask any more of you."

Rarity was starting to feel insulted. "If you're intent on leaving tonight, I'll call a guard to escort you."

As much as Kai felt the need to return to Fluttershy and Usu, he was very much against calling the guards. He closed his good eye. "Very well. If it will make you feel at ease, I will stay here tonight. However, I refuse to deprive you of your bed. I'll be fine on a patch of floor."

"That won't be necessary. I have a couch that you can use. A few, actually. You may take your pick."

Kai didn't sleep for the rest of the night. He was worried about what Fluttershy would think when he didn't show up at the end of the night. He was also worried about Usu, considering that Fluttershy was unwilling to tie him up to escort him to the lavatory. When he left in the morning, he would immediately go back home and set them at ease before returning to Ponyville to take care of Fluttershy's estate.

When the sun rose, he stood and folded the blanket he had borrowed. As he left it on the couch, Rarity brushed past him.

"Good morning, Kai. Would you care for some breakfast?"

"While I would be glad to join you for breakfast, I really need to go back home. It's very important."

"I understand. Normally, I'd give you your cloak, but..." She pulled out a basket from a nearby shelf. "It was destroyed when you arrived yesterday. I'd have repaired it, but I have no idea what material it was."

The cloak was shredded beyond repair. Mixed in with the remaining scraps were Kai's belongings. His knife, the scabbard he kept it in, and the last memento he had from Scruffy, that being a small ring on a chain. It didn't seem to be an expensive ring, and Kai had always assumed that it had been the engagement ring Scruffy had bought for the mare he had tried to marry.

"I would feel much better if you were to take with you the cloak I made. It may not be what you wanted, but I would like for you to have at least some protection."

Kai nodded. "I'm in quite a predicament, here. Mayhaps it would be best to wear it."

Rarity smiled. "I promise, you won't regret this decision."

Kai walked briskly through the Everfree forest. His new cloak was quite warm, though not uncomfortably so. It also kept itself clean despite the fact that his path was covered in mud. But despite his feelings toward the new cloak, his mind was focused on returning home quickly. While he would have preferred to run all the way there, his lack of depth perception had almost caused him to trip multiple times already.

When he arrived, he quickly made his way down the stairs and into the workshop. Before Usu could pick himself up from his breakfast, Kai had thrown a rope around him and opened the door.

"Out."

Usu quickly made his way to the lavatory. "Where were you?"

"I had a bit of a run in with your friends. I'll fill you in later. Where's Fluttershy?"

"How should I know? I've spent the entire night locked in the cage."

When he had finished, Kai escorted him back to the cell. As he was about to head downstairs, Fluttershy appeared at the top step. She took a step back, not recognizing the new cloaked pony standing in front of her. Even as he dropped his hood, Fluttershy couldn't quite tell who he was.

"C-can I help you, s-sir?"

"Fluttershy, it's me. New cloak from Rarity, new mane from the spa, and new wounds from Usu's little gang."

"K-Kai?" She ran up and hugged him tightly. As she squeezed him, he was reminded just how bad his injuries were. When she released him, he took off the cloak and placed it on the table. Fluttershy was appalled at the level of damage he had received.

"Tell me everything that happened."