Trial and Error: Second Edition

Chapter the Sixth: A New Condition

Fluttershy felt humiliated. She was well acquainted with the concept of pet ownership, and she had no issue with her friends calling their animal companions pets. Despite this, she was not comfortable with collaring an unwilling animal. In her eyes, those willing to wear a collar did so as a badge of pride. It was a mark of their connection to their pony. Without their consent, a collar was a mark of ownership, or rather a mark of one's property. And now this monster had secured one to her neck.

Kai stepped back and admired his work. "How does that feel?"

"It's fine." She didn't want to incur more of his wrath, but she had hoped that he would hear the dejection in her voice. Perhaps that was his plan all along. He would depress her so much as to break her will, and she would do everything he demanded, like a good little slave. "I'm curious, how will this make your project easier?"

"I'll show you." Taking the key, Kai unlocked the cell and opened the door. Fluttershy expected him to come inside and tie his rope to her collar, but he did no such thing. Instead, he raised his hoof, gesturing for her to exit the cell.

Cautiously, she stepped through to the workshop. She kept her head low and her wings tightly folded. If he had used force to place her into the cell before, she guessed that he might do so again. She tried to guess what he might do to her. She was collared, so he might take her out into the streets to show off his new toy. Everypony would know that she was his property, to use as he saw fit. She shuddered at the thought.

"Aren't you going to tie me up, so I don't run?" She didn't want to be tied up again, but she wanted to be as helpful as possible. Perhaps he would improve her treatment if she feigned eagerness to please him.

"There's no need. You won't be able to leave without my consent for as long as you wear that collar."

She rubbed at the uncomfortable strap of cloth that had been woven around her neck. "I wasn't allowed to leave, anyway."

"Yes, but now you can move freely around the lower levels of my home. Come with me."

The two stepped out into the hallway. The midday sun illuminated the stairwell leading out to the forest above. Fluttershy took a tentative step towards it, but pulled herself back. If she ran, he would chase her. If he was right, she would undoubtedly collide with some sort of barrier. For now, it was in her best interest to wait. She would test his words when he left tomorrow morning.

"That stairwell is the only exit to this place. In order to leave, you must go that route. However, I have placed an enchantment on that collar that will not allow the wearer to pass. I'll have to remove that barrier later, but for now it stays."

"If I may ask, how does this make your project easier? You said you would show me, but I don't understand."

"Do you recall this morning, when you said that you were uncomfortable with me watching you while you were in the bathroom?"

She nodded. It had been very embarrassing.

"Well now you can use the bathroom without me even being here."

She nodded again. She now knew what it felt like to be locked away from a bathroom, and it had been terrible. This basic privilege had always seemed unimportant, but now she truly felt appreciative of what she had taken for granted for most of her life. The news brought her more joy than she had realized, but she braced herself. This could be the setup for something more sinister that he had planned.

"Let's head downstairs. There are some things I'd like you to see." He lead her down the stairs. She stayed close behind him, as he has the only light. "This floor is all bedrooms. If you would rather stay in one of these than continue in your cell, you may do so."

Fluttershy couldn't believe her ears. He had spent all of this time treating her so poorly, and now he was offering her an actual bed to sleep on? Just what was he trying to do? She shifted uncomfortably, but said nothing to him.

He lead her further down the stairs. "On the right is the kitchen. If you want to cook something, that's the place."

"Is that going to be on my list of duties? You want me to cook your meals for you?"

"Not especially. Whether or not you cook in there is largely up to you. I've been doing my own cooking since I came here. You tasted some of that this morning."

Her stomach turned at the memory of the foul fruit he had served her. It pained her to admit it, but she might be better off if she did her own cooking. If she cooked for him, too, he might start to trust her more. "So, what sort of ingredients do you have in there?"

"Not much. I keep most of the ingredients in the pantry." He opened the door where he kept the ingredients, prompting her to look inside.

His pantry looked different than hers by a very wide margin. It was sparsely stocked, aside from the plants growing up through the ground. The whole room was illuminated with an eerie blue light, coruscating from a small lantern hanging from the ceiling. The ground had roots stretching across it, bearing mushrooms that she recognized from her breakfast. In the far corner, a tree trunk snaked its way between the bricks, its branches scattering across the ceiling, from which hung apples similar to the one that had been in her bowl this morning.

"Is this all there is?"

"I also have a bag of nuts and a few jars of honey in the kitchen."

"That's it?"

He nodded.

"You need more than this. How do you expect to keep a balanced diet eating the same thing every day?"

"This is all I have. I can't cook with ingredients I don't have access to."

Fluttershy's heart sank. She couldn't continue to eat those disgusting purple apples, and she couldn't live off of nuts and mushrooms. She needed to have something she could eat. It was time to ask her captor for another concession.