Failure, Eternally Retold, Part One: The Human Element

by Kiernan

Chapter the Twenty-Fifth: Respite by the River

Fluttershy walked through the market, trying to keep herself looking calm, as if she were supposed to be there. She was aware of the odour she was giving off, having not showered for quite some time, and her unbrushed mane stood out quite a bit against the well-groomed crowd.

Smoothing out her mane as best she could, she approached the first vendor. She was selling hair products, including brushes and combs. Fluttershy bought three brushes and one comb for her party. She didn't know if they'd want more than that, but she hoped it would be enough. Her biggest concern was for Kai, as he had the shortest mane, and she had only bought a comb for him.

Her next purchase was some soaps. While Kai had said that they were unlikely to go into town, they would eventually need to bathe. Even if that meant standing out in the rain surrounded by curtains, she wanted to be ready for it. After catching a whiff of her, the soap vendor gave her an extra bar at no additional cost, and recommended her to a clothier, directing her attention to his fine assortment of terrycloth.

Fluttershy did indeed seek out the clothier. After purchasing a few towels for use with the soaps, She decided that her original plan to make new clothing for Nikolas was still an option, though she was unable to find denim for his pants. As that was not an option, she hoped that some quilted linen would do the trick. She also managed to find an old washboard and bucket, which she was offered for a song. All the fabric, along with the sewing kit and extra thread, exceeded the coin she had with her. Thankfully, she had Kai's purse as well. He'd been right to offer it to her.

Opening it up, she found much more coinage than she'd expected. Several of them were even from outside of Equestria. There was money from Course, a few crystal coins, a south draconian silver tab, five Zebrican auru, and even a few coins she recognized from the age before Equestria was founded. She fished out what bits she could find, almost not having enough to cover everything. Still, she had made her purchases, and she couldn't add any more with their current currency.

She was very ready to leave town at this point, as she was already hearing gossip about her ragged appearance. She wished that she hadn't come alone, but she knew that would have been just as bad an idea. If ever she did this again, she would ask to borrow Kai's cloak, and keep the hood up the entire time.

---

Kai had just finished sharpening his blade, taking it over to the river to wash it off. When he was satisfied with how clean it was, he tucked it back into its scabbard.

"How do you do your fishing?" Nik asked. "I've never seen you use a rod, nor have I seen any netting in your kit."

"A spear is useful for more than just defense," replied Kai. "While mine isn't the best at fishing, it can still perform that function decently."

Nik raised an eyebrow. "What makes it bad for fishing?"

Levitating his glaive over to them, Kai removed the scabbard and showed Nik the blade. "As you can see, there's only one point, and it's rather offset from the center. This makes it less useful for stabbing, though a strong thrust can still push through. The glaive isn't a formation weapon, but rather a dueling weapon. Having a friend close to me while I fight with it is a bad idea. Wide swings and chops are its strong suits. Best used against unarmored or lightly armored, but still usable against heavily armored."

"What about fish?"

Kai chuckled. "If I were using this in combat against a fish, I could cut right through it."

"Is that how you catch them?"

Kai shook his head. "Careful, deliberate thrusts. I can only catch big fish with it."

Nik smiled. "Can you show me?"

Kai nodded and strode into the river. "This is technique only. We'll probably stay near the river tonight, so I might show you again when we're setting up, if you're still interested."

Kai proceeded to give a step-by-step explanation of how to do basic spear fishing. He included a demonstration, though he intentionally failed to catch any fish. Once he was done, he waded back to the shore.

"Of course, as I've said, this isn't the ideal spear for fishing. I haven't really had the time to sit down and make one, either."

"I'd wager you don't have enough scrap metal, either," shrugged Nik. "How would you make the head of the spear?"

Kai shook his head. "With a tree branch, some plant fibres, and a sharp knife, I could make a decent fishing spear. If we'd had the time, I would have grabbed a harpoon. The backward prongs are great for fishing. They grip the fish, so you can pull it out of the water easier."

As he put away his spear, he shook himself dry. As he did, he saw Fluttershy flying over the canopy of the wooded area. He whistled up to her, making sure she knew where to land.

As Fluttershy landed, she found herself surrounded by her friends. "Did you find everything you were looking for?"

Fluttershy nodded, and returned Kai's purse. "I didn't have as much on me as I thought. Thanks for your help, Kai."

Kai took back his purse and stored it safely away in his cloak. "I'll pay you back for your expenses, I promise."

Fluttershy shook her head. "I'm the one who borrowed your money. I should be paying you back."

Kai sighed. He knew that if he replied the words he felt, they'd be there for hours promising back and forth to cover each other's expenses. He didn't want her to feel that she owed him anything, but they didn't have all the time in the world.

"I bought us all brushes," said Fluttershy, pulling them out of her saddlebags. "Our manes are all becoming knotted, tangled messes."

"No arguments there," chuckled Twilight, looking up at her own. "I'm also seeing soap. How do you expect us to bathe out here?"

"When it rains, we can shower outside."

Kai shook his head. "We'd be standing in mud. Sorry, Fluttershy, but that's not going to work."

Fluttershy looked dejected. She lowered her head.

"Your heart was in the right place," said Nik, kneeling down and gently stroking her shoulders. "We all need a good shower. We'll find some way to clean up, I'm sure."

"We'll workshop it," added Kai, lifting her chin. "We'll think of something. For now, though, We've lingered for long enough. It's time to go again."