Navi took a deep breath, swelling with pride. Before her was a house, two stories tall and made of stone. It looked rather ordinary, with no real decoration aside from a little bit of paint design on the mailbox that stood between the front door and the first window to the right. There wasn't a front yard; The house simply went right into the street, and there was only a small distance between the house and its neighbors. The back yard, while nearly as barren as the house, did contain a few flowers that Navi had managed to keep alive long enough to sprout. The grass was green, and there was a large pool, which would have fell into disrepair long ago, had Navi not started cleaning it on top of all the other chores she did.

It was a humble home, but it was her home. It was the home she was proud of, and it was the home she would take care of, no matter how much work it would be for her.

Navi stuck a hoof under the dirty, aged welcome mat, and grabbed the key. She stuffed it in the lock, and turned, giving a loud click. She put the key under the may again, and entered, closing the door on the way in. She flipped a switched next to the door, causing a few crystals hanging from the ceiling to light up the living room.

It was almost barren, with the only furniture in the room being a worn leather couch, and the crystal lights. There wasn't any paint on the wooden walls or floor, but that fact really helped the place feel more natural to her.

She passed by the couch, giving the stack of books and backpack next to it a quick glance. She went to the back door and opened it wide. She watched as Kestral quickly grabbed the door and closed it behind him as he entered. He gave a small sigh, and he looked over the living room, probably wondering where all the furniture went. He gave a couple of nods to nothing in particular, then walked over to the wall.

She didn't know why he insisted on coming in the back door, instead of just walking in the front, but she just assumed he knew more about what he was doing than she did. She also didn't get why he was sitting against the wall, instead of up on the couch.

“There's a sofa right there, you know.” She pointed out.

“I know.” He said. He didn't even look at her. He just put his bag down, and started messing with his bandages again.

She watched him for a little bit. He unraveled the gauze, and looked at the once-white bandages, which were now soaked in his blood. His face held a look of worry, but he kept going, getting out fresh bandages to replace the old ones. It seemed like a lot of blood, for such a short time. Navi was used to the sight, since she often visited her mother when she worked in the hospital. But it didn't change the fact that she didn't know what to do. So, she stood there, awkward as she should be.

“Do you...” She trailed off, watching as he wrapped the new gauze around, good as...well, new. “Do you want me to get anything?” She asked, hesitant to know if she would be any use.

“No.” He said, turning himself towards the wall. “You're fine.” He placed his injured leg up against the wall, bandages exposed. “Besides, I got some stuff to eat in my bag.”

She walked a little closer, just a few feet away from him, and looked at his injury. “Why is your leg up on the wall?” She asked.

He rummaged through his bag, then pulled out a few things. “Gravity will keep more blood out of my leg this way. Less blood means less blood loss... Or, at least that's how it was explained to me.” He said.

Rrrrrrrrrip

She looked down to see a brown paper bag next to his head. He reached in and grabbed, pulling out two cookies. He took one his other hand, but then extended an arm over to her. “Want some?” He asked.

She very nearly said 'yes', but the grumbling of her stomach and sudden mouth-watering answered for her. She smiled a little nervously. “Yes, please.” She grabbed the cookie, and took a bite.

Mmmmmhh....chocolate chip. She thought. It had been a while since she had sweets. She was usually only able to get sweets when the lunch-ladies at school made them, since it came with the rest of the meal. Any of the money her mother scraped together went right to good and healthy food. If anything made it past that, it went into their rainy-day fund.

When she ate the whole thing, she realized her hunger wasn't just some random occurrence. She didn't eat dinner! She was out there with Kestral the whole time, and she didn't even realize she didn't eat! She made a move towards the kitchen, then stopped as she remembered who she was with. Well... it would be rude, not to ask...

“Do you want me to cook anything?” She asked, just outside of the walkway that led to the kitchen, next to the stairs.

“Huh?” He asked, confusion in his voice. “You know how to cook?”

“Yeah.” She affirmed. “I do it all the time.”

“.....you're nine....”

“Pffft.” She retorted. “Yeah, and?”

“Uhh...Nevermind.” He said. She watched him dig in his bag, and pull out... potatoes? “Can you cook these?”

“Sure!” She said. She walked over, and grabbed the two spuds, carrying them into the kitchen.

Now where's that baking sheet?

You know, she is a really nice little girl. Kestral thought. Her parents must be proud of her.

He looked up and around. The way he was oriented, the couch was just to his left, with a walkway over in the corner, and another walkway, along with stairs, was to his right. Presumably the kitchen was just there, but he hadn't seen it on his way to the wall. He watched another light flick on, however, along with the clanking of metal, so it confirmed his thought on the matter. He continued to observe the house, however.

Why would she offer to help me, though...? From the look of the house, it hardly looks like she can help herself...

Out of the corner of his eye, he could see her poke her head out the walkway. “How do you want them cooked?” She asked.

He waved his hand. “Doesn't matter.”

“Okay.” She pulled her head back.... and stuck it back out. “Salt and pepper?”

“Sure.” He said, not really caring.

“.....do you want some butter too?” She asked.

“Look. Just cook them however you want to.”

“However I want too? But aren't you eating them?” She asked.

“I'm not eating them both.” He said. “I gave you two so you could have one.” He looked over, spotting the gleeful smile on her lips, and glistening happiness in her eyes.

“Oh, thank you, Kestral!” She said, before bolting back into the kitchen.

You'd think it's her birthday, judging by how happy she was to have a potato.... is their budget really that tight? Well... she doesn't look like she's starving....

He moved his leg a little, seeing if the bandages were holding together, then looked around the room some more, listening to the clanking of metal, and his own breathing. With nothing to do but think, he began to keep heading back to questions that just wouldn't get out of his mind.

Why did she help him? Was it some kind of helpful attitude that she needed to satisfy? Maybe. She did seem rather sincere in her actions. Or was it because she was curious? Or, did she actually understand him, and what he was doing, and wanted to help save those ponies by saving him? Surely not. She's only nine, surely she didn't actually understand everything behind what he was doing....

He reached over to grab another cookie, hoping that eating the sweets would somehow provide his mind with answers.

“Kay. They're in the oven.” Navi walked back into the room with a plate on her head. She sat down near him, placing the plate next to his cookies. “Do you want some nuts?” She asked.

“Nah. I got some in my bag.” Kestral pushed the open paper bag towards her. “Take as many cookies as you want, though.” He said.

“Thank you!” She said. She stuck her head in, and grabbed several cookies, sticking them on her plate among the nuts.

And I thought I liked sweets...

“So, tell me about yourself, Navi.” He said, taking another bite, chewing on his dessert slowly, savoring the taste.

“Me?” She asked.

“Well, yeah.” He said. “I told you my story, or at least the parts of after I got in Equestria. So, why don't you tell me about yourself?”

“Okay.” She started, thinking of things to say. “My name is Navy Jasmine Winter-Hoof.”

“Navy?” He asked. “I thought you said your name was Navi?”

“I said my friends call me Navi.” She corrected. “Navy is my real name.”

He nodded. “Okay. So, why do your friends call you that?” He asked.

“When I got to school, there was another kid named 'Navy Sailor' in there, so kids called me Navi instead.”

“Okay.” He said, waiting for her to continue.

“So, I’m a student in Canterlot Elementary. I have two good friends there. Their names are Tailor and Brisk. Tailor likes clothing, and Brisk likes to run a lot. They're both really cool.” She rolled over on her back, looking up, like it would help her remember everything. “Then there's Swift. She's kinda mean. She calls me names and stuff, but I ignore it a lot of the time. She really doesn't like reindeer like me, and I can't tell why.”

She ate a few more nuts, thinking over her next words. “Then there's my mom.” She said. “She's a really good nurse at the hospital. She knows the whole place inside out, and just about everyone there. She works aaaaaalllllll the time, though, trying to pay our medical bills. So, I don't see her too often unless I see her at work, or if I’m awake when she gets home.”

Medical bills? That might explain the humble décor.

“How about your dad? Is he around here to see you?”

“I...” She started. Her voice cracked a little. “I don't... I don't really like to talk about... my dad.”

Uh oh... I think I hit a nerve....

“It's okay.” Kestral replied. “You don't have to talk about anything you don't want to. Just... tell me something else.”

“R- Right.” She assured herself. “Um.... Well.” She paused. “I volunteer at the local pound, sometimes.” She said.

“That's neat.” He said. “Any animal you like in particular?”

“Oh. I love dogs!” She squeaked. “They're so fun! They love chasing you around, and stuff. Do you like dogs?”

“Yeah.” He said passively. “I've never had one, though. A friend of mine had this big German Shepard, thinking he could train it into a tough guard dog. But no, it turned out that the dog was scared of nearly anything that wasn't food.”

“Wow. Must have been pretty hard for the dog.”

“Oh, yeah.” He waved his hand. “But once he got to know people, he was as loyal as could be. He'd even follow his owner around without a leash. He'd just stand there at his side.”

“That's nice.” She commented. “I don't really care what kind of dog I get. I just want a dog that's really playful.”

“Heh. I'll make sure to keep that in mind when I’m looking for a dog.”

They shared a chuckle, which helped lighten the mood considerably. After a moment, it was unsure silence from the both of them.

“Well...” Navi started.

“Yeah?” Kestral asked.

“...that's pretty much my life. School, friends, hospital, mom, pound, and sometimes the church.” She listed off.

“You volunteer at the church too?” He asked. Damn, she's a good kid.

“What?” She rolled her eyes. “Nooooo. I go there to worship.” She said. “And to pray, sometimes.”

“Well, tell me about your church.” He said.

“Really? It's kinda boring. You sure?”

“Yeah.” He said. At least it's something to fill the silence.

“Okay. Well, it's a really big building. But most of it it just one room. It has a long carpet that goes from the doors to the alter, but the rest of it is wood floor. There are a bunch of long benches that go on the sides of the carpet. Most people just go in and pray at the benches, unless they leave a gift on the alter for one of the gods' statues.”

“Gods?” He asked, curiosity piqued. “As in, you guys are polytheist?”

“Yep!” She said. “The church here has a really big alter, and each statue has its own little section. There's at least one god for every species of people in the world, but a lot of them have two or more. Everyone agrees that you have to choose one of the gods to worship, because the gods don't give blessings except to wholehearted followers.”

He just looked up to nothing in particular the whole time, listening to Navi go on about her religion. “And everyone believes in this?” He asked.

“I haven't met anyone that doesn't.” She replied. Her ear twitched, and she got up. “Hold on, I think the potatoes are done.” Kestral watched her walk back into the kitchen, with a spring in her step.

Kestral blinked a few times, and realized his eyes were feeling heavy. Why was he already starting to get tired? Surely it wasn't nearing dawn already; He wasn't even there a full hour! And he felt a little dizzy... but just a little. He blamed the bleeding, but there was nothing more he could do. His skill in treating the wound was only so good, and he was no professional.

Ugh. When is that nurse going to get here? He asked himself.

CLICK

Oh. That's convenient.

He turned his head, looking at the front door. From where he was next to the couch, he got a good view of the entrance, which was slowly opening to reveal a reindeer. The one that he was sure was Navi's mother walked through the door, and closed it, but stopped as soon as she spotted Kestral.

In the smoothest transition from 'a little bit curious but less than caring' to 'respectful' as he could manage, Kestral gave a slight nod of his head and a smile. “Good evening, ma'am.”

The doe, with a full, tan coat, barring the white underside he spotted from his grounded angle, simply stood a little more slack-jawed. She tilted her head, as if trying to comprehend the sight before her. She had bags on each side of her, each white, with a red cross on the side. Her big green eyes just stared at him.

Meanwhile, the clop clop clop of a certain reindeer's hooves could be heard. He turned his head to see Navi walk through the walkway again, with a plate on her back. “Okay Kestral.” She said. “The potatoes....are....” She stopped, staring at the elder figure in the room. “...done.”

Kestral turned his head to see the mother again.

“Navy...” She said.

“Mom.” Navi replied.

“...do you mind explaining to me why there is a human in our house?” She walked up to where Navi was, looking up and down Kestral. “And why he's bleeding on my wall?”

“Profusely, I might add.” Kestral chipped in.

“Well...” Navi started. “...he got hurt, and I told him you could help....”

“Navy...” She said again.

“A-and that you're really good at helping hurt people-”

“Sweetie, you know that I’m very busy.” She said, not showing any anger. “If he needed help, you should have brought him to the hospital.”

“But, the guards would have arrested him! There would be people running all over the place, screaming and stuff!”

Navi's mother looked at Kestral with a neutral face. An unnervingly neutral face, completely void of emotion. “Yes sweetie...” She looked back at Navi. “...that's what they do with wanted criminals.”

“But, he's totally justified!” She turned to him. “Kestral! Tell her!”

“Uuh. Right.” He motioned to his leg. “It's a great story and all, but if you want me to stop bleeding, you can, ya'know, help.” He said.

“I'm not going to harbor criminals.” She stated plainly. “I'll help you, but I’ll turn you in, too.”

“M- Mom! I'm serious! He's a good guy!” Navi began to get tears in her eyes.

“I'd love to tell the whole story now, but I'd bleed out in that time. What if I gave you some money?” He asked.

“I'm not about to acc-”

“One thousand bits.”

The room stayed silent for a moment, letting the words set in. Navi's mother just studied him, taking in her consideration. Navi just stared at them both, not knowing what to say at that.

Kestral reached a hand into his bag, and made one of the golden bars appear, then pulled it out and placed it towards them.

“One thousand bits... and I’ll tell you the whole story tomorrow.” He said, letting the offer sink in.

The older doe stood there, her eyes bouncing between Kestral and the money. She was like that for a good moment, before looking at Navi, and she gave a small sigh. She walked towards Kestral, and moved the bar of gold to the side. She sat her bags down, and began going through them. “You'll tell me tomorrow morning. And it better be convincing.” She pulled out a bottle of...something. “Now, is there anything in your leg I need to pull out?”

“No, it's just bleeding.” He put his leg down, and turned so he could put the injury be between the both of them.

“Did you already apply a disinfectant?” She asked.

“Yes.” He said, moving his hands to remove the bandages.

“Okay, just remove the bandages, and I’ll do the rest.”

He did, and moved the absorbent material down to soak up the blood that began flowing down his leg. He watched her as she took the brush, and pressed it against the skin. She slowly went down the wound, making sure to keep too much of the sticky liquid from clumping in one place. When she went all over the wound, she put the brush back in the bottle, with not a single drop of blood on it.

He ran a finger over the wound, feeling the resistance of the once-wet blood. He stretched his leg some, to get a good look at it, and indeed, the vital liquid had dried. Instant scabbing...

“Wow.” He said, intrigued. “With stuff like that, why even bother with bandages?”

“Only professionals are allowed to carry these.” She said. “Applying too much will cause the blood inside your body to clot.”

...you could have just said 'there are bad side effects' or something...

He looked around, realizing that Navi was nowhere in sight. “Hey. Where did Navi go?” He asked.

“Where my daughter is is none of your concern.” She said. “Although, I’d imagine she's in her room.” She took a step back, and pointed at the couch. “You can sleep on the couch for the night.” She pointed her hoof into his chest, making sure to get real close. “In the morning, you are going to tell me everything. You better have a convincing story.”

“Okay. Well....deus ex medicine aside, thank you.” He said.

She loaded her backpack up again, with the gold bar setting on top, before closing it. “You stay in here.” She said. “Don't go anywhere in the house except this room. If Navy wants to be in her room, you leave her there. I'll be right back, and if you go anywhere, I’m telling the guards.”

Kestral nodded. “Yes, ma'am.”

He watched as she walked towards the door, and exited the building. With Ms. Winter-Hoof gone, he looked down around his feet. He saw his bag, and reached to it, closing it, since he didn't see any use of its contents being exposed. He put it up against the side of the couch.

He looked at the the plate that was on the ground, with a fork, a knife, and a single potato on it, all buttered up and cover with black speckles of pepper. A look around proved that there was no other plate... just the one Navi gave him. A closer inspection let him see a small pattern of melted butter on the plate, which looked like one of the potatoes was scraped off of it.

He looked to the side of the still steaming meal, and saw the ripped paper bag, which still had a plentiful number of cookies left.

He gave an unfamiliar, and tired, sigh. Kestral grabbed the bag, and stood up slowly, making sure he didn't get light-headed from the blood-loss and position change. He stepped over the items on the ground, and looked around. There were only two doors he could see. One of them looked like a bathroom, and the other one was closed. For some reason, he doubted that Navi went into either of them, so he looked towards the kitchen entrance.

He walked, as quietly as he could towards the walkway, and poked his head out. There was no light to greet him, no smiling child, no curious, almost bubbly attitude. Just a dark kitchen.

He moved on to the stairs, looking for anything that would show him where Navi went. As he ascended, the darkness permeated around him. At the top, he saw a dull light at the end of the hallway. He stepped carefully, making sure each step was as silent as the last.

He looked to each side as he walked, observing the open doors that were present. Each glance earned him a sight full of dust, and emptiness. Each room made his breath a little shorter, like the lack of life in it was nibbling at his own. He could barely see into it, from the light downstairs reaching up, but the little he did see was all he needed to. He knew that each of those rooms were meant to tell a story, and were never told.

He closed in on the final door, with a dim light coming from the gap at the bottom. Right as he reached for the nob, he heard something through the door. He heard something that he wanted to shut away, something that he didn't want to acknowledge existed.

He slowly turned the handle on the door, and pressed it forward a crack.

A plain-looking bed, with only a nightstand next to it. An oil lamp stood on nightstand, giving a soft, orange light that illuminated the room. On the bed was bunched up covers, holding the vague form of a small doe. But then he heard that sound again. And he knew what it was...

… it was the sound of a sniffle ….

Kestral opened the door further, letting a soft creak sound off. Navi, still under the covers, shifted her head up at the sound.

“Hello?” She asked.

He walked in, letting his footsteps carry more weight. “Hey there, Navi.”

Instantly, she pulled the covers from her head, revealing the wet eyes that glistened in the lamp-light. “K-Kestral?” She asked.

“The one and only.” He said, in a voice that was uncharacteristically calming, and soft. He sat down on the end of the bed, hiding the paper bag in his hand. “Is there something wrong?” He asked.

“I'm...” She put her head down, not wanting to look him in the eye. “I'm sorry.”

He put his hand where he guessed her shoulder was. “What's there to be sorry about?” He asked.

“Mom.” She said, throwing her hooves over her head, like it would shield her from some divine wrath. “She's usually so nice! I don't know why she wouldn't help you!” She planted her face in her pillow.

“Hey, now. That's no reason to get upset.” He softly patted her head. “She probably just had a long day.” He assured.

She took her head out of the pillow and looked at him. “But she has long days all the time.” She said. “She's use to it.”

Kestal leaned in a little closer. “Wouldn't that just mean she would be more frustrated by now?” She didn't answer, but laid her head down again. “Besides.” He continued. “She probably did it because she's looking after you.”

“What?” She sniffed. “But it still wasn't nice of her.”

“Even if it wasn't.” He said. “I was the one who offered. She just took up the deal. And, Navi?” She rose her head, to look him in the eyes, through her own tears. “Money is easy-come, easy-go for me. But every day she spends on the job, is a day she isn't enjoying with you. She's never going to get that day back, no matter how hard she tries. So, sure, she made some money off helping me.” He shrugged. “But it was to help you.”

“I...” She put her head down on her pillow. “....thanks.”

He nodded, a slight smile on his face. “No problem.” He said. “Are you okay now?”

“Y-yeah. I'm okay.”

“Good.” Suddenly, he revealed the ripped paper bag, and moved it over, to place it on the nightstand, next to the dinner-plate. “You seem to like these, so, you can have 'em.” He said. He stood up, and tussled her fur a little. “Goodnight, Navi.”

“Goodnight, Kestral.” She said, pulling her covers over her body.

He went over to the door, and prepared to close it on his way out. “Navi?” He said.

“Yeah?” She replied.

“Do you mind if we keep this conversation a secret?” He asked, not wanting her mother to find out.

“Yeah.”

“And, Navi?” He asked.

She looked at him, curious.

“If you want to know... my friends call me Kes.”

She just gave a smile, and closed her eyes.

“Goodnight, Kes.” She said.

“Goodnight, Navi.”

He closed the door, and stood there, taking in all of what he had done. He took a deep breath, realizing what some of that conversation meant to him.

Kestral, who has been framed for the homicide of his own father...

Kestral, who has assassinated dozens of changelings...

Kestral, who has stolen massive amounts of valuable items for himself, committed arson, petty theft, grand theft, assault, battery, burglary, trespassing, purse snatching, credit card fraud, vandalism, and aided criminals...

...couldn't stand to see a child cry...

He walked down the dark hallway. The darkness didn't bother him. It was even a little comforting, familiar. As he walked through it, he spied the light that was glaring up through the stairway. He descended from the darkness, gradually walking into the light of the living room. When he stepped at the bottom, he realized that he felt a little different. His steps were lighter, but not because he was sneaking, but because he felt uplifted. Like he had done something right.

He walked to the couch, and sat down. He looked to the plate, and leaned down to grab it. He pulled it on, and put it on his lap, and he couldn't help but feel some gratitude.

“Thanks, Navi...”

Author's Notes:

Well, this was partially a test to see if i could write more emotional stuff.

Have a good read.