The guardian let out a breath he didn't know he was holding, allowing himself some relief. Maybe… he shook his head. He'd already had that thought previously, having it again might throw the delicate balance off.

The game went on for another hour or so, then Eliksni parents started calling their young back to the small warrens and tents making up their living spaces, and Kipo and Saliska, after saying goodbye, returned to the cells along the wall. Kipo had noticed Captain Cariks some time ago, but wisely hadn't reacted, but now she watched the large Eliksni warily as they approached.

He rose, hoisting his huge gun with him. Cariks strode straight towards the pair, and Kipo and Saliska stopped walking, Kipo's eyes widening at his imposing demeanor. Cariks towered over them, expression unknowable. What was the Captain doing?

Saliska spoke first, nervous, but Cariks silenced her with a motion. He reached down with a lower hand and grabbed Kipo's chin, turning her head in his massive claws.

"Hey, what–" Kipo began, eyes huge with fear, but he growled, and she stopped speaking.

The guardian's eyes narrowed and any pretense at calm he'd shown vanished. He clutched at the bars with his bound hands, and the guardian, through his sudden fear, realized that Kipo had clenched her hands into fists, ready to fight if she needed to.

But after a moment of inspection, the guardian realized what was going on. The Captain was looking at her ear, checking the damage he'd done.

Cariks looked to Saliska, and said something.

She replied, seeming relieved.

Cariks let go of Kipo, then gestured at the rest of her body, seeming confused.

"Oh!" Kipo seemed to have realized what he was doing, too, because she relaxed and replied. "The first wound already healed." She rubbed her upper shoulder, and smiled nervously. "See! All better."

Cariks nodded slowly. He turned, then paused. He spoke a short Eliksni phrase, and then he was gone, stalking back up the stairs with several of his soldiers in tow.

"What…" Kipo started, then looked to Saliska. "What did he say?"

Saliksa wasn't looking at Kipo, instead staring wide-eyed at where she'd last seen her Captain. "He said… he regrets harming you."

Kipo's mouth dropped open. "He said SORRY!?"

Saliska gestured with her lower arms in confusion. "The translation is not so simple, it's a formal speaking, but similar, yes."

"Woah…"

"Eia, woah," Saliska replied, nodding, continuing their walk back to the wall of cells. Kipo followed, and soon they were lingering outside the open cell door.

"Thanks for letting me out," Kipo said, also directing her smile at the guards. "It was fun."

"Eia, it was," Saliska replied. She looked down and shuffled back and forth. "You… you are a better human than I thought, Kipo Oak."

"I'm not that special, just nice," Kipo said, smiling, leaning slightly and trying to meet her eyes. "I promise there are more humans like me, and I'm sure there's more Eliksni like you. Maybe one day our races will be friends, if there's more people like me and you, yes?"

Saliska met her eyes. "Eia. I think you're right. Maybe."

Kipo ducked back into the cell, closing the door behind her. "I'm excited to play more jarreska."

"Or maybe I'll show you a different game."

"HAH you're afraid to get beat again, is that it?"

"Nama!" But Saliska was laughing, even as she stepped away. "I'll beat you next time, you'll see. I have to report for the day, Kipo."

"See you later, Saliska!" Kipo sat next to the guardian and nudged him. "Be polite."

He hesitated, but his words were sincere. "Good luck, Saliska. Thank you for helping Kipo earlier."

The slender Eliksni seemed to have forgotten the guardian was there. "Oh. It was my duty." She paused. "Thank you, guardian. Do… you have a name?"

"No."

"Ah." She looked again at Kipo, closed two eyes, then scampered back to the collection of dwellings further in the basement.

Kipo flopped back, stretching contentedly on the dusty concrete, a wide smile on her face. "What an amazing day!" She tilted her head back to meet the guardian's eyes. "I'm sorry you were cooped up in here."

"I… I'm glad you got to get out."

She sensed his unease and sat up. "What's wrong?"

"General worry, widespread anxiety, nothing new," he waved off her concern. "Nothing that can be helped. So, did you actually beat Saliska at jarreska?"

He knew Kipo was still worried, but she decided to answer his question anyway. "Well, we started out on opposite teams, and my team was winning pretty solidly. I am faster than her," she added with a hint of smugness, "But, she was much better at passing than me, so we decided to be on the same team." Her smile lit up her face. "We destroyed the other team for a while. Then they re-adjusted the teams, but hey, it was fun while it lasted."

"Sounds like it. I've never played sports."

"I know how to fix that! After all this is over, we could…" she trailed off, catching his level gaze. Kipo averted her gaze. "Yeah, that makes sense. They usually involve other people." She looked back at him, leaning forward. "Do you want to make more friends? I know it's hard, with your–" she waved a hand at him generally. "Face and things, but…"

"I have everything I need," the guardian said simply. "I have two good friends, I'm alive." He met her eyes. "What more is there?"

Kipo blinked at him, for once at a loss of words.

He'd surprised himself with those words, honestly, but it was how he truly felt.

"That… was nice, but didn't really answer my question?"

The guardian shrugged. "I don't really have an answer."

"Ok, that's fair, but…" She sat back. "How about this; when we get out of this, I'll go with you, and we can try together to make some new friends, ok? At least to try it out. We could even keep your helmet on, if you wanted."

A small, sad smile grew on the guardian's face. "You're forgetting something, Kipo."

She tilted her head. "What's that?"

"If this works out, you're headed back home."

She looked down, realizing. "Well… I guess you're right." Kipo stared at the ground, then wordlessly scooted closer to him.

To his surprise, she leaned her head against his shoulder, eyes downcast. Kipo spoke again after a moment of remaining like that, her weight solid against him. "I'm not looking forward to that." She rolled her eyes and growled in exasperation, sitting up again. "But I do! I'm so excited to see my friends and family again, but…" She looked back at the guardian, eyes wide and conflicted, emotions fighting visibly in her. "Even though this world is scary, it's so amazing, I've seen so many new things and met such interesting people. There's space travel, magic, so many different kinds of people–" Kipo looked out, past the bars of their cell to the Eliksni settlement. "There's so much helping that needs to be done." Kipo gestured helplessly and turned back to him, a strange desperation in her eyes. "And then there's you, I just met you, but you're already one of my closest friends, and I don't want to leave– I mean, I know I have to, but… but…"

The guardian reached out with his bound hands and gathered the strange pink girl from another world into his arms as best he could. She stopped talking, and let herself be held, her breathing steadying in his tight embrace. He took care with his next words, or else he'd choke on them, and betray the wetness in his eyes and the lump in his throat. "I'm going to miss you, too."

She sniffed, and he didn't have to look to know there were tears on her face.

After a small while, she leaned away, and he let her go. She smiled, wiping at her purple eyes with a sleeve. "And who knows? Maybe we can leave the portal open! Maybe you can visit us sometimes if you wanted to."

He shook his head, surreptitiously wiping his own eyes, but couldn't stop his own smile from spreading. "I'm sure that's not how they work."

"Are you a Vex expert?" She nailed him with a mock serious expression. "I didn't think so!" She stood up, suddenly. "But, you might be right, and if that is that case!" She stuck out a hand. Determination shone in her eyes, lighting up the tears that weren't done falling. "It's not ideal, but it's all I've got. After I'm gone, do you, guardian, promise to go and try to make new friends?"

He looked up at her, and an emotion moved in him that he didn't recognize. There was the heartache that came from loss, already making itself known, covered for now by the love he was feeling for her, but there was something else. Awe. Awe at her kindness, at her brightness, at the determined joy that suffused every inch of her.

Awe, at the hope that she was giving him.

"Yeah." He nodded, a grin spreading on his face. "Yes, Kipo Oak. I'll do that." He reached out and took her hand, and they shook. And he would. The guardian knew that he'd never break that promise.

Her smile was triumphant, and she laughed shortly before sitting back down next to him.

"You know…"

"Yeah?" She looked to him, curious.

"It would be easier to make friends if I had a name to introduce myself with."

She nodded. "You're absolutely right!"

"Sooo…"

Kipo smiled. "I have a few ideas. But nothing solid yet. Another day, I think."

He nodded, stroking his bare chin in a pantomime of contemplation. "All right. I guess I can wait that long."

She bumped against his shoulder lightly, grin showing slightly pointed teeth. "Ah yes, the guardian, possessor of the virtue of patience, master of the ramen, fashion designer, and teacher of firearms!"

"And friend to pink things, can't forget that."

"Hey! That's not entirely fair, you did even out my color palette considerably."

"And what a relief that was, my eyes were getting tired from the sheer amount of pink."

She choked back a laugh, then with notable effort, tightened her face into an unamused expression. "That wasn't that funny. I'm not that pink."

He poked her in the side and her contained laughter burst out in a tide of happiness.

She laughed, and he joined her, and it was the loudest and most sincere laughter he'd ever felt.