Karacol’s words sunk in, leaving Neru stunned, his mouth agape in disbelief.

"No! It’s just not possible! I…I swore I wouldn’t let anything happen to him, It’s my responsibility to take care of him!" Neru’s thoughts pounded in his mind, as a wave of grief washed over him. He had… he had… He had been asking the question the whole lesson, and now, he finally realized it. He wanted to be Dende’s guardian. And now… now… the child was… Neru’s world had collapsed. Then a sudden wave of emotion overtook him. But it wasn’t all sadness. Not yet. He had a goal.

Only a few seconds had passed since Dende had smashed into the ground, and now Karacol was cradling the Nameksei-jin child and crying softly. Tears streamed down Neru’s own face. But it wasn’t the end. He wouldn’t let it be. Dende had shown time and time again how determined he was, and for his sake, Neru wasn’t about to let Dende give it up. He shoved Karacol roughly aside; who began babbling some nonsense.

"NO! IT’S ALL MY FAULT! DENDE! WHYYYY…" Karacol continued babbling, but Neru shut him out. He was tempted to shut him up, but slugging Karacol wouldn’t help matters right now. He wiped his eyes with the back of his hand, tossing away the tears. He needed to concentrate, to… Neru was acting on sheer instinct now, from his training as a warrior. And in order to do that, however painful it might be, he HAD to forget his attachment to Dende, so he could allow his instincts and training, not emotion, to shine through. And in a moment, Neru was a grieving guardian and teacher no longer. He was a warrior again. Karacol noticed this sudden change in Neru’s appearance, but continued weeping just the same. To him, it seemed futile. Dende was gone, and it was his fault.

Determination and fierceness setting in on his features, Neru began surveying the child rapidly the way he would a wounded fellow Nameksei-jin in battle. He checked the child quickly. His neck wasn’t broken… He had some head lacerations that looked rather nasty, but that weren’t bleeding much. There was that broken nose, but that didn’t seem too serious… Neru glanced at the child’s chest for a moment, and a second later, he grabbed the top of Dende’s robe and tore it open, which wasn’t very hard because it had half a dozen tears in it anyway. There were some cuts on Dende’s chest, one of them fairly deep, and Neru was pretty sure there were some on the child’s back as well, but there didn’t seem to be any major blood vessels punctured. But there didn’t seem to be much blood hemorrhaging, which was surprising, because a few of the cuts on the child were deep. A sudden panic overtook him again, and he put a hand on Dende’s neck, the best place to locate a pulse, symbolizing that the child’s heart was still beating. He couldn’t feel it, and when he put a hand in front of Dende’s mouth he didn’t feel any rush of air. Despair washed over him once more, but he could still feel a very weak ki, so Dende wasn’t quite gone yet. There had to be a way!

He frowned, remembering something Karacol likely didn’t know, something he had seen the elder of his village do and explain when he was just a tiny Nameksei-jin child. He had been sparring with Tulapas, and because he had just been getting a feel for his power at that time, had accidentally knocked Tulapas out with a badly performed punch-chop combo to the back of the Nameksei-jin’s head. The Nameksei-jin watching them shrieked in despair, because Tulapas seemed dead. He wasn’t breathing and had no pulse. But Neru remembered the elder’s expression very clearly. He was concerned and walked hurriedly, but he was not afraid, walking up to Tulapas and kneeling down over him after concentrating. A moment later Tulapas sat up. Sparring for that day was ended, and the elder later explained to the entourage gathered around what had happened, informing them that they might save someone else’s life someday.

When taking a very hard knock to the head, Nameksei-jin children’s bodies could actually shut down. No Nameksei-jin ever knew why this was so, or even why it didn’t affect adults. There were theories of course. Some Nameksei-jin believed that a child’s cranium hadn’t grown enough to withstand such an impact without harming the brain. In the best case, the result was a loss of most conscious thought… and a loss of involuntary body functions as well. Without those the child would be dead if unable to be revived in time. Indeed, sometimes even the standard revival methods didn’t work, in the case with that child that had fallen off that cliff years ago. That had been different though. The easiest way to tell if the Nameksei-jin was still alive was to sense if they had ki. If they did, they were still alive. When the ki vanished, they were dead. Harsh, but simple. Neru closed his eyes and focused rapidly. Dende’s ki was there, very faint. But it gave him hope.

He didn’t even consider the fact that the child’s brain might have been too badly damaged for any hope, or if Dende might permanently unconscious. He was no healer Nameksei-jin. He quickly glanced at Dende’s wounds again, and couldn’t help wondering how bad the child might be if he hadn’t thought enough to make Dende roll and absorb some of the shock. If he hadn’t done that, then Dende might have been more badly hurt, or died on impact…

"Quit thinking about that. You did the right thing, now concentrate!" Neru mentally chided himself. He quickly shook his head, clearing his thoughts. There was no time to worry about what might have happened, only what was happening. Neru sighed. He was going to hate to do this, given the condition the child’s body was in, but if he didn’t he was positive the child’s condition would be much worse in another minute or two. Karacol continued babbling, but his eyes widened in disbelief as he saw Neru raise one massive hand over the child’s body.

"N…Neru?! What are you…? Don’t!" Karacol stammered, as Neru slapped his hand against the child’s uncut cheek with the loud smack of flesh against flesh. Dende flinched violently for a second, proving that the child still had at least an inkling of his nervous system left, but when Neru checked again, he was in the same condition. His heart wasn’t beating and he still wasn’t breathing.

"Come on Dende, snap out of it! I… I know you can do it!" Neru exclaimed, slapping Dende across the face again. This time the child shook more, and for a brief second Neru could have sworn he saw Dende’s chest rise and fall, but it didn’t rise again. Karacol thought Neru had clearly lost it.

"Neru! Stop!" Karacol cried vainly. Neru spun around, his voice a snarl.

"Shut up!"

"Dende… come back to us!" Neru shrieked, slapping the child across the face even harder this time, as the child jolted up, a scream of pain ripping through the air. But this time the child’s chest continued to rise and fall. His pulse was weak, but steady. There was hope, but Dende’s condition wasn’t assured yet, as now that his heart was finally pumping again, the cuts and lacerations all over him started to bleed again. Neru wasted no time, as his warrior’s training was still having its affect on him, now combined with the urgency of not losing Dende now that he was back. In one fluid motion he threw his long vest off and began tearing strips of it into bandages, tying them around most of the major gashes and cuts on Dende’s face and chest. Karacol saw what he was doing, and joined in bandaging Dende. A few minutes later, the bandages were beginning to be discolored by purple blood, but they would hopefully help the child at least a little longer.

Karacol sighed in relief, and put a hand on Neru’s shoulder. That was when Neru snapped, emotionally and physically.

"Neru! You did it! He’s alive, he’s…" Karacol didn’t finish, choking as Neru’s left hand shot in and grabbed him around the neck. Neru’s voice was savage, serious, yet didn’t go below a whisper, which somehow added to its intensity. He scarcely knew what he was doing, his emotions taking almost complete control. Karacol gasped, struggling for air. He lifted the younger Nameksei-jin over his head, one handed, and stared up into Karacol’s horrified eyes.

"Don’t tell me about how alive he is! Your pranks have nearly cost Dende his life… and still might." Karacol’s eyes widened as Neru squeezed his neck tighter, unable to breathe or speak. His eyes continued to burn into Karacol’s, as he continued. "I don’t ever want to see you again. Now get out of here!" Neru threw Karacol roughly to the ground, who scooted away, falling backwards.

"But Neru, I…" Neru raised a hand, in a move even Karacol recognized. He was preparing to fire a ki blast. Karacol wasn’t quite sure if Neru truly meant his next words, as normally the warrior was among the most even-tempered Nameksei-jin he knew. But there was no mistaking the look in Neru’s eyes, filled with murderous intent, and Karacol almost felt that Neru would have liked nothing more, the way he looked. Neru’s hand began to glow. For a brief moment, what little self-control Neru had left kicked in.

"Karacol, if you don’t leave right away, I swear I’m going to kill you!"

Neru’s intent was clear. Karacol, feared for his life yet desperately wanted to see if Dende would be okay. Nature’s instincts for survival registered on Karacol, and he spun around and flew away as fast as possible, depressed beyond belief.

Neru picked up the unconscious Dende and held him in both arms, ripping through the sky as quickly as he could, his urgency making him go faster then ever. He glanced down at Dende’s awful condition, and a tear rolled down his cheek, effectively making him forget his rage at Karacol, for the moment. Now it was time to get emotional. At this speed, the village would only be a few minutes away. He glanced down again at Dende’s unconscious, battered form. It was said that even when unconscious, sometimes a person could hear what others were saying.

"You’ll make it, kid. You’re too strong not to." Neru said softly. Wind blew his antennae this way and that, and his body complained about the stress it was taking maintaining this speed, but Neru ignored it. Pain could be dealt with. Dende’s death couldn’t.

In Muuri’s village, almost every Nameksei-jin was busy. Some were making sure there would be enough water to drink, while others were clearing out a spot for everyone to stand. The taller ones where busily hanging brightly colored streamers of cloth from house to house, while the children were scurrying around trying to find chairs and stools for everyone. There was a reason it was held every twenty years, and all the Nameksei-jin were determined to make it enjoyable for all. It had it’s serious aspect, as it was also a time to respect the fallen of the Nameksei-jin race, the ones whom their Saichoro had known. Every Nameksei-jin in the village was busy, save for two. Nameksei-jin from the other villages were already starting to arrive and help out.

Muuri smiled, watching tiny Kargo crawl across the room, the Nameksei-jin baby giggling happily at discovering he could move around on his own in the world. He had only recently learned to crawl, and Muuri had had quite a time making sure there wasn’t anything easily within reach that could harm the child. The child was wearing beige pants and a little red vest, but Muuri didn’t think Nameksei-jin children should have to wear a robe when they were that little. He’d just get tangled up in it while crawling anyway. Muuri continued watching Kargo for a moment, and stood up from his chair to get a pitcher of Zernitin water he had been saving, for he was expecting visitors to begin showing up soon.

Though it seemed odd, there was a distinctly different flavor from almost every body of water on Nameksei. It had to do with the type of minerals upon which the water rested on. As far as nutrition, water was water, but Muuri didn’t see anything wrong with having the best now and then. The Nameksei-jin race might be survivors, but nothing said they had to drink the same tasting water all the time. The Zernitin springs were on a distant corner of Nameksei, and as rare things often go, seemed to offer the best taste. Muuri felt that might be influenced simply because it was easily the rarest and hardest to get water on Nameksei, but he couldn’t argue that he liked it. The golden-brown colored thin-necked jug wasn’t on the shelf.

He heard a crash behind him and spun around, realizing he had taken his eyes off the baby for a few seconds. What he saw next caused him to fall over laughing, as the scene in front of him was comical. Two tiny green and pink arms wrapped around a golden-brown thin-necked jug that Kargo, sitting up with a determined stare on his face, was trying to get open. A moment later, whether it was some ancient Nameksei-jin instinct or not, Muuri chuckled even louder as Kargo opened his mouth wide, turned his head sideways and started employing his tiny teeth in an effort to gnaw his way through the jug. A large shadow passed over the baby, blocking the sunlight, and confused, he looked up into Muuri’s dark green smiling face, which chuckled again. He pounded one hand on the jug, which echoed with the slosh of water, and then made a happy child like squeal in Muuri’s direction, grinning happily as Muuri’s laughs continued.

"I take it that’s Nameksei-jin for I’m thirsty, eh?" Muuri said in a jolly tone. He picked the child up with one hand and the jug up in the other. It was times like this that made him reconsider that he wouldn’t be able to take care of two children, for they were both certainly a joy in his life. He wondered briefly how Neru and Dende’s lesson was going, but quickly dismissed the thought. He had to prepare for a meeting with Tuno, the elder of the nearest village.

He poured Kargo a small glass of water, who cupped his hands around it and started drinking, albeit somewhat messily, as water sloshed over his chin and vest. Suddenly a loud chuckle that wasn’t Muuri’s tuned through the room, and Muuri spun around to see Tuno standing in the doorway, clutching the crook of a gnarled, wooden staff in one hand, his obtuse, robed figure blocking most of the light coming into the room. Muuri smiled. If there was one thing known about Elder Tuno, it was that he adored the antics of children probably more then any other Nameksei-jin, Muuri included. Well, in his prime, maybe their Saichoro adored them a little more…

Muuri saw another shadow behind the elder, although judging by the size the only Nameksei-jin that big would have to be Tulapas. Muuri chuckled.

"Welcome, Tuno! I thought you were going to be a little longer, I was just getting some drinks ready… Why is Tulapas behind you, anyway?" Muuri questioned. Tuno leaned in close to Muuri’s ear and grinned, whispering.

"Well… He hasn’t exactly been assisting with putting up the decorations, he’s mostly making a mess of things. So… I figured I’d take him with me and he could "guard" the entrance since this meeting is soooo important." Muuri chuckled and nodded, as knowing Tulapas, that would be a very good idea.

Kargo looked up and burst into a grin upon sighting Tuno. Before the elder Nameksei-jin could react, Kargo jumped off the table, crashing into Tuno, who scrambled wildly to keep from dropping the giggling Nameksei-jin, his staff clattering to the ground. He glanced at Kargo, returning the smile, then looked at Muuri, who retrieved his staff and handed it back to him. Muuri gestured towards the table, and Tuno nodded and followed, sitting down at the first chair, the door behind him. Muuri seated himself at the chair opposite him, and folded his hands, resting them on the table while Tuno shifted Kargo around, the baby assuming a familiar position, sitting in Tuno’s lap and looking very happy. Relaxing, the two elders began to discuss the plans for the upcoming festival. They had no idea that their meeting was soon to be interrupted…

Karacol flew aimlessly, not knowing where he was going and not caring either. The only thing he could do was keep replaying the events that had transpired in his mind. It was horrifying. He saw it all again. The rock, flying through the air… Neru slowing down just as the rock was about to reach its target… His own scream of horror… Dende’s yelp of pain as the rock hit the back of his head… The child’s slow, eerily graceful descent to the ground… And the sickening thud as Dende rolled and bounced before coming to a stop, and the horror he had felt upon seeing Dende’s condition afterwards…

Karacol felt it all again. He would not and could not stop thinking about it, the events continuing to chip away at what little resolve he had left. It was his fault. All of it, and nothing could take that back. He didn’t even know if Dende was alive, now, and if he went back, Neru might keep true to his words… The fact that he had actually helped bandage the child up meant nothing to him, because the bandages wouldn’t have been necessary at all if… He imagined himself with Neru and Dende, all three of them chatting happily, flying back to the village. But now it was even worse then before, and he felt that would never be. Tears rolled down his cheeks, blurring his vision, and his neck throbbed slightly where Neru’s Nameksei-jin clawed fingers had dug in. Distracted, his emotional unrest abandoning most senses, he hardly felt it when he smashed into a tree and crashed to the ground, the tree splintering outwards with a loud crack.

He was lying sprawled out on the ground, an emotional wreck. He didn’t even try to stop thinking about the past events now. All he knew was sorrow, and his own mind wouldn’t let him forget, as he started thinking to himself, unable to stop. His head throbbed where he had crashed into the tree, but he was so far gone by now that he could barely feel the pain.

Karacol wept, while the throbbing in his head got even more painful. After all, how could his thoughts lie? No one else was saying them, he was talking to himself. Alone, with no friends, as it seemed it was doomed to be, now that Neru was going to kill him if he ever saw his face again. The throbbing in his head slowly overcoming him as two suns beat down overhead, Karacol, second-best fighting Nameksei-jin and harbinger of grief to all he met, collapsed into unconsciousness, yielding to the darkness.

The wind fluttered around Karacol’s unconscious form, as his long vest swirled about, while grass and splinters of wood blew in all directions, as if something large was coming. Coming very fast. A moment later, a tremendous crash shook the area, as a badly damaged, saucer-like spaceship that glowed red-hot smashed into the ground, several hundred yards from where Karacol lay. But it didn’t matter. No one was around or awake to hear it anyway.

Neru’s race against time continued, an intense, determined look etched onto his face. Dende was still held as gently as possible in his outstretched arms, in a posture somewhat awkward for flying but as one that would put as little stress as possible on the child, whom, not surprisingly, remained unconscious. A wave of regret washed over Neru as he glanced at the child, who looked helpless with so many cuts, bruises, and bandages across his face! He was angry, not only with Karacol, but also at himself. He glanced at Dende’s much paler green then normal face. The child’s condition was definitely worsening, but whether through blood loss, an internal injury, or for some other reason, Neru couldn’t tell. Loose grass flew in the wind provided by his wake.

"I couldn’t reach Dende in time. Curse my strength! It didn’t do anything to prevent… THIS." The bitter thought filled his mind, mixing itself with a dozen other thoughts, guilt, regret, hatred, and most of all, sorrow. But Neru’s determination was still shining through, and it was for this reason that he pushed himself to his maximum limit, ripping through the air, sheathed in ki energy. It seemed like hours to Neru, but a scant few minutes later, he finally sighted the village over the horizon. His eyes narrowed.

"Just hang on a bit longer, Dende!" Neru thought out loud, trying to will Dende to maintain his strength and cling to life, even as Neru exhausted his reserves of energy, flying faster then he had ever thought capable. Most of the Nameksei-jin were on the other side of the village, and Neru knew that Muuri would be his best bet for getting the child help. He veered off towards that direction, spying Tulapas standing in the door to Muuri’s hut, which was closed to prevent anything from being overheard. Tulapas, ignorant as always, only saw Dende as a bundle of rags since he was mostly covered up, obscured by Neru’s bandages and his own tattered clothes, and the Nameksei-jin warrior’s arm. It was clear he had absolutely no idea about the urgency of Neru’s situation, although any other Nameksei-jin would have been able to tell that something was wrong by the way Neru looked. Tulapas stood in front of Neru and stated matter-of-factly,

"I’m sorry Neru, but I can’t let you pass. There’s a very important meeting going on."

Neru’s face contorted, and still driven by the urgency to save Dende, he didn’t think, he only acted. His only thought on the matter was that Tulapas could forgive him later. Dende needed help now, as if the blood continuing to stain the bandages, or the child’s pale skin and shallow breathing were any example.

For a moment, Tulapas saw a huge green blur flying straight at him. A moment later, he saw nothing as he keeled over, knocked unconscious. Neru placed a sweat-covered palm on the door. Not surprisingly, it was locked, even as Neru muttered a Nameksei-jin curse under his breath.

Muuri sipped his water as Tuno continued to give Muuri advice on how to run the festival. It was his honor this time, and it had been Tuno’s last time, and so in order to spare his brother trouble, he was telling him what he did right and what he did wrong. By now Kargo was asleep again, leaning over Tuno’s shoulder, supported by one hand.

"Muuri, you should also remember to…" Muuri held up a hand, interrupting, as his ears perked up a bit and his brow wrinkled in concentration. Tuno blinked. "What’s wrong?"

"Tuno, did you hear a thump?" A moment later, he saw the door behind Tuno begin to glow with yellow energy…

Muuri was old, but he was fairly quick for his age. He had once been the fastest Nameksei-jin on the planet in his younger days when he had been growing up with the other elders. It had been during that wonderful time so many years ago when the Saichoro had been in fairly good health, walking and teaching them how to live and take care of their future brothers.

That was when everything went insane. He exhibited a hint of his former talent as he lunged at Tuno, knocking him to the ground just as the door above them exploded, showering them with errant shards of building material. Thankfully, Tuno had draped his other arm over Kargo as he had fallen, shielding the baby from sustaining any nicks or bruises, although the explosion did wake the baby up, who began his patented wail.

A moment later Neru rushed in through the smoking doorframe, screaming for assistance. Muuri and Tuno leapt up quickly, the urgency in Neru’s tone spurring them to action.

"What is it? What’s wrong?!" Muuri demanded urgently, beating Tuno to the question. The look in Neru’s eyes was desperate, his expression grim, and it frightened Muuri, because he had no idea what could make Neru, of all people, look that disturbed. In the confusion, they still hadn’t noticed the bundle Neru carried. Neru rushed past them towards the table, the only elevated platform in sight.

"You’ve got to help now! Dende’s hurt, badly! There was an accident…" Neru said, in a resigned tone. He wasn’t going to allow himself to feel even the slightest bit of relief until he was sure Dende was going to be okay. Muuri and Tuno gasped as Neru set the bundle down on the table, revealing the battered Nameksei-jin child, whom now appeared even paler out of the direct light. Kargo continued wailing, not knowing what was going on, as Neru’s abrupt appearance had nearly scared the dozing child to death.

Muuri realized the seriousness of the situation, and decided that an explanation could wait. He ran into the other room, looking for medicines and bandages. Neru glanced up at Tuno, who was horrified at the extent of the child’s injuries. Neru remembered something and looked at Tuno again desperately.

"You’re not a fighting-type Nameksei-jin, right?! Isn’t it in your power to heal Dende?" Neru demanded. Tuno shrunk back, then nodded meekly. He wasn’t very good at dealing with desperate situations, and seeing a child as bright and active as Dende hurt so badly… he quickly handed the screaming Kargo to Neru and placed two large, wrinkled hands on Dende’s chest, quickly tearing off most of the major bandages. Neru didn’t protest, as he figured that the elder knew what he was doing.

"I’ll try, Neru. I’ve lost a lot of my power over the years, and there are a lot of wounds…" Tuno’s voice trailed off, as Neru nodded grimly, hoping for the best. Tuno closed his eyes and inhaled deeply, focusing his own ki as Muuri re-entered the room, arms laden with bandages. Upon seeing what Tuno was doing, Muuri set the bandages on the table but otherwise didn’t interrupt, standing beside the elder. A moment later, a chime-like humming sound filled the occupant’s ears, as the area around Tuno and Dende began to glow with a faint green light. Even Kargo stopped wailing for a moment, mesmerized by the light. Muuri and Neru exchanged glances, as beads of sweat trickled down Tuno’s forehead.

"Come on, please work… Pull out of it Dende!" Neru pleaded, thinking to himself, although he was pretty sure Muuri and Tuno picked that thought up.

The light intensified as Tuno staggered slightly. Muuri reached a hand out to steady the elder, who regained his balance, although he started to look very tired. Neru stared at Dende. Something was happening. One moment, a cut was there, and then the next it was replaced by healthy green skin. A large gash slowly began to pull together, as the purple blood in sight slowly shrunk down, swallowed by the regenerating flesh, moving closer and closer until there was no wound at all, and no scar apparent.

"Yes, yes… just keep it up a little longer elder…" Neru urged, happiness and relief beginning to seep into his being even while caution reminded him that Dende wasn’t fully healed yet. Muuri and Kargo continued watching in silence. One by one, the larger wounds on Dende’s face sealed together, the trickle of blood dripping out of his broken nose disappeared entirely, an his face began to take on a healthier, darker green look. A moment later the green light and the humming stopped, as Tuno opened his drooping eyes, suddenly looking as if he hadn’t gotten any sleep for a long time. Dende hadn’t opened his eyes yet, although Neru noticed that the child was breathing much easier. He glanced at Tuno, concern in his voice for both child and elder.

"Elder! Are you okay? Dende’s going to be okay, right?"

Tuno’s voice sounded weak and distant as Muuri steadied him once more. He smiled weakly.

"H…he will live, although it’s likely he’ll sleep for awhile and then wake up aching all over. I’m not… not nearly as proficient a healer as I used to…" Tuno slowly fell towards the ground, his eyes rolling up into the back of his head. Fortunately, Muuri managed to catch him and keep him from crashing to the ground, and Neru extended his free hand to help Muuri steady the exhausted elder. Upon the site of his favorite Nameksei-jin fainting, Kargo began wailing, his only real method of communicating his fear and dissatisfaction. Muuri glanced up at Neru with questioning eyes.

The relief on Neru’s face was evident, despite the fact that both elder and child were now asleep. He had succeeded and rushed Dende back in time. The child would live. That was enough comfort, for now. Muuri regarded Neru with a serious expression, and Neru began to think Muuri was going to shout and demand to know what had happened to his child, but when the other elder finally spoke, there was a level of compassion in his voice.

"Take Dende and put him in his bed… Tuno can rest in mine, for now. You can tell me what happened once we’re done tending to them." He said, his antennae drooping slightly as he struggled with the burden of Tuno’s weight. Neru nodded quickly, and picked Dende up gently, holding each child in one hand, relying heavily on his shoulders. He trudged off towards Dende and Kargo’s room, although judging by the healthy wails, Kargo wasn’t going to sleep anytime soon. He entered and spied Dende’s bed almost immediately.

He set Kargo down for a moment, who didn’t go anywhere, preferring to continue his shriek at the top of his lungs. Neru found himself smiling in pride, glad that the ordeal was over. Dende had done it. He had lived, and before that, he had learned how to fly. He sighed, remembering the child’s wounds and pained expression. It was over, for now. He tucked the child in, who breathed rhythmically, locked in a healing sleep, the only evidence of his former injuries being slightly greener skin where the wounds had been before. The child’s face still bore a grimace, as if he was in pain or having a nightmare. Neru took notice, and hesitantly brushed a hand against Dende’s cheek before turning away, scooping up Kargo, who had seized wailing and was busily sucking one of his tiny thumbs. Neru started walking back towards the main room. He paused in the doorway, and glanced back at Dende, whose expression was impossible to read in the dim light.

"Don’t worry, I won’t let anything hurt you again, Dende." Neru whispered softly. He turned and trudged out. In the darkness, although it was barely noticeable, the unconscious child’s grimace had turned up into a slight smile, although whether it was from Neru’s touch or not, it was impossible to tell.