As much as Kiara liked being carried in Thomas’s arms, she was equally happy to be able to walk on her own two feet as she left the treatment room after the Chansey released her. It didn’t take her long to find Thomas and the Aron, and she immediately returned to them. She approached just in time to hear her spiel about him being too good of a person, and she had to agree with her. She was genuinely surprised by his kindness towards her, and she knew she didn’t deserve it.<span class="fixed-color" style="color:rgb(251, 160, 38)">“She’s right,”</span>Kiara said softly as she sat down and folded her legs and leaned slightly forward.<span class="fixed-color" style="color:rgb(251, 160, 38)"> “Don’t get me wrong. I can’t thank you enough for your kindness, but I don’t deserve it. I expected to be in the slammer by now, or on the side of the road being scavenged by feral rarrata. Helping me was a risky move, and you may have put not only yourself, but your guardian as well, in serious danger.”</span><br/><br/>She twiddled her thumbs and looked at the floor in front of her for a few seconds gathering her thoughts, then looked back to them and continued, with an amused smirk on her face.<span class="fixed-color" style="color:rgb(251, 160, 38)">“You two are amazing though,”</span>and she meant it.<span class="fixed-color" style="color:rgb(251, 160, 38)">“Every year, I’ve mugged festival trainer and guardian pairs. Besides getting a lot of money from them, it was always fun to drive a wedge between them and send trainer and guardian fleeing in opposite directions. And it gets better, ‘cause I’d see them on the television at the end of the festival, fighting with completely different gijinkas, and I knew it was all fake. Those pretentious, rich bastards are all the same. You two are different from them though. You’re the first to beat me, and instead of being driven apart, it looks like you two have actually strengthened your bond.”</span><br/><br/>She stopped and drew in a deep breath, feeling like feral butterfree were flying in circles in her gut, as she went on to the hardest part of what she wanted to say.<span class="fixed-color" style="color:rgb(251, 160, 38)"> “I… I find it hard to admit it, but I’m… jealous of the bond you two have. It’s something I could only dream of, and if I could be a part of it…”</span>She took another deep breath and added,<span class="fixed-color" style="color:rgb(251, 160, 38)">“I owe you my life, and if the two of you will have me, I’d like to help protect you, espeically if Nightfire shows up for revenge.”</span>