Woohoo! Keysha HAS emerged from her bed, and written the next chapter. I kinda hoe the length makes up for my lack of updates. I'm still trying to get my Daxter shrine sorted (very busy with about 6 other web pages I have to make as well, not to mention current ones I have to update!).

Thankies to all the reviewers again by the way! I can see some old faces (or should that be usernames?) returning for a read. Great! You guys rock *hugs*

Once again: The fic dedication is for Phoe-chan and Gemma. I will be reminding you all of this now and again.just to let you know how great they are. And go read their fics too people! MAJOR recommendation!

Okay, time for me to shut my mouth and let chu all read! Here it is, chapter two!

~ Keysha

***

The Kryzdal Guardian

Chapter two: The Encounter

*** FLASHBACK ***

"Xema, are you sure you're okay?"

The little girl nodded, tears trickling down her face. Draco simply sighed. It was tough for a seven year old, but Xema had to learn to deal with the situations life put in front of her.

In this case, it was the disappearance of her pet. Kryzdal, the fluffy white Kitry. Xema felt like it was only yesterday she was holding her dear little friend close to her. Kryzdal had been a gift to her for her fifth birthday, and they had been close friends for the past few years.

A Kitry, as Kryzdal is, looks like a fluffy little white kitten. Their backs are adorned with a pair of crystal-like wings, while two jewels lay embedded in their foreheads. They are extremely rare, and Xema had considered herself the luckiest girl in the world to have one as her close friend.

Her best friend.

Xema felt her father place a comforting hand on her shoulder.

"These things happen." Draco insisted. "There's nothing we can do but accept them."

There was a pause.

"If you want to, I could always get you a new pet."

"No. I don't want another pet." Xema whispered. "If Kryzdal had to go, then she went. But I'm not going to replace her."

Draco nodded in understanding.

"I just wish I knew why she left."

*** END FLASHBACK ***

"You know. this feels REALLY weird!"

Daxter stared at Xema in utter disbelief.

"W-H-A-T!" He whined, looking up at the girl before him. Draco had been unconvinced that their meeting with Bryon would go well if Xema showed up in the body of an ottsel (the arrangement was already set to be uncomfortable as it was), so he suggested Xema return to her winged, elf- like form. Just for the few days she was at home in the city.

"You actually HAVE the chance to be YOU again!" Daxter growled. "Geeze, would you like to trade with ME? Oh! That's right, we CAN'T trade! Because I CAN'T change BACK!"

The ottsel spun on his heels and turned his back on Xema, folding his arms and pouting. Xema smiled, and bent down so that she could look him in the eye.

"Jealous?"

Daxter turned around. "You don't know the HALF of it!"

Xema picked him up and hugged him tight. "I'm sorry Dax. I know how much this is hurting you, but I PROMISE to change back as soon as I can." She sighed, and chucked him under the chin, knowing that he liked that. Daxter smiled, and gazed up at her lovingly.

"It's just weird, you know, I've spent a month as a small furry creature, and now it feels like I've had this sudden HUGE growth spurt!" She blushed slightly. "And without the fur I feel really, well, naked."

Daxter sniggered, and Xema shot him a look. "You'd better not be thinking what I THINK you're thinking!"

"Baby, my mind's not THAT dirty!" He chuckled again. "But how can you feel naked if you're wearing clothes?"

Xema shrugged. "I feel kind of cold in a way. I guess it's because I don't have any fur on my arms and legs anymore."

Daxter sighed. "You were only an ottsel for a month, I've been one for A LOT longer. What if I can't handle, you know, turning back? Will I even be able to STAND being myself again?" Daxter felt his blood run cold, and Xema felt the little ottsel shiver in her arms.

"Dax?" He looked up, and she smiled warmly at him. His shivering halted. "Don't worry, I'll always be there for you. You know I'll love you no matter WHAT you are."

He grinned. "You better believe it baby!"

***

Jak marched his way into the main chamber, close behind Draco. Daxter rested on his shoulder, trying to get a glimpse of the boy at the end of the room. He looked to be about Jak's age, rather than his and Xema's, and Daxter could tell that he wasn't the only one who disliked this guy. Jak also seemed uneasy around the big brute. Perhaps it was because the guy was twice Jak's size, and seemed a little intimidating on the youth.

Daxter pulled a face as he got a good look at Bryon fully. Xema would have to be DESPIRATE to want a guy like HIM. But then again, she had got Daxter instead. The ottsel was relieved that the princess had ended up with someone she deserved, rather than someone who looked like he needed to drop the chiseled-jaw appearance and learn to get a LIFE.

"Bryon, thank you so much for coming!" Draco approached the boy, who turned and gave a cocky smile to the group.

"So am I. I've been looking forward to seeing Xema for quite some time. Is she still the feisty little thing she was last time we met?"

Jak could sense the ottsel on his shoulder tense with a mixture of anger and distrust. Jak looked at Daxter and gave him a warning look. He didn't want to have to deal with an outraged ottsel, and neither would Xema when she had to meet Bryon.

"Well." Bryon cried, slapping his hands together. "Let's get this show on the road shall we? May I now ask, WHY I'm here? Don't tell me Xema has FINALLY come to her senses and realizes I'm the only man for her!"

Daxter growled. "Who said she wanted a MAN?" The furball grumbled.

"Well, I can see that SOME of us haven't changed since our last meeting." Xema scoffed, entering the room and shooting Bryon a look of poison. She walked over to Jak and stood beside him, and it was only now that Bryon noticed the boy.

"And WHO are YOU?" Bryon questioned, eyeing the wingless boy with keen interest. He didn't even notice the furry creature on the boys shoulder. That is, until it spoke.

"HE is Jak." The creature commented, glaring at Bryon. The boy seemed surprised by Daxter's statement, wheeling back slightly.

"You TALKED?" He gasped. Daxter grinned.

"Yeah, guess it must be pretty embarrassing huh? Knowing that someone as small as me is higher up on the evolution scale than you'll ever be?"

Xema stifled a laugh, trying to keep the situation as serious as possible, although she DID enjoy listening to Daxter mock Bryon. Draco sighed.

"Bryon, the reason we asked you to come today was to inform you - that Xema isn't going to marry you anymore."

Bryon laughed, but the serious look on everyone's faces told him that it was no joke. He scowled. "But WHY?" He questioned, trying to ignore the sniggering sounds coming from the boy and his ottsel over in the corner.

"Well." Draco cleared his vocal cords. "Karma has stepped down from taking the throne because of --- circumstances. Xema is taking her place, which means she no longer needs a suitor."

Bryon gritted his teeth and glanced over at Xema, who grinned girlishly and waved at him. "This is NOT acceptable." He growled at Draco. "What will happen to your family BLOODLINE if she fails to find a suitor." He shot Draco a cocky glance. "An ACCEPTABLE suitor at that!"

Xema pouted. "I happen to HAVE a boyfriend, and if you don't mind me saying - which I will anyway because I don't give a lurker rat's arse what you think - he's a much more suitable boyfriend then you ever have or ever will be!"

Daxter looked down at Jak at gave him a rather large grin. Jak just rolled his eyes while his little friend bathed in his glory that was spewing out of his girlfriend's lips.

"Who? Who DARES to even THINK he's suitable for you?" Bryon asked. Xema just smiled and turned on her heels. Bryon felt red tint his cheeks. He was NOT going to stand here and let Xema insult him like this.

"You tell more or I'll--"

"Or you'll WHAT?" Daxter asked, hopping off of Jak's shoulder and standing in Bryon's path. The idea of Bryon getting anywhere near Xema not only angered the little fuzz ball. It really creeped him out.

Bryon cocked an eyebrow at the ottsel in front of him. "How unusual for a fuzzy creature to talk. Particularly one as rare as an ottsel." He bent down to get a closer look at Daxter. "Pity." He scoffed. "Nothing it says really sounds like it's worth listening too. And it's ugly as heck."

Daxter felt his cheeks grow hot, and when he glanced up at Xema, she too had a rather angry look on her face. "How DARE you!" She spat at Bryon.

"What?" The boy crowed. "It's just a little dumb animal, I bet it doesn't even understand me!" To prove his point, he reached out his hand and heavily patted Daxter on the head. This was all the ottsel could take. It was one thing to call him ugly, when of all things that's what he WASN'T, and it was another thing to call him dumb. But when someone treated him like a pet--- THAT was pushing it too far!"

Daxter responded to the treatment by promptly biting Bryon on the wrist.

The events that followed afterwards were very hectic, to say the least.

"Why you little MONSTER! I'll have you shot and STUFFED!" Bryon made a grab for Daxter, and in his defense, the ottsel did the only thing he could, which was use his small size as an advantage.

The furball ran up Bryon's arm and disappeared through his sleeve.

Jak and Xema gasped in shock. What on earth was Daxter thinking? Bryon, on the other hand, was trying his best to keep a straight face. They could see a lump in his clothing moving around his chest and stomach. The look of pain on Bryon's face told the two of them that he was in serious pain. Daxter's claws must have been digging into his skin as he made circuits around Bryon's body.

"Should I put a stop to this?" Draco whispered to Xema. She glanced up as Bryon tried to punch the furball in his clothing, but at the last minute, the ottsel moved and Bryon only ended up hitting himself in the stomach and winding himself. Xema smirked.

"Just a few more minutes." She insisted, smiling inwardly at Daxter's courage and Bryon's stupidity.

"Hey! Get OUT of there you little RUNT!" Bryon growled. By now even the guards were laughing at him, as he tried to catch the ottsel scampering inside one of his trouser legs - like a ferret in someone's pants. Jak shook his head.

"Dax is pushing it venturing down THERE." He mumbled to Xema, but he smiled. "You know, I never knew Daxter had it in him, using his size to his advantage."

Xema looked up at Jak and smiled. "Impressed?" She asked. He nodded.

Meanwhile, Daxter was making his way up, around the back of Bryon's shirt. The youth tried to slap at him, but once again took the full impact of the blow. Seizing the moment, Daxter crawled out of Bryon's collar, but made sure to give him a deep bite on the ear, before springing away and landing in the safety of Xema's arms.

He shook himself off, and looked up at Xema and Jak, a horrified look plastered on his face. "Don't you tell ANYONE where I've been!" He half yelled, half pleaded. Xema and Jak laughed.

"Okay, that's enough!" Draco insisted, wiping a tear from his eye as the battered and bruised Bryon stood up. "It's a good thing Xema didn't end up marrying you Bryon. You can't even stand up to fighting a tiny little ottsel!"

Bryon fumed as Daxter relaxed in Xema's arms, humming to himself. "It was a disadvantaged fight!" Bryon growled. Draco just sighed.

"Guards?" The king called. "Remove this boy from the chamber. Take him to the edge of the city, and make sure he doesn't return. I wish to have a private word with Xema and her friends."

The guards did as they were instructed, escorting the kicking and growling Bryon out through the doors. The youth had just enough time to turn around and send a look towards Xema and Daxter, that was so full of hatred the ottsel felt his blood run cold.

"That did NOT go according to plan." Draco huffed, giving Daxter a glance. "I'm impressed that you were able to stand up for yourself, giving you disadvantage of height, strength and sensible thinking." Daxter folded his arms and sulked as his girlfriend's father mentally abused him. "However, I was hoping that Bryon would leave here without too much hate in his heart." Draco sighed. "Xema, I don't think we've seen the last of Bryon just yet. If he ever found out about your relationship between you and Daxter." He tailed off, and Xema sighed.

"I know father. I know. But the jerk HAS to get used to the fact that I'm with Daxter, NOT him!" The ottsel nodded.

"Yeah! Can't the guy TAKE a hint?" Draco smiled at the orange fuzz ball.

"Apparently not Daxter. Which is why I feel it's best if Xema stays the way she is until we finally have this whole situation taken care of." Xema gaped, and opened her mouth to protest, but her father silenced her. "Xema, Bryon has it in for you. If you were a tiny ottsel, you would be even easier prey to him then you already are!"

Xema fumed at her father. She was NOT easy prey! Daxter didn't agree either, hopping out of Xema's arms and onto the table; the ottsel began to perform a number of high kicks and punches into thin air.

"Hey, you saw what I did to that overgrown meathead just before? I can take him on!" Daxter tried punching the air again, but this time slipped over and fell into Xema's waiting hands.

"Admit it Daxter." Xema asked him, looking down at the furball she had just rescued. "You'd just go to Jak for help if Bryon ever showed up again wouldn't you?"

Silence.

"And your point is?" Daxter smirked, as the room sniggered at the little ottsels 'bravery'.

Xema sighed. "Alright father. But only for a few more days, until this problem is taken care of?" Draco nodded.

"Only for a few more days." He insisted.