Oh, good lordy - I updated!
I don't have much to say, other than I'm hard at work with several different things at the moment. Please bear with me as I try to update this fic and do about 70 other things at once! :p
Anyhow, thanks again for all of the wonderful reviews all! Wow! 16 reviews for just 2 chapters? I must be loved! *hugs all her reviewers* Thank you all! I try my best to entertain you! Keep them up.
Wow, looks like I'm gonna be doing only a quick Author's note today. Here folks, is your next chapter.
Oh, and btw - my Daxter shrine is OPEN and growing! Log onto: www.geocities.com/ottzel
~ Keysha
***
The Kryzdal Guardian
Chapter three: The Reunion
***
"WHAT is THAT?" Daxter asked, pointing to a picture beside Xema's bed. She smiled as she gazed down to the foot of the bed. Jak and flopped down, and upon touching the soft duvet, had instantly fallen asleep. Daxter snapped his fingers.
"Huh?" Xema asked, falling out of her daydream.
Daxter pointed to the picture again. "What in the wild world of Flut-Flut racing is THAT thing?"
Xema sighed as she picked up the picture. "That's Kryzdal. She used to be my pet, until she ran away."
Daxter looked up at Xema, who had grown incredibly sad. 'It must be a tough subject to talk about', he decided. "Hey! I'm here!" He insisted, crawling into her arms, and nuzzling his soft fur against her arms. She smiled and stroked his fur kindly.
"I know Dax, but I can hardly call you a PET now, can I?" He grinned.
"You're the only person who's ALLOWED to say it! Anyone else will end up with claw marks all over their face."
Xema laughed. "Yes, I can see that happening." She glanced up at the picture again and sighed. "Still, I just wish I knew WHY she ran away."
Daxter felt his ears droop in depression. He hated seeing Xema sad. He cleared his throat, trying to think of a way to change the subject.
"Look, while Jak-boy-Blondie is snoozing over there, how about we go and take a cruise around the city huh? It's been some time since you used those wings of yours huh?"
Xema glanced over her shoulder. The month of being in ottsel form had given her wings plenty of time to heal. Now all of the feathers had grown back, and they looked as good as new. She shrugged.
"Yeah, why not. I could finally have a go at doing that triple loop in midair!" She sprang to her feet and grabbed Daxter as she made for the balcony.
"TRIPLE LOOP?" The ottsel repeated, gulping. "Hey Xema? Maybe you might like to do this alone huh? Give yourself more space?"
But in a second, the two of them were zooming in the air, with Daxter's yells echoing around the cities walls as Xema stretched her wings again for the very first time.
***
Meanwhile, outside the city walls, Bryon growled as he soared away from Xema's home. He had NEVER, in his life, been SO humiliated and insulted. Xema was one of the most spoilt, selfish little girls he had ever met. And for that, he wanted her more than ever. She was the unobtainable prize that he sought after.
Hissing to himself, the youth noticed a flash of white whiz below him and through a gap in the city's wall. Bryon cursed the small creature. If only HE had the ability to sneak about like that.
Turning away from the city, he headed further North, towards a desolate wasteland. He had a friend waiting there for him. She may have a way to help him enter the city unnoticed, and claim back the girl that was once his bride-to-be.
***
"Daxter?" Xema giggled. "You look a little green around the gills?"
"Funny." Daxter panted, kneeling on the ground and taking deep gasps. "I didn't think I HAD gills!"
Xema smiled and rubbed his back, trying to help the ottsel regain some of the colour in his face. Perhaps she HAD gone overboard with her aerial assaults, but it HAD been good to stretch her wings. "Any better?" She asked the ottsel, who looked up at her and smiled weakly.
"I, I - need to buy a new stomach." He announced, before collapsing in her arms as a sweaty tangle of limbs - tail, arms and legs. Xema sighed, and scooped the furball up into her arms.
"Poor Daxter." She admitted, nuzzling her cheek against the ottsel's.
"Xema?"
The girl whipped around upon hearing the harsh, dry voice. There was no one about.
"Who's there?" Xema questioned angrily, standing up. "Jak, if this is your idea of a joke, you'd better confess now, or I'm gonna KILL you!"
"Jak?" The voice echoed. As if the name was unfamiliar.
Just in front of Xema, a small patch of garden bush parted, and a small weary creature padded into view.
Xema gasped as it looked up at her and smiled weakly. It had defiantly been in the wars. Its white fur was mangled and stained with blood and dirt, and its fiber-like wings were torn.
"Kryzdal?" Xema gasped, gaping at the creature. Daxter, who had now quickly recovered from his airsickness, peeked over Xema's arm at the bizarre and injured creature.
"Xema." Kryzdal repeated again, as if to reassure herself that it was her. Then her legs gave way underneath her, and Kryzdal fell to the ground, unconscious.
***
"So, you've FINALLY decided to make an appearance. I knew you'd come to see me - sooner or later!"
Bryon glared at the shadowy figure before him. Her form was hidden underneath a weathered silvery-black cloak, but Bryon had no doubt as to whom it was.
"I see they didn't take the liberty of killing you after all Karma." He said coldly. The figure stood still for a moment, and a hand reached up, pulling away the cloak's hood. Karma looked down upon Bryon, he blue eyes flashing a sense of malice.
"No. They are fools. We both know this. I assume they've told you that Xema will no longer wed?"
Bryon nodded.
"I don't suppose they told you WHY?" Karma's lips curled into an evil grin.
Bryon looked at her suspiciously. Was this a trick?
"They told me she was taking your father's place once he died.she no longer needed to marry."
Karma laughed.
"Is that ALL? They didn't tell you anything about how she's IN LOVE with someone else?"
Bryon felt his knuckles clench. He was close to bruising himself. "NO." He gritted through his teeth.
Karma smiled wickedly. "You noticed that bizarre, orange creature the wing- less boy had on him? That creature happened to be another wing-less boy a few years ago." She looked out into the distance. She could just make out the tops of the White City's towers. "But let's skip the details, shall we?" She turned back to Bryon, who looked even more angered, if possible, than before. "Would it displease you, Bryon, if I told you that Xema favored that ottsel over you?"
Bryon felt his voice thicken with anger as he replied.
"Your, you're LYING!"
Karma tisked him, swaying her finger back and forward.
"Come now my SWEET Bryon!" Karma walked over to him and placed a finger under his chin, raising his eyesight to hers. "WHY would I lie to you about something like THAT? Did you not NOTICE a connection between my vile little sister and that annoying little rodent?"
Bryon recalled his final meeting with Xema and her father. He HAD noticed a strange relationship between Xema and the orange creature. He hissed words of spite as he remembered how the creature had managed to defeat him physically. He rubbed a swollen scratch on his left arm as Karma slipped an arm around his shoulder.
Bryon, trust me. If you and I BOTH work together, then we can BOTH get what we want.
Bryon let the young woman lead him away from their meeting spot. As they walked, he caught a glimpse of the tattered stumps that were once Karma's wings. A painful reminder of what happened to those who betrayed Draco and his family.
***
"Xema, I can't begin to tell you how glad I am to see you again!" Kryzdal lay sprawled across Xema's lap as the girl gently sew at the rips in the Kitry's wings. She hushed Kryzdal gently, and pet her fur. She had now been cleaned up, not to mention her wounds were cleansed. And with the aid of green eco, they would soon be nothing but a distant memory.
Beside Xema, Jak and Daxter watched the bizarre creature. Jak once though Daxter was the strangest animal around, but now looking at this 'past' pet of Xema's, he was beginning to think otherwise.
Kryzdal glanced up at the two boys, and cocked her head to the side slightly. "Xema, who ARE these two?" She smiled and Jak. "Is he your BOYFRIEND?"
Both Jak and Xema broke into a deep blush, where as Daxter made a bizarre little coughing sound.
"No, no, NO Kryzdal!" Xema gaped. "Jak's just one of my close friends, and besides." She looked up at Jak and smiled kindly. "He's already taken."
"Oh." Kryzdal sighed, looking up at Jak. "What a shame. He's so handsome too!"
Picking herself out of Xema's lap, the white Kitry padded over to Daxter, and looked up into his large, blue eyes.
"And who's THIS?" She enquired, bringing her face so close to Daxter's that he began to feel incredibly uncomfortable.
"I'm Daxter." The ottsel insisted, and Kryzdal's expression was one of shock rather than understanding.
"Oh, you talk?"
Daxter pulled a face. "Of COURSE I talk!" He bragged, rolling his eyes for emphasis. Kryzdal just shook her head. This 'pet' of Jak's, was turning out to be to rude for his own good. Turning around with elegant grace, Kryzdal padded back to Xema, and lay down on the soft quilt beside her. Xema petted the creature's fur kindly.
"Kryzdal, why did you leave?"
The Kitry shook her head slowly. "Things like that are not to be talked about at the moment Xema. I will talk to you about it later, when I am sure we're in the company of friendly ears."
The white creature shot a look towards Jak and the ottsel, and the two immidatly understood. Kryzdal did not trust them.
"Kryzdal, you CAN trust jak and Daxter, belive me! I would!" Xema smiled at the two, but Kryzdal just frowned and lay her head upon the quilt.
"Maybe YOU can Xema, but at the moment, I CAN'T."
Xema sighed, and stood up. "Well, it's best if we let you get your rest Kryzdal. You look like you've been in the wars." As she walked away, Xema could faintly hear the Kitry murmer: 'I have.'
Outside her room, Xema left the door open slightly, giving Kryzdal the option to oleave the room if she pleased. She turned towards Jak and Daxter, Daxter resting on Jak's shoulder plate, his arms crossed and a VERY angry look upon his face.
"I DON'T like her!" He grumbled, sticking his tongue out towards the kitar who lay on Xema's bed. The princess just smiled.
"Give her time Daxter, she has trouble learning to trust people."
"What? How can anyone NOT trust me?" Daxter asked, receiving the sound of Jak clearing his throat and cocking a look at him to symbolize how he felt about THAT.
"Okay, so I AM a weasel at times, but hey - I've got an excuse, I AM part weasel after all!"
Xema laughed, and delicately picked Daxter off of Jak's shoulder, cradling him gently in her arms. "That's the OLDEST excuse in the book Dax!" She giggled. Daxter just moaned and nuzzled into her embrace, while Jak looked on and suddenly wished he had Keira here with him.
***
Inside Xema's room, Kryzdal watched the company chat away. She felt a large twinge of jealousy fall upon her when she saw Xema embrace Daxter so lovingly. It was the same way Xema used to treat her all those years ago. Could Xema have possibly found a replacement?
Kryzdal's eyes narrowed as she watched the ottsel kiss Xema lightly on the cheek. By her standards, that was taking things too far. A relationship between a girl and an animal could only go so far before it was considered 'un-natural'.
Kryzdal buried her face in her paws. Tomorrow, she would go and talk to this 'Daxter', and let him know his place in Xema's life. He was a furball, after all, not a humanoid.
And if he rejected her counseling, she would have to deal with him in a more violent manner.
I don't have much to say, other than I'm hard at work with several different things at the moment. Please bear with me as I try to update this fic and do about 70 other things at once! :p
Anyhow, thanks again for all of the wonderful reviews all! Wow! 16 reviews for just 2 chapters? I must be loved! *hugs all her reviewers* Thank you all! I try my best to entertain you! Keep them up.
Wow, looks like I'm gonna be doing only a quick Author's note today. Here folks, is your next chapter.
Oh, and btw - my Daxter shrine is OPEN and growing! Log onto: www.geocities.com/ottzel
~ Keysha
***
The Kryzdal Guardian
Chapter three: The Reunion
***
"WHAT is THAT?" Daxter asked, pointing to a picture beside Xema's bed. She smiled as she gazed down to the foot of the bed. Jak and flopped down, and upon touching the soft duvet, had instantly fallen asleep. Daxter snapped his fingers.
"Huh?" Xema asked, falling out of her daydream.
Daxter pointed to the picture again. "What in the wild world of Flut-Flut racing is THAT thing?"
Xema sighed as she picked up the picture. "That's Kryzdal. She used to be my pet, until she ran away."
Daxter looked up at Xema, who had grown incredibly sad. 'It must be a tough subject to talk about', he decided. "Hey! I'm here!" He insisted, crawling into her arms, and nuzzling his soft fur against her arms. She smiled and stroked his fur kindly.
"I know Dax, but I can hardly call you a PET now, can I?" He grinned.
"You're the only person who's ALLOWED to say it! Anyone else will end up with claw marks all over their face."
Xema laughed. "Yes, I can see that happening." She glanced up at the picture again and sighed. "Still, I just wish I knew WHY she ran away."
Daxter felt his ears droop in depression. He hated seeing Xema sad. He cleared his throat, trying to think of a way to change the subject.
"Look, while Jak-boy-Blondie is snoozing over there, how about we go and take a cruise around the city huh? It's been some time since you used those wings of yours huh?"
Xema glanced over her shoulder. The month of being in ottsel form had given her wings plenty of time to heal. Now all of the feathers had grown back, and they looked as good as new. She shrugged.
"Yeah, why not. I could finally have a go at doing that triple loop in midair!" She sprang to her feet and grabbed Daxter as she made for the balcony.
"TRIPLE LOOP?" The ottsel repeated, gulping. "Hey Xema? Maybe you might like to do this alone huh? Give yourself more space?"
But in a second, the two of them were zooming in the air, with Daxter's yells echoing around the cities walls as Xema stretched her wings again for the very first time.
***
Meanwhile, outside the city walls, Bryon growled as he soared away from Xema's home. He had NEVER, in his life, been SO humiliated and insulted. Xema was one of the most spoilt, selfish little girls he had ever met. And for that, he wanted her more than ever. She was the unobtainable prize that he sought after.
Hissing to himself, the youth noticed a flash of white whiz below him and through a gap in the city's wall. Bryon cursed the small creature. If only HE had the ability to sneak about like that.
Turning away from the city, he headed further North, towards a desolate wasteland. He had a friend waiting there for him. She may have a way to help him enter the city unnoticed, and claim back the girl that was once his bride-to-be.
***
"Daxter?" Xema giggled. "You look a little green around the gills?"
"Funny." Daxter panted, kneeling on the ground and taking deep gasps. "I didn't think I HAD gills!"
Xema smiled and rubbed his back, trying to help the ottsel regain some of the colour in his face. Perhaps she HAD gone overboard with her aerial assaults, but it HAD been good to stretch her wings. "Any better?" She asked the ottsel, who looked up at her and smiled weakly.
"I, I - need to buy a new stomach." He announced, before collapsing in her arms as a sweaty tangle of limbs - tail, arms and legs. Xema sighed, and scooped the furball up into her arms.
"Poor Daxter." She admitted, nuzzling her cheek against the ottsel's.
"Xema?"
The girl whipped around upon hearing the harsh, dry voice. There was no one about.
"Who's there?" Xema questioned angrily, standing up. "Jak, if this is your idea of a joke, you'd better confess now, or I'm gonna KILL you!"
"Jak?" The voice echoed. As if the name was unfamiliar.
Just in front of Xema, a small patch of garden bush parted, and a small weary creature padded into view.
Xema gasped as it looked up at her and smiled weakly. It had defiantly been in the wars. Its white fur was mangled and stained with blood and dirt, and its fiber-like wings were torn.
"Kryzdal?" Xema gasped, gaping at the creature. Daxter, who had now quickly recovered from his airsickness, peeked over Xema's arm at the bizarre and injured creature.
"Xema." Kryzdal repeated again, as if to reassure herself that it was her. Then her legs gave way underneath her, and Kryzdal fell to the ground, unconscious.
***
"So, you've FINALLY decided to make an appearance. I knew you'd come to see me - sooner or later!"
Bryon glared at the shadowy figure before him. Her form was hidden underneath a weathered silvery-black cloak, but Bryon had no doubt as to whom it was.
"I see they didn't take the liberty of killing you after all Karma." He said coldly. The figure stood still for a moment, and a hand reached up, pulling away the cloak's hood. Karma looked down upon Bryon, he blue eyes flashing a sense of malice.
"No. They are fools. We both know this. I assume they've told you that Xema will no longer wed?"
Bryon nodded.
"I don't suppose they told you WHY?" Karma's lips curled into an evil grin.
Bryon looked at her suspiciously. Was this a trick?
"They told me she was taking your father's place once he died.she no longer needed to marry."
Karma laughed.
"Is that ALL? They didn't tell you anything about how she's IN LOVE with someone else?"
Bryon felt his knuckles clench. He was close to bruising himself. "NO." He gritted through his teeth.
Karma smiled wickedly. "You noticed that bizarre, orange creature the wing- less boy had on him? That creature happened to be another wing-less boy a few years ago." She looked out into the distance. She could just make out the tops of the White City's towers. "But let's skip the details, shall we?" She turned back to Bryon, who looked even more angered, if possible, than before. "Would it displease you, Bryon, if I told you that Xema favored that ottsel over you?"
Bryon felt his voice thicken with anger as he replied.
"Your, you're LYING!"
Karma tisked him, swaying her finger back and forward.
"Come now my SWEET Bryon!" Karma walked over to him and placed a finger under his chin, raising his eyesight to hers. "WHY would I lie to you about something like THAT? Did you not NOTICE a connection between my vile little sister and that annoying little rodent?"
Bryon recalled his final meeting with Xema and her father. He HAD noticed a strange relationship between Xema and the orange creature. He hissed words of spite as he remembered how the creature had managed to defeat him physically. He rubbed a swollen scratch on his left arm as Karma slipped an arm around his shoulder.
Bryon, trust me. If you and I BOTH work together, then we can BOTH get what we want.
Bryon let the young woman lead him away from their meeting spot. As they walked, he caught a glimpse of the tattered stumps that were once Karma's wings. A painful reminder of what happened to those who betrayed Draco and his family.
***
"Xema, I can't begin to tell you how glad I am to see you again!" Kryzdal lay sprawled across Xema's lap as the girl gently sew at the rips in the Kitry's wings. She hushed Kryzdal gently, and pet her fur. She had now been cleaned up, not to mention her wounds were cleansed. And with the aid of green eco, they would soon be nothing but a distant memory.
Beside Xema, Jak and Daxter watched the bizarre creature. Jak once though Daxter was the strangest animal around, but now looking at this 'past' pet of Xema's, he was beginning to think otherwise.
Kryzdal glanced up at the two boys, and cocked her head to the side slightly. "Xema, who ARE these two?" She smiled and Jak. "Is he your BOYFRIEND?"
Both Jak and Xema broke into a deep blush, where as Daxter made a bizarre little coughing sound.
"No, no, NO Kryzdal!" Xema gaped. "Jak's just one of my close friends, and besides." She looked up at Jak and smiled kindly. "He's already taken."
"Oh." Kryzdal sighed, looking up at Jak. "What a shame. He's so handsome too!"
Picking herself out of Xema's lap, the white Kitry padded over to Daxter, and looked up into his large, blue eyes.
"And who's THIS?" She enquired, bringing her face so close to Daxter's that he began to feel incredibly uncomfortable.
"I'm Daxter." The ottsel insisted, and Kryzdal's expression was one of shock rather than understanding.
"Oh, you talk?"
Daxter pulled a face. "Of COURSE I talk!" He bragged, rolling his eyes for emphasis. Kryzdal just shook her head. This 'pet' of Jak's, was turning out to be to rude for his own good. Turning around with elegant grace, Kryzdal padded back to Xema, and lay down on the soft quilt beside her. Xema petted the creature's fur kindly.
"Kryzdal, why did you leave?"
The Kitry shook her head slowly. "Things like that are not to be talked about at the moment Xema. I will talk to you about it later, when I am sure we're in the company of friendly ears."
The white creature shot a look towards Jak and the ottsel, and the two immidatly understood. Kryzdal did not trust them.
"Kryzdal, you CAN trust jak and Daxter, belive me! I would!" Xema smiled at the two, but Kryzdal just frowned and lay her head upon the quilt.
"Maybe YOU can Xema, but at the moment, I CAN'T."
Xema sighed, and stood up. "Well, it's best if we let you get your rest Kryzdal. You look like you've been in the wars." As she walked away, Xema could faintly hear the Kitry murmer: 'I have.'
Outside her room, Xema left the door open slightly, giving Kryzdal the option to oleave the room if she pleased. She turned towards Jak and Daxter, Daxter resting on Jak's shoulder plate, his arms crossed and a VERY angry look upon his face.
"I DON'T like her!" He grumbled, sticking his tongue out towards the kitar who lay on Xema's bed. The princess just smiled.
"Give her time Daxter, she has trouble learning to trust people."
"What? How can anyone NOT trust me?" Daxter asked, receiving the sound of Jak clearing his throat and cocking a look at him to symbolize how he felt about THAT.
"Okay, so I AM a weasel at times, but hey - I've got an excuse, I AM part weasel after all!"
Xema laughed, and delicately picked Daxter off of Jak's shoulder, cradling him gently in her arms. "That's the OLDEST excuse in the book Dax!" She giggled. Daxter just moaned and nuzzled into her embrace, while Jak looked on and suddenly wished he had Keira here with him.
***
Inside Xema's room, Kryzdal watched the company chat away. She felt a large twinge of jealousy fall upon her when she saw Xema embrace Daxter so lovingly. It was the same way Xema used to treat her all those years ago. Could Xema have possibly found a replacement?
Kryzdal's eyes narrowed as she watched the ottsel kiss Xema lightly on the cheek. By her standards, that was taking things too far. A relationship between a girl and an animal could only go so far before it was considered 'un-natural'.
Kryzdal buried her face in her paws. Tomorrow, she would go and talk to this 'Daxter', and let him know his place in Xema's life. He was a furball, after all, not a humanoid.
And if he rejected her counseling, she would have to deal with him in a more violent manner.
