A/N: Finally got around to writing this (I was sick last week, and I had my Nan visiting from England this week), so unfortunately, I had very little time - and inspiration - to type.

I'm not sure how long until the next chapter is up. Mainly because I've PROMISED myself that I'm going to write the final chapter to my Lilo and Stitch fic, and finally get that out of the way. That said, I'm also working on my follow-up to my first LOTR alternative script, this time based on TTT. I know a lot of my reviewers for my Jak and Daxter fics read that script, so look out for the new one - half of the first chapter is already done - I'm SLOWLY getting there!

Thank you to ALL who reviewed! *hands them all plushies* Keep them coming, especially the theories, which I LOVE to read ;) (Tis fun and interesting to see people twisting their minds as they try to think about what I'm gonna do next! :p)

~ Keysha

***

Chapter four: The Explanation

*** FLASHBACK ***

"So, do you like her?" Karma gently touched Xema's shoulder, and the little girl nodded happily in approval as she stroked the Kitry's snow- white fur.

"She's BEA-UTIFUL Karma!" Xema insisted, snuggling a cheek up to the Kitry's. The winged cat smiled warmly and purred in pure bliss.

"I thought you might need some company, seen as how mum's gone and all." Karma confessed, then she cringed, wishing she hadn't mentioned that. Xema's head sank and she tried to push back the tears.

"Karma? What happened to her?"

"I honestly don't know. We think she may have fallen." Karma insisted. In all honesty, she KNEW what had happened to their mother, but she dared not tell her little sister, for fear of upsetting, or perhaps even scaring her. The Kitry sensed the little girl's depression, and with a quick lick of the tongue on her little rosy cheek, the girl's sad face began to fade.

"She's SO lovely!" Xema giggled, cuddling the Kitry close to her.

"So, what are you going to call her?" Karma asked. Xema looked up at her older sister and smiled.

"Kryzdal. Same as mum."

Karma nodded. She had a feeling Xema would want to call her that.

"Good choice little sis!" She smiled, stroking her baby sister's hair as the little girl did to the Kitry's in return.

*** END FLASHBACK ***

"Father? How much LONGER do I have to hang around here?" Xema groaned, looking up at Draco pleadingly. He sighed.

"Look Xema, I KNOW you hate being, well, cooped up like this, but it IS for your protection!"

"Protection from WHAT? And PLEASE don't say Bryon!" Xema growled.

"Who's Draco?"

Xema caught a glimpse of Kryzdal padding her way into the room. She sighed heavily.

"Some jerk who I was once pre-engaged too."

Kryzdal turned a sharp look towards Draco. "She was to WED?"

Draco cringed at the little creature's glare.

"It's ALL changed now!" He insisted. "But in any case, I want to keep Xema here until we KNOW that he isn't going to try anything stupid around her."

Xema clenched her fists. "You treat me like a defenseless BABY! I'll be fine! Just let me go back to Sandover with the boys! Bryon won't even KNOW I'm there!"

"Sandover? I AM coming too aren't I?" Kryzdal asked, the look of shock on Xema's face informed her that it was something the girl had not even been considering.

"Er, of course you can Kryzdal. If you want to." Xema rubbed the back of her neck nervously.

"Uh-huh." Kryzdal replied, rather heavy-hearted. "Boys? Who might they be?"

"Jak and Daxter." Xema responded.

"You called DAXTER a boy too?" Kryzdal cocked an eyebrow at the princess.

"Sure, I wouldn't ever think of calling him anything else."

***

Daxter was well unaware of how rudely he would be woken up that morning. Jak was always up before him, and had obviously gone to explore the city some more, without the talking furball; he was less likely to get distracted. Not that Daxter minded. The idea of having a long lie-in appealed to him.

Unfortunately, this was not one of those days where he would have that opportunity.

"Hey!" an irritated voiced hissed in the sleeping ottsel's ear. His eyes flew open, and he caught a glimpse of two large, rather angry blue eyes staring at him.

"Agh!" He yelped, uncurling from his sleeping position and sitting up dead straight. Kryzdal smiled inwardly as she sat down next to the shocked creature.

"Okay, WHAT on earth was THAT for?" He growled. Kryzdal rolled her eyes.

"Well, I DID try to politely ask you to wake up. THREE times in fact, but you didn't hear me. I'm not surprised anyway, over your loud snoring, I could barely hear myself THINK!"

Daxter narrowed his eyes at her. "So you came to wake me up because I was too loud?"

Kryzdal shook her head. "Oh NO. I have something I need to say." It then became her turn to narrow her eyes. "I noticed, that you and Xema have quite a close little friendship."

Daxter yawed, and nodded slightly, barely putting in an effort to keep his eyes open. He was too sleepy to disagree with Kryzdal. Not that there WAS anything to disagree with anyway. They DID have a close friendship; there was no denying that.

"Yeah, so? There's nothing wrong with that!" Daxter yawed again. Kryzdal glared.

"Actually, there IS something wrong with that!" She pointed a furry, white paw at the furball. "Incase you haven't noticed Ottsel, you aren't exactly a humanoid are you? Take away your gift of speech, and all you have left is a fuzzy ball of orange fluff!"

Daxter cocked an eyebrow at Kryzdal. "Let me guess, you're assuming I really AM an ottsel?"

"What?"

"Is this an interrogation?"

Kryzdal growled.

"You have no business acting in the manner in which you do around my Xema."

"YOUR Xema?" Daxter coughed. "Incase you haven't noticed, Xema HATES people treating her as an object, just as much as I hate people treating me like an animal."

"But you ARE an animal!"

"Err, actually, I'm NOT! Not really anyway!"

There was a brief moment of silence. Kryzdal hated being wrong, but she knew when she had been beat.

"How?" She whispered.

Daxter sighed heavily. "Dark Eco, need I say more?"

The Kitry shook her head slowly. "No, I understand."

A pause.

"Daxter? I'm sorry. You must understand, it was my job to protect Xema from the day we first met." She looked up at the ottsel, who had now lost all traces of sleepiness from his eyes. "You like her, don't you?"

Daxter grinned and nodded. "Yeah, we kind of have a thing for each other."

Kryzdal smiled. "She always DID like the loudmouths."

Daxter coughed. "Loudmouth? Who are you calling LOUDMOUTH?" He pouted while the furry cat chuckled.

"Say Kryzdal? How come you can talk? Is it some kind of special power Kitry's have?"

Kryzdal sighed. "I guess you could say that. You and are quite a-like Daxter."

There was a confused look splayed across the ottsel's face. "What's THAT supposed to mean?"

Kryzdal shook her head. "Nothing, just forget it. I'll let you get back to sleep now!"

And with that, the Kitry left, leaving only a confused ottsel with many questions to sit and ponder alone in the dimly lit room.

***

"Okay, first you hated the fur, then you missed it, now you hate it again?" Jak bent down and examined the ottsel standing beside him. "Xema, I'm NEVER going to understand you? Am I?"

The ginger ottsel giggled. "Probably not Jak!" She grinned up at the blonde, then up at Draco, who stood beside him. "Father, I'll be fine, REALLY!"

Draco sighed. "I STILL don't like the idea of you going back Xema. What id BRYON finds out."

"Bryon, shcmyron!" Daxter waved a furry paw in the air and huffed. "He's no match for me and Jak, right Jak?"

The blonde simply rolled his eyes and ever so slightly nodded his head.

"Besides." Xema admitted, turning her attention away from the boys and back on her father, grinning. "I've got Kryzdal on my side, and she's always looked after me!"

"That's right." The white Kitry purred from her perch atop the windowsill. "I will not let any harm come to Xema or her friends."

"Not that I'm against having a pedigree cat protect me or anything." Daxter sniggered. "But WHAT exactly can a little Kitry like you do to protect us?"

The Kitry ceased her purring, and grinned at Daxter - making him feel rather nervous.

"Oh I've got my WAYS!" She cooed.

Xema just rolled her eyes at her pet's teasing. That was very typical of her.

"Right then, let's go. No use hanging around here making idel chatter!" Daxter laughed nervously, scampering up onto the safety of Jak's shoulder. The sooner we go, the better!

Xema sighed, and nodded her head in agreement.

She couldn't agree more.