Wow. Seems like a few centuries since my last update! And look at this! While I'm heading towards 100 reviews (please, oh please! I'd LOVE to get 100!), the Jak and Daxter section is EVER so close to getting 100 as well! YES! We rock! Our little community at FF.net ROCK!!

*throws confetti about and sets up a party for everyone* Chu're all invited of course! Everyone who's posted fics or just reviewed. You've all helped!

I had a great time in England! Meet one of my online buddies and bought a ton of manga *everyone rolls their eyes and sighs* WHAT?? Well, that's the MAIN reason it took so long to update. I didn't want to take my laptop, and when I GOT there, I was constantly banging my head on my Nan's coffee table, mumbling what an idiot I was.

Anyhow, here's chapter 11. Second to last chapter! Yes, I'm at the end of my rope! One more chappie to go! Eh! Thank god! My hands are KILLING me from all this typing I've done!

Enjoy my little review bunnies! *Hint, hint*

~ Keysha

***

The Kryzdal Guardian Chapter Eleven: The Death

***

Ears pricking at the faintest sound, Daxter glanced up from his resting spot on Xema's shoulder.

Nothing.

'You're getting REALLY paranoid you know?' There was that nagging voice at the back of his head. 'Are you scared Daxter? You don't have your improved senses any more! You can't hear someone over a mile away like you used too!'

'Shut up!' He grimaced. The voice was right though. He was starting to feel rather vulnerable, back in his old, clumsy body. Was he actually UPSET that he'd changed back?

"Dax?" He looked down onto two large, sea-blue eyes. "What's wrong?"

He sighed, and shook his head, pressing an affectionate kiss to her temple. "Nothing's wrong Xemie! Nothing at all!"

And then he felt the blade playfully slide across his throat.

***

"Did you hear something?"

Jak nodded. The search group had once again split up, searching for the two missing kids. That is, save Kryzdal, who had accompanied a sniveling Karma back to the palace. Jak had never seen a sight in his life. How someone, as evil and cold hearted as Karma, could be so emotional.

I guess even the bad guys can have a heart.

However, no one had any idea where Bryon was. When they questioned Karma, they only received a series of tears and a muffled 'I don't know'.

And now, there were sounds coming from an outcrop of rocks, leading towards a ledge, over-viewing the White City.

Jak cringed as another crash sound came from that direction. "Please, don't be - "

A shriek. Jak and Keira shot each other a horrified glance. No doubt about it: THAT was Xema.

"We're coming!" Keira yelled as loud as she could, taking off behind Jak, who was already crashing his way through the foliage.

***

Xema glared at the boy before her, crouched low so that she could spring at him should he move. Behind her, Daxter shakily got to his feet. Bryon had tried to slit the poor boy's throat, but, because a certain high-pitched scream from Xema (face it, us girls rock at making high-pitched screams that break glass!), he completely missed target, only tearing the collar of the boy's shirt, not even drawing a single drop of blood. In rage, Bryon had tossed the boy aside, and now Xema stood in front of him, protecting him at all costs.

"Xema? - MOVE!"

She glared. "No!"

"I'm only going to say this one more time - "

"And my reply is going to be the same. N.O.!!!"

He shot her dagger looks. Why was she being so stubborn?

"WHY are you protecting this little weakling? What good is a man if he can't protect you?"

"Who says I need someone to protect ME?!?" Xema flared. "I only want to be with someone I can care for, and trust me Bryon, I DON'T care for you. And with the attitude that you possess, I don't know how anyone else ever could!"

He was speechless. Beside her, Daxter stood up, placing a shaking hand on her shoulder.

"I don't need anyone to take care of me - " He whispered in her ear, so as Bryon could not hear him. " - I just need someone to love me."

She smiled slightly. "And I do Dax. I really do."

"SHUT UP!!!" Bryon growled. "Stop whispering around me!" He flipped the blade in his hand, pointing it towards the duo.

"I hate you. You little, wimpy, skinny freak!"

"And I hate you ya over-the-top drama drag-queen!"

An eyebrow twitched, a snarl curled into a roaring bellow, and Bryon charged at Daxter, still behind Xema, screaming bloody rage.

And it was at that moment, that another figure rammed into him, throwing Bryon towards the cliff.

Xema and Daxter glanced up, a huge look of relief on their faces.

"Jak!" Xema whispered happily.

The blonde stood above the hunched over figure of Bryon. His body was swirling with the electric current of blue eco. He grinned, but rubbed his arm, thinking of the bruising he would get. Ramming into Bryon was like ramming into a brick wall.

"Yeah! Go Jak! I knew you'd come through for us buddy!

Jak wanted to turn around and grin at his pal. Heck, he wanted to see Daxter's old face again. But Bryon put a stop to that, taking a swipe at the boy, his blade narrowly missing his chest. Jak backed away, loosing his balance on his left foot. He was on the edge of the cliff!

"Jak!" A chorus of two girls and one boy shrieked. Jak's eyes widened, and his arms spread out, as he tried to keep his balance.

Bryon grinned. "It ends here Blondie."

"Shut up Bryon!" Xema pounced on the boy, grabbing him around the neck in a headlock. It wasn't a very good one, the boy had a lot of width too him, but she did her best. Bryon swung her left and right, trying to knock her off his shoulders.

And in doing so, bashed into Jak. All three of them went tumbling off the side of the cliff, down through the endless sea of trees below.

"JAK!" Keira cried out, reaching a helpless arm towards the end of the cliff. It was no good; she was too far away to help at all. She raced to the edge and peeked over, hoping for a sign of life. She only saw a sea of green - trees spreading for miles around. A few cracked branches and a small hole in the canopy outlined the only indication of where the group had gone.

"Daxter! We have to get down there!" Keira waited for Daxter to respond, but when she received no reply, whipped around to find that she was the only one left on the cliff's edge.

Daxter was also gone.

***

Flapping her wings lightly, Xema's feet touched the ground, landing hardly a step away from the cold body of Bryon. He lay slumped on one side, cuts and bruises all over his body, and a deep gash down his cheek.

'Why didn't he fly?' Xema pondered, stepping gracefully around him. And that's when she saw it.

The deep, bloody gash on his skull, Bryon had probably been knocked unconscious as he fell down with Jak and Xema. The girl's body shook as she reached down, placing a quivering hand to the side of the boy's throat. She gave a startled little cry.

There was no pulse. Bryon was dead.

***

Jak peeked open one eye. He was alive. Scratched badly from the sharp twigs and branches clawing to him as he fell, but still - alive.

Noticing he was dangling from the ground by about a foot, he suspected his collar had been caught on a branch. 'Lucky save' he thought, reaching up to untangle himself. 'Funny, this branch feels like a hand --- '

"Well, looks like *I* finally get to save your sorry butt for a change!"

Jak whipped around to face Daxter, who was grinning from ear to ear. The look on Jak's face was positively the most shocked the boy had ever looked in his life.

"DAX?!?! But how did you? - " His question was cut short by the sound of flapping. " - Are those WINGS?"

The red-haired grinned. "Took ya long enough to notice, huh?" The smaller boy lowered Jak to the ground, but continued his hovering, enjoying his best friend's shocked expression all the more.

"Damit Daxter!" Jak laughed, punching the hovering boy lightly in the shoulder. "What did you fall into THIS time?"

The smaller boy laughed nervously, rubbing the back of his neck. "Well - pushed is more like it!"

Jak grimaced - thinking back on how it was technically HIM who had knocked Daxter into the Dark Eco. "But - HOW?" His response was another sheepish grin, and a shrug.

"Dunno. Maybe Kryzdal can answer that!" Then his grin wore away. "Xema flew down where Bryon fell! Where IS she?"

"Right here." Came the shaky reply, as Xema stepped into the clearing Jak and Daxter were in. Jak gave her a sympathetic look, while Daxter dropped from his hovered position, and ran over to hug the girl.

"Baby, are you alright?" Daxter cringed as the girl sniffled slightly, rubbing away her tears. "Did he hurt you? Did that Bryon even TOUCH you?" His voice shook with rage.

There was a small gasp, and her head shook slowly. "No Daxter, he didn't. And he never will either. Bryon is dead."

There was an exchange of shocked expressions, before silence was followed, three heads bowed.

Bryon was never a good person, but everyone needs some respect.

Even when they're dead.

***

The trip back to the palace was not a fun one. For one thing, Keira was constantly clinging to Jak's arm, fully relived that he was alive and healthy (if sporting a deep scratch or two) and this was making it extremely hard for the blonde to walk. Deciding that it was best not to leave the two wandering by themselves, Daxter and Xema stuck to walking on foot as well. They would have tried carrying Jak and Keira back to the palace as they flew, but neither of them could really carry Jak (Daxter had struggled quite a bit to keep hold of him as he had lowered him down the cliff from the fall - he had pretty much sprained the muscles of his wings doing that.)

"Jak, would you CUT that out!" The poor boy cried, whipping around to find Jak with a cheesy grin on his face, and another feather in his hand. That had to be at least the tenth one the boy had pulled out in the last hour.

"Sorry Dax, but it's just so weird! You having these - these THINGS on your back!"

Daxter glared at his best friend, before walking over to him and hovering slightly so they were eye to eye. He patted the blonde on the head, like one would a little kid.

"They're called WINGS Jak! Try and add it to your vocabulary! You might need it some day!"

There was a whack as Jak's hand connected with something.

And then Daxter was not hovering in the air anymore.

***

Xema clung to Daxter's arm as they entered the gateway to the palace. It was her old home, and her birthplace. It was also her mother's birthplace. Beside her, Daxter seemed about as happy and as nervous as she was. He was also finally going to meet his mother. He had only been with her once - the day he was born - and he could not remember a single moment of then. He took Xema's hand into his and squeezed it tight.

"What if she doesn't LIKE me?"

There was a small smile erupting from Xema's face, she turned the boy around to face her, and kissed him lightly on the lips.

"If she has any sense, she'll LOVE you Daxter. Just as much as I do." She tapped him on the nose, like she used to when he was in his ottsel form. "Besides, Jewlii has been my godmother since the day I was born. She's a lovely woman, and a close friend. I don't think it's even possible for her to hate a single living being on this planet!

Daxter smiled ever so slightly. "I guess that means I take after my father more than I do her."

"Maybe, but you have her sweet smile."

"Xema?"

The girl turned and gasped. Before her, was Kryzdal, her crystal blue eyes sparkling with delight, silver hair dancing in the breeze.

"Mother!" There was a cry of joy as the girl leapt into her mother's arms, hugging her dearly. Kryzdal let out an airy sigh, and rested her head on top of her daughter's, happy to finally be reunited.

"They're such a wonderful couple aren't they? Mother and daughter?"

Daxter nodded, then felt a small, slightly shaky hand slide onto his shoulder. "You remind me of your father Daxter."

He spun around, meeting a pair of azure-blue eyes, identical to his own. Daxter gasped as the woman placed a delicate hand to his face, stroking his cheek. Those blue eyes of hers were filling with tears of joy.

"I never thought I'd - I'd actually get to see my son again. Let alone touch him."

"Mum? - " Was all the boy could stammer, before he was pulled into the longest hug he had ever experienced in his life.

Tears of joy ran down his face as he hugged her. At last, he finally had his mother. The woman he was convinced never existed, the woman he had spent much of his childhood wishing he could see, just this once.

Xema peeked open an eye, glancing in Jewlii and Daxter's direction. They seemed so happy together, pressed into a loving hug that only a mother and her son could ever share. She sighed with happiness as she clung to her own mother.

At last, things were starting to look positive.