Chapter Two: Fuzzy thing....

We left off at Prince Akio screaming "Eep" because he had just met that man who had tried to kill him. If you didn't know the man, Nightingale had, previously locked Caelestis, in a closet for a full day. Akio, despite what anyone told him, was still afraid of him. This brings us to the current moment in time.

"Is something wrong Akio?" Devika asks looking tiny compared to the man she is still hugging.

"Um..ha..um...Eep!" Akio looks around for some way of escape.

"Calm down Prince Akio! I think you deserve the egg my little sister has acquired. Don't you agree Devika?"

"Of course! I'll get the egg now! It's so amazing!" She let's go of her seven foot brother and runs to a near by stairway. "Oh! It'll take me a bit to get the egg down the stairs. It's rather large." with that said she bounds up the stairs.

Caelestis turns to Akio, "My sister likes you very much."

"Really? Heh..."

"Relax I won't kill you or anything."

Akio sighs, "Oh fine. You win. This still doesn't mean I trust you."

Caelestis also sighs, walks over to the table, and takes a seat. This is quite amusing since the table is rather low and he's rather high. He sighs again as he takes of his sisters left over tea.

Éline snorts, *I'm going to go in a the kitchen and wash dishes. You're house is a mess and there's a lot of sunlight in there. So Ta ta!* She menders off into the said kitchen.

Zia walks in and decides to sit where Akio had. He sits down and conjures up another cup of tea, for Akio's was empty, and sips it with Caelestis.

"My God, I'm in a nut house..." Akio sighs and disregards the to dirty looks he receives. The quiet does not last for long. Suddenly a yellow blur flies from the stairs and attaches itself to Akio's face. He muffles a scream as the others stare.

A yellow fox like creature as just attached itself to The Prince of Demons face. What else Zia and Caelestis do put laugh! Devika runs down the stairs carrying an extremely large thing wrapped in blankets. "Oh! Akio are you all right?"

Akio gives a muffled scream as he tries to take the fox thing off his face.

"I didn't tell you about Ra Dai?"

Akio gives another muffled scream.

"I'm so sorry!"

The fox thing says happily, *Hey Buddy! We're going to be friends if you like it or not!*

Akio screams once again, but this time he rips the fuzzy thing off his face. He gasps for air, flops on his back, and brushes stray hairs out of his face. The fox thing lands lightly on his chest with a smile. Akio blinks, "You're a Fennec, aren't you?"

*Yes Sir! Ra Dai at your service! How may I help you Mister pretty boy?*

Devika sighs as she takes a seat next to Akio. "Akio, this egg is very special. You must take very good care of it or else...they’ll take it away."

*I was saying something!*

Devika glares at the little Fennec, "I have something to say that's much more important then your babble! Why did you choose this egg? Really!"

*Because it's pretty!*

Devika growls, "Stupid little...."

"Calm down you two! Can I see the egg Devika?" Akio sits up throwing Ra Dai a few feet.

"Oh! Silly me!" Devika puts the heavy bundle of blanks in her lap and slowly and gently takes away the layers of blankets. She reveals a large golden egg that's extremely bright compared to the contents of the room.

"It's amazing!" Akio's eyes widen with joy.

"You'll be a good parent. Much better then I would be," Devika flashes him a grin.

"Hold it!" Zia looks over with tears in his eyes from laughing, "You were going to keep this egg for yourself?"

"Well, If I couldn't find someone it would have to stay with me," Devika smiles and winks.

"The great Zia hoodwinked by a little demon girl. How funny!" Caelestis chuckles as he drinks some more tea.

"Shut up will you?"

*He's right! It is funny!* Éline calls from the kitchen.

Akio laughs, "Well, Zia it looks like the whole world is against you! Now...for this dragon. Um...I thought the eggs were white with tiny pastel rainbow speckles...."

"Well, this is a special egg. As I've been told."

"I got that special part. How am I going to carry it when we leave?"

Devika tilts her head, "Leave?"

"Yes, Leave."

"But-but you can't! This egg needs very special care! If you travel with it you might damage the egg greatly! Oh the horror!"

Akio rolls his eyes, "You're kidding me? I'm not an idiot you know..."

*And he has me!* Ra Dai says happily as he flies on to Akio's shoulder.

"The egg! The Lady would not be happy if it was to travel!"

"Devika. Listen. What type likes a change of style and scenery?" Akio looks at her with compassion. After all this girl could have refused to give him the egg. She was also quite interesting.

"Gold, if I recall correctly. They do hatch form a gold egg..."

"So there you go!" Akio claps his hands together.

"But...what is it's something else? What if...it's special?" Devika whispers to the egg.

"Gold isn't special enough? I mean it is gold...that means something. It already is special! It'd be special if it was a normal egg!" Akio decides to sit cross-legged, and shifts his weight.

"I know...but...What if the Lady finds out?" Devika sniffs.

"Finds out? She does have a life and I don't see why she'd mess with something as good as this. She doesn't sound so bad..."

"What are you on Akio!? She's the Lady of Death! The Elfin Disgrace! The Black Mage! The--"

"She has a lot of creepy nicknames. You're point is...what?"

"...She's creepy and would most likely kill me if I crossed her."

Akio snorts, "Just because someone is called something it doesn't mean they are. I bet you have a lot of nicknames that you aren't anything like!"

"No..."

"Zia, Help."

"Devika, you do trust Akio?"

"Yes, I do Mister Zia."

"Trust him with the egg. You are the only one who can give it to him no matter what The Lady says. Do you trust your prince enough?"

"Did you say my prince?" Devika asks wide-eyed

Zia just grins and takes a sip of tea.

"Akio?" Devika faces him still wide eyed.

He clenches his fist, Zia was going to pay for that one. "Yes Devika?"

"I-I think you should take the egg!" with that said she places the egg in his lap.

"Thank you so much Devika! I...um...this is really weird..."

She whispers, "Tell me, will you ever be my prince?"

Akio blushes bright red. He never was a guy looking of girls all the time. If anything he tried to avoid their attention unlike on of his friends Aziz. This would be a great time to have girlish looks that might scare the girl off. Pity, he had to say something without making a big deal about it. He finally whispers back into her ear, "We I save our world from a terrible evil. I will resurrect the demon kingdom and...you'll see..." That was good enough, or at least it might come off as the slightest bit romantic. 'I mean she did find half the things I said romantic before why not now?' He absent mindedly brushes stray hairs form his face.

He was right.

She smiled and sighed. Then sniffed once again, "You'll be leaving now?"

"Yes, I suppose I will."

*We, Akio! We!*

"You are NOT coming along! Hear me?!"

*Oh yes I am! Remember Prince,* Ra Dai pauses to flutter his eyelashes like a woman would, *We're friends if you like it or not!*

"Akio," Zia stands up, "Éline and I are coming with you. We're going to help you find Nightingale."

"No. No you're not."

"Yes, We are Akio."

"NO, I don't want to deal with you and I can take care of myself you know," Akio stands up with the egg in his arms. He can barely put his arms fully around it, let alone fly with it like this.

Zia, like himself sees this to his advantage, "A lover of flight like you wouldn't be able to fly with out help. I could--"

"I can manage! Just let me be!" Akio mutters an incantation and a carry case made just for the egg appears in front of him. It falls to the ground with a slight thump. He gentle places the egg in the plush velvet case and piles the blankets on it. He shuts and looks the case. "Good-bye!" he brushes Ra Dai off his shoulder and shuffles out the door. Akio slams it with his free and takes flight right off the porch.

Ra Dai opens the door enough so he can fit out and manages to follow Akio form far behind. Zia shakes his head and disappears in the blink of an eye. Caelestis and Devika sit in silence for a few moments until Éline the yellow white clarus dragon walks out in a small pink apron. "I'm finished with the dishes--where did everyone go?"

"They left," Caelestis says flatly.

*With out me! Zia!* Éline cries as she disappears from sight. Now, Caelestis and Devika are alone.

*Akio?* Ra Dai tilted his head to one side. They were sitting in a large gray and gold speckled tree. Akio was sitting on the top most branch cross-legged, thinking, with the egg and case in his lap. He wasn't in one of his best moods today. A least one thing good had happened.

"What do you want?" Akio had his eyes closed and didn't sound pleased.

*I just wanted to know if you were okay. I just thought you seemed...a bit...I don't know.*

"Sorry I was so rude. It's just I think I can take care of this dragon by myself. I thank you anyway Ra Dai."

*Don't be so foolish and cocky! I said that I'd be your friend if you like it or not! I just want to be your friend. Can I be with out forcing you to be happy?*

Akio blinks a few times. Cocky? That's a first. He chuckles, "Fine friends then!"

Ra Dai being the hyperactive ball of fluff he is, launched himself into Akio chest. Big mistake.

The force of the little Fennec is rather surprising. It sends Akio sailing out of the tree along with the egg. Falling at a rapid rate if he opened his wings at the wrong time they would do nothing. What made things worse is he forgot to calculate to weight of the egg when free falling. His wings appeared and did absolutely nothing. He hit the ground, back first, with a nice loud wham. The egg, of course, never hit the ground. He had cast a flight spell on it the last minute so it wouldn't hit. The case hovered to the ground lightly.

Ra Dai flies from the tree, *I'm so sorry! Akio! Are you okay?*

Akio groaned he was still conscious. Why did he have to endure all this torture? Why could the world leave him alone? He mutters full of pain, "Yes, but I think I broke a few things..."

"Well, Dear Akio! Need a lady's help?" a voice comes form a near by bush.

"Gwen?" Akio squeaks pain ridden.

"Yes, Dear! I see you need a bit of healing." She pops out of the bush and walks over to him. Kneeling over him she smiles, "This will take a little bit. Just hold still." She chants a quiet spell. In a few minutes Akio is fully healed. As Gwen helps him up she whispers in his ear, "Now, can I see your boxers?"

That's it. He's had enough, "What is with my boxers? WHAT'S SO FREAKING GREAT ABOUT THEM?! THE ANSWER FOR THE LAST TIME IS NO!" He takes a deep breath and mutters a sorry.

"You've had a bad day?"

"You think?"

Gwen is about to reply until a rustle in the bushes is heard. Out of no where a sword is pointed at Akio's neck. Gwen gasps for the owner of the sword is in long gray robes that cover him or her down to the feet. A male voice comes form the hood, "How dare a vile creature like you talk to a--"

"Just go away!" Akio brushes the sword away form his neck. "I'm not some evil demon that want's a sacrifice. Mister Hero go save someone who really is in distress! Akio walks over and picks up the egg and case. "Good day to you! Ra Dai come on!"

Ra Dai who had perched himself in a low tree flies to his shoulder. He stick his tongue out at the phantom and grins at Akio, *Heroes by choice are idiots!*

"How-How dare you! I am one of the greatest heroes ever!"

"Well Mister Hero. I'm off to raise a Glenn Dragon!" Akio gives a sweeping bow to the hooded man, spins on his heals and walks off. The man is left standing there like an idiot.

Gwen runs to catch up to them, "That was great Akio! You're amazing!"

"Thank you," An arrow whooshes by his head and hits the tree in front of him. "What was that...."

"Dog...demons," Gwen mutters.

*This isn't good!* another arrow whizzes by, this time almost hitting Ra Dai.

"You're the prince of demons! Do something!" Gwen hisses as they all dodge the sudden rain of arrows.

"Stop it! I'm Prince Akio! Please don't kill us!" he ducks behind a tree with the egg and Ra Dai.

"We need proof!" a booming voice comes form the treetops.

Akio whispers clutching the egg in his arms, "Zia if you can hear me help. Demons shouldn't be here...Please Zia..."

Yet another arrow flies past, but this time hits it's mark. Gwen falls to the ground with an arrow in her leg. She cries out in pain and garbs her wounded leg. There is little blood, the arrow had only grazed her thankfully. The voice again speaks, "I want proof!"

Akio sighs as he gets up from his hiding place, "I am Prince Akio and I need no proof! I claim all rights to my Kingdom! Those who oppose me will most likely join the side of evil. Kill me if you wish, but don't hurt my friends!" He mental cursed himself for acting like a stupid hero. He had to protect them...What would the others say.

Laughter is heard form the tree tops as someone lands not to far from him in the shadows. It laughs, "Such a pretty Prince! Can I keep him father?"

Akio groans, "Not another girl who wants to hit on me..."

*You're the real ladies man!* Ra Dai laughs in friends head.

Akio just ignores it, "So, What do you want and why are you here?"

"Well you see...It's like this..." the voice begins.