"Someone just shoot me now!" Kristsi moaned when they finally returned from their first day of training. She walked stiffly into the living room of George's house and flopped down on the couch. "Stupid me for thinking training would be all fun and games!" she complained again. Zeke and Meredith grinned at each other as they watched the novice Otaku suffer on the couch. Unlike Kristsi, they enjoyed the exericise and were still pumped from the workout.

"Are you sure you don't want to do another 5 mile run as a cool-down?" Meredith asked innocently. Kristsi gave her an evil look. "Whoa, I take that as a no!" Meredith giggled. "Sorry, I'm used to exercising with Susanne. Where is she, by the way? I haven't seen her since last night."

Kristsi sat up slowly, a worried look on her face. "I know this might sound weird, but I've had the feeling tugging at the back of my mind all day that she's not anywhere around here anymore. I can't *feel* her. Do you think we should go look for her?"

"I don't think we need to be too worried yet," Zeke said. "Anywhere she is, Roger is sure to be close by. He can take care of her."

Meredith bit her lip worriedly. "I still don't like the idea of us being split up. If she's not back by tomorrow morning, I think we'd better go look for her. But how are we going to find her?"

"I don't think that will be a problem." Kristsi said quietly. "I think I've found one of my 'talents'." The slender Otaku was staring out into space, her eyes focused on something that Meredith and Zeke couldn't see. "I can hear her thinking...Oops!" Kristsi's face turned a scarlet hue as she jerked her thoughts away from Susanne's. She giggled nervously. "I don't think her and Roger would appreciate me evesdropping at this particular moment...."

Meredith's eyes bulged. She looked over at Zeke. "I didn't... Roger... her... WHAT????"

Zeke looked amused and a little disturbed. "I had my suspicions, but I had hoped I was wrong. The Council is going to have his hide!!!"

****************************************

Kristsi reluctanly stepped out of the hot shower, toweling herself dry as she walked stiffly back into the adjoining guest bedroom. She was defintely going to be sore tomorrow! she thought as she looked approvingly around the tasteful room, once again appreciative of George's good taste. She quickly dried her hair and slipped into her favorite silk jammies and collapsed gratefully onto the soft bed. Tired as she was, she couldn't get to sleep. The events of the last couple of days swirled throught her tired mind, refusing to let her drift off to sleep. After about an hour of tossing and turning, she fell into a troubled doze.

A man stepped out from his hiding place behind the curtain. He slipped quietly to the side of the bed and looked down at the sleeping girl, a myriad of emotions playing across his shadowed face. 'She's grown up a lot' he thought to himself as he reached out to touch her, stopping himself before he gave himself away. 'She looks so much like her mother...' Tears welled up in his eyes as he thought back on scenes from his life many years ago. His wife was wearing a sun dress and a sun hat, laughing as she played with their young daughter out on the grass. He jerked his thoughts back to the present and the task at hand. 'I'm sorry, Kristsi...it's the only way...' he whispered as he drew a dagger from its sheath on his belt.

Things happened all at once. Kristsi woke from her light sleep and stared for a moment umcomprehendingly at the man at the side of her bed. "Daddy???" she whispered in suprise. Her eyes fell on the dagger in his hand. "What are you doing?!?!?!" she exclaimed. The man let out a tortured yell as he lunged at her, reaching for her throat. At that moment, a small gold-colored dragon about the size of a house cat burst through the open window and made a bee-line for the man's face, its claws scraping furociously at the soft flesh. The man screamed as he blindly flailed his arms about, trying to fend off his surprise attacker. Kristsi screamed as both of them tumbled onto the bed. The man managed to grab a hold the dragon and fling it across the room. It struck the wall and was temporarily stunned, giving the man time enough to make a hasty exit out the window. Kristsi ran to the window and watched as the man disapeared into the night, tears welling up in her brown eyes. "Come back! Daddy please don't leave me!!! PLEASE!!!!" Her cries echoed back up to her from the empty courtyard. She crumpled onto the floor as great sobs tore from her throat.

The gold dragon inched over towards the girl, its orb-like eyes anxiously whirling a mixture of orange and red. Kristsi sobbing eventually softened to silent tears. She looked up and noticed that the small dragon was still there, regarding her with concern... well, as much of a look of concern as a reptile can show. Kristsi eyed the minature dragon with contempt and threw the nearest object---one of her shoes---at the small lizard. "You scared him away! You scared him away, you dirty reptile!" she whispered forcefully. "Who do you think you are???"

The gold dragon transformed into a young man. He had golden hair and penetrating blue eyes. Had he been anyone else other than the one who had attacked her father, Kristsi would have been breathless as she looked at him. He was, as she would describe it, 'well-endowed'! "My name is Kell," he said, "and I'm your Guardian. I just saved your pretty little neck, but you can thank me later." He crossed his arms and looked down at Kristsi, who was glaring up at him with pure contempt.

"I'm not thanking you for anything, you tampering fool!!! You just ruined everything!!!"

Just then a very sleepy Meredith and a concerned looking Zeke burst into the room. "What's going on here? What's all the racket?" Meredith asked, her eyes quickly taking in the scene.

"I just got my Guardian," Kristsi said through clenched teeth as she pushed her way past her and out of the room.