The actual copy of the story I wrote for NeoFox. Sorry for the screw up.

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"One wish huh... well, I could always wish for a snazzy pair of pants like yours..."

The staff was raised, but one tiny, gloved paw snapped up to halt it. "Whoa, hold it, buddy! I said I could, not the same as I do." He rolled his eyes, dropping the podium to the floor in front of the tiny gods. "Sheesh, you guys are real trigger happy."

"Daxter..."

"All right!" He looked thoughtful, then snapped his fingers. "Hey, you know what would be real nice...? Being me again! Being human!" He glared at them. "I wish I were a human again."

Tess squealed, clapping her hands together. Jak smiled softly, looking to the three ottsels as Daxter's request sank in.

There was a moment's pause.

"I'm sorry, I can't."

And another.

"WHAT!"

"We cannot undo what has been done. The Dark Eco made its choice. An ottsel you are and an ottsel you shall remain, Daxter. The choice to change you back lies outside our grasp." The wizened creature lowered its head slightly. "I am sorry, Daxter."

Dax stared at them blankly. Finally, he waved his hand and shrugged. "Meh, not that big a deal. I'll live. Least you can do is give me some pants after that."

"Granted." The wand lashed out, bright light engulfed Daxter's hips and legs for a moment, lifting him from the ground as it coalesced into the clear shape of baggy shorts, hanging from his hips.

He hit the ground and examined himself critically. Tess picked him up, hugging him close.

"Jak, it is time for us to leave."

"Say what!"

The blonde stepped forwards, running a hand through his short locks. "I... have things that need doing." He turned to look at Daxter, who had wrestled himself free from Tess to trail after him. "You can come with us. Out there." He gestured skyward.

"Aw, hell, Jak..." Daxter looked at his feet. "I wanna. But I'd so give those wanna be gods the old one-two!" He punched, jabbed with an elbow, followed up with his fist. "And then they might turn me into something even worse. And... this is our home, Jak. Here. Stay with us."

"I can't." He knelt down, hugged Daxter, one hand all he needed to cradle his best friend's tiny form. "You look after Tess and Ashelin, keep everything safe and running smoothly, all right?"

"Yeah, sure." Daxter sat upright in Jak's hand, peering at him. "You coming back?"

"Course I will." He smiled and fondly scratched one ear. "Before you know it."

The ottsel said no more, slipping down to the ground and trotting back over to Tess, climbing up her leg to sit on the raised dais where the Jak had received his first battle honours from Damas.

Jak smiled and turned to follow the gods up the ramp of their ship. Daxter smiled until Jak was gone from sight, slumping into a heap on Tess' thigh as the door started to close.

She scratched between his shoulder blades. "It's okay, he'll be back."

He shrugged to make her stop. Suddenly, Tess' nails felt too sharp and her fingers too thin and gentle to be running anywhere along his back.

There was a blast of smoke and light and the ship lifted away. All turned to watch it, eyes wide with amazement.

Except one. One who stared at his paws and bit his bottom lip, trying not to think that the departing ship had just taken away his best friend.

The smoke finally started to clear. Tess coughed, Ashelin rubbed her back, staring after the bright streak that was the departing ship.

Daxter rubbed at his eyes, freezing as a hand landed on his back — large, warm and calloused, with blunt nails that idly scratched that exact right spot on his back.

"What's the matter with you, you look like you lost your best friend."

Time moved in slow motion as Daxter leapt to his feet, spinning, his tail balancing him as he almost fell backwards. That large hand was there, scooping him up as he leapt, arms reaching around the broad neck.

Time sped up. Daxter collided into Jak, half tangled in the folds of red scarf. Jak was laughing, Daxter was screeching incoherently, Tess sobbing happily into her hands and Ashelin leading the applause that was taken up by the citizens of Spargus who gathered in the stands around the pit of molten rock their platform stood above.

"Jak! Jak, you didn't go! Why didn't you go, no, don't answer that, you might change your mind, you didn't go, you didn't leave me!"

Jak grinned and pulled Daxter back, touching him on his nose. "I'll never leave you behind. Promised you that back at Sandover."

They stood there, the crowd's roar all about them. If Daxter's body was shuddering, Jak didn't mention it.

Jak softly rubbed one silky soft ear with his nose, shifting Daxter so he could whisper in his ear, deafeningly quiet against the roar of the crowd. "Make a wish, Dax."

The body in his hand went stiff. "Not funny, Jak. You can be a real jerk, y'know, first pretendin' to leave me, now rubbin' in that our great and mighty gods can't even correct what they messed up, put me down!"

Tess and Ashelin had gone quiet, watching the sudden outburst from the hurt Daxter. Jak just smiled again and took a few steps backwards, to the centre of the platform. "Make your wish, Dax."

Daxter struggled more, kicking against Jak's hands, holding him where he was. "Jak, this ain't funny. Weren't from the outset, but really not now."

"Make your wish." And another step back, closer to the edge of the metal platform.

"Jak?"

"Make your wish." One more step. The crowd was falling silent.

"Jak, stop it!"

"Make you wish." Everyone else was silent, watching their messiah back towards certain death.

"Stop it, Jak, jus' stop it, it ain't that big a deal, I lived with it this long, I can live with it more."

"You don't have to. Just make your wish, Dax." He grinned, that off kilter and slightly insane grin that had started showing itself since Daxter had found Jak in that chair in the prison.

"Jak, no! No over the edge! We have too much to live for! I have too much to live for! Jak!"

"One wish Dax. What do you want?" Jak's boot scraped the edge of the platform and someone in the crowd screamed.

"I wanna be me again!" His panicked eyes held Jak's, pleading with his friend not to send them both over the edge. "I want..." His voice dropped, he sagged in Jak's hands, a limp bundle of fur. "I want to be me again."

And Jak smiled at him, that wide, beautiful, innocent smile from Sandover. Daxter looked up, couldn't help but smile slightly at seeing Jak's face.

"Wish granted."

And before he could ask, Jak stepped backwards and off the platform.

--

The world moved strange. Time moved strange. They were plummeting downwards, headfirst, Jak's face blocking the worst of the heat that roared up from the lava below them.

Around them, people screamed, Tess and Ashelin screamed, Dax screamed, everyone but Jak screamed.

Jak laughed and folded in on himself, foetal, with Daxter at the centre of his curled mass.

Then, they paused, time stopped, the universe stopped as Jak called on his saving grace, deep inside.

They seemed to become smaller, just for a split second, and light exploded outwards, showering over the killing arena below. Caught on warm breezes that came from nowhere, they turned mid-air, tendrils of light reaching outwards, falls of sunlight reaching between them to make the mesh of the wings.

Jak's eyes streamed with light from beneath the mostly closed lids before opening to reveal the warm, compassionate and blazing eyes of Jak's light eco alter ego.

With a gentle roll, Jak was under Dax, cradling the ottsel on his chest. His wings were spread to catch the air currents that gushed from the same non-existent place as the light that streamed from below them, lifting them upwards again, almost level with the platform they had fallen from.

Awed silence pressed the stadium's air, but it was kept from the two in the centre, protected by the vents of light that roared above and below them.

Jak smiled and opened his arms, letting Daxter drift upwards. Paws paddled at the air, trying to swim through nothing; he rolled instead, grabbing onto his tail and, finally, Jak's hands, anchoring himself arms' length from his suddenly unknowable best friend.

Caught in the wind, the wings curled upwards and around them, hiding Daxter from everyone but Jak.

Jak, who stared upwards with a face filled with hope as the light streamed from between his closed wings.

Forever passed, and the light faded. Jak's eyes closed and he relaxed, held up only by his curled wings, arms and legs limp and hanging loose.

They were blown to the platform, to the waiting girls who stared upwards, eyes filled the awe inspiring fear that Light Jak brought with him.

Jak seemed to shake himself awake, reaching upwards once more. His wings closed, engulfing him as he was righted over the metal plating, feet still some distance from making contact.

The light shattered, tumbling away to reveal blonde hair, blue and cream clothing and precursor metal armour.

The light shattered, exploding to reveal pale skin, brilliant red hair, dazed blue eyes and loose blue shorts hanging from narrow hips.

They dropped to the platform, Jak's arms wrapping around Daxter, holding him upright as his legs buckled under him.

"Daxter?"

"Daxxie?"

"Jak?" The boy in question stared up to the smiling blue eyes of his best friend.

"Shh." He shook his head, leant down to touch his nose to Daxter's. "Don't ask. I don't know."

Daxter swallowed and nodded, staying quiet for the first time in his life as Jak looked him up and down.

"Well?"

Jak smiled and slid a hand behind Daxter's head, burying his fingers in the long red strands. His lips almost brushed Daxter's before he spoke. "Well, was it worth wishing?"

The smaller laughed, loudly. "Of course. And I know it must'a been for you, because I've got to be worth staying here for."

Jak's answer was swallowed, not only by the crowd's roar, but, more importantly, by Daxter's mouth.