Keira looked up at the great precursor ship blasting off into the cosmos above her. The sun glared off the bright, sapphire blue convex windows popping out of the beige rocket. The sea in front of her twinkled, and the waves lightly crashed onto the shore below from the force of the space ship's propulsion. The cool Spargus wind whipped through her turquoise hair, and the sea salt on the breeze caressed her pale skin. She rose a hand to shelter her eyes from the harsh rays of the sun.

Keira breathed in deeply. It was a perfect day, weather wise anyways, and yet… her heart felt anything but peaceful. It felt as wild as the gale that was coursing through the inlet, and the water beating the rocks below. Her heart felt like it was pumping faster than it ever had before, and simultaneously like it was empty; hollowed out, like her blood was swirling against a metal cage stored in the cavity of her chest. It was a weird way to describe it, but the absence of Jak just made her feel like everything inside of her had been emptied when he had walked on to that space ship, to fulfill his destiny as the heir of Mar…

He didn't even look back.

Her blood ran cold from distress and hot from the anger of him abandoning her. She knew it was selfish of her to want him to stay, and yet she couldn't stop herself from blaming him from choosing his destiny over his friends and families. Even Daxter seemed at peace with him leaving – but maybe with Tess to keep him company, that was a lot easier for him. Of course she always had her father, but things just wouldn't be the same with Jak gone, again. And who knows when he would come back…if ever.

She was in the midst of trying to come to terms with what had happened, because she hadn't realized that Jak would leave so… suddenly. She didn't even have a chance to say goodbye.

She shook her head, and breathed in deeply for a few seconds, and then exhaled. Her head wasn't clear, and it was clouded by her emotions. She had just gotten Jak back from the Baron, only to lose him to the wasteland, only to find him again in Haven, just to lose him one last time to some orange fuzzy aliens who were really the creators of the universe. It was… it was more than a lot to take in. She began chuckling to herself, realizing how ridiculous the whole thing was and that it's not something she could actually come to peace with in a few moments.

Wiping a tear that had formed in her eye, she looked up at the space ship one last time as it shrunk to the size of a pea and twinkled out of the atmosphere. Her heart dropped, and she gave a sad wave goodbye to the ship.

Looking towards her right, she stared at her father for affirmation that everything was going to be okay. He caught her gaze, and smiled warmly, but not before she saw a glimpse of his eyes becoming misty.

Her heart dropped. Even her father, the sturdy sage of green eco, was despondent at Jak's departure. Before she could stop herself, she felt a lump form in her throat, and her bottom lip begin to tremble. Not wanting to kill the positive vibe that had erupted from the crowd of Spargus citizens in support of their hero, she decided to make a disappearance where she could soother her acheing heart in peace.

She turned away hastily and pivoted on her heel, ready to make a break for her room within the palace when she heard a noisy chatter from below. It was subtle, but a squawk from Pecker a moment later alerted her, ears twitching. Her feet stuck to the stone so fast it was like she was carved into the palace itself.

Could it be…?

The lump in her throat immediately disappeared, and her heart began beating so profusely she could swear her blood had been replaced with little fish swimming along her veins and a butterfly fluttering where her soul should be. Keira's face lifted, and her eyes widened in shock. Her legs became wobbly with the hope that when she looked down, she would see what she thought she was hearing…

She dashed quickly back to the palace balcony and saw miraculously, that somehow against all odds, against everything she had thought only moments ago, a fluffy bunch of soft blonde hair was bobbing right next to a blob of orange fur. It was how everything should be – Jak, the brave hero, was standing right beside Daxter, the witty sidekick; all it was missing was their sassy intelligent mechanic. Nostalgia surged through her at seeing her two best buddies reunited again, standing next to each other, and she raced to the edge of the balcony to go join them to complete the ultimate trio that they were all together.

Keira had bolted to the elevator to the right of the Spargus throne, internally restless that the mechanical contraption couldn't go fast enough. In her excitement as she made her gentle descent down, she stood on her toes and waved high above her head to try and get Jak's attention. He was in the middle of embracing Daxter, but when he turned around, he didn't look up to see where his mentor and his childhood best friend were.

Keira was on his right, but instead, he was turning…left…

Puzzled, Keira glanced over, wondering who could be more important to greet first over his own family.

After squinting to adjust to the changing light as she moved from high to low on the shaky platform, she peered over to see that it was…

Ashelin...?

Keira's heart sank into her stomach.

It was Ashelin.

Time seemed to slow to a stop, and Keira's jaw dropped open in shock. Jak was sauntering over to the red head, a triumphant smirk on his face. Ashelin was grinning smugly, and Keira could swear that she saw her wink in Keira's direction. Looking around quickly to see if it could possibly be anyone else, she realized that the only other audience to receive that wink was the stone outcropping at her back. Taken aback at Ashelin's boldness, she gaped at the baroness who had just gone out of her way to make sure Keira knew she was marking her territory; like a predator, she was marking her prey – and the bitter ice blizzard that was erupting from her sharp green eyes pierced icicles into Keira's own blue orbs. And she knew what message she was trying to send with them –

Jak is mine.

Even from a distance, Keira could hear Ashelin seductively murmur, "Welcome back, tough guy." As she affectionately touched Jak's shoulder. But Keira knew that that touch wasn't for him; it was for her to see, so that Ashelin could cement any confusion Keira had about their relationship. And oh boy, was she ever crystal fucking clear on their affairs together right now.

"Hey! Keira! Isn't it great that Jak is back?" Daxter beamed up at her, giving her that famous goofy grin of his.

Refusing to see their embrace, and Mar knows what else what after all the rumours she had heard (not that she had believed them until just now), she gruffly walked the opposite direction from the two apparent love birds. "Yeah, it's just perfect." Keira seethed. She grit her teeth, balled up her fists, and promptly turned right sharply in to the tunnels beneath the balcony.

"What's her problem?" Daxter commented to Tess, thumbing towards his grumpy turquoised-headed friend while looking vaguely annoyed. Tess shrugged, but looked on in concern.

Keira stormed off, practically causing seismic activity in her wake - her footsteps could have split continents with their force.

Huffing and puffing to her room door, finally finding it among the maze of the palace corridors that was her new home, she slammed the door behind her. Smashing a fist against the wall, she growled and flopped onto her bed; steam erupting from her slender ears from fuming so hard.

Ashelin. She sputtered and boiled.

That. Bitch.