Chains That Bind
By Lady Ava

Author's Notes: Okay. Jak and Dax have been a long time fav of mine and I'm glad the bunnies decided to visit after I started re-playing the games. Jak II was/is still my favorite one out of the series, so I'm going to be going off that setting and whatnot. This is semi AU. So, if a detail is there that you don't agree with, please keep in mind of the AU aspect.

Chapter One
The Ring Of Mar

Two months had pasted since the defeat of Metal Kor and the fall of Baron Praxis. Haven City had once again become a bustling center of business and entertainment. Many of the elders could compare it to that of Mar's golden age, before the attack of the metal heads and the overthrow of the throne. Because of Jak and Daxter's acts to bring down the leader of the metal heads, the city was in debt to them and their comrades. In a way, he had become an icon to the city, despite the dark eco creature that dwelled within him still.

Outside the city walls, two men and an Ottsel found themselves before the remains of the enterance to the Tomb of Mar. After Praxis' attack, the whole enterance had been blown open and nearly destroyed. Any of the creatures that had lingered within the ruins had long since been destroyed and all traps had been disabled. No one besides the small group ever came out that far from the city, so they knew it was safe.

Daxter looked up at the enterance, tilting his head to the side a bit. The little Ottsel had his normal set of goggles perched upon his head as he leaded against his best friend's head. He, Jak, and Sig had been sent by Orin and Samos to this place once more, only this time, their mission was a bit vaguer than before.

"So," the orange creature began, getting a glance from the blond haired elf, "What exactly is our goal here?"

Crossing his arms in his normal laid back fashion; Jak simply narrowed his eyes, "Samos said that there's something in here that we need to find," he explained, "Some kind of precursor item that is lost."

Letting his nose twitch a bit, Daxter sighed, "I think it should stay lost. Precursor stuff is the last thing I personally would like to deal with."

Sig let out a loud, full hearty laugh at the Ottsel's words. He was dressed in his normal metal head armor with the peacemaker scrapped onto his back. As he looked inside the darkened tomb, he let his grin continue on, "Come on chili peppers. Times a wasting and we're burning daylight."

Pulling his scatter gun off his back, Jak double-checked his ammo and returned the smirk to the older man, "Let's do it."

As the trio stepped over the battered ruble and into the temple, torches suddenly became alit with bright blue flames. The large room it illuminated was covered in the familiar markings and artwork that were inscribed there the first time Jak and Daxter had entered for the tests of manhood. Although, this time, they didn't have to worry about running, dodging boulders, giant spiders, and solving the puzzles all over again. They knew that the main chamber of the tomb that once held the precursor stone had been destroyed due to a cave in, so there was no possible way to try and explore it again. Besides, the only thing that mattered in that room was the stone. Jak and the others moved carefully through the different rooms, making sure not to trigger any traps that might have been lingering. They looked along the walls and pillars, trying to find any sign of what the sage spoke of.

After what seemed like an eternity, the three moved into a smaller room. There were no paintings of carvings on the walls in this room, nor were there any columns of stone. There was nothing. Not even another door for them to move onward.

Daxter leapt off Jak's shoulder and looked around, "Well, this was a waist. There's nothing here!" he yelled, letting his voice echo around the room.

Sighing a bit in frustration, Sig looked down at the rat, "I hate to agree with ya, but I think you have a point. I think the sage has finally lost it."

But Jak just shook his head a bit at the statement. Moving away from the doorway, he started investigating the walls of the room, looking for some kind of clue. "Let's just look around here," he said, trying to keep up his energy, "If there's nothing, we'll just have to go and listen to Samos and Onin tell us we didn't look hard enough."

"Don't forget that loud-mouth Pecker too!" Daxter said loudly, a bit of detest in his voice. "I hate that birdbrain."

Dropping his gun to his side, Sig took a seat on the ground, letting a loud grunt escape him. Propping his leg up, he rested one of his large armored arms against his knee, watching Jak move about the room carefully, "Face it kid, the sages got it wrong this time. There is nothing left in this place but some rocks and old pictures."

"I usually wouldn't agree with him," Daxter piped in, taking a seat on the floor as well, "but Sig's got a point."

Placing his hand against the wall, Jak hung his head a bit. His long blond hair fell slightly over his shoulder he let a sigh escape him at his friends words. It had been hours since they had entered and there was no sign of any kind of weapons or artifacts. Despite wanting to believe Samos, perhaps the man was really just getting on in years. Or maybe they just translated the ancient texts wrong. They had staggered over rubble and other lost treasures only to find nothing that even resembled the item they sought.

Turning to face Sig and Daxter, the young elf brought his head up, "Yeah, maybe your—"

'Young warrior,' a voice suddenly entered Jak's mind, causing him to straighten up and his eyes to wide. He looked directly at the others, letting his expression go unchanged. 'You have come back to us at last.'

Daxter watched as his friend's expression suddenly became very distant and cold. His eyes went from incredibly wide to slightly closed in a quick instant. The deep shade of blue that was his stare slowly began to dull and loose their shimmer. It was almost as if he was lost deep in thought. Jak's hand remained on the wall as he turned away, letting his whole body relax.

"…Jak?" Daxter asked, quickly getting to his feet.

No response.

'Though the prophecy of the heir has yet to be fulfilled, our hope has once again returned to us with your return to this hallow ground.' The voice continued. Jak could feel himself loosing control of his actions. This sensation had happened once before. When he had first come to this tomb when the tests of manhood were about to commence, he felt himself lose himself as the door opened. Recalling that moment, Jak remembered pushing his young self behind him, feeling the pull of the unknown calling at him. It clawed its way to the surface, taking hold of his senses and rational. He couldn't stop his feet from moving as stepped forward until he heard the voice command him to stop.

As the precursor continued to explain on, Jak let his gun drop from his hands and onto the dusty floor. A loud crash echoed throughout the chamber, grabbing the attention of the others with him. 'You have come here, seeking one of the lost precursor items. This jewel was hidden long ago by Mar in order to help conceal his true power from any man who tried to have it for himself.' It explained further as the young man placed his other hand onto the wall.

Sig watched as Daxter's concern quickly grew more justified. Jak was not responding to the little ottsel's calls and had dropped his weapon. Taking up his own gun in hand, the wastelander rose to his feet slowly.

"Hey kid, you okay?" he asked hesitantly, taking a small step forward.

Daxter ignored a cautious attitude, scurrying past the large man and over to his friend's side. He didn't try to move up onto his normal perch upon his shoulder, fearing something might go bad. Instead, the orange rat came up at the base of Jak's feet. Touching his friend's boot, Daxter slowly glanced up to see the young man's face.

'This item is known as the Ring of Mar,' the voice continued with his explanation, 'When in the hands of the one true heir, its power can and will be unleashed.'

He could see Daxter by his feet with his mouth moving, but he couldn't hear the words that were said. Jak let his eyes close, feeling completely lost in his own body. Through his arms, he could feel a pulsation of energy that he had never felt before. It was nothing like the dark eco that flowed through his blood. This power was warm and relaxing; like it had always been within, but never was able to come into play before.

"You're freaking me out kid." Sig said, moving closer to the teenager.

Suddenly, a pulse rushed into the wall causing Daxter and Sig to jump back in surprise. Dust and dirt blew out of the cracks in the wall, filling the room with the cloud. Sounds of rocks and stones moving and shifting could be heard as vision became next to impossible. The ground rumbled as the large stones fell, kicking up more of the dirt from the floor.

Coughs and hacks echoed as the tremor was quickly silenced as fast as it had begun. The cloud was slowly beginning to settle as the three individuals slowly came back into view. They were covered from head to toe in the filth, coughing and wheezing as visibility was restored.

Sig had quickly covered his face with the cloth from around his neck. From being out in the wasteland for so long, he knew how to react to such condition changes. Using his arm, he had shielded his eyes from the whirlwind, waiting until it calmed down. He coughed only a little bit as his eyes darted over to where Daxter and Jak had been.

Watching the dust clear, the two came into view. The Ottsel had hurried up onto his friend's shoulder, trying to avoid the rocks falling around them. He threw his goggles down and clung for dear life to Jak's shoulder armor. The two were covered head to toe like Sig; their once clean fur and clothing now covered in dirt.

Dax let a loud hack escape him as he adjusted himself once again upon his perch, lifting up his goggles to reveal large rings around his eyes. "What the hell was that?" he coughed out. He looked to his right, hoping his friend would have moved a bit.

To his surprise, Jak had lowered his arms to his side, but was just as still as before. His eyes had remained closed and his head had dropped to his chest. While he stood quiet, the voice once again returned to him:

'Take the ring. Bring forth your destiny. Revive the House of Mar.'

His eyes flew opened and his head came up quickly, startling Daxter. Letting his eyes dart around a bit, Jak could tell he had regained control once again. His head pulsed with a dull pain, making him feel dizzy. Bringing his hand up to his face, Jak rubbed his brow, trying to rid himself of the pain.

Daxter noticed the change in his friend's movement instantly, "Jak?"

Releasing his head, Jak looked to his shoulder, "Dax? What," he began, looking around the small room, "What happened?"

"I think you need to tell us," Sig piped in, rising from his spot.

Jak quickly glanced over his shoulder at the man, letting his eyes narrow at his words. Glancing down at the floor for a moment, the teen took a moment to think. If they had not heard the voice, it was better not to say anything on it. If anything, Daxter would crack a joke about it and Sig would probably think he was insane. But before he could answer the question, Sig's expression changed to that of surprised. Looking over his shoulder, Jak too felt his eyes widen a bit.

There, sitting within the destroyed wall, was a small glowing object. It sat upon a small pedestal, as if placed there waiting for them. The ring had a small red jewel placed upon the top while the band was a deep gold. Etched in the gold, there were words engraved, though it was in a language that was unreadable.

"The Ring of Mar," Jak breathed out, keeping his eyes locked on it.

Looking at his best friend and then back at the ring, Daxter raised a questioning eyebrow. But, deciding to ask questions later was probably his better option. Jumping off, Jak's shoulder, the Ottsel hurried over to the small stand. With a simple jump up, he reached out and took hold of the ring.

"A little gaudy for me," Daxter smirked as he held it up into the light of the room, "but maybe Tess would like it."

Sig chuckled a bit, "Nice try. But that little gem is going straight to the sage and Onin." Walking over to the pair, the large man quickly plucked the precursor from the rodent. Glancing over at Jak, the man quickly looked him over. The young man had his eyes focused on the ring in his hand, looking at it with a great amount of question on his face. Underneath the layer of dirt upon his face, Sig could tell that Jak was shaking a bit, looking surprisingly pale.

"Let's head back cherries," he said loudly, letting his booming voice break Jak's focus on the ring. Sliding the item into a small pouch on his waist, Sig adjusted his weapon on his back. "And I'll drive.

Night finally had settled upon the streets of Haven City. It was perfectly clear out, not a single cloud in the sky as the view scattered lights were lit throughout. A few hover cars could be heard off in the main streets from where the Naughty Ottsel was located. Krew's old gang had once given the area a horrible name, what with all of his 'errands' he would have people, like Jak, out doing. But since he was no longer in the world of the living, the harbor place had become a safe place to linger at night. There were various clubs, bars, and other such things now located within the area of Daxter's place. Though, none of them shared in the place's popularity. Normally, the resistance would have been out and about, running errands or solving a few people. But since the defeat of Kor, there was no need for such things anymore.
"Honey, I'm home!" Daxter called as he walked triumphantly through the doors of the Naughty Ottsel, a small trail of yellow dirt being left behind in paw-shaped prints. The tiny creature waltzed into his bar without a single care in the world, whistling a random tune to himself. He knew that as soon as he hopped up onto the bar, he would come face to face with the lovely Tess and all would be right and wonderful. He had been looking forward to the back scratch that she always gave him after a long day out adventuring. After all, a hero like him always deserved such rewards.

Grinning as he hopped up onto the bar, Daxter turned to face the lovely bartender. "How about a kiss for the returning hero?" he asked, keeping his eyes closed as he waiting for the normal pat on the head.

"How's about you get your ugly squirrel ass out of my sight?" a deep familiar grunt growled.

Cracking one eye opened, Daxter came eye to eye with the former leader of the resistance. His tattooed face glared an evil stare at him, trying to force him off the bar. Torn's upper lip curled as he growled a bit more at the tiny creature.

"TORN! Where's Tess?!" the creature asked, fear gripped in his eyes.

"At the shop working on some new weapon designs," Keira's voice chimed in from the far side booth. She and Samos sat within the small booth, each nursing a small glass. "She won't be back until tomorrow morning. Said she was on the verge of something big."

As the Ottsel pouted a bit, Sig and Jak entered without as much flare as the animal had. They too, were still cover in the dust from the tomb. They trudged across the large open floor, dragging their feet a bit as they moved to sit at the bar. Sig propped up his gun against the edge of the counter while Jak left his on his back.

Sig looked up at Torn, smirking a bit. "Did you find it?" he rebel leader asked, not even trying to give any kind of words of question to their appearance.

Reaching to his side, the wastelander removed the small pouch from before and held it up. "Like taking candy from a baby." He grinned.

"Give it here my boy." Samos' voice spoke up, causing the two to glance over as the sage rose from the booth. He had his normal tree bark shoes on his feet, which clacked along the floorboards as he moved. His glasses sat squarely on his ancient face as came up to Sig's side. "I will take it to Onin tomorrow to have it looked at."

Keira as well rose from her place at the booth. As she looked over the small group while Sig and Daxter sat there, giving a re-telling of the day's work, she let her eyes wander to Jak. The young man sat quietly, not even bothering to attempt to engage in the story. His arms were crossed as he leaned onto the bar, almost as if he were trying to keep himself up. Parts of his blue tunic could be seen through the thick layer of dirt. It almost seemed like he did try to clean himself off more so than the others. His face, although covered with a few smudges, looked as if he had been through more than he cared to share.

"And then, the room started shaking like crazy!" Daxter interjected, breaking both Keira and Jak's vacant stares. "Then the wall broke through and then BOOM! There was the ring."

Samos glanced down at the small pouch in his hand and then back at the tiny creature. "Why did the wall suddenly break?" he inquired, noticing that Daxter had left that part out.

For once in the bar, the room fell silent. Whenever the room got this quiet, something serious had to have happened. The three dirt covered men cast there eyes downward for a moment, all thinking the same thing: Should they say what actually happened. Sig and Daxter were still completely unsure of the truth themselves. All they knew was it had something to do with Jak. The teen hadn't really spoken since they had left the tomb and back into Haven. He just sat quietly, watching the scenery pass him by.

"There was a switch on the wall that was engraved in the stone." Jak quietly muttered, finally breaking the silence of the room. "I found it and it triggered a small explosion."

Sig and Daxter exchanged glances at Jak's words. He wasn't telling them the truth. How he didn't answer them when they called him and how there were no markings on the walls at all. Something was bothering him, and Jak insisted on keeping it to himself.

Rising from his place, the young elf headed for the stairs. "I'm gonna grab a shower then some sleep." he stated flatly as he quickly vanished from sight.

The stare of his comrades wasn't what Jak wanted to deal with at that moment. There were too many things in his mind that just made him want to pass out in bed and forget the day even happened. He trudged up the stairs, ignoring comments that might have come from any of his friends. Arriving at the second floor, he moved down the hall, towards his room, feeling himself beginning to become lost in more of his own thoughts.

Pushing the door opened to his room, Jak moved inside. He removed his goggles from his head, throwing them onto his bed. Removing the straps from his chest, he felt a bit of relief as they loosened. Tossing the holster onto his dresser, Jak glanced up to his reflection in the mirror.

He gave himself a look over, unsure really what to think of himself. On the tip of his chin, his green go-t looked as trimmed as always and his eyes were their normal stunning blue. Blond hair tinted green at the roots hung around his shoulders as he ran his hand through it. Jak would often run his fingers through his long hair when something was really frustrating him. He knew that back on the island, he would have never had to worry about precursor items or haunting voices talking to him. Back in the past, it all seemed so easy. Life was simple. Back then, he didn't have to hide his scars. There were none to hide.

Removing the red cloth from around his neck and head, Jak examined his throat. A long scar went down from the middle of his throat to his collar bone. From what he could remember, the scientists that had done the eco experiments on him in the baron's prison had managed to operate on his vocal cords, giving him the ability to speak. It was a complete shock for him when he awoke from the eco treatments, being able to say just how much pain he was in.

It wasn't his only mark from the dear baron. As Jak removed his shirt, he revealed multiple gashes on his back. All of them were healed over, but still looked like a gruesome sight. He could remember when he had gotten those marks. His only failed escape attempt from the prison ended with fifteen lashes by Errol. He kept those marks hidden from the rest of them. There was a lot about his two years in captivity he did not tell anyone. If it came up, Jak would change the subject quickly. The past was just that: The past.

Turning away from his mirror, Jak moved towards his bed. He let a small sigh escape his lips as he moved to sit down. Exhaustion began to wash over with each step, making his bed seem much more comfortable once he sat down. Back in the tomb, after he regained control of his body, he felt somewhat weak. It almost left like he had a dark eco treatment pumped through him, leaving him shaking and sick.

Jak looked down at his hands. He rubbed his fingers together, looking at them with question. How could there have been so much power running through him at once that wasn't dark eco? It made no sense. 'As soon as I heard that voice, I felt that power.' Jak thought, dropping his hands. 'I don't understand it at all.'

The exhaustion that had been lingering for the past few hours was beginning to catch up with him. 'I still…don't get…it.' He continued to think as gravity got the better of him. Before he realized it, his head hit his pillow and he thought of nothing else.

It was this night and many after that the nightmares began

Author's Notes: I'm still working on the characterizations of everyone. But I'm hoping it will flow better as I continue. Let me know what you think.