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Chapter the Sixth: The Finding Part II

As the events of the past few days went by, my memory of those parts of the game were restored, minus our own contributions of course. How things were supposed to happen. Our arrival seemed not to have any dramatic effects of any kind, we were more or less, just extra characters. Now our group of Jak, Daxter and I stood once again on the shores of Misty Island, not a very desirable place to be to say the least, yet that was where we were. If I hadn't had any real reason to be here then I might have jumped back in the boat and left Jak and Daxter behind. If that didn't work, then I might have at least wet myself.

"Y-you sure we have to be here guys? I m-mean, we have more than enough Power Cells..."

/We can always use more, and those Lurkers are a major threat to the village./

"Maybe Jen has a point, it's not too late to go back." Daxter offered.

Jak just rolled his eyes and started walking. /We should split up, we'll cover more ground./ I just stood there shaking. /We'll spend a lot less time here./ That made me take off in the other direction to do my share of searching. The idea of leaving was very

appealing.

The way I went had several pits of slime. First I prodded it with a stick.

"Ew."

Then I poked it with my finger. It felt like melted putty, only much cooler.

"Eewwww!"

I grinned like a mental patient and jumped in the goo.

"EEWWWWW!"

I started laughing, maybe because of my own reaction to having my entire lower body covered in the disgusting substance, maybe because the coolness of the slime was almost tickling me, I don't think I'll ever know. I'm weird like that. Anyway, I trudged through the goo, seeing as there was no other way to the other side, and started pondering how I could wash it off of my clothes when a Lurker shot out of the grime and snarled at me. On impulse I raised my arms over my head to block whatever attack it threw. This turned out to be the least desirable course of action because the Lurker pulled me completely under. I was very alarmed as the goo slid over my face so I shut my eyes so they wouldn't be harmed.

Trying to move quickly in that muck was extremely difficult, even more so than trying to hit an enemy you can't see while trying to move in said surroundings. I gave up on trying to fight and forced my way back to the surface to get air. Wiping the slime from my eyes I located the other side of the pit and 'swam' to it as quickly as possible. Fortunately I didn't run into any more problems. I lay on the ground for a few moments to catch my breath, getting back up proved difficult as my back was more or less stuck to the ground. I'll worry about getting clean when I get back to the village, I thought.

The Lurker that had pulled me under popped up again and growled, it must have been angry that its prey had escaped. I smirked and flipped it off before turning to leave. That's when it hit. A big ball of sludge right on the back of my head. Looking behind me, I found that the Lurker was laughing. It just f---ing spit on me! No way was it going to get away with that! Close combat was out of the question, I didn't want to risk getting dragged below the surface again, so long range it was. But what could I use...

I began to massage my temples as I thought when I noticed a thin band around my wrist. My hair tie! I hadn't worn it a lot since I came here because I prefer having my hair down, but if used correctly...I tied it around my index and middle finger and plucked a rock off of the ground. The rock was placed on the elastic band and drawn back, then aimed. The Lurker was still laughing at it's oh so funny trick so it wasn't aware of what I was doing until it was hit. It went unconscious and sank into the goo.

"Oh s---!" I had done it again! Another living thing, an intelligent creature was going to die because of me! Not this time! I tied my hair back with the elastic and jumped back in the slime, swimming out to save the Lurker. I grabbed a fistful of hair on its back and proceeded to pull it to the edge.

"Great, I risked myself drowning in...this, to save something that tried to kill me."

Upon hauling it on the dry ground I found it was still breathing. Not wanting to be around when it woke up, I etched a message in the dirt. 'You owe me big.' In the native language of course.

Before going on, I jumped in the ocean to wash off at least some of the gunk that had accumulated on me. My hair was still a mess and now I was soaking wet, but it was better than being covered in slime. My next obstacle proved to be less of a challenge. Several stone pillars rising out of the ground, an eerie mist swirling below. Falling was not very desirable, no, best not think about that. I spent about two minutes mulling over the best way to get across before I decided jumping was the only option.

The first jump wasn't so bad, I landed squarely on my feet and didn't loose my balance. The next was a bit more awkward as I stumbled slightly when I landed. The third had to be my most ungraceful because the ledge I landed on decided to crumble beneath my feet. Gravity took me for a ride, to which I applied brakes, namely grabbing what was left of the pillar. The debris fell into the misty water below me attracting the attention of a Lurker Shark. It began to circle the pillar I was so temptingly dangling off of. I swear the damn fish was grinning.

My feet found things to hang on to so I could relax my aching arms a bit. Now all I had to do was pretend I was rock climbing at summer camp. Only there was no safety rope, and a hungry beast awaited me if I slipped. Those factors alone were enough motivation to make me start clambering back up.

Apparently, I wasn't fast enough.

The shark must have been desperate for a meal, it rammed the pillar with its huge head, causing it to topple over taking me with it. Quick thinking is not my specialty, I more or less acted on impulse, once the beast was in range, I kicked it hard the response was a ragged row of teeth digging into my calf. A loud cry of pain escaped me and I used my good leg to hit it again. My blow landed on its eye and it roared before swimming away, taking a strip of my skin along with it.

Now if I know one thing about sharks, they're attracted to the scent of blood. I don't know if Lurker Sharks apply, but if they did I didn't want to just sit there. The pillar crashed into its neighbor, and that into another, a very large domino effect creating a bridge of sorts. After taking the smallest moment to rest, I stood shakily and limped to the other side. A Precursor door opened up to allow me entrance to a large, open space. I had no time to marvel at it though, the ground started rushing towards me very quickly; by the time I realized I was falling I was already on the ground. I guess moving around so much after having some skin sliced off isn't the best thing to do.

I don't know how long I just lay there waiting for a scrap of energy to come back, but eventually I felt someone standing over me.

"I didn't think you could be taken out that easily." The person said. I turned my head to see him and tried to focus on his face. The man's head was adorned with an orange circlet, possibly a Precursor artifact. His skin was deathly pale, and his hair was only a few shades lighter, and went to his shoulders. His eyes were the brightest shade of yellow I'd ever seen. His garments were all shades of dark purple or black, and unlike the majority of people here, he wore boots.

"You seem to know me well." I replied.

"Oh, I was afraid you might not recognize me. Dark Eco can do that to you." He knelt down and lifted my head into his lap. I aimed a punch at his face in resistance, which he caught with relative ease. I now recognized him as one of the three beings commanding the Lurkers. But how would he know me?

"Really Jen, I'm hurt. Why would you attack me?"

With renewed vigor I bolted upright, smacking his head with mine. He recoiled and placed a hand on his head, I did the same, head butts always have their side effects.

"How the hell do you know my name?" I snarled, forcing myself to get up.

"Oh my, you really don't recognize me? Have you forgotten?" he vanished in a puff of purple smoke. I stared at the empty space. Did he run away? I was answered by hot breath on the back of my neck. He had reappeared behind me. "That hurts so much. After I did you that favor of going to the dance with you."

My eyes widened in shock. "A-Alex...?"

"Ah, I guess you haven't forgotten."

"Why would you...side with the Lurkers?" My legs fell out from under me, and soon, I was back in his lap.

"Side? I'm not on their side."

"But you've been tainted with the eco, I saw you with those other two!"

"Ah, them. I'm just keeping my end of a deal, I've found a way to get us home."

"What?!"

"Yes, they told me that they had a way to send us back, I've seen it myself. We can leave this place."

I shoved him back and rolled away before he could grab me again. He made a deal with them?! "Alex, you know Dark Eco is harmful, you know that those other two are evil! They're just using you!"

The dark being before me chuckled. "What if I know that? I'm doing the exact same thing, once their plan is complete, you, me, Charlie and Rose can go back, leaving them to wallow in the dire consequences of their own mistake. We don't belong here. Our very presence may be destroying the history of this world as we speak."

"Our presence isn't doing anything! If it was we would have known by now!." I struggled to stand again. "Things are already in motion, if we try to interfere that is what will ruin history."

Alex grabbed my arm tightly, more blood leaked out. His nails had grown considerably.

"You can go first, when I find the others, they will follow." He pulled a vile filled with a familiar dark element. "Now what say we heal that gash." He popped off the cap and readied to pour it over my wound. It was my understanding that Dark Eco healed almost faster than Green, but was much more painful. I resisted as best I could, but the blood loss was getting to me. I cried for help, but Jak and Daxter were probably on the other side of the island.

A flare of red proved me wrong; making Alex cry out and vanish in a whirl of smog.

"Speak of the devil."

I blacked out.