Jak and Daxter: Schism

by LunaLucrea

Set after Jak 3. What happens in one timeline, isn't necessarily what happens in another. When all goes wrong in a parallel timeline, rifts begin to open, old enemies return, and the world begins to crash. It doesn't help that Jak is struggling with the diminishing amount of Light Eco, and the return of someone who he thought he'd never see again.

11. Chapter 10

Author's notes: Hey guys, sorry about the wait. Had to have some wisdom teeth pulled... I though I was a little old for that, but guess not!

A few quick notes: I address Keira in this chapter as Samos's adoptive daughter. It makes the most sense considering that she's around the same age as Jak and Dax, and young Samos didn't have a daughter when he went back in time. This doesn't mean he loves her any less of course, you don't have to be blood to be family. (As a side note, I like to imagine that Dax is a year or two older than Jak and Keira, even though I know according to cannon they are all the same age. Still, I think it's an interesting dynamic that doesn't really affect their relationships too much anyway.)

Also, I really don't care for the final scene in Jak 3. I think the Precursors probably would have been a lot more discrete than holding a huge ceremony, especially considering they had been trying to hide the fact that they were ottsels for so long. So for the sake of this story, it was a much more toned down event. Several of the characters were not present, and most people know about what transpired, but there was no big ceremony. They granted Daxter's "wish" in private, thanked the heroes, offered Jak a chance to leave, then left themselves.

Thanks for the compliments on the Leviathan drawing, I'm glad you guys liked it! I'll probably be posting a few more drawings/sketches from the story in the next day or two as well, so check em out if interested.

Joe: Haha, don't worry, there'll at least be a bit more fluff before the story is over. :) Thanks for consistently reviewing.

Oblique Strategies: Yeah, I haven't been very nice to Jak so far, have I? He gets to have a bit of fun in this chapter though!

M-Angel 05: Thank you! I'm glad you like the fight scenes.

Shaveza: Yeah, I couldn't be that cruel. No harm will come to baby ottsels in this fic, I promise :P

CHAPTER TEN

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"So do your thing, and get us up there. We came, we got your stuff, and now it's time to go." Torn's gruff voice echoed across the chamber.

Jak sighed, rubbing one arm almost lazily, "I can't... it's too high up. There isn't anything around I can get a grip or a boost from."

"What do you mean you can't?" the commander demanded, "You can magically grow wings."

"Eh..." The youth shrugged, casting a wary gaze toward the dead metal-head a short distance away. Time had been ticking while he had healed his friends, and it would no doubt begin to disintegrate soon. Jak wanted to be as far away as possible when that happened. There was no telling how much Dark Eco would seep from the Leviathan's wounds, and he definitely did not want to absorb it. Unfortunately, the beast had apparently taken out their only means for escape. "Kinda? I can't really use them to fly... It's more like gliding?"

Torn rolled his eyes, and shrugged his shoulder toward the pit, "Then how the hell did you get out of there?"

Jak cocked his head slightly, pulling his brow tight. He was trying to remember exactly what had happened earlier, but the events were still pretty hazy in his mind. His brain was still just giving him brief flashes of the battle and surrounding events.

Thankfully, Damas answered for him, "I believe he got a large boost of power from the actual Eco vent. It seemed to propel us quite a distance. There were also several handholds... it was not exactly a comfortable endeavor."

"Sorry..." Jak almost seemed to fluster a bit, and he scratched the back of his head, "I don't really remember..."

"It matters not." Damas replied, holding up a hand to silence him, "We should focus on finding another way out."

Everyone seemed to take that as an instruction to spread out and search. Damas and Sig focused their attention at the large sealed doors in an attempt to pry them open once again. Torn shuffled over to the chasm, and glanced down. He could see a strong, pulsing glow from the Light Eco vent, but otherwise the room below was pitch black.

Daxter strolled casually across the room, taking the opportunity to stretch his muscles and bones as he walked. After Light Jak had taken the time to heal the others he had turned his attention to his best friend, intending to finish what he had started in the Terraformer. Everything felt immensely better, the only remnants of his injuries being a soreness similar to physical exertion. It didn't hurt, his body was just extremely tired. The ottsel assumed that's how everyone was feeling right about now.

Jak was about to follow when he felt a firm grip on his forearm. He turned, his bright blue eyes caught off guard when they met Seem's own blood colored ones. He pulled away, crossing his arms. "What?"

Seem hadn't spoken to him since before the Leviathan's attack, but had scarcely turned her attention away. Even when he was healing her wounds, she had kept the same, studious stare. Her eyes narrowed, and she kept her voice low enough so that only he would hear her, "Remove your shirt."

Jak almost choked, eyes widening. He shook his head, "Uh... yeah, no. That's not going to happen."

"You may act like everything is well, but I would like to take an assessment myself. I feel there is still something amiss."

He let out a low growl in response, tilting his head downward briefly, "I'm fine."

"Wounds like those in your chest do not just vanish." Seem argued, her steady voice still barely above a whisper, "Whatever it was that Erol..."

Jak winced at the name, dark memories flooding to the surface. He subconsciously brought a hand to his chest, and closed his eyes. Rage threatened to shove it's way though, but he pushed it back with the aid of the Light Eco flowing through his body. Still, he was obviously annoyed when he spoke, "Enough. We're done here."

"Your High..."

"HEY JAK!" Daxter's shrill voice cut through the room, catching everyone's immediate attention, "Over here!"

Jak shot one last glare at the Eco monk and turned away to trudge over to the excitedly waving ottsel.

Daxter was standing a few feet away from the Oracle they had found earlier, and Jak was careful to keep as far away from the monster's carcass as possible when he approached. He could hear the rest of the rest of the group shuffling along to join them as well.

"What's up Dax?" Jak held out an open palm as an invitation for the furry ottsel to climb up, and within a few seconds there was a familiar weight on his shoulder.

"Eeesshh... Jak, buddy," Daxter pulled at his friend's hair slightly, and waved a hand in front of his nose, "You need a serious bath. You're all covered in gunk, and..."

Jak rolled his eyes, knowing the ottsel was right. He could feel the chunks of dried blood clumping his hair together, and the grime on his skin was starting to itch. His only consolation was that the majority of the group were in similar duress, including Daxter, "What did you want to tell me Daxter?"

"Oh yeah, look!" Daxter pointed toward the ancient statue, "Does it look like it's kinda... glowy... to you?"

At first Jak didn't see what his friend was talking about. It took several seconds of hard staring to realize his friend was right, and not long after he began to sense a trace amount of mixed Eco coming from the Oracle. He frowned, taking a sharp breath... ever since the Precursors had left, none of the statues had shown any sort of activity. Carefully Jak approached, raising a palm to get a better focus on the energy in front of him, "What the hell?"

That's when a deep, rough voice crackled through the air, "Young warrior."
***

Samos hovered several feet off the ground, legs crossed and elbows resting on knees. His eyes were closed, and his breathing was slow and deliberate. A faint, green glow surrounded him as he drew power from the Tree of Life.

He was finding it hard to meditate completely, his thoughts drifting to the verbal lashing the girls had given him earlier. At first he had been furious. How dare they speak to him that way? Had he not always done what was right for the world? For their well being?

Then as his thoughts grew deeper he found himself thinking less on them, and more on the boy he had stolen away through time. It wasn't an ideal situation by any means, but it had to be done. Everything depended on his successful raising of the child, and his eventual return to Haven. He hadn't been happy about it at the time, but now? He couldn't honestly say he disliked Sandover village. It was calm, peaceful... the people of that time had held a great respect for him and his mastery of Green Eco. They had welcomed him with open arms, helped him build his hut, and put him in contact with the other Sages. He was free to study the Precursors and their legacy to his heart's content. There were no interruptions when it came to training the boy to be prepared for his fantastic destiny.

If he had never gone back, had never taken the child to safety, he would have never met his eventual daughter. He loved her with all his heart, and she was so incredibly bright and brave. She was about the same age as Jak when he adopted her, orphaned by Lurker attacks. Though, it wasn't until Daxter began to strut himself around that Keira and Jak really bonded as friends. It seemed as though the annoying red head instinctively knew what the mute boy wanted to say, and was more than willing to translate.

It was no secret that Samos disapproved of Daxter. He was always a distraction, always in the way... but he knew that eventually he would also play an important role in the future, so he had no choice to step aside and let the children become close.

Though, he supposed it wasn't really the only reason. Now that he thought about it, before Daxter had come along, Jak had always seemed terribly sad. It wasn't something the Sage really noticed at the time... but looking back? Perhaps it was something he should have been more attentive about. He had spent so much time focused on his task he had hardly given any thought to Jak's emotional state.

'I did the best I could. I raised him like a father!' Samos reasoned with himself... then his head drooped slightly as he realized he wasn't being entirely truthful. The villagers had stepped up and done most of the 'raising.' Sure, he had trained the boy. Taught him, scolded him... but he hadn't really raised him. The self proclaimed explorer that lived not far from his hut had done so much to help, he had insisted he was Jak's uncle. He had been the one to tell Jak bed time stories... he had encouraged the kids to get in trouble, in ways that children needed to get in trouble.

As a child, Jak had been so incredibly talented. He had never met anyone with such a capacity to channel that was truly unique to the boy. Every time the Sage would introduce him to a new type of Eco, he was intently listen, absorb the information like a sponge... then would just act on it. There were many mishaps of course... no one was an expert on their first try... but Jak's natural abilities were noticed and encouraged by everyone. Even when he failed, he did it so spectacularly that it would shock the Sage into a near stupor.

Keira was right... even though Samos would berate him, and push him harder than he probably should have, Jak would just jump to his feet and nod with that dumb crooked smile on his face. Then, when all hell had broken loose with Gol and Maia, the boy rose valiantly to the occasion and stopped at nothing to set things right. He didn't hesitate, even though he was barely a teenager. He had toppled a deranged Dark Eco Sage and his sister, saving the world from a truly terrible fate... and saving Samos and the other Sages from grizzly ends as well. Throughout the whole endeavor, Jak had never lost the childish carefree attitude that made him so endearing.

No. Samos couldn't say he had been like a father to Jak... He realized that now. It really was an insult to even insinuate it. He had turned the boy into an obedient soldier of sorts, and had prepared him to become the warrior they needed... but had failed in so many other aspects. Even he had been shocked the first time he had seen how much Jak had changed in two years. The innocent, playful life that had danced around in his eyes was gone, leaving behind a fearful, broken sadness that only true grief could create. He could sense the writhing Dark Eco that ate away at the youth, destroying him from the inside out. Even though his younger self had experienced the sensation before, even though he knew it was going to happen, the memories were dulled after such a long time away. When Jak stood there, angry, cold and damn near toxic... Samos had been terrified and devastated. The talented little boy he had watched grow up was gone... yet he had continued to tell himself it was 'for the greater good.'

The Sage sighed, opening his eyes. Slowly he lowered and his feet met grass, the glow fading from his form. He turned to look up at the giant tree behind him, asking it for answers. It stayed silent, but he swore he felt a judgmental tug of guilt. He realized that his insistence that he was doing what fate decried necessary had clouded his judgment.

Keira and the others were wrong about one thing... Samos did care. He knew he made some egregious mistakes... even if he had a hard time admitting it himself. Perhaps it was time to set things straight.
***

Jak stood rigid, unsure if he was actually hearing the Oracle speak, or if he had imagined it. Daxter's wide eyes turned to him, then back, "Uh..."

"Young warrior." The oracle repeated, "The time has come for you..."

"Waaaaiiittt a minute!" Daxter interrupted, slicing the air with his fingers as if to literally cut the Precursor off, "I thought all the Precursors were gone... you know, in that space ship? Two years ago? And why are you talking to us like that? We already know what the hell you are... sooo?"

"Oh." The Oracle seemed to stammer slightly, though it's filtered voice was still deep and harsh. "I wasn't sure how much was known in your world..."

"Our world?" Jak asked, passing a quick glance to Damas.

"Precusor!" Damas frowned, stepping forward, "You are the Precursor from my world, aren't you!?"

"Ah, Damas..."

The old wastlander groaned, covering his eyes with one hand. His face seemed to redden with a rage, "How are you even speaking to us?"

"Well, ah... You see..." The Precrusor/Oracle replied, clearly distraught by Damas's tone, "I am a Precursor, I am not so useless..."

"You told my your powers were gone!" Damas growled, "You claimed you were unable to help!"

"Mostly gone. I'm afraid I did not have the power to save our world, Damas." The Precursor explained, regret clearly leaking through the rumble, "The only reason I am even able to contact you now is because you are in a place of immense power. There are ley-lines of sorts... they transcend time and space. They are a residue from the creation of the universes... I think."

"You think?" Daxter's ears perked up, "Typical."

"Listen... I can't keep this connection up for long, it's rather dangerous. What I am doing is similar to what Erol and the Dark-maker's did to cause all of this!"

"What!?" Damas pointed a finger, violently "You knew!? You knew what he did?"

"No. Not at the time. I had an idea... but now it's much clearer."

Damas threw his hands up, moving away from the Oracle. His eyes seethed with hatred, and he took deep breaths to calm himself. His world... it was gone. Everyone he knew was gone, and the Precursor had felt the need to play dumb. Sig placed a comforting hand on his old friend's shoulder.

"Damas said there was this machine or something?" Jak mediated, trying to get the conversation back on track. He shifted his weight, and opened a palm as is he was asking for something. It was a habit from his childhood. Sometimes he couldn't help over expressing himself with his hands. Daxter was the only one that really noticed though.

"Yes, though it is incomplete."

"What do you mean, incomplete?" Jak demanded, eyes narrowing, "Are you saying we can't use it?"

"Leave it to a bunch of Precursors..." Daxter quipped sarcastically.

The Oracle almost seemed to hesitate, and the voice beyond took a sharp breath, "Not in the state you are currently in."

Everyone shared questioning looks, and Damas once again stomped forward, "Out with it!"

"The machine needs several people to function completely, but It's missing a key component, and I believe Jak would be the only one able to make it work as it is."

"Meaning?" The old king was continuously growing more impatient.

"It's going to require multiple people to activate... and someone who can channel all the different types of Eco." The Precursor continued, "He is the only one who possesses that gift."

Jak covered his face in his palms, dragging his fingers down to. His shoulders slumped, "I think you're forgetting something..."

"I am?"

"Are you serious!?" Daxter huffed, kicking his foot against Jak's shoulder guard. He fell forward on all fours, and bared his teeth, "He hasn't been able to use his gift since all this crap you guys dumped on us. All that Dark and Light Eco bull!"

"Ah, yes..."

"This is why I hate talking to Precursors! Some freaking gods they are!" Daxter snorted, his fur still standing on end.

"I might be able to remedy that." The Oracle grumbled quietly.

"What!?" Jak's eyes snapped open, all of his attention focused solely on the large, stone statue in front of him. He almost couldn't believe what he was hearing... If he could get his channeling back... He practically felt weak in the knees. He almost didn't want to ask, and his voice cracked as he spoke, "You can fix me?"

The question caught Damas off guard, and his anger subsided as his heart dropped. The vulnerability in his son's voice stung.

There was silence for several long seconds, and the Oracles eyes dimmed slightly. Finally the precursor answered, "Possibly, but..."

"There's always a but..." Daxter chided.

"It would only be temporary."

Jak's breath stopped, and he closed his eyes to stop the tears that threatened to break the surface. "Temporary?"

"Yes. Your body is quite damaged. Eventually the Dark and Light Eco inside you would..."

"I get it." Jak interrupted coldly, his previous spark of hope diminished. He mentally scolded himself for getting so worked up. It was stupid to think it would be that simple.

"Why did you not inform me of this in our world!?" Damas cried, stepping to stand beside the struggling young warrior, "I may have..."

"You can not channel Dark and Light Eco." The Precursor stated, matter-of-fact, "Jak is the only one who has a chance of making the machine work. His experiences enable him..."

"Experiences, huh." Jak exhaled, his voice detached, "Just tell me what I need to do."

"Approach. I... I don't have a lot of power left. I will try my best."

Jak took a step forward, head hung low. It was the same old song and dance. Daxter shifted uncomfortably on his shoulder and turned a concerned look on his friend, "Jak..."

The youth stopped and turned his head slighty, his eyes drifting to the ottsel.

"This is messed up!" Daxter yelled, then found himself at a loss for words. He huffed, and smacked a small fist against Jak's chest.

It didn't matter. Jak knew exactly what his best friend wanted to say. "It's fine, Dax. Not like I got a choice, really. We already kinda knew that..."

"Why!?" Daxter implored, "Why's it always gotta be you!? Why can't they get someone else for once!? Why can't they just leave you alone!? Why don't you ever get a choice!?"

Jak smiled weakly, reaching up to pull the ottsel off his shoulder. He gently set him down and knelt to look him respectfully in the eye, "It's gotta be me, Dax. You know that. It's not like I can just let the world fall apart."

"They always gotta mess with you!" Daxter barked, spinning to face the statue behind him, "Always gotta dangle something good right in front of your face, and yank it away, so they don't have to get their hands dirty. Ever since we were kids they've been pulling this kinda stuff!"

"If it is any consolation..." The Precursor sighed, "I am truly sorry. We did not intend for any of this, it just sort of happened." He paused, the eyes of the statue flickering, "I'm sorry. We must hurry. My strength is fading."

Daxter continued to glare, and Jak placed a steady hand on his shoulder, "Thanks, Daxter."

"Yeah, yeah..." The ottsel abruptly dismissed the Oracle with a dissatisfied paw at the air, and trudged past his friend toward the others. He didn't ask permission to climb up on Damas's shoulder, and he ignored the disgruntled look the wastelander was giving him, "You might wanna step back, pops. These things ain't usually so nice."

Damas complied, casting an inquisitive look at the ottsel on his shoulder. Daxter nodded at the scene playing out in front of them. Everyone could see the pure hatred that poured from his scowl, "You'll see."

"Jak." The Precursor hesitated, "No matter the world, please know that we have always been in your debt. You are a true hero."

"You know, everyone keeps telling me that. I'm getting really sick of hearing it." Jak replied, bracing himself for the inevitable surge of power, "It doesn't matter. Let's get this over with."

The group watched with a morbid curiosity as the youth tensed, obviously preparing himself. There was a loud, deafening crack, followed by a bright searing flash. Bolts of blue energy sprung violently from the statue, rushing through the air to strike at Jak's form. It seemed to rip into him, and he let out a short, agonizing cry as the energy forced itself through.

Jak trembled. The pain was unbearable. His body was fighting so hard to reject the power coursing through him that he struggled to stay conscious. He was struck suddenly by another bolt, this one a crackling yellow, and he felt himself levitate slightly as the energy poured around him.

Damas's first reaction was to step forward and stop whatever was happening. Daxter hissed and shook his head rapidly, "It's always like this." He frowned, and turned his eyes back to his friend, "...Just usually not this colorful."

The others all looked on in shock as Jak's body writhed in front of them. Two more streams of Eco joined fray, red and green. They snapped against each other as they danced across the young warriors skin before burrowing beneath the surface. Slowly it seemed as though Jak got his bearings, turning himself upright in the air. His was cringing, eyes pulled tightly shut. His feet lowering to leave him standing hunched and shuddering as the last wisps of light faded.

Jak let out a low groan, and stumbled forward, hand grabbing tightly at the tunic on his chest. His body was still glowing, and he was shaking his head slowly back and forth as he fell to his knees and lurched forward, supporting himself on one hand.

There was a sudden blinding burst of light, and numerous, colorful bolts of Eco erupted from Jak's body, crackling haphazardly across the ground before dissipating completely. His eyes shot open, and he gasped desperately for air. After a few seconds he leaned back, and focused a scrutinizing gaze on his shaking palms.

Daxter smacked Damas's shoulder to suggest action, and the wastlander instantly found himself at the youth's side. The others were just a few steps behind.

"Jak." The Oracle mumbled weakly, the glow from it's eyes all but gone. Jak didn't bother to look up, still staring at his hands as he flexed his fingers tentatively.

"Your body will certainly begin to revert back to it's normal state after several days... at most a few weeks." It hesitated, almost seeming to gulp, "Also, I sensed something different in you... something wrong." The Precursor continued, "Be wary of how much you push yourself before you reach the device. I suspect the more you channel, the worse your condition will get..."

Jak coughed, then cursed as he realized his nose was bleeding once again. He quickly wiped it away, "Where's the machine?"

"Buried deep beneath the planets surface. I believe you've actually been there. It was called Snowy Moutain back then."

"What!?" Daxter snapped, "I don't remember anything majorly Precursor-y there before!"

"Near the... peak... there is a hidden entrance. You will be able to open the doors now..." The Oracle's voice began to cut in and out, barely audible, "I... a vision..."

There was a brief moment of confusion as they all got an image seared directly into their minds. It showed a cave, barely visible behind a very literal blizzard of snow. Quickly it pulled away, showing more and more of the surrounding area. A rocky over-croft, several trees...

"Tallest peak... Snowy... tain... must..."

With that, the light in the Oracles eyes died out, and the room grew silent.

"Useless prick..." Daxter snarled, jumping from Damas's shoulder to the ground in front of Jak. He peered intently into his best friend's face, "How ya feeling, big guy?"

Jak shook his head, and his focus shifted from his palms, to the ottsel, "I don't know... weird... tired, I guess." He sniffed, then turned to face the decaying Metal-head that was just a short distance away, "We gotta get out of here... It's going to start releasing Dark Eco any minute..."

Damas helped Jak to his feet, and the group gave him a wide berth as he stumbled forward. He tried to ignore their prying looks as he passed, "I got a hunch..."

He stood meekly in front of the large, metal doors that had barred their way forward earlier. Casually he placed one palm against the center, and frowned when they shifted instantly open.

"You've got to be kidding me!" Torn griped, "How the hell did you do that?"

"I think the Precursor activated them." Jak replied with an annoyed sigh, "Whatever. Let's go."

"You think this'll lead us out?" Sig asked, peering his good eye down the dark hallway in front of them.

"Hope so." Jak answered, stepping through the threshold.
***

After a short bit of time it seemed as though they were finally headed upward toward the surface. Small, twisting hallways lead to large, ancient rooms, which in turn lead to more small twisting hallways. They hadn't run into any more trouble, other than the occasional gap to jump or jammed door. Walking mostly in silence, their footsteps echoed loudly throughout the temple.

Jak was still in a slight, tired daze. His mind wandered, first focusing on the idea of having his channeling powers back. He definitely felt different, and could tell something had happened, but he was still weary of believing it. Then there was the fact that it wasn't permanent… and that tugged hard at his heartstrings. Channeling was something he used to be innately good at, something that made him feel special. When he lost the ability due to the Dark Eco treatments, he only felt like a freak.

Then there was the thing the Precursor had said… something was wrong. He knew that already though… Ever since his recent run in with Erol, his body hadn't quite been the same. Even the way the Light and Dark Eco interacted inside him felt a bit off, and there was the constant pulse of the wounds caused by the weird glass rods. He was desperately fighting to suppress the memories and feelings that threatened to wash over him if he thought too long about his time in the Terraformer. He was just getting over everything in the Baron's prison when he was suddenly thrust back into the nightmare. He supposed the only reason he had kept it together as well as he had was because now he had friends. There was always Daxter, but now he had other people who were supporting him and pushing him forward.

Jak had migrated to the back of the group, partially to avoid the strange looks his comrades gave him, and partially so he could avoid Seem all together. She was still insistent on eyeing him like a hawk, and it made him uneasy. Whether she was more observant or just more interested than the others about his current well-being was hard to say. She stayed quite about it however, and for that Jak was somewhat grateful.

He had to admit that part of him was also sort of happy. Even with the weird circumstances, the Light Eco in his system seemed to be balancing out his emotions fairly well, and he could hardly notice the tug from the Dark Eco bubbling below the surface. He did feel better than he had in a while now, which lifted his spirits a bit… and even though the whole possible channeling thing wasn't going to last very long, he was somewhat eager to put it to the test.

Daxter was propped loyally on his best friend's shoulder, stealing the occasional unnoticed glance of concern between inappropriate jokes or his normal whines. When he noticed the small ups and downs in Jak's mood, he growled silently to himself. Of all the rotten things the Precursor could have done, dangling Jak's channeling abilities in front of him like that was the worst. The ottsel knew just how much his friend despised himself at times, how out of place and angry he felt at being forced into becoming a monster. His channeling abilities were something he used to be proud of, if not a bit arrogant in a way, but almost deservedly so. He never looked down on anyone else for being unable to do what he did, but channeling was one of his greatest joys. Then he got captured. He got tortured, physically and emotionally. In the process he lost his unique abilities and they were replaced by an uncontrollable violent rage that Jak didn't want. He was broken and had been changed… and could never go back. It destroyed Daxter knowing that he wasn't in time to truly save his best friend.

There was the Light Eco, which Daxter supposed wasn't all bad. It actually seemed to help Jak out a lot, and when he was chock full of the stuff, he would sometimes even act like his old self again. At times he would relax, and his stance would remind Daxter of the boy before the experiments. He would smile, and it would be an actual smile, rather than the fake or sarcastic smile Jak had perfected in recent years. So no, the Light Eco didn't cause Daxter the same disdain that the Dark Eco did… but there was still the fact that it was yet another thing that had the potential to hurt his friend. It was hard to find, and Jak didn't just channel it, he absorbed it, his body needed it to function… just like the Dark Eco. If he went too long without it… It was infuriating. It was all because the Precursors needed someone to save their asses.

"Screw the Precursors…" Daxter barely whispered, wincing when he realized he said it out loud. At first it seemed like no one heard him, then he noticed Jak's sleepy eyes had shifted in his direction. His face gave no indication on what he was feeling, but his eyes held a maelstrom of conflicting emotions that only the ottsel would ever be able to detect.

Jak smirked understandingly, his eyes shining with gratitude towards his friend. He was so caught up in his thoughts he almost walked straight into Torn, who had come to a dead stop with the others in front of a large, sealed door. This one wasn't jammed completely, and with a bit of prying by the two wastelanders it cracked open wide enough for them to enter.

After several steps forward various lights around the room flickered weakly to life, illuminating the path, or rather lack thereof, ahead of them. The room was unbelievably massive and perfectly square. The floor ended several feet from the door, giving way to a pitch black abyss.

That's when Jak noticed several, small round platforms floating in the distance. They glowed a faint blue, and were spread extremely far apart. The first platform however, was just close enough to reach with a strong jump. The soft hum of an Eco source nearby made his ears twitch, and he turned his head to spot a flowing Blue Eco vent.

"No way…" Jak almost smiled, a near childish excitement creeping into his features, "I haven't seen these things since…"

"Ugh… Gol and Maia's house of fun..." Daxter moaned, smacking his forehead, "I hate these things."

Jak quickly took stock of the rest of the room. At the far side, several hundred feet away, was solid floor similar to what they were standing on. It lead to a narrow platform, which lead to a staircase, which lead to several bars he could easily swing across. A few narrow pathways and jumps later was a switch, and if the weird Precursor tubing and architecture were any indication, the switch would no doubt lower a bridge to allow everyone to cross.

"Who thinks of this junk!" Daxter shrieked, following Jak's gaze, "Seriously, how is this a legit way to build a room? There's no way the Precursors used this crap!" He waved his arms wildly, "Sheesh, I mean, who though 'hey, deadly traps and pitfalls are totally homey additions, lets add those!"

"Ah, come on Dax, it's just like old times." Jak playfully pushed at his friend, "It's fun."

"It's not fun!" Daxter replied loudly, "It's dangerous. I like living, thank you very much!"

Jak chuckled, noticing the questioning stares from his comrades. It was obvious none of them had ever had any experience with the strange Precursor mechanisms and Eco platforms.

"What must we do to cross?" Damas asked, "You have dealt with these devices before?"

"You could say that…" Jak replied, and Daxter let out a loud, annoyed sigh, "We did a bit of exploring when we were back in Sandover."

"A bit!?" Daxter cocked his brow, "A bit he says… It's easy for you, you're at least normal person sized… er well, I guess you're pretty short…"

Jak cast a dark glare at his friend, and Daxter continued, "Try dealing with this when you're two feet tall and fuzzy! You know how many times I almost lost my tail while you did all your fancy acrobatic martial arts stuff? I still have scars from all the fire traps and spike pits and… everything else! I swear there are dent's in your shoulder plate from me having to hold on so tight…"

Torn rolled his eyes, "We can take a trip down memory lane later, ladies. How do we get out of here?"

"It's… tricky." Jak replied, scratching the back of his head, "You gotta channel the Blue Eco long enough to get across…"

Damas eyed the Eco vent, and Jak instantly grew serious, "No. Not this time. There's no way I'm letting you do this one."

"You heard the Precursor," Damas argued sternly, "You shouldn't…"

"No." Jak cut him off venomously, a complete lack of negotiation in his tone, "This isn't as easy as what you did earlier."

Daxter had leapt from his friend's shoulder and was peering down into the chasm. He picked up a chipped pebble from the floor and tossed it in, ear stretched to catch the eventual echo. It never came, "I think you better listen to Jak on this one, sandy."

Sig couldn't help but snicker, "Sandy?"

"Yeah, you know, desert, sand… eh, whatever," Daxter shrugged, "Seriously old man, as much as I hate to give him a big head, you should let him do it."

"Excuse me?" Damas huffed, stepping forward.

"Hey, no disrespect!" Daxter continued, ignoring the glower he was receiving from the wastlander, "But can you honestly say you even know what's gonna happen when you step on that platform?"

"Listen." Jak cut in, "I'm not gonna lie: you did great earlier. I was pretty impressed…" He flushed slightly, "But this is different. Way different. I've actually done this before. Besides…" He turned a wistful eye toward the crackling blue vent, "We don't know If what the Precursor did even really worked. We're gonna have to test it out."

Sig came to stand next to Damas, "You sure you're up for it, Cherry?"

Jak just nodded, gaze never leaving the vent. Damas caught a brief flash of yearning in the young warriors eyes and he sighed, relenting, "Fine." He knew he had lost this particular fight, hard as that was to admit. He found himself at a cross between being angry that he was being defied, and anxious to protect his son.

Jak smirked slightly, suggesting he was going to act whether he had Damas's permission or not. He almost apprehensively approached the Eco source, and stopped just as the hairs on his skin began to stand on end. He hesitated momentarily, taking a sharp, long breath, "Well… here goes nothing…"

Taking a few, uneasy steps forward he felt the energy in the air thicken, and he raised a steady, confident palm. The Eco instantly jumped toward him, and he braced himself in case his body rejected it. He cringed slightly as a sharp, Jagged moment of pain flashed through, but was relieved when it subsided and was replaced by a chaotic, but familiar surge of power. He gasped with a pleasant surprise, caught off guard for only a few seconds before he fell into the proper motions, twisting the Eco around himself just as he used to when he was younger. He was nearly ecstatic that his body seemed to latch on and react to the muscle memories of days long past.

It was a curious sight for all those observing. Daxter let out a short sigh of relief when he realized that Jak was actually channeling, and not in serious pain. He jerked a thumb towards his friend, turning an antagonistic grin at Damas, "See, that's how it's actually done."

Damas ignored the obvious attempt to goad him, instead focusing on the young warrior in front of him. Jak was clearly well practiced, and he pushed and pulled the Eco around him in large, wide arcs. When he seemed convinced he was ready, he took a handful of quick steps back, and stopped in front of the group. The wastelander realized that even though he wasn't running, he also wasn't standing still by any means of the word. Jak's body faintly glowed a deep sky blue, and small bolts of Eco zigzagged their way across his form. He hopped back and forth between his feet energetically, curling and stretching his fingers continuously. Damas remembered Jak's instruction from earlier: You had to move.

Jak's eyes pulsed an electric blue, and he turned his gaze downward at Daxter with a quick jerk of his head. A small hint of a smirk crossed his features, and he looked almost as though he would speak. He stayed silent however, and lowered a palm to his friend.

"Not this time," Daxter shook his head, "I'll hold the fort down here, you do your thing."

Jak snorted, and with a few insanely fast steps found himself at the edge of the abyss. He took a deep breath, and jumped to the first platform, a trail of blue Eco following in his wake. It lit up brightly beneath him, and he once again took to bouncing back and forth, turning one last look at his friends.

"Why don't you go with him, Chili Pepper?" Sig asked when he felt Daxter scurry up to his shoulder.

"Being slingshotted hundreds of feet into the air makes me really sick." Daxter replied plainly.

"Being what!?" Damas dashed forward, glaring at the youth who now sported a devious grin. Jak gave him a thumbs up, and crouched to a pouncing position.

He jumped, and the warriors all shared a collective gasp as Jak was flung skyward in a rush of crackling blue light. He almost seemed to hang in the air for a few seconds as he gained his bearings, eventually free falling toward the next platform in the sequence. He landed hard, and almost lost his balance. He used his arms to recover, He crouched again and again, and after several harrowing close calls, he found himself standing a bit shaken on the other side of the room. He only paused for a moment to catch his breath, then dashed up and around the platforms and up the stairs.

"Is that what I looked like when I ran?" Damas asked, barely able to follow the youth's movements.

"More or less..." Sig replied, eyes following Jak as he zipped across the ramps above them.

"A lot more clumsy." Daxter teased.

Jak had reached the edge of the ramp he was on, and stepped on a blue Eco switch. It glowed, and along the wall the swingbars began to slowly grind and drift up and down. He was starting to feel the uncomfortable strain that excessive channeling brought about, but he focused and suppressed it, reaching out for the first bar. He moved across like an expert acrobat, and landed with a small thud on the final platform. Without skipping a beat he dashed for the switch, activated it, and paused only momentarily to watch the bridge lower into place for his friends. At his side, a small blue Eco platform sprung to life, and he boarded. He was tiring fairly quickly now, but he continued to hop back and forth in place as the lift brought him down toward the edge of the room. It stopped just short of the floor, and he took a sharp breath and jumped, barely clearing the gap. He rolled, smacked into the wall and landing on his back. He clenched his eyes shut as he heard the pounding of footsteps approach, and the deafening throb of his own heart in his ears. With a groan, he exhaled, and in a flash of light he released the remaining Blue Eco in his system.

"Jak!" Daxter called out, rushing ahead of the group toward his friend's motionless body. At first he thought Jak might have hurt himself, until he heard a stifled laugh echo across the chamber.

Jak's chest heaved as he caught his breath, and he waved a hand lazily through the air, "Oh... man... Dax... I'm so out of practice."

Daxter stood at his friends shoulder, and looked into his face. His eyes were still clenched shut, and Daxter was a little distraught to see Jak was clutching tightly at his chest below his heart. He loosened up when he noticed the big, dumb grin plastered across the youth's face. Daxter cracked a toothy smile of his own, "You tripped on the finish line there, bud."

"Yeah, yeah..." Jak laughed, rolling over to push himself to his feet.
***

Vin's last spider-bot shuffled quietly into the room, trying to not disturb the sleeping ottsel. Keira was going through the data that Vin had collected while in the Terraformer, sitting cross legged in the large cushioned chair next to the bed. Ashelin was standing at the open window, glancing worriedly at the streets below. She heard the door shift open, and turned to face him.

"How is she?" Vin asked, pulling himself over the headboard to glance down and get a reading on the ottsel's vitals.

"She's fine..." Keira yawned, stretching her arms above her head. She looked pleased to be distracted, abandoning the data, "I think she still has a bit of a fever, but it's not bad."

"You saved her life, Vin." Ashelin strolled to the bedside, "Who knows how much longer she would have been able to hang on."

"Eh... ah.. It was nothing. I'm glad she's ok." Vin replied, "I uh, found some stuff on the security feeds..."

"Oh?" Ashelin's tired eyes perked up, "Something we can use I hope?"

"Ah, well... Erol has some sort of cloaking device now... on his body." Vin explained, bringing up a holographic image in the air above his bot, "It's how he snuck into the city in the first place. Even with all the metal-head and Dark-maker chaos, you'd think someone would have noticed Erol."

The image he was showing displayed Erol tearing from the burning bar, taking a few steps, and with a shimmering light vanishing against the background. Keira studied it intently, looking at the changes across the cyborgs body. Several jagged shards of metal jutted from his shoulder, arm and the cavern in his chest that Vin had created when he self destructed. It looked like the Dark-makers had patched him up with parts of their own bodies, which shot a shiver down her spine.

"He's not completely invisible." The mechanic spoke up, shifting in her seat and cocking her head to the side. She poked at the hologram slightly, and it wavered around her finger, "He's camouflaged, but there's a weird outline..."

Ashelin stared, noticing what Keira was pointing out. A thin, flickering outline, "Make sure the KG are aware of this." she ordered, "Any idea where he went?"

"No. I think he's still in the city though." Vin replied, "I haven't found any evidence to suggest otherwise."

"Great." The red head groaned, running her fingers through her hair, "I'll up security around the exits, and stadium district... and as much as I would like to think not even he's stupid enough to try and attack the palace, I'll get a few more patrols just in case. At least you guys downed that Terraformer... good job on that, by the way."

"I wonder if he tried to move it?" Keira grinned, "There's no way it's going anywhere. Even if they get it working enough to be active, it's not moving. Especially when the Eco tanks blow."

"Any word from Daxter?" A quite, bubbly voice pipped up from the mound of blankets.

"Ah, damn, sorry Tess, did we wake you up?" Ashelin helped pull her friend free, and cast an apologetic glance toward her.

"Oh, no. I've been in and out for a bit now..." Tess answered, yawning, "I feel a lot better."

"Good." Ashelin answered, "...but no. I haven't heard anything from the boys. They haven't even returned to Spargus yet."

Tess looked down for a brief second before her ears perked back up and she smiled, "I'm sure they're fine. Its hard to get a good signal all the way in the wasteland, especially if they aren't so close to Spargus."

"True." The governor replied. She was still extremely unsettled about not having heard from Torn, but Tess did have a point.

Keira tilted her head slightly, a curious look crossing her features, "You know, I've actually never been to Spargus."

"Me either." Tess shrugged, "Daxter always just says 'It's deserty.'" She mocked his voice, bobbing her head back and forth, and giggled, "Jak seems to like it out there though."

"It's hot." Ashelin added, having been to Spargus multiple times during peace negotiations, "...and different. You've met a few of the wastelanders who come into town for trade and stuff right?"

Keira nodded. She knew Sig, of course, and there was the occasional trader at the bar, or customer at her garage.

"Ok, well, they're all like that." Ashelin explained, "They don't have an acting militia... the citizens, every man and woman, is a warrior. It's all about respect out there. Sig is about the most laid back wastelander I've ever met. Don't get me wrong, some of them are pretty nice, but it would be stupid to underestimate any of them."

"Hmm... Makes sense," Tess smiled, "I mean, look at Jak's dad... he was their King, right?"

Ashelin nodded, "He was the ruler here before he became king in Spargus, before my dad... came to power." She grew silent, and the others knew anything involving her father was a touchy subject.

"I wonder how he feels about everything..." Keira mused, "I mean, I really feel sorry for him. His world is pretty much dead now, right? He can't really show his face in the wasteland, since he's supposed to be dead and all, and then there's the whole Jak and him thing... After all this is over, where is he gonna go?"

Ashelin hadn't given it much thought until now. Everything had to be extremely awkward for Damas, and she wondered if he felt some sort of disdain toward her for being a Praxis. If so, he hadn't shown it... She had been so focused on the current events she hadn't considered his situation much at all.

"He's tough, like Jakie. He'll be ok." Tess scratched at the scab above her brow, wincing when it gave a quick jolt of pain. She sighed, laying back down. Her body was sore, and she was beginning to feel nauseous. She'd been lucky in the morning sickness department, but not so much otherwise. Her fever wasn't helping either, but she supposed it could have been much, much worse.

"Hey, Vinnie?" Tess looked up at the spider-bot camped out above her. He activated his holographic head to give her something more human like to speak to.

"Uh, yes? What is it?" He almost seemed to fidget nervously.

"I just wanted to say thanks for coming for me. You're my hero."

If the construct could have blushed, it would have, "I thought Daxter was your hero?"

"Just because he's my hero, doesn't mean you can't be a hero too." Tess replied, giving him a gentle smile.

Keira was deep in thought and staring absentmindedly across the room when the door shuffled opened. Snapping out of her daze, she and the others all glanced over to witness the short, stubby Sage shuffle in.

Samos's head was bowed slightly, and he could feel the harsh stares from the women in the room. Even Vin was giving him a distasteful look. He did his best to ignore them as he trudged over to the bed.

"You can all stop now... I just came to check up on Tess." Samos said quietly.

Keira could have bored holes through the back of her father's skull, and when he turned to look at her he cringed. Sighing, he hung his head even lower, "You... may have been right, earlier. I suppose I should apologize."

The young mechanic was taken aback, but Ashelin just snorted, "The great Sage Samos admitting he was wrong?"

"Yes." Samos went to work examining the ottsel, "I... made many mistakes. I won't apologize for what was necessary... but my actions have not been the most admirable. I will try to make amends on that front."

"What about Jak?" Keira asked.

"I... regret... many of the things I did with him. I was perhaps not the most suitable caretaker for him as a child... and I am truly sorry for what has happened to him. I know I must accept some of the blame."

"You know he didn't mean to hurt me, right?" Keira continued, "I surprised him while he was having a nightmare."

"I do." Samos nodded, "I know he would never intentionally hurt you... especially you."

Keira seemed satisfied, but Ashelin continued to prod, "Is that all?"

Samos ignored the bite in her voice, "I will speak with Jak later."

Ashelin rolled her eyes, leaving the bedside and strolling back to the window, "I need to meet with my council on a few matters... Vin, can you come with me?"

"Sure." The spider-bot's holo-projection vanished, "I'll head to the council chambers now."

The governor nodded, "I need to get cleaned up and change. I'll be there in a bit." She continued to glance down at the streets below for several long seconds, then turned to follow the bot out.

"Hey, before you go..." Keira caught her arm, "Can I ask you a favor?"

Ashelin cocked her head slightly, and shrugged, "Sure. What is it?"

Keira held her breath slightly, knowing full well the reaction she was about to get. She quickly blurted out, "CanIgetatransporttoSpargus?"

Both Samos and Ashelin snapped to attention, speaking in unison, "What!?"

"I want to go to Spargus. I wanna talk to Jak and Daxter. If they haven't even gotten back to the city yet, maybe I can meet up with them... try to explain what's going on and calm them down before they get here and find the bar burned to the ground, and Tess holed up in bed. Plus, I don't think they'll appreciate hearing it over a com-link.

"I think it's a good idea. I'd go too if I wasn't so bleh..." Tess moaned, "None of us are doing any good just sitting here, waiting to be attacked."

Samos shook his head, "The wasteland is dangerous, Keira. Your ribs are still mending, and I don't think it's wise..."

"I'm not planning on touring the desert, daddy." Keira sighed, "I'm just worried about them, and I want to do something."

Ashelin stared long and hard, eventually relenting, "I suppose it wouldn't hurt. Its actually probably safer than staying here, in a way. Erol's still loose after all..." She tapped a few fingers to her lips in thought, "I'd escort you myself, but I can't leave just yet. There's too much to do here in Haven... There's actually a couple wastelanders Sig left here to help. I can ask them to go with you..." She smiled devilishly, "Plus, once they find out you're 'prince Mar's' girl, they'll probably treat you like royalty."

"What!?" Keira's cheeks flushed a deep scarlet, "I'm not..."

"Come on now, hun." Tess laughed, "Let's be honest with ourselves."
***

When they finally found themselves back outside the temple, the sun had started it's slow decent on the horizon. Various stars began to twinkle into existence against the violet sky, and the breeze that flowed off the ocean had become somewhat bitter. They each took a moment to use the salty water to wipe themselves down, Jak needing some assistance from Daxter to get the worst of the dried blood out of his hair. They all still looked like they had been to hell and back, but the fresh air and cold water reinvigorated them considerably.

It would be a long ride back to Spargus, but other than the eerie cracks that hadn't vanished from the last earthquake, the sky was clear and suggested no chance of running into a desert storm. They began to settle into their buggies, Damas pulling the cloak back over his features, and Jak packing the protective tarp they had used to disguise the vehicles. Seem took one last long look at the temple before proceeding to his side.

"What is it?" Jak asked uncomfortably.

"As soon as we reach the city I will organize a few trusted monks to return here and find a way to harness the Light Eco. We have many secrets stored away, and I believe there is most certainly a way to safety retrieve large quantities of the Eco for your future use."

"Oh, uh, thanks." Jak replied uneasily, "I appreciate that..."

Seem nodded, lowering her voice, "I must ask again that you allow me to assess your condition before you leave back to Haven."

Jak rubbed his eyes and sighed, "Maybe. I'll think about it."

The Monk didn't look necessarily pleased with his answer, but she gave a curt nod and brought her fingers up in a complicated prayer before shifting over to her own vehicle.

Once everyone was ready they took off, following the stars back to Spargus.

Authors note: That's it for tonight ladies and gentlemen. Hope you liked it, and please don't forget to review!