Disclaimer: I do not own Jak and Daxter
Chapter Twenty Eight
For flame12345
I know this better than anyone. I know this difficult truth and I know I have to tell you this now because I know I will never have another chance before you actually discover your purpose. Some people are not that lucky. Then again the people who don't have to be responsible for such a thing are kind of lucky as well. To have a life focused on the present opposed to the future tend to be a lot happier. We can only settle for the little things. Not the major, universal happinesses which most people try to find. In the midst of people like us in attempt to find then something like this then it sends out perception of the world into chaos. Our destiny calls us at the strangest and most inconvenient of times. Then again they were always supposed to come along at that time its just that we would be in the middle of trying to make something else work or find something else. Whatever our true purpose is, it is always the opposite of what we wanted to do with our lives. I'm really sorry, Jak but that's just the way it is. Or Mar. I don't know what I should call you. It's funny. I know what to call you but I know that your father wanted to name you after the man who brought his family to greatness. I fought against it since I knew what your name really was and tried to suggest it but he looked at me and said that it was more of a name for the second son. I smiled and said fair enough, even though I knew you were going to be our child.
I don't know why they called you Jak. I have to admit wouldn't be my first choice either but whenever I see or think about you it always fits. It always makes sense for you to be called Jak. I only see you as Jak and that is what you will always be to me. I sometimes called you Jak as a nickname when you were a child. Your father would walk past and raise his eyebrow. He knew I was always the rebellious type and this was just me having my way. Royal princes always had nicknames from their parents when their official names were not intimate enough for those who were close to them. Although I always tried to call you that when your father wasn't around. I suppose I was afraid of him knowing the truth. I didn't want him to know that there was the chance that we were not going to be able to see you grow up. Or he would anyway. I wasn't sure, I'm still not sure whether I'm going to be there for you past your early childhood. I'm not even sure whether you're going to be able to remember the sound of my voice. My face. I spent so much time with you knowing that I was going to be only having very little time. Damas would watch us and see a mother and son sharing as much time with one another as possible before you grew up to be the man you would be.
By knowing what your fate was but never telling Damas what it was, I suppose I felt like I was betraying him. I was always afraid for you, darling. I was afraid of anyone else finding out. Every day since you were born I knew each day brought you closer to you being taken away from us. My maternal instincts told me that I should've protected you but as each day which passed by I knew that it was inevitable. Every time I tried to prevent such a future from happening I knew it was just going to make things worse and from what I had seen before from those who tried to make a different future for themselves, only brought it about quicker. It wasn't something for you to prevent, it was a warning for you to be ready for what was about to happen. You should never stop time because it's futile. Remember that. Don't repeat my mistakes. I have made too many for me to be even lecturing you about this but I have to warn because no one else will and no one else can, since there is so few of us oracles left. This is why I am writing this. So that you know the truth about me and so that you don't repeat the mistakes of the past. So that you can know that you had a mother that loved for all this time when I know you may have been asking from time to time what happened to her and whether she was still alive or not, in which the answer to that question could lead to plenty of other questions. Unfortunately though, I can't answer that question.
So many times history has repeated itself but those of the present never listen to the cries of the ghosts from the past warning them of the dangers approaching them from the future. For those who dwell in the past too much are those who don't listen because they don't want to. They fear too much that the future is only going to repeat their mistakes only we should just be keeping a watchful eye upon the future rather the past. What is the point in worrying over what has already happened?If I am dead at the time that you read this I suppose I can be the first ghost to cry out from the grave in which I can at least be heard by someone. I was always afraid that after my part was done I would no longer be of any use. I'm not going to let that happen to you, darling. I'm going to protect you the only way the Precursors will allow me to. My dreams told me of your present which were messages from the future telling the world to be weary. I could've warned the world but it wasn't my role in the grand scheme of things. It was my role to bring it about and to make sure that you were ready for the trials ahead. When I see you I know its enough to make up for being absent. I can still see the great man that you become without being there. I just want you to know that. Don't think, like your father did, that your mother isn't watching over you and knowing what a great man you become...
~ (***) ~
Nik Auroalis has put up with a lot of things in his life. Most of them mostly involved his sister and there was so much he could take. It took him a while to forgive her for her second stint with alcoholism, last time he remembered he hadn't talked to her for over a month and the two usually never went a day without seeing or calling one another. However it had been almost a week since they had last seen Aella and he knew this time it wasn't exactly her fault for being in the situation she was in. She must have taken a huge blow to the head if she had been out for this long and funnily enough, this time it wasn't her which was keeping her family far away from herself. The palace doctors informed them that she was doing well but had not yet awoken. Since she had been quite famous throughout the city they requested that they didn't tell anyone about her condition. Nik knew this was another sign that there was something wrong. He didn't know whether the people knew much about her since he was never bothered with the concept of hearsay but he was sure that her name must have been spoken a few times since she was so close to the King. But there must have been something else. Something that they weren't telling them for that exact reason. Once it came to the seventh day where she hadn't woken up he knew it was time that he visited his sister, no matter what.
They had rejected all requests for him to visit her so that day he was willing to bring down doors in order to get to her. He had to go through so many clearances in order to get into the palace but then he had to go through it again in order when he requested to see his sister. The whole situation was ridiculous considering he was her family so therefore he should be the one to make the decision as to who should see her not them. He was beginning to wonder whether this King was the knight in shining armour, Aella always made him out to be. When the council ever did something questionable he would almost make a comment about this having to do with the King's lack of power or perhaps his slightly immoral agenda but this would be followed by a quick and snappish justification from Aella. Before she would have joined in with the taunting and she was always the last person to defend the monarchy but for some reason since she began working for him...she had changed somewhat. Still he wasn't going to let this scare him off. He had to see her. She would do the same for him if positions were reversed. She was always like to the point where she was sacrificing at lot more that she let on for him and Oz. In their family they were always there for each other, no matter what.
It was how they survived for so long. Just as long they stuck together, he, Oz and Aella were fine. They survived, not without any bruises but still they were still here which was a lot more than a lot of kids in their situation could say. He took a deep breath and stepped toward the doors. Now that he was finally here he found it difficult to walk through the last set of doors to see his sister. It was probably because he didn't know what condition to expect to see her in. They hadn't been told anything other than she had taken such a blow in sent her into a coma which he could only imagine that it wouldn't leave her in a physically good state either. He pushed them open with one swift action and made his way through the corridors which was bustling with advisor's, high-ranking officers, courtiers. As he looked round at the people he began to wonder how Aella put up with all this. This wasn't her world. Her world was in the field. He was just waiting for her to request to leave the palace and fall back in the KG again. When she first told them about her new promotion his initial reaction would be for her to reject the offer. He was still getting over the shock of her doing otherwise. However she knew the consequences of her actions. Everyone wasn't going to see her in the same way ever again. She was promoted too soon. She couldn't go back to that. The only way she could go was forward but she was going too quickly. Nik knew that just from looking in her eyes when she talked about work.
"Sir," A guard stepped forward and tried to prevent Nik from taking another step forward. "Do you
have clearance to be in the palace?"
Nik pushed him aside. "I've come to see my sister. Aella Auroalis. You know her?" He asked in a sarcastic tone.
"Sir, Lady Auroalis is still in a coma."
"Yeah. I'm aware of that." He spat. "And I think as a relative I am entitled to see her. I have requested on several occasions to see her and I still..."
"Sir, if you don't have clearance then I cannot allow you to-"
"Now you listen to me, you-" Nik threatened until they were interrupted by someone clearing their throat.
Both Nik and the Guard turned to see who it was and found a middle-aged man with greying hair standing next to them.
"Are you Aella's brother?" He inquired. Nik nodded.
"Yeah."
"I'm Lord Moran. I know your sister rather well from court. If you would like to see her I would be happy to show you where she is. Is that not what you're here for?"
Nik looked between the guard and this Lord Moran then nodded. He knew that if he co-operated with the one that was higher up in terms of social hierarchy he was most likely to see his sister today. He could see, from what his sister had told him, that you had to play by the rules of this place if you wanted to get what you wanted, even if it was against their interests or would hurt them. If his sister was able to strain herself into doing such a thing, so could he. As Moran led him to the place where his sister was being kept he regarded this man with suspicion. He couldn't see how or why a man like this would want to help him and his family. He didn't come across as the warm, fuzzy type. He looked like he constantly had a scowl painted on his face and that he was more of a traditionalist opposed to a revolutionary. He didn't look like the sort of person his sister would associate herself with either. She could smell a stiff, stuck up prick from a mile off and she knew that as soon as this guy would come within her radius her monitor would be going off the charts. Then again he was sure there was plenty that his sister wasn't telling him about her job. There was only so much someone could tell their family about their job when they had a job like Aella's. She didn't like playing the politics game but he seemed to be of more assistance than anyone else at the present time so he decided to follow him.
"So how long have you been in the Krimson Guard?" Lord Moran asked conversationally.
Nik scoffed. "Isn't it your job to know these things?"
Lord Moran looked away dismissively. "My area is politics, sir. Not the military."
Nik raised his eyebrows. "About three years. I've been in training for a couple years but I've only been in the actual force for a year now."
"Still some time to go." Lord Moran commented. "Unlike your sister."
Nik grinned. "Unlike my sister."
Lord Moran stopped him before in the corridor and looked from side to side before leaning close to Nik.
"Listen, there is something you should know about your sister." He whispered. Nik frowned.
"Why? What? Is there something they're not telling me?" He whispered furiously.
"Yes, but it's nothing about her health so you don't need to worry yourself with that. It's something that's changed in her. When the condition worsened, Damas grew desperate. He called in the monks and now they're telling him..." Lord Moran hesitated as if there was any danger in telling Nik this information.
"What?" Nik demanded.
Lord Moran opened his mouth and was about to continue until a hulking figure came into view.
"Lord Moran."
Lord Moran gave the tall, well built man a tight smile. "Baron Praxis. This is Nik Auroalis."
Baron Praxis nodded to Nik and stretched out his hand. "It's a pleasure to meet you. I'm sorry about your sister."
"Thank you."
Nik wasn't a politician but he could tell there was some tension between the two other men. He could sense some antagonism. Lord Moran placed a hand on Nik's back.
"I think we need to get going. I'll see you at the council meeting, Baron."
"You will."
Lord Moran pushed Nik down the corridor and didn't speak until they were out of earshot. "Who was that?"
"A man not to be trusted." Lord Moran answered.
"What were you going to tell me about your sister?"
"We'll speak once we're safe. Once we get to the room where we're holding your sister, I think that's the only place where we're going to be safe to talk of such matters in this place. A dark cloud is hovering over us..."
Nik shook his head. "What are you talking about?"
Lord Moran shook his head and brought a finger to his lips telling him to stay silent until they reached the room. Nik, who was now confused and furious complied but was expected a pretty good explanation for all of this. What had his sister got herself mixed up in? He wished now that he pressed her more on some things which she stopped in mid-sentence and swiftly moved onto another topic such as what was going on his life, how's work, have you got a girlfriend and all that sort of thing. He wasn't stupid enough to not see what she was doing. They both seemed to be following through a maze of doors, courtiers. Nik gripped onto the older man's arm trusting him to take him down the right way. He was going to kill him if this was a trap, not matter how many medals or estates that he had. He was beginning to feel dizzy and disoriented by all the other people rushing past him he was sure he would eventually lose himself if he didn't stick with him. Lord Moran eventually reached the room where Aella was being held. Thanking the Heavens while he was at it. This young man looked like he was going to stab in the chest if he didn't bring him to his sister any time soon, he was beginning to wonder if that murderous gaze was a family trait... It was a quieter and nicer part of the palace, which surprised Nik a little. He knew his sister worked closely with the king but he didn't realise she was so much in her favour.
"What's going on?" He demanded as soon as the door was closed. "Tell me everything."
"And I will. The monks...they believe that your sister has the gift of the future. They say that is the reason why she is in this coma."
Nik blinked and stepped back a little. Monks? Seeing the future? Coma? This was becoming a bit too much for him. For all of them. They thought they had escaped from a life with all that drama but it seemed to be following them wherever they went. He knew that as soon as she woke up from this coma he was going to at least try to convince her to give in her notice. They didn't need any of this political crap. It just wasn't for them or for her by the sounds of things. She was getting herself involved in things which was clearly getting her out of her depth. He turned in the direction of a sleeping girl who Nik almost thought was someone else. She looked so pale, serene and calm like a sleeping angel. Her blonde hair was splayed about the pillow which made it look like there was a halo above her head. She looked so beautiful. Nik stepped forward and took his sisters cold, still hand and stroked it.
"So...They think my sister is a seer?" He joked. "That's something."
"Yes...It is for such a person. It's even rarer for there to be a person a warrior and a mystic all in one person. Who were your parents?"
Nik stared down at her sister, who was suddenly beginning to look like their mother. She had the same blonde hair, blue eyes but her face...It was nothing like their mother. Maybe that was what her father looked like.
"We all share the same mother but Aella, Oz, our younger brother and I have different fathers."
"Does Aella know anything about her father?" He implored.
"No. We know nothing about our fathers. Well, Aella remembers mine faintly and we know Oz's all too well." He added darkly.
Moran sighed. "Maybe you can talk to her. It might awaken her from her dreams. The king is becoming more restless and it is leading him to making rash decisions. She needs to wake up."
Nik sighed and took his sisters hand and pressed it against his forehead. "Aella."
~ (***) ~
Greetings, great warrior. I sense there is a dark rage burning within you, and in time, it'll destroy you with its madness. Only the last power of the Precursors can save you. Destroy my enemies, those creatures that you call the Metal Heads.
What? No, no. Jak. Praxis! What have you done?
You do well to rid the world of this Metal scourge.
The oracle statue stood before Jak filling his body with dark eco, just like Praxis. Why was everyone doing this? Didn't anyone realise that filling his body with the toxic material was going to hurt him.
The Metal Heads have always feared you, angry one. Even now, the Metal Head leader realizes you can destroy him and save the last chance for our race.
If they don't stop he's going to become one of them. They need to stop. I need to stop this.
Aella was suddenly plunged into a dark, shapeless space. She felt like she was suffocating. She couldn't move but surely she should be able to move. She felt like there had been some invisible rope being tied around her. She tried to rip out of the bonds but it was impossible. She fidgeted in her bonds but there was no way she could escape. They were coming back again. They were coming back to talk to her again.
That is not your destiny.
What is then?
You have to guide him. Prepare him for the trials ahead.
Look what you're doing to him!
Trust us. Trust yourself.
….Can I really trust you?
"Aella."
Remember your role. Remember what you have to do. This will not be the last time we speak. But remember...
~ (***) ~
"Aella."
When she first saw the light she thought that she was just seeing another vision but then she recognised the voice. It was one that she knew. She blinked in the same way when she was waking up in the morning against the bright, morning sun. She knew that she was awake now. She felt like it had been hours since her last conversation with...She wasn't even sure about who they were. She did know that she couldn't immediately take their word on it. When she woke up it was so overwhelming. It was like the world was flooding back into her mind, body and soul. The universe came rushing in now that everything inside her was so open, so exposed. She pressed her hand against her chest and could feel her heart beating so fast. She threw herself back onto the bed and took a moment before trying to get up again, slowly this time. She almost couldn't believe what had happened to her. She knew it was all true now. She could remember everything that happened to her before she went to sleep and everything that happened while she was asleep. There was a tiny part of her hoping it was simply all a dream but things never panned out like that. She knew that this wasn't the truth.
"Aella."
She jumped and found that her brothers face was close to hers. "Are you alright?"
She nodded but then quickly shook her head. "I have to warn them." She murmured.
"Warn who?"
~ (***) ~
The little girl wasn't exactly adjusting well into the new environment but Metrodona had to find a way to make it work. She remembered her from her dreams and she knew she had been brought here for a reason but there had to be a reason for her to wish to stay.
"Seem?"
Metrodona always thought her name was a little unfortunate as well as unusual but when she offered her to be christened under another name, even Metrodona wasn't born with her name she declined. She preferred the name was born with.
"How are you feeling?"
The girl turned away and quietly carried on praying. She had been doing so for a number of hours and thought her knees would begin to hurt, even if their life was never meant to be one of comfort she still needed to eat.
"I wish to remain here." She replied.
"Do you not want to come eat?"
"I want to stay here with him." She insisted.
Metrodona frowned and looked around. There was no one else here. She turned back to her and wondered what she meant. Did she perhaps mean it in the same way she meant before Metrodona decided to let her go...
"Who is him? Seem?"
Seem opened her eyes and glanced away from her. "I..."
"Metrodona!"
A young priestess called her over for the dinner but before she left she kissed Seem on the forehead and whispered, "Don't be afraid."
