I Walked into the garage at sunrise, almost late due to the exhaustion of Seem's Training. She was afraid of Dark Eco, yes, but when it came to me she was convinced i could control it. Little did she know that I was supposed to be the next dark eco sage. A role i was born for.

"Look who decided to show." Kleiver said, holding his spear like usual.

"I... Not today." I muttered. "What am I working on today?" I asked.

"The Dune Hopper." He pointed out. It was bigger than the buggy he called the 'Tough Puppy'.

"What exactly is wrong with it?" I asked.

"That's for you to find out, I ain't payin yous to stand around." He said, patting my back and launching me a bit.

"You don't pay me at all." I said, walking to my toolkit.

"Yous get to sleep rent free, get to test drive these babies and eat. That's enough." He says as he turns, probably to go harass someone else. I sighed, getting to work.

It was about noon before Jak and Daxter arrived, and Kleiver was around to bother him. Great. I dusted off my clothes and sat up to greet him, but he got to them first. So I leaned into the Car's frame, watching them.

"Well if it isn't the Newbies." He said.

"Keep Yappin Jelly Boy, We'll see who-" but Daxter was cut off by him grabbing him.

"Shut your face before I pound ya." He said before letting him go.

"Oh. Great Stink of the Precursors. I got two words for you; Toothbrush." Daxter Retorted.

"Nice Rides." Jak Said, looking around.

"You Like what you see? We use these babies to make runs into the deep desert to retrieve artifacts tough wheels for tough work." He explained.

"You said we could use one." Jak said.

"I did didn't I? But not one of are for the big boys. You can use that one." He points to The Tough puppy.

"What a Runt!" Daxter exclaimed.

"Hey looks can be deceiving. I just fixed her." I spoke up.

"Seems to Fit you." Kleiver adds.

"Get in Dax. I'll drive." Jak said, running to it.

"Care To wager a little something on a race then?" He asked. I walked to the Car because that peaked my curiosity. Uh oh. I knew Jak couldn't resist a cahllenge. It was in his nature.

"If you win, I'll let you keep that Little Vehicle for as long as you live and if I win-"

"I don't have anything." Jak said quickly.

"I'd say that yappy Rodent of yours is a bit boney but skinned and buttered he'd make a nice treat. My vehicle against him." He points to Daxter.

"My Friend is not Dinner Kleiver." I said defensively.

"Forget it Buddy, Jak would never-"

"Done." Jak said. Daxter just looked at him and I hit him in the arm.

"What? Don't Worry, If there's one thing I can do, It's Race."

"You better win or Tess will kick your butt." I snapped as he and Kleiver took off in the cars and into the desert, I coughed as the dust and sand billowed up, clearing as the doors shut.

"Great. There he goes again making wagers on his friends." I muttered but at least i wasn't distracted anymore and could finish the hopper. The steering was shot, and it was taking me awhile because i kept finding more and more problems. Gas leaks, suspension, and even the seats needed replaced. He was not treating this car right and I hated it. What did he do before I got here? Let them develop problems and then just stopped using them? Or did he sucker another poor soul into working on his cars. I sighed, tightening the bolt needed to stop the gas leak before gasping in pain and dropping the wrench. I looked at my hand and it had the purple marks. Oh no. This hasn't happened since We defeated Kor. I haven't used Dark Eco in months, me helping Jak was the first time in long time. I closed my eyes, praying it would go away. I wasn't angry or upset, so why was this happening? Was it because I used Dark Eco before I finished my training? I had to go to the temple, release the eco before i hurt someone. I had to find Seem. Holding my hand close to my chest and hiding it, I rushed out of the Garage passing Damas and Pecker. I nodded in his direction before running out. The city wasn't too busy, thank the precursors, but i still avoided people as I walked the back streets to find the warp gate seem hid from others. I stepped inside, landing in the hallway leading to the statue and three platforms.

"Seem?" I called. "Seem I need you." I said out loud. A few moments later, She stepped out of the shadows.

"Dark One, I told you no training today." She shook her head.

"But Look." I ignored her, showing her my hand. I now was spread up to my elbow.

"Corruption... come it's becoming unstable again. I warned you not to use it outside the temple. Now you must release it, release the unchecked eco." She explains, leading me down a set of corridors and to a small room lined with precursor statues.

"You sit in the the eco and the statues will do the rest." She explains. "I will get you when it is done."

"Promise?"

"yes." She says before closing the door. The room went Dark, Save for the statues eyes, which lit up as soon as i sat on the floor. I closed my eyes. I was... afraid. I promised myself i wouldn't become that monster again. I didn't need it. But now, it was taking over yet again. Tightening my fists, I cried out as the Eco inside me exploded. The months of tapping the well little by little as Seem had taught me, instead of releasing it all at once had caused it to overflow and my body was paying for it. My skin was probably pale as before, and the lines traced my body. My body and my lungs burned as i cried out over the sound of the precursor statues chanting. I couldn't hold it in as I groaned out in pain, my head spinning and body weakening. It was too much. I collapsed on my side, losing consciousness as I finally heard what the statues were saying.

Dark and light combined will stop the end of times

Jak

When He pulled into the garage after beating Kleiver in the race, he expected to see Zoe's annoyed yet smiling face. But She was gone and her tools were still near the car she was working on. Concern lined his face but he hid it, stopping the car near Damas and pecker.

"Nice Wheel Work." Damas praised Jak. "My advisor here says you have Vehicle skills."

"I can hold my own." Jak said.

"This one will be of use to us Damas I think you should keep him for now." Pecker said.

"Can It Pecker." Daxter said.

"There is a number of artifacts to be found in the wasteland. Fresh storms churn the sand and reveal items that have been buried for centuries. Take the Vehicles and find as many as you can before the storms come again. and one more thing, if you get caught in the storms they will tear the flesh from your very bones." Damas warned.

"Oh great Thanks for the pep talk." Daxter said.

"Damas, did you see where Zoe went?" Jak asked before he hopped into the small buggy.

"She passed us a moment before we arrived. Where I do not know. If you return, you may want to ask the Monks. She is always either with them or here." He says as he waves Jak away. Jak put on his goggles, racing back out into the storm.

*A Few minutes later*

Spinning back into the garage, he hoped to see Zoe but much to his annoyance, there was no sign of her.

"Good work." Damas crossed his arms as Jak walked to him, holding the artifacts he pulled out of the desert sands. "That was... close." Jak agreed, indeed it was.

"Oh are you beginning to care? Damas says-" But Pecker was cut off by Damas grabbing him by the mouth.

"My concern was artifacts and we will use them well. That armor you found is very rare indeed, pecker here says it's the very armor Mar once wore in his battles for this planet long ago. Keep it for yourself trust me you'll need it." Damas says as Jak puts it on, letting go of pecker. Jak looked around, and over at her tools.

"Are You still worried about Zoe?" Damas asks. "Like I said, she is most likely with the Monks."

"I- I just don't want her hurt again."

"You two are close?" Damas asks.

"Those two were childhood friends separated for years only to reunite in a warzone." Pecker says sappily, Jak giving him a dirty look.

"Check her room first, it's in the second alleyway once you leave the garage. Third door. Keycode is Six Seven Four." He says as she walks off. Jak decided not to put away her tools, knowing her she probably had a certain place for everything. He sighed as he walked out with Daxter in tow. Finding Zoe's room no problem, he opened up the door using the code Damas told him. The room was small, a hole in the wall held her clothes. Hanging up was her clothes from haven city. Tess' Jacket, her jeans now torn up alongside her shirt which was in bad shape. What happened to her? Then some more desert appropriate clothes were next to them. He turned to see the bed was occupied by a sleeping Zoe. He quietly walked to her, looking over her. She was paler than usual, the lines on her skin from the dark eco fading as always. Her breathing was slightly ragged, circles under her eyes. Looking at the marks he noticed a nasty scar on her abdomen, from her bellybutton to under her shirt.

"Yikes. How did she survive that mess?" Daxter asked.

"No clue. Why would she abandon a project to take a nap?" Jak asked.

"Damas said she's with the monks all the time. They might know." Daxter shrugs. "It's not like her to drop whatever she's doing, except for when she's saving our butts."

"You're right Daxter. They have explaining to do." He says.

"Wait a second Jak look." He points to Zoe's closed fist. Something shiny was in there. Jak gently pried open her hand as to not wake her up, and snatched the item. As soon as he did, her hand opened and she relaxed a bit more. It was a Dark eco Crystal.

"Okay now i know they were involved. C'mon Dax." He said, now angry. He turned on his heel, Daxter not far behind. The door slid shut behind him, he heading to the beach hoping They were there. It had gotten dark, Zoe being out for most of the day, he realizes. The Monk from before was there alongside a leaper. Upon their approach, she looks at them in distain.

"You are still here?" She says.

"Yeah, we thought we hang out. Catch some rays." He said, a bit sarcastically to mess with her.

"This isn't a game." She said, annoyed. It worked.

"What happened to Zoe?" Jak asked after taken aback by her statement. Now focused on the task.

"It isn't your concern, hero boy. The Dark One you call Zoe Is well, but wavers under her attachment to you and Orange lightning. One more false move and she could be lost to the Eco." She says, pointing at him.

"What false move? What are you talking about?"

"Her stunt at the fight. Where you had no more energy, She gave you Dark eco to use, knowing your powers. It caused her pain and to lose months of training."

"I thought you hated Dark Eco."

"No. I hate uncontrolled Eco and Dark eco in the wrong hands."

"Who exactly are you?" Jak asked.

"I am Seem. We monks are sworn to discover and protect the secrets of the Precursors. These leaper mounts allow us to travel where you cannot. The Dark One Is connected to the precursors. That is why she is with us. You will never last out here. That Dark Eco crystal from the Satellite, I want it before it falls into the wrong hands. I'll wager a Light crystal against it if you race my monks on their leapers." She says as the leaper with Daxter in it's mouth approaches, She speaking to it and it spits out Daxter.

"Just show us where the starting line is." Daxter said. Jak was confused. Didn't seem not know about the eco crystal in Zoe's hands? He was going o say something but he decided to ask Zoe instead. Perhaps He would get clearer answers from her. He jumped on the lizard, ready to race.