A/N: Yay, another chapter! Luckily I had this chapter written before mid-term week :) I'd hate to put this out late, but if I hadn't had this typed before last week well… some of you wouldn't be very happy :p Anyway, be warned that this chapter is dozy! Once I started writing this chapter I couldn't seem to stop. I just wanted to warn you before you begin reading and said 'what the hell?' I don't know about you but lots of words make my brain itchy.
Master of Time: Ah… responsibility, the bane of my existence. But my argument here is that I WOULD be responsibility with my magical time-abilities. I would only change time to right a wrong I made, get rich fast, play the stock market, get famous, beat someone I don't like up, and… OH… embarrass teachers ***rubs hands together wickedly*** See? Responsibility.
Lunatic Pandora1: You know, I did that once. I got 'Game Over' and I was like 'what in the Hell? Sig's fat why doesn't he float?'. My genius brother answered by 'he has all that armor on, stupid, he's gonna sink' meanwhile I was listening to him. I was to busy screaming at my TV 'SWIM SIG! SWIM!' But alas… he would not…
Cherie Duarte: I'm sooo glad you aren't a teacher ***shudders*** it would have been awkward if you were… me and my eternal hatred for teachers. And lookie, romance between Torn and Ashlin! Doesn't the 'aw' factor apply now? If not, then I'm either not very good at writing romance scenes or you're cold and dead inside. My ego tells me that obviously it's not MY fault but yours. Thus, Mr. Ego says if you don't go aw you're cold and dead inside. OBEY MR. EGO! ***coughs*** Sorry, sometimes the ego gets the better of me…
Wakka-steals-cloths: ***watches as W-S-C chases evil scientist down the street*** If only I could do that with my crazy monkey ***monkeys glare*** Hehe, guys you EVERYTHING way to seriously. ***monkeys walk away*** Whew, you know what? I need to get better evil henchmen. Let's see what should I get? Ah… oooh… umm… AHA! Crazy hippomanias! They're prefect. Now, have to get them here from Africa without alerting to the police? Oh yeah, I could just use my evil henchmen permit! Don't leave home without it!
Krimzon-Yakkow026: ***looks at random woman screaming in horror*** I think I've seen that randomly placed woman before… calm down Random Woman (hey, that could be a super hero. The adventures of Random Woman! A randomly made superhero! Ah, no…) Jak WILL get Keira. What kinda story would I write if they weren't? Not a good one I tell you!
Prexistence: Millennia, you eat MONKEYS!? I'll send you mine! I've been trying to get rid of them for God knows how long but they're persistent little buggers. I moved half-way across the country, making sure to leave them behind, and they got to my house before. I didn't even tell them where I was going to live. Oh no, this is getting creepy…
Chris: Yay, someone's commented on Nyx and Crea! They're my favourite OC! Nyx is like my friend the Llama and Crea is like me, slightly crazy or really silly! I'm glad you like my OCs!
Monkeypants: Actually, for me hitting my head makes me feel better. Like, whenever I realize I'm about to have a test I didn't study for hitting my head on my desk makes me forget to be worried. Funny though, I often forget why I was so worried in the first place… ah, who are you again?
Kizna1200:… ah… whoa… that's deep. A well thought out idea. My mind doesn't usually go that deep. The deepest it goes is packing for vacation. Anyway, Sig is REALLY mad at the man Kikita married, and as for Sig being Keira' father. Maybe, maybe not. I'm evil so I won't tell you. Not even a hint.
Please continue to review and enjoy the next chapter!
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Act Seven: Weapon of Choice"And the Goddess, young but wise, stood before her older Gods of yore and stretched forth her hand. In it was her glaive. Thus began the war."
"Where are you going?" It was spoken softly but since he was neither naive nor stupid he didn't miss the simmering anger underneath the soft spoken words. He knew, unless handled with care, the anger would explode and it wouldn't be to pretty.
"I have to check something out." Torn said, turning his hand to look back at. Almost instantly he wished he hadn't.
"Oh?" Ashlin said softly, raising herself onto her elbow and looking at him crossly, "Why wasn't I aware things needed to be 'cheeked out'?" she asked, frowning slightly.
Torn thought his consort had to be the most beautiful creature alive. She looked like some kind of sex goddess with her hair rumbled from savage kissing and that damned white sheet pressed against her slanted breasts. That sheet, he thought, did little for her modesty. That was true enough. The sheet was held low enough to give him an ample view of her generous cleavage.
He had a feeling that that was her plan all along.
That didn't stop him from wanted to jump into that four-poster bed of hers and forget about what needed to be done. But he was the commander of the Krimzon Guard and thus had things to do, "Because I don't think it's anything to worry about. Really," he pressed when she raised an eyebrow, "I just gotta go to the Control Room and check out the Eco Grids. The scientists say that they've been acting weird ever since Vin died…"
Ashlin sighed and rolled onto her back, forcing thoughts of her dead friend out of her mind, "Am I not the governor of the city? Shouldn't I be told of these things?"
"I would have told you if I thought it was important." Torn pointed out. He didn't want to tell the truth behind his secret. Really, she had a lot on her plate. Worrying about the Metal Heads, Jak and his friends going off to that Holy City, and now Onin…
When push came to shove he didn't want to add to her worries. But he didn't like telling her that face-to-face. He had an image to protect, right? Tough-guy Torn. Didn't give a mother-loving shit about anyone or anything.
"I should hope so." Ashlin still not turning to look at him. She sighed and didn't press the matter because she was to tired, not that she was complaining. She stretched like a lazy cat. Who knew Torn was so… er… flexible?
Finally she did turn and gave him a sultry look, "Can't you stay until the sun rises? It's not even daybreak."
Torn looked out her large bay windows in her deep red room and saw she was telling the truth. He sighed and wished he could, but today was going to be a busy day. He had to inspect the new recruits for the Krimzon Guard,—a lot more kids wanted to join in now; maybe they felt safer knowing I'm in charge?—he had to find new captains of his Krimzon Guard squads since all the old leaders had been loyal to Ashlin's good-for-nothing father, those goddamn scientists would no doubt be riding his ass all day for a solution to their Eco problems and he still had to see Onin and her stupid monkey-bird what's-his-name.
"Believe me, I would. You're a lot more interesting then anything else this city has to offer, but duty calls. Besides, don't you a meeting with some officials?" He grinned at Ashlin's annoyed sigh. He turned and watched as her sheet played peek-a-boo with her breasts. Groaning softly, he reached for his jacket and… realized he wasn't wearing a shirt.
Damnit…
Ashlin sat up and swung her legs over the side of her bed. The mattress of her bed was so thick she could swing her legs and not touch the floor. Why Torn insisted on such a high bed she'd never understand, but it made her grin to hop of the bed and plop her feet on the plush red carpet of her hardwood floor.
She looked over at Torn and saw him shifting their cloths that they had thrown into her soft black chair the other night. Oh, last night, Ashlin thought wistfully and then shook her head. She chuckled softly as she watched Torn try to disentangle his shirt from her bra. He looked over at her and scowled.
"You
know instead of standing all… naked,"
Torn bit back a moan on the last word, "you could come over here and help me
get this damn contraption of yours off my shirt."
Ashlin burst out laughing and
moved over to help him, swinging her bare hips to distract him, "You know, this
wouldn't happen every morning if you just learned some patience during the
night."
Torn didn't say anything. Instead, he tried to fight back the smile that curved his lips as he watched the redhead who shared his bed disentangle his shirt and her bra from one another easily. He took the shirt and pushed it over his head. When it was over, he saw Ashlin looking at him mock-disgust.
"What?" He demanded.
"Are you seriously going to wear that?" Ashlin asked, tapping one fingernail against his shirt, "You wore it yesterday!"
"So?" Torn asked in honest confusion, "It smells fine."
Ashlin threw her hands up in an exasperated expression, "MEN! Hygiene seems to be a foreign word to them. I wish Keira was here, she'd understand."
"Whatever." Tough-guy attitude in place? Check!
Ashlin shook her head and turned towards the door leading to her bathroom, "I'm taking a shower. Go do your job, tough-guy." She glanced at him over her bare shoulder, "We'll talk about your reprimand tonight."
Torn grinned as Ashlin disappeared into her bathroom. He finally managed to get on his jacket and muttered to himself, "There's one reprimand I won't mind getting."
With one last look at the door, he turned and strode from the room.
~~**~~
~*~"We shouldn't be doing this." It was he who spoke those words and she knew they should've been her own words, spoken long ago. After all, she was a goddess. She should have the power to pull away. Not this mortal… not the mortal she loved.
But she found herself taking on the role of the mortal. Loving him so much she'd defy heaven for him. She found herself asking, like a child, "Why? I love you. What does anything else matter?"
He cursed them both but pressed his lips greedily to her own. She rejoiced in the kiss and pressed herself against his heavy armor, wishing she could feel his powerful chest beneath her fingers. In that instant, she didn't care who was damned because of this love affair.
But he pulled away and looked into her eyes with those beautiful blue eyes that had captivated her so much before, "It's forbidden. There… there can be no love between a god… goddess and a mortal."
Around them twilight glowed and the faint smell of roses lingered around her nose. They stood in the protective embrace of the rose bushes. A hidden area that was only accessible by crawling under the secret opening in the thorny bushes.
A perfect meeting place.
She reached a pale, ivory hand up and touched the rough, handsome feature of his face, "It is to late." She said a matter-of-factly.
"Yes." He agreed as he crushed their lips once more, "It's funny," he said between their hasty kisses, "I always thought the gods were wise but you… you are more naïve of the world then my young sister!"
She pushed at him playfully, "Am not! If I'm so naïve then why are you here? Kissing me?" she poked him in the chest, knowing that with his armor it would do little to harm him.
"I did not say you were my sister." He pointed out, pressed a kiss to her neck and earned a shiver.
She smiled into his eyes as he ran a hand through her silky hair and said in a determined voice, "One day, gods and mortals shall walk together and it will be in my city. I will change it all, don't you see?"
"I know you will and I will be there with you. Forever." He kissed her and she willing pressed herself against him. He lowered them both to the ground and she willingly threw herself into the passion.
"Keira…" Was the name on his lips and she blinked. No, that was not her name.
But suddenly she was Keira and the man's rough, handsome face with dark hair and blue eyes replaced by another rough and handsome face only with fairer coloring. But eyes were the same.
"Jak…" She drew a finger down his cheek. She had never been this close, this alone, with him before. It was frightening and yet… she wanted it. She never wanted the feel of his body—for the armor the other man had worn was replaced by Jak's own warm, firm chest—to leave her. She wanted to stay in this moment forever.
"Keira," Jak repeated, "wake up."
"Huh?"~*~
"Keira,
wake up!" Someone was calling out to her. Keira rolled away from the noise, not
wanting to leave dream-Jak's embrace. She felt the hot breath in her ears an
instant before, "KEIRA!"
She screamed and jumped on her
big bed, causing Crea—who had been sitting on Keira's legs—to loose her balance
and tumble onto the bed. Unfortunately for Crea she had always been a klutzy
person and was thus landing on the floor with an 'oaf'.
Keira rubbed her ears and glared down at the young woman rubbing her rump in pain, "What was that for?" she demanded angrily.
"Training!" Crea cried happily, "You'll be late! You don wanna miss breakfast do you?"
Keira groaned and looked at her room. It was beautiful. She sat in a white four-poster bed with a silk canopy over her. She had two big bay windows off to her left which shone with the rising soon. A wardrobe was off to the side of her bed as well as a circular plush chair. The floor was hardwood but had a large, white circle carpet made of the softest material Keira had ever felt covering it.
She smiled over at Crea as the young child scrambled to her feet, "Alright," she told her, "I'm coming. Tell the others I'm getting dressed."
"WHEEEEEE!" Crea hooted and skipped off saying to Keira as she ran from the room: "I LOVE training. I get to shoot things! Shooting things is fun! PREEEE!"
Keira shook her head slowly, thinking that the girl-child would have made an excellent Wastelander for that sleaze-ball Krew. Not that Crea was sleazy—she was very cute—but Keira knew for a fact Krew prized anyone who loved to shoot guns. After all, wasn't that what Wastelander did?
She rolled over the side of the bed and fell to the floor, though she didn't worry about the pain. The carpet beneath her fingertips was like water and it soothed her to touch it, even plop on it. She noted that the carpet smelt sweet, like vanilla.
She didn't need to be told who that smell had belonged to. She didn't need to be told who had once lived in the room. Like an instinct she knew Kikita Kinover—her mother—had slept in this room before she had died. She vaguely remembered as a child climbing up the high bed and into her mother's awaiting lap, inhaling the sweet fragrance of candy vanilla. For almost five years that smell had lulled her into a sleep.
Keira shook her head and stood, brushing off the invisible dirt on her silky white dress. She had been surprised when one of the servants had given her a rather… er… racy nightdress. It was a spaghetti stripe dress with a low neckline. The bottom of her nightdress barely reached below her upper-thighs and to add to that she had a tiny slit going up each side of the nightdress along her thighs.
She sighed and made her way over to the chair, which had her washed cloths on it. Myven of Meveric had offered her more High Priestess-ly cloths but judging by their binding skirts she doubted she'd be able to do much in them, let alone learn how to fight.
Hanging on the wall on the left side of chair was a large mirror outlined in heavy silver. Making a detour, Keira stood in front of the door. She looked at her image and what she saw was a pretty young woman with wide eyes and a pale face. The wide eyes and pale face where because she was afraid. Afraid of her destiny and him. The god of Chaos. Erisen.
She wondered how many times her own mother, Kikita Kinover, had stood in front of this mirror. Had she wondered if she would fail like all the other High Priestesses before her? Had she thought of her coward-lover and the daughter she died to save? Had she broken down into tears and trembled at her destiny? Keira didn't know.
Those memories wouldn't show themselves.
Before she could sink and lose herself in her thoughts, she turned and pushed on her cloths. She knew the Council—especially the older members—would frown on her attire. It was a little revealing.
But
she still was Keira Hagai right?
Or was she Keira Kinover,
daughter of the fallen Kikita Kinover? Was she the shy genius with a will of
steel or was she the next High Priestess destined to try to destroy an evil
god? She hoped she'd be able to answer that question eventually.
After she was dressed, Keira exited her room and followed the long pathway to the winding stone stairs that lead to the entrance hall. Once there, she had to enter the door on the left and make her way to the main Dining Room.
She rushed to the Dining Room, feeling that she was late. When she pushed open the double doors to the long, hardwood table she saw only Crea, Nyx, Sala, Jak, Sig, Tess and Daxter were eating. Other then that the room was empty.
Everyone turned their heads to look at her and smiled sheepishly, "Sorry, everyone."
She walked forward and took her seat between Sala and Jak. She dug into the fruit she plucked from the large silver platter in the center of the table. She didn't feel like eating meat. She noticed Jak was stuffing his face like he hadn't eaten in years. Daxter and Sig were doing this as well and Keira noticed Tess only nibbled on her food. She didn't look like she felt like eating. Crea seemed content to not eat her food but play with it—Keira chuckled as Crea did a reenactment of the 'Metal Head' war with her hated juice cast the dreaded Metal Head Kor and her knife as the Hero-of-all-time Jak—while her older sister, Nyx, took long bites of her meat. Sala seemed to have finished her meal long ago.
"Where are Gareth and Marisa?" Keira questioned Sala, trying not to look at the three present males eating at their table.
"Marisa's probably still sleeping." Sala answered with a smirk, "And Gareth, as Head Commander of the Holy Fleet, has other things to do through. He has to see that the city is running smoothly and that there were no problems during the night. Do not worry; he shall be in time for you training."
Keira opened her mouth to state she wasn't when the door to the Dining Room opened once more. In stepped a raven-haired woman. The hair was long and wavy, flowing to her waist. She was a black dress that was tight around her torso and flared into a full skirt that trailed the floor. The sleeves of her dress were long and bell-bottomed. She had high-cheek bones and full, deep red lips. Her eyes were dark blue.
She looked a lot like Sala. Except a heavy wood cane clanked at her side and she limped into the room. She seemed to endure a great deal of pain with every movement. Keira remembered the night she had first met Erisa that the young goddess had injured Sala's mother.
The young woman in question stood from her sit and offered the older woman a stiff bow, "Lady Sisha." She said politely.
The older woman chuckled, "Now Sala, no need for the formal greetings. We are in private, are we not?" She turned and smiled at Keira, "Besides, I am here to see our long lost High Priestess."
Keira stood and, unsure of what else to do, bowed and said, "Ah… your majesty?"
Queen Sisha nodded, "Yes, you're correct. For now, I rule the Holy City though on Sala's twentieth birthday I shall pass it to her." She looked Keira up and down, "I see your mother in you. She was such a good friend of mine. Oh, did you know I was her guardian? Well, of course you do if Sala explained the rules of High Priestesses and their guardians. Ah, we had some laughs, her and I. It is good to see her bloodline back in her beloved city."
The dark queen turned to eye Keira's guardians and they locked with Sig's one visible one, "You." She growled.
"Sisha." Sig said, nodding his head to her.
"You will address me as Your Ladyship or
My Queen. You are not permitted to
say my name. You lost the right when
you betrayed this city… when you betrayed Kikita." At Sig's stiff nod, Queen
Sisha went on, "Have you finally come back to atone?"
"If I believe I could atone
for what I did to my city and… to Kikita then I would've done so long ago." Sig
said, "No, I'm here as Kikita's daughter's guardian."
"History repeats itself, I see." The Queen said turning to the door to leave. She glanced over at Sig, "See you do not fail this time."
Sig watched the dark Queen exited and the room fell into silence. Keira couldn't help but wonder exactly what had happened all those years ago.
Finally
it was Jak who spoke, in a low growl that is, "So are we gonna get training or
what? Doesn't Keira need to choose a weapon for herself or something?"
Crea jumped up—oblivious to
the tense adults, "Sala! Sala! Will I get to shot things!? Will I? Huh? Huh?
Huh?" She followed those words with some enthusiastic jumps around the room.
Nyx grabbed Crea's shorts and pulled her back into her seat, "Shut up or you won't be doing anything for the next week." Crea grinned up at her big sister and Nyx looked away, a small smirk on her lips.
"Jak's right." Sala said, "There's a lot we need to do. First being getting you weapon. Come along, Keira."
~~**~~
The Training Room—or the 'Owie Room' as Crea called it—was another all glass room in the palace. The floor was made of a hard mat, but softer then wood (A/N: Think the karate training room). The left side of the room was made of glass, giving them a good view of the green gardens of the palace.
Crea skipped ahead of the group singing the 'I Know A Song That Gets On Everybody's Nerves' song and loading her .45s with ammo. Nyx unsheathed her powerful sword while Sig and Jak pulled out their guns—Jak's Blaster Gun and Sig's Peacemaker. Sala swung her labrys.
After few minutes later Gareth and Marisa walked in. Gareth already had his scimitar unsheathed and Marisa was holding her spiked nunchucks in one hand and her throwing stars in the others.
"I am ready!" Marisa proclaimed.
"Well, we aren't." Sala answered, "Keira, Tess and Daxter need weapons. And I suppose Jak and Sigrid—" Sig instantly told her that his name was 'Sig', "fine 'Sig—need weapons as well. Sometimes the harpies raise shields that deflect bullets. In that case, you need another weapon."
"Do you have a claymore in the armory?" Sig questioned.
Sala
raised an eyebrow and answered, "Most likely. Why?"
"Well, it was just that I
trained with the claymore." Was the burly man's answered and then he looked
over at Jak, "And I suggest a broadsword for the cherry. Anything thinner will
be too weak for him."
Sala nodded, "I will see what I can do." She turned and strode to the door leading to the armory in the back of the room.
Crea giggled and danced around the group of newcomers, chanting, "Weapons. Weapons. Weapons. You're going to get weapons!" She threw her hands up in the air.
"Come here!" Nyx said, swiping for her sister but the girl-child continued to dance out of her grip.
"Ooooooh weapons!" Crea sang, "What I like is… ooooooh… weapons. Claymores and spardones and some knifes covered with blood! Use 'em to hack at foes! Hack! Hack! Hack! There the blood flows! It's all thanks to my… ooooooh… weapons!"
Jak, Sig, Tess, Keira and Daxter gave each other glances. They moved a few feet away from Crea as she pulled out her butcher's knife—the scramasax—and began to hack at the air, like she was fighting invisible foes.
"Hack! Hack! HACK!" Crea jerked her arm forward and the scramasax flew from her arm. The young girl's eyes widened the deadly knife landed in the wall where Daxter stood. It missed the top of his head by inches. Daxter's eyes rolled to the back of his head and he slumped to the flow, unconscious. Tess ran forward to revive him.
Crea winced as Tess fanned Daxter in an attempt to awaken him and said slowly, "Oopsie. Hehe." She looked up at Nyx, who glared down at her, and cringed. She gave a sheepish laugh and moved over to the armory.
"I don't know who's crazier." Nyx mumbled to Sig, Jak and Keira, "Crea when she has her weapons or the Council for giving them to her and then allowing her to use them."
"I say it's Crea." Sig muttered, motioning to Crea who had gone off into her own world again, "Somethin' ain't right with that kid."
Daxter groaned and opened his eyes and looked up at Tess, "My whole life flashed before my eyes." He told her and then jumped to his feet and glared at Jak, "And Jak, you are always getting me in trouble!"
Jak chuckled and said, "Took you that long to figure it out? I thought you'd be over it by now."
Daxter stuck his tongue out at Jak and then grabbed the scramasax above his head, "HEY CREA!" He yelled and whipped it out her. Tess screamed—seeing that the butcher's knife had a dead aim—and hit Daxter on the head.
But Crea grinned and twirled in a circle. She jerked hand out and caught the hilt of her scramasax. She flipped it in the air, caught it, spun it and tossed it to her other hand. The she placed it back into its sheath on her arm.
Daxter glowered, "Hey… well… I could've done that if I was crazy!"
Crea, who had heard the ottsel's words, laughed and looked over at him, "Well then, you best become crazy, ya?"
Gareth looked over at Marisa and said slowly, "Think we should tell him not to piss off the mentally unstable?"
Marisa giggled and watched Crea take a step over to the fuzzy creature. It was hard to tell, but those who knew Crea knew she was getting a little angry at the ottsel though that was mostly because Crea was given to mood swings. One moment she was happy, laughing with glee, and the next she was crowing over your bleeding carcass.
"Nah, I think we should let him find out. If it gets out of hand, we'll rescue him like the good people we are. Besides," she motioned to Crea, "you wanna get in the way of that?"
"Point taken."
Luckily Daxter didn't have time to retort or find out what an insane person did when they were angry because Sala exited the armory with mounds of metal tucked under her arm. She dumped them to the ground.
Sig stepped forward with a ground and picked a very large, heavy sword that resembled Nyx's own and grinned, "Good to see ya again, baby." He said, spinning the sword in the air.
"Isn't that Nyx's sword?" Jak asked, crossing his arms over his chest.
Nyx shook her head and said, "No, mine is called a spardone. Sig's claymore and my spardone came from the same mother sword, but mine is lighter and easier to handle. With Sig's you need to use both hands with it at all times, unless you're strong enough to handle it with one hand. Obviously, Sig can use one hand."
Sala reached down and withdrew another large sword, though slightly less larger then Sig's claymore. This one she handed to Jak, "This is called a broadsword. It's the mother sword of both the spardone and the claymore. It's lighter then both of the other swords and thus can sometimes be better for battle. But the broadsword has a better chance of being shattered in battle."
Jak looked the sword up and done and the hacked at the air for a moment, getting a feel on the sword. When he was done there was a fierce Dark Jak grin on his face.
"Oh yeah."
"Hey, what about us?" Daxter asked, not seeing a sword that would be suitable for him or Tess.
"You too will be handling the magick department." Sala answered, "Most of Keira's guardians revolve around using physical attacks, but sometimes a harpy will raise a shield to defend themselves from even sword blows. Thus a Mage has to come forward and attack with magick or dispel the shield. Magick Mages are also used to cast healing spells or incantations. Overall, they're very useful."
"Who'll be teaching us 'magick'?" Tess asked.
"Crea and Nyx." Sala answered, "Though they're not Keira's guardians they're the only people I know who can work magick and would have the time to train you in it."
"CREA!?" Daxter howled in horror and Crea clapped her hand together in glee.
"Alright, so now you can start training." Sala said, "Marisa, you teach Jak the basics of sword-handling and then fight with Sig to see if he needs any improvement. Then Sig can take over with high-level training in sword-handling since you don't use swords, Marisa. Then come over to me and we'll train."
"Okay!" Sig said and slapped Jak hard on the back, but in a friendly manner, "Come on, cherry, let's go get us some training!"
"Oh boy." Jak said in a bad excuse for enthusiasm. Marisa waved to Keira in a sign of good look and followed them, her wings fluttering.
"Come on, come on, come on!" Crea said cheerily, pulling at Nyx's arm, "Magick calling! Magick calling!" Nyx rolled her eyes and followed.
"We should just walk away slowly… maybe they won't see us running for Haven City." Daxter suggested to Tess.
Tess laughed and picked Daxter up, "Come on, Dax! Let's do some magick." Daxter groaned as he was carted away.
"Odd bunch there." Sala said of Keira's four guardians.
"Um, Sala?" Said the new High Priestess.
"Hmmm?" Was the answer.
"Why don't I have a weapon? I mean, I have to fight Erisen right? Don't I have to have a weapon to fight him or do I use magick?" Keira asked wearily, hoping not magick. She had a feeling she'd do poorly with magick.
"Mmmm, no." Sala retorted easily, "All the power you need is in your weapon. High Priestesses don't really work the kind of magick you're thinking of. I don't know how to explain… hmmm… okay, the magick you do isn't elemental, got it? All it really is is summoning your strength into a ball, saying a few magick words, and attacking your enemies."
"Oh."
"You'll see it when I show you your weapon." With that Sala reached at her feet and brought forth the weapon, "This is your mother's weapon. She used it to battle Erisen."
"I remember this." Keira said, touching the long black staff and looking at the cool metal, "I remember watching her twirl and whirl it until it was nothing more then a slim black blur. I always thought it was a fun game. I didn't know she was training."
It was, in fact, the very same glaive her mother totted in her portrait.
Keira reached out and took the deadly weapon from Sala's outstretched hands. She looked at it for a moment, remembering the way her mother had used it. Then she placed its butt on the ground so she could see its height. When it stood erect it was a good head taller then her, but it was slim since most of the High Priestess had either been petite or willowy. Keira was petite, Kikita had been willowy.
"Most High Priestesses have their own separate glaives since they're bodies were often destroyed by Erisen. He took their glaives as a sign of victory." Sala explained, "But when your mother ran, she left this here. I think she'd want you to have it."
Keira spun the glaive in her fingers and nodded.
Gareth stepped forward and smiled at her, holding his own scimitar, "Shall I teach you the basics of glaive wielding?"
Keira nodded and lifted her glaive. She pointed it towards Gareth and allowed the metals of their weapons to touch in sign of readiness. Deep inside her, Keira had the feeling that she was going to get the hang of this very fast.
Meanwhile, Crea crowed as she crouched on the balls of her heels. She placed her hands in between her parted legs so they touched the floor and looked at Daxter like a hungry cat. Daxter winced and moved closer to Tess's shoes.
"Magick is very cool!" Crea proclaimed, "It's the Mage—which is what Sala wants you two to become—that is the most valuable allies. Warriors can be replaced like that," she snapped her fingers, "but a Mage needs to be trained."
Nyx looked Tess up and down, causing a blush to appear on the young woman's cheek, and said, "You will work White Magick. That means healing spells, protective spells, and the like. You're a White Mage."
Crea picked Daxter up and spun him around, "That makes you a Dark Mage! You do elemental spells. Like casting Fire or Water or poison. You'll also be able to do this called 'Aliment Spells'. That means you can make a person go blind with darkness or put them to sleep."
"What magick do you do?" Tess asked, trying to get Crea to place Daxter back on the floor before he bit off her fingers.
Crea placed Daxter back on the floor and answered, "Oh me? I don't element spells or even healing spells. I'm not good at that at all. I do 'Aliment Spells' but only a few of them. I do a spell called 'Crazy Bird' which makes my enemy get confused for a few minutes, giving me an advantage. I can also make some people go to sleep. But I don't do it often. See, it takes a lot outta me so I just shoot or hack at things with my guns and scramasax. Nyx can do them all though! She's a Mage!"
"That true?" Daxter asked and Nyx shrugged.
"Despite what Crea believes, I'm not a Mage. I'm a warrior and I like it that way. Crea's a gunner. Sala's a warrior and Gareth is a knight. Marisa's a flyer and Jak and Sig will be gunners or warriors." Nyx explained.
"I would be a gunner!" Crea exclaimed.
Daxter rolled his eyes, "Oh no, really?"
"Let's get started." Crea proclaimed, raising a fist in the air to show she was ready to begin, "I'll train Daxter and you train Tess, Nyx."
"Before you begin, you'd better know how this magick works." Nyx said, "It's kinda hard to explain but when you do it a spell—even when it doesn't have incantation words for it—you kinda think about what you want the magick to do for you as well as draw the element you need. To do a healing spell or even a protection spell you need to picture light, feel its warmth and safety and then draw it to you. Then you combine your wishes and the element you summoned and cast your spell. The same thing goes for an elemental spell. See, magick is everywhere but only certain people can learn how to use it. It takes time and patience."
Farther off, Sig and Marisa had already started their training of Jak. It was Sig, however, who lunged at Jak to give him some in-field training.
"Good, Jak!" Marisa said, "Block him, block him, block him! Yes, now kick in the side. Jak, it isn't illegal, you know. Kick him and then bang your sword on his shoulder! No, the shoulder he uses to handle the claymore!"
Sig
glared at Marisa as he blocked Jak thrust with his claymore, "Yeah, help him
why don't ya? You knew he can figure this—OW!" He howled as Jak reared up and
kicked his thigh, "DAMNIT!"
Then Jak swung his sword as
hard as he could onto Sig's shoulder, hoping he didn't hurt the older man to
much. But Sig surprised Jak but bringing up his sword and blocking. Then he
released an onslaught of sword thrust that had Jak panting in horror. Sig was
good, no doubt about that.
Then Sig swung his powerful legs and tripped Jak, sending the blonde hero sprawling onto the floor. He prepared to jump up to his feet when he felt the prick of the sword pointing into his neck. Jak lay perfectly still, knowing one wrong move and he would have metal sticking out of his jugular.
Sig grinned down at him, "Not bad, cherry." He told Jak, "A little more training and you'll make a fine guardian. Now come on, let's see how your girlfriend is faring." Sig stood, removing his sword, and offered his hand. Jak reached out and Sig hauled him to his feet.
Marisa was grinned as she flapped over Jak's head, stretching her wings, "Wow, Lady Keira has the hang of the glaive already! She is good. Most definitely Kikita's daughter."
Jak turned to see what had Marisa crowing. He saw Keira and Gareth sparring, and hard. They were both panting and sweat made their bodies glisten. Keira's hair was matted to her cheeks and the back of her neck. She gasped in air and leaned heavily upon her upright glaive. Gareth stood tall but his lip was cut and bleeding. It was also hard to miss the sweat stain on the front of his shirt.
Jak grinned with a sort of pride and crossed his arms over his chest. He hoped Keira kicked Gareth's sorry ass.
~~**~~
"Watch where you're going Krimzon jackass!" Normally the shout would've had Torn turning on his Krimzon Guard bike and ripping off his helmet just to see the horror in the pedestrian's face. Then he would lower the bike into Low Hover Zone, storm over to the pedestrian and demand to know just who the hell they thought they were insulting the Krimzon Guard leader.
But he didn't have time. Things needed to be done. Not that he was looking forward to it. He frowned and lowered his helmeted head. Ashlin was probably done with all her meetings now, he told himself, and having herself a nice hot bath—Torn allowed himself to briefly remain on the thought of Ashlin wet, naked and in a tub—and that was something he normally joined her in. It bugged him that she would be bathing alone tonight.
She probably laughing at the thought of me groaning about missing her, Torn thought and couldn't stop the smirk. One of the things he loved about her.
He parked his bike and walked past the anti-hover car barrier and into the Bazaar. The guards guarding the walk-through entrance of the Bazaar, located on the side of road that took hover cars through the Bazaar, saluted him. They didn't need to have him take off his helmet to know who he was.
As he stepped nearer to the large, brown tent he removed his helmet. The scowl was set as he made his way to the flap-door of the tent. It was obvious he'd rather be anywhere but where he was right now.
He stepped into the tent and his nose was immediately attacked by the heavy smells of burning candles and incenses. His lips thinned and the smells, if it was possible, put him in a worse more then before.
Heat from a burning oval pot distorted the image of the old woman in back of the bowl. She wore her green-yellow shirt and a green skirt. Her eyes were eggshell white and blind so it was hard for Torn to tell if she knew of his arrival. She balanced a large, thin oval bowl on her head. White energy licked her fingers tips as she moved them in a rhythmic manner. She leaned into the flames.
But Torn's eyes were on the creature on top of bowl resting on the old soothsayer's head. It was a cross between a parrot and a monkey. The colors adoring its body were reds, blues, yellows and the peach of its checks.
"Arrrkkk!" Cried the monkey/bird interpreter in a Spanish accent, "What took you so long? Onin said come immediately! Not whenever you feel like breezing in! Now, thanks to you, I lost a whole siesta!"
Torn crossed his arms over his chest and glared at the interpreter, "Listen, Pecker," he just loved to sneer at the thing's name, "I'm leader of the Krimzon Guard. I have jobs to do. I can't come running every time you call."
"Why you—" Pecker stuttered but stopped when Onin the Blind Seer clapped her hands to gather, sending the blue energy scattering, "Alright, alright lady! I get! Geez lousie!"
Torn chuckled as Pecker raised his wings to his ears in an attempt to block out the words of the old mystic. He wasn't sure how Pecker understood what the clairvoyant said, but from what he understood Pecker could hear her voice in her head. It must make it very uncomfortable when she was cursing, Torn thought with a smirk.
Pecker saw the smirk and his glare intensified, "Turn off the smirk, boy, or I'll gorge out your eyes! You wouldn't be so high and mighty over there if you had her crazy-ass voice in your head. ARRKKK!"
Torn rolled his eyes and said in his low, harsh voice, "Just tell why the hell you dragged me out here."
"Onin wants to know if Jak Mar has left the city." Pecker said, his voice growing serious.
"Yeah." Torn drawled, curling his tongue against his teeth, "So?"
"Not good. Not good." Pecker muttered unhappily.
"What's not good?" Torn demanded heatedly.
"Onin says that the Metal Heads are growing stronger and stronger. Soon, she says, they will be looking for revenge on Haven City for the fall of Kor." Pecker muttered, fluttering over to the bowl on Onin's head, where he perched.
"I know that." Torn said with a shrug, "I'm working with the scientist right now to get the Eco Grid up to full power so they can't get in." He shuddered when he remembered his meeting with Vin's former comrades. They were sniveling cowards, much like Vin though they didn't have half of his backbone.
"It will not be enough." Pecker muttered ominously, "Something is powering the Metal Heads. They are growing stronger then we expected. There is something powering them. Jak Mar should be here to defend his city. Without him we are lost."
"Listen," Torn growled, "I'm capable of defending this city. Besides, Jak's off with his girl. There's something going on with her and her family or something and they need to work it out. I won't ask him to walk away from her for this city. He wouldn't do it anyway."
"So, as I thought, they have gone to the Holy City. How long ago was it that I walked down those marble halls?" Pecker said, though at this part he was totally controlled by Onin.
"You've been to the Holy City?" Torn asked, "Are they somehow connected?"
"Everything is connected." Pecker murmured, "This city and that one and the ones who were drawn Krrez Land are all connected. What has Jak Mar gotten himself into? Will he fight the god for the girl?"
Pecker blinked then and was once more Pecker. He leaned over the front of the bowl and glared into Onin's blind eyes, "I said stop it with that!"
"Listen, whatever this is I can handle it till Jak gets back." Torn snapped, "If this is all you've called me then I'm leaving." He bit off the words in a raw anger. He didn't mean to be, but he was resentful that everyone thought they needed Jak to defend him. What was wrong with him?
"Go then." Pecker snapped and Torn tore from the room. Pecker bared his teeth at the retreating back, "He really has no idea, does he?" The monkey-bird muttered once the Krimzon Guard leader had left.
Onin smiled.
~~**~~
"Damnit!" Jak cursed as Sig's claymore bit into his wrist. He dropped to his knees and wiped away the blood. He panted from the extortion of training with a broadsword all day and made a vain attempt to wipe away the sweat on his brow.
Sig was also panting but Jak had the feeling that it was because he was wearing all that heavy armor, "I think that's it for today, chili pepper. We'll start again tomorrow."
Jak raised himself to his feet once more and noticed that his legs felt like jelly, "Fine with me." He said, not noting the numbness in his limp. He looked down at his broadsword and frowned. He wasn't sure if he could pick it up.
Tess stepped over to them with Daxter in the crock of her arm. Daxter was holding his tail that had a suspicious black spot at its tip. Adding to that was the fact Daxter looked very, very mad.
"What happened to his tail?" Sig questioned, his face twisted as he held back the laugh.
"Stupid, no good crazy-ass crazy girl!" Daxter growled.
Tess laughed, long and silvery, and then answered, "Oh, Crea was trying to show Daxter a 'Fire' spell when she aimed it wrong. We can guess what it hit instead of the wall." Jak laughed and shook his head.
Crea and Nyx walked over with Crea looking sheepish. She peered at Daxter and then said, "You know, it looks fine! I'm sure it'll go away in a day or too. I can hardly notice that big, ugly black spot on your orange fur! But you know, if you want I can…um… try to heal it for you."
"NO!" Daxter shouted, baring his teeth, "No, you've done enough."
"Where's Keira?" Jak questioned and saw her standing by Gareth, Sala and Marisa. Keira looked just as tired as Jak, if not more. She leaned against the deadly glaive for balance as she grinned over at Gareth.
"I kicked your ass." She proclaimed and Gareth threw up his hands in mock-surrender.
"You did. What can I do?" Gareth asked and both Sala and Keira laughed. Jak's heart dropped at the sight of the two of them. Didn't he and Keira look wonderful together? They certainly got along nice enough.
He felt a heavy hand on his shoulder and looked over at Sig, "She likes you, you know." Sig assured his young friend and Jak shrugged it off.
"Like I care." Jak muttered, "She can do whatever she wants."
Just then a young servant walked in, her eyes wide on Keira, "Din… dinner is ready, Lady Sala." She bowed and quickly left the room, her eyes still locked on Keira's frame.
Sala blinked and looked out the window. She saw that the sun had set and shock her head, "Boy, time flies when you're training. Guess we're done for today. We'll resume tomorrow."
"FOOD!" Daxter cried, "OMIGOD, FOOD!"
Marisa stretched her wings and then said to her handler, "Gareth, can we stay for dinner, please? I don't think I can make it home without food in my stomach."
Gareth shook his head at his charge and said, "You'll make it. All you have to do is fly home. It's me you should worry about. I need the energy. So we'll stay… oh, if it's okay with you, Sala."
"How can I turn down to poor souls?" Sala answered and said, "Everyone, to the Dinning Room. We feast as a gift for a job well done!"
"PIZZA!"
Crea shouted in rapture, swinging her fist in the air, "A job well done. Did
you hear that, Nyx? I did I job well done!"
"Whodaya thukin?" Nyx said
sarcastically as Crea dragged her from the room. Sig nodded to Tess and Daxter
and they followed. Daxter growled at Crea's back as they followed her and her
sister out.
Sala and Marisa linked arms and motioned Gareth to join them. Together they walked towards the door but stopped abruptly when Gareth turned to Keira, "Aren't you coming, Lady Keira?"
Keira shook her head, loosing her strands of blue/green hair that was wet with her own perspiration, "I'll be along in a minute. I just gotta… gotta get feeling back in my… my legs."
"Oh… okay." Gareth said as Sala dragged him away.
Jak looked over at Keira as she slid to the floor, allowing her glaive to clatter to the mat with a soft 'thud'. He groaned and stepped over to her. Keira looked up and smiled at him as he neared.
He sat down besides her and together they looked at the glowing towers of the palace, "This seems so familiar and yet… everything is so new, you know?" Keira said softly and Jak nodded and leaned back, his palms bracing himself against the mat.
"It was like that with me and Haven City." He explained, thinking back to his time working for the Underground, "Something in my head was 'hey, I know this place' and then another part was like 'no I don't'. It was weird but at the same time it made me feel safer, knowing that this place was familiar. It kinda chased some of the monsters away." He didn't mention that when he had found her at the Race Garage everything made a lot more sense. It was a little too mushy, even for him.
Keira nodded, pleased that he understood what she was going through, "I keep on having flashbacks of my mother. She seemed so happy then, Jak, like everything was fine. But now that I'm older and I look back, I see that she never was happy. She was trying to keep me from being upset. I don't if she was sad because of Erisen or her runaway lover. I just know I wish I could've made her feel better."
"Keira…" Because it seemed like the right thing, he reached out and hooked an arm around her shoulders. Keira surprised him by leaning into his embrace,
She wrapped her arm around his waist and nuzzled his shoulder, "You know, Jak, I've always wanted to be like this with you." She yawned sleepily, "But you were always off doing your own thing and I didn't want to bother you…"
Jak opened his mouth and looked over at her. Keira was asleep. Sighing, he thought it seemed that something was always getting in the way of their romantic moments. But this time it was their own doing. They were both so tired.
He yawned and thought: what the hell? He wrapped both his arms around Keira shoulders and leaned them onto the mat. He unhooked Keira's arms so that he didn't crush her them. Her arm instantly reached out to encircle the side of his waist his wasn't leaning on. She pressed herself closer to him. In her sleep, she wanted only his warmth.
The young blonde hero watched the woman of his heart sleep and felt himself soften. Whenever he was near her it seemed those two years of hardening he went through melted away and he was the boy again, filled with innocence and light wondering if the daughter of the old sage liked him.
He chuckled at that, remembering how he had before he had been brought to Haven City. Back then, in Sandover Village, everything in his world had involved adventuring with Daxter or Keira Hagai. They had talked a few times, never more then a five minute conversation, and he found himself infatuated with the girl. After all, she was pretty and smart and classy. The list went on. And then they had gotten closer on their journey against Gol and Maia and then there was Haven City where they had both matured into adults.
Did she really mean what she said? Or was she too tired to realize what she saying? Jak thought as he trailed down a finger down her pretty checks. Whatever she felt about him, he knew he'd fly off his hinges without her. Sure he couldn't become his alter ego Dark Jak (A/N: See author's notes at bottom for details) but that didn't mean he couldn't get pissed and do something he'd regret. Keira kept him grounded.
"Thanks." Jak said softly and leaned forward. Because he respected her he didn't want to take advantage of her sleeping status. He just brushed his lips against her forehead, telling himself there was no harm in that.
Keira sighed softly and buried her head in his chest. Jak didn't know it but she was dreaming of him. She was dreaming of the day they first met. She had been walking down Sentential Beach when he had surfaced with a fish caught between his teeth. She had been shocked at first, seeing him like that but they had spoken a few words to one another after getting over the shock. She had thought then that he was the strong, silent type with a kind heart. She always knew he didn't have to speak words because he face expressed more then words could.
Then he changed and he was the older Jak, the one who had suffered at the hands of Baron Praxis. She wanted him to hold her and she wanted to hold him. Not out of pity, but because she loved him. No matter what happened he would always be her Jak. The new attitude, the voice, the change in facial feature only made him better. He was the man he was meant to be and he was hers'. Her heart had known that this was who he was meant to be and that he was perfect for her, this hardened Jak because she had hardened too. They were a perfect fit, like two pieces of the puzzles coming together. Her Jak. That was all that mattered.
The non-dream Jak rested his head on top of Keira's and closed his eyes. He knew he shouldn't be like this with her. Whether their emotions were mutual or not, she was still engaged to Gareth. Only… only he couldn't seemed to care.
Gareth be damned.
Besides, Jak didn't think Gareth's emotions matched the ones he had for Keira. Sure, he knew the young warrior was attracted to Keira—you either had to blind, gay or Torn not be attracted—but he doubted they went any deeper then a sense of duty. Gareth was very loyal when it came to his duties. His engagement was a tradition, aka a duty.
But they were still engaged.
And what did Keira think of that? Did she even know? After all, she hadn't said anything and she was laying her with him. He didn't think she'd do something like this if she knew, even if she thought it was just a friendship moment. Keira wouldn't do something this… this intimate if she knew she was promised to another.
Stop thinking, moron. Go to sleep, you're exhausted. Deal with this… him in the morning. Living the moment. Face tomorrow, tomorrow. With that command still in his head, Jak fell asleep with his head angled on Keira's.
And his sword and her glaive guarded each of their sides, like silent guardians.
~~**~~
"Bye Sala!" Marisa waved as she took to the darkened air and flapped her wings. She disappeared into the chilly night with a flutter and a flirt.
Gareth and Sala were now the only ones standing in the entrance of the palace. Sig, Tess, and Daxter had gone to bed while Nyx had gone to give Crea a bath. Knowing Crea they would be at it for a while. Crea so hated her bath.
An awkward silence hung between them. Gareth wasn't too surprised. Ever since they had found Lady Keira, Sala had been distance as if troubled by something. The friend in him demanded he find out what was wrong and fix it.
"Sala?" Gareth questioned, turning to look at her.
"Do you like Keira?" She blurted out and cursed herself.
Gareth blinked at her in surprise, "Wha… what!?"
Sala clasped her hands and twisted them behind her back. Then she wanted to kick herself. This wasn't her. She didn't act like this. She didn't act like some kind of ivory-tower maiden. She should just tell Gareth what was on her mind.
But Gareth… Gareth always made her feel female. He made her feel like some virgin maiden who needed be saved from dragons and was always causing trouble for the hero. She didn't want to feel this way, but she did. She always did around Gareth.
It was something she had always kept herself, wrapped around her like a warm blanket. This crush on him, this love she had felt. She had loved him since she was fourteen—had lusted for him since she was eleven—and it had burned a hole in her for the past six years. She had always held herself back when it came to Gareth. He was a friend and he never seemed to see her as anything more. She didn't want to be hurt with the rejection.
And now Keira was here. Gareth hadn't spoken of that, ever. Sala had always thought that he was glad he wasn't going to be forced into the arranged marriage even though they had lost a High Priestess. But the way he acted around Keira… it was the way he acted around herself expect there was that thing in his eye. That look of attraction… she didn't call it love because she didn't think it was. Or maybe she was trying to kid herself.
Either way…
"I… I don't know." Gareth answered, "I mean, she's nice enough, pretty enough and… and I'm supposed to marry her, you know? Maybe I'm trying to make myself like her like a man should his wife. Maybe I need more time. I think she's very pretty, very kind and I wouldn't mind being married to her, kissing her."
Sala lowered her head, loose dark strands covering her downcast eyes, "She likes Jak." Was it mean that she tried to pull him away from Keira with those words? Maybe he'd forget Keira if he thought she was after Jak. Which she was, of course. Sala could see it every time they were near each other.
Gareth sighed, "I know and I know she doesn't remember our 'arrangement' but who knows what'll happen when she does? Maybe she'll come around and we'll go through with it like our parents wanted. Or maybe she'll fall into Jak's arms. All I can do is wait."
"Oh." She said softly. Why did it hurt so much to know he was going to wait for Keira to remember? And what happens if the Lady High Priestess decides she likes Gareth and not her man Jak?
"Why do you want to know?" Gareth asked softly and Sala raised her head.
"Oh, I—" Sala broke off, unsure of an answer. She looked into impossibly blue eyes and wanted to melt, right there on a floor.
You might never get another chance. A voice whispered in her head and she stepped forward. Sala had always been one to follow her emotions. She rode the wave of raging feelings and allowed it to take her where it willed. She was never one to take the easy way out. And right now how easy would it be to run as far as she could away from him?
No, Sala never took the easy way out.
And because she was Sala she stepped towards him so they were only inches apart. She raised one hand and placed it on his shoulder, fisting it in the fabric. Gareth's eyes widened, as if he didn't understand what was going on, and his lips parted in surprise. Sala placed her other hand in his hair, fisted it, and brought his mouth to hers' in a kiss of hunger and passion.
The kiss she gave him was no virgin maiden kiss. It was a purely Sala one. All heat and tongue and passion. She pushed herself against him and molded herself to fit his body. How perfectly we fit together, she marveled. Nine years she had waited for his taste in her mouth, nine years she sought to suppress her boiling love and lust. Nine years she had wanted him.
Nine years were too goddamn long. She moaned against his mouth, trying to memorize his texture, his taste. It didn't matter for the moment that his lips were cold and unmoving above her own and that he wasn't holding her like he did her dreams. She made herself concentrate only on his taste. Then Gareth surprised her.
He kissed her back.
Oh, now he was holding her. In fact his hands were fisting her hips and he was dragging her closer, widening his mouth for her. Now his lips were warm above her own. They were hot and demanding, with equal heat and tongue and passion. She moaned against his mouth as a trembling hand run up and down her body, exploring its curves and womanly secrets. She never wanted this kiss to end. She would give her soul to spend all eternity kissing him.
But then Gareth was pulling away, looking at his hands as if they belonged to a stranger. And then he raised those crystal eyes and looked at her swollen lips. Sala raised her chin and refused to tremble.
And she didn't say anything, do anything at all. Even as he looked at her in horror, as if wondering what spell she had cast on him in that moment. She didn't do anything as he turned on his heel and hurried from the room.
Only when he was gone from sight did her knees crash to the floor, did she lick her lips to catch the lingering taste of him. Only then did the tears come to her eyes.
"I'm not sorry." She told herself and she wasn't.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Whoa… that's a lotta romance right there folks! Did ya like it? See, Gareth isn't gonna get with Keira because he's got someone else after him! I hope you all enjoyed. Oh and concerning the Jak no longer being able to be Dark Jak note. Yes, I have it under good sources that after Jak II he can't be Dark Jak. Don't believe me? Well, I wrote my whole conversation down. Here it is:
Conversation between myself and the Muse on why Jak is no longer Dark Jak
the Muse: Whatdya writing?
Me: God damnit, do you make a habit of scaring me? glare
the Muse: What are you writing? blinks
Me: I'm making Jak become Dark Jak in my story, as if it's any of your business. sticks out tongue Hey, wait what the hell are you doing in my room?
the Muse: You can't make Jak become Dark Jak, you know.
Me: huh? blinks Of course I can! Dark Jak kick-ass awesome!
the Muse: Yes he is awesome, but you can't make him be Dark Jak if this story takes place after the game.
Me: Oh? And why not, you're so smart?
the Muse: I am smart. You see Jak became his alter ego Dark Jak because of the torture he endured as a detainee of the malicious Baron Praxis. In the end of the game, the Precursor explains that Jak was now balanced by a glorious light. This means that he is now balanced with a dark side and a light side. Jak was transformed into Dark Jak because his dark emotions outweighed his good ones. Thanks to the Precursor Jak got his emotions all balanced yes, the Muse often repeats herself so his dark emotions didn't out weight his good ones, thus he can no longer become Dark Jak.
Me: drools as she tried to compute big words Ooooh, I think I see.
the Muse: points to computer screen rewrite that
Me: Ah man! hits the delete button
See, I caved in to peer pressure and Jak can no longer be Dark Jak in my fics ***sob** But I do see the Muse's point. It does make sense. Anyway, come see chapter eight, Guard Her, where Jak and Keira grow even closer and we learn a little about the war between Erisen and the Goddess. Please review!
