Ekobean: I know it's taken me quite a while to post this next chapter, but here it is. I'm purposely not putting a whole lot of detail into this just for a little mystique. No I am not lazy.

(two days later...)

Services for the fallen comrades were held as soon as possible. The remainder of the city had gathered around the Palace to listen to Ashelin's speech.

Speeches were given from the remaining living commanders. Each speech was virtually the same, speaking about how bravely their men had forged on undaunted into battle.

Jak, Shady, and Sig; each one of them sadly gave their farewell speeches to their lost companions.

Ashelin and Torn were the last to speak. They said how that day would impact the future of the city. Not one life lost would ever be replaced, citizens who had lost relatives and loved ones had suffered losses greater than any other.

"Last but not least," said Ashelin, "the Dark Eco Silos will be disposed of. They forever remain a dark menace to this planet. I leave Jak in charge of this. If we are correct, his recently endowed Light Powers should have the ability to destroy the Dark Eco within them."

After the services the remaining residents of the city departed to the very few homes that remained. Many of them lay in smoking piles of wood and metal and stone. So many things were destroyed. The Palace had suffered so many battle scars that it was likely that it would never be renewed. The city walls were destroyed in all four sectors of the city. It would indeed be years before the city could be renewed to its former glory.

Jak was wandering aimlessly through the ruined streets of Haven City. His booted feet were leading him somewhere, but his mind wasn't catching up with them.

His mind was focused solely on Daxter. The Ottsel, his best friend, had sacrificed his life to save the rest of them. "I never would have thought Daxter had those kinds of guts," Jak thought.

After nearly two hours of weaving in and out of mourning citizens, Jak looked up to where he was. Somehow he wasn't surprised, for he found himself standing in front of the Naughty Ottsel Saloon. Daxter's now decapitated devilish likeness stood lopsided on top of the entranceway.

Jak sighed and looked out into the waters of the Port. During the attack a massive hole had been blown in the city wall. Much of the polluted water had drained out through the hole, and the true depth of the Port could be seen. Nearly seventy feet deep in a wide, smooth basin.

Jak shook his head and entered the saloon. As the doors closed loudly behind him, he found himself staring at a room full of familiar, sad faces. Tess was standing behind the bar staring blankly at a framed picture in her hand. Sig and Samos were sitting side by side drinking from rather large mugs filled with a thick purple substance.

Ashelin and Torn were sitting across from Keira, who had her head buried in her hands. Jak sighed heavily and sat down next to Keira, resting his arm comfortingly around her waist. "Are you alright?" he asked.

"Me?" she sobbed, "what about you? Aren't you even a little sad? You knew him better than anyone, he was your best friend! I haven't even see you shed a tear."

She's right, he thought. The truth was he had been doing his best not to think about Daxter. In his heart he told himself that he had somehow, despite all odds, survived the explosion. He knew it was impossible, yet maybe...

Jak shook his head sullenly and walked over to the bar. "I'll have some Lurker wine, Tess," he said without looking up.

"Get it yourself," muttered Tess not once tearing her eyes from the picture.

"I can remember when you two first traveled to Misty Island," said Samos suddenly, "Daxter was an elf too then. Such a fool, so careless." Samos chuckled slightly before continuing. "Daxter and I never did get on very well, did we. I always felt detached from that sprout. Yet, now that he's gone..." the sage groaned and slammed his head into the polished counter, sending his bird flying away up to the rafters, twittering.

And suddenly everyone was talking about Daxter, as well as guzzling down alcohol as if it were a necessity of life. Sig, after telling over and over about how Daxter had bragged about his "killer instincts" had pounded his fist onto the table so many times that a large dent had formed where his fist impacted.

Keira had fallen to the floor laughing about how Daxter had continually hit on her back at Sandover.

Soon almost everyone had a tale to tell about the wise-cracking Ottsel. Almost an hour later, just when everyone were laughing about Daxter's recently discovered hilarious antics, the doors opened. In stepped a heavily cloaked elf. A metal mask obviously forged from a Metal Head face obscured his face.

"What do you want?" chuckled Tess, wiping a tear from her eye.

"First of all," said the mysterious stranger, "I wished to see the man whom saved our city. And second..." the man lifted his gloved hand to his Metal Head mask and drew it from his face. Jak, Samos, and Keira gasped. "...who said you could have a party at my place when I'm not here?"

There stood Daxter. It was not the face of the Ottsel, but the face of the elf. His buck teeth had mysteriously vanished, and his skin seemed to have toughened quite a bit, but it was him. He drew back his hood to reveal his unchanged red hairdo.

"Who are you?" inquired Tess.

"It's...Daxter..." whispered Jak, awestruck.

"W-what?"

"He's an elf again," he muttered. Teetering, Jak rose from his bar stool and walked over to the cloaked elf. Daxter was nearly as tall as Jak, and his build was possibly greater. Probably all that running he did as an Ottsel.

Jak laid a quivering hand on Daxter's chest. No lie, he was real. For the first time tears streamed from Jak's eyes. Jak hugged Daxter with all his strength. "Easy there, big guy," yelled Daxter, laughing.

Jak parted from Daxter and still crying sat back down at his seat.

Tess slowly walked out from behind the bar. With her hand clutched firmly to her chest she walked up to Daxter.

"Hey there sweetheart," grinned Daxter.

Tess snorted and smacked Daxter across the room. An utter silence fell across the room.

"That's for scaring me like that," growled Tess. Before Daxter could argue she wrapped her arms around his neck and pressed her lips firmly to his. She held him for ten seconds before parting. "That's for coming back."

"Heh, I can live with that."

"Daxter, how?" said Samos.

"Well, from what I can figure out, it was Jak. The explosion killed me definitely, but that last blast of Light Eco somehow brought me back. When I woke up I was naked under a pile of dirt like this."

"I knew you were too tough for 'em, big guy!" roared Sig, now blind drunk.

"Yeah, right Sig," said Daxter, edging away a bit. He then turned back to Jak and Keira. "Well guys," he said, "think we can put this rock back to how it was?"

Jak smiled and walked back over to Daxter. "Yeah, we can now."

Ekobean: I hope you like the end. There is one chapter after this that is solely for Dark Eco Freak. So, I hope you liked this. I know it is kind of quickly written, but I am writing at 10:00 PM. I am very tired, so I'm going to bed. Seeya.