Chapter IV: The Return and the Sickness

LES: ::opens mouth to speak::

Fans: GET ON WITH THE STORY!!!

LES: Okay, okay, jeez!


(The Silos, north of Haven City)

Little did the Royal family know, Chycio was not ready to give in… let's face it. He is a stubborn bastard. Chycio and about a hundred FL (Freedom League) Guards had gathered near the Silos. Chycio and some of his most trusted captains were on the top of the Silos.

"Place the Plasmite Bombs here, here, and here." Chycio said, pointing out the places to his techies. They rushed to place the powerful Plasmite Bombs in place.

"I thought King Jak Mar told us not to open the Silos." Chycio's most trusted captain commented as he watched the bombs being put in place.

"In all my years, I have learned one thing, and it is this: Sometimes, for the greater good, you must go against orders." Chycio said, "It's a pity, though. The good King seemed like such a rational man, not one to be fooled by stupid little fairytales. Someday, when I've given this City an endless supply of Eco, the King will thank me. Maybe he'll even make me one of his closest advisors!" Chycio momentarily slipped into a daydream of the King, personally thanking him for revealing the Legend as false and offering him a place as his closest advisor, which he would 'reluctantly' accept.

"The Plasmite Bombs are set, sir." One techie called over towards Chycio, pulling him out of his daydream.

"Everyone retreat to a safe distance!" Chycio ordered. Everyone got into transports and flew a safe distance away from the Silos. Chycio sat in the front seat of a Freedom League Cruiser hovering a hundred feet above the top of the Silo, which was quite a ways up.

"But sir," His captain, who was driving said, "I thought that only a Precursor Robot could open the Silos."

Chycio laughed at his partner's idiocy. "Back when the Legend was written, they didn't have Plasmite Bombs." Chycio melodramatically pressed 'The Button.' Immediately, the Plasmite bombs started exploding, one right after the other, several shockwaves rolled over the small craft. Once the shockwaves stopped they went in for a closer look. Chycio jumped out of the cruiser as soon as it landed. He found that the Plasmite bombs had blown a large hole in the top of the Silos, revealing an untold amount of Eco. Several of the Guards held their breath, and waited for anything to happen.

For several seconds nothing did happen, and Chycio began to celebrate. "You see, Gol and Maia are just legends after all!" Fate can be cruel sometimes and Chycio spoke too soon. Dark Eco exploded out of the top of the Silos, Chycio managed to use his cruiser as a shield, so he didn't die. However, he watched as his comrades twisted horribly before exploding. The Dark Eco didn't kill him, however, he was badly hurt due to the exposure. If he didn't get back to Haven City soon, he would die.

However, this would never be. For two figures rose out of the Dark Eco… but… they couldn't be… Elvin! They looked as if they had once been elves. They carried themselves like animals, with long snouts, fangs, talon-like claws, deep, pitch-black eyes, and, most horrifying of all, a long tail. Their skin was as pale as death, and there hair was as white as white could be.

"My God!" Chycio coughed up blood. "It can't be…"

The male creature, Gol, stepped forward and lifted Chycio clear off the ground. The Dark Eco covering Gol's skin assaulted the already broken body. "So, you are the fool who has freed us?" Gol laughed in an echoic, demonic voice. "I suppose 'Thanks' are in order." Gol ignored Chycio's pleas to let him go.

"Tell us where we can find one called 'Jak!" The female, Maia, ordered in the same echoic, demonic voice.

Chycio choked on more blood, but he managed to get out three words, "King… Haven… City…" Then the Dark Eco of Gol's body reached his heart, the Dark Eco caused his heart to explode, killing him instantly.

"Utterly worthless." Gol spat as he dropped Chycio's lifeless body.

"Not totally worthless, my dear brother." Maia said. "Now, we will go find this 'Haven City' and get our revenge on that little brat who dared to imprison us in there!"

"You are right, sister." Gol nodded in agreement. "We've waited years for this, and now, we will finally kill Jak!"

The Dark siblings teleported in a flash of Dark Eco.


(Saphira's POV)

I stood on the top of the Palace Rooftop, thinking, looking down at the City. One day I would rule this City myself. Absorbed in my own thoughts, I never noticed that Father was standing behind me. "Hey." He said to make his presence known. I spun around, and calmed down when I saw who it was. He stood next to me, and joined me in looking down at the City.

"What about your meeting?" I asked after a few seconds of silence. "There's a meeting today, isn't there?"

He smiled, a true smile. "Being King has its perks. I just told them I wasn't coming. They can't decide anything without me, so I'm not worried."

"What's it like?" I asked. "Being ruler of Haven City?"

Father sighed as he thought for an answer, "At first, it was strange, but soon… I felt like I was meant to be King. I guess when Fate wants you to do something, there's no escaping it." Father once again looked at the City below. "Nice view." He said quietly. "I remember the first time I saw this view… of coarse, I didn't have much time for sight-seeing…" Suddenly he stopped, his gaze drifted higher, looking over the City walls, to the north.

"What? What is it?" I asked.

"Something's wrong!" he gasped, mainly to himself, "Dark Eco!"

"Dark Eco?" I asked, looking to the north to see what Father was seeing, I couldn't see it.

"Oh Precursors above! The Silos!" Father gasped, he turned around and ran down the stairs towards the Throne Room, I followed him as fast as I could in a dress. Father made it to the Throne Room first and he half walked, half ran up to Mother. "Keira," he said, stopping in front of her. "We've got a problem."

"What is it?" she asked.

"The Silos…" Father began, but he never finished his sentence. There was a huge flash of Dark Eco. And Father threw himself between the Dark Eco and me and Mother. Strangely, the Dark Eco didn't seem to faze him as it rolled over him in great waves. The Dark Eco cleared and revealed to elf-like beasts. Their black eyes glittered with malice, and Dark Eco dripped from their pale skins. Long, taloned claws tipped their fingers, fangs curled over their bottom lips. Long tails swished from side-to-side in what I guessed was anger.

Father suddenly stepped towards the two creatures. "Gol… Maia… long time, no see."

The two beasts turned their malicious black eyes on Father. "Jak!" the male one said in a demonic voice. "No longer the quiet brat we knew, huh? By the way, we've heard the news. King, huh? Congratulations!"

The female looked past Father, right at Mother. "Keira?" she gasped in surprise, "The Green Sage's daughter? I never thought you'd sink so low as to marry HIM!" She said in the same echoic voice, eyeing the beautiful wedding ring on Mother's finger. The female then turned her eyes on me, I shivered under the gaze of those eyes. She eyed my hair, "And a daughter!" she gasped.

"Well, well, well, Jak," The male said, "The years have been good to you. What has it been? Five… Six hundred years?"

"For five hundred years, Gol and Maia, you've been in those Silos…" Father paused. "And other then the physical change, you haven't changed a bit." Father answered.

At this point, I was totally confused. Gol? Maia? The same Gol and Maia from the legend? And Father spoke to them as if they were old enemies.

"You don't seem to have fixed your Robot." Father said. "I beat you once, I'll beat you again just as easily."

"You don't seem to have a steady supply of Light Eco this time, nor do you have all the Sages to help you make it." Gol said, "Without the Sages, you have no hope of getting more!" Now I was really confused. My Father had beat them once? With Light Eco? Was my father, in fact, 'The Pure Light?' But, if that is true, then Father must be older than Haven City!

"I don't need Light Eco." Father countered. "I have every single Freedom League Guard in this City at my call, and I have not lost my own combat skills."

"Your 'combat skills' are meaningless, Jak!" Gol said. "Five hundred years in the Dark Eco has given us control over it that even the Precursors couldn't dream of!" With that, Gol sent a Dark Eco blast right at Father!

"Father!" I screamed.

"Jak!" Mother screamed.

Father stood there and allowed the blast to hit him full on in the chest. "AUGHH!" He screamed, but he did not get killed instantly as anyone else would, instead, I watched as my father began to transform before my very eyes!


(A/N: We all know very well that Jak is transforming into 'Dark Jak.' But Saphira doesn't know about her father's alter eco ego. Haha.)


As I watched, horns grew out of his forehead. All of the color drained from his skin. The pupils of his eyes expanded until there was no more trace of color. His fingernails grew out into black talons. Dark Eco flowed over his body. The resemblance between him and Gol and Maia was uncanny. However, the beast that was my father managed to retain an elf-like appearance.

Gol and Maia burst out laughing, almost falling to the ground in mirth. "So." Maia laughed, "You finally see the beauty of Dark Eco!"

"There is no beauty in Dark Eco." Father growled in his own demonic voice.

"You are a disgrace to your name!" Gol spat. "The Pure Light,' indeed! I've never met anyone else with a Dark Rage boiling within them like yours!"

"We'd love to stay and catch up on each other's lives, but we decided we will get our revenge. But not before we destroy everything you hold dear." Gol said. "Starting with… this City."

"Then moving on to your… friends." Maia said, mainly talking to Daxter. Daxter hissed at them in a pure Ottsel fashion. Maia giggled.

"And, last and most painful… your family!" Gol laughed. I tried to hide myself behind Mother, but my feet refused to work as Gol stared at us.

"Then, when you've lost everything you love…" Gol paused, "We'll put you out of your misery." Gol paused. "We'll attack in a week, be ready!" Gol and Maia disappeared in another flash of Dark Eco.

No one dared to approach Father, even Mother kept her distance. Slowly, Father began to change back into himself.

"Father…" I whispered, horrified. He looked up at me, I could see the apology in his eyes. He opened his mouth, probably to voice his apology, but it never came. Suddenly, his legs buckled, as if unable to support himself, and landed on the ground on all fours. He heaved and threw up all over the floor.

"Jak!" Mother rushed forward and grabbed him right before his arms gave away and he fell in his own mess. Several other people rushed up to help their King. They rushed him to his room. They put him on the bed and he was very pale… almost like… he looked back in the Throne Room. Black eyes glared at everyone maliciously and talon-like claws tore at the comforter. As soon as it happened, he returned back to normal. "Daddy, what's wrong?" Mother asked my Grandfather.

Grandfather gave my ailing Father a quick look. "It's the Dark Eco." He sighed. "I've heard about this happening to the other Dark Warriors. Their bodies withstood the Eco for sometime, but eventually, it destroys them. I had hoped that the Precursor's gift of Light would stop this from happening." He leaned over Father, who had stopped his violent thrashings and was shivering. "Jak! Listen to me!" he ordered, Father looked up at him weakly. "How long has it been since you 'vented'?"

"Three years." Father answered. Suddenly, he retched again, but nothing came up.

"Great tree limbs!" Grandfather swore, "No wonder! If you had vented regularly like I told you, this might not have happened! Keeping Dark Eco in your body for so long, then using it!"

"What's going on?" I demanded suddenly.

"Oh honey," Mother said, finally taking notice that I had followed them. "We never told you for your own good…"

"Didn't tell me what?" I demanded, "What's going on?"

Father, who had been listening quietly, touched Mother's arm. She turned towards him. He almost seemed ok, beside the fact that he had puked all over the floor of the Throne Room and he was just touched by Dark Eco. "Just tell her." He said. "She knows anyway."

"Honey," Mother turned towards me. "Your father was the one who defeated Gol and Maia five hundred years ago…"

"But, that's impossible! You'd be over five hundred years old!" I said.

"Time traveling." Mother said simply. I was about to ask about the time traveling when Uncle Daxter stopped me.

"Don't ask." He said. "The more you think about it, the more it hurts the head. I don't even understand most of it… and I was there!"

"Once your father arrived in the City, he was put in prison… in the 'Dark Warrior Program.' What you saw today was the effect of Dark Eco experimentation."

"Torture." Father gasped, as if he were correcting Mother.

I remembered, all those years ago when I heard Father talk about the other experiments. 'Most died horribly painful deaths…' Then I heard Grandfather and what he said just a little while ago. 'This is what happened to the other Dark Warriors…'

"Father…" I whispered. I turned to face the other people. "Is he… going to die?" Everyone went silent and looked at each other.

"We honestly don't know…" Grandfather said. "There may be one hope, however…"

"Light Eco!" Mother gasped.

"But, Light Eco doesn't exist…" I said, but I paused, "Does it?"

"Yes, it does." Father laughed weakly. "I used it myself to destroy Gol and Maia's Robot long ago. I'll… never forget the feeling…"

"Light Eco might counterbalance the Dark Eco in Jak's body." Grandfather said.

"I have to take care of Gol and Maia!" Father said, trying to get up, but he lacked the strength and the will power.

"Jak, be reasonable… you can't even sit up… let alone fight Gol and Maia!" Mother said.

"Damn Dark Eco!" Father spat. "This is not the first time I've had trouble with it!"

"How are we going to find the Light Eco?" Mother asked. "Gol and Maia are right. Without the other Sages, we have no hope of creating more!"

"What are we going to do about Gol and Maia?" Uncle Daxter demanded.

"We can't take care of Gol and Maia until Jak's better!" Mother argued. "We need to get to the Light Eco first, then we can worry about Gol and Maia!"

"If we don't take care of Gol and Maia, we won't live long enough to find the Light Eco for Jak." Uncle Daxter said. "Don't get me wrong… Jak's my best friend in the whole world… even if he is the King. But we've got to take care of Gol and Maia first!"

"Personally," Grandfather said, "I think we should find the Light Eco. Jak's the only one who stands a chance again Gol and Maia in their new Dark Eco enhanced state."

"How are we going to make the Light Eco, Daddy?" Mother asked. "Without the other three Sages, it's impossible!"

"It's not impossible." Grandfather said quietly, "It's risky, dangerous, and there's a chance it won't work. But it's not impossible."

"We will need solid Eco crystals, one for each of the main colors: Green, Blue, Yellow, and Red, a vat of Dark Eco, and most importantly, a Channeler… and a talented one at that."

"Jak's the best Channeler we know!" Uncle Daxter said, but Grandfather shook his head.

"Making Jak channel more Eco is the worst possible thing we can do to him. The Dark Eco in his system is overloading his body… and to put more Eco in… that would just make it worse. No, he needs someone else to do the actual channeling."

"Well, then, we're back where we started!" Uncle Daxter said, "Jak's sick! Gol and Maia's gonna attack the City in a week! And, worst of all, we have no plan!"

"There is a possible substitute Channeler… right here in this very room." Grandfather said, everyone in the room looked at each other, wondering who it was. "Saphira." Grandfather said. Everyone stared at me, I was just as surprised.

"Me?" I asked.

"Why not? Your family has an impressive history of Eco use!" Grandfather said, "On your mother's side, me, the Sage of Green Eco. And on your father's side… well, Mar's line has always had a talent for Eco. And your father is one of the best Eco Channelers I've ever met. He's the only living person to have Channeled Light Eco, and he's the only survivor of the 'Dark Warrior Program!"

"Not for much longer, though." Father said. He flinched in pain. "It feels like something is eating away at my internal organs."

"It is." Grandfather said. "The Dark Eco is destroying your internal organs. It starts with the least important ones, so you'll live… for a while."

"What do I have to do?" I asked.

"You have to Channel all five Ecos at once." Grandfather answered.

"But that's impossible!" Mother said. "Even with all his Eco-poweress, Jak never managed to Channel more than one type of Eco at once!"


(A/N: In TPL, if you channeled one type of Eco, but you touched another type of Eco, you would stop channeling one and change to the other.)


"Wait! You said 'five Ecos!" Uncle Daxter said, counting the Ecos off on his fingers. "Green, Blue, Yellow, Red… What's the fifth one?"

"That's what the vat of Dark Eco is for!" Grandfather said. "What most people don't know is that Dark Eco is essential in the formation of Light Eco for some unknown reason. Last time, the newly formed Light Eco just needed to be near the Dark Eco, in the Silos. But this time, you will need to channel the four main types of Eco, then you will need to… stick your hand in the Dark Eco."

Mother, there was no other word for it, freaked. "No!" She practically screamed… I had never heard her scream like that. "I don't care how much she may look or act like Jak, she is not Jak! She can't handle Dark Eco! It took Jak two years of torturous experiments to handle it! Now you're going to send my daughter off on an adventure to find Light Eco? It was bad enough when Jak had to go on adventures, but I'm not sending my own daughter!"

"You forget, beloved." Father said, grimacing in his pain, "She's my daughter too. If anyone can do it, it's our daughter."

"But…" Mother desperately searched for an excuse. "She's never been far away from home, let alone outside the City walls! There're Metal-Heads, Wasteland creatures, Desert, and now Gol and Maia! She'll never make it! We'll send an army!"

"You can send 100 million elite Guards on this quest, but you will fail." Grandfather said calmly. "All is lost without a Channeler." He paused. "It's funny, here we are arguing about Saphira going off on a quest, and I don't hear her saying a single word!" Everyone looked at me.

"You don't have to go, sweetheart." Mother said. "We'll find someone else."

I thought about this. "Maybe, deep down, I've always wanted to go on an adventure… but I feel like I should go." I looked at Mother, her face showed her sorrow. "I'm sorry, Mother, but I'm going."

Mother looked ready to cry. "It's your decision, I guess."

"What do I have to do?" I asked once again. "How do I find the Eco crystals?"


LES: Extra special long chapter. How'd you like it. Oh, a quick warning. From here on out, any scene with Jak is going to have… descriptions of his stage in his Eco Poisoning sickness. And, believe me, it gets pretty disgusting! R&R please. No flames as usual. Constructive criticism is most welcome! I promise I'll update soon!