Kiri: Sorry it took me so freaking long to update. I was just busy with some school stuff. I'm working on chapter 27 as we speak, so it'll be up real soon. promise.

Chapter 26

I took a deep breath of desert air when I out outside. Damn, it was good to be home! But my mission wasn't finished yet! I still had to save my dad and the rest of my family from their deaths. Then again… I just got home, so why not have a little fun first? I quickly ran back in the house and grabbed the keys to the Sand Shark and went back outside where Dawn was demanding why I was going back in the house.

"Dawn, you feel like taking the Sand Shark out for a spin?" I asked, holding up the keys. He jumped up on my shoulder.

"Just don't drive crazy like the last time!" she exclaimed. I laughed, jumped on a Leaper Lizard and quickly headed towards the car yard.

It was empty, as usual. Kliever and his 'sidekick' Vegar had mysteriously disappeared a long time ago. When I say long time ago, I'm taking even before my family was killed. Yeah, that's a long time. Anyway, I hopped into the Sand Shark and quickly started it up. Dawn jumped off my shoulder and sat in the passenger seat next to me. I opened the glove compartment and dug through a bunch of long forgotten crappy artifacts that people, over time, found and didn't want. I finally pulled out pair of goggles like the ones my dad always wore. These were his spares. I held them in my hands for a moment, and then put them on over my forehead. Now I just have to find… wait, it was there on the mirror in front of my face this whole time? Argh, stupid, stupid, stupid… I grabbed the red scarf off from the mirror and tied it around my neck. Ok, now I'm ready.

After pulled the scarf of over my nose, and pulling the goggles over my eyes, I drove out into the desert for a good long joyride. But that joyride ended very quickly when I stumbled onto a weird structure that wasn't on any of the wasteland maps. The moment I saw it, I quickly drove closer and stopped In front of it. I pushed my goggles up to my hairline to get a better look at it.

"What is that thing?" Dawn asked, hopping on my shoulder for a better look. I shrugged.

"I'm not sure… but it looks like some kind of… door," I replied.

"Door to what?" the ottsel questioned. I shook my head.

"Don't know… maybe some kind of underground passage…" I grabbed my sword and jumped out.

"Jakie… hold it! You aren't going in there, are you!" Dawn exclaimed worriedly. I didn't reply. "Well fine! You can go and get killed all you want to1 but I'm staying right here! There's no way I'm going down there!" I touched the sand covered door and it opened at my touch. Weird, huh? I looked down, expecting to see any elevator or something, but there was nothing. It was all just pitch black… Well, I always love a god adventure. "Absolutely zippo chance!" Dawn finished. Well, I know you don't want to go, Dawn, but you're my best friend, and I need you, buddy. Sorry…

"Jakieeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee!"

It was a long way down. I was surprised. But I still landed gracefully on my feet, while Dawn flopped on the ground a couple times. I stifled a laugh as she got up. I knelt down and let her back on my shoulder and nothing was said.

The two of us walked around and explored for a little while. This place was definitely here for a reason as far as I could tell. But what? Well, one way to find out… my question was soon answered when I came to the end of the dimly lit tunnel and found myself in a huge stadium-like place… the path turned and continued in a downward to my left, and the cliff side was blocked off my stalagmites and stalactites. But it was what was going on below that interested me.

"Have you found that brat yet?" a gruff voice demanded.

"Not yet, sir. But we're looking," came a more feminine voice. Sounded like Seem.

"She's his daughter! She looks just like him! How hard can it be to find her?" that voice sounded oddly familiar… and whom were they talking about? "That Mar girl can't hide from me forever… as long as I have her family, she won't go far." Holy CRAP! They're talking about ME? And… wait a minute… did he just say…? My family is alive…? I felt a warm sensation course through my veins. They're all alive… Thank the Precursors… But that jerk, whoever he is, still has them. That attack seven years ago must've been meant to capture us all. Or just my family to draw me out. Either way, my family was here and I was going to find them no matter what.

When I heard the room clear out, I couldn't help but wonder who had been talking. I knew for sure it was Seem, but the other one… not so sure.

"Dawn… tell me your heard that," I whispered. She nodded.

"Yep." I stood up. "So, what are we waiting for? Let's go find them, partner!" I grinned and nodded in agreement. When I got to the bottom, I saw several cells in the far wall. They all looked empty until I got a closer look. Someone was in one of them… and I knew him too.

"Kliever?" I asked in amazement. He looked up at me, and smirked at me.

"Well, if it isn't little Jakie Mar. Haven't you grown," he replied.

"All this time you were here? In a cell?" I asked, still stunned. He nodded.

"Yep. All thanks to that wretched Vegar." Vegar! He was behind all this? But… he was an ottsel!

"Vegar…? How…?" I started.

"I'll spare ya the details later, kid. Good ta see ya again, too. And if yer looking fer your father, he's down at the lowest level. I see 'im sometimes, but he's usually worried to death about ya, since Vegar is looking for ya's fer some experiment," he explained. I wasn't sure weather to smile or cry.

"Kliever… I'll come back and get you under one condition," I started.

"And what would that be?"

"That you skin Vegar alive and make him into a turban."

"Deal!" I smiled widely.

"So he's on the lowest level? Right. Thanks, Kliever! I'll be back as soon as I can!" I quickly ran off.

Kiri: well, that was an interesting twist of fate, was it not? heh, I hate Vegar so much... Well, I'm off to work on Chappie 27 now! When Jakie finds Ashelin and Daxter!