Don't I Deserve a Happy Ending?

A destroyed Jak ends up in a strange, yet wonderful place where he must learn to leave the past behind him and move on, to heal and to forgive himself. And in doing so, he meets quite the assortment of people, and learns quite a few things about himself, the Precursors, and life in general.


Melo sighed as she sat at the boy's bedside, watching over him. It was late into the night, but she felt uneasy and couldn't sleep. The boy appeared to be sleeping fine, though, for once he was openly showing his face, perfectly calm and relaxed.

She sighed and brushed a few stray strands of green-blond hair out of his face before hanging her head in her hands. It had been nearly a week now, and the only water he had gotten was the small amount they managed to force down his throat while holding him down, and he often rejected it even after that.

With another sigh, she looked him over one last time before standing up to tidy the room a bit. It was the least she could do at the moment.


"Jak! Hey! Wait up!" Keira shouted grinning widely as she wrapped her arm's around Jak's waist.

"Gah!"

"I wanted to talk to you, silly!" She giggled, stepping back. "So…guess what?"

"Uhm…what?"

"Come on! Guess!"

"…I give up." She grabbed his arm and tugged on it, going in the direction of The Naughty Ottsel. "Where are you taking me?"

"You'll see!"

Memories of a better time, a better place, somewhere safe and warm created in the delusion of his own mind. A jigsaw puzzle of people he knew at their best, places while they were at peace, but it wasn't real. And deep down, he knew that.


WAKE UP!

Hush…let him sleep!

And let him fall deeper into his own dreams! Damn you and damn this all! IF HE DOESN'T WAKE UP NOW, HE MAY NEVER WAKE UP AGAIN!

Bolts of purple suddenly streaked through the sky above Haven. Jak pulled back as Keira fell to the ground, screaming as silver plates of armor burst through her skin, which turned a dusky gray streaked with black.

Stop it! You're hurting him!

Sometimes you've gotta reopen a wound to close it!

Keira was no longer there, but instead, a hulking Metal-Head grunt, snapping sharp teeth at him and Skull Gem glittering. Jak staggered back in horror as the Metal-Head drew closer, until he suddenly ran out of road to walk on and fell into the harbor.

STOP IT!

NO!

The cold waters turned black and pulled him down, swirling into sparks of violet that streaked in front of his eyes. Dark Eco, dragging him down.

LET HIM GO!

He tried to scream, but the dark liquid filled his mouth, his lungs, seeping inside him, penetrating every blood vessel and nerve.

NO! HE HAS TO FACE ME!

He fought viciously before slowing to a stop.

No! Keep fighting me! It is the only way you can wake up!

He didn't react, but just hung there, suspended in the liquid darkness. Surrendering to his fate. Too tired mentally and physically to fight on. The darkness disappeared and he was left to his happy little dream again, sitting and talking with his friends at the bar.

He's going to die.

Don't say that…

Melo shouted to Baro as the boy thrashed in his sleep, an apparent nightmare taking hold of him. Baro rushed in, holding the boy down so he wouldn't hurt himself in his struggles, the young man screamed and shouted, tears streaming form closed eyes in mental pain before he finally collapsed from exhaustion.

"Goodness…he nearly gave me a heart attack, one second he was so peaceful, just laying there…" Melo said, a hand over her heart as Baro pulled the cover up about the boy again with a sad stare.

"At least we know he's fighting something. Who know, maybe he'll win…" Melo sighed and leaned against Baro as the two stood in the doorway before heading off to their own room, leaving the silently crying boy alone.