A/N: Sorry for the delay, I'm totally exhausted from school and homework....sheesh, I still have a Chemsitry test to study for! Oh my goodness gracious. I'll try to speed up the updates, but that depends on how merciful my teachers are willing to be....ah well, I hope you like this chapter, the first part is kind of sad, I was crying when I wrote it and the rest is a little rushed, I just wanted to get Jak 2 over....uhh....well, happy reading!
Pairings: JxK, TxA, DxTess
Chapter Summary: Jak, Keira, and Daxter defeat the Metal Head leader!
Special Thanks To Those Who Reviewed:
littlekittykat: Thanks, I tried to put in a lot of emotion into the characters, lots of sad emotion in the first part of this chapter though. Yes, I am going to continue on to Jak 3 (which will actually be next chapter), and Light Jak will have his own persona like Dark Jak, and I guess the rest you'll just have to read and find out....gee hee. It'll all be good though! And yes, I know about Erol, I've already finished Jak 3 (I'm still very disappointed in the storyline...).
gohan11: LoL, school sucks major balls, I'm surprised I haven't dropped dead yet! And the JakxAshelin pairing in the 3rd game is more than just queer! It's angering! Stupid people who even thought of putting that in the game....what were they thinking?
AL aka amanda: (sigh) I wish I had a guy I could do that with...(coughperferablyJakcough)
odoru: Your reviews don't seem like much, I actually like long reviews, I like listening to people's opinions.
shinkudragon: Lol, I liked that last part too, thanks. But this chapter wasn't updated as fast as the others, oh well, at least it's up!
Light-Eco-Sage: OMG, that would be hilarious! I'm sad to report, though, that there aren't any steamy love scenes in this chapter....I'm so cruel, lol.
Jynxie-07: I personally think they should've drawn out Erol's death longer, and more painful, but I guess him blowing up in a whole bunch of boxes of Dark Eco is good enough.
fluffys-sidekick: Thanks, I hope you keep reviewing!
June: Thank you, but I still don't know what you mean by 'fucked up' stories...
Razul Flaris Pyris: You know, that's a cool name, Razul...uhh, anyway...umm...lol, do they even have condoms there?
SilverHawk 27: I thought it'd be interesting if Jak could talk to Dark Jak, but DJ is basically Jak so that would mean he's having a conversation with himself....or does it mean he's schizophrenic? Lol, I don't know....
J-Kwon and Thet: It is? (giggles like an inane school girl) i'm very glad to hear that! It's a very big confidence booster! Thank you very much!
Whiskers: Oh jeez...I dreading collage right now, but I still have another year left of highschool before I enter that hell....that is, if I get all my credits in time....
ChibiSess: I agree, fluff is good, I think everyone should get a little bit of fluff everyday, it'd make the world a better place.
Toboe's Pup: Hmm....guy searching on the beach....sounds like so much fun! And now that I'm single again....I can flirt with guys all I want!! Yay!
Kat: Well, I'm glad you like this story! It's good to know that I've got some readers hooked! Gee hee...
hersheykisses: Well, school sucks......a lot.....I mean really....it's inhumane really, stuffing a whole bunch of hormone filled teenagers into one building! Seriously, whoever came up with that idea would soooo be shot if they weren't already dead.
jaclyn: Yeah, I should probably get Keira some new clothes....
GH2: Lol, it's usually the other way around for me...I always end up saying something that sounds dirty....it's hilarious though.
- - - - - -
Darker Still
by Ashelin Rayne
Chapter Six
Destruction of Kor
"Ah man, I would've loved to be there to watch Krew blow up," Keira sighed as she sat at the bar next to Jak. Tess was cheering Daxter on as he played Whack-A-Metal Head, enjoying the now Krew-free atmosphere.The four of them sat inside the Hip Hog, having a small celebration of the demise of the obese bar owner, Krew. Keira was sipping away at her drink, watching the Ottsel in amusement as he was shocked everytime he hit the wrong Metal Head as Jak sat next to her.
"It wasn't that great," Jak shrugged. the she-elf shot him a disbelieving look, "okay, it was awesome!"
"Ahhh....two years of slaving away for that fat fuck and now he's finally gone," she grinned, enjoying her blissful happiness.
"Keira?" The dark elf turned to her.
"Mm hmm?" She raised an eyebrow, still off in La La Land.
"Why did you work for Krew?" Keira froze and slowly directed her gaze towards the green-and-blonde haired elf looking curiously at her. She looked around the room and looked at Tess and Daxter.
"I...I can't talk about it here," she sighed as she stood up and made her way towards the door followed closely by the dark elf. They walked in silence by the man-made lake. Jak kept stealing glances at the she-elf beside him every few seconds, letting a smile slip over his features when he noticed how the moonlight made her seemingly glow, like an ethereal angel. He frowned when he saw a lone tear make a trek down her cheek as her walking came to a stop, the elf turned to face her and gently wiped the drop of salty liquid off with the calloused pad of his thumb.
"Keira?" His deep blue eyes tried desperately to catch her downcasted emerald ones, which were beginning to get even more watery.
"I'm not proud of what I did these past two years, Jak," Keira said brokenly as she averted her gaze away from him, "I'm not proud of working for Krew, but I was fifteen Jak, fifteen. No one else would take me because I was too young...." The she-elf chuckled bitterly.
"You know, the first night we landed here I killed someone," Jak stared at her with wide eyes, "right before I went to Krew to beg for a job. I still remember how it happened just like it was yesterday....I was looking for you, Daddy, and Daxter, I walked around the city for the whole day. When it was getting dark I noticed someone was following me...I kept walking and tried to lose him but that didn't work, pretty soon, there was no one left outside except me and my stalker....I ran. I ran and ran but he caught me and dragged me into an alley...I couldn't get away and....and he started undoing his belt. I found my wrench on my tool belt and I just started hitting him....I didn't stop until I noticed that he wasn't moving...." Tears were streaming down her face as her whole body was shaking like a leaf and the dark elf wrapped his arms around her to keep her from collapsing as her legs gave way. Keira pointed a trembling hand to the alley a few feet to the right of them.
"I killed him in there....the blood stain is still there...."
"Oh, Keira....." Jak tried to brush away her tears but every drop he wiped, another replaced it, "you did what you had to do, it wasn't your fault..."
"When I began to work for Krew, I-I couldn't fight back...." she continued, "I couldn't fight back or else Krew would've killed me. 'Just let them have their way, pet,' he'd always say that, 'you can't deny the customers anything!' I couldn't do a damn thing about it, and if I did refuse, I was beaten. Sig tried to help as much as he could without being caught by Krew." Keira took a deep breath, trying to calm herself, suddenly, her sadness turned into anger and hate.
"I met Erol through Krew," she glared at the alley, "he told me Erol needed a mechanic and he knew I was good at fixing things so he ordered me to work for that bastard. The minute I walked into that garage he wouldn't stop hounding me to go on a date with him. I figured if I went on one date with him, he'd stop bugging me, he took me to the Hip Hog and the whole time, he kept trying to put moves on me and I kept flat-out refusing him. Erol drank a lot that night and when we left....he....dragged me...to that same fuckin' alley where I killed that man...and he..he took me..." By then, Keira was sobbing into Jak's chest.
"That fucking bastard, if he wasn't dead already....I'd fuckin' kill him again!" He growled and he could feel Dark Jak trying to surface again, at that point, Jak didn't care and let himself half-transform again, just like the night at the Hip Hog when Keira gave him a lap dance.
"I'm sorry, Jak...." Keira cried out in between sobs.
"What?" Half-Dark Jak looked down at the she-elf in his arms with a confused expression, "Why are you sorry, it's that bastard that should be sorry!"
"The whole time....all I coiuld think about was you..." she sobbed harder, "...I couldn't fight back! I wasn't strong enough....not without you...." His grip tightened around Keira as he began to fight tears, the she-elf had to endure pain and torture for the past two years, just like him.
"God, I'm so sorry, Keira," he ground out through gritted teeth, not caring that his voice was cracking as a few tears escaped down his cheeks, "I'm so sorry I couldn't be there to protect you....I'm so sorry that all of those things had to happen to you...I'm so sorry...." Keira could feel drops of liquid splash onto her head and forehead, she looked up and her heart fell to pieces when she saw her beloved, half-transformed elf so sad and broken. To know that the half elf, half dark eco demon cared enough to cry about her made her sob even more and she buried her head into his chest.
"I'm so sorry....I'm so sorry..." he nuzzled his cheek against her hair, trying to calm the storm swirling inside of him, "but we're all together now, and I'll never let anything hurt you ever again. I promise...."
The two elves stood by the lake, lost in each other's embrace as they basked in the light of the moon and stars. A weight was lifted off of Keira's shoulders as she began to relax against Half Dark Jak's body, listening to the steady rhythm of his heart beat. She felt the world around her melt away and all she could feel was the warmth of his embrace, her arms snaked their way around his neck, hands making light ministrations to the back of his neck. As a deep rumble errupted from his chest and throat, Keira had to stifle back a giggle. She looked up at his face and smiled at his half closed eyelids and lazy grin, the rumbling had yet ceased to stop.
"Jak?" The dark elf focused his dark blue-nearly-black eyes at the she-elf. "Were you....purring?" His eyes shot open and she giggled as a blush formed on his paler-than-normal cheeks.
"I don't purr," he grumbled.
"Yeah...sure," Keira couldn't stop giggling for the life of her, making Half Dark Jak pout and making her errupt in a fit of more giggles.
"I don't!" He cried indigiantly.
"You keep telling yourself that...." she grinned.
"Oh yeah? Well..." the dark elf frowned when he couldn't think of anything to say. The she-elf in his arms was still giggling like an inane school girl, he had to make her stop! For the sake of his pride! Half Dark Jak smirked mischeiviously and quickly leaned down to take the scar on her neck into his mouth, expertly nipping and sucking at it.
"J-Jak!" Keira gasped in surprise and pleasure.
"Yes?" He looked up at her innocently.
"Asshole," she growled playfully but gasped again when he attacked her neck with his tongue and fangs again, "th-that's not f-fair!"
"Hey Jak! Keira!" Daxter, with his beautifully perfect timing, called out from the Hip Hog. The two pulled apart and, regretfully, trudged back to the bar, Half Dark Jak slowly returning to normal. They found Tess congratulating the Ottsel for winning the Whack-A-Metal Head game. The rodent held up his prize to the two elves.
"Look! The Time Map!" Daxter then turned to the blonde she-elf, "You know, sugar plum, if any real Metal Heads came into town, I'd bonk 'em just like I did in the game!" Just as the words left his furry muzzle, a pair of Metal Heads came walking up behind him.
"Daxter..." Tess eyed the Metal Heads nervously.
"They'd be all 'Don't hurt me please!' and I'd be all 'Too late, Metal Monkies!'" The oblivious Ottsel continued, "'You die screaming!' Hee, hee. Know what I'm saying?"
"Um..." Jak and Keira raised their Blaster guns, aiming at the Metal Heads as Daxter turned to face them.
"Jak, I think these trophies are still walking!" He cried. Both Jak and Keira fired at the same time, hitting both Metal Heads directly on their Skull Gems and killing them instantly.
"Ma... Ma... Metal Heads! Metal Heads!" The rodent panicked, "Where's Sig when you need him?!"
"Sig? I think Krew sent him on one last mission" Tess informed them, "something about using Mar's Ruby Key to open a secret door in the Underport?"
"Of course! Come on Dax, we need to get to the Underport right now!" Jak picked up the Ottsel and placed him on his shoulder.
"I want to go with you!" Keira went to follow them but the dark elf stopped her.
"No, Keira," he shook his head, "you have to finish the Rift Rider." Keira sighed and nodded her head.
"I'll help you Keira," the blonde she-elf grabbed the Time Map and Heart of Mar Gem.
"Be careful angel cheeks, and your hero will return shortly!" Daxter bowed to Tess and the dark elf and Ottsel left.
-
Jak and Daxter made their way to the Stadium, the disturbing message from Vin and the death of Sig weighing heavily on their minds. He had called them real Wastelanders, they were going to bust open the Metal Head Nest and take on the Metal Head Leader together, side by side....until that damn evil, giant Metal Head killed him. They watched as he fell into the pit with it.
"Jak!" Keira waved at them happily, not noticing him pull an indifferent mask over his forlorn expression so he didn't worry her, "The Rift Rider's finished! But if my father's right, and the Ring is somewhere in the Metal Head nest, how are we going to get the Rift Rider to use it?" The two approached the she-elf, the two Samoses, and their Lurker friend, Brutter.
"Look!!" The large Lurker pointed up at an object floating in the sky, it was a giant Lurker Balloon, "Brutter just knew friends would need help if Metal Headers attack!"
"Brutter, you're the man!" Daxter cried happily.
"Lurker balloons are finest lifters in the world, but they is easy target," Brutter frowned.
"Right," Jak quickly formed a plan in his mind, "you guys get the Rift Rider to the nest. I'll stay and defend your take-off and get away."
"Once again, being your friend sucks! I wanna go on the balloon!" The orange rodent groaned.
"You keep Stadium safe while we prep balloon for lift away," the Lurker spotted dark figures rapidly approaching them from all sides, "uh-oh! Here they come! Metal Headers!!" There was a soft thud as a small figure jumped beside the dark elf and drew a Blaster Gun, Jak turned and found Keira standing next to him, a devillish smirk plastered across her pink lips, he couldn't help being a little turned on by it but at the moment, he was more worried about her safety.
"Keira! Get back on the Balloon!" He growled but Keira only raised an eyebrow at him.
"No."
"Keira! I'm not gonna tell you twice!"
"Okay," she continued to fire at the Metal Heads in range.
"Keira-"
"Look here, buddy," she growled angrily, "I've been killing Metal Heads long before you! If you think I'm just going to sit here and watch you take on hordes of Metal Heads, you are sadly mistaken! I know how to hold my own and I can take care of myself! So stop treating me like a helpless little girl!" The girl shot down five Metal Heads during her rant.
"Keir-"
"There's nothing you can say to get me on that Balloon, Jak," she interrupted him, "now, my trigger finger has been itching for a month and I'll be damned if I let you spoil all of my fun!" Keira smirked, knowing she had won the argument.
"Fine," Jak sighed in defeat, "you cover one side and I'll cover the other. If you get hurt, I'm going to kill you." Keira nodded happily and went to cover the other side of the Balloon. As the battle raged on, the dark elf kept stealing glances over at the she-elf, amazed at how deadly and precise she was with her gun, once again agreeing with what Sig had told him about her being a deadly weapon with a gun in her hand. He caught her executing a couple moves and flips he'd seen Ashelin do. Jak froze when Keira was knocked to the ground by a Metal Head and was about to run to her but stopped when she quickly rolled to her feet and shot at the Metal Heads that were beginning to surround her, they went down like Dominoes.
The dark elf grunted as a Metal Head clawed his arm while he was distracted, deciding to himself that Keira really could take care of herself, he quickly went to work, disposing of all the Metal Heads near him. He rammed his foot into the midsection of an offending Metal Head, then quickly shot it in the face before facing another group of them. Jak leapt at an oncoming Metal Head, using it's head to propel himself into the air, flip-spinning as he simultaneously shot the Metal Heads below him before landing gracefully on the balls of his feet.
"Show off!" Jak heard Keira shout from her side and he smirked. The two Samoses loaded the Rift Rider onto the Lurker Balloon and they and the Lurker began to lift off.
"Up, up and away!" Brutter cried happily.
"Must be nice floating away while we die down here!" Daxter cried back.
"We'll meet near the nest!" Old Samos called down to them, "See you soon! Keira, be careful! Jak, take care of her!" The dark elf nodded and Keira waved at her....fathers.
"Yeah Jak, take care of her," Daxter muttered when the Green Eco Sage didn't acknowledge him. The three left the Stadium area just as the communicator in Jak's bag sprang to life.
"Jak..." It was Vin, his voice was weak and fading, but he managed to utter three more words, "...Kor... Construction Site..."
"Was that Vin?' Keira asked worridly, "What's wrong with him? Why is he talking like that?"
"The Metal Heads...." Jak growled, "they overran his station....."
"Oh, Mar...." she gasped but didn't let her tears fall, she couldn't, not when they had a mission to complete. Jak hopped onto an abandoned zoomer and motioned for Keira to take the seat behind him.
"Come on," he started the zoomer, "we have to get to the Construction Site." The she-elf swung a leg over the vehicle and pressed herself up against the dark elf as she wrapped her arms around his waist.
-
The three reached the Construction Site and spotted the Krimzon Guards and Praxis, they ducked behind the boxes and were about to engage them when the familiar old man jumped in between them all. Keira stared at him in confusion.
"What the hell?"
"Kor?" Jak growled, "What's going on!?"
"I'm sure you know..." Kor smirked evilly, "deep down in your darkest nightmares."
"The old fucker's gone senile," Keira grumbled but gasped when the old elf's eyes turned completely blue and sharp teeth protruded from his jaws.
"We've met before, remember?" Kor barked and both Keira and Jak's eyes widened when they remembered that it was he that appeared before them when they were shot into the future, "Everything's going exactly as planned. HA! HA! HA! HA! HA!" The old man released his grip from his walking stick as giant wings spread out from his back and a tail sprouted out from behind him, his head grew larger as did his body.
"Jak!" Daxter cried out fearfully, "It's the Metal Head Leader!" Kor ripped the cloths from his body, revealing several more limbs.
"Now you see! Without the shield wall disrupting my powers inside the city, I am my full potential now!" Kor laughed, "So for the last time, give me the Precursor Stone!!!"
"If the city must die, then we all die! AAAGGGHHH!!!" The Baron and his Krimzon Guard charged at the giant Metal Head Leader. As they approached him, Kor let out a blast of energy, sending the Guards flying across the Construction Site and throwing the Baron into a delicate structure with Eco barrels and wooden scaffolding.
"I will find that Stone if I have to crush this city one brick at a time!" The Metal Head leader growled angrily and flew away. Jak, Daxter, and Keira headed over to where Praxis had fallen, they removed some of the debris and found the Baron on his stomach, coughing weakly.
"You are the supreme weapon, Jak, and I made you," he said as he rolled onto his back, "still, any leader worth his salt always has his backup plan..." Praxis pulled out a remote and pressed a red button on it, the ground near them shifted as a bomb, an exact replica of the Piercer Bomb that Krew made and was destroyed with, rose above the floor.
"Remember, the first rule in making a bomb... is to always make two!" He smirked, then his head fell to the side, his one eye closed and he lay motionless. The three jumped up and ran to the now ticking bomb.
"I can't see in there!" Keira groaned, "Daxter, you're going to have to go in there."
"Fine," the Ottsel jumped into an open panel, "man, what a mess a junk in here! All jumbled coils and switches! Should I unhook the blue wire? Wait a minute?! Are ottsels color blind? Let me just break a few more things and see if anything pops loose..." Suddenly, the Precursor Stone popped out from the top.
"BOOM!!" Daxter cried out, making the two elves jump in fright, "Ha ha! Gotcha!" Keira smacked the back of his head when he slid back to Jak, the dark elf picked up the the Stone and the three left the Construction Site.
-
"Damn fuckin' evil Metal Head bastards!" Keira barked as she shot a Metal Head in mid-leap when it tried to sneak up on her. Jak finished off the last two Metal Heads in the area and moved onto the next area, the she-elf spotted a large structure that strangely resembled a gun, Keira gasped when she realized it was the huge gun that Mar had built to blow open the Metal Head Nest but died before he got to use it. She tugged on the dark elf's red cape-cloth and pointed out the huge gun to him, they found a lift near the base of it and stepped onto it as it rose up when suddenly, the comunicator went off.
"There isn't much hope now. With the Shield Wall destroyed, it's just a matter of time before the Metal Heads overwhelm us," Ashelin spoke through the comm, "you should just go through the rift back to your own time, Jak, and get away from this horrible place." Jak ignored her suggestion and popped the Precursor Stone into the machine.
"I see your point. Come on, Jak," Daxter pleaded with the dark elf.
"This place is worth fighting for!" Keira stated, "Ashelin! If you die....I'm going to be very angry with you!"
"Keira!?" The red head gasped when she heard her friend's voice, "What the hell are you doing there!?"
"Having a picnic," she drawled on sarcastically, "what do you think? And I'm serious about you dieing.....I still want to see little Torns and Ashelins running around the place, I still want to be Aunt Keira!" The green-and-blue haired she-elf knew Ashelin was blushing and she could see Jak and Daxter with their mouths hanging open from the corner of her eye.
"Uhh....we'll hold out as long as we can! Fare well!" The Krimzon Guard woman shut off the comm and Keira shook her head, a grin still plastered onto her face. A huge mechanical click caught her attention and she watched as Jak loaded the huge gun and aimed at the nest.
"Precursor Stone. Gun. Nest!" A maniacal smile spread across his features as the gun powered up.
"Light 'er up, padre!" Daxter cried.
"HA! HA! HA! Eat this!" Jak laughed maniacally as the gun shot a huge green beam into the nest, drilling a path.
"That ought to wake 'em up!" The Ottsel grinned.
"Let's go take care of business!" The dark elf said.
"What? You mean, go in there? Ahh, I'm right behind you!" Daxter gulped nervously as the three began to descend on the lift. Keira glared at Jak.
"What?" He asked in confusion.
"How come you got to shoot the ginormous gun?" She pouted as she crossed her arms over her chest, the dark elf chuckled as he stared at her, she looked so adorable when she pouted.
"You were busy talking to Ashelin," he shrugged as he pulled out his Morph Gun, toggling through all four of his guns. He saw Keira's eyes bug out when she spotted the PeaceMaker.
"Sig gave you a PeaceMaker!?" She cried, "That is so not fair! Where is Sig? I need to beat him over the head with a stick." At her question, Jak and Daxter visibly saddened at the thought of Sig. "Guys? Sig's alright....isn't he?"
"Sig....he...he was killed," Jak said sadly. Keira felt tears pricking her emerald orbs, Sig was like a big brother to here during the two years she was alone in Haven City, he had become a part of her family. She held the tears back, knowing that Sig wouldn't want her to cry over him.
"Oh," she said quietly. The silence was disrrupted by the roar of Metal Heads inside the nest, the two elves immediately loaded their guns, putting aside their sadness and letting anger and revenge for the Wastelander take over. They easily made their way through the nest, leaving behind them a trail of dead Metal Head bodies. Both Keira and Jak were beginning to sweat as their muscles worked to keep them moving, shooting any Metal Head in sight. Jak could feel Dark Jak inside him, demanding to be let out so he could fell the blood of the Metal Heads on his claws. The three finally made it to a large, round area with a large, round pit in the middle, on the other side of the area, they saw the Rift Ring.
"Finally, you've decided to join us and you bought the Precursor Stone. Good." Kor appeared above the round pit, "The boy will now play his final part." They saw the small boy with green hair and large, innocent blue eyes and dressed in blue overalls with a white shirt under. He was the rightful heir to the throne and was currently unconscious in a black energy sphere near the Metal Head leader.
"Not this time," Jak growled.
"Oh, but this child is such a part of this! Such a part of you! Don't you recognize him?" The Metal Head laughed, "The boy is you, Jak! And this place... this is where you began, in the future!" Keira gasped and noticed the similarities between the boy and Jak.
"But how...?" The dark elf growled.
"You were hidden in the past on the hope that you would gain the skills to face me today. But Onin was wrong!" Kor roared, "Now that you've been altered with dark eco, the stone will never open for you. Your younger self, however, still has the pure gift! He alone can awaken the Stone and the Precursor entity, which sleeps inside!"
"This stone is a Precursor?" Jak looked at the stone in his hand.
"The last Precursor egg! Mar was clever," the Metal Head lead hissed, "he covered his tracks well through time, hiding his last egg from me, and building the shield and city to defend it! It has been a long siege. But today, I will finally feed on the last Precursor Life Force!"
"Ah, I think you're forgetting one little thing, Metalo-Maniac!" Daxter snorted, "We've got the Precursor Stone!"
"Not for long!" Kor roared as he charged up and launched an energy blast at them, hitting the ceiling above them and making the rocks fall onto them.
"Jak!!" Keira cried out as he pushed her to the ground and covered her with his own body. The Metal Head watched the pile of rubble and growled when Dark Jak burst out of the debris with the she-elf held in his protective arms. He set Keira down and she took out her gun when she saw the numerous Metal Heads beginning to come in through the holes at the edges of the large area.
"I'll keep the other Metal Heads off your back," she said as she stared up into his pitch black orbs and then pulled him into a passionate kiss, "be careful, Jak." Daxter jumped back onto the Dark Eco Demon's shoulder as they seperated.
"DIE!!!" Kor roared angrily and they engaged in battle.
Dark Jak leapt at the dangling Metal Head leader, attacking whatever he could get his deadly claws on as Kor tried to shoot at him. He tried to get all the vulnerable spots while being careful of the deadly tail. He spared a glance at Keira and grinned as he saw her smirking devillishly while she attacked the Metal Heads head-on. She was a flurry of kicks and flips, working her way around the circular area. The she-elf used a multitude of aerial attacks, flipping and shooting simultaneously, everytime Dark Jak glanced over at her, he saw a whirlwind of beautiful destruction, but he could also see that she was beginning to tire out.
The cables holding Kor up suddenly snapped and he dropped to the ground across from Dark Jak and Daxter and began charging forward, the Dark Eco Demon noted in horror that the Metal Head was heading straight for Keira.
"Keira!!" Dark Jak roared and the she-elf noticed Kor barreling towards her, she fired at him as she began to back away but the bullets didn't slow him down. With a giant leap, the Metal Head leader was on her. Keira screamed when Kor impaled one of his sharp limbs into her left shoulder, the Metal Head leaned down towards her and his eyes widened in shock.
"You!" He hissed, "Child of the-AGGH!" Dark Jak rammed into the large Metal Head, the force of the blow knocking him off the she-elf and into the wall. The dark elf carefully lifted Keira up and leapt next to the boy in the dark energy sphere and set her down gently, she whimpered when she moved her shoulder. Dark Jak placed a soft kiss on her forehead, getting up as the Kor began to recover.
"Daxter, stay with Keira," he ordered and the Ottsel jumped down next to Keira.
"No problemo, buddy," the rodent sighed in relief. With a dangerous growl, Dark Jak charged at the Metal Head leader with a vengence and attacked more fiercly, striking at the large Skull Gem, his weakest spot. The dark elf slashed viciously at Kor, inflicting gaping wounds in his body. With a final strike, the Metal Head began to flash and he desperately flew to the Rift Ring but fell to the side an exploded before reaching it. Kor's head rolled near the little Jak, Daxter, and the wounded Keira who Dark Jak immediately rushed to. The Dark Eco Demon cradled her in his arms and began to lick at the open wound, but since the wound was deeper than the gash that he healed before, it didn't completely heal over. Jak felt the Dark Eco draining from his system and he returned to normal, he saw little Jak stand up and walk over to the fallen Precursor Stone and suddenly, an elf-like creature made of light jumped out, hovering over it.
"Oh man... a Precursor," Jak gaped at the figure of pure light.
"It is finished..." the Precursor spoke, "Our ancient enemy is no more. Take hope brave one! The terrible darkness inside you is now balanced by a glorious light! We will meet again..." The light being slipped into the Rift Ring just as the Lurker Balloon descended from the entrance to the the nest, holding the Rift Rider, the two Samoses, and Brutter.
"We haven't much time. I've set the coordinates back to our village," Keira grunted as she tried to sit up, "Let's go home, everyone."
"But we are home," Jak said as he helped her up.
"Keira," Old Samos sighed, "I'm afraid your Rift Rider must be used to send young Jak here to a place where he will grow up safe from harm. He must become old enough to complete the destiny he has fulfilled today." Jak placed his younger self onto the Rift Rider.
"Wait a minute! It's you!" Young Samos exclaimed, "I mean... it's me! I have to take him back and watch over him, don't I? Ah, grub roots! Talk about being in the wrong time at the right place!"
"Hey kid... you take care. Oh... and trust me on this..." the dark elf leaned closer to the kid, "stay away from any wumpbee nests on your ninth birthday, okay?" Little Jak nodded at his older self.
"I sure hope I built this replica right. I don't know if it..." Keira frowned.
"It's perfect, Keira. This is the very machine we found... or will find later," Old Samos explained.
"What? I just built this. After seeing the first one, I mean. It's based on what I remember from..." the she-elf began to get confused.
"Honey, the more you think about it, the more it hurts the head!" Daxter laughed. The Rift Rider began to hover towards the Rift Ring.
"I'll take good care of the child!" Young Samos called to them, "And don't worry... I'll be back in time for the celebration! Fare well!" The young Sage waved as the Rift Rider disappeared into the ring.
"Thanks Samos," Jak smiled, "without you...."
"It's funny..." Samos chuckled, "the boy won't remember any of this."
"No...." the elf grinned as the Rift Ring began to crumble, " I do remember the light."
-
"Your transport is ready, m'lady!" Brutter spoke through the comm to Ashelin and Torn who were currently in the palace.
"Thank you, Captain Brutter," the red headed she-elf turned to the elf beside her, "come on... we'll be late for the party at Daxter's new place."
"I've got so much work to do. Besides, it's not my thing," Torn tried to make an excuse for him not to go.
"Ten hut!" Ashelin barked and the elf stood up instantly, "As the new governor of this city, I order the Commander of the New Krimzon Guard to escort me to an official function. Is that understood?"
"Yes sir! I mean, yes ma'am! I mean..." Torn began to blush.
"You can start rebuilding the city tomorrow. Tonight, we get to celebrate with our new friends," the she-elf smrked, "besides, tough guy, I'm dying to see you dance."
"Not likely," the elf growled.
-
"Welcome to the Naughty Ottsel! The hippest, happenest, happiest joint in town!" Daxter grinned happily at everyone in the former Hip Hog Heaven bar, "Check out the new decor!"
"Oooh... What a big trophy!" Tess looked up at the large Metal Head that was hung over the bar, it was the head trophy of Kor.
"As if size matters?! I bagged that bad boy myself, baby!" The Ottsel bragged.
"Onin says she doesn't know who has a bigger head. Him or you!" The annoying monkey-bird laughed as he sat upon Onin's head.
"We must not forget Vin and all the others who sacrificed their lives to defeat this evil and protect the child," Samos spoke up. Jak sat at the bar next to Keira, he opened up his hand that held the Amulet of Mar.
"I still can't believe... that little boy was me. Better times, huh?" He looked down at his hand depressingly.
"You miss him, huh?" Keira smiled, "You know, the kid grows up to be a handsome hero!" Jak smiled back as they began to lean in towards each other but was interrupted by the furry, orange rodent....again.... He was glaring at the old soothsayer who was currently drinking out of a blue vile.
"Hey! That's enough for you, lady. I'm cuttin' ya off!" Daxter began to march over to the old she-elf but was zapped to the other side of the counter as the soothsayer waved her hands angrily at him.
"Trust me, she gets real mean when she's like this!" Pecker squawked.
"What'd she say?" The Ottsel asked.
"Something about rubber tubing and certain parts of your mother..." the monkey-bird translated, "you don't wanna know..." Suddenly, the doors to the entrance burst open and a large figure strode in.
"Agghhh! A Metal Head!" The rodent jumped behind the counter, but Jak recognized the figure.
"Sig!" He cried out joyfully.
"Sig!" Daxter popped his head out from behind Pecker, "I knew that."
"You okay!?" The dark elf walked up to the Wastelander.
"You Cherries didn't think some nasty breath, giant sized lizard was gonna keep me from the biggest party in town did ya?!" Sig laughed.
"I knew you were too tough for 'em, big guy!" The Ottsel grinned. Keira slowly came up to the bigger elf, Jak stepped to the side and allowed her stand in front of him, the she-elf looked up at the Wastelander. Suddenly, she punched him square in the jaw, Jak, Daxter, and everyone else stared at her in shock.
"Jeez, Kid!" Sig rubbed his sore jaw, knowing there'd be a small bruise that would appear later, "What the hell was that for!?' Keira launched herself at him, wrapping her arms around his neck and crying into his chest.
"You big jerk!" She yelled, "Don't you ever do that to me again! I thought you really died! The next time you supposedly 'die,' I am so kicking your ass." Keira stepped away from him and rubbed her tears away.
"I'm sorry, Keira," the Wastelander smiled softly at her, "but you didn't need to punch me so hard."
"Well, I'm still pissed 'cause you gave Jak a PeaceMaker and not me..." she growled.
-
"You saved the city and more, my boy!" Samos congratulated the dark elf as they stood outside of the Naughty Ottsel, "Metal Kor and his menace are history, and somewhere out there, an ancient race has begun again."
"I'm just glad to be back home," Jak sighed.
"Yeah? Well, rest up. We've got a lot to do and so much time to do it in!" The Green Eco Sage exclaimed.
"Don't say 'time!' The Rift Ring was destroyed, remember?" The elf groaned.
"You know, my momma used to read me bedtime stories about Mar when she'd tuck me in," Sig sighed, "she'd give me a nice glass of warm yakow milk... and my little Poopsy bear."
"Bedtime stories? Warm milk? Poopsy bear?!" Daxter stared up at the Wastelander in disbelief, "Buddy, ya just blew ya image!"
"I've got a feeling we'll meet Mar someday. He may be closer than you think," Samos said mysteriously.
"You're the designated driver!" Sig grinned as he handed the Ruby Key to the city to Jak.
"Oh no... I am done with adventures. Besides, you'll tell us before something happens next time, right Samos?" The green-and-blonde haired elf looked to the Sage who had an innocent look upon his aged face, "Right, Samos!?"
"Aarrk! You never know what the future may hold," Pecker squawked.
"Wait..." Daxter stared at the blue monkey-bird accusingly, "you know something, don't ya feather breath?"
"Who? Me? Ah... no..." he looked around nervously, "We're just, ah... guessing, right Samos? Today... tomorrow... Only time will tell!"
"No! You're gonna tell... right now! Aggghhh!" The rodent pounced on the monkey-bird.
"AAGGHH! Why you little... AAARRR..." Pecker and Daxter tumbled around in a mass of fur and feathers until Sig lifted them both up by their tails, ceasing their incessant fighting.
"Jak, my boy, the future awaits!" Samos grinned as firework errupted from the sky.
- - - - - -
A/N: Yeesh....done, finally. Arrg, I think my hands are gonna fall off.....okay, next chapter...we will continue onto Jak 3! Which will probably be even more revised and edited to fit my story....ahh, the joys of writing! Please review!!!
-Ash