14

Chapter 13: "Light and Dark"

Seem's face fell with horror as the explosion of dark power erupted in front of her, the light-blessed woman just scrambling to the top of the dune's remains, facing the city. Frost…

Relief flooded her for a heart-beat as Maia came rushing out of the explosion… backward. Frost shot after her in the dispersing energy, sand and rock flying off his tattered cloak, and he landed with Maia, the two clasping claws and struggling for a moment as energy crackled down their bodies.

Maia leaned in at him angrily. "What makes you think you're any better than me, Frost? You can't be with her! You'll destroy anything you touch!"

Frost remained focused. "Alone, yes, you're right. But I'm not alone. And that's the difference, Maia…" he strained against her a moment. "I don't assume I can do anything without help. I'm… just… another… man!" He finally gained leverage with his feet, and shoved her back, assisted by a shock-wave of energy like a partial dome ramming her.

Maia stumbled back through the ruined dune, glaring at him, but then cried out as a flash of light rushed past her back. She wheeled about, spotting Seem, whose eyes were blazing with light, her right hand held toward Maia, palm toward her, with a faint aura just then diminishing from it.

Taking only so long for her rage to redirect, Maia tore off the sand, coming down at Seem with both claws storming from power. Seem was alarmed, but widened her stance, snapped her arms out, and focused, her brow creasing sharply. Maia slammed her claws down into a vague dome of blue light, Seem's eyes glowing once again. Dark energy scattered over the shield, warping the sand to glass around the edges beneath Seem.

"Maia!"

She twisted her gaze, seeing Frost charging through the sand. The warped woman laughed, and snapped her right fist toward him, keeping her left clawed into Seem's shield. A beam of power erupted from her fist, but before it could even close half the distance with Frost, the Metal-Head commander slammed his feet forward, halting, as his arms wrenched apart.

A blazing dome of dark energy was simply there, detonating her blast and sending the sands flying with such violent force from its abrupt formation that Seem's shield protected her from the normally harmless particles. Seem herself was startled, and Maia had to regroup, rushing back through the air and actually landing as energy rushed around her arms, gathering in her palms.

The dome faded, and Frost was standing there, arms down, back hunched, body heaving as his jaw hung to let more air through his system. Power continued to crackle off his body faintly, his glowing eyes locked on Maia's. "I won't let you harm her. I won't let you touch her!" his voice thundered the last sentence, ripping through the air with its unnatural power. It caused Seem to glance to her love with concern, his rage peaking dangerously.

Maia laughed quite sincerely, and then snapped her right hand toward Seem, her left toward Frost, and dashed to her right herself. Seem flared her shield, Frost batted the blast flying for him away with his claw as he dove to help protect Seem, unsure how strong her light shield would be compared to Jak's. The war-master finally reached the opposite side of the ruined dune to Seem, and twisted her hand, guiding the blast straight into Frost just as he came in front of the former monk. Frost grunted from the explosion, and slammed back into Seem's shield, his darkened form starting to burn, his body tensing from pain as he groaned sharply through gritted teeth.

"Frost!"

"Don't drop it!" he snapped back to Seem's worried call, feeling the shield start to wane behind him.

Maia ripped off the sand once more, and slammed into Frost before he could do anything else, grinding him against Seem's own shield. Seem mouth fell open. "I must!" Her eyes were watering as Frost's body started to smoke and quiver from the damage her shield was inflicting.

"Hold it!" his voice drew the first word out painfully as his claws gripped Maia's wrists, and he shivered with exertion as he started to force himself away from the shield.

Maia was smiling in his face. "See how your beloved's own power destroys you, Frost?"

Frost just looked up into her eyes, his manner tense with pain, but focused with discipline in his eyes. "It is her power that saved me."

Seem's expression tightened with guilt and compassion. She knew he was just keeping her from dropping her guard, but she could see the damage her shield was inducing on his back. Noticing Maia had not replied, the light-powered woman focused up with her own glowing eyes, and saw something unexpected.

Maia was staring down into Frost's face with the strange mixture of rage and unspeakable sorrow.

Frost allowed himself a nod. "You see it now. The difference." He suddenly tensed, and roared, pulling Maia to the left, and yanking himself away from Seem's shield.

Maia growled, planting both feet in his stomach, knocking him through the air before both of them could land, Maia behind Seem, Frost in front of her, the former monk maintaining her shield.

Shivering, Maia let energy rush and wave over her body. "You presumptuous wretch! I just see a fool blind to his fate!"

Frost smiled a bit. "I have my weaknesses, Maia, but I try to be kind. I try to be unselfish. That's the difference. You wanted power, and you now you have it… at any cost. I just want to be a good person. Someone that won't hurt anyone he loves. Seem helped me believe I could still do that." He tilted his head down. "And I think you could, as well."

Maia's expression constricted, and she rocketed toward him. They slammed together, and writhed into a struggle of blows and energy, tightly focused.

Seem dropped her shield to rest faintly, but was watching with a tight pain in her crimson eyes. She felt so much power, so much purity… but couldn't reach it. Something was wrong with her that was preventing her from helping Frost, the others, their world. She looked down at her hands. What is it? How can I release it better?

Then Maia was flung back past her, and Seem twisted around, bracing back as Frost ran up on her right, the pair of them facing Maia, the cliffs to the West of the city's guard-wall behind her. Looking at her in that moment, Seem calmed with curiosity. She could see it, what Frost had noticed already. There was a ghostly pain in Maia's eyes this time, as if it was trying to claw its way out past her rage and pride.

But it didn't stop her from roaring, arching her back, and unleashing a storming blast of energy toward them. Seem flared her shield, Frost drawing back with energy gathering his claws. If Maia was going to win, she would have to defeat them both together.

(Meanwhile…)

The rest of the battle raged around the three on the ruined dune. Kleiver's dune-buggies continuously ran back and forth across the front-line, supporting the guards and Wastelanders that were firing past the Metal-Heads that were taking the fight straight to the Prowlers. The massive dune-runner Metal-Heads were stomping through the Darken force like juggernauts, Metalpedes cutting paths for insectoids, leapers, and ape-types to rush into deeper and deeper portions of the army. All the while, hellcats and the desert Zoomer were cutting down into the army from above.

It was the war-masters who kept the battle so perilous. The huge Prowlers were unleashing bolts of power, and causing tornados of sand to rip through the battle and defending ranks of the allies. Though only a handful were left, they were making it count.

Ashelin swerved her hellcat around one blast from a war-master, only to almost get thrown from the craft by another blast ripping past the ship's aft. Her turret-gunner shouted in dismay, and they started going down. She steered hard, pulling up and angling right as the ship tried to dive straight to the left. It slammed into the sand at an angle, skidding to a halt after cutting a few Prowlers apart… and the war-master that fired the damaging shot suddenly loomed directly over the fallen ship, planting one taloned foot on the nose, aiming his crackling claw down at Ashelin. She could just gawk up at him, her hand not even reaching for her gun. Strangely… she found herself thinking of Torn.

But the war-master could never attack her. With a rush of glistening metal and fangs, a dune-runner snapped the huge Prowler up in its jaws, and wrenched him back through the air, tossing the war-master only to fire with its cannon. Two others on either side fired as well, and the three shots blew the war-master's left arm, leg, and a chunk of his torso away, crimson blaster-bolts from the army finishing him off with a warped, rushing explosion of power.

Ashelin and her gunner just watched the dune-runner that saved them charge forward, swinging its head through the ranks of Prowlers at its feet, firing into the further chunks of the army with its cannon.

"Let's go!" Ashelin shouted after clearing her head of her shock, whipping her pistol and her fallen co-pilot's rifle out. She and her gunner leapt out of the hellcat, and started firing.

Unfortunately, they soon realized they were in the middle of the Darken army, and were immediately hard-pressed to keep the masses of Prowlers off them, even with the hellcat to duck behind.

"This doesn't look good, ma'am!" her gunner called sharply, firing his rifle over the hellcat's port wing.

Ashelin just fired a few rounds over the nose as she knelt beside him. "Just keep firing!"

And just then a wave of crimson bolts started eating into the force around them. Looking to the North with her comrade, Ashelin found herself smiling with relief as Torn ran up at the head of a group of guards, his pistols firing over her head.

"Ashelin!" he shouted firmly, every ounce the warrior focused on his task as he ran up to her. "Any injuries?"

She shook her head, cocking her rifle. "Only my pride if we don't clean these freaks up."

Torn smirked, nodded, and they both led the charge deeper into the Prowler force. As Ashelin fired with both weapons, whipping her rifle from side to side, clipping targets with her pistol, Torn unloaded bullets into Prowlers on her left flank, finally pulling his knife and spin-jumping past one, ripping a gap through the beast's neck before Ashelin shot it, and they started firing together with their force of guards on the East half of the battle.

Away from the front-lines, Jalnoth watched intently. His eyes were focused on the battle nearer the city… between Maia, Frost, and Seem. His head turned as he seemed to listen to something, and then set off, rushing down to all-fours and streaming through the army, closing on Maia's battle.

(Meanwhile…)

Though strained to her limit, as false she believed it to be, Seem kept her shield up against Maia's assaults, and let Frost's attacks flow through her defense without obstruction, effectively keeping them at a stalemate. Finally, her shadow-gem glazing with a dark aura, Maia shot off the sand yet again, and slammed into Seem's shield bodily, energy crackling over the shield in a wave of purple-red force.

Seem wavered, and Frost gripped her around the shoulders. "Do you need to rest?" he whispered quickly into her ear.

"I shouldn't… I can… feel much more… than I am… releasing…" Seem managed in a weakened, strained voice.

Maia looked down at them, her rage fracturing across her face. He had it. The power, but also himself. He had that peace, he had her. In that moment, Maia's eyes shifted, altering… reverting to the glowing irises she'd had since rising in the desert, and she screamed. Not a roar of anger, but a scream of confused fear and frustration as she bashed on Seem's shield, her body smoldering as she rested on it, her energy crackling across it.

Seem sagged to one knee, but kept her shield going as she moaned. Frost stood over her, his fists crackling. "Release it. I'll get her away from you." He was already focused up on Maia, clearly seeing the despair and desperation in her manner and eyes.

I can do more! Seem shouted at herself, and pulled her head up. "No!" she managed powerfully, "I will hold it…"

Frost looked down to her with concern, but she was focused up on Maia in that moment. Maia fractionally paused as their eyes locked, crimson gazes meeting, one pair glowing with power and sorrow, the other tightening with growing compassion.

Maia snapped. "HOW?" she screamed, ramming her fists down into the shield as she knelt on it above them both. "How did you keep this? We are not so different!" she shouted at Frost this time. "Why was I enslaved? Why aren't you?" Tears were brimming in her eyes, flying out with her violently gestures, energy crackling out of them. Black crystals were faintly starting to appear through the carapace that had taken over, and her spiny hair was starting to meld together.

Without warning, even Frost fell back and down from Seem as her power erupted. The shield flashed with renewed strength, and the woman's eyes blazed with radiance. Maia shouted in pain, but kept pounding on the defense, her own power starting to diminish in its presence.

Frost could only watch in awe as Seem rose to her feet without effort, looking up at Maia. When she spoke, her voice was both a whisper and deafening, filled with luminous power. "Do you want such power, Maia?"

Maia froze, her right fist in mid-downward-swing.

The shield slowly vanished, and Maia floated down, just staring at Seem as Frost watched.

"Do you want such power?" Seem repeated with infinite patience, her face gentle around her overpowering eyes.

Maia's mouth fell open limply, tears dripping free from her eyes at last, and she just fell to her knees as her head shook. Managing to look up at Seem, as if in a daze, or shocked, she suddenly exclaimed, "I want my life back!" Her voice wailed out pitifully as she collapsed over herself, her body shaking with sobs.

Seem knelt down in front of the prostrate woman, who suddenly jerked, crying out in pain. Rising up, Maia revealed the shadow-gem smoldering with power, and she was pained by the energy this time, arcs of it damaging her black skin. Frost had no idea what to do or who to help, frozen in uncertainty, awe, and growing pity for Maia.

With a rush, Seem's hands came up, and gripped Maia's head from the sides, forcing her attention into Seem's eyes. "Make your choice, Maia. You know what you must do…"

The glowing, red eyes widened faintly, her body screaming in pain, but she finally nodded. Her face cringing from the prospect, she suddenly pulled back from Seem, and slammed her left claw into her chest, digging her fingers into her body around the shadow-gem. Doubling over, Maia screamed quite sincerely in excruciating pain, and started to pull the gem from her body.

When the energy from the gem exploded, engulfing Maia with a renewed outcry of suffering, Seem surged closer, and grabbed the gem herself, the energy suddenly dying as Maia stared at her in shock. Seem, however, was focused down into the gem with firm outrage. "She is not yours to control any longer!"

Light flashed through her hands, and the gem finally pulled free, leaving a blank hole in Maia's chest, the woman falling back. The gem shattered into dust, dispersing into nothing in Seem's hands, and then the light-blessed woman leaned over Maia urgently. Frost finally rushed closer himself. "What can I do?"

Seem looked up, her glowing eyes softened at the sight of him, and then nodded. "Help her up. She has accepted things as they should be…"

Frost pulled Maia's limp body off the sand, the woman moaning weakly, and knelt down behind her, keeping her propped up, her head back on his right shoulder. Seem, however, reached out, and touched Maia's chest, her palms covering the hole in her front. Seem bowed her head, closing her eyes, and focused.

Take your life back, Maia… You do not have to be alone…

Maia's eyes flared open. Yes!

Frost had to snap his face away from the blinding light that engulfed both women. The power, however, did not burn his warped body. He could feel the very air around them thrumming with luminous purity, but it did not harm him.

When the light faded, Frost looked back to them, his eyes flaring with shock. Seem pulled her hands back, breathing as she seemed weakened from exertion… and Maia, resting against Frost, barely conscious… was completely normal. Indeed, she was more natural than even her form during her time with Gol, when Jak had first known her. Her skin was a softly tanned, light brown, and her waist-length, thick, beautiful hair was a dark brown… her eyes, however, were naturally red as they vaguely pulled open, her body covered in her old bodice and skirt from when she had fallen into the Dark Eco silo with Gol. Her eyes widened faintly as she breathed, tears brimming in her eyes again… but for a very different reason.

"…My… mind…" So wearied, however, she fell unconscious completely in Frost's arms.

Seem smiled gently up at Frost, her powers faded for the moment. He smiled back, nodding to her. "You did it."

"I could not have without you, Frost. You helped me realize what to see…"

His smile warmed faintly, but then he looked to his right with focused alarm. Seem twisted her gaze there as well, and realized what it was.

Jalnoth himself was leaping through the air toward them, energy smoldering over his body as he actually roared, his jaw open and the tentacles lashing out. Frost, snapping energy into his left claw away from Maia, flung his arm over his head, unleashing the bolt at Jalnoth without harming Maia with the power. It gave the war-master pause enough for Frost to hand Maia to Seem as gently as possible, and leapt into Jalnoth, the two spinning back down into the sand.

Seem held Maia, but watched anxiously, feeling wearied from healing the woman in her arms, but needing to aid her beloved friend. Fortunately, Frost was immediately holding his own with the war-master.

Jalnoth sent his left fist crashing down at the Metal-Head commander, only to have it blocked by a wall of dark eco energy above Frost's open claws, which promptly exploded between them, blasting both apart. With hesitating, Jalnoth slammed his left foot down, and the sand around Frost exploded like a geyser. The column of sand blew apart from one side, Frost roaring as he streamed out of it, purple-red power crackling in his wake, and body-slammed Jalnoth back into the sands near the allied ranks.

There they paused fractionally, Frost pulling himself up as his energy started to stream down into Jalnoth's shadow-gem, almost pulling Frost down with it. The struggle left him open, and Jalnoth belted him off, sending Frost crashing through the sand toward the cliffs.

Rising to his haunches, Jalnoth roared, and shot across the gap as shadow, his wraith form. Frost was just recovering when the war-master slammed him back into the cliff, shattering the stone in a shock-wave as Frost shouted in pain.

Opening his jaw, Jalnoth unleashed the lashing, bladed tendrils from his throat. Frost grimaced as they sliced across his face and front, several coiling around his neck, but the Metal-Head leader suddenly roared, his back arching, and energy exploded from his body. Rock shattered anew, and Jalnoth flew straight past Seem, skipping across the sand, finally crashing into a small dune to the East. Frost ran out of the hole he'd made with his power, and shot through the air, power surging from his feet like a rocket-booster, his cloak lashing violently from speed.

Jalnoth had black, liquid-like, oily power rushing around his fists as he rose up, and as Frost's senses stretched through time, his body opening back for a full-bodied, four-limbed impact, Jalnoth simply surged upward with both fists. Frost, his energies, and Jalnoth's power collided with air-shuddering force, the sand erupting beneath the point of impact, but the explosion revealed that Frost had taken the worse side, flying back like a rag-doll, crashing into the sand bank near Seem as she held the still-resting Maia.

Frost rolled over, slowly picking himself up, sharing a grave glance with Seem, whose concern was growing more powerful. He turned as he stood, seeing Jalnoth rushing down at him with both feet ready to crush him clear into the sand. Frost closed his eyes, but suddenly roared, wrenching his claws down to the sides as a dome-shield erupted from his body, crackling with residual power. Jalnoth crashed down into it, Frost and his shield dipping into the sand abruptly, but it held.

Jalnoth leered down as his claws dug into the energy, more of it flowing into his shadow-gem. "When I finish crushing you, I'll rip the monk apart. I think I can keep her alive until I finally take her head…"

Seem's concern flared as she felt the dark power surge within Frost. Within the shield, his eyes narrowed to murderous slits, the power in his eyes flaring with intensity, yet darkening, turning the more literal color of blood. His rasping voice was more powerfully under-toned than usual. "Thank you…"

Jalnoth paused, darkly curious.

"That's exactly what I needed," Frost continued quietly.

Jalnoth pulled his right claw back, aiming down at Frost through the shield, but never had a chance to release it. With speed that startled even Jalnoth, Frost was suddenly hunched over, legs spread, sanding blasting to the sides from the gesture, his claws open forward, held down in front of him, his entire body shivering with tension… as he unleashed a roar of unnatural and catastrophic power. The air within the shield turned into energy, and then the shield exploded vertically.

Seem had to raise her arm and avert her face from the shock of the release, but finally looked up, along with a good deal of the army, Sig, Torn, Ashelin, and Keira all looking back to see a column of purple-red energy stream into the sky. It slowly narrowed, and finally shut off, vanishing into a narrow wisp of power.

Focusing back to the sand, Seem saw Frost limply fall into the gritty particles on his back with a weak moan. Sensing that he was alive, Seem gently placed Maia down on the cooling sand, and ran to him anyway, kneeling down at his side and touching his shoulder. His eyes faintly opened, and he smiled gently. "Sorry… overdid it a bit…" Jalnoth was nowhere to be seen.

Seem couldn't avoid a faint laugh, and caressed his forehead. They both turned serious again as he glanced out to the battle, wincing faintly. "But we're still struggling…"

Nodding, Seem helped him sit up, looking out with him. After a moment, she looked to her beloved calmly. "How strongly are you connected with them, Frost? Is it just authority over their actions?"

He looked into her eyes curiously. "What do you have in mind?"

She tipped her head, looking deeply back into his gaze. "Balance."

Frost found himself smiling, and nodded. Though he was still wearied, he felt, somewhere in his soul she had helped redeem, pull back from the brink of despair, that she knew exactly what she was doing.

Seem stood up, and helped him face the battle, and then let him sink back to his knees. "Calm your thoughts…" she breathed, standing behind him. She bowed her head and closed her eyes.

Frost closed his eyes as well. Seem placed her hands on the sides of his head, and they began to glow gently. With a soft rush, Frost's eyes flared open… but were blazing with white light from their dark cores, his red irises glowing more brightly than ever around it. He saw what she was doing, and felt how easily they could do so together. Frost smiled faintly, and raised his claws up on either side, dark energy starting to crackle down his arms.

At the same time, Seem's eyes finally opening, solid pools of light as she looked down at his skull-gem with a gentle smile. In a rush, light exploded from her body… and dispersed to reveal a luminous creature, with wings of light, tendrils of pure energy, arching off her back exactly like Jak's, her body cast into stark relief by her blazing aura, her hair starting to writhe gently around her head like a slow-burning white fire.

Her wings spread wide, and she turned her gaze forward with her beloved. Frost began to fade and brighten in an aura of black energy, his power crackling over his form, exaggerating his carapace, claws, and teeth. They were an awesome and terrifying sight, like a beacon of light and shadow at once. wings of light as a wall behind opposites.

Just as the Darken force was taking notice, the allies looking back with shock, the true result of their focus began to form. Torn twisted back around, looking ahead to the battle with widened eyes, Ashelin and Sig near him, realizing what was happening in awe. Keira had to steady her grip on the controls, Tess just gawking as she panned the guns across the battle. Kleiver and other dune-buggies had to start slowing down to avoid crashing.

The Metal-Heads were changing. The Leapers suddenly blazed into black-skinned wraiths clad in white armor that glowed with its own power. The ape-types rose up and shifted into armor-clad warriors with wings of light and shadow. The insectoid scorpions became streaks of light on beds of shadow, ripping through the Prowler ranks already. The Metalpedes warped into dazzling, glistening masses of energy-armor and shadow, blasting whole ranks to dust.

But the dune-runners became awe-inspiring. Their bodies became smooth, gray hide, while their armor shifted into ridged, stream-lined light, their large lower jaws streaming back into more sleek forms… while the cannons on their backs became shifting, revolving beam-arrays… which began to unleash raking streams of pure light veined with shadow as field of blue erupted around each dune-runner.

In the space of a few seconds, the tide had turned. Dozens of Prowlers were dropping every second, entire ranks erased by the rushing onslaught of the Light and Dark Metal-Head swarm. The ape-types flitted through the air, ripping down into the enemy, as the Leapers seemed to streak and blur, leaving Prowlers flying apart in their wake. The hunch-backed and humanoid blaster-types were simply spraying swaths of light from their weapons, adding to the swift decimation of the Darken army. All as a result of the twin powers completely united behind the army.

Sig, Torn, and Ashelin shouted as one. "Forward!"

And the entire allied army started rushing after their diminishing foe.

(In the Darkness…)

Light Jak dove to his right, snapping his wings down along his body while his shield appeared. The mighty blast from Darken rammed him down into the ground again, but the shield held, and Jak rolled into Daxter and his morph-gun, picking them both up in his arms, running toward the side of the chamber.

Shaking his head, clearing it, Daxter focused up at his friend's face. "So what now, light-wonder?" he demanded dryly.

"Thinking," Light Jak responded patiently, flying high toward the ceiling as Darken lashing his whip-chords around again.

But then something strange happened. Darken seemed to slow down, muddled by something unseen. Jak twisted in flight, looking down, and saw the whips uncoordinated, Darken himself almost stumbling to the side.

Starting to smile, Light Jak swept down toward the ground. "It's the others. The battle on the planet is distracting him. Daxter?"

Startled to be asked for something, the ottsel blinked up at him. "What?"

"Take my morph-gun, set it to Nova Strike, and I'll give you an opening."

"You're kidding, right?" Daxter pleaded.

Jak shook his head, and the ottsel sighed, but quickly scrambled for the gun in Jak's other arm, and let the hero drop him to the ground with a swift dive and recovery. Hefting the massive weapon (for him), he twisted it through the air, locking it into the long, rifle-shape, with the purple and gray missile ready to fire along the top of the weapon.

Light Jak swirled up, and dropped to a neat landing in front of the Darken, Daxter off to the right, already aiming. Darken roared, his cavernous maw flying open, and rushed down on Jak with his claws. Jak shot back, flipping over, and landing to a crouch as the huge fists shattered the ground.

In that moment, Darken looked up, and the crimson, glistening compound eyes locked with the glowing pools of light. Light Jak flowed into a ready combat stance, hands up, feet spread, wings wide, and Darken started to surge forward.

"Hey! Tall, dark, and ugly!"

Ignoring the ottsel, Darken continued to rush forward, but a dot of red light was placed clearly on his left flank. Daxter grinned, barely keeping the gun straight with his body weight, and fired. The missile shot off, knocking Daxter flat. Light Jak dropped, and slammed his hands together over his head, slowing both Darken and the missile down. With a flurry of light-wings, he shot for his friend, diving down over him as Daxter remained in a different time-perception, and flared his shield around them both.

His time-flash faded just as the missile struck. A shock-wave shattered the chamber for dozens of meters in every direction, the air itself vaporized, creating a back-wave equally powerfully.

In the ominous silence after the explosion, the dust and light starting to fade, Light Jak looked up, and his eyes widened.

Darken slowly turned around, his left flank damaged and leaking black energy into the air, but he was otherwise unharmed. "Don't be pathetic."

Daxter gawked, back on his feet at last. "What the HELL? We NUKED him!" he emphasized with a hop and wild shaking of his arms.

Light Jak, however, turned grave. "Only one thing can stop him." He looked down to his friend. "I'm going to use my light energy from the inside."

Darken started to unleash raging blasts of black energy, and so Jak raised his shield again, protecting them both for the moment.

Recovering from the fear of the blasts killing him, Daxter blinked, staring up at him without understanding for a moment. Then his face vaulted. "Have you gone completely bat-nuts-insane?"

A faint smile appeared on the luminous face. "I won't ask you to come on this one, Dax. Just stay low until it's over."

Daxter kicked the gun on the ground in frustration, and then looked up at his friend seriously. "We do it together… partner."

Light Jak's smile broadened, and he knelt down. Daxter hopped up, holstering the morph-gun for him, and they stood together, as always. Darken finally halted his blasts, and charged, roaring, his massive tentacles snapping and lashing out with their smaller jaws. With a rush of glowing wings, Light Jak ripped through the air, Daxter clinging to his shoulder, shield up, and dove past the rushing tendrils. They started to coil in after him… as he vanished into the darkness of Darken's maw.

All of the tendrils coiled down into his throat, and his jaw shut, Darken rising upright as he started to focus on the battle below once more. At first he didn't even notice the rays of light starting to bleed through his wounded flank, but he did soon. The malicious beast roared, screeching in pain as he stumbled backward, clawing at his own front. His body began to crack along his chest and lower torso, and he finally jerked wide, back arched, legs spread, arms shivering on either side, his jaw holding open with an ungodly screech of pain. His compound eyes started to dim from their bright red, and then began to crack, splintering through each lens.

With a ripping rush, a vertical wave of light energy exploded from his core, dissecting him as his body shattered like rock, the two halves starting to fall apart from each other. The remains of the body began to disperse into dark fluid and dust, just like the Prowlers as the blazing figure floated in the air, wings of light spread taut, all of his limbs out to the sides, head back, with his friend standing on his shoulder, grinning.

"Nice!" Daxter firmly nodded with a grin.

Light Jak dropped down smoothly, and they both felt the ground beneath them starting to shake. Daxter glanced down warily. "Those, uh, Precursor guys… won't forget about us, right?"

His friend smiled smoothly, and they were abruptly engulfed a fresh rush of light, vanishing from the shadowy chamber. In the space above their world, the huge, dark mass was splintering like dried mud, cracking apart and dissolving into nothing rapidly, almost gone in a few seconds.

And outside Spargus, beyond Seem and Frost's enlightened shadow bond, beyond the allied army, hellcats, dune-buggies, Keira, Torn, Ashelin, Tess, Sig, and Kleiver, and all around the fused Metal-Heads, the Darken army began to shatter on its own. The charge halted, Sig standing with Torn and Ashelin as they all grinned, watching Prowlers and the remaining war-masters shatter into nothing in apparently random patterns across the battle. Kleiver and his vehicle forces finally skidded to stops, and he pulled himself up to his feet, smirking at the view.

Keira set the Zoomer to auto-float, and twisted around, grabbing Tess with a yelp in a crushing hug. "They did it!"

Tess finally laughed, returning the hug as best she could. "Our heroes!"

The armies stilled, starting to cheer together, and the hellcats floated back, comm-chatter bursting with excited hollers and cheers.

At last, the remnants of the shadow in space vanished completely, right along with the last ranks of the army on the planet. The Metal-Heads smoothly turned about, all focusing on Frost and Seem, the allies finally able to give their focus to the remarkable change.

Torn showed some concern as he looked back to the glowing pair. "Are they going to be alright after this?"

His question was answered before anyone else had to. Seem lowered her gaze from the battle, and Frost started to relax against her. The energy emanating from each of them gently faded away, the vast Metal-Head force beginning to revert and fade back to their more natural, darker forms. In just a few seconds, her wings and aura dispersing in a flash and sparkles with the light in her eyes, Seem was kneeling behind Frost as he slipped further against her. She supported him with a warm smile, and he managed a wan version of the same to her from her shoulder. "…Looks like you found the power…"

She couldn't help but laugh gently, blushing a little. Then she gently tilted her head, touching her cheek to his. "We found it together."

"Balance," he replied with a mischievous smile.

She gently laughed again. "Fruitful balance, yes…"

A weary moan distracted them both, and Frost rallied the strength to pull himself off of Seem, both turning to see Maia just stirring toward consciousness again. The desert Zoomer flew down, landing nearby, and when the cockpit opened, Keira and Tess ran out, hurrying up from the right side of the dune where the three were.

"Are you two… okay?" Keira trailed off faintly, focusing over on a face she knew, but with features she'd never seen. "…Maia?"

Looking to their friend, both Seem and Frost nodded, Seem answering, "Yes, we are fine. As is Maia."

Seem looked to Frost gently, and he nodded, calmly kneeling by himself. Seem rose up, and walked over to Maia as she woke up more fully on the sand. At first the woman was confused, but then she focused on Seem, and her eyes widened. "Y-you… saved me…"

"You saved yourself. I was happy to help," Seem answered gently, putting her hands beneath the woman's shoulders, and helping her off the sand.

Maia rose up slowly, looking around, spotting Keira, who was giving her a look mixed between sympathy and suspicion. Focusing back on Seem, she said, "It's going to take a while to adjust…"

"Of course, but now you can work to restore the trust that has been lost."

Frost finally rose to his feet, smiling at the scene. He looked to Keira with a soft nod. "Don't be too worried. I trust her sincerity."

Some surprise appeared on the blue-green-haired woman's face as she focused on him. "After all this…?"

"Especially so," he answered with a nod.

Tess pointed off to the South. "Here they come."

Frost turned with Keira, and saw Torn, Ashelin, Sig, and Kleiver coming up to them. Torn raised his eyebrows as he spotted Maia, who was meekly glancing across the group herself as Seem knelt with her. Sig put his peacemaker's butt to the sand, and grinned. "Well, well… looks like we made a new friend."

Seem looked up with a warm smile. "Indeed, my lord."

It allowed Maia to smile gently, and she bowed her head. "Thank you… I … well I obviously don't deserve your kindness, but…" she looked down dismally.

Ashelin set her hands on her hips. "I won't pretend we're buddies just yet, Maia, but if Seem and Frost vouch for you, that means a lot."

"Thank you," Maia replied with a deep nod, quite sincere.

Keira, seeing how Maia was behaving, finally came closer, and crouched down with a gentle smile. Maia looked at her warily, unsure of what to expect. Seem, however, was smiling. Keira offered her hand. "Let's get off to a better start this time, hm? I'm Keira."

Relaxing softly, Maia shook her hand. "Maia… thank you."

The young woman just nodded back happily.

And then they were all distracted by the Spargus City garage opening. Seem helped Maia stand, Frost joining them, and they all looked back to see a very welcome sight.

Jak, in his normal state, with Daxter on his shoulder, stood in the center of the opening doors, a grin on his face, and his arms crossed casually. "Miss me?"

"Jak!" Keira almost squeaked, dashing down the sand.

"Daxter!" Tess, almost identical to Keira, ran down to her own hero.

Daxter hopped off Jak before Keira tackled the poor man into the ground with her hug, and then suffered the same fate from Tess.

"I was so worried," Keira whispered tightly, squeezing her embrace as she rested her head on his shoulder.

Jak smiled more softly, and patted her hair. "I was worried about you guys, too. …I'm sorry I wasn't faster. I know we lost good people."

Keira shook her head, looking up at him with a deeply fond smile. "You did your best, like we all did. You're still my hero."

Jak smiled warmly back, as Tess practically smothered Daxter in anxious worries and embracing arms. Helping Keira up to her feet, Jak looked into her eyes deeply, making the young woman blush. "…What is it?"

He started to smile just before he pushed close, and kissed her on the lips softly, his hands coming up and holding her cheeks. Keira's blush exploded, her eyes flaring for a split-second, but then she relaxed deeply, and wrapped her arms around him.

A sharp whistle from Daxter, standing with Tess, and the others walking up from the desert made the two break apart, both blushing, but also laughing. Jak looked back into her eyes. "I hoped you wouldn't mind…"

Keira giggled, nodding, and just hugged him tightly again.

"…You two do work well together."

Jak looked up, and blinked from surprise at Maia, still walking with Seem's assistance with the others as they finally reached the garage, the Wastelanders and guards starting to mill through around them, the Metal-Heads, Jak vaguely noticed, staying outside willingly. "…Maia… you're healed…"

Keira let go of him, and Jak glanced to her apologetically, but she smiled, shaking her head, and looked to Maia herself.

Maia bowed her head to him. "Thanks to this woman and her own love."

Seem and Frost both blushed, despite one's not being visible.

Jak nodded to her, the two sharing a unique understanding, and glanced to Sig. "Shall we get back to the city, Sig?"

The king laughed heartily, hefting his gun along his shoulders as he started to mosey forward. "Wild Prowlers couldn't stop me, chili-pepper. Come on. Let's go home."

It was a welcome idea, and the friends, comrades, and allies marched right back into Spargus, together, victorious… and looking forward to a nice soft bed.

(Author's Note…)

Don't worry, it's not over just yet. There's one more chapter left. I hope you found this battle satisfactory for the big action climax of the story. Again, sorry for any typos I've missed in my proofing.

Thank you all very much for the excellent reviews. I really appreciate them, each and every one, and they make it a pleasure to write. Thank you. I hope I can wrap this story up in a manner you all enjoy as much as you seem to have so far.

--Cy