There was Light and Darkness

Disclaimer: They belong to Naughty Dog.

A/N: Wow. . . has it really been six months since I last updated? It feels so much longer. . .

I'd like to thank each of my reviews! You guys are the greatest and I hope you're still out there after the long wait. . . and just to let you know, all of your questions shall be answered. It just might not be in this update (or the next). Remember, I have thought of everything (even the eco problem that a few of you have pointed out, which I thank you guys, but I've got it covered :smiles:).

Thanks and here is to part one of chapter nine. I hope it's not a disappointment (just a bit of info: I had to remind myself a few times of what was going on. . . and when the Dusk-ravs were supposed to attack when I was going back over this).

A/N(2): I've been busy lately. . . I even fixed chapter three up a bit. You know that really long horrible chapter? Many things have been changed and it is now a two parter!

--Chapter Nine: The Return Home (part one)--

"Torn!" Jak was the first up less than three hours later. The sun was just above the horizon, with clouds on the border, as the warrior made his way toward the surface and the streets above. His hope of Colle coming back in the middle of the night was gone. "Are you ready to move out?"

"I sent out a scouting party. They should be back within the hour. And 'don't' give me that." Jak had been about to go off again. Torn sighed deeply. "We don't know what's out there. We can't take any chances; there could be worse things than Dusk-ravs out there. This is a different world and isn't any safer than Haven."

"No, it's worse." Jak took a deep breath. Torn was right, of course. Blind emotions would get a person nowhere. "Fine ,but they better hurry or I'll leave without them." He gestured to the groups of soldiers that had been split up. There were to be three. Jak would control one, while Zack and Torn would control the others. Zack was the only one who knew remotely of where they were.

"That's it. I'm leaving." Zack had already decided who he wanted to be with him while he traveled his old home world. He would take four others with him. That would be plenty for any Dusk-rav that they encountered. Zack thought it very unlikely there would be any attacks despite what Mora had told them hours ago.

"Fine, we're ready either way." His two scouts had returned with an okay on the area. Torn had just about had it with his soldier. There was no use in letting emotions cloud a person's judgement. It would only lead to death in the end. He had seen it many times before. "Your soldiers are waiting for you, though I don't think you're qualified to lead anything the way you are."

"Torn, right now I don't care, I just want my sister back." He turned walking for the soldiers he had chosen to accompany him.

"Where do you think you're going?"

Zack looked back over his shoulder even though he knew better than to do so. "What's it look like, commander?"

"Your troops are in the other direction." Torn jerked his thumb over his shoulder showing a group of six elites.

Zack looked to find quite a few of them to be ones he did not really get along with. He guessed Torn had done something like that on purpose. "Whatever, I don't have time for this." He stormed off to the soldiers Torn had chosen.

"Nice to see you too, captain."

"Shut up, Koves" Zack walked on without another word not caring if he was being followed or not. He would find Colle.

"You may be our captain, but I'm second in command. Torn gave me permission to over rule anything that doesn't sit right with me." The soldier Koves through a smirk in his superior's direction.

"Just stay out of my way."

Zack walked for almost two hours until he came to a halt in front of what he once knew as his school yard. Now there was nothing but chared brick and smoking grass. It had been attacked recently. Zack walked among the ash finding both bodies and belongings.

"I wonder if I had known any of them. . ." He whispered not knowing he had been over heard.

"It doesn't really matter anymore, does it?"

"What do you want, Koves?" There was no friendliness in his voice. Far from it actually. Zack had not liked this hotshot soldier the day he had asked to help train him. Koves had thought he was the best from day one. He would show up in everything that he did. He made like it was easy for him. He had excelled in the Freedom League ranks because of it. It was one reason why Zack could notstand him.

"You know, I had been expecting this place to be a lot better after I grew up with all those stories of where you and the Queen had come from. . . I guess now, it was just lies, huh? Like this place could ever stand up to Haven."

"Look, why don't you just shut up? I'm on a short fuse and you're not making it any better." Zack turned to begin his search for his sister. He would search every place he could remember and more.

"Sorry, captain, that's not going to happen. We all want our queen back."

"Then shut up and search the area." He left Koves staring at the dirt.

-----

The sight before him left Zack slightly oblivious to everything around him. His childhood home was destroyed. He did not know why he had expected any different. Upon returning to his world--just two days ago--after so many years, he had felt the same. Now, seeing his old house in ruins made him rethink. He had always felt safe here even after his parents had died. He supposed he owed that to his sister. That feeling had been taken away, though, the night that him and Colle had gone to Jak's world. His small little family had almost been destroyed.

A feeling of anger passed through the young soldier. He waited for the feeling to subside before moving on. The hated man was more than likely dead already. The Dusk-ravs had probably seen him as one of their first meals on this earth.

Making his way though piles of rock, wood, and ash, Zack saw sights he had not expected. Thrown across the floor and under parts of other debris were toys. Toys that would belong to a small child, maybe around the age of three. This shocked him a little; but it had been ten years after all. This house would not have remained empty for that long.

A few pieces of a wall shifted as Koves searched through everything. His curiosity was more than he led on. The group had split small to cover the local area; no one was allowed on there own, not with the message from Torn after the coulds had rolled in. It seemed that Dusk-ravs could widthstand the bleak light enough to satisfy their hunger.

Continuing his search of his home, Zack found parts his old room. The stairs were hardly intact, but part of Colle's room was still connected with the wall and the floor above.

There came a sound of something near the soldier's ear that brought him from his wanderings. Zack realized what the sound was and switched his communication unit on. It was acting up again. This time though some of the words were forming even through the heavy static that covered much of what was said.

"--k! . . . th--. . . ere?" The voice sounded all too familiar to him. That was when he recognized it.

"Colle!" Zack hurried to get a better frequency, but there was not any luck.

"--n't. . . !" The signal was gone completely.

"Colle?" Before he could utter another cry for his sister, an agonizing scream passed through the clouded area; it was Koves. Turning as fast as he could, Zack no sooner found himself face first on the broken ground with immediate pain running through his back.

Turning his head, the new captain saw the blood thirsty eyes of a Dusk-rav.

A/N: I know, you're probably wondering where the second part is. Well, I have it right here with me and it is complete. You should know me by now; I never post a two-parter when it's not complete. This is however, the first time I haven't posted both parts at the same time.

Now, I want to hear from you guys otherwise there won't be a part two anytime soon. I could post is tomorrow if I get enough reviews. We shall just have to see, won't we?