As usual, here are the responses to the reviews you all so kindly gave me, in case there was an emailing error and you did not receive them.
Red Mage 04- Yup, many big cliffhangers. The quote of the week, it is true, no? Hopefully, I'll be able to keep you entertained for a while, because remember, Jak (if he wakes up) and co. have to fight through Rock Village, Mountain Pass, Volcanic Crater, Spider Caves, Desert Colossus, Wasteland Metropolis, Gale Canyon, and The City of the Sky. And that's if they travel in a straight line. So the big, ultra showdown won't be for a while. Loved your chapter by the way, and I can't wait until next Friday.
Silver-WindScar- You're welcome for the reply and thank you for reviewing in the first place. "Ass Glue," is recently discovered adhesive that will bind the ass to whatever the glue is applied to. The ass will not come off by use of strength, humor, or any other type of force. I would love to be able to do the Vin thing. I could update so quickly. Yes, yes, y-e-s. Okay, Got that out of my system. Yea, my computer did the same thing last night when I was trying to upload Chapter 14 of On My Own Two Wings. Hm, a JET-BOARD, hm. Well, all I can think of is having the bottom be a super powerful fan that is capable of lifting the board and you a sufficient distance off the ground so that minor bumps and ditches along the path would not affect you. And I respect your wish to say, "Silver, over and out," because I have always wanted to just stop in my school hallway and just shout out, "Zang zi damn!" For no reason whatsoever. Yea, I'll shut up before I scare you off. Enjoy this chapter. Well, since Jak is inside his own head, it is literally a realm where his mental powers rival Gol's. And since his mind is partly made up of imagination, Jak can imagine certain things happening and they will happen. And yea, Gol needs to stay the hell out of other people's minds. Ah, you were the first to ask this question, and I do believe I found a suitable answer for it. Jak is unable to Channel Light Eco within his mind for a very simple reason: he doesn't know it exists. Light Eco shows up at the very end, and Jak and everyone except for one person is shocked by its appearance, because it is just a legend.
GoodMorningBeautiful2005- I'm glad you find my work worthy of your attention. Wow, a favorite, thank you very much. Hm, I wonder if there is something wrong with It seems to be upsetting some people lately. I will try my utmost to live up to your expectations for the remainder of this work. I promise, I will update this story as soon as humanly (or where Jak is concerned, elfinly) possible. I'm glad I caught your interest, although if you want to read some really good pieces of fanfiction, then you should check out my favorites list, particularly the ones at the bottom.
CrazyOttsel- I don't mind misspelled words. It takes me about an hour to spell check my work because I type erratically without looking at the screen, so if I hit a wrong key then I can't tell. Thanks, I hoped I had gotten the suspense right, and how could I kill Jak? He's… Jak. I will continue to write as long as I'm alive, don't worry. Well, you asked for more and you shall receive.
animedragongirl- Sorry about the repetitiveness. I will try to be more aware of what I write so that I don't embarrass myself again. Thanks once again for the weekly grammar lesson. I should be paying you, since you've taught me more about writing than thirteen years of schooling. You might not know firsthand, but trust me, this quote always rings true, and this week's more so. I think it will flatter you actually, since we once discussed something similar to this back during the Green Eco Temple Era (winces at how badly I wrote that chapter). And I feel sorry for you: no snow. When I get that weather machine working, I'll send you snow, and then melt it so that you don't have to shovel it. And then I'll give you rain during gym. And anything else. But I'll charge you one chapter of The Jak and Daxter Prank War (continue that please!) for every use (grins maniacally).
Disclaimer- Well, I'm typing to you all from the hospital. I have been diagnosed with "Jak-and-Daxter-need-to-own-it-isisosis." The doctors said that if the lawyers gave me Jak and Daxter I would be cured, so now they're running tests on me. Oh, yea, I do not own Jak and Daxter, (has a minor heart attack).
Jak is Back
Daxter screamed as a gigantic spider lowered itself from the ceiling. Its long silky thread trailing ominously behind it, the entire creature gave off an air of foulness. And yet, along with that unpleasantness came a sense of power and age, as though this thing had been living under the house for ages. The very thought gave Daxter chills that ran up and down his rather spine; that he had slept a mere foot or two above this creature. It hit the ground with a soft splat and unfurled its many legs. As the spider reopened its eyes, they looked around for the intruder that had invaded its lair. Daxter opened his mouth to scream and immediately the spider turned and looked exactly where he was standing. Daxter held his breath and took a closer look at the gigantic creature. As he studied its face and got past the foot long fangs that were dripping saliva, he noticed that while they were big, and could move in every direction, the spider's eyes were white. The meaning of that hit Daxter harder than a rampaging Yakow: the spider, fearsome though it looked, was blind.
The irony and relief of it all made Daxter want to laugh, but he knew he couldn't. Any sound on his part might alert the beast to their presence, and while he was sure that what had been the roof of its home caving in on it might disorientate it for a while, he knew that it was only a matter of time before it would smell them. And once the spider got their scent, it would slowly but surely find them. And after that… Daxter didn't even want to think about.
"Okay Daxter, stay calm. How in the name of the Precursors do I get myself the Legatee out of this mess?" He thought frantically as the spider began to sift through some wood and nails, looking for the acrid smell that filled the room. As Daxter sniffed the air, he noticed that the foul scent of the poison on that knife the Assassin was using would cover his and Jak's scent up so that they would not be recognizable. At this, Daxter really did laugh out loud. He instantly clapped his hands over his mouth, but it was too late. The deed was done. The spider reared it's full height and Daxter suddenly noticed just how far they had fallen. Although the spider was about twelve feet tall, it filled the cavern quite comfortably, with some room to spare. Daxter tried to stifle a gulp, but it came out anyway. He was weaponless against a twelve foot spider that was now determined to find whatever was in its home and eat it. And on top of that, Jak might die soon, if not from the enigmatic coma or the spider than from possible internal injuries. Fifteen feet was no small amount of distance when one hit's the ground and the bed falls on you.
Daxter was seized by a sudden impulse and went under the bed to check up on Jak. To his relief, there were no noticeable bruises on his body, though due to the somewhat dim light Daxter found it impossible to determine that for certain. As the spider hot closer to the duo, Daxter decided that if he ever wanted to continue to be able to live with himself then he would have to find a way to hold off the spider until someone could find them and help them out of this predicament. He crawled away from Jak's body, hating himself every moment of it, feeling as though he was deserting his best friend when he needed him the most. As he kept crawling, Daxter found it got easier to simply move past the spider and sift through the debris silently for the knife that the Lurker Assassin had tried to use to kill Jak.
Daxter found the knife and tried to hold it up. The problem was that to the Assassin the weapon was merely a dagger, but in reality the knife was about the size of his body and weighed twice as much as he did. As he balanced the blunt side on his back and forced his way back to the spider. As he slowly walked back to the giant creature that was searching through the remains of the bed for the scent of meat, Daxter took great care not to nick himself even slightly with the weapon: visions and memories of what had happened to the Lurker Assassin when he had gotten careless would remain forever in Daxter's head. As he neared the spider, Daxter was so confident that all he would have to do would be to nick the creature that he didn't realize that the spider had become aware of his presence. His feet, small and furry though they were, made a soft pat with every step he took. In addition, the dagger he was carrying through dirt made a slight scraping sound. Most animals would not be able to pick up these sounds, but Daxter and the spider were not most animals. And because Daxter himself was making the noise, he dismissed the noises subconsciously. The spider, on the other hand, was now well aware that there was a small thing moving toward her, and she was prepared.
Daxter heaved back before swinging the dagger with all his might at the spider's leg. He was dumbfounded when the leg simply vanished. He looked up and saw the spider looking down at him. He realized the jig was up at once and hurled the blade with all his might at the monstrosity. The spider heard as the knife cut through the air and moved out of the way. As he went soaring through the air, thanks to a leg bigger than his entire body hitting him in the chest, Daxter cursed at himself for letting the spider onto his plan before he could put it into action. He landed on all fours and took off as fast as he could. Although the spider had the advantage of size, Daxter was gifted with both sight and an elf's intelligence, which meant he could think up plans rather than living off pure instincts like his foe.
Daxter evaded the legs that were stomping on the ground in an insane attempt to turn him into a two-dimensional object. As he darted about, Daxter asked himself for the third time what he was hoping to accomplish. Even if he could somehow get to the dagger before being flattened, and somehow managed to find it in all the rubbish, what good would it do in the long run? The thing was way too heavy to wield effectively, and even if he somehow made a swing, it would be slow, clumsy, and awkward: all too easy to dodge. Despite his uncertainty, Daxter continued, knowing he would not be able to live with himself if he survived this conflict by running away and hiding.
Daxter found the hilt of the weapon he had thrown and noticed that the blade had for some reason split in two. Why this had happened he had no idea, and he really didn't care. With the length and weight of the dagger halved, Daxter was able to wield the weapon like an unbalanced falchion. The spider rushed at Daxter, the small creature's erratic and excited breathing giving his location as well away as if the spider could see and Daxter had been standing under a light-up sign. As a leg smashed into the ground, Daxter rolled to the side and swung as hard as he could. The spider let out a shriek as the tiny sword cut right through its foot and nicked a second. Although he had managed to hurt the creature Daxter's heart fell when he realized that the spider seemed to be immune to whatever strange poison that the Lurker Assassin had attempted to use on Jak. Daxter became even more down heartened when he saw that the wounds that he had inflicted were healing. The blood had stopped flowing because of the skin that grew over the wound, but mercifully the bone and exoskeleton did not grow back.
Daxter lunged at the spider this time, hoping that it would not be able to pick up his movements. Unfortunately, it did, and the spider smacked him across the wall. As his body hit the wall, his hands let go of the hilt and Daxter slid down to the ground. The spider, enraged that its meal had dared to attack and injure it, made its way over to him, saliva beginning to ooze out of the foot-long pincers as it got closer.
Daxter looked into the milk-white eyes as the spider got closer when a series of explosions from above caused the house to cave in. Daxter darted away and took cover with Jak, his position giving him the opportunity to see the spider. To his horror, it emerged from the three hundred pounds of wreckage and Daxter could ear it sniff the air. It turned over to where they were and slowly made its way over to them, its pincers clicking in anticipation of the flesh that they would soon be savoring...
"I should have hit him harder," rang in Margaret's mind as she painfully came to. When she opened her eyes, she had a brief view of a man with red and black eyes before a hand wrapped itself around her throat. She gasped for breath as her head pounded from a combination of the blow that had knocked her out in the first place and the current lack of oxygen. She struggled against the hand that was clutching her windpipe and saw her brother. Or rather, she saw her brother's body, for whatever was choking her was not her brother. When they had fought at Gol's Citadel, a small amount of regret and recognition had always been present in his eyes. Now, that small scrap of familiarity was gone, replaced with perverted insanity. Perverted insanity… and intelligence. Margaret shivered as the gaze settled on her. Whatever was manipulating Benedict's flesh had gained rapidly in intelligence, since before she had been knocked out, Margaret had been fighting a creature that was a slave to blood-lust and violence.
The hand that was around her neck let go and Margaret went crashing to the ground. She looked up at the form of her brother and shivered from its gaze. "What's it waiting for?" she wondered as it seemed to think of a strategy for something. "If its going to kill me, why doesn't it just get it over with already?" The beast occupying Benedict's body smiled a feral, evil smile and raised its hand. An Eco Blade appeared and he poised it at her neck. Margaret waited for the instant that the eyes of Benedict would widen slightly, because she knew that that would be the signal to move. As Torqueo thrust forward, Margaret leaned back and rolled to the left, hearing the Eco Blade hiss as it cut through rock. As she rolled between her brother's legs and came up behind him, Margaret kicked out, causing her brother to fall to his knees in agony. As he turned around, Margaret shot him in the chest with a small blast of Yellow Eco and ran out of the cave and into the light. She gasped at the scene before her: elves and Lurkers were still battling, dozens of corpses littering the area. Margaret heard a snarl behind her and turned around in time to see a fist come rocketing at her chest. She went flying back and hit a tree. As the trunk splintered slightly from the force of the blow, Margaret was certain she felt a rib or two break in half. Hastily, she turned on her Green Eco Box, though ever movement sent a blast of pain over her exhausted form. Her brother came charging at her and for the first time, Margaret fully understood why her brother had seemed so less like himself lately; he had a seed in the center of his chest. It was a dark purple, pulsating, and slimy. Margaret wondered what it could be and why it was making her brother act like this when the most unlikely thing that she thought could ever happen happened: her brother spoke.
"K- ki- kill… me," he croaked out. Margaret's brain reeled: the message had come out soft and strangled, but there could be no mistake as to what he had just asked her to do.
"Benedict?" she asked hesitantly, not sure if this was some kind of trick.
"Sis… ter. Ki- kill me. I, I can't st- stand this… anymore. I want it all t- to end. Please… put me… out of my misery," he asked as tears streamed down him face. Margaret stood, shocked at the fact that her brother, her real brother, was finally face-to-face with her again.
"I can't," she said, and those two words seemed to act as a physical blow, so much did he recoil.
"Please, I beg of you… Ki- kill me be- before I am forced to… harm you," he pleaded as his body charged up a Dark Grenade and raised its arm.
"I believe I have a better idea," Margaret said as Torqueo went to hit her with the Dark Grenade. Reacting with lightning-quick efficiency, Margaret Channeled Red Eco into her arms and slammed them down into the ground, creating a small shockwave. More importantly, she caused rocks to just out and force her brother back. "Now, lets try this again." dshe said as she stood up.
"Margaret please!" Benedict said again, a definite note of urgency now present in his voice. "Kill me while there is still time. I can feel the power building. Even if you fought me with all your might, it won't be-"
"I know," Margaret said, not deaf to the fact that her brother was able to speak much more clearly now. "That seed controls your body, Benedict, but not your will. If it is so strong that it can make you harm your own sister… then go ahead. I will not defend myself. But I know you Benedict. I have fought beside you, and I know you are stronger than that parasite. You are a Channeler- prove yourself worthy of the name!" Benedict's hand began slowly reaching for the object of pure evil embedded in his chest throughout Margaret's speech, determination beginning to shine in his eyes. "My power is your, brother. Be free!" Margaret stated as she placed her hand on her brother's heart.
"Yes…" Benedict mumbled as he fought to free himself from his own body. "Channeler… my friends… my sister! I will not harm Margaret, Gol…" he said strongly as he grasped the seed and began to yank it out of his body, ignoring the waves pain that rolled over him. "I WILL NOT!" he shouted as he ripped the seed that for so long had influenced his thoughts right out of his body. As blood spurted out of his chest, his body collapsed. Margaret rushed to his body and cradled his head in her lap.
"Margaret," Benedict said softly as he looked up at her, his eyes once again white and brown. Margaret looked down at him both proudly and questioningly. "Thank you," he sighed before closing his eyes and falling into a deep sleep. Margaret dragged them over to a dark and secluded area where no one could see them and placed her hand on his chest. She Channeled Green Eco into her finger and traced every laceration, every cut, every break in the skin until her brother was fully healed. She leaned against her brother's shoulder and proceeded to pass out.
"He's back," she thought as she wandered off to dream land. "My brother is finally back…"
Gravis was overcome by fury at the arrogance of the half-breed that dared to mock him. He leapt up over Hatu, only to realize that he had made a critical error: he was in the air, completely defenseless. Hatu's Saber came at him and Gravis realized in an instant that Hatu was aiming for his limbs. Gravis twisted and rotated his body, missing the deadly swipes so narrowly that he felt some of his hair get singed off. He landed and raised his left arm. He stabbed underneath his left arm behind him and felt his Eco Blade pierce his foe's chest. Hatu screamed in pain as he fell to the ground and tried to keep his guts from spilling out onto the floor.
Gravis leaned his head back and roared in triumph, unaware that his victory was not as complete as he had hoped it would be. As he collected his Eco Saber, Hatu's body began to ever so slowly heal itself.
"If this is dying…" Hatu thought as he began to go under, "its not so bad… Even the pain is leaving me," Hatu noticed. But then he paid attention to his surroundings. His vision, rather than blurring, was becoming sharper again. He got to his feet and picked up his Eco Saber. He activated it and turned to Gravis, who looked at him with a face of utter disbelief.
"Its not possible," Hatu heard Gravis say.
"Wrong," Hatu said as he launched himself at his foe so they could renew their fight.
Hatu thrust his Saber forward at Gravis' hips. Gravis quickly angled his Saber down and parried the move, rotating his Saber so that Hatu's was moved to the side. Hatu went with the motion, spinning his body around and coming hard at Gravis' ribs. Gravis once again blocked the move, and backed off as three lightning-quick swipes that could have cut off some limbs he rather felt like keeping came his way. Hatu chased after him, tired of playing the defensive and wanting to take Gravis out once and for all. As he caught up with the Saber-wielding Lurker, Hatu could tell that Gravis was surprised by his sudden change from defense to offense. Hatu knew that his rapid change of style was unnerving his enemy, and he planned to milk this surprise for all it was worth.
Hatu swung for Gravis' head, a move that Gravis countered by swinging his sword down in an arc around his face. Hatu stopped his attack and smirked as Gravis continued going, a mistake that left him wide open to anything Hatu felt like throwing at him. To his surprise, Hatu merely singed some hair off Gravis' chest. Gravis looked at Hatu with a mixture of shock and rage, which caused Hatu to smirk.
"You, you…" Gravis spluttered as he felt the superficial wound. A mark on a Lurker's chest was degrading, especially to higher warriors, because suck a mark meant that they had been caught completely off guard. To Gravis, it was worse than an elf spitting in his eye. The only was for the insult to be countered was to decapitate the one who had left the mark and display their head on a post. Gravis growled at Hatu, thinking that rather than leaving it at the head, he would display every limb Hatu had- after Gravis hacked them off.
Hatu was taken aback at the speed and strength with which Gravis attacked him. He parried the move for his forehead and thrust his Saber forward quickly. Gravis was not to be humiliated again, however, and blocked the move by back flipping. Hatu rushed in, hoping to drive Gravis back and found himself hard-pressed to avoid going back, so fiercely did Gravis fight. Gravis came at Hatu twice before attempting to decapitate him. Hatu ducked under the blow and caught a strike aimed at his heart. The two got close to each other quickly and bared their teeth at each other.
"I'm gonna miss you after I cut you up you bastard," Gravis growled. Hatu ignored him and pushed against Gravis as hard as he could, driving the stronger Lurker away. He leapt over Gravis and came down behind him, aiming a strike at his back. Gravis blocked the attack and spun around, attacking so viciously that Hatu was pushed back. As Gravis pushed his opponent up the hill, he suddenly got a bad feeling in the pit of his stomach. Even if he managed to hurt Hatu, his Regenerator blood would take over and heal the wound, making him nearly impossible to take down. Gravis dwelled on this thought for an instant too long, and Hatu went behind him. Now Gravis found himself blocking and moving backward as Hatu pushed him away.
Gravis tripped over a root sticking out of the ground and fell. Hatu gave him credit, as Gravis frantically tried to continue the fight even while on the ground, but he was growing tired of this. He threw his arms wide as he stepped back, a truly mocking stance.
"You can't beat me Gravis!" Hatu proclaimed. Even though Gravis knew Hatu was right, it drove him insane when he said it out loud. Gravis became so consumed by his rage that he did something incredibly stupid: he stabbed Hatu right in the chest and let go of the Saber.
Hatu winced as the Saber penetrated his flesh. He did not step back however, and looked at Gravis when the pain had subsided. He sighed before yanking it out of his chest and thrusting it in to the hilt into Gravis' chest, taking satisfaction of the way Gravis gasped with pain.
Gravis stumbled back as he yanked the weapon out of his chest, leaving a cauterized hole in his torso. But even as Hatu sighed in satisfaction, the wound began to close. Gravis smirked at Hatu's flabbergasted expression and took a combat stance. Gravis knew he had a limited healing factor, but he was keeping the fact that he could not heal limbs quiet. Hatu got over his shco quickly and leapt over a stroke aimed at his sternum. Gravis made a hasty and sloppy swipe at Hatu as he landed and Hatu ducked under it before back fisting Gravis with such a force that Gravis went tumbling down the hill. Hatu quickly ran past Gravis, letting his opponent become enraged. Gravis chased after Hatu and tried to dislodge him from the defensive stance that Hatu had placed himself in. Tried being the keyword. Hatu remained firm and was determined not to move. Gravis quickly picked up on this after the first blow and spun out of the way of a vertical strike that would have sliced him in two. Hatu watched his foe move and quickly drove him back. Gravis once again tripped and Hatu saw the imbalance before Gravis could rectify it. A well placed kick caused Gravis to once again be on a jutting rock. He looked up at Hatu and noticed how his enemy thought how he was going to win. Gravis inwardly smirked: Hatu had no idea that his healing factor could only take care of trivial things. The most he could do was heal a hole, but not a limb.
"So what now Hatu? Are we to be two unbeatable enemies locked in an epic battle until the Silos destroy everything?" Hatu looked down at Gravis and realized he had a point; both of them could heal any wound. He opted to not give an answer and instead swiped at the place where Gravis was lying. So intent was he on cleaving Gravis in half, Hatu put too much power behind his attack and found himself on the rock where Gravis had laid a moment ago. He jumped over a blow that would have hewed his legs off. The two Lurkers ran at each other when suddenly their Eco Sabers exploded. They stared at each other for an instant before they both ran at each other. Gravis quickly charged up his powers and let a blast of Dark Lightning. Hatu screamed as his skin burned and peeled off, only to grow back. Gravis smiled sadistically as Hatu's body began to crumple. He intensified his attack, focusing on causing Hatu pain so hard that he didn't notice that the body he was trying to kill was glowing golden. Hatu roared in a mixture of pain and power as a massive burst of Yellow Lightning shot forth from his fingertips with such force that Gravis was blasted back, went through a couple of trees, and came to rest a few feet inside a mountain.
Hatu had just enough time to wonder what in the name of the Precursors was going on with his body before fatigue took over and he slipped away into a dream.
"Cu- curse that whelp. What the hell is he?" Gravis asked as he stumbled out of the nice hole his body had made in the mountain. He looked up as he saw footsteps approaching and saw a familiar face.
"You!" Gravis roared as he lunged at the offending and advancing figure.
Keira slipped her gauntlets on as the Behemoth came charging at her. She prayed that the new function she had installed (which had taken her from the end of the battle at Gol's Citadel until yesterday) worked, or else the future was going to be looking very bleak indeed.
The Behemoth ran in and swung its Sabers in opposite directions, one coming in at her leg, while the other was aimed at her neck. Keira backed up hastily and made a fist with her left hand. She slammed it into the palm of her right hand and prayed that what she had installed worked. A massive blast of blue shot out from her gauntlets, ripping them apart and sending shards of metal everywhere. Two small metal splinters shot at her face and she ducked enough to have them lodged in her face, just above her eyebrows. Keira plucked them out and thanked the Precursors: had they been wedged only an inch or so lower, she might have been blinded, most likely permanently.
Keira looked over at her adversary and saw him clutching many wounds with bloody stumps. She smiled grimly: she had taken her Eco Saber apart at the end of the battle at Gol's Citadel and discovered a small crystal of solid Eco in it. She had experimented until she had found a mixture of Eco that caused the crystals to detonate violently, causing the Saber's hilt to explode. The only downside was that the force was so strong that it would rip the gauntlets apart, and Keira was very thankful for the fact that unlike the Behemoth, she had kept her hands.
"What, what did you do to me?" the Behemoth roared at her, wanting to kill this female elf in front of him but unable to move. Apparently, the shards of Precursor metal had severed several important nerves that gave him mobility. Keira looked down at the Lurker without pity and drew her bow and arrow. She loaded a Yellow Eco arrow and pointed it at her enemy. The Behemoth's eyes widened as he realized what she was going to do, and he began struggling to move, desperate to get away from her before she could land the killing blow. Alas, he was not fast enough, and a small explosion along with a burn mark on the grass was all that remained of Keira's deadly adversary.
Keira sighed, her muscles protesting their long use today. She looked over at the windmill, grateful for the light that it provided. As she offered a prayer to the Precursors that Jak was all right, a sudden headache swept through her body. Her eyes tearing with the pain, Keira dropped to her knees as a scenario played itself in her head...
The Burrower cursed in its Lurker language as it hit another wall of solid rock. While it could tunnel through dirt and sand as easily as a shark could swim through water, the Burrower could not do anything when it came to rock. Suddenly, the bands holding Bryan to its body were severed. The Burrower looked back to see what had attacked it without prior notice. In the nonexistent light, the Burrower's night vision allowed it to simply see a man in a dark cloak. A katana was held in his left hand, a blade that seemed to be made of solid fire. Faster than the beast could blink, the man had run at the Burrower and cut the bonds holding Lauren as well. Before the Burrower could react to these unexpected turn of events, the man pointed his sword at the ceiling and a blast of Yellow Eco came out of the sword. A hole appeared in the ceiling and the man took the captives and leapt out of the hole. The Burrower finally realized that it had been robbed of its valuable hostages and roared as it emerged from the ground, flailing hundreds of tentacles…
Only to be blasted to bits by streams of Yellow Eco.
The man looked with contempt at the bits of the Lurker Burrower's flesh as it rained down from the sky. He then looked at the two elves he had rescued and saw that they were stirring. "Are you all right, miss?" he asked the woman as she opened her eyes. Slowly Lauren nodded. "Good. Look after him, I have work to do," the man said before taking off.
"Wait! Who are you?" Lauren shouted, but the man either didn't hear her or chose to ignore her.
"Lauren?" Bryan muttered as he woke up.
"Hey Bryan," she muttered as the two of them could do nothing but watch the unfolding fight in front of them. Both armies were now taking a break, having reached the limits of their endurance. A single elf and a single Lurker were looking at the opposing armies, making sure that the other did not make a move.
The Warrior slammed its blade into the ground, missing the two elves by a hairbreadth. Mike rolled to the side and extended the hidden buzz saw hidden above the left wrist. He swung at the sword and cut the top part of it off. The Warrior continued to rage around, swinging its sword around wildly. Kristen loaded up three Yellow Eco arrows and shot the sword, completely destroying it. The Warrior turned around and swatted her with its dead arm, still caving in her chest and causing her ribs to puncture her lungs. Kristen fell to the ground and grabbed her chest. Every breath came like a gasp, and as her vision failed, she prayed that Mike would live on and have a good and happy life.
Mike saw his girlfriend's life begin to fade away and a rage such as never before filled him. He picked up all of the remaining Yellow Eco arrows and charged the Warrior. He ducked under a punch and slammed the arrows into its chest, causing a massive explosion to envelop the creature. Mike was hurled back, a hole in his chest the size of a volleyball. He landed with a crash right next to Kristen. Despite their injuries, the two of them managed to conjure up a smile.
"Kristen…" Mike gasped out.
"Yeah?" Kristen whispered, talking being extremely difficult for her.
"I love you," Mike said, so softly that Kristen almost missed it. She did not, and a grin appeared on her face as she breathed in for the last time in her life.
"Love you too," she gasped out before her eyes closed and her head slumped down. Mike smiled as he, too, lay down, and died.
"THAT TRAITOR!" Maia screamed as she felt the light return to Benedict's heart. The evil that she and Gol had worked so hard to get in his soul had dissipated, replaced by a love for his sister. "I knew we should have killed her but no, my brother wanted to try to turn her to the dark side."
Maia continued to rage like this for some time before taking a deep breath and trying to reassess the situation. So the elves had another Channeler on their side, big deal. Benedict was going to die in three days anyway. Maia had cultivated that seed to be perfect: if for any reason it was yanked out, it would release a serum into the bloodstream that would shut down the brain. The one thing Maia did not like about this process was the fact that it was completely harmless. Still, the thought that the Amplifier might kill herself out of loneliness brought Maia a small amount of comfort.
"Kill Jak, brother," she said to her brother, who was still in a trance.
Jak charged up his hands with Yellow Eco, ready to blow his opponent right out of his mind and into Legatee. Jak liked to think of himself as an easygoing person, but Gol had finally antagonized him enough to cause him to want to cause Gol pain and revel in it. As Jak charged, he suddenly stopped himself. He did not want to fall prey to the same trick Gol had used on Benedict. Jak took a deep breath and refocused his intentions. He glared at Gol, still angry, but it was no longer the blinding rage that would have caused him to fall towards the dark side of human emotions. Gol growled as he saw Jak calm himself and he launched a blast at Jak. Jak dodged to the side and fired a small burst of Yellow Eco. Gol dodged as well, keeping in mind that he didn't want to kill Jak. Not yet. He would die in one hour anyway, and that would be a truly painful experience. And then… then Gol would take control and use Jak's body as a tool of death and destruction. Jak ran in, hoping to take advantage of Gol's distraction, and put away his Yellow Eco, deciding to use red Eco. He just hoped that Gol was not as apt at hand-to-hand combat as he was as Channeling.
Jak meleed with Gol for a few minutes before he realized he would have to use a mixture of Channeling and power to win this fight. He back flipped away and threw a Yellow Eco spear at Gol's face. Gol pulled his metal arm up at the last possible moment, taking the attack there instead. The blast, which had proven itself capable of blasting through solid walls on previous occasions, did manage to make contact with the metal appendage, but it pretty much ran out of steam after that. Gol charged up an attack of his own before letting it fly. Jak flew up out of the way, and twisted to his left side as a pair of Dark Eco rays blew by him, singing a piece of his pants off.
Jak angled his body downward and charged in at Gol while he was still recovering from his last attack. However, as he rushed back in, hoping to end the battle there and then, Gol retained enough power to retaliate. He spun around three hundred and sixty degrees and back fisted Jak. The Channeler had hardly expected this and the blow hit him square in his nose. Bone cracked, and blood spurted out of a deep wound in his face where an inch deep indentation was left where Gol's metal fist made contact.
Jakhit the ground, hard, and began to bounce and roll over the floor. After he healed his nose by using Green Eco, Jak shot through the air, and shot a bolt of Yellow Eco towards his opponent. Gol dodged and charged Jak, anxious t get out of ranged fighting, where Jak was proving he was better at it than Gol.
As they reentered melee range, Gol summoned his Dark Eco Blade, ready to unleash it upon his adversary. Jak summoned one of his own, although he decided to use Yellow Eco rather than Dark, and the two met with a thunderous din. Jak brought his Blade in from the side, a move that Gol block with his metal forearm and then attempted to retaliate against, lashing out with the other limb, the Blade changing into a tentacle of liquid Dark Eco that lashed out and caused Jak to skid back.
Jak breathed heavily as he concentrated on healing the burn marks on his body. About three seconds later, the two were at each other's throats yet again. Gol blasted himself forward, willing himself to move as fast as he possibly could as he angled his Blade straight for where Jak's heart was located. However, it was not destined to be the deathblow of the fight, as the Adaptor Channeler's own razor fast movements with his Blade forced Gol to take a detour, or suffer from some rather painful consequences. The Dark Eco harnessing elf opted for a different attack, twirling as he dodged to the right in midair and diving underneath the offensive assault that Jak had thrown at him.
Jak brought his Blade back after missing and slammed it down. Gol's eyes widened as streams of Yellow Eco came off the Blade and impacted him in the chest. Jak watched in satisfaction as Gol went down, his frail body slamming into the ground. Jak rushed down, not wanting to give Gol a moment to restore his power. Gol had fully recovered, the rules of mental combat allowing him to heal more rapidly than he could in real life, as long as he concentrated properly on doing so.
Gol brought his metal fist in with all the strength he had at his disposal as Jak got closer, kicking up a small wind with the force behind it. Jak expertly dodged the blow with twist followed by a duck. As Gol tried to hit him again, Jak rushed forward so that he was right underneath the Dark Lord. He grabbed a leg and spun around, releasing Gol so that he slammed into the ground once more. Jak watched as Gol got up. A tentacle of Dark Eco extended from his arm and hit Jak, even though he was well over ten feet away. Gol wrapped them around Jak and slammed his opponent into the ground before he continued to pound away at him furiously, knowing that the wounds would heal quickly. As he missed a single strike, Jak flew forward with Blue Eco and went to close the distance between them. Gol decided that now was a good time to show off yet another trick that he had hidden up his sleeve. He thrust his hands outwards, and focused his powers. This time, though, rather than the twin beams of energy coming forth, Jak instead found himself having to deal with a barrage of baseball-sized energy pellets coming towards him at a rather high rate of speed.
Frantically, the Channeler flew up. Gol turned with him, trying to lead him as he unleashed dozens of Dark Eco bursts a second at him. Jak summoned another Eco Blade and began deflecting them back at Gol. After about three seconds, Jak was exhausted from having to move so fast and he decided to make a Green Eco shield.
Gol eventually realized that to continue pounding away at the shield Jak had erected was futile and stopped firing. Jak instantly conjured up a Yellow Eco Blade and waved it around a few times, sending scythes of Yellow Eco streaking towards Gol. Although the evil elf dodged most of them, some connected on several places, causing the Dark Lord to snarl in a slight amount of pain. Gol did not lose his focus upon the battle, and was soon flying up to Jak, bringing them both back into melee range.
Jak threw a right punch followed by a combination of kicks. All were block by Gol, and as the two struggled against each other, they realized that they needed to settle this battle once and for all.
The two of them faced each other and charged up what they mutually understood would be the final attack. The very air seemed to vibrate as each of the two Sages unleashed an enormous beam of Dark and Yellow Eco. The beams collided in the middle and they began vying to win the struggle. The two beams pushed back and forth, gaining and losing a little.
Gol began to groan as they reached the two minute point. He widened his hands and a stream of Dark Eco Lightning broke off of the main beam. Jak hastily erected a shield, but eventually Gol won and Jak was blown backwards. Gol quickly tied Jak up with more Dark Eco and laughed as Jak closed his eyes, fighting to but unable to stay awake any longer...
Keira watched as she saw Jak lying on a bed. As midnight sounded, his body began to fade away. Keira ran at him and hugged him desperately, but as the final stroke of midnight chimed, Jak's body faded away completely. Keira sank to her knees and sobbed, unable to face the truth that Jak was gone. Suddenly, a flash of light caused her to open her eyes. She looked up and saw Jak, everything about him normal. She ran up to him and hugged him, elated when she felt him hug her back. But in the back of her mind, Keira knew something was wrong. Jak's grip tightened as he refused to let go of her. Keira began to struggle, but stopped when Jak looked at her again. He closed his eyes when they looked normal and when he had opened them again, they looked like Gol's: back and yellow, full of hate and maliciousness. Keira closed hr eyes as he charged up a blast of Dark Eco and threw it at her.
The blast never came.
Keira opened her eyes and saw a different scenario. Like before, Jak was I na bed, and like before, his body was fading with every chime. Unlike before, Keira saw herself arrive. Keira watched as this imaginary version of herself placed her lips on Jak's. Jak's body came back and this time, Keira watched him celebrate with the fake Keira. Happiness welled up in her heart as she saw that Jak was back for real this time.
Suddenly, everything obscured by a blast of light, and a voice echoed in the chamber. "This is what can happen. The future will be based on the consequences of your decisions. Choose wisely…" the deep voice said as everything went dark…
Keira woke up on the battlefield. She looked around and wondered what she had just seen was about. Had it been a vision. She was Samos' blood daughter after all, maybe she could be slightly prophetic. Her blood froze as midnight began to chime from the town. She got up and started sprinting towards the town, counting the chimes off in her head.
Two… as she leapt over a rock. Keira could see the town up ahead, getting closer and closer.
Three… Keira entered the village and dashed towards Jak's house, trying not to think of what might happen if she failed.
Four… Keira arrived at where the house had once stood and saw now a pile of rubble. She realized the Eco Saber detonator she had used must have set off the one's in the house, causing it to collapse into the ground.
Five… Keira looked through the rubble and saw something stir. Hope filled her heart as wreckage was moved aside so something could emerge.
Six… Keira watched in horror as a giant spider emerged from the debris and began sifting through wood, looking for something.
Seven… Keira cried out in horror as she saw Jak lying in a pile of debris. Daxter had been caught by the spider, which was now preparing to eat said rodent.
Eight… Keira landed in the hollowed out ground and picked up a splintered dagger. She jumped up onto a leg and began climbing up the spider.
Nine… Keira struggled to reach the top as the spider bucked wildly. She finally got up to the head and dove the dagger in before twisting it, popping the spider's head right off.
Ten… Keira and Daxter fell to the ground as the spider's body collapsed. Keira spared Daxter a look that told her he was unconscious.
Eleven… Keira ran at Jak, limping slightly with her left leg, but determined to get to him in time.
As the final chime sounded, Keira lowered her lips on to Jak's. She kept her eyes shut, praying she was in time. A sudden intake of breath made her open her eyes and Keira opened her eyes. Pure blue orbs met her gaze, and Keira removed her lips from his as she embraced him. Jak sat up and looked at her, thanks apparent in his gaze. Both of them blushed slightly as the remembered what had just transpired before Jak realized they were alone. Jak smiled at Keira before putting a hand on her shoulder and pulling her in for another kiss. The two elves reveled in the fact that they had finally accomplished what they had been trying to do for several months. Keira closed her eyes and drifted off to seep in Jak's lap, the exhaustion of the day finally taking its toll on her. Jak sat up and pulled Keira against his body. He wrapped his arms around her stomach and inhaled her scent. As he closed his eyes to rest up for the upcoming battles, Jak's heart felt lighter than it had in months. He drifted off to sleep, but not before saying a silent vow to always protect Keira.
Well, there you have it. Please don't be too harsh on me for the sappy romance, because it was the best that my pathetic attempts could create. Hopefully, I resolved all of the cliffhangers, but I couldn't resist leaving one. On one last note, I think you all should go check out Jak and Daxter: The Precursor Wars. Its author, Phantom64, wrote a pretty good first chapter, but he doesn't seem to be getting the credit that he deserves for all his hard work. I won't give away details, but it's based after Jak X and involves Lurkers, so please check it out. And for the end, I leave you with these questions. Who was that man? Who is Gravis going to fight next? Why are Bryan and Lauren so important? Will I ever shut up? Where's my PB&J sandwich? Okay, enough of that. Please let me know what you thought (but remember, not too harsh on the romance) by leaving me a note, idea, criticism, or even a flame. Until, next time, I wish you all fair fortune.
My Favorite Authors (They are listed alphabetically, not by preference.)
1. Amathist Fwirrel
2. animedragongirl
3. Keeroshu
4. Light-Eco-Sage
5. Red Mage 04
6. Silver-WindScar
Quote of the week- Me
Me: Rule #3 of Life- An angry woman is much scarier than an angry man is. Size is irrelevant in this scenario.