To those kind enough to review:

Silver-WindScar- Thanks for the compliment on the rule. I like it. When you find your ass, I'll give you some more Ass-Glue. I'll update as soon as possible, probably Saturdays from now on. Thanks for reviewing so fast: I think it took you only an hour?

Amathist Fwirrel- Yup, the story's getting hot. Chief in training? Well, now that you mention it... :P. Actually, I like cooking in both stories and in real life, and I guess I just wanted to add put some meat on the plot. Bad joke, I know. Actually, I thought of a way he can use Dark Eco in the fight, so the rain attack will be of great help. Thanks. I think I know what you mean by the Fry attack, and I'll definitely make him manipulate the earth. Detonate is going to be when Jak fights Dark Santar. Thanks a lot for those two attacks: they were an enormous help.

Red Mage 04- I think I know how to classify villains. They never learn. Personally, I don't think he got killed in the first game. He was locked in the Dark Eco Silo (which was never opened). I think he somehow survived and is going to come back in the fifth game, which GoodMorningBeautiful2005 says should be coming out sometime next year. I agree with you about Jak: he would have been dead as soon as I had found out he was a Channeler if I was Gol. Can't wait to see the next chapter, and I admire you writing two masterpieces (that I've read).

Animedragongirl- Glad you reviewed: I was afraid I might have scared you away :). Happy Birthday. Or belated birthday at least. Sorry about the errors: believe it or not, I am trying hard not to have those. I'll try to slow the plot down, but it will be difficult seeing as how I'm limited to only ten more chapters. I can't believe you just said "BUAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA! Liz is In The House!" either. You were always the most normal. Now I know your crazy I like you even more :P.

Azure- Wow, you stuck with this for thirty six chapters? That takes a lot of patience to put up with such horrible writing for such a long time. If you've never played the J&D games- don't expect the first one to be so long. I won't ruin the ending (actually I will at some point), but lets say that my story took a different turn. Thanks for saying you've seen a dramatic improvement, even if that is a gross exaggeration. I'll try to stick that quote in, but I can't say when. Bathe the whales indeed. Thanks very much for reviewing.

CrazyOttsel- Quite allright that you reviewed late. The important thing to me is that you continued to read my unmitigated crap and even review it. Thanks very much for letting me know I haven't scared you off, and I know what you mean: I hate needles as well.

Disclaimer: I own nothing, but I take small comfort in the fact I can play the games whenever I please.

Caught Between A Rock And A Hard Place

A slight wind picked up as Jak stared into Zeorro's eyes that were so unlike his own. In the brief time he had been with the Blue Sage in Gol's Citadel, he had gotten an air of familiarity and kindness from the elf standing in front of him. That air was now gone, replaced by a mad fury of Gol's to destroy anything and everything that Jak held close to his heart. Jak adopted a fighting stance and the wind ruffled his hair as the Blue Sage stood stock still, his left arm holding his staff parallel to the ground. Jak closed his eyes as the wind continued to grow and change directions. Now it seemed to be emanating from the Sage himself. Jak's eyes widened as he realized that the Sage was using his power to move the air currents.

Jak leapt into the air and landed to the right. Zeorro pointed his staff at Jak and shot a blast of Blue Lightning at him. Jak turned on his Green Eco Box and activated his shield. The Blue Lightning hit the shield and dissipated in sparks before vanishing altogether. Jak gritted his teeth with the strain of keeping the shield up. Never before had he been under such a powerful barrage of power. Zeorro stopped shooting Blue Lightning out of his staff and extended his hand. Jak redoubled his efforts to keep the shield up but in the end it did nothing. His body was levitated off the ground and Jak groaned as Zeorro caused his arms to pull out. Jak's lean muscles strained with the effort of trying to keep his arm in his shoulder socket, but he was quickly losing the battle. Jak looked around for something to use to his advantage before he realized that because he was Channeling Green Eco, it would be next to impossible to use something offensively. Suddenly, Jak felt himself in gravity's hold. He looked down and saw Daxter plastered on Zeorro's face. Jak smiled to himself as he did a flip in the air and ran at the Blue Sage, fury driving him to move faster than he ever had before. He raised his fist as the Sage ripped Daxter off his face and began to tighten his grip on the furry rodent. Zeorro must have heard Jak approaching, however, for he threw the rat into the air and dodged the attack so quickly that Jak hit an afterimage.

Jak's eyes followed Daxter rather than the Sage he was battling. Though Jak knew it was a mistake, he wanted to be assured of his friend's safety. By the time Daxter landed on the ground, Jak had been punched seven times in the ribs and sent through a wall of Zeorro's house. Jak climbed his way out, rubbing his head as he tried to refocus his vision. As his head cleared, Jak saw Zeorro charge up his staff. Jak noticed that it was glowing purple rather than blue, and realized that Zeorro was somehow able to use Dark Eco as well. Jak turned on his Yellow Eco Box and threw a number of small scythes at Zeorro, aiming for non-lethal body regions, since he wanted to keep the Sage alive as long as he possibly could until he figured out a way to break Gol's mental control.

Zeorro gasped in pain as Jak's attack left deep lacerations in his arms and the right side of his chest. Jak extended his hand as he activated his Blue Eco Box and Daxter zipped right towards him as though drawn by a magnet. Jak caught his friend and placed him gently on his shoulder. He then focused his powers and formed a pair of Yellow Eco Blades. Zeorro looked at Jak and was shocked to see that the wounds that he had caused were already healed.

"Perplexed as to how I could repair myself so expeditiously whilst lacking Green Eco? It is exceptionally straightforward. The Blue Eco within my mass permits my conventional therapeutic aptitudes to accelerate about fifty times their habitual alacrity, allowing me to mend lacerations in measly moments," Zeorro sneered as he tightened his grip on his staff slightly. Instantly, the staff glowed a deep purple and transformed into a completely different weapon. The wood hardened into a hard bluish-purple metal that was about an inch thick. The pole was about six feet in length, ending on one end with afoot long spear that had two smaller points on each end. Jak charged Zeorro, but even taking into account the fact that his opponent was the Sage of Blue Eco, Jak was still unprepared for the speed with which the middle-aged elf moved. Jak's first three attacks went through naught but thin air, and he hissed as the razor sharp spear nicked him in the ribs. Jak vaulted into the air and slashed his Blades through the air, sending small waves of Yellow Eco at his enemy. They did not hit their target, as the Blue Sage ran almost faster than Jak could watch. Jak blocked three attacks as he came down, only to be sent flying back by a shockwave rippling through the air.

Zeorro spun his staff above his head before slamming it into the ground. Jak leapt over the lines of Blue Eco that traveled through the earth and threw one of his Eco Blades. As expected, Zeorro dashed out of the way, only to be nailed in the chest by the second Blade. Jak recalled the original Eco Blade and formed a second. Zeorro rubbed his head and Jak noticed that the burn mark on Zeorro's chest that had been thee a second ago was completely healed, showing only a hole in his tunic as a sign that he had been hurt there seconds ago. Jak parried and blocked as the opposite sides of the spear came in at him: the spear tips on one side; a small blue crystal set in a piece of Precursor metal that looked as though it would rather hurt if it was to be slammed into someone's chest on the other.

Finally, Jak caught a break and ducked underneath a blow that sent Zeorro spinning around. Jak kicked forward, but once again, his foot passed through nothing but air. Zeorro teleported behind Jak before Jak could fully comprehend what was happening. Instead of him hitting the Sage in the back, Jak gasped for breath as the crystal struck him in the back, rattling a few vertebrae in the process. He spun around and brought his foot up and whipped it across Zeorro's face.

Only to open his mouth in a silent scream of pain as his foot was nearly cut off.

Jak staggered backwards ad fell t the ground. He opened his eyes and nearly vomited: a mere half-inch of skin and sinew was holding his foot to the rest of his leg, and as Jak had no desire to learn how to use a cane anytime soon, he forced his body to react through the maddening pain and turned on his Green Eco Box. He sighed in relief as a protective shield went up around him and his foot reattached itself to the rest of his leg.

Jak tried to think of a strategy for victory as Zeorro pounded on the shield with a Blue Eco beam. Nothing he had tried so far had worked. That spear of his was too long: it allowed the Blue Sage to strike in nearly two places at once with the elf's enhanced speed. Jak was snapped out of his musings by Daxter's shout.

"Jak! Look out behind you!" Jak turned around and saw a glob of Dark Eco rise from the pool. A faint blue glow surrounded it, making Jak suspect that Zeorro was levitating liquid Eco with his power. Jak leapt into the air as his shield was destroyed by the Eco. Jak summoned two Yellow Eco Blades and decided to try something he had never though of before. He stuck his two Blades together and formed a longer weapon. Jak spun his spear as he came down, deflecting some Blue Lightning before rushing in at his opponent, eager to test out his new strategy.

Zeorro found that it was much harder to penetrate Jak's defenses this way. Jak ducked under a horizontal blow before smashing his staff-like weapon down. Zeorro blocked this and the two thrust and swiped at each other with blinding speed as their confrontation continued. Jak knew that he was quickly approaching the thirty minute countdown and decided that he had to destroy the alarm clock before it went off.

Jak swiped at Zeorro and paused for a second too long and was hit in the chest by the blunt crystal at one of the staff's ends. Just as he had planned, Jak went through the hut's wall again and remained perfectly still after activating his Blue Eco Box. He concentrated on moving the alarm clock and was pleased to see that though he moved the clock through the air, Zeorro seemed oblivious to what the Channeler was doing.

Jak dropped the clock into the pool of Dark Eco and charged at Zeorro, summoning another staff and cocking it back. He swung it down and leapt into the air, deflecting three quick attacks by splitting his staff into two Eco Blades again. He landed and swung his left Blade across his chest as he spun. His right Blade proceeded, and that was followed by his foot. Jak landed and tried to stop himself from spinning. Zeorro took this second to send a blast through the air and cause Jak to skid back. Jak hunched his shoulders forward as though he were exhausted and waited for Zeorro to come in. As the Sage did, Jak dodged the thrust and grabbed the spear. Jak kicked forward and caught the Sage's hands, causing the master of Blue Eco to let go of the weapon. As Jak held it, he felt it burn his skin and glow brightly, as though the staff knew that he was not the one that was meant to wield it. Jak dropped the weapon, surprised at how hard it was to balance it. Obviously, Zeorro was a much better warrior than Jak had given him credit for.

Jak leapt at Zeorro, who ducked underneath the kick Jak had aimed at his face and hit Jak in the ribs. Jak got up off the ground and jumped into the air, spinning as he did so. As his body came around, his first foot hit Zeorro across the jaw. This stunned the Blue Sage, which gave Jak the chance to plant a perfect side kick into Zeorro's ribs as he spun in the air. Jak landed and began pummeling every inch of the Sage that his fists and feet could reach. With one final blow, Jak slammed the Sage into a wall of the hut that was still standing. As Jak prepared to kick the Sage in the face and knock him out, a blast of Lightning from behind immobilized him. Jak stood stunned as the staff Zeorro had been wielding levitated in the air and returned to its owner. Jak was sent flying through the air and crashed into a tree as Zeorro hit him with the blunt crystal. Jak got to his feet and summoned two Eco Blades before putting them together and forming a staff again.

He swiped his weapon horizontally and as Zeorro leapt over the attack, Jak separated the staff into two Blades once again. He slashed and chopped at his opponent, turning them back into a staff when Zeorro resumed the offensive. The two weapons locked and the two Channelers gritted their weapons against each other, Jak's Eco weapon sending sparks out into the air. Zeorro back off and swung his staff in Jak's direction. Jak backed off a step, but was surprised when the staff's tip began to extend. After the tip, two inches of Blue Eco appeared and allowed it to swing to the side. An inch of metal followed the Eco, only to be followed by another inch of Blue Eco. This phenomenon continued until the tip had become a three foot lasso.

The metal and Eco wrapped itself around Jak's surprised body and the spear point seemed to lock. Jak struggled against the metal and Blue Eco, but it was to no avail. Zeorro lifted Jak into the air and slammed his into the ground. Jak struggled to keep awake as the Blue Sage began to swing him around in a circle, causing him to go past, but more often through, trees and rocks. Just as Jak was about to pass out, Zeorro stopped swinging him. Jak sighed in relief only to grit his teeth as Blue Lightning streamed into his body. Normally the Blue Eco Lightning attack was not painful, Zeorro had apparently found a way around that small fact.

Daxter crept up on the Sage, determined to help out again and save his friend. As he lunged for the Sage's leg, a hand swooped down and wrapped itself around his throat. Daxter gasped for air as Zeorro bent down and talked to Jak, tightening his grip on Daxter's throat the entire time.

"Don't anticipate your rodent to assist you this occasion, cherished youngster. Now, you will both expire, and your girlfriend will be converted into Gol's spouse and become queen of this terra firma." Jak's blood boiled with anger, but at the present, he was helpless to the Sage's taunts and threats. And the worst part was, the Sage had the power to do everything he threatened to do at this moment in time.

"And now, you depart this life," the Sage said as he brought his spear blade down, aiming for Jak's throat…

"Jak!" Keira screamed as she saw the blade going down to decapitate her friend. She turned away, unable to bear the sight of such a horrible act. As Keira opened her eyes, she saw Veston looking at the battle, his face impassive. "How can you just stand there and act as though nothing horrible is happening?" Keira demanded. Veston turned towards her, and Keira cringed when she saw that his eyes were full of pain. When he opened his mouth, Keira heard that he was hoarse, as though struggling not to lose himself.

"I don't like what is happening Keira. And as much as I hate to admit it, there is absolutely nothing I can do that will change the outcome of this fight!" Keira closed her eyes in pain, because she realized the same thing. That hurt her more than the fact that Jak was about to die: she couldn't do a damned thing about it. "Crying about it or fighting it won't change anything. The only thing I can do is remain calm, for in times like these, where would the sense be in panicking?"

"NO!" a voice shouted as a red light lit up from his left. The Blue Sage looked to his right and his lip curled in disgust as he leapt over a blast of Red Eco Lightning. Jak's eyes widened as the spear's lasso let go of him and he looked around for the source of the Lightning, wondering if Santar had sent it, or if another Channeler had emerged.

Jak decided that it was definitely the latter as he looked at the one who had saved his life. A girl of about eighteen or nineteen with unkempt brown hair about shoulder length stood by the house, her brown eyes alight with fury. Jak was taken aback at the sight of her pupils: they were slits like a snake's or a cat's. She had pale skin, as though she was not used to being out in the sun for long periods of a time. She was about four inches or so shorter than Jak's four and a half feet, and was wearing a long black tunic that came down past the knee with sleeves, and tan baggy pants. On her ears dangled a pair of imitation Precursor metal handcuff earrings. Jak stared at the girl: never had he seen such pale skin except on himself a month ago.

"I'll hold him off," the girl said as Zeorro approached them, his staff pointing forward and battle cry coming from his throat. Jak shook his head and established a Green Eco Shield as Zeorro shot a blast of Blue Eco Lightning from his hand and a beam of Dark Eco from his staff. The girl looked at the shield in astonishment for a few seconds before putting her hand through it. Daxter started to shout a warning to her, but his jaw sagged as he saw the Blue Lightning gather around her hand before curling into a ball and entering her body as regular Eco. Zeorro looked at the girl in amazement, and the girl frowned as the Sage looked at her with no signs of recognition on his features.

The girl seemed to be weakening as she attempted to absorb the Blue Eco attack and make it easier for Jak to defend himself. Jak noticed the Blue Sage intensify his attack at the girl, who cried out as se closed her eyes, struggling to keep both hands up and blocking. Jak took advantage of the Sage's distraction and charged up a shot of Yellow Eco. He let forth a blast of Eco that surged forward through the Dark Eco that Zeorro was using. Jak noted to himself that it had never been so easy to push back Dark Eco, not even when was facing Benedict, who had been only an amateur at using it. At thinking of the deceased elf, Jak's eyes closed in pain. Margaret had told him what Gol and Maia had done to him by infecting him with the Dark Eco Seed. The Seed had poisoned his mind and altered his body's make-up, causing his body to become, in essence, allergic to itself. Almost immediately after the Seed had been implanted, his body had become stronger, but before long, it had started to break down.

Jak set his mind firmly on the battle taking place as he charged forward, aiming a punch at Zeorro. The Sage ducked underneath it and Jak leapt over the swipe that had come his way. As he landed, he was hit by a blast of Blue co Lightning. Surprisingly, it had not come from the Sage, but the Channeler that had saved his life. After Jak was released from his paralysis, he turned towards the female with an indignant expression on his face.

"Get out of the way," the girl said as she shot another brief blast at the Sage, who redirected it back at Jak with his staff. Jak rolled out of the way as he tossed a Yellow Eco disk at the Sage, who halted the attack and sent it at the girl. The female Channeler ducked underneath the attack, only to be picked up and have her throat squeezed by the mind-controlled Sage. Jak rammed Zeorro in the shoulder and released the girl from his choking grip. As she coughed, Jak helped her up and looked at her and then at Zeorro, who was charging up another attack. Jak quickly stuck out his hand as though to say he was willing to call a truce between them and work with her until the Sage was defeated. The girl glared at him for an instant, as though to say she didn't need help, but looked over at Zeorro with an almost pitying expression on her face. She grasped his hand with a surprisingly strong grip before shaking it once.

The two split apart, leaving the beam that Zeorro had charged up to hit the ground. Jak flew into the air and sent a hail of Yellow eco pellets at Zeorro. The Sage redirected them at the girl, who put her hands up to cover her chest and face from the incoming attack. A sudden idea struck Jak. It was risky, but also the best chance he had of coming out of this clash victorious. He summoned a Yellow Eco Blade before detaching his Yellow Eco Box and turning on the absorb switch. He threw it at the girl just as the first pellets got closer. All the pellets immediately went for the Eco Box and were absorbed. Jak landed and sent a stream of flame to stave the Blue Sage off while he went to show her how the Eco Box worked. After she figured it out, the two Channelers turned around, but the Blue Eco Sage was nowhere to be seen. A hand suddenly sprang out of the ground and caught Jak's foot. The girl looked down and shot a blast of Yellow Eco Lightning at the hand clutching Jak.

As the hand vanished and Zeorro reappeared, looking enraged, Jak nodded his thanks to the girl, then cocked his head to the side as he realized he didn't even know her name. "Call me Liz," the girl said, reading his puzzled expression correctly. Jak gave her a thumbs up before he leapt back into the fray. "Doesn't he talk?" Liz asked herself quietly as she waited for a chance to attack. As Jak ducked under a swipe and got tangled up again in the spear's extension, Liz sent a blast of Blue Lightning at Zeorro. The Sage merely stuck his hand out and absorbed the attack. Liz cursed to herself: she should have known better than to use Blue Eco against the Sage. Though the attack slightly recharged Zeorro's nearly limitless Eco supply, it provided Jak with just the momentary distraction he had needed. The Channeler rolled to the side before contorting his body and leaning back onto his shoulders and vaulting into the air, kicking the Sage in the stomach. Liz rushed in, her speed being enhanced by the Blue Eco as Yellow Lightning crackled through the air. Zeorro was blasted backwards as the attack impacted. Jak ran forward and slashed at the Sage, only to be driven back by a blast of energy.

Jak twisted his body around in the air and saw another blast of Yellow Lightning coming at him. Jak reacted by reflex and raised his Eco Blade. The Yellow Eco entered the Blade and Jak created another one out of the Eco he had taken. He fastened them together to make a staff once more and attacked Zeorro.

"How does he know such advanced moves?" Liz asked herself again as she watched the two battle back and forth. Their moves were so in sync with each other that it almost looked as though they were dancing rather than fighting. Liz was quick to remind herself that however graceful the fighters might appear, they were just as deadly as they pleasing to watch. Not wanting to risk letting off a blast and potentially hurting Jak, Liz snuck into the shadows, her brown eyes analyzing every chop, every thrust, every parry and block that the two Channelers made.

Jak flipped over the Sage only to be struck in the back by the crystal sphere on the end. He hit the ground and rolled out of the way before swinging his Eco Staff at the Sage. Zeorro blocked it effortlessly and stabbed at Jak's sternum. Jak continued to roll and flipped into the air, punching the Sage in his left eye for good measure, even though he knew it wouldn't do much good in the long run.

Zeorro staggered back from the hit as his eye healed and let loose a blast of Dark Eco Lightning. Jak crossed his Blades in front of him, dissipating the attack. Jak then began Channeling Red Eco into his body, hoping that although brute force by itself was rarely enough to ever win a fight, he hoped that it might give him an edge against Zeorro: maybe damaging him enough to break a bone could give Jak the time he needed to knock the Sage unconscious.

Jak charged forward, swatting the staff away with one of his Eco Blades and swiping with the other. However strong he might have been, it did him no good, as Zeorro was too swift and nimble to be hit in the first place. Jak thought a minute before he spotted Liz lurking in the shadows of the house. He threw his Eco Blade at her after turning it into a sphere, hoping she would know what to do. Liz nodded and held the Yellow Eco Box in front of her and absorbing the attack.

Jak charged forward, his single Blade enough to block the staff of Zeorro and counter with a kick to the chest. Zeorro gasped for breath as the attack connected with his solerplexis. Jak took advantage and began hammering at the Sage from every angle with his Eco Blade. After ducking and dodging the first three attacks, Zeorro began parrying them; blocking them for only an instant before redirecting them in another direction. Jak ducked under a swipe and jumped over a second. He stuck out his feet as Zeorro held out his hand. The result was almost comical. Jak was blasted backwards by the backlash of his own technique and Zeorro's attack and went through a tree and into a boulder. He struggled to keep awake, and although he accomplished this, he was unable to move his body without pain.

Liz leapt out of the shadows, Yellow Eco crackling at her fingertips. Though she was no match for the Sage, Liz Channeled the Yellow Eco into her body, causing small Yellow Eco bolts to jump off her skin and at the Sage if he got too close. She ducked under a swipe and punched him in the ribs, Yellow Eco enhancing her attack slightly. Zeorro stepped back before unleashing a torrent of Blue Eco Lightning. Liz stood her ground and gathered all of her power before releasing her own massive attack. The two attacks met and crackled back and forth as the opposing Channelers increased their power. Liz knew that this was her one chance: the Blue Sage had to stay still to maintain his Eco Lightning attack.

Liz struggled to keep up her attack as the Blue Sage intensified his attack. Liz knew that if she lost this one power struggle, then there would be no hope for Jak. As the pain in her hands became unbearable, Liz suddenly felt comfort. At first she closed her tighter, sure it was the calm before life was wiped away from her body. As the feeling grew, she opened her eyes. She saw Jak's hands resting on hers, pumping Green Eco in her to restore her energy. Liz found it much easier to stand up and keep her attack going with Jak's aid. Jak began to Channel Red Eco into Liz's body, knowing that while the strain would become greater, the extra power might allow her to defeat Zeorro once and for all. Liz closed her eyes as tears squeezed out the ends, crying out from the pain but never daring to cease her attack out of fear that the demented Blue Sage would win. Slowly but surely, Zeorro's attack was pressed back as the Red and Yellow Eco Lightning attacks overcame his. With less than an inch separating his palms from the attack, Zeorro stopped his own and tried to get away.

It would prove to be his last mistake.

With a cry, the Blue Sage was blasted backwards by the attack, hitting his head on a boulder and sliding down the rock, unconscious. Jak and Liz sighed with relief before Jak realized that his friends would fall into the Dark Eco. He turned around and concentrated with all his failing strength on keeping his friends in the air. As they dropped onto the ground, Jak sat down and took deep breaths of air. Now that the adrenaline rush had worn off, he was thoroughly exhausted.

"Um, thanks," Liz said shyly as Jak looked over at her. He smiled and nodded. Something stirring to his left caught his eye and he looked over to see Zeorro getting up. The Sage's eyes were still a deep purple, and Jak pushed Keira to the side as a blast of Eco was aimed at her. Jak held his forearm armor in front of his face and the shot was redirected at Zeorro. As the Sage turned to the right to avoid the blast, a small purple metal contraption was hit instead. Sparks flew from the machine and Zeorro shouted in pain. As the machine died, the Sage collapsed, only to get up again.

"Thank the Precursors! I cogitated I would linger under Gol's hegemony for all of perpetuity!" Zeorro exclaimed as he got up. Jak was relieved when he saw that the Sage's had returned to the bright blue they used to be. Liz ran at the Sage and embraced him fiercely. Zeorro stroked the disheveled brown hair as she sobbed into his chest. "It is satisfactory, daughter," Everyone did a double take at the last uttered word.

"Wait, you're his daughter?" Keira gasped. She had never known that any of the other Sages had had any children, assuming her father was the only one.

"Yes. I am Liz Cyan, daughter of Zeorro Cyan. Thank you for helping me to free my father. When he returned, I could tell that he was not himself, and so I hid myself away. I fought him once and tried to free him, but he bested me. Now, we can strike back at Gol," she added grimly as she punched one of her hands. For once, and Jak suspected it would be the only time, Zeorro's jaw dropped in astonishment as he gazed upon his child that looked so like her mother.

"Absolutely not! I will not permit you to imperil your being. I will voyage north and-"

"And what? Gol still has Santar, Samos, Alecis, Tarea and Potentia under his control. You'll never be able to beat them all. And if you left, Gol would know what has happened. The best thing to do is to remain here as if you were one of Gol's stooges. Tell him you drove Jak and everyone else back home, sonce you thought he would want to be the one to kill him, and allow us to sneak past. That way, Gol will be taken completely by surprise when we reveal ourselves." Zeorro opened his mouth, only to close it again in defeat. Keira smirked as she saw a spark in Liz's eyes that she herself had possessed on numerous occasions in the past when she had been determined to do something others had thought she shouldn't do.

"That is a magnificent design. There are merely two imperfections with it. My eyes are no longer the amethyst that they were whilst I was under his authority. The other flaw is the mind control contrivance. It is shattered, and if I am not bearing that, then I'll never bamboozle Gol into deeming I am still amid him." Liz smiled at the first comment, something that Jak thought very puzzling.

"Don't worry about the eyes. I found two small pieces of glass and shaved them down until they were razor thin. Then I dipped them in purple dye. If you wear them, then your eyes will look the same color as they were before. And I know they won't hurt, because I wore them myself." Zeorro beamed at her before kissing her on the forehead.

"Splendid! But what about the mechanism?" At this point, Keira decided to speak up.

"Actually, I'm decent with a wrench. I could probably make a replica of it that wouldn't affect you at all."

"How long will it take to manufacture? I must make contact with Gol in three hours otherwise he will suspect something," Zeorro said.

"If I hollowed out the real one and mended it, I could be finished in an hour and a half."

"Then why don't we just do that?" Daxter shouted, getting angry because of all the big words, some of which he wasn't entirely sure convinced of their validity. Keira nodded and headed for Zeorro's house, which began to mend itself as Zeorro raised a weary hand at it. Jak looked at Keira as she walked in the house, marveling at her ability to repair or mend anything. He laid down and leaned up against a tree, trying to regain his energy after the exhausting battle he had just fought.

An hour and a half later, Jak stormed in the hut. Normally, he was a very good tempered person, but Veston's incessant pacing had prevented him from resting. He automatically relaxed as he laid on Keira. He stood behind her as she stood up from the desk and stretched. He gripped her around the waist and lifted her into the air. Keira screamed in shock, but laughed after Jak set her down. She flicked him in the left ear and showed him the mended machine. Jak took it and examined it. It was perfect: no one would suspect that the device was a dud.

"I hate to say this Jak, but I have some bad news." Jak looked at her in surprise: everything seemed to be going exactly as planned.

"There seems to be a problem with the A-Grav Zoomer. It seems that the Lurkers started taking it apart a bit early. The stole the heat shield, as well as the Power Cell Energy Grid." Jak glared out the window, angry that the Lurkers and Gol would destroy such a beautiful piece of machinery. "According to these notes I found by Zeorro, they took the pieces to a laboratory in the Precursor Basin. Normally, I would ask you to go and get it, but by the time we found it, infiltrated it, and got the pieces, you could walk to Volcanic Crater. So I thought I might ask Liz and Veston to go get it." Jak cocked his head at the odd choice: he would have sent Margaret, Bryan and Cara: since they were the most skilled Channelers.

"I know what your thinking. I didn't send those three because Veston told me he can speak the Lurker language, so if they infiltrate the place, then he might be able to find out where the are. I don't want the Lurkers knowing we're here, because then Gol would find out, and that would destroy any element of surprise we might get in the future. And Liz has a general idea of where the place is. According to her, the Lurkers built it underground in case we ever managed to get here. And the reason I'm only sending those two is because sending even only two elves in there is risky." Jak nodded and sat down next to Keira before rubbing his eyes. He had to decide who to take with him through the Mountain Pass, because no matter how strong he was, there was always the chance he would need help, as the fight with Zeorro had demonstrated.

As Jak walked outside, he felt the cool air hit his face. He knew that within a few months, winter would set in, and any movement would be risky, if it was possible at all. He leaned against the house and wondered what his plan was. After freeing Santar, Jak would have to go back through the Spider Caves, something that he was in no hurry to do. After that, the Desert Colossus, which would still be unbearably hot in the winter would take two weeks to travel. Taking the Zoomer was out of the question, since Keira had told him that sand would get inside and damage it if he rode it on the beach. A small smile came onto his face as he remembered how angry she had been when he and Daxter had taken it out one time and ridden it on Sentinel Beach anyway. He could still remember how hard she had smacked him. Also fresh in his mind was how she had not talked to him for an entire month afterwards. She was definitely a force to be reckoned with, Jak said to himself as e stared into the black sun. The only good thing about it he had thought of was that he could stare directly into it without hurting his eyes. After the desert, Jak couldn't decide whether to go to Tarea on Pampas Islet or continue to Gol's Citadel by way of Wasteland Metropolis and liberate Potentia.

Jak snapped himself out of his musings and went to go find Margaret and Cara. By far, they were the most skilled at distance fighting, which would be the strategy Jak would need to utilize against Santar. The Red Eco Sage was built like Precursor metal, and engaging him in close range combat with nothing to distract him would be suicide. He found the two girls over by the lake, talking in low voices. Jak approached quietly, wondering what they were talking about.

"Oh come on! How could not find him attractive?" Margaret asked indignantly. Cara merely shrugged and tossed her braided red hair behind her shoulder.

"I never said he wasn't good-looking. I just don't like him the way you do?"

"Well, why in the name of the Precursors not? You've known him almost all your life."

"Yes, maybe that's why…" Cara said as she looked at the lake. The cool, once clear water had begun to turn a dark green, another reminder of the task they had in front of them. It was barely noticeable, but Cara knew that before long even the lake would become a twisted version of the beauty it had once possessed. "He's just too familiar to me for me to even consider even thinking about him like that. Perhaps its because the two of us are like brother and sister, not friends." Margaret rolled her eyes at this comment.

"Well, whatever the reason, you have no attachment to him right?"

"That's right," Cara said as she leaned back and gazed at the sky, and the purple clouds.

"So I can go out with him?"

"If you can get him to notice you."

"And what's that supposed to mean?" Margaret asked indignantly, thinking that Cara was calling her unattractive.

"In all the ears I've known him, I've never seen Veston look at any girl as more than a friend."

"Well, you know what they say," Margaret said as she smirked and laid down next to Cara on the grass, "there's a first time for everything."

Cara smiled as she recalled that those were the words her fiancée had said to her when she had claimed that she would never allow herself to love him. "That's definitely true."

Jak cleared his throat at this point, having heard enough to satisfy his suspicions. He pointed to the mountain in the distance and then at the two of them.

"We have names you know," Margaret said as she smiled and got up. Jak smiled back as he rolled his eyes at her. Cara rose and followed the two, giving one last look at the lake.

"I promise to restore you to your former beauty," she whispered.

"So, where exactly is this place?" Veston asked as he and Liz entered the Precursor Basin. Liz smirked to herself as she imagined his reaction.

"Right below us," she said as she moved half of a Precursor metal sphere. Underneath was a ladder, leading to a chamber with an eerie reddish glow. Veston's jaw dropped as he realized how close the laboratory was to the entrance, which would throw people off who assumed that it would be hidden deep in the basin. He waited for Liz to disappear into the earth before following her. Right before he went under, Veston switched on his Blue Eco Box and levitated the lump of Precursor metal over the hole so that any patrolling Lurkers would not be able to tell that two Channelers had just entered their base.

Jak, Margaret and Cara stood before the Mountain Pass. Seventeen miles of greenery and mountainous climbing. He took a deep breath before letting it out as a sigh. He remembered the last time he had mountain climbing with Margaret, and hoped that nothing of the sort happened in this place.

"Déjà vu, eh Jak," Margaret said as they walked along. Jak smiled and nodded as the black sun beat down on them, reminding Jak that he could never truly rest until he had made up for his tremendous error.

Hi. Sorry for the delay in updating, and it turns out that I can post more than fifty chapters, whih is one of the reasons why I took so long to get this chapter up. Special thanks to Amathist Fwirrel, who gave me some ideas for the big showdown with Zeorro, which I hope was satisfactory at the bare minimum. Hopefully, my life will return to normal now, which is short for I hope I can get the next chapter together by Saturday.

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 #10 of Life (inspired by Silver-WindScar and a friend of mine): Opinions are like assholes: everybody has one and most of them stink.