NekoKurai: "Ahh! I couldn't help myself! I love chapter 3 soooo much, I just had to post it (yes, how shameful of me...) anyways, this chapter is one of the best I have written (and chapter 5 is just a good!)"
Disclaimer: "You know the drill..."
Tracing the Past: Chapter 3
When Ashelin said that Central Parkway was a nice place, she sure wasn't kidding. It seemed this place was what her father would call, 'The Patch of Green'. A place that wasn't overrun by buildings and streets; it was a wide area of greenery, filled with lush vegetation as far as the eye could see; there was even a small playground where some neighborhood kids were busily climbing the jungle gym to reach the top. It was such a relaxing sight, especially since the whole time they were walking here, Jak was quiet again, even more pensive than before.
She knew not to ask him again; when he was ready, he would tell her his problems, but still, the feeling of helplessness was so overpowering; was there nothing she could do to help her poor Jak? But that seemed to change once they arrived there. Even Jak seemed to have momentarily forgotten his trouble; Haven Forest was an eyesore compared to this place. Keira couldn't help herself as she took Jak's hand and led him across the field giggling as Jak almost lost his footing in a molemunk hole (a molemunk is a mixture between a mole and a chipmunk).
"Do you remember when we were kids and we tried to catch those molemunk's near the Bird Lady's house?" Keira asked.
"Yeah, we went to those holes everyday and waited for hours," Jak replied with a laugh. "Only to find that they had migrated somewhere else."
"And we were so sun burnt! Daddy was so mad! He left us like that for a day before finally giving us some soothing salve." Keira added, laughing. They passed by a small lake, where a fish leaped from the water and splashed some water at them.
"Remember when Daxtar caught one of those poison fishes and ate it." Jak asked.
Keira laughed very hard.
"Oh man! He couldn't sit on a stool for a month! In fact, we hardly saw him for that long!"
"Do you remember…"
"Do you remember…"
Do you remember…
It was like that for a few hours; they stayed there, wandering aimlessly around Central Parkway, reminiscing about old times; when they used to ride the farmers yakows around Sandover, swimming in Sentinal Beach, racing on the zoomers Keira had built; they even passed a wumpbee's nest where Jak ran as far and as fast away from it as possible, dragging a laughing Keira behind him. The whole time they were there, Keira noticed, Jak did not frown; he only smiled, a true and honest smile, something she had not seen since their days in Sandover, when everything was peaceful, when everything was 'all right…'.
The sun was beginning to set as they sat tiredly on a small hill that overlooked the entire Parkway. They were silently, neither wishing to speak, only enjoying the other's company; Jak lay with his head rested on Keira's lap; she occasionally played with his hair or tickled the tip of his ears.
"It was about a woman…"
Keira looked down at Jak questioningly.
"What?"
"Before I went into the Bloody Hook, a Precursor Monk came up to me… she asked if I was related to someone named Valere…"
"Valere?"
Jak slowly sat up, pulling his legs towards him as he rested his arms upon them; he stared out towards the sun set, and the look of deep thought came upon his face again.
"I know it sounds stupid… but when she said that name… I started seeing some strange images in my head; it was of a woman…I think, of the woman named Valere…"
"Do you know who she is?" Keira asked, sitting down besides him, her curiosity growing. Jak shook his head solemly.
"No. But… the more I think about it… I feel like I do… and when I feel like I do…" he hid his face within his arms. "I feel this overwhelming sense of loss and fear… and sadness… pure, overwhelming sadness…" he looked up from his arms, and Keira saw that his eyes were now sharp and full of contempt. "I've felt this before… when I was in prison for two years; when I was pumped full of dark eco by Praxis" Jak's hands clench angrily. "I would stare at the wall of my prison cell, counting the notches left there by the last prisoner, and all I felt was that; loss…fear…and total sadness…"
'…so it's okay…'
Keira only listened in silence; he had never talked about his time in prison, not even with her father, he would never want to talk about it. In a way, she was thrilled: he was finally opening up to her, and yet she was also fearful; what could she say to him? I'm sorry…it's okay…what?
As if sensing her uncertainty, Jak stood up quickly, placing his hands inside his pockets in awkwardness and turned away from her.
'…so it's okay…'
"It's getting late…we should go…" he mumbled, setting off towards the entrance. He was mentally kicking himself; why did he open his mouth? Why did he even try? Keira looked so uneasy, just like before, when she had accused him of being a thug while he was working for Krew. Like when she found out about his 'darker' self. He shut his eyes in sadness; it was going to be like that again...he just knew...
Before he finished his thought, he suddenly felt Keira wrap her arms around his waist, hugging him from behind, pressing her cheek against his back.
"I'm sorry… Jak. I just…. Didn't know what to say…it scared me in a way; you were opening up to me, but what could I say? That it was okay? That you're fine now… I knew it wouldn't be right…"
"I'm sorry if I scared you," he said curtly; too curtly. "I won't do it again…"
"No!" Keira went and stood before him, and he could see that she had been crying, here green eyes glistening with tears, making them look more green than he had ever seen them before. "No Jak! I want you to open up to me more! I know I wasn't supportive before, and I'm sorry about that, I really am. I shouldn't have judged you so quickly; I've known you all my life, and it wasn't fair that I thought something so stupid, but please Jak, open up to me! I don't want you to hold things inside anymore because…" she looked away from him, biting her lip. "Because I'm here…" she threw her arms around him, holding him closely to her; Jak blinked in surprise. "I'm always here, Jak. Even though sometimes you don't see it; I deserved that, I know, but I will always be here for you. I will always be here to tell you that everything will be okay, that you're not alone…because…."
"Keira…" he looked down at her, her shoulders shaking as she cried; he could feel a strange stinging sensation near the edge of his eyes.
"I love you, Jak…I always have, and I always will…" whispered.
'…so it's okay…'
'I love you…I always will…' the woman was saying, tucking her green hair behind her ear as she lifted a small boy into her arms. Her deep blue eyes shown with love as she cradled the boy. 'because I will always be here with you…so it's okay…'
"Always…" Jak whispered, the image disappearing, bringing him back to the weeping Keira, still pressed tightly against him. He smiled gently as he cupped her chin in the crook of his finger, lifting her face towards him; Keira heart fluttered when she saw his eyes; so full of love and understanding… so full of compassion…
"I love you too, Keira," he gently said softly, wiping her tears as he gently placed his hand against her cheek, which she leaned into. "I'm sorry that I made you cry…"
Keira shook her head. Jak could feel the stinging sensation growing worse; his throat clenched as if trying to hold something back.
"No, it's okay…I'm just glad…" she replied, smiling.
'…so it's okay…'
"So…it's okay…" he whispered and pulled Keira into an embrace; it could not be held back any longer; tears were streaming down his face. Tears from when he was in prison, when he was outcast by Haven City, when he saw his father die…
'so it's okay…' the woman brushed away a tear that fell from the corner of the small boy's eye. 'to cry…'
Neko Kurai: "Didn't I say that it would be good! I just felt that it was unfair for Keira to be so judgemental during the Jak II game and that an apology was in order! Hope to get a review for this one! I reallywant to know what the reader thinks! Anywho, on with Chapter 4!" X3
