A/N - I'm so sorry about the long wait, but it seriously wasn't my fault, I swear!! First of all, I wasn't planning on making it longer than what you read in chapter 3, but then I just couldn't let it go and got stuck with what should happen afterwards (as a matter of fact I lay awake one night because the ideas kept buzzing in my head). Second of all, school has begun once more and I've got like tons of homework (glares at the offending pile), so I really haven't had that much time for it either!!
Chapter 3 wasn't as good as I had hoped for, but I hope you'll like this chappie, even though it may be (I don't know, normally never write or read the stuff) a little angsty!! Well, here goes with the thanks for another bunch of lovely reviews:
cin-min - Why, thanks, hope you'll like this next part then as well!!
DarkMistress950 - Well, yeah, I've kinda explained why already!! Thanks for being such a loyal reader and reviewer (huggles). Couldn't you email me if you have any ideas for what should happen later on? I need a little inspiration, as my imagination has to be tucked away to give room for the homework! :(
Blaze0017 - Yeah, I know it wasn't as good as it might have been, but what!! Thanks to you as well for reading and reviewing so faithfully, means a LOT to me!! I'm not having that hard a time waiting for the kissing sequence, but I'm dreading how it'll work out when I get there. O.o
Sabulana - This little fic made you feel like writing? Weee, what a great thing!! :D Sorry for sounding hyper, but it just makes me happy (and trust me, I'm in a bad mood these days, so I appreciate it even more). Hope this bit will be good enough!!
KrimzonGuard Bites BaronP - Wow, thank you so much for that (smiles happily)!! Shush, it'll be alright with them - but how and when I won't say, you'll have to continue reading (smile turns teasing)!! ;)
The Sacred Heart - I know, I know, it was very short, hope you'll be happier with this one, which is definitely longer!! Well, thanks for the dance, I appreciate it (huggles). Yeap (sings: All you need is love), he does, but is Torn the right person to give it to him? Now, that's a question we'll find the answer to sooner or later!! So far I haven't got any flames, but if I do, I'll do as you say AND shoot some yellow eco after them as well!! :D:D
Disclaimer - Pretty, please, Naught Dog - couldn't I have just ONE of the characters? If I can't own Jak, let me have Torn - or even Daxter! (gets smacked by two elves and an ottsel) Hey, what was that for?
Warnings - Maybe a bit angsty, I don't know, but anyway, cursing and maggots in this one!! What's wrong (grins broadly and evilly)? Don't like maggots? Sorry, but it's for the effect!!
Let's scroll down and get on with the chapter, then, shall we? Oh, yeah, and the italic means that it's a dream, kay?
Chapter 4 - Torn's Dream
"Ouch, that freakin' HURT, Jak!" Daxter exclaimed, looking up at the hero with a pained and irritated look.
"Sorry, Dax," Jak mumbled, ruffling the sidekick's fur a little to make up for having accidentally sat on the ottsel's tail. "It wasn't on purpose."
Daxter's face continued to look grim for a moment, then his face cracked in a big grin, and he jumped back up on Jak's shoulder, tangling his paw the green-blond mess that was Jak's hair. "I know, I know. Just don't make it a habit, 'kay? I don't think the ladies will fall for an ottsel with a broken tail!"
The once-mute smiled as he scratched the ottsel behind the ears. "Suppose they would. That fuzzy charm of yours won't stop because of a broken tail, surely? Wouldn't the great Daxter have broken his tail in a ferocious battle against Metal Heads?"
"Ah, yes, of course! Tess would love being around such a fierce warrior!" If possible, the grin on Daxter's face got even broader.
Torn entered the hideout before the fur ball could persuade Jak to drive him to Hip Hog Saloon so he could tell Tess about his brave deeds. The ex-KG looked like someone had just told him that the Baron had won and he was to marry Erol.
"You might as well quit that cheesy grin of yours, rat," he growled, not really pissed at the ottsel – well, not more than usual, anyway – but he was having an exceptional shitty day. I've got a new mission for you and it isn't going to be an easy one."
Daxter snorted; a curious sound coming from him. "Bring it on, tough guy. We've handled your missions with bravado every single time, so I don't see why we shouldn't do just as well on this one."
Jak groaned quietly, already picturing the scene of Daxter and Torn snapping at each other rather clearly in his head. Normally he would just watch them, not really caring if Dax annoyed the hell out of Torn, but right now he just wanted them to shut up, so he and his sidekick could go and finish whatever bloody mission Torn had handpicked just for them.
"Okay, you two, cut it out right now!" he grumbled. Two heads turned his way, astonishment evident in both their faces.
"But Jak, we haven't done anything!" Daxter protested. The look on the ottsel's face was priceless, and Jak fought hard to keep from laughing, which wasn't exactly made any easier by the fact that Torn was sporting the exact same look on his face.
"Not yet, no," he said, willing himself to keep a straight face. "But you would have in a moment if I hadn't stopped you. The sooner you two stop your usual bickering the sooner Torn can get to briefing us on what we have to do and the sooner you and I can go out and get the mission done. Now how's that, Dax?" He really didn't want to sound as harsh as he did, especially not to Daxter, who was his best and only friend, but all his worries was beginning to take their toll on him, so he accidentally let a bit of his anger and frustration out on his little sidekick.
Luckily for Jak, the ottsel just grinned at his old buddy, immediately up and ready for action. "Sure, Jak. I'll gladly shut up if that means we can get out of this place sooner."
"Then why don't you, so I can be done briefing you and have some peace and quiet for once?" Torn growled. Truth be told, he wouldn't have that much peace, as people relentlessly came barging in, but at least he would be free of the rat for a time.
"Geez, and here I thought you were grumpy in the morning!" Daxter commented as Jak walked out of the hideout. Just before the door closed behind them Torn could hear the ottsel exclaim something as Jak lightly slapped him.
A smile adorned the second-in-command's features for a moment at the thought, then it faded again rather quickly and his usual, trademark scowl took it's place. Angry for some reason he could not phantom he returned to his work of making planes, laying schemes, drawing maps over places, looking at the ones he'd made a long time ago checking the information brought to him by his men, all ways to, in the end, hopefully, overthrow the Baron, get the Metal Heads out of Haven and restore peace to the city.
It wasn't long though before his continued lack of sleep – which really hadn't diminished since the incident at the Sacred Site almost two weeks earlier, actually quite the opposite – had his way with him once more and he yawned widely. Not even having the energy to fight against it, he resigned himself to just discard his clothes in a corner and scooted down under the covers of the nearest bunk bed.
"Oh, Mar, please let it take them a long time to finish that mission," he prayed quietly. Normally he didn't pray – what use had he for such foolish things? – but if the long dead saviour of the city could keep the rat away from him for at least a little time, then it was definitely worth a shot.
With that he closed his eyes and went to sleep almost immediately. But once more his sleep wasn't dreamless and peaceful. Not in any way whatsoever.
He was dreaming. Torn knew he was dreaming. It was pitch black all the way around him, but somehow there was a surreal, eerie feeling to it all that made him quite sure it was a dream. It didn't make his uneasiness lessen, though.
Where am I? Torn thought, rotating slowly around himself to scan the area. What the heck was this place, anyway?
He felt a tug in his stomach, like someone had attached a hook to it and was now pulling the hook. Before it really began to hurt, he was dumped unceremoniously on the ground, sprawled on his back. But when he tried to get up, he found out that he couldn't! The ground was simply too swampy and held him in place. He still couldn't see anything, not even the ground which had captured him.
"Now, isn't that just fucking brilliant?" Torn growled, his usual bad mood returning
"Killed him…killed him…killed him…killed him," a voice whispered out of nowhere, sounding like it was very far away, yet the words still reached Torn ears as clear as if they had been whispered right into one of his ears.
"Who's talking and what do you mean?" Torn sneered, his uneasiness fuelling his anger even further. If there was something the guard-turned-rebellion hated it was feeling unsure and not in control. Years of torment and mockery from the other, older guards had told him that display of weakness was fatal. If one wasn't in control and could make others believe that you were someone to fear, respect – which in many cases, as Erol's, was the same thing – and abide, you would easily break down in the corps of Guards, both metaphorically and literally speaking
There was no answer, only an echo of the earlier words, and the way they were spoken made Torn's skin creep. He kept having the feeling that someone or something was not far away, but when he looked around he could see nothing.
When he had been there for what seemed to him like eternities the scene changed and he was now lying on a soft, wet surface. He looked down to discover that it was grass, but for some reason it way dull and grey to look upon.
Quickly he stood up and looked about him. There was nothing in sight as far as the eye could reach except from the grassy ground, some oddly geometric stones and the sky, which was dark grey at the horizon and black further up.
He made a full circle around himself. Or he intended to do that. There was only the minor thing that when he had come almost all the way round, he suddenly stopped dead in his tracks. In front of him was Daxter, but the ottsel looked so sad, quiet and…grey, that Torn only recognized him due to the goggles. Even his fur was dull, ruffled and greyish.
Because he was totally caught off-guard by the sidekick's appearance it took him a moment to realise what Daxter was standing next to. When he did it made his eyes grow wide, yet just how astonished, not to mention even more shocked than before, he didn't let show
Daxter turned away from the grave, his features sad. The moment he spotted Torn, though, his facial expression changed dramatically. His ears, which had been lying down, stood straight up, his hands turned into little fists and the eyes became hard and accusing.
"You," the ottsel said quietly, but with a dangerous and despairing undertone, through gritted teeth. It was neither a question nor a true statement, but resembled loath – like Torn was something nasty Daxter had just stepped on and it had proven to still be alive – most of all. "What are you of all people doing here? Haven't you done enough already?"
"What the heck do you mean, rat?" the ex-KG snarled back. He didn't really want to be mean at that moment, but there was just something about the ottsel's way of behaviour that got on his nerves, even now in this very weird situation.
Daxter snorted. "As if you didn't know what I'm talking about!" he exclaimed angrily.
Torn was about to reply that he hadn't the faintest idea, but then his eyes focused on the strangely square stone that the ball of fur was standing beside, going up into a point towards the sky. On the smooth marble surface there was written a couple of lines.
'Jak, hero of times and best friend. May your tormented soul finally find peace far from the cruel world that hurt you so.'
So was the inscription upon the marble stone. Climbers were covering a good deal of the stone and the carvings and the stone itself seemed aged. There were even two small cracks at the top.
Torn forced his attention back to Daxter. As he got a better view of the elf-turned-ottsel he noticed something else about him. Apart from being ruffled and greyish, Daxter's fur was long, unkempt and outright dirty. You could almost see the flees jumping around on him, yet the former sidekick didn't as much as attempt to scratch at their bites. His face was grimy as well, but here he had long clear trails down his cheeks, clearly the mark of almost constant crying.
"You killed him," Daxter continued in that low voice that managed to get under Torn's skin quite effectively. "He's dead, lost to me forever, and it is all your fault!"
"I did not kill him. The kid decided to go on the missions himself – he was aware of the risk and fully capable of getting himself killed. I had no part in that at all! That's how it is with all my men – and Jak was no one special in that aspect!"
"Dream on, Tattooed Wonder," Daxter said with some of his old cheekiness, though it seemed pretty forced. "Jak was special, in all the ways that word can be used. He was a hero, he was my friend, and if it weren't for you, he would still be alive."
Torn was about to argue again and brought one of his hands up to run it through his dreadlocks. It never goy further than in front of his face and the sight of it made him gasp aloud. He brought his other hand up in front of him as well and it looked just the same as the other. There were maggots crawling in and out of holes in his flesh, all of them feasting on what flesh they could rip off. Besides that there was blood running down his hands in a thick, steady, never-ending flow, and some of it was mixed with something that looked suspiciously like dark eco.
Just as he looked up from his hands to curse the rat, the little fuzzy creature was fading away, like was the gravestone and everything else, leaving Torn in a black void once more.
Before he had time to think more closely about what had happened, a head appeared in front of him. There was no body to support it; it just hung in the darkness like the person had been decapitated. This head, though, wasn't lifeless as it would be had it been chopped off. It was very much alive and it grinned at him; a dark, menacing grin that make the face look even more evil and dangerous than it already did.
The ex-KG took a step backwards in surprise. He had heard stories of this creature, but he had never imagined it to be so terrifying and mad to look upon.
"Greetings, Torn," Dark Jak snarled in a deep but strangely melodic voice, mocking the elf. "And how are we today? Killed any friends of lately, have we? Oh, no, that's right – you've already killed the only one who tried to be your friend."
Torn didn't want to answer the monster. In fact what he wanted was to wake up as quickly as he possibly could. But whenever he tried to turn or back away, the mocking grin of the dark side of the hero would face him. The black orbs were shining like black pearls, but still one could tell this was a thinking being, a creature with intelligence and cunning.
"Killed him. Yes, you did kill him, though not directly, I admit that. But you didn't have to, did you? No, your coldness, indifference and harsh words did the work for you – it killed him more effectively than I do with a single Krimzon Guard." As he spoke, the monster's head came closer to Torn's and a hand appeared out of nowhere to seize him by the metal ring situated on his chest. The features of the white beast changed from mocking to angry.
"It is your fault that I now am nothing but a spirit. A bodiless sprite doomed to the realms of dreams and imagination. I needed him – not just for lending his body to me, but for the safety and security he provided for me, even if he hated me. I was part of him, and with him gone, I will never find rest again."
"But I have done nothing!" Torn protested, for some reason not wanting to be accused of being responsible for Jak's death.
"Yes, you have. You denied him the only things he ever wanted in this world. He sought it so desperately and you wouldn't give it to him."
"What was it?" Torn was growing very impatient now.
The monster's face, before alight with anger, softened as he quietly spoke, his head fading away little by little. "Acceptance, respect, friendship and love. Love, Torn, love." Then the face was gone.
Torn woke with a start, sitting straight up in the bed. His heart was pounding, his breathing was erratic and he was covered in sweat. He looked around him quickly, but no one else was there. He tried desperately to relax while the words of the dream kept echoing through the room.
TBC...
A/N - Hurray for me for writing this much for one chapter!! Know what, I actually wrote like a maniac yesterday to get this part finished and then when I wanted to post it, wouldn't let me log in (grumbles)!! But now it's up and this is a real nasty cliffhanger, isn't it? I'm sorry, but it's a way of keeping you interested untill I can get the next bit done!! Prepare for a bit of a long wait, for I'm seriously loaded with work right now (sighs and groans). But I'll do my best to write fast!!
Btw, anyone who wants to be muses or betas or something?
Leave a review before you go, thank you!! ;) :D