Jak awoke during the night. Allow his senses to come together and pieced what had happened. They had found Caden, or rather, Caden found them when Metal Head Beasts were stampeding around. Jak and Daxter were thrown backwards in the Dune Hopper.
"Daxter!" Jak yelled, unconsciously aware of where he was. He tried sitting up, but pain shot though his right side. Jak grunted, but lay back down. Daxter had heard him cry out and hovered above him, "Jak? You alright, buddy?" he asked.
Jak could only nod until the pain past. Letting out a slow breath, Jak relaxed a little and looked to Daxter, "Just forgot about the injuries." Jak answered, "Where's Caden?"
Daxter shrugged, "Not sure, but she might be outside. There is a big fire outside." Daxter said, leaving Jak to stare at the ceiling. He could hear the crackling of the fire and could smell the sweet scent of the burning weeds. Jak felt almost content, being able to relax with no worries other than that of his own.
Closing his eyes, he drifted back to sleep, his breathing evening out. Jak could hear the faint steps of someone walking around him, knowing it was probably Caden. He slowly opened his eyes to see Errol instead. The half machine maniac smirked, leering over Jak, bringing his metal, cold hands to grab Jak. Lashing out quickly, Jak grabbed a hold of Errol neck with his good hand. He could hear the faint voice of Daxter yelling at him, but he couldn't make it out, yet.
"WAKE UP!" Daxter yelled, hitting Jak, which brought him to his senses pretty quickly. Gasping for air, Jak noticed his hand was around Caden's throat, lightly choking her.
"No, Caden…" The ex-hero tried to apologize, letting go of the girl. Caden silenced him, handing him another bowl to eat. She then tried to leave, but Jak still had a hand on her arm. She froze, not wanting any contact from him. Pulling away after a few quite moments, she left the two alone.
"Don't fret. She is scared of almost anything. Give her some time." Daxter explain, "She will hardly be near me, now eat." He added, sipping the broth from his own bowl. Even though Jak was still a little uneased, he nodded and started on his bowl.
Daxter ate a little more before looking at his friend straight in the eye, "We should be heading back soon."
"I know, but she needs to come back with us. Force or not, Caden isn't safe out here." Jak said, getting up. Concentrating, he used his light powers to heal himself of any other wounds.
"Feeling better?" Daxter asked, with a smirk. Jak nodded and soon his communicator went off. Damas was calling; needing Jak back in Spargus, which Jak replied that they would be there shortly.
Slowly getting up, Jak left the small shelter with Daxter on his shoulder. The skyline, purple mixing with orange, told him it was hours from dawn and the air smelt sweet from the cool morning.
Looking around, he saw Caden heading their way with an armful of weeds in her arms. She promptly tossed them in the dying fire making the plants hiss and crackle as they burned.
"Damas called." Jak stated flatly, "We need to head back."
Daxter nodded and turned to Caden with pleading eyes. She knew exactly what they wanted, but didn't know if she could. Caden sat next to the fire to warm herself up. Jak and Daxter wanted her to go back to Spargus, a place she thought could be a home. Caden also knew that Errol and the Dark Makers would tear down the city walls to get to her. She wouldn't do it and shook her head, clanging the bracelets together.
"What about them, Caden?" Jak asked, "We can help you, if you would just let us. Do you not trust us?"
Caden again shook her head, "No. Not while I have them on. The Dark Makers will want them back and Errol is still after me…"
"All the more reason for you to trust us and let us protect you." Jak interrupted.
"Errol and the Dark Markers are a huge menace now. Nothing you could do about that." Daxter added.
"But I still have them. Who knows what could happen if they got a hold of them or me." Caden argued, "I need to find a way to get them off. I just don't know how. I think my body depends on them." Caden sighed. Snuffing out the fire with the pot she had used earlier, she left to go into the house, needing to be alone to think.
Jak and Daxter looked at each other when Caden had left. They needed to get back and they needed Caden back in Spargus. True, Errol and the Dark Markers would be after her, but they were attacking everyone and she was more vulnerable out in the Wastelands.
"Daxter, go wait by the Dune Hopper."
"Don't do anything stupid." Daxter warned, jumping down and waddling around a house. As Daxter disappeared, Jak went for Caden.
Daxter never knew exactly what happened, but no long after he left Jak, Caden's darker side was unleashed. She and Jak were fighting and all Daxter needed was Caden's 'war cry' as a warning before seeing the two rolling end over end of each other.
"Ja-ak!" Daxter moaned, "You did-"
"Something stupid, yes. Just stay there!"
"Like I want to help you anyways." Daxter retorted, watching the two. Caden was fighting like a caged animal, like it meant her life to get at Jak. She had Jak on the ground and was about ready to strike. Jak did the only thing he thought he could do. As Caden lunged at him, he threw sand at her face, causing her land awkwardly on Jak. This gave Jak a chance to shove Caden away and jump to his feet.
Caden thrashed about, her darker side feeding off her anger. Jak could see her tears as she rubbed at her eyes. Opening her eyes to look around, Jak noted the jewelry clutched at her skin. He also noted that when she kept her eyes closed, the jewelry would loosen up.
"So that's how they work." Jak said to himself. Jak's attention went to Caden, as she seemed to be calming down. Her tears were lightly tinted pink as sand and her dried tears stained her cheeks. Jak knew what he had to do and moved the short distance and slugged Caden in the stomach.
As Caden fell forward, Jak's arms looped around her waist and waited until her darker side completely subsided and fell limp in Jak's embrace. He then picked her up, checked her over, and carried her to where the Dune Hooper sat.
He was greeted with a wide-eyed, jaw-dropped ottsel. Jak nodded and seated Caden and jumped into the driver's seat.
"Just knocked the wind out of her." Jak answered Daxter's questioning look. He tore off a part of his shirt and tied it around Caden's eyes.
"Oh now, Jak. She'll never know who it is. Jeez, Jak, what-" Daxter started.
"Shut it, Dax." Jak stopped his friend, "I did it because I know how to get that freakin' jewelry off. Just look at her wrist."
Daxter gave Jak a questioning look and did as he was told. He sat on Caden's lap as Jak started the Dune Hopper and headed back to Spargus.
The morning light brightly shown on the vehicle and reflected upon the jewelry. Looking down, Daxter noted he could see purple and yellow seeping from under the bracelets.
"Wait, the jewelry." Daxter finally noted.
"Yeah, she said it herself that they help her see and her body depends on them. Take away her sight, then the jewelry won't work." Jak explained. Daxter smiled at this and stared ahead.
Spargus' doors were in sight as well as marauders. Carefully maneuvering and jumping over the bandits, Jak got into Spargus within moments. The two heroes smiled to themselves for they made it back with minimum damage and brought Caden 'home'.
The smiles faded when Caden started to stir. Moaning slightly, she moved arm one around her waist and the other towards her eyes. Jak moved to stop Caden, holding her hand in his.
"Don't remove it." He told her quietly, moving her hands together so one rested over the bracelet of the other. Caden's hand swept gently over the jewelry, but didn't know why her wrists were hurting so bad. Her question was answered as her finders gingerly found the edge and slipped under the seem.
"It's loose…" She state quietly, "How?"
"You said it yourself. You use the jewelry to see. If you can't see, they can't work."
"That's right, so that must mean we're back in Spargus?" Caden asked.
"Yep, don't worry nothing's changed." Daxter said.
Caden could hear the ottsel jump off the Dune Hopper and could hear his small feet walking across the sand. Jak touched Caden's hand, indicating to help her. Caden allowed Jak to help her out of the vehicle.
Keeping an arm around her shoulders, Jak directed Caden into the interior of Spargus. Kleiver was on his way out, but spotted the heroes.
"There ya are. Damas is looking fer ya. Go towards the bay." Kleiver ordered and almost walked on, "Is that Caden?"
Caden nodded towards the voice. She was a little nervous for she couldn't see him or what was going on. The next thing she knew, Caden was in a bear hug and in the air.
"'Bout time ya got home." Kleiver said, setting the girl back down, before walking off.
Jak smiled for the big guard and Caden. Kleiver had noted the girl's appearance and the blindfold and so he just made the child feel welcomed. Jak watched as he left for the garage and remembered that Damas needed him.
He maneuvered Caden to jump onto his back. Caden wrapped her arms around Jak's neck as well as her legs around his waist. Nodding she was ready, Daxter jumped onto Caden's arm and they took off. Jak ran and rounded a few corners before seeing Damas, who was looking at the sky.