The events after all the craziness. It's good for Jak. Not so much for Gol.

And one more thing, I would like to mention that JakCooperThePlumber wants to read this story on their Youtube channel, which is pretty exciting. I really appreciate this, and I look forward to it. And if you want to check it out once they get started, their Youtube username is Jak Cooper.

Chapter 52: Chains

As consciousness began to creep its way back into his mind, the Dark Sage started to take notice of several details about his situation, as best as he could, at least, with a mind that seemed to be filled with the mental equivalent of fog, a rather thick fog, no matter how hard he tried to focus. He was on a hard surface, that much was certain, though he didn't think he was lying down. And his head was resting on something hard, as well. And his body was aching, but it wasn't quite a physical ache, if that even made sense, but an ache deep inside him, within every bit of his body, every molecule. Not an ache of muscle, but of his very being.

And as he woke up further, he could hear his breathing, hoarse and slow, and he attempted to force his eyes open, trying to will heavy eyelids to do his bidding, and he finally got one open and then the other, just barely, though this told him little, when he found that his vision was just as fuzzy as his thoughts were, not helped by the fact that the lighting was weak, the only true source of illumination coming from what could possibly be the light of a torch in the distance. He blinked, a strangely slow and labored effort, as he tried to remember the most recent events, though it was like trying to wade through thick soup, the retrieval of these memories coming slow and fragmented. He had tried to blow up Spargus. That happened, didn't it? He had made it there, hadn't he? Yes, he was pretty certain that had happened, but it didn't end up working. Surely it didn't, or he wouldn't be wherever he was now, with his body in a most uncomfortable, yet currently unknown, position. But, why didn't it work? Why, after all the hours of toil and sleeplessness he had put himself through in order to get the bomb finished, did he still fail?

Was it the boy? Yes, it was him, or someone that looked like him. There was a glowing figure, and there was pain and there was…then there was just a blackness before he awoke here.

But, he wasn't dead. That much he knew. He wasn't, or else…he wasn't sure how he knew that. He just did. And as his vision began to clear, but only somewhat, he could make out shapes, vertical shapes, a short distance in front of him. And a noise, what was that, a metallic…? His hand twitched, yes, it was what had caused that sound somehow. But, what was wrong with his right arm and the weakness he felt in it, that was so much more pronounced than in the rest of his body?

The Sage tried to look upward, in the direction his hands had somehow ended up, finding yet another task that seemed to be strangely difficult, his head feeling much too heavy for his neck. But eventually, his efforts fueled by little else but pure curiosity and a lack of anything better to do, he managed to incline his head upwards just enough to find what was keeping his arms where they were, manacles on his wrists, the chains wrapped through a link of metal bolted to the wall. What was this? Why was he bound like a prisoner?

And why was there something off about his arm? It didn't look quite right, though it was hard to decide on what the cause of the apparent change could be with the dim lighting and his less than adequate eyesight, not to mention a mind that was still being most uncooperative. Something was missing. Come to think of it, he had seen his arm this way before, hadn't he? Yes, that was it, something was indeed missing, and it was no wonder he didn't recognize it. It was his glove. It was his glove that was gone, the thing that had kept his arm functioning despite the damage it had sustained so many years ago, flesh surely twisted and withered if he could see it better, exposed for the first time in centuries.

Anger at removing such an important thing from him tried to bubble up, but was extinguished just as quickly as his mind lost focus again. What were they planning on doing with him? Why didn't they just kill him? They didn't, did they? Surely this wasn't death, after all, or was it? Was this hell, and he was being punished, even when all he had ever wanted was his dear sister's happiness and the world to be made a better place, where Dark Eco wasn't feared and his sister and he weren't hated. No, this wasn't hell at all, as this was not really so much different from the life he had already lived thus far. It was only taking a different form it never had before, but he knew exactly what had happened, even if his mind refused to focus on anything right now.

His thoughts began to dissolve away into nothingness, and he started to lose consciousness, but one thing was clear just before he fell into blackness again. He had failed.

Jak found himself once again roaming the streets of Spargus, and though he had hardly been away from it for more than several hours, it wasn't the same place that he remembered, but maybe it only felt that way because of the burden that was no longer pressing down on his shoulders. Not that long ago, he had been in the citadel, forcing his enemy into unconsciousness with Light Eco, though unable to finish him off for a reason even he couldn't comprehend. Maybe Kass's request had a greater impact on him than he had realized, but he didn't think that was it.

While he was in his light form, it had made complete sense to spare the Dark Sage, and in that moment, he couldn't imagine making any other decision. But, now that he was himself again, he wasn't so sure about what he had just done. All he did know was that he still understood very little of his light side's personality in comparison to Dark Jak's, and a part of him kept feeling like he just needed to trust that it knew what it was doing, though that was easier said than done.

And now, even as he pondered over the decision he had made and why he had made it, Gol was being taken to the prison beneath the palace, to be locked up and kept under watch, not to mention drugged so he couldn't simply wake up and escape, all thanks to Ashelin and a group of Wastelanders that had left to head for the citadel not long after he had disappeared through the portal of Dark Eco, in the hopes of finding him there and assisting him in this, hopefully, final phase of the war. They were too late to help in that respect, and frankly, he was better prepared than he could have ever imagined, but they were just in time to bring him back once Light Jak had worn off, and he no longer had any means of returning.

Soldiers and Wastelanders that were still up and patrolling the streets at this late hour, even when there was no longer any need for it, but he supposed old habits were hard to break, watched him as he walked by, all strangely silent, but what could you possibly say to someone who had just flown overhead and halted a bomb that was mere seconds from leveling the entire city below? And there was nothing that needed to be said anyway. The war was over now, and that's all that mattered.

Jak stopped when he reached an immense object, lit by little else but a half moon and the usual green star, a shape that was no so imposing as it had been mere hours ago. The bomb's empty frame sat there before him, misshapen from its attempted blast, but now harmless, the only proof that what had happened had actually happened. He had stopped this thing. He had really done it, and as he stared at it here now, he wondered if it would just disappear, a dream he had conjured up in his mind, but it didn't, as it was as real as he was, Spargus' victory as real as the fact that this bomb had somehow been made useless by one mere man, and he turned from it and walked by, back home, to a place that was sure to be temporary, as now that this war was over, they could focus their efforts on Haven City once again. And if he could bring about something as hopeless as the Dark Sage's defeat, surely Haven could be saved, as well. It wouldn't be lost to them forever. They would have their home returned to them. But first, Jak could really use some rest.

They finally arrived back home, and he opened the door and stepped into darkness, everyone else surely long asleep now that it was early morning, and if anyone had tried to stay up and wait for his return, as they surely had, they had obviously been unable to do so for this long.

Jak closed the door behind him, and a voice from his shoulder broke the silence. "Jak?"

"Yeah?"

"I still don't get it."

"Me, neither. Just go to sleep."

A soft thump indicated the ottsel had dropped to the floor. "But, why didn't you just finish that psycho off when you had the chance?" Daxter asked, his voice rising as he seemingly forgot that there were other people in the house that were still asleep, not to mention one more that would like to do the same.

Jak sat down on the couch, rubbing his forehead with both hands. "Dax, not now."

"But…"

He heard a door creak, the room just then becoming illuminated by a light coming from one of the bedrooms, and he groaned. Good going.

"Daxie…? Da-…oh, Daxie, you're back!" A shrill squeal broke the previous peace of a sleeping household as Tess ran out into the living room, arms outstretched. "Oh, I'm so glad you're okay! I knew you would do it!"

Daxter had barely any time to respond before she was upon him, squeezing him tight, the two of them spinning across the room before finally coming to a halt, Daxter looking rather disorientated at this point as he grabbed onto the other ottsel more for balance than in an actual hug.

"Yeah, of course, we did, clam chowder," he said, giving his head a quick shake to clear away the dizziness. "I mean, that's pretty much what we did. I guess..." Daxter directed a raised eyebrow at Jak, who simply did the same in response, coupled with a shrug, but his attention was not focused on the ottsel for long, for as he looked over in response to an approaching light, his eyes caught sight of two others, Samos and, most importantly of all, Keira.

His eyes locked onto hers, and they watched each other, her face showing the same kind of disbelief he felt looking upon the empty bomb he could hardly believe he had actually stopped, and then, his presence confirmed, she came forward, setting the oil lamp she held in one hand down on the table beside the couch, and he rose to his feet and wrapped his arms around her just as she did the same to him.

"Jak, I'm…I'm so glad…"

"The war's over," he said, into her hair, almost forgetting for a moment that they weren't the only two in the room. "It's over."

He looked up as Samos spoke, the Green Sage coming forward as he rubbed a back with one fist that was likely none too pleased at being disturbed at such an early hour. "I'm proud of you, Jak. You've done better than I ever could have imagined."

"Yeah," Tess said, jumping up and down beside Daxter. "The way you stopped that bomb, I mean, it was totally something Daxter would've done. Right, Daxie?"

The ottsel in question nodded, fists to his waist. "You betcha, tiramisu."

"And as for Gol…" Samos began, watching Jak with raised eyebrows.

Jak's grip on Keira loosened, and she stepped back, looking up at him, as well. In fact, they all were, but only Daxter didn't show the same wonder in his gaze as they did. He had done what he felt was right at the time. He really had. He just couldn't bring himself to finish the Dark Sage off. For whatever reason, he couldn't. Light Jak wouldn't allow it.

"Well, about that…" Jak began, but Daxter spoke up over him.

"Yep, we won't be hearing from that old geezer again. Nope. He's definitely, uh, gone. Right, Jak?"

Jak sighed, and he lowered his gaze, finding it strangely difficult to look his friends in the eye right now. It didn't mean he had failed. It didn't mean he hadn't ended the war. He just hadn't done it in quite the way they would have expected. "Gol isn't going to be causing us any more trouble, but…"

"Yes!" Tess giggled and clapped her hands together, hopping up and down, her sudden bout of excitement startling the ottsel beside her. "That nasty, old Sage finally got what was—"

"I didn't kill him," Jak said, and Tess went still, hands still raised in the middle of halted applause, everyone's attention now focused on him even more than ever, everyone, that is, save for Daxter, whose gaze had dropped to the floor, while he kicked at the ground with one foot, hands clasped behind his back.

"What?" Tess said, her arms lowering back to her sides, and Jak's eyes only went to her for a second before darting away again.

"I said…look, I…" He scratched the back of his head. "I didn't kill him, but he's locked up in the palace prison now. He can't hurt anyone ever again. The Wastelanders are…"

"But…but what about Torn?" the female ottsel continued. "You promised."

"I'm sorry, but…"

"Jak," Keira said, "Are you sure he can't get away?"

"Yes, I… I hope so."

She continued to watch him, contemplating his words, and he wondered if maybe he had been wrong, what if, by not killing that monster, he had put Keira in danger? How could he have allowed himself to—

Keira nodded. "Then, that's enough for me. You must be tired. You need to get some rest."

"But, why?" Tess said, stomping a foot as her hands formed fists at her sides. "Why not? What about Torn? You said—"

"I—"

"That's quite enough!" Samos said, slamming his cane down, "Jak can explain the rest in the morning. I'm sure he had good reasons for what he did. And I know I'm tired, and I spent the night sleeping. At least, half of it." He began to head back towards his bedroom, but stopped, as if he could somehow sense Tess's mouth opening once more behind him. "And that's the end of it. Go to sleep."

The female ottsel did as she was told, though her expression did not change, and her eyes looked up at him, and he turned away to find Keira to still be watching him, as well, though her face was much harder to read. And then a smile formed, and she moved in closer to kiss him on the cheek.

"Night, Jak. I'm proud of you."

"Th-thanks…I mean, good night."

Her smile widened, and her gaze lingered on him for a moment longer before she turned away to head back to her own room, and he watched her until she was lost to sight. He hoped he had done the right thing.

His attention returned to his friend when Daxter broke the silence remaining after the room had emptied out. "Well, I guess we got away with that one pretty good, huh? And don't worry, Tess gets over stuff pretty fast."

"Yeah, thanks, Dax."

Jak sat back down on the couch, while Daxter climbed up into his usual chair, becoming partly lost to sight behind the armrest, though two disjointed sections of his curled up form still remained visible.

"Daxter…"

His friend looked over, pushing himself up onto his elbows. "Yeah, Jak?"

Jak grinned. "We did it, Dax. It's over."

"It sure is."

He turned off the lamp Keira had left behind and laid down, pulling the blankets over himself that were always left nearby.

"Jak?"

"Hmm?"

"You were pretty cool earlier. But, you do need to learn to fly better. I coulda fallen off, ya know."

Jak turned his head back in Daxter's direction, though the ottsel remained invisible, as his eyes had not yet had a chance to adjust to the darkness. "Yeah, but you didn't'

He looked away, facing the ceiling again, but his friend's voice continued. "And it better never happen, I can tell you that."

"Okay, Dax."

"No, seriously. I mean it."

"Good night, Dax."

"G'night."

And it wasn't until it was dark and silent again that Jak took notice of just how exhausted he was, though it was no surprise after he had just managed to stop a bomb from leveling Spargus and had captured the last person remaining that was responsible for it all. He could hardly believe all of that had really happened, let alone that he had only just gotten Light Jak back less than 24 hours ago. But, whether or not his light side had made the right decision or not concerning the Sage's fate could not be pondered over much longer, as a much-needed sleep had overtaken him before he knew what was happening.

Phew, no more war to write about. And it was quite fortunate for us that Jak listened to his light side, though I am not so sure about how fortunate Gol currently feels about his decision. And please review.